V. Classic
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As always, it was raining. It always rained on Hisana's deathday. Rukia liked to think that it was a sign from whatever higher power up there. The good die young but they are always remembered. The rain drops pitter-pattering around her were tears streaking down from the sky.
Maybe they were Hisana's as she looked down at her from wherever she was now. Did she miss the sister and the husband she left on Earth?
"Rukia, you're here early."
Byakuya looked as handsome as she remembered. Even now, he defaulted to grey and black- colours of mourning in his wardrobe. The dark grey suit that he had on him was ironed and pressed immaculately, as was his hair- still sleek and black, trailing a little over his shoulders. His pale skin and aristocratic features were haunting against the backdrop of the grey skies and rain. She looked up from the flower bouquet in his hand; his other, holding onto a black umbrella. Cherry blossoms and white tulips were Hisana's favourites.
"Nii-sama," she greeted him with a bow, holding onto the umbrella in her hand. She was adopted into the Kuchiki family after Hisana's death. It was her dying wish. Even on her deathbed, Hisana wanted to gift her only sister the warmth and companionship of a family; someone or something solid to tether her in this world even when she's gone.
The two non-blood-related siblings rarely saw each other. Byakuya was a business tycoon and the Kuchiki Corp HQ was at the heart of Seireitei City. Karakura was a day's drive away for him.
They didn't say another word to each other as Rukia began to lay out the offerings. She made some kappamaki and cupcakes. Crispy cucumbers were a favourite for both Hisana and herself. Rukia's bouquet of white tulips was already laid underneath the marble slab. Hisana's smile was always gentle, her eyes kind, as she smiled at them from the picture on her tombstone.
With that done, she moved away to allow Byakuya to pay his respects. He was a silent man, making no noise apart from the rustling of the plastic packaging as another bouquet of flowers joined Rukia's side by side.
Rukia pressed her palms together in a prayer, her eyes shut as she shared the latest going-on's in her life with her sister. Wordlessly, she told her sister everything about the mission, about her reconnecting with Renji again, about how she couldn't wait for the investigations to wrap up and leave town.
Unexpectedly, she talked a lot about Ichigo- her new fake boyfriend. Rukia snorted. Hisana was the kind of person who would be more than a little invested in her little sister's love life. If she were still alive, Rukia imagined that her older sister would be more than a little nosy about the man, pointedly asking her if this pretend relationship was not so 'pretend' after all.
Rukia told her about the dinner at the Kurosaki's, about how she found his father a little violent and strange, but overall well-meaning; his sisters were sweet. Karin was the sort of girl she wouldn't mind being friends with and Yuzu's chicken curry was almost as good as the curries that Hisana used to make.
"I missed you," she whispered softly at the end, opening her eyes only to see that Byakuya was already done. The man waited patiently for her to finish even as the rain was getting heavier. Even with his umbrella, Rukia saw that there were wet stains on his suit.
"Let us go now," said Byakuya. Rukia nodded curtly. Her shoes were getting wet too. It didn't make sense to linger now as the wind began to pick up as well. It was best to get out of the rain before Nii-sama caught a cold because of her.
The stone steps were a little slippery as they made their way down. Byakuya very gentlemanly offered her a hand on the way down and Rukia held on tightly, thankful that the stairs were broad enough to allow two people to pass through.
The cemetery was mostly empty on a weekday. Rukia could not help but pay attention to the other family she saw. With them being some distance away and the rain pelting heavily, she could only make out the shapes of four people standing, holding umbrellas over their heads. The big umbrellas further obscured their faces, but they were from what Rukia could make out, an animated group.
There seemed to be some shouting going on between the two men and two women. Then, one of the men started running and the other started chasing. Both of them were fast approaching. Her grip on Byakuya's arm tightened as she came to a stop.
Rukia frowned. She could have sworn that dark-haired man looked a bit like—
"Third daughter!"
Isshin was the man running ahead and Ichigo, the man chasing after him. Isshin made an emergency stop, only barely just managing to halt in time to avoid slipping. Seeing the man's rapid acceleration, Byakuya had wordlessly stepped in front of Rukia, shielding her from the imminent danger. He was sure that he had made the right decision when he saw how the strange man was unshaved and behaved suspiciously, calling Rukia his third daughter and chatting excitedly about how 'Ichigo' and the rest of the family was also here.
Byakuya's lips were pressed into a thin line. What sort of lumbering lunatic was this? Running around in the rain, did the man have a death wish? If he hadn't been here, the buffoon would have knocked Rukia over!
"My dear third daughter!" Isshin squealed happily. "Let Papa give you a big hug! It's been so long since we last saw each other! Papa is a little hurt that you're acting like this!"
Rukia could feel her eyes twitching. Isshin's dramatic flair was second to none. It's only been three days since she had dinner over at the Kurosaki's.
Byakuya dug in his heels, fixing Isshin with a baleful glare. The Kuchiki signature death glare stopped Isshin dead in his tracks, his arms were still opened wide but he didn't try to push past Byakuya. Ichigo meanwhile had finally caught up, grumbling angrily and cursing a blue streak.
"Old Goat-chin! You better not have drunk all the sake—"
Ichigo's first instinct when he saw his old man looking sheepish in front of a well-dressed stranger was that Isshin has once again fucked up somehow and offended the man. The suit on the stranger looked expensive. Ichigo wondered if he was going to have to offer to pay the man off. His eyes quickly widened in surprise when he saw Rukia's face peeking behind the stranger.
"Rukia?"
If Ichigo didn't know any better, he would think that Rukia was following him. They had nothing planned for the next few days. What were the odds of the two of them randomly meeting up in a cemetery?
"Rukia, do you know these men?"
Byakuya sniffed delicately, worried about the sort of company that his sister kept these days. The older one behaved erratically. The younger had obnoxiously dyed hair. Maybe it was time to set her up with some bodyguards.
Rukia didn't immediately answer. She noticed two women approaching their direction from behind Ichigo. That must be Karin and Yuzu. Rukia couldn't believe her luck. Much like Momo, she had no intention of involving her brother in this charade at all, but it was much too late to back down now.
The show must go on.
Rukia heaved a tired sigh, digging her nails into her palm as she forced herself to smile. "Yes, Nii-sama."
She pushed past him to loop her arm around Ichigo's, tugging him along to meet Byakuya. She smiled what she had hoped to be a winsome smile. "Byakuya-Nii-sama, this is Ichigo- my boyfriend. And Ichigo, this is my brother."
Ichigo held his hand out politely for a handshake, but found himself lowering it under Byakuya's withering glare. He gulped a little nervously. If looks could kill, he'd probably fit right in with the other departed souls in this plot of land.
Isshin however, wouldn't know how to read the room even if his life depended on it. Like a golden retriever but much less cute, the older man draped his arm over Byakuya's shoulder like he was an old friend.
Isshin grinned. "Nice to have you with us, Byakuya! Rukia calls you her big brother. So I guess that makes you family too! Welcome to the family!"
He slapped Byakuya hard on his back and before the man had a chance to slap his offending hand away, Isshin reached over with the same hand to ruffle his hair playfully. Both Rukia and Ichigo could only watch on in horror. Byakuya as the victim, was simply too stunned to react. But his glare once the shock has passed, was venomous and threatened to send Isshin straight to an early reunion with his wife.
Rukia could feel her head throbbing as lightning streaked through the sky amid Isshin's boisterous laughter.
This was going to be a long day.
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The Kurosaki home was much closer so the two families decided that it was best to make a stop there.
Isshin went to change out of his wet clothes. Yuzu made a beeline for the kitchen, making tea for everyone. She served them alongside some homemade shortbread biscuits that Rukia reminded herself to ask the recipe for later.
That is to say, much later after this.
Ichigo sat across the table from Byakuya. If his twiddling thumbs were any indication at all, Ichigo was nervous about meeting his potential brother-in-law. Karin snickered, watching on in amusement. Like Rukia, she was nursing her own cup of tea, nibbling at her biscuit.
In stark contrast to Ichigo's nervousness, Byakuya waltzed into the kitchen as though it were his own and immediately claimed ownership of the seat opposite Ichigo once he sat down. He removed his blazer jacket, draping it carefully over the back of the chair. The long-sleeved shirt underneath was white and he had his sleeves rolled up to expose his wrists.
Rukia winced, giving Ichigo an apologetic look. That was the stance her brother took when he meant business and Byakuya was absolutely ruthless when it came to it. As Yuzu pulled out a chair, joining them at the table, the questioning a.k.a. the trial of Ichigo Kurosaki began at the hands of Byakuya Kuchiki.
Byakuya folded his hands. "What are your intentions towards Rukia?"
Ichigo gulped. "I like her."
When Byakuya's eyes narrowed at that, he hastily added, almost biting his tongue in the process, "very much. I like her very much."
"You like her?"
Ichigo scowled. Byakuya kept his face impassive, but his tone was condescending. He made it sound like a five-year old could have come up with a better answer to the question than he did. Besides, what was he supposed to say?
That he loved Rukia to the point where he couldn't even fathom the idea of a life without her?
That he loved her to the point of invention?
Ichigo inwardly cringed. Those lofty love declarations were too fake and more up Rukia's alley. He'd rather die before he let those words leave his mouth. Even if they are faking their relationship, there are some lies that Ichigo drew the line at. He didn't feel right to have to sacrifice his dignity to sound so pretentious. Karin would never let him live it down if she heard him.
Byakuya didn't stop there. "So you like Rukia, or rather, in your own words—" He frowned, resisting the urge to snort— "you like her very much. You would desire nothing more from her? You do not have plans of marrying her?"
Marriage?
Ichigo almost dropped the cup of tea in his hands. Whoever said anything about that? It was bad enough that Rukia made him out to be a lovesick fool in front of all his colleagues; he didn't make a habit out of lying to people, even if it were someone as rude as Rukia's brother.
Byakuya's face twisted into a face of contempt. "You don't want to marry my sister? What is this to you then, Ichigo Kurosaki, a summer fling to pass the time?"
"Now, wait just a second! I didn't say anything about not marrying Rukia!"
"Oh? So you do plan on marrying her then? Why didn't you say so in the beginning? Unless..."
Ichigo frowned. He could feel the looks of disgust coming from Yuzu and Karin. "I-It's not like that! I didn't say it b-because—" He got it! Ichigo cleared his throat, trying his best to channel his inner Rukia— "I am not good with words. I was too embarrassed to—"
"Is your ego so fragile then that you find it hard to even say what you mean?" Byakuya shook his head. These youngsters these days. "Does being with my sister embarrass you? Is your love for her something that you should feel ashamed of?"
Rukia hid her head in her hands. What a horrible mess this has all turned into! Ichigo was clearly no match for Nii-sama. She almost felt sorry for him.
"Nii-sama, please! Ichigo—"
"What do you do for a living, Kurosaki?"
Rukia piped up from beside Ichigo, reaching over for his hand and squeezing it as a sign of support in front of her brother. "Ichigo is a doctor. He works at Karakura General. He is very good at his job. His patients love him. I—"
Byakuya held out a hand, cutting her off. "I wasn't asking you. Let him speak for himself, Rukia."
"O-Of course, Nii-sama."
Rukia visibly deflated at that. She gave a weak smile and let go of Ichigo's hand in favour of keeping them folded on her lap. To Ichigo, it almost seemed like she was trying to make herself look smaller.
Ichigo frowned, suddenly annoyed. His grip on his cup tightened.
In his line of work, he has had to deal with some unpleasant people. He learned through experience the importance of biting his tongue and holding back on his honest opinions about their behaviour to not get into trouble. In a lot of cases, it really wasn't worth it.
Ichigo took in a deep breath, reminding himself that this just was not worth the trouble. This was them staging a show to convince Rukia's brother that they are together for the sake of clearing his name. He really should just suck it up and let it go. It was just a charade anyway. He didn't need Rukia to be mad at him later for allegedly 'offending' her brother. The midget would find ways of blaming everything on him if she could.
Rationally, he knew that. He truly did.
But he just couldn't.
He chalked it up to the fact that he didn't like bullies. Ichigo fought for the underdogs. He stood up for the nurses and other doctors when a patient got abusive and crossed the line. Byakuya with his fancy suit and upper-crust drawl, was being a rude and self-entitled jerk. It was bad enough that he was there commanding the use of the Kurosaki family kitchen like some sort of jury holding court; why did he have to speak to Rukia like that?
What sort of prick was he?
Ichigo may not always get along with his sisters but he would never speak to them the way that Byakuya did to Rukia, cutting her off brusquely. Karin would flat out murder him if he used that commanding tone with her and Yuzu would simply bar him from sitting at the dinner table for the next week until he apologized.
Why should he get away with it?
Rukia didn't deserve to be treated like this. She should not have to take this crap from her brother. This subservient, deferring attitude that she had was really starting to annoy him.
He set his cup down loudly on the table, gaining everyone's attention at the table.
"Apologize!"
Byakuya blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," said Ichigo with his arms folded and leaning forward. He glared at Byakuya, refusing to back down. "Apologize to Rukia for the way you spoke to her."
"Ichigo," Rukia hissed as she tugged at his hand nervously. She was horrified by how rude Ichigo was to her brother. "Stop this right now!"
Then, turning to Byakuya, she bowed. "Please forgive Ichigo, Nii-sama. He does not have a good way with words. He means well though. If you—"
Ichigo scowled. "Don't apologize for me, Rukia. I didn't do anything wrong. In fact—" He pointed a finger at Byakuya rudely— "you should be ashamed of your behaviour. You waltzed into my home and commandeered the use of my sister's kitchen. Being rich doesn't mean you get to speak to people like that. Rukia didn't do anything that would make you use that tone with her. So apologize!"
Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "I'm her brother. I know what's best for Rukia."
"All the more reason for you to step up and apologize then. If not—" Ichigo pushed his chair back noisily, jerking his thumb at the direction of the front door— "you know where the door is."
The entire room fell quiet. Karin and Yuzu watched the drama unfold with their eyes wide open, not wanting to miss a single minute of it all.
Rukia was shaking. The idiot should just shut up.
In the years after Hisana's passing, Byakuya became her family. The Kuchikis are an old family. Things were hard for Hisana when she married into the family, even with Byakuya's support. It was said that when her sister passed, the elders threw a party while the funeral was being held in Karakura. They thought that Byakuya, their young clan leader's rebellious and hair-raising streak has ended with the death of Hisana. The elders nearly suffered a conniption when Byakuya announced that he wanted to have Rukia adopted as a member of the Kuchiki family. Yet, despite the many objections from them, Byakuya was insistent on her taking on his family name.
Byakuya wasn't cold or indifferent to her. When the media blamed her for her inability to save the last victim of the Suzumushi Bay Killer, Byakuya put his contacts into action. Kuchiki lawyers were expensive but they were worth every dime.
He fought against centuries worth of Kuchiki traditions for her and Hisana. To honour Hisana's dying wish to give her only sister the warmth of family, Byakuya stood by her, a little too silently perhaps, but he was always there when she needed him to. Ichigo didn't know what he was talking about at all. Byakuya may not verbalize it as much but her brother loved her- always quietly supportive of her choices.
Rukia knew that she had a lot to be grateful for. Nii-sama had given her a place to call home when no one else would. He never intervened or commented on her choices when it came to joining the police force, just as how he didn't even bat an eye when she decided to put it all behind her and resign.
So what if he was a bit overbearing; what if he intimidated her sometimes with his presence and unsmiling face?
Byakuya was still her Nii-sama, the only family she has got left and her only connection to Hisana left in this world.
She turned to Ichigo, snapping, "Shut up, Ichigo! You don't know what you're talking about! Nii-sama —"
Rukia stilled. She could have sworn she heard laughter. It was a man's laughter- low and husky. Ichigo's look of confusion was almost comical. He looked aggrieved- an expression of hurt coming over his features directed at her for snapping at him when he was the person standing up for her.
Rukia gave a sheepish smile, quickly turning around to look at the other man in the room.
"Nii-sama?"
The sound of Byakuya's chuckles made her eyebrows arch. It has been years since she saw her brother let slip even a hint of his emotions. Hearing him laugh was almost unheard of, at least not since her sister passed.
"Very well," said Byakuya when his bout of chuckles finally subsided. He collected himself, but the smile that grazed his lips remained present. Rukia mirrored his smile unthinkingly. Her brother looked much younger and carefree when he was smiling.
The older man turned to Ichigo. "I approve of you, Kurosaki."
Ichigo's jaw hit the floor. He could see where Rukia got her crazies from. It was clearly a family thing. Byakuya was no better. Was he some sort of masochist?
"U-Um... thanks? I guess?"
At this point, Ichigo didn't know if he should be afraid for his life. What exactly did Byakuya's approval entail? He gave Rukia a look, but she was too mesmerized by the sight of her smiling brother to give him a glance.
This was so unfair!
Ichigo frowned. He chided himself. He was not sulky of course. He was just... annoyed. It was exactly as he has foreseen. Rukia only had eyes for her brother. Never mind that he was the person who stood up for her when Byakuya was being an ass, or- or the fact that he was right and Byakuya was so ...well, mean, for the lack of a better word.
He harrumphed, turning his head pointedly away from Rukia, resolving to not give her another passing glance. See how she liked to be treated like that then! What a thankless job this was!
Byakuya seemingly unsuspecting of any of Ichigo's dissatisfaction, was still smiling faintly as he told the two lovebirds. "The Kuchiki summer house by the Kinogaya Bay has been left empty for quite some time. I will be hosting a party there next week. I would like to see both of you there."
Then, giving both of Ichigo's sisters a friendly nod of the head, he said, "Naturally, your family is also more than welcome to attend as well. The guest rooms will be made ready for overnight stays."
Ichigo grimaced. He opened his mouth ready to object. He had an actual job to do. Rubbing elbows with the rich and powerful at a party hosted by his fake girlfriend's brother is not how he wanted to spend his days.
Byakuya saw through it before he could even voice his opinions. "I am sure that you can find some time out of your busy schedule to attend the little get-together. The Director of Karakura General- it's still Ryuuken, if I am not mistaken. I'm sure he can be persuaded to spare you for a few days next week."
Ichigo clenched his jaw. It was pointless to go against Byakuya at this point. The hospital is always looking for sponsors. Rukia's brother looked rich and behaved like a haughty noble. Ichigo knew that Ryuuken wouldn't think twice about passing over his surgeries to his colleagues, making sure that he would have time off to attend the exclusive Kuchiki party instead.
"Ichi-nii, please say you'll go!"
When he turned, he saw not one, but three pair of eyes gazing expectantly at him. Kinogaya was famous for their beach resorts. If Rukia's brother had a summer house there, Ichigo was willing to bet it was built on a private beach as well.
Another glance at the girls confirmed that his sisters were raring to go. It was the perfect getaway. The weather forecast said the temperatures were set to soar next week. He sighed. He could never say no to Yuzu and if even Karin has put aside her pride to look at him like that, well— Ichigo knew resistance was futile. He was outnumbered and judging by the varying degrees of puppy dog eyes he was on the receiving end of, outmatched as well.
Sensing his reluctance still, Rukia dealt the killing blow. She grabbed hold of his arm, tugging at it while she pouted prettily. "Ichigo, Nii-sama has done us such an honour by extending this invitation to us. You will accept it, won't you?"
Money, Ichigo swore, was the root of all evil; and Rukia was the bane of his existence.
"Well—" Ichigo coughed loudly, clearing his throat. As his very attentive girlfriend (even if it's just a pretend relationship), Rukia didn't miss a beat as she began fussing over him. She patted him on his back, refilling his cup of tea and quietly passing it to him.
She tilted her head up at him. The flecks in her eyes seem to shimmer and sparkle like stars on cloudless night sky as they bore into his. This has got nothing to do with their catch-the-serial-killer assignment. She really wanted to go. Byakuya extended this invitation to her and Ichigo personally. She would love for nothing more than a chance to be close to her brother again.
Ichigo cleared his throat, louder this time as he forced his eyes to look away from the scene. The way Rukia was chewing at her bottom lip was ...distracting. He wasn't completely heartless. He supposed he could grudgingly accept the invitation and go.
For work reasons, mind you; and because his sisters forced his hand.
Definitely not for Rukia's sake.
"Fine! But no one breathes a word about this to Old Goat-chin, ok?"
"Deal!"
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Author's note:
你说，白哉作为一个合格的老父亲，怎么可能就那麽简单地把咱们的女鹅交出去呢？更何况，某人还大言不惭。
一护，加油啊！