I hope you guys appreciate the update. I was supposed to be studying of an exam when I was writing the last half.

Enjoy!

Ichigo was giving her a puzzled look. Rukia shifted uncomfortably, but held her ground under the unsettling gaze. It took a lot of willpower not to nervously fidget with the dress she was wearing. She silently cursed Urahara for giving her a Human summer dress. She felt way to exposed with her bare legs and arms and the flimsy fabric didn't feel like it would offer her any protection at all.

"I don't get it. Why did you have to go and get a gigai?" Ichigo asked after a long silence.

Rukia relaxed. Oh. So that was the problem. "I need one because otherwise I can't digest Human food. Given that you were so kind to invite me to dinner, it would be disrespectful if I did not actually absorb what I eat."

"Huh," Ichigo said, surprised. "I didn't know it was the same for Shinigami. Too bad I can't get a gigai too."

Rukia frowned, confused. "What will you do while we are eating then?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I eat a little bit of what Yuzu made. I can still taste it after all, and I love Yuzu's cooking."

A small smile involuntarily curved her lips. That was… surprisingly sweet. "That good? I look forward to sampling it myself."

Ichigo nodded, pride of his sister's accomplishments seeping through. "You'll love it. Mom was the best cook there was and Yuzu inherited her talent."

"That sounds wonderful," Rukia remarked. Wistfully she wondered what she herself had inherited from her mother. She was from the Rukongai, and didn't remember her Human family from before her death. She though it would have been nice to know what kind of people her parents had been.

Unfortunately, there was no way to know. Not for the first time she envied those who'd had their families right from the start. In particularly, she envied the Kurosaki siblings. Despite that their parents were dead and the older brother was a Hollow, there was still so much love and devotion between them that she had no doubt that these three would continue to love each other forever. It made her own relationship with her Clan feel empty and cold, barren of the warmth that should have existed between family.

She shook her head. She would not dwell on it.

Instead she contemplated the wisdom of asking the question that had been on her mind since she saw Ichigo feed for the first time. Finally she decided to just go for it. "My apologies, Ichigo-san. I do not want to be rude, but can I ask you something about being a Hollow?"

Ichigo nodded. "Just Ichigo is okay, you know? Go ahead. Hat'n Clogs asked about any question there is, so I doubt you've come up with something he hasn't interrogated me about yet."

Rukia nodded, making a mental note that Urahara was apparently researching Hollows through Ichigo. That explained how the shopkeeper had ended up supporting the oldest Kurosaki. Knowing that the flaky Shinigami actually had a good reason to be acquainted with Ichigo was reassuring. It explained how their relation had come to be. "What do souls taste like?"

Ichigo tilted his head. "Depends. Single souls have a single flavor. The stronger the soul, the more intense and complex the flavor. I once caught a newly turned Hollow who tasted like cinnamon," he clarified when he caught her dark frown. "But most Hollows have eaten so many souls that they don't have a single flavors anymore. It's like mixing all the different flavors together. If the Hollow doesn't feed often then most of the souls within will have lost their individuality – and thus their flavor – which can make them quite tasty as long as the remaining flavors match well. If the Hollow feeds a lot or the flavors of the souls within don't match well, then you can get the effect of mixing everything from sweets to the contents of a large spice rack into a soup. Those Hollows are downright revolting to eat."

Rukia blinked. She hadn't anticipated t such a detailed answer, but it certainly explained why so many Hollows went after Shinigami and spiritually strong Humans. If they tasted better, then she could kind of understand why they were such a favored target.

"I see. I am amazed that you eat them at all then," she reflected. "I know Urahara-san could probably give you something else to feed on that would taste better."

Ichigo shook his head. "He could, but I don't want that. Not only do I need to feed on souls to maintain my strength, I don't plan to stay a Hollow forever. I need to feed and evolve to reach my goal, and foul tasting Hollows aren't going to stop me."

Rukia was startled by the adamant resolve with which Ichigo said that. "What do you mean?" she inquired. "As far as I know, a Hollow will remain a Hollow until they are purified."

"It is pretty obscure, even in the Hollow community," Ichigo allowed. "But Hat'n Clogs has done a lot of research on Hollow evolution and made me help. He discovered that if he Hollow takes off his mask and is strong enough to survive the change that follows, a Hollow can become an Arrancar. Arrancar are basically hybrids. They're not normal souls, but they're not Hollows either. In a way, they have a lot in common with Shinigami, even though their powers are still very Hollow-like."

Rukia stared. How… what… How was that possible? She had never heard of something like that before! "But what good would being an Arrancar do? You still wouldn't be normal."

"But I won't have to keep eating souls," Ichigo replied. "And if I'm powerful enough when I evolve into one I may even get a human shape. Did you think I like the reactions everyone has to my appearance? I hate how I look like a monster. My sisters and friends have gotten used to it, but I refuse to remain a Hollow. I became one because I had to, but I'm not going to be one for the rest of my life," Ichigo declared vehemently.

Rukia was taken aback. She had not expected this. Not only had Ichigo retained his mind and morals, he was actively working to regain his humanity as well. The willpower he needed for that, the sheer conviction and determination… it was staggering. She could not imagine what it was like to be in his place, could not imagine what it was like to look like a monster, having to fight for the right to remain with those she cared about simply because of what she was, but she could recognize how heavy the path was he had chosen for himself. He refused to bow to what she had believed to be inescapable for her entire life.

The respect she felt ever since Urahara had convinced her and Ichigo had saved her deepened. How could she not admire his fierce resolution? If she possessed even just one tenth of his strength her Nii-sama would never have to be disappointed in her.

"Now come on. We're already late. Yuzu will probably scold us for making them wait."

Rukia nodded. "I can't use shunpo in a gigai, but I have fairly good stamina. I shall run the entire way."

If his mask hadn't been in the way Rukia was pretty sure she would have seen him grin when he replied with, "Sounds good. Race you."

Despite that she didn't have any chance to win in a gigai, Rukia accepted the challenge. As a proud officer of the Gotei 13 she couldn't just let a Hollow win without a fight, no matter how much she was starting to respect him. "No sonido!" she told him sharply.

"Deal!" Ichigo agreed before running off.

"Ichigo, you cheater! We're supposed to start at the same time!"

XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX

Dinner with the Kurosaki siblings was surprisingly nice. While they clearly didn't trust her fully yet since Ichigo's friends had come over too, she couldn't help but notice that not a single threat had been uttered or comment made when she had joined them at the table. So far, it seemed that when this group agreed to a truce they took it seriously.

Ichigo's sisters were a little peculiar. Karin was understandably cold towards her, but Yuzu had greeted her cheerfully. Though Ichigo's prediction did come true. The little girl had scolded them both for almost letting the food go cold. Rukia hadn't really known how to react, but apparently her reason was considered acceptable after Ichigo had explained the need for a gigai.

"Oh. Then it's alright," Yuzu had replied, and that was that. It struck the adopted noble as very odd. The Kuchiki Clan would have never let such a transgression slide. Then again, the Kurosaki clearly weren't nobles. Rukia would freely admit that it was a relief not to have to worry about the Clan's stringent rules.

She was, of course, nervous when she sat down at the table, but Yuzu and Inoue were very friendly and open, eagerly including Rukia in their conversations. The others were more reserved, but approachable enough once most of the awkwardness had passed. Yuzu and Inoue were obviously close. Inoue seemed to act as an older sister for the young girl. Ichigo went above and beyond being an unbelievably great big brother, but Rukia knew from experience that sometimes a girl just needs another girl. Orihime and Yuzu seemed very alike, and Rukia suspected that Tatsuki might be the older sister role model for Karin. It reminded Rukia a bit of the relationship she used to have with Shiba Miyako, whom she had greatly admired. It was very nostalgic to see similar relations between these Humans.

Thanks to the disarming kindness of Yuzu, who proved to be a splendid cook, and Inoue, who apparently wasn't, Rukia was able to relax near the end of the meal. Such a thing rarely happened when she dined with her adopted family, and Rukia had been used to her Nii-sama a lot longer. It was simultaneously amazing and slightly depressing.

After the meal had ended the unusual group surprised her yet again. Instead of sending her off they invited her to join them in the living room to watch television. Rukia had no idea what that was but it sounded intriguing.

For a moment she hesitated while the Humans picked their seats. Ishida, Arisawa, and Sado took one of the couches, while Inoue and the Kurosaki twins took the other. Rukia bit her lip and chose a cushioned chair that stood a bit to the side. Ichigo himself curled up next to the all-girls couch, the end of his tail curling around Karin's ankle when Yuzu pulled his large head into her lap so she could play with his mane. The twins smiled fondly at their brother. Yuzu was short enough that she could comfortably rest her chin on top of Ichigo's head. It looked oddly like a little girl with her favorite pet. For the Shinigami it was an incredibly surreal sight, and it took Rukia a while before she was able to look away and focus on the noisy device the Humans were staring at.

The television was apparently an odd machine that was remarkably similar to some of the monitors she had seen the few times she had visited the Science Division. Only instead of research, the television was used for entertainment. The 'programs' it showed were incredibly captivating. Imagine, events from all over the world, appearing on the very same day on the 'News'. A program about the life of wild foxes, somehow even displaying scenes from within the fox's lair. And finally something the Humans called a 'movie' about a man becoming a warrior by building his own weapons and armor so he ended up looking more machine than man. The fictional character's struggle for justice and freedom touched something deep within the Shinigami.

Humans truly created amazing stuff. Absently Rukia wondered what her comrades in Seireitei would think of it. She liked to think that they would be just as impressed as her.

During what the others called the commercials some of the Humans went to get drinks and snacks. Dazed by the amount of information she had taken in in the last few hours and having seen all the commercials a few times by now, Rukia was letting her eyes wander around. For the first time she noticed a small shrine in one of the corners of the room. There were three picture frames on top of it. Curious, she stood up and slowly approached it, fully prepared to stop if one of the group called her back. When that didn't happen she leant forward to study the pictures.

One was a picture of a man with black hair, whose face tickled her memory as vaguely familiar. Their father? Yes, probably their father, otherwise his picture wouldn't be displayed like this. The one in the middle was of a beautiful woman who reminded her of Yuzu. Definitely their mother. She looked like a wonderful lady. But it was the last picture that landed like a punch in her gut and robbed her of air.

Orange hair that definitely jostled her memory. Brown eyes that were surprisingly guarded, despite the small smirk pulling at one corner of the boy's mouth. But those few differences aside, it was like a childhood picture of her deceased mentor, Kaien. A very young, teenage Kaien.

"W-who is this?" she muttered.

Karin heard her. She walked over and glanced at the picture Rukia was staring at. "Hm? Oh, that's Ichi-nii. Before he died, obviously."

Ichi-nii? This was Kurosaki Ichigo?

Never look at the face beneath a Hollow's mask, she remembered from the handful Academy lessons she had followed, before her Nii-sama had made her leave. You may not be able to bring yourself to kill it otherwise.

There may have been some truth in that, Rukia realized, chilled, as she looked at the picture and Ichigo himself, and the bright orange hair that was proof of the connection between the two. To think that the face of a boy was hidden beneath that monstrous mask…

It was a good thing she had already promised not to harm him. Now she knew what he had looked like in life, she really wouldn't be able to kill him. Her own heart would keep her from following through if she tried.

But why did they look alike? Kaien had been a Shinigami. If there was one thing Ichigo wasn't, it was a Shinigami. Not to mention Kaien-dono had died more than twenty years ago, and Ichigo hadn't even reached the end of his second decade yet-

She froze. Then very, very carefully considered that thought. There was no way. It couldn't be. And yet, with so many similarities…

No, she told herself firmly. Not necessarily similar. She hadn't known Ichigo all that long after all.

No one had ever found another person's reincarnation. At least, no one had been able to prove they had.

Doesn't mean it never happened at all, a small voice in her head argued. Rukia stomped on it to make it shut it up.

Because even if she had somehow stumbled across Kaien's reincarnation, her mentor was dead, had died in her own arms, at her own hands. That couldn't be undone. The man she still cherished in her memories was gone forever. And she refused to think of Ichigo as anything but his own person. Anything less would be a grave insult to the Hollow she was starting to see as someone well worth respecting. She didn't fully trust him yet, simply because of the past animosity between them, but she had no right to decide who he used to be. She couldn't prove her suspicions anyway.

But… if he really was Kaien's reincarnation… then she may be safer than she had previously thought. If there was one thing she refused to believe it would be her mentor being anything less than honorable even in a new life.

Rukia was startled out of her reverie when Karin tapped her on her shoulder. "Hey," the dark haired girl said, pointing with her thumb over her shoulder. "You're coming or what? The movie's continuing."

"I… Yes. Of course I'll come," Rukia agreed, casting one last look at Ichigo's picture before retaking her seat.

Ichigo crouched beside Rukia's recliner and shouldered her playfully. She barely kept herself from flinching. "What's that face for? Quit looking like you're expecting us to attack you," he teased, flicking his tail.

Rukia crossed her arms and huffed, hiding her insecurities deep within herself. "I am not."

"You kind of were," Arisawa interjected. The Human hakuda specialist gave her a playful grin. Next to her, Sado nodded sagely and Ishida smirked as he pushed his glasses a bit higher up his nose.

Rukia felt a light dusting of red creep up her cheeks and purposefully averted her eyes in an overly proud manner. The Humans and Ichigo laughed. Rukia discovered that she didn't mind. It was nice to partake in lighthearted teasing once more. It had been very long since the last time she could freely engage in that. Silently she hoped that she would be allowed to do this more often in the upcoming weeks. She missed having friends she could laugh and make fun with.

Maybe, one day she could have such bonds again. And she hoped they could be a lot like the bonds she witnessed between these people. Their warmth and loyalty to each other was something Rukia had coveted for a very long time.

XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX

The next day arrived with a surprise. Ichigo was waiting for her at the door to her room in the Urahara Shoten. Rukia blinked at him, dumbfounded. She knew that she was a bit later than yesterday, but she hadn't expected for the Hollow to come to her after he had dropped his sisters off at school. Briefly she wondered whether he was still keeping an eye on her. That thought stung more than she expected.

However, Ichigo quickly corrected her assumption, looking uncomfortable as he did so. "Don't look so surprised. You didn't sense that thing coming yesterday, did you? I'm going to teach you how to sense incoming Hollows. Yuzu and Orihime were worried after they heard what happened yesterday."

"Oh." Rukia considered that idea a bit more thoroughly. "That would be very kind of you."

Ichigo sighed at her. "Great. Now can you quit the polite crap? I'm not one for formalities."

Rukia gave him a bemused look. "If you wish…"

Ichigo muttered something under his breath. Then he put a clawed hand on her head and used his grip to maneuver her head so she looked him straight in the eye. "Oi, I mean it. Just 'okay' is enough."

For one breathtaking moment Rukia was back in the past, her mentor's hand on her head as he ordered her to greet him properly. "... Okay," she parroted obediently.

"Good. Now come on. I think today will be calmer after the fight from yesterday, so we should have enough time to start you on the basics."

Rukia's hands were shaking a little as she straightened her hair. It wasn't the same, but it was similar enough that she had to bite back tears.

Who are you Ichigo? Are you really Kaien-dono?

She didn't know. Probably never would for sure. But she swore she would do her best to learn what Ichigo would try to teach her.

Quietly she followed the oldest Kurosaki to an empty park. The short grass waved in the morning breeze and the leaves of the trees sparkled as they danced and reflected the sun's light. It was a wonderful, peaceful area where the sounds of the bustling town were muted.

"Okay, so this is how we're going to do this: I will hide and you will try to find me by sensing my reiatsu. To begin, I'm going to tell you where I hide, so that you can know where to focus and get a feel for my reiatsu signature. Clear so far?"

Rukia nodded hesitantly. It went against her pride to need instruction on something so simple, but the truth remained that she couldn't pinpoint him unless he was within her sight. She didn't like it, but she did need help with this.

"Close your eyes. I'll be right in front of you."

Rukia bit her lip and obeyed. After a few seconds she relaxed a little. If she concentrated she could feel the barest hint of his presence like a faint haze before her. It was fuzzy and unclear, but she was pretty sure it was him.

A heartbeat later and suddenly even that faint trace disappeared.

Alarmed, Rukia's violet eyes shot open. She couldn't entirely suppress her small squawk of surprise when Ichigo blinked at her, his face a mere three feet from her. He had not moved from his spot at all. She felt her cheeks flush in mortification, internally scolding herself. Stupid! He told you what he was going to do! Determined to impress her self-appointed sensei, she stubbornly closed her eyes again and calmed her heart and breathing as she focused fully on exploring her surroundings with her reiatsu sense.

Her eyebrows unconsciously furrowed when she found nothing out of the ordinary in front of her. Ichigo might as well have been a passing breeze for all the presence that he had. But her eyes had shown her that Ichigo was there, and he wouldn't move until she found his reiatsu. Focusing harder, she threw her senses wide open. To no avail. It was as if she was trying to see through complete darkness.

Many minutes later, she admitted defeat, giving Ichigo a helpless look. "I can't find you," she whispered apologetically, unable to keep her disappointment out of her voice.

Ichigo tilted his head. "Did you try to identify everything else?"

Rukia gave him a confused look and shook her head. Ichigo nodded.

"Right, then start with focusing on your surroundings. Try to identify everything and tell me. What do you sense?"

Rukia closed her eyes again. Concentrating, she examined her surroundings. "I sense… several Humans… A Plus…"

"Where are the Humans and the Plus?" Ichigo interrupted.

Rukia frowned. "The Humans… I think they're outside the park. Mostly inside the buildings? The Plus is… on the rooftop at our right?"

Ichigo nodded. "Okay. Go on. Try for smaller things now. Animals and plants for example."

Rukia concentrated harder. Sweat started to bead on her forehead. This was even harder than she had expected. "… There are some animals… underground? I think it's a group… let's see… some are in the trees… birds?"

"Can you sense the trees?"

Rukia tried. She tried really hard. Theoretically, she should be able to. All living beings had their own reiryoku, so in theory it should be possible to distinguish even trees from their surroundings by finding the differences between the trees' reiryoku and the ambient reishi. Finally, after what felt like hours, she said, "… I think so."

"Good. Now try to find me again."

Rukia obediently returned her focus to the space in front of her where Ichigo's reiatsu should be. For a long moment she thought she wouldn't find anything again, but then… there! His presence was so out of focus that it was no wonder that she'd had such trouble finding him! He had hidden his reiatsu in the reishi around him, camouflaging himself with the natural energy of his surroundings!

Ichigo was truly a master at reiatsu control, she realized with startling clarity. She had never heard of someone suppressing their reiatsu to such a degree. The only ones she could think of who might be capable of such a feat were the Onmitsukidou, and they were the uncontested masters of concealing themselves. Ichigo was doing her an incredible favour by teaching her how to find someone as well hidden as him. If this wasn't a peace offering then nothing was.

Her throat closed up and her eyes stung. This… this was more than she had ever expected after their fight. She bowed her head to hide her reaction from Ichigo. It had been such a long time since someone had trusted her with something like this that she didn't know how to act.

Apparently she wasn't fooling Ichigo. "Oi, what's with the long face? If you failed to find me just say so."

Rukia shook her head. "No, that's not it. I found you. It's just… why are you teaching me this?"

Ichigo gave her a quizzical look. "Like I said, people were worried. If I hadn't been there you would have been squashed."

Rukia made a face. "Do you have to put it like that?"

A teasing glint entered gold and black eyes. "What? It's true."

"Yes, but it sounds so… ugh."

Ichigo snickered.

"Don't laugh," she reproved, slapping him on his arm. "It's not funny."

"But your face is," Ichigo shot back. "Now pay attention. I'm going to make it more difficult for you."

Rukia nodded her consent. She wasn't sure, but she had the feeling Inoue and Yuzu hadn't been the only ones worried. She still remembered how ferociously Ichigo had protected her from the other Adjuchas. She smiled. No, the oldest Kurosaki wasn't nearly as ruthless as he pretended to be.

XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX(xxxx)XXX

They played this unusual version of hide-and-seek for hours. It was an exhausting mental exercise for the Shinigami, as Ichigo only allowed her breaks to hunt down intruding Hollows and to walk his sisters back home. But no matter how demanding he was, Rukia had to admit that Ichigo was a good coach, the way he goaded her into giving her all by prodding her and making disparaging remarks. His provocation gave her the drive she needed to continue every time she was ready to just give up and accept failure. Thanks to that she was improving at an astonishing rate.

He really was a lot like her deceased mentor, she mused between the exercises. It was both an uplifting and depressing thought. Oh, there were differences, sure. Kaien had favored yelling and passionate speeches to motivate her, while Ichigo employed insults and his ability to sneak up on her. But they were similar in that they challenged her, dared her to get better. And she couldn't help but respond.

Yes. It would certainly be fair to say that she had a lot of mixed feelings about this day.

When night neared Rukia finally found the opportunity to collapse. They were in the middle of a children's playground in one of Karakura's parks. She groaned with approval as her sore muscles relaxed and her aching brain was given a rest. The dark haired Shinigami sighed happily as the cool breeze that cooled her heated skin. She felt clammy, the combined result of sweating in the heat of the day and the beginning humidity of the oncoming night. She couldn't wait to get back to Urahara's Shop to wash and get some sleep.

Ichigo was curled up next to her like a large, armored reptilian cat. He too seemed perfectly content to enjoy the quiet for a while, though there was a contemplative edge to his silence. Rukia wondered what he was thinking about. If she hadn't been so tired she probably would have asked, but for now she didn't mind leaving him to his thoughts. Instead she closed her eyes and let her mind come to rest.

"You sure have gotten comfortable around me," Ichigo remarked after a few minutes. His double-toned voice was jarring in the quietness of the evening.

Rukia opened her eyes to look at him, a bit puzzled at the seemingly random observation. She had the feeling Ichigo wanted something with it. Given that her instincts had been honed by years of tutelage with the Kuchiki Clan, she was inclined to trust that feeling. "You 're not an enemy," she answered. "Not anymore."

"But you're not even scared of me anymore. You don't even reach for your sword when I sneak up on you," Ichigo argued. He sounded quite confused about that.

"… I guess I've just gotten used to you," Rukia replied, sitting up so she could look at him properly. Then – because Ichigo didn't seem to find that answer satisfactory – she added softly, "Your appearance is still frightening me from time to time, but I have seen enough of you to know that you're not a monster."

Ichigo tilted his head. "But why?" he persisted. "My sisters and friends are the same, but I don't get how you can be so comfortable!"

Rukia shrugged awkwardly. She didn't really know either. Appearance-wise he was indistinguishable from the monsters she had sworn to fight, but it was as if her instincts and ingrained reflexes had turned off one by one over the last couple of days when it came to him. Maybe it was because of his resemblance to Kaien, or how he had saved her life, or maybe it was because she had seen how he acted around his friends and sisters, but she just couldn't see him as a threat anymore.

How could she explain? It was clear that Ichigo had some insecurities about his appearance and wanted an answer. She bit her lips as she sought for words.

"I can't speak for your family and friends," she started slowly, "but over the last few days, I have come to think of you as someone I would love to call a comrade. Your strength and your dedication to the people you care about… if not for your appearance, I would have believed you to be a Shinigami. I guess it's just…," she trailed off, uncertain. "I guess it's quite odd, isn't it?"

She averted her gaze at the look Ichigo gave her for that. Hastily she continued, though she had no idea where she was going with her explanation. "It's like when someone has been injured in battle. The blood and wounds make them frightening to look at, but beneath their injuries they are still themselves. Still normal people. And with time, you get used to their appearance to the point that you won't even notice it anymore…"

She scratched her head, flushing with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I'm not making much sense, now am I?"

Ichigo stared at her for a while, making her fidget nervously. "I think I see what you mean," he finally said, turning his gaze to an undefined point in the distance.

After a few moments, Rukia nervously shifted closer, not sure if she should offer him comfort or not. In the end she settled on telling him, "I just think that your looks don't matter because you're still a normal person beneath it."

Ichigo hummed noncommittally. His silence hung between them like an invisible wall.

Rukia had almost given up on any kind of conversation when he spoke again. "My sisters once said something similar. When I first appeared before them after my death… well, I guess I didn't really think things through before doing that. I had died somewhere around in the middle of the day, and when I had woken up as a spirit it was already late in the evening. I didn't know what to do so I just went home. But on my way there was this Hollow. He tried to eat me. I didn't know what to do but I wasn't just going to let him do that. I had to make sure my sisters were fine. I hadn't seen what had happened to them after the car hit me, you see?

"So I ran, and when I failed to lose him, I fought. At first it wasn't going well, and I really didn't want to leave my sisters without being sure they were safe, so… I still don't know what happened exactly and I honestly don't care, but something changed, and when the fight was over I was a Hollow. It's all a big blur to be honest. Maybe I transformed in the middle of the battle because I wanted to live so badly, or maybe I was eaten and took over from the inside out. Urahara has some theories, but nothing has been proven."

"Anyway. The point is, when I finally came home I knew I looked different. I knew I didn't look like any of the spirits we were used to. But when I looked through the windows I found them sitting in my room, and they were crying. I couldn't stand that. So I went inside."

Ichigo let out a harsh laugh. Rukia listened with wide eyes, captivated by the story.

"Not the brightest idea I've ever had," Ichigo admitted. "But I couldn't help it. I can't stand seeing them sad, and this had been my fault. I was the one who'd died."

He ruefully shook his head. "Damn, did I frighten them. I still remember how they screamed when they saw me. It took a hell lot of talking before they believed who I was, but then they were crying again. Only this time they were clinging to me. Well," Ichigo amended, "Yuzu was doing most of the clinging. Karin was hitting me, and cussing, and calling me an idiot. I had to hold her because otherwise she might have hurt herself. But they weren't scared of me, not anymore…"

Rukia reached out and placed her tiny hand over Ichigo's. Her hand looked like a child's against Ichigo's large, clawed appendage. Ichigo gave her a warm look and Rukia felt herself smiling back almost as warmly. It was odd, but she felt she understood Ichigo much better now. To know he had insecurities like any other, to hear more about how he had ended up in this situation… It offered a lot of insight in the person that was Kurosaki Ichigo. Maybe this would be the start of the most unconventional of friendships.

Her thoughts were confirmed when Ichigo stood and curled up around her, offering her the chance to rest more comfortably. Leaning back against the smooth armor plates that covered his side, Rukia smiled happily. Deciding to do something she had wanted to try ever since she had watched the youngest Kurosaki do it, she reached out and slowly ran her fingers through Ichigo's mane. Instead of being offended, Ichigo shifted his head closer and started to purr.

She couldn't have stopped her delighted laugh if her life depended on it. This was so surreal! Contrary to its appearance, Ichigo's hair was quite soft and she could easily comb it with her fingers. It was like petting a large, long haired cat.

Briefly she tried to imagine how the other Shinigami's might react to this development. The whole of the Gotei 13 would likely have a collective heart attack if they could see one of their Shinigami sitting so companionably with a ferocious looking Hollow. From the reaction of the Adjuchas yesterday the other Hollows would feel similarly if they saw this scene.

All the more reason to never let them find out, Rukia decided. Ichigo was a friend now. Maybe not a close friend yet, but she would be damned if she turned him away. She wanted a friend like him too much to care about what he was. If Ichigo's ambition was realized, he wouldn't remain a Hollow anyway.

And if she ever had to reveal this friendship, she fervently prayed Seireitei would prove itself more tolerant towards a hybrid. Because if their relationship continued to progress like this then she would give Ichigo the same loyalty he would give her, and forfeit her own life to keep him and those he cared about safe.

It was the least she would do for someone so much like Kaien.

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