byakuya kuchiki x reader, pre-relationship, set prior to turn back the pendulum. reader is from a noble family. <1k
Of all the places you could be on a day like today, the Gathering of the Nobles wouldn't even be on the bottom of the list. It would be on a separate list titled "Places You Would Never Wish to be Even if the World Was Ending and There Were No Other Options." Your birth didn't allow you such a choice, the Gathering being a required biennial event for nobility, but it didn't stop you from shoving a book between the layers of your robes before departing to the Shihoin Estate with your family.
You had made it five steps onto the pavilion before parents of young nobles approached your sister, all but begging for an introduction to their so-called wonderful child. None of these families would look to you when the heir to your clan was available. That made it easy to sneak away from the crowd and find a seat someplace quiet.
You assessed the immaculate space. Each table was carefully arranged by family rank. That would have placed you somewhere in the middle, you supposed. It might be advantageous to sit down right away. With everyone gathered to the standing room, you'd have a better chance of being ignored.
In the corner of your eye a nobleman and his daughter approached someone you recognized from the Soul Reaper Academy, seated at his table. He probably had the same idea as you, which sadly backfired. You scanned the pavilion for other options.
To your surprise, you spotted who you imagined would be the most sought-after young heir at the Gathering seated by himself on a bench faced outside. Sure, his attitude wasn't the best, but you knew many young noble women here would gain an incredible advantage by marrying into the Kuchiki Clan. He was certainly the most visually appealing of the eligible nobles. Many students at the Academy spoke of Byakuya Kuchiki's looks. He was quite elegant.
Perhaps his rank was too distinguished for anyone to freely approach Byakuya. That would explain the look you received that time you informed a classmate that you had been training Zanjutsu with Byakuya in private.
Nonetheless, a gawk was better than failing in Zanjutsu, and it would certainly beat withstanding the pomp and circumstance of the Gathering. So you crossed the pavilion, narrowly avoiding families and tables alike, and sat down next to him.
You didn't give the young lord a chance to react before you huffed a breath and swiped your book from its hiding place.
"This seems to be the only quiet place here," you said, flipping your book to the spot you left off.
Byakuya didn't reply, but you noticed him in the corner of your eye adjusting his posture and shifting far too much. You lost your place more times than you wished; your field of vision snagging on him like a misprint on the page before you.
"Is there a problem?" You didn't look away from your book as you spoke.
He stilled. "You're going to make me look bad."
"Why," you started playfully, "are you afraid I will ruin your chances of betrothal?"
"I have no interest in frivolous matchmaking," he said immediately, his tone growing clipped. "It's rude to show up to a social event with a book."
You began to swing your legs, fiddling with the open page of your tome. "You should know by now that I don't quite care what these people think of me, Lordling."
The way you carried yourself at the Academy was proof enough. You were even so bold as to pull out "that book of yours" - as Byakuya often called it - during footwork demonstrations. You hardly reacted to the scolding your instructor gave you.
"I have a title to uphold," he said, fighting the impatience in his voice.
You closed your book. "It wouldn't insult me if you asked me to leave."
Byakuya didn't say anything, he simply crossed his arms in annoyance. After a moment you stood, accepting his gruff non-answer, and began to scan the room for another place to escape.
As if they were waiting for your departure, a family shuffled toward the bench, watching Byakuya with interest. You chose to ignore their presence. It wasn't your problem.
Just as your gaze found a cozy-looking spot on the other side of the pavilion, a hand closed itself around your wrist.
"Wait," he said, stopping you. "I'll keep you company." You turned to look at Byakuya in time to watch him puff up his chest. As if he were doing you a favor.
You choked on a laugh. "Are you suggesting you're better company than Human History Volume 4?"
Byakuya's face contorted between vexation and schooled politeness, and you watched, amused.
You wouldn't move from where you stood until he cracked, and at last he did; sighing deeply and looking to you for mercy. "Please?"
Content with his manners, you sat back down and stowed your book away. The observing family turned away in disappointment.
"Very well," you said, crossing your legs as you looked at him eagerly. "Let me tell you about the last chapter I read."
Byakuya stopped himself from rolling his eyes, but listened to your summary carefully, and the two of you debated the topic well into the evening, staving off suitors while you did so. By the time you separated to go home, you mentally moved the Gathering up your list. At least, as long as the young lord would be there.
byakuya x reader, pre-relationship, a little silly, a little flirty. <1k
"I didn't know the Lord Kuchiki cooked."
The kitchen in the Kuchiki Estate was more elegant than you could fathom. Every surface was made with only the highest quality material, and the galley corridor extended further than the length of a Soul Reaper's standard-issue bedroom.
Byakuya moved about the space in a practiced manner, with every confidence in the tools he gathered, which ingredients were stocked. You'd anticipated sitting down to a dinner served by his staff when he invited you to share a meal after one of your usual evening strolls.
Byakuya prepped without disruption as he responded. "You sound surprised."
"Not surprised," you chimed. "Just amused." The number of ingredients on the counter gradually began to increase and you felt a bit sheepish. "I can help, you know."
"This meal is more complex than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich." The sound of a knife on a chopping board accented his words.
A broad smile bloomed across your lips as you recalled the time you brought your newfound favorite snack to sparring practice for him to try. "Don't pretend you don't like them."
"If you would like to help, you may set the table." He pretended to ignore your comment, but there was no denying the amount of times you split the sweet sandwich in half to share.
Rather than prod him further, you scoured his kitchen for dishes and organized them carefully at the table in the next room while Byakuya fired up the stove, eventually filling the space with a warm, savory aroma. With the table set for two, you hopped up onto the cool stone of his kitchen counter, your feet dangling playfully as you waited. Byakuya stepped away from the stove and stopped when he saw you, haphazardly sat like you owned the place.
"This is serious business," he said, mildly exasperated.
"You're always doing serious business." You leaned back on your hands in challenge of the order he kept over his life.
A shimmer in his eye was the only detail to give up his facade of annoyance before he stepped closer, encroaching on your space as he braced his hand on the cabinet above you. Your face grew warm as his hips slotted between your knees and his gaze descended upon you. You betrayed yourself by looking at his lips.
He opened his mouth, drawing you in only a little closer. "Watch your head," he said bluntly.
Your mind screeched to a halt as you processed his words. A hot shade of red crawled up your neck as you leaned forward, allowing Byakuya to open the cabinet behind you. Any gratitude that Byakuya couldn't see your face washed away as his scent flooded your senses - lavishly clean with dizzying notes of sakura, green tea, and something wholly him.
Before you could take another breath, Byakuya vanished with his newfound ingredient and returned to his cooking. You stared daggers into his back as he worked over the flame, seemingly oblivious to the obvious effect he had on you.
Eventually your pout shifted to an expression of wonder as you watched him carefully tend to your meal. Infrequently were Byakuya's hands fully visible, often covered across the back and around his wrists with bracers. They seemed steadier, stronger than those of the boy you grew up with. The dark sleeves of his Shihakusho were rolled up and your eyes caught on the slight ripple of his forearms as he moved.
"Would you like to taste it?" Byakuya's words seemed in harmony with the gentle sizzle of the pan, so much that you didn't register the question at first.
"Hmm?" Your stomach growled as Byakuya scooped a small heap of sauteed vegetables onto a spoon, holding it out to you. Mindlessly, you opened your mouth to receive it.
Before Byakuya could think better of it, he gently fed you the carefully prepared bite. Your lips closed around the spoon before he slid it away, your eyes fluttering closed as the flavor hit your tongue. He stood motionless as you savored it, whether in awe of you or blindsided by his actions, he couldn't say.
"That," you said hungrily as you opened your eyes, "is delicious."
Byakuya blinked, turning back to the stove to hide the blooming flush on his face. "Good. It's almost ready."
hi!!! have you considered a roleplaying scenario with byakuya?? like either a date or tbh at a couples retreat as an activity?
omggg byakuya would take a roleplaying activity at like a retreat so seriously aslkdgj
i get the sense he wouldn't be one to suggest roleplaying in a given situation but if he is given a role he will play it like he was born for the stage esppp if there's an element of competition but i could also imagine us going to like a murder mystery party and we have so much fun with it but its equally funny because he might be in character but his face is still like 😐
i think at first byakuya is really easily ragebaited by me but then over time he starts unconsciously going along with my bits but like he's not breaking character and giggling with me he's like. responding in earnest which is so much funnier
okay so i saw your hoodie post from earlier but i'd like to question how byakuya feels with the following outfit -> naked in his robes
a;sldkgjs;fldgka . i'm falling over i love this vision
it depends where we're at in the relationship but what i'm seeing is early relationship byakuya swallowing a lump in his throat and very fixated on the view like he's trying to comprehend but also trying to be calm and simply says "those are my robes." and then i'd probably tell him to take them back if he wants and he loses it lolol
late relationship the robes stay on no question i do think it is his favorite outfit of his mine
mostly our conversations would be senbonzakura suddenly telling me something cryptic and i jump out of my skin because admittedly i am a little bit scared of him as;ldkfajl;kda but i think i would eventually just yap all the time because he's so much like byakuya that now i can hear both of them sighing when i make a stupid joke
okay so previously i mentioned a hc i found that byakuya is aquarius sun / aries moon / leo rising - and i’m gonna yap a little about this using my Loose (loose) grasp on astrology (okay i yapped a lot and i didn’t proofread this its just my candid Mind Juice spewed across a blog post)
when i think of what a leo asc might look like, i firstly imagine warmth. now, byakuya has his charm but i wouldn’t necessarily associate warmth with his presentation. but the specific dimension of leo i do associate with byakuya is that of someone who is confident and regal like a lion. not to mention the most apparent part of his values and compass - his pride. pride in his clan, in rukia, in his own skill as a soul reaper, and so on. his overall demeanor is an introspective yet confident blend of his aquarius sun and leo rising. imo.
this also puts his sun, aquarius, in the 6th house, which from my understanding, revolves around work, health, and daily routines. i haven’t cracked health here so i’m going to focus on the other two. byakuya is not just a captain for his skill with the sword, he is innovative and consistent in his determination to be the best soul reaper he can be for the good of the soul society. in battle we see him stretch a boundary or pursue unconventional means of using his own zanpakuto in order to defeat them. specifically his fight with tsukishima comes to mind, but his hueco mundo fight stands out as well. i’ve seen/read theory that byakuya might have been largely self-taught, and while i still believe he attended the soul reaper academy, i do believe without a doubt that much of his training was done by himself, exploring his relationship with his zanpakuto on his own. i also don’t believe byakuya is entirely conventional in the way he goes about his daily life, and while he probably views it simply (i can hear him saying “i do what is required of me to fulfill the role of squad 6 captain and clan head.”), beneath that he is going about things in ways many wouldn’t consider simple.
aries moon was interesting for me to delve into. the surface-level understanding i had of an aries moon was quick to anger, as a fire sign can naturally manifest as. i’m leaning more into the side of firey impulsivity, and some stubbornness as well. byakuya made a vow to himself after he married hisana, which ends up revealing itself as short-sighted when he has to choose between his vow and circumventing the law to save rukia. it takes nearly an all-out war, and his own defeat, to change his mind. this calculation also puts this aries moon in the 8th house. death is such an instigator for his story in soooo many ways - the way he honors the dead is so telling for him. from honoring hisana’s request to the death’s and symbolism if his parents’ lives, this is particularly significant. we know that his father was incredibly unique in his approach to life as a soul reaper, father, and clan leader (don’t get me started on this we have nowhere near enough information on this and i crave it so badly). this parental figure was highly influential on byakuya, or so i believe, and it creates a bit of inner conflict between maintaining the status quo and breaking rules to improve the world around him.
the chart i pulled as a visual reference also places 3 other planets in aquarius which i find particularly interesting but i don’t know enough to speak to it. i do kind of like the idea of byakuya having an aquarius venus, though. perhaps i will come back to that.
anyway!!!! i have ranted enough about this and these are just my thoughts based on someone as crazy as me from many years ago. none of this is factual and is all my obsessive interpretation yadda yadda
