Cat and Mouse (Bleach)

Chapter Two: Sui-Feng

There were times where Sui-Feng had to take a mental step back and address the situation from all possible angles. Such moments happen so rarely at this point of her life, being a veteran of countless conflicts and situations that there were so few things that could surprise her. She’s seen the darkest corners of Seireitei and beyond, fought against countless Hollows and traitors alike, and even once dared to figure out how Captain Kuchiki kept his hair so perfect. Recent events had surprised her but only one, the return of Lady Yoruichi, had truly shaken her to her core.

“Why are you and Hanataro dating!?” Matsumoto yelled, holding Lady Yoruichi’s shoulders in a vice grip.

Now, however, this would be the second event that shaken her. Sui-Feng’s mind was currently simply taking in information to be used for later, unable to do anything else aside from blink and breathe.

“I think the better question is how did you two even meet.” Nanao added. Her clipboard was in her hands with a pen ready to take down information. Yes, two good questions that Sui-Feng would have asked if she could.

Lady Yoruichi simply shrugged and pushed the blonde back. “For the why, well why not? Hanataro is adorable, he makes me laugh and we get along well enough to give dating a try. So far, neither of us has any regrets. As for how we met,” Lady Yoruichi grinned and gave them all a wink. “Let’s just say we had a night of passion on the beach.”

With the exception of Yachiru and Nemu, every woman blushed at the implications of that. Even Sui-Feng felt blood slightly rush to her cheeks as her brain filed every bit of information away.

Isane asked the next important question. “But how long have you two being together?”

“Six months now, going on seven. It’s been good.”

Right, nearly seven months of her missing this detail about Lady Yoruichi. How shameful. How disappointing of her. She dared to call herself Lady Yoruichi’s companion if she didn’t know about this for nearly seven months?

“I’m sorry but Hanataro,” Kiyone pressed that question again. It was a rather baffling question. “He’s nice and cute but-”

Lady Yoruichi held up a hand and said, “I’m well aware of the oddness of our relationship. Trust me, Hanataro couldn’t believe that I was serious when I brought up dating. Let’s just say we’re both happy and leave it at that. Any other questions?” Sui-Feng was surprised by how serious she sounded. Lady Yoruichi was typically treated romance like a joke, teasing and poking fun, even at her own. However her sincerity was obvious, and worryingly intense. It was odd to see her carefree mentor like this, even more so for someone she only met a few months ago.

The rest of the SWA was quiet until Yachiru asked, “Does Hana-chan give you treats too?”

At that, Yoruichi grinned and patted Yachiru’s head. “Yeah, he always leaves out some cookies and milk whenever I come to visit his home. Good stuff too, he makes the cookies from scratch.”

Useless information. She already knew Lady Yoruichi’s fondness for treats. That is why she had her division members all train in cooking arts, ready to serve her anything.

“Have you two been on dates?” Rukia asked and got a nod from Lady Yoruichi.

“Mostly in the Human World. I’ve shown him a lot of neat spots I’ve discovered while living there. He’s taken me to some neat restaurants in the Districts too. We wanted to keep our relationship a secret as long as we could so we avoided anywhere obvious.”

Lady Yoruichi has been on dates. While she no doubt treated Hanataro to some amazing sights, he probably only took her to places utterly unfitting for Lady Yoruichi. She would shudder if she could.

“But why?”

At Isane’s question, Lady Yoruichi wordlessly gestured to the whiteboard. Everyone stared at it before agreeing with her. Sui-Feng was ashamed to mentally admit that she already had ideas on how to stalk Hanataro before Lady Yoruichi admitted to it.

By admitting to it, she had drawn all of their attention to her rather than Hanataro. A genius move from her mentor.

“If that’s all the questions, I’ll be going. I need to tell Hanataro that our secret is blown,” Yoruichi waved them goodbye and patted Sui-Feng’s shoulder, taking the time to push up her jaw. “We’ll catch up for tea later, Sui-Feng.”

With that, Lady Yoruichi took off. Sui-Feng’s brain was still in the process of reorganizing all the new data so she still stood there.

“Yoruichi and Hanataro huh? I never would have imagined.” Matsumoto muttered and everyone agreed with her, even Sui-Feng if mentally. The blonde approached her and leaned down to look at her in the eyes. “Huh, is Captain Sui-Feng alright? She’s still standing there like a statue.”

Nemu stepped forward and snapped her fingers in front of her face. “The shock was so powerful that she’s still frozen by it. I suggest a shock of the physical kind to help her.” At that, Nemu’s other hand flashed out and smacked her cheek, making her let out a yelp. It was telling how scrambled her mind was that she didn’t snap out with a counter or even defend herself.

“Thank you Nemu,” she mumbled and moved to walk out. “I’ll be going now.”

“Oi, I don’t think Yoruichi would like us stalking her little boyfriend.” Matsumoto’s words rang through her head and Sui-Feng shuddered. Lady Yoruichi’s boyfriend. How could she miss such a thing?

She glared back at her and said, “I am not going to stalk them. I simply have other duties to attend to.”

---

“Here is all the information we had gathered on Yamada Hanataro.” One of her division members gave her a file and she flicked it open, taking in the opening pages. A picture of Hanataro was at the right hand corner along with his birthday, weight, age, and other such details. “In addition, we have implanted our own into the Fourth Division as patients to learn more about him personally.”

“I want daily updates and make sure the injuries are not serious enough to gain Captain Unohana’s attention.” She ordered and received a bow in return. They departed and Sui-Feng was left alone with her thoughts and a file that contained everything on Hanataro. Everything that would tell her how he somehow seduced Lady Yoruichi.

A minute of reading later and Sui-Feng was utterly convinced that this Hanataro was a mastermind nearing Aizen’s level or just incredibly lucky. Nothing in the file told her how Lady Yoruichi would become attracted to him! The average shinigami, no noticeable actions outside of anything after Lady Yoruichi and her allies invaded Seireitei. He went to Hueco Mundo to provide relief and was injured in the line of duty. Afterwards, he was sent to the human world a few times for missions and vacation and that was it.

‘How did someone so boring gain the attention of Lady Yoruichi?’ Sui-Feng glared at his picture. She couldn’t see why Kiyone called him cute. At the very least, he wasn’t ugly.

Sui-Feng read the whole file again and still couldn’t find the missing thread that connected him and Lady Yoruichi together. That meant only one thing, she had to investigate in person.

However Lady Yoruichi would never let her just investigate Hanataro directly. She would risk earning her ire, or even worse her disappointment.

Her mentor was uncharastically serious talking about it back at the SWA too. Replaying the event in her mind made her realize that not once did she joke about her relationship or even made an attempt at humor. Lady Yoruichi trended that conversation as seriously as she did in life or death battles.

Was she that worried about what Hanataro would think now that their secret is known? Did she fear others' reaction to it? Why would she?

She had to investigate this, even if it risked gaining Lady Yoruichi’s disappointment.

Sui-Feng stood up from her desk and walked out of her office, mindlessly walking through her division. Moving around always helped her think. If she wanted to do this, she had to do it carefully. This was a personal mission that would require all of her skills for.

First, Sui-Feng would need a reason to visit the Fourth to learn more there. While her and Captain Unohana could be considered friends, it would be out of character for herself to just drop in for a visit. She always prefers appointments and well planned out meetings. For once, she cursed her need to stay in order.

A personal injury? No, that would draw attention. She couldn’t visit her members either, she never does that unless they are gravely hurt. What if she brought in someone though, after a training mishap.

‘Yes, that can work. I need to find a volunteer.’ Whoever did so would get a sizable bonus in their next paycheck. The Second Division was paid well but no one would object to having more money.

“Man, did you hear the news? Some lucky guy named Hanataro is dating Yoruichi!”

Sui-Feng stopped in front of the training hall and slowly turned to the door. Only one person in her whole division was that loud. She went in and found her subordinates in mid training, pausing as they all turned their attention to Omaeda. Her lieutenant was on one mat, surrounded by other fallen members. He reached into his robes and pulled out a rice cracker to munch on.

“You’re joking.” One of the downed members said, relaxing after a spar.

“Nope, heard it right from Kira himself. The man’s a lot of things but he’s no liar. Apparently she came right in after his shift and kissed him in front of everyone!”

Several members finally took notice of her and visibly began to edge towards the wall. She assumed they would have escaped through the door if she wasn’t blocking it. Omaeda, as always, didn’t realize her presence and kept talking.

“They ran off afterwards but I heard that the Fourth Division exploded after that. A lot of people are trying to find Hanataro now,” Omeda let out a snicker as he ate another rice cracker. “I wonder if the guy is getting some right now.”

“Uh lieutenant, maybe you should-” Someone said but was cut off as Omeda let out a laugh.

“Still, how the hell did anyone tame that hellcat. Or maybe she plays with him like a toy and he enjoys it! Man, I would pay good money to get the details.”

Sui-Feng slowly made her way to Omeda. More and more members pressed themselves against the wall, too afraid to try and escape now. The ones near Omeda’s feet even began to crawl away as the man continued on.

“I wonder if our captain has heard about this yet,” Omeda turned and looked down at her. “Oh hey Captain!”

Sui-Feng watched as his brain made the mental connection of her being here and how long he had spoken. Omeda’s skin became pale, realizing the situation, and he gulped.

“Not the face?”

---

Captain Unohana looked at her, a gentle if slightly annoyed smile on her face.

“Captain Sui-Feng, what did we say about hurting your lieutenant?”

She refused to back down from her fellow captain’s challenge and met her stare head on. “In my defense, he had it coming.”

“Well, at least you did a clean break so he’ll be set to leave in an hour,” Unohana said. “Now, let us talk about the manner at hand.”

“What manner? I simply had to drop off my lieutenant after an unfortunate injury.”

Unohana raised an eyebrow and Sui-Feng let out a sigh. “Was I that obvious?”

“No, not really. I wouldn’t have suspected a thing if Yoruichi hadn’t come around and kissed Hanataro right in front of me.” Sui-Feng gave her a look of surprise, caught off guard by Lady Yoruichi’s boldness. “Trust me, you’re not the only one who wants answers, but I trust Hanataro will give them in time.”

Sui-Feng took a sip of her tea and said, “I merely want to learn more about him. Nothing more than that, I promise.”

Unohana giggled at that and poured her another cup. “Well, for one, he is a person of many surprises. The fact that he willingly helped the Ryoka during their invasion caught me by surprise. Loyalty has always been one of his strong points,” she sipped her tea and continued. “He also takes his duties very seriously, no matter what they might be. There’s a motto in the Fourth Division, give Hanataro a job and expect it to be done. Unfortunately, many members took that as they could folster their work onto him for a time.”

“So he’s easily pushed around?” Sui-Feng grumbled. That was a point against him. Anyone that Lady Yoruichi dates should be able to stand their ground.

Unohana shook her head. “He used to be but after the Winter War, he had grown more confident and willing to say no. Many were surprised by his change and began to respect him more as an officer. I’m glad for it.”

...A point for him then.

“He’s clumsy but in a way that’s endearing rather than annoying, like watching a cute animal stumble around. A strong sense of what is right and wrong and a willingness to follow it through. A good cook too, always a useful skill to have.”

Nothing that felt like something Yoruichi would be attracted to though. Sui-Feng wanted to ask more personal questions but knew that would just earn Unohana’s displeasure.

“All in all, a perfectly respectful young man. Yoruichi is a lucky person to gain his affection.”

“Wait what? Hanataro should be the lucky one, not Lady Yoruichi!” At that, Sui-Feng inwardly cringed, hoping that she wouldn’t catch her unintentional insult. Thankfully, all Unohana did was nod.

“Oh he is but Hanataro’s best trait is his desire to make people happy,” Sui-Feng gave her a confused look and Unohana went on. “Hanataro dislikes seeing someone, anyone really, sad so he goes out of his way to help them. Sometimes it’ll be small treats during the peak hours of our work, other times you’ll find dreaded jobs already handled. It used to be a flaw, I’ll admit, as he would run himself ragged trying to help anyone.”

Unohana sipped her tea once more, a fond smile on her face. “However after everything that has happened, Hanataro has learnt how to make himself happy as well. Although he’s still willing to go that extra mile to make someone happy and I could only imagine the attention he gives to Yoruichi.”

...Another point for him then. Lady Yoruichi’s happiness was a treasure to be protected after all.

“I hope that they’ll have many happy years together. I do wonder just how they got together in the first place.”

Sui-Feng blushed and decided to let Unohana know. “Lady Yoruichi said they met a few months ago and had a ‘night of passion’ on the beach.”

“Oh my,” Unohana giggled with a blush of her own. “How bold of them, even more so from Hanataro. A man of many surprises indeed.”

“Yes, indeed,” Sui-Feng glanced at the clock and realized the time. She stood up and gave a respectful bow to Unohana. “Thank you for your time.”

“You’re always welcomed here, Sui-Feng.” Unohana said. She walked through the halls of the Fourth, mind swirling with all the new information she had gained. She trusted Unohana’s ability to judge someone and so far, Hanataro sounded...right for Lady Yoruichi. Someone that could at least stand in the same area as her.

Still, her desire to find out more curled in her gut. What she learnt from Unohana warred against her bias against Hanataro.

By chance, she passed by the room Omeda was in and paused to see the large man being treated for his dislocated shoulder. He caught her eye and raised his good hand.

“I didn’t say anything! I swear!”

Sui-Feng merely raised an eyebrow and said, “Take the weekend off, Omeda.”

“Wait really? Uh thanks captain!”

Omeda now properly rewarded, Sui-Feng moved onto her next objective with quick steps.

---

Finding Hanataro was proving to be just as difficult as she imagined. No doubt, Lady Yoruichi had spirited him away to safety to avoid the mobs of Shinigami going around, trying to find Hanataro themselves.

She would call them annoying intruders of privacy if she wasn’t doing the very same thing.

Hanataro owned a modest house, formerly owned by his brother and given to him to do as he pleased. Two stories, with a garden and small farm for chickens behind it, all surrounded by a wall. It was also surrounded by shinigami too, trying to find their way past the existing Kido Barrier. Sui-Feng spotted more than a few male lieutenants of various divisions among the crowd, Renji himself pounding on the spiritual energy.

Any one of the lieutenants could break it down themselves but none were willing to break the law doing so. Any house with a Kido Barrier could only be accessed by the owner, anyone they give permission to, and herself. Unlawful entry was grounds for an investigation by her division and a temporary leave without pay.

She was tempted to go into the house herself but Sui-Feng dismissed that thought. If Lady Yoruichi had been in the same house, she surely would notice her trail, no matter how she covered them up.

With that, she left the house behind and went elsewhere. Her duties for today were finished so she could dedicate her full attention to this task. She recalled Hanataro’s file and swept through places he favored within Seireitei. None of them bore fruit and worse, they were also crawling with people looking for him. Even the SWA had mobilized if seeing all of them in various places was any hint.

That meant they weren’t in Seireitei for sure. Lady Yoruichi said that they had gone to the Districts to eat sometimes and cursed. That didn’t narrow things down but it was a start. She hoped that Lady Yoruichi was kept out of the more filthy districts at least. To her displeasure, she saw a few shinigami spread out their search there as well.

Sui-Feng went out through the West Gate, speeding on top of the buildings. As she did, Sui-Feng thought more about Lady Yoruichi’s relationship. A small part of her felt happy to know she had found someone. Many people thought Sui-Feng as cold and ruthless but she knew how important relationships were. Even she entertained the thought of romance a long time ago.

Even better that it wasn’t with Kisuke. Sui-Feng wasn’t sure if she could stand the thought of them being together. Just the idea of that man touching Lady Yoruichi made her want to puke and kill him at the same time.

Another part of her felt worried though. She kept thinking about meeting at the SWA. How Lady Yoruichi acted worried her and installed a deep sense of fear. Was she that scared of their relationship being public now?

Another fear came to her, almost making her trip. What if Hanataro broke up with her because of this? How would Lady Yoruichi react to that?

If Hanataro did hurt her, Sui-Feng would never forgive him.

By sheer chance, she caught sight of a familiar purple wisp, darting into an alleyway. Sui-Feng warred against herself for just a second before giving chase, using all of her skill to avoid being noticed. She followed the barest hint of purple before finally catching up to Lady Yoruichi, hiding within the leaves of a tree as she and Hanataro sat down at a bench underneath her.

Hanataro looked just like his picture. Small, nervous, and utterly normal, still dressed in his shinigami uniform. He spoke up and Sui-Feng strained to hear his words.

“Do you think anyone saw us?”

Yoruichi shook her head. “Nah, the only person that could catch me is Sui-Feng and she’s probably still standing back at Byakuya’s house in shock. Poor girl was literally frozen in place.”

“I-I can only imagine.”

The two of them settled into silence, merely taking in each other. Sui-Feng’s heart beat so loud that she thought Lady Yoruichi could hear it. The shame of being caught fought against her desire to learn more. It was all of her training that kept her still.

“Sorry I swept in like that Hanataro but with the SWA on your tail, they would have done a lot worse,” Yoruichi apologized, one arm wrapping around the smaller male. She pulled him close and Sui-Feng watched with envy as Hanataro made himself comfortable in her embrace. “If you want, you could stay with me at Kisuke’s shop for a bit. Wait for everything to die down.”

Hanataro shook his head. “I still have my duties to attend to. I can’t leave my division without giving them a prior notice.”

“Everyone is gonna be bugging you for details then. I’ll do my best to keep the SWA off your back so they don’t intrude on your personal life. God knows they do that enough with Byakuya.”

She was right. Sui-Feng wondered why the noble hadn’t simply kicked them out of his home yet but she figured it would be the same as admitting defeat to Yachiru if he went with the easiest method.

“Listen, I’m sorry for blowing our secret. I knew that hickey was a bad idea but I just got carried away this morning and…” Yoruichi trailed off and Sui-Feng realized with a shock that she looked worried, dared she say even fearful. The unease came and swirled within her gut, her desire to comfort her mentor while her bias against Hanataro both grew. Her next words came out, filled with uncharastic hesitation and worry. “I’m sorry.”

Hanataro was quiet and she could see Lady Yoruichi’s discomfort at it. It was so slight that she doubted Hanataro could notice it. Then he reached out and grabbed her hand on her lap. Lady Yoruichi twitched, a motion so miniscule that even she thought she imagined it.

“It wasn’t going to stay a secret for much longer anyways. If Lieutenant Isane noticed then others would have, especially my captain,” Hanataro smiled. “If anything, I’m kinda glad that we don’t have to hide it anymore. It was getting rather stressful.”

Yoruichi laughed and with it, Sui-Feng could see the tension in her body leave her. Her next words regained her typical confidence. “And to think you were the one who wanted to keep it a secret. I fondly remember you begging me ‘Please Yoruichi, don’t let anyone know!’”

“I also remember you worrying about the jokes that Kisuke and Kukaku would throw at you. ‘I knew you liked younger men, Yoruichi but not this young!’” Hanataro retorted.

Yoruichi snorted and pulled Hanataro in for a kiss. Sui-Feng blushed as she kept her watch, realizing with more than a bit of shame that this was a private moment between them. Her duties made such things a requirement but doing it now with a personal reason made her feel...guilty.

Unfortunately she couldn’t move now. Lady Yoruichi would no doubt notice her.

“I wish I took a picture of Unohana’s face when I kissed you in front of her. I never saw that expression on her before!” Yoruichi said with a smile. “Remind me to have a camera on me when we break the news to Kukaku. Her reaction would be a great thing to have.”

“Of course. You think we should make it a surprise or just act casual like we thought they always knew?” Hanataro asked.

“The first one for sure. It’ll be great to see her reaction. Oooh, maybe we can get Ganju’s reaction too if we timed it well.”

The two of them laughed and chatted underneath the sun. Sui-Feng was surprised at how comfortable Lady Yoruichi looked. If most people were watching her, they wouldn’t have noticed it but Sui-Feng knew Lady Yoruichi better than almost anyone.

The fond look in her eyes, the honest laughter lacking her typical teasing undertone, just the attention she gave Hanataro was different. Even her posture just spoke of utter relaxation, leaning into him as much as he did to her. The fear and worry in her is now gone entirely.

Lady Yoruichi was happy to be with Hanataro. Did that mean Sui-Feng was happy with it? If her mentor was happy then she could be as well but still, she worried for her.

She turned her attention to Hanataro now. The younger shinigami’s nervousness faded away entirely as they talked. The bright smile and the light in his eyes made her realize just what Kiyone meant by cute too, like a small creature giving their all to another.

Above all else though, he was attentive. The entire conversation was filled with laughter and smiles as they talked about their day and their plans for the future now their secret was known. There wasn’t a moment where he didn’t give Lady Yoruichi his full attention, always ready to answer.

It eased her bias against him a little. Anyone who could recognize her divine nature couldn’t be bad for Lady Yoruichi, right?

Sui-Feng continued to watch. Lady Yoruichi drew Hanataro closer and he held her hand tighter, with her returning the gesture. They slipped into a comfortable silence, staring at nothing together.

She watched as the two of them fell asleep against one another. The simple act of Lady Yoruichi allowing herself to fall asleep in another’s embrace was enough for her to make a decision.

Sui-Feng departed from the area and took watch elsewhere, ensuring that the two of them enjoyed their nap.

---

Much later in her office, Sui-Feng was finishing up a new batch of paperwork. It wasn’t forms she handled often but the situation certainly called for it.

A knock and Lady Yoruichi came in. She had a smile on her face, waving off her attempt to bow to her. She sat down before her and cut straight to the heart.

“So, what’d you think of Hanataro?”

Sui-Feng took the time to gather her words, mulling them over.

“I can see the appeal.”

Lady Yoruichi laughed and Sui-Feng let herself join in. Once they were done, Yoruichi said, “Thanks for getting your members to shoo away the creeps at Hanataro’s house. He’s a light sleeper.”

“It’s no problem Lady Yoruichi. Anything you need, just ask.”

Sui-Feng finished writing her orders to have some members keep watch on Hanataro. If he was going to be dating Lady Yoruichi, well the least she could do is extend some protection to him. His combat record spoke for itself.

 

Chapter Three: Rukia

Rukia liked to consider herself a good friend. She cherished the few friends she made in her time as a shinigami, enough that she would go to the ends of the three worlds and back for them.

And she liked to consider Hanataro among that special group. After everything he did for her during the Ryoka Invasion, it was only natural that she seeked him out afterwards. Hanataro was honestly surprised by her desire to be friends but nonetheless accepted it and the two of them have been on good terms since.

He was shy but in an endearing way, one that made her want to tease him. He was thoughtful and never insulted her drawings unlike most of her friends. Kind hearted too, with the desire to help those in need, much like Ichigo. Even if it was helping those brutes from the Eleventh Division, he took the time to heal them after her and Renji beat them into the ground for messing with him.

Knowing that Hanataro was dating though made her head spin. She didn’t want to insult her friend but the shy medic never came off as someone who would manage that step, at least not without help.

“Rukia?” She was jolted out of her thoughts by Captain Ukitake’s voice and she looked at him standing at her desk. “Are you alright? You’ve been signing that one paper for about a minute now.”

Rukia looked down and saw that he was right. The paper was a mess of her signature at various spots and she blushed at the mistake.

“I’m sorry, captain Ukitake. I’m just very distracted at the moment,” she pushed the ruin paperwork to the side and took another from the pile. “Yesterday was very surprising.”

“Yes, finding out that young Hanataro was dating someone must be quite a shocker. I understand if you’re heart broken.” Captain Ukitake laughed at her expression and raised his hands. “Just a joke! I know you two are just friends.”

“Why does everyone think otherwise?” Rukia mumbled and continued with her work. Captain Ukitake sat down in front of her, helping himself to some tea he had brought.

“So tell me, who is Hanataro dating?” Captain Ukitake asked and Rukia couldn’t help but look at him with wide eyes.

“You don’t know?”

“I’m afraid another bout of illness struck me yesterday and I only recently woke up. All I know is that Seireitei is buzzing with the news, enough that Kiyone and Sentaro are busy trying to get the latest magazine. I heard that the Ninth Division sold out the instant that they put it up for sale!”

Rukia bit her lip and said, “Well, he’s dating Yoruichi.”

Captain Ukitake, in the process of drinking his tea, immediately spewed it back up, drenching his shirt and coughing. Rukia was by his side with an offered towel. Once he cleaned himself up a bit, Ukitake looked at her with wide eyes.

“Yoruichi?! We’re talking the same Yoruichi right, Goddess of Flash and all?”

Rukia nodded her head and was surprised when Ukitake grinned and broke out in laughter.

“No wonder why everyone is interested! That’s, wow,” her captain laughed hard enough for him to start coughing and Rukia was worried for his health, only to be eased when he waved a hand. “I hope Kiyone and Sentaro bring back a magazine soon. I can’t wait to read this story.”

As if on cue, the two of them heard the familiar sounds of footsteps running and the door was kicked open. Kiyone and Sentaro held a magazine in their collective grip, desperately trying to pull it from one another. Unfortunately, their legs tangled and they fell onto the floor, magazine held just before Captain Ukitake.

“Ah right on time! Thank you.”

He took the paper from their grasp and Rukia took the chance to look at the cover. It looked like the Ninth Division wasn’t able to get a picture of them together so they settled for two different shots with the words, “Unexpected Couple of the Century!?” plastered as the title.

Seeing Hanataro’s picture side by side with Yoruichi only reminded her of the sheer oddity of their relationship

Captain Ukitake flipped through the pages, a frown on his face. “A shame, nothing but rumors and reactions from other shinigami. I hoped they would get an interview with one of the two.”

“Hanataro is still holed up in his house and the Second Division isn’t letting anyone in.” Kiyone said, shoving Sentaro down as she pulled herself up. She yelped when Sentaro grabbed her hand and yanked her downwards, pulling himself up.

“And I heard that no one has seen Yoruichi!”

Rukia felt a bit of worry for Hanataro. The medic was a shy person and having all this attention on him must be stressful. Captain Ukitake must have picked up on as he smiled at her and said, “Rukia, why don’t you go check up on your friend?”

“But my duties and-” She was cut off when he waved a hand.

“I’ll take care of it in the meantime. I feel like young Hanataro needs a good friend by his side.”

Rukia wanted to protest more but she saw the look in Captain Ukitake’s eyes. It was the same look he would give her whenever she was overworking herself and knew that he never gave that unless he was serious.

So she thanked him, bowed and made her way out of the Division. A series of Shunpo later and she found herself nearing Hanataro’s home. To her great annoyance, there was still a mob of Shinigami standing around. It was much smaller than yesterday but that still didn’t change the fact these people were bothering her friend.

Rukia made her way through the crowd. Once they realized she was among them, they began making a path for her. It wasn’t long until she was looking up at a Second Division member, standing side by side each other in a line. Their face was covered except for hard eyes that stared down at her. Behind them, the yellow Kido Barrier shined with the morning sun.

“I wish to pass.” She stated.

“My apologies Lieutenant Kuchiki, but Captain Sui-Feng has ordered us to let no one through. That specifically included any lieutenants too.” One of them respectfully told her and Rukia frowned.

“I am a friend of Hanataro.”

“I mean no disrespect Lieutenant but I have heard that too many times since my watch started. If you wish, I could send a message to my captain to ask her for permission.”

Rukia was about to tell him to do that when the door opened and Hanataro came running out.

“Rukia! I didn’t know you were going to visit,” he stopped at the barrier’s edge and pressed his hand against it. A moment later, it opened and he looked at the Second Division. “She’s a friend, sir. She can come in.”

The Second Division gave him a nod and the group split to allow her through. Behind her, she could hear various shinigami yelling questions at Hanataro.

“Hanataro, when the hell did you get together with that babe!”

“Come on man, give us some details! The Ninth Division is paying anyone with concrete details!”

“At least tell us if you two had sex yet! Is she a screamer!” An Eleventh Division member teased and got hit with a rock for their trouble. The Second Division member responsible for it dropped their hand and stared at nothing. “Oi you masked bastard! You wanna go!?”

Hanataro blushed and once she was through, the barrier closed behind her. It muted the sounds outside and they made their way into his home. As always, Hanataro’s house was spotless and smelt of food. It always reminded Rukia of Ichigo’s home, humble yet having that feeling of home.

She left her shoes at the doorway and sat at the table. Hanataro sat down next to her a moment later, offering her a drink.

“No thanks. I just wanted to see if you’re okay.”

Hanataro gave her a nervous chuckle and said, “Oh I’m fine. The crowd outside makes me a bit uncomfortable, but I’m hoping that things will die down in time.”

Rukia looked out the window and could see the same Eleventh Division member trying to start a fight with the Second Division member. At least now, the crowd’s attention was focused on that instead.

“I don’t think it’ll be that soon, Hanataro. The whole Seireitei is buzzing with news of your...relationship.” Rukia said and Hanataro turned his gaze to the table.

“I know, I’m just hopeful. Captain Unohana gave me the day off to adjust to all this but,” Hanataro scratched his arm, a nervous tick of his. “All this attention on me is very uncomfortable.”

Rukia reached out and held his hand. “Trust me, I know what you mean. When my brother adopted me into the clan, you wouldn’t believe the attention I got. It isn’t easy at first but I promise you that it does get a bit easier to ignore.”

Hanataro smiled and was about to say something when the sounds of pounding rang through the house. The two of them turned to see Renji at the Barrier, banging a fist on it. He was yelling something and when a Second Division member tried to stop him, he turned to yell at them.

Rukia felt her eye twitch and Hanataro let out a sigh. “I’ll go let him in.”

He left and, for a brief moment, she heard Renji yelling “why you idiots are still outside his friend’s house”. The two of them came through the door and Renji took his usual seat at the table. He had a scowl on his face and accepted Hanataro’s offer of water.

He downed the cup and said, “Damn, I thought that the Second Division chased these guys off.”

“Apparently someone in the Ninth quoted a law that said so long as they don’t try to get inside, they can stand there for as long as they want,” Hanataro said. That explained why the mob was back then. “It was a lot worse yesterday.”

The red head winced at that. “Yeah, sorry about that Hanataro. I guess me knocking on the barrier gave them ideas.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have done that again then?” Rukia questioned with a glare and Renji gave her an apologetic smile.

“Hey, I only have fifteen minutes for this break. I just wanted to check up on Hanataro,” That said, he turned to their friend. “How’ve you been? All this attention must be stressing you out.”

Hanataro gave them a shrug and took a sip of his drink. “I-I’m dealing with it.”

“You sure? You don’t need the two of us to help you out?” Hanataro shook his head and Renji gave him a smile. “Okay then. Now,” Renji slammed his hands down on the table and yelled, “How the hell are you dating Yoruichi!?”

“Renji!”

“What? You can’t just sit there and not be curious, Rukia!” She was about to yell at him when Hanataro let out a snort and smiled, calming them both down.

“I don’t mind telling you two. I’ll try and make it quick,” Hanataro took another sip of his drink and began. “We met when I went to the Human World for vacation. I took a trip to the beach and was just walking around when we ran into each other.”

Hanataro blushed a bit and went on. “She asked if I wanted to give her some company and I agreed. We played in the sand, swam together, ate some food I brought and just spent the whole day there.”

“...That’s it?” Renji asked and got a nod from Hanataro. Rukia remembered a certain part of Yoruichi’s story and couldn’t help but press on.

“And nothing else happened?” Rukia questioned. Hanataro’s blush grew and suddenly, he seemed extremely interested in his table. Her and Renji shared a look but before either of them could say anything, Yoruichi’s voice caught their attention.

“My my, leaving out all the other fun parts of that story, Hanataro?” The two of them turned toward the stairs, seeing the purple haired woman make her way towards them. It was obvious that she had just gotten out of the shower with her hair wrapped up in a towel. Her clothing were a simple loose black shirt and pants, made for comfort in mind. She strolled behind Hanataro and draped herself over him. Her arms around his shoulders and her head rested on top of his.

“I won’t deny that we did those things but,” Yoruichi grinned at them. “Let’s just say that it was good that the beach was completely empty.”

Rukia remembered her words from yesterday and her face turned crimson. Renji’s jaw dropped and he looked at Hanataro. “No way.”

The medic didn’t say a word for a second before he mumbled out. “W-we weren’t that loud.”

Yoruichi laughed at the shell shocked look on their faces at Hanataro’s comment. She then went off to grab something and came back with a photo album. Rukia wondered just why she grabbed that when she placed it on the table and opened to the first page.

The very first image was one of Yoruichi posing on a beach towel. She wore an orange bikini with a pair of sunglasses. Her eyes were just peeking over the lenses to give the camera a teasing look with a bottle of sunscreen held up.

“Hanataro had a camera on him that day.” Yoruichi explained. The next page had more pictures. Sometimes it was Yoruichi playing in the sand, swimming, or just eating. Other times, it was Hanataro doing the same things and more than a few had them close together. The last often had Hanataro blushing but still enjoying himself no less.

“When I found out that he’s on vacation for the next three days, I figured I’ll just hang out with him. Hanataro planned to just stay in Karakura Town and, as nice as the place is, there’s a lot more fun to have elsewhere,” Yoruichi turned to the next page and Rukia saw that the next place was an amusement park with Hanataro and Yoruichi posing outside of the gate. “So I grabbed some money and two Gigai from Kisuke and off we went!”

The next series of pictures had them clearly enjoying the amusement park. Yoruichi held up a stuffed black cat that she had won from a booth, another had Hanataro looking at himself in fun mirrors. One interesting series of pictures had Yoruichi eating various food, followed by her pointing at a rollercoaster and the last had her hunched over a trash can.

“I warned her that going on that so soon after eating was a bad idea.” Hanataro said with a giggle. Yoruichi rolled her eyes in return.

“Yeah, yeah, moving on,” Another page flip and it had Hanataro and Yoruichi looking at a haunted house. The former looked scared while the latter looked interested but the last picture for that had them looking bored. “That haunted house was a rip off.”

The last picture was interesting, looking different from the others. It was clearly shot inside some kind of booth as the two of them made faces at the camera. The last two were what drew her eyes though as one had Yoruichi kissing Hanataro on the cheek with him having a surprise look. The next had his face in his hands while Yoruichi was laughing with her arms around him.

More and more pictures to the point that Rukia was amazed by how much time the two of them spent together. After the amusement park, the two of them went into a forest. Yoruichi was posing on a tree while another had Hanataro attempting to climb one, with expected results. Another had a deer being fed by Hanataro with the next shot being it nuzzling him. Yoruichi clearly tried next but the deer had turned away and wandered off, with her giving a ‘can you believe that’ look at the camera.

The page turned and Rukia stared at what she saw. It was a hot spring and Hanataro and Yoruichi were next to each other within it. It was hard to tell if they were both naked or not but just the sight of them together in one was startling.

“Ahh I remember that. Nothing like a good soak after a long day.” Yoruichi said.

“Were you two naked together?” Renji bluntly asked and got a nod from her.

“Of course. It’s not like Hanataro was seeing anything new.”

“...Did you two-”

“N-no!” Hanataro suddenly answered Renji’s answer. “W-we just relaxed in the hot spring!”

“Yeah, we actually just did do that. Long day of fun and all that,” Yoruichi added “It was nice. We just sat there and chatted, really got to know each other.”

The next collection of pictures were no less interesting. Some of them had the duo exploring wildnesses and interacting with animals, others had them in a city or town and enjoying what it had to offer. The last picture had the two of them posing together on a seaside cliff, with a beautiful sunset as their background.

“It was a great three days,” Hanataro said with a fond look on his face. Yoruichi put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him close, with the same look. “It felt like I was in a dream.”

“It was great for me to, especially what we did at the end,” Yoruichi’s words got Hanataro to suddenly blush again, with the red going to the tip of his ears. “After all, you were a perfect gentleman and that deserved a reward.”

“I-I-I was just making sure you enjoyed yourself too, Yoruichi. A-anyone would have-” Hanataro’s words were cut off with a yelp when she suddenly nipped at his ears.

“Hanataro, in those three days, you went out of your way to make sure I had a fun time too. Don’t ever sell yourself short,” Yoruichi pulled back with a smile. Rukia wasn’t sure how but it looked different from her typical ones. “I had more fun in those three days than I had in the past month.”

“...So then you two-” Renji started with a grin but was cut off when Hanataro exclaimed.

“I-it wasn’t that lewd! W-w-we just...spent the night at a hotel together.”

Hanataro’s blush intensified and Rukia had no doubt what he really meant by that. Yoruichi’s grin only added more evidence to that.

“Anyways, I had so much fun that I decided to ask if he wanted to make this a regular thing. Oh man, the way Hanataro just looked at me when he realized that I meant,” Yoruichi pulled him close and rubbed his head. “The way his whole body just turned red was adorable. I thought steam might shoot out from his ears!”

Yoruichi let him go and turned to the very last page. It was in Kisuke’s basement, she knew that for sure, and it had the two of them sharing one last kiss before Hanataro would go back to Seireitei. Hanataro had to stand on his toes to complete the kiss but it made the sight utterly adorable. What was interesting about this one though was that it was clearly shot from behind a rock, as if the cameraman was hidden.

“Yeah, that one was from Kisuke. The bastard picked up something about us when we got back and snuck that shot,” Yoruichi explained. “Let’s just say that I made sure he wouldn’t blab about our relationship.”

Renji leaned back in his chair, whistling. “So that’s it? Three days of fun and you two just started going out with each other. Hanataro, you lady killer.”

Hanataro shyly looked at the table. “I-I just did what I thought anyone would do.”

“Hey, what did I say? Don’t ever sell yourself short. You made those days as fun for me as I did for you and these past few months have been just as great.”

Hanataro smiled at the honest praise and Rukia couldn’t help but do the same. Seeing her normally reserved friend like this made her feel glad and happy all at once. Renji was about to say something else when a hell butterfly drifted into the window. They all turned their attention to it as it landed on the table and spoke, her brother’s voice coming from it.

“Lieutenant, your fifteen minute break was over ten minutes ago.”

“WHAT!?” Renji snapped his head to a clock and paled when he realized the time. “Fuck! We’ll catch up later!”

The red head ran out of the house and they all stood up to follow him. Once they were outside, the crowd visibly grew more curious especially at the sight of Yoruichi and Hanataro. The moment Hanataro touched the barrier to let Renji out, a wall of questions hit them.

“Hanataro, is it true that you two have been dating for months now!”

“Lady Yoruichi, can we get an interview with you about this? The Ninth Division is willing to pay any price for it!”

“Can we at least get a confirmation on whether or not you two are having a child together!?”

“Does she scream in bed or not! Come on, throw your 11th division buddies a bone here!”

Rukia snuck a glance at Hanataro and saw him visibly cringing back, uncomfortably by the attention on him. Yoruichi placed a hand on his shoulder and she saw the smile the dark skinned woman gave him. Something was said between them because Hanataro smiled back and stood a bit taller.

It was a touching moment, one that was ruined when Renji suddenly yelled, “Alright you idiots! Get the fuck out my friend’s sight and don’t come back or else I’ll kick all of your asses!”

Rukia, along with the crowd, was shocked into silence. One shinigami in the mob soon said, “You can’t do that! The law says we can stay here so long as we don’t try and get in!”

“Yeah, but there is no law that says I can’t suddenly decide to beat you all up because you pissed me off,” Renji said and looked at a Second Division member. “Isn’t that right?”

Rukia saw the look in the Second Division’s members eyes, the same kind of look that her brother would have when he had to think about his answer. Then they looked up at the sky which was quickly followed by the rest of the group.

“So long as we don’t see anything, we can’t arrest anyone.” They stated and continued their duty watching the sky for threats.

Renji laughed and he stomped forward, cracking his knuckles. “Alright, last chance. You leave on your legs or on the Fourth’s stretchers when they come to pick you up.”

Some of the crowd broke by the threat but the vast majority, a mix of Eleventh and Ninth, stood their ground. One of the former raised his fists and yelled, “He can’t take us all!” With that cheer, they charged at Renji who met them head on.

The three of them could only watch as the red head lieutenant single handedly took them on, throwing Shinigami around with each attack.

“...I am very embarrassed that I didn’t think of that.” Yoruichi stated.

Rukia let out a chuckle. “Don’t be. Only an idiot that worked in the Eleventh would know something like this,” They watched as Renji picked up a shinigami by the leg to use them as a weapon. “Hopefully this’ll stop them from hanging outside your house now.”

“I-I hope so as well,” Hanataro said. “Thank you Renji!”

He turned and gave Hanataro a thumbs up. Unfortunately the lull in action allowed one shinigami, the same man who asked the vugar question about Yoruichi twice, to punch him in the face. The man’s look of victory was quickly replaced by terror when Renji turned his attention at him with a snarl.

“I should be going as well,” Rukia turned to the duo and gave them a bow. “Stay safe Hanataro. If anyone gives you trouble, just tell me,” A loud girlish scream rang through the air. “Or Renji.”

Rukia then looked at Yoruichi. “Yoruichi, please treat him well.”

She gave her a grin and a mock salute. “Of course.” Despite her tone and action, Rukia could see the sincerity within her eyes.

With that, Rukia walked over the bodies of the defeated crowd, all of them groaning in pain. Renji dusted off his hands and looked at her.

“Well that was easy. ‘I can’t take you all’ on my ass,” Renji said. The two of them gave one last look at Hanataro and Yoruichi, the latter of which had her arm around his shoulder and holding him close.

They watched them go back into the house in silence until Rukia finally said, “I still can’t believe Hanataro is dating Yoruichi.”

“You should have seen your brother when I brought him the magazine today. He actually looked shocked,” Renji told her with a grin. “It was amazing, and then terrifying when he realized I was in the room.

Despite knowing her brother well, she could see even his stoic demeanor falling in the face of this. The mental image of her made her laugh as she made her way back to her division.