Week of Love: Chocolate for Two
Title: Chocolate for Two - Chapter 1 (of 2)
Rating: T
Contains: Shunsui and his comments, and a naked Nanao-chan
A/N: This is my longest entry for Week of Love. It’s the first time I’ve written any fanfic longer than a oneshot, and will be posted in two chapters. The events are taken from a vacation experience that I had with my family. Sadly, I don't own Bleach. Prompts: Resorts and Romantic Getaway. Enjoy :)
It was more rustic than expected. Nanao paused in the doorway, pursing her lips as she surveyed the small cabin. The light disappeared behind her as Shunsui came to peer over her, his form engulfing the small doorway.
“Not quite what I’d envisioned.” He scratched the back of his head, laughing a little.
“It’s not bad though. I think it’s very serviceable,” Nanao stepped into the small room and ignoring the creaking of the rough wood floors.
“Practical Nanao-chan. Serviceable was not exactly what I had in mind. This is our anniversary,” he reminded her pointedly, following her into the room.
Nanao ignored the comment, moving methodically around the cabin. The main living space contained both the small kitchen and sitting area and was dominated by the large fireplace. To the right of the kitchen, a door opened to a bathroom which had another door that opened into a predictably small bedroom. It would appear that they needed to go through the bathroom to get to the bedroom. Odd, and most impractical. Nanao frowned. Still, everything appeared in working order. The bed would be a problem. Perhaps if Shunsui slept diagonally on it he just might fit. She sighed, already missing their bed at home.
“Something wrong, Nanao-chan?”
Nanao jumped, spinning round to a face full of Shunsui’s chest. “No,” she said defensively, cheeks pinking and needing to take a step back. “And button up your shirt. It’s unacceptable to be wearing clothes like that even if we are in the living world.”
“But then Nanao-chan can’t fully enjoy my dashingly good looks,” he grinned impishly as she marched past him, but not before she glanced appreciatively at him through the corner of her eye.
“Fix the shirt.” Her voice floated in from outside.
Outside the crisp air smelled of pine and a cool breeze moved up from the lake to the few cabins dotted around it. In the distance, a few mountain peeks rose above, already obscuring much of the setting sun. When Shunsui had insisted on taking her on a trip for their anniversary, Nanao had been skeptical, even more so when Shunsui had let slip that he had got their reservations through Urahara. The former 12th Division Captain was a good man, Nanao was sure, but his taste was sorely lacking in some areas. If she was fair however, their current situation was not Urahara’s fault. The resort that he had reserved had apparently double booked, leaving Shunsui and Nanao scrambling for their first nights stay. They were being compensated, of course. The staff had apologized profusely and had even given them several extra nights at no charge, among other things. Still, that left them out for tonight. According to Urahara, this had been the only thing available, but Nanao felt a vague suspicion lurking in the corners of her mind.
“Beautiful place.” A pair of warm hands covered her shoulders, gently kneading away the stiffness. “Nanao-chan has been working too hard,” he commented, searching out the knots in her shoulders.
“You always say that.” But she was melting into his touch and he chuckled, leaning to press a kiss to her head and then to her lips.
“Only because it’s true.”
“Mmm.” She was leaning in to him now, much to his enjoyment.
“How about some dinner, sweetheart? I’ll cook.”
“I want to take a shower first.” She continued to lean on him, eyes closed.
“You do that, Nanao-chan. I’ll have dinner ready when you’re done.”
Nanao dragged her reluctant body up and meandered towards the shower while Shunsui headed for the kitchen.
The bathroom was even smaller than Nanao remembered. In reality it was probably about the same size as the one in her old quarters as Vice Captain, but it had been so long since she had lived in them that now they felt cramped and uncomfortable. It was an unsettling revelation for Nanao. She had always prided herself on her practicality, but since her relationship with Shunsui had developed, she was constantly faced with shifting boundaries and points of view.
The water was warm, if a little under pressured, and after the first few seconds of suspiciously muddy hued water, looked clear. Nanao doubted that this cabin had been seriously cleaned in quite some time, but she refrained from rectifying the situation beyond giving the shower a thorough rinsing before stepping into the spray.
The shower stall was small, and Nanao found she had to step out of it in order to work the shampoo into her hair. It was a new shampoo that Shunsui had given her just before they left, and Nanao allowed herself to revel in the scent. Among his many talents, the man really was a genius with fragrances. It was unfair, Nanao contemplated for one man to be good at so many things. Something moved in the periphery of Nanao’s vision, and she jerked her head to the side just in time to see a very large spider settle on her bare shoulder.
She shrieked.
Soap flew into her eyes, as she reeled backwards attempting to fling the hairy creature off of her. The door sprang open as Shunsui barreled in, spatula in hand. Unfortunately his rate of speed did not permit him to notice the condition of the floor before it was too late. His foot hit the now wet and soapy tile, sending his feet shooting out from under him. Hearing the door fly open, Nanao instinctively tried to move out of the way as she fumbled for a towel, desperate for anything to stop the burning in her eyes. She was too late however, and her legs tangled with Shunsui’s and she shrieked again as she careening towards the bathroom floor. Quick in his reflexes, Shunsui caught her mid air and she landed heavily on his chest.
“Well this is a pleasant turn of events.”
Nanao could hear rather than see the grin in his voice, as she felt a towel pushed into her hand.
“What happened, Nanao-chan?”
“Spider,” she gasped, viciously wiping soap from her eyes. “On my shoulder.”
She stood with Shunsui’s help and quickly rinsed her hair while Shunsui looked for the spider.
“I think it’s gone now, Nanao-chan.”
Nanao nodded, wrapping herself in a fresh towel and vigorously rubbing herself dry. Some things were able to be recovered from, but spiders were not one of them. But she blinked as Shunsui turned to make his way back to the kitchen.
“I think I found it.”
“Oh?”
She could hit him for the curiosity in his voice.
“Yes. Hold still a minute.” She reached for her glasses. “It’s… on your shirt. Or, what’s left of it.”
“Is it?” Shunsui craned his neck around, finally turning his back towards the mirror. A very large brown spot stood out against the pale pink, bits of spider sticking out at odd angles. “On my new shirt too.” His voice was pouting, but he really did look a little forlorn.
“Take it off and I’ll see what I can do with it in a minute.”
“Yare, yare, Nanao-chan. First you try to put clothes on me, now you’re ordering me to take them off. You better be careful or I might get confused.” He grinned widely.
“Get out.” She huffed, only making him grin broader.
Nanao emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, dressed comfortably in a purple yukata. The initial panic had faded until it was only a niggling thought in the back of her mind, enough to make her check surfaces thoroughly before setting things down. Now tiredness and an almost ravenous hunger wrestled for dominance inside her. Perhaps she really had needed a vacation more than she wanted to admit. She found Shunsui still in the kitchen, several bowls of freshly cut vegetables were set out beside the stove ready to be stir fried.
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m not sure.” Shunsui rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’ve followed the instructions.” He indicated an old paper manual lying off to one side. “But I can’t seem to get anything to turn on.”
Picking up the manual, Nanao studied it for a few minutes. It, like most things in this cabin, had seen better days. “Everything appears to be in order,” she said after a few minutes. “Did you try each of the burners?”
He nodded.
“It says this is a gas stove. Do we know if there is fuel in the tank?”
“I hadn’t got that far yet,” Shunsui admitted. “It must be outside.”
It took a few minutes of searching. The sun had dipped below the line of the mountains, leaving only grays and pinks in the sky. The tank was around the back of the cabin, the opposite side of the light Nanao noted, as her stomach growled menacingly. The gauge was unreadable. Fortunately Shunsui had had the foresight to bring a flashlight, but after a few minutes of fiddling they determined the battery was dead.
“Let me.” Nanao nudged Shunsui out of the way, her hand lighting with the glow of kido. This was probably forbidden, but at the rules be damned, they needed to see.
“It’s empty,” Shunsui confirmed.
“Wonderful.”
They stood for a few minutes as the light from Nanao’s hand faded. Another loud growl of protest came from her stomach and she blushed, grateful the light prevented it from showing. “I don’t suppose there are any restaurants nearby,” she wondered miserably.
“Not likely. The next town is several miles away, and probably too small to have much night life.”
Nanao found herself silently cursing Urahara and his romantic getaways. Regardless of whether or not it was his fault, she was tired and hungry.
“I’m sorry, Nanao-chan.” He sounded like he meant it, and Nanao had no doubt that he did. If she was fair, this was a letdown for him too, considering they were supposed to be staying at a five star resort right now.
“Not your fault.” She marched back toward the kitchen. Part of her said that she needed to reassure him, to tell him that they were together and that nothing else mattered. At the moment however, she didn’t trust herself to say more.
“Nanao-chan? What are you doing?” He asked, bemused as she began arranging the vegetables in the frying pan.
“Making dinner.” She quipped.
“But the-”
“I’m not using the stove. Hold this,” she said, cutting him off. “Don’t move.”
Several impeccably precise kido later, they were sitting down and the little kitchen table. “Clever Nanao-chan making dinner with kido,” Shunsui grinned at her over the food.
“Desperate measures were called for,” she retorted primly, making him laugh.
“Never come between Nanao-chan and her food,” he chuckled, eyes light but his face affectionate.
“I’m really hungry,” she blushed. “Besides, somebody has to take care of you.”
“Nanao-chan is welcome to take care of me all she wants.”
“I already do.”
Instead of answering, he reached down beside his chair and pulled up a bottle. “I was saving this for the resort, but I think tonight would be a better time to share it.”
“Trust you to bring the drinks.” Nanao shook her head, but her voice lacked its usual bite.
“This is very special wine, Nanao-chan!”
One black eyebrow arched in response.
“It was laid down the month we began our relationship.”
Nanao blinked, feeling the color rising in her cheeks as Shunsui poured the wine into two old mugs, the only drinking vessels in the cabin. Any other time, the situation would have seen laughably silly. But this time, with the old mugs, the rickety cabin, the mismatched pottery, it was indescribably sweet. It was romantic in a way that only Shunsui could be. This was the man she loved, despite all his shortcomings.
Dinner was good, despite the circumstances. They chatted easily, speaking of work, the latest gossip in the Soul Society, recent books they had read. It was a little known fact that Shunsui was quite a great reader. Most of his reading was done when he was alone, so people rarely saw him with a book. He spent less time reading than Nanao, but he had also had a great many more years to read. His views were always engaging and uncannily shrewd. It was little wonder that he was one of the most powerful captains in the Soul Society, whether or not he chose to act like it.
“Do you want to read for a while, Nanao-chan?” Shunsui stowed the last of the cups in a cupboard. “We could move one of these lights out to the porch if you would like.”
It had become somewhat of a tradition for them since they had began their relationship. After dinner, they would sit outside. Nanao would read and Shunsui would sip sake while gazing at the stars and occasionally talk about what Nanao was reading. Before their relationship, Nanao never imagined sharing her space like that. But Shunsui had a way of inviting himself into every space in her life. At first it had annoyed her, but as time went on it morphed into a guessing game of which part of her life he would try to invade next. As a rule, she still did not share books, at least not while she was reading them.
She hesitated, casting a wistful look towards the door. “That does sound nice.” A yawn jumped unbidden to her mouth. “But I think I am too tired tonight.”
“That’s fine, Nanao-chan. We can get some rest and leave early in the morning.” He smiled, but it was a little wan. Disappointment, though well concealed, had been in his eyes all evening. Nanao knew that this was not how he had planned on them spending their anniversary. Logically she knew none of it was his fault, and it irritated her that he blamed himself for something so obviously out of his control. He wanted to impress her. He always wanted to impress her. Perhaps, if she reflected on it, impress was not the right word. He wanted her to have everything, to experience everything she wanted and more, and to experience it with her. It was sweet and unnerving, something she was still only beginning to grasp even after so many years of being around him.
She mulled over the problem as she prepared for bed. Shunsui could be a difficult man. Perhaps not intentionally, or at least sometimes not intentionally, but he was a good man. The simple fact that he had more layers than most did not mean that he did not still crave the approval of his mate, just like anyone else would. Communication was not where Nanao excelled. In recent years her abilities in that area had grown, or she liked to think they had. But it was still a problem area for her.
Shunsui was an enigma in many ways. For a man who loved leisure with a reputation for loving parties, he tended to keep people at a distance except for a select few. Even Captain Ukitake had commented that there was far more to Shunsui that he let on. “There’s more to Kyouraku than most,” he had said, as they drank tea and watched Shunsui work with one of the newer recruits on sword techniques. “It took me years to appreciate that, and even more to grasp it more fully. Give it time, Nanao-san. Truthfully there is a good part of him that holds back because he is afraid to lose you.”
“Don’t frown, Nanao-chan. You’ll get wrinkles.”
“I wasn’t frowning,” she snapped, but she had been. “And shouldn’t you be in the shower?”
“I think lovely Nanao-chan should join me.”
“I will not.”
“But, Nanao-chan-”
“Have you seen that shower stall?” She cut in. “It would barely fit me, let alone both of us.”
He advanced, grinning. “All the more reason-”
“For you to go alone,” she finished.
Shunsui’s lips turned down in a dramatic pout. “Nanao-chan is so cruel to me,” he whined as he retreated into the bathroom. “I need someone to wash my back.”
A back brush was shoved unceremoniously into his hands and the bathroom door closed with a snap.
A/N: Thanks so much for reading!