I DON'T OWN BLEACH

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Heart

Part 2; One small sentence

Sliding a hand over Ichigo's resting form Byakuya tugs the pale blue blanket up to her chest. She is resting after giving birth to a Kuchiki heir. A child that she fed and grew without any intent to keep for herself. Going through childbirth without getting the gift at the end? Really Ichigo... "Your selflessness needs limits." His dark eyes flick over to the sun rising through the window. With many things to say and only so many words to say it with he walks over to the window to ponder how to apologize in a eloquent manner. How does he admit his mistakes without looking like an ass though? Ichigo is the kind of woman that takes so much into herself. Just standing next to her, he is pulled toward her warm heart. Byakuya knows the exact day he realized Ichigo Kurosaki is an inescapable force in his life.

Flashback;

He keeps thinking about her in standing in her hallway wearing that black turtle neck looking so warm and comfortable. Specifically when he kissed her and waited to see if the rumor was true and Ichigo Kurosaki had a crush on him. "I'm certain she does." He thinks to himself standing at his large office window as the sun begins to rise on a new day. Golden rays shine over his pale face, birds are chirping happily and the slight breeze carries the same scent he has smelled in his office every fall. But he isn't seeing the gorgeous sun rise, he sees her tan skin, and he doesn't smell the honeysuckle blooming just outside his window lattice, he smells the perfume he bought her and its subtle change of it's fragrance on her skin.

The kiss they shared is on his mind everyday since then. Byakuya didn't expect it to rattle him. It was his idea to go there and find out the truth of the matter, but his reaction totally took him off guard. No longer possible to disregard he spends each day pondering the results of starting a relationship with a woman like Ichigo Kurosaki. All of his projections just end in an impasse. The only thing to do is nothing. But that doesn't make him very happy. In fact it might make him feel very happy to see her right about now.

"Renji you bas-!" Ichigo blinks in shock popping through the door to find Byakuya looking very surprised. "Oh... it's you."

"This is my office. Were you expecting someone else to be here?"

"Well, Renji told me to come here." Avoiding his gaze she shoves her hands in her pockets and starts to back out of the door. "Sorry for intruding on your day." Get out! Get away! Don't look at him. But she does... Her eyes flick up to his in time to see the hint of disappointment on his face. "Byakuya? Did you need me for something?" If he makes fun of her, that is typical Kuchiki but if actually says yes what the hell would she do? "I'd do it. Whatever it took to make him even a tiny bit happy with me. But that makes me sound so pathetic..." Not expecting anything she walks back out the door feeling a sting in her heart.

"You can wait here for him."

"Eh?"

Turning away from her shocked face he walks back over to the window and points a hand to the chair next to his desk. "Abarai will arrive in fifteen minutes. It is his pattern to do so."

"Oh alright." Promptly moving over to the chair and sitting down she puts an elbow on the desk then sets her chin in her palm. Why is she being so... "Gah... I'm acting way too obedient! I should be standing up next to this desk just to piss him off!" However, she doesn't want to make him angry. Ichigo honestly wants to ask him about that kiss. To say she liked it would be a massive understatement, she really, really, really, truly liked it. "I went all melty. Ugh! That is unforgivable! How dare he make me fawn over him!" But of course Ichigo looks over as he stares out the window and resents him for not looking at her. Well... that and he isn't showing interest in kissing her again. Fine, he isn't the only one unpredictable. Smacking her hands to the desk she rises from the chair and marches over to the window, promptly grabbing Byakuya's haori and jerking him so he bends close to her face. "I'm not a coward." Before the man can respond at all, she stands on her tiptoes and presses her lips to his, pulling Byakuya closer by the collar. Their lips mold together slick and moist each searching for warmth from the other. Her hands tighten at his lapel out of fear he will break the spell between them with some sour words of disdain.

But he has none, Byakuya slides his hands through her hair yanking the ribbon away to release her soft wavy hair. Letting the soft silky strip fall to the ground, his fingers close on Ichigo¨s soft cheeks, holding the woman while he lets his lips the pleasure of an unadulterated kiss. She is soft and slightly trembling in his arms as the pleasurable sensation from the kiss race through his blood. His lips quirk into a small smirk: she hasn't released her hold on him,. Ichigo doesn't want him to stop.

And then she stops on her own, but continues to stand in front of him, closer than they have been since he last kissed her, with lips swollen from the kiss, her brown eyes shining with life and a cute scowl on her flushed face.

It's not simple or easy, it's attraction what he is feeling and it makes him tighten his grip on her hair to pull her back against him. Ichigo is so obvious in her feelings. And he loves her this way the most: the woman who doesn't know how to pretend. Looking into his face intently, Ichigo focuses on the clear expression of Byakuya's dark blue eyes, reading the answer to her kiss. "Byakuya" she half says- half sighs as her head comes to rest on his shoulder, the mere sound of his name causing graceful pale fingers to freeze briefly between stroking through the orange silk of her locks.

"Sorry I'm lat-" Renji blinks in shock at the two looking rather 'close' next to the window.

"I-I have to go." Ichigo mutters darting out the door and dashing down the hallway. She stops just outside the division gate and casts a glance up to Byakuya's office window and finds him stand there. "You still didn't say anything..." Lifting her hand she tries to wave only to see him turn his back to the window and walk away.

End Flashback;

The sounds of the baby crying break him from his thoughts. Turning toward the bed he sets down next to her in a chair resisting the urge to touch her hand. With so much unsaid, he has no idea where to start.

"Emotions are pointless and this discussion is leaning toward pathetic."

"Well write it down! Use sign language! Tell me anything and I will... I will be pathetic!"

"No."

Looking in the bedside table he finds a tablet and begins to write. Things of the past, things of responsibilities and the weight he feels on his shoulders. I writes everything out. It's a very long letter full of details and sensible choices he has made. But as he reaches the end of the page he tears it up and throws it in the waste basket. Instead he writes one sentence down and stares at it. Pondering how just a handful of words of honestly can be so terrifying, tears off the sheet he leaves it behind on the chair. He has no hope of being forgiven but at least the pain of what he has done will last for a long time. That is a bit of comfort and maybe that is what he deserves for starting something he didn't have to guts to finish.

Three days later;

Ichigo emerges from the hospital flash stepping to the Senkaimon. She is met by a ragged looking Renji and a very happy Rukia holding the baby in her arms. "Motherhood looks good on you midget." she tells her faintly recognizing Byakuya's presence beside the Senkaimon.

"I'm fantastic." Rukia says beaming with happiness.

Careful not to meet his gaze she gives Renji a pat on the arm and nods for the gate operator to open it. "See you around." With a wave she steps through the portal and begins to run to the opposite side. She runs as fast as her feet take her, the dirt kicking up a thick cloud of smoke in her wake. But she isn't flash stepping she is sprinting to feel the burn in her thighs. Can that really equal the pain she feels elsewhere? "This sucks." Stopping she looks ahead of her and the light leading to Urahara's shoten, then turning she looks behind her at the dark path leading back to Soul Society. "It's not enough!" she screams at the diverging paths. Pulling out the letter from her uniform she reads the words over and over. It's so like him! Always having the final decision, never once letting her be the one to walk away. But she finally did walk away and it feel wretched. "I want... I want..."

"What do you want, Ichigo?"

Her eyes widen as she sees his shape breaking the light at the end of the tunnel. "W-What are you doing here?"

"You are taking to long. I came to get you." With a quick flash step he appears in front of her. "Which direction were you headed?"

Lowering her head to his chest she points to the darkness with tears falling from her eyes. "I'm pathetic."

"Yes." He says flatly.

"You aren't supposed to agree!" she barks back with a frown. "You are too much."

"Yes." Byakuya's hand trembles slightly as he wraps it around her waist and begins to flash step them toward Soul Society. Will she ever notice how grateful he is that she made him chase after her? "I am a very spoiled man." There is nothing worse than running away and not being followed. He has walked away enough. It's time to be what she is asking for. "Why did you forgive me?"

"Your letters said everything I needed to hear."

"I only gave you one-"

Ichigo produces a second letter covered in a layer of tape. "Took me three hours to read this one. It's says so much."

Byakuya sets their feet down on the outside of the Senkaimon setting their feet on the dusty ground. Taking the paper in his hand he blinks in shock as he reads the same word covering every line of the page.

"Ichigo."

Ichigo pulls out the other paper and smiles. "If you combine them I get a whole sentence. See... go on and read it out load." she says with her voice suddenly showing her insecurity.

"I know what it says. I wrote it." he grumbles but grabs her hand and pulls her to his chest. "I do not repeat myself."

"Oh come on! No one is even here." she waves a hand in the air at the wide open space of the Sokyouku Hill. "I need to hear the words." Folding her hands in front of her chest she stands her ground convinced if he can do this then they will be alright. That no matter what bullshit they encounter in the future this one moment will be recalled and give them the will to push through it.

"Ichigo..." Curling a hand around her cheek he pulls her toward his chest. "I... need you." he whispers in her ear the words over and over.

"You are too much." Like privy to some deep secret she clings to him, the truth of his heart so precious and too much to not want this man. Ichigo realizes that right here in this sweetly ordinary moment Byakuya is telling her that she stands apart from any other woman.

He kisses her, this time deeply expressive, dipping her backward so she has to rely on him to stand. Her mouth responding hungry making his blood stir. But he is content with this kiss for the time being. "Ichigo..." he runs his finger down the side of her face giving her a slight smile. "think I could hold onto those letters?"

"No." she replies with a toothy grin waving them in the air. "They are proof of your LO~VE for me!" Shoving them into the top of her uniform she flash steps away. "You will never get them back!"

"Ichi-Ichigo..."

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