To Breathe Again

-Chapter 9-

"He looked really funny with only one eyebrow," the little girl informed her, as she stuck a finger into the icing of her cupcake.

Nanao stared, washcloth froze mid-swipe, at a total loss. How was a person supposed to respond to that, anyways? The story that she was hearing was amusing, she would give Yachiru that much. And the little girl seemed to be full of such tales. She wondered what her father was like, that he allowed her to run so wild all the time.

"Well. I imagine anyone would look funny with only one eyebrow," Nanao finally agreed, wiping the counter top down with the cloth. They hadn't had a customer in over an hour now, and she was trying to find things to keep herself occupied with. The morning rush was long over, and Yachiru had come bouncing in as promised to visit and test the cupcakes, of course. It was a nice distraction. "Picking on someone isn't very nice, though, Yachiru."

"Pfft. But he was funny looking before that, too."

"Well…ah," she paused, not sure what to say to that, either. At a loss, Nanao simply shook her head at the child. "What did he say when he saw that his eyebrow was missing?"

"I donno. I ran away before he woke up," the girl shrugged, stuffing half the cupcake into her mouth. Pink frosting was smeared across her chubby cheeks, and her clothes were covered in crumbs.

"Nanao, is everything alright up front?"

"Just fine," she said, turning to her boss, who was probably just as bored as she was. Jushiro poked his head out from the kitchen and winked at her. "It's a good time to take a lunch break, then!"

She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand stopping her words.

"I ordered us all lunch, and it's my treat. You've been working hard since you started here so you deserve some show of appreciation from me. Will you keep an eye out? It should be here any moment."

"Oh," she stammered, surprised. "Yes, I will. Thank you for lunch then, sir."

"Don't call me that, it makes me feel old," he chastised with a wave.

"Whitey!" Yachiru yelled in greeting, waving dramatically to get his attention, flinging crumbs everywhere with the motion. "The cupcakes are perfect!"

"Glad to hear, Yachiru. I can't talk right now though, I have something that needs to come out of the oven in the back..."

The girl was out of her seat and following him back to the kitchen in the next second. She was hopping around him excitedly the whole way, reminding Nanao of an excited puppy.

She smiled to herself, thinking she had gotten lucky to have such a good-natured boss. Although, she was unsure what to make of him buying her lunch. She had never taken her lunch break since she had started working here. Apparently he felt she needed one even if she agreed or not.

Some time later, Nanao finished with an order and thanking the customers as they left. Looking around, she tried to think of something else to do. This shift was going to last forever if business didn't pick up a little.

And she hadn't slept much last night, thanks to her impromptu girls' night. Rangiku had ended up staying, passing out in the wee hours of morning. Nanao had taken the bottle out of her hand and thrown a blanket over her.

And when she had tried to get her up for work, the woman didn't budge at all. Not knowing what else to do, short of dumping water over her head, she had just left her in her futon and came in to offer a sheepish explanation to Mr. Ukitake of her coworker's absence. He didn't seem surprised, and thankfully the day had been slow enough that they hadn't needed her extra hands.

She heard the door open and turned, happy for another customer. But her greeting stuck in her throat when she saw who it was.

"Good afternoon," Shunsui offered as he strolled in, glancing around the small front room. He had a large bag in one hand, and Nanao couldn't help noticing the pink Hawaiian shirt he wore somehow didn't look as ridiculous as it should on a man. "Jeez. It's quiet in here."

"We've been slow," she explained, moving to the register. She hadn't expected to see him at her work. But maybe he was here for coffee and would be on his way quickly.

"Hm. Slow at the bookstore, too," he said, coming to stand in front of her. He held up the large plastic bag, the smell of hot food reaching her by the movement. "Ready to eat?"

"I thought a delivery boy would be coming," she said, surprised. Her boss had failed to mention that someone else would be joining them.

"Well, I'm not sure I'd fit the bill for the term 'boy', but I always deliver," he grinned shamelessly, and her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. She looked away, flustered, charming him even more. He hadn't meant to tease her, it had honestly just slipped out. Old habits and all. Besides, she blushed so prettily. "Where's Jushiro?"

"He had a few things in the back-" she started but then a crash rang out from the kitchen as if on que. Nanao sighed, wondering what sort of mess the little girl was creating. "I believe Yachiru was helping him, as well."

"Ah." he nodded, not needing any explanation to her deadpanned statement. "And Rangiku?"

"Sleeping in my bed," she said sourly, and he laughed. She liked the sound of it. A deep and carefree laugh. It suited him.

"One of those nights, was it?"

"For her."

"But not for you?"

"I don't share her love of wine."

"Not many do."

"I'll tell Mr. Ukitake that-" Her words fell short when something that sounded suspiciously like glass breaking rang out. Followed closely by a shriek of delight.

"Sounds busy back there. He'll be out when he's finished up. Come set up lunch with me?"

She eyed him as he went to one of the tables and started laying out various containers. Enough to feed an army by the looks of it.

Nanao hesitated, though. She didn't really want to sit with him alone, it just seemed improper somehow. So she didn't move from where she stood, glancing back towards the kitchen. She hoped the other two were about done back there.

Shunsui looked over at her after a moment when she didn't follow, noting the taut set of her posture. She really was a skittish little thing. "I don't bite."

She scowled at his assessment, and her pride took over. Knowing she had been called out, Nanao reached for a stack of napkins and approached the table.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Water is fine," he answered, accepting the napkins from her.

She went back to the cooler and pulled out two water bottles, wondering again when her boss and Yachiru would be out. Unable to stall anymore without being obvious, and knowing he wouldn't let it slide, probably, she sat down across from him stiffly.

"Do you like soba?"

She nodded, looking over the large spread. It all smelled delicious, and her mouth watered. Lately, she's been living on the bare minimal as far as food went.

"Good, because the place I picked this up from is famous for their soba. It's golden to the locals. You have to try it first before anything else," he encouraged, passing her a container and chop sticks.

She thanked him quietly, and took a small bite as he watched expectantly. She felt a bit awkward at being the center of such an intense attention, but the taste knocked her unease from her thoughts. She had to admit, it was heaven.

"It is very good."

"The best," he agreed, pleased she liked it and started digging into his own. "You never got to get yourself a book last night."

Around his mouthful, his voice was muffled but the meaning was clear. She sniffed at his table manners, passing him a napkin.

"No, I wasn't able to," she agreed. She took another wonderful bite of her food, suppressing a moan of pure joy. This really was the best soba in the world. She would have to find out where this place was located for future reference.

"Well, what time are you done today?"

"5 o'clock," she answered automatically.

"After you finish up here, come by before you head home."

She pulled her attention away from her food to give him a suspicious look. "Your sign said you close at 4 on Saturday."

Observant little thing, too, wasn't she? He smiled back and shrugged, caught. "I'll be there. Just stop in."

She had an expression on her face he couldn't quite decipher. "No, I wouldn't intrude on your personal time. I'll come when it's within your business hours."

He deflated a little at her dismissal, but she never noticed. He wanted to insist, but reminded himself that she wasn't the type he could nag to get his way. She would have to come around on her own. Which was strange for him, honestly. He'd never put so much thought on how to get close to a woman before. Admittedly, he wasn't usually the one pursuing.

They ate in comfortable silence a moment. She savored every bite with slow precision, trying to keep her hunger from being too obvious. She wasn't sure when the last time she had eaten something substantial was, but probably too long.

The easy silence was interrupted by what sounded like water running over onto the floor in the back. Followed closely by a yelp of surprise.

"Perhaps I should check on them," Nanao commented, listening to the questionable noises coming from the kitchen.

"He's fine," Shunsui snickered, unconcerned. "Jushiro has plenty of experience handling her antics. It keeps him young."

She smiled such a slight smile, he wasn't sure he even saw it. It was too brief, he thought. There and gone.

"She is a…spirited little girl."

"That's putting it mildly," he agreed, mouth full again.

The two came out of the kitchen then, and Nanao froze at her boss' obvious disarray.

"Time for lunch?" he asked, as he brushed off his shirt. There was flour smeared across his clothing, and one pant leg looked wet. Something green was in his white locks, too, but Nanao wasn't sure he had even noticed that.

"Come sit," Shunsui called cheerfully, gesturing with his chopsticks to the chair beside him.

"How thoughtful of you," he groused, taking a seat and reaching for a helping.

Yachiru came skidding to a stop and climbed into Nanao's lap quickly, picking a noodle out of her chopsticks with her fingers. She slurped the noodle up noisily and grinned. "Oooh, you guys got the good kind!"

"Don't eat like that," Nanao chastised, taking a chubby little hand in her own to wipe it off with a napkin. "Where are your manners?"

"I donno?"

Nanao had to wonder if she even knew the word. She set the little girl up with her own container and handed her a pair of chopsticks before she could use her bare hands again.

"Ladies don't eat with their fingers" Jushiro added.

"I'm not a lady, I'm a kid," she pointed out around a mouthful of noodles.

"Ah. Well. You've got me there," Jushiro admitted.

"You're a little lady, then," Shunsui offered, and the girl beamed proudly at the term.

Nanao smiled at the conversation and took another bite as Yachiru wiggled around on her lap. She put an arm around her to keep her from toppling off (and to keep her still,) but then it was awkward to try and eat around her and with only one free hand. And, sadly, her right one. There were a few things she couldn't do well with the damaged hand, and using chopsticks sufficiently was one of them.

She tried anyhow, but after a few failed attempts, she knew it wasn't going to work. Lifting Yachiru to switch her to the other side of her lap, she freed up her good left hand and resumed eating. The child never seemed to care, hadn't even bothered to stop shoveling food into her mouth with the rearrangement.

Conversation flowed around her between the two men across the table. Glancing up, she caught Shunsui's eye, surprised to see him looking back at her, even though he was talking with Jushiro.

She looked away, wondering if he had seen her fumbling with her utensils a moment ago. She usually avoided drawing attention to her lack of dexterity, but he was clearly the observant sort. She tucked her right hand under the table self-consciously. Focusing on her lunch, she tried not to feel embarrassed. There wasn't much she could do about it, but that hardly helped.

Rangiku came barging in the front door then, looking out of breath and half asleep. She pointed an accusing finger at Nanao, "That's the worst walk I ever took!"

"What?" she blinked, confused.

"I think I'm sweating alcohol. Do you know how bad it is to walk that far in the hot sun with a hangover?" she whined, rubbing a hand down her pale, damp face.

"No, I'm afraid I don't," Nanao said, her lips twitching slightly before she noticed an important detail. "Is that…my shirt?"

Rangiku looked down at the blouse she had on, the buttons dangerously close to popping. "Mine was stained. I'll give it back."

"I don't know that it will survive the day," she said, eying the stretched material. "Or the next hour, for that matter."

"I've had a rough morning," she defended, pushing her messy hair out of her face. "Oh, my god. That was horrible. I can't believe you walk that far every day in this heat."

"I'm quite sober when I do it," Nanao pointed out.

"You didn't really need to bother coming in today," Jushiro added helpfully. "It's been terribly slow."

The blonde glared, but said nothing more. She came to the table and flopped down beside Nanao, reaching over and picking a noodle out of her container with her bare fingers and slurping it up noisily.

"Oooh, you got the good kind!"

Nanao rolled her eyes and passed her a napkin as the men laughed.

At ten past 5, Nanao stepped out onto the sidewalk, free of the shift. The sun was still warm, and there were quite a few people milling around past the businesses lining the main street.

The rest of her day had been nice. The coffee shop had gotten busy again, and time had passed much more quickly since their lunch time gathering.

Funny, but that experience had left her feeling…lighter.

What an odd turn of events, she mused. She hadn't thought she would enjoy such a thing, having spent so much time alone recently. But between Rangiku's visit last night, and the talkative bunch she had spent time with today, she was startled to realize how much she had been missing out on well, people. Just being around others, spending time demanded and easy talk.

Yes, today was a good day. She had been full for the first time in weeks, and the group of people sharing their food and laughter with her were wonderful. They were obviously close friends, and she was thankful to all of them, for enveloping her into their plans, accepting her seamlessly into their group. Even the warm weight of Yachiru in her lap had been pleasant. It had been a while since she had had any sort of cuddling.

Long after the food was gone, the group had stayed where they were. It had been so comfortable, too, to feel so untroubled among them. She had sat there mostly quiet, with the little girl in her lap, just listening to their banter and stories.

Looking up when movement caught her eye, she was only mildly surprised to see Shunsui walking across the street to meet her, but a part of her had expected it, really. She had noticed his attention when he asked what time she was done today.

She had that flutter in her stomach again when he reached her and offered one of his brilliant smiles.

"Hello again," he greeted.

She quirked a brow at him but didn't bother responding as he fell into step beside her. She really needed to do something about his obvious interest before she gave the wrong impression.

"My offer still stands, you can grab something to read before you head home," he told her as they walked further from where the bookstore sat.

"My answer still stands, too. I can come by on Monday when it's open again. You deserve your time off."

"But then what will you do with your time off, if you don't have something to read?" he asked.

She pondered that too, not entirely sure what to do with herself until Monday came around. "I don't know. I haven't made any plans yet."

"Hm. I could offer suggestions? I happen to have no plans as well."

She glanced up at him, incredulous. "Are you asking me out?"

"Maybe…" he hedged. "I suppose that depends on the reception I would receive."

"If I say no?"

"I'll be wounded, of course. But that won't keep me from trying again another day. I'm a patient man."

"A very forward one, too."

"Yes, that too. You'll feel sorry for me and cave in eventually," he told her with a grin, and she sniffed. "So, would you like to go out with me tonight?"

"No," she tried and failed to keep the small smile from her lips.

He laughed, and she wondered if he was ever unhappy. Even getting turned down didn't dissuade him, apparently. She tried to imagine what it would be like to be so cheery that way.

"Alright. Strike one. Tomorrow, then?"

She stopped walking, turning to him. He stopped too, and stared down at her with a hopeful expression.

"I hardly know you," she pointed out, but wasn't sure that was really the reason. She didn't feel like they were strangers, oddly enough. She had gotten comfortable around him at some point, though she wasn't sure when that happened. Of course, that was mostly his doing. He was easy to feel comfortable around.

"A perfect way to get to know me would be to spend more time together," he wheedled.

"I…" she cast about for something, but nothing came. She frowned up at him and just gave up. She turned away and started walking again. "Thank you, but no."

"Are you running off?" He caught up easily, walking at her side again.

"I'm not running anywhere. I'm just going home."

"Can I walk with you, then?"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Are you always this persistent?"

"When I have to be," he assured.

"It's very out of your way. Didn't you hear Rangiku earlier?" she said, as they turned off the main road. The gravel crunched under their shoes as the homes got further apart from each other. The fields swayed in the breeze and the ocean got louder as civilization fell away behind them.

"I don't have anything pressing to do," he shrugged.

"I don't need an escort."

"I'm sure you don't," he agreed, smiling down at her.

She looked away from him stubbornly, eyes back to the road ahead.

"It's a long walk," she warned, trying one last time.

But he didn't hear what she said as much as what she wasn't saying. He was pleased to realize that maybe she wouldn't mind his company for the trip. She would have told him to get lost by now if she did.

"I don't mind. Besides, the scenery is amazing," he said quietly.

She never noticed his eyes were on her, instead of the surroundings.

During the walk, they talked about lots of things. Mostly, it was him asking her about herself, and he learned a few interesting facts about the little woman at his side.

One, she was brilliant. From the books she read to the knowledge she showed when talking about various topics, it was obvious to him. She had a quick wit and it intrigued him even more, if that was possible.

But then, he had very little of the whole picture that was Nanao Ise. There was a pattern that became obvious to him as they talked; certain topics she would expertly dance around. Past-related questions, mostly. Not her childhood, but more recent past. He couldn't seem to get a straight answer out of her to why she was here, or even where she had come from. Sure, he knew she had boarded that train in Sapporro that day, but he wasn't sure that was home to her. Her dialect was different than the locals of Sapporro,

He tucked it all away for later ponderings, focusing on what he did know now. It wasn't much, but it was something; Shari was growing on her, as it had him. She loved being so close to the ocean. She had a sister named Lesa that she was estranged from (although she wouldn't elaborate as to why), and both of her parents were gone. Their birthdays were very close together, hers falling on the annual festival coming up in just a few weeks.

It didn't seem like much, but he held closely to every little bit she would give him.

"This is it," she murmured, as they reached the small cottage at the end of her road.

He blinked in surprise, before a huge grin spread across his face. "I know this place. Old man Yama owns it."

She arched an eyebrow at his form of address to her landlord. She wouldn't dream of calling such an intimidating person something like that. "You know him?"

"Oh sure. He's very fond of me," he winked.

She tried to imagine the old man enjoying such a boisterous presence, and quickly discarded the notion.

"He used to run a dojo here in town, Jushiro and I took several classes before he retired and closed shop last winter."

"I hadn't heard that about him."

"Well, you would have eventually. In such a small community, everyone knows everyone."

"Are you from here originally, then?" she asked, and caught his pleased expression over her inquiry. She realized it was the first time she'd asked about his personal life.

"No, I've only lived here a short while. A few years."

"What brought you here?"

"Jushiro, mostly," he admitted, thrilled by her curiosity. Up until now, she hadn't asked any questions about him. "We're old college friends, you see, and it was all his idea. He grew up here, and had already had his coffee shop up and running. We were talking on the phone one day, and it somehow led to him suggesting that I come here. I was already looking to leave my hometown. So I did, and I fell in love with this place instantly."

Nanao nodded at that. She could easily picture a life spent living here, happy and content. Although such a thing wouldn't be possible, she would have to leave again as soon as she had enough saved up. She hated the thought already.

"It is especially beautiful out here," he nodded towards her small apartment. "This place hasn't looked this nice in all the time I've been here."

"I've been working on it," she said, glancing over the yard and front, the new white paint gleaming in the sunshine.

"Well, you've done a wonderful job. You must have been working hard. It's very charming now."

"Thank you," she said quietly and blushed. Somehow his compliment had felt like a gift.

He smiled warmly, watching the swell of pride that crossed her face. "If there is anything here you would need help with, I'd be happy to."

"That's kind of you," she said, honestly. She hadn't come across anything yet she couldn't do herself, but it was nice to know she could ask if she did need to. There were many types of repairs that were beyond her. This simple work she had done so far wasn't too challenging, though.

A silence fell between them, as they stood in the grass and hesitated to let the afternoon come to a close.

Nanao thought suddenly she was probably displaying poor etiquette, having not asked him inside for a refreshment. But then, she had nothing to offer other than water, and that would just be embarrassing.

Besides that, she wasn't sure she wanted to spend any more time alone with him. It was just a bad idea all around.

"I should go," Shunsui finally said, breaking the quiet. He turned to face her and she saw his gaze soften. "I'm glad we had the chance to talk a while."

"It's a long walk back to town," she said, sounding apologetic.

"Yes, but well worth the effort."

She didn't know what to say to that, so she settled on a simple parting, "Have a good evening."

"It's already a good evening. You've made it delightful," he told her, taking a few steps back, clearly reluctant to go.

Nanao was surprised to find herself not wanting him to leave either.

"I'll see you Monday?" he asked.

"Maybe."

His grin broadened at her answer, and he finally turned to walk away. "Monday, then."

She watched him go until he was out of sight.

Whew. Ok, a few things.

First off I've been crazy busy. School has taken over my life and I've had no time to read/write for fun. But I had a break over Thanksgiving, so I threw this together. It's a bit sloppy and not as well worked with as previous chapters but I really just wanted to get this moving again. It's been on hiatus for a ridiculous amount of time.

Also, I signed in last week for the first time in a long while, and had so many encouraging private messges waiting for me. They really spurred me on with getting this out. So thank you to you guys, and also to several of the reveiwers as well. If things go as planned, I'll have another chapter out in 2 weeks (after finals). This fic has been bugging me that it's so unfinished. I lost several chapters a while back and have been stubborn about starting over.