VI. Hunger and the Moonless Night
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Ichigo forgot how loud the girls could be on a road trip. Behind him, Yuzu and Karin were singing along to the music playing in the car very loudly, and on Karin's part, a tad bit off-key. He sneaked a glance at Rukia who was seated shotgun, when she started belting out the chorus of the song. There were, he realized with a start, many hidden sides to Rukia; things he had not expected to find out about his fake girlfriend on a road trip to her brother's summer home by the beach.
Rukia was a great singer and she knew the words to the songs by heart.
It also didn't hurt that she has good music taste. An hour into the journey, Ichigo grudgingly allowed her and the twins DJing rights for the trip. Of course, that was before the girls decided to deviate from Hotel California and the classic rock playlist.
Now they were stuck with the cheesy 80s power ballads. Ichigo swore that he was going to be tone-deaf by the end of the journey.
Rukia had her eyes shut, carried away in her rendition. She played the part of the heartbroken singer well, exaggeratedly clutching her heart, while her face contorted into lovelorn anguish. The plastic bottle in her hand doubled as a mic and she threw herself into the last part of the chorus. The twins were generous enough to lend their voices and musical talents as the backup singers and virtuoso air-saxophonists.
Ichigo prided himself on being a responsible driver, but his line of vision kept slipping away from the road to land on her heart-shaped face from time to time. Something about Rukia captured his attention in the light. It was dangerous, not to mention embarrassing.
The twins were merciless in their teasing when it came to him about Rukia; no thanks to her 'performance' at the family dinner a few weeks back. A quick check at the rear-view mirror later, Ichigo silently heaved a sigh of relief when he realized the twins were in no mood to care- too busy with the musical performance, to notice his slip of the moment.
Rukia had a strand of particularly stubborn bang that kept sliding across her face. Ichigo frowned, hands on the steering wheel gripping extra tight to resist the effort to reach over and tuck it behind her ear.
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And I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
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He wondered if Rukia was a good dancer. Her body was swaying from side to side even when she was seated with the seat belt on, her feet tapping rhythmically.
What would she say if he asked her for a dance?
The song ended before they knew it. When Rukia did open her eyes, crooning the last notes of the song; it was to find her dark eyes boring into deep brown amber irises. She had a goofy smile on her face- different from all the smiles and simpers that she put on for others as a ploy to sell their story. Ichigo realized now what made Rukia look so different today, made it so that he couldn't help but sneak glances at her when he thought no one was watching.
Rukia looked so relaxed being here with him- with them in the car, singing car karaoke and sharing snacks. She told lame jokes that made the twins groan in unison, complaining that she was just as bad, if not worse than Old Goat-chin when it came to telling jokes, but Ichigo still found his lips twitching upwards despite his best efforts.
It didn't feel forced or faked.
Rukia wasn't his girlfriend, just as he wasn't her boyfriend. They were putting on a show, pretending to be in a relationship to catch a serial killer on the loose, but there wasn't a need for that today. There wasn't anyone they needed to convince that Rukia was his girlfriend, but it seemed like the most natural thing for Rukia to be seated shotgun, right next to him. It wouldn't feel right to have anyone else in the passenger side. The musical trio serenading him with cheesy love songs that he pretended to hate; just wouldn't feel the same without her.
Even if Byakuya's invitation was an unfortunate by-product of a game of charade getting out of hand, Rukia didn't have to join in on the singing, on being silly with the twins. She didn't have to bring snacks. Heck, she could have made up some excuses and planned her own journey to Kinogaya Bay!
But she did it anyway.
With her goofy smile and giggles from the girls, Rukia couldn't hide it if she wanted to. Let's face it; she wasn't that good of an actress!
She was really having fun by just being with him. She wasn't forced into this. She didn't mind spending time with him. It felt like Rukia today really enjoyed being here with him.
The thought was accompanied by a sudden feeling of warmth surging through him. He was looking at her looking at him and unbidden, he didn't even know that his own lips had twisted into a smile that mirrored hers.
He liked it too.
The eye contact didn't last long. Feeling the weight of his stare, Rukia ran a hand through her hair, brushing away falling over her eyes; a faint glow on her cheeks as she looked away. He did the same, clearing his throat loudly.
Behind them, Karin snorted. "You two are adorable."
With a mischievous grin, she inched closer to Rukia at the front, mock whispering, "He's been staring at you whenever he thought you weren't looking."
"Did not!"
"Oh really? Then why did you keep looking at the rear-view mirror at me and Yuzu then?" Karin's smirk widened. "Paranoid much? Scared that we'll tell on you?"
Ichigo snarked, "You do know that driving involves checking the rear-view mirror, right?"
"Not the way you were using it."
"You—"
Karin's phone rang unexpectedly, cutting Ichigo off before he could even begin.
"Aren't you going to answer that?" he asked. Her phone has been ringing off and on ever since they started their journey. There could only be one person ringing her right now and Ichigo almost pitied the man as he watched her slide her finger over the phone screen to cancel the call.
"No!" Karin growled. She folded her arms, throwing her phone back into her bag without a further glance. "Toshiro knows where I am, who I'm with. I'm still mad at him. It's his fault for cancelling on me last minute!"
"You know that he didn't mean it!"
Rukia rolled her eyes. Yuzu shook her head. A woman would know better. It was clearly Toshiro's fault. Her sister's boyfriend was a busy man, especially since he's only recently become partner at his law firm. Yet, he promised that he would find the time to join Karin on the trip.
Yuzu hoped for his sake that the last-minute business trip was well worth the pain of getting on Karin's bad side. Her twin did not forgive easily.
Ichigo was clearly lacking in the department of tact and sense, choosing to defend Toshiro's actions.
Karin when she was in one of her brattier moods, was stubborn and hardly one to step down. "I can't believe you're defending him, Ichi-nii! You're supposed to be my brother! I swear, you men are all the same!"
"Hey, I am not defending him!" Ichigo argued. "I'm just saying that you have to consider— Mhmmm!"
Rukia was suddenly inches from his face. Before he could even respond, she stuck a lollipop into his mouth, effectively shutting him up. When faced with his flared nostrils and cutting glares, she only laughed, shrugging her shoulders unapologetically.
"Whoo-kia!"
Ichigo's warning growl had the opposite effect that he intended. With his mouth full, he resorted to angry glares and dirty looks; but instead of feeling intimidated, Rukia couldn't help but snicker as Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed deeper and his lips twisted into a deep scowl. The look on his face was comical. The side of his cheek was bulging from the lollipop while his nostrils flared angrily. Rukia half-imagined steam coming out from his ears.
How she wished she took a picture of it!
"Stop arguing with Karin!" she told him primly. "We're already running behind schedule. At this rate, it'll be dark by the time we get there!"
The nerve of that woman!
Ichigo scowled. It had all happened so fast. He didn't even see her tear off the wrapper. She was a bad influence on his sisters. Yuzu and Karin were nearly helpless with laughter in the background about it, clearly following her bad example.
"And stop scowling," Rukia chided, reaching out with a finger to smooth out the knot of his furrowed brows, "you'll get wrinkles!"
Annoyed, Ichigo swatted her hand away and she made a face in response, sticking her tongue out at him. "Hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road," Rukia reminded him in a sing-song voice as she settled against the cushion of her seat, leaning back with an impish grin.
Ichigo muttered something under his breath but the girls unanimously chose to ignore him.
It was Karin's turn to pick a song next. To spite him, they picked the most girlish pop song they had on the playlist and began blasting it at full volume. Yuzu and Rukia easily obliged her as they began singing along.
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Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy
But here's my number, so call me, maybe
And all the other boys try to chase me
But here's my number, so call me, maybe
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Ichigo let out a loud groan at the bubblegum pop, but it only made the passengers in the car sing even louder. He stubbornly kept his eyes on the road ahead, determined to make his annoyance known.
He grimaced, lollipop swirling in his mouth. It certainly did not help that the damn thing was strawberry-flavoured!
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Summer air was just humidity disguised. Despite the AC in the car and the loud music, both Yuzu and Karin dozed off minutes apart from each other. Rukia considerately stopped the music.
For a while, it was just the two of them sitting in comfortable silence; the sound of the twins' quiet snores notwithstanding. Ichigo was a cautious driver and the road condition was good. They cruised along at a steady pace and should be at her brother's within the hour.
Rukia glanced upwards, peering out of the car window to stare at the evening sky.
Summer skies were still brightly lit at 7. Wispy clouds that looked to be dipped in cotton candy pink, blots of pastel, violets and oranges painting the evening dusk in a romantic hue. She eyed her own reflection in the passenger window. The breath that she let out was shuddering, fogging up the glass and clearing away just as quickly as it appeared.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Ichigo gave her a quick glance from the corner of his eye, arching his brow. Granted that they have not known each other for that long, but Rukia had her tells. It was rare for her to be like this in front of him. She was pensive, and dare he say it, forlorn.
"For what?"
"You didn't have to do this," said Rukia. "You didn't have to come."
Ichigo didn't know anything about her beyond the information that she had volunteered for this fake relationship. He didn't know anything about her past; how she left her position in the force in disgrace, or the deal she made with Renji for this mission.
He didn't know about Hisana, didn't even know that Byakuya was not her real brother.
Rukia knew she was being selfish to have him here with her. Ichigo had his hands full with the serial killer. He didn't have to play along with her in this game of charade and pretend relationships to this extent. This was personal and her brother's invitation was offered under the assumption that Ichigo was her boyfriend in real life. Nii-sama didn't know that she was only fake dating Ichigo.
Rukia was selfish enough to want to come to the party- not for the sake of the mission, but because Byakuya had extended the invitation to her and Ichigo. She would hate to disappoint Nii-sama.
Ichigo, she thought; should then at least know a truth or two about her. She owed him that much at least.
"Byakuya is not really my brother. We're not blood-related—" Rukia fiddled with the hem of her shirt, keeping her eyes focused on her own reflection staring back at her— "I was adopted into the Kuchiki family after my older sister died."
"Hisana married Nii-sama and made him promise that he would care for me as if I were his own after she died. He is a good man. My brother is a good man who loves me in his own way. He's just not very communicative of his feelings. I'm used to that. I know that Nii-sama did a lot for me. He never tells me about them of course, but I always find out eventually."
Nii-sama was a quiet man to begin with, but he was especially tight-lipped about the good that he's done for her; so afraid to burden her with the knowledge. Too bad the other Kuchikis would never let her forget that she owed everything that she was now to her brother's kindness.
Rukia avoided Ichigo's eyes, stubbornly keeping her attention on the passing scenery instead. "Nii-sama is the only family I have left. For Hisana's sake, I don't want to disappoint him. It'd feel too much like I'm letting her down."
She inhaled sharply. "I was being selfish. I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. You didn't need to accept Nii-sama's invitation. It had nothing to do with the mission and I wouldn't have begrudged you if you decided not to come.
"But you came anyway. I-I owe you one."
She turned to face him. The curve of her cheeks and the twitch of her lips haloed by the shafts of dying daylight. "Thank you for agreeing to come to this. I'm sorry if my identity as a Kuchiki came as a shock to you. I didn't think it would make things so complicated."
"Rukia—" Ichigo frowned, letting the information sink in. The heart-to-heart came as a surprise. He wasn't sure if there was a right response to give in reply. Rukia didn't seem like the sort of person who would find it easy to let down her walls or reveal her inner thoughts to someone she was only pretending to date, even if it were for the sake of catching a serial killer.
Even as she tried to appear nonchalant about it, Ichigo did not miss the slight tremor in her hands; the way her eyes struggled to meet his gaze. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. He didn't want her to feel burdened, to feel like she owed him something to make her stay.
He didn't know she was one of those Kuchikis; that the Byakuya Kuchiki he had the (ahem!) good fortune to meet that day in the rain was actually The Byakuya Kuchiki- CEO of the Kuchiki conglomerate and clan leader of the illustrious Kuchiki clan, a man that Ichigo has only seen on the cover of business magazines and TV. Now that was a family that made even Soifon's pale by comparison, boasting a much longer family lineage and family connections that were rumoured to include a Goddess from way back when.
But in all honesty, it really didn't make much of difference to him. Ichigo didn't know why Rukia seemed to think it was a big thing. She may have withheld information but he didn't begrudge her for it. This was never a real relationship to begin with and even if it were, Rukia was a grown woman who can make decisions about what to do with information about herself.
"You think too much," Ichigo said after a heavy pause. "This is about the mission. I have a bunch of holidays that needed to be used up before the end of the year. Some of them were carried over from the previous years. The Admin people have been trying to push me to use up those dates for months. You did them a favour."
Ichigo smirked, forcing his tone to sound light and unaffected. He has always been told that the best lies are always half-truths.
"If anything, with this late minute holiday, they think that you're the real deal. They're saying that the power of your love has mended me and my evil workaholic ways. Good job, Rukia! The whole hospital is convinced that we're dating at this point and that I am serious about you. About us."
He really was a terrible liar. The nervousness bubbling inside of him made him babble. "People in the hospital like to talk. I wouldn't be surprised if they started spreading rumours of us being engaged right after this. Besides, Byakuya was very generous. The twins would kill me if I said no to free accommodation and food to a beach resort trip.
"As for you being a Kuchiki, I didn't see how it mattered in this case. Being a Kuchiki didn't have anything to do with our relationship. It's your choice to let people know about your family connections and it's definitely not something you have to put in the file for the sake of a pretend relationship."
With the way she was so tight-lipped about herself and her family, Ichigo wondered if that detective- Renji, her ex-partner in the 'platonic-police-force-detective' sense, even knew. Not that it made any difference to him though. He meant what he said. It was Rukia's decision who she told her secrets to. She can decide for herself when to divulge it and if she never did, well then, so be it. He was sure she would have her reasons for not letting people know, whatever those reasons may be.
It was not his place to pry.
Ichigo bit the tip of his tongue, wary that he might be saying too much. He cleared his throat loudly. "You don't owe me anything, Rukia. So don't think too much about it."
"I see."
Rukia's succinct reply came almost as a relief for him. Ichigo nodded, his eyes glaring at the road ahead. His hands felt clammy but he didn't want to make any sudden movements. He didn't want Rukia to catch on to his lie.
He muttered a curse under his breath, wondering just why he had the unfortunate tendency to put his foot in his mouth. This was exactly the situation he wanted to avoid being in Rukia. He didn't want her to be like this around him.
Rukia believed that he didn't kill those women and came up with a plan to catch the real killer. Granted it was very much at the expense of his ego and pride, but that was much more than what the other detective did for him.
She even tried to defend him in front of her brother! And though it didn't amount to much, it was the thought that counted. After the past few weeks of pretend-dating, Ichigo wouldn't mind being friends with a midget like her.
Even if she was bossy at times, a pain in the neck on her good days and a proper sassy little drama queen when she wanted to be. Ichigo shrugged. He has always been told that his circle of friend is eclectic. If anything, Rukia Kuchiki was a much tamer and safer choice for a friend compared to some daredevils and maniacs like Grimmjow.
Blood-related to an aristocratic family like the Kuchikis or not, it didn't make any difference to Ichigo. He didn't think any less of Rukia for being adopted. Just as he won't treat her any differently for hailing from such a powerful family.
Rukia was just Rukia. With or without her illustrious family name, Ichigo couldn't see her behaving any differently than she is now. She would never be anything else to him but Rukia.
The silence stretched on a little too long to be comfortable. Just when Ichigo was about to sneak a glance at Rukia to gauge her response, she let out a soft snore.
He turned and sure enough, the midget was fast asleep.
Rukia was sleeping on her side with her back facing him. Her dark hair was mussed and messy, half-covering her face. Her mouth parted slightly, her chest rose and fell in time to the soft snores she let out. Ichigo scoffed, feeling the corners of his mouth twitching upwards despite his best efforts as he spent longer time than necessary staring at her reflection in the window. He really shouldn't be surprised.
"Sleep tight, Rukia," he whispered aloud, thankful that there was no one in the car to comment on his behaviour.
Just as there was no one to point out how he seemed to be driving slower, carefully swerving at bends, masterfully avoiding bumps and potholes along the way.
Ichigo maintained that he was an attentive older brother. He wouldn't want any of his sisters to wake up cranky.
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It was dark by the time they finally arrived at the Kuchiki summer house. Rukia didn't even twitch as Ichigo drove the car into the driveway. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by a team of neatly dressed uniformed staff, politely bowing at them in greeting. As his sisters quietly alighted from the car, shutting the car doors and grabbing their bags as discretely as they could manage; they found their luggage gently wrestled away by the staff and ushered into the main house.
With the flurry of sounds and movements happening around her, Rukia groaned. She turned over to her side to avoid the glaring light from outside. Unlike the dimly lit roads, here- bright yellow lights dotted nearly every inch of the parameters.
Predictably, the sleepyhead didn't like it at all. Rukia huffed, throwing her arms over her head to block out the light.
"It's too bright," she hissed. "M-Make it stop!"
Ichigo's lips twitched. He had never seen this side of Rukia at all. Was she like this in bed every morning before she woke up?
He side-eyed the smiling attendant dressed in his nondescript black and white suit. Unthinkingly, Ichigo moved, hiding Rukia behind him. He didn't want anyone else seeing her like this. He straightened to his full height and let his face settle into a practiced scowl. The overall effect was intimidating, more so when Ichigo lowered his voice, telling the hapless staff in the nicest possible way to go away.
He would be taking over from here.
A credit to the Kuchiki training he received, the attendant's smile only faltered for a millisecond at the sight of Ichigo's scowl before he valiantly offered to help them with their luggage instead. With the two pieces of luggage gripped securely in his hands, the man quickly disappeared from sight.
After a quick glance to make sure there wasn't anyone around them, Ichigo turned to face Rukia. His scowl faded. "We're here, Rukia. Time to wake up. Byakuya's still expecting us."
Rukia seemed to stir at the mention of her brother. After some grumbling, she slowly lowered her arms, hissing at the bright lights. Her groggy voice was huskier than normal as she forced herself to sit upright. The seat belt was unbuckled but she was still reluctant to move. She pressed her hand against the side of her heavy head, her eyes blinking blearily at her surroundings.
Rukia rubbed at her eyes, slowly letting her vision adjust to the lighting in her surroundings. She pushed her mussed hair away from her face, running her fingers through it to comb it into something more presentable.
The lush greenery dotting the parameters was familiar and soothing to her senses. She knew from memory that there was a small zen garden somewhere further away. The distant sounds of the ocean wave crashing against the shore, the salty ocean air— Rukia took in a deep breath, stretching languidly. Her tongue darted to lick at her lips.
"I-Ichi-Go?"
Ichigo's attention was drawn by the simple movement. Her lips were pink and up close, they seemed even softer than he imagined. Covered by a glossy sheen of lipstick (or maybe chapstick, Ichigo really didn't know about the difference nor did he particularly care about it at the moment); it made them look plump and almost succulent. It was enough to make him wonder what they would taste like—
Ichigo cleared his throat loudly. His mouth went dry. He didn't even want to know where those thoughts came from! He didn't make a habit of staring at Rukia's lips. He was just a naturally observant guy who noticed things around him. Rukia was his very demanding fake girlfriend. It was inevitable for him to notice things about her.
He decided that he must be hungry after driving all the way from Karakura.
Thirsty too, he thought absentmindedly, almost biting his tongue as Rukia's stretching unintentionally caused her shirt to ride up, giving him a glimpse of her pale skin underneath it. He hastily looked away.
"Let's get indoors. Yuzu and Karin headed in already."
Rukia nodded. She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. Still groggy, she hadn't even made it out of the car before she slipped. Ichigo hissed, reacting just in the nick of time to catch her. His arm curled protectively by her waist while the other held on to her arm, steadying her while he set her gently on solid ground.
He frowned. Since when did she become such a big klutz? If he hadn't caught her, she would have fallen flat on her face!
"Watch where you're going!"
Rukia waved off his concerns as she pried his hands off with a distinctive frown. Summer nights were just too warm for her. She just got out of the car and she was already sweating. Ichigo's body heat thrummed a little too warm and she had no intentions of being near a furnace in this temperature.
"I'm fine," she told him. Then, casting her eyes around her surroundings, she asked, "Where's my bag?"
Ichigo shrugged. "Your brother's staff came and took them away."
Rukia nodded yet again, wordlessly leading them into the Kuchiki summer home. Ichigo frowned at the size of the building and compound. It was really more of a manor and judging by the gated parameters and security cameras, Byakuya took his privacy and that of his guests very seriously.
Rukia seemed to know the layout of it well enough as she led them past the door, guiding them through the winding corridors. Soft classical music started to play the minute they crossed the threshold. There was no sign of any musicians but the overall ambience softened.
Ichigo immediately noticed the gleaming black piano and the shelves full of ornate knick-knacks. The living space of the Kuchiki parlour was a showcase of mahogany dark wood and beige. Ichigo saw art- tastefully selected and carefully curated. There were landscapes of rolling hills and sunset by the beach, but there were also portraits- aristocratic men and women with black hair and fair skin; sneering almost disdainfully at him, their eyes following the pair as they passed them.
Ichigo unwittingly walked faster, eager to put the weight of the stares behind him. The family resemblance was uncanny. Rukia told him that she was adopted but maybe somethings were stronger than bloodlines and familial connections. With her head held high, back straight and eyes dead ahead, Rukia looked regal and walked like she belonged in these halls.
It didn't take too long before they were greeted by a plump woman in her fifties. She stood straight and proper at the foot of the marble white staircase, looking sweet and grandmotherly with her tortoiseshell glasses and her curly grey hair cropped short just past her ears. She looked at them kindly, smiling as she dipped into a bow. Ichigo half-expected her to start pushing homemade cookies into their hands, cooing that they're underfed and clearly in need of sustenance.
"Rukia-sama, welcome back."
"Kanna-san!"
Rukia's face broke into a warm smile of her own. She had many happy memories with Hisana at this place. Unlike her Kuchiki relatives, the staff reciprocated the kindness that the two sisters showed to them. Kanna- the housekeeper had a soft spot for her. But being in a Kuchiki abode imposed an innate set of rules on how people behaved. Kanna was a Kuchiki staff and as such, was expected to adhere to a code of conduct as befitting of her training and services. Rukia would hug the woman if she could but that would get Kanna into trouble for being too friendly with the guests. She settled with touching Kanna lightly on her arm, saying, "It's good to see you again."
Kanna nodded. It has been a few years since Rukia-sama last visited the Kuchiki summer home. She looked a lot like Hisana-sama but there was a difference in the set of their eyes. Rukia-sama had fire in her, a flame and zeal for life that very nearly faded with Hisana-sama's passing. Kanna could understand why Rukia-sama would keep her distance from this place.
The happy memories must feel at times a little cursed, a sore reminder for what she has lost.
The housekeeper arched an eyebrow at the man standing next to Rukia, her tone still friendly but direct, "Who might this handsome young man be?"
Rukia sighed. This far into the charade, coming clean was no longer an option; at least not now anyway. It felt wrong to have to lie to Kanna, but she reasoned that if she had to lie to Nii-sama, then she had already crossed a bridge somewhere that she hadn't meant to, and the only way to go was forward.
She didn't miss a beat as she snaked her arm around Ichigo to tug him closer. She casually slipped her hand into his, intertwining their fingers, chirping happily to Kanna, "meet Ichigo. My boyfriend."
Ichigo gulped. He couldn't help but feel guilty, especially with the kind smile that Kanna gave him, but Rukia's presence at his side and the warmth of her hand in his kept him going. He chided himself. He should be used to this by now.
Yet, he couldn't explain the little somersault he felt in his heart at the mention of 'boyfriend'. Was it heartburn? He resisted the urge to rub at his chest. It must be something he ate or maybe his hectic skipping-meals lifestyle in the name of patients and surgeries was finally starting to catch up on him.
"Y-Yes." Ichigo extended his hand. "I'm very happy to meet you, Kanna-san."
At least he was polite, she supposed. This Ichigo was a handsome man. He cut a fine, lean figure in the fitted dark jeans and pale blue shirt. His mop of obnoxiously-coloured hair was unruly and could do with a good combing. His somewhat feminine name was misleading. The man didn't look soft or squishy. He looked a little too stern, too prone to frowning and scowling but the overall effect of it softened with the small twitch of lips that he gave her at Rukia's behest.
The strict Kuchiki-ingrained decades-long sense of propriety within her balked, but Kanna digressed, forcefully refraining herself from nitpicking at the guest's appearance. After all, not everyone could be as perfect as Byakuya-sama.
That aside, Kanna was more or less satisfied. The pair looked to be aesthetically-pleasing standing side-by-side. A very contrasting pair- what with Rukia-sama's dark hair and fair skin as opposed to the man's bright orange mop and darker, olive skin complexion, and their height difference. Rukia-sama looked impossibly daintier than her normal petite self, standing next to giant like him!
Kanna was a romantic at heart, if not a little imaginative. In the older days, a princess to a powerful clan like Rukia-sama would have needed protection from the many enemies, some out in the open, others hidden in the dark, who would seek to do her harm and harbour ill intent towards the Kuchiki family.
This Ichigo seemed like the protective sort. She didn't miss the way his eyes kept darting towards Rukia-sama next to him. She didn't think he even noticed the way his eyes softened when he was looking at her.
He would do. Kanna trusted him to keep Rukia-sama safe. Surely with a face like that, most people would think twice before crossing him!
As for everything else, like all Kuchiki household staff, Kanna trusted her master's judgement. Byakuya-sama would want the best for his sister and would not have invited him to the residence if he found the young man unworthy.
With that thought, Kanna's smile widened, gripping Ichigo's hand and shaking it firmly.
Rukia-sama has never brought a guest here. Tonight, her smile reached her eyes and there was a lightness to the way she carried herself. Ichigo hadn't let go of Rukia's hand even after the handshake ended. Of course, Rukia-sama hadn't let go of his either.
Ah young love!
Hisana-sama was a lovely lady who left this world too early with far too many regrets, most of them were for Rukia- the sister who was like a daughter to her. She would want to see her sister happy and loved.
"Hisana-sama would be well pleased with how happy you are right now, Rukia-sama."
No, she won't; thought Rukia to herself. Her sister would be at least slightly annoyed with her for lying. The only way to cover a lie was to create a bigger one and it all snowballs from there. Rukia knew that but it's too late to back down now and she did come clean to Hisana when she visited her grave.
"The guest rooms have been arranged and readied for your stay here," Kanna said. "Byakuya-sama has requested that the West Wing be made ready for Rukia-sama and your guests. Miya has already brought the two other young ladies to their respective rooms."
Rukia nodded. It was extremely generous of Nii-sama. The West Wing bedrooms has balconies that faced the sea. Naturally, it offered the guests the best view.
She let Kanna lead the way, trailing a few steps behind the housekeeper with Ichigo. Kanna was chattering ahead, her excitement evident about the upcoming party. Rukia didn't blame her. While Byakuya was known to host dinner parties, he didn't have them in the Kuchiki summer house in Kinogaya Bay. This place has a special place in Byakuya's heart. It was one of her sister's favourite residences when she was alive.
Rukia let her mind wander. Kanna stopped in front of a room and opened the door for her, flicking the lights on. The inside of the room was painted a soft shade of lavender. The four-poster bed took up much space in the center of the room. To the right, there was an ivory white dressing table with an ornately carved oval mirror mounted on it; a matching set with the large French armoire behind it. Her luggage has already been set down neatly by the foot of the table. The bedroom was ensuite. Rukia assumed that was where the second door in the room led to.
Shimmering sky-blue satin-like curtains hung above the open set of double doors that led to the balcony fluttered in the wind, caught in a summer breeze. It was a moonless night but she could see the handful of twinkling stars shining brightly in the night sky.
Rukia yawned. The bed looked so inviting. The silk bedcovers were silver and the feather pillows looked plush. Her mind was set on diving under the duvet, pulling it over her head and not waking up until the next morning dawned. The journey to Kinogaya Bay was more tiring than she realized.
Without a second thought, she entered the room with Ichigo behind her, her other hand reaching out for the door knob to shut the door once they were both inside.
"Ahem!"
Kanna's sudden coughing startled her. Rukia looked up to see the housekeeper staring pointedly at their linked hands.
Her face coloured under Kanna's knowing gaze. She hastily let go of her hand, feeling like it was on fire, especially when her eyes accidentally met Ichigo's, who was standing behind her. He wasn't faring any better, strawberry pink blush settling high on his cheeks.
Rukia was a little annoyed. Why didn't Ichigo say something? He wasn't really about to follow her into her room, spending the night with her; was he?
"If you'd follow me this way," Kanna said to Ichigo, hiding her smile behind her hand, "I will lead you to your own room."
"A-Ah, of course."
Ichigo rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly, chiding himself for following Rukia into the room like the fool that he was. Byakuya may be cold but Rukia was still his sister. As an older brother himself, Ichigo could easily put himself in the other man's shoes. He didn't think that Byakuya would appreciate the two of them sharing a room under his roof.
Rukia's hand in his- the warmth of it and the way she was rubbing circles with her thumb on the inside of his wrist. Ichigo didn't think she was even aware of what she was doing, but these little things— he bit the inside of his cheek; it was all very distracting.
He shook those thoughts away. He must be more tired than he thought.
"Don't worry." Kanna couldn't help but tease the blushing pair as she walked further down the corridor with Ichigo in tow. She opened another door at the end of it, moving aside so Ichigo can enter. "As you can see, the rooms are not that far away from each other."
Kanna watched on, noting to herself how rare it was to see Rukia-sama behaving so shy and girlish as the young miss duck behind the room and shutting it with a click. Ichigo did the same but only after Rukia had shut hers. Kanna smiled. The boy was hopelessly in love with Rukia-sama and only had eyes for her.
Ah, young love!
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Author's note:
I'm sorry I'm late!
I combined Day 8: Hunger, Day 9: Moonless Night and Day 12: Regal together to make up this chapter. 15 is a very good number and coincidentally, the number of pages it took to write this chapter.