This is my first Bleach fic. Please be kind…

---------------------------------------

In spite of Renji's "assurances", Rukia had her anxieties when she was adopted into the Kuchiki family.

Her she was, a poor Rukongai peasant, now one of the four great families of the Soul Society. People who had once mocked her for being Rukongai scum were now calling her "Miss Kuchiki" and "milady". She had been avoided before because of where she was from. Now she was still being avoided, because people feared the wrath of the Kuchikis...but especially her "big brother".

To tell the truth, he even scared her, who was supposed to be his sister! He was an intimidating figure, with his billowing white coat and face of stone, his scarf trailing behind him, Senbonzakura sheathed at his waist, his superiority over all those around him proclaimed in his bearing and in his dress. Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of Sixth Company. Byakuya Kuchiki, the greatest head the Kuchiki family had ever had. Byakuya Kuchiki, her older brother.

She still couldn't even comprehend.

He had brought her into a life of luxury. He had given her so much. Merely having the same surname as him protected her from people's sneers. But that was what big brothers were supposed to do, right? They were supposed to protect their little sisters. But what were little sisters supposed to do for their big brothers? More than just sit around and wait to be protected, surely?

Rukia decided that if older siblings had a duty to the ones who came after, then the younger siblings also had a duty, to the older ones. But what exactly was it? What could she do for him that would make him happy?

Well, it was all right if she didn't necessarily know right off. Sometimes these things took time to figure out. Everybody was different, after all. Something that would please, say, Renji, wouldn't necessarily work for that formidable Sixth Company captain. These things took time.

A lot of time, apparently.

She couldn't be a noble to save her life, apparently. Her first approach had been to act like a proper noble young lady, but that didn't go well. Every five seconds she broke some rule of etiquette, it seemed. She tried her hardest (and screwed up the most) around Byakuya. She would look up at him, only to see him avoiding eye contact.

After a while, she figured out that these sorts of things take a while to learn, so it was probably best to take a different approach.

Although he could have her fooled any day of the week, he wasa person, with likes and dislikes. All she had to do was find them, and how hard could that be?

She tried cooking for him, but she ended up activating the sprinklers when she set off the smoke detector. Needless to say, Byakuya was not happy. He just wrung the water out of his dark hair and white coat and went to change without saying a word.

She thought she'd visit him at Sixth Company and surprise him, but he just told her she was "troubling" him.

She found out that he liked Chinese bellflowers, so she decided to use this knowledge for all it was worth. She spent all day in the garden, her hair pulled back, humming contently to herself, as she watered the flowers, pulled the weeds, and set up small rocks as borders (which took forever!) This time, surely. This time, surely, she would please him. Surely, this time, she could let her big brother know how grateful she was for all the generosity he had shown her. Even if he had only adopted her because she looked like his dead wife...he didn't have to. No one had forced him to. He had brought a Rukongai tramp into his family, as his own sister. That wasn't obligatory. He didn't have to. Clearly...there was a heart in there. All she'd done was disappoint him since she became part of his family. All she'd done was shame him. He was probably regretting what he did.

Well. Byakuya wasn't exactly an emotional person, but...if just once, he wouldn't walk away...if just once, he would look her in the eye...then she'd know that everything was all right between them.

The sun was setting when she finished to her satisfaction. She made sure the sprinklers were hooked up. After working with them all day long, there was no way she'd be negligent enough to let her brother's flowers shrivel up and die!

She stood back to admire her work. Every part of her body was stiff, and ached. She rubbed her shoulder. It was painful...but she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. All of this had been done by her, Rukia Kuchiki! Just her, and no one else! That in itself was enough of an accomplishment to make her brother proud of her, in her personal opinion.

She looked at herself, covered in dirt. Byakuya would be coming home soon. She wanted to look presentable, when she came to greet him as he passed through the garden.

She ran off hurriedly. But first, she turned on the sprinklers. The flowers were looking a bit dried out to her. It would be better if they looked vibrant, healthy, and dewy when Byakuya saw them!

She was so excited, she ran off as fast as she could, turning on the sprinklers en route. Too bad for her. If she'd stayed a minute longer, Byakuya would have passed by her, since he'd come home early.

"I...I'm very sorry, nii-sama. I didn't see you. If I had, I would never have turned those sprinklers on!"

There was no response.

"Nii-sama?"

"I have said before that no one is permitted to come in my room without permission."

Rukia had one foot in his bedroom. She quickly retreated across the line.

Senbonzakura lay on the bed. His white coat hung draped over the edge of a chair, his scarf on top of it.

His kimono hung open, revealing his bare chest. "Now, if you don't mind...?" He had a dangerous tone to his voice that Rukia didn't really want to challenge.

"O-oh. Of course, nii-sama. I'll leave you in peace, nii-sama." She closed the door.

Rukia lay on her bed.

Great. Sure, that had gone well. She'd done a great job, a really great job! She'd shown her gratitude to Byakuya, all right! No better way to show affection than to douse someone with sprinklers!

Everything she did was a failure! No matter what she did, she managed to disappoint him! He was just never satisfied!

So...why even try?

She was appalled at this strange thought. Byakuya Kuchiki had been so generous to her. So if he had gone to all the trouble, why was he never happy? Maybe...it wasn't her. Maybe it was him.

Byakuya was so cold. Even the hottest fire of warmth and affection couldn't melt that icy exterior, she decided. So why even bother? Byakuya wasn't generous. He only adopted her because she looked like a dead woman. He obviously had some issues to work out. Why was she wasting her time on him? Her entire body, aching...an entire day, spent gardening...and for what? For the likes of him? Someone who would never appreciate it anyway? He barely even acknowledged her existence. Why was she wasting her time and her love on him? She would only be hurting herself.

All she ever did was annoy him, so...why even try? Why bother trying to fit into this family? Why bother trying to please Byakuya Kuchiki? Neither one would ever happen.

...so why bother?

------------------------------------------------

I hope you all liked it. Please review.