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A Beneficial Arrangement	By : vbruce Category: Bleach > General Views: 3827 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. That honor goes to it's original author and creator. Making no money from writing this.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
As always, thanks to everyone reading and reviewing.
***
An hour before sunrise saw Inari and Byakuya walking down the main hallway of the palace. At that point, they were heading to Inari’s wing of the palace to assess the damage and for her to figure out what could and couldn’t be salvaged. Byakuya knew he was simply postponing dealing with his family by going along with her but it was a better excuse than nothing in his own mind. They’d already passed several workers heading toward that section. Most had nodded to Inari or smiled outright and asked how she was, in turn, she had asked about various family members and how long it would take to get things repaired. It still seemed so odd to Byakuya how the royal family treated servants and hired help almost as family but he supposed that’s why certain things in the lower levels of Soul Society were changing for the better. Spending time with Inari was also making him rethink some of his own views on certain subjects but he would have to contemplate that later.
Rounding a corner, Inari nearly ran into Maki.
“Ah, there you are, Hime,” the older woman said. “Your son said you’d most likely be staying in the barracks last night. I’m sorry to report you may have to be there for a while yet.”
“That bad, is it, Maki?” Inari asked.
“Frankly, yes. I’d also suggest you take someone with you before inspecting the garden,” Maki said, eyes flicking ever so briefly to Byakuya.
Inari took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to ignore how her stomach had clenched then rolled at Maki’s statment. “It’s gone, isn’t it.”
Maki sighed heavily. “I am truly sorry, Hime,” she said. “It does appear that some of it can be salvaged though. At least that is the hope. I had everything still serviceable pulled from your rooms and relocated to another set of rooms. You can either go through everything and set up those rooms as a temporary residence until your rooms are repaired or you can remain in the barracks. Just let me know what you decide.”
Inari nodded, still thinking about the fact the garden was gone and trying to force her brain to process that information when she felt Byakuya give her hand a gentle squeeze. She smiled up at him gratefully. He knew that small gesture of reassurance and consideration was what she needed and, again, she was very pleased with not needing to explain anything to him.
Maki stood back and studied the byplay between the two of them and hid the smile that threatened. They suited one another perfectly, she thought. Both had lost people they’d deeply loved so they knew the pain in one another intimately. Both were strong and steady people, willing to compromise yet stick to their core values. Alike in many ways yet different enough to balance one another out in the long run. Those were good things. Byakuya reminded her of Inari and Isshin’s father, Ibu; Cold and hard to the outside world but to those he’d deemed worthy of his time and attention, the former Sovereign had been warm and caring, he had been a good husband and father as well. Yes, they would do well together. Now to get them to see it instead of treating their union as a business arrangement.
“I believe your brother wanted to speak with the two of you when you had free time,” Maki said.
“Is he even up yet?” Inari asked.
“He is. He and the Quincy were having coffee in his office last I checked,” Maki said.
Inari nodded. “Okay, we’ll try to catch him before everything else for the day piles in on him,” she said.
“I believe that would be wise, Hime,” Maki said.
“I’ll sort through the things from my rooms later,” Inari said, turning and starting off in the direction of Isshin’s office.
Once they were out of Maki’s earshot, Byakuya turned a concerned look on Inari. “Will you be alright checking on the garden?”
Inari sighed and rubbed her temples to ease the ache there. “I have to be,” she said. “I have no other choice in the matter. I know it’s just a thing but . . .”
“Some part of him seemed as though it was still there,” Byakuya said. “Because he designed it and had it built for you. It was important to you.”
“Yes,” she said with a sigh. On impulse, she stretched up and kissed his cheek. “You are a good man, Bya. Never let anyone tell you differently, including yourself. We should go see what Isshin wants or at very least rescue him from the great Quincy bastard.”
Byakuya chuckled and followed her to Isshin’s office.
Inari didn’t bother knocking and just walked in. When she and Byakuya got into the room, Ryuuken handed her a coffee mug and Byakuya tea.
“Thanks. You two are up bright and early,” Inari said. “Any leads?”
Ryuuken shook his head. “Not yet,” he said. “Though one thing is interesting.”
Inari’s eyebrows lifted briefly. “Really? What is that?”
“It seems as though news concerning the possibility of a year and a day contract between the two of you remains unbroadcast,” Ryuuken said.
“Now, that is interesting,” Inari said. “How do you know?”
Ryuuken gave her an odd look. “The same way I always know. None of the Kuchiki family staying here at the palace are aware of it. They all seem to know there were supposed to be meetings and negotiations concerning it but aside from that everyone seems to be in the dark.”
“That’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you and Byakuya about, Inari,” Isshin said before taking a drink of his own coffee. “Have the two of you come to a decision about that or has the craziness interrupted any thoughts on the matter?”
“I think that’s pretty much up to Bya,” Inari said, glancing over at him to see how he would answer.
“I have absolutely no objections with entering into the year and a day contract with Inari,” Byakuya said firmly.
“Fabulous! That takes care of one worry then. Oh, by the way, Inari, Ginrei asked that you and Byakuya join him for tea this afternoon at around one,” Isshin said.
“I should be able to clear out that time. Bya?” Inari asked, looking at him for confirmation or denial.
“I need to speak to various members of my family but it will give a plausible excuse for leaving within a set time frame,” Byakuya said.
“I’d like to run from my family sometimes too,” Isshin said. Inari smacked him over the head with a roll of paperwork. “Ow! See what I mean? I’m not a dog, Inari.”
Byakuya and Ryuuken both chuckled at the byplay between the siblings.
“Watching you two makes me thrilled I was an only child,” Ryuuken said.
“It’s because you would have killed off your siblings,” Inari and Isshin said together.
“Gods, they’re like a wandering Greek chorus some days,” Ryuuken said.
“Don’t you have a fourth division captain to annoy, Quincy?” Inari said pointedly.
“She’s running said division at the moment, thanks to the attack on the palace and the Kuchiki compound, she’s busier than usual,” Ryuuken said.
“Whatever, dragon,” Inari said. “Come on, Bya, we both have things to do before meeting with Ginrei this afternoon.”
Byakuya nodded to the other two men and followed her out.
“Did you want to just meet me back at the barracks then go to meet Ginrei?” Inari asked.
“Certainly. I can likely be back to our rooms by twelve thirty or so,” Byakuya said. He paused for a moment after realizing he’d said “our rooms” but did nothing to correct the statement because it didn’t need correction.
Inari grinned and smoothed down a piece of his hair, it was still a little damp due to the need for a shower after the food fling. “Is it bad to say I’m amazingly pleased your hair thingy got burned up?” she said, sounding more amused than contrite.
“I’ll not bother to correct you on the name of it,” Byakuya said with a sigh.
“I’d never remember it anyway. I’ll see you at twelve thirty,” she said.
“Yes.”
With that they parted company, headed to other tasks for the morning.
- 16
- 17
- 18
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A Beneficial Arrangement