Chapter 5

All the rest of the day, Myssa worked alone. Tamor kept her company and helped out for a few hours before the lure of the flower beds became too strong for him to resist. She lost herself in her work. Before she realized what time it was, a servant was telling her that dinner was ready. Byakuya still had not come home. She kept Ginrei company during dinner, but didn't eat anything. She had decided that she would wait for Byakuya.

It was close to 8 o'clock when Byakuya finally got home. He was a bit drained mentally and very hungry. He headed for the kitchen to grab something quick to eat before he went looking for Myssa. He was looking forward to spending some time with her.

The moment he walked into the kitchen he could smell something wonderful cooking, but didn't see anyone. Suddenly, Myssa stood up from the oven with a skillet in her gloved hands. She had wireless headphones on and was humming and dancing as she put the skillet on the stove to stir the contents. Byakuya leaned in the doorway, enjoying the way she moved and indulging in an amused smile. She was oblivious to his presence so he got quite a show. She had changed her clothes from earlier in the day. Now, she wore a strappy crème colored dress with little burgundy roses all over it. Her hair was up and away from her face and neck in a chignon. A few strands had escaped to curl around her face. Eventually, she turned around, saw him and screamed. The stutter-stepping jig that followed made him laugh.

She pulled off the headphones. "Byakuya! You scared the crap out of me!"

His laughter dropped to a rumbling chuckle as he walked toward her. His mirth reached his eyes. He had removed his haori and kenseikan, combined with the chuckling, he looked the most relaxed she'd seen him since they'd met.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asked.

"Since you took the pan out of the oven."

She watched him move in on the skillet, "And did you enjoy the floor show, sir?"

"Very much so." He was reaching for the cooking spoon to sample the dish.

She swatted him with a pot holder, "Paws off, Mr. Curious." She grinned at his startled expression. Evidently, no one had ever dared to swat him with a pot holder before. "Have a seat at the table and I'll serve our dinner."

He sat down at the kitchen table, finding the seat very comfortable. "Our dinner? You haven't eaten?"

"I waited for you. I had Renji text me when you were wrapping up your work so I'd have enough time to cook this."

"You didn't have to do that." But, he was so pleased that she had gone to the trouble to wait for him and to cook something with her own hands, not just give orders to the chef. And the dancing - that was just an extra he would relish for a long time.

"I wanted to." She replied. "If you had something that kept you this long from your home, then I thought a nice dinner should be waiting for you when you got here." She set out glasses of water, then poured each of them a glass of pinot noir.

"I thought you didn't drink alcohol." He said.

"Wine is different. Its flavors are meant to be paired with food."

Next came the plates of food. A bed of yellow rice with peas and spices with a portion of chicken on top.

"This smells very good. What is it?"

"Chicken with rice and peas spiced with saffron, a little cardamom, and one or two secret spices."

He took a bite, then said, "It tastes even better than it smells."

She smiled, "I'm glad you like it."

He took a sip of wine and his taste buds lit up. "Mmm…you certainly have some skills in the kitchen."

She let silence fall as they ate. Once she'd finished, she spoke. "I tracked down two of the Kuchiki relics today."

"That was fast. Where are they?"

"Each one was given to a family in the clan for their loyalty. One was 462 years ago; the other was 257 years ago."

"Does this mean you will mark them off your list?"

"Not at all." She said. "We need to know if the families still possess them. We could contact them and ask for a photo to catalogue the relics. But, what I think is the better option – we go and photograph them ourselves. It will give you the chance to see the relics in person and will make the families proud to have their head of clan visit them in remembrance of the loyalty the relics represent."

The way he was looking at her made her lady bits tighten. She fidgeted under that heated, steel-colored gaze. A flutter skipped below her belly button leaving a gnawing ache in its wake. Gods help her, what she wouldn't give to feel his hands on her skin, his lips on hers.

Byakuya wanted her very badly in that moment. She got it, she understood the dynamics of his life. All of it without him explaining. A thought skidded through his mind…Could it really be this easy to fall in love again? Could it really happen so fast? Shouldn't there be more effort? He'd only known her for a few days, but he was feeling a comfort with her that seemed as if they had known each other much longer. It didn't help that she was so achingly beautiful. And the way she'd looked and acted tonight was so sexy he could hardly stand it.

"What do you think?" She pulled him from his thoughts.

"I think visiting the families is the best option." He said. She smiled. He melted.

Dinner wasn't quite finished. Byakuya had another serving of her dish. Myssa sat there the whole time looking pleased as punch that he liked her cooking so much. Once he was finished he watched her clear away the dishes into the dishwasher.

"I have servants for that, you know?" He said.

"I already pissed off the chef by kicking him out of his kitchen, the least I can do is clean up after myself."

"You angered the chef?" He imagined her with her hands on her hips, ordering the chef out of his kitchen. He would have liked to have seen her, all little bit of 5'5 sass, glaring up at his 6'4 chef.

"Oh yeah, he's really territorial. Lots of blah-diddy-blah about," she mimicked the male chef's voice, "Lord Kuchiki only eats the best food prepared by my skilled hands." She returned to her voice. "He said some other stuff, but I'd tuned him out."

He was amused. "How did you get him out of the kitchen?"

"That was easy, I had Tamor blast him with a ramped-up dose of dragonfear. He ran out of here screaming like a little girl."

He let loose a bout of laughter that made her start giggling. She smiled at him as she began opening cabinets, "You should laugh more, Byakuya. It's a very infectious sound."

"I don't get many reasons to laugh."

"Well, that'll change now that Tamor and I are here. Tamor alone is a one dragon comedy show."

He couldn't figure out what she was hunting for in the cabinets. "What are you looking for?"

She opened another cabinet, "A container for the leftovers."

"Leftovers? You mean the remnants of our meal?"

"Yep. You can take it with you tomorrow when you go to work and have it for lunch."

"Won't it be cold?"

"Yes. You heat it up in the microwave." He looked perplexed and she had to swallow a giggle. "I'll write you some instructions and tape them to lid of the container."

She finally found what she was looking for but it was on a high shelf, out of her reach. She grabbed a long barbeque fork, stood on her toes, and began maneuvering the container to the edge of the shelf.

"I can get that for you." He offered.

"No thanks, I got it."

His eyes were glued to her legs and thighs. Well, well, it seems there was an after-dinner show too. She had great legs and he really wanted to touch them. He noticed that she was barefoot, her feet small and very pretty. He pictured himself starting at those feet with kisses before moving up to her ankles and legs…up to her thighs…up to part those shapely legs to reveal…

"Got it!" She sang triumphantly as the container fell into her hands, wrecking his fantasy at the worst possible moment.

He sat at the table with a contented smile, watching her write instructions and pack lunch for him. It was sweet and domestic and made him feel cared for on a personal level that no one had ever even attempted to reach. He never realized that this was something he needed until she showed him in that moment. It created a tugging ache in his heart that was unfamiliar and a bit disturbing.

She taped a small piece of paper to the lid of the container and put it in the refrigerator.

"Thank you for dinner, Myssa, I truly enjoyed it." He said.

She gave him a soft smile, "You are very welcome, Byakuya." He really loved when she said his name.

She bent down and picked up a pair of sandals from behind the kitchen island. Sitting down at the table, she slipped them on. His eyes followed as she raised each foot to buckle the ankle straps.

He didn't want their evening to be over. He needed more time with her. "Would you join me for a walk in the gardens?"

Oh, sweet stars help her, Byakuya was asking her to go for a moonlit walk in the gardens! Her mind scrambled, tripping through flashes of scenes – Byakuya tucking her hair behind her ear, Byakuya touching her face, Byakuya drawing her close, Byakuya's lips descending to hers, his eyes soft and passionate in the moonlight…

She stammered, "Su-Sure."

He tucked her hand on his arm, a familiar gesture she'd become used to. He led her back through the mansion and out into the gardens. The smell of Sakura blooms filled the balmy night air. The moon was full, casting a silvery glow on everything.

A loud snort from the flower beds drew their attention. A black, whipping tail and four black dragon feet were stabbing into the air as more snorts spilled forth. Myssa started giggling. "Witness for yourself the weakness of a dragon."

"Flowers." Byakuya said.

She nodded, "Flowers." She called out to Tamor, "Tam, mind those blooms. You be sure to coax them back to their former glory when you're done."

Tamor lifted his head. His black scales were shifting with colors. He was nearly perfectly camouflaged with the flower bed. Byakuya looked closer. "He has camouflage capability?"

"Tam, come show Byakuya your stealth mode." She held out her hands for Tamor to fly up and land. She held him against her dress and he quickly blended to look exactly like the fabric.

"Fascinating." Byakuya touched Tamor's back and watched the dragon's scales ripple.

"Byakuya, did you know that dragons are very ticklish?" She asked.

"I did not know that."

Tamor looked up, "Don't you dare."

She flipped the dragon onto his back, cradling him as she tickled his belly. Tamor howled, wiggling and laughing. She giggled. Byakuya was chuckling.

"Stop!" Tamor was pant laughing, "You're gonna make me pee!"

She stopped the tickling and snuggled Tamor close, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I love you, Tamor."

His front claws touched her face, "I love you, princess."

"Back to the blooms, mighty champion."

Neither of them noticed Tamor's slip. The short exchange between them was natural and long used many times over the years. But, Byakuya noticed – Tamor had called her "princess". Was it just an affectionate pet name? He didn't think so. She had spoken of being born to a title. She had been trained in very courtly etiquette and speech. Tamor had said he was the king's champion and her guardian. It all fit. Myssa's father was a king, she was a princess…royalty. His mind was reeling a bit as they walked. When she touched his arm, tucking her hand back into his elbow, he snapped into focus. "How long has Tamor been your guardian?"

"Since I was 20 years old."

There was that number again – 20. Something happened that year in her life. "How long ago was that?"

She gave him a playful grin, "I'm eternally 28."

Her wit was always amusing, "So, 8 years multiplied by…?"

She was absolutely terrible at math. "Tamor has been with me for 57 years."

"Was the scar on your back before or after you were put into Tamor's care?"

"Before."

He remembered she had said that she hadn't seen her sisters or mother in 57 years. That meant the scar happened while she was in her biological mother's care. Whatever had happened to give her that scar was what she was holding back from him. Shunsui's voice rose up from a memory, "Her past is filled with more pain than anyone should be made to bear and her family is right at the heart of most of it." He had promised not to push so he bit down on the questions he wanted to ask.

"You have such a beautiful home. You should be filling it with children." Her voice was so sweet to his ears.

"I need a wife for that." There was a smile in his voice.

"I'm quite sure you would have no trouble finding one." She said. "One hint that you are looking for love and they'll be launching themselves over the walls with catapults."

He chuckled, "Well, one already fell into my bath. I'm certain that no one will ever match her in beauty, charm, or intelligence."

She snickered. "Enh – beauty isn't all it's cracked up to be. Although, I'm sure it's important to be able to roll over in the morning and stomach the sight." She gave his arm a squeeze them lightly bumped his hip with hers. "Thank you for the compliment."

He said nothing, just basked in the small step he'd just taken. She could have shut him down, but she didn't.

Myssa couldn't believe that Byakuya was flirting with her. His compliment had done a number on her and scattered her wits. She wanted to believe there was more than lust behind his words. Her brain kept tripping over Hisana. He still loves her. You'll never be first in his heart, only second best. If you let love for him blossom, you'll end up hurt. The words tumbled and made a mess of her thoughts. Thankfully, Byakuya decided to open a discussion about philosophy. A nice, neutral subject that had nothing to do with flirting. Safety, for the moment.

They spent an hour sitting on the porch outside their rooms debating the merits of a zanpakto that merges with the user versus one that doesn't. He got an in-depth explanation into every aspect of how her shikai functioned. He loved how she talked with her hands almost as much as her mouth. She was so expressive, conversations with her were never boring.

She even got him to play a game. He was going to say 'no', but he really wanted to be as playful as she was, to let her see a piece of his personality that he always kept hidden. They gazed at the moon and played "what if". Tamor sat as judge for who came up with the silliest or most creative "what if"s. Surprising himself, Byakuya won for his creativity.

Myssa couldn't resist teasing him. She grinned wickedly, "I took it easy on you."

He mimicked her outraged sound from earlier and she laughed. He spoke in a playful rumble, "Careful, we're in private. I can tickle you for teasing me."

"Teasing you? I would never be so bold as to tease the Byakuya Kuchiki." She was still grinning. "Not without his permission, of course."

"Hn." His grunt was full of mirth. He should tickle her and let that lead to her squirming in his grasp right before he kissed her senseless. But, he let the moment pass. Now was not the time to make that kind of move, not yet anyway.

A moment or two later she was looking at him thoughtfully. "You know, beneath that tough, stoic, warrior shell there's a very warm, fun, interesting man with the soul of a poet." She had surprised him with her words, she could see it all over his face. "It's OK, you don't have to say anything. I just want you to know that I see you, Byakuya Kuchiki. Not Lord Kuchiki, or Captain Kuchiki…just you."

His voice was soft, "You've accomplished in days what others haven't in decades."

"Because you let me." Her face was open allowing him to see soft emotion, welcoming him to reach out and touch her.

Reiatsu drew their attention. Rickishi of squad six arrived and knelt a few feet from Byakuya. His message was dire. Someone had destroyed Byakuya's office and injured four squad members that tried to apprehend him.

Byakuya stood then helped Myssa to her feet. "Sleep well, Myssa. I will see you in the morning."

"I hope your squad members are all right."

He left with Rickishi. She went to bed, but was unable to sleep. To distract herself from the swirling thoughts about the attack on Byakuya's office, she did the one thing that relaxed her mind – she got out her sketch pad and began drawing.