Okay. So here's the Epilogue, though I don't know if it's that great. I know that I didn't do this for a while, so that's why I stayed up until 4:35am writing this one and that is also why it is so shit :P Because I've got tired-crazy brains. Anyway, if any of you were interested in this, here's the Epilogue. Sorry for the wait and I hope you...
ENJOOYYYY~!
Yuzu lay eagle-spread over the satin sheets that screamed noble taste and her splayed out hands drummed a beat on her enlarged stomach. She smiled as she felt a response from her unborn child, a small, yet significant thump from the inside, a lump protruding from where she had patted.
"I'm so bored," she seemed to whisper to her stomach. Frowning sadly, she sighed exasperatedly and sat up, her arms cradling her already-supported belly, "Your Father is being so unfair. Not even letting me go and play with Aishi-kun!" she huffed childishly, biting her lip while she looked down at her gut.
Yuzu was now 25 years old and six months pregnant with Byakuya's child. It had been 7 years since the incident, but she still had the odd nightmare. It wasn't so much about some horrendous kidnap, or her gruesome murder, but just about him, sometimes even them.
Unbeknownst to anyone, she doubted he even noticed, but he had taken that book. The one he treasured so much and stored it in her Lieutenant's desk. She hoped to whoever was the ultimate being in the Soul Society – The.. err.. Soul King? – That there wouldn't be any inspections, if Byakuya found that, he would flip.
Sometimes she would slip out and read it under a blossoming tree – Sitting there with it, her long locks blowing in the breeze, while she rested her tired back on the sturdy trunk and her over-worked body would sink into the flower-infused grass gladly.
She knew what he had done was wrong, but she felt as though, if she had gone back and seen him lying there in god-knows-what condition, she would've broken down into tears. All in all, he wasn't so bad, she regrets not preventing his demise, but after seeing that picture, that unfamiliar churn in her gut returned full-force.
She had finished the hand-written novel many times over. She smiled when the hero would make funny remarks or be flamboyant to the point of dancing around the heroine seductively, even seeing her brother being described as a silly super villain made her giggle and when Karin came in, she couldn't help but admire how well he captured her brash personality.
The thing that scared her the most, also the reason she skipped the end whenever she re-read it after the first time, was that in the end, the hero dies. Hakeno writes that the character inspired by himself is killed by another, more suitable, man that harbors her affections. The man he described as a monster.
There was something she always kept with her from it though, the small little note left by him, showing her he was never truly insane:
My plans are somewhat ridiculous and I can't seem to find why. Hetaro always told me how my emotions can sometimes be overbearing and I think I understand what he means. Yu-chan seems to be the only thing I have left in my existence, but as you can see from the book, I know where my affections will take me.
When I was alive, I knew that I couldn't fixate onto a child. I was a grown man, afterall – I didn't know what made her so important to me. Was it that spark in her big brown eyes or the way she braved her creeping repulsion to help some stranger who might damn well be evil? She'll probably see me as evil soon enough. My plans are rash, I know, but how else could I make her mine other than taking her? When I was sent to the farthest Rukongai district as a new soul, I was so confused, but I soon learnt that you had to take what you wanted the most. She's definitely what I want the most, but sadly, I know I am not what she wants.
I guess we're both just playing cat and mouse..
Everytime she read it, she could feel tears streaming down her face more and more, faster. Sometimes, she thought she would return to the Manor, or the Sixth division with tear-stains on her cheeks, going down to her jaw.
"Byakuya!" she whined out uncharacteristically loudly, bellowing throughout the abundant space of their now-shared Manor.
Her alarmed husband walked briskly, yet kept that sophisticated air about him while he did so, "What's wrong?" he asked, concern filled his usually-empty grey eyes as he stared at her sitting form.
"I want to go outside,"
"No,"
"Then I want to see Ichigo,"
No,"
"Karin?"
"Certainly not,"
"You have to let me see Aishi-kun, at least!" she yelled loudly, shocking him a bit, but his composure only showed a small crack in its impenetrable defense.
"I don't think-" he began, though he was cut off by her deep frown that creased her face. Her eyes then shone with that 'I-want-what-I-want' look and her mahogany eyes seemed to be so much more adorable than they were moments before, "Fine, I'll go get him," he surrendered. This was out of character for him, surrendering to a command from a woman? Byakuya Kuchiki? Wow. He turned and left the chamber, making sure to lock it again upon exiting and his feed padded lightly across the marble floors.
Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain of the Sixth Divison and now over 200 year old Husband and Father-to-be. He was somewhat over-protective when it came to Yuzu and his unborn child. After the incident, Byakuya was ever vigilant about those love-sick fools skipping after his wife, and no, it wasn't jealousy, it's called caution, okay?
He had no idea about any strange novel that had characters akin to him, the ryoka boy, the evil twin, his wife and that maniac family duo, but he was becoming increasingly worried about when Yuzu sneaks out from her office, carrying a large, paperback script. He only caught glimpses of it, as she scurried away quickly whenever he glanced up at her, tucking it away with the utmost secretion.
He just tried to keep his mind off of it, hoping it was nothing that could get her hurt in the long run. Deep down, he knew she was a capable fighter, she was still his Lieutenant afterall, but she had a lot of growing up to do, despite her sometimes childish actions being mildly entertaining to watch.
He lightly knocked on the doors to Ichigo's home, straightening out his Captain's haori, as to look dignified. He looked the ryoka boy straight in his sharp, brown eyes upon the door sliding open.
"What d'you want?" He was a little bitter about the whole 'stealing' his innocent sister away, spiriting her off to some far-off (more like, two doors away) castle and then having the guts to get her pregnant of all things.
"I wish to borrow your son," Byakuya returned quickly and saying it casually, as if asking to use one's child for an afternoon is completely normal.
"You.. what?" Ichigo looked at him, somewhat baffled. What the hell did he need his son for anyway? Who asks like that too? Even some pedophile would have a better approach than that.
The nobleman sighed, knowing this would take more work than he had anticipated, "As I cannot allow Yuzu to walk around too much.." he hesitated a bit, coughing to clear his throat, ".. in her condition. She would like to see your child, just for this evening," he explained in his monotonous voice.
"Oh, if it's for Yuzu, then.." he consented, turning around and cupping one half of his mouth with his right-hand, "Aishigoku, come 'ere!" he ordered loudly, his deep voice booming through the halls of the expansive home.
"Yes, Otou-san?" Aishigoku asked timidly, looking up cautiously, as if he wanted to see how much trouble he was in just from his Father's stare alone. When he looked up, he just saw that same, somewhat thoughtless, expression on his face and he smiled up at him.
"Oba-chan wants you to go over there for a bit, she's really lonely," Ichigo said sadly, giving Byakuya a scarce side glance and then pretty much pushing his son out of the house, "Have fun, okay? Tell her onii-chan said hi!" he told him quickly, before shutting the door.
"Hi, Oji-san!" Aishigoku greeted energetically, jumping up with a waving hand and a beaming smile of young, new teeth.
"Hello," he greeted with a stoic expression, his hands clasped tightly behind his back.
The walk back to the Manor was short and awkward. No one said anything but the seven year old boy was probably too young to actually identify that it was strange to walk side-by-side and not say a word beside greetings, though people his age were generally talkative, he knew his uncle wasn't interested in small talk, especially with a child.
"Oba-chan!" Aishigoku greeted her even more energetically as he had to Byakuya, jumping on the bed and snuggling up to her side, scarely covering half of her stomach with his short, slender arms, "I missed you, Oba-chan!" he told her, frowning sadly, before perking up at her wide smile.
"Aishi-kun! Oba-chan missed you, too," she pouted at him and he chuckled at her silly behavior. He always enjoyed being near his Aunty whenever he could – She was always so kind.
"You know, momma's going to have a new baby soon," he said happily, joyfully telling her about how her mother told him today that she was going to be having one really soon and he had to be a good big brother and if it's a girl, that he shouldn't be like her Onii-chan.
She sweatdropped at the image of another two girls being dotted on by a big brother with orange hair and an intimidating vibe, "That's great! I can't wait to see her," she said merrily, cuddling Aishigoku to her side snugly.
"You won't like this one better than me, will you?" It was his turn to pout and she giggled herself. She poked him in the side and he squealed with ticklish delight, telling her not to do that.
She looked over at her husband who was still standing at the door way, arms folded, back leaning against the varnished, wooden door with intricate patterns on it, "Come over here, Bya-kun," she said sweetly, using the nickname that he would kill anyone but her and Yachiru for using.
He did as he was told, mostly because he just secretly loved being near his wife whenever he could, he stood by the rim of the bed and looked at her questioning, "Hm?" he asked, she knew what he meant, even if it was such a vague question, hardly a sound.
She grabbed onto his arm, much to his surprise and tugged, hard. He fell backwards onto the bed, quickly maneuvering himself so that he couldn't crush either her or Aishigoku, "Come sit with us," she pleaded.
He shifted towards her more, not even bothering to reprimand her for doing that, as he could've hurt both her, their child and her.. their.. nephew, "Is there something you need?" he asked.
"Mhm," she told him, being as vague as he always was, though it seemed to irritate him. She gently propped Aishigoku up onto her lap and slid herself between Byakuya's outspread legs, leaning her back onto his toned chest, "I just needed this,"
"Eww," Aishigoku commented dryly, looking up at both of them. He looked at Byakuya in a quizzical fashion upon seeing the slight smirk on his face.
"You'll be doing this with your wife someday, Aishi-kun," Yuzu teased like an aunty should and hugged him closer, causing him to feel a light kick from their forming child, eliciting a giggle from Yuzu's nephew.
"No way! I'm not doing that gross stuff," he told her straight-forwardly.
"You think that's gross?" she turned towards Byakuya and let a mischief smirk dominate her features, she went to lean in before hearing a fake puking sound coming from Aishigoku, "Oh, fine," she slapped her hands tight over his eyes and then completed her action.
Byakuya was happy to receive the chaste kiss from his spouse and wrapped his arms around her tightly, his hands splaying out over her stomach and their precious child.
THE END
Thank you for reading guys! Review or don't, I don't mind :P Feedback is welcome, even if you're a meaniepants. Come at me! ;D