Beta-reader: SymphoniaFreak
Chapter: Two – Beginning Here
Type: Mini-Story – Incomplete
Theme: 25 Crossovers LJ challenge (#25 – Honored)
Word Count: 2,225
Disclaimer: If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.
Edited on: January 17, 2012
As it turned out, the Kuchiki manor was no more complicated than the Hyuuga compound, though it was slightly bigger. Within the first few days she could find her way around with ease. It was everything else she was still trying to pick up on. Like the clan head himself, what she was doing here and how here worked.
The wedding wouldn't be until next week. He'd been kind enough to give her a week to settle in and another week for everything to be planned and for beginning to execute those plans. And of course that duty fell squarely on her shoulders. At first the whole thing had been overwhelming considering how many were supposed to attend – not to mention that the Hyuuga clan had somehow convinced the Kuchiki clan to agree to hold a second wedding in Konoha.
Fairness, she supposed. Which was really laughable considering she was pretty sure neither clan actually knew how to demonstrate the meaning of the word. If it got them what they wanted – wealth, power, position – then they didn't care what they had to use to get it. In a way, they were like the yakuza, she supposed, or at least no better than them; in fact the only thing that separated them was blood and position.
It was sickening, quite frankly. But it was the life she'd been raised in, and apparently, the one she was destined to stay in.
So here she was, planning for both weddings. The nights themselves would be tiring – not to mention trying – she knew, but a wedding was a celebration after all. And nobles loved to overdo celebrations for any chance they could get.
She stretched a little as she continued to review all the papers. There was so much to sort that by the time this was done and over with she would be happy. But at least she had help for the Konoha wedding; she was on her own for the Soul Society one, but Sakura, Tenten and Ino were currently in Konoha and so she had managed to enlist their help. And they, being the best friends that they were, had been more than happy to agree.
Byakuya was still at the sixth division doing paperwork. Not that it made any real difference to her; he was usually away or dealing with clan members and when he wasn't either, he was sleeping, training or meditating. At least, that's what his schedule seemed to be to her. They rarely saw one another, only when they were in their room to sleep, and even then there was scarcely any acknowledgement. Truth be told, she had expected it to be like this, but because of what happened when she first arrived she'd hoped it would be different. That he would prove she wasn't just a requirement, a trophy wife. But he hadn't.
So, she'd decided to take a deep breath and accept the fact. If it really came down it, she would find a way to change it.
Until then, she had more pressing things to think about. Like the seating arrangements. When she wasn't planning and designing and setting up, she was getting to know everyone as best she could. She wished her husband-to-be would talk to her a little more so she didn't have as much to worry about, and wouldn't make as big a fool of herself – and him – if she misplaced anyone. But she was guessing that he was using this to figure out if she was suited to be a Kuchiki or not.
So she'd settled for asking random people who deigned to speak to her in the first place. She'd found the most help in an outgoing young woman who looked to be around Hinata's age though the raven-haired shinobi was aware that she was probably at least twice as old as she looked. The female had stated that her name was Rukia and that if Hinata needed any help, all she had to do was ask. Hinata, more out of politeness, had declined, but told the other woman she would keep it in mind and that she greatly appreciated the offer.
Hinata found herself growing steadily attached to Rukia; the girl was as outspoken as Ino, but as violent as Sakura and mischievous as Tenten – and if she was being perfectly honest, she even saw a bit of herself in Rukia as well. She found she liked the combination quite well. And since the first time she had talked to the black-haired girl, she'd done so more and more frequently. Hinata hadn't minded confiding in the other girl about her life back in Konoha and her friends and family. In turn she'd learned more of her, even the fact that she was the Hyuuga's husband-to-be's adopted sister, but the catch was that they didn't talk much and weren't very close.
But what Rukia did know about her brother she'd been more than willing to share since she wanted to make the kunoichi's life easier. For that she was ever grateful. But there were also other things to worry about.
And one of the things that had been continuously on Hinata's mind was whether she would have to resign from her career as nothing had been said so far. It would made sense if she had to since she would be living here in Soul Society as a clan wife. The idea was crushing though, and she found herself wishing – but not hoping, she didn't know Byakuya well enough to do that – that she would be able to make it work. And she was sure that at the wedding ceremony in Konoha she would find out. Until then, it was just another thing to be anxious about.
She was already resigned to whatever fate served her at any rate. With a slight shake of her head, she derailed that train of thought, deciding to focus on getting what she'd set out to achieve for the day done. She didn't have much left to do and figured to wouldn't take that long to get them done. And she was right; an hour dragged by, but a little after she was able to stretch and say the work was finished. She grabbed the papers and quickly settled them into a nice and neat pile. Lavender eyes strayed to the couch and she briefly contemplated simply falling asleep there rather than going all the way back to her shared room.
But she knew better. She didn't need one of the servants trying to wake her or her fiancé coming across her. Hinata didn't know him well enough to intentionally let that situation happen. So she grabbed the papers once more and stood. Only to fall back down. She hadn't realized that her legs had fallen into such a deep sleep that she couldn't even stand on them.
Cursing the fact, she set the papers back down and crawled over to the couch, easily pulling herself up on it. Looks like she would be making the couch her bed tonight after all.
And when Byakuya returned that was exactly how he found her. She was curled in on herself as her body tried to retain any heat it could in the face of the cool night and without any blanket to buffer it. He blinked in surprise, more so at the idea that she would be comfortable enough to be so improper in her new home than anything else.
Her long raven hair was splayed around her, covering her arms and side in wisps as it fell behind and in front and on top of her. It made quite the sight and though it slightly reminded him of Hisana, he knew the picture wasn't the same. It was warm, as his late wife had tried to be, but it was informal, something neither he nor she ever was. It was also different; this young woman who would be his wife was completely different. She didn't hold the same ideals, and though her hair was dark, it was nowhere near the same color. Her skin was pale and her lilac eyes keen but soft.
A part of him, quiet and mostly forgotten over long years, whispered that it liked the image. That he had made the right choice.
It took a few long moments before he finally pulled his grey eyes from the form of his slumbering fiancé and to the room around him. It was still as clean as it had been this morning and the night before, but now there was a neat stack of documents on the coffee table not far from Hinata.
Curious, he padded forward silently and reached down to pick up the first piece of parchment paper. It was a list. Frowning he scanned the names, and the tilt deepened when he realized it was the names of those who would be attending the ceremony next week.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked back to her, zeroing in a little more to see the details his initial look had not. She seemed slightly tensed, although sleep had slackened it to almost nothing, and she also seemed exhausted despite the fact that she was resting. All the signs were there. She had been working on these papers; she had been seeing to all the arrangements. She had been doing something someone of lesser stature in the clan should be doing.
The Kuchiki head made a mental note to make sure that all of this was alleviated from her responsibility.
But further curiosity to see what she'd sorted out came to mind, and so he easily knelt until he rested comfortably on the floor next to the table and directly across from the sleeping woman. He set the list down, her penmanship was excellent with tight letters and flowing script, in favor of the next available document. And for the next half hour or so, he read through the papers, noting that though she hadn't even been here for half a month, but she already had so little flaws in her set up. With a few changes, he realized he could not have done a better job himself.
Which meant one of two things: she was either very resourceful or very observant. Though he realized fully that it could have been both. But how had she gotten the concrete information that extended to even little details? Had she spoken to other Kuchiki?
Again he frowned. If that was true, then why hadn't she spoken of it to him? It was their wedding, after all, and arranged or not, did she feel she could not even speak to him over such a simple thing? He didn't like the implications those thoughts and questions posed. And so he amended that mental note he'd made earlier; he would have a thorough conversation with Hinata and then he would see that this burden was removed.
For now, he put the documents back the way he found them and climbed to his feet. After straightening out his clothes, he skirted the table; it was already nearly morning now, and his first priority was getting her to their bed and getting some rest himself. When he was directly before her, he reached down, but froze inches from her person as she stirred. Making a small sound in the back of her throat, she turned onto her back, but didn't stretch out. In fact, she leaned her still folded legs against the back of the couch as she crossed her arms over her midsection.
It took him a moment before he began to move again, more careful this time. But she didn't even shift as he dug his hand beneath her neck and curled his other arm under the backs of her knees. With one swift tug, he had her off the couch and against his torso, and she immediately shifted to make herself comfortable in his hold though the only part of her body she truly moved was her head. She curled into his body and nestled her head against his collarbone as one of her hands moved to latch onto his robes.
He stood frozen once more, but slowly he turned and carried her to the proper destination. When he arrived, he settled her into the bed first before moving to untangle himself from her. With a few careful maneuvers, he stepped back to watch as she shifted - turning a little, moving her leg a bit, bringing her arms up - until she was back to being comfortable.
That small voice became just a little bigger, just a little louder as it reminded him that he had chosen this girl and that she was going to be his wife in less than two weeks. And this time it didn't seem content to quiet of its own accord as it continued to whisper the same words over and over until he finally hushed it with some semblance of irritation.
But he couldn't help looking over his shoulder after he'd turned away to get ready for sleep.