Hi all,
Finally the long awaited chapter. In this chapter, Byakuya tries to win Rukia's heart again. Will he be able to convince the stubborn Rukia that he really does loves her? Hope everyone will like it.
Sorry I took such a long break from ff. After I resigned, I went through one of the most painful 3 weeks of my life. I was constantly verbal abused by my ex-manager; like telling me she doesn't want to see my face, or wishing me failure in my future. Yes very unprofessional statements that you would never expected in an office. I am so glad I no long work under her and found better place.
I will like to say thank you to the following people for their reviews.
Maaa, Mai, isara-love, jjlove, ReckoningDay, xxUlquiorraLoveRxx, JRVivaciousT, Crystalline Arch, RunSakura, Hexen Lyndis, guardmob, guardmob, tokiko76, YuzurihaNoRyuu, Cittyno2, Kiss of Imortality, LuciL06, BlackBurningHeart, vicky73, digzzz, YK-Chan, Daylite, Byakuya-Sensei, byarukixOxO.
Happy Reading and do not forget to review. I will love to hear everyone's thoughts, comments, and suggestions.
Cheers,
Yunie
"It's so easy, to think about love, to talk about love, to wish for love, but it's not always easy, to recognize love, even when we hold it... in our hands." By Jaka
Chapter 24
Thinking of You Makes My Heart Hurts
The ivory white curtains stirred beautifully by early summer breeze that blew through the large windows. The entire Kurosaki family was gathered in the cozy little house. The sound of birds chipping could be barely heard throughout the house because all the windows were opened to allow the fresh air to come in but the people within the house were too loud.
Karin and Isshin were aggressively playing some video game that just came out this morning. Karin made Ichigo go line up in front of the video game store before the store opened, just to make sure they were able to secure a copy on the first day. Poor Ichigo barely have enough sleep thanks to his sisters' demands. Of course, Karin was winning with ease and Isshin was whining about how his daughters do not love him enough to let him win.
Yuzu was in the kitchen making some special ice tea as countermeasure for the sudden hot weather. A few days ago, it was still below 10 degrees and people could not go out without a jacket, yet today it was hot enough to run around outside in tank tops and mini shorts.
Ichigo was sitting on one side of the sofa, while Rukia on the other end. Ichigo's head was rested on his large palm while examining Rukia that just put another spoon full of ice cream in her mouth. He could clearly see she was not truly happy yet trying to put on a cheerful face in front of everyone.
While Rukia was enjoying a bucket of strawberry ice cream which Ichigo went and brought for her that morning. She just could not get enough of these frozen sweets and it helps her feel less nausea.
"Dad is it normal that she keep eating ice cream like this?" Ichigo asked as he watched how she cleared another bucket of ice cream. Then his gaze went down to her growing belly. Although, Isshin always acts like a foolish father in front of his children, his children knew very well that he was a very skilled doctor and would always goes to him for medical advice.
How could anyone eat that much ice cream and not get sick? He knew that she was supposed to have symptoms like nausea, vomiting, tiredness and fatigue. Even if she does not get ill, she must be putting on some weight. However, the only place that he could clearly see growing was her baby.
"Son, you should be happy that she is only having strawberry ice cream craving. One of my patients had a peach jam with raw garlic on toast craving during her pregnancy," Isshin explained as he recalled one of the oddest pregnancy cravings he had seen. "And you can imagine how it smells," he added before turning his attention back to the video game.
"Ichigo, I want more," Rukia stated with a satisfactory smile of completely another bucket as she handed him the empty carton of ice cream. Nothing could be better than enjoying a stressful day full of ice cream and with no morning sickness. Best of all, with all the commotions in this household, it helped her to ease the mind off from Byakuya.
"But that was your second bucket already," Ichigo told her as he held out his hand to catch the empty bucket.
"Well, I am eating for two," Rukia told him and put a hand over her belly. Her lips curved with the thought of the baby growing inside her.
"I would say she is eating for three with the size of her stomach," Isshin stated as he examined the petite raven hair girl sitting on the sofa.
"Three?" she said cheerfully, she always wanted twins. Rukia eyes widen by the news. She never expected twins because twins are exceptionally rare in soul society.
"We can do an checkup later to confirm it," Isshin added.
"Great, I am going to be uncle of two aristocratic manner spoiled kids, instead of one," Ichigo scratched his orange hair.
"Ichi Nii, why will you say our future niece or nephew have aristocratic manner?" Yuzu asked as she overhead ichigo's comment with a tray of glass cups and ice tea in her hands.
"You will see once you meet Byakuya. He always acts so proud and aloof," Ichigo explained as he recalled Byakuya expressionless features.
"Ichigo, I want more strawberry ice cream," she demanded, trying to change topic. Rukia pouted and even gave him the innocent puppy eyes.
"If I let you eat anymore, you will get sick," Ichigo explained to her and refused to bring her more.
"Fine, then I will get some more from the fridge myself," Rukia stated as she lazily push herself off the comfortable sofa and headed towards the kitchen knowing that there would be at least another bucket in the fridge.
"My beloved daughter, you should wait a second. You have visitor," Isshin told her as his smile widen with his brown eyes staring at the ceiling. "I am glad you listen to me and invited him over to have a nice talk." His attention went towards the stairs as the tall head of Kuchiki stepping out.
"I did not invite anyone," she said.
"Have you ever heard of a door?" Ichigo stated and looked at Byakuya that was walking down from the stairs. "What will our neighbor thinks when they see a 5'11" man climbing into the house from the second floor window." The orange hair substitute shinigami added.
Apparently, Bykuya had entered the house through the window in Ichigo's bedroom again. Even though, he had tried to hide his spiritual power and surprise Rukia, it seems Isshin had noticed his unannounced visit.
"I am here for Rukia," Byakuya stated in an indifferent tone as his eyes went towards Rukia that was standing beside the sofa. He could clearly see her small baby bump with the Chappy T-Shirt she was wearing. How could he not have noticed all these times? Could that Sinigami uniform be so good at hiding things?
"I do not care what the reason you have here. You people cannot come in through my window whenever you guys wanted every single time," Ichigo complained as he moved in front of Rukia protectively. He really do not understand these shinigami intruders, it seem they all never heard of using a door bell. Each time, they all enter through his bedroom window without permission or advance notice.
"It was unlocked," Byakuya stated plainly.
"What brings you here today?" Isshin asked seriously and politely.
"I am here to take Rukia home," the head of Kuchiki stated in his monotonous tone. As if it was the most natural thing in the world. To him, of course it was the normal thing to bring her back with him because they have been living together under one roof for such a long time. She was his fiance. She was his.
"This is her home," Isshin explained with a goofy smirk.
"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked as his grey eyes narrowed seriously.
"Legally, she is my adopted daughter now, Ichigo's younger sister, Karin and Yuzu's older sister," Isshin told him as he put his hands on Rukia's slender shoulders.
Rukia still could not believe that she ended up being Ichigo's younger sister. She was years older than him in reality, but the birthday that she filled in for high school forms show that she was younger than him. She scolds at herself for not putting a year older on those living world documents. She could still remember the baka's smirk when he heard that he would be her older brother.
"You did not," Byakuya declared, trying to keep his composure.
"Yes I did. To make things more interesting and fascinating, she is also Yoruichi's god daughter just like all my other children," Isshin revealed with a mischief smile as he knew how much this new relationship would irritate and aggravate Byakuya.
"She is?" Ichigo questioned to the news.
"Why did you think Yoruichi san would always go through so much trouble to save you when you are in trouble in soul society," Isshin responded in one of those matters of fact tone.
"Byakuya, why are you here?" Rukia asked as she felt her heartache with his presence. It would take a lot of buckets of ice cream to ease this pain. She wondered why it was so painful to fall head over heels in love. Was not love supposed to be sweet and romantic? How all that feelings turned so painful? The hardest part was she knew that she was still madly in love with him.
"As I said before, I am here to bring you home with me," Byakuya explained trying to keep his voice in a steady tone.
"This is my home," Rukia responded firmly.
Byakuya took a deep breath before asking Isshin to give him some alone time with Rukia. There was no point to argue about Rukia becoming a Kurosaki. What is done is done. Maybe it would be better this way, since Kurosaki was a noble clan within soul society. Now she was no longer his adopted sister; there would be less pushback from the Kuchiki Elders. However, he still does not like the fact to have Ichigo as his brother in law, and Yoruichi as Rukia's god mother. Thank god, that cat was not Rukia's adopted mother, else, he would have the craziest mother in law in the world.
"Kids, we are going for some ice cream, it is your future brother's in law's treat," Isshin stated with a wide smile before pushing his three children out the front door. Hoping his new daughter's relation with Byakuya would improve after some one on one talk. Before leaving, he whispered something in Rukia's ear and told Byakuya that he could be sending him the bill.
Although Ichigo, did not want to leave Rukia alone with Byakuya, he knew that some things needs to be sorted out in person sooner or later. Therefore, Ichigo willingly followed his father out the door without any protest.
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When the four left the house, Byakuya and Rukia were alone in the empty house. Her heartbeat was so loud, she was afraid that he could hear it in the sudden silence. She tried to move back behind the sofa to cover herself from his gentle gaze.
Even though Isshin had told her to invite Byakuya, she never imagined to be facing him so soon. Also, what did Isshin meant when he whispered 'Do not do anything stupid. Just follow your heart. The answer will always be there. Love is never able logic.' by her ears before he left? What does he meant by stupid? If she followed her heart right now, she would have ran towards him, tear off his wrinkleless shirt and made love with him until exhaustion just like that time. His presence was making her want him.
Flashback
Rukia made her move and kissed his lips passionately and tenderly. Pressing her body against his to deepen the kiss, as his free hand traced her curves with featherlike touches. She titled her head to welcome the lips that she craved, deepening their kiss.
He slowly thrust his tongue inside her mouth, exploring and feeling every inch of her mouth.
When the kiss stopped, her mind was feeling dizzy and all she wanted was to feel him making love to her all night long. By then, she had already tossed all his clothes lazily on the hardwood floor, while he has loosened her purple cotton kimono like unwrapping a present in order to admire her beautiful body completely. She was pulled on the oak table, and one of his legs was between hers.
She moaned his name, while he begin hotly kissing, licking and nibbling her neck and shoulders as her hands gently trailed his soft long black hair with her slender fingers. He continued to brush kisses along her body as the sexual tension between them became unstoppable.
"You are torturing me," she protested to him and wrapped her legs around him. She could feel his hard member near her entrance and all she wanted was to have him now. Yet here he was torturing her with his touches.
"Why are you saying that?" he asked in a sexy deep tone and pretended not knowing what he was doing to her body. To both of their bodies. He playfully squeezed her breast gently and suckled her hardened nipples knowing how it would earn him a few moans and whimpers from her.
"Because you know how much I want you," she explained, as she moved her hips, so the head of his long length rubbed the entrance of her hot clit.
He could feel her hot wetness, telling him, how much she wanted this. However, he pulled his body away and started nibbling her belly. Then he widened her legs with his hands and lowered his head to her entrance and start licking her wetness.
"Byakuya," she moaned his name again.
She tried to close her legs because she always felt uncomfortable with the idea, but when her orgasm builds up by his tongue, she relaxed and moaned louder in pleasure.
With her hand securely holding onto the edge of the table, she panted for air. "Byakuya I wanted you," she whispered.
Without another word, he positioned his dick at her entrance and thrust forward. He moved his long member out of her core slowly before thrusting into her again, making her whimpered in pleasure.
"Is this what you want?" he asked as his lips curled as he plunged really hard in and out of her wet core as her hip moved forward meeting his thrust. He was satisfied to see the state of pleasure he had put her in.
When Rukia screamed to her first climaxed, he did not stop, instead he moved to a different position while still connected, and continued to give her long deep thrust making her climax again. Each time, when he felt she had climaxed for him, he moved to a different position and pushed her body to the edge of ecstasy again.
By the end of that night, they were both in exhaustion and fall asleep together on their bed.
End of flashback
Her heartbeat increased as he closed the distance between them.
"My desire to be with you runs so deeply within me that I have to refuse being left out of your life," Byakuya stated gently.
"But I left your," she whispered but her heart just could not seem to leave him.
Each time, just the thought of never seeing he again makes her heart hurts so much. She wanted to be by his side. However, she knew what she wanted was more than just being with him. She wanted real love with him. She did not want false words from a drugged Byakuya, or an empty heart from him.
"We will be together, no matter if you like it or not," he stated in a commending tone.
"But I broke it off with you already," Rukia told him.
Although it hurts a lot to say these words, she kept reminding herself that his words are the effect of the drugs from the crazy scientist captain. It was better to bare the pain now, then to have false hope in a relationship that might disappear once he came to his senses when the drug wore off.
"I refuse to be out of your life, our baby's life," he added in a tender tone.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," she answered, and grabbed a pillow from the sofa in attempt to cover her stomach.
"Are you trying to hide our baby from me?" he asked in a hurt tone and pulled the pillow from her hands.
'Was she planning to hide my child from me forever?' he wondered and the more he thought about it, it makes him feel even more heartbreaking.
"Who said it is yours?" Rukia questioned as she tried to avoid his direct glare.
"The baby did," Byakuya simply answered as their eyes met. He could clearly feel the spiritual power from the baby this time. Since now he knows that the sakura like shield that formed the other day at the captain meeting was a sign of a Kuchiki heir's doing, he knew that she was carrying a Kuchiki baby.
"What about your other baby with Meer?" she asked. She stared at his handsome face.
"That baby is not mine," he simply stated confidently as held her smaller hands in his.
"The result came back already?" Rukia questioned but did not pull away her hands from his. She missed the warmth of his touch.
"Should be soon but I already left before the test started," he answered honestly. When he found out that Rukia was carrying their baby, all he could think of was to find her as soon as possible and be with her. He was sure no matter what trick Meer and her grandmother pulls, there was no way that Meer's baby would be his.
"Then how can you be so sure?" she asked.
"Because I only made love to you," he simply answered truthfully with a rare smile.
The tension between come became more relaxing after Rukia believed his words regarding Meer.
"I am not going back with you," she stated stubbornly as she blushed.
"I will not take no for an answer" he told her and pulled her petite body closer to him.
"You cannot refuse to break up with me," she whispered. She felt this strong heartache by her own words. It was so hard to broke up with someone that she love more than anything in the world.
"I am crazy about you. Each moment away from you, my heart throbs painfully."
"Can't you just forget about me?" she murmured because she wanted him to found true happiness of true love from his heart rather than him feeling responsible for her and their baby.
"That is not possible. I will always remember you. Even in my dreams I see your face. I am not letting you go." He declared. He tightened his hold on her hands.
"Why are you making this so hard?" she asked him.
"I have given you my heart, I cannot go back," he explained, his gaze went towards the key shape pendent that he gave her when he confessed his love for her.
"You do not know what you are saying," she said softly. Each word that came out seems to make her heart ached more. How much longer would this pain last? She thought, leaving Kuchiki house, and moving to living world would halt this pain, but it never did. She could only hide these emotions with a lot of effort, but the moment Byakuya appeared in front of her, all her feelings for him came back.
"Do not tell me that I do not know what I am saying. I know exactly what I am doing. I am trying to ask the woman that I love to give us a second chance." Byakuya stated.
"Bya…" Rukia whispered as he placed a finger on her lips to stop her from speaking.
"I do not know since when I started to fall in love with you, but most likely it was the first moment I saw you," Byakuya told her. "Please, just listen to me and listen to these feeling of mine."
She remained silent to listen to all his words.
"I love you. I love everything about you. I admire you. I adore you. I will always be there to support you. I will always cherish you." He continued to tell her how much he loves her and wanted this relationship to work. There was no way he was going to walk out of this house without telling her how he truly feels for her.
She stared at him, lost in words. She had never heard him express this much of his feelings out loud before.
"I know you love me," His grey eyes stared deeply into her violet once as tears started to fell.
"My feeling for you will never change," Rukia told him. It was that moment when realization hit her. There was no way, she could find ever find another love. No matter how many times she told herself that she would be okay without him, but the truth was she loves him and needs him. She wanted him.
"Let me be with you. Be mine? Marry me?" He bent his body, so his lips were only an inch away.
"Be yours?" she whispered and swallowed hard.
"Be mine so I can prove to you how much I love you," He answered.
"I love you," she said as tears form. Her heart wanted him. She wanted him to be always by her side. She blamed her hormone for making her so emotional all the time.
"You do not know how long I wanted to hears those words from you again," he told her before embracing her and capturing her lips. Claiming her mouth with his own.
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To Be Continued.
Author's note:
Byakuya and Rukia are finally together again! Hope you all like this chapter. I really enjoyed writing this chapter because of all the romantic words from Byakuya and I no longer felt the heartache when I imagine the plot of the chapter. Of course I enjoyed writing the lemon too.