A/N: Alright, you guys, I think I've found the sweet spot for updating times. After taking a week off this story, I felt guilty enough that I actually really felt like writing it again! So I'm going to try to get updates out at least once every two weeks, hopefully in less time than that, but possibly more. I'm not going to promise the two week thing, because long-running fics and deadlines have never worked out well for me historically, but I do feel like getting this show back on the road.

Thanks for the understanding! And also thanks so much for your suggestions! Toshiro's gift to Karin will be featured in the next chapter, along with the names of all of the contributors. I ended up taking two of your suggestions because they were all awesome, although one of them isn't actually a gift—just something that needed to happen.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. At all.


Chapter 7: Moonlit flowers


"Happy birthday!"

Yuzu caught Karin's eye as the greeting rang out in the clinic's dining room, smiling. Karin grinned back, the two of them leaning down at the same time. They both exhaled, blowing out the candles on the cake. Smoke curled upwards from the wisps as the flames died, the invited guests letting out a round of applause. Yuzu straightened up, her eyes moving over the people gathered there.

Isshin, Rukia, Ichigo, Kohaku, Masa, Hitsugaya and Seishin were all applauding, grinning at the two of them and in some cases, cheering, but her eyes moved past them, landing on the person standing at the very edge of the group. Byakuya's expression was as composed as always, but tension in his stance, the way he glanced at the others before looking at her, made him seem a little like a fish out of water. His eyes caught hers, and she recognized the confusion in them, the realization that he really wasn't sure what he was supposed to do.

But when his eyes met hers, he smiled. It was a tentative, uncertain smile, barely there at all. But she caught it anyway.

And she smiled back.


This was not how he would have chosen to spend his evening, but he found that he hardly had cause to regret it. It was true that Kurosaki Isshin was standing with one foot on the table making drunken pronouncements, much to the chagrin of his older children, and it was true that Kurosaki Karin's embarrassed threats to her father in an attempt to encourage him to behave were beginning to edge towards the vulgar, but he was seated between Rukia and Ankoujin Seishin, neither of which were unpleasant company, and Yuzu was happy.

So, that was enough.

'Happy' might have been an understatement. Watching her, as she moved between guests, chatting with her friend, before moving to ask a question from her uncle, before turning to greet whoever had just arrived, she practically glowed. He hadn't realized before how much she enjoyed entertaining, although looking back, perhaps he should have. Affairs like this had always been a chore for him in the past—he was and had always been a very private person. But Yuzu lived for making other people happy. He could easily see her hosting several gatherings as Lady Kuchiki.

The thought gave him pause, and he turned away from her, lowering his eyes back to his plate. He realized that as fast as things were moving, he had never truly asked her how she felt about the nobility. Renteki Shuntaro's comments came back to him, and he realized, as his hand tightened around his chopsticks, that the question went both ways. There was also the question of what the nobility might think of her.

"Nii-sama, is everything alright?" asked Rukia, turning towards him.

Byakuya glanced at her, turning away just in time to miss Kurosaki Isshin flying over the length of the table before crashing against the far wall. He didn't catch sight of which Kurosaki had thrown him—given the way Karin and Ichigo were yelling, he suspected it might have been both of them. He ignored the ensuing complaints from Isshin as he picked himself up off the floor, studying his sister. He realized that he hadn't seen her in a while, all things considered. The past few weeks had been busy for all of them. She looked tired, but well. He had heard that Ukitake-taicho was recovering from another bout of sickness and attributed Rukia's apparent weariness to that.

He knew better, however, than to suggest that she let someone else take over the Division. Rukia, like himself, had a strong sense of personal responsibility. She would not step aside while Ukitake-taicho was ill, and it would be an insult to her to ask.

He nodded instead. "Yes," he said. "Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing," said Rukia, glancing away. "You seemed distracted. That's all."

Distracted. He supposed he was. Byakuya looked up across the room at Yuzu again. She was talking to Hitsugaya Toshiro—the two of them were standing slightly to the side, watching with equal parts amusement and resignation as Karin and her father got into another argument. Ichigo stood apart from the two of them this time, running a hand through his hair as if signaling he didn't want to be involved.

He hadn't yet told Yuzu about the incident with Renteki Shuntaro, nor had he told her about Renteki's nephew's request to transfer into the Sixth. Shiyougi had met with the officer today and had declared him, much to his own apparent chagrin, to be much politer and more respectful than his uncle. Byakuya wasn't entirely sure he believed that, but he had almost been hoping that Renteki Seijuro would have insulted Shiyougi in some way. It would have made things so much simpler.

He knew that she needed to know. He just didn't know how—or when—he was going to tell her.

Yuzu noticed him watching and caught his eye, giving him a quick smile. He nodded in return, watching as she went back to her conversation. He felt oddly…guilty as he watched her speak with Hitsugaya, still wearing that radiant smile. Guilty both for not telling her what was happening, and for putting her in a situation where she would be affected in the first place.

Although, considering how it had happened, he supposed the last was not entirely his fault.

He felt Rukia's eyes on him and realized that she could not have failed to notice the interaction. Sometime in the past twenty years, she had become good at reading him, better than most. She, however, said nothing. She may have already heard about the incident from Ichigo—she may not. But if she had, she kept her thoughts to herself for the meantime. Instead, the question she asked took another turn.

"…Did you get anything for Yuzu, nii-sama?" she asked.

He thought back to the parcel he had left in the Sixth. "I did," he said, nodding.

"That's good." Rukia smiled, turning towards him. "I'm sure she'll love it, whatever it is."

Byakuya glanced at her and would have replied, had Ichigo's voice not drowned out all other conversation, overpowering even Isshin's whining.

"—Okay, that's enough! Oi, Byakuya! Don't you think he's going too far?"

Byakuya turned his head slowly towards his brother-in-law and Kurosaki Isshin, who was clinging to what appeared to be a…poster? The woman in the portrait had hair the same color as Yuzu's and shared some of her features with her. He assumed this must have been her mother.

"Why must I mediate this?" he asked Ichigo.

Ichigo shrugged. "You're the most impartial one here," he pointed out.

Byakuya supposed he couldn't exactly argue with that. He turned away from Rukia fully, facing the scene. "What—exactly—is the problem?" he asked.

He didn't catch the way Rukia hid her smile, lowering her head to chuckle into her hand as Karin and Ichigo started to talk at once and he stood up, making his way over to them.


The dinner ended a few hours later, when Rukia started complaining about feeling light-headed and dizzy. Ichigo left to take her home, and Byakuya seemed to choose that moment to disappear as well, taking Yuzu with him. With half of the party gone, including one of the birthday girls, and Masa and Kohaku not being very spirited on their own, Karin decided to call it a night.

She walked back to Seireitei with Toshiro, a frown on her face as she thought about her siblings. She didn't know what Yuzu was up to, but her twin's smile had been equal parts excited and tentative, as though there was something thrilling or secretive about leaving that way. She thought they might have been holding hands. And Ichigo—he'd left the house with a hand on Rukia's arm, despite all her protests about how she could get home on her own and was fine. He'd been as stubborn as he usually was when dealing with her—with anyone, but there had been a change there too, a noticeable warmth in his expression that she'd only seen before when she thought no one was looking.

Yuzu was getting married soon. Ichigo was going to have a child. And she…

She glanced at Toshiro, walking quietly beside her, as they made their way down the moonlit street. The light reflected off his hair. How many times in the past ten years had she looked beside her to see this exact same sight? It had been so long that she had almost forgotten what it was like to not have him there.

Ten years, and almost nothing between them had changed. It wasn't as if there was anything wrong with their relationship. They rarely fought, they rarely had real issues. And she was happy with that…wasn't she?

She was thirty-two today. In Soul Society terms, that meant absolutely nothing. Would it have meant anything different, if she were still human?

"Toshiro…" She didn't mean to speak, but the moment the name left her mouth and caught his attention, there was no turning back. He looked over at her, and Karin took a deep breath, keeping her eyes straight ahead of her. "Are we…is this okay?"

"This?" he asked.

"Our relationship," said Karin, looking away from him as they walked down the packed earth road. Lanterns hung from poles on both sides of the street, lighting the way. "Is it okay that we're not…" She shook her head, pursing her lips. That was not what she meant to say. "That we're still…" No, still not right. She scowled, and in frustration said, "Where are we going with this, Toshiro?"

He came to a stop. She stopped as well, turning back to look at him. His eyes, bright green, met hers. She caught confusion there, and caution; he thought he understood, but he wasn't sure. "What do you mean?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing," she said, starting to walk again. "It's just, this whole thing with Yuzu. It's making me think. We've been together a little over a decade. Are you alright leaving things the way they are?"

"Do you want to?" asked Toshiro, falling into step beside her. When she looked at him, confused, he looked off to the side, flushing slightly. "…Get married, I mean."

"Are you asking?" asked Karin, frowning at him. "Because now isn't exactly the time, Toshiro."

"I'm just asking to see where you stand," said Toshiro, still not looking at her. She thought she could see the flush on his face, even in the dark. "You wanted to know where things are."

Karin realized that this wasn't something they'd discussed. She looked back at the road, thinking through the question. "…I don't know," she admitted. "I mean, someday, of course. I just…don't know if that day is today. I mean, what's the hurry, right?" She frowned, looking over at him. "What about you?"

"I wouldn't mind," said Toshiro. "But you're right. We do have a lot of time."

"I mean, we're young," said Karin.

Toshiro nodded.

"We still have a lot of work to do with our Divisions."

He nodded again.

"We'd have to find a place to live, which I guess wouldn't be so hard since the Tenth and the Eleventh overlap." She scratched the back of her neck, letting out a puff of air. "I guess it wouldn't be too different from how we are now, except you'd have to live with me. More than you already do."

"We wouldn't have Matsumoto right down the hall," Toshiro pointed out. "Or Madarame and Ayasegawa."

"Or Yachiru, or the captain." Karin snorted softly, quickening her stride. "But let's be real. They'd come over all the time anyway."

"Probably," Toshiro agreed.

"I'm not very neat," Karin said. "Not in my own space, anyway."

"I noticed," Toshiro pointed out.

"I think I'm a terrible roommate."

"Yuzu survived."

"That's because she had to live with me," said Karin. "And she has the patience of a saint. You don't. You have a temper."

"So do you."

"No arguments there," said Karin. She let out a long breath, slowing to a stop and looking back at him. "I can't tell if I'm arguing for or against this. I mean, what would it change, really? Besides my name."

"I…don't know," Toshiro admitted, meeting her eyes.

"And that's it, isn't it?" asked Karin. She exhaled, shaking her head and continuing to walk. "I like where we are, Toshiro. I'm happy with what we have. I guess I'm just worried that…if we change anything, things will change in a bad way. But if we don't ever change anything…" She shook her head. "I'm not a housewife, Toshiro. You get that, right?"

"I wouldn't expect you to be," said Toshiro, frowning. "I know that much about you."

"I can't cook. I'm decent at cleaning, but I don't do it as much as I should. I get into fights and have loud and annoying friends. I'm a high-ranking shinigami in a combat division. I keep odd hours, and there are times when I'm just not going to be home."

"And between me and Matsumoto, I'm the only one who actually does any work," said Toshiro, frowning at her. "You know what my schedule's like. We've been together long enough to understand that."

"Yeah," said Karin, letting out a long breath. "Yeah, we have." She folded her arms. "I guess we don't really have to decide now. At the very least, we can let Yuzu have her moment. It's not like since we're twins, we have to do everything together." They were born on the same day and they had died on the same day. They could do some things apart.

Not to mention, getting married just because everyone else was didn't exactly sound like the smartest reason.

"We don't have to decide now," she said, because Toshiro was still watching her. "We can wait a little while longer."

Toshiro held her gaze for a moment more before nodding. "I agree," he said.

Karin let out a quick breath. "So, that's that," she said, starting to walk again. She turned towards the walls of Seireitei, looming on the horizon. "Come on, let's head back."

"Karin," said Toshiro, reaching out a hand. He took hold of her sleeve lightly, and she stopped, her eyes widening as she looked back at him. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

She shook her head. "Nothing except this," she said. "Why? Did you have something in mind?"

"Do you mind coming with me for a minute?" asked Toshiro. "I don't know if she's still awake, but if she is, there's someone I want you to meet."

Someone he wanted her to meet? In Rukongai? Karin glanced at the empty streets, as if expecting the person to materialize then and there. When no one did, she looked back at him.

"Sure," she said. "I don't mind."


The night was warm, the air heavy with the scent of late spring flowers. Yuzu followed Byakuya as they walked through Seireitei's streets, taking a turn down a familiar thoroughfare. It was still early enough that the streets were full of people, shinigami and other residents of Seireitei mingling in the doorways of softly-lit izakayas or walking down the street in groups of two or three, talking and laughing amongst themselves.

The two of them didn't pass unnoticed. They drew eyes, although nobody stared at Byakuya for long. Yuzu felt her cheeks warm, a small, nervous smile on her face as she looked bck at the ground. She supposed it was only natural that people would look at them, but it still made her a little uncomfortable. A part of her didn't quite believe this was real. Byakuya glanced at her, some slight concern evident in his features, before he took another turn. Yuzu followed, and by now, she started to realize where they were heading.

They passed a familiar clothing store, one that Yuzu had seen a thousand times when she was out doing errands, and turned down a smaller side-street, the path flanked by rows of trees on both sides. Yuzu hesitated, then looked back at him as they continued down that street.

"This is…the way back to the Division," she said.

Byakuya nodded. "I left your birthday present in the office," he said. "I hope you don't mind if we stop there first."

Yuzu's eyes widened, and she glanced away. "Oh—um—I don't mind," she said. As they walked, she looked up shyly, glancing at him. "You…didn't have to get me a present."

His reply was simple, but a thrill, sharp and electric, ran through her at the words. "I wanted to."

Yuzu nodded in response and then, because she couldn't quite trust her voice, fell silent, letting him lead the way.

The Division's lights were still on, the gates swung wide open to let in those that had gone out into the town. Gate guards, the few who were still in duty, straightened up sharply as the two of them passed. Yuzu followed Byakuya, giving both of them a smile and a nod as she stepped through the gates. She hoped they didn't see the color of her face, but as she passed them, she could feel their eyes on her. Yuzu looked away, feeling her flush deepn as she wondered how they would tell this story later on.

She had given up on curbing the gossip in the Sixth—it was the sort of thing that she wouldn't have been able to help talking about if she had been in their shoes. At the very least, the members of her Division were being respectful about it, and they never gossiped in her hearing—or at least, when they thought she was hearing. Byakuya, as always, seemed unaffected by it all. She envied his calm.

He didn't take them through the main doors of the barracks, saving them both the trouble of navigating the hallways that led to and from the mess hall. Instead, they veered off the path and walked through the gardens, into the small courtyard with a side door that led to the administrative office. Byakuya moved away from her to unlock the door and she followed, fidgeting with her robes like she didn't know where to place her hands.

The door opened, projecting a square of golden lamplight onto the office floor. The inside of the office was dark, but her eyes had adjusted enough for her to see by the lamps in the garden. A long wooden box lay on her desk, at the perfect height for her to open the lid without bending over. At Byakuya's nod, she walked over to it, placing her hands on the box.

The wood was smooth beneath her fingertips—it smelled fresh, like it had just been cut. It wasn't the sort of cardboard box she might have used to wrap a present for her sister or her brother. It seemed such a shame to open it and discard it. She slid her fingers along the side, looking for a seam. When they caught, she tugged upwards, lifting the lid.

Her breath caught. Inside was a kimono, folded neatly over itself. In the dim light, she caught the way the colors changed, from lighter colors near the top to darker colors below the obi. She thought those colors might be white and blue. There were ripples of silver near the darker bottom edge, like moonlight reflected on the water of a lake or the sea. Beside the water, she caught the impression of a village on a mountain. Her fingers brushed the fabric. It was so soft that for an instant she thought it might be made of water itself, that her hand would just slip through it.

She had never owned a kimono like this—had never worn one except for the time her uncle had taken her to what had almost been Byakuya's wedding, and she had immediately returned that to her aunt. Her fingers skimmed the fabric almost reverently, coming to a pause as they reached the obi. Here, she could feel the raised edges of the embroidery beneath her fingertips, except for the space where the family crests should be. Those were blank, bare silk beneath her fingers.

"I wasn't certain," Byakuya said. His voice came from just behind her ear, and she wondered when he had gotten that close. "Ryushin-dono gave you the use of the Ankoujin crest. I would not take that away."

Her breath caught a second time when she realized what he was asking, her fingers stilling across the fabric of the obi. He was offering her the Kuchiki crest, if she wanted it. She exhaled slowly, blinking tears out of her eyes that she hadn't realized where gathered there.

"…I can't wear this," she said, her voice hushed. She felt his hand on her wrist and realized that he was standing right behind her, barely an inch separating her back and his chest. "It's too fine for me."

"It is not," he said, his hand cupping her palm. His thumb brushed against her knuckles as she studied the kimono.

"Yes it is," she said, although she couldn't pull her hand away. "I'll look ridiculous."

His lips brushed the back of her ear. She couldn't tell whether or not it was deliberate, but she froze all the same. "You will look beautiful." She didn't say anything, her hand still on the silk. Byakuya drew back, and she wished he wouldn't. She wished that he wouldn't keep coming closer and pulling away, and something about that terrified her, because she wasn't sure what the alternative was—what she actually wanted him to do. Whatever it was, he didn't do that, instead stepping back to give them both some space and keeping only the lightest touch on her hand as he gestured at the box with his other hand.

"There's more," he said.

At first Yuzu didn't move—because how could there be more?—but when he didn't move, she reached forward, picking up a small box that was tucked away with the kimono. She opened it with one hand because the other was still trapped within his and no part of her wanted her to make him let go. Yuzu bit her lip, staring down into the box.

It was a necklace, its design elegant in its simplicity. It was silver, the pendant forming the impression of a circle. The lines looked like calligraphy, like they had been drawn with a brush instead of crafted in silver. A circle, with a flower inside it. A camellia on the surface of the moon.

She actually thought she might cry then—she placed her hand over the necklace and took a breath to steady herself. Yuzu felt his hand lift from hers—she might have protested that, had his hands not come up to take the box from her. The movement made her suddenly aware of the fact that his arms were around her from behind and she felt warmth flood her, making her wish he would come closer again. She was afraid to breathe in case she accidentally touched him, afraid to breathe in case it might make him leave again.

It took him a while to speak, and when he did, she felt like the calm in his voice was more manufactured than usual—like it took effort this time. "…Do you need help?"

Her breathing stopped because this was going somewhere, and she wasn't sure she wanted to go there but on one hand, she really did. She reminded herself to breathe, and nodded slowly, letting him remove the box from her hand. She heard the clink of silver as he removed the chain from the box—it was a soft sound, but in the silence of the space between them, it seemed deafening. He placed it around her neck, and the metal was cold against her skin.

His fingers brushed the back of her neck, moving her hair out of the way. They lingered there longer than they should have before he started working on the clasp. Yuzu briefly wondered why she couldn't seem to convince herself to breathe before his fingertips ghosted across her neck and she exhaled sharply, because that seemed to be all the encouragement she needed. The sound seemed to echo in the stillness, and he tensed, his hands gripping her shoulders briefly before he pulled away.

He was silent for a long time, and Yuzu was almost afraid to turn around to face him. She reached up with one hand to run her fingertips over the pendant, her other hand tangling in the fabric of her robes.

"…Byakuya?" she asked.

He said nothing, and she felt him take another step back. When Yuzu turned, he was deliberately not looking at her, his eyes fixed on the square of moonlight that outlined the courtyard. "…Truth be told, I had no other plans for this evening besides these gifts," he said. "I was wondering if you might like to join me on a walk."

She swallowed, because her mouth was dry, and she realized that he was trying to distance himself from her, to change the subject. Realized, with her rational mind, that that was a good idea, but could not help feeling slightly disappointed anyway. She exhaled, and the disappointment passed. She put a tentative smile on her face. "I'd like that," she said.


TO BE CONTINUED


A/N: Brief explanation of that whole crest thing. A quick read tells me that women are/were not required to change their family crest after marriage. They could continue to use their own crest, their maiden crest, and pass it onto their daughters if they wished. (And a daughter did not need to take on her father's crest if her mother passed one to her).


Omake

Shinigami Women's Association Secret HQ, Kuchiki Manor

Yuzu struggled with her bonds in the corner of the room, sitting up with her hands tied behind her. A cloth around her mouth prevented her from calling for help, and she watched with wide eyes at the activity happening around her. Soifon, Rangiku, Yachiru, Kiyone, Nemu, and some other members of the Women's Association were all standing in a huddle, talking quickly in low voices.

"So, here's the plan…" Yuzu heard someone say. "Kusajishi-fukutaicho, when Kuchiki-taicho comes in through the door, you distract him."

"Okay!" Yachiru chirped brightly, holding up her sword.

"Soifon-taicho will subdue him."

Soifon nodded solemnly, one hand on the hilt of her zanpakuto.

"I have brought along a truth serum if Kuchiki-taicho does not wish to speak," said Nemu, holding up a clear vial. The liquid inside it glowed a noxious green color. Yuzu paled, making a few muffled sounds of protest behind her gag. "The serum is still in its testing phase."

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed. "Um—maybe only as a last resort," said Kiyone.

A pulse of reiatsu threaded through the air, drawing Yuzu's eyes towards it. They widened. She recognized it instantly.

"He's here!" Rangiku said, the members of the women's association quickly running to their places.

"Remember the plan!" Soifon said, crouching down to the ground. Yachiru held her sword and sheath out in front of her, nodding.

The door opened, revealing Byakuya. Even from this distance, Yuzu could tell he wasn't happy. He stood in the doorway, his eyes fixed on Yachiru. She grinned at him.

"Everyone's ready for you, Byakushi~!" she said.

All over the room, people crouched, their hands moving towards swords. Byakuya's eyes moved over them coolly, pausing to linger on Yuzu, before looking back up at Yachiru. "Actually," he said, "I was simply holding the door."

Eyes widened. Before anyone could respond, Byakuya flash-stepped out of the way, disappearing from sight.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!" Ichigo shouted, barreling through the open door with his sword drawn. Reiatsu crackled, and people shrieked as he leaped into the middle of them.

Byakuya appeared at her side as chaos ensued, crouching down to undo her bonds. He pulled the cloth over her mouth down first, before moving onto the ropes tied around her wrists. "Are you alright, Yuzu?" he asked.

Yuzu blinked, her eyes drawn to the cloud of dust and reishi that seemed to be forming around her brother in the center of the room.

"Ku—Kurosaki-taicho!"

"Calm down, Ichigo!"

"Y-Yes," she said, feeling her bonds loosen. "I think so."

"Everyone, run!" someone shouted.

"BANKAI!"