Disclaimer: Bleach is definitely not mine! It all belongs to Mr. Kubo and some companies/studios. If it was, you'd be seeing a lot more of Rukia's nii-sama there, instead of Rurichiyo…

So, dear all, during this time I spent not posting I have been a little busy with visitors here (aka my cousin). I didn't have much time to write, but she gave me an idea for a new fic, that now I present you. I'm still waiting for my beta on P&D, but chapter 8 is almost finished, so you might receive 2 in a roll soon. As for Gift and Toys, they need a certain mood for me to write them, therefore, since I already finished Mystery, I decided to give me another one to work on while I wait for reviewing and right moods. I hope you enjoy.

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"Kuchiki Rukia-san?" Unohana called for Rukia in her typical motherly voice. Rukia stood up with difficulty from the chair she was sitting on for some hours now. Her exhaustion made such a simple action much harder than she expected it to be.

"I am finished here. Don't worry, he will be alright." The captain added, after reading the worry in Rukia's eyes. "I left some painkillers for the pain in his head, and the bandage should be replaced tomorrow. But I healed the wound from the inside, so that his brain shall be unaffected, and he should wake up in some hours."

Rukia smiled relieved. She looked at the bandage on her brother's head, and it quickly reminded her of the battle in Hueco Mundo, where the third espada had hit him so hard on the head that she was almost sure she would never see her brother alive again. He was taken back to Seireitei after the war was won, and received all the medical support he needed. 'He will be alright', she convinced herself, letting Unohana's words echo inside her head.

"You should take some rest too, Rukia-san," the older woman advised.

Rukia simply nodded and accompanied the fourth division captain to the door. After bowing and thanking the captain, she went back into her brother's now quiet room, where she resumed her position in the chair close to his bed. She would wait for him to wake up and see that he was really fine until then. She had been in that same place since she came back from Hueco Mundo in the previous night, patiently waiting for the fourth division team to do their job, so she wasn't going to leave now. Not until he wakes up.

It was a very quiet afternoon, the deep blue sky slowing turning into orange, she noticed, as her eyes accompanied birds flying really high, slowly and peacefully, through the window. The afternoon was incredibly still, no wind, no noises but the singing of a cicada far away, and she was glad that her brother could rest in such a peaceful place.

After some minutes in the silence and loneliness of her brother's room, Rukia started to doze off. She had been healed and rested in Hueco Mundo, it's true, but she was awake since they got to the Kuchiki mansion last night with a still very much injured Kuchiki taichou, and she had been up all night, following closely the medical procedures. Byakuya, in his few conscious moments had asked to be healed at home – 'maybe he wasn't expecting to survive?', she wondered - and Unohana taichou agreed, transferring part of her equip to his room. Now the room was calm and silent, and Rukia couldn't avoid the sleep that slowly took her over without her consent.

She fell asleep there, on her chair, a deep, tired sleep. The sun went slowly down in the horizon, darkening the room where the two Shinigami slept, unaware of time. No light was lit, for the servants had been ordered to not interrupt Byakuya's recovering until he was well and awake enough to give new orders himself. Soon the room was in complete darkness as the night progressed, lit only by a full moon that rose late that day.

It was past two in the morning when Kuchiki Byakuya woke up from his deep sleep. The first thing he noticed was a slight pain in his head. He reached for it and touched the bandages.

'Did I hurt myself this badly?' he wondered when and where. Except for the small pain in his head, he was feeling well and rested.

He looked around. Even in the darkness, the moonlight passing through the window was illuminating enough, especially for his vision already used to the darkness after a long sleep. He easily noticed a familiar sleeping figure in the chair beside him.

'Hisana.' he smiled softly at her relaxed face. 'Why is she sleeping on the chair? Probably watching over me, that silly woman.' He concluded, looking at her tenderly.

Byakuya stood up and approached her without any sounds. He delicatedly put his arms under her legs and back, slowly carrying her slim figure to their bed, careful not to wake her up. He deposited her in her usual side of the bed, taking off her shoes, then kissed her slightly on her lips and went back to sleep, savoring the warmness of her body in a tight embrace.

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Damn, I'm in a writing spree again. As soon as I review next chapter, I'll post it. :)

Plz let me know what you think. Just passing by and saying nothing makes me think you didn't like it. -_-