Hey people. This is my very first Bleach fanfic and I've decided to give the Byakuya-Rukia pairing a go (since I got so frustrated watching the series, hoping for more scenes between the two only to get disappointed most of the time). Anyway, here's the prologue and do give me constructive criticism through reviews. Cheers.

PROLOGUE

Sereitei's sixth division Taicho. Great looks. Wealthy. Noble. Powerful.

Widowed.

He wasn't afraid of death, whether it be his own or of the people around him. Perhaps there was once he did, when he had something he held dear, but that was all history. He could live perfectly well—pride-driven and rational in every single thing he did.

So it was ironic that he was fazed by life itself—when life comes in the form of his adopted sister.

The spark of life Rukia carries with her all the time… He noticed how bright it burns ever since her adoption, and how it shook in winds of change or times of crisis, and how it burst forward as though trying to claim his sense of logic and eat away his tight control on emotions.

But alas, Kuchiki Byakuya's life was meant to be black and white, straightforward and devoid of unnecessary elements… such as romance, at least, that was the case after Hisana's death. Therefore, whatever Rukia did with that spark of hers shouldn't be a nuisance to him the way it definitely was right now. He couldn't deny how it affected him. How he feared it. His flawless façade was fading. For most of his life as a shinigami he was contented to be the arrogant noble with a heart as cold as Hitsugaya's zanpakuto, but now he would occasionally hear gossipers describing him as a loving brother. He did not protest, but he felt unease for the situation was entirely out of his control.

Being the observant man that he was, he noticed the tiny telltale signs of the beginning of his lack of emotion-control. He should have taken precautions and effectively carried out all necessary steps to avoid undesirable outcomes. But he didn't.

Because, really, he wasn't a straightforward person, not anymore, despite the way his life was paved out for him. He used to love with all his might and took the direct approach to fight for what he and Hisana shared. He fought bravely for their marriage. He fought with immeasurable passion and more bravery to save it when it started crumbling under the Elders' pressure. And he knew he gave it his all when he fought to keep Hisana at his side.

He wanted to grow old with her.

He was met with failure. He realised the worst type rejection was one in the form of death that comes after total acceptance and fragile happiness. Why won't you stay and continue loving me, Hisana?

Being straightforward was playing with fire. It burnt him, though the pain no longer mattered. He became the embodiment of numbness.

He knew better now than to face his predicament head-on. In his mind, he made delicate plans that involve minimum confrontations and of course, zero emotion, to address the problem Rukia had unknowingly caused. She should never know. The same applies to the whole of Soul Society. Nobody was to know that Kuchiki Byakuya had a problem with… the liveliness of his sister. It sounds ridiculous to begin with. He would not tell her anything about his day at work. He would eat in silence when they dine together. He would not enquire about her whereabouts. He would avoid her at all cost.

He would watch her die if he must.

That was the plan. And he continually told himself the problem will be gone once her spark was shut off from him, never reaching his soul ever again. Yet, his indulgence in what appeared to be platonic sibling love did not cease. As a matter of fact it increased significantly after the Sokyouku incident. And it was virtually impossible for him to watch her die. He couldn't deny that. I would die in your place if I must.

Because I'm not loved, but nevertheless in love with you. And I don't like being left behind. Not again.

Being non-straightforward wasn't effective, he concluded. Not when her spark already lit up the corners of his conscience, overwhelming him with the sudden intrusion of positivity. His plan failed miserably, but to say the least, nobody's a loser now, right? They didn't lose each other. Perhaps, she would stay at his side as a sister forever, without ever understanding the real motive of his accidental display of kindness towards her.

She should never understand. He loved the way she beamed up at him in assurance when he stared down at her battered body in the 4th division after an unsuccessful mission. She no longer burdened herself with extreme formalities with him nor did she apologise for failing her shinigami duties. He also vaguely remembered in another instance, how he enjoyed the way she inspected his wounds in their residence when he insisted to leave the 4th division barracks before getting proper treatment. He was too eager to see her unharmed at home to wait for Unohana taicho. Okairinasai, Nii-sama. Her greetings were the best thing that could happen to him in times of war. What she called him could always be overlooked.

Sometimes, when her spark blinded his rationality momentarily, he even believed that she was the best thing that could happen to him in a lifetime.