Just A Boring Day

A/N: Yeah, just a boring day... As boring as it can get while screaming that Zaraki Kenpachi has appeared in Hueco Mundo to save Ichigo!!!!
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Zaraki growled to himself as he watched Byakuya stride past him and into Ryorin's room. He was sure... VERY sure, that that arrogrant priss had given him a very snooty shove-it-up-your-ass looks before going past him. Unohana put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "I suggest you don't, Kenpachi... This is a place of healing after all."

"He almost killed her, Restu," Zaraki snarled. "He actually used shikai on her."

Unohana shook her head slightly and sighed amid a muffled squeal of "Kuchiki-taichou!" and a thump that she supposed was Byakuya hitting the ground as Ryorin glomped him. Dear... she shouldn't have allowed Yachiru to bring in all those candy after all. "Kenpachi, let's settle this in my office, not here. I can offer you some sake while we're there."

Zaraki grumbled, but the thought of sake tempted him, so he gave in and followed the motherly captain back to the office where she firmly slid the door shut so no one could disturb them. "I didn't know ya kept sake here, Retsu," he said finally. "I thought this was a healin' Division."

"On the contary, I'll let you in on one of my dirty little secrets," Unohana said as she rummaged around in a cabinet and brought out a bottle of sake, setting it down in front of him. "I like drinking. It's just something that I indulge myself in sometimes, when I've had a busy day and I need to let loose a bit."

"Aa... Sou ka?" Zaraki's grin returned full blast as he reached for the bottle, uncorking it. His view of Unohana had changed considerably. Maybe he should invite her out the next time he went drinking or something... There was more to this woman that what met the eye.

Much like Kamaitachi Ryorin.

"So then, Kenpachi. Back to Ryorin. What makes you so protective of her?" Unohana threw the question at him when she saw that he had calmed down enough. "I don't think Yamamoto-soutaichou will be so pleased if you.. as you put it... 'shove Senbonsakura up his prissy, arrogant noble ass and watch him scatter shit'."

"Eh, ol' Yama-jii can burn and rot fer all I care..." Zaraki mumbled, taking a gulp of his sake. "Ryorin belongs to me. She's mine and I'll kill anyone that tries t' lay a finger on her."

"Why do you say so?" Unohana leaned forwards, unfazed by his manner of speech. "I take it that Ryorin is the only eligable female Shinigami in your Division, excluding Yachiru-chan, and she's been following you since you were in Rukongai. Maybe you have some kind of... crush on her?"

Zaraki eyed her, contemplating his next words. "Crush? I dunno..... Do I have a crush on her? Not possible, Retsu. I don't hav' anything t' do with her, 'cept make sure no one touches a hair on her head."

"So you're saying that she's like a daughter to you, nothing more? Just like Yachiru-chan?"

"Yeah..... No! I din' mean that!"

"Then? Please explain, Kenpachi."

Zaraki leaned back in his chair, an unreadable expression crossing his face. "Ch... I dunno, Retsu. There's jus' this unexplainable feelin' of wantin' t' protect her. Get what I mean? Like... havin' my zanpakutoh. I mean, ya can't live without yer weapon, can ya? Well, that's what it's like. I can't live without her. She's grown on t' me, the little Weasel. It's like somethin's wrong if she's not there to greet me, or spar with me, or get my hair out of these spikes every night."

Retsu souldn't help the smile that spread acroess her face. "Kenpachi, you may not believe this, but you're hopelessly in love with Ryorin."

Zaraki blinked. "Me? In love? Hn, love is a pansy word. I ain't gonna fall in love."

"If you don't believe me, maybe you'll find out for yourself when I tell you that Kuchiki-taichou's making a move on Ryorin."

Zaraki was gone like the wind. Unohana luaghed to herself and brought out another small bottle of sake, noting that the one she gave Zaraki was gone. "Ah, well...." Yes, she was evil sometimes.
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Byakuya fairly jumped when the door to Ryorin's room burst open and Zaraki stormed in. But Ryorin didn't seem fazed. On the contary, she beamed and leapt off his bed, right into the gigantic taichou's arms. "Taichou!!"

Zaraki caught her, hoisting her up on his shoulder as he sent a killer glare at Byakuya, who gave him a freezing look in return. "Stay away from Ryorin, ya priss. She's mine, ya hear me?"

"Ne? Tai-"

Ryorin's words were cut off as Zaraki's lips descended on hers in a kiss, startling almost everyone who managed to walk past. Byakuya's eyes had widened to the size of saucers, and Zaraki grinned ferally as he broke off. Hell, yeah. He could get used to this love thing.

Sereitei College

A/N: XD This came from going out with a bunch of friends during the holidays. Made me wonder about next year.... since we were having fun coming up with ideas to toture our juniors during THEIR orientation session.... xDD

Hmmm... Should I turn this into a crossover? Maybe... Expect Naruto charries to appear, then.

EDITED!!! Wheee! Thanks for your help, Umi!!! ^^
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Orientation week. The week all Freshies dreaded, and all Seniors loved. Kuchiki Rukia gulped as she approached the college, her grip tightening on the strap of her bag. It looked so big... too big in her opinion. Kuchiki Byakuya put a hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him. "Nii-sama?"

"Daijoubu. It's not as bad as you think," Byakuya said. "I'm here as a teacher too, if you need me."

Rukia smiled weakly. Her brother had transfered to this college as a History teacher, but she suspected that it was simply to keep an eye on her and made sure nothing happened. Byakuya was overprotective when he wanted to be, and especially when it came to his precious Imouto-chan.

And this Imouto-chan of his was going to be staying in a hostel with people she had never met in her life before. All the more reason for him to work in the college.

There was a honking of a car and the pair turned to see a shappire blue Mazda Rx-7 Spirit R with full modifications and body-kit behind them. "Hey!" A girl with sunglasses and two ponytails stuck her head out of the co-driver's window. "You're in the way! I have RA rep to go to, so it's not funny to stand there the whole day!"

Byakuya looked like he was about to say something, but Rukia just grasped his hand and whispered a pleading "Nii-sama...", so he shut his mouth and steered them both out of the way.

"Thank you." The girl wound down the window and the car drove off to the parking lot with a deep-throated double-turbo roar. "Are the students here always these rude?" Byakuya muttered to himself as they continued on their way for registering.
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Kamataitachi Ryorin yawned as she got out of Risa's car, swinging a sling bag over her shoulder. "Honestly, this is irritating. Why did I get the RA job when I'm not staying in the hostel? I'm in Sorority, for goodness sake!"

"Yeah well, I guess they ran out of seniors," Akamatsu Arisa said consolingly as she locked her car and patted the hood fondly. "But hey, I don't think it'll be that bad. From what I heard, Kurosaki-kun and Abarai-kun are in this as well."

"I know, I know... Oi!! Ran-chan!!" Ryorin called out as she saw strawberry-blonde pass by the corner of her eye, and ran to catch up with fellow Sorority, Matsumoto Rangiku. "C'mon, Risa-chan... Let's not be late, yes? OI!!! RAN-CHANNNNN!!!" She bellowed again to catch the busty woman's attention as she ran after her. Risa sighed and proceeded to follow, snapping open her handphone as she walked.
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The hall was crowded with chatting students milling around, waiting for the seniors to appear and give them their next scheldue. Rukia looked around nervously, her bags next to her. Byakuya had left her in the hall to report to the headmaster, and she was alone in a sea of unknown faces that would probably become known to her in the coming year. There was a tap of the mike and a soft voice said, "Minnasan, please settle down. We will be giving out your scheldue for the day soon."

Rukia looked up at the stage to see a tall purple-haired girl standing there with the mike in her hand. She had a kind face and a pleasant smile that made Rukia feel tons better than she was when she first walked in. Squinting, she attempted to read the name on the badge that she was wearing. "Ko.. te... tsu...... I... I..."

"Kotetsu Isane." A voice said next to her and she turned to see a short blnde haired girl. "She's my sister. I'm Kotetsu Kiyone. And you are?"

"Kuchiki Rukia." Rukia smiled and shook Kiyone's hand. "Hajimemashite."

Kiyone grinned and reached back, pulling a boy by his arm. "And this goat here is my best friend, Sentarou! Goat-face, meet Kuchiki Rukia."

"Who are you calling goat, you booger-girl?" Sentarou snapped, then smiled sheepishly at Rukia. "Hey there, Kuchiki-san! Don't listen to whatever Booger says about me. She's a daft, idiotic-"

"What the hell, Goat-face?!" Kiyone yelled. "No, you should listen to me, Kuchiki-san!! Because Sentarou here likes to make up stories and-"

"Yo, everyone." A voice rang out, and immedieately the hall quietened again. An orange haired punk stood next to Isane now, looking a bit bored as his eyes scanned the crowd. "It's time for the show to begin, so shut up, get comfortable and let's wait for the rest of the seniors to arrive."

His words were crude and rough, but somehow it made Rukia relax. Folding her legs under her, she sat down in front of her bags and waited for the next order, watching as the older students appeared on the stage lazily one by one, talking among themselves.
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"Hey, Kurosaki!" Abarai Renji called as he lazily strode on stage, hands shoved in his pockets and vivid red hair tied up in his usual ponytail. "Ya on for RA too? Can't believe Yama-jii gave us this shit."

"You can't fight the law sometimes," Kurosaki Ichigo grumbled, running a hand through his orange hair. How many of us are in this, anyway?"

"Ten." Renji caught him in a headlock as way of greeting. "It's been a while, ne? I'm lookin' forwards to a nice bout of wrestling just to see how good you've gotten."

"Dammit, lemme go, Renji!" Ichigo scowled and slipped out of his headlock, punching his friend's shoulder. "My skills ain't that rusty yet, you know. So watch it. One wrong move and I'll send you flying out of that window.

"I dare ya to." Renji laughed, rubbing his shoulder as Shuuhei walked up with Kira next. "I'll send yer ass flying down the hostel instead."

"Talking bout sparrin' again, Renji?" a voice said, and he turned, a silly grin spreading across his face. "Hey, looks who's here! It's the Black Queen!"

"Donna unmei ga matte irun darou?" Ryorin's voice rang out loud and clear as she sang, flaunting the title she had as Sereitei Idol, grinning. "Gotta live up to my nickname, ne?" She twirled, showing off her completely black attire; A black layered skirt that reached her knees with gold trimmings, a figure hugging sleeveless black top, black socks and black boots. On her neck hung a charm; a small black Queen's crown, given by Renji during last year's Homecoming Ball. "I missed ya, ya big ass. How have you been?"

"I'm fine, as always." Renji frowned a bit. "Speak nicely, would ya? You still haven't got over the habit of imitating my slang."

"What's the wrong in that?" Ryorin shrugged.

"What's wrong is that you sound too much like Abarai-kun here." Hanamoto Hagumi stuck her head over Ryorin's shoulder, her dark brown hair swishing in a ponytail. "And you know Abarai-kun sounds like a retard most of the time."

"Umi-chan!!" Ryorin shrieked in delight and crushed her best friend in a hug. "You're here!! I thought you weren't coming!"

"I wouldn't miss Orientation Week for my life," Umi laughed, trying to wiggle out of her tight grasp. "I want to see how the juniors are like this year."

Renji scowled and turned, grabbing the mike from Ichigo and cleared his throat. "All right, midgets! Welcome to Sereitei College, where you'll recieve your dose of Hell for this entire week-"

THWACK!

"Ittteeeee......." Renji whined as a veinpopping Rangiku whacked him on his head with a file. "Dammit, Renji. Don't scare off the students." True enough, most of the students had heard Renji's rough tone, caught the word 'Hell', and was wearing expressions of doubt, wariness and fear. Rangiku snorted and took control of the mike.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to Sereitei College. My name is Matsumoto Rangiku, and I'm your Senior and Sorority Leader, here to guide you through Orientation Week. As you can see, there are eight of us here on stage, and we are your Resident Assistant, so once we divide you into your respective hostel floors, you can see us if you have problems." Opening her file, Rangiku began to read out the various names. "Once I call out your names, please move towards your respective RAs and leave the hall. We'll start with Floor One, RA Kotetsu Isane. Ichinose Maki..."
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Rukia looked a bit apprehensive as Rangiku began calling out names to divide the students for their repective floors. The Seniors looked rather intimidating as they milled around on the stage, casting a casual yet evaluating eye on everyone.

"Ne, the orange haired guy seems okay, doesn't he?"

"Huh?" Rukia turned to see a smiling orange-haired girl sitting next to her. The first thing that caught her eyes was the pink shirt that was stretched tight across her large boobs. For an instant, she glanced enviously at them before turning her attention back to the girl's face. "I... er... umm..."

"You know, if we're lucky, we'll get to be in the group that he's taking care of!" The girl giggled good-naturedly. "I'm Orihime Inoue. Yooroshiku onegai shimasu!"

"H-Hai..." Rukia suddenly found her arm being pumped up and down. "Kuchiki Rukia. Ano... Orihime-san... you're hurting my arm..."

"Ah, gomen, gomen!!" Inoue let go of her arm. "I'm just feeling so excited! This is the first time I'm staying in a hostel, away from my brother! Imagine all the fun I can have with my room-mate! We can talk together, tell each other secrets, sing together.... this is going to be fun!"

Rukia simply nodded, surprised by Inoue's rapid-fire talk. This was going to be an interesting year indeed.

Phobia

A/N: LJ prompt. A ByakuyaRukia (ByaRu) fic this time...
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Taken one by one, it didn't mean anything to him, as he picked up the shards of his broken heart and tried piecing them together. There was always something missing, something that caused the fragments of the picture he was trying to piece together to break time and time again, each time he thought he had managed to put them together.

It was like a puzzle. A puzzle that wouldn't hold unless he stuck the pieces together with glue.

But he knew that once together, the picture that would appear would mean the most in the world to him.
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Kuchiki Byakuya had never considered himself to be afraid of anything. He was fearless, he could take on Menos without breaking a sweat, he wasn't afraid of Arrancar. He was the revered Kuchiki-taichou of the 6th Division, and the 28th Head of his clan. There was nothing he was afraid of...

...except losing Kuchiki Rukia.

Rukia, though he never admitted it to her, was the source of warmth in his cold, cold world. She was the only person to see through his defenses, to see past the emotionless wall of ice that was in his eyes, to stare deep into his soul and see what kind of person he really was. Byakuya found himself growing attached to her, and though he told himself many times that the only reason for this was because she looked like Hisana and his heart hadn't truly healed yet, in reality, Kuchiki Byakuya loved her. He loved her with all his heart.

When he first learnt of her disappearance in the Living World, he was truly afraid, though he never showed it. He was afraid when he found her powerless, her power taken by the human boy, Kurosaki Ichigo. He thought that if the offending boy was eliminated, Rukia's powers would return and things would go back to normal.

Senbonsakura had warned him that it was not to be so, but he turned a deaf ear to her tinkling voice.

Then came the order for Rukia's execution, and the stoic captain found himself at loss.... torn between the promise he made to his late wife, and the promise he made to himself to keep the laws.

In the end, fear drove Byakuya to shunpo between the blade that was hurtling towards his sister's body, Senbonsakura letting out a scream as Shinsou sank into his chest.

"Nii-sama... Why?" Rukia had asked, her voice full of shock and fear. Why did you save me?

Because I love you.. And I'm afraid of losing you... Byakuya wanted to answer, but he couldn't. Instead, he settled on telling her Hisana's story; the truth.
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Things changed after that. It wasn't Byakuya alone that picked up the broken shards of his heart and pieced them together, but Rukia was with him, constantly by his side, to help him put together the puzzle he could never figure out.

And then one night, it was finally completed, after decades of putting them together. It was completed, with a single sentence, a single kiss, and a single whisper that spoke his name in the darkness of his room. The picture that formed was his future, a future that had a clear sky and sakura blossoms and the person that was now crying out his name, kissing him with incredibly soft lips.

Kuchiki Rukia was the glue that held the pieces of his heart together, and painted a vision of how his future would be.

Byakuya would not lose her, no matter what. Because if he did, the picture would go spiralling to the ground again, to shatter into a million pieces, never to be reconstructed.

Hisana had shattered it with her death, Rukia had pieced it back together.

And Byakuya wanted to keep it that way.
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Fear coursed through his veins, almost making him loose his hold on Senbonsakura. Minutes after Yamamoto-soutaichou had issused the order to infiltrate Hueco Mundo, Byakuya led his team in search of Rukia while Zaraki, Soifon and Hitsugaya fanned out to find Renji and the rest, and to take down Aizen if they could.

She was lying still. Too still.

"Rukia..." his voice came out as a hoarse whisper as he shunpoed to her prone from, kneeling on the ground to cradle her body in his arms. Blood stained Rukia's face and shikakusho, a broken Sode no Shirayuki still tightly held in her grasp. Nearby, the remains of the Espada she had killed lay, but he paid no attenttion to it, his gaze riveted on her pale, pale face, heart hammering wildly in his chest. He tried to search for a pulse, but there was none.

Already, he could feel the cracks begining to grow.
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Rukia lay curled up with Byakuya for one last time in his bed, her head tucked neatly under his chin, his arms wrapped warmly around her. Slowly, almost regretfully, she moved, trying to gently distangle herself from him. Byakuya stirred, and his voice rumbled in his chest as he stopped her. "You don't have to go, Rukia."

"I.. I have to, Byakuya," Rukia softly said. "Orihime is.. my nakama. I know how it feels like to be captured. I know the pain and loneliness of being locked up with no one there for me. She went through so much to save me... I can't just stand by and let Aizen do this to her. I have to save her."

"Rukia..."

"Don't stop me, because whatever you do, I will still find a way to Hueco Mundo, by hook or by crook." Rukia pushed away from him and got up to get dressed. "Nothing can change my mind. I will save Inoue Orihime."

Byakuya stood and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Then promise me this. Promise me that you will come back safe and alive."

Rukia had barely the time to blink as his lips descended on hers in an intoxicating kiss. When she pulled away half-dazed, she gave him a soft smile. "I promise. Let me go, Byakuya... Renji should be waiting by now..."
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"A promise is a promise, Rukia..." Byakuya said through gritted teeth, searching for her rieatsu since he couldn't find her pulse. "A promise is a promise... keep it!" Beside him, Senbonsakura lay in shocked silence, offering no comfort for her distraught master. "Rukia..." Byakuya closed his eyes, focusing solely on her and... there! It was the tiniest silver of red ribbon, but it was there, though unravelling at an alarming speed.

Rukia wasn't dead yet! She could still be saved!

Shinigami turned in shock and surprise as they felt Byakuya's rieatsu flare, and they turned around to see their taichou pour as much of his rieatsu as he could into his sister's prone body. Byakuya may not be good in healing, but he had studied the basics from Unohana once before, and could heal if he wanted to.

"Open your eyes, Rukia...." He tried ordering her as he fought to keep her tiny silver of rieatsu there, just there, so he could build it with his own reiatsu, and bring her back to life. "Open your eyes, dammit!" Byakuya never swore, never, but this was a desprate situation, and he didn't care if a thousand and one profanities spewed from his aristocratic mouth now. He just wanted Rukia to open her eyes.

"Nii-sama..."

It was the faintest of whispers, the barest twitch of a hand, the slight flutter of eyeslids, that Byakuya knew he had done it. He had saved her. "Rukia..."

And Rukia opened world-weary eyes, looking up at him with the faintest of smiles on her face. "Nii..... Byakuya-sama..."

There and then, Byakuya embraced her tightly, feeling her thin arms wind around his shoulders, hugging him in return. They never noticed the surprised and joyful cheers of the Shinigami that surrounded him, nor the elated cry of Senbonsakura as she scattered herself in her joy without Byakuya's command, swirling madly around them, enclosing them in a world of their own.

Rukia was safe, and that was what mattered. The picture that was his future would not shatter, ever again.
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For so long, he had been alone in his task of putting together his heart that Hisana shattered.

Then Rukia had come into his life and put it together without it breaking again.

It was then that Byakuya realised, Rukia was the glue to holding together his life, his future.

He also realised, he was afraid of losing her.

Because.... he loved her. More than anything else in the world.

He loved her.
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A few months later, after Aizen's defeat...

Byakuya smiled down at his wife that was curled up next to him, and gently kissed her forehead. "I love you," he softly whispered into her ear.

A small ghost of a smile appeared on Rukia's lips as she slept, as if his words had reached her in her dreams, and she squeezed his hand ever so slightly. I love you too......