A.N.: Hello there! Sorry for having to update late again. Nevertheless, here is Chapter 11 of Fireworks, the longest chapter to date actually. :] Thank you all for reviewing (PAMILA DE CASTRO, ra7matigorti2, London, Princess of Rainbows and Death, Yuki-onna 0, fAnFicLover0147, mochiusagi, EienJihLee, andyantopia, Noctis Vee Caelum,), viewing, following, and favoriting. It makes me very happy to see that so many of you like this story.

Hope you enjoy! ;]

Warnings: IchiRuki, one-sided though it may be.

Disclaimers: Bleach is the property of Kubo Tite. I only own the plot of this story.


Sunlight streamed through the open window as Byakuya sat reviewing documents. It was eight in the morning, yet he had already been awake for almost two hours. He glanced over to the bed next to his.

Rukia lay sprawled on her back, her breathing deep and even. She must have become cold during the night, since it appeared that her sleeping became more active when she was chilly. However, her bunny plush still remained in her arms, nuzzled against her face. Her blankets were twisted around one leg, her comforters kicked to the end of the bed. Her black hair was scattered across her pillow and Chappy's ears. Byakuya noticed she was wearing yellow plaid pajamas.

Byakuya shut his eyes and turned away from her. Ever since that night, he found himself being drawn to Rukia even more than usual. Rukia would be doing something insignificant and random when he realized he had been staring at her, admiring her. He desperately prayed that she never noticed.

He found himself reliving the night at Isshin's clinic over and over again. Her soft hair, little hands, and gentle touch... Byakuya was tormented day and night by the woman who slept in the bed beside his.

It was wrong, so wrong to think of Rukia in this way.

And yet, a small part of him relished seeing her in his thoughts. And despite how hard he tried to banish those images from his mind, to subdue those feelings, they continued to mercilessly plague him.

He had to stop this. Stop this before it spun out of control and he did something that hurt Rukia.

Rukia made a small noise as she snuggled closer to Chappy, causing Byakuya's eyes to fly open. He instinctively looked over to her bed. However, Rukia merely sighed and rolled over, her back facing him, her sheets still kicked to the bottom of her bed. He found himself smiling, regardless of his fervent attempt not to. Then his eyes widened.

Due to Rukia's sleepy movements, her rumpled pajama top now lifted, exposing her lower back. Her sheets, resting at the bottom of her feet, did nothing to hide her bareness. His eyes took in the line down her back and her petite, almost fragile-looking figure. Rukia had such fair, unblemished skin.

She is so beautiful...

Her skin looked so soft... would it feel soft, too?

Byakuya snapped his head away. Absolute horror began to sink in as he stared blankly at the document in front of him, too unfocused to even remember what its contents were.

He had been staring unabashedly at Rukia's bare back while she slept. What on earth was wrong with him?

He slid a hand down his face. How could he do something like this to Rukia? He had practically molested her, even if it was only with his eyes. Byakuya pictured Rukia's reaction if she knew what he had just done to her. Instantly, the image of her crying and running far away from him came to mind. The mere thought of Rukia crying sent a pang of hurt through his heart.

He didn't understand. He had always been able to crush any unwanted feelings and prevent them from surfacing. Why was he unable to do so this time, when it really mattered? The way he was behaving, he shouldn't even sleep in this room anymore. It was much too dangerous, for Rukia and for him.

But then, Kurosaki Isshin did not have another room available. Byakuya supposed he could sleep at a hotel, yet he would be too far away to help if Rukia was in trouble. Perhaps he should sleep on the couch in the living room, regardless of how uncomfortable and undignified it would be.

Yes, that would work. It would put a physical distance between him and Rukia. He wouldn't need to keep seeing her every morning and dream of her every night. This would solve the problem, if not partially.

Byakuya placed his documents in one stack and brought all his belongings with him to the living room.


Rukia groggily opened one eye. What time was it? Had she over slept? She checked her alarm clock beside her pillow. 9:30am. She yawned and stretched.

"Ouch!" she yelped when she pulled a muscle. All at once, she stopped. Was Byakuya still in the room? Oh my god... Rukia spun around to stare at his bed.

Empty. Byakuya was gone. She heaved a sigh of relief.

Then she frowned. Her eyes traveled from the neatly made bed to the corner where he kept his box of clothes. Where were his things? Even his paperwork and her- no his lap desk had disappeared. It was as if he hadn't stayed in the room at all. Had Byakuya left?

If he had left for Soul Society, surely he would have told her, wouldn't he? But if he hadn't left, where were all his things? There was no other explanation for his belongings' disappearance. Puzzled, Rukia entered the bathroom to change.

She originally wanted to go to the Chappy store today, but now that Byakuya wasn't here, she somehow didn't feel like it anymore. And she did not know why. Nii-sama and Chappy were unrelated; his leaving shouldn't cause her not to go to the Chappy store. So why was she feeling so dejected?

Because he hadn't told me he was leaving. Rukia felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she brushed her teeth. Why he hadn't informed her of his departure was a mystery. But of course, she shouldn't be surprised. Byakuya was occasionally like this, not wanting to tell anyone what he planned to do, not wanting to let anyone in. She shouldn't be upset.

However, it wasn't as if him leaving was so important, right? It wasn't as if he was planning something that required her not knowing. Couldn't he have spared a minute to at least mention he was leaving? Rukia dried her face in her towel.

It really was no business of hers whether Byakuya chose to leave or not. Why was she acting like this? It was his decision to leave, after all. He was Kuchiki Byakuya, wasn't he? He didn't need her, or anyone's, approval to leave. What was she thinking?

Rukia opened the door to the guest room, prepared to head to the kitchen to make herself breakfast. Yet, she abruptly halted in her tracks, her hand still clutching the door knob.

What if he had left... because of her?

Her eyes widened in dismay. Perhaps that was why he did not tell her he was leaving. Was he disgusted with her because she was incompetent and childish? She had gotten into so much trouble, with him having to save her each time. He had to spend extra time worrying about her safety: he had even refused to allow her to leave the house for several days after her injury. She involved him in really stupid pursuits, like sitting in a photo booth, going to places where common people ate, drawing with her. Was he sick of all this? Was he sick of her?

He probably was tired of looking after his silly sister and decided to retreat to the safety of his manor. And here she thought that he enjoyed it when she brought him to different places, showed him different things.

Thought that he had enjoyed it when he spent time with her. But she was wrong, completely wrong. Rukia heart ached.

Because I am too weak for him.

She gasped as intense pain spread through her head and down to her chest. Her headache had become worse, even though she had already taken medicine. It felt as if someone was repeatedly plunging a knife into her. Rukia clutched her head with her two hands as she grit her teeth to prevent herself from crying out.

Ichigo couldn't know that her head was hurting badly; she didn't want him to worry. Rukia managed to find the strength to closed the door behind her. She needed to see Isshin about this.

As she walked down the hallway to the kitchen, the pain slowly subsided until it became bearable. It had been like this lately: having sudden headaches which ceased after a little while. Yet, this time lasted the longest and hurt the most. Rukia dearly hoped Isshin would have a solution when she asked him. She would also have to tell him not to tell Ichigo.

But the pain in her heart did not diminish with her subdued headache. Rukia still felt it throbbing painfully, reminding her of the absolute fool she was to think that Byakuya actually liked to spend time with her. She passed the living room and halted in her tracks.

Byakuya was sitting on the couch, his back facing the open door, working on his documents. He hadn't left. Rukia stood quietly still just outside the loving room door.

If he hadn't left for Soul Society, why had he moved all his belongings out here? It almost seemed as if he was intending to stay in the living room. Perhaps-

He must have left the guest room because of her. Rukia could think of no other reason for his actions. There wasn't anything wrong with the guest room, except that it was rather small, but Rukia knew he would put up with its size since there was no other room available. It must be because of her.

Byakuya probably couldn't find a proper excuse to head back to Soul Society, since the higher ups ordered him to oversee the mission. With her. So he had to resort to this to escape the constant company of his foolish little sister.

Is my company that... unbearable for him?

Rukia's heart felt as if it was being torn apart. She almost laughed out loud at herself. Here he was, completely indifferent to the situation (as usual) while she was experiencing extreme heartache because of him. You are a fool, Rukia.

Rukia found herself taking a step into the living room.

What am I doing?


Byakuya glanced over his paperwork, yet his mind absorbed nothing. Instead, it continuously flitted back to the one person currently occupying the guest room.

Rukia.

Was she awake yet? What would she think when she realized that he had left for the living room? Did she even know that he was still in the house, as all his things were missing from their room? He shook away that doubt. She would know that he was still here, there was no reason for her to think that he left for Soul Society. He would have informed her if he had intended to leave.

But would she mind him staying in the living room? Would she miss his company? Did she even find his company enjoyable in the first place? Byakuya ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation.

He had fled to the living room so he would avoid thinking about Rukia, but that obviously failed. He was thinking about her constantly now, questions about what she was doing filling his mind. He was thinking about her so much he could not focus on his work.

And he found that he was utterly unable to stop himself from thinking about her. He had never, ever found himself in a circumstance where he could not control his own inappropriate thoughts. This was the worst.

He really, really needed to stop. Needed to stop his inappropriate feelings toward Rukia.

"Nii-sama...?"

He immediately turned around, all the while noticing that his heart leapt up uncharacteristically at the sound of her voice. Rukia stood silently behind the couch, her hands stiffly by her sides. She was trying to control her expression, but he knew.

Something was wrong. Distress was written all over her face.

"Rukia," he said softly, keeping a level tone although he was thoroughly worried inside. What happened? She was perfectly fine the night before, why was she upset? Was she hurt? He desperately wanted to ask her what was wrong.

"Do you have something to say?" he asked calmly when she did not speak. He knew that his question did not even come close to mirroring how concerned he was.

Her violet eyes were clouded over with emotion and she spoke, "I... I..."

Byakuya waited seemingly patiently as Rukia visibly struggled to speak, yet his concern was becoming unbearable.

"I—I just wanted to know if you still need the bed... in the guest room..." her voice trailed off as she looked down, her face a little pink.

He frowned. This was not what she really wished to ask. He knew it.

"Pardon?" he feigned ignorance, hoping that she would explain what she truly wanted to say.

"I... Will you still need your bed... in the guest room? Because I can ask Ichigo to help move it here... since you're staying here now..."

Byakuya's frown deepened. Why was she so eager for him not to stay in the guest room? Did she not... want him to be there?

"Is there a problem... with the bed remaining where it is?" He couldn't directly ask her if she did not like him to stay in the guest room with her: this was the best question he could think of.

"No!" she said a little too loudly, and she gazed back at him. Her eyes were still greatly troubled.

"I..." she stopped short and looked away. Byakuya felt like grabbing her shoulders and shaking her, demanding to be told what was bothering her. Instead-

"If there is a problem, you may let me know," he said tranquilly and turned back to reading his document, even though he knew he would not comprehend a single word. She hurriedly moved to stand in front of him. He waited for Rukia to continue.

"I just want to know if there is something wrong with the guest room... such that you need to stay here... sleeping on a couch..." Her voice was small and she resolutely refused to make eye contact.

"Was I... bothering you... Nii-sama?" Rukia slowly raised her eyes to his. Byakuya carefully hid his surprise.

Rukia thought that she had done something wrong and drove him out of the room. He should have known she was bound to assume that if he left without telling her. Of all the stupid things he had done. He had caused her to be upset again. She likely was extremely hurt.

But what was he to say? How could he tell her that he had left their room because he was thinking and dreaming about her in a manner no brother ever should? How could he tell her that he had left to protect her... from himself?

His unfortunately pause confirmed her fears and Rukia chuckled softly, "I'm sorry... Nii-sama, I didn't mean to be a bur-"

"You have done nothing wrong," he hastily cut in. Her voice had been deathly solemn, as if she been facing her execution again. A pang of hurt and remorse gushed through him at the memory. Just like that time, it is me who is in the wrong, not you. You could never do anything wrong.

"Wh—What?" she sputtered, her shock obvious.

"My staying here was due to my own issues," he said. "It does not concern anything you have done." Rukia openly relaxed with relief. Then-

"Nii-sama... if something is bothering you, you can tell me..." she said quietly, glancing down at her hands. "It must be bad... because you need to stay outside to sort it out." Rukia moved a little closer.

His problem was very bad indeed, and he could never tell her about it. Byakuya returned his attention to his document.

"It is no concern of yours," he said finally. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rukia move to sit next to him on the couch.

"Does staying in the living room... really make you feel better?" Rukia's face was scarlet. Her hands were clutched in her lap. "You really don't want to stay in the guest room?"

So she wanted him to stay with her. Byakuya found himself inwardly smiling despite all his efforts to remain unaffected. She wants me to be... with her. Very well then...

"I find..." he paused slightly, then continued, "that remaining here has not solved any of my problems." And it had not indeed. He placed the document he was "reading" and rose from his seat.

"Then you'll come back to the guest room?" Rukia said hopefully, her cheeks still pink. He nodded.

Byakuya knew that this was a bad decision he was making. It was better that he stayed out here, even if he found himself thinking about Rukia more frequently. Here, he was farther away from her. It wouldn't be as easy for him to hurt her.

But he wouldn't stay in the living room, not when Rukia personally asked him to stay with her.

He saw what his thoughtlessness had caused her this morning and he did not want a repeat of that to happen ever again. If she enjoyed his company in the guest room so much, then so be it. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? For Rukia to like his company as much as her friends'.

He himself had learned so much about her just by sharing a room, more than when he and Rukia were living at his manor. It was nice like this, being able to spend time with her. He didn't need to worry about having other people scrutinizing their every move. Except Kurosaki Ichigo, but Byakuya could not care less about what the brat thought.

"Nii-sama, let me help you carry some of your things!" he heard Rukia saying as she bent to retrieve his lacquered box of clothes. Before he could protest, she was already out of the living room. He smiled.

He would just have to keep tighter control over himself, that way staying in the same room as Rukia wouldn't cause any problems. He would be able to become even closer to her like this.

Platonically closer.


Rukia happily set Byakuya's box of clothes next to his bed in the corner.

He hadn't left their room because of her. She was so relieved. However, he was obviously troubled by something, something so serious that he had to isolate himself to solve it. From how he behaved, she knew he was unwilling to share even some of his burden with her.

But that was how he always was, relying only on himself to solve his own problems. Rukia knew that it was often hard on him, though he did not speak of it. She wanted very much to help him, to share his problems. At least he can have one shoulder to lean on...

At least she knew that she was not the cause of his problems this time. That made her feel a little better. It would have been terrible if he had left their room because of something she had done.

Rukia heard voices outside the door and she turned around. Byakuya walked into the guest room, his lap desk under his arm and a stack of paper work in his hands. Ichigo trailed in soon afterward.

"Byakuya, how come you were staying in the living room?" the boy asked as he stood in the doorway. "I thought you liked to stay in here."

"That is not of your concern," Byakuya answered frostily as Rukia helped him place the lap desk back on his mattress.

"I'm only curious," Ichigo replied, leaning on the door frame. "It's pretty strange to see you moving all your stuff back to the guest room. I'm just wondering why." He was met with cold silence from Byakuya.

"Ichigo," Rukia put in. "Nii-sama doesn't even want to tell me what's bothering him, so he probably won't tell you either."

"Really? Something's bothering Byakuya?" Ichigo came over. "Hey, man, what's bothering you?" Byakuya silently scowled at him as he arranged his paperwork into separate piles.

"You know, we're always here for you. You can tell us what's the problem." Byakuya remained quiet. Ichigo chuckled at his attitude and he turned to Rukia.

"Hey, Rukia."

"Ichigo?"

He frowned, "Byakuya actually needed to leave this room because he was bothered by something?"

"Yeah, why not?" Rukia saw a strange expression flit across Ichigo's face.

"I wonder..." the boy said to himself, almost inaudibly. Rukia frowned. What was he thinking?

"Ichigo?" Ichigo looked down at her, then smiled.

"Naw, just thinking," he said and he unexpectedly bent down to ruffle her hair. Rukia growled angrily and attempted to smack his hand, but Ichigo was too quick, dodging out of her grasp.

"See you guys later!" he sidestepped a punch and fled out the door. Rukia plopped down onto her bed.

"Stupid Ichigo..." she muttered crossly as she combed her fingers through her tousled hair. She abruptly stopped, her fingers still in her hair.

She had forgotten Byakuya was still here. Again.

Rukia slowly peeped behind her. Byakuya was quietly watching her, ink slab in hand. Her face reddened. Why he always had to be there when she acted foolishly was a mystery to her. She quickly tried to think of something to say to ease her embarrassment. Then she remembered.

"Errrr... Nii-sama?" she began.

"Rukia."

"I'm... going to the Chappy store after lunch," she said. She added lamely, "Since I like Chappy."

Byakuya paused his writing to look at her, "How far away... is this store?"

"It's not far at all, a walkable distance really. It's near the noodle house we ate lunch at the other day," Rukia explained. She really hoped that he would let her go by herself: Ichigo would want to pay for Chappy if he came along.

Byakuya remained taciturn and returned to his work and Rukia felt disappointment spread through her. His silence was not a good sign.

"Nii-sama... I really, really would like to go to the Chappy store by myself," she said earnestly, trying her best to persuade him. "It isn't nighttime and there will be a lot of people. I will be safe... so you don't need to worry." He still did not answer.

"I don't want to ask Ichigo to come with me because he'll want to pay, so-"

"I will come with you." Rukia's eye's widened at the cold displeasure in his voice.

"But, Nii-sama, you don't have the proper Living World money-"

"I have received the new currency exchange rates between Soul Society and the Living World," Byakuya replied. "The cash that I have brought can be legally used."

"Oh..." Rukia did not know what to do. She did not want either Byakuya or Ichigo to pay for her silly plush.

"Nii-sama... I... I don't want you to come either..." she mumbled.

Realizing how her words sounded, Rukia quickly amended her statement, "I—It's not that I don't like your company! Don't misunderstand! I like it very, very much." She blushed, but plowed on, "But I know that you will feel that you have to pay for me if you go, and I don't want that because I like to pay for myself because-"

"Very well."

Rukia's immediately eyes lit up with happiness, "Really?" Byakuya nodded and she beamed joyfully. Before she realized it, she found herself standing next to him, in the small space between their beds.

Her eyes widened as she wrapped her arms around him.


Rukia had come to stand beside him. Was she about to say something else? Her eyes were shining with something. Excitement, perhaps? Yet, they also seemed unsure. What was she-

Byakuya's eyes expanded in shock as Rukia threw her arms around him. His brush slipped through his fingers, leaving splatters of black on the lap desk and mattress. The intangible mask he nearly constantly wore shattered instantly.

But he did not care at all.

He had never been embraced like this before. His grandfather never hugged him, choosing to rub his head instead. If his parents had done so, they had passed away when he was a small child. He wouldn't remember. And Hisana...

Byakuya remembered that he was always the one to embrace her first. She personally had never reached out to him in such a way. And when he did take her into his arms, she occasionally would not respond. But if she did and hugged him back, it almost seemed as if her mind was far away and not wholeheartedly present with him, almost as if it was distracted by something else. He often chose to overlook this fact, as it brought certain thoughts to mind that he would rather not deal with.

He inhaled her sweet scent and gently rested his head against hers. It felt so... wonderful to be held like this, held by Rukia. So wonderful that he completely forgot his resolution to squash the feelings that were rapidly swelling in his heart.

Byakuya swiftly pulled her closer and held her tightly against him. If he did not, Rukia might flee too quickly from him. He did not desire that at all. This was something so special, so precious. Something that may never come his way again. He wanted to treasure it with every fiber of his being.

If only this moment could last forever...

All at once, he felt Rukia begin to disentangle herself from him. His arms lingered around her for the briefest moment, before falling to his sides. He was reluctant to free her, for he wanted so much to be able to keep her in his arms. He watched as she drew further away from him, a brilliant red hue scattered across her cheeks, her beautiful eyes still wide.

"N—Nii-sama..." she stuttered. "I... I..." Her eyes roved to the black stains on his lap desk and sheets.

"Oh no! Nii-sama, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't know that I caused you to make a mess-"

"Don't be sorry," Byakuya found himself saying. He watched as her already large eyes grew even bigger in surprise at his words.

"A—Ahh! I'll get a cloth and help you clean." Rukia scampered to the bathroom to retrieve a towel, leaving Byakuya to himself for the time being.

He should not have responded to her embrace. The waves of inappropriate emotions he felt whenever Rukia was present had increased tenfold because of his carelessness. If he wanted to stay with her in their room, he needed to control himself.

But there was nothing wrong with a simple hug, was there? Brothers and sisters hugged each other, so there was nothing wrong with what he had done. Byakuya stood up from the bed and placed the document he was reviewing out of the way.

No. There was something wrong. He knew that he had not embraced Rukia in the same way as she had embraced him.

He had taken her in his arms as a man, not a brother.

Rukia could never know about this. Her willingness to hug him showed that she was less fearful and nervous around him, a clear indication that their relationship as a brother and sister was growing. Byakuya did not want to scare her, to make her so frightened of him that they reverted back to their relationship in those past fifty years. And it would be his fault once again if that happened. However, she would probably be disgusted with him, in addition to everything else she would feel.

Rukia came back to his bed with a washcloth and a small basin of water. She wrung the water out of the cloth and scrubbed at the black stain marring the shiny wood of his lap desk.

"Rukia, I will clean it." Byakuya reached for the washcloth, but she held it out of his reach.

"No, Nii-sama," she smiled at him. "I caused you to drop your brush, so I should clean up the mess." She pointed at the surface of the desk, "See? It's gone."

She gasped when he pulled the limp washcloth from out of her hands, his fingers brushing hers as he did so. Trying to ignore the disturbing sensations that were set off at her touch, Byakuya bent and began scouring the stain on his sheets.

"No, no, Nii-sama!" Rukia protested, moving to stand beside him. "I should clean the mess. I-"

"I am not incapable of cleaning my own things," he replied.

"I know that, but-"

"Then why do you still... desire to clean this for me?"

"Well, I... It's my fault and you're a noble... you can't be doing these kinds of things..."

"And nobles cannot clean their own spills?" Byakuya almost smiled as Rukia stopped protesting and sighed in defeat.

"Because in that case," he continued. "You yourself will not be able to help me. Are you not a member of the Kuchiki Clan?"

"But Nii-sama is not the same as anyone else, or me... it's strange seeing you like this..." Rukia said softly and she moved to the foot of his bed, watching the ink stain slowly diminish under the washcloth.

"Why is that?" he asked, secretly amused. He became aware that he probably would not have bothered to even ask this question if it were anyone other than Rukia. He wouldn't even be having this conversation if it was not Rukia he was speaking with. He would have found it ridiculous.

"Because Nii-sama is too dignified and classy to be doing this kind of work," she said, her tone sensible, as if she had just stated an undeniable fact.

Byakuya would have laughed if he had no self control. He hoped that she did not see mirth flit across his face. Too dignified and classy, is that it?

"Then we have a dilemma, according to your reasoning." He really did not understand why he was bothering to have this conversation with Rukia; it was useless. If Abarai or the brat Kurosaki Ichigo had tried to speak this way with him, he would not have stood for it.

But this was Rukia, and that made all the difference.

"I am too dignified and classy to clean, yet you are a noble and therefore cannot legally clean. So who shall rightly remove this stain, since we both cannot lower ourselves to do such work?" Byakuya watched as Rukia seriously contemplated his question, her brows drawn together in concentration. Perhaps he was too serious in his joke. He sighed inaudibly.

"I was jesting," he said simply and returned to his task, feeling a little deflated. Rukia was quiet for a few seconds, then she burst out laughing. Her laughter sounded like the melodious tinkle of bells to his ears. He smiled.

He had made her truly laugh. Heavy, mind-fogging emotion washed through him. He, the person who had made her miserable for fifty years, had made her laugh as happily as when she was with her dear friends.

Byakuya had never made anyone laugh like this before. Maybe when he was younger he caused his grandfather to chuckle and Yoruichi to laugh at his stupidity. But now, he had never made anyone laugh to his knowledge. Abarai had recoiled in shock when he told a joke in the office. But it was all different.

Different because they were not Rukia.

"You... You..." she struggled to speak between gasps of laughter, but failed miserably. "You... told... a joke." She said it as if it were the most unbelievable thing in the world. "And I... took...you for real..."

Her big, violet eyes had narrowed into slits, her thick, black eyelashes almost resting against her milky white cheeks. Her lips, so pink, were parted widely as she laughed. A few tears of laughter ran down her face.

She was so cute, so... beautiful. Byakuya was mesmerized by the little goddess shaking with mirth at the foot of his bed.

"I... I was almost going to suggest getting Ichigo," she giggled, wiping her tears from her cheeks. She finally managed to calm herself enough to speak properly. The name Ichigo brought him back to his senses and he scowled, scrubbing the spot of ink a little more forcefully.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is not needed," he said stiffly.

She did not detect the change in his tone, as she said, "Right! You were only joking, so we can take care of this by ourselves." Rukia peered over at his sheets.

"The spot is gone, so let me take this back to the bathroom." She plopped the washcloth back into the basin of water.

As she did so, they heard Yuzu call, "Lunch is ready!" Footsteps from different parts of the house thundered to the kitchen.

"Nii-sama?" Byakuya turned to see Rukia standing in the doorway of the bathroom, the basin in her hands.

"I... I'll be taking at least two hours at the Chappy store after lunch, if that's alright with you." He nodded and she grinned at him.

It was actually good that Rukia would be taking so long at the store. He would have a lot of time to take a shower and drop off some documents for Soul Society at the Urahara Shop.

And sort out his unwanted feelings.


Rukia patted her dress pocket for her Soul Candy and checked her wallet. Good, her Soul Candy was there and she had enough money. Much more than enough, actually. She had brought most of her cash with her, even though she wasn't going to spend it all.

She probably could buy Snobby Chappy, along with a lot of other bunny-themed goods, and still have cash left over. But then, she didn't know. Maybe there wouldn't be much cash left over after going to the Chappy store. It was Chappy after all.

She stopped on her way out the front door. The sky seemed quite cloudy from the window. She grabbed her umbrella in case it rained and left the Kurosaki residence for town. As she strolled down the neighborhood street, Rukia recalled that one of her pens had run out of ink. She would have to stop at the stationary store before reveling in Chappy bliss.

They really did have an early spring this year. Rukia admired the pink snow that constantly rained from the cherry trees flanking the road. It smelled so nice. Like Nii-sama...

She smiled when she recalled their interactions before lunch. For some reason, she had found out all too late that her arms had found their way around Byakuya. She still did not know what had come over her then, what had given her the courage to do... that.

He had felt very nice to hold, his scent of sakura enveloping her, his firm body against hers, his soft hair brushing her cheek. At the time, she was fearful that he would take offense and was about to loosen her arms around him when he had acted. The feeling of him pulling her even closer to him sprang up again inside her.

Byakuya had actually returned her embrace, something Rukia had never expected him to do. For that moment then, she allowed herself to enjoy being in his arms, for she knew that something so special would never happen again. She wouldn't be able to enjoy it a second time. Even so, she had to eventually let him go, despite how much it hurt. He wouldn't have wanted her to keep clinging to him.

But as she approached the row of stores ahead of her, she began to wonder how it would feel if they could always be like this.

Wondered how it would feel like if he could caress her in such a way everyday.

Wondered how it would feel like to have such a close relationship with him, that he would make her laugh at his failed attempts at funny jokes.

Wondered how it would feel if she could wake up every morning and see him writing at his desk or even sleeping peacefully.

Wondered how it would be like if he could ever lov-

Rukia's eyes popped open wide. She couldn't think this way, not about Byakuya. He had kindly adopted her into his family as a little sister. His little sister. And that would be how she remained in his eyes. She would be bringing herself into a world of pain if she thought otherwise.

She did not even want to consider what Byakuya would think if he found out how she was thinking. It would hurt far too much.

The stores she wanted to go to were but a few doors away. Rukia sighed. She didn't know what was wrong with her these past few weeks. She needed to get a grip on herself before she accidentally revealed anything about what she was feeling to Byakuya. She steeled herself and walked into the stationary store.

There were so many different types of pens, Rukia did not what to buy. There were pens with refillable cartridges, pens that were disposable, pens that came in a rainbow of different shades, pens for drawing...

Rukia remembered that she needed to get a new drawing pen. As she perused the various drawing instruments, a large glass case caught her eye. She looked inside.

A splendid array of well-crafted, sophisticated pens met her eyes. Some pens had heavily lacquered barrels, while others were made from precious metals. She even saw one which appeared to be made from ivory.

So this is how a good fountain pen looks like. Ichigo had showed her how to use a fountain pen, as his school required him to have one. His, however, was horribly mangled and made of now-chipped plastic. Rukia noticed the pen had rolled off his desk many times, only to fall on to the hardwood floor of his room.

These pens were completely different from Ichigo's sorry excuse of a writing instrument. Some even had especially fancy writing tips ("nibs" Ichigo said they were). Rukia wondered how much they cost. Then, she noticed yet another brightly lit glass case and she peeked at it.

They're calligraphy brushes! Yet, they all looked a little strange, as if they were a cross between a regular brush and the fancy pens she saw in the other case. Instead of a metal tip, as the other pens had, these instruments possessed fine hair, like a writing brush. But then, they had a lacquered barrel instead of the usual bamboo handle. And they had caps. Rukia examined these unique brushes carefully.

They had similar designs to the lacquered pens in the other case, shiny with gold clips that would prevent them from falling from one's shirt pocket. Several were delicately painted with iridescent ink, as if their barrels were a canvas. These sported designs of animals, pine trees, scenery, and-

Cherry blossoms.

Rukia gazed at the brush before her. Every detail was so delicately depicted, each petal and flower almost true to life. The glimmering pink of the sakura petals and flowers were contrasted against a black lacquered barrel. It was beautiful.

She flashed on the many times she had seen Byakuya sitting stiffly on his bed, brush in hand and ink slab set carefully on his mattress. She knew it was inconvenient for him to have to write like this, but Soul Society's thin rice paper would rip if he used a regular pen. If he accidentally moved too much, he would upset the contents of the ink slab, causing complete mess. He also had to clean and dry his brush and ink slab every time he was finished with them. In such a small room, it was difficult to leave them out to dry. Her eyes moved back to the brush in the glass case.

"Excuse me?" Rukia asked a passing sales woman. "Do you think I could see this brush?" She pointed to the one with painted sakura.

"Of course." The woman unlocked the case and brought out the writing instrument, handing it to Rukia. The brush felt cool and comfortable in her hand. She could see in her mind's eye a certain person's slender fingers grasping its barrel as he wrote.

"It's very useful and convenient," the lady said helpfully. "You don't need to prepare ink for it. All you have to do is replace its ink cartridge. See?" She took the brush from Rukia and unscrewed the lacquered barrel. Inside was a cartridge of ink. Rukia was amazed.

The woman laughed, "Easy, right? And the ink lasts quite sometime, so you don't need to replace the cartridge very often." Rukia nodded as she stared at the little wonder in the woman's hands. Soul Society did not have anything like this, considering they used brushes to write most of the time.

"May I see the price?" she asked. The lady retrieved a folder and thumbed through the pages.

"Here it is." Rukia bent to read the price. And prevented herself from physically recoiling in shock.

The brush was so expensive. It cost so much more than the Chappy she wanted to buy: many, many times more in fact. She wouldn't have money to buy anything else if she purchased this. No. She wouldn't have any money to buy anything else during her stay in the Living World, unless Isshin gave her more allowance. And she definitely would not ask him for that.

Rukia scanned through the prices of other similar brushes, but they all were around the same price, if not more for some.

"Oh, okay. Thank you," Rukia smiled as the woman kept the book. She sighed and left the stationary store. Was it really necessary for a brush to cost that much? Rukia looked to the right and found that the Chappy store was next door. She grinned and hurried in, glad that it was so close by.

She came to the toy isle and searched for Snobby Chappy. The plushie sat amongst its brethren of other bunnies, its stuck-up expression greeting her as she took it down from the shelf. Rukia beamed at its cute face as she held it in her hands. But the more she gazed at Snobby Chappy, the more she was reminded of another person who also liked to wear that superior look upon his face. Her mind returned to the expensive brush lying in the glass case next door.

Byakuya would need that brush more than she would need Snobby Chappy, as much as she wanted the plush. If she bought the brush, she wouldn't be able to buy the plushie or any other Chappy things for some time. By the time she did get more money, Snobby Chappy might already be sold out. And she really, really wanted that plushie. She actually wanted this bunny more than any other Chappy plush she had seen before. That was saying something, considering that she coveted every Chappy-themed object she set her eyes upon.

Rukia looked back at Snobby Chappy's scowling face.


Byakuya stepped through the door into the warm Kurosaki house, his entire body soaked to the skin. He had left to drop off some papers to Urahara and pick up some new documents. Urahara in turn briefed him on new information that Soul Society had found on their current nemesis, which was close to nothing.

Normally, Soul Society would have recovered at least some important facts about that heart-eating man, but it was as if he did not exist. The research bureau reported that they could not gather much information about the reiatsu sample he sent in from that day at the fountain. All they said was that nothing like the sample existed in Soul Society, not even in their vaults, and they knew nothing about it. On top of this, Soul Society had never had experienced the threats of such a strange entity in all of its turbulent history. The information he and Urahara had discussed at the shop did not help identify the enemy or even provide a solution to deal with him. Byakuya was at a lost.

Worst still, rain began coming down in buckets soon after he had departed from the Urahara Shop. Byakuya had not thought he needed to bring an umbrella, as he assumed that he would return before the rain began. How wrong he was.

He had not walked far before he was completely drenched. Not to mention many women gave his undesired looks as he passed them by. Some had even hooted and giggled at him, suggestively saying that they could see his skin. The people in the Living World truly lacked propriety in everything they did.

And now, he finally stood inside the Kurosaki residence, a pool of water forming at his feet. It was all extremely annoying. And then-

"Hey, Byakuya," the lazy voice called from the stairs. "Did you see Rukia? I can't find her." Ichigo came down and unashamedly stared at him like he were an oddity at a zoo.

"Oh my god, you didn't bring an umbrella," the boy said as he took in the puddles of water all over the doorway. "You actually didn't think it would rain?" The last sentence was said as if Byakuya was stupid.

Byakuya felt himself bristle and replied coolly, "I assumed that I would return to this residence before the rain started." He brushed past Ichigo and into the house.

"Hey, Byakuya! Don't think that I'm going to clean this up for you because I'm not!" Ichigo yelled after him as he swept into the guest room. Yet, Byakuya distinctly heard the boy hurry into the kitchen and come back with rags. Moments later, the boy's curses floated through the air and into the guest room as he mopped up the water. Apparently, Byakuya did not need to clean up his mess anymore. It appeared Ichigo thought that he wouldn't want to take that responsibility. The fool.

Byakuya glanced at the clock on the wall. Rukia wouldn't be back in at least an hour, so he would have a lot of time to take a greatly-needed shower. He closed the curtains and left a set of new clothes on his bed. He stripped, hanging his dripping clothes on the hook attached to the bathroom door, and entered the bathroom.


Rukia checked her wallet a second time. There were only a few coins inside. She glanced down at the dark blue bag she held in one hand. It was worth it, so it was fine with her that she basically had no money left.

She stepped up to the Kurosaki's door and let herself in. She closed her umbrella and took off her shoes. When she reached the guest room, she concealed the bag behind her. She placed a hand on the door and pushed it open.

"Nii-sama!" she exclaimed as she walked into the room. She frowned.

Their room was empty and silent, the curtains closed. Byakuya was no where to be seen. Maybe he was in the bathroom.

Rukia shook her head. If he was in the bathroom, there would be light shining under the bathroom door. But there was no light and she knew that Byakuya would never use the restroom without turning on the light first.

Did he go out? Rukia could not remember whether she had seen his shoes at the front door. She would have to wait for him to come back, whenever that would be. She walked to turn on the light, but stopped. He probably wouldn't take too long to come back, right? She could leave the lights off then surprise him when he came in. Rukia moved back to sit on her bed, her legs dangling over the edge, the bag next to her. She hoped he wouldn't think she was being silly by doing this.

She reached a hand into the bag and took out a slim black box. Opening it, she examined the brush inside. It was very pretty, nestled in a cushion of black satin. It really fit Byakuya. She carefully removed it from its box and unscrewed the barrel. The brush came with a new cartridge of ink already inserted in its back, but the sales woman informed her that she had given her a spare in the bag.

That was definitely a good thing, as Rukia did not have enough money left to purchase another cartridge. She replaced the brush into the box and dropped it back into the bag. She heard the door open and she opened her mouth to greet Byakuya.

She froze, her eyes wide, mouth agape, hand still buried in the bag, completely incapable of emitting any sound.

Byakuya stood framed in the door way of the bathroom, slightly bent, securing a short towel around his waist. His hair was still dripping water from his shower, a towel slung around his neck.

Other than that, he had not a single article of clothing upon him.

Rukia, turn away! Now! Don't look at him! Yet, she was unable to move, her eyes glued to the magnificent figure before her.

Rukia was always rather conscious that Byakuya was a handsome man. In fact, she often found herself admiring him when he wasn't watching, like when they and the other Shinigamis went to the beach.

His wet black hair fell over his eyes and released drops of over down his broad shoulders, shoulders which seemed even broader in their bareness. She watched his toned muscles shift as he tied a firm knot on his towel. Rukia's eyes traveled further down, taking in his long, slim legs, then back up again. His skin was very pale and smooth, his complexion standing out in the darkness of the room. Rukia wondered whether it would feel as smooth under her fingers.

Suddenly, it appeared as if his every motion was so seductive, so... sinful. Heat spread throughout Rukia's small body as she watched him slide a hand into his hair and shake out some of the excess water. Her heart began thumping madly, almost as if it would burst out of her chest.

What is... wrong with me? Why am I feeling like this?

She helplessly watched in awe as the magnificent person in front of her took a step nearer.

And her eyes popped open as Byakuya fell toward her.

Rukia felt her bed crash into his, her back falling landing flat onto the mattresses. She gasped loudly as his body knocked the wind out of her lungs, his forehead slamming forcefully into hers.

Byakuya had an awfully hard skull. Her head hurt terribly, and for a few seconds she lay still, trying to overcome the agony. Then she slowly, painfully opened one eye.

And met two stunned gray ones.

Rukia stared at Byakuya's face, so close that their noses were nearly touching. Stared at his fair hands on either side of her. Stared at the nakedness of his skin.

And became very, very aware that his hard, sculpted, and unclothed body was pressing intimately against her, pinning her to the mattress.

Her eyes moved back to his face.

A bloodcurdling shriek echoed throughout the Kurosaki residence.


Byakuya sprang off her, landing beside her on the mattresses. They both looked at one another, too dumbstruck for words.

"RUKIA! RUKIA! I'm coming!" they heard Ichigo shout as his footsteps pounded to their room. The sound of his panic-stricken voice brought them back to their senses.

Rukia looked back at Byakuya, who lay on the mattresses. Ichigo could not know this happened. Who knew what he would think? Knowing how Ichigo had been behaving recently, he probably would think the worst. It would make everything weird among the three of them. Ichigo might even assume that Byakuya was a pervert. Rukia did not want that to happen at all.

She had to think of something fast. Ichigo would be there at any moment.

Byakuya calmly sat up, having quickly recovered himself. She watched in horror as he began to rise from the bed, his irked attitude making it clear to her that he meant to open the door and face Ichigo in his undressed state. She had to stop him.

Without thinking, Rukia placed her hands on his chest and pushed him back onto the bed. She saw shock written all over his face.

"What is this?"

"Nii-sama," she begged. "Please let me handle this, alright?" Before he could reply, she threw all her blankets over him, doing her best to make him seem like a bolster. Just when she finished, Ichigo flung open the door and barged into the room.

He stood still, obviously surprised that nothing appeared out of the ordinary. He saw Rukia sitting innocently on her bed, a huge, lumpy bolster beside her.

"Rukia, are you all right?" Ichigo asked worriedly and he tried to approach her. Rukia jumped up from the bed and stood in his way.

"I'm fine, Ichigo!" she said and plastered a fake smile on her face. "Nothing's wrong!"

Ichigo frowned, "Then why did you scream? You sounded like you were scared or something."

What to say now? "Errr... I—I saw... a spider!" Rukia knew he didn't believe her. She couldn't lie well. She wasn't even afraid of spiders.

Ichigo's frown deepened and he attempted to sidestep her. She moved to stand in front of him again, her smile still stuck on her face.

"Then why are the two beds stuck together like that?"

He noticed that? "I... fell onto the bed in surprise when I saw the spider. Then my bed skidded and hit Nii-sama's." That was perfectly reasonable, wasn't it? Ichigo's frown turned into a scowl and he observed her suspiciously, his eyes roving around the room.

"Where's Byakuya?" his tone was accusing.

"Huh? H—He's not here." This situation was getting from bad to worse.

"What do you mean? I know he came back before you did. He hasn't left since then."

"Maybe he's in another part of the house," Rukia said. She dared to bring her eyes up to Ichigo's.

The boy was silent and he looked over her head.

"What's that?" Ichigo asked, pointing to the odd-shaped bundle lying across the two beds.

Oh no. "That's my bolster," she said, dearly wishing that he would believe her. He continued to stare at it, a strange expression coming over his face.

In a burst of speed, he once again tried to enter the room, but Rukia prevented him by kicking him in the shins.

"Why did you do that for?" he yelped, rubbing his sore knee. "I just wanted to check out your new bolster. You never told me you got a new one."

"Well, I don't want you to see it," she said sweetly.

"Why is it wrapped in your blankets?"

"I... I wanted to make it softer."

Ichigo stared at her, then said, "Couldn't you have just bought a softer one instead of doing that?"

Rukia glared at him, "Well, I-"

"Show me its a bolster," Ichigo cut in, his voice flat.

"Wh—What?" This was bad.

"You heard me," the boy said crossly. "You didn't want me to have a peep at it, so prove to me that it's actually a bolster because it doesn't look like one. Then I'll go."

Rukia nodded and made her way to the "bolster". As she gazed down at the bundle, she wondered how she would ever make Ichigo believe that it was a bolster. It was obvious that he thought that Byakuya was inside. Which was true. She looked back at Ichigo, who was leaning on the door frame.

She had to do something that would convince him that the bundle was not Byakuya. Needed to do something she would never do to a bundle that was Byakuya...

Rukia slowly laid her head down on the bundle, probably on Byakuya's shoulder. She tightened one arm around his waist. She heard a sharp intake of breath coming from underneath the blankets. Hopefully Ichigo didn't hear it.

"See? It's soft," she said, unable to stop the blood from rushing to her face. The blankets depressed more when she gave another squeeze. Another soft gasp from Byakuya. Her face was so scarlet that she was forced to turn away from Ichigo.

The boy stood where he was, then-

"Alright, I believe you." He walked out of the room and closed the door.

As soon as he left, Rukia rapidly removed her hands from Byakuya. He sat up, holding her blankets such that they shielded his almost nude state from her eyes. She watched as he turned around, stretching out a long arm to reach his clothes. He fixed his slate eyes on her and her face reddened even more, if that was possible.

"Close your eyes."

"O—Okay." Rukia squeezed her eyes tightly shut, as tight as they could go. She heard the rustle of fabric next to her and the closing of the bathroom door. She opened her eyes and buried her face into Chappy.

What had she done?

She should have spoke up when she saw Byakuya open the door to the bathroom. Why hadn't she said anything? And then she went on to practically rape him with her eyes. Why hadn't she stopped herself from gaping at him like a pervert?

What was wrong with her?

This was the worst.


Byakuya slipped on his clothes and splashed some water onto his heated face.

He remembered the feeling of Rukia gently laying her head on his shoulder, her arm tightening around his waist. He wasn't able to prevent himself from gasping out loud then.

Why had she come back early? She loved Chappy: she would be bound to stay at the store for more than two hours. What was even stranger was that he saw no sign of any new Chappy bunnies anywhere.

He sighed. He hadn't wanted to deal with Ichigo merely because the light in the bathroom was out: he had been in a rush to shower. And if he hadn't carelessly hung his wet clothes on the bathroom door, he wouldn't have slipped on the puddle of water. Then none of this would have happened.

He wouldn't be reliving how it felt to have Rukia pressed so closely beneath him, her breath warming his cheeks and bare skin. He chose not to remember that her ear-piercing scream hurt his ears terribly.

But why had Rukia been so determined not to let Ichigo see them? What difference would it have made if he himself confronted the boy at the door? They would not have needed to go through all the trouble.

Why was Rukia so afraid that Ichigo would come in?

Byakuya turned off the faucet. He shouldn't be upset about this. It shouldn't matter if Rukia was afraid that Ichigo would misunderstand what had happened. It shouldn't concern him.

Yet, why did it feel as if acid was corroding the walls of his stomach?

He dried his face on his towel and opened the door. Rukia sat on her bed, facing the closed window, Chappy in her arms. She had pushed apart the two beds to their regular places. Judging from her vacant expression, he assumed that she was still traumatized by the whole incident. Byakuya walked in front of her, noticing that she did not even blink as he passed her by. He seated himself on his bed.

"Rukia." The sound of his voice broke Rukia's trance-like state and she spun to face him. She instantly prostrated on the bed, her head touching the mattress.

"I am really, really sorry, Nii-sama... I—I didn't mean for all this to happen-"

"Don't apologize," he said swiftly. "None of this was your fault." Rukia straightened herself, but did not make eye contact.

"I still want to apologize for pushing you onto the bed like that..." a lovely hue of pink appeared on her cheeks. "I... I shouldn't have..."

"Why were you afraid that Kurosaki Ichigo would see... us?" Byakuya successfully hid his own surprise. He had not meant to ask her this. It had accidentally escaped his lips.

Rukia had not expected this either. Her eyes widened, but remained focused on her hands.

"Ichigo's been acting strangely recently," she whispered. "I don't know what's wrong with him, but he's been acting so different from his usual self. Like he starts to misunderstand a lot of things and gets upset. I don't want him to think badly of you... because both of you will end up hurt in some way..."

At least he now knew why she was so concerned. It seemed as if she always thought about him first. Byakuya almost smiled. But... was Rukia truly oblivious of why that brat was behaving the way he was? Maybe it was because she only saw Ichigo as her dear friend and nothing more. He hoped that this was the case.

Byakuya examined her face. Yes, she was not being shy: she sincerely was not aware of what Ichigo was feeling. Then he noticed a dark blue bag lying on its side next to her. Was it from the Chappy store? He had not expected their bag to look like this. He thought that it would have more rabbits decorating it.

"What is that?" he asked as he motioned to the bag. Rukia gasped and brought the bag into her lap.

"This is for you, Nii-sama!" she presented it to him, then added, "I bought it when I went out today. I... I... almost forgot to give it to you..."

He studied the bag, then raised his eyes to hers. "This is Chappy?"

Rukia laughed, sending pleasurable tingles down his spine, "No, no, Nii-sama. It isn't Chappy. It's something useful." She jiggled the bag in front of him. He nodded and accepted it from her extended hands. He opened the bag and took out a slim black box. He quizzically looked back at her.

"Go on, Nii-sama. Open it." Rukia was virtually bending forward in her excitement, her eyes wide with anticipation. What had she bought for him? He opened the box.

A pen sat in a cushion of black satin. Byakuya inspected it closely. The barrel had intricately painted cherry blossoms in iridescent ink. It was hand painted, seeing that each petal was finely detailed, finer than if a machine had only printed onto the barrel. Snaking in between the flowers and petals were thin gold lines, representing wind. The pen's cap had a gold clip with the brand's engraved insignia. He pulled off the cap, expecting to find a fancy gold nib.

He saw soft, white hairs coming out of the tip. There was no nib: Rukia had bought him a writing brush.

"Nii-sama," she said eagerly. "Screw open the barrel." He did as he was told and removed the body of the brush. A cartridge of ink was inserted into the back.

"What is this?" he asked. He had never seen anything like it before.

Rukia beamed at his curiosity, "It's a refillable brush, Nii-sama. It works just like a pen. All you need to do is put in a new cartridge when you run out of ink. You don't have to prepare ink or an ink slab anymore... I know how difficult that is for you... especially here." Byakuya stared at the brush in his hand.

"Each cartridge lasts some time and won't dry up easily if you always use it," Rukia said. "So you won't need to replace it too often."

She had gone to buy a brush... for him. A brush that would make doing paperwork less cumbersome and messy. Because she wanted him to be comfortable. He sat silently staring at the instrument in his hand.

"Nii-sama... I was really hoping you would like it, it seemed to fit you very well... the design and everything. But if you don't... it's okay. You can give it back to me..."

"No. I do like it. Very much."

"Really?" she asked, her attitude a little more cheery. He nodded and mentally sighed. It did not mean that his silence indicated that he did not like the gift. Then another thought occurred to him.

"Did you not say... you were going to purchase something else?" He noticed that she shifted her eyes away from him.

"I—I decided not to go..." she said unconvincingly. At that moment, he could picture the entire scenario.

Rukia had gone out, intending to buy a bunny for herself. Instead, for some reason, she wound up in a stationary store and saw this brush, which was, he understood, very expensive. She did not have enough money to buy both a plushie and the brush, so...

"I see," he said finally. Rukia visibly relaxed, glad that he did not press her further.

No one had done something like this for him before. No one had bought him something with all their money, leaving them unable to buy what they wanted for themselves.

No one but Rukia.

She had first given him her lap desk and now this. A rush of emotion spread through Byakuya's soul and he almost reached out to pull her into his arms.

But he could not. For he knew very well that such an embrace would lead him to do... other things, things that would break Rukia's heart.

"Thank you, Rukia."

She flashed him a dazzling smile, "You're welcome... Nii-sama." He watched her as she settled back on her bed and blissfully took out her book to read from under her pillow.

He could never hurt a person like this. Not a person who cared about him so much. He couldn't bear to see such a dear person cry. He needed to protect Rukia from himself. Byakuya looked back at the precious brush in his hand.

He would control himself, do all that it took to control his wanton feelings.


And thus concludes Chapter 11. Hehheh... unclothed Byakuya in this chapter. lol Anyway, both he and Rukia have become even closer (not just physically. lol), and Byakuya starts to realize he is having problems controlling his... affection. Personally, I can see Byakuya leaving his wet clothes on a hook, then slipping on the puddle later. We know that he can be quite rash at times, especially if he was in a hurry. And yes, there are very useful writing brushes that have replaceable cartridges and some do cost a lot. Some of you might wonder why we have not heard from our villain yet and the answer is: he will let out a secret the next time he appears! There is a reason why he has not been eating hearts or turning pluses into Hollows. It is not time for that yet, but all of you may know that he is currently rather content with how things are proceeding. :]

As I said before, Chapter 12 will be important, so look out for it! ;] I probably will not be updating late again next week, so you all will be able to read the next chapter on Sunday or Saturday. Kindly drop me lots of reviews! I really like it when all of you tell me what you think. :] Good bye!