Fujiwara, Naoko was sitting by her bedroom window, watching the sakura blossoms fall. She was tired of all of her family asking her when she was going to get married. She sighed. When would she get married? She had never left the manor, so how was she going to find a husband? Her father was the head of the Fujiwara Clan one of noble families of the Seireitei. Therefore her parents had arranged a marriage many years ago when she was young but the young man had died in a hollow attack. She had never seen a hollow but heard they were very dangerous. She had refused further matchmaking, claiming that the grief of losing one suitor was enough for a lifetime. She continued to stare at the falling blossoms, wondering if she should ask her mother to start matchmaking again.

Kuchiki, Byakuya woke one morning to the sound of Takahashi, Hotaru yelling at someone… again. Why did she have to be at his house so early? Oh yeah… she was supposed to come by for a fitting. His family and the other nobles thought that he should marry again and produce offspring. The idea made him cringe, especially when he remembered that they all would be watching his and Her every move after the wedding that his family decided to move up. A fact he still had not told Hotaru and a deed he was scared to tell her for fear of her wrath again. Maybe he should get Renji to tell her, she wouldn't try to kill him but she might also not believe him. She'd say stop joking and then lightly punch him in the arm.

She would likely try and chop his head off if Byakuya was to tell her himself. He wasn't afraid of anything or anyone… except her.

"BYAKUYA!"

"What is it," he said as he went to open the door to his bedroom. One look at her face told him all he needed to know. Someone had told her about the wedding date being moved up.

"Uh oh," he thought. "Look here it's too early in the morning to be making…" the look she gave him said "shut it or I'll shut it for you" in her case she meant it literally. "um I'm sorry about not telling you sooner but I… I was…"

"You were what?"

"I was scared you'd try to kill me again," he said looking at her bare feet. He sighed.

"Good."

"What?"

"It's good that you're scared," she said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"Byakuya… I… I have told you this before, but I don't want to marry you. I don't love you and I don't think I ever can."

"I know," he said sadly. "Can you at least try." He was glad no one was around this morning. He would hate it if someone could see and hear how scared and vulnerable he was right now at this moment when he finally told her how he felt. "Hotaru I… I... I love you."

"You what?"

"I love you, Taru. I love you."

Tears fell from Hotaru's eyes then came a shaking sob. Byakuya looked at her with such concern and worry so apparent in his eyes. He reached for her and she let him hold her. He shouldn't be calling her that, he knew that when he called her Taru she just fell to pieces. That was the name Keiichiro used to call her. That was the name that only He called her. She probably still remembers his scent, the feel of his arms around her, the way he held her after watching her sick father die, and the way they had shared ice cream and kisses. She still missed Him. Byakuya did not mean to use it against her. He knew what the name meant to her. He did want her to know that he loved her and thought maybe just maybe she would reconsider. Hotaru pushed Byakuya away and ran. He hoped she didn't run out of the soul society again this time.

Byakuya went after her after a few seconds. After a while of walking he saw two people sitting on the ground. As he got closer he recognized that the couple was Hotaru and Lieutenant Hisagi. He watched as Hotaru reached up and kissed Hisagi. Hisagi hesitated but soon wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck. If he didn't know better he would have thought these two had been lovers for a long time with the way they kissed. He grew sad and decided he needed to do something. He didn't know what to do so he continued to walk.

"She doesn't love me, but it looked as if she might be falling for Hisagi. What does he have that I don't? Tattoos? How could she do this," he kept on walking just as Hotaru had run earlier. He went all through the Soul Society avoiding the place he saw her kiss him. He was deep in his thoughts when he bumped into someone.

It was his lieutenant, Renji. "What's up Captain," the red head asked.

"Nothing," the sadness evident in his voice.

"Um Captain? You sure?"

"Positive…ly not."

"What happened?"

"I saw… I saw…Hotaru…kiss Lieutenant Hisagi."

"WHAT?"

"You heard me, she kissed him."

"Dang that was fast. He told me that you should be telling her that you love her."

"I did," he said softly.

"What? Couldn't hear you."

"I told her that I loved her but she ran off crying. I don't understand. What did I do wrong?"

"You called me Taru," Hotaru's voice said out of nowhere.

"How did you… when did you…"

"Just now."

"What does calling you Taru have to do with you kissing lieutenant Hisagi?"

"You saw that?"

"Yes," Byakuya said sadly. Hotaru looked embarrassed.

"I'm sorry Byakuya, but I told you that I didn't love you… can't love you. I'm so sorry. I wish I could change that fact. You seem like a nice guy once you get pass the cold exterior. I love my Keiichiro. He was the only one who ever called me Taru. When you called me that I remembered everything that we used to do together. The way you and him look and sound so similar just didn't help matters much. His hair was shorter than yours and I begged him to let it grow but he never would. Then I watched as he lived and I didn't. I had to leave him as he called my name as he cried over my dead body. I had to go… I had to…" fresh tears streamed down her face. "I miss him so much… he understood me… he knew me better than anyone… he was the only one who showed me what real love was all about. He was the first person to see past the bad-a$$ mask I wore. He saw me for who I really was and accepted that I wanted to portray myself as this bad-a$$ little girl who was tough as nails."

"You still are tough as nails," Renji said. "You scared the crap out of the guy who is the king of indifference... the guy who everyone except the ones older than him and captain Kenpachi are afraid of."

"Thanks, Renji."

"No Problem Captain."

"He's right you know, Hotaru. You can kick my butt. You can also be sweet and caring. You work hard and help those around. For the most part you follow the rules."

"That's sweet Byakuya." She smiled.

"But it's not enough is it?"

"I'm sorry but no it's not." She stepped closer and gave Byakuya Kuchiki a kiss. "One day you will find someone better for you than me. Someone you can be yourself with."

"Thank you, Hotaru. I will do what I can to get us both out of the marriage. For you." Hotaru smiled and walked away.

After thinking for a while Byakuya actually felt happy, happy that he could do something for Hotaru. For the first time he understood how Renji felt when Renji thought that Rukia liked that orange haired kid instead of him. Even though he didn't know exactly how that whole thing was going, he was happy that Rukia and Renji seemed to be friends again. He also knew how it felt to be free. He hadn't known it at the time but focusing on trying to get Hotaru to love him had made him feel trapped. He also felt trapped by his responsibility as the head of the Kuchiki clan. He just had to find a way out of the whole marriage to Hotaru thing. Could the High Commander help him and Hotaru? He had to find a way, he just had to.

Byakuya then did something he hasn't done in years. He laughed. That's right he laughed a nice belly laugh. He would find the girl that was right for him or maybe he had already found her in Hisana. Why did she have to die and leave him all alone? He had Rukia but it wasn't the same. He wanted Hisana yet he had wanted Hotaru. What was going to happen to the happiness he once had at the thought of being married again, at the thought that he would have someone to love and someone to love him back? He needed to be loved. He deserved it, right?