A/N: I don't really have anything to say. Is that bad?

Crumbling Walls

Ichigo sat gingerly on the edge of his bed, a towel spread out over the sheets to catch any blood that might stain the white cotton. He listened to the sound of rushing water through the pipes in the wall, the cascading of raindrops on Rukia's skin. His physical weakness had surely induced his mental weakness as well. It was very hard to think of anything but her touch.

He closed his eyes and willed some of the pain away. His lap and waist felt cold from the chill of Rukia's impact, his hakama was fairly soaked as well. Though his wounds felt clean and refreshed, his flesh formed cruel goose bumps and he clamped his jaw in an attempt to not shiver.

Pulling on the lip of his desk with whitened fists, Ichigo stood with some difficulty. He balanced himself and slowly began to untie the front of his gi. It would feel better to be in fresh clothing anyway. As the front knot came undone, the back of his hakama fell away from his waist. He tried in vain to reach the back knot which held the front of his uniform together, but it was nearly impossible, the wounds on his stomach stinging painfully when he tried to extend his fingers toward the small of his back.

His door swung open quietly and he froze, Rukia standing quite soaked in her bath towel beneath the frame of the entranceway. They both blushed brilliantly, having always been able to avoid moments like these in the past. Rukia walked in after a moment and shut the door behind her, hoping to keep the draft of the house away from the room. Neither of them could afford to be sick at a time like this.

Ichigo looked away guiltily, having promised he wouldn't look at her. Rukia, though he couldn't see it, grinned with appreciation and closed the distance between them. Ichigo inhaled sharply when her small, cold fingers began working at the knot on the back of his hakama.

"You don't need to –"

"You know you wouldn't have been able to reach it, Ichigo," she replied sternly. He closed his eyes slowly as he felt the garment drop to the floor. Rukia pulled him carefully to face her and untied the small bows holding his gi closed before pulling the robe gently off his arms. He opened his eyes and found her staring up at them, innocently inquisitive, holding her towel tightly about her chest.

As the silence continued to get louder, Ichigo licked his lips, trying to find words. Rukia put a hand on his chest and his lungs shuddered. He was ashamed to think that he wished her hands were warm and he was unscathed, standing there in his room. Rukia looked down at his wounds and began to heal them with what little power she had left. Her hands glowed a cool blue, but her touch became hot, electric. Ichigo sighed as the pain receded, his injuries healing from within to shallow the wounds he still had left. The hole in his shoulder had slowly been reduced to a deep tusk wound, his back almost completely healed save a large scar. Despite these improvements, he could feel that his injuries were still serious, though no longer life-threatening. What seemed like hours ticked by as the shivering shinigami worked her kidou on his body, like the caress of a caring hand when a fever has struck you bed ridden. As Rukia swayed with exhaustion those long moments later, Ichigo caught her shoulders and held her up as the light being transferred in her touch faded away, leaving a tingling sensation on his skin.

"Stop worrying about me and get dressed," Ichigo said sternly, his grip on her shoulders tight. She smiled, a bit of her softer nature peeking through the cracks of her stony façade. She put a hand on his wrist, but Ichigo held her firmly, refusing to let her manipulate him into letting her become more weary and sick. As they held their gaze, fighting will against will for the victory, Rukia's fist slackened on her towel, which pooled down to her hips, sliding noiselessly to the floor. She hadn't meant to let it go, but for her weariness…She hadn't noticed her fingers slipping.

Neither moved, but the tension between them became thick enough to cut. Ichigo swallowed hard. He wasn't sure what to do, but continued to look in Rukia's eyes, making sure they strayed nowhere else.

As Rukia continued to look up into her companion's eyes, she felt herself become exposed, her soul, her mind, everything. Nothing was left that Ichigo didn't know. Nothing was left that he didn't accept in her. A few scars pricked her skin, evidence of past battles and hardships, but he didn't see them. He only saw her eyes.

Overcome with the shock of the impressive amount of trust they shared in each other, Rukia choked, blinking away from Ichigo's intense gaze. She hesitated, her own painful past rebelling against her actions, her arms held back by tight chains of forceful loneliness. Finally, she mustered the strength to ignore the bonds of her past and pushed herself gently against Ichigo's wall of a chest, her small hands balled into fists upon the small of his back. A great burden was lifted from her soul as she gave herself over to his protection and care, knowing that he of all people wouldn't manipulate or hurt her.

Ichigo stared at the gaping door of the closet, Rukia's things spread out upon a small, folded futon. Her Chappy doll, the pink keychain on her backpack…her various romance manga. He wrapped his arms around her slowly, forgetting the dull pain of his battered body, only seeing her frailty and yearning for support spread out on her bedding screaming at him. The confining walls of the closet darkened the space ominously and he felt the impression of a cage in its partitions, one built for a beaten-down animal kept for "safekeeping." Ichigo felt ashamed for not seeing it sooner and tightened his hold on Rukia's slender shoulders.

"You should put some clothes on, Rukia," he murmured after a quiet moment of embrace. Rukia nodded, her cheek brushing up against Ichigo's skin like a fine silk. He bit his lip, wanting to pull her closer, to comfort and protect her... But when she stepped away, his eyes were already closed, waiting for her to tell him it was okay to open them again.

A/N: I know, a very short chapter for this story, but the ending was too perfect to force the chapter to continue. I'll have another up soon though, I promise!