"I...Ichigo?"
"Mm-mm."
Ichigo simply gave his head a shake to the left and right once. He sat facing his window with one of his arms holding a hand to his face for some reason. Small droplets of red, which Rukia knew to be blood, where sitting on the floor, leading up to the boy. His posture was weak and reclined on the rough carpet of his room, but even still, he didn't permit himself to show his face to Rukia.
"Ichigo!" She repeated, this time a little more commanding. "Show me your face!"
He shook his head once as he had done before.
"Mm-mm."
She stomped up to him, fists clenched.
"Stop acting like a child"
She took hold of his shoulder and pulled him backward, looking to see his face.
He yanked away turning to the other side.
"Mm-mm!" He grunted.
Rukia pulled back and growled.
"Enough! If you won't show me...then I don't care!" She hissed, turning around.
Ichigo sighed after a few moments from hearing her footsteps. He let his body relax again, draining himself of tension. As he drew back more air for a second sigh, he felt the tug of his shirt again... stronger this time. Before he had time to pull back, he was already face to face with Rukia.
"Ichigo!" She squeaked, seeing his face.
She brought her hand close to one of the bruises but shyed away when she saw him wince.
"What...what happened?"
"Rgggg!" He growled, trying to pull away.
It was to no avail, seeing as how Rukia was both much faster and stronger than he was in his current condition.
There was a purple bruise on his right eye, starting with his bottom lashes and ending in the middle of his cheek bone. It was dark and had the slightest hints of black. Then there was his mouth, from the way he had his hand on it, she could only see the black marring of his mouth's corner. But the blood that ran down his chin and closest finger prooved two things.
That he was still hurt and would not begin to heal until he had this fixed.
...and that these marks were both made by fists.
"What...happend?" She asked again, lowering her voice to a whisper.
He shook his head for the third time. "Mm-mm."
Rukia nodded and let him go.
"Very well then"
She stood and looked from him to the door.
There was a pause before she made any movement or sound. She was thinking on what would be best to do. Thoughts upon thoughts and choices upon choices. Finally, something stood out above all else.
Her eyes flicked back to Ichigo with an intense look.
"I'm telling Renji." She said, taking off through the door.
Ichigo's eyes, bruised or not, went wide.
That name...that name and those words... She wouldn't really...would she?
"No! Ru-kia!" He slurred, struggling to keep his hand on his still bleeding lips.
On his way, however, he stumbled and fell onto his side.
He scrambled to the door in time to hear a certain male's voice carry up the stairs in a less than happy tone.
'Damn it!' He thought, reaching up to the door, pushing it shut and flipping the lock.
'It won't hold him too long... but maybe I can get Yoruichi-san to get me out of here. No, she'll ask questions too... damn it.'
"Kurosaki, open the door!"
Renji's harsh voice made him jumped forward, landing on his stomach.
'This sucks... I need to get outta here.'
Renji growled, punching the door now.
"I'll kick the door down if you don't let me in!"
'He wouldn't dare.' Ichigo thought as he pulled himelf to the window.
He sighed, thinking of who might hide him for a while.
It hit him.
"Ding-ding-ding...ding, ding-ding!"
Ichigo looked to his sounding phone.
'Probably just Renji calling'
He looked at the ID and nearly fell over.
On the screen was clearly printed, "Inoue"
He scrambled to it and flipped the top up.
"Orihime?! Is it you?!"
"Yes, Ichigo. ...Is everything ok?" She asked, a bit concerned with his tone of voice.
He struggled to force casualty into his voice, only making it worse.
"Y-yeah"
He looked out of the window.
"You're on your cell, are you outside?"
"Yes"
She smiled. Even though Ichigo couldn't see her, he could tell she was smiling by the sound of sweetness in her voice. It almost calmed him... until he heard Renji's voice once more.
"I was coming by to see if you'd like some-"
"Don't ring the bell!" He shouted without meaning to.
She squealed and came close to dropping the phone.
"W-w-why not?"
Ichigo looked for a reason why.
'This is Orihime...I can always tell her later'
"I'll tell you when you get here. Come to my window and I'll jump out for you to catch me."
"Catch you?! Kurosaki-kun... why do you need me to-"
"Please...Orihime..."
The girl blushed as she heard his plea. His voice always sounded so warm when he needed something. As if he were saying it right into her ear.
"Alright...I'm almost there." She said. "Bye."
"Yeah." He said, hanging up.
Renji growled.
"Ok, I mean it now! I'm kicking in the door!"
His threat was followed by a rough thump at the door.
"Orihime...come on..."
He waited at the window for perhaps 10 more seconds until he heard a faint call. He looked over the window sill and saw Orihime waving and smiling.
His face looked relieved.
The two quickly communicated using their hands to show one another where to stand and where was easiest to catch from. Within moments, Ichigo lept out of his room and into her arms.
Ichigo lay on a bed, his eyes closed in sleep.
He opened them slowly, finally coming to.
"Rmm...where...where am I?"
Orihime's eyes brightened when she saw the boy awaken. She was seated in a small chair by the bedside.
"Ichigo!" She beamed. "How are you feeling?"
The boy sat up and looked down.
He was wearing a sweater, one he could tell was his own, but greatly re-threaded. He also found that his lip was clean and stitched as well as his eye cleaned and healed.
All that remained was a small purple blotch above his cheek.
He felt his skin and looked to Orihime.
"Did you do this?"
She shook her head.
"I only healed your bruises. Uryu stitched your lip..."
"Uryu"
Ichigo furrowed his brows and touched his lip, feeling the soft thread and nearly painless seam.
"When did he-"
"You're in his house...his bed, really"
Orihime blinked and put her hands up.
"N-n-n-not HIS bed! But one of the guest beds in his house."
Ichigo smiled and nodded.
"I get it."
"No... you honestly don't."
Both heads turned to the door.
Uryu stood, cross armed in it's way.
"Because when we all agreed on the terms, 'Don't fight alone when you can't handle the opponent'... You were clearly daydreaming."
Ichigo didn't pay him any mind.
"So I guess I gotta thank you for this sweater too."
The dark haired boy looked serious as he approached the bed.
"That's not important. The next time you decide to put Renji and Rukia in a fuss...kindly leave Orihime out of it"
He pushed up his glasses.
"It's not her fault you're so misguided."
The strawberry's perma-frown deepened.
"Look, I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"I'm talking about going out and fighting, then leaving the rest of us to pick and guess what happend"
Uryu glared.
Orihime got up and bowed, realizing it wasn't time for her to listen.
Ichigo hmphed.
"Look, I'm sorry, alright?"
"I don't want to hear that. I want to know what you did to get those wounds"
Uryu sat on the edge of the bed.
Ichigo opened his mouth, preparing to give an answer loaded with BS.
Uryu took off his glasses, looking to the boy sternly.
"Don't forget that I saw your body when I dressed you in that. Your body gives a sense of a less battle made struggle"
His eyes became half cast.
"In other words...don't lie, I know someone tried something on you."
Ichigo's breath hitched. He couldn't believe what he just heard Uryu said.
"What the hell are you talking about?" He muttered.
"You're a terrible liar and an even worse faker...so get to the point...and tell me."
Ichigo nodded.
"I picked a fight...and couldn't handle it."
Uryu narrowed his eyes again.
"Fool. Tell me who it was."
Ichigo remained silent.
He gazed out of the window, watching the sky.
"Can I tell you..."
He watched the blue sky and the whisps of white stilled across it.
A sigh escaped him.
"...later?"
Uryu rose his nose into the air, shifting his face to the side.
"I guess"
He stood up and began walking to the door.
"You're a fast healer, Ichigo. Those stitches can come out tomorrow morning... and you can return to your home then as well. But remember this"
He stopped, the door handle in his hand.
Ichigo looked over to him, waiting for the final instruction.
The dark haired boy's hands gently pushed against door.
"You shouldn't try to hide things from us... Renji, Rukia...Orihime...Me"
He looked back at him.
"All it really does is get us worried, scared, panicked...and frankly, pissed off"
His eyes looked a little softer than usual.
"Goodnight." He said, exiting and shutting the door behind him.
Ichigo smiled a bit, sighing as he climbed back into bed, fully.
"Heh... I like you too, Uryu." He teased, knowing the boy couldn't hear him.
'Idiot, always acting tough. He slipped up this time.'
His smile faded as he drifted off into slumber, gripping a rather small item left in the bed with him.
A small, pink rabbit with the quincy insignia on one of its paws.
"Goodnight...Uryu."