AN: Hope you all enjoy!
It has been a month since the promotion of Ichigo, Renji, and Rukia to the position of taicho.
Ichigo's visiting Seireitei this weekend, and Matsumoto isn't letting him out of her sight.
Renji's learning the hard that just because he has an position as Kuchki Byakuya doesn't mean that he is as good as his former taicho.
Rukia's handling the change the best. While it is not the same as running the division when Ukitake was ill, it was similar enough.
Many were surprised, yet not, that the newest Kuchiki-taicho was able to keep her relationship with Hitsugaya-taicho professional during the day.
Yes, the couple would be seen eating lunch together outside of the office and sometimes holding hands as they walked around.
After hours, if one got lucky, they might see the two sitting on Soukyoku Hill, where Hitsugaya would have his arm around her shoulders with her leaning into him.
Matsumoto would often gossip about how her taicho would finish his work early because he wanted to walk Rukia back to the estate.
Yamamoto-soutaicho was perhaps the most thrilled about the ice wielders' relationship. After all, he got to have some fun, issue out threats, and get the couple together. However, things were a bit more peaceful now. And it wasn't near as fun.
The sky was dark as two figures walked down a street through Seireitei. "Are you sure about this?" an obviously male voice asked.
"Yes. It's just a dinner." came an exasperated female voice.
"Just a dinner? It's at the Kuchiki Estate!" responded the male. "How is that just a dinner?"
"The place has nothing to do with the fact that you are going to be eating meal, Hitsugaya. I eat there all the time." the female answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"It's different. You live there, Rukia." Hitsugaya stated.
"If it makes you feel any better, Unohana-taicho will there as well." Rukia responded with a smile directed toward her companion.
"That's some dinner. Four taicho under one roof?" Hitsugaya said offhandedly.
"Well, it's only going to be two if we don't hurry up. Nii-sama isn't the most forgiving person. And I really do not want another lecture from him." the violet eyed woman stated.
"Another?" Hitsugaya couldn't help but ask, and seeing the blush on Rukia's face made it worth it.
"Well, he lectured me about not walking alone in the dark. How I might be attacked because people might be jealous of my promotion or relationship with you, drunk, or just plain stupid. He also said that I shouldn't always take the quickest way, but keep to the more well lit areas." answered Rukia.
"He would know what to expect. After all, you are both Kuchikis, and now you are also a taicho. I think he is looking out for you, even when he cannot do it physically." Hitsugaya reassured. "Now, I do not want to be on the look out for deceptively harmless sakura petals just because we were late."
Rukia couldn't help but laugh at that. She knew all of Seireitei was waiting on the day when there would be a showdown between Kuchiki Byakuya and Hitsugaya Toshiro. She personally thought that they, too, were waiting for that day.
Ten minutes later, Kuchiki Rukia and Hitsugaya Toshiro sat down at the table. Unohana-taicho was already there along with Kuchiki Byakuya. Violet eyes looked between grey, blue, and teal eyes as silence reigned.
"Kuchiki-taicho." Unohana called, causing both siblings to look at her. Unohana lets out a small smile. "Oh dear, that could be a problem. How will you know who is being addressed when you are both in the same room?"
"Perhaps we should add their division?" Hitsugaya suggested. He didn't run into that problem. The siblings were simply Kuchiki and Rukia in his book. Why must people make it so difficult?
"It should not matter, as long as they can relay their message correctly, we will know whom it is for, and can easily turn away." Kuchiki Byakuya said.
"Tell me, Hitsugaya-taicho, when did you and Kuchiki Rukia get so comfortable together? Even for a couple, you two seem to have a deep understanding of each other." the older woman said, turning the conversation away from its previous topic.
"There has always been a sense of respect between us, even when Rukia was unseated. When she became a fukutaicho, that respect was still there, and it grew. After all, how many unseated shinigami get promoted directly to fukutaicho?" Hitsugaya answered, without really answering the question.
"That's a good foundation, but that didn't answer my question." Unohana pointed out.
"Like I said before, it grew with time. It was a slow process to get where we are today; thanks to Yamamoto-soutaicho's scheming, thought, it happened more quickly." Hitsugaya replied.
"He would just make small comment at first, ad those comments grew into making small talk, and eventually, we got to where we would have conversations with each other without being uncomfortable. Then, with all the matchmaking, the process got sped up." Rukia answered knowing that the other woman would continue to ask until she got her answers, one way or another.
According to the SWA, it's a trick of the trade.
"Yes, but this is something other than friendship. It's like you endured hardships together, and can understand where the other is coming from." Unohana's eyes suddenly held understanding.
Rukia spared a glance at Hitsugaya, who was looking at her. Neither were going to bring up a painful if it hurt the other.
"That's right, Unohana-taicho. Hitsugaya and I are similar enough that we can understand each other, but we are still different enough to be our own person." Rukia said with a smile.
After that, the four just made small talk. No one commented on how odd, yet natural, it poked to see he four of them sharing a meal. The only thing that intimidated the servants was that all four of them still were dressed for work, meaning they all had on their white haori.
Once the meal was finished, the male Kuchiki offered to take Unohana for a walk through the gardens. While modest with their relationship, neither shied away from the fact that they were together.
That left Hitsugaya and Rukia at the table. "I suppose you got the memo about tomorrow, correct?" he asked while taking hold of her hand.
"Yes. I really don't want tomorrow to happen." Rukia said.
"Kenpachi's people will enjoy it. I think they are the only ones who will." Hitsugaya stated.
"And what about you?" Rukia couldn't help but ask. Tomorrow was going to be chaos.
"I'll be fine. People know not to cross me. I am more worried about you. You may be targeted tomorrow." Teal clashed with violet.
"I can handle myself, you know." answered the raven haired female.
"I know. That won't stop me from worrying, though." he replied.
"The message said that there would be no deaths allowed." reminded Rukia.
"Doesn't mean that someone will not end up in the 4th Division."
"Please, be careful." Rukia pleaded with him, even though it was unnecessary.
"I will." He answered. "And I want you to promise me the same."
"Of course. I promise."
The tanner hand squeezed the pale hand in its grasp.
The use of zanpakuto outside of training had been approved for a 24 hour period from sunrise tomorrow to the following sunrise.