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chapter iii
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With unsteady fingers, she holds the brush and makes a timid stroke on the thick parchment; she watches with a wrinkled nose and a furrowed brow as she draws a line that is far too fat to look elegant.
She hates calligraphy
Rukia doesn't dislike much things but heaven help her she hated calligraphy more than anything in the whole world, hates it more than hot summer days than make her robes wetly cling to her shoulders or pickled radish.
She sends a sidelong look to Byakuya who looks completely at ease holding the calligraphy brush, making precise strokes to complete his beautiful characters.
Their instructor—who has been droning on and on and on about the "art of calligraphy" and "how the strokes are a reflection of one's inner self"—approaches Byakuya's desk with a look of pure astonishment coloring his strict features.
"Incredible Master Kuchiki!" He swoons, "I have never seen such perfection at such a young age!"
Ugh.
The instructor then looks over at Rukia's work, looking absolutely aghast as he stares down her sorry excuse for calligraphy. She feels the urge to throw herself over her desk to hide the sheer terribleness of her work from his critical gaze, embarrassment casting a red flush over her cheeks.
"Oh…" He coughs awkwardly, "Well, with much practice I'm sure we'll see improvement Master Rukia"
Seriously ugh
Byakuya shoots a satisfied smirk in her direction and squares his shoulders, Rukia rewards him with a fearsome sneer which makes his smirk grow larger. The instructor turns back to his star pupil, "Master Kuchiki—if I may be so bold—such beautiful calligraphy should be displayed and the upcoming festival is an opportune moment"
Festival? Rukia feels a wave of excitement pool and grow inside her, she has never been to a festival before. Hanging Dog was too terribly impoverished and dangerous to hold any sort of festival, Rukia could only recall hearing about them amongst the chatter of vendors.
She heard about the glowing lanterns and masks, and how everyone wore beautiful yukatas. She heard about the abundance of street food and the activities to win prizes, and how performers danced on the stages.
Rukia has always wanted to go to one
Byakuya gives a disinterested shrug, "I'd rather not participate in such a childish affair"
Rukia frowns, how could he say something like that? Did he not realize how fortunate he was to even have the chance to go? Times like these Rukia wanted nothing more than to give him a swift kick to the shins for being such a spoiled snob.
"When is the festival?" Rukia asks, speaking for the first time
"The winter's festival two days away" The instructor replies, "It's considered one of the most popular festivals of the year after the lover's festival of course"
Rukia gives a nod, she quickly gathers her belongs before making a beeline towards the door, "Master Rukia where are you going?" The instructor calls after her, exasperation heavy on his wrinkled face
"Out!" Comes her rushed reply
The instructor shakes his head slightly, "But I wasn't finished with today's lesson"
Byakuya scoffs lightly, "You should just give up on her" He continues to carefully draw his characters, "She's a lost cause"
x
Rukia gently sits her chopsticks down on top of her bowl of rice before turning to Ginrei who was wiping the corners of his mouth with his napkin, "Ginrei-sama, I would like to ask your permission for something"
Here she goes, Byakuya thinks with a roll of his eyes
"What is it Rukia?" Ginrei turns to the young girl sitting beside his grandson with curiosity casting a gleam in his wizened eyes
"There is a festival two days away and I would like to go—with your permission of course" Rukia replies
"Of course you can go…" Ginrei says easily
"Really!" Rukia cuts in eagerly, "Thank you—
"However" Ginrei sends her a scolding look for interrupting him, "I cannot allow you to go alone, it is simply too dangerous for a child like yourself to go alone without supervision"
Rukia's shoulders fall in dejection, "But…who will take me?"
A short silence blankets the room as Rukia sends a pleading look in Byakuya's direction, Byakuya, just this one time, please take me to the festival
Byakuya quirks his brow, Stop staring at me brat
Please Byakuya, Rukia pushes her lips into an adorable pout
Byakuya gives a slight shake of his head, You're fooling yourself if you think I'm going to be your babysitter at some ridiculous festival
You're really a cold man Kuchiki Byakuya, Rukia frowns sullenly
Byakuya rolls his eyes, however he can't help but look over to the girl. He notices the slump in her shoulders, the crestfallen expression that saddens her bright features. It made him feel strange to see her so…so…unhappy.
He opens his mouth to give reluctant reply to her question when—
"I'll be happy to take you Rukia"
Byakuya stares at his father with well concealed surprised hidden in the depths of his steel gray eyes, besides him Rukia bows eagerly with a smile so large it lights up the entirety of the room, "Thank you so, so very much Soujun-sama!"
Something pulls at Byakuya's chest…could it be…regret?
No, Byakuya knows better than to even assume that, there was no plausible way that he regret not offering to take Rukia to that foolish festival. It was completely out of character for him and Byakuya was definitely the type to hold true to his own devices.
In fact, he is grateful that his father spoke up before he had the chance.
It would have been incredibly tedious to take Rukia to the festival in the first place, he would spend the whole night trying to keep up with her hyperactive tendencies and would've most likely been embarrassed by Rukia's natural outspokenness.
So it was a good that his father decided to offer his precious time to take Rukia to the festival, Soujun will definitely humor Rukia and play along with her childish games and antics…they would have an enjoyable time.
Rukia stops eating to gush about all the activities and food they will enjoy together, Byakuya thinks he sees stars in her eyes and frowns because he's not he one who put them there.
x
It's always difficult to find Rukia.
She has a heart of an explorer, always seeking out tomorrow's adventure, always looking for the tallest tree to climb, the brightest star in the sky, the prettiest flower in the field.
Byakuya has to check the archives twice—after weeks of teaching Rukia how to read and write she had taken to reading every scroll in the vast Kuchiki collection—, her room three times, the kitchens approximately five times—Rukia has an attachment to the kitchen staff (for some reason)—before he finds her in the trees.
"Rukia" He calls for her, eyes up searching for her in the thick cover of branches and leaves
There is no reply, Byakuya rolls his eyes.
"I know you're there" He says
Still, silence.
"If you don't come down I'll order the kitchen staff to stop making rice dumplings"
"You can't do that"
"Would you like to try me?" Byakuya replies, lifting a dark brow
Rukia drops in front of him in a matter of seconds, eyes glowing with agitation, lips puckered, nose wrinkled—oh, Byakuya thinks, she is very angry. She crosses her arms over her chest and begins to tap her foot against the soft earth, Byakuya wants to laugh at her expression but he knows that Rukia would not take too kindly to being laughed at.
"What do you want?" She asks, her tongue is steel, her resolve to be mad is unwavering despite the fact that she was secretly satisfied that Byakuya was the one who was looking for her—not the other way around.
Byakuya falls silent, what did he want?
Something inside him desperately wanted to see Rukia, and here she was, standing in front of him with a quizzical expression aligning her delicate features. Now, words escaped him; he couldn't find the sentences to convey his emotions.
"I suppose you're excited for the festival tomorrow" Byakuya begins, unsure of himself
"I am" Rukia looks at him suspiciously, "Very excited"
"Well" Byakuya tips his chin, "You are representing the Kuchiki clan so you should compose yourself"
"Compose myself?" Rukia repeats incredulously, "Do you think I'm some…some…untamed, loud mouth?"
"No" Byakuya shakes his head, realizing his mistake.
"Are you…embarrassed of me?" Rukia asks, fire singing in her eyes, angry growing in the bit of her stomach.
"Rukia you are jumping to conclusions" Byakuya replies firmly, mentally kicking himself for being so reckless with his words
"No" Rukia shook his head, "You have jumped at every opportunity to remind me that I'm beneath you, that I don't belong here. You act like I humiliate you to the point where you couldn't push your ego aside and…and…
"And what?" Byakuya cuts in sharply, thoroughly insulted
"And take me to the festival instead of your father" Rukia cries out, equally hurt and embarrassed
Byakuya stares down at her in stunned silence, there were tears in her eyes, the violet in her irises shimmering like liquid amethyst. She quickly brushes away the tear the slips down her cheek as if it burned her skin, "Just…forget I said anything" She mutters before running away, afraid of what she would do—or say if she remained.
Byakuya's eyes follow her retreating form, something unrecognizable pulling and twisting in his chest.
x
Soujun meets his son in the corridor, father and son, parent and child—they are always so formal when they speak to each other, it was as if they didn't know how to act around each other without proper etiquette.
"Otou-sama" He bows, stiff and unfeeling—as always.
"Byakuya" Soujun smiles, trying to ignite some sort of emotion from his son, "Do you want anything from the festival?"
Byakuya stiffens, the festival…Rukia, and shakes his head, "No, I won't require anything"
Soujun gives a nod, "Of course"
Byakuya bows once more, "I will be retiring, goodnight Otou-sama"
For a moment Soujun considers stopping his son, grabbing his shoulders and yelling "What are you feeling? Talk to me Byakuya, just…talk to me" but he knew it would be futile and rash to demand a display of any sort of emotion from his son.
Soujun wishes all at once that his wife was still alive, that Byakuya could have a mother that could show him love and tenderness, that could bring a smile on his face without any effort. He, unfortunately, never had the talent to provoke such sweet emotions from his son.
Byakuya was a thunderstorm boy, with so much strength and power and a temper that could kill hidden underneath a layer of indifference and coldness. Those were traits he inherited exclusively from his grandfather, traits that completely skipped Soujun.
"How troublesome" The familiarity of a deep voice startles Soujun from his thoughts, and he turns to face his father who was watching Byakuya's retreat with curiosity laden in his misty eyes.
"Byakuya?" Soujun comments incredulously, his son was the complete opposite of trouble, in fact Byakuya was such a stickler for the rules that times it became him.
"Why do you suppose Byakuya did not offer to take Rukia to the festival?" Ginrei wonders
Soujun gives a shrug, "Because Byakuya beliefs it to be childish"
"Indeed" Ginrei agrees, "I do find it peculiar how much Byakuya has changed since Rukia began living with us
"Do you?" Soujun was surprised
"They are two sides of the same coin, Byakuya and Rukia" Ginrei says fondly, "Byakuya settles Rukia's fire while Rukia ignites his. They find balance when they are with each other"
Soujun nods, Byakuya was unusually lively—to say the least—whenever he was paired with Rukia. The two were incredibly amusing to watch—Soujun lost count how many times his son pointedly rolled his eyes or smirked at this smaller girl—but there was something gentle, perhaps innocent about their interactions.
Byakuya was all sharp lines and precise edges, everything about him was clean cut and textbook but whenever he was with Rukia something about him was softer, dare he say kinder even?
"And you encourage this?" Soujun inquires
"Perhaps" Ginrei replies, Soujun swears he sees a twinkle in his father's eyes, "I've always said that Byakuya needs to calm that temper of his, Rukia may be the solution"
"So" Soujun doesn't know if he should be tickled or surprised by his father's assumptions, "What do you we suggest we do?"
"We do nothing" Ginrei turns, his scarf billowing behind him in an image of regality and pose that was almost unachievable, "Time will only tell if I'm right"
Soujun bows obediently, a hidden smile plays on his lips.
x
Rukia feels absolutely ridiculous in the kimono one of the servants wrestled her into, her arms felt restricted and she couldn't run freely or climb trees or anything remotely fun. She reaches up and gently pulls on the beads of her hairpin with a look of exasperation lining her features.
"Rukia" She turns and smiles brightly when she sees Soujun approaching her, "I have bad news"
"I'm afraid I cannot take you to the festival" Soujun confesses somberly, "I just got word that I have lead a night expedition for our new recruits"
"Oh" Rukia falters, she swallows the lump of disappointment in her throat and puts on a brave face, "That's okay, it gives me the excuse to get out of this stupid kimono anyway"
"I'm truly sorry Rukia" Soujun smiles apologetically, "I promise I'll take you to the next festival"
Rukia nods with a strained smile, she watches Soujun disappear from sight while fighting back a wave of sadness that threatened to drown her in its wake. She should've known better than to get her hopes up, it was asking too much in the first place to believe that someone as busy and important as Soujun-sama would find the time in his schedule for the festival anyway.
"Rukia"
She turns sharply to see Byakuya coming forward, a look of confusion on his boyishly handsome features, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing" Rukia mutters, still snuffed from their heated conversation yesterday, "Leave me alone"
"Aren't you supposed to be at the festival?"
"I'm not going" Rukia snips peevishly
"Why?"
"Because Soujun-sama is busy now and there is no one to take me so it doesn't even matter! You can go ahead and rub in my face that I won't be going to the stupid—
"Let's go" Byakuya cuts in
"W-what?" Rukia blinks, flabbergasted
"I don't like to repeat myself" Byakuya replies, he cocks his head and Rukia finds something hidden in his eyes, something kind.
Rukia lights up. Her smile, her eyes, her face, everything about her is suddenly dazzlingly bright and beautiful and Byakuya has to turn his head to hide the wonderment that takes over his expression.
She grabs his hands without a moment of hesitation, pulling him along with excitement thrumming throughout her entire body, "C'mon Byakuya! Let's go now!"
x
The streets of the Seireitei were lined with multiple vendors selling delicious street food and silly merchandise as well as carnival games to try to win prizes at. Brightly colored lanterns hung over the heads of the jolly festival goers while entertainers danced in the center of the streets.
Rukia feels as if she could burst with happiness, she and Byakuya had already consumed their fair share of food and played multiple games but Rukia feels as if she won't be sated until she has seen and done everything, "Oi! Byakuya!" Rukia tugs on his sleeves, "Let's go over to that booth!"
The two walk over to a street vendor selling jewelry and paintings, Rukia's eyes grow large at the amount of beautiful glistening gemstones and precious metals, "Wow, it's all so pretty"
Byakuya rolls his eyes, of course Rukia would be reduced to a pile of mush at the sight of overpriced jewelry. She holds up a bracelet, it is simpler than everything else the vendor was selling but Byakuya had to admit it was almost nice.
Rukia tests the weight of the bracelet in her hand, it was a pretty thing, understated and modest but that's why Rukia was drawn to it. It was a simple leather band with beautiful beads in the middle and in the center of those beads was pendant of a sakura blossom.
Rukia smiles at the accessory before putting it back on the display table, "Don't you want it?" Byakuya asks in confusion, sure he wasn't one for silly material possessions but he couldn't understand why it would appeal to Rukia.
"I've already spent too much tonight" Rukia grins up at Byakuya, "I don't like to be wasteful, let's go get some more food and find a place for the fireworks"
"More food?" Byakuya replies in exasperation, "You're a bottomless pit"
Rukia pats her belly with a smile, "Thanks"
"It wasn't a compliment" Byakuya deadpans
"It was to me" Rukia winks
The two of them find a shaved ice vendor before settling on top of a hill to watch the fireworks, Rukia happily tucks into her treat while Byakuya nibbles on a dango.
"This is so good!" Rukia exclaims, "Would you like some?" Rukia offers the cup to Byakuya with a smile
"No thank you" Byakuya shakes his head, "I'm not a fan of sweet food"
"Oh" Rukia shrugs, "I had a friend in the 78th who liked sweet food"
Byakuya quirks a brow, Rukia never really spoke of her time in the 78th or the hardships she faced while living there. It was a rarity that she so willing brought it up.
"His name was Renji" Rukia reminisces fondly, "He had this head full of crazy red hair and was so silly sometime…I miss him a lot"
"Will you ever go back?" Byakuya asks, looking down at his half eaten snack
Rukia gives a shrug, "I don't know, the 78th is an awful place to live, everyone there are murderers and criminals who lie and steal and it's really terrible"
"I see" Byakuya nods
"Renji is smart" Rukia says, "If anyone can make it out of Hanging Dog, its him"
"I'm happy here" Rukia confesses, a wistful smile on her face, "I can't think of any reason to live"
As long as you're here Rukia, Byakuya thinks as the sky begins to light up with various colors of fireworks, you'll always have a home.
Rukia turns her head, catching Byakuya's eyes, "It's really pretty isn't it?"
"Yes" Byakuya nods, not taking his eyes of Rukia, "It is"
author: *throws a peace sign whilst drowning in the stress of upcoming finals* do i get an award for writing this during finals week?