A/N: So, here is another story. I know I still got other incomplete stories but I couldn't help it. This idea won't leave me alone so I had to write it down. Sigh. But don't worry, I will update others too.
Thank you crimson-sana for your immense help (: You guys should check out her story. It's called Infinite & Beyond (its way better than mine and it's an IchiRuki) ^^
Petrichor means the earthy smell after rain :D
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own the character or the cover picture. Only the story. (Sad)
Petrichor
Chapter–1
"…where are you?" she was on the verge of tears as she ran through the sea of people, searching.
Purple eyes darted around frantically, shoulder length inverted bob of ebony hair fluttered in the wind as she pushed through the people. Her hands were trembling and she could barely walk on shaking legs. But she couldn't stop. Not until she found her.
How could she be so careless to let her out of sight?
"Amaya…." She called, softly, her voice breaking.
She should have left her at home when she came to the supermarket. She wouldn't have lost her then. But she didn't want to leave her alone at home. Who knew, she might get hurt. But it was still better than losing her amidst the huge crowd. She had asked the staff and one of them saw a girl of her description leave the supermarket. She had thanked and instantly dashed out. It had been in vain. She couldn't find her. It was almost an hour now but she didn't find even a lookalike.
Where in the world could she be?
Rukia blinked back the tears that blurred her vision. She couldn't cry now. She will cry once she found her daughter. For goodness's sake, she was only three years old. And she doesn't even talk! She had yet to call her mom.
"Please let her be alright." She prayed silently.
She stopped in front of the supermarket once more, hands on her hips. The grey V-necked shirt clung onto her back with sweat but she couldn't bring herself to care. She looked around, searching for a raven haired girl. The supermarket staff gave her looks of pity, feeling sympathetic towards the woman who lost her child. She exhaled shakily and started on her journey once more, deciding that it would be the last time before she informed the cops.
"Excuse me." She called one of the elderly couple sitting on a bench on the sidewalk, chatting idly under the shade of the trees.
"Have you seen a girl this much…" she indicated Amaya's height with her hand. "…wearing a purple dress?"
The couple shared a glance.
"Oh and she has a bunny backpack on her. She has black hair." Her eyes looked so hopeful the couple hesitated before shaking their heads to say no.
"Thank you." She bowed slightly, her shoulders slumped as she walked away, asking another couple strangers the same question.
She went nowhere with asking questions and her hope was fleeting. It was noon now; the early summer heat had turned the roads less crowded once the lunch rush was over. She was still running though, searching block after block, road after road, any possible place a child could be, only to end up with no leads.
"Amaya…" she mumbled, turning around on the spot. "Where in the world are you?"
Her phone vibrated in the back pocket of her jeans and she hurried to pick it up. It was an unknown number but she was willing to answer anyone right now if it meant that person knew of her daughter's whereabouts.
"Hello, is this Amaya's mother?" a feminine voice from the other end asked and Rukia felt her heart beat wildly.
"Yes, yes. That's me, I am Amaya's mother." She quickly replied, knowing that whoever called saw the card in Asami's backpack and called her.
"Your daughter is safe with me. We are at…."
Relief flooded over Rukia as she listened to the address the woman gave her and she raised a hand to stop a taxi. She uttered a quick thank you before sliding the white device back into her pocket as she opened the door and slipped inside. The adrenaline rushing through her veins took a moment to calm down and she almost demanded the driver to pick up speed. Rukia leaned back in the seat, resting her head on the leather as her thoughts drifted towards her daughter once more.
Amaya Kuchiki, a sweet little girl of three years and two months. Rukia had no idea who her father is. It was a one night stand. It was the first time. Things had been troubling her a lot back then. She tried to bottle it up and live like nothing was wrong. But then things went too far and she ended up drinking quite badly. The next thing she knew, she woke up in a foreign room, naked as the day she was born with only fragments from the night before. She could barely move and she was sore all over. When she saw the blood on the pristine white sheets, Rukia knew there was no going back. She knew no matter how much she regretted it, she couldn't go back. But what she didn't know was that one careless night could lead to a child. She had sulked in a corner when she found out that she was pregnant. She regretted everything. She regretted doing everything she did. But she didn't regret the life that was going to be born. Her sister had asked if she wanted to abort it but Rukia had said no. She had been willing to fight with her, to bring a new life to the world. Despite the shame and disgrace it put to her sister's name.
She and her sister Hisana had been living an average normal life until Hisana met her husband, Byakuya Kuchiki, the famous businessman who owned one of the largest multinationals in the world. Rukia had agreed as long as she was happy but she didn't know that the sudden thrust into the high society could change her life so drastically. There was so much demanded from her. There was so much expected from her.
She stayed up late into the nights, stressed beyond her body could handle. She knew the Kuchikis were filthy rich and played a high role in the country's economy. She knew they had been wealthy from generations down to generations. But she was only an in-law. What did they expect her to do? Sure, her sister insisted that she take the Kuchiki name and enrolled her into a prestigious college. She even let Amaya take the Kuchiki name given that she was a fatherless child, but on the condition that she change her name when Rukia got married. But what was she to them? They can't expect her to follow their every command and stay committed to them for the rest of her life. She was an independent woman who had her own right. She wasn't going to let some rich family dictate her life for her.
But who would marry a woman with a child? The distant related members had gossiped off their pretty mouths every other minute, scaring off any potential husband she could have. She knew she would never reach their expectations the moment she entered the Kuchiki mansion. Their eyes were sharper than hawks and their tongues were poisonous than a viper. The higher class wasn't exactly ideal and every person's fantasy. It was uglier than that. Someone, one way or another was trying to take the other down, digging up dirt and throwing them out of the noble circle. But it took more than an illegitimate child to take down the Kuchiki name. Most people didn't even know she had a daughter.
In the first trimester, having had enough, Rukia decided to move out of the Kuchiki mansion and rented an apartment with her best friend, Momo Hinamori. She was a wonderful woman. A loyal person who stood beside her through every minute of her life from the moment she enrolled college. Momo's parents got a divorce when she was fifteen and her father remarried a year later to a woman with a boy two years younger than her. When she said that she didn't want to live at the mansion anymore, Momo had immediately suggested that they move out. Hisana supported her decision despite the crestfallen look on her face and she was glad she didn't oppose. Momo had been the one who supported her from then on. The woman knew her like the back of her hand. She was the one who went out late to buy her snacks and held her hair back while she threw up violently, patting her back. She was the one to put up with her mood swings, supporting her. She was the one who was over the moon when she heard the heartbeat of her baby, squealing and giggling like a little kid, crying that she was going to be a godmother. She was the one who held her hand in the labor room, screaming at her to push, tucking her hair behind her ears, saying that she could do it. She was the one who sat beside her during the nights spent at the hospital. She was the one who endured the nine months of pregnancy with her, giving her all the support she needed.
Not even her blood related sister was there for her like she did.
She could understand where her sister came from though. She was now a famous fashion designer. She was demanded all over the world, permitting her only a couple hours to do something other than work. Then there were the commitments as the Kuchiki daughter-in-law. She rarely had time. But she still called her and visited her once in a while. For that, she was grateful.
"We are here, miss." The driver's voice broke into her reverie and Rukia sighed, opening her wallet and handing the amount he asked for.
Rukia stepped out in front of a two story house that looked modern and new. The name Kurosaki was written in silver on the wooden fence right next to the gate. She pressed on the button and waited.
::
That morning, Yuzu Kurosaki had decided to visit the newly opened supermarket for much needed grocery shopping. She had decided to check out the new place and experience the ingredients for herself before believing her neighbors and their gloating about how tasty their meals had become.
"C'mon Karin-chan! Don't be such a bum and help me out here?" she whined, peeking her head inside as she bent down to put on her black vans.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she heard her twin run down the stairs and a raven haired girl, hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a pair of shorts and a jersey shirt stepped out.
"Don't forget to lock the door." Yuzu said, dusting the nonexistent dust from her skirt.
"You girls, be careful!" they heard a feminine voice say from deep inside the house.
"Yes mom!" they chorused.
The twenty year old twins walked out of the gates and down the road, ignoring the cat-calls and wolf whistles from their neighbors and strangers alike. The supermarket was big, aisles filled with almost every product available. It was a combination of all the smaller stores they have been going to. Yuzu wondered if there was anything they didn't have. The twins took their time exploring and picked out the items on their list, Karin striking out when Yuzu put it in their trolley. The duo paid for their items from the kitchen budget their father had given and the twins walked out of the automatic doors, Yuzu carrying one bag while Karin carried two.
They laughed at a joke as they turned a corner. Yuzu, who was solely concentrating on her sister bumped into something rather small. She gasped when she saw a little girl on the ground. The ever kind strawberry blonde crouched down, placing her bag on the ground and helped the girl up. Another gasp escaped her as she saw her face. She had dark black hair that reminded her of the night sky. Her bangs covered her entire forehead, almost her eyebrows too. The locks fell like silk just past her shoulders. Yuzu resisted the urge to squeal at the white bunny headband she wore. But what caught her attention most was her eyes. They were brown. Like chocolate. They reminded her of her big brother's eyes. They were so identical she felt like she was looking straight into her brother's eyes.
"Are you lost, cute one?" she asked, shaking herself out of her thoughts.
The girl only stared at her, unblinking.
Karin crouched down too. "Where is your mother?" she asked, mustering up her kindest tone.
The girl then looked at the black haired twin. They exchanged glances when she said nothing. Yuzu looked around to see if anyone was looking around for her but found no one.
"Where is your mother, cutie pie?" she giggled quietly when the girl sucked her lower lip in.
She had puffy cheeks and a dainty nose. Her lips were pink and her skin was pale. Yuzu thought she was nothing short of a doll. She looked exactly like one.
The girl didn't answer. Instead, she lowered her gaze and intertwined her fingers.
"Is something wrong?" Karin asked, her fingers twitching to reach her hair and run them through it.
Her doe eyes looked up at her but said nothing, not even a shake of her head. She pressed her legs together and rubbed them against each other. The twins shared a glance once more, knowing exactly why the little girl was so fidgety.
"Do you want to go potty?" Yuzu asked tilting her head.
The girl nodded shyly, emitting a giggle from Yuzu and a smirk from Karin. The younger twin gasped once more, a hand covering her mouth.
"Where do we find a toilet?"
Karin looked around to see shops, cafes and restaurants alike. "I think we should run home real quickly. It's not that far."
Yuzu nodded and Karin grabbed the bag in her hand while her sister picked up the little girl.
"Don't worry cutie pie, we will go to our house first and then find your mommy, okay?"
They began walking down the road as quickly as possible. It didn't take them long to arrive home with quick long strides. Yuzu quickly balanced the girl in one hand while the other dug into the bag around Karin's shoulder and pulled out a key. Karin was the first to enter the house and Yuzu quickly followed.
"Hurry, we have to hurry." She said noticing the child fidgeting even more.
Karin put the bags on the kitchen counter and Yuzu raced down the hallway to the guest bathroom.
Masaki Kurosaki opened the door to the master bedroom upon hearing the noise her daughters were making, albeit frowning, wondering what their rush was about. She walked into the kitchen and saw the shopping bags on the counter but saw no one. She turned around and headed towards the stairs but stopped when the guest bathroom door opened, revealing the girls she was searching for. She heard the toilet flush and Karin walked out first, followed by Yuzu. Her eyebrows almost disappeared into her hairline when she noticed the child in Yuzu's arms.
"Are you satisfied now?" Karin asked turning around to face the girl. She blushed and lowered her gaze to the Maplewood floor. The twins laughed at her shyness.
"Who is that, girls?" they turned towards their mother, an auburn haired beauty.
"We don't know her name yet but we found her lost in the streets. She wanted to go potty so we brought her home." Yuzu giggled.
"Wouldn't her mother be looking for her?" Masaki asked as she followed her daughters into the living room.
She sighed when they didn't reply. They were too engrossed with the new kid as they plopped on the beige couch, the little girl on Yuzu's lap.
"I'll be back in a while, Yuzu, Karin." Masaki said as she headed towards the door. She sighed once more when she didn't get any reply.
"So cutie, what's your name?" Yuzu asked once more.
The girl only stared at them. Yuzu and Karin 'aw'ed at her puppy-look eyes and pinched her cheeks. The girls turned the large flat-screen TV on and played a children's movie for her. She smiled prettily and Yuzu pinched her cheeks once more before pecking her head, unable to stop squealing and saying how such a cute thing could exist. Karin joined them with a tub of chocolate ice-cream and placed it in between Amaya's legs. She gave her a small spoon and she smiled at her. Yuzu squealed once more, wiping the ice-cream she managed to smudge on her cheeks and nose.
It took a while for them to realize that they were watching TV like long lost siblings when they should be calling the girl's mother and inform her of her daughter's whereabouts. The poor parent might be panicking in the police station for all they knew. Yuzu opened the bunny backpack and found a piece of paper where it would easily be seen. She handed it to Karin who pulled out her mobile and dialed the number on it. There was the girl's name on it along with her mother's phone number.
"So, you're called Amaya?" Yuzu asked the black haired girl who nodded.
"I'm Yuzu." She pointed to herself. "Yuzu Kurosaki. You can call me aunt Yuzu, okay?"
Amaya nodded once more before turning back to the TV, the ice-cream tub forgotten on her lap.
Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. Karin hurried to get it while Yuzu wiped Amaya's mouth, smiling at the girl.
Karin walked into the living room with a raven haired woman who looked a lot like Amaya, only mature and more womanly looking. She exhaled in relief when she saw her daughter on the couch watching TV.
"Thank you so much." She said to the twins who shook their heads with a smile.
Rukia walked towards her daughter who had her eyes glued on the TV screen and picked her up. Amaya, realizing that it was her mother, quickly wrapped her arms around her neck.
"You had me worried there, Amaya." She said in a soft whisper as she kissed her cheek.
"Thank you once again." Rukia said as she began to walk towards the front door but Amaya began to fling her legs in protest.
"What's wrong?" Rukia frowned at the pout on her face. She pointed towards Yuzu and Karin.
The twin's eyes lit up.
"Would you like to come over again, Amaya-chan?" Yuzu asked clasping her hands together.
Amaya grinned toothily and nodded vigorously.
"Um, miss…" Yuzu looked at Rukia with hopeful eyes. "Can Amaya-chan come over and play with us?"
Rukia opened her mouth. She really couldn't say no to Amaya's puppy eyes. But the girls were strangers to her. She had no idea who they were. How was she going to trust her daughter with them? Though they looked kind, Rukia wasn't sure should trust them. But Amaya seemed to really like them. It was proof enough that they didn't do any harm to her.
"Right Karin-chan?" she turned to her twin for support.
"I don't really mind." the raven haired twin shrugged.
Before she could answer, a woman walked into the living room. She smiled kindly at her and Rukia felt the motherly warmth from it.
"You must be her mother?" she ended questioningly as she walked towards them, placing her bag by the couch.
"Yes, I am." Rukia nodded once.
"I am Masaki Kurosaki. These girls are my daughters." She extended her hand.
"Rukia…" she accepted her hand. "Rukia is alright."
"I was wondering if Yuzu and Karin were going to keep her all day. They were having so much fun they didn't even hear me."
"Thank you. I was really worried. Looks like it was for nothing." Rukia chuckled.
"Mom, can Amaya-chan please please come over again?" Yuzu said taking Masaki's hand.
"I don't mind."
Yuzu turned to Rukia and mustered up her puppy eyes which she was sure worked on everyone. Rukia sighed and looked at Amaya. Her daughter tilted her head, hair falling over her shoulder and she smiled. It was her ultimate weapon whenever she wanted something. She must have figured that it was quite effective. Rukia groaned.
"Fine. When would you like have us over?"
Yuzu squealed and squeezed her twin until her breath was knocked out of her lungs.
"Dinner tomorrow night is fine." Masaki said.
"Thank you."
The Kurosaki women walked the pair to the gates. Amaya waved at them and they waved back. She then sent a flying kiss at them to which Yuzu squealed and Karin returned the kiss. Masaki just chuckled.
"See you tomorrow, Amaya-chan!" Yuzu called as Rukia walked down the road. Amaya kept waving until she lost sight of them.
::
Images of rice cakes danced behind his closed lids and he woke up with a start. Groaning, he raised a hand and ran it through his orange locks. Stifling a yawn behind his hand, Ichigo Kurosaki noticed something around his neck. He looked down and grabbed a delicate looking hand, staring at it as if it was a foreign object. Still holding the hand, Ichigo turned around and groaned when he came face to face with the country's most desirable woman, according to the magazines.
Inoue Orihime.
Also his super model girlfriend.
He sighed and pushed her hand away, letting it fall limply to her side. He quickly pushed the navy comforter off his body. He rolled his eyes when he saw the woman sleeping only with her undergarments. He walked leisurely to the other end of the room and opened the door to his bathroom. He closed the door behind him and locked it. The first thing he noticed was the two toothbrushes on the counter. It was supposed to be only one. She was making herself feel too homey at his apartment and he didn't like it. She had her own place; he had no idea why she kept sneaking into his apartment and slipping under his comforter while he slept. It was the second time now. He wouldn't stand a third time.
Why was he dating that woman again?
Oh yes, to keep the crazy mob of women at bay. Ever since his first interview two years ago, he had been unable to slip out of the paparazzi's radar. He was just an ordinary general manager who works for the famous Shihoin Enterprises but his popularity rivaled the leading actors and models of the country. What can he say, he was born with the looks, and it wasn't that much of a surprise anyway.
Ichigo turned the shower off and grabbed a towel from one of the cabinets. He wrapped it around his hips, hanging dangerously low and grabbed another one to dry his hair. Ichigo almost jumped when he saw the woman sitting up on his bed, her hair disheveled, making her look scary. He had no idea how they managed to make it look so silky. Right now, it looked like she had been hit by a hurricane. And the blush on her cheeks wasn't very appealing either. To be honest, Ichigo really didn't know why he was still with her. At first, she looked good to the eye and he had sort of liked her but then she got clingy and her voice was way too chipper for his liking. He knew she liked him. But he couldn't bring himself to reciprocate those feelings.
Deep in thoughts, he stepped inside his walk-in closet and picked out a navy blue suit and a white button down shirt for the day. Mondays were one of his favorites. He couldn't understand why but it had been that way since he was little. Besides, he loved his job. It paid him decent money too.
"G-good morning, K-Kurosaki-kun." A pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind as he clicked his wrist watch in place.
He had almost forgotten that he wasn't alone.
"Morning, Inoue." He took a step forward and her arms loosened. "See you later." He said without a glance at her as he grabbed his wallet and mobile and walked out of the room.
He took the steps down and crossed the living room to reach the entryway where a shoe rack was. He opened it and put on a pair of expensive looking shoes and reached for the door.
"Kurosaki-kun!" he heard her call.
Ichigo turned around and saw the girl bent over the stairs trying to see his face.
"Yes?" He replied feigning interest.
"Good luck." She said.
Ichigo forced one corner of his lips upwards in a smile and opened the door. He took the elevator down to the underground parking area and slipped inside his silver BMW and drove off to Shihoin Enterprises.
It was the start of another ordinary day.
A/N: I hope you guys liked it.
proofread by crimson-sana. Mistakes? blame her :P
Reviews are very much welcomed ;)
Now go ahead and read Infinite & Beyond.
Ja!