AN: Hey, here's number sixteen of the thirty kisses challenge. I personally think I failed some of the integral parts of the challenge, but I tried. Realism kinda got in the way. I'd also like to note this is quite an important chapter in terms of timeline. It's something of a turning point. I'll shut up. Enjoy, and once more thank you for the lovely responses I got!

16. Invincible; Unrivalled

He had scared her when he showed his powers as a shinigami. He explained he was under a captain's tutelage. That was enough to indicate to her how strong he was. Her ability to sense reiatsu hadn't missed the fact that even suppressed he appeared to generate an unbelievable amount of spiritual energy.

They had spent an evening in conversation, informal and light. Hisana had found herself revealing, in small pieces, parts of her life in Rukongai. Byakuya listened, though said nothing. It had felt bordering on therapeutic for her, though she still carefully guarded parts of herself from him. Until she was certain, she couldn't let herself go completely. For no matter how she felt for Byakuya, he was still far out of her league in terms of status. Hisana never forgot that.

Towards the end of their talk, Byakuya had brought up the fact he was a shinigami and she had been interested. She asked him what it was like. Hisana liked how he calmly explained things, yet when it was something he enjoyed there was an extra spark in his voice that she loved. His job as a shinigami quickly emerged to be a great love of his by the tone of his voice.

And then he said something that had surprised her.

"May I show you, Hisana?"

Her mouth almost dropped open at that. She liked hearing about it, but swords were a symbol of fear for her. In Rukongai, all eyes were kept out for swords, and when seen it was time to disappear fast. Still, it was Byakuya, and she was sure he wouldn't harm her, so she agreed.

He led her out onto the veranda where the gardens stretched out and Hisana nervously followed. Her eyes couldn't leave the sword at his hip.

It was dark, but there was a small amount of moonlight that highlighted everything. Hisana didn't know what to do. Suddenly he turned and stepped closer to her.

"Do you trust me, Hisana?"

Even though the rest of his face made his question look like statement, implying it was a mere formality and he assumed she did trust him, his eyes wouldn't shift from hers, reaching out to her. She could see the need for him to hear those words. The blade he possessed frightened her, but it was in his hands. She trusted those hands.

"I trust you… Byakuya-sama."

Hisana wasn't sure whether he was more surprised that she did trust him, or she trusted him enough to drop a little of her iron will formality with him. She told herself there was no-one around to chastise her but him. And if he trusted her, then he would not rebuke her.

His lips tilted up slightly, his blue-grey eyes shining in the faint light of the half moon. It made her heart melt.

He stepped back and drew out his zanpaku-tô. She watched as he held it straight up, closing his eyes. Hisana remained motionless, holding her breath while waiting to see what would happen. She felt his reiatsu begin to rise and was on alert.

"Chire, Senbonzakura," he murmured and his sword began to disintegrate into what looked like glowing pink petals.

'It was a blade just now,' she told herself, 'and it still is one.'

There was no wind, but the petal-like shapes began to spin around Byakuya, shedding light onto him. He finally opened his eyes.

"This is my zanpaku-tô, Senbonzakura. In less than a decade, I hope to have achieved bankai and pass the captaincy exam," he paused for a moment, watching Hisana carefully, "Sometimes it is nice to just enjoy having a gift and not simply train with it. What do you think?"

Hisana still couldn't bear to move, but appreciated the sight. Byakuya looked to her like some kind of immortal deity, shining in his zanpaku-tô's dancing hue.

"It's… beautiful. But…" her words caught in her throat. He searched her face and his expression told her he had come to a conclusion.

"You are frightened by it. It is alright; you have a right to be. Senbonzakura may look beautiful, but they are razor sharp blades dancing through the air. However, they are in my control. If you trust me, I wish you to relax. I won't let you come to harm." His eyes bore into hers intensely. The tension of such a make-or-break moment was almost tangible.

She closed her eyes and drew breath, spreading her arms out. And waited.

Ticklish at first, she felt his zanpaku-tô swirl around her. She didn't dare open her eyes yet, until she was certain she wouldn't be harmed. Hisana told herself she just had to wait and trust, even if at the moment it was one of the hardest things she had done next to abandoning her sister.

The curved flat edges of his blades caressed her skin, and she tried desperately not to shiver, lest she get cut. They felt like brief, cool kisses on her bare skin. Was this a show of control and power over her? Or a show of trust? Hisana prayed it would be over soon.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, hoping Byakuya would see her expression and draw his zanpaku-tô away. The sight was astonishing. A handful of the petal shaped blades faintly glowed and drifted around her. It had felt like she had been engulfed by a myriad of them, not such a small amount. Stretching out from the group lazily spinning around her was a trail that led to Byakuya where the rest of his zanpaku-tô drifted. He had been gentle, when she expected him to test her by engulfing her.

"Thank you," she whispered, lowering her arms. The handful of Senbonzakura swirled one last time around Hisana before returning to their master. Byakuya silently reformed his zanpaku-tô and sheathed it.

He looked a little disturbed, but she wasn't sure why. Then she noticed her hands. They were trembling terribly.

She knew he was not at his full power yet, and that sufficiently alarmed her. To her, he was already of incredible power, and couldn't imagine anyone rivalling him in this reiatsu he was releasing.

Byakuya silently approached her and embraced her. It was the closest she had witnessed him getting to sorry. Relieved, she hugged him back, and was content to let the incident go.