Offer Up Thy Soul

-o-

behind this mask I live

and behind this mask I die

-o-

The orange-haired Neptunian leaned against the street-light, his eyes dark and staring into the direction his mate had run off in, his heart beating erratically in his chest. Taking a deep breath he ran his hand through his tousled hair, his shoulders sagging. Who am I trying to convince? She's not gonna come back anyways. Frowning even deeper than usual he let his restless eyes roam the nearby storefronts and caught sight of a tiny shop, almost dwarfed by the surrounding luxury stores.

Ichigo paused. Well, if she comes back, I could at least try to show her my appreciation... right?

As the door of the tiny shop was opened the elderly shop owner's gaze immediately flickered up to greet the young customer with a smile. "How may I help you?"

Ichigo nodded in greeting, nervously running his hand through his hair again as he avoided meeting the owner's gaze. "I was looking for something... special for my..." he hesitated, wondering what to call her. She seemed freaked out at the word mate... what the hell do people call it here? "Special friend." Way to go, idiot.

A knowing smirk spread on the older man's face. "I see... how much would you be willing to spend on this... special friend of yours?" Great, more questions. "I don't care about the price."

A greedy gleam entered the eyes of the shop owner. "Well... then this is the perfect place for you, sir."

-o-

Pale fingers were entangled in locks of raven hair as Rukia paced back and forth in her tiny kitchen, her eyes darting around restlessly. "What the fuck should I do? If I stay he dies, if I go I have to leave everyone. Fuck, fuck, fuck." With a frustrated scream she slumped onto the ground, hitting her head against the door of one of the cupboards. "Fuck." Rubbing her head she closed her eyes, her shoulders sagging. "I can't just let him die... but I don't want to leave everyone, and I can't ask him to leave his family and friends behind."

Her white teeth started to bite into her lower lip, and Rukia rested her forehead against her knees. He said most wives stay home... Kami knows I'd go nuts as a housewife. And kids! A dozen kids is normal for them! I don't want to pop out twelve kids the size of a large turkey! "Gah!" She jerked her head back, once again hitting it on the cupboard. "On the other hand I'd get to see things I'd never get to otherwise... how many times do you get to travel space whenever you feel like it?"

Looking up at the clock hanging next to the kitchen doorway, showing she'd already used up two and a half of her three hours, her heartbeat increasing. "And I do care about him, but... it's only been a few days, and he already wants to marry me and breed a football team, for fuck's sake."

Rukia grit her teeth, and couldn't help the tears starting to pool at the corners of her eyes. "This is crazy..."

-o-

Brown eyes stared at the hands of the wristwatch nervously, watching the last minutes of the three hours tick by agonizingly slow, a tight, sinking feeling spreading from his gut throughout his entire body. She won't come. The realization hit him like a brick, a bitter taste in his mouth. She won't come and I'll die.

The street he was waiting in was almost empty already, and he couldn't avert his worried gaze from the slowly moving hands of his watch, the last minute passing. Ichigo didn't look up as footsteps drew closer, his body growing cold. He was about to turn around and go back to his house, when a timid voice said his name. Whirling around his gaze fell on the violet-eyed midget, his heart leaping into his throat.

"I... I don't know if this is the right decision. But... I'll risk it." Before she could go on his hands had entangled themselves in her hair, his lips smashing into hers.

-o-

I know it's short. Next Chapter will be longer, I promise, I just wanted to focus this entirely on the three hours, but at the same time not stretch it out too much.