Title: The Trouble with Work
Characters/Pairings: Shunsui/Kenpachi/Jushiro, Nanao
Rating: NC-17 (for sexual references)
Word count: 2,174
Summary: Due to Nanao having her way with him, Shunsui comes home late, only to have Kenpachi berate him and Jushiro comparing him to…a bunny?
A/N: Just a little something that I thought up after being tortured by exams. One thing good about exams is that sometimes they mess your brain up so much and makes you do something you'd never thought of doing. In my case, at least. >.>
Shunsui was never one for paperwork. During his younger days in the academy, he shied away from homework and assignments, preferring to just push all of that to Jushiro - much to the other man's chagrin. Of course, Shunsui was very much guilty for that, and would always make it up to his friend one way or another.
He didn't hate paperwork altogether though - it was just troublesome. His system was already trained to ignore every and any form of things that came in black and white. That bad habit of his had stayed with him up to his captaincy, and the one to be "tortured" in place of Jushiro was his poor lieutenant. It used to be Lisa, but now Nanao was burdened with having to put up with her captain's tendency to ditch work.
She really couldn't blame him though - it was just second nature.
But now, Nanao seemed to have reached her brink of patience, for Shunsui currently found himself hunched over his desk, signing age-old requests for missions and fleshing out reports that were long overdue.
The occasional hoot of an owl shattering the silence further annoyed him, as though it were mocking him, but despite being a captain and all, Shunsui still couldn't find it within himself to leave all this work to her.
On the other hand, Nanao seemed to be the rather cunning lieutenant - he certainly gave her credit for that. These documents had piled up since two weeks ago - he had thought that she was taking care of everything, as per usual, but then it finally dawned on him when she suddenly pulled out heaps upon heaps of paperwork enough to build a medium-sized replica of the Seireitei, dumping everything on him.
It happened so fast, but Nanao, always the strict one, didn't give as much as a hoot about whether or not he could handle it. She stood by him, watching with eyes like that of a hawk as he, for once in his lifetime as captain, finally did his work.
With rather good timing, too, he mused, wondering just what awaited him back at home. Or rather, back at Jushiro's. He had been looking forward to another one of their quiet evenings together, coupled with the frequent coarse words from their fellow captain, but now, with all these…"bullshit", as Kenpachi would say, it was highly likely that he'd missed the occasion.
Despite it being just a small, simple gathering fueled by tea and the sweet fragrance of Jushiro's zen garden, to miss it was a large disappointment, both on his part as well as theirs.
Shunsui rested his chin in a hand, the other flicking his brush this way and that over a fresh scroll. He had been at this for the whole day, from early morning when he first met with Nanao at the division's entrance. She had practically ambushed him with work, and he had long regretted ever leaving the warmth of his bed. The sheets that smelled thickly of Jushiro's sweet lavender shampoo, his peachy skin lotion that Shunsui loved so much, intermingling with Kenpachi's earthly scents and sandalwood that he eventually came to find a fondness for were quite the distraction.
With Nanao hovering over him, he had tried his very best to work fast and efficiently so that, when night came, he'd be free to return home and indulge in whatever his partners came up with. But, despite how long and how fast he skimmed through and signed and wrote, work never seemed to cease.
Though he wanted so very much to just run back home, Shunsui, at the same time, wasn't keen on doing so. It wasn't Jushiro that he feared - the man would only hide his disappointment and welcome him home with a smile as always - but Kenpachi would definitely have a fit. Known for his temper, Kenpachi'd most likely have his head for this, especially since he was so against anything that upset Jushiro.
Shunsui allowed a tired sigh to leave him. Paperwork - it was annoying, and now he was starting to realize why Jushiro always looked so exhausted upon returning home. As for Kenpachi - well, he'd rather scorch that black and white bullshit rather than pick up a brush and tend to his duties, thus burning a hole in the Gotei 13's funds.
"Nanao-chan…" Shunsui raised his head when he didn't receive a reply, and upon setting his eyes on his lieutenant, had to suppress a laugh. She sat at her desk with her chin in a hand, very much lost in slumber. To be fair, it really was late; he'd bet on it being well over midnight.
A grin quirked the sides of Shunsui's lips, and quietly, he tiptoed around his desk towards the door. But before he made it, he stopped beside Nanao's desk and watched her for a moment, ultimately draping his kimono over her shoulders. The large piece of clothing engulfed her, the only thing that could be used to block out the night time chill. A sneaky smile graced Shunsui's features as he slipped out the door. Now Nanao owed him, like it or not, and he'd certainly use that to his advantage.
Shunsui arrived at the Ugendo within minutes by means of flash stepping, and, as silently as he could so as not to wake the servants, made his way in. Dim lanterns hung from the edges of the roof, giving a warm glow to the zen garden. He had long memorized the corridors and rooms, capable of moving through the compound with ease even in darkness.
Not like he needed pointers to direct him to Jushiro's room. The uncontrollable spiritual pressure leakage was more than enough for Shunsui's senses to pick up, and soon he was by the entrance. He smoothed down the front of his uniform and bent backwards, grunting when his spine made quite loud, disturbing pop sounds. He was never good with sitting still and hunched at a desk.
Holding his breath, he slipped into the room and closed the door silently behind him. It was pitch black, with only moonlight filtering in through the open window as the sole illumination, casting glimmering shadows on the wooden floor. A faint tang of sour bitterness drifted through the air to twitch Shunsui's nose, and a self-condescending smile of envy tugged at the corners of his lips.
"Ye miss the fun, ol' man," that deep, rough voice Shunsui had come to adore shattered the silence, directing his eyes away from the window to the bed. He approached, feet stepping inaudibly, and took off his straw hat upon setting his gaze on Kenpachi. The man lay with his back towards the window, and though the moonlight deepened the contours of his flesh and muscles, his face was hidden in shadow. Only those grey eyes shone, and they didn't appear too amused with Shunsui.
"Been screwin' 'round with women again?" he growled, voice low so as not to disturb the sleeping figure in his arms. "I gotta urge t'kick the flyin' fuck outta ye right the hell now, but as ye can see, I obviously have my damned hands full."
"Hey now," Shunsui held up his palms in mock defeat, forcing a lopsided, apologetic grin, "how many times do I have to tell you that I don't spend my free time with women any more? I used to, and I enjoyed it very much, really, but what's the point? I've already got the two of you." He loosened his obi and stripped down, all the while aware of the other man's eyes hungrily tracing his body. "And I have a valid reason as to why I'm this late."
"Oh yeah?" Kenpachi mocked, tightening his arms around Jushiro as Shunsui settled himself under the covers. Shunsui chuckled at his motion and reached over to ruffle his hair, earning a hiss in return.
"Nanao-chan made me do my work. You should have seen those documents - dear me, I thought I'd suffocate under them."
"I should burn the living fuck outta 'em."
"You should. Saves me the trouble, and I wouldn't want to go through Yama-jii's nagging. That man may be old, but he's as energetic as an animal in heat."
"Yer comparin' skills are shit."
"I know, but bottom line is, Nanao-chan buried me under those papers. Made me sit at my desk from morning till…well, now, so you really can't blame me, Zaraki. And for goodness's sake, wipe that frown off your face." Shunsui ran a thumb over Kenpachi's lips, only to have his hand smacked away without a moment's notice. Unfazed, he caressed Jushiro's bare back with the tips of his fingers, gazing fondly at his best friend. His calm, peaceful expression was enough to put Shunsui's heart at ease, though not fully erasing the guilt he felt deep inside.
"Sorry, Juu-chan," Shunsui whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his shoulder. "Won't happen again."
"I'mma kick yer ass first thing t'morrow morning, Kyoraku."
Shunsui looked up to find Kenpachi's steady glare on him, fierce and unforgiving as ever. With a nasal sigh, he ran a finger down Kenpachi's arm, feeling the goose bumps that formed on the man's skin. Shunsui was sure that they weren't due to the cold, but he pulled the covers over them nonetheless.
"Fun night?"
"One hell of it."
"Mm…" Shunsui closed his eyes and draped an arm around Jushiro's waist. Kenpachi, on the other hand, pulled the older captain closer to him, away from Shunsui, pretending not to notice the amused yet pained smile printed across his face.
"Well…" Shunsui raised himself on his elbows and leaned over to plant a soft kiss to Kenpachi's forehead. This time, Kenpachi didn't make a move to deny the affection, though his shoulders did tense up slightly at the contact, as well as at Shunsui's bland, submissive tone.
"Lucky you." Shunsui lay back with his arms folded behind his head as a pillow, as if isolating himself from the pair. Kenpachi, after a moment or so of glaring holes in his figure, let out a scoff. Absently, he smoothed a hand over Jushiro's hair, letting his serene appearance the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes.
An owl hooted in the distance as the moon disappeared behind dark clumps of clouds. A warm summer breeze crept its way into the room, easing the goose bumps littering Kenpachi's skin, and it was then that he felt a strong, heavy arm wrap itself around his waist. His eyes snapped open, but Shunsui brought his head down so that it was nestled comfortably in the crook of his neck. His large hand stroked Kenpachi's back soothingly, fingers occasionally twirling a lock of his coarse hair.
"Sorry, ne…" Shunsui murmured, nuzzling the top of Kenpachi's head. "I hate work as much as you do, and I hate disappointing Juu-chan. You have my word that it won't happen again."
It took a while before Kenpachi finally responded, but when he did, he lifted his face up to meet Shunsui and flashed him a feral grin.
"I'm still kickin' yer ass, ye ol' prick." And when Shunsui raised a questioning eyebrow, Kenpachi's grin only grew wider as that familiar flame of battle lust burned within his eyes. "Jus' for the hell of it."
A teasing smile crept up Shunsui's face. He reached down between them, careful not to bump his arm against Jushiro, and cupped Kenpachi's groin, chuckling at the growl and glare he received.
"My, my, did Juu-chan wear you out?"
"Bastard, does it look like I'm worn out?"
"No." Shunsui gave Kenpachi a few quick strokes before trailing his fingers up his navel. "Quite the contrary, really. Did my being without my kimono enough to get you back in action?"
"Where the fuck is that damned thing anyway?" Kenpachi hadn't seen it since the moment he stepped into the room, and had been wondering about it, imagining it being ripped off by some woman at a brothel. But then again, Kenpachi did have a way with exaggerating things.
"With Nanao-chan." Shunsui held up a hand at the look Kenpachi gave him. "She fell asleep in the office. I didn't want to wake her, and I figured it was cold, so I, being the responsible and caring captain-"
Kenpachi barked out a disbelieving laugh at that, slapping the side of his thigh in uncontrollable mirth. "You? Carin' 'n responsible? Fuck that!"
Shunsui cleared his throat and was about to protest when he felt a stir below him. He and Kenpachi glanced down, only to find Jushiro twisting around and rubbing his eyes. At once, he could feel the piercing glare Kenpachi shot his way, but tried hard to ignore it and bent down to give Jushiro's temple a light peck.
"I'm home, Juu-chan!"
"That's great, Shun, but…" Jushiro yawned loudly and wrapped his arms around Kenpachi's waist, burying his face in the man's broad chest, "could you two please just shut it? You two bicker like bunnies about to get laid."