The day of the blizzard, Byakuya orders the entirety of the pack into the largest building they have that can house the entirety of the pack. Should the snowfall be extreme enough to confine them to the interior for any length of time, he wants no one to be out of his reach. He spends the morning assisting the others in making sure there is enough room for everyone, helping to arrange sleeping quarters so that everyone is happy with the choices available to them. Because Chad and Uryu already live in this building, Ichigo decides to room with them, and Rukia and Orihime end up deciding the same.

As the pack alpha, Byakuya could likely secure a room for just himself and Renji, but instead he makes a point to room with Yoruichi and Urahara because he has no desire to spread any rumors about him thinking he’s too good to room with anyone else. Likely, it will just be the four of them. The children in the pack tend to convene in a single room and use it as an opportunity to have a sleepover, staying up far too late into the night. Jinta will drag Ururu along with him, like he always does. Byakuya is confident in this.

He almost thinks he might be able to get away with not having to worry about ensuring anyone has a room to himself when Isane walks up to him just past nine, her face hot and her gaze on the floor, feet dragging along the floor. Byakuya pauses at the sight of her, takes in the slight distress in her scent and frowns. While Isane is not one of the older alphas in the pack— her white hair is natural, but she’s younger than he is— Isane is a rock. It takes much to shake her as much as she looks right now.

He touches Renji on the rest to let him know he’s moving and walks toward her, meeting her halfway across the living room. “Isane, is something wrong? You look upset.”

“I’m not upset, per se.” Isane murmurs, and Byakuya realizes that she’s embarrassed, rubbing at her hot cheeks with her fingers. “I just needed to talk to you about something.”

His head falls to the side. “What is it? You know you can come to me about anything.”

“Retsu prefers not to suppress her heats. You know, with her age, it’s not really… Advisable unless she wants to risk her fertility altogether.” Isane murmurs, and Byakuya nods. Even he knows that. Eventually, an omega’s fertility fades and stops, and the older an omega is, the less likely they are to suppress their heats for fear of starting the cycle early. “Her heat cycle is going to take place at the duration of the blizzard.”

“Oh.” Byakuya blinks a handful of times. Though, logically, he knows Unohana is an omega and thus would have heat cycles as a result, he never thought about it. Never had cause to think about it. “I can ensure you two have a room to yourselves, I’m sure.”

Isane breathes a sigh and nods, and still she drags one of her feet against the hardwood floor, almost forcing herself to look up at him. “Do you think you can do so soon? She’s in pre-heat and I want to get her bedded down so she can relax.”

“Of course.” Byakuya takes her by the shoulder, squeezes gently. “Just stay right here, let me go over the rooms once more, and I’ll come back to you with an answer.”

This time, Isane raises her head all the way and smiles. “Thank you so much, Taicho.”

Most of the rooms have been taken by this point, but Byakuya left a few empty just in case for something of this occasion. Heat cycles take place roughly every three months and while some omegas could predict the days their cycle will take place for years to come, others have enough fluctuation and variation that he could not be sure what would happen until he was told. He finds a room available on the top floor and attaches a note to the door so everyone knows it’s reserved and who it’s reserved for.

“Top floor, left corner.” He tells Isane when he returns downstairs. “Is Retsu all right?”

Isane’s face softens and she nods, a slow smile spreading across her lips. “She is. She’s just waiting back home for me. I’m going to retrieve her and drag some bedding over.”

“Do you want help? I can have, ah.” Byakuya glances around the room for a moment, well aware that sending an alpha or an omega is not an option at the moment. “I can have Hanataro assist you so you don’t have to make so many trips, if you want.”

At the sound of his name, Yamada Hanataro lifts his head from where it’s been bent over the sleeping arrangement for a good half an hour. “What did you say, Taicho?”

“That would be a lot of help, actually.” Isane admits. “I don’t want her to walk if she doesn’t have to, and I can bundle up the bedding so he can carry it.”

“Come here, Hanataro.” When the short beta hurries up to Byakuya with a concerned expression on his face, Byakuya drops a hand on his shoulder, biting back a smile when Hanataro yelps and jumps. “I want you to accompany Isane back to her home. She’s going to have you bring some bedding over for her. Unohana-san will be in heat soon.”

The concern ratchets up another ten degrees or so but Hanataro nods solemnly. “I understand. I’ll help you carry anything you need me to, Kotetsu-san!”

The two of them walk off together and Byakuya nods to himself, moving through the house as he assists in making sure everything is taken care of. They have more than enough food stores in the house for the time it will take the blizzard to die down, and he doubts they can keep the alphas inside for more than a few days without cabin fever taking control of them and driving them to charge through the snow by force.

Rukia’s hand on his elbow startles him. “Brother, shouldn’t you sit down for a moment?”

“I suppose so.” The rush to get everything prepared is not exactly something he should put everything into. There are others who are just as capable here to help him, and none of them are carrying a child. “Are the five of you settled into your current room?”

“We are.” Rukia leads him over to a couch and makes sure he sits down before she sits down next to him, her eyes darting down to his abdomen. “How are the pups doing?”

“Fine, as far as I know. Retsu’s exam turned up nothing worrying about them. They appear to be in fine health, and I’ve felt no pain that would suggest anything’s happened.” Byakuya smiles to himself, rubbing a hand over his stomach.

Rukia’s expression softens into a smile. “The last time I spoke to you about the prospect of children, you were firm in the idea that you’d never have any of your own. Now, you’re carrying triplets. I never thought I’d see the day you changed so much.”

“Like I said before, it was different when it wasn’t in theory anymore.” Byakuya doesn’t have to say out loud that he can’t wait for the day when he actually starts to show, when he can feel the soft flutter of their movements before anyone else can. “Hisana… Her condition made the idea of having children a difficult one. I would hardly be cut out for raising them on my own, after all. It never would have worked out.”

Gently, Rukia rests her hand on top of his own, linking their fingers together. “You would have been a wonderful father, I think, even if she had passed away and left you to tend the pups on your own. You think far less of yourself than you should.”

“I wonder.” Byakuya murmurs, not keen on arguing with his sister.

But Rukia is insistent. “You would have been able to do it. But… Nee-san wouldn’t have been able to take care of you while you were pregnant, and that’s care you would have needed, I think. It wouldn’t be easy to be pregnant and pack alpha at the same time.”

“That is true. The stress alone of taking care of the pack, Hisana, and the pregnancy meant I likely would have lost the latter.” Except for the fact miscarriage is commonly heralded by bleeding and pain, Byakuya could have lost a pregnancy without even knowing it. Only the lack of those symptoms tells him he hasn’t. “Renji is a good man, and he’s taken good care of me. I think… I would like to think that Hisana would approve of him.”

“I approve of him.” Rukia says, squeezing his hand, “And I knew her better than anyone. She would have been happy just to see you move on to someone who loves you.”

Byakuya leans down to kiss the top of his sister’s head. “Thank you, Rukia. I think you’re going to make an incredible mother whenever you and Orihime have children.”

“Ah.” Rukia smiles up at him. “I’d like to actively try after I’ve put a proper mark on her. I want to do that during the spring when it’s traditional and her favorite flowers are in bloom. She’s going to be an amazing mother, I just know it. And I’ll take care of her.”

“I know you will. You grew up so fast, it seems like just yesterday that Hisana introduced us for the first time.” Byakuya remembers that with a warm fondness in his chest.

Rukia turns to face him properly again, her violet eyes slightly glazed over as she recalls that day. “I was so shy, I was hiding behind her skirts and peeking around her. It was spring, she’d just announced her intentions to mate you properly and wanted us to be acquainted with each other. I thought you were beautiful, even then. So regal and controlled. I didn’t even know about your family and everything you’d gone through.”

“I was so happy to have a family again, even if it was such a small one.” Byakuya touches Rukia’s cheek and her gaze sharpens as she meets his eyes. “Thank you, Rukia. I know I’ve been difficult since Hisana’s passing, and I don’t fault you for needing distance from me. But thank you for coming home and giving me a chance to be a proper brother to you.”

Leaning up, Rukia pecks him on the cheek. “You’re welcome. I’m glad to be home. I’m glad to know you’ve really changed and that you’re making strides to be a better man, and you’re really proving it. And I’m glad I’ll be here to meet my nieces and nephews. Or nephews.”

“Room arrangements are all sorted out.” Renji informs him, dropping down next to him on the couch, arms snaking around him a second later, dragging Byakuya into his alpha’s lap. “Sorry to hog him, Rukia, but you got him for years. I’ve only had him a few months.”

Rolling her eyes, Rukia throws her hands up in the air. “It’s like you psychically know that someone is having a tender moment with Byakuya who isn’t you and you show up.”

“Look, when he’s my mate officially, we can talk about doling out custody so it’s more fair.” Renji says, and Byakuya slaps him on the shoulder. “But until then, I’m going to hog him a whole lot more. Relax, though, I’m gonna put the mark on him pretty soon.”

Rukia arches an eyebrow at him. “Do you think I really want to know the finer details? I’m not a kid anymore, Renji, I know exactly what you do to make sure it sticks.”

“You sure?” Renji leans closer to her. “You see, when an alpha and an omega fall in love—”

“I’m done!” Rukia shoves her hand against his face and Renji sputters against her palm as she stands, shoving his head back into the couch. “I wish you luck, brother, because he’s an awful, horrible alpha. I’m going to go check on my princess and make sure she’s okay.”

“Pretty sure she and Ichigo took a shitload of blankets up to their room to make one big nest.” Renji says, tone suggesting he’s trying to be more helpful now.

On that note, Byakuya turns around to look at Renji. “You were in my kitchen when Toshiro was hitting on Ichigo, were you not? I’d like to know what that was all about.”

“You know, I was getting this itching feeling that of course you were getting soft for that kid, and now I know how right I was about that.” Renji rolls his eyes and Byakuya’s narrow at him. So what if he’s treating Ichigo more like a younger brother than a stranger? He has no one else. “Yeah, Toshiro was hitting on him. You know his normal routine by now.”

Byakuya sighs. Of course. Of course. “Make sure he doesn’t make Ichigo uncomfortable. You know he’s not used to being in a pack. He might read too much into it.”

“I’ll peek the punk in his place, no worries. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to your new favorite strawberry.” Renji drops his voice low enough that Byakuya doubts anyone else can pick up the sound of it but him, a dull low murmur. “Just between the two of us, I’m glad Ichigo has so much attitude. Another pack alpha would have smacked that out of him, and as annoying as that mouth of his is, it’s still him, y’know?”

Smiling softly, Byakuya nods. “Of course I do. I’d only want my omegas to be themselves.”

“That’s what makes you one of the better pack alphas, I think. Letting the omegas be themselves, not trying to shove them into boxes. I think sometimes even the best alphas fuck up and make that mistake.” Renji pulls him down, presses a sloppy kiss to the side of his neck and Byakuya giggles and swats at his chest.

When Hisana had begun courting Byakuya, the docile parts of his personality had been bled from his veins and all that was left was spite and the desire for vengeance, to take the pack that should belong to him. He was not soft, was not gentle. He thinks that might have been what caught her eye, what stood as a challenge to most other alphas who thought they could break him of that and turn him back into a soft, gentle creature. It was an aspect of him born from his grief, something that only hardened when Hisana died.

Renji makes him softer, not by force or demand, not by trying to force him to his knees and to teach him obedience. He makes Byakuya softer by simply being this gentle, caring man that makes Byakuya feel safe enough to be vulnerable with him.

Maybe he doesn’t quite believe in the concept of soulmates— he certainly said as much to Renji— but perhaps he was meant to find Renji just the same.

Isane steps back into the house with Unohana cradled in her arms, the sleeves of her sweater pushed up, revealing the noticeable muscles in her forearms. “I’ve returned.”

“Hold on.” Byakuya puts a firm hand on Renji’s shoulder, a silent sign for him not to move because the last thing he wants is Isane trying to rip Renji’s throat out for getting too close to her omega. “I’m going to check on Retsu. If you move, Isane will kill you.”

Renji’s face blanches slightly and he nods. “I learned my lesson when Ran scared me.”

Unohana has her faced tucked against the side of Isane’s neck but Byakuya picks up on her scent without having to get too close, the flush on her cheeks visible. “Hello, Taicho.”

“Retsu.” Byakuya pats her gently on the shoulder and glances up when Hanataro trips into the room, holding onto the bundle of bedding as tightly as he can. “Isane is going to take you upstairs and take care of you there. You’ll be undisturbed.”

“Thank you, Taicho.” Unohana’s smile is gentle. “We’ll try to be quiet.”

Byakuya shakes his head. “Don’t even worry about it. There’s not a child here so young they don’t understand what’s going on. Just let Isane take care of you.”

“I’m going to take her up now, Taicho.” Isane says, and Byakuya nods and steps back.

Hanataro flashes him a smile as he hurries after him and he glances toward the door just in time to see Rangiku step inside, her arm wrapped around Kira’s shoulders, herding him into the building. He’d seen them when Kira was being cared for after his heat but seeing Kira on his feet again is a good sight, as is the way he giggles and flushes when Rangiku kisses the side of his neck, right on top of the mark she’d left. From the looks of it, it’ll scar over nicely. Byakuya almost hopes Ichimaru Gin sees it at least once in his lifetime, the knowledge that he wasn’t able to scar Rangiku and Kira beyond recovery.

“You look well, Kira.” Byakuya steps forward, setting his hands gently on Kira’s shoulders. Kira might have been Renji’s friend moreso, but Byakuya is his alpha, and the well-being of every omega in the pack is important to him. “I trust that Rangiku-san took good care of you. She’s already doing her best to be an excellent alpha for you.”

The way Kira ducks his head, the way he flushes even as he smiles, warms a part of Byakuya’s heart he didn’t know could be warmed. “Thank you. She’s been the best thing for me since he left. I don’t even care that he’s gone now. He can stay gone.”

“That’s what I want to hear.” Rangiku kisses the mating mark again and Kira positively purrs with her tender attention. “Thank you for checking up on him, Taicho. It means a lot that you’re checking up on him, but no worries. I’m going to keep him safe and happy.”

“You already are.” Kira smiles at her, all soft eyes and sweeter smile.

Byakuya could cry, he’s so grateful to see Kira in recovery finally. “You two will be rooming with Kensei and Hisagi. It seemed like something you wouldn’t mind too much.”

“I’m happy with that. Shuhei has a lot to catch up on, anyway.” Kira rubs his fingers over the mark on his throat and Byakuya nods in understanding.

He takes a step forward and Kira blinks at him once before beaming up at him, stepping into Byakuya’s personal space, letting Byakuya pull him close, drag his cheek along Kira’s and nuzzling into the side of his neck. Byakuya has not let himself be soft enough with the omegas in his pack and he needs to do better, so he does so now, wrapping Kira up tight in his arms and cuddling him the way he seems to like. Kira sighs and hugs him back, all relaxed muscles and marigolds mixing with Byakuya’s own cherry blossom scent.

“Have a good day, Kira.” Byakuya tells him, kissing him on the forehead.

Kira’s smile is like the spring sun, all warm and golden. “I will. Thank you, Taicho.”

Rangiku presses her hand against the small of Kira’s back and guides him toward the stairs, and Byakuya turns to see Renji watching him from the couch with a thoughtful expression on his face. Before he can ask what Renji is thinking about, a familiar warm spice fills his nose and he turns his head to see Yoruichi leaping lightly up onto the porch.

“Yoruichi-san, you’re too fast for me.” Urahara complains, dragging himself up the steps to her side. He’s weighed down by Ururu on his back, wrapped up in a fur and clinging to him. Jinta stands at Yoruichi’s side, no doubt having kept pace with her.

“How old are you, anyway?” Yoruichi asks him, arms folded over her chest. “I gave you a head start and you still lost to me. Are you sure we’re the same age?”

Annoyed, Urahara huffs at her. “Are you trying to embarrass me in front of Byakuya?”

“Hmm?” Yoruichi turns her head, then scoffs. “No, Byakuya-bo will agree with me that you’re much too slow. He’s almost been able to catch up to me.”

“Hi, Taicho.” Jinta waves a hand at him. “Are we allowed to pile up in one room again?”

Byakuya is hardly fazed by the question. “Of course. I did the room arrangements with that in mind, that you’d all end up claiming one room to yourself. You get the biggest one.”

“Awesome! I’m going to build a fort.” Jinta takes off past him and Byakuya watches after him, mildly surprised when he has to remind himself that Jinta has no blood relation to Yoruichi and is only her son by adoption. It is really hard to remember sometimes.

Yoruichi takes pity on her mate, plucking Ururu off of his back, pressing a kiss to the girl’s cheek before setting her on her feet. “Go after your brother and make sure the fort is structurally sound. You’re the only one with architectural talent in this family.”

Ururu nods sagely to her mother. “I will. Take care of Touchan for me.”

“Of course.” Yoruichi’s face softens into a tender smile. “That’s my girl.”

When Ururu hurries past, her fur dragging the ground behind her, Byakuya turns toward his friends once more, mouth open to ask them why they would be racing in the snow—

And stops short when he sees Yoruichi has closed the space between her and Urahara, her lips pressed against his ear, her hand cradling his cheek to keep him close to her. Whatever she says has him laughing, ducking his head a little to hide his blush, but she keeps it up until he’s squirming her grip. Only then does she stop, turning his head to kiss him properly, fingers sliding up to knot in his hair. The two of them are lovely together.

Byakuya bites down on his lower lip. “You two look like you’re having a good day.”

“We are.” Yoruichi presses a wet kiss to Urahara’s cheek. “We’ll try not to keep you two up late, but you know, should we do that… You’re adults and can handle it, right?”

“Is that how it is.” Byakuya huffs at her. “Retsu’s going to be in heat and you’re going to push it, aren’t you? I know Urahara’s already been through his cycle and you won’t go into rut for another month, and you’re going to do this to us anyway.”

Yoruichi pokes her tongue out at him. “Then give as good as you get, Byakuya-bo. I’ve seen the way your alpha looks at you. I’m sure you can convince him to compete.”

“You know how she is when she gets excited.” Urahara says, almost shrieking when Yoruichi picks him up and tosses him over her shoulder, her hand braced on his ass as she carries him inside and up the stairs. “Sorry, Taicho! She leads and I follow!”

Renji comes to stand next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. “We’re going to have to deal with those two fucking all night long, aren’t we?”

“We are.” Byakuya confirms, and Renji heaves a sigh. “And we’re going to do the same. If she wants to do this, then I’ll rise to the challenge. I’m interested to see which one of you has more stamina, anyway. It’s been a long time since I last had sex with Yoruichi, and I can’t say that I recall just how much staying power she has.”

The comment is well-placed. Renji’s chest puffs out immediately. “I’ll definitely win.”

Byakuya sends him off to make sure their room is fine and gazes out the open door toward the trees, wondering if Shinji and his pack are going to have shelter from the oncoming blizzard. Such thick snowfall is going to make it difficult for them, especially with so few places in these woods to rest. Aizen’s pack will be fine, of course, perhaps snowed underground but that is hardly his concern, and Kenpachi’s compound was basically made to withstand any oncoming threat of snow, built to withstand an avalanche of large proportion. As long as he gets his pack inside, everything else should be fine.

It doesn’t stop him from worrying, just the same.

Kyoraku and Ukitake show up soon, Ukitake holding Nanao carefully in his arms, her face tucked against his neck to protect her from the cold. She waves a quiet hand to Byakuya as they walk by him and Byakuya smiles. Ukitake has always been wonderful with children that even Kyoraku’s niece has warmed up to him, her eyes drifting to him when he speaks to her, a small smile touching her lips. Kyoraku doesn’t even seem to notice him, his eyes all for his mate and his niece, the family they’ve brought together.

Ishida Uryu stumbles into the house, his hair damp from snow and his face exhausted, and Byakuya frowns as he catches the young beta around the waist. “Oh, Taicho. I didn’t see you there. I apologize if I bumped into you.”

“You didn’t.” Byakuya noses into his hair, wincing at how cold it is. “You’ve been outside for a very long time today, haven’t you? Poor thing, you’re freezing.”

“Am I?” Uryu shivers as if on cue. “I went numb. I hardly noticed. I’m sorry.”

The behavior is unusual enough that Byakuya moves on instinct more than anything else, half-dragging Uryu back to the couch and retrieving one of the furs he’d left there, winding it tight around the young man’s shoulders. “Let me help you warm up.”

Instead of arguing, Uryu leans into him, and Byakuya nuzzles into his hair as he all but pulls Uryu into his lap. He remembers the story he’d been told, Uryu desperate to escape a mating his father wanted for him, one he did not want himself. It was easy to forget that betas could be pressured and mistreated the same as alphas and omegas, that anyone’s parents could be truly awful if given half the chance. It makes Byakuya wonder if Uryu had any relationship with his parents at all. Perhaps it was better if he did not.

That probably makes Uryu soften into his arms more easily, a soft sigh leaving his lips as his dark blue eyes flutter shut. Byakuya hums softly, rubbing a hand up Uryu’s slender back, nosing into his hair. His alpha had come off a rut fairly recently— It had ended just yesterday, which made Byakuya wonder why Uryu would be wandering around outside. Even a beta should have felt rather attached to his mate by this point.

“Thank you, Taicho.” Uryu’s voice is low and soft, and he tucks his head up under Byakuya’s chin, no doubt craving the contact. “I feel much warmer now.”

Just the same, Byakuya keeps Uryu in his arms until Chad comes to collect him, sternly informing the young alpha to take his mate upstairs right away and keep him warm.

Night falls steadily and the last of the pack slip into the house, and Renji locks the door and pulls the curtains to keep the cold outside. They have a fire blazing in the fireplace and everyone gathers in the living room and the den and the kitchen, somewhat of a tight fit but not nearly as bad as it could be. Renji pulls Byakuya into his lap and holds him there, nose pressed against the nape of his neck.

Even with the blizzard outside, Byakuya feels at peace. His pack is together, everyone is warm and happy, the children are playing and he can see his sister and her mate across the room, curled up close and wrapped around each other. Everything is just as it should be.

He presses a hand to his stomach and closes his eyes, enjoying the closeness of his mate and his pack and the warmth of their home.