AN: Man, when I saw this theme, I think I visibly paled. Bleach plus radio-cassette player equals bwuh?! But somehow my mind created this little scenario. Thank you all again for your reviews. I'm glad new people are reading this story and that people like this enough to keep coming back! Any comments… I'm happy there are some people out there who enjoy the fact it isn't in chronological order (though I've decided to list the chapters in chronological order at the end for folks if they want to look at it in a different way). I understand the comment about Byakuya saying 'bastard' and how one sentence can be a little off – I think perhaps that sentence needs reshuffling, but not because of 'bastard'. I'm pretty certain when Byakuya fights Renji, he calls him a bastard. I just think it would be something he'd say when he was really angry/unhappy. Anything else… I'm really ticked off that the author/story alert mail hasn't gone out. Sorry this is a little late, but I've just returned to uni and it's busy busy busy! Anyway. I'm going to shut up now. Enjoy this chapter!

14. Radio-Cassette Player

"What the heck is this place?" Hisana asked, peering about. Her arm was killing her again. She knew she shouldn't have overdone it, forcing herself to use her chopsticks with the braced arm. She was determined to get her right arm back in order again. Until she did, the Kuchiki house was almost a prison. As soon as Byakuya left, the air grew heavier and the people who attended the house either gave her unpleasant looks or ignored her altogether.

'Am I a disgusting creature or ghost today?' Hisana had briefly wondered when padding along one of the Kuchiki house corridors, spotting an older woman striding along.

The woman had narrowed her eyes before carrying on as if Hisana didn't exist. Hisana had grown sick of it and when hearing footsteps near a corridor corner, had picked a door and entered.

Now she was wondering what she was getting into.

'A… metal thing. Surrounded by other pieces of metal junk. Is this Byakuya's stuff? If it is, he must have some kind of obsession.'

She picked one metal contraption up.

'It feels different. Is this something from the Gotei Thirteen? No; Byakuya wouldn't allow anyone to walk in and be able to simply pick something from his work up. It's too weird to be from here, so… he got it from the living world?' she concluded.

The memories of her past life were vague at best and leant no insight to what she held was. For all she knew, it was beyond her time in the living world. Hisana debated whether to ask Byakuya about it, tinker with what she held until it did something or she lost interest, both, or do neither. Her hands itched to tinker, but her arm ached irritatingly.

"I'm sure he wouldn't miss one thing…" she reassured herself, heading back out. Checking the coast was clear, she quickly made her way to the room Byakuya had given her. It was a fair size – everything seemed to be for nobles – and she liked it, even though she still was uncomfortable with the whole arrangement. Testing the waters at the Kuchiki house was like playing with fire. Byakuya had told her not to worry about the pressure that was being placed on him due to her just staying in a room, but how could she not?

Hisana dumped the metal device on her futon and sat down beside the machine, nursing her arm. It ached like hell, but she wanted it to be strong again. Admittedly, she wasn't renowned for incredible upper body strength, but the strength her right arm possessed at the moment was pathetic. Chopstick wielding drained it of practically all energy. It made her mad.

'Sulking won't make it better. Perseverance is key. The calcium pills, making the stupid arm work and I suppose a bit of rest will get me back in order. Then I can start searching again,' she thought vehemently, forming a fist with her good hand. As she was, she couldn't venture into Rukongai without drawing attention to herself. Her arm screamed vulnerability, and the well fitted brace suggested she was getting help from people with money, which equalled she must have some money on her. Like this, Hisana knew she wouldn't last five measly minutes. And it burned her up inside not being able to keep searching, no matter how lovely Byakuya's company was when he came back.

She sighed and turned her thoughts away from herself.

"So what are you?" she asked, picking the small machine up.

After some examination she found there was a flap that came open, which just revealed two black nubs that moved if she poked them and a pin near the flap. It meant nothing to her. Hisana had pressed some of the buttons on the side, but they either did nothing or made the nubs spin of their own accord.

"What a piece of trash," Hisana surmised, putting it back down. She was careful though; it wasn't hers, and she thought perhaps Byakuya was attached to it in some way. Perhaps he wasn't; she hadn't a clue.

The day passed sluggishly. Hisana only ate with Byakuya – in the morning and evening. It was more food than she got on the streets, and there was no way she would request food from anyone in the house, not even Byakuya. He just had food brought, assumed she wanted to eat, or asked her – Hisana had never asked him. She wondered if he noticed. It wouldn't surprise her if he had, but omitted saying anything. Byakuya was like that, she noted.

By the time he returned to the house, she was beginning to get hungry. She wasn't sure how to approach the subject of what she'd done that day, or whether to bring along the device she'd taken to Byakuya and ask. A minute debate with herself resolved her to take the thing back to him and apologise.

She could tell Byakuya was in the house merely from the amount of bustle within the household. Although the man himself was not one for commotion, he created a great deal around him.

'Perhaps that's why he behaves that way.'

Hisana headed for the dining room and sure enough found Byakuya waiting. He looked at her and her heart gave a slight stir in her chest when he gave her a welcoming smile. She needed a smile like that to get her through her stay in the Kuchiki house.

"Hello, Kuchiki-sama," she said with a tired smile. Her arm was still hurting, but she forced it to hold onto the thing she'd technically stolen.

"Good evening, Hisana," he frowned slightly, "Why do you have a cassette player in your hand?"

Hisana felt a traitorous blush begin to spread across her face. She had fully intended to appear cool and calm about the situation, explain herself and emphasise the intense curiosity that had gripped her.

"I'm sorry, Kuchiki-sama," she bowed, "Let me explain myself."

To her surprise, Byakuya waved a hand dismissively and sat at the table.

"Explain later. At this moment, I need sustenance. Captain Ukitake's training was a rather rewarding experience," he said.

Hisana lightly shook her head, amazed and glad Byakuya didn't seem in the least bit fazed by her thievery. Meanwhile, reading between Byakuya's lines was becoming second nature as she sat opposite him.

'My translation says: Captain's Ukitake's training was really hard work for me and I'm completely wiped out. If I don't get food in the next ten minutes, I will likely collapse.' She hid her smile behind her good hand, but he made no comment; he appeared to lack the energy or inclination to do anything.

The food thankfully arrived in less than ten minutes and they ate in silence. Both were starved; Byakuya from focusing on his work, Hisana from habit. Hisana put the cassette player down and made her weak hand use chopsticks again. When they had finished, the silence became a little tense.

Hisana carefully picked the cassette player up and placed it near Byakuya.

"I'm sorry. I took this from a room I came across today…" she said, and explained what had happened. Byakuya listened, unperturbed. He remained that way when she finished.

"Do not concern yourself about it; I can tell you're not happy here," he said shortly and Hisana felt her heart shudder. He didn't sound upset, or angry… he didn't sound of anything.

"Kuchiki-sama, it's not that I don't enjoy your company. But the atmosphere here when you're not around is something I can't stand," she said. Hisana hated the way she kept trying to sound formal like he did. She always failed and ended up speaking how she did normally anyway. She knew she must sound stupid, but Byakuya's expression gave nothing away.

"The people here are causing trouble for you?" he enquired and Hisana shook her head.

"No, not exactly. They just… clearly don't like me being in this house. And it makes me want to get out of here. I think mostly it's the fact I know I can't leave, not really. My arm makes me a target in Rukongai, so I should lie low. But this place isn't exactly the heart of action, is it? It's lonely and boring," she declared.

'That's the truth. And if he doesn't like it, then… well, I don't know. He probably wouldn't say anything. I don't think he's used to getting doses of reality. Reality: This house can be an oppressive and miserable place, Byakuya. You're the only thing that makes it worthwhile.'

While her thoughts ranted and raced, she waited for Byakuya's reaction.

"I see."

Her hands curled into fists.

"That's it? 'I see'?"

Byakuya turned his gaze on her.

"Come here." He looked like he always did, but Hisana was still set on edge by his request.

With a suspicious frown, Hisana came over to him. To her surprise, he reached out and carefully pulled her into his arms, burying his head into her neck and shoulder. Hisana held onto him, her arms resting on his supple back. After a minute, her right arm dropped limply to her side, tired out. It could grip his back only so long before it was unbearable. The way he held her made her feel safe and wanted. She wondered if this was more for her or him. To her eyes, he appeared to be working exceptionally hard as of late.

'Perhaps this is a sign of the stress beginning to finally get to him.'

Reluctantly, Byakuya let her go and Hisana sat beside him, still in something of a thoughtful daze.

"I shall talk to the entire house. As for entertainment in my absence…"

Byakuya picked up the cassette player and took hold of Hisana's good hand. She followed him, soon realising he was going back to the room she'd taken the cassette player from. He entered and let her hand go. Hisana watched as he picked what looked like more junk to her before exiting the room and indicating she should follow.

He took her to her room and drew to a halt.

"May I come in for a few minutes?" he asked and Hisana felt her blush begin to rekindle.

"It's not my room. This is your house. You do what you want, Kuchiki-sama," Hisana told him.

Byakuya apparently took this for an affirmative and entered. Hisana nervously joined him, wondering what he was up to.

"This is a cassette player," he explained, "and these are headphones. You plug them in here, and put these over your ears."

"Alright. What's it all for?" she asked, intrigued.

He put the headphones on her and picked up one of the items he'd taken from the room.

"This is a cassette. You put it in here and press the play button. See?"

He did so and Hisana gasped.

"Music!" she cried and Byakuya smiled.

"I hope this will keep you from being bored for a while. If it runs out of power, inform me."

He took her good hand and placed a kiss on it that made Hisana's stomach squirm with delight. There was a certain passion behind the way he kissed her hand; as if he wanted to move up her arm to her lips, but either didn't dare or feared offending her.

"Goodnight, Hisana."

"Goodnight, Kuchiki-sama," Hisana faintly replied, caught up by the music and his actions.

He left her and she sat down on her futon in a renewed daze.

Byakuya never did explain why he possessed that stuff, but as of then Hisana didn't really care.

Perhaps staying at Kuchiki house wasn't so bad.