ShunUki - A Certain Impression

[captain_spiky]

Title: A Certain Impression.
Pairing: Shunsui/Ukitake (Shunsui POV).
Rating: G.
AU: random human universe.
For: ravens_rising . You're so awesome I could cry. You deserve a gigantic book filled with ShunUki AUs, Sherlock Holmes catchphrases, Adam Lambert CDs, and Spock ears. I love you like a care bear with dirty thoughts.
Word count: 670 words.

Summary: And why wouldn't they assume Shunsui, the showy literature professor, and Ukitake, the cheery student advisor, were lovers, out and proud?

A/N: So, this wasn't planned! Like, at all. (Therefore, unbeta'd. Don't eat me alive!) I wrote it in two hours because Rae is my best friend evers. It was really supposed to be... short and cheery, but then I just couldn't not make it angsty with these two (they also let me use terms like soul mates!). It was fun to do this after the huge stupid!fic, though :D
Anyway, enjoy!

*

Everyone at the university had always just assumed. Rangiku explained it to Shunsui once, after a few shot glasses. She said that the friendly faculty members talked about it like it was a well-known fact. She said that everyone just knew, that it wasn't a problem, and that she, for one, thought it was lovely.

And why wouldn't they assume Shunsui, the showy literature professor, and Ukitake, the cheery student advisor, were lovers, out and proud?

They were both forty and had never married, after all. They had been joined at the hip ever since they'd first met, fifteen years ago. Every time Shunsui's classes ended, Ukitake was waiting for him outside with a big smile and a certain spark in his eyes. Whenever Ukitake was broken up after a painful conversation with a student, Shunsui swooped in and dragged him by the hand to go for a drink.

There really were well-known facts regarding them. For example, everybody knew that when Shunsui and Ukitake met at the halls, they always stopped to talk to each other and touch, in some way—their sides brushing together, perhaps, or with Shunsui's hand on Ukitake's shoulder.

No one had ever made Shunsui talk about something with as much passion as Ukitake always seemed to bring out of him, and even after so many years at the university, none of the faculty members had ever seen anyone else bring color to Ukitake's cheeks.

Sometimes, they'd even be seen driving into and out of the university together, as though they were living together. According to Rangiku, "All these things just make a certain impression."

But the faculty couldn't know that the reason Ukitake always waited for Shunsui was that, even though he was one of the friendliest and warmest people there, he had very few true friends, and almost none at the university.

The reason Shunsui always swooped in when Ukitake was down was that he knew him better than anyone, and had learned that Ukitake would never allow himself to drink or take a well-earned break if he couldn't convince himself that Shunsui had been the one who'd needed it.

The reason they constantly touched each other was that Shunsui was simply that kind of person, and sometimes, when he let his guard down, he just needed to say things without words. A touch from the side, it's good to see you. A hand on the shoulder, are you feeling alright? A brush of fingers, I hope you won't grow sick of me today.

The reason Shunsui wasn't afraid to dive into intellectual topics with Ukitake was that he could, and because their views were different, yet complementing. They each understood each other, even if they didn't always agree. It worked. It was what made things interesting in life.

The reason Shunsui was always trying to make Ukitake blush or laugh was that it made them feel younger. Shunsui knew that Ukitake was counting the days until it would all be over, and if he could make Ukitake forget just once, just for a few minutes, then he had to do whatever it takes.

The faculty couldn't have known that the reason they drove and sometimes spent the night together was that only Shunsui knew about Ukitake's disease, and only he was there to help. If watching over Ukitake meant losing sleep or causing rumors to spread, then so be it. He'd take care of Ukitake each day—just to help, to make sure Ukitake knew it wasn't that bad, even when it was, even when Shunsui was so scared sometimes it felt as though he was on the brink as well—if he let him.

The reason they had been joined at the hip ever since they'd first met was that they were best friends, and Shunsui couldn't imagine life without Ukitake. The reason Shunsui was forty and unmarried was that he had found his soul mate fifteen years ago, but Ukitake was too good for him, and he couldn't just assume.

END