A/N: Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Byakuya had a teddy bear? It's not as funny as it sounds, since I see Byakuya as the lonely type without Hisana, and I think a teddy bear would help him cope. Actually, it's hard to explain, so just read and you'll see what I mean.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
It had been a long day for Byakuya Kuchiki.
He had just come from the weekly clan meeting, and the gossip of the elders was starting to get to him. It was nothing serious, of course, just the elders droning on about this, that, and the other.
Once upon a time, it didn't seem so bad, because there was one person who could always put a smile on his face in spite of whatever bullshit the elders spewed out of their decrepit old mouths, someone whose arms he could fall asleep and wake up the next morning in, his worries completely forgotten, at least until the next meeting. And that was his wife, Hisana.
But she was gone now. She had been for over fifty years, and now Byakuya was completely and utterly alone in this world.
Having brushed his teeth and changed into his sleeping clothes, Byakuya reached under the bed and pulled out a pink teddy bear, which had been the source of much ridicule in his youth, and would be today if anyone ever found out about him.
He curled up with the bear, which he had affectionately named "Pinky," and closed his eyes in an attempt to get some much needed sleep.
However…
"BYAKUSHI!" a familiar voice screamed, causing Byakuya to groan, for he knew that voice all too well.
"Yachiru, what are you doing here this late at night?" Byakuya asked, obviously more than pissed off.
"The Shinigami Women's Association is supposed to meet tomorrow morning. We were thinking of having it here, but Ken-chan's making me get your permission first, Yachiru explained.
"Go ahead," said Byakuya, only wanting to fall into his usual troubled sleep.
"But Byakushi, your house is… what?" said Yachiru, who was obviously expecting him to say no.
"You may have your meeting here," said Byakuya. "Tomorrow is my day off, so I'll be able to monitor your activities and make sure you don't totally destroy my house."
"Do you really mean it, Byakushi?" asked Yachiru.
"Yes," said Byakuya. "Anything to get rid of this accursed loneliness I feel."
"Is that why you sleep with a teddy bear?" asked Yachiru curiously.
Byakuya froze. Next to Rangiku Matsumoto, Yachiru Kusajishi had the biggest mouth in all of Soul Society. If she knows about Pinky, soon, everyone else will, too. His reputation would be ruined!
"Yachiru," growled Byakuya.
"I know, don't tell anybody," replied Yachiru. "But just so you know, I don't think any less of you for having a teddy bear."
"I do," Byakuya said simply. "I am among the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society. Yet for all my power, I'm powerless against the crushing loneliness. That's why I have Pinky. He affords me the illusion of not being alone.
"But you're not!" Yachiru exclaimed. "You have Aka-Pine and Ruki-chan and Ken-chan and the other Captains and… me." She said the last word timidly, which is unusual for someone as confident as her.
Byakuya smiled as he pondered Yachiru's words. "Yes," he said. "I do, don't I?" This caused Yachiru to giggle.
"Hey, Byakushi. I have an idea!" she said excitedly. "Can I be your teddy bear tonight?"
Byakuya didn't know what to say to this. Sure, the idea of having a living pair of eyes to look into upon awakening was appealing, but he had to take into account Yachiru's age. After all, he was still many years – decades – older than her, and such a thing would be considered improper, even outside the nobility. But as he looked into those innocent eyes, he knew there was no way he could say no to her.
"All right," Byakuya conceded. "But just for tonight. I don't want Zaraki-taicho on the warpath."
Hearing this, Yachiru immediately hopped into Byakuya's bed and wrapped her arms around him as far as they would go. "Good night, Byakushi," she said happily before falling asleep.
Byakuya wrapped his arms around her tiny frame, closed his eyes and whispered, "Good night, Yachiru."
The next morning, Byakuya awoke to the brown eyes of Yachiru Kusajishi, feeling content. He hadn't felt any of his usual nighttime loneliness, and that made him somewhat happy.
"Good morning, Yachiru," he greeted her.
"Good morning, Byakushi!" Yachiru said excitedly, causing Byakuya to wonder just how much energy she had in the morning.
"I should send a Hell Butterfly to Zaraki-taicho letting him know where you are," said Byakuya.
"I already did!" chirped Yachiru. "I told him 'Byakushi's feeling lonely, so we're having a sleepover!'" She paused for a minute. "What time is it?" she asked.
"Nine-o'clock," replied Byakuya. Realizing the implications of this question, he in turn asked, "What time is the Women's Association supposed to meet?"
"Nine," she said simply. Then realization dawned on her. "The other members are already here!" she exclaimed.
"Then you shouldn't keep them waiting," said Byakuya.
"I'll go find them!" declared Yachiru. "Bye, Byakushi!" She almost raced out the door, but Byakuya stopped her.
"Thank you for last night, Yachiru," he said.
"You're welcome! Bye!" replied Yachiru before she darted out the door. Byakuya briefly wondered if he should let the guards know the Shinigami Women's Association would be holding their meeting here today.
"Well, shit," Byakuya cursed when he realized the guards probably wouldn't let the members in. He knew he had to do something, but he had to get dressed first.
A/N: A little humor to alleviate the angst (I'll never understand why FanFiction only has space for two categories). Anyway, I hope you liked this little introspective, read and review, and I'll see you next fic.
By the way, I'm a bit worried about whether or not I kept Yachiru in character, so if you could give me your thoughts on that, that'd be great.