Mature content below-y'all youngsters need to cover your eyes lmao
Chapter 36 (Shizuko)
Rangiku grinned widely at me and Rukia, nodding approvingly. She had insisted on taking some time off and enjoying a day of girl time and clothes. Rukia and my mother hadn't been fans of it, but I was quite enjoying it. The World of the Living had some great clothes and I wasn't sure how I was going to bring all my purchases back home with me.
I fixed Rukia's strap, "Blue is your color, Rukia."
She blushed, "T-Thank you…"
I smiled and looked up at my mother, "What do you think?"
"You look great in anything," She rolled her eyes, though I could hear the humor in her voice, "I liked the other dress over this one though."
Rangiku nodded, "Yeah, the peachy color looked better on you—brought out that cute little blush of yours."
I laughed and went to change, "Peach dress it is then."
My mother and I were doing better. Nothing had been completely resolved, but we were getting there. I felt embarrassed for how I had begrudged her, especially now that I knew the entire story. I would always regret the way I didn't hold my tongue and threw those careless words at her, but we were moving past it.
She and Kisuke seemed to be working together as well. They weren't exactly together, and the tension and sadness seemed to suffocate them both when they were in each other's company. In the days that my mother had been here, they had kept it cordial, but it was almost painful to see two people with so much history to now act like strangers.
When I stepped out of the dressing room in my jeans and sweater, I was surprised to see Yumi, Ikkaku, and Renji chatting with the others. They looked over when I stepped out, and I dropped the hand I had been running through my hair.
They were all dressed in gym wear, and it was a sight to behold. Especially Renji, whose face was just as red as mine as we stared at one another.
"Hello, my gorgeous," Yumi wrapped his arms around me. I hugged him with a wide grin. Yumichika had always been the best hugger, and I couldn't resist sinking into him. He ran his hand through the dress I held, "Oh! This is cute!"
"She's getting the peach," my mother yawned, jerking the aforementioned dress in her hands.
Yumichika nodded approvingly as Ikkaku wrapped his sweaty arms around me, "Hey, kid."
"Hey," My grimace only made him burst out laughing. I pushed him away and wrinkled my nose up, "Why can't you wear deodorant like Yumi?"
"He does," Yumi smirked.
"Are you guys joining us for lunch?" Rangiku clapped her hands together.
"I'm starved," Ikkaku raised his hand, and my mother made a snarky agreement.
I looked over at Renji but faltered as I saw him and Rukia chatting up a storm. Their friendship had gone back to what I had imagined it had been before Rukia had been adopted into my family, and I couldn't help but feel jealous. Renji always did the sweetest things for me and what we had was wonderful, but I knew that we lacked the connection the two of them had.
Tapping my cousin's shoulder with a smile, I tucked the feeling of doubt away, "Rukia—go take off the dress. I want to buy it for you."
"Oh no—you don't have to—" She started but I was already pushing her off into the dressing room.
"You have get changed anyway. Besides, you look wonderful in it," I glanced over at Renji as she shut the door to change. He smiled at me and I felt my cheeks flush. As I looked away, I caught my mother staring at me with a troubled frown.
Now that Rukia was away, Renji joined me at the checkout line. His hand lay on the small of my back and I stepped closer to him. It was such a simple gesture, but it sent heatwaves throughout me. No one ever touched me so intimately in front of others—I had always been treated delicately at a distance, both as a noblewoman and a geisha. Touching me was against the decorum, and yet he did it so fearlessly and naturally.
I turned my gaze him and smiled, "I'm happy we ran into you."
"I am too," His voice was low and his smile was soft, "I'm starving. Ikkaku and Yumichika don't mess around when it comes to working out."
I laughed but my mother's voice cut me off sharply, "Perhaps that's why you transferred so quickly out of Squad Eleven. Couldn't handle the rigor."
I stared at her with wide eyes, "Mum—"
Renji chuckled, "I got offered the lieutenant position in Squad Six, so that was the main reason for me leaving. But I think that the intensity that you go at in Squad Eleven is the reason why I got the promotion to Squad Six."
My mother only gave him the evil eye, like he was an opponent on the battlefield that she was summing up. He never waivered as he stared back, until his gaze turned to over my shoulder. Rukia walked up to me and handed me the dress.
"You…really don't have to. I can buy it…" She looked at her hands.
I brushed aside the hair that had fallen in her face. Her eyes flickered up to me. She was so gorgeous and so strikingly familiar to her sister. In many ways, she looked like Byakuya and my mother. Like all the Kuchiki's.
All those years ago, when I first met Rukia, she had been so different. For many years after that, she had been so different. So downtrodden, like I had been. Something had changed since she came back from the World of the Living and since meeting Ichigo. She had gone from being a girl who was as scared as a mouse…to this beautiful woman, strong and unintimidated.
"Stop being like that," I smiled, "You're not nearly spoiled enough—this is nothing."
"You always buy me things," Her cheeks were pink. I noticed how she glanced up at Renji, like she was looking for reassurance, "You always have—I don't expect it…"
I handed the clothing to the cashier and paid him, "I know you don't expect it, but it doesn't mean you don't deserve it. Besides, I get a great joy out of gifts."
My mother muttered, "It's a sickness she has. Always getting people things. I have no clue how she's related to me."
I laughed and thanked the cashier as he handed me a bag with our dresses. We continued to the restaurant with everyone. My mother kept glancing between Rukia and I, while I kept glancing between Renji and Rukia.
As Renji sat beside me at the table and grabbed my hand, I smiled. But I wasn't entirely there. I felt lost in my own thoughts, staring into the bubbles of my fizzy drink.
Rukia's words from earlier had struck. Truth be told, I had always treated Rukia because Byakuya never had. Treating her as part of the family was really on his behalf. I cared about Rukia's wellbeing, but it was Byakuya's peace of mind I had prioritized. I hadn't wanted him looking back and realizing that Rukia had been woefully neglected—the sister of his late wife.
And so I had bought her beautiful kimonos, treated her to tea in the gardens with Jirou and I, and taken her with me to a couple ceremonies as a geisha. All those times were fun and I cherished the time we had, but it had all been driven for Byakuya's happiness—not hers. And…I didn't feel bad about it.
Renji's silhouette appeared at the door as he slipped inside. I shifted over in my futon as he slid the door shut and joined me.
I settled my head against his naked chest, somersaults rearranging my insides. His hand traced the lines of my pajamas, and I breathed in deeply. He had been sneaking into my room for the past few nights. I was so consumed by him, how he was so different from any man I had been around.
"What was going on between you and Rukia today?" His hushed voice made me looked up from tracing the scar that Byakuya had given him. "There seemed to be some weird tension between you two."
"We're fine," I smiled, but it soon dropped as I finally asked the question that had been gnawing at me, "You two seemed to have something too…"
"Are you jealous?" He asked with a smirk.
"Never," I sat up and after a pause, I added, "Unless there is a reason I should be."
He shifted behind me, and his hands were on my shoulders, "No. You don't."
I turned around and gave me a long, hard look, "It's okay if there is. You two grew up together."
"Yeah, we did."
His lips were against my neck, hands pulling me back into him. I hit the futon and he hovered over me, cupping my head and kissing me roughly. My head was spinning as he pried my lips open and rubbed himself against me, breathing in soft, short bursts.
I gasped too, reacting immediately by entangling my hands in his hair. My blood was on fire and I couldn't think straight as his fingers gripped my waist tightly. I was pinned down by his hips. I looked up at him and he grinned at me.
He was mine. In this moment, my concerns were brushed aside. His eyes followed the movements of my fingers like a drooling dog, watching carefully as I undressed.
"Are…are you sure?" He whispered, "You're not to get…well get in trouble."
My grin only widened as I teased him, "I'm willing to risk facing the wrath of Byakuya Kuchiki."
His lips collided with mine, hands pulling at my clothes. I hurried out of them and pulled him closely. He shifted as he pulled his sweatpants down while my tongue ran along his warm skin. My breath caught as he pushed inside me, and I shut my eyes.
I was willing to face the consequences. He was a fire that stole away all the oxygen from my lungs. When I was around him, everything else blew away like ash. I wanted to bask in his warmth, be consumed completely.
Even if I burnt myself in the end.
