A/N: Happy Birthday Byakuya Kuchiki! I had this posted last January for Byakuya's birthday, but I recently decided to add a second chapter to go along with Renji's birthday. I made a few changes to this first chapter, so even if you've already read it, read through it again! Anyways, reviews are gorgeous and amazing and I love them.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does. i just toy with the characters a bit.

"What do you get the man who has everything?"

Renji Abarai couldn't help but ask himself this very question over and over again as he stared at his meager paycheck. It was beginning to drive him nuts. Byakuya's birthday was right around the corner, and he didn't even know what gift to get him. A new sakura sapling? No, he has plenty of sakura trees scattered about his estate. Beside's, there's always at least one person who gets him that every year. Clothes? Ha! As if anything Renji could afford would be better than what his captain wears on a day to day basis. Chocolate? Not a bad idea . . . except that Byakuya hates sweets.

"Ooh! I bet Kuchiki Taichou would love this!"

The redhead turned to see what Yumichika had found, only to discover him holding up two delicate-looking combs set with rubies and pearls. Renji frowned.

"Yumichika, those are more your style than my Taichous," he pointed out.

"What are you talking about?" the feathered man pouted, cradling his find. "What's wrong with them?"

"Well, for starters, they're for women," Renji rolled his eyes. "Plus, there's no way I can afford it."

Yumichika looked thoughtful for a moment before placing the combs in his own hair and admiring his reflection in a nearby mirror. The sixth division lieutenant almost regretted asking the vain shinigami for help, but he was honestly just glad he didn't have to search around alone.

"What about this?" Yumichika called out from behind him.

"No," Renji replied without even turning around.

After hours of shopping, Renji found himself back at the sixth division for an early dinner in the cafeteria. He had managed to return empty handed, while Yumichika had bought both combs and a new silk kimono. How that man managed to pay for it all was a mystery.

Renji pounded his head on the table in frustration, causing people to stare from around the cafeteria. If there were ever anything that Byakuya would want, he could just as easily go out and get it himself, making it nigh impossible for anyone to decide on a proper present.

"Renji? What are you doing?" The sixth division lieutenant glanced up from where his face rested on the table to discover Rukia staring at him with a raised brow. That's it! Perhaps his childhood friend would have some idea as to the inner workings of her brother's mind.

"What do you get the man who has everything?" Renji asked simply.

"Ah," Rukia smiled knowingly, taking a seat across from the redhead. "You can't think of what to get Nii-sama for his birthday, can you?" Renji just nodded, face still connected to the wood of the table. "Well," the petite shinigami continued, placing a hand on her chin sagely, "I always just get him a new sakura sapling . . ."

If Renji's face could slam any deeper into the hard surface below him, it would have. "That doesn' exactly help."

"I don't think it really matters what you get him," Rukia shrugged, ignoring the aura of defeat leaking out of her old friend's reiatsu. "Just give him something that comes from the heart."

"You sure he would go for that?"

The female shinigami rolled her eyes. "If it's from you, he'll love it," she said.

"Ya think so?"

"I know so."

He thought for a moment. There was that shop near the end of the market that commissioned metal work. Maybe he could add a bit of his own flare to it, make it more personal. Suddenly, Renji had an idea.

A few days later, on Byakuya's birthday, Renji stood outside the sixth division office, absently picking at the pale green ribbon he had roughly tied around a carefully wrapped box. He was still unsure whether or not his cold captain would like the gift. It wasn't particularly extravagant, but Renji had taken Rukia's advice and got the steel-eyed noble something from the heart.

"Renji? Do you plan on standing in that spot until you take root?" Byakuya's stern voice said from behind the door. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Renji slid the door open and strode over to his raven-haired captain's desk. As usual, Byakuya sat with a brush in hand, delicately moving it across the many papers neatly stacked in piles on his work space.

"H-happy Birthday, Taichou," Renji said nervously, offering the small gift in his palms. Byakuya stopped what he was doing to absently stare first at the gift wrapped in white paper, then at his subordinate and back. Renji swallowed audibly.

The steel-eyed captain gently took the proffered gift, slowly untying the green ribbon and tearing away the pale paper. The stoic noble's eyes went wide for barely a fraction of a second as he gazed into the box.

Byakuya reached his hand in a pulled out a small yet intricate pewter tree. Thin wires wound around themselves to create the trunk, separating to form the branches. Placed at the ends of each branch was a tiny drop of rose quartz to give the effect of sakura petals. The tree in itself was beautiful, but it was the tiny baboon resting at its trunk and the snake coiled around its branches, both carved crudely out of wood, that made Byakuya's usually cold lips smile warmly.

The icy noble gently placed the little trinket on the edge of his desk before picking up the ribbon from the wrappings and standing to occupy the space directly behind his lieutenant. Renji held still while Byakuya deftly removed his hair tie, allowing most of those crimson tresses to fall down his shoulders. The older man then pulled half of the volatile lieutenant's hair into a braid, tying the end with the length of ribbon.

"What's this for?" Renji asked, eyes a bit wide in confusion as he examined his hair.

Byakuya moved to face the younger man, placing a cool hand on his cheek. "As much as I love your present, Renji," Byakuya said softly, a smile in his eyes. "I'm happy with just having you for my gift this year." He closed the distance between them, pushing a chaste kiss on his lieutenant's lips. Renji slid his arms around the thin noble's body, wanting him to be as close as he could to inhale that sweet scent of sakura blossoms that he loved so much. The small kiss soon turned into a dance of tongues and caressing touches, hands roaming and heating the skin that it brushed against, until both had to pull away to breathe.

"So," Renji smirked mischievously, nuzzling his face into the raven locks of the man he held in his arms, "When do ya wanna unwrap your gift?"

"Oh," Byakuya said, running his hands down Renji's spine, causing the wild lieutenant to shudder, "I suppose we can take the rest of the day off so that I may do just that."