Nothing's Changed [Byakuya × Renji]

3 - Going Home

That month seemed to pass by so quickly, it felt like only yesterday Renji woke up for his first day of camp. But it was already the last day and he didn't want to go, yes he had fun but he wanted to spend more time with the twelve year old who called him a monkey everyday, who would either ignore him or at least acknowledge him.

None the less he packed his bag, looking back to Byakuya who sat on his bed, reading like he normally did when there was nothing to do. "I'm gonna miss you Yaka," "I wish you would stop calling me that Monkey." The small and impressionable redhead really didn't like to be called a monkey, but it was one of the only things he'd get out of the introvert's mouth.

He looked down to his feet and played with the bottom of his shirt, then smiled and looked up enthusiastically, "you're gonna be here next year, right? We can play more then!" "No." Sometimes it felt like the six year old was trying to communicate with a wall, but he wasn't going to give up.

"Yaka," "Monkey." The stoic preteen glanced up at the redhead who obviously wasn't going to leave him alone, closing his book; once again not memorizing the page he was on. "Can we play even if we aren't here?" He sighed a little bit and pushed some of his raven hair behind his ear, looking passed the child in front of him to the bed he had slept on, "I won't have time. I have school and I need to take care of my little sister." He stood up, grabbing his bag from underneath his bed, unzipping it and carefully stuffing his book into it.

"You have a sister? Can I play with her!" Hearing that the obviously uninterested kid had a sister gave the almost cracked out child a small glimmer of hope that he'd be able to spend time with the solemn adolescent. "She's only three years old. Too young, maybe in two years."

"I have to wait even longer than next summer?" Reji whined a little bit and sat back down on his bed, swinging his legs out of boredom, "yes. She'll be able to come once she's old enough." This gave the redhead a little more hope, which made him smile; thinking about having two new friends to play with.

"Don't forget to pack your bag," "I did." "Grab your art projects?" "Mhm!" "Pictures the counselors took?" "Yep! All in my bag!" "Even your stuffed animal?" The little gremlin unzipped his bag and brought out a stuffed animal that took the form of a giant white baboon with a pink face, though instead of having a tail it had a snake attached. "Yep! I could never forget Zabimaru!"

Byakuya nodded a little bit, he had seen the younger one in front of him sleep with that ball of fluff every night, cry when it couldn't be located, and wail even more if some of the older boys took it and pretended like they were going to cause it harm or take it home with them.

Whenever those events happened he had to step in and take the monkey snake back, give it to the impulsive one to get him to calm down. He smiled very faintly thinking back in those moments, it reminded him of Rukia and how she's react if her binky couldn't be found in time, or if she hadn't been fed yet and feeding time had rolled around once again.

He shook his head slightly and pulled the strap of his bag over his shoulder whilst starting to head towards the cabin exit. "C'mon Monkey, it's time to go," the child who had been talking to his stuffed best friend nodded and carried said friend and bag towards the door, smiling up at Byakuya, then ran out of the log building towards where he had been dropped off a month ago.

It took the raven a little longer to leave, exhaling deeply before he took the final step out the door, carefully walking down the three steps that connected the entrance and the grass. "See you next year," he didn't say to anyone in particular, it was more of getting himself prepared for almost the exact same routine for the next year, possibly years to follow.