Chapter 9- A Bouquet of Flowers

*A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found in Japan operated primarily for the purpose of allowing couples privacy to have sexual intercourse. Similar establishments also exist in other East Asian countries and regions such as South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

*White Day is a celebration similar to Valentines where men usually send gifts to women instead. It happens I believe about 1 month exactly after Valentines in Japan and other nations thereabouts.

The flights back to Tokyo the next day were taken in absolute silence. Byakuya had attempted no decent try at conversation with Hisana and she felt as though she was slowly shattering and withering inside from his rejection.

She had spent the entire night before crying herself almost sore on his bed where he had left her and awoken the next day feeling horribly confused when the light of morning had peaked into the room.

She had dressed and showered almost absently and had silently followed Byakuya all the way to the car that was to take them to the airport. And even though his seat had been right next to hers during the flights he had calmly closed his eyes and fallen asleep (or pretended to sleep) while Hisana restlessly stared out the window her soul deeply yearning to just throw herself senseless into his arms and beg him to believe her. How could he be so unresponsive? How could he be so unemotional? Was he some new breed of uncaring, nonchalant weirdo? Did he not even harbour some semblance of emotions?

She knew what she felt for him was the real thing. She wasn't sure how it had happened and she wasn't sure how to explain it but as cliche as it might seem, she had grown to love him, undeniably grown to love him and daily contact only increased the intensity of her feelings. Kaien was nothing to her, absolutely nothing to her but the only problem was, Byakuya didn't seem to believe her.

After arriving back in Tokyo, Hisana had whispered a soft good bye to Byakuya who tiredly nodded his head in her direction before closing his eyes and making his way towards the sleek black Mercedes Benz that was parked and waiting for him. Abarai Renji dutifully took his bags and happily waved to Hisana who weakly returned the gesture before grimly turning around and helplessly trudging through the crowds of people milling in Arrivals.

Not long after she spotted the familiar bobbing of an orange haired young man before almost being swamped in a breathless hug by her smaller sister.

They happily greeted her as they began their intense chattering and Hisana carelessly let herself be swept away by their overflowing happiness. At least they would work to ease some of the pain she felt so deep within…

When she arrived at her apartment later that night (for Rukia and Ichigo had insisted that they take her out to dinner) she wearily flumped down on her sofa only to be joined by a loyal lulu-chan. (Who by the way had been treated for a mild dog cough and was now much better) She mindlessly began to stroke his large head as she tried to suppress the immense despair that was surely collapsing in around her. Everything was so… so blah right about now; there was no happiness, no peace, no nothing. And Kuchiki Byakuya had been the one to trigger it all of…

"I don't mean anything to him lulu-chan… absolutely anything…" she hurtfully murmured, almost on the brink of tears. She threw her head back into the sofa and felt as the silent tears began to run in rivulets down her cheeks. "I don't love him for his money, I don't love him for his influence and I don't love him because he's a CEO… I mean that's all nice all those things but…I love him because well- because I just love him." Her voice was by now husky and muffled by all her tears. "He's so un-unconsciously weird and-and funny and wonderful to talk to and work with." She gave a huge sniff as she pathetically blew her nose into her rag. "And he's so serious and cares so much about his staff even if he appears to be a cold hearted bastard." She mindlessly began to grin at the dog as she hiccupped through the tears. "Do you know he has the craziest taste in art lulu-chan? Oh my goodness, he loves the weirdest things…" she was slowly stroking the dog's fur by now and she heaved a small weary sigh and as she closed her eyes. "But you love me right lulu-chan?" she softly asked, "You love me and you'll always love me right…?" she murmured as she opened her eyes once more. "I don't know…I seem to have to worst luck with men…"

The black dog raised his head and tilted it to the side as though he was dutifully trying to decode her mindless rattling. He then let out a small groan and humphed back down onto her lap as though the entire endeavour had been an act in futility. Hisana closed her eyes then as she gave him a small smile through her tears. "What am I going to do?" she softly murmured as she blew her nose again. She couldn't resign because she knew Byakuya would never allow her to and even if she did, he would suspect her intentions and ask her reasons for carrying out something so utterly ridiculous. On the other hand, if she did continue working with him she would just be putting herself up for more unconscious increases in love; being around him only worked to fatten her Byakuya Love Account and that would not help her any… But there wasn't much else she could do. She would just have to bear it all and swallow it. "Oh Byakuya…" she sniffled as she wearily closed her eyes once more. She would have to work and she would have to just fight to keep her thoughts and heart straight when he was around. Surely she would be able to manage… surely she would. She wasn't that weak right…?

Not long after she found herself eyelids softly fluttering before finally sailing away to sleep with lulu-chan peacefully rested upon her lap.

There was quite a lot a head of her.

ooooOOOooo

The subsequent weeks that followed had whirled both Byakuya and Hisana into a frenzy of activity and deadlines. The Annual General Shareholders meeting was slowly approaching and the final deadline for the actual release of the much anticipated Hybrid machine of an automobile that the company had been working on for the past few months was also nigh.

Hisana had been so preoccupied with business at the office that she found herself even dreaming about the meetings and people that they had encountered throughout the entire whirlwind. However all of this did little to detract from the emotions that she bore for Byakuya. She harboured the secret of her love for him deep within her heart and forcefully bore with the typhoon of emotions she felt whenever he neared her or their skins happened to graze.

It was difficult to actually decipher Byakuya's emotions though and the stoic mask that he wore so strictly did absolutely nothing to make the task any easier. His iciness towards her had wavered only slightly and Hisana would sometimes catch him absently staring at her from the corners of his eyes even during important board meetings. Ah, those times were particularly uncomfortable because there would be an almost unreadable hunger emanating from deep within those steely grey irises and she would at most times find herself breathlessly breathing between the interval where she perceived the look and as it disappeared as quickly as it had been aired across his countenance. Byakuya's gazes could express so much and yet they could often relay nothing at all. He was an enigma in and of himself. He captivated her to no end and she found herself growing fonder and fonder of him as the days wore on. He was like a beautiful and mysterious distraction; it was difficult to read his feelings and it was beyond difficult to ascertain his thoughts for he kept them all securely guarded.

They did however exchange brief and pointed conversations now again but of course those pieces of words specifically pertained to work and nothing further. He had shown her little or no other persona besides the professional business man and boss and delving into any other realm of his personality seemed to be an affront of the highest order. Her opinions were still sort after though and Hisana would dutifully provide him with her meek answers where she carefully ensured that their exchanges did not bleed over into their lives outside the office or their tabooed romantic encounter in the Maldives; alas all memories upon that particular trip seemed to have been an almost surreal dream and Hisana would often find herself wondering if it had even happened at all.

So she was rather surprised one day when he had suddenly and unexpectedly helped her in a somewhat awkward situation for she had thought that there had been an almost silent understanding between them that nothing but work was to be dealt with at the office and between themselves.

Hisana had been dutifully penning out a small note that had been left for her superior when she suddenly realised the sudden peeling of the telephone. She hastily raised her hand to answer the phone but was abruptly stopped by a soft and almost searing pain upon her finger. She winced at the suddenness of the attack and quickly addressed the call before hanging up the phone and pressing her finger into her mouth. When she removed it she grimaced at the sight of a small red laceration upon her index and glanced down at the desk where she perceived the unobtrusive blade of one of the paper scissors. She had been cut.

Hisana found herself frowning more deeply as the dull numbing from the cut swiftly began to pulse and the crimson flow of liquid began to ooze from the minute puncture. She quickly eased herself from her seat upon that realisation and briskly made her way over to a cabinet on the other side of the room that usually housed emergency first aid equipment. Before she was actually able to even open the cabinet however she was stopped by a surprisingly concerned voice.

"Hisana…are you alright?"

Hisana immediately stiffened upon those words and hastily whirled around to greet the uncertain countenance of Kuchiki Byakuya curiously looking at her. "Mr Kuchiki!" she surprisingly exclaimed. "I-I yes I'm fine-"

"You look flushed, are you unwell?" he expressionlessly queried, his eyes listlessly roving over her visage.

Hisana unconsciously raised her hand to her cheek then and widened her violet eyes in surprise. "I- I no, I'm quite fine actually…" she nervously smiled as she felt her pulse beginning to quicken.

Byakuya cocked an eyebrow at her response. "Then why are standing before the first aid cabinet?" he pointedly questioned.

Hisana blinked in confusion for a moment and allowed a small "Oh…" to escape her lips as she hastily tried to rummage through her mind for the reason as to why exactly she was standing where she was presently… Byakuya could do that to her? She was so hopeless…

Byakuya was intently eyeing her by now and slowly began to approach.

She could hear his soft footsteps as he advanced towards her and she stupidly stared at him until he was standing mere inches before her. He quietly observed her for another moment and his features softened as he realised she had shyly averted her gaze from his own.

Hisana was absently fidgeting with her fingers by now and was duly taken aback when Byakuya suddenly murmured, "You're bleeding…"

She hastily glanced down at her finger and a small gasped escaped her lips as she realised that blood was slowly running down her index. She hadn't realised she had been pierced that deeply.

"Oh my…" she alarmingly whispered.

Just as she was about to wipe away the blood upon her black pleated skirt she was stopped by Byakuya's hand. He silently observed beneath hooded lashes the way her body stiffened upon his touch and the way she seemed almost unsure about the entire situation. She looked like an unsure school girl standing before him and an indiscernible smile grazed his lips. He softly raised his eyes to her own then as he lingeringly traced his index along her wrist and wrapped his willowy digits around the slender appendage. A small breathless gasp escaped Hisana's lips upon the warmth of the contact and she felt her cheeks become much more heated as he carefully brought the finger before his eyes for inspection.

"You were cut." He quietly stated and Hisana slowly nodded. Much to her surprise he then withdrew a clean white handkerchief from within his pocket and slowly began to tear the flimsy fabric in half.

"B-but there are plasters-" Hisana bemusedly began.

She was swiftly silenced by a firm glare as he gently began to clean and dress the cut. "There aren't any today…" he quietly muttered and Hisana knew that he was perfectly engaging in a very curious case of mendacity. How peculiar...

"I-I see…" she softly murmured as she lowered her gaze to where his fingers were dexterously working. He ensured the fabric was tightly wrapped and tied before glancing up at her and lowering her hand.

"The bleeding should cease now…" he noncommittally murmured, his eyes still softly focused upon her.

"Y-yes… thank you Mr. Kuchiki." she whispered.

They both silently stood before the other, Hisana unsure of what to say next and Byakuya quietly and expressionlessly observing her before him.

"Well…there's work to attend to now…" Hisana finally mumbled as she lowered her gaze to the marble tiled floor. She could still see Byakuya's black leather shoes before her periphery and she still hadn't made an effort to move. This was perhaps a little silly…? She uneasily thought.

The sudden ringing of the telephone however immediately made her glance up and she nervously gulped as her eyes became locked onto her boss's.

"You should answer that." He quietly murmured, his eyes intently focused on her own.

Hisana blinked at him for a moment and softly replied as his words finally reached her consciousness "Yes, yes I should…"

She had however unconsciously stepped closer to Byakuya and she was unaware that he too had also diminished what little space there was between them.

Hisana's hands had been raised and pressed against his chest then and she could feel the swift throbbing of his heart beneath his shirt. Byakuya on the other hand had raised his own fingers to gently brush away the errant strands of hairs that had fallen into her eyes while the other was firmly buried within his trouser pocket. The telephone was still ringing behind them but they both seemed to have forgotten its existence entirely.

"I-I have to answer the phone..." Hisana dazedly whispered as she looked up at her superior.

"I know." Byakuya softly returned.

Ignoring the peals of that said device however, Byakuya slowly began to caressingly trace his index down the length of his assistant's cheek and he leaned down even closer when she blissfully closed her eyes and relaxed into his touch. "Byakuya…" she softly and longingly whispered his name as her hands unconsciously moved upwards to circle his wrist. The gentleman felt a shiver run through his veins upon the pronunciation of that word and he thickly began to murmur her own against her skin… He pressed his lips upon her cheek before lingeringly trailing it to her lids, to the tip of her nose… sweetly pressing his lips upon the corner of her mouth… ah but the moment he was about to fully subdue her lips with his own there was the sudden thundering of footsteps.

Both parties instantaneously froze and scrambled as fast away from each other as was humanly possible within the span of two seconds as the door was noisily flung open.

"Hisana!"

Byakuya had by some means found himself calmly sitting in Hisana's chair and the latter was nervously running through some files that had fortunately been upon a table mere inches away from her.

Both heads instantly looked up towards the door at the unexpected interruption; Hisana miserably attempting to look as though she had been doing this all the while before while Byakuya was emotionlessly observing the young secretary that had just burst through the door with raised eyebrows.

"Can we help you?" he quietly asked. Hisana glanced over at him duly amazed at the way he hid the arousal that had been perfectly visible in his eyes mere seconds ago.

"Oh!" the girl exclaimed as she perceived the voice of her superior. She looked as though she had almost rushed up to the office, her shoulders heaving as she bore an extraordinarily beautiful bouquet of flowers within her hands. Her face was obscured behind the flowery creation and she finally poked her head out at the side as she carefully began to approach the desk. She neatly set the bouquet (which had already been put into a vase) upon the desk and then bowed before Byakuya.

"Well actually Mr. Kuchiki I had something for Hisana." She subserviently murmured. She still seemed a bit confused though as to why exactly Byakuya was sitting at Hisana's desk but she ignored it for the moment.

"Oh?" Byakuya expressionlessly eyed the girl and curiously narrowed his eyes as she nervously gulped.

"May I?" she nervously asked as she gestured towards the curious Hisana.

Byakuya quirked an eyebrow and this and quietly murmured "Please do."

Hisana had by now approached the girl who was blankly grinning at her.

"Miss Hisana, the delivery company, they just dropped this off for you." The girl nodded towards the bouquet and continued, "It was received in reception and Miss Hinamori just sent me up with it."

Hisana gasped upon that revelation and disbelievingly pressed her hand against her chest as she unconsciously stepped back. "W-what?" she confusedly whispered.

Byakuya was still expressionlessly and silently overseeing the entire conversation.

"Someone sent flowers for you… I mean it is *white day after all, you shouldn't be so surprised." The girl cheerily said. She was confused as to why Hisana should be so appalled by the thought of someone bothering to send flowers for her.

Hisana blinked at the girl in bewilderment and glanced at the exotic arrangement upon the desk. She hadn't given anyone anything for Valentines, so why would someone send her an entire bouquet of flowers!

"You must be mistaken, I-"

"No, we aren't it's your name!" the girl smilingly exclaimed. Hisana weakly frowned at the girl as she was still trying to figure out who would have bothered her with something so exotic.

"I see…" She lowered her head in thought for a minute before continuing. "Aren't there any other Hisanas who work here Kiyone?"

"Nope, just you." The girl replied.

"Oh… well um thank you, I guess…" Hisana uncertainly mumbled.

The girl happily nodded. "No problem. Well, I should be going then, enjoy the flowers Hisana!" she politely returned. Hisana silently watched as the younger girl gave a small wave of her hand and began to retreat from the room.

She then anxiously glanced at Byakuya's surprisingly emotionless visage. He eyed her for a second before closing his eyes. "Aren't you going to see who sent them?" his voice was near detached and Hisana wondered if the exchange that had occurred between them mere minutes ago had even happened at all. Had it not even struck a chord of emotion within him? It had done so many indescribable things to her…

Hisana uncertainly blinked at him before focusing her attention upon the arrangement. It was breathtakingly stunning and she helplessly grimaced as she stood before it. "I suppose so…" she quietly murmured.

She curiously narrowed her brows then and began to search through the delicate leaves of the arrangement for a card so as to learn the name of her gracious admirer. She found the crisp white paper carefully tucked onto a stalk and immediately tugged it free. Her eyes slowly widened however as she began to read,

Dearest Hisana,

Always thinking of you even though you tried to escape me in the Maldives. Maybe we could meet sometime in a *Love Hotel; Tokyo's infamous for them right? And besides no one has to know… just you and me…

Shiba Kaien (Call me, 6675309)

Hisana instantly gasped and dropped the card as though it were a searing piece of hot metal. Byakuya's brows narrowed as he observed her display and he quietly asked, "Who was it?"

She confusedly glanced up at him from across the desk and blinked thrice as she tried to make sense of his question.

"K-Kaien…" she nervously mumbled after a heavy pause.

Byakuya's face instantly darkened and his signature scowl deepened even more. There was a sudden heaviness that began to flood the room and Hisana could almost taste the dark intent that was pulsating from her superior as she frighteningly flinched back in fear. Byakuya however closed his eyes for a moment as he digested Hisana's words and the young assistant nervously observed his clouded visage. She was quite taken aback then when he slowly opened his eyes as he quietly regarded her. Every single trace of emotion that had been present previously had magically vanished and its place was the impassive mask that Byakuya wore so well. Hisana was disbelievingly gaping at him for he was the most confusing and blankly unemotional man she had ever known. Pray that she could rein in her emotions so well…

After a silent pause he murmured a soft, "I see…"

Hisana lowered her gaze then and trailed her eyes upon the floor. She was unsure of what to say now and the awkward memory of how she had been helplessly enthralled in his arms was slowly beginning to taunt her. Byakuya must think her an absolute fool for reacting like the starry eyed woman she had been mere moments ago in his arms; he alone had the power to prompt such reactions from her… oh god he alone…

He quietly observed her for a moment before standing and shoving his hands into his pockets. "I am sorry for disturbing you earlier." he quietly murmured as he turned his back and began to make his way towards his office. "You will resume your work now."

Hisana could have dug a hole, crawled in and died. Byakuya had blatantly and coldly shrugged her off once again. What was she to think, what was she to believe? She wanted nothing to do with Kaien, he could have died for all she could have cared, but Byakuya… oh what on earth was he trying to say? What on earth was he doing to her?

It was then that she recalled the words he had remorselessly uttered to her on their last night in the Maldives, "…your emotions…" He had said, "They are and never will be my concern..."

He was obviously trying to imply the same thing here… but where was all of it supposed to be carrying them both? What object was Byakuya trying to attain? Why was he so cold hearted? Why was he treating her so coldly when he had caressingly traced her skin with his heated lips and fingers only minutes ago? What exactly did he want from her?

Hisana wearily closed her eyes then as she buried her face into her hands. All the thoughts began swirling in her mind as she agitatedly grimaced into her palms. What was the purpose of it all?

If Byakuya was trying to get her to stop loving him… well he wasn't doing a very good job, but if he wanted her to stay away then… then maybe she would do just that… Maybe she would just stay as far away from him as was perfectly possible and maybe… maybe she would just resign… get away from him.

That was the only plausible solution to this entire escapade, it was the only thing that seemed to be making sense about now and it was the only way she would be able to fully escape that man who had completely possessed her mind, her soul and her heart. If Byakuya was trying to imply that their relationship was something that could never be made possible then she too would openly accept the cards he was throwing out.

The young assistant firmly tightened her fists then and raised her head in renewed determination. It was perhaps officially time that she removed both Byakuya and Kaien out of her life. Kaien she would sweetly watch shrivel and die, but Byakuya… ah she really had no other choice than to leave what could have been behind. She would accept the fact that he apparently felt nothing for her… as much as it seared her so deeply inside to think that…

Curse her inability to face challenges and curse her cowardice for running away when confronted with obstacles but a girl just had to do what a girl had to do… after all…

You just didn't make the same mistake twice.

Another long chappie... whew... well here it is. Um... hope it was good and hope u enjoyed. Not long to go again though before i wrap up this story so... yeah...