Frustration (byaren boyxboy)

Frustration

Byakuya Kuchiki was one cold son of a bitch, and no one knew this better than his lieutenant.
For some reason, more hollows than usual had been popping up and the sixth division had been swamped with work. Everyone was a little on edge with each other, but It's captain was by far the most effected. Byakuya had piles and piles of paperwork to do, reports to be looked over, and things to be signed. To say he was stressed was an understatement, and, as per usual, Renji was paying the price. The red heads fellow lieutenants marveled at how well he handled the icy noble and thought him a saint for not only putting up with it, but not even thinking much of it to begin with.
"I'm used to it," he'd say with a shrug to his fellow squad members after they witnessed their captain scolding and insulting the tattooed man over something as simple as missing a question on a form.
To be honest, Renji almost pitied his superior. He absolutely hated paperwork, and his captain had nearly twice as much as he did. How he managed to put up with that and his duties as head of the most well known noble family in the entire soul society was beyond him.
Not to mention his shitty lieutenant, the red head thought bitterly. Renji knew when it came to his job, he was pretty crappy at it. He was always late, came into work hung over way too often, and slacked off a bit in training. The questions people should be asking, is how his Taicho put up with him.
But not today, he thought enthusiastically. Kuchiki Taicho had been much more stressed than Renji had ever seen him before, and he decided that now was the best Time to become a better lieutenant. Kami knew, his captain deserved it.
And so, that's how the red head found himself waking up early in the morning to iron his outfit and show up to the sixth division office on time.
" ohayo Kuchiki Taicho!" Renji yelled as he threw the door open. His captain, being the only person there usually that time of the morning, had his door to his office open. His head had shot up, a startled expression on his face that the tattooed man relished in. It didn't last long however, as it quickly turned to a nasty scowl. The dark circles under the noble's eyes made Renji's stomach twist uncomfortably. His poor captain's age was starting to show.
"Abarai! Don't be so loud! It's too early in the morning for yelling, And this is the first time you've been on time this month! And where is your hair tie!?" Byakuya scolded. The red head ran his fingers through his thick, shaggy locks sheepishly.
" M'sorry, Taicho, guess I forgot it..." He said. His captain huffed.
"Just don't let it distract you, there's a large stack of paperwork on your desk and I expect it done by the end of the day! Do you understand!?"
"Yes, sir!" Renji said, bowing deeply. If Byakuya wasn't suspicious of his lieutenants behavior before, (which he was,) he certainly was now. Renji always groaned about paperwork. Even if he was acting strange, the Kuchiki didn't dare complain. Besides, he had too much work of his own to do to be worrying about what the tattooed man was up to. And so, he shoved the thought to the back of his mind.
Until 7:34 PM when there was a polite, solid knock on his door.
"Enter." Byakuya said without looking up from his work. The door slid open gently.
"Kuchiki Taicho, I've finished the paper work you've given me." Renji's voice saying those words startled the noble for the second time today. He looked up to see his lieutenant balancing the stack carefully. His face was passive, but his eyes glittered with a kind of pride. Byakuya's suspicion grew.
"...very good, Abarai. You may set it on my desk." he said. Renji did as told, but hesitated a bit, instead of leaving right away.
"...Is there anything else you needed Abarai Fukutaicho, or are you is it your goal to be a distraction?" Byakuya said, slightly annoyed.
"Erm, Taicho...?"
"Yes, Abarai?"
"Have you... Eaten anything lately?" The noble blinked. Of all things he expected his lieutenant to ask him, whether he'd eaten anything lately was not one of them.
"What? Why would you ask that?" Byakuya snapped. The red head winced.
"I dunno, you've jus' been workin' a whole lot lately and you look kinda pale..." He said. The icy captain scowled.
"My health is none of your concern, Abarai fukutaicho, you have other, more important things to worry about. I assure you as a full grown man, I can take care of myself." His words were so cold, Renji had to suppress the need to shiver.
"Er... With all due respect, captain... Your health is my concern. If you're not eating enough, then you get weak and if you're weak, you can't do stuff like help training and you get tired, then it's harder to do stuff like paper work when you're tired, and you get.... Er... Cranky..." The red head rambled, nervously avoiding his superior's gaze.
"...Abarai."
"Y-yes, Taicho?"
"Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?"
"N-no!" Renji said quickly, putting his hands up in surrender and defense.
"N-not at all, captain! I'm just... I-I'm just tryin' to do my job, y'know? I'm 'sposed ta be here ta help you, 'n stuff..." Byakuya sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Like I said before, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Just keep your mouth shut and do what I tell you without complaint. That's your job. Understand?"
"I...but..."
"Do you understand, Abarai?" Renji sighed heavily.
"Yes, Taicho, I understand." He sighed in defeat. He bowed deeply and left, shutting the door behind him. Once he was gone, the noble's stomach growled.
He hadn't eaten in several days.