Rukia and Ichigo slowly strolled down the streets of the Seireitei together. Without a care in the world, Rukia threw some gummy worms up in the air and caught them in her mouth. Her eyes lit up with child-like amusement each time one of the gummies landed on her tongue.

"Why must the Seireitei be soooo old school? Don't they realize how much happier everyone would be if they had access to bug-shaped candy?" Rukia managed to squeeze out even while her face was twisted from the sour treats.

"Maybe happier," Ichigo poised, "but fatter and lazier. Those things are horrible for you. They're a heart attack in bag." He let out a breathy laugh. "I'd say it was starting to work on you, but you're already lazy."

Rolling her eyes, Rukia picked up a gummy worm and dangled it in front of Ichigo. "You're just mad that I wouldn't buy you any gummy worms," the playful soul reaper teased.

Ichigo just swatted the candy worm away from his face and gave Rukia a playful grin. "More heart attack for you. Besides," Ichigo straightened the collar on his long-sleeved royal-purple button-up, "some of us realize that we have to mature at some point."

Rukia couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, how easily you forget Renji's birthday party from a couple of weekends ago. It wasn't me who gave a drunken rendition of 'I Get High With a Little Help From My Friends'," she reminded the boy, taking great pleasure in the heat rising in his cheeks. With a sly smile she continued, "Or convinced everyone we should break into the local golf course and go on a late night golf-cart hijacking spree. Or-"

"Hey! Okay, I get it, I get it," Ichigo admitted, waving his hand in the air. "I was there too, you know… kinda. But hey! You only turn a hundred and fifty once, and besides, no one can ever say I'm not interesting." Ichigo let out a slight chuckle.

Grimacing slightly, Rukia simply stated, "I don't think the word 'boring' comes to mind when people think of you, Ichigo." Then she nudged him in the side slightly. "However, being interesting and mature are not one in the same, so don't get a big head!" Hands now on her hips, Rukia waited for Ichigo's usual smug reaction.

Instead, Ichigo just scoffed and said, "I think after everything we had to go through, we all deserve to just be young for a change. As long as we still continue to be here to protect the world and stick to our duties, then why should it matter if a few golf carts get destroyed in the process?"

A silence fell between them; there was nothing that needed to be said, because they both knew that he was right. Rukia simply shot a jovial grin at her best friend,and continued to walk, now deep in thought.

What a crazy five years it has been since the war. Ichigo, Byakuya, Orihime, Uryu, and herself had been through so many hurdles and had lost a lot of people. After all of that, they had finally achieved a state of peace. Now was the time to be having fun and finding themselves. It gave the small soul reaper much joy to see that Ichigo had finally matured enough to realize that he didn't need to live with the burden of the whole world on his shoulders. Finally, he understood that the point of having friends is that they'll split the baggage when it gets too heavy. Without the stress of a world nearing destruction and the burden of the lives that inhabit it, everyone was now able to finally focus more on themselves, especially Ichigo. It was obvious from his reiatsu, which was now more carefree but still maintaining the same unwavering determination. He was no longer the same punk Rukia had met years prior. He still had the same sarcastic witty sense of humor, but without the teenage angst. Now Ichigo would just joke in good humor.

I know, crazy to believe. Rukia chuckled to herself.

Because of the newfound serenity of the Living World and the Seireitei, Ichigo had gone on to discover more about himself, outside of what it meant to be a soul reaper. First, he discovered that despite his awkwardness and lack of grace, he loved art; after that revelation, he'd begun to sketch out everything he could. If he asked to use Rukia's 'dainty' hands as models for his contour drawings one more time, her hands may just fall off. After deciding that he wanted to attend an university that specialized in art degrees, it hadn't been long before Ichigo became immersed in blue prints of beautifully drawn structures.

'It hit me like a brick wall, and I knew that was what I wanted to do. I know now that being a soul reaper is just one facet of me.' Those had been Ichigo's words when Rukia had asked him what it was that made him so passionate about his newfound hobby. The sparkle of will that had flashed in his eyes had let her know that this was not some passing phase. From that day, all Ichigo had done was eat, breathe and live architecture, and four years later, he got his degree. That was just the type of man Ichigo was(:) determined, decisive, and passionate.

While settling into college, Ichigo had felt like he'd been walking on egg shells, holding his breath, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. He'd felt like there was another enemy to be defeated around every corner. He'd kept thinking that he was needed and that he had to abandon his new dream to go back to Seireitei and help out. This had pained Rukia and the rest of his friends. Luckily, it hadn't taken much time for Ichigo to gain some resemblance of peace, and other facets of his life had appeared. Soon, he'd become the brother and the friend he'd always wanted. Now, he had weekly soccer games with Chad and Uryu, and as a whole group, the friends now often went out together to see shows or just get a drink. Finally, all of their friendships consisted of more than war tactics and fighting strategies.

However, Ichigo was still an unofficial soul reaper. He took these responsibilities seriously and continued to go on rounds almost nightly. Rukia was officially assigned to the town, and because of the overflow of spiritual pressure, the Seireitei figured two reapers would be needed. However, instead of sleeping in the boy's closet like years ago, Rukia would return home to her now husband, Renji. Ichigo was often called on special captain level assignments to help out. His power was still revered and considered stronger than almost any captain in the Gotei 13. However, he never let it interfere with work. Normalcy was a nice change of pace.

It was up until last week that things hadn't changed at all, but that all came to a halt one cold evening after doing rounds. Rukia remembered thinking that night that Ichigo had had an unusually sour face, even for him. No matter what silly banter she'd thrown his way, Ichigo had just replied with a simple short response. It wasn't until Rukia had stood outside of Ichigo's apartment readying herself to leave, that Ichigo had grabbed Rukia's arm and forcefully dragged her into his apartment. Despite her protest and whines, he'd dragged her like a rag doll into the warm doorway.

"Where's the fucking fire, Ichigo!" Rukia yelled, trying to squirm her way out of Ichigo's death grip.

Once they both stood a comfortable distance into the apartment, Ichigo's eyes widened and he took one deep breath. "Don't worry, what I'm about to tell you is well worth it." He turned around momentarily to make sure the door was locked behind him. "I just don't want anyone else to hear this."

"You're being ridiculous, what are you going to say next? 'I'll tell you but I have to kill you?'" she mocked while removing the black gloves from her tiny hands and placing them in her coat pocket.

Ichigo stood with a slightly insecure demeanor, twiddling his thumbs and looking down at his shoes, trying to find the words.

Now becoming increasingly nervous about the boy's sudden shortness, Rukia lessened the distance between them and put one hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "Hey, it's not like you to not have something coming out of that loud mouth. I can tell you're nervous, but whatever it is, I'm your best friend and we'll deal with it together."

Ichigo lifted his head at the comforting words of his comrade, now finding the confidence he needed to look Rukia in the eyes.

"Good," she noted. "You're ugly when you pity you self," she half-heartedly teased the boy.

"Rukia…" Ichigo let out a somber whisper that sounded full of desperation, and a single tear rolled down his cheek. Rukia's face fell in alarm. "Listen", he said, wiping the tear from his face, "I fooled around with someone the other weekend at that bonfire. It-" There was a slight moment of hesitation, but then Ichigo spat it out. "It was another guy." His voice almost cracked at the word.

Rukia, hand still on Ichigo's shoulder, let out an involuntary gasp of air,and her eyes became as big as two moons. "Excuse me?" the girl questioned, bringing her hands to either side of her face and running her finger through her long locks. "But- When and how and but-… Are you gay?" The question finally made its way out of her stuttering mouth. She was sure it wasn't the most tactful thing to ask, but it was the only thing that came to her mind.

By the look on Ichigo's face, it was obvious the question had no easy answer for him. Nothing seemed to come out of him. Putting one hand on the back of his head as if to ponder the question, he said, "It's hard to explain, Rukia..."

"WHAT?! I don't care if it's rocket science, I want details. NOW!" The soul reapers voice climbed to decibels only dogs could hear, and Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at her eagerness.

"Now Rukia, you and I both know you could never understand rocket science," the boy teased,sniffing away the last of his tears now that he knew she wasn't about to reject him based on this. His mocking earned him a dirty look that said 'if you don't talk now, I will challenge you to the death.'

Ichigo sighed and starts to explain the best way he knew how. "When I first met you, I was so preoccupied trying to be the savior of the world that I never took interest in anyone. In fact, I probably would have been a lot less tense back then if I did bust a nut once in a while. Anyway, after the Quincy War, I started going on dates here and there(,) an-"

"If you call some of those trolls dates," she poked fun.

"ANYWAY, I even slept with a couple of girls and it was never bad but… nothing ever worked out. I just didn't feel anything more than an urge to get off. Well, I met this guy, Clay, at a bonfire,and we spent the night drinking. It was obvious he was flirting with me, and at first I just thought it was flattering. Then he got me with his bullshit pseudo-intellectual rants on philosophy and the meaning of life," Ichigo mocked, using a typical 'I think I'm better than you because I know how to spell Nietzsche' voice. "I started feeling something I never have before, something I guess you would call chemistry. Soon all his glances and touches that lasted just a second too long started to make my heart flutter. I was sure I was going to die. That's when we went and made out behind my car, well… until I threw up all over his shoes. Yeah, and then I never saw him again."

"Aw, it's not your fault you got love-SICK," she asserted with a huge grin.

"I'm glade someone thinks this is funny… I guess it's better than other reactions you could have had."

Rukia's face turned serious again."Ichigo, I'm not really sure how it works here in the living world,but let me explain something to you. In the soul society, most of us have been alive for centuries, and even though it may seem very traditional, we have a very open mind about these things. You don't live hundreds of years and fight hundreds of battles to be a bigot. Most of us are too intellectually aware to have such hateful notions of homophobia. In fact, a good amount of the men and women in the society have been with same-sex partners."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at this. "What?" Rukia asked, shrugging her shoulders. "Just because we're dead doesn't make us angels."

It was true, a lot of the captains and vice captains of the Gotei 13 were open to those things. Sexuality was on a sliding scale, and it was to be expected that even a straight man may get tired of the same type of body for hundreds of years. A few of the captains were actually once married at some point but, like Byakuya, their spouses had been ripped away. That pain that was left and the unwavering determination needed to obtain and keep an officer seat was what kept most of the captains out of serious relationships. The pain of losing someone didn't seem worth it when they knew their focus was needed elsewhere. However, they have to release that tension somehow. Just about everyone was having sex with everyone there. It was worse than a brothel.

Rukia eyed Ichigo carefully."My only question is, how did you not know before? Didn't you find guys attractive before?

He had expected this question."I did, but I didn't think of it in a gay way. I figured it was just acknowledgment, because it never came with actual feelings attached to it. Then I realized that any man who was actually attractive and who I've had a long in-depth conversation with was someone I already saw in a friend way. I think that's why it's taken me so long." Ichigo eyed his friends animated face; she looked as if she was bursting from the seams."Well, I'm glad you're not mad."

"Mad? I kind of think it's sexy," Rukia crooned with a mischievous smile enveloping her face.

"You pervert, I'm not telling you this so you can live out your yaoi fantasies in real life!" he screeched,making a disgusted face.

Putting her arms across her bosom and sticking out her bottom lip, Rukia whined, "Oh come on, we could even get your dream-boat, Clay, involved."

Knowing she was obviously joking, Ichigo crossed his arms also and retorted with, "In your WET-dreams, Rukia." Letting out a slight laugh, he asked, "Can we please keep this to ourselves? I'm still not sure about a lot of things yet. I may be attracted to men,but I'm not quite ready for the ass-less chaps and wine tasting."

Throwing back her hand and letting out a long groan, Rukia shouted, "FINE, I guess I have to go call and get a refund on the billboard ad I just put up."

Ichigo just gave his friend a knowing smirk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Realizing how long she'd let herself indulge in her own memories, Rukia looked up at Ichigo with a smile. The subject hadn't really been brought up since, other than Rukia pointing out possible 'catches' and Ichigo scoffing and turning up his nose. He'd proven to have really high standards. Other than that, Ichigo was still exactly the same as before. It made Rukia feel special to be the keeper of Ichigo's deepest secret and she carried the title with honor. There was no bigger pride than to be trusted with another person's genuine self.

Still walking the streets of the Seireitei in hopes of finding Renji and dragging him back to the human world for some fun, two tiny dark figures approached the couple. It didn't take long to notice the figures as Hell Butterflies that were looking for them to deliver a message.

The messages stated that whoever received the butterfly was to report for a special captain level meeting immediately. The creatures went on to explain that yet another murder had taken place in the Seireitei.

"That's the third one this week," Rukia stated, puzzled.

"What the hell? I thought they were coincidences, but three in a week… It looks like things are getting interesting," Ichigo commented. "I was getting a little bored; it'll be good to spice things up."

"Well, I'm glad the deaths of our comrades is something fun for you." Rukia's stone violet eyes reprimanded him.

"Well… when you say it like that…" He grabbed Rukia by the elbow."Come on, we have to hurry and find out more about this."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A Hell Butterfly fluttered over the head of one sleeping Byakuya Kuchiki. The snoring noble paid no mind to the butterfly or the sun light crashing down on his ridged jaw line. No, he was in a much better place, a place that he only dared indulge in when he was alone in his bed. It was a dream that he'd begun having just a couple of weeks prior, and the noble couldn't describe it as anything but indecent. However, the indecent part was more so because of his dream companion and not the dream itself.

He was having a steamy tantalizing dream of one Ichigo Kurosaki. It was always the same;Byakuya would find himself in a hot spring with the scent of cherry blossoms teasing his nostrils. Then he would feel two warm strong hands grasp his shoulders and bare down until a warm breath would float right by his ear. He'd recognize it as Ichigo's immediately each time, and it oozed with sex appeal. Each time, it said "You need to take care of yourself like this more not let me help you?" Then Byakuya would grab the man's wrist and turn around to see Ichigo, completely naked.

"We can't, Ichigo," he would reply somberly.

"But why? You're allowed to be happy too sometimes." Before he could protest, Ichigo always pulled his face up to his and pressed a passionate kiss against his lips. Their tongues would intertwine and they both became fully erect.

That was when Byakuya would wake up, every time, never being able to finish the sweet sexy dream that teased him. His eyes darted open, just like always, and then there came the annoying realization that yes, it had happened again.

Byakuya rubbed the sleep from his eyes and let out a very uncouth groan.

"Damn that kid," Byakuya muttered to himself. Lying in bed, looking up at the celling, he tried to comprehend these newfound feelings of sexual frustration, a feeling he hadn't felt since his wife had passed.

Byakuya has always been bisexual; he found beautiful things beautiful and that was that. However, his family wouldn't allow him to ever court a man, that would be an abomination … at least in their eyes. Because of that, very few people knew about his preference. No one needed to, anyway, Byakuya thought to himself. His life was his own business; besides, it had been so long since he'd truly found anyone attractive… until now. He would notice the attractiveness level of other men and even occasionally let his eyes wander when no one was looking, however, there was never any urge to try and bed these men. It was always a fleeting thought. Not this though. This was a yearning, to be more accurate,and it was stuck to Byakuya and growing inside him like a deadly tumor.

The noble shook his head at the thought, trying to get the image of Ichigo's perfectly sculpted abdomen out of his mind. The worst part was that Byakuya didn't even like Ichigo very much. He found him to be out of place, rash, , and a smart ass. Yes, he had always tolerated the man because of Rukia,but they weren't exactly going to go to the sake bar and getting all buddy-buddy.

However, this wasn't to say that Byakuya hadn't noticed how much Ichigo had matured; he was now a very successful and educated man who seemed to be a peace with himself. No longer was he the same child who doubted every move he made and easily lost composure. He had grown immensely, and Byakuya tried not to notice, much to his failure. Even though he noticed this change in Ichigo, it wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that Byakuya made a fatal mistake: spending too much time with young soul reaper.

If he was honest, this was why he usually kept his distance from most could never allow himself to fall in love like before. That was why the men he found attractive never amounted to more than one dirty thought. Byakuya felt this feeling more so when he was around Ichigo, which was more than likely the reason Ichigo got more than his fair share of Byakuya's scowls and indifference. Perhaps the anger he felt when he was around the boy was truly stemming from something else.

Byakuya thought back on one fateful night that had left him utterly frustrated and seeking refuge in his own dreams.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rukia was giving him a long speech about what it meant to be a good friend. Donned in a beautiful purple dress, Rukia paced back and forth in one of the many living areas in the manor, all while looking down dispassionately at her older brother. Byakuya was sitting firmly in a leather chair with one hand pressed against his temple and the other grasping tightly to a cup of sake.

"Nii-sama, we're married, He's your brother-in-law now. Please don't be so callous."

"I was the best man at your wedding.What more do you want? Have I not hit the brother-in-law duty quota?" Byakuya asked, in his usual monotone

Rukia knew that her brother was joking, but still shot him a look that could wake the dead and let him know just how much she appreciated the dry sarcasm.

"See? Look how charming you are," she said in a dangerously calm voice that put Byakuya's teeth on edge. "You could use that humor on everyone at the bar tonight, Nii-sama."

This was met by a heavy scoff from Byakuya. "My perfect timing and comedic genus would be lost on commoners and drunk twenty year olds." He only let the snide comment slip out because he wouldn't have gotten away with it with anyone but his sister.

She was the only one who ever heard or made him he would be sarcastic with other people, it was always with an air of arrogance and with the purpose of putting someone down. Anything to push people away.

A stillness came over Rukia that made Byakuya slightly uncomfortable. He truly didn't enjoy making her unhappy, and he definitely didn't like making her upset with him. Her passive-aggressive politeness could get really scary. Sometimes he wished she would snap and kick him like she always did with Ichigo and Renji.

"Please, Nii-sama, I know you. Yes, I'm here because it's important to Renji, but more so because I'm trying to be a good sister… I'm… I'm sure that Hisana-sama wouldn't have liked you to be so lonesome…"

That incited a sting of pain inside Byakuya. His immediate reaction was anger, but before he could respond, Rukia was talking once more. "You have no friends, Nii-sama. You sit here in this giant house all by yourself, and one day you'll sorely regret it." Byakuya set his jaw, glaring at her, and although Rukia wavered, she didn't back down. She'd never talked to him like this before, and quite honestly, Byakuya was stunned.

"I know you don't want to feel the pain that you did before, and that's why you don't allow yourself to have friends. You're afraid someone might get too close…" Rukia put on a brave face then, and said loudly, "Nii-sama, get over it! We've all lost someone. Some more than others!"

His eye twitched slightly and shock came over him at his sister blunt assertion. He couldn't say she was wrong, but he wasn't anywhere near ready to admit she was right. Worse than that, where did she get off, talking to him like that?

"Ugh," she whined, "Nii-sama, I'm not asking you to pretend to have fun if you aren't. I'm just asking you to come. You can make fun of drunk people who can't handle their liquor with me," she pleaded with a hopeful smile.

Byakuya quickly moved to his feet and with a slight grin said, "See, all you had to do was appeal to my sense of fun." He smiled a little wider as Rukia's face lit up with joy.

Luckily, the party was being held at one of the very few bars in the soul society. Byakuya really hadn't felt like venturing to the real world, at least not in shoes this nice. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

All of Ruckia's living world friends were gathered, along with quite a few soul reapers. To Byakuya's relief, no one seemed to notice him and his sister as they came into the bar.

"It seems that everyone has started without us," Byakuya said, noting the drunk crowd in front of him.

Just then, Renji ran over,and in his intoxicated state, yelled 'CAPTAIN!' and gave him a huge hug. Byakuya's eyes widened, and Rukia tried to contain a huge laugh, failing miserably. Then everyone lifted up their drinks and in unison gave a long drunken, "AYYYYYYYYYYYYY."

Byakuya, being absolutely mortified, did his best to stay composed, although he thought he hid it well. "Renji," he said with his usual state of indifference, "unless you want your birthday present to be all of my paperwork and yours, then I suggest you end this hug now."

The spiky haired boy quickly loosened his embrace and took the liberty of straightening out his captain's nicely ironed haori. "Very sorry, Captain, I don't know what came over me."

Rukia put one arm around her lover and said, "I think that would be the alcohol." A smile formed on her face and then she said to her brother, "Well, we're going to socialize, Nii-sama. I hope you do the same." The look in her eyes told him that she would be very displeased if she didn't see him talking to at least one person by the end of the night.

As Rukia walked away, Byakuya muttered under his breath, "Well, now who's going to make fun of people with me?"

Socializing was harder than he'd remembered, even with everyone being especially nice to him. Orihime and Uryu came up to greet him, along with Ikkaku and Yumichika.

Ikkaku slapped the noble on the back, smelling heavily of alcohol as he yelled, "Well, well, well, his highness has decided to grace us with his presence. I never thought you'd be slumming it with us."

"Well,I figured this place could use some class," Byakuya retorted sarcastically. His sister had told him that body language was everything and that if he smiled when he said something sassy, then people would take it as a joke instead of a 'fuck off'. Had she ever stopped to think that it was supposed to be conveyed that way?

"Yes," Yumichika agreed, "Now the place is much more beautiful."

Uryu scoffed and pointed at a man leaning his head out of the establishment and letting everything he'd put in his body onto the sidewalk. "Obviously you're not seeing what I'm seeing." Byakuya grimaced and replied, "And you wonder why I'm such an enigma."

"Yeah," Orihime chimed in, "I was starting to think you were a vampire or something. Trapped in that big house all by yourself."

A crooning Ikkaku let out a long 'Wellll' and pointed outside, "it's dark, so he still could be one. Maybe you should let him take you home and see if he'll-" He slowed down his words for emphasis, "suck you dry."

Yumichika gave Ikkaku an incredulous look, but he just raised his hands as if to say, 'What? I didn't do anything!' Poor Orihime turned bright red with embarrassment, not knowing how to respond, but Uryu quickly came to her defensive, getting in Ikkaku's face. "Dude, don't talk about her that way. She's a person,not your dirty fantasy." That was right. Uryu was only okay with her being his dirty fantasy.

"Didn't mean anything by it. God damn," Ikkaku grunted. Uryu just glared at him coldly for a moment longer.

Orihime, still flustered, looked up at Byakuy(, who had a slight blush of embarrassment on his face. Orihime stumbles over words to fix Ikkaku's blunder; Yumichika just had his head in his hands at this point. "Don't worry Kuchiki-taichou, if you were a vampire, I'm sure you'd be the nice kind with a soul, who doesn't drink people's 'd just lock yourself away and hide from the world and never have any fun."

Byakuya couldn't help but think that actually hit the hammer on the nail, but instead of saying anything, he just turned and walked in the other direction. From behind him, he could hear Orihime say, "Ikkaku, look what you've done! Now he's left!" Yumichika then made a sly comment about Ikkaku being jealous that no one wanted to suck him dry. Ikkaku's angry retort was lost on Byakuya as the low roar of dance music and drunken laughter consumed his ear drums.

Finally,Byakuya found a seat in an outdoor sitting area. It was actually very tranquil. The space had a koi pond that was surrounded by decorative pillows. The noble took a seat on one and kept a focused stare on the lily pads dancing on the water. Sighing slightly, he couldn't help but feel like he should've stayed home. His own koi pond was much bigger than this one.

Out of nowhere, a deep familiar voice spoke, "Well, well, if looks could kill, Byakuya."

There were only a few people who called him by his first name like that, and he hadn't seen Yoruichi around. Moreover, that was definitely not a female voice.

Byakuya turned to see an obviously drunk Ichigo, and he couldn't help but find the red that painted his manly features kind of cute. This thought just made Byakuya want to tell the boy to leave, but he knew that kind of meanness was unfair.

Ichigo came and sat cross-legged beside the raven-haired man, who replied with a scoff and said, "This is just my lounging outfit." He took both hands and straightened out his captain's haori.

Ichigo let a warm smile fall over him."Well, we can't all have personal tailors at our beck and call." He picked up the beer beside him and took a huge gulp. "You don't have to be embarrassed, you know."

Byakuya gave him a confused and almost offended look, "What?"

"You're embarrassed because you dressed up to go to a party where everyone is dressed down. You're pretty easy to see through sometimes." He bluntly retorted as beer entered his open mouth.

"You forget one fine detail, Kurosaki. I'd have to care what you people think to feel such an emotion." Now the noble was downing his own beer in one gulp. "Luckily," he let a refreshed sigh and put the now empty bottle down, "I don't."

Ichigo let out a sizable laugh, which confused the noble, "What's so funny?"

Ichigo then gave him a confused look, still smiling somewhat, "Um, you? People usually laugh when someone says something funny."

'But I wasn't trying to be funny,' Byakuya thought to himself. Ichigo went on then, "Sure, you hide it with this flat baritone and an air of superiority, but I've know you for a long time, Byakuya. Anyone with eyes can see that you don't actually think you're better than anyone. You just… push the world away. When you're carrying a burden, it feels like it helps, but it really doesn't… I've been there. Company's what helps." Ichigo lifted a sympathetic hand to Byakuya's shoulder, which sent chills down the noble's spine.

Unsure of what to do, Byakuya shook Ichigo's hand off of his shoulder and simply stated, "Didn't I tell you to call me Kuchiki-taichou?"

"But you're not my captain," Ichigo said with a laugh.

"Kuchiki-san, then," Byakuya said, trying to snub out the familiarity Ichigo insisted on.

It was just a slight feeling, but Ichigo's words had dug at Byakuya's heart and he would not have that. Not at all. Still, it was hard to believe that this man seemed to understand him in a way only his sister did. Well, maybe others understood, but no one dared talked to Byakuya that way, fearful of his notorious death stare. Could Ichigo really see him? The stoic man didn't think anyone had cared enough to look that closely.

A wicked smile came over the orange-haired boy's face. "Okay, well, I can't say that in my drunken state, so it's either Byakuya or Kuch. Your choice," Ichigo said, smirking.

With widened eyes, Byakuya raised his voice, "How dare you truncate my name in such a way. I could have you thrown in prison for such disrespect." His heart race was speeding up exponentially, but it wasn't fury causing it…

"Oh? So now you want to tie me up? Damn Kuch, you're kinkier than I thought." Ichigo was curled over, clenching his side in pain from laughing.

Realizing that getting angry would just dig him in deeper, the man couldn't help to blush, hoping the darkness hid the red decoratnig his cheeks. Instead, he let out a laugh,a long, painful, I-haven't-laughed-like-that-in-forever laugh. It felt rejuvenating. Could this man really see past his indifferent cool demeanor? A more important question was whether he really found that endearing? Funny even?

A moment of comfortable silence had fallen between the two men, when suddenly Byakuya's attention was drawn to the open threshold that led back to the bar. He saw what looked like a gray-haired elementary student about to have a drunken conversation with the floor boards.

"Even Captain Hitsugaya came," Byakuya said, nudging his head towards the threshold. "I know the man is hundreds of years old, but he looks like he should just now be getting off the breast, not finding the bottle."

Ichigo looked to Byakuya with this expression that seemed to be in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe he was hearing this out of Byakuya's mouth. Ichigo let out a shocked laugh, jumping in with his trash-talk as easily as breathing.

"And it looks like he found one or two," Ichigo noted, nodding his head towards the boy, indicating how he was holding on to Rangiku for dear life, his head pillowed on her chest.

They both let out a breathy laugh, and after a moment's thought, Byakuya looked up and said, "Would you like to make a bet? I say Hitsugaya-taichou will be the first to pass out tonight."

Ichigo thought pensively to himself for a moment and then let out a 'nah, you're wrong, I saw Renji threaten to fight a lamp post earlier because he thought it was a dude hitting on Rukia. I like my chances, you're on.'

With one eyebrow raised, the noble said, "Renji doesn't have much upstairs,but he's not a light weight. Don't underestimate him. He used to be a Division Six man."

With a finger to his chin, Ichigo asked, "Well, when I win, what do I get?"

"The loser will owe the winner a favor of their choice. It can be redeemed whenever and however."

The boy's eyes crinkled with a cheeky grin. "Sounds like fun." He went to pick up a beer, only to realize it was empty. "We're going to need more alcohol for this." Ichigo pushed himself up with the palms of his hands and ran inside to get two beers from the bar.

"Well," Byakuya said to no one, "I guess I have someone to gossip with."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Consumed by his memories of that night, Byakuya actually started to blush just thinking of it.

"No!" the strong soul reaper said, pushing himself to the edge of the bed, "I do not and will not have feelings for a commoner. I am Byakuya Kuchiki! A little fantasy is fine as long as it stays in my head, but that's all."

"Isn't talking to yourself a sign of insanity?" came a mysterious voice from outside his doorway. With that, Byakuya noted the Hell Butterfly floating above him and a pair of cat eyes staring him down in his doorway.

"Isn't breaking and entering illegal?" retorted the noble in an irritable tone.

"Look at you all flustered. That must have been why you couldn't sense me coming. Oh, but you! Get within a few feet of this place and you're suffocating everyone with that energy. I was just-," she paused, turning back into her nude human form, "worried." A playful smile grew across her face, "Is that so bad?"

Byakuya had seen no naked body more than Yoruichi's; as a boy he found this flustering but slightly enjoyable. Even as an adult man he would still sometimes take glances, but this was not the morning to be playing her games. "Can you please get dressed? I know you want someone to see you naked, but does it have to be me?" he spoke, monotone still intact.

"Ah, feisty," she said, reaching into a bag she had brought. "I like it. I also came here because you know I love being the one to wake you 's fun to see you all annoyed and cranky in the morning." She pulled her blouse down over her head.

"I see you're still a sadist." He spoke quickly, fixing his hair and placing his kenseikan neatly in his raven hair.

Now fully dressed, she punched the man in the shoulder."Only for you." She smiled,giving him a wink.

He stood, donning his captain's uniform, trying his best to ignore his lifelong friend. "Of course, by the sound of it, you would have rather had a different wake up call." This made Byakuya stop momentarily and look at the reflection of himself and his friend, whose chin was resting on his shoulder. The smile on her face was all-knowing, and it only made it worse when she put on her best Byakuya-accent. "I do not and will not have feelings for a commoner!" mimicked the cat women.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Byakuya spoke defensively, moving away from the women.

"Sureeeeee, or maybe you actually do have heart. I tried to tell them they were all wrong, but no one woul-" The remark was cut off by Byakuya's death stare; it was full of sadness and anger. It hurt Yoruichi to see her friend in so much pain. Mustering all the sincerity she could, she explained, "I don't understand why you're so scared. You've always been a wimp. Having feelings for someone is a beautiful thing, Byakuya, and in this world you'd better catch it while you can. It may not come around for another hundred years.

Like Ichigo? Never! She had gone completely off the deep end if she believed a little fantasy to be emotional attachment. Unable to believe even his inner monologue, Byakuya balled his fist and hit the top of his dresser with enough rage to stop Yoruichi in her tracks. "I don't have feelings for him, dammit!" he bursted out. The vibrations of anger threw them both, followed by a calm wave, and Byakuya looking down at his now bleeding hand with stone cold eyes, "and even if I did, it's not like he would…"

"So that's it." Yoruichi walked up to Byakuya and placed her hand over his bleeding one. "You're scared you'll be rejected."

There was no response; there didn't have to be, the silence said it all. Besides, she knew he would never admit to this verbally. Instead, Byakuya turned towards the still floating Hell Butterfly. "What's this about?"

Yoruichi eyes widened. "Oh shit!" she exclaimed, grabbing the captain by the hand. "We're so late! I'll explain everything on the way."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The two of them used quick shunpo on their way throughout the Seiretei, both secretly hoping to beat the other,as if it were old times. Right before they jet into the entrance, Yoruichi made an abrupt stop, and with a cocky smile said, "I win."

Trying to look cool, Byakuya smoothed out his captain's uniform and replied, "Whatever."

Yoruichi, of course, took the opportunity to mock him as soon as he turned around. Always so cool and collected, damn that was annoying. Although, earlier was the most out of control she had seen her childhood friend, and now his hand was bandaged and probably broken.

Even though it seemed bad, Yourichi thought this was the best thing for him. Now, to take it a step further, the playful cat women mischievously thought to herself, coming up with a plan.

Byakuya flowed into the meeting hall to see all captains chatting amongst themselves. One was missing, Renji, who had taken over as third division captain. All the vice-captains were gathered too, standing with their respective captains. There was quite a lot of chatter about the possible implications of what these murders meant. Urahara was perched in a corner, eyes scanning the room from under his striped hat. He looked as if he was having one of his sketchy conversations with Commander in Chief, Shunsui, both pairs of arms crossed across their chests and leaning against the wall. That's until he is seen being dragged away into another room by Yourichi. Usually this would be suspicious behavior, but Byakuya had more pressing matters on his mind.

He noticed his vice-captain, Rukia, was missing also. She knew tardiness was unacceptable; just because her brother was her captain didn't mean she had an opportunity to skip out.

Byakuya sighed; his nerves were all over the place today. It had been decades since the noble had punched anything out of anger or showed such lack of control. 'As a captain as of the Gotei 13, it is my duty to stay focused and level headed,' Byakuya thought to himself. He was determined to shake this kid.

But what if he was too late?

A handsome smiling Ukitake walked up to Byakuya, despite the casually indifferent look on the man's face. "Hello Byakuya, how are you doing today?" Ukitake asked before scanning his demeanor, "I guess I don't really have to ask." He smiled big and turned his head slightly to the side. "I know you're not the type of man to talk about these things, so how about we talk about work?" the man pondered.

Byakuya thought it was nice to have a friend like that. Even if Byakuya didn't really consider himself to have friends, it was nice for someone to know you that well.

Sticking his chest out in a proud manner, he spoke, "Yes, it's rather troublesome, three murders in one week. And from what little I heard about the story, the situations surrounding the murders were very peculiar." He paused to clear his throat. "Do you think something really bad is coming?"

Ukitake eyebrows narrowed and a slightly nervous look came over him. "Hm, maybe. However, it's nothing we cannot handle. With all the feats we have accomplished, I'm overwhelmingly confident in the Gotei 13… and of course Ichigo," he added on.

"Yes," he agreed, slightly losing composure at the sound of Ichigo's name. Nervously intertwining his fingers with each other, the noble continued, "There would be no soul society without him, possibly no world. There are no words to express the gratitude I have for him."

The words struck him, because Byakuya's heart knew what his logic did not want to admit. So often he tried not to think about it, but without Ichigo there would be nothing. He'd saved him from himself. Rukia lived because of him, but not just Rukia, the whole world. As a consequence of him saving Rukia, he'd saved Byakuya in the process. If he had gone through with letting her die, the noble would have died with her. There would be no man left.

This riddled Byakuya's mind, infecting every thought and fiber in his body. How could he not care- nay- yearn for this man? These feelings were not out of some false obligation of debt, no, they come from everything Ichigo was. The young reaper's unwavering determination, his passion, heart, iron will, and bravado made him the man who'd saved Byakuya from himself.

An eternal fire of gratefulness burned inside Byakuya, and he wanted nothing more than to show him that gratitude, over and over again. Umph, that private thought made him weak in the knees, but Byakuya never loses composure in public. Such desires were an unattainable dream, and he hoped that recognizing them would lower the yearning. Byakuya had not enough gall to do anything about it, so in his mind it didn't matter. He couldn't even tell the boy 'thank you', sure that it would crush his pride.

Feeling fickle and indecisive, Byakuya was overcome by shame. Here he was thinking about these things when he should be focusing on the meeting. Soul Society's issues were of highest priorities.

Fickle thoughts could wait for later.

Shunsui placed a hand on his old friend's shoulder. "Byakuya, you should smile more, or you're going to get old like me."

The older man stood, slightly slouched, draped in a decorative kimono, his one eye looking tired but full of kindness. "Oh, that's not going to happen," he scoffed. "If you worried about yourself a little more,then you might not look so worn out." Byakukya thought this to be one of his nicer exchanges throughout the day.

The man chuckled and peeked out from under his hat slightly. "I'd expect no other response from the likes of you." Pacing slowly to the front of the room, Shunsui spoke in a lackluster tone. "Okay guys, here's the deal. We have a serious problem that could cau-"

Mid-sentence, Rukia and Renji walked inside the meeting room,followed by a deliciously disheveled Ichigo, or at least Byakuya couldn't help but think so. The dark faded jeans he was wearing fit his perfectly lean yet muscular legs. The long sleeve button up he wore was deep purple and complemented his figure. Plus, the boy had become more fashionable now that he had a professional job. He wore leather combat boots, a black fitted Pea Coat, and a red scarf, all while oozing confidence. Being fashionably late never looked so good.

"Dreaming about your boyfri-" Byakuya actually yelped a little bit at the cat woman's quick appearance. Now he knew his guard was down; usually he wouldn't have batted an eyelash.

Ichigo flashed Byakuya a smile. He responded by adverting his eyes and trying to act like he hadn't seen the reaper's smile.

This gave Yourichi a bigger chuckle. "Why are you so nervous?"

With narrowed eyebrows, Byakuya snapped, "Because a crazed cat woman keeps sneaking up on me and trying to interfere with my life." He said this quietly enough for no one to hear him over the arrival of the newcomers.

Putting on her cutest voice and leaning her head against Byakuya, she said,"Oh, if this bothers you, then I cannot even imagine how you're going to feel about what happens next."

Byakuya's eyes widened,but before he could ask her what the hell she meant, she was skipping backwards to Urahara with one finger on her lips,shushing him.

'What trouble is this damn women causing now?' worried Byakuya.

"Okay, okay." Shunsui waved his hand in the air. "Let's get back to the matter at hand." Pressing the thumb and index finger of his right hand against the side of his scruffy face, Shunsui rubbed the unkempt hair, as if deep in thought.

With as much authority as a man like Shunsui could demand, he explained, "Over the past week there have been three very gruesome tragedies,murders, all committed by various soul reapers. When the first two happened, we thought it could possibly just be a happenstance, however, after comparing all three murder suspect's stories, that seems unlikely." He scanned the room for any confused faces and then continued, "The first murder suspect was Fuji Ikkia, a member of the fifth division with no officer ranking. She was a single mother until last Monday, after coming back from the living world." Shunsui found that the next words became hard to say. He was quivering. "She chocked her three-year-old daughter to death." Clearing his throat,he continued, "Afterwards, she phoned the authorities and turned herself in. She hasn't spoken a word since."

The room had a somber tension while awaiting the commander to continue. "Two days later, a man by the name of Akito Heji, member of Division two, went to the world of the living to do rounds. Later that evening, the man slaughtered a local shop owner while costumers were still in the store, spectating. The man did not try to flee, but waited for someone to come and arrest him."

Standing with his arms folded behind his back, Shunsui appeared more serious than ever."After intensive interviewing, we found that this man had claimed to be stabbed by a mysterious rogue soul reaper while preforming his rounds. Akito claimed that he did not want to kill the victim,but had to. If what he said was true, it would mean his mind had no control over his body.

"Other than vague descriptions of what the assailant looked like, we got very little information about this man. Since the attacks both happened in towns surrounding Karakura town - probably for its immense spiritual energy - we sent Taketsuna Gori, fifth seat of the third division, to scope out the place and leave trails of his energy."

Clasping his hands in front of him and taking a single deep breath, Shunsui continued(,) "The consequences for this(,) was the death of Gori's wife, for which I bare the whole blame."

The Gotei officials shifted uncomfortably in their areas, waiting for the commander to continue. "We knew that it was a possibility that Gori would kill someone close to him. As sad as the loss of his wife is, the sacrifice was not made in vain. The information yielded was invaluable."

Shunsui cleared his throat slightly before continuing."Gori put up a good fight, as expected from a seated member of our elite Gotei. For a while, it was a game of cat and never actually saw the man, just a blur, that's how fast he moves. Gori was merely touched with the zanpakutou of this man(,) but through further investigation we realized his zanpakutou was responsible. He was able to infect the hearts of those touched, by driving the victims to kill the person that possesses their heart. Meaning, the person they love most."

There were a few mumbles and faint gasps amongst the elite of the Gotei 13, all in disbelief that such a zanpakutou existed.

Unable to contain his opinions, as per usual, a red faced Ichigo blurted out, "How could the Seireitei allow such a monstrous sword to exist?"

Rukia's eyes darted over to the man in urgency, pleading for him to learn when to keep his mouth shut. Byakuya would have sent him a death stare too, but he was wondering the same thing. He was just much more tactful than Ichigo.

Instead of being angered by this outburst, the commander simply put one finger in the air and waved it at the young soul reaper. "That's exactly what we were wondering," he replied. "However, we could find no zanpakutou that matched this description. We've been through the archives of every weapon ever forged, and nothing has surfaced. This could mean only a couple of things. Could anyone tell me what those things could be?"

There was a collective moment of silence when Ukitake's strong yet subtle voice filled the meeting hall, "I believe this could mean that he has reached a final stage of his zanpakutou, much like Ichigo did. It would explain why we have no knowledge of this power. Seeing as the power only manifests itself through the wants of the wielder, it's possible for such a sword to exist. Usually, to obtain this level, one must sacrifice something of great value. I'm unsure of what that sacrifice was, but this man must have been desperate."

"Very astute of you, Juushiro," the commander complimented in a pleased tone. "Yes, we believe this to be the most likely situation. We have yet to uncover this man's identity. Because of this,we are going to organize three groups to be sent to the living world. These soul reapers chosen will not only live in the human world, but have to obtain human-like lives. You'll also all be living separately from the other two groups. This is so you can spread your spirt energy. This man has been attacking weaker spiritual pressure, so we believe he has just recently acquired this power. It can be assumed, however, that he is getting stronger every day and will start coming after captain's level soul reapers. Even so, it will not draw the man out if you're all together."

Now by this point, there was a laid back Urahara with a coy smile standing beside the commander. Patting Urahara on the back, Shunsui said, "Kisuke will be handling this mission from the living world's end, providing you with jobs, housing, equipment, and of course that special brand of crazy that this mission needs. So, I'm going to let Kisuke finish explaining." The man stepped back, folded his rested hands over one another, and watched.

"Hey gang!" Urahara exclaimed, scanning the room. "I just want to say that it was my honor to decided what shitty- I mean wonderful jobs and lives you guys would have while in the living world." This earned only a laugh from Urahara's feline friend, who was standing in the back.

"Great," Renji complained, "Knowing that whack job, we'll probably all end up picking up trash on the side of the road somewhere."

"Now, now," Urahara said, adjusting his hat, "Under my watchful eye, I think you should all be just fine. The first group will be comprised of Hitsugaya-Taichou, Madarame san-seki, and Ayasegawa go-seki. They'll be stationed in one of the areas attacked, surrounding Karakura town."

"Great…" Toshiro mumbled, throwing his head back, "I'm stuck with these two blood thirsty fools."

His shiny bald forehead now butting against Toshiro's, Ikkaku yelled, "Is that a problem, huh?!"

Bringing his hands up as if he was asking a question, Toshiro blandly said, "Problem? Um, no problem here."

Butting in, Kenpachi hollered, "Yeah! With my boys there, that freak'll be dust in two days tops."

"Ahem", Urahara interrupted, "The second group will consist of Abarai-Taichou, and Kuchiki-fukutaichou. You two will be staying with me. Yoruichi and myself will be the other two members of your group. The last group shall consist of Kuchiki-taichou and Kuchiki will be staying with Ichigo. Uryu and Orihime will also be on your team, but living separately, since both apartments are so close to one another."

"What?!" a completely flustered Byakuya blurted out. He soon regretted it, realizing just how unprofessional that had looked.

"Is there a problem, Kuchiki-san?" asked a smiling Urahara. Of course, there was a problem with this! His inner battle to overcome and understand these feelings was hard enough when he barely saw Ichigo. How was this going to work? How would he submerge these feelings now that they'd be living together? Just the idea of waking up in the same area as the young soul reaper sent chills up the raven-haired man's spine. How would he feel when he was actually there?

Somehow he knew that damn demon cat was behind this. Byakuya felt trapped in a corner, but knew he had no choice. He would put this case over his personal feelings and would never submit to his desires. 'It would be shameful to put Kurosaki in such an awkward situation,' thought the noble. He may feel things he didn't quite understand for the boy, but knew Ichigo deserved better. Who would want the man who'd almost killed them also taking them out on a date? After all the boy had sacrificed, Byakuya's feelings were something he could ignore if it meant keeping everyone safe, especially Ichigo. Yes, he would stay with Ichigo for the sake of the mission and for the sake of those he'd sworn to protect.

"No, not at all," Byakuya replied, straigtening out his posture.

Urahara now turned his head to Ichigo. "And what about you? Any problems with this arrangement?"

Ichigo had a look of confusion come over him. With one hand rubbing the back of his head and a big smile, he said, "No, as long as he doesn't expect to be woken up with some fancy toast and fresh tea every day, then we're good."

Urahara chuckled slightly at that. "Good," he said.

If the comment had come from anyone but Ichigo, Byakuya probably would have given them one of his infamous scowls; However, with Ichigo, he always knew it was in good nature.

"We'll all be meeting at my place immediately. Your gigai are all waiting for you, along with details of your new mission." Urahara quickly dispersed from the front of the room and left with a giddy Yoruichi.

Byakuya left behind the couple without stopping to talk to anyone. He was going hunting,and that cat was on his hit list.