Back at our familiar tree at the top of our favorite knoll. Back in our familiar, laid back positions; me with my back to the tree, she leaning against my one raised knee. Close enough for me to trace the curve of her jaw, or run a finger down that tantalizing neck, but far enough for us not to… what was that phrase she used? "Turn into the mush-monster couple." Yes that was it.

I can't quite remember when it had become our spot, it had just come about like so many of the unspoken things between us.

"I like this, you know." I heard her murmur, turning her head a little as she felt my fingers in her hair.

"Hm?"

"The quiet." Her voice was almost a whisper. I closed my eyes breathing in the lazy afternoon, willing time to stand still.

"Hm."

"You're not even listening to me!" So much for quiet.

"Don't be preposterous." I answered softly, hoping my voice would lull her back into our soiree indolence.

"What did I just say?" I could hear a pout coming.

"That you enjoyed the quiet, which I might add, you have quite irrevocably ruined."

"Is my Byakuya-boo shleepy?" She teased. Yachiru was going to pay for this atrocious nickname. Retaliation on a similar level was out of the question, I decided to fall back on stoic silence.

"If Byakuya-boo ashleep already?" She turned to face me, I kept my eyed closed but I could feel her playful gaze on me.

"Well maybe he is… I am most certainly not." I heard her giggle and knew what was coming. I grabbed her wrist before the prodding finger could reach my ribs.

"Oh my! Byakuya-boo really IS awake!" She was trying to pull her hand away, all the while disguising the movement that would bring her other hand within striking distance. She toppled backwards as I suddenly let go of her wrist, but grabbed her around the waist to keep her from falling over. I quickly pinned her arms at her sides, wrapping my arms tight around her. She was laughing out loud now, gasping for breath.

"Oh no you don't! Byakuya-boo! No… oh crap! Byakushi you wouldn't DARE!"

I nuzzled her neck, eliciting a few more threats. I pulled her in closer as she tried to elbow me.

"Byakuya! You friggin' monster! Not fair, I didn't do anything!" Her twisting and turning was getting her nowhere, but it didn't stop her. She turned her head in a vain effort to keep my lips away, but I just moved to the nape of her neck, softly tasting her with my tongue.

"Byakuya-boo! Not fair… oh… Byakuya…" I allowed myself a little smile of victory before continuing my exploration of her neck and shoulder.

"Oh Byakuya… I so hate you." She gasped.

"Oh?" I paused, but didn't move away. "Are my attentions unwelcome?"

"Will you stop if I say yes?" She mumbled pushing back against me, obviously unhappy that my lips were no longer on her.

"Of course. I am no monster."

She pushed a little further but I did nothing.

"Oh you nasty man! Finish what you started!" She tried to twist around to look at me, but I was having none of that.

"I didn't start this, you did. If only you had continued to enjoy the quiet you wouldn't be in this predicament." She folded her arms across her chest and I knew she was pouting.

"So…" I whispered in her ear, "what do you want me to finish?"

"I hate you, stupid teasing beastly Byakuya-boo. I'm going to fill your office with candy and let Yachiru lose. No I'm going to tell her that I've hidden candy all over your office and let her – mm! mmm…"

Her anger melted away as I kissed her, my fingers in her hair cradling her head the way she liked it.

She twisted around and I felt her arms snake around my neck as the kiss deepened.

"Don't you two need a breath about now?" The intruding voice indicated annoyance, but was nowhere close to my own at the interruption.

"Kurosaki. Is there a particular reason you are here, or are you here to merely comply with my sister's demand that you annoy me at least once every day?"

"She didn't demand that I annoy you Byakuya, she said I should try and get to know… that's not the point!" He huffed exasperatedly. "You two need to stop doing this!"

"Ichigo don't make me punch you… again!" My little kitten was also thoroughly peeved by the interruption.

"Hey hey, slow down. No need for violence." Kurosaki's hands were up defensively. "We're all really happy that you two are together and so… ecstatic," he used his hands to gesture at our entwined positions, "but did you have to break him?"

"Break him?" She squeaked in mock surprise. "Byakuya… are you hurt somewhere? Did the Italian chandelier thing we tried last night break something?"

"Oh Kami I don't need to hear this!" Kurosaki was blushing wildly, clapping his hands over his ears.

"Then what are you talking about Ichigo? And trust me if anything was broken I would know, very little is left to the imagination in the Italian chandelier."

"SHUT UP! I don't wanna hear about your… your… fucking bedroom STUNTS!" Kurosaki was livid, embarrassed and thoroughly "out of whack" as the woman in my arms would put it.

"Get to the point Kurosaki." I interjected.

"Oh yes… the reason I'm here." He rubbed the back of his neck struggling to regain control over the situation. "Yeah, we are of the opinion that you two need to get a room."

"We already have a room Ichigo, you need a strong hook in a sturdy ceiling for the Italian chandelier you know. Any old tree will not do…" She was enjoying this immensely.

"Who's 'we'?" I asked, not waiting for her to finish. I couldn't keep the mirth out of my voice but Kurosaki didn't catch on. Had it been Rukia we wouldn't have been able to draw this out.

"Hook in the ceiling… and how? KAMI I don't wanna know!" his head was in his hands. "Rukia's gonna kill me…" I heard him mumble.

"Is this the 'we' you were talking about?" I asked, his comical discomfort was forcing me to the limits of my stoicism ("uncontested champ of the poker face" she called it.).

"Yes… uh… no… not just her. There are more of us." He stuttered.

"Oh? So many people thinking we don't have a room Byakuya…" My kitten so loved to toy with the boy. "Don't these people know who Byakuya is? Hell we've got a room; we've got rooms! Used quite a few too, eh Byakuya?" My lovely woman had quite the sailor's mouth.

"Just shut up and let me finish! Please I'm begging you." Kurosaki pleaded. "Rukia is going to ask me to tell her everything you said and I don't want to have to repeat this stuff."

"Oh come on Ichigo, I'm sure we could give you a few pointers…" Now I didn't want to listen either, the images in my head were no longer pleasant.

"Maybe we should let the man finish, love." I interjected.

"See this is what I'm talking about! 'LOVE'?" Kurosaki yelled, pointing a finger at me. "Since when do you talk like this? You sound like that flowery Kyouraku! Have you heard yourself lately?"

"Ichigo I am going to punch you." She growled.

"I am nothing like Kyouraku. I do not smell of sake and I do not call my dearest by nicknames that she does not appreciate." I looked down at her and allowed a small smile to play on my lips.

"OH KAMI! 'MY DEAREST'??? And that smile! What's with that Byakuya, you're freaking everyone out!"

The smile unconsciously widened a little as she lifted her lips to mine.

"Oh for fuck's sake! Stop with the cute shit!" We ignored him. "KUCHIKI TAICHO!"

"What is it now Kurosaki? Don't tell me there's more." I growled, my tone laced with sarcasm.

"Yes there is! Renji is almost hysterical, Rukia's a nervous wreck, you're freaking me out and apparently you grinned at some unseated officers in your division and they are currently in the 4th division complaining about hallucinations." Kurosaki was quite agitated and apparently so were a lot of other people.

"Baby… what is he talking about? How come I don't get to see this… 'smile' as he calls it?" she pouted theatrically, locking her hands around my neck.

"I haven't the faintest idea, love." I smiled benignly at her noting the evil glint in her eye. Slowly, we turned to face Kurosaki.

"AAAH! Byakuya-san, that's freaking creepy!" So it was back to honorifics now, maybe I should do this more often?

"What is it Kurosaki? You are starting to appear quite distressed." I drawled, widening the smile, imitating Ukitake taicho's soft concerned tone.

Kurosaki stumbled backwards and shunpoed away hastily, to the sounds of my lover's gurgling laughter.

"Oh Byakuya, that was really something." She was still gasping for air. "I was so sure those muscles had atrophied a long time ago, how on earth did you... mmm..."

I took my time with the kiss, tasting her mouth, sucking on her luscious lips. "Wasn't I trying to finish something?"

"Byakuya…" she whispered, as our lips drew closer. "That last one kinda freaked me out too."