A/N: Thank you KirikaAndo, Fifita pe, YaoiLovinKitsune, Miki-mouse716, SomebodyWhoCares, MiharuTousaka, SenSen-Chan, vain-gl0ry, and kuppcake for your reviews!
ch 24: turmoil
Anyone who walked into the Sixth Division barracks could sense the air was thick with tension and unease, and most of the Shinigami working knew why.
However, Abarai Renji did not.
When Renji entered the office building that morning, Captain Kuchiki was not at his desk. Although it was rare for the Captain to arrive later in the day, it was not unheard of, so Renji didn't overthink it.
But then, he noticed how…weird everyone was acting. The Sixth Division wasn't loud or rowdy, but today, everyone was whispering over their cubicles or crowding the halls to gossip. Whenever Renji got close enough to listen to the conversation, the officers stopped talking.
He wondered if he should ask Heiwa about it. She didn't usually engage in gossip, but there wasn't a word uttered in the barracks that didn't reach her ears.
Oddly enough, when Renji went to her office, he found it empty. That was very unlike her. But then again, yesterday was her birthday. Maybe she just had a long day and wanted a day off to relax? That wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.
But given how neither she nor Byakuya were here….not to mention the nervous energy in the office…Renji couldn't help but feel like something was off.
A few minutes later, the Captain arrived. A strangled silence fell over the building. He didn't acknowledge anyone as he entered his office. Renji tentatively approached, knocking on the door before he entered.
Byakuya was sitting at his desk, ruffling through some files. Then, without so much as a glance in Renji's direction, he said, "I assume you've already conducted the morning drills."
"Yes," Renji replied. "Um, Taichō, is Fushido-san supposed to be off today? She isn't at her desk."
Byakuya paused, some strange emotion flickering in his eyes before he looked away.
"Is that so…?"
He clenched his jaw, then resumed signing some forms. "Be prepared to handle her duties if she does not show up today."
Renji's brows raised. Since when was Byakuya okay with his subordinates calling out without warning?
"Taichō, you went to her birthday party last night, didn't you? Did she get sick or something?" he asked.
At the mention of the party, a clear look of anger flashed across Byakuya's face. It was gone instantly, but his tone was rather curt as he spat, "That is none of your concern. You are dismissed."
Whoa.
Something was definitely off.
Renji stood in dumbfounded silence before he uttered, "Hai, Taichō," and exited the office. He could see the other Shinigami whispering amongst themselves and glancing his way.
Renji knew he was missing something; he just didn't know what. Did it have to do with Heiwa's party? Did something happen?
He tried not to think about it, but that got more difficult as the day went on.
By lunch, Heiwa still hadn't come in, and she hadn't responded to the hell butterfly he sent her earlier. It certainly didn't help that Byakuya's attitude only worsened, his reiatsu like a thick cloud dampening the atmosphere.
Renji had to get to the bottom of this. He knew he couldn't count on any noblemen to fill him in. But then who? Renji didn't like to gossip, so he wasn't particularly sure who he could ask without the risk that it would just spread more rumors.
Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. There was one Shinigami in the Sixth Division that had her nose in everyone's business, and she wasn't shy about sharing information.
~X~
"Abarai-fukutaichō! How can I help you?"
Unokagi Biran was noticeably flustered as the lieutenant towered over her desk. She was in the middle of enjoying her lunch, but now her food sat sad and neglected as she stared up at the red-headed Shinigami, anxious to know what he needed from her.
Renji leaned over, his voice low as he glanced around the room suspiciously, "Oi, I've heard that if someone wants to know something, you're the one to go to. Is that right?"
Biran blushed and waved her hands around, looking everywhere except at Renji. "I-I don't know what you're talking about! I would never engage in something as dishonorable as gossip—"
"Any idea why everyone is whispering around the office today? Or why Fushido-san hasn't come in yet?"
Biran fell quiet. She pursed her lips, shifting her eyes as she cupped her hand around her mouth and whispered, "You didn't hear what happened?"
"No. Does it have to do with Fushido-san?" Renji asked. He was starting to get a bad feeling – like this was a can of worms he shouldn't open.
Biran sat back, clearly conflicted. She'd heard some things, and none of them were good. She almost felt like it was something she shouldn't repeat, but…if her lieutenant asked, she couldn't keep it from him, right?
"Okay," she conceded with a big huff of breath. "So, you know how she had a big birthday party yesterday?" she asked.
Renji nodded.
"Well, I heard from Yuki-kun, who heard from Shirogane-san, who overheard Tosa-senpai, who was actually at the party–"
"Please get to the point."
Ugh. Doesn't anyone know how hard it is to stay on top of the Gotei 13 rumor mill? Honestly, she should get a medal for weeding through the riff-raff…
"Okay, fine," she pouted. "So basically, this guy at her party was saying nasty things about her."
Renji's face fell. "Nasty? He said nasty things about Heiwa? Like what?"
"Things I wouldn't want to repeat," Biran said woefully. "Bad things. Like, so bad, Kuchiki-taichō called him out and made a huge scene. Tosa-senpai said his reiatsu was going crazy!"
Renji paused and thought about this. It took a lot for Byakuya to get visibly upset, so whatever this guy said must've been awful. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck wearily.
"So, is Heiwa upset that Taichō caused a scene at her party? I mean, I get it, but…to call out of work over something like that? Doesn't seem like her."
"Well," Biran trailed off, averting her eyes. "That wasn't the end of it. Everyone's saying that Fushido-sama and Kuchiki-taichō got into an argument after the party…but no one knows exactly what it was about."
Oh. So that's what this was about. A lover's spat? Renji rolled his eyes. What the hell did Byakuya say to piss Heiwa off this much…
Biran chewed on her lower lip, her eyes shiny and curious behind her enormous glasses. "Abarai-fukutaichō, I don't mean to pry, but…Fushido-sama and Kuchiki-taichō are together, aren't they?"
Renji gulped, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. It wasn't really his place to comment on their…whatever they had going on.
"You shouldn't gossip about things like that, Unokagi-san," he huffed. "It's unprofessional. And nosy."
"I-I'm not gossiping! I'm just inquiring," Biran blubbered, her glasses heating up from her flushed cheeks. "I mean…I'm not the only one who's noticed how close they are. Kuchiki-taichō isn't that nice with anyone else, not even you."
Well, ouch.
But…true.
Renji sighed. He leaned over and ruffled Biran's hair, grumbling, "How about you focus less on gossiping and more on training with your Zanpakutō?"
Biran whined and swatted his hand away, her cheeks heating up even more. "How about next time you need to know something, youfigure it out on your own!"
Huh, this one's got spunk. Renji laughed and left the rookie's desk, although his mind was still whirling. He hoped that whatever happened between Byakuya and Heiwa, they would get over it soon…
~X~
It was well past the lunch hour when Heiwa finally walked into the office. Renji would have missed it if not for the sudden hush that seemed to fall over the office. Her eyes were rimmed by smudged makeup from the night before. The look on her face was evidence enough of her foul mood.
Renji tried to catch her as she stomped to her office, scampering behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Oi, where have you been?" he whispered.
Heiwa aggressively shrugged his hand off, glaring at him with a disdain he hadn't seen since his first days in the Sixth Division.
"I'm here now. Isn't that what matters?" she hissed, hurrying to her desk and setting her bag down with excessive force.
Renji stood stupidly in the doorway, unsure of how to react. She was upset — no, angry. Renji didn't do well with women when they were angry.
"I heard that…something happened at your party last night," he said carefully.
Heiwa's head whipped up, and her eyes nearly bore a hole through his skull.
"Whatever you think you heard, you didn't. Nothing. Happened."
She yanked open a cabinet in her desk and started rifling through some folders. When she realized Renji was still standing there, she snapped, "Do you need something, Abarai-fukutaichō? Or will you keep gawking at me like an idiot instead of doing your job?"
Abarai-fukutaichō.
The way she called him by his title instead of his name, so cold and formal…it hit Renji like a ton of bricks.
"No, I…I'll go," he said softly.
Heiwa didn't bother to watch him leave, huffing in frustration as she flipped through some files.
Renji was beyond concerned at this point. The last time he'd seen Heiwa so upset was when that friend of hers got engaged…but this felt different. Worse, somehow.
She was so angry.
He vainly hoped her attitude would improve throughout the day, but no such luck. Some poor soul had the misfortune of handing her an expense report about an hour later. Renji had never heard such a scornful tone of voice from Heiwa.
"Is this a joke? Do you think this department is made of money?"
The rookie was left shaking in his waraji by the time she was done dressing him down. All over a few extra yen. Renji shuddered to think of what she would do when someone handed her an incomplete mission report.
He would not have to wait long to find out.
"Yuki-san," Heiwa's voice pierced through the silence of the office. "What day was this mission?"
"Uh, Friday, I think. Why?" Poor Rikichi fidgeted before her.
"Why was this not filed directly following the mission?" Heiwa's face gave nothing away, but her tone was laced with danger.
"I was, um. In the hospital…" Rikichi gulped, trying to keep the fear from showing on his face. He gestured down at the cast on his leg. "It's all detailed there in my report."
"Was your hand injured in the incident as well?"
"N-no?"
"Then I don't see any reason for the report to be late."
Renji winced. Yikes.
Rikichi was far from Heiwa's last victim of the afternoon. There wasn't a soul that passed her desk who wasn't criticized or glared at for one reason or another. Even Biran was left in tears when she presented Heiwa with an error-riddled budget report.
As the bespectacled rookie scurried away, Renji knew he couldn't let this go on much longer. So, with a heavy sigh, he stood up from his desk. It wasn't often he exerted his authority over her, and it wasn't something he enjoyed, but this may be one of those rare cases…
However, Renji didn't get far before Byakuya stalked out of his office, brows furrowed and jaw clenched. Like a storm cloud darkening the skies, the Captain made his way across the room, turning down the hall in a clear path toward Heiwa's office.
All the Shinigami nearby tried to act like they were focused on their paperwork, but they all waited with bated breath to hear what was about to be said. Were they about to witness Captain Kuchiki talking down the Third-Seat? It would be an unprecedented event.
Byakuya stopped at the doorway, staring blankly at Heiwa as she grumbled and aggressively marked up some file on her desk. She didn't notice him for a few seconds, but once she did, she met his blank stare with the same fire she'd been spewing all afternoon.
"Kuchiki-taichō," she said, barely able to disguise the disdain in her voice. "Can I help you?"
The irritation in Byakuya's tone was unmistakable, and everyone shuddered with his next words.
"My office. Now."
Without waiting for a response, Byakuya turned and walked away. Halfway down the hall, he realized Heiwa hadn't moved from her desk. He paused and, without turning around, warned, "Fushido-san, I will not ask again."
Everyone in the office froze. Never before has Captain Kuchiki spoken to Fushido in such a way, and considering all the rumors swirling around…
Was he upset with her behavior this afternoon? Or did it have to do with the events of the night before?
There was a dreadfully long silence before Heiwa took a deep breath and stood from her desk. She followed Byakuya down the hall, her eyes carefully focused on the back of his haori.
Renji watched in concern as the two reached Byakuya's office, and those concerns weren't eased at all as he caught Heiwa glaring at the Captain before closing the door.
Renji gulped, trying to focus on his paperwork but failing miserably. He worried that whatever conversation was taking place behind those closed doors, it wasn't a good one.
And unfortunately, he would be proven right…
