Hi there! Here you have the first chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it ( and sorry from the beginning for the grammar mistakes) .Oh , and thanks to zero09q for the first review ( the story is labeled IchiRuki, so there will be plenty of them...but i just thought that it would be boring to pair them form beginning...right? )

PS: i do not own bleach etc

Chapter 1 : The man who can't be moved

Byakuya suddenly opened his eyes. His sleep was driven away by the presence of that familiar reiatsu: a fragile cold blow in a winter morning. He got up from his bed and he approached the porch. She was certainly back, but why at this late hour when she was expected tomorrow morning? He stepped in to the chilly air of the night trying to determinate the direction from which the reiatsu was coming.

"Taicho…" he heard a low voice from his left.

He slowly turned and saw one of his servants.

"Taicho…should we send someone to escort our lady?"

Byakuya slightly frowned his eyebrows. Even the servants noticed her presence. It was truly strong. Something must have happened to her since she couldn't control it. He turned his eyes to the direction of the reiatsu. If he guessed correctly that was the direction of Renji's house. The servant bowed his head wanting for an answer, but without a word Byakuya returned to his room and closed the sliding door.

Alone, in the dark room he didn't even tried to fall asleep again. His mind overcome with thoughts let his whispered voice to pronounce for a second her name. At the sound of his own voice he clenched his fists and pretended he didn't heard anything.

Rukia stood silently at the low table looking at her old friend who was pouring vodka for both. It's been a while since she hasn't see him other way then in his shinigami uniform. She enjoyed the sight of Renji in an untied nemaki with loose, ruffled hair. Somehow, in her miserable state, it made her feel at ease.

"What actually happened?" Renji suddenly broke the silence.

Rukia tried to smile as she was searching for a plausible lie. Now that she was here, she already felt better and she didn't need to put her heart on the table just to see it torn apart again…But she couldn't lie to him. She neither could tell him the whole truth as she didn't want herself to admit it. She decided to confess only the truth that couldn't hurt anyone.

"Renji…" she begun …"I'm drunk…"

"Yes…I can see that…" he answered distrustful to her sincerity.

" You can?" she asked worried. "It shows?"

"Yes ! he answered, raising his voice ." But that's not the point! …Why are you drunk?"

Rukia bowed her face for a second hiding that sad and frank expression, an involuntary response to his question. Then she raised with a forced smile:

" Why Renji?...Are you upset that I got drunk without you?"

Naturally he would laugh to that kind of answer, but he knew that something was wrong with his friend. He choose to remain serious and…worried. He knew that even she was here, in the middle of the night…even if she prefered him instead of any other person, that didn't mean she would open her heart to him.

He looked at the vodka glass. These were one of those rare moments in which he wondered if he should get drunk or remain sober. He felt her a little vulnerable and as a consequence, he felt himself more vulnerable than ever in front of her.

"Don't be sad, Renji … You see, now i want to make it up to you …I came to drink this bottle with you" she added with the same forced good mood.

He needed more than ever to be sober…and yet he needed more than ever a drink. He raised his glass.

"And for which reason we are drinking exactly?"

"For me…" she said looking at her own glass with a dreamy expression. "For me returning home…"

With this thought in his mind he smiled and tossed off the drink.

"I think I never saw myself that eager and pleased to return home after a mission in the real world"

She emptied her glass and then she poured for both another round of vodka.

"How many years have passed since I got o foothold in that place?... 5 years…maybe 6?...I never thought I could it find so changed…"

Here, she suddenly stopped , worried that she begun to share her fears. He also stopped with the glass in his mouth looking at her curiously.

"I mean…" she tried to add… "…high buildings and hollows will always be but…the Karakura we used to know is gone…"

They emptied the glasses and Renji poured again.

"No Karakura Highschool uniforms…" she continued with a tipsy air "…no sleeping in the closet…no trace of Isshin's happy songs and yelling …no…"

"Ichigo ? ..." Renji added with the courage of o drunk person.

Her eyes opened widely for second, and then they lowered, hiding a nostalgic smile on her face.

"He's a college student these days, you know? ..." she said " And he looks like an adult."

"He is an adult…" confirmed Renji

"Is he?" she wondered.

"He's like…23…24, no?"

"I guess…." She added with a whispered voice and then she emptied another glass.

Renji put his head on the table with a distressed expression as his head became dizzy and his eyes were trying to focus the little brunette. She slowly started to sing some weird lyrics and the sound of her lazy voice combined with her melancholic expression increased his anxiety.

"It's five O'clock in the morning…The conversation…"

"You know you look like you are going to burst in tears…" he said with a drunk and indifferent voice.

"Am i?"…

"Yes, you are…he answered in the same note. "Is this song that sad?"

"I don't know… you tell me…"

"You really want me to tell you?" he answered this time with an anxious voice. He knew that he was already drunk so he didn't care anymore about how honest he was going to become. "You think that here time passes a lot slower and that everything changed back there…even him. He's not the same…He's a college student? Don't make me laugh! You can't see how much you changed yourself. You start to sound more and more like your brother…Beautiful, mature and cold princess…"

She looked at him surprised.

"Beautiful…" he repeated with gentle voice and a sad & red face.

She blinked with her wide eyes opened.

"T-thank you…Renji…if that was a compliment" she answered a little confused.

He lifted his head toward her lips.

"You know…I wish you could always be like this with me…"

She immediately burst into laugh:

"You mean…showing up in the middle of the night drunk, with a bottle of vodka and a broken heart waiting for you to console it?"

"Yes…you couldn't have said it better" he answered with a serious expression.

She frowned upset and punched him on his left arm. He didn't riposte so she put her chin on the hit place as they both tossed off another glass.

"I had my chance…"he said to himself.

"I had my chance too." She added.

But neither of them was referring to the same person.

"I guess we were too children back then" added Renji.

"Shut up!" She scolded him … "I'm too drunk for this conversation! … I'm not going to risk my only true friend to it"

"You're right here, Rukia…" he said … "But you got me drunk…what were you expecting?"

"And when you get drunk do you always think of what could have been between us if i didn't become a Kuchiki?" she asked reproachful.

"And when you get drunk do you always think of what could have been between you two if he wasn't human,?" he answered with the same reproachful tone.

She bloked.

"I-i…I-i…" she tried to response but her voice broke into a scared expression as she couldn't pretend that she didn't know about what "he" Renji was talking.

He immediately regretted his words because her heart broke in front him. Her feelings were different from his because she was hiding them even from herself. He tried to approach and comfort her, but she was starring at the wall with a blank expression. She didn't want to believe his words. She didn't want name her misery.

"I'm sorry, Rukia…" he whispered.

She didn't answer. They stood in silence for a couple of minutes. He started to drink directly from the bottle as she abandoned it admitting to herself that she couldn't get drunker than this.

Gradually she became dizzy and sleepy. That strange sensation was melting with her sadness and that warm, familiar feeling of being next to Renji. As she was watching on how the night was becoming day her eyelids were becoming heavy and… slowly the pain, the worries, the fears were driven away.

"Renji…" she said with a tired voice "…You know …that i don't have to be drunk or heartbroken to need you…I think I need you more when I'm sober …Thank you for being there…and thank you for keeping me safe from …the absence of the high school uniform…of kuroraski's mansion… from the memory of Ishida…Chad…and above all from the memory of … Orihime and Ichigo together…You did a great job…Just keep up the good work …my only friend…"

She put her head on his shoulder and as her eyes closed in a heavy sleep, her head leaned to his chest.

Renji took her gently into his arms, and with eyes wide open he watched the sunrise by himself. It was too late for him to sleep and also too late to hide his feelings. Furthermore, they were no secret for him or her: He admired her as child. He liked as teenager. He fell in love with her as a young man...but then reality broke into his Rukongai dreams. Even though Rukia leaned on him more than anyone else, even though he could easily have had all her feelings just for him back then, he knew that neither of them could survive only on love. He had nothing to offer her except from a friendship that she already had for the rest of her life. He choose not to think about these weakness of his heart the moment he left Rukongai, and entered the Shinigami Academy, but it was as hard as forgetting from where he came from, the place which shaped his nature. Leaning on the thought that he needed to work hard and start a new life, a better one in which he could include Rukia this time, he almost succeed .And then his dreams crushed again: Rukia was now a Kuchiki. Impossible to touch, his friendship seemed destined to remain...just a friendship. But he was a tough person and his heart was strong enough to not let him fall apart, and big enough to still care about her without giving himself anymore pain. He learned to accept with resignation the nature of their relationship and to discover, besides a strong friendship, a great fight partner. Unfortunately, the moments in which he could enjoy these new sides of her were rare. During the war beginning period she always seemed to be gone in the real world. During the Aizen conflict he tried stick close to her, but her steps and worries always seemed to follow that orange haired substitute shinigami. Ichigo…he never hated that gay, but he could neither truly like him. It was a strange thing since in some moments they were very similar: they shared the same passionate and violent temper, the same stubbornness, the same weakness regarding the safety of the loved ones, the same dictum "act first and think after", and the most important…they held a special place in their hearts for Rukia. It was a little irritating for him to see that she held a different place in her heart for each of them…a very different one. Even though he was there for her before Ichigo, the relation the she developed with the substitute shinigami was stronger than anything else. Her motherly worries and protective attitude slowly changed into an unbreakable trust and admiration. He knew that she didn't forget who saved her from execution years ago and sometimes he was still cursing himself for not being strong enough at that point to do not need the substitute shinigami's help. He wondered sometimes… if he would have been in his place, would have she looked at him with the same eyes that she was looking at Ichigo? ...What a pointless question! The way she looked at Ichigo, especially at the end of the war when he choose to live in the real world as she had remain in Seireitei was an eclectic blend of feelings that neither she or he could name : fear, regret, resignation, admiration, pride . Before disappearing he gave her the usual smiling "Ja nee", but this time, those familiar two words didn't comfort her anymore. She couldn't respond to that peacefully smile as she always did before each separation and she remained stoned as a rock. Furthermore, the moment the gate to the real world closed, her eyes confessed a pain that even the bite of a hollow couldn't equal. That happened six years ago and at that time Renji asked himself again: why, if they were so similar and he was there before him, in the end she chose Ichigo? …why was he still remaining the best friend while all her other relations were changing and evolving? He felt himself the man who can't be moved from that neither warm neither cold place of her heart. He watched Ichigo disappeared, annoyed and pleased at the time by his ignorance regarding Rukia's unnamed yet evident feelings. He was angry for the pain that he was causing her, but content by the fact that orange haired guy was leaving, letting room for him. It was a crazy thought but, he also told himself that day, that if Rukia wouldn't exist, he and Ichigo would have been great friends. In the end, he couldn't hate Ichigo for being everything that he failed to become…For that, himself, only, was the one to blame.

After Ichigo's departure he thought he would find himself again, alone with Rukia. This time they were both equals as fuku taichos ,so things should have evolved smoothly. The only thing that he failed to take in consideration was she didn't have any intention of going back not even slightly to the person she was back Rukongai. From distance, everyone could see that she was becoming more and more a true Kuchiki. Nearby, he observed almost mystified the tenacity with which she would have done anything to please her "Nii-sama". And then he understood, that blinded by the presence of Ichigo that he had failed to notice the presence of Kuchki Byakuya: her aristocrat, rich and powerful brother which after the hoyoku incident he had saved her life for not less than four times. He didn't knew what was the nature of their relation during the war as neither of them spoke about it, but during the peace it was clear she was more than ever attached to the Kuchiki mansion. And as he tried to be impartial, he admitted that Byakuya didn't have a bad influence on her. The past six years she became more elegant, more beautiful and more gracefully , as if she was born a noble. While she was slowly entering to the influent structures of the Kuchiki clan, Renji started to understand that he the wasn't the one who was left behind but the only one who hasn't changed a bit. Even though he gained more power as shinigami lieutenant and his zanpaktuto was becoming stronger every day, he was the same choleric and free spirit from Rukongai while Rukia took her destiny into her hands choosing to deal with the changings in her life. Just like he couldn't blame her for choosing Ichigo instead of him back then, he couldn't blame her this time for being next to Kuchiki Byakuya. They still remained best friends, but now the dreams from Rukongai period that he kept in secret were further than ever before…No matter how much he wanted to hope in the deepest corners of his heart, he knew that it was too late for him to change as it was too late for her to go back. She had learned to live without Ichigo and the real world, why wouldn't have she learned to live without the love that could have bloom for him back in Rukongai? Now, after more than 60 years, he could think about it, only when he was drunk and she happened to be close to him… To think about what would have been if she wouldn't have been adopted by his Taicho, if she wouldn't have chosen to give her powers to Ichigo…and only as a simple shinigami he would have come back to her saying: "Rukia, I'm sorry for making you wait…But you should know that everything that I've done was to built a better life for us… so that you can be proud of me… so that you can never worry about tomorrow. From now on, i will be the one who will protect your happiness."

He could only do this when he was drunk , otherwise he had to remain in one piece and take good care of the "best friend" place that he held in her heart.

The sun has risen above the sky. It was already morning and in short time he had to be to the 6th Division headquarters. Rukia was still sleeping in his arms and because he couldn't woke her up to send her home, he decided to let her sleep to his place. He raised her into his arms and took her to his bed: the privilege and the misfortune of the best friend, to be so close and yet so far away from the person you love.

He was still drunk but after a shower he'll be as new, as if all these thoughts didn't even collapse over him. After all he was a strong person.

He dressed quickly and shunpo-ed to his headquarters. The moment he stepped into his office he was announced that he was expected by Kuchiki Taicho.

"You look tired Renji" … began his captain. "Did you have rough night?"

Except from Rukia, he was aware of Kuchiki Byakuya better the any other shinigami. His voice was detached and cold as always, but something betrayed his tightness. He wasn't surprised. He already knew what all this was about since the whole night he felt her lack of control over her reiatsu. No matter how much the rigid captain tried to hide it, he couldn't get rid of that overprotective brother complex. A long fight took place in his heart until he was to be able to approach Rukia, but after he found himself defeated by all the concerns that he held for her, he started to be more preoccupied on how to hide them in front of the others. Renji knew how proud the captain was and that he would hardly admit even to himself his own weakness, but at this moment, it was clear for him that the ones who couldn't sleep last night were not only him and Rukia around the bottle of vodka.

"Renji, I need to fill me for an hour…I'll be at the 13th Division headquarters" said the captain.

Renji stood still, I little surprised.

"That's all Renji, you're free to go" added Kuchiki Taicho.

"Oh, Really?...That's all? …Come on, just put the damn question! Did Rukia slept to my place? Is she alright? I know it's troubling you!" Renji yelled in his mind as he was heading to the door.

She was alone.

Half asleep Rukia opened her eyes and she didn't recognize the bed in which she woke up. Slowly she started to remember the glasses of alcohol, the song that kept playing in her head, Ichigo'smiles spread trough all his friends exact one...her. Trying to banish from her memory that image she remembered the vodka bottle that she drunk with Renji…and then she understood! She felt asleep at Renji's house! In Renji's bed! Last night she got so drunk that she came back to Seireitei earlier than she was expected. Ukitake, Yamamoto... Nii-sama must have already known that she was here, wondering if something went wrong with her mission. She must got up urgently and write her report along with her apologies for her unprofessional comportment during the returning. But she couldn't tell the truth and embarrass herself. The lieutenant of the 13th Division couldn't get that drunk! She supposed to offer an example to her subordinates. She got out of the room and without looking for Renji (she knew that he already was to the 6th Division headquarters) she shunpo-ed to the Kuchiki's mansion to have a bath, change her clothes and then depict in front of her captain. On her way she sent a hell butterfly to inform Ukitake that everything was alright and that she intends to arrive to the headquarters in an hour.

Breakfast was already prepared when she entered to her room, the clothes was proper and ironed…So , even the servants knew that she was back. She looked to her right and then to her left along the corridor but the mansion was silent. Nii-sama was already to his headquarters. In a way she felt relived because from all the persons, she couldn't stand to disappoint her brother. Like a child which knew that he made something wrong she was going to avoid for a while…but how long, since she will be expected for dinner? Trying to banish all these worries she started to write her rapport:

"No change in the constant number of hollow apparition in Karakura town. Spiritual pressure in the atmosphere remains constant with a slightly…"

Here she stops, her eyebrows frowning in a thoughtful expression. If she had to be honest to herself she had to admit that most of the time she used her gigai. Furthermore, the moment she quitted the gigai, before returning in Seireitei she had an odd sensation of suffocation, as the air itself got rarefied. But she was drunk as hell at that moment she didn't knew if she could blame that sensation on the alcohol or something was truly wrong and it was worthing to be mentioned in the rapport. She needed someone to consult with…and the only one she trusted in this matters was…Nii-sama. But how could she tell him that she got drunk at a party that Ichigo throw up? She still needed an excuse for her little escapade…so, in the end she decided to conclude her report in a standard way. The details she would discuss with her captain.

She was preparing to enter in Uitake's office when she saw Nii-sama coming out. She stopped with a tense expression.

"Nii-sama…" she singed and she slightly bowed her head.

Him, in Ukitake's office? Don't make yourself any illusions! It's not like he was waiting for you!she scolded herself.

"Rukia…" he answered with his all the same cool tone of voice. It didn't frighten her anymore, but she couldn't overcome the respect that he was imposing. "I see that you got back"

"What a polite and ironic manner to put it" she told to herself. Looking directly to his grey eyes she tried to figure out an answer, but the way those eyes patronized her ,assured her that they didn't need any excuse or lie for the fact she was here since the last night.

"Did everything go well in the real world?" he asked.

She opened again her mouth, this time with a worried expression. He frowned.

"Rukia ? …"

It was really bothering her and she couldn't blame it on the alcohol that entered in a gigai after all. Her spiritual form must have remained intact and yet she was suffocating back there.

"I…I think that the spiritual pressure in Karakura is dropping" she finally said.

Byakuya kept his frowned expression, but remain silent.

"I'm not 100 % sure about it, but…" she added.

"Did you write it in your rapport?" Byakuya asked.

She nodded negatively.

"I understand…Still you should inform your captain about it" added Byakuya impartially.

Rukia nodded again and approved him not very enthusiastically.

"And…we can discuss it during dinner if it still bothers you" he added.

Her eyes lift in a pleasant surprise. Even if his voice was always detached she couldn't say the same thing about his intentions.

"Now go…I presume that your captain is expecting you"

She smiled and elegantly bowed her head before separate.

She didn't know that, for a couple of seconds he remained behind looking at her with an odd expression. Just for a couple of seconds, until he heard the office door opened and the voices of Ukitake Taicho: "Kuchiki-san …finally appearing! …Kuchiki Taicho seemed quite worried about you…Did you meet him? He just got out from my office!"

"Yes…I mean no! ... You said 'worried' Ukitake-sama?" the answer came.

In that moment, without a second thought, Kuchiki Byakya disappeared from the 13th Division headquarters.

The light started to kick his eyelids and it slowly chased away his sleep and his 'fighting hollows' dreams.

Ichigo finally opened his eyes at noon. Next to him, Orihime was still asleep with her lazy and childish expression, which he knew so well. Yet he found strange that even if the first face that he saw in this late morning was her's, his first thoughts headed toward the petite brunette shinigami. He got up and descended to the living room with slow steps. Among all the hangover persons (in which he included himself) he started to look for her. But she wasn't anywhere…

With a heavy heart he leaned on chair in the empty bright kitchen… She was already gone…

He suddenly remembered that 6 years have passed, before last night, in which he didn't see her.

6 years that he finally got aware of! A strange feeling overwhelmed him and he felt like…he was going to cry?…He didn't, but his twisted heart started to remember the person he was 6 years ago. It all seemed like dream right now…like one of his 'fighting hollows' dreams…like her sudden appearance and disappearance after 6 years. And if all was just a dream, he could, of course pretend that it never happened…But…If only he could…The memory of her presence remain strong as in the day that they parted….

The day they parted…

Already working on the second chapter! Waiting for your feedback !