Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Byakuya and Rukia would be having a heartbreaking relationship. I do own the poetry though.

Dedicated to: All my faithful reviewers for keeping the love of writing within me. You guys are what inspire me every time I write another chapter. I will never be able to thank you guys enough.

Breaking God
-Running headlong into tragedy-

"I will not be home tonight until quite late."

She nods, understanding as always, never realizing he's slipping away from her until it's too late.

"Don't stay up waiting for me." He wants to sound apologetic, wants to make promises of a day where he'll take the time to stop and breathe with her by his side. But there's no point in making promises to her anymore. They both know his promises will be empty anyways.

He wants to say something, but he can't bring himself to. Doesn't know if it's because he can't or if it's something more. So he turns away, steadily walking out those doors into snow-covered winter, back turned towards her yet again. She swallows the pain of rejection and musters up a smile for his sake even though he won't turn around to see it.

Kuchiki Byakuya.

If diligence were to exist within a single person, he would be the Michelangelo statue carved with harsh lines of hard work and dedication. Perfectly molded until severity and years of no-nonsense take their toll on his stiff back and curt commands. The epitome of flawless workings and aristocratic responsibility.

But statues, as beautiful as they are, must lack a heart.

Can't get yourself back up

The squads speak of him with admiration coloring their tones. Every male wants to be him and every female wants to have him.

"Look!" They say often, naïve smiles dotting their young faces. "Look at Kuchiki-taichou! Never a piece of paperwork turned in late, never caught off-guard in battle, never lazing around." They sing his praises left and right, bowing to his superiority, scurrying to obey his ever command.

"First to finish a mission, first on the battlefield, and first to his office." They announce proudly, chests puffing up with importance just from being around him. He is an icon, a god.

"How lucky is Kuchiki-san to be adopted into the family! How honored she must feel!" They exclaim, a round of words that circle around and around Soul Society until her smiles turn brittle and cold, until her heart slowly begins to stop beating. How idiotic, she thinks. How foolish. But she does not speak her mind and shutters herself away behind empty promises and lonely nights.

And still, Soul Society rings with adoring words of the sixth squad captain and his efficiency, his meticulous efforts. Spring brings with it a whirlwind of sakura blossoms and the same aching loneliness that she'll never admit to anyone.

Dimly aware as life goes by

Does the world rotate so slowly? Does pain take so long to fade away into a slow burning?

She puts her hands over her heart and raises two pools of dark violet up to the steadily dimming sky. The summer breeze kisses her tenderly but it can't and will never, replace his touch. Ichigo lays a comforting hand on her shoulder and she smiles back at him, reflecting on a love she could've had, on a love that was hers once upon a time. But that is a different world and a different story. An unwritten page in her life.

"Where's Byakuya?" His voice is gruff and deep, eyes burning with something dangerously close to desire. It would be so easy to give in….

She turns away from his intense gaze and dreams of a different man, of a commanding presence and black eyes that draw her in and never let her go. She dreams of a wedding that will never happen, of a nobleman who holds her heart in his warm and protective hands. She dreams and pretends that she will wait for as long as it takes.

Her answer is so quiet that she's not sure if Ichigo even hears her, but he does. He always does.

"He's gone on a mission." She whispers, wishing the words will reverse themselves and be untrue.

Ichigo's hold on her shoulder tightens and she chokes on her emotions as the fireflies cast a somber glow around her. She could take his hand, walk home with him, and be cherished for eternity. She could turn her back to him and walk away into a new future with Kurosaki.

She could, but she doesn't.

Can't ever get enough

"Recon mission in the real world." He speaks slowly, softly, almost urgent but never quite there. His hand is resting carefully on Senbonzakura's hilt and he flicks a piece of hair out of his eyes irritably. His question goes unvoiced and his apologies have long since died on his lips.

She doesn't bother to lift her head to meet his eyes and settles for staring dully out the window. Autumn again, the fall of colorful leaves decorating the ground beneath her reach. She listens to the sounds of shinigami laughing as they trip over the leaves and tumble into piles of red and gold and faded orange. So carefree, she laments. So open. Never tasting for once the feeling of being second, always second.

"Don't stay up for me. I won't be back for at least a couple days." So familiar, these words. She wishes they were foreign, wishes that this wasn't the seven hundredth time she's heard them. He glances at her neutral expression and leans in to give her a quick, chaste kiss on the forehead before sweeping out of her room.

He doesn't look back and she doesn't smile this time.

"I won't." She whispers quietly to herself, but he's already gone.

Living in Sloth's eternal lie

"How long will this go on?" She murmurs to her reflection in the mirror and laughs hollowly.

There has never been, after all, any point in asking a question that has already been answered.

Forever. This will go on forever.

"How diligent is Kuchiki-taichou! How wonderfully attentive!" They exclaim, adoring eyes trained on their leader. "How blessed is Kuchiki-san in being around him every day!"

Oh, how wrong were they.

"First to work. Last to leave. He'll never be caught dead slacking off!" The girl smiles, a new recruit to the sixth division, and a slave to the image that Soul Society is presented with already.

From neglect grow the weeds of depression. And she no longer feels the days as they pass ever so slowly by, no longer responds to his rare kisses, no longer feels her beating heart break every time he says he has a mission or paperwork or a duty to be fulfilled.

"He's so perfect."

So wrong.

Kuchiki Byakuya has neglected love.

And so, the weeds grow until they choke his heart.

Author's Note: I actually like this chapter as well. For my curious readers on the ambiguity of sloth here, I used the old Biblical definition of sloth, which was: wasting due to lack of use or allowing entropy, expanding into almost any person, place, thing, skills, or intangible ideal that would require maintenance, refinement and/or support to continue to exist. Naturally, I thought of the maintenance needed to support love and it seems to me that Byakuya would most likely suffer from a lack of support for love due to his reserved nature and hesitance to love again after Hisana.

For those who are sick of the angst and tragic elements of this story, cheer up! The next three chapters, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust will be more uplifting. I've already planned my idea for Gluttony and am working on Greed (which will be the next chapter). In addition, the sequel to Breaking God will definitely be written. As a teaser, it will involve the seven virtues and be fluffy and sweet for the most part, so keep an eye out for it once I'm done with all seven chapters of this.

To IVIaedhros: The whole point of this story was to illustrate the seven sins and their relationship. I appreciate the critique, but I am sorry to inform you that the rather "pointlessly overdone" connections will continue. I will try to tone it down, as I did in this chapter, but some things need to be stated for dramatic purposes. Thank you for the comment.