Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ 30Kisses ❯ Waiting ( Chapter 16 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Renji returned late from a mission and it surprised him to find the light still on his captain's office.
When he had first transfered to 6th Division, it had been a common occurence; a way for Byakuya to subtly chastise his subordinate and an excuse not to go home. However that had changed in recent years, now his captain only stayed late if there was no other option. It gave Renji mixed feelings: proud that Byakuya was finally beginning to trust him, and depressed at the implication that his best friend and his captain were growing closer.
Entering the office had given Renji another shock. Instead of mounds of papers stamped with 'URGENT!' and a cooling cup of coffee, Byakuya's desk was clear, with only a shallow cup and a dozen bottles of sake on it. Three of them were already empty and a fourth was only half-full. "Captain? You drink?"
Byakuya was silent. Another anomaly, his captain always answered when others talked to him. True, his answers tended to be either derogatory criticisms or sarcastic jokes, but he wasn't the type to let others have the last word.
"Captain, is something wrong?"
"..."
Renji swallowed nervously. "Did you have an argument with Rukia?"
That brought a flicker of emotion into Byakuya's eyes. "No."
"Is she hurt in any way?"
"No."
Renji lost what little patience he had. "Then why the fuck are you sitting on your ass drinking when you should be home with her!"
"Language Renji." The red-head flushed and dropped his eyes away. He hadn't meant to make his surrender so obvious. But he couldn't stand the thought that he had willingly given Rukia to this bastard a second time and for the second time he had been wrong. Renji couldn't stand the thought of failing his best friend again. "Rukia isn't home."
Renji thought for a while. "Mission?" That would explain some things. If Rukia was on a dangerous mission, he could get Byakuya's need to get smashed. Even before the story about Hisana, Byakuya had been concerned about his sister's safety; after what happened with Ichigo and Aizen and everything he would be even more so.
"No." The noble took a small swallow of sake. "She's on a date."
"Oh." Now he understood. Renji grabbed one of the full bottles and raised it. "Kanpai," he said.
Byakuya raised an eyebrow, but chinked his cup against the rim of the bottle, before drinking. Renji followed suit by chugging the bottle down.
There was nothing left to do but wait.
When he had first transfered to 6th Division, it had been a common occurence; a way for Byakuya to subtly chastise his subordinate and an excuse not to go home. However that had changed in recent years, now his captain only stayed late if there was no other option. It gave Renji mixed feelings: proud that Byakuya was finally beginning to trust him, and depressed at the implication that his best friend and his captain were growing closer.
Entering the office had given Renji another shock. Instead of mounds of papers stamped with 'URGENT!' and a cooling cup of coffee, Byakuya's desk was clear, with only a shallow cup and a dozen bottles of sake on it. Three of them were already empty and a fourth was only half-full. "Captain? You drink?"
Byakuya was silent. Another anomaly, his captain always answered when others talked to him. True, his answers tended to be either derogatory criticisms or sarcastic jokes, but he wasn't the type to let others have the last word.
"Captain, is something wrong?"
"..."
Renji swallowed nervously. "Did you have an argument with Rukia?"
That brought a flicker of emotion into Byakuya's eyes. "No."
"Is she hurt in any way?"
"No."
Renji lost what little patience he had. "Then why the fuck are you sitting on your ass drinking when you should be home with her!"
"Language Renji." The red-head flushed and dropped his eyes away. He hadn't meant to make his surrender so obvious. But he couldn't stand the thought that he had willingly given Rukia to this bastard a second time and for the second time he had been wrong. Renji couldn't stand the thought of failing his best friend again. "Rukia isn't home."
Renji thought for a while. "Mission?" That would explain some things. If Rukia was on a dangerous mission, he could get Byakuya's need to get smashed. Even before the story about Hisana, Byakuya had been concerned about his sister's safety; after what happened with Ichigo and Aizen and everything he would be even more so.
"No." The noble took a small swallow of sake. "She's on a date."
"Oh." Now he understood. Renji grabbed one of the full bottles and raised it. "Kanpai," he said.
Byakuya raised an eyebrow, but chinked his cup against the rim of the bottle, before drinking. Renji followed suit by chugging the bottle down.
There was nothing left to do but wait.