Refuge
Title: Refuge
Rating: PG
Fandom: Bleach
Spoilers/Warnings: AU
Pairing: Shunsui Kyoraku x Nanao Ise
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters.
Theme: #24 - Framed
Summery: Nanao knows she's lost her job, but that's just the beginning.
Refuge
Nanao sighed and began gathering up the personal items on her desk. Rangiku leaned against the door frame with a frown.
"You're sure about this? We could work some thing out."
Nanao shook her head. "We both know that someone will go down for this, and it won't be you. You're safe enough, and I won't put someone else in this position."
It was Rangiku's turn to sigh. "We both know that one of the top three leaked those papers. You getting fired over it won't help anyone. I could take the fall."
"Not while Mr. Ichimaru works here." Nanao had no problem with the fact that one of their bosses was in love with Rangiku. Not when he made her happy. "I'm one of the best paralegals in this city. I can find another job."
Rangiku hugged her. "You're not moving out. I don't care if I have to pay all the rent myself. I'll see you for dinner."
Nanao nodded. "All right. Now let me get this done."
Rangiku left, leaving Nanao to pack up her office in peace. Until today, Nanao Ise had been a paralegal for Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen, one of the major law firms in town. Except this morning the press had released information from confidential documents that pertained to a case the firm had just lost. The reporter claimed to have gotten the documents from a paralegal. There were all of six people who had access to those documents at this firm, and only three of them were paralegals. Nanao knew for a fact that she hadn't slipped those documents to the reporter, and Rangiku had said she hadn't either. The other paralegal involved, Momo Hinamori, was not the type of person to do it either, though Nanao supposed there was always a chance that had happened.
The theory Rangiku had offered that one of the lawyers in the case had leaked the documents made more sense. It wouldn't have been Ichimaru if only because the whole mess could have caused trouble for Rangiku. The one thing Nanao could count on about Mr. Ichimaru was the fact that he would never do anything that would harm Rangiku. Other than that, all bets were off. But the other two lawyers on the case could have leaked the information, and someone was going to have to take the fall. It would be any of the partners in the firm. It wouldn't be Rangiku. And it wouldn't be Hinamori because Mr. Aizen liked the fact that he could control her. That left Nanao.
She had seen the writing on the wall immediately. Which was why she had already turned it her resignation. Nanao wanted this over with quickly and cleanly. She wasn't going to wait until she was fired or asked to resign. She didn't need either of those things on the record. Thankfully, it didn't take her long to pack up her desk and her personal files. Hefting her box, Nanao walked out of the room without looking back.
Unemployment did not suit Nanao at all. She found herself bored enough that she was going through all her old files. Most of them ended up just being shredded, but Nanao was finding an odd pattern in some of them. She couldn't tell without seeing the original case files, but it was beginning to look like Aizen had been deliberately leaking information about specific cases to the press. And those leaks had affected the police cases in the end. That sounded sort of illegal to Nanao. And it was definitely unethical.
There was also the fact that about half the time that the information was leaked, there had been firings or resignation. She did not like the pattern that was forming at all. Unfortunately, there really wasn't much that Nanao could do about that at this point. Well, she could take the documents she had to the police, but she rather doubted it was enough for them to take action on. Still, Nanao collected all of the files that were relevant and stashed them in her vital documents safe. There was always a chance that at some point they could prove important.
But once she had gone through her files, Nanao quickly found that she had very little else to do. The apartment she shared with Rangiku was currently spotless and she had spent her morning applying for whatever jobs she could find. Nanao did not handle boredom or enforced idleness well. Which was probably why she had gone out to do as much of the month's grocery shopping as she could. At least that was productive.
However, on her trip home from the grocery store, weighed down by a number of shopping bags, Nanao was having second thoughts about the shopping trip. She was also tired and cranky, and not at all expecting to find the apartment door wide open. Nanao paused in the doorway. She did not like this. Setting down her bags, she cautiously made her way inside. Her apartment had been completely ransacked. Nanao quickly retreated back outside to call the police.
Thirty minutes later a pair of detectives had arrived as well as Rangiku (she had been Nanao's second call) at the apartment. Nanao was not surprised to find that Mr. Ichimaru had accompanied Rangiku. To tell the truth, Nanao had been rather relieved to see the two police officers. She had not been comfortable sitting outside her apartment on her own just waiting for something to happen. It also helped that she knew both of the detectives.
Nanao had worked with Jyuushiro Ukitake and Shunsui Kyoraku several times on lawsuits that the firm had handled. She felt more comfortable with those two than most of their co-workers. Of course, their arrival hadn't meant that she could go into her apartment right away. Instead, she had needed to wait outside with Rangiku and Ichimaru while the detectives checked her apartment. Finally, Ukitake waved her into the apartment.
"Miss Ise, Miss Matsumoto, could you please come inside and tell us if you notice anything missing?"
Nanao nodded and followed the man inside. She winced at the mess. But to her eye, nothing was gone. Kyoraku trailed her as she made a circuit of the entire apartment. The room that she and Rangiku used as a home office had suffered the most damage and attention. In the other rooms, things had just been gone through and tossed about. In the office, however, things had actually been damage, and it didn't look like a single piece of paper had been ignored.
"Can you think of anything people might have been looking for?"
Nanao frowned and bit her lip. "Yes."
And it was a very good thing that she didn't actually keep any of her vital records or important documents in her home office. Instead, Nanao returned to her room and carefully dug a fire safe out of the back of her closet. It only took her a moment to retrieve the packet of documents.
"These are my personal notes and records from cases I worked at Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen." She handed the folder to Kyoraku. "There's a pattern there that could case people some problems, but I doubt it is enough for a criminal investigation."
A frown formed on Kyoraku's face as he flipped through the documents. Then he raised his head and met her eyes.
"How many people know you have these?"
"Only Rangiku for sure. Well, Ichimaru probably knows. But most paralegals keep their own files, so it wouldn't be that surprising for someone to guess I had them."
"And that someone clearly knew you were smart enough to see the pattern." Kyoraku sighed. "I need you to pack up what you'd need for at least a week, sweetheart. I've got to talk to Jyuu. Don't go anywhere other than your room without me."
"I'm not your sweetheart."
Kyoraku just grinned, but his eyes were worried.
The police precinct really wasn't where Nanao had thought she would spend her days when she had first become unemployed, but she understood why the police were taking such pains to be careful. Neither Kyoraku nor Ukitake had been willing to talk until they arrived here. But Nanao remembered the glance Kyoraku had shared with Ichimaru before making sure that Rangiku had someplace safe to stay. Ichimaru had volunteered his apartment for that which hadn't surprised Nanao at all. Once they had gotten to the precinct, however, the two detectives had explained.
There had been an on going investigation of Sosuke Aizen for a number of years. But until recently there had never been much evidence, and there had never been any witnesses who could testify for the case. Until now. Nanao would be the second witness in the case. Gin Ichimaru had been acting as an informant for the police for the past three years. But one informant's testimony would not be enough. Nanao might be what tipped a trial in their favor. And they were taking no chances that something might happen to her. This was why she had spent the last week at the police precinct while they arranged a safe house for her. The only problem was, Nanao had nothing to do.
That was probably why she had started organizing Kyoraku's desk. For one thing, it was a complete and utter mess, and that irked Nanao. For another, she didn't have anything better to do. So Nanao had tackled the desk and over the course of three hours had organized, filed, recycled, and thrown away its contents. Ukitake had done a double take when he'd walked by at one point.
"You don't have to do that, you know, Miss Ise."
Nanao shrugged. "I'm bored. Besides, it's a wonder that anyone could find anything in this desk. Though I have to admit, it looks like most of this paperwork is overdue."
Ukitake just laughed. "I don't think that Shun had ever managed to turn paperwork on time."
Nanao had frowned. "We'll see about that."
And that was why when Kyoraku returned, Nanao had slapped his paperwork to be signed in front him. Kyoraku blinked at her.
"What happened here?"
"I cleaned your desk, and these papers are overdue. All they need is your signature."
He blinked again. "So?"
"Sign them."
Nanao had decided to use the tack that had worked with the first lawyer she'd been assigned to back when she had just started working as a paralegal. The only way to get that man to do anything had been to be blunt and not give him other options. Kyoraku met her eyes, and his lips quirked into a broad grin.
"All right, sweetheart. But if people have a heart attack because of this, I'm blaming you."
Nanao Ise was something special. Most people wouldn't think her remarkable. Shunsui knew better. He had liked her from the first time they had met during a trial, but it hadn't been until recently that Shunsui had gotten a chance to actually get to know her. The young woman was stubborn, organized, thoughtful, smart, and beautiful. Shunsui liked her. And it wasn't just because she was the witness they had needed to make this case work.
He had been rather surprised when she had made him do his paperwork. Shunsui quite honestly had no idea way she had made him do it either. But then understanding women was a subject that one could devote their life to. Actually, understanding one woman was a subject a man could devote his life too. With Nanao, Shunsui was tempted to try. But first they would have to get through this investigation and trial, and that meant keeping Nanao safe.
Truthfully, Shunsui wasn't too concerned about keeping Nanao safe. Well, at least not the logistics of it. She was their key witness, and she had impressed the old man by getting Shunsui to do his paperwork. There was no need to worry about the appropriate steps being taken to protect her or the cost. Though they were going to have to get Nanao out of Tokyo soon. He was more worried about keeping her safe and keeping their relationship professional at the same time. There had been two attempts on her life, though she was not aware of either one of them. He and Jyuushiro had made sure of that.
But every time that something threatened Nanao, Shunsui felt his heart clench. He personally wanted to keep her safe. While he often had felt protective of witnesses for his cases before, it had never been quite anything like this. Nanao was something special all right, and Shunsui was determined to keep her safe and alive so he could find out just why she was so special to him. Shunsui sighed as he watched the woman in question complete a crossword puzzle.
"Shun."
He looked up to find his partner standing beside him. "What is it?"
Jyuushiro sighed. "The safe house has been compromised. Captain Yamamoto wants the two of you on the train to Kyoto immediately. We're going to have to tell her."
Shunsui sighed again and got his feet. "I'll do it."
They had avoided telling Nanao just how much danger she was in to keep her from being too concerned, but they didn't have a choice anymore. Shunsui walked over the sideboard in order to fix her a cup of tea. Maybe that would help.
"Here." He pressed the mug into her hands. "We need to talk, Nanao."
Nanao shivered slightly in her seat causing Shunsui to drape his coat over her legs. The train was a bit chilly. Nanao had been rather silent and a little pale since she had been informed of the attempts on her life and that she was being sent to Kyoto. Shunsui was a little worried about her, but he didn't want to push her. Besides, any sort of fight might blow their cover. They were supposed to be newlyweds spending their honeymoon in Kyoto.
"You're safe, Nanao-chan. I won't let anything happen to you."
She offered him a small smile. "Thank you. Can you tell me where we're going?"
"There's a house outside of Kyoto we'll be staying at. It's was part of my mother's inheritance. The place is almost impossible to connect with the Tokyo police."
Nanao nodded and let out a sigh. "I'm going to try and get some sleep. Please wake me before we get to the train station."
Shunsui nodded. Twenty minutes later not only was Nanao asleep, but her head was resting against Shunsui's shoulder. He pressed a soft kiss to his hair. Jyuushiro was convinced that he was in love with Nanao. Shunsui was fairly sure his best friend was right. He wasn't sure why he'd fallen so suddenly for this young woman, but he had. And when this whole mess was over he was taking her out for dinner and getting a really chance to get to know her. Until then, he would have to keep her safe and try not to do anything that could jeopardize their court case. Getting involved with a witness might do that.
He sighed and rest his cheek against her hair. He had a feeling the two weeks in Kyoto before the preliminary hearings and the start of the trial would be long ones.
Nanao sat in the garden with a book on her lap, listening to the sound of the miniature waterfall there. Shunsui's mother's home was beautiful, but the real showpiece was the gardens. Nanao had taken to reading out here often. She and Shunsui had made some trips into Kyoto itself to sightsee. If someone was looking for them, they would very much look like a young couple on vacation.
Quite honestly, this was all far too overwhelming, and she wanted it to be over. The sightseeing was nice, and Shunsui went out of his way to make sure she enjoyed herself and tried to keep her mind off the whole situation. He could be annoying and lazy at times, but he was also very sweet. Nanao found herself growing genuinely fond of the man. Even if that irked her at times.
She did not really know what to expect from the upcoming hearings and trials. It made her nervous and anxious to think about them. But here in this garden she found a sense of peace and calm. She looked up from her book when Shunsui stretched on the grass beside her bench with a book of his own. He flashed her a grin but let her continue to read. Nanao smiled and enjoyed her refuge. She would face everything when the time came. Until then, she would enjoy her time here and the company she had.
Rating: PG
Fandom: Bleach
Spoilers/Warnings: AU
Pairing: Shunsui Kyoraku x Nanao Ise
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters.
Theme: #24 - Framed
Summery: Nanao knows she's lost her job, but that's just the beginning.
Refuge
Nanao sighed and began gathering up the personal items on her desk. Rangiku leaned against the door frame with a frown.
"You're sure about this? We could work some thing out."
Nanao shook her head. "We both know that someone will go down for this, and it won't be you. You're safe enough, and I won't put someone else in this position."
It was Rangiku's turn to sigh. "We both know that one of the top three leaked those papers. You getting fired over it won't help anyone. I could take the fall."
"Not while Mr. Ichimaru works here." Nanao had no problem with the fact that one of their bosses was in love with Rangiku. Not when he made her happy. "I'm one of the best paralegals in this city. I can find another job."
Rangiku hugged her. "You're not moving out. I don't care if I have to pay all the rent myself. I'll see you for dinner."
Nanao nodded. "All right. Now let me get this done."
Rangiku left, leaving Nanao to pack up her office in peace. Until today, Nanao Ise had been a paralegal for Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen, one of the major law firms in town. Except this morning the press had released information from confidential documents that pertained to a case the firm had just lost. The reporter claimed to have gotten the documents from a paralegal. There were all of six people who had access to those documents at this firm, and only three of them were paralegals. Nanao knew for a fact that she hadn't slipped those documents to the reporter, and Rangiku had said she hadn't either. The other paralegal involved, Momo Hinamori, was not the type of person to do it either, though Nanao supposed there was always a chance that had happened.
The theory Rangiku had offered that one of the lawyers in the case had leaked the documents made more sense. It wouldn't have been Ichimaru if only because the whole mess could have caused trouble for Rangiku. The one thing Nanao could count on about Mr. Ichimaru was the fact that he would never do anything that would harm Rangiku. Other than that, all bets were off. But the other two lawyers on the case could have leaked the information, and someone was going to have to take the fall. It would be any of the partners in the firm. It wouldn't be Rangiku. And it wouldn't be Hinamori because Mr. Aizen liked the fact that he could control her. That left Nanao.
She had seen the writing on the wall immediately. Which was why she had already turned it her resignation. Nanao wanted this over with quickly and cleanly. She wasn't going to wait until she was fired or asked to resign. She didn't need either of those things on the record. Thankfully, it didn't take her long to pack up her desk and her personal files. Hefting her box, Nanao walked out of the room without looking back.
Unemployment did not suit Nanao at all. She found herself bored enough that she was going through all her old files. Most of them ended up just being shredded, but Nanao was finding an odd pattern in some of them. She couldn't tell without seeing the original case files, but it was beginning to look like Aizen had been deliberately leaking information about specific cases to the press. And those leaks had affected the police cases in the end. That sounded sort of illegal to Nanao. And it was definitely unethical.
There was also the fact that about half the time that the information was leaked, there had been firings or resignation. She did not like the pattern that was forming at all. Unfortunately, there really wasn't much that Nanao could do about that at this point. Well, she could take the documents she had to the police, but she rather doubted it was enough for them to take action on. Still, Nanao collected all of the files that were relevant and stashed them in her vital documents safe. There was always a chance that at some point they could prove important.
But once she had gone through her files, Nanao quickly found that she had very little else to do. The apartment she shared with Rangiku was currently spotless and she had spent her morning applying for whatever jobs she could find. Nanao did not handle boredom or enforced idleness well. Which was probably why she had gone out to do as much of the month's grocery shopping as she could. At least that was productive.
However, on her trip home from the grocery store, weighed down by a number of shopping bags, Nanao was having second thoughts about the shopping trip. She was also tired and cranky, and not at all expecting to find the apartment door wide open. Nanao paused in the doorway. She did not like this. Setting down her bags, she cautiously made her way inside. Her apartment had been completely ransacked. Nanao quickly retreated back outside to call the police.
Thirty minutes later a pair of detectives had arrived as well as Rangiku (she had been Nanao's second call) at the apartment. Nanao was not surprised to find that Mr. Ichimaru had accompanied Rangiku. To tell the truth, Nanao had been rather relieved to see the two police officers. She had not been comfortable sitting outside her apartment on her own just waiting for something to happen. It also helped that she knew both of the detectives.
Nanao had worked with Jyuushiro Ukitake and Shunsui Kyoraku several times on lawsuits that the firm had handled. She felt more comfortable with those two than most of their co-workers. Of course, their arrival hadn't meant that she could go into her apartment right away. Instead, she had needed to wait outside with Rangiku and Ichimaru while the detectives checked her apartment. Finally, Ukitake waved her into the apartment.
"Miss Ise, Miss Matsumoto, could you please come inside and tell us if you notice anything missing?"
Nanao nodded and followed the man inside. She winced at the mess. But to her eye, nothing was gone. Kyoraku trailed her as she made a circuit of the entire apartment. The room that she and Rangiku used as a home office had suffered the most damage and attention. In the other rooms, things had just been gone through and tossed about. In the office, however, things had actually been damage, and it didn't look like a single piece of paper had been ignored.
"Can you think of anything people might have been looking for?"
Nanao frowned and bit her lip. "Yes."
And it was a very good thing that she didn't actually keep any of her vital records or important documents in her home office. Instead, Nanao returned to her room and carefully dug a fire safe out of the back of her closet. It only took her a moment to retrieve the packet of documents.
"These are my personal notes and records from cases I worked at Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tousen." She handed the folder to Kyoraku. "There's a pattern there that could case people some problems, but I doubt it is enough for a criminal investigation."
A frown formed on Kyoraku's face as he flipped through the documents. Then he raised his head and met her eyes.
"How many people know you have these?"
"Only Rangiku for sure. Well, Ichimaru probably knows. But most paralegals keep their own files, so it wouldn't be that surprising for someone to guess I had them."
"And that someone clearly knew you were smart enough to see the pattern." Kyoraku sighed. "I need you to pack up what you'd need for at least a week, sweetheart. I've got to talk to Jyuu. Don't go anywhere other than your room without me."
"I'm not your sweetheart."
Kyoraku just grinned, but his eyes were worried.
The police precinct really wasn't where Nanao had thought she would spend her days when she had first become unemployed, but she understood why the police were taking such pains to be careful. Neither Kyoraku nor Ukitake had been willing to talk until they arrived here. But Nanao remembered the glance Kyoraku had shared with Ichimaru before making sure that Rangiku had someplace safe to stay. Ichimaru had volunteered his apartment for that which hadn't surprised Nanao at all. Once they had gotten to the precinct, however, the two detectives had explained.
There had been an on going investigation of Sosuke Aizen for a number of years. But until recently there had never been much evidence, and there had never been any witnesses who could testify for the case. Until now. Nanao would be the second witness in the case. Gin Ichimaru had been acting as an informant for the police for the past three years. But one informant's testimony would not be enough. Nanao might be what tipped a trial in their favor. And they were taking no chances that something might happen to her. This was why she had spent the last week at the police precinct while they arranged a safe house for her. The only problem was, Nanao had nothing to do.
That was probably why she had started organizing Kyoraku's desk. For one thing, it was a complete and utter mess, and that irked Nanao. For another, she didn't have anything better to do. So Nanao had tackled the desk and over the course of three hours had organized, filed, recycled, and thrown away its contents. Ukitake had done a double take when he'd walked by at one point.
"You don't have to do that, you know, Miss Ise."
Nanao shrugged. "I'm bored. Besides, it's a wonder that anyone could find anything in this desk. Though I have to admit, it looks like most of this paperwork is overdue."
Ukitake just laughed. "I don't think that Shun had ever managed to turn paperwork on time."
Nanao had frowned. "We'll see about that."
And that was why when Kyoraku returned, Nanao had slapped his paperwork to be signed in front him. Kyoraku blinked at her.
"What happened here?"
"I cleaned your desk, and these papers are overdue. All they need is your signature."
He blinked again. "So?"
"Sign them."
Nanao had decided to use the tack that had worked with the first lawyer she'd been assigned to back when she had just started working as a paralegal. The only way to get that man to do anything had been to be blunt and not give him other options. Kyoraku met her eyes, and his lips quirked into a broad grin.
"All right, sweetheart. But if people have a heart attack because of this, I'm blaming you."
Nanao Ise was something special. Most people wouldn't think her remarkable. Shunsui knew better. He had liked her from the first time they had met during a trial, but it hadn't been until recently that Shunsui had gotten a chance to actually get to know her. The young woman was stubborn, organized, thoughtful, smart, and beautiful. Shunsui liked her. And it wasn't just because she was the witness they had needed to make this case work.
He had been rather surprised when she had made him do his paperwork. Shunsui quite honestly had no idea way she had made him do it either. But then understanding women was a subject that one could devote their life to. Actually, understanding one woman was a subject a man could devote his life too. With Nanao, Shunsui was tempted to try. But first they would have to get through this investigation and trial, and that meant keeping Nanao safe.
Truthfully, Shunsui wasn't too concerned about keeping Nanao safe. Well, at least not the logistics of it. She was their key witness, and she had impressed the old man by getting Shunsui to do his paperwork. There was no need to worry about the appropriate steps being taken to protect her or the cost. Though they were going to have to get Nanao out of Tokyo soon. He was more worried about keeping her safe and keeping their relationship professional at the same time. There had been two attempts on her life, though she was not aware of either one of them. He and Jyuushiro had made sure of that.
But every time that something threatened Nanao, Shunsui felt his heart clench. He personally wanted to keep her safe. While he often had felt protective of witnesses for his cases before, it had never been quite anything like this. Nanao was something special all right, and Shunsui was determined to keep her safe and alive so he could find out just why she was so special to him. Shunsui sighed as he watched the woman in question complete a crossword puzzle.
"Shun."
He looked up to find his partner standing beside him. "What is it?"
Jyuushiro sighed. "The safe house has been compromised. Captain Yamamoto wants the two of you on the train to Kyoto immediately. We're going to have to tell her."
Shunsui sighed again and got his feet. "I'll do it."
They had avoided telling Nanao just how much danger she was in to keep her from being too concerned, but they didn't have a choice anymore. Shunsui walked over the sideboard in order to fix her a cup of tea. Maybe that would help.
"Here." He pressed the mug into her hands. "We need to talk, Nanao."
Nanao shivered slightly in her seat causing Shunsui to drape his coat over her legs. The train was a bit chilly. Nanao had been rather silent and a little pale since she had been informed of the attempts on her life and that she was being sent to Kyoto. Shunsui was a little worried about her, but he didn't want to push her. Besides, any sort of fight might blow their cover. They were supposed to be newlyweds spending their honeymoon in Kyoto.
"You're safe, Nanao-chan. I won't let anything happen to you."
She offered him a small smile. "Thank you. Can you tell me where we're going?"
"There's a house outside of Kyoto we'll be staying at. It's was part of my mother's inheritance. The place is almost impossible to connect with the Tokyo police."
Nanao nodded and let out a sigh. "I'm going to try and get some sleep. Please wake me before we get to the train station."
Shunsui nodded. Twenty minutes later not only was Nanao asleep, but her head was resting against Shunsui's shoulder. He pressed a soft kiss to his hair. Jyuushiro was convinced that he was in love with Nanao. Shunsui was fairly sure his best friend was right. He wasn't sure why he'd fallen so suddenly for this young woman, but he had. And when this whole mess was over he was taking her out for dinner and getting a really chance to get to know her. Until then, he would have to keep her safe and try not to do anything that could jeopardize their court case. Getting involved with a witness might do that.
He sighed and rest his cheek against her hair. He had a feeling the two weeks in Kyoto before the preliminary hearings and the start of the trial would be long ones.
Nanao sat in the garden with a book on her lap, listening to the sound of the miniature waterfall there. Shunsui's mother's home was beautiful, but the real showpiece was the gardens. Nanao had taken to reading out here often. She and Shunsui had made some trips into Kyoto itself to sightsee. If someone was looking for them, they would very much look like a young couple on vacation.
Quite honestly, this was all far too overwhelming, and she wanted it to be over. The sightseeing was nice, and Shunsui went out of his way to make sure she enjoyed herself and tried to keep her mind off the whole situation. He could be annoying and lazy at times, but he was also very sweet. Nanao found herself growing genuinely fond of the man. Even if that irked her at times.
She did not really know what to expect from the upcoming hearings and trials. It made her nervous and anxious to think about them. But here in this garden she found a sense of peace and calm. She looked up from her book when Shunsui stretched on the grass beside her bench with a book of his own. He flashed her a grin but let her continue to read. Nanao smiled and enjoyed her refuge. She would face everything when the time came. Until then, she would enjoy her time here and the company she had.