Black-and-Red Conflict

as always, thank you all so much for your reviews!

@sur.sinner: uhm... wow... thank you. you blew me away, positively ^^ i definitely don't mind long reviews. this was brilliant, and told me a lot of how my story works for my readers, that's wonderful to know... i would have liked to answer just as long.. but unfortunately didn't find an email address on your page ... °-°

~~~Twenty-one~~~
Intervention

“Do you think they're finally getting along?” Ukitake asked, somewhat doubtful, as he leaned back into Kyouraku's chair and followed the other's movement through the 8th squad's captain's office. Shunsui was measuring the distance between the two desks in the room, then carefully moved his vice-captain’s, adorned with a light pink rose in a simple but beautiful vase, a few centimeters closer to his own. He seemed not to have heard Jyuushirou's words as he turned the flower a millimeter further to the left, so it would catch the light coming in from the window just right, then smiled to himself contentedly. Finally he turned and sat down across from his partner, on the wrong side of his own desk, watching a frown appear on the pale face.

“I'm sorry, Jyuu. I heard you.” Still, it took a few more moments until he revealed his own opinion on the matter. He took his hat off, running his fingers over the rim before putting it down on the table, then he looked up, his smile hardly fading. Finally, he said, “It seems they do. There haven’t been trainings ending in insults, massive bursts of Reiatsu, undutiful lieutenants or vanished captains for some time now, have there?” He grinned, his eyes turning into his usual happy half-moons, as he lifted his feet onto the desk beside his hat.

Ukitake didn't seem especially convinced by those words though. It was true, for about three weeks things had seemed to run normally in the 6th division. Kuchiki-Taichou had appeared his usual unemotional self, if not even relaxed at times, as far as you could ever apply that term to the stiff man. Renji was loud and straight-forward again, as well as responsible toward his squad and respectful to his superior. Still, Jyuushirou could not help the dim feeling that, gradually, the atmosphere between those two was changing to the worse again. He could not place the notion, could not explain why he thought so, it just seemed as if some kind of agreement, or rather, peace treaty they might have reached some weeks ago, was now being put under great strain.

“No, there haven't,” he finally said. “Still, something's going on again.”

“Shirou-chan, Shirou-chan, Shirou-chan... you worry too much.” Kyouraku actually leaned forward, laboriously trying to pat Ukitake's head, though of course his arm wasn't long enough to reach over the desk and he had to stand up and come to stand behind the other man to do so. Not that he minded, he could lean down now, his arms encircling Ukitake's shoulders, and nuzzle is partner's neck. But despite his words he agreed with Ukitake. He had, under all his outer carefree behavior, not missed how once more there had been a shift in the relationship between Kuchiki-Taichou and his lieutenant. Still, he didn't want to see Jyuushirou with this worried frown on the handsome features, so it was clear to him that he'd rather try and act as if everything was ok, than make his partner even more anxious.

“Want me to go and ask Kuchiki-san if they need some couple counseling?”

That received the intended reaction. Jyuushirou's eyes widened first, as if in shock, but then he chuckled. “Do you have no self-preservation instincts at all?” He turned his head toward Shunsui. “Besides, it's still not sure if their problem was, or is, of that kind.”

Shunsui was avidly holding onto his opinion of the two men at the top of the 6th squad being in love. Ukitake had to admit that there were certain signs that spoke for it. They were very subtle and all coming from Renji: the way his eyes darted to his captain every so often, waiting for the other to return the looks, small blushes, how he attempted to be near his superior while at the same time trying to stay away enough not to arouse suspicion. But those were very small hints and there seemed to be none at all from Kuchiki-Taichou, though, of course, if he was interested in anyone, it'd probably be impossible to tell anyway.

Did Kyouraku just read too much into this? Did he just want to see a romantic relationship were there wasn't one? He liked entertainment of this kind, sometimes acting as though the world around them came in lovely shades of pink, as if holding his own coat against the light and watching through it. So Ukitake wouldn't wonder if it was the case now, too. Admittedly though, Kyouraku had the ability to figure out the people around them in such an accurate way that it bordered on being scary. Even if Kuchiki Byakuya and Abarai Renji being in love with each other definitely made the list when it came to unlikelihood, if Kyouraku was so sure about it, the chance was big it really was true.

Shunsui just shrugged at Jyuushirou's disbelief and picked up his hat with a graceful sweep of his wrist, putting it back on his head in the same motion. “You are hungry, aren't you?” he said, walking past his Fukutaichou's desk, absentmindedly stroking one of the petals of the rose there with his thumb. If nothing else managed to take Ukitake's mind off of a problem, food would most likely do the trick. It was working now, too. The 13th squad's captain sighed but smiled and stood to follow his partner, observing the careful way Shunsui had touched the flower.

“Does she ever notice?” he asked, indicating the table and how it stood just a bit closer to Kyouraku's than it had before.

The dark-haired man nodded and answered proudly, “Every single time!” He grinned like a Cheshire cat. “And by the time I come into the office again, she always has it back exactly to the point where it should be.”

Ukitake shook his head, smiling. Shunsui really was hopeless. Hadn't the white-haired man known his friend and partner so well, he might have even become jealous at how tirelessly the 8th's captain seemed to pursue his Ise-Fukutaichou. But it simply was Kyouraku's nature, as well as the many other strange things he did. One couldn't really strive to understand him, but either had to ignore him completely, or accept him as he was. Ukitake did the latter gladly. Now he followed Shunsui outside.

They walked the bright streets of Seireitei for a few minutes, relishing in the soft sunlight that warmed their shoulders and backs and seemed to make the buildings around them glow, until they came close to the wall and to one restaurant that had good sake for Kyouraku, as well as good food for Ukitake. In addition it was frequented by many other high-ranking Shinigami and there was almost always some colleague there to chat with. This seemed to be the case today as well, as they neared the establishment and saw Kuchiki Rukia stepping out of its door.

The smile that had appeared on Ukitake's face at seeing the young woman from his own squad faded as he caught the look on her face and his features tightened into worry. She looked angry, with her chin held high and her brows knotted. Her steps carried her with great determination away from the restaurant, as a second person stepped out of it just behind her, his bright red hair like a beacon in the sunlight.

“Oi, Rukia! Just wait a sec, would ya?” Renji called, but the small woman ignored him. She only stopped short before her captain to bow and greet him as well as Kyouraku, but then resumed her pace without giving them the chance to start a conversation. Soon she vanished behind a near corner, leaving the two with Renji, who had taken a few steps after her, but knew better than to follow her further when she was in this mood. He stood a few meters from the door, shielding his eyes against the light as he looked after his friend, swearing quietly. Only a few moments later did he finally pay attention to the approaching captains and bowed, though the gesture seemed rather reluctant, and his gaze only touched Ukitake fleetingly, before it fixed on Kyouraku, wariness clear in the reddish eyes.

A short glance at his partner made the 13th squad's captain understand very well, why Renji looked at the other man like this. Shunsui grinned that special grin of his that anybody, even if they had known him only a short time, learned to recognize as the kind that assured you, you did not want to know what he was going to say next. As amusing as the suggestion of counseling Kuchiki-Taichou and his lieutenant had been half an hour ago, right now was not the time for jokes and Jyuushirou was sure that the very last thing he wanted, was for Shunsui to make any kind of comment at all towards Renji. Kyouraku was a good person, really, and deep down most people were aware of it. Still, he simply was not the one to confide in when you had problems, but rather the one to go drinking with until there was no mind left in one's head to remember those troubles with. In this case though, whatever the trouble was, it seemed to have gone on long enough that not even drinking was of help anymore.

Ukitake cleared his throat quietly and then laid his hand on Shunsui's shoulder, making the other turn his cheerful gaze away from the irritated lieutenant.

“Why don't you go in already?” he said softly. He knew he didn't have to give excuses, like wanting Kyouraku to reserve a place for them, or order food in advance. They had known each other too long for something like that. Ukitake wanted to try and talk to Renji and both captains knew the redhead wouldn't say one word with the man in pink still around. Even with just Jyuushirou alone, the success of that was questionable enough. But if anybody was able to talk to the vice-captain, it was probably Ukitake, so why mess up that chance? The 8th squad's captain nodded and the strange grin changed into an understanding smile towards the white-haired man. He tipped his hat and walked past them and into the restaurant without further delay.

Some of the tension left Renji's shoulders as Kyouraku had left them, but he was nevertheless far from relaxed. He still frowned and the way he crossed his arms over his chest gave him the air of a cornered street kid, somehow managing to at the same time glare defiantly as well as looking rather helpless. It was such a strange mix that Ukitake blinked, just to be refused a more accurate reading of the tattooed features as Renji turned his head away. The captain was sure that he would not get anything out of the lieutenant when it came to what was wrong, but there was something else on his mind that he could not leave unmentioned. He looked towards the corner around which the young woman from his squad had vanished, just realizing how much his worry was actually concerning her.

“It's not hard to notice something's wrong,” the captain said. “But while you are right when you think it's not anybody else's business, maybe she is the one person who'd deserve to know?”

The lieutenant didn't answer, just pulled his arms tighter around his chest and looked down at his feet.

“She is worried about you, I think. And it shows in her work, too. She's seemed very distracted for the last days now and...” Ukitake almost stopped, feeling uncomfortable, as he realized how much he was really intervening and pushing the other man with this, but then made himself complete what he'd begun. “If you at least talked to her, maybe it would help both of you.”

And even though Jyuushirou was aware that he would probably, later on, regret having said so much, he thought that, after all, this couldn't go on much longer. More people than just him, Kyouraku and Rukia had noticed that since quite a long time now, something was happening in 6th squad. He didn't feel comfortable with interfering, but now that Kuchiki-Taichou's and Abarai-Fukutaichou's differences seemed to just have started anew, something greater probably needed to occur to really make a change. Still, it felt as if some precarious balance was about to be disturbed and with Shinigami as powerful as these two involved. The gentle captain wasn't sure he wanted to pursuit this thought any further. He came to the point that he had definitely said enough for now. It didn't seem as if Renji wanted to look at him though, not to mention respond in any way, so Ukitake just sighed quietly and moved past the other and towards the door. Just as he was about to step over the threshold, the redhead finally reacted.

“She'll think I've gone crazy.”

Ukitake turned back slowly, watching the broad back of the man who had spoken.

“She... she'll... it's not that I don'trust'er. It's just...”

It was just that he was scared. Scared of how she would react if she heard what had been going on between her friend and the man she saw as her brother. He was scared this would drive one more crack into their already weakened friendship, since sometimes it felt as if they had become strangers, especially compared to those days when they had roamed Rukongai together and seemed to know the other's thoughts as well as their own. Renji gave an exasperated sigh and moved his hand over his face, but didn't turn, careful not to look at the man behind him, who listened most attentively.

“Probably she wouldna even believe me, but think 'm lying, get mad 'n go back to the real world...” Back to a certain orange-haired, young man who treated her better. Renji kicked the ground at his feet.

Ukitake responded, “I don't think she'd do that, Renji-kun. I believe she has known you for a long time and will realize that you would not lie to her about something so important to you, something you kept for yourself so long.” The 13th squad's captain didn't really know much details of their joined past, but had recognized some time ago how deep their connection went.

Renji finally turned and watched the white-haired captain with a mix of disbelief and hope. He so much wanted to trust those words, so much finally wanted to share what ate away at him, with someone. With Rukia. But still he was unsure if he really dared to.

“She'll think I'm crazy...,” he repeated in a whisper, directing it more at himself than at Ukitake.

“Maybe,” the captain admitted and smiled softly. “But do you think something that trivial would make her turn away from you?” He was taking a very long shot here he knew. He didn't know anything about what was going on, and therefore had no possibility whatsoever to predict how Rukia would react, but it was clear that what Renji needed most now was encouragement. He needed support as well and Ukitake was sure that Rukia was not the kind of person who would turn away from a friend in need. Maybe she would really be shocked. Maybe, what Renji might tell her, would be so unbelievable that she would indeed need time to accept or understand it, but she would not betray their friendship. If Ukitake was sure about anything concerning the young and strong woman, a member of his own squad, it was this.

The lieutenant had started to chew on his lower lip nervously, his eyes glued to the man evoking such strong hope in him with those words and the certainty they were spoken with. And then, from one moment to the other, he made his decision. Ukitake almost jerked in surprise as Renji turned around, so suddenly his feet raised dust from the ground, and walked away in steps so determined, as if he realized he had to act right now, or his resolve to do so would fade away as abruptly as it had come. In mere seconds he had rounded the same corner Rukia had before, leaving behind a quite stunned Ukitake.

Uncertainty invaded Jyuushirou almost immediately as the dust slowly settled around him, glowing in a faint golden color in the bright light. He lifted a slightly shaky hand to his pale lips, as if he awaited a coughing fit to take hold of him any second. He prayed he had done the right thing.


~~~