I've updated this chapter since yesterday - this version is significantly improved by gypsygrr's edits (thank you so much!) Hope you enjoy.

REPATRIATION – 2

Lunchtime dragged on. Evicted from the comfortable solitude of his office, Hisagi Shuuhei, 9th division fukutaichou, walked down the path behind the divisional offices, kicking a small stone before him with his waraji-clad feet.

Muguruma-taichou had ordered him out. Out into the fresh air, out to socialize, out to have more fun.

Fun.

The meaning of the word slipped between the fingers of his loosely closed fists, his brows knitted together in a solemn frown. He couldn't remember what fun felt like anymore. What he'd had with Tousen-taichou had been duty, albeit joyful duty. But it hadn't been what he would call fun. After the betrayal, after the War, his shoulders had been burdened with the suspicion of others as well as an increased duty toward his division. He remembered long nights at the pub with Matsumoto and Kira, Renji and Ikkaku and Yumichika and Iba – their companionship gave him comfort, but fun? No. Fun wasn't quite the right word for it. He'd never really had a chance to think about himself – he'd had no chance to think, period.

That is why, once the War ended, he had felt so adrift and without purpose – until he'd met Kensei. Re-met Kensei. And that had definitely been not fun at all, for Kensei rejected him and his love most sternly and Shuuhei had felt he had nothing more to live for. His wayward feet had brought him to Kuchiki-taichou's doorstep, where Byakuya and Renji had given of themselves as best they could to bring Shuuhei back to the world of the living – and even though he had became accustomed to their caring company, that hadn't exactly been fun either, for their closeness only reminded him of what he himself lacked. And even though they had shared that closeness with him, that hadn't been fun for long because he could see how he could easily drive a wedge between them, and he'd politely removed himself from their bed and their almost constant company. And that had definitely not been fun. That had hurt. A lot.

He had muddled on without them, a wraith, walking dead, until Kensei had been brought along to embrace him and lend his support. Muguruma Kensei, the former 9th division taichou with a Hollow inside him and a gruff, no nonsense exterior, had come to recognize his awkward affection for the young lieutenant, but he hadn't quite known what to do with or about it, for he had never felt that way about any man. And thus, Shuuhei's relationship with the temporarily reinstated captain - temporary until Shuuhei was deemed ready for the white haori – the relationship with his Muguruma-taichou was strictly business and rather cool around the edges. Shuuhei could not find much fun in it. Security, yes. Comfort in shared responsibility, of course. But fun?

You're thinking too hard again.

Shuuhei's mouth upturned in a slight smile at the voice of Kazeshini in his head. One good thing which had come out of this whole mess was the rekindling of a more cordial relationship with his zanpakutou.

Am not.

You are. You don't THINK your way into having fun. You have to ACT your way into it.

Shuuhei kept kicking the pebble down the path, filtered sunlight playing in golden pools on the clean, raked sand. His steps took him close to a wild copse of trees by a nearby park and there was a large, old pear tree straight in the middle. Shuuhei took great pride in caring for that tree; he mulched it and pruned the unnecessary branches, always taking care that its presence was disguised. It was his tree alone; nobody else knew about it. He reached up to swing up into its densely leafed branches and climbed high enough to see the 9th division headquarters' roof over the canopy of the surrounding woods. Settling into a generous y-shaped branch, he observed that the pear harvest would be plentiful this year.

Are you having fun, sitting up in a tree?

I suppose.

You're supposed to be out seeing other people.

Shuuhei thought about that. The only person he wanted to spend time with was Kensei, but Kensei was busy being Muguruma-taichou and it just felt inappropriate to think of him the way Shuuhei used to think of him back in those uncomplicated days in the Living World, when Kensei had merely been one of the Vizards and Shuuhei had been there to forge diplomatic ties.

There's nothing to do, Kazeshini.

Like what?

Nothing. Kensei does half the paperwork, the 3rd seat does some of mine, and I'm not really needed anywhere at the moment.

There's more to life than just doing paperwork, baka.

I can train the division, sure.

Shuuhei's frown turned into a deep sigh. The training of the division was a sore point between himself and Kensei. It had run so well before, when the 6th and the 9th cooperated closely together. Everybody had been happy. Now, Kensei wanted the 9th to "stand on its own two feet". He didn't want to depend on any other division, much less Kuchiki-taichou's . Kensei didn't quite growl when Renji came along to spar with Shuuhei, but Shuuhei did feel the prickly, irritated texture of his captain's reiatsu at the redhead's presence and he knew that at some level, Kensei felt beholden to Abarai-fukutaichou and hated it. He felt the weight of obligation to him for welcoming Shuuhei into his and Byakuya's arms, and he hated that even more. Yet Kensei's possessive jealousy didn't culminate in any acts of intimacy between them, and Shuuhei couldn't help but feel somewhat rejected.

He wasn't needed to train the division. He wasn't needed to do the paperwork. He wasn't needed to keep Kensei company, apparently, or else why would Kensei chase him off to "have fun"?

I have all this time all to myself and I just don't have anything to do.

Bored?

Bored.

Shuuhei reached deep within himself for a fair assessment of his feelings, feeling as if 'bored' wasn't quite the right word he was looking for.

No, not bored. More like…not depressed, but sort of…empty.

XDXDXD

The dark, wooden door of the Kuchiki mansion opened at his polite knock.

"Hisagi-fukutaichou!" The older, short servant wore a pleased smile when he saw him standing there.

"Foo-san. Is Kuchiki-sama available?"

Shuuhei felt Bykayua's reiatsu somewhere in the compound.

"Please come in, Hisagi-fukutaichou. I will announce you."

Shuuhei sat across the small table from Byakuya.

"If you have not eaten, then please do so now." Byakuya Kuchiki's voice was firm.

"Thank you. I just…I am not hungry."

Shuuhei felt the older man's grey eyes on him, his gaze searching.

"You were making a good recovery for awhile yet you seem to be losing weight again."

Shuuhei felt the question in the statement and decided to redirect the conversation to safer grounds.

"The reason I came, Byakuya…" His grey-green, eucalyptus eyes lifted toward his former host and lover with the informal address, "the reason I came was because I need to ask you a question."

"I see."

"How do you have fun?"
Byakuya Kuchiki sat ramrod straight behind his almost-finished lunch. His expression was calm, the narrow mouth slightly firm. His eyebrows drew together as he tried to comprehend the question.

"Fun?"

XDXDXD

They sat by the koi pond, leaning against the rough trunk of an old sakura tree. Not quite facing each other, and not touching, their proximity was enough for a sense of companionship.

"…So Kensei sent me out to go and have 'fun'. I think he meant for me to go see people."

"I doubt he meant for you to come have lunch with me," Byakuya said dryly.

Shuuhei shrugged, his bare arms scraping the tree bark slightly.

"I doubt he cares much. We're all business."

Silence grew, crested, and passed.

"Do you wish for mine and Renji's company?" Byakuya asked, his voice level.

Shuuhei's eyebrows drew together, a sudden tightness squeezing his chest.

"No." His voice was but a whisper. "I miss the two of you, but that had been a very…generous…gift from the two of you and I wouldn't feel right in imposing."

"You do not want to come to us based on your unsatisfied need," Byakuya articulated.

Shuuhei felt his shoulders relax just a bit.

"I think that's a fair statement."

"So what do you desire, Shuuhei?"

Silence trickled between them again, its streams fuller and louder until it couldn't be ignored and Shuuhei shook his head to make its roaring stop. The raven-haired man sat facing him now, his kenseikan and haori a bright gleam in the shade of the tree. His soft, grey eyes were filled with concern.

"I don't know, Byakuya. I don't know how to have fun."

Byakuya sighed, his shoulders drooping just a tad.

"Neither do I, Shuuhei."

"Renji is your fun."

Byakuya inclined his head. "Renji has enough mischief for several people."

"So what do you do when all the work is done?"

Whole minutes passed. A cicada sang in the treetops, announcing the beginning of summer heat.

"I manage the Clan. There are calligraphy society meetings. I meditate. Renji and I spar."

"I see." Shuuhei lifted voluptuous eyelashes to meet the 6th division captain's gaze.

"When you have no more work to do, you make more work. Unless Renji is around."

XDXDXD

"Taichou."

"Shuuhei." Kensei slid his yellow eyes toward the younger man, his gaze but lightly tripping over the "69" tattooed on his cheek. "So, did you have fun?"

Shuuhei looked at Muguruma-taichou in his sleeveless shihakusho and sleeveless haori, its whiteness rivaled only by the man's naturally white hair.

"I tried." The tendril of Kensei's reiatsu that had reached out for his own languidly quickly turned prickly with displeasure.
"Where did you go?" Kensei rumbled, his voice not too loud.

"Oh, a secret place of mine. And then Kazeshini nagged me to see people, so I had lunch with Kuchiki-taichou."

"I swore I could smell some sakura just a while ago," Kensei allowed gruffly. "Had fun?"

"It was pleasant, in its own way, but…you know, Kuchiki-taichou doesn't know how to have fun either. I don't, and he doesn't. And he doesn't know how to advise me on this matter."

Shuuhei stood from behind his desk, his newly arrived paperwork as yet untouched. He walked over to Kensei's larger desk and leaned his hip against its edge.

"I'll have to ask you, then. If it was strictly up to you, what would you do for fun right now?"

Shuuhei watched his taichou stiffen in his tall, wooden chair and then tilt it back to lift his gaze to Shuuhei, assessing. There was something new in his eye, something predatory and wild and unchecked and Shuuhei could have sworn that his eyes grew more yellow in the dim light of the office.

"Taichou? What would you do for fun?" he repeated.

Shuuhei watched Kensei rise, his broad shoulders leaning over the younger man's somewhat slighter frame. Their eyes met and Shuuhei gasped, the yellow irises had turned cold and feral, Kensei's reiatsu suddenly darker and heavier against his skin. Shuuhei maintained eye contact and the rational part of his mind recalled that a Hollow was sharing the inside of Kensei's being, untamed and primal and he knew he stood in its presence at that very moment. He should have been scared, but curiosity overcame caution. The heavy, dark reiatsu had warmth to it, pressing his thighs and hips harder against the wooden desk, weighing down on his chest like a heavy, hot massage stone and Shuuhei narrowed his eyes in pleasure and extended his energy to push back. He felt Kazeshini purr in his mind and his head tilted back just a fraction as his eyes closed against the overwhelming, cocoon-like sensation of warmth and darkness.

A large hand shook his shoulder and he grumbled, cracking his eyes open.

"Taichou?" Alarm shot through him when he realized he was lying on the couch in the office. Hadn't he just been leaning against Kensei's desk? He scrubbed at his face, feeling disoriented and loggy. "What happened?"

"My Hollow found your question fascinating and wished to participate in our conversation. Unfortunately, you didn't find it very interesting and fell asleep." Muguruma-taichou's voice was a husky crackle in the dim light of the warm summer evening.

"Oh." Shuuhei sat up on the sofa, running his hands up his face and into his hair. "Sorry. Sorry I fell asleep."

He recalled the heavy, almost oppressive heat and weight of the Hollow's reiatsu, the darkness which kept him from thinking in old, negative refrains. Under the blanket of that reiatsu there was no thinking. There was only feeling.

"Tell your Hollow I'll be happy to speak with him again. Besides, my zanpakutou seems to like him."

XDXDXD

Kensei stood like a pillar of salt, numb and speechless. His fukutaichou stood and stretched and rubbed his arm against the chill of wakening. He felt the gray-green eyes search out his own.

"Taichou? Have I offended you? Should I have not mentioned your Hollow? If so, I'm sorry…"

He shook his head absently, "You may speak…of my Hollow. If you wish."

He eyed the younger man curiously. "What did you think?"

Shuuhei paused in thought. "Your reiatsu changed some when he was looking out of your eyes. It was so heavy…and dark…but warm– almost hot, but not unbearably so. I felt pressed down under it."
"I'm sorry," Kensei clipped the gruff words, embarrassed.

"Don't be... It felt great. I loved the feeling of – of not having to do anything. I felt warm and safe and didn't have to think or…I had no choice." Kensei saw the brunet turn his head away, suddenly shy.

"You may not care for me much, Muguruma-taichou, but your Hollow seems to like me."

Kensei felt his Hollow roar within, clawing its way to the surface with desperate force. He suppressed it ruthlessly, feeling a sudden, familiar fear of himself.

He drew near the younger man with slow, carefully precise steps. Large, warm hands swept up Shuuhei's bare arms and he looked into those eucalyptus eyes. Kensei's expression was serious as he drew Shuuhei in for a slow, gentle embrace.

"I care for you a great deal. If I didn't, I wouldn't have bothered coming back to this…I'd be in that warehouse, hoping you'd visit."

He lowered his head as his right hand slid up Shuuhei's shoulder, fingers teasing up the graceful neck, skipping over the explosive collar, finding a home in soft, spiky hair. He fell into those deep, grey-green pools and let his mouth find soft, sensuous lips, melting into their softness, his eyes closing as the slighter man's generous eyelashes lowered to veil a curious, penetrating gaze. He heard a slight whimper and felt tentative hands skim his waist shyly, running up his side and back. Their hips were brought together by mutual accord and now the moan filling the empty office air was his own, and he eased his tongue between Shuuhei's already parted lips, tasting fresh ocean air, skimming the sensitive inside of with the tip of a questing tongue.

They broke for air, panting.

"Shuuhei." Kensei's voice was but a hoarse whisper. "With me, you'll always have a choice."

"And if I don't want to?"

"You'll find a way to make decisions that are the best for you. I'll make you learn."

"Make me, then."

Kensei watched the faint smile turn up his fukutaichou's lips. Is that what it was, then? Was Hisagi Shuuhei so worn down by life's demands that he would willingly submit not only to him, but to the oppressive force of his Hollow, and think it a release? Once again Kensei visualized Shuuhei as a spring, wound so tightly it threatened to snap.

"This is what we're going to do. First, we'll have dinner. Then, we'll go drinking. And we'll go drinking separately. We both need to make friends outside of each other. If I have to, I'll make it an order—go out, drink as much as you feel necessary, then report to me early in the morning over breakfast. My quarters."

Shuuhei's eyes opened wide. "Tomorrow's Sunday, taichou!"

"Special assignment, fukutaichou," he said teasingly, enjoying the hesitant spark of laughter in his lieutenant's eyes. There was hope for the kid yet.

XDXDXD

They walked to a nearby eatery and ordered fish and vegetable tempura. "To form a better foundation for tonight's activities", as Kensei put it. Then they had a cup of tea each and it was time to depart.

"I'd…I will do as you say, taichou, however…I would feel more comfortable if I could be with you."

Kensei looked at the lost, empty expression that threatened to overtake his fukutaichou's eyes.

"Shuu. The 9th division depends on us. We have to be its leaders and frankly, we suck at it. You do everything for everyone and are unable to delegate because you're too busy being polite. I can't swing a dead cat without stepping on people's toes. We have to go out there and form what Unohana-taichou calls "support networks". That means, connecting with friends again. I hate doing it again – nobody's the same after a hundred years." There was a faraway look in Kensei's eyes for just a moment and then he turned to the younger man again.

"Shuu. The 9th can't stand on its own two feet until its captain and lieutenant don't learn how to stand strong as well."

Shuuhei straightened, his mission now clearly defined.

"Yes, taichou."

"Let me walk with you. It's my way."

XDXDXD

He almost felt bad for his fukutaichou, the younger man's tension imbuing the air around them.

"Here, let me spot the first round," Kensei said gruffly as he dragged Shuuhei to the table. They shared the first round of drinks with Matsumoto, Kira, Iba, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Renji. They all sipped their sake carefully, making sure not to spill on the 6th division fukutaichou's formal, silk kimono. He looked striking with his hair down, side braids tied back in the middle. The crimson waves spilled over his brand-new, navy blue garment, a thin layer of white peeking underneath, white Kuchiki mons embroidered in five traditional locations. The silver and grey obi was patterned with a discreet sakura pattern.

"Well I better go, then. Wish me luck," Renji grinned, adjusting Zabimaru by his side and taking off in quick flash-step.

"What's the occasion?" Shuuhei asked.

"A family dinner, he'd said." Yumichika's voice had a playful lilt to it. "I hope he survives it."
"Che, it's only twenty people. It's not like he's meeting the whole clan." Ikkaku's belligerent voice sounded from the other side of the table. "He'll be fine."

Kensei leaned over to Shuuhei. "See? It could be worse. You could be meeting my family, all dressed up. Instead, all I'm ordering you to do is have some fun."

With those words, Kensei stroked his back discreetly and disappeared out the door.

XDXDXD

The morning sun poured in through the brightly scrubbed windows, reflecting off the white walls and bouncing directly into Shuuhei's eyes.

"How are you doing, Hisagi-fukutaichou?" asked a solicitous voice. An unknown voice. Shuuhei worked hard to crack his eyes open and groaned at the brightness of the room.

"Uh…where am I?"

"You are at the 4th division, Hisagi-fukutaichou. Here – you will need to use this bedpan."

Bedpan?

"No…" Shuuhei blushed at the young woman's insistence. "I will walk to the rest rooms, thank you though."

"Your broken leg won't be mended for another few days, even with kido healing. If you would sit up, please…here, let me help you."

Shuuhei felt a stab of pain suddenly and groaned.
"What happened?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Muguruma-taichou croaked from the other bed.

XDXDXD

Once their morning needs were taken care of and they were fed a bland hospital breakfast, Kensei decided it was time to give his young lieutenant some tough love.

"Shuuhei."

"Yes, taichou?"

"What the fuck were you doing last night?"

"I don't remember."

"Try."

XDXDXD

"…and that's an order, fukutaichou."

"Hai, I will have fun, taichou."

Matsumoto whooped as soon as Kensei left and ordered another round of drinks.

XDXDXD

"…OK we've been drinking how long? And I'm drunk and with friends but I still don't feel a sense of fun."

XDXDXD

"…wow, your Soul Phone can play Living World music on it? Lemme see…"

"…betcha we can dance to it…"

"…betcha a round of drinks you won't dare dancing on the table…"

"…I will if you will…"

XDXDXD

Baka! You're the only one to get hurt, AND you owe Ikkaku three rounds.

Shuuhei composed his pallid features, met his captain's stern gaze, and composed his voice to be professional and calm.

"Following your orders, Muguruma-taichou, I did my best to find out how to have fun. My activities included drinking, swearing, and dancing on tables with members of the 11th division. Unfortunately, I was the only one to fall and break my leg. My zanpakutou also informs me that I still owe 3rd seat Madarame Ikkaku three rounds of sake. I apologize, taichou…it will never happen again."

Kensei looked at the young man in the bed across the isle, his hair in mussed and tousled spikes, his eyes sunken deep and accentuated by dark circles.

"Did you have fun, Shuuhei?"

"…I think so. At least, I must have come pretty close." He saw his fukutaichou still for a bit.

"My zanpakutou informs me that I did, indeed, have fun."

"Good. I want you to do this again. This time, try not to break anything."

"Taichou."

"What, Shuuhei?" Kensei growled his reply.

"Did you have fun?"

"Oh yeah. I sure did."
"Is that why you're at the 4th division, too?"

Kensei rose on his elbow, his hospital gown sliding down to reveal a bandaged sword-cut which must have broken his collar bone. A close call. He saw Shuuhei take note of it and shudder.

"I followed orders, too. Unohana-taichou instructed me to forge bonds with fellow officers to ease my repatriation into the Soul Society. So I went drinking at the 11th division. After some time, Kenpachi and I decided to fight. He tried to make me put on my mask, but I refused. As a result, I'm here and he's still alive."

There was a knock at the door and Unohana-taichou entered. She greeted her patients with a knowing smile, assessed their reiatsu levels, and applied some more healing to their broken bones.

"Thank you, Kensei, for leaving Kenny in one piece," she said in a low voice.

"Don't mention it, Retsu." Shuuhei was shocked at their informal exchange and was even more surprised to see Unohana-taichou tousle Kensei's short, white hair.

"As scratchy as always." She smiled. "Make sure to write your reports for the Soutaichou. I spoke with him already, but I don't think he fully comprehended the fact that your injuries are, in fact, training-related."