A little birdie told me it was Jirachi's birthday recently! So here's another chapter! :D Thank you to HarunaOno, Levi365 and Guest for your reviews!

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Their first day of tutoring had been unusual. Hisana had expected Captain Kuchiki to start instructing her on the Kido she was struggling to learn, but instead he'd asked to see her showcase every Kido she'd learned so far. He stood, silently behind her while she demonstrated spell after spell.

There was no indication of his presence except the tingling sensation on the back of her neck and the prickling of her skin that told her someone was watching her.

Her sense of unease grew.

It frustrated Hisana that she couldn't work out exactly where it was coming from. There was something so unusual about the Captain that she couldn't place her finger on, and yet her heart was tittering pitifully each time she caught a glimpse of him, reminding her that whatever it was, it wasn't negative, it was familial.

She couldn't help but feel that she knew Captain Kuchiki from somewhere.

They paused in the afternoon when they were told that food had been prepared. The Academy staff bowed low to Captain Kuchiki as he walked ahead, back to the room he'd been waiting when Hisana met him that morning. She studied the way his long hair swept behind him as he glided through the ancient academy halls, and the precision to which he lowered himself into seiza on the zabuton beside the table.

Hisana hesitated. The table had been laid out with food, and there was a second beside him with similar food on it. It was wrong to assume that table had been laid out for her and she glanced awkwardly around for any sign of staff to figure out where she was to be eating.

'Sit, Hisana.'

It was the third time that day she'd heard him speak. Her eyes flickered back to him, those slate steely irises boring into her own, trying to communicate more than what his words had said. Even though she felt uncomfortable and out of place sitting beside a Captain of the 13th Court Guard Squad and head of the Kuchiki Clan, she wouldn't dare refuse a direct order.

Hesitantly, aware of how clumsily she moved compared to him, she made her way around the room, giving him a respectfully wide girth, before lowering herself to sit in seiza at the table perpendicular to his.

She didn't dare look at him. He was so far removed from her world he may as well be an angel. Even then, she was sure she'd have more in common with an angel than she ever would with the man who now sat close to her. From the corner of her eyes she could see him moving as he ate the food, if he had any complaints about the meal, he didn't voice them. Hisana could tell the staff had done their best to make the food that sat before her much more appealing than any of the food she'd received before. Maguro sashimi, soft rice, steamed vegetables and shoyu ramen. Hisana picked up her chopsticks and started to eat. Partway through her meal she was sure that she could feel the gaze of the Captain watching her, but she did not raise her head to meet his eyes.

She still found him intimidating.

When the meal was over, they went back outside and Hisana resumed her spells, picking up from where she'd left off. The sun moved steadily over the sky above and it began to graze the tops of the opposing trees when she finally reached the final spell she knew.

'Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hado number thirty-three, Sokatsui,' from her palm blue flames discharged. The strength of them was something she feared, they shot across the earth, scorching the ground and demolishing the trees opposite. The force of the spell sent Hisana stumbling back until she lost her footing. Her body braced for impact against the hard ground beneath her but a pair of strong arms found her before she had a chance to hit the earth.

Captain Kuchiki had caught her.

But he didn't seem content to let her go.

Hisana gazed up and saw those grey eyes boring into her. It was hard to read the emotion in his face, but Hisana could tell he was loaded with them. If she had to take a guess, she'd say he was impressed with how much she'd managed to learn despite only being at the Academy for such a short period of time.

And yet that same familiar feeling washed over her. Hisana was rigid in his arms, feeling the way his long fingers had curled around her side, protecting her body, while his other arm cradled her head.

'Sorry,' she murmured, attempting to push herself back up. He didn't respond, but his hands lingered their hold until she was standing fully on her own. She thought it rather strange, like he hadn't expected her to be able to manage it alone. Rather than bristling with indignation, she decided to vocalise some of her thoughts.

'I can't help but feel like you remind me of someone,' Hisana said, stepping out of reach of his hands which had still lingered on her uniform. She'd said it lightly, as if it was funny, because it was. There was no way that she'd ever met this man before. 'But I can't put my finger on it.'

When she glanced in his direction, she saw that he was still keeling in the position he'd been when he caught her. His Captain's haori shifting in the light breeze, but for once his steely grey gaze was not upon her, but cast off into the distance.

'Does that make you uncomfortable?' he questioned. His deep rich voice still sent shockwaves of nostalgia ringing through her.

It had been an odd response to the comment she'd made and she weighed his words carefully before responding.

The truth was, that, yes, it made her a little uncomfortable but not in the way he may interpret that if she agreed. She just wished she could understand why.

'Not uncomfortable,' she replied with a frown, 'I just wish I understood.'

Captain Kuchiki straightened. His gaze did not return to her. Hisana took this opportunity to stare at him. He looked forlorn, despite his young physical appearance she could see the soft lines etched into his brow, a man that had known great suffering and loss.

She'd assumed she knew what kind of man he was. Pampered and proud, strong in battle and loyal to the Seireitei and its cause, but now she realised there were so many more layers to the man than she'd first thought.

And Hisana had a deep desire to get to know each of them.

'Perhaps one day,' he said. His voice was steady and even as he spoke, whatever he was contemplating, it was clear he was used to composing himself.

Hisana didn't know how to respond, so she simply asked the next question that came to mind.

'Captain Kuchiki?' she asked hesitantly. He turned as if he were about to say something, but didn't.

Hisana gave him a couple of seconds to ensure he didn't wish to speak before she continued, 'Why did you come to teach me? It isn't that I am not grateful,' she added hastily with a low bow, 'but I rather thought that a Captain would be too busy.'

She stayed in her low bow, worried she'd offended him when he didn't respond.

'It is getting late,' he said. Hisana was rather shocked by the abrupt topic change and was now even more worried she'd offended him. When she glanced back up, he didn't look offended or angry with her, he just looked sad.

'Yes, I am very sorry, thank you again, so much for your time today, Captain,' Hisana bowed once more.

'I shall walk you back to your barracks,' he responded. Startled, Hisana let her mouth fall open and stared up at him with a rather dumbfounded expression.

A flicker of amusement crossed his face, but it was so fleeting she may have imagined it. Closing her mouth, Hisana hastened to walk close enough to him to lead the way to her barracks. In retrospect, she should have been wary of allowing a stranger to find out where she slept. Living in the Rukongai taught every woman this lesson, but there was something about him, Hisana knew she could trust.

'It's not far, Captain Kuchiki,' she told him as she quickened her pace. She didn't want him to take any more time out of his day than he'd already wasted on her.

She lead him back through the small forest, most of the students had left the campus for the evening to celebrate the near end of year at the local pups and brothels. By the time they'd made it back to the barracks, the sun had started to sink low in the sky, casting its fiery red glow across the buildings. Despite her dislike for the time of day, she couldn't help but marvel the way it highlighted Captain Kuchiki's stunning features. His jet black hair stood out in sharp contrast and his pale skin was warmed slightly in the glow, it seemed to envelope him in a halo of light.

'Here,' she said finally, stopping outside a large building where a number of the female officers slept. His grey eyes swept the dead space around them and then cast up the building, a frown etched on his young features.

'It's not much,' Hisana smiled pleasantly up at him, 'but it's warm and dry and I have company.'

The last word caught his attention. His dark eyes glanced over at her and then he turned his head to give her his full attention. She felt scruffy under his gaze. He looked so regal in his white haori and silk scarf and she in her standard Shinigami uniform that had been worn once already before it was due to be washed.

'Do you get lonely?' he asked.

It was a very personal question. She was sure he meant it in every way someone could possibly mean the word. It should have made her uncomfortable to have a stranger ask her something so private, but she found herself answering him regardless.

'Not enough to seek out company,' Hisana smiled. 'I have my friend Toki and she's enough company for me at the moment.'

Her smile was genuine as she thought of her friend, and it seemed to quell any further questions from the regal man. Why her personal life was of interest to him, Hisana had no idea.

'Is it rude for me to ask the question back, Captain?' she was curious of the man who had come to teach her, the man who was going to be giving her so many hours out of his week to help her advance her Kido. He didn't reply, but she hadn't expected him too, what she didn't expect was for him to close the distant between them in a few short strides. Captain Kuchiki didn't say anything, he didn't need too. His eyes held a pool of emotion, swirling in grey mist. He raised his hand to stroke a stray strand of hair away from her eyes and tuck it gently behind her ear.

'Sleep well, Hisana,' he said softly. Hisana felt the tremor down her spine, enough to make her knees weak and her toes curl in her waraji.

Then he was gone.

Hisana looked frantically around for him, but there wasn't a trace of him left behind. She was both impressed and equally terrified by the speed at which he could travel. There wasn't even a spot of his spiritual pressure that she could sense, she had no idea which direction he'd left by.

It reminded her once more, how vastly out of her league he was.

And yet…

The way he'd tucked her hair away from her face. He'd been so soft and so gentle.

One thing was for sure, Hisana was going to do everything in her power to figure out the enigma that was Captain Byakuya Kuchiki.

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Thank you for reading! Please leave me a comment with your thoughts :D I will continue to add to it when I can :D