53. Frostbites
Prompt: Ghost
Setting: Canon divergence
Genre: Drama
508 Words
It was hard to breathe. Every bit of air Ichigo managed to gasp in hurt. His lungs were burning, his throat was raw and aching. His skin was chilled and shivers were wracking his body. The tips of his ears and nose had already gone numb.
If this went on for much longer, he'd have some serious frostbitesto contend with.
But he wasn't at all worried about himself at the moment. All his concern was directed at Rukia.
She looked ethereally beautiful and eerie at the same time. She seemed almost like a ghost, with all her usual colour – the dark hair, the violet eyes, the creamy skin – leeched out; leaving her head to toe in sheer white.
The only respite from the stark absence of colour was a faint silver dusting along her skin that reminded Ichigo of the way snow glimmered in the moonlight.
"Rukia," he called out to her softly.
Ichigo's breath misted in the frigid air, the frost crunched under his feet as he inched closer.
"It's over."
Rukia turned her head and looked at him. The look in her old pale eyes made her appear otherworldly.
"Just breathe," Ichigo told her, closing their distance one small step at a time. "Ease out of it."
Rukia blinked.
The change was so gradual that at first, nothing seemed to happen.
Slowly but surely, breathing became a little easier. The worst bite of the freezing cold ebbed away. Feeling started to return to Ichigo's frozen fingers, making him grimace against the sharp pain.
The ice was melting. The soft pink of Rukia's skin began to show here and there. The deep violet returned to her eyes. The dark of her hair peeked out, creating a sharp contrast with the remaining white ice.
"That's it," Ichigo murmured, his heart swelling in his chest.
A moment later Rukia took a deep breath as the last stubborn slivers of ice melted away.
Ichigo rushed the last two steps still separating them and pulled her into his arms.
Rukia relaxed against him and wound her arms around him, her fingers digging into his back.
"That was great," Ichigo said, dipping his head down to rest his chin on top of her head.
"Are you all right?" she asked, her voice muffled against his chest.
"I'm fine," Ichigo reassured her. "I might have a few frostbites but I'll live."
Rukia jerked in his arms and began to move away but Ichigo just held her tighter.
"I'm fine," he repeated. "I'm sure you can heal everything in the blink of an eye."
She sighed. "I really tried to keep it under control this time."
"You did," he said firmly. "You did great. Worry more about yourself, ok?"
"Okay," Rukia said, her voice soft with a smile.
"Good," Ichigo said, pulling away enough so he could press a kiss to her forehead.
She shook her head and slapped his chest. "Now let me go, you idiot, so I can take care of those frostbites."
Ichigo grinned.
Rukia was definitely back to normal.
