Unwritten

a/n: Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to leave feedback! I'm glad to see so many people interested in this fic of mine since I struggled to get it finished. Much love to Ominee, Kuromei, Ibelen, satterb (I've read that fic, too! I rather enjoy it as well!), shadowkittae (ooo. I'm pretty sure I have that pic. Thanks though!), and Yakumo!

I do hope you enjoy part two of four!


Unwritten
Part Two

Toushirou was nervous.

Or perhaps nervous was too light of a word. He’d thought sweaty palms and relentlessly beating hearts in Ukitake’s presence were bad. Well, he was wrong. He couldn’t have anticipated the anxiousness he was suffering now.

He’d dressed down for the date. He didn’t want it to be about captains and the Gotei 13 and well, anything official. So everything had been left behind, especially his haori. Even Hyourinmaru was retired to his stand for the evening, though the frosty dragon would always be a presence in the back of his mind.

Toushirou’s anxiety wasn’t just because it was a date and an important one. It was because it was the date. His chance to impress, to prove himself. And everything had to go perfect, to go well. He wouldn’t forgive himself if he screwed it up somehow. And so he worried.

Was he dressed well enough? How exactly would he prove his new maturity? Would he ever stop sweating like Kuchiki Byakuya under the eyes of the Shinigami Women’s Association? Would he manage to swallow past the lump in his throat? Would Ukitake notice the obvious pallor his complexion had taken?

Not for the first time that night, Toushirou checked his appearance. His hands patted over his clothing, checking again for stains and wrinkles or anything else that suggested a history of being unkempt. He couldn’t do anything for his hair. It would spike no matter how much he brushed or tried to tame it with hair products from the human world. Not even the gel that Kurosaki had handed over worked.

And as for his clothes… well, Matsumoto had picked them out for him, which made Toushirou question his own sanity. She had assured him he looked very mature, and he had chosen to trust his lieutenant for once. It wasn’t as if he knew any better. Dark hakama complemented his teal haori and deep blue undercoat, and he could only hope that it didn’t contrast too badly with his white hair.

Forcing a calm he did not feel, Toushirou cursed himself for planning to meet at Ukitake’s division. Hadn’t he wanted to separate this from their relationship within the Gotei 13? But nervousness had moved his lips before rationality, and now, he found himself walking the barely populated pathways, heading for the thirteenth.

He reminded himself that he was an adult now. A captain of the Gotei 13. He should be surer of himself.

Ukitake stepped out of the building in front of him before Toushirou could even open the gates, and he felt his heart give a stutter. All carefully planned words vanished from his lips as Ukitake turned to lock the main gate, his appearance vastly different from what Toushirou was used to. The pale green complimented his complexion, and once again, he looked years younger with his hair pulled out of his eyes like that.

He smiled when he noticed Toushirou, idly lifting a hand in a wave. “Evening, Hitsugaya-kun. You’re right on time.”

“It wouldn’t be good to be late,” he replied and winced when he realized it came out a little snappishly. But Ukitake didn’t seem to mind. His smile didn’t falter.

“No, it wouldn’t,” he agreed instead and very casually looked Toushirou over, and it was vaguely reminiscent of a parent seeing if a child had dressed properly. “It is nice to see one another outside of work, isn’t it?”

‘I will not blush. I will not blush,’ Toushirou told himself repeatedly.

But dammit, there wasn’t anything else to call the heating in his cheeks.

“It is,” he agreed and his mouth went dry, clamming up on him. He wanted to say something suave and cool, like how attractive Ukitake looked or how well the colors suited him. Instead, he just chewed on his lip and fidgeted.

Oh, so smooth.

Ukitake didn’t seem to notice. Always so oblivious. He just turned to walk, and Toushirou fell in line beside him, thanking kami and whoever else deserved it that he didn’t have to look so far up to see his face anymore. He was only a few inches shy of Ukitake, and Unohana often assured him he had at least one or two more growth spurts left in him.

“Have you decided on a place?” Ukitake asked, startling his companion out of a daze.
One where Toushirou had been admiring the older man’s complexion, forever smooth and unmarred.

He blinked, repeated the question to himself, and realized that Jyuushiro was probably looking for an answer sometime this century. “There’s a new sushi place nearby that I’ve been told is pretty good,” he stated, meaning it more as a suggestion than an absolute. If Ukitake wasn’t amenable, he had plenty of other options.

“Matsumoto-san I assume?”

If that was a slight on his ability to socialize outside his own division, Toushirou chose to ignore it. “Yes,” he answered instead.

A tint of annoyance struck his mind as he thought of the numerous pamphlets and flyers Matsumoto had dumped onto his desk as helpful suggestions. Most of them had actually been pretty good. Not that he would ever admit that.

“It’s nice that she was so helpful.”

Toushirou barely resisted the scowl that wanted to twist his features. “Sometimes, too much so.”

Ukitake laughed, and Toushirou found he rather liked that sound. Ukitake had a good laugh, always sounding as if he were genuinely experiencing joy. He was a man who faked nothing, and Toushirou really liked that about him.

“You two have a good relationship. It’s enviable,” he said wistfully.

Toushirou lifted a brow. “She rarely completes her paperwork, suffocates me on a daily basis, and skips out early to go drinking. What in that is enviable?” he groused, though he had to admit that one day she actually did do some of her work was nearly a blessing in itself. And she was an adequate fighter when it came down to it.

The older captain’s amusement didn’t fade. “Ah, but you’re friends. And you respect one another. That is a great thing.”

“Maybe,” Toushirou admitted very reluctantly and was surprised at how easy the conversation flowed between them. He snuck another glance at Jyuushiro, stomach doing that annoying little flip-flop thing as he caught the other man’s profile. “Better than Kurosaki at any rate. He’s stuck with Ayasegawa who’s almost as bad as Matsumoto. At least when it comes to gossiping.”

Dark eyes twinkled with merriment. “From what I hear, they’re getting along just fine,” Jyuushiro countered with a fond grin since it was he who had become the former Shinigami substitute’s mentor. “But enough about work for now. Is this the place?”

Toushirou looked up, and though he hadn’t been here before, the name on the wooden sign was familiar. “I think it is,” he said, and gentlemanly thoughts took over as he gestured Ukitake inside ahead of him.

Ukitake didn’t seem to notice as he stepped inside, interest piqued by the décor and the enticing scents emanating from the kitchen off to the side. The hostess who greeted them was all smiles and quickly ushered the two men to a good table.

The restaurant itself was classy but casual, helping to ease some of Toushirou’s nervousness. The seating was private enough to be intimate but not so closed off that it felt secretive. He could still see many of the other patrons, though only a few paid attention to them. They were more interested in their own meals and companions.

Sitting comfortably in his seat, Toushirou was struck by the realization that this was honestly the first time he’d been able to converse with Ukitake outside the office. And he struggled to find a topic, barely noticing when their server brought the appetizer course and opened a bottle of wine for them, carefully selected by Toushirou on Matsumoto’s recommendation. If this turned out well, he would have to thank her.

He tried for humor, looking around pointedly. “What? No Kyouraku?”

Ukitake smiled at that, a fond look taking over his face as he thought of his dearest friend. “He was otherwise occupied,” he answered and tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear. “Besides, I wanted to spend time with Shirou-chan.”

He winced at the much-used nickname, having grown more than tired of it. Now, Toushirou decided, was the perfect time to politely correct Ukitake on the matter.

“You could call me Toushirou if you want. I would not mind.” In fact, he would be almost giddy were that to happen, though Toushirou kept that little tidbit to himself.

“Is that so? Then, I expect to be called Jyuushiro in return. It’s only fair.” Dark eyes glowed warmly as he nonchalantly reached for his wineglass, sipping at it. “Ah, what a good selection, Toushirou.”

Unbeknownst to him, Toushirou’s cheeks warmed at just the sound of his name. He loved the syllables as they danced on Jyuushiro’s tongue. So smooth and sultry. It made his body heat. And Toushirou found himself smiling just a bit, a goofy grin threatening to take over.

So far, so good.

“I think so, too,” Toushirou agreed and tasted the wine for himself.

It was okay. Alcohol wasn’t really his thing, but then, he wasn’t really there for food and drink. In fact, Toushirou wasn’t even really hungry. He was too busy admiring the man across from him, thanking kami and all else he could that he’d allowed Jyuushiro to call him by name. He couldn’t wait to try to return the allowance.

More importantly, however, it was time they actually started a conversation of some kind Toushirou realized, and that was when the panic hit. What the hell could they talk about that didn’t have anything to do with the Gotei 13? He didn’t know anything about Jyuushiro! Not his interests or his abilities or anything!

Wait. That was the whole point of a date, wasn’t it? To get to know the other person and to spend time with them. He just needed an opening, something to get the conversation flowing. Something... familiar.

In that instant, Toushirou remembered the gift basket that had started his brave foray into obtaining his heart’s desire. The basket and the homemade ohagi that it contained.

He took a deep breath. “Do you cook a lot?” Toushirou asked, a touch of hope entering his voice as he watched Jyuushiro.

The other captain turned back towards him, a soft smile on his face. “As often as I am able.” Jyuushiro set his glass back on the table. “I’m an adequate cook, but I won’t be starting a restaurant anytime soon.”

Toushirou chuckled, nerves fluttering in his belly like a flock of wild jigokuchou. “That’s better than me,” he admitted rather sheepishly. “I can’t cook at all. I always have to get takeout or have my housekeeper make dinner for me.”

“Perhaps I could teach you sometime,” Jyuushiro suggested, lifting a brow in surprise at Toushirou’s lack of ability. “There are plenty of recipes that are quick and easy.”

The offer, given so easily, made Toushirou warm on the inside and calmed the avid flutter. “That would be great,” he agreed, and his smile came easier as the waitress brought their food in that moment, setting the plates down before them. “What other hobbies do you have?”

The conversation flowed easier than he would have thought, especially when Jyuushiro launched into a description of the children’s books that he wrote. Toushirou wasn’t surprised. The other captain very much seemed the type to do such a thing. It was cute, and Toushirou only plucked at his food, finding himself captivated.

This was going even better than he hoped. Now if only he could manage to not monumentally screw-up, things would be just perfect.

This was his chance. No turning back now.

-------------

- - -

Toushirou was panicking.

Or fretting perhaps was the more proper word to use. The date had gone well. Very well. But it hadn’t felt like a date. More like two friends going out for a casual dinner. While he’d managed to pull Jyuushiro out of their usual Gotei 13 relationship, nothing about that occasion had screamed of romance. And he hadn’t confessed!

Had it been a complete failure or only marginally so? Toushirou simply didn’t know. Thus the fretting. Honestly, he hadn’t gotten any work done at all that day, too busy running through the conversation over and over in his head. Picking it apart. Looking for some sign, some nuance that it meant more to Jyuushiro than just a dinner with his kouhai. He wanted to find more of a reason to hope.

He felt and sounded like an idiot.

With a groan, Toushirou’s forehead found his desk, landing on top of untouched paperwork as his stomach twisted and churned. Jyuushiro had looked both beautiful and handsome last night. And their conversation had gone reasonably well, despite Toushirou’s stuttered attempts at it. Everything seemed to have been so great. Except at the end, he’d choked. He hadn’t confessed. And Jyuushiro still thought of him as a child no doubt.

Someone knocked on his door. Toushirou internally rolled his eyes, leaving his head on his desk where it belonged.

“Go away, Matsumoto,” he called out, his vice-captain annoying him for details from the moment he’d stepped into the office that morning. “I am busy.”

Despite his denial, the door opened of its own accord. “You don’t look so busy, Shirou-chan.”

And that voice definitely did not belong to Matsumoto. In fact, it wasn’t even female.

“Kyouraku?” Toushirou jerked up his head in surprise, blinking at the massive man taking up his doorway, pink haori bright and familiar. “Errr... Apologies, I did not realize it was you.”

Great. There went his opportunity to prove his maturity.

Kyouraku shrugged, swaggering in and pulling the door shut behind him with one hand. The other was busy carrying a suspicious package.

“This isn’t business,” he commented in a cheery tone. “This is personal.”

“Personal,” Toushirou repeated flatly, unsure if he should be interested or wary. One never knew with Kyouraku. “Feel free to have a seat then. What’s it about?”

Kyouraku grinned and made himself at home, setting the undetermined package right next to him with a pat. “So I hear you and Jyuu-chan went on a date,” he commented, barreling right into the matter at hand.

Somehow, Toushirou had known that it would come to this. That didn’t stop his face from burning with embarrassment. Did Jyuushiro tell this man everything? Wait. Did that mean that Jyuushiro considered it a date then?

“It was just dinner,” Toushirou hedged, fishing for some details. He wanted to know what Kyouraku knew that way he could perhaps see what Jyuushiro thought.

Greenish grey eyes glimmered. “You’re only saying that because Jyuushiro didn’t recognize it as a date.”

Toushirou’s mouth opened to say something, but then he closed it again, unsure of how he was supposed to reply. Did that mean Jyuushiro hadn’t said it was a date? Or maybe he hadn’t talked to Kyouraku at all and the man had just heard it through the grapevine. That was likely, considering he and Matsumoto drank together on an almost daily basis. And his second loved nothing more than a good love story.

“You came to taunt me then?” His gaze hardened, becoming a familiar icy mask that was much, much safer than the bewildered and love-struck teen he had been feeling lately.

“Of course not!” Kyouraku retorted joyfully, and he reached for the package, landing it with a thunk on Toushirou’s desk. “I came to offer my advice. And to help.” With that – and an elaborate twirl of his hand – he whipped off the cover of the box and tilted the contents onto Toushirou’s desk.

His mouth dropped open in an instant as he gawped at the items scattered across his paperwork. Toys of a distinctly unchild-like nature. Several books, one of which’s title stood out prominently – Gay Sex for Dummies – Now Fully Illustrated! A few framed portraits, most of which displayed Jyuushiro. A bottle of sake… from a good year, too. And a few other odds and ends, some of which Toushirou wasn’t sure he could identify.

He stared. And stared. And stared a bit more.

“What is this?” Toushirou demanded, wanting to look at one of the pictures but even more not wanting to touch the “toy” that hovered next to it.

“A present!” Kyouraku declared with an enormous grin. “To help support you and Jyuu on your path to love!”

Toushirou’s face was so red that he could have fried an egg on it. A whole carton of them. He closed his eyes, feeling as if he were faced with Matsumoto trying to avoid her paperwork yet again.

“Kyouraku,” he very began slowly, feeling his eyebrow twitch several times. “As much as I appreciate the help, I don’t think all of this--” he blindly gestured towards the toys “--is necessary.”

“Oh, it is,” Kyouraku replied with a sage nod. He leaned forward, his elbows hitting the desk as he wove his fingers together. “With me at your side, Jyuu will be yours in no time. Trust me, Shirou-chan.”

Somehow, Toushirou was no more relieved now than he was before. He exhaled weakly, keeping his gaze firmly pinned away from the helpful how-to guides littering his desk.

“Sounds great,” he lied through his teeth.

Kyouraku just beamed.

-------------

“You, my friend, are an idiot.”

At the unexpected and rather rude statement, Jyuushiro glanced up from his paperwork and found Shunsui dropping himself down in front of him. He blinked at the sudden appearance of his friend and put down his brush, very subtly hiding his recently received gift. One of which he had been carefully pondering for the last hour, resulting in little to no paperwork actually getting done.

“I love you, too,” Jyuushiro replied with a raised brow. Shunsui didn’t seem drunk, but what did that really mean? “Is there a reason you insulted me on first appearance?”

Shunsui grinned, balancing one hair-covered chin on his palm as he stared at his oldest and dearest friend. “Oh, no reason there, lover-boy. Though it would have been nice to know you ditched me for a date with Shirou-chan.”

“A date?” Jyuushiro repeated and felt just a hint of confusion. He pondered again the gift sitting in his desk, ever so innocuous in its polite and refined wrappings, a touch of frost on the edge of the ribbon.

The other man looked at him, disbelief cast on his face. “Yes, a date, Mr. Oblivious. I can’t believe you didn’t realize that Shirou-chan was courting you.”

“Courting me?” Jyuushiro blinked, hardly able to believe his ears. Toushirou was courting him?

Well, that explained the gift. And the cute but hesitant query. And the shy looks. And well, pretty much all of everything else that Jyuushiro had noticed and only attributed to the normal behavior of a boy caught between child and man, of a teenager. Which Toushirou sort of was despite being over a century old.

But courting him? Surely, there were others who Toushirou would prefer than a sickly old man like himself?

Shunsui chuckled and rolled his eyes both. “You’re not old,” he commented, as though reading Jyuushiro’s mind. Or perhaps he had said it aloud without knowing. “And you’re a pretty fine catch, Jyuu. No wonder the boy’s smitten.”

“Smitten?”

His best friend tossed him an exasperated look. “Are you going to repeat everything I say?”

“Maybe,” Jyuushiro hedged, brain still processing the information and working on overload.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t enjoyed dinner with Toushirou last night, but that he hadn’t expected it to have another motive. Though he should have known considering he and the icy boy-captain rarely had meetings outside of work. And Toushirou had looked very mature in his clothing, which had suited him greatly.

Shunsui laughed, pulling his straw hat from his head and setting it on the floor beside him. “Honestly, Jyuu, is it that hard to believe?”

“A little… Yes.” He completely abandoned his paperwork and contemplated tea. “I mean, I’ve always been fond of Toushirou, but--”

“Oh, so it’s Toushirou now?”

The lewd waggling of Shunsui’s eyebrows was better saved for more tawdry places, and Jyuushiro could only roll his eyes.

“He insisted.”

“Did he now?” Shunsui’s grin widened like he knew some secret that Jyuushiro was not yet privy to or could even fathom if he were. “I can’t believe you didn’t notice.” He shook his head and clucked his tongue. “Well, what are you going to do?”

“Do?” Jyuushiro wasn’t aware that there was something he was supposed to do. This was all very surprising to him, who hadn’t known to expect anything.

Shunsui stared at him, unable to believe his ears. “Are you going to accept his feelings or not?” he asked, speaking carefully as though addressing a particularly slow child. Or Byakuya when he was having one of his usual snits.

The sickly captain furrowed his brow, pondering a question he hadn’t though he would have need to ponder before. “I’ve never really thought about it,” Jyuushiro murmured more to himself than to Shunsui.

“Perhaps you should start. He’s serious about you, Jyuushiro.” Shunsui gave a sharp nod. “Very serious. I’d say that he’s probably been interested for quite awhile. Decades even.”

Jyuushiro let out his breath in a rush at that information. “Then, I’ll have to answer his feelings seriously, won’t I?”

“Now, you’re getting it.” Shunsui hauled himself to his feet, a task that required significant effort considering the length of his legs. “Well, I told Nanao I was headed to the restroom a couple of hours ago.”

“She’ll be looking for you then. Sometimes, I pity Ise-san.” Jyuushiro smiled, chuckling at the predicament his best friend was likely to find himself in when he returned to his division.

The other captain winked, picking up his hat and returning it to his head with a skilled twirl. “Not many men can claim that the girls chase them, ne?”

“Get out of here, Shun,” Jyuushiro countered and idly patted the stacks of untouched papers on his desk, pretending to sort them.

Laughing, Shunsui swept from the room. No doubt to elude his vice-captain for just a bit longer.

Jyuushiro returned to thoughtfulness, thinking again of the gift that Toushirou had given him. It was a simple thing, but when he considered the other captain’s feelings, it suddenly became that much more important. Something he should treasure. The very fact that it was also a book he’d been diligently seeking for the better part of a decade was another reason to treat it carefully.

And he idly wondered how Toushirou had known before shaking that thought away. Jyuushiro was no stranger to confessions. He’d received many over the years, including being aware of Kiyone’s crush on him. For some reason, hearing that Toushirou liked him seemed different. Special even. And the fact that his first instinct wasn’t to turn him down gently was a pretty big clue.

He considered Toushirou as he had appeared that night, a height nearly matching Jyuushiro’s own and a definite maturity to his expression. He realized that he hadn’t really looked at Toushirou lately, and with that, he also realized that the boy had indeed grown. His reiatsu had also matured, a refined icy breeze rather than the billowing, torrential snowstorm that had always surrounded him.

His youthful features had ripened, his bright eyes softening to a deep aquamarine. He was in many ways very attractive. And Jyuushiro had heard as much from many of the Shinigami. Toushirou was a favorite topic amongst the female population, though they kept their distance thanks to Matsumoto’s fearful presence. And yet, Jyuushiro had always thought that Toushirou’s affections were reserved for his childhood friend Hinamori-chan. Though he supposed her recent lapse in sanity might have had something to do with that falling out, the poor dear.

Toushirou was courting him, and well… Jyuushiro found that he didn’t really mind one bit. In fact, he was not only flattered but pleased to hear it. He wanted in that moment to see Toushirou outside of work once more. To confirm for himself the not-quite-new but recently discovered revelations thrumming through him. He wanted to confirm for himself Toushirou’s feelings. And perhaps his own as well.

That settled it then. The next time around, Jyuushiro would be the one to ask Toushirou on a date. And he believed he knew just the place.

************

a/n: Yes, I took the easy way out and didn't write the entire date. But it was pretty much going to be more of the same and well, I wanted to get to the good stuff, lol. Still, I hope you enjoyed the chapter anyways. I particularly enjoyed writing Shunsui! He's so much fun!

And yes, because I've been asked, there will be something like smut in the last chapter. Heh heh. Something to look forward to. I look forward to your comments!