Still mourning her mother's passing and outraged with her father's new family, Rukia must come face to face with the woman she has been hiding from. She just didn't expect her to be this special… AU Byakuya x Nel [Byakel]
let her in / 01
"You ready chicken?"
Frustrated was how Rukia felt.
It had been six years since she left the house where she lived with her father near Kyoto's Prefecture to live with her aunt Kukaku in Kamakura. It was a decision made by both adults themselves seeing how her father didn't find place for her in his life after her mother died when she was 7.
For the first three years, she had gone home to see him and her family a few times. But all of that changed when she got a message from Renji, her friend and her father's martial arts student and "protegee", stating in crazy caps locked letters how much of a lucky bastard her father was and how much he – Renji – would love her to be his stepmommy. And that he'd make sure to frequent her house a whole lot more. Among other things he would never have the balls to even whisper in her father's presence. Disgusted by his macho attitude as she was, Rukia didn't care to argue because an alarm had gone off in her mind: her father had a woman.
So for three years Rukia didn't visit her home in Seireitei, preferring not to meet the woman and wait for things between them to end. But they didn't and one year after being together, her father, the always logical, reasonable, serious, self-sufficient and brilliant Byakuya Kuchiki has made the proposal and they got married half a year later.
Despite the commotion from some of her relatives, especially her great-grandfather's, Rukia didn't attend. Her father himself didn't insist on her going, either to guard his bride's joy on this happy day in fear of Rukia ruining it or simply because he didn't care all that much.
To this day, the thirteen years old girl had yet to meet her new "family" and that was what was about to happen.
Her great-grandfather, the great noble and one of the heads (alongside her father) of one of the most traditional and respected Japanese clans, would be celebrating his 90th birthday in two days and Rukia was expected to be there.
When she was ready to take the same path and come up with an excuse to explain her absence, she got a call from her father stating – not asking or requesting – but simply informing her that he'd be there at 11AM the next day to accompany her in her flight home.
Now there was nothing Rukia could do.
And the tone he used when he said he would accompany her, as if leaving no doubt how the thought of a 13 years old girl needing someone to go such a lengths for her to get into a one hour long flight was utterly ridiculous, was intimidating enough.
Rukia stopped her browse in her computer when the door opened. The familiar curvy figure of Kukaku appeared offering her one of her sneaky smirks.
"Oh you are ready. Good. I was worried about being left alone too long with the high and mighty."
Rukia forced a smile, following her aunt's movements as the woman patted her backpack.
"Packing light, I see"
"I'll just be there for a few days"
"Hmph… Well, you are starting your vacation… You've got time"
Rukia went back to scroll down in her laptop, "I've got a lot to do here"
"Yeah… Sure…"
She hated how unconvinced her aunt sounded.
"What are you doing there? Aren't you taking this?"
"Yeah, I'm just syncing some new music to my phone…"
Kukaku's smirk turned into a knowing grin.
"What?" the teen asked.
"Avoidance strategy? With your old man? Ha" she shook her head "I bet my only arm you won't have the guts to trick while sitting next to your daddy"
Just then the doorbell rang and Rukia tried to control her nerves. Her father was there to take her out of her safe zone and he wasn't a man one said no to.
▴.▴.▴
One year without seeing each other wasn't enough to make a man like Byakuya to be emotional and Rukia wouldn't expect him to. So why did she feel disappointed when all he did upon seeing her was to nod and take her backpack from her, like the gentleman he always was. He did converse with Kukaku, who did most of the talking, of course, but it was just general stuff: how is everyone, how are things, her own reasons not to join them in the trip… Aside from her usual jokes and teasing, Rukia noticed how her aunt, as wild and insolent as she was, she still didn't bring up his marriage and new wife in behalf or Rukia. Opting to just comment on how good and in shape he looked. For that, Rukia was thankful.
They didn't talk much on their way to the airport or during the flight - although it was very amusing how aloof her father reacted to the bold women they came across. The new family wasn't brought up till they got to his car parked outside Kyoto's airport.
As Rukia opened the dark gray Jaguar's back door to throw her backpack she was met with a child seat and the horror she was avoiding just splashed on her face.
It wasn't just her father's new wife, in other words, her stepmother. The woman had a kid. No one could imagine Rukia's shock when the first picture she saw of her father with his girlfriend showed a very pregnant woman. All sirens went into chaos inside her head till her aunt explained that her father wasn't the father. Despite feeling relieved with the information, Rukia just couldn't understand what her father was doing marrying a woman pregnant with some other guy's baby.
But Byakuya certainly knew what he was doing – as always – and not only married the very curvy and voluptuous woman but also had been raising the kid as his own.
And the last picture Rukia ever saw of the happy family in her stepmother's blog – once she managed to find with some help from a friend – showed a sleeping Byakuya with a two years old chubby girl sleeping sprawled on his shirtless chest. One of his large hands' fingers loosely holding one of the tiny girl's feet as if even in his sleep he was aware of her.
After reading her stepmother's cooing subtitle to the picture, Rukia decided that enough was enough and that she wouldn't give into her masochistic curiosity any longer.
And now she was here. Closing the door – making her best not to slam it – she jumped on the shotgun seat with her bag on her lap. Her father didn't say a word.
But that didn't last.
As they were approaching the border between Kyoto and Seireitei, the small and privileged sub prefecture governed by four mighty clans (hers being one of them), Byakuya decided it was time to go to the point:
"Everyone is happy with your visit, especially Nelliel. She is looking forward to finally meet you. So is the little one. Be kind to them. If you want to take it out on someone, you do it on me." He then looked at her, his black steely eyes not leaving an inch for discussion, "Do not cross me on this, Rukia"
Frustration didn't begin to cover the plethora of emotions that had raged through her.
adding some Byakel love to this fandom.
I didn't proofread this, I hope it's ok.