Hey there! This is a short two-shot AU thing that I made a year back, but haven't got down to actually writing it down in proper sentences until now. Hope you guys like it! This is my first attempt at doing an angsty-ish fic, so I might not be that good at it.

P.S. People who are following "It took me awhile", sorry! I'm still quite unhappy over my epilogue, so I wouldn't be posting it just yet. But thank you so much for waiting!

P.P.S. Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

"RUKIAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

He screamed as he ran towards her. His mind racing as he kept telling himself that this wasn't happening. He knelt down beside her, picking her up so gently as if she was going to break any time. Ichigo, too, was badly injured during the fight, but all the pain from his wounds were nothing as compared to the impending grief that was soon filling up his chest as he looked down at the badly battered Rukia with a huge slash across her abdomen. "Rukia! You can do it, Rukia! Just hold on, hold on for just… for just…" Her eyes felt heavy as she struggled to look up at Ichigo, the love of her life. His amber pools were glistening from the tears that were threatening to fall. "You're gonna be okay, Rukia. Don't worry. I'm here, I'm here." She let out a small smile; it was a selfish thought, but she couldn't deny how happy she was to know that Ichigo cared this much for her. She was content.

"You… fool." She uttered, as she slowly closed her eyes.

"Hey! Rukia! Please, don't… don't close your… Rukia! Wake up!" He yelled as he stroke her left cheek; his hands trembling as he did so. Her face bore no remnants of pain as she lay there in his arms, she looked almost as if she was sleeping, peacefully, if not for the gashes all over her petite body. "Rukia, please…" Ichigo felt more people walking towards him, but he wasn't sure who, as his vision was slowly blurred by tears. He held on to her, the stench of the blood coming out of his wounds mixing with hers looming in the air.

"Ichigo… She's gone." Renji managed to break the silence.

"NOOOO! GO AWAY! She's gonna be fine! GO. AWAY." Ichigo screamed as he waved his free hand hysterically. He knew that he was lying to himself, he could no longer feel any warmth from her body; but he just felt like clinging on and hopefully, the pain would be more bearable. "Ichigo…" Renji replied, almost in a whisper, with the feeling of helplessness in his eyes.

Ever since Ichigo passed on from the World of the Living and became a captain in Soul Society, he had matured from his usual reckless and impulsive self to be one who is calm and collected, but today, kneeling before his comrades and subordinates with Rukia in his arms, he had lost all his composure. He screamed and wailed incoherent words and phrases while he rocked them back and forth. He wasn't ready to let go. Not now, not just yet.

But it wasn't his choice.

His grip on her tightened as he felt her fading away from him for the second time in his life. The familiar feeling of loss and desolation filled his senses, but this time it was different. This time, he wasn't sure if he would ever see her again. This time, he wouldn't be able to say "Later, Rukia." This time, he probably had to truly say goodbye.

The sun was shining brightly in Soul Society that day, but what Ichigo could only feel was the rain that was pouring relentlessly in his heart.

After that day, he was never the same again. It was as if his heart had gone numb. He hardly smiled, and he never shed a single tear.

"We're clear here." Hisagi Shuuhei announced as he landed beside his captain.

"Ah, alright. Let's move out to the next location." The captain of the ninth squad called out as he waved for the rest to follow him. The group of shinigamis shunpo-ed together behind their captain as they weaved through the city of Kochi, stepping on the rooftops of buildings to propel themselves forward.

All of the sudden, their captain stopped abruptly and landed atop one of the buildings. The rest of the team shunpo-ed to where he was, and stood beside him watching as he stared intently at something below. "What is it, Kurosaki-taicho? Is it a hollow?" Hisagi asked, squinting to figure out what Ichigo was so captivated by. Could his reiatsu deduction skills have sunk so low that he didn't realize a hollow wandering down there on the streets? "Wait here" was all he said, before Ichigo jumped down towards the small park across the street from their building.

Once he landed on the ground, the orange-haired shinigami just ran. He ran like he never ran before. The feeling of exhilaration filled his body, and he was starting to feel alive again.

It was her. He was sure. Or at least, he hoped with every fiber of his being that he was sure. He wouldn't have mistaken her face for anyone in the world anyway, he couldn't. Every part of her, every detail of her has always been deeply imprinted in his mind.

Soon, he was standing right before her. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was really her, or someone who looks exactly like her. But Ichigo chose to dwell in the theory of the former. Wearing a yellow sundress, carrying bags of groceries in her hands and with her jet-black hair swaying lightly in the wind, she walked slowly towards his direction. And just like that, Ichigo was involuntarily reverted back to a young teen boy. He was at loss of what to say, what to do or how to act. "Rukia." He breathed out.

And just as he hoped, dreamt, and fantasized every single day of those twenty years without her; she stopped and looked at him.

Oh hey! I'm not sure what happens after a shinigami die, but… I guess they just fade away? I don't know. Just my guess.

And OH, a good friend of mine was the one who chose the ninth squad that Ichigo should be captain for, so don't go asking WHY THE HELL IS HE IN THE NINTH SQUAD HE SHOULD BE IN THE WHATEVER SQUAD. Go write your own damn story then.

Okay, that was harsh. ;D ! Well, review! The next and final chapter should be up by next week. I've already written more than half of it. So, no worries!