The Right and Wrong

Half a century had passed. The sole heir of the Kuchiki noble strode along the road in the Rokungai,a simple patrol even if it is unnecessary for him to do so. His face blank, emotionless. However, being only half a century, quite young in comparison to most Kuchiki's lifespan. Right now, being the only heir leaves him with such a task he groaned having; to find a wife. Fortunately, he was given a chance to choose of whom he hope he will spend his life with.

Too consumed by his thoughts, he did not realized a girl running towards him. He caught the girl just before she almost fall down. The group who had chased her left, probably because they known of whom in front of them. The girl? Oblivious.

"Che,"she groaned, "Next time don't be so cocky about it! It's not like you're so good at guarding stuff!" she shouted obnoxiously. Byakuya grimaced at the pitch of her voice. When the girl turned around, what she saw was quite a shock. The man, whom she may called a beauty, if not because of his terrifying aura, is a Shinigami. And she could felt that he was at least a noble, by his gracefulness and attitude. She still did not forget he hate towards those nobles who had arrogantly stepped upon those who don't, but something in her feeling the enveloped her in a strange way. Instinctively, she reached and touched his cheek.

Byakuya's eyes widened, stunned. Realizing what she had done, the girl quickly pulled back her hands and ran as fast as her two legs could. The young man was left alone at the road, numbed. As he walk away, thinking he had enough from his patrol. At home, however, he still could not forget the black jet hair, the dark bright eyes,and...the shortness. A chuckle vibrated in his chest, as humor of thinking about certain's height. He would have her as his, but her way of speech and attitude would be a troublesome if he wanted to take her into the Kuchiki household. Not to mention, she seemed still too young in age, but promising nonetheless.

Since when did he became a pedophile?

A century had passed, and the nagging idiots is still running their mouths uncharged. One of the disadvantages of being a soul, is that until they become a seed, or killed by Hollows, the power seem almost never diminished.

One night in the rain, he saw her again. She was sleeping under a tree, cold from the rain. He ran to her picking her up and brought her to the household. Gasps was heard along the way he hold he in the corridor to the main chamber. Muttered of gossips spreading like wildfire among the servants. But did he care? No.

When she recovered, he was the first by her side. With glint of hope, he gazed at her, in search of the sense of familiarity. However, the girl did not recognise him. And somehow, he felt a bit of disappointment. The hair was the same, the eyes were the same, but why could he felt she was so different? He shrugged it off. Perhaps that's what experience made her.

A wedding occurred after that.

It turned out Hisana wasn't. The girl whom he had wanted before was Rukia, a lookalike. Or so he heard from those who had a severe beating from the said girl and her friend, a red head and extremely-tattooed guy named Renji. He didn't see her face to face, but the instant he heard her appearance description, and the chuckle he did not realized he gave out, he knew she was the one.

But now he was obliged, and he had sworn an oath in front of the divine, that he will take care of his wife. Responsibility tying him down, he made sure that he would have nothing for the girl, nor have any involvement for her. And with that, he buried any feelings left. For to remember the feelings of happiness, naivety, he would have to remember her.

That still doesn't stopped him from watching afar, legally, as he was a captain and she was a shinigami-to-be.

"Find my sister, and take care of her, please. For me."

That shocked him. All this while, it struck him that the possibility Rukia being Hisana's sister. That all the time, he could have end his wife's misery, just by sacrificing his own. He had selfishly avoid the only one whom can make his wife happy, just so he wouldn't break himself. Selfish.

All of his effort to love the person in front of him was useless. Many had been deceived by his act of affection towards his wife, including Hisana, and perhaps, himself.

"I'm sorry for not loving you like how I supposed to." Among the last words she said to him...and what he thought last about her.

She had agreed with the proposal two days later, she will be under the same roof with him. His demeanor disguising what he felt, the thumping of his heartbeat fasten. If you squinted, you could see the slight tremble when he held his tea cup when the messenger came to deliver the girl's agreement. But could he love her as he wanted to? The burden that weighed his heart for so long, even after his wife's death. No, he will not. He is a man of responsibility, and he will remain as one.

When she came, he wasn't there.

Rukia wasn't thrill about being in the Kuchiki's household. Much less, she was aggravated. What kind of host would that man be, when he could not even welcome her? Stuck-up noble brat. What, being only a century and three decades older, he thought he was so high and mighty?

Looks like he is. The first time she saw him in person, not from the portrait hanging on the wall, she had thought him to be ethereal. Not having those incredulously hair clips, ornaments, or wearing shinigami's and formal dresses like in those pictures, he look refined with just a loose white garments, holding his sword with finesse and expertise. She could not even blink and eye.

Not a man of words, he quirked a delicate eyebrow. Rukia's face flushed with embarrassment. It would not be nice for anyone to find out that a noble, even if adopted, had followed a suspicious person walking under the moonlight to the training room who turned out to be her adoptive brother,and to stare him,in night garments, dampen by his sweat, making his torso and lean body visible...NO!Bad Thoughts, Shoo!

Since then, she couldn't look him the same way. Every time they collide or met at the hallway, or simple greetings, she would blushed and stuttered.

Byakuya felt queer at her weird reaction towards him, but little did he noticed, it made him frequently see her in a day. He felt dangerous, yet excited. He shrugged it off. He intentionally put her in the 13th Division, and made sure she won't have any ranks. A tug in his heart told him to do so. And somehow, this tugging feeling made him take Abarai Renji as his subordinate. As many would have known, his squad and Ukitake's squad rarely involved in any sorts activity or missions. But, as Renji is known for his own stubbornness, he managed still to see Rukia amidst his busy life. The final draw, Byakuya made him his vice captain. And he made sure Renji's going through a hell of a busy life, no matter how century he lived.

Reminiscing that, he thought himself a fool.

Rukia's stuttered hadn't stop, but her blushes were replaced by her fear and guilt. Guilty because developing a feeling for her sister's husband, and fear in making any mistakes and disappointment of Byakuya. It doesn't matter what other think, but what he thinks does. All because she discovered her sister's shrine, and her adoptive brother's promise. Her hopes were beyond shattered. For the first time, she cursed her face for being such a doppelgänger of her sister's. She could see now, she was no more than Hisana's shadow in Byakuya's eyes. A living burden and remembrance of what he had promised, and failed.

Byakuya was there when she discovered the small shrine, his face remain solemn. And will always be. His hope were shattered too, along the his silent footsteps as he came back to his camber.

A few days later, Rukia came back crying. She had killed the 13th Division's vice captain, Shiba Kaein. It hurted him to see her torn, but he had no power to comfort her, only the opposite. For once, he felt helpless, useless. Secretly, he had hoped for Kaein to help him to regain Rukia's spirits back. He had known Kaein since graduation, and had high hope for him, being the weak person he is inside. He's a coward, hiding behind the society's law, and he knows it.

Tonight, while everyone was sleeping within the wind's lullaby, a man, so powerful that he doesn't seem to be the one needing to pray, kneel and prayed. Byakuya never had kneeled, never felt so humbled as to do that. Bu tonight, he would. He is desperate for someone, who would came from above, to give him a second chance to be himself, to follow a path he would readily die and live for, and to Rukia, a better treatment, and acceptances. He missed her blushes, the feeling of warmth every time she received something from him. To be useful for once in his life for her. Too much mistakes he had made, and there's no way back. He needed someone to guide him, to show him that there is another path than the one he is on now.