To Feel Your Hand in Mine

Note: I'm alive! sort of. Anyways, this was written as a commission for a friend! the prompt was 'vampire', 'lasagna', and 'discriminative touch'. I hope you enjoy the weird story that came from it! friend asked for a vampire Ichiruki, so I tried my best to deliver!

"Okay, that's all for today. You did great, Kurosaki-kun!"

The young woman's smile was wide, well-practiced, but did not entirely hide the underlying pity in her eyes. He didn't want her pity. Pity meant that there was no longer hope, and he didn't want to accept that yet.

"Yeah, thanks," he forced out. She must have heard the strain in his voice, for the pity in her eyes became more prominent. But he turned away, not wanting to crack and give into the turmoil within him, the urge to grab something and smash it against a wall.

Not that it would do any good. He did not want a repeat of the last time he'd tried that. The glass he'd thrown had shattered, lacerating his palms. Horror had filled him as he'd watched blood well up from the cuts and spill onto the ground, and realized that he couldn't feel anything. No pain, not even mild discomfort. Just the same numbness that had plagued him for months now.

He remembered when they first told him the diagnosis: A neurodegenerative disease that they'd never seen before, but one that would slowly rob him of his senses and his ability to move properly. He'd gone in for a sprained ankle, caused by un uncharacteristically inelegant fall. His doctor had been concerned when he mentioned that it was taking a long time to heal, hence why he was there to get it checked. Further questioning had revealed his frustration with worsening clumsiness that he'd attributed to lack of sleep and recovery from a nasty bout of flu a few months back.

It had been much more sinister than that. And it was getting worse.

"Is that all?" he asked the young woman as she hurried about putting away her instruments. Kotetsu Isane was the newest resident working in the small hospital.

"Yes. Please continue to see your physiotherapist, and book another appointment with Unohana-sensei next week to discuss the results and treatment plan moving forward!"

"All right. Thanks again."

With that, he left the examination room, trying to ignore the slight unsteadiness in his gait. He wandered through the halls of the hospital, lost in thought, doing his best to maintain an air of calm and control. He was so focused on his task at hand that he nearly missed someone calling his name.

"-chigo… Ichigo!"

Someone poked him sharply on his back, nearly throwing him off balance. But before he could fall flat on his face, that someone also extended a strong, cool hand to steady him.

He almost didn't want to turn around to face her.

"Ichigo, look at me."

Sighing heavily, he turned. Brown eyes met violet, and he could read the concern there. She crossed her arms. "Well, how did it go?"

"It's getting worse," he said dully. "As expected."

He caught the momentary look of guilt that crossed her face before determination set in. "Well, we'll work harder on your physio next time! I'll help you with the muscle strengthening and-"

"Rukia!" he snapped, cutting her off harshly. He felt a bit bad about the momentary hurt on her face, but months of resentment overrode it. "Stop… just… stop…"

"Ichigo… I-"

"I can't be cured, and you know it. At least, not by human means. It'll just go on like this until I'm a useless wreck."

He saw her bite her lip involuntarily, her sharp white teeth nearly drawing blood. He glanced away, trying not to imagine how that one incisor might extend, how the purple in her eyes might lean closer to red…

"Ichigo… we've talked about this before… I can't…"

"You mean, you won't," he replied softly. But he was too tired to argue, too disappointed by today's tests which just confirmed that his disease was worsening at a faster rate than ever.

She opened her mouth again, no doubt to remind him yet again all her reasons for refusal, but at that moment, a sharp voice cut across them.

"Kuchiki! They need you down there again! Looks like a bad case this time too… it'll be tough trying to identify them."

"Right, I'll be right there shortly, Ise-sensei."

The woman who'd called out to her, Ise Nanao, adjusted her glasses once, giving Ichigo a sharp look, before turning on her heel and striding away. Ichigo tried not to envy her confident and sure steps.

"Look, you're upset right now, and it's not a good time," Rukia said, bringing his attention back to her. "Let's talk over dinner tonight? I'll be done after this case and I'll make you some lasagna."

He wrinkled his nose despite himself. "Do you know how to make lasagna?"

At that, she looked vaguely offended. "Hey, I can watch a video and follow a recipe! And I'll have you know that Ise-sensei liked it."

"Hmm, we'll see if she was just saying that to be polite," he said, smirking. Despite all his annoyance with her, he could never resist a chance to get one or two good-natured digs in. she glared at him, though he could read the slight amusement in her eyes.

"Well, be prepared to be amazed," she said in a faux-haughty tone, before giving his hand a quick squeeze. "I'll come over after I'm done then."

'Yeah, see you," he breathed. He watched as she moved away, openly envying her graceful movements this time. Even after she'd disappeared down the staircase, he just stood, lost in thought for a while longer, before forcing himself to turn away. With heavy steps, he left the hospital premises.

~line break~

Kurosaki Ichigo first met Kuchiki Rukia five years ago. Back then, Ichigo had been the star athlete of his university soccer team as well as a decently good student with bright prospects lined up for after graduation. Back then, everything had been so much simpler.

Despite his relatively clean academic record, Ichigo had never quite been able to completely evade trouble. He blamed it mostly on his peculiar orange hair, which always gave him the look of a juvenile delinquent who constantly bleached their hair. Somehow, this kept getting him in trouble both with actual delinquents and the uptight moral police throughout his high school life. It wasn't until he reached university and gained recognition for his athletic skills that people stopped being wary around him all the time and he actually made a decent group of friends.

It had been a fateful night when he'd left early from his soccer team's year-end bounenkai (year-end drinking party) on account of needing to get up early the next day to return to his hometown of Karakura. The slight inebriation had made him bolder and he decided to wander through a few alleyways that most avoided on principle, due to the rumors of delinquent gangs. Having gotten into fights with them all the time in high school, Ichigo had not been too worried about a run-in.

Of course, he probably should have known that to tempt fate meant he should be ready to face the consequences.

The first two guys who jumped him were relatively easy for him to dispatch. The problem was that they were quickly joined by about three more cronies.

"Oh come on, five on one's not really fair, is it?"

"Tch, you trespass on our turf and you want to talk fair?" the biggest and baddest looking one said gruffly. He must have been the leader, judging by the way that the others seemed to look to him for a signal. He certainly stood out, with the jagged scar on his cheek and pompous attitude.

Ichigo shrugged, cracking his knuckles. "Was worth a shot. Your loss."

It wasn't long before he had all five of them on the ground as well.

"Listen up you punks," he growled as he stepped up to their ringleader. "I've been fighting idiots like you since middle school. You wanna get out of here with even a miniscule bit of your pride left? Then scram!"

The thug let out a string of expletives that would have made even Ichigo's old man grab the soap to wash his mouth out with. Ichigo just rolled his eyes.

"I really can't be bothered to play with you anymore. I'll just be on my way…"

He trailed off as he saw several more figures approaching. Letting out a few expletives of his own, he shifted his stance, ready to take on the newcomers. But before he could move a muscle, several of them suddenly dropped with yells and, it had to be said, rather high-pitched screams of shock.

"Rule number one in a fight, don't forget to watch your back," a cool feminine voice cut through the night. Ichigo blinked in surprise. A girl had beaten them up? What was a girl doing in a sketchy alley like this at this time of night anyways?

Moreover, as she stepped into the dim light cast by the lone street-lamp, he was even more surprised to see that she was rather small: a good head shorter than him and rather thin to boot. Still she walked with an air of utter confidence and grace. She gave him an once-over, and smirked.

"Not bad, orange-top."

Ichigo wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a compliment or back-handed insult.

"My name isn't orange-top," he muttered.

"Oh? If you've got a better name, let's hear it," she replied, smirk widening.

He glanced at the other thugs, who were beginning to pull themselves off the ground. Was a self introduction really what they should be doing at the moment?

She seemed to understand his meaning. "You're right. That can wait."

With that, they engaged in the second fight of the night. Ichigo had to admit that the girl was good. Very good. She looked effortless as she ducked and dodged each thug's attack before employing lightening quick movements to use her opponent's strength against them and incapacitate them. Several times, however, she also proved that despite her small size, she possessed rather frightening strength herself. Apparently, she could throw the largest thug a good five feet away like it was nothing. The feat was both awe-inspiring and a little fear-inducing. Surely it wasn't humanly possible?

His momentary distraction cost him dearly. One of the thugs had pulled out a switchblade and lunged at him. He gasped and swore as he felt the blade dig into his arm. Blood quickly stained his sleeve as the thug withdrew the knife. Before the thug could do more, Ichigo kicked him hard in the chest, sending him back several paces, winded.

"Oi, can you give me a hand here?" he asked, turning to look at the girl. But as he turned, he felt a strange chill go down his spine as he saw the expression on her face. It was… almost feral. Her eyes were fixed upon his arm, gazing at his wound with an intensity he had only ever seen cats give to whatever poor critter they were about to slaughter.

He took a step back. Behind her, one of the last remaining thugs standing was about to lunge at her. But without even turning, she leveled a kick behind her into his abdomen, knocking the air from his lungs before backhanding him sharply, sending the guy crumpling to the ground, unconscious. Her eyes did not leave Ichigo.

"You… you okay?" he asked, feeling a strange pressure in the air, as if mortal danger was pressing upon him. The girl clenched her fists, and for one brief moment, he thought her eyes flashed red.

"Don't move," she ground out. Without checking to see if he'd obey, she suddenly stalked toward him. His heart leapt to his throat, wondering if she was about to attack him. Despite having just fought with a bunch of thugs, he felt fear for the first time that night. The delinquents were nothing compared to this girl. She was truly dangerous.

But she was already in front of him… and then past him. He blinked, and felt the pressure suddenly disappear as her gaze left him, and he spun around sharply just in time to see her grab the collar of the guy Ichigo had winded, lifting him up bodily.

"Carrying a blade of that length in public is strictly against Japanese law, or have you forgotten?" she said coldly.

"W-what's it to you?" the guy made a brave attempt to look threatening, but he must be feeling the full effects of her dangerous gaze now. "Y-you can't arrest me!"

"No, but I know someone that can. Renji!"

There were footsteps. Moments later, a man with lurid red hair and dressed in rather casual jeans and worn jacket turned around the corner. He surveyed the area, and slapped his forehead.

"Dammit, Rukia! I thought you promised you weren't going to get into a fight!"

"I wouldn't have if you had been more vigilant on your patrol. This group here attacked that guy over there first, and this one pulled out a switchblade on him."

At that, the man called Renji shifted his stance. Walking over, he grabbed the guy's wrists and deftly cuffed them with a pair of handcuffs he'd previously hidden in his jacket. The man's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, he was met with the presence of a police badge.

"I suggest you all just cooperate from here on out. I already got backup on the way," Renji said with a smug grin at the thug.

The girl, Rukia, gave the man another intense glare, before finally releasing him. Stepping back beside Ichigo, she gave him a sharp look.

"Kurosaki. Let's go. We don't want to be caught up in the police questioning and you need your wound looked at."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "How do you-"

"I'll explain later. Renji, I'll leave it to you."

The red-head nodded as he put away a pager. Rukia grabbed Ichigo's wrist and began to drag him away. He nearly fell over, her strength surprising him once again. Her fingers were like a vice around him, and even through the long sleeve of his sweater, he could feel that they were rather cool.

It wasn't long before they were in a more brightly-lit and open street, at the gates of a medium-sized hospital. He finally managed to shake her off, and crossed his arms.

"Do you make it a rule to drag off guys you just met like that?" he demanded.

She blinked. "Huh? Oh… sorry, didn't realize I was being so forceful."

He scowled. "But this isn't the first time we've met, is it?" he pressed. "How do you know my name?"

At that, she rolled her eyes. "Please, that orange-top of yours gives you away immediately. Who doesn't know the soccer star Kurosaki Ichigo? Your pictures are always in the school papers."

His eyes widened. "You… you're also…"

She smiled for the first time since leaving the alley. "Yup. We're schoolmates. Though technically I'm your senpai considering I'm in my final year of medical school there. Name's Kuchiki Rukia, future forensic pathologist."

With that, she offered her hand to him. He hesitated for a moment, before shaking it. "Um, I guess you already know my name, but… I'm Kurosaki Ichigo. Nice to meet you."

Her grin widened. "Well, now that we are properly acquainted, come on. You need that wound looked at, and my brother owns this hospital, so you won't have to worry about the bills-"

"Your brother what?" Ichigo gasped. She rolled her eyes and pulled him into the hospital.

Getting his wound cleaned and stitched up turned out to be a relatively quick process. The staff there did seem to already know Rukia, and she was able to get him treated fairly quickly. He was then given some medication for the pain and inflammation, as well as to prevent infection, with some orders for blood tests to be completed at a later date in case of latent infection, before being discharged. They hadn't charged him for anything, since apparently Rukia was covering the bill. By this point, he had mostly put his earlier trepidation about Rukia's odd behaviour in the alley aside, and decided that he should definitely go find her to say thanks. However, the entrance hall was deserted, and after asking a few helpful staff, he was directed to go to an office on one of the upper floors. Frowning, Ichigo followed the directive.

The office was in a quiet and deserted hall that held only a few other doors. The nameplate read "Kuchiki Byakuya-Director." Ichigo's eyes widened. Was this Rukia's brother?

He was about to knock on the door when he heard heated voices from within.

"I do not know how many times I must repeat this until you understand, Rukia-" a deep masculine voice was saying, before being cut off by Rukia's angry one.

"I do understand, Nii-sama! I swear I just wanted to help, nothing more!"

"And yet you tell me you nearly lost control."

"It's been a while since I've had any blood, that's all! It won't happen again," Rukia retorted. Ichigo's eyes widened, and he felt his heart racing again. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up straight, and cold sweat beaded down the side of his face as he once again recalled Rukia's feral look when staring at his injury.

"This is no laughing matter," the male voice admonished. "The peace by which we live depends on absolute secrecy. If you nearly revealed yourself to that boy, then he must be taken care of."

"Nii-sama!" Rukia sounded scandalized. "Don't jump to conclusions! Kurosaki doesn't know anything!"

"You can't be sure."

"I will keep an eye on him!" Rukia promised. "If he figures anything out, I'll take care of him myself."

The words sent a chill down Ichigo's spine. A part of him screamed at him to leave, to run, to put as much distance between himself and the Kuchikis as possible. But he felt rooted to the spot, a morbid fascination keeping him put.

"Hmp," the male voice said dismissively. There was a pause, then, "What is that boy to you, Rukia?"

"W-what?"

"You heard me clearly."

"I… I don't understand why you are asking, Nii-sama. We just met for the first time today," Rukia replied nervously.

"And yet his blood called out to you like no other. You are treading on very dangerous ice right now."

"I'll be careful, Nii-sama. I promise. I won't get unhealthily attached."

"See that you do not. Otherwise, you know there are only two ways this can end."

There was the sound of scraping chairs. The sound unfroze Ichigo's muscles, and before the door could open, he rushed back to the stairwell and slipped through, sprinting all the way back down to the lobby. He ignored the curious looks the other staff walking around gave him, and leaned against a wall for support. His heart was racing, partially from the exercise, and partially from a primal instinct for danger.

He had not been wrong. Rukia's odd behaviour had not just been his imagination. There was something… but he was afraid to truly think it through. It seemed ludicrous! Impossible! Something for the ghost stories or weird teenage gothic fantasies his younger sisters liked… and yet…

"Kurosaki?"

He jumped, and had to suppress a shudder as Rukia approached him. In the light of the bright lobby, she looked like such a normal girl. Well, not entirely normal. He would be the first to admit she was pretty. Very pretty. She had fair skin that was framed by dark and shiny hair, and big eyes that were a unique shade of violet. All her features were perfectly balanced, a mix of delicate beauty mixed with steely grace.

But that was just it, wasn't it? She had the sort of good looks ordinary people could only imagine. But she was not ordinary. Even if it wasn't for her odd eye-colour, her unnatural strength, her cool skin, the way she had taken out a good few scattered thugs before anyone could see her do it marked her as more than ordinary…

She might not even be human. And she wanted his blood.

"I… thanks for bringing me here. And thanks for footing the bill. I really appreciate it, but I have to go now," he said, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "I have a train to catch early tomorrow morning, after all."

"Oh," Rukia looked a bit disappointed. He felt guilty for a moment, but quickly quashed it down.

"Sorry to take off like that on you," he added. "But… well, happy New Year I guess?"

She nodded. "Happy new year to you as well. I guess perhaps we'll see each other again at school?"

No. "Maybe," he allowed. And with that, he quickly left, forcing himself not to look back as he brushed past her and left the hospital. Still, he could feel her eyes on his back the whole way.

~line break~

Ichigo's resolve to never see Rukia again after their first encounter lasted barely through the year-end holidays. After going back home to Karakura, to his crazy father and beloved sisters, he'd felt himself calm down and think more rationally. Or as rationally as one could, given the circumstances.

It wasn't as if Rukia had actually attacked him. No, in fact judging by her conversation with Kuchiki Byakuya, she had actively vowed to not lose control around him. If she had wanted to kill him, why wouldn't she have done it in that alley and blamed it on one of the gang members? Instead she'd brought him to the hospital, gotten him patched up on her own dime, and had been nothing but generous to him.

It didn't stop her from being dangerous, but at the very least she didn't intend to harm him. And Ichigo had never been one to run from danger anyways. If anything, he seemed to run towards it more often than not. Time away from the situation had made his curiosity override any instinct for self-preservation, and he felt that he just had to know what her deal was. At the very least, he wanted to confirm whether he just imagined her strange conversation with her brother or not.

With that in mind, he'd allowed himself to entertain the possibility of confronting her about it the next time they met. If they ever met again. He didn't exactly know how he would find her again, after all.

Luckily, it seemed that Rukia agreed with his sentiment. He'd barely stepped out of his classes on his first day back at school when he felt a rather hard jab on the shoulder, and had whirled around to see a familiar violet-eyed girl grinning at him. Familiar because he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her.

"What luck? We meet again!"

Despite her cheery tone, he could sense an underlying caution in her eyes. She was suspicious, likely still unsure of why he'd taken off on her so quickly last time.

"Rukia! How did you find me?"

She raised an eyebrow. "First name already? I do not recall us officially becoming friends yet."

"Oh… ah, I tend to call everyone by their first name… drives some people bonkers, I know, but I can't help it."

She laughed a little at that. She really was quite pretty when she laughed.

"Well, if you are to call me Rukia, then I will call you Ichigo!"

Despite himself, he smiled. He liked the way it sounded when she said it. Much better than her calling him 'Kurosaki' after all.

"Okay, stop deflecting. How did you find me?" he asked again.

She just smirked. "I have my ways. Besides, that's not important right now. The new bakery around the block opened, and I think someone owes me at least a few treats after ditching me without proper thanks last time. After I saved your sorry ass too."

Ichigo scoffed. "I didn't need saving. But uh, I guess yeah, I owe you one for the medical bill."

"Yes, you're welcome. Now let's go!"

Swallowing his other questions, he followed her to the bakery, bought a few baked goods of her choosing, and then allowed her to drag him to a quieter area on campus to eat them. For a few minutes, they sat in silence, and he watched as she devoured the small cakes and buns with gusto. A million questions pressed against his teeth, mostly in regards to how she was able to eat and what it tasted like to her, but he wasn't sure how to go about asking any of them.

He was also questioning his sanity a little. The strange fear he'd felt that time was gone, but that didn't mean he'd forgotten any of it. And yet, here he was, hanging out with her in a mostly deserted area.

"What?" Rukia asked, noticing him staring at last.

"Huh?"

"You're staring," she pointed out.

"Oh… uh, you have a bit of cream on your face," he pointed at the same spot on his own cheek, feeling grateful for the save. She wiped it off and gave him another grin. Her teeth were pearl white in the sunlight, and he tried not to notice that her incisors were just a little longer than what he was used to seeing.

"Thanks! You know, I never imagined we could hang out like this."

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "I mean, you're a sports star, aren't you? You must have fans clamouring to spend time with you all the time."

He shrugged. "Not really. Apparently I don't look the friendliest, given my hair colour and all. Makes me look like a delinquent."

"You mean you aren't? So you really did just wander into the seedy part of town for no reason?"

He gave her a glare. "It's naturally this colour," he growled.

"Right, right," she said sarcastically, laughing.

"I'm not lying!" he yelled at her.

"I believe you," she said, controlling her giggles and smiling more genuinely. "After all, Renji also has a natural but ridiculous hair colour."

"Renji?" the name was familiar. "That plain-clothes cop guy?"

"So you remember. Yup, he and I go way back. Since we were kids."

For some reason, this information didn't sit that well with Ichigo. His insides twisted, and he wasn't sure why he suddenly felt the urge to kick something. Preferably that Renji guy.

"So what, this guy your boyfriend or something?" he tried to ask casually, though it came out gruffer than he'd intended.

At that, Rukia choked on the cookie she'd just taken a bite out of. She was both coughing and spluttering and laughing.

"No! Not at all. Oh god, just the thought…" she shuddered. "He's like a brother to me. We just grew up together, you know? Even studied martial arts together. But after high school he dedicated himself to the police academy while I went on to medical school. He's nice about letting me 'help out' from time to time with his job, so I get a chance to flex my skills," she cracked her knuckles to prove her point.

"I see," Ichigo muttered. The weird feeling in his stomach hadn't left. He wondered if this Renji knew about Rukia's… other proclivities. He was about to ask, when Rukia glanced away, continuing to speak in a much more subdued tone.

"He's my only friend, really. All my other friends have moved on or… aren't here anymore."

There was something in her voice that made Ichigo's heart clench a little. The questions died in his throat.

"Why haven't you made new ones?" he asked instead.

"It's not that simple. I used to have to move around a lot and it was hard maintaining contact. And even now… well… I suppose my brother doesn't like me doing frivolous things like going out with other schoolmates. He prefers for me to focus on my studies."

"Your brother the hospital owner?" he asked.

"Yes. A bit of a family profession, as you can see. He's actually my brother-in-law, though he and my older sister Hisana are quite a bit older than me. Nee-chan got married to him years ago when I was still really young. After… after my parents passed away the two of them sort of adopted me and became my legal guardians. I even changed my last name to 'Kuchiki' to make it official."

Ichigo scratched his head. "Isn't that a bit confusing?"

"I guess. It seemed right at the time. Anyways, that's enough of sob stories from me. What about you?"

He blinked. "Umm… well, I have a father who actually runs a private medical clinic."

Rukia grinned widely. "Oooh, so you're one of us too!"

"Not at all," Ichigo said flatly. "I refused to join the medical profession. If he wants someone to continue that legacy he'll have to ask one of my sisters."

"Sisters… so more than one?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yuzu and Karin. They're both a few years younger than me and in high school now."

Rukia tapped her chin. "Sounds like it's quite a lively household. What about your mother?"

At that, Ichigo glanced away. "She died when I was a kid."

"Oh…" Rukia gave him a sad look. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "I mean… it's been years now and at least I still have my old man. You lost both your parents."

Rukia mirrored his shrug. "I don't remember much about them. I must have only been three or four when they died, and Hisana-nee-chan and Nii-sama have been my 'parents' ever since. Even if it sounds like some tragic story, I… I guess there's less to miss if I don't remember them?"

Ichigo just stared at her. He wasn't sure how they got to this topic. He wasn't even sure how the hell she got him to talk about his mother when this was only the second time they'd met. There were so many answers he still needed from her, and yet, for some strange reason, he felt comfortable telling her about his past. Somehow, even though he was still sure that she was a bit of a threat to his life, he felt as if he could trust her.

Maybe he was just some sort of crazy, masochistic, adrenaline junkie.

"Are your brother and sister good to you then?" he asked.

She nodded. "Very good. I couldn't be happier."

He nodded. "That's good then."

There was another moment of silence. Not uncomfortable, but not entirely relaxed either. There was a new tension in the air, one that made his skin tingle and a strange feeling bubble in his stomach. A little like indigestion, but it was strangely nice. A good kind of indigestion? Ichigo really didn't know how to describe it.

"Say, Ichigo," Rukia spoke up at last. "Are we friends now then? We did just both share our sob stories."

There was so much Ichigo should have asked her before agreeing to anything resembling friendship. But when she looked at him with those big violet eyes and hopeful smile, all protest seemed to die at the tip of his tongue.

"Sure, we can be friends."

Her answering smile made his heart skip a beat.

~line break~

The present day Ichigo smiled ironically at the memory. He approached his apartment building and cursed as he dropped the keys at the front door. Taking a deep breath and forcing himself not to swear in frustration, he gritted his teeth and picked the keys back up and let himself in. Everything was exactly as he'd left it before he went out that day. And yet, it looked so foreign at the moment.

Unohana-sensei's words from earlier that day rang in his mind.

"It's progressing at a faster rate than we'd anticipated…"

How much longer did he still have? How long before he would be reduced to a useless wreck, unable to walk or do anything without relying on someone else. He'd already had to give up his favourite sport, his career as a mechanical engineer was already on the rocks due to his inability to hold the tools properly… how much more would this disease take from him?

"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-san… I don't know how to stop it."

There was only one way. To stop time now, to stay as he is, to be given a body that defied human limitations…

"I'll come over after I'm done," Rukia had said to him earlier while giving his hand a squeeze. Already, the cool temperature of her skin that used to be so familiar was no longer perceptible.

How much longer before he wouldn't be able to feel her hand in his at all?

This will likely be a two or three-shot, depending on how long the next part goes for. I hope you've enjoyed and please leave a review with your thoughts!