jaina
in
herdedcats
[Bleach] Setting Sun, Rising Moon (11/12)
Title: Setting Sun, Rising Moon (part 11 of 12)
Rating: PG for this chapter
Word Count: 3,005
Summary: Half a century ago, Ichigo became a substitute shinigami while he was still alive. At the end of that life, it's time to become the real thing, but with death comes unexpected challenges-not the least of which is that presented by seeing Rukia again for the first time in years.
Chapter eleven: On rude awakenings, deciding one's place and taking the next step.
Spoilers: Assumes knowledge of all characters and events leading up to the winter war, but as this takes place in the future, historical references are largely creative inventions.
To chapter one
To chapter two
To chapter three
To chapter four
To chapter five
To chapter six
To chapter seven
To chapter eight
To chapter nine
To chapter ten
Setting Sun, Rising Moon: Chapter 11
The sharp knocks on the door were enough to snap Ichigo awake, but it took him a few disoriented seconds to remember where he was. It wasn’t until Rukia stirred in his arms, making the soft breathy sounds of someone still deeply asleep, that he remembered, and smiled.
He debated the wisdom of kissing her good morning. On one hand, well, he really wanted to. On the other, they’d been awake and tiring themselves out for much of the night. She might not appreciate being woken out of a sound sleep.
On yet another hand, physical impossibilities aside, whoever was at the door was still knocking. If he didn’t want her to wake up, he’d have to take care of it. He sat up, easing Rukia off him, and his eyes fell upon the closet where she’d kept the futon. A pile of neatly-stacked furoshiki cloths sat on a shelf. Perfect.
Moving quickly but quietly, he snatched one of the large cloths from the shelf and wrapped it around his waist. Whoever was at the door knocked a third time, and as he came closer, he could hear a hissed argument on the other side.
“-told you she’s obviously not here, so let’s just go-“
“Shut up! Give her a chance to answer, not everyone else hops around like a hyper monkey-“
Ichigo slid the door open to see Sentaro and Kiyone on the other side. “Can I help you?”
Kiyone just blinked while Sentaro’s jaw dropped. “We-we just wanted to see if Rukia-san would like to join us for breakfast,” Kiyone stammered. “We wanted to treat her since she was hurt on duty.”
“Oh.” Ichigo glanced behind him. Rukia was still dead to the world. “Well, she’s kinda-“
“Busy!” Kiyone burst out, nodding eagerly. “Yes, very busy! That’s our vice-captain, always getting a jump on the day! Please don’t bother to tell her we were here, we’ll just see her-later-much later, she’s still recovering and don’t worry, we’ll explain to Captain Ukitake!”
Ichigo wasn’t sure he liked the sound of them explaining anything to Rukia’s captain. “Hey, you don’t have to-“
“It’s no trouble at all!” She yanked the sleeve of her gaping partner, who hadn’t moved an inch. “Come on, ape, they want to be alone!”
“But-“
“Now!” In a flurry of flailing limbs and barked insults, they were gone.
Ichigo sighed. Rukia was not going to be thrilled about this. He probably should have just let them wander off on their own. At least Rukia hadn’t woken up.
She'd rolled over onto her side in his absence, facing away from him. That was okay with him. He slid under the top comforter and wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her back against his chest and spooning himself around her body. He dropped back to sleep, relaxed and content.
Interruptions aside, this was a good morning.
-
When she found herself drifting awake, Rukia squeezed her eyes shut tighter and attempted to burrow under the covers. She snapped to alertness when an arm whose presence she hadn’t even noticed tightened around her and she felt lips press against her shoulder. “Morning,” Ichigo murmured.
She twisted around onto her back so she could see him, leaning on one elbow above her. “Morning,” she echoed, and closed her eyes for a moment when he kissed her. When he pulled back, she tugged at the blanket to allow her more modesty.
Amusement sparkled in Ichigo’s eyes. “You know, I have seen it before,” he pointed out. “A lot.”
“I don’t tell you how to act,” she grumbled. “You could stand to be more modest too, walking around with your sword released all the time.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. “When I’m a captain-“
“Oh!” She sat up so sharply their faces nearly collided.
“Hey, watch it! My nose is still sore from where you bashed it in yesterday.”
“What time is it?” She fumbled to get out from under the covers. “Oh, no, it must be late! I’ve got to get dressed!”
“Hey, wait.” He grasped her wrist. “Don’t just run off. We should talk.”
“You should have woken me earlier,” she said. “I do have responsibilities to take care of. And I'm sure you have somewhere to be as well.” Despite her words, though, she couldn’t bring herself to pull her wrist away. As much as she needed to leave, she was too warm and comfortable here with Ichigo.
“Just kidou practice first thing,” he said. “I’m not meeting Hinamori and Hisagi until later. And they probably already know you’re going to be late, because those two loons from your division already stopped by.”
Rukia stiffened. “Sentaro and Kiyone were here?"
“Eh,..” Ichigo smiled weakly. “Sorry. I should have just let them knock, I know, but you looked so peaceful, I didn’t want it to wake you. I chased `em off.”
She flushed. “I wish you had not done that.”
“They didn’t see anything!” he protested. “What, is it so important to have breakfast with a couple people you see every day? Or do you just not want anyone to know you slept with me?”
“No! That is, no, I’m not trying to hide anything.” She grasped his hands in hers. “I don’t regret this. I simply have no desire to expose our private business to scrutiny.”
“I don’t want that either.” He looked relieved.
“Good. We’re in agreement, then,” she said, and felt a little stupid at how businesslike she sounded. Forcing herself to relax, she leaned back into the sheets. “I suppose being a little later to the office than I already am won’t make much of a difference.”
He curled up beside her. “I like the way you’re thinking now.”
She settled in and touched his relaxed face lightly. It was a contrast to how tense he'd looked when he'd barreled into her office. “What happened yesterday?” she asked. “What brought this on?”
“How much do you remember of the night the hollow got you?” he asked.
Oh. That. “Very little,” she said carefully. “I remember the hollow, and falling. After that, just a haze. I think I remember talking.” She flushed, still uncertain she wanted to remember what she had talked about.
“Yeah, there was talking.” He chuckled. “You said you missed me.”
“That’s all?”
“Oh hell no,” he said, looking far more amused than she felt was warranted. “You also complimented my ass.”
“I did not!" she protested. "You’re making that up!”
“I swear, Rukia, it’s the truth. It’s not my fault it left an impression on you.”
He probably was, she realized. He was grinning far too much to be telling tales. “That’s all it took?” she asked. “You were inspired by me ogling you under medication?”
“It didn’t hurt.”
She smacked his arm. “Pig.”
“That wasn’t all,” he said, catching her hand in his and rubbing the back of it with his thumb. “You said that you tried to forget me. Forget us. But you weren’t very good at it.”
She looked away. That much was true. “Anything else?”
“Just some babbling,” he said. “Nothing important. It was enough.”
“Oh.”
“I just got sick of it,” he said, and now he looked serious and held her hand tightly. “You could have punched me in the face, but I was tired of pretending that I was fine, that I wasn’t feeling things I wasn’t supposed to. I was just lying to myself. I was lying to you.”
She swallowed heavily over the lump in her throat. “And now?”
He spread his hands. “I’m not lying anymore,” he said. “I guess now we just decide where we want to go from here.”
“Where we go from here,” she repeated quietly. “Before last night-I didn’t let myself think about being with you like this again. Even if I wanted to.” She touched his face. “I thought it wouldn’t be fair to you. I didn’t think you thought about me this way anymore, either.”
“Like I said, I was lying to myself,” he said. “I’m sick of that. It doesn’t do either of us any good. I just want to be with you now. Like it was before.”
She smiled faintly. “It’s more complicated than that,” she said. “I…don’t want things to be just like they were before. It’s not like it ended well between us. I hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you again.”
His expression softened. “Dumbass,” he said. “I’m not worried about that. Things are different now.”
“They are different,” she agreed, resting her fingers on his. “For both of us. You lived, Ichigo. Don’t tell me you didn’t change, too, in all that time. We both did. We can’t just pretend neither of us are different.”
“I know I can’t,” he said. “Doesn’t change the way I feel, though.”
A rush of warmth ran through her body. “What happened between us last night was wonderful,” she said. “But it doesn’t automatically fix everything between us. There are things to consider, to discuss…I just don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves and have it go badly because we rushed into things.”
“I wouldn’t call waiting a few decades rushing into things,” he said, sounding both annoyed and affectionate.
“I wouldn’t either.” She smiled. “But I want to get things right this time. It’s worth it to take our time.” She leaned over and kissed him deeply.
He held the kiss for a long time before pulling away. “So.”
“I really do need to get to work now.” She grimaced. “I don’t want to imagine what those idiots are telling Captain Ukitake. I'd like to cut them off if I can.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
She pinched his side. “You should be.”
“Bitch.” He made a face.
It didn’t take long for them to get up and dress again, much as neither wanted to leave. They paused beside her door before leaving. “I’ll just…see you later, then,” Ichigo said.
She nodded. “Of course.”
“Good.” He hesitated, then kissed her quickly. “Later, Rukia.”
“Goodbye,” she said, and watched him leave. Funny, she thought. It was the first time in a long while that saying those words didn’t feel like an ending.
-
Ichigo left Rukia’s quarters uncertain how he felt about the situation. So: he’d had sex with her. Several times, in fact; he wasn’t sure of the exact number, as they’d seemed to meld into each other as the night grew deeper and the two of them grew more tired. And while the sex was good, it was the meaning behind it that counted. It wasn’t just a physical thing. It meant something.
But then…he didn’t quite know where to go from here. He didn't have a problem with taking their time now that they had time, but all his instincts were telling him to move forward. The tip of his tongue slipped out to brush where their lips had touched before he caught himself. Trying not to cringe at his own pathetic resemblance to a lovesick teenager, he stomped off to the headquarters of his division. At least he knew where to go from here in the literal sense.
Hinamori was sorting through reports at her desk when he arrived. “Yo,” he greeted her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, looking up with a confused expression.
He blinked. “Should I be somewhere else?”
“Yes, actually,” she said. “The sixth division, about twenty minutes ago.”
“What?” He stared. “No, I’m not. I have another day or so before that visit.”
She shook her head. “It’s today.”
“Shit,” he swore. Going from one Kuchiki’s bed to the other one’s office was not part of his plan for a good day. “Shit!”
Hinamori raised an eyebrow. “You're only a bit late. You can still go.”
“Can I just say I was sick?”
“Captain Kuchiki is not your superior, so of course you could,” she said, grinning. “Though as your vice-captain, I would be interested in knowing what kind of illness you’ve come down with. It could be contagious.”
He turned around. “I’m going.”
It was a quick trip to the sixth division, something that didn't exactly please Ichigo. The door to Byakuya’s office was open when he arrived, but he still knocked against the doorframe. There was just something about he man that made a guy not want to barge into his space.
Byakuya didn’t even look up from his paperwork. “Enter.”
“Hey,” Ichigo said uneasily. “I know I’m late-“
“Yes.” The single word was delivered in a clipped tone.
“So…you still got me penciled into your appointment book or do we need to reschedule?”
After a long pause, Byakuya set his inkbrush carefully to the side of his papers and directed his gaze at Ichigo. It was as cold and penetrating as he remembered, and Ichigo fought the urge to glare back out of reflex. He thought he could detect a hint of displeasure in the other man’s eyes and wondered if Byakuya could somehow tell what had happened the night before. Could Rukia’s reiatsu have rubbed off on him somehow?
“That is entirely up to you,” Byakuya said at last. “You are here to observe and learn, if you so choose. I am not your teacher.”
“Really.” Ichigo shifted on his feet. “I got the impression you’d have plenty to say.”
Byakuya lifted a shoulder in a way that on a less noble person would have been a shrug. “The decision has already been made. You will be a captain, one of my,” he paused, “peers, and as such you may take away as much or as little from the experience as you like.”
There was another pause as Ichigo struggled to decipher whether he was subtly telling him to get the hell out or not. Probably not, he decided. “Peer” or not, Byakuya had never had any qualms about being a rude asshole in the past. “I’ll stay.”
Byakuya turned back to his paperwork. “Fine.”
Ichigo waited for him to finish up whatever he was working on and set it aside so they could get down to business. He didn’t.
After five more minutes of waiting, it became apparent that Byakuya had meant “observe” quite literally, as he apparently had no intention of explaining what or why he was doing. “So…do you normally have this much paperwork in the morning?”
“I have this much paperwork all the time,” he remarked. “As will you. I find it’s best to take care of it as soon as possible instead of avoiding the responsibility.”
“Uh huh.” Ichigo shuffled over and peered at the reports from the side of the desk. Byakuya paused for a moment, as if to protest, then continued. “Anything interesting here?”
“To you, likely not.”
“So…nothing really helpful for your future peer.”
He turned another page. “No.”
Ichigo scowled and shut up. There were a few things he’d like to say, but he could just tell Byakuya was relishing the chance to shut him down with that nobler-than-thou tone of utter calm. He did feel dumb just standing there, though, so he was just a little glad to see Byakuya put his brush down a few minutes later and stand. “Come.”
He hadn’t been to all thirteen divisions yet, but strolling around with Byakuya on his morning rounds, Ichigo thought that sixth must be the most rigidly organized division of them all. Hell, “stroll” wasn’t even the right word. It was far too loose. Kuchiki Byakuya moved forward with purpose, though he never appeared to hurry. Wherever they went, squads were busy with drills. He wasn’t sure if they felt their captain’s reiatsu approaching or getting a Byakuya-sized stick up one’s ass was the first thing that happened upon joining the division. And Renji had been vice-captain here? It was probably a good thing the war had cut his tenure short and prompted immediate promotion. Ichigo couldn’t imagine him being so stiff.
Plus he was getting bored. He’d been interested in seeing just what a captain did all day when he’d first arrived and barely knew what he was doing, but this wasn’t anything he couldn’t see in his own division.
He didn’t expect it when Byakuya stopped on a pathway that overlooked his current vice-captain running a training session on the parade ground. “Do you have questions?”
Ichigo leaned back to take in the view. “Looks like you run a pretty tight ship here.”
Byakuya nodded at him, which was probably the closest thing he’d get to a "thank you."
“I think…” He hesitated for a moment before storming ahead. “I think there’s no damn reason for me to be here.”
Byakuya merely raised an eyebrow. “Really.”
“Yeah, really. Hell, you don’t want me here either, do you?” Byakuya’s face didn’t even twitch. “Well, whatever. What’s the point of this? By now I’m either ready or I’m not. You voted me in, you should know.”
Byakuya made a non-committal noise.
“What? You don’t agree?” Prodding Kuchiki Byakuya probably wasn't the wisest thing he could have done, but Ichigo was annoyed enough that he didn't really care.
“As you say, you will shortly be captain,” Byakuya said. “How you choose to educate yourself in preparation for such a responsibility is at your own discretion. I am merely doing as Captain Yamamoto asked by availing my division’s procedures and grounds to you. Decide for yourself what to do next.”
“I will,” he said. “I have. I’m done. I’m ready.”
“As you say.”
“I’m going.” He turned to leave. “I’ll let Yamamoto know myself. Time to get things started.”
Byakuya waved a hand dismissively. “Good.”
“So…bye.”
“Mmm.”
Byakuya was probably just happy to get him out of his hair, but Ichigo didn’t care. Hell, they were peers now, right? Forget the snob. Yeah. He could handle this. He was ready.
Still, as he turned to go, he couldn’t help thinking he saw a hint of amusement in Byakuya’s eyes.
--
Next chapter: "We're not meant to be."
Rating: PG for this chapter
Word Count: 3,005
Summary: Half a century ago, Ichigo became a substitute shinigami while he was still alive. At the end of that life, it's time to become the real thing, but with death comes unexpected challenges-not the least of which is that presented by seeing Rukia again for the first time in years.
Chapter eleven: On rude awakenings, deciding one's place and taking the next step.
Spoilers: Assumes knowledge of all characters and events leading up to the winter war, but as this takes place in the future, historical references are largely creative inventions.
To chapter one
To chapter two
To chapter three
To chapter four
To chapter five
To chapter six
To chapter seven
To chapter eight
To chapter nine
To chapter ten
Setting Sun, Rising Moon: Chapter 11
The sharp knocks on the door were enough to snap Ichigo awake, but it took him a few disoriented seconds to remember where he was. It wasn’t until Rukia stirred in his arms, making the soft breathy sounds of someone still deeply asleep, that he remembered, and smiled.
He debated the wisdom of kissing her good morning. On one hand, well, he really wanted to. On the other, they’d been awake and tiring themselves out for much of the night. She might not appreciate being woken out of a sound sleep.
On yet another hand, physical impossibilities aside, whoever was at the door was still knocking. If he didn’t want her to wake up, he’d have to take care of it. He sat up, easing Rukia off him, and his eyes fell upon the closet where she’d kept the futon. A pile of neatly-stacked furoshiki cloths sat on a shelf. Perfect.
Moving quickly but quietly, he snatched one of the large cloths from the shelf and wrapped it around his waist. Whoever was at the door knocked a third time, and as he came closer, he could hear a hissed argument on the other side.
“-told you she’s obviously not here, so let’s just go-“
“Shut up! Give her a chance to answer, not everyone else hops around like a hyper monkey-“
Ichigo slid the door open to see Sentaro and Kiyone on the other side. “Can I help you?”
Kiyone just blinked while Sentaro’s jaw dropped. “We-we just wanted to see if Rukia-san would like to join us for breakfast,” Kiyone stammered. “We wanted to treat her since she was hurt on duty.”
“Oh.” Ichigo glanced behind him. Rukia was still dead to the world. “Well, she’s kinda-“
“Busy!” Kiyone burst out, nodding eagerly. “Yes, very busy! That’s our vice-captain, always getting a jump on the day! Please don’t bother to tell her we were here, we’ll just see her-later-much later, she’s still recovering and don’t worry, we’ll explain to Captain Ukitake!”
Ichigo wasn’t sure he liked the sound of them explaining anything to Rukia’s captain. “Hey, you don’t have to-“
“It’s no trouble at all!” She yanked the sleeve of her gaping partner, who hadn’t moved an inch. “Come on, ape, they want to be alone!”
“But-“
“Now!” In a flurry of flailing limbs and barked insults, they were gone.
Ichigo sighed. Rukia was not going to be thrilled about this. He probably should have just let them wander off on their own. At least Rukia hadn’t woken up.
She'd rolled over onto her side in his absence, facing away from him. That was okay with him. He slid under the top comforter and wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her back against his chest and spooning himself around her body. He dropped back to sleep, relaxed and content.
Interruptions aside, this was a good morning.
-
When she found herself drifting awake, Rukia squeezed her eyes shut tighter and attempted to burrow under the covers. She snapped to alertness when an arm whose presence she hadn’t even noticed tightened around her and she felt lips press against her shoulder. “Morning,” Ichigo murmured.
She twisted around onto her back so she could see him, leaning on one elbow above her. “Morning,” she echoed, and closed her eyes for a moment when he kissed her. When he pulled back, she tugged at the blanket to allow her more modesty.
Amusement sparkled in Ichigo’s eyes. “You know, I have seen it before,” he pointed out. “A lot.”
“I don’t tell you how to act,” she grumbled. “You could stand to be more modest too, walking around with your sword released all the time.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. “When I’m a captain-“
“Oh!” She sat up so sharply their faces nearly collided.
“Hey, watch it! My nose is still sore from where you bashed it in yesterday.”
“What time is it?” She fumbled to get out from under the covers. “Oh, no, it must be late! I’ve got to get dressed!”
“Hey, wait.” He grasped her wrist. “Don’t just run off. We should talk.”
“You should have woken me earlier,” she said. “I do have responsibilities to take care of. And I'm sure you have somewhere to be as well.” Despite her words, though, she couldn’t bring herself to pull her wrist away. As much as she needed to leave, she was too warm and comfortable here with Ichigo.
“Just kidou practice first thing,” he said. “I’m not meeting Hinamori and Hisagi until later. And they probably already know you’re going to be late, because those two loons from your division already stopped by.”
Rukia stiffened. “Sentaro and Kiyone were here?"
“Eh,..” Ichigo smiled weakly. “Sorry. I should have just let them knock, I know, but you looked so peaceful, I didn’t want it to wake you. I chased `em off.”
She flushed. “I wish you had not done that.”
“They didn’t see anything!” he protested. “What, is it so important to have breakfast with a couple people you see every day? Or do you just not want anyone to know you slept with me?”
“No! That is, no, I’m not trying to hide anything.” She grasped his hands in hers. “I don’t regret this. I simply have no desire to expose our private business to scrutiny.”
“I don’t want that either.” He looked relieved.
“Good. We’re in agreement, then,” she said, and felt a little stupid at how businesslike she sounded. Forcing herself to relax, she leaned back into the sheets. “I suppose being a little later to the office than I already am won’t make much of a difference.”
He curled up beside her. “I like the way you’re thinking now.”
She settled in and touched his relaxed face lightly. It was a contrast to how tense he'd looked when he'd barreled into her office. “What happened yesterday?” she asked. “What brought this on?”
“How much do you remember of the night the hollow got you?” he asked.
Oh. That. “Very little,” she said carefully. “I remember the hollow, and falling. After that, just a haze. I think I remember talking.” She flushed, still uncertain she wanted to remember what she had talked about.
“Yeah, there was talking.” He chuckled. “You said you missed me.”
“That’s all?”
“Oh hell no,” he said, looking far more amused than she felt was warranted. “You also complimented my ass.”
“I did not!" she protested. "You’re making that up!”
“I swear, Rukia, it’s the truth. It’s not my fault it left an impression on you.”
He probably was, she realized. He was grinning far too much to be telling tales. “That’s all it took?” she asked. “You were inspired by me ogling you under medication?”
“It didn’t hurt.”
She smacked his arm. “Pig.”
“That wasn’t all,” he said, catching her hand in his and rubbing the back of it with his thumb. “You said that you tried to forget me. Forget us. But you weren’t very good at it.”
She looked away. That much was true. “Anything else?”
“Just some babbling,” he said. “Nothing important. It was enough.”
“Oh.”
“I just got sick of it,” he said, and now he looked serious and held her hand tightly. “You could have punched me in the face, but I was tired of pretending that I was fine, that I wasn’t feeling things I wasn’t supposed to. I was just lying to myself. I was lying to you.”
She swallowed heavily over the lump in her throat. “And now?”
He spread his hands. “I’m not lying anymore,” he said. “I guess now we just decide where we want to go from here.”
“Where we go from here,” she repeated quietly. “Before last night-I didn’t let myself think about being with you like this again. Even if I wanted to.” She touched his face. “I thought it wouldn’t be fair to you. I didn’t think you thought about me this way anymore, either.”
“Like I said, I was lying to myself,” he said. “I’m sick of that. It doesn’t do either of us any good. I just want to be with you now. Like it was before.”
She smiled faintly. “It’s more complicated than that,” she said. “I…don’t want things to be just like they were before. It’s not like it ended well between us. I hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you again.”
His expression softened. “Dumbass,” he said. “I’m not worried about that. Things are different now.”
“They are different,” she agreed, resting her fingers on his. “For both of us. You lived, Ichigo. Don’t tell me you didn’t change, too, in all that time. We both did. We can’t just pretend neither of us are different.”
“I know I can’t,” he said. “Doesn’t change the way I feel, though.”
A rush of warmth ran through her body. “What happened between us last night was wonderful,” she said. “But it doesn’t automatically fix everything between us. There are things to consider, to discuss…I just don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves and have it go badly because we rushed into things.”
“I wouldn’t call waiting a few decades rushing into things,” he said, sounding both annoyed and affectionate.
“I wouldn’t either.” She smiled. “But I want to get things right this time. It’s worth it to take our time.” She leaned over and kissed him deeply.
He held the kiss for a long time before pulling away. “So.”
“I really do need to get to work now.” She grimaced. “I don’t want to imagine what those idiots are telling Captain Ukitake. I'd like to cut them off if I can.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
She pinched his side. “You should be.”
“Bitch.” He made a face.
It didn’t take long for them to get up and dress again, much as neither wanted to leave. They paused beside her door before leaving. “I’ll just…see you later, then,” Ichigo said.
She nodded. “Of course.”
“Good.” He hesitated, then kissed her quickly. “Later, Rukia.”
“Goodbye,” she said, and watched him leave. Funny, she thought. It was the first time in a long while that saying those words didn’t feel like an ending.
-
Ichigo left Rukia’s quarters uncertain how he felt about the situation. So: he’d had sex with her. Several times, in fact; he wasn’t sure of the exact number, as they’d seemed to meld into each other as the night grew deeper and the two of them grew more tired. And while the sex was good, it was the meaning behind it that counted. It wasn’t just a physical thing. It meant something.
But then…he didn’t quite know where to go from here. He didn't have a problem with taking their time now that they had time, but all his instincts were telling him to move forward. The tip of his tongue slipped out to brush where their lips had touched before he caught himself. Trying not to cringe at his own pathetic resemblance to a lovesick teenager, he stomped off to the headquarters of his division. At least he knew where to go from here in the literal sense.
Hinamori was sorting through reports at her desk when he arrived. “Yo,” he greeted her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, looking up with a confused expression.
He blinked. “Should I be somewhere else?”
“Yes, actually,” she said. “The sixth division, about twenty minutes ago.”
“What?” He stared. “No, I’m not. I have another day or so before that visit.”
She shook her head. “It’s today.”
“Shit,” he swore. Going from one Kuchiki’s bed to the other one’s office was not part of his plan for a good day. “Shit!”
Hinamori raised an eyebrow. “You're only a bit late. You can still go.”
“Can I just say I was sick?”
“Captain Kuchiki is not your superior, so of course you could,” she said, grinning. “Though as your vice-captain, I would be interested in knowing what kind of illness you’ve come down with. It could be contagious.”
He turned around. “I’m going.”
It was a quick trip to the sixth division, something that didn't exactly please Ichigo. The door to Byakuya’s office was open when he arrived, but he still knocked against the doorframe. There was just something about he man that made a guy not want to barge into his space.
Byakuya didn’t even look up from his paperwork. “Enter.”
“Hey,” Ichigo said uneasily. “I know I’m late-“
“Yes.” The single word was delivered in a clipped tone.
“So…you still got me penciled into your appointment book or do we need to reschedule?”
After a long pause, Byakuya set his inkbrush carefully to the side of his papers and directed his gaze at Ichigo. It was as cold and penetrating as he remembered, and Ichigo fought the urge to glare back out of reflex. He thought he could detect a hint of displeasure in the other man’s eyes and wondered if Byakuya could somehow tell what had happened the night before. Could Rukia’s reiatsu have rubbed off on him somehow?
“That is entirely up to you,” Byakuya said at last. “You are here to observe and learn, if you so choose. I am not your teacher.”
“Really.” Ichigo shifted on his feet. “I got the impression you’d have plenty to say.”
Byakuya lifted a shoulder in a way that on a less noble person would have been a shrug. “The decision has already been made. You will be a captain, one of my,” he paused, “peers, and as such you may take away as much or as little from the experience as you like.”
There was another pause as Ichigo struggled to decipher whether he was subtly telling him to get the hell out or not. Probably not, he decided. “Peer” or not, Byakuya had never had any qualms about being a rude asshole in the past. “I’ll stay.”
Byakuya turned back to his paperwork. “Fine.”
Ichigo waited for him to finish up whatever he was working on and set it aside so they could get down to business. He didn’t.
After five more minutes of waiting, it became apparent that Byakuya had meant “observe” quite literally, as he apparently had no intention of explaining what or why he was doing. “So…do you normally have this much paperwork in the morning?”
“I have this much paperwork all the time,” he remarked. “As will you. I find it’s best to take care of it as soon as possible instead of avoiding the responsibility.”
“Uh huh.” Ichigo shuffled over and peered at the reports from the side of the desk. Byakuya paused for a moment, as if to protest, then continued. “Anything interesting here?”
“To you, likely not.”
“So…nothing really helpful for your future peer.”
He turned another page. “No.”
Ichigo scowled and shut up. There were a few things he’d like to say, but he could just tell Byakuya was relishing the chance to shut him down with that nobler-than-thou tone of utter calm. He did feel dumb just standing there, though, so he was just a little glad to see Byakuya put his brush down a few minutes later and stand. “Come.”
He hadn’t been to all thirteen divisions yet, but strolling around with Byakuya on his morning rounds, Ichigo thought that sixth must be the most rigidly organized division of them all. Hell, “stroll” wasn’t even the right word. It was far too loose. Kuchiki Byakuya moved forward with purpose, though he never appeared to hurry. Wherever they went, squads were busy with drills. He wasn’t sure if they felt their captain’s reiatsu approaching or getting a Byakuya-sized stick up one’s ass was the first thing that happened upon joining the division. And Renji had been vice-captain here? It was probably a good thing the war had cut his tenure short and prompted immediate promotion. Ichigo couldn’t imagine him being so stiff.
Plus he was getting bored. He’d been interested in seeing just what a captain did all day when he’d first arrived and barely knew what he was doing, but this wasn’t anything he couldn’t see in his own division.
He didn’t expect it when Byakuya stopped on a pathway that overlooked his current vice-captain running a training session on the parade ground. “Do you have questions?”
Ichigo leaned back to take in the view. “Looks like you run a pretty tight ship here.”
Byakuya nodded at him, which was probably the closest thing he’d get to a "thank you."
“I think…” He hesitated for a moment before storming ahead. “I think there’s no damn reason for me to be here.”
Byakuya merely raised an eyebrow. “Really.”
“Yeah, really. Hell, you don’t want me here either, do you?” Byakuya’s face didn’t even twitch. “Well, whatever. What’s the point of this? By now I’m either ready or I’m not. You voted me in, you should know.”
Byakuya made a non-committal noise.
“What? You don’t agree?” Prodding Kuchiki Byakuya probably wasn't the wisest thing he could have done, but Ichigo was annoyed enough that he didn't really care.
“As you say, you will shortly be captain,” Byakuya said. “How you choose to educate yourself in preparation for such a responsibility is at your own discretion. I am merely doing as Captain Yamamoto asked by availing my division’s procedures and grounds to you. Decide for yourself what to do next.”
“I will,” he said. “I have. I’m done. I’m ready.”
“As you say.”
“I’m going.” He turned to leave. “I’ll let Yamamoto know myself. Time to get things started.”
Byakuya waved a hand dismissively. “Good.”
“So…bye.”
“Mmm.”
Byakuya was probably just happy to get him out of his hair, but Ichigo didn’t care. Hell, they were peers now, right? Forget the snob. Yeah. He could handle this. He was ready.
Still, as he turned to go, he couldn’t help thinking he saw a hint of amusement in Byakuya’s eyes.
--
Next chapter: "We're not meant to be."