Here's the next intallment. Present time content starts in the middle and continues until the end, but I'll mark it so it's not confusing. Enjoy!
Honor and Duty
Byakuya's eyes fluttered open – though he did not recall ever falling asleep. Regaining his senses, he noticed strange reiatsu clinging to the foot of his bed, snaking out to the invisible space before him. The presence made him stiffen; it was enough to awake in some unfamiliar place to make him on guard, let alone the fact that somehow Byakuya had been asleep long enough for the sun to set. Darkness settled eerily in the cool hospital-like chamber.
"You're awake." The voice tinged on surprise and exclamation – the reiatsu changed almost as suddenly as the atmosphere in the room. Byakuya thought he recognized it, though his mind was still foggy upon awakening.
"Hold on, let me turn on the light." A soft click, and after the slight stinging from the bright lamps overhead, Byakuya was able to make out the fuzzy silhouette of Nakata Hitoshi. Then as the haze dissipated, the slight wisp of a smile caught his attention.
"Unohana Taicho told me that you would be alright, but I wanted to check on you anyway." The smile turned a little more serious as he continued. "I really …"
Byakuya waited for the rest as he silently propped himself against the innumerable amount of pillows at the head of the mattress. Blue eyes were cool, yet forgiving at the sight of his comrade. Looking Hitoshi over, Byakuya was able to tell that he had avoided any serious injury during the hollow battle, and somehow he felt alleviated.
Hitoshi gave a curt and proper bow. "I would like to say thank you for helping me!" Not so much yelling as accentuating his point.
Despite himself, Byakuya was surprised. The emotion escaped his visage as his classmate regained his upright posture.
Hitoshi felt the need to elaborate, yet the act was hardly needed. "If you weren't my team member, I surely wouldn't be as well off as I am now." His formal tone seemed to drop off a little. "As a matter of fact, I would be in your place right now, probably worse." He sat back down into the chair by the door, the original place his reiatsu emanated from earlier.
Byakuya was not sure what to say, so he did not speak. Certainly the boy felt a need to express his appreciation, but this was hardly necessary.
It was then Byakuya truly looked at his classmate. Auburn hair splayed across his face, the reddish brown locks falling into his eyes as the boy casually drew them to the side with his fingers. Steel blue eyes reflected the light and sparkled with intensity Byakuya rarely seen. By any standards he was attractive, but that was left to be said by perspective individuals. An emotion swirled behind those bright orbs that Byakuya had trouble calculating – he had never seen it before on his classmate's face.
Hitoshi abruptly stood again and bowed. "Kuchiki Byakuya, I owe you my life. Without your guidance, I believe my death would have been met today."
Byakuya blinked at the ludicrous statement. What?
"I would ask of your permission to train with you so that I may develop those qualities you possess."
Some emotion filtered through Byakuya's mind, but it was too foreign to detect what it was. Sorting through feelings he already knew, not one came close to the oddity he felt how. His brow furrowed; he was rather agitated not knowing.
Those piercing eyes waited for a response.
I refuse would be a good answer, but somehow that seemed improper etiquette after such an elaborate display.
"I fail to see any benefit from my tutelage, but I will assist you." That will suffice.
"Arigato, Kuchiki-san. I wish you a fast recovery." A light smile flickered across his face as he turned to leave.
Byakuya settled back down to the covers as his thoughts returned to Hisana. They never strayed from her, even through the conversation with Hitoshi; she remained in the background until no further interruptions pressed his attention.
An impulse almost overtook him: Go to her room and check on her. For Byakuya, this sudden decision was entirely unprovoked - but justifiable. He hardly imagined himself the type to worry over insubstantial things, but the more he thought about visiting Hisana, the harder his heart beat in his chest. Sweat started to make its way onto his temple and his hands began to tremble. As it would turn out, anxiety ate away at the man's resolve.
Should he stay and feign indifference? Or run to her bedside and make sure all is well? If he did that, what would happen next?
Logic rolled in and slapped his rampant emotions for good measure. Kuchiki Byakuya was not a man whose feelings were uncontrolled; his pride lay in keeping his composure. With his senses about him, Byakuya calmly decided to check on the progress of the woman he brought in for treatment, then return to his quarters for rest. An evaluation of his own healing would benefit from a brisk walk, anyway.
All emotions in accordance, Byakuya shifted his body to the side of the bed and pulled on his hakama. Regardless of whether injury was sustained to his body or not, he would see that he wore proper attire. The oversized black pants seemed to absorb less damage than the rest of his wardrobe, suffering only a few blood stains and tears in the fabric. It would have to do, he thought, as he made his way to the nurses' station.
"Kuchiki-san." Unohana barely looked up, yet she knew his presence. Being a skilled healer, even the slightest reiatsu could be detected, he surmised.
"Unohana Taicho. I would like permission to check on the status of the woman I brought in earlier." reiterating his internal statement.
An eye flicked up to Byakuya. A slight smile spread on her face. "Of course you may, Kuchiki-san." Her reply was polite enough, but he was never quite sure if more existed in her quaint phrases besides that. It almost felt as though she were making a joke.
"She is stable, however her healing may take time. Don't expect too much when you enter."
"Hai, Taicho."
"Her room is down the hall, last one on the left."
"Arigato, Taicho." He alighted the hallway fluidly and quickly, and even with the hakama, walked quietly down the corridor. One would have thought he floated through the passage as his stride was even and measured.
When he arrived at the closed door of Hisana's room, he hesitated again; his heart skipped a beat as he rested his hand against the handle of the door. Suppressing the irrational emotion, he carefully turned the knob and slid inside.
The room was dark, but enough moonlight filtered in through the windows to make out her silhouette. Even in shades of blue and black she was beautiful. Before he realized it, he stood next to her bedside.
It pained him to see so many bandages covering her body. Gauze and tape were applied generously to both arms and across her chest. She wore a white, thin strapped dress-like top to prevent the bandages from sticking. A heavy blanket draped across her midsection.
Despite the abrasions to her body, she slept peacefully, her face calm and serene. To Byakuya, she looked like an angel.
A hand absent mindedly went to her cheek, barely brushing it before he realized what he was doing. Her pale skin was soft and delicate.
Indigo eyes fluttered open at the touch, and Byakuya quickly pulled his hand away. What was he thinking?
"Byakuya…-san." She quickly added as her mind noticeably clicked into place. "Where am I?"
"Fourth District medical facility." he rattled off, too engrossed by the sound of her voice to clarify.
Hisana's eyes swam, trying to calculate that position. Widening slightly she looked at Byakuya. "That's almost twenty kilometers from Rukongai – my home."
Eyes squeezed shut, as if trying to recall something. "I remember flame…and you, Byakuya-san. Those blue orbs rose to meet his. "You brought me here? How?"
"Students in the academy are trained in the art of shunpo." It was a matter of fact statement, but the impression on Hisana was already evident.
"You practically ran me here."
"In a manner of speaking."
A silence passed between the two.
"Arigato, Byakuya-san." She started in a measured tone, weighting the words as she spoke them.
A crushing emotion filled Byakuya as he seen those beautiful azure eyes fill with tears. A small thin stream ran along the side of her face as he tried unsuccessfully to think of something to say.
Byakuya's brain was on overload: Why was she crying? Was she in pain? Surely he did nothing to cause her sadness; or did he? Emotions were the most irritating illogical, mentally frustrating subjects to deal with – even more so in women. Of all his faculties, he could not figure out what could possibly be wrong.
He bent slightly at the hip and brushed the line of wetness away with his thumb.
"Don't…cry." It was not much of a response, but at least it got her to look at him.
"Byakuya-san," she started. "I am happy…that you saved me."
A sense of relief washed over him at the revelation of her tearful onslaught. Yet it still puzzled him how crying and happiness coincided; the mental mathematical image just wasn't adding up.
In an instant she regained her cheerful demeanor. "Arigato Byakuya-san," she said it again, and propped herself onto the bed, closer to Byakuya's still bent form.
A small, innocent kiss was placed on his cheek, wet and warm as it clung to the skin. Her hair brushed against his face, tickling his nose as it barely touched. Breathing in sharply, he could detect a hint of some fragrance around her, like the scent of blooming cherry blossoms.
Hisana fell back from his cheek, pausing momentarily to meet his eyes. "Arigato." She stressed; a deep, sensual, and compassionate look in her eye.
Byakuya tried to find an equivalent feeling for the look she gave him. Appreciation? Gratitude?
The gaze held them both, transfixed by the proximity.
Indebtedness?
The distance between them decreased slowly, they felt each others' breath on their skin.
Thankfulness?
Their faces were a hairsbreadth away before Byakuya finally realized what emotion welled in her eyes from the moment she set sight on him.
Passion.
Their lips met. Almost barely touching at first, a flitting wisp passing between them.
A second stronger contact, and Kuchiki Byakuya felt as though a current of electricity ran through his entire body. Whatever was left of inner regulations and rules faltered, collapsing in her touch. Delicate hands ran through the unkempt silky threads of hair the kenseikan would normally pin up. Raven strands fell in his eyes as she ran her fingers across his scalp.
His hand brushed through her hair, delicately cupping her cheek and pulling her, ever so lightly into his lips. Her taste was sweet like nectar. Some unidentifiable hunger rose inside his gut, and suddenly he could not have enough of that experience.
Which caused him to freeze.
Unwillingly breaking the kiss, he faltered at a reason, statement, – anything. Then he decided it best he should leave. Straightening his posture he turned to retreat from her room. If he left now, there would be no remorse or doubt. If he left now, this slight incident could be chalked up to a weakness on both behalves, injuries causing the brunt of mixed feelings. No problems, misconstructions – all he had to do was take an even ten paces and exit the room. A single step was taken.
"Byakuya-san?"
Leave. Never look back. The logic circuit was beginning to kick in again, driving out wayward affections he thought he had. All he had to do was go. He would never visit Rukongai district, the tea house. All of this was just a big misunderstanding of guilt and doubt.
Another part of him fought from the inside, declaring some emotion for the girl, for her way of thinking. Clambering to the surface of his mind, it denied him the capability of walking away with a clear conscience. Anxiety welled under his skin again, a visible tremble in his hand. Knuckles were turning white from clenching his fists so tight, the swirl of emotions wracking his brain down to the core.
Both sides demanded an answer; both deemed a worthy course of action taken. Kuchiki Byakuya had to make the correct decision; not only as a man but future heir to Kuchiki clan. However, what would that be? He tried in vain to derive proper procedure from his training.
Damn the consequences. Damn the rules. Damn the whole council of idiots to claimed to know about regulation and procedures. If this could happen, why did he not know these odd emotions? Why wasn't he informed about how they affect his judgment? Was such a simple concept as 'caring' not important enough to include in rules of societal affairs? His mental faculties boiled down in that moment, his logic faltering from the incoherent babble in his soul and the imperfection of his noble teachings, dissolving into one base emotion.
Kuchiki Byakuya had made his decision.
(Present day)
His head reeled. Sitting at the bank side of Rukongai, Kuchiki Byakuya was reduced to a sullen bent figure from his previous standard posture. Hands drove through his hair at the emotional barrage, pulling on the raven locks in a silent plea to purge the maddening images from his mind. It was all irrelevant, yet his memory was hell bent on suffering through the lost history.
Senbonzakura pulsed at his side as if in response to his inner turmoil. She would know better than anyone, he suspected - this lasting depression that only he was meant to endure.
They exist as two different entities, a shinigami and a sword, yet they are indivisible.
Byakuya's only solace resided in himself and this blade, as he was forced to go on for another eternity without her. Fingers clutched tightly at his hair as he focused on that pain to break the trance. Why was the ache for her now so unbearable? What changed to elicit such strong emotions from his otherwise sturdy foundation?
Wearily, Byakuya rose and began walking. Unsure of the destination, he let his mind wander freely. Hoping that these feelings would part quickly became his main priority, even if he had to accept them into his heart once again.
Abarai Renji peered at his captain from across the river. Originally he was determined to inform him on his departure for Karakura sector; however upon noticing the frayed ghost of his taicho, he suddenly froze. Nothing could have prepared him to see his ever strict emotionless captain fighting such heart wrenching feelings; even from this distance he was able to sense his reiatsu, another rare commodity that his captain let slip.
All that Renji could do was stare blankly as his taicho resumed his somber pace, gliding against the water's current further into the heart of Rukongai district. Kuchiki Byakuya hadn't even recognized his presence; was he that enveloped in his own misery he was unable to detect him?
Renji was blindsided. All this time his captain battled with these intense emotions, yet he never knew? What kind of vice captain couldn't tell that? Many of his previous conceptions of Byakuya fell away in one sweeping motion. Though the captain was a powerful person and he would never question his integrity, something stirred in Renji's gut at the knowledge that Byakuya was not always the bitter unforgiving bastard he let on.
What happened to his taicho to make him like this?
Deciding against his own wish to leave for Karakura before dawn, Renji made his way back to Sixth division barracks. A thought crossed his mind; he began to head for Thirteenth squad, questions pressing on the forefront of his mind. Determination set in as Renji concluded; he would be back in time to open the gates to Karakura in the morning.
Sometimes rest would provide a welcome release from his daily bout of weakness, however once in a while no amount of comfort would see a good nights sleep. Covers tossed, sheets wrinkled; he couldn't relax in any position. So it was with mixed relief and discomfort that a spiky red haired man silhouetted his windowsill.
It was more perplexing when said intruder cautiously poked his shoulder to wake him, though he had watched the entrance into his room in its entirety.
"You are becoming good at hiding your reiatsu, Abarai-san." The captain rolled upward and sat against his pillows. A stifled gasp emitted from the trespasser at the sudden movement – apparently his detecting properties could use some fine tuning.
"I apologize for the hour, Ukitake Taicho," the voice sounded strained in the whisper, as though the matter contained some amount of urgency. "but the matter is important, since my departure for Karakura is eminent."
"Oh, yes. So Kuchiki-san has already elicited your orders?"
"Hai." Stated quickly.
"Then what do you need? You could be seriously reprimanded if you're caught –"
"I know Taicho." The words were cut off, but his respectful demeanor stayed intact. "But I need to know."
"About?" Ukitake's eyebrow kinked in a question induced expression.
Renji's eyes pleaded in a way that Ukitake had never seen from the normally cocky man. "Please tell me what happened to Kuchiki Taicho."
AN: So how was that? I originally thought about splitting the two parts in half; one for past, the other for present. But what the heck, as long as it's not confusing, I'll leave it in one big chunk for your viewing pleasure. ;)
I had to read this chapter four times before I was satisfied enough to post it (darn writer's block...), and that's not counting individual parts - so I hope it's up to par.
Review please? I will be eternally grateful for your comments:)