CHAPTER 4: SOUND OF SILENCE
The boy's face is a cold mask as he looks down on the messenger. "Is that all?"
"It is, Kuchiki-sama."
Kenshin blinks. It's weird to be called with a title he usually reserves for another man – a man he'd rather not be associated with, but this connection can't be really helped, since it's his father, after all.
'It's all so stupid.' Kenshin thinks. 'I'm only a boy – not even an Apprentice Shinigami, yet – and everybody calls me "sama" because I'm a noble…This is ridiculous!'
Kuchiki Juro lays a hand on his shoulder and speak to the messenger. "Thank you. You may go."
The messenger bows and disappears.
Juro's wife, Naoko, sighs. "Good news, finally." she turns to her young charge, smiling. "Tomorrow I'll take you to see your daddy. Aren't you happy, Kenshin?"
Kenshin looks blankly at her, then turns his head toward the window. Outside it's raining. He watches the raindrops slide down the cool glass and bounce on the leaves of the trees.
Finally, as the silence starts to become uncomfortable, he answers her question.
"I don't want to see him."
Their faces' crumble – masks of horror and shock instead of sickening smiles.
Kenshin sees it all in the glass of the windows – and he's secretly glad about it.
Two days later, he stands in front of the Fourth Headquarter, only Shinju by his side. He keeps on glaring at the building, as if that mere action could turn it into something else.
After a while, he rolls his eyes and sighs. "Let's go." he turns to her and smiles. "I bet you can't wait to see Renji-kun!"
Shinju blushes and smiles back – pretending she didn't notice that his smile hasn't quite reached his eyes.
They pass through the doors and a Shinigami greets them from behind her desk. "Good morning!" she says cheerfully. "Are you here to see Kuchiki-sama?"
"Not exactly" the girl blinks and Kenshin sighs inwardly. "We'll see him – eventually." he pulls a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. "Now, could you tell me where this people are staying?"
Room 25"…Uritake-taichou paid a call on us yesterday – he sends you his best wishes for a swift recovery and said the whole Division is waiting for you. Oh, and I went to see Renji before coming here – they patched him up nicely and he's doing well. He told me to say hi – more or less."
"I can imagine…" Rukia says, laughing softly and watching her nephew walking around the room. "I'm really happy you came to see me, Kenshin."
"Not as happy as I am." he replies, fluffing her pillow. "Do you need anything? Water? Another blanket?"
Rukia just can't hold back a soft laugh. "Relax, Kenshin. I'm perfectly fine." a sad shadow flashes in her blue eyes. "I practically came out without a scratch…"
Kenshin grins and a second later Rukia finds herself in a bear hug that would break weaker backbones. "Hey! Are you trying to hug me to death?" Rukia squeals as she frees her arms and hugs him back.
The boy moves his head curtly, but there's no way to know if he meant yes or no. Rukia only smiles and holds him a little bit tighter, caressing his hair.
After a while, they reluctantly break the embrace.
"So, when are you coming back home?" Kenshin made a face. "Juro and Naoko are driving me crazy. I swear that they're worse than Toma-san."
Rukia lowers her gaze. "I'm not sure I can come back, Kenshin. OW!" her eyes widen as she rubs her arm. "Why did you pinch me?"
"Because you deserved it." he replies. "I can't see a single reason why you couldn't come home." he winks at her. "Hey, you can't leave me alone with Toma-san. And my father." he adds in a more serious voice.
"Are you going to see him?"
Kenshin pretends to think about it, then shakes his head. "No, I don't think so."
Rukia reaches out and lays her hand on her nephew's. "I think you should."
Kenshin huffs, but doesn't move away. "Why?"
Rukia glares. Kenshin doesn't look away.
From the sideline, Shinju worriedly shifts her gaze between the two opponents.
Finally, Kenshin puts an end to the staring-contest by lowering his eyes. "Fine." he mutters. "I'll go see him. But only because you're asking it!" he sighs. "I can't promise you anything, auntie."
Rukia hugs him again. 'I know how you're feeling, Kenshin. You do want something to happen…'
"I'm sure everything will be fine, eventually."
"If you say so…" he rolls his eyes, but Rukia can see the longing to believe it all over his face.
She smiles and pats his shoulder. "So?"
"So what?"
"Will you go to him?"
Kenshin lowers his head and doesn't answers. Rukia reaches out and lays a hand on his shoulder. "Please, Kenshin. Give him a chance." Still no answer. "Will you at least go to see him? For me?"
Kenshin sighs. "All right. I'm going. But only because you asked me!"
Rukia gives him a gentle push toward the door. "All right, all right – no go! Shinju, keep an eye on him."
"Don't need to," Kenshin replies. "I run out of princesses to save from cursed towers!"
Rukia laughs – and then smiles back at Shinju when she whispers that she will take care of Kenshin.
The door closes behind them – Rukia is alone again.
She frowns, still looking at the door where the pair disappeared.
She doesn't mind being used as an alibi – deep down, she knows that eventually Kenshin would have gone to see his father nonetheless, but his wounded pride and his anger needed a good reason to turn his steps toward that room.
Rukia doesn't mind being that reason – moreover, she hopes that this fact will help them, will take away a bit of tension.
'I know what you're looking for, Kenshin.' She thinks, still staring at the white door. 'I really hope you will find it again – somehow.'
Room 14"So, how did…"
The rest of the question dies in Ichigo's throat as he looks up. Instead of his roommate Chad, there are two strangers in his room. One is a tall, black-haired girl with a very simple kimono and downcast eyes. Ichigo met a lot of people since he came to Soul Society – so many he can hardly remember all those names and ranks – but he's pretty sure he has never seen her before.
The other one – a boy who doesn't look a day older then 12 but surely is much older than him – is another story.
Ichigo frowns. There's something familiar about this boy, although he can't quite place his finger on it.
"Kurosaki Ichigo?" the boy asks.
The frowns deepens. "It's me."
The boy walks a bit closer to his bed as the orange-haired teenager studies his features. "I am Kuchiki Kenshin."
The connection is made in less than a second. 'Kuchiki Byakuya's son, I bet….What the Hell does he want? Avenge their family's honor?'
Then, to his utter shock, the other boy – a future Shinigami, a noble, a Kuchiki for crying out loud! – actually bows to him.
Him. Kurosaki Ichigo, 16-years-old human boy, drifter and unauthorized Shinigami.
"Thank you for saving my aunt Rukia." Kenshin raises his head and looks at him in the eyes. "And for beating some sense into my father." he adds in a low voice. "Even if I shouldn't say it."
Ichigo finds himself – not smiling, because he doesn't smile anymore – smirking conspiratorially at the boy. "My duty and my pleasure." he replies.
Then, he holds out his hand. A look of absolute surprise flashes on the boy's face, then he grins and grasps Ichigo's hand in a firm handshake.
They shake hands wordlessly, then, with a last bow, Kenshin and Shinju walk out.
Room 40The door stands right in front of them – a mere, unrefined piece of wood compared to the gate of the Kuchiki Mansion – yet, Kenshin looks intimidated by it.
He bites his lower lip and scowls, shifting his weight from one foot to another. Shinju can't help but compare him to one of those pugilist back in Alley 52 where she grew up, a boxer who's getting ready to march up on that ring and doesn't know how this fight will go. But he's determined to fight nonetheless, even if it will cost him an eye or a kidney or his very life.
Or worse – his heart.
The boy schools its features in a blank mask that still doesn't quite hide the hopeful light in his eyes. Then, he raises his hand and knocks.
"Come in."
A deep voice answers from the inside and she holds her breath as Kenshin opens the door and enters. As protocol demands it, she trails one step behind her young master. But he's still so short that, if she looks down, she can see his pulse at the base of his throat.
She bows at the master of the House, keeping her head low.
Kenshin bows as well, but it comes out more brief, more shallow – just a rough draft of the gesture that is expected from him.
Yet, he does not speak – according to protocol, he can't until his father speaks to him.
Shinju wonders at his actions – and wishes he would just break every rule at once.
Kuchiki Byakuya looks at his son, his face a mask of stone.
"Son." he says, acknowledging his presence.
Kenshin looks straight back at him – Shinju can see his eyes reflected in the windowpane and barely chokes down a gasp. A mighty flame is burning inside of them and she can barely bear its sight, even from a reflection.
Kuchiki Byakuya himself looks away.
Silence fills the room, like a poisonous fog. It weight on them, it stands between them, it drenches them to the bone. It's like a tumor, a cancer that grows minute by minute and can't be stopped or eradicated.
Shinju feels it hovering on her, on them. She can almost see it creep into Kenshin's soul, exacerbating his wounds, drowning him. She bites her lower lip – as Kenshin did before entering this room, his father's room – for she can barely keep herself from screaming or grabbing the jar on Kuchiki-sama's nightstand and throw it on the ground.
Anything to break this crushing, this horrible silence. Anything to break this curse.
Then, suddenly, Kuchiki Byakuya speaks up.
"I trust all is well at home. Juro and Naoko are taking good care of everything, aren't they?"
"They are."
"Very well. Your lessons still continue as planned?"
"Indeed they do."
"Very well."
Kenshin stares at him with an intensity that frightens her. She has no idea of what he will say or what he will do – and how Kuchiki-sama will react.
But nothing happens – and silence reigns all of them.
Until the flame in the boy's eye slowly dies down.
"If I may be excused – father."
The last word sounds hollow and hesitant. Shinju prays that Kuchiki-sama will say something – surely he must have noticed.
But he only nods and says and dismisses them. "Yes – you have your own duties to mind."
Kenshin bows again – this time mechanically, then turns and leaves soundlessly.
Shinju follows him out of the room, eyes filled with tears.
She watches the boy – the little boy she brought up, the boy she loves as if he was her own – her little boy walk in front of her, starting at his stiff back.
She offers no consolation, because she knows she can give him none. Shinju was there, after all – invisible like every good servant should be until called forth, but she still saw it all.
They talked, but did not speak.
They heard, but did not listen.
Shinju walks behind Kenshin and silently cries for him, she cries the tears he won't shed – and those he will shed, too, as if that could reduce their number.
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