Supernova

By Willow Athena

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters, but Rien and this story are mine

Author's note: Picking up this story two years later required a lot of psyching myself up. It was a nagging suspicion that something I had produced was out there, that it well received, and even enjoyed. It's is a happy coincidence that in retrospect, the quote at the beginning of this chapter is so appropriate...I mean, they did meet one midsummer's night

Warning: Rating for this story is M, since chapter 30, so if you're not whatever age this site says then stop reading now.

CHAPTER 36 – Not Love at First Sight

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."

~ William Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream)

It was Rien's birthday. Or at least, it was the day Yoruichi dubbed Rien's birthday – the day Rien had appeared out of nowhere, exactly two years ago and entered their lives. Yoruichi would never miss her little sister's birthday, and so she was visiting the Shihouin Estate to all the Elders' delight. All the elders had insisted that Rien stay at the Shihouin Manor while she recuperated, and no matter how many times she had assured them she was fine, they were adamant. The elders even went so far as to call on Yoruichi and tell her about the 'Arrancar incident' which resulted in Yoruichi's current visit. Once Yoruichi was involved, Rien knew she had no option but to concede to her beautiful and forceful sister.

Although Rien felt close to her friends, none of them came close to the way Yoruichi made her feel. There was just something about the entitled way Yoruichi behaved with her that made Rien feel like family. Yoruichi always though she knew what was best for Rien and felt she had the right, as Rien's older sister, to voice those opinions.

Rien knew Yoruichi felt guilty about not being able to be around as often as she would like, so when Yoruichi was around, she was often too indulgent with Rien and tried to give her too much. Perhaps this pattern had innocently started due to Yoruichi's need to see Rien smile, or at least be distracted away from her longing for Byakuya, but now it was just a guilty habit she enjoyed.

Rien briefly considered telling Yoruichi about her and Byakuya but could not think of what to say or the correct way to approach the topic with her sister. In her mind, Rien had begun the process of telling Yoruichi many times, but never actually got the words out. There really wasn't much to tell, Rien finally decided, and she should probably speak to Byakuya about it first.

She wished she could speak to Byakuya, that she could see him, hold him and taste him once more, but he had been absent for longer than he should have. His two week long mission with Renji had run over schedule and he had been gone for 28 long days… and nights, let's not forget the nights.

Rien looked a little miserable and forlorn but Yoruichi and Rukia assumed it was the same mopey mood she had previously been in due to loneliness. Rien was lonely. She missed him immensely, and endlessly wondered about what could be delaying him. She wasn't worried – he was Kuchiki Byakuya after all, but it was annoying not being able to see him and reassure herself.

Okay, maybe she was a little worried after all.

This was the longest they had been apart since initiating the relationship, and as loving as Byakuya had recently been, there was still a part of Rien that worried that it was all a dream or a momentary fancy for him. She knew him well enough to know he was too noble and compassionate to toy with her, and as such, she tried her best to not act on her insecurities. She wanted to, above all things, be worthy of him. If he ever heard her say this, she knew she would endure mocking and teasing from him, perhaps even anger, in an attempt to reassure her, so she never voiced it.

One day, she hoped to be worthy of being Kuchiki Rien.

Her birthday party was a dull bore without his presence to dazzle her. All her friends were present except Ichigo who had left just before the party had begun. His wounds were still too raw to poke at, and Rien understood. If she could, she would have avoided her party all together. It was mostly filled with elders and shinigami from noble and lesser noble houses, most of whom she didn't know but was apparently supposed to. She hated the fake familiarity with which she greeted her guests once prompted by their name. Even with so many people around her, she still felt incredibly lonely.

Rien had spent the better part of an hour greeting all the distinguished guests and thanking them for all their outrageous gifts, meant more to impress the Shihouin elders than for her own enjoyment. Koryaku taichou had given her the only amusing and embarrassing gift, a framed and signed picture of himself and Jyuushiro at the beach. The Shihouin elders chastised the taichou for the scandalous gift, but Shunsui charmed them into submission.

As silly as it sounded, she wanted Byakuya with her on her birthday. Logic told her that it was just another day, like any other, but for some reason, naming this day as her birthday made being away from him all the more unbearable. Rien wanted him beside her and all around her. She wanted to drown in him. She kept the note, the love letter he had written her, always on her, and frequently hid away from everyone to just stare at it. But a note was no substitute for his arms and his absence was felt all the more keenly because of it.

This was tiresome, she thought, inwardly sighing.

"Happy birthday, Princess."

His beautiful wrist-guarded hand lifted hers to his lips for one feather-soft kiss, his eyes still downcast, afraid to look at Rien with Yoruichi so close at hand.

Rien swiftly withdrew her hand, her body already betraying her. "Thank you, Kuchiki taichou," she said, in as cold and empty a tone as she could manage. How could he leave for a month and not bother to at least check in with her. Could he not understand how utterly distraught she had been when he did not check in with Seireitei as expected after two weeks.

Without a second word or a glance, Byakuya joined the rest of the party guests. Who did he think he was, walking into her birthday party like it was nothing, in the new haori she had given him. He wore a new simplified kensikan, but a kenseikan none the less, she was amused at how it tried but failed to tame his new shoulder-length hair cut. His titles better keep him warm at night, because she certainly wasn't going to. Her irritation was plainly visible and she probably wasn't doing too good of a job not searching in his direction.

"I suppose we have maintained as much etiquette as necessary. Go, Rien, have fun," one of the Shihouin elders said and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you. I'm sorry for my grumpy mood," Rien said with a respectful bow.

Rukia had respectfully flocked to Byakuya's side. What had happened on this mission, Rien wondered. She mourned a silent loss for his long raven hair that she had loved to knot her fingers in. This shoulder-length hair cut was attractive, but…how would he like it if she just up and cut most of her hair off, she thought. This was enough, Rien internally chided, and turned around to deprive herself of him and enjoy what was left of her party with all her friends who had come all the way from the real world to celebrate this insignificant day with her.

When she had finally surrendered and turned around, Byakuya was nowhere to be seen. Typical, she thought.

One small search couldn't hurt. She berated herself for letting her anger so easily slip away at the mere sight of him, she had been building up steam for a few days now but it all really didn't matter now that he was home. In her mind she had constructed a hundred angry things to say to him and began steeling herself to be able to say them without sounding petulant.

Suddenly, she was pulled into a closet just before she turned the corner. It was a cleaning closet she soon realised as she stumbled over a broom and the door was closed.

"Ichi…" she began to accuse but was cut off by soft, hungry lips. Definitely not Ichigo, she thought as she leaned into the kiss and the instigator.

"I've missed you," he finally said as they pulled apart in the dark of the closet.

"Really? I couldn't tell." She allowed her smile to be hidden in the darkness.

"I could always leave until you feel the same."

"Don't you dare. Where the hell have you been?" she said as she playfully punched his left shoulder. She should be angrier, she thought, but could not muster the ire with him right in front of her again. Just the smell of him disarmed her, turning her into pliable fabric longing to be draped across his naked skin.

"It took longer than we had anticipated." He held her against him, lifting her chin up and exposing her beautiful neck. His worship at this alter was long overdue.

"And?"

"And? I would not have returned were I not successful." His nose ran along her jaw to her earlobe, deeply breathing her in. Who did she think he was after all?

"Why are we hiding in the closet?" Her voice quivered as she spoke.

"Because I can't ravish you in public… unless you have changed your mind? You should return to your party. I've just returned, moments ago, few know that I am back yet. When you are done, I will be waiting… at home." He had missed how receptive she was to his touch, the yearning, the desire, the love, all unable to be hidden by her body and beautifully laid out for his enjoyment. He lived and died in her every breath, for her every smile, in every touch of his soul against hers.

"Don't…" she began to protest but was pushed out of the room. A few of the other nobles cast worrying glances in her direction as she emerged from the cleaning closet. She quickly turned the corner and tried to concoct a reason to leave early.

When she returned to the dining hall, Yoruichi was bringing out her birthday cake, all lit up. All her friends, family, and acquaintances began to sing. Jyuushiro who was always at her side, brushed some suspicious dust off her shoulder and instructed, "Make a wish."

She had everything she had ever wanted now, so she was finding it difficult to think of something on the spot – someone should have informed her of this procedure beforehand so she could have come up with something worthwhile. If there was nothing she wanted, she knew two friends in love who could use some luck.

Rien closed her eyes and blew out the candles. She winked at Rukia as she opened her eyes. Rukia was still sick with worry. Rukia had told Rien that Byakuya knew about their relationship, but the commotion had happened so suddenly that nothing had yet been said about the matter. They needed all the luck they could get, Rien thought. Byakuya had at least not killed Renji on the spot, nor would he risk killing Renji and putting the mission in jeopardy, but now that they were back, all hell was no doubt going to break loose.

Rien tried her best to hide her nervous excitement and attempted to calculate what a respectable amount of time was before she could feign tiredness and excuse herself. Ineptly dancing with random nobleman was not her idea of fun, and she was thankfully rescued by Jyuushiro.

Being with Jyuushiro was always comforting, but it sometimes made her feel guilty and strange. He was never inappropriate but she could feel his emotions just beneath the surface of everything that they did together. She felt this patient, enduring affection from him that she felt unworthy of. She was maturing after all, and determined to handle this situation better in the future. Jyuushiro deserved happiness.

It was already 11:30 when she arrived at her bedroom to find Byakuya reading in bed. Though he looked serenely relaxed in his pyjama pants, he must no doubt have been exhausted from his mission, but he had stayed up for her, she realised.

"I'm sorry I took so long –Yoruichi," she explained, only then noticing his bandaged left hand and arm. His arm had black kido bandages all the way up to his shoulder. She did not want to insult his pride or ruin the mood by asking, but it really made her worry for him. It must have been a dangerous opponent and a demanding fight, and here she was just like a child, worried about being abandoned and alone in the world, she had thought she'd grown up a little. She inwardly sighed, she still didn't deserve him, she realised, but let the feeling pass. He was finally there, within arm's reach.

During this month apart, she had concentrated on homework, kido, zanpakuto, and shunko training, anything to distract her from his absence. Yoruichi had worried that she was working herself into the ground, and could not hazard a guess at what her goal was. Rien thought that she would probably be a very stable and well-rounded person if it wasn't for this vulnerability that he brought out in her.

"I am just glad you are here, with me," he said as he offered her his right hand. She came closer and placed her hand in his as he stood up to hug her.

"Happy birthday," he said as they separated.

"Thanks. I thought you might miss it," she said and began undoing the lilac kimono, her hands trembling slightly, fingers ineptly fumbling with the ties securing the kimono. She had forgotten the effect he had on her.

"I would be an awful husband if I did miss your birthday, don't you think? I strive to excel in everything I set my mind to."

"We are not married." She could not help but smile at his insistence.

"But we could be," he said as he steadied her hand and slipped an eternity ring on her ring finger.

Her heart jumped into her throat as she inaudibly gasped, the sound not even wanting to escape. "What is this?" she asked as she pulled her hand closer to her and inspected the ring. It was perfectly sized, and she briefly wondered when he had done that.

"Diamonds last forever," he casually answered, "and I want you to be forever mine."

"We've talked about this, Byakuya," she said in a heavy regretful tone as she removed the ring from her finger, trying to regain some of her composure. She wanted it so badly, but it would change everything, and for that she was sure she was not prepared.

"I thought it was worth a try," he said and smiled. He thought that he had approached asking her all those times in an incorrect way. She was a child of two worlds and she had spent most of her upbringing in Karakura town, and he had recently realised that it was a modern convention to present your fiancé with an engagement ring as sign of the marriage contract. Rien was never one to care about things, so he had little hope that the ring would persuade her, but had decided to try it anyway, to prove his seriousness and stubbornness about the subject.

"I'm sorry. You know I love you, but you can't just spring these things on me, as romantic as it is. If you were thinking about this logically, you would be the first one to outline the complexity of your proposition."

"I would endure anything for you, and I will prove it to you every day until you agree, and for an eternity thereafter," he replied. "Well, here is your birthday present in any case," he added as he fastened the charm bracelet on her right wrist.

Rien turned it around to inspect the three evenly spaced silver charms: a heart, a key, and a cherry blossom. "It's for every birthday that I have ever been with you, and I don't plan on missing any in the future either."

"Thank you. I love it," she replied.

Byakuya had known that if he had led with the bracelet, she would have complained about wearing it and people asking questions about it, but now that she felt guilty about the ring, she was only too happy to unquestioningly accept the bracelet that everyone would see her wearing tomorrow.

Byakuya would soon be late for the mission debriefing with the Captain Commander and was nowhere to be seen. This was so unlike Byakuya, and Renji had taken it upon himself to be his captain's hero, save his pride, and get him there on time. Renji had searched the sixth's squad barracks and the training areas that he knew Byakuya liked to frequent. When he had arrived at the Kuchiki manor, Rukia had informed him that her brother had not been at breakfast. Although Renji knew Rien was probably still at the Shihouin manor from last night, he decided to check if she was around and if she knew anything, this was really important after all.

Renji peeked through Rien's open door. "Rien, have you seen… Taichou?"

Renji felt like he was hallucinating, but he was pretty sure that that was his taichou and that the naked girl against his chest with the long raven hair was Rien. The polite thing to do would be to leave immediately, but he felt oddly frozen by the sight.

"Common courtesy wouldn't kill you, Renji," Byakuya calmly said.

"Hai, Taichou." Renji snapped to attention, respectfully bowed, and left.

"I told you, you should start locking your door," Byakuya smugly said as Rien jumped out of bed and tried to find her training outfit.

"Get dressed, Byakuya," Rien scolded.

"Why? He won't be returning," Byakuya said, as he wrapped the sheet around his waist and stood up. The debriefing had completely slipped his mind with his drug of choice right in front of him. He ambled over to a flustered Rien, held her from behind and started to try and unzip her clothes and undo all her work, but suddenly froze…

"Ni…Nii-sama?"

"That's why," Rien replied as they both turned around, Byakuya in nothing but a sheet.

"Sorry, Taichou," Renji offered as he appeared and then shunpo'ed away with Rukia.

Renji's tan skin had looked white as a sheet when he returned to Rukia, and he didn't seem to have the words to answer any of her questions. She thought something might have happened to Rien again, but nothing could have prepared her for the sight she had seen, her Nii-sama barely clothed and his arms around a fully dressed Rien with such a predatory look in his eyes. After Renji had torn her away from the sight, she started to doubt the voracity of what she had seen. Perhaps it was just a joke Renji had played on her. She escaped his grasp and shunpo'ed back to Rien's room, but no one was there any longer. Rukia decided to check the dining room, only to find Rien seated and eating breakfast.

Byakuya had forbidden Rien from going after Rukia, and normally Rien would have rebelled against his demanding nature, but in all honesty, she really didn't know what to say. Rien knew neither Renji nor Rukia would dare say anything to anyone, but it didn't stop the guilt from rising within her. She had been caught completely unprepared for anyone to find out about their relationship. Renji shunpo'ed in right behind Rukia, which only made Rien feel even more uncomfortable, so she kept her eyes downcast and silently ate her breakfast, filling her mouth each time, I mean, it would be rude to talk with your mouth full, right?

"We have a debriefing to attend, Renji. I wouldn't want your gawking to delay us," Byakuya said as he floated in behind Renji, fully dressed, not a hair out of place, and as serene as ever.

"Hai, Taichou." It was all Renji had been able to say since the sight of his 'little sister' and Byakuya had burned itself into his memory. Renji finally found it in his heart to feel compassion for Byakuya's position concerning his own relationship with Byakuya's younger sister.

Once Byakuya and Renji had left, Rukia still stood planted at the door, her jaw conspicuously dropped, agape with the sight she could not swallow. Rien continued not to address it, but she was running out of things to eat and a queasy feeling began to rise up in her. Rukia eventually sat down next to Rien, not saying a word for the longest time.

"You and…Nii-sama?" Rukia finally managed to choke out.

"Um…I guess," Rien said around her tea cup, eyes still downcast.

"You guess! You'd better be sure about this."

"Yes, yes, yes, ok," Rien assured her, leaning her hand against her forehead to hide her eyes from Rukia's intense scrutiny.

"I know you would never, but if you ever hurt him, I will have to kill you with my own two hands," Rukia fiercely said then softened and sat back, finally smiling.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Rien breathed a sigh of relief and finally relaxed a little, only to have Rukia hit her over the head with her tiny fist.

"How could you not tell me? And here I was praying to the ancestors every day for you two to finally get a break. How did I not see it? He was humming, wasn't he? But, that was…" Rukia began counting on her fingers, and thinking back to the first happy mood she had suspected. "Two months, it's been two months?" Her voice filled with accusation, her tiny fist balling up in front of her again.

"Hey, keep your voice down, no one else knows…Well, I think all the servants know, but that's about it," she said with a blush.

"That's not good, but unavoidable I guess. How have none of them told Kimiko-san yet? Has Nii-sama threatened them with death?" Rukia asked, hands on the table and leaning in. Rien really didn't know how dangerous Byakuya's grandmother could be.

"No, I'm not sure they really like her demanding ways, she is quite severe with them," Rien diplomatically offered, it seemed like her politics lessons were coming along nicely, Rukia thought. "They used to all ignore me, but they have been surprisingly nice to me recently. Byakuya must be really good to them for them to be so loyal to him," Rien had recently reasoned. I mean, one of the older servants, Haruka-san, had even supervised the decorating of Rien's lounge at Byakuya's request. Rien had endured this solitary month without him, with Byakuya's books, and new book shelves, a piano, and a soft black velvet couch filling out her inter-leading lounge. She realized he spent most of his time at home with her now, and that it was inefficient to have his things separated from hers, but she had to hand it to Byakuya, he really had a way of taking over someone else's space, even when he was nowhere to be found.

Rukia leaned in, smiling an evil all knowing smile. "Tell me everything. So, it was love at first sight for you, I guess. I'm glad Nii-sama has finally returned it."

"No, I don't think it was love at first sight. I did not love him that first time I kissed him – how could I have, I didn't even know him. But he was my first memory, and for that fact alone, I couldn't seem to shake this connection that I felt with him. I saw so much pain in his eyes that first time, and I egocentrically thought I had caused it."

"I was naïve to think that my mere existence had affronted him, like I had meant enough to him to cause a ripple in the stillness of his soul." Rien had thought about her a journey a lot while enduring his recent absence.

"He was a priceless diamond, his hardened exterior made him beautiful to look at, and in that moment when I kissed him, I had unthinkably shattered his soul, or so I thought. I felt like his pain was my doing, so I tortured myself with Mayuri. Once I knew more, once I was with Yoruichi, I realised I was less than nothing to him. With child-like wonder I marvelled at the light bouncing off the shattered pieces of his soul and called that love." Rukia felt a bit guilty at hearing Rien say this, along with other losses, her sister Hisana played a part in shattering his soul, but unlike the selfishness her sister had shown Byakuya, Rukia had vowed to protect his heart and soul, only if Rien proved to be worthy would she receive her blessing.

"How could you not love someone who occupies your every thought? I felt connected to him – I made him into the person I love, I gave him the power to enter my inner world. I chose him. When he ran me through, I told him I loved him, but it wasn't true. Hmph. The insincerity of my words makes me cringe, even now. What I felt for him was intense, how could it not be when he saturated my thoughts, but it was not real love – not like I feel it now."

"I was too childish to understand the meaning of the words back then. Being around him this year has turned my infatuation with him into something far more precious than I ever imagined. I have finally come to understand what it means to love someone, and even more rare, to have that person love you back. It is not a simple task and yet continues to be a universal pursuit. I love him more with every second that I am alive, so no – I don't consider it love at first sight."

Well, Rukia was relieved to say the least, Rien had moved a long way from 'I guess' to this current declaration, and she was glad her brother had finally found someone who was worthy of his love.

"So, tell me all about the first time he said 'I love you'," Rukia pried, leaning in with a dreamy expression and hearts in her eyes, her chin resting in the palms of her hands.

"Oh, um…" Rien reminisced, but now that she really gave it some thought, she realized he had never actually said the words to her. "I don't think he's ever come right out and said them," Rien acknowledged.

"But you two have obviously…" Rukia turned as red as a tomato at the thought. "I'm so sorry, Rien, I just thought…Baka, Nii-sama!" The apology was written all over Rukia's innocent face.

Rien waved the apology away with both hands. "No, no it's fine, I know he loves me, and he says more than enough embarrassing and dreamy things," she tried to assure Rukia, even though Rukia persisted with her pitying expression.

Rien wondered how she could be so sure of something that had never been declared. How had Byakuya managed to make her feel it so strongly that it did not need to be said? She had no doubt that she was loved, and perhaps Rukia and Renji knowing wasn't as disastrous as she had first thought. Perhaps everything wouldn't have to change. Her friends knowing about her happiness made her feel more clam about the subject, that it wasn't just a fantasy, and that his love would not just simply slip through her fingers like a dream trying to be recalled in the harsh light of day.

Author's Note

As I said, I reread this from start to finish before reposting the removed chapters, and I was kinda proud of myself for developing the story and characters up to this point. When I went over my chapter notes for this story and read that Byakuya had never said it, I was really surprised that I had so slyly managed to do that, that even I didn't notice it two years later. Most of this chapter was written 2 years ago, and only needed fleshing out. The story has been planned from way back when, and I so stupidly stopped writing when I had finally gotten things to be where I needed them to be, so awesomeness, background, and clarity coming up soon.

Response to Reviews:

Lu: I am your fangirl, Lu. I'm glad you're picking up everything I'm putting down. I'd like to apologise for the 2 year wait for this update. I hope this finds you with a more stable internet connection and still in love with this couple.

Collins; Sailorm4rs; Blackstar: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, my writing, and that my hard work shone through.

Mariko-Sama28: It's nice to know that I had managed to entertain and entice someone with a full life and responsibilities to read all 35 chapters in one go. I completely agree with you about tension in some fanfictions and series. I was striving for a good balance of tension and affection that could be carried through without it being OOC, and Byakuya is a complex guy and he deserves someone complex in return. Just because you love someone, doesn't mean that things are all rosy and easy, I think its takes negotiating to truly accommodate someone in your life. As for her reproductive capacity, no, you did not space out, I only hinted that she has access through the Shihouin Special Force's (Onmitsukidou) reports, as do all the captains, to the reports Mayuri submitted on her, which she was frustrated about, and Mayuri suggested that he thinks she is 'unique, even if he finds her unremarkable', what she gleaned by that was that she lacked the normal development necessary for reproduction. I mean, there have to be some draw backs to appearing in Soul Society fully formed.

DayDreamer1606: As always, I really enjoy your reviews and thanks for the PM of encouragement and concern. I am determined to finish this story. Please PM me with the name of that other incomplete OC story you enjoyed, I'm so curious. Why are so many Bya stories yaoi? Then there are the dreary Hisana stories and aren't the ByaRuki stories a bit incestuous? When someone's been your brother for over half a decade, it's safe to say they are siblings in every sense of the word.

Midnakitty: I fangirled a little over your review. Loved it. Byakuya deserves to have Rien be more complex than she is now to withstand him, and I'm striving towards it. More background on her coming up soon.

YasashiiAkaiNeko: Let's all spend all our sleepless nights together wrapped up in Byakuya and Rien, in Kubo Tite's world of Bleach.

Please remember to Review. I really would love any feedback from my readers, as undeserving as I am of encouragement, I'd really appreciate it.

~Willow~