DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach or any of the characters associated with it. They belong to their respective owners. This storyline, however, does belong to me.
The House of Kuchiki
CHAPTER TWO
After a moment of shock, followed by a much delayed reaction, Hisana's face turned from a pale white to a bright shade of pink to a deep, almost crimson, red. She had been admiring this man for quite some time, watching him training in the distance as she was supposed to be doing her academy work. He couldn't be much older than she was and he was already a full-fledged Death God, and in a division, no less! On top of that, based on what she had heard, he was of noble blood. The Kuchiki Clan members were well respected, and, if she had heard correctly, Byakuya, who she was still on top of, was the head of the house now that his father had passed away.
Now... was he the 27th or the 28th clan leader…? I don't quite remember what those girls were saying about him yesterday... Continuing off in her own little world, Hisana remained completely still, still on top of a very stunned Kuchiki Byakuya.
Byakuya's eyes were wide as he quickly tried to compose himself. He didn't normally come up to anyone on his late night strolls, let alone get knocked over. Leaning up onto his elbows, he cleared his throat, shaking the woman out of her daze and back into reality. If at all possible, she seemed to turn even redder causing him to chuckle quietly as she jumped up quickly and dusted herself off.
"Oh my goodness! I-I-I... I'm s-s-so sorry!" Hisana stammered as she quickly stooped down to pick up Byakuya's signature scarf that she had knocked off, dusting it off as well and folding it nervously, yet neatly as Byakuya stood up and brushed away the dirt and dust from his plain white robe. He straightened the few strands of the dark hair that had been knocked out of place then looked at Hisana with his usual serene and aristocratic expression.
Hisana, who had just recovered to a shade of pink, turned bright red again and bowed her head down, offering his scarf up above her head. "I'm very, very, very, VERY sorry."
Taking the scarf gently, Byakuya put it where it had been, smiling softly at this woman's reactions. Sure, he was used to people treating him with respect in Rukongai because of his rank, but never like this within Seireitei. "There you see? No harm done."
Hisana's eyes slowly wandered up, noticing that he wasn't wearing his usual death god uniform. "I'm very sorry."
He shook his head. "No need to apologize. More importantly, are you alright?"
Hisana's eyes widened. "W-who? Me? Yes, sir. I'm fine."
"Ah, good. Would you care to join me then? I don't usually find people out this late, so a little company would certainly be enjoyable."
Hisana was almost knocked off her feet once more. THE Kuchiki Byakuya was asking HER to walk with him?
"Well?"
Snapping out of her daze once more, she looked around and realized that Byakuya was standing behind her, continuing on the route he was on before he was knocked over. "O-oh... Of course. I'd be honored, sir." Stepping towards him quickly to catch up, she met up with him, walking to his left side.
After a few moments of silence, Byakuya made an attempt to break the ice. "I imagine you know who I am, then." Byakuya, who was much taller than her, glanced down from the corner of his eye to see her with her hands nervously knotted together as she stared at her feet intently while walking.
"Y-yes. Yes, I do... sir." She added the last word with an internal sigh of relief. Always be respectful, she reminded herself.
"In that case... May I know who you are?" He looked back at the street in front of them.
"M-my name is Hisana." Nervous as she was, she was beginning to feel a little more comfortable around Byakuya and relaxed her hands down to her sides.
"Pleased to meet you, Hisana-san." Turning at the corner of the street with her, he smiled down at her, feeling her relax. They walked in silence for a while, both resuming their thoughts from before their collision.
Eventually, Hisana spoke up. "So... you mentioned that you don't find people when you go walking... do you walk often at night, Kuchiki-sama?"
Byakuya nodded. "I find the night air to be lighter and easier to think in. And with less commotion than the daytime, I can usually go undisturbed at night."
Hisana frowned and looked down to the floor once more. "I'm sorry if I disturbed your walk, sir."
"Having company isn't my definition of being disturbed. Contrary to what most may think… I enjoy walking with others, whether it be in silence or not." The latter was certainly preferred, he added mentally.
Hisana nodded respectfully, then frowned at the awkward tension in the air. "I… noticed you're not wearing your headpiece, sir."
"Hm? Oh, the kenseikan? I don't wear it to sleep."
"Yes, I'd imagine it to be uncomfortable to sleep in." They turned yet another corner. "So what brings you out walking tonight, Kuchiki-sama?" she continued, as if trying to keep the conversation going.
"I come to clear my mind if I find falling asleep to be a challenge. Tonight happens to be one of those nights… And yourself, Hisana-san?" He looked her over from the corner of his eye. She looked troubled… almost sad.
"I…" She frowned. "Just a childish nightmare."
He, in turn, frowned as well, then looked back to the street. "No dream or nightmare is ever childish, Hisana-san."
They turned another corner and Byakuya stopped in front of a corner house, stopping Hisana in her tracks. "This is your house, is it not, Hisana-san?"
She looked at him, eyes wide. "Your name is next to the door," he responded to her shock, understanding what she was thinking.
"Oh, that's right…" She smiled sheepishly, blushing slightly.
"You should try to get some sleep. Academy starts early tomorrow morning, does it not?"
Hisana nodded and took a step towards her living quarters, turning to face him and bowing. "Thank you for allowing me to walk with you tonight, Kuchiki-sama."
Byakuya nodded and gave a slight bow in return, then watched her go to the door and open it, stepping in and turning to face him. "Good night, Kuchiki-sama."
"Good night, Hisana-san." He watched her begin to close the door behind her. "Oh, Hisana-san."
She stopped abruptly and popped her head out. "Yes, Kuchiki-sama?"
"Next time you awake in the middle of the night, whether from a nightmare or thirst, don't hesitate to take another walk," he smiled softly and turned to head back the direction they came from. "Your company is a pleasant thing to have, should anyone else be lucky enough to bump into you."
With that, Kuchiki Byakuya stepped towards and then around the corner, heading back towards his manor.
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sesshomaru-haku, thelovablechelsea and Comixqueen: Thanks for your reviews. I was waiting to see people's reactions before I posted more.