SOME MONTHS LATER

Byakuya was beginning to get the hang of his zanpakuto. He was already very good at controlling his shikai when it came to wielding it and moving it around to match the movements he wanted out of it but Senbonzakura was a bit moody at times, so he often ended his training with many scratches. Byakuya had a suspicion the strange white man from before had some dealing with that but it just made him want to train that much harder so that he could overcome the hiccup and become a great wielder.

He had found a nice empty plain that no one seemed to have taken notice of and used it to practice moving the blades along at the same time and discovering the more control he had, the less he got sliced. He was training on the plain at the moment when he lost focus and Senbonzakura lashed back at him, cutting him. He cursed and the blades collected back into the hilt and Byakuya frowned.

"Wow…" a small voice said.

He turned swiftly and saw a young black headed girl watching him in the corner of the clearing.

"Who are you? You could have gotten hurt…"

"I'm sorry… I heard what sounded like wind blowing through small chimes but when I followed the noise, I ended up here and found such a beautiful cloud of sakura petals. I know they don't make noises like chimes and then I saw your sword… Is that a shikai?"

"Yes… but they are not really sakura petals. They are blades."

"I see." She walked tentatively closer, her black hair falling into her face. "Can you do it again?"

"Senbonzakura is not a toy for a commoner's entertainment."

"Aw, come on…"

"You're not even a shinigami nor do I sense any spiritual pressure coming from you. Why would I waste my shikai on the likes of you?"

The girl shrugged. "To be nice."

"Nice? To you? You're a commoner!"

"So?"

"So that would- wait, how did you get into the Seireitei anyhow? You shouldn't be able to go in and out like that unless you have spiritual pressure to cultivate. So how did you get in?"

The girl just smiled and found a big boulder to sit on.

"I dunno."

Byakuya frowned. "I'm not going to show you my shikai, peasant."

"Okay."

Byakuya turned and did some sword moves, waiting for the girl to leave him so he could train some more but she never left. She watched him, her elbows on her knees as she held her face in her hands. She didn't have anywhere to go and was content on watching the silly, arrogant boy trying so hard to be authoritative.

When it was obvious that the girl was not going to go, Byakuya decided to strike a deal with her.

"Fine. Tell me how you got into the Seireitei and I will show you my shikai."

"How do I know you won't go back on that?"

"I am a Kuchiki and we do not go back on our promises."

"A Kuchiki? Is that a species of animal?"

"That's my name, you imbecile! You must be from the Rukongai if you do not know my name."

"Guilty." She said with a raise of her hand.

"Tell me how you got here."

The girl slipped off the boulder and walked over to him. She watched him for a moment then reached up to touch his face where the acid scar was.

"How did this happen?" she asked softly.

"You're avoiding the question." He said, pulling away.

"I know…" She reached out again. "What a beautiful face…"

"It's not beautiful." He growled, pulling away again. "It's hideous. I bear it as a memory of my stupidity. I vowed to never be that dumb again."

You haven't changed much. the obnoxious voice said in his mind.

The girl gasped. "Your eyes…"

Byakuya touched his face and found that a stream of gelatinous substance was coming from his eyes. He wiped it off and turned away.

"See? Ugly and cursed."

"I snuck in."

"Huh?"

"I made sure the guard wasn't looking and then snuck into the Seireitei." She shrugged. "That's the truth."

"I see…"

"See, I've been looking for my sister –long story- and I thought she may have wandered in here. But then I heard the chimes of your blades and was drawn to this spot."

Byakuya nodded. She was the first person not to run at the sight of the strange liquid that came from his eyes, nor cringe, and the first one to treat him normal.

Just like Ichigo used to.

She was also one of the few who wasn't threatened by his position as a clan head as well as didn't care about his abrupt manner.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

His blade burst into the petal blades and Byakuya smiled at the girl as she looked at the cloud of blade in awe.

"My name is Kuchiki Byakuya, 28th in line for head of the Kuchiki Clan."

The violet eyed girl smiled.

"Hisana, from Inuzari, 78th Rukon District."

For the first time, it seemed that Senbonzakura wasn't so hard to control as Byakuya maneuvered it around.

"Welcome to the Seireitei, Hisana-san."

SOME MONTHS LATER

Byakuya was called into a room early one day and was met by his grandfather.

"Ojii-san, what brings you to the academy?" he asked, confused.

"Have been well, Byakuya?"

"Very well."

"I have come because I feel that you are old enough now for us to switch your focus from combat to learning your duties as a clan leader. You have mastered all of the kido courses as well as found your zanpakuto name. It's time for you to be who you were born to be, Byakuya." Byakuya nodded slowly as Ginrei smiled. "Or is there a reason that you would like to stay?"

Byakuya gulped, for he had secretly been meeting up with Hisana, giving her food and teaching her some skills with a sword so she might be able to join the academy. He had fun with her and it almost felt like when Ichigo was there with him. Plus, she made him feel relaxed, less uptight and less conscious about his scar and the strange tears he shed.

But he had a job to do…

"No, there isn't anything keeping me."

"Good then. I will allow for you to say goodbye to your friends and we will leave at first light tomorrow."

"Ojii-san, I don't have any friends that I would like to say goodbye to. We can leave now." It's for the best that I leave like this.

"Alright then."

Ginrei spoke with the director of the academy and Byakuya was eligible to graduate. Ginrei then took him home.

Byakuya listened to all that Kintano talked about but had to admit that he was bored out of his mind. He began to day dream, thinking about Hisana and if she was alright, Ichigo and if he had even been born yet on the slow path of time.

"Byakuya-sama?" He looked back at Kintano. "Are you paying any attention at all to what I am trying to tell you?"

"Not really." He said as he stood up and stretched. "I am tired of this drabble. I will go outside for a few moments."

He walked out of the house and breathed in the air of outside. It had been weeks since he had seen the sun or tasted the wind. He wanted to check on Hisana but he was lucky and didn't really have to for as he looked down he saw his guards bringing her into the house. He brightened and ran down stairs.

"Sir, this girl was hanging around the outside of the gates. She's been doing it for three days now. We thought she was just a random girl but we looked closer and discovered she was from the Rukon District. What would you have us do, milord?" the guard asked.

Hisana looked at Ginrei with fear.

"Please, let me speak with Byakuya! He knows me!"

"You speak his name as if you know him personally."

"Ojii-san… Hisana-san is a friend of mine."

"Is she?"

"Yes. Please let her go." The guards let her go and she fell to the floor. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…"

"Byakuya, do you have business with this girl?"

"Business? No…"

"Then we must have her escorted back into the Rukon District at once."

"Why?"

"You know the rules, Byakuya. She does not have any spiritual power and thus, is not allowed in the Seireitei. I can have her escorted or thrown in jail."

"I can do it, Ojii-san… I'll take her back."

"Do what you will."

He turned away and Byakuya put his hands on her shoulders.

"What were you thinking? Why didn't you go back when I didn't return?"

"Because I thought maybe you'd return and I wouldn't have to go back."

Byakuya grabbed her hand and began to walk out of the house, heading down a path.

"Are you taking me back?"

"I must. Ojii-san was not very happy."

"I just wanted to see you again. You never said goodbye or anything. I just wanted to make sure that you were alright."

"Huh?" He turned back as she looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"You were worried about becoming the clan leader and I just wanted to let you know that you will be a great leader…"

"You put yourself in harm's way just to tell me that?"

"Well you're the one who never came back."

"I thought you'd just go about looking for your sister."

"I wish I could but… I can't get you off of my mind, Byakuya." She pulled her hand from his and wrapped her arms around him instead. "I love you, Byakuya."

Byakuya looked at her in confusion as he stood there with his hands in the air and her arms around his torso. He didn't know what to say to this, for it was the first time anyone had ever made a declaration like that to him.

"You must be delirious from food."

"I am not delirious." Hisana growled. "I have never met anyone like you. You're strong, smart, and beautiful. I have gone to sleep almost every night with the thought of your face in my mind. I have traced over every facet of your being and have come to love it so much. I wish that you could see how beautiful you are, Byakuya."

Byakuya blinked and then touched her face as she looked up at him with loving eyes. He didn't know if he felt the same way but with Hisana, his emotions got strange on him anyway. He never knew if he was saying anything coherent or not and sometimes he felt as if he were making a total ass of himself. She made him feel free and loved and he liked that she wanted his protection and guidance. But was it love?

"Hisana…"

"I do not say this so that you will not take me back, but I say this because it is true, Byakuya… That is all I've ever wanted to say since we met in the clearing. But now that I have said it, I can peacefully go back to the Rukon District with no regrets."

She smiled and began to walk away when Byakuya used shunpo to get in front of her.

"I love you!" he blurted. Hisana blinked. "I… I do… I really love you… Marry me, Hisana."

"Byakuya, I-"

"Please. I know we haven't known each other long enough but I feel that we are right for each other. We belong together. Please, Hisana of Inuzari, become a Kuchiki."

"Won't your grandfather be unhappy?"

"Yes. But I love you. That should be reason enough." He took her hand and kissed it gently. "My Hisana will be with me forever."

Hisana smiled as they walked back to the Kuchiki Mansion.

boy meets girl. boy leaves girl. girl finds boy. girl confesses. boy confesses.

in essence, i figured that hisana and byakuya's romance was very quick considering he married a commoner for goodness sake. i don't think there were any formalities in the dating department. this is just my rendition of what happened between them and i apologize for the time skips there. and for clarification, a shinigami is the occupation of those in the seireitei not what they are. they are regular souls until they go to the academy *nod*