Note: For those that reviewed the last chapter, you guys are super-super-spectacular and I really do appreciate it!

WHEN THE SNOW FALLS
by Yih

Chapter Thirty-five
Wedding Night

The light was dim in the room, the haze of moonlight seeping in and chasing the darkness away, when Byakuya carried Rukia in and gently placed her onto the bed. Rukia started to untie the ribbons holding her kimono together when Byakuya pulled her hands away.

"Let me," he said.

Rukia blushed and Byakuya smiled a little. He undid her ties and slowly unwrapped the kimono. There were many layers to pull away before he reached her inner garments. He stopped there when he saw the delicate lace that covered her lithe body.

"Are you nervous?" he asked, looking away from her body to her face.

"A little," she admitted. She bit her bottom lip. "Are you?"

"A little," he echoed.

She smiled at that and hesitantly placed her hands on his chest. "Do you… would you like me to undress you?"

He smiled and she pushed his clothes off his shoulders, letting them fall to the ground. Rukia bit her bottom lip as she peeled off the last layer of his clothes and he stood bare-chested in front of her. Byakuya cupped her face in his hands and kissed her gently.

"There is no need to be embarrassed," he murmured.

He hooked his thumbs into his pant bottoms and pushed them down, stepping out of them and moving closer to her. He pressed his naked body against her, hugging her close to him.

"Will you join me in bed?"

She nodded against his chest. Byakuya carefully led her to the bed and pushed her down until she was sitting on it, then he placed his hands on her undergarment. He looked at her, waiting for her approval. She took the edge of the lacy shift and pulled it up, over, and off.

Byakuya swallowed and he slowly let his eyes roam over Rukia's lithe body before his gaze returned to her face. "You're beautiful," he said.

"So are you," Rukia said.

She reached for him, pulling him on top of him and Byakuya was fiercely glad she was no longer hesitating. Rukia wasn't shy or retiring, that was not the person she was. This was more like her, for her to hold onto him and to bring him closer to her.

Byakuya inhaled her wonderful scent and positioned himself so that he wasn't crushing her. He then began to kiss her lips slowly, taking time to worship her wonderfully soft lips in a way he'd never had before. It was hard not to get impatient, to move to other parts, but why rush this precious moment?

Rukia was the one who broke the kiss, smiling languidly at him. "I love the way you kiss me," she said, reaching up with her hand to touch his cheek. "I love you. I… I want to make you happy and I don't know how." She was blushing a bright pink now. "You'll have to show me."

Byakuya groaned and kissed the sweet corners of her mouth then lingering on her lips. "I love you," he said, holding her close, feeling her underneath him. "I love you so much."

-

While Byakuya and Rukia were enjoying their first night together as a married couple, Takahiro had gathered the elders closest to him for an important secret meeting that he had purposefully kept from Byakuya. Takahiro did not like going behind the back of the Head of the Kuchiki clan, but in this case he had no choice.

Byakuya was blindly in love with Rukia and while it had made it possible for him to be attached again, there was no guarentee of an heir. Takahiro meant to hold both of them to their promise. They might be wedded, but Takahiro wanted an heir from them before he allowed their life to be easy.

"You know why I have called this meeting," Takahiro began. "It is clear that this marriage like Byakuya-sama's previous one is a love match; however, while his happiness and Rukia-sama's is important – the paramount concern is that of an heir. How do you propose we enforce the promise?

"We have already said we would not approve of them being together until they have provided us an heir to the Kuchiki clan. Now they are married, since we could not allow Rukia-sama to conceive out of wedlock and it would go against Byakuya's honor for him to bed her when they were not man and wife. They have their deepest wish. How shall we ensure ours?"

"She must retire immediately from her shinigami post!" one of the elders exclaimed.

Another elder nodded. "It is unfortunate that she has just attained her seated position after having failed when she first joined the Gotei 13."

"While her position as third seat of Squad 13 is a highly respectable post," Takahiro remarked, "providing an heir to one of the Great Noble Houses is far more important. I do not think Byakuya-sama would be against her retirement. I believe he would want to keep her safe and to do that it would be far easier if she was not a shinigami."

"I doubt Rukia-sama will appreciate this," one of the elders said astutely. "She has always been stubborn… determined to prove herself."

"She must realize her duty as the wife of Kuchiki Byakuya."

"There is another, greater concern," one elder stated. "You do remember Hisana's difficulties, do you not?"

Several of the elders nodded and one of them posed the question: "What if Rukia-sama cannot conceive like her sister?"

It was one of Takahiro's gravest concerns with the marriage, knowing the difficulties Hisana had when she had tried to conceive the Kuchiki heir. She was of a delicate constitution, unlike Rukia. However, Rukia did resemble her sister greatly and what was even more worrisome was that Rukia was more petite than Hisana. If Rukia could carry a baby to full-term, how would she handle the birthing?

Takahiro closed his eyes and said a quick prayer to the gods. He did not think Byakuya could bear to have his heart broken again, especially when Takahiro had the great suspicion that Byakuya was even more enamoured with Rukia than he had ever been with Hisana. It only made sense. Byakuya knew Rukia for longer and they shared more qualities and this was not a first love kind of love. This was more mature and far deeper.

"We must hope she does," Takahiro said firmly as he opened his eyes. "We must do everything in our power to make sure she can."

A/N: Review and you'll get to see the more explicit part of the "Wedding Night." I know I said I would send the omake out (and I did send a preview to those that did review); however the omake was getting to be chapter length, so I decided to make it part of a chapter instead and cut out anything that might be inappropriate. It's really hard to write a tasteful lovemaking scene that isn't corny and cheesy and appropriate for Rukia and Byakuya, so bear with me.

Besides the more you review, the more likely I'll work on this story than my other story ^-^! You already guilted me into writing this a lot faster than I would have otherwise!

Released: 3/27/2009