Love letter from whom?
Rangiku was sitting in her room when the strong breeze blew away her bright blonde, elegantly decorated lock of hair from the side of her face to the front of her eyes. She turned to look at the sky through the door opening towards the small garden.
The long awaited storm is finally threatening the peace of summer's reign. Bright blue sky of the afternoon has now receded behind the heavy layers of grey clouds. It smelt like wet earth which made her smile a little. Tonight the scorched world will quench its thirst to its hearts content. She blinked and thought how the grey sky looks so much like his eyes.
The maid brought in the writing table with all the necessary calligraphy papers and inks for her work. She placed the ink pot on the corner of the paper to prevent it from blowing away in the wind.
The grey sky of storm is all my eyes can perceive
But my heart only glimpse the shadows of your eyes
She bit the end of the calligraphy brush and tilted her head to scrutinize her writing. Maybe the structure can be improved a little.
Remembering the first time she started liking calligraphy only made her smile brighter.
.
"Byakuya!" She sat down next to him as he worked on his study table.
"Rangiku." He gracefully looked at her with his usual calm and emotionless face, with an authoritative air so ahead of his young years. She noted a slightly welcoming flicker of emotion in his large greys eyes before he turned towards the work at his hands.
She pouted and frowned. "Are you busy?"
"Hmm…" he muttered distantly. All his attention was focused on the piece of paper in front of him and the brush he was holding.
Few seconds later when she realised he isn't about to pay attention to her she stood up resentfully.
As she was about to turn around on her heels while controlling her heavy mass of apparel, he spoke up from his writing, "where are you going, Rangiku?"
She stood quietly for a second before spitting out, "somewhere I won't be a bother to you..."
He suddenly reached for her wrist and pulled her down to her previous sitting position next to him.
She tried and failed to give him an angry look, his large grey eyes were kind and affectionate towards her. "Please wait a few moment before I finish this. Then you'll have my full attention." Her heart melted instantly.
She relaxed next to him and rested her head on his shoulder as he continued working.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm practicing calligraphy."
"Calligraphy?" She craned down and looked at the beautifully shaped writing on his paper. "They look pretty."
"They are." He continued his slow brush strokes. "I have been practicing this art for a while."
"What is so artistic about writing pretty letters?" She asked as she pouted her lips again. "You know we don't really have much time. My father will finish his meeting with yours soon."
He put the brush down and turned to her sideways. She blushed as he took her face in his hands and his thumb brushed on her lips.
"If someone asks me to describe Rangiku's lips, will I say they are just pretty?" He leaned close to her and the tips of their noses touched. "But rather, what I will say is that her lips are soft like rose petals and plump like peaches." He leaned closer and his lips lightly brushed on hers. "They are the colour of cherry blossoms in the middle of autumn and they taste like honey." He placed a timid kiss on her lips and muttered, "They are intoxicating like the sweetest sake and honeyed wine". He looked deep into her eyes before passionately claiming her lips.
Rangiku opened her eyes after that long kiss and looked into the dark pupils of the young man she loves. His usual stoic and sombre face is bright with the smile he keeps only for her. "Calligraphy isn't just pretty words, its art." He pulled her into an embrace. "Like you are sometimes."
She softly whispered into his neck, "then you should teach me."
.
Rangiku stood up, gathering the overly expensive kimono that trailed after her as she strolled slowly towards the door. Her tinkling ornaments on her hair reflected the recently lit candles in her room.
She called for her maid.
"Rangiku sama. You've called for me."
"Please send this letter to Byakuya Kuchiki immediately"
She nodded as she took the carefully folded and tied letter from Rangiku's hand and disappeared. Rangiku closed the door and went back to watching the storm.
.
Byakuya Kuchiki has just sent-off his business delegates due to the bad weather and was about to take the first sip of his afternoon cup of tea when the messenger brought in a letter. Seeing the red string that tied the letter brought a very uncharacteristic smile on his face.
The servants brought in the writing table for him as soon as he asked for it. His long fingers caressed along the side of the freshly unfolded letter for a brief moment before he took the calligraphy brush in his hands.
The shadows of my eyes aren't grey like the night
As they reminisce only the light of your sunset locks.
Byakuya packed up his calligraphy sets which rarely gets used these days. He called his servant and placed the letter on his hands for a speedy delivery. He knows he could be trusted to do that despite of the storm and the rain or any disaster.
He slowly brushed away the unruly lock of smooth black hair from his face and sunk back down on his cushions to continue with his tea. Old memories of his youth suddenly came back into his mind with faded images.
.
"I love romantic poetry." Rangiku's strawberry blonde hair brushed the side of his face as she moved her head that rested on the juncture of his shoulder and his neck. She played with the fingers of his hand that was wrapped around her waist.
"What do you love about them?" Leaning against the cherry tree, he closed his eyes as her intoxicating smell filled his senses and he wanted to hang in that very moment forever, enjoying her company in peace. This might be the last time.
Rangiku squirmed a little as she leaned all her weight on his chest. "Umm… I don't know… I just think it's so beautiful how someone can say so much with so little words."
"Why don't you write me one?" He smiled as his grip around her waist tightened a little.
"Really? You don't mind?" She spun her head around and he could see his reflection on her crystal blue eyes.
"Why would I? How about you write me one and in reply I will write another for you."
He was stunned at seeing the emotion that played in her eyes as she stared at him in silence for a while before locking her finger into his smooth black hair and suffocating him into a hug.
...
She slowly looked away from the storm covered sky as the maids slid the door of the back entrance shut to avoid the cold splattering rain. She heard the laughter of children approaching her room and his familiar voice.
She hid the letter in the folds on her clothes and lit her face with a smile before walking towards the door.
"Mother" the little blonde girl toddled towards her, leaving the fingers of her father. Rangiku reached down and picked up her daughter. "Onii-san is mean." She complained to her mother.
The little boy grumpily crossed his hands. "Little sisters are so annoying."
Rangiku smiled at the silver haired man who accompanied the children. "You shouldn't have insisted in spending the day with the children. I hope they didn't cause you too much trouble, Gin Sama."
He grinned at her lovingly. "Of course not my lady. I'm their father after all. Shall we all head toward the dining hall?"
He bowed towards his son with amusement in his eyes. "It's time for dinner and you can't grow to be great lords and ladies if you don't eat your dinner in time, can you?"
The little boy let out a loud grunt of displeasure.
"You've heard your father." Rangiku put down her daughter and led her towards the door. "We will have no rudeness and disobedience in this household."
The little boy kept up his mask of severe calm face as he followed his mother's trail. His unruly smooth black hair covered a part of his face.
...
"What are you doing here Rangiku?" He sat up from his futon as the barely visible in the dark figure of the young soon-to-be-bride pushed herself into his arms.
"Why are you crying silly girl?" He lovingly caressed her hair.
"I'll miss you so much Byakuya." She spoke, her voice was muffled.
"I'm still going to be here. Only few houses away from yours", he smiled sadly. "You'll always see me around just like you do now."
"Still... I'm going to miss you." She nuzzled on his chest.
He sighed. "Me too." He continued caressing her hair as she pushed herself further onto him.
A moment past as they stayed in each other arms. Her sobbing slowly stopped and dried away.
"You have to go Rangiku. Someone might see you."
"I don't care." She brought her face close to his. "I'm not anyone's property, at least not until tomorrow."
He looked down and their eyes locked.
"I'm still free to be here with Byakuya." She reached up and kissed him.
It took more than a little while before he could decide to forget about all the rules and ignore all the warnings in his head. He wanted to be free, at least only for one night.
...
Byakuya Kuchiki slowly closed all his paper works and opened a book of poetry. Moments later his wife slowly walked into his study room and found a place to stand next to him. She lovingly touched him on his shoulder and said "Byakuya sama, you'll ruin your health if you stay up so late."
He watched her face and then put the book down.
"We have that kid's birthday celebration to go to tomorrow. Lord Ichimaru Gin and Lady Rangiku's eldest son turns 11 tomorrow." She muttered as she sat down next to him.
He hid his uneasiness underneath his usual emotionless cold expression.
"I forgot to prepare a present" she spoke inattentively. "I wonder what I can get for an eleven year old boy."
Byakuya fidgeted slightly. "You don't have to worry about it, Hisana." Of course, he can't tell her that he has already prepared a present.
She watched his face quietly and hid a sigh. "It's getting late, Byakuya Sama."
"You're right." He stands up and reaches his hand towards his wife. "Let's go to bed"
Outside the freshly storm ravaged country shakes off the streaming rainwater as it gets ready for a new season.
The end
…
Note: This story was just a snippet of events. Please do not associate the feelings of the characters with my idea of "romantic poetry" because not adding these so called poems would just make the story too empty. So I basically bunched few words together. Just ignore them and read the rest of it.
I admit I was influence by the tales of the hundred poets from the anime Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu: Uta Koi. Although I know nothing about the structures and rules of these poems, so please forgive my audacity. The title is also from the opening song of the same anime by ecosystem (rabureta no nanika).