Author's note: Hey guys! Thanks for your lovely reviews (: I'd also like to give special thanks to 'Llalie', who offered to translate this story into French! It makes me feel happy (: Also, thanks, guys, for your opinions on the 'confession' scene (: I'll be needing your help later on as well (:

~Rainbow Fruit Loop

Blossoming Romance
~Chapter 6~
V i s i t i n g U r a h a r a

After what was obviously two and a half eternities of following the Hell Butterfly, Renji and Byakuya emerged into the 'World of the Living'.

"Ow. My feet hurt." Renji complained.

Byakuya looked at him with disdain. "Toughen up, Abarai."

"Yes. Sorry Captain."

It pleased Renji that, here in the Real World, he knew the most. He was the 'leader', of sorts. Things had changed since his Captain had last been sent to the Real World.

This is actually going to be fun.

"Right, Captain. Should we go to where we're gonna stay?" Renji asked.

"Where we're going to stay? Have we decided that?" Byakuya asked, looking slightly bemused.

"Oh. Um, I thought we were going to stay with Urahara." Renji said, confused.

Where else would we stay?

"I am not staying anywhere near Yoruichi Shihōin." Byakuya said firmly.

Right.

"Um, ok?"

Renji knew better than to ask questions.

"So, where are we gonna to stay then?"

Byakuya was silent.

Ha! He's stuck! He doesn't know where to stay!

I guess I'll have to take him to a hotel or somethin'.

"We can stay in a hotel or somethin'." Renji voiced his thoughts.

"Fine."

Right. Now I need to actually find a hotel.

Maybe I'll get him a gigai first.

"Let's go and get gigais." Renji said, looking at his Captain.

"Gigais? Do we need such things? Surely we could manage without."

"No, we need gigais. 'Cause without them, normal people won't be able to see us." Renji said.

Huh. He really doesn't want to go anywhere near Yoruichi.

Byakuya shook his head. "Fine. But we'll make it quick."

"Yup!"

An hour later, the two Shinigamis reached Urahara's shop.

The journey had taken a while, which had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Renji had gotten lost.

Nothing at all.

"Urahara?" Renji called, stepping through the door.

Byakuya stayed outside, looking distinctly unimpressed.

Urahara stepped out from one of his store rooms. "Ah, Abarai. How nice to see you." he said in his sing-song voice.

Is that sarcasm I'm sensing?

"You too."

"I presume you're here for your gigai?" Urahara asked, waving his fan.

"Yeah, please."

"So, who sent you to the World of the Living?" Urahara asked. He made his way over to one of his many storerooms.

"Well, ya see-"

Renji was interrupted by a certain orange haired Shinigami representative.

Damn it. Why is Ichigo here?

I thought he was moving out of Karakura town for the summer.

Ichigo was in his Shinigami form – which surprised Renji.

He must have been training.

"Oi, Renji!" he greeted.

"Hey, Ichigo." Renji said, waving half-heartedly.

"Do ya have time for a fight?" Ichigo asked, reaching for his Zanpakutō.

Renji was about to speak, when Byakuya entered the room.

Everyone was silent.

Renji thought that the Noble looked very out of place in the Real World.

He was still wearing his Captain's Haori (which was, in fact, as white as ever. Renji's blood was obviously easy clean. Or perhaps he was wearing a new one?), his scarf, and his kenseikan.

He looked so… elegant. He was the complete contrast of Renji, who looked as scruffy as ever.

Hm.

"Er, no." Renji said, in answer to Ichigo's question.

"Ah, Byakuya-san! What a surprise!" Urahara said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Kisuke Urahara." Byakuya said, not quite so cheerfully.

"Hey Byakuya!" Ichigo greeted, smirking.

"That's 'Captain Kuchiki' to you, boy." Byakuya said, his voice monotonous, his eyes narrowed.

"So, anyways, we were wondering if we could get our gigais." Renji asked hastily.

Why does Ichigo always have to stir things up?

"Sure! Yours is in the back room, Abarai." Urahara said.

Renji nodded, and stalked off to grab his annoying body.

Unfortunately, Ichigo followed.

"Why're ya here in Karakura town?" Renji asked, as he hunted around for his gigai. "I thought ya were leaving. That's why me and Byakuya-, er, Captain Kuchiki are here."

"We're leaving tomorrow." Ichigo stated, not helping to search.

"Who's 'we'?"

"Inoue, Chad, Ishida, Yoruichi and myself."

"Oh." Renji was silent.

"…Why'd ya call him 'Byakuya'? Isn't that disrespectful or somethin'?" Ichigo asked.

Damn. He picked up on that.

"Um, slip of the tongue." Renji said, flushing.

"Whatever. Are ya staying with Urahara?"

"No. Captain Kuchiki doesn't want to stay anywhere near Yoruichi."

Ichigo started to laugh, which annoyed Renji.

"Yoruichi's not that bad. So, where are you staying?"

He needs to mind his own business.

"None of your business!" Renji snapped.

Finally, he found his gigai.

Why was it stuffed under so many boxes?

Automatically, he entered it.

Ow! I'd forgotten how uncomfortable these were.

Renji started stretching, in order to loosen it up.

"Gee, calm down, dumbass." Ichigo said.

Renji wanted to punch him in the face, but refrained. His Captain was in the next-door room.

"…You're staying in a hotel, aren't ya?"

"Yes."

"Together?"

"Well, the same hotel, yes."

"Oooh." Ichigo wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Stuff good behavior.

Renji threw Ichigo into the nearest wall.

"How's your gigai?" Renji asked, still a little embarrassed about having thrown Ichigo into the wall.

He deserved it though.

Suggesting that something was gonna happen between Byakuya and me…

"Fine."

The two men were walking in the direction of a hotel. Renji had asked Urahara for directions.

Luckily for Byakuya, Yoruichi had been no where in sight.

"That's good. They're kinda' uncomfortable, though." Renji commented.

"Indeed. It has been a while since I used one." Byakuya said.

"Yeah." Renji agreed vaguely.

Then he remembered something.

"Er, Cap'n?" he asked.

"Yes, Abarai?" Byakuya exhaled, seemingly annoyed at his silence being broken.

"You do know that hotels cost money, right? And the currency here is different than the stuff we use in Soul Society."

"Yes, I am aware of that, Abarai. I have been to the World of the Living before."

"Oh. W-well, I'll stay with Urahara then – I don't have any money, and Urahara lets me stay for free."

Renji glanced at his Captain out of the corner of his eye.

Byakuya looked like… he was discontented.

Over the time that he had worked with Byakuya, Renji had come to learn what his few expressions meant.

When he was happy, Byakuya would tilt his head upwards, and close his eyes. His posture would be relaxed. Also, the Noble's pale pink lips would be slightly apart, which made Renji's heart rate quicken.

When he was unhappy in any way, Byakuya would have a distant look in his slate grey eyes. The corners of his lips would be turned downwards ever so slightly. He would also furrow his eyebrows, making him look…worried.

When the Kuchiki Noble was angry, his eyes would be open wider than usual, his lips pressed into a thin line. His shoulders would be squared, and his posture would be straight.

At the current moment, Byakuya's eyebrows were furrowed.

"Captain?" Renji asked.

"I think it would be better if we were to stay within close proximity of each other, on the off chance that there is a large number of Hollows in one particular area. It would be easier to contact each other – we don't have the use of Hell Butterflies here." Byakuya said, avoiding eye contact with his Lieutenant.

Renji didn't pick up on the fact that his Captain would be able to deal with any Hollows by himself, no matter what their strength was, or numbers were.

He just nodded his head, wondering how on Earth he was going to pay.

Byakuya's not gonna want to stay in a cheap hotel anyways… Damn it!

…But at least I'll be staying with him.

Renji blushed.

Before he got a chance to say… something, Byakuya spoke.

"I, of course, will pay for your room."

Renji stopped walking, but only for a few seconds – he didn't want Byakuya to have to stop.

"Captain, er, that's not necessary… I don't want to be a liability or somethin'. I'll stay with Urahara." He said, hurrying to catch up with his Captain.

"Nonsense. Abarai, I am not going to have my Lieutenant staying at the other side of the town." Byakuya said irritably.

"Oh. Ok. Thanks, Captain." Renji bowed.

And they continued walking towards the hotel.

They reached the hotel, and walked inside.

They were greeted by a large flight of stairs. The railing of said stairs was gold – and looked very expensive. A large, glittering chandelier hung from the roof.

"Woah. It looks flash as." Renji commented.

"…Indeed." Byakuya sighed.

Not bad.

But not brilliant either.

The two Shinigamis walked up the stairs, and headed towards the reception desk.

Renji opened his mouth, ready to speak, but, in order to shut him up (Byakuya thought it would be safer if he was to speak), the Kuchiki Noble elbowed him in the stomach.

Renji clutched his stomach – perhaps Byakuya had been a little more forceful than necessary.

"Good afternoon." Byakuya said politely. He narrowed his eyes as the young, dark haired girl behind the counter ignored them.

She was a reading a magazine.

"Excuse me." Byakuya said, more firmly.

Still no reply,

"Oi!" Renji growled irritably, banging his fist on the desk.

The girl jumped, and pulled her attention away from the gossip magazine.

Byakuya fixed Renji with a stern glare for his unbecoming behavior, but, secretly, he was pleased that they had gotten the woman's attention.

"We would like to book two rooms." He said, his cold eyes staring into hers.

"Yeah, but, you see, we're pretty much all full." The girl said, chewing on her gum loudly. "So, I'll have to check."

"…What are you waiting for?" Byakuya asked impatiently.

Humans…

"Gee, hold on. Gim'me time!" she whined.

Byakuya was silent. He could see Renji shaking his head out of the corner of his eye.

The girl (whose name tag had the words 'Kaori Suzuki' scrawled on it) tapped slowly at her computer.

Byakuya suspected that the speed of her typing would improve, if her long, pink nails were cut to an suitable length.

"We're all full up. It's really busy at this time of year. Loads of people come here in the summer."

"Where's the next hotel?" Renji asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"Not for ages away."

…That's appalling grammar.

"Oh."

"But, we do have one room free." The girl said, chewing on her pen.

"…Alright. How many bedrooms does it have?" Renji asked.

"It's a studio room." The girl said, running a hand through her dark hair.

"It's a what now?" Renji asked, at the same time as Byakuya said: "I beg your pardon?"

"A studio room. It has one room., with only one double bed. The bathroom is located in the corner of the room, but it has no door. It's meant for couples, you see…" She trailed off, looking at the two men.

Byakuya felt himself colour slightly.

I shouldn't be flushing.

"That's stupid." Renji muttered under his breath.

"Do you want the room, then?" she asked, brushing her (in Byakuya's opinion) stupidly long fringe out of her eyes.

"Do we want it, Abarai?" Byakuya asked, wondering how both of them sharing a one bedded room was going to work.

"I…suppose. We've got no where else to go. Unless you wanna stay with Urahara." Renji grinned.

Byakuya noticed that he looked a bit… fidgety.

Staying in a room with me isn't that bad… is it?

Byakuya dismissed the thought from his head.

"You're sleeping on the floor." Byakuya murmured.

"This is…nice. Small, but nice." Renji commented.

Byakuya was silent.

It was a very small room.

There was one double-sized bed in the middle of the room. There were two small, white bedside cabinets next to the beds.

In the left hand side of the room, there was a one meter wall. On further inspection, the bathroom was on the other side of it. There was a small shower, a toilet, and a bath.

"Roomy…, huh?" Renji commented, smirking.

"Indeed."

On the right hand side of the room, there was a small kitchen.

"Can you cook?" Byakuya asked.

"No. I'd give you food poisoning." The Lieutenant answered.

Byakuya didn't like to admit it, but he couldn't cook either.

…Takeouts for us then, I presume.

"…Well, welcome home, Captain. Welcome home." Renji mumbled, grinning.

Please review! Next chapter will be... epic? (: Haha.