Death; thy name is Yoruichi
“Byakuya!”
Yoruichi had not let go of his hand since the nurse put him into his bed. They were keeping him on monitors but Yoruichi felt his heart rate increasing before the machines from Mayuri had even begun to detect the change. His breathing got slightly quicker. Perhaps in all of this he was dreami—-
Seeing the flutter of his eyes as they opened almost made Yoruichi cry, to see him alright - conscious once again. She squeezed his hand with tears forming in the corners of her eyes. His muscles were tense though what from, she has no idea.
“Byakuya, you are awake! Kami ni kansha” She pulled him into a soft embrace, trying not to hurt him too much in the process. She rubbed his back softly in an attempt to calm him down, to relax the muscles in his body. What had in fact caused this to occur? Yoruichi feared for him for he was not one to speak about any illness he is feeling. Which could essentially be the problem here.
“What did happen? One minute you were arguing and the next I had to carry you to the care of your families nurses.” She looked at him in all seriousness. “I think it is about time you tell me what is going on here, how long have you been sick?”The two had known each other since Byakuya’s birth, and by now he would know that he would either tell her or she would stay until she knew.
Yet in this case, she would not leave whether she was told or not. He was the closest thing at this time that she had to a family member and after losing her family she would not lose him to any sickness.
He looked over at her, saying nothing as he watches the tears form in Yoruichi’s eyes at his expense after she hugged him. He honestly did not have the will to pull away, and the feeling of her hand on his back was still present somehow. Eyebrows momentarily furrowed in confusion as Byakuya pondered why she would be almost crying over him…him of all people. The captain took a mental note of her short accusatory explanation as to how he got here, which was a good thing in this case considering no one saw him. In fact nobody probably even felt the reiatsu of Yoruichi when she was flash stepping him here; he was for once grateful of her speed. After he question, he looked back up at her from where his eyes fell in thought.
“In that case, forgive me for causing you the trouble.” The man released a sigh. “Your questions are useless, Yoruichi, for I have not been sick nor felt ill as of late.”
Byakuya really was telling the truth though. It was as big of a question to him as it was to her; why did he collapse all of a sudden? Especially after coughing up blood? He knew for a fact Ukitake’s tuberculosis was not contagious, so…
“It must have just…crept on me. It is nothing, so please stop worrying.”
A gentle command to the woman next to him. The last thing he wanted was the Shihoin princess crying…although he did know what she was feeling. She only had him left, really, and even though Byakuya still had the manor and the clan, he was not foreign to the grief of knowing all of your loved ones are no longer there.
Nonetheless, this was a little ridiculous for him. He began to pull the heart monitors off.
(Source: kuchiki-byakuya)
