Forgive Me
Summary: Ichigo finally realizing the error of his ways had decided to win Rukia back. Read on….
I don't own Bleach and I don't own the song Forgive Me. Kudos to the people who own them! Merely putting the two concepts together, I suppose the idea, I can claim for myself.
Off To Seireitei
"I need a way to go to soul society. Can Urahara open a gate for me?" Ichigo asked his father. It was the end of term so he would finally be able to go to soul society and ask for Rukia's forgiveness.
"I have a better idea," Isshin said. "Abarai, come inside."
The Red haired Shinigami came inside their house and sat across from the startled Ichigo. He was not in a gigai instead he was in his Shinigami uniform.
"What the hell are you doing here?" the carrot top boy asked the visitor. "Aren't you supposed to be in soul society doing your paper work?"
"I was originally here to break your neck but after investigating and seeing that you're not actually in a very good state yourself I decided not to kick your ass and cut you some slack. I guess you can say I have your ticket to soul society," Renji said with a smirk.
"Are you serious? You're helping me win Rukia back," Ichigo said in disbelief. "Wait what's the catch?" he asked looking at Renji suspiciously.
"There is no catch, you moron. I just don't like seeing Rukia all worked up because of an ass like you. But the next time you make her cry over stupid things I will hurt you really badly. So get that through your thick skull," Renji said as he grabbed Ichigo by the collar of his shirt.
Ichigo just smirked. "I will never make her cry again. I'll even let her beat me up to a pulp until she forgives me. I would do anything to take back what I said to her that night because they were all lies. I just realized that I would never be the same without her," he added.
"Well, good. Let's get going. I'll be dropping you off but I will have to come back here. I actually agreed to take Rukia's area for now. Since you're too lazy to slay hollows," Renji retorted.
"Thank you Kurosaki-sama," Renji bowed in front of Isshin.
"Hey old man. What did you say to this dumb ass? Why is he bowing to you?" Ichigo looked at his father suspiciously.
"Don't worry about it," Isshin said in his usual silly tone. "Abarai- san and I just had a little talk, nothing important really."
Ichigo dashed up to his room. He went through his things until he found what he was looking for.
"Oi! Ichigo where the hell are you going? Where are you taking me?" Kon asked as Ichigo took him from his desk drawer then dashed down stairs.
"No funny business when you're in my body, Kon," Ichigo rummaged his hand inside Kon's plushie mouth and took the mod soul pill. Ichigo swallowed it then he separated from his body and was now in his Shinigami form.
"Dad, keep Kon out of trouble," Ichigo said before he and Renji went out the house. "And keep Yuzu and Karin away from my room while he's there."
"I'll keep that in mind. Good luck Ichigo," his father bid him good-bye. "I'll keep Kon busy, don't worry about it." Isshin was holding Kon by the head. Ichigo and Renji went out of the house to a place where the tattooed shinigami could open a gate.
Ichigo saw some familiar faces waiting outside the house as they headed out. Inoue, Ishida, Tatsuki and Chad were waiting in front of the Kurosaki Clinic.
"We just want to wish you luck Kurosaki-kun," Inoue said trying to sound cheerful.
"Tatsuki? What are you," Ichigo tried to ask. His attention was to his childhood friend. Chad and the others knew about his secret but Tatsuki was not like them, well, he did suspect something but it never really made sense till that day.
"I've seen you wearing that weird outfit before when you were running in the school grounds and during other times with Kuchiki-san. Somehow I can see those ghosts stuff too. I hope everything goes well with Kuchiki," Tatsuki interrupted him.
"We'll just patrol for you while you're away," Chad said.
"Well, keep Karakura hollow free while you two are gone," Ishida added.
"Win her back Kurosaki-kun," Inoue said.
"Thanks Inoue. I will do my best," Ichigo smiled at her.
Tatsuki placed a hand on Inoue's shoulder. She tried avoiding Renji's gaze.
"See you guys later," Ichigo said. Renji opened a gate to soul society and soon they were in the busy streets of Rukongai
"I think I want to be in the 11th divithion. Yachiru-chan thaid it'th fun and we will play with ken-chan and baldy and maki-maki," Nell exclaimed animatedly. "Yachiru-chan went to our claththroom and the teacher excuthed me from clathth. We played all day," she added.
"I don't think it is okay to get out of class to play. I will talk to Yachiru next time. You two can play during weekends. Nii-sama will be displeased if you do not take your studies seriously," Rukia said but she suddenly froze at the feeling of a rather familiar reiatsu. "Ichigo," she muttered to herself.
"Ichigo ith here!" Nell said excitedly. "Did you feel it? Hith coming," Nell exclaimed. "I told you he will come."
"I don't feel too well Nell," Rukia lied. "I'm going to my room to rest. If anyone looks for me tell them I'm sick okay," she added.
"I'll see to it that no one bothers you," Byakuya said as he went to join them in the receiving area.
"Byakuya-niithama," Nell greeted as she stood up and ran towards the strict captain. Somehow the stern look and the aloofness did not frighten the little ex-arrancar at all.
"Nell-chan, it is improper to come running towards your elders," Byakuya said to the little one trying very hard not to sound too affectionate. "Show me how you greet a noble properly," he commanded the little one.
"Welcome home, Byakuya-niithama," Nell said and bowed her head. She stood up straight then grinned at the stoic looking man. "Byakuya-niithama, Ichigo ith coming tho can I welcome him pleathe. Rukia ith not feeling well but I want to thee Ichigo. Can I, Byakuya-niithama?" she asked with pleading puppy dog eyes.
Rukia left the two. Somehow she felt happy that her nii-sama was actually showing even just a little affection to their house guest. She was so thankful to him that she allowed Nell to stay since it would not be a good thing to bring Nell to the living world not until she had gone through the cleansing process and training. It was not a good idea to let her stay in the 11th division because she and Yachiru enjoyed playing pranks on the members of the said division. She couldn't let the child stay with Matsumoto either, because she was too indulgent that in one day of staying with her Nell had a very bad tooth ache. She could not leave the child with the fourth division because in her opinion the child would most likely die of boredom.
Her thoughts drifted back to Ichigo, she stared at the Chappy plushie that Ichigo gave her when she went back to soul society. Ichigo told her it was a reminder that she had a home away from her home in seireitei. It grieved her so much that she may not actually be welcome to the Kurosaki home anymore.
"But why are you here? Are you going to prove to me that I'm not important to you, that you can go about your business in soul society without even seeing me, or will you be asking forgiveness like I want you to?" she said to herself as she sat in front of her dresser. She stared at a picture of Ichigo and herself in a hug in one of their trips to the arcade.
"If only you aren't such a darn idiot!" she muttered. "If you do apologize to me, I will hurt you so bad that you would wish you never said those words to me in the first place," she cursed at the scowling picture of Ichigo with herself.
"I don't think I want to see you right now," she said to herself as she looked at the picture again. "No matter how much I miss you, you just hurt me too much you dumb bastard," she couldn't help but curse at the picture and slammed it face down.
She couldn't keep the fact that she was happy with the idea that he may have actually come for her. A part of her was still hoping and believing that he didn't mean what he said he was just being the usual thoughtless brat that he was sometimes. A part of her though was angry and frustrated and hurt and wanted to beat the shit out of the idiot who was so full of himself. How she felt all those emotions was beyond her comprehension but one thing she did know. She wouldn't know how she would be acting when they finally see each other face to face.
"Do you think she'll forgive me?" Ichigo said as he and Renji made their way to enter Seireitei. He was anticipating their meeting. He and Rukia had not seen each other for almost a month and it was already torture for him. He wondered whether Rukia was thinking about him too but he could only hope because he said some pretty hurtful things to her.
"If I were her, you would have been dead now but fortunately for you I'm not," Renji said. "I just hope you don't screw up. This is one time thing. If you crap up again, well, I can't do anything about it anymore," the red head added.
"You can't beat me even if you try," Ichigo said smugly.
Renji looked at him with sheer annoyance. "Do you want to try? Let's see how good you fight. I won't hold back on you," the pissed Shinigami lieutenant tried to persuade him.
"Maybe next time but at this point I have to be ready just in case Byakuya would want to beat me up for what happened," Ichigo said. "If everything is okay with Rukia then I'll spar with you and don't worry I won't hold back either."
"I forgot to tell you. Nell is living in the Kuchiki Manor. Kuchiki-taicho actually allowed her to stay there and even supervised her admittance to the Shinigami Academy," Renji recounted to him. "I wonder how Kuchiki-taicho convinced the elders on their clan to accept Nell. Although she's isn't officially adopted yet."
"I forgot to bring her a present I haven't seen that kid in a long while," Ichigo replied. "So she's been staying with Rukia. Hopefully her drawings are not yet influenced by Rukia's Chappy addiction."
"You never learn, do you?" Renji blurted. "Just bear with the drawings so you can go on with a peaceful conversation without any arguments," he added.
"Somehow I doubt that but I'll figure something out. Can we drop by the 11th division I would need help from Ikkaku and Yumichika," Ichigo said.
to be continued…
A/N: sorry if it was a little bit delayed. I wasn't able to finish the chapter this morning unfortunately for me but I'll try to write some more later on. R/R... thanks for the reviews... I think the alerts are working now...Jeez I'm dozing off while typing. enjoy and can't wait to get the next chapters ready.