Word count: about 1500

Status: incomplete, part 1/?

Ships: Byakuya x Renji, Ukitake x Kyoraku

Notes: this fic is gonna have so many ShunUki oneshots in it. Also, ByaRen.

This will probs be continued in a later oneshot. When? I dunno.

—

Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of the Sixth Division of the Gotei Thirteen, is in love with his fukutaicho.

To someone not well acquainted with Byakuya and what love looks like on him, they would probably be faintly abused by this declaration at best. At worst, they would call Jushiro a liar, and that's a bit of an annoying thing to have as part of one's reputation.

So, Jushiro does the prudent thing and doesn't tell anyone about this revelation. Other than Shunsui, of course, but Jushiro tells Shunsui everything.

Now that he's looking for it, Jushiro doesn't know how he hadn't noticed it before. It's a little embarrassing, really; Jushiro and Shunsui had watched Byakuya fall in love with Hisana, so they really should have figured out that something was up with the First and Second seats of the Sixth. If anything, Byakuya's infatuation is painfully obvious. From the way his brow unfurrows when he looks at Abarai to the way his feet are always pointing at his fukutaicho as though Abarai is a magnet and Byakuya is the needle of a compass, Byakuya's love is pretty in-your-face to anyone who pays attention.

Which is probably why only Jushiro and Shunsui seem to have figured it out.

"Ahhhh, to be young and in love," says Shunsui, a faint smile on his lips as he watches Byakuya pass a stack of paperwork to Abarai. It would be a completely innocent gesture if not for the way Byakuya's grey eyes flash to Abarai's lips and the slight caress of his smooth fingers against the back of Abarai's hand. Abarai, of course, doesn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, and it's really starting to turn from amusing to infuriating.

Jushiro rolls his eyes. "And the Abarai-fukutaicho doesn't even notice," he says, adding a bit of over-the-top remorse to his voice. "He doesn't even see what he's missing."

Shunsui's grin turns predatory. "Aaah, Ukitake! Don't tell me you've thought too much about lovely Kuchiki's...skills? It seems I have competition - ow, hey!"

"Shut up," says Jushiro good naturedly, removing his hand from where it had been poking Shunsui in the side, right in the squishy spot under his ribs. "Byakuya-bo has his sights set on Abarai as it is."

Never one to let an opportunity to tease Jushiro drop, Shunsui wiggles his eyebrows. "Jealous?" Apparently having learned nothing from being jabbed in the kidney, he leans in close to Jushiro. "Ohhh, Ju-chan! Must I set you two up instead of him and Abarai? Or, or Abarai seems the type to share, if you ask him real nicely."

Jushiro snorts, even as the back of his throat begins to itch in the tell-tale way that means he's overexerted himself. "Never, darling," and the 'darling' is only partially sarcastic. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"I know," says Shunsui, serious for a moment before he smirks again. "But if Byakuya-bo doesn't confess soon, I'll be getting rid of him instead."

Jushiro laughs and laughs and almost ends up coughing his lungs up onto his partner, but it's worth it.

"This is becoming physically painful to watch," says Jushiro as Byakuya gives Abarai yet another longing look that Abarai yet again ignores. "It isn't good for my health, Shu-chan."

Shunsui nods, a little too solemnly to be entirely serious. "I suppose we'll have to step in."

It's another month before Jushiro and Shunsui find the time to confront Abarai, and summer is slowly turning into fall. Abarai seems to go everywhere with Kuchiki Rukia, and when they're not together Abarai is training, or drinking with the Eleventh. If this keeps up for much longer, Jushiro's rumored infinite patience will wear thin and he'll ask Abarai about Byakuya in front of his friends, Abarai's reputation be damned.

"Patience, my dear Ju-chan," is all Shunsui says when Jushiro complains to him, and Jushiro makes a mental note to hide the rest of Shunsui's sake when he gets the chance. The filthy hypocrite won't be any more patient than Jushiro is right now next time he wants a drink.

"Jushiro."

"Yes, dear?"

"Where is my drink?"

"Maaa, you'll have to ask your fukutaicho. I haven't the slightest clue, I'm afraid."

Abarai is making his way from the Eleventh to the Sixth's barracks. It's past midnight, Abarai smells faintly of alcohol, and Jushiro is supposed to be in the Fourth.

It's the perfect time to talk to Abarai, in both Shunsui's and Jushiro's opinion.

(Shunsui makes a snarky comment about how 'frustrating little Abarai-kun gets to have a drink, but the love of your life doesn't', but Jushiro has absolutely no sympathy.)

"Abarai-fukutaicho!" Jushiro calls out, ignoring Shunsui's complaining. "Oi, Abarai-fukutaicho!"

Abarai turns around, mouth half open in what would surely be a rather amusing drunken retort, but then he sees Jushiro and Shunsui and (quite wisely) bites back his words. "Aa, Ukitake-taicho, Kyoraku-taicho? Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually," says Shunsui, falling into his role easily. "Walk with us, Renji. Can I call you Renji?"

Blinking bemusedly, Abarai - or is Jushiro calling him Renji now? - frowns. "Of course," he says, falling into step between Shunsui and Jushiro. "What's this about?"

Jushiro picks up where Shunsui had left off. "Well, Renji, Shu-chan and I were wondering if we could talk to you about your taicho, isn't that right?"

"Of course, Ju-chan," says Shunsui, smiling faintly and nodding, "You see, Renji-kun, we've noticed that Byakuya-bo has taken quite a liking to you."

"It's quite sweet, really," Jushiro adds, even as Renji looks entirely uncomprehending. "He's so closed off now, we were worried he'd never open up to anyone again."

"But you…" Shunsui smiles wider. "For some reason, Byakuya-bo likes you."

Renji stares at Shunsui and Jushiro as though they're telling him to kiss Kurotsuchi Mayuri. "I'm his fukutaicho," he says. "He can't exactly dislike me."

"He can, actually," Jushiro responds.

"Happens all the time, really."

"Ah, yes. Like Hirako-taicho, remember? He hated his fukutaicho with a burning passion."

"For good reason, of course."

"Of course, Shu-chan, but it doesn't change the fact of the matter."

"Maaa, very true, very true. And then there's the Second, with lovely Soi-Fon…"

"Her fukutaicho seems to give her a bit of trouble, sometimes."

"And Mugarama and his fukutaicho, back in the day…"

"...and who even knows what's up with the Twelth, really…"

"...and the Kenpachi and his fukutaicho, of course. They aren't really the best set of role models for a taicho-fukutaicho relationship, though…"

"...probably because the fukutaicho calls her taicho 'Ken-chan' and rides around on his shoulders…"

"...and encourages him to fight random shinigami…"

Renji frowns, and actually raises his hand, which is absolutely adorable. "Uh, Kyoraku-taicho, Ukitake-taicho, not to interrupt, but you're sort of...doing...a thing?"

Shunsui dramatically slaps his forehead with the heel of his hand. "Ahhhh, apologies."

Jushiro shrugs. "We do that sometimes."

"One of the problems with knowing someone for a millennia, really."

"But we did have a point, didn't we?"

Shunsui chuckles, and wraps his arm around Renji's shoulders. "Of course, of course. We were talking about how Byakuya-bo has gained a liking for you."

"A bit of admiration, let's say." (1)

"Yes, admiration."

Renji opens his mouth, but Jushiro cuts him off. "Now, Byakuya-bo's been lonely for quite a while now. He doesn't want to get hurt, see? And as his fukutaicho, you'll want to make sure Byakuya is happy. It's your duty."

Somehow, the mentioning of duty gets through to Renji even when nothing else does. He nods, straightening up, and Jushiro smiles and nods.

He's figured it out. Good.

Now Jushiro can go back to his barracks, and cuddle with his lover.