Sugar and Spice – Chapter 5

Merchant Conventions and a Hangover

Byakuya felt crushed. He had been on the verge of asking Ichigo if he wanted to hang out with him tonight, maybe have a drink together, alone, without Rukia or Renji, until that girl showed up. How badly he desired this! Ever since the younger man started working for him, he could not think of anything else. For all the moments Ichigo watched him—because Byakuya certainly noticed—he was watching Ichigo.

It was almost embarrassing. Actually, it was embarrassing. It was only logical and Byakuya should have known that Ichigo had an adorable girlfriend or boyfriend lurking out there somewhere. That assistant of his was just too delicious for someone to have not already claimed him.

Indeed, this newfound information was truly depressing.

It was not often Byakuya chased after a person—in fact, never since Hisana, but for this orange-haired man, he simply could not restrain himself. He wanted a chance. Just a small chance to be alone with Ichigo away from the kitchen, Byakuya was sure that he was not imagining the reciprocated flirts.

Was I too subtle? But it wouldn't have mattered anyways since Ichigo has a girlfriend!

Sighing with frustration, Byakuya slipped his motorcycle helmet on. He gunned the engine and sped off, the roaring motorcycle akin to that of his irritated thoughts. How careless, letting his emotions get the better of him. It was already hard enough putting one's feelings on the line, one's heart and soul. Sure, he managed to satisfy his needs, but none of those people ever made him laugh. None of them ever made his blood run this hot. No one had ever caught his attention this much in a very long time.

The way Ichigo caused him to drop his guard. He knew he had not felt this kind of attraction for anyone since his late wife. That was scary for him. Now to have it all thrown in his face like a cream pie, Byakuya felt angry. He wanted Ichigo and yet that annoying girl had him. His fingers gripped the handlebars fiercely on his bike in jealousy.

Rukia and Renji were laughing at a joke that Izuru Kira made about how the world is slowly being taken over by the Gangnam style.

Momo Hinamori was stifling a giggle, too. "YouTube is full of re-makes, too. Have you guys seen them? Some of them are really funny."

"Like that one with that group of girls with really short skirts—"

Rukia brashly swatted her husband before he could finish that sentence. Renji rubbed his shoulder and left his 'short skirt' commentary slide.

When they arrived at the bar, they ran into friends that often frequented here on the weekends. Izuru and Momo were friends from their youth. They all went to school together in this neighbourhood, from kindergarten to high school.

Izura Kira was a tall, blonde-haired journalist that was usually quiet and serious, although he loosened up a bit after a few drinks and often told stories about his reporting job. Momo Hinamori was a small, friendly woman with long brown hair that she wore in a tidy ponytail. She was smartly dressed in a simple black dress and worked as a graphic artist for a magazine.

Both were nine to fivers.

"Tell me why you let that Maki-san beat you in the last round, Renji? I still can't understand how you didn't see that move coming," Izuru wondered, changing the subject.

Renji was a Japanese UFC fighter. Rukia lovingly called it 'man-hugging' much to his distaste. Albeit, he was a heavyweight champion and made a good living beating the crap out of people in a ring. His style of fighting was kickboxing and Judo. And yes, at times, he would admit that some of his fights did seem to consist of quite a bit of man-hugging. Women just didn't get it.

"Pfft," Renji sounded. "What the hell do you know about a good fight, Izuru? I'd like to see you get in that ring, you'd be beaten to two seconds flat!"

"The weight of my strike is a lot harder than you give me credit for, Renji." Izuru retort grumpily, sweeping some blond locks out of his eyes.

Leaning over the table, Renji challenged, "Is that so? Wanna find out?"

"Renji," a cool voice intervened. "I don't think this is the time or place for such boasting."

Everyone looked over to see who had just spoken.

"Nii-sama," exclaimed Rukia, her eyes wide. "W-what are you doing here?"

Byakuya stood next to their booth holding his motorcycle helmet, hair a little tousled, face stony. "I decided a drink is required after all," he explained indifferently and took a seat at the edge next to Momo.

"Hi, Byakuya," Momo said. "It's been a while."

Izuru gave him a nod.

Normally, Byakuya practiced good etiquette, but tonight he just grunted in reply. A waiter came to refresh their orders and to take Byakuya's new one.

"A double scotch, neat," he ordered. "And let me pay the current tab, as well."

The waiter nodded and took off.

Rukia frowned. "Is everything alright?" she asked her brother.

"It's fine," Byakuya said. "Do not worry, Rukia, I'm only staying for one drink. I do have to drive home after all."

Rukia looked a little relieved and sipped from the straw of her drink.

"And what happened to Ichigo?" Renji wondered. "Couldn't convince him to come?"

Again, Byakuya grunted unusually. "His girlfriend came to pick him up, so I don't think he'll be joining us."

At that, Rukia almost choked. She coughed a little and Renji patted her back.

Byakuya had been true to his word, he only stayed for one drink. It was like a warm-up drink since he came home to his apartment and filled up a fresh heavy glass with more scotch. It bothered him that he had gone to see his sister and her husband and their friends at the bar. It made him feel exposed somehow, but it was the first place he ended up after he left the café. He thought that listening to their mindless chatter might cheer him up. But all he found was their eyes watching him cautiously and the conversation felt forced.

It was a good thing he didn't stay too long, he just wasn't comfortable.

Now he stood in the dark staring at the moon outside of his window, feeling the burn of alcohol that he swallowed. Oddly, the more he drank the shittier he felt. Thus began the terrible race to conquer bad feelings with more alcohol until he could no longer keep his eyes open. Nevertheless, that was kind of the point.

Miraculously, he made it to his bedroom and somehow managed to climb onto his bed. He lay there face down all ruffled and askew, still wearing his clothes and passed out.

In the morning, Byakuya heard an awful sound, like the pounding of gongs. It seemed as if they were ringing right next to his ears.

"Byakuya!"

He just buried his head under a pillow, hoping to quiet the voices and continued to sleep.

The knocking was coming from the door and the person doing all the knocking was one of Byakuya's closest friends, Yoruichi Shihoin. Yoruichi grew up in a prominent family, too. She and Byakuya went to the same private school as children, where their families thought they would get the best education that would prepare them for ultimate success. That might have been true for Byakuya, who went off to work at the family business after graduating, but not for Yoruichi. She defected from her family to marry the man she loved, Kisuke Urahara, a man that owned a chain of convenience stores all across Japan. It wasn't as if he didn't make a good living, quite the contrary, he was very successful. It was just that the Shihoin family hated Kisuke and believed Yoruichi deserved someone else, someone with a finer bloodline.

Life could be rough, even for prominent wealthy folks.

This did not stop Yoruichi though she was a tough woman. She didn't care about all that bloodline stuff and lived her life a free and happy woman.

Digging out her picklock, she jimmied the door open and punched in the alarm code when she got into Byakuya's apartment.

"Hey, little Byakuya!" she sang, "Where the heck you at? I thought we were going down to the farmer's market today. I need your culinary smarts. Come on, you never sleep in, what's going on?"

She looked around and didn't see anything out of place. The apartment was ridiculously clean and tidy, very minimalist. Everything had that sophisticated white and black colour scheme mixed with greys. Just the way Byakuya liked it, the perfectionist. Yoruichi was jealous of Byakuya's apartment on the top floor with its amazing view of Karakura Town and the huge windows that let all the morning sunshine in.

When she sniffed the air, she could smell the musty scent of booze. That was strange… Byakuya was not much of a drinker and if he was drinking then something was really bothering him.

Surely, she came across the empty bottle of scotch and an unfinished glass resting on a side table next to the couch. She made a face and stormed into the bedroom to find her raven-haired friend sprawled all over his bed like some kind of, burnt out rock star. Tsk, he was still wearing all his clothes much to her disappointment.

"No fun, Bya-kun."

Yoruichi took out her phone and snapped his picture. "That's one for the books. I'll show it to ya when we're old and grey, Byakuya. When we have nothing better to do than to sit around reminiscing about old times," she teased.

She wandered over to the drapes and swung them open, sending warm bars of sunshine over Byakuya's bed and over his sleeping form. "Come on, time to get up and get you hydrated, you silly man."

Byakuya actually groaned from under his pillow. "Evil woman, go away…"

"Not on your life, Byakuya. I think I've come to your rescue, you'll thank me later," she explained and removed the pillow he was hiding under, revealing a tangled mass of black hair. She gasped. "Wow, you look like something the cat dragged in."

Byakuya turned his head, cracked one eye open and got a blast of sunshine. He squeezed it shut again and groaned. "Ugh, what happened? Why are you in here, I thought I locked the door."

"I picked the lock and entered the code into your alarm system. I watched the numbers you punched into it the last time I saw you use it. You're so predictable Byakuya," she told him plainly. "And what do you mean 'what happened'." She mimicked his gruff tone. "You tell me, you're the one with the hangover."

Pushing himself up to a sitting position Byakuya tried to rub some life into his face. He turned away from the sunlight and opened his bloodshot eyes. There in his room Yoruichi stood, wearing black tights with tall black boots and a lacy orange sweater over a white tank top and a three-quarter length white coat. She had her vibrant violet hair up in a high ponytail.

"You don't make a good drunk," Yoruichi chastised. "Go clean yourself up and I'll put on some tea and breakfast."

Nodding like a child that just been scolded, Byakuya pushed himself up and padded off to the bathroom.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Byakuya looked a little more alive than he did fifteen minutes ago. After he guzzled some water and two Advil's, he enjoyed a pleasantly hot cup of tea and pecked at some toast.

"You have my gratitude, Yoruichi," he said affably, sounding more like his normal self.

Yoruichi was noisily stirring some honey into her cup of black tea. "So what's the problem? Why the hell did you drink that much scotch?" She cut right to the chase.

Byakuya frowned, hands wrapped around the hot cup. "It is truly ridiculous. Please do not ask me to explain. I was angry, it was stupid."

Setting the spoon aside, she said. "Nice try buddy, I guess I'll just have to stay here all day until you tell me."

Resistance was futile. With a sigh, Byakuya told her his problem.

Ichigo felt great. He had a full night's sleep, soaked in the bathtub with bubbles and drank a beer from a glass. Ishida was at the hospital all night working, so he had the place all to himself and cranked some tunes.

While he had sat in the tub, he found himself reading up on baking and pastry on his phone. He checked out lots of classic French pastry recipes, read up on some of the terminology and even made a list on his phone to check out a few other 'top-ten' bakeries.

Today he decided he was going to do just that.

It wasn't like he was going to become that weird dude—not like the one Renji claimed hung around in cafés trying to pick up girls. He was just going to look around, maybe sample a few things to see what the world of pastry had to offer. He wanted to learn all there was about Byakuya's world, a world that was becoming exceedingly interesting to Ichigo. It felt important to go and investigate and to broaden his horizons. He also decided to check out a local farmer's market that apparently sold handmade chocolate.

Maybe he would pick some up and try to make something cool to surprise Byakuya. Maybe he would create his own recipe, something that might make his chef proud. The idea of that felt very exciting.

Thinking of Byakuya, Ichigo realized that was the only thing that was really bothering him this morning. He couldn't shake off the strange vibe he felt from Byakuya when he left the café last night in a rush. Either way, Ichigo wanted to get out and soak up the sunshine today. Even though it was getting cooler these days, the sun still felt good.

Before he left his apartment building, he peeked around the corner for big-boobied girls. Phew! The coast was clear and Ichigo headed for the bus that would take him to a trendier neighborhood, close to the farmer's market.

"Wow…" Yoruichi droned as she and Byakuya walked around the market. "Talk about over-reacting. Just when I think you've out-grown that hot-headed temper of yours."

Byakuya sighed. "I already explained that it was stupid. Can we drop this now?" They had been talking about it since they left his apartment and Byakuya was not happy. He didn't want to keep pointing out how utterly ludicrous he acted last night.

"Fine, fine, whatever," she said flippantly and smiled, her golden eyes shining. "You know, I haven't seen you get this worked up about someone in a real long time. He must be something special. What is it, his voice, his eyes? His ass…? Have you seen him naked yet?"

Tiredly, Byakuya replied, "You ask too many questions."

Yoruichi just laughed. "That means you haven't seen him naked, but you want to. It's okay you don't have to say anything, Byakuya. I can read your dirty little mind."

"Please stop," beseeched Byakuya. He tried to change the subject. "So, what is it you need my help with?"

"I told you before—I want to make a healthy low-glycemic snack to sell to my clients. There are so many great things out there, but I need your help to make it taste good. Something with alternative ingredients, like quinoa or amaranth and gluten free stuff."

Finally, they were talking about something he enjoyed. Byakuya offered, "How about agave syrup for a sweetener alternative and Medjoole dates to glue it together, homemade granola made with spelt, amaranth and puffed quinoa?"

"We could throw in some flax seed and almonds—"

"—and some dried cranberries or currents."

Yoruichi flashed him a brilliant smile.

One of the things Byakuya enjoyed the most about Yoruichi, was how she got him to think about non-traditional ingredients to cooking. She was a great nutritionist and often instructed yoga classes for her clients, giving them the option for a better quality of life. Talking with her, Byakuya rediscovered that there was so much more he could do with food.

Unfortunately, she didn't have the best taste in men as she did with nutritional foods, or so he thought.

"How is Kisuke-san?" Byakuya wondered casually.

Now Yoruichi's smile became a sly one. "He's good, he's at a merchant's convention," she said. "How boring can that be? Who decides it's a good idea to have a merchant convention anyways?"

"Merchants, perhaps," Byakuya cleverly answered in his deep stoic voice.

Yoruichi rolled her eyes. "Always the smart ass," she retort humorously. Then she sighed, "I miss him terribly."

Byakuya had to admire his friend for doing what she felt was right for her and not necessarily right for her prestigious family. It was sort of the same thing for him when he decided to quit his job at the firm. Maybe they both had more in common than he would like to admit.

"How long has he been gone," he wondered.

"Twenty-four hours."

Byakuya wore a blank face. "That's it?"

"It feels like an eternity. But that's alright, when he's gone it gives me a chance to throw that hat of his in the washer. I told him that the thing was starting to smell like old socks but he doesn't listen."

Byakuya smiled to himself. This was definitely the kind of chatter, which took his mind off his own personal matters. Off of cute orange-haired assistants.

Hunting around they managed to find all the ingredients Yoruichi would need to make her energy efficient treat, and Byakuya gave her full instructions on how to make it. He was pleased now that she had dragged him out of bed and forced him to come outside—he inhaled the crisp fresh air.

Just then, Yoruichi grabbed his elbow. "Didn't you say this Ichigo guy had amazing orange hair? Look over there."

"I did but why do you—" Then Byakuya spotted Ichigo and Ichigo spotted them. That pleasant feeling Byakuya was just lucky enough to find, vanished. He froze, frowned, and began to turn away. "Let's head back," he told Yoruichi icily. He couldn't face the young man now.

Only Yoruichi would not have any of that.

"Aww, he's adorable, Bya-kun," she cooed next to his ear.

Yanking on Byakuya's arm, much to his reluctance, she dragged him over to Ichigo who was wearing dark, fitted pants with high-top sneakers, a faded red t-shirt with a warm brown jacket and a lighter brown scarf that hung loosely around his neck. On his face, he wore a pair of blue-tinted sunglasses.

"Byakuya and…err…" Ichigo glanced at the gorgeous dark-skinned woman clinging to Byakuya's arm. He immediately looked uncomfortable as his eyes shifted between them.

"My name is Yoruichi Shihoin. Oh, I know what you are thinking but I am not Byakuya's girlfriend or anything. We're just friends, friends for seventeen years. He's like a little brother to me." Yoruichi clearly put it out there. "I happen to be a happily married woman." She flashed Ichigo her wedding ring with a big fat diamond.

Byakuya graciously removed his arm from Yoruichi's clutches. Inside he wanted to die of mortification, but on the outside, he appeared cold as stone.

Now Ichigo was even more flustered.

"Oh… I—I see, ahh... well that's great," he said and tried to save some face because he knew he sounded like an idiot. "So what brings you both here?" Ichigo wondered, eyeing Byakuya's attire. The man wore stylish straight dark blue jeans, rolled up at the ankle in a trendy fashion, with black leather shoes. Under a navy blue pea coat with a collar, he wore a white button-up shirt that exposed the base of his pale throat.

Ichigo watched how the breeze was catching Byakuya's raven hair.

"We came to purchase a few things at this market," Byakuya explained impassively, unable to look Ichigo in the eye.

"It's a really cool place. This is the first time I've been here—I'm regretting not checking it out before," Ichigo admitted, feeling awkward with the cold shoulder Byakuya was giving him. He started to scowl. Man, this guy could really irritate him.

"So where's your girlfriend?" Yoruichi blurted. "Seems like a thing a couple should be doing on a Sunday afternoon."

Nearly choking out the words Ichigo spat, "My what?"

"Yoruichi-san…" Byakuya began to reprimand.

"Wait, what makes you think I have a girlfriend—" Ichigo started to say when it dawned on him. Was Byakuya upset last night when Orihime came to see him? Damn, just as Ichigo thought, he had thought she was his girlfriend. Ichigo wasn't just imagining the strange vibe he felt last night.

Ichigo began to lose his cool, screw being mister nice guy. "Oh, I see how it is, Kuchiki Byakuya," he muttered tersely. "You told your friend here that—you just assumed Orihime was my girlfriend. She is a nice girl but I'm not interested in her. Tch! I'll have you know to assume anything makes an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. Feel better now?"

Byakuya was shocked at how rudely Ichigo spoke to him, but the man had every right to be annoyed. I've been mistaken? He closed his eyes and sighed.

Still running on his hit of adrenaline, Ichigo demanded while he still had nerve. "So why did that upset you? You can't lie. Last night you left in a pissed off mood. I can tell you were fine until Orihime showed up. So what's your problem, huh?"

This time Byakuya raised his eyebrows and settled his cool grey eyes directly on his assistant. Ichigo and Byakuya stared hard at one another.

"Hmm, I just remembered I have an appointment with a client at two-o'clock," Yoruichi interrupted and gave Byakuya a peck on his cheek. "Call me later," she whispered in his ear and walked away.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ichigo immediately began to apologize, watching Yoruichi walking away. "I didn't mean to—"

"Because I find you very attractive," Byakuya cut him off calmly, answering the question with cold formality, almost as if he were annoyed. He wiped Yoruichi's lipstick from his cheek gently. "I was jealous."

There were too many spontaneous messages firing off in Ichigo's mind. Kind of like a battlefield filled with various different struggles. He blinked confused for a second. "Aren't you going to go get your friend? Wait… what?" The last thing Byakuya said finally clicked.

Ichigo actually gaped. "Did I just hear you correctly?"

"Do not make me repeat myself," warned Byakuya.

Ichigo was stunned. His palms began to perspire, his breathing increased slightly. Then he blushed so intensely, he thought his face was burning. He looked away shyly. "You were jealous," Ichigo murmured incredulously more to himself than to Byakuya.

Byakuya's eyes began to soften. "Let's walk," he suggested.

With his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth now, Ichigo simply nodded and followed Byakuya like a lost soul.

They walked through the market, not saying a single word to each other. They strolled for a good twenty minutes in utter silence, leaving the market behind and going down a busy street full of interesting shops and restaurants. Their cheeks were gaining some colour from the exercise and the cool air.

"Why did you become a pastry chef?" Ichigo questioned, breaking the silence.

A vague smile tugged at the corner of Byakuya's mouth. "I tell you that I find you attractive and the first thing you ask me is why I became a pastry chef." He actually chuckled softly, feeling some of his tension releasing. "You astonish me, Ichigo Kurosaki—strawberry."

Ichigo scowled. "Don't start that, Bya-nana."

Byakuya smirked with amusement. "I got into this business after my wife passed away. I wanted to run away from all responsibility and disappeared for two years. I learned it when I spent two years in France working for a true pâtissier. He taught me the basics and gave me the strength to become my own baker."

"Wow, it must have been rough for you," Ichigo said honestly, lifting the blue shades up so they rest in his hair. He wanted to give Byakuya his full attention.

Byakuya studied Ichigo's warm brown eyes for a moment and then looked away. "At first it was, yes, but I discovered something I was naturally good at. Cooking is an art and it is full of discipline and dedication. It was a challenge and I had nothing to lose."

"I guess I can understand that," Ichigo said.

Byakuya continued. "I returned to Japan four years ago and opened my own bakery. I did it because it is the one thing that is truly mine, something I built with my own hands."

"Well, it's amazing," Ichigo claimed, "I read about you all over the internet."

"You have?"

"Yup," Ichigo alleged.

Byakuya looked at Ichigo thoughtfully. "Have you ever lost someone important to you?"

Ichigo's eyes turned a shade darker and his eyes dropped to the sidewalk. "My mother, she died in a car crash when I was nine. I was in the car with her when it happened. We got hit by a drunk driver," he said solemnly. "They had to use the Jaws of Life to get me out of the wreckage. It's crazy but I barely remember anything, it happened so fast."

"How tragic," Byakuya said with genuine empathy. He blinked as he tried to comprehend what an event such as that would feel like. It gave him a cold chill.

"Yeah," Ichigo said with a sigh but then he cut Byakuya a small smile, "That's life for you, full of tragedy but it can also be full of good, too, if you let it."

Such a positive outlook on things, Byakuya thought. He remained silent wondering if his being honest with Ichigo today would end up as a 'good' thing.

"How is your callus?" Byakuya inquired.

Ichigo chuckled and held out his hand to show Byakuya the now spongy callus. "It's still there but not painful anymore. The bath did the trick."

"Do you live alone?"

"I have a roommate that is studying to become a doctor like his father. He interns at the hospital, he's a bit of a know-it-all. But Ishida's one of the good guys," Ichigo explained truthfully.

"Saves on expenses..."

"Exactly, I couldn't afford a place on my own. This city is an expensive place to live, but it's home, you know?" Ichigo looked over at Byakuya who walked on his right and told him, "Your hair looks nice when it's down." He glanced away shyly after saying it.

Byakuya noticed Ichigo's humble body language, adorable indeed. He replied fearlessly now that they had gotten this far. "And I wonder what hair, the colour of yours, feels like?"

Softly, Ichigo began to frown again.

"I don't mean that in an impolite manner," Byakuya quickly assured, removing his left hand from his pocket and reached over, gently touching his fingertips into Ichigo's orange hair. It was soft underneath some of the product Ichigo used to style his hair. "Such an outlandish natural colour..."

"So you really like it?" Ichigo's entire body shivered from Byakuya's subtle touch.

Byakuya replied, "Very much so."

Ichigo smiled broadly and it almost brought Byakuya to his knees.

"Can I tell you something?" Ichigo said nervously.

"Please do."

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo spoke the words he wanted to say the first time he met Byakuya. "The night I walked into your bakery, I did because I wanted to ask you out. I couldn't walk away without at least, trying to speak to you. I know I failed miserably at that. Don't remind me. Only, you somehow ended up becoming my boss. Don't get me wrong, Byakuya, I really enjoy working in the kitchen and I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity."

Byakuya scoffed with pleasure. "So Rukia had been correct then. She thought you were just another 'horn dog'."

"She said that about me?!" The redhead howled indignantly.

"Patience, Ichigo. I'm not finished." Byakuya scolded gently. "I knew she was right, of course."

"So you thought I was a horn dog, too!" Ichigo looked away, sulking.

Byakuya chuckled to himself softly. "Don't be so ridiculous," he chastised. "I knew she was correct. However, I was more delighted that you agreed to come and work for me."

Ichigo was shocked from what he was hearing. All this time Byakuya knew his true intentions and yet he'd still let him come work for him. "I don't get it, why me? I mean... what does a guy like you see in someone like me?"

"I could ask you the very same question, Ichigo," Byakuya enlightened.

Ichigo was at a loss for words as he stared at the beautiful man beside him.

"Do you know what I see, Ichigo," Byakuya nearly whispered, glancing over at his strolling companion. "I see an honest attractive man, a true genuine and stubborn fool. You have caught my eye like no other."

It almost sounded like an insult but Ichigo knew that was the farthest thing from it. He smiled mischievously. "That's not so untrue of yourself, you know. The stubborn part that is."

"I'm not perfect, Ichigo."

You are to me, Ichigo thought.

"Are you hungry?" Byakuya wondered, feeling ravenous now that the world felt balanced again. He had been so sorely mistaken about Ichigo and that girl. He felt a certain kind of liberation, his mind felt amazingly free and his body hummed with sheer delight for the man walking next to him. All he wished for now was that his lovely time with Ichigo would never end.

"Starving," Ichigo openly admitted.

"Then let me take you to one of my favourite places. It's really close to my place," Byakuya explained. "It would be my pleasure."

Nodding, Ichigo followed. Together they shared pleasant conversation over a delicious meal. Byakuya introduced Ichigo to red wine and spoke of wine pairings with certain foods. It was something the younger man didn't know much about. They ended up spending their entire dinner talking about cooking and baking.

Ichigo loved every second of it.

Eventually, the day began to catch up to Byakuya. After a night of too much scotch and not enough sleep, and now a glass of wine, his eyes began to lose their vibrancy.

"What's the matter, Byakuya? You look tired," Ichigo addressed.

With a sigh, Byakuya replied. "I had a late night last night." He didn't give any further details. It was much too embarrassing.

"Then let me walk you home," Ichigo offered.

Byakuya nodded and inhaled sharply when Ichigo took his hand.

"Is this ok?" Ichigo asked him carefully.

"Yes."

Together they walked, hand in hand, as if none of the previous issues meant anything now. And it felt so perfectly awesome.

When they got to the entrance of Byakuya's apartment building, a real elegant looking place, Ichigo and Byakuya stood hesitant before one another.

Ichigo began to scratch at the back of his head. "So... err, what are you doing tomorrow?" he wondered and quickly added, "Not that I'm asking you to hang out with me again. I will respect your space. I'm just asking."

Byakuya's mouth twitched. "That's alright, Ichigo. I understand," he replied. "I promised to visit my father and I have to run some errands. Not really an exciting day. How about yourself?"

"Huh," Ichigo sounded, "I promised to visit my family, too. My dad he's such a weird guy, always checking up on me and my twin sisters always bug me about getting a job."

"But you do have a job," Byakuya said.

"I know, I just haven't told them about it yet."

"I see."

"Yuzu is going to be thrilled. Karin is hard to place. My dad though, I really dunno what he'll think about me working in a bakery. He'll probably tease me."

"I don't believe that," Byakuya told him. "I thought my father was going to be angry when I decided to leave the family business and pursue cooking. I was erroneous."

"I'd like to meet your father one day. He sounds like a smart man," Ichigo said, remembering what Rukia had said about Sōjun Kuchiki.

Byakuya scoffed. "He's a sentimental fool."

Ichigo laughed, "So is mine."

"Well, goodnight, Ichigo," Byakuya said and regrettably took his hand out of Ichigo's. He hadn't even realized they were still joined, it felt that natural.

Ichigo placed his hand back into his coat pocket. Then he became all flustered and blurted, "Do you want me to kiss you?"

Byakuya wore a cool expression and requested, "One step at a time. Is that alright with you?"

Ichigo completely understood. Byakuya was a broken man in repair—he could respect his desire to move slowly. Besides, there was something to be said about, getting to know one another first. Still, it didn't mean his entire being didn't want to spontaneously combust at the thought of kissing this fine, raven-haired piece of calculating maleness.

"No problem, Byakuya," Ichigo spoke softly, his voice slightly breathless with his inner thoughts.

"Goodnight, Ichigo."

"Goodnight, Byakuya."

A/N: Happy Easter everyone! Hope the bunny was good to you :) This chapter was much fun to write. Byakuya really does have a temper sometimes lol! I love it when he gets angry XD! Anyways, I had to add Yoruichi because I think she's so much fun. Also a fan of her and Kisuke hehe. So... The story begins to build around Ichigo and Byakuya's relationship - it's mostly fanservice this fic. However, there will be some trials and tribulations amongst the lemons ku ku ku. Nothing major, I promise.

Reviewers

CallMeSenseiKuchiki - Yay! I'm glad I was able to make you laugh! Thanks kindly for your comments 3

ctofi1 - Thank you for continuing to read this fic! I hope you still enjoy. Yes, thank you Google translator lol!

Paradise Eden -It's always great to hear that a story brings someone happiness or gives great distraction. I understand all too well. I hope I can keep you happily distracted :) Hmm, not much of a rivalry with Orihime. I've gone with a different approach lol! You are too sweet, my friend! *lotsa hugs*

IchigoKurosakix - Awesome! :)

Usamimi-chan - Hehehe, your comments make me laugh soo much! You're too funny! I know! Silly Ichigo for not taking Byakuya up on his offer. Don't worry, the offer will come again soon *winks* Haha.. we both posted our last chapters on the same day. Great minds think alike!

Exuberantblush - Aww, thanks so much! I hope I can continue to entertain.

LuxuriaVanitas - Thanks so much! *hands you a smores cupcake* Yeah this story will have plenty of chapters. Mostly fun stuff and lemons with a little conflict for Ichigo near the end. I just wanted to write a fun story mostly, nothing too serious. I hope you continue to enjoy!

Yonaka - Lulz! Your review makes me grin from ear to ear! Love the naughty reply. Thanks so much for reading!

Cerulean Twin - Yay! I hope to keep you that way :)