Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.
Word Count: 410
A Kiss for Shelter
Apricot Flowers
Intuition prevailed; he'd caught her in time.
Glancing at Ikarosu the boy looked uncertain- guilty even, shoulders hunched and eyes darting everywhere but the other man's face.
And the rebellious girl...
Even now her cheeks were flushed, temper sparking in those darker-than-dark brown eyes. Some part of her knew she had been too spontaneous, but her gaze remained defiant.
Despite her heavy middle her posture was still impeccable and she lifted her chin with a measure of insouciance he couldn't help but admire.
It was a very Kuchiki sort of look and he bit back a rakish smile.
No, it was no time to humor her or appreciate her whimsy.
The challenge was there. Snapping between them. But he was indeed angry- it wasn't just about dominance.
Still as she met his stare with a narrow-eyed one of her own, he could see the nervous energy buzzing beneath the surface. She was impatient and restless. It was her eagerness that had driven her. He allowed the smallest ounce of pity to appear in his cloudy greys and she clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes in response.
"Come Ikarosu," She sniffed, turning on her heel, holding her hand out to the boy, "I'll make us some plum blossom tea."
The boy hastened to her side to take her hand, ducking under the lord of the manor's gaze.
The scent of the flowering trees suddenly filled Byakuya's nose.
Ume. He had forgotten all about them. Ordinarily he might hold court- have a small get-together in the northeast garden in celebration of their blooming.
There was a good expanse of land behind the river-house (courtesan's villa) and a variety of trees had taken root, but none so plentiful as the plum trees.
It was tradition, she had said, to gather beneath them and offer praise to the gods (basically the women would drink and dance well into the night). No business was conducted on these "flowering days". While she couldn't imbibe or dance (without burden) she had wanted to attend.
It was tradition.
As he watched her pace away from the garden gate she had attempted to escape through, he itched to go after her.
We will make new traditions. He might have said- but instead he had demanded she, 'Stop being foolish and return to rest.' He supposed anxiety was getting the best of him as well.
That night she haunted his dreams, dancing in a swirl of pink and white petals.
AN: Ume were usually planted to the northeast to ward off evil. They are also known as the "Japanese apricot" and can bloom in late winter to early spring. February to early March seems to be when they are most prevalent.
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