Hello everyone, it's evenstar lady... with the second part of this progression chapter! One more chapter to go... and then the second peak starts officially. :) I hope to do justice to your waiting because I know the previous chapters might seem awkward but there is no other way I find that I can write it.

I would make a warning that Rukia and Byakuya are now in a relationship and are now entirely in FF realm and my realm (because we have never seen a ByaRuki in Bleach)... so they might appear extremely OOC to you or perfectly fine, I don't know. I apologize in advance if they do, and hope you give me advice regarding this. :)

I hope you enjoy this short chapter.

"Rukia…" Byakuya sighed quietly. "Relax."

"NO, I WON'T RELAX! You are really stupid, you know that! I told you you'd get sick!" Rukia threw out her hands in front of her in exasperation. "I'm calling the hospital for a hears- I mean, an ambulance!"

"Rukia, it is just a simple cold." Byakuya stared up at her coolly.

Byakuya had woken up the next day with a slightly stuffed nose and running a mild fever, but otherwise perfectly healthy. He had not noticed how Kurosaki Isshin could pick things up so easily despite appearing to be of a no-brainer on the outside. The hyperactive doctor had immediately zeroed in on Byakuya when he had accidentally sneezed at the breakfast table. Byakuya highly doubted it was because he was sick, but because Kurosaki Ichigo had just roughly passed the pepper dish right at his nostrils. But sneezing was sneezing, and he suddenly found himself whisked away from breakfast to bed with a worried Rukia and an excited Kurosaki Isshin.

Now he watched Rukia staring at him anxiously, her eyes so big and her hands behind her back. Even though he could not see them, he knew she was twisting the ends of her skirt in a show of guilt and worry. "You shouldn't have, it's all my-

"It is not your fault. I would have come to you then, and every single time, Rukia." Byakuya spoke firmly. "I will come for you."

He watched the colour creep onto her cheeks and he thought back on last night. Rukia had slipped her hand shyly into his and told him she wanted to go back home with him. And as their hands tightened onto each other together, Byakuya knew then this was where he was supposed to be, what he was supposed to be doing. He had opened up the umbrella and Rukia had stuck close to his side as they walked home together. It was one nighttime walk Byakuya had wished for to go on and on.

"RUKIA-CHANNNN!" The loud voice outside the door jolted both of them.

"O-Oh… coming!" With another look at Byakuya, Rukia darted out the door. Byakuya watched her go, a little impatience and irritation simmering inside him at the fiasco these two were creating out of such a trivial situation.

But secretly, Byakuya liked it. Liked it that he was in such a condition. Because he liked it a lot when she scolded him. Her wide eyes, strands of her hair lifting off her face as she huffed, her knitted eyebrows as she frowned. He could not take his eyes off her.

And the way she reprimanded him. She did it without thinking of the consequences. He was Kuchiki Byakuya, head of the Kuchiki noble family and the Sixth Division Captain. Nobody… nobody who was anybody, would dare scold him like this. Only one person had ever done so in his life, and that was Kuchiki Ginrei, his grandfather and even so, it was done in a silent and formal manner.

And Byakuya… liked it. It was… something so new, like the first petals of a sakura that bloomed... so exquisite to the touch and so soothing to the eye. It sent shivers down his body each time she scolded him, her face so expressive and vibrant, her loud voice, her rough antics, her sharp words. Not shivers of terror, but shivers of pleasure. Byakuya wondered if the cold had somehow muddled his brain. He actually liked being scolded by her.

'Kuchiki Byakuya, you are too far gone.'

Rukia settled next to Byakuya's bedside nervously. She watched as he cocked one perfect eyebrow at her in inquiry. "D-Don't look at me like that! I-Isshin boiled some herbal soup for you.." She looked at the tray in her hands, and at the bowl and small box now sitting on it with a rather disconcerting look on her face. "In his exact words, he insist it would be good for you… for your… err, spiritual force." Rukia frowned.

Byakuya nodded. "It would," he agreed.

"Huh? How do you know?"

Byakuya breathed in the steam from the bowl. "I can smell it. It's Gobo* soup, and used for maintaining the Soul Spirit for Shinigamis. It allows for faster healing. Though I have to admit, it smells a little different here in the real world."

Rukia looked at him in surprise. "Oh that's good! I didn't think of that! But how come… Isshin knows?"

Byaakuya looked up at her. "Probably got it right accidentally. After all, these herbal soups should have a range of healing uses as well, even in the real world."

"Hmm…that's right. Okay, here we go." Rukia settled herself on the bed at Byakuya's side. As he lifted his hands, she answered, "I will do it. The bowl's very hot."

Byakuya almost sighed. Having a cold did not meant losing motoric control over his two hands. But he stayed silent and allowed Rukia to spoon out some soup from the bowl. And as he watched her blow softly on the soup as she sat in front of him, he felt something warm up inside him. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"Here." Rukia moved the spoon to Byakuya's lips and he leaned in just a little to drink it. She watched him drink the soup. If she had not been watching him so closely, she would have missed the tiny twitch in his cool expression.

Rukia could not help herself, a soft laugh escaped her.

"What?" Byakuya asked coolly.

"You... are afraid of bitter food?" Rukia asked, chuckling slightly. Byakuya turned away and said nothing.

Rukia giggled again. "You should have told me earlier." She took up the small box on the tray and opened the lid. Then she lifted a small crystal sugar cube from it.

"This would make it better, wouldn't it?" She dropped the clear cube into the liquid, where it immediately dissolved.

"Aaaaa…." She opened her mouth, and Byakuya was reminded of their cotton candy time in the funfair. It made him feel ridiculous all over again. But he kept his eyes on Rukia as he opened his mouth.

Rukia spooned the soup into his mouth and watched his face.

"Is it sweet?" Rukia asked, almost breathlessly. She wanted him to drink the soup in good spirits.

"Yes," Byakuya answered as his piercing grey eyes burned right in her. "It is… the sweetest."

Rukia felt her cheeks heat up and she dropped the gaze, fumbling with the bowl slightly.

"T-Then you have to finish this…" Rukia tried unsuccessfully to hide her red cheeks as she turned to him.

Byakuya nodded quietly and opened his mouth, still looking at her. Blushing, Rukia lifted the spoon and brought it to his mouth. He bent slightly over the spoon and drank slowly, his eyes never leaving her face. Rukia felt like her face was on fire. Why did he have to practically make it difficult for her to even take care of him? Trying to get a grip on herself, she fed him some more soup.

Suddenly, he reached out and touched her hand holding the spoon to his mouth.

Rukia's eyes widened. "W-What?"

Byakuya shook his head slightly and continued drinking from the spoon, his eyes still burning into her and his hand still on hers. Then as she watched, he lowered his eyelids slightly in an almost seductive gaze as his hand move up and down her arm in a soft caress.

The effect was immediate. Rukia felt her whole body instantly grow warm.

Quickly, she withdrew the empty spoon from Byakuya's lips (and made the mistake of looking at them as well) and moved her arm away from his. But before she could escape to the kitchen, a long hand reached out in a flash and latched onto her arm.

"It's not sweet enough. The bitterness stayed."

"Huh, really?" Rukia stupidly forgot about his advances and settled back at his bedside. All she cared about at the moment was Byakuya's health and comfort. "Do you need something sweeter?"

"Yes, I do." A long finger reached out and traced the edges of Rukia's lips. She nearly jumped back, had Byakuya's hand not been holding her in place. "And it's right here."

"Bya-

"It's really bitter."

Rukia looked at him and he gave her a subtle puppy-dog eye expression that nearly made her laugh. On Byakuya, it looked rather strange… though not any less adorable. And then his eyes changed into that sexy, beckoning gaze.

Rukia smiled at Byakuya and leaned towards him. "Really bitter?"

"Really."

She was now nose-to-nose with him. "Well, we can't have that, can we?"

And in a rare display of bold affection, Rukia bent her head sideways and kissed Byakuya softly on the lips.

"Hey, what are you doing to the kitchen?" Ichigo grumbled. He watched the brown paper packages littering the kitchen counter, the stained chopping board, the four bubbling pots on the stove, and his mad father in the middle of all of it.

Ichigo stepped into the kitchen and lifted the two packages sitting next to a pot which had obviously simmered the soup inside to perfection. "What's this? A packet of dried Gobo and…." Ichigo lifted the paper package in disbelief. "Deer's penis?"

Isshin laughed. "I'm just experimenting with new combos of herbs. A combo of strength and aphrodisiac. Hahahaha!" He winked at his orange-haired son. "And I think it's working out just fine."

Byakuya looked up as a knock sounded on the door. It was morning the next day and from what he had known, Rukia was in school with Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends. As much as he wanted to go and attend to his classes, Rukia had told him to stay in bed and that she would be back as soon as possible before planting a full kiss on his lips. Caught unawares, Byakuya could only sit in bed and watch as the blushing red girl scurried to the door and smiled back at him before running off.

"Come in." Byakuya shifted the Soul Society documents to one hand and watched as the door opened and an all-too familiar mischievous face popped in.

"Byakuya-san!"

Byakuya almost sighed as he watch Kurosaki Isshin jump into the room, before settling at the chair next to his bedside.

Without invitation, as usual.

"How are you, Byakuya-san?"

"Good." Byakuya was already convinced he had recovered fully and had already wondered why he was even bothered to be bed-ridden.

"So... you were sent back here from Soul Society again? The Hollow problem still ongoing?" Isshin smiled.

Byakuya nodded curtly. "I know it is still here."

"Or was it something else?" Isshin waggled his eyebrows in an exaggerating manner. Byakuya resisted himself from mentally calling out Senbonzakura. With the Kurosaki residence destroyed, they would have nowhere to live and he would rather put up with this bigmouth of a doctor than risk having no roof over Rukia's head.

"Some problems, Byakuya-san? Maybe I could share some man-to-man experience with you!"

Byakuya shook his head and continued reading his documents.

Isshin chuckled. "You can run, but you can't hide, Byakuya-san!" He shook his finger playfully at the young man. "You are starting to get jealous of Rukia-chan's social circle, you possessive little boy!"

Byakuya looked up disdainfully. Isshin sounded like a certain were-cat monster he had the bad luck to meet in this lifetime. But somehow, Isshin's words seemed to have struck something in him.

"You just have to spice up the relationship a little, Byakuya-san! Romance her a little more, I don't see you doing anything at all except trying to replicate a cold statue!" Isshin did not let the deadly glare deter him. "Take her out, take her out for a date!"

"Date?" Byakuya looked up, a hint of curiosity and puzzlement in his grey eyes.

Rukia rushed home, her heart pounding.

What was wrong with Byakuya? He had called from the house phone to the school office and spoke to her. 'Hurry home when you are done' was all but the five words he said. As soon as school let out, Rukia did just that, past the school gates and into one of the shortcut lanes.

He had sounded emotionless and cold on the phone, but she could not detect any evidence of pain or discomfort in his voice. Was something wrong? Was he alright?

Rukia entered the Kurosaki residence and dashed up the stairs. Breathing hard, she flung open the bedroom door and stopped as she watched Byakuya rise up from the desk to look at her. He was wearing a white collared shirt and black pants, and looking cover-boy dashing as always. But Rukia could not focus on that right now.

She approached him worriedly. "Byakuya, what's wrong?"

"Get dressed, Rukia." He pointed to the dress he had apparently laid out on the bed.

"But why? Are you-

"Rukia."

He turned his back on her and Rukia realized he was doing so for her to change immediately. So many questions flooded her mind. What was this? She quickly shrugged off her school uniform and took up the white dress. She did not even feel embarrassed as she dressed in his presence, even though he was turned away. She was too worried.

"I am done, Byakuya. Now wha-

Byakuya turned to her then and she saw something pass in his grey eyes as he looked at her.

"Let's go." Without another word, he strode downstairs. They exited the Kurosaki residence and Byakuya took a left down one of the street.

"Byakuya, what's wrong?" Rukia hurried alongside him.

Byakuya finally turned to her along a side street.

"Rukia, date me."

FACT FILE: Gobo* is burdock root, a popular ingredient in Japanese dishes. :)

Lol, and there you have it! :D Just a little fluff of a chapter! :) As I stated previously, both Byakuya and Rukia are now together and so may appear somewhat different towards each other. This progression chapter just shows that they are warming up to each other's presence, especially Rukia. You could argue that they have been intimate with each other and so should be really open already but I believe with Rukia and Byakuya, they are both very well-mannered and at the early stage of being together, it would be a warming-up stage still. :) I think this applies in Japanese culture, where courtesy is of much importance. And in Byakuya's relationship with Hisana, despite marriage... they are still a little formal with each other.

Now here, I have tried to root Byakuya and Rukia to their basic personalities but they are in love with each other and I believe when in love, Byakuya can show a lot more outward affection and Rukia to slowly lose her shyness, which changes the base of their behaviour to each other. I have tried to preserve whatever personality I can so there you have it. I hope you would give me comments on this because I don't know if I'm doing it right so I'd appreciate feedback.

So I hope you would review this chapter and give me feedback/comments on this one. It would be really appreciated... and not to mention, motivating! :D