Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Chapter 5
Meanwhile as the men talked, Rukia walked through the enormous Kuchiki garden maze with Shirayuki. The cousins chatted happily with each other until Rukia decided to end the small talk. "Don't get me wrong, Shirayuki. I am ecstatic to see you, but what brings you here?" Rukia asked curiously.
"Lord Senbonzakura sent for me. He said that my assistance would be needed shortly, but he didn't go into detail about the situation when we met either. I was hoping that you could tell me about it?" Shirayuki told Rukia honestly, but she held her suspicions to herself.
Manical laughter escaped Rukia's lips. The petite raven haired beauty was doubled over laughing so hard trying to focus on her breathing. When she finally regained composer, Rukia told Shirayuki, "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you exactly... I'm laughing my ass off because you're calling Zakura 'Lord'. Since when did you care about titles?"
"Rukia! I have always called him Master Senbonzakura unlike you! You have to show the man some respect!" Shirayuki scolded her. "Since he is now back with the Kuchiki Clan, he is referred to as Lord Senbonzakura! Did you forget all of our childhood lessons?"
"No!" An exasperated sigh escaped Rukia's lips as she shook her head. "Come on. Please don't tell me I've lost you to the Zakura Fan Club! You know how his groupies get!"
"Lord Senbonzakura is a fine man, Rukia. You should be happy that he always makes sure you're taken care of…" Shirayuki placed a gentle hand on Rukia's cheek. As much she hated it, Rukia meant the world to her. If keeping Rukia safe meant that she'd have to give up her feels for Senbonzakura, then she would gladly sacrifice them. "He makes you happy. I can see it in your eyes when you are around each other. He may used to be your bodyguard, but he's a lord now. Senbonzakura can offer you so much more." Shirayuki told Rukia with a soft look in her eyes.
Rukia shot a glare at Shirayuki. She always knew that Shirayuki had a crush on Senbonzakura, but she didn't realize it possibly went deeper until now. "A lord he may be, but Zakura is a play boy and my best friend, Shirayuki. We're not even going there." She warned her cousin who had a slight smirk on her face.
"You love him." Shirayuki countered.
"Have you seen how much we fight? I'd murder him in less than a day if we were to ever marry." Rukia stated matter-of-factly. She knew that her words were true.
"Love emerges in various forms." Shirayuki just would not give up.
Finally, Rukia relented a little. "Fine. Tell me who doesn't love the handsome bastard?" Rukia asked with a smile, thinking about all the fun times that she had with Senbonzakura. "But this is Zakura we are talking about. He has always been my rock since he rescued us, so it's hard not to love him."
A strange twinge was heard in Rukia's voice. Shirayuki wondered if there was something holding her back. "And what of his brother?"
"Byakuya?" Rukia paused to think about her answer. "He is similar to Zakura, except he doesn't vocalize his feelings. Nothing slips past his handsome, stoic face. Even in the short time I've known him, I've noticed that he never does anything without a purpose. Byakuya is arrogant, yet wise. The man is a complete mystery where Zakura is an open book."
A small frown line appeared in between Rukia's eyebrows as she thought about the enigma known as Byakuya Kuchiki. "Honestly, I think the only one who could truly understand Byakuya would be his twin. It would take years for an outside to understand him." Rukia countered with a small smile on her face. The Kuchiki twins were something else. Kami help whoever ended up dealing with them on a daily basis.
"Sounds like your heart is contradicting itself." Shirayuki beamed down at her cousin. She was ecstatic that Rukia felt something for Byakuya. Shirayuki's dream of dating Senbonzakura may still be possible.
"We've been through this already! I am best friends with Zakura, and I respect his brother - nothing more." Rukia stated keeping her voice devoid of emotion.
"Rukia, either of those men would be good for you." Shirayuki hugged her cousin, but Rukia shook out of it.
"Shirayuki, how can you even think about love now? Everything is just so insane right! I don't even know what's going on in my life expect for figuring out how to survive." Rukia looked up at the stars before letting go of a deep breath. "Any type of love other than friendship doesn't fit into the equation of my life right now. I'm focused on survival and leading a clan. Those are my top priorities anything else can wait."
"The Kuchikis would make dealing with the elders and clan easier, even as just good friends." Shirayuki countered.
"I have no problem being JUST friends with the twins. It's the fact that once I surface, the clan will try to marry me off. You know those idiots don't like women ruling, and I for one want to choose who I marry. A marriage of convenience does not interest me." Rukia told her meddlesome cousin.
"Whatever the case may be, I'm sure Lord Senbonzakura will make sure that you are taken care of. He has never failed you yet." Shirayuki replied with a slight dreamy look in her eye.
Is Shirayuki dreaming of marrying Senbonzakura right now? Kami, help me!
Getting tired of arguing with her cousin about her love life- or rather lack there of- Rukia told Shirayuki, "Since you're so concerned with Zakura, why don't you go find him? I'm sure he would love your company."
Turnabout is fair play, cousin. A broad grin crossed Rukia's face as she watched her cousin begin to squirm.
"Me?" Shirayuki asked with wide eyes. "Why would I go look for him?"
"Didn't you say you needed to talk to him more? He hasn't filled me in on his plans, so now is the perfect opportunity." Rukia tried to hid the amusement in her voice.
"But I don't want to leave you just yet…" Shirayuki complained as she gave Rukia a pout. "It's been so long since we could talk like this." She sighed.
Rukia shook her head. She knew her cousin was trying to dodge a bullet. "Go find that bloody bodyguard of mine, before I call him." Rukia told her with an evil smile. She watched Shirayuki panic now. Apparently, talking about Senbonzakura was one thing, but talking to him one on one without his invitation was a different story.
"I think I'll go home... I just really wanted to see you." Shirayuki looked away bashfully. She mumbled, "Discussing the mission in-depth can wait another day, like once he talks to you."
Rukia's grin got broader at her cousin's lame excuse. "One…"
"Please, Rukia, don't! I've already talked to him earlier."
"Two…"
"No! I'm begging you here! I'd be on my knees if the dirt wouldn't attract my parents' attention!"
"Three!" Rukia acted like she was going for her phone, but Shirayuki just vanished. "Chicken!" She yelled at her cousin.
Silence was Rukia's only response, but she was smiling broadly now. Tonight was the most entertaining that she's been in a long while.
After her eventful night, Rukia went back to her room to bathe and read. A book of leadership was on her bed when she arrived. She presumed the gift was from Byakuya, but it could have been Senbonzakura just be an ass. Rukia thought long and hard about reading that stupid book until she finally made up her mind. Any type of advice on leading couldn't hurt, right?
Rukia too the book with her as she began to run nice, hot bath water. Then, she sprinkled her bath with lavender Epsom salt. These past few days had giving her a lot to think about.
She soaked up the warmth of the water and the calming effects of the lavender until her skin started to prune and the water chilled. Toweling off, Rukia climbed out and searched through her drawer for some clothes, but she is the middle of changing when a knock interrupted her. Wrapping her silk, purple robe around her, she cracked the door open to see Zakura's smile beaming at her.
Great! He's smiling THAT smile after not talk to me for over a week. This can't be good!
"Go away, Zakura! I'm in the middle of something." Rukia growled at him as she tried to shut the door. Senbonzakura's foot caught the door before it could close all the way.
"Awe, come on RuRu! Why are you being like that?" Senbonzakura slyly asked as he pushed the door open causing her to stumble back a little.
"Get out of here!" Rukia hissed at him as she tried to maneuver him fully back into the hallway with little success. The bastard was standing in the doorway taunting her.
"But why? It's so fun to annoy you!" He stated, then he noticed her robe and wet hair. "What have you been doing, Ms. Murakami?"
"Zakura, get out before I call Byakuya."
"Oh, honey, I wouldn't do that." Senbonzakura told her with a smile. "He'd think we'd have a lover's quarrel."
"Lovers quarrel?" Rukia asked furiously as walked forward and poked hi in the chest. "You've been avoiding me for over a week, and now you just show up happy as can be expecting everything to be okay?" Rukia yelled.
Senbonzakura winced at her loud voice. "Let me in so we can talk privately." He told her.
"Oh, no! I've heard that line before, Zakura, but you've never used it on me. You must be getting desperate!" Rukia had managed get Senbonzakura into the hallway again since she poked at his sore side. "Now leave!" She tried slamming the door, but Senbonzakura stopped it with one hand. She glared daggers at the man for letting her think she won the round. Even injured, the damn man was stronger than her.
"Let me in so we can talk." He growled, eyeing a fidgeting Rukia. He knew she was looking for something to throw or hit him over the head with.
"Go to hell!"
"That's it midget!" Senbonzakura said as he fully pushed the door open watching Rukia brace herself in a fighting stance. But she hardly had time to react when Senbonzakura scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder.
Rukia didn't know whether to feel scared, excited, or murderous. Mhh, murderous… definitely murderous.
"Put me down, you jackass!" She yelled as she beat on his shoulders until Senbonzakura finally threw her on the bed.
The two glared at one another till Senbonzakura looked down and a smirk appeared on his lips.
Oh Kami, please tell me he is not grinning like that because the robe is wide open.
Unfortunately, Kami didn't hear her prayers tonight as she looked down is dismay. Her lacy white bralette was fully exposed while Senbonzakura could see hints of her matching boy shorts.
"Dammit!" Rukia yelled as she threw a pillow at him. Senbonzakura just laughed.
"Such a lovely view." He mocked he came closer to her.
Scrambled trying to cover herself, Rukia pulled the robe as tight as she could and tied double knots so it would not open on its own again. She turned to glare once again at her invader, but he was nowhere to be seen. Then, Rukia felt him. Senbonzakura was standing right behind her.
"Never doubt that you are beautiful, Rukia." He told her in a whisper as he placed a kiss upon her forehead.
Rukia's face was solid red at this point, and the kiss only exaggerated it. This wasn't the fun Senbonzakura. The man was damn serious.
"Now are you ready to listen?" He asked a very wide eyed almost scared Rukia as he took a set in a chair a few feet away from the bed. Senbonzakura laughed inwardly. He found a weak chain in ice queen's armor.
A dazed Rukia nodded her head. She was still trying to process what the hell just happened between them. This wasn't their normal joking or flirting for the hell of it. Was he trying to give her a heart attack or screw up her life worse?
"Hey! Earth to Rukia!" He called until she finally met his storm blue-grey glaze. "We need to go talk to Byakuya. He… well we have an idea to help you. Mainly, it will keep you safe, but it will also help with transitioning you as leader of the clan."
"Wait…" Rukia shook out of her shock. "What? You've been talking about this without me?"
"We wanted to wait till we had good ideas, honey. I didn't want you going back to the clan without support. They'll try to overrun you the first chance they get." He told her. His face revealed a hidden threat. She knew instantly that from the meeting forward, her life was going to be completely different.
"I'm not going to like it am I?" Rukia asked in defeat. Talking either Kuchiki out of whatever they had planned would be hard. But she did know that they held her best interest at heart. Why would they help her up until now just to throw her to the wolves?
"Honestly, I don't know if you will be happy." Senbonzakura glanced out the window as he thought he saw a shadow. "Shirayuki wasn't supposed to be brought in until we three had a definite plan, but I had questions that she needed to answer. Plus, while she was here, she was dying to see you. I couldn't let a chance for you two to see each other be passed up. You looked happier with her than you've been in a while with her." He told Rukia softly.
"She's a normal part of my life. She doesn't expect anything, but me being her "sister" Rukia." Rukia stated with a small smile at Senbonzakura's thoughtfulness.
"What? Am I chopped liver over here?" Senbonzakura asked with a hurt tone in his voice.
"You're just you, idiot." Rukia said with a smile as she rolled her eyes at his over dramatic tone. "Besides, you have no room to talk, Zakura. You haven't been quite normal yourself. You've been ignoring me and leaving me in Byakuya's good graces."
"Has he been bad then?" Senbonzakura asked curiously. Too curiously for Rukia's liking.
"I'm not answering you."
"Come on, Rukia. I want to know? Has he at least behaved himself?"
"He has much better manners than you." She scolded him. Then Rukia remembered that she was still in her robe. It wouldn't look good if Byakuya caught them together in her room even though nothing happened, and it's not like she didn't try to get Senbonzakura to leave multiple times.
Rukia rose, and Senbonzakura followed suit. "You need to, Zakura, so I can get dressed." Rukia told him as she made her way over to her desk.
"And miss the most spectacular view in the world?" He asked. As soon as the words left his lips, Rukia threw her brush and any other hard object that she could reach at his head. She successfully landed a few blows.
"Fine. You win for now, midget. Meet us in the study."
"I'll kill you next time you try to break in."
"No, you love me too much to do that."
"Would you like to test your theory?" Rukia asked as she shut the door and bolted the lock. She even thought about placing a chair in front of her door, but knowing Senbonzakura, he'd find another way to get in if he was desperate. Besides, this is the Kuchiki Manor. Rukia was sure that they had little passage ways scattered all through the house.
Now, time to dress and to see if she could survive a meeting with the Kuchiki twins. Kami, help her if they are both in their usual moods.
I wanted to say thank you to everyone reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting the story! I love reading what y'all think! Have a wonderful weekend!
As for those wondering where is Byakuya, you'll be getting more ByaRuki interaction on the next update! I just didn't see him barging in her room like Zakura did. Now, who's ready for the next chapter? It should be interesting when you have the 3 of them in a room :D
Guest: Thank you! I happy to know that you're egger for the next chapter.
Thestarsinthesky: Thank you for the two reviews! I'm glad to hear that you love Zakura so much! I think it's half and half on who wants this to be a ByaRuki or a Senb/Ruki fic, but I think everyone will be pleased when the story ends. I can tell you that you will get Zakura and Byakuya moments with Rukia. I'm looking forward to see if you keep your opinion down the road!