living corpse Chapter 7: alter our lives, a bleach fanfic

It's late at night when Ichigo returns, slightly scowling as he closes the front door. Ruffling the back of his head, he walks forward, like a weary traveller.

"Tadaima."

Momo peeks from the door, her eyes and ruffled hair the only thing visible.

"Okaeri."

But, even so, he can feel her grin, like warmth from a candlestick, melting the wax ever so slowly that a pretty pattern is carved.

"How was your day?" Violet eyes blink, wide with curiosity.

"Good, the usual, I guess. Can't complain – not when I've got a gorgeous girlfriend with child." He offers her a smile, touching the corners of his lips, mirrored in the sparkle of his brown eyes.

"Aw, that's so sweet." She smiles, long lashes mingling with mischievousness. Closing the distance between them, through shuffled footsteps – Ichigo's orders – she presses her lips together, suddenly shy and red faced. "Ah… unfortunately, two very special people have mysteriously disappeared."

"Huh," her boyfriend decides to guess haphazardly, knowing that he's wrong instantly. "… it wouldn't be Yuzu and Yamada, would it?"

"Negative, commander." Momo shakes her head, her cheeks catching heat quickly. "Tis the other sister who lives yonder, over the hills and mountain snow, a flower weeps as it sheds its petals."

"Ah. The wonder that literature that makes you say something akin to poetry." He arches his eyebrow, eliciting a soft chuckle. "And the other?"

"Hmm. This one is a bit harder…" She frowns, instinctively chewing her lip and placing a hand on her slight bulge. "Ah hah, I've got it!" Her smile widens as she meets his eyes, sparkling as the words were tasted on her lips. "The lone lizard that crawls, across cracks of ice and bloodied wings, reluctantly wishes to fly again."

"Inspiration from Aizen Sousuke?" A grin slides onto his face, as the memories quickly pass him by.

"But of course! His poetry is the best. And, it's how I met you." Her fingers toyed with the letter behind her back. "I wouldn't have loved him half as much if you didn't join me that day… and begin our long and epic dance of forbidden love, until we could no longer deny those feelings."

"Yes. Very epic, that course of true love." He nods, remembering the first time that they met was when he was twelve and she was seven; and that his girlfriend was, and still is, overdramatic. "In any case, are you going to show me what you're hiding, you hopeless romantic?"

She sighs, winking flirtatiously at him. "How did you know?"

"… I have my ways." He replies, gaining a haughty look. He isn't about to tell her that during the span of the whole conversation, one hand has been hidden behind her back; every now and then he's been able to see a flash of white. With those facts in mind, it isn't that hard to discern to truth.

"Well, okay." Mock pouting, jutting her bottom lip out, she fishes out the letter behind her, unopened in her nurturing hands. "The lizard and the flower left footprints."

"Then, I suppose, we're going to have to follow them." He grins, identically matching a smile with his pregnant girlfriend.

And by that, they mean reading the letter.

To the united fruits forces, Nii-san and Momo,

(Who else would I be writing to, and leaving this letter here without specific instructions to give to anybody else?)

"She hasn't changed much, has she?" Momo observes, tilting her head cupped graciously in her hands.

"… it's Karin." Ichigo shrugs. "It's how she rolls."

I have decided to kidnap our dear old friend in order to stop him moping and generally annoying the hell out of me. If unsuccessful, he will promptly return tied up in a body bag.

… he may be dead; too, should the possibility arise in our journey together.

Still!

The likelihood of that scenario is only if he proves too drastically stick-in-the-mud-ish for me to handle.

Take that community spirit. And Yuzu, who says I should at least try something before giving it up. Unlike you, Nii-san, Yuzu is a good role model.

"That's funny – she's underlined good three times, and yet still Yuzu and Karin are polar opposites." Ichigo notes. He doesn't really care if Toushirou's dead or alive at the end of the experience, or he believes that his youngest sister is too benevolent to actually conduct murder.

"She's your sister; obviously she's inherited some of your traits. Like laziness, for one. And that terrible, terrible temper." Momo lowers of her voice when speaking the latter sentence, making it sound grouchy and ominous.

"You think it's true? I'm a bad role model?"

"Honey, you're going to make a wonderful dad." She replies, smiling ever so softly, bright as always. "I know it."

It doesn't answer his question in some ways, but it does in others, and it'll have to do.

He'll find out when the time comes.

I'll return, I promise. I'll be back for the Yuzu's wedding – as I am the maid of honour.

"You should have seen her face when Yuzu and I told her that." Ichigo reminisces with a quirky grin, somewhere amidst the smack fest.

"She must be proud." She comments with her cheeks dimpling.

… just, why didn't you tell me that Momo was—is pregnant?!

"You didn't tell her?" Her face ripples into a cheeky grin, imitating a monkey.

"I… uh, kind of… thought she'd be anti-baby." Embarrassed, Ichigo awkwardly admits, aware that his face is reddening. "Lately or whenever she contacts me, rarely, very rarely, may I say, she seems like she hates life. She seems bitter, I guess. As if the whole world is against her." Mulling over her behaviour, and the words she spokes, and trying to read her subtext, there's a certain lonely aura that surrounds her.

"I guess, but… she'd be an aunt. This baby—our baby—affects her. Our family… is growing bigger." Tentatively, she places her hand on her stomach, each day growing a little bit more.

"Toushirou couldn't keep his mouth shut. Huh." Ichigo muses. "Though to be fair… I'm not one to hide things from her. I mean – me, I'm going to be a father!" Truthfully, the idea still excites him, and he can't believe that it's true.

"You'll be wonderful." She replies, adoration in her soft eyes. "We'll be wonderful."

He squeezes her hand, kissing her forehead.

"Yeah, we will."

Yes. I know. Congratulations. You're one of us now, even if you don't have the family name, Momo. But then, you've been like a sister to me.

If you want to know: Hitsugaya suffered the consequences of telling me.

Figures.

So, yeah; that's it for now. If anything comes up, text me, and I'll come running.

… maybe.

"Elusive as always, it seems." Momo arches her eyebrow, a knowing smiling on her round face.

"You can't tether her down." His mouth tempts a smile, only teasing her, as brown orbs scan the rest of the page.

And he sees them.

Those three words.

"What's wrong?" His girlfriend asks, intuitively sensing a problem arising.

And he looks at her, eyes filled with a plethora of emotion that she, for once, despite knowing almost everything about the Kurosakis, cannot decipher, cannot tell what the matter is.

"I don't know. But something's wrong." Suddenly, he's aware that they seem like strangers, and that she's pushing and pushing and pushing everything away. Yesterday, Karin broke down crying in his arms. Today, she's gone, like taking a joyride.

"But… they'll be okay, right?" Worry moves within her, as she sits closer to him, inhaling his scent and trying to be his pillar. Desperation claws at her heart when he does not reply. "Look at me: they will be okay, ne?"

The fear that is tangible in his mouth and falling into her eyelashes and on her cheeks. Those two people are important to her: both her childhood friends, one her classmate and the other her sempai in school, by one year. And it's not just her; they're his friends, his family as well. Family isn't just blood, but the bonds created around one another, good or bad. That way, there will always be a connection between them.

Ichigo replies instantly and he hopes that it is not a lie.

"Yeah… they'll be fine."

Take care, alright?

I love you.

Karin.

living corpse
7 : alter our lives

"Okay, first of all, we're not that far from Karakura Town. If you want to get out and return, then I'm not going to stop you. But if you're going back, then I'm not taking you." Karin says, giving Toushirou a meaning glance. "So think this through, 'kay?"

"I said I'll go with you. I'm going with you." He replies, looking out the window.

"Last chance…" She chants, drumming her fingers on the driving wheel. "Going, going, gone."

"…"

Oh, you just like teasing him. Rukia says, passing her hand through her face. It's an opportunity that you can't resist.

"Shut up." Huffing, she says, in retaliation to the ghost girl, accompanying them on this lovely road trip. But Rukia still catches the smile that's directed at the side-mirror.

"I didn't say anything." Turning his head to face her, she gives a quick glance at him, showing exasperation.

"You didn't have to, Toushirou. You really didn't have to." Pulling a face, she grimaces. "That look on your face says it all."

"Don't be ridiculous, I wasn't looking at you." Common sense tells him that much. He was watching another car pass him by when she had spoken.

"Ever heard of the phrase: eyes at the back of your head?" She retorts, watching his reaction out the corner of her dark blue eyes.

"That's completely out of context." He scoffs, growing annoyed with her childish behaviour to pick a fight. What's more annoying is that he's rising to the bait and encouraging the petty argument, just like they used to do, back in the old days.

"Meh." She shrugs, not too bothered.

They continue in silence.

She isn't lashing out on him – she promised to be civil. If only he returns the same courtesy.

Technically, she's snappily replying to Rukia, ghost-girl-extraordinaire, who refuses to move on until Toushirou has.

But then, mister prissy dragon had the wrong idea and started a fight.

It isn't her fault – it's Rukia's.

And ghost-girl-extraordinaire is smiling, cackling like she hasn't a care in the world.

Therefore, this time, she refrains from saying 'shut up'.

Just in case Toushirou gets the wrong end of the stick.

… though she resents him for not being able to see Rukia.

… just a little bit.

Half an hour later, when Karin believes that Rukia is truly evil, making her laugh quietly as Rukia quotes or improvises monologues that are overdramatic and borderline terror, aimed at Toushirou; and that the silence can suffocate her no longer, she decides to switch the radio on.

"Hello, folks. Today we have a serious case of—"

Toushirou glares and changes the channel.

"Jibun wo, sekai sae mo kaete shimaesouna
Shunkan wa itsuno sugu soba ni…"

Toushirou is tempted to change the channel again, but one look from Karin stops him. Or rather, her hand on his wrist, squeezing tightly does the trick.

"You are not touching that button until the song is over. I am singing whether you like it or not."

"You like Code Geass?"

And then she bursts into song, signifying yes to his answer.

"Kakusenu iradachi to tachitsukusu jibun wo mistumete…"

He sighs, and tries to enjoy the sound without the horrible sing-a-long girl.

Unbeknownst to him, is Rukia, screaming the song in his ear, also an avid fan of the series.

He notices three things during the journey to wherever the hell they are going:

One – she eats pocky a lot.

Two – she will not let him eat the pocky.

Three – she sings to any song that appeals to her, and changes the channel if it doesn't.

Coincidently, Karin also notices three things about him, but doesn't care either way.

One – he's very quiet.

Two – he likes to glare, or at least brood, with an unreadable expression on his face.

Three – he wants her pocky. And that is never a good thing.

The silence is a friend to them, calming them or spurring their anger to fuse and explode, like bombs, ticking down to the countdown.

Of course, Rukia eggs them on, once she decides to be part of the conversation, with awkward results. Sometimes she is tired, and merely rests on the seats behind Karin and Toushirou, without using her seat beat.

If there happens to be an accident, she can always pass through material objects.

It's only a pity that it's not the same for the living humans.

She grins as a sign board catches her attention.

"Finally!"

Hitsugaya turns his attention to her, mildly interested. During the car journey he has been counting cars and trying to discern the different types that there are, in between their varying interludes of silence and song-singing.

"What?"

She shakes her shoulders, jiggling up and down, possibly because of the jumpy tune that is currently playing on the radio. Thankfully, it's a little too fast to be sung, but it makes her laugh when she stumbles and slips on the correct syllables. Her fingers drum on the driving wheel, a habit that will, Toushirou suspects, infuriate him little by little as the 'time out journey' continues.

"Bathroom break." She makes the peace sign, winking at the mirror for curious reasons. "And food."

"You've been stuffing your face with pocky ever since you started driving!" He states, voice a little dull and monotone for her liking. "How can you be hungry?"

"Okay, first." She spares him a glance, before turning to the road that will lead them to eat. "Pocky is a snack. It doesn't constitute as food. Second." With a terse voice, she speaks, making sure that the car is parked properly with the utmost care. "I'm not an idiot. I need a break from driving, my ass is numb, I have to go and… you're probably hungry. Three hour drives can do that to people." Giving him a sneaky smile that makes the hairs at the back of his neck bristle, Karin continues listing. "Third: I haven't got a reason to kill you, have I honey?"

"… are you talking to the car?" He arches his eyebrow.

"Yes. I was given it by a very special friend. I love it. Is that okay with you?" Snidely, she replies, getting out of the car and grabbing her keys.

If he responds to her jibe, then she doesn't hear it as she walks, stomping the ground with sound effects.

His answer doesn't matter to her, in any case. Not when she's pissed off.

She returns to him with burger and fries in a much better mood. She even smiles as she gives her food to him. He doesn't return the gesture.

He has feeling that the whole time she was away collecting the food; she was also burning holes into the back of his head.

"Thank you." He says, a little quietly, but she hears his words, nonetheless.

"It's alright. Now, eat!" She commands jovially, digging in to her burger with over exaggerated enthusiasm. Apparently, she does inherit Kurosaki Isshin's antics, such as her goofy attempt at being a travel companion, when they aren't fighting over what to listen. He shudders at the thought of what other traits she has that is similar to her family.

Tentatively, he joins her; still a little weary of attempted poison.

It's later, when they decide to drive again, Karin now firmly relaxed and raring to go, that Toushirou asks the question that he should have asked at the beginning, the question that should have come to him sooner.

"Where are we going?"

She freezes for a split second.

Where are we going?

Somewhere.

Anywhere.

Does it really matter?

"Um…"

"… north?" She finally says, picking a direction.

She hopes that he doesn't want a specific place.

"The city?"

"… Tokyo." Karin finally says, adding as an afterthought. "Maybe Hiroshima."

"Huh." He comments. He really should know better.

"What?" She asks, not liking the insinuation.

"Nothing. It's just… it's good you have a plan." Toushirou chooses his words carefully, learning slightly from mistakes that he has forgotten.

"That's me. I always have plan." She lies easily with an impenetrable smile on her face.

Hey… can we go to Kobe as well? Rukia pipes in.

"… if I feel like it, we could go to Kobe. Anywhere you want to go?" She asks, ignoring the ghost although acknowledging her request.

"No." He says softly. "Just… anywhere away from Karakura Town."

She flinches, though it goes unseen.

So there is…

… somebody like me.

But is that good or bad?

"I see." She says, determined not to look at him. "… I see."

The rest of the journey goes in silence.

There's not much else to say.

Singing, however, is a different story.

And by the time Karin finds a hotel that she likes, or finally just decides to fall asleep at nine o'clock, Toushirou has created seven different plans to either shut her up or break the radio irreparably.

When the hotel comes in sight, he can only sigh in relief.

"Moizaiku kakera hitotsu hitotsu tsunagiawasete egaite yuku
Anata ga kureta deai to wakare mo…"

He tries to unbuckle the seat beat and escape from the car, but she grabs his wrist with a scary smile on her face.

"You're not going anywhere until this song is finished."

Oh, he loathes Code Geass and all anime for making her an addict.

"Hi, I'd like to rent a room for the night." Karin asks at the counter, visibly energetic and optimistic while Toushirou carries both their luggage, glowering.

"Would you like the honeymoon suite?" The blonde girl asks, chewing gum and glancing at the stoic boy behind her.

Lowering her head, Karin curses under her breath. She isn't used to travelling with a companion. And the assumption is easy to make. So many people prefer to be tethered to the ground, with their anchor in place. Granted, an anchor is nice to have, to remember who she is, but…

"No thank you. One room, two beds, just for tonight, please."

"Okay. Thank you for staying with us. That'll be one thousand yen." The girl behind the counter replies, bored, before continuing with video games on the computer. "Here's the key for your room, the door on the left will lead you there, and it's number twenty-three."

"Got it." Catching the keys with practised ease, Karin walks away, beckoning the silent boy to follow her. "See ya round."

Grimacing, Toushirou eventually complies.

She stares at the mirror, drenched in drops of water that slide down her face. Her breath is heavy and her face is pale, thanks to the cold.

Rukia folds her arms, leaning on the bathroom door, visible in the mirror's reflective surface, expression indifferent.

Toushirou is asleep, that much, Karin is certain. Though she makes a mental note to pick up all the garbage made in the morning and promptly chuck in the bin, as tribute to her older sister.

"Is this really a good idea, Rukia?" The younger girl asks, uncertainly clearly written on her face. She speaks in a low voice, careful not to attract her companion's attention, should he in fact be awake. "Kami-sama, I mean, it's him."

I didn't ask you to. You wanted to do it. Rukia isn't punishing Karin's actions, or condoning them, she is simply stating them; making the facts black and white to her friend.

"… for you." The younger girl confesses, drying her face with the nearby towel, brushing away the droplets of water, in substitute for actual tears. "I'm doing this for you."

Karin… Rukia uses her name cautiously, tasting it on her lips. Are you sure that it is all for me?

"No." She admits, bitterness reflecting in her face. "You're the main reason, but… I don't like seeing people sad. He… he was my friend too. Not my boyfriend, but… I did know the old him. And maybe, maybe I can help him." In a quieter voice, she whispers. "Maybe he can be my friend again."

I have faith in you. The ghost girl says, pretty words that make Karin smile, words that make her feel vulnerable. He's already made the first step.

"You'll tell me, right? When you're going?"

Rukia doesn't reply, silent for a long time.

"Good night, Rukia." Karin mumbles, opening the door and walking through it.

… good night.

But her words are too late to be heard.

Karin doesn't sleep well, tossing and turning because the sweet bliss of slumber doesn't come.

Opening her blue eyes, she looks at the window, at the small gap that the terrible curtains have left out. The moon is visible, through sheets of blue solitude.

She closes her eyes; dreams of weddings and guns, of sunsets and ocean avenues, of ticking clocks and unspoken words.

Change is coming.