Fanfiction
Series: Bleach
Story Title: The Kuchiki Marriage
Chapter Number: 03
Author's Notes:
A great big THANKS to all the people who have decided, for one reason or another, to review this story. It was very encouraging and actually motivated me to write this chapter even during this super busy period of my life. Trust me, University Life is not relaxing at all.
As usual, Bleach and its characters do not belong to me. Only this plot does.
edited Changes have been made so that the chapter titles are consistent.
Chapter Title: Conflict I
That day was sunny, as it was wont to be in days of peace. The Aizen turmoil had long passed, and peace and tranquility had returned to both Soul Society and the material world. Reports long overdue were piled in a thick stack on her desk, and the current report she was working on, something about her fight with the initial attack from Huenco Mundo, lay forgotten in front of Rukia. Her eyes stared out the window as her mind went over the rumors again and again, trying to wring some consistency between them and what she knew of Byakuya –sama.
"Kuchiki-fukutaichou?" called Kiyone, shaking the smaller girl with a gentle hand. "Ano, Kuchiki-fukutaichou?" Kiyone pouted. Setting down the stack of papers in her hand, she leaned in close to Rukia and cupped her hands about her mouth.
"Rukia!!"
"Kyaaaaa!!" screamed Rukia, jumping into the air, the papers scattering to the winds. "Kiyone-san! What are you doing?!"
"That's what I should be asking you, Kuchiki-fukutaichou. What's wrong? You've been staring out of that window for ages! What's so nice to look at, anyway?" said Kiyone, peering out the window herself.
"…It's nothing. We'd better get back to work," replied Rukia, sitting down once again and starting to gather the scattered papers back into orderly piles.
"You know, the overdue reports are mostly done and submitted already. There's no reason why you should continue to be stuck with us all the time. You can always take some time off for yourself, relax, shop around or something," suggested Kiyone.
"I'm not really in the mood, Kiyone-san," sighed Rukia, lifting her quill pen and setting it on her unfinished report. "Paperwork is still my job as fukutaichou. Is Sentarou still with Ukitake-taichou?"
"Apparently they've gone to the Fourth Division for the thousandth 'miraculous remedy that the healers claim would definitely cure Ukitake-taichou'." Kiyone rolled her eyes. "What they should really do is to let Unohana-taichou focus on really coming up with a genuine cure instead of experimenting on Ukitake-taichou."
Rukia smiled. "Let them. After all, Unohana-taichou must approve of it before Ukitake-taichou would ever take a step into the Fourth Division. Let's just focus on clearing the paperwork."
"But, Rukia-chan…" Kiyone sat down opposite her. "Shouldn't you be spending more time with Kuchiki-taichou?"
Rukia stiffened at the name of her spouse. "He's busy," she replied shortly. "He also has lots of paperwork to complete."
"Why do I get the feeling that you guys are avoiding each other?" sighed Kiyone, even as Rukia deliberately ignored her and her turbulent feelings, forcing her attention onto the boring plain piece of paper filled with ink in front of her. At least, when she was doing the reports, her mind could not wander.
The same could not be said of sleep. Maybe Rukia had become more sensitive to Byakuya-sama's schedule after the marriage, or maybe it was because of the rumors she had overheard. It just seemed to her that Byakuya-sama's time at home was suddenly decreasing greatly. She used to have dinner with Byakuya-sama, silent and cold as it was. But nowadays, she rarely got to see him before she fell asleep, and he would be awake and out of the house before she had even opened her eyes. The looks from the servants, the glances from the Shinigamis, everyone seemed to know something she did not, seemed to be pitying her even though she had no idea why.
When the paperwork finally dwindled to nothingness, both Kiyone-san and Sentarou-kun actually forbid her from entering the Thirteenth Division Office, supported by Ukitake-taichou, who made a rare appearance, and told her, in no uncertain terms, to go to Rukongai and 'chill out'.
Though it was a wonder to Rukia how she could 'chill out' with the noise that permeated the place. Sighing, she made her way slowly through the crowded streets, the people melting out of her path as she walked. Her very clothing proclaimed that she was Shinigami, and the few that did not fear her, were cautious to be extremely polite. Rukia knew about all that, and she only went to certain stalls, to look at certain things, to keep her voice low and gentle, so as not to make life worse than it already was for them.
It was at one of these stalls that Rukia visited when she saw something that caught her fancy. A stark white bracelet of sakura blossoms, seemingly carved from ice, yet unmelting in the sun, lay in the middle of the spread of assorted earrings, necklaces and bracelets. She reached out with a hesitant finger, half-afraid to touch it lest it melt away from her.
"You have good taste, Shinigami-san," rasped the old man tending the stall.
"Where…" She paused, uncertain of how to phrase her question.
"It was found lying in the snow. For some reason, it doesn't melt, even in summer. Would you like to buy it?"
It was exquisite, really. Rukia had to admit. She rarely looked at accessories, much less purchase them. Byakuya-sama had not seemed to like them, so she did not even think about wearing one, even though Rangiku-san wore a chain and Kiyone-san had her collar and gloves. It just had not occurred to her.
But now… She was strangely tempted to buy the frivolous item, to place it on her wrist and ask Byakuya-sama if it looked nice on her.
The thought of Byakuya-sama brought a small pang to her heart, and she closed her eyes firmly. "Maybe next time," she told the stallkeeper, turning away from the stall and continuing on her way, walking down the street until she finally reached the riverside, where she had spent some of the happiest moments of her childhood in Rukongai, before she stepped into the Shinigami Academy, and into the Kuchiki Family.
Walking by the river brought back memories of times spent with Renji and her friends. Fleetingly, she wondered if Renji ever came back her to reminisce about their childhood. It seemed just like yesterday, when the both of them had sworn to enter the Shinigami Academy and avenge their friends. It could not have been that long ago when she had been adopted into the Kuchiki Family, donning an identity that was too heavy for her shoulders, yet she bore it anyway, for the sake of identity, for the sake of the family she never knew.
And now, that family… was more than just a brother-sister relationship. Ever since Byakuya-sama had revealed that he did not adopt her only because she looked like his dead wife, but also because he had promised Hisana to look after her, Rukia had always thought that she was just a burden to Byakuya-sama. Yet now, he had chosen to marry her. Was it also part of his promise to Hisana that he never told her?
For some reason, the idea felt like a knife in her heart.