Undertones
By: WhisperedSilvers
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Set the cheetahs on the loose
There's a thief on the move
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awkward footing in the devil's mouth
"What is your relationship with my sister?" Byakuya asked, his eyes furrowed, the corner of his jaw clicking, his anger taking the form of his reiatsu in dark thunder and the grip on his Sebonzakura tightening.
Hitsugaya couldn't say he was surprised by this question, he was expecting it and he answered smoothly, "She is my subordinate. I would like her to be my friend."
His dark eyebrow twitched, replying dryly, "Captains having friends is unheard of."
He shrugged, not caring if he didn't believe him, his eyes glittering under the moon, "Rukia and I…are very similar."
The Head of the Kuchiki clan made no comment, because it wasn't far from the truth. Despite the elemental reiatsu they share, they were very much similar in personality, whereas Rukia was a bit more humble and pure—Hitsugaya was anything but.
"Is that it?"
His tone was dangerous, which was surprising, Byakuya Kuchiki didn't do emotions, but if anything, he was hell-bent on being over-protective over his younger sibling. That includes protecting his oblivious younger sister from overzealous, mind-fucking suitors, who did not know what they wanted—a headache began to form beneath the elder Kuchiki's right eye.
It was to Hitsugaya's shock that he felt the tendrils of discomfort twitch in the pit of his stomach, he replied after a moment, "Yes, nothing more."
"Is my sister not good enough for you?" His tone was sharp, curt and the beginning of his blades began to glint in the moonlight.
Hitsugaya paused, physically surprised by the question, eyes a fraction wider he spoke after what felt like an hour, "I do not want to initiate that type of relationship with your sister. I do not like her that way."
"Why?"
He shrugged; he didn't understand why he felt like he owed Byakuya an explanation. It didn't help, because for some reason he felt guilty.
The ceiling didn't change, he'd been staring at it for a good hour, thinking, thinking about the conversation he had with Captain Kuchiki not even three days ago. His office was quiet, his lieutenant—Gods knows where, Gods knows doing what, and him leaning in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
Sometimes, he didn't know what he was doing, it pained him to even admit that. Captain Ukitake had asked him to train with Rukia, to evolve her shinsei sainou. He agreed of course, but then he got to know her. He knew that there were layered pieces of her personality, hidden beneath a sheath of ice of the Kuchiki mask, pieces of her personality he had begun to scratch—scratch the surface.
He saw them, glimpses of her true personality, hiding under a sea of ice. They were just so compatible, so comfortable with each other—so honest, and he had never felt that way with anyone. It was just so easy—he just forgot himself and his title when he was with her.
—how terrifyingly natural it was to be with her.
He suppose he was pushing it, her limits that was, with the dinners, and the sly answers. He wasn't flirting or anything, everything he did was harmless. But he remembered when they were at the waterfall, how close his mouth was to her stomach and the lodge in his stomach lurching at the marks o her skin and how he wanted to heal them, because someone like her did not deserve to be hurt like that.
It could've been anyone else.
Just not her.
Then, then there was that episode when he was in the room. Just previous to the attack by Kōga Kuchiki, how she selflessly, recklessly threw her moronic friend out of the way, her back feeling the blunt of the blow, her face slamming into the grass and how she didn't move—didn't open her eyes after.
He had felt it.
Fear.
For the first time in months since Momo was hospitalized. It made him shift, it made the ice in him crack, it made Hyronimaru roar and he was moving before he knew it.
All he wanted was to take the pain away. Rukia didn't deserve any pain; she didn't deserve any of the trouble she's been through—none of it. He had basically told Byakuya to get lost so he could heal her, which didn't help at all. Her back was raw, charred flesh and pinkness that were starting to scab over, dried blood and tight muscles.
She was tiny. So very tiny. Her back that gracefully branched out to her chest, her collarbones up to her neck were long, the small dip of her waist and rounded curve of her hips lit by the moon made her seem unreal. He blew ice and more ice over her skin, wishing that the wounds would disappear and never, ever come back. He had seen the muscles twitch and spasm and that drop in temperature—he healed it, freezing the muscle before it thawed and relaxed.
But then she stood up and Hitsugaya could clearly see the bright pink mark he missed underneath her twin-dimples, it had a smidge of blood and looked like it had burnt her bones as well. Ignoring her sputters, he pushed her down and healed her. His lips accidently brushed her spine—smooth, smooth, freshly healed, marble skin and his lips tingled.
When he inquired about the goosebumps on her back, she lied, badly. Annoyed, he grasped the back of her hair and give a soft yank until he could see her eyes—he wanted to choke because he saw much more than her eyes.
The dips and hollows of collarbones were revealed in the most innocent manner with the towel covering her breasts and the small swells that looked angry, due to the increasing pressure of the rough cloth. Her neck—long pale neck, with the small indents of her bones running up to her chin and her lips red from being bitten—
And then he was on her, with his legs on each side of her hips, both of his elbows near her ears and legs tangled with hers. When his eyes opened, he could count every single eyelash she had, how her eyebrows were a fraction lighter than her actual hair and how the cloth on her chest was a breath away from sliding off her sternum and her lips that were red, a rose red and—
Hitsugaya groaned and slammed his head onto the desk.
Desire and attraction were nearly the same thing, but he was friends with Rukia—so that had to be all. Because once emotions were in the mix, it was all or nothing, and she had a lot of nothings in her life, he was sure of it.
Regret was an emotion he's never accepted nor learned—it's something she didn't need.
And he wasn't going to start now.
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Underneath our legions rule
They have taken Cleopatra
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Rukia was in her room, enjoying her solitude and enjoying the confusing dragon known as Captain Hitsugaya. She had slapped herself once again, because referring to him, as a dragon was cliché and stupid. If anyone were to refer to him as such, it would be Ichigo because Ichigo was stupid.
He really wasn't, but that was beside the point.
He was stupid to her.
Speaking of Ichigo, this gift he had sent her, was Godsent.
This IPod, if she remembered correctly, was the best thing since her hollow—cellphone thing and she spent the entire day—her off day, dancing around her room, and learning all the words to the songs that were imported onto her IPod.
She remembered that Ichigo had said his mother was born in America before she moved to Japan, orphaned due to an accident; another family took her in. Which had explained the English songs in her IPod. Ichigo spoke English, why should he not listen to English music?
She supposed it was good, after all, shinigami that were born in the Soul Society, language was universal, they were born knowing all languages from the World of the Living.
If they didn't, how would they scavenge a whole world?
"And I tried to buy your pretty heart, but the price is too high," Rukia tossed her hair back as she sang, sliding feet on the floor.
Her eyes were closed, the earphones deep in her ears, "You love me when I fall apart."
The door slid open with Renji's eyes exasperated and maybe a little amused, he sighed, "Rukia."
"So you can put me together,"
He raised an eyebrow, before he called her a bit more loudly this time, "Rukia!"
"And throw me against the wall."
"RUKIA!" Renji's face rivaled his hair; his jaw was slacked, or was it tight? She couldn't tell. She removed her earphones before looking at him with a quizzical expression.
"Yeah?"
He coughed uncomfortable that words like that came out of her mouth, no matter the fact that she was actually singing, but he physically shook his head before replying, "Captain wants to see you in the kitchen."
Violet eyes blinked, "Nii-sama is in the…kitchen?"
He shrugged, "I don't know. Just go."
Rukia tightened her lips, instead of yelling at her idiot friend for his condescending tone and command, she slipped out of her room, kicking her baboon in the ankle before elegantly turning sharply, walking quickly to the kitchen.
Byakuya sat at the counter, a teacup held firmly in his hands and his fingers wanted to twitch. She walked quietly, whatever her Nii-sama wanted to say, must be important. She noticed the cold tea, in his hands, and confirmed her thought, it must be extremely important for he Nii-sama to have a cup of cold jasmine tea.
"You've summoned me, Nii-sama?" Rukia asked pleasantly taking a seat next to her older brother.
The dates smelled fresh, with a sprig of mint and sugar. The bowl on the left of the teacup was begging for her attention, but her Nii-sama was important. Much more important.
"Yes," He turned charcoal eyes to her for a moment before grasping the bowl of dates and placing it in front of her, "Would you like to spar with me?"
The dates, it's existence completely disappeared when Rukia focused glossy mauve orbs onto her brother with barely constrained surprise, she asked softly, hopefully, "You want to train with me, Nii-sama?"
Her eyes may be sparkling, but this was a legitimate question.
"I wish to scrutinize and evaluate your abilities."
Which quickly translated into: yes.
Rukia's lips were twitching so much, as she struggled not to beam, that her brother wondered if she was going to start crying.
"Okay!" She replied and she couldn't help the inappropriate and un-Kuchiki like answer, because she was grinning.
But if she squinted, Rukia could see Byakuya's eyes soften.
Just a little.
Training took place in the Kuchiki gardens, where the dojo or training area that was left for Squad Six, lay. It was warm, but Rukia was thrumming with excitement and glee that her beloved, highly esteemed Nii-sama wanted to train with her.
Other than that, part of her felt extremely mortified of having her ass handed to her by her beloved, highly esteemed Nii-sama.
"Rukia," Her brother started, before unsheathing Sebonzakura "Don't hold back."
They were clashing, zanpakutos flying and sparks singing. Rukia surprised Byakuya by meeting each of his blows with her zanpakuto, of course he was stronger, physically, but Rukia had learnt a lot with Captain Hitsugaya. She used her smaller body to move quicker, move lightly, a bit more graceful than her Nii-sama.
Well, she would like to hope, at least.
Her blows were blocked by her Nii-sama and vice versa. His shoulders were tense and his swings were flexible, but Rukia ducked easily before using her zanpakuto swipe his legs and then blocking the blow behind her head.
She's seen her brother's moves, it was harder to predict, she knew that, her brother didn't do things that were half-assed, and he was fast.
But so was Captain Hitsugaya—she scowled.
Here, she was sparring with her brother and that damned Captain kept popping in her thoughts.
She barely managed to avoid a cut on her cheek.
"You're slipping, Rukia," It sounded like a taunt.
Rukia's fingers grab the humidity in the air, fingers turning into claws, she threw the ice daggers at her brother, obviously he used shunpo to reach the other side, but Rukia manipulated the humidity in the air to swing the ice back.
A dagger nicking his shoulder - beautifully.
Byakuya's eyes widened fractionally. Before she could beam at the fact that she actually caused hard to her Nii-sama in a mock fight, Sebonzakura was flying – petals floating and she almost froze.
If anything, her brother would cut off his own arm before he used Sebonzakura on her. He would cut it off and burn it right in front of her. The fact that her brother used his Sebonzakura, proving to her that she was worth witnessing his shikai, worth showing her that she was a challenge and that she could handle her brother's attack made something warm in her chest.
It wasn't the time to hesitate, unsealing Sode no Shirayuki, she used Hakuren's icy mist to spin into a dome, the same attack she used on Captain Hitsugaya. While Sebonzakura's blades were sharp enough to cut the ice, spinning and spinning the ice layered in form of sheets, while it broke each individual layer it was impossible to reach her—the core of the Hakuren.
Rukia knew she couldn't keep spinning, her head began to hurt at the limitations of her technique, she used Flash Steps up, now she's in the sky, and the dome had begun to dismantle. She wasted no time, slamming Hakuren onto the ground, the terrain iced over into spikes and ridges.
Byakuya was moving, a dizzying pattern of shunpo, he maneuvered Sebonzakura to follow her, chase her, and pin her.
She wasn't good enough to defeat her Nii-sama, that she knew, but she could dodge and deflect as best as she could. Threading fingers into the humidity, she shifted her weight to throw ice needles that deflected the cherry blossoms that came to close to her. Obviously, it didn't hit all the blossoms, because her control was not that good, but it bought her enough time for her to open her mouth and blow.
An icy wind knocked Byakuya a good twenty feet back, the petals freezing, the excess weight of the water that froze the blades fell to the ground, unusable. It surprised her of course, but no more than Byakuya, because he couldn't lift those petals back up.
It didn't matter, because suddenly, there were thousands and thousands of petals that brushed the air, like a wave pink, blades and blades, and Rukia did not have enough air in her lungs to freeze those petals until they tumbled to ground—she shifted.
It's like a prickle, the fine hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Something—something, her eyes shifted to the left, she narrowly dodged the swarm of pink, and then—then the wave of pink froze in front of her, a wave of frozen ice and a warm figure stood next to her, so close that she could feel the warmth, a comforting warmth—
"Well, would you look at this?" Hitsugaya said rather than questioned, eyes snapping towards him, she watched him with the slightest bit of disbelief, other than that she couldn't say she was surprised. He had this annoying habit of appearing when she least needed him to be, he continued, "Is this a Kuchiki training session?"
Rukia answered warily, "Does it matter?"
You're going to intrude either way.
"Can I help you, Captain Hitsugaya?" Byakuya interrupted with a voice that could stop time. His eyes narrowed at the man who stood in his little sister's personal space.
"No," He said pleasantly, "But I could help, Rukia."
Violet eyes glinted eerily, she flickered her eyes to him, not understanding his angle. "What?"
Hitsugaya looked at her, before asking, "Would you like some help, Rukia?"
She answered before her brain could come up with a response, "No."
His eyebrows rose.
"Nii-sama wanted to spar with me. I don't want you to—" Rukia was interrupted when a large ice claw swiped at her brother, he dodged nonetheless, but he wasn't any less irritated.
"Interfere." She finished inaudibly.
"Too late," He said flatly, he looked at her again, "Attack him from the left."
Hitsugaya disappeared, he was behind her brother and they were dancing. Rukia goggled, they were slashing their sealed zanpakutos—when had her Nii-sama sealed his zanpakuto? They were moving so fast that her eyes couldn't almost keep up with their blurred movements.
She felt ashamed that she felt kind of invisible. It wasn't her fault, Captain Hitsugaya stuck his nose in other people's business, specifically her business and—
"Any day, Rukia!" Hitsugaya bellowed, he slammed Hyronimaru against Byakuya's shoulder and she nearly growled.
Rukia rolled her eyes before she used Hakuren to freeze her brother's feet to the ground, from the left, Hitsugaya pushed him back and she grabbed a hold of his feet before he could used shunpo to disappear. Using kido the elder Kuchiki nearly singed Captain Hitsugaya's haori, and Rukia rushed forward intent on placing her blade near his neck.
Hitsugaya sensed that Byakuya was going to release his shikai to break the ice, he stabbed his zanpakuto onto the ground and used Hakuda to stop him from using his zanpakuto—
"Did I win, Nii-sama?" Rukia asked when her blade touched the back of his neck, she was breathing hard, running too fast and too hard.
Byakuya's eye twitched, because Hitsugaya was facing him and his sister was in the back of him, and he answered slowly, "Yes."
Captain Hitsugaya snorted before sheathing Hyorinmaru back into his holster. He stood up straight, hands underneath his chest, and he wasn't looking at Rukia but her older brother.
If Rukia noticed the shift in temperature—she didn't react.
If anything, everything, changed and it wasn't a slow, subtle, almost-didn't-happen kind of change, no this was dramatic and sharp—almost like a whiplash. He didn't say anything that wasn't abnormal for Captain Hitsugaya, but it was the way he said it.
"Will I being seeing you for dinner, Rukia?" Byakuya's eyes shifted to her, his arms crossed under his chest as well.
She thought for a moment, before replying, "Yes."
He nodded and as he left, he passed her and spoke lowly, just enough for her to hear him.
You have improved, Rukia.
She beamed.
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Run, run, run, come back for my glory
Cleopatra, Cleopatra
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"I actually have an assignment today," Rukia finally admitted after another training session with Captain Hitsugaya, she's laying on the grass and he isn't looking at her but at the sky. "I got the message this morning—on my day off too."
"When?"
"Couple hours."
He's quiet at first and then he asked with curiosity, "Whom are you going with?"
"Ikkaku, Yumichika and Shuhei." She replies absent-mindedly.
"You're going on a hollow-extermination assignment?" Hitsugaya asked with incredulity tinting his tone. What was Head-Captain Yamamoto thinking? They've all been subjected to the zenpo, so why—
"We have more experience dealing with those hollows," Rukia deadpanned.
Obviously.
His eyebrow twitched, "Who is on lead for the assignment?"
"Me."
Hitsugaya's eyes widened, proud he was, but surprised nonetheless. Rukia had a hell of a lot of field experience compared to most captains, and she was getting closer and closer to bankai everyday, the Head-Captain must have saw something he didn't see, and vaguely, he wondered if Captain Kuchiki knew about her assignment.
"Are you going to be okay?" He asked with hesitation, because friends were allowed to be concerned for each other.
She raised an eyebrow at nothing, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Your son," Hitsugaya spoke quickly, "I mean is it okay—you know if you…" He trailed off not knowing what else to say and it annoyed him slightly, at how flustered—if he could call it flustered, he'd stick with the word uncertain, because it sounded much better—he felt. He didn't know what else to say, he felt like he were intruding on something important and he felt as if he were pushed to the side not understanding—not knowing anything.
At the words of your son, coming from Captain Hitsugaya's mouth, it left her feeling cold and pale all over, because those were two words she never wanted to hear coming from him—ever.
Rukia swallowed thickly, trying to calm her freakin' heart, because it felt like it wanted to jump out of her chest, she fisted moist hands into the soft blades of the grass, before replying just as thickly, "I'll be fine."
And even to her own ears, she knew it sounded like a lie.
"Want to grab some lunch?" Hitsugaya felt the need to distract her, even if the task was basic and tedious. He didn't like the horror-stricken face; perhaps she was a bit more invested in her future than she would like to admit.
She thought about if for a minute before she shook her head, "Sure."
Hitsugaya should have known better when he allowed her to pick the restaurant, because once again, they were back at Kyoko's pub.
He remarked dryly, "Why am I not surprised?"
Rukia's lips quirked a little.
They got a booth tucked neatly in the corner of the establishment, unlike the traditional table and parallel chairs, this booth was a bit more intimate, and it made her bit more wary of the hot-and-cold Captain of Squad Ten. The cushion made of cotton, warmed her through her clothes, she sat with very little grace onto the seat.
"Rukia-san! You're back!" Shin remarked arriving at the table with menus, purple eyes gleaming at her lunch partner. Making a mental note of the powerful man, he glanced back at her.
"Always am, Shin-san. A pot of jasmine tea?" Rukia greeted before looking over at Captain Hitsugaya for his approval.
He nodded in consent.
"Of course, I'll be right back."
It was quiet again, she had to refrain from fidgeting at the nearly silent atmosphere, normally she wouldn't mind the silence, but somehow she felt as if there were an edge to this lunch.
She didn't look at him; instead she watched the colorful orange lanterns that hung on banners.
"Rukia," Hitsugaya decided to break the silence first. His thought process was not steady, determined and organized as it usually was; instead it was jumbled, broken and messy. A lot, there was a lot that weighed heavily on his mind—this morning's bombardments of self-realization and self-reflection had him spinning in a sea of ambition.
"Yes?"
He blinked slowly at her; he struggled, "Would you like to come with me to visit Momo?"
The edges of ice sharpened inside her. This was the first time he had ever voluntarily spoke about Hinamori-san…and while she spent most of her days with Captain Hitsugaya, he never once mentioned anything—anything about her. Cautiously, she furrowed her eyebrows, "Hinamori-san?"
"Yes."
A beat passed.
She still did not understood, so she pressed, "Any particular reason?"
For the first time, Rukia witnessed Captain Hitsugaya actually look uncomfortable, she blinked a few more times than necessary, but she still waited. Intent on receiving an answer, she looked at him curiously.
He sighed, slightly ashamed for admitting what he was about the same, "Ever since…Aizen's defeat, I haven't spoken to Momo."
For a moment Rukia looked at him, stupefied, for one thing, she understood what it was like to have a childhood friend, but to ignore them – she and Renji had a rocky relationship with him after she was taken into the Kuchiki clan, an even more unstable one when she was sent to be executed—she grimaced here, but even she knew, that this tension had to come to an end, one day.
"Why?" Rukia clarified after a second, "Why haven't you seen her?"
Before Hitsugaya could reply, Shin came back with a pot of jasmine tea and more than a couple cups. Shin with deep mauve orbs asked kindly, "Are you ready to order?"
She looked at him and he inclined his head in acceptance.
"Peppered yakitori with white rice and gyoza." Rukia said simply.
"An udon bowl and plate of sashimi."
Shin wrote down the orders on his notepad before turning to Rukia, he spoke apologetically, "I apologize in advance Rukia, but my father has just arrived. I will try to distract him as much as possible."
She gave him a half-smile, dark hair tucked behind her left ear, "Don't worry about it."
Shin gave another smile before taking his leave.
Hitsugaya was quick, teal orbs inquisitive, "Is this the same man you were speaking about earlier?"
Rukia pursed her lips, "Yes," She poured herself and the captain some tea, "I haven't seen him in some time, actually."
"Should I be prepared?" He asked dryly.
Violet orbs glittered, "Of course," She paused before sipping her cup and repeated her question, "Why haven't you visited Hinamori-san?"
Hitsugaya remained silent before tilting his head to the side, stretching the tendons in his neck before sighing tiredly, licking his lips, he replied, "Momo was mentally unstable after the betrayal of Aizen…the manipulation the bastard had implanted in her head caused psychological trauma, after that she was placed in Unohana's ward as a medical patient. Despite the injuries she sustained during that time, she recovered from them physically. She fell into a deep coma after," He lifted his tea and sipped, before continuing, allowing the floral, yet earthy texture to coat his tongue, "She came around again about five months ago—"
"The battle with Aizen."
"Yes," His tone clipped, "She was there fighting—protecting Matsumoto, he manipulated me—manipulated Momo, again, and I thought I killed her—"
"Stop," Rukia spoke harshly, she didn't want to hear the rest. She had heard bits and pieces of the battle from Ichigo, she didn't want to here anymore. Her tea had gone cold. She placed it on the table, and swallowed, "What happened after?"
A touch of frost colored his eyes for a second, he laid back onto the cushion of the booth, "She went back into a coma."
Rukia remained silent. Processing the information that had just been released to her. She looked at him, trying to understand, trying to ignore her own personal feelings, because Aizen was a part of her life she desperately wanted to leave behind—the consequences of his actions led her life to this—this point, and to entangle her life into his, just as he did is something she did not want.
"Why haven't you visited her?" She asked again and this time she wanted an answer.
Hitsugaya looked at her and somewhere inside her, Rukia knew that she already knows the answer, because it became so natural to know him—to know everything and she really wished that it hadn't come down to this.
Fear.
The only emotion that can truly hold back a person's potential.
"Gyoza and yakitori, udon and sashimi," Shin interrupted the duo by placing the food onto the table. He quickly taking note of the tense atmosphere, the fact that they haven't looked away from each other and the heady emotions that seemed to crackle in the air, he quickly tossed in, "Please enjoy."
And left.
"I'll come," Rukia finally answered, she made up her mind, while distance was the most important concept in their…relationship—she grimaced, if she could call it that, she also knew it was dishonorable to ignore a plea for help—no matter the wording, and Rukia was raised better than that.
"Thank you," The ice inside him melted and Hitsugaya's words and eyes were heartfelt and Sode no Shirayuki's fingers brushed her shoulder in ghostly manner in an effort to calm her erratic reiatsu.
In attempt to be nonchalant she shrugged, effortlessly hiding the way he managed to shake her up, muttering her thanks she savored the blue gyoza, before commenting lightly, "It's fine."
Because it was fine, she was just accompanying him to see his childhood friend, if the roles were reversed, he would be accompanying her to see Renji—except it wasn't, and here she was going to visit Hitsugaya's friend.
And it bothered her—why did it bother her?
She gritted her teeth, before scooping another dumpling and placing it in her mouth. She chewed with a tick in her brow. For reasons that were irrational and highly childish, she did not understand why this bothered her.
But there he sat, looking at her with blue blue aqua-colored eyes and she felt like he could see everything with those eyes of his and it made the fine hair on her arms stand on edge.
"Is Lie—Rangiku coming with us?" She asked suddenly.
Hitsugaya lifted an eyebrow in surprise, replying shortly, "No." He lifted his chopsticks and grabbed a piece of sashimi, "Should she?"
"I thought—" Rukia stopped herself short, because she shouldn't assume, it was part of her training as a shinigami, and if anything she felt stupid for being so careless, she corrected her statement quickly, "I was under the impression that those two were close."
The man with snow hair grimaced, sipping the broth of the udon bowl, "I wouldn't know—I haven't see much of her since I became Captain."
"Do you regret not…being closer to her since you become of higher rank?"
He looked at her with bright eyes.
Rukia suddenly wished she changed the topic and before she could do exactly that, he answered.
"No."
He was honest, she'd give him that, and she itched to ask why.
Answering her unspoken question, he elaborated, "If I spent most of my time with Momo," Her name left his mouth with a bad taste, "I wouldn't have been strong as I am now."
"That sounds terrible," Rukia couldn't stop the words out of her mouth even if she tried, her fault lay in her brutal honesty and sometimes she thought that he appreciated it.
"I know," He agreed, the silence was near awkward again, and Rukia, even with the grace of a Kuchiki, she managed to look as clumsy as Renji when she broke the skin of her gyoza, the vegetables springing onto her soy sauce like fish in water.
Baffled, she could only stare at the blue skin with a sense of horror.
Hitsugaya tried to muffle his laugh with his hand, but it came to as quickly as it left, there didn't seem any need to hide his laugh, he coughed lightly, the sushi in his chopsticks shaking.
"Stop laughing!"
"I'm not laughing."
"I suppose that fake cough was just my imagination then?" The tips of her ears burned.
He half-smirked, "Precisely,"
Now she chuckled, picking up the yakitori from the skewers, "Your hand was shaking."
Rukia watched with mild fascination as he rolled his pretty eyes. He gave something of a comforting smile and proceeded to finish his sushi—there it was. That damned dimple and she wanted to scream.
"Rukia-chan!"
Rukia flinched at the bright tone, more or less the honorific at the end—thankfully she had finished her gyoza, the man could be a fiend when he wants to, "Hideki-san."
He looked very much like a noble, with long grey hair tied at the back of his nape, and deep red eyes. The grin on his face and laugh lines proved otherwise, more or less his voice, which bordered on the basis of Hisagi when he was embarrassed.
"On a date, Rukia-chan?" The old man scooted onto the same cushion she was sitting on, forcing her to shift and sit closer to the captain the occupied the other side of the table.
Violet orbs blinked in shock, before she fumbled on her words, "N-No! I, this is Captain Hitsugaya, he's been training with me for a…while."
Three months, actually.
But that was beside the point—it was almost embarrassing that she even bothered counting the days.
Captain Hitsugaya nodded his head, before he greeted neutrally, "Hideki-san, " He paused, "I take it that you are Shin's father?"
She bit her tongue at the lack of manners she clearly forgot.
Hideki looked at him, before his lips pursed, "Of course. Can't you see the resemblance?"
Rukia answered for him, deadpanning, "No."
"Oh Rukia," Hideki ruffled her hair and she scowled at the strands of hair that poked her eyes. "You still are so funny!"
Hitsugaya coughed and she glared.
"Besides the lack of substance you two have in your conversation," Hideki started off seriously, the side of his jaw clenched and unclenched, Hitsugaya's eyes widened at the insult and change in tone, crimson orbs glinted with malice, he turned to Rukia with pleading eyes, "Why don't you marry Shin, eh? Seriously, I always wanted a daughter."
Teal orbs blinked rapidly at the very pointed direction this conversation was heading into. Dangerous waters and with an even more dangerous enemy—man, he looked at her with disbelief.
Toushiro Hitsugaya did not stutter—sputter, but at this exact moment, he very much wanted to.
What—?
It was the difference between being a shinigami and being a person. The façade of being emotion-less and the brutal honesty of being earnest became the difference between pride and respect.
Rukia sighed, this conversation, she counted, she had heard more than once, "Shin is already dating Rin from Yuki down by the second barrack, don't you think she's any better?"
Hideki frowned, "No one's better than you Rukia—" He smiled candidly, too much honey in his expression had her watching him warily, "My little Kuchiki doll!"
He pinched and pulled her cheeks.
Hitsugaya could only watch as the male counterpart of his lieutenant bruise his partner's cheeks. Her eyes were exasperated, even as they watered, with her fists clenching her pants, he could tell she wanted to yank the older man's hands from her face and rub her sore cheeks.
Once Hideki removed his hands from her face, Rukia wasted no time rubbing her sore skin, hoping the pinkness on her flesh would disperse evenly. She scowled prettily, noticeably avoiding her captain's face and tried to focus on cooling her emotions.
"What about you, Captain Hitsugaya?" Hideki turned to face the captain whose facial expressions melted from disbelief into diplomatic. He elaborated grabbing an empty cup before pouring himself some tea, "What do you think about, Rukia?"
Honestly, she never had felt so uncomfortable in her life than at this second.
Hitsugaya deliberately flickered his eyes to Rukia, whom took more interest in her white rice rather than give the captain any help. He couldn't stop rolling his eyes at her immaturity, he replied simply, "I think she's great."
Rukia wondered why in the world was the pinkness in her cheeks not disappearing.
He pressed, "Great?"
Hitsugaya finally understood why Shin was very hesitant on allowing his father with customers, he replied just as easily, "Yes. She's an excellent shinigami and I have high hopes for her."
Diplomatic.
Subtle.
Safe.
Those were three words that Hideki used to describe Captain Hitsugaya. He wasn't lying when he said that their conversation had no substance, but only an absolute idiot could dismiss the atmosphere. It was filled with tension, unspoken words and heavy sparks of reiatsu.
He was holding back and Hideki was one of the best shinigami in infiltration and interrogation—limiting yourself not only held you back but also induced fear.
"How disappointing," Hideki commented lightly, his eyes shifted over to Rukia before giving her a blatant wink, she looked at him warily – if anything the man was more moody than a pregnant woman.
And there were only two pregnant women that Rukia had met—she had been blessed.
"Excuse me?" Hitsugaya asked, a tick in his eyebrow forming, his lips pursed as placed his empty chopsticks onto his plate.
"You're holding back," To Rukia, Hideki's words were vague, she didn't understand what he was saying, but when she looked at the expression on Captain Hitsugaya's face she instantly did not want to know.
"You keep pulling back," He started off, red eyes flickered to meet cold teal, a warning, "And someone will get hurt."
Rukia blinked once, a hand ruffled her hair again, and with a sharp grin and warm words. Hideki went to bother another round of customers near the bar area.
The breath didn't leave her lungs until Shin came barreling back, one foot flopping in front of the other, mauve eyes frantic, "Did my father pass here – I am so sorry! I tried to keep him at bay, but you know how the old man is and—"
Rukia waved her hand, effectively cutting him off; she didn't bother to glance back at Hitsugaya. She feared for her sanity when he began to decode Hideki-san's cryptic message. She licked her lips, "It's fine. We're fine."
Hitsugaya's eyes were boring a hole into her right shoulder and she really tried not to look at him.
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And we'll run to the future,
Shining like diamonds in a rocky world
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Unohana's ward was nothing like the hospitals in The World of the Living. It was traditional, with slide in doors, screens and wind chimes. The rooms were a different story, highly advanced medical machines and oxygen masks with an IV drip stood in the corner of the bedrooms.
Unohana's lieutenant had led them to the room where Hinamori-san was currently recovering in. They stood outside the room.
Tension—the tension was like smog, suffocating and thickening.
"J—Just be a man," Rukia blurted out, eyes blinking rapidly, trying to blink the inner turmoil she was facing, she scowled and repeated, "Be a man."
The irony that came with that sentence and Sode no Shirayuki huff—the muscles in his shoulders tensed, and Rukia slid the door open. Momo lay in her bed with an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, an IV drip hooked to her heart monitor and her hair much, much longer than he's last seen it.
She walked inside and with great hesitance he followed in after her. Sliding the door shut, he pivoted until he was at the food of bed, with mild exasperation; Rukia motioned him to sit on the chair next to his unconscious friend.
Hitsugaya sat silently, his eyes stuck on the IV that was deeply embedded in her vein. He could hear breathing – Rukia's breathing, the thudding beeps of the heart monitor and the oxygen creating static.
Fists tightened around cloth and Hitsugaya sighed irritably. A headache began to pulse beneath his left eyelid; he didn't know what to say to her. Rarely had he ever felt uncertainty, but somehow he felt like this was a mistake. Coming to see her—her unmoving, unresponsive body, it was like she was dead—but alive, alive and not really alive.
A hand gripped onto his shoulder bone and Hitsugaya stiffened at the small hand on his person. Rukia didn't look at him; she kept her gaze on the IV that was deeply embedded on the Lieutenant. Her jaw twitched, before she said, "J-Just try talking to her," She paused and then looked at him, "It's not a mistake."
Hitsugaya inhaled deeply before giving a curt nod, licking dry lips he spoke, "I apologize for not seeing you earlier, Momo."
Pleased, Rukia removed her hand from his shoulder, dropping the appendage to her side, and Hitsugaya was quick to grab her hand back—not interlacing, but not clasping either.
Violet eyes widened, quickly she snapped her head towards a sea of white. Her pulse increased, despite her best efforts to try and calm her breathing. Ice began to crawl up her other wrist.
Hitsugaya didn't look at her, instead he squeezed her hand and continued, "I didn't have the courage to see you."
Rukia turned her head to face Hinamori; she dared not move—her hand felt uncomfortably warm.
"You've probably met her already. Rukia Kuchiki—the infamous Rukia Kuchiki," He chuckled when he felt her nails bite his palm, "She's here too."
He squeezed her hand again.
Awkwardly, Rukia coughed, before greeting the sick shinigami, "Hello, Hinamori-san."
Rolling sea-foam eyes, Hitsugaya continued dryly, "Her social skills are worse than mine if you can tell."
Rukia's eye twitched, she released his hand in irritation and tried to yank her hand back to her person, instead he interlaced her fingers with his and pulled her closer, the breath in her lungs became nonexistent, her fingers painfully aware of callous on his fingertips. Violet eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to make—make sense of this—
Hitsugaya grimaced, "She's become my safety blanket."
If Rukia was holding something, it would break, because it became so clear to her, that something in their relationship had changed—when had it changed? She knew first-hand that Hitsugaya never liked to reveal any information about himself to anyone, he was discreet, saving the cards up his sleeve, but now—now, in front of her, he was laying them bare and open—in front of her.
And it terrified her.
"I made her come with me," He admitted, "It was cowardly, I know. But—I wanted you to formally meet her," He finally flickered his eyes to mauve, his eyes blue blue blue, "She's become someone important."
Rukia's heart stopped, her lips parted.
The ice on her wrist melted.
Hitsugaya released their hands, her hand swinging back to her side; she didn't look at him again.
Because if she did, she would be in too deep and that's something she couldn't handle.
"She made me feel guilty," Hitsugaya continued, "How could I not see you—how could I not see you? I remembered stabbing you, with blood on my hands—Hyorinmaru so heavy and—"
His shoulders were shaking, horror clouding his voice and Rukia wanted to grab his shoulder again, to anchor him back onto the ground, to snap him out of it—to do something!
But she couldn't move her hands—they were heavy like iron. The sight of Hitsugaya dematerializing in front of her, into an honest mess, into a—man, not a Captain, had her powerless. So she stood there, her heart breaking when his mask started to chip and—
A hand grabbed onto his wrist, the air stopped and Rukia suddenly wished she could disappear.
She watched without blinking—Hitsugaya's unmoving face and unresponsive body.
Momo, with half-lidded eyes, a half-smile on her face and with a weak hand circling his wrist, she looked at him.
Her heart monitor beeping swiftly—she twitched.
Rukia didn't hear Hitsugaya scream for Captain Unohana—didn't feel the frost cloud her arms, and she most certainly didn't notice the way Hinamori turned her head to face her.
Because that hand on his wrist, was not her's.
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Chandeliers inside the pyramids
Tremble from the force
Cymbals crash inside the pyramids
Voices fill up the halls
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There were things happening. Rukia knew that much, but she didn't say anything as she continued to walk towards the barracks to meet her squad. Hitsugaya followed her, escorted her and she did not—could not begin to think, think about him that is. Hinamori had a momentary lapse into reality, Unohana's words exactly. A few more sessions with Captain Hitsugaya and she should come around.
It was great—Hinamori was waking up.
It was fine.
Rukia gritted her teeth.
It was fine.
So why was she feeling so agitated?
Once she was back to normal, back on duty and moving and being alive—he'll forget about her and replace her. She would go back to her life and everything would be fine again. That's what she wanted, that is what she wanted, so why, why did he have to worm his way into her life when she was doing fine?
Why?
She was a good person. She didn't deserve this anxiety, she didn't deserve this restlessness and she most certainly did not like the way her heart shifted every time she saw him.
She didn't deserve any of this!
It was those damn hollows.
If she hadn't been sent in the first place on that extermination assignment, she would have been fine.
Fine!
Everything would have been fine—she wouldn't have felt this emptiness.
This emptiness, swallowing thickly, she flickered her eyes to the entryway, this emptiness she was hell-bent on ignoring.
"Are you alright?" Hitsugaya asked, he raised an eyebrow at her quick steps.
"Fine," Rukia's answered clipped.
"There's frost on the ground."
She blinked, before inwardly cursing, controlling her reiatsu became a necessity when she was growing up, if she was slipping up in front of him, she definitely had a problem.
"I'm fine."
Hitsugaya watched with incredulous eyes, but didn't comment, Ikkaku, Yumichika and Shuhei were leaning against the gate. Shuhei noticing the duo waved his hand and she had to bite back a smile.
Hitsugaya, noticing the twitch of lips, frowned.
"I'm fine here," Rukia interjected quickly, she was only a mere feet away from her squad, she turned to face Captain Hitsugaya to display her gratitude, but stopped shortly when she realized how close he was to her. Close enough for her to see the pupils in his eyes and on fear rather instinct, she shuffled a few feet back.
He frowned again, taking a step closer; she took a step back and watched him warily.
Hitsugaya scowled, "Why are you acting like this?"
Rukia shifted, before narrowing her eyes, "Like what?"
He bit out, teal orbs glinting like broken glass, "Like I'm going to hurt you."
There it was. Those twist in her chest, those lumps in her throat, and the frost in her hands and the tick in her neck. He took a blind stab at the truth, she realized dumbly, it was enough to throw her train of thought down a cliff.
"Maybe because you will," Rukia did not realize she voice her thoughts aloud until she saw the pure unadulterated shock flicker across his face. Her eyes widened in understanding and she took a step back.
Oh fuck.
Out of horror she took another step back, before she crafted her face into a mask of indifference, before she took her leave. "Thank you for seeing me off."
Rukia ran to her squad with the tendril of fear and quarter of hope, that maybe he would grab her and demand an explanation for her earlier statement—for that question, she had no answer—no, that was a lie, she swallowed air, she had an answer and it wasn't for him.
He didn't go after her.
And once again, their relationship had changed.
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What good is a jewel that ain't still precious?
How could you run off on me?
How could you run off on us?
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This was supposed to be updated two weeks ago –rolls eyes- I blame work and me being broke af'.
Songs:
Rihanna- Love on the Brain; Frank Ocean – Pyramids
ARE THEY REALLY FINE THOUGH?
I know all of you were wondering where the hell Momo was—there. This chapter was hard to write, I'm not going to lie, creating an awkward chapter and still having it flow was not easy. BUT WHERE IS ICHIGO YOU ASK? NOT HERE!
HAH.
Not yet.
Arc 1 is nearly over – holy crap.
TUMBLR PPL thank you for your messages and questions srsly ily.
Note: not edited
Please drop a review on your way out!