Chapter 4

"YAMETE!!"

"Huh?" Brown met purple.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" Renji scrambled out from under Yumichika was currently had a confused expression on his face.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Renji screamed.

"Yelling after waking is not beautiful at all. No wonder I'm prettier than you."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT BAKA!!"

"I was waking you up. I think that would be obvious to even a drunken Ikkaku."

"Are you implying something?" Ikkaku scowled.

"Only the fact that you're brain is as shiny and empty as your head when you're drunk."

"YUMICHIKA!!" The two proceeded to chase each other around the roof while Renji could only watch on in irritation.

"GOOD MORNING ICHIGOOOOOOOOOO—AHHHHHH?!"

"SHUT UP OLD MAN!! GET A FREAKING LIFE!!"

"Onii-chan, breakfast."

"Ichigo, SHUT UP!!"

"YUMCHIKA!!"

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

"GET AWAY FROM THERE OLD MAN!!"

"NEEEEEEEEE-SAAAAAAAAAAN!!"

The day had only started and Renji's veins were already throbbing with irritation. He really missed his own apartment…come to think of it, he would prefer going to the office right now and doing paperwork.

"Ne, Renji, dou shiteru?" Rukia popped her head out the window and suddenly, the entire buss of activity stopped and Renji felt like a deer in headlights.

"Come to think of it, you were yelling very unbeautifully in your sleep." Yumichika added, head in a grapple hold from Ikkaku.

"Something wrong?" Ichigo popped out as well, shoving Rukia a little which earned him an elbow to the chest.

Renji shook his head. "It was just a dream."

"A dream that makes you yell out stop?" Yumichika grinned. Suddenly, his face was entirely in Renji's with an evil glimmer in his eyes.

"Masaka, could it be," Yumichika chuckled. "You were having one of those dreams."

"Eto, what do you mean."

The leering face got closer causing Renji to shrink back and huddle between Rukia and Ichigo.

"THOSE dreams, Abarai," Yumichika grinned. Renji blinked twice, then his face turned as red as his hair.

"N-N-N-NANI?!" the red head shouted, steam coming from his ears while Yumichika laughed. "NOT EVERYONE IS A PERVERT LIKE YOU!!"

"Then why would you yell out stop so beautifully?" Another deadly sparkle. "Unless you were in the midst of being dominated by your love?"

Yumichika stood proud and acted in shimmering light. "Yamate, Kuchiki-Taicho." Saying in his best moaning voice of anguish.

Renji twitched, Ikkaku was picking his nose clueless of what his partner was ensuing, Ichigo had a nosebleed, while Rukia looked as if she was about to pass out.

"You…you…you…HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!!"

The entire roof burst into activity as Renji ran for a punch but Ikkaku of course blocked. The rest of them followed trying to break it off. In the end, it was Ichigo going at Ikkaku while Yumichika chatted with Rukia, leaving the exhausted, freshly awake Renji to his thoughts.

Clawing with every last bit of energy left, the figure tried to rise but was forced into the dirt once more as a foot stamped down hard onto his back.

"Not so tough now are ya," a harsh tone ground out, matching the malice with every grind of his foot. "Are ya shinigami?" Everything faded to black.

The tattooed shinigami's hands tightened against his head and hamaka. It was just a dream. Besides, he couldn't even see who it was that was running. For all he knew it was just another unnamed unfortunate enough to be caught in the wrong parts of a hollow world. Then why, why did his chest hurt so much.

"Byakuya…" he whispered.

"Ah, see, he's dreaming again." Yumichika giggled.

"WHY YOU!!" Those thoughts were lost to the wind.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Back in the Seireitei, the great Kuchiki Byakuya sneezed on his walk.

"Byakuya," a breathless voice called down the halls. The even, measured steps did not pause on their journey, listening with a small smirk at the frustrated huff and more panting as the heavy feet ran to catch up.

"Byakuya." The feet came to a stop as cold grey eyes turned to meet the soft silver that was twinkling.

"Ukitake, may I ask what is it that you want with me?" Byakuya stated.

"You know what today is right?" a huge grin was followed by a chuckle when the silver saw the slightest irritated twitch of the noble's eyebrow. "It's Yachiru's birthday."

Another twitch and a curt nod before the noble once more turned back to continue his walk. That was when a bright pink blob tackled him through the dojo window but Byakuya was smart enough to shunpo behind Ukitake before impact.

"EH?" The small girl stood and pointed up at Byakuya. "Coughy candy is on the ground?"

Byakuya simply kept his eyes cool and controlled before reaching into his haori sleeve to pull out a bag of high sugar content items, not candy, no the great Kuchiki Byakuya does not carry around candy with him.

'Senbonzakura Candyoshi,' the Kuchiki heir mentally sighed as he flung the bag into the air. It was to be chased for a good 3 miles by a very eager and hungry 11th division birthday girl.

"Good day to you Ukitake."

Laughter that came from behind him was cut short at that statement.

"Byakuya, where are you in a rush to?"

"I have business to attend to."

"I notice that Abarai is not around to accompany you today."

"He has a mission in the real world."

"Soka…" Byakuya froze at the soft sigh in that voice reached right to his ear as a slender had settled itself onto his shoulder.

"Hanashiteyo, Ukitake Jushiro."

"You are certain that you know what you are doing Byakuya."

"I'm late."

"Then I will let you go."

A shunpo later, the noble was no where in sight.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Has it begun?" a rich voice called out in the darkness.

"Only as clockwork can give you." A thicker voice replied.

"And it cost us less trouble than expected." A snakes giggle continued the conversation.

"I told you. There is nothing to worry about when it comes to him."

Excited whispers began through the crowd gathered in the shadows.

"Hontoni! This is amazing."

"I'll have a new toy."

"Someone's whose beauty can come slightly close to mine; I don't have to accept it anymore."

"I want firsts though. He looks so…delectable."

"You know you can't do that." An even voice cut through the excited chatter leaving silence in its wake.

"And you made you the boss?" an irritated female voice snarled. The whispers of them wanted first began to howl through the chamber.

"Know your places." The rich voice boomed over, causing the whispers to once again snap silent. "I do not remember any of this being up for discussion." The silence continued broken only with hurried whispers of apology.

"You know what to do."

"Of course," the crowd of the shadows vanished as a single white robe fluttered to the exit. "I have to make preparations for the new guests."

*******************

Japanese Translations:

Yamete: Stop

Masaka: No way

Hanashiteyo: Let go

Hontoni: Really