This chapter took forever and I am terribly sorry. Also sorry if everything's out of whack/order/random doesn't make sense. It's really short, I know, compared to the last two chapters, but this is all I could think of.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE AT THE BOTTOM
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, obviously, see what I do with it? Although I know I'd make HitsuRuki canon. One man's crack-ship is another man's OTP so be careful on what you bash on xD
"Wanna talk about it?" Rukia asked Toushiro when Isane and Rangiku finally left them alone. The two soul reapers lay side by side on Rukia's bed. Toushiro's hands flew to her belly.
"She thought it was a hoax," he laughed without humor. "Out of all people, Momo thought we faked it."
"She's doesn't understand,"
"No, she doesn't," Toushiro snapped. "She shouldn't meddle in other people's problems when she…"
"When she what?" Rukia lowered her voice held Toushiro's head close to her chest, his arms circled her waist.
"When she has her own to deal with. She's still upset over Aizen's betrayal, I can see it in her eyes…"
Rukia swallowed the lump in her throat. Just because she and Toushiro spent over a year in capture, shared secrets known only between them, and committed acts deemed unbefitting by the proper, didn't mean they were together romantically. Neither side admitted feelings for the other, so they remained as biological parents for a child neither wanted in the first place.
Rukia knew she had some type of feelings for the ice captain. She didn't resist the feelings either, just accepted them.
"I'm sure she'll come around, she just needs the right person to guide her and I believe you can be that person to guide her…," Rukia bit her lip as she spoke the words. She had no doubt Toushiro and Momo would make a good couple, and even greater family some day. If all Rukia is, is the mother of Toushiro's child, then she will accept that fate. Live in it. They can fit time into their schedules to parent a child and still have separate, romantic relationships on the side, right?
"Me?" Toushiro's white eyebrows scrunched in confusion, and he tilted his head upwards to stare at Rukia. His narrowed eyebrows only increased as teal eyes gazed into violet ones. "You were crying," It wasn't a question, but a statement.
Damn. She thought it would've been long enough from her sobbing state earlier to at least look presentable. I guess I couldn't hide it after all…
"I'm fine now—"
"Who hurt you?" he sat up and held her face between his hands. He wiped away the tears that fell from violet orbs. "Rukia—"
"No one hurt me, Toushiro," she swatted his hands away. Shrugging out of his hold and slipping out from underneath the blankets, she paced around the room, gnawing at her bottom lip.
"What's wrong?" he asked, silently observing her actions.
Rukia paused. "We're friends, right?"
What was this? Question Toushiro's relationships Day?
"I thought we already established that," he answered. His heart ached as he watched Rukia's eyes glisten and glaze over.
"Is that all we are?" her voice whispered, as if afraid to speak too loudly.
Only friends? Is that what she's worried about? Toushiro felt as if labeling their relationship as friends understated what they truly were…but they weren't romantically involved either…
"I wasn't aware anything changed…," he lied. Of course he lied. During their capture she jumped over the boundary separating them as subordinate and superior, jumping directly into acquaintances and eventually, friends. "Unless you want something to change…"
Rukia stared at him with wide, purple eyes. "I—I just…no—I don't know…I just thought…"
"You thought I loved Momo," he answered for her.
"Well," Rukia rubbed her arms. "It's not hard to see…I just didn't want to get in the middle of anything, and if you need me and the baby to leave—"
She wasn't aware that at some point during her ranting, Toushiro stood up and now towered over her tiny figure, but didn't appear intimidating. He only gathered her in her arms and held her close.
"You and the little one aren't going anywhere," he whispered in her ear. "I promised I would stay by your side as long as you want me, and I swore I would never abandon my child."
"I know that," Rukia returned the embrace, "Look, I need to make something clear…" She backed out of his arms. Don't get overly attached to him...it's like you said, he has duties to return to, he can't afford to be fondling a child all the time. "If we're holding you back, if I'm holding you back, from anything, you tell me-immediately...and I'll back off."
"Rukia-,"
"No!" She put her foot down-metaphorically, of course, she'd lose balance and probably fall over if she lifted her foot right now, what with how shaky her limbs have become. "Now that we've returned, eventually we'll have to return to our duties...you'll go back to being a captain, and you can't afford to have a child holding you back from that…"
Toushiro grew silent at her words. She had to get him to understand..they have returned...things will hopefully fall back into place.
"What will you do?" he asked her, his voice deep and aggravated.
"Huh?"
"I said: what will you do?" his eyes turned on her, piercing her on the spot. "I'll go back to being a captain, but what about you? Will you go back to whatever position you had before we were captured? Can you honestly think we'll return to the way we were before, after all the shit that happened? Can you honestly tell me you'll be fine if I just left you behind? Will you honestly be okay with me leaving you to take care of our child alone!?"
She didn't realize at some point during his rant, his voice rose above the normal speaking levels.
"I-I…," Her voice bailed on her.
"After all, it was you who told me it takes two to make a baby, that we're in this together, right? What the hell happened to that? Where did all of this doubt come from? After all we've suffered together, you think I would just up and abandon you?"
She made a terrible mistake in doubting not only herself, but Toushiro as well. It didn't even occur to her on what Toushiro must be feeling, or thinking for that matter..after what Rukia had just said…
"Oh, gods," Rukia clamped a hand over her mouth. Of course he'd be upset with her..she'd be pretty upset, too, if Toushiro tried sheltering all the burden by himself. "I can't believe I just-," she rubbed her face in shame and exhaustion, "Shit, I'm so sorry Toushiro...I didn't think-I'm such a terrible person…"
Teal eyes softened. "You're not terrible, don't say that. You're just a terrible thinker sometimes."
"Same thing," she mumbled into her hands. Toushiro rolled his eyes and walked up to the petite girl, wrapping his arms around her figure. "You really should stop before you get in too deep, though."
He knocked his head against hers, resulting in an angry glare and a slight headache for the both of them. "I'm not going anywhere, and that's a promise. There's nothing in this world that will make me regret raising this child with you."
Rukia's face burned. Now she felt guilty. Of course he wouldn't abandon her, they began a package deal the moment Yamamoto ordered their partnership on that mission.
"I'll make sure to hold you to that promise," she grinned at him.
"You do that,"
"Oh my god," Rukia's overly panicked voice sent a warning through Toushiro's mind. "Oh my god!"
"What is it?" Toushiro looked up from the book he was reading, only to find Rukia standing in front of the mirror, staring at her exposed stomach. She had peeled off the top of her kimono so it exposed her torso and covered chest. She turned at different angles, trying to get a different view of her bulging belly. Toushiro couldn't help but blush, even though he's seen everything there is to see about her body...that didn't help his blush..or his thoughts.
"I'm so fat!" she exclaimed, turning her body around to face him completely. Fear on her face.
Toushiro blinked...and blinked again.
"I'm sorry?"
"I've grown fat!" she cried out again. "Look at this! I'm huge!"
Toushiro glanced down once again at Rukia's belly. Unohana told him Rukia and the baby were both healthy and growing at the correct rate. There wasn't anything wrong...
"Hardly, you're fine, Rukia," he turned back to his book, only to find a pillow thrown at his face.
"It's true! I'm bigger than a blimp! Nope, that's it. I'm never eating again," Rukia proclaimed, going back to stare at herself in the mirror. Then she glanced around, "Now where'd I put that peanut butter and pickle jar…"
Toushiro suppressed a gag and closed his book. "In the bathroom, I believe," he answered, only to receive a fierce glare from his roommate. "Rukia, It's just the baby making you appear bigger. No, it doesn't mean you're fat or you should stop eating. It just means everything is progressing in the right direction."
Rukia exited from the bathroom, former mentioned foods in her hands. "I know that, you don't think I know that? I am the pregnant one here."
Really? Toushiro asked inside his head. I never would've guessed. "How can you eat that stuff? It's revolting."
"I don't know," she shrugged. "My heart and brain are begging me not to, but I can't help it-" her words were cut off by something he couldn't see, except the jar slipping from her tiny fingers, crashing against the floor and shattering into tiny glass pieces. The moment she halted in her talking, he flash-stepped to her side. He moved her away from the broken shards, kneeling on the floor beside her.
"Rukia-"
"Sh!"
"You want me to shush?"
"Yes, now shut up!"
He listened, eyes darting up and down and all around for any sign of danger, but found none.
"Rukia…,"
"Give me your hand," she commanded, holding out hers.
He gave it to her without hesitation. She took it gently, and slowly guided it to her stomach, to her baby. He flattened his hand over the bulge, stretching his fingers across her pale skin. He waited, teal eyes locked onto violet ones. Moments passed, his heart pounded loudly in his ears as the seconds passed by. He continued waiting for something to happen-
Then he felt it.
The tiniest of shifting beneath his fingers, beneath her skin.
The baby was moving.
The baby was moving.
Toushiro's eyes stretched wider as he felt the child-his child-bumping against the skin of Rukia's belly. He exhaled-only now realizing he had held his breath-and smiled. His baby-their baby-was alive and kicking. Instantly, inside he felt full of so much love and admiration for this tiny creature, this tiny living child. He knew, right then and there, he'd give up everything for his baby. He'd give up his rank, his status, his power, his life-everything he owned just for the sake of this child's happiness and safety.
"This is amazing," he whispered. "You're amazing."
He couldn't help it. He gathered her up into his arms, stood, and swung her around in circles until he grew dizzy and collapsed on the bed, Rukia still in his arms.
"You're overly happy," Rukia giggled as she and Toushiro finally rested on the bed together.
He couldn't deny it. He was happy..more than he's ever been in a long time.
He just hoped it lasted.
Awe, cutesy moments x3. You know what happy chapters mean right? That's correct! Pain and despair in the next ones! Muahaha xD
I'm going on a short/small hiatus for the time being so I give you this chapter in the meantime! I got my school computer back so it'll be easier to give updates, but I still have school, and as my senior year starts, I need to be focused on graduation as well. I hope you all understand and thanks so much for the support so far and your patience!
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-Arien
