Chapter 3: Sunflower

Byakuya's skin was clammy when he woke up. The sheets were damp, his strands of hair clung together. Frankly, he felt icky. But the images of last night made him quickly forget about that. As his vision cleared, he realised he was alone in the room. He wasn't surprised. Yoruichi had no reason to stay, probably going home to get ready for his birthday dinner.

He shot up, remembering, 'Of course!' The feast was today. Byakuya glanced at the clock, shocked at the time: 15:50pm. He never dreamed of rising at this hour; the Kuchiki's never rose at this hour. He couldn't believe no one attempted to wake him. But then again, they all probably assumed he was up working, not wanting to be disturbed. Moreover, the help were terrified of him, too scared to approach. He slid out of the sheets, standing up on the wood. Byakuya had to be ready for 6:00pm and finish those damned reports from yesterday and today. His face contorted, smelling her in the room; Yoruichi always led him astray. However, he didn't have time to despise her right now – he had to get started. Byakuya sensed the maid from yesterday scurrying past his doors. "Shiori!" he barked. She stopped dead in her tracts, reversing back to his doors. She stuttered, "Yes, Captain Byakuya." He could hear her tearing up. "Have someone run me a bath, change my sheets and get me something to eat." "Yes, Captain!" She placed her hand on the handle to slide the door open. Byakuya remembered he was still naked. "Not yet! Wait until I tell you to," he quickly commanded. He grabbed a dark robe resting on the door of a wardrobe and clothed himself. "Hurry, now," he said. Shiori rushed through room to the ensuite. Byakuya watched her dart across his chamber like a pinball with narrow eyes. "Have everything done within 30 minutes." He left his room to go for a walk. As he went, he eyed the sheet-carrying maids rushing past him towards his door, wondering how the help did that.

"Byakuya!" It wasn't long before he was spotted. Rukia smiled warmly, coming over holding a poorly-wrapped gift in her hands. He wondered why she never asked the maids to wrap gifts for her. "Happy birthday," she said. She hugged him. Byakuya was embarrassed. "You look so refreshed. Yesterday must have been really good," she pointed out. He slowly nodded. 'You have no idea,' he thought. "For you," she passed him the gift. "It's from all of us: Ichigo; Orihime; Chad; Ishida. They couldn't make it today, so got you this. I did the decoration." 'I'm aware of that...' He didn't want to deal with this now, but judging by the look on her face, Rukia wanted him to open it. He silently sighed, peeling open the royal blue paper. Flicking some tape off of his fingers, he saw it was a top from the human world. "Do you like it?" she asked with enthusiasm. She took the wrappings from his hand allowing him to hold up the slogan shirt. "'Love...Machine,'" he read. Rukia laughed; his expression was blank, but she didn't think much of it. "It's because though you can come across cold, we know you have a lot of love in you."

"..."

He had nothing to do right now, but convinced himself he didn't have time for this. "Thank you," he forced out. Byakuya tossed the top over his shoulder and kept on walking.

The manor just seemed so loud compared to yesterday. People were bustling about, hanging decorations here and setting flowers there. He had no idea, but judging by the stress on their faces this was going to be a large gathering. Byakuya was unsure who had even planned the event. 'Perhaps one of those ladies at the Shinigami Women's Society,' he thought. How did they manage to influence his staff? He was certain Rukia had a hand in it – he should have asked her. Ginrei would never have agreed to this. He himself wasn't sure when he had agreed to it, but it was too late to cancel now. Byakuya found himself in the gardens, grass tickling his toes. He breathed in the fresh air; air that didn't smell of anything. It had been a long time since he last stood and enjoyed the gardens. Tulips, blossoms and lavender swayed in the gentle breeze, as if waving at him. The koi fish jumped in the ponds, patting a song. Feeling the lawn on his feet, he felt one with nature.

His eyes had been closed, but on opening he saw a sunflower. It was strange; they had never grown those here, from what he remembered. Sunflowers had always been Yoruichi's preference. They were bold, bright and confidently stretched higher than the other flora; they didn't represent Kuchiki values at all. Byakuya strolled over to it. This one must have been here for a while, almost as tall as him. It irritated him. He felt like he was standing right next to her. The flower was easily her height, its leaves stretched beautifully; it stood still as the other plants bowed the breeze. It was even the colour of her stunning eyes. For a second, Byakuya thought he saw Yoruichi's face in its disk, laughing at him. He turned away.

But her face was still in his mind. Her laugh became an ecstatic cry – a cry he had caused. He briefly smirked, proud. 'And you said I couldn't beat you at anything,' he thought. He had made her call his name; pull his hair. He made her feel and do things other men wouldn't even dream of. Byakuya Kuchiki had made love (several times) to Yoruichi Shihouin – a princess. And he wanted to do it again. He had been celibate for too long now. Being with her – inside her – reminded him what he had been missing. He wanted to massage her breasts, rub her at that special place...kiss her neck, legs...all over. He wanted a bath.

"Captain," said a woman, interrupting his muse. "Your bath is ready. Your sheets are clean. Someone will bring a meal to your room when you call it."

"Thank you." He would have his bath.

Byakuya couldn't concentrate for long. Some guests had come early; music played and laugher bellowed through the halls. For the second time, his work was not a priority. He was not in a rush to join them, so sat at his desk for 40 minutes or so. He finally changed into a traditional black kimono and wooden sandals at 6:20pm. According to human customs, he could be late on his birthday. Lastly, he brushed his hair and placed his kenseikan on his head, leaving for the gathering.

He cringed entering the hall. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAPTAIN!" the crowd chorused. "Yeah, go get 'em tiger!" "WOOO! Hope ya have a great night!" It seemed everyone in the Seireitei was here. Sake was flowing, music was booming – the food looked amazing. Byakuya felt out of place; he was the only one in traditional attire. Even Mayuri was wearing a suit and tie. And he didn't know by what definition this was a 'dinner party' – a rave was being hosted in his house. "Happy birthday Captain," Renji cheered, slapping Byakuya on the back. Byakuya glared at him; Renji had clearly forgotten his place. "Wow, she did a great job tying this all together." "Who did?" Byakuya asked seriously. 'So it was Rukia,' he thought. "Have you seen the dessert table? Makes you feel bad kids are going hungry outside these walls!" Byakuya opened his mouth to ask again, but Renji had gone off with Hisagi and Kira. They all looked drunk, just 33 minutes into the festivities. Byakuya frowned. Soon after, he coughed, receiving another slap on the back. "Captain, hehe! Congrats! Still looking good though a little older!" It was Rangiku. She appeared drunker than the other fools. "I've got to say, that woman can plan a party. How's about you smile a little? It is your birthday." He didn't bother asking about the planner because before her knew it, Rangiku had chased down her friends yelling 'Wait up!' This was annoying: Byakuya was rubbing shoulders with everyone. They all wanted to talk to him, congratulate him and (arguably) harm his back. He couldn't get anywhere like this.

After being swarmed by the majority of the guests, Byakuya was finally able to escape to the supposed 'amazing' dessert table everyone was going about. He could finally see why. They had just about every dessert he could imagine – from both worlds. Cheesecakes, ice creams, gateaux; and right at the top of the table was his all time favourite – strawberry shortcake. His heart pounced. Rukia had told him they wouldn't be making it. As he stretched over to grab a plate, Captain Zaraki startled him. "Hehe, who would have guessed Captain Kuchiki had a sweet tooth?" he snickered, leaning against the table. "C'mon, everybody loves sweets!" The 'annoying brat', Yachiru, crept up on Kenpachi's shoulder. Byakuya's palm receded, rubbing his face. "Thank you for coming," Byakuya almost hissed with a hint of sarcasm. He had really had enough of this. "You ought to thank that cat lady for planning this whole thing. You don't look all that grateful," Kenpachi remarked. Byakuya had a sudden realisation, 'Of course. Who else could organise something on such a scale to aggravate me? This must have been her 'gift'.' Where had Yoruichi been anyway? It was closing to 8:00pm, and he had seen every face except for hers. He would have liked to see her face – her body, at that. He left the desserts, scanning the crowds. He couldn't see her.

Rukia happened to be walking in his direction. "Rukia," he interrupted. "Have you seen Lady Yoruichi?" 'Lady' was simply a formality; he wouldn't want Yoruichi knowing he called her that when she wasn't around. "Erm...to be honest, no – not yet. I'm sure she's around though. She is the hostess, after all. I hope you're having fun. Have you seen the gifts? They're over there, on that table." Rukia pointed across the hall, and then continued on. Byakuya wasn't concerned with gifts (especially after what he had received this afternoon). Byakuya was concerned Yoruichi hadn't shown up. He contemplated talking to her about last night; what it meant for them, when they would do it again – if they would do it again. He figured Rukia was a short girl, so could have easily missed Yoruichi anyway. He went searching himself.

Hungry, and having wasted his time up until 10:00pm, Byakuya ended his hunt. Yoruichi wasn't here. Even when he tried to detect that distinctive reiatsu of hers, it was difficult finding her in this mass of spirit energy – especially when tired. Not sure how long the shindig would go on for, Byakuya silently left for his chambers. The day had mentally drained him, if anything.

Closing the door behind him, Byakuya drooped onto his bed, sighing.

"It's a shame; I thought the party would bring you out of your shell."

Perhaps this was the highlight of his day. He rolled over seeing Yoruichi looking out of his window, her sexy leg up against his desk. Why did she always surprise him like that? "And you didn't even go through the gifts," she tutted playfully. Byakuya sat up. "I was looking for you," he uttered. He had to give it to her; Yoruichi knew how to dress. He couldn't take his eyes off her, the way the golden gown cascaded down her body. It fitted her perfectly, scalped around her curves; he could see her toffee skin through the lace. And both sides of the dress had splits – he could easily access her. The woman in front of him looked like royalty in those heels; looked like a wife. "Last night wasn't your gift...tonight was," Byakuya concluded.

"No – my gift is here." She strutted over to him. Yoruichi didn't have to try; even her walk was seductive. He stood to meet her, but slowly stepped back. Byakuya had no idea what she was about to give him – it could be another animal for all he knew. Yoruichi bent a knee, slowly sliding a hand up the split between her legs. Byakuya cleared his throat. To his disappointment, she unveiled something tied to her inner thigh – a fan. But not just any fan. Byakuya studied history, so he knew exactly what it was – Yoruichi should have handled it more carefully. "This was a gift to the very first head of the Shihouin Clan, Shihouin Ryuunosuke, from the 6th head of the Kuchiki Clan–"

"Kuchiki Takehiko." Byakuya gently took it from her hands. This was so thoughtful of her; he didn't think Yoruichi cared for things like this. He couldn't have asked for more – the Kuchiki's were known for preserving the history of the Soul Society. The fan was made of white gold, reflecting the evening light. He gently spread it open, revealing the intricately embroidered design of gold thread mimicking the Shihouin emblem. The edges were decorated with lace. He folded it closed, gazing into her eyes. Yoruichi softly said, "I wanted to return it to your family. We treasured it well. Since few reside here at the Kuchiki Manor, I thought you would appreciate having a piece of your ancestor with you." Byakuya immediately went over to his desk to withdraw a fine cotton cloth to wrap the fan in; he would display tomorrow. "They say this was handcrafted by a thousand maids of the Soul Society," he informed. Yoruichi smiled at how he always went back to the books. She followed him, reaching to touch his shoulder blade – the same spot she tried to reach the previous night.

Byakuya flinched as she pressed it. "I hope you like it. I practically had to threaten our advisors to get it." He closed the drawer and faced her. Yoruichi's hand now wrapped his shoulder. "I will treasure it," he promised. Yoruichi's hand slipped off his shoulder, but he caught it and interlaced their fingers. She tightened the grip.

"Last night," they avowed synchronously. Byakuya let her go first. "I want you to know that I never intended to embarrass you or anything. I didn't plan it. I don't want you to think things between us should be weird – we're good friends," she explained. Byakuya was confused at how they were ever friends, but let her continue. "I can't lie, Byakuya. I had...fun." She bit her soft lip. "I couldn't stop thinking about it today – I haven't felt so great in a long time. However, I'm not saying we should let ourselves go like that again–" "But what if I want to do it – again?" he interjected. A flame burnt within him. It was difficult for him to express himself emotively. It had been a long time since he felt this way about someone. "I want you every night, Yoruichi." Her cat eyes widened. She slipped her other hand underneath his kimono, feeling his heartbeat. "Do you mean that, Byakuya?" she asked anxiously. He did. He wanted her right now.

Byakuya caressed her cheeks, kissing her deeply. He couldn't wait, soon fumbling around her back for the zipper, which Yoruichi guided him to. Her dress soon found the floor; her naked body his. He carried out all his fantasies, massaging her breast as he pressed her against the window. Yoruichi was exhilarated at the idea someone could be watching them. There was no fight this time; their tongues curled around each other, rippling in the heat. Byakuya further stretched out his tongue, making Yoruichi gag. He loved leaving her breathless. His lips skimmed her mouth, then her neck, dotting kisses. She purred when he hit her second favourite spot. Smiling, he lightly ran his teeth and tongue against it as she softly moaned. But he didn't want that; he wanted her screaming his name again. Pressing against her hard, he swiftly entered her womanhood with a finger, tickling her wet, fleshy point. "Uuuah, Byakuya!" she called out, face now burrowed in his neck. He stroked her faster, daring to see how loud she'd scream. Right now, he didn't care if the other guests heard her. She cried in his ear, almost deafening him. He kissed her neck again as he rubbed her, taking her closer and closer to release. She looked into his eyes as she began tightening around him. "Byakuya...I'm...!" He pulled out of her. Yoruichi was breathing fast and smiled, her leg wrapped around his back. "Ah, so you want to play it like that?" she amorously teased, untying his kimono.

Byakuya was surprised when she shoved him onto the desk, sending his sheets flying. He'd hate her for it later. Naturally, he pushed back trying to dominate, but Yoruichi wasn't having it. She ruffled her hair and wound her hips. He watched her dance for him. As she rolled her body, she stripped him one item at a time, building tension. When she revealed him, she ran her fingers along his thigh, scratching at him; Yoruichi knew he didn't mind a little pain. She then encased his extension in her hands, later in her mouth. Byakuya moaned. Her mouth was just a warm, tight and wet as her special place. She'd lightly taste him, then surf his skin with her tongue in cycles. He held her hair as she pleasured him, lying on the desk. Whenever he'd try to hold her and control the pace, she'd run her teeth along his shaft. It only made him want her more.

Before Yoruichi knew it, Byakuya was close to bliss. His leg muscles tensed, trying to hold back. She never thought she could do it, but he whispered her name through his teeth. Just before he could release, her mouth found his stomach, kissing it. He closed his eyes in relief. "Payback," she said, hugging his enlargement between her breasts. Yoruichi hadn't known payback from Byakuya. As soon as he'd calmed down, the carnal beast awakened again. He grabbed Yoruichi's hips, forcing himself inside her. He rapidly jerked her up and down against his hot body, eyeing her bouncing chest. He was holding her so tight he was sure there'd be a mark in the morning – a mark that she was now his. She grunted, cried and bellowed erotically, her eyes almost rolling back. Byakuya kept pumping, letting the sweat of her body trickle down onto his. He closed his eyes. Byakuya wanted this forever – to be one with this woman. He couldn't hold back any longer, feeling her rub his chest and grind against him. He groaned loudly as he filled her with his love; filled her with white gold. Yoruichi crashed on top of him, out of breath, his chest rapidly rising and deflating. "So I guess...this means...you want me, Byakuya?" she reckoned. "Forever," he breathed, stroking her hair. He wasn't hungry anymore.