valmora | [Bleach] Mistaken, Misguided (6/6b, Rukia/?)

Title: Mistaken, Misguided
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Bleach
Pairing: Byakuya/Renji, Rukia/Male??? implied
Disclaimer: SO NOT MY CHARACTERS.
Notes: Xmas fic for

kira_douji! She asked for ByaRen, canon universe, and I managed to write it! Byakuya third person POV

It is regrettable that the tale of Byakuya’s wife spreads like wildfire through the population of Seireitei. The story turns him from the icy, scornful aristocrat into a hurt, tragically romantic aristocrat, and Byakuya appreciates it as well as he appreciates singed cooking and poor physical self-control, which means his mood, normally in a state of equilibrium, is fouled for quite some time.

It appears, however, that the only individual not affected by it is Abarai, whose interactions with Byakuya remain polite, if not as formal as they once were. Byakuya forgives his vice-captain the small informality, regarding it as some sort of overture of friendship rather than the disrespect it could otherwise seem to be.

That is, until Abarai brings him some tea in the office and then, of all things, attempts to kiss him, a gesture that Byakuya finds frankly disgusting. Hisana was by no means at all male; the assumption that being unsuccessful with his wife would indicate his interests lie elsewhere is ludicrous. His respect for Renji diminishes not because of the man’s desires but because he obviously cannot control them and evidently does not have the respect for Byakuya’s person that would require him to observe such niceties as courtship before attempting to molest him.

Byakuya makes this clear, and Renji apologizes for the misunderstanding, and things return to an equilibrium, if for some months a more tense one. It is difficult to work smoothly with a man one suspects wishes to ravish one, but matters are quickly cleared again between them, and Rukia ceases gloating about how she has a boyfriend and doesn’t Nii-sama think Renji ought to have one too?

This is quite a relief, as Byakuya was beginning to run out of responses to her impertinence that were the truth, other than He does not need one. He has me.