Sorry, I haven't updated at all for the these almost 2 years. I have been so busy, that I haven't had the chance to really even type something long. Don't worry though; I do plan on finishing all of my fics. At first, I thought this fic would be a worthy 10 part but I decided to make it at least 15 to 20 chapters long. Depending on the reviews and my ability to produce more.
Also I am answering any questions in PM's.
Now please enjoy the continuation of What life took and gave me.
Introducing Rukia
The palms of her hands were sweaty against the wall, her brows were knitted together, her nose wrinkled up and her lips were pursed. She hated it when her maid Mifune, applied the corset. If it wasn't bad enough she was running out of time to meet her beloved Renji.
Once, Mifune was done applying the corset, Rukia told Mifune to leave. Once, she was left alone Rukia, adjusted her white cotton blouse, tucked inside the corset. She slipped on her tight black pants tied them up and searched for her boots. She looked all over her room and no sight of her boots. She opened her closet door and with a sigh she pulled out some old brown boots.
"I haven't used these in ages, but for now these must do." She muttered. She easily placed her pant leg in each boot with ease and laced up the boots. She walked to the mirror and smiled she looked great. She applied little make up and left her chambers.
Running to the back gardens, she slipped passed the guards and went into the dense part of the woods. After a few miles of running she made it, to the secret cottage, by the small waterfall. She came to a halt, eased her heart rate and knocked 3 times. After a few seconds she heard 3 knocks back. She smiled with glee and opened the door.
She peered her head in and in the middle on the cottage, stood Renji. He had a huge grin in his face. She smiled at him and ran to his arms. They held each other. Rukia lifted her head to see his face and was surprised by Renji's kiss. He was never surprised her with kisses.
She sighed with bliss, closed her eyes and let herself sink into his kiss. She then remembered the reunion she and Renji had a few months back, the reunion that started their relationship.
Flashback:
Renji was her childhood friend, they lived in the same poor district of Seireitei. Rukongai, was a horrible place, where women and children pray to make it another day, where the sickly await their maker, and where men are ruthlessly evil. Rukia cringed at the memory, she grew up alone for 10 years. Till she meet Renji and his friends. She saved them from getting caught by the greedy old man; whom they stole water jugs from.
Their friendship bloomed more and more till, it was only just Renji and herself. They were 12 when they lost 3 of their friends and when she was adopted by the Kuchikis'. She wasn't sure to take the offer, till Renji eagerly pushed her into agreeing. It hurt her feelings, that he was just so willing to abandon her easily. So she accepted and since then she has been known as the Kuchiki Princess.
Recently, Renji reappeared into her life. He was now serving as Lieutenant of Squad 6, under the charge of my adoptive brother Byakuya Kuchiki; on the day of his promotion, was the day she bumped into him for the first time in 6 years. She easily recognized him, no one had tribal like eyebrows but him. She soon realized, she was staring at him and blushed out of embarrassment. They said their greeting and parted.
Once the promotion ceremony ended, they gathered for a feast in the Kuchiki gardens. Rukia escaped the feast after being harassed by the Captain of Squad 3; Ichimaru Gin, he was a sly devious fox, that always made her feel like she was being swallowed by a snake. She evaded him, when Matsumoto Rangiku intervened and let her run to the back gardens. There she bumped into Renji again, who was staring up at the full moon. When she looked back up to him, she blushed. He was really handsome and he made her lose her composure. His hands were on her waist, holding her steady. She continued to stare at him till he said.
"I know we haven't seen each other in years and I am sorry for back then. But there hasn't been a day where I regret my decision of letting you go. I was glad of the great opportunity you were presented with even if in the process I would lose you. I joined the 'Shinigami Academy' to get into the rankings and join your brothers' squad. Hoping to see you again" He said with a tremble in his voice.
Her eyes began to glaze over the tears threatening to fall.
"Hey...Say something... Don't just look at me like you're about to cry... You never cry..." Said Renji feeling anxious over her reaction to his words.
"I grew up alone, I meet you and the rest; only to left alone again. I was adopted and it was the same always alone, my adoptive brother doesn't spare me a simple glance... I was hoping that day... that you would have said 'no' to the adoption arrangement. I've been alone since that day... Renji.."
Renji stood there absorbing this information, but he didn't know how respond at what she went through. He didn't think of his Captain treating Rukia in such a manner.
"R...Rukia, I'm sorry...I was just thinking it was the best for you." He said, that was all he could really say.
"The best? The best for me was when our friends were still alive, when we were all a team, when we had each others back. That was the best for me. I don't want to be alone anymore. I thought you were my best friend Renji. I lived in this palace, with no one... the only people I can consider as friends are the maids and the cook, but even they I cannot fully trust." She said tears slipping down.
Renji eye's widen a bit, he has never seen her cry. Not even when their friends passed away. He instinctively held her close to his body and just stood there holding a crying 'Princess'.
When she stopped crying, and moved her head back to wipe her tears. Renji took the liberty to do it before she could. Once her tears were cleaned, he cupped her face and claimed her lips. Rukia was so stunned; she just stood there not moving, just trying to absorb what was going on.
Renji, pulled away, she felt him tense.
"Sorry..." He said as he stepped away from her, turned and gave her his back. He was about to walk away when Rukia, gripped the back of his military coat. She enveloped him her arms, wrapping them around his waist, burying her face into his back.
"I didn't hate it, if that's what you're thinking." She said. Holding him tighter, her heart was fluttering. Her stomach had the "butterfly feeling", and her cheeks where in bright shade of red.
Renji tensed even more; she didn't hate his kiss. She heard him sigh in relief.
After that, their relationship remained under wraps. She couldn't risk Renjis' demotion. They meet weekly or when they were not busy with their duties, but they always had time for each other.
End of Flashback.
After pulling away from each other, the glint in Rukias' eyes made Renji grin. He lead her to one of the bedrooms in the cottage and made her take a seat on the edge of the bed.
Rukia gave him a confused look, she was about to ask what was going on, till he shushed her. Frowning, Rukia sat there waiting for him to speak up. He got on one knee and took hold of her hand. Rukia's eyes widen and began to have tears began to form. Her heart beat was racing faster, her cheeks were gaining a rosy hue and she smiled so brightly; that it made Renji blush.
"I have nothing to offer you, but my heart and honest feelings. I am not the perfect human nor am I the perfect boyfriend. But, know this Kuchiki Rukia, I love you. I have loved you since we were children and I regret ever hurting you. It was never my intention, to hurt you but; you didn't deserve the harsh lifestyle we endured. We haven't had any arguments in the past months since our relationship, and I am ready to take the next step into our relationship..." He said, nervous about what he was going to say next.
SHORT FLASHBACK:
Renji remembered that he always loved Rukia, since they were children but he never had the courage to speak about those feelings. The life they lived in Rukongai; was harsh and as they witness each of their friends perish at the hands of hunger and illness. Renji silently, vowed to never speak of his feelings as life was never guaranteed in Rukongai. But as the years went by, the feelings grew even more intense, making it harder for him to keep his promise. However when Rukia, was adopted by the Kuchiki's; Renji officially resigned his feelings towards her. But when he saw her outside the Shinigami Academy gates, a few months before their first encounter just a glimpse of her when she was going to visit her adoptive brother squad barracks.
He saw how much she changed her hair was so long. It reached to her lower back, her clothes were daring per say. Instead of wearing the traditional kimonos, she sported western dress clothes, they were very elegant. They made her look like a porcelain doll, the sleeveless dress was white with black lace trim all around, she wore black lace gloves and some fancy shoes. Her face held, hardly any make up, but she still looked marvelous in his eyes. It had been 4 years, since her adoption and last encounter and his feelings for her were still lingering in his heart.
He blushed at the memory of his feelings, with his mind distracted he lost sight of her, just as she appeared she vanished. Renji, frowned but vowed to see her again, to meet up with her once more. He trained and trained; from sunrise to sundown, he crammed textbooks knowledge and begged to be trained by Ikkaku. Lieutenant of squad 11; at first rejected his offer but, once Renji in a moment of panic shouts his reason and his resolve, to be reunited with Rukia again. His resolve, was enough for Ikkaku to finally agree to help and in short of 2 years, he was promoted to being the lieutenant of Kuchki Byakuya. Renji was nervous, from now he will be seeing Rukia, whenever she visited the barracks or when he would be invited to the Kuchiki castle. When, Byakuya announce he was going to celebrate Renji's promotion, he was a nervous wreck. He was finally going to see her and when he did; his heart did somersaults and he began to sweat heavily.
Then he saw her and the things that transpired between that night; led to them being in this secret relationship that will soon be announced.
END OF FLASHBACK.
"Kuchiki Rukia; will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?..." He said. Rukia covered her face, with her hands and nodded. She leapt into his arms and kissed him; their kissing becoming intense and heated. Rukia, was getting nervous and but he let her grope her assesst and moaned when she became aroused by his touch. But, something inside her told her not yet, not right now. Though, she wanted to please him; it wasn't in her heart to do it in this manner. So she stopped, Renji's hands and kissed him.
"Not now, please talk to Nii-sama; about us and your proposal. Please, Renji I don't want to hide this from him any longer, sneaking out has been becoming harder since the war with the Karakura Empire... Has been getting closer to the Seireitei Empire, and the Kuchiki castle is the nearest to the borders between the two empires...I am scared I would lose you in battle...Please, Renji please talk to Nii-sama." Pleaded Rukia, her hair hiding her sad face.
"You're right, I wanted to tell you this before the proposal but I didn't know, if it was official or not but I am to set out to the front line in two weeks time... I wanted, to ask for you to wait for me that once I come back we would wed...But, no one knows the luck someone has in war..." Said Renji, as he looked outside from a distance you can see faint smoke in the air. This war has gone for far too long and there was no end to it anytime soon.
Rukia held Renji, from behind and whispered her love for him. When she, saw the Sun lowering she sighed and said she had to go. They both frowned; Renji handed her the ring and they gave each other one final kiss. As, she sneaked her way back into the castle; she saw a carriage from the Karakura Empire coming close.
'What is the meaning of this; they dare show their rotten faces in our land? How dare they...' She thought, as she climbed up the castle wall hoping she went in undetected.
Little did she know that a bright orange headed man; spotted her and saw her sneak her way inside. He smirked and with a glint in his eyes; he watched her climb over the castle wall.
"Things are rather interesting here..." Said Kurosaki Ichigo.
I hope you, all like this chapter. Again, I apologize for my lack of updating but unfortunately life has had me pretty busy these few years. All, I could do is type headcanons and one-shots on tumblr; never getting the chance to really sit down and actually type my chapters.
So for now, I am committed on finishing all my fics.
Please, be warned there is going to be some slight RenRuki and IchiHime. It is never, a great romance story without a few tweaks of drama.
Please enjoy the next chapter; Sacrifice.
Patiently, waiting for ICHIRUKI to be canon here...