Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Chapter 13
The rest of the night was unique for Rukia. After letting Byakuya see her crumble, she knew there was no turning back in their relationship. If he was half as serious as he sounded about keeping her save, then there would be a price to pay, but what would be that price?
So many thoughts ran through her head as she drifted off to sleep. What made her so extraordinary for the Byakuya Kuchiki to console her? Hell, it was also kind of special for him to even see her cry. She hated for anyone to see her weakness, especially someone like him. But seriously, who would have thought their time together would have led to the solitary man consoling her?
"Rukia." She heard her name whispered in a husky voice. For a minute, he sounded like Senbonzakura, but the look on his face said it all. This was the unhidden Byakuya Kuchiki now. The one that only his twin could glimpse and now her in this brief moment.
"Yes?" She answered with a mildly shaky breath.
"Are you okay now?" His question shocked her for a moment. Here was Byakuya Kuchiki sitting on the bed with her and his arms wrapped around her. Hell, Rukia didn't even remember walking to the bed during her time of tears, but here she was.
Finding her voice, she answered, "I trust you." Such a simple answer was loaded with so much feeling that Byakuya could read Rukia's heart. . She may not fully be okay, but she would with him by her side.
"Good. I better go then." The raven-haired man started to get up from the bed that he carried her to, but Rukia tightened her grip on him.
"Why? We're married." She stated. If you blinked, then you would have missed the slight tension in Byakuya's jaw and the squareness of his shoulders.
"That's not a good idea." He told her as he tried to untangle himself.
"Just stay, Byakuya. It will not kill you to be a pillow for your wife for the one night that has been hell for her." Rukia commanded leaving little room of argument for him. Kami knew he wanted to do more than sleep with her, but he would focus on her needs right now rather than his own. Hell, they needed to make larger strides their emotion relationship to got to sex.
Sighing heavily, Byakuya said, "You win for now, Mrs. Kuchiki, but don't get used to it." Rukia smiled into Byakuya's chest as she pulled him closer to her. Byakuya hadn't learned yet that if you give a woman an inch of your heart, then she'd take a mile.
Morning came all to quickly for Rukia as she soaked of Byakuya's semi-willing companionship. She rolled over to see him sound asleep, giving her time to trace the lines in his face in her memory. Just having this little moment, it's a wonder how she could mistake him for Senbonzakura. They were so different, yet so much alike.
Feeling eyes on him, Byakuya opened his to meet amethyst ones. "You're finally awake I see." His rough voice startled Rukia. She thought that she would have longer to map out his features.
She over to see the man that she had been day dreaming about. "Yeah. It seems you did your job and keep the monsters away?" Rukia said with a small smile.
"Good. I am glad." He said before returning to his usual quiet self, but the they were shortly interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Hey, she-devil! Have you seen my brother?" Senbonzakura asked as he banged on the door at nine in the morning.
Rukia through a quick glance at Byakuya. "What do I say?" She asked in a panic. Quickly, Byakuya got out of the bed and straightened his self as Senbonzakura tried to open Rukia's door.
"Why the hell is the door locked, princess? You know that's against the rules!" The annoyed twin yelled.
"Oh, did I lock it?" Rukia asked in amusement as she shared a look with Byakuya. They both knew he was the one to lock the door and for good reason too. Senbonzakura was just example A of all the visitors that could come bargaining into Rukia's room.
"Did you have a reason to lock it?" Senbonzakura countered, now putting two and two together. "Byakuya, if you don't open this door now, I am going to bust it open!" Senbonzakura yelled as the maids were passing by. They quickly scurried away whispering about a love triangle with their two masters and the new wife.
"You will do no such thing!" Rukia countered as she got out of bed and made her way towards the door. She looked down at herself and straightened her clothes before she opened the door. "Uh…I'm not dressed!"
Rukia looked towards Byakuya once again for guidance, but he was sitting down in a chair on the other side of the room. "Can't you leave or hide?" She asked him; yet, the quiet man just ignored her comment and pulled pages out of his pockets, making it look like they had been talking rather than sleep.
I hate men.
"Rukia, open up this door right now."
"Hold your horses for crying out loud. I am coming, Zakura!" Rukia quickly wrapped a robe around her and straightened her hair.
"Oh, really?" He asked teasingly, but Rukia could hear the smile in his voice.
With a loud huff, she said, "Not that way you, jackass!"
The petite woman opened her bedroom door to see the twin before her grinning like an idiot. "So, what have you and my brother been doing…hmm?" Senbonzakura teased as he made his way into the room, dodging Rukia's hits towards his head.
"I just arrived, Zakura. Rukia was getting ready when you arrived as well." Byakuya said with a blank face that even his twin couldn't read.
"Are you sure?" Senbonzakura prodded at his brother, searching for any sign of weakness.
"Yes. Now, would you like to join me while I explain about Gin Ichimaru?" Byakuya asked as he leveled daggers at his brother.
"I thought you were supposed to do that last night?" A shocked Senbonzakura asked. He looked over to confirm this with Rukia, but the petite woman had vanished. He could hear drawers slamming her bathroom, so he assumed that Byakuya wasn't lying. "Since we are alone, care to explain why you locked the door?"
"I shouldn't have to explain anything to you, but if you must know, it was out of habit. You know how I am about my privacy," Byakuya counted.
"Oh, so you're telling me that there is no part of you that wants to lock your petite 'wife' up and have your way with her?"
Byakuya ignored Senbonzakura's jab because he knew that his twin would catch him in a lie. If the idiot would have asked him any other question, then maybe Byakuya could have answered it truthfully.
"You're not denying it, Byakuya?" The youngest twin prodded at his brother some more.
"Why would I when you know damn well how I feel?" Thinking for a moment, Byakuya came up with a good counter to his brother's noisiness. "Where is Shirayuki? Shouldn't you be up her skirt instead of Rukia's?"
Senbonzakura laughed at his brother's tactic. "Do you think mentioning this right now is wise?"
"Oh, yes I do. If you can harass me about Rukia, then I can harass you about Shirayuki since you are oblivious to the fact that the woman is in love with you; yet, you are too damn busy following Rukia around like a love-struck puppy."
Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, revealing a well-dressed Rukia. "Why don't you two idiots quit fighting over me and tell me what's going on?"
Rukia commanded the room like a true Kuchiki causing Byakuya to hide back a smirk. He'd never tell her how proud of her that he was. She was a resilient little thing.
"Yes, mistress!" Senbonzakura yelp in a mock bow.
"Good. You better know you're place, peasant," Rukia countered trying to fight the smile threatening to form on her face.
"Gah, you've been married for less than a few weeks and you are already sounding like Byakuya." Senbonzakura murmured.
"Learn not to be a smart ass, and I just might revert to the old Rukia you know and love." She told him with a grin on her face. Senbonzakura's blue-grey eyes perked up at her words, but then he caught his brother's glower.
"So, Rukia, how much has Byakuya told you about what's going on?"
"She knows everything except for Ichimaru." Byakuya pipped up.
Senbonzakura looked her over. "You seem to be standing well. I figured you would be in a ball or crying on Yuki's shoulders."
Swallowing a lump in her throat, Rukia forced out, "I'm a lot stronger than you give me credit for, Zakura. I knew someone was trying to kill me. I just didn't realize that it extended to my family wanting me dead as well."
His eyes narrowed on her while Byakuya watched the interchange with interest. What was she going to do now?
"Are you sure that you are okay, Rukia?"
"I am fine, Zakura. My main concern now is finding Aizen and ending him…" She growled in a dark voice.
"Okay, she-devil…" Senbonzakura threw a quick glance at his brother. Was this really Rukia? She seemed so blood thirsty for the moment. She wouldn't be hiding something from them, would she? The younger twin quickly filed this away to ask Shirayuki about when they met for a briefing later. He would use all of his charm to get to the bottom of this.
"Now, where were we before we were interrupted, Rukia?" Byakuya asked her in a business-like ton.
Well there went the man I spent the night with! I wonder when I'll get to see him again and not the evil ice twin.
"At Gin Ichimaru, I believe…" Rukia replied as she waited for one of the twins to pick up the pieces.
"He's Aizen's right hand man, and also the one who wrecked your car the other day." Byakuya told her. "I want you to take a good look at this picture and memorize it."
"This is Ichimaru, I assume." Rukia concluded as she looked thoroughly at the picture.
"Yes. He's highly dangerous." Senbonzakura told her, but Rukia didn't need to be told that. She could see his aura in the picture.
"So am I." Rukia replied with a glare at the twin who trained her. For this, Rukia was going to need all the bravo that she could muster.
"Not like this, princess. He has military training. All of Aizen's men do." Senbonzakura said as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"This is why we would like for you and Shirayuki to stay near the mansion or only leave with us." Byakuya stated causing Senboznkaura and Rukia to look at him
"I'm just going to be a prisoner again?" Rukia asked. She didn't spend all that training for nothing.
"No. You're never a prisoner. I just want to keep you alive." Byakuya told her as their eyes met. Rukia saw a few emotions that she was shocked to reflect, but then the quickly disappeared.
"So, who else do I need to avoid like the plague?" Rukia asked. It was always better to prepare for the worse than the just float around like a dumb butterfly. She refused to be a victim if she could help it.
"Aizen has another man named Tozen, but Shinji is still digging up information on him. Zakura and I have had interactions with Ichimaru before, so that's how we know what he looks like."
"Basically, you're saying Aizen likes to play his cards to his chest until he is ready to strike?"
"That's exactly what we are saying." Senbonzakura replied.
"Would it be too much of a trouble to increase my training and Yuki's as well? If he's coming for me, then he'll come for her too."
"What do you mean by that Rukia?" She sighed at their question.
Rukia threw a quick glance at Byakuya. "Yuki is my heir in case of my death because we are blood sisters."
"What!" The brothers said in unison.
"I just recently learned that my father had an affair on one of his business trips. His affair resulted in Shirayuki. Surprisingly, the mother died in childbirth and didn't even seek my father out before Yuki's birth for money or even status."
"So, you're telling me we have two heirs under the Kuchiki house?" Senbonzakura asked curiously. He never knew about this dirty little secret.
"Yes, but only if the elders would allow it."
"Does she know?" Byakuya asked as he was trying to gauge whether Shirayuki could be tied to this. He trusted her, but this new information changed everything.
"No. She doesn't. I never worked up the courage to bring it up because I thought she was happy in her life at college. Why would I burden her with something like this?"
"Was the story you told us about Shirayuki before true?" Byakuya asked suspiciously.
"Honestly, yes." Rukia replied with a laugh. "If you can believe it, the one person I was drawn too since I was little was my half-sister. My aunt and uncle adopted her due to my insistence and my father didn't even think about it till later in life. As Yuki grew, He said that she looked like a woman he used to know, then he proceeded with a DNA test."
"Anything else you want to tell us, Rukia?"
"Huh…" Rukia scratched her head for a moment. "No. I think that was the only thing I was holding back, but honestly, Yuki would have been named my successor anyway since she is in my will. It would be up to the council and elders to name her head of the clan or not. I knew she was the only one not driven by money so our clan would prosper."
"Damn, Rukia…" Senbonzakura ran a hand through his now shoulder length hair. "Why the hell didn't you tell us sooner?"
"We all have secrets, Zakura. I just chose to protect this one."
"That's still not an answer." He growled.
"To damn bad because that's all you're going to get out of me." Rukia replied. Her actions caused Byakuya to raise from his seat and walk towards the two.
"Do you plan on telling her?" Byakuya asked as he was trying to calculate the fall out.
"Eventually, but that's not our issue right now. No one other than my father and one doctor knew about the DNA test so Yuki is safe. He only told me because I was starting to take over more task as head of the clan."
"It is our issue if Aizen knows about her."
"Rukia is right. Let her tell Shirayuki in her own time. It's not like we haven't hid things before, brother." Byakuya stated as the voice of the reason in the room. Tension was running high, and he hated to see the two closes people at each other's throat.
"Then you get to be the one who trains her, Byakuya. I am too frustrated right now with you, Rukia, to deal with this. We'll talk when I cool down." Senbonzakura said before he left the couple in the room.
Rukia turned to Byakuya, "If you expect me to be sorry, I'm not. I withheld all this to protect her."
"I understand, but she has a right to know as well as us." He countered with logical.
"You know my secret now." Rukia told him slightly breathlessly as everything seemed to be closing in yet again. Did she do the right thing?
"Was this what you were referencing to last night when you said that you were protecting her? You knew that Aizen would come after once he had you."
"Yes." Rukia said with a defeated sigh.
For the first time in two days, Byakuya Kuchiki wrapped his arms around Rukia once again. This was the start of their new relationship. Co-reliance on one another. Two heads of clans coming together to form one and doing whatever it takes to make sure all their family and friends remained safe.
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