Three days later they were at long last getting ready for her to be discharged from the fourth. With father and son standing against him, Ginrei had relented on the idea of her not being within the manor's walls. Currently Byakuya was moving the last of the items out of what was going to become Tama's room. He wiped his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt and began moving the futon in as well as a wardrobe with his father's help. Ginrei shook his head, internally he still believed that she should sleep in one of the adjacent buildings and this was 'too much trouble for a commoner.'

He'd been singing the same tune for three days and by the end Byakuya wasn't going to hear of it, and Soujun was tired of hearing it. The two had turned to Ginrei and it was Soujun who posed, "if you think the stables are suitable for someone with her injuries, why not spend half a night there yourself?"

Ginrei grumbled about disrespectful children before leaving the room. Byakuya glanced to Soujun and asked, "Father, wasn't that a bit out of line?"

"A little," Soujun agreed before looking to his son and adding, "then again, so was he. I don't often subscribe to the idea of matching someone's energy but sometimes it's necessary for them to understand."

Byakuya nodded in agreement before finishing with positioning the futon in what would be the girl's room. He looked to Soujun and stated, "I'm going to go get her from the fourth, Father. I'll return."

"Alright, I'll have the futon made up by the time you're back," Soujun replied as he grabbed a few sheets. The young heir left the manor and flash stepped off towards the fourth. 'If I want to surpass that woman I need to keep practicing,' he reasoned with himself.

He observed how fast everyone and everything around him blurred by as he put his energy into a quick sprint over to the fourth division barracks. It took only a few minutes before he arrived at their hospital wing door, and hunched over, resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

'I have to keep training. I must surpass that woman,' Byakuya thought to himself. After giving himself a minute to rest he headed into the hospital wing of the fourth squad. He headed straight for the girl's spiritual pressure, it always felt the same: like a gentle gust of crisp winter wind.

He knocked on the post by her curtain and waited.

"Wait a minute, Byakuya," came her reply. He blinked before he gained a smug smirk, she'd learned what his spiritual pressure was like. "Alright," she called to him. He pulled back the curtain and saw her in the pink kimono he and Soujun had sent over for her, it was fastened with a white obi that had a cherry blossom design. Subconsciously a smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he took in the sight, accentuated by the fact that her hair was currently pulled back in a large silver barrette that his father had designed for her by some Shinigami that he knew to be clever with devices. The barrette doubled as a concealed weapon. If she pressed on the pink pearl at the center of the barrette, a concealed dagger would be released. It was Soujun's gift to her, so she'd always have something to defend herself in the future.

"It's a nice colour on you," he commented. Immediately he wished he hadn't said that. She suddenly looked like a deer facing down a hunter's bow and arrow. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and added, "I just mean the colour suits you. That's all, nothing hidden about it, I promise."

She relaxed a little and nodded her head as she conceded, "alright. Umm I guess we should go, then."

He nodded and became aware of the fact that he was smiling, quickly trying to remove the smile from his face as he walked by her side towards the door of the hospital wing which lead outside. As they walked Byakuya asked her, "when's your birthday?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Father makes a point of doing something for everyone's birthday each year they're with us," he explained.

"Hmm I don't quite know," Tama admitted.

Byakuya glanced to her, "When did you arrive in soul society?"

"I'm not sure," she revealed. She gently wrapped her arms around herself as she admitted, "It's kind of strange. I woke up in the district where you found me but—I don't remember anything before that. I know that isn't too unusual. I've spoken to others who've said the same but what's different in my experience compared to theirs; I woke up with a piece of paper that read my name and a few numbers, but that's all I have to go by."

Byakuya blinked a little as he processed the information, it was indeed unusual but those numbers could hold the answer to his question. He then pressed her, "What were the numbers?"

"Twelve and Twenty-eight," she replied.

"Then I'd surmise that December twenty-eighth is your birthday," Byakuya responded as he opened the door to the fourth and held it for her. Tama smiled and nodded as she admitted, "I've thought the same."

A thought came to him as she exited the building, he followed her shutting the door and asked him, "have you told anyone else about that note?"

"No," She admitted, she swallowed a bit harshly as she revealed, " that's not all either. I have these weird dreams—it's mostly two people screaming and yelling. I don't know why but I get the feeling that those dreams aren't really dreams."

'Sounds more like they might be repressed memories, and if that's the case she may not originally be from Rukongai at all. Did something happen that resulted in her being left there so she could hide amongst the locals? This turned deep. All I meant to find out was her birthday and if she'd found a favourite food yet,' Byakuya thought to himself.

"Sorry, I feel like I'm unloading on you. It's just—well not too many noblemen get puked on and then open their door to the person who violated their clothing," she apologized with a nervous giggle.

His shoulders slightly quivered with a light laugh as he reminded her, "I could buy a thousand of those cheap shirts, easily. It wasn't a big deal. It was just a bit gross in the moment."

She nodded in understanding then posed a question, "if I may ask, who chose this outfit?"

A light touch of pink dusted across the tops of his cheeks as he admitted, "I did."

Tama blinked a little at the admission and he quickly added, "what? I can't like cherry blossoms just because I'm a boy?"

"I never said that, and no. As far as I'm aware there's no rule saying such a thing. I'm just a little surprised. I didn't think you care much for commoners. The fact you took a time to not only select an outfit but to colour coordinate it it's a little surprising," she confessed.

"I wasn't exactly on my best behaviour when we were heading over here. I could've handled things better but I just reacted to things I shouldn't have let get to me. I suppose you could say it's my way of saying 'sorry'," he offered.

"It's quite an apology Byakuya Kuchiki," she commented with a broad smile.

"Well it was owed to you, Tama Shimizu," he answered with a small smirk. He didn't know what it was about her, but something caused him to feel as if butterflies inhabited his stomach when she was near and that feeling only increased when she smiled.