Noble Love - Bleach (Kuchiki Byakuya x Oc x A bit of Various)

十

During the week since Aizen's departure with Gin and Tousen, the injured Shinigami had been under recuperation in the General Relief Station at the 4th Division. At the same time, Ikkake was holding a fighting match in the 11th Division, and Ichigo joined to pass time, only to have his and Ikkaku's bout short-lived when Zaraki entered to fight the former, who ran away because he had no intention for that. And because he and his friends were about to return to the Human World with Yoruichi, Uryu remade their original clothes with his tailor knowledge. After so much of chaos that happened since Rukia returned for her execution, things were becoming peaceful once more; becoming the Seireitei that Asa knew, the place that she called "home".

Asa had been volunteering at the General Relief Station by healing the injured, cleaning their bandages, preparing meals for them, cleaning up the place; there was much to do in her hands that she felt like she was being productive after so long. Sure, she may have helped Ichigo and his friends during the rescue mission, but she felt that Ichigo was the main actor on this stage. If he hadn't progressed that much thanks to his stubbornness, they wouldn't have saved Rukia and reveal Aizen's true identity.

While stirring the pot of kenchin-jiru, Asa's thoughts wandered to Aizen during her time as his Lieutenant in the 5th Division, before she went on that twenty-year mission. Aizen was viewed as a polite, soft-spoken intellectual person who often addressed his subordinates by their given names. He was viewed as a very kind, well-respected Captain and was looked up to by many. However, whenever she was alone with him, she knew that there was something beyond that facade. She was there to witness his subtle manipulative and dangerous nature, where he was willing to use almost everyone around him as pawns to achieve his goals. He was the kind of man who would stop at nothing to further his ambitions, even if he'd have to kill them if he thought that was necessary. For a Shinigami who had a similar Zanpakutou as him, she was able to see through Kyoka Suigetsu's Complete Hypnosis, and often confronted him when he attempted it in her presence. Perhaps that was why she was able to tell that Aizen wasn't dead even though the entire Seireitei saw his corpse.

'I wonder.' she thought while reaching out for a clean, empty ceramic bowl to serve the soup. 'Did he get my grandfather to assign that mission to me so that I wouldn't expose his master plan?' She paused her actions and turned her head to look out the window on the left side of the room, staring at the blue sky as her thoughts seemed like she was questioning her former Captain. 'Aizen, what is your main goal? What made you become such a cruel man in achieving your goal? You said that you've been fond of me enough to resurrect Michiro, but I know there's more to that deal you spoke of. What is it?'

Having enough of being worried about Aizen and his motives, Asa returned to her current task. Scooping some soup into the bowl, she turned off the gas stove and placed the bowl onto the tray with other food. She brought the tray out of the kitchen and walked up a few stairs before arriving at the corridor that would lead her to the person she was going to visit.

"Byakuya-san, I've brought you some food." she called at the doorway.

The said man, who had bandages wrapped around his torso and arms underneath the light green robe, was sitting upright with his back against the headboard and looking out the window. Upon hearing her voice that was soon followed by her footsteps, his gaze then diverted to her as he watched Asa place the tray of food on his bed. It was silent between the two, with the exception of the sound of utensils contact the ceramic dishes, until he called her name, immediately grabbing her attention.

"How have you been?" he asked out of the blue.

Asa shifted under his gaze uncomfortably, feeling awkward about someone as prideful and apathetic as him to ask about her. "Fine, I guess." was her reply.