Caged Butterfly

A/N: Written for the 30tears community on Livejournal. Beta-ed by Ailey-chan!


Prompt 26why do we keep doing this?

The room is silent.

There's no need for words.

Cloth rustles, and the wind gently spirals into the room from an open window.

There is a barely audible moan in the darker confines of the room. A cry follows, then a whisper, then a scream.

Somewhere in the distance, a wolf howls.

The room is dim.

There's no need for light. Yet still, the moonlight stubbornly streams in from the open window, casting shadows onto the pale, unadorned wall stretching the perimeter of the room.

Heavy gasps punctuate the silence. The heat in the room builds, even though it is a cool summer night. Skin slides against skin, eliciting heated sensations. Murmurs float in the air, breaths grow more labored, and then—

A silent scream hangs suspended in the air, the room shakes just the tiniest bit, and the silhouettes portrayed on the wall pause, for the tiniest fraction of a moment before they fall, together, in symmetry.

A woman collapses back onto the bed, her hair disarrayed, her cheeks flushed pink, and her violet eyes glowing in the dim light of the moon.

The man next to her thinks that she has never looked more beautiful.

His name floats from her lips, a sound that soon dissipates into the heavy, dark air.

He turns to face her, his eyes hooded yet still inquisitive, glinting in the dim light. He wraps his arms around her smaller body, tugging her closer to his chest.

She gives a soft squeak of surprise, but he just draws her closer, embraces her tighter.

He feels her heart beat wildly, a caged butterfly pounding its wings against the bars of the cage.

"We...can't keep doing this," she says, her voice still slightly breathless, her lips still looking thoroughly kissed, and sweat still gleaming on her brow. Her eyes are confused, questioning why do we keep doing this? But beneath that layer, in the dark depths underlying the bright purple, she silently says don't stop, please, never stop.

He laughs deep in his throat, and rests his chin on the top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair, feeling her small puffs of air against his collarbone.

"Why?" he asks, as if it's the simplest thing in the world.

He thinks it is the simplest thing in the world.

She begs to differ.

She struggles feebly to free herself from his grasp, but she soon surrenders.

She always surrenders.

He smiles at this, letting long, calloused fingers run through her already mussed-up hair, dipping down to stroke her neck and her ear.

"Why?" he repeats, his voice huskier, the hot air from his mouth just barely brushing the delicate shell of her ear.

"Because...because—"

She's cut off by a moan as he shifts position and crashes his lips down onto hers.

He isn't usually this undignified, but with her, he has to make some exceptions.

"Because what?" he prods, enjoying watching her squirm.

They've done this every night, and she still hasn't been able to come up with a reason.


The next morning, she awakes, her body pleasantly tingling yet still rather sore, to find the other side of the bed cold.

But when she buries her face back into the pillow, she catches a distinct scent of cherry blossoms, and she smiles.


She sees him at the dining table as she goes down the stairs for breakfast. He's sitting there, drinking tea and reading the newspaper.

Just like every morning.

Every morning she has to wake up and see him again.

She settles down with a cup to steaming hot tea, directly across from him. Their eyes meet, but neither says a word.

There's no need for words.


A knock sounds on the door, and a few moments later Renji bounces in, as energetic and as enthusiastic as ever. Inwardly, she sighs.

On the outside, she remains impassive.

"Ruuuuuukia!" Renji whines, oblivious to the other man at the table. "Are you ready to go yet? I want to show you this really cool place that I stumbled across the other day, it isn't far from here, and—"

He's cut off when Rukia smiles up at him, but the smile doesn't reach her eyes. Renji, however, doesn't notice.

"Almost," she says. "Just let me finish this tea."

Renji nods happily, looking around the room. Only now does he see the other presence.

"Taichou," Renji acknowledges respectfully, standing a little straighter.

Kuchiki Byakuya coolly regards Renji from over his newspaper before giving a small nod in return. "Renji."

Rukia sets down her cup and stands from the table. "Let's go, Renji." Renji bounds out of the room, not stopping to check back and see if Rukia is following.

Rukia sighs resignedly, and starts to follow her red-haired friend. But, fingers snag her own, and she stares at the Kuchiki head.

They stay there for a few moments, simply staring at each other, each trying to see through the defenses the other has put up.

At last, his fingers glide through hers, and Rukia silently leaves.

By now, she's figured out that there's never a need for words.

So she leaves for another day of lies, deception, and fake smiles.

But every day she tells herself that she only puts up with it all because at night, when the sun finally sets, when the darkness of the night shrouds everything in shadow— it's all worth it.

At night, he sets the butterfly in her heart free.

-fin-

A/N: Hope everybody enjoyed :) Next chapter with the next prompt coming soon. And yes, I'm planning to change the title...the current one was kind of an on-the-whim thing. Remember, reviews are appreciated!!