Disclaimer: I do not own any of the fabulous Bleach characters, no matter how much I want it.
Note: Now the night of the party makes place for a very sobering morning. This is a rather slow and subdued chapter, but I felt it was necessary.
I hope you like it nonetheless! Again, thanks everyone for your reviews and for sticking to me for 5 chapters already!
Chapter 6:
Shihana hadn't been able to sleep properly, thus she was at the 6th squad office early. Byakuya was already sitting at his desk, head bent over a stack of documents.
After greeting him, she settled down herself and dipped her brush in the black ink. She dreaded the moment Renji was to arrive.
And she was right: when he stepped in two hours after her, he had no more than a heated glare and a mumbled "Mornin" for her, before sitting down at his desk.
The air was thick with tension. Renji's anger seeped off him in nearly tangible waves.
"Abarai-fukutaichou", Byakuya finally said calmly, "would you mind leashing your reiatsu in? I do not recall you being so unable to control it before. Is it...", he stopped himself when a hand was laid on his shoulder.
"Please don't, Byakuya-san", whispered Shihana. Her face was indifferent, but Byakuya could sense the pain behind her eyes. Had something happened between those two? He would ask Rukia about it later.
They resumed working in silence.
It had been three unbearable hours until the silence was broken by a knock on the door. It was slid open soundlessly, revealing a bowing messenger. "An urgent message from Yamamato-soutaichou!", he said and held out a sealed letter.
Renji stood up to retrieve it. Then he handed the letter to his taichou.
"A group of strong Arrancar appeared in the living world", Byakuya informed them after a moment of reading. "Yamamoto-soutaichou-sama requests us to send a small fighting squad."
"I'll go", said Renji immediately and stood up.
"Trying to escape the paperwork, Abarai-fukutaichou?", asked Byakuya coldly.
"No", answered Renji harshly and disappeared through the door.
The resulting silence was deafening. Shihana tried to concentrate hard on her work, however, the empty chair next to her seemed to glare accusingly.
The hours dragged on. None of them said a word, both deeply lost in their own thoughts.
It was already dark when Shihana had finished all her piles and the work Renji had left behind. She slowly stood and turned to leave.
"Shihana-san, stay", Byakuya's voice stopped her.
"Sit", he demanded and gestured to a place next to him. He was still writing, but Shihana sensed that most of his attention was now focused on her. "What happened between you and Abarai-fukutaichou?"
"Close to nothing", Shihana answered. Then with a sigh, she started to recount the last night's events.
Byakuya said nothing. He worked silently, now and then a slight nod told her he was still listening.
When she had finished, he lay down his pen and turned to look at her.
His eyes were cold and unreadable.
"I am very disappointed. You thought of nothing but your own desires, not stopping a moment to think whether what you were doing was appropriate. I had thought you a better person, Kuchiki Shihana."
Shihana bowed her head. She observed her slender hands which lay in her lap, slightly trembling.
"You are right", she breathed finally. "I am a terrible person, Byakuya-san. And now I don't even have the chance to apologize, whatever that might mean to anyone. I am sorry to let you down though you did your best trying to talk to my parents, what you did not need to do. I will act more responsibly in the future."
She stood up and turned her head away so he wouldn't see her eyes were full of tears.
"Please do not waste more time with my matters, Byakuya-san." Shihana's voice was steady and polite, but Byakuya felt her distress. Still, if she tried to hide it from him, he would not acknowledge her despair. It was the Kuchiki way of dealing with hurt. He didn't call her back when she left the office.
Shihana willed her tears to dry. She had no right to cry about sorrow she had brought upon herself. Byakuya's words had helped to clear her head. She had made up her mind now. When Abarai Renji was back, she would apologize to him. Until then she would muster up the strength to participate in the wedding planning.
Shihana stood up early the next day. She dressed carefully in the cream-white and flower-adorned kimono which was one of her favourites.
It was also the one she had worn the day she had first met Abarai Renji. She willed the thought out of her head. She brushed her hair until it shone, then pinned it back with her white Kuchiki hairpin.
She breathed deeply before knocking at the door to her parents' rooms. The deep voice of her father allowed her to enter.
Bowing, Shihana stepped in.
"Father, mother, I wish to speak to you about the upcoming marriage. I would be happy to participate in the arrangements."
Her parents' eyes went wide for a moment. They had expected more complaining, begging to cancel the event. That her daughter was suddenly willing to help with the planning surprised them.
"This is good news, indeed", said her father. "I was almost certain you would not come to your senses until the appointed date. You have matured after all. I will send for your fiancé immediately."
He wrote a short message then waved at a servant to take it to Shihoin manor. After the messenger had departed, Shimaru spoke again.
"So I can consider Byakuya-sama's visit meaningless?", he asked.
Shihana nodded. "I have come to realize how foolish I have been. I would be very happy to call Shihoin Reki my husband."
"That is nice to hear", said a voice from the door. It was Reki and he looked as handsome as before.
Ayasi offered him a seat and went to ask for tea.
"You look beautiful today, Shihana-san", he said when he sat down. His smile seemed earnest and Shihana wondered for a moment whether she had been wrong about him from the start.
Ayasi returned within a minute. After she, too, had settled down again, they began discussing matters.
"The date is set in three weeks time", said Shimaru. "Invitations have already been dispatched in accordance with your family."
Reki nodded.
"We have agreed the occasion to be held at Kuchiki manor, in the garden if the weather allows it, in the grand salon if it doesn't", Shihana's father continued.
A servant came in and set a tea tray down between them with the softest of clatters. The honor to pour tea lay with Shihana now. She willed her hands to stay still while she held the can. She barely managed to pull it off.
"Now for the flowers", began Shimaru.
"I had thought of white roses", suggested Reki. "They would go beautifully with Shihana's dark hair."
"No", objected Shihana. "I would rather have camellias."
"But roses symbolize love and devotion", said the young man.
"That exactly is the point", snapped Shihana.
"I will not allow such impudence!", snarled her father. "Apologize immediately!"
Shihana cast down her eyes and counted to ten under her breath. "I am very sorry, Reki-sama", she uttered. "Please excuse my rash words."
"Take an example in your mother", Reki advised proudly. "She knows only to talk when there are nice things to say. Women should know their place."
Shihana whipped up her head and stared him in the eye. Her flaming gaze was answered by cold indifference.
"I shall remember that", she said in a clipped voice. Her mother took a sip of tea, not meeting her eye.
Shihana sat silently for the rest of the morning, having her wedding planned without her. She felt useless and overlooked like a pretty peace of furniture, which has no right of existence but solely to look beautiful.
Surprised that Shihana decided to be a good girl for once? And what do you think of Reki? Don't worry, the next chapter will have more Renji in it^^
