It's Simply That I've Always Loved You

Chapter 21

The day of the blizzard, Byakuya orders the entirety of the pack into the largest building they have that can house the entirety of the pack. Should the snowfall be extreme enough to confine them to the interior for any length of time, he wants no one to be out of his reach. He spends the morning assisting the others in making sure there is enough room for everyone, helping to arrange sleeping quarters so that everyone is happy with the choices available to them. Because Chad and Uryu already live in this building, Ichigo decides to room with them, and Rukia and Orihime end up deciding the same.

As the pack alpha, Byakuya could likely secure a room for just himself and Renji, but instead he makes a point to room with Yoruichi and Urahara because he has no desire to spread any rumors about him thinking he’s too good to room with anyone else. Likely, it will just be the four of them. The children in the pack tend to convene in a single room and use it as an opportunity to have a sleepover, staying up far too late into the night. Jinta will drag Ururu along with him, like he always does. Byakuya is confident in this.

He almost thinks he might be able to get away with not having to worry about ensuring anyone has a room to himself when Isane walks up to him just past nine, her face hot and her gaze on the floor, feet dragging along the floor. Byakuya pauses at the sight of her, takes in the slight distress in her scent and frowns. While Isane is not one of the older alphas in the pack— her white hair is natural, but she’s younger than he is— Isane is a rock. It takes much to shake her as much as she looks right now.

He touches Renji on the rest to let him know he’s moving and walks toward her, meeting her halfway across the living room. “Isane, is something wrong? You look upset.”

“I’m not upset, per se.” Isane murmurs, and Byakuya realizes that she’s embarrassed, rubbing at her hot cheeks with her fingers. “I just needed to talk to you about something.”

His head falls to the side. “What is it? You know you can come to me about anything.”

“Retsu prefers not to suppress her heats. You know, with her age, it’s not really… Advisable unless she wants to risk her fertility altogether.” Isane murmurs, and Byakuya nods. Even he knows that. Eventually, an omega’s fertility fades and stops, and the older an omega is, the less likely they are to suppress their heats for fear of starting the cycle early. “Her heat cycle is going to take place at the duration of the blizzard.”

“Oh.” Byakuya blinks a handful of times. Though, logically, he knows Unohana is an omega and thus would have heat cycles as a result, he never thought about it. Never had cause to think about it. “I can ensure you two have a room to yourselves, I’m sure.”

Isane breathes a sigh and nods, and still she drags one of her feet against the hardwood floor, almost forcing herself to look up at him. “Do you think you can do so soon? She’s in pre-heat and I want to get her bedded down so she can relax.”

“Of course.” Byakuya takes her by the shoulder, squeezes gently. “Just stay right here, let me go over the rooms once more, and I’ll come back to you with an answer.”

This time, Isane raises her head all the way and smiles. “Thank you so much, Taicho.”

Most of the rooms have been taken by this point, but Byakuya left a few empty just in case for something of this occasion. Heat cycles take place roughly every three months and while some omegas could predict the days their cycle will take place for years to come, others have enough fluctuation and variation that he could not be sure what would happen until he was told. He finds a room available on the top floor and attaches a note to the door so everyone knows it’s reserved and who it’s reserved for.

“Top floor, left corner.” He tells Isane when he returns downstairs. “Is Retsu all right?”

Isane’s face softens and she nods, a slow smile spreading across her lips. “She is. She’s just waiting back home for me. I’m going to retrieve her and drag some bedding over.”