A/N: Fun fact, I just found my old notes. Apparently "Kintaro" was supposed to be the original Iwase Kohaku (since Kohaku is a unisex name), Kohaku was supposed to be Kin (so they would be siblings named "amber" and "gold"). I don't know, okay? Apparently 20-year-old me came up with weirder plotlines than 22-year-old me.

Second to the last chapter! We're almost there!

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

Chapter 53: The lives we lead

Karin was still standing with Toshiro and her brother when the silver gateway that they had used to enter Ongetsu's inner world began to glow, light filling the empty space inside the metal frame. She turned towards it, eyes wide and one hand on Toshiro's shoulder to keep the weight off her injured leg as Yuzu's reiatsu filled the space beneath Urahara's shop, the light taking form until it became a bright white glow. Her grip tightened on Toshiro's shoulder.

Could it be…?

Kuchiki Byakuya was the first person through the door, his gray eyes cold and his face impassive. He walked at a steady, smooth pace, but he seemed different somehow. He still looked as cool and composed as he always did, but to her eye, it looked like he was having a much harder time keeping up the act. Any other day, Karin might have questioned it, but today here eyes were fixed only on the door. There was a pause after Byakuya walked through, a few moments that seemed stretched out into an eternity.

And then the light rippled again, Yuzu stepping through the door.

She looked exhausted, with her eyes downcast and one hand holding her other arm close to herself. Her face was pale, her hair slightly disheveled, and she looked somewhat distracted, her eyes fixed on Byakuya's retreating back. She was injured, a cut around her shoulder causing her shihakusho to stick to her skin, and her reiatsu seemed strangely dull as the light faded, condensing back into a white-hilted sword that she wore at her side.

In that moment, Karin couldn't have cared less.

She darted forward before anyone could stop her, heedless of the pain in her own injured foot as she threw her arms around her sister. Yuzu tensed at the embrace, her eyes wide as if she had only just noticed that Karin was there.

"Karin…chan…?" she said.

"Don't you ever do that again, you idiot," said Karin, her eyes squeezed shut. "Don't ever do that again."

Rukia leaned against the wall inside the Fourth Division's barracks, exhausted, and ran the fingers of her other hand over the fresh bandages around her right arm. The cut had been shallow and clean according to Unohana-taicho, not enough to put her in any serious danger, but the situation certainly could have been worse, especially in her condition. Rukia was sure she hadn't imagined the reproach in the other woman's voice as she spoke to her, but it didn't matter now. It was over. They had won.

The hours following the battle had been a blur. There had been questions, things that only Hamano Tomoe was left to answer. Surrounded by shinigami, and with all of her allies dead, it hadn't taken long to get the human girl to answer. Apparently, Kyoka Suigetsu had always known that her existence as a zanpakuto spirit was temporary and ephemeral, and had taken measures to try and acquire a physical body. Yasui Hisoka, a young female with an abnormally high level of spiritual power and no way yet of defending herself, had been a prime candidate. The plan had been to transfer Kyoka Suigetsu's consciousness to Hisoka's body, somehow, and use that to invade the prisons and free Aizen Sosuke. Or kill him. Hamano herself admitted that Kyoka Suigetsu often wavered between those two points, especially when she was in a mood.

The orb that Kintaro had been using was supposed to facilitate this transfer…somehow. Kurotsuchi-taicho and the Twelfth had tried to acquire the orb to study it, but by the time they arrived on the scene, it had already been spirited away. Rukia didn't know how, but she was willing to bet anything that Urahara Kisuke had been involved in that somehow. Yoruichi was the only person Rukia could think of who could steal something from right under Soifon and the Second Division's noses, and they had been the ones guarding the scene. She herself had been a little distracted in the aftermath of the battle, getting both Masaryu and Kohaku seen to and making sure that Hisoka was alright.

Masa was still receiving treatment in the Fourth, but according to Kotetsu-fukutaicho, he was expected to make a full recovery and would probably be released tonight. The same thing had been said of Iwase Kohaku, but she had refused to speak to anyone since coming back from the stadium, and had run off somewhere immediately after being released from the Fourth. Rukia knew better than to try to find her.

With everything settled, Yasui, Mari, and Hisoka had gone back to Karakura Town. Yasui had been very grateful to get Hisoka back, he and his sister had both thanked Rukia effusively. Rukia's face flushed slightly as she remembered his deep bow of gratitude, one hand on Hisoka's head to get her to bow as well. No matter how many years she spent as a Kuchiki, she didn't think she would ever get used to that.

Ishida and Orihime had left as well, claiming to be worried about Ushu and the situation in Karakura Town. Rukia had tried to get them to stay and wait for Ichigo, but she understood why they both wanted to leave. Promises were exchanged for them all to meet again at some point in the near future, before the year was out. Rukia tried not to think too hard on the fact that her idea of the near future encompassed a good portion of their lifetimes. Instead, she'd simply smiled and said yes, they would meet, and yes, she would bring Ichigo, and yes, they would love it if Ushu could come.

That had been about half an hour ago, and there was nothing left to do now but wait. Ukitake-taicho had sent her a message telling her not to worry about coming in for the rest of the day, and that the Thirteenth was already taking on their portion of the clean-up. Rukia had been grateful to the captain for giving her the day off, but she almost wished she had to come in to work. It would give her something to do, besides standing here and waiting to hear back from Urahara's. She stared up at the ceiling of the Fourth, wondering if she should leave. She couldn't go back to her house, as that was all but destroyed, but maybe she could go wait in the vice-captain's quarters of the Thirteenth Division, or go back to the manor to wait for them.

She was still thinking that when the Kuchiki messenger appeared in front of her, crouched on one knee with his head bowed low to the ground. Rukia immediately straightened up, her eyes widening as she turned towards him.

"My lady," he said. "We have had word from Kuchiki-dono. He will be returning through the Kuchiki Clan Senkaimon within the hour, along with your husband and his sisters."

Relief flooded her, and suddenly she couldn't get to the manor fast enough. Rukia flash-stepped into the center of a flurry of activity, with servants and guards scurrying around the Senkaimon in preparation for the lord's return. She ignored their customary bows and greetings at the sight of her, pushing her way past until she was in the courtyard of the Senkaimon itself. The gate was still closed, a breeze rustling through the grass of the sloping hill that led down to the gate.

She wasn't alone.

A woman stood at the crest of the hill with her, dressed in a deep blue kimono. Even though Rukia had never actually met her before, she knew that this woman had to be Nishimori Azami. She carried herself with the same effortless poise that Rukia had always associated with born nobility, and she was beautiful. Her long brown hair was tied back with a ribbon the same color as her kimono, and her eyes were a piercing green. They were fixed on the Senkaimon, her brow creased with worry and one hand holding onto her other arm.

"Azami-dono," Rukia said in greeting.

Azami's eyes drifted towards her distractedly, as if she hadn't noticed Rukia's approach. When they landed on her, Azami herself seemed to jerk awake, her eyes widening. For a moment, Azami stared at her in open shock before she recovered, her composure reasserting itself.

"Forgive me," Azami said. "You must be Rukia."

Rukia inclined her head in answer. "It's good to finally meet you," she said. "Nii-sama…spoke of you."

Azami's face twisted into a wry smile. "Nothing good, I expect," she said. She looked away from Rukia, lowering her eyes to the ground as if ashamed of her own outburst. "Forgive me," she said again. "That was unkind. It's just—you really do resemble…her."

"…So I've been told," said Rukia, her tone carefully guarded.

Azami's eyes moved over her, studying her. Rukia tensed, aware suddenly of how disheveled she must look, coming straight from the battlefield. She forced herself to exhale, standing up straight and meeting Azami's eyes. She had nothing to be ashamed of, she reminded herself. She was both a Kuchiki and a shinigami of the Gotei 13, and it had been a long time since she had been made to feel like an outsider here.

There was no scorn in Azami's eyes, however, just curiosity. They moved over Rukia's arm, hesitating there. "Are you injured, Rukia…dono?" she asked.

Rukia blinked in surprise, glancing down at her bandaged arm. She had almost forgotten about her injury. She resisted the urge to touch the bloodied tear in the sleeve of her shihakusho, letting her arm drop back to her side as she looked back at Azami. "It's not serious," she said. "We had a…disturbance today."

"It seems like there have been a lot of disturbances lately," said Azami with another wry smile, turning away from Rukia and studying the Senkaimon. She fell silent, a far-off look in her eye. Rukia watched her before looking back at the gate, the two of them lapsing into silence. It almost startled her when Azami spoke again.

"...You are a vice-captain, aren't you, Rukia-dono?"

"Yes…" said Rukia, wondering where Azami was going with this. She turned towards the other woman. "Of the Thirteenth Division, under Ukitake Jushiro-taicho."

"Do you ever feel as though being a shinigami makes you…less of a noblewoman somehow?" asked Azami, returning her gaze to Rukia's eyes.

"No," said Rukia. "Never." She looked back at the gate. "Nii-sama once said that the Kuchiki Clan has a responsibility to Soul Society to protect it. It's…difficult work, but I'm proud to do it. I can't imagine doing anything else."

"I see." Azami looked away from Rukia, lowering her eyes back to the ground. "You are very…brave, Rukia-dono. I envy that."

"I wasn't always," said Rukia, smiling faintly as she watched the gate. "I used to spend a lot of my time being afraid, being ashamed of myself and worried that I wasn't good enough. There were a lot of things in my past that I…regretted."

"What changed?" asked Azami.

"I met someone," said Rukia, still smiling. "A stupidly stubborn boy who showed me that I didn't have to be afraid anymore."

It was a memory she would never forget, the moment she had been hovering in front of the Sokyoku, ready to die, the heat of the Sokyoku's flames against her skin. And then he was in front of her, smiling.

"Your husband?" asked Azami, turning towards her.

"Yes," said Rukia, nodding.

Azami stared at Rukia, a look of surprise on her face. "You…really love him, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes," said Rukia, her smile softening. "Yes, I do."

"I see," Azami's smile was slightly bitter as she turned away from Rukia, her eyes landing on the closed gate. "You're lucky, Rukia-dono."

Something in her tone made Rukia's eyes widen, and she turned quickly towards her. "Azami-dono—," she began.

Before she could finish her sentence, a surge of reiatsu made them both look up, a light beginning to glow around the gate. The doors started to swing open, a pair of jigokucho fluttering through the opening. Her brother was the first one through, the guards on either side of the gate bowing deeply as he swept past them, his face smooth and his gaze level. He walked in a steady, measured pace, as though there was nothing in the world pressing enough to demand his immediate attention. It was the usual aloof manner she had come to associate with Byakuya, and Rukia felt herself breathing out a sigh of relief. Azami seemed relieved as well, and Rukia saw her take a step forward towards her brother.

She paused as Yuzu exited the gate.

The younger Kurosaki twin was obviously the worse for wear, although she was standing and walking under her own power. Her face was pale, her eyes dark and sunken as if she had gone days without sleep. She stepped through the gate and stumbled forward, nearly falling over.

And without missing a beat, Byakuya reached back and caught her by the arm, his brows raising with an unspoken question. Yuzu offered him a smile in return, and he released her with a nod and a glance of what might have been concern, turning away again as Yuzu's smile grew slightly sheepish. It was only for an instant, but in that exchange of glances, Rukia thought she could hear an entire conversation hidden behind their eyes. Are you alright? –Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry. –Don't push yourself. –I know, I'm sorry. Please don't worry about me. –Very well. If you insist.

It was a break in composure that she had hardly seen from Byakuya before, and from the way Azami froze, she had noticed it too. Rukia turned towards the other woman, about to ask her something, when what she saw on Azami's face made her stop.

Azami was smiling.

It was a sad smile, but not a bitter smile, and it softened her features, making her look much younger and much more approachable than she once had. To Rukia, it made her look even more beautiful.

Before Rukia could say anything, she turned, walking away. Rukia's eyes widened, and she turned to face her.

"A-Azami-dono!" she said. "Don't you want to talk to my brother?"

"I've changed my mind," said Azami, not looking back. "It was very nice to meet you, Rukia-dono. We should talk again." She continued to walk, moving past the throng of servants and attendants as she made her way down the path towards the manor's gate. Rukia stared after her, torn for a moment between following her and running down to greet her brother.

"Rukia!" shouted a voice, making her look back.

Ichigo was standing outside the gate, waving at her. Rukia glanced back behind her, but by this time, Azami had vanished from sight. She turned back towards Ichigo, returning his smile with a tentative one of her own as she raised her hand.

It was late in the day by the time all the business of getting checked out by the Fourth Division and getting chewed out by the soutaicho was over and done with, and Karin was free to return to her Division. She walked with Toshiro to the Tenth, then took the long way around to the Eleventh, her mind still occupied with thoughts from the last few moments of the battle, and the aftermath, the way Yuzu had been uncharacteristically withdrawn and quiet as they sat together on the veranda of the Fourth Division, resting while the three captains met with a representative from the First.

"Oi," Karin finally said, nudging Yuzu's foot with her own. "What's wrong? You've been quiet."

Yuzu jumped as if she had been shaken awake from a dream. She turned towards Karin, her shoulders slumped from exhaustion and a tired smile on her face. "Nothing's wrong, Karin-chan. I'm fine."

"Liar," said Karin, folding her arms and leaning back against a pillar. "Come on. You can't hide from me."

Yuzu exhaled, the smile slipping from her face. Karin pretended not to notice that her eyes moved towards the slightly open door behind them, where the captains were standing. Through the crack, Karin could just barely see the character on the back of Byakuya's haori. "I'm just…dealing with some things right now," said Yuzu, looking down at the grass beneath her feet. "I'd rather not talk about it yet. But…I promise I'll tell you all about it sometime, Karin-chan."

"Yeah," said Karin softly, her eyes still fixed on the crack in the door. "Sometime…"

Karin pushed open the gate to the Eleventh Division and was immediately besieged by questions. By now, the news of Kyoka Suigetsu's defeat was common knowledge, and shinigami on both sides of the walkway were clamoring to know how the battle had gone. Karin looked past them, catching sight of Ikkaku and Yumichika standing near the door to the Division, watching her. Yachiru stood behind them, smiling and waving as Karin's eyes met hers.

The barrage of questions continued.

"Karin-san, how'd it go?"

"Did you get to fight Kyoka Suigetsu?"

"Was she strong?"

"Was it fun?"

Karin turned away from the three of them, putting a scowl on her face as she walked up to the building. "Eh, it was a pain," she said, climbing up the steps to the barracks' door. "More trouble than it was worth. Nothing special." She paused to give Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Yachiru a nod before stepping into the building, pushing the door closed behind her. There were more questions inside, but Karin brushed past them, turning down the corridor and walking towards her bedroom.

"I'm tired. I'm catching a bath and then going to bed," she said. She stared down the long hallway, raising her voice so that it would carry. "And there better not be any punk ass unseated shinigami in the officer's bath when I get there!"

The statement was met with the sound of scurrying feet and splashing water, several doors slamming at the other end of the hall. One shinigami flew past with a towel tugged around his waist, still trailing soap as he quickly ducked out of sight.

Karin turned the corner that led to the baths, lowering her head to hide her smile.

Home sweet home.

Rukia was already in bed by the time Ichigo entered the room again, half-asleep and lying on her side on the futon. She looked up at him as he closed the door to the captain's chambers, blinking sleep out of her eyes. He was scowling, scratching the back of his head with one hand.

"Sorry," he said, his expression softening as he looked down at her. "I forgot how much trouble it is actually spending the night here. I kind of feel bad for leaving Hinamori to deal with all of this."

Rukia moved over so that he could slide into bed behind her, one of his arms draped over her waist. The light went out, so that the only light in the room came from the lights still on in the hallway outside the door. In the distance, Rukia could still hear the sounds of muted conversation and pounding feet, most of the Fifth Division still awake. She placed a hand over Ichigo's as it settled around her waist, feeling his breath tickle her ear as she watched the door.

"It's definitely…livelier than it was," she said. "You're doing a good job here, Ichigo."

Ichigo snorted against her shoulder. "It's starting to get too lively, if you ask me," he said.

"Well, if our bedroom wasn't destroyed by a certain someone, we wouldn't have to be here," Rukia pointed out.

"I'm not the one who froze over the entire hallway," Ichigo mumbled in retort, shifting slightly into a more comfortable position.

"We don't sleep in the hallway," Rukia said, hiding her smile.

Ichigo snorted again. "We don't sleep, period," he said.

"Pervert," said Rukia, reaching over and elbowing him in the ribs. Ichigo let out a shout of pain.

"Ow!—I meant because we're always busy! With our Divisions! Get your mind out of the gutter!"

"Sure," said Rukia, settling back against him and closing her eyes. "That's what you meant."

Ichigo sighed, and Rukia felt him shift back into place, muttering something about how he could never catch a break. She opened her eyes as they lapsed into silence, staring at the light that came in from under the door and watching the way shadows passed in front of it as people moved outside in the hallway. She was exhausted, but for some reason, her mind refused to shut down and let her sleep.

"Ichigo…" she said after a while, keeping her voice low in case he was already asleep. His arm tightened around her in response, and she felt him lift his head.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Have you gone by to look at the house yet?" she asked, tracing a pattern on the back of his hand with her fingertips.

Ichigo paused for a while before answering. "…Yeah," he said. "It's pretty trashed. We could move, if you wanted."

"I'd rather rebuild it, if that's okay," said Rukia, her eyes fixed on the door. "We were only there for a year, but…" She trailed off, falling back into silence.

"Rukia?" Ichigo prompted.

She shook her head, closing her eyes. "It's silly. You'll laugh."

He pulled away from her, and she turned over to see that he had propped his head up on his arm, sitting up slightly. "Try me," he said.

"It's just…" Rukia glanced away, hugging her arms close to herself. "I liked that house. It wasn't that big, and we didn't live there very long, but it was…ours. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah…" said Ichigo, lying back down. "I do." He drew in a breath, turning so that he was lying on his back and looking up at the ceiling. "We could have it rebuilt," he said. "We'd need to add an extra room anyway, or two."

"Two?" asked Rukia, smiling. "Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself, Ichigo?"

"Well, you never know," said Ichigo, turning towards her. "We have centuries. Anything could happen."

Rukia shook her head, still smiling. She opened her mouth to retort, but was cut off by the sound of muffled shouts coming from outside, followed by the stamping of feet. The both of them stopped, Ichigo sitting up slightly to listen. It didn't sound like an alarm, more like a heated argument, of the sort that wasn't really uncommon in a Division filled with hundreds of shinigami who had to deal with each other at all hours of the day and night.

Rukia glanced back and saw that Ichigo was already starting to sit up.

"Ichigo…" Rukia said.

Ichigo pushed the covers off himself, beginning to rise from the futon. "I really should…"

"Let Hinamori handle it," said Rukia, turning over to look at him.

Ichigo blinked down at her, uncomprehending. "I can't," he said. "I should—."

Rukia stopped him by reaching forward, grabbing hold of the front of his sleeping yukata and pulling him back down. He put a hand out on the other side of her to steady himself, his eyes widening slightly when he realized that he now hovering directly above her.

"I said," Rukia said slowly, her eyes meeting his. "Let Hinamori handle it."

Ichigo hesitated, still hovering there frozen as Rukia's hands moved from his yukata to slide around his neck, pulling him slowly to her. Comprehension began to dawn on his face—she saw his eyes widen, before something else filled them, a familiar heat that sent liquid fire racing through her veins, pooling in the pit of her stomach.

By the time her hands made its way into his hair and their mouths found each other, he wasn't hesitating anymore.

When Ankoujin Masaryu walked back into his room after breaking up an argument between a group of shinigami in the Fifth Division, Iwase Kohaku was the last person he expected to find there, but in retrospect, he probably should have expected something like this. She was standing by his bedroom's open window, one arm wrapped around her middle with her hand gripping tightly to her other arm. Her eyes were downcast, trained on the wooden floor of his room, and she wasn't looking at him. She was still dressed in the same clothes she had worn in the fight, and her eyes were red-rimmed behind her glasses, like she had been crying.

"Your—your window was open," she said. "And you weren't here, so…" She shrugged, trailing off. Masa reached back, closing his door behind him. He stepped towards her, but stopped himself. He wanted to hold her, but knew that if he tried, it would only drive her further away, so he did the only thing he could think of instead.

He spoke.

"Are you okay?"

The moment he asked the question, he regretted it. Of course she wasn't okay. She had just been forced to kill her brother. But there was no point in taking it back now, so he glanced away, face burning as he waited for her answer. Her grip tightened on her arm, fingers digging into her skin.

"I'm…I don't know," she said. "I'll be okay…maybe. I don't know."

"Can I get you something?" Masa asked. "Something to eat, or drink, or…something?"

Kohaku shook her head, looking away from him. "I just wanted to talk," she said.

"About?"

"You know what about."

Masa nodded, his expression becoming serious as he looked back at her. He didn't say anything, waiting for her to speak. Kohaku took a long, shaky breath, her shoulders shaking before she looked up at him.

"I don't want this to be about Kin," she said. "If we—if we got together, I want to know that it'll be because of how I feel about you, not because I just don't want to think about my brother."

Masa said nothing, watching her. His mind raced, trying to think of what he could say, but Kohaku was already talking again.

"I just—it's not that I don't feel anything for you. But now's not the best time, and I—agh!" She shook her head, letting out a shout of frustration. "—I just wish we could start over."

"Why don't we?" asked Masa.

Kohaku looked up. "Why don't we what?" she asked.

"Start over." Masa took a deep breath, meeting her eyes. "Look, we went about this the wrong way. What if we just start over from the beginning? We can…go to dinner, or something. No pressure."

"Would your family be okay with that?" asked Kohaku.

"Does it matter?" asked Masa. "My father wouldn't mind, and his is the only opinion that matters. Besides, we'll just be going out to eat."

Kohaku hesitated, glancing away. Her brow furrowed in thought as she considered it, looking up at him. "No pressure?"

"None," said Masa.

"I need a little bit of time…" said Kohaku, lowering her eyes again. "After what happened…"

"Take as much time as you need," said Masa. "It's not like we're running out of it."

Kohaku took a deep breath. "—Then yes," she said, meeting Masa's eyes. "After…I get my head on straight, and after I see how my best friend is, after all of that, then yes, dinner would be great."

The Sixth Division barracks loomed in front of them as they approached the gate, large nad imposing. It was already late at night, later than Yuzu had anticipated getting home. Byakuya had insisted on having her stay at the Fourth for more observation, and then there had been a detailed debriefing at the First Division, where she had been asked to tell her story over and over again. She had answered all questions truthfully and had told the whole story, leaving out only the part about Jungetsu's relationship to Kyoka Suigetsu. It didn't feel necessary, and besides, it didn't really matter now.

Through all of it, Byakuya had hardly let her out of his sight. It was almost as though he was worried she was going to run off again, or that she was going to fall over at any minute. She was grateful, on some level, but a part of her wished he would leave. Having him this close, showing so much concern for her, was painful, but on the other hand, she wished it could go on for much longer.

After their conversation in her inner world, she wondered whether he felt the same way.

Yuzu stole a glance at him as they approached the Division's gates, Byakuya leading. He wasn't looking at her now, but she thought she'd caught him glancing her way once or twice over the course of the night. Would things have been different, if she'd told him about her feelings earlier? If she'd spoken to her grandfather while he was still alive, as Masa suggested? The thought of Ryushin made her remember his death, and Yuzu felt a wave of fresh pain. She lowered her eyes to the ground, clasping her hands tightly in front of her.

It was too late for regrets.

"The lights are out," Byakuya murmured, his eyes moving over the Division barracks as they approached the gates. Yuzu started at his words, looking up at the barracks as well. As he said, the lights were out, all except for the lamps by the gate and along the path that led up to the building, as well as a few lights within the building itself.

"I wonder if everyone went to sleep," she said. "It's late enough. They probably got tired waiting."

Byakuya 'hmm'ed, but didn't say anything more as he walked up to the gates, pushing them open. Yuzu came to a stop at the sight in front of her. Shiyougi, Shirogane, Nagai, Rikichi, Kawamoto, and some of the other shinigami of the Sixth were sitting in a huddle in a pool of light on the veranda of the barracks, still dressed in their shihakushos. Their eyes were closed, their chests rising and falling in the rhythm of sleep. When the gate opened, Nagai woke up with a start, his eyes widening as he sat up.

"Fukutaicho!" he said as he saw her. He turned, quickly nudging the others awake. "You guys, wake up. The taicho's here, and he has the fukutaicho with him. She's okay!"

In an instant, the others were awake as well, scrambling to their feet. Yuzu blinked as she suddenly found herself surrounded, questions flying from every direction.

"Are you alright, fukutaicho?" asked Shirogane.

"You shouldn't do something like that…" Shiyougi began.

"Did you really beat her?" asked Rikichi.

"A-Ano…fuku—fukutaicho…" Kawamoto began.

Yuzu stared at them, blinking. "You—you guys…"

"We were really worried," Shiyougi said, frowning at her.

"Please don't do something like that ever again," said Shirogane.

Yuzu hesitated, still stunned. She looked past them at Byakuya, who was standing in front of the barracks' door, watching her. Yuzu looked away from him, turning back towards the others. They were watching her expectantly, eyes wide, and she took a deep breath, suddenly touched by their concern.

"Kurosaki-fukutaicho…" Kawamoto began, looking down at the ground.

"I won't," said Yuzu, smiling. "I promise."

A few minutes later, she and Byakuya were walking through the darkened halls, heading towards the administrative office. They walked in silence, neither of them looking at each other. Most of the Division still seemed to be asleep, although a few people had been woken up by their arrival, and had come outside to greet them. Yuzu returned each greeting with a smile, although by the time she reached the office, the weight of everything that had happened seemed to weigh down on her. She let Byakuya open the office door, following him into the familiar room and looking over at her desk.

Everything was just as she had left it, down to the papers that she'd left scattered in the rush of events following the betrayal. It was hard to believe that that had been less than a week ago. Looking at her desk, Yuzu felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her, enough that she nearly swayed on her feet. She was tired, she realized. Very tired.

Byakuya moved past her, walking over to his own desk. He picked up a piece of paper, one that didn't look like anything issued by the Gotei 13. Yuzu looked over at him as he turned it over, noticing the way the light reflected against the seal that bound the scroll together. She didn't recognize it, but it looked like a noble's seal. Yuzu watched Byakuya's face, wondering if she should speak.

After a while, she took a deep breath, deciding that she had nothing to lose.

"Taicho…" she ventured. "Is something…wrong…?"

Byakuya looked up at her from over the top of the scroll, his expression conflicted. He glanced back down, putting the sheet back on the desk. "Azami…" he said. "…has set a date for the wedding. It is to be held next week?"

"That soon?" She blurted out the question without thinking and instantly regretted it, lowering her eyes to the ground. A flush darkened her cheeks, and she clasped her hands tighter, looking away.

"An agreement was made," said Byakuya, in the sort of tone that told her he didn't wish to elaborate. "I suppose it's for the best."

"Yes," said Yuzu. "I suppose…"

Silence fell, stretching between them like the shadows that darkened the office. Yuzu shifted her weight uncomfortably, wondering whether or not she should find an excuse to leave. She was still thinking that over when Byakuya spoke.

"Yu…Kurosaki," said Byakuya, making her look up. "I understand that this may be asking too much of you, so do not feel obliged to accept, but if you wished to—that is to say, if you wanted—if you felt inclined to—."

Her smile was bitter, but she smiled anyway, looking up at him. "I'd be glad to go the wedding, taicho," she said. "Thank you for inviting me."

Byakuya looked surprised, and…possibly, a little relieved. He tucked the scroll into the inside pocket of his robes, looking back at her. "Then…good night, Kurosaki."

"Good night, taicho."

After Byakuya left, Yuzu made her way slowly to her room. She opened it, stepping inside of the room that had only been hers for a few months, but that felt like she had lived in it much longer. Her hand went up, touching the badge on her left arm. The vice-captain's quarters of the Sixth Division…

She collapsed onto her bed without bothering to undress or turn down the covers, her eyes closed as she replayed everything—their conversation in the inner world, the day they had had, Byakuya's invitation.

A week. He would be getting married in a week.

And for some reason, she'd agreed to attend.

Yuzu pulled her pillow close to her, hugging it tight as she closed her eyes and buried her face into it.

"Tadaima…" she muttered to herself, just as she fell asleep.

TO BE CONTINUED

Omake

It was finally quiet in the Fifth Division, the lights in the hallway gone out and the only lights remaining in the perimeter of the barracks around the gate. The two of them lay there for a few long moments, bathed in moonlight and catching their breaths. Ichigo raised his head from the pillow, looking over at Rukia, who was lying on top of his chest, her eyes closed.

"So," he said, "Which one of us is the pervert now?"

Rukia's eyes snapped open suddenly, narrowing into a glare. She scowled at him in a way that made his blood run cold, his eyes widening as he scrambled back away from her.

"Rukia!" Ichigo yelled, from the hallway outside the captain's quarters, standing in front of the door. "Rukia, you can't kick me out! This is my Division!"

There was no answer. Ichigo took a breath, the silence only compounded by the fact that he was sure every other officer in his Division was probably by their doors, listening in. "Rukia, come on!" he said. "I take it back!"

"Come on, Rukia!" he shouted again.

Silence.

"At least throw me some clothes!"