Ch.5
Byakuya walked and walked. After a while he saw two people sitting on the ground. As he got closer he recognized that the couple was Hotaru and Lieutenant Hisagi. He watched as Hotaru reached up and kissed Hisagi. Hisagi hesitated but soon wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck. If he didn't know better he would have thought these two had been lovers for a long time with the way they kissed. He grew sad and decided he needed to do something. He didn't know what to do so he continued to walk.
"She doesn't love me, but it looked as if she might be falling for Hisagi. What does he have that I don't? Tattoos? How could she do this," he kept on walking just as Hotaru had run earlier. He went all through the Soul Society avoiding the place he saw her kiss him. He was deep in his thoughts when he bumped into someone.
It was his lieutenant, Renji. "What's up Captain," the red head asked.
"Nothing," the sadness evident in his voice.
"Um Captain? You sure?"
"Positive…ly not."
"What happened?"
"I saw… I saw…Hotaru…kiss Lieutenant Hisagi."
"WHAT?"
"You heard me, she kissed him."
"Dang that was fast. He told me that you should be telling her that you love her."
"I did," he said softly.
"What? Couldn't hear you."
"I told her that I loved her but she ran off crying. I don't understand. What did I do wrong?"
"You called me Taru," Hotaru's voice said out of nowhere.
"How did you… when did you…"
"Just now."
"What does calling you Taru have to do with you kissing lieutenant Hisagi?"
"You saw that?"
"Yes," Byakuya said sadly. Hotaru looked embarrassed.
"I'm sorry Byakuya, but I told you that I didn't love you… can't love you. I'm so sorry. I wish I could change that fact. You seem like a nice guy once you get pass the cold exterior. I love my Keiichiro. He was the only one who ever called me Taru. When you called me that I remembered everything that we used to do together. The way you and him look and sound so similar just didn't help matters much. His hair was shorter than yours and I begged him to let it grow but he never would. Then I watched as he lived and I didn't. I had to leave him as he called my name as he cried over my dead body. I had to go… I had to…" fresh tears streamed down her face. "I miss him so much… he understood me… he knew me better than anyone… he was the only one who showed me what real love was all about. He was the first person to see past the bad-a$$ mask I wore. He saw me for who I really was and accepted that I wanted to portray myself as this bad-a$$ little girl who was tough as nails."
"You still are tough as nails," Renji said. "You scared the crap out of the guy who is the king of indifference... the guy who everyone except the ones older than him and captain Kenpachi are afraid of."
"Thanks, Renji."
"No Problem Captain."
"He's right you know, Hotaru. You can kick my butt. You can also be sweet and caring. You work hard and help those around. For the most part you follow the rules."
"That's sweet Byakuya." She smiled.
"But it's not enough is it?"
"I'm sorry but no it's not." She stepped closer and gave Byakuya Kuchiki a kiss. "One day you will find someone better for you than me. Someone you can be yourself with."
"Thank you, Hotaru. I will do what I can to get us both out of the marriage. For you." Hotaru smiled and walked away.