A/N: My first Bleach fic, and of course it's Orihime-centered. :D I think Byakuya is a little OOC (as in, he talks too much) but I kind of needed him to in order to make this fic work. Also, I've only ever seen the anime in English, so I tend to use the official dub terms. I hope that doesn't put anyone off!

Brothers and Sisters

Byakuya watched impassively as the red-haired girl erected a warm-colored barrier around his body, preparing to heal his wounds. She wore the robes of a soul reaper, but her manner was anything but. Even as her hands worked to close damaged flesh and knit broken bones, he could feel the cold anger radiating from her like a powerful wave of spiritual pressure, and he was not surprised when she finally said, in a trembling voice:

"Ichigo told me you're Rukia's brother... so, why?"

"You call him Ichigo?" Byakuya nodded his head, which had been throbbing ever since his fight with the boy. "I see. So you're one of the ryoka."

"Don't change the subject," she said harshly. "Why?"

"Why, what?"

"If you're Rukia's brother, then why did you just stand by when the Soul Society was about to execute her? Didn't you care what happened to her? Didn't you want to protect your own sister?"

You wouldn't understand, he almost replied, and then he stopped. He had said as much to Ichigo Kurosaki back then, and while he didn't know if the boy had understood when he finally told him the truth – in fact, he was almost certain he hadn't – it had not been a waste to tell him. And anyway, there was a needful, pleading undertone, both in the girl's eyes and in her voice. She had to know.

"I believed that the laws of the Soul Society were immutable and absolute," he said simply, slowly. "I was mistaken."

He closed his eyes, as content with his answer as the first time he had given it, but he could still feel the girl's eyes trained on him.

"...What?"

"That doesn't make any sense at all!" she burst out. The healing barrier began to flicker in and out of existence as she waved her arms comically. A ghost of a scowl tugged at the corners of Byakuya's lips.

"...Oh, whoops. What I mean to say is, what is it about these laws that's supposed to be so important?"

"Laws are the foundation and the pride of the Soul Society. Without our laws, we could hardly call ourselves a civilization. At the very least, we should honor them the best we can."

"But the ryoka seem to be living just fine without them."

"The ryoka and the members of the Soul Society are in two completely different realms of existence," Byakuya said, a trace of anger creeping into his voice now. "I will not continue this conversation with you. That I am conversing with a lowly ryoka at all is – "

He stopped again. There were tears standing in the girl's eyes. "My brother tried to kill me once," she said, brushing away a strand of hair that had fallen forward over her ear. "But I could understand why he did it. He thought I abandoned him. He was a Hollow, and he wanted – no, needed me to be with him, forever."

"Your brother became a Hollow because his emotions grew out of control," Byakuya said, more gently. "The existence of Hollows is a reminder to all shinigami of the importance of reining in such weakness, for it could lead to the ruin of all."

"But is it any better, to be so dead to your own emotions that you would let your own sister die?" she said.

"No," he admitted after a moment. "I suppose not."

The girl fell silent, apparently lost in her own thoughts, as she continued to heal him. After a few minutes she put her hands down, and the barrier fell away as if it had never been there.

"This is all I can do for now. I'll come back a little later to check on you, once I've taken care of the others."

"Thank you," he said, and he meant it. "I don't believe you told me your name. It would be helpful to know how to address you from now on."

She crossed her arms. "I thought you didn't talk to lowly ryoka."

"I'll consider an exception," he said. "I have already been defeated by your ill-mannered friend, so I don't think I could fall much farther than I have now."

She smiled just a little at that, and he thought of Hisana. "It's Orihime Inoue."

"Very well, Orihime Inoue," he said. "I will see you again soon."

She nodded and turned to go, but he stopped her with a word. There was no reason for him to say anything – and indeed, the soul reaper captain did not know why he should be so talkative after decades of relative silence – but then the boy had changed everything, and he found himself saying in a stumbling, uncertain voice:

"I'm sorry about your brother. And... I hope that you will continue to be a good friend to Rukia."

She looked at him, dumbfounded, before revealing a smile even bigger than the last. "Yeah! Of course!" she said, pumping her fists in the air with a cheerleader's enthusiasm. "I'll do my very best for Rukia!" She looked at him pointedly. "Of course, you'll have to do your part too from now on."

"I..." Byakuya hesitated, but only for a moment. "I will try to make amends."

"As long as you try, Rukia will be happy. If she's anything like I think she is, I know she loves you very much.

"Well, see you later," Orihime said with a wave; and as he watched her depart, black robes flapping gaily with every step she took down the hall, he marveled at the peculiarity that was the Kurosaki boy's friends.