For the final installment, a rather angsty oneshot - please enjoy! Set in the future. Small spoiler perhaps for chap 423, but everyone's probably heard of it by now.

Crying is a weakness that shows the defeat of the mind by the body.

A black figure sat in a corner of the Kuchiki house. It seemed to be silent and still but peering closer, a slight shaking could be seen.

The figure held herself together as best she could, her fists clenching her robes, knuckles white. One hand covered her nose and mouth as if to snuff out emotions.

To prevent crying is to protect one's integrity.

She shut her eyes tight and tried to shake away her silly behaviour. She should be ashamed of how she was acting. She should be smiling happily. But, this reaction…she couldn't cry now, not now.

'Rukia.' It was Renji. What he was doing here, she did not know. Wasn't he meant to be doing paperwork at the sixth?

'What?' she kept her gaze fixed on her work.

'Ah…well…' Then he started babbling. 'I know you told me to forget it and you didn't want to know but I think you should know but –'

Fustrated, she glared at him. 'Spit it out.' She frowned at his unusual nervousness. He was shifting his weight from foot to foot and his eyes kept on darting around, as if he wanted to flee but didn't know how. This didn't bode well. When he acted like this, it meant that he was going to…

'Kurosaki's getting married. To that orange-haired chick.'

She turned away and bit her lip.

So, Rukia Kuchiki let go of her resolution.

-o-

Rukia was the only one sitting on the back row. Everywhere else was full. Everyone seemed to be avoiding her, albeit unconsciously. She shouldn't be here. She knew she shouldn't be here, but here she was, at the place where she least wanted to be. She had hoped that seeing it would help her, so she could move on and stop being so silly, so immature. 'Fat chance,' she murmured.

Her gaze travelled down to her purple-black dress. To be honest, her choice of attire was more suited for a funeral than a wedding, but she hadn't noticed at the time. She eyed the violet sequins adorning the hem and watched light dance off the flat surfaces.

Orihime was wearing a beautiful trailing white gown studded with crystals that didn't just reflect light, but radiated it. A head of shocking orange stood next to her, the owner of it facing the other way. Rukia would recognise that hair anywhere: loud and obnoxious, just like him. Her lips twitched in a faint grin.

-o-

Captain Ukitake looked at her with kind eyes and a smile, settling his teacup on the desk beside him. 'Ah, Kuchiki, I have good news for you.'

She raised her head and peered questioningly at him. Had something happened? 'I…don't know what you mean, Captain.'

Her captain nodded and picked up a file, holding it towards her. She noticed that he looked much older than before, with fine lines on his forehead and a tired air to his motions.

'Please read this. The twelfth division has found interesting information regarding Kurosaki-san. It appears that he may be regaining his powers.'

Rukia blinked.

'What?'

-o-

On the other side, a bride peered up at her husband-to-be with longing, her perfect groom. The perfect groom she had never thought she could marry, but who, still, would never love her.

She sat there, hands clasped tightly in front of her on the table. Her head was bowed.

'It's been 10 years since she left, but he's still unchanged. No matter what I do, his eyes aren't the same. I can't stand it. Kurosaki-kun is…mine now, but he isn't Kurosaki-kun anymore.'

Her blue hairpins glinted when she lifted her head. Her friend saw that tears had begun to form in her grey eyes.

'He continues to wait for her, while I continue to wait for him. I can see it, and I feel so lost. She is not even here, yet I feel so jealous of Kuchiki-san.' Her lower lip trembled and her voice broke on the last word. Tatsuki quietly slung an arm over her shoulders and rubbed her back sympathetically.

'What would she have done? Tatsuki, what do I do?'

He wasn't looking at her. She had expected that. What she hadn't expected, was the change in his gaze. It held none of the dullness she had grown accustomed to. Instead, they brimmed with life, like a flower that had found the sun. Spring peeking out over Winter's shoulder. And, just like that, she knew who he was looking at. There was only one person who could do that, and she was here.

Orihime knew a losing battle when she saw one.

'Kurosaki-kun,' she whispered. He had already turned to the side, fixed on something, someone, sitting at the back. Although he showed no sign of hearing her, she knew he was listening. He would never love her, but he would listen.

She took in a shaky breath. 'This…this isn't a wedding.' She gave the flowers one last grasp before letting them fall from her hands. 'I…we can't do this. Please, I want you to be happy.' Closing her eyes, she felt the first tears fall.

As he swept past her, Orihime was thankful for the veil covering her face. She tried to keep her voice steady as she spoke to shocked faces.

'Sorry, but I'm afraid there won't be a wedding today.'

She found the strength to smile as she slid off her ring.

-o-

It was her.

His heart thumped as he stepped towards her. Half-running, half-walking, his footsteps echoed in the still surroundings. Everyone was watching, but all he could see was her. Sometimes, as the days passed by, he would see her too. He thought it was her, he wished it was her, yet every time he turned around or ran forwards, she would vanish. Each time, he would hope. Each time, he would ache even more.

He smiled again as he felt the hope returning.

If hurt is the cost of happiness, then I exchange everything.

He hesitated before reaching his hand out, afraid she would disappear again. She looked so real. Her hand reached out too, like a mirror image, the light to his dark.

'Are you real?'

He looked so happy. Of course, it was his wedding, he was meant to be happy, Rukia chastised herself. But then, why did it feel that that wasn't the case? Why did it feel that it was because of her? He had just walked away from his bride, from his wedding, to see her. All to see her. He was so happy.

Had she been right in coming here today?

He breathed a sigh of relief as his fingers touched hers, glad that she was still there. Their fingers entwined as he clasped her hand, locking her small fingers with his. He had no plan to release his hold anytime soon, or ever, in fact. He needed her here. Moving his other hand forwards he traced her visage, delicately sweeping a finger across her forehead, nudging her stubborn strand of hair away. He slid over her cheekbones and lingered over her lips, a feather-light weight upon the soft curve.

If this was a dream, then he was afraid of waking up. But she felt so real. She was so real.

'Rukia…'

'Why don't you go?' Renji asked her as they sat in front of the flower garden, admiring the beautiful colours. The flowers looked particularly pretty this year, with a whole mix of whites and blues and purples and reds. Really, it was wonderful to watch.

'Why what?'

Rukia paused a little in her flower-gazing and switched her attention to clouds above. There were so many shapes and it was so fun to identify them all. She could spend hours just looking up at the sky. It was so peaceful, so beautiful…

But of course she knew perfectly well what he was talking about. How could she not know what he was talking about? It was just better to pretend otherwise. It was easier this way, she thought.

But what if…what if…

'Why won't you go?'

It was better this way, she thought. Already, it had been so long in human years. Enough time for a person to change completely; for a person's life to change completely; and…for a person to be forgotten completely. What did it matter that he had his powers back?

To come back and shake up a life, to throw everything on its head, to mess everything up…she couldn't do that. He was to be married soon. So why not wait? Wait until it was time. Wait a little longer.

'Rukia, are you afraid?'

She had been afraid. 'I'll stay,' she whispered against his fingers. 'Promise.'

Rukia leaned forward and gently touched her forehead to his, gazing into his eyes and seeing everything as it really was. Everything that she had tried hardest not to believe. Now, she could see him so clearly. She could read him like an open book.

It was so obvious. They understood each other. They shared the same soul, the same heart. Nothing else mattered.

And the whole world faded away.

Ichigo was supposed to be marrying someone else, but he didn't care. The only bride he could see was the girl in front of him.

In case it got a little confusing, Ichigo regains his powers around the time that he gets married. Rukia hasn't visited him either in spirit form or in a gigai since he lost his powers.

Thank you very much for reading this oneshot and my oneshot collection! I really enjoyed writing them and I hope you enjoyed it too. Also, I wish you all a very merry christmas! ^^

With love, le. papillon. blanc.