A/N: This is an epilogue-like story, set after "The Frost People", that will contain three chapters. Though it is not required that you read "The Frost People" before reading this, there are some references to the events that took place there, and you may be able to better understand this story and the feelings of the characters.
Enjoy! Plenty of Ichiruki follows!~
Chapter 1: Falling
"So."
"So."
They were standing side by side in front of Ichigo's house, so familiar and a little foreboding. Ichigo sighed and scratched his head. It's only been a year! he thought, feeling foolish.Nothing to suddenly be nervous about.
Rukia was watching him, a slight smile on her face. Ichigo noticed and scowled.
"...What?"
"Mm?" She looked nonchalant.
"...What?"
"You looked a little worried, is all," she told him, adjusting her grip on her heavy bag of luggage.
"Yeah, well..."
He felt better now, somehow. Just his family - his two sisters, now in their twenties, and his crazy old dad that never seemed to kick the bucket. He heaved up his suitcase, too. His gigai made it easy.
"All right. Let's go."
They would be staying for two nights, and then returning to Soul Society. Only a month after the harrowing incident with the creepy Frost People (not to mention Rukia nearly dying,man that was traumatizing), he hoped dearly that nothing massive would occur all of a sudden, here in Karakura.
"There will be hollows to take care of, you understand," said Rukia suddenly, as if she could read his thoughts. Maybe she could. Psychic midget.
"Well, duh."
They made it to the front door without any further words. Ichigo rang the doorbell hesitantly.
"They do know we're coming, right?" he whispered to Rukia.
"Urahara should have given them a message in advance," she whispered back.
That irresponsible insane shopkeeper, he thought dryly. You better not have done anything weird-
The door burst open. Ichigo's father, looking just the same as fifteen years ago, leapt out at him with a ravenous "MY DEAR SON HAS RETURNED!" and a viciously aimed punch towards the head. He was flung away like a fleck of dirt and hit the ground with a smack.
Ichigo snorted and dusted his hands off. Karin and Yuzu were peering worriedly at the twitching figure of their father.
They were no longer children - not at all. But as they looked at Ichigo, and their faces split into grins, he felt like they were just the same.
"Ichi-nii!" they chorused.
"Hey," he said. "How's it going?"
"Good," chirped Yuzu. Karin just smirked.
Then they all noticed Rukia, watching amusedly from the side.
"RUKIA-CHAN!" boomed Isshin, who had somehow managed to recover and pop up beside her.
"Rukia-chan, Rukia-chan, we missed you!"
And Rukia was smiling, nodding, giving the sisters hugs, feeling warm swells of belonging in her heart. Ichigo was smiling, too.
See, I told you they adore you, he mouthed, and she laughed. He picked up the luggage and moved it inside stealthily, Rukia's and all. He wanted her to be able to enjoy the feeling of family for as long as possible.
It was still only four o'clock, and the sun was still high in the sky, for it was summer here as well. The two visitors found it a fitting time to unpack now. They found Ichigo's room unchanged since they had been here a year ago, on just another of frequent visits. It was as if his family was letting him know he could come anytime and find a safe place to stay. It reassured him immensely that he still had a place here - and that Rukia did too.
It was curious, because his family never seemed to question why Rukia did not sleep in his sisters' room. It was a silent tradition for whatever bed that was set up there to always be untouched; that Rukia would always appear sneakily from Ichigo's room in the morning. And yet no one even suspected something had occurred during the night, which was exactly the truth.
Everyone somehow trusted the two, somehow understood how they liked to stay together.
Secretly, the two sisters supported Ichigo and Rukia to be together. It seemed only natural, just like Rukia sleeping in his closet. But it all went unsaid - mostly. They scattered hints, questions, little tricks to try and derive how close they were. (Isshin was very open about it all and did not hesitate to barge in on the subject. Insensitive old goat, said Karin.)
Karin, keen since childhood, was positive they liked each other and just didn't know it. Yuzu wasn't sure/didn't trust her own judgement. Isshin just kept dreaming - loudly.
But they all agreed that with every visit, Ichigo and Rukia somehow seemed closer.
Ichigo slid open the closet door, and Rukia immediately hopped inside. She inspected the insides quickly and then turned to smile at him. "Nothing's changed."
He furrowed his eyebrows. "You sure you want to sleep in that cramped space again?"
"Yes," she replied powerfully. He could guess why, but didn't prod, for he knew she would come up with some feasible excuse (and it would damage her pride, anyway).
"Oi, Ichigo, pass me my bag."
"Get it yourself! It's right there!"
"But you are the closest to it!"
"...All right, fine. But say please."
"...Please," she grumbled.
"Good girl," he said sweetly, passing the bag to her, and received a slight punch in the arm, followed by a fond "what are you playing at, you tawake". He was grinning. His grins and cocky smiles were frequently replacing his scowls, now.
She smiled to herself, and began to pull things out of her bag - clothes, a chappy alarm clock, a flashlight, a small toiletries pouch, a few of her favorite manga that she had bought before in the real world...
Ichigo did so too, with quite a bit of care and order about his movements.
A comfortable silence stretched between them, disturbed only by the shuffling sounds of moving hands and objects.
They finished packing with time still to spare until dinner; Isshin had insisted on dragging the century-old barbecue out of the garage and using it to cook steak, because this was a super special occasion ("MY SON AND HIS BEAUTIFUL WI- (here came Ichigo's fist) -HAVE RETURNED, SO WE MUST HAVE A LARGE FEAST FOR CELEBRATION!"). He ended up blowing up the meat, the barbecue, and almost himself. There were scorch marks on the house wall.
Yuzu tutted and quietly made the feast instead, and with the delay, all the other family members found other things to busy themselves with. Karin reluctantly went to help patch up her father's burns. Ichigo wandered around the house, seeing if anything had changed. Rukia stayed in his room, and after re-reading some parts of her manga, climbed out of his window onto the roof to watch the darkening sky and the stars.
Ichigo was picking up a family photo and inspecting it when his father appeared behind him, heavily bandaged, and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
Ichigo jumped and spun around. "Woah!" Then he snorted and crossed his arms. "Oh, it's you."
"Yes, it is me," said Isshin gravely. "Did you expect someone else?"
"...No." He had expected Rukia, strangely.
"I see." Suddenly Isshin leaned close (too close) and said in a painfully loud whisper, "How's it going with Rukia-chan?"
He blinked. "What d'you mean?"
"I mean, are you," he waved his hands about vaguely, "dating?"
Ichigo didn't blink. He just stared. Finally he managed to get his throat working and hissed an angry "n-no!"
Isshin nodded understandingly. "Hm. Having some difficulty with admitting-"
"I do not need your help with anything," growled Ichigo.
"So there is nothing between you and her?"
There was a pause. A long pause, where Ichigo's face turned a little red. "None of your business!" he cried at last, and swiftly escaped his father's knowing grin.
"Rukia-chan's on the roof," Isshin called after his son.
How does he know these things? thought Ichigo. Crazy psychic nosy old goat.
Rukia did turn out to be on the roof when Ichigo stuck his head out the window. She was sitting, knees up, looking out and above at the navy-cloaked sky. She looked cold in her thin, light blue cotton dress. He clambered out to join her. "Yo."
"Mm," she answered.
Ichigo fumbled for things to say. "Uh, dinner will be ready in about ten minutes."
"Okay." She seemed to be thinking about something. Suddenly she spoke up. "Your family is very nice, as always."
"Huh... 'Very nice'?... Insane, more like." He paused. "But thanks."
She was smiling at him. "They make me feel very welcome. Every time."
"That's good." He couldn't quite hide the sadder undertone in his voice. He knew she had never really experienced a loving family like him, even if his was pretty insane...
"You have the guilty look on your face again," observed Rukia.
"Ohwha, u-uh..."
"I did not have a family like yours. I did not get a chance to feel loved like this." She turned her head and gazed into his face. "Right?"
"You can read me way too easily," he grumbled.
And her eyes were sparkling a little, like stars, like fireflies above ponds in the gardens of Seireitei...
And she broke the mood by poking his nose. "You're dazing off, Ichigo," she said wryly.
"Ow, Rukia, don't do that!"
"You might've slid off the roof or something if I hadn't poked you!"
"I wasn't that dazed!"
"Oh, you admit it, then!"
Ichigo groaned and gave up. "Fine, I was dazing. Got a problem with it? Geez, and right after all the trouble of saving you..."
"..."
He blinked. She wasn't looking at him anymore. She was watching, face turned away, at the horizon, still glowing with a faint shade of aquamarine.
She was shivering.
"Oi... Oi, what's wrong?"
"N-no, nothing... Just... remembering... some things..." Her toes curled up against the roof tiles.
"The Frost People?" he asked gently.
"Among other things."
"It's getting cold," he muttered, getting up. "Let's go inside."
"Okay." She stood up, too, but stiffened. A wind flickered across her black locks and pale blue dress.
"A storm is coming," she murmured. "Can you smell it? A large rain-storm."
He could, now that she mentioned it: the moist, tense air, tickling his face with scents of dank forests and steam from kettles. Damn... It's gonna rain... He tried to push the thoughts away.
The stars were gone now, lathered by thick clouds. Rukia seemed petrified, unmoving in the wind, dress flowing out to the side and hair dancing around her neck. Ichigo took a small wrist and tugged. "C'mon, let's go inside. Dinner."
Dutifully, she followed. Once inside, she brightened up significantly, and became the normal Rukia again.
Sheesh, Rukia. You really worry me sometimes.
Yuzu's cooking skills had continued to improve. Everyone ate in satisfied silence, savouring the delicious feast, until Isshin spoke up again with a notable question.
"Ichigo, my boy, how old are you now? I forgot to ask you last time you visited."
"Uhhh..." Good question. "I think, in human years, I would be about thirty?"
There was a silence.
And then:
"THIRTY YEARS OLD AND NO CHILDREN? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG I HAVE WAITED-"
With an apologetic glance at Rukia, Ichigo clamped a hand firmly on his father's mouth. "But," he continued, "since I am a full shinigami now, I'm guessing I would be considered about... 16. And that's PRETTY YOUNG, DAD."
Isshin exhaled a long breath and returned to his seat.
Yuzu turned to Rukia. "How old are you, then, Rukia-chan?" Of course Yuzu knew everything about the shinigami by now. Even if she had no ability to see spirits, she had accepted the notion of Shinigami and Soul Society very easily, having been around Karin and Ichigo for her whole life.
"One hundred and sixty-five," said Rukia through a mouthful of rice.
Another silence.
"Wow," said Yuzu, and Rukia smiled. "But you can consider me the same age as Ichigo."
"It's really funny to have you two looking younger than us now. Oh!" Yuzu suddenly straightened up. "I-I have an announcement to make!" she stammered nervously.
"Oh boy," said Karin from beside her. "You gonna say it now?"
"Yehhhs..."
"Announcement, my dear Yuzu?" asked Isshin curiously.
She nodded, cheeks pink, and took a deep breath. "I... I'm getting married!"
Everyone except Karin (who was grinning impishly) stared at her with open mouths. "You're..."
"YUZU! YOU HAVE GROWN MARVELOUSLY-"
"Yuzu, congrats! Like, majorly!"
"Oh, this is amazing news!"
"WHO IS IT, MY DAU-
"Is he nice? Is he wealthy?"
"You gonna cook for him every day?"
"WE WILL MISS YOUR LOVELY-"
"Just SHUT UP, dad, you're TOO LOUD!"
"MY SON, YOU MUST LISTEN TO YOURSELF! I HAVE NEVER-"
"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S CONSTANTLY BOOMING- OW! WHY YOU-"
"Okay, okay! Let's call this a truce!" declared Karin, placing herself between the battling men. "Come on, don't fight, we gotta celebrate for Yuzu!"
"...Sorry, Yuzu. If only this old geezer would shut up for a second-"
"'Old geezer'! You have such a rude way with words towards your precious father-"
Rukia was watching this with a mildly amused expression and a mouthful of sauteed fish. This family never got boring. She smiled to herself, relaxing into the warmth of the household and the comfort of a family -
BOOM
Thunder rattled the window. A flash of lightning sparked somewhere outside, and the lights trembled and flickered. Everyone froze, startled, and Rukia felt a shiver.
"The rainstorm," she said softly.
As if those words were a trigger, everyone filed back to their seats at the table. Silence thickly filled the room. Ichigo's family shot him worried glances, and internally he fumed. Don't pity me. Of all people, don't pity me!
Rukia was hastily apologizing for breaking the mood, and his family was assuring her it was alright. He wanted to believe them. Go away, rainstorm! Yuzu's getting married, you shouldn't be here, you shouldn't
"Ichigo?"
"Huh?" He jolted back to reality and found Rukia in front of him, blinking.
"Your..." she reached to grab his plate of food and hand it to him, "...food."
"Uhh...?"
"It will get cold," she added.
"Oh. Right. Thanks." Reluctantly, he took it from her. The food suddenly looked unappetizing, as delicious as he knew it was. He wolfed it down without much thought.
Slowly, cheer returned to the table, thunder and lightning occasionally punctuating the family's conversations. Ichigo could not concentrate on their trivial talk. He ate, and then sat a while, trying to look normal. Rukia nudged him once. He paid her no heed.
Rukia's cellphone went off, abruptly shattering through him. A hollow. He stood up, a little too fast, and said, "I'll take care of it."
"Alone?" asked Rukia quietly.
He judged her a moment. She wasn't asking out of worry that he would not be able to handle the hollow himself; she was asking whether he needed to talk.
"Fine, you can come," he said at last, and with an apology, they excused themselves from dinner, left their gigais sprawled on the floor, and raced out the door.
The rain was heavy, and it was difficult to see their surroundings. They shunpoed through the sheets of rain as best as they could, and quickly arrived at the scene of the hollow. It was an ugly one, but not too large nor strong, and Ichigo took care of it in one bitter stroke.
"You're angry," observed Rukia, sword sheathed and unblemished.
"No, I'm not!" he retorted.
"Then why are you acting like it?"
"...I'm not! I'm just... uhhh... troubled."
She raised her eyebrows.
He struggled with words. "...It's..."
"...none of my business?"
"No! I mean... Like... Ugh." He lowered his head and held it. "I don't know anymore..."
He felt the sudden weight of a small hand on his shoulder. "It is the rain, then."
He tilted his head up to look at her, their eyes level with each other. "Yeah," he said finally. "I guess it is."
Her eyes were dark and warm, only the slightest shine of violet appearing at the rims of her irises. A raindrop slipped down her cheek - almost like a tear. They waited for nothing with baited breath, time stilled, the rain falling silently around them...
It had mostly stopped inside him. It had not stopped around him. It had not stopped its tug at memories, its pull at forgotten griefs, its drenching of guilt.
"You're not... going to ask... what happened then?..." inquired Ichigo timidly.
"I have told you before," replied the small shinigami girl steadily. "When you are ready, you can tell me. Before that, I will not ask anything, for I will not allow myself to intrude and soil that part of your heart."
Oh, Rukia... Why do you have to be so damn amazing like this...
The rain was soaking them both. Slowly, they trudged through it, back to the Kurosaki home, back to whatever safety and inner peace they could find there...
But Ichigo and Rukia knew the raindrops would always find ways to creep through the crevices and haunt them, like relentless ghosts.
"I'm going to bed," announced Ichigo darkly, and stumped up the stairs, his family's worried glances following him.
Rukia, in the middle of a card game with the sisters, watched him go as well.
"Rukia-chan, it's your turn," said Yuzu. "Don't worry about Ichi-nii, he's like this a lot."
She smiled hastily and nodded, placing some cards down on the floor. "What time is it, right now?"
"Oh... It's almost nine-thirty," answered Karin, checking her watch. "Wow, it's pretty late."
"Time seems to fly when you're here, Rukia-chan," laughed Yuzu, and quietly won the card game.
"What - woah! Yuzu, darn you!" cried Karin, and flung a pillow onto her sister.
Rukia quietly excused herself. "Well, I think I'll be going to bed as well, now. The game was fun, thank you," she added. And it really was. She would have wanted to play another round - but Ichigo...
"Aww, okay."
"G'night, Rukia-chan."
Falling