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Ukitake wasn’t surprised to find Shunsui lying on the roof drinking sake before noon. Truthfully, it said more about the person who was surprised by this behavior—unobservant, new to Soul Society, or sadly misinformed about the nature of Shunsui’s vices. Ukitake was none of these things and hadn’t needed Nanao’s disapproving frown or her gesture pointing skyward to know where to find him.
“Ah, look who’s come to see me. Sake?” Shunsui asked as Ukitake took a seat next to him, careful to avoid the pink spill of Shunsui’s haori.
Ukitake hesitated for a moment, the time of day, the danger of their lives and his countless responsibilities running through his thoughts before he accepted the bottle. He took a slow sip, the lip of the bottle still warm from Shunsui’s mouth and tasting faintly of him. Almost immediately, he felt the warm, glowing effect of the alcohol settling into this belly and spreading out to his fingertips.
With a sigh, he leaned back. Again, he was unsurprised when Shunsui’s hand wandered across his stomach and slid against the smooth flesh of his chest. There was a pause and a chuckle as his fingers fumbled against the hidden recesses of Ukitake’s clothes.
“Candy?” Shunsui asked as his clever fingers found a handful of wrapped sweets next to Ukitake’s heart.
“It’s for Toshiro. He takes himself too seriously.” Out of sight, Shunsui toyed with the bits of wrapped candy until, when he pulled his hand away, the tips of his fingers were covered in a thin film of dark chocolate.
“That’s Hitsugaya taicho, to you.”
Ukitake laughed until he found the sight too tempting, especially with the sake running through his blood. This was why he didn’t drink with Shunsui before noon. It was all well and good for Shunsui to have the reputation of a wanton alcoholic but Ukitake had an image to uphold.
Still, the sunlight reflecting off the bright pattern of Shunsui’s clothes, the sake warm in his body and Shunsui himself so lazy and decadent were too much of an invitation. He leaned over and licked the chocolate from Shunsui’s fingers. The pads of his fingers were warm and strong against Ukitake’s tongue, the edges of his calluses told an elegant and silent tale of the countless years of Shunsui’s swordsmanship.
Then, with a swiftness that he should have seen coming—Shunsui always, always, always overplayed his lethargy to gain an advantage—Ukitake was on his back with Shunsui looming over him, the wide, ridiculous brim of his blocking the sun and creating a dramatic halo around him.
“Look what I’ve caught,” he said as he settled between Ukitake’s legs and pressed his face into the juncture of Ukitake’s neck where he licked a broad, swift stripe against the pulse point.
Ukitake hummed in agreement and tilted his head back to allow better access, only bothering to open his eyes when there was no further contact. “What?”
“You’re supposed to say, ‘And what are you going to do with me?’” Shunsui frowned down at him, a perfectly serious expression on his usually affable face.
Ukitake couldn’t stop the laugh the bubbled out of him as he leaned up and kissed the tip of Shunsui’s nose. “You’ve been reading too many bad romance serials.” He grinned as Shunsui rolled away.
“We can’t all be best sellers.” How someone could sound both petulant and indolent at the same time, Ukitake didn’t know, but Shunsui had made laziness into art form over the last couple centuries.
Ukitake’s response was cut short at an alarm sounded throughout Seireitei and Ukitake jumped to his feet. “Duty calls,” he said even as Nanao came onto the roof, her normally serious expression even more so.
Shunsui sighed with his most put upon expression and allowed Ukitake to help him to his feet. “I was supposed to nap soon.”
“You’ve only been awake for three hours,” Nanao said as she gestured for them to precede her off the roof.
It wasn’t that Nanao was unaccustomed to Shunsui’s behavior, but she was perpetually optimistic that he would suddenly change into a different man. After two thousand years, Ukitake had learned to take Shunsui as he was, enjoy the eccentricities and the occasional morning binge. Shunsui, much like his romance serial, was overly dramatic, a little silly and eventually, with patience, worth the trouble.
He leaned in close to Shunsui’s ear as they exited the building at a run, enjoying the shiver that ran across Shunsui’s body at his breathy words. “I always liked your serials.”
Shunsui glanced over his shoulder, the lazy grin back in full force. “Maybe later you can show me how much?”
“Only if you promise to keep quoting your own fiction.”