A new chapter is here! Again I'm sorry for the long wait, college has been keeping me very preoccupied! Thank you to all who read and review, I really appreciate it all and keeps me motivated to not give up on the story! ENJOY!
It's been five days. Five days since our failed attempt to capture the arrancar, five days since Renji moved in and five days since I've slept. I'm lying in bed darkness surrounding every corner and only a sliver of moonlight shines through the parting of the curtain. Renji's snores reverberate from the living room where he's sleeping on the pull out couch and I frown because there's nothing I can do about his incessant snoring. I roll on to my side and blow out a sigh, already knowing I won't be falling asleep anytime soon.
The same routine has been going on since the first night. I usually go to bed after midnight, but Renji likes to go to bed earlier. He fell asleep right away and as I was cleaning the dishes from that night's dinner a snore as loud as a thunder clap shocked me and involuntarily I dropped the plate back into the sink, soapy water splashing on to my shirt. As I readied for bed the door was no help even closed as his snores made its way to my ears with ease.
The next night I decided if I wanted to get some sleep I might as well try to go to bed before Renji. So at 10:30pm I got all ready for bed and snuggled deep into the warmth of my covers. But as 30 minutes past, sleepiness was nowhere in sight. I tried counting backwards and reading, but it felt like I drifted even farther away from getting a blissful night of dreams. Soon Renji was snoring and there was no hope for me.
As I lay here tonight, once again wide awake and unable to even pretend to sleep, I reach towards my cell phone and click it on, blinded by the sudden glow from the screen. As my eyes adjust I see it's 2:00am and I realize that even if I don't get sleep, I'll have time tomorrow since it's the weekend.
I sit up and throw the covers off me, deciding that a walk may help tire me out to the point of exhaustion and I'll pass out without fail. I slip on a pair of sweats, sweatshirt and sneakers and quietly make my way to the door and silently close it (although if I slammed it, Renji probably wouldn't hear it over his booming snores). When I make it outside, I'm greeted by a lovely gust of wind, which makes my hair dance to its rhythm. I shiver by the sudden change in temperature, but it makes me feel alive. I cuddle closer into my sweater as I head off to the sidewalk to begin my trek.
I use to hate being alone. It reminded too much of the days with my kidnappers. They left me alone all the time, for days sometimes. Even though I didn't want to be with them, being alone was even worse. I just kept waiting for them to return and continue to torture me. That's probably why they did it. For most of my days since the kidnapping, I was alone. I had to figure out how to cope with so many things on my own that soon enough I learned how to deal with it. Now it comforts me to be alone because I know I can count on myself, while others are tricky and most of the time they only have their best interest in mind.
I aimlessly walk, not a specific destination in sight. One of the lessons I was taught while being trained by Renji was to never be caught off guard. But as I move through the quiet night with trees swaying in the wind, I'm lulled into a trance. I move along without thought and it's not until I step on a leaf, its brittle crunch snapping me to attention, do I feel an energy that could only belong to an arrancar. I immediately react, cursing myself for being so careless. I focus all my power on the energy to find where it's coming from. As I concentrate, I realize it's coming from behind me.
I try not to panic. But it's 2:30 in the morning, I'm alone and there's an arrancar trailing behind me. I change forms, shedding away from my gigai and prepare myself for an incoming attack. The energy is becoming more overwhelming, making my knees shake, ready to buckle. I reach for my phone to shoot a text to Ichigo in hopes of getting some back up, but before I can hit send, my phone is ripped out of my grasp. I stare blankly for a second before I come back out of shock and meet the stare of two electric blue eyes and a menacing grin staring down at me. He's so close I can feel heat emanate from him and If I took a single step forward I would be against him. I react instinctively by jumping back and summoning sode no shirayuki, holding it defensively in front of me.
"You" I say matter- a- factly. It's him, the first arrancar I've ever seen. Of course it had to be him; the one who swore he would come back for me. I sure made his job easy if he was speaking the truth, I practically walked into his awaiting arms. "I'm flattered, you remembered me." He places a hand over his heart to confirm his words. My phone sits in his hands and I try to think of a way to get it back. He follows my gaze and shakes a finger at me, "Oh, no you don't" and he crushes the phone in his hand, letting the pieces crumble onto the pavement with a clatter.
I don't let it faze me as he hopes, instead I stand taller and command, "What business do you have here?" He just smirks, no emotion behind it and spews, "Look, bitch I'm only here because I gotta be. So fuck off." I scoff and without thought blast Hado towards him. He's quick however and the blasts only hits a vacant spot and suddenly his hand is wrapped firmly around my neck all the while he slams me against a tree, pinning me with nowhere to go. His eyes pierce into me along with his finger, gripping the breath out of me. He's enjoying this I think to myself as I struggle to breathe, my lungs begging for release. My hands struggle against his and my feet slam into his stomach, yet he doesn't waver. He's so close to me I feel his body against mine, the weight of it only adding to the pressure against my neck. He stares and stares and I can clearly see my struggle to live is giving him enjoyment.
I'm just about to lose consciousness as bright stars engulf my vision and his face distorts into a massive blur of gray and black, but unexpectedly I feel the pressure from his grasp slowly dissipate as he uncurls a finger one by one, agonizingly allowing air weakly squeeze its way back into my lungs. Once his hand is gone, I slump out of his grasp into a heap on the ground, coughing, and gasping but all the while still trying to keep an eye on him. I scramble away and he laughs at my persistence as I pick up my fallen sword and as menacingly as I can look stand in front of him holding the sword once again ready for attack. " I see your perseverance is still the same." He shakes his head, his vest billowing in the wind, giving me a flash of more flesh and his chiseled abs. I inwardly reprimand my thoughts and tell myself to focus on the man who is trying kill me.
I barely think of my actions before I'm shouting, "Tsugi no Mai: Hakuren!" A wave of white rushes towards Grimmjow and in a flash the wave descends and engulfs him; the image I'm left with is of his eyes wide in shock. I try not to let my amusement show. The white fades from the air and reveals Grimmjow frozen in a block of ice. I can breathe normally for the first time since he arrived. I'm not an idiot though and I know he will be able to break through the ice eventually. Hopefully it's later rather than sooner. I know I can't fight him; he's just too strong. So the only thing I can do is run. I head off in a sprint looking for a pay phone to call Ichigo. I'm surprised he hasn't rushed here. I mean he must have felt the spirit energy.
As if I summoned him with my thoughts a shout breaks through the silent night. "Rukia!" I skid to a stop and see Ichigo rushing to me, concern obvious in his features. I sigh out, "Finally" and meet him half way. "Ichigo we…" A booming roar cuts me off, echoing from the distance. Grimmjow broke free. Ichigo looks towards the noise then me and his eyes travel down to my neck where faint bruises have already begun to form. His hand gently traces against the marks. With brows knit together in worry he states, "You're hurt." I blink up at him, surprised at his blatant anger, but I don't mention it. Instead I clear my throat as I lightly push his hand aside. "We have bigger problems. Grimmjow's here." Ichigo nods and without another word I lead him back to where I left the blue haired arrancar.
We didn't have to travel far before Grimmjow was only a couple feet away, fuming with anger. His eyes stab into me with hot rage. "You bitch" he spats, his hair more wild then before, indicating his fury further. I stare defiantly and simply state, "You deserved it." My words were fuel to his fire and he lurches forward. I brace for an impact that doesn't come and instead grunts fill my ears. Ichigo stands over me his sword held out with Grimmjow blocking the blow merely with his arm. Ichigo pushes forward and Grimmjow goes flying backwards. Ichigo faces me and quickly says, " You know what he's after. Go protect Orihime." I nod and touch his shoulder lightly, "Be careful" and with that I run to protect my best friend.
A roar of protest is let out from Grimmjow at my retreating form, but it pushes me forward and I don't look back, I just run in hopes that Ichigo will be able to win against him. I'm just starting to break into a sweat when I reach Orhime's apartment. I ring her apartment number and a sleepy, yet cheerful voice rings through the intercom, "Hello?" I exhale in relief knowing she wasn't harmed before I ran into Grimmjow. "Orihime, it's me Rukia…" I realize my voice comes out rough and urgency is clear in every word. So I quickly clear my throat and put up my façade by masking my voice into something more innocent and continue with, "I… I know it's late, but I wanted to see you. Can I come in?" Her squealing voice makes the intercom malfunction at the sudden high pitch and I recoil from it.
I scrunch my face at her eager delight by my presence and prepare myself for a giddy interrogation of questions about my unexpected appearance. "Rukia! Oh of course!" Before she even finished talking the buzzer rings and I'm through the door heading up to her apartment. I reach her door, but before I head in I give myself some time to prepare for our interaction by closing my eyes and taking deep breaths. All I wanted to do tonight was take a peaceful walk and have a restful night sleep. But here I am. I slowly open eyes and resigned to my fate, I knock on the door. I only had to knock for a split of a second before the door is swung open and I'm captured in a hug. I wondered if I should have taken my chances with Grimmjow and fought him instead. I feel I would have a better chance at surviving that then a night with Orihime.
"Rukia are you okay?" Orihime pulls back from the hug to stare with wide doe eyes full of concern. I give a shaking laugh and pull away, but shyly say, "I just didn't want to be alone tonight." She gives me a soft smile but squeals, "Sleepover!" She then tugs me by arm into the apartment. This is going to be an interesting night.
