Taking that long road (2/2)
The sun was setting behind the hills in the distance.
The zipper rolled down the long her back and she bit her lower lip when he pulled the dress down her skin, pressing a soft kiss against her left shoulder. She turned her head to meet his lips when he stroked her hair back and out of the way. His hands then reached inside her dress and grabbed her by her hips, lifting her out of the gown and carrying her backwards towards the couch where he sat down with her straddling his hips.
"We're supposed to be getting dressed for the party…" She whispered against his lips, sighing when his hand slid down lower over her hips and caressed her naked thighs. "We don't have time for this…"
He smirked and watched her as she moaned his name, arching her back. "Then why don't you stop?"
"Me stop?" she murmured, sliding her hands into his hair and locking eyes. "You started it…"
He pressed a kiss against her right left breast, one finger teasingly going over the rim of the padded, white strapless bra she was still wearing. "I couldn't help myself… and that's your fault…"
Orihime watched him lick the skin of her breast and then kiss it hungrily, his finger steadily pushing the fabric of the bra down until her nipple peeked out and he took it into his mouth, moaning in time with her quivering gasps.
She reached in between them with one hand skillfully, unbuttoning and unzipping his white pants. "Could you help me out a bit?" she breathed, rising up on her knees.
Ichigo lifted his hips up so she could pull his pants down just enough to pull his erection out. "I hope you're not too attached to this…"
Before she could even begin to understand what he was doing, he'd ripped her flimsy lace thong apart. "Ichigo—!"
He smirked when she giggled naughtily and then moved in to kiss her, long and hard. "Would you mind helping me out?"
She smiled, "Like this, my dear husband?" she purred, rubbing up against him before putting him in the right position and sliding down onto him with a drawn out moan.
Ichigo growled in response and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. "Oh, I'm a very very lucky man to be able to call you 'my wife'…"
"You should feel lucky…" she whispered against his lips with a giggle, "There are a lot of perks that come with me being your wife…"
Ichigo kissed her between her breasts and smirked, "There are, huh?"
She chuckled when he attacked her throat playfully and yelped when he started to tickle her.
But it wasn't long before her laughs and giggles turned into more sensual gasps and moans.
The long crystal earrings were put on as a finishing touch to her ensemble.
She looked herself over a last time in the mirror and then decided for herself that it would have to do. She'd never worn something like this before, but she did like the way it gave her a more… womanly appearance.
Rukia opened the door to the bathroom and stepped into the bedroom she shared with Renji. She sat herself on the end of the bed to put on the black pumps that lay readily on the carpeted floor.
"Hey, Rukia? Ichigo and Orihime are to appear in the tent in 20 minutes, we have— to…"
Renji stopped dead in his words and just stared from where he stood in the doorway, an appreciative eyebrow raised at her appearance.
"I'm almost done, Renji. I only need to slip these on and we're good to go…" she fell silent at the lack of sound coming from him and looked up, one leg still draped over a knee as she tied the ankle straps of her left pump together. "What?"
"How fast can you undress and re-dress?"
Rukia chuckled and shook her head, crossing her right leg over her left one. "I assume you like?"
Renji kneeled in front of her and nuzzled her smooth shin. "Rukia…" he only whispered. He picked up the other pump and slid it onto her foot before tying the straps around her ankle.
She lowered her leg and reached out for his face, wanting for him to look at her. He moved up and let her pull him into a gentle kiss. "I'm afraid it'll be hard for big brother to not notice how we feel about each other…"
He rubbed the tips of their noses together with a smile. "I don't think I'll be able to not look at you tonight, Rukia. You're so beautiful… I'll properly tell him tomorrow, once we're back in Soul Society," he promised.
Rukia cradled his face in her hands and shook her head. "We'll tell him together."
Renji nodded and she smiled.
"Do you know when you're going to perform?"
Rukia shook her head and then stood, taking a second to balance herself on the high heels. "No."
Renji smirked as he watched her walk over to her purse lying on the desk by the opposing wall. "You seem to have gotten the hang of that."
"The walking?" she said, picking up her purse, "5 hours of shopping with Rangiku on high heels and the art of walking in pumps holds no secrets for me anymore!"
Renji laughed and moved to stand behind her, wrapping his right arms over her shoulders and kissing her left cheek. "Good, because I would love for you to take these back with us to Soul Society; they're smockin hot!"
Rukia laughed and kissed him back.
Nightfall was approaching quickly as the sun disappeared behind the horizon in the distance, the silence of the domain surrounding the castle broken by music coming from the enormous party tent planted by the side of the lake. A pathway illuminated by numerous archways provided with glittering lights showed the way to the tent from the main entrance of the castle.
Yumichika was standing in the big hall, pacing up in down nervously, his shiny black shoes click-clacking on the marble floor as he went from one side of the space to the other, his elegant white silk scarf whipping around his neck with every one of his turns.
Ikkaku rolled his eyes from where he was leaning against a nearby wall. "You're going to walk a hole in the floor."
"They're late!" Yumichika exploded, "Almost all the guests are seated and they are supposed to make their big entrée in 5 minutes! Where the hell are they?!"
"Ever thought about the fact that maybe Orihime and Ichigo just needed some 'extra time' together?" Ikkaku said disinterestedly, picking at a hangnail on his left thumb.
"Oh my god! You think they consumed their wedding already?!"
Ikkaku gave his partner a 'well duh'- look.
"Argh, goddammit!" Yumichika exclaimed, his hands grabbing his head in horror. "She's going to mess up her hair! They both are!"
Ikkaku rolled his eyes and pushed away from the wall. "They've had over 3 hours, I'm sure they've had enough time to make themselves decent again." He then saw Rangiku and Chad descending the left side stairs.
"Rangiku, Chad! Finally!" Yumichika said with a theatrical gesture of his arms.
Now wearing a short, black, a-line halter dress with a silver sequined border running the long her impressive cleavage, Rangiku threw her loose, straightened hair back with a hand while the other held on to Chad's arm. Chad, as it was decided for all groomsmen, now wore black pants and a tucked-in black shirt with the top buttons loose.
"Tatsuki and Ishida are comin'," he said once they finished descending the large set of stairs.
"We're the first ones here?" Rangiku wondered, looking around. She then winced when her eyes fell on the big clock on top of the heavy double doors that made the entrance of the castle.
"Yes, exactly!" Yumichika uttered reprimandingly.
"Well, I can't blame Ichigo and Orihime, they've probably taken the time to satisfy their urges; they could barely stay off of each other when we were taking pictures," she said with a shrug.
"What I said," Ikkaku added, grinning when he saw Yumichika's aggravated glare.
Uryuu and Tatsuki then appeared on the large landing of the U-shaped stair.
"I hope we're not too late?" Uryuu said with a gallant smile, hair now slicked back. Tatsuki was hanging on his right arm, also wearing a short, black a-line dress. Hers was at the base a strapless dress with a silver sequined shoulder strap that ran from underneath her right breast to her left shoulder and to the middle of her naked back where it connected with her dress again. Her hair was also slicked back smoothly with a sophisticated bang that went in a wave to the side of her face.
"Any word from the others?" Tatsuki wondered, looking around.
"We're still waiting on them," Rangiku stated.
"Won't be long now," Chad reassuringly assumed with a nod.
"Oh God, finally!" Yumichika sighed in relief when the two last couples descended each a stair, joining each other on landing. Isshin and his daughters followed behind Ichigo and Orihime. The patriarch of the family had changed the color of his tie and inner vest, both black now. Karin and Yuzu had changed clothes as well and wore short, matching black, tea length dresses. They descended first, one girl on every side of Isshin.
Renji kissed the side of Rukia's head and she laughed silently as they descended the last stair, holding hands. Renji had loosened his hair and groomed it into a silky red mane that fell on either side of his face. Soft curls framed Rukia's and a black decorative flower rested behind her right ear. Her dress was a short, black, pleated trapeze dress with a silver sequined choker that held it together.
Ichigo and Orihime descended the stairs at last and it was Orihime's dress that drew the most gasps from the small group. None of them had known what she'd chosen to wear for the party, the dress being the only thing she'd completely chosen on her own.
It was a soft pink, mullet dress with a strapless bodice and a skirt made of multiple layers of tulle. The longer layers dragged on the floor behind her, and on the small of her back was a giant bow with flowers made out of tulle, giving the dress more volume in the back. Her hair was still made in loose curls that now cascaded over her right shoulder. Ichigo was still in white, but he'd lost the inner vest and the ruche tie, changed shirts and left the top buttons open. In contrast to his groomsmen he still wore his jacket.
"Magnificent!" Yumichika exclaimed. "You guys look so gorgeous!" he clapped in his hands and sighed happily. "My compliments on the dress, Orihime! Daring, yet so fashionable!"
Orihime grinned, "Thank you, Yumichika." She then looked at her friends, "You guys all look good!"
"Thank you, but we don't matter tonight," Ishida told her, pushing his glasses up. "It's all about you, and I have to agree with Yumichika, Orihime. Very beautiful."
"Hey, speak for yourself, Ishida," Rangiku said, taking her mirror out of her little purse and checking up on her make-up, "I did not dress up to go unnoticed tonight," she closed the mirror and then added; "Though of course, it's all about Ichigo and Orihime."
"Well said, Rangiku!" Isshin smirked, grooming his hair carefully with both his hands. "There's no harm in stealing some of the spotlight!"
Orihime laughed and Ichigo shook his head with a smirk of his own. "Enough already…" he sighed with a smile.
"So then, since we're all here, can we go?" Renji asked.
"It's time to party!" Tatsuki said excitedly.
"Yeah!"
"Alright, then let's go!" Ichigo took his bride by the hand began walking towards the doors.
"I'll race ya, Ichigo!" Isshin challenged.
"You're on! The both of you!" Renji added, moving into position.
"What the HELL do you morons think you're doing?!" Yumichika shrieked, his face horror struck.
They all skittered to a halt and turned around cautiously. "What?!"
Yumichika placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose, muttering to himself. "Everybody in a double file line! You will not barge into the tent like raving maniacs! Kurosaki-san and the girls in the front, Ichigo and Orihime in the back!"
They all did as told, some more begrudgingly than others.
"Dude," Ichigo whispered to Ikkaku as he passed him, "Try and keep him in check will ya?"
Ikkaku smirked back, "Hey, just because you got some earlier today, doesn't mean I want to pass on getting some later."
Ichigo rolled his eyes and Orihime laughed behind her hand.
"Can we go now?" Ichigo whined from his spot at the end of the line a few moments later.
Yumichika gave Ikkaku a nod and he walked out of the open doors and down the stairs in the direction of the tent on the right side of the castle.
"Ok, let's go."
Just as they passed Yumichika at the entrance, Orihime let go of Ichigo's hand and stepped up to Yumichika to hug him. "Thank you so much for all your hard work, Yumichika."
Yumichika grinned in her embrace and hugged back. "But the day isn't over yet, dear Orihime."
She let go of him and took back Ichigo's hand. "Nothing can ruin this day anymore." She looked up at Ichigo and he nodded. "We're both eternally grateful, Yumichika."
"Yeah, thank you so much," Ichigo said.
Yumichika was blushing by then and waved their praise away with a small bashful hand. "Oh you guys…"
Ichigo and Orihime smiled at each other and then exited in turn, catching up to Renji and Rukia who were waiting up for them at the bottom of the outdoor stairs.
Kenpachi sat himself down at the bar and ordered himself a whisky, an annoyed glare on his face.
"Don't be mad, Ken-chan! It's Captain Soifon who ordered for the special task force to stay on patrol on the grounds. And that Hollow was small fry anyway!" Yachiru merrily said, plopping down on the chair next to him and grabbing her fruit juice from the bar.
"Yeah," he shrugged, "I still wanted to have some fun though."
"But you promised Retsu-mommy not to rip your clothes, Ken-chan!" she said reprimandingly. "She'll get mad if you do!"
"Shut up, I wouldn't have ripped my clothes anyway on small fry! And stop calling her Retsu-mommy, she's not your mother."
"But Ken-chan, when are you going to admit that you like her!"
"Yachiru!"
She giggled and jumped off her seat, snatched her drink from the bar and then disappeared into the crowd.
Kenpachi watched her go and despite himself, couldn't quite hide the smile that curved his lips above his glass.
He had to admit though that Retsu looked good in that back-less, long black dress.
"That was a beautiful ceremony."
Captain Kyouraku took a sip from his drink and nodded. "Aah, Ichigo marrying Orihime-chan was something we couldn't have missed."
Ukitake smiled and sat back in his seat. "I'd never been to a real world wedding before." He looked around at the decorations in the tent. From the white/gold centerpieces on each table to the huge flower pieces on every corner of the room and by every exit; everything matched the soft golden glow the many ground lamps shone against the white, dressed walls of the tent. The candles on each table added to the romantic atmosphere.
There were two large, round, empty tables by the dance floor that were reserved for, he presumed, the bride, groom and their following. A stage was set up and on it were some strange apparatus that he'd never seen before.
People were talking and laughing all around them, all dressed their best. It'd been a while since he and Kyouraku came here and that they'd needed gigais to move around in. They'd been forced to buy some new clothes for this event as well because the formal clothes they still had that could fit in the real world were rather… outdated in this day and age.
"Jushiro, what kind of music do you think they'll be playing?" Kyouraku asked as he watched Nanao strike up a conversation with Lisa at the Vizard's table.
"I don't know," Ukitake replied, following his friend's gaze and smiling to himself. "Probably whatever is popular these days… why, do you plan on dancing?"
"Perhaps…"
Ukitake grinned and shook his head, took a sip of his cider and noticed a young man with shoulder length brown hair take the stage and stand behind one of those long black sticks. He tapped on the shorter black stick in front of his face a few times and strangely enough the sound echoed through the entire room.
"Ah, they're microphones!" Ukitake said, understanding. "Hmm… interesting design."
The other captain chuckled, "Kurotsuchi is already having a field day with the amount of technology we've encountered."
"I can imagine…"
"Ladies and gentlemen, dear family and friends. On behalf of the Kurosaki and the Inoue family we welcome you to this reception in honor of Ichigo and Orihime."
Applause and whistling rained down in the room.
"I've just been told that they've finally finished changing clothes, so if they're ready out there, I would like to welcome them in!"
The photographers hired to take pictures throughout the day were avidly taking photos of the incoming procession, flashes were going off everywhere, making it hard to see.
"Aah, what a wonderful thing youth is…" Kyouraku sighed as he watched the group sit at the large table. "Sado-kun and Rangiku-san look well together and I want to bet that this wedding has given Renji-kun and little Rukia enough ideas for their own. Does Byakuya know that his lieutenant and his sister are dating?"
"No, they were rather apprehensive about telling him, which I can understand," Ukitake said.
"Though status shouldn't be a problem anymore since Renji-kun is a lieutenant?"
Nodding in agreement, Ukitake added; "There must be something else keeping them from telling Byakuya. Though I don't think that they've done a good job trying to hide it…"
Kyouraku grinned, "You saw it during the ceremony too?"
"If we did, then Byakuya must've picked up on it too," Ukitake answered and then moved to stand as did many of the guests when the married couple was next to enter.
Kyouraku looked at the Captain of the 6th Squad sitting alone with his Chamberlain at a table near the dance floor. "He doesn't seem to be aggravated or anything…"
Ukitake shrugged, "Who knows with that guy?"
"Ladies and gentlemen, dear family and friends; I present to you: Mr and Mrs Ichigo Kurosaki!"
"Oh my God, this place looks so good, Ichigo…" Orihime gasped with an excited giggle, holding on to Ichigo's arm, intertwining their fingers.
Ichigo grinned and kissed the crown of her head. "They've done a great job… I'm so glad you love this."
"I love this, because I'm with you," she whispered back, lifting herself on the tip of her toes and kissing him on his lips.
"Love you," he mouthed back. "Are you ready?"
She nodded and they walked onto the dance floor.
"There's one more surprise for you guys," Keigo said from behind the microphone.
They looked at their friend with confused faces. "What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked.
"I know you were supposed to dance to this particular song, but Rukia Kuchiki has agreed to sing it to you while you're dancing."
All eyes turned to Rukia who stood up from her seat with a small smile.
"Rukia?" Orihime whispered, completely surprised.
"Rukia, you…?" Ichigo began, but fell silent, too overwhelmed to speak.
"Go knock 'em dead, beautiful," Renji whispered, smiling up at her.
Rukia grinned back and walked up to the couple. "You guys, just enjoy yourself, ok? Let this be my gift to you." she walked away from them and stepped onto the stairs leading to the stage under a rain of applause.
Ichigo stepped up to his wife and slid his right hand around her waist and took her right hand in his left. "Let's show them how good we got at this."
She let her left hand fingers glide over his shoulder and nodded.
The room fell silent and the lights around the dance floor got dimmed. The first piano notes of the ballad were played and they began to move, Rukia's soft soprano voice guiding them in their steps as they floated over the floor.
They ended their dance with a kiss, smiling tenderly at each other as their guests showered them once more with applause.
Keigo approached them then and gave Ichigo a microphone. He thanked his friend and then turned to the crowd in front of them. His free arm pulled Orihime closer and pressed a kiss against her forehead before turning to their guests.
"Orihime and I want to express how grateful we are of your presence here tonight. To know that our family and so many of our closest friends wanted to share this day with us means a lot."
There was some endeared sounds amidst the clapping and Orihime laughed when she watched her husband scratch the back of his head with a slight blush on his cheeks. She took the microphone over from him.
"We wouldn't be able to call this the happiest day of our lives without you all. So, please join us in our celebration and enjoy yourselves tonight!"
Everybody clapped their hands again and some whistled. The couple gave back the microphone to Keigo and went to join the rest of the Kurosaki family at the family table. Isshin clapped his son on his back when he stood out of respect for Orihime before sitting down again. Ichigo clapped him back on his shoulder and seated himself next to his wife.
"Now that everybody is here and seated, we can go over the program of the night," Keigo announced. "The bar at the back will provide all of us with drinks for the whole night; ask the waiters for assistance should you need it."
Orihime looked behind her to find Hanatarou standing behind them, dressed in a black and white waiter uniform. He nodded towards her and she smiled back.
"So you think he's our waiter for the night?" Ichigo whispered to her.
She turned back around her seat, her smile now a nervous one. "I'm afraid so, yeah."
"Dinner will be served in half an hour and a buffet will be opened shortly after. After dinner the dance floor will be opened and the real party will begin, but until then, feel free to sign the guestbook, explore the domain, have your picture taken or just enjoy the atmosphere! I wish you all a pleasant evening and once again," he turned to Ichigo and Orihime, "Congratulations you guys, it was about damn time!"
There was some laughing and clapping and then some soft music was put on and the masses quieted down.
"So, if I had known it was going to be such a formal occasion, I would've taken out my tongue ring."
Ichigo looked up at his mentor, grinning. "Oh, Shinji, that would've been like asking you to not be obnoxious when you obviously won't even try not to be."
"Whoa, and here I thought I was welcome here!" The leader of the vizards joked, bending over to kiss the bride on her cheek.
"You are," Orihime said, smiling up at him. "We're so happy you're here. Are you and the others enjoying yourselves?"
Shinji raised his glass of champagne, "Yes, we are. Ichigo, you better hold on to this one, or I'm sure there are enough candidates around to pick up your slack."
"Remind me again why you came over here?" Ichigo said between clenched teeth.
"To wish you good luck in your marriage?"
Orihime grinned, amused by their antics. "And we thank you for your best wishes," she said, sliding her right hand on the table and using her fingers to unloosen Ichigo's clenched fist, intertwining their fingers. When she looked up at him, she found him smiling at her gratefully.
"Though come to think of it," Shinji said, having noticed the complicity between them, "you don't look like you need it."
Ichigo moved in and rubbed the tip of their noses together tenderly. "We don't," he whispered, watching her giggle happily, "but thanks anyway."
Shinji smirked and took another sip of his champagne, leaving them to kiss each other.
"You have a really good singing voice, Rukia. You really impressed us all."
Rukia beamed up at Rangiku. "Thanks," she said, blushing when Renji reached for her hand under the table.
"It'd be cool if we could rehearse together some time. I could accompany you on my guitar," Chad said, picking up his glass of soda.
"I'd love that," Rukia said, grinning.
"See, I told you they'd love it," Renji whispered, pushing his shoulder against hers. "Your voice is worth gold!"
They looked at each other and he smirked, giving their joined hands a squeeze.
"Renji."
The entire table looked up in surprise when they saw Byakuya suddenly standing next to them, his eyes resting on his sister.
Renji let go of her hand he was still holding and stood up for his captain. "Yes, captain?"
Byakuya's eyes let go of Rukia's. "May I have a word with you?"
"Byakuya, big brother—" Rukia started, moving to stand.
"Rukia, stay out of this," Byakuya calmly replied, still looking at Renji.
Renji looked at her and shook his head. "It's alright. We should've done this sooner anyway."
The worried frown on Rukia's face did not dissipate. "Renji—"
"It's going to be okay, trust me," he whispered back, following Byakuya out of the tent.
She sat back down with a fearful sigh and closed her eyes. She had no idea how her brother was going to take the news of her and Renji being together. They honestly hadn't want for him to find it out this way… What if they got into a fight? What if— Oh god, no…
"Are you alright?"
Rukia opened her eyes and found Orihime sitting next to her with a comforting smile.
"We saw what happened," Ichigo said, standing behind his wife, "Is it about you and—"
"He didn't say," Rukia whispered, shaking her head, "But what else could it be?"
"What can your brother do, anyway?" Tatsuki asked, a bit confused, "You guys love each other, he shouldn't come between that."
"No, you don't understand," Uryuu said, looking at Rukia. "The Kuchiki family is one of the four high noble families in Soul Society. Marriages are often done in between noble houses. Renji, even though he is a lieutenant of the Gotei 13, doesn't exactly have wealth necessary to 'bind' Rukia to him."
"You make it sound like she's some sort of cattle," Tatsuki whispered with a lopsided grin.
"No, he's right," Rangiku said with a sad smile, "Even if they love each other, Renji has next to nothing to offer the Kuchiki family."
"But Byakuya himself bent the rules when he married Rukia's sister!" Ichigo said.
Orihime took her friend's hands in hers and caressed them gently. "Do you think he'll want to bend those rules again?"
"For me?" Rukia whispered and then chuckled bitterly. "I don't know."
"Don't be so pessimistic, Rukia."
She looked up and found her captain looking down at her with a warm smile. "Captain Ukitake."
"Hello everyone," he greeted cheerfully and then turned to Ichigo and Orihime, "It was a truly beautiful ceremony, congratulations!"
"Thank you, Ukitake-san!" Ichigo replied with a nod.
Ukitake then kneeled next to his subordinate, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Byakuya is known to be cold, but even he can't be blind to what we all have seen earlier; he's not that cold. The decision is yours to make, Rukia. Not his."
She smiled at him, "Captain Ukitake…"
"You have a marvelous singing voice, Rukia," he continued, "I wouldn't mind hearing you sing again once we're back and that can only happen if you're in good spirits, so don't let things get you down, alright? I'm sure everything is going to be just fine."
"Yes, Captain," she nodded with a hopeful expression.
He padded her on her shoulder a last time and then stood again to walk away.
"He's a good man," Chad remarked.
"He really is," Rukia agreed before her eyes caught Byakuya walking back into the tent without Renji. She stood up from her chair and hurried her way to him, her heart beginning a panicked series of beats.
Byakuya saw her approaching and waited for her to reach him, his expression ever calm.
"Where is he?" she whispered quietly, trying very hard to keep the tears at bay.
"Walk with me, Rukia," he said, turning again and exiting.
She followed him outside, not knowing what else to do. "Big brother—"
Ikkaku, Shuhei and Kira suddenly rushed by her, all wearing their Shinigami attire.
"What's going on?" she wondered, looking around her.
"Hollows have appeared outside of the barrier Urahara set up, someone has to eliminate them otherwise they risk breaking through," Byakuya casually replied, continuing his stroll down the side of the lake.
"Is Renji—?"
"I asked him to go help out, yes."
All the stress flowed straight out of her and she sighed out in relief.
He turned and stopped to look at her and then smirked, staring at the glittering surface of the lake. "Do you see yourself marrying him?"
Shock coursed through her again like a vicious strike of thunder and she took a trembling breath. "I—"
"From the moment he helped you escape down Sougyokou Hill, I knew, Rukia," he said softly, "I knew of his true feelings for you. It wasn't up until today that my suspicions concerning yours were confirmed."
"We didn't want for you to find out this way, Big brother Byakuya, honest…"
He cast a sideway glance her way, his brows furrowed together in concern. "I understand why you did not tell me, Rukia, but I have settled with the fact that my opinion should have little to no impact on your final decision."
Rukia gasped in total surprise.
"So, I'm asking you again; do you see yourself marrying him?"
"I…" she whispered, smiling, "yes… I do."
Byakuya took in her answer and nodded to himself. He then turned around and began walking back to the tent. "Just let me know in time when the necessary preparations need to be started."
Rukia fell on her knees and grabbed him by his hand. She'd never felt more relieved in her life. "Thank you, big brother! Thank you so much!"
Byakuya looked at her and for a moment he saw Hisana, his late wife, kneeling there, thanking him in the same way like when he'd agreed to look for her sister. He smiled and helped her up again. "Only peasants kneel like that, Rukia. If you are to marry a vice-captain of the Gotei 13 you will have to learn how to act with more dignity."
She sniffled at that, her tears now running down her cheeks freely. This showed that Byakuya had a high opinion of Renji after all. "Yes, Byakuya, my brother."
He let go of her hands and walked on, disappearing into the tent a few moments later.
"Aah… it has been a long time since I tasted bourbon like this! Truly a delight!"
Ichigo grinned and followed suit; he emptied his short glass of bourbon in one swig, regretting it instantly a moment later. "Oh God…"
The captain commander burst out in joyful laughter and slammed his hand on Ichigo's back. "What did you think it was? Mere whiskey? No, you have to savor bourbon, boy!"
"Give the boy a break Yamma-jii, not everyone is a seasoned drinker like us," Shunsui spoke, downing his shot of whiskey in one drink.
Sasakibe was passed out drunk next to his Captain. The poor man didn't even touch his piece of wedding cake.
The dance floor was packed with people dancing and enjoying themselves. Their table was one of the few that were still crowded, most of the guests now wandering about the domain, the castle or dancing.
Byakuya was still sitting at his table, watching Renji and Rukia on the dance floor. They had no qualms about keeping their relationship under wraps anymore and the love and tenderness they shared for each other could be clearly seen in the way Renji held Rukia close with a hand against her lower belly and kissed her naked right shoulder softly.
Toushiro was standing by the bar with Karin sitting on a stool next to him, sipping from his soda and smiling to himself as he watched Hinamori and Kira interact with each other and Rangiku and Shuhei taking up most of the dance floor with their extravagant dancing.
"So, do you think you're ready for marriage, Kurosaki Ichigo?"
Ichigo took a bite from his cake and nodded. "Yes, I'm pretty sure I am."
The captain commander suddenly laughed loudly at that, waking up Sasakibe who shot upright in his seat with a panicked expression on his face. "A little wet behind the ears aren't we? That's what they all say in the beginning!"
Ichigo and Kyouraku exchanged an uncomfortable glance.
"If there's one skill I have never mastered in my 2000 years of existence, it's the one at being good with women…"
"Ohh come on, Yama-jii…" The eight division captain said, slightly embarrassed. "There have been plenty of women…"
The elderly man took another swig of his already empty glass and placed it back on the table. "There have, there have… I'm not ashamed to admit that I was a womanizer back in the good old days…" he then sighed sadly, "I've just never been able to find that one pearl…"
Even though it was a tad creepy and yet strangely captivating to watch, Ichigo somehow understood what the man was saying even without saying it.
Captain Yamamoto looked at him then and said; "You're now part of the lucky ones, Kurosaki Ichigo."
"I thought I heard you say that I was naïve for thinking I knew what I was getting myself into," Ichigo retorted with a small smirk.
"You are!" Yamamoto said in a more severe tone. "You never know what you're going to get and that's what makes it so hard to hold on to that special someone. But you already are lucky to have found her, that's what I said."
Ichigo contented himself with a polite nod as an answer and began to stand; the atmosphere at this table getting a little too heavy to his liking. He noticed Captain Kyouraku grinning at him from behind his glass, but just shook his head with a grin of his own and went searching for… well, no one in particular, really. He just needed to get the hell away from them.
He walked out of the tent and into the cool, nightly air. Countless stars shined up in the skies, the crescent moon coloring the scene ahead of him with a soft silver hue. On the benches lined up by the side of the lake on his right were many groups of people, some talking, others enjoying some privacy. The park on his far right was dark and silent, but he could sense many others wandering around in it, as well as the special task force that was on the lookout. He was glad that there hadn't been any grave incidents tonight, feeling endlessly grateful that all cared enough to give him this one Hollow-free night.
Well, almost Hollow-free.
"Do you want to know what my favorite part of the ceremony was?"
He turned around and found Nell standing there in her crème colored, one shoulder, Greek goddess-like dress. Her green locks were pulled up in a sophisticated ponytail. She looked amazing.
"Nell! Whoa…"
They walked up to each other and hugged. "Sorry I didn't come and see you earlier in the evening, I just didn't want to cause too much of a commotion."
"I'm just glad you came," he said, taking a step back. "Are you alone?"
She shrugged apologetically, "I arrived here last night for Orihime's bachelorette party. Pesche and Dondonchakka would only have caused trouble for you. It's easy for your human friends to accept your guests from Soul Society because they all came in gigais, but they wouldn't exactly have fitted in."
Ichigo watched her silently. He could sense her unease. "But if Urahara managed to make a gigai for you, without your mask—"
"That's not it— uhm. I wanted to come alone. I… Ichigo, you—"
He frowned, "What?"
She chuckled nervously behind her hand and then shook her head. "You know what my favorite part of the ceremony was?" she whispered, looking away from his confused face. "The part when you exchanged your vows. I could sense truth and determination behind them, from the both of you. I liked it a lot."
Something in the way she said those words made him sad for her and he reached out, "Nell…"
She quickly wiped away a stray tear from her right eye and giggled. "I'm just so happy for you, Ichigo. For you and Orihime. You make each other happy, it's obvious."
He pulled her in his arms and held her close. "Thank you, Nell. Thank you so much."
Nell nodded and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek.
"You look beautiful tonight," he whispered in her ear and felt her smile.
"Thank you, Ichigo," she whispered back before letting go. She then turned around and went back inside.
Nell didn't need to say it; Ichigo knew.
And it was probably best left unsaid anyway.
"Did you ever imagine those two…?"
It was somewhere around 3 in the morning now and the party was beginning to unwind quietly. Orihime giggled from her spot against Ichigo's chest at their table. Her naked feet were resting comfortably on the chair next to her, her pumps lying discarded on the floor beneath them. "What about those two!"
They were watching the dance floor and the couples slow dancing on it. There was Captain Kyouraku and Nanao dancing; he was holding her close to him with his chin resting on her head and a soft expression on his face. Captain Ukitake was dancing with Nell; her stigmata not quite hiding the blush that covered her cheeks, but his soft smile saying enough for the both of them. Yoruichi and Urahara were making slow circles around themselves, both lost in a world that was entirely their own. Soifon was standing by the wall at the other side of the room in her baby blue floral dress, shooting daggers with her eyes at Urahara. Rangiku and Shuhei were dancing, or rather stumbling on their feet, both slightly drunk and Shuhei half asleep with his face in between her breasts. Kira and Hinamori were softly talking with each other as they moved to the music, smiling at each other gently with suspicious blushes on their faces. Kenpachi was grinning down nervously at Captain Unohana, who giggled amusedly and tightened the timid grip he had on her naked lower back. At a table on the other side of the room sat Toushiro and Karin, laughing over glasses of soft drinks and half eaten plates of wedding cake and it didn't go unnoticed to Ichigo or Orihime how Toushiro stared at her in an enthralled manner every time Karin laughed.
Ichigo pressed a kiss on top of Orihime's head and smiled when she reached with her right hand to his face, caressing his cheek tenderly. "I'm feeling like continuing what we started earlier…" she whispered, sitting up and placing her feet back on the floor. A mischievous grin grew on her face when she turned to look at him.
He smirked back at her, "I do think it's high time for that too…"
Orihime nodded and stood, reaching out a hand for him.
Isshin smiled up at them and winked at his son, Yuzu asleep in his arms. "Goodnight."
Renji smirked at them too and gave a short nod, careful not to wake Rukia asleep against him. "See you later on."
"Where are Ishida and Chad?" Ichigo asked, looking around.
"Outside with the rest of the gang," Renji replied. "But don't worry about them, just go."
They smiled at their friend before intertwining fingers and crossing the dance floor, saying their goodbyes to those still dancing.
Once they were back inside the brightly lit hall of the castle, Ichigo swooped her up in his arms again and kissed her, silencing her giggles and walking them up the stairs.
"I could get used to this," Orihime whispered, "Better enjoy it while I still can."
Ichigo stopped in his steps at that. "Does that mean you asked Unohana?"
Orihime nodded and smiled, positively glowing. "It's like we'd hoped."
He grinned hesitantly. "R-really? I'm…?"
She placed her left hand on her underbelly, bit her lip and nodded. "Yeah."
Ichigo shouted his happiness, but soon silenced himself when he realized that some of their guests were already asleep in the many rooms of the castle.
"Keep you excitement for the bedroom, daddy," she giggled.
"You've made the happiest man alive, you know that?"
She looked at him for a long time, seeing the man she'd always loved in those brown eyes. "If you're the happiest man, then I am the happiest woman."
He kissed her. "Let's go practice for number two, then."
Her laughs echoed through the castle, a sound that he never again wanted to live without.