Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Pairings: Ichigo/Rukia…and some more as the story progresses.
Raitings: T for language
Genre: Romance/Angst
Acquiescence
-Chapter 4-
-Plunge-
Darkness…
All I could remember was the darkness that enveloped me, the cold claws that claimed me as its own…soon I will lose myself as I sink in the abyss that pulls me closer to the final stroke of sanity…I will stumble…stumble in the shadows that dance gracefully in tune to death's captivity…I suffocate, restrained in the shackles that bind me from all life…it will end….until nothing's left of me…and blood grows cold in my veins… only this darkness…
Deep…
Silent…
Lonely…
His hand lets go—
I whirl in the sea of anguish here and beyond me…
I have nothing left…
She whimpers softly and her eyes flutter open, revealing placid mauve orbs that glimmered as the light shone upon them. She catches her breath for a moment, deeply inhaling the essence of life that floods her. Crystal beads of cold sweat slide down from her face onwards to her cheeks; she wipes them instantly with the tears that well in her eyes. She wipes them almost too hurriedly in the fear of being seen vulnerable. Such weakness was what killed him.
"Err, you alright..?" almost in a torrent of an instant his voice flows to her senses, completely breaking her from her trance. Day light pours from his window.
A dream, a dream that had plagued her too often...
His bright hair draws her attention.
Orange…
Orange like the ball of fire called the sun…
Orange like the light that shines forth to vanquish the darkness…
She looks at him for a brief moment but shifts her gaze to the white sheets she laid on for the night. "Ah.." she responds barely audible.
"You were moaning so loudly…" he said, looking at her apprehensively. He had instinctively blasted open the closet door after hearing her whimpers.
"I had a bad dream." Rukia stated, remembering a fragment of the visions that ardently took over her in her profound sleep and somehow she willed that they were all just dreams.
He pulls back and stands firmly again, contented of her explanation…somehow. "Oh…" He glances at his side to avoid gazing at her figure.
She was dressed in his old shirt, considerably wrapping her petite frame in its excessive largeness. "it was Kaien…" she admits, that name again falls from her lips as a tragedy.
He was surprised she shared to him her nightmares as secretive and indifferent as he knew she was. "I see." Were the only words he could muster while questioning himself of the unusual impact of that name to his ears.
She sprints out of the closet and lands on the floor with a soft thud. "You know, you look so much like him." She slightly smiled though not in amusement but in some bitter way to conceal her grief.
"That explains it…" Ichigo lets out a playfully sarcastic remark on their unusual meeting; he means no harm only a habit.
Rukia rubs her chin while thinking as she examines him from head to toe. "Makes me wonder if you're related." She adds plainly frivolous, then shakes her head, "nah…no way that a jerk like you could stand up nearly to his level." She smirked.
Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her mockery. Face stirred in infuriation for her amusement. "Stupid bitch…who do you think you are?!" he grumbled, who does this girl think she was to taunt him and his 'facially challenged' crisis; much to the annoyance of his own thought. What rights does she have to compare him to another guy anyway?
"I'm Rukia" she stresses her name as if wanting him to realize something dreadfully obvious but she doesn't give herself away too easily. She couldn't tell him who she really was this soon, so instead she sends him a haughty sneer fit for a feat.
And boy, this Ichigo was either pretty dense or just plain stupid.
"Well damn Rukia," he gritted his teeth while towering over her, "quit yer yapping before I kick yer ass outta here and take back all the compassion we showed you." This girl just knew how to get into his nerves and God is she enjoying it!
"Compassion? Letting me sleep in a crammed up closet is your kind of compassion?" she retorted, leaning forward to his face as they bickered heatedly. "I have back aches now!" she whined.
This proximity didn't bother them until later. "Well, be thankful you have a closet to sleep in!" he snapped, even leaning deeper to her face while locking gazes with death glares. "I could've left you outside to freeze!" winter seemed considerably heated with their tempers boiling.
"then that's exactly what you should've done in the first place, you fool!" she barked at him, "could've saved us both the trouble!" she glared deeper and they both thought of what exactly started this immature argument of theirs and these childish antics.
Ichigo opened his mouth for a comeback but then closed it again, He was about to shoot back a rebuttal but stopped himself, instead he inhaled and exhaled deeply, concluding this argument pointless…he sighed, "jeez, Rukia what is it you hate about living?" he scratched his nape, totally not getting her rationale.
The juvenile sparkle in her was replaced by something heavy and painful, something he didn't expect he'd be bringing up too irrationally. "Being caged and being left behind." Was her hard cold answer and from the distant look on her face, he could judge she was dead serious.
He gazes at her with a restless look but shrugs almost instantly after. "Well…" he searches for some sort of diversion to say, "sorry for the closet," he decided to change the topic, "dad said he's gonna set up a bed for you in my sisters' room today."
Rukia nodded, "I'm being too much of a burden to your family…" her gaze falls shortly to the floor. "I'm sorry, Ichigo."
He only smirks, "after all of this is done, you'll have heavy debts to pay."
"Ah…"
"I'll get ready for school." He said subtly and walked out of the room.
And so soundlessly her gaze is again trapped in the window only now did she look beyond from.
He remembered how she would always cling to him when they were small, she wouldn't go anywhere without him. How she'd always smile so vibrantly when they were together. Who would've known that a simpleton like him would be accepted by the house of Kuchiki, better yet, by Kuchiki Byakuya himself.
He'd gone through hell just to stand in the same world as hers and now she's damn missing. Was she doing fine? Was she hurt? Was she treated well? Does she eat right? Does she have a warm place to stay in from the snow?
He was worried sick of her, she wasn't accustomed to ordinary living, she was born in the luxurious life of a Kuchiki so he couldn't help but think of her welfare. He had sworn to look after her, even on Kaien's grave and he had no plans on breaking that promise. He'll find her no matter what.
Still his thoughts drifted around her…his warring concerns was only her and all he could think about was Rukia. She was a glass rose so beautiful that he feared she would break.
But she was strong, stronger than him.
He opened his eyes gradually and his vision was shadowed my strands of his crimson tresses. He blew on them and stared at his ceiling, the light flickered on and off.
He had to fix that light bulb sooner or later.
The whole room was dead silent. Kurosaki Isshin stood beside the telephone, staring at it as if anticipating something long due. It started ringing; a loud drumming sound that filled his ears. He lifted it up quietly as he listened to the person on the other line for a moment. He then nodded to himself and spoke. "Yes, ojou-sama is here." Was his plain confirmation and all he heard next was a long empty beep.
He sighed inwardly to himself and turned towards the stairs, "Ichigo! You'll be late for school!" he hollered while burying his hands inside his white coat. Just as he was about to leave a figure of a girl stopped him.
"Pops, who was that on the phone?" Karin questioned, standing with her hands crossed on her chest.
Rukia sank on the bed, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, arms haughtily folded on her chest, she sighed heavily, "I cant believe he really left me here to rot." She grumbled while swaying her legs consecutively in chronic boredom. "Geez…everyone's out and I'm all alone." she plopped on the bed and her ebony tresses scattered about like the rays of a black sun in the sheer sheets of a white dawn.
She closed her eyes momentarily and subconsciously painted the face of the man she once loved. Stern eyes with unyielding resolve, strong and defined jaws, unruly black spiky hair, so rebellious and defiant, an unwavering smirk pasted on his face it annoyed her to the ends of her patience, a soft smile, gentle and carefree, a smile meant only for her.
And as she immersed herself in her quiet reverie slowly it came to her senses that seeing him would never cross reality again and only in this fracture of her memories will she be able to paint him as ardently as she remembers.
She opened her eyes wearily and the panorama of a pure white ceiling glared back at her with emptiness. "There's no way I'm going back." She stated head strongly.
Rukia blinked once, "wonder what Ichigo's doing right now…" she murmured in a hushed tone pointlessly, but slapped her forehead shortly, "why the hell am I thinking about that idiot?!" she blushed furiously and grabbed a pillow to cover her tinted face.
Matsumoto Rangiku turned to the boy who was deeply looking beyond the window, his gaze too intent to figure out what he was ardently thinking. The snow white wintry dream seemed to captivate him only for a moment.
"Okashira, Kuchiki-sama….he.." She started almost aimlessly as if hesitating to bring up the topic.
"Kuchiki Rukia…." He started while turning to meet her troubled gaze, "she's still missing." Hitsugaya continued then sighed and returned to his desk.
Rangiku's glance shifted to her feet while silently nodding, "the stunt they pulled in the dinner party isn't enough to subdue everything…" she stated, a dismal tone coating her voice. "Sooner or later they'll know…"
"Ah. People will notice her absence and question it." The silver-haired boy agreed but retained his composure. "Byakuya has made his measures, Abarai too…he's been searching without delay."
"As expected from Renji-san…he will stop at no cost." Her gray eyes somehow held sympathy for an old friend. "Demo…if this continues, it might become out of hand…" as his right hand she understood all circumstances almost too well enough.
"It has been out of hand since the very beginning…" there was a sear of cruel truth in his words, a fact that no one could deny. "his pieces are moving… the tiles have been set long before the chess game started…soon enough they will corner the king." Hitsugaya remarked as if highly knowledgeable of something that only materialized in riddles. His imperial jade eyes reflected too much of what has not been said.
Somehow Rangiku understood his unspoken lexis, it has been a long time since his eyes burnt with such juvenile intent, like something long gone had been given back. "Toshiro, don't tell me." She used a name she would only use in those rare circumstances as a blurred image of a blonde man ignited a memory of what was left to linger in her consciousness, "no….that man, it couldn't be him, neh?" her voice slightly trembled as she asked for a hint of assurance.
But Toshiro Hitsugaya's semblance was not broken, still engulfed in a profound train of thought. A long time it really has been since the last his gaze turned frost.
And with that alone she understood the pregnant silence unwilled to be disturbed.
"Matsumoto, get Shiba Kukaku on the line."
Rangiku's eyes widened, "S-Shiba…?"
"Store-manager, a phone call for you." A huge man with glasses and braided hair informed him.
The blonde man took the phone, "Arigatou, Tessai-san." He grinned and answered it, "Moshi moshi….this is Urahara speaking." He said enthusiastically. "Ah, Byakuya-san what may I help you with?" Kisuke inquired.
A pregnant pause as he listened. "honto? Rukia-san is missing?" he feigned to be surprised. "No..no…I'm afraid she's not here." Another pause, "Hai…hai.. I'll inform you if I catch a wind from her." He then hung up.
Urahara chuckled after Tessai left with the phone.
"Look's like you're finally stirring up things, Kisuke." Yoroichi Shihouin smirked while currently leaning on the doorway.
He started to walk towards her with a smug grin playing in his lips, "guess so…" he murmurs as he stops just right in front of her.
His actions catch her attention and her eyes flutter open.
Their proximity makes her tense up a bit, "n-nani?" she spat, somehow uneasy.
He reaches for a strand of her deep violet hair, her golden orbs slightly widening in surprise, a chill runs down her spine as his fingers brush lightly on her skin.
She shivers the slightest, anticipative of some sort.
"This game is getting more interesting…" But he only tucks the stray strand of mauve hair behind her ear. "I'm going to the Shiba's place, you can come if you want to, Yoroichi-san." Kisuke Urahara grins wider and he walks off out of the room.
Yoroichi was left there in a splash of surprise, she rolls her eyes while proceeding after him, "damn blonde." She hisses. Just when she thought he was going to do something else.
The door creaked open, "tadaima." Said a voice tired and exhausted as he ran his fingers in his orange hair. He entered and closed it behind him.
A warm smile, "Okairinasai, onii-chan." Yuzu greeted her still wearing an apron and holding a ladle in one hand.
"What took you so long? We're all starving here!" Karin snapped, irritated. They were all sitting in the dinning room ready for dinner even Rukia was there.
"Sorry, I had to meet up with Chad after school." He reasoned while pulling his chair to sit on it.
"It's impolite to make our guest of honor wait, Ichigo." Isshin jeered in a mischievous tone.
Rukia stiffened a bit in hidden embarrassment.
Ichigo only scoffed, "I'll turn on the TV" he rose once again and motioned towards the television set to switch it on.
It zapped open, just in time for the evening news. The news anchors were discussing something they didn't even pay attention on.
Ichigo went back to his seat and they resumed dinner.
"How was your day onii-chan?" Yuzu asked earnestly, slicing the slab of beef in her plate.
"could've been worse, I got picked by our weird sensei to be an actor in a weirder romantic play for the school festival." He sighed as if disinterested while picking on his food.
"maybe she was desperate." Karin made a dry remark.
Ichigo only glared at her and continued with his dinner. He then turned to Rukia, "how was your day?" he asked.
"it was―" She was stopped shortly after seeing the headlines on the news.
Her eyes widened with frantic terror.
Heiress of Kuchiki House Missing!
Was plastered on the screen of the TV
Rukia's whole body froze for like a second of eternity and she could only gawk at the bright screen.
She had no plans of letting these people know who she was. Things were fine as they were.
"Rukia onee-chan, what's the matter?" Yuzu's eyes reflected worry and concern.
They should not find out!
A series of coughs as they stared at the screen "Byakuya, I can't believe you actually consented to publicize this." Said a person sitting in front of him, his long silver tresses flowing delicately as silk. "even the media…" he added, almost in disbelief while stiffening another cough.
"I didn't…"
Things unravel much too unexpectedly…
The tide of fate crashes down and creates ripples in the advent of the waves.
All stirred by the unknown tempest that roars…
A/N: thanks for your time reading this, I hope it was a meaningful chapter…
Japanese terms:
Ojou-sama- my lady, princess
Honto- really?
Tadaima- I' m home
Okairinasai- welcome home (I don't know if I spelled that correctly.)
Moshi moshi- hello
Demo- but
Hai- yes
Nani- what?
Arigatou- thank you
Onee-chan- older sister
Onii-chan- older brother
For the late update, I have no excuses.
Reviews are very much welcomed.
Hope to see you in the next chapter
Take care
Love,
Amerie
p.s. for those concerned, I'll try to update Higanbana ASAP.