Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach…

"OH MY GOD, THEY'RE SO CUTE!!!" Matsumoto cackled. The rest of the group erupted in a sea of uncontrollable laughter. It was clear from her flushed cheeks and glossy eyes that she had consumed more than her share of alcohol. Hanataro glanced nervously about him.

'Maybe I shouldn't have come here,' he wondered. It was known fact that Matsumoto loved to party, and, when given the opportunity, would turn anything into a reason to celebrate; this included the rumor that Hanataro and Rukia were an official couple. Being the "friend" she was, Matsumoto called together the usual suspects and decided to throw big "engagement" party in the tenth company barracks. Her captain, of course, declined his invitation.

"Thata boy, Yamada," grinned Sentaro Kotsubaki, slapping him across the back. "Aiming for the girl with the silver spoon, eh?!" He too had drunk his fill, as did Kiyone Kotetsu, fellow officers of the thirteenth company. Though he had only met them once, Hanataro was well aware of their drunken antics; they were practically legendary.

"What's wrong, Kuchiki-chan?!" Kiyone slurred. "Aren't you having fun?!"

"Well I-"

"Here!" The blonde adjutant shoved a jug of rank-smelling liquid at Rukia. "Drink up! Drink up!"

"N-no, thank you…!"

"Aw, come on, Kuchiki-chan! Don't be a party-pooper!"

"Pooper," Sentaro chimed in, "Kuchiki's a pooper! Har har har!" Rukia smiled nervously and leaned away, inadvertently pressing her back into Hanataro. He could feel her warmth, even through his robes, he realized.

"Geez, you guys are loud," Ikkaku muttered. He had already finished a half-dozen small bottles of sake, though the effects were beginning to wear off. "Keep it down over there, would ya?"

"I agree," Yumachika sighed, sipping quietly at his own drink.

"I… I don't think I can take much more, Matsumoto-san," Izuru Kira groaned.

"Nonsense!" she beamed. "Have some more, Kira-kun! Here!"

"I don't feel so good," Shuhei Hisagi croaked. "I think I'm gonna… Urp!"

"Crap, he's gonna blow!"

"Wha-?!"

"Get out of the way!"

"Ew, that's disgusting!"

"Look at this mess…!"

The party went on and on until, at last, the participants who were still conscious, said their goodbyes and returned to their respective companies, save Rukia and Hanataro. Both had been given the following day off, something that rarely happened, so neither saw reason to go directly home. As they walked along the cobblestone streets, he thought back on a conversation he'd had earlier that night.

(Flashback)

"So, have you kissed her yet?" Sentaro asked, sneering suggestively at the boy.

"N-no! I-!"

"No?! What do you mean 'no?!' What are you stupid?!"

"Well, I-!"

"That's what you're supposed to do, dammit! You have a girlfriend; you kiss her! Get it?!"

"But, Rukia-san and I-!"

"You can't be shy about these types of things! Just go for it! If you see what you want, reach out and take it! It's that simple!"

(End Flashback)

Hanataro did his best to avoid suspicions as he stole glances at the woman beside him. She looked even more radiant in the moonlight. The way the silvery light played on her fair skin was nothing short of… magical. Gradually, his gaze fell to Rukia's side, where her hand rested. The gears in his head immediately went into overtime.

'I can do it,' he told himself. 'I can do it! Just go for it! Just go for it!' Beads of sweat were already forming at his temples. "R-Rukia-san," he said, barely over a whisper. They stopped on the sidewalk and exchanged stares. "W-what are we…?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You and I… Are we… just friends…?" Rukia froze, unsure of what to do. On one hand, she wanted to say "no" and save herself the embarrassment of stepping too far out of bounds, yet, on the other hand, another part of her want to say yes and ardently hoped he would return the sentiment. What should she say?"

"I-I'm not sure," she murmured at last. "Maybe…?"

"Oh… I see." He paused. "I-I hope I'm not being t-too forward, and if I am, please tell me…! But… Umm…"

"Yes?"

"D-do you think, I could… hold your… hand?" Rukia's cheeks flushed red at the idea. Why was her heart suddenly beating so fast?

"I-I suppose," she replied. Slowly, carefully, Hanataro reached down and took Rukia's hand in his own. The warmth and tenderness of her touch pulsated through every inch of him. His heart was pounding. His ears were buzzing. The hair on the back of his neck rose in a standing ovation.

'I'm holding Rukia-san's hand!' He almost couldn't believe it. On the other end, Rukia pondered her current situation. While she'd never fully understood the point of hand-holding, after her time in the living world, she had come to recognize it as a display of affection. That said, what did this mean for her? By holding her hand, did this prove that Hanataro thought of her as more than a friend? And by accepting his hand, was she, herself, reinforcing the notion? But, regardless of whatever impressions and implications circled this seemingly innocent act, Rukia was content. For her, this felt right.

XXX

Renji stepped into his superior's study and gently closed the door behind him. He hated being here. He always had. It wasn't that he disliked Captain Kuchiki; most of the animosity he'd felt toward him dissipated with the end of the ryoka conflict. By no means were they close, but with time, a healthy professional relationship could be reached.

Captain Kuchiki stood silently beside a redwood end table. His cool, keen eyes stared unblinkingly back at his adjutant. His placid face didn't move at all. It was as though he were staring straight through Renji to the motionless wall behind him.

"You wanted to see me, Captain?" Renji asked, clearing his throat.

"Yes, I did," he replied stoically. "Tell me, Renji… What is the nature of your relationship with Rukia?" A blast of cold ripped through Renji's veins and froze him to the core. He couldn't move. He could barely breathe.

"R-relationship…?" he echoed nervously. "I'm not sure I understand, Captain…"

"You and Rukia grew up together in the Rukon district, did you not?"

"Well…! Yes, sir…"

"Does it not then seem plausible that after knowing each other for so long, feelings beyond mere companionship developed between the two of you?"

Renji paused. Something didn't seem right. The captain rarely talked to him at all,at let alone inquiring about his personal affair. Since when did he care about the private lives his assistant-captain of his sister? It was, in every sense, an uncharacteristically imposing question, especially for Byakuya Kuchiki.

"I am waiting," the captain stated.

"My relationship with Rukia Kuchiki is purely professional," Renji said at last. Captain Kuchiki narrowed his eyes in a pointed stare.

"Lies are wasted here, Renji." Renji's gaze shifted to the flood between his feet. What had given him away? The dampness of his palms? The hesitation in his voice?

"If you wish your relationship with Rukia to remain a secret, state it as such, but do not insult me with falsehoods."

"I apologize, Captain…" Captain Kuchiki turned his eyes to the end table beside him.

"You have been nominated for a covert mission to the living world."

"M-mission, sir?"

"You, along with four other shinigami will be led to the living world by Captain Ten: Toshiro Hitsugaya. Your objective is to detect and prevent the passage of menos into the human world while gathering information for the coming battle against defected captain Sousuke Aizen's hollow forces."

'Reconnaissance…?!

"Among your teammates are assistant-captain Matsumoto of tenth company, third and fifth-seat adjutants Madarame and Yumachika of the eleventh company, and Rukia Kuchiki of the thirteenth company."

'Rukia?!'

"Due to the importance of this mission, I have been ordered to gauge the emotional stability of any and all nominees from sixth company. I will only ask you this once, Renji: will your relationship with Rukia Kuchiki endanger the success of this mission?"

"No, sir."

"I see," Captain Byakuya replied. "You are dismissed."

XXX

"You're improving rapidly, Kuchiki," Ukitake announced with a smile. Rukia sheathed her zanpaku-to and mopped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

"Thank you, sir."

"If you don't mind me saying, you seem a little cheerier these days… Any particular reason?" Rukia glanced off to the side in a feeble attempt to hide her blushing face.

"N-no, not really."

"I see," Ukitake chuckled. "Well, I won't pry any further. Keep up the good work, Kuchiki."

"Thank you, sir."

"And whatever the reason is, I'm glad to see you finally enjoying yourself." Once the captain was out of sight, Rukia let out a quiet sigh of relief. She felt a twinge of foolishness, having told such an unnecessary fib. In truth, she did feel happier in recent days, and obviously, it showed. She was now working harder and more enthusiastically than ever before. At times, she had to focus every bit of her self-control to suppress her own glee. Every morning became a new beginning and every night marked the closing of a new memory. People no longer referred to her as "the little princess" or "that noble-girl." She had a name, an identity, and a place. It was a warm, tender feeling.

Oddly, she hadn't heard from Renji in some time, not that it particularly bothered her. After all, he was a high-ranking officer and more than likely had a great deal to do. When he had the time, he would come see her. In the meantime, she was perfectly content spending her spare time with Hanataro.

The functions of their relationship were still clumsy and inexperienced, but between the fumbles of words and awkward displays of affection, there was comfort. Sometimes, they would sit for hours, talking. Actually, she did most of the talking. She told and retold stories of her adventures in the living world, as well as her exploits in Rukongai; both were places Hanataro had yet to experience, but he enjoyed her renditions, nonetheless. Perhaps she found this naivety appealing. He knew so little, but possessed the desire to learn more, a trait Ichigo shared no traces of. It was refreshing.

A dull thump to the back pitched Rukia forward, eliciting a yelp of surprise. Rubbing the small of her back with one hand, Rukia turned to glare at her assailant.

"R-Renji…?"

"Yo," he nodded, gruffly.

"What are you doing here? And why did you kick me?!" Renji glanced from side to side, then leaned down narrowed his gaze on the raven-haired girl.

"We need to talk."

XXX

I… I may not be able to see you for some time…" Toshiro Hitsugaya sat quietly in the darkened hospital room. His frosty blue eyes lay fixedly on Hinamori's sleeping form. Though she would never admit it, Captain Unohana empathized with the young captain and suspended the normal visitation limits. He was truly thankful, for that.

"I'll be leaving soon," Hitsugaya murmured from behind his clasped hands. "For the living world…" The mechanical hiss of the respirator was her only reply. So many tubes and needles… Her face had become pale and lifeless, drained of the pink energy that had once filled her. It pained him to see her this way.

"Renji will be coming with me… Matsumoto, too, but I'm sure Kira will still visit… You won't be alone…" He paused. Little by little, he could feel thank sinking feeling rising up in his gut. It twisted his intestines into knots and yanked at his heart, but as hard as he tried, he couldn't place the source. Was it… guilt?

"I have to go," he announced. Slowly, he rose from the chair and made his way to her bedside. Even in the dark, he could plainly make out the dry salt trails that marked her cheeks. He wondered how many nights she had cried in her sleep. "When this war is over, I'll be back, I promise… Until then, take care, Hinamori."

Author's Note: I wanted this chapter to be a little cheerier than the last one. I hope you liked it, and as always, reviews are more than welcome.