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Chapter Summary: Byakuya meets his father's nurse.

His: First Impression

'One. Two. Three.' He counted the beats and matched his swords positions: Parry. Repost. Parry. The words and movements seared into his brain. He wanted to burn the motions into his muscles. He wanted the motions to become reflexive—like drawing breath.

'One. Two. Three.' His inner voice rose above the outside commotion until it felt like he was screaming in his head. Unable to drown out the murmurs, swishes of silk, and clacking of doors any longer, Byakuya stopped mid-counter, snapping his head to the side.

There was a row in the House of Kuchiki.

Repressing the urge to roll his eyes, Byakuya shook his head. 'What now?' he thought, exasperated. He rarely paid the manor's rows any heed. There were so many. The servants became agitated over the most trifling things. 'To have so little time and so little sense.'

"Lord Byakuya," his body servant called. She was a young woman, dressed in dark colors. All of the maids were young, attractive, and garbed in dark colors. The House's steward plucked the girls from the districts of Rukongai. Due to their weak spiritual power, they usually faded within a few years only to be replaced with a new crop of young maids. His family justified this practice as an act of charity—noblesse oblige. Byakuya, however, suspected a darker motive: His family bored of the maids, and they did not want the hassle of dismissing them once they became an irritation so they selected ones that would die in due time.

"Your noble father's new nurse arrives. She is lovely. Lord Byakuya should come see," the maid beamed. Gracefully, she gestured for him to join in the ruckus.

Byakuya scowled at the woman, irritated by her impertinence. "I am training, Xiren," he scolded.

She averted her gaze and smiled. "Forgive my intrusion, milord." Obsequiously, she bowed and left him to his training.

He spied her through the open doors. She was going to meet the new nurse, no doubt, he noted ruefully. "Every little thing," he muttered, shaking his head.

Clearing his mind, he returned to practicing with his bokken. The wooden hilt pressed tightly against the palm of his hand, and, with great force, he struck in a downward motion. He continued to practice this motion until he could no longer bear the incessant noise emanating from the manor. Looking up, he descried a cavalcade of servants scurrying through the halls. All of them were speaking of the new nurse as if she was a person of great importance.

He caught a few stray words on the thin air: "Lord Sōjun insists that we treat her as a guest during her stay at the manor."

"Lord Sōjun forbids the House from mistreating her. He said that any perceived infraction will be swiftly punished—servant and noble alike."

"Lord Sōjun has arranged for her to be quartered in the Inner Court."

Byakuya dropped his arms to his side, and his brows pulled together. Briefly, he considered the veracity of the servants' remarks. If true, his concern for his father grew exponentially. His father had never spoken a harsh word in his life. He was a gentle passive soul. Threatening the family and liveried servants would mean that his health was rapidly declining. Those threats indicated that his father wanted his confidences shielded from the prying eyes and ears of the manor.

The staff, however, was prone to exaggerations and irrational bouts of hysteria. Byakuya never understood their strange fluttering behavior. For the most part, his family treated the servants reasonably enough. A few of his female cousins were prone to fits, but the maids were never severely punished.

Despite his skepticism, Byakuya could not deny that something felt off. His father's condition had worsened, forcing him to take a leave of absence at the Sixth Division. On the recommendation of the family physician, they had purchased a nurse from the Fourth to take care of him. They had been very specific in their request—they would consider only the most promising healers. Sōjun, then, made the final selection.

Apparently, attractiveness was one of his father's requirements, Byakuya observed mordantly. The house staff had raved about her frail tortured beauty, likening her to the literary figure Lin Tai-yu. That reference did not inspire any confidence in Byakuya, having never been drawn to frail tortured women.

Curiosity bested him, however, and he threaded his way through the manor toward his father's quarters. Upon arrival, the servants bowed at his presence and parted the way for him to see the nurse. She stood demurely in front of his father.

The rumors had been true. She was a delicate woman who looked to be about his age—late adolescence. She stood at scarcely five feet. Her features were finely sculpted; her skin was white and smooth like porcelain; and, pins swept her dark hair off her shoulders. Catching her gaze, he felt an intense sorrow pierce his heart. There was something in her eyes—some emotion lingered in her look that he did not quite comprehend.

"You are the nurse," he announced of her in a terse voice.

She lifted her head in response. "Yes," she said after observing him for a moment. Remembering her manners, she bowed politely.

Byakuya watched her form bend. She moved wearily under the heavy scarlet robes that adorned her. He had seen those robes before. They belonged to his family, he was certain. They had been locked away in storage. Briefly, he wondered why his father had insisted that she wear them. He was sure that it had been under his father's direction that she be dressed in the kimono. The servants would not have been so bold, and she appeared uncomfortably encumbered by the weight of the fine cloth. In fact, if he was not mistaken, he believed her to be dissatisfied with all the finery.

His eyes lingered on her too long. He knew because she caught his gaze when she looked up, and his heart sank. A warm sting spread across his cheeks and down his neck. He had never felt that strange prickling sensation before, but he was sure it was a sign of intense loathing.

"I am Byakuya Kuchiki," he stated firmly, giving a slight bow.

She bowed her head. "It is nice to make your acquaintance."

Byakuya stared at her. Thoughts ceased to form in his head as he looked at her. There was something so engrossing about her expression. She was a strange girl, gazing up at him with such a hooded expression. He did not know what to make of it. Usually, the servants greeted him with a look of admiration or of respect. Neither admiration nor respect shone in her eyes. Her look was unreadable, but it was definitely not one of eager willingness to please. A strange melancholy emanated from her. Her reiatsu was a dark one.

"Come, Hisana," Sōjun commanded, catching the strange look playing across his son's face.

"Yes, Sir Kuchiki," she murmured turning to him.

"Sōjun, please," he said opening the door to his room. He waited for her to lightly step across the threshold before he addressed his son, "Your form looked good in the courtyard, Byakuya," he stated gently.

Impassively, Byakuya nodded.

Sōjun gave his son an obliging glance before closing the door behind him.

Byakuya frowned at his father's sudden familiarity with the strange woman. A strange burning sensation rose in his stomach. Even though his mother had died giving birth to him decades ago, Byakuya could not imagine his father with another woman. It was an irrational feeling that sieged him. This Hisana was merely his father's nurse. His father was exhausted and wanted her to attend to his needs. Byakuya quietly chastised himself for jumping to the conclusion that his father was behaving indecently.

Author's Notes: Written a while back. Thought I would share. Thanks for reading!