Hi guys! Here's my first fic so I hope you enjoy it. It's going to be a multiple chapter story, and I'm sure I'll be able to update constantly. I'm crossing my fingers!
As usual, constructive criticism is welcomed as well as suggestions. I can't promise that I'll add them to the story but one never knows, maybe they could turn into another fic. If they do you'll get your due credit.
So here's to hoping you like this story as much as I enjoy writing it, regardless of the headaches that thinking what to do next brings at times.
Summary: Is the beginning of spring. Renji leaves for Karakura on assignment and Byakuya is left to attend his division. He always found this season hard on him, but someone he'd never considered before will come to his aid. Will this year be different from the others?
I know this summary isn't that different from the one on the main page, but I don't want to give away much of the plot. Hopefully by the end of this chapter it will be clearer for you, so please read. I will say that it's a Byakuya X Rangiku fic, since I haven't seen one around here in a while. If you ask me, this pair just needs some lovin'. Other characters will appear as well but they're only secondary to the story.
Disclaimer: All Bleach characters are Kubo-san's property. If they were mine some wicked things would happen.... Like Aizen getting his nuts kicked on constant basis. I own nothing.
Also, the quote belongs to the song by Alex Ubago "A gritos de esperanza". I translated the quote at the end of the chapter.
Have a nice read everyone!
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"Que tu alma sea fuerte cuando mires hacia el frente. No recuerdes todo lo que no te di"
Everyone gets to a place where they need to look back before they move forward. Take some time for self examination.
Over fifty years had passed since her death and I could still remember everything about her. From the color of her eyes, to the twitching of her lips when she saw me, as if she was welcoming me into her environment. Every image and every minute we shared was forever burned in my head. But those memories aren't the only ones that won't escape my mind.
The first time I'd met her I instantly became smitten and felt a rush of emotions going through my veins. Anyone would have said that it was love at first sight, but they'd be wrong. It was hard for me to care for her knowing that she was just a commoner.
Only that she wasn't. The more I got to know her it became easier for me to find her virtues. And this brought upon me a fear that was previously unknown.
I should not have fallen in love with a commoner. The mere act of talking to someone of her class is a fault in itself. It is beneath those of my lineage.
And yet I couldn't stop myself. Going against my better judgment I carried on pursuing her. But I knew that it was wrong.
I was born into nobility, and there were rules that came with the title, especially when you are the heir to one of Seireitei's four noble houses. My actions were the text definition of what a noble man like me should not do.
But I did not know how to break from the hold in which love had restrained me, and I don't believe I ever wanted to be released. This hold was so powerful that it gave me strength to defy the common rules of nobility. And being determined to succeed in carrying on with my will, I confronted my family. Soon we would be married, against the wishes of those who surrounded me.
But it didn't take long for my actions to show their ugly consequences, regardless of how blissful our marriage might have been in my eyes. This is why during our fifth year together, after falling ill to a disease to which I could not find a cure, she left me. She died while I guarded her death bed, grief stricken by her sudden absence.
There was no way for me to determine the cause of her death, which led my mind to believe many things.
One of them in particular was deeply disturbing to me, although it was the most likely possibility, knowing that the family was not nearly as happy as I was about our marriage.
She had always said there is a fire in my eyes, one that most people could not recognize. I partially agreed with her opinion. My stubbornness in marrying her and breaking the rules set on me from a young age showed a determination in doing things differently. But she had left, and without her that fire died down.
A wall had appeared in front of me, isolating me from the outside world.
Over fifty years have passed, and I know I'll never lose the memory of her, it being so engraved in my heart. But it has been such a long time since she died, and since I've never given my heart rest from the guilt, fully aware that it was me who brought upon such situation.
I want to move on, but the wall remains.
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"Kuchiki-Taicho" a man said, calling through the fusama.
"Abarai-fukutaicho" I said, without taking my eyes from the paperwork.
"Oi, taicho?"
"Find out what they want" I replied.
Renji slid the fusama open. The man at the other side walked in to approach my desk, handing me paperwork sent from Yamamoto's office.
"Kuchiki-taicho, Yamamoto-sotaicho has sent this to you".
I briefly glanced up at the man, only to turn my attention back to my desk and the paperwork just handed to me.
I skimmed through the paper. It was an assignment sheet meant for Abarai-fukutaicho. He is to be sent to Karakura to investigate certain apparitions of hollows in the area that were out of the ordinary. Since I was Abarai's taicho this required my compliance with the designation, even when it was not really necessary since such orders coming from the sotaicho were not to be dismissed. This was merely a notification.
I signed the form that was given to me. "You're dismissed" I replied in my usual cold tone.
He retired from the room swiftly, not without leaving me a copy of the form to keep in the division's files. I turned my attention back to the desk.
"Abarai-fukutaicho" I mouthed without prying my eyes from my work. "You ought to read this". He walked over toward my desk to take the form.
"I must leave in two days taicho?" he uttered in quiet surprise, although I could not understand why, it being obvious that what was said in the form is what is meant to be followed.
"You must straighten your obligations within the division before you depart, Abarai-fukutaicho"
"I'm meant to run the training sessions for the seated officers this month taicho. Should I find a replacement or…?" he answered, unable to come up with alternative options.
I pondered on this for a moment. Training is an essential part in keeping the standards I have set for the division, so if I were to take on this duty while Abarai was gone, I knew the job would get done efficiently, though my personal work in the office would grow stagnant. It was a hard choice.
"Find a replacement amongst the other fukutaicho's. Let me know who you've selected before leaving"
"Sure, Kuchiki-taicho" he nodded in agreement, while still hovering in the vicinities of my desk.
"You may return to your obligations now, Abarai-fukutaicho". I redirected my focus to the paperwork in front of me.
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So that's the first chapter of the story. It was a short one but hopefully a good one. I didn't want to go on and on with Byakuya and the story of his life. I hope I did a good job writing him. It's tricky to get in his head.
Translation to the quote at the beginning: May your soul be strong when you look ahead. Don't remember all I didn't give to you.
So here's the part where you click that button at the end of the page and review. Give me your comments and suggestions. As I said before, constructive criticism is welcomed as well as all kinds of boosts for my morale :D. Peace out!