Prompt Number: 24

Artist and song: Jewel "Who Will Save Your Soul?"

Title: Something new
Fandom: BTVS/Bleach

Characters: Xander, Byakuya, Renji, Rukia

AN: Another one from me. :D

Can we please note that the lovely SONG mentioned above is just a PROMPT? Thank you.


A year, a year since Xander had died and arrived in the Seiretei, meeting Byakuya as he awoke in his new home. It had been a year since he had been trained as a Shinigami and assigned to Court Guard Squad 11 under one Kenpachi Zaraki-taicho and his tiny fukutaicho. A year since he had met and become friends with Renji, Rukia, Kenpachi-san, Ichigo, and Momo, since he had meet Byakuya and tried so hard to figure the man out. He knew so much about all of his other friends but he barely knew a thing about the stoic noble man who was in his life.

He knew quite well that Renji was in love with dango in its many forms and was rather easily bribed to do something if he was promised fresh dango. Rukia was, in some way, able to get Ichigo to bring her juice boxes from the human world, being addicted to them much to her friends horror. Kenpachi…well, he was just Kenpachi; he was protective and loyal, inspiring loyalty from his men. Momo had started to date Kira, surprising many of her friends and making them not want to know. And shock of shock, Ichigo was dating the sweet, little Hanatoru. When everyone had found out, Xander had fallen onto his ass, shocked out of his mind.

But for all the trivia and quirks that Xander knew about them, the only one that he knew next to nothing about was Byakuya. He knew that he was Rukias adoptive older brother, was the taicho of the 6th division and was very loyal to those who had gained his respect. Outside of those few tidbits, he knenw nothing. But on that day, they were with Renji and Rukia, heading to their friends graves in their old district, way out there. They were going to pay their respects to those who left this world for a new life, the noble coming with.

Xander idly wondered if he could find out something new about the man.

"Hello, Byakuya-san," he greeted, moving to walk beside the older male. He wrinkled his nose at the suffix that he was still getting used to adding. "I never got to thank you for your help when I first got here. Thank you," he continued, playing with his kimono sleeve. Byakuya just gazed at him from the side of his eye before continuing to watch the smiling duo that walked ahead of them. As he was about to resign himself to walking in silence, the noble next him spoke.

"You're welcome, Alexander-san." The tone was soft and didn't carry over to Rukia and Renji. Xander had to muse about the fact that he was the only one who called him his full name. As he thought of it, he found that he was the only one outside of Rukia that he calls by their first name and he only did that when he respected and cared about. Those he respected were only called by their last name with the added –san. Everyone else were just called by their last name and their position is applicable.

It was quite the revelation.

He paused for a moment in the streets of the district, people moving around him, startled by the revelation his mind had handed him. He was cared for and respected by the powerful nobleman that only cared for and respected a few out of thousands around him. He had, in some small way, proven himself to the man and was surprised that he hadn't noticed it before then.

Byakuya stopped and turned back to gaze at Xander, eyebrow raised. The younger man smiled softly and continued to walk up to him, before they walked together up the hill as they headed for their friends.

Okay, so he didn't know Byakuya all that well, but that didn't mean that he couldn't call the man friend and get to know him in his own way. It would just take a bit of time.