Rukia couldn't cast her eyes away from the hollow's head.
The hollow's eyes intoxicated her, drew her in like a moth to a flame...
A/N: Chapter 2 out! Enjoy. When thinking of strong spirited Ichigo and Rukia, inspiration never leaves me. I forgot my Chapter 1 author's note so allow me to clarify a few things. The story starts off pretty slow but it will pick up soon in terms of romance. I am a firm believer that romance should never be rushed and put together in one short chapter. Also, as a clarification, this story takes place right before the Bounts arc. Ichigo is his brash teenage self doing missions around Soul Society since he is such a skilled soul reaper. As of now, Ichigo has no Soul Society division rank. He will become a lieutenant in this chapter. Anyways, Please read and review because constructive criticism always helps. (R/R) Thank You!
Cherry blossoms fell in a fantastic slow dizzying pattern.
Where was she?
A familiar song played in the distance.
It was a beautiful thing, so soft and loving.
Willow trees and cherry trees dotted the vast meadow which stretched on for miles.
A cherry blossom fell at Byakuya's feet.
Byakuya, her brother, picked up the fresh blossom, and gave it to Hisana.
But wait. What was Hisana doing here? Wasn't she supposed to be dead?
Her brother stared at Hisana, his eyes only for her beauty.
Both of their pale complexions looked radiant in the light. So very pale they were, especially Hisana, her sister of so long ago…
Hisana handed a blooming blossom to Rukia and stuck it in Rukia's hair, musing it slightly with her fingers. "My beautiful sister…", she whispered, proudly.
A smile crept along Hisana's face, enhancing the beauty which Rukia did not think could be improved any more than it was.
A smile only for Rukia and her lover to revel in…A smile just for them
The melody continued to play
Hisana and Byakuya danced like gliding swans, his hand snaked around her slender waist. Cherry blossoms fell.
The music slowly faded…
"Rukia?! Rukia! Dammit Rukia, answer me!", a frantic voice called out, shakingher shoulders.
No, she didn't want to leave yet…
Her trance reluctantly ended, as she redirected her eyes towards Ichigo's light brown ones.
"Ichigo, you ruined it…", she whined.
"Ruined what? Quit going all spacey, it doesn't suit you", Ichigo said, boring his eyes into hers, worriedly.
He didn't quite think that she was all there or alright. Really all right, he meant. Something in her eyes seemed faraway and distant.
"Nothing", she muttered, shaking her head, side to side. What was that vision she had just had?
Ichigo didn't look convinced in the slightest.
She looked around the empty parking lot, confused. "Where's the hollow?", she asked, befuddled. Strange, she had been staring at its eyes a few seconds ago.
"Gone, I vanished it with my zanpakto when I sliced its head in two. Serves the little bastard right", answered Ichigo with a smug grin.
Why didn't Rukia congratulate him or at least call him an idiot show off by now?
Not answering, Rukia suddenly grabbed his hand and stared at it. It never failed her to be amazed at the prodigal spirit energy that bounced off of his finger tips.
This time, it seemed to pulse stronger than ever before. It almost dizzied her.
A strong blush crept up Ichigo's cheeks.
Why the hell had Rukia grabbed his hand?
Not that he minded. He liked the feeling. His tanned hand contrasted against her pale, smooth fingers in an uncanny way. They were also soft and velvety. Such hands were hard to believe that they were ever stained with blood in the past. So gentle… like his mothers, yet strong for being so delicate.
The kido that Rukia had performed was especially strong and high level so it had scalded the palm of her hand. Her palm was still a raw red. Her spiritual energy should have healed that by now. Something was wrong.
"Ichigo, let me hold onto your hands", Rukia murmured, not trying to freak Ichigo out too much.
Suddenly Ichigo caught on. She wanted his spirit energy to heal her.
'That dumb Rukia, she didn't have to do some fancy kido only to scald her hands like this', he thought, peeved
"Sit down, Rukia!", he ordered.
Rukia's head seemed to be spinning, from Ichigo's pressure and the dream trance, everything was overwhelming her senses.
She couldn't argue-not at this point when she was so out of it.
She dropped to the floor in a heap.
Ichigo continued to stare at her, worried. Rukia was stronger than this. Some hurt hands would never stop her from making a snide remark back.
She hated orders, especially coming from Ichigo, and he knew it well.
Something about her and the hollow seemed to give Ichigo the creeps. Ichigo had made sure that Rukia hadn't gotten physically hurt by the hollow. So what was wrong?
Rukia stared up at Ichigo, helplessly, as if begging him to take away the pain.
He couldn't take it when she was like this. He bent down next to her and caressed her hands in his like there was no tomorrow. Her hands felt smooth, almost lifeless, in their stillness.
Rukia didn't speak, the burn marks on her hands were slowly disappearing.
"Don't worry about me, I'm fit as a brand new mod soul…", she whispered, trying painfully to sound energetic.
'Biggest Lie of the century', thought Ichigo, still holding her hands. But that was just like Rukia, alright—trying to stop him from worrying even if she was rotting from the inside
"Shut up and don't speak!", Ichigo ordered back. His eyes were different now, immediately tuned towards being nurturing. He smoothed the hair falling into her eyes.
'He'd make a great full time Dad someday', thought Rukia again, almost deliriously.
Rukia's eyes seemed to close slowly. Her eyelids seemed to feel like a hundred and one pounds.
"How do you feel, I mean really feel? Don't just make stuff up, Rukia", asked Ichigo, nervously. His hands still fumbled with hers, now clumsy and uncoordinated. Rukia was worrying the living daylights outta him.
"I think it was the hollow…I might just faint…that's it", she murmured. "Oh, Ichigo, carrot top, you are a pest but maybe, maybe, I don't know. If I go into a coma, tell them not to worry. I want a good life for you Ichigo because you're incredibly talented and…"
She tossed and turned.
It was too much for Ichigo to handle.
He pulled Rukia into his chest and rocked her back and forth like a baby. She was so small and fragile now. It was as if she was glass and could be taken away. This was real, this was her, and he wanted her to stay conscious at least.
There was nothing he could do to stop it but it was killing him inside.
"No, Rukia. Rukia, don't talk like that. Not here, no like this, Hear me out, you'll be fine", he breathed in her ear.
"Yeah, well, quit acting so nice! It's not helping!", she cried out, grabbing the front of his soul reaper robe.
Ichigo's face seemed to crumple and drop. "I failed you", he affirmed, his shoulders seemed shaky.
Ichigo's whole world was crashing down on him in that instant. Rukia, the girl he had secretly loved, was about to die and he didn't even know why.
Rukia struggled to raise her head out of his stronghold embrace to solemnly raise her head to his.
Ichigo adjusted, holding on to Rukia for dear life and eternity. He wrapped his hands around her small jaw as Rukia kissed him once on the cheek, before passing out.
"No, Ichigo…", those were the final words, she spoke.
Smashing his fist against the pavement, Ichigo felt no pain though river lets of scarlett blood streamed down his forearm. Renji would have been able to protect Rukia where he failed. He was worthless at this. He couldn't even save the one person he had vowed to protect.
He smashed his fist into the concrete again as the blood flowed and dripped onto the concrete.
All he had done was focused his energy on was the hollow when Rukia was inwardly suffering. How selfish could he be?
'Forget Rio', his immediate instinct cried. That other hollow had taken its toll on Rukia. He scooped her limp body in his arms.
Shoot, he had forgotten that she was this light. As light as a leaf as the expression went..
Her heartbeat still throbbed faintly…she still had time…
--
Unohana bustled in and out of the hospital room, frantically.
Soul reapers had been drifting in and out to check if Rukia was still well. Even Byakuya had drifted in an hour ago. The infirmary had never had so many visitors since the Aizen incident.
"Well, her heart is still beating. It's a good thing Ichigo rushed her back to the Seireitei as soon as possible", she told the remaining three concerned men and Hinamori. Rukia had been in a coma state for two days now and she was impressed that at the overwhelming support from the visitors towards Rukia Kuchiki. They had waited relentlessly for her to wake up and get better.
Their eyes never left Rukia who appeared to be in a shallow yet troublesome slumber.
Rukia stirred a bit in her sleep. Tossing and turning, she felt stuck in a whirlwind of inconceivable thoughts. "Ichigo, ah Ichigo, your eyes are so brown and beautiful…so brown. No, Ichigo, your eyes are too brown."
Her head tossed like waves during a heavy storm.
At this Ichigo couldn't help but smirk. Did Rukia really like his eyes that much? Shaking his head, he chastised himself for thinking these things when Rukia was in pain
Renji clamped a hand over Rukia's mouth, growling. "She doesn't know what she's talking about", he growled at Ichigo, much like a wolf.
Now Renji was pissing him off.
"Get your damn hand off of her before it comes off, Renji", Ichigo made a move towards Renji.
"I'm protecting her!", Renji managed to retort, his back towards Ichigo.
"Listen, boy, if you…if you…had actually protected her, this wouldn't have happened"
Ichigo stepped back, the sting of Renji's words cutting him in two. It was true, though. He was unworthy of even staying in the same room as Rukia. Nonetheless, Renji had to step back before he lost his temper.
Ichigo's spirit energy blazed as he reached for his zanpakto. "Quit…. defiling…her skin with your unworthy hands", he breathed slowly and deliberately.
Renji was about to reach for his zanpakto, too, when Captain Ukitake immediately drew his hand between the two.
Ichigo's spirit energy flared down, reluctantly.
"She can't breath", piped up Hinamori's high voice, concerned.
Rukia's eyelids slowly opened at all of the commotion. She saw four faces staring down at her, including a pissed-off looking Ichigo and Renji.
"Renji, ump, ganomp", she tried speaking, muffled by his hand.
"RUKIA!!", Hinamori squealed, grabbing Rukia by the neck
"You alive! You're alive, Rukia! I, Hinamori, am so glad"
Sneaking up from behind, Unohana squeezed Hinomori's shoulder. "Please don't choke our patients", she stated calmly before redirecting her gaze to Renji.
Unohana's eyes seemed to darken slightly.
"I see the patient has awoken", she stated, calmly. "Rukia will be fine if she isn't choked."
With that, Unohana drifted out of Rukia's infirmary room like a ghost.
Renji immediately let go of Rukia's mouth. Unohana gave him the creeps.
Rukia's eyes felt easy to keep open now that she had awoken
'Captain Ukitake, Lieutenant Renji, Ichigo, and Hinamori's faces…', thought Rukia, slowly adjusting to the infirmary surroundings, 'they're all here'
"How long have I been like this?", she asked wearily.
"2 days but it's ok, Rukia. I, I mean, we all waited for you", Renji spoke up first, eager to have the first words to say to Rukia.
"Thank you, Renji. I bet you wanted something from me to stay so long, though." Rukia laughed rather pleasantly, lightening the mood of the room, immediately (or at least in Ichigo's opinion)
Renji just looked abashed.
Stepping forward first, Captain Ukitake placed a hand to her head checking the temperature, "Captain Unohana said you wouldn't die. You'll be just fine, Rukia. There is some undisclosed information about the Rio"
Looking around, Rukia noticed that Renji and Hinamori just look puzzled. Ichigo just looked worried.
"Good to hear", she answered croakily
Apparently, Captain Ukitake was aware of Renji and Hinamori's understandable confusion.
Captain Ukitake bent down to Rukia's stretcher bed to whisper something in her ear.
"Unohana already briefed Ichigo in about the hollow. You'll have to talk to him privately about it."
He turned towards Renji and Hinamori. "You probably heard that. Rukia needs to speak to Ichigo alone.", he said, curtly but not unkindly.
'Lucky Duck, that Kurosaki', thought Renji, enviously
Hinamori patted Rukia on the shoulder and was already making a move to leave the room but Renji continued to linger, oblivious towards the hints to leave.
Ichigo noticed this and made obvious gestures at Renji that he didn't wanted him in the room
Renji still pretended not to notice, keeping his eyes firmly on Rukia.
"Already?", Renji whined. "Rukia's barely waken up"
Captain Ukitake looked bored. "Alone", he repeated with great emphasis
"Curse you, Kurosaki", Renji snorted at Ichigo. He saluted at Rukia as Rukia smiled at him in return
Ichigo felt like kicking Renji in his overgrown face. Why couldn't he just leave and give him some alone time with Rukia-dammit?
Renji yet continued to linger. Remembering Captain Kuchiki's words, he felt uneasy having Ichigo spending too much time with Rukia.
Noticing Renji's lingering, Rukia spoke up, "Thanks for staying here all this time, my Rukon District pal. I appreciate it."
Despite her, she wanted to talk to Ichigo alone and see what was wrong.
Something must have been terribly wrong if Captain Ukitake wanted Ichigo to tell her about it alone.
Finally getting the point, Renji nodded, said his good byes to Rukia, and followed Hinamori and the Captain put of the infirmary.
"So we're alone now", Ichigo looked on, secretly thanking Ukitake over and over in his mind
"Excited?", Rukia asked raising an eyebrow.
"Very", Ichigo sauntered over to a place next to the side of Rukia's bed.
"Well?", Rukia asked, "Captain Ukitake?"
Ichigo's iris's seemed to darken in color, unsure of what to say.
"Ichigo!", she complained, eager to hear the news
"Uh…Rukia, the hollow that we faced….about that. That was Rio"
The blood seemed to drain from Rukia's face, turning it a pale white, "That small thing?"
"Yeah, hard to believe, I know. It's said that it's pretty easy to simply slash and kill. Unohana told me that the previous six soul reapers that went…they went alone."
Suddenly it dawned on Rukia as the pieces connected.
"The only problem is if you look directly in Rio's eyes, it will possess you before killing you. Rio can only possess one person at a time, though. The trick to killing Rio is in numbers"
He smirked to himself.
"It was lucky that you were there or I would have been the one possessed and eaten."
Ichigo felt a pillow make hard contact with his head, "SO I WAS JUST BAIT FOR YOU, Huh?"
"Hey! You better be lucky you're sick or you would be dog meat!", Ichigo fumed.
Rukia pouted, "I remember you were acting so nice when you thought I was going to die. It was sweet"
"Cut the honey bunny crap", Ichigo muttered, his ears turning the slightest shade of pink streaming slowly into his cheeks.
'Nothing's changed', thought Rukia to herself, humorously. Ichigo was the same bull headed guy now that danger had passed.
"Well, Ichigo, can I leave? I feel fine. Never better, infact!", Rukia hopped out of bed energetically.
Ichigo moved to stop the small girl. She tried bouncing off his chest in a futile effort to hurriedly leave. He blocked the door with his outstretched arms
"You can't! There's more…Byakuya is coming in a few minutes to the infirmary. Apparently, he wants to deliver some important news himself"
Rukia pricked up at the mention of her brother's name. It felt strange having someone other than herself on first name terms with her brother.
"What's the news?", she asked, tiredly. She knew for a fact that Byakuya would feel disgraced at having a sister in the infirmary for a menial hollow task.
"Even I don't know…", Ichigo sighed. "Captain Ukitake told me that the Captain was dropping by, an hour before you woke up.
Rukia sighed and looked at the floor. She did not want to have to face her brother at this stage. This wasn't going to be easy to immediately leave, considering Ichigo. "Well then, you know you always break the rules…" She winked at Ichigo
Ichigo had a desperate urge to wink back but that would be exactly what Rukia wanted. He shook his head, "That's different. It's your brother we're talking about."
"It's torture staying cramped up on a small bed when there are tasks to be done"
"Deal"
Rukia chuckled. "Look at how my arms and legs can move." She started marching in place as if to demonstrate how well and energized she was. "Oh! I am so energized! I can lift the world! Oh Golly, I am alive!" She started jumping around Ichigo, trying the best of her persuasion techniques.
Seeing Rukia like this made Ichigo almost smile before resuming his bothered look again, getting back to business. "I know you're energized and I don't care about that, right now. We're staying to get this meeting with your brother, the stupid jerk, out of the way"
Rukia slapped Ichigo's arm hard, "Number One: My brother is not a jerk!" She wheeled around, "Two: I AM energized!" Rukia stomped on Ichigo's foot for the final, dramatic effect.
Ichigo didn't even bend down to cradle his foot in pain like Rukia had hoped. Instead, he just smirked. , "Then just be energized in this room for a while, ok?"
He struggled not to call Rukia, babe, inwardly picturning Rukia as a piglet.
This was it. Rukia glared at Ichigo. He knew perfectly well what she was trying to do and he was evading her efforts. He probably wanted to call her babe just for a laugh. Stubborn, Dumb Ichigo...
She gave the famous ice-cold stare bordering on glare, that her intimidating noble older brother was known for when he was about to unleash his senbon sakura of pink shard petals. The imitation was about perfect. The Perfect Kuchiki stare.
Ichigo's knees felt weak, entrenched in that stare that bored into his every being.
Instead of feeling intimidated like the effect was meant, this stare fascinated him, as his spirit energy seemed to flare around him exotically. He stared his brown ones into her violet ones in the intense moment. Her spirit energy seemed to press against his, gently. He dove into her eyes.
Oh God, he was swimming into them. Drowning in their depths.
Rukia, still staring, asked, "Ichigo, did you know that spirit energies can dance?"
"Dance...", Ichigo muttered, finding it hard to swallow the concept.
"Mmmm…", Rukia nodded.
Ichigo tried hard to lower and match Rukia's flowing spiritual energy as the moment seemed to flow into eternity.
Rukia twirled and brushed past Ichigo's shoulder. Her spirit energy was automatically pushing towards his right now.
Rukia has mysteriously done it again. Ichigo wanted to move to her left, their gazes transfixed.