Sulking

I sighed and tilted my head backwards, against the wall on which I was leaning. This was miserable. I really couldn't understand what part of this activity was supposed to be ritual. All I could see were people dressed up in ill-fitting dress clothes and money being wasted on things like flowers, and centre pieces.

I looked down to my glass of champagne and swirled the golden liquid around. I really wasn't supposed to be drinking, seeing as I am underage, but neither my father nor my brother or sister had cared to stop me. I think they understood my extreme dislike of these kinds of situations, and decided it was best to let me do what I please. The only reason I was here was because it was my brother's wedding. The only reason I was in a dress and not my normal shorts and runners was because my brother talked me into being one of Rukia's bridesmaids.

I quickly pulled at the top of my dress, trying to make it easier to breathe and maneuver in. When we had gotten my dress, my breasts had been smaller, but because of a recent growth spurt, I was now five foot six and a c-cup. It didn't help any that the dress I had to wear was strapless.

I remember when we had gotten the dress …

"Karin? Do you like this colour?" asked Rukia.

The short-haired lieutenant held up a dress which was the most horrendous shade of green imaginable. I felt my stomach turn, just looking at the colour, not even the style of it.

"If you choose that colour, I will throw-up on my way down the aisle," I said bluntly.

Rukia winced and said,

"I actually kind of liked it."

"I think it's gorgeous," said Orihime.

"Me too," said Yuzu, shooting a glare at me.

Rukia glanced one more time at the dress and then hung it back up on the hook. Rukia wandered off in another direction and Orihime trailed behind her. Yuzu tugged my arm and pulled me towards her.

"You're supposed to be supportive of whatever she chooses!" Yuzu hissed. "It's her wedding not yours!"

I rolled my eyes and snorted at my twin.

"She asked for my opinion and I told her."

"Karin! I know you think this is the most horrible kind of torture you could ever be put through, but fake a smile and be supportive! Remember why you said you'd be her bridesmaid in the first place!"

"The only reason I agreed to this is because Ichi-nii promised me his car after he leaves for the soul society."

Yuzu gave me a stern look, as if that wasn't supposed to be my reason, like it was supposed be because I couldn't wait to have Rukia as my sister in-law.

"Yuzu! Karin!" called Orihime, from across the store.

My sister rushed toward Orihime and Rukia. I took a deep breath and slowly sauntered over to the trio. The three of them were discussing a style when I finally made it over to them. Rukia threw dresses at Yuzu and Orihime and practically shoved them into changing rooms. Rukia then went to sit down. Because I lacked a dress I went to sit next her.

"Karin, do you really not like this?" asked my companion.

"No, I really hate it. I would much rather be doing homework, quite frankly," I said to my future sister-in-law.

"That's what I like about you Karin."

"Hmmm? What?" I asked, confused.

"You actually give your opinion. Truthfully, I think your opinion is more valuable than Yuzu's or Orihime's. They just agree with absolutely everything I say, it is actually kind of irritating."

"Thanks ..?" I said questionably.

"What colour do you think I should choose for the dresses?" Rukia asked me, while dropping her head into her hands.

"It's really your choice," I said. "But I refuse to wear anything in a completely ugly colour, like that green you showed me. "

Rukia grinned a bit. Her attention then shifted to Yuzu and Orihime, who had both come out of the change rooms. Yuzu wore an orange halter dress, with a ruffled skirt that went to her mid-calf and changed from orange to red to black, like she was a fire. Orihime wore a sky blue dress with a box-cut cleavage to tone down her abnormally sized chest. It also had a black belt at the waist and then flared out to reach just above her knees. To tell the truth, they both looked amazing. I could almost feel my self-confidence dwindling down to nothing.

Rukia squealed and jumped up.

"You both look amazing!"

I smiled a little at Rukia's outburst. She went over to the pair and admired them. She glanced back toward me, like she was looking for my approval. I nodded my head slightly, just obvious enough for her to notice, but not Yuzu and Orihime. They all squealed together and I watched from afar.

Soon Yuzu and Orihime drifted off to get changed back into their regular clothes and Rukia walked back over to me.

"I thought you wanted us to all wear the same dress," I said to her.

"I did, but, I think those two dresses look too good not to get, so I decided that all my bridesmaids will wear different dresses."

I nodded my head and Rukia then asked me,

"Did any dresses in here catch your eye at all?"

I thought through all the dresses I had seen today, and there was only one. I nodded my head.

"Why don't you go find it and try it on?" Rukia asked.

"Alright," I said and I wandered off in the direction of the dress I had liked.

Rukia didn't follow me; I assumed she stayed to wait and talk with Yuzu and Orihime. I quickly found the rack that the dress I liked was hanging on. I grabbed my size and walked back over to the changing room. Instead of waiting to show Rukia, I went directly into the change room to put it on.

I pulled off my clothes and pulled on the dress. I glanced into the mirror and felt my self-confidence return. The dress was a dark red-burgundy colour. The top was strapless and the fabric of the bust gathered down to meet the bodice. The bodice slimmed my figure and then the skirt draped over my hips to reach just below my knees. I took a deep breath and walked out to see Rukia, Yuzu and Orihime.

I sighed at myself, I had chosen this dress; it was my own damn fault I was stuck in this pain in the ass dress. I took another swing of my champagne, and shook my head at myself.

"Should you be drinking that?" asked a voice.

I searched my surroundings looking for the source of the voice. I couldn't find it; my senses weren't exactly at their peak.

"I am up here," said the voice.

I looked up to see my new brother in-law sitting on the edge of the roof above me, with his feet hanging of the edge.

"Probably not; but I am going to anyways," I said to Byakuya.

"Hn," was his response.

I looked out across the dance floor. I saw Tatsuki dancing with Renji, my dad with Yuzu and of course Rukia with Ichigo. I involuntarily sighed again.

"From up here, you can almost ignore the two of them," said Byakuya, from above me.

I glanced up to Byakuya and told him,

"Well are you going to be a gentleman and help me up there with you, or am I supposed to attempt to climb a tree while under the influence and in heels?"

Byakuya hopped down from the roof and grabbed my waist. Then I was airborne of a mili-second and then we were sitting beside each other on the roof. I hadn't noticed before, but Byakuya's black suit jacket was undone, his tie was loosened and the top buttons of his shirt was undone. I don't think I had ever seen him dressed so casual. To Byakuya's left, there was a half full bottle of champagne.

"You drinking too?" I asked him.

He nodded slightly and looked out over the wedding in silence. I stared at his perfectly calm,

cool, and collected demeanor for a few moments, and then looked over the wedding as well.

"Your brother will never make it in the noble house of Kuchiki," said Byakuya.

"He will if he tries hard enough," I said smirking. "He'll break more than a few rules, and maybe change a couple before he is through with your clan."

"He won't. He will be ejected from the clan if he doesn't obey the rules."

"If I recall correctly, you've broken the rules three times and have yet to be ejected from your clan," I replied, turning to look at him.

"I have Kuchiki blood; Ichigo does not and neither does Rukia, if they step out of line the elders won't hesitate to get rid of them."

"You'd stop them though, right?" I asked, concerned for my brother. "You are leader of your clan; you must have some sort of veto power."

Byakuya smiled a little bit and said,

"I may have had those privileges once, but as you said, I have broken rules, it's highly unlikely that the elders would respect my opinion."

"Well that's stupid!" I said loudly.

Byakuya's dark eyes widened slightly and his smile expanded. His shoulders began to tremble. I could figure out what was happening to him until he let out a quiet chuckle. He'd been laughing.

"You Kurosaki's are all the same," he said.

I looked at him in disbelief; I could not believe he had been laughing. The calm, cool, and collected Byakuya Kuchiki had been laughing.

"We are not all the same," I said, defending my pride.

"It wasn't an accusation," said Byakuya, looking into my eyes. "I was simply stating fact."

"I am not like my father!" I exclaimed

Byakuya laughed again; it unnerved me.

"I wasn't talking about the similarities between yourself and your father, but more so between you and your older brother."

I couldn't deny the similarities between Ichigo and me; my father always said that me and Ichigo were more of twins then me and Yuzu. I rolled my eyes at Byakuya and turned my attention back to the wedding. I instantly felt a little bit more depressed.

"Rukia's too short for Ichigo," I said. "Even in her five inch heels, she is still way too short for him."

In the corner of my eye, I could see Byakuya shaking his head at me.

"What? It is so true!" I said turning to look at him.

"Hisana was shorter than Rukia."

"Do you have neck problems from all that bending over?" I remarked casually back at him.

Byakuya just shook his head at me, as if were strange. But it was so true! Rukia didn't even make in to Ichigo's shoulder.

"Even if my neck hurt, it didn't matter. I was in love; and could've cared less," said Byakuya.

He seemed to have a faraway look in his eyes. Almost as if he wasn't here, but instead reliving memories with his late wife, Hisana. It kind of made me feel depressed. I sighed for the millionth time that night and downed the last of my champagne. I held out my hand to Byakuya. He glanced down at my hand; coming back to reality and he asked,

"Hn?"

"Alcohol please," I answered.

He looked back at my hand for a bit; as if he were contemplating giving me the bottle. Byakuya reached for the bottle beside him and passed it over to me. I got a firm grasp on the bottle and took one big chug of it.

"Leave some for the rest of us," said Byakuya.

I wiped some foam off of the corner of my mouth and replied,

"There is still plenty to go around."

A trace of a smile passed over Byakuya's face. Suddenly, he disappeared; or more so, he flash stepped. He reappeared a few seconds later with two more bottles of stronger alcohol; one of whiskey and one of rum. I smirked and chugged down the remainder of the champagne. The moment I had finished, Byakuya held out the bottle of whiskey to me.

"Thank you," I said.

"Hn."

"You know what else I don't like about Rukia…"

"Hey Ichigo?" called Renji, as they passed one another on the dance floor.

"Yeah pineapple?"

"Is that your sister up on the roof with Captain Byakuya?"

My eyes traveled up to the roof of the house and surely enough, there sat his younger sister drinking away the night with my new brother in-law.

"What do you think there doing?" asked Rukia, from in his arms.

"It looks like they both have a bottle of alcohol," called Renji from across the floor.

Ichigo grinned; of course Karin was drinking, but the weird thing was that Byakuya must be too.

"Rukia."

"Yes, Ichigo?"

"I am pretty sure they are sulking together."

AN:/ Hey, I am still alive! I decided to do a Bleach one-shot, possibly a two-shot if I can think of a continuum. But this one was inspired by makoshark 's story 99 reasons. It was reason 29 that gave me this bright idea.

I am writing a bit more now that I have decent controls over my feelings now. So if you're reading my story Love Child, if everything goes as planned, I will have a new chapter for you within the week. As for my other stories, I kind have to remember where I was going with them.

One thing I have to say is have a great Christmas, and cherish those you love the most!

Spaz Out

=)