Kurai 3

Ichigo woke when his phone beeped. He sighed, and automatically looked down, expecting to see whether or not Rukia was awake, but she wasn't curled up in his arms like usual. He quickly sat up and looked around, panicking for just a few seconds before seeing her. She was wrapped up in a ball as close to the opposite edge of the bed, their under sheet tight around her shoulders.

The orange-haired vampire immediately remembered the events of the previous night. He felt like smacking himself- how could he yell at Rukia? He knew better than that. He knew that she hated being yelled at, even by teachers. He knew it used to make her cry... even though now she usually yelled back.

Suddenly his phone beeped again. He turned back around and snatched it off his dresser.

"New Message From: Toshiro"

Ichigo quickly opened it.

"We got a problem. Meet me at Uxintakafe," it read.

The vampire sighed. He had intended to wait until Rukia woke up to go anywhere, so they could make up as fast as possible, but if Toshiro thought something was problematic enough to text him, it was important.

Getting a sticky note from the desk, Ichigo scribbled down a quick note for Rukia saying that he was meeting up with Toshiro, he would be back as soon as he could, and that he loved her. He stuck it on her book, which she always kept on her nightstand, before darting out the door into the cool, early spring air.

When he arrived at Uxintakafe, there were police cars and other emergency vehicles clustered around the street next to it. A crowd had gathered, and at first, he couldn't find his friend.

Eventually, he spotted Toshiro. The short, white-haired vampire was leaning against a window, holding two coffees.

"Hey," Ichigo said as he walked up.

Toshiro nodded and handed him one of the coffees. "Come on. You have to see this."

Ichigo followed him as he wove through the crowd. When they got to the front, Ichigo saw that yellow crime scene tape bordered the area around some dumpsters.

But what caught he eye was what was in front of the dumpsters.

A woman was laying there. Her neck and wrists were savagely ripped open, though for the severity of the wounds, there was little blood.

"One of our kind did this?" Ichigo whispered.

"You've been around a while, Ichigo, you know the signs." Toshiro looked at him through the top of his eyes. "Take a whiff."

Ichigo inhaled deeply. The stench of gore filled his lungs, but beneath it, he could smell the scent of a vampire...

"It's familiar," Ichigo said in surprise.

"Keep it down!"

"Right, sorry."

"And yes, it is familiar. I just can't place it."

"Yeah, me neither..."

-X-

Rukia rolled over and opened her eyes. She could already see that Ichigo wasn't there. She sniffed; he had been gone a little less than an hour.

She got up and stretched. She broke off mid-yawn when she noticed a bright yellow sticky note on her book. Taking it off, she read as she walked to the closet.

"I went to meet Toshiro at Uxintakafe. I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you much. –Ichigo"

Rukia frowned. She felt the familiar sting behind her eyes, and rubbed them, forcing back the tears she vowed never to cry. As she opened the closet doors to find something to wear, she crumpled up the note and dropped it in the trash.