Requested by The Crazy Chick In Black- thank you

I talk too much shit about nature. I really should sort myself out.

Byakuya x Renji x Rukia

North

The North wind blew, and they shuddered in the lonely cold.

They looked to each other from across rooms, and offered shy smiles and looks full of ambiguity and something that was not quite fully heat, not yet, but something close to it.

Renji had to learn to be patient, which was something he had never been all that skilled at doing, and to control his temper which, if anything, he was even worse at. Many a tree on the outskirts of the Rukongai was destroyed in those months when they were all learning, but when he was with them he kept his mouth closed, unless an inquisitive finger or tongue requested entry.

Rukia had to remember what it was to be comfortable with them, for ever since the gap had grown between her and Renji she had never been able to breach it like she used to, and the chasm between her and her pseudo-brother had never been crossed before now. She had to teach herself, to, not to flinch away from touches, and force herself to rely on them in a way that she had not been comfortable doing since her last love was taken away from her.

Byakuya had to make sure that he did not leave his guard up when he was with them, because every time they hit his shields they themselves retreated once more, away from him. He was sure that it would take them forever to learn how to be comfortable with each other, and contrary to how it felt sometimes, they did not have forever to remember how to love.

In many ways Byakuya had the most to learn, although he kept the difficulties to himself.

But when Byakuya woke one night to the sound of Rukia's silent sobs, and he caught sight of Renji's frozen eyes from across her curled up body, clearly undecided about what to do, he had a sudden realisation. For a moment he too was stuck, before sense shook him, and he pulled her body up against his, and Renji moved closer, so she was trapped in a warm cocoon of their bodies.

She glanced up at them both, tears balanced on her eyelashes, and reached to touch their faces, a look of absolute relief on her delicate, worn face.

He was glad, in that moment, that they had kept trying.

Practise makes perfect, after all.

The South wind came now, blowing warm over their naked flesh as they lay, entwined, together.