1Cloud 9
Chapter 1
-I Hear A Voice -
By: 7777Melis7777
"Ugh..." was the only word that really came to mind.
"Bastard.." he spat, holding his side.
The thing that had once been a Hollow was fading away now, though it had managed to hack his side up pretty good. It wasn't really his fault though.
"Ichigo!" cried the violet haired woman, racing around a corner, stopping instantly when her eyes met his.
"Ichigo!" she shouted again, in front of him in an instant.
"Look at you!" she shouted, her voice laced with anger, and a very apparent hint of hysteria.
"It's only a flesh wound." he managed, giving her a teasing smile.
"Fool!" she shouted, tugging his hand aside, looking over his wound.
Light, maybe an inch deep at most, nothing serious. A few minutes of kidou and he'd be good as new, that is, if the bleeding stopped.
"Damn it..." she hissed, looking about for a moment, then stopped, snatching her pretty blue dress and tearing the lower hem, exposing a great deal of her legs, though not seeming to care, wrapping it about him quickly, holding it to the bloodied cut. Ichigo watched her, and noted when his cheeks blushed at her long legs, quickly looking away.
"Ichigo!" she called, forcing him to look.
"Whaaat?!"
"Does it hurt...?" she asked, looking at him with those eyes, her voice soft, gentle, worried, her expression sad, longing. It made him blush.
"Of...of course not!" he shouted, his face red.
"Good..." she sighed, slumping forward some in relief.
"Cause this will!" she roared, back hanging him hard across the face, sending him tumbling.
"What the HELL was that for!?" he demanded, holding his now swollen cheek, looking at her in sheer disbelief.
"For being careless! Now get up and get home!" she shouted, extending a slender finger to him.
He glared at her for a brief second, forcing himself to his feet, taking a step...and then he saw the side walk rushing up to meet him.
"Ichigo!"
"I'm fine!" he shouted, rasing his hand to her, on his knees at the moment, his legs trembling some as he pushed himself to his feet, slumping against a wall.
"No you're not!" she snapped, touching his arm gently, realizing the once blue cloth of her dress was now soaked with blood. Perhaps he had been hit harder then she had realized.
"We must get you home quickly. I need to take care of that wound." she said calm like.
"Let's go then." he said, squeezing past her, using the wall for support.
"Ichigo! You can't! You'll never make it!" she said breathless, and getting slightly annoyed at his stubbornness.
"It's fine. I've got plenty of wall."
"Fool, you're leaving a blood trail!"
He looked back at the wall, at the long red streaks along it.
"Oops..."
She sighed heavily, walking to his side.
"Come, lean on me, we need to move you quickly."
He looked at her as if she were crazy.
"You're going to carry me?" he asked, stressing the word "you're", his voice holding back what would have been a slight laugh.
She scowled at him.
"No, but if you lean on me, we can get there faster. The wall is going to end soon and I really don't feel like leaving a blood trail." she stated hands on her hips.
"I'm way too heavy for you, so forget–"
And there she was there, tucked under him, his arm over her shoulders. He felt her other arm wrapped about his back, her fingers resting gently on his good side. She tugged some, until he left the wall and put the full force of his weight on her.
For a moment he was shocked, and quickly staggered back towards the wall, when he felt her toppling over, but in an instant she was up again, a little hunched over at his weight, but moving, dragging him along. He continued to fight her, his face red with embarrassment and something else, that he quickly pushed aside.
"Stop struggling." she breathed, panting slightly. He sighed then, giving in, shifting his weight some, so that she could walk a little better.
It was a short trip, literally. The two shuffled along the empty streets. It was late, probably a little after midnight and the streets were dark and silent. A light breeze blew at his shredded robes and Rukia's now blood soaked dress. He glanced at her from time to time, his eyes doing so of their own accord. She always looked straight ahead, her face expressionless while her violet hair twirled with the breeze, pressing it to her forehead and her cheeks, sometimes getting in her eyes.
Gently, he moved his hand down, his fingers brushing against her delicate cheek, causing her to stop. He did as well, watching as she slowly looked up at him, her eyes wide with confusion. He mirrored her expression, though blushing, quickly pulling his hand back, scratching the back of his head.
"Ah haha, sorry, it was bothering me!" he managed, laughing nervously.
She blinked, looking ahead, her cheeks reddening slightly. Thankfully the clinic which was their home was in view, so the moment passed quickly, the two uttering sighs of relief. However, Rukia began to glance at him as often and he was glancing at her. While Ichigo looked more nervous then anything, Rukia seemed more puzzled then embarrassed, and for some reason, it bothered him.
"Ichigo?" her voice called.
He blinked, looking down at her. She was so tiny.
"What's wrong?"
She frowned.
"We're here."
"Oh...oh!" he said, gently pushing off her, and resting against the side of the house.
"I'll go first, open the window and prepare the bed so I can fix you up." she said, Ichigo giving a slight nod as she leapt, a blur now, racing up the wall to the second story window.
She landed silently, opening the window with the flick of her wrist, sitting in the window. She scanned the room, which was only lit by the light of the moon. It was empty, as to be expected. She was about to get to her feet, but raised her right foot, something orange ramming into the heel of it.
"Kon! Be quite!" she hissed, as long fingers encircled her ankle, tugging her foot down some, as Ichigo's cheesy love struck smile popped into view.
"Oh, but I love spending time with you Rukia!" he whispered, leaning to her. Her foot hit his chest, then with a slight push, sent him flying across the room.
"Ichigo!" Rukia called out the window, looking down at him.
He was standing now, a good sign since he wasn't pressed to the wall anymore for support. He looked up at her now, her looking down to him and for a moment the scene seemed familiar. In what book had she read this from? Romeo and Juliet? Now wasn't the time.
"I'm coming up." he called, bringing her back to reality.
"O-ok." she managed, him giving her a weird look.
She stepped back, flicking the lamp switch, giving light to the room, then crossed her arms over her chest, waiting. He was there shortly, wincing slightly as he knelt on the wooden floor.
"Ichigo!" she said, kneeling to him now.
"Here." she said, picking up the chair to his desk and setting it near the end of the bed.
"Sit here. I'll get the first aid kit." she stated, heading towards the bed, though keeping a close eye on him, only sliding under it when he had sat down.
It took a few minutes, though felt like an eternity. Duffles bags, old shonen magazines and some other random stuff, mostly clothing had blocked her path, but somehow, someway, she found the small first aid kit, gently sliding it and herself out from under the bed, hitting her head some on the metal frame.
"Ow!" she said, rubbing her head.
"Dork." mumbled Ichigo, looking away smiling.
She glared some, setting the kit on the bed, rummaging through it. It had all the essentials, well, most of them. Bandages, some antiseptic, medical tape. Yup, she'd have him ready to go by morning. With that, she took the main ingredients and went to work.
"Ichig-"
She blinked staring at him. He was sitting, sliding what was left of his robes off, bearing his chest that was surprising muscular for someone his age. It was scarred in several area, but it wasn't the scars that caught her eye, it was just him, sitting there, leaning back in the chair, his eyes closed, expression calm and tired, though, peaceful. And as the moonlight streamed in through the window, it made him look...beautiful.
The silence caught his attention, and he called, out looking to her.
"Rukia?"
"Yes, right." she said, quickly looking away, her face bright red.
He blinked, rasing an eyebrow, watching as she scooted on her knees to him, fidgeting with the bandages.
"Hey, you ok?" he asked, leaning to her some.
She blinked, wide-eyed, fidgeting with the bandages more, leaning back some, though not too far, her back pressing against the edge of the bed.
"I-I'm fine!" she managed, her face red still.
"You sure? You're face is red, do you have a fever?" her asked, his large hand easily covering her entire forehead.
She gasped some, one blush fading into another, looking to him with wild eyes.
"I'm fine. Really." she assured him, blinking rapidly. He blinked a few times, then nodded.
"Alright." he said, pulling his hand back and resting against the chair now, waiting on her to get the bandages ready.
It took some effort but her self control was back and she unraveled the bandages with ease.
"Lean forward." she ordered, Ichigo doing so, his chest pressed against her shoulder some as she gently wrapped the bandages around his lower torso. She did what she could to hide her blush, using all her might to focus on the task at hand, being sure to keep her eyes on her hands and her hands only. It was over shortly, and he leaned back, resting against the chair once more.
"You have a few scratches here." she said, pointing carefully at his chest, Ichigo blinking some, looking the small scrapes over.
"Huh? I didn't even feel them!" he said, almost smug.
She sighed rolling her eyes.
"I'll use my kidou on them and your wound. It'll help them heal faster and have less scaring." she said, rasing her hand out to him, keeping it flat.
"It's fine really! This is nothing I'll be fully healed by morning." he assured her flexing his arms some.
"Please Ichigo, it won't take long." she stated, moving her hand back to his side, him lightly pushing it away.
"Come on, don't waste your energy on these little scrapes and bruises! They'll heal and what's another scar or two...?" he asked, cursing himself mentally as the words slipped out, causing Rukia's expression to fall and saddening.
"Please..." she insisted, Ichigo looking away with a slight sigh, nodding.
...idiot...he thought to himself, and boy was he one.
Each scar on his chest was a memory of that day so long ago, when he lost her, almost for good. It took everything he had to find her again. For a while it was hard to believe, to believe in shinigami, in Heaven and Hell, in death. Aside from that, the fact that he had taken out almost every Captain along the way seemed surreal, as did the fact that Rukia was a shinigami. But the scars that lined his chest were a now painless reminder that it had all happened, that death gods did exist and that this violet haired girl before him was one of them. And those scars were the proof that she was indeed real. And though those scars meant something to Ichigo, they meant something entirely different to Rukia. They weren't the mementoes of a battle long since fought to save someone dear to him, or the proof that she was indeed real, to her, they were a symbol of pain, pain that she thought was caused by her. It was that thought, that look in her eyes, that sad expression on her face that made his heart ache.
She was mostly silent, sitting quietly, focused on the blue light that enveloped her finger tips which rested against his wounded side. Though she was healing that, her eyes had traveled over his body several times, taking in each scar, addressing the damage, figuring out who he had fought that had put it there, quickly blaming herself for the pain he had endured for the blood he had lost, had shed over her. Though she didn't say it out loud, her expression said it all.
"Don't look like that Rukia." he said gently, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
She closed her eyes shaking her head some.
"It's nothing. They're scars. I'm alive. Remember? You said there were no casualties, that I had won. Well, here I am."
She shook her head biting her lip some, continuing her kidou.
"It's my fault..." she began.
"Don't, don't you dare blame yourself." he snappedy, causing her to look down.
"You didn't do anything Rukia, you did nothing wrong. I chose to save you. You told me not to but I did anyway. So don't you dare take the blame." he said, staring at her now from the corner of his eye.
She moved her hand, drawing her chin back towards her chest, staring down at her hands that gripped the ripped hem of her dress.
"Rukia." he called, Rukia shaking her head.
"Come on, stop that." he said, sighing as he turned toward her touching her shoulder.
She looked up at him now, tears threatening to fall.
They stared at each other for some time, the silence traveling between them. Ichigo then found himself leaning toward her. It wasn't until he was inches from her that he realized what he was doing. Rukia didn't seem to mind, looking at him longingly, her delicate parted lips within reach.
"RUKIA!!!!" shouted Kon from the left, leaping off the bed and between them.
Rukia leaned back quickly, dodging him, Ichigo on the other hand attempted to do the same, but used too much force, in turn, flipping the chair over. A large thud echoed throughout the room, followed by swearing and Kon's ranting.
"Kon, you stupid-" began Ichigo, gabbing him by the collar of his shirt.
"Heh, go ahead, your body!" taunted Kon, limp in Ichigo's grasp.
"Damn it! Rukia!" called Ichigo.
"On it." she stated, slipping her red soul glove on.
"Wa-wa-waaaiitt!!" shouted Kon, but it was too late as Rukai danced her way to him, her palm colliding with his forehead, knocking the small orb that was Kon from Ichigo's body.
"Gotcha!" stated Ichigo, holding the small gum drop in his hand.
"Toilet time!" he said, heading to the bathroom down the hall.
"Enough." stated Rukia grabbing him by the top of his shredded hakama, tugging him back some.
"Hey! He deserves it!" argued Ichigo.
"That's beside the point. Give him to me." she ordered, extending her hand to him quickly.
They stared each other down, Ichigo intent on sending Kon down the Porcelain Express while Rukia glared, looking fierce, her hand waiting, no intention of stepping down whatsoever.
After a long stare down, Ichigo sighed turning from her, dropping the ball into her hand.
"Fine, take him." he sighed, crossing his arms over his bare chest. It was then Rukia noticed his chest was indeed bare. She blushed furiously, though was relieved that his back was too her. His very defined muscular back that is...
"Ichigo?" pipped a tiny voice from outside his door.
"Crap!" he whispered, Rukia doing the same, the two scrambling about the room.
"Quick! Return to your body!" she ordered, pushing him towards it.
"Just get in the closet!" he ordered back, gently pushing her towards it.
It all happened so fast. Ichigo slipping back into his body, while Rukia took Kon and his body and leapt into the closet, closing the door fast, but carefully, the bedroom door opening. It was Yuzu, dressed in her adorable green P.J.s rubbing her eyes.
"Ichigo, I heard something fall...was it you?" she asked, half asleep.
Ichigo stared at her, the at himself, noting he was in his body now. He sighed in relief.
"It was just the chair. I was studying." It was kind of true.
"Ah, well it's really late. You have school tomorrow, so get to bed. And try to be quiet or Dad will wake up and you don't want that..." she said, nodding and shuddering some, as if she had first hand experience.
"Yeah, I'll go to sleep now, just go to bed!" he said, stepping to her, patting her head.
"You sure you're ok?" she asked, looking up at her orange haired brother.
"Fine." he assured her, gently turning her around and pushing on her back some, urging her down the hall.
"Now hurry to bed!" he said, and she nodded with a smile.
"K'ay, night Ichigo!" she said, and went back to her room.
Ichigo shut the door then, sagging against it.
"That was close..." he whispered, more to himself then anyone else.
"Ichigo?" he heard, turning his attention to the closet. Out popped Rukia's head.
"Is it ok?" she asked, looking around the room some.
"Yeah, but why bother? You should get some sleep." he said, still against the door.
"I'll sleep when you're in bed. Besides, you're the one who needs sleep not me. You used quite a bit of energy fighting those Demi-Hollows." she said, out of the closet and a few feet in front of him.
He blinked looking at her.
"Demi Hollows?" he asked.
She nodded, her attention elsewhere.
"But I just took out the Hollow." he insisted.
She sighed in annoyance.
"Fool, those were just it's subordinates, it familiaris. The true Hollow has yet to show himself." she said, looking to him now.
"Then..what I fought..." he started and she nodded.
"They were just it s pawns."
He sighed. All that butt kicking and slashing for nothing. Then again, that was one more Hollow off the streets, that meant something right? And at least now he knew what to look for.
"Come on, you need to get some rest." she ordered, stepping to him.
"I'm fine..." he said, looking to her. Holding his head some. Why did she look so far away
"Ichigo...?" she asked.
"I'm fine, you worry...too...much...zZzzZzz..." he said staggering to her.
She blinked watching him. With that he collapsed onto her, her eyes widening a she slid down to her knees, holding him against her.
"Ichigo?! Ichigo!" she said frightened, looking to him.
He snored some, then quieted down, his face rested tenderly on her shoulder. She stared at him in shock and disbelief. The fool had fallen asleep. It wasn't surprising, he had killed a lot of Hollows and had used a lot of energy.
"Fool.." she said, smiling softly, stroking his orange hair from his face.
He looked so innocent laying there, so peaceful. She was so relieved. For a moment she thought it was de javu, that he too was going to leave her behind. Of course it would take more then energy exhaustion to take Ichigo down, but still, when it came to him she worried more then anyone else.
She looked about the room, focusing on the clock on the other side of the bed. Almost 1:00 A.M. She rubbed her eyes some, looking to the bed that was a good couple of feet away. She looked back at him, at how relaxed and comfortable he looked in his sleep and sighed with a smile, closing her eyes.
Far too tired to move and too kind hearted to move him, she sat in the middle of his room, holding him in her arms, hoping his dreams and her own would be pleasant.
Okay, chapter one is done. Been a LONG time since I wrote a fanfiction, but I think it's about time I worked on one again! Right now I'm totally in love with Rukia and Ichgio, so let's focus a story on them! Thsi si going to be a short fiction, maybe 4 chapters at most, so I do hope you'll come back and read the rest of it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It's fun to write about them because their relationship and interactions are truly priceless! Anyhoo, thanks for reading and please enjoy this chapter and the next!
P.S. I do not own Cloud 9, Wolf's Rain, or Bleach or any of the characters! This is just a random story I'm working on to show my love and dedication to Bleach and it's characters!!!