Chapter 18

Ichigo blinked as he looked up from his table, eyeing the raven-haired noble who was currently standing before him.

Byakuya's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "I said, meet me at the outskirt of Rukongai 78th tomorrow at 4 in the afternoon." After that, he quietly left the office with a swish of his hair and scarf as if he was the one bothered.

Ichigo continued to blink stupidly even after the noble was long gone, unable to form any coherent thoughts about the bizarre event that just occurred before him. What the hell was that? Byakuya suddenly came to his office in the 13th Division and then said those words without any explanation or invitation! Wasn't that just too annoying? Surely Byakuya knew how to ask if the teen had something else to do tomorrow?

He sighed. Knowing Byakuya, there was no way it was some form of subtle bullying. The man wouldn't be so subtle about that. Maybe it was a mission? Then why wasn't he informed directly through a Hell Butterfly? He raked his hair in exasperation and lack of proper explanation.

"Oh." He looked up when he heard the voice and saw Rukia with her arms on her chest. "Are you theorizing about the pedagogy of saving the world?" Ichigo arched an eyebrow at her and Rukia sighed. "I meant you're thinking really deeply and your eyebrows were all creased added to the scowl on your face."

Ichigo scowled for real. Yes, earlier was just his normal facial expression. "And? What do you want, midget?"

"Don't call me that!" Rukia exclaimed. She marched through the room and dropped the stack of papers on her Taichou's desk with quite a force. Ichigo merely shrugged. "And? What's bothering you?" She asked when she calmed down a bit.

"Nothing, really." The orange-haired teen stretched before he started looking at the papers that Rukia brought.

"And why was nii-sama here, by the way?" Rukia asked, curiosity written all over her face. Byakuya rarely visited the 13th Squad Barracks when Juushirou was still the Taichou and now that the white-haired man was no longer alive, the raven noble never visited the place anymore. Well, he did visit once but it was only the night when everyone held a party for Ichigo when the latter became a Taichou.

"Just talking about something." The young Taichou answered with a shrug. Something he didn't quite understand at all.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Byakuya kept on pacing to and fro his room as he waited for the time. He didn't know if he was feeling excited or nervous or both. And why? He didn't know. All he knew was the fact that at 4 in the afternoon he and Ichigo would be sparring.

He sighed as he willed himself to just sit in a seiza and watch his garden. He knew he didn't give Ichigo much of a chance to even say anything. But he thought it would be bad if the teen had the chance to either mock him or, worse, refuse. He knew it was a very selfish thing to do, especially since the Taichou looked really busy with all the new recruits that he had decided to have.

'Master, calm down.' Sebonzakura voiced in his mind.

"I am calm." He voiced coolly and he somehow knew his zanpakutou raised an eyebrow at his answer. "Why do you want me to spar with someone anyway?"

'It will help you realize a very important fact.' His zanpakutou simply said, inwardly smiling.

When the time came, Byakuya headed straight to Rukongai 78th. He arrived at the clearing where Ichigo and the others often sparred. How he knew of that fact, no one would know, except perhaps Senbonzakura.

Ichigo finished his paperwork quite early and headed straight to where Byakuya said they would meet. He initially thought that they would have a mission at the place. But Ichigo knew that Renji and Kenpachi, and sometimes Shinji too, sparred at that place so there's no way something unusual would occur there. Maybe it was a different kind of mission from exterminating Hollows?

When he arrived though, he saw Byakuya standing alone while looking at one of the trees above from where he stood. The noble looked really calm and cold as he stood there with perfect poise and elegance, but the teen knew better. Byakuya was disturbed about something and Ichigo couldn't help but frown.

"Are we here for some mission?" He started as he walked nearer. Byakuya simply looked at him before the latter answered.

"I wish to spar with you." The noble voiced, making Ichigo's eyes widen a little. No one wanted to spar with him these days, except Kenpachi and Shinji. Other Shinigamis feared his power and his strength. Renji wanted to spar with him once in a while, with the condition that he wouldn't go all out. The redhead said he still had many dreams he wished to realize, like wanting to marry Rukia and get settled, and of course, become a Taichou.

"…Sure." Ichigo said, not knowing how to answer in any other way than that. He was even surprised when Byakuya suddenly looked relieved, not that Ichigo would ever voice out his comment. He could only hide the small smile that graced his lips. He liked it when Byakuya was not all stiff and cold.

Byakuya breathed out his remaining nervousness before he looked at Ichigo seriously. He was nervous, yes, but not because he was afraid of Ichigo. He knew that much. It was something else. Though he still didn't know what it was.

Ichigo drew out Zangetsu and Muramasa and held them both with two hands as he waited for Byakuya to do the same with his sword. Zangetsu and Muramasa vastly differ in size so it was a little hard to fight using them together. He's been practicing together with Kenpachi and Shinji on that these past few months… He watched as the noble's long and slender fingers gripped his katana tightly and unsheathed his own sword. Byakuya was very elegant and graceful in doing it and Ichigo admired him more as a co-Taichou for that.

"Shall we start?" Byakuya asked although he knew from the teen's reiatsu that Ichigo was more than ready for the spar. Ichigo nodded, and in that instant, Byakuya disappeared from his spot and reappeared on Ichigo's right just as he delivered a blow that ended up cutting nothing but air. Ichigo disappeared from his earlier position and was now behind Byakuya. The noble immediately shifted and dodged just in time.

"Chire, Senbonzakura." He commanded and his sword immediately turned into thousands of small pinkish petals that attacked Ichigo. The latter was quick to dodge and the noble had to use his hand to make his petals catch up to Ichigo. But even then, Ichigo used both Muramasa and Zangetsu in blocking the attacks. Byakuya silently approved of his co-taichou's tactics and even praised the teen in his mind. The way Ichigo fought was really graceful and he liked it. Even as he felt that the teen could drive him into a corner any time, he still couldn't help but admire the way Ichigo moved against him.

Ichigo was strained from the whole day's paperwork and the fight was a little relaxing for him. He felt calmer and more relaxed even though he was dodging serious attacks from Byakuya. He didn't know what came to the noble for even suggesting that they spar but it was a good way to unwind. And the most important fact was that he was enjoying it only so much.

Byakuya felt his nervousness ebb away when the fight started and it was enjoyable enough that he had forgotten all about other things for a while. He was fighting just for the sake of it and its enjoyment. Not that he would tell that to Kenpachi or Shinji because those two would never let him hear the end of it if they ever heard that.

And thus, the spar continued until after dark. The two moved in lightning speed and continued to exchange blows against one another using their zanpakutous.

By the end of their spar, Ichigo was panting and Byakuya was sweating profusely, looking annoyed that despite the three hours of continuous sparring, he still wasn't able to make Ichigo go all out on him. The two decided that it was enough for now and they sat under the tree – the same tree which Ichigo and Kenpachi often sat on – so they could have some rest before heading back to Seireitei.

They weren't close enough to touch, though they could if one extended his hand a little, but they were close enough to hear each other's fast heartbeats.

"That was… nice." Ichigo said as he stretched his sore muscles, his sleeveless left arm brushing against Byakuya's shihakusho in the process. "Thank you, Byakuya."

Byakuya didn't answer. He simply closed his eyes and listened to the younger Taichou's voice. He knew something was wrong with him when he felt calmed by it. It was a bizarre feeling… "Are you hungry?"

The noble immediately opened his eyes and looked at the younger man when the latter asked the question out of nowhere. And Kami, he was enthralled by the sight… He had already seen Ichigo under the moonlight, but not this close. Not this close… The man's chocolate orbs were almost glowing with the dim light of the moon and his orange hair looked paler, and a lot softer. Even his tanned skin almost looked glowing. He was beautiful… And his eyes widened. Did he really think that Ichigo was beautiful?

Ichigo blinked at the other's sudden intense gaze for a reaction. For Byakuya's eyes to widen just because he asked about the meal was quite puzzling. "Byakuya...?" And still, Byakuya didn't respond. Maybe he was really offended? "Uh, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Byakuya sighed and closed his eyes again when he realized what he had been doing. It was getting troublesome… Ichigo's teenage voice, his quite intoxicating scent, his beautiful profile, his warm reiatsu that still hung in the air, his timid kindness… his strength… His everything… The raven felt like those things were calling out to him. No, it was the opposite. He was the one being sucked in, entranced and hypnotized. That was not good.

Ichigo was surprised when Byakuya suddenly stood up and slowly walked away without turning back. "Thank you for your time."

"Sure…" Ichigo watched the other's leaving figure and couldn't help but think that it was kind of disappointing. He thought that he and Byakuya were at least able to forge a meager relationship as co-Taichous. But it seemed that the noble became ice again after their heated battle. Was it his fault? Did he do anything to make Byakuya angry? And without a thought, he was immediately behind the noble and grabbed the other's wrist. "Byakuya, wait."

Byakuya was surprised when Ichigo was suddenly behind him, grabbing his wrist, without any sound. But he was not called a stoic and composed person for nothing. All surprise, and even the jolt of warmth in his stomach at the skin to skin contact, was hidden underneath his carefully placed mask. "What is it, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo sighed when he heard his full name again before he asked the question at hand. "Well… did I… uh, offend you or something...?" He was glad that the raven didn't shake his hand off.

Byakuya's eyebrows furrowed at the sudden question. He looked at Ichigo's slightly troubled expression and the annoying urge to wipe it away was making it hard for the noble to focus. "No, I don't believe you did something like that." He voiced coolly.

Ichigo looked relieved at the statement and the noble felt proud of his accomplishment. His words outside formal settings, up until now, only caused fear, offense, or pain to other people. That's one of the reasons why he rarely talked. And for Ichigo's expression to brighten up because of his mere words was something he'd never accomplished doing to anyone.

The younger male let go of the noble's wrist and smiled a tad before he shook his head. "Are you going home now?" He tilted his head to one side as he asked the question.

Byakuya closed his eyes again. He kept on forgetting that Ichigo was still a child removed of all his innocence about the world, but he was still nevertheless a child. It meant that such childish acts would appear cute on him. Not that the raven would ever admit that. "Yes, I am. Do you want to have dinner with Rukia and me?"

Ichigo's eyes widened. He was not expecting that. Well, maybe Byakuya was being nice to him because of the spar and also because he was Rukia's Taichou. "Uh, Sure. It will give me a nice excuse to Shunsui-san for not making it to his drinking session with the others." Byakuya opened his eyes and arched an eyebrow at him, making Ichigo explain further. "Well, Shunsui-san asked me earlier if I would like to go to his drinking party later. But I declined. He still told me to go unless I really have to do something though... So…" He scratched the back of his head, feeling a little embarrassed. "Ah, that doesn't mean I'll be using you and Rukia. I'm happy to accept the dinner even without some drinking party to hide from."

Byakuya nodded. He thought that Ichigo's refusal to drink was only because Juushirou said he was still young. But it seemed the young man really didn't want it. And without even thinking, he asked. "May I know why you refuse to drink alcohol, aside from sensei's disapproval?"

Ichigo felt his chest tighten a little when his chichi was mentioned. He knew that Byakuya never wanted to make him feel miserable, but it couldn't be helped. He loved Kaien and Juushirou so much… They were like his parents, aside from baa-chan, Goat-face, and Masaki… "Something… kind of happens when I drink… sort of…" He scratched his cheek with his forefinger, indicating that he found explaining a little embarrassing and awkward. No one really knew the reason why he didn't drink except Juushirou, Kaien, Kenpachi, and Renji. And those people were really close to him. For him to suddenly feel like telling Byakuya was already surprising even to himself.

Byakuya noticed the pain in the young man's voice, most likely at the mention of Juushirou, and guilt immediately washed over him. He knew that Ichigo was still mourning and the mention of his chichi in any way still brought pain and sadness in his heart. Aside from that, he was partly curious to know what kind of thing happens when Ichigo drinks. If he was still his younger self, he would have annoyed the younger man just to make him spill everything or he would've even mixed some alcohol in Ichigo's food just to see what happens. But he was calmer and more composed now. He would never humiliate himself again, like what he always did when he was younger. "I see. Let's hurry up." He simply answered.

The two shunpo'd over to Byakuya's house and entered through the front gate. If the guards were surprised to see Ichigo together with Byakuya and the two making some small conversations, they didn't show it. But Rukia did.

She had just entered the dining hall when she heard her Taichou's familiar voice and her nii-sama's cool one. The two males were talking as if they were the best of friends, though only Rukia could notice that because she had been quite close to the two. If anyone ever saw the two Taichous, they would just shrug and say that they were being cold and distant as always.

She walked towards them and Ichigo gave her a small smile while her nii-sama acknowledged her presence by nodding in her direction. The two males were sitting in a seiza across one another at the dining table. She sat adjacent to them.

"You're here again, Ichigo?" She asked initially but then she remembered her nii-sama's presence and immediately corrected herself. "I mean, Kurosaki-taichou."

"It's alright, Rukia." Ichigo said casually, dismissing her use of honorific as something trivial. "Byakuya invited me to have dinner with you guys."

Rukia's eyes widened. 'Byakuya' and 'invite' just never appear in the same sentence, at least not in sentences that everyone was aware of. It'd be semantically incorrect. She cleared her throat and chose to stay quiet as the two taichous talked about something work-related which she couldn't and would never understand.

Their meal arrived some minutes later and everyone immediately settled in a quiet meal, enjoying the food in peace and silence. When the meal ended, Byakuya excused himself for a while as he went upstairs and changed his clothes. Meanwhile, Rukia and Ichigo went to the garden and sat on the porch, their feet dangling on the ground.

"So…" Rukia started. "Why were you and nii-sama together earlier?" She asked. It was not an everyday occurrence that the thirteenth and the sixth Division taichous were seen hanging out with one another outside work.

"We sparred." Ichigo merely shrugged as he looked at the glittering sky. There was not a cloud in sight and the brightness of the stars and the crescent moon lighted up the evening. After that, the Thirteenth Division Taichou just narrowed his eyes whenever Rukia asked more about her brother.

The female noble sighed at her taichou's stubbornness. It seemed Ichigo was thinking that she had ulterior motive whenever she asked questions about her nii-sama when in truth she just wanted to know more about Ichigo's relationship with him outside being colleagues. It'd be great if they become friends, especially since her nii-sama didn't have one. She knew that her nii-sama liked Ichigo because the teen wasn't boisterous but he wasn't stone-cold either. He was warm and kind… not to mention he wasn't rowdy and noisy. Ichigo was just the right friend for her nii-sama.

Byakuya showed up some moments after, dressed in a dark blue yukata. Ichigo couldn't help but smile to himself when he saw his co-taichou without his haori, his kenseikan, and his windflower scarf. It was like seeing a different side to the older man, not that it was the first time he saw Byakuya not wearing his formal Shinigami attire. But even still, it made him realize all over again that Byakuya was a very handsome man.

A servant brought sake to them by the male raven's request and Rukia chose that moment to excuse herself, somehow feeling that she was not supposed to be there, if the aura his nii-sama kept emitting was any indication.

Both Ichigo and Byakuya remained silent for a while as the older male drank sake and Ichigo drank tea. They were both staring at the moon, admiring its nightly beauty. Both were deep in thought, though for different purposes. Ichigo was still very much curious about Rukia's claims that he and Byakuya were getting closer. Were they really getting closer? He didn't realize that. But for now, he still had many things to settle, mainly his paperwork, his Division, and the drizzle that he knew still kept on pouring in his inner world. He was grateful to Byakuya because the older man, in just one fight, made him forget momentarily the depressing thoughts that kept on weighing down on him. The noble was able to make his mind go blank, especially during their spar. And it was a refreshing and calming feeling… How he wished they could spar more…

Byakuya, on the other hand, was still confused. He had already finished sparring with Ichigo. And yet the answer that he expected didn't come. Senbonzakura said that he'd know the answer if he sparred with Ichigo. Did he pick the wrong Taichou? No, he was sure Senbonzakura was fine when he chose Ichigo as a sparring partner.

'Master, it's not something that will present itself to you once you've sparred with him.' Byakuya suddenly heard a voice inside his mind. 'It's something that you have to realize on your own, with the help of that spar earlier.'

Byakuya silently growled when he heard his zanpakutou. He did all that for nothing? He felt like strangling his zanpakutou somehow. But then his eyes caught Ichigo as the latter chose that moment to pour himself some tea again and drank it with utter grace. And he was glad he decided to spar with the other taichou…

Byakuya sighed inwardly when he felt it, not that he would sigh so visibly, especially if someone like Ichigo was in hearing proximity. There it was again… the warmth and fluttering feeling inside him. And as he looked at Ichigo again, added with Senbonzakura's words, he was finally able to understand.

It was Ichigo who caused his inner world to have a life again…

He thought he heard Senbonzakura's words of 'finally' inside his head but he didn't pay him any mind. Because right now, he had more pressing thoughts at hand. If Ichigo was indeed the cause of life in his inner world, then that would create more confusing thoughts for him. Why was Ichigo the cause of it? Since when? Why would Ichigo evoke such life in his inner world when even Rukia wasn't able to do it? How was Ichigo able to do it?

And Senbonzakura had to sigh in his inner world again. It seemed Byakuya Kuchiki's denseness knew no bound at all.

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.tbc.

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