Lousy author stepping in. Gosh, I've neglected you for so long. I'm back for good now, however.
No rants today. Just endless apologies on my part. At least this chapter is long, so hopefully it'll make up for the lack of attention to posting on my part.
Disclaimer: All Bleach characters are Kubo-san's property. If they were mine some wicked things would happen, like Aizen running out of hair gel. Sadly, I own nothing.
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"Byakuya," she said, a gasp following her call, "What are you doing here?"
"I needed to see you." I replied, confident she could tell I was distressed, even when my face remained impassive.
"Do you want to come in?" She asked. I noticed she was not annoyed as I expected, which was a pleasant surprise.
"I'm sorry. I have disturbed your sleep."
"It's fine. I know you wouldn't do it without having a good reason for it. Come in."
I entered her residence again, but unlike yesterday, after the door slid shut, she grabbed my hand instead of turning her back on me. I appreciated the gesture.
"I thought you couldn't meet me tonight," She remarked, slightly witty, "what brought about this sudden change of mind?"
"I did not lie when I said I couldn't meet you tonight. Visiting was not in my plans."
"Then, what was? Why did you pass on dinner?"
I had no energies to look for an asnwer to mask the truth, so I decided it was best to be honest and spare her the disappointment of realizing I was withholding the truth.
"A clan meeting. It ended not so long ago."
"Do you go to clan meetings without your kenseikan? I mean, you're not wearing it now," She said slyly.
"I stopped by my quarters before coming here."
She released my hand after my reply, turning her head away from me. I could tell she was bothered by my answer.
"Byakuya," she called, slightly upset, "did you come here for sex?"
Her poignant question disturbed me. I had not realized she could misinterpret the purpose for my visit, regarding it as an underhanded request for intimacy.
"No, Rangiku. That was not my intention for visiting," I answered, leaning in to kiss her cheek, "Why must you hold such a low opinion of me?"
"Can you honestly blame me?" She asked, "First, you tell me you want to give us a try. Then, when I suggest dinner, you back out of it, citing an engagement as an excuse. And then, out of the blue, you knock on my door at this hour and without your Kenseikan. Tell me, Byakuya, what was I supposed to believe instead?"
I had to admit she had a good point, but that didn't prevent me from being disappointed by her suggestion.
"Rangiku, I was honest when I said I want to see where this goes. When I passed on your invitation, I did not do it out of cruelty. I had an appointment tonight. If I'm not wearing the kenseikan, it's because I had readied myself for bed, but found it impossible to sleep, which is why I came here to visit you," I replied, giving up on the idea of an excuse, "but I suppose you're right, I can't honestly blame you for misinterpreting the signs. I apologize."
I grabbed her hand and pressed it to my lips, much like I did last night. "However, I would appreciate it if next time you are not so quick to misjudge my actions." I said, releasing her hand.
Rangiku sighed, somewhat relieved by what I said. She began playing with the sleeve of my shihakusho, which I read as a sign of her understanding of the situation.
"So, you can't sleep, huh? You can't sleep, so you come here to wake me?" She asked, kindly teasing me, which I appreciated, noting that my previous aggravation was slowly disappearing.
"I'm sorry, Rangiku. I didn't mean to wake you, but I suppose I…"
"It's okay. Like I said, you wouldn't do it without a good reason for it. Is Rukia okay?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I supposed that whatever it is that's bothering you right now had to do with her. Apparently, I was wrong," she said, turning away from me and in the direction of her kitchen, "So, do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
"What are we supposed to do then? There's not much we can do in the middle of the night."
"I should go, Rangiku. There's no reason why at least one of us shouldn't have a good night of sleep."
"I suppose you're right, but what you're telling me is that you will go back to your manor and stare at the ceiling all night, and I'm not a fan of that option," Rangiku replied, reaching into a counter and pulling out a bag, "So, how does tea sound? I bought some this morning."
"Are you sure you don't want to sleep, Rangiku?"
"Don't worry about it. I can always do it in the office, Byakuya. Plus, with my Taicho gone, is not like I'll be reprimanded if I'm late tomorrow," Rangiku stated nonchalantly, "So, tea then?"
"Only if you're alright with this." I replied.
She left the bag and approached me, clinging to my neck and reaching up to kiss me. "Why wouldn't I be okay with this if it was me who proposed it, huh?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow, "Well, let's do something, Byakuya. Why don't you go into the bedroom, have a seat on the bed, and I'll be right over with the tea. How does that sound?"
"You want us to have tea in your bedroom? Wouldn't the…"
"Well, Byakuya, as you can see, I haven't gotten the time to spruce up the place, so the bedroom, which is the only clutter-free room, will have to do," She replied before kissing me yet again, "Now, go. I'll be there in a minute or so. Make yourself comfortable." She said, turning in the direction of her kitchen, not before pushing me towards her bedroom.
Once I was inside her bedroom, I noticed she was not lying before. Her quarters, in comparison to the rest of her apartment, were much better kept. I looked for a place in which I could sit, but being unsuccessful in my search, I decided to sit on the bed and wait for her.
"Byakuya, you can lie on the bed if you like. It's not made but… well, I was sleeping." Rangiku called from outside, quietly chuckling at her own remark.
If Rangiku had not offered, I wouldn't have rested on the bed, but considering the nature of her suggestion and my lack of energies, I could not resist the proposal.
Sleep was slowly making its way through my body, and being as tired as I was, I found myself giving into it.
My heavy lids closed rapidly as sleep won over me.
"Rangiku!" I called, startled by the sudden movement.
I inspected my surroundings and realized I was still in Rangiku's bedroom. I had woken from my sleep, although this time it was not that haunting image what prompted my alertness, but rather Rangiku's attempt at removing my scarf.
"Its okay, Byakuya. You fell asleep. I was just taking your clothes off." She whispered.
"I should go." I answered, slowly coming to my senses.
"It's fine, really. We wouldn't want Kuchiki Byakuya-sama falling flat on his ass on some random corner just because he's exhausted, because you know everyone will think you got drunk."
"I can't stay, Rangiku. I appreciate the offer, but I really should return to the manor."
"Byakuya," she called, pushing me down onto her bed after my attempt at rising, "you're clearly exhausted. You said you couldn't sleep, and I really didn't mean to wake you, but your clothes would get wrinkled."
Two gracious fingers slid down the side of my cheek before reaching down to pull on my haori, leaving no room for a struggle, not that I had the strength to fight.
I tried to leave her bed once more, but she pushed me down again.
"Byakuya, would you feel better if we reached a compromise?"
"What compromise?"
"I promise I'll stop forcing you into the bed if you promise you will stay."
"How does that constitute a compromise?"
"Well, Byakuya, is clear that you don't want me removing your clothes because you want to leave, but I won't allow you to," she replied, softly loosening her grip on me, "and this is not because I gain any particular benefit from you being here, but because I fear you will not sleep if you return to the manor, and you're exhausted, which is partly my fault."
"Rangiku, I…"
"You said you want to know me, didn't you?"
"I did, but I…" She placed a gracious finger over my lips, preventing me from speaking.
"Know this then. When I care about someone, I don't let the little things get in the way of me helping them. You came here for a reason, and even when I know you know why you're here, I also know you won't tell me. That, right now, is a little thing. If it turns out that this thing between us works, then I'll expect you to tell me, but I would be foolish to believe you're anywhere near ready to tell me, and I can wait."
"Rangiku, I…"
"Hush you. You came here because you needed something from me, and since you don't want to talk about it, I'm not letting you leave. You need to rest. This isn't a proposal anymore, Byakuya… Now, if you need a reason to justify my gesture, then let's just say that if you don't get a good night of sleep, our date tomorrow night will be a disaster, and I won't stand for it. So please, just… Look, there's a chair over there. Hang your clothes there and come back to bed."
I realized then that staying wasn't my choice but hers. Still, I had one last possibility to exhaust before surrendering to her request.
"Rangiku, I can't sleep na…"
"Well, I wouldn't mind if you did," she said, smirking flirtatiously, "but I know you would, so just take off the haori and the shihakusho and leave the hakama on."
Noting there were no more options left, I rose from her bed and proceeded to remove my clothes, walking over to the chair she had pointed to and resting my clothes on top of it.
When I turned around towards the bed again, she was resting on it, with her arms behind her head.
I sat beside her on the bed, reaching for her hand and taking it in mine.
"You seem to like kissing my hand."
"I don't plan to do that now," I replied, moving her hand out of my way, "I merely want to express my gratitude."
"So, what are you going to do then?"
"You deserve a good night kiss, Rangiku. Perhaps even more than that, but I should refrain from promising what I can't deliver, and being as exhausted as I am, I think its best we leave that for some other time."
"Tomorrow night perhaps?"
"If you allow it, then of course."
"No, Byakuya. That is not a possibility but a requirement, as far as I'm concerned."
"Very well." I replied, somehow stifling the urge to laugh at her remark, brushing my fingers on her cheek, "Would you like me to kiss you now?"
She smiled her ever beautiful teasing smile, and this time, I could not resist the soft smirk she brought upon my face. "Yes. Kiss please."
I leaned in and kissed her, as my hand brushed off the hair from her face.
"Good night, Rangiku." I said as I pulled away.
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I woke up later than usual, finally feeling rested after all the chaos of the past days.
My hands searched through her covers, looking for their rightful owner. However, my quest was unsuccessful, as I noticed Rangiku had already left the bed.
I sat up, quickly browsing the room, hoping I would find her sitting somewhere else, quietly mocking me like she has before. Such was my surprise when I found her sitting by the table, on the chair in which my clothes were resting, drinking tea. However, I was not disappointed by the disarray in which my clothes were, but rather by her absence from the bed.
"You left the bed." I said.
"You're a late sleeper, Byakuya."
"You seem to like mocking me, Rangiku."
"Well, it's so easy to do," she replied, giggling quietly, "Would you like some tea?"
"Yes."
She left her seat and picked up a cup from the table, poured the tea in it and walked over to the bed, sitting on its edge after handing me the cup.
"I haven't greeted you properly," Rangiku said, leaning closer to me, "Good morning, Byakuya."
"That's not a proper greeting, Rangiku." I replied.
"And what would be?"
I placed the tea cup on her nightstand and, before she could pull away, my hand traveled to her cheek, preventing her from turning away.
"This," I whispered, moving in closer until there was no space between us and was able to kiss her, "Good morning, Rangiku."
"You're right," she said, moving away from me once the kiss was over, "that is a proper greeting." She replied; a soft smirk playing over her face.
"So why did you leave the bed?" I asked.
"Did that upset you, Byakuya?"
"Would you believe me if I said it did?"
"Would you be so kind as to not answer with a question?"
"Does that upset you, Rangiku?"
She laughed, and it amazed me how that sound could brighten the room so easily. "Byakuya, quit playing with me." She replied, morphing her smile into a pout.
Her response amused me, although a part of me felt slightly guilty for it. I tried to resist the urge to kiss her again, but that was not a battle worth fighting. "You shouldn't pout, Rangiku. It's unflattering." I said after pulling away.
I picked up my cup of tea and held it to my lips, sipping from it while Rangiku glared at me, which was slightly disconcerting, having noticed the hint of worry in her eyes.
"You didn't answer my question, Rangiku."
"I went to the training grounds for an early practice." She replied, avoiding my stare.
I realized there was something bothering her and I couldn't help but think it had something to do with me. I grabbed her hand, remembering two days ago her arm was severely injured.
"Was it a good practice?" I asked, hoping this would compel her to air her concerns, "Is your arm bothering you?"
"Not at all, Byakuya. My arm is perfectly fine."
I hoped I wouldn't have to press the subject on her, considering it normally doesn't take much for her to talk, but she seemed to be immersed in thought.
"You seem troubled. Is everything okay?" I asked.
"I need to talk to you, Byakuya." She replied, confirming my fears.
I thought things between us had moved on from the awkward stage in which they were before, but apparently I was mistaken. However, dodging the conversation could not be beneficial.
"If you must, then we should speak." I said, tightening my grip on her hand.
She sighed, seemingly trying to convince herself to speak. "The thing is, Byakuya, I… I have something to ask of you." She said, releasing her hand from my hold.
I was puzzled by the change in her mood in comparison to that of last night. Regardless of this, this was not the time to inquire about it. I could tell she was upset over something, but I couldn't point to the source of it. I thought we had settled out issues yesterday, so her sudden discomfort was unexpected.
"Byakuya, I know I may not look the part, but this, between you and me, is confusing and I… I don't know what to think about it… Every man I have been involved with before said very similar things to what you said to me. They would be so eager to know me and spend time with me, but then they would leave. I always wiped the slate clean at the beginning just to be disappointed in the end. They said they'd stick around, but they were only around when it was good for them, and never when I needed them. There was always lust, but that is fleeting, and well, I suppose all those other men, who were not that many I must say, were not doing me any favors by staying with me for no good reason…"
Yesterday, I realized I was not the only one who felt confused over the unorthodox way in which things started between us, but I never expected her to be so aggravated over it.
"…But then, you show up, Byakuya, and say almost the same things, but at the same time what you said was completely different, and I don't know how to react to it, so I… I'm confused."
I considered it appropriate to speak, even when I was not sure of what I could say to comfort her. However, she resumed before I had the chance to interrupt.
"Byakuya, can you tell the difference between playing with someone and toying with someone?"
I was confused by her question, considering it seemed as if it had nothing to do with the matter at hand. "Why do you ask?"
"Humor me, Byakuya."
"Well, I can't relate those concepts in the context of a relationship, Rangiku," I replied, unable to answer her question as she hoped I would, although I think she expected me to have no proper response.
Rangiku sighed, slightly disappointed. "Well, you leave me no choice but to tell you." She said, turning to look at me after avoiding me for so long.
"When you play with someone, there are two people involved. There are rules, although they are unwritten, and both have to play under those rules. If you do, then there's no reason why anyone should be hurt. If the game is fair, whether you win or lose, things don't turn to worse when the game is over. Now, toying with someone is nothing like that. When you do that, you're objectifying the other person, because if you think about it, a toy is not a playmate, is a tool. It is something that you use for your amusement, so you don't have to think about rules or any of that because there's only the owner and the toy. And once the owner's done with the toy, he just stashes it away, knowing it will be there when he looks for it again."
After listening to her explanation I couldn't help but think most people were under the wrong impression of her, considering I had never thought of those terms in that context. However, everything she said was hinting to a man in particular, but I know it is too early to ask, so I decided it was best to let her finish.
"Byakuya, I'm from Rukongai. I almost died of starvation. I've worked hard to get to where I am today, so all those things have given me a very thick skin. I can take all the games you want, all the hot and cold thing some men do, including you, but only as long as I know where I'm standing. I don't mind games, but…"
She stopped, taking a deep breath before resuming. "Byakuya, please don't toy with me. Don't toy with me because I think…"
Before she could finish, I gently touched her chin and leaned in to kiss her, hoping this could aid her concerns. Before retreating, I kissed her cheek, noticing her arms around my neck, holding me in search of comfort.
"I think this might just work, Byakuya, and I'd hate to be disappointed." She whispered in my ear.
I gently grabbed her arms and pulled away, gazing into her clear blue eyes. "I won't toy with you, Rangiku."
"I hope you honor your word." She replied. We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, although it was only a brief moment. She left the bed, retrieving my cup of tea and placing it on the tray over the table.
Once she was at the table, Rangiku noticed my clothes, placing a gentle finger over them, almost inspecting them.
"You should go, Byakuya. It's late and some people must be wondering where you are."
I left the bed and approached the chair, getting closer to Rangiku. "I have something to ask you first." I said, placing my hand on her shoulder.
"What is it?"
"What brought about this change of mood? You seemed so calm last night."
"I guess the tea got me thinking. I am happy you stayed, Byakuya. I just needed to get it off my chest," She replied, turning to look up at me, "Now that I did, we can move on from all this serious conversations we've been having lately."
She wrapped her arms around my neck, drawing me down for a kiss. I cleared all thoughts from my head and embraced the atmosphere that filled the room.
After we were done, she turned from me, looking for her zanpakuto, which lay on her table next to the tea tray.
"I have to go, Byakuya. I have to be at the office soon or the recruits will start slacking, and only I am allowed to do that," Rangiku said, the teasing tone returning to her voice, "I hope you don't think I'm kicking you out though. You can stay and take a shower if you like."
"Its fine, Rangiku. I must return to the manor before going to the office."
"Well, suit yourself." She said, walking towards the door. However, I caught her arm before she could leave.
"I have this impression I would like to share."
"An impression? What impression?"
"I believe we will be okay after all of this, Rangiku." I said shyly.
"Just okay?" She asked, looking at me from the corner of her eye.
"I don't want to use a more appropriate word. I would hate to…"
"Jinx it?" She asked.
"Yes," I replied, taking the opportunity to kiss her cheek before she left, "I'll see you tonight, Rangiku."
She released her arm from my hold, once again heading for the door. "You better."
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I sincerely hope you enjoyed the chapter. I've been away for so long I guess some of you don't even remember where the plot stopped. Once again, sorry for my long absence. Hopefully, I'll be able to post more often. I'm already working on chapter 18, so I'll try to update promptly.
Okay, on another subject. Lousy author is lousy so I still owed some of you drabbles. I have them and they're already posted, so for those of you who are interested in reading them, you can go to my profile and they shall be there. We have:
- The Small Moments Between us (IchiRuki for MaMa HedgeHog)
- Show me Love (HitsuMatsu for rkfollower)
- Memories of her (Hitsugaya drabble for Achalys)
And that should be all, I believe. If I owe anyone a drabble, let me know so I can jump off a cliff and die of shame XD.
Well, hopefully you'll get your update soon. I can't wait for you to see what I'm working on. Please leave your comments and reviews and PLEASE, don't hate me any further for being absent for so long. I already hate myself for that.
Thanks for reading guys. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Have a great week.