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There were only two instances Renji could recall where he’d questioned his captain’s judgment as much as he was currently. The first instance was when Rukia was sentenced to die and Byakuya did nothing . The second was when his captain fucked off with the rogue Zanpakuto and cut Sode No Shirayuki down.
The first time, Renji was correct in doubting him, a fact that the man himself admitted to before agreeing to never speak of it again. The second time, Renji should’ve trusted the noble. Both were situations with serious repercussions if the correct route had been ignored.
This, on the other hand, was not even close to being a life-or-death or realm shattering situation. The stakes weren’t that high. Yet it was this that had Renji questioning if his captain had completely lost it.
“It is coming back to the manor, Lieutenant Abarai ,” came the man’s timbre, dripping with ire.
“But sir,” Renji started.
“That was a direct order.”
Renji stared at the back of his captain’s haori as he flash-stepped back towards the division. With a groan, he knelt down and picked up the it in question. As he held it closer to his chest and began to flash-step after his captain, it started bleating and wriggling about.
It was a lamb.
Lieutenant Renji Abarai of the Sixth Squad of the Gotei 13 Court Guard was ordered by the 28th head of the Kuchiki clan to bring the baby sheep that they’d found alone on an abandoned farm in the Rukongai back to the noble family’s estate. What the hell was the man thinking?
When Renji reached the manor, lamb in hand, he marched through the front doors, past all of the staff, to the noble’s private quarters. He was already there waiting for them, his irritation obvious to Renji despite his stony exterior remaining largely in tact.
“I’m glad you finally decided to heed my direction,” he said coolly.
Renji ground his teeth and set the lamb down on the floor where it began to roam and explore. He focused his attention back on the man across the room from him. The noble slipped his captain’s haori off his shoulders and draped it over the back of a chair.
“Byakuya,” Renji started as soon as his rank was set aside. “Why the hell are you insisting on keeping a sheep?”
Byakuya frowned. “It was alone.”
“That’s not a good enough explanation.”
“I am the head of this household and I owe no one an explanation for my decisions,” he replied haughtily, crossing his arms and looking away.
Renji watched as his eyes found the little creature nuzzling around the end of their bed before burying its fuzzy black face into the blankets on the ground. His lover’s expression softened as he watched the lamb play.
Oh.
That’s why he was throwing a fit.
Byakuya Kuchiki was too proud to admit that he wanted to keep the lamb because he thought it was cute.
Renji broke the silence with a soft laugh before rubbing his hand down his face. The man was an absolute terror on the battlefield, a stunning force to be reckoned with; no one would ever know his greatest weakness was cute things. He would never admit it outright, of course, but over the years Renji started to notice the subtle sparkle in his grey eyes as he looked at a hoard of fluffy baby geese learning to swim in his koi pond or as he secretly fed the stray cats that were known to wander around the Seireitei.
It was the same sparkle that made an appearance when Renji gifted him an oversized plush in the shape of the Wakame Ambassador. Byakuya chastised him for such an impractical gift, but Renji knew he’d hit the ball out of the park when he came home to find his lover asleep with the stuffed seaweed friend in his arms.
“Who will even take care of it? We’re both at the division for most of the day, and I think even you can admit it’s ridiculous to expect your servants to tend to a sheep during the day,” Renji said, stepping closer to him.
“Indeed. That’s why I fully intend on taking it with us to the division,” Byakuya replied.
A sheep at the office. What could possibly go wrong?
That question was posed as a hypothetical, but Renji quickly learned what a terror one little sheep could be when locked in a room and left to its own devices. After a week of crumpled, gnawed-on reports and ink marks the shape of hooves left all over the floor, Renji was entirely over it. He could admit the lamb was cute as hell, with its black head and feet and shaggy grey wool that looked like its own jacket, but the increase in daily cleaning required ruined it.
Hoping his lover would find at least some purchase in his own sister’s advice, Renji enlisted Rukia’s help in talking Byakuya out of keeping the sheep. Unfortunately, his plan failed due to his own idiocy. Why did he ever think Rukia of all people would be impervious to the cuteness enough to convince Byakuya that a sheep was a horrible pet? She was just as weak.
Renji’s last straw was when he awoke to the feeling of coarse, curly wool against his chest. He didn’t give a fuck if Byakuya locked him out of the manor for a month. That sheep was getting the boot.
“Byakuya, get that animal the fuck out of our bed,” Renji said in frustration, propping himself up enough to look over at the man’s pensive face.
“It’s warm and soft to hold,” came his soft reply.
That caused Renji to sit all the way up, grasping at Byakuya’s face to look him in the eyes.
“You know I love you, and I know you love cute things even if you won’t admit it, but I refuse to share my bed with a barnyard stray we picked up in the Rukongai. I’ve worked hard so I wouldn’t have to sleep with animals anymore for warmth. I hate to give you an ultimatum but I just cannot deal with it anymore, so it’s me or the sheep,” he said with a sigh. “You can keep the sheep if you want, but you will lose me.”
If he had blinked, Renji would’ve missed the split-second flash of panic in the noble’s grey eyes. After a few measured breaths and a heavy sigh, he replied.
“The sheep will be gone by this evening.”
“Good,” Renji replied while he scooped the lamb up with one arm and deposited it on the floor. “A little offended you had to think about it for that long, but at least you came around in the end.”
“Don’t be silly,” Byakuya sighed. “If I am limited to one, you are the animal I want in my bed.”
Renji chuckled softly before pulling his lover closer, curling up under the blankets again. “I would certainly hope so.”