bakerstreet | the sleep meme

[Byakuya had fallen asleep in his office again. Luckily, he hadn't fallen asleep sprawled over the wet papers that he'd spent the last few days writing and double checking. There are still so many details to go over that between running the estate, the division, and being Kuchiki Byakuya at some cranky nobles, his sleep schedule has been curtailed.

He's stretched out, sleeping peacefully for a change...]

[ Rukia honestly had only stopped by to pay a small social visit. Their visits were usually brief, quiet (neither one of them were real talkers) and involved a lot of drinking tea and watching the tree in the courtyard shed blossoms. It suited them. But once she discovered her brother asleep on in his office, she'd pulled out a blanket and covered him.

And then sat herself next to him to wait.

Which had naturally led to sleep, and one tired Rukia leaned up against him. Between her training schedules, the times she got up early to train without her squad, and other duties .. hell, she was exhausted too. ]

[One thing he misses about being married is the warmth of a body next to him. He's never slept well, but with warmth next to him, he sleeps better. Politics deem being a deep sleeper is tantamount to suicide.

But warmth next to him seduces. It teases him, telling him it's okay to sleep deeper, to relax for a time.

His mind plays tricks, reminding him of times... of Hisana's eyes in the sunshine, of the earliest streaks of dawn caressing her cheeks, of leaving her sleeping, when duty called him away - far too often.

His body shifts, accommodating the warmth next to him and the briefest of contented sighs escapes him. For the briefest of moments, he can be content.]

[ Unfortunately, since Rukia has slept alone since separated from her Rukongai friends in childhood, it is the feeling of someone shifting and moving next to her that eventually wakes her. And for the first moment, she's disoriented and unsure where she is -- this isn't the squad barracks.

It's the careful, measured breathing that stops her from reacting, and the recognition of the cherry tree in the courtyard. The Kuchiki home. Her brother. The brother who rarely ever let her see him sleep, worked tirelessly. The brother who saved her.

Surely there was no harm in letting him sleep longer, in letting him think she was someone else. With her back to him, she could be Hisana.

She wasn't blind to how much she resembled her sister.]

[It's the quiet that wakes him. It's never quiet when he sleeps. There's always a guard near. There's always the sound of someone moving, or quietly speaking near by. So, when he doesn't hear those things, it wakes him.

His first reaction is one of intense anger. How dare this little upstart crawl into his bed -

But it isn't an upstart. It's not one of the noblewomen that he's found in his bed in the past. He knows that profile. For just a moment... No. He can't even pretend. He knows who it is.

He manages not to sigh in pain and loss.]

Rukia.

[ Oops. She's been found out. But what to do? Pretend she tripped and just kind of fell like this? Not exactly plausible and her brother wouldn't believe it for a second. He wouldn't have patience with her if she played dumb ... at least, not for very long.

Why not just tell the truth and accept her punishment? ]

Nii-sama.

[ She murmured, still not moving. Rukia does glance over her shoulder, though, studying him. No need to be ashamed, though her cheeks are tinged with a slight blush. ]

I came for a visit. I must have fallen asleep.

[Byakuya slowly pushes himself up and moves. His haori is wrinkled and his hairpiece askew, but he manages to project nobility and composure. He hides the grief he feels at waking up without Hisana yet again.

His long fingers straighten the haori infinitesimally. He doesn't look over his shoulder at her.]

You are well?

[ That wounds. He won't look at her. Still, it's up to one of them to try and function, and she sits up, settling herself and rubbing her cheek with the palm of her hand. What was this .. feeling of desperate loneliness? The feeling of sleeping next to someone and still not being able to reach them?

Hesitantly, one of her hands quested out to straighten his hairpiece, the movement slow enough so that he could stop her if he liked. ]

Yes. You were .. sleeping when I arrived, Nii-sama.

[He hates that he forgot. Forgetting means the pain hits him afresh. He cannot... He doesn't move, allowing her a liberty that he would never allow anyone. He has relented, some, in his mind. He does care for her, but the pain still pokes him sometimes.]

Your duties go well?

[He struggles to say something, anything, that would reassure her. He's more embarrassed that he'd fallen asleep, than anything. He's still the Kuchiki, and needs to be that. Always.]

[ There was nothing that would put her heart at ease more than knowing that he was happy, or that, at least, he didn't hurt so badly. Letting that ghost hang between them .. was painful. It was hard to be happy when he was not. ]

Yes. Ukitake-taichou dismissed me early. He said .. [ Oops, is she coloring slightly? ] That you'd probably be working and I should put you to bed.

[The time to be bold is probably now. Her hand is still in his hair, anyway, even though she's long since fixed his hair ornament. And they're still close. At least he's looking at her. ]

Was your day ... difficult?

[He almost snorts. Ukitake always knows that he works too hard, that there are things that the leader of a clan must do that cannot be delegated. He's always wonders how Ukitake finds time for banzai - though if his lack of skill at it is any indication: he doesn't very often.]

It was not. Merely long.

[He knows there are things he should tell her... things they should discuss. But they aren't her burden to bear, but his. Still, it would be... unfair not to speak to her about it.]

Rukia, there are things of which we must speak.

[ She's not blind to the fact that as the head of the Kuchiki house, Byakuya has many burdens. Without his guidance and word, she would have never had the opportunity to join the house and take on his family name, let alone join her squad and receive the training she had received. But. Could he not share some of his burdens with her? Could she not help him? ]

Nii-sama...

[ She's .. afraid of this talk. Apprehensive. It's been a long time in the future, and now that it was finally here, she hardly knew how to react. ]

I am .. listening. To anything Nii-sama might have to say.

[Byakuya finally turns to look at her. Rukia, so like his Hisana in appearance, and yet different from her in personality. He's starting to see the differences, rather than the similarities between them. But there are still moments... times, when the pain overwhelms him and he just wants to be alone with his memories.]

You are a Kuchiki. As one, you have duties.

[He doesn't want to talk about this. He doesn't want to think about any of it.]

Some of those duties are unpleasant yet expected. Of both of us.

[He reaches out and takes a pile of the papers.]

These are marriage proposals. For the fukutaichou of Thirteenth Division.

( whatever she had been expecting, especially after the familiar speech about 'duty' and honor and upholding the Kuchiki family .. she had never thought her Nii-sama would admit that some duties were unpleasant. still, he knew best about those things, as the family head.

but she hadn't been expecting marriage proposals. )

F-For me?

( she couldn't retain her stoic composure when they were talking about something like this; her cheeks flushed, but underneath her blush, she turned pale. marrying .. someone? she hadn't thought that would be required of her; she was only an adopted member of the house. but if she was the heir, then.. )

Do I have to accept them?

[He ticks up an eyebrow at her. She is the current heir and even if she were not, there are many who have guessed that she is far more important to him than he allows to show. Through her, they have access to him, and thus the Kuchiki clan.]

Most are, yes.

[The other stack is for him. Something he has had to become very adapt at sidestepping.]

You do not. I want you to be aware of them.

( had she stayed in the Rukon, this would not be a choice she would have to make, one day. had she refused the adoption, she would have been able to stay with Renji and perhaps never made it into the squads at all -- but this choice.. seemed impossible. men she had never heard of before, men she didn't even know were offering to marry her.

and she couldn't defer forever. )

How .. long do I have? Before I have to accept one?

( as an heir, it was her duty to produce another heir, yes? adopting again would likely be troublesome. her adoption had been. if it hadn't been for her Nii-sama, though .. so many things would be different.

she owed him this. )

[Byakuya ticks up his eyebrow. He turns to face her fully. He had not expected her to say that.

He weighs his answer for a few moments, wanting to reassure her that he would not allow her to be in a loveless marriage. Had Renji offered, Byakuya would have considered.

He's not dead yet. He can marry and produce a child. There's still time.]

You do not have to accept any.

[Ever, if he has his way. The sacrifices are for him to make, not her.]

the sleep meme

I AM NOT SORRY

NEVER BE SORRY kdnaivea;

OKAY I WONT! XD

:)

I'm just gonna sit over here and sob at these two.

sobbing forever. ;o;

Why so broken ;-;

ugh i am so late, sorry ;o;

I backtag forever :)

:)

I love your Rukia. So much heartbreak...

i was just about to say the same about your Byakuya! ;;

Aww, thank you! I don't get to play him very often :(

He's definitely fun to play with!

Thank you. Your Rukia is lovely.

Thank you very much o///o

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