Listen, listen if you can
Believe in what your heart tells you
In the weighty tears that break you
Let me see your face one last time
One last time
(english translated lyrics of 'Listen to One Story' duet by Fumiko Orikasa(voice of K. Rukia) and Ryotaro Okiayu(voice of K. Byakuya) in the album Bleach Beat)
no copyright infringement intended.
Chapter 0
The stars were outshoned by the full moon that night. A certain raven haired shinigami found herself lying on a futon again. She looked on her left wherein rests a vacant cushion. She reached for it only to find it still warm to the touch.
"Nii-sama." she mumbled, knowing too well who had stayed as she slept.
She pulled herself up into a seating position and surveyed the room. The door was left open and from where she sat, the lush Kuchiki garden can be viewed as it bathe under the moonlight. The sakura trees are in full bloom and night breeze blew some of the early blooms to her bedside.
It has been a while since she got to do nothing but rest and she can't help but take in everything around her even the glistening appearance of the pond waters.
She took a pink petal into the palm of her hand. She looked atit closely and watched it blown away and out to where her adoptive brother stood. She parted her lips to speak but her throat hurt and the cold was not helping.
"You've been out for two days." the man plainly said after noticing she has gained consciousness. He continued to stare at the sakura trees. There was a pause and the silent howling of the wind echoed in her ear.
"Oh." was the all the sound she could make.
There was a pause and the rustling of fabric was heard. Kuchiki Byakuya turned his head slightly to the side. For the longest time, their eyes met. Each stare with equal vigor. He never saw her eyes as dazzling as she now it reflected the night light.
"I am so confused." With the way she set her eyes on him, he was melting inside but he cannot let her know. He wondered at how a mortal such as she was given such brilliant eyes.
"What are you confused about?" he asked although he knew the answer to that.
"Why are you avoiding me?" she asked. Her question gave him an internal turmoil and it almost showed but he remained stoic.
She approached him, not breaking eye contact. As she closed the gap between them, her breath hitched, trapped in her throat. By simply being close to him takes her breath away. It was excitement mixed with fear.
Her hand felt cold as it found its way on his jaw. He stared at her mesmerizing eyes, captivated. He didn't push her away as she had imagined he would. Instead, he placed his hand on hers. She smiled at him before she leaned on the warmth that was him, resting her head on his hard chest in sweet abandon.
He cannot avoid her anymore. He cannot avoid the feelings he had been trying to conceal all these years.
"Are you afraid?" he asked, breathing in the scent of fresh spring water that was her dark locks.
"Not when you're with me." she closed her eyes and continued to lean on him.
xxx
The inability of the late lady Hisana to produce an heir has weakened the trust of the people to the Kuchiki house. The elders feared that the great house would crumble unless an heir was determined. Seeing as there is no way he would marry if left on his own devices, the elders of the clan arranged dates for Byakuya but he didn't show interest in any of them. The elders started taking desperate measures.
And Rukia? Doesn't she look like her?
Ever since setting his eyes upon her, Byakuya had been afraid to form a sense of attachment to her. He kept on fooling himself that she's nothing but a living reminder of Hisana. At first, he thought of the emotions as crude infatuation. His mind were probably playing games on him, mocking him of such a perfect replacement Rukia. The void that was left by Hisana is for her to fill. The days passed, the feelings brewing in his person started to make an undesirable turn.
As the forbidden emotions dared to flood his heart, he struggled to conceal it. With his fine snobbery, he thought he might get away from the needless emotions. He thought that he might get away from her.
Everything was going as planned until Rukia found out the truth behind her adoption. She subconsciously warmed up to him and it then became harder for him to ignore her. She smiled at him more often, in attempts to get closer. The more she did, the more she became admirable and harder to resist.
One day, he unintentionally found her sketchbook.
The rabbit drawings were unmistakably hers. Every page was filled with silly drawings and on the center page was undoubtedly a rabbit version of him and Rukia. Between them was a heart which had 'forever' written on it.
He shut the sketchbook close, refused to absorb what he had just seen and finally decided to rid of it like nothing happened. Perhaps it meant a familial forever relationship. He fought the malice that had already stained his heart. Realizing someone was watching, he turned to see Rukia, fidgeting and a lot paler than usual.
"Nii-sama, I can explain."
May I be forgiven for I fell in love with my sister's husband.
He studied her agitation and simply gazed. It took him a moment and when Rukia was to utter a word, it hit him.
They were after all man and woman, not related by blood or matrimony yet living under the same roof.
"It's not necessary." He turned his back on her, nonchalantly putting the sketchbook on her shaky hands. Rukia bowed her head even lower, afraid to meet his gaze.
"Forget those emotions directed towards your brother." towards me
"Don't be foolish." It sounded as if he was more of convincing himself rather than actually scolding Rukia.
After the elders deliberated, they found Rukia eligible to be his bride. His heart felt like bursting. But he doesn't want to push her to it, that's why he avoided her without realizing its effect on Rukia.
She lost focus in battle, allowing the low class hollow to inflict a fatal blow. Byakuya thought he'd lost her forever.
xxx
"I thought you disliked me." Rukia told him.
"I can never dislike you." Byakuya answered.
The moment he held her into his arm was pure bliss. It's as if she was made to be enclosed in his embrace. Nothing else existed in the world but them. Finally but frighteningly so, everything was happening in his favor.
The next day, Kuchiki Rukia is to be wed and bear the Kuchiki name not as sister to Kuchiki Byakuya but as the lady of the Kuchiki house.
This one's boring I guess. Too 'flowery' if you ask me. I tend to dump too much description it turns into a crazy collage. and I have edited this, several times but I keep on missing errors so if you spot any, kindly tell me.
