ORZ... It's been so long since I last updated. I bet some of you thought I'd ditch this story D= However, that's not the case, and the story is back on. School has been hell for the longest of time, and add to that that I've found other interests, my writing has taken a back seat. Fear not, though, cause I have not forgotten about my OTP.

So here's chapter 18.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. It belongs to Tite Kubo. Not me, Kubo... .

-X-

After that night I spent in Rangiku's residence, three weeks ago, we had continued to see each other almost every night, with the exception of the nights in which clan meetings were held.

Nights were usually spent in her house. We would have dinner and then engage in all kinds of activities. Some nights we would play games she bought in the human world, like cards or checkers, but what we enjoyed the most was the occasional game of go. I tried to avoid playing the game with her, after noticing how competitive we were, which could become harmful as the night progressed. Rangiku, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed the game, especially on those not so rare occasions in which she found herself a victor. It was hard to be gracious after losing to her, but in time I found ways to accept it, and considering she was especially kind after winning, I realized that perhaps defeat was not a disgrace.

Regardless of this, what we both enjoyed the most was lying in bed. Rangiku would draw out the curtains and turn off all the lights, leaving us with a clear view of the night sky. This time was usually spent talking, although most times, the conversation would progress in ways in which we would later find ourselves in more physical situations.

However, there is always a bitter moment during the night, and it is usually around the time I leave. Neither of us would say much, but I can always feel the disappointment in her whenever I set out to return to the manor, even when most times I wait until she has fallen asleep to depart, in an attempt to be considerate towards her.

As I walk home, I frequently ponder on the reasons why I find myself leaving her so abruptly in the middle of the night, searching for a way in which I can stop this most unfortunate of circumstances without exposing our relationship to any threat. However, this idea has not appeared as of yet, leaving me in the disgraceful situation of disappointing her since I can't simply stay by her side, as both of us yearn, considering the clan is vigilant of my every move.

However, today, when I arrived at my office, I realized we had been presented with an opportunity that might benefit our wishes, although it will take some work to allow this chance to become real. Because of this, I had to talk to her.

-X-

"Matsumoto-fukutaicho." I called, after being escorted into her office by one of her officers.

She looked up from her desk and stifled the smile that was eager to play in her face. It was always a disgrace for me to realize this, considering most times she was not alone in the efforts of hiding our relationship from the public. However, I have begun to consider she might be better than me in maintaining the façade.

"Kuchiki-taicho, what brings you here?" She asked, most likely allowing herself the time to think of the best way to dispose of the officer than accompanied me.

"I must speak to you, Fukutaicho." I replied, coldly as usual.

In a brief amount of time, Rangiku has become an expert in reading my expressions, even when my face seems impassive to the untrained eye.

"Very well," She said, quickly understanding the reasons for my visit, "Kuchiki-taicho, you may come in. Officer, please give us some privacy."

"Hai." The man said, retreating from the office and closing the door behind him, granting us privacy.

"So? What brings you here, Kuchiki-taicho?" Rangiku asked, leaving her desk and walking towards me.

"You can quit the act, Rangiku. You know I'm not pleased by you using my title to address me."

"Are you telling me that I should call you as I normally do, Bya-kun?"

"Why must you insist on using that name, Rangiku? I see no reason for it."

"It fits you, don't you think?" She said, twining her arms around my neck and reaching up to kiss me.

I sighed, knowing that arguing with her over this is pointless. "Regardless, I wish you would stop." I replied, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"It's not like I use it all the time, Byakuya, I would not abuse it. It would lose the shine."

"Perhaps it should."

"But that would be a shame, and then I would have to come up with a new name for you, so, don't you think is best you get used to one name instead of many?"

"I suppose you're right." I answered, hoping it would be enough to ease her.

"So, what brings you here, Byakuya? Seriously."

"I need to talk to you." I replied, looking into her clear blue eyes.

"Can it wait? I'm swamped, and with my Taicho gone, I can't give you much time for flirting." Rangiku remarked.

"Actually, I'm here on business, Rangiku, so unfortunately you'll have to make time for me."

"Aren't you bossy?" She asked, flirtatiously.

"I have something for you to look at."

"I bet you do." She said, smirking profusely, not yet taking me seriously, although she rarely ever does.

I reached into my shihakusho and pulled out a form, handing it over for her to look at.

"Oh, aren't you the sweetest of lovers? You brought me paperwork. How very romantic of you to do that," Rangiku said sarcastically, which was something I didn't care for much, "Thank you so much, Byakuya. After all, I didn't have enough work already, and this…"

"You can stop now, Rangiku," I remarked, stopping her in mid-sentence, "Apparently, you have not heard me correctly. I said I brought something for you to look at, not fill out, so please read the form." I said, reaching down to kiss her.

"Sorry, Byakuya. Let's see." She said, taking the form and reading it, throwing her arms around me yet again, which made me consider how she could read in such an uncomfortable position.

"How can you read like that? It can't be comfortable." I commented.

"I'm multi-tasking, Byakuya."

"Multi-tasking between reading the form and holding me?"

"Yes. Nice, isn't it?" She said, resting her jaw on my shoulder whilst reading the form.

"You could let go of me, Rangiku. That would be better for you."

Not a moment had passed after I made the comment when she was moving away from me, which I found odd considering she rarely listens to me.

"You're leaving." She said, sighing after making the remark. It was when she looked away from me that I noticed her disappointment.

"Yes. I leave tomorrow."

"For how long?"

"If we take Hitsugaya-taicho's absence as a standard, then it would be a month."

She sighed once more, disillusioned by the news. "Well, at least you came and told me personally. Still, it is sad."

"Excuse me?" I asked, slightly confused.

"You're leaving. For at least a month. I suppose that's enough time for you to convince yourself of abandoning me."

"I don't plan on doing that, but rather the complete opposite," I stated, hoping it would reassure her, "I said I needed to talk to you, and I am yet to do that."

"So, what are you going to say then, Byakuya?" She asked, turning away from me and walking over to her desk.

"I want you to come with me."

Rangiku quickly turned and glared at me in disbelief. "What?"

"Why are you surprised by my invitation?"

She took a moment to think of her answer, rolling her eyes before speaking, "It is… unexpected."

"I know. However, I thought you would appreciate the suggestion."

"Don't get me wrong, Byakuya, I do. It's just that there are a lot of things to work out to make that happen, don't you think?"

"What makes you believe I would ask if I didn't realize this?"

She frowned, slowly putting the pieces together, "So you have a plan?" She asked.

"Yes. I wouldn't risk brining up the subject without certainty that it could be achieved."

Rangiku whirled in her chair for a moment, perhaps trying to anticipate my plan, but soon she gave up on that idea. "I'm listening."

Throughout our interactions I had realized that Rangiku enjoys discovering things on her own, instead of being told. Because of this, I considered she would find it amusing to slowly unravel my plan, albeit she would need my help doing so.

"Rangiku, what is stopping you from accepting?"

"Well, for starters, I'm not like you. I'm not a Taicho, so I can't decide where I go. You know that, Byakuya."

"That can be fixed. All you would need is Hitsugaya-taicho's consent."

"And how am I supposed to get it? He's not here, as you can see." She asked, intrigued.

"Rangiku, both your Taicho and Renji will be returning tomorrow whilst I leave. If you recall, the Sotaicho decided two high ranks would be in Karakura while all of this unfolded. I have been assigned to depart as your Taicho's replacement, but Renji's replacement has not been selected yet."

"Well, that's wonderful, Byakuya," She replied sarcastically, failing to understand my intentions, "Now I have to convince the Sotaicho, of all people. That should be easy, after all…"

I walked over to her desk and knelt in front of her, looking for eye contact. "Rangiku, you're not listening to me." I said, taking her hand in mine, "You wouldn't have to convince the Sotaicho. All you would have to do is volunteer."

"Volunteer?" She asked, not yet understanding what I meant.

"There will be a meeting today, Rangiku. All Taichos and Fukutaichos will be there. You should be notified soon. My departure will be announced during today's meeting. As I mentioned before, Renji's replacement has not been selected, so if you volunteered I don't believe the Sotaicho would object."

"But, what if the Sotaicho has someone in mind already?"

"He doesn't. If he had, that person would have been notified already, and it would appear in the form you just read." I replied, dismissing her objections.

"Ok. But, wouldn't it be suspicious if I volunteered, just because, Byakuya? And what are you doing, by the way?" Rangiku asked, looking down at me as I played with her hands.

"It wouldn't be suspicious, Rangiku, as long as you play your cards right. Remember your Taicho volunteered to leave for Karakura, so you could say that volunteering is one of the values Hitsugaya-taicho has instilled upon you and you would like to serve as example for the rest of the officers of the division. Also, to answer your other question, I'm multi-tasking."

"Multi-tasking between playing with my hands and bribing me?"

"If you can do it, why can't I? And I'm not bribing you."

Rangiku chuckled after hearing my comment, noticing I would not pass on the idea of her joining me in the world of the living so easily. "Regardless, Byakuya, I can't simply decide to volunteer. I have a Taicho, and he's ultimately the one who decides what I do."

"May I remind you that, while Hitsugaya is your boss, he also has a boss. As I told you before, Rangiku, all you need is his consent. If the Sotaicho approves, then your Taicho has no choice but to accept," I replied, invalidating yet another of her questionings, "Rangiku, how many 'buts' do you have left before agreeing?"

Rangiku chuckled once again, "You have thought this through, haven't you? Well, I just have two more buts."

"The first one would be?"

"Even if I do all you said, that doesn't guarantee that it will be me who is appointed, and if I went through all that trouble then others would suspect because well, nobody would want to work with you."

"Well, that's were I step in. If the Sotaicho accepts your suggestion, then I can't object, and if he doesn't, then I can always mention that, whilst somebody else might be a suitable choice, it would create a disturbance to that particular division, whilst both my division and yours could easily adapt since they've been in that situation before, so taking you would ultimately be the best choice."

"Oh my, your plan is… foolproof." Rangiku said, after tying all the pieces in her mind. I was glad she noticed, considering all the effort I put into devising the plan. However, she still had one more objection.

"What is your last objection, Rangiku?" I asked, hoping I could finally convince her.

"Isn't it too soon, Byakuya?" She inquired, looking at me through her piercing blue eyes, "We haven't been together long enough to commit to something like this. I mean, are you sure you would want to spend a whole month with me? And by the way, you are bribing me."

"How am I bribing you?" I asked, confused by her remark.

"You're telling me that I have to choose between spending a month with you or letting tonight be the last night we spend together for at least a month. And you know I'm in love with you, that's an unfair advantage."

"I strongly disagree, Rangiku. I wouldn't ask you to join me if I wasn't sure that this is what I want. Now, if you decide to stay, then I would have to make an effort to understand, although I don't want to," I took both her hands and placed them between mine, looking up at her, "Also, you know I hold no advantage as you said."

She flopped back in her chair, sighing heavily whilst thinking of what to say. I was slightly disconcerted by her lack of enthusiasm, but I have slowly realized that Rangiku, very much like me, is prone to over-thinking.

I had hoped I wouldn't find myself in the position of asking, but she had given me no answer. "Would you come with me, Rangiku?"

She leaned towards me, and ridding her hands from my hold, proceeded to kiss me, throwing her arms around my neck. "I will go with you, Byakuya, but I have conditions." She said after retreating from the kiss.

"Are your conditions hard to meet?" I asked.

"Why do you ask? Don't you think is best you hear them first?"

"No. You once said to me that your friends don't ask nearly impossible things of you, because there's the chance you might concede their wishes, and the same is valid in the context of you and me," I replied, catching her off guard, "So I hope your conditions are not hard to meet, because you can rest assured I'll find a way to comply."

"You know what, Byakuya? Forget the conditions, although I don't think you would find them particularly difficult to meet."

"Thank you," I said, catching her chin before kissing her, "If your conditions don't meet the standard of nearly impossible, then they should be met anyways."

"Is that so, Bya-kun?" She replied, smiling widely at me, to which I nodded, "Well, maybe I should come up with more conditions for you, but I'll tell you about them later. I have to get back to work. I think I've given you plenty of time."

"That's a shame, but you are right. I best leave you to your work. You know what to do now, and that is all the assurance I need," I replied, standing up to leave, "I'll see you at the meeting, Rangiku." I grabbed the form from her desk and placed it in my pocket, turning to face the door.

"Bye, Bya-kun."

I blinked at her address, although she didn't notice this. "I suppose the name was one of the conditions, am I right?" I asked as I walked towards the door.

"No… But perhaps it should be."

-X-

"Byakuya," Rangiku called from her position, slouched against the wall, "you had me trick half of Seireitei to get me here, and this is what we do?"

I was contemplating the city from our location on a building's rooftop, resting my arms on the railings whilst looking at the nearby buildings. Her call, however, removed me from the trance.

I turned my head to look at her, far more interested in noticing the moonlight's reflection on her hair than in giving much importance to what she said. It is a shame that, at times, she can't enjoy silence.

"Quit glaring at me, Byakuya! I'm upset." She said, crossing her arms whilst refusing to look at me.

"Why do you fuss, Rangiku?"

"Because out of all the things I imagined we would do here in Karakura, patrolling was the last on the list, especially when is so early in the night and there is so much more than we could do," Rangiku replied, slightly frustrated by the fact that I had encouraged her to work on such a lovely evening, "And for your information, Byakuya, I'm not fussing."

I had expected Rangiku to be upset by my insistence in keeping with our duty, but at times her attitude could be frustrating, if only for the fact that it could compel me to concede her requests.

"What did you expect to do instead of fulfilling the duties we were assigned to?" I asked, knowing her response would surely be harsh.

"Anything but patrolling, Byakuya! Even my Taicho allowed himself the time to rest, but all you seem to do is seek out hollows, which by the way, never show up. Being stationed in the human world is like getting an all expenses paid vacation courtesy of Seireitei, but you're working!"

"Rangiku, there's no need for you to be upset. We are here…"

"Don't give me the duty speech again, Byakuya. I don't want to tell you again that there's no reason for you to forget about your duties just because you decide to watch a movie or something. That's why we have the phones."

"So that's what you would like to do, Rangiku? Watch a movie?" I asked, noticing that I had no information on what watching a movie entails.

"If I said yes, would you take me to the movies?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm sorry, but I have…"

"Well," Rangiku huffed after hearing my comment, walking over to where I stood, "since you're so adamant on staying…"

"Rangiku, would you…"

"Since you're so adamant on staying here, Byakuya, I'm going back to Orihime's house. It's clear that you will spend yet another night waiting for hollows to drop out of the sky just so you have something to do, even when I could give you plenty to do. So when midnight comes, and you're feeling bored, just remember that you passed up on the opportunity of having a fun filled night in the human world with me. That should keep you busy with regret the rest of the night."

I turned to meet her stare, slightly frustrated by her lack of cooperation. "Is there anything I can do to compel you to stay?"

"Well, will we continue to patrol?" She asked, although I wasn't paying much attention, since I suddenly found myself distracted.

"Rangiku, did you sense that?" I asked her, my face more serious than before.

"Sense what? There's nothing to be sensed."

"Rangiku, focus for a moment," I replied, bringing her mind back to the issue at hand, "Can you sense that reiatsu?"

"What reiatsu, Byakuya? You're going mad! Honestly, I'm a little worried about you."

"Please follow me," I asked, holding my hand out for her to take, hoping this time she would cooperate, "I have definitely sensed a reiatsu."

Her eyes widened in surprise after hearing my comment, which was something I had expected. There was indeed no reiatsu to be sensed, but I needed her to believe there was.

"Byakuya, there's nothing there!"

"Will you continue to argue with me or will you follow me?" I inquired, noticing my plan was working so far, "If there's nothing there, I will personally take you to the girl's home."

Rangiku sighed, slowly giving into the idea. "Fine! I'll go with you," she replied, taking my hand, "And the girl's name is Orihime, by the way."

I wasted no time looking for a response, especially since Rangiku would dismiss it anyway. We shunpoed out of the building in the direction I had previously pointed, stopping once we were by the Karasu riverside.

"So? Where are the big bad hollows, Byakuya?" Rangiku asked sarcastically, patronizing me.

"Hold on, Rangiku," I replied, disregarding her previous comment, "It is coming from there." I said, pointing to a clearing close to the riverside.

Rangiku turned around, not at all convinced of the existence of a threat in the vicinities of our location. "I don't see anything, Byakuya. All I can see is a basket placed on top of a cloth that's spread over the grass, but no hollow."

"Yes, I can see that." I said, hoping she would piece the puzzle.

"See! I told you there was no hollow," she replied, frustrated by my previous insistence, considering it uncalled for, "Seriously, Byakuya, being in the human world is getting to you."

Rangiku was usually quick to decipher any plan I conceived, but perhaps this time her need to be right clouded her judgment.

"I'm sorry, Rangiku, you must be right. After all, what other reason could explain why I'm confusing hollows with picnic baskets?"

She turned around to glare at me, dismissing yet another of the clues I've presented. "I'm going to talk to Rukia about this. It's not like… ehm… unless you," She said, her frown slowly deepening as the realization dawned on her, "Did you do this, Byakuya?"

"That seems fitting. To think I considered the notion that I have started mistaking picnic basket with hollows."

Rangiku continued to glare at me, this time with disbelief, which was comforting to see since it meant I had been able to surprise her. Her mouth opened wide, but no words left her, settling for a quiet stutter.

"Y-you… have… ehm… I can't believe you did this. This is… this isn't you."

"I beg to differ, Rangiku. As you can see, I'm perfectly capable of presenting these kinds of gestures. You just didn't know I could."

"Tch… I suppose you're right." She said, chuckling ever so quietly.

I took her hand, pulling her gently from it. "Shall we?" I asked.

As I walked away, I felt her tug on my hand, preventing me from moving towards the basket on the grass.

"No, we shall not."

"Why not? Was it not your wish for us to do something different than patrolling?" I asked, confused by her response.

"Well yes, but I don't want us to be out without our gigais."

"But we're already here, Rangiku. I see no reason why we should postpone this any further."

She drew closer to me, sporting that smile that told me she was about to ask for something I would have no choice but to concede to, even if I didn't want to.

"Byakuya, we're in the human world. There are no rotting old corpses in the form of Kuchiki elders watching your every move here. Here, we can be just a normal couple, so why would you want to pass on that opportunity? After all, isn't that why you asked me to come?"

"How did you figure that out?"

"It's what I do. I read people's intentions," Rangiku said, her face glowing with joy, taking my hand, "Let's go get them then. We should pick just the right outfit to go with an outdoors date."

As Rangiku pulled from my hand, I couldn't help but ponder the reasons why there is such a thing as an appropriate outfit for an outdoors date in the human world. Humans do not keep the customs us shinigami do, so I had not expected there would be a dress code for these occasions. However, I was most surprised by the fact that I was contemplating trivialities instead of taking in the novelty of the situation. Perhaps this was provoked by the overwhelming feelings our present circumstances brought upon me.

I pulled myself from my private reflections to notice that Rangiku was thinking, looking rather gleeful as we walked the streets of Karakura. Her reasons for being merry were unknown to me, and I was curious.

"What is on your mind that brings such a mirthful look to your face, Rangiku?"

"I'm trying to think of an outfit for you to wear." She answered nonchalantly.

I meant to respond, but I was dumbfounded by her answer, so all I could do was stare impassively at her, wondering if her reasons for concentrating on a trivial matter such as clothing were similar to mine.

"Why are you staring, Byakuya? You have nothing to worry about. I promise you I'll make you look pretty." She said.

"Pretty? You'll make me look pretty?" I asked, uncomfortable by her proposal.

"Well, yes. You'll look pretty. It shouldn't be hard."

"Rangiku," I called, searching for the most appropriate way to tell her that I would not be forced to concede to this particular idea, "I am a man. As such, I have no desire to look pretty. So I kindly ask you to forsake the idea."

Rangiku quietly chuckled, twining her arms around my neck. "Okay, so I chose the wrong word. Forget I said pretty, please. I'll make you look handsome… as always. Is that better?"

"I suppose," I answered, noticing I was once again tricked into bending to her will.

"Excellent! I promise I won't disappoint you, Bya-kun." She replied, smiling widely before kissing my cheek.

"I have one question for you, Rangiku," I said, gently tugging her arm to prevent her from walking, "Do I get to select your outfit as well?"

"Oh no, Byakuya. I do my own styling."

"Does that mean I have poor taste? After all, you won't allow me to choose my own attire under the pretext of making me look 'pretty'".

Rangiku tried to contain the laughter my remark provoked, but she was unsuccessful. "Byakuya, you rarely ever come to the human world, so you don't know how to dress here. That's all. There's no shady reason behind my proposal," Rangiku replied, throwing her arms around my neck again, "I just want our date to be as close to perfect as it can be."

I leaned in to kiss her, realizing I was not the only one who had invested hopes on the outcome of tonight's outing. "Can I make a suggestion in regards to your dress, at least?"

"Sure. As a favor to you, I will accept it."

I had not expected her to listen to my suggestion, so I didn't consider how I could word my idea without sounding awkward. "Please, don't select something licentious and debauched. I don't wish to parade my loved one's ehm… assets for others to see. I would hate to be in the midst of a fight and…"

Before I could say anything else, Rangiku interrupted me with a kiss. Apparently my request turned out to be amusing to her ears, as she was blatantly laughing at me.

"What is it about what I say that prompts you to mock me so often, Rangiku?"

"I'm sorry, Bya-kun, I thought you would be used to it by now. And by the way, you don't have to worry about my outfit. Only you get to see the goods," she answered in her usual teasing tone, "Now let's go. We're burning moonlight here."

We resumed walking, holding hands. No one could notice us as we were not wearing our gigais. However, it was liberating to see that, as I held her hand in mine, I didn't have to worry about what others thought of us. I noticed she was pleased by this as well.

-X-

So there's progress. This chapter was so fun to write. And Byakuya asking Rangiku to not show the goods is just golden. Major laughs when I first wrote it.

Anyways, I hope you liked it. Please remember to review and don't kill me for taking so long. I can't really say when I'll post the next chapter, but hopefully it'll be soon. Thanks for reading, as always.

Also, if you're interested, I posted a couple more fics in the past weeks. They are mostly unpublished works, but still worth a read. There's also one nice ByaRan fic somewhere in my profile if you want to check it out. Have a great week.