Impertinent little brat
Chapter 6: Elusive brat and dirty books
Juushiro Ukitake leaned back in his seat; carefully balancing the book he was reading on his knee as he manoeuvred the cup of hot tea just as carefully lest he'd spill it. Once he had set the cup down on the table he relaxed and began reading where he had last left of.
"…A scratch for a biological itch. But as he watched Susan, he realised that he didn't want to walk out of her life. He wanted to spend more days with her like this. Wanted to know everything about her.
Susan paused as she caught Ravyn's hooded gaze. There was something so tender in his expression that it actually made her breath catch. He looked so good lying on the bed, his prone body just waiting for her.
Pulling back, she ignored her stuffy, itchy nose and gave one long, wicked lick from the base of his cock…"
Juushiro gave a startled yelp, blinked and reread the last paragraph of the sentence, convinced that his eyes were playing tricks on him, but the words were as he had read them. Clearing his throat he felt a blush rise on his cheeks, and he instinctually threw a somewhat haunted look around the room, as if expecting someone to stand there, ready to tease him reading such a book.
The room was empty though so he looked down on the book again.
"Shunsui…" he muttered, shaking his head and trying to decipher whether he was affronted or amused by the fact that his old friend apparently though such a book was something he needed. Or wanted.
Chuckling he opted for being amused, and took a sip of his tea, nearly choking on it when there was a hurried knock on the door.
Coughing he hurriedly hid the book underneath a pillow and rose to his feet before walking over to the door. Opening it he found a haunted looking Renji, with his usually unruly red hair in wild disarray, and a somewhat bored looking substitute shinigami standing on his porch. On the horizon the sun had just began to set.
"Is he here?" Renji asked the second the door opened and nearly ran over him in his hurry to enter his apartment.
"He is, Abarai-fukutaichou," Juushiro answered, knowing of whom the man was talking. "And he is in good health, sleeping in my bedroom. Please do not wake him."
Turning around the haunted look on the redhead's face softened into one of regret and guilt. Bowing to Juushiro he said: "I'm sorry, Ukitake-taichou. I have not performed my duties as required."
The elder shinigami regarded the fukutaichou in silence for a moment, before turning his head towards Ichigo. He smiled.
"Could I ask you to leave us alone for a while, Kurosaki? I'd like to speak to Abarai-fukutaichou in private for a moment."
"Sure, whatever. See you guys later." Ichigo said with a shrug, holding up a hand in a lazy wave as he left.
Looking back at the still bowed head of Abarai, Juushiro sighed softly.
"Please sit down, Abarai-fukutaichou. I believe there are things that we need to discuss."
"Hai, Ukitake-taichou," Renji nodded slowly, a heavy air of guilt evident in his very body language. Somewhat awkwardly he seated himself on the sofa, with his back straight and tense as if expecting to be beheaded.
The captain shook his head slowly, a small smile tugging at his lips as he sat down next to the other man.
"There's no need to be so tense, Abarai-fukutaichou. I'm not angry with you."
The redhead's head snapped up, looking at him doubtfully. "Why not? I failed. I screwed everything up, Ukitake-taichou. I lost him, and anything could've happened if…"
"But it didn't. He is safe and sound, although admittedly quite cross with you for not telling him the truth from the beginning."
Renji's eyes widened. "Ya… ya told him?" he stammered.
"I did. It seemed to be the only manner in which to keep him from going to the Kuchiki household to investigate the matter himself. I learned a long time ago that the best way to handle your captain is to be blunt and honest, even if he may not enjoy it. Now tell me, why didn't you tell him about the situation sooner, Unohana-san did say it was alright did she not? "
"I… I couldn't… I didn't know how to… ya know…"
"You didn't want to hurt him." Juushiro finished for him. The elder shinigami nodded his head. He could understand the redhead's hesitation.
"Yeah… I guess… but I ended up making everything worse."
"Perhaps. But Byakuya is strong, as his upbringing has demanded of him. He knows how to… what is it that you youngsters call it? "Roll with the punches"? Don't misunderstand. He will mourn his grandfather, as he should, but in the end I believe he will be fine."
"Oh… that's great… I guess I'll go back home then," Renji said and stood up to move towards the door.
"Home? Without your charge?" Juushiro asked, although not surprised since he had an inkling as to where the redhead's thought may have wandered.
"Well yeah…" the lieutenant said, sounding both surprised and wary in the same breath. As if he was expecting to be demoted to a janitor. "...I screwed up right? I thought it'd be better if he stayed with ya here, I mean he wouldn't run away from ya right? And when Yamamoto-taichou finds out he…"
"Why would he? I wouldn't tell him about this minor episode." Juushiro interrupted, again picking up his cup to take a sip. His eyes were drawn towards the pillow where he had hidden the book, just trying to discreetly check so it was still well hidden from view.
"Ya.. ya wouldn't? But…"
Juushiro couldn't help but laugh at the puzzled look on Renji's face, and when the redhead's face grew even more confused he explained. "I did use to be his sempai, and I can't count the times he'd disappear on me for various reasons, usually because he suspected that I'd set him to do chores which he found boring. Or rather to be "mind numbing activities better suited for cretins" if I remember his exact words correctly."
Renji laughed a low, somewhat relieved laugh. "Yeah, that sounds like him alright. "
"I once had to carry him over my shoulder to get him to go into the kitchen to help cleaning dishes," Juushiro recalled wistfully and chuckled at the memory of carrying the loudly protesting Kuchiki heir through the busy streets of Seireitei. "And Kaien's shunpo certainly improved greatly during those times I was too sickly to track your captain down myself. He called it 'Brat-hunting', you know. I think he kept scores of the times he managed to catch him."
The lieutenant grinned and seemed to relax.
"You need to understand that Byakuya is rather different now from when he is…his other self. The person that you know as Byakuya Kuchiki is not like Byakuya Kuchiki at all; in many ways I believe that they're completely different people." Juushiro said, not without sadness. It was a thought that he had never voiced, although it had remained in the back of his mind for a long time now; and somehow to say it out loud made it seem much more real. He had missed that obstinate brat, and meeting him now brought him sadness as well as joy. Neither of which he could explain properly. A longing for something lost perhaps.
"What do ya mean, captain?" Abarai asked, awkwardly sitting back down on the sofa, eyeing him warily as if not certain of what to do.
Juushiro shook his head slowly. "Nothing perhaps. I am not certain. Perhaps, just sometimes I miss him like this, before the burden of being the head of house and all of the responsibilities that came with it forced him to… shed the person that he was, to become who he is. Or was now, I suppose."
"Yeah, he's changed a lot…" Renji agreed warily, as if not sure of what else to say.
"That he has." Juushiro nodded with a small sigh and leaned back in the sofa, suddenly feeling tired.
"Quite cross my ass…" Renji muttered, when he came face to face with the peeved brat that had been his captain just days prior. The brat was beyond quite cross, judging from the look he was nailing Renji with he was actually quite furious.
"Your behind is not something I wish to discuss first thing in the morning," the brat instantly shot back, flicking back his dark hair nonchalantly and looking away as if Renji wasn't even worthy of his attention.
Renji bit his tongue. Last night he had promised himself to take it easier on the brat. He had even vowed to stop calling him names and to just try to get along with him for once. Face to face with him it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his temper in check.
Still he had expected the kid to at least show signs of being depressed over the news of his granddad being dead, but even looking closely he couldn't see any such signs. Perhaps Byakuya was just hiding it, or…
"Cease looking at me with such a pinched face, you look like a baboon that has swallowed a citrus," Byakuya said, shooting him an annoyed look.
"Yeah? How do ya know what a baboon swallowing a citrus looks like?" Renji asked, feeling pleased since he used the brat's words against him instead of giving into his instincts. Which were more along the line of hitting the kid over the head.
"I'm looking at one right now," Byakuya replied softly, and brushed past him out of Ukitake-taichou's bedroom. Renji drew a deep breath, forcing himself to relax.
Be glad that he's safe, he told himself. Remember how you felt when you thought that you couldn't track him down? Pretty horrible, right? …right…?
He was beginning to think he must have been insane to have been so worried over that brat. No sane person would even think about going near that hell raiser when he was in a prissy mood.
When he entered the living room, where he had spent the night on the couch after assuring the captain that it was alright for him to sleep there while the captain took the guestroom, Byakuya and Ukitake-taichou were involved in a low key discussion. When they noticed his presence they both quieted and the hand that Ukitake had placed on Byakuya's narrow shoulder fell down to his side.
"Sorry," Renji mumbled feeling a bit embarrassed. "Didn't mean to interrupt or anything."
The younger shinigami merely sniffed and turned his back on him, while Juushiro smiled.
"It's just fine, Abarai-fukutaichou. It wasn't anything of mayor importance."
"Well, I guess we should get going then," Renji nodded, stepping into the room. At the same time the brat pointedly turned and left through the front door, leaving the two men alone.
There was an awkward silence between them, before Renji politely bowed his head.
"Thanks, Ukitake-taichou," he said simply, meaning every word.
"Oh, it was my pleasure." The captain smiled, but when Renji walked past him he was halted by a gentle hand on his shoulder. "But please don't loose track of him again."
Renji nodded, promising himself not to do so either.
"Hey, by the way, Ukitake-taichou, I put yer book back on the bookshelf last night." Renji said before closing the door behind him. Before it closed completely he was granted with a look of absolute horror on the captain's face. It was further magnified with an obvious blush rising across the pale face.
Renji chuckled. Who would've thought that Ukitake-taichou of all people had a book like that in his house? The more you know…
"Stop that infuriating noise, it's distracting."
The clipped tone of the brat quickly brought him back to reality, and he stopped chuckling.
"Distracting from what? There's nothing here." He snapped back, glaring at Byakuya standing a few feet away from him in front of the captain's quarters of the thirteenth division.
Really there wasn't much around other than a small park where some of the division's members were lounging, and a pond.
Instead of responding with words the kid sent him a withering glare and abruptly turned his back on him, before starting to walk away. Sighing heavily Renji trudged after him, hoping against all odds that the brat wouldn't push him into doing something he'd regret. Just keep it cool, Renji, he reminded himself. And gritting his teeth he glared daggers at the back of the kid's thin neck.
"…to do? What if…?" he heard voices approaching and looked past the kid just as Kiyone and Sentarou came around the corner. As usual they were in the midst of an argument and neither of them noticed him or Byakuya straight away.
"Hey, Kiyone. Sentarou." Renji greeted them and was surprised when the two yelped and turned their heads to stare at him and Byakuya with wide eyes. "Er… you guys alright?"
"Oh… yeah…er… it's nothing. We just…" Sentarou trailed off, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
"Yeah…" Kiyone agreed, looking away.
"Alright." Renji said, looking between the two shinigami. Was there something going on between them or what? Heh, he knew they said that love always starts with arguments but come on if that was true he and Byakuya would be married by now. Shaking his head he motioned for Byakuya to follow him and moved past them. "Well, we best be off. See ya."
The moon was almost full, and thus sent a pale, silvery glow over Seireitei, outlining the rooftops against the darkness of night. Yet he could not settle down, not with the thoughts running amok in his head. There were so many of them, all bringing about an array of emotions that he felt almost alienated from, as if they didn't truly belong to him at all.
Ukitake-san had said that he might experience something like this after that first onslaught of raw emotions that that baboon's heated confession had caused. He had called it a state of shock, but Byakuya had a hard time to accept that notion.
It made him feel weak, to admit that he could experience such a ridiculous, mundane thing. He should be stronger than that. He had to be stronger than that.
There were no room for weaklings in his house, he knew that. Those who were weak would be chewed up alive in such a place where family was your greatest enemy rather than your closest confidents.
It was raw luck that Ukitake-san had found him before he had run to his household to demand answers. In this form, if what Ukitake had said was the truth, and his family realised that he was now who he once had been, rather than who he ought to be, he had little doubt that he'd loose all of that which he had achieved. Or was it what he was still to achieve?
Byakuya groaned and rubbed his temples, only half hearing the noise of the baboon rummaging through the kitchen while he tried to cook them something worthwhile to eat. For some reason the noises actually calmed him somewhat, though he couldn't pin point the reason why.
Just the distant presence of another being close by felt comforting, even if it was that fool of a lieutenant. Why in the world would he have opted to promote someone like that anyway? The man was a brute. His future self must have gone mad.
Still there was something about that idiot that felt… safe. As if he could trust him to always stick around, to catch him when he fell. Byakuya had no idea where that idea came from. Perhaps it was a reminiscence of who he had been; or who he would become? Whichever it was. The man was like… a guard dog. He had been upset when he had disappeared, Byakuya knew, and when he had accidentally made him fall the other night the man had seemed horrified.
He had tried to apologise, in his own clumsy manner, and Byakuya had felt belittled by that fact. As if he couldn't care for himself! He, a man who would rise to be the head of the Kuchiki clan, out done by a simple fall? He didn't need to be handled like a fragile doll. Still it had felt… good, somehow to know that the man hadn't really meant to harm him.
Not that he had been harmed of course.
Perhaps that was why he felt that odd trust? The honesty the man radiated like a beacon, it was unlike anything he had ever encountered. Except from Ukitake-san. Even his own grandfather had had an air of old lies wrapped around him, and the rest of the clan members reeked of it. They wore their lies and schemes like a second skin, whereas Renji would look naked next to them.
Byakuya blushed at that particular thought, as the image of a naked Renji flashed in his mind. Then he smiled when the image broadened into his own family standing there in their finely cut and fashioned clothes, and in the middle of them a naked, mortified redheaded fool.
A soft laugh rang through the room, and it took him a second to realise that it came from his own mouth.
A knock on the door dragged him out of his thoughts, and he looked away from the window.
"Byakuya?" the baboon's voice called out from the other side of the door, and Byakuya smirked before he reminded himself that he was supposed to be angry with the brute.
Drawing a deep breath of air he collected himself, and wiped the smirk from his features with practiced efficiency that would've made his grandfather proud.
He felt a sharp sting of pain at the random thought of his grandfather, when he remembered that the man was gone now, and it made it easier to school his features into a frown. His grandfather, he thought as he approached the door, had been the only one of his family that he had ever thought of as family after his parents had died. The only one to protect him, to talk to him without malice or without having an ulterior motive, and now he was gone.
The sting of pain sharpened, and burned into him.
By the time he had reached the door and opened it he didn't feel any inclination to laugh.
"What do you want, baboon?" he asked, tilting his head and piercing his opponent with his gaze.
With some satisfaction he noticed that the ice in his voice and gaze caused the baboon to halt, and the man took a hurried step back.
"Food. There's food," he stammered, still looking taken aback.
"If that is what you insist on calling it." Byakuya replied icily, and brushed past the man.
He could almost hear the fool grinding his teeth behind him. Honest, raw annoyance. He wondered how long it'd take for him to bring the man to the brink of frustrated rage. It really was so easy to annoy him, and for some reason he felt the need to do so whenever he laid eyes on him.
She had found them in one of the many guestrooms of the Kuchiki house, and had managed to find a place to listen and watch them in silence while they talked. Hidden behind an ajar door she felt relatively confident that the twins wouldn't be able to sense her presence.
Of course they hadn't talked much yet, and Rukia was beginning to feel her muscle cramp up from hiding for so long. She was starting to consider just going back to her room and get to bed, when Akane spoke.
The voice broke the silence like a razorblade, and she nearly jumped at the sudden sound.
"There's certainly something going on, brother," Akane was saying, lazily lounging in a very un-lady like and very un-Kuchiki like manner, against the brightly coloured pillows. In one hand she was balancing a glass of something that looked like water, but that Rukia was certain was not plain water. "That little street rat, so called sister of our dear cousin, is being obvious when she's trying to be vague about what she knows. We both know that means that she knows something."
"Indeed, sister." A low, deeper voice answered as Akihiko Kuchiki stepped into view. It was the first time in many years that Rukia saw him close up, and as always she was struck by the likeliness between the twins.
They had the same dark hair, the same delicate features and the same oddly coloured eyes. Grey and green, depending on the light. And both of them bore a striking resemblance to her brother in their lean proud manner. Of course they were nothing like her brother, whereas Byakuya could be cold and distant, these two were… slippery. Like a couple of snakes, she thought and recalled when Ishida had told her of a myth where there had been a snake in a beautiful garden. If she remembered correctly that snake had been the downfall of humanity, condemning them to mortality. She hadn't really paid close attention, and couldn't remember the details but that was those two reminded her of. She'd felt the same way about Ichimaru Gin.
As she watched Akihiko sat down across from his sister, picking up another glass and taking a light sip. "Now all we need to find out is exactly what she knows."
Akane grunted. "I certainly don't feel up to it. I've already spent much too much time with that rat. I think I can still feel the stench on me. I shall leave that particular pleasure to you."
Akihiko laughed a soft rumbling sound. "In that case it will be my pleasure."
Rukia's breath caught in her throat, and a wave of dread ran through her. It wasn't just the words he had said. It was the way he had said them; filled with a promise.
TBC