AN: Hello again. I decided to update again. Thank you for your reviews. I hope that you will continue reviewing and giving me nice ideas and advises.

Chapter 4

How to court a noble: Made simple. Step 2: Chaperones from both sides must be present all times. Each chaperone must represent individuals own background.

After Byakuya had accepted Renji´s proposal and informed the matter to the Kuchiki counsel by hell butterfly, the whole quiet and awkward scene had changed by a storm called Rukia. She had suddenly stormed inside the office to congratulate her Nii-sama and her best friend. With a less than ten minutes Renji had been whiskered out from the office to formulate the next step. This was to find the chaperones for the now courting couple. It was a rule that they were simply not allowed to meet each other in the next month with out both of their respective chaperones with them. For Byakuya it had been a surprise that the young woman had suddenly appeared and taken control but when he had been gently and politely coaxed back to Kuchiki Hall by an equally enthusiastic Kuchiki Hidehiro the stoic man had no choice. The matter he had wanted to do with precise protocol and care was now taken from him and given to someone else. Sixth Division was left in the care of the third and the fourth seats, whom were not as enthusiastic about their suddenly increased work load.

This current moment found Renji and Rukia sitting inside a small cottage in the outskirts of Inuzuri. The cottage was small, ugly from the outside, but surprisingly warm and cozy from the inside. It was decorated with small furniture, fire was warming the small house on the fireplace and food was cooked for the guests arrive. It was located on the riverbank where Renji and Rukia had spent their youth. The small cottage had been their save haven and it was one of the rare places that was actually owned by the habitant. The person who lived and owned the place was one of their closest friends who still lived in Inuzuri. The person had sponsored their education at the Academy. How he had managed to gain the money was never spoken about.

Renji and Rukia sat on one side of a small table that was in the middle of the cottage, on the table tea was laid to be offered and few home made cookies were there as well. Renji was practically stuffing them on his mouth as it was the first food he had seen in the past twelve hours. He was hungry and his instincts were screaming that it was better to eat now or it might be too late. On the other side of the table one could hear enormous laughter emanated. A man with brown hair, wide green eyes and small but strong stature was almost lying on the table top shuddering with laughter. He stopped for a while to take a deep breath, looked back at his two guests, pointed at Renji and started to laugh again. Rukia was twitching and without any warning she hit the laughing man on the head. The man quieted and rubbed his head muttering that Rukia still had a good aim.

"Takao-san, be quiet. This is serious matter. Renji has proposed Nii-sama and he has accepted. They have one month time to court officially before they are wed. So according to the courting rules Renji must have a chaperone with him who is from the same background as himself. You are the best choice as you are almost practically his brother. There is no other choice and I will not hear any disagreement. Here, I have copied some of the main rules for you to read and you will learn them by this evening when you are to arrive to Kuchiki Hall.!"

"Che, yer serious are ye Rukia-chan? What did ya feed yer brother to him accepting the bonehead? Imma know Renji got a thing for yer brother but I assumed he never like Renji back. Weren´t him tha be some stuffy person who has a stick up his ass?.. Oooh, ye did not get ta do it wit him did ya Renji?" Green eyes were laughing until he was hit in the head again.

"Don´t be rude. Of course Renji did not do anything with Nii-sama. He can do that after the wedding as much as he wants. Now Takao-san listen to me…"

Renji wanted to hide. His face was dull red. He said nothing and continued to eat. Takao´s cooking was best to eat fast as it still might be his last meal. So while eating he listened Rukia informing half of her plans to Takao who was now getting more serious, nodding occasionally to Rukia as they ended up planning rest of Renji´s life. All he had really wanted to do was to ask his taicho for a small date. Was it too much to be asked?

While Renji was contemplating his current order of his life Byakuya was sitting right in front of his furiously blushing and apologizing cousin. The man was respective and had apologized Byakuya of his and Rukia´s involvement. Byakuya could have been angry, but he had realized that without the involvement of these two the redhead would have probably still kept quiet. He respected his cousin knowing that Hidehiro would have not gotten involved unless the man would have approved. It warmed Byakuya that Hidehiro wanted everyone around him to be happy and in same time it made Byakuya sad that Hidehiro had not found a person to be by his side. Maybe after all this courting is done Byakuya should repay his cousin and order a banquet for the man, where he might find his intended. After agreeing that everything was alright between the cousins they spent the afternoon repeating the rules and regulations of the courting. Rukia had informed there would be another person joining to the house. Renji´s chaperone had been given a permission to enter to Seireitei and to visit and reside for a while at the Kuchiki Hall. Byakuya had some knowledge of the man and he had a small respect toward him. Without him Renji and Rukia would have not entered the Academy.

During the time of the courting Renji was also to reside at the Kuchiki Hall, sharing the rooms with his chaperone. Byakuya was not sure how he could manage to live in the same house with Renji without being able to actually spend any private time with the man. Byakuya knew it would be hard.

Evening came and all the residents of the Kuchiki Hall were present. They were waiting for Rukia, Renji and his chaperone to arrive. Most of the Kuchikies had made a bet that the fukutaicho of the sixth and his unruly chaperone would make themselves a complete fool and leave the premises before the night would be over. This expectation made both Byakuya and Hidehiro nervous. The residents were gathered to a large dining room having separated seats for Byakuya and his chaperone and seats for Renji and his chaperone. The foods were laid out for everyone and the whole atmosphere were tense. Byakuya had dressed himself in fine, but simple shihakusho and haori. The color of his outfit was dark purple. On his head there laid his kenseikan. Hidehiro had dressed himself similarly, only the coloring being dark blue and he supported not ornaments on his hair.

Suddenly the doors opened and Rukia entered to the room dressed in simple but ornamental kimono. She took her place among the Kuchikies and reassurely smiled at her Nii-sama and Hidehiro. Only few moments later two figures opened the fusuma again. Both men were bowing with deep respect and waited the invitation to enter. Hidehiro ordered them inside with a calm voice and the men sat on their designated places.

Renji sat in front of Byakuya, and the small man who entered the room with the redhead sat few steps behind him. Most of the Kuchikies had thought the two Rugon men would be appearing with mud and dirt on their faces and rugged clothes. But now they were seeing both of the men dressed in their finest. Renji had braided his long hair, still hiding his tattoos on his fore head by a small cloth. He had dressed in a simple yet very clean and well cut shihakusho and haori, which was made from fine cotton. The colors were dark green and there was a hint of red. The small man was dressed as well as Renji, only his hair was a bit unruly and his clothing was dark red. They said their thank you and greetings.

Byakuya was mesmerized. He had never seen Renji dressed like this. Most of the time he had seen the red head wearing the standard shinigami outfit or that ridiculous pink yukata he wore in the evenings. When Byakuya looked at his cousin he saw him staring. It made Byakuya at bit jealous, he did know that his fukutaicho was a very attractive man but it would not help if his chaperone was attracted to him as well. But when Byakuya took a new and closer look he noticed Hidehiro´s eyes glued to the green eyed man behind Renji.

Interesting. I wonder should I begin to find origami papers for the small man to sign. This has never happened before. Hide is usually so unaffected by anyone.

The dinner was to be served and it would start their official courting.

AN2: Please take some time after reading and give me a review, thank you.