Disclaimer: I don't own the Bleach characters they belong to Kubo and his people; I'm only borrowing them to play for a little while before retuning them. Also the song belongs to Sarah Brightman and to the motion picture 'The Secret Garden'
Summary: "Heart calls, hearts fall. Now the clear sky is around you, loves shadow will surround you…Wandering in the winter light"
A/N: Well a small change from my FF fic, well I totally love Bleach and I think that Byakuya and Hisana's tale was sweet, yet I'm one of those persons that believes that it's possible to love once again and so if I thought Erik(from POTO) could, why not Byakuya.
The problem laid, just like with Erik, on the appropriate woman for such a task, for Byakuya I had started to invent a OFC but then I came across a the fic 'Evenings' by YunCyn and I thought that Unohana was a very good choice and pair for Byakuya so I paired them together, I was like: "If I could pair Erik and Meg, why shouldn't I pair Byakuya and Unohana" in one point I became a shipper of both pairings.
Anyhow I leave you with this fic, it's my first try at Bleach fandom and I hope to do a good job, I won't mention anything of the manga so as not to give spoilers.
"Winter Light."
By Maiden of the Phoenix and My friend, ErikxMegForever.
Like always the tall and strong sakura tree stands in the middle of the field, it's almost sad to see it devoid of the soft pale rose blossoms that adorns it's branches every Spring, in this moments the tree only looks like a corpse and a mere illusion of the beautiful sight it will make on spring time, however, her mother had always saw beauty in that tree and in a way she felt that she should see it as well, asides from the fact that she could always be alone in that place when she needed to think.
With a sad sigh she moved closer to the tree, her long raven hair billowing in the chilly winter wind, once she was in front of the tree she allowed her hand to raise in the direction of the tree and lightly caress the trunk, it was just as smooth as she remembered it will be, a sad smile came to her face when her slate gray orbs found her name on the trunk.
She had only been four when she had done that and it was when her father had taught her to write her name, she was so excited about knowing how to correctly write it that she wrote it everywhere, even in the smooth wood of the tree trunk when they came here that very same year.
Slowly she rounded the tree and came to stand on the other side; she could feel her eyes burning with unshed tears when she saw the white mortuary tablet erected there with the single name carefully written over the smooth marble surface. How can she be so selfish as to forget this place for so long? How could she forget this place only because her mother passed away?
Three long years had been necessary for her to gather enough strength to come her once again without her mother and her father.
Really, Yukina hadn't seen a reason to go there, after all the body of her mother didn't rested there and that mortuary tablet was only a petition she made before she died, still she had forgotten that even though her body wasn't there her soul, if it was possible, was and she had forgotten that.
With a small smile Yukina knelt in front of the marble tablet, pure white marble tablet that emphasized the gentleness and pure light of her mother's soul, characteristic that had made her father and her maybe to dependant of her.
"Gomen Okaasan, gomen, for taking so long but I needed strength to finally face this place" Yukina's slender hands moved to lightly clean the tablet from the fallen and pilled snow, a sad smile came to her face "We're fine, trying to survive since you left, however I think that Otousan and Tsutomu will need more time to finally come here"
Not being able to take it anymore she started to cry, tears ran down her cheeks and through her alabaster cheeks, she hadn't gathered as much strength as she thought she had done, she was a shinigami for Kami's sake yet there she was weeping like a small girl in front of her mother's mortuary tablet, not even her father had cried for his wife death and it wasn't because he didn't loved her cause he did.
Her gray orbs focused on the tablet and she lightly smiled "It was here where you two met, you told me the history every time I asked you to do it and I loved to hear about how you and dad fell in love"
She focused on the sound of the winter wind over the field and around her while she tried to focus and remember the history her mother used to tell her, she tried to imagine both her mother and father under that very same tree so long ago…
Hearts call, hearts fall,
Swallowed in the rain.
Who knows, life grows,
Hollow and so vain.
The chilly wind blew against her blowing through her hair, which now was unbound from her usual braid, billowing the royal-blue scarf in her left arm and chilling her pure alabaster colored skin, self-consciously she wrapped her lavender colored scarf closer to her neck and made her way to the empty and seemingly lifeless Sakura tree ahead of her.
Really she didn't know what had drove her to that tree that night, but it seemed like if something was calling her and she felt like she needed to answer that call. Her steps came to a dry stop when she saw him standing under the tree, she didn't needed to wonder why he was doing there, maybe he was once again contemplating his life and the choice his sister had made.
As carefully as she could muster she walked to him, maybe it was her spirit pressure or her aura what revealed her presence closer to him because before she could fully stand behind him, the always cold and emotionless man turned to look at her with the same indifferent look.
People usually felt intimidated by that indifferent expression he always seemed to have, but not her, in all the time she had as a shinigami she had never recoiled at his cold indifference and had never been intimidated by him and she knew that in a way it bothered him that she wasn't like everyone else. She knew that cool indifference he always has was a mask to hide his feelings and she knew because she had one as well, but at the contrary of him her mask was an always present and serene smile.
They stared at each other for long empty seconds, his slate gray and cold orbs fixed on her while her cornflower blue orbs regarded him quietly and serenely, another draft of wind passed by as in on cue to let them now that their 'glaring' contest was over.
"What are you doing here, Unohana?" Finally his cold neutral baritone voice asked her.
She dared to once again smile, she really hadn't noticed she wasn't "I can ask you the same, Kuchiki-sama"
Byakuya merely raised an eyebrow "I think that's my business, Unohana"
"Then I shall not tell you why I'm here" Unohana answered back and dared to walk closer to him, she sighed when she caught the small glimpse of the bandages wrapped around his neck "However it is my duty to let you know that you shall be resting still and not walking around"
"And I assure you that I'm alright and that I can go wherever I want" He answered back.
"I'm sure you can, yet I'll feel more assured if you kept the designated rest after all your wounds after the final battle with Aizen aren't truly healed yet and…" She lowered her gaze a bit and allowed a small sigh to escape her mouth "Even though I allowed you to return to your manor, you should be resting, Kuchiki-sama"
He didn't answered and merely turned around to make her face his back, it maybe was out of her line to tell him such words but still she was the captain of the fourth division and it was her responsibility as such to let him know that he still needed rest, even though he belonged to one of the most important royal families, another chilly wind drafted by and she lightly shivered.
She shook her head, he could be such a brash and stubborn man, did he thought he was immune to get a cold? Slowly she moved behind him, Byakuya didn't moved and that surprised Unohana, however she knew that her next action will surprise him more, she extended the royal-blue scarf she had brought and as best as she could in that position she wrapped it around his neck.
When he felt the warm material strangely wrapped around his neck, he turned around almost crashing into her "What are you doing?"
"Protecting you from a cold, Kuchiki-sama" She softly answered while she gazed at him with her always serene smile "You can be so brash sometimes, you came here with not a single protection for the chilly winter wind"
Unohana allowed herself a small smile, a real smile, to come to her face when he mutely arranged the scarf around his neck, she didn't know whether it was because he didn't wanted to get cold or because it was his way to say thank you, but she had appreciated it anyway, Byakuya briefly gazed at her before returning his gaze towards the dark skies, Unohana knew that he wasn't happy with the choice Rukia made but he couldn't do nothing more than to accept.
Her eyes moved the empty tree, she knew that in Spring that tree was going to fill once again with it's pale rose blossoms and it will rain them all over the place, yet strangely she will find that hollow and vain cause it was under that tree that she had been witness of one of the worst situations in the sixth division captain life and that tree will only make her remember this all over again.
Somehow the thought of the pale blossom reminded her of his Senbonzakura, she had only saw it once and knew that amidst how beautiful it may look it was still a very deadly attack, she couldn't quite place while she was reminded of his attack in that moment. Looking one last time at him, Unohana turned around and left knowing that he needed to be alone…
She never knew that he had slightly turned to regard her departing figure till she finally got lost…
Wandering in the winter light
The wicked and the sane,
Bear witness to salvation
And life starts over again.
Unohana found herself once again wandering to that very same tree, she had come to love that tree, even though it wasn't filled with their usual pale rose blooms she still found it beautiful, it was rather strange she never came there on Spring she always remembered to go to that lonely and slumbering tree on winter, she couldn't quite explain why the tree didn't appealed to her on the magic of Spring, where life once again started.
Maybe it was because she saw the tree more beautiful in the winter light or it could be for the fact that she always found Byakuya there. It was strange, after that time around three years ago when she found him standing under that same tree their relation had changed, Byakuya was still the same cold emotionless man that barely spoke more than it was necessary with everyone else, however with Unohana he spoke more than just direct and straight cold sentences.
In a way she believed that maybe he didn't needed to act that way with her and that she could in a way understand him, she had even been able to see some glimmers of feelings in his usual blank orbs. Also she was the only one that knew about Ichigo and Rukia directly from Byakuya's mouth and not from rumors like everyone else in Soul Society; sometimes she had wanted to laugh at the extent some rumors could take, but like always she had kept her composure.
A small smile came to her face when she saw him standing there like always, when a chilly wind drifted by she wrapper her lavender scarf closer to her neck, it was kind of sad that the wind could be so cold but that not a single flake of snow fell from the gray skies, like always he turned around before she could came to stand behind him, it was now a reflex that he didn't liked the feeling of someone sneaking up his back.
"Unohana" His voice, always cold, lightly acknowledged her.
"Kuchiki-sama" She lightly greeted back, of course if that could be considered as such, and moved to stand under that same tree, keeping an appropriate distance between them "How Rukia-san doing?"
"She is fine" He simply answered while he looked at nothing in particular, like always "She seems happy like always"
The captain of the fourth division suspected that Ichigo was also happy, but she knew that she shouldn't ask about him after all Byakuya still seemed to have a grudge against him, after all in his mind it was thanks to Ichigo that Rukia chose to stay in the Human world with her husband.
"She's also pregnant" He added rather lightly.
Unohana turned to regard him with her cornflower blue eyes "Is she?" A small smile came to her face when the head of the Kuchiki family nodded "How long is she?"
"She told me that she's eight months already" Even though his voice was neutral, the usual coldness always tangible on his smooth baritone voice was gone, but it wasn't replaced with warmness or care "The birth is supposed to be on the first week of Spring according to the human doctors"
"On the first week of spring" Her voice lightly echoed, how odd can that be? She dared to lightly smile at him "Are you going to be present, Kuchiki-sama?"
"Ie, I'm not going to be" For a small instant his voice faltered a bit and his expression somehow softened "But Rukia wants me to meet my nephew and I'll do so"
"I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Kuchiki-sama" She softly praised, after all the fact that his sister was going to have the child of the only man that was able to defeat him and open his eyes was a big hit to his proud "And Rukia-san will be happy as well"
Silently he crossed his arms over his chest "Unohana, when that happens will you mind…" He didn't finish the question and soon closed his mouth.
"Kuchiki-sama, when Rukia-san baby is born, would you mind if I tag along with you?" She asked what he hadn't been able to ask, she smiled more serenely when she noticed his amused expression, and that was a change from his usual blank one "You see, it's been awhile since I last saw her and I want to make sure her and her child are alright"
"If you wish to come, I won't stop you" It was the plain answer he gave her.
Unohana looked up at the naked branches, once again spring will come to fill them with the pale rose blossoms and life will start once again….
Now the clear sky is all around you
Ahh ahh
Loves shadow will surround you
All through the night.
It was the first time she didn't felt happy under that tree, always through every winter for the past seven years she had felt happy and calm, but now she wasn't…
And she knew why she was so down and sad…
That slumbering tree represented something important in Unohana's life, after all it was under that very same Sakura tree that her close friendship with Byakuya had started and she really felt a strange connection with him, after all she was the only person in Soul Society which whom Byakuya will have an actual conversation, she was the only person that had been allowed to see some of his feelings and she was the only person he had taken with him when Shuichi, Ichigo and Rukia's son, born.
Unohana had felt that they had a real close friendship, however she did the last thing that she was meant to do, against her own wishes and what she held proper she had fallen in love with Byakuya. She knew that kind of feelings were not meant to be, but had she really expected that it wouldn't happen, inwardly she had and that made her a fool, but she was more than a fool when she had actually believed and hoped that maybe he could reciprocate.
That's what made her a fool…
She should have known that Byakuya will never open his heart to no one and that Hisana still had a firm and steady grip of it, it had hurted her when she finally acknowledged that he still loved his wife with the same passion and that his love for her hadn't stopped nor will stop, it really hurt to know that maybe every heart beat of his heart was meant for her.
But really how was Unohana supposed to compare with the pure and blissful memories Byakuya still saved of Hisana, in his mind Hisana was his perfect match and he remembered every detail from her, from her smile to the sound of her voice, really how can she compete with someone, that amidst it was gone, was perfect in every aspect.
That had been a battle she had lost even before it had started…how was she meant to fight against someone like Hisana?
Whoever that said that love hurts, didn't know how right he was cause this kind of hopeless and empty sensation wasn't something she wished to anyone not even her worst enemy, it was a feeling when you simple wanted to lay down and let the sorrow and pain kill you, but that was the thing with love, because love didn't killed you like it should be on the contrary love made you suffer and live in pain.
It was with a shock that she realized she was crying, she was meant to be a shinigami that never shall shred a tear, but there she was crying out of love, she leaned against the tree trunk and allowed her tears to spill down her cheeks, after all it will be the only chance she will get, a sudden sound called her attention and she quickly turned around.
Her eyes widened in shock "Kuchiki-sama"
"Unohana" He softly acknowledged and cocked an eyebrow when she saw her crying "Are you alright?"
She took a small breath "Hai"
"You know that I do not appreciate being lied to" His voice was now laced with some coldness "Why are you crying?"
"Personal Issues" She answered rather coldly and wiped her tears from her eyes "Kuchiki-sama, I hope you don't mind but I'm not in the mood to talk today, now if you excuse me"
Before anything could be say Unohana left not wanting to linger in his presence anymore, what she didn't know is that Byakuya had a small idea as to why she was crying yet he will need to speak with Ukitake to be sure…
Star glowing in the twilight
Tell me true
Hope whispers and I will follow
Until you love me too
For the first time since almost twenty-five years, pure white snowflakes were falling from the sky upon the land above, it was an odd success but it was well received by the spirits that inhabited in Seireitei and Rykongai, after all it had been twenty-five years since the last time they had seen it.
It was really a change to see the Sakura tree branches adorned with snow; of course that it was snow that it could easily fell over you, but still it was a beautiful sight.
A real chilly wind drifted by pushing some snowflakes towards her that found shelter on her unbound raven hair, lightly she cleaned herself from them and proceeded to wrap her scarf closer to her neck only to discover that she had none, slowly she looked down at herself only to find out that she didn't had nothing to protect herself from the chill. Now that was ironic, she was the captain of the fourth division and she had been brash enough to forget something to keep her warm.
Certainly this kind of stuff will amuse Byakuya a lot, however they hadn't spoken that much for the past year, mostly because Unohana was politely avoiding him and saying she had tons of work, but she knew very well why she was doing it. If someone had told her love can hurt so much and that she will suffer it on this level she wouldn't have believed them, if only she could return in time to stop this from happening but she couldn't.
Unohana didn't realized when she came to stop underneath the tree, she was to lost in her thoughts to fully realize it, self-consciously she wrapper her arms around her and started to rub her arms in an attempt to warm herself a bit, really what was she thinking when she came here unprotected, well she merely wanted to see how the tree looked like and had hoped also to see Byakuya there, but so far she had only managed to see the tree, maybe it could be possible that he wouldn't come today.
Really, what reason did he have to come? After all she had obviously avoiding him and barely speaking with him at all, so it didn't surprised her that he wouldn't want to come. Slowly she raised her head and gazed at the sky, a single white star was visible in the depths of the snow filled clouds, she had hoped and whispered to hope that he will be here but it had been pointless and maybe for the best because what was she meant to tell him.
That she was sorry for avoiding him but she had discovered that she was helplessly in love with him yet that she knew he was still in love with Hisana and that not wanting to suffer a bigger heartache she had decided to detach herself from him and never see him again to relief some of the pain but that her plan had backfired her and now she felt more pain than before.
She didn't wanted to think of his reaction if she dared to utter those words, it was something that it will be better stay hidden, she rubbed her arms more before finally giving up and deciding to return. She flinched a bit when she felt a warm and soft material over her shoulder and warming her body, she didn't dared to turn around
"It's amusing" The voice started, not with a cold tone but not a warm one either, "Eight years ago you practically scolded me for coming here unprotected for the chill and yet here you are unprotected from the chill and snow"
"Now I'm the one being scolded" She answered with a small voice of amusement while she slowly turned around "Is just that I forgot to bring something, Kuchiki-sama"
"What was so important that made you forget that?" He simply asked.
"I merely wanted to see how the tree will look like with snow covering it" She cringed a bit when she heard her answer, it was such a childish reason, unconsciously she wrapped the robe, that he had given her, closer to her body "So I think I must have forgotten about bringing something with me"
"I see" His gray orbs gazed at her for a few instants before looking up "Does it look better covered in snow?"
She looked at him with a small smile "It does, I'll prefer to see it this way than with its usual pale rose blossoms"
"So do I" His voice simply stated.
For some instants they didn't speak more, Unohana didn't know what more to say and it seemed that Byakuya knew and so he had decided to stay quiet, it was a real heavy and bothersome silence, but she didn't knew how to break it and strangely wanted to leave that place but she couldn't find the strength to do so.
"Why have you been avoiding me?" Byakuya finally asked the question he had been meaning to ask since the very beginning.
Unohana looked away from him, the question had slipped from his lips so easily and neutrally that it made her flinch "I haven't been avoiding you, I have merely been busy"
"You use your paperwork as an excuse to avoid me and not only that, when you see me coming on your same direction you quickly move to another one" He briefly explained not wanting truly to remember all the methods she had used to avoid speak or talk with him "Have I done something that made you angry, Unohana?"
"Ie, Kuchiki-sama" The gentle captain of the fourth division answered and looked down at the snow covered floor while she wrapped the robe closer to her body "It's not you, it's me"
He turned to look at her "Why have you been avoiding me?"
"Is just that…I…well I'm feelings things that I shouldn't feel" Now that made her cringe more, in a way it was true those feelings she had for him where not meant to be, specially since she didn't had a chance with him "Is just that I thought it would be better…"
"With something you shouldn't feel, you mean love" He promptly interrupted her and saw her slowly and painfully nodding "Why didn't you said anything?"
She inwardly flinched at the rather cold tone of his voice "Because I feared…"
"Rejection of your feelings" He finished for her
"Hai" She dared to answer, now she did wish to leave that place "Kuchiki-sama, I think I better leave now because…"
"You were wrong in believing a rejection of your feelings, Retsu" His voice for the first time in a lot time had an air of warmness and so did his eyes while he met her gaze "You should have said something"
She tried really hard to maintain her gaze with him yet she sadly smiled "You still love Hisana-san and…"
"Hisana will always be a part of me and I'll always remember her" He confirmed her, but that was obvious after all Hisana had been her first love and he will always remember her "But that doesn't mean that I cannot rebuilt my life again, I had thought I couldn't yet it took for a gentle woman worried for my brash actions to catch a cold that made me realize I could"
Now that tree was going to held a closer space in Unohana heart, she closed her eyes when he finally closed the distance between them and his lips came to rest over her own, it was a soft and chaste caress, after all it had been awhile since they had kissed, but it felt right to be like that in that moment.
However the moment didn't last long, one of the patches of snow in the braches decided to give up in that moment and fell on top of them, well that was a good way to finish that moment, but at least she had learned that Hope was the last thing that died and that she had been afraid for not reason at all.
Now the clear sky is all around you
Ahh ahh
Loves shadow will surround you
All through the night.
Retsu did missed to see that tree with the snow on it's braches but she knew that it will take a lot for another snow to come again and she will be ready for that, with a small sigh she wrapped her arms around herself.
She knew that it wasn't going to be easy to fit in the life of nobility and know she knew what Hisana must have gone through when she married Byakuya and understood that sometimes this kind of life can be overwhelming for someone that wasn't used to it, like Hisana and her, yet she coped with it just like Hisana had done and fulfilled her duty as the lady of the house with the best effort and intention.
The Kuchiki family hadn't been that happy about Byakuya's new choice for a wife, but they at least had accepted her better than Hisana because Retsu was part of a noble family and in their expectations she had better noble blood than Hisana, maybe not the best but it was better than that of a commoner, still they hadn't treated her that well and it had taken a lot to win them.
Still they saw her with some inferiority but they had learned to accept her just like they had accepted Hisana and she was happy with that.
With a small smile one of her hands moved to rest against her swollen womb, which was one of the major reasons they had accepted her, after all she was the one that was going to keep Byakuya's line by giving him and heir, yet she knew that if Hisana had lived longer she will have also given him one. Retsu also felt a great respect for Hisana, after all she must have had to cope with more than her.
"What are you doing here?" A baritone masculine voice asked her.
Slowly she turned around to face her husband "Visiting my friend" She softly answered.
"You shouldn't be here in your condition" He tried to make it sound as a scold but knew that he couldn't keep his wife away from that place "At least you brought something to protect from the cold, Retsu"
"Of course I did, Byakuya, after all I'm the captain of the fourth division and I have to set an example" She replied with a light smile, since being the captain of the fourth division was such a difficult task Yamamoto had allowed her to keep her post and for obvious reason among the Gotei-13 she still was Unohana-taichou "Also I didn't wanted to worry you"
He couldn't help but lightly smile back at her "If you have finished your visit, we should probably head back"
"Hai" She walked to him and gently grasped his hand "How is Shuichi and Masaki doing?"
"He's fine" He simply answered while they left that place, is not that he thought she was in danger but he preferred to have her home "He has a grow to be like Rukia while Masaki is just like Ichigo"
"I see" She couldn't help but giggle at trying to imagine how their child will be "I think that ours will be like you"
"I do not think so" He answered
Retsu merely smiled and leaned her head against Byakuya shoulder, they still had time to find out to whom her child will be and look like, after all they still had a lot ahead of them and the good thing was that they were going to be together to whatever that laid ahead of them.
Star glowing in the twilight
Tell me true
Hope whispers
And I will follow until you
Love me to
With a feeling of deep sorrow Yukina once again opened her eyes to once again gaze at the marble tablet with the single name engraved on it….
...Kuchiki Retsu….
Slowly she raised a hand to trace the kanji that made the name of her mother, just like that mother had brought happiness to her mother it had also brought happiness to her because it was in that place where she met her fiancé Ukitake Kamui and where her mother and father had spent glorious moments with her and her older brotherTsumotu.
The slight and familiar spiritual presence of her brother alerted her; she stood up and turned to face a man also with raven hair but with bright cornflower blue eyes that remained her so much to her mother's eyes. Her brother walked to the small mortuary tablet and closed his eyes and prayed for his mother soul rest, a small draft of wind blew through them almost making it look like an embrace; slowly he turned to look at his sister.
"We must go now, sister" Tsumotu neutral voice spoke, so much like the voice of their father.
Yukina looked at him "But, why must we go so soon?"
"Because our time with mother has just finished" He answered simply and walked past her "And seems that someone else wants to be here with her"
"Someone else?" Yukina's soft voice echoed and she turned around "Otousan"
Byakuya merely nodded at them and walked past them, Tsumotu glanced at Yukina before leaving back to his duties as captain of the Ninth division, yet Yukina couldn't leave, slowly she turned to glance at her father only to find him gravely standing in front of her mother mortuary tablet and looking at it with a mix of grief and other feeling she couldn't place.
Once again Yukina wanted to cry but didn't allowed herself to do so, for a small instant she could imagine her mother and father a lot of time standing under that very same tree when she approached him the for the first time. Not wanting to be an intruder to whatever her father wanted to do or say there, Yukina turned around and started to walk back to the fourth division, her captain robe billowing with the wind.
A small smile came to her face "Do not worry Okaasan, were going to be alright"
She whispered to the wind and hoped for those small words to reach her mother soul wherever she was.
Well that's lame, but I hope that with time I'll get better at this, like I said before I'm the type of woman that believes in second chances for love.
Also I apologize for the obvious Occ'ness of this piece but like I said before it was my first try and I hope to get better while the more I write, also forgive my grammar but I'm not a natal English speaker.
And I do not accept flames, those only shows how immature people can be and also in respectful towards the authors that take time and effort to write this.
Well with that I bid farewell.