Complications

byakuxhisa4eva

III. Of Two Impending Dooms

"You're kidding me."

"Nope."

"Serious?"

"Yup."

"Absolutely sure?"

"Uh-huh,"

"You mean it?"

"Yes!"

"One hundred percent positive-"

"Yes! Dammit Renji! Lemme think!" Ichigo slammed his fists on the counter top, creating a slight dent in the wood due to the pressure. He and his tomato-haired rival Captain of the Ninth were currently wasting away in a bar somewhere in Rukongai, musing over Ichigo's impending doom.

"You know," Renji started, "Kuchiki-taicho's going to do whatever it takes, and I mean whatever to make you fail whatever he's planned for you."

Ichigo shot a glare at his red-haired companion.

"Shut up, Renji. You think I don't know that already?"

Renji shrugged and gave Ichigo a cocky half grin.

"I know you know, I just wanted to rub it in your face again."

Glare.

"I will get you one day, mark my words," Ichigo muttered darkly, clouds of lighting hovering over his bowed head.

"Before or after Kuchiki-taicho kills you?"

"Renji..."

"Ok, I'll stop." Renji half raised his hands and conceded defeat. "But seriously, what are you going to do? You know as well as I do that there's as much a chance of Aizen suddenly turning good as there is of Kuchiki-taicho going easy on you."

Ichigo slumped over, and smacked his head repeatedly on the counter top.

"This is hopeless..." he moaned, "Why can't I just fight Byakuya and let that decide what happens!?"

"Because then the other noble families would see you as a barbaric moron who has never heard of civilization?" Renji put in, rolling his eyes.

"That's a fair point," Ichigo noted, "But Renji?"

"Yea?"

"That was a rhetorical question. And your answer didn't make my situation any better."

"Look," Renji said, putting a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "Just try your best."

Ichigo opened his mouth to retort, when Renji cut him off."

"I know that doesn't sound like much," Renji said, cutting him off and looking at him pointedly, "But it's the best you can do. With your reputation as 'The Savior of the Soul Society', you've more or less got the groundwork laid. You being the youngest captain ever will push you up there even more. Besides, Yoruichi, Soifon and Rukia don't exactly act like 'nobility' all the time, do they?"

The carrot-topped shinigami looked at Renji with a crooked smirk on his face.

"Ignore the last sentence," Renji said hurriedly, glancing around to see if anyone had heard. "Forget I even said it. If any of then found out I said that..."

They both shuddered at the image that suddenly popped into their minds, both subconsciously already wincing from pain. Both stood up suddenly, and stiffly turned to face the other.

"Right," Ichigo said, "I'll see you tomorrow then,"

"Yea," Renji replied, looking around nervously, "We should get going."

Simultaneously turning around and marching into different directions, the two rushed away from the scene, as if some eerie presence had suddenly appeared.

"Oh, Renji!" Ichigo called out, suddenly, just before Renji was out of ear-shot,

"Yea?"

"Thanks."

Smirk. Grin.

"No problem. Good luck with tomorrow. I think you need---gotta go, sorry strawberry!"

At the appearance of three deadly spirit pressures, the two so-called 'fearless' captain bolted.

"I'm so screwed," Ichigo thought, before picking up his already ungodly shunpo pace when he felt the presence of his midget, (hopefully) soon-to-be fiancee behind him, not really sure which of two dooms he was talking about.

The next day...

"HOLY SHIT! I'M FREAKIN' LATE! BYAKUYA'S GONNA KILL ME!!"

"ICHIGO!! COME AND FIGHT ME!!"

A large, six-foot shape crashed through one of the many walls in the Seireitei, planting itself right in the middle of the very, very late Ichigo's way, brandishing a rough, long sword, the bells in it's hair jingling furiously at the suddenly movement.

As the smoke cleared, Ichigo could make out a small pink blob sitting on the shoulders of the large figure.

"HII ICHI-CHAN!! ARE YOU GOING TO PLAY WITH KEN-CHAN TODAY? ARE YOU? ARE YOU?"

"Dammit," Ichigo cursed darkly, a vein dangerously throbbing on his head, "Why today of all days? I swear, someone must really hate me out there."

Zaraki Kenpachi looked menacingly down at his favorite sparring partner, his body shaking with anticipation of fighting Ichigo again. Kenpachi raised his sword and pointed it directly at Ichigo's nose, the tip of the blade mere millimeters away from Ichigo's flesh.

"KUROSAKI ICHIGO! TODAY IS THE DAY I WILL DEFEAT YOU IN BATTLE! DRAW YOUR SWORD!"

Ichigo wanted to bang his head on something. Badly.

1...

Ichigo looked at his surroundings, taking note of the quickest and most convenient way to get to the Kuchiki mansion.

2...

A random excuse from Ichigo's mental book of excuses of how to avoid Zaraki Kenpachi readied itself on Ichigo's lips.

3...

Rieatsu gathered in Ichigo's palm, ready to be released any minute.

RUN!

A burst of reiatsu was aimed at the nearest intact wall, disintegrating it, and the orange-haired captain fled down the nearest alley, all while yelling:

"SORRY! Gotta go Kenpachi! My non-existent manga collection needs rearranging!"

O.o

The fleeing shinigami sweat-dropped at his pathetic attempt at making a good excuse, and mentally noted to update his internal book of excuses.

Running past a tall clock tower, Ichigo stopped to stare at the time. Until...

"SHIT! I'M EVEN LATER THAN BEFORE! I AM SO SCREWED!!!" Ichigo dashed down several alleys and streets at a pace even light would be jealous of, cursing Zaraki into the depths of Hueco Mundo - and adding another item to his list of reasons why to avoid Zaraki at all times – the entire way to the Kuchiki Mansion.

Reason #403 – He'll make you late to a very important meeting with you future brother-in-law, and inexplicably decrease you chances of said future brother-in-law becoming your actual brother-in-law, especially if he already has something against you, and just happens to be head of all nobles in the Soul Society

Stumbling over a pile of sekki-sekki rock that seemed to appear out of nowhere, the Third Division captain raced towards the magnificent Kuchiki mansion, already dreading what was to come.

A cool breeze flitted through the window, making the expensive silk curtains flutter in the air. Byakuya picked up a steaming cup of the finest green tea and gently lifted it to his lips, allowing the burning hot liquid to slide down his throat.

Cool grey eyes glanced over at the mahogany grandfather clock situated in the corner of the large parlor, nodding his approval at Ichigo's lateness.

With a snap of his fingers, the Kuchiki head summoned a servant and told him to go out and buy ten bags of the finest candy in the Seireitei, and deliver them to the eleventh-division vice-captain as soon as possible.

As the elderly servant backed out of the room respectfully, though with a confused looked on his face, Byakuya stood up and walked over to stand in front of the large open window, a minuscule smile gracing his face.

The smile turned slightly evil when Byakuya caught sight of Ichigo hazardously running through the Seireitei, towards the Kuchiki mansion.

"I suppose I should be there to greet him," he mused, the smile now a creepy evil smirk, "After all, I did agree to spend several thousand yen buying candy for Yachiru if Zaraki managed to make the idiot my sister calls a boyfriend late for out first meeting,"

The smirk widened as Byakuya imagined Ichigo's face when he showed up an hour past their meeting time, only to see Byakuya sitting at a table, an expression of nothingness plastered on his face, which surely implied inevitable doom.

Said noble almost let a small chuckle escape his mouth, but caught himself before it was released, as if suddenly realizing what an un-noble like action he was about to perform.

A mask of neutrality was slipped onto Byakuya's face, and the noble glided out the door towards the main foyer – ginpaku kazahana no usuginu fluttering softly behind him – where the orange-topped shinigami was undoubtedly racing towards, sweating buckets as images of torture flitted through his mind.

This was going to be an amusing day indeed.

For Byakuya at least.

A/N: Extremely, extremely late. I know. ducks flying tomatos throw by anyone who cares about this fic at all I've been...errr...preoccupied. '' I've moved on in my favourite pairing obssession to Royai (from Full Metal Alchemist, anyone heard of it?) and I've been reading all the fanfics I get get my hands on about them for the last little while. I'll try to be quicker with updates, but for a while, I have little time to work on this, since my mid-year exams are coming up...'''

Anyway, I checked for mistakes the best I can, but I didn't have this chapter edited. Sorry for any mistakes. Oh yes, anyone who has read 'Unforgetable Memories: Byakuya and Hisana' can expect an update soon. I've alreadly finished the next (and final) chapter.

Bye-bye for now!

byakuxhisa4eva (penname may be changed soon. I'll alert people when I do though, to avoid confusion)