RECAP:

"Ryu!" Ichigo shouted turning towards Ryu, "Common! Don't turn into a hollow! Ryu! I- I… I need you Ryu… Please… Come back…" Ichigo's eyes fill with tears, and some of the tiny droplets fall on to Ryu's partly covered hollow masked face. "Please…" Ichigo whimpered.

"Ichigo…?" Ryu asked, "Do you… Mean that…?" Ichigo grabbed Ryu's shoulders and cried,

"Yes Ryu! I need you!"

Ryu's partly formed hollow mask started to crumble and I see Ryu's bottom lip start to quiver.

"I need you to Ichigo…" Ryu lifts his hand and pulls off the rest of his neon blue and bone white mask, having it shatter in his hands.

Now Ryu looked like how he did before all this happened. He was unscarred because of my healing Kido, but his face was a dark pink and had tear stains along with new tears that started to form.

*Ryu*

"Ichigo… there's something I need to tell you… I-" I was cut off by Ichigo boldly placing his lips gently on my own. He pulls away and I place a hand on my chapped lips a huge blush already formed on my face, "I-Ichigo… Why… D-did you… Kiss… Me?" I stuttered out embarrassed.

Ichigo gave me a heartwarming smile and said, "Ryu, not only do I need you… But I also… I think I might love you…" I smiled lightly behind my hand and place my forehead on his own.

"You know what Ichigo? Same here."

I felt a huge weight lift off of my chest when I said those words. 'I love you.'

But how could I say that? That I loved him when I hardly knew him? I don't know why but those words felt so right, like it wasn't wrong for me to feel this way. To feel attracted to a person whom I met a couple weeks ago at most.

Ichigo Kurosaki, why is it that you feel this way towards me? You said yourself that you need me, but my question is why… And will I hurt you in the end? Will I once again loose a piece of my heart when death decides to swoop by early and claim another person I love?

I stare into Ichigo's brown puddles; see so many emotions swimming about.

Joy, worry, relief… love.

"Ichigo," I whispered, "Do you mean that?"

"What?" Ichigo asked.

"Do you really love me?" I asked pulling my head away from Ichigo's.

"Why would you ask that?" Ichigo said, placing one of his callused hands on my head, ruffling my blue hair. I avoid Ichigo's intense gaze turning my line of vision towards the floor. Ichigo slipped a hand under my chin making me look at him, "Ryu why would you ever think that's I'd lie to you about that?"

"I don't know… Just… Ichigo I'm scared… I don't want to get hurt again. And I don't want to hurt you!"

"How would you hurt me?"

"I don't know… I'm just afraid sooner or later Hryu will come out and you'd get hurt."

"Ryu, if that's what you're scared of then let's make sure Hryu won't bother you. And if he tries to take over, I'll be there to help."

"Ichigo… thank you…"

Ichigo smiled down at me and pulled me into a tight hug before standing up and wiping left over debris from my hollow mask off my shoulders. "Come on Ryu, let's go home." Ichigo and I head towards the busted down door and started to head down the stair when Ichigo suddenly stopped and walked back up to the apartment, and placed the door back in its rightful spot. While Ichigo was fixing the door my thoughts started to drift.

'Home?' I asked myself, 'is the Kurosaki clinic really my home? I mean I love it there and Isshin is like a father to me, but aren't I just intruding? I know they want me there but I just feel… I don't know, guilty…'

My train of thought was cut off by Ichigo, "Ryu you okay?"

"OH!" I gasp lightly, "Oh-oh yeah I'm fine don't worry!" I said quickly waving my hands in front of my face. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at my actions.

"You sure?" he asked in a voice full of concern.

"Yeah!" I smile fakely, "I'm A okay!"

Ichigo just sent me an unconvinced look. As Ichigo and I continued our trip back to the Kurosaki clinic I realized something. Rukia was nowhere to be found. "Hey Ichigo!"

"Yeah Ryu? What's up?" Ichigo asked.

"Do you know where Rukia is? I haven't seen her."

Ichigo thought for a moment and his face scrunched up slightly, "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her since you nearly completely… um uhhh… you know…"

I shake my head, "No. I don't know. What are you talking about Ichigo?"

"Well Rukia said you were… well in short, turning into a hollow."

I stopped dead in my tracks as my vision began to shake, "T-turning in… into a hollow?"

"Ryu?" Ichigo asked placing his hands on my shoulders, feeling that my body was shaking, "Ryu. What's wrong?"

I couldn't respond. No matter how much I wanted to. I finally realized something. I finally realized what KuroEmna meant when he said if I didn't pass my Trail that my soul would be taken over and that my life would have ended. If- if I failed then I would have become a hollow.

Slowly I began to let darkness take over my eye sight as I looked for a 'dear' friend of mine.

*Darkness/dream thingy*

'Hryu… you there?' I called hoping to catch the attention of my annoying 'flat mate'

'Yeah Teme? What cha need?' Hryu stood in front of me, white as ever, except for his Mitch match eyes.

'I was just wondering... When can you take over, er take control of my body. I mean you did that the first night I was in Karakura Town right?'

'Yeah Teme that was me, I had a horrible urge to kill then. But to answer your question, I can take control when you have doubt in yourself, or when your mind is full of emotional turmoil… And even when you're drunk as hell, well maybe not take over but you act more like me. Anyway why the sudden question? You want me to take over for you show you how things are done?'

'I don't think I really want you to take over Hryu… I'm afraid of what you might do…'

'Sigh, fine but if you really don't want me to take over you should lighten your mood. It's annoying when your mind runs wild like this. I mean all the depressing thoughts… and… and I don't-I don't like uhhh… You know what? Fuck it. I really, REALLY, dislike you, um… feeling um- uh… down, and upset… Not that I CARE or anything… just being depressing and annoying is MY job. Not yours. Yours is to be happy and to love Mr. Strawberry. I mean why the FUCK would you want MY job? You'd have to be in the dark; well at least I am now because you're SO FUCKING DEPRESSED! NOW GOD DAMN IT! BE FUCKING HAPPY OR I'LL TAKE OVER! AND YOU DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN!'

'Heheheh…' I laugh as a smile forms on my face, 'Thanks. Hryu, I really needed that, you Ahou. It's… good to know that you care.'

'GRRR!' Hryu growled, 'I DON'T care! Didn't you hear me say that?!'

'Nope! I was distracted by the overpowering sound of your radiating love!~' I walk over to Hryu and give him a hug.

'GAHH! TEME I HATE YOU! LET GO!' he shouts a bright pink blush on his pale face.

'Nope, but I Love yah too Hryu!~' I say pecking Hryu on the cheek.

'Yah know what? Shut up and leave me alone!' he cried shoving me off him and onto the floor.

'Hryu! Don't be in denial! It's not good for anyone!'

'I said shut up!'

I simply stick out my tongue at Hryu and leave the guy for some peace and quiet.

*End Darkness/dream thingy*

"RYU!" Ichigo shouts in my face, shaking my shoulders.

"Y-yeah?" I asked looking at Ichigo quizzically unaware that I was unconscious in Ichigo's arms as he carried me Home.

"Finally you're awake! I was so worried! You suddenly blacked out… and I just panicked." Ichigo said

"Look Ichigo I'm fine! You can put me down, okay? I'm not gonna run off or anything."

"I know that… you just gave me a small heart attack."

"I'm sorry about that. I truly am."

Ichigo stared at me for a moment, "Ryu you seem… I don't know different, happier than what you were earlier."

"Really?" I ask a knowing smile on my face, "I didn't notice."

Ichigo sighed and shook his head wrapping his arm around my shoulder, "Whatever you say Ryu, now lefts go home. You need some rest then we can try and find all we know she could already be at the clinic."

"Yeah…" I wrap my arms around Ichigo's middle, "you right, now let's go home!"