More Than He Can Bear
Kuchiki Byakuya was pissed.
One might think no one could read his mood, giving how he always wore the same poker face... But the unlucky shinigami who were on office duty on days like this one knew better. The thick, spinning, dark reiatsu flowing from the captain's door through the whole division offices was a clue strong enough for even the most dense shinigami.
So when Kurosaki Ichigo, substitute shinigami, currently visiting friends in Soul Society, went to the Sixth to say hello to the redhead one, he stopped in front of the door and looked at it with something which was definitely not fear... If he could handle a drunken Zaraki, he could handle a pissed Byakuya, couldn't he? ... So just call that a glimpse of preservation instinct.
Anyway, Renji would probably be far away from his captain on days like that, so the human shinigami scooted back carefully and escaped the dangerous area unnoticed.
He found his friend on the training ground, teaching a huge crowd who seemed to find the terrific sparring with their lieutenant far more appealing than getting anywhere near the killing intent of their captain...
And the wielder of Zabimaru, grinning widely, was kicking their asses one after the other, obviously enjoying the situation.
"Oi, Renji! What's going on?!"
The redhead stopped his fight, motioning for the seated officers to take their turn, and joined the younger man outside the field, sitting carelessly on the dusty ground, his back against the nearest tree.
His grin hadn't faltered, far from it, as he tried to look innocent and unaware under his friend's glare.
That was even more strange than Byakuya displaying his anger. Renji should be worried, should be afraid, but definitely not amused by whatever it was that caused such a fuss in his division...
"You didn't trigger that, did you?"
"What's the matter? Don't tell me you didn't crave as badly as me to push him beyond his limits... Though no, I'm not the one who did it. Either way I wouldn't be here, at least not alive..."
"I don't see anyone who could make him that angry and go away alive, Renji..."
"Don't you?" Renji let a sheer laugh escape his lips at the sight of Ichigo, frowning, trying to scan each and every shinigami he knew. Some were, indeed, able to escape Byakuya's anger alive, but those weren't the kind to try and push him...
The sixth lieutenant sighed. "What day is it today, strawberry?"
The teenager hit him on the shoulder for the nickname, but not as hard as he intended to, since he had frozen as the hint reached his mind. His eyes widened, seeing the point coming, but he didn't want to draw conclusions. Especially that conclusion...
"What... I mean, how is Byakuya concerned...it's a human thing...and he's... well, he's not..."
Fighting the urge to laugh again, Renji let the grin spread even wider on his face, to the point it seemed ready to rip his face in two parts, and start explaining.
"Since we came back from the living world, Yumichika and Ikkaku-san have been questioned about there, because, you know, she wanted to hear great stories about humans, and all, so...well...they told her."
Ichigo looked suddenly very pale, as understanding hit him hard.
Today was Mother's day.
Yachiru had been told about Mother's day.
And Byakuya was pissed beyond belief.