She had always known Byakuya to be regal, classy, and noble. But Konata had never known him to be... Musical. She crept into the sitting room of the Kuchiki manor, where Byakuya sat, playing that harmonious, beautiful song at the grand piano in the corner of the lavishly furnished room. She didn't know the melody, exactly, but she'd heard the piece before. It was called Je Chante Pour Passer le Temps, or Sing to pass the time, by Giovanni Mirabassi. The name was ironic however, since the song had no words- it was just a piano peice- but it was gorgeous, and either Byakuya was too enthralled by the peice to notice her or he didn't care that she was listening in on his own little escape from reality.

She walked in a bit further, to sit on one of the stools near the piano so that she could watch his graceful fingers order the piano's obedient keys to sing for him. He made no mistake, he seemed to know the piece well, and it suited him. The grace, the class, the authority of the song fit him perfectly. As Konata thought on this, she realized where she'd first heard the piece. It was the song chosen by Kubo Tite for Byakuya's theme.

She smiled at the irony and stared at Byakuya's elegant face, how dreamlike and lost in that little world of his he looked. It was as if all of his duties as a shinigami, all of his worries, and all of his problems had simply vanished. He seemed... at peace with himself. She smiled at him as the song came to a close and he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"..."

"..."

"How long have you been sitting there?"

"Since the middle of the song. I didn't know you played."

"... I started when I was a kid, but then my training and everything else got in the way. I played a little for Hisana and Rukia, but... I just never really went back to it. This is the first time I've played in years."

"Didn't sound like it. Hey, can you play Dear You – Cry- From Higurashi? The song I showed you yesterday? On Youtube?"

He laughed at her exited pushiness and tried to calm her down.

"I dunno, Konata. I've never read the sheet music and I don't know the melody all that well."

"I'll sing it while you play it! Pleeeaaaasssee Bya-san!? Please oh please oh Pleeeaaaasssee?!"

"Nii-sama? What's going on?" asked a young woman with raven black hair and purple eyes. Byakuya's posture changed immediately as he addressed his younger adopted sister.

"Rukia-neechan. Uhm, nothing, just... playing piano." He said, picking Konata up off of his lap and setting her down on the piano bench beside him, noting how small and light she was.

Rukia smiled at him as Konata's face started to darken with a deep maroon tinge.

"Funny, that's not what it looked like."

"Well..." Byakuya muttered, unable to come up with a good excuse.

"What were you playing?" Rukia asked. Byakuya shrugged.

"It's been so long since I looked at the music, I don't even remember."

"It's called Je Chante Pour Passer Le Temps, Sing to pass the time. I've heard it before." Konata explained.

"Well will you play it again, Nii-sama? I'd like to hear it."

"Okay, right after Konata sings Dear you, Cry from Higurashi so I can get the melody. Okay?"

"Okay. That sounds good!" Rukia smiled.

"Yay! Okay, Byakuya, do you remember how the beginning goes?"

"Like this, right?" he asked, playing a few lines.

"Okay good. Ready?"

"Yes."

"One two three, go!" Rukia yelled.

Byakuya started the intro, and Konata soon followed after with the words.

"Sukoshi-zutsu chikazuku natsu no nioi o
Anata no tonari de kanjite itai

Nanigenai mainichi no
Ichibyou
Ichibyou ga
Houseki yori mo
Kachi ga aru takaramono
Itsu made mo
Kono toki ga
Yasashii hizashi ni
Tsutsumarete mamorarete imasu you ni

Sonna atarimae no hibi ga
Yami ni tozasareta to shite mo
Watashi wa anata o shinjite iru
Tatoe
Sore ga yurusarenakute mo

Kira
Kira
Kagayaite ite
Zutto koko de hohoende

Nakanaide
Douka
Watashi no kotoba o
Kiite
Kowagaranaide
Nani mo shinai kara
Anata no tame ni
Issho ni
Naite ageru
Onegai
Sonna ni obienaide

Natsu no nakigoe ga urusasugite
Watashi no koe ga kikoete nai no
Sukoshi dake de ii no
Nakiyande
Yurusu kara
Nakiyande…

Higurashi no koe ga iu mou teokure da to
Sore de mo
Anata ni
Te o
Sashinoberu
Douka
Watashi no koto
Shinjite kudasai
"mou nakanaide ii yo" to oshietai"

As Byakuya played the last few notes of the song, Rukia began clapping.

"Wow. Byakuya, that was beautiful. And Konata, your voice is amazing!"

"Well, She practiced the song. She told me she learned it a long time ago." Byakuya said, getting up from the chair to look for the sheet music to Je Chante Pour Passer Le Temps. Once he found it, he played it for Rukia and then offered to go get something for them to eat, which was readily accepted, and Byakuya took this as a chance to stop the blood from pulsing to his face. God, that had been embarrassing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Konata."

"Hmm?"

"Do you really love my brother?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I dunno, you just seem so... Aloof about it."

"That's just because I'm not the lovey dovey, stuffed animal hugger kind of girl like you are. You like that kinda stuff. Me, I'm interested in manga, anime and video games. Unless its a collectors plushy, stuffed animals and me don't mix. I'm just not a girly girl."

"Oh. Well, in that case, take care of him. He needed you. The way he relaxes and laughs around you is good for him. Don't let him go all "I am the Kuchiki clan head and I must act as such" on you, kay, Konata?"

"Sure. That song though, was pretty. I know how Cry, dear you goes, and he added stuff to it. It made it more calming. Softer. It was beautiful and I never would've guessed he had an ear for music."

"Yeah. There's a lot of stuff I still don't know about him. But don't worry. He'll open up some."

Konata smiled at Rukia as Byakuya came back into the room. In one hand he carried a tray of dango, and with the other came a smack to the back of Rukia's head.

"I am the Kuchiki clan head and I must act as such?!" Byakuya growled, mimicking Rukia's sarcasm.

"Gomen, nii-sama, just poking fun, that's all!" Rukia laughed. Byakuya smiled, though the agitation showed through quite a bit.

"Whatever." he mumbled, setting down the plate of dango in front of the girls. Then, he sat down himself, indulging in a leisurely conversation, disregarding formalities and laughing out loud at Ichigo Kusrosaki's misfortunes through Rukia's eyes. When Rukia excused herself to go take care of some paper in her captains office, Byakuya sighed and stared into Konata's eyes for a long moment. He stared into twin pairs of forest green pools that sparkled like gems and drew him in so that he could be lost in them if he wasn't careful. Reaching over the stool and tray of dango, he let his head rest on his hands as he brushed away a stray strand of hair from Konata's face. She sighed and pressed his hand to her face, letting him caress her cheek.

"You're beautiful. Did'ja know that, Kona-chan?" he asked. Konata simply chuckled at him.

"If you say so. You're almost too handsome to let out of my sight for too long. Who knows who might try to steal you away?" she retorted. He laughed, and Konata stared at his smile. It was devilish and angelic at the same time, and it was hers. She reached over and traced a her pointer finger over his lips, then tracing his cheek the way he had caressed hers.

"Something wrong?" he asked. Konata shook her head.

"No. Nothing's wrong. I just love the way you smile at me. It's almost... Musical."

"That makes no sense at all, Konata. But whatever." he sighed, popping the last dango in his mouth as she crawled over to him and made herself comfortable leaning against his chest.

"Y'know, I gotta thank Kisuke for dropping you on me."

"Yeah. Right after I kill him for it."

Byakuya laughed, and Konata thought it sounded like deep toned bells in a churchyard.

"See, when you laugh, it's like music to me. It's nice, and I love it."

"Then I'd better keep laughing, then." He whispered, kissing Konata's forehead. She snuggled up closer to him and hummed in agreement.

"Mm-hmm."she smiled. Then she yawned before promptly going to sleep on him, breathing slowly as she gripped his gray shirt. He smiled and leaned back against one of the cushioned chairs behind him.

"Musical, huh?" he asked no one, and then smiled, falling asleep himself with the melody of Dear you floating around in his head. "yeah...Musical..."