Miss insensitive writer is back!
So this is a long chapter... just like ones from the beginning of the story. I initially wanted to split it in half, but then i said "what the hell, let's cut to the chase!" because the following chapters are the main reason for which i started this fanfiction. A lot it's happening in this chapter... and a lot will happen will from now on...
Adam, Haruna gets slapped and Renji beaten... Are you, happy? haha. ( i made that italique, especially for you :d )
purplepam, i wasn't also satisfied with the last chapter. Hope this one will be better :)
saiya-jinPan140, poor Orihime... maybe after this chapter you won't hate her anymore.
Guest1 ( and also for the others who think the same way)"
Hmmm... haruna, a Mary-sue? i did't intend something like this. Well she is beautiful, but that is her only quality. She is a selfish person after all, and she is not, but absolutely not trying to fix other's problems. She doesn't give a damn about Ichigo or Rukia... and she might use them as she pleases for her own good. And if you have noticed she is not friendly... she is just acting friendly so she can obtain what she wants. She also doesn't want to play everybody's hero... she only wants to be Byakuya's hero ( for some reasons that will be revealed later) and as you might see in the next chapters she will beautifully fail. Good, so enough with the spoilers, hahaha :D.
Guest 2, i promise that Renji will stop messing up Ichigo and Rukia's relation.
Enjoy the chapter! (mind the english)
It was evening. Each and one of them were alone, buried in their own thoughts… so Seireitei was silent and only the falling rain could be heard. It was the rain inside their hearts.
The rain that drowns.
The rain that saves.
The rains that washes.
The rain that bless.
Rukia left from Renji trying to pull herself together. She wanted to be strong instead of being angry on Ichigo. She wanted to be cold instead of crying over him. She wanted to stay away from him in this moment… She wondered how she will handle the mission starting tomorrow when they will both stay in the same house…
Renji watched Rukai leaving with slow steps from his house, when she finally disappeared he closed the door and sat against it. "Maybe I shouldn't have told her… If only she could stay more... If only we didn't decide to become shinigamis, then none of these have happened! If only Ichigo didn't appeared!" . He punched the door with his punch. "If only Ichigo…"
But Ichigo was still away, in Ukitake's leaving room wondering if he should tell Ukitake about Haruna and her zanpakuto. And his thoughts were all focused on identifying the bad character in this story The Prisoners? Oza? Haruna herself?...
But miles away Haruna couldn't care less on what Ichigo was thinking. Back at her home her father and she were yelling at each other like lunatics. The only worlds that could have been hear clearly and repeatedly were: " the wedding" , "Oza" , "Rukia and Byakuya Kuchiki" and again " the wedding"
"Their wedding will not hold place!" Goroza growled.
"Oh, but it will!... Trust me! It will and Byakuya will be again as he used to be!"
"You're going crazy!" the father shouted. "You're playing so much a character which is not you! The perfect, beautiful, strong, helping girl, appearing out of nowhere to save us all! Stop meddling in other's lives! Instead of playing the hero, you should look in the mirror and see how messed up your live is!"
"I WILL have Byakuya happy!" she yelled. "I WILL HAVE HIM MARRIED TO RUKIA!"
But then the father approached and suddenly slapped Haruna over her face.
"Come to your senses!" he said harshly.
That was because, unfortunately, Haruna didn't know anything about Byakuya's happiness. Sitting alone in the dark, main room… exactly in the same place where she has left him, Byakuya couldn't stop thinking about her… And then, she suddenly appeared in the pale moon light…
"Rukia?"
"N-nii… sama" she whispered.
He got up and approached the porch on which she was standing. She couldn't see his face, but then, as she remembered the quarrel they had and her impudent behavior during the morning, she made a deep bow in front of him, putting her knees and the hands on the porch.
"I am sorry Nii-sama…"
But then she felt his delicate fingers raising her chin. A cold shiver passed all over her back as he was never getting that close to her.
"There is no need to apology… You are right; I shouldn't interfere with your personal life…" he said with a low but grave voice.
She looked at him astonished. Did he really say that? And as she was thinking of that question, he renounced at his noble etiquette and sat next to her on the porch. She slowly raised her head…
"Will you let me keep you company… tonight?" he asked with the same low voice.
"Please, do that, brother…"
He smiled hearing that appellative. He hated and loved it at the same time.
"Do you really see me as your bother?"
"You are more that that …"
He turned to her surprised.
"You are my whole family…" she added.
"Am I your friend, too?"
"If Nii-sama wishes for my friendship, he must know that he already has it…"
They both stood silent watching the leaves falling in the nocturnal garden. After a while, Byakuya finally spoke:
"So I could easily be your bother, your friend, your father… your husband?"
"Husband?..." she asked with a slight smile. In the conditions in which she didn't plan to marry and she wished to remain in this house forever, his words did make sense. "Yes, I suppose you are right…metaphorically"
Another smile appeared on Byakuya's lips, accompanied with a low laugh.
"A metaphorical husband….How true" He added thoughtfully. "Just as metaphorically as my brother playing part…"
Then silence fell again. She found it so strange and pleasant at the same time to see him smiling and laughing. He did that so rarely.
"Kurosaki Ichigo is going back to the human world tomorrow…" he finally said.
"I know that…"
"Rukia, could I ask you to remain here instead of going with him?"
She turned to him surprised.
"I will ask Renji to replace you, if you accept…and you could remain here so we can both plan Nanakuma's wedding. We were invited to go for two months at the Ryoing's summer house where the wedding will take place."
"Just the two of us?"
"Just the two of us If you wish so…"
Rukia's eyes widened. After all that time in which she waited for her brother to find the time to spend with her, he was now so close to her. He was finally opening his heart to her… but wasn't it a little too late? After all that happened with Ichigo she could barely think of her relation with Byakuya. On the other hand, if she'd stay here, she won't be compelled to face Ichigo and Orihime together…again.
"Then of course I will stay…" she finally said.
Byakuya nodded satisfied. Then she felt very tired and without acknowledging it she put her head on his shoulder.
"Suddenly… it's warm, Rukia" he whispered.
"Yes… it feels like home, Nii-sama"
.
.
Later on that night, Rukia took a paper and she wrote a short message: "As I promised, you will have Ichigo back." She put it in a white envelope on which she wrote "Inoue". Then she gave the envelope to a servant requesting him to send it to Ichigo along with the message "Please go ahead tomorrow morning. I will remain with Nii-sama in Seireitei". After that she tried to sleep… and she fell into her childish chappy dreams sooner than she expected.
.
.
A few hours later, holding a white envelope in his hand, Ichigo stepped into Rukia's room. He approached her silently and sat on the edge of her bed, watching her childish, sleeping expression.
"So you're not coming tomorrow, huh? I hope you are not upset or something. The truth is that we didn't have the chance of to talk after the other night… and you asked me if I have second thoughts. I have… I wish to marry you, but I can't ask you that. I'm freaking out about you refusing me, because I am sure you are able to find reasons for us to be apart like you always did… You will bring that " I am dead, you are alive" thing, and honestly, I can't stand it anymore. That is why, even if it's selfish and stupid, I won't ask you to marry me… I will make you marry me!"
He took out from his kimono a little jewelry box and opened it. Inside there was a silvery ring with shiny diamond at the top. He took it and gently put it on her finger.
"I hope you like it… I went all the trouble to find it this evening. The truth is that I really wished for you to have my mom's ring, but I couldn't leave Seireitei without being engaged to you. I will leave tomorrow, but as soon I beat up those prisoners I will be back to you, so you don't have to worry."
Then he took the white envelope.
"So you want me to give this to Inoue? Just to let you know, I didn't open it … but I'm sure that this letter is full of apologies toward her. I'm not sure this will make her any good, but because you asked me I will send it to her…"
He leaned over her.
"I will go now, Rukia…and be back before you know it. You know if I could I would put a spell on and turn you in Sleeping beauty… this way you won't know that I'm missing, this way you'll wake up only on my kiss…"
And he approached her and kissed her sleeping lips.
Then he got up and left.
.
.
Next morning, Ichigo and Renji were on the kitchen of the Kurosaki residence, having breakfast.
"How do you mean she left?" Ichigo asked.
"Simple!... She just packed her stuff and walked away!" Karin snapped annoyed.
"For good?" Ichigo asked.
"You bet! I said she packed haven't i?" Karin replied.
"It' not likes this…"Isshin suddenly intervened. "Ishida came in town for the week-end and she met with him. He proposed her to go for a couple of months in Tokyo and practice nursing there…And of course she couldn't say no to that kind of opportunity…"
"So she left with a guy… It means she left you, Ichi-nii! Karin concluded.
Ichigo smiled.
"That's good…" he stated.
Karin looked at hid worried.
"Did you hit your head?"
"No, Karin… but Inoue and I we broke up before I left for Seireitei…"
Karin was shocked. She turned to Ishhin. He instantly started to hiss with an innocent look.
"You old fart! You knew it!" she shouted. The she turned to her brother: "But why would you do something so stupid? Why would you break up with her?"
"Karin, I couldn't lie to her anymore…"
The girl looked at him confused.
"Rukia is the one he loves!" Isshin shouted with a wide, cheerful grin.
"What?!"
"Dad!" Ichigo shouted annoyed.
But then all of them turned then to Renji who had dropped his cup of coffee.
"Could you stop being so clumsy?" Ichigo snapped.
"Are you alright, man?" Karin asked.
"Y-yes…" he answered with a low voice.
Then everyone turned to their discussion, debating Ichigo's change of heart. The only one who was silent, was Renji. He had suddenly realized the horrible mistake he had done. The one Ichigo actually wanted to propose was Rukia. And he had told Rukia that it was Inoue. And she was devastated. She didn't even come to Karakura. Byakuya asked him to take her place. He looked at Ichigo. How was he going to tell him this? How was he going to tell Rukia?!... How was he going to fix this?!
"What are you day dreaming?" Ichigo snapped from the threshold of the entrance door. "Come on, let's move! We must meet with Urahara and find out who this Haruna Ryoing is!"
Haruna…? Did he knew Haruna also?... All the way to Urahara shop, he could stop thinking of the mistake he had done and ask himself what was his connection with Haruna. But he couldn't ask him anything. It was like his tongue was twisted. Before he knew he already was inside the shop and Urahara was serving them tea.
"So you have regained your powers?" Urahara asked surprised. "How come?"
"This women… she stabbed my with her zanpakuto and made by body remember all it has to do to fight again."
"A woman?"
"Haruna Ryoing… Do you know anything about her? Because I don't want to be harsh… and it may be for the first time, but I don't feel like I can trust her. She seemed to know a lot about the prisoners, but she didn't say anything about her intentions…"
"Haruna… Ryoing?..." Urahara repeated the name thoughtfully. "If my memory doesn't fail me… she is part of the Kuchiki clan. Yoruichi have better connections with them than i, so she must know more. What I know about this girl is that she used to be a troublemaker… in a bad sort of way"
"In a bad sort of way?" Ichigo pointed.
"Personally, i didn't like her… even though she was pretty good looking… of course not prettier than Yoruichi… Anyway … you said, she knows about the Prisoners?"
"She told me about their abilities… and she even named one of them… Oza, or something like that…"
Urahara suddenly put a serious expression.
"And she told me to kill everybody but leave him alive…"
"Alive?" Urahara stated more than surprised.
"Who is this Oza, their leader?"
Urahara lowered his gaze for a couple of seconds, and then he said:
"Oza is the one who killed Kuchiki Byakuya's parents."
Ichigo's eyes widened. Renji also raised his eyes confused, but then, before anyone could say something or put another question, they all turned their gaze to window, sensing Yoruichi's reiatsu. During the same second, they all took their soul candy and shunpo-ed outside the shop.
.
.
They've found Yoruichi knocking off something that looked pretty much like a Prisoner. Next to them another two Prisonners were watching the scene apathetically. Ichigo, recognized them immediately by their zombie appearance. Their skin was brown as if was made of mud and their clothes old and ripped.
"Hmmm… " stated Urahara while watching Yoruichi. " Who is your new friend?" he asked.
"Oh, hi!" she replied while she kicked her enemy on his head. "I didn't see you guys over there!"
"As if…" Ichigo commented sarcastically.
"This…" Yoruichi begun while she hit him again. "It's Prisonner No 2… who also used to be knows as Sakyo Shihoin! My uncle, who 500 years ago made a bath blood out all my relatives because he couldn't become the head of the clan!"
"Hmmm… So this means he's exclusively after you?" Urahara asked calmly as he was analyzing the prisoner's movements.
"After you and after all is left out the Shihoin clan!" the Prisoner growled as tried to attack Yoruichi. "I've made a mistake that night leaving alive a few children! This won't happen again! I will destroy all is left out of that clan!"
But Yoruichi succeeded in avoiding his attack , moreover to fight back.
"So do you need some help?"
"No, I'm fine!"
But Urarara was already shunpo-ing in her direction. Ichigo and Renji who remained alone looked at each other for a second then turned to the prisoners who were waiting aside.
"I don't think we should pick up a fight …." Ichigo stated. "Maybe we could start with some question…"
But in that moment the two prisoners turned their cold gaze to the two shinigami and released their swords.
"I guess that negotiation had just failed…" Renji stated and shunpo-ed to their direction. Ichigo followed him. The four of the met halfway and the fight begun. Unfortunately the zombie creatures seemed to have advantage on them. Renji had also released his bankai but it didn't make the difference. Ichigo remembered then Haruna's words: With less reiatsu they could easily achieve a power of a bankai level.
"Weak!" Ichigo's enemy stated. "You, shinigamis, had become week! That's why you will all perish soon…But we, the Prisoner, we will all rise from our misery and ash and gain a new powers!"
'Weak?' , 'Perish soon?!' , he didn't had just faced death and hell during his life to be now defeated by some horrible zombie creatures! He put on his hollow mask and shouted: "Getsuga Tenshou!"
Renji stopped from his fight a second, amazed on the sight of Ichigo's bankai. It was something he hasn't seen in quite a while. It was as powerful as ever. The prisoner was dead… turned into ashes.
Prisonner No 2 stopped, turning his gaze to Ichigo.
"He's dead!" he hissed and suddenly disappeared from Yoruichi and Urahara's sight. The prisoner who was fighting Renji, also retreat.
"This is not ending here, you Shinonin slut! Trust me! This is only the beginning… soon you'll see all the noble houses in Seireitei perishing, because I am not alone! There are still 14 of us left!"
After that the Prisoners disappeared. Ichigo approached Urahara.
"It's exactly as I thought… a personal revenge of the traitors toward the noble houses…" Urahara stated. "But to be honest… more than going after them right now, I would say it's better to be careful on the movements Haruna Ryoing will make…"
Renji's eyes widened. Ichigo frowned.
"It's possible that she has some kind of agreement with this Oza…" Yoruichi added. "So keep your eyes opened!"
.
.
Meanwhile, in the same forest on which 2 weeks ago, Rukia had dropped her luggage when she came back in Karakura, a man dressed into a ripped ceremonial kimono was walking slowly among the trees. He had the appearance of a sick middle age man, but his dark grey eyes were full of life and passionate hidden anger. Suddenly he stopped as he heard footsteps. He turned and he saw approaching the Prisonner No 2, the one who used to be called Sakyo Shihoin.
"Well … you look like you have been through something…" he said.
"Oza-sama…" replied the man with a respectful tone.
"What happened?"
"That slut! Shihonin Yoruichi!"
Oza turned his gaze with a bored expression.
"I've told you that she is no match for you…not yet! I've been watching her for weeks… she's stronger than she looks"
"One of us… one of the shinigami prisoners was killed, by an orange haired shinigami…"
"I couldn't care less about those nobodies being killed. I couldn't care less about you or any other being killed" Oza replied with a cold, cruel voice.
Prisonner No 2 didn't reply. He kept following Oza for a couple of minutes.
"But… may I ask… what are you doing here, Oza-sama?"
The man then turned to him and showed him a scarf. The prisoner's eyes widened.
"I've found it here yesterday… It has the Kuchiki coat of arms on it, the one worn exclusively by the heir of the clan. But look at the colors… pink and violet. This is a feminine scarf. Do you know what that means? It means that the heir it's a women… and she's been here recently. Prisoner, I'm under the impression that i might not need to go to Seireitei, after all… I think that the Kuchikis will come here!"
.
.
On their way back, Renji forgot soon about the fight and the prisoners. His mind was focused on something else. When his thoughts were not concentrated on Haruna's enigmatic appearance and role in this story, he was thinking of a way to confess Ichigo the mistake he had made by telling Rukia that he intends to marry Inoue instead of her. He never seemed to find the right words, nor the right moment… so in the end, he found himself accompanying Ichigo wherever he went, hoping that better ideas might come to him.
A few days later he went with Ichigo to the post station. He noticed that he was holding an envelope on which Inoue's name was written by Rukia's hand writing. He knew that nothing good could come out of this.
"Are you sure?" he asked not fully convinced of his words.
"To be honest, no… I'm sure this letter it's full of explanations and apologies and this will make things worse for Inoue, but Rukia asked me to do this… so…"
.
.
Sitting on a living room, at the 29th floor of a Tokyo residence building, Orihime took the white envelope Ishida handed to her. She looked at the envelope, than at Ishida. She looked worried… and a little scared, as if her whole future depended on the content on the letter inside.
Finally, she took a deep breath and opened it.
'She kept her promise…' she hissed in her mind.
She suddenly stopped and looked at Ishida with big, wet eyes.
"He's back… He's in Karakura…" she whispered with her hand trembling while holding the letter.
Ishida lowered his gaze, pretending to pay attention at the furniture.
"Do you want to leave?" he asked.
She didn't answer. She put down the letter and sat on the couch, with a sad expression.
"Does he even want you there?" he insisted
"But do you want me here?"
"Of course I do!" he replied, almost violently.
She lowered her gaze and a couple of ginger strands fell on her cheeks.
"I've just wanted a normal life… a happy family… a carrying husband. But even if I will ever marry him I won't have any of these. So childish of me… I guess there are more important things in this world… because this word always needs to be saved…"
"You could have them… all of them… if you'd wish…" he said while approaching her. " If only, you would wish to marry me, instead of him!"
Her eyes widened surprised.
"Ishida-kun… i…i…"
He backed off immediately.
"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said that! I may look ridiculous to you now… I'm sorry… please don't pay attention to me…"
But then she got up from the couch and without saying a word she took him in her arms.
"Thank you Ishida-kun… thank you for truly wanting me by your side…"
He was surprised. He didn't know how to react.
"Thank you for loving me all this time… thank you for supporting me even if for a long time my happiness had been your misery… Thank you for all…"
He smiled, but it was a sad smile. He knew that her words were only meant to comfort him.
And then she said…
"Ishida-kun, I will marry you!"
He suddenly turned to her. So suddenly that his glasses fell from his nose. His eyes were wide open, not sure that he had correctly hear her last words… but then a warm smile appeared on her face, reassuring him that everything was true. He couldn't hold back anymore, so he took her in his arms and kissed her… and kissed her… and kissed her.
Later that night, Orihime woke up from her sleep. She stood there for a couple of minutes watching over the asleep Ishida. She thought of how different was to be with someone else than Ichigo. She had loved the last 6 years… she had loved his warm body against hers, but somehow she never felt that she got all his attention during those moments. She had never known that felling of being everything for someone… not until tonight. She put some clothes on her and then she got up from bed. She went on the leaving room, took a biro, a paper and wrote:
"Kuchiki-san, thanks to your letter I have finally found my true happiness. Be free to find yours now…"
She smiled. For the first time during this summer she felt hope in her heart. She put the letter in an envelope and then turned her gaze to the kitchen.
'Hmmm… I think I will cook breakfast tomorrow morning. Ishida-kun never complained about my cooking skills. That means he likes it. For a wife it's important to feed properly her husband. Let's see now… I will start with some boiled eggs and some extra spicy tomatoes sauce…then…'
.
.
Another week passed. Then two…then three… and one day, Renji noticed that he had been in Karakura for more than two months… and still he haven't said a word to Ichigo. On the other side, Ichigo did not suspect any of Renji's torments. All his attention was focused on the prisoners. During the two months he had repeatedly defeated more shinigami prisoners. This way he has learned that they were much more weaker than the 14 Prisoners from the noble race. Yoruichi had a couple of other altercations with her enemy, Prisoner No 2, but every time he managed to escape. He was the only one among the other 14 ex nobles who had made his apparition. Oza was nowhere to be found… and his intentions were still uncertain.
And then one day Renji decided that he should also concentrate on fighting more than on his stupid mistakes. So he had finally decided that, better than have himself beaten by both Ichigo and Rukia, he should keep his mouth shut until he returns to Seireitei. Then he will talk to Rukia and explain her everything. This way she will make a big scene, by yelling and kicking him but in the end she will return to Ichigo and he could be left alone, at peace… to cry over his broken heart. With a little luck he could also still be the best man at their wedding.
But within the same day, this entire plan vanished, because during the afternoon, while Ichigo and he were trying to find something to eat in the fridge, Rukia's reiatsu appeared in Karakura. Ichigo suddenly closed the fridge door and turned his eyes to the reiatsu's direction. That was the moment, Renji knew was doomed.
"She's here!" Ichigo shouted with excitement. "I can't believe it! She's here!" and ran to the door.
"Wait!" Renji snapped.
"Renji… what the…?! Rukia's here! Give me a break, will you?"
"Ichigo…" he tried with an uncertain tone of voice.
"What is it Renji?!" Ichigo snapped.
"I…I must tell you something before you meet Rukia…"
Ichigo frowned. Renji's guilty expression was telling him, that this was bad.
"I…i.." Renji begun.
"You what?!"
"I told Rukia that you were planning to propose Inoue!" Renji said quickly and then waited for Ichigo to release his bankai.
"What?!" he said confused.
"I didn't mean it!… That morning when we were at my place and you told me that you are planning to propose someone I thought that it was Inoue, because Rukia told me that you were together and I didn't know that you broke up. So when later, that day Rukia came and asked me if you were alright… I told her that you might be nervous over 'the marrying Inoue' thing …I'm sorry, Ichigo!"
Ichigo turned white.
"And she believed you?" he asked.
Renji nodded.
The next second Ichigo ran out the door. Now he finally understood why Rukia suddenly send him that message on which she was asking him to leave for Karakura without her. Now he understood why she didn't give a sign for more than two months. He run… and run… and he was getting close to her. He could finally see her. Small and feminine as ever, wearing with grace her shinigami uniform and her zanpakuto. So beautiful… and that stupid Renji must have broken her heart!
"Rukia!" he shouted. "Rukia!"
She suddenly stopped in the middle of the street with an intrigued expression.
"Rukia!..." she said when he finally reached her. "We need to talk…"
She cocked her eyebrow.
"If there is something related to the Prisoners…" she begun with a cold voice.
She was upset. She was angry. That stupid Renji!
"No, Rukia! It's not about the Prisoners… It's about…"
"If it's not related to the Prisoners than there is nothing else we need to talk about." She replied and moved forward.
"Rukia… it's about us!" He snapped, trying to catch his breath from all the running.
She suddenly turned to him with a piercing, angry expression.
"Ichigo, please, leave before I slap you!"
But he didn't move.
"Rukia, if there is someone you need to slap, that is Renji because he had told you the biggest lie in the world."
She frowned.
He smiled:
"I was not … but absolutely not going to marry Inoue. The only person I was planning to marry was… you , Rukia!"
Her eyes widened.
"Why else do you think I would have put that ring on your finger before I left Seireitei?"
She suddenly put the left hand over her chest. Then she hid it immediately at her back.
"The ring…" she hissed with a scarred expression.
"Yes, Rukia… the ring…it meant to be an engagement ring!"
Her eyes became even wider as she remained speechless. But he approached her and took her in his arms.
"Renji is just stupid… he made confusion… he didn't mean any harm… I'm just glad that you are in my arms again. I've missed you so much Rukia!"
But she didn't react. She was just like a puppet with broken strings, in his arms. She leaned on her back trying to see his eyes. She wanted to make sure that he was telling the truth… and he was…
Oooh! All this was just a dream!… A horrible nightmare! But she had also missed him so she couldn't think of what she left back home in this moment. She couldn't think of anything else except him. She suddenly grabbed him tightly and started to cry like child.
"I've missed you… I've missed you so much, Ichigo… and I was so stupid… forgive me! Please, forgive me!"
"Don't worry…" he replied softly. "The only one who should apologies is Renji…"
"No, Ichigo… you don't understand… Oh! Forgive me, please! Just forgive me!"
"Rukia I've told you… It was Renji's fault…"
Then Rukia suddenly stopped and pulled herself together.
"Where is Renji now?" she asked.
"At my place…" he answered. "But please don't…"
Too late. She was already gone.
.
.
She came into the house thinking of killing Renji. She wished him "a long and painful death" but then as she put her first foothold on the kitchen Isshin appeared in threshold with his classic cheerful expression.
"Rukia, you're back! And you are finally going to be my official daughter! Oh Ichigo told me everything! I'm so sorry I couldn't be there to see your face when you woke up! Let me see it! Let me see the ring!"
Rukia tried to say something, but before she could even open her mouth Isshin grabbed her left hand. Suddenly all his cheeriness disappeared. He found a ring on that hand, but it was no classic engagement ring with a diamond on.
"Rukia…" he whispered with a worried expression. "This is a Kuchiki…"
But then Ichigo entered the kitchen.
"So what do you think about the ring, Rukia? I really hope you liked it… a little at least…" he asked. He couldn't see her because she was facing Isshin, but from that position, he knew that his father was starring at the ring.
Rukia didn't answer. Ishhin then gave Ichigo a worried expression. Rukia shook her head whispering: "Please…don't… please". Ichigo was approaching. Then Rukia took off her ring, put it on Isshin's hand and turned to Ichigo with a frown:
"So that ring was from you?"
Ichigo laughed:
"Who else could have been?"
"Ichigo… It could have been anyone! I just woke up and found a ring on my finger… No message, no nothing! To be honest, on the beginning I thought that It was from Byakuya…"
"Byakuya?!" Ichigo snapped laughing. "Really Rukia… why would your brother have entered your room in the middle of the night and give you a ring? Moreover, an engagement ring! It doesn't make sense! It should have been obvious that it was me"
But Rukia didn't answer. She looked at him with a serious expression. Isshin on his turn lowered his gaze.
"Where is Renji?" she finally asked.
"Upstairs…" Isshin answered.
Ichigo looked at them confused, but without a word Rukia exited the kitchen. She climbed the stairs and opened the door to Ichigo's room. There, she found Renji, already with his face on the floor on an asking forgiveness position. Relentlessly, she approached him and grabbing him by his collar:
"How could you do something like this?" she shouted with a desperate expression in her violet eyes. "How could you be so stupid?!"
"Rukia… forgive me…"
"Forgive you?!" she snapped exasperated and started to punch his chest with her little fists. " Do even have the slightest idea of what have you done? Do you?"
"Rukia…" he whispered.
"You have messed up my life with your idiocy!"
She pushed him away and then took her face on her palm.
"And not only mine… Byakuya's also!..."
Renji was shocked. He appeared to have done more wrong than he expected… And since when was Rukia calling Byakuya by his name?... Since when?
"Renji, please …just go… I don't want to see your face for a long time starting this moment…"
Without a word he got up and left. When she remained alone she looked at her right hand on which she was wearing the ring Ichigo gave her. She took it off and hid it in her fist.
'I should have known it was him. It's not Renji's fault! It's mine! I didn't trust Ichigo! I was stupid and infatuated and I forgot that he was the only person who never betrayed me…Rukia, how could have you done something like this?'
She remembered the last words she exchanged with Byakuya during morning, before she left. She was so certain of her feelings in that moment, and since then only a few hours passed. It was enough to turn her world upside down.
"Rukia, are you sure of all this?..."
"I am… do not worry, I will be back in no time. Nothing will be delayed so you can purchase with the preparations…"
"In this case, please take care of you Rukia…
"You too, Ni… Byakuya-sama..."
So that was for the moment...
Let me know what you're thinking! :)