As always…Chey no own…

Chances

Chapter Two

~~~O tanoshimi kudasai~~~

My figners work diligently to crack the eggs and I force my mind not to stray to the sleeping female on my couch and the position I had awoken to this morning. I slowly work my way through the kitchen preparing a decent breakfast in thanks for everything she had done for me. I feel a smile try to twitch onto my feature as memories of yesterday flash through my mind. The arcade was fun and Yoruichi looked like a little girl when she pulled me through the different games. She took my friends in easy strides and didn't get tired or frustrated with answering their questions because she wasn't acting fake to begin with.

I plate our eggs quickly and I check the other parts of our breakfast as I hear a groan in the living room. "Mmm….how did this get here?" I peek around the corner and smile as she quizzically holds up the blanket covering her body. Her eyes glance at me to see me in a slightly disheveled state. I nearly chuckle at how child-like she is when she wakes up. I had showered earlier this morning when I woke up before starting breakfast but I only pulled on a pair of sweat pants. "Did you put the blanket on me?"

I return back to the cooking and chuckle through the kitchen. "Hai…we fell asleep out here last night and when I woke up this morning you were shivering so I covered you up." She leans against the frame of the half wall with a small smile on her face. "Breakfast still has a bit to go so you can shower if you want."

"Arigato Ichi…I'll be back in a little bit alright…" She slowly walked away from the kitchen and toward her bedroom. After a little bit I can hear the shower running and smile to myself. I finish up breakfast as the shower shuts off and begin dishing everything out as well as getting us both our signature drinks. I always start the day with a glass of orange juice while, you guessed it, Yoruichi enjoys a glass of milk. I snorted the first time she said that.

As everything in the house settles into a comforting silence I hear the dull thumping of rain falling against the roof and sigh softly running a hand through my hair. My plans for today just flew out the window. I was going to go outside of town to train and take Yoruichi with me but I suppose the weather had other plans.

"Are you alright, Ichigo?" My eyes dart up to catch Yoruichi's as she glides into the room in a grey tank-top and a pair my basketball shorts which are black. "You don't mind that I borrowed these do you? I didn't feel like wearing short shorts or pants."

I shake my head and motion for her to join me. "I don't care Yoru-san…so what do you want to do today? I figured we'd stay inside since it's raining." I watch as her eyes light up for a moment as I mention the rain.

"Actually can we go outside at least for a little? It's a summer shower so it should be warm enough that we won't get sick right. I just want to go for a run in the rain it's been forever since I've done it we can leave ours gigai here if you want." I feel a soft grin light up my face and I nod softly before eating my own meal while glancing at her and watching as she walks away from the table and toward the radio before turning it on. She returns to the table and sits down giggling lightly into her milk. We listen quietly to the music while eating our breakfast.

She finished first and begins washing the dishes. I finish and bring my plates to her to clean. She finished quickly as a slow song comes on the radio. I hesitantly take her hand in mine and begin dancing around the kitchen with her. Her laughter bubbles forth and I chuckle along with her. We sway to the beat while I use my dance skills to show off. Her laughter and mine mix through the room. As it stops we lean against one another breathing heavily through our chuckles and giggles.

"Alright we should go and take a run now before the storm gets worse." She nods and we sync out of our gigai easily. I open the door and shut it tightly while locking it. We run through the streets in the downpour allowing it to soak through our outfits. I grin and push fast into the mountain side with Yoruichi following closely behind me.

We stop at the top of a hill and watch as water rains down over a large pond. I grab her hand and tug her toward the water before pulling my haori off as well as my under haori. She tugs her top off and her pants leaving her in her under haori. I toss the piles under a tree where the rain isn't pouring so badly before I dive into the pond and hear her smaller splash as she enters. I come up gasping for air as the rains pelt the surface of the water. Yoruichi appears on my back moments later pushing me under water.

~~CxB~~

I could feel my figners tangling in his hair as I tugged him under farther. His eyes met mine in the water and we hit the bottom before I swim away glancing over my shoulder at him. His hair floated lightly around him as he swam after me. Coming up for air I look around only to feel arms wrap around my waist and tug me back under the water. I turn around and glare half heartedly at Ichigo before swimming backwards as he proceeds forward stalking me like a predator to prey. He catches my ankle and pulls my body toward his before swimming back up to the surface with three powerful kicks of his legs. I wrap my legs around his waist as he holds us afloat before he tilts backward and floats on the surface while closing his eyes and allowing me to use him as a raft.

I look down at his face to see a relaxed smile crossing his thin lips. I'm glad he is smiling again. "Ichigo…" At my voice his eyes flutter open to squint up at me quizzically and I giggle before looking up to the sky. "I've got to visit the Seireitei for a few days to speak with my family but I should be back. I'm leaving tonight…but before I go I wanted to ask if it was alright for me to continue staying with you. I love being with Kisuke and all but it's a little cramped there with everyone from the Seireitei rooming their while they're on missions." He rights himself and begins chuckling while swimming toward the banks. I follow shortly after and he walks over to the tree where our shirts are and pulls on his under haori.

"You can stay for however long you'd like Yoru-san…" I grip my shirt and pants tightly in my hand before tugging my pants on. I watch as he turns around slightly and then I remove my under haori before slipping just my outer haori on. We shunpo back through the mountains mapping the path in our minds for next time it rains or is hot out.

When we return to Ichigo's apartment we remove our wet clothing and replace them with something dry before syncing into our gigai again. I sigh and stretch out the stiff muscles before flopping onto the couch lightly and flicking on the television. Ichigo flops down beside me with both of his muscular arms lying on the top of the couch.

~~CxB~~

I ran diligently through the dangai and jumped down into the training ground to see utter destruction. Rocks litter the floor and deep chasms line the once solid ground. It would take a day and a half for it to return to normal with this damage. It was as if it were a battle field. Deep craters lined ever path making a twisting and winding path. Rocks lay in deserted heaps but I could hear nothing of a battle raging. It was deathly silent. It was as if it were a barren waste land.

I cautiously walk further in and begin to hear destruction in the distance. The sound steadily grows louder and I notice Kisuke sitting atop a barrier protected rock. I climb up it and look down allowing true shock to reign over my features. Kisuke's eyes are looking down at the orange haired man in silent pity. I settle in beside him and watch Ichigo fearing the worst.

The carrot-top whirled around in his bankai his expressive brown eyes holding mountains of hatred and non-depleting anger. I watch in shock as his lips moved and an attack rained down on the ground in the form of sharp points of black light. The black was tinted with bright blue and deep red mixing all the colors of his reiatsu in a dazzling display of flashing lights. The spears hit the ground and continued to rain down until he opens his palm and spoke again in the same quiet tone. The spears suddenly darted at him and then condensed until they formed two glistening silver blades that curve as if they would cut anything through like it was butter. Suddenly he twirls and the blade in his left hand stills as if he hit something. It's then that I notice the wavering figure holding one blade meeting the hit easily. Ichigo jumps back before charging sideways his blades pointed to his sides. His body twists and he brings them both down clashing with two different enemies. As his power rises and his determination the resolution of the beings he is fighting rises as well. Soon I can make out the form of a man with long wavy black hair and a negated version of Ichigo battling against the carrot-top who seems to be fighting off of pure fury. Both versions of him are lined with multiple wounds and Ichigo receives a few in turn.

"He's been down here for the entire week. He only stopped to bathe and eat. I'd venture as far as to say he's built up more muscle than he had before Rukia left…He's basically destroyed the training grounds in a wild fury today. I came down to offer him lunch but he never stopped fighting. He's finally become too angry over her leaving him. I'd say he's working off of pure anger right now. He had originally been training to regain his strength and seal Zangetsu. When he sealed his blade he was taught to control his reiatsu and by doing that his blade split into its sealed state, which was two katana. One has a black hilt and the other has a white hilt. He can perform his signature attack without shikai or bankai but his shikai has a new attack which you saw." I nod once and Kisuke falls silent again as we watch Ichigo slice into the shoulder of his negated self and barely wince when his shoulder was sliced as well. Instantly the pair healed and continued attacking one another blade to blades. His zanpakuto joined in darting in and out of the fight and having his attacks blocked easily. I watch in amazement as he easily takes on both of them.

The negated version of him and his zanpakuto spirit both vibrate slightly before moving around him quickly and creating multiple illusions. Suddenly they stop and I realize that they had indeed multiplied. Ichigo goes on the defense before attacking rapidly and I'm not entirely sure how he's doing it.

"How is he attacking only the multiples?" Kisuke looks at me and offers a small smile before inclining his head to the train as Ichigo grins and whirls to explode the rocks behind him with as cross swing of both his blades. The simple swing sends both his hollow and his zanpakuto into the wall of the training room. They slide down it and kneel on the ground offering defeat. I watch as Ichigo drops his shikai in a downward rain of red, black, and blue.

He sheaths his blades and it's then that I notice the tears trailing down his cheek. He drops onto his butt before falling back into the sand with his head raised to the sky. His figners rage lightly through his hair and it forces me to stand and shunpo to his side. I sit down and pull him to me in a tight hug as he suddenly begins to sob harder. "Why did she fucking do this? Why is she such a bitch? She lied to me damn it if she didn't love me she shouldn't have fucking stayed for so damn long, Yoru-san! Damn it I feel like all I would do if I saw her now would be kill her or at the very least attack without thinking. I feel like there is no light in my heart that has anything to do with her anymore and that scares me because I used to feel like she was the only light." I tighten my grip around him as he unconsciously tightens his arms around me waist. I lean forward and tuck my chin into his hair cursing myself for not listening to Kukaku when she said things would get complicated with that Kuchiki girl.

I can feel his sweat dripping onto me but somehow I don't actually care. I'm just happy that he's finally stopped loving her and stopped being depressed. I'm glad that he's pissed at her but I'm afraid that he will hurt her because I know she's following through here shortly after me due to a mission. "You've got me, Ichigo…you've also got your family and Kisuke, your friends here, and you still got your friends in the Seireitei at your side no matter what she has done to you. She's not the only person that can be your light I promise." Slowly his lifts his head from my stomach and slowly sits up only to brush a piece of hair behind my ear. He smiles lightly, albeit a very sad smile, and nods once taking me up on my promise.

"Arigato, Yoru-san…I don't know what I would do without you." He stands and offers me a hand right as the doors of a senkaimon open. I take his hand and he pulls me up completely ignoring it. Apparently he had become better at detecting reiatsu. He tugs my arm and leads me toward the latter but we don't reach it fast enough because Kuchiki steps through and looks around only to spot his hand wrapped around my hand and me following shortly behind him.

I stop moving and turn to face her while also tugging Ichigo to a sudden stop. Kuchiki's eyes narrow into thin slits and she snorts softly…almost disdainfully. Somewhere inside me my noble pride flares up and I turn my nose up to here only to hear a soft chuckle from behind me as Ichigo has turned to face the short shinigami as well. "Didn't take you long to move on, did it?" Her lips part in what could be assumed to be a sneer. I feel the figners around my hand tighten slightly and I squeeze his hand in return only to let it go when he takes a step forward and places his figners on one of the hilts of his sealed blades. The white hilted blade was slung around his hip while the black hilted one was hanging off his back. Obviously the one at his waist was closer tied to his hollow side.

I gasp and grab his shoulder flinging him back into the wall knocking him unconscious as soon as I feel the murderous aura he was taking on. His anger had not dissipated one bit. Her eyes widen as his body slides down the wall sickeningly and then they return to my eyes which are narrowed fiercely at the adopted Princess. She would dare to taunt a man on the verge of insane rage. "You would do well not to tempt him Kuchiki. As much as I hate to admit this if I had not physically harmed him you would be dead without him even using shikai. I do not like you, so don't think by my doing this I actually care for you, in fact I despise you because you're too dense to realize how much of a man Ichigo truly is. In fact you left him for a little boy that hardly knows when play time is over to please your family isn't that right? Of course I would have to admit that you don't have enough balls to stand up to them but who's to say it's as easy as it is for me." I watch in sick satisfaction as her eyes narrow and she stares at me with pure fury and hatred.

Her figners clench into tight balls and I smirk at her reveling in her anger. "You're a bitch you know that Yoruichi…you know I love him and that he loves me but you can't get over that can you? You hate that he doesn't love you! You hate the fact that Ichigo will never get over the love he feels for me! You're so pathetic!" I feel my perfect control slips and I lunge forward only to be snagged around the waist by strong muscular arms.

Figners gently rub my side calming me down and it's then that I realize how much Ichigo actually realizes about people. He knew that when I got angry I tended to clamp my arms around my hips and rub my sides. He also knew my breaking point. Everyone thinks he's dense but he's more observant than most of the people in the Seireitei and the gense combined. "Yoru-san…don't hurt her…" I almost frown at the triumphant smirk adorning her face but then he speaks again and I fall into a shocked silence. "Don't hurt her because then you won't be allowed to go home and you'll be a traitor of the Seireitei. I wouldn't want you to lose everything over such an easy battle. Come on we'll go back to the apartment and freshen up. I was thinking we could try that new restaurant in town before going to the arcade and having a rematch. How's that sound?" His figners drop from around my waist and I instantly miss his touch but only turn to him and offer a calmer smile as well as a silent nod of approval.

"Fine just walk away like that pathetic shinigami you are!" Suddenly Ichigo turns and unsheathes his blade only to disappear and reappear with it poised at her throat. She stares wide eyed up at him. Kuchiki swallows slowly and tries to give Ichigo the puppy dog eyes but fails miserably. "Ichigo…"

Ichigo pushes his blade farther until the tip is touching the skin over her throat and then he slowly drops it to skim along her neck line and touch her collar bone before sliding it to position it in front of her heart and reveal her wrapped chest. "I assure you that I am not pathetic Kuchiki and as it stands next time you speak like that to anyone I care for, especially Yoru-san, you will regret it. Take your luck as it is because I am not in the mood to deal with your bullshit. Get the hell out of here and finish your god damn mission then leave because no one really wants you here anymore!" Ichigo turns and sheaths his blade before grabbing my arm and tugging me up the ladder leaving a shocked Kuchiki standing alone. Tears well in her eyes but he doesn't see it as he jumps and pulls me up with him.

He storms from the Shoten and I silently follow behind him waiting for him to calm down because having been his mentor I know he deals with anger his own way whether it be walking extraordinarily fast or destroying everything in sight. I know one thing though; Ichigo would never, not for a moment, think of lying a hand on a woman unless someone's life depended on it such as if he were to battle a female arrancar or adversary. So even if he's extremely angry and pissed off I'm not the least bit afraid of him before he could never hurt me.

His steps slow as he enters his apartment and he drops my hand before toeing out of his shoes. "Hey why don't you shower quick and I'll go change into something to go out in. Then we can go to that restaurant." I nudge him toward the bathroom after he syncs into his body. He grudging goes in and when I hear the water running I go to my room and pick through my closet for something to wear.

I smile brightly and pull out the white halter top sun dress that had a blue waist line and hung to my knees while also not exposing too much cleavage. I grin lightly and run my figners through my hair before dancing over to my flat iron and straightening the strands. I quickly pull on a pair of shoes and look around only to see Ichigo walking out of his room in a pair of black jeans with his dark blue collared shirt slung over his shoulder. He stops and offers me a gentle smile before tugging his shirt on and running a hand through his wet hair. He looked really handsome.

"You look nice Yoru-san…are you ready to go?" I nod quickly and we head for the door. I watch as Ichigo tugs his shoes on and stuffs his wallet into his back pocket. He offers me his arm with a chuckle and I laugh lightly and weave my arm through his as he leads me out the doors and toward the restaurant.