Disclaimer: Tite Kubo-sensei owns Bleach and all its characters; I only use them for writing funtimes.
Author's Note: I'm actually really, really happy with how this is turning out. Hope you readers do, too. :) I give my sincerest of apologies for the lack of updates recently; though, I probably won't ever get the chance to promise a deadline for any series. As always, reviews and critiscism are fully appreciated~.
For the first time in his life, Byakuya found himself to be the opposite of reluctant to wake up early that dawn.
—The sole other exception being when it was during his late parents grieving period.
In fact, he didn't even find it in himself to wait until his servants woke him —he had taken the rare liberty of doing that task himself.
Like clockwork, he slid out of bed and was led to an already steaming hot bath. Once he was done, he had to wait until his stylist found the perfect outfit for him, then it was off to his vanity closet.
He normally disliked having such a space reserved for him —unwilling to consent to the idea that men should have to put up with wearing maquillage, like any boy would— but, he was too excited for what was coming to protest.
Thereafter, he was placed into his private securities care: Yoruichi Shihouin, to be precise.
She also being the subject of his easily provoked, daily ire.
Even then, with her constant but improbably teasing, for once, he finally found he could just brush it off and remain seated until his grandfather arrived.
When the Kuchiki ruler did, had he had the freedom to, would have expressed the slight amazement that their Prince had learned how to stay calm. Instead, he gave an absentminded scold of how he was slouching, but assured the purple-haired woman they would be fine alone.
Greeting before giving her goodbye to her superior, she made one last remark that managed to distill the youth's current serenity.
"Remember to give a good impression today, Byakuya-bo."
Somehow, it seemed like she knew something of importance was to occur in effect to their meeting, but the elder Kuchiki refrained from giving her the satisfaction of worrying outwardly before prompting her leave.
He would just have to look into the matter later that evening.
"Kaien, you see —" Ukitake had begun chastising, but stopped when he realized the former was still asleep.
Mouth flattening to a thin line of a frown, the silver-haired elder softly shook the youth's broad shoulders.
"Kaien." He gently called out.
Snapping awake, the navy-haired adolescent looked a bit startled as he straightened himself in his seat.
"Jūshirō?"
Giving him a warm smile, finding himself unable to get worked up over such a thing, he ran a comforting hand through spiky tresses.
"You have yet to depart, and already you're trying to take another nap?
The Shiba Prince gave a mock pout, crossing his arms in a pseudo childish tantrum.
"I wasn't. You just…"
"— I just happened to catch you?"
Chuckling, despite himself, Kaien motioned for the ivory-haired man to take a seat beside him.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Kaien." The elder replied when he made no such indications to join him.
Immediately, some of the youth's earlier glee dissipated at the wistful look Ukitake wore.
"Jūshirō?"
The navy-haired adolescent sat up in his seat upright, fully aware and attentive, all drowsiness gone.
"What is it?"
Kaien could have testified that he felt his heart beat more erratically than it ever had before, as a look of sullen acceptation flickered in the other man's eyes.
"I cannot go with you."
Ukitake continued to smile, though he clearly look hurt himself to speak what he had, further causing Kaien to become even more frustrated between his current irrational fear.
"W-what…?"
Looking away, it being the first time he ever avoided his dearest Kaien's eyes, he clutched the cloth of his pale kimono tightly.
"Why?"
His eyes widened, despite his best efforts to keep a strait face.
Giving in to the temptation of sparing him a glance, Ukitake had to stop himself from wanting to embrace the youth to rid him of his uncharacteristic frown. He looked so sad, so innocent, so boyish — so young.
Had he been the cause of his current sadness?
"I-I —"
"You wouldn't just lie to me like that, Jūshirō." The youth pointedly stated, unaware himself of the desperation hidden beneath it.
Jūshirō had been the only one who would ever truly speak and listen to him with an impartialness even his parents lacked.
Was he finally trying to detach himself from him, now that Kaien was old enough to be on his own…?
Refraining from expressing any more softness or guilt, he kept a steady gaze with the Shiba Prince.
"The reasons pertaining to my inability to accompany matters not, Ōji-sama. Just…"
Kaien was tempted to drag him into his landau like a hostage and force him to go with, but all coherent thoughts he had ceased at the others next words.
"— make sure you have a splendid time at the Kuchiki's, for us both. Agreed?"
Ukitake found himself unsurprised as the chauffer closed the carriage door between them, and prepared for their departure.
What did bewilder him to the point of speechlessness, however, was that Kaien was grinning at him from inside of it. His complexion held no trace of resent nor hate towards him, which gave the youth a large sense of maturity — had he not been caught asunder by conflicting emotions inwardly.
"I promise."
Eyes dilated to an abnormal width, the silver-haired male subconsciously memorized the way Kaien had spoken those words to him, so smoothly and naturally.
Ukitake had grown accustomed to certain painful sensations in his lifetime, many of which stemmed from his frail health — but not once had he experienced such a bittersweet joy.
"Jii-sama?"
The only response the youth received was a soft grunt.
"Is that them?"
Sighing wearily as he made his younger relative stop pointing ever so rudely outside, he gave a sharp nod as he straightened his features.
"You would do good to introduce yourself properly, Byakuya."
"Hai, jii-sama."
The elder knew that, even if his grandson tried, there really was no way he was going to get him to stop acting so lucidly eager. Though he was proud with how gracefully and diligently the Kuchiki Prince was able to walk silently beside he, there remained some doubt of him completely conforming to what he needed to be in the future.
Even if it were principles that he would never agree to, due to his own sense of moral.
Byakuya watched, though his face showed little more than apathy, in his mind he was slightly awed.
The first to come out was, clearly, the King of their neighboring Kingdom.
The part of him that had truly amazed him, though, was his attire — which consisted of a large, black kimono, similar to his grandfather's but held a distinct family crest on his chest. On top of that, however, he wore a woman's pink kimono loosely, and a sakkat covered the most part of his face.
The Kuchiki Prince stifled a giggle that threatened to interrupt his current serenity, as he watched the brown-haired man try to leave his Queen behind in the carriage. This proved to be futile, seeing how she pulled him back by her side by hauling his collar like a dog that had done wrong.
Looking up to his grandfather, curious if that was how the other man always acted, he witnessed a rare glimpse of him gazing off. The surprising part was the hint of wistfulness in his usually emotionless eyes.
Inclined to leave him be, Byakuya turned his attention back outside, hoping that he had not missed the Shiba Prince's arrival.
To his utter shock, though, the very youth he looked for had suddenly appeared a few feet before him, softly grinning down at him.
"Oh-ho, it seems that Byakuya-chan grew since the last time I was here!"
His frown faltering only in the slightest, the youth's grandfather bowed his head by the tiniest bit.
"Shunsui, Nanao."
Turning his expression cold and steely once more, he regarded the navy-haired boy sobering from his nap with a hidden amount of distaste.
"Kaien."
Byakuya stared, dazedly, but made sure he didn't look like he was as awed as he really was.
Somehow, he felt like he was out of league.
Clearly not in the sense that he felt his social status was lower, but more that he and his grandfather were not as close as the other Prince seemed to be with his family. Of course, he certainly wasn't about to try to feign such an act of adoration with his grandfather, either.
Bowing his head, the raven-haired boy acknowledged the three quite reverently.
"Hajimemashite. I'm —"
Abruptly, before he had a chance to finish introducing himself, a warm, sun-kissed hand gently gripped his shoulder and he doggedly looked up.
"Wow. Are you seriously thirteen? You could wed any beautiful Princess with those looks."
Absentmindedly, Byakuya had flustered a soft peach, despite that he knew there were others around.
Then, it occurred to him —no one had ever spoken so freely to him before; with a voice and manner that exulted his current emotion uncensored— hence, he was unsure of how to react, let alone respond.
Pulling his hand away, the navy-haired youth accidentally brushed the boy's lower jaw without knowing as he did so, making him even more nervous.
That is, until, the Shiba Prince gave a soothing grin.
"Kaien Shiba. Nice to meet you, too, uh..."
Dawning that he had not yet said his own name, almost beaming with joy but tone still even, he replied.
"Byakuya Kuchiki."
Kaien was more than slightly bewildered at how high-strung the boy before him was acting.
Obviously, it was not out of his own will, but… The act did not suit someone like him: someone who so lucidly was full of fervent passion. Someone much like himself.
It made him feel uncomfortable and stiff just by watching him, and made him pity the boy some.
Therefore, he was quite pleased with himself, when he managed to ease the kid.
—Well, Byakuya, now that he knew his name.
Turning to the right, his mother happily spared him a smile, before inadvertently leading the two already conversing King's to another area.
Kaien didn't like having older people watch him under any circumstances, so this occasion further proved his point.
Having them around meant having to restrain himself, much as the Kuchiki Prince was doing —to bar he and his true emotions, even though such ways bothered him deeply— and made a mental note to thank his mother properly for her obvious consideration.
"Well, what do you do for fun around here, Byakuya?"
Suddenly, however, a Knight barged into the room, and Kaien noticed the slightly frightened look the boy he had just apellated wore.
"I beg your pardon for coming in unannounced, my dearest King, but I —"
"…Renji?"
The owner of the crimson hair looked up, pleasantly shocked, as he allowed a toothy grin to mar his once composed features.
Byakuya looked over to Kaien, surprised at the scene unfolding before him, but decided to keep quiet until he felt it was appropriate to interrupt.
"Kaien?"
A hearty chuckle from the Shiba Prince.
"The one and only, Abarai."
The heavily armored Knight heaved a sigh of relief, as he gave his Prince a bow before striding to their sides.
"How long have you been here, Kaien?"
Placing a warm hand on his shoulder, the navy-haired Prince practically radiated joy.
"Not long. I and my parents arrived only a few moments prior to."
"Ah, so I take it Jyushiro is keeping Natsu-Seppen under his care during your stay? I had heard his illness had caused him to rest in bed for months, so…"
Byakuya visibly winced as his Royal Guard continued to speak.
Even if it was not physically expressed, he could somehow tell the subject was a matter Kaien wasn't very comfortable with. Henceforth, he took it upon himself as the host to make sure his Paladin quit while there was no urge in the other to submit to violence.
"Abarai, Renji."
The red-haired male promptly straightened up, eyes slanted and face serious once more as he avoided any direct eye contact with either of the noble heirs.
"Hai, my Prince!"
Kaien tossed Byakuya a wary glance, concerned that the younger boy might not be as fervent as he had originally presumed.
However, by the ghost of a sadistic smirk on the raven-haired youth's features, it became obvious what he was up to — in which, the Shiba Prince found himself eager in joining.
The Kuchiki definitely had some charming spunk to him, after all.
Turning his steely gaze back to Renji, Byakuya managed to keep a stoic face by biting the inside of his cheeks.
"Have you forgotten of our other guest, Renji?"
Kaien honestly would have spit out a beverage from his mouth, had he been drinking, but followed suit with the younger boy at his side to keep calm.
Swallowing hard and loudly, trying his best to keep from sweating bullets, the red-haired Paladin bent down on one knee, head almost touching the ground as he crossed an arm over to clutch his left shoulder.
"Please forgive me for my imprudence, my Lords. I bequeath to you both that I did not mean to cause any misunderstandings in our social differences, nor was I imposing myself to illusion that I could ever be your equal —"
A soft snicker and a loud chortle interrupted his heartfelt apology.
Frozen, Renji was utterly confused if he should continue, or if it was a sign that he was bothering them. Uncertain, he kept his head bowed and continued.
"—I sincerely apologize if I am impeding you from enjoying your meeting, Kuchiki-sama; Shiba-sama. I plead that you may be able to forgive my unsightly insubordination in the future, should you find it —"
Suddenly, he found that Kaien had dropped to his knees as he burst out into raucous laughter, which had been quivering violently — but he had been to busy asking forgiveness to see this.
Amber eyes widening, still unsure if he should stay or not, he tensed as a familiarl small, pale hand gently reside at the top of his head.
"Abarai, Renji."
Gulping, he slowly tilted his head up.
"H-hai, Oji-sama!"
He immediately flustered a vermillion nearing his hair color, whence Byakuya permitted him and Kaien to witness a rare smile. A true, warming smile, at that.
"Please, forgive me. I should not have dared to use you, your status or emotions in such a manner to merely entertain us."
Renji could have sworn his face was on fire.
"Yeah, we're real sorry, Red. The opportunity was too good to pass up, though. Forgive us?"
Scratch that, he was being dipped in lava, wasn't he?
Finding himself unable to hold it against them —especially after his Prince had smiled so happily— he chuckled softly and took both their hands into his calloused ones.
"I take it your parents have long since gone?"
Kaien simply nodded his head.
Standing up, he allowed his audacity to ruffle a hand through raven hair and squeeze a tanned shoulder warmly, and Abarai began to grin again.
"Then you two are in luck. There's a festival going on all throughout Rukognai, and I, Shuuhei, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Hitsugaya were about to go on our way."
Byakuya shot him a warning look, this time no longer feigning it, but found himself easily coaxed as Kaien wrapped an arm around his small shoulders.
"What do you say? I mean, you can't tell me you've had the chance to go before, have you, Byakuya?"
Flustering a soft peach, the Kuchiki heir took a moment to think it over thoroughly, trying to find a plausible excuse or loophole so his elder could not hold it against them.
Looking up with a dryly-humored look, he nod his head gracefully, despite that he was practically squealing of joy inside.
"If it means leaving jii-sama and the others to themselves, then I will allow it."
Abruptly, Kaien ran a comforting hand through his hair, inadvertently avoiding the kenseikan neatly attached to certain locks.
"You're a smart one, too, aren't you?"
Renji noticed his Prince fluster a darker hue, but was too busy enjoying the excellent opportunity to think too much of it.
Taking a step forward, the younger male clutched the door handle firmly, clearing his throat as he faced them more calmly.
"Make sure we do not arrive any later than the Suns set, Abarai."
Both Kaien and Renji gave him a grateful look, and had he not been so keenly keeping up his apathetic charade, Byakuya would have felt inclined in joining them.
"Hai, my Prince!"
Firm, gray eyes watched as a handful of Knight's were swift in taking their leave to the Kingdom's outskirts. Although, what had caught his eye had been the thatch of navy hair riding alongside a slimmer, raven-haired youth, whose kenseikan glimmering in the light.
"I'm surprised you didn't stop them the second Renji went."
Slowly taking his eyes away from the scene, Ginrei sent Kyouraku a knowing glance.
"I believe we are both in the same state."
Coughing, the two men looked over at the blue-haired woman in the middle of the room ever so calmly rocking a baby in her arms.
"Really, you two are such a bore. We all know this was why we came here to begin with. Isn't that right, Ichigo?"
The two Kings stared at her as if she had two heads when she spoke babyishly at the end, but walked away from the balcony and back into the nursery.
"Jeez, can't you at least let me have a little fun over here, Nanao-chan?"
At the sharp glare she sent him, he conceded defeat.
Placing the orange-haired child back into his designated crib, she walked over to the two older men with a slight frown.
"Is it safe to assume this is as far as we are able to let things go on, as they have been?"
She was answered with silence, but within that silence, she found an answer she hoped she would not have received.
Looking out the open area to her left, she cast a wistful gaze to nothing in particular.
She knew that Renji was a faithful Knight, and so were the others who had gone along, and they had sworn utter loyalty to they and their heirs safety.
However, words alone could not save a country. Or two, for that matter. Even if that had worked before.
"I trust you two have everything prepared?"
Nodding their heads, Ginrei took a seat and surprisingly heaved a tired sigh.
"Then it's time, isn't it?"
Kyouraku had wished that he had not asked that question aloud, but by the hurt look his wife and the faltering facade the elder Kuchiki gave, he knew it all to well.
They no longer held the power to stop the oncoming storm from breaching their Prince's illusionary peace.