“Now the real question is… how in the world do we handle my brother?” Rukia began around a huge mouthful of egg sandwich. In true chaotic style, when ordering her lunch, Rukia chose not to go with one of the “pre-picked” or “highly suggested” options from the bar’s menu, and instead went fully custom, simply picking out several ingredients that she liked, in this case, hard boiled eggs, cucumbers, ham, and cheese, and then just had them slapped together between two slices of interesting sounding bread, in this case ciabatta. (She tried to get two different kinds of bread too, but they wouldn’t let her.) However, while the flavors were good overall, it turned out kind of dry. She reached for a mayo packet. “He keeps pushing you so hard on this, and is convinced it is the correct way. I understand he’s grieving and trying to be supportive, but pushing his feelings onto you doesn’t help either of you!” Rukia snapped, squeezing the mayo packet onto her sandwich with a lot more force than was probably necessary.

Renji licked the sauce from his chicken bacon ranch sandwich off of his fingers, it was on a sesame seed bun and had honey mustard and extra bacon added, and thought for a moment.

“I think I have an idea for how to handle that actually…” he replied as he grabbed a french fry and dunked it into the ketchup. Rukia raised an eyebrow at him.

__________________________________

Later that evening, there was a knock on Kuchiki Byakuya’s home office door.

“Enter,” he said curtly without looking up. The door slid open, and Rukia and Renji were both bowing together in the entryway, “Come in. To what do I owe this visit?”

“Niisama, we require your assistance!” Rukia said as they entered the room. Byakuya’s head shot up.

“What is it? Is something amiss?” he asked quickly, his brows furrowing.

“No, nothing like that, Niisama,” she began, “But as you know, I’m in training for the captain’s exam. However, due to my current illness, some may see me as unfit to lead, and wish to dismiss me.”

“That’s ridiculous, even with the illness you are more than capable. The late Captain Ukitake served as a captain for hundreds of years with an illness,” Byakuya dismissed, as he went back to signing his paperwork. Rukia took a deep breath and let it out again.

“Be that as it may,” she stated slowly and deliberately, “it is still a concern. So in order to prove them wrong, I would like to be extra prepared for the exam. Therefore,” Rukia took another deep breath, “I would like you to train me, Niisama.” Byakuya paused in his writing, and gave his sister a pointed look.

“What about my venerable vice captain, Abarai Renji?” Byakuya asked dryly and a little suspiciously, “Has he not mastered bankai? Is he not capable?”

“Renji is very capable!” Rukia snapped defensively.

“Buuuut, I’m not a captain…captain,” Renji said, trying to get the bickering siblings back on track, “And as much as I would like to help, you would be more suited for the job. Plus, unfortunately, I’m going to be pretty busy.”

Byakuya narrowed his eyes at his second, "And why, pray tell, is that?”

“U-Um…well,” Renji stammered, before finding his voice again, “because of all our new recruits, of course, sir! Now that the reconstruction is well underway, we are finally building up the Sixth Division again, and I’ve barely had a chance to meet any of them!”

“So? You do not need to have a personal interaction with every one of your underlings.”

“He does if he’s going to be training them,” Rukia piped in, now that she had cooled down a little. Byakuya sniffed at that.

“We have other people who can do that.”

“Oh yeah?" Rukia asked, cocking an eyebrow, "And how’s that been going for you?” Byakuya pursed his lips and frowned. Rukia continued, “Besides, it’s not just the recruits he needs to socialize with, it’s people from the other squads too. During this time of reconstruction, it's important to keep up relations between squads, and Renji is very suited to do this.” Rukia didn’t say that Byakuya wasn’t very suited to do this. She didn’t have to.

“Perhaps,” Byakuya relented, “However, if Vice Captain Abarai is running around doing all of these tasks, then how will he, Renji, also be able to help you out as well?”

“Ah! But you see, that actually works in our favor, Niisama!” Rukia started excitedly, “After all, if I’m seen getting ready for the captain’s exam, but call on Renji for every little thing, then they may get the impression that I do not have the fortitude to be a captain. Therefore it is imperative that Renji helps me out less, so that way I can prove those who would vote against me wrong!” She finished triumphantly.

“Perhaps…” Byakuya said again more slowly, “However, what happens if you require his assistance, and he’s not there? What happens when you feel faint? If you fall, and cannot send out a hell butterfly?”

“We both have soul pagers, Niisama, I can always text him if I really need something,” Rukia stated matter-of-factly. Byakuya looked down as he neatly folded his hands on his desk. He sighed.

“I can see that this matter is very important to you…however, please keep in mind that you may not have as much time as you may think. Do you not wish to spend it together rather than chasing an uncertain future which may be devoid of each other?”

“We do not yet know the future, Niisama," Rukia said kindly, "And whatever it might be, we will be doing it together. But we don’t have to be physically together all the time in order to do that. And besides, as important as we are to each other, there are a lot of other people who are important to us too. Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Ishida, our divisions, the other vice captains, and you, Niisama, you are all important to us, and we want to spend time with all of you as well. That way, if anything were to happen, none of us will have any regrets.”

Byakuya was quiet for a moment before finally nodding, “I understand. I wish…I too wish to spend time with you...Rukia.” She smiled at him.

“As do I, Niisama, as do I.”

“It is settled then. I will train you, and Abarai will return to his odious task of socializing both within and without the Sixth Division, unless you truly find yourself unable to be without his personage. Is there anything else?”

“Um… Nope. That’s pretty much it,” Rukia shrugged.

“Good. You may take your leave then,” Byakuya finished, and went right back to work as if he hadn’t just had an emotionally trying experience. Rukia and Renji blinked, and turned to leave, when he piped up one more time, “Oh. One more thing.”

“Yes, Niisama?” Rukia asked, as they turned back around.

“If…If you ever need to go to the Fourth Division, for appointments or treatments, and Abarai is not available…and you need someone familiar to go with you…I can go if my schedule allows it…” Rukia's eyes opened wide.

“Oh! You don’t have to do that Niisama! I know how you feel about that section of the Fourth after…well…”

“Yes, however…” Byakuya began, as he put down his pen again, “As you said, we do not yet know the future…so perhaps it will be different this time…”

“Yes…Yes! Thank you, Niisama!” Rukia half coughed, half sobbed, “N-Niisama?”

“Yes?”

“May I…hug you?”

Byakuya blinked, “Oh…I suppose…” He stood up. Rukia briskly walked over and wrapped her arms around him. Byakuya patted her back awkwardly. Renji, trying to remain professional, barely kept a smile off of his face. Byakuya, also trying to remain professional, barely kept from glaring at him.

Eventually, Rukia stepped back, wiping her eyes. Renji, as if trying to clear the air, coughed and said, “You know, we can also all do fun activities together too! Like go see a play at the theater or something.” At that, Byakuya's face visibly brightened.

“Ah! Yes! I just remembered. They are doing a rendition of Kanjinchō at the kabuki theater by the Fourth Division next Thursday. Do you wish to go, Rukia?”

“Oh? Well, yes! Thank you, Niisama!” Rukia nodded vigorously, still wiping her eyes.

“I suppose you can also come, Abarai Renji,” Byakuya said with a wave of his hand. Renji’s eyebrow twitched.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Although,” Byakuya thought aloud, “the play does occur just after dinner. Therefore, we may want to acquire our evening meal at a restaurant nearby in order to not be tardy.”

“Oh! Well in that case, Niisama,” Rukia began, as she shared a mischievous smile with her fiance, “we do know of this really great sandwich shop…”