So after escaping the fever I've literally been drinking Arizona ice tea and green tea all day long with a pile of crackers. Yum. Sometimes it's the simplest foods that comfort you the most.
Again thank you to everyone who reviewed. It makes me happy to know that people are enjoying reading The Grey Line as much as I am writing it. XD
Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo.
Chapter 10:
Birthday suits are in style.
"Part of me is afraid to get close to people because I'm afraid they're going to leave."
– Marilyn Manson
x.x.x.x.x.x.
ICHIGO
When my body hit the tree, a bunch of snow landed on my head. My first instinctual reaction was to cover up my man parts from view. My second was to scream, "What the hell! I wasn't ready!" I had no idea how to transform. I had only woken up as a werewolf, I don't even remember how I started transforming.
Rukia charged forward, "What is ready? You on guard or you transformed?" She was heading this way with no weapons and I had a feeling she could still clobber me with her hands alone.
"Shit," I cursed and got up, running for my life. "This aint cool Rukia!" I called back. She was pursuing me from behind and I kept running. She could surely catch me but she wasn't. Why? I felt a kick smash into my back and I was sent flying forward.
I felt something light land on my back, sharp teeth an inch from my neck. "Rukia; one. Ichigo; zero," she whispered hotly into my ear. "This is the only time I plan on going easy on you," she whispered before getting up.
I lay on the ground, butt naked as she waited for me to get up. "C-could you turn around?" I asked. My voice seemed to take on a higher octave.
"Why?" she asked simply.
"Because I'm naked," I all but screamed. Heat rushed to my face at the thought of her seeing me like this.
I craned my head up and she smiled coyly. "I've seen you naked before."
"That's not the same!" I awkwardly sputtered. I was unconscious both times. And the way she was looking at me now was akin to mocking, pure amusement at my expense. "Just get out of here for a minute!"
She waved her hand nonchalantly, "Alright, alright. I'll give you a thirty second break," she said walking away.
Thirty seconds! That's it? I bolted off the ground too nervous to worry about my nudity. I had to find a way to transform. This wouldn't be nearly as awkward if she'd let me wear clothes. I ran, my feet propelling me through the snow. Anger had been what unlocked the transformation the first time, would it do the same this time? I ran trying to think of something that made me angry, something to make my blood boil like it did before.
I felt an electrifying shock as Rukia appeared right in front of me, I put my arms up in defense but I was too slow, her fist collided with my face and it felt like I'd been hit with a sledgehammer. Before I could turn to get up her foot was planted on the centre of my chest pushing down. "Rukia!" I felt myself gasp as she applied more pressure.
"Why do you keep running?" she said dully.
"Because you're stronger than me!" I wheezed out, her foot was so heavy. There was no way I could take her on in this human body and she knew it too.
"Didn't you want to protect people?" she said with a lethal edge and I was reminded once again that I was like a child in comparison. "How do you plan to protect people, if you keep running away? If you're not ready?" Rukia boomed in that fearsome voice.
"I can't fight you like this," I forced out. It was getting harder to breathe, my lungs were being crushed with cement blocks.
She smirked cynically, "Is that your excuse? The excuse you plan to use when you sense people being torn to shreds not too far away?"
Her words infuriated me, only because she was right. Was that how I appeared? I lifted my arm and took a hold of her ankle trying to lift it off my chest. "Shut up," I growled. She wouldn't budge.
Rukia glowered down at me, "If you want to fight, if you want to win, stop blaming your weaknesses and get up. If you want to protect, then start attacking."
She released her foot and my throat sucked in air filling up my crushed lungs. I stood and glared at her. She was right, I was being a coward. My blood began to heat like lava through my veins, the thought of others humans being destroyed fueled me. I couldn't let that happen, not while I had this power. I felt myself expand, my vision becoming slightly sharper and I fell onto four legs. Rukia smiled at this and got into a defensive stance, she looked so much tinier. This vantage point felt familiar, I transformed!
I let out a low growl that sounded unfamiliar to my own ears. Here I come. I charged her and she moved back dodging my headbutt by shifting to the side. An elbow came out and struck me in the face. She was fast I'll give her that. I turned around aiming a paw at her chest but she was gone and something heavy crashed onto my back. Her legs went to wrap around my torso and her arms pulled my neck back. Her soft black tendrils hovered above my eyes tickling the area around them. "Rukia; three. Ichigo; zero."
That word zero was really beginning to piss me off. She let go and hopped into a tree and I glared at her. I would get her at least once before this half hour ended! I took a few steps back, and then I jumped onto the tree. It rattled with my weight but I couldn't move up, Rukia let herself fall down gracefully planting her foot into my face. My nose was so sensitive I felt myself reeling backwards until her body collided into mine on the ground, her hands around my neck in a firm but loose hold. No don't say it, don't say it! "Rukia; four, Ichigo; zero."
Her navy eyes were a mischievous shade and I knocked her back with my head getting up onto my feet. She rubbed her head in slight circles while I snarled swearing vengeance. "I could have killed you four times by now and I haven't had to resort to silver," she said with her arms crossed against her black polar neck. That made me feel weak.
"Try again," she advised. "I may be faster but you can still anticipate my movements if you concentrate. Close your eyes."
And I did. My sense for presences sharpened and I could feel her right where she stood. She was slowly moving to my left and I could feel it with each step she took. She didn't need to approach for me to understand where she stood. "Now open your eyes and see what you can do," she said and I felt a whole lot more comfortable.
I think I finally adjusted to my larger frame. It was easier to hit a bigger target like that monster but landing a blow on Rukia with her petite figure and speed would be difficult. She walked closer and I let her. She went up to my side and I felt a warmth spread across my body as her hand hovered above my fur, a shock run through my body as my fur sensed her presence. "Do you understand?"
I nodded my larger head. She jumped back daring me to attack. I stood still in a crouched position, waiting patiently. She dove forward with a fist aimed at my face and I ducked aiming a headbutt into her stomach. She flew backwards and I chased after her, preparing to attack. I jumped into the air ready to attack with my claws forward and she raced to her feet leaping forward as well. We collided like opposing magnets, sparring with every move we knew. This went on for another twenty minutes and I had yet to successfully get a point where as the she-devil had seven.
"You have a minute left," she said and my body was shuddering. Getting used to this body would take time, it took much more energy to run on all fours than on two legs. My muscles and bones were so heavy it made me think I had bags of lead attached to my feet. "Do you think you can catch me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
I growled. I would get her and then she would be the one feeling trapped. I lunged forward with my jaws open and she took a hold of my mouth with her two tiny hands, pushing my mouth back. She smiled and she thought she had me. I placed my large paws on her shoulders, she leant back thinking I was going to push her down but I smirked to myself. I rammed my body into her stone like chest and pulled down drawing her into me. Her eyes widened as I pulled us down, and I twisted us so she landed first with her back onto the snowy ground. She was still holding my jaw back as I flattened her with my body weight. Rukia was trapped. All she had to do was admit it. I shut my mouth and her eyes seemed to glower, understanding our position."You think you have me?" Rukia whispered with a confident look. I knew I did, I didn't need to do anything else nor did I feel like it. Her accepting defeat was enough for me.
With a soft poke she tapped my nose and I sneezed; my body shifting off hers for a second and she took advantage of the situation kneeing me in the gut and flipping our positions. Damn her for noticing that weak spot. She straddled my body with her legs, inching up so that my hind legs couldn't get her and my front legs were pushed forward with her solid knees. One hand was still on my closed muzzled and the other tugged my pointed ear lightly. "Maybe next time," she said modestly and the timer buzzed.
Damn it! I almost had her! She looked down at me coolly and I looked up at her navy eyes. Her dark bangs obscured her face for a moment but she let go of my muzzle pushing them aside. "You were close but you hesitated. Why?"
I don't know why. If I did I certainly wasn't aware of it. Her eyes seemed to glow as she gazed down at me, I felt enchanted just looking at her orbs. It felt as if they saw me and not the wolf despite our position, I couldn't explain why I felt this way, only that it felt good.
A loud growl erupted from my stomach and Rukia's grin turned devious. "So that's why," she stated gesturing to my rumbling stomach. If I didn't have black fur I was sure my face would have turned scarlet. "You need some food." She placed her hand on my head and it glowed.
"Of course I do. I can't work to my full potential on an empty stomach!" I reasoned and her smile looked more amused by the second.
"Why don't we go into town today?" she offered and my ears perked up at her offer. "You've been working very hard and I'm sure you want a different shirt, I'll even let you pick some food. My treat," she offered with a smile.
"Seriously?" I asked and she frowned. "Err, thank you," I thought before she could retrieve her offer.
She got up brushing the snow off her black shirt. "Let's go before it gets dark out," Rukia said and I followed the vampire wordlessly back to the cave. What a strange sight we must have been. A shorter than average woman who looked to be in her early twenties followed by a black wolf who stood slightly taller than her head. What a strange sight indeed.
x.x.x.x.x.x.
RUKIA
We walked into town, Ichigo insisting on wearing his sweater inside out. We walked through the empty streets. I led Ichigo to the local department store. "I'll meet you back here in an hour," I said handing him a few bills. "Get whatever you need, we're leaving town after this," I informed him and his amber eyes widened.
"Leaving?" he asked.
I nodded. "We need to. Whoever was after us before hasn't heard back from their assassins and so they will send more people out here if we stay. Before you know it we'll be outnumbered," I explained and there was understanding in his eyes. "If we don't leave now we will lose any advantage we have over them."
Ichigo nodded his head solemnly. I wanted to leave Ichigo so he would no longer be involved in this but if I left him here they would surely find him and that was unacceptable. For the moment it was better if he traveled with me. He walked in and I kept going to a nearby florist.
x.x.x.x.x.x.
"You can't remember anything?" the doctor asked in a grizzly voice. What purpose did it serve me to lie? I honestly couldn't remember anything that happened that night, it was a shock to find myself in a hospital bed with IVs. "You don't have any idea where you lost all the blood from?" the doctor asked again waiting for something he could write down on his clipboard.
"I already told you everything I know. There's no sense in badgering me for answers I don't have," I said plainly hoping he would get the message. Doctors, they never listened to a word their patient said anymore; immediately dismissing them as pathological liars or complete idiots.
The doctor flipped his charts down. "Your recovery rate is remarkable for your age," the doctor said. "How fast your body replenished its own blood supply and the fact you had a concussion and woke up from it feeling good as new."
I smiled gently. "I've always been as tough as a horse when it came to these things," I admitted tapping the bandages around my head. "Thank you for your help but I can assure you I'm fine now," I said sliding my legs over the bedside.
"Let me run one more MRI to make sure your head is ok and you'll be free to go," the doctor said beginning to walk out the room.
His concern wasn't necessary but it was nice to see someone care. I heard a light knock on my door and Ms. Rukia stood in the doorway with a bouquet of flowers. "Ms. Rukia," I greeted and she smiled awkwardly in return. "Are those for me?" I asked gesturing to the bouquet of neatly trimmed daffodils.
"I was so worried about you..." she blushed handing me the flowers. They smelt lovely, in a strange way the made the whole room feel cleaner despite the smell of morphine and antiseptics.
"Thank you," I beamed smiling at her but the worry didn't leave her face. "I'm fine," I said noting the way she warily gazed at my gauze infused head.
"'I'm fine' is one of the most common lies told to someone's face," she sighed. Her navy eyes kept flickering to the bandages.
"You know I mean it. I don't remember what happened, it almost feels like another day passed and I slept through it," I smiled. That was the best way to describe it. A long sleep with a strange awakening.
"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked, the look in her eyes warmed my heart.
I patted her on the head, "I'm fine, I promise. You should wear a coat though or you'll get sick," I said gesturing to her chest. "Fluid in the lungs isn't very pleasant."
She blushed smiling tightly, "If I find a jacket that fits I will be sure to buy it."
"Atta girl," I said. "Now you better get going before the nurses wheel me in for the MRI. That doctor is a stickler for rules," I joked.
She nodded her head, "This is the last time I'll be seeing you Walter." The way she said it sounded so final it hurt. "My business here in Faro is done."
She reminded me so much of my daughter, it seemed like history would repeat itself again. "Will you visit?" I asked.
She looked taken aback. "You wish to see me again?"
"Of course. Bring your friend too and we'll go golfing. You couldn't have eaten all those loaves by yourself," I grinned knowingly.
She looked happy at my request. "Thank you for the invitation. I only get those as a joke," she mused humourlessly.
"Well you better visit. It's the least you can do after being a most loyal customer," I smiled.
"I promise, I will visit you in the future when I have time," she said and I felt relieved. Even if it was a lie, it was a good one.
