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In A Somer Seson
by afrai

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With his hair still dishevelled by the blast and his eyes glittering from the adrenaline, Kaien looked like a crane, all leg and bird-brained madness. Or like himself, but ten years younger, the way he had been the first time Byakuya had met him. Sorry day! They had broken the prized heirlooms of their respective families and gone the next couple of weeks on reduced rations as punishment. Kaien had taken to coaxing tidbits from the kitchenmaids. He had offered to share, but Byakuya had held aloof, remembering his father -- his father --

"Oi." Byakuya looked up, skin still shivering-alert. Kaien's face hovered too close. "You all right?"

Byakuya opened his mouth to dismiss the insult of his solicitude, and felt the words scatter on the air. He found himself saying, "My father ... "

His voice was shaking. This was a shock almost as great as the explosion had been.

Kaien's face darkened. He touched Byakuya's shoulder, gently, as if he was an animal that might bolt at a sudden move.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"He taught me about honour," Byakuya heard himself say.

Kaien hesitated, then said, "I know you care about him -- "

"He spoke to me about honour," said Byakuya, the shock slipping into something darker. "He dared."

"Byakuya." Kaien sounded surprised. Byakuya shook off the hand, his face stiff with fury, and strode out of the room.

His hands were shaking. The cool air outside was a relief. Byakuya smelt burnt hair, his own. The fresh surge of anger set him trembling again, before control reasserted itself. His own father.

He would learn. The Kuchiki did not tolerate betrayal.

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Kaien had almost forgotten the woman trussed in the corner of the room, until she spoke.

"My lord will not go after him?"

"I could," said Kaien. "And then he'd hate me forever, for having seen him like that."

"This would be a great difference from the current state of affairs." The mildness of her voice surprised a laugh out of Kaien. He turned to look at her, making sure to keep a safe distance.

"Ah, he likes me," he said.

"If this one may be permitted to comment," said the woman, "my lord has unusual powers of perception."

Kaien shrugged. "He just takes getting used to. I blame his upbringing," he said. "He had too much of it."

"A surfeit not many have been so fortunate as to suffer," she observed.

"Mm." He hunkered down, peering quizzically at her. "Polite for an assassin, aren'tcha?"

"My lord is kind."

"Look, knock it off with the my lord thing. I'm Kaien." He grinned. "Think we could have your name, or is that not allowed in the assassin code of conduct?"

"This one is considering a change in careers." She looked up.

"And we have a smile!" Kaien whooped. "This night's going from triumph to triumph -- you gonna blow me up again if I untie you?"

She looked startled. "My lord is willing -- ?"

"Yeah, well, you saved our lives," said Kaien. "'Course, you were the one who endangered 'em in the first place, but I'm a forgiving kinda guy. And he -- " Kaien jerked his head towards the door, and leaned a little closer -- "don't tell him I gave it away, but I think he likes you."

The smile emerged again. "If this one may be forgiven an observation?" A lordly wave of the hand from Kaien. "My lord is an incorrigible flirt."

"Nicest thing anyone's ever said to me," said Kaien. "Turn around and I'll just get to working on those -- ah."

The woman held up her hands. The frayed ropes curled away from her wrists. A jerk of the arms sent them fluttering to the floor.

"So," said Kaien into the electric stillness. "You going to kill me?"

"Hisana has not," she said simply.

"... Hisana, huh."

"That is this one's name."

"So! Looks like we got a couple hours to kill. Tell me," said Kaien. "How did Hisana end up as an assassin working for the Lord Kuchiki?"

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