Byakuya looked mournfully at the raven-haired girl who sat gleefully before him. She hardly ever looked so innocent…so free. She almost never looked so happy, and usually Byakuya was the only one who ever got to observe it, and he was the very lest person who ever deserved to see such beauty.
Byakuya shook his head slowly, that was why it had to end. This was his beloved Rukia, the one who had been there for him, who had always stayed with him…
He didn't deserve her. Not since…he looked away from the distracted girl. Not since he had broken her; he had never forgiven himself. He would never forget the tortured look on her face, the feeling of utter hopelessness as he wished she would just smile again, and the hurt lodged in her voice as she had told him that it was he who did it to her…
Yet, she still had loved him. She had never doubted his warped mind, his torn emotions. She made him accept himself when the world was too terrible to bear…That was why he had to go so far away that he never crossed the girl's mind again.
Byakuya stood up abruptly, catching the short girl's attention, "Byakuya…?"
He faked a light smile, "It's alright, Rukia. I'm just not feeling very well." he explained swiftly.
The girl smiled sweetly, "Alright then. I love you, Byakuya."
Byakuya swallowed, a lump in his throat, "Y-Yes…I…I love you, too, Rukia." All too much, he added silently, wandering into their room, preparing his departure, tears rushing down his cheeks in sporadic bursts.
Rukia woke up the next morning alone, a note by her side, Byakuya's handwriting as neat as ever sprawled across the paper, yet it seemed like gibberish.
"Rukia,
Hate me today. Hate me tomorrow. Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you.
Hate me in ways--yes, ways hard to swallow--hate me so can finally see what's good for you…"
Rukia stared blankly at the paper, watching as the ink smeared when her hot tears fell upon it.
A/N: I love this song right now! I was gonna do this for Kikiyo and Inuyasha, but I didn't wanna! D: So I settled for Rukia and Byakuya. -^^-
Disclaimer: I don't own the song or characters! Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo, just as Hate Me belongs to Blue October. :DD