Part One: Nobility
Chapter Five: New Sensations

The house was… empty. It was of classic Japanese architecture – paper walls, tatami mats, calligraphy and bonsai trees. But it was impersonal, pristine, proper. Cold. The total lack of compassion in the atmosphere made me shiver, and glance back nervously at Sergeant.

He walked behind me, carrying my bags, eyes trained carefully at the floor. His muscles were tense. He looked like he expected to be beaten at any moment.

I frowned, looking forward again. Kuchiki-samma walked in front of me, tall and proud, taking long, purposeful strides. His hakama trailed behind him, rustling softly, sandals whispering across the surface of the tatami. He wasn't just silent in movement, though. I couldn't feel his reiatsu. Not even a little bit. The sheer silence of the man was disturbing.

Biting my lower lip, I focused my eyes back to the floor, and began to question this path I had taken.

Where would this path lead me? How would this lead me to my revenge?

What could this man, these nobles teach me that could give me the power I needed to defeat the man who had killed my family? Why was I here? What could I possibly gain being here?

X.x.X.x.X

"You will be sleeping in here," Kuchiki-samma stated, sliding open the paper door to the large, spacious room. He strode in, and gestured for Sergeant and the other servant to set my belongings down in a large closet.

"Prepare her bed," Byakuya ordered Sergeant. "The futons are in the closet."

Sergeant bowed and obeyed immediately. I stood nervously besides Byakuya, watching as Sergeant carefully pulled out the futon, laid it down in the center of the room, and laid a blanket down over the top, also perfectly centered.

It was uncomfortable to stand here, without speaking, seeing Sergeant so… lowered. Treated like he was worth less than I was. I ran my hand through my hair, nervously.

Byakuya glanced down at me. "Stop fidgeting." I obeyed, but not without scowling up at him. What was wrong with a little fidgeting.

Seargent moved to a stop in front of Byakuya and bowed again, signaling that he had completed his duties.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes at Sergeant, and frowned. "This is ridiculous. Do I need to train you as well?" He scolded, then moved forward. "I will do this only once, so pay attention." He pulled out a strange cushioned T-shaped object, and set it down where a pillow would normally be. Then he scooped some rice from a barrel in the room, and poured it in a circle around the object. "When she can sleep without moving the rice, you will stop pouring it. Understood?"

Sergeant bowed, muttering a "Yes, sir."

"Do not mumble when you speak to me."

"Yes, sir," Sergeant said, louder and more clearly.

Byakuya turned to me. "You will sleep on that. You must learn to sleep without messing up the rice."

I nodded, and before I could open my mouth to reply, he had left the room. I stared after him, scowling. "What a jerk," I huffed, falling onto the blanket. It ruffled, the air sending the rice flying.

Sergeant frowned at me, and I giggled. "Oh come on, do you actually think I'm going to sleep on that thing?"

Sergeant sat down next to me on the futon, smiling sadly. "The sooner you learn his lessons, the sooner we can leave, Nemmy." Nemmy was the nickname he'd given me. I thought it was ridiculous. He thought it was cute.

"I can leave anytime I want to," I said cockily.

"Not if you want to return to Yamamoto-samma's residence, you can't."

I scowled down at the rice on the floor, picking up the grains one by one and piling them back into place. " Maybe I don't want to go back."

Sergeant regarded me carefully. "Why not?"

I let out an exasperated noise, wiping the rice off of the futon with a sweep of my hand, letting it scatter onto the tatami mats. "Because I really don't see the point in all of this, Sarge. I came here to become powerful, so that I can get my families honor back. To get my revenge on the man who killed him." I picked up the wooden neck rest and threw it. "I don't see how sleeping on that God-forsaken contraption without spilling the rice is going to accomplish that!" I yelled, glaring heatedly at the door.

Byakuya had pissed me off, royally. Stupid, stuck up, self-assured, cocky prick…

Sergeant smiled comfortingly at me, getting to his feet and retrieving the neck rest. With a wry smile, he set it back down on the futon, and began cleaning up the rice. "Yamamoto-samma is teaching you discipline, Nemmy. He's teaching you self-control, respect, discipline, and the ability to focus. He's also giving you a chance at a real life."

"I don't want a real life, Sarge. I just want to get my family's honor back."

"And what would you do after your revenge, Nemmy? Return to the slums of Rukongai? And then what? How would you feed yourself? Where would you sleep?"

I put my face in my hands and groaned. "You're right."

Sergeant smiled pleasantly. "I know."

X.x.X.x.X

I woke to the feeling of cold hands on my shoulders, and sat up with a shriek. Blinking away the sleep, I looked to see who had awoken me, only to find Byakuya glaring down at me.

"Do you make it a habit to sleep in?" He asked, voice cold and annoyed. I blinked up at him and then scowled.

"Do you make it a habit of touching girls in their sleep?" I replied snidely.

He looked affronted. Then really, really angry.

I blinked in surprise at myself. Had I really said that? Swallowing hard, I moved into a full-fledged bow, and apologized. "I am deeply sorry, Kuchiki-samma. Please forgive me."

He regarded me there, in that position until I had received my forgiveness, face pressed into the floor. Then he snorted. "It's a start," he said, voice cold, as if he could care less. I got to my feet, and he tossed me a yakata. I stumbled backwards, surprised, but caught it. It was a soft, crisp white silk.

Sergeant stumbled into the room, sloppily dressed, rubbing his eyes. "I'm awake!" He muttered, trying to focus on his duties.

I glanced out the window, to see the sun just rising, and my eyes widened. What time was it?

"The day starts with the sun," Byakuya explained, noticing my shocked expression. "From now on, you shall wake up, and go to bed with the sunrise and sunset." His voice seemed kinder than it had before, not warm, but… more reasonable. Less angry.

Perhaps I had gained some respect, somehow?

He glanced down at the rice around the neck rest, to see that the rice had been strewn all across the futon and frowned. He turned to face Sergeant, opening his mouth to order him to do something or another, only for a disgusted expression to take place. "Go clean and prepare yourself, then return," he said, voice hot with a scolding.

Sergeant blushed bright red, apologized, and disappeared from the room. I frowned after him. "Do you have to be so cruel?" I snapped, dumping the expensive yakata on the floor.

"Do you have to be so impudent?" He retorted, scooping the yakata off of the floor and shoving it back into my arms. "Go and get yourself cleaned, wash your hair, and get dressed in this," he ordered. And before I could make a retort, he had left from the room, his Captain's coat billowing behind him.

I scowled after him, muttering all the nasty things I wished I could color on his face in his sleep as I obeyed him. By the time I was dressed, Sergeant had entered the room, Byakuya following after him. Sergeant apologized to me for his improper appearance.

I blinked at him. "Don't apologize to me. I thought you looked fine. It doesn't matter."

Byakuya glared coolly at me. "It does matter. He is paid to be the servant of a Noble family, and he should act as such."

I scowled up at him. "Just because I pay him doesn't give me the right to mistreat him." I retorted.

Byakuya shot me one of the cold glares I was quickly becoming accustomed to, and moved to the closet. He withdrew one of the silk kimono's, a plain brown one, and handed it to Sarge. "Dress her. Properly."

Sergeant moved towards me, and I held my arms out for him to slip the sleeves over my shoulders. Byakuya watched us, arms crossed, gaze cold and critical.

As Sergeant began to wrap the kimono around me, Byakuya cleared his throat and stepped in. "Not like that," he scolded, taking the kimono from Sergeant, and showing him how to properly wrap it. I blushed bright red, surprised by the sudden sensation of Byakuya's chest pressed against my back, his hands on my waist and chest as he wrapped the kimono. It felt like electricity sparked where he touched me, warmth filling me and tightening things in lower places. I bit my lower lip to stifle a gasp at the surprising sensations. Never, ever before had a man touched me. Not outside of battle.

It was fantastic.

X.x.X.x.X

After Byakuya dressed me, the obi cinched painfully tight, Byakuya dismissed Sergeant. Sergeant hesitated, uncomfortable leaving us alone, since I had suddenly gone quiet and submissive. But he left at a run when Byakuya told him to hurry up.

Without batting an eyelash at the obvious terror he'd instilled in Sergeant, Byakuya turned to me, seemingly more relaxed, and told me to sit down in front of the armiour. He pulled a brush from the drawer, cradling it almost reverently in his hands, and then in a surprisingly gentle, warm motion, began to brush my hair.

My eyes widened in surprise. He worked quietly, gently. Not once did he pull or snag my hair, and his finger pressed against my head and neck just enough for me to feel their presence. I had the fleeting sensation that he had done this many times before, and that it was a precious ritual to him.

I wanted to speak, to ask him something, but he moved a finger to press over my lips. "Sometimes silence speaks more than words," he whispered in my ears.

Stunned, I shut my mouth, and his cold fingers moved away from my lips, leaving me breathless and yearning for more. More of his flesh on mine. Blushing slightly, I relaxed into the steady, comforting sensation of him brushing my hair, and let the silence speak for us.