Authors note: Hey guys! Well, again, thank you all for your lovely reviews (: They give me motivation.
To 'ichibanseiken' - Yes, I wanted Byakuya's forbearance to be OOC. It kinda shows that he is confused, yes? And also, I think that Byakuya actually falling for Renji full stop is OOC (:
Please continue to review guys! More reviews equals faster writing (: And, yeah, I know that not much has happened so far, but be patient, my dear chums. (:

~Rainbow Fruit Loop

Blossoming Romance
~Chapter 3~
I n T h e D e a d O f T h e N i g h t

Renji looked up at the dark sky, and felt happiness. For some reason, the night was his favorite time.

He was comforted when he stared up at the endless, black sky – it reminded him that everyone was looking up at the same moon; everyone was the same.

He loved looking up at the stars, and looking at what seemed so far away; unreachable, untouchable.

Perhaps those small, twinkling lights were a reminder of what he should aspire for? That, even though his goals seemed so far away, they were in sight? That, maybe, although they seemed unreachable, untouchable, it was possible that he may accomplish them in the end?

Nah. The stars are just pretty, that's all.

Renji had never considered himself to be a deep, philosophical person.

…It seemed boring.

"Abarai. Get back to work. You've been neglecting your duties all day. I imagine that you should be working twice as hard as usual." Byakuya commanded.

Renji snapped out of his 'daze', as it were.

"Right. Work. That's why I'm here. Work." Renji reminded himself.

After he had 'abandoned' his work that day, Byakuya had decided to make him stay at the office until…late.

It had annoyed Renji (even though he knew that he deserved it), because he had planned to go drinking (again) with Matsumoto's 'little group'.

…It was Friday, after all.

But, since he had come back to the office earlier that night, his Captain had seemed a little more… dissatisfied. He had told Renji to get his act together, and that, while he had been lenient towards him whilst he was hung-over, the lieutenant needed to 'get his act together, and start behaving like a Vice Captain should.'

Renji had agreed wholeheartedly – he didn't want to be on the receiving end of Senbonzakura.

And so now he lay on the roof of the office, his brush poised over a piece of paper.

Obviously, it had been his idea to sit on the roof – his Captain had been very against the thought. But Renji had told him that he would work harder if he had a nice view.

Yeah, right.

Byakuya had frowned, and then told Renji that he himself would go together with the Vice Captain up to the roof to ensure that he stayed out of trouble.

…How much trouble could I get up to up here?

Personally, Renji thought the Captain was with him on the roof to make sure that he actually did some work.

"This is a very unbecoming way to be seated, Abarai." Byakuya said crossly.

Renji snickered.

That was true. The two men were sitting cross-legged, with their papers in their laps.

Then why are ya still here, Captain?

"Yeah, maybe. But who's gonna be looking?" Renji asked.

"That's beside the point." Byakuya said coolly.

"The view is so much better up here, don't ya think?" Renji murmured.

Byakuya was silent.

Yes? No? Maybe?

"Well, whatever. If ya wanna go back inside, I'll be fine out here." Renji assured his Captain.

"But will you do any work? That, Abarai, is the question."

"…Of course!" Renji lied.

Of course, my ass.

Renji's 'true intentions' weren't, in fact, to sit on the roof and pretend to sign papers.

He wanted time to think about how he felt about his Captain.

…Which was a slightly awkward thing to do with the very man sitting cross-legged beside him.

"I think I shall stay out here a little longer. The weather is very pleasant." Byakuya murmured.

Little did Renji know that Byakuya would sit on the roof of his manor and gaze at the stars if he couldn't sleep.

…The Captain wouldn't tell anyone that; sitting on a roof was a very undignified thing to do - and something that you would expect from someone living in Rukongai, not someone of Noble blood.

Renji scowled, but hid his face.

Now I've actually gotta work!

The tattooed man sighed, and brought his attention back to the paper in front of him.

There are only so many times I can sign my name before it gets boring.

"Captain, why were ya nice to me before?" Renji blurted out.

Pretty quickly, his face started turning red.

"Nice? Whatever do you mean?" Byakuya asked.

"Well, before. You didn't punish me for comin' to the office late." Renji said.

…He was curious, after all.

Usually, the Sixth Squad Captain was uncompromising, harsh and meticulous. If Renji ever stepped out of line, he would be relentlessly punished.

But, after the past few days, Renji had noticed that there was something different about his Captain.

And it made him wonder.

"I have found that reprimanding you for coming to the office late does not change your behavior, and so I decided that I may as well save my breath." Byakuya said, scowling.

"Oh."

Now Renji was confused. And slightly disappointed.

So, not 'cause he realized that he was being too harsh on me?

"Actually, I think I will go back inside now." Byakuya said suddenly, standing up.

"Alright…?"

Did I say something?

In a flash, Byakuya, and his papers, were gone, and the only thing indicating that he had previously been sitting on the roof with Renji was the scent of sakura blossoms in the air.

Renji raised his eyebrows.

His Captain was…so elegant. So distinguished. So unruffled…. And so pleasant to look at.

It annoyed Renji that he knew that his Captain would never fall for him. Surely that in itself was enough to make his heart 'change its mind'?

When would the Sixth Squad Captain ever fall for me?

Me, the scruffy, wild Shinigami from Rukongai.

…And him, the distinguished Shinigami, born into nobility.

It'll never happen.

Renji sighed. He wasn't used to having these feelings; he had always considered himself to be 'a loner'. Even Rukia, he had only considered a close friend. Nothing more, nothing less. Ever.

And so now that he was straddled with these complicated feelings…he didn't know how to act.

Or who to tell.

It had made Renji think about his group of friends.

Matsumoto… She would probably start…I dunno. Squealing or somethin'. And then… She'd probably tell Byakuya herself, and then tell me that she did it for my sake.

Momo… She's got enough to deal with at the moment. She's absolutely guttered about Aizen the Jerk leaving…stabbing… and betraying her.

Ikkaku… He would laugh at me. And…I'm not sure if I feel comfortable tellin' him about it. He is male, after all.

Yumichika… He would go on and on… and on, about the beauties of love. He wouldn't be much help anyways. And he's male.

Kira… He's also got enough to worry about. What with Ichimaru going and everything.

Rukia… She'd kick me in the face, and then draw a really bad drawing of two bunny rabbits together in a heart. And then I'd be forced to kick her in the face.

"Argh! My friends would be no help whatsoever!" Renji yelled to know one in particular, his reiatsu flaring up.

"Keep your voice down, Abarai. People are sleeping." came Byakuya's monotonous voice.

It surprised Renji that he could hear his Captain; he wasn't yelling.

"S-sorry." Renji mumbled under his breath.

"Abarai-san. Are you okay?" came a gentle voice.

"Wha-?" Renji whirled around, unaware that someone was behind him.

"I was walking past, and I heard you yelling. I wondered if you needed someone to talk to." The white haired male said softly.

"Oh, uh…"

Renji thought about it.

I think I do need to get it off my chest. And…Captain Ukitake would probably understand…

…I've heard that he's in a relationship with Captain Kyōraku, although I'm not sure if that is true… But if it is, then it means that he will definitely understand…

"Are you in a relationship with Captain Kyōraku?" Renji blurted out.

Oh God, I really need to work on my subtleness.

"S-Sorry, Captain," Renji bowed. "I didn't mean to be so rude."

"It's fine, Abarai-san." Jūshirō said, smiling. "Would you like to talk?"

"Uh…Yeah. Please. I'm, er, confused." Renji admitted.

Jūshirō nodded his head, and sat down next to the red-headed Vice Captain.

"What's the problem?"

"…Did you say that ya were in a relationship with Captain Kyōraku?" Renji asked, wanting to make sure that he was right.

"Yes, I am." Jūshirō replied.

"Oh."

Well, that's good, I s'pose. It means that he'll understand.

"Is that…a consolation for you, Abarai-san?" Jūshirō asked gently, tilting his head on the side.

"Kinda. You see…" Renji was silent suddenly.

Admitting to Jūshirō that he liked his Captain in that way meant completely admitting it to himself. There was still a small part of him that denied the attraction – that told him that he was just being stupid, and that he hadn't actually fallen for the raven-haired noble.

But he knew that that wasn't true. He had very much fallen for Byakuya – if the jolting in his heart whenever he saw his Captain was any indication.

Seeing that Renji was struggling to tell him what was on his mind, Jūshirō smiled. "Take as long as you need. I have no where else to be."

"T-thanks. Well, you see…I think that I might kinda… like Captain Kuchiki." Renji whispered, blushing furiously.

"You feel attracted to him." the Thirteenth Division Captain stated, nodding his head. "How much?"

"A lot." Renji whimpered, hanging his head.

Captain Ukitake is quite… easy to talk to.

"Renji," Jūshirō started, choosing to use the Lieutenant's first name, "Being attracted to Captain Kuchiki is nothing for you to be ashamed of."

"Y-yeah. I know that, but…" Renji fell silent again.

"You don't know what to do?" Jūshirō finished.

"Yeah. How did ya tell Captain Kyōraku how you felt? Were you confused? Were you scared that he wouldn't feel the same way?" Renji asked, thinking that a simple anecdote may be what he needed.

"Well, he and I had been close friends for so long. It just seemed…natural that we would take our relationship that step further." Jūshirō said, running a pale hand through his long, white hair. "But, yes. It was I who took the first step."

"Were you scared that he would reject ya?" Renji asked, curious now.

"Yes and no. I was fearful that he wouldn't want to take our relationship to the next step, and that things might become awkward between us. But then, at the same time, I was sure that, if my feelings from him were so strong, then he wouldn't have been left completely unaffected either."

"Oh. Makes sense, I s'pose. How…How exactly did you tell him?"

"I simply told him the truth. That I had found myself thinking about him more and more in that way, and was curious as to whether a relationship between us would work."

"And it does." Renji murmured.

"And it does." Jūshirō repeated, looking slightly dreamy.

"So… What do you think I should do? Tell 'im, or…not?" Renji asked, sighing.

"I have known Byakuya-san for a long time. Although he seems a cold and indifferent person, he will treat your feelings for him gently." Jūshirō said, furrowing his dark eyebrows.

"…So you think I should tell him?" Renji asked, biting his lip.

"…I didn't say that. I think-"

Please don't tell me to follow my heart… That never works.

Ever.

"-You should wait a while. Although I am sure that he would be gentle with your feelings, you don't want to…'freak him out'." Jūshirō murmured.

"Oh."

"Yes. Maybe you could try to get to know him better without letting him know how you feel?" Jūshirō suggested.

"Yeah, maybe. It's just… I always feel so awkward around him, y'know? And I'm scared that he'll find out the truth, and hate me. But at the same time, I really want him to know…" Renji paused.

"I know what you mean, Abarai-san. But, I feel the best way to deal with the situation is to take it slowly. Don't rush to tell him, and end up regretting it. Like I said before, get to know him better. Make him trust you, not only as a Lieutenant, but as a friend."

Huh… Easier said than done.

"…Alright. Thanks for letting me tell you all of this. It feels good to let it all out." Renji thanked the Thirteenth Division Captain.

"It was no problem." Jūshirō said, smiling.

Next time I have a problem, I'll definitely go to Captain Ukitake for advice.

Definitely.

How much work will that Lieutenant of mine have done?

Byakuya sighed to himself. He had left Renji on the roof an hour ago – and now it really was getting rather late.

He stacked the work he had accomplished in a tidy pile, and put his brush away.

I should go and tell Abarai that I am leaving, and that he too, is free to leave.

Byakuya swept a strand of raven hair out of his eyes, and Shunpo-ed up to the roof.

The Kuchiki Noble was surprised to see a certain white haired fellow Captain sitting on the roof next to his Lieutenant.

He furrowed his eyebrows slightly in confusion.

Captain Ukitake?

Byakuya took a step forward, and stopped as Jūshirō spoke.

"Yes. I know that it must be hard for you, Abarai-san. But…follow your heart."

Follow…his heart?

Renji hung his head. "Ya say that, but…my heart is a mess at the moment. If I followed it, I would only end up making things worse."

Captain Ukitake chuckled. "That's what I thought when I heard it. I always have thought that that particular piece of advice was exceptionally useless. I just thought that… saying it 'fit the moment', as it were."

Byakuya was confused as both Jūshirō and Renji started laughing.

Why are they laughing?

"Thanks, Captain Ukitake. I… I owe you." Renji said, his voice dropping.

"Not at all, Abarai-san. Not at all. It was a pleasure. Your secret is safe with me." Jūshirō smiled warmly.

Secret?

Hmm…

The Captain of the Thirteenth Division made a move to stand up.

Byakuya quickly Shunpo-ed off the roof, and then back on. He made a point of acting as though he hadn't heard a thing.

Being caught listening in on their conversation would have been exceptionally embarrassing – and was not something in which a Noble should do.

Where are my manners going?

"Ah, Captain Ukitake. What brings you here?" Byakuya asked, giving no indication that he had been standing on the roof mere seconds ago.

Both Jūshirō and Renji turned around, both looking quite startled.

"Hello, Byakuya-san." Jūshirō said warmly. "I noticed that Abarai-san was sitting alone on this roof, and so I came up here to keep him company."

"He was supposed to be working." Byakuya said coolly.

"Eh, sorry, Captain." Renji apologized, bowing.

Byakuya missed how Jūshirō's eyes flicked over to watch a flushing Renji.

"Neh, sorry, Byakuya-san. Isn't it a little late to be working?" Jūshirō asked.

"I was coming to inform Abarai that I was leaving, and that he can feel free to 'abscond' whenever he sees fit." Byakuya answered, his face giving away nothing.

"Well, I'll bid you farewell then." Jūshirō said, smiling warmly at both men. "See you later, Byakuya-san. Goodbye, Abarai-san. And remember. Don't rush. Be calm."

Renji blushed slightly, and mumbled something which sounded like 'Yeah. I'll try.'

Jūshirō Shunpo-ed off the roof, his speed matching Byakuya's.

Byakuya looked after him, and heard him coughing violently.

Being out in the cold for what was evidently a long time must not have been good for him.

"Being out in the cold for what was evidently a long time," Byakuya narrowed his eyes slightly at his red haired Lieutenant, "must not have been good for Captain Ukitake's health." he voiced his thoughts.

"Yeah… S-sorry, Cap'n." Renji mumbled.

"I am disappointed in you, Abarai. You should have put your work first. You have done nothing these past few days, except become intoxicated, and, therefore, hung-over for your duties. I expect more from you; you're a Vice Captain." Byakuya said, scowling slightly.

"I'm…really sorry. I didn't mean to get wasted on Thursday night. I…I hope you can forgive me." Renji bowed.

Byakuya waved his hand in dismissal. "Go home now, Abarai."

Renji frowned.

"Sorry, Captain. See you tomorrow."

And Byakuya watched as his Lieutenant stalked off into the black night.

Well. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please, please hit the pretty little button (:

Next chapter? 'Renji and Byakuya's Monday Morning Training!'