DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach or any of the characters associated with it. They belong to their respective owners. This storyline, however, does belong to me.

So last night I came home from dinner with the family, felt disgustingly sick and passed out. So here's the chapter I promised yesterday, but my body disobeyed me and didn't allow me to post up. :( I'm feeling much better after sleeping a bajillion hours, though.

thelovablechelsea: Nope, those five years are not the same MARRIED five years, fear not. We still have lots (kinda ;-;) of Byakuya and Hisana goodness coming up.

The House of Kuchiki

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"Okay! So! Do we want white and red or white and pink? Or just plain white... or just plain pink...?" Arisu was shuffling through a variety of different kimonos, waving them around with each respective color.

"Pink would blend too much with the flowers of the garden, Arisu," Byakuya replied slowly, obviously forced to join in the 'festivities' of picking out a wedding kimono. In his own room, no less. He sat down in the chair at his desk, having it turned out to face his bed, where a wide array of women's kimonos were sprawled out in no particular order.

Hisana nodded slowly. "It is pretty though..."

Matsumoto looked the kimono over and then looked at Hisana. "I dunno... pink might not... maybe a darker pink?"

Hisana tilted her head to the side, looking at the pink kimono thoughtfully. "You know... I was kind of thinking along the lines of traditionally white. And then a red one at the reception..."

Matsumoto looked at Hisana with a frown. "Traditional? Why?"

"Well... I don't know. But... well, unless Byakuya-sama had something else in mind."

Arisu rolled her eyes. "He doesn't matter. Well, he does. But whatever. It's your kimono. And if you're worried that you have to be traditional because we're noble, don't worry. Besides. Your wedding is anything BUT traditional."

Hisana looked at the white kimono Arisu had lifted up for a moment before speaking up again. "It's so delicate looking, you know? And besides, it's supposed to symbolize purity and whatnot, isn't it?"

Arisu nodded. "I'm partial to white myself. Anyways. I had them make these kimonos with the pink one I met you in as a template. So they should fit perfectly."

Matsumoto looked at Hisana with her jaw dropped with a you're-getting-spoiled-already look.

Moving over to the large comfortable chair near to window, Arisu picked up another array of kimonos that were much more intricate with decorations.

"Sorry about taking over your chair, Byakuya." Dropping the kimonos onto the bed, Arisu smiled nervously. "And your bed."

"And my room. Am I really needed for this?"

Matsumoto frowned at Byakuya. "Any normal grown man wouldn't complain to have three beautiful women in his room."

"Three? I only see one. And my cousin." Byakuya leaned back in his chair. "Where do you fit in?"

Matsumoto opened her mouth to respond only to shut it again. "I've never had someone say that to me before."

Arisu frowned jokingly at Byakuya, who looked at her coldly. "Aw... Is Bya-chan getting cranky?"

Hisana, after successfully stifling a laugh at Byakuya's frown from the nickname, walked over to her fiancé and sat on his lap, wrapping her arm around him. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

Byakuya's expression had melted into a smile again, as it had a tendency to do when he was talking to Hisana, and he wrapped his arm around her waist. "I'm only staying because I was under the impression you wanted me to."

Matsumoto smiled at the two of them and looked at Arisu, who was doing the same. Arisu looked at Matsumoto. "You know, he only smiles with her. When it comes to me, his loving cousin, I only get cold looks and monotone responses."

"Wait so..." Matsumoto looked at all the kimonos spread across the bed. "These are all hers then?"

Arisu nodded. "Yeah, they're all fitted to her. And they... officially... belong to the house of Kuchiki..."

Byakuya's gaze left Hisana's face and went to the bed, and then to Arisu. "To the house of Kuchiki? And who paid for them?"

"Well," Arisu paused, biting her lower lip. "You. But they're for your lovely bride, so no complaints!"

---

After a couple of hours of deliberating what pattern Hisana should wear at the reception, Hisana finally put her foot down and demanded she wore the red one with the Chinese bell flowers and the cranes.

Byakuya whole-heartedly agreed, partial to the bell flowers and the way the kimono fit on Hisana.

And thus, with both members of the happy couple on the same side, Matsumoto and Arisu were clearly outnumbered, both of them partial to different patterns and unable to join forces to create a united front.

Matsumoto looked out the window, with a frown and a sigh. "It looks like it's getting late... Is Hisana-chan going back to her house tonight?"

Arisu, who was drinking from a glass of water, spat out the water in laughter. "Hisana-san hasn't been to her house in weeks."

Matsumoto looked at Byakuya and Hisana, the two of them standing at the window watching the sun set. They were talking amongst themselves, and from what she could tell, they were both seemingly happy. "Well, I should get going then. Academy in the morning."

Arisu nodded. "I'll walk you out. Those two lovebirds probably want to be left alone."

"Good bye, Hisana-chan! I'll see you tomorrow! And thank you for letting me come back to the manor after what happened last week, Captain Kuchiki." Matsumoto began to bow, but then stopped, knowing that Byakuya wasn't watching.

Hisana looked over her shoulder. "Do you want me to walk you out, Rangiku-chan?" Matsumoto shook her head, signaling that Arisu was already showing her out. "I'll see you tomorrow at academy then, Rangiku-chan."

---

For some reason, the dirty looks in the classrooms became dirtier. The whispers in the hallway seemed louder. The shoving in the hallways became rougher.

Was it just her imagination, or had her classmates changed towards her? What was so different now other than...

The wedding... Hisana, who had not been paying attention to her classes all day, stood up abruptly when the bell sounded to allow the students to go to lunch. How did it leak... Rangiku-chan swore she'd keep it a secret.

Bolting out of the room, she turned the corner and ran in the direction of the courtyard, dodging people and ignoring the razor-sharp glares she was receiving. I hope he's here today... he has the captain's meeting. Please let it finish on time...

Turning into the courtyard, she stopped and looked around frantically, only to be pushed from behind. She stumbled forward and turned around. Oh great.

The fan club leader, whose name was revealed to be Yumiko, stood there glaring. "Word of mouth says you're getting married. How'd you manage that?"

"Who told you?" Hisana took a step back, looking around the courtyard and inwardly cursing the fact that the captain meetings never finished on time as a group of students formed a large circle around the two of them.

"Told me? My family owns the kimono shop Kuchiki Arisu came to for the wedding kimonos." Yumiko took a step closer to Hisana. "How did you trick him into marrying you?"

Byakuya turned the corner into the courtyard and noticed the gathering. He walked towards the mob-like formation of students and observed from a slight distance to try to figure out if he could pinpoint where Hisana was.

"Let GO of me!"

Hisana. Byakuya stepped closer to the group and tapped the person in front of him on the shoulder. The student turned and his eyes went wide. "Captain Kuchiki!" Moving out of the way, the students, upon hearing his name, cleared a path for Byakuya.

When he stepped into the center, the courtyard's muttering amongst the students as to why Yumiko was targeting the quiet Hisana came to a dead silence. Yumiko immediately let go of Hisana's wrist and pushed her roughly into Byakuya. "Watch your back, you deceiving wench."

Hisana flinched at the harshness of Yumiko's words, and looked up to see Byakuya's gaze become colder. Yumiko looked away after a few moments of staring into his eyes and turned to leave, the circle of students starting to break up.

Byakuya and Hisana, after a few moments of conversing through their eyes, went to sit under their usual tree in the courtyard. After the initial buzz about the events of the start of lunch hour had died down, and the constant watching had subsided, Hisana rested her head on Byakuya's shoulder. "Her family owns the kimono shop Arisu-san got the kimonos from," she said suddenly.

Byakuya didn't respond.

"This is why I wanted to keep it a secret... I knew the fan club would get jealous and then drag everyone else down with them..." Hisana sighed and took Byakuya's hand in hers, weaving their fingers together.

Byakuya looked down at Hisana sadly. First at the manor, and then here... "I'm signing you out. You're not staying here alone."

Hisana was taken aback and sat up to look at him. "Where will we go then? The manor?"

Byakuya shook his head. "I have to head back to the office. Would you like to come with me?"

Hisana pondered this for a moment and then nodded. "Should be fun."

Little did she know, a captain's job was a lot less exciting than she expected, and after about an hour of watching Byakuya sign papers and give orders, she went to lie down on the couch in his office.

Falling asleep, she realized that she would never be able to do his job and was certainly grateful she didn't have to. This would be the first and, hopefully, the last time she would ever come to office with him.

At least, that's what she told herself initially. After being woken up by what started with a light kiss on the forehead, as a way of telling her he was done with his work, and ended with her falling asleep again in his arms, she couldn't help but change her mind.

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I ended up adding chapter 25 to this one because... well... I felt like it. :D That's why it took a long time to get up. Two for one!