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Chapter 8: Epiphany
"I don't want her going on any more missions," Ichigo said sternly to the phone. "I'm serious, she's not gonna be able to handle it."
"It affected her that much?" Renji asked. His insides had burned with guilt when Ichigo had informed him with the result of Rukia's first mission just a few minutes ago. But still, what could he do? Yamamato gave the orders, Renji carried them out.
"Actually," Ichigo said hesitantly and Renji knew right away that even though he couldn't see Ichigo, the idiot was probably rubbing his neck and looking stupid.
"What?" Renji asked, confusion heard clearly in his voice.
"Actually, it doesn't seem like she's been affected at all. In fact, if anything she's more pissed than traumatized. The first thing she did after I killed him was punch me again."
Renji paused for a while before answering. "Really? She wasn't affected at all? Then why are you saying she can't handle another mission?"
"Because I got there early this time, when you mess up next time, Renji, I might not make it in time."
"…Do you like her?" Renji said and a gleeful grin overtook his face. As much as he denied it and was ashamed to admit it, he did want the best for his friend. Ichigo had been single for far too long and Rukia seemed like a gift from heaven at the perfect time.
"HELL NO," Ichigo denied and tightened his grip on the phone. He could feel and hear it creaking under the pressure of his large hands and quickly lessened the death grip.
"Sure," Renji said in an exaggerated unconvinced voice. He was quiet for a while, pleased that Rukia hadn't let herself be affected. After a second, something else that Ichigo said registered in his brain.
"Wait…she hit you again?"
0OooO0
Ichigo slammed the phone down when Renji's laughter started and inwardly wished the bastard would choke on his spit and die alone on his living room floor…
Fuming, alone in the room, he struggled to get his anger under control. Renji was an idiot, and the demon that had almost broken his nose twice, was a bitch.
She had apologized, of course. When they gotten home last night, she said she was sorry. Though not in the way he would have preferred…
"Ew," Rukia said, staring at his face. Ichigo turned red.
"WHAT!!" He yelled. "What is so 'ew' about my face?"
Rukia giggled and smiled in a way that took him off guard. "Your nose looks really bad, did I do that?"
"'Did I do that?' PSH!" he mocked in a high pitched voice. "Oh sorry, your voice is actually deeper than mine, no?"
"Watch it fool, or I'll make your cheek match."
"I hate you," Ichigo snarled.
"I've noticed," Rukia sniffed dryly. "And I'm sorry for making you uglier than you already were."
"YOU LIT—"
"Good night, Kurosaki-kuuuuun!"
Ichigo thought for a moment. Did that really count as an actual apology?
"Oi, I made—"
"Please don't say you cooked something again…" Ichigo said, shuddering at her last attempt of making food.
"That was one time!"
0OooO0
It had been two weeks since the messed up mission, and Ichigo decided that he hated the monster living with him more than ever.
But still, like everything, prolonged contact with Rukia had softened their… relationship. They still hated each other, and at least three times a week she would try to poison him, but before where they had argued or ignored each other, they were now able to hold an actual conversation.
Granted, the longest peaceful conversation they held was only four minutes and 23 seconds. Still, the intense hatred they had for each other in the beginning had gone down somewhat. Somewhat.
0OooO0
Ichigo had an epiphany.
It had surely come out of nowhere, and now that he realized this, his life was probably just gonna get even more screwed up. But it was undeniable. He still denied it however.
He realized that Rukia was not…completely…unattractive.
He's not saying that one day he just saw her and thought she was the most beautiful being to ever grace the planet. Hell no. But she was…slightly…a teeny bit…nice looking?
It had however, happened suddenly. It hit him like a lightning bolt, and bothered him like a pebble in the shoe. It was after he had just taken a shower. He stepped out in a hiss of steam, large droplets of water dripped from his damp hair to his once dry shirt.
He viciously rubbed the towel against his hair and walked to the kitchen in hopes of something to drink. He got so much more than that.
Rukia was standing by the stove, staring at something in a pan. She was wearing a white tank top, long gray boxer shorts that ended at her knees and white socks.
He blinked as she scratched her ankle with one toe and looked out the window, a peaceful look on her face. Very slowly, he backed out of the room and into the hallway. He shook his head to get rid of his newly found thoughts but he failed miserably.
Cursing her to hell and back, he returned to the bathroom to take another shower.
This time, a cold one.
0OooO0
Rukia's epiphany came after Ichigo's. Approximately one week later. She was on good grounds with the assassin for hire, and was satisfied in beating him in every argument they had. She wasn't sure if she could call him her friend or not…
But then why was she so worried that he wasn't back from his mission?
It's because he locked the door when he left, Rukia convinced herself. If the idiot dies, then I'm stuck here until I die too.
Assuring herself that was the reason, she sat down on the couch and flipped through the TV, but it seemed no matter how many channels one had, there was never anything to watch.
Five minutes into an overdramatic soap opera, she heard the turn of the doorknob and slam of the door. She got up slowly and walked over to the hallway so she could yell at him for being late.
The sight that greeted her was certainly not what she was expecting.
Ichigo was leaning on the wall, dripping rain unto the wooden floor. His head was down and hair darkened by the water from outside. Even from where she stood, Rukia was aware of the blood seeping through the bandages on his chest.
She stepped forward hesitantly. "I-Ichigo?" she said softly, deciding not to torture him now. "Are you okay?"
He lifted his head slightly up to look at her harshly and stumbled when he tried to walk closer. Rukia didn't move to help him yet, but winced as he hit the wall again, looking for support.
"Do you…" he paused to take a deep pant. "…even care?"
Rukia's eyes widened for a millisecond before returning to normal. She didn't answer and instead walked to him.
Right before she got to him, the hand clutching his sword went up swiftly and hit the wall across him hard. The black sheath of the terrifying sword lay a foot ahead of Rukia, blocking her way.
"You can't leave," Ichigo said icily to her. "You're not allowed."
Rukia stared at him impassively and gave a short, unamused chuckle. "You really think so low of me Kurosaki-san?" she hissed. She roughly grabbed his arm and slung it over her shoulder, ignoring his wince of pain.
"I should leave," she said and pulled him to the living room. "But I can't because I actually have a conscience…" she pushed him on the sofa "…and I would feel guilty."
She left to grab a first aid kit from the bathroom and returned to see him without his jacket, staring intensely at her. "What?" she snapped rudely.
"You have no reason to stay here," he said warily. "You could leave now and be free again."
"Tch," she concentrated her glare on the stain that was not from his chest, but from his stomach. "Even if I was an insensitive bastard like you and could leave, I'm sure that someone would just come after me. So what's the point of even trying?"
"That's not a good way of thinking," Ichigo said softly. He winced as she tore away his bloody bindings. "You can't just give up on something. You'll never gain anything that way."
"You're so weird!" She exclaimed and threw her hands up in the air. "First you don't let me leave; now you're telling me to leave. Make up your goddamn mind!"
"You can't leave, it's useless but that doesn't mean you should stop trying. It's very amusing to me to see you try and escape."
The cut was shallow, Rukia noted with a twitch of her eyes. Barely enough to be considered a wound. It was quite long which explained the amount of blood, but it was in no way life threatening.
She stared at him and he stared back. "What's wrong?" he asked uncaringly.
"It's a cut," she seethed. "It's a damn cut, you acted like that over this?!"
"No," he denied and blinked slowly. "I stumbled because I'm drunk. I only got cut 'cause I was really drunk earlier."
She stared. "I-I'm not even gonna ask, but I will say that you are a complete and utter shithead—"
"Language," he said with grin. "Tsk, tsk."
Unable to stand that cocky smirk, she grabbed a cotton ball, doused it with peroxide and slammed it against his cut. She grinned in triumph at the girly squeal he let out as he lurched in pain.
"You bitch, you bitch, you—"
"Heard you the first time," Rukia interrupted his tirade and pulled out a roll of fresh white bandages. She started already so why not finish? After telling him to put on bacteria ointment ('who knows where those swords have been and besides, I refuse to touch you!') she instructed him to get up.
He stumbled again but regained his balance and stood still as she set herself in front of him. Very close to him indeed.
"Thought you didn't want to touch me?" He mocked but his voice was quiet. He was tired and once she finished wrapping him up, he wanted to get some sleep.
"Don't worry about me," she snapped. She placed the edge of the roll on the tip of the cut and held it in place as the other hand rolled the tape around his torso.
And it was after the second full wrap that Rukia had her epiphany. She looked up from the cut and met the sight of his toned chest and muscular arms. He wasn't very overbuilt, but godly nonetheless. She found herself staring shamelessly at it, and it was all she could do to not open her mouth and drool. But she was a Kuchiki, and Hisana had taught her how to behave like a self-respecting lady.
Ichigo yawned above her. "You done yet?"
Rukia snapped out of her thoughts that were very quickly turning bad, and stared at the unusual, tousled hair on his head. She smacked the other end down and quickly stepped back. "Yeah."
Without another word, he collapsed on the bed and buried his face in the pillow. His snores came out muffled by the soft cloth. Rukia took a while to get her breathing steady and her train of thought back on the right track. Without casting him another glance, she jumped up and walked to the door.
She hesitated for a while as she stared at the thing preventing her from leaving her prison. She looked back down the hall where she could still barely hear his snores. Biting her lip, she reached out a hand to the knob and turned.
It was locked.
She sighed and the hand dropped back to her side. Of course he would lock it, she reprimanded herself. And it was stupid to get my hopes up…I don't think I'll be leaving this place for a long time…
She walked to the living room and glared at his still slumbering form. Only now, it's gonna be even harder…
TBC
(A/N) Don't worry, they don't love each other, but they are a little friendlier and finally feel that attraction people their age should feel. Finally.
Thank you for all the reviews for last chapter (you people frigging ROCK, you know that?) I owe you all……I don't know, (invisible) money? Keep reviewing please. And keep voting for the next chap, the polls are still open. Eating in is winning.
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