A/N: This chapter was inspired by an overdose of Alones by Aqua Timez. So if you feel up to checking it out, go right ahead. ^^ (Copious amounts of She Is The Sunlight by Trading Yesterday were also used to write this chapter.)

I will warn the readers that Yuzu and Byakuya are SHAKESPEREAN-level screw-ups when it comes to love. You'll see why in a bit.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. At all.

Chapter 20: After the rain

"Taicho!" shouted a feminine voice, a fist pounding on the door to his bedroom. "Taicho!"

Ichigo groaned, rolling over onto his side and trying to ignore the sound. The pounding continued, the house's wooden walls rattling with the force of each blow. Beside him, Rukia burrowed deeper into the blankets, elbowing him in the chest.

"Oi, Ichigo," she muttered under her breath, her eyes still closed. "It's for you."

"I noticed," said Ichigo, opening his eyes. The light that shone in through the bedroom windows was still gray, suggesting that it wasn't even dawn yet. He ran a hand through his hair, rolling over onto his back. "Why do we even bother locking up?"

"You're the one who wanted to live close to the Fifth," said Rukia, throwing the blanket over her head to blot out the noise. "Now, go get the door."

"Hai, hai…" Ichigo sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He turned to face the door, annoyed. "What is it, Hinamori?" he asked. What was so important that it couldn't wait the two hours until the Division actually opened?

"Taicho!" said Hinamori from the other side of the door. "Big trouble! The team from the Sixth has gone missing!"

Ichigo's eyes widened sharply, and he sprang out of bed. Beside him, Rukia whirled around sharply, getting herself caught in a tangle of blankets as she fell to the floor.

The skies over Inuzuri were a dismal gray that morning, with a heaviness in the air that spoke of rain. Yuzu eyed the clouds as they sat down to eat, a hint of weariness in her expression. Byakuya glanced at his vice-captain, finding himself strangely torn between watching the streets and watching her. He wondered if she remembered last night at all, remembered holding on to the hem of his hakama as he set her down on the ground, among other things.

He turned his attention back to the street before she could notice his eyes on her.

"Kurosaki?" he asked, "Is something wrong?"

Yuzu shook her head. "No, taicho," she said. "It just…looks like rain."

Byakuya frowned, glancing at her. The two of them were seated on the stoop of an abandoned house, a broken awning above their heads to provide some shelter from the coming rain. Ahead of them, a group of souls passed by, giving the two shinigami a wide berth. He had tried asking the civilians earlier to see if anyone had seen a group of four other shinigami, but those that had answered claimed to have seen nothing, and most just hurried past, terrified expressions on their faces. It had been difficult enough to procure blankets and other makeshift beddings from the market earlier. It was clear that relying on Inuzuri's residents would not get them very far. Most of the morning had passed, and they still had no information on what had happened with Shiyougi and the rest of their squad. They had no information on Kiyomizu Hanako and her companions either. The more time passed, the more he was certain they were being toyed with. But to what end? Until they found her, there would be no way to tell, and when they did find her, they would almost certainly be walking straight into a trap.

The thought was troubling, so instead, he moved his eyes back up to the sky, opening up one of their ration packets. "Do you dislike the rain?"

"A little bit," Yuzu admitted. "It's…not that I hate it, exactly. It's just that everyone in my family would get sad every time it rained. Especially Ichi-nii. Growing up in a house like that…you learn to dislike the rain." She took a breath. "My mother died on a rainy day," she added. "That's why…whenever it rained…"

"I see." Byakuya looked away, turning his attention back to the streets. He took a bite of the rectangular-shaped mass in his hand. The emergency rations were products of the Twelfth Division, designed to provide shinigami with the nutritional requirements necessary to replenish their reiatsu. They were convenient and easy to pack, but offered nothing in the way of taste or texture. Almost anything else would be preferable, but in a district such as this, food and those who needed it would be rare, and difficult to find. He ate quietly for a few moments, studying the streets.

They had wandered into one of the district's better areas, from the look of the houses. The conditions were still much worse than anything in the first few districts of Rukongai, but compared to the area they had based themselves in, it was better. He watched as a group of children played, chasing a rattan ball down the street. He imagined Rukia as a child, running with them, a red-headed boy keeping pace with her. He thought of what it must have been like for Rukia to grow up here. Why Hisana had abandoned her…

His thoughts turned to Hisana again, as they had been doing of late. He thought of the plum tree she liked so much, the one that had been blooming when she died.

The plum blossoms in his mind became droplets of rain. "It must have been hard," he heard himself say, before he could think about it.

"Mm," said Yuzu in response. She looked up sharply, as if realizing how distracted she had been. Byakuya noticed that her own meal was untouched. "Um—but it's nothing to worry about, taicho. It was a long time ago, and I was very young. I just wish it wouldn't rain today, that's all."

He looked at her, then looked away, turning his eyes skyward again.

Of late, he had found his eyes drifting towards her more and more, in a way that did not bode well for his concentration. He turned his eyes back to the street, feeling as though he should say something, to break the silence between them.

It wasn't often that he found himself searching for words.

"The stars should come out tonight," he said, looking up at the sky. "They are always brightest after the rain."

"Taicho?" Yuzu turned towards him, a puzzled expression on her face.

"It's just something that I have observed, Kurosaki." He took a breath, his eyes fixed on the clouds gathering on the horizon. "In truth, I prefer the rain."

"You do?" asked Yuzu.

Byakuya nodded, considering the clouds. "I have never liked the empty sky. The world is fresher after the rain."

"I…" Yuzu frowned in thought, looking back at the street. "I've never thought about it that way, taicho."

Byakuya said nothing in response, taking another bite. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, wondering if she was ever going to eat. True, the meal left much to be desired, but a shinigami could not function properly when hungry. As captain, it was his responsibility to make sure the members of his division were fit for duty.

A flash of motion caught his eye, thankfully putting a stop to that train of thought. Byakuya watched, frowning, as he caught sight of a street urchin watching them, a young boy doing his best to stay hidden in the crowd as he eyed them hungrily. The boy's eyes were fixed on the food in their hands. Byakuya directed some of his senses towards the urchin and felt it, the smallest push of spiritual power.

Yuzu had noticed him too. She smiled, gesturing for him to step forward. The boy moved, clearly nervous, but came to a stop in front of her.

"Here," said Yuzu with a soft smile, holding out her untouched ration bar. The boy stared at it, wide-eyed, then took it in both hands, scampering back off into the streets. Byakuya frowned, glancing at her as she wiped off her hands.

"You cannot save them all, Kurosaki," he said.

"I know that," said Yuzu, looking back at him. "But I can help the ones in front of me, can't I? Besides, you never know. Maybe he'll join the Sixth someday."

Byakuya turned away from her as she smiled, falling silent. He considered the street, doing his best to forget that glimpse of a smile.

The rightness of your words, he had said back then.

Perhaps she was showing it to him after all.

He snapped the remainder of his own rations into two pieces, dropping the larger piece into her hand. While she was still sitting there stunned, he got to his feet, taking a few steps forward.

"We should keep moving," he said, not looking back.

Karin sat on the veranda of Kusanagi's headquarters in the afternoon, letting out an annoyed breath. Her shoulder burned from a cut she had taken in yesterday's fight, if what had happened could even be called that. She, Yumichika, Shimoda, Yasui and Mari had charged the New Dawn and Sieg, and for a moment, Karin thought that that would be the end of it. But then Hamano had called a retreat.

She'd barely managed to exchange a few blows with the Arrancar before he was gone, disappearing with Hamano into the night. Still, Kusanagi's members had survived, so she supposed that meant her mission was accomplished.

It was still damn frustrating though. She wondered what the hell that had been about. Hamano had called it pest control, so Karin imagined that they were here to finish off Kusanagi, but if that was the case, wouldn't they send more people? If Karin was leading the New Dawn, she would have sent everyone she had, even after accounting for the shinigami.

The only reason she wouldn't was if all of her other people were occupied elsewhere.

That thought disturbed her, making her wonder what the rest of the New Dawn was up to. She watched as Yasui and Fujimura got to work on fixing the gate, her mind on Hamano and her leader, the mysterious Kiyomizu Hanako.

If destroying Kusanagi was so important to them, why hadn't Kiyomizu come herself? Especially if, like Hamano claimed, she was so good at kido.

Karin wondered what was going on in Soul Society.

She told herself she was just paranoid, but she couldn't shake the growing feeling of unease. Nothing about this felt right. It was like Kiyomizu was leading them all into a game, and she didn't know the rules. She hated it.

She got to her feet, walking into the building. Yumichika frowned at her from his seat against the wall, his arms folded.

"Something wrong, Karin-chan?" he asked.

"Just a phone call," said Karin, pulling her phone out of the inside pocket of her robes. She dialed Toshiro's number.

The phone rang twice, before Matsumoto picked up. Karin frowned, listening as the woman spoke into the phone.

"Oh, Karin-chan?" asked Matsumoto. "Sorry, the taicho isn't here. He's in a captain's meeting, talking about some situation in Rukongai."

"Situation?" asked Karin, stopping with her back to a wall.

"A team from Sixth went missing yesterday," said Matsumoto, sighing. "I hope they're alright. Yuzu-chan was with them…"

Karin froze, nearly dropping the phone.

The downpour caught them on the way back, soaking them to the skin. The two of them quickly slipped past the barrier they had placed around the house, throwing up a second barrier to close off the holes in the roof. Within thirty minutes, they had a fire going, some of the cloths they had acquired earlier strung up on a rope to form a makeshift curtain. The curtain split the house evenly from one wall to the firepit, hiding them from each other as they hung up their clothes to dry. Yuzu sat on her side of the curtain, a rough blanket tugged over her shoulders. She faced the window, her back towards Byakuya's side of the room.

On the other side of the curtain, Byakuya sat with his back to her. She could feel his warmth seeping through the cloth, staving off some of the cold air. The fire hissed as droplets of water fell onto it, coming from the clothes that had been hung up above it—a pair of shihakushos, and one white haori. The cat Byakuya had named Mikado curled in front of the fire, seeming pleased with this new arrangement.

Yuzu tugged her blanket further around herself, watching as the rain beat against the barrier they had placed on the rooftop. Outside, the downpour was as strong as ever, the rain crashing down in sheets. They'd started using flash step as soon as it really began coming down, and even that hadn't been enough to save them. She stared morosely at the window, wondering if Shiyougi and the others had also been caught in the rain.

Despite their best efforts, they hadn't found any sign of them. Yuzu was beginning to fear the worst. The officers of the Sixth, especially Shiyougi, had all been there for her when she had first joined the squad. The thought that something might have happened to them was too terrible to contemplate.

When she couldn't bear the silence anymore, she looked up.

"Taicho, are you awake?" she asked.

There was silence, for long enough that Yuzu thought Byakuya might actually be asleep. She certainly wouldn't blame him if he was. He hadn't gotten any sleep yesterday, giving up his own rest to keep watch over her. Now that they had the barriers up, they hopefully wouldn't need that much caution, but she decided that if he insisted on keeping watches, she wasn't going to let him do the same thing again.

"What is it, Kurosaki?" he asked, just as she had begun to give up on him.

"I'm worried about Shiyougi-san and the others," Yuzu admitted, her grip tightening on her blanket. "What if something's happened to them?"

"They are officers of the Sixth," said Byakuya, from the other side of the curtain. "Don't underestimate them."

"I'm not." Yuzu exhaled, slowly relaxing her grip. "I'm just…scared, I suppose, although I know I shouldn't be." She took in another slow breath, her eyes on the window. "Do you mind talking for a little while, taicho? I don't think I can sleep right now."

There was another pause, and she could just imagine Byakuya on the other side of the curtain, considering it. She stopped there, because imagining Byakuya in his current state brought to mind other matters that probably weren't going to help her composure. After a while, he spoke.

"What did you want to talk about, Kurosaki?"

"Something," said Yuzu. "Anything. I don't know." She leaned her head back, looking up at the ceiling and sighing. "I went to visit Ojii-sama last week."

"How is Ryushin-sama, these days?"

"Fine," said Yuzu. "He claims he's getting older, but he doesn't seem any different than he was ten years ago. He's still as sharp as ever." Yuzu let out a frustrated breath. This wasn't working. Her nerves still felt raw, on edge. "Taicho, can I ask you a personal question?"

"You may ask," said Byakuya, after another moment. "I cannot promise I will answer."

"How did you meet Hisana-san?"

The question had been burning at the back of her mind since their arrival at Inuzuri, but as soon as it left her mouth, Yuzu wished she could take it back. The rain and the situation were affecting her mood, making her more reckless than she otherwise would have been. She should have asked about anything else, anything but that. The silence dragged on for an uncomfortably long time, until she was sure that Byakuya wouldn't answer.

But then, he spoke. "She was a servant," he said, his voice soft, as though he was bringing up a treasured memory, one that had once brought joy, but now only brought pain.

"Yours?" Yuzu asked.

"No," said Byakuya. "She was a lady's maid, for a noblewoman from one of our vassal clans. She came with her mistress, to take up residence in the Kuchiki Manor for a time. It was only meant to be a short visit at first—she should have remained beneath my notice. But the first time I saw her, I…"

"…You fell in love," said Yuzu, as Byakuya trailed off. She closed her eyes, imagining the scene. She had never heard Byakuya talk this way. In some ways, it hurt, because she knew that that depth of feeling was not meant for her, but in some ways, she wanted him to keep talking, because she could feel something in his voice with each word that he spoke. Pain, yes, there was pain there. Each word, so long unspoken, was painful to him. But each painful word brought with it something else.

Healing.

And if that could happen by her being here, she would bear the pain.

"…Yes, I suppose I did," said Byakuya. "I was…entranced by her. I don't know if you can imagine it, Kurosaki. Everywhere I went, she was in my thoughts. If she was anywhere near me, I was aware of her. I found reasons to glance at her when we would be together in a room. I knew what she was doing when I was around her, who she was speaking to, whether or not she was looking at me."

"I think…I can understand the feeling, taicho," said Yuzu softly.

"My feelings did not go unnoticed," said Byakuya. "But they caused some complications within our clan."

"Because she was a commoner?"

"Not only that," said Byakuya. "Because my grandfather, the head then of our clan, was in the process of securing a betrothal for me. With her mistress."

"Oh, taicho, that's—." Yuzu looked up in surprise, blinking. "—that's really romantic, actually."

"Perhaps in theory," said Byakuya. "In practice, it was really more of a bother. There was no actual betrothal, you understand. There were no real promises made. But there were plans, implied agreements, that sort of thing. Tempers ran high. There was shouting. My grandfather threatened at one point to disown me. But eventually, they agreed. It was difficult, but she was worth it, Kurosaki. She was…"

Byakuya paused, the fevered pace of his words slowing to a stop, as if he finally realized what he was saying. "…sunlight."

Yuzu squeezed her eyes shut, holding herself tighter.

"…Kurosaki?"

"…I'm here," she said. The words sounded choked, but she managed them anyway.

"I am sorry."

The words startled her, and she looked up. "For what, taicho?" she asked.

"For burdening you with such a distasteful story." Byakuya's tone had changed again, becoming the solemn voice she knew so well. "I imagine it is not helping you sleep."

"No," said Yuzu, wiping her eyes with the corner of the blanket. "No, taicho, it's no trouble at all. If it helps you to talk about it, I'm glad to listen to it. I'm good at keeping people's secrets, so…" She took a breath, her fingers tightening around the blanket. "Please, rely on me."

Silence fell, Byakuya saying nothing from his side of the room. But it was a comfortable silence, not the tense silence of earlier. Yuzu had the feeling he was thinking, considering her words.

"You let too many people take advantage of you, Kurosaki."

"It's not taking advantage if I offer it freely," said Yuzu.

Byakuya fell silent again.

Yuzu raised her head, realizing that she could no longer hear the rain beating against the side of the house. She looked up, peering at the sky through the hole in the roof, and what she saw from behind the barrier took her breath away.

"Taicho, the stars!" she exclaimed.

"Did I not tell you, Kurosaki?" asked Byakuya.

"They're so pretty," said Yuzu, momentarily entranced.

The stars shone brightly in the darkness, pinpricks of light against a black sky. They were clearer than she had ever seen them.

She sat up, realizing something. "Can you see them from there, taicho? You should come here and look."

There was a pause, followed by Byakuya's uncertain voice. "I…do not think you want me to do that, Kurosaki," he said.

"Eh?" Yuzu blinked in confusion, then her eyes widened as she glanced down, realizing her current state of undress. All the blood rushed to her face, and she squeezed her eyes shut, throwing her arms around herself. "Kya! No, no, no, no, no! I meant—! Gah—taicho, I meant—I forgot—I—ah!"

Byakuya made a choked sound in the back of his throat. Yuzu froze, realizing what it was. A laugh. Or the beginning of one. Had she ever heard Byakuya laugh before? Her arms slowly uncurled from around herself.

"…Taicho?" she asked, uncertain again.

"Go to sleep, Kurosaki," said Byakuya, his tone lighter than it had been. He sounded…amused, Yuzu realized. Like the laugh was still there, somewhere, hidden in his voice. It was a side of Byakuya that she had never seen before. She wondered, if she could see him, would he be smiling? "I assure you, I understand what you meant. Perhaps another night, when we are…ah…more suitably attired."

"Hai…taicho," said Yuzu, still blushing. She sank down, wrapping her arms around her knees.

It was only later, after the lanterns they were using had been turned out and she was lying on her side, that she realized that Byakuya had inadvertently invited her out stargazing.

It was early the next morning by the time Ichigo and Rukia set out from Seireitei. He hated the waste of a day, but it had taken that long to convince the soutaicho that they should be allowed to go. Ichigo had been prepared to go anyway, approval or no approval, and it was probably the fact that the soutaicho knew that had made him agree in the first place.

They had just gotten past the gate when they were stopped by a pair of shinigami. Ichigo appeared in the air, landing in front of the two of them.

Masa, he realized. And Yuzu's friend, Iwase. The two of them stood in Ichigo and Rukia's paths, their expressions resolute. Ichigo frowned, watching them.

"Iwase. Masaryu," said Rukia from beside him, turning towards them. "What are you two doing here? Go back to your Divisions."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Rukia-dono," said Masaryu, with a respectful nod towards her. He turned towards Ichigo, his eyes hardening. "I'm coming too."

"Oi," Ichigo began.

"Yuzu is my cousin, and my friend," said Masaryu. "She came to save me and Karin when we were in trouble. I will not abandon her now."

Ichigo stared at Masaryu for a moment, then sighed, relenting. He knew the look in Masaryu's eyes. "Fine," he said. "Let's go. Iwase, go back."

"Like hell," said Kohaku, stepping forward. "Sorry, Kurosaki-taicho, but Yuzu-chan is my best friend, and I'm not abandoning her. You can report me to my captain when I get back, but I'm going with you whether you like it or not."

Ichigo stared at her, then shook his head. They had no time for any of this. They needed to be moving.

"Fine," he said. "Whatever. But we're leaving now."

"That's fine by me," said Kohaku, getting into a crouch. Masa nodded, following suit.

Ichigo turned to the shinigami beside him. "Let's go, Rukia."

Rukia nodded, and the four of them vanished, flash stepping from sight.

TO BE CONTINUED

Omake

"Taicho…?"

Byakuya opened his eyes, his vice-captain's voice coming to him from the other side of the curtain. He was lying on his side, his back to the barrier. "What is it, Kurosaki?" he asked.

"Are our clothes dry yet?"

Byakuya frowned, glancing at the garments hanging over the fire. He closed his eyes again, lowering his head back onto his makeshift pillow. "Not quite yet," he said. "Perhaps in an hour."

"But, taicho…" said Yuzu, sounding uncertain. "What if the enemy attacks?"

"Go to sleep, Kurosaki," said Byakuya.

"But what if our squad finds us?"

"Go to sleep, Kurosaki."

"But taicho," said Yuzu. "What if my brother gets here?"

Byakuya's eyes snapped open.

"…Taicho?" asked Yuzu after a moment of silence.

"Get your clothes, Kurosaki."