Author's Note:

Hello! Here is the next chapter. I must warn you that it is a little slow, still explaining/exploring details, and is the last of the slow chapters. This is where we see more of Byakuya and also where I tried to heat things up – just a tiny, little bit! :P
Thank You SO MUCH for the reviews – even the doubtful ones!
I promise this is going somewhere.

Chapter 5 is ready. It's called 'The Kuchiki Mansion', contains lots of fun and I will update when the total number of reviews comes to 40!
(Please, pretty please! 40 for 4!)

...

CHAPTER: 4
Sleepless in Sereitei: I

(Byakuya's POV)

Dear Kuchiki-Taichou
My hearty respects and greetings to you!

Please do forgive this rather sudden intrusion upon your time. It seems that one of my usually effective and manageable order-transfers got misplaced and mixed with one of yours. Ah, the postal department must be really underpaid...
The troublesome spell I'm talking about makes objects an irreversible blue and might also increase the amount of anything it touches. Fortunately, the remedy is very simple – just spray lots of clean water on the affected area/objects and they shall reduce in amount to normal. Getting the blue colour off, I'm afraid, is trickier. You'll just have to lick it.
Saliva, with its many medicinal properties, seems to do the trick.

Again, we are extremely sorry for your inconvenience.
The Urahara Shop and I take all the responsibility and as compensation, have sent you a basket of the finest blueberry cookies.

Sincerely
Urahara Kisuke

P.S. While licking might not be something Kuchiki-San would very happily do, the colour is edible and a delicious blueberry flavour (one of my own ingenious recipes)

Byakuya read the note twice. He was back at his mansion after the Calligraphy Association meeting. Many different emotions and urges were blooming in his mind, the least violent of which involved a large grinder and a small Urahara. There wasn't a doubt in Byakuya's mind that it wasn't an accident. Urahara Kisuke and coincidence didn't fit well together.
"Lick it? I'm supposed to lick it?" He closed his fingers around the note, effectively crumpling it. Kuchiki Byakuya did not lick hair ornaments. It was just not something he, or for that matter any other Kuchiki, ever did. A mental image briefly passed before his eyes and his frown deepened.

Extremely pissed off though he was, Byakuya followed through whatever Urahara had suggested. His helpers and mansion managers had the room cleaned out in no time. The blue colour, however, remained and Byakuya wasn't about to ask people to start licking objects. So he just had the entire contents of the room dumped, deciding to personally ask Urahara about another solution to the blue.

Meanwhile, he had his sleeping quarters transferred to another of the many, many rooms in the Mansion.

It was late evening by the time everything was done and Byakuya, truly exhausted, retired early. He was lying down on the futon, staring at the ceiling. Next to him, on a low platform, was the Kenseiken. While he could ignore the blue on most other objects, he couldn't where it came to the precious family heirloom.

Reluctant, he reached out for them and ran his tongue over one. He could immediately taste the blueberry and briefly regretted burning the basket of blueberry flavoured cookies that Urahara had sent him. He held it up, surveying it in the moonlight streaming in through the windows. It glinted back at him, clean and metallic, all traces of blue gone.

Byakuya sighed, resigned to his fate. He proceeded to lick all of the Kenseiken clean and then placed them back on the low-pedestal, happy he could wear them the next day. "Renji will be surprised again..."

Long years of control and a maturity that was forced on him refused to let him lose his cool. He recalled his vice-captain's incredulous look when he had seen him in a rage. But more than anything, he couldn't forget how Renji's eyes kept sweeping his face, following the locks of free hair on either side.

Byakuya had been heartbroken when Hisana had passed away. Some of that pain had healed when he had found Rukia. But he hadn't been willing to let her come close to him. What did he know then that she came with a package deal that included the brash, jumpy Abarai Renji? By the time he had nearly let Rukia die, nearly killed his vice-captain, Byakuya had realised that all his control, all his honour was futile, meaningless if he couldn't protect those he loved. Things changed. He still did keep perfect control, but he wasn't about to deny what he felt or not act just to uphold his honour and pride. Rukia grew closer to him. He even remembered feeling a most annoying, brotherly feeling of possessiveness whenever Ichigo would come around.

Things changed with Renji too. There was an unspoken agreement of trust between them. He trusted Renji and he cared for him. Somewhere along, he knew he had grown fond of Renji.

"And now you want more, ne Byakuya?" Byakuya closed his eyes. He wasn't going to lie to himself: he was attracted to the man and normally a thousand years could have passed and he would have ignored all such feelings but he just didn't want to anymore. "The Elders are going to be thrilled this time..."

...

(Renji's POV)

Renji was twisting about in bed. You couldn't exactly call it a nightmare, but it wasn't a very pleasant dream either.

[Byakuya was running around the Squad Six buildings, hair flying loose. Correction: Byakuya was running after Renji, around the Squad Six building. He was yelling at Renji to stop so that he could cut Renji's hair and pin the Kenseiken to it. Byakuya was drawing closer and Renji tripped in his anxiety to get away. The second's drop in speed was all it took and Byakuya was onto him. When he moved away, he was holding Renji's long, beautiful red hair in his hand. Renji screamed, touching his head to find that he didn't just have short hair, he actually had no hair at all.]

It took Renji a whole 5 seconds to realise that he was screaming and another 5 to realise that he was awake, safe and in bed with his beautiful hair intact. He was sitting up, one hand over his heart, the other tugging at his braid. Renji flopped back onto the futon, growling with frustration.

He didn't know what had scared him more – Byakuya's freakish behaviour or the loss of his hair. "Hair, duh!" he thought, recalling a conversation he had had long ago with Ukitake Taichou. Byakuya had been very short-tempered and impulsive as a kid. The way Ukitake Taichou and Kyoraku Taichou made it sound, the tale seemed a classic Sereitei favourite. "Like today morning..." Renji frowned in the darkness as he thought of Byakuya. He couldn't believe his captain could just pretend that everything was normal at the end of the day. He wasn't even wearing his Kenseiken, for crying out loud!

Renji smiled at the memory and then felt his face grow hot. Byakuya had looked a vision. If only he could run his hands through those midnight-locks once. Or at least, touch them. Renji started to drift back into sleep.

[He would give anything to be able to touch him. Byakuya was sitting right next to him, on the futon. Renji reached up, his fingertips grazing against Byakuya's face and then twisting in his hair. Byakuya was frowning and he batted Renji's hand away. Then, without warning, he shifted and Renji's breath caught in his throat. Byakuya was now leaning over Renji, his hair tickling Renji's neck and shoulders. His face was close to Renji's and his lips were just centimetres away. He could feel the warm breath and he tilted his head, trying to catch those soft lips with his own. But Byakuya turned his head, dipping it slightly. He kissed Renji's neck; a soft, almost chaste kiss.]

This time Renji woke silently. He stared at the ceiling without moving. That was a very, very tame dream compared to what he sometimes saw and yet he was breathing deeply, hot and wanting. He sat up, kicking off the covers. He refused to give in to his need, angry and frustrated with the knowledge that it would never be the way he wanted it. He stood up, grabbed a towel and stomped out of the room. "We'll see how excited we are after a nice, cold shower..."

...

Okay. How was that? That's the first step towards our little goal of getting them together!
Hehe...I know it isn't much and I'm going slow on the action, but trust me, my overworked brain is coming up with devious little plots.

Chapter 5 is written. Like I said, it will be put up when the total reviews comes somewhere close to 40! Please guys, 10 reviews per chapter is not asking for much!

Love you, thank you for reading!
Moonlitpride