The papers and sharp objects around Ichigo made him feel slightly uneasy and edgy as he sat quietly in a chair opposite to his father. His father looked stressed and tired, and Ichigo had noticed with displeasure that the papers littering the office weren't completely work related. As his father let out a shaky breath and rubbed his face thoroughly, Ichigo surveyed the room more.
His father had been over working again.
"Dad-"
"Ichigo…" his father breathed, seemingly more calm now. He entwined his fingers together so his elbows could rest on the table and looked at Ichigo straight into his eyes, his normally happy behaviour all gone. "Ichigo… look me straight in the eye and tell me where did you meet Rukia?" he asked hoarsely, dropping the honorific off her name. Ichigo didn't hesitate.
"I met her at Kyouka Suigetsu." Ichigo jumped slightly in shock when his father let out a half sob half groan, throwing his pen down and rubbing the bridge of his nose. Tears sprung into Isshin's eyes, which alarmed Ichigo but he stayed still. A little strained, but still clear and deep, Isshin continued speaking.
"Son… was she alone?"
Ichigo thought back to when he and Rukia met and nodded his head. The girl had fallen out of nowhere, literally.
"Did…did you see the owners of that club? A man with silver hair, or perhaps another with brown, wavy hair?" Ichigo tried to ignore the sharp pitch in his father's tone that showed desperation. Ichigo shook his head and swallowed.
"No dad, I didn't. Look, what is this about? I-"
"I'll tell you those details later son, but I will tell you what matters most now." Isshin took in a deep breath and looked his son straight in the eyes again. "Ichigo…"
"Dad… say it straight out. I'm scared when you become like this," Ichigo said fearfully, no longer the man who put up a tough act to fool everybody, but the young, honest 9 year old he used to be. Isshin looked down for a second before looking at Ichigo again.
"Son… Rukia's dying."
"Higher Yuzu, higher!" a happy voice cheered as cheerful laughs filled the air. Rukia used her whole body to gain momentum and swing higher. She decided she loved this part of the playground the most.
The swings.
She felt as if for a small moment, for as long as it lasted, that she could fly. She could spread her broken, tattered wings, and escape the grasp of Ichimaru Gin and Aizen Sousuke. She felt that while she swung higher and lower, that nothing else mattered anymore. She could escape and laugh as much as she wanted. She felt what she had never experienced before.
Free.
She finally felt that one feeling that she was practically forbidden from feeling. Her loud and sharp laughs filled the air, embracing everyone with a comforting feel. Karin watched with a small, lopsided smile as she held her soccer ball under her arm. Yuzu laughed along with the cheerful Rukia as the happiness spread like a contagious disease to be caught.
"Oi, Yuzu! I feel like ice cream!" Karin called out suddenly to the pair. Rukia set her feet down deeply in the ground and blinked. Yuzu smiled and brightened up considerately at the mention of ice cream. "Ok!" Rukia remained calm and seated on the swing as the twins began to walk away, but stopped when they realised the older woman wasn't coming.
"Rukia-san...?" Karin called out. Rukia paused and quietly sat down on the swing, her hair blowing in the wind. Though Karin was slightly uncomfortable with the woman, due to her brave clothe shedding before, she still tried to get along with the patient, though she slightly disapproved of the woman's occupation. Her eyes were glittering with a thin layer of tears that begged to be shed but Karin could tell, Rukia had experience in hiding her tears well.
She was well trained in the strangest of areas. But Karin was not one to judge her. Ever since her mother had passed away, she too, had stopped crying. Ironic, she had found something in common with the older prostitute Karin thought. Yuzu ran back to the older woman that remained on the swings and began to tug at her hands.
"Rukia-san, hey, we're going to get some ice cream, aren't you coming?"
**
Rukia shed her coat after entering her new customer's home. It reeked of alcohol and smoke and a strong hint of marijuana. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and strut over to the client, as she had practiced many times before. He was another drunken one. Typical.
"So, how do you want it tonight?" Rukia asked seductively. The man on the floor chuckled and hiccupped at the same time.
"I need you to fuck me," he whispered in what he wanted to call, a seductive tone. Rukia almost puked at the sight but didn't have anything to puke out anyway. She hadn't eaten all day.
She leaned down to the man and began to shed his own jacket as she laced kisses up and down his neck and face. He stopped her, which had shocked her greatly, and he stumbled to the refrigerator.
Useless piece of shit, Rukia deadpanned in her head. Grabbing another beer, you already smell bad as it is. But indeed, he had not grabbed another beer bottle, like Rukia predicted, but a tub of something. Rukia raised a brow in question and watched the man from her position on the floor, her sleeve slipping off her shoulder, along with her bra strap. She ran a hair through her messy locks and sighed as she realised he wanted a late night snack before having sex with the prostitute he had just paid.
Rukia rolled her eyes and was about to turn around and stand up until she realised that he had grabbed her around the waist and brought her close to him so he could lightly nip (sink his crooked teeth) on the junction between her shoulder and neck. She masked her scream of pain as a moan of pleasure quite forcibly, as his crooked canine has sought for blood, and found it.
He smiled at his success (failure) and brought what was in his hands a moment ago to the front as he turned her to the front.
"I plan to play with my food tonight, as well as having a double dessert," he whispered. Rukia stared at him questioningly. In his hand, was a tub of ice cream and a spoon. He undressed her and began to spoon amounts of ice cream onto her body. As he proceeded to eat her dessert, Rukia found herself the next morning on the streets knocked unconscious and sticky, as she realised with disgust that he had placed ice cream on her everywhere he could reach.
Everywhere, inside and out.
She picked her body up and then realised why he had paid her early. She looked up at the apartment he owned and scowled. The silhouettes in the house showed that there was another woman, and by the way she naively served him dinner and gave him a kiss on the cheek, she could tell that the man that had just raped her with food was married.
Never going to last long like that, Rukia thought in distaste, wrinkling her nose. She picked up her small, 12 year old body and continued to walk home. The place that she had called hell.
**
"Rukia-san?" Yuzu called again. She tugged once more on the older girl's hands. Yuzu fell back with a surprised 'eep', and stared at the lifeless eyed Rukia. Yuzu turned her body to follow the movements of Rukia as she began to walk home. "Rukia-san? Rukia-san!" Yuzu kept on calling, but the woman walked on. Karin held onto Yuzu's shoulder and shook her head and stared wearily after the girl. She needed some time alone.
Silence rung in the air and damaged Ichigo's ears as he quietly sat in the bath tub, absorbing the hot warmth that came from the steaming water blanketing him. He silently began to think about the day's events, and what his father told him. True, Rukia was dying, but she was in a healthy and sanitised clinic now, where she was treated with medicines and proper dieting. Ichigo understood however, that if Rukia were to return back there, back to where she used to belong, then she would not last more than three months.
Ichigo slammed his hand down in the water in some sort of way to try and inflict damage on the people that hurt Rukia most. He growled low in his throat and began to imagine ways to tear up the people that did this to Rukia. That threw her into that job. That beat her and raped her every time. Now that Ichigo had a small hint at what was going on in Rukia's life, he wanted to know more. And he had that urge again.
To protect somebody.
He once again slammed his hand down to destroy the water particles below him. He had this urge years ago when he had remembered the time when his mother was still alive. Look what happened to her. Ichigo cursed and held his head in his hands. Why was everything so complicated?
The door opened and Ichigo gave out a hoarse shout in surprise, covering himself under the water.
"Jesus Christ Rukia, ever learned how to knock?!" Ichigo yelled in embarrassment. His red face just contrasted against the tan skin that he sported below his neck. She merely stared at him blankly before she closed the toilet seat lid and sat down on it with her face in her hands. Ichigo cautiously looked at her. "Rukia...?"
"Just shut the fuck up! Shut up, SHUT UP!!" Rukia suddenly screamed. Ichigo backed away from her as he hid half his head in the tub and stared in shock at her sudden screaming. She began to clear the cupboard under the sink of its contents and cleared all the items with a sweep of her hand, breaking glass and dropping plastics as liquid spilled everywhere.
Her screams began to turn into sobs, her hands raking everything off the shelves in the bathroom as everything fell, shattering, cracking, breaking, and falling apart as the contents of everything came out. Ichigo abruptly stood up and sloshed out of the bath tub as he messily made his way to Rukia to stop her arms from flailing about and breaking everything. He grabbed her wrists and turned her around, looking directly into her eyes.
"RUKIA!" he shouted over her own hysteric screams. "RUKIA! IT'S ME! RUKIA!" She continued to squirm in his grasp and shake him off, screaming while tears sprinted down her face. He looked into her eyes when she began to tire, and she began to cry out loud and pant. "Rukia," Ichigo called out softly. "Rukia, it's me, Rukia, it's ok!" Ichigo soothed. She looked up at him with tear-stricken eyes and a desperate face that called for help, but was too stubborn to admit it.
"I can't stay here Ichigo, I just can't, Ichigo I can't. Don't make me stay here please!" she cried, looking straight into his eyes. Ichigo flinched, his dad's words echoing inside his head again.
"She wouldn't last 3 months maximum in that world again. Not again Ichigo."
Ichigo softened his eyes just for her, while he held her arms gently.
"Rukia, you're safe here now, you don't have to run away anymore-"
"I can't stay here Ichigo! I just can't! Nothing is normal here, I can't live here, I can't survive!" Ironic, Ichigo thought in his head. He was afraid to see the serial killer that lived in her eyes cry like this. Her barriers were breaking down, and he knew it was against her own will. He knew she was scarred for life, but what could he do? He did what any man in his place would've done.
He awkwardly pat her shoulder.
As a man, and a respectful one to woman at that, he didn't dare embrace her. No. He couldn't. Against her will, taking her up against his own body was like crime. He couldn't take advantage of this situation and just hug her while she was having a mental breakdown. He just couldn't. It was awkward enough having a strange patient living in their house, but hugging her? Embracing her? Sure he had a 'fun' night with her but he didn't want to kill whatever 'acquaintance' they had left.
Ichigo rubbed her arms up and down as she wiped her tears and cried her heart out, like those lonely nights where she would come home to her actual shitty apartment, and just lay on the bed, tired, payless, moneyless, foodless, and hungry. Except she had someone to comfort her. Though she had someone here to support her, and try to help her survive, she just couldn't feel it.
She couldn't feel the safety that normally came with the man's embrace. Because he wasn't embracing her. She needed someone to hold her, whisper sweet nothings in her ear, tell her everything was alright.
Someone to tell her that she was loved.
**
Air stopped entering his lungs, his body ran cold, and his blood stopped pumping. Ichigo stared at his father with wide and fearful eyes.
"Dad, what are you talking about? Rukia's not actually going to die is she?" Ichigo asked carefully. Isshin sighed and closed his eyes that needed rest.
"Well she will survive if she remains in this clinic, has a few supplements and goes to the hospital regularly, but if she had stayed outside in that world of hers, she would be dead in no time." Ichigo looked shocked.
"So with treatment, she would survive?" Ichigo questioned, desperate to hear an answer that eased his thumping heart. "She will survive with treatment, right?" Ichigo asked again. Isshin opened his eyes and once again stared into his son's own.
"Yes, rest assured son, she will survive if she stays with us," he began. He tiredly rubbed the bridge of his nose and glanced at the papers around him before once again directing his attention towards Ichigo. "She wouldn't last 3 months maximum in that world again. Not again Ichigo." Ichigo looked down at his tightly clasped knuckles and looked pained, his nose scrunched and his mouth bore in a slight snarl.
"But Ichigo..." Isshin began again. Ichigo nodded to signify he was listening. "That's not the only thing about Rukia." Ichigo's head snapped up in exasperation.
"That's not it?! She's fucking dying dad, and there's more to it?!" Ichigo shouted, bolting up from his chair as it fell backwards with a crash. Isshin let out an angry sigh and choked on a sob.
"I wish that was it son, I wish it was that simple."
"Dad, what more could there be? She's already staying here for a few months to recover from her past life, what else could there be to it?"
"Son, she's going to have to stay here for a little longer than that," Isshin began, tears in his eyes. Ichigo stood shock still, staring at the tears that wavered in Isshin's eyes. He had never seen his father cry ever since that day his mother died, and at her funeral. Never, had he seen his father cry again. "Ichigo, there's more to her past life than we know, and one large part of her life, has something to do with the research I'm doing now," Isshin explained, waving an arm around his office to all the office papers and sheets that were half piled in a manila folder.
Ichigo sat down warily in the chair he put back upright again and stared intently at his father.
"But I can't tell you what I found out. I need to be sure of this; even Rukia herself doesn't know this stuff. I need to confirm if what I think is true. But son, I can tell you this much." Ichigo stared straight into his father's eyes, looking for a reason, a lie, the truth, anything, that would lead him to protecting her again. The stranger he had met at a stripper's club.
"She won't be the same anymore Ichigo. She-"
**
"Rukia...?" Ichigo soothed. He rubbed her shoulders up and down. "Have you eaten anything?" he asked gently when her tears began to slow to a stop. She shook her head and took in a deep breath. She looked back up with the same determination that she always held in her eyes and smiled weakly.
"Thanks. Sorry, I just remembered something I didn't want to," she murmured quietly. She calmly strode over to the sink and washed her face. Waiting patiently at the door was Ichigo. She turned around and giggled when he held his hand out for her to hold. He blushed lightly.
"What? Can't I escort a beauty out when I want to?" he said bravely with pink tinting his cheeks. Rukia giggled once more and leaned up to kiss Ichigo on the cheek, shocking him momentarily. He stood still in the same spot while she walked over to the door and opened it, heading out. Just before she shut the door she turned her head and looked over to where the dunce was blankly staring ahead.
"I know I'm fine with it, but don't you think your sisters might have a slight problem?" she said in a light tone. She shut the door with a small laugh which confused Ichigo. He then realised that something didn't quite add up. Ichigo turned around to look at the bath tub and then down at his own body. His face heated up to the brightest shade of red as he shouted out in horror and embarrassment.
He had also forgotten his towel.
Yuzu and Karin had returned home and remained cautious around Rukia in case she needed another session of alone time. Yuzu headed to the kitchen first before starting to prepare dinner and dessert at the same time while Karin sat down to watch TV. Ichigo came down the stairs dressed and scanned the room for any sign of Rukia. He walked into the kitchen, attracted to the lovely scent of food.
He entered the kitchen and watched Yuzu and Rukia playfully flick flour at each other. Their laughs filled the kitchen and made a smile on Ichigo's face. Ichigo noticed a spare bag of flour on the kitchen counter near him. He smirked and deftly made his way towards the paper bag, ripped the top open, and held it at its sides as he went wild and threw it side to side at the girls.
Their screams and laughter increased as they realised another enemy entered home base. The two girls squealed while Ichigo chased after them with a jug of water in his hand, Rukia ready with a carton of eggs and Yuzu holding a carton of milk.
And so begins the food fight.
Rukia ducked behind the counter top in the middle of the kitchen while Yuzu hid in the small space between the cupboards and countertop, hiding behind the large, bulking figure of the fridge. Ichigo stood there in plain sight, waiting for any sign of the girls with a bag of sugar now. At the same time, Yuzu and Rukia emerged with eggs and began to egg Ichigo while he charged forward with a grin and covered the two sweet girls in sugar. Yuzu squealed while Rukia laughed out loud and egged him right on the head.
He grabbed each girl in each arm and held them high. They both clung to each other and his orange, sticky head, squealing and laughing. Rukia kicked him in the stomach and began to stumble backwards, whereas Yuzu landed on the counter. In the midst of her fun, Rukia stumbled back and slipped on some eggs and flour on the floor. Her eyes gave into shock as she landed heavily on her butt. Ichigo immediately stopped laughing and bent down to Rukia.
"Rukia, Rukia, are you ok? Are you seriously injured?" he asked worriedly, checking all over her body for injuries. Rukia chuckled and dusted the flour off of her clothes.
"Ichigo, chill, I just fell, I'm not going to die."
If only you knew, Ichigo thought.
"Besides, what harm could come to me? I'm perfectly fine. No need to worry. Everyone falls down every once in a while," she chuckled. Yuzu giggled as she stood over the couple.
"Yea nii-chan, she's perfectly fine! I think you're just exaggerating. Are you that worried?" she giggled. But Rukia could see in his eyes, though he smiled, that he was still purely worried. His eyes showed the pure worry that lay there, that there was something else he was not telling Rukia. Rukia stared at him in slight question but he turned away and began to help Yuzu clean the mess. As Rukia stood up, a small wave of nausea and tiredness overcame her, making her feel dizzy in the head.
She gripped onto the counter for support and tightened her grip on it, afraid if she pressed less force against it, then she would fall. She masked her actions by grabbing a dish cloth and wiping the table down. Karin entered the kitchen and yelled out.
"Whoa! Looks like we're ordering out tonight!" she exclaimed. Yuzu chuckled nervously, the mop in her hands cleaning the floor. Rukia excused herself and quickly trot up the stairs, but everyone could see how pale she looked. Yuzu and Karin wearily exchanged looks while Ichigo carefully went after her.
"If this keeps up Ichigo, she's going to lose her job and her life. She has to stay with someone I'm afraid. She's in too much of a fragile condition as it is."
Ichigo carefully trod up the steps and called out gently.
"Rukia..? Rukia?" He looked at his own room he shared with Rukia, and when he saw she wasn't there resting, he heard a retching noise from the bathroom. Not again! Ichigo panicked. He sprinted towards the door and watched in horror as Rukia began to throw away all contents of her stomach again. Ichigo walked over and held her hair out of her face as a small attempt to help the poor girl. He looked down to possibly observe the food that she had eaten just now, but stared in angry question when all that came out was water.
Saliva and stomach acids came out in a rush, her throat choking with the force. Ichigo looked down at the girl and stared as he held her hair, brushing a few pieces back, thought the sight was enough to make him feel nauseous.
"Rukia-chan? I brought lunch to your room!"
Yes... he was sure. He was sure Yuzu brought food to Rukia's room. He saw her knock on the door and she definitely gave her the tray. After he was sure Rukia wasn't throwing up anymore, and was panting for breath, he had silently walked out for a moment and checked his room. His eyes scanned the room and looked around suspiciously. He checked under the desk, under the bed, in the closet, and turned his whole room upside down.
She did eat just recently, so she should have had some food in her stomach. That is, if she ate lunch. Ichigo sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Maybe he was just over reacting to her condition. Yea... he was just over reacting.
He wished he was.
He walked back to the bathroom to check on Rukia and noticed that she was leaning against the toilet lid which was now closed. Her breathing was slowly calming to a normal pace and her face was pale with sweat. She had already fainted yesterday, and just woken up this morning.
"Rukia... come on, let's eat dinner. I heard dad come back with food. Maybe we should get some food into your system..." Ichigo said gently. Rukia's tired eyes opened, the sweat on her face glistening. She looked at him tiredly and shook her head. His eyes softened as he bent down to Rukia's level and began to speak again. "Rukia, you have to eat something. I don't know where, but you hide your food and tell us you've been eating." Ichigo's eyes widened as he remembered his father's words.
"Yes, rest assured son, she will survive if she stays with us."
Rukia weakly pushed him away, or rather attempted to and shook her head again, still lightly panting.
"No..." she rasped, gently beating at his chest. He held her hand and looked her in the eyes. There were bags under her amethyst eyes.
"Rukia!" he called out in exasperation. "I'm here now. It's ok. I'll look after you." You and whatever comes at us in the future. She searched his eyes to find any trace of a lie. She shook her head once again and stood up shakily, practically holding onto anything she could grab for support. Say, the towel rack for instance.
"No," Rukia rasped once again, hanging onto the door before stumbling out and leaning against the wall.
"Rukia-!"
"NO!" Rukia shouted hoarsely. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "No. You can't. A family like this, that feeds me daily, cooks for me, cleans for me, laughs with me, has fun with me, a family this nice shouldn't exist!" she began to sob. Isshin, Karin and Yuzu began to head up the stairs to find the two, but paused at the bottom and listened to the sobs they could hear.
Ichigo raised his hand to try and console her.
"Rukia, what-"
"Don't!" she shouted. Ichigo lowered his hand.
"I learned. So very long ago, I learned. God is cruel. He is never kind. He looks into your heart's deepest desires, and puts all his power into preventing it from happening. He stops you from wishing, he never answers your prayers. I know, because I am the living proof of this!" she shouted. Ichigo remained calm and stared at Rukia, letting her know he was listening.
"I learned. I knew. I know now, that those things that people talk of, those things called fairy tales, they don't exist! Ok?! They don't! Those princes that arrive on white horses to save the damsel in distress, they're just stories, things that don't ever come true! They. Just. Don't. Exist!!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face, hands beating wildly at Ichigo's chest at each word in her last sentence. He was about to hold her close and embrace her, comfort her like a man should, but she shielded her heart and pushed him away.
"Rukia-"
"Don't hold me! Don't try to save me! Don't even bother trying to help me, it won't work!" she cried out. Isshin, Karin and Yuzu peeked behind the wall, sad at the poor girl's actions. She began to sob into her hands, clenched into fists and braced at the corner of her eyes, she cried.
"So why?! Why am I pampered like this?! Why am I given a chance to live in a new home and a new family?! Why am I given a chance to live normally, like any other woman that lives in this town?! Why am I suddenly loved?!" she wailed, still crying into her fists. Ichigo stood there, speechless at the girl. She didn't want to be loved. She needed to be, but she didn't want to be. She wanted so much, and yet, she forced herself to have so little. Living the life of a prostitute in the slums, she had forced herself to believe lies that she grew up with.
But Ichigo knew she deserved better.
"Why?" Rukia whispered over and over again like a mantra. "Why?" Her eyes widened when she let her guard down, and felt two large arms wrap around her body, keeping her close to a warm source of heat known as Ichigo. She remained stiff, and still. He had decided to go against his own instinct not to hug her and just go straight out with it.
She needed him right now.
"Because, even though he arrived late on his white horse," Ichigo began, "he finally came, to save the princess that needed saving." Rukia stiffened, her eyes widening. "Your prince has come Rukia. Now let him save you," he said soothingly, rubbing her back and arms.
Isshin felt his heart break at Ichigo's words, whereas Yuzu began to silently weep into Karin's shoulders, the black haired girl watched with a sad sympathy, and also a strong will to cry. Rukia began to cry out loud again, clutching Ichigo's shirt this time in a desperate attempt to keep her prince there, and live a happy ending like those fairytales she had heard of. Those sweet little lives they lived happily in, their flawless lives carved along a road of perfection.
She wanted that happy ending.
But she knew it wasn't meant to be.
"Welcome my lovely family, to the very first complete Kurosaki family dinner!!" Isshin called loudly, acting as if he never heard Rukia and Ichigo's sob-fest upstairs. Karin rolled her eyes with a small smile and Yuzu scolded her father for having such a blunt reaction. The five occupants sat at the dining table. "What?!" he wailed. "This is the first time we're having a family dinner with the whole family!" Ichigo raised a brow in mock boredom whereas Rukia stared in confusion.
"Oji-sama-"
"Call me otou-chan now Rukia," Isshin said wiggling his eyebrows. Rukia cleared her throat.
"Ah... well... what do you mean by those words?"
"What words?"
"Those words you said just now."
"My goodness, aren't you Japanese? Otou-chan means-"
"No, not that, I meant the dinner," Rukia said in exasperation. This man could be dense. Just like his son.
"OH! Well, this is the first time you're eating with us right Rukia? You always had us bring trays to your room. You never chose to eat with us. But now, as you walk down the steps to the dining room, holding my son's hand," Ichigo blushed at this while Rukia remained neutral, "and, you join us for dinner. Therefore, we are complete!" he said proudly. Rukia stared in awe. She was actually accepted into this family?
She looked over to Yuzu. She smiled brightly at Rukia with warm love in her eyes. Like a mother. When Rukia looked over to Karin, she smirked and shrugged her shoulders. Rukia looked at Ichigo with a thin layer of tears in her eyes. He smiled warmly at her and held her hand under the table.
Once again, with some sort of magic spell God had cast on this family-
She felt loved.
Everyone began to clap their hands together except Rukia, and muttered ittadakimasu. The fried rice before Rukia tempted her to eat, but she looked warily at her plate. Whatever she ate now, her stomach rejected it, so she subjected herself to only drinking water in Ichigo's room while she threw the food outside in the downstairs garbage can so no one would find it. Isshin noticed Rukia was merely picking at her food and observed her with a sharp doctor's eye. She had less sleep than usual, he could tell she was a light sleeper, and she seemed to be losing weight fast.
"Son," Isshin whispered to Ichigo. He looked over to his father and raised a brow, indicating that he was listening. Isshin leaned over and spoke quietly with Ichigo to avoid Rukia's trained ears hearing them. "Has Rukia been eating or sleeping well?" Isshin whispered. Ichigo glanced at Rukia and whispered back.
"She's been avoiding her meals, and late at night, I hear her toss and turn. She's a light sleeper, and she always takes late night walks when she thinks everyone's asleep. She comes back at dawn before anyone knows." Isshin raised a brow. Now, how did his son know all this again? Isshin sighed and leaned closer to his son.
"Ichigo, all the things she's been doing, does she even know that this is not helping her condition?" Ichigo paled at those words.
"Dad..." he began. He swallowed and looked over at Rukia that was talking to Yuzu and Karin. "She doesn't know." Isshin's eyes widened.
"Ichigo," he hissed. "You have to tell her! She has the biggest right to know!" Ichigo closed his eyes and let out a long breath.
"I know dad, I know. I just don't know how to tell her! I don't exactly do this everyday, go straight to a patient's face and tell them that they have-"
"Ichigo. You are very aware that she will find out later on. She must know Ichigo. She has to. Every day she looks worse and worse, and that will affect her in the future. Especially since she has to lose her job for this!"
"Dad-"
"She must know Ichigo," he said bluntly. "Look at her. Look at her, and then tell me straight in the eyes, she is doing well." Ichigo looked over to the frail woman and noticed that she really did look terrible. Ichigo looked over to his father.
"But dad," he began. "She can't lose her job, she needs it! She hasn't been educated dad. She can't get a good occupation. She has no life here so-"
"So you're telling her to go back?!" Isshin whispered furiously. He looked over to Rukia and paled. Ichigo looked at his dad's expression in question and looked beside himself to a very silent Rukia. She stared at the two, a sad face taking over the giggles she was sharing with Yuzu and Karin before. She stood up and looked away from the two men.
"Excuse me," she murmured before walking away from the scene. Ichigo grabbed a tray from the cupboard and stacked Rukia's fried rice and pork chops onto it, along with a glass of water. He grabbed it and began to walk up the steps.
"Rukia!" he called out. The dining table was silent. Isshin looked away from the direction his son disappeared to, and looked at his two daughters. They looked at him with sad eyes, knowing that he was hiding something from them.
"Dad, what's wrong with Rukia?" Karin asked. Yuzu had a silent plea for him to tell them. "You've been hiding something from all of us dad, we know. What's wrong with her?" Isshin sighed loudly and rubbed his nose, shaking his head side to side.
"I really wish I could fix this," he began. He looked back to the twins that grew up to be so beautiful from the naive 11 year olds they were before. "Yuzu, Karin, we have to take extra care of Rukia, possibly for a very long time." Yuzu stared at her father sadly while Karin's eyes had squinted slightly.
"Girls, Rukia, is in a very delicate condition right now-"
"Yea, yea, we heard all that shit just now with Ichigo. What's wrong with her?!" Isshin flinched lightly at the fact that everyone heard their conversation.
"Girls... Rukia has-"
"Come on Rukia, open the door," Ichigo pleaded in exasperation. "Rukia!"
"Fuck you!" she shouted from inside, her voice muffled by the locked door between them. Ichigo balanced the tray in one hand and knocked on the door.
"Come on Rukia, open up! You need to eat!"
"No I don't!" came the muffled reply. Ichigo sighed in exasperation, something he found himself doing a lot lately.
"Rukia! I have... I have something to tell you."
"No. If it's a love confession, I REJECT!" she screamed from inside. Ichigo's flinched slightly at her harsh words. Though he wasn't in love, it was obvious he felt slightly attracted to her. Looks like she felt the total opposite.
"Rukia, it's nothing like that, you have to know this."
"What is so urgent that you have to observe my whole life here?!" Ichigo opened his mouth to speak, but closed it and looked down at the floor.
She will lose her job.
She will lose her life there.
She will lose everything.
"Rukia," he called out urgently. "Please. We have to talk." He waited in silence for what seemed to be around 5 minutes or 10, and then sighed in relief when he finally heard the lock click. He opened the door slowly and entered to find Rukia sitting on her bed with her legs tucked up and her arms wrapped around her legs.
"What is it Ichigo, what's so urgent you have to tell me?" she asked in a monotone. Her eyes were cold with barely any life. Ichigo set the tray next to her small body and sat down in front of her, holding her hand. She tugged away from his large fingers and stared at his face. He looked at Rukia and closed his eyes.
Everything.
She will lose everything.
We have to look after her.
Protect her.
Rukia stared at his face that seemed reluctant to tell her.
"Ichigo, what-"
"Rukia, promise me you won't freak out. Promise me you won't go around shooting this house down. Promise me you will stay safe." He looked into her eyes and looked deep. She stared at him and scoffed with a bitter smile on her face. She looked back, no traces of a smile left.
"Ichigo, what the fuck is wrong with you?" He held her arms now that she sat normally and sighed once again.
"You're pregnant."
Though he expected it, he never was prepared for the tray of food to be thrown across the room, accompanied with the screams and running tears of Rukia.
Her life was over now.
Author's Note -
Haha, I am quite proud of myself :D
After uploading WAFTT chap. 3, i was still really inspired to write this straight after, so I did :)
16 pages of this whole 'condition' thing. Haha, did you guys know she was pregnant? I really tried to hide the fact with lots of words, but I think her endless vomiting made it easy to guess. ^^;
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
Ruki-chan