Byakuya's eyes scan the office of the sixth division, He looks on for Renji but the room is empty. His eyes wonder over to the large spill of ink on the floor. His mind flash backs to the intense kiss he received a few days ago. He lifts the empty ink container off the floor and places it on his desk. The event replays over and over while he hangs his head low over his desk. "What am I doing?" He tries to let go the feeling of confusion.
The news of a male subordinate loving him is too much of a shock. He leans back in his chair, stretches his legs under the desk and begins to think harder. He rubs the crease of his forehead trying to figure out this new emotion inside him. The anger in him subsided but something is still lingering on his nerve. He is never at a loss for decisions. He always has a plan to deal with any situation but this is different.
His only solution so far is to continue to avoid the issue, the person and all of the above. Then again he can't avoid his lieutenant forever. For Buddha's sake they work together. He nods his head in a agreeing motion, Yes its more complicated then its seems. His train of thought is broken when he feels an all too familiar spiritual pressure coming his way. He quickly gathers todays documents in his hands and walks to the exit door. Long behold their on the other side of the shoji door is Renji.
"Um Kuchiki-taichou..." Renji never finishes his sentence because of all the papers are being shoved in his face.
"Take care of this." Byakuya says with such anger in his voice while walking past him he begins to glide down the hall.
"taichou I-" Renji lowers the papers from his face while trying to yell to him.
"I expect you're work to be done when I return." He sways his captains haori having it flow in the wind.
"Damn!" Renji needs to kill something. He can think of many different ways he'd rather his captain punish him. He stands there wondering what is going through Byakuya's brain.
Meanwhile...
Juushiro Ukitake stands in his zen garden trimming the tips of a herb bush. He promised squad lieutenant Isane that he would help make useful remedies for the wounded. He raises his head that wears a straw hat. He admires the rays of the sun and the strong breeze that flows through the seireitei from time to time. It is such a beautiful afternoon filled with silence and peace he thought. That is until he is interrupted by his most common visitor.
"Juushiro-sama, Kuchiki-taichou is here to see you once more." A house servant announces before relieving the two of them behind the house door.
"Ah...Kuchiki-taichou. Are you here to challenge me again?" He speaks to the tall man standing in the door way.
"I will defeat you this time." Byakuya walks over to a stone table with bamboo chairs. He holds a shogi set in his arms.
"Is that so?" Juushiro comes to his feet and summons the servant to his side. The feeble woman awaits an order. "Green tea and dango please." He soon signals her away. "So I see you and Abarai-kun have had another fight. By the way your reiatsu felt the other night, It must have been serious." he was snooping around for information.
"It's nothing." Byakuya tries to forget the imagine of Renji's hopeful face he just seen a few minutes ago.
"Your reiatsu is shifting." Ukitake continues to clip the bush all the while never facing his colleague. Byakuya is at a lost for words. How could he confide something so embarrassing?
"Has he confessed to you yet?" Byakuya's eyes grows bigger at the thought of Ukitake knowing this.
"Uh" Air escapes his mouth but does not form words.
"Its a shame. The boy has been in a state of obsession with you since he became your Fukutaichou..." Ukitake turns and walks over to the set table of shogi. He retrieves a tray of green tea and dango from his servants hands. He places the tray on the cold table. "..all the while you ignore him."
"I do not have time for his childish emotions. All the same, I am a man and not a woman." Byakuya protests "His crush is nothing more then his imagination roaming from boredom." Ukitake takes a seat then offers Byakuya tea and dango but he waves it off and starts the game.
"So how did you respond to his affections?" Ukitake tries to hold back laughter.
"I used kido on him." He waits for Ukitake to move a tile.
"Kido? Is he in the infirmary?" Ukitake is surprised but knows he shouldn't be.
"No it was a bakudo spell, number one." Byakuya is ashamed to confess this but it is indeed the truth.
"Really? A defense kido. You must have enjoyed his confession." Ukitake smiles
"Dont push the limits of this conversation. He's a lazy subordinate that knows no boundaries." He snarls. Ukitake takes a sip of his green tea before sitting at the table.
"Well he is your Fukutaichou after all. You will have to face him." As much as he didn't want to admit it captain Ukitake is right.
"Hm, maybe I could have him transferred?" Byakuya gives it a serious thought.
"Kuchiki-san!" Ukitake could not believe his ears.
"Or not." Byakuya sighs. He has run out of ideas on how to handle the situation. "Well when did you know that you love Shunsui Kyaraku." He tries not to make eye contact as he advances in the game.
"To tell you the truth I didn't at first but he showed me the way." He sips his tea again. Taking Byakuya's piece.
"You're a man. How could you love another man?" He moves another tile.
"Have you ever thought that when you love a person. It is the personality you love and not the gender?" Ukitakes matches his moves.
"I was once a married man. How can I bring myself to love another man?" Byakuya couldn't grasp the concept.
"Then maybe you need to come to the understanding of why you fell in love with you wife in the first place." Ukitake gets up and walks over to the seated Byakuya. He places his hand on Byakuya's shoulder. "Think about it, I'm sure the answer will come to you." Byakuya looks down as Ukitake walks into his home. He had once more won the game and proven his wisdom.
That very day, Byakuya decides he's in dyer need of relaxation. All this talk of love between men is enough to make the blood rush to his head. He never returns to his office after leaving his dear friend Juushiro's home. Soon he finds himself at his own personal hot spring. Searching for new answers that might have escaped him during all the commotion. A few days of this should do it he believes.