With its customary splendor, the sun rose over the Kuchiki mansion.
The sakura garden responded in ways ordinary senses were too blunt to appreciate. The subtle lightening of the sky, the color alterations at play, the way the breeze drifted gently, the cool hints of night still drifting away. The trees transformed silently from dark, amorphous shapes lost in shadow to sprawling sentinels, their elegant forms greeting the morning with a gentle rustling. The flowers opened in a silent crescendo to the faint early rays of sun. Birdsong was at its brightest and liveliest, greeting the day with a symphony of delight.
Sitting silently amidst the dawning flora and fauna, Byakuya drank in the morning splendor with a quiet appreciation. While he had always been an early riser, it had been decades since he had done so in the lush garden. Before he was married, he was too young and brash to enjoy the simple pleasure of dawn. Since Hisana's death, even such simple revelry had been tainted for him. Now, though, he found he relished this chance to start his day, enveloped by wakening nature.
In fact, he was relishing quite a few things lately. More than a year had passed since the War, since he had woken and found himself so unexpectedly married. The introduction of Kazumi into his life had changed things for him, indelibly. The charged energy between him and his un-asked-for wife had inevitably erupted, giving way to the maelstrom of roiling emotions and passions that – for him at least – had lain dormant for far too long. No matter the reasons for it, since the day of their consummation the incendiary effect Kazumi had on him had not waned. Though the fires may have been stoked by his initial frustration, Byakuya found a smoldering burn lingering in his soul, the intensity of his attraction to her simmering in a way that was intoxicating.
Even within his own mind, Byakuya was forced to admit to himself that life had improved. While he had worn his guilt and loneliness like a familiar cloak, he found the attraction to such miserl paled with some distance. It was...pleasant, to end the day with companionship. Aside from their vigorous and incendiary intimacies, he found in Kazumi a sharp mind and scathing wit, humor delectably combined with intelligence. Often they would spend half the evening exchanging ideas and conversation, and more than once Kazumi's singular insight had proven invaluable to the running of Clan and Squad. How she could so easily cut to the heart of matters, especially when it came to interpersonal relationships and psychology, Byakuya could almost envy. He had long ago realized that he had no talent for handling people. Kazumi seemed the exact opposite, effortlessly navigating the vestiges of mind and heart the way he danced the forms with Senbonzakura. Her grasp of clan politics and human motives were equally astounding, and he found he could lean on her for advice. He had never cared for placating Clan or weaving his way through their constant prevarications; he preferred to slice his way through their objections when he could not avoid them outright. With Kazumi at his side, Byakuya found he could achieve the same results with finesse, gliding through the delicate machinations of politics with a practiced ease that came naturally, with Kazumi's guidance.
And that was not all; after a lifetime of feeling like family was more a burden than blessing, Byakuya found himself the beneficiary of a familial unit that was far closer to those he heard people talk about, people who acted as if family were something other than a curse. Kazumi and Rukia had taken to each other like butter to bread, and together they mothered him to within an inch of his life. Byakuya was loathe to let on that he thoroughly enjoyed it, his own mother having died giving birth to him. Between the two of them, Byakuya's life more and more was inundated with annoying and yet intoxicating femininity. On several occasions, seeking out the company of his wife late in the evenings, he stumbled across a girly giggle-fest going on right under his roof. Though he was known to storm in and disrupt them with a curt demanding of his spouse back, he would never tell either of the women that he would first stand outside the shoji screens and listen for a while. Nor would he admit to the smile that played across his features while he did so.
Now, sitting in the splendor of the wakening garden, Byakuya could admit to himself that it delighted him that his wife and sister were finding such closeness. Silently, for using words was not Senbonzakura's way, his zanpaktou encouraged the feeling within him, of family and all the warm and delicious implications available to people who were not raised among nobility. Byakuya cherished the feeling for a moment before ruthlessly dispelling it. Also without words, he tossed at his sword the intense impression that it was being most impertinent. Senbonzakura did not respond, but as it settled back it emitted the distinct impression that it was amused.
Enough foolishness. Dawn had fully broken, the golden sun extricating itself gracefully form the horizon, and it was time for Byakuya to extricate himself from the garden. As he walked in his usual stately manner back to his rooms, he relished the new plantings and additions scattered with an exquisite eye for balance and serenity amidst the original plantings. Kazumi's African violets flourished in the verdant shadows cast by the sprawling sakuras, and Byakuya was pleased that he had allowed her to plant them.
Reaching his rooms, Byakuya did not bother looking for his wife. Kazumi was an even earlier riser than he was, and she insisted on taking her morning yoga by herself in her private meditation room. She maintained that the solitude allowed her center and a fresh start on the day; her assertion made sense, and was at least half the reason Byakuya had reinstated his own habit of watching sunrise in the garden. By this time of morning, however, she would be refreshed and already away from the manse; not long after their marriage had consummated itself, Kazumi had firmly insisted that she was not a dandy to sit around a manse and pleasure her Lord Husband. She had returned to her healing work, and while she did not share the details of her work or her patients, Byakuya was pleased that she had a life and a passion that she would not abandon.
A small, young part of him wanted her all to himself, grated at sharing her with something from which he was so assiduously excluded. But Byakuya had matured enough over the years of heartache, loss and duty to realize that loving someone meant you did not smother them. It helped that, whatever she had been among the Shihouins, Kazumi seemed to understand that spending her days at her old clan might not be prudent and instead met her patients regularly at Fourth squad. It was important for Kuchiki solidarity for her work to be carried out on neutral ground.
Still, Byakuya had a relatively undemanding day before him. The regular Captain's meeting was not scheduled until next week, his paperwork was unaccountably light, and the Clan was being unusually quiet lately. All in all, Byakuya figured he could spare a few hours in the afternoon. Perhaps he could meet Kazumi at Fourth and share a mid-day meal with her. He resolved to make it happen.
Indeed the morning passed swiftly; paperwork collated and marked so that they needed little more than a glance and signature before they were done. He managed to spend a good hour or so unsettling his vice, who had proceeded to find a generally happy and content Byakuya to be most disturbing. It took little more than the merest hint of a grin to set the red-haired man stammering, and just the suggestion of a joke had him all but beside himself. Still, delightful though such distractions were, Kazumi was far more attractive and before noon had settled itself upon Sereitei, the Kuchiki heir made his way towards Fourth squad in search of his desired lunch companion.
Fourth was quite a maze despite its pristine layout, and even Byakuya was unwilling to poke around another captain's squad without assistance. It was unseemly. Luckily, Kazumi found him not long after he arrived; flush-faced, she accosted him not far past the entrance chambers.
"Kuchiki-sama," she greeted formally, a sparkle of delight and something close to mischief sparkling in her eye. She seemed slightly out of breath. "To what do I owe this honor?"
Byakuya very nearly smiled back, and in public no less. He refused to acknowledge what that said about him; gods, this woman made him forget propriety at all turns. "I wished to seek your company for midday meal, if it pleases you, Wife." At least his request was stated properly enough. People would start to talk if he continued to disgrace himself in public. "Are you able to spare a few hours from your work?"
Kazumi nodded thoughtfully, brow twitching for a moment before it cleared. "I can arrange for that. If you will allow me to delegate my duties? It will only take me a few moments..." At Byakuya's nod of assent, she smiled again. "If you wish to wait in the lounge, I will join you there as soon as I have made arrangements."
"Very well." He could not kiss her in the middle of Fourth squad, so Byakuya forbore dropping an affectionate peck on her brow and turned towards the reception area that overlooked the serenity garden at the heart of Fourth squad. He crossed the room and stood by the window, appreciating the subtleties and intricacies of the incredibly well-laid garden beyond. Designed to be soothing and calming, it was still dynamic enough to inspire, instead of soothing the viewer into sedation. Just the right tone to strike in a place of healing. Byakuya silently commended the design and reminded himself once again to ask Unohana who had done the architecture. It made his own splendid sakura garden look like a wildforest.
A sound behind him made Byakuya turn, but it was not his wife that hovered at the entrance. A lower member of Fourth had made to enter the room, halting at the doorway upon observing its inhabitant. Byakuya cocked an eyebrow as the young woman bowed gracefully and spoke in an appropriately subdued tone.
"Kuchiki-taicho? Forgive me, I bring a message from your wife. It has taken longer than she anticipated for her to extricate herself from her duties. Would you desire to continue waiting for Kazumi-sama, or if you prefer, she could meet you at a place of dining?"
"I will wait." Byakuya noted the slight flush that infused the young woman's face at the mention of his wife's name, as well as the less-than-formal address. "You know my wife?" Perhaps this child knew of Kazumi's work...?
The girl bowed again, flushing with delight. "Oh yes, Kuchiki-taicho. Kazumi-sama has been working here for decades, and has done such good as I cannot tell. It is thanks to her that my grandmother even recognizes me!" Bubbling with glee, the girl impudently met his gaze.
Bya found it almost irritating; was everyone but himself to know of his wife's accomplishments? "Yes? How so?" Half a lifetime ago, he would have been astounded by his largesse in seeking to make conversation with such a lowly creature, but his curiosity took over and to hell with propriety. It annoyed him that this child knew more of his wife than he did.
The young Fourth member swallowed loudly, seeming to realize she was chit-chatting with one of the mightiest and most reticent beings in Soul Society. Still, she raised her chin and continued bravely. "My grandmother is an amazing person, but her mind wandered. Everyone else gave up on her, even Unohana-taicho did all she could, and well..." She trailed off, looking abashed and pleased. "One visit from Kazumi-san and now she's much better. Grandma even remembers me when I go to visit, and the neighbors say she's like her old self again!"
"What did your grandmother suffer?" It was more than polite small talk, Byakua told himself resolutely; what illness could Kazumi heal that Retsu-sama could not...?
"Oh, nothing much. She had a stroke. Unohana-taicho healed the damage to her brain, but only Kazumi-san could do the rest, of course." The girl bowed politely.
"The rest?" If Byakuya's interest was not piqued before, then it was now.
The girl suddenly seemed to realize where the conversation had gone. Her face paled and suddenly, words came with difficulty. "Uhm...well, you know. The rest. Personality and stuff."
Interesting. That tracked with Kazumi's singular insight into human psyche. Something nagged at Byakuya; somewhere in the back of his mind, something screamed for his attention. He could not grab hold of it... Instead, he turned his attention on the wilting Fourth squad member.
"Explain to me, child...what exactly it is that my wife does..."
It was very nearly tea time by the time Kazumi finally found Byakuya. He waited with some interest as she meandered through the manse looking for him; she had told him, once, that she could not really sense reiatsu unless she was in the same room with a soul. It appeared that much, at least, she had not been lying about. He waited with infinite patience while she searched the suite, refusing to answer her inquisitive calls. When she finally entered the room in which he waited, she stopped cold at the expression on his face.
"Byakuya," she said slowly, caution and something else flittering across her face. "What happened? I cleared my schedule, but by the time I went back to reception you were gone." He didn't answer; her face darkened. Byakuya entertained the idea that it was dread.
Well it should be, with what he knew. "Something came up," he stated coldly, his voice like ice. He watched her take a step closer, pretense rapidly draining from her face. Whatever she was sensing from him was getting her guard up, and with damn good reason. When she spoke again, it was with a stony tension that matched his own.
"What happened." It was barely a question this time. Kazumi stared at him, her black eyes hard. If she knew what was going on, she was at least brave enough to face him.
That almost amounted to something. Byakuya, however, was in no mood to be generous. He took a step forward, ominously. His voice, when it came, was dangerous. "Surely someone of your abilities does not need to ask." The flatness in his voice frightened even him. "Why not just read my mind and find out for yourself?"
Kazumi shuddered like a sapling in a strong wind. It was a long time before she spoke, but when she did her face was ashen.
"It doesn't work like that," she whispered. It was all the confirmation Byakuya needed.
"Then tell me, wife," he spat, face like marble. "What is it like, exactly?"
She drew a ragged breath. A spark of fire kept Kazumi's back straight, her gaze shrewd. "What have you been told?" Shadows ringed her enormous eyes, but Byakuya could not have cared less.
"The truth, finally." Byakuya grated hoarsely. "That your 'healing' powers of which you are so secretive is nothing more than the ability to reach inside a mind a twist it any way you like." It was Byakuya's turn to tremble, fury blazing along his limbs. "Broken minds, shattered by loss and horror. Weak, traumatized, pitiful souls who forsake reason under the stress of trauma. Minds like mine, apparently." Kazumi opened her mouth to speak; Byakuya did not give her the chance. "You Shiouin whore. How you and your Clan must have celebrated this victory. You have been Conditioning me to love you from the first moment, have you not?" She started to shake her head; Byakuya roared. "Admit it!" He stalked closer, murderous. "Admit that you have bent and twisted me to your will. Admit that you have touched my mind and altered my resolve. Admit that you made me your willing partner by using your disgusting manipulations." Tears littered Kazumi's eyes; Byakuya saw none of them. "Admit that you made me love you!"
Her head was still shaking, the tears raining from her face like slivery rain; Byakuya found it hard to breathe. Something twisted hotly, deep within his chest, and he found he could not tolerate looking at Kazumi for a second longer. Turning on his heel, he left the room, his final words echoing off the walls.
"You will be gone by midnight; the Shiouin clan can have their filthy seductress back."
The door closed behind him with stark finality.
Like Hell.
Whirling, Kazumi turned and ripped the shoji screen back, following the cold and rigid form of Byakuya into the main room.
"You stop right there, godsdammit!" An inexplicable rage surged up from the pit of her stomach; this moment was inevitable, but the gods could go fuck themselves if they thought Kuchiki Byakuya was going to get the last word in. "Stop!" Byakuya kept walking. Kazumi tasted bile in the back of her throat. "Do you think I couldn't make you stop, if I wanted to!?"
That made him halt in his tracks; her gorgeous, beloved husband whirled around to glare murder at her.
She glared back. "I could reach inside you right now, erase your memories. I could turn you into a fucking lapdog if I wanted to. I have not. I will not, not ever." A silent pause while the energy seethed between them. "Ask me why."
"I do not care." Byakuya turned to leave again.
Kazumi grated at his back. "Yes, you do. If you did not care, you would not hate me at this moment." Again, Byakuya stopped. He did not turn. Kazumi took what she could get, speaking to his rigid back. "You think I can read minds? Alter emotions? Kuchiki Byakuya - that's not the half of it." Trembling with her own rage, Kazumi yelled on. "I can't just alter emotions; I can play them like a harp. That's my talent, and I was fucking born with it and can't do a godsdamned thing about it." Kazumi didn't even recognize her own voice. "I cannot change my power, but I can choose when I use it, and when I do not."
Finally Byakuya turned, the cold, hard look in his eyes searing Kazumi's soul. "And you wish me to believe that you have not used it on me. Not ever." Dark, midnight pools demanded truth.
Kazumi swallowed, hard. Truth she would give him, whether he liked it or not. "Once, with your permission. When you asked me to soothe your pain, and keep your dreams at bay." He stirred, but before he could get too angry she dropped the true bombshell. "And once without your consent. That could not be avoided."
Byakuya took a step closer to her, teeth bared; absently, Kazumi wondered if she would live past the next few moments. For a long moment, Byakuya's lethal fury pinned her before he found his voice.
"When?"
Kazumi worked her tongue for a moment, trying to find enough moisture to produce intelligible words. "When you were dying." It was barely a whisper. Byakuya said nothing, his eyes flashing. Kazumi had nothing to lose by continuing. "I told you, Byakuya-sama, that I...saw in you someone worth saving. Someone I could learn to love..." Please gods, let him see I'm not lying. He doesn't have to believe it yet, but let him see...
Byakuya snapped at her, his tone ragged. "Exactly what did you see, Kazumi?" He grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly against him. It hurt. "Tell me! How much did you see?"
"Everything." It was barely a breath; Kazumi found she could not meet the eyes she loved so much. Her soul howled. "I saw everything. Your father. Yoruichi. Hisana." The last word was barely audibly; Kazumi found herself trembling. "Ichigo, and Rukia, even. Everything." Finally, her eyes dragged up to meet his. "I know more about you than you do of yourself, Kuchiki Byakuya."
The silence was terrible. Kazumi tried not to let the despair and terror overwhelm her; she had known this moment would come. All she had to do was survive it...
It did not keep her heart from breaking at the look in Byakuya's eyes when he finally released her. Cold, almost glazed over, as if he were looking at a total stranger. And a lethal one at that. When he finally spoke, Kazumi felt something within her break.
"Kazumi, if you do not leave my house this minute, I will kill you."