A summer breeze was carressing Sereitei's afternoon when Kuchiki Byakuya and Abarai Renji arrived at the 6th division office. Both shinigamis were still feeling the happiness and numbness of a complete and tasteful meal and the share of secrets. Byakuya was pleased to notice that the entire afternoon Renji was treating him as usual, with all formality, even when they were alone.

" Renji, you can address me first name when we are alone in the office", Byakuya pointed out, without raising his head from the paperwork.

" Ah, hum...sorry, but... I prefer to call you Taicho when we are at work, if you don't mind..." Renji said sheeply scratching the back of his neck

" That would be most appropriate, Abarai fockutaicho", Byakuya raised his eyes to meet Renji's, smiling. He was so proud of that man who knew him so well.

" Knew you would like it", Renji grinned, blinking an eye.

Did he just blink me? Ah, where was I...paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, Byakuya thought, trying to concentrate on the work at hands and trying to ignore the fire spreading between his legs.

****

Later in the afternoon both captains and vice-captains had to attend a meeting with Yamamoto to discuss the pertinence of sending a group of shinigamis to the real world to help Ichigo fight some arrancars. Ikkaku and Yumichika were there as well, because Zaraki was nowhere to be found in Rukongai. They were all just about to leave the reunion when Yamamoto asked Byakuya for progresses in the inventory of shinigami' scent.

" It's almost complete. A copy will be delivered to you and to Sereitei library when it's finished", Byakuya answered emotionless.

"That will be great, all of us are curious about how you will describe our scents"

Byakuya blinked.

" You are?" , he asked, a faint hint of surprise in his voice.

" Yes, we are. Although we know each other' scents we usually don't go around and analyse it. Sometimes we don't even bother to notice", Ukitake explained.

" Yes, for instance, I bet no one notice Renji' scent yet", Ikkaku grinned facing Byakuya.

Byakuya almost killed the bald shinigami with his gaze. It took him a tremendous amount of self control not to burst his reiatsu right there. So no one, except for Ikkaku and Renji, noticed he was thinking fast in several options of response.

" Oh, I've never noticed Renji-kun scent!", Matsumoto giggle, gliding herself to Renji's neck trying to smell it.

" Matsumoto fockutaicho!", Yamamoto yelled, " You may satisfy your curiosity later, like Ukitake said we just sometimes didn't notice, so Byakuya I hope you to finish that work soon"

"Of course", Byakuya reassured the head captain, while looking dead cold at Matsumoto.

*****

After the meeting both captain and vice-captain of the 6th squad flashed step back to the office, because Byakuya never liked the good for nothing conversations that would take place between some of the seated officers after a meeting like this. Both of the men worked in silence for the rest of the afternoon, dealing with their own thoughts and doubts. But by the end of the day the task of concentrate in work and in his own thoughts was becoming unbearable for the redhead.

" Ano, Taicho?"

"Dosta?" , Byakuya immediately raise his head to look at Renji, a concerned expression on his face.

"I was wondering...what are you going to write about my scent in your report?"

" I feel inclined to write the truth"

"Geez... I bet you do, but they are going to piss me to stop hiding my scent, and I don't really... going to like that"

" If I write the truth no one will get near you", Byakuya answered seriously, yet a faint smile forming in his lips, " Renji Abarai scent was unable to identify due to the fact that when he is not training and bathing in sweat he is bathing four to six times a day with the oil foams of the 6th division public bathrooms."

" What a f...I mean, that will be just great!" Renji yelled, jumping in his seat "Yeah, tell them that I stink!"

"I did not say that!"

"But it sounded like it."

"The point is...I can tell them the truth or I can tell them the real truth about you hiding your scent...or I can tell them my truth"

" Which is?", asked a more calm and curious Renji

Byakuya closed his yes and leaned against his chair, just that his voice sounded deeper than usual:

" Abarai fockutaicho scent is the most precious and delicious scent there is in all Soul society and other worlds. In fact, it only can be found in our world in the person of the fockutaicho of the 6th squad. Although in the past he hid it from most of his other fellow shinigamis, for reasons that only to him may concern, he is now forbidden by the taicho of the 6th division to reveal it to anyone, because his taicho, the noble and elegant Kuchiki Byakuya demands the privilege of being the only one able to smell such exquisite scent. Also, because of his knowledge of the effects of such fragrance in other souls, this taicho fears for the public order, fears for nose attacks at Abarai fockutaicho tattooed neck, for distractions to his already naturally distracted fockutaicho, and for the sake of their work " , a disguised tone of Byakuya's being possessive of his sex god in the last words.

"Man, that sounds like a soup opera", Renji chuckle.

"An what?"

" Never mind, I tell you go for the truth, tell them i stink, I don't mind, I know you would die for my scent, just as I would die for yours", Renji was still grinning " That's why I'm going to shumpo myself to your bed right now, and wait right there naked for you".

"You are forgetting one thing", Byakuya reply

"Hum?", Renji looked confused, all his paperwork was done

" You have not surpass me yet. I'm still the shumpo master", If you ignore Yourichi, that...demon cat, Byakuya thought, "So Renji, you better not be late or I will get cold."

And by saying that Byakuya was out of Renji sight. Renji grinned. Yes, they were both filled with happiness, they were both enjoining this.

Love was indeed the true perfume of life.