Chances are, you won't understand this until you've read Dimming Sakura, which is my first and main bleach fanfiction story. Just so you know: Sakurai and Byakuya are best friends, they were introduced just after Sakurai was adopted into the Mitsugayani family. In my story she is about one hundred and twenty two. Hehe, she's even younger than Rukia!
Sakurai is the captain of squad fourteen and the other four mentioned at the beginning as sharing the building with her are the other four OCs I created to be known members of the division.
By the way, this story is set om New Years Ever in the Sereitei five years after Hisana died. Therefore, four years since Byakuya found Rukia and ten since he met Hisana.
Enjoy!

"Come with me. You look beat." I watched as Sakurai motioned for me to follow her away from the rabble of the shinigami on new years eve.
I gladly followed.
We headed toward her barracks, to the tower that held the rooms belonging to her, Hakuro-fukutaicho, third seat Shivo Matiko and fourth seat Ruana Ukitano. Her room was at the top of the tower, with a clear view of the soul society and the sereitei.
When we got to her quarters, I took in the room. It was large, with a sofa place in front of the balcony, facing out. There was a door to the side that led to the kitchen, then a door to the opposite side that led to her bedroom. The entire room was pretty dark. Is was decorated with purple walls and had laterns on the walls. There was a coffee table and a couple of chairs next to a book case, which was crammed.
I watched Sakurai as she ran to the balcony and opened the doors, she realised I was just watching her and sighed. She ran back to me and pulled me onto the balcony. You really could see a lot from here.
"Nice view." I commented.
"Not as good as my bedroom balcony." She smiled slightly. "You can see everything there. Oh! It might be better there." She cheered, motioning for me to follow her yet again.
She ran into her bedroom and I paused at the door. Her bedroom was simple, a king-size bed with blue covers and a side table, the wardrobe was built into the wall.
"You still have that?" I motioned to the dark furred teddy bear that was sat on the quilt at the top of the bed by the pillows. I had given her that a very long time ago. Urahara and Yoruichi were still in the soul society then.
"Why wouldn't I?" She asked me, picking the tedyy up and smiling at it before putting it down again.
"I just, I don't know."
"It's nearly midnight, come here." She took my hand and pulled me onto the balcony.
"Why are we here?"
"You can see the fireworks better from up here." She told me absently as she leant against the railing. Everywhere was lit up, you could even see the lights and fireworks in Rukongai. The lights below in the streets of the sereitei lit up her eyes as they changed from blue to hazel. She was happy.
I walked beside her and leant on the railing beside her, my hand catching hers. She looked at me and smiled before her eyes fell to the people below. "Ten! …Nine!". People were already setting a firework off for each number of the the countdown. It lit up Sakurai's eyes to see the colourful explosions. I hadn't seen her smile properly, or seen her eyes hazel in a very long time.
"Four!...Three!" I smiled as all the shinigami chanted below us, but my eyes were on Sakurai. "Two!"
The countdown was about to finish. I removed my hand from Sakurai's and placed a finger under her chin, turning her face to me, as the crowd chanted the last number.
"Happy New Year!" As those words were spoken I leant forward and pressed my lips to Sakurai's, my eyes were closed and I felt her stiffen. I was going to pull away when she relaxed and rested her hands on my chest.
After a few moments I pulled back from her. She just looked at me, her eyes blinking repeatedly in confusion and surprise.
"Happy new year." I said to her, offering one of my rare smiles that only she ever saw. She returned it afterward.
"Yeah." She stepped toward me. "Happy new year, Byakuya." With that she grabbed my haori and pulled me to her pressing her lips to mine. We both melted into the kiss in seconds. My arms wrapping around her waist and hers wrapping around my neck.
We were totally lost. And before I even registered what was happening, before I could do anything to stop it: we were on Sakurai's bed, under the covers, and virtually tearing one another's clothes off.
I don't think I wanted to do anything to stop it.

Later one…

"You do rrealise what we've just done right?" I panted, lay under the covers beside Sakurai.
"We've just broken every rule we've ever made to ourselves. As well as the thing we swore to my father and your grandfather we'd never do." She answered casually.
"Pretty much." I nodded. I was tempted to pull her onto my chest but she rested her head on there before I got chance.
"It would seem we've screwed up."
"We refused to the arranged marriage. We swore we didn't want that relationship. Yet here we are." I whispered, stroking her hair.
"We were both just lost in the moment I guess." She sighed. Then she looked up at me and smirked. "This is going to make me sound like a right slut, but I have had sex with a lot of men, and that was probably the best."
"You're right. That does make you sound like 'a slut' as you put it." She just laughed. "Still, thank you for the compliment."
She yawned and I looked down at her. Her eyes closed and I continued to stroke her hair as she drifted off to sleep.

Sakurai POV

My eyes fluttered open to the sun beaming through the open balcony. I rubbed my eyes and sat up. Then I saw why I had felt a weight on my side when I had tried to sit up. Byakuya was lay next to me, his arm had been around my waist and he was completely naked. I mean so was I, but it was my bed, so that wasn't really odd.
The events of the night before came flooding back to me. He had kissed me, on the exact stroke of midnight. What a start to the new year.
I sighed, getting out from under the covers and pulling on my clothes. My uniform. I walked into the living room, leaving my best friend asleep in my bed.
"Sorry Byakuya." She whispered. She scribbled on a piece of paper, and pinned it to the front door before brushing my hair and leaving the apartment.
I looked back at the door before I used Shunpo to get to the juubantai barracks.

"Rangiku?" I called the woman's name as I walked into the office.
"Sakurai-taicho, happy new year my dear." My attention was drawn by the man sitting at the desk.
"Isshin, yeah you too. Is Rangiku about?" I asked him. Myself and Isshin had an agreement. That agreement was that we would be civil, but if he ever acted like his usual idiotic self, I'd tear him to pieces.
"She's in her room I believe. Too much Sake last night."
"That woman can never have enough Sake." I sighed, leaving the room. I ran to the fukutaicho's quarters and banged on the door. "Ran-chan!" I yelled. I opened the door to her pouring a glass of water for herself.
"Rai-chan!" she smiled. "Happy new year."
"You too Ran-chan." I sighed, walking over and sitting beside her. "Is that just water, because I could use something a little stronger."
"I'll get you some sake." She nodded, standing up and walking over to a cupboard. She pulled out a bottle and a glass. "So? What happened?"
"I may have made a mistake." I told her as she sat beside me, placing the bottle down on the table and handing me the cup.
"Which was?"
"I had sex with Byakuya." Rangiku choked on her water.
"You did what?"

Byakuya PoV

I awoke to being alone in my best friend's bed. I sighed. I couldn't hear anything. Had she already left? I pulled on my shinigami robes and ventured into the other room. I looked around, she wasn't here. I sighed and turned around. I spotted a note on the door and read it, pulling it down.

Byakuya, yeah it's Sakurai. Sorry about ditching you this morning, but I had to go talk to Isshin about something.
Don't get mad at me. But I think that what happened last night should never re-happen. It's not that I don't like you in that way, it's that you're my best friend. Anything happening between us could ruin that.
Sorry.
Sakurai xx

Of course. I didn't expect anything else to happen between us. I liked her, I did. But we had made a promise twenty years ago. I don't think it was the promise that bothered her. It was something else. Then I saw it, a photogtaph I had taken.
Sakurai and Hisana. About two months before she died. Ten years ago.
The reason Sakurai had. It was Hisana.

Greetings earthlings! Reviews please! I hope you enjoyed.

There is an M(full lemon) rated version of this. But I am not sure whether I will put it up since it is the first lemon I've ever written. Depends on the response to this. I guess. Please tell me what you think!

Happy New Year!

AylaxxAvaxx