Hey everyone! This will be a bit different from what I usually write haha. I blame it all on RyuuKevin (Nah, kidding, I love him for dragging me into this ship, I will gladly go down with it hahaha)

So it is a ByaIchi and HitsuRuki fic.

This was part of the April Writing Challenge in the Bleach Discord The Seireitei! If you have not joined yet, and love Bleach, please join!

Prompt: Beach

Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!

In the Kuchiki Kingdom, the humans and the merfolk of the sea lived in harmony together. A marriage between merfolk and humans was a normal occurrence. However, a mer's kiss was extremely precious. They could turn a human into one of them.

In this harmonious pact, the king himself would once a month meet up with a high ranking officer of the merfolk. This was to discuss trades, marriages and what the other party needed or expected among other things.

The King would row a medium-sized boat into the sea and meet the said officer there. Sometimes, a guard or a counselor would accompany him. Guards were always stationed on the shore when this meeting was taking place, watching the interaction with hawk eyes. Ready to jump to the rescue if something happened.

Today was one of those meeting days. The current king, Kuchiki Byakuya, always looked forward to these meetings, not that he would admit that. The king had long raven black hair which was held up with a white headpiece. His skin was fair and his slate grey eyes, seemingly cold, distant and uncaring, scanned his surroundings.

He was very familiar with the officer that he was about to meet. However, the only thing that differed from all the previous meetings was that he had taken his daughter, Kuchiki Rukia, with him.

This would be the first in the many times to come.

He had seen how curious she was everytime he got on the boat and rowed into the sea. Since he had to do this every month, she had seen him do this since forever. Once she was old enough to walk and talk, she became even more curious. She usually had to stay either in the castle or on the shore with her nanny. The last few times, she had cried and threw several tantrums. It was unbecoming for a lady, however, that did not stop her from doing so.

He had admonished her a few times, but she refused to listen.

He could not watch on, watching her cry her eyes out and the betrayed look on her face, and decided to take her along. Not that he explained any of his actions to anyone. He did not need to explain anyway, they simply had to deal with his decisions. He only told Rukia that she would be allowed to tag along once she reached the age of eight.

That worked miracles though, he had not expected that. She stopped throwing tantrums almost immediately and patiently waited until she was allowed to tag along. She did always insist to tag along to the beach whenever her dad would have the meeting. Unlike before, she stayed with her nanny and simply watched on with big curious eyes, following her dad's silhouette.

The closer she got to that age, the more excited she got.

And today was finally the day. The first day she was allowed to tag along. She was buzzing with excitement, her eyes wide with wonder and sparkling brightly.

Rukia had been sitting in the boat, watching with wide eyes how her father rowed the boat. She gazed around her, just soaking up her surroundings. A soft cool breeze ruffled Rukia's dark raven locks and the shrieks of seagulls could be heard overhead. The smell of the ocean wafted around them, the sound of the sea sloshing against their medium-sized boat.

Rukia felt relaxed and safe, she could get definitely used to this.

Byakuya watched his daughter and cherished this moment. God knew that they did not spend enough time together because of his duties. He took in how she was watching her surroundings with awe and how her eyes shined bright with curiosity. He hoped that she would never lose this innocence.

He rowed very carefully, trying not to rock the boat too much. It was a good day to be out and about on the sea though. It was a bright day, sunny but not too warm. A few large clouds drifted by, casting shadows on the sea. The water was, like always on calm days, a bright blue colour and crystal clear.

When they finally arrived at the usual meeting spot, he waited patiently for the officer to appear.

He saw how Rukia slightly leaned to the side, looking over the edge. He saw how her eyes widened and her mouth dropped slightly open. She could see deeper than she thought, yet at the same time she could see her own reflection as well. The water sparkled, reflecting the sun and creating sparkles. It was pretty.

Then Byakuya heard a splash on the right side of the boat and looked over just in time to see something orange break through the surface. He felt his heart skip a beat and immediately berated himself for it. His calm grey eyes locked onto the orange-headed merman, feeling himself relax immediately. He was here.

Byakuya heard Rukia gasp. He shifted his gaze back to her and saw her staring at the merman with wide eyes. As if she could not believe that he was real. Which was honestly ridiculous, because she had been on the beach often enough. She had played with merman and mermaids alike. She had watched him meet up with him every month. She just had not met him yet.

The orange-headed merman then proceeded to shake his head, causing water droplets to fly around him, creating small ripples in the water. After he had done that, he locked eyes with the king and grinned brightly. "Yo Byakuya." His voice was warm and casual.

Byakuya gazed into the warm brown eyes that were so familiar to him, feeling his entire being calm down and warm up at the same time. When he realised how he had addressed him, he felt his finger give an almost unnoticeable twitch, his heart skipping another beat. He mentally berated himself for it. "Kurosaki." He greeted him in reply, a bit stiffly, his voice gentle and quiet.

Ichigo's smile fell from his face for a moment before he forced it back on. He shook his head fondly. "Still doing that huh?" He asked, voice carefully neutral. His eyes gave him away however. Byakuya could see the hurt in them, but at the same time also understanding. "You know you should call me Ichigo, we are childhood friends after all." He said playfully.

Byakuya simply sighed quietly and shook his head slightly. He tried to ignore how his heart clenched painfully at the word friends. Even though he was the one who insisted on being friends, even insisted on being complete strangers at first. However, it didn't mean that it didn't hurt whenever he heard the orange-headed merman say those words...

However, before he could say anything else, he saw those brown eyes flicker to the person next to him. He looked over as well and was surprised to find Rukia at the edge of the boat, hanging over it even, trying to get a better look at the merman. When did that happen?

They both saw it coming, however, before either of them could reach out to steady her, she toppled over the edge and into the water with a loud shriek.

Ichigo immediately dove after her and within seconds she was back at the surface again. She was shocked and tears were quietly running over her cheeks while she held onto the merman tightly. She was coughing and taking deep breaths, shivering in fear.

Byakuya stared at the view in front of him, his heart clenching in pain. His thought strayed to what could have been. What should have been.

He saw how Ichigo gently rubbed Rukia's back to comfort her. How he let her hide her face in the crook of his neck and how he muttered soothing words. He had to swallow a lump in his throat at that.

He remembered how they met, as if it had been yesterday. He was sure that it had been fate.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Byakuya, at age four, often walked along the shore of the beach. He felt lonely because he had no one around his age around the castle, no one to play with. His dad did not want him to play around with other kids. He had been encouraged to study everyday, to improve himself everyday in order to live up to the Kuchiki name.

However, his father could not always keep an eye on him. He did not understand that kids wanted to have fun as well, only preaching about the Kuchiki name and how he should study harder in order to not disappoint him.

His nanny was nice to him however, and would always let him take a walk on the shore, everyday from after lunch till just before dinner. It was their little secret.

The shore was just behind their castle, stretching on and on. He stayed close to the castle though, so she could keep watch over him from afar. Guards were always on guard nearby, watching and staying alert in case of a sudden emergency.

One day, he had been walking the familiar path he always took when he heard a soft singing sound. The sound was clear and pleasant, it had completely caught him off guard. He knew that merfolk could use their voice to seduce people and lure them to their death. He had never expected it to sound like this though, so warm and soothing.

He knew that he should not be following that voice. However, somehow, the voice drew him in. He had heard various different voices of merfolk, but this was different, various songs. He did not know why, but he could feel it in his heart, it was okay. So, he took the chance and started walking towards the voice, following it.

What he found was not something that he had expected. His wide grey eyes took in the bright orange colour. A colour that he had never seen before. He saw surprise in the warm brown eyes that met his gaze.

It was a merman, a very young one. They should be around the same age if he guessed correctly. He had bright orange hair, matching with his bright orange tail.

The young merman immediately stopped singing when he realised that he was not on his own anymore.

Byakuya saw how the young merman tensend, how he watched him with calculating eyes, wondering if he should flee or not. Realising that he was perceived as a threat, he made sure to approach the young merman slowly, never making an unexpected move.

When he was close enough, he slowly sat down on the sand, next to the young merman, with enough space between them to never get into his personal space.

They simply stared at each other for a long time, neither of them moving, seizing each other up.

Then, suddenly, the merman grinned brightly at him. Byakuya did not think that he could become any brighter, but he did. "I am Ichigo!" He said, eyes squinted close in happiness.

Byakuya started for a while longer, not sure how to form words anymore. The merman had opened his eyes again and his smile was slowly disappearing from his face when he realised that he might not get a reaction.

That was when Byakuya remembered how to form words. "Byakuya."

The boy blinked a few times, repeating the name a few times before he grinned brightly at him again. He nodded at Byakuya, who returned his nod automatically. As if the merman had found some reassurance, the boy closed his eyes again and continued to sing softly.

Byakuya stayed there, listening to the soothing voice, relaxing and feeling at ease for the first time in forever, just sitting in the sand next to him until he had to return.

And so, after their first encounter, Byakuya would return everyday to that same exact spot. He would always find Ichigo there, in the same place, waiting for him. The merman would greet him with a bright grin, saying his name ever so casually.

Byakuya always carefully kept his distance, never invading his personal space. However, Ichigo was not like that at all. In just a few days, he already scooted closer, into his personal space, becoming even more casual. And he stayed there, never moving out of his space, but only closer.

They often sat next to each other in silence, simply enjoying each other's company. But they did other things as well, often on Ichigo's insistence.

Ichigo insisted on teaching Byakuya how to swim. Especially on warm summer days, when the heat was almost unbearable, it was nice to swim around. Even though Byakuya refused at first, he could not refuse when Ichigo looked so excited to teach him.

Ichigo often sang as well. He sang different songs, practicing his magic. Byakuya had to say that each and every song was committed to his memory, engraved into his heart. His voice as well. He could never mistake that voice and would like to think that he would be able to pick out his voice in a room filled with people.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

When Byakuya turned twelve, he walked to the beach with a heavy heart. He was of age and had to take up his responsibilities. He could not return to the beach anymore, at least not on a daily basis. He knew it was inevitable, but it did not make it hurt any less.

He felt extremely guilty about the fact that he had not told Ichigo that he was actually the heir to the Kuchiki Kingdom. He had realised that he liked the orange-headed merman very much. It was an understatement, he loved him…. but there would be no future for them. He had to make sure there was an heir to the throne. He could not do that if he was turned into a merman himself, forced to live under water. If he wanted to be together with Ichigo, he would turn into a merman eventually. He had been surprised that he would not mind that at all and would even welcome it… if only he could.

The thought made him sad, he would grow old and die while Ichigo would continue on living for many more years. Merfolk were able to live until the age of four hundred. If only he could spend every year, every day and every moment with him, until death did them apart.

That day, when he saw Ichigo sitting there, waiting for him, he felt extremely nervous. He could also feel the guilt and anxiety eating away at him, letting him know that he had been extremely unfair to the young merman.

He had been losing sleep over this when he knew that his birthday was nearing. He had wanted to confess earlier, wanted to tell the young merman everything. Wanted to get closer to him. He knew he had been the one at fault. He should have told him earlier, should not have kept his distance and should have let the orange head in earlier.

The only things that were plaguing him were the what ifs.

He was sure that only his parents and Ichigo could see his nervousness and anxiety, see past his mask of indifference, because they knew him for almost his entire life. They were the only ones who were able to read him, the only ones that he had allowed to read him.

He approached Ichigo slowly, and he saw the worried frown appearing on his handsome face. It was a look that the young merman should not have. At that realisation, he felt a pang in his heart.

"Yo Byakuya, what's wrong?" He inquired, worried, trying to inch closer even before Byakuya had reached him.

"I-" How was he going to explain this, he wondered to himself.

He took a deep breath. "I have to apologise Ichigo."

He saw how the eyes of his love widened, wondering why he was using his name for the first time, and only now. He saw the worry increase in his eyes, the warmth and the love still there. He was afraid that everything would disappear… yet, wasn't that his own fault?

"I am sorry, I should have told you earlier. I am Kuchiki Byakuya, the heir of this kingdom." He said, clearly enunciating each word, trying to keep his nervousness at bay. He knew he should say more on the topic, but when he saw realisation dawn in the young merman's eyes, he felt his panic increase. Ichigo was by no means stupid, he was really clever, he must have figured it out now.

He started to apologise profusely then. "I am so sorry." He repeated, words not enough to express how sorry he felt.

He saw everything change right in front of him. He was unsettled at the frozen expression on Ichigo's face, at his sudden quiet demeanor. He was always bright and cheery, always moving around and not able to sit still for longer periods of time. Unlike him, who had been brought up to have perfect posture in everything he did, to be chivalrous, gracious.

He saw in his brown eyes the hurt, the sadness. And Byakuya felt his heart shatter at his expression, sadness piling up in his being, because he knew that they would lose the closeness they had.

Ichigo had realised the implications and understood what it meant, knowing that they could never be together like that. Yet, he was not willing to lose him like that. He snapped out of it and grabbed Byakuya's hands. "It's okay Byakuya, just promise me," pleading, he was pleading. "Promise me to see me at least once a week!"

And Byakuya gladly promised him that. "I will."

Ichigo nodded at that, his eyes serious. He then dragged Byakuya down to sit next to him, shoulder against shoulder. For once, Byakuya did not move away and just welcomed the touch, the closeness he was sure that he would have lost.

They sat there that day, simply cherishing each other's presence.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

He had never imagined that he would be in an arranged marriage just four years later. When he heard the announcement, he heard a loud ringing in his ears, the feeling as if his senses were suddenly dulled, as if he was moving underwater.

When he finally realised what had been announced, he knew that he had to get to the beach as soon as possible. He had to tell him.

His father had seen the change in his son's demeanor and glared at him disapprovingly. However, Byakuya was undeterred. The moment the meeting ended, he was gone. He knew his father would stop him, but he had no choice. He had promised himself that he would not keep any more secrets from the orange head. And he would keep that promise.

When he approached the beach, he found the orange head singing. His voice was filled with sadness and longing. And Byakuya realised that he had never heard this song before. Something in him broke, realising that they had been growing apart for a while now. And this… this would be the end.

He could feel his heart squeezing already, his eyes starting to burn. He quickly blinked it away, it was not the time for his stupid feelings.

He could see the surprise on Ichigo's face when the orange-headed merman finally looked up. And damn, he had really become a man, his body lean and not too muscular. He wanted to shake his head at his own thoughts. How many nights had he dreamt of being able to freely touch him, to hold his hands and to run his hands over his torso. Of just holding him and staying in his embrace...

He saw how his bright grin disappeared as well as the greeting on his lips when their eyes met. He saw how the merman freezed, and he knew that he was worrying him.

He stopped right in front of the rock on which Ichigo was perched. They stayed quiet for a while, staring at each other. The wind had picked up considerably that day, it was about to storm. It really fitted his mood, Byakuya thought maybe a tad hysterically.

"Byakuya." The orange head said worried, nothing like his usual casual greeting.

They stood there for a while, staring at each other. Byakuya had to gather his courage, and it took him a while, especially with how concerned Ichigo was gazing at him. How could anyone ever hurt this precious person?

He felt awful, knowing that he would be responsible for hurting him.

He sighed quietly then. "Today an announcement has been made." He said, still staring into those brown eyes, filled with worry. The merman nodded, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"I… I am getting married soon." He saw the hurt in those eyes. How he wanted to take him in his arms and console him, to promise him that they would stay together forever. That he would love him forever. But, reality was cruel, he couldn't do anything about it.

He really couldn't because of the promise he had made to his parents. He had promised that he would fulfil all his duties, to make them proud, to live up to the Kuchiki name. So he could not make an exception for this.

He saw how Ichigo fidgeted, worry and pain in his eyes still. No smile on his usual bright face. "I am sorry… I... it might be better that we do not see each other again." Cutting ties would be the best for both of them. He was afraid to hurt him even more. Yet, he did not want to cut him out of his life.

When he saw the merman freeze, he had to look away for a moment. Not sure if he could take in the sight of the love of his life being this hurt, and especially not because of his actions.

He felt a few raindrops fall and saw the sand around them slowly turning dark. It fitted their mood well.

When he looked up again, he was horrified when he saw a tear slowly trickle down on Ichigo's face. However, straight after, it started pouring. He had no idea if he had actually caused him to cry or not. Yet, when he saw the sad smile on his face, the pain, but also acceptance and love in his eyes, he could feel tears running down his face as well.

Not that he could tell if Ichigo was crying or not, so he hoped that Ichigo couldn't tell if he was crying or not either.

They did not say goodbye to each other, because it was unbearable. With his eyes, Byakuya hoped to convey his love and longing, his sorrow and guilt without actually using words. With a heavy heart, they parted.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

After Byakuya married and had his first and only child, a daughter, he was told that he had to meet up once a month with a high ranking officer of the merfolk. He had known that it was part of the duties of a king, but he had not expected it to be assigned to him that soon.

He watched his father with calm grey eyes, his eyes not betraying him in any way, his face unreadable. However, he was slowly dying from the inside. Whenever he saw a mermaid or merman, his thought automatically jumped back to Ichigo and their last meeting, their last goodbye.

"It is important to sustain good communication and relations with the merfolk." His dad was still going on about why it was important. Byakuya wanted to eyeroll so badly, wanted to get away from him.

He ignored most of his father's words, he had known already. How many times did he hear this same exact speech? Too many times to count.

He just had to steel himself though, knowing that he might not be able to handle the painful memories the first few times. The memories could be way too strong. He hadn't returned to the beach after their painful goodbye. He just could not face it, knowing that he would not be there...

"It is what makes our kingdom special and keeps it thriving, even after all those centuries." His father continued and Byakuya knew that he had to pay attention now. These words were always just before the end of his speech. "Do you understand my son?"

He nodded and his father hummed in approval. "Good, let's go." His father turned around and started to walk away. Byakuya followed behind him a tad later than he normally would have, not that anyone except for his dad could have noticed. Luckily for him, his dad was talking to a counselor right now.

Byakuya could feel panic well up within him. Now? Were they going into the meeting immediately? He was not ready. He was not ready at all to confront his feelings and memories.

But he had no choice, since he could not say no to his father, the king of the kingdom. Besides, he had to take up this duty eventually. He steeled himself then, hoping for the best.

When they approached the beach, he could feel nostalgia hit him hard. His eyes automatically drifted to the spot where they would always meet. Of course he was not there. What did he expect?

He mentally berated himself for the pang he felt in his heart, for the longing that suddenly hit him to see him, to hear his voice and see his bright smile. How he longed for that bright orange colour to be a part of his life again.

Soon they were sitting in the boat, only his father and him. And he could feel his father's gaze on him. He knew what he was trying to do and tried to keep his calm. He would get through this. He would not disappoint.

They stopped and then waited. Not soon after, a splash was heard. When he looked over, he could feel his heart stop. Bright orange filled his vision, he was speechless. Did he really get this … could he call this being lucky? Or was it something else?

He locked eyes with none other than Kurosaki Ichigo, his childhood friend and apparently one of the high ranking officers of the merfolk. He had not expected this.

His father and the previous merfolk officer were explaining things. Byakuya was only half paying attention, too busy to stare at his childhood friend. Of course, no one but his dad could tell. "With each new king, there will be a new merfolk officer to communicate with. So I introduce to you, Kuchiki Byakuya, Kurosaki Ichigo."

It was a bittersweet moment though. They introduced themselves to each other formally, and their gazes never strayed away from each other when his father and the older merfolk officer led them through all the steps and topics they had to discuss.

They were careful however. They knew that they could not act familiar with each other, they could not act as if they had known each other for all their lives. No, they had to keep their distance. They could see the relief in each other's eyes though. They were relieved to see each other, knowing that the other was doing well. They felt themself relax and their hearts swell with love.

Their yearning increased as well, and they hated that they could not do anything about it. But they knew that this would be worth it. So they held their feelings close to their own hearts, never showing it.

It surprised Byakuya though, that Ichigo had become this good at holding his feelings close, that his emotions did not immediately show on his face. However, he knew where he had to look. His eyes. Always his eyes.

This entire meeting was going well. He had not expected that, but he was glad. He was happy. Happier than he had been in a long time.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

It had been going well for Byakuya. He had been fulfilling his duties, taking up more and more. His dad was starting to retire now, completely trusting Byakuya to take over and to live up to the Kuchiki name.

The only thing that was missing was an heir. They missed a son. Although, no one was really worried. They had enough time to produce an heir, or that was what they thought.

Hisana was suddenly hit with an unknown illness. The doctors could not cure her and within a few months, she was gone. It hit everyone hard. Her death had hit Byakuya the hardest.

After the burial of his wife, Byakuya felt completely empty. He was just a shell of his former self. He might not have loved her like he would love the love of his life. However, he did care greatly about her. She was still the mother of his child.

He was still abiding and following his promise to his parents, he still fulfilled all his duties. He took care of Rukia and made sure that everything was going smoothly in the kingdom.

The only thing that was different was that he would once a week, just like before, go to the beach. To their old spot, just to be left alone and remember old times, in which he once upon a time thought that he could marry the love of his life.

It was soothing to be there and to just contemplate things, without being disturbed by anyone. To just reminisce about his childhood and let everything go, to just be Byakuya like all those years ago.

When on the first day he went again, the start of this being a part of his weekly schedule again, he was surprised when he realised that someone was there. Someone was in his, their, spot.

He could feel anger boiling up, wondering who dared to invade something that had been so precious to him. Even though he had not visited the place in years, he still considered the place as his, theirs.

But when he saw a bright flash of orange, when he realised who it was, he felt his heart leap up and his mouth suddenly went dry. The bright orange colour was definitely unmistakable. It could only be one person.

He immediately felt his heartbeat increase and his being filled with love for this person. Had he visited their place every week, Byakuya wondered. Did he really do that? Even if he did not come here anymore? When he would not visit anymore?

These thoughts pained him greatly, wishing that he had been more brave and stayed friends with him. Wishing that he could turn back time and kick himself for being this stupid. The thought of Ichigo doing this, and he had to admit that the merman was crazy enough to go to such lengths, made his heart swell with love.

He knew it was improper for him to do so, to love another person so. He had been married and even had a child. Ichigo deserved someone better than him. He deserved someone who would be only his from beginning till end.

Ichigo had seen him approaching and being surprised was an understatement. However, when he took a closer look at Byakuya, he realised that something was wrong. Even after all this time, having not seen or interacted with him on more personal matters, he could still read him.

Byakuya did not look like himself, and it made Ichigo very worried. He saw how the man approached, stiff, elegant and poised still somehow. Yet at the same time, he looked totally defeated.

He watched on as the man got even closer and sat down in his usual place. Ichigo did not hesitate and immediately moved to just sit down next to him. Although, he did carefully mind that he would not invade Byakuya's personal space, like he would have done once upon a time. He simply offered his presence and hoped that that would be enough, even though he really wanted to reach out and hug him or just hold his hand, to give him more comfort.

They both sat there and stared at the sea for the rest of the night. Ichigo now and then diving into the sea, mindful of not completely dehydrating, even though his reiatsu would prevent him from completely dehydrating. He made sure that he gave Byakuya enough time and space to process everything he needed to process.

Only when the sun started to rise again did they speak. Ichigo was the first to speak, which was not a surprise, really. "Byakuya, I know we have only spoken of business ever since we saw each other again." He paused, wondering if he was overstepping his boundaries, but then again, Byakuya never really got mad at him and if he did, he would be petty and he would soon forgive him anyway.

Their eyes never left each other, they could see understanding in each other's eyes. He gathered his courage and continued. "However, I want you to know that whenever you need me, I will be there. We are friends."

At the word friends, his heart broke a little more. He tried to hide it, hoping that Ichigo would not see it. He then nodded. "Thank you." Many words were left unsaid, but Ichigo could hear them anyway.

And so, their routine returned to their life. Unexpected, but very welcomed.

They started to meet up every week again, in their old spot. They simply sat there to be in each other's presence and to talk, as good friends. It did not seem as if they had not met up in a while.

Besides that, they still met up once a month to talk business, as the king and the high ranking merfolk officer.

Byakuya, whenever he was near Ichigo, was always aware of his emotions. He could feel how his heart would beat harder and faster whenever he saw the bright orange head. He had realised that, even whenever he started thinking of the merman, his heart would beat faster, trying to run out of his cage. However, he kept a tight grip on those emotions. He did not want to risk it all, not when he had just gotten him back into his life like this.

He never inquired after the other's love life either. He was afraid to break whatever they had now, the tentative friendship that they were building up again. He was sure that the bright head had already married. He must have. He was such an amazing person.

He just couldn't bear about hearing it though, he realised. If he would ever learn that he had married anyone, had found love, he would be crushed. And he knew it was selfish of him, since he had been married.

He banned this from his thoughts, hiding it deep within the crevices of his mind, never to see the light ever again, he hoped. It will hurt less if he did not think about it.

Ichigo was platonic as well, always formal. And he was loathed to admit this, but he hated it. He wanted him to be casual as before, but he shrugged that feeling off. During business meetings, this was perfect.

However, when they were not at the business meeting, they were like close friends. Yet, they never crossed the boundaries of personal space, which Byakuya was glad for. His restraint was already being tested, however, it would only be tested further if Ichigo had insisted on hugging him or other things he used to do. He would take whatever he could get though.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

And that is how they found themselves back here.

The view in front of him was doing things to his heart. It was being squeezed, yet at the same time swelling with love as well. He had no idea what he was feeling. He wished that it had been different, that they had been together, but yet he never regretted having Rukia.

Rukia had been a good child, quiet when required, lively when she could be. She did resemble his late wife a lot. He missed his wife, because he had grown to truly care for her. However, he had never loved her like that. He had never loved her like he loved Ichigo.

No one knew of that fact, except for his father. His father had approached him on the matter, and when he had been informed, he had been disappointed in Byakuya. He had, to his regret, promised his dad when he was younger that he would fulfill his duty no matter what. He would never back away from that promise. He did regret promising himself that as well. If only he had not, would he have been together with the love of his life?

Ichigo was patiently waiting for Byakuya to say something. When he realised that he had been lost in his thoughts, because he had a far away look in his eyes, he looked down at the child in his arms. She had calmed down by now and was curiously looking around.

He was surprised to see that the small girl had raven black hair and purple twinkling eyes filled with curiosity and wonder. A small pang was felt in his heart. He had never thought that he would be holding the child of the love of his life. It was… amazing. Yet at the same time, gazing down at the child made his heart clench, knowing that Byakuya had been married, and it had not been to him.

He honestly had thought that they would end up together, that they would have their forever, but they did not. He regretted that, but there was nothing he could do about that. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, no need to dwell on such depressing thoughts.

He swam closer to Byakuya and saw the man shaking off his lingering memories. He wondered what kind of memories they were. Were they about him? Of his late wife? Again, he had to force himself to stop thinking about that.

He carefully and gently passed Rukia back to Byakuya, who took her gently. He sat her down and looked at her. She was fidgeting a bit, looking very guilty.

He then gently patted her head. "Be careful next time." His voice was deep, gentle and quiet. Ichigo could feel a shiver run through his body at that voice. He was sure that if he had been a merman, his songs must be very powerful. It was a good voice.

Rukia then looked up at her father, wonder and love in her eyes. She smiled up at him and nodded. "Hm, I will."

Byakuya looked up just in time to see Ichigo forcing a smile back onto his face. He clenched a fist at that, cautiously out of sight of everyone. It was unbecoming to show his distress, he knew, but he could not help it. He did not want to see Ichigo sad in any way.

He knew it had been a bad idea, but he was not going to hide his daughter from him. It was unfair to both. And he was not going to hide either of them like that.

Byakuya then put a hand on top of Rukia's head and turned his attention back to Ichigo. "This is my daughter, Rukia."

Ichigo stared at Byakuya and then looked back at little Rukia, who was staring at him with big eyes, still filled with wonder. He felt his heart melt at her face. He then grinned at her. "Hi Rukia, I am Kurosaki Ichigo, nice to meet you!" He said cheerfully with a small wave of his hand.

She was staring at him with wide eyes for a while before smiling shyly and waving. "Hi, I am Rukia, nice to meet you!" She finished with a small giggle.

Ichigo laughed at that and turned back to Byakuya. "You never said that your daughter was this cute!" He then turned his attention back to her and started to coo at her.

Byakuya refrained from rolling his eyes at him, but he was secretly pleased. He then simply changed the topic, launching them straight back into their business talk.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Over the years, Byakuya always took Rukia with him. She had made friends with loads of mermen and mermaids. Ichigo had introduced her to his friends when she was younger. Some of them were the same age as Ichigo was. They tagged along to simply entertain the child. They were also curious what Ichigo was up to the entire day. It was good for the first few years, simply to teach her how to swim and to keep her entertained. Once she had learned how to swim, they started to play tag with her in the water.

Once they were certain that there was no way that she would drown, Ichigo took younger friends with him, the ones that were the same age as her. So they could play together. They had loads of fun playing together.

Even though they knew that no one would let harm befall the girl, Byakuya and Ichigo both stayed very alert during this time. They made sure that nothing bad or inappropriate would happen.

Today, her most frequent playmates had tagged along.

Byakuya and Ichigo both glared at them. They had no idea how it happened, but her playmates were all guys. It was not from the lack of trying though on Ichigo's part. He had introduced several mermaids of her age to her, but they never wanted to tag along again.

Hitsugaya Toshirou, Abarai Renji and Hisagi Shuhei were her closest friends. Hitsugaya had white short hair and teal eyes, his tail was teal with white dottings here and there. Renji's tail matched his maroon hair. His tail also had black tattoo marks, which flowed over in black tattoo marks on his body. And Hisagi's tail matched his grey eyes. He had short black hair.

The three of them would never do anything inappropriate to her, Byakuya and Ichigo were sure about that.

Everything was innocent enough, they were simply swimming around and splashing each other with water. Trying to pull each other onder and simply playing games.

What the both of them did realise was that something had been shifting. They had realised it for a while now. Rukia's gaze kept shifting to Toshirou's. They both felt some kind of instinct to protect her suddenly. Not only them though, they saw Hisagi and Abarai glare at the white haired merman.

Their instinct to protect became even stronger when Hitsugaya pulled Rukia under with a playful smirk. Especially when they stayed under for a while, making them worry. Ichigo was about to move when they came up again.

What they saw made their eyes twitch. Rukia was held tightly against Hitsugaya's chest. His arms firmly wrapped around her waist. They both had a small smile on their face. They seemed to be in their own world, not conscious of their surroundings anymore.

Byakuya saw how Ichigo's eyes twitched and how he had balled his hands into fists. His shoulders were tense and he was glaring at the whitehaired male.

Before he could stop him, Ichigo swam towards them. Toshirou looked up just in time and noticed the expression on the orange-headed merman's face. He carefully let Rukia go, regret plainly visible in his eyes.

Rukia was then swept up in Ichigo's embrace. She squeaked, not having expected that. He then swam her back to the boat, his gaze completely focused on Rukia, never leaving her face.

Byakuya felt himself freeze up at the sight in front of him. He became scared, his thoughts racing. He was torn. He had no idea what he should do. It seemed as if Ichigo had come to love Rukia. He saw the same soft look in his eyes that had once been only for him. Warmth and filled with love and affection. The look was returned by his daughter. They have been gazing at each other like that for a while now.

He had no idea if he should be very happy for her or be jealous. He sighed quietly, ignoring the feeling of his heart being crushed. Ignoring the biting feeling of jealousy.

What was he supposed to do? He would not take happiness away from her though. If she really wanted to stay with Ichigo and choose him, who was he to stop her? He sighed at that realisation, resigning himself to it.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

One night, he was suddenly woken up rather rudely by a guard. He was still not awake, not realising what the guard was shouting at him. "Majesty, your daughter has been kidnapped!"

When he finally realised what was being shouted at him, he was completely shocked, completely caught off guard. And soon, he was completely horrified. He got up and quickly dressed himself.

Guards were already on the chase, spreading in the direct area, patrolling and searching for any signs. However, Byakuya got a sinking feeling in his gut when he took a look out of the windows and realised that it was storming.

He then had been informed that it had been one of his trusted counselors. He had kidnapped Rukia and asked for a hefty sum of money. Or else they would never see her again. He clenched his fist at that. Rukia should not have been caught up in this, she had been innocent.

And when he took a look at the beach, he saw a small boat dock off from one of the windows, he was horrified. They had a problem. He had a gut feeling that his daughter was on that boat, going straight into the storm.

It was too late to go after them, they would never make it in time. That was what horrified him the most.

He quickly went to the stable to get his horse. Soon, he was on his way to the beach, hoping that he could find Ichigo. He was relieved when he saw the flash of orange. He had no idea what he had done in this life to deserve his support, but when he stopped at his side, he saw his concerned face.

He quickly got off his horse and was by Ichigo's side in an instant.

"They kidnapped Rukia." He said breathlessly. He saw Ichigo's eyes widen in horror before they became determined.

"That boat just now?" He asked seriously, his voice was steeled, as if he was holding back from murdering someone.

"Yes, if I am correct then yes." Ichigo, without another word, immediately dove back into the water. He quickly called his friends who knew Rukia and Rukia's good friends by empowering his song with reiatsu. He hoped that they wouldn't be too late.

He kept swimming to their capital, Karakura. He was relieved when everyone met him halfway. He quickly informed them and they then split up to cover a bigger ground, hoping that they would make it.

Luck was not on their side though. The storm had picked up by now. It was even felt through the waters. There were strong currents, easy to get lost in, easy to drown in.

It was Hitsugaya who finally saw the boat drifting. He felt his heart sink when he realised that there was no one left in the boat. He cursed under his breath, his heartbeat picking up in panic. Where was she?

He then suddenly saw something moving, struggling to stay afloat.

He rushed over, enough to see that she was being pulled under. He sped up, trying to reach her on time. And when he did reach her, he realised that she had sunk too deep. Sunk too low to even get her back to the surface on time.

The only thing he could think of when he saw her eyes, her pretty purple and full of life usually already dulling, was that he had to save her somehow. She had his heart in her hands without knowing it. He had wanted to talk to her and confess for ages. She had been so pretty, so kind.

However, this was too cruel.

The moment he had her in his arms, he wasted no time in crushing his lips on hers, knowing that the king was going to kill him for this.

She was surprised when his mouth crashed onto his. When he coaxed it open, she felt warmth rushing through her body. She then closed her eyes and focused on the kiss. Still, she could not breath.

When he realised that she was still choking, he panicked even more and started to increase the reiatsu flow, pushing it forcefully through the kiss. When he did not hear her breathing in yet without almost choking, he spent one last burst of reiatsu.

When he pulled back, everything was quiet. She was not breathing. He gripped her body tighter to him, his heart clenching, thinking he had lost her.

He was horrified. How was he going to explain this?

He was still in the middle of a panic attack when he suddenly heard a breath, shallow, but there. He held her an arm length away from him, staring at her with wide eyes. In front of his eyes, she changed, her features distorted in pain.

She changed into a mermaid in front of his eyes. He sighed in relief, holding her closer and rubbing her back gently, muttering that he was sorry into her hair, that he had no choice and that he could not lose her, dropping the occasional kiss.

When she felt as if she could breathe again and was not in pain anymore, she stared up at him in wonder. "Toshirou?"

He pulled back at that, gazing lovely into her purple eyes. He gently brushed his hand over her cheek, smiling and placing a tender kiss on the top of her head.

She smiled back at him sweetly as well, realising what must have happened. She reached up and pulled him back to peck him on the lips.

They stayed in each other's embrace for a while, until he suddenly realised what he had done. He cursed under his breath when the implications realling sunk in. "Fuck!"

Rukia pulled back, surprised "What-" She had wanted to say more, but was surprised at her own voice. He was too. He had never heard her sing, but it seemed that she had a good voice. He smiled when he felt the icy quality in her reiatsu. He saw how her tail was the exact same shade as her eyes.

"Rukia." He whispered then, pulling her back into his arm. "Hitsugaya Rukia." He muttered, realising that she belonged to him now.

He had never thought that he would confess like that, blurting it out like this. He had spent nights thinking about how he could confess his love smoothly, what kind of courting gifts to get her among other things.

He was happy, on cloud nine even now. He had her, he had not lost her... she was his now.

"You kissed and changed me." She whispered, in amazement. He smiled, shaking his head. He leaned in again to gently peck her lips quickly again. "How could I let you go like that." He whispered back to her.

They stayed like that, in each other's embrace, soaking up the fact that they were together now. Now and forever.

Toshirou pulled slowly back after a while. "We need to report to your dad." He said reluctantly, afraid of the consequences.

He saw rukia wince.

"Yeah, I don't think he is going to be amused either." He muttered. They did know it was inevitable though.

"Let's go." He said, while holding her hand and tugging her along. He then sent out his reiatsu to the others, letting them know where they were, letting them know that he had found her.

They were halfway there, on their way to the shore, when he felt Ichigo coming. When he was near enough, he saw the fury on his face. "How dare you to turn her just like that!" He roared. The rest of the friends stayed behind, knowing that they would have done the same if it meant that she would make it. No one dared to say it to the furious orange head though.

However, Toshirou did not back down. "I love her." He simply said, staying protectively in front of her. "I would not lose her like this."

And it was suddenly completely quiet. The mermaids and mermans who were present were all flabbergasted at the bold declaration. They would never have the guts to say it to the orange head like that, especially when he was this furious.

What they did not know was that Ichigo was completely shocked, he had not seen this coming. He had known that the white-haired merman had been attracted to the young Kuchiki, that they had been flirting. However, this... this went too fast. Dang, how was he going to explain this to Byakuya?

"She was dying and I was not letting her die like that!" Toshirou continued to say, glaring at Ichigo, feeling Rukia get nervous and restless behind him. "I want to grow old with her. You yourself should know what you would give up for someone you love."

When Ichigo realised that, he sagged, the anger draining out of him. He knew that it was true. However, ugh, what was he supposed to say to Byakuya. He remembered the first time seeing her, how his eyes became softer. A look that had been reserved for him once. He shook his head, no time to worry about that. They had to tell him the news.

Ichigo thanked everyone who had helped and told them to rest up. He tagged along with Rukia and Toshirou, going to break the news to Byakuya.

Hitsugaya had to stay with Rukia, she was not allowed to get out of the water yet. She had to get used to being a mermaid and stay at least under the surface for a month. Of course it would be best to have Hitsugaya or himself stay with her.

When Ichigo broke through the surface again, he realised that the storm had already passed. The sun was also starting to rise. He was surprised that so much time had passed.

He saw Byakuya sitting on their spot, in the sand and off in his own world. His body was tense and his face held a worried expression.

When he heard the splash, he looked up and was relieved to see Ichigo. However, he felt his heart drop when he did not see Rukia. No, it couldn't be...

He saw Ichigo's sorrowful face. He got up and Ichigo simply gestured to the medium-sized boat.

He saw Byakuya's confused face, wondering why he should. However, looking at Ichigo's face, he knew that the orange-headed merman was serious. So he got into the boat and started rowing to their usual spot.

"Look alright, over the other side of the boat." Ichigo said while he hung on one side.

Byakuya did as he was told. He would trust him with his life. He looked into the water and was surprised to see Rukia swim, a bit hovering. Her purple eyes looked up at him with love and care.

He felt a lump in his throat upon seeing Rukia in the water, a purple tail trailing her while she swam in circles, her eyes never leaving his. He saw Rukia's eyes widen, he wondered why. But then he realised that the waters suddenly had ripples, he focused on his own reflection and realised that tears were dripping down his face.

Before he could realise himself what was happening, he dove into the water. Ichigo felt the boat suddenly turn over.

When he realised what had happened, he saw Byakuya swimming to Rukia. Rukia's eyes were wide with panic, he saw her hand twitch, wanting to embrace her father, yet at the same time wanting to get her out of the water.

Ichigo immediately swam toward him. He saw how he embraced Rukia briefly. Hitsugaya had been staring wide eyed at Byakuya, never having expected this. Hitsugaya's arms were still tightly wrapped around Rukia's waist though, preventing her from trying to reach for the surface.

When Ichigo reached them, Rukia let him go and Ichigo embraced Byakuya from behind. With a strong swish of his tail, he got Byakuya back to the surface. They were lucky that Rukia had been relatively close to the surface.

When they were floating there, Ichigo let Byakuya go once he had caught his breath. Byakuya then turned around to him, before he could ask anything, Ichigo reached up to scratch his head and said sheepishly. "She is still alive… but… yeah, we didn't find her in time. We couldn't save her."

Byakuya nodded, he was grateful. He could feel himself relax before he remembered something. He felt his entire world suddenly spin.

Ichigo seeing that Byakuya suddenly paled, immediately reached out for him and pulled him into his embrace.

"Who?" Byakuya asked quietly, so quiet that Ichigo had to strain to hear what he had said.

"What?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"Who turned her?" Byakuya asked, eyes squeezed shut and grateful that Ichigo could not see his face.

Ichigo wondered where that question came from, but answered him anyway. "Hitsugaya Toshirou did."

When Byakuya heard that, he felt relief rush through him. He realised that he felt happy, yet at the same time sad. He pulled back from Ichigo, and turned his gaze down, seeing Rukia and Hitsugaya watching him.

When he saw that Hitsugaya was watching him, he nodded, entrusting Rukia to him. Hitsugaya nodded back, an understanding was passed between the two of them.

Ichigo seeing this interaction, nodded at Hitsugaya as well, letting him know that they could go ahead. That he would soon follow, but had to make sure that Byakuya would be okay.

Hitsugaya seeing this, gently led Rukia back to the capital. Both Ichigo and Byakuya watched them until they disappeared out of sight.

Ichigo then first got Byakuya back to the shore before he went back for the boat.

He saw how Byakuya was sitting there, clothes completely drenched. However, he still looked poised and elegant. It was unfair, but it was not really the time to worry about that. He realised how tense Byakuya looked, how tense his shoulders were, how his face was carefully blank, but his eyes showing all the despair and pain.

Ichigo then sat down beside him and grabbed his hand. He stayed there with him, just sitting there and being there for him.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Byakuta felt lonely without Rukia around. He was hearing rumours going around the castle that he refused to address.

Rukia should have gotten the marriage she deserved. However, because there had been a traitor in their midst, there was no way to do so anymore. And because he had to take care of all these rumours, as well as the disappearance of Rukia, his only heir, he had his hands full.

Now, the people were pressuring him again to remarry and produce a new heir. He refused to. He would appoint someone he decided. He could and would not marry someone else. Hisana had left him broken, even if he had not loved her like that. With Ichigo being there for him, never asking anything in return, he refused to hurt him. He could and would not hurt him again.

However, he had never known that people would go to such lengths for power. He had never realised that humans were so deceitful and dishonourable.

When he, along with a few counselors and officers, were on their way to another kingdom for some diplomatic business, one of his counselors actually stabbed him in his side, multiple times. Byakuya was surprised and could not even move away when he was grabbed by two of his officers and thrown off the ship.

When he realised what happened, he embraced himself for the impact.

The impact was harder than he had thought it would be. It hurt, especially his side. He could see the water around him turning red. He knew that he was doomed.

He held his side and tried to stay afloat, but it was in vain. He slowly realised that he was sinking. He struggled to stay afloat, trying to not disappear under the surface. Yet he was ever so slowly sinking, his side burning in pain. He grunted, but knew he was as good as dead. He made peace with it when he was starting to get tired. He was surprised when arms were suddenly wrapped around him, firmly but gently, and pulled him up again.

When he saw who it was, he was so surprised. A shock of orange. Ichigo. His worried brown eyes made his heart swell.

His hand was on his side, trying to stop his bleeding through reiatsu, but it had been too deep. He was not able to heal him like this.

Byakuya's eyes softened. "It is okay."

He saw how Ichigo's eyes started to burn, "No, it is not."

And he never saw it coming when Ichigo pulled him under, his eyes still firmly locked onto his. "I will not lose you like this."

He then proceeded to push his lips onto his. Byakuya's eyes widened and he saw how Ichigo closed his eyes and passionately pushed his lips against his. Warmth spreading through his lips and throughout the rest of his body.

Byakuya closed his eyes and he felt Ichigo's hands holding his face. He deepened the kiss and pushed even more reiatsu into his body.

And before long, Byakuya could feel himself changing. It hurt, it really did. But when the transformation was done, he felt... weird?

When the transformation was complete, Ichigo pulled back. His gentle brown eyes stared straight into the gentle slate grey ones. "Byakuya." His voice was full of affection, full of love.

Byakuya, knowing that there was no returning from now on, and really, he did not mind at all, allowed himself to do something he had been yearning for for years. "Ichigo." His voice was the same as always, but his eyes were full of affection and love.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed!