No Open Book
by YunCyn

Disclaimer: Bleach (c) Kubo Tite.

He will be the first one to admit that he is inept at social behaviour.

But it is not formal etiquette he speaks of. Cordial, measured nods have been taught to him ever since before his entrance into this world. Certain distances that must be kept between him and servants, peers, elders and such are ingrained into his mind. Particular words that can and cannot be said to different parties have been committed to memory long ago. His roles in this place, in his work and in the community that surround him are clear to him as the sheen of a blade's metal.

But it is the informal that catches him so unexpectedly.

There are no rules telling him how to react when his sister laughs at his inability to understand why she's so jovial at something as simple as an iced dessert from the human world. There is no specific instruction to fall back on when out of the blue, she asks him to come with her on a walk through the estate on the rare days they are free. The best he can do is improvise – something he doesn't do very well when it comes to acting like a proper big brother. But he tries his best and he knows she understands.

They are on the brink of perhaps truly bonding like brother and sister when Yamamoto-soutaichou makes his announcement.

Rukia will be sent along with other specially chosen Shinigami to help their allies in the human world deal with the Arankaru.

He's in one of the corridors near his office. Just standing and looking out onto the courtyards, he is unable to shake the unnerving feeling he has inside. It is even disrupting his flow of thought and his work. No one else knows of this uncharacteristic distraction. The only ones who would notice are either Rukia or his vice captain.

It's been a day since both headed into the world of the living alongside the tenth division's captain, vice captain and two more Shinigami from the eleventh division.

His eyes are trained on the outside surroundings as he tries to reason with himself.

Rukia will be alright. She isn't alone after all. And she has been up to that world before. That fact is why she has been assigned this mission.

But before, Soul Society had not been turned on its head with three captains deserting all at once. Neither had there been threats with the capability of completely destroying Soul Society… and those who are a part of it.

His brows narrow together and involuntarily, his fingers tighten on the hilt of the sword he carries by his side.

He should not be acting like this, getting himself so… (he can hardly even think it) anxious. To worry is to be irrational. To be irrational is to risk making stupid decisions. And to make stupid decisions is to already ground one foot into the second grave. He has always attested to that philosophy.

And yet, here he is, fingers clenched around Senbonzakura's hilt and undoubtedly worrying for the safety of his sister. The only consolation is that no one else but him knows it.

"You are worried."

He doesn't lift his eyes from their focus although he is silently taken aback. Has he been so buried in thought that he did not sense her spirit pressure?

…and so much for his consolation, he mentally adds.

"I am not," he finally replies.

She doesn't turn to look at him either. "Forgive me then for being presumptuous. But I dare to say that if I were in your position… I would be unnerved myself."

He doesn't really know what to say to this expression of empathy. There is no rule on how one reacts at a time like this.

"…do you not trust in her?"

He contemplates her question for a while and arrives at an answer with a soft sigh.

"…I trust her to do what is right. I wish I could say the same for everything else."

She cannot help but smile at that. "…it will all be alright."

He slides his eyes to the side to look at her. "And just how do you know that?"

She turns slightly to regard him with a smile. "I don't. But I would think that if Rukia-san has someone who worries this much for her, that same person will do his best to make sure everything ends well."

Understanding passes from her eyes to his. After a moment, he closes them and turns away, exhaling. He feels a small breeze that has just picked up brush against his brow, caressing the dark locks that hang across his face.

"For information's sake, Unohana-taichou, I need to ask if I have degraded to such transparency."

A small laugh escapes her. "One cannot be a good healer without trying to read other people."

He snorts slightly. Most often forgot that behind her warm eyes and kindly smile, she's also a captain – one who has earned her rank and title for valid reasons and one who possesses a soul cutter and has attained bankai like him. She is more than a good healer… which probably explains her ability to recognize his worry. Somehow it's a tiny relief since it means not every Shinigami in this place can see through him so easily – just those very few people who are close to him, work with him on a daily basis… and she who has that talent for knowing people's hidden emotions, no matter how impenetrable the poker face.

Unohana remains smiling and as if reading his mind, speaks again. "You are no open book, Kuchiki-taichou. Please take my word for that fact. All I have done is seen a glimpse of a page and take a guess at what is written."

He possesses no reply for that and she doesn't really expect any as she bows and takes her leave, continuing her walk to the fifth division lodge.

All I have done is seen a glimpse of a page and take a guess at what is written.

As he watches her go, Byakuya wonders if Unohana's own story is similar to make such a good guess as that.

Putting that thought aside, he turns in the opposite direction. He wants to meet with his sister's captain to, like trying to figure out informal social behaviour, do his best to make sure his sister will return safely.

.

The End.

A/N: The results of writing from midnight till one fifteen a.m. (groans) Please don't ask about the point of this story: it's just to try and shove those two together. ("But it's done so subtly until you can't see any point at all!" - please note the sarcasm). Although it could be to also show Byakuya's change from stiff follow-the-rules, to stiff, follow-the-rules-but-maintains-a-level-of-protectiveness-for-younger-sister.

...either way, he's rather OOC here. (bows in shame).

One of these days, I'm going to have to write a story with a point in it besides getting two people together. (mutters). Anyway, hope you have a nice day!