OMG guys 350 reviews! You are just awesome! Thank you so much... you have no idea how each one of them motivates me to keep going on with my stories, even though sometimes it is hard or painful for me to write them, it really means a lot. And to celebrate it, here it is, another huuuge chapter for you! I hope you enjoy it!
Japanese words/terms:
Nakama – japanese term for very close friend, comrades, "brother", a friend that is almost family.
Kanzashi – hair ornament.
Kyūdō (as mentioned in the last chapter) – "way of the bow", is the Japanese art of archery.
..
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When Rukia woke up that morning, her first impression was that she was alone in bed. She sat up in time to see Byakuya coming out of their bathroom in his informal clothes, hair wet and loose. It still felt strange for her to be allowed in his privacy like this every day.
Byakuya sat on the bed by her side, in silence. After a moment, he looked at her and spoke:
"Good morning my love."
"Good morning," she answered. She could tell by his posture that something was wrong.
After a moment, he continued. "I have matters to attend to later, but I would like to spend the rest of the day in your company. Would you care to accompany me on a visit to the shore today?"
Rukia merely nodded, not expressing her concern.
"It seems to be a bright day outside. Did you wish to do anything else in our last day here?"
"No, no, I would love to visit the shore again," she answered truthfully.
Byakuya nodded and soon he left their chambers, ordering her to get ready.
Rukia was puzzled by his behavior but did not dwell on it much. The thought of visiting the shore again brought a smile to her face. She remembered fondly her first time there two days ago and was reminded of what her friends had told her about it once more. She wished she could actually go swimming in it, like they did in the living world. Ichigo told her so many times about it. For a moment, Rukia entertained herself imagining her brother's reaction if "getting ready to go to the shore" included fetching a bikini. She always found his protectiveness funny and endearing, she concluded, with a fleeting smile. After changing into a loose kimono that would allow her to feel the wind and walk freely, she left the room joining him downstairs.
#####
The day was indeed sunny and bright, a delicious breeze caressing their faces as they left for the stables.
Before they reached their destination, though, Rukia noticed another smaller wooden construction and deviated from their path a bit to examine it, after a familiar frame of something white got her attention…
"Rabbits!" the girl exclaimed excitedly.
Byakuya could see the transformation in her figure, from serious and pensive to girlish and giggly. As he approached her, it was easy to notice the spark in her eyes.
"Awwwww they are so cute, can I touch them?" she asked. It seemed all the worry in the world had vanished from her mind for a moment.
"Of course," he answered, intrigued and amused by her reactions.
The girl picked up one, caressing it and playing with it.
Byakuya watched the scene in silence, basking in her joy. Then suddenly he froze.
He had… seen that scene before… When? Where?
Rukia noticed his frown and asked.
"Byakuya...sama, is everything alright?"
He shook his head briefly, taking it off his mind.
"Just… have we been here after our honeymoon?"
"I-I… don't think so. Why?"
He stood in silence.
"Was it another flashback? Do you… remember me? What? Playing with rabbits?" She wondered.
He eyed her and answered nothing.
"Here?" She inquired further.
"Perhaps," He answered, with uncomfortable uncertainty.
'Hmm… it was not me, then. Maybe my sister liked rabbits too…' the girl concluded, putting back the little rabbit behind the wooden fence.
"I believe it was in our gardens, at home," he rectified after some thought.
'In our garden… in our gardens?' Rukia considered, surprised. Could it be…? She had found some rabbits in the gardens, five years ago, on the day of her birthday. She was sure they were not there before, or she would have seen them. It crossed her mind back then that it was a birthday gift from him, but he never said anything about it. But… her brother was not nearby when she found and played with them anyways... was he?
"It is unimportant. Let's go."
Rukia nodded and followed him.
#####
Byakuya only asked for one horse for both of them and she did not say anything about it. As they rode it, she tried to remain unaffected by his arms around her, while a side of her cherished and made a point of committing to memory what she would probably miss soon. But it was a bright day, and Rukia decided it should be a happy one, so she closed her eyes and felt the sunlight gently touching her face and let it warm her heart.
They stopped before the stairway that would lead to the shore, but instead of going down, Byakuya guided them to a place underneath a nearby tree, where they could appreciate the view and calmly have their breakfast that had been brought in a picnic basket. As Rukia prepared their picnic, she admired the greenish blue color of the sea taking over the horizon on what seemed to be a very warm day. The beauty and peacefulness of the place brought a smile to her face.
After some moments in silence, his voice surprised her:
"Hisana."
Rukia looked at him – it was a rare event when he would start a conversation.
"Are you happy? Are you happy living with me?"
Rukia was a bit surprised and considered the question before answering.
"It was a great honor to be accepted into the Kuchiki family," she dodged the question. "Byakuya-sama will always have my gratitude-"
"That is not what I asked," he pointed out.
The girl took a long breath, and continued:
"Yes, I am," she continued, pensive. She did not know about Hisana, but she would speak her personal truth. "It was hard, in the beginning, but… as time went by, things got better and better. And in the last months I have lived things that will always be in my mind and heart."
Memories of her nakama and of the many times Byakuya had saved her life crossed her mind. For the first time since her childhood with Renji, she felt like she was not alone. Her friends cared about her. He cared about her. Or at least he used to. That would probably change soon.
Byakuya was pleased by her answer. He feared that he had not been able to make her happy with their marriage, especially since the memories he did have were filled with Hisana's worried expression. But she seemed to be honest about her answer, and he was truly curious about her better disposition as a whole.
'Is that how you see me? Is that what you want me to be?' He hoped his question on the previous night had triggered the desired effect – he did not like to see her cry, and waited for her to fall asleep to brush her tears, but he knew she needed to figure out for herself her own feelings and what she wanted him to be for her. More and more, he was certain that she still had feelings for him, and therefore, it would be a matter of time before things go back to place, but he would have to wait for her to conclude it and admit it to herself, so he had to be patient with her. He expected the dinner he had planned for the two of them that night would confirm his theory and also help her with such realization.
After finishing their picnic, they took the stairway carved on the rock to go down until the shore. This time, he invited her to walk to the other side of the beach, the one they had not explored. Rukia took her sandals off and they started walking by its border where the waves would eventually end, touching their feet.
It did not take long for the girl to get entranced by the beauty of the place, letting herself be carried by the wind on her back.
"I believe I recovered another memory," he informed her, bringing her out of her reverie.
She looked at him, waiting for him to continue. Her heart was pounding with fear while she waited for his next words.
"Does Shiba Kaien have a brother?"
Rukia frowned at the strange question. "Ahn... yes, he does," she answered airily, remembering the time Ganju and Hanatarou entered the Repentance Tower to save her. She had not seen him since then.
"One with orange hair?"
Rukia gasped and almost choked at that.
"Ichigo! You remembered Ichigo?" she asked rhetorically, surprised. Then she started laughing at his confusion, but stopped as she saw he was not amused at all. "They are not related... he is... he is just a friend. A human friend."
Rukia saw him frowning almost imperceptibly at the unlikely explanation, his expression still serious, silent and unmoving.
She repeated the words in her head. Yes, he was. Truth be told, she had had a crush on Ichigo in the past, but with time they became truly nakama, and too close for that. And now... now they were definitely just friends, she considered, briefly looking at Byakuya and thinking how life would be a little simpler if she was not going crazy and falling in love with her broth-… better to not even think of it.
"Too close a friend," he declared, a hint of displeasure in his tone.
Rukia wondered what he had remembered. Byakuya had never tried to disguise how he disliked Ichigo and his involvement in Soul Society affairs, but she assumed that he would like even less if Hisana had been close to Ichigo as she was. "A nakama, Byakuya-sama. He fought with us in this war."
Rukia noticed the frown in his face diminishing, so apparently this information matched whatever he had recalled.
"Captain Aizen and Ichimaru Gin, were they involved in this war?"
"Yes…" she answered.
"They attacked you," Byakuya stated.
Rukia looked at him, surprised that he would remember that, of all things.
"Yes they did," the girl confirmed.
After a moment of awkward silence, she continued:
"But you saved me."
Byakuya had his eyes on the floor and simply nodded in silence.
"But we won the war, and they are both deceased now," she informed him.
Byakuya acknowledged the new info, pensive, and they kept walking in silence for a while.
"That was a rather recent memory," Rukia commented absentmindedly, more to herself then to him, as they kept walking along the shore.
The thought of her nakama reminded her of something they had told her about the shore, though, and the idea would not leave her mind until she spoke of it:
"Erh… Byakuya-sama?"
He looked at her.
"… I was told that in the human world they actually swim at the sea."
"The idea is not foreign to me," he replied, wondering where this was going.
Rukia looked at him, searching for his reactions. It was their last day there and she really wanted to try it.
"I… would like to..."
"The water is salty," he pointed out.
"I… know."
"You would get your clothes wet and dirty."
"I am aware…"
"The waves are strong at this hour."
"I can swim. Please?"
He was still looking at her without an answer.
"Hmph. I shall join you and make sure you will be safe," he declared, and then Rukia was the only witness of a singular event which would be reason enough for an extraordinary reunion of the Shinigami's Woman Association: Kuchiki Byakuya not only going for a swim in the sea – but actually enjoying it.
After about an hour, they both left the sea, dripping wet, and sat in the sand, next to the shore.
"That was fun," she laughed.
"I am glad you enjoyed it."
Rukia looked at him, her smile fading away as she noticed the fabric of his clothes clinging to his frame. She could easily perceive his firm body over the wet, semi-transparent clothes. It felt somewhat unfair that a man could be that naturally handsome.
It did not escape him her eyes looming over his body, and when she reached his face, Rukia noticed how close he was, and that he had a similar intent in his stare.
In a swift motion, he moved over her and Rukia found herself being kissed against the sand.
She responded to the kiss almost involuntarily, inebriated by the feeling of their skin so close together, his weight making her feel him everywhere, skin mixed with the salt and the sand and the heat coming from him. But then she came to her senses and tried to stop him.
"B-Byakuya-sama… w-what are you doing?" she said embarrassedly, looking around to see if there was anyone.
"Kissing my wife," he replied not making any motion to move away, as he continued with small kisses to her chin.
Rukia felt him reaching her neck with the trail of kisses, making them sensuous, languid kisses this time. "N-No! We should not be doing this… " She closed her eyes, trying hard to not enjoy the feeling of his kisses on her neck and give in to her own desires, but before she could muster strength enough she felt him stopping his ministrations.
"Do you really want me to stop?" He asked, looking her in the eyes for a moment, but before she could answer, their lips touched again and she closed her eyes and felt her will faltering.
"You do not want me…" she tried to explain.
"Do not be foolish, woman. I want you more than anything in this world," he answered, capturing her lips in another kiss.
She wanted so badly to believe in those words… but she should not, and she knew it.
'He wants Hisana, not me! It is not me who he wants!'
"Byakuya-sama, please!" Rukia yelled in a desperate tone, pushing him away. "Please take me home," she begged, moving away from him and standing up.
#####
It was in the middle of the afternoon when Byakuya had excused himself. He had informed her he intended to discuss the hollow's incident with the village leader and his own militia, to ensure security of his people there. Rukia, too, was worried about hollows of that level attacking the village, which hopefully was only an isolated incident. It was no surprise for her that her brother wanted them to investigate and take proper measures to ensure no one would be hurt once they were gone.
'I want you to get ready for a formal dinner tonight' she could still hear his words in his typical enthralling voice.
Sunset was approaching now and the girl wondered what this dinner was about. Would there be others involved? Maybe that would avoid inappropriate circumstances, but who? Would he invite the village leader for it?
Rukia decided it would not hurt to pretend to be his wife just for that last night and then they would go back home, hopefully without any other improper "incidents" and then… then she would do what she must.
Sighing, she decided it would be better to not give it much thought and only obey his instructions for now, and with that in mind, she started to do so.
#####
"… to be in charge of the men, and I expect direct and immediate reports if any incident of this magnitude comes to happen again," Byakuya finished, standing up.
"Of course, milord." The older man acquiesced. "I shall send news immediately, if such is the case."
"Katsuragi-san! Katsuragi-san!" a young man entered the room, interrupting them. "It is Lady Kyoko! She… she needs your presence!"
The older man became very alarmed, and with a sad expression bowed quickly to Byakuya.
"I-I am sorry, milord, if you would excuse me," the man spoke in a disturbed, desperate tone, quickly standing up and hastily entering a nearby door.
The young boy turned to Byakuya with a sad expression and bowed, tears dropping from his eyes.
"My lord must forgive us… Lady Kyoko was hurt in the attack last night… she is... on her deathbed," the boy explained, bowing again without raising his wet eyes and following Mr. Katsuragi into the same door.
Byakuya nodded and made his way out, but as he passed the corridor towards the exit, he stopped in front of the door where Katsuragi and the boy had entered, which was still open.
Inside, he saw a woman lying on a bed, her eyes almost closing from the weakness, but she smiled as her husband held her hand, bringing it to his lips.
"My love…" the woman said, almost in a whisper.
"Kyoko... please don't speak," Katsuragi said. Byakuya could distinguish the sound of the old man's constricted throat as he spoke, albeit his face was turned to the woman in bed.
"It is my time, beloved…"
The couple simply remained there in silence, as well as Byakuya and the boy.
"But do not cry…" she continued, touching the man's face and smiling. "The time we shared together was nothing less than a dream…"
The old man seemed incapable of any words.
"I love you…" were the woman's last words, and she closed her eyes.
Byakuya heard those last words and felt the immediate urge to leave the place. Only the boy noticed his hushed frame leaving the house at incredible speed.
#####
It was night and the moon was enormous and bright in the sky when Byakuya arrived home and was greeted by Seiji and Mariko.
"Milord," the couple greeted him, bowing as he passed. Mariko continued:
"Everything is set as my lord requested."
Byakuya merely nodded, not expecting any less, and went directly to his chambers.
#####
After a while, Rukia saw Byakuya entering the room. She had been requested to wait for him in another room and there she was, all dressed up and demurely seated, wondering what this dinner was about. At the sight of her brother, she stood up.
"Byakuya-sama. Good evening, my lord," she bowed.
"Good evening, my love," he greeted her with an intense gaze upon her. "Irrefutably beautiful," he commented, kissing her hand while looking at her, then offering her his arm as usual.
Rukia blushed and accepted his arm.
He guided her to a veranda that connected this room and their bedroom, where she saw a fancy table gorgeously decorated with rich porcelain and flowers, and candlelight illuminating it together with the incredible moon that shone upon them.
Rukia gaped slightly in surprise.
"I thought we would be having guests."
"No… I intended this dinner to be our farewell to our time here, just the two of us," he commented, studying her face.
"I… see," she answered nervously.
"Make yourself comfortable."
Both of them sat comfortably and the dinner started to be served. Mariko brought the entrée and then some ornamented dishes with different types of sushi, sashimi, temaki, all perfectly cut and beautifully decorated, and extremely fresh, especially given their location. She then served them both with the finest sake and left them to their privacy.
Byakuya, who had been in silence contemplating her, much to her discomfort, broke the silence:
"I hope you have enjoyed our days here."
"I… did enjoy them very much," she answered honestly.
"You seemed eager to leave last night."
Rukia looked from her plate to him, then back to it, nodding almost imperceptibly.
"Why?"
She sighed.
"Because it is for the best, Byakuya-sama. You will understand soon enough."
"Then are you lying that you enjoyed our time here?"
Rukia looked at him again and then looked down, answering:
"No. I am not."
She smiled briefly, still looking at the table, avoiding his gaze.
"That is exactly the problem…" she whispered, more to herself than to him. Soon it would be over, she would go back home, leave his life and do what was right… but she would always cherish these moments, forever.
"Then what did you enjoy the most?" he inquired.
Rukia looked at him, trying to find a good answer. It seemed impossible to pick one thing only, from all their moments together… being around him, visiting beautiful places in his company… being able to talk and see a side of him usually concealed to everyone. Sleeping next to him… To feel his embrace, his arms around her, his kisses…
"Ahnn, there were so many… new experiences," she tried to answer, drinking a bit of sake to buy her some time.
"L-Like… the horse-riding, training Kyūdō, our visits on the shore… s-so many amazing, beautiful landscapes around here!" she continued lamely, mentioning "safer moments", unlike the ones in her mind, hoping it would make her feel less pathetic. It had the opposite effect. She drank a bigger sip of sake this time.
"True. The moonlight seems particularly enchanting tonight," he pointed out, but looking at her instead.
Rukia looked at the moon illuminating them and it was true – perhaps the lack of lights made the sky even more beautiful there. The night sky was of a bluish color, illuminated by the intense moonlight, and filled with stars. It seemed like the first night of full moon, so big and brilliant as it was. She almost hoped the night sky was not so perfect that night, under the stars with him…
"It is... gorgeous indeed. Wonderful." She became enthralled, contemplating the beauty for a moment.
He did not allow that for long, though.
"But you did not answer my question."
And there she was, hoping he had forgotten…
"Ah, Byakuya-sama… it was all wonderful, it is... really hard to choose," she answered, going back to eating again to avoid the subject.
She was speaking the truth, at least. Many of their moments together flashed in her mind – their moment in the cave, him bringing her flowers, bequeathing her a breakfast in bed, walking by his side as his wife on the village… his embrace in the night, his kisses on the shore, his kiss in the… 'Stop, stop Rukia,' she told herself, reaching for the sake again.
Her plan of busying herself with the food did not work as he continued:
"Then what if I put it like this."
She looked at him and stopped eating, waiting for his phrase.
"But you must be honest," he instructed.
She merely nodded, going for another sip of sake, nervously, and concluding she should stop with the sake since her head was starting to spin.
"Your favorite moment. Tell me the first thing that comes to your mind," he demanded.
Immediately, the scene of them kissing in the forest appeared in her mind. The first time she had actually dared to contemplate her feelings for him, feelings she was probably harboring before all this, disguised as gratitude and admiration, crushed under the weight of propriety and impossibility. There, under those trees, had been the first time she caught herself daring to dream about a family with someone, about marriage and happiness. And then... the kiss… the mind-blowing kiss that followed, as if he could read all her thoughts and guess her deepest fears and desires, connecting minds and hearts into one... as if words were not necessary, because they simply knew.
"The… forest," she answered, feeling as if the truth betrayed her and escaped her lips and there was nothing she could do about it.
Byakuya stood there, looking deeply into her eyes, like a revival of that same memory, and she could not avoid looking back into his slate, magnetizing ones. It felt like he could read her mind, all her feelings, fears and thoughts crossing her mind as she remembered that scene vividly, and she hated how she felt naked, exposed, vulnerable, more fragile than that fine porcelain over the table.
Rukia knew there was no chance he did not know what she was referring to.
"Really…?" his low, husky voice filled her ears in a very rhetorical tone.
He was looking at her with impenetrable eyes that did not denounce his feelings and she felt even worse in her vulnerability. Even in their position, sitting side-by-side, he seemed much taller than her, the shadows cut by the sharp moonlight hiding his face from sight and making his eyes even harder to read. She was trembling slightly.
"And was it because of…" Byakuya approached her very slowly but she did not dare to avert her eyes from his or even move slightly, her mind blank of any thoughts…
"… this?"
Byakuya gently put his lips over her, in a very soft manner. Rukia was still looking at him, until their lips touched and very delicately she closed her eyes, giving in to the kiss. She felt him touching her face with his palm, holding her close, his fingers reaching her hair in a tender caress.
They spent a long moment there, their lips simply touching, feeling each other's essence, each other's soul, as if the lips connected the hearts. All was silence under that starry sky. A silence that belonged only to them, but that held much.
And again very softly, she felt him coaxing her into a deeper kiss and she gave in, letting him have what was already his. It was sweet, respectful, but sure and intense. There was no mistake in what they were doing, in what it meant. Inch by inch, he took her, and more and more she surrendered… inch by inch he conquered every little piece of her, which was already his to take. It was simple and real, bare and deep.
It felt so natural, to feel this, to kiss him, to love him, that for a moment their whole past did not make sense to her, and she could only wish that this bliss could last forever. That everything else was a bad dream and this could be reality.
But the mention of reality brought her back to earth and he felt her reluctantly stopping him.
He broke the kiss and inquired in a low tone:
"Did I assume incorrectly?"
She knew she should say so, but who was she trying to fool? She definitely was not fooling him. Or herself, anymore. It would be too late when he recovered his memories. There was no hope for her anymore, but go back to reality, to Seireitei, and leave him for good. It should feel wrong to kiss him like this, so why did it feel so right? So... perfect?
"No," she admitted.
"Then?"
She kept looking at the floor in silence. She wished she could at least treasure that night for all eternity, after she departed. For once, this taste of happiness, the dream of something like... this. Perfect like this.
It felt like he was reading her mind and her fears, when he spoke:
"I love you. I always have, ever since I first laid my eyes on you… and I always will."
Rukia looked into his serious eyes, surprised at his confession, for a moment deluding herself that he was talking about her.
"You love... the wife you remember," she retorted enigmatically, with a hint of sadness. She searched for the moon, only witness of that moment.
After some seconds of silence, he corrected her:
"No. I love you." He paused a bit. "I love the woman I have been living with, this one by my side. You are the woman I want by my side, every day that I wake up. I would marry you, again and again… every day. I would marry you... this very night," he said, touching the kanzashi in her hair.
After he finished his speech, her eyes searched for the floor, as she felt tears coming.
"Would you?" he asked with a serious, husky voice.
Quickly Rukia looked back at him with wet eyes.
"W-what?"
"Would you marry me?"
The girl gaped, her big violet eyes bigger than ever at that moment, staring at that man who seemed to fill her whole heart, to the point she could barely feel anything else. There was no need for her to say what she felt for him, didn't he feel it just now when they were kissing? It was all over her face. It felt useless to deny it - it was as if the truth had rebelled against her and escaped her every pore, her eyes denouncing her even more, and she could not control any of it... and without thinking much and a hint of fear she saw herself revealing it all with a slow nod of her head, her eyes fixed on him with a hint of fear and horror at realizing she could not help but tell him the truth.
With this answer he kissed her again, and Rukia closed her eyes, accepting her defeat - she had lost everything, her heart, her sanity and it seemed there was nothing she could do but simply kiss him back and surrender in acceptance.
And so she did. And the moon bathed the pair and blessed that kiss full of love and wishes that they could be frozen in that moment forever, and only those that ever found themselves loving so much would know the secret behind a kiss like that - a bare soul, promising to belong to the beloved forever.
Rukia had her arms around him and Byakuya pulled her closer and closer - but there would never be close enough for the both of them, that much was obvious. She felt herself being carried to their bedroom, but they did not break the kiss.
He gently put her on the bed and covered her with himself, not wanting to stay one centimeter away from her. And, eyes closed, he started to explore her with his lips, his hands undoing her hair while bringing her closer, and kissing her more and more, sometimes passionately, in others just with a simple touch of their faces, caressing, feeling each other.
There was no longer space for thoughts, only feelings, translated into gestures, touches, kisses, breathing the other's breath, feelings scents and essences, and soon there was too much fabric hindering skin, and she felt him untying her obi and removing them layer by layer, so he had better access to the shoulder he so wanted to kiss.
The feeling of his lips on her skin burnt and she felt slightly ashamed when he started to slide down her kimono and reaching for her cleavage to kiss her breasts. Rukia couldn't believe what was going on, couldn't believe she had not backed down and she wouldn't. She felt the urge to close her kimono because of the shame – she had never been naked in front of a man before – but after her initial reaction, she took a big breath and released the border of her kimono. She wanted to be his. This was her last moment of happiness and she had decided to live it.
It puzzled her, though, when she noticed he had stopped and was eyeing her intently. After a few seconds he covered her hand with his and closed her kimono for her.
"I-Is there anything wrong?" she asked, but he merely moved away from her and to his side of the bed.
He kissed her forehead and explained:
"There is nothing wrong, my love. It is late, we will travel back home early tomorrow. Sleep."
She could not believe him! What had she done wrong? She did not have much experience with these things, maybe she did something that displeased him? Maybe her reaction, closing her kimono as if she didn't want him? Her mind was boiling with questions, but Rukia did not dare to press the matter. She laid down, facing away from him and waited for sleep to wash her frustration and worries away.
#####
A few hours later, Rukia was awaken by Mariko's voice.
"My lady?"
She blinked, sitting up.
"Byakuya-sama awaits you for breakfast."
Rukia nodded, standing up.
It was very early in the morning and Rukia was too sleepy to feel any hunger or engage in any conversation, so she merely ate very little and kept him company.
When they went upstairs again, their luggage was ready to be dispatched, and soon they departed.
Still feeling a little sleep deprived, Rukia noticed he was particularly silent, more than usual, that morning. Memories from the previous night came back to her… even though he was still tender and loving to her, she must have done something to disappoint him in their… intimate moment. Maybe he felt rejected by her reaction? Maybe he thought he was pressing things too much? Maybe she did something weird, awkward? She hated herself for not being experienced - she couldn't help the feeling that she did not know what she was doing. Or maybe he did not like what he saw…
If it was about her reaction… well, it was really not the case. She did not reject him, and he was definitely not being too pushy. It bothered her that he may have interpreted it as such. Not only because... she actually wanted it, but especially because she did not want him to feel that way. It bothered her immensely that he was upset about it.
"My lord, I…" she started, trying to find words. "Are you… upset?"
He looked at her but did not answer.
"I mean, I… did I do anything wrong?" she tried again. "Yesterday, I mean… I…"
"Rukia," he interrupted her. "I remember."
.
..
ZOMG what? Yeah… I'm sure that is what Rukia thought too. XD like it, hate me? I hope not haha. Drop a comment and review, please? Thanks! I cherish every single one of them. Also, let's fangirl together! I admit I haven't read/watch Bleach since aizen died, but did you see Byakuya-sama finally made his grand entrance and appeared again in last week's manga? *dies* and Without his famous scarf? :O *gasp* I have a theory he left it with Rukia… (hah... don't ask.)
I'd like to thank my dear beta, Ralenore, for dedicating time in her busy schedule to review it for me. I would also like to thank coAtL for his great aid, helping me decide the path of the story and contributing to it in many ways.
And finally, to let you know that I left a new pool on my profile, to decide the next fics to be finished, please take a look!
That being said... Please let me know what you think! I wish I could see each of your reactions to my writing, really. ^^
See ya!
Wynn