Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters, Tite Kubo does. I am simply writing this for my own amusement.

Chapter 21

The Vacation Truly Starts

"Good morning."

Rukia opened a sleepy eye and found herself staring across a sunlit room towards a huge sparkling picture window. Not a single cloud could be found in the bright blue morning sky.

Stifling a yawn, she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and sat up. The huge bed was empty and neatly made on the opposite side. She frowned and glanced towards the bathroom door, which was open and empty, the light tuned off. The bedroom was empty as well, the door closed.

Had she just imagined someone saying 'good morning' to her? Or had she mumbled it herself? God, if that was the case, then she was loosing her fricken' mind. Who'd blame her after all? Look what happened last night. The midnight make out on the beach followed by that talk and…

She smiled to herself and slipped from the warm covers. Hurrying to the bathroom she stepped in the shower for a moment before brushing her teeth and and hair.

Rukia did take an extra moment to pick out an outfit though. After last nights revelations she found that she wanted to look extra good for Byakuya…. Byakuya. She suddenly grinned like a fool and snatched up a pretty white and green sundress.

After their talk the previous night, they had moved to the kitchen for a snack then had retired to bed. At first Rukia had suddenly become nervous standing at her side of the bed, watching with a faint blush as Byakuya slipped under the covers on his side. Sure they had been sharing the bed since the beginning of the vacation, and the bed was so huge that each had plenty of room to move about without disturbing the other, but for some reason now she felt uneasy about it. With the now open change in their relationship it somehow felt more erotic to be sleeping in the same bed together.

Byakuya had apparently sensed her discomfort and had sat up and offered her the bed. Shaking her head and waving her discomfort off she had given him a smile and finally crawled in herself. He paused for a moment, staring at her, before shuffling all the way over to her side, making her go stiff with shock, and had given her a tender kiss on the forehead. That turned into a second on the cheek then a final third one on the lips. After wishing her a good night he shuffled back over to his side.

Rukia, now blushing furiously, had lay awake for a long time after, suddenly super sensitive to the other person that lay all the way over on the other side. She couldn't tell if he was awake or not, she could hear his smooth even breathing so much more now, and she had even gone stiff when he had suddenly rolled over, making the bed shift.

"Snap out of it Rukia!" she had inwardly scolded herself. This is what she had wanted right? He had finally openly returned her feelings and now they had nearly a whole week together… so why was she so jumpy all of a sudden? A small voice answered her then, and she knew why. Before he had held back and kept control of the situation. Now everything was out in the open and who knows what would happen… look at what had happened on the beach. That was before they had declared their feelings… now she could only imagine what could happen. ..

With thoughts of him running through her head (some of which made her blush) she finally had managed to drift off to sleep.

On the other side of the bed, Byakuya had allowed a small smile to pass his lips.

"Good morning, Rukia."

A dazzling smile greeted Byakuya as Rukia walked into the kitchen. He was standing by the stove, dressed in a button up black shirt and his usual pair of black jeans. A white apron, yes with a few ruffles -which was all he could find that morning- was tied around his slender waist. To Rukia it was the oddest sight she had ever seen, and she had to momentarily fight back the giggles, not wanting to annoy him so soon in the morning.

"You're up early." she said moving over to where he now stood at the kitchen counter. The morning sunlight streamed through the second picture window and across the table into the kitchen, making the modern room sparkle. For some reason then everything seemed new and exciting to Rukia. As if the vacation was starting new over again.

"Did breakfast arrive yet?" she asked, glancing at the frying pan on the stove Byakuya was currently tending.

"I decided to make it myself this morning." he replied reaching over her head to the cupboard above her.

"You can cook?" she asked lifting the lid on the frying pan but quickly dropping it back in place when it burned her fingers.

"Are you alright?" Byakuya asked, concerned mirrored in his eyes.

"Ya-" she stopped talking when Byakuya gently took her hand and moved her over to the kitchen sink, running cold water over her fingers, his hands still on hers.

Their eyes met and Rukia blushed.

"I'm okay," she said after a moment and she slipped her hands from his grasp, reaching for the tea towel that lay on the counter.

"Anything I can help with?" she asked setting it aside.

"You can set the table if you want," he responded, moving back on the stove.

She smiled to herself and moved to do so. Indeed things seemed different this morning. She couldn't remember the last time things had felt so at ease between them. For once in her life she wasn't nervous around him. That feeling both amazed and startled her.

"Here, you can set my plate beside yours, facing the window. It's a very lovely morning and I enjoy looking at the sea." He handed her two plates, his fingers momentarily brushing against hers, and she couldn't help but notice how they lingered for a moment longer then necessary.

"Thanks," she smiled back.

They ate together at a easy going pace. Sitting beside him and not across from him was something new, and despite the easy going atmosphere she jumped slightly when his leg accidentally bumped into hers under the table.

"So what are the plans for today?" she asked quickly, to cover up her surprise.

"Well, we have today free but according to our pre arranged holiday plans tomorrow we are scheduled to take the tour up to the ruins for an over night 'ancient get-away'. I wasn't to thrilled about the idea before, with all the things that have been going on, but things seemed to have settled and if you wanted to go, we'll go."

Byakuya couldn't help but inwardly smile at the sparkling look in Rukia's beautiful eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that she wanted to go (and that she had already heard about the ruins).

"Ben told me all about the ruins!" she exclaimed, excited. "It'll be like a vacation within a vacation!" she hesitated a moment, when she realized she had said the boys name out loud.

Nervous at Byakuya's reaction she quickly went back to her breakfast.

A warm hand on hers made her freeze.

"Its fine, Rukia." he said quietly.

She looked up at him and their eyes locked again, and for a moment everything disappeared except him. A lovely blush slowly appeared across her cheeks as they suddenly moved closer, and just moment before he kissed her, she caught a glimpse of an accepting smile pass his soft lips.

After a moment they parted, Rukia a bit breathless, and his hand left hers.

"I have a brochure about the ruins in my bag," Byakuya said after another moment, and he stood and left the room to get it.

Rukia stared after him a moment before looking back to her eggs. Her face was still warm, and she could still feel the pressure of his lips against hers. Running her tongue over her lips without even realizing it, she paused when she suddenly got a taste of orange juice. Blinking, she stared down at her own glass of juice, and was suddenly over come with a blush when she realized that she hadn't even drank any herself yet that morning.

She was just staring at Byakuya's half empty glass when he returned.

Setting her fork aside, and happy for an excuse to think about something that didn't make her blush horribly, she happily opened the fancy looking brochure and started reading.

Clearing off the table Byakuya couldn't help but watch the petite woman sitting at the table. From the moment she had walked into the kitchen, wearing that pretty and very flattering dress, he had hardily been able to think straight. She was just so pretty, and happy! He had never seen her in such a cheerful and happy mood and just the thought of her finally acting that way around him made his heart swell with happiness. True, Byakuya himself hadn't been this happy in a log time either. After they had gone to bed last night he had laid awake for a long time thinking. Finally after what had seemed like hours he had finally come to the conclusion that she was right. He would allow himself to, for once, act as his heart wanted, the consequences be damned. He inwardly dreaded the thought of the vacation ending, and he dared not even allow himself to think about what would happen upon their return home, but for now that wasn't his problem and he wouldn't allow that to ruin their remaining time together. He loved her, he knew that now, and there was nothing that would get in his way at spending their last week together happily.

"Are you finished with this?" he asked lifting her mostly cleaned plate.

"Yep," she mumbled only half listening, her head still buried in the brochure. "Look, Byakuya" -He inwardly smiled at how easily she said his name now- "they even have some ancient pyramids that you can go inside and tour around. And look, you can tour part of the volcano!" She waved the papers around for him to see. Spotting him with his sleeves rolled with his hands in a bunch of soppy water with that silly apron around his hips, she couldn't help but finally giggle out loud.

"Something amusing," he asked in mock seriousness.

She stifled her giggles with a hand and set the brochure aside, instead choosing to help him. Grabbing the tea towel she reached for a freshly washed and still dripping plate and began to towel it dry.

...

"How about the zoo again?" she asked.

He frowned and she immediately took it as a no.

After finishing up the dishes they had moved over to the window and Byakuya had picked up the paper and was sitting at the table. He wasn't really reading anything as they were discussing what they should do that day.

Rukia turned back and gazed down at the sea. How blue and majestic it seemed. "Why don't we go to the beach again?" she asked.

Byakuya set the paper on the table and stared out the window himself. Truth be told he just didn't feel much in the mood for being around a large crowd.

"There are a lot of people down there though," Rukia muttered, as if reading his mind.

"We could always go to the nude beach. There were a lot less people there."

He looked up when he heard her gasp and found himself staring into a pair of shocked eyes, eyes that were in a bright red face.

"It was a joke, Rukia," he said turning a page of his paper. He looked back up again and found her still staring at him in shock.

Byakuya, realizing what she was shocked about, resisted the urge to sigh. Renji had had a similar expression on his face when he had made a joke in front of him too. Really, did no one believe that he actually had a sense of humor?

Byakuya shook his head slightly but paused when something in the paper caught his attention.

"What about snorkeling?" he suddenly asked.

"Hmm?" Rukia asked turning away from the window. Byakuya motioned to the paper and she moved over to him looking at the big full colored add in the paper. It was a photo of a happy looking couple swimming in crystal clear waters surrounded by tons of different colored fish.

"Its just swimming with fish?" she asked, apparently never hearing of snorkeling before.

"Its underwater," Byakuya replied, "you wear a mask and special fins on your feet to make swimming easier."

"Umm." She looked uncertain.

"It looks quite enjoyable," he added reading over the fine print of the add. Rukia was momentarily surprised by his obvious curiosity. She was rather nervous about the swimming part, since she was still a bit of a beginner, but if Byakuya wanted to go then she wouldn't try and stop him…

"Alright," she finally said. "As long as its okay that I'm not a very strong swimmer."

Byakuya looked up at hearing her unease. "We can do something else if you don't want to go," he said. There was no disappointment in his eyes, but they seemed just a tad less bright.

"No we can go," she said more firmly. "It would be rather exciting to see all the different fish." And she spoke the truth.

"Alright, then its decided. You go gather up your swimming attire and I'll make the arrangements."

An hour later Byakuya and Rukia walked out of the hotel to a waiting taxi. Rukia, after getting over her initial uneasiness, was now getting quite excited about the idea. She was all smiles as she placed their bag on the floor of the taxi after getting in. Byakuya sat relaxed beside her, his long legs at a slight angle against the front seat, his left knee just lightly brushing against hers.

This was so different then their taxi ride the previous night. Then she had been tense and slightly nervous, now she was simply relaxed and excited about their destination… the way it should have been from the beginning. She felt a sudden stab of regret. If only they would have realized their feeling earlier, then they could have spent so much more time together in this peaceful relaxed atmosphere.

A sudden slight tugging on her wrist pulled her from her ponderings. Looking down she found Byakuya's long fingers touching the bracelet around her wrist. It was the one he had bought for her on their third day of vacation.

"We'll have to return to that stall before we leave to get the last few charms you're missing," he murmured fingering the cherry blossom charm for a moment.

She was suddenly touched deeply that he had remembered. It was only the presence of the taxi driver that prevented her from leaning over and kissing him again.

Sensing her warming feelings he offered her a smile and a gentle squeeze of the hand, a hand that he didn't actually let go of until they had arrived at their destination.

...

"Make sure your mask fits your face and make sure you don't get hair in the skirt."

Rukia couldn't help but blush as Byakuya gently adjusted the mask she was trying on at the rental shop. His fingers gently brushed aside strands of her raven hair as he gently tightened the strap around her head.

The taxi had dropped them off at the islands main sea exploring center. Rukia had been all eyes as they had walked into the large building. Large models of tropical fish doted the main entrance and foyer, while large glass walls showcased many large fish tanks housing many wondrous creatures she had never seen. Even Byakuya seemed openly interested in at least taking a look at them. But he had quickly steered Rukia towards the center information desk. After gathering the required information they had made their way down a hall, complete with little fish and ocean paintings on the walls, to a large glass door that opened back outside. A lovely view of the sea met their eyes then.

A small group of people had already gathered, most looking excited.

They had already picked out their flippers, with the advise of their guide, and were now finally picking out their masks and scuba tubes.

"How does that feel?" he asked, his face rather close at the moment.

"Fine," she murmured, trying not to blush harder. Crap, he was so close she could even feel his hot breath on her face.

"Yes, that looks good," their guide commented as he moved around the room checking everyone's equipment. "And remember everyone, it's not about strong swimming and kicking. Snorkeling is all about relaxing and floating in the waves. Also stay close to your partner. The ocean may seem calm, but unexpected waves can strike at any time. Remember safety is our first concern. Now go get changed and meet back here in fifteen minutes."

Byakuya Kuchiki's eyes went wide.

Rukia flushed hotly and suddenly regretted her decision. She had been about to pack the bathing suit he had actually picked out for her, when her eyes fell on the little bikini. She had warn it before, although she had left her shorts on over the bottoms, but suddenly the idea of wearing it for him, after all the had happened, had left her with a playful and cheerful feeling. She liked the idea of him looking at her with something more in his eyes. She had never felt like an overly attractive or, God forbid, sexy woman, but suddenly she felt like showing off what little she had just for him. Sure she was slightly uncomfortable with displaying that much skin in public, but if it was for him…. But now, seeing that shocked look in his eyes she was beginning to regret that decision.

It seemed as if his eyes had a mind of their own as they traveled over her. Rukia had never been very gifted in the 'bosom department' but she was still gifted with a very curvy and appealing figure, and now seeing so much of her uncovered, there was no doubt in his mind that she was indeed a very physically appealing woman. Byakuya was never a man that valued a person simply by their physical appearance and he never allowed any physical attributes to cloud his judgments… but he was still a man, and staring at the woman he loved dressed in almost nothing, was enough to make his blood heat.

"Why did you bring that bathing suit?" Byakuya finally asked, tearing his eyes away from her curvy hips and shapely legs.

She flushed more and looked down, fiddling with the transparent wrap that she had tied around her waist. Even if it was see-through she still felt better with at least something tied around her waist especially now that she was no longer even wearing her shorts over her bottoms. She could still feel his eyes on her.

"I just thought that now… with you… it would be okay…"

"I just don't approve of you showing off that much skin in public," he said and moved over to her. "I don't like other men ogling at you." He was now simply wearing his dark blue swim trunks and was bare chested. She almost shot back a remark at him about showing off to much, especially when she caught a glimpse of a group of girls sneaking peeks at him as they whispered and giggled to themselves. Most of them were wearing about as much as Rukia or a couple even seemingly less. She was suddenly happy she had decided to wear what she did.

Her thoughts were suddenly disturbed when she suddenly felt a bare arm slip around her middle. The feeling of her bare skin against his own was enough to make her knees weak.

"Stay close to me then, I don't trust any of the human males around here."

"I don't think I'll have any trouble with them." she muttered, staring at her small chest, her fingers still knotting the delicate fabric of her wrap.

"What are you talking about?" Byakuya asked, taking her chin in his fingers and tilting her head up. She flushed and tried to pull away but his hold only tightened.

"I… I'm not built like your friend Mena!" she exclaimed blushing harder and succeeding in pulling away from him. A few of the other girls giggled and pointed.

Rukia flushed in embarrassment and moved to rush back to the chaining rooms.

Byakuya's warm hand around her wrist stopped her and pulled her back into his embrace.

"To me and any man with eyes you are simply perfect the way you are." he said loud enough for the girls to hear, before leaning down and kissing her, passionately. Rukia's eyes popped open wide but not soon enough to notice his dark look of warning towards the group of woman, who had gasped and stared in shock.

"Byakuya, we're in public," she managed to gasp.

"Good," he growled and suddenly deepened the kiss, openly enough for the others to see.

Some of the girls blushed and looked away, but most huffed and stormed off.

Byakuya let Rukia up for air several moment later. She was flushed and hot all over. But once she realized that all the girls were gone she couldn't help but feel… smug?

"They all left in a big huff," Byakuya said, a hint of a smirk on his lips.

"You didn't have to do that," Rukia muttered, trying in vain to cool her red face.

"They were being rude to you," he replied back sharply. It was either this or me avenging your honor with Senbonzakura."

She stared at him, was this is sense of humor showing up again? "You can't even leave your gigai," she said referring to the special no work allowed on holidays gigai they were currently in, ones that prevented the soul from leaving on its own will.

"That wouldn't have caused me any issues," he said matter of factly. "But enough of this, I was just joking anyway."

"You still didn't have to french kiss me in front of them like that."

"Enough of this," he said steering her towards the nearby modern looking docks. She sighed slightly. Sure he was acting different around her now, but he was still the great Byakuya Kuchiki who was always in charge of the situation.

"Besides I enjoyed doing it." he suddenly added and she missed a step.

To Rukia the new sensations snorkeling brought on were both exciting and a little frightening. It took her a bit of practice to get the hang of just relaxing in the water, the constant desire to kick her feet more then necessary took a long time to break. But with Byakuya's help, he seemed a natural at this, she soon got the hang of it.

As the sunlight streamed down on them, they leisurely drifted along in the warm water. A few of the others in their group passed by them once in a while but for the most part it was just the two of them. Byakuya too seemed to be enjoying himself, helping her along when she seemed to need it and pointing out things that she had apparently missed. But even more then the fish and sea life Byakuya just seemed to enjoy watching her the most, and it wasn't just because she was in that revealing bathing suit. He just loved watching her excitement and happiness. It practically radiated off of her.

Smiling slightly his eyes traveled over all the brightly colored coral that lay beneath them. Small brightly colored fish darted about, some of the more bold ones came up a bit closer but most kept to themselves. A touch on his arm caught his attention and he found Rukia pointing excitedly to a pair of starfish resting on a large rock.

Riding the warm waves they stayed in the water for a few hours. Byakuya was quite at ease and in a good mood when they finally returned to the boat.

"That was fun!" Rukia exclaimed as she pulled the mask from her head, a red ring around her face left from it. "What time is it?"

"Around noon," Byakuya replied emerging from the sea, his trunks low on his hips and raking his fingers through his dripping hair.

Rukia had to almost force herself to refrain from glomping him then. Water streamed down his body, sparkling in the noon sun, and only helped to highlight his slender sculpted body. His thick black hair clung to his neck and shoulders and dripped water.

The sparkling sexy image of him was suddenly shattered when he wobbled over to her, his flippers still on his feet. She giggled in spite of herself.

"I think you can takes those off now," she grinned, pointing to his feet.

He stared at her for a moment before allowing a small smile to grace his lips.

"Should we get some lunch?" Rukia asked after Byakuya had emerged from the changing rooms, now dressed back in his jeans and shirt. His hair was still rather damp looking as was her own.

"If you want," he replied.

Her stomach answered for her then, letting out a loud grumble. She flushed embarrassed and Byakuya had to hide another smile.

"I think I saw a nice seafood eatery just a couple blocks from here."

She immediately shook her head and he watched her curiously.

"Lets go to that outdoor garden restaurant again, you know, the one we went to before that big storm. I remember you saying that you wanted to go there again at least one more time."

Byakuya considered it for a moment before agreeing with a slight nod.

Side by side they walked together at a leisurely pace. Reaching the neatly kept pathway they again emerged onto the wooden decking that over looked the garden. As before, the fountain sat center among all the pretty plants and trees.

"I'm glad that the storm didn't damage to much around here," Rukia said looking around.

Byakuya remained quiet and followed her wordlessly down.

Heading to a lovely shaded spot Rukia gave a start of surprise when Byakuya's warm hand suddenly wrapped around her wrist.

"Hum?" she asked surprised.

He still said nothing as he guided her off away from the tables. Curious as to what he was up to, she picked up her pace and fell in beside him again, matching strides with his long legs.

Passing flower bushes and trees, she was just about to inquire as to what he was up to when they emerged into a small sunlit intimate clearing. All around large roses bloomed and above sweet smelling flowers dotted the foliage.

"I thought we'd find a nicer location," Byakuya finally said, letting go of her hand. "Away from the people and the noise."

Apparently it was a fairly popular picnic spot as they weren't there for five minutes when a smartly dressed waiter emerged from behind a tree.

After ordering what they wanted, both sat side by side in the soft grass against a large flowering tree. Exotic birds sang happily in the surrounding trees and a warm sweet breeze blew just enough to stir their hair.

It didn't take long until their lunch arrived, much to the delight of Rukia's stomach, and as before, the food was delicious. Eating silently they simply enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Finishing her third chocolate square Rukia leaned back against the tree with a happy sigh. Byakuya had apparently finished as well and she watched as he cradled a glass of sparkling juice in his hands.

"I like how quiet and peaceful it is here," Byakuya finally spoke up.

Rukia turned to him and found that instead of staring at the flowers he was instead watching her. She automatically felt her face warm a touch at the slight of his dark eyes.

They had been sitting rather close together before, but now suddenly he seemed so much closer. She shifted, slightly nervous, when her fingers accidentally brushed against his thigh. She jerked back in shock and would have scooted back, but a sudden hand around her wrist stopped her.

She stared wide eyed as he brought her hand up to his face.

"You seem to be rather nervous." he said quietly, never taking his eyes off hers. "I though you were comfortable with our… situation… now, especially after the talk we had last night."

"I- I am," she stuttered unable to break eye contact. It was like he was staring right down into her soul.

"Then why are you nervous?"

"I-I'm n-not." God, it was like he was undressing her with his eyes. They simmered with something she had never seen before… and it excited and scared her at the same time.

"You didn't seem all that shy last night, especially when we were out on the beach." she said a trace of a smirk on his soft lips and he watched as her face suddenly reddened. He was close now, his breath touching her cheek.

"Byakuya, I-" her words were suddenly cut off as his lips met hers.

No matter how many times Byakuya kissed her, every time felt new and exciting. He had a way about it, when he kissed her, that he could make the kiss seem so pure and innocent while at the same time making it feel so hot and passionate. All other thoughts disappeared from her mind then.

She leaned her weight against him and wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers touching his long silky hair and she was dimly aware of his arms encircling her.

Their lips parted then, slightly, just long enough for them to catch a quick breath of air before they were together again.

She felt then, his mouth open, and his warm tongue touching her lips.

"Your not going to stick your tongue down my throat again?" she whispered against his mouth.

"You didn't enjoy it?" he asked, breathlessly.

Her only response was opening her mouth and allowing entrance, which he happily accepted.

She groaned in pleasure as he explored her mouth, her fingers now twisting tight into his hair. Feeling him shift against her, she was suddenly aware that she was no longer sitting up, instead she was titling downward, guided by his firm hands, and the next moment she found that she was laying partially on top of him. She felt his hand which had been on the center of her back slowly slide downward.

Their lips parted then and both panted heavily, the feeling of his chest moving so under her, only making her face heat all the more.

Pushing herself up just a touch, she stared down at him. His hair was slightly ruffled and scattered around his face and among the grass he rested on. He looked slightly flushed himself, a look that Rukia had never seen before, and his eyes, oh God his eyes… so dark, alluring, and filled with emotion. She felt her breath quicken at just the sight of them. At that moment she had never seen him look so beautiful, so perfect, so gorgeous, and so sexy. At that moment, she wanted him like she had never wanted anything before. Feeling him moving under her as he was now, before had seem erotic, now simply seemed like not enough. At that moment she wanted to feel all that his body was capable off, she wanted to hear him cry out her name, wanted him to touch her in places no man had ever touch her, wanted him to make hot passionate lov-

Her thoughts were suddenly halted when he suddenly shifted and sat up, taking her with him.

Now sitting in his lap, she suddenly snapped back to reality, and the blush that spread over her face at realizing what she had thought was enough to rival Renjis hair.

Reaching up Byakuya gently ran his fingers through her hair, which didn't help her blush. At that moment she simply wanted to get away and hide her face in embarrassment from him. And yet something kept her where she was. Perhaps it was the realization of what it would do to their blossoming relationship should she run away from him after this. Or it could just have been that she loved the warm sensations that spread through her body when sitting on his lap, either way she stayed where she was.

"I'm surprised that things are going so quickly already," he murmured finally breaking the silence.

"It's alright," she answered a bit to quickly.

"Its just… that when I get to close to you, my body just takes over and…" he trailed off, still showing his uneasiness at expressing his emotions openly.

Rukia felt her embarrassment from before ease away at hearing him talk. This wasn't easy for him either, and by the sound of it he was dealing with the same emotions.

Suddenly feeling his warm breath on her neck, she turned, and gently reached up, combing her fingers through his silky hair. His breaths came faster.

"Dear spirits," he whispered. "What's happening to me?"

She hugged him with her other arm.

"Your being loved," she said softly.

She felt his body slacken in response.

"This is only going to cause great pain upon our return." he whispered. His last attempt at preventing this.

"I don't care," she whispered back. "I'd gladly give up anything for even the smallest amount of time with you."

Byakuya only squeezed his eyes tighter together in response.

She turned in his lap, facing him completely, and kissed him again, hard.

To Byakuya, it took all of his control to keep rains on his own body. Even if they had agreed to let their relationship turn romantic it was still his responsibility to not let it go to far. He allowed her to deepen the kisses again, allowing himself to return the passion, but it was when he felt her hands slide under his shirt, her fingers digging into his hard muscles, that he finally broke the kisses and gently extracted her hands from his clothing.

She blinked, slightly confused, and stared at him, her eyes dark and lustful. And at that moment, seeing her like that, he almost gave in, almost drew her back to him, almost moved to kiss her again, almost let it go to far… but then realization came back to her and he watched as that same dazzling blush irrupted over her face.

He smiled softly then, and watched as her eyes widened.

He pulled her into a hug then, and felt her tremble lightly against him.

"I'm sorry," she managed to whisper. "I just couldn't help it… I just… when you kiss me like that… I just loose control."

"I understand," he said softly, "I truly understand."

The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering together through all the shops and streets. Rukia picked up a few more souvenirs for her friends back home and Byakuya, who didn't buy anything himself, seemed happy enough just spending time with her.

To Rukia the afternoon passed in a blink of an eye. It was very much like the morning, she was happy and at easy in his company. No longer was there a sense of unease about her, and seeing that only made Byakuya all that much happier himself.

After shopping, they both agreed to have a early supper at a local open air café before heading back towards the hotel, so Byakuya would have time to arrange their touring trip. She watched silently, clutching her bags, as Byakuya went over to the front desk in the hotel to arrange for their trip to the ruins the next day. Apparently most of the trip had already been arranged before they had arrived on the island and it didn't take Byakuya long to make the arrangements.

"We leave at 9:30 tomorrow morning," he said as they rode together in the elevator. "The ruins are on the other side of the island, and we have to travel over a large portion of tropical forest to get there."

"How are we getting there?" she asked, curious.

"They have special helicopters that take tourists there. I booked a two nights stay there, which will allow us a more relaxed and less rushed time."

"Two nights? So do we have to pack up some stuff to take?"

"It would be a good idea," he replied as they stepped off the elevator and moved down the brightly lit hall to their door.

"I'll have to pack before I go to bed then," she muttered setting her bags down in the hall of their rooms.

...

That evening Rukia spent a good hour having a long luxurious soak in the large tub. She sighed happily as the massaging jets shot streams of hot water around her body, while large soap bubbles floated around her.

After returning to their rooms she had shrugged out of her dress, peeled off the bikini, she had just left on underneath, and had happily crawled into the tub. Byakuya had told her to take as long as she had wanted and as she bathed, he moved about the bedroom gathering up the things they would most likely take with them tomorrow. He then retired to the living room and relaxed with a sigh on the plush sofa.

Stretching out his long legs with a sigh, he looked about for something to read. The maid had apparently already cleaned the living room that day and had removed the days newspaper. With a frown Byakuya's eyes settled on the romance novel Rukia had brought with her. She hadn't touched it for quite sometime and it had just been laying on the coffee table.

Suddenly curious, he leaned forward and picked up the book turning it over to observe the cover. An eyebrow raised slightly at seeing the couple on the cover.

"I really didn't know that she liked this kind of stuff," he muttered turning the book over and reading the back.

He shook his head, but since there was nothing much to do at the moment, Byakuya opened the book and began to read.

...

Emerging from the steaming bathroom, Rukia was rather surprised to find the bedroom empty. One of their suitcases sat open on the bed, some of Byakuya's neatly folded clothes already occupied it.

Shuffling down the hall in her bare feet, Rukia found too that the kitchen was empty. Spotting the lit living room she hurried over and finally found Byakuya sitting comfortably on the couch, a book in his hands.

He seemed rather engrossed in what he was reading and didn't look up as she approached. Rather curious she tilted her head and tried to see what he was reading. The blood suddenly drained from her face.

Oh my God, he's reading my smut book! was the first thing that raced through her mind. Sure she had called it a 'romance' book before… but to her, who was still very new to the idea of romance, some of the things within its pages was nothing but pure smut to her.

Byakuya finally seemed to hear her and he looked up.

"W-what are you doing?" she stuttered.

"Just a little light reading," he replied. "I had no idea you liked this sort of stuff."

The embarrassed look on her face almost made him smirk.

"I particularly found this part rather amusing," he said pointing to a very steamy part of the book. She had become so flushed at reading through that part herself ,that she had barely managed to get through it.

"She raked her fingers across his soft moist skin. Loud moans escaped his mouth as her lips and teeth nipped at his neck. Suddenly she cried out in ecstasy as his hands finally began roam her naked body. Bead of sweat ran down between her soft supple-"

"Stop it!" she cried, her face red.

"Oh, does it bother you? I'm only reading from your book after all."

"Your just teasing me!" she exclaimed her face an odd shade of red. "And how did you manage to get that far when you barely had a half hour to read?"

He said nothing but simply continued smirking.

Her eye widened. "You mean you purposely flipped through the book looking for those parts?"

When he again said nothing, she stared at him dumbfounded.

"I was just curious," he said seriously, setting the book back on the table. "I just wanted to know what you liked reading."

"It's not all like that.." she murmured her face still flushed.

"I know," he said. "I just wanted to tease you a bit."

She looked up. "The Byakuya I knew before wouldn't have done that."

He stood then and moved to stand in front of her. "Your right," he said softly. "That Byakuya forgot how to be playful and happy."

She stared up at him with large eyes.

"Thank you," he said, "for bringing joy back into my life, even for a little while."

He leaned down and kissed her tenderly.

"I didn't do that much," she murmured after.

"I don't believe that." he said, and he gestured to the book. "Before there was no way I'd have picked that up, not so much that it was a romance book, but because it was your personal property and it wasn't my right to look through it."

"So you've become nosier." she said grinning.

"So what if I have," she said. "I think it was worth your embarrassment to look through it, besides, its given me lots of wonderful ideas." he smirked, his lips brushing her neck. She smelled absolutely amazing to him then, with the scent of the perfumed soaps mixed with her own alluring scent, and as he tilted his head more, her damp still slightly dripping hair brushed against his face. She seemed so utterly delicious to him at the moment and … he felt himself growing… excited.

Stepping back from her, he turned away and headed towards the hall. More of a cover up really then anything.

"Come, we should hurry up and finish packing."

They retired early that evening.

Byakuya was just about asleep when his eyes widened slightly at feeling the bed shift.

"What-"

His words were cut off when a small warm body suddenly snuggled up against his.

It was dark in the room, but even so he was able to see her large dark eyes looking at him.

"C-can you just hold me tonight?" she whispered breaking the eye contact by hiding her face in his pillow.

"I don't know.." he murmured slightly uneasy.

"Please," she murmured. "I don't think its asking to much, especially since I let you make out with me today."

"You let me?" he replied back. "It was you that was on top of me, with your hands in my cloths."

She muttered under her breath and nuzzled her face into his shoulder, her slender arms slipping around his waist.

Byakuya let out a breath and rolled over onto his side, putting his arms around her and pulling her close. He felt her small hands clutch his shirt against his chest.

They were silent for a long time, and he had thought her asleep when she suddenly spoke up again.

"I'm really going to miss this place," she whispered. "It's really starting to feel like home."

"Yes," he said softly. "It is."

...

It was early in the morning when Byakuya gently shook her awake.

"Un.. What's going on…" she muttered sleepily rubbing her eyes.

"I want to show you something," he whispered, his breath hot on her face.

"Now?" she muttered sitting up.

"Here," he said quietly, and she gasped, when he suddenly scooped her up in his arms and pulled her from the warm bed.

"Byakuya?" she wined at feeling her body leaving the warmth of the soft sheets.

"Just for a moment," he said standing up and carrying her carefully to the window. "I want you to see something."

He didn't say anything more as he grabbed a chair and sat down in front of the large bedroom window, a half asleep Rukia in his lap.

"Look at the sky," he said in her ear.

She turned her head, leaving the warmth of his neck, and looked up.

Byakuya's unease about waking her up vanished when he heard her gasp and her eyes widen.

"It's a meteor shower." he said softly, watching the small specks of shooting light dance across the star filled sky.

"It's so pretty!" she exclaimed shifting her body and leaning closer to the window.

Byakuya pulled the chair closer to the window and gathered her back up tighter in his arms, resting his cheek against her silky hair.

They sat like that for sometime, in the dark, watching the sky and surrounded in the soft warmth of each other until Byakuya suddenly realized that she had fallen asleep again.

Carefully standing, he moved back to the bed and, as gently as he could, laid her back in the sheets. He moved the chair back to its former position before crawling back into bed himself. Before he had even pulled the blankets over them, even in her sleep, she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled against him.

A smile graced his lips then, and he settled down into the soft bed with a contented sigh. Slipping his arms around her small frame he nuzzled his own face into her hair and allowed his mind to drift off to the world of dreams. For the first time in such a very long time, Byakuya Kuchiki fell asleep with a contented smile on his lips.

Ah, a lovely peaceful way to end a chapter. ^^

Rukia: ZZZZ
Byakuya: *reading a certain smut book again*
Me: ….

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this extra long chapter (I know I had fun writing it). The next chapter starts the next main (and dramatic) plot line. So stay tuned for the upcoming and shocking chapters. ^^

Thanks very much to: Cherrychan88, aangfan, Lily Girl101, Black Burning Heart, Keep Smiling It Makes People Wonder, btalover, Kage no Yuki, YuzurihaNoRyuu, Ciel Doll, byarukixOxO, Yusa pyan, Bwee, kls, Run Sakura, and everyone else that has reviewed (every review means so much to me) and I promise to update again as soon as possible! Thanks!