Chapter 63: 1,000 Yr Blood War Arc - After Hours

Minata's POV

"That should do it," I mumble, bone-tired like you wouldn't believe as I finished the last kanji on the piece of paper before me. My eyes are strained from all the writing I've done for the past few hours, but somehow, I've managed to push through it all to get all my tasks done. I breath a small flame to life in my hand before waving it across the paper to make the ink dry quicker, making it go away with a simple flick of my wrist.

Letting it dry the normal way would not have been the best option at this point. I would have fallen asleep watching it, guaranteed.

Once that's done, I placed the sheet onto the stack that had been steadily growing on my right, picking it up so I can take it to processing. My hands were aching the entire time, and my body was stiff due to sitting down for so long, but I ignored the discomfort, ready to get this task over with it before I called it a night.

Ever since I left Byakuya at my door earlier in the day, I have been busy. And it all started with my first task: organizing the task force in charge of notifying the families of all the victims of today's tragedy.

That was a challenge in of itself.

Here at the First Division, we may not look like the warmest of barracks to step into, but we did consider each other family. Everyone knew someone that was caught in the tragedy of Black Ridge, and I knew before I even started that finding someone who wasn't too affected by what happened would be quite a stretch.

This was something that hit directly home for us, and it wasn't going to be forgotten anytime soon, not for years to come.

The group was small. Including me, eight people in total, and we weren't even a quarter of the way done before two of us broke down crying as we went through all the names. I did give those that cried permission to leave if they felt that it was going to be too much for them, but they refused, saying that they were ready to push on . . .

"Allow us to stay on Fukudome-san . . . I know this will be hard, but as fellow members of the First Division, we owe the victims our best efforts in alerting their families. We can't break down as a division, but we must rise up to show that we can still go on in the face of the trauma that has been inflicted on us today. It may kick us down, but it won't kick us down forever."

Those words were spoken by 15th Seat Todoroki, and out of all of us in the group, she had lost the most today. Her older sister, the division's 12th Seat, was among the casualties. She spoke with tears in her eyes, but after she made her impactful statement, I couldn't refuse her decision after that.

It took us four and a half hours to place a name on all the victims, and another two to craft letters to deliver to all their loved ones. Under more normal circumstances, one of us higher seated officers would have went to the home of the family of the deceased to deliver the news in person, but unfortunately that couldn't happen.

There were too many victims, our division took a big hit in our manpower, and it was now a time of war. We needed everybody within the barracks focusing and preparing for the fights to come. We simply couldn't spare the bodies for such a task, no matter how much the families deserved better.

After all the messages were crafted and sent to the messengers for delivery, I stayed cooped up in my office to handle all the damage reports from the attack; Mizukiri, and the bento box Byakuya had thankfully delivered, serving as my only company as the afternoon went on. Mizukiri eventually left, but I remained, completing my work until day turned to night.

"I better get these to their destination then . . ." I mumble as I stretched out my limbs and wiped the sleep from my eyes. Stepping into the hallway was like stepping into a quiet ghost town. I could still feel people moving around, but it was a lot less busy than how it was hours prior. After making my way through the dark hallways, I reached the processing room to find that it wasn't as empty as I thought it would be.

"Okikiba?" I ask, my voice making the older man turn around to see me. "I thought you would have turned in for the night already."

"I should say the same to you Fukudome," says the older man as he places his stack of paperwork down on the table. "It's already past nine o'clock. You're usually out of here once the clock strikes seven."

"I know," I say, shocked that so much time has passed without me noticing. "But certain events have caused a change in routine, unfortunately, and we must prepare for it accordingly . . . Have you seen the captain commander at all today?"

"Not since I saw him coming back from the captain's meeting earlier . . . I have been busy overseeing all the paperwork coming in from all the other divisions. Thanks to the declaration of war, we've seen quite an influx, much higher than usual. Even the 11th is being prompt with their work."

"Strange times call for strange actions I suppose." I mumble as I set my paperwork down.

"Indeed . . ." I hear him say as I again try to wipe the sleep from my eyes. "How are you holding up Mina?"

"As best as I can, to be honest," I say, shaking my head. "It's just odd. I walked in this morning, thinking that it was going to be business as usual. Next thing I know, over a hundred of our men are gone, all gone, including the lieutenant. . . Sasakibe has been such a stalwart figure within this division, that's it's almost unimaginable to think about the First without him, and yet, here we are, facing that reality."

"Indeed, Lieutenant Sasakibe has been a part of the division for as long as the captain commander has. He was one of its backbones . . ."

". . . And he will be dearly missed."

We both stand at attention as soon as we heard the Captain Commander's voice, bowing our heads as he stood in the doorway.

"At ease Third Seat Fukudome, Fourth Seat Okikiba . . ."

We both raise our heads, and for the first time in years, the Captain Commander really looks his age, as if he's finally seen too much happen in this world. He's not a natural crier, and I highly doubt he'll ever cry at this point, but his grief is unmistakable. He didn't just lose his lieutenant today. He lost someone that has been by his side before most of the current captains and lieutenants could even call themselves shinigami, before some of us were even born. He lost the one person that knew him best, and it must be hitting him hard, no matter how stone faced he appears.

"Captain Commander, we were just finishing up for the night-" Okikiba starts to say before the older man raises a hand, cutting him off. "Are you finishing up for the night as well?"

"No; I still have something to do before I can say that I have done enough for today," says the man, his tone a little softer than how it usually is. "You two. Go home and gets some rest. I want you both wide awake and prepared to attend Sasakibe's funeral tomorrow, especially you Minata. As my new lieutenant, your position demands it."

"New position? Captain Commander?" I ask as he steps forward, pulling out a familiar badge before stretching his hand out to give it to me. "That's . . ."

"The badge that must be worn by every lieutenant of the First Division," he stoically tells me, the engraved chrysanthemum and kanji for 'one' shining in the dim light. "Trust me, I have thought about this decision long and hard, and under much more normal circumstances, I would have delayed making it for at least a few weeks, maybe even a few months, out of respect for the man who previously held it, but this is not normal circumstances . . . A war will soon be upon us and I need everyone prepared and ready to face the danger that awaits. From today onward, every remaining seated officer will be promoted up one seat, which means Okikiba, you will take up Lieutenant Fukudome's previous position as Third Seat, so on and so forth."

"Lieutenant Fukudome . . ." I think to myself as Okikiba solemnly nods his head. I figured that a promotion was always in my future, especially thanks to the bankai I possess, but I never figured I would receive it in this way.

I should be honored, but I only feel hollow on the inside.

"Filling out the remaining seated officer positions will be one of your first duties after the funeral and meeting tomorrow Minata. You're both dismissed."

"Yes captain!" we both say, my mind a little dazed as to what just happened as we watched the older man leave. A hand on my shoulder brings my thoughts back into focus, and I turn to see Okikiba offering a rare smile before taking his leave, leaving me alone to comprehend what just happened.

Figuring it was best to get moving before the night janitor made his rounds, I forced my legs into action. Walking through the empty hallways, I couldn't help but stretch out my 'sixth sense' to see who was still around and who had gone to sleep. Besides the night guards, I could feel a couple of the lower ranked officers in the general office area putting in some extra work. I was thinking of saying a quick good night to them when I felt a very familiar presence just outside the building, waiting near the entrance.

I didn't have to think hard to figure out who the person was.

"Well, I did give him permission to escort me home if he felt I was working too late tonight. I should have known he would take full advantage of that," I couldn't help but think as I moved toward the exit. ". . . Aw, he's such a good boyfriend though."

If I had less restraint, I would have squealed that thought out loud.

Pushing that thought aside, I decide not to waste any more time and flash stepped toward the entrance, my eyes widening in amazement as I spot Byakuya standing by the stairs, now dressed in much more casual robes as he gazed up at the moon.

"How long have I kept you waiting?" I ask, making sure I sounded apologetic as I came up on his left.

"Not long actually. Mizukiri gave me advance warning as to when you were leaving and I only just arrived," he tells me, turning his head so that we were eye-to-eye. And then his gaze went down to what I was holding in my hands. "What is that?"

We both knew that he knew what it was. This was simply one of the few times he was caught so off guard that he ended up asking a question with such an obvious answer.

"Well Byakuya, as of fifteen minutes ago, I am no longer the acting lieutenant of the First Division. I am the official lieutenant of the First Division." I tell him with a flourish that I couldn't put much effort in as I waved the badge in the air. "The Captain Commander made it official just a little while ago. Every remaining seated officer moves up one seat as well."

"I see . . ." he mumbles, taking my hand in his before leading the way down the stairs. "How do you feel?"

"There's too many emotions to count," I finally admit, the relief of just saying those words making me want to say them again just for the hell of it. "I'm angry over the attack at Black Ridge. I'm worried about the lasting effects that the attack has caused to all those involved, especially the families and loved ones of the victims. I'm tired after looking, writing, and signing sheet after sheet of paperwork for hours on end, and after receiving this promotion, I just don't know what I should really feel anymore . . . I just want to put this day behind me already."

"The level of stress you must have been feeling throughout the day must have been weighing you down so much . . . You didn't shock anybody did you?"

It was a natural reaction for me to punch him in the shoulder for that one, and judging by the wince of his face, and the fact he grabbed the spot where I punched him, I I got him good. I haven't pettily reacted with bodily harm to one of Byakuya's remarks like I did just now since we were teenagers, but damn it felt it good to just hit something, even if the victim is my own boyfriend.

"That was unneeded . . ." I hear him grumble, chuckling despite what I was feeling a few minutes ago.

"I know, but I wanted to punch something and you were the closest one available." I admit, not bothering to lie. Anything I made up at this point wouldn't have worked. Byakuya simply knows me too well.

"Well, if becoming your punching bag will help alleviate your stress, then I'm willing to make that sacrifice . . ."

I couldn't help but grin at that, and my body moved before my brain, planting a kiss right on his cheek before I even thought about it. He returns it with a kiss of his own, this one finding my lips, and I return it eagerly, maybe a bit too eagerly by my estimate.

"It's nice that you're willing to go so far for me, but I don't need you putting your neck on the line like that," I mumble as I wrapped both my arms around his right one. "I'm just fine with eating dinner, taking a nice soak in the bathtub, and then going to bed."

"If that is what you wish . . ." he tells me, looking off to the side, but I caught the slight blush that was starting to appear on his face. If it wasn't for the moonlight, I probably wouldn't have spotted it.

"Byakuya, are you blushing?"

"You must be seeing things. The stress must have really gotten to your head."

That's when I knew he really did blush.

"Don't try to play it off with me Lord Kuchiki," I say, putting my best accusing voice to good use as I playfully stared him down. "You did blush. I saw it! Don't try to deny it or else I will tell Rukia, Renji, and your grandfather!"

I'm sure Byakuya wasn't fazed about me telling Rukia about his sudden moment of blushing.

Renji and Ginrei were an entirely different story.

He was actually glaring at me, and pouting, and for a moment I was wondering how a man could look so cute, yet so scandalized at the same time. Pushing those thoughts aside, I pushed on with my charge, not letting this topic die that easy.

"Hm, I wonder what exactly made you blush in the first place," I teased as we finally reached the end of the stairs. "It couldn't have been the thought of me eating dinner, or me going to bed. Those are both too pedestrian, so it must have been the thought of me soaking in the bathtub. . ."

I knew I really had him when the blush started getting deeper, faintly spreading to his neck. He hasn't had a blush this big since he accidently walked into a cousin's room while she was undressing while looking for his grandfather many years back. I made sure that he wouldn't live it down for quite a while back then, and I was going to make sure he wouldn't escape my wrath now.

"I . . . I have no idea what you're talking about," he quickly mumbles, looking off to the side to make sure he avoided eye contact with me. He would have been lost if he did, trust me.

"Byakuya, it's okay if you had those thoughts, especially because they were about me. I'm not offended. I'm flattered actually," I tell him, hoping that my appeasement would work. "It's nice to know that I can catch your interest in more ways than one, even if it's something that the elders wouldn't approve of."

"Don't remind me . . ." I hear him mumble, still embarrassed over being caught. "Still, thinking about you in the bathtub didn't mean anything."

"Oh, I see . . . So, I'm not that appealing to you in that way after all then?"

"I didn't mean it like that!" he bites back, instantly defensive, and for a second, I'm really reminded off the bratty, stubborn teenager I grew up with.

"Well it sounded like it," I couldn't help but say, enjoying our banter way too much. "I thought you honestly hurt my feelings there for a minute."

"You are enjoying this way too much, aren't you?"

"Well, it's nice to know that the man I care so much about likes the idea of me with my clothes off just as much as he likes seeing me with my clothes on." I say, making the wide-eyed look I receive in return all the more worth it. "Your expressions right now are so priceless. I wish I had a camera just to cement this for the long term."

"I am glad you do not own one then."

Before I knew it, Byakuya had me pressed against his chest, his lips pressed against mine in a way that just sent lightning down my spine in waves. Slightly open lips on my part was all Byakuya needed to get further into my mouth, his tongue clashing with mine in one of the very few times we allowed ourselves this form of affection in public.

Not that I didn't mind of course. Honestly, if I had my way, I would probably have myself and Byakuya locked away somewhere, just so we could have an afternoon to ourselves, being together, making out here and there. . . Maybe even a little more if we were that daring.

"Now what was that for . . ?" I ask, embarrassingly breathless as we finally came up for air. The stare he was giving me was right in the eyes, as if he was staring right into my very soul. Conveniently enough, I was finding myself leaning into him for support.

Is this what people call 'being weak in the knees'?

"I'm just happy that you're looking a little better compared to how you were earlier in the day."

"Yeah, not my best look back then . . ." I playfully mumble into his chest, enjoying the warmth of his body just a few more seconds. ". . . Take me home."

"I was doing just that, but someone kept distracting me," I hear him mumble just as I felt his lips on my forehead. "And we haven't even gotten to talking about your entire day just yet."

"That's true, and yes, we will talk, but after I get my dinner!"

"I never thought you could get so demanding." he mumbles in return as I shuffle over to his side.

"Face it! You decided to court a demanding woman. . . I hope you're not regretting it."

"I could never regret courting you."

I couldn't help the sudden sappy look that came across my face. I was used to Byakuya's aloof, stoic presence in public, with the occasional showing of his affectionate side from time to time, but in those six words alone, I got so much more.

The sincerity.

The clarity.

The vulnerability.

This wasn't something I expected to hear from the Byakuya Kuchiki the world was used to seeing.

In those six words alone, I got the Byakuya Kuchiki of old, the more emotional Byakuya of our childhood years, and damn I wanted more of him like this.

"Minata, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said as I composed my face into something demurer. "Let's just go home okay?"

"As the lady commands . . ."

And I couldn't help but get sappy all over again.

A/N: Please review!