Torn
-o-
Song: Torn
By: Natalie Imbruglia
Genre: AU
Warnings: attempted rape
-o-
With a smile the orange-haired man took the still steaming pizza Hawaii out of the oven, quickly setting it down on a big plate, grabbing up a cutter to slice it into equal triangles. As soon as he was finished did the doorbell ring, and with an even wider smile he opened the front door to one Kuchiki Rukia. "Hey, there."
The woman smiled haughtily at him, letting herself in. "Pizza ready?"
"'Course, who do you think I am?"
"Hm... a moron?"
"Ow, that hurt."
I had decided to tell her that night.
As Rukia sat down on the couch Ichigo went back to the kitchen, fetching the pizza and setting it down on the low coffee table in front of the sofa, snatching up the remote and pressing play to start the first of their horror movies for the night.
Tell her how much I've loved her for ages.
While Ichigo changed the DVD in the player Rukia cleared her throat hesitantly, fidgeting in her seat as she fought a smile to break out on her face. "I've got to tell you something, Ichigo..."
His heart started beating faster as he turned to her slightly, smiling to encourage her further, hoping for the same thing he'd wanted to tell her that night. "Oh?"
Finally the big grin that had been playing around the corners of her mouth for a while broke out on her face. "I've got a new boyfriend!"
How much I wanted to slap her right then.
-o-
I thought I saw a man brought to life
He was warm
He came around
And he was dignified
He showed me what it was to cry
-o-
He forced his face to light up in joy for her, not wanting to deflate her or crack up their friendship, even though he could feel a dull dagger bury itself in his heart and twist cruelly in his flesh, ripping it apart slowly.
I assumed that it just wasn't meant to be.
"Really? Awesome. Do I know him?"
Play the part of the perfect buddy, no matter what. That's what I told me time and time again.
That had Rukia thinking for a while, she tapped her chin with her left index finger while pouting slightly, having his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach. "Maybe... he's been a senior when we entered High School, Abarai Renji, the one with the flaming red hair..."
I couldn't help me at that time.
Ichigo's eyes widened at her description, remembering exactly the kind of reputation the man had had during their school days, sure he hadn't changed a bit. "Are you insane?" He hollered it practically, causing the Kuchiki to jerk back. "What?"
Ichigo stood up, practically getting in her face. "Do you know the kind of crap he pulled in High School? I bet he hasn't changed a bit!"
The woman's violet eyes flashed angrily, jumping up off the couch. "That isn't true, you don't even know him!"
"I know enough! You must be stupid to think he's changed!"
A resounding slap echoed throughout the dark living room, Ichigo's head snapping around as Rukia stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.
A tanned hand came up to his left cheek slowly, touching the now red skin as he turned his gaze to the front door. "Shit."
-o-
Well, you couldn't be that man I adore
You don't seem to know, seem to care
What your heart is for
But I don't know him anymore
-o-
"Hello, this is Kuchiki Rukia. I'm sorry for the inconvenience but I'm not available at the moment, please-"
The Kurosaki hung up with a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his messy, orange hair, throwing his cell onto his bed.
It had been three weeks since their fight and she just wouldn't pick up her phone or answer his messages.
And it made him sick to the stomach that she was off with him.
-o-
There's nothing where you used to lie
The conversation has run dry
That's what's going on
Nothing's fine, I'm torn
-o-
The cell started to vibrate on the couch, Ichigo's heart leaping into his throat as he quickly flipped it open, not even checking the caller ID. "Rukia? Listen I'm sorry about-"
"Ichigo-kun?"
The man paused, frowning. "Hisana-san? What is it?"
He could hear the woman fidget on the other end of the line. "Rukia wanted to come home at eight, but she's already half an hour late, and I'm worried. She said she was going to visit a friend, and I thought she meant you-"
He'd hung up on Rukia's mother immediately, racing out of his apartment while dialing a friend's number. The black-haired man picked up almost instantly. "Hello?"
"Ishida! Quick, are you at the station?"
"Yes, but why-"
"Look up Abarai Renji's address, he should be updating his whereabouts constantly if he's still the same slug as in High School."
"It's Shibuya 16-6, apartment 3, but why-"
"Thanks." With that he hung up on the man as well, getting in his car and speeding off.
Back at the police station Ishida Uryû stared numbly at the beeping phone in his hands. "What was that?"
Ichigo's car on the other end of town came to a screeching halt in front of a ten story building, the Kurosaki quickly locking his car and running up the stairs.
Panting heavily, he pressed the door bell, trying to reign in his burning lungs.
-o-
I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I'm ashamed, lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed into something real
I'm wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn
You're a little late
I'm already torn
-o-
Tears burned on her pale cheeks as she cried silently, her throat dry from fear as she struggled against the red-haired man's grip, who held her hands above her head with one of his own, her blouse and bra torn apart in the front and his free hand groping her right breast roughly, the pain numbing her senses.
Renji bit down on her neck bruising the soft skin as he reached down to her panties, ripping them to shreds without hesitation as she tried to close her legs, but he had sat down between them, making all her attempts futile.
The doorbell startled both of them momentarily, the man's grip on her slackening as she kicked him in the guts, wriggling out of his grasp and towards the door, only to be jumped at by the red-head, who wrestled her to the ground, a yelp tearing from Rukia's throat.
-o-
So, I guess the fortune teller's right
I should have seen just what was there
And not some holy light
To crawl beneath my veins and now
-o-
The Kurosaki's heart leaped into the pits of his stomach, his throat and guts constricting painfully as he rammed himself against the door, the piece of thick wood not giving an inch away. "Rukia!"
On the other side of the door the woman tried to scratch the red-head's face, though to no avail as he pursued his quest of holding her captive beneath him, more tears running down her cheeks. She turned her face towards the door, hearing her best friend's voice through the door. "Ichigo!"
He was throwing himself at the door over and over again, gritting his teeth as he felt the door unyielding to his tries. The noise had apparently alerted the neighbor, because a round, bald man was opening his door hesitantly. "What... what are you doing?"
Ichigo stared at the man for a moment, before another yelp from Rukia shook him out of his stupor. "Quick, you got a crowbar?" The man didn't move and Ichigo growled. "Listen, my best friend is most likely getting raped in there, and if you don't get out that crowbar asap I'm using your head to break this door down."
If he had been in another situation he would have laughed how quick that man got him the metal bar.
-o-
I don't care
I have no luck
I don't miss it all that much
There's just so many things
That I can't touch
I'm torn
-o-
A loud crack resounded in the apartment, Rukia's tear-stained face snapping towards the ripped-down door, face lighting up as she saw her best friend in the doorway, his face alight with livid anger. She felt the weight lift off of her and felt like dieing right then, through all the tears feeling ashamed to lie in front of Ichigo like this.
Lying torn.
But the orange-head didn't seem to be angry at her, only glancing once at her before redirecting his heated gaze to the red-head behind her, his anger multiplied by tenfold.
In a flash he was in front of the red-head, grabbing him his collar and yanking him up towards his face. Abarai didn't even flinch as he glared at the orange-head. "Let me go, asshole."
He didn't see the fist coming.
"You little piece of scum, be glad I'm not castrating you right here." Ichigo's voice was low and strained, dangerously so, as he threw another set of punches at the man, knocking him unconscious.
-o-
I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I'm ashamed, lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed into something real
I'm wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn
You're a little late
I'm already torn, torn
-o-
The Kuchiki jerked away when she felt a rough hand on her bare shoulder, eyes widening when they fell on Ichigo, and with an undignified whimper did she bury herself in his chest. She hadn't even realized that she shivered until he rubbed his hands over her exposed arms, making shooing noises as he rocked her back and forth. Her tears drenched his shirt as he picked her up, carrying her out of the apartment and the building. "Want me to get you to a hospital? Even if just to get a few sedatives to sleep?"
The Kuchiki shrugged, only cuddling up to him more. Ichigo sighed as he sat her down in the back seat, prying her hands off of him gently, before getting into the driver's seat and speeding off to the nearest hospital.
-o-
There's nothing where you used to lie
My inspiration has run dry
That's what's going on
Nothing's right, I'm torn
-o-
The nurses in the foyer weren't exactly sure what to think of the man carrying a half-naked woman into the hospital. "What the-"
"Get her a room and Ishida-sensei to check her up. Tell him it's urgent and that Kurosaki will have his head if he doesn't hurry this up."
Five minutes later Rukia lay in a hospital bed in a single room, put to sleep by sedatives Ichigo had to give her since she started screaming and scratching the moment the nurse came near her. The man took one last glance at the uneasily sleeping woman before closing the door behind him, turning his gaze at the silver-haired doctor. "What happened?" The man wasn't being an ass for a change, and Ichigo was grateful for small miracles.
"Her boyfriend almost raped her. Luckily I got there in time."
The man raised an eyebrow. "Why were you there to begin with?"
The orange-head growled. "I didn't trust the guy from the start."
"That was justified, it seems."
The Kurosaki's eyes saddened. "Yeah..." Raising his gaze back at the doctor he frowned. "Why am I the only she lets near her, anyhow?"
Ishida Ryûken took off his glasses and whipped them with his shirt's hem, frowning slightly. "It's not uncommon for trauma patients to get a fixation with their savior. It will need a lot of time for her to let anybody but you touch her." He put his slim glasses back on the bridge of his nose. "You see, during that time she was put under a copious amount of stress, and during that moment you showed up and saved her from the cause of her emotional distress and bodily harm." He fixed him with an intense stare. "Be glad you were there in time, who knows what that guy could have done to her mind if he went through with the deed."
With that said the doctor turned around and walked down the hallway, calling over his shoulder one last time. "You should go inside and try easing her sleep, she's bound to have nightmares, Kurosaki."
Rukia's furrowed brows eased when the orange-haired man grabbed her hand in her sleep.
-o-
I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I'm ashamed, lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed into something real
I'm wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn
-o-
Ichigo was walking down the hospital hallway the next morning. He had gone and bought Rukia her favorite food when she started complaining about the horrible, so-called food they served her. The Kurosaki had been relieved to see she had calmed down somewhat after a decent night's sleep, but the worry that she'll break down crying any moment still persisted.
He was only a few feet away when a blood-curling scream gelled from the Kuchiki's room. The man hurried over the last few steps, ripping open the door only to be met with Rukia's distressed parents. Ichigo's eyes saddened when he saw Rukia backing away against the headboard of the bed, away from her mothers outstretched arms.
"Get away from me!"
"But, Rukia, dear-"
"I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME!" Her hands lashed out, slapping her mother's away, eyes screwed shut as she averted her face. Byakuya frowned. "Rukia, calm down."
"I don't need to calm down! I just need you to stop touching me!"
In that moment did Ichigo drop the food soundly on the table standing next to the door, all three Kuchikis' gazes snapping to him. Only a second later had Rukia leaped up from the bed and latched herself on his left arm, burying her face in his chest. "I don't want them to touch me!" She was shaking uncontrollably, his arms wrapping around her thin frame on instinct.
"Sh, they won't touch you again, okay? I promise. Now calm down and get back into your bed, I brought you some decent food, Rukia." He signaled the older Kuchikis to move away from the bed as he led the shaking girl back and helped her onto the mattress. After tugging her back in under the blankets he took the food and sat down next to her, feeding her since she was still trembling rigorously.
"What is the meaning of this?" Ichigo glanced up at Byakuya, glaring slightly at him before returning to the task at hand. "Didn't either Ishida fill you in?"
Hisana put a hand on her husband's arm, answering in his stead. "Ishida senior is in the OP, we only now... what happened. Why won't she let me touch her?"
Rukia didn't seem to listen to their conversation as she happily munched on a piece of cucumber, finally calming down somewhat but not telling the orange-head to stop. "Ishida said it's part of her trauma. She's fixated on me."
Rukia's father scowled, stepping closer to Rukia. "You must be kidding me, Kurosaki." Ichigo was about to retort when her father had grabbed her left arm tightly. "Stop acting ridiculous, Rukia, what happened was terrible but you're being utterly childish."
The black-haired woman started hyperventilating at her father's touch, attempting to scratch him when Ichigo beat her to the punch, wrenching Byakuya's hand off of her quickly wrapping her in another hug to calm her potential panic attack.
-o-
I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I'm ashamed
Bound and broken on the floor
-o-
Ichigo continued to rock her back and forth gently, glaring daggers at her father. "What was that for! Weren't her previous freak-outs enough of a hit with a brick for you?" He turned back towards the shaking woman, kissing her crown lightly, hugging her tighter. "It's alright, they'll leave now, okay? You just calm down. You've got all the time in the world."
Before Byakuya could send Rukia into another panic attack, his wife dragged him out of the hospital room, leaving the two teenagers alone.
Rukia slowly lifted her gaze, staring at Ichigo, who was smiling at her. "You better now?" The woman nodded slightly, the orange-head relaxing as he stroked her hair.
"Will you stay with me?"
Her whispered question startled him, amber eyes blinking a few times before an even wider smile broke up on his face. With a low chuckle he bent his head forward, kissing her forehead gently.
I hope we're together forever.
His lips slowly moved towards her right ear, brushing the shell softly.
You're my everything.
"Of course, silly." He whispered those words with laughter in his voice, before kissing her on the lips briefly, dragging her into another, tight hug.
I love you.
-o-
You're a little late
I'm already torn
Torn
-o-
Blame this on my obsession with this song and Law&Order SVU.
And I know Byakuya was an ass... he just couldn't handle everything well XD
And the last bit in italics was the meaning of his kisses, just to clear that up~