Sugar and Spice – Chapter 14
The Lucky Office Cook
Monday morning arrived a lot faster than Ichigo would have liked. He straightened his tie awkwardly, a tie that Byakuya had given him yesterday. Byakuya explained that he had worn the grey silk tie on his first day when he started at Kuchiki Enterprises many years ago. He had given it to Ichigo as a token of his pride and for luck on his first day.
Ichigo pressed his palm to the tie as if somehow it would give him the strength to walk into the tall, imposing building that stood before him. He peered up the side of the blue-tinted, mirrored glass building, its peak slanted like a half-cut diamond. He could see his reflection in the glass as he got closer, his orange hair stood out greatly against the tailored black suit he wore. It was such a difference from the chef coat he'd been wearing for the last three weeks.
Ichigo berated himself.
Everything in his life was perfect, beyond perfect, he had won Byakuya's heart and their new relationship was momentous. He felt as long as Byakuya was in his life, nothing, simply nothing, could bring him down. How lucky could one person be? What if he had never wandered into that café and seen Byakuya on the other side of the window? Ichigo didn't even want to think about that.
Now he had this new job waiting for him at this huge firm all thanks to his new boyfriend.
So why could he not feel supremely happy about all this?
Ichigo let out an anxious breath and marched into the building. The lobby was ridiculously huge and open, the floors shone as if he walked over a melting sheet of ice and two security guards stood on either side like imperial guards. The receptionist behind a grand front desk gave Ichigo directions to the 3rd floor where all of the firm's human resources and administrations were handled.
He was to report to his new boss and office manager, Toshiro Hitsugaya.
Walking off the elevator, Ichigo entered an enormous floor completely filled with cubicles. The hum and buzz of people talking on the phone, fingers tapping the keys of their computers reached Ichigo's ears. The office was very tidy and organized and all around them windows gave a panoramic view of the outside world in its perimeter. It wasn't the type of office that made one feel completely shut out—unless you were the unlucky one that got a cubicle somewhere in the middle. Then you would have to stand occasionally to remind yourself that the beige walls dividing the cubicles were not the only thing to look at.
Many curious eyes were directed on Ichigo as he stood there surveying the office.
A shorter man with spiky white hair and a youthful, yet, handsome face approached him. He wore a clean dark suit with an emerald green tie. He wore a serious expression. The turquoise colour of his eyes didn't help warm his stern glare.
"You must be Ichigo Kurosaki, I was told you were starting today." He said his tone direct and to the point. "I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya. I am your office manager. It's nice to meet you."
Ichigo could tell right away that this man was a no-nonsense individual. He gave a slight bow. "Yes, thanks again for this opportunity. I will do my best."
"I'm glad to hear that. Come with me and I'll get you sorted out," Toshiro told him. "I'll show you where you'll be stationed and give you some paperwork to fill out. We'll need your information to set up your payroll and benefits."
They walked through the office, Ichigo nodded and smiled at a few people he caught watching them as they passed by. When they stopped, a tiny piece of Ichigo's heart sank when Toshiro led him to a cubicle almost dead center on this floor, nowhere near the windows overlooking the city, just back-to-back beige wall. He was like a hamster in a maze.
"This is where you'll be working. I have already placed a few binders on your desk with our firm's policies and expectations this company will require of you. I urge you to read them and familiarize yourself with our systems. You'll be in charge of updating and preparing monthly financial statements—you are familiar with this, yes?"
"Of course," Ichigo replied.
"Good. Then just take a seat and I'll be back with the resource paperwork shortly. Take your time and read everything thoroughly," Toshiro suggested. He turned to leave but spun around again. "I expect nothing but the best from you, assignments handed in promptly—I don't like to hear unnecessary excuses. Understand?"
Ichigo straightened up quickly and nodded. "I understand," he said clearly. "You don't have to worry about that."
Toshiro nodded firmly. "Excellent. Oh, I almost forgot." The manager dug something out of his pocket. He handed over a key card that had the company name on it, including Ichigo's name and a barcode. "You're ID card. Make sure to wear it at all times while in the building."
"Yes, sir," Ichigo said and clipped it to his lapel.
With a final nod, Toshiro wandered off and left Ichigo to his own devices for a few moments. Quietly, Ichigo took a seat, placing his carryall on top of his desk. He took a deep breath, glad that the initial introduction was over. Now he just had to get himself organized with the firm's operations and he will be all set.
Just as Ichigo took a seat at his new desk and opened the huge black binder on the company policies, someone poked their head up on the other side of his cubicle. "You must be the new guy. I couldn't help but overhear you're Ichigo Kurosaki, right?" A friendly looking man with tousled brown hair was smiling at him.
"Yes that's right. Nice to meet you." Ichigo stood up and held out his hand.
The other man shook his hand boisterously. "The name is Keigo, Keigo Asano. I just started last year. The work is kind of dull but money is money—I can't wait until my vacation, I've got two whole weeks. You're covering for Maiko Seguchi, right? The woman on maternity leave—I don't think she liked me very much, she barely talked to me. And boy... it can sure get boring here sometimes so if you have a decent work neighbour that's great!"
Ichigo studied this yappy man carefully, taking his hand back and resuming his seat. He didn't want to get caught spending his time chatting with co-workers so casually on his first day and give the wrong impressions. "Yes, I'm covering for her. I hope that they will like my performance and keep me even after she returns. If you'll excuse me, I really need to read this stuff." Ichigo began to scan the contents inside of the thick leather bound binder, hoping Keigo would leave him alone for now.
"Oh right, right. Definitely don't want to annoy the manager, he gets really annoyed when we loaf around. You'd think he was managing soldiers instead of accountants." Keigo laughed a bit too loudly.
"Mr. Asano!"
Keigo's eyes widened with fear at the sound of Toshiro's voice.
"See what I mean?" Keigo whispered and a made a small whip-cracking sound before disappearing below the other side of the cubicle.
Ichigo shook his head. Why do I have to be stuck with the annoying co-worker?
Diligently, Ichigo spent the next few hours reading the manuals, filling out necessary paperwork for his employment and learning the systems this company used. Thankfully, he remembered most of what he'd learned in school although that was a little bit different, but it had the same principles. In no time, he was reading over the work and getting himself caught up.
By lunchtime, he felt a lot more secure about his first day. He patted his grey tie and smiled to himself. Perhaps Byakuya's tie did bring him luck after all. Thinking about Byakuya, Ichigo wondered what he might be up to today. It was Monday so it was still his day off after all.
Ichigo discovered that the entire first floor of the building consisted of shops and even had a food court where most of the staff went to for lunch. He was sending a text to Byakuya when he wandered by a bakery and stopped to eye all the confections. Grunting softly, Ichigo did not think any of the pastries looked as good as the ones Byakuya made. Not even close. It was evident that this pastry wasn't even prepared on the premises but rather came from an outside source. He'd learned that much from working in the café.
Pfft! They did not even have any chocolate mousse, Ichigo noticed sadly.
Later in the day when he was in the photocopy room, Ichigo overheard two women speaking to each other as they printed off documents on the photocopier next to his.
"My granddaughter requested strawberry shortcake for her birthday." Spoke the older woman with greying hair to a slightly younger woman.
"Kids these days," said the younger woman with a click of her tongue. "Where do they get these ideas? I wouldn't even know where to start if my kids asked me for that. Why not just pick one up at a bakery?"
"Oh no, I really want to make it myself—that's half the fun, Aika-san." She laughed. "I see why you aren't part of the Office Cooking Club."
The younger woman sighed. "Chiyo-san, I could never be part of your guy's club. Everything I try to make ends up black and charred. I hate cooking." She shook her head and shrugged. "My husband usually does it."
"That's alright, not everyone can cook. You're lucky to have such an understanding husband. I'm just wondering what can I do so it actually tastes good. Do I just use ready-made whip cream straight from the container or do I try that thirty-five percent stuff?" The older woman was wondering aloud.
Ichigo could not help himself. "You could sweeten the thirty-five percent with icing sugar and vanilla," he blurted out. "Then it becomes something called chantilly. You can even do it by hand with a whisk if you don't have a mixer. It's so much nicer than the ready-made stuff. Healthier, too..."
The older woman peered over curiously at the orange-haired person with her brown eyes, her brows raised. "Oh? Is that the secret to why it tastes so good?"
Nodding, Ichigo replied, "Yup. I can write down the recipe for shortcake if you like. All you need is a spring form pan for your cake batter."
The old woman smiled happily. "I have one of those pans. Just last week we discussed those at our cooking club during lunch. Say, you're the new guy that just started today, right?"
Ichigo stepped away from the photocopying machine he was using and bowed to her. "Yes, my name is Ichigo Kurosaki."
The older woman dressed nicely in a dark skirt and a white blouse started to twitter. "Like the strawberry shortcake, that's so cute," she said cheerfully much to Ichigo's dismay.
Ichigo gave a feeble laugh and hung his head in defeat, "Right, like the shortcake." He held up a hand. "It's alright, I'm getting used to hearing that these days."
"I'm Chiyo Fuyumoto and this is Aika Ito, we work in payroll."
"Nice to meet you both," Ichigo told them.
Before Ichigo knew it, he was recruited into the Office Cooking Club and was sharing his recipe for strawberry shortcake with Chiyo. Over the course of the day, he began receiving emails from others requesting the shortcake recipe and the method for its creation. Even though he was working in an office, he'd brought his recipe notebook with him from the café. Ichigo decided he couldn't leave his apartment this morning without it—what if there was something important he needed to put in it? Parting with it weighed heavily on his heart.
Ichigo was just slipping the notebook back into the satchel that rest under his desk when he heard Keigo murmur from the other side of his cubicle.
"Hey, isn't that the CEO of this company, Sōjun Kuchiki? What is he doing on our floor?" There was a pause. "Yikes! Ichigo, he's coming this way." Keigo quickly returned to his desk in a flurry.
Sōjun's voice loomed from within his cubicle. "What are you doing under your desk, Ichigo?"
Startled, Ichigo banged the back of his head off the edge of his desk as he went to sit up. He looked surprised to see that Byakuya's father had come to pay him a personal visit. Ichigo sat there rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.
"I-I was just putting something in my bag, Kuchiki-san." Ichigo explained as he spied the CEO in his expensive suit, looking much more formidable than he had at the Halloween party dressed up as Sherlock Holmes. His navy blue suit was fitting and sharp and the lavender tie he wore made him appear a man from a GQ magazine or something. He was also one of the few businessmen he ever saw that could pull off having long hair, and still remain professional. The front swept stylishly to the side and the rest of his raven hair, with the greying temples, hung neatly around his shoulders. The man oozed refinement and class.
Must be another Kuchiki family trait, Ichigo thought cheekily. He was about to get up, feeling it was impolite to sit while the other man stood. However, Sōjun insisted he remain seated.
"Now what did I tell you at the party? Please call me Sōjun," he requested, his face calm but authoritative.
Ichigo was clearly unsure of this. "Even at work?" he wondered in a whisper.
There was not a soul inside of the building that would claim Sōjun Kuchiki to be anything less than a gentleman. For years, he's been the rock of Kuchiki Enterprises next to his own father Genrei Kuchiki, who founded the brokerage way back in the day. Sōjun was a benevolent man with a great sense of propriety when it came to handling his clients and his employees. He didn't believe in the harsh over-lording tactics of running a multi-billion dollar company. For a Kuchiki he was a rare gem that attracted people to him with his warmth and kindness, which was unheard of when it came to his father Genrei. But there wasn't a corporation around that wouldn't claim that Sōjun could strike as swiftly as a shark when need be.
Sōjun appeared amused. "I admire your professionalism but we aren't conducting business at the moment. So please relax, Ichigo."
Ichigo nodded.
"I thought I'd come by to see how you are fairing. What do you think of this place so far?" Sōjun questioned curiously.
"It's a really big place," Ichigo replied with a chuckle. "But I've almost got myself all sorted out."
"That's terrific. Did you enjoy the Halloween party the other night? I believe we raised 5.5 million for the Children's Hospital."
"I really did and that's astounding. Everything was perfect, even the food. Thank you again for inviting me," Ichigo assured.
"That was really Byakuya's doing, I was just happy to oblige," Sōjun answered spryly.
Ichigo looked away shyly at the mention of Byakuya.
Sōjun chuckled to himself at Ichigo's reaction. "I really should be thanking you, Ichigo. but that isn't something we should discuss here. You've just started and I'm sure you have enough to contend with if you get my drift." He made a point of looking around the office for prying eyes. He didn't want to bring Ichigo unnecessary trouble with his co-workers if they discovered he was dating his son. Office politics could be so brutal. "If there is anything you need please feel free to drop by my office or call my phone." Sōjun placed his card with his cell phone number on it on top of Ichigo's desk. "Perhaps we can do lunch sometime."
Smiling, Ichigo nodded. "You're really too kind to me, Sōjun-san."
"Kind doesn't even begin to compare when you've become something so important to my family." Sōjun meant every word. Ichigo had brought happiness to his son's life and there wasn't anything that could measure up to that. He was eternally grateful. However, Sōjun wanted to learn for himself what was so special about Ichigo Kurosaki and he was beginning to see why Byakuya liked this young man so much. Ichigo was bright, friendly and he was truly handsome. "Well, I've taken up enough of your time. Good luck with everything, Ichigo. Say hello to my mini me when you see him." Sōjun chuckled and gave Ichigo a friendly pat on the shoulder before he turned and left.
Ichigo stood up to see him off, shaking his head at how parents could never quite stop talking about their fully-grown children as if they were still kids, even Byakuya's father. Narrowing his eyes, Ichigo wondered suspiciously if his own father ever referred to him as a 'mini me'?
Half the heads in the office peered over their cubicles to watch the CEO leaving the office. Then they turned towards Ichigo direction. Amber eyes widened, Ichigo felt mildly alarmed with so many curious eyes watching him and he sat back down quickly.
Keigo popped up on the other side of the divider again. "Sōjun Kuchiki barely ever comes to our office, but he came straight over to you. Do you know him or something?"
Ichigo sighed. "I met him at the Halloween party. He was the one that offered me this job."
Keigo Asano was speechless for a moment. "Wow... talk about lucky. You must have connections."
That connection would be Byakuya, Ichigo thought complacently but he was not about to tell this nosey co-worker that.
"I'm just glad that I haven't wasted the last two years of school, I owe Sōjun Kuchiki big time for this. I can't let him down."
The cool autumn air filled Byakuya's lungs as he jogged beside his friend Yoruichi who had dragged him outside for some exercise. The midday sun shone brightly and the sky was big blue blanket.
Byakuya felt invigorated.
They ran at a steady pace along a trail that ran alongside the Karakura River, it went under bridges overhead and through scenic parks. It was a popular place for bicyclists and runners, even people walking their dogs. Both wore their running shoes and black track pants. Byakuya had on a light blue zip-up with long sleeves and Yoruichi wore a black one.
Yoruichi's ponytail was swinging back and forth, as she ran. She looked over at Byakuya who had gone silent—he was checking out his phone. "A text from your lover boy?" she asked impishly.
"Yes." Byakuya managed a blunt stoic reply even though he was running. "He's asking me how my day is. I wonder if I should invite him over. It is his first day at his new job after all perhaps he'll be too tired."
"There is no such thing as 'tired' in a new relationship. You know you want to invite him over so stop over thinking it. Do something relaxing together I bet Ichigo will appreciate something like that." Yoruichi smiled warmly at her long time friend. She added. "You two are too cute. I swear if you could see your face right now I'd think I was running beside someone named Stan or something."
"Stan...?"
"It was the first name I thought of." Yoruichi waved if off. "Anyways, you could never be a Stan but I am enjoying this new Byakuya even though I think you've totally lost your mind by sending Ichigo off to your father." She held up a hand before Byakuya could protest. "But I get it and you do have a point. I hope that Ichigo will figure it out sooner than later. But let's forget about that for now, I wanna hear the good stuff already." She insisted almost gleefully. "We haven't really spoken much since that day at the farmer's market. You've been with Ichigo for a little while."
"What kind of good stuff...?"
Yoruichi sighed. "Do I really have to spell it out to you?"
Byakuya gave a wily smirk. Of course, he knew what she was talking about but Yoruichi would have to work harder than that for it. Still, no matter how much she pressed she would only get the bare minimum. Byakuya had much more self-control than that and he did not like to discuss intimate details of his personal affairs as if he were a guest on some foolish daytime talk show.
"Argh, you're being annoying on purpose, you brat," she moaned hopelessly. "I know you've seen Ichigo naked by now, right?"
"Indeed, I have." Byakuya grinned to himself. "And it was splendid."
Yoruichi giggled and nudged Byakuya with her elbow. "So at least give me a number out of ten."
Byakuya scoffed. "That's ridiculous."
"Are you telling me you're content not sharing anything juicy about your cute new boyfriend? How can you stand it?" she honestly questioned. "I would want to tell the entire world."
"Ten."
"HA!" Yoruichi blasted. "I know you too well. Come on—something else."
Byakuya gave a soft laugh of incredulousness. "I dare not say."
"Oh yes you must dare," Yoruichi insisted. "You're just teasing me now. Is he a good kisser? Kisuke is the best kisser—I could kiss him all day and never get bored." She sighed pleasantly.
At that, Byakuya made a face. This conversation was getting out of hand. "Ichigo kisses very well—now, please drop this. I won't say anything more."
Yoruichi knew Byakuya well enough to know he meant it. "Fine," she said with a pout. "You're no fun, Byakuya."
"Yes, you've mentioned that before," Byakuya claimed indifferently.
He didn't like to discuss intimate issues but he didn't mind discussing the intrinsic aspects of a relationship—not like he had much to discuss in the past.
Byakuya thought aloud, curious to get his friend's opinion. "I was considering asking Ichigo to move in with me. Not right away, but I want to give him keys to my place."
This caused Yoruichi to stumble suddenly and Byakuya had to reach out and steady her before she landed on her face. They stopped running and stood awkwardly like strange posing mimes.
Another pair of runners looked at them oddly as they ran pass them.
Yoruichi began to laugh lightly at how silly they must look. She also laughed with astonishment at just how smitten Byakuya was with this Ichigo Kurosaki. "Seriously, you can't just say something like that without any warning." She stood up straight and Byakuya stepped back regaining his composure.
They both caught their breaths.
"Byakuya..." Yoruichi's voice became thoughtful and soft. "You really like this guy, huh? He's not just a roll in the hay for you, is he?"
"No, he is not." Byakuya alleged. Then he told her about how Ichigo's meeting his father and grandfather went.
Yoruichi was watching Byakuya with her arms crossed over her chest sanctimoniously. "He said he loved you right in front of that old goat?"
Byakuya 'tsk'd' reproachfully.
Yoruichi only shrugged the 'tsk' off. "That's incredible Bya-kun. Ichigo has some serious balls. So what did you do?"
There were times when even Byakuya could not stop himself, moments when he desired to boast a little. He replied as coolly as he could for the best effect. "I took Ichigo back to my place, had my way with him and told him I loved him in return."
It was not often that Byakuya could render Yoruichi to absolute silence so the fact that he'd done so now made him feel proudly victorious. That was the closest thing she was going to get regarding the 'good stuff'. She stood there wide-eyed and gaping at him, totally thrown off her guard.
However, a woman like Yoruichi could not be silenced for long.
She squealed, which startled Byakuya, and told the entire riverside loudly. "My little Byakuya is in love!" Then she threw her arms around him and squeezed him as hard as she could while Byakuya just sort of stood there trapped like a mauled kitten.
Byakuya closed his eyes ruefully. "Maybe the other side of town couldn't hear you," he said sarcastically.
Yoruichi was laughing happily. Nothing in Byakuya's nippy repertoire could ruin this moment. "Shall I say it again, then?"
Byakuya quickly pleaded. "Please don't."
She let Byakuya go and gave him a devilish look. "You see, was that so hard? Oooh, tell me more," she began asking all over again. "It's not every day we get to have these kinds of conversations. Have you fooled around in the kitchen? I bet you have..." Yoruichi chuckled roguishly.
Sometimes there was no stopping her. "Well..."
"Wait, don't answer. I have something better in mind. Let's have a race," she suggested. "See that lamppost over there?" She pointed a few yards away to the black lamppost. "If I beat you to it, then you have to answer."
"Not a chance," Byakuya retort indignantly. "You always beat me in a race."
"So you finally admit that I'm faster than you?" Yoruichi nodded her head slyly, looking very self-righteous.
Byakuya hated to acknowledge that she was faster than he was and he wondered if maybe, just maybe, he could beat her now. It was possible she had gotten slower since the last time they played this game, or so he hoped because his ego could not accept this failure.
"I will admit to nothing," he said stubbornly. "Fine, if you insist then... let's race."
On the count of three, they sped towards the lamppost at top speed. Byakuya was confident but Yoruichi was dancing around the lamppost long before he got there.
"Hehe, I win," she sang joyfully. "Now spill it. I wanna hear everything."
"I believe you already know the answer so there is no point in me divulging anything more," Byakuya claimed haughtily, his heart pumping hard after such a spontaneous sprint. He was so perturbed that she had won again.
"Aww don't be sore sport, Bya-kun. I won fair and square."
"I believe we still haven't finished our run." Byakuya muttered and ran off down the trail. Yoruichi sighed and followed after him.
He was being a total sore sport.
Later in the day, as Byakuya started to prepare dinner at home, his cell phone rang with a series of persistent tings. He sighed with displeasure, rather enjoying the soft music playing in the background and his peaceful dinner preparations, which would later be a surprise for Ichigo.
He grabbed the phone that rest on top of the coffee maker before it made another sound and answered it. "Rukia, what is it?" Byakuya knew it was she because of his call display.
"Nii-sama, I apologize beforehand for this but… HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?" She shrilled through the phone. "I just finished speaking with father and you know what he says?" Rukia gave a disbelieving laugh. "I swear it's really hilarious…"
Byakuya waited for it.
"…he tells me Ichigo is working at Kuchiki Enterprises and that today was his first day— he tells me that this was ALL YOUR IDEA!"
Between Rukia and Ichigo—Rukia was definitely louder. He gave a tiresome sigh. Byakuya pressed a button on his touch screen, placing it on speakerphone so that he could still cook and talk at the same time.
"Rukia, calm down," he urged complacently, picking up a spoon and tasting the broth he was making. Hmm, it needed some more garlic and perhaps a touch of salt.
"Calm?" She mocked. "How can you sound so calm? I thought… I thought—"
"I only told father that Ichigo had just finished school and that he was finding it difficult to find employment. He offered him a position at the brokerage at the Halloween party. I did not force Ichigo to take it. He did so, on his own accord." Byakuya went about chopping up two more cloves of garlic on his wooden cutting board.
"But I thought he was happy at the café? I thought you were both so happy together?" She sounded a little distressed.
Byakuya knew he had fibbed a little to Rukia just now. He was the one that asked their father to give Ichigo a job. But it really was nobody's business except Ichigo's business. He was the one that needed to discover what he truly wanted to do with his life. Byakuya only got the ball rolling for him. This wasn't a game and Byakuya wasn't going to get his sister involved as well. This would stay between his father and himself.
He softened his voice. "Rukia, I thank you for your concern but we are happy—I am currently making him dinner for when he gets home tonight. I am fine with his decision. I hold no grudge against Ichigo—if he is meant to work in the kitchen then that is a choice he will have to come to terms on, on his own. One cannot be forced to live out another's expectations. That's absurd."
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. "I understand, Byakuya. But it still stinks... the café never ran more efficiently. It was nice not having to stay an extra half hour or so, just to get everything done. Ichigo was a real help we were lucky to have him. For once we had someone that not only put up with you, but is head over heels for you."
Byakuya grunted inaudibly. "It is hard to find a worthy assistant," he answered truthfully.
"Yes, it is," she responded.
"Rukia..." Byakuya said tentatively, "I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"I'll see you in the morning, too, Nii-sama."
Byakuya hung up the phone and dropped his chopped garlic into the crock-pot. He threw in a pinch of salt. Dinner would be waiting for Ichigo.
A/N: Well, it seems Ichigo has to learn things the hard way. Of course, Ichigo wouldn't do it the easy way XD! And Byakuya's father just can't help but check up on Ichigo. He'll be keeping an eye on him *winks* But Byakuya has something very nice planned for Ichigo when he gets home. Next chapter is a lot of fluff and bubbles. I'm serious about the bubbles lol! We'll also get to see a side of Byakuya that we may never see again lulz! Until next time!
Enjoy! :)
Reviewers:
fahaar - Lulz! I'm tickled that the lemon gave you pervy images to think about. Rabbits indeed haha! Especially Byakuya. And I wouldn't have it any other way XD!
Usamimi-chan - Magical Byakuya! He is! I'm giggling that you also have a uniform fetish. I LOVE a man in a uniform. But I didn't pick the marching band uniform with that in mind-at first :P I just thought it would be something Ishida might own. Something white and blue in light of his Quincy'ness haha! But then I realize how damn hot this costume would be on Ichigo LOL! Haha... oh yes, Bya had plans for Ichigo laterz. YAY! I'm thrilled you enjoyed that lemon. I wanted it to be dirty and hot and all that yummy stuff. *mega huggles* Hope you're not working too hard now. Miss you! Thank you so very much for your wonderful words *luvs on*
igotmoneymoney - YAY! Thanks so much hun!
Yonaka Kyoki - It's so awesome that you enjoy the addition of Sojun and Genrei. Can't say there will be lots of Byakuya's grandfather, but there will definitely be more Sojun :)))) He's keeping his eye on Ichigo in his own way. I worship Senbonzakura! He was my personal mission, that cosplay and I dare say I made a killer mask for him. If you're curious check out my DeviantArt page-it's in my profile. You'll see my cosplay right on my main DA page. I made his armour too. *winks* Cute lyrics! What inspired you to write them?
Shenigmatic - You are awesome hun! Yeah, I know this clincher in the story! XD! But I promise it won't all be in the office. Hehe... you make me blush that I made YOU blush and unable to write a review until the next day. Waaa! That's awesome in itself. Thanks so much for your wonderful thoughts. It is a relief that you enjoy this Byakuya. I really imagine him outside of Bleach to have a lot more edge to him that he is able to share more openly. I mean here he is not of noble blood and not tied down by aristocracy. So he can let loose a little more. But I still bet that Byakuya, even in Bleach, is a closet perv :P Thanks again my friend for your thoughts. There is much more to come!
A fellow reader - Many thanks hun for your comments. So happy you enjoyed the lemon. Yes, it was different to have them switch roles, but I love to do that with my fics. It lets us all enjoy a different side to our fav boys :)) Thanks so much for your thoughts!
Kags21 - YAY! I'm glad you think so! *gives you a home made marshmallow* I hope you like marshmallows :P Nothing beats homemade ones! Thanks so much for your comments.