A/N: Thank you for the awesome reviews! Please keep the love and motivation coming, okay? And here is the Onsen and naked Byakuya and Rukia chapter as promised!
Words to note: Onsen refers to hot spring. Kimino refers to... well, go google if you don't know. How can anyone not know what a kimono is if they watch Bleach?
Rukia glanced around her surroundings once more. It was hard to determine where they currently were since everywhere looks the same. There was nothing but trees. She looked at Byakuya again to find him staring at the map once again.
"Nii-sama, why don't you put me down first before examining the map?" asked Rukia meekly. "I'm not exactly that light."
"It is alright." replied Byakuya without taking his eyes off the map.
The two of them lapsed into silence as Byakuya studied the map while Rukia tried not to fidget too much, afraid of causing any more disturbances to her Nii-sama.
Rukia sighed mentally. So much had happened ever since she woke up next to Byakuya this morning and the weirdness does not stop there. She did not know why but every time her brother had looked at her, Rukia had felt a funny feeling at the pit of her stomach. She could not decipher what that feeling was or what it represents but it did not feel good. Was it due to nervousness or embarrassment from what happened earlier that morning?
Rukia let her thoughts wander back to what she had encountered earlier this morning. That toned and broad chest that belonged to her brother popped into her mind immediately and Rukia quickly banished that image away. How inappropriate! Rukia shook her head as she tried to focus on the map which Byakuya was holding instead.
Byakuya frowned as he stared at the map in his hands. Lost? How could he, of all people have gotten lost? And the worst part was he did not even realise it until Rukia had voiced it out. Byakuya glared at the map, folded it and tucked it into his pocket.
"Nii-sama." Rukia suddenly called out from behind. "Do you know the way out already?"
"No, Rukia. Does your ankle still hurt?" he asked.
"Not really."
Byakuya fell silent once again as he continued on his way.
"Nii-sama, where are we headed to? Maybe we should call Ichigo and Renji for help." suggested Rukia.
Byakuya felt a flare of annoyance as soon as the name Ichigo came out from Rukia's lips. "I am sure we are capable of finding our way out of here without their help, Rukia."
"But it's getting dark, Nii-sama and I'm afraid we might-"
"I do not need the assistance of Kurosaki Ichigo." cut in Byakuya firmly.
He did not hear another word from Rukia after that and he quickened his pace, hoping that he would be able to find the way out.
Byakuya's pace did not slow down after half an hour since the two of them had last exchanged words. He did not know if he had spoken too harshly to Rukia after she mentioned getting help from that brat and Renji.
He did not mean to snap at her but he just could not stand to hear Kurosaki Ichigo's name right now when they were cold, hungry and lost.
Byakuya continued walking around aimlessly hoping he had a chance to find the exit.
Rukia stared ahead as Byakuya walked around in silence. She was taken aback when he suddenly snapped at her just now but she wasn't angry. She was merely surprised as she hardly sees her brother display any emotions. He seemed annoyed just now at the mention of getting help and Rukia could not blame him. He was a proud man who refuses help after all.
"Nii-sama, I'm sorry for suggesting for help." said Rukia softly as she stared at Byakuya's face.
Byakuya seemed to ponder over what Rukia had said and then nodded without saying a word.
Rukia did not know if he truly accepted her apology or not or if he was tired and decided not to speak further until she saw something straight ahead.
"Nii-sama!" she called out suddenly, her voice an octave higher than usual.
Byakuya whipped his head around immediately in alarm. "What happened?"
Rukia then pointed ahead as she smiled. "Look!"
Byakuya frowned as his gaze followed the direction of Rukia's finger. Up ahead was a house. Not exactly a house but it seemed like a guesthouse as there was a 'Welcome to the Lover's Hut' sign outside.
"We could ask for directions, Nii-sama!" chirped Rukia happily.
Byakuya silently praised Rukia for taking notice of the guesthouse as he was too busy with his thoughts that he hadn't notice it. He then made his way over to the guesthouse with Rukia on his back.
The smell of food and freshly cut flowers filled their noses as they stepped into the guesthouse. Rukia's stomach gave a rumble as she quickly coughed, hoping to cover up the noise.
There was a lady in her mid-sixties standing at the counter beaming at them as they entered.
"Good evening! Are you here to stay for the night?" she asked as she gazed at them.
"We are here to ask for directions." replied Byakuya. "How do we get back to the main town from here?"
The lady smiled kindly. "It will take an hour or two, sir. Why don't you stay here for the night and travel again in the morning? It is getting dark and it is dangerous out there."
"What do you think, Rukia?" asked Byakuya.
Before Rukia could answer, the lady chipped in. "This young lady looks fatigued! Is she hurt?"
"I-I'm fine. Just a sprain in the ankle." replied Rukia.
"Oh dear, why don't you sit down for a while first? Have some hot tea and I'll get my husband to look at your ankle." the lady said.
Byakuya gave a questioning look.
"My husband knows a thing or two about massaging sprained ankle. Don't worry, you'll be up and running again in no time. Come, take a seat here."
Byakuya let Rukia down and helped her towards a chair as the lady went to look for her husband.
"Does it still hurt?" asked Byakuya.
"Not a lot. I'm really fine, Nii-sama." replied Rukia.
Byakuya stared at Rukia's ankle as she rubbed it in circles attempting to soothe the pain.
"I think it is best if we stay for the night. It is too dark for us to continue heading back." said Byakuya.
Rukia nodded just when the lady returned with her husband.
"Thank goodness it's not too serious. Don't worry, young lady, you'll be fine after an hour or so after my massage." said the old man kindly as he dragged a stool, sat down and began massaging Rukia's ankle.
"We'd like to stay for the night, if that is possible." Byakuya said politely.
"Of course it's possible!"
"How much is it for two rooms?" asked Byakuya as he fished out his wallet.
"¥18,000, sir."
Byakuya opened his wallet but to his dismay, his notes compartment was empty. His thoughts suddenly brought him back to what happened earlier this morning after his conversation with Rukia in the lobby…
"The staff gave me the key to your room last night, Rukia. They made a mistake and I did not notice you were in the room last night." explained Byakuya.
"It's okay, Nii-sama. I'm glad it's all cleared up." replied Rukia while staring at the floor.
Byakuya nodded. "In any case, my room is just next to yours, if there is any problem, you may look for me there."
"Yes, Nii-sama." replied Rukia as Byakuya walked off.
Byakuya was heading back to his own room when he heard a familiar squeal and then a voice shouting, "Bya-kun! Bya-kun!"
He ignored the person and quickened his pace hoping to shake off the annoying person. Instead of drifting away, the voice seemed to get closer when finally Byakuya felt someone tug on the hem of his shirt.
He turned around, irritated and as predicted, to find the pink-haired lieutenant grinning up towards him.
"Bya-Kun, do you have 2000 (approximately USD$23) to spare?" chirped Yachiru happily.
"No." And with that, Byakuya turned around and continued walking back to his room.
But Yachiru refused to be ignored like this. She frowned and kept her pace next to Byakuya who continued to stare ahead, determind to ignore her.
"Are you sure you refuse to give me 2000, Bya-kun?" asked Yachiru in a sing-song manner.
Byakuya stopped in his tracks and stared at the pink haired lieutenant. "Why do you want 2000 from me? Do you not have your own money?"
Yachiru grinned. "I want to buy candies but I don't like to spend too much of my own money."
"And what makes you think that I would pay for your candies?" asked Byakuya dryly.
"Well, considering the fact that I have some news on Bya-kun that maybe he doesn't want it to be let out." Yachiru said with a cheeky smile.
Byakuya frowned. What news could this brat have on him that he wishes to remain it as a secret? "And what news would that be?"
"I saw you coming out of Rukia-chan's room this morning hastily." said Yachiru while staring at Byakuya. "Did you do something naughty to Rukia-chan, Bya-kun?"
Byakuya tried to remain calm as he stared at the little devil in front of him. So she had seen him emerging out of Rukia's room. Big deal. It was not as though he really did anything wrong. It was just a simple mistake. The hotel had given him the key to Rukia's room, that's all. But on the other hand, Byakuya could feel a new feeling creeping into him. Guilt, it seems. He cannot deny the fact that he was actually happy to find Rukia snuggling up to him the previous night and had even kissed her forehead. Even though Byakuya had thought it was all a dream last night, he was still happy to see Rukia beside him on the bed.
"So what do you think, Bya-kun?" Yachiru asked.
"Fine. Take the money but do not breathe a word of this to anyone." warned Byakuya as he tossed his wallet at her.
Yachiru squealed in glee as she took a handful of notes from Byakuya's wallet before tossing it back to him.
"Don't worry, Bya-kun! Your secret will be safe with me! Wheee!" she shouted in delight and disappeared around the corner.
Byakuya had tucked his wallet back into his pocket without even taking a look at how much Yachiru had taken as he mentally reprimanded himself for giving in to Yachiru's blackmail.
Byakuya snapped himself out of his reverie as he heard the old lady calling out to him.
"Are you okay, sir?" she asked, concerned.
"How much money do you have now, Rukia?" Byakuya asked as he turned his attention from his wallet to Rukia whose leg was still being massaged by the old man.
Rukia reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out a fistful of notes. She uncurled her fingers and counted the money.
"There's only ¥10,000." replied Rukia as she stared at Byakuya. "Do we not have enough to stay?"
Byakuya turned back to the old lady. "Do you accept credit cards?"
The old lady shook her head. "I'm so sorry. We only accept cash here."
"What is the best that you can give us for ¥10,000?" asked Byakuya.
"Well, for ¥10,000, you can get a one room suite for the night with dinner tonight and breakfast for tomorrow free. But that is provided if you two are a married couple." replied the old lady.
Rukia frowned."Married couple? Why is this only applicable for married couples?"
"It is me and my husband's wedding anniversary today. And every year on this date, we will have a promotion for married couples to come and enjoy their time here together." explained the lady.
Rukia suddenly felt pressure off her ankle and she looked up to see the old man smiling kindly down at her. "Your ankle will be fine now, young lady. But try not to put too much pressure on it for the time being."
Rukia thanked him gratefully as she stood up. True enough, her ankle does not hurt as much anymore. She made her way towards Byakuya who seemed to have lapse into silence as he watched her taking each step towards him.
"Hold on a minute, dears. I smell something funny in the kitchen. I hope my daughter isn't trying to burn down the stove again." the old lady chuckled as she made her way to the back, followed by her husband.
"Nii-sama, do we have enough money?" asked Rukia.
"No." replied Byakuya who had taken his eyes off her. "I am afraid we do not have enough money for two rooms. But we can just book one room and you can rest in there, Rukia."
"Then what about Nii-sama?"
"I will be fine. I can sit here and we can leave tomorrow." replied Byakuya, his face impassive.
Rukia looked down but before doing so, she sneaked a peek at Byakuya. She does not like the thought of Byakuya sitting here for the whole night without resting while she gets to rest. It wasn't fair. He is probably more exhausted than she is; having to carry her on his back for so many hours.
"I have an idea, Nii-sama." said Rukia slowly. "It should be able to work…"
Byakuya stared at Rukia, puzzled.
"And the both of us get to rest too. And we'd have food to eat!" exclaimed Rukia happily to herself.
"What are you talking about, Rukia?" asked Byakuya.
Rukia looked up and smiled brightly. "Nii-sama, we should pretend to be married. In that way, we both get to rest in the room and we'd get to eat too!"
Byakuya stared at Rukia, aghast. "Pretend that we are married?" he echoed.
Rukia nodded excitedly. "Don't worry, Nii-sama. We will only be pretending! They won't know!"
"But that means we will be sharing the same room, Rukia." said Byakuya slowly.
"I know, Nii-sama. But I'm sure there will be a couch in the room right? One of us can sleep on the bed, and the other will sleep on the couch." explained Rukia.
Byakuya seemed to ponder over the idea for a moment. But then, he shook his head. "It is not appropriate for us to lie to them, Rukia. You should just get a room and I will sit out here."
Rukia's face fell immediately. "B-But Nii-sama, the both of us won't be able to eat anything if I were to spend ¥9,000 on one room. We won't be able to get any food for both of us for ¥1,000. And please don't say that you won't eat, Nii-sama. Because if not, then you won't have energy and it's not healthy, is it?"
Byakuya raised his eyebrows half in amazement and half in amusement. It was the first time he had seen Rukia blabbered on in front of his presence.
After catching the look on Byakuya's face, Rukia seemed to notice what she just did and she quickly bowed. "I'm so sorry, Nii-sama. I assure you that this will not happen again."
"It is alright, Rukia." said Byakuya as Rukia lifted her head up to look at him. "And you have to stop calling my Nii-sama if you want this plan to work."
Rukia's face brightened immediately. "Really, Nii-sama? You will go along with this plan?"
Byakuya nodded just when the old lady stepped back into the room.
"We will like to get the couple suite." said Byakuya smoothly.
The lady gave a look of surprise and smiled. "The couple suite? Well, you should have said that you two were married earlier!"
Byakuya smiled and Rukia quickly chipped in. "Well, we just got married today and we still haven't gotten used to it."
The lady clapped her hands in delight. "You two got married today? Isn't that nice! Well, since the both of you share the same wedding day as me and my husband, I'll let you have the couple suite at ¥6,000 instead!"
Rukia smiled in triumphant while Byakuya stared at her in amazement again.
"Come along, let me show you your room." the old lady said as she led them up the stairs.
After the old lady had left their room, Rukia let out a giggle.
"I did not know you have a talent in acting." Byakuya remarked as he surveyed the room.
A large four poster bed is situated beside the windows but then Byakuya noticed that there was no couch at all.
Rukia laughed. "I always use my acting skills in front of Ichigo's father so he would let me stay over."
Byakuya felt that familiar flare of annoyance again and he quickly tried to suppress it. "Do you always stay with Kurosaki Ichigo when you are in the real world?"
Rukia nodded. "All the time. I like his family."
Byakuya did not reply. "There is no couch in here, Rukia."
Rukia looked around in dismay. "Oh! You're right, Nii-sama."
"It is alright. I can sleep on the floor instead."
"Why don't Nii-sama sleep on the bed instead of me?" asked Rukia quickly. She cannot imagine the sight of Byakuya sleeping on the cold floor. He was a noble after all.
"I will sleep on the floor." repeated Byakuya and the tone in his voice told Rukia that there is no room for argument.
Something that was on the bed caught Rukia's attention suddenly. Her eyes sparkled in delight as she rushed over to pick them up.
"Oh, Chappy! Two Chappies, in fact!" she said gleefully as she hugged them to her chest.
Byakuya frowned. This was actually the first time he had seen Rukia so excited over… cotton. Cotton in the shape of rabbits to be precise. He had been in Rukia's room once or twice and had seen her room littered with rabbits but he did not realise that she love rabbits to this extent.
Just then, there was a knock on the door and Byakuya opened it. The old lady had returned with two trays with food and she set them down on the tea table. Her eyes turned to Rukia and smiled.
"Ah, I see you must like them a lot." she said, smiling. "The two rabbit plush comes together with the suite. One rabbit is for you, and the other is for your husband. They're a couple too."
Rukia looked down at the two rabbits in her hands. One of them was wearing a women's kimono while the other was wearing a men's kimono.
"Well, then, have a good rest." The lady bid them goodnight and left the room, shutting the door behind her.
Rukia then handed Byakuya's rabbit plush to him, while smiling. "This is yours, Nii-sama."
Byakuya stared at the rabbit in his hands. What is he going to do with it? What can he do with it? "It is fine, Rukia. You can keep both. I have no use for it."
Rukia's face fell. "Do you hate rabbits, Nii-sama?"
"I do not hate them but neither do I like them."
Rukia's face remains unchanged. "W-Well, if Nii-sama doesn't like rabbits, then…"
Byakuya felt a tug in his heart as he looked at Rukia's disappointed face. She was still clutching on to his rabbit.
Finally, Byakuya found himself saying, "I guess it will not do any harm in taking it."
And he took the rabbit from Rukia's hand. Rukia looked up in surprise but she broke into a smile immediately.
Byakuya could not help himself but smiled back at Rukia.
"Let's eat, Nii-sama. I'm starved!" announced Rukia as she sat down in front of the tea table and picked up her chopsticks.
Rukia sighed to herself as she laid spread out on the bed. After their dinner, Byakuya had told her that he will be going for a walk and might be back late. He had even told her not to stay up too late. Rukia blushed as what he had said reminded her of what a husband would say to his wife. She let a giggle escape her lips as she turned to her side and came face to face with the two rabbits lying there.
Her Nii-sama had surprised her with his behaviour today. It seemed to Rukia that he seemed to be loosening up which is a good thing. He seemed more approachable and Rukia had had fun with him. She likes it when he jokes and smiles. Although Rukia only heard him joke once and only seen him smile three times today, it was a big deal, considering the fact that it is her Nii-sama who was doing that.
Feeling bored, she got up from the bed and looked at the clock.
"Might as well take a look around since it's only ten." she muttered to herself.
She walked out of the room and made her way down the stairs to the reception area. The old lady was still there, reading a magazine.
The old lady seemed to hear the creak of the stairs and looked up. "Having trouble sleeping?"
Rukia smiled and shook her head. "It is still a little early to head to bed."
"Well, why don't you take a dip in the Onsen?" the old lady suggested.
Well, it seemed like a pretty good idea. She could relax her muscles. Rukia nodded eagerly and the lady pointed to her left, a little corridor wedged between the stairs and the reception table.
"Walk straight in and you'll see a gate that leads to outside which is where the Onsen is. Don't worry, dear, take as much time as you need. The Onsen is a private place where it can only be entered through the gate and there isn't any other guests here today so nobody will enter." explained the old lady.
Rukia thanked her, grabbed a towel from the reception table and made her way to the Onsen.
She pushed the gate open and the beautiful sight took her breath away. Hundreds of stars speckled across the dark sky and the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom. The breeze made the trees sway slightly and it made Rukia feel as though it was raining pink cherry blossom petals. Situated in the middle of the cherry blossom trees was the hot spring.
Rukia spotted a few cubicles nearby and went in one of them. Stripping off her clothes and underwear, she hung them up and wrapped herself in her towel and stepped out.
The breeze made Rukia shiver slightly as she made small steps towards the hot spring. Just then, she heard a click behind her and she whirled around in surprise.
A naked man had emerged from one of the cubicle and had stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed her.
Rukia stared at the naked chest in alarm. She did not dare to look any higher or lower as she contemplated what she should do next. Run? Attack him?
"R-Rukia…"
Rukia snapped her head up in surprise when she heard her name and then saw Byakuya staring straight at her, equally surprised.
Rukia stumbled back in surprise at the sight of her Nii-sama but then the heel of her feet landed on the edge of the hot spring. She gasped as she felt herself falling backwards.
A hand shot out immediately and grabbed on to Rukia and pulled her back to safety. But as the movement was too sudden and drastic, Rukia felt her towel loosening and then slipped down in the process.
Rukia squeezed her eyes shut as she felt her head colliding against Byakuya's chest. When she felt herself being held steady by Byakuya, she opened her eyes to find herself in the most awkward position.
Rukia's nose was almost touching Byakuya's naked chest as he held on to her arms to steady her. Her breasts were pressed against him and then it dawned on Rukia that right now, she was naked as well.
A/N: Bwahahaha! Review if you like it! And I can't believe I made them stand so closely together while both of them are *cough* naked *cough* *cough*. Let me know which part you like the most, okay? The part where they pretended to get married, or Byakuya accepting the rabbit plush just to make Rukia happy or the *cough* last part. I personally like the part where Byakuya accepted the rabbit. So let me know what you guys think! (:
Remember to review!
