Characters: Byakuya, Rukia, Hisana (in spirit)
Summary: It's the conclusion they can't help but come to.
Pairings: ByaHisa, slight ByaRuki
Warnings/Spoilers: spoilers for Soul Society arc
Timeline: pre-manga
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Byakuya kept his own counsel about Hisana's final words and last wishes, so when he brings a girl from Rukongai who bears a truly uncanny resemblance to his late wife into the Kuchiki household, of course there are whispers, and doubts.
The servants are, of course, discreet in their whispering, never doing so in their master's presence but still Byakuya can guess what they say, mainly because the elders are slightly less discreet, though even then couch their true thoughts in polite terms, probably to spare themselves their master's prospective ire (Byakuya can be quite spectacular in his anger when properly provoked).
Even Rukia, Byakuya is sure, has doubts, plain from the way she behaves around him: always wanting to reach out but always holding back. She keeps her hands fixed firmly to her side or lap, stationary when they want to reach out to his, in some gesture of comfort for the grief she knows he has, but afraid because of the very reason she thinks he may have brought her here in the first place.
It's the natural conclusion. The one they all come to.
And she looks so very much like Hisana, the whisper goes. Byakuya knows better than to acknowledge what he hears, knows better than to give credence to those whispers.
What a nightmare, the whispering goes when reality makes itself clear to all.
And Byakuya has to agree. What a nightmare. What a beautiful, terrifying, wonderful nightmare.
A pale girl who looks so much like his wife that it's difficult to breathe around her, but untouchable.
A girl he can't bring himself to touch, but wishes he could, just so maybe he could see a little bit of Hisana again, her shadow rising from the misty water, one more time.