All my stories have been translated from German to English. Since English is not my native language, translation errors may occur. But I hope that they are not too serious. If you notice any, feel free to tell me.
Have fun!
XXX
Fast and loud footsteps echoed through the corridors of the 6th Company. And none of the Shinigamis needed to turn around to see that it was once again their Vice Commander running hurriedly through the hallway until he finally arrived in front of his office, which he shared with his Commander. He paused briefly to get his frantic breathing under control. He was way too late again, as he had been so often lately. Byakuya would surely rip his head off his shoulders, coupled with that look that was so closed and cold, yet told Renji everything he needed to know. But now he couldn't avoid it if he didn't want to be any later for work. So he opened the door, still panting slightly from the sprint he had put down.
"Commander," Renji greeted into the room, indicating a slight bow. - "You're late," was all Byakuya had for his Vice Commander as he didn't even look up from his report and continued to calmly stroke the paper with his brush. - "I apologize for my tardiness. The usual- complications arose" - Renji cleared his throat uncomfortably. Not only was he late to work again, but the reason was extremely unpleasant to him. Even though Byakuya already knew about it, leaving it largely uncommented, he couldn't help feeling this way. Only the rebuke, which he fetched for it, let him call the thing again and again in the memory. The words of his Commander, he should take more time for it, after all Renji as Vice Commander represented the entire 6th Company next to Byakuya. And indeed. When the commander finally lifted his head to look at the disaster, he noticed that it was almost worse than usual. His Vice Commander's thick and fire-red hair hung more badly than usual in a loose and crooked ponytail, while some strands had made it out and now lay over his tattooed skin. - "Renji," Byakuya spoke admonishingly. How many times had he already told him that he should decently show up for work? He already couldn't count it anymore. And most of all, he couldn't watch it anymore. He had to do something about it. Again.
Strained, Byakuya suppressed a sigh. Instead, he stood up and moved beside his chair. - "Sit" - That was all Renji needed to get moving. He walked with firm steps towards his Commander and sat down in his seat, feeling a bit uncomfortable though. Byakuya himself, meanwhile, opened a drawer of his desk and reached for the fine, dark red brush. It was clearly expensive, as Renji could tell from the gracefully engraved golden pattern. Like cherry blossoms moving over a fire. At least, that was what Renji wanted to see in it. In the end, it was nothing more than a brush. A brush that looked so right in Byakuya's hands, as if it belonged right there.
Without saying anything, Byakuya put this brush on his table and looked down at the pile of hair in front of him. It was knotted and not very well groomed, even if freshly washed. It was actually not the first time Byakuya had taken on this problem. Already when Renji started to let his hair grow some time ago, solely due to a thoughtless comment on his part, Byakuya often admonished him to take care of his hair accordingly. He didn't want his Vice Commander to look like the stray dog he occasionally referred to him as. But lately, this problem had become rampant as his hair grew longer. And now that it already reached almost to his waist, Renji was no longer able to take care of it himself. He was far too clumsy and especially impatient for that, to take this time to brush his hair properly and then tie it into a proper ponytail. So Byakuya had taken that on some time ago. More out of desperation than anything else, he had made him sit in his chair one day in a determined voice and then to comb Renji's nearly straw-like hair with a comb that had been gathering dust in his desk, which he had put there for emergencies at some point. And it was a challenge. That red mane was stubborn and almost impossible to manage with a puny comb. But he had managed to some extent, though with much grumbling from his Vice Commander whenever he combed a little harder through one of his many topknots. Renji still remembered how his head had hurt afterwards. He was sure Byakuya would pull all his hair off his head. But in the end, it looked quite neat. And Renji was sure that this should have been a one-time thing. His Commander would not deign to continue combing his hair, he surely had better things to do. But Renji was to be mistaken. What it was Byakuya did not know, but that same day he ordered a hairbrush from one of his employees. He certainly didn't want to try again to get a grip on his Vice Commander's hair with that ridiculous comb. Why he even bothered was beyond him. But whenever he told himself to do it for rational reasons, he still believed he could feel the sensation of Renji's hair between his fingers. How they slid through and gently tickled his fingertips. How scattered hairs tangled between his short fingernails and all merged back together at the tips of his hair. The smell of each strand of something rough, something unique. Like the seasonings of a spicy dish he loved to eat, mixed with the crimson color of fire. And it distracted him from what he was about to do. And it would distract him even more when he was about to run his hand through the strands of the ponytail for the first time that day.
But he could not allow himself to be distracted. So Byakuya pulled himself together one more time and grabbed the mop of hair in front of him. He reached for the red and could feel all the little knots between his fingers. Byakuya moved his hand further towards the ponytail and began to untie the hair band. Renji suppressed a hiss as some of his hair began to tug, caught in his hair band. But he would not make a sound, fearing that his Commander would once again reprimand him for it. Besides, he didn't want to look like a sissy in front of him again. So he kept his mouth shut until the hair band finally disappeared and lay next to the brush on the table. Renji's hair fell open and settled over the back of the chair and a bit beyond. Then Byakuya grabbed the brush and began at the tips first, brushing out the knots. And so they were silent there. Renji on that chair, while Byakuya stood behind it, his strained hair in his hand with the brush that was so much more comfortable than that stupid comb. And as Byakuya worked his way higher and higher, Renji began to enjoy the gentle touches of his Commander. He enjoyed the way Byakuya reached for his hair, the way he held it and, after brushing it, ran his own hand through the strand again, almost to make sure there was no knot left. Until he finally arrived at Renji's hairline and now brushed through the entire length of her hair in light motions.
"You should do something about your hair," Byakuya broke the silence after a while, as he put the brush aside again, only to take the entire mop of hair in his hand right after and slowly form it into a ponytail, the way Renji preferred to wear it. - "What do you mean?" - Renji suspected bad things. - "Your hair is so long that even in a ponytail it's too impractical for combat" - And Renji was right. Would his Commander ask him to cut his hair? Probably. Would he do it? Probably. Surely Byakuya was tired of taking care of this problem and brushing his hair almost every day now. But Renji himself enjoyed it very much. He loved the way Byakuya touched him while doing it, almost as if he enjoyed it too. But Renji was surely just imagining that. - "Maybe-", Renji hesitated. He was enjoying too much the way his Commander's skin stroked his scalp. - "Maybe it's time to part with it," he finally spoke up, guessing what his Commander would think. But unexpectedly he faltered in his movement. Only for a fraction of a second. So briefly that Renji almost missed it. - "Although I would appreciate it, it's not quite what I was going for" - His voice still as cool as before, he now reached for the hair ribbon on the table only to tie it around the bundle of hair he held in his other hand a moment later.
"Then I don't seem to understand what you're trying to tell me, Commander" - Renji didn't dare to move even a millimeter while Byakuya was about to tie his hair. Aware that this was for more than one reason. First, because he didn't want to experience him angry at all, but also because he had first unconsciously started to stop breathing. Much too tense what his Commander would now answer to it. - "I'm saying that your hair is extremely impractical," Byakuya repeated his words, knowing that Renji still didn't understand. - "But so is the way you wear it," so he continued his explanation. And it didn't take a mirror to know that the question mark on Renji's face, still turned away from Byakuya, grew even bigger. But what was he supposed to do? It was annoying to have to explain everything in detail to his Vice. So he simply began. Taking the bundle of hair in his hand again, which was now in a ponytail, he slid his fingers through the strands again and began to separate his hair into three parts at the base of the Ponytail. Carefully, just as before, he held the three strands in his hands, let his fingers slide between them, and with a steady hand began to reconnect the strands. Alternating, he placed them on top of each other until he finally reached the ends of the hair. Making sure that everything was in order, he stroked one hand along the entire length of the newly braided braid, only to find that it was almost flawless. As was to be expected. There was only one thing missing.
Thinking briefly, he reached again for the drawer where he already kept the brush and opened it again. He saw the comb, which he still stored there, right next to a black hair band, for which he himself had often found use. And immediately he felt the high quality fabric on his skin. He rubbed it between his thumb and middle finger over his fingertips before he began to tie the ribbon around the end of the braid to hold the braid of hair together. All the while, Renji had not uttered a sound. He had merely waited and at some point realized what his Commander was getting at. So he let him finish braiding it, waited until he tied his hair together and finally let go of his braid, which fell back with a slight swing. Still hesitating briefly, Renji couldn't help but reach for his own hair and feel the texture of the braid. To feel how immaculately and neatly Byakuya had tied his hair together and how almost guidingly he had treated it. It made a slight blush shoot up his face when he thought of the sight. How Byakuya stood soulfully behind him, taking care of his red mane. And suddenly this moment became much more private, more intimate, than he had intended. Suddenly, he wondered what it would be like if his Commander took care of his hair like this every morning. Far away from their office. On a morning before the first rays of sunlight, within his own four walls, not yet properly dressed himself. How Byakuya would sit on a futon, indicating to him to sit in front of him and let him have his hair, so wild, so disheveled from the night, completely untouched, until Byakuya put the first finger on it.
But he quickly reprimanded himself. What did he imagine he was thinking about his Commander in this way? There was not the slightest chance that anything even remotely similar could happen. And he had resigned himself to that. In all the hours he had spent thinking about what it was that Byakuya actually had about him. That certain something that forced Renji to be his Vice, even after all the things that had happened. His way towards him and others as well. - "You should try it sometime. It tames your stubborn hair, for work and also in battle," Byakuya snapped him out of his thoughts and took a step back, a step further away from Renji. - "Thank you, Commander," Renji spoke quickly clearing his throat, still holding his own braid. - "But with all due respect, I can't even manage to tie my hair properly, braiding is practically impossible for me" - Hesitantly, Renji stood up. As much as he enjoyed sitting here, so close to Byakuya, he knew it was time to vacate the seat. Soon he would surely be admonished to work, and preventing that would surely be the best thing to do. So he rose and circled the table with slow steps until he finally stood in front of it and looked at his Commander. It was the first time since he had taken a seat on the chair, which was still empty. Byakuya seemed to be scrutinizing him. Examining his appearance and lingered longest on his newly braided ponytail. Certainly confirming to himself that he had done a good job. - "Maybe I really should-" - Renji didn't get to finish his sentence, Byakuya interrupted him with his usual harsh voice. - "Tomorrow you show up for duty a half hour early"-Renji couldn't believe what he was hearing. Half an hour? He already couldn't get it together to be on time, so he should come earlier? Even though he already had to get up at godless hours thanks to his hair? - "Commander, I request-" - Again he was interrupted, watching Byakuya settle back in his chair. - "And I expect you to brush your hair properly and wear it down. That way we'll save time and I'll save myself the hassle of brushing it." - As if Byakuya hadn't just said something absolutely insane, he looked back at the piece of paper in front of him and began to resume writing. And Renji didn't understand anything anymore. Was that really what he was thinking? Had Commander Byakuya really just let it be known that he would take care of his hair in the morning? Just like that? Just like that, he too would show up for duty half an hour early to take care of it? Renji could question the whole thing now, that why. But he didn't. He didn't want to convince himself that Byakuya was doing all this just to look presentable to his company or whatever other ulterior motive he was pursuing. Right now, Renji just wanted to enjoy the slight, almost cautious tingle in his stomach at the thought of being able to spend time with his Commander tomorrow morning. So he bowed as far as the table in front of him would allow. - "Thank you, Commander," it came politely and far too cheerfully from his lips as he wickedly tried to suppress a smile. - "Now get back to work" - There was the rebuke Renji had tried to avoid. But he couldn't help but ignore it with a fluttering stomach. He stood back up and with a nod disappeared to his desk, now throwing himself at the paperwork.
And while Renji did his work so absent-mindedly, Byakuya couldn't help but watch him do it for a few seconds. He wanted to shake his head at himself. How he had let it come so far. With himself, his Vice Commander and this disaster that he was calling hair. But for the time being he should let it rest. It was certainly not something he should worry about at this point. Especially not when he was already behind in his work because of Renji. Determined not to be distracted any longer, Byakuya looked at his pile of documents still to be processed, only to be distracted again when the almost pure red hairbrush still lying next to him on the desk caught his gaze. Carefully he reached for it and held it in his hands. Looking at the fine golden pattern, he opened the drawer next to him and carefully put the brush back where it belonged. And suddenly it was there. That imperceptible twitching of the corner of his mouth that he just couldn't get under control. But it certainly had nothing to do with tomorrow morning. So Byakuya told himself and closed the drawer.
