Music Inspiration: Greg Dombrowski- "Reflections" (Because Byakuya is a piano in music and Ruka is his violin)


Lord Friendzone


Byakuya Kuchiki had been having a rather peculiar morning upon waking, which was disturbing him more by the passing hours. He'd spent his night at the estate but when waking to eat his breakfast in the dining room, he discovered his plates were practically licked clean. His initial thought was that Rukia had spent the night at home as well, possibly with her human friends, but his servants had quickly corrected that his sister had stayed in her division barrack. His next thought was Ruka but again, his staff denied her presence. When they had stared at him with confusion, he inquired further and they insisted he'd already eaten breakfast ten minutes earlier and left for work. Byakuya was pretty sure whether he'd eaten himself and had ordered a new breakfast to be made, causing him to almost be late to work for the first time ever in his career. In hindsight, he should've ordered food to be delivered at his office but he was picky on who he chose to make his food and was accustomed to a certain routine. That, and he'd read too many historical accounts on nobles being poisoned through food that it might've made him a tad overcautious.

When it came to dressing himself, he realized his favorite customized haori wasn't in his bedroom closet. He'd left it there last night, where could it have gone?! His maids were quick to reason that it might have been taken for laundry so he allowed his temper to diffuse before he accidentally fired anyone. That haori had become his favorite part of the uniform ensemble and he hadn't paid a cheap price either. All he had at his disposal was the standard haori that he'd altered but it was over ten years old. He abhorred using such a low-quality standard haori, not to mention returning to an old fashion style, but what choice did he have? When he finally glanced at himself in the mirror with the wardrobe change, his lips thinned at realizing he looked far too familiar to his old self years prior and wasn't keen on going back in time. He'd left behind unfavorable pieces of himself when he shed the old look and he wanted to move forward, not backwards. All that he was missing was his white scarf and the traditional kenseikan. He decided to wear the family scarf for nostalgia's sake and quickly headed out the door before he had to mark himself tardy for work.

Once he arrived, his morning became even more peculiar!

His division members stared at him with confusion the whole way to his office. When he'd chastised them and inquired, they informed that they'd seen him wandering the grounds but in different attire. This day was becoming more annoying and mysterious by the hour. What was going on? Did he have a stalker on his hands or an identity thief?

He realized the cause to his bothersome morning as soon as he stepped into his office. By his desk, he faced the back of his favorite haori and the fiend wearing it. The strange part is that they appeared exactly like himself from behind, filling him with annoyed rage. How dare they impersonate him?! He was ready to withdraw his zanpakutō and demand whether this was another SRDI abomination until he heard a dreadfully familiar voice. In front of the impostor, his questionably loyal friend was facing his fake double.

"I think I'll make a skylight over the desk, the sunshine will brighten my mood" the man declared as he motioned to the wall behind his desk and Byakuya recognized Ryo's voice instantly. He was attempting to mimic his low deep tone but Ryo had a naturally higher pitch due to his annoyingly cheerful personality and lack of censorship. Flicking a hand toward the desk in his familiar white gloves, Ryo asked with distaste, "How much would it cost to set fire to all this furniture and buy a whole new set?"

Ruka smacked his left arm to protest his alterations because the noble had set out to have fun, not desecrate his cousin's office. She'd been surprised herself to find him in there during her daily visit to the sixth division, but he hadn't fooled her once he started talking. Ryo winced to her quick but sturdy swat, sidestepping her, and she chastised hastily, "He'll kill you . . . but I agree with the antiquated furniture."

My furniture is not old!, Byakuya thought with annoyance since he was a minimalist with his décor. He had a specific taste for his office and he was happy with more space than clutter everywhere.

Ryo glanced around the bare room with a slight frown as he picked out a random bookshelf to suggest, "The same goes for these books, let's throw them out and replace the bookshelf with a life size poster of this year's Miss Soul Society. A few portraits of half-naked women will do nicely too because at this point in life, he likely needs the excitement."

Ruka practically ran to the bookshelf to throw her arms over it protectively to stop such a heinous action and yelled, "No! These books are old and wise!"

"Ruka, who's the captain here?" he chided sarcastically as he motioned to his accurate costume and watched her pout dramatically. It hadn't been easy to acquire his cousin's distinct hairstyle with hair extensions, adding a temporary dye to his hair, and slipping in gray contacts over his naturally green eyes. The fact that he managed to do it overnight was a new record though.

Ruka shook her head to disturbing his belongings and pointed out sarcastically, "Yeah, I don't mess with his art. Last time I put funny googly eye stickers over one of his portraits, he sent me a painting of a roasted swan with an attached note saying 'Lord Kuchiki sends his regards'. I refuse to risk my fowl, they are my children."

Ryo used his sheathed katana as a crowbar to separate Ruka from the bookcase but she didn't budge. Hmm, those stout pony stories about her were true. He shifted his weight against the sheathe but Ruka fought against it, calling out defiantly, "No! I must protect the hardcovers!"

"Don't be a lame nerd, mother of swans" he shot back as he decided to poke her into submission with his sheathe. He went for the most vulnerable part which were the ribs in case she was ticklish.

"Better a nerd than a dunce" she hissed defiantly because she was the number one advocate for reading. Despite most of her friend's books were boring in the office, they held knowledge. She'd be an idiot to let it be lost and would defend the old bookcase, hissing to the annoying pokes to her midsection.

"Ryo!"

The third captain released a lamenting sigh at realizing the jig was up when he heard Byakuya's stern voice. Turning around, he surprised Byakuya to how strikingly similar they appeared. He assumed his pest of a cousin bought an expensive wig and donned colorful eye contacts before powdering his face to appear fairer. Their facial structure was similar enough that Ruka bought it for a few seconds. For Ryo, faking the voice was the hardest part because Byakuya barely raised it and kept it authoritative and neutral.

The biggest question the captain wanted answered was, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Pretending to be a clan leader but man, this identity is mind numbingly boring" Ryo admitted shamelessly as he massaged his poor cheeks and cracked a smile. Boy, did that feel more natural. He didn't know how the other man bore such a thing for decades and confessed, "It hurts my face not to smile."

Byakuya wasn't amused to his joke of the day because the repercussions of his foolishness would've fallen on him. What if Yamamoto decided to drop by? He would not afford a single blemish on his character and snapped tightly, "I can have you arrested for impersonating an officer."

"You really want that all over the news and tabloids, cousin?" Ryo teased with a tsk on his lips and waved his index finger slowly to dissuade him. This only made Byakuya's face darken at realizing his hands were tied. Before his cousin decided to unleash his shikai on him in a rage, Ryo raised his hands in defeat and sighed, "You caught me though and I will stop pretending to be the great ice lord."

"Good, now return my belongings back home" he ordered swiftly and quickly ripped the haori from him to return it to his rightful owner. Ruka muffled down a laugh behind her hands at watching the shorter Byakuya practically yank his belongings from a protesting Ryo.

The older man batted him away for the rough abuse and gladly gave him back the attire, minus the shikahushō. It had been years since he'd worn one in the Prime and he couldn't resist the idea that sprouted to mind. A sneaky smirk spread over his lips as he declared giddily, "I'll stop pretending to be you but until 1700 today, I will stay dressed like this. There's no law against sporting my new look, given that I am a captain."

He left with a witty grin to the humorous chaos he could cause and Byakuya clenched his fists in anger. How did he keep besting him so casually? Could he request Special Forces to incarcerate his cousin? Even if he wasn't breaking the law anymore? He was a shinigami and there was no law in mimicking someone's facial appearance, which meant Byakuya could do nothing. He absolutely loathed that!

Turning to his lieutenant, who was now turning red with embarrassment behind the open doorway to his office, he demanded briskly, "Why did you allow him into my office?"

"I believed he was you! He had a key!" he reasoned helplessly to the severe mistake he'd made because one didn't dare make any with the sixth captain. He was strict with having 100% compliance and zero mistakes in his division. How was he supposed to know that one of his cousins would dare to impersonate him?

Byakuya was not moved by his pitiful excuse and narrowed his gray eyes to order coldly, "You're suspended for the day, get out."

"Kuchiki, c'mon, everyone fell for it" Ruka pointed out as she moved herself between the two men to let her friend's head cool. That, and to let the poor lieutenant breathe and not burst into tears. Renji had been the quiet and grumbling type while Taro was more of the cower and sob behind the refrigerator type. Shaking her head, she insisted for some leniency towards him, "You don't need to suspend the poor kid."

He admired her bravery for standing up to others, even himself, but he wouldn't be swayed by their friendship. His role as captain came first and he returned an icy stare to her stubborn gaze, amused when her shoulders squared to size herself against him. Why she hadn't accepted his offer to be his lieutenant puzzled him. She was the only one unafraid to stand up to him but he shot down her objection, "Ryo or not, anyone that enters a captain's office without permission is breaking the law."

"I've entered your office like a million times!" she exclaimed matter-of-factly to her numerous break-ins to his office and home. She'd managed to open his window with one of her hair pins and a small knife to surprise him for his birthday years ago. Granted, he'd thrown his stack of papers at her in shock and ruined his cake inadvertently.

"I need a better security system" he muttered flatly with disappointment to her uncanny ability to break into a captain's office. It wasn't for a lack of trying on his part because he'd even added reinforced steel bars on his office window but somehow, she melted through them. The brunette flashed a cocky grin at hearing his deflated tone and he turned away from her to modify his order, "Taro, that will be your assignment and don't return until you have one."

"Don't worry, if I break through, you'll be back at square one" Ruka piped up sweetly to lower the threat in her friend's voice since the poor boy had gone pale. She waved a hand to dismiss him before he fainted in front of them and instructed, "Go on, Taro."

The young lieutenant didn't waste a second and practically flew down the hallway to leave them behind. Byakuya wasn't a fan of her babying his subordinates because this was his division, not hers. It was in her kind nature to prevent instilling fear but sometimes, it was called for. Quietly, he informed her, "Stop undermining my orders, Kyōraku."

"I will when they stop being unfair" she replied evenly because it had been an honest mistake that left no harm. Otherwise, she would've impaled the impersonator on her own sword to prevent harm to her friend. She knew when to be firm and Taro wasn't the type to create conflict. Otherwise, he wouldn't have scattered at her dismissal. It tickled her pink to be obeyed as an elder and she smiled sympathetically, "I understand you're irritated, which you should be, but don't project onto others."

Byakuya wasn't swayed by her words because he liked his intimidation aura and she added in, "You just happen to have a talented cousin that can mimic you."

"Don't tell me you fell for his ploy too?" he asked with an irritated sigh to the high success of his jokes. He didn't care if they were abroad where he wouldn't witness or more importantly, hear about them. Having him at home meant he would become the butt of them. Byakuya needed his training of the new commando unit to finish fast to get him out of his figurative hair.

"No! I've shot doppelgangers to prove it to you, remember?" she reminded cheekily to their past entanglements with SRDI creations and he shook his head. Ruka was not meant to handle high caliber weapons in close quarters and had written such a letter to Captain-Commander Yamamoto. It had been ignored completely but at least he'd tried. The petite woman placed her hands on her hips to pipe up smartly with a wink, "There's only room for one icy Kuchiki lord for this society. The only one who could ever fool me is you."

Realizing he was now stuck with the hyperactive chipmunk, he asked flatly, "Don't you have work or training to do?"

"Nah, just paperwork for today since we were gone for almost a week" she replied tediously because her team was done training with Ryo. It had been painful and fun so they were now curious to what Captain Hale Östberg would bring them. All it meant for Ruka was that they were progressing and only two more trainers would be left after that before they were cleared for combat. Yoruichi would be working with her uncle and Jushiro so their efforts would be combined. Throwing him a sneaky smile, she appealed to his investigative side by offering, "Want me to tail Ryo to make sure he doesn't land on front-page news?"

"That would be appreciated" he accepted with a simple nod but frankly, he was grateful for it. Ruka could cause massive explosions but she could be as quiet as a spider as her size and light footing aided her.

Bowing respectfully to her friend and superior, she flashed him her communicator phone and informed, "I'll send you updates on your phone because Black Lotus will pitch a fit if I send her back and forth."

Hearing her little friend's name, he tensed instantly to meeting her again and ordered tightly, "Do not send that Hell Butterfly to me, she threatened to sully me with her waste."

"Yeah, that sounds like her" Ruka laughed with glee to her hilariously sassy butterfly because she took none of his lip. Boomer would obey her without hesitation and respected the shinigami but Black Lotus had a little Napoleon complex built in.

Heading out the door, she stopped by Taro's desk as the young lieutenant frowned to his sudden suspension. He'd been gathering his belongings for his day out in the Seireitei when Ruka slapped down paper kan on the table and ordered, "Before you head out, get the captain a caramel macchiato from the Busy Bean. He'll be less prone to lectures. Get one for yourself too while you're at it, they're pretty good."


By midafternoon, Ryo had convinced everyone by his looks alone that he was Byakuya himself until he opened his mouth. Unfortunately for the sixth captain, he'd been receiving messages nonstop via Hell butterflies and division members. Despite his cousin being able to chat like a chipmunk, he was a horribly good mime as well. Sending Ruka to tail him had yielded nothing in his favor because he'd amassed people like a living magnet.

Ruka had returned to his manor since he had invited her for an impromptu dinner that Rukia requested. She was inviting her human friend and if he had to sit through that, he was inviting his. Not that Ruka was annoying or anything. He just found nothing of interest to talk about with Kurosaki and there was only so much silence he could tolerate without being productive.

The brunette had decided to bring along her sketchbook for Chappy club ideas and was currently making paper boats from a sheet. He would have to call a maid to clean the mess if she didn't take her little creations. Unless she was planning on having him color a few then he would be inclined to keep them. Meanwhile, he sat next to his private piano as he tapped a few keys to entertain himself and gazed at his music sheets. He tried to practice once a week to maintain his skills but that was easier said than done with his busy life.

Finishing her latest little boat, she met his gaze to break the news gently, "So, you might see newspaper gossip columns tomorrow with Ryo leading conga lines and signing autographs like a movie star. Despite my intense hollering, they all believed he was you."

Fuck my life, he thought unabashedly for the first time in years and heard Senbonzakura laughing hysterically from his soul space. Would it kill his cousin to show a little tact in public? He was certain Ryo would lead the family into a scandal in due time and he would have to punish him accordingly.

"I thought you were there to stop him" he pointed out swiftly with embarrassment that his name would mistakenly lead the headlines tomorrow. He'd been at work all day! What if Yamamoto believed the gossip dribble? Worse, what if noble circles began gossiping about it?

Ruka shrugged innocently as she refocused on her boats and apologized sheepishly, "He's very charismatic once he starts to conga."

He pinched the bridge of his nose to prevent a headache from forming to his bothersome cousin. His best friend wasn't helping at all by failing in her espionage of Ryo. He expected better from her and pinned her with a stern glare, "Ruka."

"Well, if you gave it a shot, you might like it" she joked to lighten the mood and practically hopped out of her seat. He was beginning to wonder if she'd eaten candy before arriving at his home. His face twitched in alarm when she began to dance the conga herself and raised her arms to smile happily, "C'mon, join the fun."

"That's not why I sent you after him" he reminded firmly because she was sent to observe and neutralize, not conform to the enemy. She only dampened his mood by continuing her dance with a sway of her hips and he cursed his cousin's existence.

She clapped her hands as she conga danced around the sleek piano, singing loudly, "Conga, conga, conga! Conga like you mean it, please don't make me yank you."

Byakuya was not amused by her peppy mood when she poked his left bicep to lure him into it. Ruka's face fell when she spotted Rukia and Ichigo standing in the doorway, observing her shenanigans against the nobleman with amusement. Well, she was always one for humorous randomness. She stopped midway with an awkward chuckle before shuffling away back to her low table.

Byakuya didn't skip a beat with his sour mood when he asked sardonically, "Are you here for dinner or to shatter the last remains of my pride?"

"What the hell happened to you?" Ichigo asked awkwardly to his dour tone because he'd been mildly agreeable lately. The last time he'd visited the Kuchiki family, the captain had kicked him out for giving Ruka foul human music. In older times, he would've unleashed Senbonzakura on him or banned him entirely for a month.

Rukia had an idea on what was eating at her sibling and asked curiously, "Is this about those weird doppelganger photos on the interweb?"

Byakuya's entire frame froze at hearing the interweb was involved. Most gossip was still subjected to the newspaper or radio but not online content. Soul Society was developing faster than he realized and his palms lay flat on the piano, eliciting a sharp note. Closing his eyes briefly, he contained his rage and uttered with perfect calm, "I never thought I'd say this aloud but . . . I hate my family."

"Hey!" his little sister objected quickly with a pout to hearing that from him. She'd struggled with her identity and making him proud for decades so hearing that didn't help! Ichigo placed a hand on her shoulder with support because he was certain the man was irritated at someone else.

Realizing his sister was in the room, he straightened his posture and quickly corrected, "Except you. You're the only one I trust in this den of snakes."

"Aw- wait, what?" Ichigo began to tease the lightest outpour of emotion from the man until the last comment made him balk. The clan lord prided himself in being a model for nobility so hearing that blunt disclosure shocked him a little. Had he been drinking? No, the glare aimed at him said otherwise.

"Stop being dramatic" Ruka hushed quickly because her friend had hopped on the fast track of the self-disclosure train. Hmm, maybe she shouldn't have bought him that coffee three times today. Abandoning her paper boats, she became a barricade between the two as she sat down at the edge of his bench to chide, "Don't even think about unleashing Senbonzakura on him."

"I'm not petty" Byakuya reminded hastily about his old characteristics that had been thrown out the figurative window. His life wasn't as dark or dreary anymore, mostly in part to Rukia and Ruka. Ryo was threatening to surface some of his old quirks but he refused to buckle against his own fury. Raising his nose, he added in to correct, "Anymore."

The women looked to Ichigo for input and the poor blond could only murmur unsurely, "He's. . .improved?"

Ruka shook her head to her friend's quick draw to release his shikai nowadays, even for the tiniest slight. Thank goodness for the recent rules enforcement or he'd run rampant. Byakuya frowned to her amused reaction and she chuckled impishly, "To think such an innocent looking shikai is that devastating. Senbonzakura is a sneaky name."

His gray eyes narrowed to the veiled insult because his sword was anything but sneaky. His zanpakutō was one that earned respect with its power and a firm gaze led to her sigh with exasperation, "Fine, majestic name. Either way, my worst fear ages ago was that it would be called something embarrassing like Peasant Slayer."

Byakuya touched his chin in wonder as he tried out the name in a hushed whisper and she chastised indignantly, "Don't you dare!"

"I can do what I want!" he shot back defiantly because if he wanted to give his partner a nickname, he could. From his soul space, Senbonzakura was shaking his head with embarrassment and imitated a tree falling with his form to show his disagreement. He was meant to be respectable, not a low-caste exterminator.

Ruka ignored his fussing as she struggled not to laugh at his annoyed pout and admitted slyly, "I used to associate cherry blossom petals with refined romanticism but now, all I can think of is Byakuya's murderous rage. No more 'aw, so pretty' but more, 'oh no, imminent bloodshed!'."

Byakuya pretended to ignore her silent dramatics when she waved her hands in the air and pretended to run from an invisible swarm. He decided to calm his inner annoyances by continuing his practice and Rukia stifled a laugh to his avoidance. Well, at least the two weren't trying to bicker against each other. Ruka tapped her chin absentmindedly and confessed with a sneaky tone, "The sakura trees look gorgeous but I always expect one to brutally murder me during a stroll."

His keystrokes became faster to drown out her jesting but the calming notes were broken into by Ichigo's joke, "What's the title of the song, 'Senbonzakura's Pink Massacre'?"

He paused in his playing as his annoyance reached a limit and he glared at the simpleminded human to lecture firmly, "Your ignorance knows no bounds, it is not a song but a musical piece."

Rukia sighed aloud with embarrassment as her brother returned to his brooding self again and nudged her boyfriend in the ribs. Ruka snickered into her hands to the clever joke as she smiled impishly but agreed with her best friend, "Pretty much."

"Ruka, send for my guards to execute order 67" he ordered flatly to get the human moving out of the room and elsewhere in his home. He was his sister's company of choice, not his. Weren't they supposed to have dinner at this point? Were his cooks lagging? Or worse, were they supposed to cook their own dinner?

Ruka turned around to glance at him with bewilderment before questioning frankly, "Exterminate Renji?"

Oh, he chose the wrong selection. Attempting to gloss over that imperfection, he supplied quickly without hesitation, "I meant Order 66."

Ichigo couldn't believe their nonchalant conversation over potential murder and blurted with alarm, "You have an order to have Renji killed? Is that even legal?"

"It is on my private property" Byakuya replied bluntly because he had the privilege to end the lives of trespassers on his land. He was protective of his family estate and he had the right to his privacy. Being a shinigami captain and a high lord, he had extensive knowledge of the law and what he could legally do to his enemies.

Ruka narrowed her eyes to being handed a set of orders while being a civilian for the night and protested, "Wait, did you reduce me to servant status?"

"You're the one that complains about social equality" he quipped back to justify his reasoning because she was the proactive one in that arena. That, and he took a secret delight in seeing her grapple with the human whenever Kurosaki annoyed him. From the moment she accidentally kicked him in the face while he was an inpatient in fourth division, he let her have free reign over the human.

Ruka paused for a moment as she mulled over her choice before snapping her fingers to declare eagerly, "In that case, I'll take it. . . and you should read up on your orders before you make a huge mistake."

"Hold up, I'm order 66?!" Ichigo blurted to break in between the two as he realized that he was sending Ruka off with another order number. He didn't hesitate to grab the shorter woman by the shoulders to sit her back down on the bench, almost throwing her back against the noble. His hands released her a second later when she hissed to being manhandled and kicked her legs out forcefully.

He didn't mean to set off the small woman but noticed she calmed to the other noble's grasp on her shoulder. Otherwise, she might've flown at him to carry out the order. Relaxing her shoulders, she peered at the strawberry blond to grin impishly, "I convinced him to drop the extra six."

Rukia raised her hands to draw their attention back to her before her brother kicked out her boyfriend again. Or worse, had Ruka beat the crap out of him. With Ruka lingering in her brother's grasp, she could be turned into his enforcer at any second. She swore the two were oddly codependent sometimes and questioned hastily, "Look, can we just buy some takeout and have a normal family dinner without a fight?"

"Fine" her brother grumbled to avoid falling into an argument that would upset her. He'd already given her enough grief in the past decade so he wanted her to be happy. It was his job as a brother to protect her and if she was happy with her human friend, he'd tolerate it. Waving a hand to dismiss the duo, he gave them his opinion for dinner, "None of that pineapple or fusion garbage."

"Byakuya! No more coffee for you" Ruka chastised with embarrassment to his snarky tone and shook her head. The road to self-disclosure was more direct than she'd anticipated and she turned towards him with a warning glare. He didn't hesitate to return it with one of his own stern gazes because nobody was swiping his favorite coffee blend.

His frown deepened when she didn't defer to his glower power and he pointed out frankly, "You told me to be more vocal."

"I'm beginning to think I was wrong" she muttered flatly to his sharp comments but smiled at him nonetheless. He amused her when he fussed over matters and his dry sarcastic wit only tickled her funny bone even more. She hoped to draw out more of his pensive thoughts into speech but so far, it was working at a gradual pace. Wagging her finger at the young couple, she ordered firmly, "Do not bring him more coffee. Bring him his usual spicy noodle dish and I'll go with a salad."

"Your waistline is fine" he commented dismissively to the healthy dinner which led Rukia to muffling a laugh behind her hands. Ruka couldn't help the blush that surfaced at knowing he had examined her waistline. She preferred lighter meals for dinner and inadvertently hugged her midsection to hide her waist. Why'd he have to say that of all things?

"You haven't been around women very much, have you?" Ichigo asked flatly as he failed to land decent reasoning to her order and shot down a different road. If it had been any other man, he was sure the brunette would've exclaimed or smacked them. Instead, she simply gazed at the floor with blushing cheeks while his girlfriend snorted back snickers from behind him.

Byakuya took insult to that because his face was plastered over magazines often enough that he thought about suing. He wasn't a playboy like his cousin but being widowed damaged his heart, not to mention being broken apart from his first love. He wasn't optimistic about the dating world as most noble lines were destined for strategic allegiances in marriage. Still, he didn't hesitate to point out briskly, "My two centuries beat your measly two decades of life, child."

"Shouldn't that have guaranteed you a second wife and children by now?" the human chimed in without missing a beat because the man literally had a fan club. It was odd but then again, Rukia told him he had one too. He wouldn't chide the man too much about it because the noble kept his life extremely private and he was solitary in nature.

"Go before we hold your viewing next week" Ruka laughed aloud with glee as the comeback cracked her up and cleared her throat to hide it. He didn't need to hear that twice and nodded to Rukia to get the hell out of there. They could spend time alone while waiting for the takeout and let her lead their expedition of the night. The brunette watched them leave with amusement and turned to her friend to joke gently, "He's getting good at verbal debate with you."

"That's good?" Byakuya questioned with skepticism and held back an undignified scoff, choosing to return to his piano practice. He would not bother on focusing on the ramblings of a human that knew nothing about his life.

Ruka scooted close to her friend on the piano bench, flashing him an innocent smile to her subtle action. What was she planning? Byakuya kept playing a few melodic notes with his fingers, attempting to ignore her until a new note popped in. She added her single key with every three notes and smiled at her friend with hopeful expectation. He stopped playing and placed his opposite hand over hers, creating a sharp dramatic note as the keys fell unanimously under the weight. He'd seen what happened with any instrument she touched and reminded gently, "Ruka, you know this won't end well. Playing music is not your strength."

Her shoulders slumped in disillusion as she faced the harsh truth yet again. Lessons with Captain Unohana had not gone well at all and if he was telling her the same, she needed to listen. He didn't want to discourage her efforts in music and squeezed her fingertips to compliment, "Your strength lies in composing and singing."

"If I compose, will you play for me?" she asked hopefully for the chance to hear her own music. She might be painfully horrid on instruments but he had a natural talent with several, enjoying his practice sessions. If she could compose a musical piece for the piano, maybe he could play it!

Before he could answer her request, Ryo walked through the door with an accomplished smile. It widened into sneaky territory when he spotted the two on the bench and Byakuya quickly released Ruka's hand, pretending to peruse through the music sheets. He didn't need for baseless gossip to spread from a simple lapse in judgement. Besides, how did he enter his home without his servants informing him? What was the point of paying them . . . unless he bribed them off somehow?

She decided to let the two break the ice to settle their own decade old matters and piped up, "I'm going to bring in some tea while we wait for Rukia and Ichigo. I expect you both to behave accordingly like the lords you are."

"We're not children" Byakuya muttered under his breath because he had an incredible amount of patience. He dealt with exhausting characters at work and social circles so he learned how to tolerate it. Glancing at Ryo, however, his gray gaze narrowed slightly to convey authority.

Ryo ignored his silent threat as he leaned against the side of the piano and informed enthusiastically, "Your fans aren't so bad once you get to know them so you might have bags of mail soon."

"I don't want fans" he snapped tightly because a fan base was not on his to-do list that day. If anything, he was quite vocal about them disbanding whenever someone desired to interview him. He'd heard rumors that the Women's Association was attempting to sell off memorabilia to them and hoped nobody was sneaking into his home to steal it. They were also another group that drew his ire but his best friend did nothing to stop them, joining them instead, to annoy him. Ruka said nothing about this as she flash stepped out of the room to shroud the two in privacy.

"Someone's quite full of himself" Ryo laughed sarcastically because ages ago, his teenage cousin boasted about his popularity. Now, he didn't want anything to do with the people that still admired him.

Byakuya thinned his lips to repress an annoyed sigh and closed his eyes to murmur with disappointment, "How are we related?"

Ryo didn't hold back from reminding matter-of-factly how biology worked, "From what I remember in school, our reishi composition is 50% of each parent-"

"I'm well aware of how heredity works!" Byakuya intervened sharply to cut him off before he diverged into reproduction itself. He wasn't a dunce in the field of science and would be shocked if his cousin knew more than he did. True, Ryo was older but he had to be knowledgeable in multiple subjects to avoid appearing like an idiot lord. He'd sat through many high society dinners wondering how some of those individuals managed to survive natural selection.

"You are quite uptight, it's a miracle Ruka can withstand you" Ryo chastised with a shake of his head as his cousin resembled a snake ready to strike. Before Ruka left, he was as tame as a bear cub so he could only wonder what she did to keep him that way. Deciding to poke his irritated cousin, he released a nonchalant sigh and suggested aloud, "I should have her meet some of my single squad members to jumpstart her romantic life. I hear Lady Hiroko is waiting on great-grandchildren and I don't mind helping her one bit. The Kyōraku will be happy to see their line continue and I get new friends. Plus, another point for strategic alliances with them."

"You will do no such thing" he ordered briskly as the image of Ruka marrying Ryo shot into his mind again. By the Soul King, their children would be sarcastic jokesters and he cringed to the thought of having little hands pull at him. He would refuse such a union or even daring to call her his cousin-in-law, shaking his head to remove the image. She was unofficial family to him but he would object to anyone from his clan attempting to marry her. She deserved to choose her spouse and chastised firmly, "She will decide her life, not fall into an arranged marriage."

"I'm sure her grandparents don't want her wasting her single life with you though" Ryo pointed out easily because her grandfather was old-fashioned, like his uncle Ginrei. Lord Toshi also wasn't a fan of Byakuya but Ryo disagreed that he would've disobeyed the elders back then. Byakuya had been expected to rule while Ruka wasn't seen highly enough on the social tier to be marriage potential. It was a sad truth but the relationship ended before either could say anything against the archaic traditions. His ties to dictate Ruka's decisions ended that day and he stated confidently, "She'd have no problem in the courting arena. She's a highborn from a prestigiously old clan, second in line to rule, smart as a whip, pretty as a flower, and a fine shinigami lieutenant. Quite a catch for any noble."

There were times he wondered if their friendship caused potential matches to deviate from Ruka. If so, he considered them weak for finding him intimidating. At the same time, he didn't want to ruin her chances for happiness but he would have a hard time letting her go. She was his safety net when he needed a friend for advice and her constant presence brought him tranquility. A marriage would mean her time would be dedicated to another, embedded spiritually to another, and he would be on the backburner. It would shift their entire dynamics and he wasn't comfortable with that all, feeling a sense of threat to another barging into their lives.

You don't have to withstand anyone below you in her life, Senbonzakura butted in to add in his own opinion as he sensed the other's worry. Being spiritually connected to another zanpakutō, he was more of a Ruka supporter than Monosugoikaze was of Byakuya. He was more than happy to instigate his master's thinking, Tell her to send them packing and that she belongs with y-

"Ruka can go where she wishes and if it's here, you will leave her alone" he stated coldly to keep logical about the situation, leaving any of his emotions out of it. Otherwise, Ryo would run rampant with them and he didn't want Ruka to be uncomfortable with unfounded rumors. He would always protect her but he also had to protect his own heart from emotional damage. Senbonzakura wasn't happy to hear this and regretfully, returned to the depths of his mind again.

"My, aren't you a tad overprotective?" Ryo smiled as he caught the restraint in his voice because the closer you came to the truth, the quieter he became. He'd been around long enough to know that his anger and irritation set off an exclamation while touchy subjects were avoided with short responses or silence. His prodding wasn't meant to insult but provoke thinking and action in Byakuya's mind that would benefit him in the end.

The younger noble glared at him sternly for the inaccurate assumption and hissed sharply, "Stop twisting my words in your mind."

At that very moment, Ruka walked in with a serving tray to place it on the table and a perky smile to match. Ryo stopped himself from continuing but noticed his cousin's shoulders relaxed to her presence. Pointing to the teacups and neat paper-wrapped desserts, she smiled brightly to inform them, "I brought some tea and a few light pastries for the night. Several sakura trees are dropping leaves now so I stored them to make tea and . . . what're you smiling about?"

Byakuya pretended to ignore Ryo's trademark grin and the charming noble questioned with acclaim, "How do I get my best friend to do that? I'm happy with imported coffee but this one's going all out on handmade cherry blossom tea."

"Years of unwavering loyalty and honesty" Ruka justified proudly as she wiped her hands on a cloth napkin. She loved working with her hands so a combination of gardening and cooking wasn't farfetched for her. Calming tea at night regulated her sleeping while coffee kept her awake for projects. She knew her friend didn't like hosting into the night so tea was appropriate. Shaking her shoulders, she wrung her hands modestly and replied earnestly, "It's not that special. . . I just like gardening, is all."

"Don't listen to him" Byakuya advised defensively to warn his cousin to leave her out of their squabbles. He would allow nothing to jeopardize their friendship and wouldn't hesitate to knock out his family member if he opened his mouth. Nodding to her, he appreciated her effort and complimented, "Thank you, Ruka."

Ryo prayed to the Soul King to knock some sense into his young friends and smiled at her to request, "Would you excuse my cousin and I for a few minutes? I need to have a few words with him."

"Will both of you be alive when I return?" she asked skeptically because they could turn into cats but Byakuya nodded to confirm. She would trust the two on their word because she didn't want to be in the middle if they decided to unleash fury on each other. If she had to bet on who would win, it was Byakuya . . . but only if Ryo played fair.

Ryo waited until the coast was clear to return to their previous conversation and pointed out innocently, "When I look around this room, I can't help but compare you and Ruka to a piano and violin. One is beautiful and capable of producing such emotional tones while the other is clear, collected, and confident. Yet together, they can create some of the most exquisite and rare sounds in the world."

Byakuya didn't have time for this and stood up from his place at the piano to warn, "Ryo."

The older noble followed his path as the other served himself tea and blurted directly, "Look, you want to be Lord Friendzone in the Pit of Loneliness for your whole life or Lord Bedzone in Ruka's Love Sanctum?"

"Lord Friendzone?" he asked with confusion to the jargon he'd exclaimed and resisted the notion of hurling his hot tea at him. It worked great as a deterrent but he didn't want his great aunt to lecture him about damaging her oldest son's face. Attempting the same on his uniform could also lead his commander to pinning him with a fine so he was stuck on alternatives to shoo him away.

"Yeah, that's going to be your new lifetime nickname by the way things are looking- Lord Friendzone" Ryo declared frantically as he pinned him with the most dreaded name of mankind. Byakuya still didn't understand it and the other man sighed to his conventional way of life. Ruka was a modernized noble, like himself, and she'd have no problem finding a partner abroad with her background. Trying to knock some sense into him, he pointed out, "She's going to run off halfway across the globe with a handsome paramour and you'll be forever Lord Friendzone, who will only get a yearly phone call and the dreaded family Christmas card. You'll be out of the picture entirely for the rest of your life."

"Stop saying that" Byakuya protested huffily to stop having his name twisted into that and didn't like it one bit. The part about the yearly phone call and pity card didn't help matters either. Ruka had promised him that she wouldn't run away but he didn't have a say in her decisions. What would stop her from bidding him farewell and living a new life? She had a right to that, just like he had, and he should respect such a possibility . . . but he didn't like it.

Ryo didn't stop the barrage of blunt statements as he crossed his arms to declare, "Lord Friend- won't even have a chance with her in bed- zone!"

Byakuya was not going to delve into his private life, much less with Ryo, that night and objected to change the subject, "Can we talk about something else?"

"The crippling fear of commitment versus the dreaded friendzone?" Ryo questioned sarcastically but there was a hint of truth to his words. Unlike Byakuya who hadn't hesitated on marriage, he ran for the hills to the thought of binding himself to another. At the same time, he hated being stuck in the friend zone when he was attracted to another person.

The other noble paused to consider the thought before offering a blunt, "No."

Shaking his hands in the air, Ryo emphasized his cousin's indifferent nature and pointed out, "This 'ice king' persona of yours will not help matters at all, Byakuya. I don't know if this is the friend, captain, or something else you're not acknowledging but you'll lose in the game for Ruka's Love Sanctum."

Byakuya stiffened to the annoying name calling but felt insulted for the latter portion. Although he rarely listened to his eccentric cousin, he did take away in treading carefully with stifling Ruka's friendship to him. He had dented it before her leave to abroad with Ryo and strived to never repeat it. She was a happy entity that deserved the same care from a man of his standing.

"Dude, c'mon, neither Komamura or Kyōraku sent as many requests as you did to have her return home" Ryo pointed out matter-of-factly with a smug grin and his cousin's posture stiffened immediately. How did he know that? What was the point of confidential correspondence if everyone knew it? His cousin didn't hesitate to keep blabbering on about his secret espionage, "My Commander is pretty familiar with this stuff but Commander Quinn from the Northeast actually blocked you. Quinn, who's the nicest Commander if I had to choose."

"Did you just call me 'dude'?" Byakuya sighed with dismay as he felt a migraine coming on and pinched the bridge of his nose. Is this what his family had become? Instigators of false affection and gossip? His grandfather would be ashamed of them for even having this conversation. Maintaining a calm head, he clarified simply, "Am I to understand a Gotei has blocked me? A captain of another Gotei?"

"Just your incoming requests, you're dubbed 'Captain Law & Order' which is pretty hilarious" Ryo answered with a snaky laugh to the catchy but accurate nickname. People couldn't believe they were related as they behaved as severe opposites. Only the facial similarities tied them as family but his high-level access gave him juicy data to collect for hilarious purposes. In the case of his cousin, it revealed an incredibly close friendship and he deliberated, "Using your channels to keep tabs on people is fine on your end because the trail disappears but abroad, we keep records since it's essentially a foreign request. You're aware you two tracked like a million miles in Hell Butterfly travel and over 15 hours a week in calls. That's a hell of a lot of communication, cousin. No wonder Ruka's butterfly messes with you every chance she gets."

He was annoyed to his ingenuity at data gathering and attempted a vague response, "We happen to share our daily-"

Ryo shook his head to deny accepting that reason and prodded his younger cousin on the chest to claim, "Didn't start happening until five years ago."

Byakuya admitted his surprise to the extent of what he knew and his cousin grinned, "I have a huge gossip channel and my best friend happens to know a guy in data transfer."

"You're spying on me?" he asked with hesitation and realized he was on the other end of his intel gathering. Were people watching his interactions with Ruka? For what purpose? If it was to hurt either of their images, he would destroy them. He was fiercely protective of his private life and wasn't keen on hearing about the tabs from his cousin.

"Ruka tells me you spy on her so again, proving my point!" Ryo shot back matter-of-factly and Byakuya frowned to that harsh truth. Yes, he was being a tad hypocritical because he didn't hesitate to send someone after his sister or Ruka to ensure their safety. The latter woman had figured out how to destroy camera surveillance and had knocked out a scout or two in recent years. A look of wonder crossed Ryo's face to their uncanny abilities for intel and he asked with curiosity, "Why isn't our family notorious for infiltrating and espionage?"

"It's not a good look, Ryo, and punishable by law if used incorrectly" he reasoned simply because they weren't meant to exert their power that way and the other nodded. Ruka could certainly take him to court and ruin his name but she never raised her voice about it. Instead, she gave him tips for updating his surveilling technology and teased him about any flaws.

"You're horribly dreary now that you're a law-abiding citizen" his cousin teased with a grin and the younger crossed his arms huffily to being called dreary. He wasn't that bad! Despite the decades of age between them, Ryo was surprised to the young man's indifference and pondered aloud, "I must admit, I never figured you'd be an uptight ice pillar after years of babysitting you. I still remember dreading walking into Uncle Ginrei's and hoping my hair wouldn't be set on fire."

Although Byakuya's face betrayed no recollection of it, his mind was humored by those old memories. He had been nothing short of pure energy full of mischief and Ryo had been the poor subject of it to defy having to be supervised. He hated it originally until he realized his cousin was quite fun when they took day trips outside the estate. True, he escaped him half the time but Ryo would find him eating a pastry by the time they were due to return home. After not having siblings to share his time with, he had found Ryo acceptable as a brotherly figure until he left to live abroad.

"Children can be difficult if they have no rules or structure" the sixth captain stated simply to evade having to apologize. Why should be feel remorse for his actions as a child? He was barely learning common sense back then. As an adult, he knew better between right and wrong- plus, Ruka would nag him. His sister still respected him too much to say otherwise so he could get away with smartass remarks.

"Speaking of the past, I know we haven't been on the best of terms for years" Ryo began carefully as the humor was gone from his voice to change the subject. As much as he liked bugging him about Ruka, there was something else on his mind. Unlike his sisters who shared an agreeable relationship with Byakuya in his squad, they kept clashing whenever they reunited. He knew the prime reason and seeing they had time to spare, he began, "I'd like for us to be cordial as both family and professionals-"

"As long as you don't dishonor our family name, we'll be fine" Byakuya stated simply with the same words he had for all his relatives. If they all expected him to be at his best as clan leader, he demanded the same. Ryo lived far abroad and away from his radar, which he preferred with the man's lavish and daring lifestyle.

Ryo shook his head to his detached stoicism and scoffed to point out, "Family name and image is one thing but you're my cousin. I know that part of your annoyance with me stems from what happened decades ago and although I won't apologize for giving someone their dream job, I will for causing you grief. I never intended to cause you pain and I am sorry."

Byakuya failed to bite into his bait as he quietly refilled his teacup to state noncommittally, "I don't know what you're-"

Ryo wasn't having his confusion bit because he knew damn well on what he was talking about. It was the reason their relationship fractured despite his attempts at being cordial when visiting home. The playful notes were gone from his voice as he stated matter-of-factly, "You blamed me entirely for Ruka accepting the shinigami liaison position after my commendation but look at what she's accomplished abroad. Not only did her scientific career flourish in the west but she evolved from that meek girl we knew into the witty confident one she is now."

"I prefer the former" he stated dryly to the stark change of the shy happy girl that left their home and transformed into a confident sassy woman. She had left for the opportunities abroad once Ryo's old position was vacant but he'd felt completely abandoned by the two people he trusted most. His inner circle didn't include many people but they were his support system growing up and they had torn it from him. He expected to grow up alongside them, to marry Ruka, and have Ryo as his advisor when he led the Kuchiki clan- instead, they lived scattered throughout Soul Society.

"Of course, you'd prefer the ego stroking one" Ryo snorted sardonically because she followed him loyally without question back then. Nowadays, she didn't hesitate to raise her voice to contradict his views. She had grown out of her shell to take command of her life and he had simply helped her on that path. Ryo couldn't fault her for that and neither should he, reasoning fairly, "Don't blame her for desiring a life of travel and exploration. Her mind is wired to seeking answers to everything which is why I asked Komamura to keep her abroad. Numerous captains vouch for her now and she's changed the views towards your Gotei, whether you willingly admit it or not."

Byakuya said nothing about the past, choosing to keep it locked, and Ryo finished his say by raising his hands peacefully, "Either way, she's stationed here permanently and I'm certain several Gotei are lamenting that fact. Your faithful partner is back and unless she wishes to leave, which I see no inkling of, she's here to stay."

The clan lord didn't like his choice of words regarding her and corrected sharply, "She's not-"

"Sure, that's why you threw an epic tantrum ages ago when she left" Ryo scoffed with disagreement because the young lord had practically tackled him to the ground. If Ruka hadn't intervened, they would've broken into a physical fight. Nowadays, she tried to get the two to bridge their differences but Byakuya was an obelisk of indifference. Counting on his fingers, he added in easily with enthusiasm, "Let's also ignore the constant communication, shared meals, mutual projects-"

"When you pull yourself out of that delusion and return to reality, we may speak again" Byakuya interrupted coldly to end the matter because it was a memory he didn't care to revisit. He'd endured enough pain in his past and dwelling in that was not productive for his future. What he'd lost many decades ago was buried and like many other painful chapters in his life, the door remained closed.

Reaching into his right sleeve pocket, Ryo removed a small bag of cheese puffs that he kept as a random snack. Offering the unopened bag, he tried to tempt the unhealthy snacks on his cousin with a perky smile, "Here, have some invigorating cheese puffs."

"No" was the monotone reply from Byakuya as he stuck to his tea since dinner would arrive at some point. For his sake, he hoped his sister hadn't gone halfway across the Soul Society.

"They're cheesy" Ryo reasoned innocently and jiggled the bag in hope to lure him towards them. Nobody but Ruka and Captain Ukitake enjoyed his snacks- why? Even his lieutenant tossed them out the window.

Byakuya's gaze dulled as he offered his own interpretation and stated flatly, "You mean fattening."

"C'mon, they're tasty" he insisted with an exasperated sigh because he was still healthy after ingesting them once a day for the past five years. What was the point of existing if you couldn't enjoy yourself? He waved the orange bag between two fingers again as he hovered over his cousin while Byakuya sat down and added in, "They're softer than crackers and melt in your mouth."

"Again, fattening and no nutrition" Byakuya pointed out with annoyance in his voice because he wouldn't cave to unhealthy food. He had a strict training regimen and daily diet to go with it to maintain his energy and fighting abilities. Otherwise, he'd end up like Omaeda. He had no tolerance for junk food and would deny any offers for them.

"Eat it" Ryo attempted once more to see if persistence would break the great wall of resistance known as Byakuya. Unfortunately for him, he didn't realize the other man could do this all night without budging on his stance.

Byakuya shook his head once more to refute simply, "No."

"C'mon!" he chided to repeat the cycle but smacked his shoulder with the bag this time.

"I'm not eating that garbage!" Byakuya snapped tightly with a higher tone that broke his monotone delivery. Realizing he'd had a break in character, he turned away from his cousin and resumed sipping his cup nonchalantly. Ryo stared in a mix of surprise and astonishment to causing the little outburst, pausing to process that it really happened. Byakuya was quick to cover his tracks as he straightened his shoulders and replied with cool controlled voice, "I mean, no, I refuse. They're useless junk and-"

"Oh, hell yes, you finally broke from that mask!" Ryo exclaimed with exuberant joy that his cousin sounded like an actual person for once. He grew tired of his perfect poise and calculated tone as he chose to play an observer rather than a person in conversation. The elders had run his life for so long that Ryo thought he was nothing but a living statue with the way he carried himself. Clapping his hands together with glee, he declared, "It's about damn time."

"I did not" Byakuya objected simply because he'd had a lapse in voice, not facial expression. It wasn't something to be proud of either as he kept tight control over every action and word. He had been far better at it before Ruka and Ryo returned to his life.

Ryo frowned to his lack of admission because he had the right to be a person with vocal opinions instead of a reserved frigid lake of silence. The fact that this was his youngest cousin was a damn shame too. Sighing under his breath, he muttered with dismay, "You're too prim and proper, it makes me want to punch you in the face sometimes. . . but I have things to take care of so adieu."

"What?" Byakuya asked uncertainly to the last word as it was lost in translation. Had he decided to make up his own blasted language too? It figured.

"You are not very worldly, definitely friendzone material" Ryo muttered flatly to the lack of world experience in his cousin's life. He rarely traveled unless he was forced to and even then, secluded himself in his temporary home. It was fine if it was a spa week but no! He remained cooped up listening to music or reading books instead of socializing with others and experiencing their world.

Byakuya was beginning to grow annoyed at that term, cursing Ryo for managing to get through his shields. He didn't want to have anybody overhear them and quickly hushed, "I'm not- I refuse to argue."

"She's changing you for the better, embrace it" Ryo remarked with approval and hoped he took the piece of advice rather than rejecting it. Sometimes, he had to take the uncensored direct route to get him to listen. Byakuya wasn't particularly pleased with any of it and Ryo tossed the bag of snacks at the table. The noble grabbed the puffy bag but before he could toss it back, Ryo was gone.


"Will you two ever patch things up?" Ruka sighed with dismay when she returned to find Ryo gone and Byakuya had found a random letter opener to stab the bag of cheese puffs. The poor thing had deflated from so many pinprick holes and she'd swiped the metal object before he decided to turn it on someone.

Byakuya hadn't enjoyed having his new toy taken away and watched Ruka slip it under her right wrist bracer. Great, he could've gotten away with accidental murder via an office supply instead of premeditated murder with a weapon. Ruka caught the lingering gaze on her hand and quickly snapped her fingers to regain his attention. She dug into the ragged holes of the cheese puff bag to eat a few while Byakuya recollected his thoughts to answer carefully, "Not unless he behaves properly after today."

"Doubtful" she scoffed with an amused smirk to what the noble managed to escape with. Now, if the two could only get along, the verbal spats would decrease exponentially. He figured that would be her reply, reflecting his own, and she deliberated, "He can and will be as independent as possible, especially by living abroad. He isn't the image of the Kuchiki clan, you are. A role that I feel is more torturous than any other."

"Did you forget I had Renji as my lieutenant and now, I have Taro?" he muttered dryly to the shameful luck in his pick of lieutenants, wishing to do away with the position. The only person he could see fulfilling it was her but she refused a decade ago. As much as they could butt heads, they placed the well-being of Soul Society first and followed the law.

"I meant emotional drainage, not embarrassment" she chuckled softly to the tight frown on his lips as he strolled bitterly through memory lane. Having Taro confuse Ryo for himself just made the day a complete embarrassment for him. She grabbed one of the wrapped pastries to place it in front of him to pacify him and she voiced carefully, "Your role as head has shut away the core of your being, subdued your feelings, and crushed your voice."

His brow furrowed to the last part because he was improving and stated confidently, "I can be quite vocal."

"Only when Kuchiki pride is at stake and even then, you're tightlipped and neutral about it" she reminded gently with a playful nudge to his lectures on pride and power. He refused to eat the pastry in protest to her words because he wasn't indifferent about everything nowadays. It was in part to his sister and her since she kept encouraging him to return to his old personality. It would be a stretch because his life was ingrained in strict routine and she explained, "It isn't meant as a slight but my heart hurts to see you like this."

His gaze lowered to meet hers because he'd heard his share of jokes about being an ice lord but she'd rarely talked about her own feelings. She was a happy chipmunk at his side but he knew there were moments when he'd inadvertently hurt her. Those were incidents he refused to repeat and she smiled forlornly to reminisce, "I remember the young man that cracked full blown grins and hollered his complaints. He disappeared almost a century ago when the training as heir intensified and, in his place, a detached and stoic man emerged."

He had been a wild child despite his upbringing but maturity leveled it into reservation. She had been proud to see him ascend to seated positions as his natural abilities tossed everyone else's into the water. Despite being a little cocky due to his skills, he was approachable back then and he'd never sent a stern glare her way. Once his grandfather passed away, he was placed in the forefront of his family line and had to fulfill his new role.

"You're aware of my upbringing and being the only heir of the main line, the elders focus was on me to avoid failure" he reminded coolly to the never-ending lessons in his first year. He thought he'd been finished with his education as heir once he graduated the Shin'ō Academy but he'd been horribly wrong. He enjoyed his work in the Gotei, choosing to spend most of his time there once his grandfather passed, but duty to the clan always called him back. It chiseled at his happiness, not to mention affected his personality, and he divulged quietly, "I was meant to have no say, no thought, only follow the rules, and act in accordance to the advantage of my clan to keep us above others."

Yeah, I get the feeling every time I stroll through there, she thought absentmindedly to the other areas of the estate. She only visited him and his great aunt, nobody else. The treatment she received by the oldest generations made her skin crawl and filled her with rage instead of tears decades ago.

"All I had was my grandfather after my parents passed but it wasn't the same" he admitted sullenly to the lack of love in his younger years once he lost both parents. His grandfather had tried his best but he came from a different generation that spoke words of encouragement rather than affection. He had a roof over his head, food to sustain him, and a rich education but it didn't fill the hole left behind from his parent's love. Furrowing his brow, he glanced at the table as he confessed with disappointment, "I barely remember their faces. My life had a revolving door of nannies, servants, and tutors that were there to serve, not form attachments or display sentimentality. I had very little of it growing up. You were the first one to show me any semblance of it."

Ruka blinked sheepishly because she knew some families were strictly formal while others were affectionate. When she lost her parents, her grandparents enveloped her in a bubble of love to step into a caretaker role. He didn't get to experience that which is why she brought him to her family home as often as she could. When they courted, her grandmother would ignore the fact he slept over at her parent's home and invited the couple to breakfast to make him part of their family. Her cheeks flushed under his stormy gaze as he continued, "Your family showed me a different side to family dynamics. As someone who rarely received affection, it was overwhelming for me but you care for each other."

Ruka's presence in his life clashed against the ideals his elders wanted to instill in him as he became amicable, sought to revise old laws, and dared to modernize the clan monarchy. They sought someone to continue the old ways and he abided once she left his side, confessing to those years of constant critiquing, "I was quite headstrong in my training and there were useless antiquated rules and ceremonies that made no sense. Yet, I could not offer my thoughts or suggest changes to my clan. I was meant to fill my grandfather's shoes and repeatedly told my voice, desires, and beliefs had no place as the head of the clan. I was meant to be flawless, neutral, and decisions made by the elders in council would be heard from my lips with little say in it from me. I was essentially a shell of what they believed a clan head icon should be."

She didn't like hearing it but wasn't surprised in the slightest by it at all. Remembering one of his old speeches at a social lunch, his cold emotionless tone represented nothing of what he voiced. He had shifted from the carefree Lieutenant Kuchiki to an indifferent Lord Kuchiki that cared little of anything past his division or clan. His flicker of resistance in recent decades brought her hope that he was finally seizing control of his rightful title and she smiled proudly, "You've fought back, look at where you are by simply having Rukia here."

"It was not easy and the arguments and criticisms that followed drew much of my energy" he stated simply because he didn't want Rukia to hear none of their words. He had already angered them with his marriage to a Rukongai and bringing more into his family had them searching for another heir. Ryo and his sisters had declined, reminding the elders that it was his birthright until death. Thankfully, nobody tried to kill him which had happened in other clans in older times. Tapping his fingers against the edge of the table to release some nerves, he admitted, "I managed it but I was broken emotionally from it. I saw myself as a disappointment for betraying my vows to the clan, to my parents, and falling on a sword of my own desires against what I believed was wrong."

"You also drew admiration from the Rukongai born by giving them hope that nobility and their people could set aside differences" she pointed out to the small flame he'd lit when he married Hisana because applications from Rukongai to enter the Shin'ō Academy skyrocketed. His marriage also allowed her to begin setting up relief funding and school assistance for several Rukongai sectors, beginning her own work with the civilians. He wasn't the cold standoffish man everyone saw, wishing they could see the kindness in him, and asserted truthfully, "I've said this many times but I am so very proud of you."

His decisions in recent years made many question his ideals as a high noble and he nodded with respect to her opinion. His eyes widened slightly when her palm cupped the right side of his face and she smiled warmly to hearten, "You have a good heart with a myriad of emotions that you should never be ashamed of. I will always acknowledge your fears, your fury, your pain, and your joy. You never have to worry about suppressing your voice, I will care even when your family doesn't."

Her words had a shattering effect on his mask after decades of perfecting it against negativity. His gray eyes gleamed brightly as a glossy look took over and his brow furrowed to the sudden tightness in his chest. His body fought against the emotion out of controlled instinct but Ruka had a way with his heart like no other. She nurtured him, remembering her hugs whenever he'd been chastised by his elders for childish wishes or speaking out of turn. It was why he was drawn to her as a child and she'd happily accepted him with all his faults. Her loyalty to him never wavered and from that, his affection blossomed once they began ascending seated positions in the Gotei. Her capacity to care for others, regardless of background, led him to loving her and it was from those remnant bonds that he refused to break their friendship.

He had a nagging but unfounded suspicion for a century that the cold reception of his elders to his romantic entanglement with Ruka led to him losing her. It was a painful wound that scabbed slowly because they refused to cut off contact after it ended and their friendship didn't falter. When his proposal to Hisana occurred, he refused to budge and lose another dear to him. When he learned of Rukia's proximity, he faced more backlash as his elders declared he was desecrating their noble blood. Ryo had been the only one to accept his decision and had cited there were no laws in effect to bar his choice. Everyone else had practically branded him as a failure.

The warmth from her hand was enough for him to lean into it in a moment of weakness and she smiled to his acceptance. It was one for that century's history book. Drawing him close like a frail baby bird, she touched her forehead to his and noticed his sudden tension. For Byakuya, he had reacted out of a spur of the moment thought that she might attempt to kiss him. He blamed Ryo wholeheartedly for ingraining absurd images into his head and relaxed. She wouldn't do that and he was silly for even considering it. Their relationship ended decades ago, right? He cursed Ryo for putting such impure thoughts into his head and muttered indifferently, "This role has brought me more regrets than I counted on."

"Your pride can't allow that to happen" she teased gently to strengthen his resolve because he'd given her enough nagging pep talks in return. He was stronger than her in all aspects and from that, she would provide him with support to carry on in their world. One day, she would fade away and she needed him to be a happy wholesome exemplar for nobles and soul reapers from all walks of life. He deserved to live a fulfilling life and she advised protectively, "Find your happiness. You are the leader of this noble family, nobody else. You are strong in your decision-making skills and brilliant with the law so don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Her determined eyes met his as she backed away to return to her old position and she affirmed confidently, "They bow to you, not the other way around. You are Lord Kuchiki Byakuya and nobody fucks with you."

"Ruka" he warned lightly but his tone carried no force behind it as their gazes met. He was becoming too lenient with her nowadays as he let her cuss in private but it kept her happy. In turn, it amused him. . .and made him happy for the company.

"Too much?" she chuckled merrily as she placed a hand over her mouth for behaving nothing like a perfect noble. He would be the ideal model to follow while she would be the opposite 'don't become this' poster model. Still, they were a loyal pair despite their differences.

"A smidge" he replied with a faint smile to her protective nature over him but he treasured it. She would never turn against him without ample reason and he would return that loyalty. They had fought verbally like territorial wolves over Rukia's execution and he never wanted another fight with her. Like a wolf pack, they had reunited in the infirmary to figuratively lick each other's wounds. She drew from him strength when she faltered and he conveyed his own respect, "I admire your lack of censorship."

"Please, point me to those old farts when you need them to gasp at my bold audacity" she smirked playfully to the thought of making them gasp at her impudence. They expected complete obedience for being born into a high clan without any work to show for it. Only the recent heads had entered the shinigami forces so their hands weren't those of hard workers. She winked innocently but he knew it was anything but that as she claimed proudly, "I'm in your corner, not the Kuchiki clan."

"Thank you" he replied to her endless support and felt lighter at divulging that old emotional load from his mind. Tranquility filled him to sharing that with his old friend and Ruka gladly shared that burden. Glancing at the teapot, he couldn't help but disclose another fact, "I also believe you're right about my coffee intake."

She laughed to his casual abdication of caffeine after fighting her on it an hour ago and grinned with the alternative, "We'll switch you to decaf."

"I might as well not exist anymore, Ruka" he declared with disappointment to that reality because caffeine was the point. What would be the purpose of drinking decaffeinated coffee? It would be the equivalence of soup with nothing in it! He'd had that for one day in Unohana's care after Aizen's defection and almost signed out against medical advice until both Ruka and Renji dragged him back into his medical room. Nonetheless, Ruka brought him smoothies and ice cream for variety before sneaking him food once the other captain left for the night.

She laughed softly to his boyish pouting and mimicked his expression to brighten his mood. Her smile widened from ear to ear when he cracked a faint smile of his own to her imitation. He was opening those locked vault doors to break free and she was happy for it. Time and positive reinforcement were critical so she would wait for the next breakthrough. He wasn't hesitant in being vocal at all when he frowned, squashing that rare smile, and demanded, "Where in the world did those two go to grab dinner? I'll be a thousand at this rate."


Dinner had finished at the Kuchiki estate and Byakuya decided to take a stroll in the gardens while Rukia entertained her friends. His path was blocked when he noticed a pile of cheese puff bags decorating the porch. Was this some sort of joke? Without the door to hold them, they flooded inside like a mini tsunami to cover his feet. Taking a deep breath, he was ready to zone in on his cousin's spiritual pressure but Ruka called out from behind, "Don't kill him. Just dial him and nag!"

He preferred the first option because it was permanent and secondly, because he didn't have his phone on him. When his gaze didn't leave hers, Ruka realized he wasn't going to do anything and sighed exasperatedly, "Fine! I'll call him."

"How do they manage that weird eye contact conversation?" Ichigo whispered over to Rukia as she devoured a freshly baked chocolate muffin. She'd been stuck between that and a peach cobbler so he'd bought her both to keep her peppy mood all night. The petite noble shrugged quietly because she hadn't figured that one out yet. She had a nagging suspicion it was either their long friendship or the bond between their zanpakutō.

Ruka retrieved her phone from her coat pocket to dial her third favorite Kuchiki and heard a pickup on the fourth ring, "Wait, hold on, I'm trying to balance a cheeseball on my nose- ha, you got voice mailed!"

She blinked awkwardly when loud techno music began to blare through the hallway of Byakuya's home. Ichigo and Rukia shared a glance of amusement to what they were hearing after the surprise cheese puff explosion from outside. Ruka sighed under her breath as she realized this was Ryo's project from all the wire swiping that he did at the SRDI and glared at the phone as music echoed, "Voice mailed! Leave a message after-"

"Is that fire?!" Ichigo blurted with shock when the ceiling above Byakuya hanging over the porch became engulfed in flames. The noble's calm façade melted into alarm to the small flames that were quickly climbing towards the roof.

Ruka was quick to end the call as she hit emergency services on instinct and Byakuya kicked the stupid junk food bags outside before closing the doors. That would buy his room some time. Rukia grabbed Ichigo by the right arm to lead him to the next closest room with access to the gardens to find safety. As much as she hated to admit it, the yearly fire/attack escape route drills had finally come in handy.

The quartet were quick to emerge outside to find the fire had covered a small portion of the roof of their room. The originating fire was further south as it shot the orange flames into the night sky and Byakuya froze to seeing his family home erupting in fire. Ichigo pointed to the ongoing fire that would be tough to access and asked uncertainly, "Did anyone grab a fire extinguisher on the way out?"

The lack of a reply told him that was a negative and Byakuya's alarmed expression darkened when he heard amused laughter, "I did not think updating my voice mail would burn the house down."

Byakuya was more than ready to go on a murderous rampage against Ryo and commit an honor killing. He was a silent volcano ready to explode and Ryo didn't help matters by finding the situation a joke as he looked on from a porch further down. Ruka was ready to intercept his calculating steps towards the other noble when they heard Taro's familiar voice, "Captain? Your home is on fire?"

His rage subsided somewhat as humiliation struck at seeing his own division there instead of another unit. He was meant to set an example for his subordinates and here he was, stuck outside his burning home and ready to beat down his cousin. They were no worse than Rukongai strays now! Keeping a neutral voice, he bit back his disappointment and stated, "I'm well aware of how this looks."

"You're emergency services tonight?" Ruka questioned with surprise and to the horrible irony, not wishing this on her friend. Gossip would run amok come tomorrow, as if it hadn't been bad enough that day. Taro shrugged half-heartedly since each division was tasked with taking a shift for emergency aid throughout the Seireitei. It wasn't a glamorous job but it kept you occupied.

"Your home doesn't have fire sprinklers?" Taro asked carefully because he expected nobility to be up to date on the most recent technology. He was aware his boss led a simplistic lifestyle but the man owned a wardrobe that could pay for a city! If he hadn't bought any, this would be a hard lesson to learn.

Unfortunately, that question led Byakuya to exploding on the young man as he narrowed his eyes dangerously to snap heatedly, "How are fire sprinklers going to help a roof fire? Does water defy gravity? Will it spontaneously destroy the fire in one swipe?"

Ruka chuckled awkwardly to play interceptor once more before he drove the poor lieutenant to tears over a simple question. He was unleashing his anger on the wrong person and she ushered Taro away to let his team take care of the fire. Otherwise, they would keep chatting and the roof might collapse. The noise between Byakuya and everyone else on the lawn drew interest as other Kuchiki living in the other wings peeked out of their windows. Ichigo couldn't help but notice that nobody made any motion to help, simply observe.

As if that wasn't embarrassing enough, Ryo's phone went off this time which sent sparks of electricity into the air. Crap, was it his mother? When he caught his commander's face on the incoming contact call, he answered with a smooth tone to act casual but she cut him off with a shout, "You put the Kuchiki estate on fire?!"

His green eyes widened into saucers because he hadn't expected her on the other end with that news and blurted helplessly, "How'd you-? It just happened less than ten minutes ago!"

Commander Sheppard didn't hesitate to reveal her loyal sources to rain on her subordinate's parade and replied firmly, "Commander Quinn just called me who heard it from Captain Kyōraku, who heard it from Lieutenant Ise, who got it from Lieutenant Kyōraku."

Her voice was loud enough over the phone that Byakuya caught every word and he turned to his most loyal to scold, "Ruka!"

The brunette jerked back from the force of his voice as her texts were revealed and she hugged herself to reveal innocently, "Nanao's my bestie. . .and apparently, a traitorous blabbermouth!"

His image was crashing down in literal flames as Taro's team did a half-ass job, in his opinion, on putting out his roof. Having the commander- no, two commanders- know that a captain's noble estate was in flames as a joke from another captain was downright humiliating. Ruka was meant to keep his secrets and she'd blabbed to Nanao within minutes, feeling betrayed. She was ashamed when she heard the flicker of emotion in his voice as he shot back, "So am I and this is my home- not to mention our reputation."

Ryo shut off his phone to avoid any more incoming calls that would accelerate the fire and chuckled awkwardly, "Quite honestly, it's kinda funny."

Byakuya wasn't in a joking mood as the fire kept spreading and restrained his boiling rage as he snapped tightly, "My estate is on fire!"

Ryo could see that the emergency team was doing a rather shoddy job and decided to take care of it himself. Unsheathing his zanpakutō from behind his back, he ordered the timid shinigami team out of the way to take over. Within ten seconds of summoning his shikai, water drenched from every corner of the roof as he quenched the fire instantly with the amount of water from his elemental zanpakutō. Sealing his harpoon-style sword back into a katana, he pointed it at his frowning cousin to smirk, "There. You're welcome."

"You caused this to begin with!" he accused vehemently as he refused to thank him for undoing what he started in the first place. His roof wouldn't have been on fire if he hadn't decided to prank him! It was because of his horrid electrical wiring that it happened.

Ryo scoffed dismissively because the other noble set it on fire multiple times decades prior and shot back, "Oh, please, you put it on fire-"

Byakuya grabbed the hilt of his own zanpakutō to unsheathe his sword as he whispered dangerously, "Scatter-"

"Oh no, you don't!" Ruka exclaimed in protest as she threw her full weight against him to stop a fight between captains on civilian property. She didn't want him marring his image further since the fire would surely be talked about in public. That, and to be scolded yet again by old man Yamamoto for not following the rules on zanpakutō usage during peace times.

Ichigo and Rukia watched the duo wrestle for his zanpakutō as Byakuya warned indignantly, "Ruka!"

Never in his life did Ichigo think the frigid captain would yield to another but Ruka won the match. She resembled a furious honey badger fighting against a dangerous black panther because the captain held power far beyond hers and the height to match. He breathed in relief when the man's hand released the weapon while Ryo hadn't batted an eyelash to an upcoming fight at all. Ruka held the hilt of Senbonzakura between her hands to block his access and reminded firmly to bring back his strict logic, "No random zanpakutō fights!"

Ryo didn't mind egging him on as he sheathed his zanpakutō behind his back and teased innocently, "This isn't becoming of a lord and captain."

Byakuya tensed momentarily before chucking his sheathed zanpakutō at Ruka without a second thought. His commander was strict on the use of weapons in civilian territory but he hadn't said anything about using one's hands to extinguish life. Stepping forward, he didn't hesitate to state coldly, "I don't need a sword to kill you."

Ruka threw his zanpakutō at Rukia, who quickly scrambled to catch it before it received a scratch somewhere. With the sixth lieutenant and his team gawking, the Kuchiki nobles peeking out windows, and their guests on the lawn, a fight between family was not how they were ending the night. Ruka was quick to grab both nobles by the ear to bring them down to her height level and ordered furiously, "Behave! You're grown ass men about to wrestle on a wet lawn at midnight!"

Ryo wasn't dissuaded by that thought because he'd done worse living abroad. For Byakuya, the thought of ruining his new haori with grass stains snapped him back. Both nobles eyed each other suspiciously as Ruka kept a tight hold on their ear but they submitted to the tiny fury that she was. Rukia held the sheathed Senbonzakura close to her chest and peered up at the perplexed Ichigo to plead, "Please don't think my family is crazy."

This is so embarrassing, she thought with dismay as she watched her brother and cousin being manhandled by the short noble. Holding her brother's zanpakutō was a new one for her and she was surprised to its hefty weight in comparison to her own sword. All she wanted was a nice family dinner and it evolved into this.

She didn't want him to think her family was insane because every gathering ended in an embarrassing note. Their relationship was still new and she didn't want to scare him off after reaching this point in their tight friendship. Ichigo had been through a lot, mainly because of Byakuya's unrelenting personality, and shrugged casually to assure, "That's okay, I realized they were bonkers a week after meeting them."


Shinigami Extra:

"And when she looked down, she realized the call was coming from inside the house!"

Ruka and Rukia were telling ghost stories when the open window behind them had a figure slump inside ungracefully. After hearing radio stories about a prowler and their own spooky stories, the two got on edge immediately. Ruka was quick to withdraw the small knife hidden in her bracer to protect Rukia as she approached the corner. The intruder lay on their stomach as they struggled to get up and the two women proceeded to kick the crap out of them.

"Damn!"

The familiar voice of Ryo stopped their onslaught and the two backed away with embarrassed realization it was him. He wasn't wearing his westernized uniform but civilian clothes since he'd gone out for the night. Holding his throbbing ribs, he was shocked to the power in their short legs. Talk about small but mighty. Releasing a pained gasp, he chastised the two as he managed to sit up, "Ruka, Rukia, what the hell? I thought you were all asleep!"

Rukia glanced at the floor with embarrassment for hurting her family member while Ruka winced slightly before apologizing, "Sorry, you okay?"

Shaking his head, he straightened up before leaning against the wall and declaring, "Nope, just hurt real bad. Whether it's my ribs or pride, I'm not sure."

"Why are you here?" she asked defensively because he'd assumed they were asleep. He'd already traumatized Byakuya enough for the week and would kick him out herself if he was trying something funny. Her friend was not in the mood to endure more pranks at his expense and she placed her hands on her hips to show she meant business.

Raising his left hand, he revealed burnt pieces of electrical wire and answered dully, "Collecting leftover wiring. Mother says I have to pay for the damages."

"As you should" she agreed wholeheartedly because it was his plan that went wrong. She would've agreed to retrofit that into the home correctly to avoid a fire and simply irk her friend. Instead, Ryo's shoddy job almost burned down the head family's wing.

Ryo frowned to hearing her take his cousin's side but flinched when Byakuya's voice echoed coldly from another room, "You better not be bleeding on my carpet!"

"Gotta go" he blurted before hurling himself out the window once more to shunpo into the darkness.


A/N: So Byakuya's finally on the self-disclosure road which is starting to crack me up. Plus, he's starting to allow Ruka to touch him without behaving like a witch burning under water while the Mayuri ship has sunk to the bottom of the sea of Japan. Byakuya will be recuperating his burnt estate while Ruka's team begins training with the Northeast Captain who dreads Mayuri as seen in previous chapters, hahaha.

Thank you to my last reviewers, I love hearing from you guys:

Yelowket: I haven't decided where to place Nanao just yet. She could either slip into the canon role of being the secret Kyōraku family member or Shunsui's love interest because he's a shameless flirt. I was a shipper of the two until the family plot came out in the last arc then I was more to 'oh no, what have I done?', hahaha. It also depends on the readers, either Ruka gets a cousin or an aunt, haha.

AnimeFrkGrl: Byakuya will definitely be the confrontational party once Ruka tells him about their romantic history. I mean, she has to out of respect if she wants him to stop being Lord Friendzone. Thank you for always enjoying my chapters!