Standard disclaimer applies.
Author's notes: This is coupled with Silence's Voice, thus it uses the same timeline and action sequence (same dialogue too). And about the delay, I can only offer two words: exams period. ((cries)) Hope to see you soon!
Duality
17.05.2005
Ichigo knows there are at least two sides of her. There is the first side, the dutiful shinigami who always goes by the book, who likes to work silently and swiftly, and who follows all the procedures needed to be done. It's her: the serious, bold, unexpressive woman that seems untouchable, unreachable. And then, there's another side, the childish, impulsive girl that has a weakness for cute things and that, man, had an incredibly strong upper-cut. It's the other her: the Rukia whose mask slips off. It is the side that she wants to reject the most, though he can't even imagine the reasons behind this.
Ichigo thinks it is something that goes on in automatic mode. If a hollow attacks, Rukia is serious and aggressive, and pushes him towards the very ends of his limits. Then, at school, she offers everyone a fake smile, a smooth, old-fashioned speech, and a pleasant attitude (that most of the times get on his nerves) as if she hadn't been kicking hollow ass twenty minutes ago.
Ichigo has concluded at some point after studying Rukia that this side, the personality when she is chipper, and talkative, and funny (in her very particular standards) must be the result of her repressed childhood or something around those terms. Though, who is he to talk about such matters, anyway? No, he can't meddle with the subject.
But then again, does he really know and understand any side of Rukia? Because now that he ponders deeper about it, there must be more than that to Rukia. Thinking such, he can't help to wonder about her even more, and he finds that he doesn't know anything about her childhood or about her life at her old home. He doesn't know anything about the family and the friends that certainly were now waiting for her to return. Oh, for he is sure that Rukia is bound to go back home (whether he likes it or not) because that is the place where she belongs… right?
Ichigo pauses on his train of thoughts, and when he notices how much he has been thinking of her, he knows something is definitely wrong. He isn't a "bonding" person, after all; the friendships he has gained throughout these years are actually lucky coincidences, really lucky coincidences. And besides, what is the point of trying to get to know someone like her, who gave him more bruises than the damn hollows they fought and that would eventually leave his world for good? What is the point of caring is she is going to leave?
He stops when he can't feel Rukia next to him anymore, scrunching up his nose in annoyance. He turns to look at her over his shoulders, and sees that she is far behind him. "Oi, Rukia, hurry up. It's getting late for school."
He looks ahead again, shifting in his shoes slightly and scratching the back of his head. He grumbles something rude about her tardiness as he waits. But he gets impatient and when he turns to look at her one more time, he notices that she hasn't moved one step from the place where she has been standing for the last couple of minutes, and so, gives her a glare. She hurries over to him and they start walking again to school.
"You okay?" He asks, even without looking at her for the sake of hiding his concern. He hides it well, for she doesn't even catch a glimpse of it. He glances at her through the corner of his eye as she nods.
He says nothing else to her and silently continues to muse about the many sides of her.