Chapter 28

Renji and Rukia were waiting outside the meeting room of the Taichous when they both shivered at the reiatsu the Soutaichou was emitting.

"Idiots!! You lost your Taichou's haori?! Tearing it is one thing, but losing it?! How can you look nonchalant about it?!" They both heard the unmistakable irked voice of Yamamoto and both gulped in dread for their own Taichous.

They both just learned that Ichigo and the others were finally back from Hueco Mundo and were currently reporting in the Soutaichou's office. The two of them didn't waste any more second and immediately shunpod over to the place to wait for their Taichous outside, only to hear Yamamoto from the other side of the door berating his subordinates for losing all their haori.

"Soutaichou, do not worry. It was just a cheap haori, so I will pay for it." They both heard Byakuya's voice and both chuckled silently at the man. For him to say such insults to the Soutaichou while keeping such a cool façade was just so Byakuya-like.

"That's not what I'm concerned about! And it wasn't cheap, you idiot!" Yamamoto's voice echoed in the vicinity and it was all that Renji could do to not laugh out loud. For Byakuya to be told as 'idiot' was unheard of until now. Rukia glared at him and that made him stop immediately.

Inside the meeting hall, Yamamoto was already fuming from too much exasperation. "Listen! Battles aren't just about winning! What do you people think of the Taichou's haori anyway?!"

Kenpachi looked so bored he was almost yawning. "A nuisance." Shinji immediately nodded.

Byakuya closed his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Cheap." Ichigo chuckled at that.

Shunsui answered cheerfully. "Fashion?" Toshirou sighed, knowing full well that they were all in big trouble for all those answers.

"You're all idiots!" Yamamoto could feel his veins of annoyance showing and he was almost having the urge to pull out Ryuujinjakka, his zanpakutou, just to teach his idiotic Taichous some lesson.

And thus, the supposedly brief report about the Hueco Mundo case ended only after two more hours of Yamamoto's nonstop scolding.

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

Ichigo chuckled at another one of Renji's failed attempts to tell Byakuya that he wanted Rukia's hand for marriage. It seemed the two of them had gotten together during the battle with Shuusuke Amagai, the third leader of the rebel group that Ichigo and the others defeated.

Rukia had reported all the details about the fight the moment Ichigo got back from his brief report in the Soutaichou's office. She said that it was about an hour after the Taichous' departure for Hueco Mundo that Shuusuke and the other Bountos and Fullbringers attacked Soul Society. Most of them were formidable enemies and many Shinigami were either defeated or wounded in the all-out battle.

The remaining Taichous, however, did not just sit back and relax while the lower-level Shinigami were fighting. It seemed Soi Fon, Komamura, and Kensei were the ones who fought against Shuusuke who seemed to be the strongest leader among the three prime members of the rebellion. The man was equipped with a zanpakutou named Raika while also using a Bakkotou that could nullify the zanpakutou abilities of a Shinigami. A fire element zanpakutou combined with a Bakkotou that rendered his opponents' power useless was definitely a fearsome ability to have. The three Taichou only managed to win in the end because Kensei was a Vizard and the Bakkotou could not nullify his Hollow power.

Rukia and the other Fukutaichous dealt with Shuusuke's strong subordinates while the other Taichous defeated all the strong Menos Grande – mostly Gillian and Adjuchas – that came to Soul Society together with the rebels.

More than half of Seireitei was destroyed by the attack but Unohana-taichou and the other members of Fourth Squad had managed to bring the casualties to a minimum due to their superb defense abilities and healing prowess.

There were still things that needed to be done and accomplished. But for now, almost all the Squads were in a pub in Rukongai celebrating their victory against the strong rebels.

Ichigo sighed when he saw that Renji once again failed to get Byakuya's attention. Rukia kept glaring at the redhead Fukutaichou because it seemed they both decided that now would be the right time to tell the raven noble about their relationship. The orange-haired teen just wished that Byakuya would not be his usual stern self and just let the couple be happy together.

Ichigo was sitting about two or three meters away from Rukia and Renji's table. Byakuya was sitting together with the other Taichous. Ichigo arrived earlier than he thought and Ikkaku and Yumichika were the ones who invited him to their table first. When Byakuya and the others arrived, Ichigo's table was already full, much to the teen's silent disappointment. He had wanted to chat with Byakuya… But then he realized it was probably a good thing too since the two of them had not spoken to one another after that incident. It was a little awkward to be around Byakuya for the past few hours because of what happened.

The teen blushed when he remembered how they almost kissed. He knew Byakuya held feelings for him but what he wasn't sure of was his own feelings. He knew the noble was very important for him… He also knew he could probably not live without Byakuya in his life anymore… Not to mention the noble was probably the one closest to his heart at the moment… And he also knew that he wasn't disgusted in the slightest when Byakuya had tried to kiss him…

"Well, doesn't that mean you're in love with him too, you good-for-nothing naïve King?" Shiro's voice echoed all throughout his mind that the loud sound of music that the Shinigami got from the living world was silenced for some seconds. Ichigo was so surprised that he actually stopped moving, eyes wide at the revelation his Hollow had just said. It was shocking that his other half had that much power over his body and that the words that Shiro spoke of were something even more astounding than his power.

"Setting aside the idiot's words, I think you should consider romantic love in the equation too, Ichigo." Muramasa's words were almost a whisper and yet Ichigo couldn't help but sigh in complete defeat. The spirits living in the depths of his heart surely knew what his real feelings were. And to think that they would say he was in love with Byakuya when he himself didn't know about it was somehow both amazing and frightening.

"Ichigo," it was Zangetsu's voice this time. Ichigo sighed when even the old man started his lecture about love. It was kind of embarrassing. "Didn't you say you wished to love someone so much to the point where you could not control your feelings?" Ichigo blushed at that while Shiro laughed manically once again, as if deeming the result of the conversation his own win. The teen was just thankful that the lighting of the pub was dim and it was already nighttime so his blush was not entirely noticeable. Not to mention everybody except him was getting his or her asses drunk again so nobody would notice if he was blushing on his own.

"Actually, King, you already got your wish granted. You just haven't realized it yet." Shiro voiced but Ichigo was distracted when Ikkaku suddenly called his attention from across the table.

"Ichigo, why aren't you *hic* drinking?" The baldy's eyes were almost unfocused and he was slurring in his own words. He smelled too strongly of sake.

Ichigo was about to say that he could not drink alcoholic beverages when Yumichika butted in even before he could open his mouth. "Ichigo, just for this night… You can at least forget all other things and drink to your heart's content!" He also seemed drunk.

Ichigo sighed when Ikkaku shoved a cup of sake on his hand. "Alright… but just one cup." Both Yumichika and Ikkaku's faces brightened and both immediately nodded at him. He sighed again when he smelled the drink before bringing it close to his lips. His eyes effectively wandered over to Byakuya and the other Taichous' table before he drank the content in one gulp. Both males in front of him clapped their hands because they were the first ones who had managed to make him drink.

The teen closed his eyes when he felt the heat of the alcohol travel from his mouth down to his stomach. He held back the urge to cough because of its strength.

After some moments, both Yumichika and Ikkaku stood up from the table and went towards another table where several lower ranked Shinigami were having an arm-wrestling match. Ikkaku happily joined in the fun while Yumichika simply sat beside the other male and watched, eyes slightly droopy from too much sake.

Ichigo chuckled as he watched them all play happily. Then he saw Shunsui and Komamura approaching his table so he stood up and gave them his greeting. They all exchanged greetings and talked about trivial things for a while before Shunsui offered him a cup of drink. The orange-haired teen looked at the cup and then at Shunsui's pleading expression before he sighed. If his Chichi were here tonight… then Shunsui wouldn't have had to wear that face… He gave the older Taichou a smile before he took the cup and drank its content. "I'm sure… that you can find another drinking partner, Kyouraku-san."

Shunsui was actually more than surprised that the teen took his offer. He was already expecting Ichigo to turn him down. Moreover, the teen's words also surprised him a lot. Ichigo's voice held that lonesome tone and the older Taichou was sure the teen was thinking about Juushirou again. Shunsui smiled genuinely before he answered. "I don't think I can find another one as kind and gentle as my old drinking partner again." Ichigo looked at Shunsui and gave him a smile before he nodded. He understood… There was no one who could replace Juushirou in their hearts…

Komamura could only sigh when his two co-Taichous already seemed on the verge of tears from remembering Juushirou's death. "I'm sure he's really proud of you two." He wanted them to be happier with his words but he was actually alarmed when Shunsui broke out in tears when he heard it. Ichigo simply gave him a sad smile and Komamura had to sigh again. It took them some time to calm Shunsui down. He seemed really drunk so Komamura had to bring him home first.

"Thank you, Komamura-san." Ichigo said just as Komamura was about to leave the pub together with Shunsui. The older Taichou simply smiled before they left.

The teen was still deep in his sadness at the memory of his Chichi when Kenpachi and Yachiru sat across from him. The brash Taichou and his cheerful Fukutaichou were the ones who slowly dug him out of his depressing thoughts. As a reward, he accepted their offered cup of sake and drank it with all his might.

Ichigo was already feeling a little tipsy from too much sake intake and he was already flushed by the time Kenpachi and Yachiru left to find another table to bother.

And when he thought he'd had enough liquor for the night, Rojurou and Shinji sat on his table and offered him one cup too, stubbornly saying that he accepted Kenpachi's cup so he should also accept theirs. In the end, he had no choice but to just drink it up. But then Toshirou and Rangiku also sat together with him and offered him another glass which he had no chance of refusing because he considered Toshirou as one of his close friends now. Just as the four of them left his table, Kensei, Hisagi, and Mashiro were the ones who replaced their place, offering him another cup. By this time, Ichigo was already drunk and just accepted the drink without much rejection.

Afterwards, Kira and Momo together with Iba also offered him one cup while Soi Fon, Yoruichi, and Lisa also dropped by and asked him for a drink. They each congratulated him for being part of the successful mission. Kurotsuchi and Nemu also offered him a drink but he was still wise enough to fully reject their offer, especially when he noticed that the liquid seemed too dark to be considered sake. The Twelfth Squad Taichou grimly expressed his hopelessness about experimenting on Ichigo and the teen was just too glad when they left. It seemed Kurotsuchi got irritated when Kiyone and Sentarou also sat beside them and deeply expressed their undying love for Juushirou and Ichigo. They were both too drunk but they were still fighting over the smallest things. Ichigo also accepted a cup from them.

By the time Renji, Rukia, and Byakuya sat at his table, Ichigo was already hiccupping for drinking too much.

"You're already drunk!!" Renji seemed alarmed at his friend's state, especially when he noticed that Ichigo's reiatsu wasn't so quiet anymore. It was massive and awfully intense but he was glad that it felt peaceful, if not lonesome.

Byakuya was also surprised at the state of the teen. "Ichigo, I thought you don't drink." He was slightly annoyed at the people who probably insisted on making him drink. He was sure the teen refused some of those offers but was too polite to really turn them down completely. He was getting more irritated at the fact that he arrived later than he intended and was disappointed when he saw that Ichigo's table was already full of people.

Regardless, the noble sat on Ichigo's left and Renji on his right. The noble had started giving a cold lecture to the teen and Ichigo would nod once in a while as he listened even in his drunk state. Rukia looked worried enough but she didn't know of Ichigo's reputation as the man who couldn't take his liquor so she was still not that bothered.

Rukia was more surprised at the fact that Byakuya and Ichigo seemed really close to one another now. Even Renji, in his not-so-observant nature, had noticed that the two Taichous looked as if they were the best of friends. He and Rukia knew this not because Ichigo and Byakuya were flaunting their closeness to one another but because they knew the two men really well to notice the slight changes in their attitude towards each other.

For an instance, Renji knew really well that Byakuya disliked sitting too close to another person and yet there was only a foot in between his seat and Ichigo's. It meant that the noble was used to sitting beside the teen with only that much space in between them. Not to mention both of them looked really comfortable sitting so close like that. Rukia knew that Ichigo used to be bothered when Byakuya would speak with that harsh tone of his, but now the teen even seemed to be smiling while listening to the noble. The two of them could also notice that Byakuya seemed more worried than angry and that was something totally shocking to them. Not to mention the way they moved and the way they spoke to one another felt like they were really conscious of each other's presence so much. But it was in a positive way. It seemed those two had gotten fairly close in Hueco Mundo as well…

Byakuya sighed. Ichigo looked like a child pouting as he was being reprimanded. And the way he would nod every time the noble would pause in his sentence was also quite endearing. He just couldn't help but find Ichigo's every action rather… cute. The corner of his lips tugged upward as he gave Ichigo a pat on the head for listening well.

He found his action normal up to that point, at least until he saw Rukia and Renji's shocked faces filled with disbelief. They were looking at him as if they saw him for the first time. He slowly withdrew his hand from the teen's head. He then cleared his throat silently before he took a cup and gently poured sake in it. He drank it in one huge gulp just to avoid his sister and Fukutaichou's eyes.

Byakuya actually wanted to talk to Ichigo about what happened in Hueco Mundo but he was uncertain because the teen seemed reluctant to open up the topic about them. Not to mention Ichigo would have that shy expression whenever he would approach. He could only sigh at that. He now wondered how he could actually have a private chat with the other Taichou…

"Um, Kuchiki-taichou…" Renji noticed that Byakuya seemed really relaxed at the moment and he wanted to use that chance to tell the older male about his relationship with Rukia. "I have something important I wish to talk to you about." He actually wanted to tell Ichigo first and have the teen help him in telling the noble. However, he found it really cowardly and he still had his pride in him. And besides, there was no way Ichigo could be of any help at the moment seeing that the teen was on the brink of losing his consciousness from drinking too much.

Byakuya looked at his sister's nervous face across from him on the table before he looked at his Fukutaichou who was sitting on Ichigo's other side coolly. He already had a hint on what they kept on trying to tell him since earlier that evening but he wasn't about to help them get to the main topic just yet. He wanted to savor seeing Renji's frustrated and nervous face as the man fidgeted in his seat, especially since he hated having a Rukongai dog as a brother-in-law. But if it's Renji… well he guessed he could make some exceptions… "If it's something so important, surely there was no need to say it here in the pub of all places, right?" He asked in his usual icy voice before his cold gray orbs looked at Renji directly. "Or is it really that urgent?"

"Uh, well…" Renji looked like he was fighting for the words to come out right. But before he could say anything, another person already spoke ahead of him.

"Just give them a chance to be happy together…" Byakuya's eyes widened when he realized that Ichigo was actually still very much conscious and listening to them. Renji and Rukia both gulped at their friend's direct way of telling the noble. Heck, they hadn't even started telling anything yet and Ichigo already told everything in just that one sentence! Ichigo's words were almost slurred because of his drunken state but his message was very clear to the three people on the table. Moreover, he said the words with a really gentle and kind smile on his lips, as if he really wished the words with all his heart.

"Ichigo, you–" Renji was about to start but then Ichigo suddenly giggled and before anyone could stop him, he had already done something entirely humiliating for himself.

"Byakuya~!" Ichigo slurred out the name before he hugged the said man tightly and nuzzled on the noble's neck. Byakuya's eyes were wide as shock registered on his face. Everyone near them had actually stopped whatever they were doing and simply stared at the two of them in deep surprise and disbelief. The noble's hand twitched when he noticed that they had gotten too much attention.

"Ichigo," he said with a really serious voice. "You will not be allowed to drink ever again." Ichigo simply chuckled and nuzzled on the raven noble even more.

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

Even after Ichigo and Byakuya left, the tension in the air inside the pub was still incredibly dense. They had just witnessed something totally shocking, not to mention a scene that was both scary and sweet.

All occupants of the pub actually heaved a deep sigh of relief when all Byakuya did was say his goodbye for the night and stand up. He was even kind enough to help Ichigo up too, especially since the teen's reiatsu was already beyond control and the only reason why they weren't passing out yet was the fact that it felt gentle and calm. The noble took the teen home, probably, and simply left without another word.

"Ichigo is in good hands, right?" Renji was the first to talk because that was the first time he had seen those two talking to one another. He was actually afraid that Byakuya would just use his zanpakutou towards the drunk teen and murder Ichigo in some dark alleyway.

"Well… I told you they've gotten quite close… especially during the time I saw them sitting inside the mansion together." Rukia said quietly. Her eyes squinted in suspicion but she was not entirely sure of what to say. "Do you think… there's something going on in between them?"

"Yup~!" Both of them almost jumped when Shinji suddenly appeared in between them with a really wide grin, obviously too happy about the scene that just occurred. "They're lovey dovey~!!" He's obviously drunk.

Renji touched his forehead in disbelief before he looked at the blonde, as if trying to see if Shinji was lying. "There's no way that can happen, Hirako-taichou! Both Kuchiki-taichou and Ichigo are straight men! I can't even imagine it happening!" And yet, just seeing that scene before him was already enough to sway his resolve. Ichigo actually hugged Byakuya in public and the noble simply sighed? He even calmly said his goodbye and helped Ichigo stand up in the gentlest way possible? If that wasn't suspicious, then he didn't know what was.

Kenpachi and Shinji then looked at one another and grinned before they started singing love songs while dancing happily. Rojurou, who was also quite drunk, also participated and everyone thought they were simply performing. The earlier tension had disappeared and the lower-ranked Shinigami were once again creating ruckus and talking loudly to one another. Almost all of them dismissed the topic as something trivial and impossible, except the two people who were closest to the two – Renji and Rukia.

Toshirou was the only one sane enough not to talk about anything that happened in Hueco Mundo. He didn't want to receive Byakuya's anger at all. He sighed as he looked at everyone in boredom. How he wished he could go home as well. But then two huge boobs had landed on his head and he growled when he already knew who it was even before the female spoke.

"Matsumoto!!" He shouted as he tried to get away from his Fukutaichou's vice grip.

"But Taichou, we need to have fun~!" She said with slurred words, breath smelling too much of sake.

"I know that already!" The young Taichou sighed as he once again participated in the annoying card game that the other Fukutaichous were playing. If he were actually honest to himself, he would say he rather enjoyed it.

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

Ichigo groaned just as he felt a dull but consistent throb in his head. He felt nauseous and lightheaded. He slowly opened his eyes as the pull of slumber left him and he carefully scanned his surroundings, noticing immediately that he was in an unfamiliar room. He sat up and pulled the cover off him before he stood up, wobbling a little because of the slight headache and dizziness. There was a window on his right and he could see that the moon was still high up in the cloudless night sky.

It was quiet and only the silent and relaxing breeze of the night wind could be heard. The air coming from the window smelled of Sakura petals and everything in the room – the furniture, the bed, and even the curtains – spoke of silent elegance and majesty. The teen realized with half nervousness and half excitement that he was most likely in the Kuchiki manor. His eyes then fell on the bedside table on his left and saw a change of clothes folded neatly on top of some papers. He blinked at the clothing before he realized that it was probably a change of clothes set for him. It would become really clear actually since he could see that his sleeveless Shihakusho already had some vomit on it. He felt sick just at the sight of it. And now that he actually noticed it, he could already feel his stomach lurching up from the stench of it all. He really did stink.

Ichigo took his time to shower, cleaning himself up to the fullest before he'd decided to leave the bathroom. When he left the room and saw the familiar hallway towards the garden, he was already wearing a simple dark blue kimono with a combination of circular designs. It made the color of his hair stand out even more.

He heaved a deep sigh when he saw Byakuya sitting on the porch, one of his feet hanging on the soft grass of the backyard garden and his back leaning on the wall. The noble was looking at the Sakura trees to his right in silence, seemingly deep in contemplation. A serene expression was on his face and a relaxed reiatsu was enveloping him. Byakuya too was wearing a simple black kimono with intricate Sakura petal designs, his kenseikan and scarf nowhere to be found. There was a teapot of hot green tea on a tray beside him and a cup of tea in his hand, most likely to make the effect of the alcohol subside.

It wasn't the first time Ichigo saw the raven in that position nor was it the first time he saw Byakuya in a kimono without his kenseikan and scarf. And yet, the teen still felt awed at the sight for some unknown reason. He could feel himself warming up at the sight of the noble and he actually had to relieve a shaky sigh just to calm himself down.

Byakuya was so… enthralling… so gorgeous… so handsome somehow…

Ichigo gulped. He's starting to think of weird things and he didn't know if it was the effect of the alcohol in his system or if it was because of the almost-kiss that happened in between them during the last mission.

After some seconds, Byakuya seemed to have noticed his presence and finally looked at him. Or maybe he already noticed the teen even before Ichigo left the room. The younger Taichou thought it was most likely the latter. "Uh, good evening, Byakuya."

"…It was past midnight now." The noble answered, although his expression remained serene and contented. His eyes too remained rooted towards Ichigo. It's like he couldn't help but look at the teen somehow. Ichigo looked really gorgeous… despite the fact that he still seemed a little too out of it. "Are you alright?" His eyebrows creased when the teen didn't even respond.

Ichigo blushed when he heard the question. He had just realized he was staring at Byakuya a little too much to the point where he hadn't even made any reaction towards the comment. "Y-Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry for intruding like this." He could not remember much of what happened at the party but he knew he must have made a huge scene for the noble to take action and bring him home of all things.

For a while, no one talked among the two of them. Ichigo felt really awkward standing by the hallway with nothing to talk about while he waited for Byakuya to respond. The noble seemed to be really taking his time gazing at him without any response. The teen switched his balance towards his left foot just to make himself busier.

Finally, Byakuya sighed softly. "Would you like to have some tea?"

Ichigo looked at him shyly. When did the atmosphere between them become so awkward? "If you don't mind…"

Byakuya's lips curled upward slightly and the teen took that as a yes. He walked towards the raven and took his seat beside the noble. His eyes turned softer at the sight of Sakura petals falling on the ground in utter idleness.

"Ichigo," Byakuya voiced, though his gaze remained firm on the trees. Ichigo felt a sudden explosion of warmth inside his stomach at the sound of his name being called so solemnly like that. And yet he also felt that there was sadness behind that calm voice, especially since the raven seemed pained at the moment. "It is very discourteous of me to say this but I think you should stop saying things which might make me misunderstand the relationship between us."

Ichigo looked sideways at the noble, silently asking what that was all about. He looked in between confused and hurt. "What do you mean?"

"You don't… seem to remember." Byakuya looked at him this time. His face remained stoic and cold but his eyes said he was terribly hurt. Ichigo suddenly felt a deep urge to console him but he didn't know what to do. "Ichigo, last night, when I carried you here in my manor, you told me something you really shouldn't have."

"You carried me all the way here!?" The teen had almost stood up from his seat from too much shock and embarrassment. He could feel the immediate rush of blood toward his face and he felt the need to explain things to the raven. But then he also realized that Byakuya's concern wasn't about that. He gulped when dread filled his heart. He told Byakuya something he should not have...? Was that the reason why the noble seemed really withdrawn and upset...? "I told you something...?" However, if it was something really bad, he knew there was no way he would tell that to Byakuya, drunk or not. And even if he did, he also knew that it was not true. He really, really liked Byakuya a lot…

"…You said you're in love with me." Byakuya's gray eyes gazed upon Ichigo's chocolate orbs directly and the teen felt himself blush up to the tips of his ears. He was about to react and most likely deny the accusation but the noble continued. "I know it was not something you would tell someone when you're sober. You were really drunk and probably you don't even know what you're saying anymore. I understand that. I just… don't want to hear those words when I know you don't mean them."

Ichigo opened his mouth to react but no sound came out. He could feel an awful throbbing in his chest that was way worse than the one in his temple. His breath hitched when he realized what the feeling was. He was hurt… Byakuya's words hurt him a lot and he didn't even know why. Was it because the accusation wasn't true...?

Why did he say those words then...? Were Shiro, Muramasa, and Zangetsu's words true after all...?

Was he really in love with Byakuya...?

"Byakuya, I…" The teen started but the noble simply patted his head, indicating he didn't have the need to apologize. The raven fully understood that it wasn't his fault but Ichigo still felt awful. He wanted to just shake his head and tell Byakuya how wrong he was about everything. But the fact was that he didn't know what was true and what was not anymore…

Byakuya sighed when he felt the teen's reiatsu. His words hurt Ichigo… He felt guilty about it and, at the same time, he could feel his heart shattering again. To hear those lovely words from the teen was a huge shock to him. He actually blushed a little at the words when he heard them. After a while, however, when he finally realized there was no way the teen could really feel that way for him, his earlier swell of hope was immediately crushed by waves and waves of pessimism and depression. He knew it was wrong to blame Ichigo for everything… He knew that and yet he just had to tell those words to the teen, hurting his beloved person in the process… "Ichigo… don't think about it too much. I'm not angry or anything. And I'm certainly not berating you." He tried to compose a simple smile but it failed when he noticed that his words didn't have any effect. The teen remained hurt and withdrawn. "Ichigo," he used his hand and held Ichigo's chin to make the teen look at him directly. "I'm in love with you… regardless of your feelings for me. So don't think about it anymore."

Ichigo looked at the raven with the same hurt eyes before he shook his head. Byakuya's words could calm his erratically beating heart within a second and yet could also make his calm self become so nervous and embarrassed at the next moment. "Is it really… alright for you to like me...?" His eyes were questioning and his reiatsu still seemed upset for some reason the noble couldn't fathom. "You're the Head of the Kuchiki noble clan."

Byakuya took his time sipping his tea before he looked at the trees again. He calmed himself down before he spoke. "The advisors have long stopped trying to find me a suitable wife. After Hisana's death, not one noblewoman could stand being in the same room as me for a time longer than a minute." He then sighed and shook his head slightly. "No, it's not only noblewomen. Lower-rank Shinigami, Kuchiki clan advisors, other members of the Kuchiki clan, noblemen from other noble families, and even ordinary citizens all fear me. All the other members of my clan have long given up on me too. Rukia was the only noble who had managed to speak to me without trembling from head to foot."

"I've never feared you. Not from the start." Ichigo answered automatically, forgetting his personal distress at the moment. His eyes were clear and his expression serious.

"Hn." Byakuya, seeing the younger male's expression, made a noncommittal sound of agreement. But in his mind, he felt the need to say things clearly. "That's why I'm so glad I met you…"

"Byakuya, I'm sober now." Ichigo voiced before he sighed in readiness for everything he would say. The noble simply arched an eyebrow at his statement, silently asking what it was all about. The teen heaved a deep breath just as he closed his eyes. "You're right. I don't say words that I really don't mean, whether I'm drunk or not." Ichigo could feel his blood going up to the tips of his ears. He slowly opened his eyes to see Byakuya's reaction. He scowled when he saw that the noble had that confused and blank look, as if not understanding what he just said.

But then Byakuya's eyes widened as he looked at Ichigo. "Are you, by any chance, implying...?"

Ichigo simply shrugged and chuckled, his cheeks remaining a tint of red as Byakuya returned his grin with a small genuine smile.

Maybe he'd try loving someone too much… to the point where he could no longer control his emotions… no matter how much he tried to deny them… or how naïve he was to the point where it took him such a long time to figure things out…

He couldn't help it… Byakuya was just too lovable…

Shiro felt so nauseous from hearing such words from his King. He rolled his eyes at the obviousness of the outcome. "And then they would kiss… gah. Just kill me, Zangetsu."

.

.tbc.

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