Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach
Word Count: 305
AN: Hey all! I just wanted to thank you once more for your consideration for this fic and also give you fair warning that I have a good deal mapped out for this so it may get rather long. I hope you'll bear w/ me. I will do my best to keep it interesting!
A Kiss for Shelter
A Silent Arrangement
That very night another chest arrived, this one larger, and accompanied by a note. Byakuya felt a certain trepidation as he eyed the box and then the scroll Ikarosu held out to him with a stony glare.
As the noble considered, the boy grew impatient and reached his arm out further to offer it to the tall man again.
Byakuya met the boy's gaze placidly as he slowly took the scroll from the child's hands. Work done, Ikarosu gave a quick, but respectful bow and turned to the shoji. The captain watched, awaiting some abrupt hand signs to be thrown at him, but the boy simply departed. It would seem the messenger's anger had cooled into a mask of indifferent contempt.
A moue of distaste tugged at Byakuya's mouth with the thought that he could still not get to the root of the problem on his own.
I will rectify this soon enough.
Still he turned from the sliding doors of his study, scroll clutched firmly between his hands. He settled at the table where he had been previously, pouring over squad evaluations as well as the clan's finances.
He thought to set the scroll aside to peruse later once he had finished what he had started, but that niggling of foreboding prodded at him.
With a breath he opened the missive and gave a quick skim of its contents. And then he paused, quicksilver eyes narrowing and decided to give the document a more thorough read.
He lifted his head, a shrewd look narrowing his eyes as they wandered from the paper. Due to his preoccupation he had hardly foreseen a proposal of this nature. The offer was more than tempting. The noble knew a good deal when he saw one.
This is what he would need in any case.
Leverage.
