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As usual, please enjoy this update and please leave a review when you're finished. This is a lengthy chapter and things are starting to gain some steam! Let me know what you think!

Chapter 16

Breaking Boundaries Pt 1

Miyako groaned quietly as she started to wake up. Taking a deep breath, she tried to gain clarity about what was going on. She felt the plushness of her bedding and the warmth that it provided; it was like a warm embrace. She could feel the morning sunshine kiss her cheeks. She had a headache, but it was nothing that she couldn't handle.

'I must've had too much to drink last night…' she thought as she gripped her comforter. 'Matter of fact, what the hell did I drink last night? I feel like I've been hit by a dozen menos grande…I only had a couple of drinks!'

Lost in her thoughts, she tried to recall the night prior, until something else had seized her attention - the faint, distinct aroma of sandalwood, patchouli and cinnamon. Her heart started to race, her eyes shot open. She followed the scent to the man sleeping beside her. Never did she ever think that she would wake up next to the most sought after bachelor of the Seireitei. Mere inches away from her face, Byakuya slept soundly, sporting the most relaxed expression that she had ever seen before, his raven hair free from his iconic kenseikan.

Her mind started to swirl; it went everywhere that it shouldn't have gone. Yes, there were times when they were physically close, but this was on a whole new level. They were just at odds hours ago and now they were sharing sleeping space. The temperature in the room was getting hotter; she was tempted to lay back down to kiss his slightly parted lips and wondered how they would feel against hers, having him all to herself. Then she quickly came back to reality. Her fantasies, explicit in thought, still didn't explain why the captain was this close to her. She clenched her covers and pursed her lips as she tried to think about how this could've happened. Her face now officially red, she tried gathering her voice. She couldn't help herself with the shriek that escaped from her mouth.

"Byakuya!"

Alarmed from her howl, Byakuya woke up and sat up, his eyes finally meeting with her wide ones. He found her reddened face to be charming.

"Good morning, Miyako." he responded, just like this was their normal routine. It drove her insane at how calm he was.

"G-good morning?! What are you doing here?!"

Not skipping a beat, he stared at her with his usual stoic stare. It didn't help her feel any better about the situation. How could he be so calm?

"You fell ill last night, so I tended to you until I was certain that you had recovered. You had a difficult time. It would've been irresponsible to leave you alone."

Miyako blushed and turned away. Heart still racing, she could only imagine what ensued the night before. She was hoping that she didn't act or say anything too out of character. With that thought, she pondered on his words.

"Alone? But wasn't I with Isshiki?"

Byakuya managed to keep himself calm, not flinching in the slightest. He could still remember that look on the boy's face when he carried Miyako away into the night.

"Yes, you were with him," he informed her. "But he was unsure on how to assist you. Needless to say, in your state you had both of us very worried."

Guilt started to set in. 'Wow...I must've been a huge burden on them…and poor Isshiki...I feel like I just ran out on him...'

Miyako clenched the lavender cover. "I'm sorry...I should've been more conscious of how much I was drinking...but I don't remember drinking much…"

Her guilt was quickly ushered out of her head when she felt his warm, strong hand cup hers. Blushing again, she managed to get caught in his gaze, the two locking eyes in what seemed like forever.

"There's no need to apologize."

"But…"

Byakuya frowned at her tenacity. His slate eyes bored into her with a commanding fire, matching her turbulent ones.

"Just drop it, Miyako."

Silent, she looked away. She peaked at Byakuya from the corner of her eye. His stare remained the same. She should've known that he would dominate the moment; he was Byakuya Kuchiki, after all.

"Thank you…"

"You're quite welcome."

"I know that you told me that there's no need to apologize, but again...I hope that I wasn't too much for you. I apologize for inconveniencing you."

"Not at all. What is most important is that you've recovered. How are you feeling?"

Miyako assessed her state of health once more.

"Aside from a headache, I'm fine."

"That's good to hear." he replied as he stood up. "If you feel like the headache is debilitating, you should rest. I'll excuse you for the day."

"No, no, no!" she protested. Miyako started to run her fingers through her hair. "I'll be fine! Honest! I'll just take some medicine, freshen up and I'll report to work right away."

Byakuya looked at her briefly before turning to the entrance of her tea house.

"Very well," he replied. "You'd better hurry; your presence is required in an hour and a half. You'd do your best not to be late."

Leaving her in the house, she watched his fleeting form, the blush still taking residence on her face. She gripped the cover again and took a deep breath. Falling back onto her pillow, her heart was filled with gratitude; she couldn't help but fall deeper into the pit that she told herself not to fall back into.

After he had taken Miyako away from Rika's drinking party, Byakuya quickly rushed her back to her compound. Her drink had proven to produce undesirable side effects, forcing her to vomit and become lethargic. When the vomiting slowed, he made sure that she was comfortable in her futon before briefly returning to the manor to create an alibi. There, he put on a stellar performance, pretending like he was immediately retiring to bed before sneaking away to be with Miyako once more.

Sound asleep when he returned, he stayed up for a few hours to make sure that her illness had truly passed before he was ready to join her in Dream Land. Using a spare blanket that he found in a closet, he finally laid down beside her and drifted off. Although he didn't spend his night on a futon, it proved to be a pleasant sleep; her comforting scent aided in his sleep. Her finding him beside her proved to be not as awkward as he thought that it would be. He could tell that she was embarrassed about what had happened, but he didn't care. He refused to leave his friend in such a vulnerable state.

He almost hated that he had to leave her behind, even though he would be seeing her again in less than ninety minutes.

Minutes later, he effortlessly slipped back into his living quarters, heading straight to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Looking into the mirror, his mind drifted off to her innocent, embarrassed facial expressions; his heart warmed at the thought. In innocent moments like that, she proved to be very beautiful. Byakuya stopped dead in his tracks.

'Beautiful?'

He rubbed his face hoping to impossibly wipe his blush away. He officially had Miyako stuck in his mind. Miyako had the smile of a goddess, sparkling golden eyes that beamed with life and excitement, silky hair, the kindness of a saint and most importantly, a powerful and talented shinigami. It was no surprise that Isshiki was interested in her; he knew how valuable she was. All in all, Miyako was...

'The perfect woman…'

Gasping at the thought, it was his turn to purse his lips. Did he really think that in his heart of hearts? When did his outlook on Miyako shift so dramatically without him realizing it until now?

But it didn't take long for guilt to set in when Hisana's ghostly image flashed in his head. Conflicted and frustrated, he threw the both of them out of his mind. He had a job to report to.

Shinigami everywhere were hustling to get to their appropriate barracks. Byakuya had made it to his office long beforehand and left to head out to the courtyard. Passing by the entrance, he was flagged down by an intern, his favorite one, in fact.

"Captain Kuchiki!" Isshiki called out. "A word, if I may, sir!"

Resisting the urge to give him the iciest glare he could muster, he quickly sported his default expression and turned to face him.

"What is it?" he asked, his tone cold. It didn't go unnoticed by Isshiki.

"I know that you told me not to talk about it...but I must know! Is Miyako okay?"

Isshiki in that moment was the epitome of 'defiant', annoying Byakuya to high heaven before the day really started. He would've replied with an authoritative statement, but the situation had quickly changed. Instead, he answered with a question.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Isshiki took note of the captain's eye of attention. Turning around, he could see Miyako sprinting towards them.

"Miyako!" Isshiki called out.

Miyako was quick to approach Isshiki and Byakuya with a pleasant smile.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning! You look great! How are you? Are you okay? I was really worried!"

"Yes, I'm much better now, thanks for asking! Captain Kuchiki was kind enough to escort me home and leave me in Captain Soifon's care."

Byakuya smiled inwardly; although he detested a liar, they both knew that no one needed to know their business. He considered it a nice white lie.

Isshiki gave a sigh of relief. "I'm glad to hear that! You look great!"

His words hitting a nerve, Byakuya quickly left the two alone without them noticing.

"Thank you, Isshiki!"

She quickly turned her attention back to Byakuya, trying to continue their charade.

"Thank you Captain -"

She was surprised to not find him there. 'When did he leave?'

Not wasting time, Isshiki cleared his throat to get the attention back on him.

"Shall we go, Miyako? We'll be late if we don't hurry."

Snapping out of her thoughts, she noticed the silence around them.

"Oh yes...let's go!"

"You all are finished for the day. You're dismissed." Byakuya announced coolly as he sealed in zanpakuto.

"Thank you, sir!"

Everyone began to disperse to head home. Stretching, Miyako let out a huge yawn. Today wasn't a bad day, but she was still feeling a little under the weather from the drinking party. She had only three plans for the night - skipping any sort of training and social events, eating, and going to bed as early as possible. She couldn't wait to relax and get a good night's sleep.

Noticing that she was the lone occupant in the courtyard, it was her turn to exit. As she entered the corridor to the exit, she felt a pair of eyes on her.

"It's nice to see you up and on your feet, Miyako."

Entering from another hallway was Rika, stopping Miyako from leaving. Miyako gave her a suspicious look.

"I heard that you got sick last night and left early. What are you, a lightweight? Can't hold your liquor like a big girl?"

Miyako instantly scowled at her. "And here I thought that you actually were giving a damn about me for once, Rika."

"Why, I've always cared about you, princess!" she replied sarcastically.

Miyako scoffed. "Whatever. If you're trying to pick a fight, I'm not in the mood. Goodnight!" she said, not wasting any time leaving. "Go find someone else to antagonise!"

Scowling at Miyako, Rika had been seething since the party. Her plan failed miserably. The highlight of the night was Byakuya actually coming to the party. She managed to get his attention away from Miyako for a brief moment and had the chance to sit next to the man of her dreams...only for it to backfire on her and him taking his leave after Isshiki and Miyako went missing. The plan was simple: buy a round of drinks and slip a surprise drug into Miyako's drink to make her sick. Isshiki was supposed to whisk the drugged princess away and take care of her, but he came back with his tail between his legs, unwilling to give up any information about Miyako and Byakuya's whereabouts, only that she had gotten sick. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what had happened.

'Livid' didn't even begin to describe how she felt that she had lost to Miyako again. She couldn't lose now.

"You faked your illness to get Captain Kuchiki's attention, didn't you?!"

Miyako didn't waste any time turning on her heels and glaring Rika down.

"What did you just say?"

Indignant, Rika closed the gap between them.

"You heard me! You did that on purpose! You keep lying about how you feel about him, and it's obvious!" she said, shoving Miyako. "I hate women like you!"

Fired up, Miyako was ready to pounce.

"And I hate women like you! These baseless accusations coming out of nowhere and fighting over a man that clearly isn't interested in you! And if you ever put your hands on me again...I'll make sure that you won't have any hands to put on me."

Ice laden words ignited a fire, provoking Rika to start a fight.

"I dare you, hussy!"

"Watch me, harlot!"

The two were ready to draw their zanpakuto until they were interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Hey! What are you two still doing here?!"

They stopped and straightened up for a certain someone.

"Lieutenant Abarai!" Rika shrieked.

"We apologize, sir. We were talking and lost track of time." Miyako lied.

Renji eyed them suspiciously. You could cut the tension with a knife, He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was no dummy.

"You two can come back later. Now go home!"

"Yes, sir!"

Bowing, the two quickly made their leave, but not before giving each other menacing glares. Renji sighed.

"Women…such catty creatures!"

With the moon high in the night sky, Byakuya had retired to his room, bathed and ready to relax before finally going to bed. He took a moment to appreciate the night sky and a cup of tea as he sat on the wooden veranda that overlooked his private garden. The next day would prove to be a light one; the interns had their weekly one day break, making it much quieter around the barracks.

He had to admit that the recess brought feelings of disappointment and with that, brought conflict and guilt again. Now that he was on good terms with Miyako, he enjoyed seeing her often, even if he didn't show it outright. His days seemed more relaxed now that he had a friend that he didn't have to hide his true self from, one that wouldn't judge him harshly. Her smile had been enough to brighten his day, but lately he had grown to yearn for more...much more than he had anticipated.

His heart skipped a beat when his mind traveled to this morning...sleeping next to her, caring for her wellbeing...it felt almost natural. Not only that time, but when he held her close as he showed her the power of his shikai and bankai. He kept telling himself that his actions were to protect her from injuring herself, but the more he spent time with her, he found himself slowly falling for her, wanting to have her close.

A blush crept up on his pale cheeks, but he quickly felt guilty as Hisana's image had flashed in his mind again. Lips pursed and brows furrowed, he clenched his fists tight around his ceramic cup. He looked over in the direction to her memorial, feeling more and more guilty as he thought about recent developments - the recurrent visits to her grave were becoming less frequent, the dark, empty void was becoming lighter and his disheartening thoughts concerning his loneliness were dwindling by the day. He didn't know what to say to Hisana.

Before his mind could go any further, he was interrupted by someone outside his door.

"Pardon me, master." an elderly voice called out. "But your package from Harada has been delivered. He sends his regrets about its delayed arrival."

Grateful for a distraction, Byakuya met the manservant and retrieved the package after thanking him. Hurrying to his adjoining office, he settled at his desk and reviewed the item before giving his approval. Looking back outside, he left out a heavy sigh. Never did he think that this would happen to him.

'I'm sorry, Hisana…'

He closed the package; he hoped that the gift would be to her liking.

'But I care for her..!'

Having difficulty shaking off his guilt, he quickly stored the gift away before trying to get some sleep.

The next day proved to be a tense one. Miyako sat against a tree in the clearing where she and Byakuya had crossed paths again months ago. Unabara stood tall in the dirt as Miyako meditated.

Miyako screeched in frustration as she walked around the castle, Unabara watching her master walking back and forth in a short line.

"Miyako...I know that you've been having a rough time lately, but -"

"I CAN'T STAND THAT TWAT!"

Unabara sighed; it would take a miracle to calm Miyako down at this rate - she had been fuming about Rika's accusation since yesterday, making her inner world more turbulent than the zanpakuto had liked. Miyako, on the other hand, didn't care. How dare Rika open her mouth and accuse her of something like that? How dare she try to pry into her and Byakuya's business? And she dared to put her hands on her? That alone was a death wish.

Instead of having a relaxing night, she had spent the night blowing off steam in her compound. She was so angry, she even had a rage filled dream. So Unabara had the pleasure to experience the rage fuming up close, worrying her.

"Miya-"

"She always has something to say! I'm two inches away from beating her into the damn ground!"

"Miyako! Don't resort to violence...that's not very ladylike!"

Miyako, who had completed what seemed like her five hundredth stride, turned on her heels and looked her zanpakuto in the eyes with a look that could boil water.

"Forget politeness!" she screeched, making Unabara cringe. "And what do you mean 'don't resort to violence?!' I'm a shinigami! That's my life's creed! I eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner!"

As Miyako kept fuming, it didn't take long before Unabara noticed something that her master didn't.

'Oh thank the Soul King!' Unabara thought gratefully.

"If she does one more thing, especially put her hands on me, I swear I'll -"

"Hold that thought!"

Miyako was about to blow a gasket, making Unabara nervous.

"I promise that this is good!"

"WHAT IS IT?!"

"You have a visitor approaching!" she announced with a smile.

Miyako raised a brow until she caught on; the reiatsu was undeniable, causing her to blush and giving Unabara a stifled chuckle.

"...I have to go!" she blurted out, not wasting any time in running away.

Miyako came back to reality as she felt her guest zero in on her location. Approaching her slowly, Byakuya appeared from the forest and stopped at the clearing with his gift in tow, secretly nervous about her reaction to the gift. Tucking it under his large sleeve, he sighed before clearing his throat.

"Miyako."

She gasped when his rich voice reached her ears and hoped that she didn't look too bad. She didn't waste time to turn to him, greeting him with a big smile. Him being there washed the anger away.

"Byakuya!"

Not moving an inch, he maintained his stoic composure.

"What are you doing here? I thought that you would be back at the barracks completing paperwork or performing other duties."

"There's nothing wrong with taking a well deserved break. It's important to rest and heal when needed."

'Yeah and I couldn't relax because of that damn Rika! I shouldn't have let her get under my skin like that.'

Miyako nodded in agreement. "You're very wise, Captain Kuchiki." she replied with a smile. "With that said, do you want to join me for a quick snack break? I have your favorite!"

Byakuya raised a brow. "And what would that be?"

"Rice balls, of course!"

"Stuffed with salmon and topped with sesame seeds?"

"So you do pay attention to me! You really are my friend!"

Byakuya held back a chuckle. 'You never cease to bring some humor into my life.'

"I don't see why not."

Smiling, Miyako looked up to the sky and looked over to the setting sun. "This looks like a good spot." she whispered.

Miyako grabbed a wrapped bento from beside the tree filled with rice balls, strawberries, and green tea before the two sat down and got comfortable. Miyako offered him food before helping herself to some. Thanking her, he started to partake in the simple snack that he had grown to love.

The two ate in silence under the maple trees, the light breeze rustling the vibrant leaves. He watched her from the corner of his grey eyes; she was smiling as she looked up to the leaves. He grew nervous as he thought about giving her the gift; nervousness wasn't something that he was accustomed to experiencing. To say that it was an uncomfortable feeling didn't explain how he truly felt. Although difficult, he brushed it off; he could only hope for the best case scenario.

"Here," he interrupted. He handed her a small box that was tightly wrapped in a twilight colored silk. Taking it from him, she eyed the box curiously. "What's this?"

"It's for you. It's a gift. I thought that this would suffice as an apology gift...I apologize for being so adamant towards you. I realize that you didn't mean to assault me that night. Also, I never should've let my feelings from the past cloud my judgement or be an excuse for my less than stellar behavior."

Miyako gave him a small smile. "It's alright, Byakuya. I understand...it's in the past now. I've put that behind me."

His heart was warmed quickly at her innocence. He tried to enjoy it as much as he could.

"Thank you for the gift! Is it alright if I open it now or would you prefer if I wait until later?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, he quickly focused his attention back on her.

"You may open it now if you wish."

Her smile grew wider as she untied the knot, revealing a polished cedarwood box. She opened the top, briefly glancing at herself in the built in mirror. Looking inside the box, she pulled out a clam shaped object that was the size of her hands combined. Miyako ran her hand over the top of her new gift. The shell was smooth and shiny, made from hand carved stamped pearls. The grooves were adorned with pearls, making it sparkle at every angle.

"It's a clam shell…" she said softly. "It's beautiful! Thank you! I can't get over how beautiful it is!"

"It's not just a clam shaped object," he interjected. "Open it."

She was surprised that she didn't notice the sapphire rim that divided the shell in half. She gasped when the opened shell started playing a gentle melody.

"I remember when you used to visit the manor when we were children, you talked about the sea quite often. I thought that you would enjoy something like this, so I had this commissioned for you. It also reminded me of your zanpakuto." he explained. "The way you have shown me your power...your essence over the past couple of weeks...I thought that this suits you perfectly. Feminine and opulent with the essence of the sea, it is the perfect embodiment of your soul."

His cheeks had a faint tint of blush which deepened in hue once he saw how her eyes sparkled. With a full smile, she closed her music box once the melody ceased. She couldn't help but blush. The gift was wonderful, but his words were much more. She felt like they had grown closer in that moment.

"I love it!" she replied. "I really do! Thank —"

She stopped once she recognized that they were much closer than she realized. Byakuya had subconsciously bridged the gap between them, trapping her in his intense stare. She could feel his breath touch her lips as he gazed into her eyes. He was caught in the soft, inviting glow her eyes held; they were kind, innocent and gentle. She could smell his cologne from around his neck. The soft, woodsy scent of sandalwood and sakura had tempted her to come closer. Feeling the pull, Byakuya began to lean in closer, his lips parted slightly. Miyako held her breath; it was as if he was commanding her to match his energy and she couldn't help but submit to him. The moment that she had daydreamed about in her most private moments was about to take place. She was about to be kissed by the man that she held a massive amount of affection for. Nothing mattered in that moment, except the meeting of their lips.

Byakuya cupped her soft cheek and brought her closer, closing the gap between them. Enthralled by his warm, firm lips, Miyako's mind swirled as she lost all of her strength. Beginning as a tender kiss, he quickly deepened the kiss, lightly nipping her top lip and taking her to heights that she never reached before. He took her breath away when she shuttered a gasp, taking the opportunity to wage war with his tongue. Byakuya was rewarded with a moan as she melted in his arms, making him more hungry for her. She didn't want him to stop, to keep holding her tight and make her his; the kiss was pure ecstasy. Shortly after, a quick breeze snapped Miyako out of her trance and she pulled away, her cheeks a deep scarlet color. Needless to say, she surprised Byakuya.

"I-I-I should go…" she blurted. "It's getting late."

The sun was almost below the trees. Miyako stood up and dusted her robe before wrapping her gift.

"Thank you again for the lovely gift." she said while bowing.

Dumbfounded, Byakuya snapped out of his trance. Her words made him realize what just happened. It was his turn to stand. "You're welcome. I'm pleased that it was to your liking."

Miyako nodded. "Have a good night!"

"Good night."

She quickly disappeared from his sight, leaving him to ponder about what happened between them.