Fire Forged Friendship (Substituting Fire For Rukia) - 5/5
Title: Fire Forged Friendship (Substituting Fire For Rukia)
Author: Ragna (afteriwake)
Pairing: Ichigo & Byakuya friendship, Renji/Rukia
Rating: PG
Spoilers (if applicable): Set about six months after the current arc.
Warnings (if applicable): None
Summary: At first, they were only doing it because Rukia demanded it, but once they really got to know each other, it wasn't all that hard to get along.
Authors Notes: Finally, it's done! I hope you all have enjoyed it. It was a challenge to write Byakuya but I seemed to have done a good job, so yay for that! BTW, this does reference events in “A Tree And A Ring” but you don't need to read that if you want because I sum it up in this fic.
---
By the time they got back to Soul Society they were talking to each other in tones of familiarity. Ichigo had even made Byakuya laugh, causing one of the servants to drop a thankfully empty tray. Byakuya noticed, but waved it off, seeing as it had been empty and nothing had broken. The servant bowed profusely and left.
“You know, if Rukia didn't hear that, we could fake her out,” Ichigo said.
“How so?” Byakuya asked, interested.
“Pretend you did something that pissed me off after the last time you talked to her and we're back to where we had been before. Maybe worse, like you did something against my honor. And then I did something back, and we tried to kill each other.”
“Perhaps not that drastic,” Byakuya said, tilting his head slightly. “But it could be interesting. I believe we can act like we still dislike each other.”
“If she starts getting violent we stop, though. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Byakuya said with a nod as footsteps were heard outside the room. They turned to each other and the cold mask of disdain settled on Byakuya's face while a scowl settled on Ichigo's, accompanied by a glare.
The door opened and Rukia came in, with a smile on her face until she took a good look at the scene in front of her. “I thought you two were supposed to be getting along!” she said, throwing her hands up, a hint of anger in her eyes.
Byakuya turned to look at her, ready to say something, and then his eyes narrowed. “What is that on your finger?” he asked.
“No changing the subject!” she replied, quickly bringing her hands down and hiding them behind her back.
“Yeah, I saw it too,” Ichigo said, looking at Byakuya, all pretense of them disagreeing dropped. “That's on the side where you wear an engagement ring.”
“Did my lieutenant perhaps ask you a question while I was gone?” Byakuya asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Um...yes. But that's beside the point!” she said, blushing a bit. “You two were supposed to go do this to get along, and then I walk in and it was like nothing changed.”
“We were just...what is the term you would use, Kurosaki?” Byakuya asked, turning to Ichigo.
“Messing with you,” Ichigo said with a grin.
“Yes. We were messing with you,” Byakuya said. “We have come to an understanding in regards to each other. You do not have to worry about us anymore.”
“Oh,” she said softly. “Well, that's good.”
“How'd he ask?” Ichigo said with a grin.
“I saw the ring box near his desk, opened it up and then gave it to him to ask me properly.” She blushed slightly. “And then I tackled him when I said yes. He hit his head on some rubble.”
Byakuya's eyes narrowed again. “Why was there rubble by his desk?”
“Oh, that,” she replied. “It's a long story, I'm sure it can wait.”
“I have all the time in the world right now,” he said, crossing his arms and leaning against his desk. Ichigo just smirked. “Or should I bring him in here to explain?”
“You just had to say rubble,” Renji grumbled as he stuck his head into the doorway.
“He was going to hear about it anyway,” she replied.
“A tree fell into the office, smashed my desk. Your stuff is fine though, Captain,” Renji said, coming into the room.
“And why did the tree fall?” Byakuya said, glancing at Ichigo, who was trying not to burst out laughing.
“Some idiots had to cut it down on Captain Commander's orders, but they cut the wrong side,” he replied. “So it crashed into our office. The wall's fixed, though, so you don't need to worry about that. I'm just waiting for a new desk. Captain Commander's arranged for it to get replaced as soon as possible, but they just finished fixing the hole this morning.”
“It appears as though interesting things happened here as well,” Byakuya noted, turning to Ichigo, who was grinning.
“Yeah. Tree falling through a wall sounds more interesting then a Yakuza fight, though,” he replied, turning to look back.
“Though perhaps not as interesting as the...host club, was it?” Byakuya said with a small smile.
“Oh, I thought for sure I was going to need to drag you out because you'd be...you know. And then you got the offer to run the place.”
“While most women may look for attractiveness there, a bit of culture does not hurt as well,” Byakuya said modestly.
“But they asked you to run recruitment for the the place, which is pretty much being in charge!” Ichigo said with a laugh. “After they tried to recruit me, I mean.”
“That was a memorable evening,” he agreed with a nod. A small strangling sound was heard from Rukia and Renji's area, and the two of them turned and looked. Both Rukia and Renji's jaws were open, and Byakuya's smile widened while Ichigo chuckled. “I believe we've managed to shock them.”
“Wait until you tell them the story about the autograph seekers,” he said with a wide grin. “I don't think they'll believe it.”
“Just what did you two do for the last week?” Rukia said, her voice an awed whisper.
The two men turned to each other, grinned, and then looked back at her. “Exactly what you told us to do,” Ichigo said. “Get along.”
“Can I go with you next time?” Renji asked, almost begging.
“Perhaps,” Byakuya said. He then turned back to Ichigo. “I'm assuming you want there to be a next time?”
“Hey, why not?” he said with a slight shrug. “But like I said earlier, I want a week here first.”
“You will stay as my honored guest,” Byakuya said with a single nod. “So long as your father accompanies you. I believe it might be beneficial for him to come back.”
“Yeah, I think so too,” Ichigo said with a nod. “And maybe Orihime can come to keep Rukia occupied.”
“And just why would I need to be occupied?” she asked archly, raising an eyebrow.
“Because hanging out with us might get you in trouble,” Ichigo said with a smirk, and Byakuya chuckled.
She looked at him, and then her brother, and then sighed. “I think I wish to retire now. I don't really want to know any more of what you did.” She looked at Renji. “I will see you tomorrow, I suppose.”
“Yeah,” he said with a grin. She left, and he turned to Ichigo. “Just when do you need to go back, Ichigo?”
“Tomorrow,” he replied.
“Then I say we celebrate my engagement,” he said.
“After I look at the office,” Byakuya said. “I will follow your lead tonight concerning the festivities.”
“Cool,” Renji said as the other men joined him. “So, what's the autograph thing about, anyway?” he asked as they left the room.
“Well...” Ichigo began, and with that they began to leave the Kuchiki manor, walking into the warm evening with plans in mind to celebrate the good things that had happened in the last week.
Author: Ragna (afteriwake)
Pairing: Ichigo & Byakuya friendship, Renji/Rukia
Rating: PG
Spoilers (if applicable): Set about six months after the current arc.
Warnings (if applicable): None
Summary: At first, they were only doing it because Rukia demanded it, but once they really got to know each other, it wasn't all that hard to get along.
Authors Notes: Finally, it's done! I hope you all have enjoyed it. It was a challenge to write Byakuya but I seemed to have done a good job, so yay for that! BTW, this does reference events in “A Tree And A Ring” but you don't need to read that if you want because I sum it up in this fic.
---
By the time they got back to Soul Society they were talking to each other in tones of familiarity. Ichigo had even made Byakuya laugh, causing one of the servants to drop a thankfully empty tray. Byakuya noticed, but waved it off, seeing as it had been empty and nothing had broken. The servant bowed profusely and left.
“You know, if Rukia didn't hear that, we could fake her out,” Ichigo said.
“How so?” Byakuya asked, interested.
“Pretend you did something that pissed me off after the last time you talked to her and we're back to where we had been before. Maybe worse, like you did something against my honor. And then I did something back, and we tried to kill each other.”
“Perhaps not that drastic,” Byakuya said, tilting his head slightly. “But it could be interesting. I believe we can act like we still dislike each other.”
“If she starts getting violent we stop, though. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Byakuya said with a nod as footsteps were heard outside the room. They turned to each other and the cold mask of disdain settled on Byakuya's face while a scowl settled on Ichigo's, accompanied by a glare.
The door opened and Rukia came in, with a smile on her face until she took a good look at the scene in front of her. “I thought you two were supposed to be getting along!” she said, throwing her hands up, a hint of anger in her eyes.
Byakuya turned to look at her, ready to say something, and then his eyes narrowed. “What is that on your finger?” he asked.
“No changing the subject!” she replied, quickly bringing her hands down and hiding them behind her back.
“Yeah, I saw it too,” Ichigo said, looking at Byakuya, all pretense of them disagreeing dropped. “That's on the side where you wear an engagement ring.”
“Did my lieutenant perhaps ask you a question while I was gone?” Byakuya asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Um...yes. But that's beside the point!” she said, blushing a bit. “You two were supposed to go do this to get along, and then I walk in and it was like nothing changed.”
“We were just...what is the term you would use, Kurosaki?” Byakuya asked, turning to Ichigo.
“Messing with you,” Ichigo said with a grin.
“Yes. We were messing with you,” Byakuya said. “We have come to an understanding in regards to each other. You do not have to worry about us anymore.”
“Oh,” she said softly. “Well, that's good.”
“How'd he ask?” Ichigo said with a grin.
“I saw the ring box near his desk, opened it up and then gave it to him to ask me properly.” She blushed slightly. “And then I tackled him when I said yes. He hit his head on some rubble.”
Byakuya's eyes narrowed again. “Why was there rubble by his desk?”
“Oh, that,” she replied. “It's a long story, I'm sure it can wait.”
“I have all the time in the world right now,” he said, crossing his arms and leaning against his desk. Ichigo just smirked. “Or should I bring him in here to explain?”
“You just had to say rubble,” Renji grumbled as he stuck his head into the doorway.
“He was going to hear about it anyway,” she replied.
“A tree fell into the office, smashed my desk. Your stuff is fine though, Captain,” Renji said, coming into the room.
“And why did the tree fall?” Byakuya said, glancing at Ichigo, who was trying not to burst out laughing.
“Some idiots had to cut it down on Captain Commander's orders, but they cut the wrong side,” he replied. “So it crashed into our office. The wall's fixed, though, so you don't need to worry about that. I'm just waiting for a new desk. Captain Commander's arranged for it to get replaced as soon as possible, but they just finished fixing the hole this morning.”
“It appears as though interesting things happened here as well,” Byakuya noted, turning to Ichigo, who was grinning.
“Yeah. Tree falling through a wall sounds more interesting then a Yakuza fight, though,” he replied, turning to look back.
“Though perhaps not as interesting as the...host club, was it?” Byakuya said with a small smile.
“Oh, I thought for sure I was going to need to drag you out because you'd be...you know. And then you got the offer to run the place.”
“While most women may look for attractiveness there, a bit of culture does not hurt as well,” Byakuya said modestly.
“But they asked you to run recruitment for the the place, which is pretty much being in charge!” Ichigo said with a laugh. “After they tried to recruit me, I mean.”
“That was a memorable evening,” he agreed with a nod. A small strangling sound was heard from Rukia and Renji's area, and the two of them turned and looked. Both Rukia and Renji's jaws were open, and Byakuya's smile widened while Ichigo chuckled. “I believe we've managed to shock them.”
“Wait until you tell them the story about the autograph seekers,” he said with a wide grin. “I don't think they'll believe it.”
“Just what did you two do for the last week?” Rukia said, her voice an awed whisper.
The two men turned to each other, grinned, and then looked back at her. “Exactly what you told us to do,” Ichigo said. “Get along.”
“Can I go with you next time?” Renji asked, almost begging.
“Perhaps,” Byakuya said. He then turned back to Ichigo. “I'm assuming you want there to be a next time?”
“Hey, why not?” he said with a slight shrug. “But like I said earlier, I want a week here first.”
“You will stay as my honored guest,” Byakuya said with a single nod. “So long as your father accompanies you. I believe it might be beneficial for him to come back.”
“Yeah, I think so too,” Ichigo said with a nod. “And maybe Orihime can come to keep Rukia occupied.”
“And just why would I need to be occupied?” she asked archly, raising an eyebrow.
“Because hanging out with us might get you in trouble,” Ichigo said with a smirk, and Byakuya chuckled.
She looked at him, and then her brother, and then sighed. “I think I wish to retire now. I don't really want to know any more of what you did.” She looked at Renji. “I will see you tomorrow, I suppose.”
“Yeah,” he said with a grin. She left, and he turned to Ichigo. “Just when do you need to go back, Ichigo?”
“Tomorrow,” he replied.
“Then I say we celebrate my engagement,” he said.
“After I look at the office,” Byakuya said. “I will follow your lead tonight concerning the festivities.”
“Cool,” Renji said as the other men joined him. “So, what's the autograph thing about, anyway?” he asked as they left the room.
“Well...” Ichigo began, and with that they began to leave the Kuchiki manor, walking into the warm evening with plans in mind to celebrate the good things that had happened in the last week.