Supernova
By Willow Athena
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its characters, but Rien and this story are definitely mine
Author'snote: This chapter is for all those fangirls out there.
CHAPTER 28 – I Can't Pretend Anymore
After an uncomfortable lunch with Isshin, Yuzu , and Karin, they all went to Inoue's so Rien could shower, change, and collect all her things to take home. Rien hadn't worn human clothes in such a long time, and she had forgotten how much more comfortable she felt in them. There were a lot less layers – just low riding tight blue jeans, semi-heeled boots, a simple dark blue t-shirt, and a long flowing black jersey – since she always felt cold. Rien's fringe fell over her right eye as she looked into the mirror, and she felt like herself once more. Maybe it was the clothes, or maybe it was finally getting a good night's sleep, but, she felt a lot more like herself at that moment.
They all joked and lazily walked down the street on that Saturday afternoon. The girls talking about what Rien should wear to the dance, and Ishida and Ichigo silently glaring and insulting eachother, as usual. Ichigo had gotten the standard black and white tux, so anything Rien chose to wear would be fine. It would have been too lame to go alone or with his sisters, and even though that's how he felt about Rien, she was not technically his sister and he knew he would score lots of points with all the girls for having such a beautiful lady on his arm, not to mention the respect from his drooling friends. And anyway, Ichigo thought, Rien needed a distraction from that Byakuya bastard.
"Hey, I'm home!" Rien screamed as they got into the house behind the shop. Only at home could you be this rude and loud, she thought.
"Here," Yoruichi shouted her position.
Ah… home!
They all went into the dining room and comfortably lounged around the room. Yoruichi looked worried and distracted, like she wanted to ask or tell Rien something. "I was fine, I just slept over at Ichigo's," Rien assured her.
"I know," she sighed. It was unlike her to be this heavy.
"I guess I'll go unpack. Is my bedroom ready?" Rien stood up and walked across the room to Yoruichi.
"Wait, Rien," Yoruichi warned, but Rien had already stopped in her tracks, frozen in the middle of the room.
Byakuya walked in, in his gigai, in human clothes, both his hands in his jeans pockets, his eyes downcast. The picture he cast was so surreal – like it shouldn't be possible for someone to look so easily casual, and yet still so stoically noble at the same time. He wore fitted black jeans, a white belt with a silver buckle, and a long sleeved shirt beneath a zipped up light blue jacket. He looked so much younger in human clothes. Still breathtaking, maybe even more so than usual.
Byakuya's eyes took Rien's frozen appearance in. He had never seen clothes she was better suited in, she looked at ease, even in her tensed state. Her 'Boys are stupid. Throw rocks at them' t-shirt was confusing and shorter than it should be, Byakuya thought, exposing a small rift through which her belly button teasingly peaked. He found himself wondering what it would feel like to have his hands run up the smooth curve of her hip and under that t-shirt, lifting it higher, and higher…
Dead kittens.
He controlled his dishonourable thoughts, sauntering in with an air of aloofness. He crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall behind Yoruichi. Rien said nothing but regarded him with confusion, until he looked up at her.
When his eyes met hers, her first instinct was to run towards him and jump into his arms. She read the same need in his eyes, and just as he did, she fought against it. If they both felt this need, why should she always be the one to give in – if he wanted to be in her arms as much as she wanted to be in his, then he would have to come and take what he wanted – or live with the consequences. She would not let his expressive eyes draw her into being reckless with her heart any longer.
She should have been mad, furious even, that he had had the nerve to follow her here. But she could not deny the peace it gave her to have him within reach, to breathe the same air as him, even if they never touched.
"What's he doing here?" Ichigo protectively scowled from behind her.
"Since Rien has entered the world of the living, there has been another sharp rise in the number of hollows over Karakura town," Byakuya's deep voice echoed in the silence.
"But my Soul Phone hasn't beeped once since 11 o'clock last night," Ichigo protested.
"The hollow numbers were so great that the presence of a taichou was required," Byakuya explained. "I volunteered to efficiently eradicate the problem."
Ichigo disbelievingly 'hmphed'. Byakuya volunteer to help! Ichigo could smell something else was going on.
"The greatest concentration of hollows was around, Kurosaki Ichigo's house, so I concluded that Rien must be with him," Byakuya said, looking in Ichigo's direction.
Ichigo derisively snorted. Concluded was just Byakuya's fancy way of saying – guessed.
"I turned off your Soul Phone and dispatched all of the hollows myself, knowing you would be with Rien if she required protection," Byakuya added, annoyed but otherwise unaffected by Ichigo's insolence.
"Oh…," Ichigo deflated. "Why couldn't any of us sense your reiatsu?" Ichigo was not the best at sensing reiatsu, but he should have felt Byakuya fight, especially so close to his house.
"Because I am controlling and masking my reiatsu, something you obviously know nothing about, Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya coolly insulted.
Bastard, Ichigo thought, but said nothing.
Rien unfroze herself and walked further away from Byakuya and Yoruichi. Yoruichi was obviously on his side this time, they had both probably discussed the best ways to keep Rien safe. Rien walked to where Inoue and Ishida stood, slightly annoyed with herself. The thought that all of this happened just because she wanted a few days away from Byakuya, sickened her.
"It was important that whoever was sent would be able to mask their reiatsu completely. That is why a tiachou needed to be sent, just like last time. Any other shinigami would not have the skill and would simply add to the already large pool of reiastu attracting all the hollows to Karakura town," Kisuke revealed from the doorway.
Ishida's eyes widened. "In order for you to completely mask your reiatsu, you would have had to fight every hollow head on – without releasing your shikai," Ishida gasped in disbelief.
"And in this gigai," Byakuya dryly added.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me," Ichigo crassly began. "Are you trying to tell me that you spent all night, manually killing every fucking hollow before it got to us?" Ichigo asked, thumbing Rien when he said 'us'.
"Of course," Byakuya confidently stated, thoroughly impressing the whole room.
"The hollows, regardless of the number, could never match my speed and power – even in this gigai," Byakuya proudly stated.
"Why were all the hollows after Rien? She doesn't have any reiatsu." Ishida tried to change the subject away from the awe-inspiring Byakuya.
"Even though we may not be able to sense it, whatever type of reiatsu Rien has is instinctively picked up by the hollows, and by their sheer magnitude and their behaviour as they got closer to her, it appears that they find her reiatsu almost irresistible," Byakuya concluded.
"It is dangerous for her to remain here," Byakuya solemnly stated, his eyes now downcast, his hair, normally held aloft by the kenseiken, fell to obscure his left eye.
"I will protect her. She can stay if she wants to," Ichigo argued.
"You cannot protect her night and day, and then protect the people in Karakura town as well," Kisuke countered, and Yoruichi nodded.
"We will all help," Ishida stated, moving protectively in front of Rien.
"It is not safe for the residents if she stays. She must learn to identify and control her reiatsu before she can return," Byakuya explained. He looked past Ishida to Rien and her liquid blue instantly met his quicksilver.
"Rien, it is your choice, but I request that you consider what I have said," Byakuya's deep voice almost betrayed the concern he felt for her. Rien relinquished his gaze and nodded.
"Rien, you can't seriously be thinking about it," Ichigo shouted.
"We will find a way," Ishida insisted.
"You should not have to," Rien replied, holding Ishida's fisted hand between her palms.
"I will return," she confidently stated, turning towards Byakuya. "We may leave tomorrow morning, but I must first keep a promise," she informed him.
Byakuya nodded. He had not expected her to agree so easily. She usually fought so hard against him.
"So, we only have a few hours before this dance, what should I wear?" Rien brightly said, turning towards the quiet Inoue.
Rien wanted at least this night with her friends – who knew when or if she would ever be allowed to return. Although Byakuya had given her the choice to stay, Rien knew that he was probably under orders to bring her back to Soul Society, and his home – where the protection spells around Seireitei would never allow this type of incident to ever occur. Seireitei was exactly like the glass prison Mayuri had kept her in, just a bigger room with higher ceilings, and the illusion of freedom.
"I'll ask Tatsuki to come over. She is dead-set on not going, but you guys have similar taste, maybe she will have something you like," Inoue offered, suddenly excited at the prospect of playing dress up with Rien.
When Tatsuki arrived, overloaded with clothes, Rien, Inoue and Tatsuki all excused themselves to Rien's room. Yoruichi, Kisuke and Byakuya were all huddled in a corner in what had looked like a serious discussion. A few minutes later they all dispersed, and Yoruichi went over to discuss dresses with the girls. Ichigo and Ishida were for once both in agreement, and glared and scowled at Byakuya while whispering with eachother. They were no doubt trying to devise some plan that would allow Rien to stay for more than just this night.
"Tatsuki-chan, you have so many beautiful dresses," Rien remarked sifting through the many unopened and unused garment bags Tatsuki had brought. Tatsuki's warm brown eyes betrayed her easy going nature. Tatsuki was dressed in dark green pants and a t-shirt with a cute looking robot on it…very few of these dresses looked like they were her style.
"This blue dress would be pretty with your eyes." Inoue pushed a dress towards her and smiled broadly.
"Ichigo is gonna be in a black and white tux, so I'm not sure if this blue will go well with him." Rien tried to let her down easy. Rien was almost as busty as Inoue, and she knew the strappy dress would show far too much cleavage – it was obviously better suited to the less curvaceous Tatsuki. Rien wasn't a girly girl like Inoue, and Inoue was right when she said Tatsuki's taste was similar to Rien's. But, Tatsuki's mom and Inoue had bought Tatsuki most of these unworn dresses – and Rien could see why some were unopened. Some were far too girly, and others far too sexy for either Rien or Tatsuki's taste.
"Why aren't you going to the dance, Tatsuki? Do you wanna come with us?" Rien offered.
"No thanks," Tatsuki jovially declined.
"Isn't there anybody you wanted to go with?" Inoue investigated. Tatsuki was always so secretive when it came to her feelings.
"The only people I would have considered going with already have dates, and all my team mates from Karakura Razors and the Dojo are going – and I know I'll never hear the end of it if they see me in a dress," Tatsuki explained.
"Ah…I've found the perfect dress!" Yoruichi suddenly exclaimed. Rien groaned in response, knowing there would be no use fighting her older sister once she had found the perfect dress.
"Have fun at the dance," Tatsuki shouted as she closed Rien's bedroom door. "And give Ichigo a kick in the pants for me," Tatsuki added as she passed Ichigo scowling in the corridor.
"Pervs," she insulted Ichigo and Ishida who both turned red.
Rien hated the dress. Rien's now smoky eyes raked down her metallic silver dress, and she was still utterly unconvinced. She hated being Yoruichi's life size doll, but she loved Yoruichi, so…here Rien was in a dress she hated.
Ichigo and Rien were going to meet their friends at the dance in half an hour, so it was already too late to change the dress now – even with help, it had been difficult enough to get into. She would need Yoruichi's help to get out of it later. Rien was not comfortable in the backless dress, the low cut of the absent back made the dress look almost indecent as it rested at the base of her spine. Rien was not used to any of this, she was even ¼ of a foot taller in the silver high heeled shoes. The front of the dress was simple and not revealing in any way, Rien knew the backless back was the attraction of the dress. Yoruichi had refused to let her hide it under a shawl, even though Rien had protested that she would get cold.
Rien had been sitting in her room, fully dressed, for longer than she should have, and she knew she had already made them late, but Ichigo had been polite enough not to push her to leave. Rien had been contemplating how to avoid accidentally bumping into Byakuya in the corridor while she looked like this. She finally concluded that Byakuya would probably be patrolling the skies due to her decision to keep her promise to Ichigo. She could not keep Ichigo waiting any longer, she finally decided.
She silently stalked through the corridor towards the dining room, where Ichigo would be waiting, and she managed this without falling or encountering Byakuya. She was right, he was probably on patrol, she thought.
"Yoruichi, I'm still not sure about this," Rein said as she entered the dining room.
When Rien ventured to look up, Ichigo's mouth was conspicuously open. Isshin, Yuzu, and Karin were there, as well as everyone from the Urahara shop. Yoruichi's eyes began to well with tears, and Kisuke took off his hat and started to fan himself, his eyes also suspiciously glistening. They were all waiting to see her and Ichigo off and take a few pictures before they left. Isshin immediately began jumping around the room and thanking God and his wife for his beautiful daughter-in-law.
Yoruichi looked puzzled at the 'daughter-in –law' comment, but Rien just shook her head. Yoruichi went over to her, gathered Rien's long raven hair and moved it to the right side and over the front of her right shoulder. Rien did not give in to Yoruichi's insistence that the dress would look better with her hair up, so everyone could get a better view of the dress. The main reason Rien left her hair down was so she would not have to answer questions about the tattoo on the back of her neck.
The front of her dress looked like silver precariously draped around her neck and poured down the front of her body, hugging her every womanly curve. Ichigo finally smiled at her, closing his mouth in the process.
"You look really dashing," Rien complimented Ichigo's tuxed appearance, after her own inspection was over. "Handsome even," Rien added, just to see him blush again, and nervously scratch the back of his head, messing up his hair in the process.
"You too…pretty, I mean," Ichigo fumbled. Damn, his friends were gonna cry when they saw her. He found it difficult to believe how beautiful his little sister looked. Byakuya was stupid.
After a few family photos, and embarrassing comments from Isshin, Ichigo and Rien finally left for the dance.
Ichigo and Rien took the mandatory couple's photo at the entrance to the dance. Ichigo only noticing the backless dress when he had to stand behind her and put his hands on her…hips. Ichigo had turned an interesting shade of red, and it made Rien curious about how the photo would turn out.
Ichigo confidently walked into the ballroom of the University, with Rien on his arm, letting all the guys know she was with him, and that he wasn't like one of those losers who had to bring his sister to the dance – even though he had brought his sister to the dance. Well, what others didn't know wouldn't hurt his reputation.
Rien and Ichigo had as many gasps when they approached as when they walked past people. Rien inwardly cursed the dress – why did the back have to be so much more revealing than the front.
Rien finally spotted their friends. Inoue was waving furiously in their direction, Ishida dashingly smiling next to her in his exquisite blue suit, Tatsuki next to him in a long strapless black dress…Tatsuki? Wait, why was Tatsuki here? Did she finally decide to come after all? A song ended, the crowd finally cleared, and Rien's eyes darted to Tatsuki's right. Byakuya.
Rien stopped dead in her tracks, halting Ichigo as well. "What?" Ichigo asked as his gaze slowly followed hers. "What the fuck is he doing here?" Ichigo groaned and dragged a reluctant Rien towards their friends.
Byakuya knew the way Rien's body moved, and had immediately spotted them as they entered. His heart had jumped into his throat. Was it acceptable to wear a dress like that out in public? Now that she was inches from him, the dress looked like quicksilver poured over her naked body and now bonded with her supple flesh.
"You look so beautiful." Inoue hugged Rien, who accidentally turned her back towards Byakuya, but quickly turned away again. Byakuya's eyes had widened slightly before he could control it, and he indulgently drank in the way the metallic silver of the dress looked against the gold lustre of her naked skin – it was truly breathtaking.
A predatory urge rose from somewhere deep inside him, he was above this, it was not something he had ever felt before…he couldn't bring himself to think it, and yet he could not deny feeling it. Intense desire mixed with passion. It was as volatile as she was. He strangled a possessive growl in his throat before it escaped as he watched the Quincy hug her and dare to place his hands on the bare skin of her back.
"I'm glad you decided to come, Tatsuki. Byakuya." Rien nodded in his direction, only to be polite to Tatsuki. "Come, let's get something to drink," Rien suggested to all the girls, and they were off. Rien had to get out of there and immediately started concocting reasons to run away.
"Shouldn't you be out patrolling," Ichigo accused, once all the girls had left.
"Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke have decided to do tonight's patrol, considering that I had single-handedly done the patrol all last night," Byakuya informed Ichigo and Ishida as he momentarily lingered on Rien's back as she walked over to the bar. "I am here to protect Rien, should any hollows get through their defences," he justified.
"We would have been sufficient to protect her in the unlikely event that anything happened," Ishida protested.
"When I have decided to protect someone, I do not rely on others to do it for me," determination reinforced Byakuya's every word. He was serious. He would not allow anything to happen to her, not allow her out of his sight, and Ichigo and Ishida could not fault him for this.
Rien sipped the glass of champagne at the bar, in no hurry to return to their dates. Rien could see them from across the dance floor, they all looked like they were discussing something serious. It suddenly dawned on Rien that Yoruichi knew – of course she did. That's why she had suddenly insisted on this dress. Byakuya's eyes caught hers from across the dance floor and she almost choked on the champagne she was swallowing. Inoue and Tatsuki rubbed her back as she recovered.
Byakuya wore a well-tailored black suit, with a black inner waistcoat, a white collared shirt, and a black tie. Only Byakuya could take something so simple and make it look so heartbreakingly handsome. Now that Rien saw all the fitted clothes he wore today, she realised how much the loosely layered shinigami uniform hid. Who knew he had such nice…legs.
"Tatsuki, what made you change your mind about the dance?" Rien finally asked what she had been wondering. It wasn't so much a 'what' as a 'who', Rien thought.
"When I left you guys with the dresses, Rukia's brother offered to walk me home, even though I said he didn't need to bother. When we got to my house, he more like told me," Tatsuki acknowledged, leaning against the bar.
"It was strange. He bowed, took my hand and said, 'I will escort you to the dance tonight'. It didn't really sound like I could say no, and then it got worse as I heard my mom jumping up and down and crying with joy behind me," Tatsuki spoke with irritation. Byakuya was brilliant, Tatsuki had no hope, he had chosen the perfect moment to ask her.
"I think my mom is infatuated with him," Tatsuki added while running her fingers through her spiky hair.
"Can we go back now," Inoue pleaded.
"Miss him already?" Rien teased. Inoue simply blushed.
Rien handed Ichigo a glass of champagne as the group sat down at an empty table on the edge of the dance floor. Ishida immediately pulled Inoue close to him and searched for her lips, only to be rewarded by them compliantly parting to allow him entry. It made Rien and Ichigo sick, Byakuya glared, and Tatsuki blushed. Ishida soon enticed Inoue into a dance, and they immediately set off. Rien rolled her eyes at Ichigo who smirked back and put his arm around her chair. Rien leaned closer to Ichigo, to preserve the illusion that they were dating.
Ichigo was smug as his friends came over to the table to chat and not so stealthily perv over his date. Ichigo was not much of a dancer, and Rien had always managed to avoid the activity. They both were content to whisper and chat to eachother about what they had missed out on in eachother's lives. They sometimes included Tatsuki, when they were not talking about training or Soul Society, though they knew she had some idea about where they all occasionally disappeared to. Tatsuki had caught a whisper about 'a katana' and 'training', which led Tatsuki to welcoming the challenge of a new opponent, since she herself did kendo. Rien begrudgingly agreed to the insistent challenge, after Tatsuki insulted Ichigo's kendo skills by saying he was 'shit', and the throbbing vein in Ichigo's temple threatened to explode.
They all mostly talked about how sickening Inoue and Ishida were, and Tatsuki related a comically funny, but particularly nauseating story about walking in on Ishida and Inoue in the medical supply closet of the hospital when she was supposed to meet them for lunch.
Tatsuki had originally tried to compel Byakuya into a conversation, but found that it was like pulling teeth, and soon joined everyone else in ignoring his presence. Rien had found that she was able to conjure the original anger she should of felt when she first saw Byakuya. He should never have intruded on her one night with her friends.
Ichigo, Rien and Tatsuki were finally dragged to the dance floor by the energetic and love-struck Inoue. Ichigo and Rien non-committedly bobbed near eachother during and up tempo song. A slew of unknown men kept accidentally bumping into Rien, so she decided to move into Ichigo's personal space and put her arms on his shoulders for safety. Ichigo protectively scowled at all the guys chancing a glance at Rien's naked back, unthinkably behind their own partner's backs. Ichigo didn't know where to put his hands, and had them hover near Rien's hips until she pressed them firmly to her sides, to let him know it was ok. A slow song started and Rien and Ichigo exited the dance floor like and Espada had aimed a cero at it.
When they returned to their table, they encountered Byakuya turning down yet another offer to dance, from one of the many swooning girls who had congregated in groups to drool over him and discuss him from afar. It couldn't be helped, Rien thought, Byakuya looked better than any male model who could have stepped out of the pages of vogue. He just had this unexplainable presence about him.
He was in a place where no one knew or cared that he was Kuchiki Byakuya. His reputation did not precede him. They did not know to be afraid or stay away. Without the kenseikan and all those restricting layers of clothes to hide behind, his glare did not seem as stern, and instead made him look like the brooding 'bad boy' all the girls flocked to for rejection. And no amount of rejection seemed to deter them.
Byakuya suddenly stood up and expectantly put his hand out in front of his date, Tatsuki. Tatsuki automatically rose to meet him, and looked to Rien and Ichigo for help, but they both looked just as shocked as she was. Byakuya had decided to ask his date to dance and stop the barrage of silly girls offering themselves to him. He hated the way they accidentally fell into his lap as he sat at the table, or how they bumped into him when he leaned against the wall, but most of all he hated being polite and pretending to be interested in their feeble excuses.
As he danced with Tatsuki, he reflected on the numerous times he had had to supress the urge to call Senbonzakura out and release his bankai. Most of these occasions had been due to the predatory stares of some of the men, which at times made them bold enough to attempt to touch what was his. Rien's ability to dodge these advances and attempted touches had saved many of their lives.
Rien sat at the table and watched Byakuya slow dance with Tatsuki, she huffily folded her bare arms across her chest, trying not to make her irritation too obvious.
"Fucking idiot," Ichigo remarked next to Rien.
"You know he hasn't taken his eyes off of you all night," Ichigo informed her. Rien looked down at her shoe, tearing her own eyes reluctantly away from Byakuya. "And don't believe his bullshit that he's platonically watching over you, like he's some guardian angel or whatever."
"What he feels doesn't matter if he chooses to be alone," Rien reminded Ichigo.
"I'll be okay, I'm just going to get some air," Rien sighed to Ichigo. "Alone," she added as Ichigo stood up as well.
Rien walked out into the garden outside the ballroom, she stopped at the flowing cherub fountain in the middle. She sighed as she noticed couples passionately kissing in secluded corners of the vast garden. Rien looked up into the night and noticed how many more stars were visible at home.
Home.
When had she began thinking of his house as home? It was not his house, it was him, she realised – wherever he was felt like home. That's what it felt like to kiss him, or be in his arms – home, like she was exactly where she needed to be.
Rien closed her eyes to listen to the music filtering in from the dance floor, mingling with the night time air. She had enjoyed her evening with her friends, it was exactly what she had needed, she realised – besides the fact that Byakuya had intruded. Yoruichi had been right, the dress and its effect on people had made her feel attractive, even the unwanted attention had been nice for a change. It had felt good to feel desired once more. Every man in Seireitei was afraid to approach her due to the unsquashable, unfounded rumour about her relationship with Byakuya. Rien closed her eyes as the wind caressed her face and a new song began playing.
"Would you do me the honour?" His deep baritone shocked her into reality. Her eyes suddenly snapped open.
"I…I've never…I don't know how," Rien explained as she stared at his expectant hand in front of her. What she should have said was No, because she was mad at him and didn't really want to.
"Trust me," he uncharacteristically said, in his smoothest tone.
Rien immediately placed her hand in his, out of reflex. The way his misty grey eyes held hers made a nervous tension automatically rise in her – like he was just a guy, and she was just a girl, and he was asking her for something more than just a dance.
And all I can taste is this moment…
She put her left arm on his shoulder, and placed her small right hand within his, noticing the contrast of his silver skin against her gold lustre.
And all I can breathe is your life…
She controlled a tremble as she inhaled his subtle sakura scent. The gigai's hands felt so different now that Byakuya was within the empty shell. She tried to keep a polite distance but his right arm wrapped possessively around her without hesitation.
Cause sooner or later it's over…
His fingertips teasingly moved down her bare skin to finally rest on the small of her back. His elegant hand was warm and large enough to eclipse the small of her back. His warmth made her shiver in his arms.
I just don't want to miss you tonight…
He possessively pulled her shivering body against his, always holding her gaze. He could not resist having her in his arms any longer.
And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand…
He didn't care who saw, anymore, this was where he wanted to be. With her, always. His movements were so sure, she could not help but let him lead, take her wherever he wished. She was dancing, with the man she loved – it almost seemed unreal.
When everything's made to be broken…
His touch almost paralysed her, but his decisive movements and skill made them look graceful together. Almost floating, but barely moving from the spot where they ebbed and flowed into eachother, transfixed.
I just want you to know who I am…
Byakuya leaned down slightly and relinquished her gaze. He let his cheek brush hers as he held her even tighter against him. His mind, body, and soul felt at peace for once, and he allowed his eyes to contently slide shut and her strawberry lavender infusion to intoxicate him.
And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming…
He knew every logical objection to what he was now doing. How could he expect their relationship to last past this moment? Then perhaps he would have to make sure that this moment never ended.
Or the moment of truth in your lies…
He loved her.
...
"Byakuya-san…OH, oh…sorry," Inoue gushed, turning scarlet.
Rien instantly recoiled, deftly slipping out of Byakuya's arms.
"I…I guess it can wait," Inoue said, turning on her heels.
"No...No, it's okay," Rien tried to assure her, now also turning an interesting shade of copper.
"Oh, um…" Inoue turned to address Byakuya, noticing his unhappy glare. "I just wanted to tell Byakuya-san that Tatsuki got bored, so Ichigo took her home," Inoue explained, wishing with all her might that she hadn't interrupted the intimate scene. She had never seen two people happier to be in eachother's arms, than the second before she had walked in on them.
Byakuya simply nodded in acknowledgement.
"Ishida and I are also leaving." Inoue concocted the lie on the spot. "I was wondering…,"Inoue began, but was not allowed to finish.
Rien began to walk towards Inoue and away from Byakuya. "You're right, I'm also quite tired, maybe we should…" Rien was in the mood to run as far and as fast as she could.
"Yes, maybe Byakuya-san can take you home," Inoue determinedly suggested, slyly winking at Rien. Rien's face was pleading, but Inoue ignored it and waved goodbye to Byakuya.
By the time Rien had managed to build up the courage to turn around, Byakuya was annoyed. This made Rien become irritable – what did he have to be annoyed about.
"Can we go?" she asked in irritation.
"If you wish," as cold as ever.
Rien turned around and walked determinedly through the ballroom, and exited into the parking lot. She felt warms hands place a toasty black jacket over her shoulders.
"You're freezing," he dismissively commented, as she gratefully slipped her small arms into the sleeves of the large sakura-scented jacket.
"This way," he added, walking off.
Of course he would hire a limo. He probably researched dance etiquette, like he was preparing for a mission rather than a night out. It irritated Rien. They silently sat the on either end of the limo for the short ride home.
The Urahara house was dark when they entered, and Rien tried to be as quiet as possible. Not even bothering to look at him. Her anger at what had happened seethed within her. She stormed off to her room, without another word or glance to him. He did not look happy with her either, and she felt she was doing them both a favour by not discussing the incident.
How could he! How could he dare torture her that way? She knew she would pay for allowing herself to stay in his arms, long after his smug enjoyment dissipated. He just wanted to feel wanted, she decided, like she had felt when those unknown guys fell all over her and complimented her. She had promised to stay away from him, and when he held her, she felt that promise slip away. She was just as mad at herself as she was at him.
"Why the fuck won't this open," she struggled in anger. "YORUICHI !" she beckoned, she could now care less if she woke the whole fucking house.
Byakuya shunpo'ed in, barely wearing his undone and unbuttoned dress shirt, still in his black suit pants. She had interrupted him. "Is something wrong?" his tone was urgent.
"Does your name sound like Yoruichi? Yor-uich-i," she angrily sounded out her sister's name. "Doesn't sound like it to me," Rien added, turning away from him.
Fucking distracting, that's what he was!
"Yoruichi and Urahara will be out on patrol all night. I thought you might be in danger," Byakuya explained, glaring at her and slamming her door shut. She turned around to glare back at him. She felt a small leak of reiatsu before he controlled it and stalked purposefully towards her. Rien backtracked until she hit the foot of her bed. Constantly holding all his reiatsu in made it difficult to concentrate on other things – like concealing his emotions and lying to her. He caught her bare shoulders, just like he had the other day.
"What is it?" he asked, his tone deadly.
"Nothing," she lied.
"It was obviously something. My patience with you…," he growled.
"You can't help," Rien insisted, melting into his warm hands even then.
"Try me," he offered, he was losing steam being this close to her.
"The zip...is stuck," she whispered, turning copper.
"Oh…," he was surprised.
"Turn," he used his most commanding voice. She obeyed, but looking at her beautiful unmarred skin was distracting. His fingers traced the outline of her body. Women's clothing was confusing. He felt her shiver beneath his touch, and it caused that unrestrained feeling to rise within him again.
"Where is it?" he whispered behind her ear, knowing from previous experience what it would do to her. The electricity pulsed through her body, and she allowed herself to lean against his exposed chest, her bare skin now touching his.
It was too much.
He moved her strawberry hair over her shoulder again. Byakuya undid the clasp behind her neck, Rien caught the cascading fabric before it exposed her. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck. "Not that one," she nervously said as she shyly spoke over her left shoulder. She manoeuvred her hand between them, to the base of her spine. He reluctantly moved away and looked at what she was doing.
"It's not at a good angle for me," she added, trying to distract herself from the torture she was now experiencing, and remembering to hold the front of the dress up at the same time.
Dead kittens, she thought.
He placed his one knee on the ground, making himself eye level with the disobedient zipper. It took almost no strength to open it and release the hugging fabric. He automatically began to blush at the beginnings of black lace as he was a centimetre from the top. Her free hand immediately stopped him.
"Thanks," she nervously said. "I think I can take it from here," she stated, holing the partially opened zip together with her free hand. She did not turn around to look at him, or the dangerously handsome way his hair fell over his desire filled eyes as he rose up to tower possessively over her. She could not play his games anymore. He wanted her to kiss him and forget, to love him and forget, to touch his soul, and in the very next moment forget it all. No more! She could not pretend anymore.
Dead kittens.
He wanted to stay, but he could feel her silently scream for him to leave. He said nothing. All she heard after suffocating silence was the click of her bedroom door as it opened and then closed.
Dead silence.
Author's Note
This is of course just my opinion, but when I read this back, it seemed like this chapter would naturally be a few Bleach episodes. I thought it had all the drama and quirkiness of a real Bleach episode and Rien seemed to be organically apart of all of their lives (Which is what I was going for – but you be the judge). Both Byakuya and Rien have such strong personalities, that I sometimes feel like I have no control over them even though I'm the writer.
I was thinking of Byakuya in that 'Tonight, Tonight' intro Bleach used to have a long time ago, and I couldn't help myself. I wanted Byakuya to be out of his comfort zone, and to see how much of his control would slip if Rien was instead in her comfort zone– the Real world. The song was Iris by Goo Goo Dolls. Inoue and Ishida are so adorable together – I wish it would happen for real in the anime. Ishida deserves to be happy, and yum.
I hope everyone is happy with these story progressing chapters. How do you like my new, more in depth, author's notes? Like I said, the jury is still out on whether or not I will publish anymore, so read and review. I would like any constructive feedback.
~Willow~