This is so old! I wrote this in February, for a Valentine's Day contest. Yes, basically yesterday .

Anyway, I never really uploaded it here and, since I'm trying to get back on the writing horse, what with the new Claymore fic and trying to complete The Rebirth of Spring, I thought it'd be nice to post this, so that the ByaRan fans, who need some lovin', get some.

There are multiple POVs. It starts off with Rukia and then it switches several times between her and Rangiku. Also, it was originally a one shot but for the sake of making the changes in POV less confusing, I've divided the story into chapters. Hopefully this will aid your reading.

So here's my little experiment at prompt following. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: Bleach and all its characters belong to Tite Kubo.

-X-

It was a day like any other.

After waking up, I got dressed and left my quarters inside the Kuchiki manor, setting out to have breakfast with my brother.

Aside from me, Nii-sama, or as most people call him, Kuchiki Byakuya, doesn't open up to people. Not that he shares his intimate thoughts and views with me. After all, a reserved man like him won't indulge in chatter, even if you ask him about his work or the latest happenings of the Gotei Juusantai.

Ever since I met him, Nii-sama has been aloof and private. Not that any of it ever stopped me from seeing through the hard façade he'd built over the years; the consequence of the noble discipline and demands he grew up with. After our issues got sorted and I became aware of his past, understanding him became such an easy task.

He has never noticed my contemplations, and if he did, he either disregarded them or had learned to accept the fact that I can read his tells and worry about him, which is something that, apparently, no one else does. Despite this, he would pay no heed to my close observation of him, probably due to years of a close but unorthodox sibling relationship.

Our relationship consisted of quiet meals, shared in the Kuchiki manor or in the Rokubantai barracks. We would share tea in the afternoon or a short chat before going to bed for the night. Of course, whenever we spoke, it was me who initiated and carried out the conversation, while Nii-sama would step in from time to time, adding a simple remark like "yes" or "no", a goodbye or the "Rukia" that he always uttered calmly but with undisclosed sentiment.

For the longest of times, his replies had been blunt and dry, but for a while now, I've noticed a change in his attitude. He seems more relaxed and calm, instead of looking burdened and distressed. Even when I was probably the only person in Seireitei that could tell, I was happy for Nii-sama. I don't know what could have brought about this change in character, but that was irrelevant. It would be safe to assume that the outcome of the war affected everyone in some way or other.

This morning was like any other morning, but when I arrived at the table, Nii-sama's concerned expression did not escape my eyes, regardless of the efforts he made to hide it.

I suppose he does know I can see through him.

-X-

Going against my better judgment, I didn't ask Nii-sama any questions this morning. We had breakfast as usual, but he seemed distracted, acting as if nothing happened. However, his attempts at hiding were useless, as I could tell he was concerned.

I kept thinking about it throughout the day, wondering what could have been disturbing my brother. I felt guilty for not trying to help him when we both knew that something was on his mind. I usually don't let him get away with keeping his issues to himself, but for some odd reason, this morning I couldn't bring myself to ask.

The thought of Nii-sama feeling burdened kept running laps in my mind, keeping me from sleep. He has always been there for me, protecting me from danger and the gossip of the elders, using his power and position to keep me safe. I owe him so much and yet, I can't come through for him, even when I know he doesn't want me to.

Right then, I decided it was best that I looked for him and gave him the opportunity to vent in whichever way he feels convenient. Whether that is berating me or dodging the conversation by asking about my training is not important, as long as he feels better.

I knew just where to look for him. Nii-sama always goes out to the gardens to gaze at the moon after having dinner, so I headed outside to look for him. Such was my surprise when I stepped into the grass and found that the gardens were empty. I considered that he might have decided to change locations, so I wondered over to the pond, thinking that he might be looking at the Kois. However, he was not there either.

I tried the other gardens in the manor, his office and even the dinning hall, thinking that he may be enjoying some tea before dinner, but he was nowhere to be found. There was only one place left to search: his bedroom.

I walked through the halls of the manor in the direction of his quarters. While walking, I encountered a servant. Thinking that it was best that I don't enter Nii-sama's room, I decided to ask the servant in case he knew of my brother's whereabouts.

"Excuse me, please."

"Good evening, Rukia-sama. How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if you knew where Byakuya-sama is. I've been looking for him but I haven't been able to find him."

"I saw him leave his room just a moment ago, Rukia-sama, although I don't know where he was headed."

"That's fine. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome, Rukia-sama." The man said as I walked away.

I considered what the servant told me and decided to check the gardens again, in case Nii-sama had not taken his nightly stroll already.

Once I arrived at the gardens, I noticed a silhouette moving in the distance, heading towards the front door of the manor. It was Nii-sama.

I decided to follow him outside, thinking in the back of my mind that perhaps I was just taking things out of context and this entire problem was in my head. Maybe he was just behind on his paperwork and decided to return to the office to finish it. However, something in my gut told me that was not the case, so I continued to follow, trying my best to keep Nii-sama from noticing my presence.

I kept a safe distance from him, knowing that it was likely he was heading towards the Rokubantai barracks to follow up on his work. I trailed behind him for a while, paying little attention to the route he was taking. That was until he turned on the wrong corner. Right then, all the warning signs went off in my brain, telling me that something different than what I expected was going on.

He walked past the Nanabantai barracks, and then the Hachibantai. I followed closely, trying to keep my presence hidden from Nii-sama. My mind was full of unanswered questions, and there were even more after I noticed my brother was entering the Juubantai barracks.

I was searching my brain for reasons why he would be there at these hours, but nothing came. All I could do was try to remain hidden and figure out this mystery. Maybe it would have been more sensible to return to the manor and wait for him to come back so I could speak to him, but I was already in this mess and, for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to escape from it. Something inside me kept telling me I was doing the right thing.

Such was my surprise when I watched him from afar, knocking on the door of Matsumoto Rangiku, the Juubantai Fukutaicho.

-X-