Characters: Rukia, Ichigo
Summary: She never thought he could make it this far.
Pairings: IchiRuki
Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers for Soul Society arc
Timeline: Soul Society arc
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Rukia is ashamed to admit it, and her doubts will never, ever reach Ichigo's ears, but she never thought he could make it this far. She's had as much faith in Ichigo as she's ever had in anyone but he's just one man and, admittedly, Ichigo is one (or four or five is she counts the people who went with him, and she's not) man against the best there is.
Who could survive under such odds?
Who, but Ichigo? Stupid, persistent, persevering Ichigo?
Nearly dead, drenched in her own despair and feeling the nearly unbearable heat of the great bird next to her own skin, Rukia expects to be gone—not dead in the normal way of souls but just gone, sunk into oblivion for the rest of time—in an instant, except that she's not.
She's not gone.
And when she looks up, a familiar pair of brown eyes stare down into her own.
Cocky, triumphant Ichigo. Ichigo who, as usual, is utterly insufferable in victory. And Ichigo who looks concerned under all that bravado. Ichigo, who looks worried.
Rukia feels her heart swell, and nearly ends up breaking down and forgetting her dignity altogether and cry. Just cry it out, so happy, so relieved to see him again.
Because he's her responsibility, the one she has to look after. If something happens to him it's her fault. If he had died here, it would have been because of her. Rukia's had enough people die because of her. She's carried enough people on her conscience, worn enough named chains to fill a lifetime.
Ichigo is being stupid and foolish and thoughtless as usual, with a touch of chauvinism to add into the mix, and instead of crying Rukia settles for a good scream and a furious look on her face. Do I look like a damsel in distress to you?
But despite having wanted to be erased from existence a second ago, Rukia is glad to see him.
She's never been so glad to see anyone in her life.