AN: All Bleach Characters mentioned belong to Kubo Tite

Our World

Chapter One-Plum Blossoms

The soft tendrils of the evening wind kissed Hisana's hair as she sat tranquilly on the sitting mat in her room. She had slid the shoji door open to savour the plum blossoms at their fullest; after all, they heralded the coming of spring, her favourite season. Their fragrance was slowly seducing her, drawing her out into into a world of complete ease and their colours, a riot of pinks, whites and reds splashed gloriously against the blazing evening skies of Seireitei. It all worked to make her feel quite alive really. She calmly looked on as a few of the petals slowly began to drift away with the ribbons of air that twirled around the Kuchiki estate; it was almost surreal, such beauty...

She heaved a soft sigh, closed her eyes, and then pressed her hands against her chest. The vista was absolutely breathtaking...

She suddenly began to feel the temptation swarming her, slowly rising and skilfully urging her on... It was almost as though the wind was calling; pleading with her...How could she resist such subtle persuasion?

She should have waited for the maids to serve tea, but the emotions were too strong. She could not deny herself the pleasure of exploring the vast gardens that made up the Kuchiki estate; the wanderlust was too intense. She was new here after all so the novelty of observing such beauty was all too charming, all too appealing. Besides, tea could always be drunk later...

Hisana gracefully eased herself into a standing position then, her white plum patterned haroi fluttering slightly as she did so. She stepped into a pair of geta and then out into the garden. As she did so she softly inhaled the alluring scent of the flora and revelled in the feel of the wind as it playfully danced through her hair. It was all too much to be true. The pristine beauty of nature was all around her; the gentle song of the birds, the serene rustling of leaves...was there anything more soothing?

She pulled the haori closer around her shoulders and began her stroll, her eyes drinking in the plethora of colours that blossomed all around her. She marvelled at the plum blossoms as they held on to their branches against the wind, swaying and dancing... It was a wonder indeed that some did not succumb to the wind's call. She admired their dedication to stay and charm, but alas, all things eventually had to go… All things eventually faded into nothingness... life was so fleeting…She stopped at that moment and stared a little longer at the flowers…staring but not really seeing.

They were supposed to be a charm against evil, these plum blossoms; a protection from unwanted disturbances and spirits. At least that was what she had been told.

Hisana looked up at them and creased her brows in concentration. She then smiled and closed her eyes before uttering a single prayer. But a single prayer could turn into a prayer for so much more, so many unanswered wishes...

Dare she compare herself to a plum blossom? Was she in any way similar to those delicate things? The ones that had been strong enough had been able to hold on to that familiar hand; had not been tossed and tugged by the wind. She wished she had been that strong, she wished she had been able to hold on longer, not let go, not bow to the selfish provocations of her mind...But she had tried hadn't she? She had attempted to repeatedly convince herself that she had tried...but not hard enough an inner voice softly responded...

She sighed. She had battled so many times with herself already. Going to war was not what she had had in mind when she had come out. Presently she was unarmed and vulnerable; she wanted to push the thoughts away, far, far away...

She would search; she would search until she found her. She would atone for her transgression and she would make it all better. One could only try, couldn't they? She had deeply regretted that act of abandonment, that act of selfishness...She was older now, wiser and able to see where her immaturity had led her...how foolish could she have been...?

Her husband had promised to let her search; had promised that he would not prevent her from performing that which meant so much to her. He had been understanding, so very understanding about it all. What more could she have asked for? How many people would have understood her? She had been blessed to even find someone like him, so very blessed...

Byakuya...

Kuchiki Byakuya was not at home; as a matter of fact he had not been home for the past two weeks, his absence owing to an important matter within the Gotei thirteen, the military arm of Soul Society.

But she missed him so much…

She had initially wondered if she had done the right thing, if she had made the right decision. She had pondered about whether or not she had acted selfishly again, putting her wants first. Marrying him had been an act of pure self-indulgence because with him...oh dear...with him everything, all the pain, all the hurt; it all just seemed to disappear, dissolve into nothingness. He had been like a drug for her cancer, the cure for the guilt that was tearing her up internally...

And she loved him; regardless of what the world had to say, she loved him.

She loved him for what he had done and she loved him for recognising her as an individual. Not because of her status, but because of who she was.

He was ultimately her light in the darkest moments of despair.

She loved him so much, but she was so afraid...so afraid that she would not be able to show him how much he meant to her...It had been a challenge for him to marry her, and it would obviously be a challenge for her to live with him but despite it all she wanted to make it all through the way. It was all like another chance being offered to her, another beginning...Maybe the Gods had heard her humble plea for forgiveness, maybe they were listening…

She looked back up at the plum blossoms and lugubriously smiled. There was some hope; there was a small ray of sunshine that was trying to illuminate her dark world.

Thank you...

xxxxx

There was a sudden buzz of activity at the Kuchiki Manor. The servants were pattering lightly but quickly on the wooden floors, scurrying from room to room. They were lighting the lanterns that had been neglected, the candle brackets that had been forgotten...The heir to the Kuchiki clan had just arrived and they needed to ensure that everything was in due order.

A small old man his shoulders hunched with age and his hair white with time scuttled ever so dutifully towards his master. He humbly bowed as the tall figure approached him through the long corridor.

"Kuchiki-sama" he subserviently murmured. "Have you been successful in your endeavours?"

Byakuya momentarily closed his eyes.

"Yes"

"That is wonderful news, your grandfather will be pleased my Lord..."

Byakuya let this thought play over in his mind. Would his grandfather really be proud of him? He had only done this out of duty, after all wasn't his accomplishment supposed to be another step to attaining the status of head of the Kuchiki Clan? He wearily brushed the thought aside for now. He was tired and such exertions of the mind were unwelcome at this point. He desired to see only one person...

He waited for the old man to remove his katana, sheathe and all from within the confines of his hakama-himo.

"Where is my wife?"

The old man's eyes nervously shot up, "She was in her room the last time the handmaiden checked my Lord."

Byakuya walked pass the old man in silence, his black kosode sleeves and windflower scarf fluttering behind him in the darkened corridor.

The old man, Yoji Satsuma turned and watched as his young master disappeared behind a shoji door.

Love? That controversial word ran through his mind.

The old man thoughtfully averted his eyes then. Was his master really in love with that plebeian excuse of a girl? How had she bewitched Byakuya into marrying her? Not that Satsuma had any complaints about her. He sighed. No. He had no complaints about her, but the only small problem that lingered was that she was not of noble lineage; an affront as far as he was concerned to the noble Kuchiki Clan. The old man sighed...

Strange indeed were the twists and turns of the road of life, both in the real world and in Soul Society. Funny how the simplest flower could produce the sweetest nectar and trap the most unsuspecting of suitors...

Kuchiki Hisana had done no less…

xxxx

Byakuya slid shoji door after shoji door aside searching for his wife and after three minutes of this constant activity he finally found himself outside her private room. He stared absently at the decorated paper screens before softly tapping. She was but a hairsbreadth away and this notion alone was more than enough to comfort him…

He waited for a few seconds but as there was no response he gently slid her door open. He stepped over the threshold and was immediately greeted with the fragrance of plum blossoms, Hisana's favourite scent. He closed his eyes and unconsciously allowed the fragrance to wash over him. It was good to be home again, good to be greeted and reacquainted with the familiar...

He opened his eyes and scanned the room, now well aware that his wife was not there. The room was empty, but an adjoining shoji door that led out into the garden was open. Byakuya slowly approached the door and pressed his hand against the frame. Hisana was in the garden, he could feel the soft, pleasurable pulsing of her riatsu flowing from within its confines.

He stepped out into the open air and felt the warm wash of the spring's evening breeze as it playfully hit against his skin. Even the plum trees were gently dancing in the late evening wind, drawing shadows over the green lawns.

Byakuya walked a few paces ahead before spying his wife gently bent at the waist observing a flower. An almost imperceptible smile played on his lips as he noted her. She was like a garden fairy...delicate, soft, beautiful and fragile. He silently approached her from behind.

She was just about to raise herself, when she lightly stumbled on the hem of her kimono. She felt herself fall back into a solid frame and gasped when she realised who it was. She swiftly whirled around, felt her cheeks begin to flame and bowed before her lord. His eyes softened at her curtsey of respect.

"Byakuya-sama" she meekly whispered in her lucid, song like voice. Byakuya felt a strange emotion flowing through his body at the sound. He had not realised he had missed her so much...

"Hisana."

She raised herself and kept her eyes respectfully lowered, a soft smile tugging at her lips. She had not seen him in almost two weeks and this was the second time she was meeting him as her husband since their wedding night.

Her cheeks flushed a bright red at the thought.

Much to her surprise however, Byakuya raised his index finger beneath her chin and tilted her face closer up to his own. Her heart instantly began to pound at his touch, her cheeks flushing an even deeper shade of crimson. She shyly met his gaze then and felt herself drowning in his smoky depths, her lips quivering at the forced action.

"So much respect..." he softly murmured.

Hisana blinked in surprise before bashfully averting her gaze.

"Y-you are my husband and soon you will be head of your clan... " She humbly whispered.

Byakuya expressionlessly observed her upon hearing that reply and subsequently removed his finger.

"Come." He softly commanded.

They walked on in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, Hisana's eyes hungrily digesting the vistas painted before her and revelling in the swirl of emotions that danced in her heart. Everything seemed ten times more colourful presently and she had a nasty little feeling that her husband's presence had almost everything to do with it. She let her gaze slide discreetly to his side and felt her heart jolt when she saw him intently observing her. She quickly looked away.

"What have you been doing while I was absent?" he softly queried as he focused his attention forward once more. He felt a surge of happiness rise within at her tender blush...

Hisana smiled and stole a small glance at him.

"I-I happened to overhear from one of the servants that my Lord greatly enjoys calligraphy…" her small smile lengthened. "I thought then…well-I thought that it would have been a good opportunity for me to learn this delicate art…"

"Oh?"

She covered her mouth with her fingers as she softly chuckled, "I wished to improve my previous hopeless attempts."

"And have you…?"

Hisana paused for a moment and tilted her head in thought. "I-I suppose that would be for you to judge..."

"I see..."

"I was told that you were quite adept at this art, so then you will know where I have fallen short and where I have made great strides..."

"Indeed…" Byakuya closed his eyes as a small smile tugged at his lips. "I doubt you can fall any shorter however…that would be quite troublesome…"

A small blush stained Hisana's cheeks and her head shot up to observe her husband. His face was deadpan except for a soft glow in his eyes.

"You are teasing me..." she softly accused. "You are teasing me about my height aren't you?"

"I am doing no such thing..." he replied in his serious way.

They both had unconsciously ceased their stroll then, their gazes warmly intertwined.

The sky had darkened considerably by now and its velvety blackness was shrouding them in a cloak of intimacy. The stars were radiating with a strange glow and the moon seemed brighter than usual. Even the fireflies that lingered seemed more numerous, their soft glow quite ethereal. They were both sheltered beneath the thick braches of the plum blossoms, the full moon's tears casting shadows upon their faces.

Before Hisana could stop herself she stepped forward and tightly linked her arms around her husband's waist. It had been such a long time...

She comfortably rested her cheek against his chest, revelling in the familiar feel of his body pressed against her own. Even his scent was slowly beginning to wrap itself around her and she was slowly drowning in pleasure at it all...

Byakuya returned her embrace and rested his chin gently on her head before burying his face deeper into her soft tresses. She smelt of fruits and wild flowers...

"I missed you while you were away..." she dreamily murmured, the magic of the moment spinning its web around her, its silken threads drawing her deeper in...

The day after their wedding there had been a message for Byakuya. He had been ordered to return to duty promptly after his leave of absence to continue training for his captain qualifications exam. He had been recommended for the post by his grandfather and Ukitake, his former senpai. And even though Byakuya had been pleased that he had received the message, he had been quite reluctant to leave his new bride alone. She would have been unaccompanied in a world that was entirely alien to her and he was sure she would have been uncomfortable in such a strange environment. She had however given him assurances that she would be well. Byakuya had unwillingly put his faith in her words and left her early the next morning. What else could he have done?

He closed his eyes then and drew her in tighter."We're in the same boat…" he murmured against her hair. He then pressed his lips against her forehead before brushing away the errant strands of hair that had fallen into her eyes. He really had missed her...

After a while, Byakuya withdrew from the embrace and linked his fingers with her own. His eyes searched out hers and he held her gaze for a moment before gently beginning to lead her towards the manor. Hisana did not object, she would have blindly followed him anywhere.

Before he could slide open the door to their chamber however, he felt Hisana's hand stay him. He turned around in surprise.

"Are-are you not weary Byakuya-sama? You have had a difficult two weeks I am sure..." she shyly muttered, her cheeks flaming as she said so.

"Are you feeling unwell?" he huskily asked.

"No!-no I am well, but I am worried about you..."

Byakuya tenderly cupped her cheek before gently stroking it with his thumb. After a moment he lowered his face before hers and softly whispered some hushed words into her ear.

Hisana felt a blush stain her cheeks a violent red and she lowered her gaze, her heart pounding at his words...

"You are...you are a quite an interesting man." She breathlessly whispered...

Byakuya smiled and brushed a strand of hair away from her face before pulling her deeper into the chamber.

She of course did not protest for all the blushes she had blushed. They were after all man and wife.