I gave up on The Cat, The Fox, and the Crimson Princess; I just wasn't feeling it anymore. I'll return to it at some point, but I was itching to write this story, so enjoy! This story is taking place after Ichigo defeats Aizen, but the Thousand Year Blood War Arc won't exist here.

I don't own Bleach, it belongs to Tite Kubo. Please support the official release. –Purple-rain20

"Oh my! Look, he took those weird things out of his hair!"

"Whatever, he put in some more weird hair pieces anyways. At least these new ones look less ridiculous."

"That scarf was so dumb looking too! It's never hot in the Seireitei!"

"Shh! He's coming this way!"

The man strolled gracefully down the path that led up to the 1st Division's Barracks, not missing a single beat even though his slate gray eyes were closed. Hearing rumors was nothing new to him, being a head of a high ranking clan was like having a bull's eye attached to the back of his head. His lieutenant, however, paid rapt attention to every rumor that was being circulated about the Seireitei. "Ah, taicho?" he asked hesitantly as the pair finally enter the 1st Division Barracks, "Those women are talking about you."

Byakuya Kuchiki halted his stroll mid-stride and spoke to his lieutenant without turning around. "If you have time to pay attention to gossip, then you must have time to work on more paper work," he said icily before walking up to the door that led to the Captain's assembly hall. Renji Abarai paled immediately upon the mention of more paperwork, his red hair standing out even more. He bowed hastily, "I'm sorry Taicho, I-I'll go to my lieutenants' meeting now!" he exclaimed in fear as he ran down the hall. Byakuya merely scoffed and opened the door to the assembly hall, where he was immediately greeted by a visibly drunk Shunsui Kyoraku, and Jushiro Ukitake, who was attempting to bring him under control.

"G-good morning, Byakuya-k-kun!" Kyoraku slurred as he threw an arm around the stoic captain, "Ah, you changed your hair barrettes!" he exclaimed as he tried to reach down to touch one of them. Byakuya's nose crinkled up in revulsion as he slipped away from Kyoraku's grasp. "Good morning, Kuchiki-taicho," Ukitake greeted cordially as he casually forced a stumbling Kyoraku into a seat. Byakuya nodded and then walked over and stood next to Retsu Unohana, who greeted him.

"Good morning, Kuchiki-taicho, how are you doing today?"

"My cousin told me that Unohana-taicho hides knives in her braid!"

"That doesn't surprise me. Woman is scary as hell."

"My cousin works part time as a nurse in the hospital. Said it's a nice place, very pleasant."

A tall woman with short silver hair stumbled nervously as she followed her captain to their respective meetings. Hearing these rumors made her uneasy, she was especially fearful about her nightmares being thrown out in the circle of rumors. She cleared her throat and held her head high for the first time in years, a suggestion from her captain.

"Isane, ignore them," a soft, pleasant voice said.

Isane Kotetsu's eyes widened in surprise as she reflexively nodded in agreement. Her captain was the epitome of patience and grace, and she strove to become just like her.

"The things that they are discussing are not true, you should not pay attention to them," Retsu Unohana said quietly as she stood in front of the door to the captain's assembly hall. She bid farewell to her lieutenant and walked inside. So far only Yamamoto, Sui-feng, Hitsugaya, Kyoraku, and Ukitake were there. She greeted everyone and then promptly took her spot.

It had been quite peaceful since the war has ended; only two months had passed and the Soul Society had basically returned to normal. Retsu had been grateful for the peace, she despised warfare. She was the second-longest reigning captain, and she had seen too much bloodshed.

Even the captain's moods have improved, most noticeably Byakuya Kuchiki, who had finally taken out those ridiculous kenseikan. She knew the noble was handsome, but his knew look further enhanced his overall attractiveness. "Oh my," she thought to herself bashfully. "This is quite unlike me."

"Good morning, Kuchiki-taicho, how are you doing today?"

The man opened his eyes and nodded at Unohana in respect, "Fine, thank you," he said calmly as he smiled slightly. The other captains gaped outwardly in surprise, it was a miracle! Byakuya Kuchiki actually smiled at someone! They knew he wasn't foolish enough to ignore Retsu Unohana, who was possibly the most frightening being in the universe when provoked.

"Did you see that? Ol' Byakuya's sweet talkin' Unohana-taicho!" Shinji Hirako snickered into his sleeve mischievously.

"Silence!"

A quick stamp from Yamamoto's staff calmed the excited captains. Even though his eyes were constantly closed to slits, he saw everything. "I will make things brief," he announced loudly, his deep voice booming about the hall, "We have been in a time of peace, and the 1st division is planning on having a party to commemorate the end of the Winter War and to honor Ichigo Kurosaki, in two months' time."

Shinji raised his hand, "Can I bring the rest of the Vizards?" he questioned as he smirked, "We saved your hides, ya know."

Yamamoto nodded, "Yes, yes, bring them," he confirmed impatiently. He was just about to adjourn the meeting when Unohana raised her small hand. "And where might this get together be held? It would be nice if it had a beautiful garden," she said sweetly, even though it had a few of the males in the room sweat slightly from fright.

The old man sighed heavily, "We do not have a set venue yet, my lieutenant is in charge of those preparations, and he hasn't decided yet."

"How about we use Byakuya-kun's mansion, eh Yama-jiji? It's got a great Sakura tree garden! We should be able to bring dates, too!" Kyoraku suggested loudly as he threw an arm around Byakuya's shoulder.

The Kuchiki head immediately eased out of Kyoraku's grasp and scowled. He was hoping that his mansion wouldn't be suggested as a possible venue, the Elders certainly wouldn't stand for it.

"Soutaicho, I cannot approve of this," Byakuya protested calmly as his icy gray eyes glared at Kyoraku, who was giggling in a drunken stupor.

"Come on, Byakuya, ain't ya the clan head? You're supposed to have superiority over the old farts that try to tell you otherwise!" Shinji grouched, and several other captains nodded in agreement, not because they agreed with the Vizard captain, they just wanted to get into the mansion.

"This get together is a wonderful chance for the Gotei 13 to be reunited after so many years of hardship. Please reconsider, Kuchiki-taicho."

Her sweet smile and deep ocean blue eyes that bore into his silver ones made him relent. Besides the fact that she was the captain mom of the Soul Society, she was a very pleasant woman. She was a frequent visitor to his calligraphy class and her skills were remarkable, even though he didn't say them aloud.

"Fine, I will allow this gathering to be held in my mansion, but I am setting some ground rules," Byakuya stated firmly as he glared at the rest of the captains.

"You all must attend in formal wear."

"Screw that," Kenpachi grumbled.

"There will be limited amounts of alcohol."

"Aw!" Kyoraku cried.

"And there will be no weapons or any drugs of any kind," Byakuya finished, giving Kenpachi and Mayuri a calculating glare.

"Hm, what a disappointment!" Mayuri exclaimed in displeasure, "I had just designed a drug that completely nullifies the effects of a hangover, but you simpletons just cannot appreciate my work," he huffed. Kenpachi growled, "What else d'you want me to do, shave my head?!"

"So it's settled then; the gathering to commemorate the end of the Winter War will be held at the Kuchiki Manor! You are dismissed!"

As the captains exited the assembly hall, Retsu purposely held back a bit and spoke to Byakuya. "I apologize if I caused you any inconvenience, Kuchiki-taicho," she said as she inclined her head slightly, "it was not my intention to do so."

Byakuya merely closed his eyes and shook his head, "It is fine, goodbye, Unohana-taicho," he said calmly as he left.

She watched as he left and smiled softly to herself.

"The hell? Your stiff of a brother actually agreed to that?"

Rangiku and the rest of the Shinigami Women's Association clamored around, trying to get Rukia to answer their questions. They were invited to the party, naturally since all of the members were high ranking officials in their divisions. "I'm just as surprised as you are!" Rukia exclaimed, trying to fend off the commotion. It was a lucky thing that Unohana hadn't shown up yet, it would be very awkward.

"U-Unohana-taicho convinced Kuchiki-taicho to host the party," Isane commented timidly, "she looked very excited."

"Eh? This is so exciting! For all we know, they could be a couple!" Rangiku gushed happily as she took another swig of sake.

"That'll never happen, Byakuya-bo is as stiff as broomstick! I could never see him with a woman," Yoruichi responded lazily, having decided to show up spontaneously.

"Nii-sama's heart only belongs to Hisana-nee-sama!" Rukia protested adamantly as she stood up from her seat. It was difficult for Rukia to imagine Byakuya finally moving on from her sister to love another woman, she just couldn't envision it. And this party will just bring more unnecessary attention to the clan too!

"I have never seen Unohana-taicho with a man either," Nanao commented quietly, much to everyone's surprise. It was true; Retsu Unohana has never been seen on a date, ever. Kyoraku had tried time and time again to sweep her off of her feet, but to no avail. She wasn't unattractive; she always ranked high in the Shinigami Men's Associations 'Most Attractive Shinigami Female'.

"I wish that she could find someone to love, it must me sad to be alone for so long," Isane said quietly.

"Who is alone?" a soft, feminine voice asked quizzically.

Most of the women jumped slightly in surprise, Unohana kept her spiritual pressure restrained to the point where no one could sense it, so they didn't know she was there. Others, (Isane and Nanao) actually fell from their seats. Only Yachiru Kusajishi had the courage to talk. The other women kept her occupied with coloring books and cookies in order for her to not pay attention to what they were talking about, but that obviously didn't work.

"Isa-Isa, Nana and everybody else we're talking about how Re-chan mmphh!" Nanao promptly stuffed Yachiru's mouth with a rice cake. Thankfully, Unohana didn't completely hear what Yachiru was saying, or chose to ignore it. Either way she sat down next to Rukia.

"I apologize for arriving so late," Unohana said as she bowed her head slightly, "I was helping to plan the party at the Kuchiki mansion."

"Oh, so you were spending time with Kuchiki-taicho?" Rangiku asked casually, hoping not to make her question sound too noisy. It didn't help that the rest of the women leaned forward to hear every single word that was about to come out of Unohana's mouth.

"Yes, I was asked by Yamamoto-soutaicho to help with the planning," Unohana confirmed with a smile. She was well aware that the women were gossiping about her and Byakuya, but if she reacted in any way, it would only confirm their suspicion. Yes, she and Byakuya had a respectable friendship; they often had tea together after his calligraphy lessons.

FLASHBACK

"What types of foods would you like for the party, Byakuya-san?"

"My personal chefs will take care of that."

Retsu only referred to Byakuya by his given name when they were alone, it would cause quite a stir if she did so anywhere else. She had arrived only twenty minutes prior in order to assist Byakuya for planning. The captains both sat next to each other on a luxurious couch in one of the many sunrooms in the Kuchiki mansion; a respectable distance from each other. It was imminent that they started to plan early; it was going to be an all-out party. "There must be something you would like, Byakuya-san," she pressed on further, leaning closer to him.

Byakuya was silent for a few moments, tapping his finger lightly on his knee. He knew that he wasn't going to get away with not choosing anything on Unohana's watch. "I will tell my chefs to prepare some spicy delicacies," he said lightly, avoiding eye contact with Unohana, "I have a liking towards them."

Her deep indigo eyes sparkled with excited them as she smiled, "Oh, you like spicy foods as well? That's one thing we have in common," she said happily. She wrote that down on a notepad that she had brought with her. "What about desserts?" she continued. She noticed his nose crinkle up in disgust as he turned away without responding. It wasn't until she boldly placed a hand on his that he spoke. "I do not like sweets," he said quietly, trying to ignore the fact that her soft, dainty hand was upon his, "I think that you should choose," he finished with a strained voice. She quickly picked up on his discomfort and removed her hand.

The two captains were had known each other for quite a while; they first met when Byakuya was a little boy going in to the doctor's office for his annual checkups. Then, they started to see more of each other as he made his way up the ranks of the 6th Division, from a seated member up to a captain. It was only when his wife Hisana was sick that they started to interact more. The years following his wife's death, Byakuya became more introverted and withdrawn; he only spoke when he needed to. After he saved Rukia from getting killed by Gin Ichimaru, he spent some time in the hospital. It was during those months that his associate-like friendship grew with Unohana. She would always walk into his room around lunchtime with a pot of tea and talk to him about the current events of the Soul Society.

In the beginning, he would be silent, nodding occasionally. But the further it went on, the more he spoke to her.

He chose to still keep her at a distance, not wanting to cause a stir within his clan. But they were friends nonetheless, even if he didn't act like one.

At this point there was an awkward silence between them; she quietly sipped on her tea as he twiddled a pen in between his fingers. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"Would you like a tour of the venue?" he asked her as he stood up and offered an arm to her.

She took his arm with a smile of thanks and they exited the sunroom together. It wasn't until they were halfway there that Retsu noticed that she still had her arm hooked around his. He hadn't noticed either, so she just left the situation as it was. His arms were not large nor were delicate, they were in between.

Smiling to herself softly, she closed her eyes and let him lead the way.

"She hasn't let go of my arm yet," Byakuya thought to himself in realization. He had offered his arm to her to let her get out of the couch easily, but it seems that she didn't plan on letting go any time soon. At least she wasn't the type of woman who threw themselves at him at any given moment. That was why he considered her to be his only female friend.

The woman had this delicate charm to her that reminded him a bit of Hisana, except he knew that Retsu had a mean streak that she kept suppressed. If he had to ask anyone to help him plan this party, it would be her. "There is no guarantee that this party will happen without any disturbances," he said quietly to no one in particular, "after all, there will be the undesirable lot there."

Unohana chuckled slightly in response, "Do not worry, nothing of the sort will happen, Byakuya-san," she whispered in case if there were any wandering clan members about.

"How are you so certain?"

"It is because I will be there."

A smile tugged on the corner of his lips as he opened the door to the ballroom. She was right; no one would be attempting any funny business with her about.

"Oh!" Unohana gasped in awe as she released her arm from Byakuya's and walked around the ballroom. The luxurious ballroom had marble floors all around, crown molding on the ceilings, deep violet walls, diamond chandeliers, a large bar with a granite table top, and a small stage at the front. The tables were pushed against the walls, but they were pure cedar oak tables. "It's lovely," she said to him in appreciation.

He frowned unconsciously at the loss of contact on his arm, but cleared his throat and walked over to where she was standing. "This is one of the many ballrooms of the Kuchiki mansion, but I chose this one specifically because of the size," he said in a monotone tone of voice. Watching her quietly as she once again strode around the room, he wondered if she was a noble. She carried herself gracefully with pride and dignity; it wouldn't be surprising if she was a noble. Every single one of her steps was mesmerizing and he couldn't help but watch. He wasn't sure how long he stared at her until she spoke. "Byakuya-san? Shall we continue with our planning?" she inquired, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Yes, of course," he said with forced calm as he offered out an arm to her.

FLASHBACK END

"That's it?!" Yoruichi blurted out in indignation, but quickly covered her mouth. Even though she and Retsu had been friends for the past few centuries, she was just as intimidated by her as the rest of the group. "Yes, that was it, and after some more planning I came here as fast as I could," Unohana said with a slight look of surprise on her face. Did these women really want to know everything?

Only fifteen minutes had passed when Unohana's pager rang, she was still on call at the hospital. "I apologize," she said hastily as she stood up and bowed, "I have to leave." As soon as she was gone, Rangiku sighed in relief, "Whoo! I was about to explode with more questions!" The ladies continued to gossip more about Byakuya and Retsu except for Rukia, who sat deep in thought.

"They're just rumors, don't believe rumors.

Thanks for reading and review!