Byakuya no chisaihime
Disclaimer: I don't own bleach. I do own reiko and the general plot. :D
"Otousan!" a childish and bubbly voice called as the door to the sixth division office swung open a crack and a diminutive figure squeezed her way through. The red-haired fukutaichou of the sixth division watched with wide-eyed disbelief as the rosy cheeked and raven haired child scanned the room in slight confusion. Silver gray eyes soon lit up as she launched herself over the table at the only other person in the office- the sixth division taichou himself.
"Why are you here Reiko?" he asked in a monotonous tone, grey eyes resting on the small girl in his arms, who was staring at him with a thoughtful smile which soon turned to a pout.
"Otousan. You're faking it again," she scolded childishly. His eyebrow rose questioningly as he shifted her onto his knee.
"You're pretending to be angry when I can tell from your eyes that you're e-e…" she frowned. "What was that word again…Elated!" she happily pointed out. The Kuchiki's lips twitched upwards in the barest hint of a smile. Renji, by then, had regained some part of his vocal ability. Or at least the part that enabled him to swear.
"Bloody Fking hell," he whispered in an awe struck tone, as Reiko's wide and silver eyes turned to her guardian questioningly yet again.
"Otousan! Why can that uncle say that when I can't?" she sulked. Byakuya was already glaring potentially fatal daggers at his fukutaichou, wide hands covering his ward's ears protectively, lest his fukutaichou dare commit the same error yet again.
"You. Will. Not. Swear. In. Front. Of. Reiko. Ever. Again," he growled, his words dripping with malice. The fukutaichou ran a hand through his fiery hair sheepishly.
"Eh… Taichou, is she ya… uh well… daugh-" he was silenced mid sentence by yet another hazardous glare.
"Definitely not." He contradicted with a scowl, eradicating all wrong thoughts from his fukutaichou's mind as he let Reiko slide of his lap.
"Ne, Nii-san, why is your hair so long? Are you sure you're not a nee-san? Because Minako-sensei said that only nee-san's keep long hair. And why is it so bright? It looks like an…. Ichigo!" she declared proudly, tugging at said long strands, from her position on his table.
"I'm not the one with hair like an Ichigo! That's Kurosaki, you brat-ah, I mean, Reiko! And besides, who says guys can't keep long hair? Your 'tousans hair ain't that short either," he protested, his face turning an interesting shade as Reiko continued her curious investigation.
"Also, nii-san, where are your eyebrows? And why did you take a black marker and draw on yourself? You must be a bad boy. Minako-sensei always scolds me when I write on myself, and she gives me a time out. You should have a time-out too!" she reprimanded seriously to a sputtering Renji Abarai whose face was threatening to turn the same crimson as his hair.
The sixth division captain's eyes danced with amusement at the actions of his small ward, as he petite fingers traced the dark markings of his fukutaichou's tattoos eagerly, while he attempted to swat her hands away.
"Nii-san, nii-san! Can I have some of your hair to show Minako sensei?" Reiko asked, clinging on to his back and running her own hand through his hair.
"Reiko. That's enough. Does your sensei know that you have come here?" the Kuchiki heir asked, deciding that it would be best to bring her actions to an end before he ended up smiling in public. Reiko let out a small sigh, but obediently slid off the red-haired teen and ran back into his lap, resting against him, her small fingers playing with the pleats of his robe.
"Eto. I think she would have found out that I'm gone by now, since there was a whole crowd of servants chasing me," she innocuously remarked, eyeing him with wide, silver eyes. The Kuchiki bit back a sigh as he absentmindedly wrapped an arm around her small form and pulled her nearer to prevent her from sliding off or running away. Renji watched his taichous gentle actions with suspicion and wonder.
"Ah…taichou, don't mind me asking, but how is she related to ya?" he asked, eyeing the small girl as she amused herself by playing with the strands of his taichous hair that she could reach, and tracing the neat pleats of his yukata.
"My grandmother's sister's granddaughter's daughter," he replied calmly, his attention already back to his paperwork.
"'tousan, can I wear a kenseikan too when I grow up?" Reiko asked, touching her own ebony black tresses.
"When you grow up," he replied calmly, ignoring his fukutaichou who was busy searching for a video camera.
"And will 'tousan help me draw black marker lines on my forehead like akaikami-nii san (red haired older brother)?" Reiko asked keenly, touching her own forehead.
"Those aren't black marker lines, squirt!" the fukutaichou growled from behind his newly found video camera.
"No. It's unbecoming of a Kuchiki," the noble answered calmly, not bothering to correct her on that point, preferring to hear his fukutaichou's tattoos being termed 'black maker lines'. There was silence for a moment.
Finally: "If I can't have black marker lines, 'tousan, then can I shave my eyebrows?" Reiko asked mildly.
Authors note: Yup, I've started with the more random, and fun to write parts :D I hope you liked this chapter. It was amusing to write, especially Renji, wanting so much to shut Reiko up, but being unable to do so because she's his taichou's kid. Review ok:D