Ichigo stood at the threshold of his office, leaning against the wooden frame as he paused to stare at the scene before him.
Rukia was at her cubicle, as per usual, and standing at either side of her were Rangiku and Orihime. The two taller girls were gesturing wildly, though he didn't bother to listen to whatever it was that they were saying, and Rukia was shaking her head and glaring at them in a display of what was clearly meant to be annoyance, but the twinkle in her eyes betrayed her amusement. He watched as the women said something that must have flustered her, causing a pair of pink stains to appear on her cheeks while she tried to cover up her embarrassment by shoving the two away from her. Her friends only laughed, and he could see that despite her efforts, she was fighting off a smile herself.
He felt he was watching the scene as if from a distance, or perhaps through a screen, where he could appreciate all the small details that usually escaped one during such casual day-to-day encounters. Throughout it all, he felt his lips stretching to form a smile, and a warm sensation seeping through his body.
As he focused on Rukia, she turned her head and her eyes darted over to his. Violet orbs widened in surprise when they met his gaze, obviously not having noticed him before. For the brief instant when their eyes connected, she smiled at him; a small, simple smile that she hid only a moment later, but that still managed to send an already familiar flutter through his stomach.
Even as he merely watched her from a distance, he felt a comfort settle over him, like a blanket. The feeling was like a paradox that contrasted against the other, intense emotions that also flared within him whenever she was near, but somehow that very sense of chaos and serenity created a balance that seemed to make everything fall into place whenever their eyes met. He didn't fully understand what that overall feeling was, couldn't put a name to it, but in that moment, he came to a realization.
He didn't want to lose that. He couldn't lose that.
He glanced over his shoulder into his office, where the screen of his computer was just flickering onto the screensaver; where he had spent the previous hours pouring over anything and everything he could find of Kaname Tousen and those who had worked close to him in Suzumuchi Enterprises. And he found himself wondering, for the first time, if all of it was really worth it.
He wanted revenge for all that was done to him and his family. Most of all, he wanted justice for his mother, who had deserved so much more than the end she forcefully met on that rainy day so long ago. It was worth putting a lot on the line; and he had always been willing to risk it.
But he had been driven by that desire for so long, he couldn't remember the last time he stopped to consider a different purpose for his life. He had only ever seen his future in terms of catching Aizen, and finally making peace with the pain of losing his mother. However, he didn't feel that need clawing at him anymore. It was as though, when Rukia came into his life, she had brought that peace he had so long searched for with her.
Then he closed his eyes, and imagined himself in a few years. He could see himself with Rukia, waking up by her side and holding her hand as he caught the flash of a gold band around her finger. He could hear the voices of children calling for them, smiling at them. He could see a family; a future. And it tasted better than anything he had ever hoped for before.
Could he let go of everything he had worked for, and go after a new, brighter future?
"Mr. Kurosaki," a soft female voice interrupted his contemplation.
He tore his eyes away from the group before him and looked down to see Momo Hinamori, petite and delicate as ever, with her brown hair tied in her usual bun covered by cloth. She was looking up at him with almost childishly gleaming eyes, before he nodded in form of greeting.
"Hey, Momo." he said offhandedly. "Back from your leave already?"
"Yes," she replied. "My friend Izuru is staying with Shiro for a while, until I can find him a permanent nanny. I just had to come back to work; strange as that might sound. I always feel calmer here."
"Yeah, I know what you mean." Ichigo said before he could catch himself, then it was all he could do to keep his tell-tale eyes from drifting back over to the raven-haired woman plaguing his thoughts. "Uh, was there something you needed, Momo?"
"Oh, yes." she seemed to snap back from her own train of thoughts, only then remembering she had a purpose. "Mr. Aizen asked me to tell you that he would like to meet with you. He said he wants to discuss something important."
He tensed. Dread washed over him like a wave, grounding him to the reality of the situation, and somehow also serving as a reminder of all that he was putting a stake. He allowed himself a quick glance towards Rukia now, and found to his surprise that she was already looking in his direction, a worried frown twisting her features.
Ichigo clenched and unclenched his hand at his side, before his mind clicked with renewed resolve and his decision was made.
-x-
"Please, come in."
Aizen's smooth voice drifted through the wood of the door, as easy and confident as the melody a man would use to charm a snake. As Ichigo opened the door of what used to be Ukitake's office and allowed himself inside, he was met with the sight of his current boss lounging in the chair behind the desk, eyes crinkling with a smile behind the black square frame of his glasses.
"Ichigo, so glad you could come."
Ichigo felt his shoulders stiffen at the polite greeting. Jushiro Ukitake had said the same words to him countless times, but where the elder man's voice had carried kindness and genuine warmth, Aizen's felt like a cold satire of the intended cordiality.
"You asked to see me." he replied curtly, not particularly caring to follow along with his boss's pretenses.
"I did," Aizen nodded, his brown eyes opening to regard him now, but the hint of a smile still curving his mouth. "I suppose you would like me to cut straight to the chase, right?" He spoke in a playful manner, the way an adult might speak to a child that he found amusing. The sheer condescendence of it made Ichigo's fingers twitch at his sides, but he held himself in check. Then, seemingly satisfied with the reaction he had gotten -despite the lack of verbal response-, Aizen went on. "Still impatient, Ichigo? Remember, patience is a virtue." He paused, brown eyes twinkling behind glass before he added, "Especially for someone in your line of work."
The words hung like a silent warning for Ichigo. Aizen knew he was being chased; he was simply playing along.
The other man interrupted Ichigo's apprehension with a chuckle. "No need to look so serious, I will tell you he reason why I have called you here." Aizen said calmly. "I have a special job for you to do."
Thatimmediately triggered a sense of alarm inside Ichigo. He had no idea what the man could have in mind, but the odds of it being to his benefit weren't exactly comforting. "What would that be?" he asked, in as controlled a voice as he could muster.
"I'd like you to cover the Kuugo and Shukuro story."
Ichigo remained tensed, waiting for the catch that would inevitably come. Looking at Aizen through narrowed eyes, he warily said, "I'll get on that right away, Sir."
"Glad to hear it, but not quite yet. You should wait until you get there, after all." replied Aizen, the smile once again widening on his features.
He held his breath, feeling the catch coming on.
"I want you to cover it on-scene." his boss explained. "This is a very high-profile case, and it would not do good to treat as anything but such. I believe you are the most suited for this, Ichigo Kurosaki."
The feeling of dread that he had been just barely repressing until then began to make itself known again.
"You want me to travel." He had intended it as a question, but his words were a clear statement.
Aizen didn't skip a beat before saying, "To Kawasaki."
Ichigo did not lose his composure, but maintained his stoic expression. "I don't-"
"Oh, do not worry about travel expenses or any of the sort." Aizen interrupted, getting to his feet. "I will see to it that all of that is covered by us, here at the Seretei. You will have good accommodations, and a trusted colleague of mine will be there to show you around." He spoke as he made his way around the wooden desk, and Ichigo's eyes wandered to the surface of the wooden piece of furniture as the man's words registered sluggishly through his mind.
Aizen had kept the same desk and chairs that Ukitake had used, but it was almost impossible to tell. Ukitake's desk had always been buried under piles of folders and files waiting to be read, and in between the towers of those he had kept a bowl filled with sweets for guests, and a single picture frame -which had held an image of him, looking about a decade younger, but still wearing hair the color of snow; and a man with long, wavy brown hair held back in a pony tail, who looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days and wore a lazy smile as he threw his arm around the white-haired man-. It had been nothing short of a mess, and the older man was more often than not attempting to navigate through the landscape of sheets for the sake of finding what he wanted.
As Ichigo looked at the desk now, he could see the smooth, polished wood for what he felt was the first time. Aizen's desk was immaculate. There was not a single sheet of paper to mar the area, nor a misplaced pen to create the illusion of use. Everything was neatly in place, organized to the point of perfection. There were no pictures. It looked like something on display at a store, more than something that was actually owned by someone.
Ichigo found himself studying these contrasts as he let Aizen's explanations filter through his mind, and had become so engrossed in the task that it was only when the other male stood mere inches from him that he became aware that he had been walking up to him.
"-chigo?"
He swallowed, blinking himself into proper awareness as he turned to the man. "When did you say I would leave?"
Aizen did not so much as blink. If he had noticed Ichigo's apparent lack of attention, he gave no sign of it. "This week. Two days from now."
He kept his face carefully neutral as he chose his next words. "I'm afraid I won't be able to make it, Sir."
A single, perfectly trimmed brown eyebrow went up in response. "Is that so?" Aizen's smile remained as polite as ever, but the way his voice dropped a few notes was all that Ichigo needed to detect the disapproval.
"I'm sorry," Ichigo continued, meeting his eyes. Aizen was just barely taller than him, but he stood his ground and would not allow himself to be looked down upon. "You will have to give the honors to someone else."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Aizen's smile dropped into a lamenting expression. "But I'm a afraid that this is not a request, Ichigo."
The reply did not surprise Ichigo, but it still hit him like a bucket of cold water. His fists tightened at his sides and he stood a little straighter, tilting his head back slightly so as to be able to look down his nose at Aizen, and make it clear that he was not backing down. "And if I choose not to go?"
His words were an obvious challenge; perhaps the first one he had openly issued against the man. He thought it ironic that for all the time he spent chasing after Aizen, it was only now, when he was so close to him in more than the physical sense, when he intended to end the chase, that he directly defied him.
"I am afraid that would not do." Aizen shook his head regretfully, as if he was genuinely saddened with his response. "I have placed a great deal of trust in you to cover this story, and it would not look very good for either of us if you were to decline it. Such a failure would surely bring about bad fortune if not handled properly."
Ichigo's voice was tight. "What would be the proper way to handle it?"
Aizen didn't answer for a long moment, his eyes apprehensive as he watched Ichigo with an odd mixture of amusement and wariness reflected in his resurfacing smile.
"I do not need to remind you that your job, as well as that of everyone inside this building, hang from my hands, do I?"
-x-
"Something is wrong."
Rukia had been unusually quiet until that moment, ever since Ichigo had arrived at her apartment.
At work she had heard from Rangiku that Mr. Aizen had asked to see him, and it was easy to tell that whatever had transpired between them had not exactly been pleasant, as Ichigo had stormed through the fourth floor afterwards and straight into his office without so much as looking at anyone. The sound of him slamming the door of his office had been loud enough to make the entire floor fall quiet. He hadn't emerged for the rest of the day; when Orihime went to ask him to join them for lunch, he said that he was too busy and left it at that. Rukia had pondered whether to confront him or not, but had decided against it. If something had happened with Aizen, she had reasoned, the last thing Ichigo would want is for her to remind everyone that the two of them were close; it made him nervous enough as it was. So she had resolved to talk to him on the afternoon once they were at his house, but that plan had fallen through when she received a text message from him about half an hour before leaving:
"Go back to your apartment today."
That was all it had said. Her first impulse had been to ignore his message and show up at his doorstep with quite the mouthful of chastising, but a stronger side of her knew that it would have done more harm than good to do that. Whatever was troubling Ichigo, he was asking for space, and she would give it to him. She knew that he would allow her in when he was ready.
She had been pleasantly surprised when, around seven o' clock, she had heard someone knocking on her door and had found herself met with a mop of bright orange hair standing at other side. Her momentary elation had faded quickly, however, when she saw the look in his downcast eyes. She had stepped aside to let him in, and he had walked past her wordlessly, heading straight for the futon in the living room.
"I'm making dinner," Rukia had informed him, and he had acknowledged her with a nod of his head and nothing more.
She didn't press him anymore, not until nearly an hour later when they both sat side by side on the futon, with empty plates in their hands.
"You have that pathetic face on." she added after stating what she had noticed ever since his meeting with their boss.
Ichigo's eyes finally darted to her then, and she thought she saw him almost crack a smile before releasing a long breath.
"The curry was good." he spoke for the first time.
She blinked a couple of times, surprised by his casual remark before huffing haughtily. "Of course it was. It's my specialty."
He truly smiled this time, a grin that reached his eyes for a moment before the amber softened into something quieter as he watched her.
"Thank you." he said, in a voice that was firm and yet gentle somehow, conveying too much meaning to be referring to her cuisine alone.
Rukia fumbled under his gaze, a knot tightening in her stomach as she tried to understand what Ichigo's sudden change in attitude meant. She had a feeling that she wouldn't like the answer. In an attempt to slip into a more comfortable zone, she furrowed her brows and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Stop looking like that, idiot." she demanded, roughly snatching away the emptied bowl from his hands and rising to her feet. She went around the futon and started towards the small kitchen area, knowing that Ichigo's attention would still be on her. She wasn't expecting, however, to feel him appear beside her when she stood before the sink. In her moment of surprise, she failed to react in time when Ichigo seized the bowls back from her grasp and opened the tap to wash them. Rukia made to argue against it, but he interrupted without looking at her, saying, "You cooked."
She eased back, folding her arms and leaning against the counter behind Ichigo as she let him do the dishes. She could feel the tension that radiated off him, despite his attempts at casualness. She waited until he was done putting away the last of the silverware and was drying his hands before finally speaking the questioned that had been burning in her mind for the better part of the day.
"What happened?"
Ichigo kept his back toward her, so that if he had shown any reaction on his features, she couldn't see it. He kept the towel in his hands well after he was done drying them, and hunched over just slightly. After what felt like an hour of silence, he finally said, "He's sending me to Kawasaki. This Thursday."
Rukia pressed her lips into a tight line at the news, trying to decide what it meant. "But that makes no sense." She glared down at the floor, brow creased in confusion. "He knows you're after him, it would be best for him to have you close so he could keep an eye on you."
From the edge of her vision she could see the movement of his head as he nodded. "Exactly."
Understanding began to settle in, and as it did, Rukia could feel her stomach begin to sink. "How long are you supposed to be gone?"
"Three days." Ichigo said, his expression still hidden.
Three days, she repeated mentally. Not enough time to achieve anything significant that Mr. Aizen could have needed Ichigo far away for; not when he had spent so long continuing his business as it was without ever managing to slip enough to inadvertently grant Ichigo what he needed. And yet, there must have been a way for the man to benefit if he sent him away…
"Ichigo…" Rukia started, making a conscious effort to control the shakiness threatening to enter her voice. "You can't go."
Ichigo laughed dryly at that. "He didn't really give me much of an option."
"He's leading you to slaughter!" she snapped at last, no longer able to control her visible emotions as absolute certainty washed over her.
"Ah," Ichigo's voice sounded maddeningly at ease. When he finally turned at an angle where she could see his face, she was taken aback by what looked like a disappointed, but resigned smile. "So that's what you figured too."
Rukia raised her eyes to Ichigo's and scrutinized him, attempting to decipher whether his apparent calm was feigned or real; while also trying to decide which of the two would have been worse.
"What's the matter with you, Ichigo?" she finally asked, visibly agitated. "Could you at least try to act like you care that your life might be in danger?"
It was obvious that she was angry now, but Ichigo responded with a mere shrug. "My life has been in danger the whole time, really."
"It's not the same." Rukia's voice suddenly dropped into a cool tone, her gaze as chilling as frost.
"You're right," he agreed. "This time I've had a warning."
Her mouth fell open at his words, and the take he was taking on the whole situation. Her entire body stiffened. "You're planning to use this, aren't you?"
He didn't say a word, eyes never straying from hers; it was answer enough.
"No." she spoke the word coolly, her stiff tone one that only years in the presence of Byakuya Kuchiki could have perfected.
"Rukia-" Ichigo started, but she wasn't having that.
"You're too reckless!" she suddenly exclaimed, arms coming loose from their folded position to gesture freely as she all but spat the words out. "Have you even stopped to think about this for a minute? You'll be right in the palm of his hand! You should be thinking of a way to avoid this, not waltzing into it!"
"I have thought about it," he interjected her tirade the moment she paused for breath. "I've spent practically all day thinking about it. I don't have a choice in the matter; the best I can do is take as much advantage of the situation as I can. Whatever he's planning, I know I can use it. He's been careful so far, and now he plans to eliminate the threat for good."
Rukia tried not to wince at the statement, but couldn't manage to continue holding Ichigo's gaze any longer.
"It'll be safe again for him once I'm out of the picture," Ichigo went on, his tone vacillating between distaste at the circumstances, and the increasing excitement over whatever it was he had in mind. "But it is impossible to eliminate any player without entering the board. Whatever he plans, he's in the game now. And as long as he is, I may be vulnerable, but so is he. This could be my only chance to…" he trailed off, his built up excitement rapidly fading as he looked at the petite woman, whose glare at the moment was fixed on the tiles under her feet.
"Rukia," he called her name as reasonably as possible, taking a step towards her in the compacted kitchen area.
She made as if to move away, only to be stopped by the hard edge of the counter pressing against her back. Before she could dart off to the side, Ichigo quickly closed the distance between them and placed his hands firmly on the counter at either side of her, preventing escape. She tried to keep her eyes averted, but as he called her name again, in a soft voice that whispered against her like a caress, they moved of their own accord, helplessly drawn to his.
The moment their eyes met, she understood that there was nothing left for her to say; nothing would change his mind now.
So she laid her hands on his chest, and with a pressure that somehow managed to be gentle, signaled to push him away. She caught sight of a brief flash of hurt in his eyes, but he stepped back without protest. It took all her self-control to do it, but she managed after a moment to reign in the turmoil of emotions battling within her enough to regain her outer composure.
She took a deep breath before saying, in an emotion-free voice, "I'll see you tomorrow, Ichigo."
Rukia once again saw Ichigo's face fall, and felt a pang of pain deep within her chest. However, she made no move to take back her dismissal.
She watched wordlessly as Ichigo turned and walked towards the door, pausing only at the threshold once he'd pulled it open. The angle on which she was standing in and the layout of the kitchen didn't allow her to see him, but she could almost feel his presence lingering uneasily. When he spoke, despite the relative softness of his voice, she heard him clearly. So clearly, that she thought perhaps she might have imagined it.
"I didn't want this." he said. "I was ready to give it all up for…" He seemed to cut himself off abruptly. He was quiet for an exceedingly long moment, before, saying a simple, "See ya', Rukia."
And he left.
-x-
It was late afternoon, the sun just beginning its descent into the horizon, as Ichigo folded the last of his clothes to put away for the next day's flight.
The day had gone by in a blur of phone calls e-mails, making the preparations for the upcoming trip. He would have preferred to set everything up in person, but skipping the day at work would have raised suspicion, and he wasn't willing to risk it. Now all that was left were the bare basics; the part which, ironically enough, he found himself dreading the most. He was just about to grant himself a break to flop down on the couch in front of the TV when he was interrupted by the sound of knocking.
It was quiet at first, almost hesitant in nature. But it sounded a second time, louder and more secure, and he knew he wasn't imagining anything. He hurried over and pulled the door open, and was met with a sight that seemed to lift an invisible weight off his shoulders.
"Rukia." he breathed, immediately finding her violet eyes looking up at him.
She was looking at him with an expression he couldn't quite put a name to; her face was hard, but her irises were gleaming with a whirl of so many emotions he couldn't begin to pick one out individually. But in the instant it took him to try to decipher what he was seeing, she had blinked it all away until only a steady sort of determination was left. Ichigo opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.
"I'm here to help." She spoke with such conviction that there was nothing for him to do except step aside for her to come in, and smile down at her.
"I'm glad." he said sincerely, and was rewarded with her returning smile.
"God knows you can't do this on your own." she shot at him, and it was all the reassuring that he needed to know that she would remain by his side.
Ichigo exhaled with the same relief of someone who had been holding his breath for a long time; he threw the front door shut, not bothering with any pretense of delicacy, and followed the petite figure that was already halfway to his bedroom.
"After you," he muttered as he jogged to catch up to her, but the sarcasm in his words lost its effect against the smile he couldn't quite wipe from his features.
Rukia wasted no time once inside his room and set to work folding his clothes -most of which he had actually folded previously, but she had taken one look at them and, ignoring his protests with practiced ease, went to refold 'properly'-, and organizing themin the bag he had set out. He joined in to help, but only after she oh so generously showed him step by step how to properly do things. The whole time she didn't drop her haughty expression or mightier-than-though tone of voice.
Even with the time spent on tutoring Ichigo on proper folding techniques, the two of them managed to work diligently enough so as to be done before dark. Ichigo could tell it was late sunset when they finished by the deep orange light streaming through the half drawn shutters, which flooded the room with a warm glow that gave the impression that everything reflected the light of a burning fire.
"Is there anything else?" Rukia asked, looking around the suddenly emptier room.
"I've already taken care of the rest." he told her, unsure if she wanted more of an explanation.
He was glad when he saw her nod without probing any further; he didn't want to talk about his plans for the following days in that moment.
Silence began to engulf them then, as the two stood close together without knowing quite what to say to each other. Rukia was the first to attempt to speak.
"I…" she started, her eyes searching for his in the golden afternoon.
Looking into her intense gaze, Ichigo could once again see the swirl of emotions that had been there when she had appeared at his threshold earlier. His attention swayed to the way the orange light played over her delicate features; it appeared to flush her milky skin, and ignited around her obsidian locks like a halo. Her eyes were striking, glinting like deep purple gems beneath slightly upturned slender eyebrows.
The ache of an unexpected longing suddenly tightened his chest and he felt a knot in his throat, which caused his voice to sound strained as he started to form her name. He never got to complete it, however, because Rukia took the moment to fist her dainty hands in his shirt and pull him down into a kiss.
It was a kiss unlike any they had shared before. Slow and tender, but underlying were rivers of barely restrained yearning and desire running deep as the sea. As their lips molded against one another's, they conveyed every feeling that they couldn't put into words.
I'll miss you…
Rukia's hands slipped around his neck and she pulled herself up against him, her body sliding languidly against his. He slipped his hands down from where they rested on her waist to her hips, then daringly lower, moving slowly so as to give her a chance to signal any discomfort. When she made no move to stop him, he continued until he was grasping her thighs, and without warning he used the hold to hoist her up in one swift and sudden movement until she stood on his bed.
I wish you could stay…
Ichigo's hands roamed upwards again, along her hips up to the hem of her snug-fitting jeans, where his fingers teased the edge of the denim before gliding beneath her cotton shirt and ran over her smooth skin with calloused hands and a soft touch. Meanwhile, her hands had left his neck and were now at either side of his face, holding him as she kissed him from above.
Be safe…
His arms had wrapped themselves around her slim torso and were holding her tightly against him, his palms and fingers hot against her flesh. Rukia slid her hand over the sunkissed skin of his cheek and let her fingers roam freely through his thick spikes of tangerine hair. She kissed him with a mixture of vigor and caution, like she didn't want to be too hasty even as the heated need became increasingly overwhelming.
Come back to me…
They parted their mouths with a soft sound, their lips still grazing each other's as they breathed together. She moved to brush her lips over the corner of Ichigo's mouth, then along his jaw line until the dip unto his neck. She then pressed a featherlight kiss just below his earlobe, and felt the shiver that coursed through his body against her own, before his hands tightened at her waist and he started to climb unto the bed.
I need you…
He pushed Rukia gently onto the mattress, climbing over her with one knee between her legs and his hands at either side of her to hold himself up. His face brushed hers as he lowered himself to kiss her neck, which she arched after a moment to allow him easier access to the ivory length of it. He moved downwards using one hand to pull the collar of her shirt until her shoulder was exposed, then proceeded to press his parted lips along her collarbone. As he did, her hands worked themselves underneath his shirt, exploring the tight, heated skin of his torso before starting to tug impatiently at the fabric.
I…
Ichigo lifted himself over her and met her eyes now. The molten amber burned into her with his unspoken question, combining with the heat radiating off his lean body to leave her feeling like she had to gasp for air. Her voice was thick, but steady, when it left her in the one thought that filled her whole being with certainty in that moment. "I love you."
For a brief instant, it was as if time had stopped just for them, and they had been encased in a tiny bubble that kept them from the rest of the world. Neither of them breathed, as if any sort of movement would shatter the frail balance of their space, and their gazes never once flickered away from one another's.
Then, with almost unbearable slowness, Ichigo lowered himself unto his elbows, his body now covering hers with a weight that was both powerful and careful. His face came down over hers, their noses brushing together before he stopped with his lips hovering centimeters above her parted mouth. When he spoke, it was in a low, rich voice, kept down to just above a whisper, for his words were meant for her to hear and no one else. "And I love you."
And like a ceased clock starting up again, time began to flow once more for the two of them as their mouths connected.
Dusk gradually fell and the moon rose, its silvery light the only witness as the two people inside the room shared their bodies to the sound of their whispered names between panted breaths.
A/N: Late update again...Umm...Look! A distraction! :)
Many thanks as usual to all those who took the time to leave reviews:
UPDATE, KurosakiRukia999, KurosakiCrystal18, calidude146, MN, kalthurin, Cisusi, Sashu, Rukie Martinez, MushroomRukia, 11xNaNx11, Raelax Darkmoon, chibiyukia, Esquire Hayes, SilverFlameHaze, Furimaindo, OnepieceX3, SamanthaEscalante, Sa Rart, whatever. you. love, Black Sun Upon An Icy Sky, ali6220, Shaybo27, Asasininja4827, shnizlefritz, chineschopsticks, KitElizaKing, SuperRukia, Kuroi-cho-tsuki-shiro, Mokimoki-chan, and pamianime,
Thank you all for the fuel ;) Special thanks to TruantPony for helping me clean up a few things this chapter, and also having been a spellchecker- if you found the chapter substantially emptier of misspellings or words that seem out of place, it's thanks to her!
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter- until next time!