"There isn't any formula or method. You learn to love by loving." -Aldous Huxley-

I want to thank everyone who's followed right through with this story "Teach me how to Love", and with me. Thanks for making my experience writing my first fanfic a great one, just by looking at all your reviews and PMs.

Yes, this is the last chapter of this story, which I've promised would end before July. It's been 9 days since the first chapter so I would say it was like a short ride on the rollercoaster. But I hoped for you, a good one. :)

I have already written this story complete even before I uploaded the third chapter, so whoever who was looking for changes in your PM, I'm sorry I can't change the story because I really want to stick with what I wrote. I can just hope I did this story justice for you.

I have already written an epilogue and thinking of adding it in, though. But if you feel it might ruin the story, please tell me alright? (comment or PM).

Hope you enjoy this chapter.


Rukia was breathing hard. She was on her way back to the Kuchiki mansion. She didn't know how she was going to explain herself to Byakuya, or the entire Kuchiki family. Was Byakuya already awake? Did he see the note? Did he tell his family? Would they throw her out?

She half-prayed she would arrive to see him sleeping and burn the note in time. She wasn't going to let them separate her and Byakuya. Not after she had set her heart back in the right place, and on the right track.

She burst into the Kuchiki residence. It was eerily quiet, and nobody was in sight. Even the servants did not seem to be awake yet. A very good sign. She rushed to her bedroom, where the paper lantern still hung from the front of the door. The sight of it filled her with warmth and she quickly pushed open the door.

And felt her heart drop.

Byakuya's bed was empty. He was awake. He knew. Even the note and tassel she had left on the table were gone.

He knew. Knew she was leaving him.

Suddenly, she felt something hit her. Something big. She gasped. Byakuya's reiatsu was so strong. It was so fiery, like he was unleashing it without any restrictions at all. Rukia's first thought was Ichigo. Had he come for her again? And encountered Byakuya? She felt her heart pound. She didn't want any of them hurt.

But as she stood there, she found she could detect only one reiatsu. Only Byakuya's. Nobody else. Just one sole reiatsu, powerful and deadly. Her feet turned and she began to run toward the source of the power.

As she passed the hallways, she realized where she was headed. He was training this early in the morning? And with such strong reiatsu? It was absolutely unnecessary. She remembered the first time she had trespassed in this private training wing. Nobody was allowed here, but she was being quite adventurous and wanted to find out what it was all about. It was an enormous cavern-like hall, which had been modified to be a training ground. Through her slit in the door, Rukia had marvelled at the place, wanting so much to train there. And it was also where she had caught sight of Byakuya himself training with his Zanpakutou then. This was going to be second time she was trespassing. But this time, she didn't care.

She stopped at the door, and heard the familiar swish of petals. But something sounded odd with them. Something not quite right.

She quickly slid the door open, and watched the vast expanse of the white hall spread out before her. She took a moment to stabilize herself against the strong currents of spiritual energy that rushed out at her. Her attention then quickly turned to the lone figure in the center of the training hall, where powerful masses of pink rushed about. Her eyes widened in horror as shock and realization hit her.

Byakuya was hurt. He was bleeding all over the floor, and it was due to his own bladed petals he was controlling with his own will. He was hurting himself.

Rukia gripped the door so hard she felt the wood biting into her hand.

Why?

What sort of terrible reason could possibly make him do this?

Was it… was it because she left?

Could it be?

... Did he actually love her?

And Rukia knew then.

It was so obvious... so clear... how could she have not known?

Yes, Byakuya had loved her. Loved her all along. Loved her as much as she loved him. She remembered the way his arms held her while they slept, tightening around her reflexively whenever he felt she was getting a tiny bit too far from him. His eyes so filled with emotions as he had gazed at her. He loved her. It didn't matter if he didn't tell her so. She had been deceived in a moment. And now, he thought she had left him forevermore.

She watched, the ache in her heart unbearable. 'He suffered then, and he's punishing himself now, making himself suffer again.' Hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Byakuya."

Her throat constricted at that instant, and her voice came out strangled and desperate. She didn't care. She didn't even bother with using honorifics. All that mattered to her was that she had to reach him. She saw Byakuya turn in her direction, shock and embarrassment registering on the sharp, handsome face Rukia had always seen in her dreams. A long cut ran down his pale cheek, and blood dripped from his chin.

Byakuya heard his name being called. That familiar voice.

It can't be. She came back???

She couldn't.

She wouldn't.

He turned and saw the angel who had made his life heaven and hell, all at the same time.

Rukia.

He wanted to call her, but his physical shell was in a state of heavy damage, he couldn't even open his mouth.

She was standing at the door of the training room, watching him with evident pain in her eyes. He wondered how long she had been watching him. He didn't want her to see him like this. It was terrible, the great Sixth Division captain reduced to such a state. The shame. The humiliation.

He wanted to run away from her, hide himself from those violet eyes. But more than anything, he wanted to run into her arms, and die in her embrace.

Rukia was already in motion, she was running. The hall suddenly seemed twice as long as it really was. And Byakuya was so far away from her. She didn't seem to be getting any nearer with each step.

As she approached him, she could clearly see the injuries he had inflicted on himself. They were bad, so bad. Blood was dripping everywhere, and his body was torn up. And the petals were still encircling him in a pink haze, still lethal and deadly. She was going to have to go through them to get to Byakuya. And she did not even think twice about them.

She ran past the sakura petals, not caring if they grazed wounds into her skin. She just had to reach Byakuya. As a single pink petal passed her face, she felt no pain. None at all. Nothing but a tender caress. Almost like… like Byakuya's hand on her cheek.

Hurt her not, Senbonzakura...

Eyes widening in surprise, she looked ahead to Byakuya and saw his face in deep concentration, despite the excruciating pain she knew he must be enduring.

'He's making the petals to not hurt me. He's willing them to touch me softly instead,' Rukia realized. 'Just like how he would.'

Her heart felt like it would burst. Just a few more steps.

As she advanced on him, Byakuya's stance finally gave way, the pain too much, his feet weighed out from under him and he pitched forward. Toward the ground…toward the hard pain…

And Rukia grabbed him in her arms, and planted her firm hands securely around him. Byakuya was a lot bigger than she was, but she cushioned his fall, pulling him to her and they fell together, kneeling, to the ground.

"Byakuya!!" she cried, holding him in her arms. "You idiot!! What do you think you are doing?"

Byakuya looked at her in amazement. She had called him an idiot. He, Kuchiki Byakuya, an idiot. Up to this moment, the regard she held for rules and formality were still in total contrast to him. And yet…

"Rukia… what are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing here?? Look at you!!… You… you... you are killing yourself!!!" she said, tears flowing freely out from her eyes. Her beautiful violet eyes. Byakuya wanted so badly to wipe them away, but his hand was too bloody and he didn't want to taint her beautiful face.

'Did she forget something? Something she had forgotten to take with her? Or did she come here to explain to him?'

Byakuya did not know. But he was so thankful to see her again. At least to have her hold him like this for the last time was a temporarily bittersweet heaven.

"She left, back then. And you hurt too much at that time. And now, you are hurting again. But I'm never going to leave you, Kuchiki Byakuya. Never ever." Rukia exclaimed fiercely. She did not blush, she looked him straight in the eye.

Byakuya stared back at her. Rukia opened her hand, and Byakuya's eyes widened as he stared at the thing sitting in her palm. The South Maiden crystal, the snowflake glittering right in the center.

"The snowflake couldn't leave the cherry blossom. It couldn't. It never wanted to." A fresh tear spilled down Rukia's cheek.

"Because they were meant to be a pair, right from the beginning."

He wasn't imagining it. Byakuya looked at Rukia, in shock and wonder.

She really did come back. She came back for me. She loves me.

Rukia watched as Byakuya reached out his right arm and took hold of Senbonzakura, which had sealed itself back right next to him. 'What is he-'

She watched as he tore something, a pile of cords that had been protruding from his zanpakutou's end. When he brought his hand back to her, it was holding the pink crystal with the cherry blossom. He placed his palm right on hers, so the crystals were joined between their hands.

Right from the beginning...

Rukia looked up at Byakuya, as he reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face. Neither of them bothered about the blood.

"Don't cry. Because it hurts me worse when I see you cry."

"I am no good with words like this. But I have to tell you. At first, I thought it was the face swaying me," He touched his hand to her wet cheek tenderly. "But it wasn't like that. I did fall in love, but with the girl behind these eyes."

The girl who could make his heart beat so fast just by being near, when not even any battle could. The girl who had effortlessly taken his heart away from him in an instant, just by smiling and being so rebellious and clumsy about him.

"Rukia."

He bent down and kissed her eyelids, and they fluttered close at the contact. He trailed his lips down to hers, and kissed her softly there. It was salty, sweet and gentle. Most of all, it was a promise made for eternity.

"I'm not going to let you leave anymore. Because I have waited too long for you."

Rukia smiled at him, before whispering, "I love you. Byakuya."

Byakuya looked back at Rukia, and smiled. "I love you, Rukia."

I love you.

And so ends the last chapter of my first ever fanfic!! (though I will probably add the epilogue...I can't stand it when any residual work is left like that...)

I'm sorry if it was suddenly abrupt like that to some of you, but that was just how I wrote it. It's a romance and drama fiction anyway, so no action. :) I made it a simple story, just all about Byakuya and Rukia falling in love (and being really cute together), realizing their feelings and how much both of them would go through for their love. And they did, didn't they?? ;)

I had a nightmare last night, and when I woke up, I suddenly had a new inspiration for another, actually, two ByaRuki stories. Both are going to have a totally different theme from this one, I already have it in my mind and pretty excited about it but... whether it will ever come out as solid hard fanfic, that remains to be seen. Because July's right round the corner, and my holidays are ending. :(

For those of you who requested IchiRuki fanfics, ah, I would love to write that as well. We'll see about that, alright?

Thanks again for everyone who followed up with this story. A final review/comment? -gets ready with protective shield- I don't know how all of you would react to this ending, I myself like it but everyone's got their own opinions. And I'm kinda worried how you all feel about this, but I would want to know, so I can improve. But even one happy reader is enough to justify my time for writing this story. Looking forward to your feedback. Just don't be too harsh with me, it's my first fanfic anyway. ;) Oh, and do you want the epilogue??