A/N: Long wait, but it is finally here. The second chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, it all belongs to Tite Kubo.


Rukia thanked her captain a million more times before rushing out of his office. Renji was a few meters ahead of her when she turned the corridor. She quickened her pace to propel her closer to him.

"Renji, wait up!" She called out to him, waving her hand. "What's the rush?" He had slowed his pace enough for her to catch up with him. When she looked up at him, his face was drained of color and his eyes were barely exposed behind heavy lids.

Renji felt his patience waning. Normally, his lack of sleep had little effect on his mood, but thirty-two hours of unaccounted sleep had done some damage to the rational part of his brain. "I don't feel like talking, Rukia." He snapped. Rukia paused for a minute, thrown back by his tone.

"Someone needs a nap," she teased. "Call me tonight." She went her separate way. Tired Renji was not a Renji she liked to be around, and tired Renji was also not a very rational version of Renji. Persuasion would not be effective if she tried it now, and she did not want to attend this banquet alone.


Byakuya Kuchiki was not a fan of the annual Captain's Banquet. Years ago, when his wife Hisana was still alive, he had taken her to one. They had spent the evening during the banquet outside, taking in the beauty of the sunset. The sky had in itself carried a sort of aesthetic that entertained both their interest. She had told him that same night of her sister, the past she tried so hard to turn away—escape from. It was that night that she resolved to find her sister, to atone for her actions. He had willfully supported her on that quest, and that night, before the banquet had concluded, the two snuck out for the hills a mile from the lively chatter and music. They sat together enchanted by the colors in the sunset. It was then that Byakuya believed in peace for it was then that Hisana had admitted to him that she had never felt so safe—so peaceful. She had leaned against him when she whispered: "Thank you." Her voice smooth and wispy.

Now, years later, he would be attending without her. This was the first function since her death he'd attended. Byakuya had always resigned to his quarters sending the head captain his apologies for not attending. The head captain had always understood and never pressed him to come. And for that he had always been grateful. But this year, the skies had looked the same as it did back then. The young, handsome captain wasn't sure if his wanting to attend was for the sake of satisfying nostalgia or his way of refreshing his memories of Hisana.

"Brother." Byakuya pulled away from his own mind to find Rukia standing shyly at the liminal space between his office door and the corridor. She was hugging her arms, head tilted down in submission to his authority. Though he had never said it to her, he hated how guarded she was around him and wished she would loosen up. Byakuya regarded his sister with slight bewilderment, but anyone looking in would notice his expression had not shifted from what it was a moment before she appeared.

"Sorry to disturb you, but…" Rukia trailed off. "I wanted to ask, well—" she swallowed her nerves. "I was wondering if you were going to the banquet, and if you were, could I accompany you, " She said it so fast, had he not been listening intently he would have missed 75% of it. His attention wandered passed her. Looking at her tugged slightly at his heart as it always did. She was the carbon copy of Hisana, and for many years, he had never been emotionally stable—never ready to look at her and admit how much he'd missed his wife. It was too hard.

His gaze returned on her. Her eyes were avoiding his and he felt a pang of guilt, his grieving was never meant to push her away or make her fear him in any way. He just didn't know how to truly accept grief without rejecting Rukia.

Coming to terms with his own grief, Byakuya realized how under the similarities, Hisana and Rukia weren't actually that much alike. Where Rukia was abrasive and impatient, Hisana was gentle and perpetually patient. Much more patient than anyone he'd known.

"Have you obtained an invite?" Of course, he knew she had an invite, but saying yes outright was hard. He was going to the banquet, but not to partake in the nights festive. He wanted to revisit the location he'd shared with Hisana many years ago. He would never share it with anyone else; not even Rukia, Hisana's sister.

Rukia jammed her hands into her pocket, searching for the letter. She retrieved it, delighted that it obtained only a few wrinkles. "I do, brother." She proceeded forward, only stopping when she'd noticed she'd entered without his invite. Though, he did not mind, Rukia felt the need to apologize.

Byakuya decided after her thread of apologies to have a terse talk with her about her nervousness around him at some point. He wondered as he watched her small figure awkwardly made its way to the center of his office if he emitted an intimidating aura. Was that the reason for her timid?

"I am to attend, but…" Byakuya noticed Rukia's smile wane after saying but. He considered for a moment another alternative where they both could reap their desired expectations from the night. She would have an escort and he could have time to satisfy his nostalgia. The banquet only ever came once a year. Then an idea came to him. Lt. Abarai could be her escort, if only for that night. Byakuya thought of a way to bring forth the idea without sounding like he was avoiding her company and throwing it onto his Lieutenant.

He turned his gaze to the large window screen adjacent her. The atmosphere, the lack of light emitted by the hidden moon indicated to him how late of a night it was. "Have you spoken to Lieutenant Abarai?"

Rukia's smile returned, but more impish than before. "He's got a date with his bed, he said." Byakuya was aware of the exhaustion his squad might have been dealing with. The entire month he pushed them passed their limits. He could only imagine Renji's tiredness. However so, Renji would have the entire day today and tomorrow to recuperate. There was no reason for him not to go.

"Still, brother…whether he goes or not…" She added, but rather quieter, "—I would prefer to go with family." Though said significantly lower than the rest of her sentence, Byakuya caught it. Perhaps he could attend the banquet with Rukia, and once she relaxed among the company in the function he could leave for the hills. That wasn't a bad plan; he could at some point during the night excuse himself, maintain that he would return promptly, make it just in time for the sunset. Rukia wouldn't mind and the sunset was only a few minutes long. All he needed was a few minutes. A few minutes to watch the sun leave the horizon, leaving its essence of colors. An essence of orangey gold intertwined with the soft pallor pink and blue.

"It is settled, then," he said. "We will go together."

Rukia could barely suppress her excitement as she thanked him. It took all her self-control not to throw herself at him, hugging him till he'd collapsed from suffocation. She remained calm, only for a while until something came over her and she found herself running out his office in a speedy gate. For so long, since her adoption, and maybe even prior than, she had longed to belong. To be a part of something: a family, legacy, a job position. She longed to belong, and now, with just a single invite she would feel a sense of belonging. As she strutted the halls to her room, her energy dwindled down to sustained joy, it occurred to her how nervous she was. She had never really bonded with her brother. Sure, he's been there for her whenever she needed him; fighting battles for her—ones she could not accomplish on her own. He had always rescued her when she needed rescuing.

Memories of Gin Ichimaru extending the sharp end of his zangpakto at her rushed into her mind. That day, Rukia had felt her heart slowed as the life as she knew it flashed before her eyes. She was fated to die, but as luck would have it, the ending blow never came.

Her eyes had been shut, but when she'd opened them, she was still alive, unscathed. No longer dangling from Aizen's callous grasp. Instead, folded over, shivering from shock and fear, she was tucked safely in her brother's arms.

Her brother had used himself as a shield, taking the blow meant for her. He fell to his knees, severely weakened by the blow that had struck him above the heart. He had been panting as he held on to her, his breathing strained and uneven. She looked up at him, mortified at his depleting strength as the blood blotted dark red against his white haori. He had paled from the blow—struck down but never surrendering to the enemy that stood before him. He regarded them with an unmoving glare that gave Rukia chills. Under her panic, she was proud.

That was one of her most terrifying memories, and yet, for some odd reason it had also been a memory she cherished. Her older brother taking, what humans would equate to—a bullet for her. Rukia peered into her room. It was as she left it; tidy and cleared of any signs of use. She had spent a week or two in the world of the living and after that she took a mission down at the Rukon district. A never ending line of work. She was grateful to the three days of rest she would soon be rewarded with.

She thought of Renji as she sat on the edge of her bed. She kicked off her shoes, grabbed for her soul cell and dialed his number. It was two hours ago that she saw him, and she remembered him saying how exhausted he was and how he would sleep himself into a coma.

"Hello," came a tired voice. It was Renji. His tired tone was mixed with annoyance.

Rukia deliberated on hanging up now and saving herself from his snappy antics.

Too late. "Rukia," he droned, slowly waking out of his exhaustion. "What do you want?"

"Just calling to see if you are going to the—

"The banquet?" He interrupted. She noticed how uninterested he was and wondered if there was actually any convincing him. Renji was stubborn, it was better and far easier to trick him and threaten him into doing things. "I might go."

"You might?"

"Yes, might," he said. "I really don't like these functions. It's all fancy dining shit."

She grinned. Of course. He was still the same, rough, wannabe tough, scowl-faced, red-headed boy who lacked manners. He would never want to partake in an event such as this. She, however, did not mind the, as Renji put it, 'fancy dining shit.' She loved it, even. Perhaps it was her brother, the noble lifestyle rubbing off of her a little, but she actually enjoyed the artistry put into parties and banquets. Rukia laid on her sides, her hands holding her head up, listening partially to Renji's disdain for banquets. She was thinking of how she'd prepare, what she would wear.

"…What do you think?" Rukia snapped out of her reverie only catching the end of Renji's sentence.

"I think…" she began, improvising her next response. She wasn't really sure what he was asking her. "What was that you said?"

Renji expelled a breath and repeated.

"Oh," she said. Now she wished she hadn't heard him the second time. "I honestly don't think my brother would find that at all…funny."

Renji told Rukia of his plan to prank her brother. The plan wasn't a bad one, really. It was actually genius. And it would work on anyone, Rukia thought, but not her brother. The plan was to fake an attack on the seireitei only to have squad six quickly apprehend the attacker before any real damage. The problem with the plan was that her brother was not an idiot and would see pass the lie the moment the plan's initiated. Not to mention, he'd be less than impressed for having his time wasted on childish games. If Renji and the squad were to forgo with the plan—Rukia shook the image of her brother releasing senbonzakura on her friend.

"I think I rather stay home and work on that plan than go to that stupid banquet"

"Renji."

"What? you wanna help" He chuckled on the other line.

Rukia scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous," she said. "If you knew my brother, you'd know that this is not a wise plan. He isn't stupid. He'll know before you even execute it."

"You think so?" Renji sounded disappointed, but hope still hung to his tone. "I don't know; seems pretty sound. Besides the goal is to impress him with how fast we complete the mission that he rewards us with a lighter workload, maybe even a break.

"Right." She let a laugh escape her. She switched the phone over to her other ear, changing positions on the bed. Her hands ran through her hair; something she did when she spoke to him during nights like these. Though she never noticed it as a habit or a quirk. Renji was an old pal, going way back when. If there was anyone she could open up with was him.

The line between the two slowed and Rukia noticed things got quiet on his ends. She froze. "Renji?" There was a chance he fell asleep.

"What?" His voice came, delayed. He was tired, she thought. "Listen…Rukia." There was a sense of urgency in his tone that alarmed Rukia. She adjusted her position on the bed. Still clad in her soul reaper gear, she felt the bud of her katana pressing uncomfortably at her hips. She pulled off the holster it hung on and tossed it to the other side of the room.

She was going to prod Renji to continue, but a knock came from her door, pulling her attention away. "Come in." It was her brother, he was dressed in his nightwear, his kensaikan were off and his hair was recently brushed, gathered into a clean low ponytail. His normal look of indifference was replaced with what Rukia thought was his version of concernment.

"Rukia…" He stayed at the door, not entering though she would never have minded if he did. She rather if he entered, his standing outside made her feel oddly uncomfortable, but she didn't have the gulls to ask him to come in because what if he didn't want to and her asking would inconvenience him. She inwardly scolded herself for overthinking.

Rukia didn't bother telling Renji to hold on; she did not want to interrupt her brother.

Before her brother continued, she noticed his gaze wandering to her hand. The one holding the cell to her ear. Rukia felt her cheeks heating up, and without any indication to Renji she pulled the phone from her ears and shot her brother a smile—of which probably lacked authenticity from its feel.

"Since the invitation does not touch on it as it is assumed that everyone is familiar with the practice, the head captain expects everyone to dress accordingly; No vibrant colors of such sorts, strictly black or white."

"Of course," she said. "I will make note of that." She went from the bed to her desk in a frenzy, grabbing for a quill and parchment. She noted on the parchment of the color regulations. Also adding that elegance was expected of the outfits. Knowing her brother, he would not allow her to leave for her first banquet in a milkmaid dress. Byakuya left for his room without announcement and when Rukia turned to thank him one final time she noticed his absence. She held back her disappointment. She reasoned it was too late for them to confer more on the banquet, any questions she had she would keep to herself or ask Renji. Renji! Rukia ran to her phone still lighting, signaling that there was still someone on the line.

Rukia jumped back into her futon, resuming the position she was in before. "Hello?"

Renji sounded unimpressed when he finally responded. "Thanks for putting me on hold."

"Sorry."

"So you're going with your brother?" He sounded amused, mocking even. "That's like taking your mom to an event because you couldn't find a date."

"Well. You refuse to come." Rukia retorted, but then froze realizing what she might have implied. That if he did want to come they could've gone together. As a date. She hoped Renji had missed the implications.

He had. Or, he ignored it too embarrassed to remark on it. "Well. Like I said, fancy dining shit."

"Fancy dining shit," she returned, her tone even and contemplative.


A/N: And that's the end of this chapter.

Hey...Fancy dining shit. ;)

I apologize for taking this long, I do abhor the editing process. It keeps me from a quick update, plus with classes and life my time is limited...please stick around for the next chapter.