Bleach: Byakuya/Rukia (Five breaks - broken silence)
Title: Not broken
Author: aviss
Pairing: Byakuya/Rukia
Rating: PG
theme: Five breaks - Broken silence
Word Count: 416
Rukia had been staring into nothingness since she was brought back from Hueco Mundo. Byakuya was beginning to worry.
It wasn't her injuries, those were minor since the healing girl had taken care of her there; just thinking how close to death she had been made Byakuya regret the decision to let her go. But there was nothing he could do about it now.
It was her silence what concerned him the most.
Rukia wouldn't speak, not to him and not even to Kurosaki or Abarai. She was just there, staring into nothingness all the time. She had never reminded him of a doll so much as she did now.
Byakuya sat next to her bed to keep her company when his obligations let him, hoping to see some kind of change, to see her breaking out of whatever darkness was surrounding her. So far, there had been no hints of recovery in a week.
It was a faint sob what woke him up.
Rukia had her face on her hands, trying to choke back her sobs while the tears slide down her wrists. Byakuya felt his heart stopping at the sight.
"I had to kill him again," she whispered, "it wasn't him, but it was him, what was left of him. And I killed him again. Just like I did that time."
For the first time, Byakuya didn't know what to say. He was not equipped to give comfort, not the kind of comfort Rukia needed.
"I had to, I had to."
It was the pain he could hear in the voice what made him move. Byakuya stood up and gathered her in his arms. Rukia went stiff with shock, not expecting him to be awake at all, and then she clung on to him and cried, hot tears of shame and rage and impotence wetting his robe.
Byakuya just held her in silence, letting her grief run its course until she fell asleep, exhausted.
Gently, he laid her back on the bed and observed her for a while. Rukia looked so frail in the moonlight, so young. Unable to resist the impulse, he leaned over her and deposited a soft kiss on her lips.
He wasn't expecting to find her staring at him when he pulled back, or to see that small smile on her lips and that blush on her face.
"Don't go, nii-sama," she said her voice barely audible, "stay with me."
He did. There was nothing he could deny her anymore.
...
Author: aviss
Pairing: Byakuya/Rukia
Rating: PG
theme: Five breaks - Broken silence
Word Count: 416
Rukia had been staring into nothingness since she was brought back from Hueco Mundo. Byakuya was beginning to worry.
It wasn't her injuries, those were minor since the healing girl had taken care of her there; just thinking how close to death she had been made Byakuya regret the decision to let her go. But there was nothing he could do about it now.
It was her silence what concerned him the most.
Rukia wouldn't speak, not to him and not even to Kurosaki or Abarai. She was just there, staring into nothingness all the time. She had never reminded him of a doll so much as she did now.
Byakuya sat next to her bed to keep her company when his obligations let him, hoping to see some kind of change, to see her breaking out of whatever darkness was surrounding her. So far, there had been no hints of recovery in a week.
It was a faint sob what woke him up.
Rukia had her face on her hands, trying to choke back her sobs while the tears slide down her wrists. Byakuya felt his heart stopping at the sight.
"I had to kill him again," she whispered, "it wasn't him, but it was him, what was left of him. And I killed him again. Just like I did that time."
For the first time, Byakuya didn't know what to say. He was not equipped to give comfort, not the kind of comfort Rukia needed.
"I had to, I had to."
It was the pain he could hear in the voice what made him move. Byakuya stood up and gathered her in his arms. Rukia went stiff with shock, not expecting him to be awake at all, and then she clung on to him and cried, hot tears of shame and rage and impotence wetting his robe.
Byakuya just held her in silence, letting her grief run its course until she fell asleep, exhausted.
Gently, he laid her back on the bed and observed her for a while. Rukia looked so frail in the moonlight, so young. Unable to resist the impulse, he leaned over her and deposited a soft kiss on her lips.
He wasn't expecting to find her staring at him when he pulled back, or to see that small smile on her lips and that blush on her face.
"Don't go, nii-sama," she said her voice barely audible, "stay with me."
He did. There was nothing he could deny her anymore.
...