Hm. This one's slightly shorter. I hope it wasn't too OOC.
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04: Loneliness
The Kuchiki Manor was famous for being spacious and beautifully decorated. It wasn't elaborate but sophisicated.
But the ironic thing is that, the house had always been empty. Rukia took a room at a corner, and he took one in another. That was basically it, minus the servants which outnumbered the owners 12 is to 1. In the middle of the night, when all the servants had gone to bed and Byakuya took his walks, he felt as though he was walking to a haunted house. It was so silent, so lifeless.
It was then he realized, the house was lonely.
Not only that, he was lonely.
But so what, he told himself. Being lonely made no contributions to his job as the 6th division captain, neither did it help in the affairs of the Kuchiki clan. So he shoved the thought aside. But when even Rukia was out in the real world for missions, the house became quieter than ever and the pang of loneliness began to hit Byakuya hard again.
And it was becoming hard to bear.
It wasn't only the house that was lonely, his heart was too. There was always this little vaccum in his heart which he had covered with an external coldness. Who would have known that those lines of emotional defences that he drew for himself were nothing more than just signposts for his aching heart? He tried trusting other people before, but they failed him. They toyed with his feelings, they betrayed his trust, they made him realize that being one of Soul Society's richest was a boon rather than a bane, the influence he wielded was nothing more than a magnet for trouble.
But he wanted company too. He wanted someone who he can spill his heart felt thoughts with, someone who he can completely trust.
Maybe that was why he had extended the invitation for Renji to visit him out of the blue one day.
He didn't know why, but Renji seemed trustworthy. He didn't have much evidence in his hand, but he decided if his heart were to be broken by someone again, so let it be. He would give Renji that try.
Just hopefully that he would be the one.
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Renji did not what to say when he found himself standing in front of the Kuchiki Manor that night instead of drinking with his usual buddies.
He just felt the need to be there. A need that seemed far more important than drinking. He knocked, only to see Byakuya answering the door himself, rather than the servants. He seemed to be expecting Renji. Did Renji see graditiue in his captain's eyes? Maybe. Renji made himself comfortable on the mats and looked at his captain, as though hoping the latter would start a conversation of sorts.
"Captain, why aren't you talking," Renji asked, breaking the silence in the most awkward way ever.
Byakuya kept silent as he poured a cup of tea for Renji.
"Silence speaks more than words," Byakuya said after that.
Renji looked up from his cup of tea and stared at his captain.
Actually, the silence wasn't that uncomforting afterall.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
I am hoping you are enjoying the journey with this so far ) I guess my fic's an acquired taste, I don't know. Do tell me how to improve ) And.. Reviews?