Seireitei. Again. Two weeks later.

Ichigo looked around him but didn't notice anyone familiar. His father sent him so he would check up on Karin. The old man and Yuzu gave him even the whole list of things he was supposed to tell her. Ichigo smiled sadly at the memory of Yuzu's desperate call: "Don't forget to tell her we miss her!" Yes, they all missed his little sister, and it was Yuzu who longed to see her sister the most.

When he reached the Academy, Karin was in the middle of the Kido practice. Ichigo approached the field and observed the group of young Shinigamis. Karin was waiting for her queue while chattering cheerfully with a friend. The other girl whispered something to Karin and his sister looked around quickly.

"Ichi-nii!"

The sensei and the rest of the group followed Karin's gaze and allowed her to get through to him. Ichigo crashed Karin in a hug.

"Kurosaki-san," the sensei smiled at Ichigo. "It's an honour to meet you."

"Hai, arigatou," Ichigo murmured, frowning. "I was wondering if I could borrow my sister for a bit? It wont take long."

"Naturally."

Ichigo smiled once more and bowed to the older man. He followed Karin to her quarters, where he passed her all the messages and wishes.

"By the way," Ichigo noticed. "Is it normal that the instructor let you leave? I thought I would have to wait for the end of the class."

Karin raised her eyebrow.

"It's because it's you, Ichi-nii. The hero of the war."

"Och."

"Yes, och," Karin replied with a snicker. "Well, it's nothing, really. Every time Rukia-san or Toshirou visit me, it's almost the same. I've gotten used to it."

"Are they coming here often?"

"Once a week or so. Don't worry, Nii-chan, I'm not alone here, I don't feel lonely, either. So, you came here just to see me or you're going to take care of some other business?"

" "Other business" being Byakuya, yes," Ichigo replied honestly, ignoring Karin's raised eyebrows. "I don't know, why you don't like him so much."

"I don't don't like him, Ichi-nii. I just think that there are better guys fro you than him."

"Which means that you don't like him, Karin," Ichigo threw with a smile. "Take care. I'll see you soon."

"Just come and say goodbye this time, or I'll strike you with a kido spell."

"Gotcha!"

"Ichigo!"

"Rukia, long time no see!"

Ichigo hugged Rukia carefully and took a good look at her. She was wearing a light yukata, instead of her usual shihakusho.

"What are you doing here?"

"Came to see Karin."

"No, what are you doing here, in the mansion?"

Ichigo frowned hearing her surprised tone of voice.

"What do you mean? Can't I just come and see how you're all doing?"

"You mean, you came to see me? I'm doing fine, as you see."

"Rukia, you are weird. Just like Renji two weeks ago when he stopped by to give me the invitation. What's going on? Is it Byakuya?"

"Nii-sama?"

Ichigo took another good look at his friend. She looked around nervously as if expecting something. He looked healthy, perfectly healthy, but at the same time he seemed a little bit off. And the way she avoided his gaze while talking about Byakuya was also disturbing. And potentially worrying.

"Rukia. Tell me, please, what is going on with you all? Why are you so nervous? And obviously surprised to see me "here, in the mansion"? Where's Byakuya, anyway? I wanted to talk to him before the wedding."

Rukia opened her mouth as if to say something but changed her mind. She looked around again and quickly grabbed Ichigo's hand and dragged him down the corridor. She stopped when they reached the garden. Only then, she let go of his hand and made him sit on the grass. Just where did she take all the strength, Ichigo huffed, massaging his palm.

"Rukia, you scare me."

"Ichigo, why are you here?" Rukia looked at him from above. "Didn't you and Nii-sama had a fight?"

"Yeah, and so what? Wasn't the first time," Ichigo answered nonchalantly. "Don't worry, we'll be good before your..."

Rukia's eyes grew bigger and bigger with every word uttered by Ichigo. She covered her lips with her mouth and stared at him in silence. The boy stood up.

"So didn't the two of you..."

She didn't finish because of the noise from behind them. Ichigo's head snapped in that direction and what he saw made his blood boiled.

In the hallway there stood Lord Haruna and Byakuya. His lover had his head on the side, his eyes closed, and Haruna was trying to kiss him on the cheek. The other man wore a satisfied smile on his face as his hand moved close to Byakuya's hip.

"What the fuck is going on here, Byakuya?"

Although his voice was low and calm, his reiatsu fluctuated dangerously. Ichigo brushed Rukia's hand off his shoulder.

Suddenly Byakuya's eyes snapped open and moved to look at Ichigo. He pushed Haruna away abruptly.

"Ichigo..."

"Ichigo, don't!" Rukia yelled but didn't manage to stop the boy before he approached Haruna and hit him in the face. His hand moved back to his him again but was pushed away by a spell. Haruna took it as an opportunity to defend himself.

"You'll regret this! You bastard! You..."

"Enough!" Byakuya's cold voice cut in. Then he threw Rukia a glance. "And not in my sister's presence."

"An animal!" Haruna's mad hiss was the first thing that was uttered when the three of them entered Byakuya's office.

Ichigo ignored him. He clenched his fists and tried not to hit him again. Byakuya would have thrown him away in a matter of seconds.

Byakuya.

So, eventually the older man got tired of him. Although Ichigo's heart shattered into pieces, he kind of started to understand the weird atmosphere and odd behaviour of Rukia and Renji. They must've known that Byakuya was... And with the fucking Haruna guy, to make the matter worse for Ichigo.

"You're going to pay for what you've done to me, you bastard!" Haruna hissed into Ichigo's direction. The boy ignored him.

How could he be so stupid? Everyone, even Rukia, had warned him. The guy had no feelings left at all, apparently, after his wife's death. They had fun, yeah, but what about it? They had fun, got along... only, somewhere along the way, Ichigo lose the game and fell in love.

They never talked about taking their relationship seriously. It was just Ichigo's wishful thinking. He thought that he was able to manage his behaviour and the fact that they weren't the most peaceful couple of the year. Some part of him hoped for a miracle, after all.

"An animal! A filthy..."

"Shut up."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and with it took almost all his willpower not to attack the man again. He looked at Byakuya but the man remained silent, apparently waiting to see how the situation will develop. He didn't even look him in the eyes. Ichigo's reiatsu grew dangerously stronger again and Haruna started to tremble a little under the pressure. Only Byakuya stood a few steps from them, not moved by the force.

"How dare you, you..."

"I said, be quiet or I'll smash that face of yours again," Ichigo threatened him.

"Angry because someone finally took good care of your lover that you had thrown aside so carelessly?" Ichigo ignored him. "Hey, then tell me, did he also grab your hair when you're going down on him?" Haruna hissed, as if grasping his last hope to push Ichigo to his limits. And this time, he made it.

Ichigo glared at Haruna with hate and was abut to threw himself at the man one more time, but stopped upon seeing Byakuya who took a quick step and slapped Haruna in the face. Ichigo knew that only an idiot would make such a comment in Byakuya's presence, and still hope to remain in his grace.

"Haruna-sama, please, leave my home." Byakuya's low voice, though calm and confident, could freeze the whole neighbourhood.

Haruna with eyes filled with embarrassment and frustration, disappeared without another word.

Ichigo was left alone with Byakuya

"Why did you even come here?" Byakuya suddenly asked with a raise of an eyebrow. "You were the one to leave in the first place."

"I came to see you. Apparently, you didn't expect it."

This caught Byakuya's attention. The older man finally looked at him directly.

"Of course I didn't. You were the one to break up with me, don't you remember?"

"Huh?"

Ichigo's mind went blank. What was he talking about? Break up? Him? When? How...? Ichigo suddenly felt his head spinning. It all happened because of this stupid talk about Rukia and Renji. Everything had been fine before that afternoon, almost two weeks earlier. What did he tell him then? When could Byakuya assume that...

Oh. My. God.

"And to think it's you who always tells me that I'm a child, Byakuya," Ichigo growled angry.

Byakuya frowned, trying to catch up with Ichigo's words.

"Wait, how did it go: "I'm through... do not seek for me... I'm done", right? Right?" Ichigo grew more and more frustrated when he realised the misunderstanding. With a new energy, he continued. "Byakuya, damn, what I'd said then wasn't a break up line! It was a simple argument. Harsh, but just an argument. Do you really believe that I'd throw away all these months we've spent together because of a disagreement?"

"It was not a simple disagreement, Ichigo," Byakuya interrupted him.

"But still, you could at least talk to me before you jumped into some jerk's bed," Ichigo snapped sarcastically.

...Och, yes, he definitely deserved this slap.

But it was worth it, Ichigo thought, when he noticed the wave of emotions that appeared on Byakuya's face. Finally, something more than blank sheet. When he thought about it, it was that simple. Ichigo almost broke into laughter. Almost.

"What's done, is done," he sighed heavily. His voice was soft but serious. Then, with a sudden rush of determination, he added in a clear strong voice. "I believe that I at least deserve some kind of explanation."

"What kind of explanation?"

"Any kind, Byakuya. Was I really that bad? Did my behaviour irritated you so much during these four months? Maybe you simply wanted to..."

"Yes, I was fed up with your irrational, immature behaviour. It that enough of an explanation?"

Sometime in the middle of the argument, Ichigo realised that he was standing barely foot from Byakuya and that Byakuya's hands were shaking. With anger, nerves or irritation, Ichigo wasn't sure. He was also avoiding his eyes again, trying to look everywhere but at Ichigo. The younger man's eyes narrowed again.

"You're lying, Byakuya."

"You're imagining things."

"Och, am I? I've spent many months with you, Byakuya, watching you work, eat, relax, sleep. I can easily tell when you lie to someone."

"Don't be so full of yourself."

"Do you really hate me so much that I don't really deserve an explanation?! Why..." Ichigo covered his mouth with his hand. He finished in a lower voice: "Even despite the unfortunate misunderstanding; how could you do this to me, Byakuya?"

The older man remained silent, still gazing away from him. Ichigo stood there, in front of the man he loved and felt nothing again. It wasn't a regular fight between them and Ichigo knew it. It was a fight between Ichigo and Byakuya's pride. And you didn't need to be a genius to know that a Kuchiki pride was a fine rival.

When Byakuya didn't say a word for another couple of minutes, Ichigo started to give up. He sighed heavily and turned to leave the room.

"I don't know."

Byakuya sounded... different. Ichigo stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder.

"You don't know?" he repeated with a grim chuckle. Was he kidding him?

Byakuya took a deep breath. Ichigo pursed his lips into thin line but stood there in silence, waiting for the older man to continue. Finally, he heard the other man's low murmur:

"You just left me there, in the middle of the forest alone. You disappeared without even waiting for me to explain myself or do anything else for that matter. It was unfair. I felt angry. I assume I simply wanted to make you suffer just as I did then. I..."

"Fine," Ichigo cut in suddenly. Hearing these words, he felt the sudden rush of blood in his veins and the wave of determination and hope. He cared for Byakuya too much to let go that easily. Byakuya admitting that he was actually hurt because Ichigo had left him? The great Kuchiki-sama admitted he felt hurt by his words. On his scale, it was more then the best love confession, Ichigo hummed with a smile.

"Fine?"

"Do you intend to get anywhere near Haruna again?"

"I don't," Byakuya assured him quickly.

"So, as long as you stay away from him, I'm fine and don't hold a grudge against you or anything."

"Why?" It was obviously Byakuya's turn to be confused and surprised.

Ichigo smiled and approached Byakuya to kiss him delicately. The older man was standing now against the wall, he returned the kiss with force, which only confirmed Ichigo's hopes. Ichigo's hands trapped Byakuya in front of him. Byakuya's own arms surrounded his hips, pressing him lightly against his own body. Just like always.

Ichigo pulled away and looked into Byakuya's eyes. He swallowed and pressed his forehead to Byakuya's.

"Because I love you too much to be apart from you, Kuchiki," before Byakuya could say something, Ichigo quickly stole another kiss to silence him. "Do whatever you want with that information, I don't care. But if we are to make it, us, right again, I needed you to know this."

"What if I cannot return your feelings?"

"Then nothing. I go back home, I visit Rukia from time to time. We can be friends, or some other shit that people say after the break up. Whatever. But" Ichigo continued with strong voice. "if you can, we'll go to bed in a matter of minutes."

"Is this a bribe?"

"Do you accept the bribe then?"

slowly giving up, s.