A/N: Hey guys, so I swear that the pacing will start to pick up with the next chapter. I can't say how necessary this chapter was, but I love it anyway. If life doesn't eat me alive, I'll see you soon.
Terms to know
Shitagi: White undershirt of a soul reaper uniform.
Burberry: Bluebells
Nibantai: Second divison
Otousan: Dad
Ojjisan: Granddad
Juigokucho: Hell Butterfly.
Song: "River in your mouth" by Ben Howard.
Good vibes. ~ Ashes.
The Changes We Are too Blind to See.
xXx
"And you showed me hope amongst the hellequins in spring.
And you told me life was learning how to be your friend."
"Byakuya, have you heard?" Ichigo asked as he came barreling into the noble's office. Byakuya immediately took to standing, and his eyes grew smaller at the frantic entrance of his second in command. "Jūshirō, he woke up from his coma!"
The noble sighed softly while preening a few wrinkles from his uniform. He then sat down and went back to his paperwork.
Ichigo tilted his head at the nobleman. He was silently feeling for the creased signature line with one hand and brandishing a pen with the other. "Byakuya?"
"Yes," the noble said shortly, keeping his head dipped and eyes shadowed, "I have heard."
"Well I figured we could go visit him. I know he was your senpai, so I thought you'd be, I don't know, more eager."
The noble sighed again and continued with his work. "I have no such intentions."
"What the hell!? Why not?"
Nothing.
"Hey, I'm talking to you here."
Complete static.
Ichigo walked over to Byakuya's desk in a few agitated movements and slammed his palm down on the paper work. "Look at me," Ichigo said through gritted teeth, causing Artemis to stand to attention, her disposition unusually hostile as she bared her teeth.
"Remove your hands from my personal space. Now."
"Not until you can look up at me and tell me why you won't go see Jūshirō."
"I can not look at you, if you do not recall."
Ichigo leaned in deeper until there was nothing but hot air and frustration in between them. "I want to see your eyes," he whispered.
Byakuya's grip on his pen tightened before he stood and swiftly moved away. His back taunted towards Ichigo. "Just because I wear my emotions in my eyes does not give you the right to analysis them. More so, I have no obligations to explain myself to you. Now, leave here," he said, his voice holding a threat in every tightly wound syllable.
"Wow," Ichigo said, running fingers through his hair compulsively, "I thought we were past this. So what, every time someone questions you or says something you don't like you're going to push them away with intimidation?" He scoffed. "And you call me the brat." Ichigo noted how Byakuya's stature tighten at the comment, but still, his goading prompted nothing but more silence. "From what you told me, Jūshirō means a lot to you, and when you care for someone, you're suppose to be there for them! I just don't get you sometimes…" For a moment, Ichigo stood in hopeful frustration, wishing the noble would offer some explanation, some insight on his current callousness. When nothing came, Ichigo said, "Whatever, I'm going to go visit him." As he slid open the paper door and stood in the arch way, Ichigo looked over his shoulder and said, "You know, I really expected more from you."
Byakuya flinched at the sound of the door slamming, and in his isolation, he allowed his shoulders to slump in dejection. He felt wet puppy kisses against his fingertips and the soft whimpers of Artemis.
'From what you told me, Jūshirō means a lot to you, and when you care for someone, you're suppose to be there for them!'
"You care for me," Byakuya said as he rubbed the top of Artemis's head, "Is that why you comfort me even when I do not deserve it?"
xXx
Upon entering Jūshirō's room, Ichigo blushed at the sight of him and Kyoraku exchanging gentle butterfly kisses.
"Uh, is now a bad time?" Ichigo asked, fish hooking the collar of shitagi to let some air hit his flushed chest. The two men looked up at him, Jūshirō with joy pulling at the sparse wrinkles of his eyes and Kyoraku with a playful grin.
Kyoraku, who was sitting on the corner of the hospital bed, placed a hand on the shoulder of the crescent haired man. "I think we may have scared him." He stood and turned towards a scowling Ichigo. "Have you never seen two people kiss?"
"No! I mean, yeah. Jus-uh just not..." Ichigo stopped his stupefied stammering and held out a box. Softly, he said, "I brought you a bento, Jūshirō."
The elders exchanged looks and shared a chuckle. Then Jūshirō said, "Thank you, Ichigo-kun. Would you like to sit for a while?"
"Sure," Ichigo managed as he walked over to the bedside chair and sat down.
"I'm going to see if I can wrangle us up some tea," Kyoraku said right before he leaned down and planted a kiss atop Jūshirō's head.
The crescent haired man smiled warmly, his eyes following his lover out the door and lingering there for a moment once he was out of sight. When he looked back at Ichigo, he saw a faint blush was still on the young man's cheeks. "Does that bother you, seeing two men together like that?" He asked with seemingly little to no judgment in his voice.
"What?! No," Ichigo said, his eyes widening and his hands waving clumsily in front of his face.
Jūshirō covered a soft laugh with the tips of his thin, sickly fingers, and Ichigo thought it was amazing how he could seem so lively despite his gaunt features. "I am aware that homosexual relationships are... taboo in The World of the Living, especially in the region you are from."
Ichigo rubbed the back of his head in thought before shrugging a shoulder. "I guess so, yeah. I don't really think about that stuff. If it makes you happy, I can't see how it's wrong. I was just... surprised. I knew you two were close, just not that close," he said, a sheepish smile lighting up his expression.
"I suppose that makes sense." He laughed wistfully and looked out the door once more. "It is funny, sometimes I don't think we even know how we came to be. We were never what you'd call gay men, but after years of trials and hardships, I think we just knew there was no one else. We didn't even have an official discussion about it. One day we were drinking tea as we'd done a thousand times before, and as we parted ways, we kissed goodbye. Now here we are."
There was distant gleam in Jūshirō eyes, nostalgic, as if staring at the past playing out in front of him. His temperament was one of peaceful longing, and he wore a tiny smile that seemed almost accidental. It made Ichigo wear his own little smile. "Oh, look at me," Jūshirō said, folding his hands gracefully against the cotton duvet, "You probably don't want to hear about all this sentimental stuff. I apologize."
"No," Ichigo said almost breathlessly, "It's nice..." And it was. He wasn't sure why, but to see an expression of enduring love made Ichigo feel lighter. It stood it stark contrast to all the death that weighed down the air around them.
After settling down from the unexpected entrance, a soft blue invaded Ichigo's scope of vision, making Ichigo turn his head and stare oddly at an arrangement of burūberu situated on a night stand to his side. He recalled Byakuya telling him they symbolized gratitude.
"They're beautiful," Jūshirō said, his gaze following Ichigo's. "Of course, they were given to me by the best gardener in all of Soul Society."
"They reminded me of the ones in Byakuya's garden."
"Well that's probably because that is who they're from," he said, smiling at the flowers. "Bya-kun knows they're my favorite." He turned a coy smirk towards Ichigo. "Please let it stay our little secret that Shunsui and I still refer to him as such. I can imagine him being sour to know that we truncate his name."
Ichigo gripped his knees tightly and dipped his head. "When you say give, you mean delivered, right?" When he lifted his head, Jūshirō was giving him a prompting look. "He had an attendant bring them, because he hasn't came himself."
"Yes, you would be right about that." Ichigo scowled and pushed harder against his knees.
"I'm sorry about that. He should really be here himself, but I mean, he's not a bad guy, but some-" Ichigo cut himself off at the sound of strained laughter hitting his ears.
"Excuse me, Ichigo-kun, you just sounded very similar to me when I defend Shunsui for the obscene things he does while drunk. Which," he pointed a finger and hummed in amusement, "mind you, is rather often."
Ichigo tutted and folded his arms. "I'm not defending that bastard. Like I said, he should be here."
The smile on Jūshirō's face turned sympathetic, and he overlapped his hand with Ichigo's fisted one. "Try to be understanding of him. He's a good man."
"I know! That's why I don't understand," Ichigo said, letting his arms rise and fall in flustered vexation.
Jūshirō observed him with marginally wider eyes before he asked, "This really bothers you, doesn't it?"
"No, it's just-" Ichigo faltered, craned his head back, and ran a hand over his face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be bothering you with this. How are you doing?"
"I am fine," Jūshirō said, "and you are not bothering me. In fact, It puts me in good spirits to talk about this and perhaps offer you guidance." He paused for a moment and then said, "Bya-kun, he's lost a great amount of people in his life, many prematurely. They would be around long enough for him to form an attachment and then they would die much too young. By being distant, he thinks he is protecting himself."
"I can understand that, but you're fine now! It's not like he can be that way towards everyone just because they'll one day die."
Jūshirō's smile slowly morphed into a small, regretful frown, and Ichigo could somehow read in between the lines of his ashen expression.
"Oh..." he muttered, "You're not fine?"
"I am awake and stable," Jūshirō said with a sigh, "but what was keeping me healthy was removed during the war." He paused and looked down to his hands as they twisted at the fabric on his lap. "It could be a month, a year, perhaps a bit longer. I am not sure, however, my death is inevitable."
A lump of sorrow formed in Ichigo's throat and dropped rapidly to his gut, and he cursed how his eyes grew misty and mediocre. Even after all this time, the war was still taking things from them.
"He knows this, and that is why he stays away. It is as a means of protecting himself."
"But doesn't that make you mad? It's not about him. You're the one who's dying. He should get over it!"
Jūshirō sighed and shook his head. "No, it makes me sad. Not for me, but for him." He looked meaningfully into Ichigo's eyes and explained, "He fears warmth more than any man I know, so he shrouds himself in coldness. It's a pity, because he's truthfully one of the warmest people I've ever met. Much like his otousan..." His eyes went from Ichigo's and back to the flowers. He smiled at the pretty, little petals, so meticulously cared for. "You see, he stays away not because he doesn't care, but simply because he cares too much, and that is frightening for a person like him. Much like when he asked me to place Rukia in my squad and hold back her advancement. From the way their eyes never met, you would think he didn't care, but he always thought of her well being."
"Was he thinking of her well being when he did nothing to stop her execution?" Ichigo snipped, immediately feeling guilty at the way he brought up something the two had seemingly moved past.
"I can only make an educated assumptions about his state of mind at the time, but I believe he'd long ago given up hope that anyone he loved would be savable by his own hands. Add that to the promise he made to his parents, and his lapse in judgment... well, it was understandable." He looked back at Ichigo and noted the way his eyebrows netted so intensely that they almost touched. He wore his conflict in his eyes. "We all cope with loss in our own distinct ways. Bya-kun is vigilantly distant and Shunsui drinks exorbitantly. I'm not saying this is a healthy method, but I think if we look at our own selves, we will see our own imperfections that we, too, have yet to overcome. Try to show him compassion, Ichigo-kun, and not harbor anger towards him. His apparent heartlessness is truly just the remnants of a man who once cared and loved with every fiber of himself."
Ichigo let loose a troubled sigh and nodded in reluctant understanding.
"Well be a little angry at him."
The two men looked up to see Kyoraku standing in the doorway with a cup of tea in each hand. He walked over and handed one to both Ichigo and Jūshirō. As he did so, he said, "I think you bring out the best in our lil Bya-kun. He needs someone around who will call him out when he's being too stubborn."
"So you mean all of the time?" Ichigo said, muttering against the rim of his tea cup.
Kyoraku laughed and slapped the man on the shoulder. "You have the right idea."
Ichigo's eyes cut back over to Jūshirō. They were dewy and all telling. "Jūshirō, I'm sorry... I..." He didn't know what to say. No words made sense or meant much in a moment like this.
"Ichigo-kun," Jūshirō said, sitting his tea cup on the stand beside him. "I will not ask you not to be sad, because that would be selfish of me, but I do ask you to not apologize. It is not me who I worry for." He looked dearly at the sad smile of his lifetime partner. "It is the ones I will leave behind that I worry about."
A heavy hush hovered between the three men, only to be abolished by the boisterous entrance of Yoruichi and Urahara. Noting the air instantly, Yoruichi asked, "What are you guys talking about?"
The Captain Commander turned, his typical smirk back in place. "We were talking about Byakuya-san, actually."
"Ah, no wonder it's so depressing in here," Yoruichi said, earning a laugh from Urahara and a scathing brow lift from Jūshirō. "I was just messing around," she said, mindlessly walking about the room, fiddling with different odds and ends. "You know I love teasing our lil' Bya-kun."
"It is her favorite pass time," Urahara offered before scratching at his scruff in contemplation. "Well, that and stripping."
"Sometimes both at the same time," The Captain Commander said, earning a tiny, pained chuckle from his lover.
"That reminds me," Yoruichi said, "I need to visit my favorite frowning prince. It's been awhile."
"I'm sure he'd like that," Ichigo said, rolling his eyes.
"Of course he will! Bya-kun loves when I visit, no matter what he says."
Ichigo snorted. "Sure."
"It's true," Jūshirō said, "Even when he was much younger, he'd fuss about Yoruichi-san's teasing, but if a week went by without her visiting him, he'd be at the Nibantai waving his sword around until she agreed to train with him."
Ichigo's eyes rounded, and he said, "That doesn't sound like Byakuya at all."
"Byakuya-san was different as a tyke," Kyoraku said, pinching the corner of his hat thoughtfully. "Actually, he was kind've like you, Kurosaki-san. If he wanted something, nothing would stand in his way."
"He was a fiery one."
"And let's not forget petulant."
"Sometimes I'm not sure who he took after more," Jūshirō said, smiling slightly, "his otousan or his ojiisan. Like both of them, he had a kind and generous soul, but like Ginrei, he presents himself in an aloof and severe manner. At his core, I think he's more like Sōjun, with his love for the arts and his subtle quirkiness. He certainly inherited Sōjun's more romantic heart."
Urahara let loose a reminiscent laugh and said, "You would know, wouldn't you? He had such a crush on you as a child. It was always senpai this, senpai that."
Jūshirō deterred the comment with a graceful wafting of the hand. "That was just a schoolboy infatuation." He looked at Ichigo and said, "One day you should ask him about how he courted Hisana. Now that was truly an act of pure love." His nose crinkled a bit and his shadow dripped eyes gleamed with a liveliness. "I am glad you two have formed a friendship of sorts. You know, your otousan's were friends."
Ichigo perked an eyebrow in question. "Really?"
"Yes. Your otousan would even call him Kuchiki-kun," he said, a melting sigh ever present in his voice.
As the chatter continued, Ichigo got up to excuse himself, now feeling an instinctual need to talk with Byakuya after gaining some insight on the man's earlier behavior. He wasn't exactly sure what he'd say, but he knew it needed to be voiced.
When he told Jūshirō he needed to handle something and that he'd return later, the man had a knowing twinkle in his eyes and nodded Ichigo off. Ichigo was all but a few steps out the door when his eyes caught sight of a familiar form coming towards him.
"Byakuya…" he said, gaping at the man who walked with a loyal Artemis by his side.
The noble stopped in front of him, his eyes burning orange with determination. Artemis pawed happily at Ichigo's feet. "Ichigo," he greeted.
"You came…"
"Of course, I did," Byakuya said. "That is what you do for the one's you care for, yes?"
Ichigo didn't respond. Instead his lip's flickered mirthfully, and he placed a leading hand on the noble's forearm as they headed towards the room. When they entered, everyone went silent, but Byakuya paid no mind to the attention bearing down on him. He walked to Jūshirō's bedside and sat where Ichigo once did. He could tell the elder man was smiling at him.
"Senpai," he greeted softly, "it is nice to see you."
xXx
What Ichigo said to Uchi was true, when deciding between staying in Soul Society and returning to The World of the Living, there was no right choice. There were only consequences.
It's true that perhaps Ichigo was running from something, running from what life could've potentially been like post war, running from facing questions and forcing smiles. But wasn't that normal? No matter which path you take in life, you're always both simultaneously running towards and away from something. It was an inevitable truth that no one could escape. Likewise, if he had chosen to go home, he would've been running from memories of the war and the greif it gifted him while trying to gain some semblance of a normal life. Ichigo was mature enough to face the consequence of the choices he made and no where near miserable enough to reconsider. However, some days were harder handled than others.
Today was Ichigo's eighteenth birthday, and though he'd liked to say he forgotten all about it, that would be a lie. What made him lonelier than he'd like to admit was that none of his friends or family had contacted him about coming here or him going there to celebrate the day, and considering this was the first milestone away from his family, he couldn't help but to feel awfully forgotten. Byakuya had given him the day off, but since the noble said nothing about his birthday, Ichigo figured it to be a coincidence.
Sure, he could go visit The World of the Living, but Ichigo didn't want to show up last minute or make them feel bad if they did forget. So as he sat and ate breakfast, Ichigo considered what he'd do with his day off.
As he lifted a fork full of eggs to his mouth, Ichigo felt the presence of several familiar pressures that made his head perk. He immediately dropped his utensil and shunpo towards the Kuchiki family senkaimon. His eyes gaped at the sight. Coming through was his family, including his sisters and dad, and behind them were a few of his friends, Chad, Orihime, and Ishida. All were carrying gifts and wearing varying degrees of excited.
Rukia flashed beside Ichigo, and she turned towards him with a small smile. "Happy birthday, Ichigo!"
"Uh...thanks..." he said, shifting his eyes back and forth between the approaching group and Rukia. "Whats going on. N-"
He easily sidestepped a flying kick aimed towards his head with a look of disinterest.
"My boy! I see you haven't lost your touch!"
"Dad, you're so annoying. Can you behave for once!?" Karin asked, and Ichigo turned to address his sisters with a smile.
"I see pops is as crazy as ever."
Yuzu ran towards him with arms wide, a gesture Ichigo gladly met. He hugged the girl and spun her around.
"Ichi-Nii," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "I missed you."
"I missed you too, Yuzu," Ichigo said, sitting the girl down.
"He is as crazy as ever," Karin said, frowning at her brother. "And you left us with that." Despite her incredulous glare, she slung her arms around Ichigo lazily.
Ichigo wrapped his arms around her tightly, and said, "I'm sorry, kid... I don't understand," his eyes flickered towards his friends, "why are you guys here?"
"What do you think?" Uryu asked, shaking his gift.
"You know what I mean! No one told me you were coming, so I didn't think anyone made any plans to visit."
Uryu tutted and asked, "You didn't think we'd forget your birthday, did you, Kurosaki?"
"Yeah, Ichigo," Chad agreed, "We couldn't forget something like that."
Ichigo rubbed at the back of his head and donned a scowl, hiding a coy expression. "Yeah, obviously."
"Tutsyumi wanted to come," Orihime chimed in, "but she was too busy at the dojo. She told me to tell you something, but," she lowered her voice, "it was bit too vulgar for me to repeat in present company."
Ichigo winced. "Yeah, I can probably figure it out."
"Ishida-san came back home and we all went to buy presents!" She said, holding her gift up and showing off the robot themed wrapping paper. "I wanted to make you a cake but..." she put on a demure smile, "Chad convinced me not to."
"Oh, well you shouldn't go through all that trouble anyway," Ichigo said before looking towards Chad and discreetly mouthing the words 'thank you'. Chad simply nodded in understanding.
"But, still, why didn't you guys tell me? I can't exactly just invite you all into Byakuya's house without asking him."
"How do you think they got through the family senkaimon?" Rukia asked. "It was me who told Nii-sama of your birthday and mentioned that I wanted to do something, but it was him who allowed everyone to come here for the evening.
Ichigo cocked a brow, and Isshin said, "Kuchiki Taichou sent me a Jigokuchō about a month ago inviting us to come here and stay for the day. He even sent an attendant to pick up some overnight bags so we wouldn't have to worry about taking the trip back too late. I told him I wanted it to be a surprise, so I guess he didn't tell you."
"He did that?" Ichigo asked, his whisky hued eyes churning as he thought back to earlier.
'Why are you giving me the day off?'
'I am tired of your constant presence.'
"Yep. He's nicer than I remembered him being. I was surprised."
Ichigo wasn't. He expected nothing of the noble's scheming, but standing amidst such a pleasant present, Ichigo felt amused at how much of a Byakuya type gesture this was. Subtle, discreet, yet ridiculously thoughtful, this reeked of the noble. Ichigo's heart sang, and he wore a rare smile.
"It's good to see you all," he said right as Fujita came to stand at his side, wearing an appraising glare that she hid behind a stiff smile. "Everybody, this is Fujita-san. Fujita-san, this is everybody."
"As always, your manners are horrendous." The attendant rolled her eyes before bowing towards the group. "I'm sure I'll get to know you all before the day is over. If you'll please follow me, I'll take you to your guest rooms. Lord Kuchiki's chef's are preparing lunch, but until then, feel free to settle in and explore at your leisure," Fujita said as she turned to guide them.
Ichigo walked beside the woman, matching her purposeful strides. "Hey, where's Byakuya?" He asked in a whisper.
She sent him an aslant glare, humor lighting up her dull baby blues. "Where he always is."
"Working himself to death," Ichigo assessed, and Fujita concurred with a nod. "I wanted to thank him for this."
She hummed knowingly. "I believe you know what he'll say to that."
Ichigo tutted and said, "Yeah, something stupid about how it was nothing."
"Well, technically, for him, a gesture like this is of little significance."
"It's the thought," Ichigo said as they walked into the mansion. "Come on, you know him better than I do. Inviting my friends and family here for my birthday isn't something he'd just do freely or without meaning."
She gave the man a sideways smirk. "You do know him well, Kurosaki-san."
"Hey, why all secretive?" Isshin asked, slinging an arm around his son.
"Mind your own business, old man!"
xXx
At the sound of his door sliding open, Byakuya lifted his head and allowed his pen to hover over the paperwork situated in front of him.
"You know, it wouldn't kill you to relax some."
Byakuya shifted, feeling the strangest sense of anticipation at the sound of Ichigo's voice. Why did he never know what face to put on around this man? Why did he alway leave Byakuya feeling both restless and calm? Around Ichigo, he felt a severe sense of uncertainty, but in the best way possible.
He feigned busy, turning his pen back towards the paper. Although it was clear Ichigo had his full attention. "I find the act of doing paper work soothing."
"Ah, I forgot," Ichigo said, and Byakuya could hear his feet moving closer, "you find some sick amusement in burying yourself under work."
"I suppose it could be said that I have a twisted sense of entertainment. I do spend my time around you."
Ichigo came to stand beside him, leaning against his desk. Byakuya could feel a smirk radiant in his silence. "Thank you," Ichigo said softly, "That was a… a really nice thing you did for me, Byakuya."
"I have no clue what you speak of."
"You're saying you had nothing to do with my friends and family showing up today?" Ichigo asked, giving an expectant click of the tongue.
"That sounds completely out of character for me. Perhaps this was Rukia's doing," Byakuya said monotonously, though his twitching lips gave him away.
"Right, well, why don't you take a break from your sadistic hobby and come eat lunch with us?"
"I have much work that needs attending," Byakuya said, waving the man off.
"You have to eat anyway."
"Perhaps, but I can do so without intruding on your time with your friends and family."
"You're not intruding," Ichigo asserted. When Byakuya said nothing, he leaned in closer, close enough for his warm, ginger scented breath to flush Byakuya's cheek. "I want you there, and you know I have a knack for getting what I want."
The noble inclined his head slightly, his lips going numb at the direct sensation of Ichigo's penetrating breaths. "Besides," Ichigo added, "since you forgot my birthday, you can consider it your present to me."
Byakuya smirked openly at Ichigo's cheekiness, and he couldn't help but to imagine what face Ichigo was wearing. Would it match the sly inclination of his voice? He hopped so.
"Will agreeing get you out of my office quicker?"
"It's pretty much the only way I'm leaving, so you better go ahead and give in."
Byakuya stood with a sigh and proceeded to unfold the walking cane that sat upon his desk. After commanding Artemis to stay, he asked, "Who am I to oppose that Kurosaki audacity?" As he maneuvered around the desk, the noble whacked Ichigo's shin with the base of his cane, and Ichigo yelped suddenly as a result.
"What the hell, Byakuya!? You did that on purpose!"
The noble sniffed haughtily as he continued forward with his graceful ambling. "I would never. Such tactless actions are unbecoming of nobility."
"Like hell!"
The two entered the Kuchiki estate's sumptuous dining area, and Ichigo pretended not to notice how everyone's eyes took more notice of them than each other.
Knowing the noble was about as inclined to social interactions as he was to days spent at the eleventh division, Ichigo sat in between Byakuya and Yuzu, feeling it unfair to abandon his friend in a potentially awkward bout of small talk.
Yuzu tugged at his sleeve with a faint blush bringing her nose. She cupped her tiny hands around his ear and whispered, "Ichi-Nii, is he really a prince? He's so dashing!"
Ichigo chuckled and whispered back, "Don't tell him that. His head's already big enough as it is."
Clearing her throat, Yuzu lifted her chin with as much confidence as she could muster while speaking in such a mousy voice. "Kuchiki-sama," she said, "Thank you for allowing us to come here and spend time in your beautiful home!"
Byakuya smiled subtly and nodded towards the girl as attendants began to bring out their meals. "It is my honor, Lady Kurosaki."
Yuzu was practically drowning in her own drool and dreamy sighs, making Ichigo tut in amusement. And this guy wondered why women swooned over him.
"I'm happy to know my Ichi-Nii has such good friends looking out for him while he's here," she added.
"Yeah," Karin, who sat on the opposite side of Byakuya, said, "Especially because I know Ichi-Nii is probably a horrible house guest."
"You would be correct," Byakuya said.
Ichigo scowled. "Hey!"
"Nonetheless, it has been my pleasure."
The two girls began chattering ceaselessly, throwing question after question at the noble in between bites of their meal. Although Byakuya didn't seem to mind in the least. Not that it surprised Ichigo. The noble did have a patience with children that superseded his tolerance of adults.
While Byakuya conversed with the two youngest Kurosaki's, Ichigo made frivolous conversation with his friends who sat across from him, and for a while, their meal flowed as such. It was lighthearted and just what Ichigo needed, easing away the pressure of post-war politics and pestering thoughts. It made him feel human. It made him feel eighteen. That was a part of himself he tended to forget existed.
Ichigo looked towards Byakuya with a faint smile. He never forgot.
After their main dish was finished, the attendants brought out a pastry smothered in chili spiced dark chocolate ganache, and if Ichigo was a different man, he would've openly crooned at the ambrosial flavor smothering his tongue.
Swallowing down a bite, once everyone's attention had left him, he looked over to Byakuya and asked, "You're not going to have any?"
"You know I do not eat sweets."
"Yeah," he said, practically sucking the chocolate off his spoon, "but I also know you like them."
"They are unhealthy."
Ichigo scoffed and asked, "What, are you afraid it'll ruin your figure? It's one piece."
"I find it better to avoid the path of temptation," Byakuya explained.
Ichigo's jaws went slack and he looked at the noble dumbly. "It's cake, Byakuya." He took another bite. "Don't be so melodramatic."
Byakuya netted his brow in disgust. "Do not speak with your mouth full. What pack of wolves did you originate from?"
"The kind that enjoys chocolate," Ichigo teased, nudging his plate closer to the noble "Here, you can share mine."
"Why are my eating habits of such a concern to you?"
Ichigo shrugged a shoulder. "I just don't like people denying themselves obsessively."
"I think you enjoy making me do things I would find otherwise unsightly." Byakuya cocked an eyebrow. "And you say my preferred activities are twisted."
Ichigo arched his body closer to the noble, once again invading the man's breathing space. "Yeah, well, I think you enjoy it too," Ichigo said, a tantalizing smirk playing at his voice.
Byakuya sighed and picked up his spoon. "You are truly exasperating," he said before taking a bite of the pastry.
"Maybe, but I got you to eat the cake, didn't I?"
The noble's eyes glittered with gold, and a smudge of chocolate dripped onto his lips, teasing something in Ichigo. He felt compelled to lean in and swipe it off, and he had to clench his hand when he realized it's reflexive yet inappropriate desire.
Something about Byakuya pulled him unwittingly, and his body unconsciously carved contact, always instigating touches. He wanted to be just a bit closer, just another inch, and although he couldn't place a name to this sensation, it could be felt in the way their mutual tactility tangoed on a tightrope of deeper temptation. The way his body bent towards Byakuya, the way his fingers flickered in anticipation, or how he'd naturally negate the space between them by a mere brush of the shoulders or a forceful grip of the forearm, it all seemed so innocent, unnoticed, but there were times, times like now, where his body betrayed the boundaries of such thoughtless touches and reached out for something more. These were the times Ichigo couldn't ignore, but they were also the times he refused to dwell on.
The noble nipped lightly at his bottom lip with his upper, sucking away the chocolate that stained him, and Ichigo found himself mimicking the gesture, feeling a feathery heat induced by the sight. "True, but everything comes with a price, Ichigo. Tomorrow we will add an extra hour onto our training." His eyes were wickedly golden. "I will make you sweat for this."
Ichigo ignored the way this heat made his kneecaps throb, and he forced a scowl. "I was right, you are twisted."
"I hope this was worth it."
"I regret nothing."
So caught up they were, the two didn't seem to notice when conversations around them became fainter, less involved, or when their own behavior became the subject of curious eyes.
After dinner, Ichigo found his way to the bathroom. On his way back, he was met by the sight of Rukia in waiting, and he couldn't quite place her expression. That worried him.
"Rukia, what's up?"
The girls features curdled, and she squinted one eye at him while tapping her foot against the bamboo flooring. Oh yeah, something was definitely not right. She'd never given him that look before. "When you first decided to stay here and help Nii-sama, I never questioned it," she began, "Even if it didn't make sense to other people, I knew you, and it made sense to me. It's natural for you to help someone in need, and at the time, I knew it was probably hard to imagine going back to The World of the Living. Nii-sama needed help, and you needed someone to help, so even though you two were never close, It made sense."
Ichigo's eyes pinched, and he shifted in his spot. "Okay…"
"But this, whatever's going on between you and Nii-sama, it doesn't make sense."
"What do you mean by whatever's going on?"
She shook her head in disappointment, and her crossed arms hung heavily. "Don't play dumb, Ichigo. I know you well enough to know how you are with your friends, and even if you're not all that different with Nii-sama, the subtitles are pretty clear." She sighed and directed a loaded stare towards her brother's office. "Nii-sama too, I've never seen him that affected by someone. What's going on with you two?"
Ichigo grimaced in agitation. Why did he have to explain his relationship with Byakuya? Why was it anyone else's business? "Nothing, we're just friends. Is there a problem with that?"
"Just friends?" She echoed, giving a mocking laugh. "You two seem pretty close for just friends. Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't noticed it before."
Ichigo raked a hand through the spikes of his dipped head, his eyes roaming for clarity. "Look," he said, meeting the woman's eyes, feeling feebly resolute, "after the war, Byakuya and I were both going through some stuff. I realized that we had more in common than I thought, and we were there for each other." He paused, gathering his words. "I was able to come to him with stuff that I didn't feel comfortable talking to other people about. I don't know exactly how it happened, but yeah, we grew close. Maybe closer than we allowed ourselves to get with others, but that doesn't mean there's anything else between us. Honestly, Rukia, you're seeing stuff that isn't there."
Her eyes tapered like tiny bullets, and they dug in, twisting and turning until they reached the truth. "And even if we were more, which were not, why would it matter to you?"
"Because," she explained with an intent posture, "like I said, when Nii-sama is around you, I can see the difference in the way he moves. If there was something going on, It's my duty as his sister to tell you what could happen if you were shortsighted with his emotions. He is a good man, and it would be wise of you to handle his heart with careful hands."
There was an implied warning in the way she paused between her words and in how her voice was as frigid as her bankai. Ichigo found himself flinching at her fortitude. "Well, luckily there's nothing going on between us, like I've said for the dozenth time now."
Her disposition unraveled into something more comfortable, but the smirk that emerged afterwards was just as concerning. "Well, that's good. Nii-sama will have to marry and have an heir soon as it is. So it would've been troublesome if you two had developed feelings for each other."
Ichigo blinked a few times as if processing the words incorrectly. "What?!" he all but screamed, but Rukia was already walking away. He followed, of course. "Marriage? Who is he marrying?"
Rukia shrugged a shoulder. "Whoever the elders chose, I suppose."
"An arranged marriage?! They can't force him into spending his life with someone he doesn't love."
Rukia stopped suddenly, almost causing Ichigo to collide into her. "Who said they'd have to force him?"
Ichigo's eyes went wide, and something inside him tingled with urgency. It was the same sensation he'd get moments before stepping into battle, a feeling of life altering determination, a desperation to protect something that belonged to him. "You mean, he wants an arranged marriage?" His voice was betraying him. He sounded so small. He wanted to fold himself up into tiny squares, hide away from this feeling. "Are you serious, Rukia?"
Rukia turned, her tiny trembling hands clasped in front of her. Her eyes were dripping from their crevices, and concealed chuckles sputtered from her nostrils and clamped, curled mouth. "No, I'm not," she said, giving into full blown laughter.
"What the hell, Rukia?!"
After a few composing inhales, the woman said, "I just wanted to see your reaction, and boy, you didn't disappoint Ichigo. I thought you might actually cry." She smirked devilishly. "That's some response over just a friend."
Ichigo was glowing pink, his features wide and defensive. "I-we-I." He took a deep breath. "You're pure evil. That's not something to joke about!"
"Well, I wasn't completely," she explained. "I did hear the elders speaking on the possibility of marriage for both Nii-sama and myself some time ago. Since I'm not really apart of the blood linage, I doubt they'll press the issue. Nii-sama, however," she paused, chewing at her lip, "well, it makes sense." She gestured a hand around the surrounding confines of the mansion. "He has to leave all of this behind to someone. It must've occurred to you that, one day, he'll have to get married and have an heir. I know for a fact that Nii-sama doesn't believe in loveless marriages, however, he's also a man of duty, so I wouldn't be surprised if one day he announces his intended." Her brow perked wryly before she turned to leave. "Unless he had a reason not to. Too bad he doesn't."
"Yeah," Ichigo muttered, "too bad."
Ichigo watched her retreat with flushed, huffing cheeks and a newly obtained headache burning at his eyes. Rukia's assumption - no, accusation, left him feeling more vexed than a simple misinterpretation should've. It's true that Ichigo saw how close he and Byakuya had became, and that sometimes while in the noble's presence, he felt certain unexplainable things that were unique to their relationship, but why did those feelings need explaining? Nothing about their friendship had ever been conventional. It defied the need for definition, as it fitted perfectly in between the confines of any one label. Ichigo didn't need any convoluted over analysis of what they were complicating the dynamics of their friendship, a friendship that he accepted in all of its peculiar glory. There was no need to think about it at all, because to Ichigo, what they were was clear. They were Byakuya and Ichigo. Nothing more and nothing less.
But still, when he thought Byakuya would be married off to some stranger, if even for just a passing moment, his world felt smaller. He had to wonder why his whole life felt abruptly compacted, forced into a cramped closet where light was just a concept and his air supply was just a fraction of what it was only seconds before.
Why did the idea of Byakuya getting married feel like having something stolen from him?
...
Up next: Problems with the peace, a book of secrets I was never suppose to read, feelings confronted
xXx
siwon611: I understand love. As I write this, I should be working on homework. lol. Maybe you can catch up with you time over the holiday break. Thank you for taking the time to review. I only hope I can continue to live up to your flattering compliments. :)
Secret Companion: I don't mind ranting! And yes, I love that line. I'm just like, Ichigo's got game, and he doesn't even realize it lol. Thank you, love! See you next time.
Tifanny91: As always, it's nice to hear from you, dear. You are mighty astute. Too smart for your own good. ;) I don't want to give anything away, but I think you'll like how to cloning plays out, and you are also right in the thought that a bit of trouble may be lurking. I love the idea of Byakuya and Ichigo doing these little gestures for each other that neither understand the full meaning behind. I also love how Byakuya does things to earn Ichigo's pride. It may seem like a stretch, but I head cannon that Byakuya has unrequited feelings for Ichigo. Kubo wrote this omake where he gives Ichigo a sakura crested pass for new years. The pass gives him the full authority of a Kuchiki noble while in any of the Kuchiki owned restaurants in soul society. Like, ohmygawd, my heart. And it's cannon! like, if that isn't love or at least a major crush, Idk what is. Anyway, I'll stop my fan girl gushing!
Guest: You're comment gave me a major smile. Thank you for taking the time to check this story out. Hope to hear from you again.
ctofi1: Thank you love! See you next time.
Guest: Not quite yet, but very close. :)
Evelina Sei: Enjoy! :)