Characters: Ichigo, Rukia (in spirit)
Summary: The most terrifying revelation of all is that eventually he'll forget her face.
Pairings: IchiRuki
Warnings/Spoilers: spoilers for Deicide arc
Timeline: post-Deicide arc
Author's Note: Wouldn't this prospect just be so terrifying for him? I can't help but think it would be.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Any tears shed steam and boil like tears shed on the surface of the sun. Within a second, they shrivel and disappear into a small puff of smoke, like Ichigo's memories are, moment by moment, of Rukia.
Ichigo would be lying if he were to say that he has not grown extremely jealous of his memories of Rukia. Memories are all he has left (and may well be all he ever had to start with), so they are closely guarded with all the strength he has left to muster.
And still, they're starting to slip through his fingers.
At six months, Ichigo wakes up one morning with a few words on his lips that he knows he never said. Sharp, belligerent words. Rukia's words. There is no smile on his face, but still, the thought of Rukia's words bring some small comfort, and the sharp beating of Ichigo's heart stills, just a little. He closes his eyes, feels the morning light soft and warm on his skin, and tries to remember the voice she used when she snapped those words.
I don't think I would have believed anyone who told me six months ago that the sound of Rukia lecturing me was eventually going to sound so sweet.
Ichigo waits for the recall of the inflections of Rukia's voice to flood his memory. He waits for it to be so vivid, for the painful clarity to be so breathtaking that it almost sounds like Rukia's still in the room and her voice echoes off the walls. And he waits.
Eventually, Ichigo comes to a horrifying realization.
He can't remember Rukia's voice sounds like anymore.
He can't remember.
This, of course, serves to throw Ichigo's mind into complete disarray. The mind forgets, but Ichigo doesn't want to. He doesn't ever want to forget Rukia, never forget any part of her, not now, not ever. She should remain indelibly seared on the inside of his eyelids, her image, visage, whole body and whole spirit as familiar to Ichigo as the bed he sleeps on.
But he's already started to forget. No matter how jealously Ichigo guards his memories, they seep through his clenched fists like sand. No stopping the process that's already begun.
Isn't it enough that I've lost Rukia? Now I have to forget her too?
And the most terrifying revelation of all is that eventually, Ichigo will forget her face. He will forget everything, down to what Rukia looks like.
His mind will betray his heart and his soul, and erase her from his existence, as though she never was.
It's only a matter of time.