Bleach belongs to Kubo, as always.
Byakuya's eyes widened and he looked up at her, a slight blush on his cheeks from her words. Feeling her tug at him again, Byakuya nodded weakly and walked into the bathroom under his own power. The door closed softly behind him and several moments later, the sound of running water had her sighing with relief.
She felt the familiar sting of tears in her eyes as she looked at that stupid picture that should have been thrown away the second that Gin followed Aizen to Hueco Mundo. After tossing it in a drawer and slamming it shut, Rangiku breathed deeply as she gathered herself together. Byakuya needed her to be strong for him now.
Noticing how untidy her room was looking, she bustled around to pick trash and other things up. She changed the sheets on the bed and spritzed some air freshener around the room, now satisfied that everything was at least presentable for them to stay in for the night. She finally changed into a tank top and shorts and combed out her hair in front of her mirror as she waited for him to finish up.
She heard the water shut off after a while and the rustling of a towel that was undoubtedly drying Byakuya's body off. Rangiku cleared her throat at the thought of his ripped body peppered with water droplets and decided to focus her cleaning efforts again on a spot on her carpet that had been there far too long.
Light from the bathroom suddenly flooded the room and Rangiku chanced a quick peek at him.
"Uh…" she attempted to speak, yet the sight of him rendered her speechless.
Seeing his hair slicked back and how the towel clung for dear life from his waist made her almost forget that she needed to comfort him. Rangiku had seen him without a shirt countless times in the past few months and while she still felt an odd jolt in her body at the sight, it was nothing new. Seeing his body still moist from his shower made her tongue feel as if it was swelling in her mouth. It was very difficult to keep her eyes above his shoulder level. She gulped thickly and forced herself to make eye contact.
They stood in an awkward silence for a moment before Byakuya sniffed to break the silence.
His eyes were dry now and his expression was as blank as ever, yet she could easily feel the sorrow radiate from him. Byakuya never allowed himself to slouch and it looked as if he didn't have the will to even stand himself up correctly. He nearly withered under her gaze but managed to stop himself.
Byakuya looked around for a moment before speaking. "You wouldn't happen to have any spare clothes, would you?"
"Oh! Yeah…hold on a sec…" Rangiku murmured as she dashed towards her closet and flipped around for a minute before locating a bright pink tank top with the word 'SEXY' printed on the front in bright yellow font. She tossed it to Byakuya with that teasing smile he loved to see.
He held the shirt by his thumb and index finger and looked at it for a long moment, a slight twitch to his lips that let Rangiku know that he found this somewhat amusing. "Something less…pink."
"I thought you loved pink." Rangiku teased him as she walked over to her drawers and pulled out a set of pajamas pants and a robe.
"Are those…?"
"Yeah, they're yours." Rangiku admitted as she draped the robe over her shoulders and handed him the pants. "I…I like to keep your clothes when you're away."
"Why?" He didn't sound upset, but genuinely curious.
"Well…uh…they smell like you." She looked away and toed at the carpet. "I wear them when we're not with each other…it's like you're here with me."
He looked at her as he processed this new information. For her to take his clothes from him to keep with her in his absence meant that she disliked the idea of him being away from him. She missed him.
"I just freaked you out, didn't I?" Rangiku laughed nervously as she shook her still slightly damp hair, sprinkling him with water droplets. Before she could make an excuse to leave the room to give him privacy, he suddenly tugged her into his arms and held her. She froze, suddenly aware that this man was only wearing a towel and her skin reddened completely.
"Give me something of yours." Byakuya muttered as he lost himself in her warmth.
"Like what, panties? Perv. You can't wear those, unless you want them to—" Rangiku attempted to downplay the situation with a raunchy comment but was quickly silenced when he cradled her face in between his hands, gazing deeply into her eyes with beseeching, cloudy grays.
"Please."
Rangiku's mouth hung open and it took her a moment to remember how to form a coherent sentence. "I'll let you pick something in the morning." She murmured soothingly as she coaxed him into the bathroom, giving him a moment to get dressed before she tugged him towards her bed. Byakuya settled himself on the bed and sighed, the emotional rollercoaster of the evening was draining and he was more than ready for this day to be finished. The bed dipped as Rangiku climbed over him and settled at his side. Leaning on her elbow, she reached forth and scratched at his scalp, just the way he liked it.
"If you want to talk, I'll listen. Or we don't have to at all right now. I'll stay right here as long as you'll have me. I'm here for you, Byakuya." She offered gently as she cradled his face to look at her. "I hate seeing you hurt like this."
Byakuya felt himself melt and more tears welled in his eyes. He attempted to turn away from her, ashamed at his weakness, but she simply wiped his tears away and kissed his cheek before cradling him in her arms. She nuzzled her nose against his cheek as she rocked him back and forth to sooth him.
"There, there…I'm right here." she cooed as he sniffed pitifully in her embrace. Byakuya clung to her almost childishly as he absorbed the tenderness and affection that he desperately needed. Eventually his tears ran dry and his eyes felt heavy with exhaustion; his eyes fluttered slightly and his head lolled against Rangiku. She noticed this and quickly arranged the sheets around them and folded him back into her arms.
Rangiku touched her forehead to his, giving him a soft smile before leaning over him to shut off the light. One last peck on the cheek and a murmured goodnight signaled that he should relax and attempt to go to sleep, but his conscience wouldn't allow that.
"You should not have to deal with me in this state." Byakuya whispered after a moment. He felt Rangiku move and she was undoubtedly looking at him. "It is shameful for me to feel this way." The embarrassment was clawing at him and he felt lost.
"No, it's not." Rangiku said gently as he felt her hand caress his chest. "What you feel are normal emotions and bottling them up inside isn't healthy. You're not perfect and I don't expect you to be." She was well aware that Byakuya believed in those annoying gender roles that stated that only she could be emotional and only he could comfort her.
"I am better than this." Byakuya said from clenched teeth.
"I know you are, but it's okay not to be okay sometimes." Rangiku replied gently.
She then made the decision to concentrate on sensing his emotions as she had in the past. Byakuya felt slightly mollified by her words yet still a bit upset over everything. Another kiss pressed to his cheek calmed him again and she tugged at his earlobe.
"You are so precious to me…" Rangiku whispered gently in his ear. "I just wish you could realize this."
Byakuya stilled for several long moments and Rangiku was starting to fear that she said something wrong again. She was just about to call out to him, yet she felt him press a tender kiss to her mouth. A soft noise of surprise from her was muffled by Byakuya's mouth, never once disengaging from the kiss. Rangiku could feel his desperation pour into their connection, almost as if kissing her was the only way to rid himself of his pain.
The taste of sake flooded her taste buds as he explored her mouth tentatively, soft groans thrumming in her ear drums. She caressed his shoulders as she poured warmth and reassurance into their connection, tilting her head slightly and moving closer into him to reciprocate his ministrations. If this was what it took to bring him back to earth, she would just have to set aside her own feelings and simply think about him.
Could she?
As much as she just wanted this kiss to be centered on comforting Byakuya, her own feelings were starting to push forth into her awareness. The scratch of his stubble grazing her chin sent shivers down her spine and she could not help but cling to him a bit tighter. She felt his hands caress her gently, stroking her back and one of her thighs as he groaned softly into her mouth, sending a wave of fire throughout her body.
"Ohh…Byakuya…" she whispered his name when he gave her a brief respite to breath, gasping as he dove back in with even more enthusiasm. She felt flecks of moisture sprinkle onto her cheeks—tears—and she knew they weren't hers. This wasn't healthy at all; the last thing that Byakuya needed was to use physical release as a means of handling emotional issues. Rangiku herself was a prime example of this being a terrible idea. Yet she simply could not disengage from him; everything in her was warning her to push him off of her, to chide him gently before encouraging a healthier way of coping, yet she simply could not do it.
Thankfully, Byakuya seemed to pick up on her hesitance and slowly began to end his unrelenting barrage of passionate kisses.
They parted for a much-needed breather sometime later and although Rangiku couldn't see much of anything in the pitch-black darkness of the room, she knew he was gazing at her. She was almost glad for that, in a way. Those eyes of his would melt her in an instant and there was simply too much going through her mind to deal with that. Her heart was thumping wildly and she felt the unbearable urge to take charge, roll this man over on his back and continue where they left off.
A butterfly kiss grazed her cheek as she felt his lips trace her jawline and she gasped audibly. Once she felt his lips trace the length of her neck, her eyes rolled into the back of her head with pleasure.
"Gods…"
"I need you." His deep voice reverberated in her ears and she felt flames in her veins.
Rangiku groaned softly and vainly attempted to keep her wits about her, but she was losing the battle. It must have startled Byakuya back to earth because he immediately backed away and retreated to his side of her bed without another sound. Rangiku noticed that Byakuya now felt a mixture of anxiety, shame, and guilt that was eating away at him and felt her heart break for this man.
She nibbled at her kiss-swollen lip, fighting an internal battle within herself before she reached out to him, grazing her fingers across his bare back before placing her palm flat. He relaxed under her touch and waited a moment before turning to face her and snuggled into her opened arms. Pressing a kiss in between his eyebrows, she hummed to him until she felt him relax and start to snore softly. Once she was certain that Byakuya was sound asleep, she let loose the tears she was holding back and cried quietly to herself in the moonlight.
Rangiku woke herself up early the next morning, carefully easing a pillow under Byakuya's arm to replace her body that had been laced snugly in his arms. He made a noise of displeasure at the disparity in warmth but thankfully stayed asleep. Pressing a gentle kiss on his forehead, she looked at him wistfully for a few moments before she decided to be productive for the day.
Stumbling into the living room with Byakuya's clothes, she tossed them in the wash and decided that stress cleaning was the best course of action to take while Byakuya was still asleep. Last night was…something.
She blamed herself, she always does. Had she not crawled into Byakuya's lap and made out with him like a hormonal teenager, he wouldn't have followed her into her room for the explanation that he deserved only to see that picture.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid…" Rangiku admonished herself as she swept out her kitchen angrily with a broom. What on earth was she thinking? Was she even thinking at all?!
Yes, she did crawl onto his lap to convince him to listen to her idea. Using her feminine wiles to get her way was not abnormal for her at all. Byakuya couldn't resist a good eyelash flutter and she was well aware of this. Kissing him like that was not the plan whatsoever, it just happened. Something happened in the moment when their eyes met and she felt an intense pull towards him that she couldn't resist. Once again, they had ventured into forbidden territory out of the blue and she had no idea how to address it with him.
She cleared her throat audibly at the memory of them in bed together last night, exploring each other's mouths as their fingers tangled in each other's damp hair. It was the booze, it had to be the booze, she rationalized her herself with a firm nod. Byakuya wasn't a heavy drinker and while she had her share last night, he had much more. He was no lightweight, either, but the alcohol made the situation a lot more dramatic than it might have been without. This would not have happened if he was sober. Even though she made the first move, Rangiku had to admit that she liked the feeling of Byakuya taking charge for once. She knew that she was desired by many, yet his desire stirred a wanting in her that she hadn't felt for so long.
Rangiku wasn't going to lie to herself and pretend that she didn't find his touch absolutely intoxicating. She was not a prude. A grown woman knows what she likes and doesn't like. Granted, it wasn't exactly proper to allow this man to touch her like this and attempt to disregard his furtive attempts to inquire as to what they were actually doing with themselves. Even so, it wasn't as if they were constantly all over each other; aside from hugs, late night cuddles and chaste kisses goodnight, they were nothing but casual around each other. Just like proper best friends would usually do, except for what had happened last night.
These rare moments of intense intimacy were starting to become a common occurrence and she knew that she wanted it, badly.
His touch, his kisses…
If only the circumstances were positive…
After thoroughly cleaning the kitchen, dining room, and guest bathroom, she was about to tackle the living room until she noticed that Byakuya had been leaning against the doorway that led from her bedroom, watching her. His face had grown the most stubble that she had ever seen on him before, giving him such a ruggedly masculine appearance that had her heart skip a beat. He scratched at it for a moment as he gave her a piercing look. Unfortunately his eyes were still red and puffy, a reminder of her awful screw up from the previous night.
"Hey…" A polite greeting trailed from her lips as she went to flip her rug over to sweep underneath it.
Byakuya remained silent, simply watching her with a blank face before he walked over to her, wrapping his arms underneath her backside and lifting her easily. He then walked her backwards towards the couch without a single word. Rangiku yelped at this and stammered helplessly as Byakuya plopped her at the end of the couch, staring up at him with surprise. He then stretched himself out, laying himself between Rangiku and the couch's cushions and rested his head in the crook of her neck. It was almost childlike the way that he snuggled himself into her, as if he was a small child who was woken up in the middle of the night from a nightmare.
"I was cleaning…" Rangiku protested as she squirmed, feeling a bit unnerved at his behavior and this provocative position they were now in. "Are you okay?"
Byakuya stayed silent, not trusting himself to answer. He hadn't been okay for so long. Yet with her, he was able to have a reprieve from it all. With her, he could simple forget. Waking up this morning without her nearly sent him into a panic before he heard her bustling around the apartment. He felt Rangiku relax significantly as she caressed his back.
"I'm so sorry." She could not even find it in herself to try and squirm her way out from underneath him, his body weight on top of her actually felt lovely and she was selfish enough to enjoy it. It just made the situation even worse for her.
Byakuya nodded minutely in an attempt to reassure her that she was not at fault. They relaxed into each other for a while, him savoring her touch and her relishing in his weight and warmth. While this position was provocative enough for her to originally assume that he had other intentions, she quickly realized that he simply needed a comforting touch and reassurance that the previous night wasn't a nightmare at all. She caressed his skin, tracing shapes as she thought about what she needed to say to him next.
"I buried him near where we used to live as kids. Only I know where it is, didn't want vandals to ruin anything out there." Rangiku spoke after a while. "Haven't been out there in months either…" She tilted his head to make him look at her and gave him a sad smile. "You're not the only one who hasn't been on top of things."
"Our situations are quite dissimilar." Byakuya protested calmly, finally deciding to speak for the first time since the night before. "He betrayed you, yet she was my wife."
"I still loved him though." Rangiku sighed sadly and Byakuya felt an unpleasant jolt in his chest before he noticed that she spoke in the past tense. "Now I just feel sick to my stomach at the thought of him."
This gave Byakuya pause. Was this ill feeling that she had the result of guilt he suffered from as well? Or was this general malcontent of how her relationship with him was ended by his betrayal and untimely death? He decided not to pry with the fear of saying something overtly insensitive.
Byakuya sat up now, having his fill of her touch for the time being. She straightened herself out quickly and turned to rest her back on the arm of the couch before sighing.
"Who knew that a little make out session would lead to something like this?" Her beautiful lips pouted as she scratched at her golden tresses of hair. "Such a mess."
"I enjoyed it immensely." Byakuya frankly admitted, feeling his face heat up at how readily he fessed up. This was a first for them and while the initial start of it was under less than pleasant conditions, he was not against this becoming a regular occurrence. Although he hated the fact that it took a breakdown from him to lead them to this new stage in their—whatever they had was. Rangiku's kisses were near addicting and he craved for them more than he was willing to admit.
"Oh, I know. I felt how you were trying to grab onto my ass for dear life." Those sweet lips of hers curved into that playful smile he loved to see.
"My actions, although uncalled for, were not entirely unprovoked." Byakuya countered as he felt his lips attempt to do the same. The melancholy of the situation quickly formed into the lighthearted banter that he grew to appreciate from her.
Rangiku rolled her eyes and kicked at him, cursing when he immediately redirected her kick and caused her to sprawl out on the floor. He immediately reached for her and hefted her up, pretending to grunt roughly with exertion at her body weight and she once again swung at him fruitlessly.
After resettling herself on the couch with a huff, she eyed him and spoke quietly. "You mean the world to me, Byakuya. Never forget that."
Byakuya's eyes softened at her words and he nodded. "Thank you." He hesitated a moment before he spoke again. "I want you to know that I appreciate that."
A pleased grin exposed two rows of gleaming white teeth before Rangiku replied with conviction in her voice. "I know you do, silly, and I don't care if I have to yell it in your ear every morning until you finally get it."
"As long as you offer to sit in my lap again, I will comply." Byakuya spoke with a completely straight face, yet the glint in his eyes betrayed his expression. Rangiku tossed a couch cushion at his face in response and it smacked him hard enough that his body fell back on the couch.
"The fastest man in the realm still cannot best a pillow, what a shame…" Rangiku teased him as she leaned over his prone body. "I bet Yoruichi-san could have dodged it."
He blinked at her, almost looking insulted at his skill set being underestimated.
Rangiku snorted out a laugh yet her countenance soon sobered. "Are you sure that you're alright? I've never seen you like that before."
Byakuya remained on his back, content with just staring at the ceiling as he was once again reminded of his cowardice. Against his better judgment, he allowed his gaze to lock on hers and felt the steel gates that he erected around his heart fall with the full knowledge that he had no chance of avoiding this topic.
"I'd rather comfort you than be comforted." He stated plainly. Rangiku had her moments of sorrow as well and he knew how to calm her down yet he still felt ashamed at receiving the same care. The man was supposed to be the unyielding pillar of strength and support for his woman, never the other way around. Hours of lessons from his tutors had taught him that the man is supposed to protect and provide and the woman is supposed to simply accept it—he learned this as a child and still believed in it. He didn't care if his mindset was an archaic manner of thinking; Byakuya would not allow Rangiku to pick up after his emotional mess if he could avoid it. That was his duty, not hers. He would have those moments in the privacy of his quarters at the Manor and would always get himself together in due course. Last night was an unfortunate slip up that he would beat himself up over for weeks to come now that she knew.
"There's room for both of us on this emotional instability ride, I can guarantee you that." Rangiku protested with a twitching eyebrow. "If you have something on your mind that's bothering you, tell me. I'm here for you."
Byakuya still looked unconvinced.
"I told you last night that keeping things bottled up inside of you is unhealthy. You have to let things out sometimes."
Byakuya pretended to look confused.
"Don't give me that look, asshole." She swatted at him lightly with open hands.
His lips twitched slightly as he parried the blows. She knew that he liked it when they play fought. Whatever it was about men and playfighting puzzled her, but she might as well keep pushing for this.
"Go to her." Rangiku said quietly, verbalizing a suggestion that had been on her mind since sunrise.
Byakuya looked apprehensive. Rangiku did not have to elaborate for him to understand. What would he even say to her?
"C'mon, just do it."
This should not be so difficult.
"Even for five minutes."
"I will go." Byakuya interrupted her next pleading sentence impatiently.
"Good." She smiled at him victoriously. It would be much easier for him to see her than her attempting to go visit Gin, captain never quite approved of those trips and she eventually stopped asking. At least one of them deserved to work on getting more closure. Standing up to stretch, she reached over and pulled at his arm. "Find something in the fridge to eat and then you can help me clean."
"Clean? I cannot stay here all day." Byakuya sat up and gave her a perplexed look.
"Well, you can't exactly leave here now because I'm washing your clothes." She explained before she gestured to the balcony window, where the sun was shining brightly through it. They could hear the faint voices of 10th Division members going about their day in the lovely weather. "Besides, don't you realize how crazy it would look for you as a captain to stroll out of my apartment in your pajamas and a scruffy face so early in the day?"
Byakuya had to admit that Rangiku was completely right; any witnesses to him exiting her apartment unshaven and wearing pajama pants would quickly collapse from utter shock and terror and undoubtedly spread the news about the Seireitei. He could envision it clearly in his mind's eye—Rangiku's horde of harpies that she calls friends would mob him with meddling questions, Hitsugaya might attempt to hunt him down and murder him, and Yoruichi would most likely cackle that gods forsaken laugh in his face and tease him relentlessly—there were so many terrible scenarios that dwelled in the realm of possibilities. That was not how he wanted his relation—friendship with Rangiku to become known to the public. Their—friendship would immediately be seen as a forbidden affair and neither of them wanted to deal with the backlash.
"Your friends seem to believe that you are currently involved with a man either way." Byakuya challenged her.
"They don't know about you yet and I never give them names." She replied shortly, forgetting to correct him and failing to notice the slight glint of recognition in his eyes. "Well, except for Rukia-chan and Yoruichi-san, but they don't count."
"Not even Hitsugaya? Does he not know about me?"
"Gods, no. He'll kill me." Rangiku groaned aloud at the thought and noticed that her answer sounded a bit callous. "Well, he knows I spend a lot of time with someone who just so happens to be you."
"I see." Byakuya replied with a grunt. "I am surprised that he has not attempted to inquire further."
"He tried at first, but taicho's cooled off on the questions months ago. He never forgets, though." Rangiku shrugged casually. "Either way, you're stuck here with me unless you want to go on a field trip in that get up."
"Being with you is hardly something that I would consider to be 'stuck'." Byakuya argued as he gave Rangiku a disapproving look. He took her hand in his, squeezing it softly and running his thumb over her fingers. She blushed and vainly attempted to disguise a smile before she squeezed his hand as well.
"Touché." Rangiku chuckled as she shook his arm. "Trust me, as much as I like drama, gossip, and free food with the girls—I'd still want to be with you over them nine and a half times out of ten." She gave him a bright grin and felt her heart flutter at the glee in Byakuya's dark eyes.
"You could not give me the other half point?" Byakuya questioned her with a taunting smirk.
"Gods, no—you'd gloat about it for weeks and you wouldn't let me hear the end of it." Rangiku freed her hand from his and clasped both of her hand against her bosom at the thought. "Anyways, you probably can't leave until sundown unless we both want to make the front page on the news."
"Hmm, and gods forbid that." Byakuya thought of the less than desired possibilities and sighed as he once again scratched at his face. This damned facial hair itched. Noticing him fiddle with his facial hair, Rangiku smiled mischievously and drew closer to him.
"Grow it out, it'll look cute." Rangiku reached forth and stroked his face with both hands, loving how his scruff felt on her fingertips. Byakuya kept his face cleanly shaven out of habit, although Rangiku loved it when he allowed himself to grow it out a bit. The sight of a burgeoning beard on his sharp jawline caused goosebumps to prickle her skin with excitement; it made him look even more devilishly handsome. While he might still be a pretty boy to her, she could grow used to this rugged side of him. She scratched underneath his chin and he purred at her touch. A cocked eyebrow from him made her pinch his cheeks teasingly and shake his face around as she stuck her tongue out at him.
Feeling significantly better than he did when he awoke, he pulled her in to sit astride his lap for a hug, nuzzling his face into her neck and squeezing her gently around her midsection. She wrapped her arms around him and he felt her delicious warmth radiate into him from head to toe. He smiled to himself as he felt her chest swell against him from her giggles before he burrowed his nose behind her ear and inhaled her sweet scent with reverence. This was all that a man needed to endure, in his opinion; food and water meant little compared to a warm, soft woman to hold snugly in his arms.
Byakuya fought the unbearable urge to press his lips against her neck and leave a less-than-innocent mark on her skin. Clearing his throat slightly to clear his mind from further physically intimate actions that he wanted to try with her, he relaxed himself against the plush couch cushions. Physical contact was important to Byakuya, especially having been devoid of it for most of his life. Having Rangiku entirely willing to let him have her like this meant the world to him.
"Ugh, never mind." Rangiku squirmed in his arms as his rough cheek brushed against her neck, eliciting a delightful shiver from her. "It's itchy."
"Make up your mind, woman." Byakuya ordered her softly as he stroked her arm.
"I don't feel like it, plus my indecisiveness is just another thing that you love about me." Rangiku chortled heartily.
"It is utterly infuriating." Byakuya responded with a furrowed brow, leaning his head back to look at her warily.
"You still love it." She scratched underneath his chin again and felt her heart soar at the sight of his smile.
"It is endearing at times." Byakuya conceded with a nod as he let his arms entwine around her even more firmly. "Of course, only you have the capability of making anything attractive."
"Oooh." Rangiku cooed with surprise at Byakuya's forwardness. "Are you flirting with me, Kuchiki-taicho?"
"I am stating a simple fact." Byakuya let his left hand drift to her knee, drawing tender circles on her skin with his thumb. "Am I mistaken?"
"You know that I can't answer that—it would insinuate the exact opposite." Rangiku retorted with a pout. "Trying to set me up, aren't you?"
"I would attempt to be more creative than that, Rangiku-san." Byakuya reassured her.
"Only because my opinion matters so much to you."
"Perhaps I dislike the idea of leaving a beautiful woman unsatisfied." He looked deeply into her eyes, gratified at the sight of the rosiness to her cheeks. Rangiku glanced around the room for a moment, a bit too flustered to make eye contact with Byakuya as she reined herself back in.
"I'm sure you're well-versed in taming the wiles of a woman." Rangiku said as she gave him an award-winning grin, her moment of girlish delight at his innuendo was quickly tamed.
"Not particularly." Byakuya admitted frankly.
"You grew up around a bunch of beautiful noble-girls, I'm pretty sure you have a good idea." Rangiku laughed and rested her chin against the side of his head. She felt him tense and scoff with disgust from the memories of being accosted by teenaged girls during his youth, drawing out a humorous chuckle from her. Rangiku burrowed her nose into Byakuya's hair and inhaled deeply, relishing the scent of her own flowery shampoo with his own natural, masculine scent. "My shampoo smells really good on you. Refreshing, actually—like a sweet summer breeze."
"I smell like a woman." Byakuya argued half-heartedly, relishing in the extra physical contact that came with her sniffing his hair. She had shown no inclination of wanting to escape from his embrace and he was more than pleased about this.
"A really sexy woman with a hot body." Rangiku replied with a firm nod of the head. "So sexy that you can't even wrap your head around it. A nice quality, don't you think?"
"One of a multitude of your qualities." Byakuya commented with the slightest upturn of his lips.
Rangiku grinned at him before her expression looked contemplative. He noticed the change and nodded at her to speak what was on her mind.
"Does it help?"
"Does what help?"
"When you kiss me." She blurted out before blushing. After a moment, she continued. "Does it really help you to feel better?"
Byakuya hesitated and his expression looked apprehensive. They hadn't had an honest conversation about their newest form of intimacy; they had delved into it once Rangiku had initiated their first kiss and he followed her lead without delay. He was not foolish enough to question it and have the risk of her no longer initiating anymore. Still, Byakuya surmised that it was time to speak his mind about this. Perhaps this would further convince her of his intentions towards her if he was truly transparent.
"I enjoy your touch; it is not a matter of whether or not it makes me feel better. Rangiku-san, I simply enjoy you. Do you fault me for that?" His voice lowered an octave normal than usual and the shiver that tickled her spine was tantalizing. Byakuya allowed his fingers to tease the skin exposed on her waist from the back of her shirt. He watched as her pupils dilated at his words and touch; her bottom lip folded into her mouth and he had the agonizing urge to draw it out with his own mouth.
"I could never do that." Rangiku swallowed thickly and responded after a moment, reaching around his head to touch the back of his neck with her hand. "You deserve it, don't you think?"
"In my mind, I believe that I am fortunate for the chance, not deserving of it." Byakuya admitted cryptically, yet Rangiku easily read between the lines. This mindset of his that he deserved to forever be unhappy due to his former actions saddened Rangiku greatly.
Rangiku brushed her thumb across one of his eyebrows. "After all that we've been through, don't we deserve a little tender, loving care? Genuine intimacy from someone who actually cares?"
Byakuya's expression was dubious, almost as if he was afraid that whatever he said to her next would be wrong. Noticing this, Rangiku held his face and placed her face mere inches away, making him focus his entire attention on her.
"Let me take care of you and be there for you." Rangiku pleaded with him earnestly. "I want this. I want you to be happy."
Byakuya felt a wad form in his throat and nodded, gazing at her with beseeching, smoldering gray eyes.
She felt herself lean into him reflexively, stopping herself just in time before their lips touched again. Too soon.
Instead of reeling back, Rangiku paused and closed her eyes before diverting her lips to his cheek.
"Feels like I just kissed a goat." Rangiku commented as she swiped her lips across the back of her hand. A teasing smile and a flirtatious flip of her hair had his heart doing backflips at the sight. It was mind-bogging how their tender moments could lapse into light-hearted banter at a blink of an eye; it was so sudden that Byakuya was still reeling from the previous interaction and barely even registered the change.
Deciding to throw caution to the wind with the excuse that he had earned the opportunity to try something like this again, he laced his left arm underneath her knees and stood up, now holding her bridal style in his arms. She was far from heavy, yet not particularly dainty at all. Rangiku was a perfect blend of toned muscle and blessed softness. Byakuya found that he favored a woman of a firm constitution and vivacious curves were an added bonus as well. This woman belonged in his arms and he would be eternally damned if he ever had to give her up.
He reminisced about eventful situation long ago and first time he carried Rangiku like this; how different everything was nearly two years ago. There had been so much change.
"Whoa! Hey!" Rangiku exclaimed and flushed brightly as she fearfully looked to see how high from the ground she now was. Before she could even question him about his intentions, he carted her away from the couch and towards her bedroom. Blushing furiously at the implications of a sexy, shirtless, and unshaven man carrying her into her bedroom in his arms, she couldn't even find the words to argue and instead stammered helplessly. Moments later, she was once again tossed onto another set of furniture—her bed—and Byakuya stood next to it waiting for her to speak her mind.
"Is carrying me around a kink of yours now?" Rangiku questioned as she rolled onto her side.
He shook his head, successfully hiding a smile before he answered her. "I want you to stay and wait here for a while."
"For what? Wait!" Rangiku queried as he turned to leave the room. "Byakuya!" She made to stand again yet Byakuya held her gently by the shoulders.
"It is a surprise." Byakuya answered as he pointed a finger at the bed. "Just stay here and relax. Listen to me, Rangiku-san."
Rangiku puffed out her cheeks at him adamantly, preparing herself to ignore him and stomp her way back into the living room before he now whipped out the big guns. Two could play at this game and Byakuya knew just what to do. He gave her an award-winning grin—a grin so large that his face felt the strain of unfamiliar muscles being put to use. His hand found purpose on her cheek and he caressed it gently with his thumb before speaking.
"Please?"
The flustered blush and helpless stammers from her promptly solidified her compliance and with a final teasing brush of his thumb across her cheek, Byakuya made his way out of her room with purposeful strides.
Deciding to comply for the time being, Rangiku fished out a magazine from under the bed and read from it, trying to distract herself from the flurry of emotions that were running rampant inside of her. That damned smile of his was treacherous and worked way too well. She could barely even think straight around this man anymore and she knew she was now treading in dangerous waters. Her carefully formed barrier of platonic admiration for this man was quickly deteriorating and she felt no inclination of building it back up.
The infamous Rangiku Matsumoto, known for loving the attention of men from all walks of life now only wants the attention of just one man. She craves it even—his attention, his acknowledgement, his desire…
Byakuya.
She snorted under her breath at the irony of it all. Banging her head on the mattress, she huffed to herself as she flopped onto her back.
Their situation was beyond odd—Byakuya made it abundantly clear since day one of his feelings for her and instead of letting him down easy and going about her business, she invited him into her life and crafted a friendship. Rangiku would have had to have been a fool to assume that it could remain so forever.
She wanted companionship, someone that she could trust inexplicably and she had that in Byakuya. The time they had spent together was absolute bliss. This man was her hero and she admired him immensely. She thought of him throughout the day when they were apart and felt genuine happiness when they were together. Was it okay to want more than that with this man? Was it okay to feel?
She simply was not ready for this; things were escalating too quickly between the both of them and she was at an utter loss on how to handle this properly. Barely six months ago she could easily call them buddies and now they spent their free time together cuddling, kissing, and other non-friendship like activities. What made things even more awkward was that it was her that initiated everything; the kissing, cuddling, sleeping together—it was her. Not once had Byakuya initiated the first of any of their intimate acts even though he made his romantic feelings known in the first place.
Until last night after that kiss, Byakuya had never once questioned her about their increasingly occurring intimate acts. She still could not blame him for that even though he told her not to worry herself about it anymore.
Byakuya was not a confrontational man unless he had a reason to speak his mind.
After a while of contemplation, she decided to tip toe from her bedroom and see what he was up to. The scent of food cooking made her perk up and she peered around the corner to see Byakuya at the stove cooking. Rangiku knew for a fact that Byakuya was terrible at anything involving food, so the fact that this meal actually smelled delicious was a pleasant surprise. Leaning against the doorframe of the hallway, she watched him with a proud smile on her face for a few moments before she decided to interrupt him.
She wrapped her arms around him once she reached the stove, peering around him to see him cooking omurice.
"Smells good." Rangiku commented happily as she squeezed him from behind, resting her cheek against his arm. She felt him relax into her touch and even place his hand atop hers for a brief moment in acknowledgement.
"I wanted you serve you breakfast in bed, but I see that you cannot follow simple instructions. You have ruined your surprise, Rangiku-san." Byakuya flipped the omurice onto a second plate and glanced over his shoulder at her, a challenging twinkle in his eyes. Rangiku pinched at his ribs in response and took their plates, gesturing with her chin for him to follow her.
"Since when have I ever done what I was told to do?" Rangiku questioned sultrily over her shoulder as she swayed herself towards her bedroom, a wide-eyed Byakuya hot on her heels. He doubled back once he saw that he had forgotten their tea and quickly entered the room to see her lounging against her pillows, tucking into her plate with relish. Gods, she was a vision.
"Mmm." Rangiku hummed as she tasted the omurice. "I should've waited for you, sorry about that."
"It's fine." Byakuya handed her a cup of tea and sat himself next to her. "Do you like it?"
"It's amazing." Rangiku grinned at him. "But I'm pretty sure that I'm supposed to be the one doing this for you to cheer you up."
"Think of this as a way of showing my thanks." Byakuya said in between chews, feeling himself puff up with pride knowing that he had made her happy. Seeing this woman's smile was worth more to him than anything.
"Aw, look at you; talking with your mouth full. You're so adorable, you know that?" Rangiku cooed as she continued to eat, failing to notice the yearning gaze Byakuya was giving her.
She was in such a state of bliss that she couldn't help but chuckle a bit; an adorably sexy man just cooked her breakfast in bed after going through so much the night before and was still only fixated on what made her happy. This man was something else.
Rangiku looked over at him furtively and felt her heart flutter as she watched him eat; sometimes she could barely take her eyes off of him. For whatever reason, his eyebrows always furrowed together whenever he ate anything and Rangiku giggled under her breath at the sight. Hearing this, Byakuya gave her a questioning look and she waved him off gently, assuring him that she was in a pleasant mood. After the night before, this was a welcomed change in pace and she did not want to change that.
Deciding to take a chance, she swiped Byakuya's fork from his hand and picked up a piece of omurice, holding it in front of his face. "Open wide!"
He blinked owlishly at her before allowing her to feed him, blushing against his own will when she gently brushed the corner of his mouth with her thumb.
"Thank you for this." Rangiku said quietly, her eyes misting slightly with emotional tears. "You really are an amazing man, Byakuya." She smiled gently as she watched a slight blush appear on his face.
"I—I…" He tried to speak and found that his words failed him for a moment. He felt as her hand entwined with his and squeezed it gently.
"You're perfect."
Once again, Byakuya was stunned into silence and could only nod. Thankfully and before he could look anymore foolish in front of her, Rangiku returned to her plate of food and they finished their meal in silence.
Rangiku trotted from the room soon after and placed the empty plates in the sink. She also tossed Byakuya's clothes into the dryer before she rushed back to her room. Byakuya was reclined against her headboard and gave her a searching gaze as she shrugged off his robe and tossed it at the foot of the bed. She blushed lightly at his scrutiny and crawled into the bed to cuddle with him.
"You should not lay down so soon after eating." Byakuya commented as he leaned himself on his elbow to face her. He placed his other hand on her back and began to rub it in circles.
"I'll live." Rangiku shrugged as she placed her forehead onto his chest. "Just relax…"
She opened her eyes when she felt his thumb trace her cheek and looked at him. Byakuya hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting to her lips as he licked his discreetly. He felt his confidence falter in that moment and looked past her, to her disappointment. Rangiku knew that his hesitance was because of their previous night in the same bed; he wasn't drunk enough then to not remember what had happened.
Rangiku wrapped her arm around him and laced her legs in between his. "I hope you feel better."
"I do." Byakuya whispered as his thumb still traced about her cheek.
"I wish that I could too."
"You are not at fault."
"I started this and we're not even…" Rangiku trailed off suddenly and rested her forehead on his chest again in silence. A displeased grumble from Byakuya reverberated about her entire body and she shivered at the sensation.
"You cannot lambast me for my self-deprecating thoughts while doing the same to yourself."
"Tch. Big words even in bed—gods, Byakuya; give it a rest already." Rangiku complained under her breath as she ignored the rest of his comment.
"If I must keep reminding you that nothing was your fault, I will. You will not criticize yourself any longer in my presence." Byakuya commanded her sternly with a glare, jolting her back to the present.
She gave him a half-hearted glare before she caught a glimpse of his earnest gaze and felt her petulance immediately dissipate. Snuggling closer into him enough to push him flat on his back, she burrowed her face into his neck, entangled her legs with his and immediately closed her eyes.
"You have to promise that you will do the same." Rangiku said after an extended period of time spent cuddling.
"Hmm?" Byakuya was dozing and didn't quite catch what Rangiku had said.
Rangiku lifted her head so that her face was mere millimeters away from Byakuya. "I said that you have to promise me the same thing." She noticed how close they were and quickly blushed a cute rouge color. "Please, do it for me."
Byakuya nodded in agreeance, fully on board. To prove to Rangiku that he was willing to change and improve himself just for her was immensely important. It proved his dedication to the promise and his desire to keep her happy. Becoming a better man for this woman would be worth it in the end.
"I will." He promised her as he gently squeezed her in his arms. Rangiku gave him a gentle smile, noticing a bit too late that their noses were mere millimeters away from touching. She watched how his gaze softened at the sight of her and felt such warmth and tenderness envelop her.
"You make me happy." He whispered softly before shutting his eyes again.
"I'm glad." She whispered shakily, sighing shakily under her breath as she felt him squeeze her body into his. His hands gently caressed her as he hummed to her softly under his breath,
Before either of their minds had the opportunity to delve into further complexities of this intimacy, Rangiku's phone started to buzz loudly from her nightstand. Startled, she immediately scrambled away Byakuya and reached for it. She cursed under her breath a moment later and tossed it onto the bed.
"What is the matter?" Byakuya questioned, the disappointment of their interrupted intimacy was quickly replaced with concern.
"Nanao is here—I'm supposed to give her paperwork for the SWA." Rangiku explained as she hurriedly tossed on Byakuya's robe. "You have to stay here and be quiet—things could get really ugly if she finds out about you."
"I see." Byakuya acquiesced with a frown, feeling a bit concerned himself.
"It'll be alright." Rangiku said and gave him a flashing smile before sprinting outside and closing her bedroom door shut.
Byakuya watched her leave silently, brooding to himself as he kept an ear out for what was happening on the other side of the door.
"I hope you are right."
Welcome back! It's been way too long and I hope everyone is still interested in this story. You know, life always tosses curve balls at you and it's pretty hard to work around it unless you know it's coming. Enjoy this chapter for the holidays and don't forget to review! Thanks for reading!