Lean On Me
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Day 6 of Ichiruki week 2023: Hero and Heroine
Not all heroes wear cape.
Some are pint-sized Shinigamis who need to learn that it's ok to trust and rely on their partners.
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"Psst, Tatsuki-chan. I think there's something wrong with Kuchiki-san."
Ichigo's ears prick up at the mention of the Shinigami's name. Looking up from his open textbook, he sees Inoue whispering to Tatsuki, whose eyes narrow in concern at the Shinigami.
Rukia sits a few rows ahead from him and all he can see from his seat is the back of her head. Her shoulder-length hair is inky black and the ends of it slightly curled, somehow looking even more untamed than they usually are.
He sneaks a glance at her direction. This morning marks the rare occasion that saw them arriving at school without each other's company. He has not seen her since dinner last night. She retired early for the night, citing exhaustion and the drain of being in a gigai full-time. It turns out masquerading as a high school student by day and carrying out Shinigami duties when every else isn't looking is exactly as exhausting as it sounds.
Ichigo frowns. He is not in the habit of being nosy. He only has a handful of friends and behaves politely indifferent to the rest of his classmates. He doesn't want trouble. Some might even say that he goes out of his way to avoid trouble (not that it has ever made an iota of difference, thanks to his strange talent of attracting the unwarranted attentions of otherworldly denizens).
But Ichigo digresses. That is a story for another day.
At school, he has successfully cultivated a cool devil-may-care persona that oozes unapproachability at the first sight of his permanent scowl. It probably helps that the student population at large and school staff already think that he is a delinquent, what with his obnoxiously loud hair and personal history with the neighbourhood hoodlums and bullies.
Point is: he has a reputation to maintain and Ichigo will go to great lengths to protect it, to hide the fact that he actually cares; that under his tough guy façade, there is a closet Shakespeare enthusiast who would beat up bullies just because they were callous (and stupid) enough to desecrate the offerings to a little girl.
Yet, at the mention of Rukia's name, he slips.
He tells himself that it is understandable of course. He owes his life to Rukia- the pint-sized Shinigami who saved his life andconsequently, the girl currently living in his closet.
A lot of things have changed in the weeks since their rocky introduction to each other. They are a team now. While it is an inconvenience, Ichigo doesn't exactly hate this new routine of skipping classes to hunt Hollows. There is a sense of accomplishment that comes with each Hollow that they purify and send to the netherworld, or Soul Society as Rukia calls it.
There is purpose behind the movement of his sword now, his movements cleaner and faster- even Rukia said as much in a teasing, roundabout way. He'd like to think that he is getting better.
Ichigo wouldn't hesitate to count Rukia as a close friend, though her struggles with opening a juice box still leaves him rolling his eyes hard in the background. He would sooner cut off his own tongue than admit to anything of course; it would give Rukia a big head and he would never hear the end of it!
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"Kuchiki-san, are you alright? You seem awfully pale. Do you need someone to go with you to the nurse's office?"
Ichigo's ponderings are cut short by the teacher's voice. He watches as Rukia pushes her chair back and stands up. Her trademark sugary sweet, goody-two shoes act is second to none as she eagerly reassures the teacher that she is fine. He cringes at how the pitch of her voice goes higher unprompted and her giggles—
He grits his teeth, scowling at the imaginary flowers that have bloomed in the background while Rukia simpers and thanks the teacher for her concern. How is anyone not realizing that this is an act?!
He shakes his head. Rukia's acting is something so inherently fake and bad that it makes him mad to see everyone else at school (even the teachers!) eating it up, taking everything she says at face value because 'Kuchiki-san would never! She's so sweet! She wouldn't hurt a fly!'.
Ichigo snorts. If only they were there and saw how sweet, helpless Kuchiki-san pummeled a tentacled monster as tall as the school building they're in and sent it flying! Tatsuki would have been impressed.
He does not miss her sudden sharp intake of breath as she sits back down. Rukia is limping, subtly shifting more of her weight onto her right leg. Before Ichigo can do anything else, the shrill bell rings, signaling the end of the lesson.
It is lunch time and his classmates get to their feet eagerly, already starving and salivating at the thought of food.
Ichigo follows suit. His hand reaches instinctively for the two bento boxes that Yuzu has packed for him. Under the pretense of helping out a fellow classmate too poor to afford a lunch (which technically is not a lie), he has roped Yuzu into preparing a separate bento in addition to his own.
"Oi! Rukia—"
"Ichigo!"
The tackle from Keigo almost catches him off guard but thanks to years of living under the same roof as his crazy father, Ichigo'ss reflexes are well-honed, and he nimbly dodges at the last minute. Keigo crash-lands into a crumpled heap, but immediately recovers to tug at the legs of Ichigo's trousers.
Ichigo scowls at him, growling. "Let go off me! And get up from the floor for fuck's sake!"
The scowl deepens when he sees Keigo's smug shit-eating grin as he bounces right back up, his eyes focused on the two bento boxes in Ichigo's hands. His friend is well on the verge of becoming Kurosaki Isshin 2.0 given his latest propensity for launching sneak attacks and unhealthy interest in Ichigo's love life. Ichigo suppresses his instincts to hide the lunch boxes behind his back.
Hiding would imply that he is embarrassed and that he has done something wrong. He has done neither of those things.
"I don't believe this! Tell the truth, Ichigo! You were going to offer one to Kuchiki-san, weren't you? I knew it! The betrayal! How could you do this to me?" Keigo wails dramatically. "I thought we were friends!"
"Stop being an idiot! For the last time, there is nothing going on between me and Rukia!"
Except perhaps the Hollow-hunting/world-saving/secret hero identity/Batman and Robin dynamic sort of thing; but nonetheless definitely not the kind of girlfriend-boyfriend/secret relationship that Keigo is insisting on. He has a reputation to maintain for crying out loud!
Sure, he cares about Rukia but that's only because- because he's a good friend and he feels responsible for reducing her to this powerless state! Besides, they're a team. Partners ought to stick together and watch each other's back.
"I don't believe you! You sneaky bastard! You—" Keigo points his finger accusatorily at him, screeching, "You just want Kuchiki-san for yourself! You don't deserve a delicate flower like Kuchiki-san! She needs someone who would pamper her and take care of her needs. Not a brute like you! I won't allow it!"
Ichgio rolls his eyes in reply. He easily tunes out the sound of Keigo's loud whimpers and exaggerated accusations of him being a horrible friend and a liar. This part of their dynamic Ichigo is well versed in, just as he trusts Mizuiro to deliver his tongue-in-cheek remarks in a second, distracting Keigo from his woes and laments, while Chad stoically watches on.
That much is routine. Yet, Ichigo finds himself muttering a curse under his breath when he finishes scanning the room, searching in vain for her face.
Rukia is gone.
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The end of the school day is marked by the familiar ding-dong chime from the schools' radio broadcast. His classmates are eager to call it a day, hastily packing their bags as they chat excitedly amongst themselves about their after-school plans.
"Hey, Ichigo! Wanna check out the arcade together?"
Ichigo shakes his head as he pushes his chair back noisily. "Can't! I'm on cleaning duty today. You guys go ahead without me!"
"Suit yourself!" Mizuiro shrugs. He fishes his phone out, scrolling down his list of contacts before selecting one of them, smiling at the picture of his girlfriend as he walks out of the classroom with his eyes on the phone, fingers furiously tapping away.
"Mou, Ichigo! You're such a bore! You're really missing out on all the fun, you know! Don't come crying to me when you end up all wrinkly and grey without any fond memories or even a cute girlfriend to remember your high school years by!"
At the sight of Ichigo's scowl, Keigo ducks, sprinting out of the classroom full speed ahead, screaming about how scary Ichigo is and how Ichigo is never going to get with any girl, especially Kuchiki-san, with an attitude like that.
"HEY! Mizuiro, stop! Wait for me!"
Chad's expression remains unreadable. He quirks an eyebrow at Ichigo as the latter rises to his full height, his gaze focused on an empty desk in front. He knows Ichigo. Even if he doesn't say anything about it, Chad knows his best friend is troubled and by the looks of things, the source of his worry stems from Kuchiki-san. Chad may be a man of few words, but he hears things.
Rumour has it that there is something more than friendship going on between Ichigo and the new transfer student. By now the whole classroom has noticed Ichigo's random disappearances, both during and after classes. They see him being tugged and pulled along by a girl half his size, the latter mumbling some excuse that no one really understands while the two turn the corner and disappear from view. Neither of the two appear again until hours later, chests heaving, faces red and shirts untucked. It is not that much of a stretch to think that there is something illicit and scandalous going on; that Kurosaki-san and Kuchiki-san are ditching class in favour of something infinitely more exciting, like having sex in some unseen corner of the school.
High school students are nothing if not imaginative and gossip like this keeps the student population alive and entertained. Baseless rumours aside, Chad sees the way the two act around each other. Their casual disregard for personal space and relaxed body language at skin-to-skin contact scream of their familiarity with each other. Seeing is believing. Unlike Keigo though, Chad is not one to blab so he keeps his thoughts to himself and his hands deep in his pocket, saying nothing as he shuffles out of the classroom.
The three are the last to leave the classroom. Now finally left alone, Ichigo frowns as he stares at Rukia's empty seat. He barely paid any attention to what the teacher droned on about during class. His mind wandered, running ragged with worry for Rukia. He has not seen the Shinigami after lunch and no one- none of the girls in class seems to know where she has gone, nor have they seen her. He cannot help but worry if she has gotten herself into trouble.
He heaves a sigh, resolving to put the matter aside for now as he grabs the cleaning supplies from the cupboard; eager to get started on his task so he can go home early. The sooner he finishes cleaning, the sooner he can leave to look for Rukia.
Ichigo absentmindedly gathers the rubbish after cleaning. Bin bag in hand, he leaves the classroom to dispose of them. His foot has barely stepped on the staircase when he hears a commotion coming from a few floors below him. He peers down at the stairwell from the third floor, his eyes widening with surprise when he sees her.
"Rukia!"
He does not hesitate, dropping the bag of rubbish then and there to chase after her, taking two steps at a time, nearly running into the wall when he turns the corner sharply in his haste to get to her.
"Rukia! Hey! Stop!"
The school corridors are empty and deserted after school and Ichigo's voice echoes. This time of the day, he does not worry about being seen or being told off by the disciplinary teacher for running in the hallways. There are only a few students still in the building, most of them tucked away in their club rooms or out on the field for after-school practices.
Rukia jumps when she hears Ichigo's voice coming from somewhere above her. She nearly misses a step but her tight grip on the handrails saves her just in time. She winces as she lands unsteadily on her left foot. Her face scrunches up in pain. The throbbing is getting worse. Her ankle is swollen. It hurts to even walk. It is an agony to be hobbling up the stairs.
She raises her head just in time to see Ichigo coming down the stairs towards her, his eyebrows furrowed and scowling deeply, more so when he sees the state that she is in. She instinctively tries to stand a little taller, smoothing down on the pleats of the skirt as she looks him straight in the eye, determined to downplay the severity of her injuries.
Curse this stupid gigai!
It is taking much too long for her powers to return. She wouldn't be having this problem at all if her gigai worked the way that it should, if she had her powers back.
Rukia calls out his name in greeting, managing a weak smile meant to reassure him. But Ichigo's scowl only deepens in response as he wills himself to remain calm, coming to a stop in front of her. Rukia's attempt at putting on a brave face is futile. To him, it looks like she just had a rough tumble on the asphalt, narrowly avoided certain death or collision with a car.
He is amazed that she still has both shoes on. Rukia's knees are scraped and raw. The hem of her skirt is ripped and frayed. The red bowtie that is part of the girls' uniform for Karakura High School hangs loose and undone from the collars of her white blouse, the ends tattered. Her grey blazer is dirty and scuffed, especially on the patches of her elbows.
Memories of her bloodied face from the fateful night when she saved him and his family from the Hollow's attack flash in his mind. Rukia looks even paler than she did then. Her lips appear nearly bloodless, while her cheeks are smudged with dirt. Blood trickles sluggishly down the side of her face from a cut on her forehead, deep enough that Ichigo worries that she might need stitches.
His fists clench, his voice unusually tight as he tries to rein in his fury. Violence is never the answer but, in some cases, it is justified. This is one of them. He will find out who did this to Rukia and return the favour a hundredfold.
"Where were you? I was looking everywhere for you! What happened? Who did this to you?"
"I'm fine, Ichigo. The Hollow I fought today was just a little stronger than expected that's all. You shouldn't worry though. I took care of it."
He glares at her. If she thinks that she can just brush him off with a reply like that, she has got another thing coming.
"You went Hollow hunting without me? Rukia, I thought we were a team!"
Rukia makes a face, waving him off. "Relax, Ichigo! It was small fry anyway. Nothing I can't handle! Despite how young I look in this gigai, I am hundreds of years older than you! I've eaten more salt in my lifetime than you have rice. Don't underestimate me."
"That's not the point! We're a team, Rukia! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? You just disappeared without saying a word and no one remembers seeing you during lunch at all! Did you even eat breakfast this morning?"
Rukia rolls her eyes. Honestly, the boy is such a worry wart! It would have been endearing, almost, if he wasn't so persistent with his questions.
"What's this? Is the Great Kurosaki Ichigo worried about me? I am so flattered!"
Ichigo growls. "What were you thinking, Rukia? These Hollows are dangerous! You should have waited for me!"
Rukia bristles. It feels insulting to be spoken to like that.
Foolish mortal!
She has been hunting Hollows for longer than he has been alive in this plane of existence! How dare Ichigo question her abilities and her competence!
She is not some scared and helpless little girl running headfirst into battle. She knows the risks. She knows how to handle herself. Ichigo knows nothing about being a Shinigami. Losing her Shinigami powers does not take away her years of combat experience. A zanpakutou is essential to a Shinigami, but so is her mastery on kido and other combat skills. Between the two of them, she is one who lived and breathed on the streets of Inuzuri. She made it through the Shinigami Academy and graduated, entered the Thirteenth Division and here she is still standing. Barring the unfortunate loss of her Shinigami powers to the human boy in front of her, she has been doing just fine on her own!
She grits her teeth, reminding herself that Ichigo did not mean to offend her. Teenagers, especially teenaged boys tend to put their foot in their mouth unknowingly. Such are the pangs of growing pain, she thought to herself wryly.
"Of course we are, but I handled it. It's fine, so drop it!"
Under his gaze, Rukia straightens herself to her full height, shoulders squared as she glares at him, trying her best to hobble past him.
"Wait!"
His hand shoots out unthinkingly, grabbing her by her wrist to pull her back. Rukia's response to that is an instinctive hiss, loud and jarring enough that he takes a step back.
"R-Rukia—"
Ichigo trails off, pursing his lips when he sees the bloodstains at her side, seeping through her grey blazer. Rukia kept her hand pressed on her side throughout their conversation just now, shielding it from view. It hits him only now that Rukia is a masochistic idiot and a liar. Her injuries are far worse than she lets on. He scowls as he forces his way forward, taking advantage of her shock to creep close and pull the blazer apart to see the full extent of her injuries for himself.
"S-Shit!"
Ichigo is aghast. His hands are shaking as they hold onto the front of the blazer. The lower half of Rukia's white blouse is soaked in her own blood. It is starting to seep through to her skirt. His simple movement causes Rukia to whimper, her lower lip quivering as beads of cold sweat dot her brow.
This idiot!
He clenches his fists tightly, resisting the urge to grab her by her shoulders and just shake some common sense into her. How is she still standing with her injuries like that? He is surprised she has not already bled out by this stage!
Without skipping a beat, he closes his hand around her wrist, his face solemn as he asks, "Can you walk?"
"I'm still standing, aren't I?"
"Damn it, Rukia! Stop being so difficult. I'm serious. Can you actually walk on your own right now? Shinigami or not, I will knock you out and carry you to the hospital myself if I have to!"
The look in Ichigo's eyes is fierce enough to give her pause, but Rukia recovers admirably enough as she scoffs.
"Don't be stupid!" she hisses, scowling when she realizes that Ichigo is not budging no matter how much she tries to shake his grasp off her wrist. "You can't just bring me to a hospital, Ichigo!"
"Oh yeah? Why not, Rukia?"
Rukia rolls her eyes. "Because you idiot, how are you going to explain my injuries to the doctors? They'll ask questions. They could get the police involved. Worse, they might think you did this to me. Are you sure you even want to go down that route?"
Ichigo frowns. "You have that memory modifier thingy, don't you? Why can't you use that?"
Rukia sighs. Yes, the memory modifier 'thingy', of course. "The kikanshinki isn't perfect. You should know that. The more people we use it on, the higher the chances of things going wrong. It's too risky."
"We'll go to the clinic then!" Ichigo offers as an alternative. "Old Goat-Chin is crazy to begin with. You can use the kikanshinki on him and he'd be none the wiser after."
Rukia shakes her head vehemently. "Fool! Are you even listening to me? The kikanshinki is not perfect. I just used it on him a few weeks ago. Frequent overuse can seriously affect your father's memory."
"Well, shit!" He runs a hand through his hair, frustrated. "I— Fuck it! Let's risk it anyway. You said it could happen, not that it would! There's a chance that nothing'll happen to him, but you—" Ichigo gulps. His eyes narrow at the darkening splat of red on Rukia's side and her pale face. She can barely stand without his grip steadying her.
He tightens his grip. "You need to be looked at by someone, Rukia. We need to do something!"
Rukia grabs Ichigo by the lapels of his blazer, gritting her teeth as she tries to pull him to her eye-level. Ichigo does not even budge by an inch. He meets her gaze unflinchingly, standing straight and adamantly refusing to let go of her wrist.
The height difference between them works against her, putting her at a severe disadvantage as Rukia cranes her neck, trying to stare him down. Realizing how futile her efforts are, Rukia is the first to break eye contact, releasing her hold on him with a huff.
"Fine! Take me to Urahara's!"
Ichigo has a point. She is stubborn but not stupid enough to ignore the fact that her injuries need patching up. Rukia ceases her struggles, trying her best not to react to the proximity when Ichigo bends low to her eye level. She looks away, her face suddenly warm when strong, sinewy arms snake around her waist and behind her knees, careful to avoid her injured side. He lifts her up, carrying her down the stairs with his steps measured and slow.
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"Well, it seems that you're fine now. Kurosaki-san will be very happy to know that!"
Rukia sits up slowly from the futon. Tessai has done a good job of treating her injuries. She barely feels any twinges of pain or impediments to her movements now, but she still feels a little lightheaded. Probably the aftereffects of blood loss, she thought.
She tilts her head at the shop keeper, frowning at him. "Why are you still here?"
Urahara gives a dramatic sigh as he unfurls his fan, covering the lower part of his face as he tuts in his sing-song voice. "Yare, yare, the esteemed customer Kuchiki-san is so cold to this poor businessman who has kindly opened his doors to her in her moment of need and tended to her wounds."
Rukia barely bats an eye. "Tessai is the one who treated my wounds. His kido skills are still as impressive as ever. Please pass on my thanks to him."
Urahara is unoffended, folding his fan with a snap as he walks towards the door. "Very well then, I will see myself out. I know when my presence is not wanted. There is however someone who is very eager to see you again. He's been waiting outside. Shall I send him in?"
Urahara's knowing smirk is annoying. Rukia glares at him. She clears her throat loudly, hoping that it would draw attention away from her suddenly warm cheeks. Ichigo still has ways to go with learning how to rein his reiatsu in and it shows with how wildly it flares still, building up like a storm outside. Rukia feels it from behind the shoji screens. He truly is worried and anxious about her. If it wasn't because Tessai bluffed that he'd need to remove her clothes during the healing process, Ichigo would have stayed to keep vigil until she 'woke up'.
Urahara finds it all endlessly amusing, teasing her every time he gets the chance about her new 'puppy'. After all, since she came to Karakura, Ichigo is never far behind. Not her shadow, not a bodyguard; the boy even vehemently denies wanting anything to do with her, and yet—
Urahara's smile widens as he slides the door open. Actions always speak louder than words. Ah, to be young and so awkward in love.
Isshin's boy has really grown up now and the apple truly does not fall far from the tree. Both father and son have a knack of falling for someone they shouldn't.
"You should talk to him. The boy is very worried about you, you know."
Rukia can feel her eye twitching. The last thing she needs from a shady businessman like Urahara is a lecture on responsibilities and what she should or should not be doing. Before she can open her mouth to retort though, she hears heavy footsteps running towards her. She blinks, and it is Ichigo's face that she sees, his eyebrows furrowed and frowning deeply at her.
The relief he feels when he sees her is near palpable. Rukia feels it too and is rendered a little speechless in response. His concern for her is genuine. Even when he barely knows anything about her, Ichigo is still here for her, caring for her like how a comrade would. No—
Rukia's fists clench on the duvet. This level of care that she receives from him surpasses perhaps even that of the other Shinigamis in her own division. She knows what they call her behind her back.
The Kuchiki brat, Captain Kuchiki's younger sister.
Ichigo cares for her. He is worried about her, but his concern has nothing to do with her family name. He is simply here, worried about the Shinigami Rukia- his Hollow hunting partner.
"Tessai-san said some of your injuries are at least a few days older than the wound on your side today. Why didn't you tell me you were injured from before?"
His voice cuts through the silence like a hot knife through butter. Ichigo tries hard to keep his anger from seeping into his voice. For all that Rukia chides and berates him for being hot-headed and foolish, she is every bit as bad as he is. If he hadn't stayed back today because of cleaning duty, was she planning to just leave her injuries be and stay the night at school, bleeding out overnight so he'd go to school the next morning to a lifeless gigai?
"Rukia—" His voice breaks a little as he looks her dead in the eyes— "You could have died from your injuries today."
Rukia winces, feeling guilty. It started off with just a sprained ankle. She didn't think too much of it when her phone pinged, alerting her to the Hollow's existence. This was a small fry, weak enough that she thought she could fend off with just her kido and save the poor Plus souls it was harassing. Ichigo can purify it some other time. Yet, who would have thought that the stupid sprained ankle was going to give the Hollow an opening, giving it a chance to cut her with its blade-like arms?
The battle dragged on because of that. It ultimately ended in a stalemate. Rukia couldn't quite finish the bastard off, but she incapacitated it. She expended the last of her limited reiryouku to a powerful hado spell, summouning a blade of lightning to slice the Hollow's hind legs clean off, so she could get away safely without risking the Hollow giving chase after her.
"S-Sorry," she murmurs, "I didn't mean to make you worry. I didn't want to take you away from your friends. You should be out there enjoying life and making memories with them. Pick a fight, get drunk, fall in love, study, fail an exam or two— you know, all the stuff that normal high school students get up to. You shouldn't have to worry about purifying Hollows while your midterms are coming up."
She didn't want to be an inconvenience to Ichigo. She has already encumbered him with too much and intruded on his personal life enough. The afterworld and its business are for the dead, not the living. That is how it has always been and that is how it should stay. She has broken the core tenets of Soul Society by involving Ichigo, who is among the living, in matters concerning Pluses and Hollows, life and death. Ichigo is just a high school student. He should be enjoying his carefree adolescent years. It is bad enough that she has lost connections to Shirayuki, having no choice but to utilize Ichigo to purify the souls. The least that she can do is take care of the small fries herself and not burden him with her injuries.
She can take care of herself, right?
That is how it has always been.
Ichigo quirks an eyebrow at that, giving her a strange look. "Is that why you sneaked out to take care of that Hollow yourself? Because of some stupid upcoming midterm exams?"
"Your education is not stupid. It's very important. Just because you are subbing in for my Shinigami duties, does not mean that you get to slack off!"
The teachers made it a point, repeating it numerous times during lessons. Midterm exams are next week. If they don't want to repeat the year, they had better buckle down and study. Unlike her, Ichigo belongs here. He has a future to live for. She does not want Ichigo to fail his exams just because he is too busy helping her to fulfil her responsibilities.
Ichigo gives her an annoyed huff, rubbing his nape. While it is nice to know that Rukia does care for him in her own way, that is not the point he is trying to make. She should have told him about the Hollow alert when she first received it.
"We're partners. That means we're together in this," he tells her sternly. "I gave you my word that I was going to help you! You should trust me."
Rukia's eyes soften. "Ichigo, I do trust you. But I am a Shinigami. This is my job, my sacred duty to—"
"I get that, Rukia! You're like this badass superhero- secret identity, saving lives, killing monsters and whatever! I get that! That's cool. But you know what? Even superheroes, need help from their friends from time to time. You can trust me! I know I still have a lot to learn but I can do this! You can rely on me!"
Rukia shakes her head. "It's not that simple, Ichigo."
Her reiatsu is barely felt at all. No matter how much she wills it, all she hears from Shirayuki is radio silence. Her reiryouku levels remain dismally low even with weeks of recuperation and help from Urahara. There is a limit to optimism and Rukia has always been more pragmatic than optimistic. She is starting to lose hope. Her frustration at the lack of progress keeps her up at night, but no amount of training and practice soothes her.
"W-What if my powers never return?"
"Then we'll stay like this forever. Partners—" Ichigo suddenly grips her hands, clasping them tightly in his, willing her to feel his sincerity— "We'll go Hollow hunting together, through high school, university and even beyond if I have to! I'm not giving up on you! Your powers will come back to you!"
"Idiot."
Rukia snorts. In Ichigo's eyes, she sees his resolve. His sincerity touches her. A warm, fuzzy feeling fills her heart. Rukia has no doubt that he means it. But forever is a very long time. A human like him—
Ichigo is still too young to fully comprehend what he is committing himself too. He may be sincere and kind enough to offer, but as a Shinigami decades older than him, Rukia is not in a position to accept this. She cannot hold him to a promise made in the spur of the moment.
A promise made in goodwill by a boy cannot be considered legally binding. Rukia is not nearly cruel enough. Neither does she have the heart to tell him about what happens to Shinigamis who are found to have lent their powers to humans. It is not Ichigo's burden to know. She will not trouble him with it. What good will it do anyway?
Her fate is sealed the moment she plunged Shirayuki deep into his chest. It is not something a mere mortal can overrule and change. Knowing the truth will only bring Ichigo much guilt and frustration.
"Promise you won't go hollow hunting without me now?"
Her pointless musing is cut short by Ichigo, who is still holding onto her hands, looking at her intently as he kneels by her side.
"Tch! Like I have a choice. It's not like you're going to let me. Though—" Rukia looks pointedly at their clasped hands, arching an eyebrow at him— "Do you mind?"
Ichigo's cheeks colour to an interesting shade of red. He immediately releases her hands as though he has been burnt, clearing his throat loudly while he retreats some distance away, hastily mumbling to her that it is getting late. They should leave now if they want to be home for dinner.
He leaves the room to give her some privacy to change. Her school uniform is beyond saving. Tessai-san has graciously found some clothes that would fit her in the meantime.
Ichigo sneaks a glance at Rukia just before he leaves the room. He didn't miss the pitying look on Rukia's face just now. His pride stings at that. Rukia doesn't believe him, yet she is gentle, willing to play along to avoid hurting his feelings. Ichigo clenches his fist, his lips set into a grim line. He will prove her wrong with his actions.
He meant and believed every word he told her. Rukia may act aloof, but deep inside, she is so sickeningly good and selfless; like a cheesy Shounen character or a superhero from those paperback American comic books he used to collect, hiding behind her fake high school student identity while saving the world from Hollows in secret.
Rukia lost her powers because of him. She lent them to him so he could protect his own family, or rather what remains of it. For that, he is forever grateful, grateful enough that he does not mind using the rest of his life to repay this life debt.
He wears the mantle for her. It won't be forever, he knows. But while he has the power to protect, he is going to make every second of it count. Even if he knows he can't save everyone, he will try his hardest to do it anyway. He owes Rukia that much.
Heroes and heroines fight against the forces of evil, unbowed and unbent even in the face of perils great and insurmountable. Good always triumphs against evil. No reason why they can't be heroes together.
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Omake:
Later that night when Ichigo is lying in his bed and Rukia is safely nestled in the depths of his closet, reading what appears to be a typical shoujo manga based on what he sees from the book covers, Ichigo turns his head towards her. There is just one more thing that has been playing on his mind since they came back from Urahara's.
"Rukia, why did you go back to school after you got away from the Hollow?"
With the extent and nature of her injuries, she should have gone straight to Urahara's. It bothers him to know that there is something that she considers important enough to delay medical treatment for. What can be more important than her own health and wellbeing?
She does not answer immediately. His question hangs in the air, unanswered for the longest time. Ichigo frowns, worried that he said something wrong and was about to change the conversation when he hears Rukia clearing her throat, her voice a little sheepish when she replies, "I… I left the manga that the one of the girls lent me at school."
"Rukia—" Ichigo sits up in bed, leaning over so he can face her directly through the gap of the closet door— "You're an idiot, you know that?"
Rukia's response is swift. The manga in her hands is slammed shut and sails through the air, conking Ichigo on the head with a solid thud before it rebounds on the bed.
Ichigo presses a hand to his head, yowling in pain. "Ow! Rukia! You bitch!"
"Sorry Ichigo, my hand slipped. Oops!"
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Author's note:
Ok, they are both idiots. xD
Ichigo is 100000% that kid wearing the window drapes as a cape, pretending to be a superhero growing up! The real question is would he be a DC fan or is he a Marvel fan?
I originally wanted to do a superhero or rather Batman AU based on this prompt but I soon realized that I was a bit out of my depth with it. I really enjoyed the input from Robyn though so with some help from fellow server members, maybe I will get that AU out some day.