Sakura and Snow

There had been no body. When Kaien had been stabbed by the end of the sword, his body had slowly disintegrated and left nothing for his family or comrades to remember him by.
Ukitake stood at the long pillar that was to be Kaien’s grave, dressed in his Captain’s haori and shihakshou. A fresh stick of incense had been lit and flowers rested humbily at the foot of the gravesite. An identical bouquet rested at the foot next to it.

Shunsui stood behind him, having left his bright pink kimono in his room along with the hat. It felt a little colder with it gone but it was more suiting. It was necessary and for his oldest friend, he would gladly sober up…even if it was just for the day.
“You know, your eyes will fall out if you keep staring at him…”Shunsui finally spoke up. Ukitake didn’t move but did take the moment to glance over his shoulder.
“He wouldn’t have minded…”A saddened voice responded softly.

“Yeah…but he definitely wouldn’t want you coughing up a storm too. Come on, let’s get you back to bed and some good stuff in you…”Kyouraku said softly, taking a firm hand to Ukitake’s shoulder and gently leading him away from the grave. He didn’t argue.

It wasn’t long until they were back at Squad 13’s unit, walking along the small dock that lead to a single bedroom home on a small lake. Sliding the shouji screen door open, he gently guided the pale-haired Captain indoors, sliding it closed and guiding him indoors.

“How about some sake to warm you up?”He joked as he watched the captain solemnly remove his straw-rope sandals and crawl over to his futon. A pale finger pointed up to a shelf.

“Go ahead…”Ukitake mumbled.

Grateful, Kyouraku nodded and retrieve the bottle of sake but looked down to his old time friend. Kneeling down, he sat down by the low fire pit in the room, pulling the tea kettle from it and pouring the sake in it to warm it up.

“What are you doing?”Ukitake questioned, looking up to the other Captain with a furrowed brow. “Don’t use that tea pot for your sake…”

“Why not?”The other asked, shaking it a little to hear the liquid swish inside.

“That…Oh, never mind. Drink yourself happy…”Ukitake said, pulling the futon over himself and snuggling down. He could hear Kyouraku set the kettle back on the hook over the fire then start the fire off with a little bit of Kidou.

“Such a waste my friend, you know I never drink alone unless you’re busy. And you’re not busy…”he confirmed with a laugh. Ukitake just pulled the blankets over him more.
Raising an eyebrow, the 8th Captain crawled over and peered over the blanket. Ukitake was awake but just staring at the opposite wall. Raising a burly eyebrow, he leaned down so he was eye to eye with the other Captain.

“Uuukiii….Uuuukkiii….”He whispered softly.

“Shunsui-kun…Stop it. You aren’t helping anything…”Ukitake said, finally just rolling over and staring at his shaggy partner.

“Yo, you should at least have a drink. It’ll probably help you sleep…It’s nice and warm…It’s happy time medicine!”Kyouraku smiled, though getting a dark-eyed stare from the man beneath him.

“Fine…”Ukitake said, sitting up with some assistance from the other captain. Kyouraku cheerfully got two glasses from another shelf and plopped down beside him. Reaching over to the now hot pot, he pulled it off swiftly and poured them some of the warmed alcohol. Ukitake took the warm glass of sake, adjusting himself so he could drink without spilling it. However, a rough hand stopped him a moment.

“Hey…I think it’s appropriate we commit this little drink to someone…don’t you think?”Shunsui said, slowly releasing his friend’s wrist.

Ukitake stared at the spot where he had been held, drifting his eyes up to the others. Staring at them for the longest time, he managed the only smile he had cast that day. A true one and not one he had shown to Rukia or any of the other Squad 13 members.

“To Kaien?”Shunsui said, raising his glass.

“Kaien…”Ukitake said with a smile, chiming his glass dish with the other and then sipping the drink. He had a new smile.

After a couple of rounds however, that same smile was slowly getting bigger.

“Y-You know…I REALLY like thish squad…yah know Jyuu-chan? Ish soooo pwetty and every uhn is shooo nice.”Shunsui slurred, snuggling up to Ukitake as he sipped a little bit more of his sake.

“I knooow…They’re all shoooo wonderfuh…”Ukitake said with a happy, crooked smile.
“N’ N’ you know what else? Yooou really pretteh too…”Shu smiled, reaching up and fingering a bit of Ukitake’s white hair.

“Pretty?”Ukitake said with a slight jump. “I’m not…”

“You are too, buddy! You are…You got pretty hair, a pretty face…Yooour a Bishie!”The other slurred.

Ukitake blinked, his face pinkening brightly against his florescent white hair. “I think we’ve had enough…”

“Aww…Really, Jyuu-chan?”Shunsui said, sitting up from his lounged position on the floor. He reached over, running his finger through the fair hair again. “Shiro…”

“W-what?”Ukitake questioned, looking up at him with confused brown eyes.

“Shiro…Jyuushiro…It sounds like ‘Ten White’…Why isn’t your name Yuki though?”Shunsui questioned, his hand still running though Ukitake’s hair.

“That’s…”he answered, before sliding away a little when Kyouraku leaned in closer.
“Ukitake…Jyuushiro…”Shun whispered softly, his hand slinking through Ukitake’s hair again, this time to reach the back of his head.

“Shun…What are you…”Ukitake said, his eyes wide and his cheeks flushed not only from embarrassment but from the sake. He felt better after a couple of drinks, forgetting his sadness but the way Shunsui was looking at him had confused all the more.
His grey eyes, though red from drinking, stared deeply into him. It sliced through him, sending a shiver down his back as his felt the thick fingers press against the back of his head. Kyouraku hadn’t moved though their eyes connected. He leaned in closer, Uki able to smell the sake now on his breath.

“Shiro-chan…”The taller man whispered before he felt the touch of wetted lips on his own, a little bit of scruff tickling his face.

Wide-eyed for only a brief moment, his hands hesitant, he closed them while his hands dropped the empty sake glass. It rolled along the floor as his hands reached up to wrap around the other’s neck. Kyouraku, surprisingly, set his glass down that he had been holding with his other hand to reach through the snowy white locks. Parting the pale lips with his tongue, he swirled his tongue around his mouth.

This was such a new feeling. Jyuushiro felt his head swirling and a heavy weight on top of him. Opening his eyes briefly, he was lying down on his futon, Shunsui having moved his hands to gently side down his still clothed body and rest sensually at his hips.

“Ah!”He nearly squealed in surprise when he felt something brush against his leg. “Yo-you!”

“That’s what you do to me…”Shun responded, moving away to look down at him. “It’s always been like this…and not only when we’re drinking…Jyuu-chan…”

“Un!” Ukitake grunted when he felt a hand slide between his legs and grip him firmly.
“Seems like you feel the same way…”Shun whispered into his ear. His hand started to move, massaging the same spot. Ukitake squirmed a little but was settled when he felt a firm hand grasp at his hair though in a gentle manner. He panted only slightly, pushing his hips down into the warmth of the hand that groped him so fondly.

It only stopped when the two hands met to untie the belt of his uniform, the cloth slipping away and allowing his clothes to sag some on his frame. Shunsui’s hands reached up to move the cloth away, getting no complaints from Jyuushiro. Leaning up, he ran his lips along the bared neck, getting a flinch from him.

“Your beard…it tickles…”Uki laughed briefly before receiving a nip to his neck that gave his body a jolt. “Ah!”

“Heh heh…”Shun laughed briefly as he trailed kisses down the pale neck, his scruffy beard leaving a few stray red marks where he hadn’t meant to leave them quite yet. His lips trailed down further, parting the haori and the front of his uniform to expose the pale skin. Running his tongue along the exposed pink bud on his chest, he closed his lips upon it and gently sucked on it, getting a soft moan from the white haired one just above him. His other hand slid down lower, fingering the edge of his Hakama before his hand slipped downwards, fondling the member in his hand with long strokes.

Jyuushiro moaned, reaching up to run his fingers through Shun’s wavy hair, his eyes wincing shut as he felt that rush of cool air in his hakama and a warm hand grasp him.

And then let go.

“I can hear you breathing at the door you know…Kuchiki…”Shunsui suddenly said, looking over his shoulder. Ukitake, startled, gathered himself somewhat and moved under the sheets, only half-undressed.

“Captain Kyouraku, ”Answered a small voice, a tiny woman stepping in. She bowed, looking at the two men, one of which seemed to be asleep. “Oh…It seems Captain Ukitake is asleep...?”

“Yes. It was a hard day for everyone…especially him. What can I for you, Rukia?”He said, keeping his voice low.

“I…just…I needed to talk to the Captain…but it can wait another time. Thank you, though, Kyouraku-taicho.”Rukia said, bowing once and leaving quietly. When the shoji closed, Ukitake rolled over and stared up at his friend with embarrassment.
“Shunsui…”He said sternly.

“Go to sleep. We’ll talk about it more when you’re better.”Shunsui said with one of us casual smiles, bringing the futon blanket up a little more.

“But…you…”He started to say before a shadow over took him and he felt the same, scruffy lips touch his again.

“When you’re better. Good Night Shiro-chan.”He said before he stood up, slipped his sandals back on and left through the same doors they had come. Left staring, Ukitake slid under the futon more, staring contemplatively at the door.