Neither Ichigo nor Rukia made it a habit to visit Orihime's house, but both knew the way. Ichigo trailed slightly behind Rukia. It was beginning to dawn on him that the events of the night before would likely have repercussions he couldn't yet imagine. He studied Rukia as she strode before him, and blamed himself for the almost imperceptible signs of tension he could see in her small frame. She held herself too rigidly, she walked too fast, and she kept clenching and unclenching her fists. Her anxiety was so well disguised that he doubted that most people, even those who knew her well would have noticed the signs. But Ichigo understood Rukia. They were so similar in many ways, both stubborn and unyielding, both desperate to protect, both a strength and a weakness to each other. He wanted desperately to comfort her, but he knew that he could say nothing that would truly help. After all, he knew from experience that Shinigami healing did not erase scars, and he was well aware that the unique powers possessed by Inoue Orihime might be Rukia's only chance to rid herself of the lingering physical evidence of the hollow's possession.
As they drew closer to Orihime's Rukia's worry became more pronounced. She was well aware that although healing techniques could cure most life-threatening injuries, they often could not remove scars, and these scars had been made by Deathstone, making it even more likely that they would be permanent. Rukia had seen Inoue perform incredible feats with the help of her fairy companions, but she worried that even Inoue's specialized skills would be insufficient to remove the meticulously-carved scars. It would be beyond terrible if the scars were truly irremovable, the shame alone would be insupportable, and she dreaded the reactions of Byakuya and Renji, and everyone else. Ichigo, who had been acting as her gloom-filled shadow for the majority of the walk, was apparently thinking along similar lines, worrying about the potential reactions of others. "You don't think Toushirou and Matsumoto will be there?"
Rukia bit her lip. She knew that they'd been very lucky the night before that Renji had not been at Urahara's when they'd arrived so dramatically. However, she couldn't expect their 'luck' to hold, especially after Isshin's discovery of the two of them this morning. "They might be," she allowed, letting the issue of proper names and honorifics slide.
Ichigo summed up his reaction to that with one very succinct and explicit word.
The rest of the short walk was spent in silence, each lost in their own worries. When they finally reached the house, Rukia squared her shoulders and knocked. In response, both heard the sound of rapidly approaching feet, and odd bang and crash, a call of "Whoops," and then the door was thrown open by Orihime, who was smiling so widely that she didn't immediately see who was on he doorstep. The auburn-haired girl's bright cry of "Good Morning" was cut off oddly partway through when she saw Ichigo and Rukia standing so solemnly at her door. "Kuchiki-san, Kurosaki-kun, what's wrong? Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto already left so if you're looking for them…"
"We need your help Inoue-san, can we come inside?" asked Rukia, all business.
Orihime opened the door wider, wordlessly gesturing them in. She seemed to be trying to make sense of Rukia and Ichigo's presence at her door. Rukia was wound up enough by now to be broadcasting her worry, even to the normally oblivious Orihime, and Ichigo was unconsciously fidgeting. Orihime glanced at Rukia's bandage, and seemed to put the pieces together. "Have you been hurt Kuchiki-san?"
"Yes," replied Rukia, declining to explain further.
Orihime was becoming visibly unsettled by the undercurrents in the room. "Would you like me to try to heal you," she offered, "I'm pretty good at that," she added with a nervous laugh.
"Inoue-san, I'm sorry to ask this of you, and I'm sorry to involve you in any way, and…" Rukia trailed off.
Ichigo jumped in, attempting to be helpful, "can you remove scars Inoue-san?"
Orihime thought it through. She had never attempted to heal to remove a scar, but she knew that the wounds she healed with her powers were healed completely as though they had never existed. "Probably" she replied, "But I've never tried it before."
"Could you please try?" asked Ichigo, with a wealth of emotion in his voice that Orihime could not understand.
"Of course" agreed Orihime, willing to try anything Ichigo asked of her. "Could you show me the scars Kuchiki-san?"
Rukia nodded, unable to meet Orihime's eyes. Reluctantly, she raised her hand to her bandaged cheek, and then with a quick motion she pulled off the covering. Orihime gasped in shocked surprise. Carved into Rukia's cheek in precise lettering was the word 'MINE.'
Orihime was visibly taken aback. She gaped at Rukia, rocking back on her heels a little as though trying to escape the reality of what she had seen. "How?"
"It doesn't matter," replied Rukia.
"But if someone hurt you, " said Orihime, waving her hands to encompass the lettering on Rukia's cheek, "then…" the girl trailed off, suddenly remembering Ichigo's presence, "Surely Kurosaki-kun protected you"
Ichigo flinched, but only Rukia saw. "There's more," Rukia explained stolidly, "do you need to see it all"
Orihime fluttered her hands helplessly, she obviously didn't want to see any more, but she was worried about her own limitations. "I've never healed scars before," she reminded them.
Rukia took that as a 'yes' and began to unceremoniously remove the rest of her clothing.
"Kuchiki-san stop" cried Orihime, her face a bright red, "Kurosaki-kun should leave the room."
Rukia glanced at Ichigo. His presence didn't bother her but it obviously bothered Orihime. "You might as well go," she said.
As soon as Ichigo had left, Rukia removed the rest of her clothing. Ichigo hadn't bothered grabbing such niceties as underclothes when he'd purloined the outfit from Yuzu, and so it was a fairly simple matter to disrobe. Almost as soon as Rukia had removed the clothes, though, she wished desperately to have them back on. Orihime was staring at her with a look of such horror that Rukia had to look away. Rukia, of course was well aware that the scars were bad. The word carved on her face was repeated dozens of times, covering much of her body, enforcing an undeniable message of both possession and obsession.
"Kuchiki-san" breathed Orihime.
A loud crash and a strangled cry from the next room broke the moment. Rukia's split second of relief at the interruption was immediately quashed when she realized that the cry had emanated from the room that Ichigo was presumably inhabiting. She turned on her heel and ran through the connecting doorway, Orihime close behind.
Ichigo was doubled over in the center of the room, but when the girls entered, he looked up. Even from where she was standing Rukia could see the creeping blackness in the corner of one eye. Rukia was suddenly, terribly aware of their vulnerability. Aside from her obvious nudity, she had neglected to bring her soul candy or any other method of removing her soul from her gigai, she was fairly sure that Orihime's skills could not be counted on in a fight against a strong opponent. But Rukia was a fighter, and experienced at using kidou even hampered by a gigai. She would not allow herself to be defenseless again as she had been the night before. Bakudou one: Sai, she chanted, sealing Ichigo at least temporarily.
"You know that doesn't work on us Rukia- mine" said the hollow, throwing off the binding with little visible effort, and standing upright. The blackness swirling in the corner of Ichigo's eye was still the only outward manifestation of the hollow, but its presence was obvious in the way Ichigo's body spoke and stood.
Orihime backed away, hand covering her mouth, but Rukia refused to give ground or show fear. She hoped that the limited physical manifestation of the hollow meant that Ichigo would be able to regain control quickly. And hoped that her presence would lend him the strength and motivation to win.
"You're trying to remove the scars" accused the hollow.
"Yes" agreed Rukia, arms folded, staring it down, attempting to convey the confidence she did not feel.
The hollow scowled, and closed the gap between them, laying its hand against Rukia's cheek, "But you belong to me Rukia- mine, I proved that last night."
Rukia jerked her head away, but continued to stare the hollow down." I belong to no one but myself" she bit out
"I want them there for everyone to see." The hollow continued, as though Rukia had not spoken, "I had such fun last night, I was so sorry to leave, but The King had to spoil our time together. But don't worry, I'll make it up to you" He grinned at her, full of glee.
"Kurosaki-kun" breathed Orihime, shocked.
"Shut up" cried Rukia, not sure if she yelled at Orihime, or the hollow, or both.
"You know, if you remove them, I'll just have to carve them again," said the hollow in a teasing tone. He studied Rukia, considering her, and then smiled even more, "But that will be fun. I'll make sure that The King won't be able to interrupt us next time. There's so much more I want to do with you Rukia-mine."
"Shut up" shouted Rukia more strongly this time, more self-assured, she raised her hand as if to slap the grin off the hollow's face, but at the last moment she laid her hand against Ichigo's cheek instead. "Fight it Ichigo," she whispered, "I believe in you." She stared into his clouded eyes, and slowly the blackness receded.
Ichigo sagged, and would have fallen on his face if Rukia had not been quick enough to catch him and guide him gently towards the floor. The two half-sat, half-knelt, collapsed on one another. "Rukia" Ichigo whispered, in his normal tones.
"You idiot" Rukia muttered half smiling, half crying as she clung to him.
Rukia was too overwhelmed to feel anything much more than relief, yet in the back of her mind, pricking at her uncomfortably was the thought that Ichigo's victory might be due more to the hollow being weakened by its exertions the night before rather than any increase in Ichigo's strength or will. She clutched him tighter, and was relieved when Ichigo reciprocated by tightening his embrace.
Ichigo could barely bear to touch Rukia. He was furious at himself, and sickened by the hollow's words and by the though of what could have happened, yet he couldn't bring himself to pull away. He needed her as much as she needed him. He hated himself for disappointing her, for hurting her, and for the threat he carried within. "I'm so sorry" he choked out.
"You won," replied Rukia, raising her beautiful violet eyes to his. "Thank you."
Ichigo felt a surge of gratitude, and something else he didn't wish to define. He wanted desperately to kiss her for believing in him so strongly, and for knowing what he needed to hear, but he was suddenly uncomfortably aware of her nudity, and of Orihime standing so close. He licked his lips uncomfortably. "Let's get rid of these," he said finally, lightly brushing his hand over her cheek. His touch infinitely more welcome to Rukia than the hollow's had been only moments before.
Orihime, forgotten and superfluous until that point felt at degrees horrified, uncomfortable, hurt, and confused. Something horrible had just spoken through Ichigo's body, talking of terrible things and impliedly taking responsibility for the awful scars on Rukia. Orihime couldn't quite wrap her mind around it. She'd sensed something… off in Ichigo before, a darkness, an otherness, but she couldn't believe that her Kurosaki-kun could possibly be responsible for such horrors despite what she had just seen. Still, she was eager to break up the couple's embrace and return to some semblance of normalcy, and grabbed at the suggestion offered by Ichigo. Before too long she had Rukia laid out in her main room with her fairies at work. Rukia had refused to banish Ichigo for a second time, claiming that she wanted to "keep an eye on him" and so Orihime snuck little glances at him as she worked to heal Rukia's scars.
"It won't work" Rukia said finally.
"What?" replied Orihime guiltily, so startled by the comment that she almost stopped her work.
"You and Ichigo" explained Rukia simply. "It won't work."
Orihime stared down at the dark-haired Shinigami in utter consternation, "But…"
"Ichigo has a hollow inside him." Interrupted Rukia quietly
Orihime just stared.
"It broke free last night. It may break free again, although I hope that Ichigo will be strong enough to defeat it."
"But Kurosaki-kun will get rid of the hollow and then he and I..." explained Orihime in a rush, and then she broke off, her eyes filling with tears, her voice breaking, "I love him Rukia"
"I know, and I'm sorry."
Orihime looked away, catching Ichigo looking in their direction. He seemed completely unaware of the buxom girl's scrutiny, as he was completely focused on Rukia. "You and Kurosaki-kun?" she asked raising a tear-stained face to Rukia.
"Yes" said Rukia simply.
"I always knew it was you. But I wanted it to be me."
"You'd wind up destroying one another. You'd want him to be your hero, and he couldn't draw the strength he needs from you." Rukia explained gently, she hated to be cruel, but she knew it would be crueler to allow Orihime to continue to dream of an impossible future with things the way they were.
"You're good for him, you always have been."
"You're good for him too, we need you Inoue-san"
"As a friend" stated Orihime.
"As a friend, companion, and comrade," agreed Rukia.
"How's it going?" called Ichigo, impatient and nervous with nothing to do. He'd heard enough of the girl's conversation to know that they were talking about him, but little more than that.
"It's done," replied Orihime, sounding surprisingly cheerful, considering the conversation Ichigo had interrupted. But Rukia could see the strain on Orihime's face and the falseness of her cheer, and knew that the kindest thing she could do would be to give the girl some privacy.
"It worked?" asked Rukia
"Yes," smiled Orihime, proud of her success, and genuinely happy to have been of help.
"Thank you so much Inoue-san."
"Thank you" added Ichigo
Orihime caught Rukia's hand in her own, "Call me Orihime, and take care of him." She whispered, tears in the corner of her eyes.
Rukia squeezed Orihime's hand. "Thank you," she smiled, "call me Rukia."
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AN: I'm so sorry for the delay. This chapter was rewritten several times, and I hope the revisions were worth it. To make up for the wait, I drew a picture of Rukia for this chapter that I wanted to share (I actually sketched this before I wrote the first chapter of this fic). It's located at http:// yafromuk.deviantart. com/art/Posession-62354426 (without the spaces- there's one before yafromuk and one before com). Thanks for all the reviews and support (and please keep them coming)