~Raindrops~
It was cold.
She shivered, rubbing at her thin black sweater-covered arms. She hated the color and so did he. Depressing...yes. That was the word. The same she would apply to the day.
Buckets of water poured from the skies above the cemetery, the mourners, a large group all similar in their black skirts, pants and umbrellas had departed. Some had tears in their eyes. Others like her preferred solitude to grieve the man they had all loved and lost.
Kaien...
The first drops dampened her hair and slid along the curved tips.
More fell on her forehead and ran in little rivulets into her eyes and then down her face like the tears that refused to fall.
Kaien...I'm sorry. Her trembling grew, as the black cashmere clung to her skin. Her large violet irises blinked, the lashes clumping together. The simple stone marker bearing his name blurred. Rukia knew she was perilously close to breaking down then and there, but couldn't bring herself to care even as the rain soaked her to the bone.
"You're going to catch cold." A stranger's voice said. It was cool and decidedly male. And Rukia didn't recognize it. "Standing there like that." Perfunctorily he added. She was about to turn around and snap it was it was none of his business what she did when the drops stopped falling. A large round shadow hovered over her. Taken aback for a moment, she looked from the lime green expanse of water-proof canvas above her to the man's emerald green eyes.
He was a stranger...someone she didn't know.
Her first impulse was to ask his name, her second demanded she return home and not stay beneath any umbrella with a stranger in the middle of a deserted cemetery.
The former won out. "Your name?" She found the question held some bite to it and feared for a moment he might take offense.
He didn't. "Ulquiorra."
He wore a dark suit complete with silk tie and leather loafers.. So, he must've come to visit someone...
"Rukia." she indicated herself.
Ulquiorra dipped his head briefly in acknowledgement.
Obviously not much of a talker. Rukia watched him from the corner of her eye. But that was alright. Noisy men like Grimmjow were irritating to have around. Her glance went back to the stone. Especially now..
"Did you know..Kaien?" she noticed his fixation on the same thing.
His answer was brief, "no. Not..closely."
Not closely? What does that mean?!
He seemed to sense her thoughts. "I knew Mr. Shiba. But I'm sure," his lips quirked slightly in the corners. "He did not know me."
A little startled and more than a little confused, Rukia began to turn, her lips parting to say something.
"Good day, Ms. Kuchiki." he clicked his heels, bowing slightly before striding away.
It was then as Rukia stared after his swiftly departing figure that she realized the rain had stopped.
~Finis~
Disclaimer: don't own Bleach.
AN: thanks for reading. Set in modern times.
No flames-haters-stupid comments!
Reviews appreciated :)