Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Ichigo reached for his badge immediately and knocked his shinigami form right out of his body. He was reaching for his sword when Byakuya spoke.
"Must you always be so brash, Kurosaki?" he sighed, his tone clearly more condescending than usual. "I didn't say I was here to kill you."
"Uh- wuh?"
Byakuya sighed. "You never cease to give me trouble. Do you have any idea what kind of consternation you've caused?"
"Byakuya, what the hell are you talking about?" Oops, damnit, I slipped. Rukia's gonna whack me hard for that one.
"Kurosaki, you and Rukia-san summoned a zotokai out of wedlock. Do you have any concept of the scandal you have thrown onto my desk?"
Ichigo had absolutely no idea what to say. He was completely dumbfounded. As far as he was concerned, this was amongst the top ten most ridiculous conversations he ever could have had, and that included being subjugated Rukia's prattle about Chappy. "Um, what?"
"Must I repeat myself? Just this week, you and Rukia-san summoned a zotokai spirit - something that hasn't been done since the dawn of time - and now all of Sereitei is an uproar."
Ichigo was still floored. This was just absurd. People were making a big stink about this? "You have got to be kidding me."
Byakuya bristled at the idea that he would joke about anything this serious. "Rukia stays in your home during her assignments to the real world. If anyone from the Four Houses investigates any further than they already have, I will have a much bigger scandal to deal with. I will settle for this problem in its place."
The implication was clear, and Ichigo wouldn't stand for it. He looked at Byakuya with fierce, steady eyes. "I swear on my mother's grave that Rukia and I haven't done anything to deserve such rumors. I haven't even kissed the woman." Not that I don't want to, he thought.
Byakuya paused as if history had punched him in the face. Kurosaki may be impulsive, but such an oath carried weight - especially to Byakuya. He subconsciously toned down his response, still pretending to be indifferent, but Ichigo could tell that Byakuya accepted Ichigo's claim. "I am not concerned with the mundane details of your relationship. The fact remains that I still have to deal with this political disaster that you caused."
"What if Rukia and I were married?" Ichigo proposed. "Wouldn't that make this go away?"
Byakuya was a bit surprised by this statement. This boy would marry her? Really - was he serious? Yes, there was determination in the boy's eyes, that he could tell; but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Still, it was pointless. "What makes you think that I could marry the greatest princess in all of Sereitei to a commoner?"
Ichigo expected contempt, but didn't find it. It was almost as if Byakuya was humoring him. "What if I became 5th division captain? I have bankai; and besides, I defeated Aizen - I could take the position the same way Zaraki became captain of the 11th. I wouldn't even need to pass a test. Surely a captain in the Gotei 13 is an honorable enough position to marry into the Kuchiki family?"
Byakuya hesitated. This conversation was not going at all like he expected it to. He had expected the temperamental teenager to throw a teenager-sized temper tantrum, complete with petty threats and the obvious challenge to the death. The fact that this boy was trying to find a solution, however hopeless it was, was not something Kuchiki Byakuya ever would have expected.
He knew Kurosaki Ichigo was rash, but the boy was not the kind to lie about his feelings. He knew full well that Ichigo had professed his love for Rukia many times, but he had always assumed the boy was too young to understand the gravity of what that meant; that whatever love he had for her was actually superficial. For Ichigo to forgo his human life to become a captain, though, was something else entirely. Not even Kurosaki would make such a gesture lightly.
Regardless, he knew that Ichigo's proposal could never happen. "The Gotei 13 could never accept a living human as a captain in the Gotei 13. I am left with no other choice, Kurosaki. Soul Society's nobility is unforgiving. They will cover the Kuchiki name in shame and dishonor if zotokais are ever summoned again outside the domain of the Four Houses. The easiest way to prevent the disgrace of my clan is if you and Rukia never see each other again."
"WHAT!?"
"The solution is the only one I have: you will never step foot in the Sereitei again, and Rukia will never come into the living world."
Ichigo was fuming. He was so angry he didn't care if he offended the Kuchiki prince enough to get him killed. Ichigo grit his teeth so hard he thought they would grind to dust. "Hisana would have found another way," he spat, knowing full well that if Rukia ever caught wind of it she would personally rip his voicebox out.
He expected Byakuya to whip out his bankai on the spot and murder him in cold blood. But instead, a deep sadness spread across the captain's face, a genuine expression that Ichigo knew was exceedingly rare. Ichigo was shocked to see that the Kuchiki noble had let down his seemingly impenetrable facade.
Ichigo immediately felt a horrible guilt wash over him for a moment, but then it receded just as quickly. It was one thing to incite Byakuya, but Ichigo never thought he could hurt him - after all, Ichigo had just invoked his own mother! This was not just some light-hearted discussion, this was his relationship with Rukia that they were talking about. The Kuchiki Head of House should have expected Ichigo to invoke the memory of his late wife - Byakuya should have been too guarded for that to bother him. Ichigo's self-justification, though, promptly faded to confusion - what was going on in that head of his? Byakuya doesn't let down his guard for anyone.
Byakuya turned to hide his face. He was almost speechless - but not quite. "Do not mistake my responsibilities for my desires, Kurosaki Ichigo." He opened a senkai gate, and a single hell butterfly took him through it; leaving an open-mouthed Ichigo in a sudden downpour of rain.
Sorry for the short chapter. Don't worry, more coming soon. Reviews, please! Next chapter: Kon to the rescue! Er, sort of. -njx
~~Crossover Cup!~~
Today's special guest: Mugen, from Samurai Champloo!
Mugen: Man, that guy totally pisses me off. I'm gonna go kick his ass. Who does he think he is, anyway?
Byakuya: 6th Division Captain, Kuchiki Byakuya. I have heard you are a worthy opponent. We shall see. Bankai; Senbanzakura Kageyoshi.
Mugen: WTF? (break dances, spins around to try and create a whirl of air to sweep Senbanzakura away)
Byakuya: Hado #66, Soren Sokatsui.
Mugen (still spinning): Oh, ----.
Nathan: Er, Mugen? You alright over there? Mugen? Mugen!?
