Disclaimer: All Bleach characters are property of Kubo Tite, not me.
Note: First of all, thanks to all who reviewed!
Now I've read all your ideas, I feel my solution sounds a bit stupid, but hey, it's like drunken men are, ain't it?
Anyway, I hope you like it!
Chapter 4:
When Shihana arrived at the office the next morning, both Byakuya and Renji were already there, buried in work.
"Good morning, Byakuya-san, Renji-kun", she greeted them in a polite but monotonous voice.
She sat down and had just picked up her brush, when Renji said: "Where've you been yesterday, Shihana-san? Nursing a hangover?" He grinned at her disrespectfully.
Shihana cast down her eyes, still disturbed by the last day's events. Then she sat up straight and looked him in the eye.
"Yes", she said. "How did you know?"
Then she turned around facing her papers again and hoped he wouldn't inquire further.
Renji was a bit confused. Why had she just admitted that so easily? He threw a glance at the taichou. Byakuya didn't give the slightest sign of even noticing their dialogue. Still thinking, Renji went back to his own work.
He cleared his desk fast enough to have some time to spare for lunch.
Ikkaku, Hisagi, Renji and Kira were sitting in the shade of a large tree, discussing their revenge.
"Is it really sure, they did that?" asked Kira.
"Ya did hear Hitsugaya-taichou screaming, didn't ya?", gave Ikkaku back. He took a swig of sake. "And I'm sure I heard someone gasp earlier from the direction of the roof."
"Yeah", agreed Hisagi. "Just when Renji walked in." He winked at the Red-head.
"Because of my breathtaking sexiness", Renji stated smugly.
"Because they were shocked to see ya sorry ass", said Ikkaku. Renji sprang up and grabbed his friend by the front of his uniform. "My ass ain't sorry!", he roared.
"Whatever", drawled Hisagi. "We were just discussing what to do about it."
"Um, my ass?", asked Renji, confused.
"No, the revenge on the women", pointed Kira out.
"Oh, right", said Renji and sat down again, accepting Ikkaku's sake bottle.
"We could offer them Rizinus-spiked sweets before a Captain's meeting", pondered Ikkaku.
"Wouldn't that be to our discomfort, too?", said Hisagi. "Let's try this breast enhancing experimental Kido I heard Kurotsuchi-taichou speak about. That would be a looker", he smiled dreamily.
"And have Matsumoto being squashed to death by her boobs?", remarked Renji. "Hitsugaya-taichou would make four nice little ice sculptures of us."
"Hmmm..."
They were still pondering, when the pair of afore mentioned boobs appeared between them.
"Yo", said Matsumoto. "You all know it's my birthday in three days. So there'll be one hell of a party in the living world, at Urahara's. I wanted to do it at Orihime's house", she added thoughtfully, "but the geezer overheard us and made this offer. I guess it's just as well. See ya!" Waving, she left.
When she was gone, Kira asked: "What do we get her?"
Renji's face lit up suddenly. "That's it!", he shouted, excitedly jumping to his feet. "We don't get her anything." Three sceptical faces looked up to him, mouths already opening to protest. He silenced them with a wave of his hand.
"She got her present already when seeing us in the bath, didn't she? So we'll just rush in, totally pissed and give her an unwrapped bottle of sake. She'll hate it!"
He looked around for the others. Ikkaku and Hisagi were nodding feverishly, only Kira didn't.
"But", he protested, just to notice the others had already changed the topic. Kira rolled his eyes. Well, he wasn't into something like revenge anyway.
At the office, Byakuya wished for the time to pass more slowly.
Every finished document brought him nearer to the moment when there wouldn't be any work left.
Then he would have to make his visit. The visit he had dreaded the whole day. He just didn't know what to say to Shihana's parents. He couldn't very well meddle in their private affairs, could he? He sighed. He had promised Rukia and he knew Shihana was really miserable, he was obliged to do the best he could.
Byakuya didn't notice when his cousin and then his fukutaichou left and darkness crept into the room. There were only two papers left. Now one... work was finished.
Reluctantly, the head of Kuchiki house stood up. He smoothened his haori and faintly touched the kenseikan, as if for luck. Then he left for the manor.
"Kuchiki Byakuya-sama would like to speak to you immediately", said the servant.
Kuchiki Shimaru looked up from what he was reading. He nodded and closed the book.
A moment later, the head of house stepped in. Shimaru made a slight bow and Byakuya inclined his head lightly.
"Is Ayasi-san also here?", he asked.
"Yes", answered Shimaru and called for his wife. She too bowed to Byakuya, then the three of them sat down.
"I am sorry to disturb your quiet evening", began Byakuya.
"It is an honour for us to spend time with you Byakuya-sama", said Shihana's father.
"I wanted to discuss the upcoming marriage of my cousin, Kuchiki Shihana", Byakuya continued.
"First I offer you my congratulations. Shihana has grown to a formidable young woman and every man who becomes her husband is very lucky, indeed." The parents looked at him calmly and Shimaru nodded for him to continue.
"But it has come to my attention that she does not feel ready to bind herself yet."
Shimaru answered, a trace of unveiled anger in his voice: "It is not her place to question our decisions."
"I am aware that this marriage is very important to you and that the choice of her husband is a delicate matter. Still, I beseech you to ask yourself what the consequences for Shihana are, were she to marry someone she does not love. Yes..." he held up a hand to silence Shimaru. "I know you do not consider this a problem. But Shihana is not like you and me. She is unable to go against her feelings. It might break her lovely spirit, if she was forced to repress all her cravings. You do realize that her ability to move and be moved so deeply makes her the person she is."
"What do you expect us to do, Byakuya-sama?" spat Shimaru, now very irritated. "Should we lay the future of our family on the whims of a young woman who does not know what she wants? It is a shame to admit, but we are ruined, if she does not marry a wealthy man."
"Kuchiki house will not allow its family members to live in misery", answered Byakuya regally. He took off his white scarf and laid it on the table where it looked like a river of liquid pearl.
"You know how much this is worth. Should bad fortune come upon you, I will not hesitate to trade it in for the sake of Kuchiki house. We are family, do not think we would ever abandon you." He picked up the scarf again and wrapped it around his neck.
"I expect you to think about what I have said. Do not make rash decisions, for Shihana's sake." With these words he stood and said good night.
Byakuya let out a heavy breath when the door of his own quarters had closed behind him. It had turned out just as he had expected it to. They were stubborn, but perhaps possible to sway. He hoped his words hadn't been in vain. He had held his promise, the rest was up to fate.
Coming up next: the party with more Matsumoto, Ichigo is introduced and... will Shihana make her parents proud or not? Find out soon^^