ＤＯＮＴ ＬＥＴ ＧＯ (Byakuya Kuchiki/Ichigo Kurosaki)

ＤＯＮＴ ＬＥＴ ＧＯ (Byakuya Kuchiki/Ichigo Kurosaki)- 21

Dinner at the Kuchiki house is formal, served promptly at seven every evening. The whole house seems on edge when the master of the house arrives from his shinigami duties. Byakuya walks directly to his office, passing by Ichigo's new room.

"I'm wearing five extra pounds of clothes." Ichigo scratches at the formal kimono feeling like he is melting into his tabi socks. "The blue hakama pants are kinda cool though." Ichigo tugs on his final layer of clothing, a navy blue nagajuban, looking into the mirror. He brushes his hair, struggling to tame a wild hair sticking to his forehead, heavy from sweating. "I feel like I need another bath already."

"Your pants are on backwards, Kurosaki." Byakuya says calmly, standing in the open doorway of Ichigo's room.

"There aren't any tags, I couldn't tell. Damn it!" Ichigo fumbles with his clothing, taking off his outer jacket to get a closer look at his pants. "How can you tell?" He tilts his head, his brown eyes squinting in the mirrors reflection. "I'm freaking burning up in all these layers!" Ichigo starts to remove his pants when he sees Byakuya's lowered gaze on his backside.

"If you are going to change at least shut the door." Byakuya notices he has been caught looking and quickly closes Ichigo's door, continuing to his office.

After turning his pants around and draping himself in a mountain of clothing Ichigo sits down for his first dinner in the Kuchiki household. It is dead quiet; Ichigo looks around watching the blank faces of the staff serving the food. Are they even breathing?

Byakuya strolls in shortly after followed by Rukia wearing a light blue yukata and looking happier than normal.

Ichigo stands up to wait for Rukia to sit down before returning to his seat. Rukia sits down; almost snickering aloud after seeing all the trouble Ichigo went to get dressed for dinner.

"Oh, Ichigo you look... great." Rukia motions her orange-haired friend closer to whisper in his ear. "Your pants are on backwards."

"That's impossible... Bya-" Ichigo's eyes snap over to Byakuya. The black-haired noble pretends to wipe his mouth, covering the small grin steadily growing across his face. "YOU LITTLE PIECE OF-" Ichigo scares the servants with his outburst, causing them to drop a platter of fish on Byakuya's head.

"I'm so sorry Kuchiki-sama!" The terrified maid runs from the room crying. Rukia starts cackling so hard she falls out of her chair while Ichigo just snickers to himself hysterically. "Nii-nii-sama, you have a fish head stuck on-HAHAHA!" Rukia said through tears.

"S-S-Sorry Byakuya," Ichigo apologized on the verge off falling from his chair.

After the fiasco during dinner Ichigo relaxes in the courtyard watching a man sweep dirt from the long wooden porch wrapped around the spacious rooms. His family's faces flash in front of him, another reminder he would need to go to the Real world and say goodbye to them. Will the Old-man let him?

Rukia is in her room with a devious grin on her face, ready to initiate part one of her 'Bring happiness to Nii-sama' plan.

Byakuya is in his bedroom folding his scarf to lock it in his safe. Glancing in the mirror, his reflection fades as Senbonzakura appears.

"Such turmoil, you have become weak." The armor clad samurai turns away, fading from the mirror.

"Senbonzakura..." His mind, heavy with Ichigo's painfully close presence, is swaying his emotions.  Ichigo's greatest strength is his ability to connect with the hearts of everyone he meets.

Byakuya will not be able to fight the tug of Ichigo's influence for long. If Byakuya gave into his building desire, what would Ichigo's reaction be?

Would he reject him after what Renji said?:

"I'm going to take him away from you, and then you will know what it feels like to be me."

"Looks like Urahara was right, Captain. Hanging around Ichigo's leaking spiritual power was the trigger you needed to get your powers back."

Rukia's high pitched screech shakes both men from their thoughts, causing them to run into her room.

"What happened Rukia?" Ichigo and Byakuya both appear in her room at the same time. Ichigo is holding up a broom, Byakuya has an iron in his hand. The two men exchange strange looks at each other, looking at the contents of their hands.

"OH MY GOD A GIANT RAT I'M NOT SLEEPING IN HERE UNTIL IT'S FOUND!!!!!" Rukia grabs her stuff, smirking to herself, but marches out the door before either can digest what happened. "ICHIGO YOU TRADE ROOMS WITH ME!"

"What's the iron for? Were you going to punish the rat by forcing it to do your dry cleaning?" Ichigo teases, scratching at his head with the neck on the broom.

"At least I don't break out in hives over every little thing that happens to me."

"It isn't hives it's eczema! It's a serious medical condition!" Ichigo yells back at Byakuya, pressing his forehead into Byakuya's.

"You are such a brat!" Byakuya raises his voice, pushing his head into Kurosaki's.

"It's better than being a prima donna!"

"Ichigo..." Byakuya's smoky eyes flutter down to Ichigo's soft pink lips; the small space between them seems like miles to Byakuya.

"What!?!!??"

"I-I'm going to kiss you, alright?"

"It's about damn time." Ichigo whispers.