A/N: Hello my beauties. So is it just me, or is time going by way too fast? It doesn't feel like it's been a month since I last updated this story, but it has. Anyway, I have a few things, but I'll keep it short and sweet. Firstly, I want to thank all those who take the time to give me feedback. Most everyone is in school right now, and as someone who has two jobs and schooling, I understand the burdensome of being busy. Please, however, take the time to review this story. Motivation doesn't come from a vacuum. Meaning, I don't pull it from my ass, it comes from you guys. Fan is the most imperative word in fan fiction.
Secondly, I decided to condense this story and pick up the pacing by taking out whole scenes and combing multiple chapters into one. I'm at this awkward stage of the story where I'm mostly done setting the stage for their relationship, but I'm not quite ready to start building towards the climax, so bear with me.
And lastly, I'm sorry if this chapter is kind've convoluted. I really hated this whole part of the story where I have to write how Byakuya will go onto fight without his sight, but it's necessary. I'm not so happy with it, but I honestly couldn't do much better than this. Hopefully you guys don't mind it too much.
Terms to know
Ranbantai: Sixth division
Hokutan: Third District of West Rukon
Seiza: Sitting postion
Yonbanta: Fourth Divison
Song: "Rising Water," by James Vincent McMorrow
Good vibes. ~Ashes
A Dark Place to Find Answers
xXx
"You make me feel alive
in spite of rising water.
Abandoning my car
about a mile from nowhere"
At the edges of Sokyoku Hill, Ichigo stood in breathless wonder as he looked upon the thriving spectacle that pierced the sky with it's vibrant red tongues. The tongues lashed out at the contrasting blue with all of their anger and hopefulness. Bittersweet reiatsu gave birth to these tsubaki trees, making them amazingly loud in their inanimate existence.
People were calling it the Circle of Courage. Each tree represented a division, each one surrounded by the mementos of fallen soldiers. Ichigo found something profoundly humbling in the sight. The people of Seireitei had flocked towards the circle and fed it both their pain and their hope, and the trees turned those conflicted emotions into life. Through their growth, the trees taught them all a valuable lesson about how beautiful happenings can come from the darkest of origins.
Byakuya didn't realize it, but he'd given the remaining members of the gotei a tangible outlet for their grief and a place where they could feel a sense of connection amidst the chaos.
"Ichigo."
He turned to see Rukia. Somehow it felt like ages since he'd seen her.
"Rukia," he said, a genuine smile meeting his eyes.
Together they stood in quiet vigil, looking down at the scattered memories surrounding the ranbantai tree. There was a picture of Renji sporting a dopy smile. It was one of many captured expressions, but it felt so inconsequential, because for many, Renji was more than a flimsy piece of paper lost among a sea of faces.
The winds soft caress against the trees and the shuffling of feet were the only sounds for a while. Finally, Rukia lowered herself on her haunches, pulled a pair of goggles from the sleeve of her garment, and placed it in front of the picture.
Ichigo knelt down too, and he forced himself to relax. "Do you know what I miss about Renji the most?" He asked. "How nothing ever got him down. He was so bright, even after all you two went through. He couldn't fake that, the way he lit everyone up."
Something warm and wet slid across Ichigo's hand, and that was how he realized he was crying.
Rukia looked towards him, her own tears speaking of a pain that, though they both shared in, felt agonizing in its loneliness.
"I went over fifty years without speaking to Renji before I met you," she said softly, "but I don't think I'll ever get use to this. Without him here, I don't think anything will ever feel the same again."
Ichigo nodded and swallowed hard. He didn't dare try to contradict her or feed her some cliche, motivational bull shit about how it all gets better. Maybe because she was right, nothing would ever feel the same, but that didn't mean it would always feel horrible. Beautiful things were spawned from the ugliest of places. Renji and Rukia were living examples of that.
They both sat impervious to time or to the sunlight that began to peek through holes in the overcast and make the tears on their faces glitter, but somehow, the air around the two became breathable again, and the heavy sinkers that weighed them down lost a bit of their power.
"I'm sorry," Ichigo said.
"Don't be. It's normal for you to be strong for everyone, even form me. Especially for me. I demanded it from you."
"You brought it out in me."
"Yeah, but being tough isn't always the answer for everything." She dipped her head and simpered at the patchy grass. "I'm sorry if I made you feel like that was the only way to be, like there was something shameful in grieving."
Ichigo smirked and ruffled her hair playfully. "Don't get a big head, Ruk'. I've been like this way before I met you."
Rukia snorted as she dried her tears with the back of her hands. "I'd almost like to say, if he were here, Renji would have kept us from being so thickheaded, but I think we both know that's not true."
"We would've just shouted at each other until you smacked one or both of us".
"Definitely both," Rukia said as she rolled her eyes, "You two idiots clashed all the time."
Ichigo smiled softly down at the picture of Renji. Talking about him made it hurt a little less. "Yeah, we did."
After a moment, Rukia inhaled deeply and let her eyes roam the area. "This is quite the place Nii-sama started."
"Yeah, it's pretty sobering." When Rukia gave Ichigo a prompting look, he said, "Grieving can feel like a pretty isolated thing, but when I come here... I don't know, I feel the opposite of alone in it."
She blinked at him a few times until the ends of her lips curled into a smile. "That reminds me of something Nii-sama might say. He would put it more eloquently, of course."
Ichigo attempted to hide a sheepish smile behind a mocking snort. "What can I say? As much as I try to stop it, I guess he managed to rub off on me some."
"You should be so lucky."
"I see somethings haven't changed," Ichigo said with a grimace. "You still have that weird big brother complex."
Rukia flushed and took no time in slapping Ichigo over the head. "I do not!"
Despite his scowl, Ichigo couldn't help the small chuckle that left him. This was simple. He had missed this.
xXx
Today was important to Byakuya. He was entering the final stage of his training, which Uchi informed him was harder to master than all of the other stages combined.
He missed the feel of power rushing through him and how it made his bones hum with anticipation. It hadn't been too long in hindsight, but when you're weak, every day was a century. The bad just dragged on.
He was eager, and he knew concentration was key, but memories from earlier made Byakuya's head feel like a loud, bustling room with no doors. He'd been visited personally by the Head Elder, and it was no mere social call. However, after Ichigo mentioned the cloning experiments being done under the authority of the Grand Elder Council, Byakuya had some choice words of his own. An altercation had been unavoidable.
As the head of his clan, Byakuya did not appreciate lies and manipulation being directed towards him, especially by members of his own court. He had been strong armed into having an heir by trumped up fears of his demise and the end of a bloodline. It had all been a scheme, tactics to gain his obedience. Most insulting of all was the fact that the truth would've came out within the next few months one way or another, and they were still so blatantly dishonest, as if they assumed him without back bone.
In the end, after the Head Elder expressed his own grievances, Byakuya was still set for an arranged marriage in little less than a year's time. They were holding the noble's decision to publicly support Ichigo without their consent over his head. In their own words, they feared a fiasco that would bring shame to their names if Ichigo should fail.
Technically, he had gone against clan legislation, because although it was perfectly acceptable for Byakuya to veto decisions made by the elders, to do so without any regard for their council and then to speak on their behalf was considered inexcusable. Such breaches in law were punishable by ceremonial lashings, or worse, by having all executive privileges revoked for an allotted amount of time. Now even more pressure was building for Ichigo's success, but Byakuya wouldn't put this on him. It had been the noble's choice to back Ichigo, and he was fully equipped to deal with the consequences.
Nonetheless, in light of his "indiscretion", they considered their sin simple collateral damage, as if his silent complacency was a form of repentance. It wrecked his gut and spit on his pride to be played like a pawn in some elaborate game of chess, but Byakuya had little choice but to concede.
All the more reason for him to concentrate. Between the loss of his sight and the elder's trampling on the volition Byakuya held so dearly since he crossed faiths with Ichigo, a weight was eroding at his confidence. He felt tiny and insignificant in this world of elitism, and although he held himself with all the forceful resolution expected of nobility, Byakuya still, at times, felt as blindingly uncertain as the day he lost his vision. All of his leaps felt like baby steps, and maybe he was still stumbling in the dark, but that ended today.
Just as him and Uchi were about to begin their training, a gust of shunpo sounded from behind them.
"Yo, Byakuya," said Ichigo, and the noble's chest did jumping jacks at the sound.
"Byakuya?" Uchi asked, his voice laced with speculative humor. "My, my."
"It is Lord Kuchiki to you," Byakuya said. "Kurosaki Ichigo, this is my trainer, Uchi-san."
Uchi bowed, his feet bouncing playfully. "So this is the young man who pursued my services? I'm surprised we haven't met yet, since we are both taking refuge within the Kuchiki manor."
"It's not too surprising. This place is so big that the whole rokubantai could be living here and we'd probably never know."
"I suppose you're right. I breed and train dogs in Hokutan, so I'm hardly around the grounds unless we are training."
"Why are you here, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Byakuya asked, feeling embarrassed at how his body seemed conditioned to react towards Ichigo's presence.
"I knew you were doing the last part of your training today, and I wanted to make sure you were putting in your all."
"More like you are using me as an excuse to not do your own training."
Ichigo smirked at the pools of magenta that submersed any gray in Byakuya's eyes. "Hey, I just wanted to stay and see all your hard work pay off, but if I make you nervous, I can leave."
Uchi sputtered mirthfully, and if Byakuya was a different man, he would've sworn he was blushing.
"Of course you can stay!" Uchi exalted, corking his head to the side. "We're about to start. Although, admittedly, I was going to attempt to convince Lord Kuchiki here to go on a date with me after this was all finished," he said, rubbing at his chin, "but I suppose that would be classless to do while you are here, yes?"
"Uh… oh… that's, we-"
"But of course, he wants nothing to do with me past my skills, and I am not talking about the ones I have in the bedroom. So it is probably better that you saved me from my fruitless pursuits."
The pressure that had suddenly rattled at Ichigo's chest dissipated, and he felt an odd sense of relief. He cleared his throat and said, "Whatever. It's not my business."
Uchi, being the master of reading others reiatsu that he was, smirked at the fluctuations he sensed coming from both Byakuya and Ichigo. "Relieved, are we?"
Ichigo's face grew wide and defensive. "What?!"
"Do not let him bother you, Kurosaki Ichigo. His payment is the trouble of others."
Uchi let out a whopping breath. "Ah, and I do love my job." He walked around a bit, humming and tapping a finger against his chin. "Let's talk about bats, shall we?!" He said as he clapped his hands together, and Byakuya reflexively rolled his eyes.
"Is he always this weird?" Ichigo asked.
"Much more so."
"You two may call me weird, but it's bats that will be your saving grace. I studied them for years to device this method of training, only to find out they're blind people in the World of the Living who already do something similar." He scoffed and tilted his head side to side. "Oh well, I suppose here in Soul Society I am a revelation. Now, bats see using something called echolocation. Do you know what this is?"
"Yes," Byakuya said, "It is a type of sonar where animals emit sound waves into their environment and form a image in the brain".
"Good. I don't have to explain that then. Blind humans can use this technique also. They make clicking sounds, and like certain animals, a vague image will form in their heads when the sound waves bounce off of their surrondings." Uchi chuckled as he said, "Although, you are much too prideful to go around clucking, Lord Kuchiki."
Byakuya pointed his chin, feeling almost offended. "If that is what it takes, I will do it. My pride is in my ability to fight for the things I want to protect."
Uchi hummed humbly. "Then I apologize for my assumption. Luckily for you, however, there is another, more effective way of using echolocation to fight. Your reiatsu."
"How?"
"As you recall from our past lesson, it is a sense of it's own, an energy, if you will. The technique I created allows you to push your reiatsu out in the same manner one might use sound waves. Only, in my studies, I found that the echoes do not simply bounce back on their own. The user must be constantly recycling their reiatsu, pushing it out and bringing it back. I will tell you now, Lord Kuchiki, it's an extremely difficult technique to master."
"Wait, won't that use a lot of reiatsu?" Ichigo asked.
"I see you are as bright as they say your hair is, Kurosaki-san. Yes, it does. In fact, the most anyone has ever been able to use this technique when paired with nonstop combat has been two hours, and that person was me, the creator. While I was fighting, I was out putting very little reiatsu. You, however, put out a great amount of reiatsu when you yield your zonpakuto, and if my prediction is correct, you will only be able to fight thirty minutes at a time once you have mastered this."
"That is all? Thirty minutes?"
"Yes, and that is pushing it."
A loathsome sensation of despondency prickled at the noble's chest. It felt like defeat. All the hope that filled him was syphoned out by the truth of Uchi's words. He appreciated the frankness of Uchi's disposition, but it still felt like having his wings clipped mid air. Maybe he had expected too much.
"Hey," Ichigo said as he placed a hand on Byakuya's shoulder. "I know what you're thinking, but don't worry about that."
"But thirty minutes is-"
"Is thirty minutes more than you had before. Look at what's ahead of you and at what you can do. Besides," Ichigo added, a playful smile evergreen in his voice, "thirty minutes is more than enough time for you to kick anyone's ass."
Byakuya nodded in appreciation. That was one of the many reasons he enjoyed having Ichigo around. He inspired Byakuya with the authenticity of his grit and the optimism of his outlook. Just his presence made Byakuya want to do better and push harder, as if being watched by Kurosaki Ichigo was the difference between defeat and victory.
"Right. How do I proceeded?"
"It is just like I said. You will emit your reiatsu, the littlest amount possible, and draw it back in at a constant rate. This act alone is hard, but add fighting, and it becomes nearly impossible. You will stay out here until you can keep a consistent image in your head for an hour. It will look almost like a blueprint of your surroundings, no details, but outlines. Go ahead, try it now."
And Byakuya did. He closed his eyes to steady himself before he pushed out some reiatsu and pulled it back. It took a while, but once he did it correctly, the echoey imprint that developed inside of him was almost enough to bring tears to his eyes. It looked grainy and distorted, like looking at someone through the veil of a rain storm, but it was the most beautiful sight Byakuya had ever seen.
He tilted his head towards Ichigo and did it again. The young's man form was just sketchy contours filled with nothing. If he didn't know it was Ichigo, those linear echoes could've been anyone, but it made his heart do back flips all the same. Ichigo was right, thirty minutes was the whole world.
"I see you," Byakuya said breathlessly. He wasn't sure why. It wasn't as if he could really see Ichigo, but the words just left his lips, like they needed to be said.
"I'm proud of you, Byakuya," Ichigo said, and there was a swelling in his voice that hinted towards strong emotions the young man couldn't quite articulate.
"I have done little to be proud of yet."
"You've done everything. Some people just say thank you," he murmured, "stubborn bastard."
"You have my gratitude. Now leave. You distract me, and you should also begin your own training so your lose will not be too humiliating when we finally spar."
Ichigo snorted and shook his head in amusement as he began to walk away. "I'll leave you too it then. You'll need all the training you can get to beat me."
xXx
Ichigo stood with a plate of freshly prepared food that Fujita had given him. The sun was about to set, and it just barely brushed against the closing cerulean curtain of the day. A coral hue washed over everything, and it made the garden and it's inhabitants blur around the edges. He watched Byakuya from afar, and he felt reverence for the dedication of the noble. Half a day had passed, and he sat in a seiza, eye closed and posture impossibly straight. He hadn't left that position. It was both amazing and sort've scary.
"Lost in thought, Kurosaki-san?"
Shook from his reverie, Ichigo looked to his side to see Uchi staring aimlessly into the garden. The warmth radiating through his palms reminded him of why he was there.
"I was going to bring Byakuya some food, but what if he's close to his hour and I disrupt him? I know I'd be pissed if someone messed up all my progress."
Uchi waved a hand flippantly. "No one ever makes it to an hour on their first day. He'll most likely pass out from a lack of reiatsu before that happens. I just wanted to see how far he'll push himself."
"If no one makes it to an hour without passing out, then why did you tell him to sit out there until he does?" Ichigo asked as his grip tightened against the heat in his hands. "Don't you know how important this is to him? He'll stay out there till morning if he has to. Are you trying to make him sick?"
"Protective, are we?" Uchi asked, perking a brow.
"I just don't want the guy ending up in the yonbantai, that's all."
"As I said, I just want to see how far he'll push himself. He is a grown man who knows his own limits."
"Not the point. If he thinks an hour is normal, he'll be really down on himself when he doesn't make it."
Uchi smiled in a placating manner, gesturing out a hand towards the sky. "The first man who looked at the moon never would've thought another would one day walk upon it. Improbable is not impossible, and Lord Kuchiki is a man who can make the Improbable happen through determination alone. No one has ever reached this point in their training at such a quick pace, so have faith."
Ichigo fell briefly into thoughtful silence. "Yeah," he said, "you're right. If anyone can do it, it's him. He's so concentrated sometimes that it freaks me out."
Uchi blinked against the dearth of light before he said, "It makes me wonder what drives a man like that. A man who has all the wealth and comfort in the world, what makes him fight for strength so fervently?"
"It's hard to understand unless you really know him," Ichigo explained, fixating his fretted brow on Byakuya. "His birthright was to lead a whole clan. Everyone expected great things from him. He never had a choice but to be strong." Ichigo paused, and a frown was flagrant on his face. "He fights like that… because that's all his life has ever been, a fight to live up to everyone's expectations."
Uchi made a considering noise and said, "You seem to understand him well for not being of royalty yourself."
Ichigo shrugged a shoulder. "I probably never would've really understood him if I didn't become his fukutaichou, but now I see we're not all too different. I just had a choice to get that strong, even if it didn't feel like it at the time. We were both still fighting an uphill battle, and we both had a lot to lose."
"Can I ask you a personal question, Kurosaki-san?"
Ichigo's eyes shifted as a scowl formed on his face. "I can't promise I'll answer."
"Fair enough," Uchi said with a faint laugh. "What made you decide to stay in Soul Society after the war?"
Ichigo's feet shuffled slightly, and his grip slacked against the dish. He was frowning, contemplating, turning the question in every direction as if to see it at all angles. "I don't know. It's just how things played out, I guess."
"And do you think it was the right decision?"
Ichigo's frown deepened, and after a moment, he said, "I don't think there's a right or wrong decision. I do miss my friends and family, but you don't get to do the thing I did and then go home to a normal life. Even if I went home, it wouldn't have felt normal, or at least, I wouldn't have felt normal."
He went silent for a moment before he added, "I'm not blindly optimistic like some people think I am, but I always choose to kick life right in the teeth no matter how bad my odds look. I only see what's right in front of me. Byakuya really needed someone to believe in him right after the war ended, so that was all that mattered at the time."
As if to say he understood, Uchi nodded with a smile. "You don't regret it, being so shortsighted about staying?"
"No, I never regret following my gut."
At that, Uchi bubbled with boisterous laughter. "I see your motto is 'act first, think later,' yes?"
Ichigo's lips curled smugly, and he shrugged his shoulder in an aloof manner typical to himself. "It's worked out for me so far. Beside, whatever the consequences, I face them head on, and I never regret it."
"That's admirable."
"Admirable? I'm not so big headed as to say that. I think that's just normal, owning up to your decisions."
Uchi simply nodded again, and for a while, both stood content in wordless company, letting their thoughts drift without reason. An Idea made a sudden appearance in Ichigo's head, prompting him to say, "Hey, Uchi-san, I want to ask you a favor. It's for Byakuya."
"Kurosaki Ichigo, savior of the three worlds, wants a favor from me?" Uchi smiled slyly. "Color me intrigued."
The two discussed the terms of what Ichigo had in mind and how to make it happen until the breeze of a shunpo drew them from their plotting.
"Hey!" Ichigo exalted, looking wide eyed at Byakuya. "You used your shunpo!"
"That I did. Only a short distance, bu-"
"Don't downplay your wins," Ichigo said, shaking his head in a reproving manner.
"You're not giving up on the hour yet, are you?" Uchi ask.
"Give up?" Byakuya echoed, lifting his nose haughtily. "I have superseded the hour. I reached an hour and fifteen minutes."
Uchi's jaw stretched like rubber, and his brows jumped to the tip of his head. "But… no one has ever came close to that time when using my technique, not on their first day."
"Perhaps that is because I have never used your technique," Byakuya countered, rolling his shoulder with an air of detached triumph. However, his attempts to appear unfazed were thwarted when he began to sway. He was caught by Ichigo's free hand right before his body gave way to a lack of balance and energy.
"Yeah, and you drained yourself of reiatsu because of it!" He said, scolding the man rather loudly as he placed Byakuya's arm around his shoulder and wrapped his grasp around the noble's waist. "You can't look cool while you're passing out, idiot. Let's go to the deck so you can eat."
"Fine, but I do not need to be carried like a child."
"Then why do you whine like one?"
"If that is so, it is because I get it from you," Byakuya said, huffing petulantly. However, despite his cheeky retort, his body had already given in. He braced against Ichigo as the two moved forward.
"Yeah, yeah, less talking, more walking." Ichigo looked over his shoulder before he continued forward. "Hey, Uchi-san, you want to join us?"
Uchi smiled, but waved off the offer. "Thank you, but I have preexisting obligations. When are you free to further discuss our business arrangement, Kurosaki-san?"
"How's tomorrow around two work?"
"Excellent. I shall see you then. Oh, and as for you, Lord Kuchiki, I expect practice. Using my technique and your powers simultaneously is where the real challenge begins." He smirked wickedly. "And don't worry, it only hurts the first couple of times you shunpo into a tree. Have fun."
"Do I even want to know what your business is with that man?" Byakuya asked as they gimped forward.
"Probably not."
xXx
A month later.
Uchi had lied. Running into trees was never something you became habituated to. The pain was insignificant, but it bruised his ego more than his body. After a month's time, however, the humiliating occurrence was happening less and less.
Byakuya shunpo through a throng of trees, dodging and weaving as he zoomed past the foliage. As the image in his head became shaky and the connection dropped, Byakuya came to a bracing halt.
Ichigo stopped at his tail and punched a button on the stopwatch he'd been borrowing from Hiyori. "Ten minutes. That's great, but you can do better."
"That almost sounded like a question," Byakuya teased, and the gold in his eyes glinted as it caught the light of the sun.
Byakuya's eyes had been lively today, festive like fireworks blooming against a dark sky. Ichigo enjoyed the confidence foretold in those changing colors. "And that definitely sounded like an answer."
"I want to hit ten and a half minutes before the day is through."
"Don't think about the time too much. It'll distract you. Just push the concentration."
"Right."
"It's so cute when they work together."
At the presence of Uchi, Urahara, and a third, unidentifiable pressure, Byakuya and Ichigo turned towards the group.
"Urahara Kisuke, please inform me of who allowed you on my property so I can fire them."
"Now, Lord Kuchiki, " said Uchi, "you should be kinder to a long time friend."
"I do not recall such a relationship existing between us," Byakuya said, knitting his brow curiously. "What is this third reiatsu I am feeling?"
"Ah, this is Artemis. She's a saluki hunting dog." Uchi tugged the harnesses of the canine pulling at his arm. "Your dog." Byakuya's green specked eyes rounded, and his mouth curved in confusion. "I see you don't understand. Maybe your fukutaichou could explain, since it was his idea."
"Ichigo..." Byakuya said, his features melting into relaxation.
Byakuya, a man who believed formalities were an extension of pride, used his first name only, and it made Ichigo's mind reboot. He went stupidly still from the words he couldn't process. He knew the noble didn't mean to call him just Ichigo, but it felt like such a natural mistake. It wasn't a decision to refer to Ichigo with a degree of intimacy, but an impulse. There was a power in that, a power that came with the same gratifying responsibility Ichigo felt when he yielded Zangetsu. His whole body flared with a sense of scarce importance.
Finally, he grinned before moving over to Uchi and taking hold of the harness. "When I heard Uchi was a dog breeder, I remembered how you really liked dogs, but couldn't have one. So I asked Uchi about a seeing eye dog." He squatted down and scratched Artemis behind the ear. She whimpered into his touch and continued to tug towards Byakuya. "He suggested this girl, a hunting dog."
"Why a hunting dog?" Byakuya asked
"Well when Kurosaki-san came to me about a seeing eye dog," Uchi explained, "It gave me, if I do say so myself, a brilliant Idea. You see, I only breed hunting dogs. People in the upper districts will pay a pretty penny for a canine with high reiatsu that can be trained to use shunpo. Artemis here is a saluki, and they're some of the fasted dogs in the world already. I've spent years breeding specific saluki's to have superior levels of reiatsu. Artemis here is one of my finest. She's been trained in both shunpo and in the same echolocation skills I have thought you."
"Yes, but why would I need a hunting dog?" Byakuya questioned. "I do not hunt."
Uchi laughed in a knowing way. "Of course you do, Lord Kuchiki. What do you think you're doing when you fight an enemy?"
"I-" Byakuya faltered.
"Perhaps you wouldn't call it something so savage, but when you get down to it, that is what you're doing. Now," Uchi exalted, "as I said, when Kurosaki-san brought up a seeing eye dog, I thought that perhaps we could use a hunting dog to boost your thirty minute time limit."
Byakuya's eyes were canvassed in such a green that they looked similar to the crown of a mountain, rich with forestation. It betrayed his enduringly calm features. "How could you possibly teach a dog to use this echolocation technique?"
"Quite simply, actually. As I said, I've been training her for years. Nearly a decade, but what really pushed her to learn was, much like you and I, she herself is blind." Uchi gave the scientist at his side a pat on the shoulder. "I had Urahara make a specialized collar for Artemis. If you grasp it, the pendant will fill with your reiatsu. That way, when you're battling, she will have reservoirs of your reiatsu. Trained correctly, she can becoming an indispensable combat companion." Poking out his lips, Uchi put on a childish voice and said, "This is why you shouldn't be so nasty to those who try and help you."
Urahara chuckled and dipped his hat. "That's just how Bya-kun and me banter, Uchi-san."
"How does the reiatsu form an image in my mind if Artemis is the one expelling it?" Byakuya asked, much too intrigued to dignify the truncating of his name.
"With this!" Urahara said, and Byakuya felt him clasp something metal around his wrist. He pivoted his hand back and forth to gauge the weight and feel. It appeared to be a simple band. "It's a bracelet that acts as a sensor. I won't bore you with the technicalities, but it will link the images she takes in straight to you. It's especially helpful, because she can survey areas outside of your scope. You have you're own little four legged spy."
"Uchi even spent the last month conditioning her to relate your reiatsu to different commands and things that make her happy," Ichigo chimed in. "So you can't say no, because to her, you're her one true owner."
"Speaking of that, please release the hold on her, Kurosaki-san," Uchi said.
Ichigo cocked a brow in question before shrugging a shoulder. He then put down her leash, and the saluki instantly took off, bouncing from its hind legs and onto an unprepared Byakuya, making the noble fall flat on his back.
The novelty of seeing a bumbling Byakuya brought laughter out of all three men, but before the noble could respond with baneful reprimands, Artemis wiggled her little wet nose under his chin. The edges of Byakuya's face softened, and the most brilliant yellow bent the light around his eyes.
"Ah, and that's the real reason I came today," Urahara said.
Ichigo extended a hand in helpfulness, and Byakuya graciously accepted.
"To shorten the adjustment period, we exposed her to your reiatsu. This is why she's already so keen to you. Saluki's are a stubbornly independent breed, and they do not take easy to others," Uchi explained.
"Sound's like a certain noble we know," Urahara added, nudging his comrade playfully.
Byakuya tilted his head downwards towards the canine he could feel perched protectively at his side. He patted the top of her proudly lifted snout. "It feels unfair, receiving loyalty that I did not earn."
Uchi flipped a hand as if waving off something of little worth. "Canines are good judges of character. Artemis would've rejected your reiatsu if she did not accept you."
After considering, Byakuya said, "I see. I need a moment to speak with my fukutaichou." When neither Uchi not Urahara moved to leave, he added, "Alone."
Neither of the men said anything as they moved away, but Byakuya could practically feel varying degrees of smugly amused in their silent retreat.
To say he was bad at words was a misconception. Byakuya was known for his ability to use nuances and meticulously chosen statements to express his thoughts and feelings in a perfectly blanketed fashion, but when he turned towards Ichigo, he realized he didn't know what to say. What he wanted to convey was clear enough, but verbalizing those sentiments appropriately was more than a man like Byakuya thought himself capable of. No, Byakuya wasn't bad a finding the right words, he was bad at being purely earnest.
"What did you have to do for Uchi-san as payment for Artemis?" Byakuya asked.
"Not much, I just had to wash a few dogs in my spare time."
"Which you barely have these days."
"It really wasn't a big deal. It made you happy anyway."
Byakuya formed a mental image of Ichigo feigning nonchalance. He could all but see the lazy way he'd roll his shoulder and bare a bored face to downplay the heart behind his actions. It charmed the noble more than it probably should've.
"Besides," Ichigo said, clearing his throat, "I wanted to thank you for all you've done for me." "All I have done for you?"
'Shouldn't it be the other way around, Ichigo?'
"Yeah, you've practically been supporting me since I've decided to stay here in Seireitei. It's...meant a lot, Byakuya. Really." Ichigo smiled at the way Byakuya's eyes oxidized in his sockets like two perched sun's burning at their peak. His happiness was brimming, creating an ethereal glow in the atmosphere around him.
Byakuya Kuchiki had been taught to suppress his emotions, so graciousness was only expressed with a stiffly delivered 'you have my gratitude,' but when he bit ever so lightly at the inside of his cheek, and his brow furrowed thoughtfully, it was obvious that those simple words weren't enough for the noble. For Ichigo, however, that said it all. He didn't need an elaborate display of Byakuya's appreciation when it was written all over his face.
Besides, from how Byakuya wore a just noticeable expression of disconcerted concentration, Ichigo could tell how deeply Byakuya was thinking on what to say, and his chest could barely take it. Byakuya's happiness was making Ichigo's heart wail like a tantrum-happy toddler. He squeezed Byakuya's shoulder and said, "You can thank me by keeping up with your training and getting stronger than ever." After a moment, he smirked and added, "And maybe by just calling me Ichigo."
The noble let out a deep sigh. He then nodded and put on the tiniest of smiles, and Ichigo had to wonder when his happiness started to correlate with Byakuya's, because that small twitch of the lips made him feel as bright as the yellow in Byakuya's eyes.
Byakuya kept his eyes steadily into the distance, but felt around for the top of Artemi's head when he felt her sniffling the fabric of his uniform for attention. "What does she look like, Ichigo?"
Ichigo ran an appraising glare up and down the sleek form of Artemis. Her shape was all smooth curves and sharp angles while her clipped coat was characterized by feathery raven sheen. Her snout was pointed proudly, and her eyes sat fix and consuming like two eclipses, only magnifying the intensity of her features. Most defining were her ears that flopped well below the chin. They looked like waves of luscious black ink dipped in a rustic red. She was truly a breed of unmatched symmetry and grace.
"Beautiful dog for a beautiful guy," Ichigo said, not at all registering the possible interpretations of his words before their unceremonious release.
The faintest red clung to Byakuya's cheeks, and the magenta in his eyes highlighted a bashfulness that most would be none the wiser to. Motionlessly, they stood like statues, eye's touching like magnets, and It almost felt as if Byakuya could really see him for just an instant.
Ichigo's hand drifted off of Byakuya's shoulder and down his arm, making mindless pit stops along the way, lingering by the elbow and loitering by the wrist before he ceased all contact. He was captured by a muting magic, adrift in their proximity. Only it was insufferable, because looking at Byakuya then and there felt like forgetting something important or trying to express memories that sat obscurely on his tongue. Words nor felicitous actions would form. The answer wouldn't come to him, but it wasn't until he was encapsulated by Byakuya's vicinity that he even realize there was a question to be asked.
He didn't even know what that question was, but whatever it's answer, it felt imposing, as if it could alter everything.
The sound of a throat clearing made Ichigo look up to see Uchi standing by himself amidst an opening of trees. "Dear Lord Kuchiki, would you mind making time for your other cohorts?"
Uchi's return made Ichigo realize the heat that met his ears and the sudden dehydration that sat heavy in his mouth. "I was about to head back anyway. I'll see you later, Byakuya."
Byakuya gave a hesitant nod and said, "Very well." Once Ichigo shunpo away, Byakuya waited for Uchi to speak. When the typically loquacious man said nothing, the noble asked, "And what is it I can do for you?"
"I just thought a man as tactful as yourself would want to thank me for Artemis before I leave. It is only good manners," Uchi said as he leaned against a tree and loosely crossed his arms.
Byakuya regarded a needy Artemis who kept nipping at his fingertips with a forced sigh. "Perhaps you have made her too keen to me. She will need training indeed."
"But Lord Kuchiki," Uchi said, smirking cunningly, "Artemis would be able to sense your displeasure and respond to it accordingly. That is, if there was truly any displeasure being had. Methinks thou doth protest too much."
"Are you here for my gratitudes or to run Shakespeare through a wood chipper?" Byakuya asked, making Uchi chuckle and forgo his spot against the tree.
"Ah, I will miss that derisive wit of yours, my dear protégée."
"Miss?" Byakuya chewed at his lip in contemplation. "Are you on your way then?"
"I'm afraid so," Uchi said with a wistful sigh, "I have taught you almost everything. The rest is up to you and your resolve." There was a moment of apprehensive silence followed by another chuckle from Uchi. "Do not be so disheartened. There is nothing else you need me for."
Byakuya closed his eyes briefly and then bowed in the direction of the man. "Then I am grateful for your tutelage, Uchi-san."
Uchi sauntered over to the noble and gingerly took the man's hand in his own. Dipping his head with the elegance of a steed, Uchi said, "The pleasure was mine," before pressing a chase kiss atop Byakuya's knuckles. He inclined his head, allowing his lips to hover above the noble's hand as he said offhandedly, "When delving into the essence of someone's reiatsu, how well it taste can be an indicator of either how close you are with said person or the harmony that exists between both yours and the other individual's reatsu. In this regard, chemistry proceeds attraction, not vise versa. Being the intelligent man that you are, you must've noticed this correlation, yes?"
Byakuya stiffened as his hand slipped from Uchi's. "Yes, I suppose this is true."
"May I ask who's reiatsu you found the most pleasing to your pallet? And before you question why I inquire, I please ask you to humor me once more for old times sake."
Over the course of his time with Uchi, Byakuya had learned that there was usually a benefit to indulging the man's strange ways. So he found himself bluntly stating, "That would be Rukia."
Uchi made a considering noise that Byakuya took for the trouble it was. Like Ichigo, he always expected more from the noble than most anyone else would dare push for. His complete lack of intimidation towards Byakuya, as troublesome as it was for the noble at times, was something he'd admittedly miss.
"I must say that I'm surprised. I would've thought it to be someone you share a more intimate relationship with. Of course, I'm sure that you care for Lady Kuchiki deeply, but from what I have learned about you over the past couple of months, I have serious doubts that you share much of your personal ongoings with her."
Byakuya closed his eyes and released a fretful sigh. "If you are referencing my fukutaichou, I would never be so bold as to invade the essence of my second in command."
Uchi's lips vibrated speculatively, and Byakuya could sense the wryness in their reverberation. "I merely put a blank space in your head, Lord Kuchiki, but you were the one who filled it in. Interesting." Byakuya faltered, and Uchi, the opportunist he was, took the chance to continue without strife. "What is more interesting is how you were willing to intrude upon the reiatsu of others, but not the reiatsu of the person you're arguably the closest with." He stepped closer and inhaled deeply through the nose, as if attempting to smell the truth in Byakuya's aroma. "Perhaps that is the problem, that you fear how potentially delightful Kurosaki-san reiatsu would be in your mouth. Perhaps you fear that, with just one taste, you would be hooked."
The noble turned away from Uchi rapidly, showing his immediate descent. "This is pointless speculation. What is it that you gain from this line of questioning?"
"I?" He asked, gesturing to himself. "Nothing. I only hope to bestow upon you my final lesson through such a question, and it is only by answering it that you can reap this last bit of wisdom." Uchi stepped back towards the opening and placed a hand above his heart in an act of sincerity. "But as I said, you need only your own resolve to find growth from here on out. I truly do hope we meet again soon, Lord Kuchiki. Perhaps when we do, you will have figured out your answer."
…
Up Next: Byakuya's secret fear, birthdays, and confrontation.
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Engkantada1905: Hey love! Thank you for taking the time to review. I really love stories and shows inspired by politics. In fact, I took inspiration from the real world when writing this story by trying to imagine what would happen in my country if something like the Quincy war occurred. Since it has, I knew Xenophobia, a huge mixture of hope and pain, and a reworking of political systems was the most realistic unfolding of events. I'm glad I found a good balance in this story between their love and the politics. I was worried about that.
Secret Companion: I've definitely considered it. The problem is finding a way to incorporate in into the story. Thanks for the review!
Tifanny91: Ah, I see you have spotted my foreshadowing! Now we must wait to see how this comes into play. Uchi has been such a fun OC to write for. Sadly he left in this chapter, but not before planting a seed in our favorite nobles head. Hopefully I'll bring him back at some point. Hmm, well, as for Byakuya seeing again, I'm unsure. I'm one of those people who believes that fixing his problem will undermine the lessons he learned and the overall theme of the story, but that doesn't mean he'll never see at all. He does share soul lock with Ichigo.
Jazzybella: Long time no see, love! It's nice to see your comments on my stories once more. You're words are truly flattering, but it's all Byakuya and Ichigo. They're the perfect muses, and this stuff sort've writes it's self. Hope to hear from you soon!
LustfulAvarices: Hey love! Don't I know it. I'm totally swamped. In fact, I'm writing this even though I work twelve hours tomorrow and should be in bed. These two are getting closer, and fortunately, things between them will begin to heat up sooner than later.