First of all everyone a big thanks to "Hunterofcomedy" who offered to beta this story, so my english mistakes won't give a hard time anymore. XD
Second, hi everyone, i'm back with another chapter... i hope this won't disappointing you. I know that lot of you are expecting Isshin's reaction. It's not like i'll overlook it (since he's one of my favorite characters) ... but for this chapter i prepared something else... so let me know what you think.
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-IchigoMoonCutter - well english mistakes won't be a problem anymore ;)
-sleeplygirl, yep, actually if Byakuya wouldn't have said that thing about Renji, Ichigo wouldn't have agreed to marry Rukia. Jealousy push people to do crazy things :))
-pmw928, i reserved other's reaction to this unexpected marriage for the next chapter, but i hope you'll also like this chapter.
-anon, Rukia was a little submissive. you are right... but that was only because she was in front of Byakuya. Her reaction in front of Ichigo is slight different... read this chapter to find ,more :)
- rukik504, you said the first chapter was "pretty good", the second " really good"... so i should presume things are getting better and better :).
-phantom clare, je suis contente que ca te plait... je ne sais pas encore si Ichigo va devenir un shinigami a part entire, mais surement une partie de l'histoire va se passer en Seireitei.
-Star fire girl 788, i can't believe it... you actually called me " an excellent writer". Thank you!
-vic, to be honest... i don't have something planned yet (like i did with my others stories)... This story kinda goes with the flow, because like one of the followers said, it has a big potential of have fun by writing it :)
-Mastermind Minion , so we are both writing a similar story in the same time, haha?
-hunterofcomedy ... Haha , you are right! But you know what? I've put the "!" on Byakuya's lines by mistake! I will erase them...
-byakuya7687, ichigo agreed, but with the stress that i see coming i can also picturing him regretting his decision, haha. But i guess is to late for him now. He can't go back.
-DinieLuvYunho, i don't feel sorry for Orihime either, haha... maybe for Renji... a little...
-tituslepetitlion, Je comprends que ca te plait plus qu' A frozen ocean of rain... Ce normale, cette nouvelle histoire est legere et amusante (j'espere...), mais pour etre sincere, personellement, j'aime plus A frozen ocean of rain. C'est plutot mon style...(mais "shhh", ca doit rester entre nous) :)
-LumineNightshade35, you really want for Byakuya to remarry? Hmm... maybe i could do something about it...
-LyssaIsThatLyssa, Dude... i'm glad you liked it :))
-falconrukichi... i know you also... from "A frozen ocean of rain" :D. I'm glad you like this new story!
-Araiae4u, Hi! So you checked this story too! And you liked it! It makes me happy to know that ... honestly :D... Oh and yes, we have an engagement ring prepared too (read to find out more)
-Kejora, Actually i really try to keep the characters in their canon... i don;'t like them when they're becoming OCC
-Outer space-alien XV, I'm glad you like it :) I will try to keep up with the fast updates.
-purplepam, I don't want to discourage you... but i also tried to learn Japanese from watching animes and it didn't work. It's the kanji and hiragana who killed me... and i gave up! . I'm really glad you like this story better
-annia9semi, at least i'm a fast updater... :) glad you like the story so far
-Thunder Claw03, actually i haven't though about Ichigo's inner world... until now :). You gave me something to think of...
-danee, well making them fall in love would be easy. the hardest part will be to make them admit their feelings, haha
-ren. , you do find this amusing?... thanks :)
I HOPE THAT ANSWERING TO REVIEWS IN A/N WON'T BOTHER YOU...
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3. Operation Proposal: Failed
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Question2: How did you go trough the proposal moment?
Rukia (nervously): We didn't!
Ichigo( with resignation): Actually, we did, but we don't want to remember...
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Ichigo and Rukia kept staring at each other intensely until slowly their gaze descended to the little box Ichigo was holding. Rukia was visibly nervous, while Ichigo wasn't quite sure of what he was doing.
"So…I'm supposed to lean on one knee?" he asked.
Rukia didn't answer, but her stiffed attitude actually said everything. It was clear that if he made one more wrong gesture she will kick him out of her room for the rest of the night. Ichigo gave it a try though, opening the little box in which a beautiful ring was waiting for its keeper. Then and he doubtfully leaned on his knee…
"Uuuuuuh!" she gasped annoyed and slapped the top of his orange ruffled hair. She turned her back and went to the porch, leaving the poor boy alone, in the classical "marriage proposal" posture.
"What did I do wrong?" he asked intrigued.
She turned to him with an exasperated look.
"Wrong? … Well everything's wrong!" she shouted.
Ichigo frowned, annoyed, and got up on his feet. He was ready to throw her a line like "Is this the way you're thanking me for stopping you from marrying Byakuya?" but he knew that those words would have only make her angrier. He gasped in resignation and looked at the ring he was holding.
"Still… you know that you'll have to wear this?" he said while approaching the porch.
She suddenly turned to him with wide, menacing eyes.
"Is this the way you're proposing to me, Ichigo?" she growled.
He froze. Rukia knew how to scare people sometimes.
"I… well, I leaned on my knee earlier…didn't I?..." he tried with a low voice.
"You leaned on your knee and what? You were ready to give a ring only because Nii-sama told you to give me!" she snapped angry.
Ichigo passed a hand over his ruffled hair.
"So it's the ring, now? … You don't like it?" he asked confused.
She blinked, putting on a straight face. It was settled. Ichigo was really dumb. How could he even call that a marriage proposal? She knew that all this was arranged, but it was not like she was getting married every month and receive a marriage proposal every week. Ichigo should have been more sensitive and actually try, even though it wasn't the case, to be a little romantic.
"Just get out!" she snapped.
"And the ring?" he asked.
He froze. She gave him again that death glare.
"Are you that stupid?" she asked.
He frowned, annoyed. That was it! He just had enough of it! He went through all the night, bearing her moods and fopperies. He tried to be understanding, polite, nice, patient… but he was done for it!
"No, Rukia, I'm not stupid!" he snapped. "Or at least, I'm not as stupid as you think! Weren't you in the study this afternoon too, and agreed to this marriage? Now you're acting as if you don't want it anymore!" he snapped.
Her eyes widened.
"If you didn't want it you should have say so!" he continued. "… Instead of being silent and agree to everything Byakuya was saying, you could have stand up and stated your case!"
"I couldn't just—" she hissed.
"You couldn't what? Raise your chin and speak your mind? You're doing it pretty easy when you're around me!"
"I couldn't just start to yell in front of Nii-sama. No one could! Not even you! He was thinking of what is best for both of us and I have no other way but to trust him!" she riposted, her face slowly turning red from anger.
"He is not the only one who wishes you the best, you know?" he replied, this time with a serious and calm voice.
Her upper lip startled. That line just closed her mouth.
"Oooh! Just forget it!" he snapped annoyed and left the porch, returning to her room.
"Fine!" she replied following him and taking the little jewelry box from his hand. "I'll wear the ring…but only because Nii-sama wishes me to wear it! It's not because of your failed marriage proposal!"
"What?" he stated making a weary face. "What failed…? Really Rukia! It was Byakuya who actually proposed meto marry you! I don't know what you were expecting after that…"
Her face reddened deeper.
"You don't get it, don't you?" she said with a pouted air that made her look like a little child left with no sweets for its birthday. Yes, she was cute. He had to admit it, but he was not getting anything from what she was saying. What kind of proposal was she actually expecting?
"Well… I did lean on my knees… at least I tried…" he defended himself.
"Well, maybe I don't like leaning on a knee proposals!" she snapped and crossed her arms.
"Then what do you like?!" he yelled exasperated. She widened her eyes, intrigued by his suddenly rise of voice. So in order to not awake the little monster inside her, he took a deep breath and calmed himself.
"Look…" he began, "I'll take the ring back, come back tomorrow and do it properly… just tell me how you want it… just tell me, what do you want, Rukia?"
Rukia's eyes descend to the jewelry's box she was now holding. Something ached inside of her, bringing upon her an unexplainable soreness.
"I want it… to be real…" she whispered.
He frowned.
"What do you mean by real, Rukia?… It's not like we're playing or… I mean, even the ceremony date has been settled…" he replied.
"No, Ichigo… this is not real!" she contradicted him angrily. " You don't love me… you don't want to marry me!"
And after she said that, she gasped and bowed her head in order to hide her pitiful expression. Maybe she wasn't pitiful, but that was the way she was seeing herself. What Ichigo saw, was an imagine closer to reality: A girl who's been unlucky enough to be adopted into a noble family, but who was nonetheless beautiful and strong… Strong enough to fight all the hardships of life on her own… Strong enough make the rain stop. He would have never admitted it in front of her, but he was strongly admiring her for all that she was.
Even though he was supposed to make no preferences, among all his friends and acquaintances, she was the one he was most fond of. That is why, for her, he would have been able to do anything, even go through an arranged, loveless marriage. He knew that if it would have been someone else in her place… Inoue, for example, he would have never accepted this marriage. Even though he risked his life to save both Rukia and Inoue, Rukia was to remain his weakness. He couldn't explain why, but she was the only one who succeeded in crossing the line he put between himself and the rest of the world.
Now that he was seeing her sad, he felt like her sadness was falling upon him also. Of course she would have wanted a real proposal! Of course she would have wanted to marry someone she loved… He understood her. He really did and that's why he wished to comfort her. For the first time in years he started to approach her with the intention of embracing her…
"But that's it!" she suddenly said categorically. "I'm not going become depressed because of this!" and rising her chin, she violently crossed her arms, hitting poor Ichigo by mistake, who tried hug her.
"Fuck!..." mumbled Ichigo, while holding his almost broke nose. He suddenly remembered the reason why he didn't hugged Rukia often: he was always ending up bleeding.
"I am a strong woman! A shinigami, after all! Even a lieutenant!" she continued proudly and untroubled by the wound she caused to Ichigo. "I survived an execution… the winter war and the one thousand years war! A marriage should be piece of cake for me! Especially with you, Ichigo!... I mean, think about it! It could have been worse… It could have been an arranged marriage with a complete stranger, right Ichigo?"
"Yeah… I guess so…" he replied still bothered by his injured nose.
"That's why I will look at the bright side of the things! A marriage, after all, is not the end of the world!" she concluded with a cheerful smile. "Good! Now that we've settled this and cleared my mind I can finally get some rest!"
She turned her back on Ichigo and threw herself on the diagonal of her futon.
"Good night, Ichigo!" she said with a yawn.
"We're going to bed already?" he asked.
"No, Ichigo…I'm going to bed… you can do whatever you want." she replied.
"Well, there isn't much left to do if you are turning off the lights and sleeping." he said while approaching the futon. "At least move aside… you left me no space to lay down…"
On his last words, she suddenly got up.
"Ichigo, what do you think you're doing?"
He cocked an eyebrow sarcastically:
"The same as you: sleep"
"And where do you intend to do that?" she asked with a definitely not pleased voice.
"Well, don't expect me to sleep on the floor!" he snapped.
"Actually I don't expect you to sleep in this room at all!" she riposted.
"What?!" he shouted.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have two futons nor a closet big enough for you to fit in!" she added nervously.
"What the…!" he swore. "This is how I was supposed to act when you made yourself at home in my room?"
"Ichigo, that was not your room, it was your closet… and I was doing it because your house was small and there was no empty room where I could sleep. But the Kuchiki manor is different. You have dozens of empty rooms to sleep in!" Rukia replied stuffily.
"It may be dozens of rooms, but Byakuya didn't mention to have actually prepared one for me…" he riposted.
"Well … I honestly don't care about that!" she said while she got up from the futon and started to push to the door. "Just go and find one… ask the servants! The will surely help you!"
"What? Wait! And the ring?" she said while he was forcedly pushed outside the room.
"I told you… I'll wear it! Nice proposal! I'll accept it! Let's meet again in front of the altar! I'll wear a nice dress, I promise! Now, good night, Ichigo!" she concluded and closed the door, leaving him alone in the dark hall way.
"How dare he?" Rukia mumbled nervously. "Were not even married and he thinks of sharing the…"
But she didn't get the chance to finish the sentence. She returned to her futon and rapidly fell asleep… after a day like that, she was exhausted.
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Now he was arguing with Rukia and thirty seconds later, Ichigo was finding himself alone on the hallway. He was prepared to knock on her door again when someone appeared on his left holding a hand lamp. Taken by surprise, he startled, scared to death, because the pale light on that emotionless face made that person look like a ghost:
"Should I lead you to your room, Kurosaki-sama?"
Ichigo blinked confused until he realized that it was just a servant who actually waited for him all this time. Leaving Rukia's room behind, he silently followed the man.
'So Byakuya did prepare a room for me' he stated mentally. It was a strange thing though. He was staying under the same roof with his fiancé and he was compelled to sleep in separated rooms. But of course, the strangest thing of the day remained that his fiancé…wasn't actually a fiancé. In front of that, everything else seemed worthless.
He entered the room that has been prepared for him and looked around absently. The same as Rukia after a day like that he was exhausted. He put himself in bed and closed his eyes, but the image of him leaning on one knee along with her words kept appearing in his mind.
"I want it to be real."
He started to wonder if that "leaning on one knee" thing made her that mad…She seemed to be alright, until he did that. Or maybe, she didn't like the ring, after all… Or maybe the whole proposal thing was unnecessary in this situation. Yes… it was the proposal! It only made things worse! This was a marriage made for appearances only! They already had to act in front of the others… so why would he also act in front of her? Actually, why did he make the proposal in the first place? Oh, yes! He remembered now! Byakuya!
After Rukia left, an awkward silent fell in Byakuya's study. Ichigo waited uncomfortably for a couple of minutes, but his future brother-in-law did not give any sign of starting a conversation. In order to chase away that bothersome silence, he tried something like…
"So… we'll be family from now on…"
Byakuya fixed his grey eyes on him, but on his face, no emotion could transpire.
"It appears so…" he replied impartially. "That is why we should drop the courtesy and be honest with each other."
"Well…" Ichigo began unsure.
"I don't like you." Byakuya went ahead and stated emotionless.
Ichigo froze with a tangled smile upon his face and his right hand at the back of his head.
"That's was quite forward…" he commented.
"It is not something personal, Kurosaki…"Byakuya added impartially. "Its the fact that you are unmannered and you have no respect for the rules or for your elders…you always speak too loud and you do not seem to understand when you need to remain silent. Moreover you have a bad influence on Rukia by making her act violently every time she sees you."
Ichigo tried to smile. He didn't know what Byakuya meant by "personal" but this was obviously "way too personal" from his point of view.
"Of course, if these issues could be fixed I would have nothing against you," Byakuya continued in the same manner. "But we both know that my personal desires toward you are an inconclusive utopia, while the reality shows us that you will never change."
He poured himself another cup of green tea and concluded:
"In other words, you are hopeless and my efforts in order to teach the good manners would be useless."
With this, Ichigo's last attempts to smile politely, failed.
"However…" Byakuya said after he took a gulp from his tea. "This doesn't mean I hate you… I haven't forgotten that Rukia is alive because of you, and I did not forget to whom Soul Society owes the fact that it still stands strong."
Ichigo cocked his eyebrows surprised. After the cold shoulder he gave him earlier, now he was he actually praising him?
"So this means… we'll be in good terms from now on?" Ichigo tried.
"I expect nothing less" Byakuya replied and Ichigo thought that for a second he saw a slight smile on his thin lips. He wasn't sure of that though, because Byakuya immediately got up from his desk and approach the library. There he looked for a second at his late wife's picture and then he put it aside, taking a little jewelry box from the back of the stack.
"This belonged to Hisana, it belonged to my mother and her mother before her… Now Rukia will wear it…"
Ichigo stared at the gorgeous ring inside the box.
"You will give this to her…" added Byakuya. "In a proper way…"
Ichigo frowned.
"You mean as it would be an engagement ring?"
Byakuya retook his place at the desk.
"Perhaps, I didn't make myself clear, Ichigo" he said, addressing him by his first name only, a broad hint to his intention of approaching his future brother-in-law. "I expect for Rukia to be happy in this marriage. I may be a distant person, but I'm not an ignorant one. I know much this event is troubling her, so you will do anything in order to make things easier for her."
Ichigo took the ring and got up on his feet with an uneasy air.
"But a proposal… isn't it improper in this situation?"
"You will do anything a man must to for his fiancé, even though this marriage is an arranged one." Byakuya concluded with a hint of coldness in his voice, making Ichigo understand that this was his final position.
Ichigo gasped and headed to the door. For him, Byakuya looked rather final with his words, but surprisingly, before he closes the door, Byakuya added one more thing:
"You are not a noble and above all you are half-human… yet for a certain reason I decided to overlook these aspects…Do you want to know, Ichigo, why among all I chose you to be Rukia's husband?"
That caught his attention and made him stop in the threshold for a second.
"You and Rukia share a connection beyond your natures… sometimes this can be stronger and more useful than an evanescent, occasionally cunning, romantic feeling… sometimes it can even lead to true love."
Ichigo frowned confused.
"Remember my words, Ichigo… because you will thank me someday…"
"Thank you, my ass!" Ichigo growled in the loneliness of the room, with his face buried in the pillow. "So far your ideas have proved to be a disaster."
But Ichigo was tired. He did now want to think about all this anymore. If he did, he'd get insomnia… and he needed rest more than anything because tomorrow he'll have to go back home…with Rukia… to announce to his family that he will marry her…
…On August…
…The 15th…
Ichigo's eyes widened scared! That was in less than two months!
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So... write me a review and let me know what you think. Remember: the more you review, that faster i update.
PS: Daca sunteti romani care urmariti aceasta poveste, faceti-va simtita prezenta :D. Sunt chiar curioasa