Drabble #6
Title: Seven Little Words
Words: 957
Rating: uhh PG-13 for swearing?
Authors: Mizu and The Rose Society
"My brother wants to speak with you."
Four months ago, those seven little words seemed so innocuous. After all, Ichigo had already approached the proud Kuchiki heir and asked for his permission for Rukia's hand in marriage. Of course, having Rukia there to help persuade Kuchiki Byakuya to accept Ichigo's suit rather than fillet him was helpful. Since their marriage, it had seemed that Ichigo and Byakuya had reached some level of civility, if not familial accord.
However, four months ago, it had all changed.
Rukia and Ichigo were kneeling in the formal receiving room of the Kuchiki manor; across the table knelt Kuchiki Byakuya, his blue-gray eyes softening at Rukia's ecstatic expression.
"Nii-sama," began Rukia as she bowed. "We have great news to tell you." She peeked at her husband from her prostrate position and noticed that Ichigo hadn't moved. A quick elbow in the gut convinced Ichigo to quickly get with the program.
"Oi, Byakuya." Ichigo sketched out a quick bow (more of a slight dip of the head) and promptly moved to the matter at hand. "You are going to be an uncle."
"ICHIGO—" hissed Rukia. She quickly turned to look at Byakuya's face but to her surprise, his expression had not changed from the placid tranquility he always wore.
Byakuya nodded. "I see. This calls for a celebration. Rukia, please inform the staff to prepare a celebratory dinner in honor of this great occasion." Shocked and confused that her brother was taking things so well. Rukia left the room quietly, sliding the shoji door closed.
Ichigo glanced at Byakuya. 'He's really mellowed out over time,' mused Ichigo.
The twenty-eighth head of the Kuchiki clan met Ichigo's ponderous stare with his usual look of calm indifference. However, Ichigo of all people knew better. Byakuya was never someone to be underestimated. Dealings with him were much like risking stepping into still, dark waters. You never knew if it was deep enough to drown in.
"I did not want to distress Rukia in her," Byakuya paused lightly, "condition." He stared intently at Ichigo, who was becoming more and more unnerved by the second. Ichigo's reaction to this exchange emerged as a scowl. Perhaps his brother-in-law didn't mellow out as much as he thought he did.
"But," continued Byakuya, "I do recall the conditions in which I promised her to you. Kurosaki Ichigo, my question is, do you remember?"
Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. Honestly, all he could remember was how happy Byakuya had (grudgingly) agreed to give them his blessing. He did recall some clauses but had decided they were unimportant at the time compared to the fact that he was properly engaged to Rukia.
"But of course, you probably forgot, Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya noted with seeming indifference.
Ichigo knew better than that. After all, every alarm in his head flashed the words "Danger! Danger! Mortal life in peril!" in flashing red lights.
"Let me remind you right now the promise you made a little over two years ago. You were to finish your schooling. You were to find a job. You were to provide for my sister in that tiny closet that you call your home," Byakuya said with a deadly murmur. "You now come here to tell me that you have debauched my sister ahead of schedule?"
Ichigo gulped, unsure of how to respond. As usual, he said whatever was on his brain without regard of the Kuchiki clan head's presence. "Well, you can't take away a blessing…" He muttered, scratching his head thoughtfully.
Gracefully, Byakuya stood upright and walked (glided) toward a beautiful wall scroll hanging nearby. He tilted his head artfully; he perfectly portrayed the picture of a handsome nobleman pondering the details of a work of art, not the angry brother-in-law Ichigo knew him to be. "And what of the news I heard from Shihouin-san, that you had debauched my sister on Kuchiki property?"
At that, Ichigo began to turn red from embarrassment. Damn Yoruichi-san and her big mouth! He flew to his feet and pointed a finger at Byakuya. "Look here, you can't undo-"
"IT SHOULDN'T HAVE EVEN HAPPENED!!" Byakuya's frightening reiatsu was climbing. Ichigo smirked. Well, his powers had developed after the war and there was no way Byakuya was going to intimidate him with a little display of power. His hand went to his back for the comforting hilt of Zangetsu. Only…
…his hand met with empty air. Ichigo cursed. Rukia had insisted that they come in formal attire and that meant that 'a zanpakuto as big as my husband would be poor form'. Too bad Byakuya didn't believe that it was rude to carry around his zanpakuto.
"Senbonzakura."
Ichigo ran for his life.
Ichigo's scowl grew even more. He still remembered crashing through the damn shoji walls and shun-po-ing his butt as far away from the Kuchiki manor as possible. Unfortunately, Byakuya had practiced his shun-po with the Goddess of Shun-po herself and Byakuya had additional "Protective Older Brother" fury on his side. Even though self-preservation was on Ichigo's side, his promise to Rukia not to kill Byakuya greatly hindered him. It had taken Renji and an entire squad of Eleventh Division soldiers to slow Byakuya down enough before Rukia could calm him down. Ichigo had still ended up in the Fourth Division hospital for quite some time.
'Damn bastard,' Ichigo thought. 'I should have just killed him. Instead, I let him chase me around all of Seireitei just so Rukia wouldn't be pissed off.'
So it was easy to see why today, four months after that incident, when Rukia approached Ichigo with those seven little words, he felt as if his heart stopped beating.
"My brother wants to speak with you."
…
"FUCK."
To be continued.