Black-and-Red Conflict

first: thank you all sooooo so much for the reviews!! they are great and they always make my day!!
second: i know some of you will probably want to strangle me for putting in something like this here now.... but i thought it would be interesting to have another point of view in between here, and i just love shunsui/jyuushiro so much i couldn't keep my fingers off them...^^
otherwise, here we go!


~~~Five~~~
Watch


Sunlight spotted the dark brown desk and the pair of legs resting lazily on top of it. It flickered over the satin cloth of a pink kimono adorned with a flower pattern and rested on a wide, old-fashioned hat. From under it the sound of soft snoring was to be heard and the broad shoulders and chest of the figure moved in rhythm with the steady breathing.

The last evening and night had been very interesting. Even though he had been a little disappointed about not succeeding in getting Nanao-chan to keep him company for the whole time, Kyouraku-Taichou had learned many things and gotten his fair share of rumors. He found it all quite amusing. The way the Kuchiki noble actually reacted to a person in his environment, and in such a for him drastic manner as well, it all looked very promising. Abarai-kun seemed to be just the man to actually get through to Kuchiki-Taichou and what a quarreling couple they turned out to be.

A thing that was not at all as amusing and positive though, was the effect the whole matter seemed to have on Jyuushiro. Shunsui had to admit he was a little worried. It wasn't only the fact that his pale partner seemed to be distracted and more thoughtful than usual, his health didn't get better by the mental pressure it put him under, either. That's why Shunsui was here now, in Ukitake-Taichou's office, at a time in the morning that he wouldn't normally have even dreamt of getting up. But today he had awoken to find the space on the futon beneath him deserted and cold, as was the rest of the house. Empty and still it had seemed as it was void also of the comforting, soft hum of his partner's Reiatsu, which Jyuushirou sometimes used to gently wake Kyouraku up with. It had been impossible to get back to sleep.

It wasn't unusual for Jyuushiro to be up early even on free days, to walk the pristine courtyards and halls of Seireitei in peace and contemplation. But finding him in cold sweat just the night before, cough wrecking his lithe body, tossing and turning, unable to find rest, had been a shock. Shunsui had felt the burn of guilt then, having been out the whole evening, leaving the other alone, but Jyuushiro had reassured him, buried his face in the dark, curly hair against the strong neck and fallen asleep.

After a fit like that, he shouldn't have been up in the morning. He shouldn't have gone out. He should have slept long to wake up to a cup of steaming hot green tea and Shunsui's kisses. Instead he'd been up and away with the first light. The dark-haired man would have cursed his deep, alcohol-induced sleep for letting Jyuushiro's leave go unnoticed to him, but Kyouraku-Taichou wasn't a man to sit and worry long. He had pushed himself up, a rather pleasant picture in his mind of himself retrieving his lover and carrying him back to bed with him where he belonged.

He had suspected Ukitake's presence somewhere near 13th squad's headquarters and had decided to simply wait in the other's office all the while taking a short nap. Since the sun shone so conveniently onto the soft chair and wide desk it had made dozing off an easy task. When the door opened though, he awoke, but kept his head low and his breathing steady.

Jyuushiro stepped in, a soft smile curling around his lips. It felt good to have someone who would follow him to make sure he was all right. It felt good to have Shunsui at his side, and it was too cute to see the other's attempt at feigning sleep. As he lifted the hat from his partner's face he found him grinning, but eyes still closed. Of course he waited for a kiss, which the white-haired Shinigami granted with pleasure.

“Why are you here?” he finally asked as Shunsui opened his eyes. “You came back late, I thought you would want to sleep at least until noon.”
“You didn't start sleeping after I was back, either, I expected the same of you.” Shunsui answered, his voice the familiar deep, but soft bass.
“But you know I like to be out in the morning.”
“I do. I also know you generally tend to stay if you don't feel well or if we can have a free day and morning to ourselves. I believe to remember how you like it on days like that...”
Jyuushiro blushed and threw his smugly grinning partner a serious look along the lines of 'don't you start talking dirty now' and stepped up to the window, hands folded behind his back.

“But now, why do you worry so much about those two, why enough to make your fits worse?”
Shunsui's question didn't catch Ukitake much off guard, he was used to the fact that that man seemed to know more about his state of mind – and body – than he did himself.
“My fits are only worse because of the weather,” he answered and added, “Really”, as he caught a more serious and disbelieving look from Shunsui.
“But I do wonder of course... after I saw Kuchiki-Taichou and Abarai-kun fight...”
Jyuushiro's eyes were fixed on something outside, his face beautifully outlined by the warm light.
Shunsui couldn't withstand the urge to step up behind the other and start to softly massage those tense shoulders as he spoke.

“You should have been there yesterday. The rumors were brilliant. What a shame Nanao-chan left so soon...”
Jyuushiro laughed.
“You forced her with you again? No wonder nobody believed it when you announced we were together, the way you are all over her... and all other women.”
Now it was Jyuushiro's turn to smirk, provoking Shunsui's eyebrows to rise even further before he leaned down slightly until his lips touched the white-haired man's ear.

“Oh, but you know I like to watch women, and be with them, praise them, adore their beauty, but whom I love...”
Jyuushiro shrank back from the tickling sensation and smiled.
“Yes... I know, I do. But really... Abarai-kun seemed... devastated after their fight. I am not sure if it is a good decision to ignore their conflict.”
“I don't think you should worry about Abarai-kun so much... I believe we should rather worry about what happens when Kuchiki-Taichou finds out about his own feelings. They fought yesterday morning as well, by the way, good luck Rikichi was there so he could tell us all about it later...”

“Wait up.”
Jyuushiro had lifted his hand to his partner's lips.
“What do you mean, Kuchiki-Taichou, his feelings? They despise each other, you should have seen them... and if you say they fought again, it is obvious or not? I see that Abarai-kun isn't happy about it, he wants to be accepted, to be told that he does well, but Kuchiki-san... I am quite sure he's pretty certain about what he feels, and it is nothing good, measured by how worked up he got.”

He turned around as Shunsui didn't answer and saw a wide grin on the other's face.
“It seems Byakuya-san really did his job well. Nobody in Soul Society is able to realize what's really going on in his head. Nobody, but me, of course.”

Shunsui turned and took some lazy steps around the desk, hat in his hands, all the while casting small glances at his partner, encouraging him to ask. The flamboyant Shinigami liked to be asked. He liked to act secretive about what only he knew but nobody else, because it would be so much fun to see Jyuushiro's reaction.

Finally Ukitake gave in, the tiniest flash of amused annoyance on his pale features.
“So, tell me then, what does Kuchiki-Taichou feel and how come you know about it?”
Shunsui's grin just seemed to grow wider and wider. He stepped closer again and poked a long index finger in the middle of his partner's chest.

“Do you remember, many years ago, when those two men that had been friends forever, suddenly started to feel more for each other? Do you remember how one of them suddenly grew... annoyed and... aggressive? He was a calm person in general, so it wasn't even roughly as bad as between those two now, but he did behave in exactly the opposite way he felt.”

Of course Shunsui was talking about the two themselves. It had indeed been a shock for Jyuushiro when he'd noticed how he really felt about his long-time friend, especially since that friend had made advances on at least three women at the same time, just none of them serious.
The white haired Shinigami's eyes grew wide and his face was showing a, in Shunsui's opinion, truly priceless look.

“Wait... you think they're...? Byakuya likes Renji? B-but... how... did you tell the others yesterday about this... idea of yours?”
“Of course not. The two will have a much harder time with this than we had. Taken that Renji-kun is brash and self-centered and Byakuya-san is self-centered and arrogant and both have enough pride to probably kill themselves before they actually admit their feelings... No, I think they have enough problems without everybody else knowing.”

“But... I-I mean... still, why do you think he really is like that. Just because I reacted somehow like that then doesn't mean Byakuya... and Renji, either, are the same. People are different, not everybody automatically at first rejects the person they love.”

Jyuushiro found it hard to accept Shunsui's idea just like that. It wasn't exactly easy to forget the rage in the gray eyes of the 6th squad's captain, the tiny flicker in the mask that revealed a terrifying idea of really how dangerous he could be when angered.

“Jyuushiro... are you so easily deceived by your own pupil?”
Shunsui had returned to the chair and sat, leaning his head back so he could look up at the other.
“I believe he wasn't as controlled all his life, was he? He definitely wasn't as child. You told me how angry he got when he lost against Yoruichi in shunpo again and again. And he did smile when he was a kid or not?”

Jyuushiro's eyes traveled over the room as he stood, arms crossed over his chest, pondering the other's words, and slowly something like sadness or regret crept into his eyes. He didn't dislike Kuchiki-Taichou, he never had. But it was hard to keep up a comfortable relationship with someone whom you had once known, but who had turned distant, cold and inapproachable over the years. There had been those few weeks after Aizen's treason when it had seemed Byakuya had become more open, but all too soon he had turned back to his usual emotionless demeanor, with the exception of the increasing tension between him and his lieutenant. Had it come this far that not even the old teacher knew his former student anymore? And again, how come Shunsui seemed to understand all this so much better? Jyuushiro had always thought he had a knack for people, but against all appearance, Kyouraku was probably the one person most knowledgeable in whole Soul Society when it came to people's characters and feelings,

The 13th squad's captain looked into his partner's eyes and saw a flicker of worry there, before the other returned to his usual carefree, unshakable optimistic expression.
“Now, now!” Shunsui said and stood, embracing his partner in a reassuring hug.
“Don't you worry all the time! They will be ok. It will be really rough and exciting, a lot of frustrated sex, but ok eventually.”
The shocked look his lover sent him just made him grin wider.
“If you still don't believe me, let's bet.”
In fact Shunsui knew that he could very well be completely wrong, and Kuchiki-Taichou did really just hate his lieutenant, but he generally trusted his instincts. Even if he wasn't right, it would be more than interesting and satisfying to sit and watch.

Jyuushiro shifted uncomfortably in the firm hug. He knew Shunsui was just joking, but still, it didn't seem right to just sit back and see what happened. By now those two from 6th seemed strung high enough to really bring serious harm to each other. That, or Abarai-kun would be Kuchiki-Taichou's solution...

Eventually Jyuushiro shrugged, raised his brows slightly and leaned into Shunsui again.
“No bet though,” he murmured against his partners shoulders and even grinned a tiny bit at his own curiosity. He had to admit, it would indeed be something interesting to watch. They could try to keep a discreet eye on the two and in a worst case scenario they could attempt to prevent at least something... whatever that might be.

“We should get some of that stuff the humans eat when watching their... moving pictures. How do they call it.... popped corn?”
Shunsui was utterly satisfied with himself. Lot's of interesting things were going to happen and he had succeeded in calming his lover at least a bit. Now he could also coax the other home and back to bed.

Apart from the early rise, this day was going to be wonderful after all.


~~~