(AN): Hello, y'all! I am so sorry for it being a little over a month since the last update! Honestly, I did not realize it had been that long till it was brought to my attention from a few of my lovely readers! Rest assured even if I am late publishing chapters, I am not going to leave this story hanging! I plan to finish all them :) I blame work and the fact that I have 5 stories going on at one lol. Yes, I know I am a glutton for punishment there!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Chapter 11
The car ride back to the mansion was dead silent. No one dared speak in case the car was bugged, but Rukia sent evil glares to each brother, silently reprimanding them for their stupidity. How did either one of them think switching places on her was the best bet?
Shirayuki shot curious looks back and forth between the trio as the glare war continue. The poor woman didn't understand why Rukia was so mad after a public kiss. Wasn't Byakuya her husband? She should be basking in the afterglow of a man who was willing to show the world how much he loved her!
A slight frown came over Shirayuki's face as she thought about the other possible identity of the kisser. It would be stupid for Senbonzakura to kiss Rukia in broad daylight with Byakuya standing right there. Would he dare it? Is he actually stupid enough to deal not only with Byakuya but Rukia's fall out once she plots her revenge? Kami help them if that was the case.
As soon as the car stopped, Rukia exited the limo as if she was shot from a cannon. She didn't even check to see if her followers were in tow as she made a beeline for the only place that was safe from prying ears – Byakuya's study.
Shirayuki quickly followed Rukia with the men trailing at a respectable difference behind them. The white-haired woman was dying to ask why her cousin was so upset. "Rukia… Do you want to tell me what's up? You didn't even make sure the Kuchikis were following you? We could be heading the in a different direction or something?"
"Yuki, if they both WANT TO LIVE, the idiots better follow us without question." Rukia replied with venom. She was mad at them for tricking her and mad at herself for not being able to tell them apart. "Besides, they know where I am headed." She quickly supplied so Shirayuki wouldn't worry as much.
Inwardly, Rukia was still trying to work out the feelings in her brain. Realistically, she was kissed by one of the hottest men that she ever laid eyes on, but she didn't know which handsome idiot it was! The said idiot even kissed her without her permission.
But it was still a very nice kiss… Her mind flickered back to the moment right before where she saw and amused glint in his eye. Was it Byakuya or Senbonzakura deciding to be playful?
The petite woman's inner turmoil was disturbed by her cousin's voice. "Rukia, why are you so upset that your husband kissed you?" Her cousin stated. Shirayuki was going with the theory that the kisser was Byakuya because she didn't know if her heart could handle if the man was Senbonzakura. Maybe this would teach her to make her feelings known if he was that brazed.
"Yuki, even though we are married, we barely know each other!" Rukia told her cousin with flushed cheeks.
"Oh? So, I see. You're embarrassed because you haven't made it that far since the marriage was sudden! Honestly, I don't know what you are really waiting for! He's yummy!" Shirayuki added for extra detail. She wanted to see just how attached Rukia was to Byakuya.
The petite woman turned beet red at Shirayuki's suggest. Partly she wanted to yell at her cousin while the other wanted to crawl under a table. Did Shirayuki really have to go that far with the comments? For some reason, Rukia had a feeling Shirayuki knew that she was playing with fire. Granted the white-haired woman knew what was going on some, Rukia had yet to reveal all of her feelings on the matter to her cousin.
"Yuki!" Rukia growled.
"Fine! Keep your secrets, cousin." Shirayuki said with a smile. The white-haired woman kept any more comments to herself until they arrived at the study.
In a flash, Byakuya appeared before them to open the door with his key, but Rukia couldn't even trust this man. Senbonzakura and his brother probably both had keys to the study for times like these when they knew that she would be analyzing every detail.
Telling them apart was going to be an issue during this bitch out secession, but a brilliant plan began to devise into Rukia's head thanks to Shirayuki's frivolous chatter. They weren't going to like it, but it would be a test of their own medicine.
Once everyone was inside and the doors were closed, Rukia turned to the brothers who was stoically standing before her. She hid her evil grin. Manically laughter rang through her head as she walked up towards the older twin.
She watched Byakuya closely for any sign of that stoic mask slipping, but she learned nothing. Grinning seductively, she told him, "You already know that you are in for a world of hurt, so I have a demand to possibly lessen your punishment."
Amused to hear her request, Byakuya asked, "Yes, your highness?" He slightly smirked at her with a raised eyebrow.
Don't be fooled. This could be Zakura. You know they are perfectly content switching personalities whenever the mood suits them now, so just DO IT!
When he least expecting it, Byakuya was pulled forward, and Rukia planted a kiss on him. The minx caused his heart to stop. The kiss wasn't filled with passion, but he could taste the hint of love on her lips. Did she know who he was?
Once satisfied, Rukia let a dazed Byakuya go, then she set her sights on Senbonzakura. "Now, it's your turn," she warned the younger twin before he received his kiss. This kiss was different than the first. It seemed to touch her soul, and she was desperate for more as she increased the pressure.
But which one are you? Rukia kept asking herself repeatedly, hoping that the man would answer the unspoken question as he pulled away from the kiss.
"Satisfied?" Senbonzakura asked almost unphased. Rukia wanted to punch the jackass. How could he not be as affected as she was?
Throwing her arms up in the air, the petite woman said, "I hate both of you!" Three eyes watched the upset woman exit the room, but only one of them knew the real reason she was so mad. He felt the power of their kiss, and judging by the face of his brother, the real Senbonzakura knew which one she chose as well.
All the while, Shirayuki was a little hurt that Rukia kissed Senbonzakura, but she but on a brave face as she faced the men. Rukia needed her help, and she would not let her cousin down! Someone needed to reign these handsome, brilliant imbeciles in.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Can't you tell that both of you mean so much to her; yet, you are putting her through this shit?" The white-haired woman scolded the twins in front of her.
"We know." They replied together. Each twin knew that they held a portion of Rukia Murakami Kuchiki's heart, but one held a higher place in it than the other.
"If you know, then why are you treating her like this?" Shirayuki asked annoyedly. "She deserves better than two idiots who play with her feelings."
Senbonzakura glared at the white-haired woman. "Do you honestly think that we want too? That I want to do this?" He growled before going to sit behind his desk.
Everything clicked in Shirayuki's mind now. She grabbed the real Senbonzakura by the ear. "I'm sorry that your brother is such an ass, Lord Kuchiki. Senbonzakura and I have things to discuss in relation to Rukia's protection plan." Shirayuki said with a bow as she pulled Senbonzakura in tow to her bedroom. The man came willingly because pissing of the Murakami woman was something that no sane made would do.
As soon as they arrived, Shirayuki pushed Senbonzakura onto the bed. "Now talk before I go get Rukia, and let her beat the shit out of you. I thought you loved her!"
"But I do! I love her and my brother!" Senbonzakura pouted at the woman's fierce glaze. He was starting to wonder if she could give his she-demon a run for her money.
"Then let them be happy! I saw how he looked at her earlier when you kissed her. I thought he was going to kill you!"
"He'd have to get in line." Senbonzakura muttered under his breath thinking about the petite woman. Maybe it was time to fully let her go. She was always so untouchable until recently. Maybe Byakuya would be the right man for her.
A few minutes passed as they stared at one another before anyone spoke again. They were trying to process the truth of his words. "Does she love him?" Senbonzakura asked.
"She loves him as much as she loves you. Granted, I haven't been around to see her interact with him enough to know which brother she tends towards. Although, I am sure her world shattered slightly when Byakuya asked was he satisfied. She must have felt a deep connect through the kiss judging by the amount of her she hurt she hid in her eyes."
"I've screw up, haven't I?" The younger Kuchiki asked with his head lowered into his hands.
"No, but you and Byakuya need to be honest with her to a point. You don't need to tell her who is who, but for the love of Kami, quit kissing people! She needs you both with clear minds. If protecting her is what you want, then protect her from yourselves. You and Byakuya are both idiots if you think this is helping her! Honestly, just tell her the marriage wasn't real, so she can relax and worriless." Shirayuki chided him. Senbonzakura looked at the woman with a shocked expression.
"She's right, brother. The marriage is fake, and you know it." A voice from the doorway drew their attention.
"What? I was right?" Shirayuki whirled around to ask Byakuya.
"Rukia was correct in thinking that there was something off on the marriage. A priest needed to be present as a witness and sign the marriage certificate. I had one on standby, but I couldn't bring myself to ask him to sign everything just yet. How could I when she wasn't sure which one of us she felt something for?" Byakuya told her.
"So, you let her think that she was married to you?" Shirayuki gasped. No wonder Rukia looked at her like she was slightly insane. Everything her cousin said was true. Was she really better off here than on her own?
Sighing, Byakuya stated, "Technically, Rukia is married to me, but whether it's legal or not is another matter." Byakuya shrugged his shoulders as if he did not care, but Senbonzakura knew differently judging by his brother's slight mannerisms. He was showing more care and interest in Rukia than anyone he ever knew, besides him of course.
With her fist clinched at her side, Shirayuki asked never looked at Senbonzakura as she asked, "And you went along with this?"
"Yes." He replied as he got off the bed and grabbed her hand. "It was for her safety. You know that I would do anything for her. She's my best friend," Senbonzakura told her in a low voice. He wasn't exactly proud of their decision, but if it kept her alive, then it would be worth it. Hell, he even helped his brother find a little romance at the end of the day as well.
"Bullshit! It sounds like you two idiots don't know a thing about her!" Shirayuki growled. "She doesn't want to be protected! She wants to help bring the people who killed her parents down whether it's family or if it's Aizen!"
Byakuya stared at Shirayuki. "How do you know that Aizen is a suspect?" He asked. Leave it to Senbonzakura tell the young woman who their star suspect was when he officially hired her. Byakuya couldn't doubt her too much though, especially after the way she defended Rukia while ago. Shirayuki was loyal to her cousin till the end.
Suspecting where Byakuya's mind went, Shirayuki replied, "The name has been slipped around my parents' home a time or two."
"And you're just now telling us this?" Byakuya tried not to growl at the woman in front of him.
Shirayuki shot Senbonzakura a look. "I informed, lord dummy over there."
"Hey! What happened to Lord or Master Senbonzakura!" The twin complained with a pout.
The white-haired woman rolled her eyes. "You lost that privilege after you kissed Rukia." Senbonzakura wasn't to oblivious to the hurt in the white-haired woman's voice, but Shirayuki's words surprised him while Byakuya tried to hold back the smile on his face. It seemed his brother had another match under his nose all along.
"Is there any other name that you heard?" Byakuya asked curiously now. He wondered what all went on at the Murakami house hold while Rukia was in hiding.
"Actually, a man stopped by multiple times wanting to talk to my parents. I would catch him wondering the halls, and I even found him snooping through my room once." The brothers looked at her questionably. "Gin. Gin Ichimaru."
"Dammit! Why the hell did you leave this out of your reports?" Senbonzakura asked.
Shirayuki just rolled her eyes at his outburst. "If you read the latest report, I just learned his name and fully saw what he looked like.
Reaching into his pocket, Byakuya pulled a photo grab from his jacket. "Is this the man?" He asked.
The picture head a silver haired, squint eyed man smiling at her. "Yes, this is the man, but something is different… Hmm, I think he had bright green hair when he dropped by those times."
Byakuya turned towards his brother. "Was this the same Gin that you mentioned Rangiku was possibly seeing, or is this another Gin?"
"It has to be the same one," Senbonzakura replied. "He could just be changing his appearance to keep everyone guessing."
"I don't care. We now an affirmative connection that Aizen is tied to the Murakamis."
"Now, who gets the joy of telling Rukia that her family wants her dead?" Shirayuki asked sarcastically.
"I'll do it." Byakuya said as he left the duo. He tucked Gin's picture in his jacket so Rukia would know who to be on the lookout for. This may have not been a breakthrough today, but they knew where to start looking for holes. If holes were found, then a downfall was probable; hopefully with mirror bloodshed.
Thank y'all for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting!
Light Desired: Thanks dear!