Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or any of the Bleach characters used in this fic. They all belong to Tite Kubo: the genius behind the captivating manga that started it all. I only own any of my original characters that I choose to include, as well as any of my own original plot ideas.
Back To You
Prompt: "All or nothing..."
A/N: Written for an LJ challenge, 5_prompts. Ichigo/Rukia.
Nothing had been the same since she'd disappeared from his life. Everything had become dull, boring, pointless. He had begun slipping in school again, earning distasteful and sorrowful glances from his teachers as they handed back papers, asking to speak with him after classes. He'd even begun to drift away from Orihime and Chad, always going straight to school in the mornings, and home in the afternoons.
He'd lock himself up in his room, often forgetting to eat as the time slipped away. Without Rukia there to create trouble and excitement, there was nothing for him. His had become an empty, lonely existence. His only companion: A tattered notebook that followed him everywhere. He would spend most schooldays writing or scribbling upon its pages, or staring out the window in hopes that, somehow, she would come back.
Today would be no different.
It had started raining late the previous night, leaving the streets cold and wet, reminiscent of Ichigo's own tortured mind. He dragged himself through the streets, ignoring both Keigo and Mizuiro as they urged him to hurry before the bell rang to start class. He paused, leaning up against a nearby wall as he watched them dart down the street. On a day such as this, there was no reason to hurry. He lagged behind, waiting until the bell had gone off before making his way around to the back of the school to climb onto the roof.
The rain poured down on top of his umbrella as he sat on the edge of the building. His quaint little town had been safe for weeks now, but the perpetual boredom and sorrow he felt without Rukia was torturous. It had been worth it to save his friends and family from destruction, but he wasn't able to say the same about sacrificing his powers and Rukia. He dropped his bag at his side, reaching in for the tattered little notebook and a pen.
He flipped through the pages that were now being assaulted by the raindrops, noting vague drawings of Rukia's face every few pages. She'd been on his mind for days, plaguing his dreams, his thoughts. Even her face had shown up in clouds and in the river by his mother's grave.
The pen moved swiftly across a blank page as he wrote, the rain spreading the ink in some places. Upon finishing, he scribbled a little note at the bottom beside a crudely drawn image of a tanuki. If she ever got the note, she'd have to play her own stupid game of detective before reading it. He stood, tearing the page from the notebook and shoving it into a envelope that he had grabbed from his drawer earlier that morning.
The wind began to pick up, winding its way under his hood and through his hair. He scribbled her name onto the front of the envelope upon sealing it, releasing it to the mercy of the wind.
"I will give you all rather than nothing... I will find a way back to you..."
Written while listening to "Not Alone" by Linkin Park.