Black-and-Red Conflict

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~~~Fourteen~~~
Manners

It was six o'clock in the afternoon. The streets of Seireitei and more so Rukongai were busy, the real working day only just beginning for bars and other, not so innocent institutions. From the street in front of the house he lived in, Renji could hear the animated voices of passing Shinigami as they laughed and joked, sake-thirsty and hungry for a night out.

He knew it was six o'clock. He had been well aware of every passing hour today, but he was still here, still in his yukata, still brooding, eyes fixed on the dark red cloth of the silken kimono he had taken with him from his office after Byakuya had persuaded him to come. He did not have anything else to wear after all, as much as that bugged him. In the end, the period of time for which he had been back to his usual forward and brash demeanor had not nearly been long enough and before he could even really enjoy the feeling, it had been over. Now he was not sure anymore, why in all of the damn worlds existing he had accepted to go to the Kuchiki mansion tonight. So he could ruin the evening for Byakuya? Nice plan. At least it had been as long as he'd really believed he had any serious chance to do so. Renji did have trust in his own ability to mess up things when he wanted to, and also when he did not, but even after all that had happened, there seemed to be an invisible wall there. A border he knew he could hardly ever cross, not far enough at least to do much harm.

He still respected his captain. And as many angry growls as that forced out of his throat, he could not change it. As many times as he told himself there was nothing left he could respect in that man, just as many times another part of him remembered that adamant strength and will and discipline that could only have been achieved through the hardest work and fervent training.

Worse even, at least as many times he also remembered the storm colored eyes filled with passion, fear, despair, desire. And suddenly Byakuya seemed so much more human to Renji's eyes than he had ever before. The redhead despised himself for being so weak, for not being able to end whatever twisted kind of relationship they had. He despised himself for that feeling deep down inside of him that still made him follow that man.

Eventually he stood and dressed.


Kuchiki Byakuya sat at the head of a row of tables, lined on both sides with members of his clan. He was clad in the most formal outfit possible for this occasion, the family crest bold on his now long-sleeved haori, his scarf and Kenseikan perfectly in place. Even though the tables were laden with the best food available, he himself had only taken a few bites, not able to swallow anything more than that. Not in this atmosphere, which was as suffocating, dry and mind-taxingly boring as every single time the family had met before, too. But his control was absolute and nothing of his actual feelings showed on his features. He would behave as always. As the head of this clan. As expected.

Logically Rukia could not achieve a composure even remotely close to his. She sat together with most other women farther toward the end of the table, hair pulled up tightly to the back of her head, clad in a traditional kimono, which she found obviously extremely uncomfortable. As Shinigami she was used to wearing the rather wide, black uniform and hakama. To be tied up like this, hardly able to move her upper body at all, not even talking about the dreaded footwear, she was very much feeling like killing someone. Herself, for a start. She had a gloomy look in her dark eyes and Byakuya had seen her yawn more than once and she did not appear to have much part in any conversation whatsoever.

Even though her place in the family had not been questioned anymore for quite some time, even younger and distant relatives who did not even carry the name Kuchiki anymore seemed strangely talented in making her feel that she was not born into the clan. Byakuya did truly feel sorry for his sister and thus was not even going to scold her for not displaying the dignity she should have. But he also knew she had got through this many times before and would get through it again now. After all, he even had agreed to letting her go to the Living World the next day, as long as she had seen to it that her captain was informed and had agreed.

No, he felt he should not worry too much about her, for there was a more pressing matter on his mind, which was made visible by the empty seat at Rukia's side. The one whose occupant should have filled the place over an hour ago and whose absence made Byakuya start to grow nervous. He probably should have expected that, after Renji's earlier behavior, there was a chance his Fukutaichou would come too late and try to disrupt the scene on purpose. Byakuya was not sure how he would be able to handle that. Where was the confidence he'd still had the day before? Then, when he had told himself that not even Renji would dare this? But now, here, some of the guests already staring at the seat but of course none asking about its potential occupant, the doubt was eating away at his confidence pretty fast.

Finally, a few minutes later, a servant knelt down by his side, waiting patiently until his master finished his current sentence and then politely pulled out from the conversation he had been involved in. The servant told him that the last guest had arrived and asked if Abarai-san should be led in. Byakuya decided that in this case it might be better to see to the leading in himself and rose to follow the servant to the entrance hall where Renji was waiting.

The noble hesitated for a split second as he saw the other. The dark red kimono suited his lieutenant perfectly and his opened, free hair looked stunning. It had obviously been combed thoroughly and fell over the broad, strong shoulders softly, hiding at least the tattoos on his neck, which Byakuya was thankful for. Of course the stark lines on Renji's forehead couldn't have been hidden unless someone had cut that very head off. There probably were a few men in the dining room who would seriously consider this, but somehow Byakuya felt a strange and for him very abnormal hint of satisfaction.

Today all these relatives resided in his house. Today they ate from his table and none of them would dare saying as much as one word against this particular guest. Not now at least, because they had successfully caught themselves in a cage of formalities and manners that none of them would dare to exit here with everybody else to watch. They probably would later though. But at the moment, he had other things to worry about.

He stepped up to Renji, who did not bow but at least uncrossed his arms. Before the noble could catch himself, the words “You are late” had left his mouth, but he almost bit his tongue for that slip. If he scolded Renji now he knew there was no way he could save the evening. He took a deep breath.

“Welcome,” he corrected himself, nodding his head once. Renji stared at him for a few moments with his eyes narrowed until he answered the gesture with the tiniest nod himself. Then he turned abruptly to walk past Byakuya in the direction of where noise and light announced the banquet.

“I hope you have at least enough sake,” he growled as his captain caught up with him. But before the redhead could enter the dining room by himself Byakuya extended an arm in front of him. His eyes were narrowed and he took in a breath as if he wanted to speak. But what could he have said? Ask Renji to not do anything stupid? He probably should have thought about that before he had invited his lieutenant. In fact he himself, Kuchiki Byakuya realized, had messed this up long before already.

So he said nothing after all, but forced himself to stay quiet and hope for the best. It dealt a hard blow to his pride to not having this event completely and securely in his hand but having to hope for it to go well, but he swallowed that fact and finally led Renji in.

All conversation ceased, all gazes turned, all brows with the exception of Rukia's furrowed. Byakuya wasn't sure what worried him more, the unhidden stares of his relatives or the fact that Renji did not seem intimidated by them. The lieutenant just squared his shoulders and lifted his chin. Byakuya introduced him shortly, then extended his hand towards the free seat at Rukia's side. Renji did not bow to the clan, neither did he regard them with more than a swift gaze before he stepped forward, shouting a rough “Yo!” towards Rukia who looked surprised. She had not believed he would still come and after being stuck with these people for a way too long time alone already she was after all very happy to see her friend. But she did not miss how her brother tensed, how his eyes narrowed just the slightest bit before he caught himself and returned to his own place. Before she could remember her manners she had given Renji a rough hit on the head as he sank down beside her.

“That's for letting me sit here alone so long!” she whispered as everybody stared at them, before her blunder finally dawned on her and she turned red and lowered her head. Renji grinned apologetically and gave a lazy wink to the woman sitting opposite him, just to get her to finally look away. Rukia looked back at him rather shocked, then her gaze flickered towards Byakuya.

“Renji...,” she said, voice low and unnoticed by others as the conversations around them started anew. Her eyes were pleading, still flickering between her brother and her friend. The latter's look turned serious as he looked towards Byakuya as well and met the gray eyes across the room, too far away to read anything from them. Not that he'd be able to read much from them even from close up.

“Yeah,” he said and turned back to her, suddenly grinning. He knew she just wanted for him to be nice and he resolved he could at least try to pull himself together for her sake. To be with her and behave like the friend he should be.
“So, what's for dinner?”
His voice was calm now and the corners of Rukia's mouth rose in a relieved smile.
“Good stuff!” she answered, nodding her head gravely before she started to grin, too.

And so soon both dug in and chatted away freely, trying mostly to ignore the room around them and especially the stares that were continuously directed towards Renji. The Kuchiki family was not used to having commoners who looked like demons dine at their table and they made it clear, but they were too stuck up to openly complain about it. After a while, good food slowly filling his stomach, while expensive alcohol filled his cup whenever he raised it to a passing servant, it was surprisingly easy for Renji to just be himself again. For a while he managed to almost shut out what had happened in the last days and just enjoyed the moment.

Slowly also Byakuya allowed himself to relax a bit. It went well, after all, or as good as it could with Renji here. Apart from raising his cup whenever a servant passed out more wine and later on sake, as well as raising his voice too much when he talked, the redhead did not make any trouble. After some time Byakuya actually felt much worse about the stares his relatives still gave his lieutenant than about having the other here. At some point, as his two uncles on his left side were sticking their heads together whispering while regarding Abarai, the captain noticed with dread how his own mouth opened almost as if of its own account.

“You do not have any objections to my choice of guests, do you?” he inquired, his voice cold, his look pointed, daring them. He was the head of the clan, after all. He had been so for many, many years by now and in all this time the influence and power of the family had only grown, all through his work. He deemed it the right moment to make it clear that his decisions did not need to be questioned.

The two older men stared at him for a moment before they sat back silently. Irritation about being approached like this by someone younger than them, even if it was the head of their clan, was clear on their faces, but they did not dare to say anything more. Byakuya himself was completely confused as to what had made him react like this but somehow, he noticed, he felt a little better now. His eyes swiftly traveled over Renji's back once more and he wondered how much he was really changing and how much of it had to do with Abarai.

After a few more hours the first guests decided to leave and with it initiated the end of the evening. People left in small groups or were led by servants to the rooms they would occupy in the mansion for the night and after Byakuya had bode his formal farewell to the last ones at the door, he found only Rukia and Renji left in the dining room. Just calming down from another fit of giggling their faces were flushed but as Rukia noticed her brother she rose and cleared her throat.

“You should get some sleep if you want to leave tomorrow at midday,” Byakuya said calmly and she nodded in answer, then made her way past him. Renji followed, his face now serious as the presence of Byakuya could not be ignored anymore.

A servant who appeared to accompany Rukia back home was waiting at the main door.
“Ya don't need'im, I can bring ya, it's on my way anyways,” Renji said with a nod toward the man.

“Thank you, Renji, but that will not be necessary.”
The redhead stirred as he felt Byakuya close behind him and turned, frowning. The noble's eyes were cool as always but fixed on his lieutenant steadily.
“Why not. 'tis easier that way.”

“No. It will be fine as planned. Rukia will be brought.”
“Whatever. Then send ya people out for nothin'. I'm goin' the same way anyways.”

Rukia's eyes wandered unsteadily between the two of them as she stood in the door. The men's eyes were locked, her brother's gaze tense, Renji's starting to flare with his growing annoyance.

“I'll be... going then,” she interrupted them hesitantly and took a step backwards and out of the door. Renji was about to turn to follow her when Byakuya stopped him by lifting one gloved hand.

“Renji,” he said, not turning his eyes from the other, “I would prefer to have some issues resolved before you leave.”
Suddenly, with two fast, aggressive steps Renji was directly in front of the noble, glaring down at the other.
“Issues? Issues? Help me there capt'n, I dunno what ya talkin' 'bout.”

Byakuya sucked in one sharp breath, the faint trace of alcohol catching in his nose together with the summer scent that was Renji's. Something deep in him stirred, but he kept it down, staring back into the red eyes unflinching.

“I believe I need to apologize to you,” Byakuya pressed out, the sentence sounding like something he had been repeating in his head over and over again for a long time. Both Rukia and Renji had their mouth fall open as they did not believe their ears, the servant could only barely keep himself from the same reaction.

Renji's eyes narrowed further, his hands tense at his sides, his mind trying to work out this next bit of confusion. Some small part of him wanted to remind him what had happened the last time the two had been alone with unresolved issues but his pride, strengthened by a decent amount of alcohol was fast to imagine the other begging for forgiveness. It did not seem to care much about questions of probability at the moment.

“Yo Rukia. Kick the strawberry's ass for me, will ya? See ya in a few days.” Renji did not turn, and Rukia did not like the tension in her friend's voice at all. She had just heard her brother apologizing, this was in no way just some random 'issue' anymore. Not that anybody cared about telling her. Not even the man she thought was her best friend. And it had seemed such a nice evening with Renji being almost back to his former self. But of course, nothing had changed. Anger made her bale her small hands into fists as she turned around and walked away without looking back at them.

“Why should I kick the ass of the only person who still cares enough about me to actually talk to me?”
She spoke the sentence in a casual tone, hiding how much she actually hurt. The mask, it seemed, came with the family name.

Renji turned, his eyes wide. But as the servant fell into step behind Rukia, her small frame was covered from the redhead's sight and he could not even be sure if he really had heard those words which had cut through his thoughts like a whiplash and left him in front of yet another dark hole.


~~~