"Ah, Arya, there you are!" Jushiro said, waving his daughter over.
"Sorry if I am late, Father. I wanted to address my squad before I came over."
"How is Squad 5 fairing?"
"They are doing well, from what I can tell. I have a promise to keep, though, and it'll be my mission to fulfill it just as I did with Mother's wish."
Jushiro smiled. "I have a gift for you to celebrate your promotion." He said, handing her a large package. "I want you to go and try it on."
Arya took the package and opened it. Inside was a beautiful royal purple kimono with teal filigree designs and a white obi. "Father, it's beautiful!"
"It was your mother's favorite. I thought it would be a perfect gift for you. Go on, try it on."
Arya hurried to the bathroom and changed out of her uniform and into the kimono. She smoothed out the fabric and smiled. It was soft, like silk, but it was sturdier. She loved it. She grabbed her haori and uniform, leaving the bathroom. She asked that her uniform be washed and given as a spare to the squad before she rejoined her father.
"My, you do look beautiful, Arya. You look just like your mother." Jushiro said.
"I love it, Father. It's a perfect fit!" Arya said, spinning around. "Do you think Head Captain Yamamoto would mind it I wore this under my haori instead of a standard uniform?"
"You would have to check, but Shunsui gets away with wearing his kimono over his uniform, so I don't see why not." Jushiro said. "Anyhow, I have something to speak to you about."
Arya nodded and slid the haori over her shoulders, then followed her father out of the barracks and into the garden.
"Now, what is it that you wished to discuss, Father?"
"I wanted to ask if you have someone special in your life." Jushiro asked, glancing at her as they stood together by the koi pond.
Arya blushed and thoughts of Byakuya flashed through her mind. "Why do you ask?"
"I am only curious, my dear." Jushiro said, smiling. "My, my, your face is as bright as Shunsui's kimono!"
"I-I uh... Well... I have feelings for someone, yes, but I have not acted on them."
"And why is that?"
"Well, it's because... it's Byakuya..." Arya said, blushing deeply.
Jushiro looked at her, only slightly surprised. "Oh? And why haven't you told him?"
"Because, Father, he has been my Captain until today!" Arya said, feeling as if her face were going to burst into flames of embarrassment. "I was his 3rd seat, he was my Captain... I wanted to remain professional... How do you tell someone like Byakuya Kuchiki how you feel? Our family is well respected, but we're only a low-class aristocratic family. "
Jushiro smiled. "Well, that may be, but it is good to hear that. It will make my decision much easier."
Arya looked up and her eyes widened. "Father, what do you mean?"
Jushiro stopped and looked at her. "Arya, the truth is, Byakuya and the elders of his clan came to see me not too long ago. They want to have an arranged marriage between you and Byakuya, to strengthen the Kuchiki line. I agreed to speak with you about it before a decision was made."
"What?! Why am I only hearing about this now?!" Arya replied, suddenly furious with her father.
"Now, now, could it really be that bad? Byakuya Kuchiki is a very handsome young man, well respected amongst the noble clans and the other captains. You have feelings for him and he has feelings for you- I can see it clear as day- so why not give it a chance?"
Arya felt her face burning and her chest aching as her heart pounded against it. 'Is that what Byakuya wanted to speak with me about? Is that why Father has been acting so strange lately?'
"I did not mean to deceive you, dear, but I did not want to agree to such an arrangement without speaking to you first." Jushiro said, sighing. "I just want you to be happy and I see how you are when you are with Byakuya. He brings out a side of you that no one else ever has before."
Arya sighed and looked at her father. "Byakuya has come to mean a great deal to me and I suppose it would be alright to give this a chance... Is that why he wanted me to come to the Kuchiki Manor?"
"We are having a meeting with Byakuya and the elders of his clan in a few days' time. Tonight, I believe Byakuya just wants to speak with you himself about it. The meeting will be a simple one to discuss the arrangement and that is all." Jushiro said.
Arya hugged her father. "Forgive me, Father. I know you are just doing what you feel is best for me."
Jushiro kissed his daughter's head and held her. "Arya, when your mother died, you were the only thing I could hold onto in life. Your mother was the love of my life, the reason I lived every day. Once you were born, you became a part of that. I want you to be happy, to experience the same kind of happiness as I did with your mother. If Byakuya Kuchiki can give you that happiness, then I would be honored to agree to such an arrangement."
"Oh, Father..." Arya said, breathing in her father's scent. "If it is what you wish, then I will at least speak with Byakuya about it."
"It is not just for me, dear, it is for you as well. If you do not want to go through with it, that is your choice. I will not stand in the way of you choosing your own happiness, nor will I allow another to do so."
"I will see what they have to say, first. I owe them that honor at the very least."
Jushiro nodded. "You should hurry, then, my dear. Byakuya does not like to be kept waiting."
"I will come see you in the morning, Father." Arya said, then flash stepped out of the garden and headed towards the Kuchiki Manor.
"I am here to see Lord Byakuya Kuchiki. Will you take me to him, please?" Arya said, greeting the maid who met her at the main entry of the manor.
"What is your name, mistress?" the maid asked.
"I am Arya Ukitake."
"Ah, Lady Ukitake, right this way please." The maid led her towards the living room and knocked on the door.
"Enter."
"Forgive the intrusion, sir, but Lady Arya Ukitake is here." the maid said, bowing.
"Show her in, please."
The maid showed Arya into the living room. Arya bowed and greeted Byakuya and the older woman that was with him.
"Thank you, Sakura. You are dismissed." Byakuya said.
The maid, Sakura, nodded and bowed, leaving the room.
"Hello, Lady Ukitake." the elder woman said, greeting her. "I am one of the elders of the Kuchiki clan. I am Mizaki Kuchiki, Byakuya's great-aunt."
"Hello, ma'am. It is a pleasure to meet you." Arya said, bowing.
"So polite. I like you." Mizaki said, smiling.
Arya stood and returned her smile.
"Now, Byakuya, dinner will be served soon, but I have some business to attend to with the other elders. I trust that you can entertain your guest?"
"Of course." Byakuya said, bowing to her.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, my dear Arya Ukitake. Until next time." Mizaki said, leaving Byakuya and Arya alone.
"I am pleased to see you, Arya." Byakuya said when he was certain that they were alone. "You look beautiful tonight. That kimono suits you very well."
Arya looked over at him, surprised. "Thank you, sir. And I am pleased to see you as well."
"As my aunt informed us, dinner shall be served soon. Shall we adjourn to the dining room?"
Arya nodded and blushed as she took the arm he offered her. Letting him lead her into the dining room, Arya blushed as she walked beside her old captain. As they entered the dining room, the table set and laden with food for them, Arya thought back on what her father had said about the idea of an arranged marriage. 'Could Byakuya really be OK with this?'
"Arya, shall we sit?"
Arya looked up at him and nodded, letting him help her into her chair before he took his own. The maids were dismissed and the two captains ate their meal in silence.
Quite some time went by before anything was said and the meal was finished. The maids came back in to clear the table and Byakuya stood. "Sakura, we would like our tea outside. Please prepare it and bring to the gazebo."
The maid bowed and left with the others. Byakuya offered Arya a hand. "Shall we go for a walk?"
Arya took his hand and let him pull her up. She took his arm as he led her out of the manor and out into the large garden. They took a long walk through the gardens and Arya looked up. The moon came out from behind some cloud cover and shined down on them.
"Wow... it's so beautiful here..." Arya said, smiling.
Byakuya looked down at her and smiled. She was so beautiful, the light of the moon glistening off her silver hair.
"Arya..."
Arya looked back at him and smiled, blushing a little. "Thank you for inviting me over, Captain, I'm really enjoying my time with you."
Byakuya sighed, a soft smile still on his lips. "Arya, you don't have to call me Captain. Not when we're alone."
Arya blushed deeper. "Sorry, force of habit."
Byakuya chuckled. "It is alright. I appreciate the formalities when we are with others, but here it is unnecessary."
"Very well, Byakuya." She said with a smile. She looked behind her and saw that the tea was ready. "Come on, Byakuya. Let's share some tea before the night ends."
Byakuya followed her as she hurried over to the gazebo. She was so care-free, so gentle he couldn't help but smile. When he joined her in the gazebo, he dismissed Sakura.
"Thank you, Sakura. We will pour our own tea. You may go."
Sakura bowed and left them alone.
"Byakuya, may I pour the tea?" Arya asked as they sat there.
"Of course."
Arya poured the tea into the cups and set the tea pot down. She sat up straight and sipped her tea, sighing in content.
"Do you like the tea?" Byakuya asked.
Arya nodded and smiled at him. "It's delicious. Is that I note of rosebud and peach blossom blended with a hint of mint that I taste?"
"Very astute. Indeed it is. I rather enjoy this blend myself." Byakuya said. "It calms the mind and relaxes the body."
"It's so wonderful." Arya said, taking another sip.
"Arya, I need to speak with you about something." Byakuya said, setting down his cup.
Arya sighed and looked down at her cup as she rested it in her lap. "Is it about the arranged marriage?"
Byakuya was a little taken aback, though he shouldn't have been since he had spoken to her father a few days prior about the matter. "Yes. What are your thoughts?"
Arya stood and set her cup of tea on the table. She went to one of the entrances of the gazebos and looked up at the moon. "May I be honest with you, sir?"
Byakuya looked up at her. "I would expect nothing less from you."
"As a noble, you ideally need to be with someone of the same status as you and as a low-class aristocrat, my family wouldn't seem suitable." Arya started. She looked over at Byakuya. "I care for you, Byakuya, but I didn't want to tell you because of my family's standing and because I was your 3rd seat and I wanted to stay professional, but I think of you every day and when I do, my heart pounds, my cheeks burn, my head spins. It seems that all I can think about is you." She added, blushing and bringing a hand to her chest. "I don't like the idea of an arranged marriage, simply because if I could have a relationship with you, I would much rather prefer to start one with you on my own instead of being thrown together like this." Arya looked away and sighed. 'I finally told him, but I didn't want it to be like this…'
Byakuya smiled softly. He stood and joined her. "For some time now, you have been on my mind quite a bit as well. I wondered what it could be as it was clearly not due to your ranking and place within the squad. As the days go by, I feel drawn to you in ways that I have not felt since the death of my wife."
Arya looked up at him in surprise. "Byakuya…"
"Many say that you fall in love once, but that can't be true... Every time I look at you, I fall in love all over again." He said, looking down at her with his slate grey eyes. "When I spoke with your father, I told him of the arrangement the elders had come up with. He asked to speak with you first before a decision was made and now I would like to do the same."
Arya blushed. 'Is this really happening?' She looked down, trying to hide her blushing, but Byakuya lifted her chin and she looked back up at him.
"Arya, I love you and have for quite some time. I would be very honored if you would accept this arrangement and become my wife." He said, his soft baritone voice making her blush even more.
"I'd be honored to, Byakuya." Arya said, smiling.
Byakuya returned her smile and leaned down, kissing her forehead. "I am glad to hear that."
Arya's smile grew and she put a hand on his chest. "So what do we do now, Byakuya?"
"We wait for the meeting with our two families, then we decide what to do from there. Until then, I would like to get to know you better."
Arya nodded. "Perhaps you could come and see me at the barracks."
"I would like that. Now, come, I have something to show you." Byakuya said.
Arya followed him back into the manor and to a large room. Arya blushed and realized it was Byakuya's bedroom. "Byakuya, this is your room?"
"It is. However, what I wish to show you is just outside."
He gestured outside and Arya went to look outside. There was a small private garden with a beautiful koi pond. He watched Arya's face brighten and she went out onto the porch.
"Oh, wow… It's so beautiful, Byakuya!" she said, looking back at him.
"You can visit this garden whenever you'd like, Arya." Byakuya said.
Arya ran back to him and hugged him. "Thank you, Byakuya."
Byakuya smiled and hugged her back. He looked down at her and felt a warm feeling rising in his cheeks. He lifted her chin upwards and looked into her brilliant blue eyes. "Arya…"
She blushed as he leaned down and pressed his lips gently onto hers. When he pulled back, she looked at him and smiled softly. "Byakuya…"
"I do love you, Arya. I never thought that I would ever find another to capture my heart, not since my late wife passed years ago. I thank you for opening my eyes to this feeling once more."
Arya smiled. "I love you, Byakuya."
"Sojun, wait up!" The girl cried out as her twin brother ran ahead of her.
"Keep up, slow poke, or I'll leave you behind!" Sojun called back.
"Sojun, Koriko, slow down please!" their mother called, sighing. "Those children will never learn."
Beside her, her husband chuckled. "Arya, they are children."
"I know, Byakuya. From what I hear, Sojun is a lot like you when you were his age. I heard you were quite the trouble maker."
Byakuya smiled. "Perhaps, but I have grown since then."
"Indeed you have, my dear. You are quite the stoic gentleman." Arya said, smiling.
"Mother, Father, can we go and see Grandfather Jushiro?" Sojun and his sister asked.
Arya looked up at her husband. "Would it be alright if I took the children for the day?"
Byakuya nodded. "Of course. I have some business to attend to. Will I have you back for dinner?"
Arya nodded. "Of course." She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Sojun, Koriko, let's go."
Byakuya watched as his wife and children hurried off to see their father and grandfather, Jushiro Ukitake. He couldn't help but smile.
While he went about his business, Arya took her children to see their grandfather.
"Hello, everyone!" Arya said, waving as they walked through the Squad 13 barracks.
"Lady Arya, welcome back!" many would say.
When they reached the gardens of the Captain's quarters, Sojun and Koriko ran to their grandfather.
"Grandfather Jushiro!"
"Well, hello children!" Jushiro said, smiling as he hugged them.
"Hello, Father." Arya said, joining them.
"Arya, good to see you my dear. How is everything going?"
Arya sat with her father and watched as her children played in the garden. "Wonderful, Father. Byakuya and I have been training the children and they are quite skilled. It helps that Lady Yoruichi trained Byakuya a bit, so some of her teachings have been passed to them."
"I will have to come watch their training some time." Jushiro said. "It seems the children have grown so much since last I saw them."
"You have been busy, Father. As have we. The children have missed you very much, though."
Jushiro smiled. "And I have missed them as well. Say, I have an idea."
Arya looked at her father. "What is it?"
"Let me look after the children tonight. I think it would do you and Byakuya some good to have some time to yourselves."
"Are you sure?"
Jushiro nodded. "Of course, Arya. It'll give me more time to spend with the children as well."
Arya smiled. "Alright."
"Why don't you go now and I will bring the children back tomorrow afternoon."
Arya hugged her father and looked at her children. "Sojun, Koriko, come here please." She asked, standing.
"What is it, Mother?"
"Your grandfather would like for you to stay with him for a bit. I want you to behave for him, understood?"
They nodded and hugged her. "We promise, Mother."
"Good. Now, I am going to leave, but your grandfather will bring you home tomorrow afternoon."
Koriko smiled and looked up at her mother as her little pet fox appeared on her shoulder from under her hair. "Have fun with Father, OK? We'll be good for Grandfather."
Arya smiled and kissed their heads before she turned and hugged her father. "Thank you, Father. I will see you again tomorrow."
"Have fun, my dear."
Arya left her father's barracks and headed towards her own barracks. When she reached them, she said hello to her squad mates and went to Byakuya's office.
Hearing a knock at the door, Byakuya looked up. "Enter." He smiled when he saw Arya come into the office. "Hello, Captain Korihana."
"Hello, Captain."
"What are you doing here? I thought you were going with the children to your father's."
"My father took them for the night. He wanted to spend some quality time with them and offered to bring them home tomorrow afternoon." Arya explained, coming to his side. "Besides, it will give us a chance to spend some quality alone time together." She added, leaning in and kissing his ear.
Byakuya blushed a little, as he had a weak spot on his ears, then cleared his throat as Renji entered the room. "What is it, Lieutenant Abarai?"
Renji bowed when he saw Arya. "Hello, Captain Korihana. Good to see you again."
"Hello, Renji. It is good to see you as well."
"Captain, I have some more paperwork that was just delivered." Renji said, seeing Byakuya's face.
Arya sighed and leaned down to kiss her husband's cheek. "I will leave you to your duties." She said. "Renji, did you want me to do anything?"
Renji blushed at her smile. "No, ma'am. There's only the paperwork Captain Kuchiki and I need to fill out. You've had so much of your own paperwork lately, I couldn't ask you to help do ours."
Arya nodded, then looked back at Byakuya. "Captain, I will be waiting for you at home, then. Please hurry back when you finish."
Byakuya and Renji watched as Arya left to go home.
"Captain, if I may?"
"What is it?"
"Why don't I finish the paperwork and you head home?"
"Why?"
"Well, you and Arya haven't had much time to yourselves since the children were born, right? It'd be good for you to reconnect as a couple." Renji pointed out.
Byakuya sighed. "Perhaps you are correct. Very well, then, Renji. I will leave the paperwork to you."
Renji bowed as Byakuya stood to leave. Before his captain left the office, he turned.
"Thank you, Renji."
Renji looked up, surprised to hear him thank him. "Of course, Captain."
Byakuya left the office and headed for home.