"We've got a lead on Aizen."
There was a seemingly endless moment of utter silence. Ichigo wasn't even sure he was breathing; his mind seemed to work sluggishly to process what she was saying. On some level he realized that was because he didn't want to process it.
But he did.
"You did what?" was all he could say when he regained the ability to speak.
Rukia took a sharp intake of breath, obviously not missing the barely controlled anger in his voice. "I'm sorry I did not tell you sooner-"
"The hell with that!" he snapped, suddenly on his feet. "You shouldn't have stuck your nose where it didn't belong in the first place! Damn it Rukia!" he was bristling now, starting to pace back and forth as he frantically ran his hands through his hair. "Didn't I tell you to stay out of this? This is exactly why I didn't want to…" At the last moment, he bit his tongue to keep from finishing the statement, but from the way she stiffened he knew that she knew what he'd meant.
Her face hardened into a stoic mask and her eyes became a steely dark. "I apologize for not telling you of my plans before now." she spoke carefully, her voice deliberately controlled. "But I will not say I'm sorry for doing this." she finished by folding her arms over her chest and cocking her hip. She met his eyes defiantly and he knew from her stance alone that she wasn't backing down easily.
Neither was he.
"You're so fucking stubborn!" he looked at her with anger unlike any he'd ever shown her twisting his features. "You know what these people can do, you know what they have done!" He had to restrain himself from waving his arms wildly in frustration, forcing them down to his sides in tight fists instead. Rukia didn't seem shaken or remorseful, but her eyes, never leaving his, softened almost imperceptibly. Ichigo felt his anger begin to subside as something else started surfacing. "You know what they've done to me."
All the strength and anger drained out of him with the last statement, his legs all but giving out under him as he allowed himself to fall back unto the futon. He doubled over, putting his elbows on his knees and intertwining his hands while keeping his head down, his face hidden from Rukia's view. There was a stretch of silence that seemed much longer than it probably was, before he spoke again without looking up.
"I can't go through that again."
His voice was but a raspy whisper, too many buried emotions surfacing at once, all but breaking his carefully constructed barriers of strength. A heavy silence stretched on after that, and for a fleeting moment Ichigo wondered if Rukia had left after his outburst. The notion was instantly dispersed, however, when he felt a familiar little fist connecting with the back of his head mercilessly.
"Rukia!" he hissed through his teeth, his hands coming up to the surely forming bump on the back of his head and his eyes stinging from the pain.
Her expected comeback didn't come though, and when he looked up, he was surprised when he didn't find scolding violet eyes narrowed at him. Instead, Rukia had her arms folded and was looking off to the side, almost as if lost in thought.
"Hey! You can't just hit me and act like you didn't do anything!" he complained out loud, waiting for her to turn and face him. "Rukia!"
"Ichigo," she spoke without looking at him. The uncharacteristic softness of her voice took him aback. "You have a right to be angry."
"I… I do?" He blinked, confused. He wasn't used to this Rukia. He was used to her yelling and maybe hitting him; he knew how to retaliate to that. He was at a loss on how to react to this.
"You have a right to be angry…" she repeated slowly. "But where do you get off on suggesting that I have any intention on putting you through all that pain again?" And suddenly, she was yelling again.
The sudden changes were enough to make Ichigo's head spin, but he blinked tightly and managed to keep up. "Wha- I never said you intended to, but-"
"I'm not so heartless that I don't see how much this affects you, Ichigo!" she cut him off sharply. "And I'm not so careless that I'd go rushing into things without a clue!" Her eyes were flaring with an intensity that, for once, made him keep his mouth shut and listen. "I went to my brother for help, and I know it was wrong of me to do so behind your back, but I did it because I knew you would be too hotheaded to let me help if you knew."
Ichigo wanted to argue, but he knew that she had a point. Even so-
"But I will by idly when it's within my power to help you." Rukia went on. "Whether you like it or not. And I have no intention of letting you suffer because of me. I've told you before, I can take care of myself, but I need you to trust me to do it."
His protests were stuck in his throat and he merely watched her, open-mouthed, as she took a few steps forward and then came kneeling before him. Her eyes bore into his and she placed one hand on his knee while the other settled gently over his own where it had landed sometime on his thigh.
"Ichigo," she said firmly, holding his gaze. "I promise that I will not put you through that pain. I'm more capable than you think, and I will not allow myself to become a burden to you."
"It's not-" It's not you, he wanted to say. She wasn't the problem; it wasn't her weakness that he was worried about… Chad hadn't been weak. His mother hadn't been weak.
"Please," she said before he could go on, surprising him yet again with the rare display of her pleading. "Trust me." she was silent for the length of a heartbeat before her hand tightened subtly over his and she added, "Like I trust you."
Just like that, he was left speechless.
She knew. She knew what he was really afraid of, what terrified him more than anything…
His own weakness. His failure to protect.
Like I trust you.
She was casting away his fears by giving him her full confidence… And all she asked was for him to do the same in return.
"You're a pain in my ass, you know that?" he spoke at last, his words making Rukia's eyes widen in surprise. "But…" He let his features relax as he turned the hand that was still within her grasp so that their palms were pressed together. "I trust you."
And I won't betray your trust in me, he vowed silently.
Rukia's eyes smiled into his and he felt the corner of his mouth twitch upwards.
"Come on," she said as she started getting to her feet, pulling him along by their intertwined hands. "I'll explain everything on the way home."
His breath hitched for a moment and his chocolate eyes went wide. She'd said it so casually, he wondered if she'd even noticed that she had just referred to his house as "home"…
Ichigo felt a small smile pull at his lips as he let himself be pulled along by a blissfully unaware Rukia. They were almost at the door when he suddenly stopped and used his grasp on her hand to tug her towards him. She opened her mouth, presumably to question his actions but before she could form any words, he was pressing his lips on the top of her head.
"Better keep your promise." he said, attempting to make his voice somewhat threatening.
She scoffed after just a moment. "I don't break promises." she declared in a haughty tone, before tugging on his hand. "Now let's try to leave sometime before tomorrow."
-x-
"Have you heard of Kaname Tousen?" Rukia opened with a question, cutting straight to the chase once she and Ichigo were in the privacy of his car.
"Hotshot business guy who ran Suzumuchi Enterprises." he recited like he was reading from a card. "He got arrested for fraud a while back, still doing time, right?"
"Yes, yes, and yes." she nodded, satisfied that he at least knew who she'd be talking about. "He was accused of fraud, but the thing is, for what should have been a high profile case, the whole thing was actually very hushed up and went by relatively under the radar. The entire case was pushed through in a matter of weeks."
She could only see Ichigo's profile as he drove, but she could make out the slight creasing of his brows and the way his mouth tightened ever so slightly.
"For a man who could no doubt afford some of the best lawyers money can buy, it seems odd at best that he'd just go down that easy." she went on to say, sure that she wasn't far off from what he was thinking.
"It is weird," he agreed. "But what does it have to do with Aizen?"
"Well a lot of this is just rumors and there was never any solid proof about anything," she explained. "But there are a few who will affirm that Tousen had been involved in some underground business with the Arrancars. They say that he wanted out, and of course that didn't go well with them."
"So they fabricated the case and threw him in jail," Ichigo filled in the blanks. "Problem solved."
Rukia nodded again. The Arrancars were a group with plenty of connections both upstairs and downstairs in the business world, it wasn't all that surprising that they could be involved in some cases like Tousen's. Still, that didn't do anything to connect the case with Aizen; she could practically hear the question hovering on the tip of Ichigo's tongue.
"This is where my brother's investigative abilities come in." she declared almost smugly. Did she just imagine the corner of Ichigo's mouth twitch in annoyance? "Did you know that Suzumuchi Enterprises started off as Kyoka Suigetsu Corporations?"
The hint of annoyance that she might have imagined or not disappeared entirely as curiosity began to take over his features. "Kyoka Suigetsu…"
"Tousen and Aizen were partners." she said, feeling no small amount of satisfaction as she noticed Ichigo's eyes widen at the revelation. "And even though the company changed its name and Tousen was left as the official owner, rumor has it there were still a lot of money going in and out under the table to some unknown destinations. It could be nothing…"
"Or it could be the link that's been missing." He finished for her. He spoke in a nearly breathless voice, like the idea that he could actually have the man he'd been searching for years within his grasp at last was almost too good to believe. "Holy shit."
Rukia was silent as she waited for him to absorb the information and its implications. It was a few long minutes before he finally spoke again.
"Your brother really found all this?" he asked, his tone half admiring, half disbelieving.
She nodded patiently. "He has connections that extend far beyond what you could imagine, and as much influence over them. There's hardly anything my brother cannot know get if he wishes it."
"Tch." The annoyance had returned to the man's features. "Now you're just showing off."
Rukia felt a smirk surfacing, their interactions returning to normal effortlessly. "Showing off is an act far beneath the Kuchiki name."
After Ichigo threw her his best skeptic scowl, they slipped into a silence where she unquestioningly gave him the space he needed to decide what to do next; she may not have stayed out of the issue like he'd wanted, but she still understood that it was something personal to him and would respect his choices in the matter.
"I'm going to talk to him." he declared finally.
"To Tousen?" she asked, but knew at once that's who he meant. She nodded in agreement. "We can go this weekend, so you won't have to give explanations or raise any kind of suspicion by using your work hours."
She had expected him to protest when she used the word "we", but was instead taken by surprise when the only sign that he showed of disagreement was a very slight tightening of his hands at the wheel, only to relax quickly afterwards as he took in a breath before saying, "Yeah," he turned to her just as the car slowed to a stop on a red light. "That's probably best."
And she understood immediately that he wasn't just agreeing to her suggestion, but that he was accepting her help as well. She couldn't help but smile at this, feeling equal parts satisfied and grateful that he was giving her his trust.
Whether he noticed it or not, Ichigo had started to smile as well, his eyes gleaming down at hers. It might have been a tender moment, had it not been abruptly broken by a chorus of angry honks signaling the stoplight's change. Ichigo's curses soon joined the honking, but Rukia could only grin in amusement.
Never a boring moment.
-x-
The rest of the week dragged on for Ichigo in a blend of anxiety and expectation. The mere knowledge that Kaname Tousen could be the one to put him on Aizen's trail alone made him itch with excitement. For one year he had felt like a dog chasing its own tail: having it so close in front of you and yet always out of reach. It could hardly be called a chase at all. But now, he felt like for the first time, the chase was about to become real.
It was those thoughts that filled his head as Ichigo passed the expressionless guard that held the door open for him into the visiting area of the state prison where the ex-business man was being held. Rukia stepped in behind him, coming to stand at his side as they scanned the area.
Visitors and convicts sat on opposite sides of each other in a straight line of makeshift cubicles, separated by clear glass and using generic black cord telephones to communicate through the barrier. Ichigo and Rukia waited wordlessly until they saw a dark-skinned man, with hair that fell past his shoulders in surprisingly elaborate dreads, dressed in the bright orange uniform of the jail and being led by a guard on the other side of the glass towards an empty chair. Ichigo looked at Rukia, as if for confirmation -despite having already memorized what the appearance of the man he was waiting for was-; she nodded and motioned for him to go ahead before her. Ichigo took the only chair available with an unspoken agreement and Rukia stayed back, not too close but still within earshot of his half of the conversation at least.
Behind the glass, the man that could only be Kaname Tousen sat down and stared back at him with blank eyes. Despite having known beforehand that the man was blind, Ichigo was still unnerved by the unseeing gaze that seemed to stare right through him. Swallowing back his uneasiness, he picked up the phone and saw the other man mirror the action.
"Mr. Tousen," he spoke first, keeping his tone as neutral as possible for the introductions. "My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, I work for the Seretei Daily."
The voice that spoke in his ear was deep and calm. "I would return the courtesy, but it seems you already know who I am. Is that right, Mr. Kurosaki?"
Ichigo nodded before he could stop himself, belatedly responding with a quick "Yes." He had to clear his throat to continue in the same professional tone. "I would like to ask a couple of questions."
"I thought the press had already covered all that was pertaining to my arrest." Tousen spoke, his face and his voice remaining as even as ever. If he was truly disturbed by Ichigo's intentions, he wasn't demonstrating it.
"They have. This isn't about your arrest." Ichigo told him bluntly, deciding quickly that there would be no use to beating around the bush. Good, he thought. He had always preferred to cut to the chase. "I want to know about a man named Sosuke Aizen."
If years of questioning people and measuring every diminutive detail about their reactions hadn't honed Ichigo into the journalist that he was, he might have missed the almost imperceptible stiffening of the other man's body.
"I know that you know him, there is no use denying it." Ichigo hurried to add, anticipating what would follow Tousen's reaction. He didn't have much solid proof, but you didn't get to where he was without a little bluffing. "Is it true that Aizen was originally involved with Suzumuchi Enterprises?"
"Why is a reporter interested in this?" Tousen's tone did not betray it, but his reply showed that he would not be as willing to rat out his old partner as Ichigo had hoped.
"It's my job." was all he answered. "Now please answer the question."
Tousen was silent for a few seconds that felt like minutes, his face not showing so much as a twitch of emotion. But finally, he answered. "It is true."
Ichigo relaxed, not having realized he had tensed up waiting for a reply. "Now tell me," he went on. "Did he have a hand in the accusations made against you and subsequent arrest?"
"I do not understand." Tousen replied just a split second too quickly.
"Aizen," he repeated. "Did he have something to do with your arrest or not?"
"As a man who works for the Seretei, you should already know all the details pertaining to my arrest, Mr. Kurosaki." came the vague answer.
Ichigo felt his eyebrows begin to inch closer together. "I know all the recorded details. But rumor has it there could have been something more than fraud as to why such a successful man as yourself was sent to the big house."
"And you wish to investigate if those rumors are true?"
"I merely find it curious that someone with the amount of money and power that you had at your disposal seems to have barely stood a chance in a trial where a decent lawyer and perhaps a fine that would have been pocket change for you could have let you walk free."
"Any theories?" Tousen asked, and Ichigo couldn't tell if it was a challenge or simple curiosity.
"Only more rumors." he answered, imitating his apparent calm. He waited another two seconds before lowering his voice to say what came next. "They say the Arrancars don't take too well to people who try to walk away."
Tousen was still and silent as a statue.
"Is there any truth to that rumor?" Ichigo prompted.
"What exactly are you after, Mr. Kurosaki?" Tousen's voice dropped a few notes, the first signs of an edge entering it. That was all Ichigo needed to know that he -Rukia, and Byakuya- were on the right path.
"I already told you that. I want Aizen."
Tousen's eyebrows creased ever so slightly, and Ichigo had an impression like he could feel the blind man's eyes narrowing at him. It suddenly didn't feel like he was staring through him, but like he was staring straight at his soul. He could feel the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand and, though he would never admit it out loud, he was infinitely glad for the feel of Rukia's reassuring presence not far behind him.
"I already said that Mr. Aizen did indeed work with me when we started a business together." Tousen's voice was closer to how it had been in the beginning, but not quite as neutral anymore. "I do not see how this has to do with my arrest or with the Arrancars."
"You mean to say that you and Aizen didn't maintain contact once your business became independent?" Ichigo shot back.
"That still has nothing to do with-"
"And you were never involved with the Arrancars in any way?" he pushed on. Upon being met with silence again, he decided to take it further. "Mr. Tousen, you are already behind bars. I have no intention of making things worse for you, and if you want it you have my word that your name will never be mentioned in any information I disclose in the future. You're not the one I'm after." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I know that Aizen is involved with the Arrancars." He had to close his eyes for a second then, fighting the unwarranted images of rain, blood and tears that flashed through his mind as he remembered that day… Before he opened his eyes again, he saw one last picture of the brown-haired male, with that calm smile and predatory gleam in his eyes. He made sure to steady himself before speaking once more. "But I need the proof. I think you can be the one to lead me to it."
There was a seemingly endless stretch of silence as the other male seemed to consider him, and Ichigo wished now more than ever that he could just look into the man's eyes and show him his sincerity. As it was, he could only wait with his breath held until at last, the voice was once again in his ear.
"You are not incorrect." he said. "But I am sorry." Immediately, Ichigo felt his hope crashing down. "I cannot give you what you want."
He merely gaped for a long moment, before the frustration rose inside him and he felt his scowl harden as he leaned forward to shoot bitterly. "Can't or won't?"
He appeared thoughtful for a moment, before replying serenely. "This is the path that I have chosen."
Ichigo could have snapped. He was about to verbally take out the anger that he felt for the man's response on him when he felt a firm, yet somehow gentle, hand on his shoulder holding him back. He looked up, already knowing who he would see but surprised nonetheless that she had chosen that moment to interfere.
Rukia gave him an almost imperceptible shake of the head to indicate that he should not do whatever he was about to do. He couldn't deny the awe that he felt that she had been able to anticipate his violent reaction the way she had, but then had to remind himself that it was Rukia he was talking about- what else could he expect? She proceeded to give him a light squeeze and signaled with her eyes what he understood to be a dismissal.
He didn't immediately move, reluctant to stop questioning the man but understanding that at that point, with his temper as worn down as it was, he wouldn't do any more good. In any other case he would have been able to keep himself in check, but not then. Not when getting answers meant so much to him. He stood.
He handed Rukia the black telephone and met her eyes as he did. They didn't say anything, but with a tiny twitch of her lips to indicate a smile, Rukia communicated her reassurance and it was enough. Ichigo surrendered the phone to her and walked back to stand against the wall, barely noticing a someone passing in front of him to leave the room before he shut his eyes and leaned his head against the concrete. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and didn't bother trying to catch whatever Rukia was saying now, feeling the initial pounding of what promised to be a hell of a headache coming on.
He felt rather than heard her coming back, and when he opened his eyes he saw Tousen already on his feet and being joined by the same stone-faced guard that had led him inside. Looking down to see Rukia, he wasn't surprised to see her serious face- a sign that things hadn't gone their way.
"So he's not talking." he assumed.
Rukia's frown deepened. "He remains loyal to him." she said. "His reluctance to speak is out of loyalty for the man."
Ichigo felt himself gaping in disbelief, eyes darting back up towards the retreating figure of the convict. "Loyal to the guy that probably didn't lift a finger to keep him out of jail?"
"I don't understand it either." she lamented. "But whatever his reason, he truly believes in it and that's all that matters to him."
Ichigo tightened his fists at his sides almost painfully. "Great. Now where do we go? That was all we had."
"First, we leave here." Rukia indicated to the exit, clearly not eager to spend any more time that she had to in the place. Ichigo let his feet carry him after her almost mindlessly, too preoccupied with his own frustration at having turned into yet another dead end to really pay attention to his surroundings. As they walked back the way they came, she talked. "When we get back, we can try talking to the people that worked close to Tousen and see what they know."
He scoffed irritably at the suggestion. "If the guy that has nothing to lose won't talk, what makes you think that the ones that do will?"
Rukia gave him a sideways narrow-eyed glance. "Isn't it your job to get them to talk?"
The way she said it was more than just a retort. It was a reminder; a subtle reassurance in the way that only she knew how to give.
The tension in his muscles subsided and his hands eased open. He looked back at her. "You say that like it's so simple."
"Let me know if I'm overestimating you." she smirked.
"Bitch." Even as he said it, he felt the pounding in his head already draining away.
-x-
After their less than successful stop in jail, Ichigo drove back to his house without bothering to ask his company if she wanted to stop anywhere else- like her own house. Rukia was less intrigued by the act itself than by the fact that it seemed perfectly natural to both of them. She didn't exactly have a vast array of experience in the relationship department, so she was left to wonder if it was normal for the two of them to have reached such a level of implicit comfort after only a few weeks of going past the 'friends' stage. A voice in the back of her head told her that it wasn't, but that same voice also reminded her that she couldn't really recall a specific point in time when she could simply brush off what she and Ichigo shared as casual friendship.
Her musings had kept her mind occupied for the majority of the quiet ride, but she hadn't deemed it necessary to strike up a conversation anyhow. The few sideglances that she shot at Ichigo showed her that, despite having been somewhat eased after their conversation following the meeting with Tousen, he was still preoccupied; small talk would be of no help to whatever frustration he was feeling over the matter.
They didn't break the silence once they were in the warmth of his home. Rukia could only wonder what he would do next- whether he would jump straight to his computer and either take his mind off things with work, or get started on the search for his next lead; or if he would crash into bed and mope for the afternoon. She didn't ask, merely giving him the space to recover his spirits however he decided. It was only if his moping got out of hand that she would find the need to intervene.
As it turned out, Ichigo surprised her by making a beeline towards the kitchen when they arrived. She herself went into the living room and only threw a few curious looks over her shoulder from where she sat on the couch, seeing the man tinkering around in the connected area. It wasn't long before she heard him coming to join her, sinking into the couch beside her as he wordlessly deposited a warm cup of something sweet-smelling into her hands.
"Hot chocolate?" she inquired, something akin to amusement lacing her voice as she took in the smell of the drink she hadn't tasted since before she could remember.
"What? Don't like it?" He asked gruffly before taking a sip of his own mug, but she could make out just a hint of honesty to the question.
She shook her head, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards unbidden. "That's not it. I just can't remember the last one anyone made it for me."
He scoffed, but she could feel the subtle relaxation of his frame next to her. "Don't get used to it." He warned, but even as he did, he stretched his arm to rest it over the back the couch behind her, quietly inviting her to snuggle closer.
She did, pulling her feet unto the couch and leaning into him just as she took the first tentative sip of the drink. The combined warmth of the rich liquid and of his body had an effect that erased any of the leftover chill from the winter air outside. They stayed like that for a while, until Ichigo spoke so quietly that it made her wonder if she was meant to hear.
"Mom used to make it."
She turned her head slightly so that she could see him; his eyes were on the mug in his hand, and had softened in a way that made him seem younger.
"Hot chocolate, I mean." he went on, his voice just a little stronger. "Whenever I -or one of my sisters, was stressed about something-, a test or some kind of try-outs, she would always make us each a cup. She wouldn't tell us that we would do okay, or even say anything about the matter; she'd just sit there with us and smile. That was all it took to get us at ease, every time."
Rukia couldn't help the gentle smile that formed on her lips as she heard him recount the memories with such obvious fondness. "She was a special woman." she told him softly.
He turned his eyes on her, and at the moment they were a tender brown that resembled the very chocolate drink in her hands. "Yeah…" he said, his face close enough to hers that his breath was like a warm caress. "Yeah she was."
He held her eyes for a long moment, before the arm that rested over the back of the couch moved go around her shoulders, his hand landing lightly over her hip. She responded shifting further into him, holding her drink in one hand and letting the other come to rest right over his chest. Beneath the black fabric of his long-sleeved shirt she could just barely feel the hint of the toned upper body, and beyond that, a steady beat. Barely aware of her actions, she found herself closing her eyes and leaning her head against him, listening to the rhythmic pounding of his heart like a calming lullaby. She felt him rest his chin on top of her head a moment later.
"Thank you." he murmured into the affectionate silence.
She wasn't sure if he meant for her company or comfort, or something else, but she didn't ask. It wasn't really necessary.
A/N: I had to cut this one a little short because I didn't want to cram too much into the chapter, and what's coming next isn't really related to the events here so to avoid the risk of losing the significance of what happened in between too much other stuff, I'm leaving it there. I hope the chapter didn't feel too rushed, I just didn't want to waste time on meaningless filler moments now that the plot is heating up. I can't say exactly how many chapters are left, but I feel that it'll be done in less that 25, so that doesn't leave all that much. I have made it my given myself the resolution to finish this story this year, hopefully before August (I'm taking into account the possibility of a busy semester, though fear not, I don't think it'll warrant a hiatus like the last one)
To: SamanthaEscalante, KurukiXV, whatever. you . love, Imou, OnepieceX3, InthatMood, TruantPony, Rukie Martinez, shnizlefritz, Mokimoki-chan, SilverStella, SuperRukia, Metue, Shaybo27, chineschopsticks, Black Sun Upon An Icy Sky, sweetieebunny, KitElizaKing, Kuroi-cho-tsuki-shiro, pamianime, IchiRuki2.0, Alyssa, Poisonfish, Fire331, and Mae Snapdragon- thanks for the reviews! I was especially glad to see you guys still following the story after my prolonged lack of updates XD Thank you all :)