Chapter 2
Genre: Romance, AU
Characters/Pairings: IchiRuki, IshiHime, Byakuya, etc.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Me no own Bleach!
Warning: As this is an AU story, many of the situations are changed to fit my idea. I'll try to make the characters as in character as I possibly can do. All of the captains are here (that means Aizen, Gin, and Tousen) but I added a division (thus Gotei 14 instead of 13) and the vaizards, quincy, and everyone else. The setting is in Seiretei and no one is living in Karakura. The timeframe is somewhat feudal, so no technology stuff except for what the 12th division uses.
Summary: In the middle of the war against the Arrancar in Seiretei, Kurosaki Ichigo laid siege to the district of the noblest of all nobles. The mission: to capture and take as hostage the sister of his enemy, Kuchiki Rukia. The problem: the hostage herself.
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Recap of previous chapter:
Her eyes widened. How dare he manhandle her? How dare he place her in such an undignified position?
Before Ichigo could feel the need to gloat, she reared her head back and collided it painfully with Ichigo's chin.
"Bitch!" shouted Ichigo as he threw Rukia over his shoulder. "Cease!" he ordered forcefully as he held back a flailing noblewoman who was trying to scratch or bite him into letting her go. Running out of options, he decided instead to swat her bottom several times.
"Bastard!" howled Rukia, squirming from the pain to her posterior.
"Rukia-chan!" Inoue was shouting as she neared her friend. "Kurosaki Taicho, please don't hurt her!"
Ichigo held Rukia in place by her back. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Lady Kuchiki; either way, you're coming with me.
"I do not yield, Kurosaki Ichigo, I do not yield!"
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It was evening by the time they reached Kurosaki Taicho's new campsite. Grumpily, Ichigo barked out orders to his subordinates as he lugged the squirming Kuchiki lady like a piece of baggage.
Obviously, the lady did not care too much about the treatment she received. As soon as the lowly shinigami who met them was out of sight, Rukia doubled her efforts to get away from her captor. She squirmed, hissed, and even tried to bite Ichigo in a futile attempt to be released.
Following them were his high ranked officers with the other noble lady who assisted his fukutaicho earlier. Inoue was crying silently with tears streaming down the side of her splotchy face, holding on to Ishida's shoulders as they heard Ichigo and Rukia bicker and throw insults at each other.
"Bastard, why don't you just let Inoue go home?" hissed Rukia. "You already captured me, let her go!"
"What? And risk having you escape?" Ichigo sneered. As long as Inoue Orihime was a hostage, Kuchiki Rukia would not do anything rash and violent. The threat of her friend's safety was more than enough to ensure that she would cooperate.
Well, somewhat cooperate.
At that moment, the annoying captive resumed to hurling curses at him in between, demanding her friend to be set free.
"Please, Inoue-san…" Ishida said, "Please stop crying…"
"I can't help it!" wailed the other,"When I start crying, I can't seem to stop!" In embarrassment, Inoue tried to wipe at her eyes furiously with the handkerchief Tatsuki handed her.
"You have… no… idea…" she explained brokenly, in between sobs.
"How… Hard… It is… to cry so… so… easily!" Inoue grabbed the sleeve of Ishida's robes, "When Touya… when Touya died…"
"Touya… Touya the dog?" Tatsuki asked dryly, remembering the underhanded trick used by the Kuchiki noblewoman earlier.
Inoue nodded. "I couldn't… stop crying." She bawled to the surprise of the others. "It was humi…humi…humiliating that I was crying louder than Rukia-san…"
Turning to look at the angry pair, Mizuiro shrugged, "I don't think she'd be the type to cry."
Oblivious to the small spectacle that Inoue was causing, Ichigo and Rukia were still busy out-shouting the other in a pathetic display of rank and superiority. This mocking battle (well, it was actually a battle – just not as important as they thought) went on even when Ichigo made his way into his tent with Rukia. It was actually fortunate that despite the loud volume, not many of the Taicho's shinigami subordinates would hear the commotion firsthand.
Although they were convinced that the rumors just might reach the far-flung districts throughout Rukongai.
"Bastard! Ignorant peasant! Demented Idiot! Plebian!"
"I may be all these and more," Ichigo said smugly, "but I'm not the one who's tied up like a hog right now."
Rukia glared at him, face redder. "The first chance I get, I'll make sure you suffer the worst kind of fate you can ever imagined!"
"Been there, heard all the threats." came the bored retort. "Drawn and quartered? Disemboweled? Strangled? Decapitated? Sheesh, come up with REAL threats, woman."
Now he was just asking for it. Rukia started to see more red. "I'll cut off your manhood with a blunt knife!" She shouted.
"Ouch." Winced Mizuiro, but with ill-concealed humor as they sat at the prepared spot outside their Taicho's quarters, "That ought to hurt. I mean, really hurt."
Beside him, Keigo sniggered. "Please, like Ichigo would miss it." He scoffed. "I mean - I'm not sure how long it has been since he used it last."
As the two hurled obscenities that would make mothers blush, Tatsuki ambled over, bringing a tray of food for Inoue. "Here, you must be hungry." It was a simple fare, really. Just a large Onigiri and a jug of water.
"Please, we need to get back home." Pleaded Inoue and ignored the tray of food, despite the fact that she felt weakened by the lack of nourishment. "Many of our shinigami are wounded, and civilians are sick. We must return to help them."
Ishida shook his head. "I'm afraid that's just not possible, Inoue-san. Kurosaki Taicho definitely needs to have Kuchiki-san nearby." He looked at the woman directly, "Would you like to go back alone? We can arrange for an escort?"
Deep down, Ishida hopes Inoue would not leave her friend behind; but nobles sometimes had their own quirks, and he was expecting the other to take advantage of her chance at freedom.
"No." Inoue said heatedly, despite tears rolling down on her face. "I will not leave Rukia-san. If I cannot leave without her, I'd rather not go."
Mizuiro took a tentative bite of his meal as he motioned to the tent where the noblewoman was inside and still arguing blisteringly with his Taicho. "I was actually expecting Kuchiki-san to just fall silent and sulk, like the ice princess she's supposed to be."
"Yeah, instead she's been screaming at Ichigo like a madwoman." Added Keigo; looking at Inoue expectantly. "Very different behavior for the supposed ice princess is it not?"
"Huh?" Inoue asked. "Why would ever do you think that?"
Sado looked over. "Because that's what people say about her."
Vehemently, Inoue shook her head. "Rukia-san is not like that… Not really… No…" As the others looked at her, she felt the need to defend her friend. "She's a very nice person. She has opinions about many things and she's very smart –
"Tell me about it," grumbled Ishida. "She thwarted most of my plans for battle."
"She's just… lonely." Inoue said in a morose tone. She wanted to defend her friend, but she knew that to give them information about Rukia could only endanger her more, so she decided to stay silent again.
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…
"Eat, midget." Ichigo said, shoving a plate under Rukia's nose.
"Kurosaki Taicho, I will have you address me as Kuchiki Rukia-san." She said, not looking at him as though as he was not worthy of being spared a glance.
"Right." Ichigo retorted dryly.
"Well, Kuchiki Rukia-san," he stressed.
"It could be possible. But since I am a Taicho and you are an UNseated shinigami. I don't think that it's going to happen anytime soon."
The stress on the prefix UN in unseated burned Rukia's ears, but she did not comment on it.
"Eat. Do you want to starve?"
"Thank you Taicho, but I am not hungry." Rukia replied in a cold tone. She had hardly finished the sentence when her stomach rumbled loudly.
A fleeting smirk grazed Ichigo's lips.
"Right, you're not."
In one move, he sat in front of his captive.
"Let's just cut to the chase. You need food to stay alive – eat." The woman remained motionless and he sighed. "Look, don't make me force you to open your mouth."
There was no reaction.
"Fine." Hissed Ichigo.
He took hold of Rukia's chin and nose and tried to pry her mouth open. To her credit, Rukia kept her mouth closed, flailed, and tried to kick him as hard as she could. The struggle caused them to topple off the stool and onto the ground.
"Just eat it!" snarled Ichigo, as he tried to the stubborn noble to eat the onigiri. To prevent her from hitting him anywhere, he straddled her waist, trapping her thrashing legs.
"Open your mouth, damn it!" he shouted as he tried to get her to eat. Rukia's face was already red from holding her breath, but she would rather die than to eat food he gave her. She tried clawing his face, but he was just too tall for her to reach.
"I'm going to make sure to shove it in, midget. You'll see reason when you run out of air!"
It was in this position that his ranked officers found them.
"Ichigo Taicho!" Keigo cried out in appreciation and obvious stupidity in misinterpreting the situation into something his perverted mind concocted. "I didn't think you had it in you!"
"What?" snarled Ichigo, still preoccupied with getting Rukia to eat. If he looked up and saw the expression on his subordinate's face, there was no doubt that Keigo would be very much incapacitated to do anything else tomorrow.
Sado looked at them in amusement, understanding immediately the scenario. "Ichigo Taicho, I don't think Kuchiki-san appreciates your assistance."
"Well there's no way she's going to get out of this by dying." Ichigo snapped, "I said – eat it!"
"Trust Kurosaki to drive a woman into thinking that death would be preferable than his company." Ishida said aloud.
Suddenly, Ichigo was shoved to the side. Rukia sat up, coughing hard and spluttering for air.
"What the hell?" he roared, looking up to meet Tatsuki's stern gaze.
"That is no way to treat a woman, Taicho." Tatsuki said, gritting her teeth in frustration. Angrily, she grabbed the onigiri from her Taicho's grasp, and shoved it in his mouth without warning.
"Chew it good and proper, Ichigo Taicho." She said smugly.
Ichigo spluttered, almost choking. "Ta-tasuki!"
"Moron, Taicho." She said smugly. "You don't just eat food prepared by your captor. What would you do if it's poisoned?"
"I didn't poison her food!" Ichigo said indignantly. "I was trying to get her to survive by eating."
"Taicho, you're the capturer and she's the captured." Keigo replied.
"Shut up, idiot!" growled Ichigo. "That's dumb and it makes no sense."
Angrily, Rukia glared at Ichigo, as if willing him to drop dead.
"Damn you." muttered the irate orange-top taicho. "You'll pay for this, Tatsuki."
Ishida stepped closer. "I have to say this in advance, Kuchiki-san: You will be separated from Inoue-san until we reach the 14th division. I'm sorry, but it's a precaution we must take." He understood that Inoue was too gentle and trusting to create a fuss on her own, but if she were with the wily and crafty Rukia, their camp would probably be razed to the ground.
As Ichigo ate, he listened to the others as they discussed their apparent journey back home. At the corner of his eye he saw Kuchiki Rukia sit stiffly, wile leaving her food still untouched. He also saw that Inoue tried to go to her, but Ishida held her back.
Ichigo grabbed the goblet on Rukia's tray and drank from it. "We'll be heading for home before daybreak; have everything prepared, Shuunpo is tricky enough especially if we have baggage."
The others nodded as they filed out. Tatsuki turned back to give Rukia an encouraging nod.
Ichigo sat back in front of the noble. "Here." He said, thrusting the goblet to her.
Rukia just ignored him.
"I already drank from it, midget. It's not poisoned."
The said 'midget' glared again. "It has your stupid bacteria in it."
Patience. Patience. Ichigo prayed for patience.
There was no way he would bear spending time with this bitch without strangling her. A dead Rukia was a dead end for his plans, he realized, so the bitch must stay alive…
"Do you want me to get another goblet?" he gritted out, barely restraining his temper.
"Do you HAVE another goblet around here?" she countered coolly, as if mocking him and the Spartan furnishings in his tent.
"Just drink from the damn jug, bitch." He said hotly, standing up to head off to his raised pallet, which was located in the middle of the room. He really had to get at least ten feet away from the stubborn woman before he strangled her. With a grunt, he crept on the platform to lie down, letting the coarse blankets cover him – filthy clothing and all. He was tired and he needed his rest after spending his energy chasing the damned woman.
God, she really was frustrating. It was in the back of his mind to question whether he got the right woman, this time around. Truth be told, despite being painted glossily as a graceful and fragile noblewoman who was as frigid as frost, Kuchiki Rukia was none of that. She was a sassy, loud-mouthed woman who had an extensive and impressive vocabulary of words that no proper noble would have an inkling of. Despite her obviously exquisite features (Keigo's words, not his of course), she was as scrawny as a brat – and lacking in the breast endowment department. For someone who carried herself with poise and grace, Kuchiki Rukia could kick, hit, and even bite like a normal shinigami. Hell, with he was even tempted to think that she'd fit in the 11th division better than with the 13th.
That or Kuchiki Rukia was a damn good actress. It was unnerving to see her change personas easily – like donning on a haori to personify a wide-eyed boy, to a crazy harpy; and now as a cold and unfeeling noblewoman.
Stealing a glance, he saw Kuchiki Rukia gingerly try the food. She did seem hungry to him, but he was amused to find her holding on to her famed poise and ate the food slowly. These nobles were probably trained to starve gracefully and eat slowly since young.
Rukia looked longingly at the jug of water, unaware that she was under the scrutiny of someone. Oh, how she wanted to parch her thirst with the cool liquid! As her hands slowly inched to it, she remembered her Nii-sama.
"Rukia, remember your dignity."
Her hands recoiled back hurriedly, as if she was burnt.
"Rukia, remember not to show your weakness."
She had no choice. Stifling a disappointed sigh, Rukia took the goblet of Kurosaki taicho and wiped it with a napkin thoroughly. She even used the moisture sticking to the jug to dampen the cloth and use it to further clean the goblet. Finally, when she was convinced that it was clean enough, Rukia poured water into it and drank as slowly as she could.
"Kurosaki taicho." She whispered. "Kurosaki taicho."
Ichigo pretended to ignore her. He really was curious what this woman was up to.
"Kurosaki taicho… I need some blankets."
The only response was a slight snore.
Rukia sighed. Great, the bastard was out like a light. All she wanted was a blanket; it was cold, and unless he wanted her to suffer from an illness, she needed cover.
Maybe… she could borrow one from him? Lord knows; he had many blankets, its not like he'd miss one. Right?
"Kurosaki taicho?" she asked out quietly as she slowly stepped near his beddings. "I just need a blanket, okay?" she asked again "Don't wake up, you hear?"
As her hand closed around the nearest blanket, an arm shot out to grab her wrist. It took all of Rukia's discipline to stop herself from screaming out loud in fright. She was pulled down to the pallet beside the taicho.
If he thought that she'd take this one lying down, he had one thing coming. Rukia lashed out, trying to claw as much of him as she could reach.
Ichigo became alert. "Stop it!" he hissed as he dragged her down beside her.
"Let me go, you scum! Let me go this instant!" Rukia said angrily. "If you think that, me being your captive would give you any right to take advantage of me –
"Who'd want to take advantage of you, bitch?" Ichigo retorted desperately. "Do you honestly think that your noble bones can handle the hard ground?" he added sarcastically. "You better be grateful I'm letting you sleep here!"
"I'd rather die!"
Ichigo shoved the blankets on top of the squirming Rukia. "Not an option, midget; now sleep." He commanded. "We leave at first light."
"Touch me and you die!"
"Not even with a ten-foot pole!"
Rukia resisted the urge to shriek as she felt Ichigo's hand go around her waist.
"PERVERT!" she hissed, trying to get the offending appendage away from her body. "You said that you wouldn't touch me!"
However, Ichigo was definitely stronger and his arm stayed where they were.
"Listen here, midget." He said, unadorned.
"Its not like I WANT to touch you – I just don't want you to get the opportunity to sneak out and get killed by my sentries." At the disbelieving look in her eyes, he added, "Jeez woman, you're hardly someone who'd inspire mind-clouding lust!"
Rukia bit back the urge to snap back at him and BITE off his nose to remove that smug look in his face.
"Kurosaki taicho," she said calmly, in a "I'm-a-noble-you're-not" tone, "I hope you die in your sleep – painfully. I'm looking forward to see your dead body stretched out in the morning."
"I wish you'd grow taller and have breasts, midget; but unfortunately, we can't always get what we want." He snarled back.
Rukia clamped back a shout of frustration as she shut her eyes and willed herself to sleep.…
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There was a lot of blood. There was always a lot of blood.
Nine year-old Kurosaki Ichigo slowly made his way down the steps. Where was his father? Did he return from his division already? Where was his mother? She was supposed to be sleeping or waiting for his father in the upstairs parlor.
Everything was dark…
Where was his mother? Was his father home already? Ichigo's heart was hammering in his chest. The castle was quiet… too quiet. There were supposed to be guards posted by the staircase, and Ichigo knew they never missed a shift. It was supposed to be Arai-san and Noda-san tonight. But where were they?
Suddenly, Ichigo stopped as he stepped on a pool of liquid. Blood……
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Ichigo's eyes flew open.
Damn, he was almost had by that nightmare. For more than 10 years, every time he slept, he had been plagued with scenes of his mother's death. Sometimes it was hazy and blurry, other times it was clear as crystal. The events were often different, yet the end was always the same: his mother was dead.
And he could always see Aizen.
Frowning, Ichigo wondered just why he didn't see Aizen this time. In fact, he hardly finished the dream or even got to the part where he saw his mother's bloodied body.
Feeling something press against him, Ichigo turned.
Kuchiki Rukia.
She was curled up on her side; her body pressed against his; and her head pillowed on his arm.
The rumors were merely exaggerations: the woman was not perfect. She didn't sleep like a princess, lying gracefully on her back with arms folded on her stomach like in the folktales. In fact, she slept like an annoying pest. Rukia's limbs were everywhere. One hand held the front of his shinigami robes in a fist; another was thrown across his stomach, curling around his middle. And her leg, it was over his, her knee wedged between his thighs…
God, she felt very warm.
It was still dark, but moonbeams were able to seep through a gap in the half-closed flap of the tent. It washed over them silently, like a silver mantle. Against it, Rukia's skin took on a sheen that lent her an ethereal look.
Ichigo tried to move away, but Rukia wriggled uncomfortably and made a slight disapproving sound before she wrapped her arm tightly around him.
"This is a compromising position, midget." Ichigo thought wearisomely. If Kuchiki taicho ever heard about this, his guts would be spilled in front of the Central 46 court, no questions asked.
Deciding that he needed to pass the time before waking her up (Ichigo figured Rukia still had about 20 minutes of rest left), Ichigo took the time to study her face up close.
Rukia's lashes fluttered for a moment, but she did not wake up. Strange, he thought her lashes were long, but not this long. Nobody had lashes like that – long and curved like feathered fans.
In her sleep, the ice-princess looked relaxed and unguarded, strangely innocent rather than intimidating. Her slightly parted lips looked petal-soft, and for a moment Ichigo wondered –
No, he was NOT going there.
Her dark hair was strewn all over, but it was soft and it didn't tangle. Ichigo permitted himself to take a few strands between two fingers and just feel it. He was curious – nothing more, nothing less.
Why was it that despite riding like hell was after her heels, Kuchiki Rukia still had that flowery scent on her?
Was it jasmine?
Whoa, Kurosaki Ichigo told himself harshly, that you do not go about smelling captives – not even if they were intriguing nobles like this one. You have a reputation, remember?
Yeah, he was Seiretei's resident badass taicho.
Indeed he was, but at that moment, he saw that Rukia's robe was slightly parted at the top and looking down he could see the faint glimmer of fair skin that he was sure of to be smooth and –
No. Shit. Think bloodbath; think 11th division… Kenpachi Taicho – yeah the demented man was hounding him for a battle to the death for a while now. Maybe his fukutaicho, the small monster of pinkness Yachiru… that was enough to make anyone shudder in fear. Honestly, that young girl was crazy as hell like her father. Perhaps that creepy Mayuri Taicho from the 12th who had bizarre 'medical and scientific' experiments and was always dropping by saying that he was feeling magnanimous enough to give him and his division anal probes. Come to think of it, he was hovering near Ishida recently.
Fucking gross.
Suddenly, Rukia gave a start. If Ichigo thought he was lucky that she would wake up, or at least move, he was greatly mistaken. In fact, she even snuggled close, the movement making her leg ride up higher.
Ichigo stiffened. Any moment now, her knee would touch a part that she should not touch, because if she did Ichigo would not be liable for any untoward thing that would happen.
"Damn you." He whispered harshly.
What did he do to deserve this?
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Kuchiki Rukia was always an early riser. Thus, when she slowly felt the world come into focus, it was of no surprise to her that it was still quite dark. It was probably around 5 in the morning or so, she reasoned.
What surprised her was that her bed seemed different. The mattress was harder and the trademark Kuchiki silk covers were conspicuously absent. Most importantly, the pillow she was using was hard and… warm… Groggily, Rukia snuggled closer, tightening her hold on the pillow.
To her surprise, the pillow stiffened. Was that even possible? "Five more… minutes." She mumbled sleepily. Just five more minutes and she would wake up to face the dreaded day. Five more minutes and she would have to face Nii-san and the Kuchiki tasks and responsibilities that were hers.
"Take your time." A disgruntled voice said out of the blue.
Huh? Was that her Nii-sama? But Nii-sama would NEVER say anything remotely like that. Especially not in THAT tone. It was a no-no to let emotions show.
So who was the owner of that voice?
As Rukia drew in a deep, shuddering breath, she quickly realized a few things.
One: She was not on a bed in her room, but on a pallet in a tent.
Two: Her Nii-sama was out in the front lines of Hueco Mundo, fighting the Arrancar that he could not possibly be the one waking her up.
Three: She was not wearing her standard-issue Kuchiki-trademark noblewoman nightclothes and was instead donned in a simple pair of gi and hakama – of which the top of her robe was gaping open.
Four: She was not reclining on a pillow.
Quickly, Rukia sprang up to a sitting position, only to see the red-faced and scowling Taicho of the 14th division, Kurosaki Ichigo.
To her mortification, her hand was fisted on his robes and… oh god, half of her body was between his legs!
"PERVERT!" she shouted, raising a hand to cast a destructive kido spell to blow him into bits. "PERVERT!" Rukia struggled, trying to claw his eyes and scratch as much of him as she could. No one was allowed to take advantage of a Kuchiki; and if anyone tried, there would be hell to pay.
"Shut it, will you!" Hissed Ichigo, grabbing hold of Rukia's hand before she could do any damage. Unfortunately, the enraged noble was thrashing and shouting that Ichigo feared his men rushing in and discovering their compromising position. When that happened, not even Yoruichi could outrun the speed of the rumors that would fly all over Seiretei. Once word reaches the people he took pains to avoid (like his father), it was the end game for him.
Immediately, Ichigo moved so fast, it seemed like shuunpo. He pulled Rukia back to the pallet. In a flash, she was pinned beneath him. With one hand, he covered her mouth carefully to stop her from shouting. The other held back her arms over her head, and his legs trapped her legs to prevent her from hitting him.
Angrily, Rukia glared at him, her eyes wide and furious.
"Get a grip, midget." He hissed. "You were the one who grabbed me like a depraved pervert." Seeing her disbelieving look, he frowned even more. "Do you honestly think that I intended to assault you? If I did you would be awake and a willing participant!"
He was really in big trouble. Ichigo willed himself to stay calm and make sure that the noble listen to his reasoning. "I don't do that kind of shit, you hear? I repeat what I said last night – You don't inspire mind-clouding lust." He stressed, leaning down to make sure she got it all.
Suddenly the flap of the tent opened. "Kurosaki –
Ishida stopped in his tracks.
Both Ichigo and Rukia stiffened in surprise and horror. They knew just how compromising the entire tableaux looked from another person's point of view. If the slight reddening of the fukutaicho's face was any indication, he drew the same conclusion.
The bespectacled fukutaicho cleared his throat. "I'll be back shortly – when you two are less… occupied."
Ichigo started to open his mouth to say something, anything, when he felt a sharp pain on his groin. With a grimace, his grip slackened and he fell off the pallet unceremoniously. "What the fuck… you… bitch…" he muttered.
When he opened his squinting eyes, the young Taicho saw a pair of violet eyes glaring at him in contempt. "I hope you won't be able to sire more perverts." Rukia said grimly.
Ichigo was seriously contemplating the idea of killing her instead.
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…
Keigo was sending his Taicho sly looks that would soon be the death of him yet. Thanks to the nosy Ishida, his high-ranking subordinates all thought that he and the captive had something going on. The snickers coming from Tatsuki was the worst.
As for the mentioned Kuchiki noblewoman, she was glaring at him like he was the most degenerate pervert in existence. The way Inoue was sending him frightened yet disbelieving glances once in a while only confirmed his initial hypothesis.
"We'll use shunpo now." Sado spoke finally. The horses, though important, were only used to carry supplies, and they only brought less than 20 with them. "Get all belongings and leave the horses."
Rukia looked at Inoue.
"Er… Ishida-san…" Inoue ventured. "Why do you leave the horses?"
"They'll only slow us down. Besides, we already made arrangements regarding the care of the horses."
"But I can't shunpo…"
Ishida turned a bit to the side, so the other wouldn't see a light blush blooming across his face. "Don't worry about it; I'll take you."
"Let's just hope to heaven he'll keep his hands to himself." Rukia muttered angrily as Mizuiro helped her off the stallion. "There are far too many perverts in Seiretei nowadays." She added venomously, giving the orange-haired Taicho a glare that was positively icy.
"Don't be delusional, midget." Snarled Ichigo as he stepped closer to her, making sure that her hands remained bound. "No pervert, even if he was desperate, would want to grope you."
"Could have fooled me."
"Che. So you forgot that you grabbed me in the middle of the night?"
Rukia gaped at him "That did NOT happen!" She said hotly. Then she stepped back as Ichigo reached out to her. Unfortunately, he was faster, and he was able to hold her by her arm. His scowling face was the last thing she saw once he decided to shunpo.
"How much do you bet that there's attraction between those two?" Keigo said, nudging Mizuiro slyly.
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…
Rukia soon found herself in the middle of the 14th division. Strangely, compared to the others, the place was full. It was obvious that Kurosaki Taicho did not send men out in the front lines to assist the other divisions in the war against the Arrancars. It was a blatant disregard of wartime command from the Soutaicho, wasn't it?
Before she could even point it out to Ichigo, she spotted one of the shinighami carrying her zanpaktuo. She felt her heart constrict as Sode no Shirayuki was separated from her. It was then that the heavy implications of the recent events hit her.
She, Kuchiki Rukia, sister of Kuchiki Taicho, was a captive of Kurosaki Ichigo. It was no secret that the orange-head man was at loggerheads with her brother, but they were fairly civil enough with each other when they met during Taicho meetings at the 1st division. Another thing that bothered her was the fact that Kurosaki Ichigo had an unhealthy dislike for Aizen Taicho. Which was confusing enough for Rukia, since her betrothed was a kind-hearted and just man.
In due time, Rukia knew that she would find out about it. She eyed the surrounding structures warily. Somewhere in here was a torture chamber with her name written in it. If the barbarian thought that she would give him the satisfaction of begging for her life – he was sorely mistaken.
"I'll have Tatsuki show you to your room."
"What?" Rukia asked.
Ichigo looked at her like she was crazy. "Your room, Kuchiki Rukia. Are you saying you want to stay outside?"
Surprise made her blurt out. "Aren't you going to throw me in the dungeon?"
Ichigo seemed surprised and a bit appalled. "You WANT me to throw you in a dungeon?" he asked incredulously.
"Aren't I your prisoner, Kurosaki Taicho? Don't you think that I might escape?"
"Look around you and see, Kuchiki." He said smugly. "If you can even try to get out."
Rukia obliged him and looked around. Though there was nothing spectacular about the fortress (Aizen Taicho's division had thicker layers of walls than this), but she could somehow detect the high-level kido shields that were used. Aside from that, the shinigami that patrolled the perimeter were numerous and terribly alert.
She guessed that each one was paranoid as hell.
"The sentries are there without fail, Kuchiki." Ichigo said. "The fortress is not left unguarded even for a second."
Yes. They were as paranoid as their Taicho.
"Tatsuki. Oi, bring her to her room." Ichigo called out. As his 4th seat appeared, he gave Rukia an appraising look. "Use the suite at the Eastern wing; heaven help us if we put her in an ill-furnished one."
Rukia said nothing; nor did her face betray emotion. Thus, it was a surprise when she kicked Ichigo on his shin.
"Midget bitch!" he shouted furiously.
Tatsuki laughed unabashedly as she walked their prisoner to the large manor that was the Kurosaki residence. "Good going there." She said enthusiastically, "Serves that idiot well if he was standing around with his guard down."
Rukia said nothing as they made their way indoors. Curious, she glanced around, taking note of the home of Kurosaki Taicho. Surprisingly, everything was in good taste. It seemed unbelievable that a boor of the first degree like him had a home like this.
Unlike her home, the Kurosaki manor was filled with cozy furnishings. The light-colored drapes were pulled back, showing large windows that allowed sunlight to stream in. the small yet noticeable touches of feminine influence like a crystal vase of flowers for instance, made the place warm and inviting.
As they went up the curving grand stairway, Rukia took note of the tasteful furnishings. Surely, the Kurosaki manor could have easily been a venue for countless gatherings and celebrations. She had heard that the former Taicho came from a low-ranked, albeit outrageously weird noble clan. As Tatsuki led her to a well-lit corridor, they passed a life-size portrait of a woman that was so enchanting, that Rukia stopped in her tracks.
"That's Kurosaki Masaki-sama. Ichigo Taicho's mother."
Rukia blinked. Upon close inspection, she realized that it was a definite possibility, as the lady in question had orange-y tresses and sparkling amber eyes. Apparently, the idiot Taicho also inherited his mother's lips. Okay, maybe he scowled a lot, but it would take a blind person to completely miss the fact that Kurosaki Ichigo had great-looking features.
Wait. What was she doing? Mentally, Rukia gave herself a shake and averted her line of thought before she ended up blushing and embarrassing herself. "She's very beautiful."
Tatsuki nodded. "Indeed. She was the sunshine of the entire family – everyone in the division loved and respected her."
"Was?"
"She's been dead for a long time now."
Rukia was taken aback. "I'm sorry. How did she die?"
"Aizen taicho murdered her."
Whirling around, Rukia came face to face with a young girl. She had striking features that were set severely and she had hair that was as dark as hers. And she was looking at Rukia with thinly veiled contempt.
"Karin-san." Tatsuki said.
Karin looked at Tatsuki. "When did Ichi-nii get back?"
"Just now."
As Karin looked at her severely, Rukia schooled her expression into that of bored nonchalance. She figured that now was not the time to defend her betrothed's honor – not when the other girl was looking furious enough to retaliate.
Why was it that Kurosaki Karin believed that Aizen Taicho killed her mother? Could it have been a case of misunderstanding or was there someone who made it seem that way?
Tatsuki cleared her throat. "Karin-san, this is Kuchiki –
"I know." Karin said dismissively. "Ichi-nii said he'll bring her here; I never doubted him." She then looked at the older noble up and down. "Eh? I expected you to be taller. I can't believe you're at my height – and I'm still growing. You're not even THAT pretty."
If she was hoping to provoke Rukia, she never got any satisfaction from it. The other was clearly more versed in the art of not caring as well as having perfected the science of keeping one's silence.
"Che." Said Karin in contempt. "I'll be going Tatsuki; make sure nothing happens to her. She's no good to us dead." With that, Ichigo's sister walked away.
As the other girl left, Tatsuki stole a glance at Kuchiki Rukia. As expected, she showed no outer reaction to the outburst. She was calm and composed and her was not hand shaking in any way to show agitation. True to the Ice Princess moniker, there was nothing in her that betrayed her thoughts. Without another word, Tatsuki opened the door to the captive's room. "Please step inside, Kuchiki-san; I'll have someone bring you food."
…
…
…
Wearily, Ichigo set himself comfortably on a heavily cushioned chair in his library. As much as he wanted to go to his division office to check on his men, he opted to stay at home for a while. Karin and Yuzu would be pleased to have him back. Plus, he had a captive to watch over. He wasn't sure if his men were capable enough of matching their wits with Kuchiki Rukia.
He glanced at the table laden with food. Despite feeling somewhat hungry, he couldn't bring himself to eat the meal. His muscles ached too much to move and it was too early for dinner anyway.
"Shall I send word for the crafty old man?" Mizuiro asked hesitantly, careful not to say much.
Within the small circle of trusted people, 'crafty old man' was the tag that Ichigo made to mention his exiled godfather without attracting attention. Urahara Kisuke, probably the most brilliant scientist Seiretei has ever seen. However, it was his addiction to pursue knowledge that caused him to get into trouble with the higher-ups. And he was lucky enough to have been given a far-easier sentence than death. It was with Urahara that Ichigo turned to for guidance when making important and covert plans, seeing that his father (or anyone in the family) was not someone he wanted to involve. This was just a precaution should Urahara's suggestions lead him to the same situation as he was in.
At this Ichigo groaned. "Let the cat out of the bag." This was the code used to signify the relay of the message to his former shunpo mentor, Yoruichi; the only being in Seiretei who can successfully contact the wayward Urahara.
His godfather never let him down yet, but this time, Ichigo was wondering if following his suggestion was really prudent. True enough, he was able to capture Kuchiki Rukia while her brother and most of the Taichos were out in the frontlines of Hueco Mundo. But when word gets out – Ichigo was sure that it won't take long before the 2nd division spies discover what he did – he was really in danger of facing an inquisition for acting dishonorably. Urahara was confident that once his former allies would receive his message regarding Aizen's treachery, they would vouch for him in the council. However, Ichigo had no idea who they were so he would be unable to speak with them before the whole issue blows up.
As Mizuiro left, Ishida turned to face him. "Kurosaki, is it true that Kuchiki Rukia-san is a shinigami?"
"You're going to have to tell her Taicho about Aizen, if you want him on your side." Sado spoke quietly.
"I suggest you do it now." Ishida added. "Who knows who Aizen would fool this time into believing that you acted without initial reason." He cautioned. "I would bet that if he learns you have his betrothed, Ukitake Taicho will be among the first he'll go to."
Keigo snorted. "Never mind that; have you figured a way to convince Kuchiki Taicho not to kill you? You have his sister, remember."
Ichigo felt his head ache.
"Are you sure we can trust Urahara?" Ishida persisted. "He gave you initial instructions about the other Taichos, but not about Kuchiki Taicho."
"Don't worry, he'll help us figure out the next step of plan. He said so. I trust him, Ishida." Ichigo said heavily. "Granted, he is the most dodgy man I have ever met –
"He had ideas that almost killed you, and US." Added Keigo.
"- But there was reason father and mother trusted him, so –
"Your mother's dead and your father isn't exactly a model parent, is he not?" Keigo interrupted again.
Ichigo gave his subordinate a glare that could make any strong man piss himself in his hakama several times over. "Urahara has never led us to our deaths before. Besides, I wouldn't ask for his help if I can do it on my own." The thing was, Urahara made him swear that he would do EVERYTHING he was instructed even before he complied with the request for assistance. It really was suspicious, but Ichigo was left with no choice but to comply. If that perverted man was somehow mistaken in his calculations… "I'm fairly certain we can hatch an escape plan in time."
Ishida shook his head.
Suddenly, Tatsuki appeared. "She's already settled in her room. Karin met her though – told her about Aizen."
Ichigo looked up, alert, "What happened?"
"It was nothing." Tatsuki shrugged dismissively. "Kuchiki-san just stood there like a block of ice and said nothing. I'm not sure what her reaction was – if she believed it or she was angered – she had a great poker face if you ask me."
"That wasn't a poker face, it was a Kuchiki glare." Keigo said. "I'm not sure how she'll take it though, Ichigo Taicho."
Ichigo gave Keigo a hard and angry look. "I don't particularly care – as long as Aizen comes around to show his bastard face." With that he reached out for a bite to eat, but winced as the pain magnified. Maybe he moved too much too early on. "Ishida, why is it that you can prance around when just yesterday you were beaten black and blue?"
His fukutaicho shrugged. "I do NOT prance, Kurosaki. If you must know, Inoue-san is proficient with healing. She has this weird and mysterious ability to heal wounds and aches."
"Where is she now?" Ichigo asked, thinking about his wounded subordinates.
"Surprisingly, she's treating your men as we speak." Ishida said coolly, yet with a hint of admiration and wonder in his voice. "Inoue-san seems totally unconcerned that she's here, a captive."
Tatsuki helped herself to the rice. "Well, now we know just how important Inoue is to the 6th division. No wonder Kuchiki-san wants her returned."
"Are you going to check on Kuchiki-san, Ichigo Taicho?" Sado asked, looking at the other man.
Ichigo shook his head. "I need my rest before I deal with a spitfire like that."
Keigo smirked in a decidedly perverted way. "Oho! So you 'deal' with Kuchiki-san, don't you?"
Ichigo's reply was a glare.
…
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…
"See, Rukia-san, all you need to do is focus your mind's eye; this will allow the kido spell to take full effect."
Rukia nodded, signifying that she understood. "I'm very sorry if it took me this long to –
"Nonsense. So far, I have not seen anyone who learned high level kido spells in a flash like you do."
The approving tone in his voice almost made Rukia smile. Well, she figured it was all right to, so she did give him a genuine smile. "I'm sure you're partial only because I am you betrothed, Aizen-Sama."
Aizen Sosuke gave her a smile in return. "I would never, Rukia-san; I was telling the truth. If you ask me, I think you're highly suited for the Kido Corps."
Standing up, Rukia nodded. "Thank you for visiting, Aizen-sama, despite your occupied schedule."
Aizen stood up as well. "I would appreciate it if you call me Sosuke, Rukia-san – especially in private. Please remember that when I stand in front of you it is not as a Taicho, but as a man – your future spouse."
"Then I shall indulge you when we are but alone." Rukia said without a blush or embarrassment on her face. "A pleasant evening, Sosuke-sama."
As she turned to go back indoors, she felt his hand hold hers. Rukia turned to face him, her expression serene yet encouraging. This man was to be her husband, surely she could be allowed to somewhat drop the façade? "Is there anything you wished to say, Sosuke-sama?"
"There is nothing much I wish to say…" he said quietly as he raised Rukia's hand to be brushed by his lips fleetingly. "Only that I wanted to take the liberty to bid you goodnight properly." He peered down at her, his eyes strangely hidden by his glasses. "You grow lovelier by the day, Rukia."
"Goodnight." She whispered back.
As her eyes fluttered open, Rukia went still as she remembered the dream. Aizen Taicho was a kind and respectable person. Everyone spoke of his virtues highly and he was considered to be a good catch despite him being older than her.
Rukia sat up on the large bed in the Kurosaki manor, pulling the silken sheets closer to her small frame. She remembered seeing him for the first time, when her Nii-sama was promoted as captain, forty years ago. The Taicho was kind and polite to her, offering to help advance her kido skills after saying that she had potential. If she wasn't guarding her every movement, Rukia would have smiled in delight as someone of his stature and caliber acknowledging her. The conversation turned from kido spells to other topics that were intellectually stimulating. Rukia felt proud that she was able to hold conversation with him without boring the taicho as she initially feared.
As agreed upon, Rukia's time was divided from reporting to her division and training with the taicho of the 5th. It was with Aizen that she found another mentor like Ukitate Taicho. Under the training of the two, Rukia slowly developed her abilities and gained confidence. For years, Rukia's skill with kido was honed carefully. Though kept in secret (in deference to the fact that she was still unranked for mysterious reasons), her proficiency was considered to be fukutaicho level.
As a teacher, Aizen was patient with her progress; yet he made no secret of his expectations of her because of her lineage and her potential. This expectation only served to spur Rukia into doing better and better each day, taking pains to learn everything even in the dead of the night. She made sure to study an hour after waking up and an hour before going to bed as an extra effort outside the usual training regimen. Her efforts payed off, Ukitake taicho was sending her to more and more missions after two years, encouraging her to train harder, be ranked as an officer, and achieve bankai. Nii-sama said nothing, but he occasionally said that he was somewhat pleased with her progress. Aizen Taicho just smiled and said that he was proud of her as he patted her on the head.
Thirty-nine years after she meet Aizen Sosuke in the library of the Kuchiki manor, Byakuya received an offer of marriage for his sister from the man who trained her in improving kido.
"It can't be." Rukia muttered to herself. "It can't be true." There was no way Aizen Sosuke was a monster as Kurosaki Karin painted him to be. What if it was a frame-up or a misunderstanding?
What if it was true?
Rukia shivered. Burrowing back into the warmth of the bed, Rukia pondered on how to go about unearthing the mystery behind the reason she was brought here. Tomorrow. When she finally got a decent night of sleep.
…
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C. LeShay's Corner:
To avoid confusion, I would like to stress that I only added a few things in this AU fic. I hope that people would not be confused that just because Ichigo was a captain at 20 that he is quite young. This is Soul Society, which means that they can age without looking old just like in the manga.
I have also received various queries about the previous chapter; I hope that this one somewhat answers them without giving away future chapters.
Once again, thank you to my wonderful beta and online father, Kaya for putting up with me and my weird twists in thinking. I also dedicate this chapter to my e-mom, 07Janina07, as well as my e-sister CooWings. If anyone wants to be my e-godparent, feel free to let my e-parents know.