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Rukia walks to Ichigo's family with heavy footsteps, unsure of what or how to appear in front of them; she doesn't expect much forgiveness from them considering that she left him in a terrible state and that they had to go through that while she went and did what she wanted to do for so long.
(and Isshin is a shinigami, that, she hasn't forgotten.)
She breathes in and out before moving her hand towards the knob, until the door is swung open suddenly and she immediately leaps back before it could hit her and knock her over. In front of her, she finds Isshin with a goofy smile as he welcomes her and drags her into his house before she could say a word. She half-smiles, some things never change.
Yuzu treats her to dinner and Rukia supposes this is the best time to say something about Ichigo not returning home here. But she's interrupted every time by Isshin's fanatical movements and the humor spreads even to her. Her eyes stray to Karin who's quiet and sullen compared to the rest of the family.
"-and Yuzu here just won the best essay of the year!" Isshin crows joyously. "I'm so proud of my daugh-"
"What are you really doing here, Kuchiki-san?" Karin finally asks coldly, and Rukia hadn't expected that; she'd expected a resounding fist on the table or some yelling and crying, not a composed mask that contains her bottled-up emotions. She remembers this similar question and tone that had come form Kukaku-san, and she feels the same dread pool in her stonach; still, she pushes forward.
"Ichigo will not be coming back here just for today." Rukia manages to say without her voice cracking. "He'll be staying over at my apartment...if you don't mind."
"We don't mind at all!" Isshin says gleefully, unsuccessfully instilling a happy aura over the family; still, he looks over his daughter's faces expectantly. "Right?"
"I-I don't, but..." Yuzu starts off nervously, her eyes looking down as her hands twiddle together.
"What she's trying to say is to not leave Ichigo like that again," Karin says for her sister; she keeps her eyes on Rukia directly. "We'll give you a second chance, but if we find Ichigo as empty like that, then we won't forgive you."
"Thank you." Rukia bows her head in respect. "There won't be a second time."
Karin's shoulders relax at her words and Rukia has to wonder how she could possibly be so forgiving considering how much she's clung to Ichigo for so long. Still, she supposes that more than anybody else, she's grown up faster, and for this, she wonders if it's sort of her fault.
(her throat clogs up.)
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It's when Rukia is at the door, pulling on her shoes that she finds Isshin's spiritual pressure against the wall.
"Thanks for coming back," he says quietly, enough so Karin doesn't hear from her video game and Yuzu doesn't hear from the water running as she washes the dishes. "you didn't have to come back for this lousy son of mine, but you did."
"Don't thank me," she says quietly, "I didn't even plan to show up in front of Ichigo, ever. It's just the situation has changed now."
"I know," he says. "I know that you've been working hard while Ichigo here has just been floundering like an idiot for a while. Hell, I had to beat some sense into him." He mentions humorlessly, before shooting a genuine smile. "The girls love you y'know?"
Rukia stares at him and remembers the sympathetic looks they'd given her and the odd way they'd reacted: too calm. "You told them didn't you."
"Maybe?" He flashes an innocent grin, and she decides not to hit him (she'd hit Urahara instead, later, double the pain).
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Ichigo feels excitement and anxiety run through his veins as he walks his way to the bart. Once he steps in, the door shuts behind him and the train swings to the left. As the minutes fly by, he considers the address yet again in his head.
(it's far, he thinks, much too far.)
The address, the location, makes him anxious again; it's a thirty minute ride from bart and walking, he knows that, but the anxiety continues to crawl within him. It's worse than ever, he realizes, because he finally has her within his grasp and to lose that again- he couldn't do it. He can't, but he doesn't know what this means, if she can stay or even wants to. He doesn't know.
(not that he ever did.)
From the beginning, it'd taken him a very, very long time to read or understand her that well, socially. As shinigami substitute partners though, they'd clicked instantly in movement, communication evolved to merely a glance at each other, and together, they were nearly impossible to beat. But when it came down to normal life-
-he sucked hard, and it didn't help that they'd been away from each other either.
He wonders then, if he could still remain her partner.
.
.
The train stops and he hears his destination, Kyoto.
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a/n: because karakura town is near kyoto? and japan, omg JAPAN HAS REALLY FAST BARTS AND ASIA TOO, CAN WE NOT MAKE ME MORE JELLY TT^TT
Snow: Plot planning is so not my thing Dx, but for now, I can say that Fullbringers won't be of any trouble here. I think they'll be going through a lot more obstacles than I intended originally; because Bleach makes IchiRuki so in sync with their emotions/connection that sometimes I forget that they aren't like that all the time. So I guess I want to emphasize the messy emotional turmoil within them xD Hope you enjoy this chapter!