Summary: What happened after Ichigo and Rukia 'parted'? Did she stick around, or did she leave as quickly as Ichigo thought she did?
Pairing: Ichigo/Rukia
Spoilers if you have not read chapter 423. A bit of fluff, hurt, sadness and feels.
I do not own Bleach or any of it's characters, Tite Kubo does. If I did, then the story below would be canon.
Ichigo gazed at the petite female in front of him. Rukia's sight was locked on the ground, arms folded, eyes averted.
This was their goodbye.
Their final meeting.
The end.
Ichigo's eyes widened when he noticed Rukia's form begin to wane.
Her feet. Ankles. Legs.
"... tell everyone I give them my best." Hips. Waist.
"...okay." Rukia continued to stare at the ground, refusing to meet the eyes of the former shinigami.
But this was it. Her whole lower half was gone, and soon, all of her would be. He beckoned her with his eyes; begging, pleading, for her to look up and meet him this one, last time.
The raven-haired shinigami felt his eyes on her, telling her... something. She looked up, furrowing her eyebrows at the sight.
This was exactly what she didn't want him to do. To look at her with those eyes.
They stared at each other's reflections in the other's orbs, savoring their last moments together. Meanwhile, the only thing he could see now was her face. But that was the only thing that mattered. The only thing he had to remember.
"Bye, Rukia."
And with that, she was gone.
Rukia knew he couldn't see her anymore, but she could still see him. So why not linger for a few more seconds? A few more minutes?
Ichigo's pained expression flowed through and to Rukia's heart, and she wanted no more than to see him grin from ear to ear again. She wanted him to be happy. To move on from this experience and live.
She would be there to watch him, to be his guardian angel. That was the only thing left for him she could do.
She moved forward to look at the others and smiled weakly, not really wishing to hear any words of condolence or comfort. That would only hurt her more.
Putting one foot in front of the other, she trudged onward. Away from her group of friends and the man she could no longer communicate with. She stopped at Ichigo's side and looked ahead of her. Determined to keep going she-
"Thank you."
Rukia froze. What had he said?
Rukia turned her head towards the unsuspecting Ichigo, eyes wide in astonishment. Slowly, she walked in front of him and looked up at his face, expecting to meet his eyes but instead witnessing a look of pure vulnerability as she watched him gaze at the sky.
A tender look crossed Rukia's face, her heart practically beating out of her chest. She reached up to touch him, stopping herself at the last moment and instead allowing the air to serve as a wall between her hand and his cheek. Withdrawing, Rukia ascended into the sky and turned back once more. She could see everything, everyone. Though the only thing that seemed clear to her was him. He had saved her, she had saved him, and she felt that they had taken their time together for granted. Everything had rushed past them so quickly, so unexpectedly, and this was the result.
A broken farewell with words left unsaid. The time to say goodbye had come too fast, but what? What if they had been given more time together? What if he hadn't lost his powers? Where would they be then? How would their relationship have changed if, at this moment, she were sitting with his family eating lunch, laughing and poking at each other like they always do? All these things and more rushed through Rukia's mind.
"How do you feel about Kurosaki-kun?" A question asked so long ago, yet a question that recently began to frequent Rukia's thoughts more often than not.
That's right. If this hadn't happened, then now, she wouldn't be able to answer that question with certainty. Rukia walked through the doors of the Senkaimon and closed her eyes.
"No... thank you."