Author Notes: This one is set when Byakuya and Renji go in the human realm to claim Rukia.

Characters: Byakuya, Renji, Rukia, Ichigo

Seen from Byakuya's POV.


Not for Me

The blood welled up like crushed rose petals and spurted from his body. It was as if in a dream. All I remembered was seeing the way he protected Rukia, feeling the anger and jealousy that boiled in my throat and tightened in my chest.

My body had moved on its own, performing Shunpo and slipping up next to him, my sword piercing into his chest, watching with satisfaction the look of shock and horror that had passed over his arrogant face.

"Even when you fall, it's an ugly and clumsy sight." I stepped away from his falling body as he crashed onto the ground, unconscious and badly injured.

From behind, I heard her shout, "Byakuya nii-sama!"

I turned, just in time to catch her delicate white face juxtaposed in an expression of fear and concern, her beautiful eyes contorted in pain and trepidation. For that little brat. A sour and painful emotion welled up in my chest and stole away my voice.

"Ichigo!" she yelled as she struggled against Renji's grip to get to the lifeless heap. "Let go of me, you big ape!"

He cannot protect you. I watched her silently.

She never belonged to me. This feisty tiny little slip of a girl with silk-black hair and big midnight eyes, a challenging smile and a sarcastic word for everyone.

Not even when I went through hell and high water, moving heaven and earth as best as I humanly could to get her adopted into the clan, risking expulsion from the Kuchiki clan and even giving up my pride to beg for them to sign the adoption papers.

Even when she stayed in the Kuchiki house, I watched her wistful expression when Renji came to train in my private quarters and I saw the longing scudding in her eyes as she brought him tea and snacks. Then I watched as she got accepted into the 12th squad and saw how much she admired and respected Shiba Kaien.

Then he died by her sword, carving a hole into her life forever, taking a part of her away with him into Hell.

Now that she was in the human realm, I saw the way she cared for that orange-haired brat, saw how she squabbled delightfully with him, saw how she protected him from the Hollows even when she had nothing but a useless gigai. Not once had I crossed her mind. To her, I was still Kuchiki Byakuya-nii-sama, someone to be feared and held in deep respect. I longed to hold her the way that orange-haired brat had, tenderly and asking nothing in return.

"Rukia, we have to go." I heard Renji spit.

She bent down gently and smoothed the orange strands splattered with blood out of his face. A small smile crept quietly onto her face as she felt his heart beat under her palms. He was safe and that was all that mattered.

A smile that would never belong to me. A smile that was not for me.

I roughly grabbed her by the arm as Renji opened the door to Soul Society and we walked in. Back home.

Back to a place where her smiles, her laughter and her teasing voice would never be for me.