"The koi," Byakuya read carefully, "is red and white. Look at him swim!"
"Very good," Grandmother said softly, smoothing his hair.
Byakuya traced the drawing of the fish in the book with one finger. "I like our koi. I like the biggest one best, even though he is brownish-greenish instead of red and white. I like him because he swims right up when I have crumbs for him."
"Don't tell your grandfather you have been giving crumbs to the koi!" Grandmother gasped, pretending to be shocked, as if she weren't the very one who had taught him to slip the ends of his castella into his pockets for just this purpose. "But a tea-colored koi is very lucky to have. It is wise of you to treat him especially well."
Byakuya beamed at the praise.
"But let's see how wise you are. Can you read this next page?" Grandmother turned to the page about the horse.
But Grandmother did not get to find out what color the horse was, or at least not that day, as two familiar reiatsu fields flooded into the garden.
"Father!" Byakuya explained, leaping up from his comfy seat tucked into his grandmother's side. "Father! Father! Father!"
"Ah, I am happy to see you, too, Byakuya!" Kuchiki Soujun exclaimed, swinging his son up into his arms and squeezing him tightly. "But who are you supposed to greet first?" he whispered into Byakuya's ear.
Byakuya composed his tiny scowl, and stared into a weathered face that was now level with his own. "Welcome home, Grandfather! Was the Sixth Division well-behaved today?"
Soujun laughed and gently tugged on his son's ponytail. "Now, that's not right, is it?"
"Grandfather always asks if I was well-behaved!"
"Grandfather is the Head of the Family," Ginrei rumbled with a frown. "And you are a small boy with an overindulgent father and grandmother."
With a sigh, Soujun placed Byakuya back down on the ground. "Try again, Byakuya."
Byakuya bowed deeply, counting as he stared at his toes. "Good evening, Honored Grandfather," he said carefully before straightening again.
"Good evening, Grandson," Ginrei replied seriously. "That was very well done." He looked over at his wife. "I have some letters to write. I'll take dinner in my chambers. Sonoyo, attend me."
"Yes, Husband," Grandmother bowed as Grandfather disappeared in a swish of silk.
"A trying day," Soujun said, his voice kept low, but Byakuya heard it.
"Squad Six was not well-behaved?" Grandmother asked, her eyebrows lifted high.
Soujun chuckled softly. "It was the Second that was not well-behaved, and it was their captain in particular."
"Oh dear," Sonoyo sighed, pressing the picture book into Soujun's hand. "I'll come in to say good night, all right, Byakuya? You boys have a nice dinner together."
Byakuya waved with all his might as his grandmother disappeared into the house.
Soujun squinted skeptically at the book. "Grandmother was reading this to you?"
"No, I was reading to her!"
"I don't believe it! This is much too hard for a boy of four!"
"Grandmother said I am very wise!"
Soujun chuckled again, but joyfully this time, the laugh he used when it was only him and Byakuya. "I know you are. I wonder how it ends. Will the rabbit be black or white this time?"
"Let me read it to you, Father! I can read both those words!"
It was cold. Koi didn't like to eat in the cold. They stayed near the bottom of the pond, where it was still warm. They became sluggish and weak, prone to getting sick. The big, tea-colored koi had passed the previous winter.
Byakuya's breath puffed in front of him as he rubbed at his red-rimmed eyes.
"I understand that your heart feels heavy, but freezing yourself to death will not do anyone any good."
Byakuya clenched his fists. He had remained silent and stoic through the funeral. He had been polite to the guests. He had maintained and maintained and maintained his composure. "He was coughing. In the morning."
"It took five men to bind the Hollow that killed him. No one was able to kill it until I arrived."
"Why did you send him at all? Why didn't you go yourself?" Byakuya turned accusingly toward his grandfather, whose face remained stony.
"How long have you served in the Gotei?" Ginrei replied sternly. "Does your squad's vice-captain sit, warm and safe in his office while your captain personally attends to every mission assigned to your division?"
"My vice-captain protects my captain when he is unwell," Byakuya retorted. "My captain stays in bed when the winter pulls the breath from his lungs!"
"It is an honor to lend our family's strength to the Gotei," Ginrei reminded him, as if Byakuya hadn't had to recite that stupid platitude a million times himself.
"You are strong enough! I am strong enough! I passed the Lieutenants' Exam years ago! Why did you force him to continue to-"
"Enough!" Ginrei roared. "Your words dishonor your father's memory! You are distraught, so I will overlook your impertinence. Go inside! Get some rest. I have put in your transfer paperwork already, you will assume your father's position in a week's time. It is not an easy job, vice-captaincy of the Sixth. I'll not have you out here ruining your own lungs!"
Byakuya wanted to scream at his grandfather, to cry, to draw his sword against his own blood, but the accusation of dishonoring his father had stolen his resolve. Feeling small and broken, he went inside.
He caught a terrible head cold and it was three weeks before, sniffling and scratchy-throated, he tightened a badge onto his arm and headed to his new job.
Byakuya's knees hurt. Byakuya was very good at sitting seiza, but he had never sat for this long before.
Finally, Ginrei completed the letter he was writing and sealed it. He verrrrrrry carefully cleaned his brush and placed it in his tray. Then, he folded his hands and looked up at his grandson.
"You are a fool," he announced. "You are throwing away a chance to make a strong alliance with another family. You are throwing a bone to the Ohno, who chafe under our leadership already. You are making a spectacle of yourself to the Seireitei at large."
Byakuya said nothing.
"I understand that you feel driven by your emotions. But for what, Byakuya? A few years at best? Keep her as a lover, instead."
"No," Byakuya replied stiffly, the word like a dagger on his tongue.
Ginrei sighed. "You do not need to answer me, Grandson, but you owe yourself this answer: is your intransigence in this matter, perhaps… because of her illness? Because you are still angry at me over-"
"No," Byakuya cut him off, his face burning. He ground his teeth into his tongue until he could taste blood. He could not afford to argue with his grandfather on this point. If he had any chance at all, he would not throw it on getting in a cheap comeback, no matter what cruelty his grandfather threw at him.
Ginrei nodded. "As I expected. Truly, you have the Kuchiki stubbornness. I will approve it."
The silence rang in Byakuya's ears. "What?" he asked in a very small voice.
"I am an old man, Byakuya. Since your father passed, I have felt older every day. You are going to take over this clan from me soon, and then it will be your problem. I cannot seem to impress the weight of this obligation on you, so I am going to allow you to slice our own tendons with this foolish marriage of yours, and hope that you will spend the rest of your life making it up to your family."
"You think I am an unsuitable Heir?" Byakuya asked, shocked.
"We shall see, won't we?" Ginrei shrugged. "That was a letter to my cousin Azami. She will help you organize things. Make it a good wedding, Grandson. If we're going to get the entire family angry at us, we might as well give them a good party first."
Byakuya wasn't sure what time he woke up. At some point, the anxiety dreams had just turned into anxieties, and he had no idea how long he had lain in bed, steeping in old, bitter memories. It was an hour before he usually rose, but there was plenty to do, and he felt that it was better to get up and be productive.
He wasn't particularly hungry, but he was trying to convince himself that he would regret skipping breakfast when he ran into Rukia in the main hallway. She seemed significantly more chipper than usual, especially given the fact that Rukia was not a "morning person."
Rukia habitually left for work much earlier than he did. The Thirteenth was a greater distance from the house, and furthermore, Byakuya had recently started skewing his hours slightly later. This gave Abarai the office to himself for an hour in the morning, and Byakuya an hour to himself in the evening, which tended to regulate the flow of paperwork. Abarai claimed he liked getting a headstart on the office work before he ran drills, and Byakuya enjoyed ending the day on a quiet note, so it was a very harmonious arrangement for all involved.
But it also meant that Byakuya usually didn't see his sister before dinnertime.
"Are you feeling alright, Brother?" Rukia asked, wrinkling her nose. "You look less, um, luminous than usual."
"I am well," Byakuya reassured her. "I merely woke early."
"You look tired," Rukia pressed. "Are you worried about Grandfather's visit?"
"Of course not," Byakuya scoffed. "The staff has everything well in hand."
"I didn't mean… that…" Rukia frowned. She pressed her lips together and looked off to the side. "Look, I have an idea! Renji's sort of acting as your winger, right?"
"My… what? Is this a futsal metaphor? I have no idea what that means. And I've simply asked him to be around. Grandfather enjoys discussing the affairs of the squad, you see, and Abarai enjoys spewing nonsense out of his mouth, so I felt it was an obvious pairing."
"Mm-hmm," Rukia replied, clearly not buying it. "How about I swing by your office after work and we can do a last minute strategy session! Then we'll all be extra prepared, and it will ease your mind!"
"I assure you, Rukia, my mind is already at ease."
Rukia appeared not to have heard him. "The only worse thing than dealing with Grandfather is dealing with Grandfather when you haven't slept for two days."
"Rukia, do not impose on Abarai's Leisure Hours!" Byakuya tried desperately.
Rukia responded with the most scathing raised eyebrow Byakuya had ever experienced. "I'll bring him noodles. He won't care." Her face brightened. "I'll see you tonight! I'll bring you noodles, too!"
Byakuya watched his sister run out the front door and wondered what had just happened to him. "Rukia!" he called after her. "Rukia, do not bring me noodles!"
"Do you know," Kuchiki Choei said conversationally, "that I had never cleaned a window before I met you? I didn't even know you had to clean both sides of the window!"
"How terrible for you!" Renji replied, putting a little extra elbow action into his own polishing. "To not know the great satisfaction that comes from taking care of the things you use!"
"Yeah, it super sucked," Choei squinted at a smeary bit. "Why doesn't Ohno have to do windows?"
Renji gave a cheerful wave to Rikichi, who was washing the inside of the dining hall windows. "Because washing the outside of the dining hall windows requires a very particular skill set," he replied.
"What, being over six feet tall?"
"Precisely!" Renji declared. "Besides, this is a plum job! Wouldn't you rather be outside in this beautiful weather than dusting the main offices?"
"So, first of all, I am positive that Ohno shoved that job off onto someone else, probably one of his own siblings. Secondly, yeah, I guess it's okay. At least I get to look at your biceps."
Renji shot him a saucy wink and a flex. Choei waggled his eyebrows back. Renji would never date a subordinate and Choei knew that, but sometimes they liked to flirt with each other as a goof when no one else was around. Obviously, it wasn't very professional, but Choei got a lot of crap from his family on account of being into dudes and refusing to be subtle about it. Renji really respected Choei's openness, and felt like the guy deserved a little dudes-who-liked-dudes solidarity now and then.
"Oi, that reminds me!" Renji said suddenly, waving his soapy rag in the direction of Choei's own bare arms, his sleeves tied back with a tasuki, just like Renji's. "I wanted to ask you about your tatts!"
"Eh?" Choei frowned, looking down at the woodblock camellia on his arm, as though he didn't see it every day of his life. "They're pretty boring."
"You don't like them?" Renji asked, surprised.
"Oh, don't me wrong, I do! I really just wanted the Squad Six one," he added. "My dad insisted that if I was gonna get it, I had to get the Kuchiki crest on the other arm. It's… fine."
"You got them from the clan tattoo guy?"
"Yes, of course."
"What's he like?"
"Aw, jeez, wall-to-wall drama. That guy must be the most self-important person in Soul Society, and I say that as a Kuchiki. You'd think that if your whole job was putting art on people, you'd want to do some interesting stuff, but I think he's more interested in not putting cool stuff on people. You have to dress up. You have to do a ritual purification. You have to have a tea ceremony. There's some dude playing the koto. You know, I went along as moral support when my buddy Motoki got inked- he's from a Shihouin branch, so their tattooists handle the entire Onmitsukido and it is a factory over there. You walk in, they'll give you whatever you want in an hour or less. If I had any less impulse control, I woulda walked out with a death's head moth on my abs."
Renji had heard before that the spooks were into tatts, not that you could tell, given their uniforms. Then again, maybe that's why they were into tatts- Renji could imagine if he had to look like everyone else he worked with, he'd want something to make himself unique, even if he had to keep it mostly to himself.
"I was also sort of curious about the camellia," Renji went on, dragging his bucket down to the next window. "In my experience, every squad has its own deal with flower tatts. Hardly anyone in Five had 'em, but almost everyone in Nine does. Lotta yarrow tatts at Eleven, and it's almost a guarantee that the person who's got it is a dickhole. Very few of the old timers have 'em. But I've been trying to figure out Six, and I cannot put any rhyme or reason to it."
Kuchiki continued to dab half-heartedly at his window. "Well, I think there are a couple of flavors of people at Six who get the camellia, and I can see how that would muddle things. The most obvious are the short-haul gloryboys- the folks who join the Gotei, do everything they can to avoid dying, and duck out after a few years and tell everyone that they were a war hero. You know who I mean."
"I do." Renji could think of at least four people who met that description.
"The second category are the die-hards. Part of being a Kuchiki is priding yourself on your military service to Soul Society, even when that service is more… theoretical. But there are some people that actually do take it super-seriously. People whose father and grandfather and great-grandfather served, and they all have camellia tatts in the exact same place. Tadaki, for example. Some of the Gotou- Akane is like that, actually. She joined the Gotei because she's the oldest in her line, even though she's a girl, and didn't have to. She is surprisingly hard-core about it. Gotta camellia on her shoulder."
"Huh, I wouldn't have guessed that!"
"Yeah, she's not a loudmouth about it like Tadaki. Anyway, next time Captain invites you to family fun-times, look for the cluster of old vets. They always hang out with each other and talk about their War Glories. Do not start talking to them because they will ask you a million questions about 'how you kids have to fold your socks these days,' but it's kinda fun to walk up and flash my camellia tatt at them– they'll get real excited and flash theirs back."
"That still doesn't explain yours."
"Oh. Well. For some of us, Squad Six… means something, I guess. Something personal. You may have gathered that I am not… the best Kuchiki. At first, I liked being in the Gotei because it was the one thing I could do right. There's also something to be said for doing something where it's your skills and strength that matter, not what people think about you. Squad Six is a place that expects me to do great things, whether or not I'm actually capable of them and I… I kinda appreciate that. I feel kinda dumb saying this to you, since you know better than anyone how lazy I am, but that's how it is."
"I feel that, though," Renji shook his head. Boy, did he feel that. All his afterlife, he'd been swinging his fists at people who underestimated him, and he had expected Squad Six to be the worst of all. Instead, it had turned out to be filled with people who were horrified that he was better than them, and who were now frantically upping their games to get on his level, even if it meant asking him for help. Renji liked that. He liked it a lot. He especially liked it because he hadn't caught Byakuya yet, either, and having someone nipping at his heels only made him run faster. "You've been doing some work lately, I've seen you," he added casually. "For example, that window is looking pretty clean, you could probably move on to the next one."
Choei made a series of loud and dramatic sighs and harrumphs as he hauled his bucket down a window. "Hey! Look who it is!" he said suddenly. "We were just talking about hard workers!"
Renji turned his head, and sure enough, Third Seat Ohno was trudging up the path. He was making one of the worst Ohno faces Renji had ever seen. It looked like he had eaten at least six lemons.
"Buck up, Ohno!" Renji called. "How dusty can the offices possibly be?"
Ohno's face went blank for a moment, and then resolved into an even more hangdog expression.
"See, I told you he wasn't even cleaning!" Choei crowed.
"I got waylaid!" Ohno excused. "I'll get to it later!"
"We were just talking about tattoos," Choei announced. "Show Vice-Captain yours!"
"You have a tattoo?" Renji exclaimed with delight. For possibly the first time ever, his personal opinion of Ohno ticked up a notch.
"Of course I do," Ohno muttered. "I'm the Ohno Heir, it's traditional."
"He says he has one," Choei added ominously. "He won't tell me where it is, though. Probably on the butt."
Renji tried to remember what the Ohno mon looked like. It was a sheaf of rice or something like that. To be fair, Renji's family mon was nothing, or possibly two black eyes, so he wasn't casting stones on other people's boring family sigils.
"It's none of your business, is where it is!" Ohno snapped.
"It's probably on his pec," Renji said without thinking. That's where he would put a tatt if he didn't want people to know he had one, assuming that in this alternate reality, he was also the sort of person who didn't habitually walk around with his shirt off. Renji wasn't sure he'd ever seen Ohno with his shirt off.
The color drained out of Ohno's face, and Choei hooted in triumph. "How did you-?"
"Lucky guess," Renji shrugged. "Pec tatts are cool, man, don't sweat it. Kuchiki, lay off him already! What's up, Ohno? Captain send you to tell me something you don't wanna tell me?"
"I suppose, in a roundabout way, that's true," Ohno mumbled, and pulled an envelope from his kosode. He bowed and extended it to Renji.
Feeling more than a little confused, Renji took it. It was very fine paper, stamped with a sheaf of rice.
"Vice-Captain Abarai," Ohno intoned very formally. "On behalf of my father, Ohno Itsurou, 17th Head of the Ohno Clan, I would like to invite you to a flower viewing party at our home on Thursday evening."
Renji cracked open the invitation, which basically said the same thing in fancier handwriting. He looked up at Ohno again. Well, dang. As Captain Kuchiki said, truly, no one was free from the shackles of etiquette. "This is, like, a family thing?" he asked. "Captain Kuchiki and Captain Kuchiki Senior and Rukia'll be there?"
"It is a very large party for the extended family," Ohno said stiffly. "Captain Kuchiki has indicated that he and his visitors will attend."
"I'm going!" Choei added.
"I apologize that your invitation was delayed," Ohno bit off. In other words, the captain had made Ohno's dad invite him, and Ohno's dad had made Ohno do it.
"Well, I'm not busy on Thursday," Renji replied cheerfully. "Sure, I'll be there. You need me to bring anything?"
Ohno stared at him, aghast. "Bring something?"
"Lieutenant Kira's been trying to brew Living World-style lager again, and he keeps giving it to me, I gotta find something to do with it."
"You don't need to bring anything!" Ohno waved his hands. "Please don't bring anything!"
Renji winked at him. "I was just messing with you. Rukia loves Kira's sweatsock beer, she'd kill me if I didn't save it for her."
"Aw, man, I wanted to try it!" Choei groaned.
"I'll get you some, there's no shortage of it," Renji promised.
"Ha ha," Ohno laughed weakly. "You were kidding, so you're not coming, right? That's too bad, we'll miss you, I'll be sure to give my father your regards."
"Oh, no, I'm definitely coming," Renji replied. "Is this a fancy dress thing?"
"It's casual, please just wear your uniform," Ohno begged.
"It's Kuchiki casual, which is not regular casual," Choei clarified.
"You can really really just wear your uniform," Ohno pressed. "Please also wear a normal bandana and not the horrible purple one with the lightning bolt."
"I had no idea you had paid so much attention to my wardrobe," Renji replied.
"You wore it that time the reporter from the Bulletin interviewed you for that stupid puff piece on Living World trends being picked up here in the Seireitei! There was a picture of you in the newspaper wearing it! My mother read that article! 'Is this your vice-captain?' she said to me."
"I looked good, though, right?"
Ohno just glowered at him.
"Relax," Renji replied soothingly. "Believe it or not, I actually do own two Kuchiki casual kimono. Rukia helped me pick them out."
Ohno narrowed his eyes. "You'll be happy to know that you have now told me enough horrifying stories about Lady Rukia that I no longer find that reassuring."
"Rukia's gonna be thrilled to hear that, Ohno, and no joke. And while I am being sincere, I promise you I will be a well-behaved and charming guest at your hanami. 'Is that your vice-captain?' your mother will say. 'The one with the stylish bandana from the newspaper?'"
"I need to get bankai," Ohno mumbled.
"What you need to do," Renji informed him, "is dust the main offices."
"Listen to me," Rukia said carefully, lookin first Sentarou in the eyes and then Kiyone. She put one of her hands on each of the two binders sitting on her desk. "I have divided up everything that needs to be done for the rest of the week while I'm gone into these two binders, based on each of your particular strengths. It's a lot, I know, so if either of you finish everything in your binder, you should help the other one, okay?"
Kiyone looked at Sentarou out of the corner of her eye. Her nostrils flared. Sentarou looked at Kiyone out of the corner of his eye. His eyebrows furrowed.
"I will finish every page, Vice-Captain!" Sentarou bellowed.
"I will finish mine first and finish his, too, Vice-Captain!" Kiyone hollered.
"I will finish mine and go back and re-do all of hers!"
Rukia knew it was better to cut them off before they got really revved up. "I'm looking forward to seeing both of you at my party on Saturday, too. You're getting a haircut, right, Sentarou?"
"Er, of course, Vice-Captain!"
"Stupid, shaggy-"
"And Kiyone, Hanatarou told me he was trying to get your sister to go get a manicure with him and Rikichi and she kept waffling, can you do anything about that? She had such a nice time the last time we all went."
"Oh, she'll go if I go! She gets self-conscious over her hands, but then she feels so much better when they look good. I'll talk to her!"
"And of course, you must both leave enough time to help Captain get ready!"
"Of course, Vice-Captain!" both Third Seats chorused enthusiastically.
From over at his desk, Captain Ukitake raised his eyebrows in amusement.
Rukia shoved the binders forward. "Excellent! Now get to work!"
Each Third Seat grabbed their binder and scrambled out the door, getting stuck only briefly.
"You're very good at managing them," Captain Ukitake commented, when the stampede of footsteps had receded down the hallway.
"We'll see," Rukia shrugged. "They have so much energy and it would be nice to get it pointed in some sort of productive direction. I don't have a lot of confidence in the binders, but I figured it doesn't hurt to try a few things. Lieutenant Shiba used to just yell at them, and that certainly didn't work."
"It sure didn't!" Captain Ukitake agreed.
"Please feel free to call me if you need me to come down," Rukia said, clipping some mission reports together. "A work emergency would probably be very welcome, about Thursday morning."
Captain Ukitake laughed. "I'll keep that in mind, but I'm sure we'll be fine." He looked at her thoughtfully. "If you don't mind my saying, Kuchiki, I'm glad to see you so confident about seeing your grandfather again. You seemed a bit nervous the last time he visited."
That was a bit of an understatement. She'd been a wreck. But as she'd told Renji, things were different now.
"I didn't… really know where I stood with my brother, then," she said slowly. "I know now."
Her captain looked at her for a long time. "I'm glad to hear that," he finally replied. "I think that's a good thing. For both of you."
Rukia took a deep breath. Byakuya was such a private person that it always felt weird to talk about him with other people, aside from Renji, whose feelings about him were very similar to her own. He was basically just the other half of her brain anyway. She cared about Byakuya, though, and Captain Ukitake had known him longer than she had even been dead. "I am worried about Brother. I feel like he's really concerned about Grandfather hurting my feelings," she said quickly. "So I have determined that I am not going to let him!"
Captain Ukitake shot her a fond look. "Well, I think that's a good tack, generally, but keep in mind that there's only so much you can do. Your brother and grandfather are extremely good at getting under each other's skin."
"Byakuya went to all this trouble for me," Rukia frowned. "I want to help him solve problems, not cause more."
"I think you are, Rukia," Ukitake reassured her. "Just having someone who understands him helps a lot, I think."
"I definitely do not understand him," Rukia clarified, and Ukitake laughed.
"No one really does, I think, but some of us try. That's why his father convinced Ginrei to have him stationed over here for a few years. He thought it would be good for Byakuya to learn to be a shinigami outside of his family's gaze." Ukitake gave a nostalgic smile. "He was a funny young man."
"He was not!" Rukia protested automatically. "Wait, really?"
"Well, he tried to be very serious, of course, but he had a bad temper. And you know how Kaien was, he treated everyone exactly the same. Just imagine Kaien ruffling your brother's hair and trying to con him into doing the jobs he didn't want to do, just as he did to you."
"I cannot," Rukia replied. Intellectually, she knew that Kaien had been Byakuya's vice-captain, but her brain refused to imagine it. "Didn't Miyako scold him? Kaien, I mean."
"This was before they were together. Miyako was still at the Eighth at the time." A big grin crept over Ukitake's face. "You… know that Miyako and Byakuya were schoolmates, right?"
"I...did not," Rukia said slowly.
"They weren't exactly… friends…" Ukitake said slowly. "I think your brother is allergic to the word 'friend', actually. But Miyako was always trying to get Kaien's attention, so she would show up and pretend to be visiting Byakuya. At first, he refused to play along, until he realized how riled up Kaien got about it… and then he used to do things like make her spar with him or have tea ceremonies… he made her sing a duet with him once? In the middle of the courtyard? None of us even knew he could sing." Ukitake chuckled. "Ah, those were the days!"
Rukia stared at her captain, absolutely uncomprehending. "I didn't know they were all close."
"'Close' is a little strong. I wish Ginrei hadn't made him take the lieutenancy of the Sixth immediately after Soujun died. It was a time he needed friends, and instead, he pushed all his feelings inside and became very distant. It… it gave me heart when he wanted you placed at the Thirteenth. That maybe he remembered this place fondly, and wanted a similar experience for you."
"He… he barely reacted when Kaien and Miyako died," Rukia shook her head.
Ukitake's eyebrows shot up. "Perhaps he didn't want you to see it. He didn't blame you at all, but he was furious with me. He didn't speak to me for several years after."
A heavy feeling gathered in Rukia's stomach. She'd never known. You acted correctly, Brother had told her, and never spoke of it again.
"I'm sorry, Rukia, I didn't mean to bring up sad memories...although it's hard to talk about your brother without bumping up against one tragedy or another. Byakuya has experienced a lot of unhappiness in his life, and has always gone it alone. But he has you now. Maybe a stressful visit with a relative is small compared to the death of a loved one, but a big part of being family is simply… going through things together."
"I am sure there is more to being a good sister than that," Rukia said, her cheeks coloring.
"Perhaps," Captain Ukitake shrugged. "But I suspect you've already put significantly more thought into it than most naturally born siblings. Just be there, Rukia. Be there, and be yourself. It will be enough."
Rukia wasn't so sure about that. But she didn't have any better ideas, and at least it was a place to start.
Byakuya nervously glanced at the clock. It was 4:58. There was no more time for waffling. It was time to come to a decision, so he made one. "Lieutenant," he said.
Renji's eyes popped up from his paperwork. "Eh? Er, I mean, yes, Captain?"
"You may leave early if you like," Byakuya said quickly.
Confusion fell over his adjutant's cloddish features. "I thought Rukia was coming over. She said we were gonna do a last-minute rundown on the next few days."
"It is really unnecessary for you to stay," Byakuya excused. "You should not let my sister dictate how you spend your Leisure Hours."
Abarai's face contorted into an appalled expression, as though Byakuya had just said something of such abject asininity that even Abarai could not make sense of it.
Byakuya began to protest, except that he was interrupted by a knock on the shoji.
Abarai's face did another dramatic contortion, his eyes lighting up, his brows softening, his mouth splitting into a huge, toothy grin. "Hey, Rukia! Come in!"
Byakuya realized, with an odd feeling in his heart, exactly how stupid his suggestion had been.
"Noodles! Noodles for my second favorite squad!" Rukia sang, waltzing into the office, carrying a paper sack with a stylized dragon printed on the side.
"How did you get here so quickly?" Byakuya demanded. "Does your workday not end at five? How did you have time to procure noodles?"
"Did you go to Dragon Spice?" Renji asked eagerly, sitting up straighter.
"I did, because I wanted to get their special black flame sauce for me and Brother," Rukia replied, setting a take-out bowl on Abarai's desk. "I got you the sweet miso sauce and double pork. Do you guys have a chalkboard or something?"
"Yeah, it's down in the Officer's Lounge, I'll go pull it in!" Renji replied, hopping up and dashing out of the room.
"You did not need to do this," Byakuya reiterated as Rukia set a bowl in front of him.
"Have you ever been to Dragon Spice?" Rukia asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Of course not," Byakuya protested. "You know I do not patronize establishments that offer only disposable cutlery.
"It's near the Tenth and Captain Hitsugaya likes it, I didn't know if you'd been expanding your horizons," Rukia flapped a hand at him. "You'll want to go after you taste this sauce, it will knock your socks off."
"I prefer my socks to stay where they are, Sister."
There was a tortured squeaking sound from the hallway. Abarai shouldered the door to the office the rest of the way open, and hauled in an ancient chalkboard covered with what appeared to be futsal strategies. Byakuya grimaced as Abarai wrestled the thing, creaking and squealing and shedding chalk dust, across the room.
"Let me clean this off and find wherever Rikichi left his stepstool," Abarai told Rukia. "You can eat at my desk."
"Thanks!" Rukia chirped, hopping into Abarai's chair. "Er."
"Oh, sorry, hold on."
Abarai walked to the book shelves and began scanning down the row. "Hrmm, let's see… ah, Classification of Zanpakutou Special Attacks: Volume… III should do it."
Byakuya frowned. Volume III… that was kidou-based moves? What could that possibly…?
Rukia stood up, Abarai tossed the book onto his chair, and Rukia clambered back up, now at a more reasonable height for eating. Ah. Byakuya watched this entire process with interest. He was aware that his sister and Abarai spent a great deal of time together, and had often wondered what they were like outside of his presence. Perhaps it was because Abarai was technically off-duty, or because they were about to indulge in horrible food for plebians, but there was a certain ease between them that he wasn't sure he had seen before. And somehow, even though they were gathered in his office, to discuss his family, all of this felt very much like a Rukia - Abarai operation. Byakuya was not sure he wanted to be roped into a Rukia - Abarai operation.
"Eat your food, Brother," Rukia demanded, jamming a frankly discourteous quantity of noodles into her own mouth. "I'm gonna need you to help explain. Renji can eat while we talk at him."
Byakuya pried the lid off his container and examined the abura soba within. The noodles shone, glistening and greasy, under a few fat slices of pork and a veritable mountain of chopped onion and seaweed.
"The sauce always ends up down at the bottom," Abarai explained, attacking the chalkboard vigorously with a damp sponge.
"You have to mix it up," Rukia added, demonstrating with her own.
Byakuya briefly regarded the disposable chopsticks in their paper sleeve, and eschewed them in favor of the finer pair he kept in his desk. He doubted he'd be able to stomach more than a few bites of this oily mess, but Rukia seemed so determined that he would enjoy them, he felt compelled to try. He methodically dredged his noodles through the thick, black sauce puddled at the bottom of the container, careful not to scatter onions all over his desk. The dish was pungent with oyster sauce and raw garlic.
With his usual crashing and galumphing, Abarai exited the office again, presumably to go look for Yuki's cursed stepstool, which had likely been left as a tripping hazard in some high-traffic area. Byakuya watched him go, and then realized his sister was staring at him as she slurped noodles into her mouth. His lungs tightened with the shame of not being a supportive brother.
Byakuya assembled a bite of noodle, pork and onion. He steeled himself. He put it in his mouth.
He took back all of the preconceived skepticism he had leveled at Rukia's greasy noodles. They were astonishingly delicious. The pork was thick but soft and flavorful; the onion and garlic sharp and hot. The sauce was silky in texture, a bit fishy, but with a faint undercurrent of sourness. It was also spicy. Incredibly spicy. His mouth was in pain. He put more noodles in to stop the pain, or at least to postpone it.
Abarai wandered back with the stepstool under one arm, and three cups balanced awkwardly in one of his huge hands. He plunked one down on Byakuya's desk. "Found some cold tea in the Officer's Lounge." He put the other two on his own desk, shoving one towards Rukia. "I don't know why you think you always think you can eat this without a drink."
"I just get excited about noodles and forget!"
Byakuya glanced at the tea. He very much wanted to drink the tea. "You cannot just take things from the Officer's Lounge," he glared at Abarai. "The Officer's Lounge is for the officers!"
"We're officers," Abarai shrugged. He tipped his head to one side. "Look, I've been politely asked not to make more iced tea when I finish it because I guess no one likes my tea, but I put double money in the jar and Rikichi does my refills for me. I'm allowed to take tea when I want tea." He paused. "You can put a few kan in the jar if you feel bad about it."
Rukia apparently had few qualms about drinking the tea, as she was downing hers in a most unladylike fashion. She slammed the cup down on the desk and stood up. "Thank you, Renji!" she chorused sweetly, taking the footstool from him and setting it next to the chalkboard.
Abarai removed the book from his chair and sat down. "Oh, wait!" He rummaged through his desk for a moment, before coming up with a pasteboard box, which he tossed to her. "I think this merits the colored chalk."
"Oooh," Rukia replied, pulling out a stick and examining it. "Okay!" She hopped up on the stepstool and began scribbling frantically. "Today is Tuesday! Grandfather and his entourage arrive tomorrow afternoon!"
"After lunch!" Abarai contributed, a large clump of noodles half-hanging out of his mouth.
"After lunch!" Rukia agreed.
"Why are you shouting?" Byakuya asked. "You're shouting at each other for no reason."
"In the evening will be Kuchiki Family Dinner!" Rukia continued on, her volume possibly increasing.
"I do not have to go to that!"
"That is correct!"
"But Choei and Takehiko do, and I am supposed to remind them not to forget!"
"You do not need to remind Takehiko," Byakuya suggested. "He will remember. Please remind Choei. Please remind him to dress appropriately. This is a futile effort, I know, and I will not hold you responsible for-"
"I'm on it, Captain," Abarai replied in a calm and reassuring voice. It did not work.
Rukia wrote the word THURSDAY on the board. "Thursday!" she hollered. "That's Squad Six Day, right?"
"Yes. On Thursday, I shall be bringing Grandfather by for a limited tour of the grounds, so that he may be reassured that the Division is still in fine working order. It will be very brief. Abarai and I have already discussed this at length."
"I gotta question," Renji broke in. "Rukia, you said something about an entourage? Who else is comin'? Is anyone else comin' to see the Squad?"
"Good question!" Rukia said, pointing her chalk at Abarai.
"It will likely just be Grandfather," Byakuya tried to short-circuit this discussion, but Rukia was already furiously drawing, throwing up a small cloud of chalk dust.
"This," Rukia tapped the board with her chalk a minute later, "is our Grandfather, Kuchiki Ginrei, 27th Head of the Kuchiki Clan, Captain Emeritus of the Sixth Division, President of the Masumizuumi Tennis Association and Reigning Champion of the Over-700s Division. He is Byakuya's father's father. He usually resides at Dreaming Pines, the Kuchiki summer residence in Masumizuumi, which is the Fourth District of North Rukongai."
"It's real pretty up there, right? Lakes and stuff?"
"I've never been, but that's what I hear."
"I been to Kira's place in Asamoya, it's just one district over. Lotta mountains."
Byakuya frowned at the little bunny likeness Rukia had doodled of his grandfather. It was remarkably flattering. "Masumizuumi is very lovely," he said, distractedly. How had Rukia never been? He had visited once or twice over the past fifty years, but his trips had been brief and businesslike and alone. Had it really been so long since he'd taken an actual holiday?
Rukia drew a second bunny below the first, with a big frown and sharp, cats-eye glasses. "This is Ms. Furada, Grandfather's personal assistant. She's very scary and you should try not to get on her bad side. She and Seike have it out for each other."
"Rukia, you do not need to go into this level of detail regarding the staff."
"Just on principle, or is there backstory?" Abarai prodded.
"You know, I don't know, Brother, do you know?"
Byakuya sighed. "There is backstory, but it is very tedious. It is possible that Ms. Furada will accompany Grandfather on his tour of the division, I suppose, but she is the only one."
Rukia stretched on her tiptoes to draw another bunny above the Ginrei bunny. This one was small and had a long, loosely-tied ponytail. "This is Aunt Tsukasa! She is Ginrei's actual aunt, his father's sister! She is super old!"
Abarai frowned and rested his chin in his hand. "What's she like?"
Rukia tapped her chin. "To be honest, I've never really talked to her much. She falls asleep a lot."
"She never married," Byakuya supplied, digging around in his noodles for more pork. "She chose to live at the country estate because she preferred natural surroundings over the city. In her youth, she was an accomplished artist, primarily known for her painting." She had given him a calligraphy lesson once, as a child. He remembered how long and strong her fingers were, calloused in different ways than his father's or grandfather's. She and Grandmother had been great friends. "Now, she mostly falls asleep in inconvenient places."
"And Shizue is coming, as well," Rukia was already moving on. "Shizue is Brother's… cousin, once-removed… sort of." She frowned. "I haven't met her."
Byakuya's bowl was empty aside from a few bits of onion. He sluiced the remaining heat out of his mouth with the ghastly tea from the Officer's Lounge. "Let me take over, Rukia," he offered, standing and motioning for the chalk.
He did not think to offer Rukia his chair, but it didn't matter as she immediately took up a perch on the corner of Abarai's desk. Byakuya was not sure how he felt about that, but neither of them seemed to mind, so he let it slide.
Byakuya began to sketch. "My father had a sister," he explained, as he drew, "whose first husband died at an unfortunately young age." He contemplated the sad bunny aunt he had drawn. "Does that look correct? I am not used to drawing rabbits."
"That looks great!" Rukia nodded eagerly.
"You've matched Rukia's style perfectly, sir," Abarai added. "I'm kinda impressed."
"You heard him, artistry runs in the family," Rukia insisted, scowling at Abarai.
"In her grief, she was sent to stay with Aunt Tsukasa in North Rukongai," Byakuya continued. "There is another branch of the Kuchiki who reside in Masumizuumi. Aunt Shion eventually remarried their patriarch, a widower with a young son. My aunt never had children of her own, but she doted on her stepson, and now Grandfather dotes on his children in turn. Shizue is the eldest of the three." He frowned at his bunny doodle of Shizue. He hadn't seen her since she was a child. He didn't actually know what she looked like these days. "Grandfather says she is of the age to enter society and he wished to bring her along. He has high expectations of her younger brother, Shigenori, as regards the Gotei, and I think he wishes her to pave the way." He added a little tennis racquet into her hand. "I am told she is a tennis prodigy of some local renown."
"Whole family's really into tennis, eh?" Abarai asked.
"Masumizuumi has a great deal of natural beauty, but it gets very boring after about a week," Byakuya replied. "Also, Grandfather spoils those children terribly and likely inflates their accomplishments."
Abarai's hideous brow furrowed beneath his awful headscarf. "How do the Masumizuumi Kuchiki fit into the grand Kuchiki hierarchy? Like, can you give me someone in the Division who's roughly of equal status for comparison?"
Byakuya stared at his adjutant blankly for a moment. It was a remarkably astute question, and not an easy one to answer. "That line of the family branched off from my own several centuries ago. They are not closely related to anyone you know. Among the year-round residents of Masumizuumi, they are considered respectable gentry, but their wealth and social power is negligible with respect to the main family here in the Seireitei." Byakuya paused. "That being said, as… you… are aware... if I do not eventually remarry and produce an heir- which I do plan to do eventually-the line of succession becomes… hazy. None of the top contenders by bloodline seem remotely likely to produce a bankai. The Kuchiki head and the captaincy of the Sixth Division are occasionally split among two people, but it is an unstable equilibrium, and it has always re-merged within the next two clan heads. My own family line descends directly from the eldest son of the great general, Kuchiki Souta, hero of the Warring Houses period and famed-"
"Brother, Renji knows who Kuchiki Souta is."
"Don't interrupt, Rukia, I don't mind!" Abarai was the one doing the scolding now.
"I don't care if you mind, if the two of you get going on the topic of Kuchiki Souta's greatest hits, we'll be here all night!"
Byakuya cleared his throat. "In any case, the Masumizuumi Kuchiki descend from his second son. My aunt's attachment to the family and my grandfather's subsequent attentions have helped to recapture some of their cachet. To make an extremely complicated lineage somewhat simpler, if Kuchiki Shigenori manifests a bankai- which some people believe is why my Grandfather is personally training him- then he would have a strong case for being named Kuchiki Heir."
"Yikes!" said Abarai.
"Yikes, indeed!" Byakuya agreed.
"I didn't mean it that way," Abarai said quickly. "I meant it in a 'that would be very upsetting to a number of people that we both know'."
"I knew what you meant. 'Yikes' is perfectly apt and also a very humorous word to say. Keep in mind, I have seen no evidence whatsoever that the boy actually has such potential. You also have to understand that my grandfather, on occasion, enjoys cultivating drama. I am sure he believes that creating the illusion of competition will spur my cousins to work harder in their training." Or scare me into remarrying and procreating as soon as possible, Byakuya did not add, even though he suspected this was Ginrei's true motivation.
"There will be assorted other members of Ginrei's retinue. His batman. His chef, because for some reason my chef is not good enough for him. There was a mention in his letter of a personal trainer this time, because he is ridiculous. In any case, let us return to the schedule. Thursday evening, we are attending a hanami at the Ohno Estate."
"I got invited to that!" Abarai crowed enthusiastically. "Was that your doing, Captain? Ohno sure was grumpy about it!"
Byakuya kept his features measured. "I had a meeting with Ohno Itsurou the other day. I happened to remind him of your existence and social position, since I suspect that he tries very hard to erase it from his memory each morning upon waking." He frowned. "Was Third Seat Ohno discourteous to you?"
Abarai's mouth opened and then froze. "Er, it's no big deal, sir. It was a cleaning day, so I let people be a little less formal than usual. Builds comradery."
Byakuya regarded Renji seriously. "Earlier, you asked a question about the relative status of my family members, but you do not seem aware of where you, yourself stand, Abarai."
Abarai rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. "Well, I'm the Assistant Captain, I know that."
"You are the Assistant Captain, true," Byakuya replied sternly. "That means that within the ranks of the Sixth, you are second only to myself. It also means that in general society, you outrank the mere Heir to a branch family. Do not let Third Seat Ohno or anyone else forget themself around you. It dishonors the Sixth Division, as well as yourself."
Abarai looked vaguely uncomfortable with this idea. "Er. What am I… supposed to do about it? I mean, if it's someone at work I can just yell at them. I don't imagine yelling goes over so well at garden parties."
Byakuya blinked. That was not a problem he had ever encountered before. He honestly had no idea. He wished suddenly, fervently, that Hisana were here.
"When someone is rude to you," Rukia put in coolly, leaning back to look Abarai in the face, "remember that they are the one who has made things awkward, not you. Act vaguely surprised at their behavior, and do nothing to alleviate the awkwardness, especially if there are other people about. If someone wishes to show off their bad manners to the world, that is their business, not yours."
Rukia had never reminded him of her sister so much as in that moment. Byakuya's heart clenched painfully. He couldn't look at her, so instead, he looked at Abarai, who was gazing at Rukia as though she had just performed a particularly impressive bit of swordwork. Byakuya knew with a sudden certainty that he had definitely made that face at Hisana and that it looked at least twice as stupid on his own face. He realized that one of these days, probably soon, he was going to need to give Abarai a lecture on not being so obvious. It wasn't going to be today, though.
"Also remember," Rukia went on, "that as the First Daughter of the Kuchiki, I still outrank you, so if I want to make fun of you, you just have to take it."
"Rukia," Byakuya managed to choke out.
"I didn't say I was going to make fun of him. I just like him to know that I could if I wanted to!" Rukia tipped her head backward again. "Brother is allowed to make fun of you, too, if he wants to."
"Yeah, I know that," Abarai replied.
"You should wear the burgundy kimono, by the way," Rukia informed him. "With the grey sash."
"Ohno says I should wear my uniform," Abarai replied, but the corner of his mouth was ticked up mischievously.
"You will not," Rukia commanded. "If you show up in a uniform, you'll look like a goon and I won't talk to you."
"Rukia, a shihakushou is acceptable at any occasion," Byakuya reminded her. He had seen some of Abarai's non-work clothing and a uniform seemed like a very safe choice. He could not bring to mind a burgundy kimono, but he was not optimistic.
"Relax, Brother, I helped him buy it, it's very flattering. I'm wearing red and white, and Brother is wearing grey with burgundy embroidery, you'll complement both of us."
"I knew letting you hang out with Yumichika was a mistake."
"You're a mistake. Brother and I color-coordinated at the last two parties we went to and it was really fun, wasn't it, Brother?"
"Who is Yumichika?"
"You know! Ayasegawa. That one guy in the Eleventh with the nice hair."
"Ah, yes, I do know who that is!"
"He thinks you have nice hair, too, by the way."
"He is correct."
"Fine!" Abarai broke in. "I'll wear the burgundy kimono! Are we done with Thursday, yet?"
"Yes," Byakuya agreed. "Friday, I have blocked off for sightseeing and other assorted city errands my Grandfather wishes to run. Friday evening is Rukia's night off."
"It's my what?" Rukia echoed.
"Believe me, by Friday night, you will need a night off from Grandfather. I am taking him to dinner at the White Lotus, where he will delight in making groundless complaints over the finest cuisine available in the Seireitei. My understanding is that Abarai has some harmless shenanigans planned to distract you. I do not wish to know any of the details."
Rukia turned to Abarai, her face painted with delight. "You planned shenanigans? For me?"
Abarai winked at her and made an unseemly clicking noise with his tongue.
"What makes them 'harmless'?" Rukia asked in a stage whisper.
"Home by eleven, no hangover," Abarai explained. "Big party's on Saturday, so we gotta get our beauty sleep, right? It'll be fun, though, I promise."
Rukia looked back at Byakuya, her eyes soft. "You're sure it'll be okay, Brother? I mean, that's awfully nice, but if you need me, I'm sure-"
"Abarai has made plans," Byakuya repeated firmly. "I handled my Grandfather on my own for many years. I can manage one painful dinner. You seem to keep fretting over me when this is supposed to be a celebration of you."
Rukia made a pained face. "Brother, have you ever thought about getting a spirit phone?"
Byakuya stared at her blankly. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Well, usually, if you want to text someone, you make one of us do it for you. But if Renji and I are off somewhere together, how will you text us?"
"I simply will not. It would be boorish of me to disturb your evening."
"We wouldn't have to leave what we were doing," Renji shrugged. "You can just text your friends to complain, you know. Then they send you a cute picture of a puppy and you feel better."
Rukia nodded. "Renji has about six thousand pictures of Goro on his phone. That's the real reason everyone likes him."
"Iba sends them to me."
Byakuya regarded his lieutenant with half-lidded eyes. "You must complain extensively to the poor man."
Rukia and Renji stared at him for a moment. And then they both collapsed into hysterics.
"Oh, that was a good one, Brother," Rukia sobbed, wiping at the corner of her eye.
"It's funny because it's true," Renji wheezed.
Byakuya watched them, unable to decide how to feel. He honestly could not recall the last time someone reacted so strongly to one of his japes. It wasn't even a particularly clever one.
Rukia took a deep breath through her nose to clear her laughter, and then gave Byakuya a look of such unalloyed fondness that his knees almost gave out on him. She shook her head at him, but did not say anything.
"I feel that concludes the discussion of Friday," Byakuya harrumphed before they got even further off topic. "And I believe we are all exhaustively familiar with the schedule for Saturday. I have only loosely planned Sunday, as I think most people will be tired from the party, and will need to prepare for their departure on Monday morning. Abarai, I do not foresee needing your assistance, but please remain available."
Abarai nodded. "Will do, sir."
"I believe that should cover everything. I have wasted enough of your time."
"It was really helpful, to be honest," Abarai shrugged earnestly. "And I got noodles."
Rukia raised her eyebrows in yet another very Hisana-like facial expression. "How did you like the noodles, Brother?" she asked, her voice a knife sheathed in innocence.
Byakuya peered into his empty container. He would look very foolish if he lied about it. "Thank you for the noodles, Rukia," he said sincerely. "They were excellent."
Rukia absolutely beamed. That was not a Hisana face at all. It was purely a Rukia face, and one he would not have seen a year ago.
Byakuya had always known that he was privileged. He had been born into wealth and strength and power. But he had never thought of himself as lucky. In fact, although he tried not to dwell on it, he often wondered if the recurrent tragedies of his life were the result of some inherent bad luck. At this moment, though, with his lovely sister grinning at him, and his big-hearted, dependable second next to her, he felt very lucky, indeed.
"Get out of here, both of you," he ordered. "I still have some work to finish."
"Don't stay too late, Brother," Rukia replied gently, as she scooped up empty take-out cartons.
"Anything I can do?" Abarai asked.
"Absolutely not," Byakuya snapped, then paused. "Actually… I would like to see one photograph of Goro."
Abarai flipped open his phone. "Oh, I got a great one, sir!"
"Is it the one where Iba made it look like he's doing paperwork?" Rukia asked eagerly.
"C'mon, Rukia, Captain doesn't wanna see that, it's undignified," Renji scoffed, scrolling through something or other on his phone as he sauntered over to Byakuya's desk. "Here we go! He's lookin' out the window, 'cause he just spotted Captain Komamura!" He flipped his phone around. "Look at the way the light caught his ears!"
"Superlative," replied Byakuya.
