Unohana gazed at the both men in front of her, making Renji shift in his chair uncomfortably. "So…You have come to a conclusion, Or so I was told." The redhead could hear his Taichou ask.

The fourth division captain nodded and stared at them once again. There wasn't so much they found out, but still enough to explain it to the two.

"Somehow this hollow was able to bond you. And I mean bond like you would be if you'd get married. So technically you two are married…."

She looked at their shocked faces and couldn't help but wonder how that could've happened. There's so much more to the bonding than connecting two random souls.

"There's also something else. This bond is unusually strong. I will not be able to break it." Without causing immense damage to both their bodies, souls and hearts. She added in her mind, but decided to let that out. She probably more about them than they knew about each other and themselves because all of this, and she would not be the person to tell them.

It was actually Byakuya, and not Renji who was the first to look up, shock clearly written all over his face. "What do you mean; it cannot be broken?"

She shook her head deciding to pretend she knew nothing more. It was no surprise that the noble didn't know of everything that came with the bonding normally done in a marriage, as he was never bound to Hisana that way due to her weakening. And there was also the fact that in most cases, when nobles were to get married, they weren't bound for real. Because a real bond, and definitely a strong one, was formed based on very strong feelings of affection or protectiveness or love for each other. The only problem that came with not really bonding the two involved parties in a marriage, was that it was harder to create a heir.

'They should find out for themselves the feelings they have.' She thought, mentally smiling

XXXXXX

Later that evening Renji dropped himself on his sofa, sighing deeply.
He had no idea what the bound meant, or would mean to them, do to them. It all kind of disturbed the hell out of him. What if it would make Byakuya notice his feelings. He'd be rejected, transferred to another squad, or he'd be sliced to pieces by senzonzakura.

'ARCH! SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!' he grabbed his head and groaned. ' he'll kill me twice because I'm the one who got us in this mess. If I hadn't been so distracted, that hollow never would've had the chance to attack us.'

Another groan escaped his lips. "what the fuck did I get myself into now… "

He rethought of everything Unohana-taichou had told them after dropping the bomb that they were now technically married. They were now husband and….. husband….. even thought the official ceremony would not be until it was sure that there was no way to break the bond, as requested by the kuchiki clan elders.

'They probably don't want another peasant in the family.'

XXXXX

Meanwhile Byakuya was sitting in his garden, watching the koi in their pond. He had this gnawing feeling in his stomach, this knot. He could feel that there was something Unohana-taichou hadn't told them. He saw it in her eyes; there was definitely something more going on about all of this.

For example, there was the incident at Hueco Mundo where he could've sworn he had heard Renji say something about him looking 'sexy as fuck'. But it had sounded like Renji had whispered it in his ear. Which was obviously impossible, seeing as how the fukutaichou had not been standing close to him.

His conclusion about all of this? The hollow had definitely done something fishy, and Unohana knows more of it. The only questions remaining in his mind where. 'what had the hollow done?' and 'what had he to gain by it?'

XXXXXX

Days went by and Renji's brain was blown. The more time he spent at the office, near his taichou, the more he started imagining things, hearing things that could not possibly be true.
It made him seriously want to check in at the mental ward for a check up on his mental health for hearing voices. Byakuya's voice to be exact.

Oh great. Now even the Byakuya in his head was snickering at him.

He groaned and dropped his head onto his desk, receiving a glare from his taichou for that.
Speaking about his taichou. They still had to talk about what had happened, about the bond they now had.

But he hadn't dared asking his taichou about it. The man had seemed a bit distracted lately. Almost as distracted as Renji would be on one of his normal days.

"Taichou? Uhm…. Are you alright?"

When no response came he sighed softly and wondered if maybe his taichou was mad at him for what had happened. Maybe he now hated the redhead, hated the bond the hollow had 'given' them. Even thought Renji hoped, deep in his heart, that that bond, and the fact that they were technically married by that, even thought not officially, would bring them closer. He'd be happy to be closer to his taichou, even if it were only a little.

He suddenly heard his taichou sigh, making him wonder if he was imagining things again because his taichou NEVER sighed.

"Renji…. You worry too much. I'm not mad at you for what happened, nor for the bond. You are not the cause for what happened to us. That hollow is." 'and so am I'

"Omg… I'm so sorry Taichou… Did I say that out loud?"

His taichou nodded.

"I'm sorry Taichou. Even though you say you're not mad at me for what happened, and that I'm not at fault, but the hollow is. I really am feeling guilty. If I hadn't been so distracted that day, the attack would've never even hit us." 'and you wouldn't be stuck with me like this.' Renji looked down, a look of pure guilt on his face.