A/N: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for the wait. I had a lot of personal issues to deal with (apartment flooded, car totaled, finding a new place to live...) T.T
Thank you fifita pe, KirikaAndo, kuppcake, vain-gl0ry, SenSen-Chan, Miki-mouse716, Filisgirl251, MiharuTousaka, and Moi for the reviews! And thank everyone who has followed and favorited the story!
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I appreciate you all so much and hope you enjoy this chapter. Admittedly, it went in a different direction than I was expecting, so I hope you guys like it :)
ch 22: party
It had been a week since Heiwa completed her work-mandated therapy sessions. As soon as Yamada Hanatarō signed off the final form, she used Shunpō to speed across the Seireitei straight into Byakuya's office, slamming the papers onto his desk.
With a triumphant grin, she declared, "I want to go on a mission!"
Byakuya was neither amused nor annoyed by her enthusiasm. Without glancing in her direction, he stated, "The work day is nearly over. We can discuss this tomorrow."
Heiwa frowned, "You know, you could at least skim over my evaluation and pretend you're happy for me."
Byakuya sighed and set down his pen. He glanced up at her, his face completely blank and voice utterly devoid of emotion. "Of course I'm happy for you. Can't you tell?"
Heiwa deflated with a pout. Trust Byakuya to suck all the fun out of a situation. "Thanks, I guess," she muttered.
And that was the end of that conversation. A week flew by, and somehow, nothing interesting enough to warrant her involvement had come across her desk. Gods, where were the Hollows when she needed them?
Displeased by the lack of action, Heiwa busied herself with menial tasks – organizing her office, training the rookies, and brainstorming fundraiser ideas with the Shinigami Women's Association.
When she wasn't working, she spent nearly all her free time with Byakuya. They had dinner together, strolled through the Seireitei late at night, and spent time in the gardens of their respective manors. It wasn't anything they hadn't done before, but now that they were sneaking kisses and holding hands during conversations, it felt entirely different.
All this was to say that Heiwa was happy–
Breathtakingly, heart-stoppingly, soul-shatteringly happy.
Now, Heiwa wasn't used to being happy, nor would she describe herself as happy or cheerful. Her life wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't sunshine and rainbows either. She was a realist, bordering on pessimist, and she did her best not to be swept up by emotions as fickle as hope or joy.
So when Heiwa did experience happiness, she held onto it closely and carefully, as if it were glass – beautiful and clear, but easily shattered.
Her happiness was evident in how she carried herself, and her change in attitude did not go unnoticed by anyone – not by her co-workers, her friends, and certainly not by her family, who began to suspect someone was secretly courting her.
Heiwa would neither confirm nor deny this, which frustrated her relatives. She wanted more than anything to say, yes, she was being courted, by Kuchiki Byakuya no less! – but they hadn't talked about what they were to each other. And ugh, how it frustrated her.
But when and how should she bring it up? Surely, Byakuya must know that she was waiting for him to initiate that conversation. But then again…men are certainly dense when it comes to knowing what women want – and unfortunately, Byakuya was just like any other man in that regard.
So all poor Heiwa could do in the meantime was wait and hope that Byakuya would get the hint.
~X~
In the middle of the day, there was a single knock on Heiwa's door. She glanced up from her desk and could barely hide her smile at the sight of Byakuya lingering in the doorway. "Taichō, did you need something?"
Byakuya did not move from the door and asked, "You intend to work next Monday?"
Heiwa blinked. "Um, yes?"
Byakuya stared at her, maintaining a perfectly blank look that did nothing to inform her of what was going on inside that head of his.
"Why wouldn't I…?" she trailed off, pursing her lips.
"It's the ninth," he stated.
"...yes?"
"September ninth."
Brushing aside the report she's been working on, Heiwa leaned back in her chair and chuckled, "I'm well aware of that. What is this about?"
He glared at her before muttering, "It's your birthday."
"Oh," Heiwa smiled. "You remembered?"
Byakuya's eyes shifted, and he didn't respond. Heiwa tried not to laugh. "Ah, so Abarai told you?" she guessed.
He clenched his jaw, then nodded almost imperceptibly.
Heiwa laughed. Renji made it a point to remember all the officers' birthdays; it was rather impressive. He had even gotten her a gift — a set of glitter gel pens from the World of the Living. They sat on her desk, a bit askew, so she fondly set them straight while saying, "So this was your way of asking if I have any plans for my birthday?"
"I only wanted to ensure it was not a mistake that you did not request the day off," Byakuya asserted.
"It's not. I usually work on my birthday since it makes the day go by faster," she explained. "After the first hundred times, it kind of loses its significance, wouldn't you agree?"
Byakuya crinkled his nose. "It is still an important day…you should celebrate it somehow."
"I am," Heiwa promised. "Oh! Speaking of which–" She opened a drawer and ruffled through it, searching for a crisp, plain piece of stationery. She held it out to Byakuya, "I'm having a party! Well, I always do, but my aunt let me choose all the desserts this year! You should come."
Byakuya tentatively reached for the invitation, but before he could grab it, Heiwa snatched it back and said, "Oh, and by the way, I've invited you to my birthday party every year since I joined the Sixth Division, and you have never attended even once. So this year, I expect a really nice gift."
She cocked her head with a sly grin and held it out for him. Brows furrowed, Byakuya took the invitation from her and slid it into his robes.
"Very well, if that's what you want," he said warily.
Now, Heiwa wanted to say, "Obviously, I don't care about a gift. I just want you." But instead, she swallowed her words and chirped, "Yup."
With that, Byakuya left. Heiwa sighed and resumed work, hoping he would at least get her something expensive.
~X~
As Heiwa's birthday approached, Byakuya found himself increasingly panicked. He had yet to find an acceptable gift and was running out of time.
It would be easy to buy her jewelry or make her a kimono, but he worried it would seem too…impersonal. And although he wouldn't call Heiwa cheap by any means, she was the type of person who preferred practical gifts – things she could use regularly.
Renji had the right idea with the glitter gel pens.
Byakuya knew he could've asked her friends for advice, but he was too proud to do so. However, considering they were now romantically involved, surely, he could figure this out on his own.
Unfortunately, he did not. The week came and went, and then it was September 9th. Although she protested heavily, Renji brought a small cake during lunch and sang her happy birthday. Perhaps it was the glow of the candles, but Byakuya could've sworn her eyes looked a bit teary as she blew them out.
Then before he knew it, he was standing at the gates of the Fushido manor, nervous and giftless. As the servants guided him to the party, which was situated towards the back of the estate, Byakuya noticed a mountainous pile of gifts in one of the empty rooms. Hopefully, it would take Heiwa days to open them all, which could possibly buy him enough time to secure an appropriate gift.
Heiwa's family instantly greeted Byakuya as he entered the dining hall. All of the guests were surprised to see a Kuchiki in attendance. Even Heiwa's grandmother commented, "Kuchiki-sama, how kind of you to grace us with your presence this evening," before pointing him towards the alcohol.
"You're going to need it if you want to get through this night," she advised. "You so rarely attend events these days — I'm sure many of our guests will want to talk to you."
And she was right. As soon as he retrieved a glass of wine, a group of noblemen circled him like vultures. Byakuya could care less about socializing, but he made sure to pay attention to the men and respond when appropriate during the conversation.
As their discussion droned on, Byakuya watched Heiwa as she strolled around the room, all smiles and warm eyes and a pleasant voice. He wished he could spend time with her privately. Still, he understood as well as she did that these gatherings were the best opportunities to make acquaintances and secure political ties with the nobility.
It was peculiar, though, how easily she maneuvered the crowd around her. Byakuya had always assumed she disliked socializing, but she seemed to thrive under the attention tonight. Then again, that assumption was based on her discomfort at the Tsuzawa wedding, and he supposed anyone in her position would have been uncomfortable.
Here, surrounded by friends and family, Heiwa was charismatic and bright – her infectious energy drawing people towards her like moths to a flame.
"It's rather strange, isn't it?"
Byakuya glanced at the man standing next to him, unsure when he had entered the little circle of noblemen surrounding him. The others halted their conversation, one of them asking, "What is strange, Masashi-san?"
Byakuya vaguely recognized the name. He looked again at the man – young, with plain features. Although his face was unfamiliar, the name still rang a bell in the back of Byakuya's head.
Masashi hummed and took a slow sip of his saké, obviously pleased to have everyone's attention. Byakuya resisted the urge to roll his eyes and tune out their discussion, but then Masashi said, "I'm talking about Fushido-san."
The group instinctively turned to look at Heiwa, standing across the room and chatting with her relatives. Byakuya glanced at Masashi, whose slight smirk was starting to irritate him.
"What do you mean?" one of the men asked.
Masashi chuckled. "Merely a few weeks ago, I had dinner with her and was less than impressed, but today, she seems like a completely different person."
Ah, now Byakuya remembered; this was the Masashi clan's youngest son. Heiwa had mentioned their dinner together was remarkably dull, but the conversation was hazy amidst Byakuya's more pleasant memories from that day.
Still, the idea that Masashi found Heiwa to be 'unimpressive' was laughable, and Byakuya couldn't help but scoff. It went unnoticed as another man asked, "A different person? In what way?"
Masashi paused, wrinkling his brows and humming as if he were in deep thought. He reeked of saké and self-importance, which only furthered Byakuya's growing irritation.
"If I'm being frank, she was rather boring," Masashi slurred. "She hardly spoke a word, and when she did, she didn't say anything particularly interesting – though I expected as much from all the rumors. But I have to admit," he pointed lazily in Heiwa's direction, making a strange sweeping gesture, "She seems much more pleasant this way, laughing and talking to everyone. Perhaps I was too rash in my judgment."
"Perhaps you were," Byakuya muttered under his breath.
Masashi heard him. He glanced over, brows furrowing and the corner of his lips lifting.
Byakuya wondered if he had been too candid with his words and offended the younger man, but Masashi placed an unwanted hand on his shoulder and asked excitedly, "Kuchiki-sama, she has worked with you for decades, correct? Surely you would better grasp her personality than any of us. Tell me, is she as sullen as all the gossip makes her out to be?"
All eyes turned to Kuchiki-taichō. Although he was used to the attention, speaking on Heiwa's behalf without her knowledge seemed wrong, especially now that they were…entangled.
He cleared his throat and stated, "Fushido can be stern, though I would hardly consider that a fault in our line of work."
Masashi waved his hands dismissively, "Alright, fine, whatever. Now, think of her not as your subordinate, but as a woman."
"I'm not sure I understand–"
"You know what I mean! Is she good wife material? Does she seem like the kind of woman you could laugh with? Have a family?"
Byakuya blanked. Truthfully, he had thought about this many times over the past few weeks. The more time they spent together, the harder it was to ignore the fact that Heiwa would make an excellent wife. She was witty, intelligent, effective at managing her household, and…passionate.
All traits any nobleman would be happy to have in a wife. But he did not want to share any of this information with Masashi.
Side-stepping the question, Byakuya commented, "You seem quite eager, Masashi. Has a single evening changed your opinion of Fushido so drastically?"
The younger man laughed shamelessly. "Oh Kuchiki-sama – surely, out of all of us, you must understand the importance of marriage. It is a responsibility I can't put off much longer, and as the youngest son in my family, it's rather slim pickings out there."
Slim pickings?
Byakuya was finding it more and more difficult to ignore the blatant disrespect in Masashi's attitude. He bit his tongue and struggled to keep his expression blank. "Perhaps I misheard, but it was my understanding that Fushido rejected you," he stated.
Masashi turned red with embarrassment, which admittedly made Byakuya feel quite smug.
"T-that may be so," he stammered, "but my father is close with her uncle, and I'm sure I could have her if I wanted."
Have her? What an arrogant fool. Byakuya was growing tired of this conversation.
"Forgive me, Masashi-san," one of the older men interjected. "But I heard a rumor that another man is courting Fushido-san."
Silence fell among the group – even Masashi seemed dumbfounded by this information. Byakuya tried not to smirk.
"Someone is courting her?" Masashi squeaked. "Surely not! Her family would have informed us."
The man nodded his head solemnly. "One of my daughters heard from her servant, who heard from another servant employed by the Fushido's, that the girl is seeing a Shinigami from her division."
Byakuya's half-smile faded.
"Oh, you mean the Thirteenth-Seat, Tosa Takeo?" Masashi cackled, "I'm afraid you're mistaken, old man. They had dinner together once, but her family assured me it went nowhere."
The man shook his head and asserted, "No, not Tosa-san. Someone else entirely."
Masashi's laughter died off, and his mouth twisted into a frown. "Well," he mused, "if the rumor is true, then it must not be anything serious."
Byakuya's eye twitched. He couldn't stop himself from asking, "How so?"
Masashi rolled his eyes. "Because if it were serious, they would've formally announced their courtship. Obviously, this hasn't happened, so it must be a meaningless fling."
Something sharp and hot twisted in Byakuya's chest. He desperately wanted to refute Masashi's words but knew he shouldn't say anything. After all, he wasn't entirely wrong. He was not courting Heiwa, not officially – he couldn't. He knew it was wrong, knew that such an arrangement would probably hurt them both. But he just needed to wait until she found someone she liked, someone she could actually marry, and then she would forget about him. Byakuya would be upset, of course, but this way, he wouldn't break his promise to Hisana, and he could hopefully maintain some type of friendship with Heiwa afterward–
Masashi continued haughtily, "I suppose I cannot blame the man – if he does exist. After all, Fushido isn't exactly the most desirable woman. She's pretty enough, but the missing-a-leg thing is hard to ignore. Also, I'm almost certain she isn't a virgin anymore, considering the rumors about her and the Tsuzawa boy. I don't have very high standards, but that is something that would bother even me. I can't imagine she would be anyone's first pick for a wife."
He took a leisurely sip of his saké and said apathetically, "It reminds me of this phrase the humans say – no one wants sloppy seconds."
All of Byakuya's self-restraint vanished.
He turned to face Masashi fully, his reiatsu flaring dangerously. The other men felt the effect immediately, their eyes widening with shock, and they all stepped back. Masashi stared at Byakuya with fear and confusion, unsure what he could have said to offend the Captain.
"How arrogant you are," he fumed, "to insult and spread lies about Fushido in her own home, where she has graciously invited you as her guest."
Masashi hunched his shoulders and cowered, his hands trembling as they held tightly to his glass. "Kuchiki-sama, I-I meant no offense–!" he whimpered pathetically.
Byakuya's words cut through him like Senbonzakura's blades.
"I do not care what your opinion of her is. She has more class and depth than you could ever hope to achieve. How laughable it is that you attempt to create flaws in her character to cover up the fact that you are a foul-mouthed degenerate unable to find any woman who would willingly spend more than a single evening with you, much less her entire life."
Masashi turned pale and shook like a leaf. His mouth floundered between open and closed, and he could not tear his eyes away from Byakuya's towering frame.
Although he barely raised his voice, the uncharacteristic display of emotion from the Kuchiki caught the attention of everyone on their side of the room. Byakuya didn't realize this until he stepped away from Masashi and saw numerous guests staring at him with wide eyes.
He clenched his jaw and reigned in his reiatsu. Once the intensity in the room died down, the guests tentatively resumed their conversations, albeit in frantic and hushed tones.
Byakuya glared at Masashi, straightened his shoulders, and spat, "You will never speak of Heiwa in such a way again, or else I will cut you down with more than just my words."
Surprisingly, Masashi did not immediately beg for forgiveness. Instead, his face turned red with anger, and he looked at Byakuya with pure hatred. He was embarrassed, clearly, but unlike Byakuya, he did not have the social standing to insult the other man and get away with his reputation intact. He lowered his head and mumbled an apology, then swiftly tried to walk past him.
Byakuya did not move out of the way, and Masashi's shoulder collided with his own. The younger man hissed in pain, though Byakuya himself barely felt anything. Masashi turned and glared at Byakuya for a few seconds.
"You called her Heiwa," he said quietly enough for only Byakuya to hear. He scoffed, shaking his head. "I should've figured. No way she would still be a third-seat if she weren't fucking the boss."
Byakuya tried very hard to control himself. He grabbed Masashi's arm hard enough to bruise, preventing him from walking away.
"What did you say?"
Masashi snorted. "Don't pretend to be so righteous, Kuchiki-taichō. She's good enough to fuck, but not good enough to marry, right?"
Byakuya nearly punched him right in the nose, but as he clenched his fist and pivoted his body, his eyes peered over Masashi's shoulders, and he saw the last thing he wanted to see.
Heiwa, standing right behind them, with a tray of drinks in her hands. Her eyes were wide with horror, and it was obvious she had heard everything Masashi said.
Byakuya called her name, but she dropped the tray, which fell to the floor with a crash. The room fell deathly silent, and Heiwa stared at the two men with tears in her eyes.
Several servants came rushing over to clean the mess, and Heiwa's grandmother Hotsu was at her side in an instant. "What happened? Did you hurt yourself?" she fussed.
Heiwa shook her head. "I…I don't feel good."
"Do you need to lie down?" Hotsu asked.
Heiwa finally tore her eyes away from Byakuya and said softly, "The party is over."
Hotsu blinked. "What?"
"It's over. The party is over."
