Chapter 9 - Matters of a Relationship

Byakuya watched his sister rest, the pain in her face slowly fading as she was already starting to recover. The silence was interrupted by a phone call, and to his surprise it was Koga. But it was better than his 'parents', since Koga had no hard feelings or anything towards him.

Yet the fact that he would call him was suspicious for it was rare. He walked out so that Rukia wouldn't hear him while not noticing that she woke up.

"What is it?" He asked, as low as he could but audible enough for Koga to hear. "Do not react too much of what I'll say." A serene voice said, and Byakuya agreed. "I'm here in Karakura Town, but don't worry. Your... our parents believe that I'm at work. I'll tell you where I am, but you have to go there fast so we can talk right away."

"Alright. Where are you right now?" After hearing the location he hung up immediately and was about to take off but a strained call from his sister stopped him.

"Who did you talk to?"

"A fellow teacher." Byakuya said. "I have to go somewhere, but I'll be back soon. Just continue resting." His calm voice was as always, convincing to his little sister.

She nodded, humming softly as she fell asleep again. He quickly left the hospital, on the way out seeing a glimpse of Ichigo being escorted by a nurse to some other room. At that moment, his heart felt crazy, even through the whole ride to a small low-profile cafe.

He saw a man with dark purple hair wearing the white hair clips that he no longer has. He immediately knew it was Koga and walked inside, giving a small head nod as a greeting before sitting at the chair across Koga. "What did you want to talk about? And why in person?" He asked as low as he could. Koga paused from stirring his coffee, and immediately answered in the same low tone.

"Mother and Father are coming here to talk to you in a few days." Byakuya immediately felt the shock and anger building up in him but he succeeded in not letting it show too much.

"They really are hell bent for you take over the company, since you are their biological son." He continued.

"Up to now, you still hate them." He commented when he saw silver eyes gleaming with silent fury. "I already told you before, about how they treated me when I was still with them. You're lucky to experience only one-hundredth of what I went through." He said calmly, but the rage in his voice was evident.

"I cannot let Rukia get caught up with this." He continued, sighing as a waitress offered him coffee.

"I know, you threatened them countless times if they should ever involve Rukia, yet they remain persistent." He said with sympathy for his brother-in-law. "You know that I can't help you much except telling you about this, but-" Byakuya stopped Koga from saying anymore. "I understand." The next moment was spent by finishing their own coffee.

"I'll be taking my leave, if you don't mind." Koga nodded at him and Byakuya left , driving back to the hospital. He took a peek at his sister, and felt comfort that she looked more peaceful than before.

Confident that she'll be fine, he roamed around the hospital, trying to look for the cafeteria where he could get something to eat. When he reached the place, he ordered vegetable soup before taking a small table to eat. After taking his last spoon he saw Ichigo on another table close to his, eating three cheeseburgers with lemon soda.

He noticed the bandage on her left arm, and could see a small dot of red staining it. Despite it being better not to do it, he took the bowl and sat beside her. She didn't notice him until when she turned her head to her right.

She nearly jumped out of the chair when she saw him. She did her best to not initiate eye contact with him as she resumed eating.

"What do you want?" She scowled with a full mouth, shifting herself away from him centimeter by centimeter. But she stopped, remembering what she brought with her that she wanted to give back to him.

His eyes looked at the kenseikan that she kept all the time, and she took another bite. "I'll give it back to you. Thanks for giving it to me back then. It was... sweet of you to do that." Though how much she didn't say such cheesy words, she couldn't think of a better word.

"You still kept it." His hands took the clips from her hand.

"You're the one who saved my life. You can say that I kept it as a sentimental." She said, taking a large sip to distract herself from how tense she is getting.

The cool drink didn't help the pain in her chest. Not wanting to stay close to him any longer to risk things getting even more tense, she finished the rest of the burgers in such a way that Byakuya was a little surprised to how unladylike she really is; and that thought already repeated in his head again and again.

Yet, she didn't leave the chair and stayed there, the deafening silence between them causing her to want to leave all the more yet her body lacked the will to move. "Thanks." He said out of the blue, and Ichigo turned to him again.

"After all this time this was still with you." His tranquil voice said, the wind from his voice tickling her ear. "But..." He took her hand and placed the clips on the soft, smooth palm. "Keep it." He said, unable to get his eyes away from the face that Ichigo was making.

She may not be blushing, but her eyes looked so mesmerizing as the gazed at the clips with mild awe. He cupped her cheek, and slowly leaned in to take her lips again, but she pushed him away at the last minute with her free hand. "Don't." She said.

"Do you even know why you... why we're doing this?" She was acting like she was in a drama series again, that it annoyed her to no end.

"It's best if we forget that we ever met at the prom. If we keep dwelling on it, I don't know what will happen to me... and to you as well. We can't have this kind of relationship."

He didn't know either why he did that, why is he acting so sweet towards her though he had been in a hard shell his entire life after running away. "I can't forget it. You know that you can't forget it either." He whispered, his hand holding her head and hugging her close.

He took the clips, and gently attached it to the back of her hair as the fingers went through the strands until the end. She didn't resist, but she didn't give in either. He inhaled the scent of her hair, and kissed the dark locks before pulling away. He slowly left Ichigo in the cafeteria not before looking at her face once again.

Ichigo was right, he doesn't know why he keeps on holding her like that. Every time he kissed her, he didn't want to stop.

"Sensei?" A male voice called out faintly, and he looked at one of the rooms. It came from a small teenager with snowy hair lying on the bed, looking like he is also in the situation that Rukia is in. He walked to the side of the door but didn't walk any closer. "Are you a student?"

The boy nodded while sitting up. Byakuya noticed a pack of blood, and read the donor. Ichigo Kurosaki. The name surprised him a bit but it didn't show. Toshiro looked at where Byakuya was looking at, and saw the blood pack.

"She's another student of yours, and a close friend of mine." Seeing a warm expression when he said the last words, he felt something in him boil and his lips almost formed a displeased frown. "I see." Toshiro looked at him, his green eyes half-dull from the flu. "You know her?"

Byakuya shrugged, "She's my new neighbor." He got a murmur of understanding from the boy, "What's your name?" He asked, and the teen was unaware of the tensity of the voice that was almost like a snake's bite.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya of 3-1."

"That name... you're what they call the young prodigy?" The latter nodded, touching the back of his hand injected with the blood tube. He closed his eyes, content from the warm Ichigo's blood gave. He felt so content that Byakuya could see a slight shade of red on the cheeks and it made him feel worse.

"She volunteered to give blood to you?" He asked, trying to make sure.

"The blood was actually for her sisters, but since we have the same blood type she gave me some as well." He answered politely, his eyes closing and opening again. "Sorry Sensei, but I need some rest. Mind giving me privacy?"

He understood and left, wondering why he felt bitter towards the boy twice whenever he would mention Ichigo with a gentle expression. But he didn't know the word to match what he felt, for as a man who didn't know much about emotion after running away, he couldn't find the perfect word, or any hint at all.

He also couldn't put a word into what he's feeling for Ichigo. He didn't get it either, why would he kiss her, and why she would be such a big deal just because they met in the very past.

Knowing that Rukia will be okay in the hands of the doctors, he drove back home and stayed in his bed, too distressed over what Koga told him that he didn't finish his paperwork. Looking at the drawer that has his handgun, he took the empty firearm out and grabbed from another drawer a box of bullets.

Getting six, he loaded the gun and placed it back before taking a shower. Hot water soothed his body that was caressed for an hour by nothing by the cold night wind, and just as he finished he heard a car closing by.

Going out with a towel around his waist, he peeked at the window and saw a dark car parking by the garage at the neighboring house. Out came Isshin and Ichigo, looking solemn and quiet. He sighed as he changed, and looked at the city.

Though Koga said that they'll arrive in a few days, who knows what if they'll change their minds and go to Karakura Town the next day or at midnight? He was extremely cautious. But when they'll have their reunion that he is not looking forward too, he'll be ready.

And like how many times he warned them, if they try to involve Rukia, he will make sure they will wish they didn't. He loved his sister that he will protect her from monsters, the monsters being their family, the family that Rukia is completely unaware of up to now.