Superman
I watched Superman fly away,
I swear I'll be with you someday,
I'll be right here on the ground,
When you come back down.
Kuchiki Byakuya had been through hell. He'd grown up the original wild child in a family where individualism was highly discouraged, lost his parents, married, been widowed, adopted a girl as his sister, and been disinherited for it. Then he'd managed to make his way up to a CEO's position in the Gotei 13 Security Company, to find out that they had less than human enemies the hard way. Oh yes, Ryuunosuke knew well the history of his boss. He had to. It was company mandate that a personal assistant know everything about his employer in the event one went awol, like Aizen Sousuke had a few years ago. He even knew how his wife apologized for never loving him on her death bed. (How messed up was that?)
But still, he was putting that adopted sister of his through college now, and running good, strong division. His spiritual powers were stronger than just about anyone's, and he was still finding time to threaten Renji and Ichigo that if his little sister got one scratch on her head during this blasted vacation, he'd murder them in very painful ways.
Ryuu thought he was amazing. Like Superman amazing, despite the fact that he had obviously not come through it all undamaged. Despite the coldness, and the distance he put between his heart and others, Ryuu still insisted to those who insulted him that Kuchiki-taicho was perfect. The statements had started up some interesting rumors, which the young man was very glad his boss had not heard. Not that it was against any rules or anything. Just, it might make things awkward if he heard them.
But, ah, back to the present. He needed to go home and pack. Gotei was making Byakuya take some of his vacation days, before they had to pay big fines for 'making' him work so much. Naturally, Rukia was coming along, and so obviously her boyfriend and best friend/bodyguard had to as well. Ryuu was coming along, he assumed, because the Taicho was not going to take it easy and he may be needed. So he needed to pack his computer, the solar-powered mini-generator...
{Byakuya's Office.}
Byakuya had finished his threats and was back at his desk again as Ichigo and Renji frowned after his PA. Renji was the first to speak his mind. “Man, is he ever pale.”
“More so than usual.” Rukia sighed and nodded. “Ryuu puts in more hours than you, Onii-sama. And that's saying something.”
The CEO pressed his lips together in a thin line, remaining silent. Pale wasn't the half of it. Ryuu was working so hard that he often forgot to eat or sleep. One time he'd come in for work early, at three thirty, and found Ryuu right where he'd left him the night before, doing the paperwork he'd come in early to fill out. A little asking around had revealed that he'd never gone home. The man, a few years his junior, was getting so overworked that he was shaking. And, he feared, all because of him.
His sister had noticed his silence and, knowing him well enough to guess at his thoughts, she touched his hand. “It's not your fault. It's not like you told him to do all that overtime.”
“No.” He allowed a very out of character slump of his shoulders, just for an instant as he sighed, straightening immediately thereafter. “But it is undoubtedly myself that has caused it.”
“So he's the reason the company is paying for this trip. Yamamoto's nut's about the kid. Something about him being such an honest hard worker.”
“Ah.” Ichigo grunted.
Byakuya was no fool. Ichigo hadn't liked Ryuu at the beginning of their acquaintance due to his paternal Grandfather, Yamamoto apparently favoring the man who wasn't even related to them. However, Ryuu always broke through hatred and turned it into something else, even if it was just mild dislike. Ichigo wouldn't admit it, but Ryuu was now one of the people he strives to protect, and the changes in him had been troubling the 'strawberry' for quite some time.
