Ichimaru Gin walked into his dimly lit room, closing the door behind him. He pulled off his clothes, not caring where they fell as he headed to the bathroom, where a hot bath was waiting, most likely thanks to one of the chambermaids Aizen kept around to keep things cleaned.

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness it seems," Gin murmured with a snort as he stepped into the tub and sank into it was a tired sigh. Grabbing a washcloth, he wet it with hot water and wrung it out slightly before folding it and putting it over his eyes.

Usually breaking people into submission was fun to Gin, but he was seriously beginning to rethink that, especially when the one he was trying to break was stubborn as a mule.

It was hard to believe that fifty years had passed since Aizen had killed the God of Soul Society and taken his place. During this time, Aizen then had Soul Society and Hueco Mundo merge into one plane, therefor making his acquisition of Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the Living World complete.

During the merge of the two worlds, Aizen had his three remaining Arrancar go into Soul Society, where they easily took care of most of the Gotei 13. He knew they were hit hard, over half of the captains and vice-captains being killed during the raid. While the remaing able to flee, Aizen still was unable to locate them, making the man downright pissy at times.

He was especially getting pissed lately about the fact he STILL hadn't been able to break one of the Captains they DID have in the fifty years since.

Kuchiki Byakuya.

Pulling the rag off, Gin stared at the ceiling. It was rather frustrating to say the least, but is WAS to be expected. Even back then, when Gin and Byakuya ran into each other (more like Gin stalked him in order for it to happen) the white haired man did everything he could to make the other man crack, but his facial expression never changed. Except...

He stood up suddenly, water rushing off his body. "That's it..." he murmured, a smirk appearing on his lips. That was the key to make the man crack. He dried off quickly and walked back into his room, where his clothes were neatly folded and sitting on his bed.

Gin scowled. "I really hate when they do that," he muttered as he proceeded to get dressed.

Byakuya sat still, his feet tucked beneath him, his hands folded politely and perfectly in his lap. The prison was empty; he could hear every step that made its way toward him, every rodent that scurried along inside the walls. If he sat quietly, and contemplated the things outside of himself, he wouldn't notice the pain that seemed to riddle his being now.

The day had started like any other, boring in its consistency. There was cold, stale rice for breakfast, followed by continued black and dismal solitude. They hadn't dragged him out today to take him upstairs for 'questioning', for which his injuries were grateful. How far the pride of the Kuchiki had fallen, to be held and tortured by God, or as Renji used to affectionately refer to them, God's lackeys.

He missed the loud mouthed idiot, like a constant nagging ache, if only because they'd shared the same cell, and had comforted one another when the confinement or torture had escalated. He hadn't seen his fukutaichou in thirty years; not since they realized he really didn't know anything, and he wasn't getting his captain to talk either. It had been so long since Byakuya had felt the gentle touch of another friendly soul, he sometimes imaged he'd dreamed those first twenty years. That Renji had never really been here, and that his mind was so desperate for old times it'd dredged up the closest thing to Rukia he could think of. They were both in a better place. That, at least, could set his mind at peace.

Take care of them, Hisana, he thought, bowing his head silently, so lost in thought that he missed the soft footsteps coming in behind him.

Gin walked into the prison, a guard opening the door for him. He waved his hand, signaling the guard to go away, and after the door was closed behind him, he stood there, watching the sole heir to the Kuchiki name with his head bowed down, mumbling to himself softly. Staring at him for a moment before putting on a smile, he walked forward. "My my... Why are yer not eatin' your meal, Byakuya-kun? Such a waste, such a waste..."

The hatred that bubbled up inside of him was strong, like acid, leaving a burn in its wake as it washed through his limbs. The man had once been a brother in arms; annoying, petulant, but a comrade non-the-less. The betrayal still felt bitter to him.

Byakuya didn't deem it necessary to answer.

Gin moved in front of him, and knelt down, his red eyes slowly opening to look at him. "I ask yer a question," he said, his voice almost dangerously soft. "Why have yer not been eatin'? I've been hearin' from the guards that you haven't for several days now."

Byakuya's eyes stayed focused on the floor, his breathing even and steadying. He didn't want the man before him to know how sick his presence made him.

He wouldn't give him the satisfaction of saying he wanted to die.

Gin's eyes turned into dangerous slits and a loud 'crack' was heard as he slapped Byakuya across the face, sending the man flying and hitting the wall.

The dark haired man couldn't stop the grunt that left his lips when his face collided with the dingy wall of his prison cell. The cold stone felt good against his bruised face, and despite his situation, he marveled that his body was still able to register such a thing. It didn't take much for him to talk his body into staying put; he didn't want to give the silver haired man across from him the satisfaction of knowing his discomfort.

Gin walked over and grabbed Byakuya's dirty black hair, yanking it up to make the other man look at him. "If I want you to starve, I'll stop feeding you. Until then, you eat. Understand?" Gin said in a warning growl.

Byakuya's eyes stayed trained on a spot beyond the other man's face. He wouldn't give him the pleasure of knowing he had his attention.

Gin let out a sigh as he released him and stood up. "Such a shame. I came in to give you some good news, and ya act this way." Shaking his head, he turned to leave. "Perhaps I shouldn't tell ya that Rukia-chan is alive."

Byakuya flinched, his eyes betraying him. His face jerked toward Gin's, surprise and desperation clouding his face.

"What?" he croaked, his voice rough from disuse.

Gin turned, eyes closed again, though looked thoughtful. "Oh my, did I let my surprise slip? Oh well, guess it can't be helped. Yes, your darling sister Rukia-chan is alive, Byakuya-kun. She is actually here at this moment, yet in serious condition. Our healers are working on making her better."

Byakuya surged up, furious.

"Don't touch her." he hissed.

"Ah, so ya want her to die." Gin turned around again. "Very well, I will relay that to healers." He moved to open the door.

The Kuchiki made a broken sound in the back of his throat. "No...please...I didn't mean..."

Gin turned his head, looking at him again. "Yes? What did ya mean?" he asked, smirking to himself. Hook, line, sinker.

Byakuya's mind was working frantically.

Rukia might be alive, he could be lying by do I really want to chance it? Rukia...Rukia, you were better off dead...

"...lying...you're lying..." he whispered desperately, because he couldn't stand the thought of Rukia in such a place.

"Now, why would I have any reason ta lie to ya, Byakuya-kun?" Gin asked, turning to look at him once more, smiling. "Am I really that horrible of a person?"

"Yes."

"My my... so direct... But ya know..." Gin walked over again and knelt down in front of Byakuya again, faces just inches apart. "Just IF... what if I'm telling the truth? Are ya willin' to risk your sister's life on it?"

Byakuya froze up, because he almost wanted Rukia to die. If he believed Gin, and if he wanted her to be saved, she'd probably suffer as he did.

"Do I really have a choice? If I wanted her to die, would you let her?"

"If that's what ya wanted. BUT..." Gin was silent for a moment, letting Byakuya's worry grow. "They WOULD tell her why she has ta die. Because her dear brother asked for it."

"Bastard."

"I've never denied that fact, Byakuya-kun," Gin said, smiling at that, though his stomach dipped in disgust. He was getting him riled up. This could prove to be a good or a bad thing.

"What do you want? Why ask me? The answer should be obvious."

"Because," Gin slid slender fingers through the Kuchiki's black hair and pulling on it until his neck was exposed, and nipped at the pale skin with his teeth. "I wanna hear ya SAY it, Byakuya-kun," he whispered.

The feel of Gin's lips and teeth ghosting across his neck made the black haired man's skin crawl; he felt filthy, more so than before, and if he'd had but the strength in his arms, he would have shoved the bastard away as hard as he could.

He couldn't deny the fact that he wanted Rukia to live, but the need was cruel. To put someone like Rukia - someone who he had failed before, and vowed never to fail again - into this situation would be selfish.

But what sort of death would await her? It probably wouldn't be quick, or painless. It would be drawn out and torturous, if whatever had happened to her wasn't torturous enough.

"Please," he asked softly, defeated, "please...don't like Rukia die."

"That's what I thought," Gin murmured, moving away and standing up, smiling. "I'll let them know then." He walked to the door and opened it this time, calling for a chambermaid. "Make sure he's washed and dressed in decent clothes before I come back here," he told her, and laughed silently to himself when her eyes widened in surprise.

"Gin-sama... may... May I ask why?" she whispered, nervous. Never in her years working for Aizen-sama and Gin-sama has she ever got THIS sort of a command.

"Because he's filthy and smells like a rancid tabi," Gin said with a grim smile, patting her head before leaving. "Make sure it's done by tomorrow."