Well somehow this chapter ended up being my longest one yet so that's cool I guess! I couldn't really stop it at any point so it ended up being pretty lengthy. The plot is definitely starting to pick up! I hope you enjoy!
Ichigo Kurosaki couldn't contain the lopsided grin he was sporting as he leisurely drove back to his apartment building in the middle of Tokyo. Though he had always dreamed about it, he never would have thought he'd spend a night with Rukia like he just had. She had been so open to his affections. She had laughed and conversed with him like they were old friends at the restaurant, had let her head rest on his chest as they swayed together on the dance floor, and he couldn't forget the soft touch of her lips on his cheek before they parted ways for the night.
Though he had wanted to finally kiss her, he would take what she willingly gave him. It was obvious she still wanted to take this slow, but compared to how their date had gone a few months before, this was incredible for them.
Ichigo just couldn't deny how he felt about the short, raven-haired woman. Though it had always been obvious how attracted he was to her, he held back his deeper feelings and tried to write them off as nothing more than a strong physical desire. But now, he knew that it was something far greater than that. He was still hesitant to define it, but he knew Rukia Kuchiki had found her way into his heart and wasn't leaving any time soon, if ever.
He was excited to see where their relationship would go. Rukia was the one directing the pace, but Ichigo didn't really care. Even if it was moving slowly, it was still moving.
Uryuu's reminder still lingered in the back of his mind. He knew it could get dangerous for them as they pursued some kind of relationship, but he just couldn't find it in himself to care. He knew that if he really tried, he would be able to protect his company and protect Rukia at the same time.
He was too blinded by his feelings to understand that at that very moment, his protection was being tested in the worst possible way.
"Hello, Ms. Kuchiki. I've been waiting for you," Gin Ichimaru said in a sinister voice as he made his presence known.
Rukia's heart had ceased beating the moment her eyes met those of the slimy, silver-haired man. So many questions were running through her brain at that moment. How did he get inside her apartment? What was he going to do to her? What should she do in response? And…what about Ichigo?
Her heart ached when she thought of the orange-haired man, who was no doubt happily driving back home thinking of their night together and the amazing time they had. How foolish that had been of them! How could they not have understood the danger they were putting themselves in by blatantly going out together like they were a couple in love! Rukia could've kicked herself for stupidly forgetting the situation they were in and how badly they jeopardized it.
And now what was she supposed to do? Was she supposed to go along with whatever Ichimaru had planned for her? Was she supposed to give herself over to them? Should she try to call Ichigo for help?
She shook her head at that last idea. There was no way Ichigo could help her now. Even if she could somehow notify him of her situation, Aizen no doubt had eyes on him as well and would do whatever it took to stop him from coming to her rescue. She could be putting him in more danger than she was in herself if she tried to contact him. No, she would just have to go along with whatever Ichimaru wanted if she were to get out of this safely.
"No need to look so terrified, Ms. Kuchiki. I just want to have a little talk with you," Ichimaru said as he began to slowly walk toward her. Rukia's back hit the door to her apartment as she tried to get herself as far away from the man as possible.
"H-How did you get in here?" she asked, trying to sound unafraid, but failing miserably. A two-year-old could see how scared she was right now.
"That's not important. Now, come have a seat so we can discuss a few things," he said as he turned and indicated the couch in her living room. Once again, she weighed her options. There was no way she could turn and run out of her apartment without someone, whether that was Gin himself or people he and Aizen had no doubt hired to keep an eye on them as they talked, tracking her down and stopping her. She remembered the police detail Uryuu had mentioned he'd asked to keep an eye on her apartment and wondered what had happened to them to allow Gin and his men to break in. She didn't even want to think about it.
Eventually, she realized she had no other choice but to follow the snake-like man to the living room and sit uneasily on the couch while Gin sat in a chair across from her.
"Now, Ms. Kuchiki, I'm sure you already know why I'm here talking to you like this so I won't bother going into that," he began in a deceptively cordial manner, acting as though this was a simple business meeting rather than the breaking and entering it actually was.
Rukia decided her best bet was to remain silent as Ichimaru talked and so he continued on. "So, that being said, I suggest we get to the meat of why you're being targeted. I'm aware you know who I answer to and what I helped Aizen do to your brother's company."
Rukia's fists clenched at that and her blood boiled, but she used her restraint to prevent the anger from showing. Gin could still no doubt notice her tense from the comment though.
"And, I know you were purposefully hired by Ichigo Kurosaki," he said.
This was all information Rukia already knew. It sounded as though their plan was working to perfection. They had made it obvious enough why Rukia was hired and now she just had to wait for the offer that was no doubt coming. She was angry, scared, and dubious of the whole situation, but this was what they had originally wanted to happen.
"And," Gin started, his smile turning sadistic. Rukia stared at him ominously, wondering exactly what was going through the sick man's head. "I know about the plan you have with Uryuu Ishida."
Rukia tried to remain composed. She figured it wasn't terribly surprising that Aizen knew what they were trying to do. It wasn't like Gin had revealed that they knew everything. Things could still be saved.
Of course, just as these thoughts ran through her mind, Gin chuckled and his stare turned dark. "It's very foolish of you to think that you can best the one I answer to so easily."
Rukia didn't say a word, but the sweat beginning to form on her forehead gave away her true thoughts. "Did you really think you could work as a double agent and Aizen wouldn't notice? Do you honestly think he's that stupid? You're a lot dumber than I would've thought Byakuya Kuchiki would've raised you to be if you really thought you could win this way."
Rukia glared at the man smirking triumphantly across from her. She hated that he was being purposefully cryptic about the information he and Aizen knew about their plan. Even though there were some things about it they didn't do a good job of concealing, she figured the smaller details of the plan were hidden well. Just what exactly did Ichimaru and Aizen know?
"I admit you kept us away for a good amount of time. Longer than we were originally planning. I had wanted to talk to you about this at the gala, but we both know what happened there."
Images of Ichigo desperately pulling her away from the gala flashed through her mind. She remembered the look of fear for her safety as he tried to convince her to leave. She realized in that moment how much it benefited them both to run.
"I suppose it all worked out for the better. If I had tried to speak with you then, I would've gotten in trouble with my boss."
Rukia tried not to look confused at that, but she knew that Gin could tell what she was thinking. "You were aware that Kurosaki and Ishida were planning something, correct? But were you aware of exactly what they wanted to do? You and Kurosaki left so quickly, you probably never found out, did you?" Gin asked.
Rukia didn't answer, but her silence was enough to affirm Gin's thoughts. "Right, of course not. Tell me, do you recognize this?" Ichimaru asked as he pulled out a familiar object seemingly from nowhere.
Rukia's mouth widened on it's own as she looked at what Gin was holding. The beautiful diamond necklace Ichigo had gotten for her was hanging from his hand. Rukia realized in that moment that Gin and whoever was nearby with him had done more than just break into her apartment. She wondered how long they had been here snooping around.
"It's a beautiful piece. I'm sure it gave you the warm fuzzies when you received it from him, right?"
Rukia's eyes narrowed at that.
Gin chuckled at her reaction. "Well, were you aware of this?" he asked as he turned the necklace over in his hand and, to Rukia's surprise, completely removed one of the diamonds from it's set to reveal a hollow opening where a small black device lay. Gin pulled it out and showed it to her. "Do you know what this is, Ms. Kuchiki?"
Rukia didn't answer. "This is a listening device. A fairly advanced one, as well. I can't imagine how much this little piece of plastic must have cost Mr. Kurosaki. I'm sure I don't have to explain to you why it was in your necklace."
Rukia's stomach churned as she processed what that meant. Gin watched her reaction with a sadistic kind of glee. "I suppose it's sweet of you to think that a man you supposedly hated would buy you something worth thousands of dollars just for the hell of it."
Rukia's mind was taking turns she didn't want it to take. Were all of those gifts he gave her only so she could be of use to him in their grand scheme?
"I'm also sure I don't have to explain to you the ramifications of this being on and listening to every word you've said since you've had it, correct?"
"You see, Ms. Kuchiki, if Uryuu Ishida and Ichigo Kurosaki really wanted you to make contact with me or one of my colleagues on the night of the gala, they wouldn't really need to listen in on the conversation, now would they?"
Again, Rukia remained silent but her mind was racing at his words.
"If they're working with you, shouldn't they both have trusted you to relay to them everything I said?" Gin asked with a cynical tone. "And, if they really did want to listen in on your conversation, shouldn't they have told you about the listening device beforehand or even sometime after? If they both really and truly trusted you, wouldn't they have had no reason to keep a device like this on and always listening to what you said while you were away from them."
"Stop it!" Rukia finally exclaimed, having a hard time processing everything Gin was throwing at her.
Gin laughed darkly. "You can deny it all you want, but I think you're smart enough to realize that your precious Ichigo Kurosaki might be hiding something from you."
"You're wrong," Rukia told him, trying her best to sound confident, but her brain was working a mile a minute and telling her things she didn't want to know. It was as if she could actually see the walls she had just started to let down to the orange-haired millionaire being rebuilt and refortified at lightning speed.
"Am I? As far as I can tell, you don't have a lot of reasons to make a claim like that. You seem to be in the dark about many things concerning Mr. Kurosaki."
"And how would you know anything about that? Just what exactly do you know that I don't," Rukia challenged, trying to sound confident. She needed to keep her head straight. Gin was trying to turn her against Kurosaki and Ishida on purpose. She knew that going into this little meeting of theirs. So what if they hadn't told her they were listening in on the majority of her conversations via the necklace? Ichigo had been with her the majority of the time while she was wearing it and she had stuffed it into the back of her closet when she got home after the night spent in his penthouse.
And it would make sense if they wanted to listen in on her conversation with Gin or whoever else Aizen wanted to send. Even if they didn't trust her to relay absolutely everything back to them, they would still need some kind of incriminating evidence to be used against Aizen and his cronies or else no one would believe them.
Gin chuckled at her question and her very obvious internal struggle. "Have you ever wondered how Ichigo Kurosaki could be so young and yet control and own one of the fastest growing and most successful corporations in Japan, hell maybe even the world?"
Yes, the thought had occurred to her many times. She remembered hearing something about Ichigo's father from Uryuu and had just assumed that once his father was out of the picture, Ichigo had inherited the company.
Still, his father would've been extremely foolish to hand over the reigns to his immense company after his death. Normally, in cases like Ichigo's, higher-level executives ran things until the heir was capable of handling things himself. That's what Byuakuya had always planned for her in case he, for whatever reason, passed away early. She was planning on taking over the Kuchiki Company, but not until she was well experienced in the business world.
And, what's more, Ichigo's father had been dead for quite a few years (or so she assumed). Ichigo was probably in his early twenties when he took over the company and, since then, the corporation had thrived exponentially. How had he accomplished all of that in such a short time? Sure he was well known as a prodigy, but even prodigies had to follow the appropriate steps the business world had set up to prevent ambitious CEOs from developing tyrannical monopolies.
It was true that this wasn't the first time Rukia had pondered these things but, in the end, she had decided she neither wanted to know about Ichigo's suspicious business practices nor even really cared. It didn't really matter to her what happened with the Kurosaki Corporation. The company wasn't in direct competition with her brother's—they had, in fact, come together on a lot of decisions and deals that made them allies in the business world—so she had no reason to use whatever shady practices Ichigo might have done against him. In fact, exposing him would probably hurt her brother's company more than it would help it.
She voiced this thought to Ichimaru. "I don't really care about how Ichigo got to where he was. All I care about is my brother's company."
Gin smiled sickly at that. "Sweetheart, if that was really true, you would have no reason to fight Aizen and I about this."
Rukia decided to ignore the degrading way Gin spoke to her. "And just what do you mean by that?"
"Why would you work alongside Kurosaki and Ishida if you only cared about the Kuchiki Company? As far as I can tell, Aizen is offering you a much better deal to help him than Ichigo Kurosaki ever could. Unless, of course, there is more to your deal with Kurosaki behind closed curtains…or rather, behind closed bedroom doors," Gin told her slyly.
Rukia snarled at what he was implying.
"Ichigo Kurosaki is not all you think he is, Ms. Kuchiki. You should wait to reserve judgment about what Aizen has done until after you know everything Kurosaki has done."
"So, what? You're saying that Aizen is really the good guy and Ichigo's the bad guy. Are you implying that I've put my loyalties behind the wrong person?"
"No, not really. It's no secret that Aizen has used his own arsenal of devious business tactics to gain his success, but if you put it into perspective, Ichigo Kurosaki has gained more than Aizen has in a significantly shorter amount of time. That alone should be enough to question his motives."
"Look, Ichimaru, you're not going to get me to turn on Ichigo so you might as well stop trying," Rukia told him, her confidence slowly returning.
"Hm, perhaps not. It doesn't really matter though," Gin started, looking pensive.
"What are you talking about?" Rukia asked, thoroughly annoyed at Ichimaru's constant tendency to beat around the bush. She just wanted the facts, straight up. She wanted to know exactly what Aizen wanted from her.
"Whether you want to or not, you're going to assist Aizen in the takedown of Ichigo's company."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. You see, Aizen and Ichigo may be on equal terms when you look at their amassed wealth and property, but Aizen has something Ichigo does not."
"And what, pray tell, is that?"
"Business smarts. Aizen has used a large portion of his wealth to pay for the services that get him more wealth. Private investigators, spies, and about any other crook willing to do secretive things for the right price."
"So by business smarts you mean the ability and willingness to do illegal things to gain success?"
"You're a foolish girl if you think Ichigo Kurosaki has never done anything illegal to get where he is today. That much I have proof of," Gin told her with a condescending tone.
Rukia was curious as to what "proof" Gin could possibly have, but she didn't want to get distracted. She had already decided she didn't care how Ichigo got to where he was today, right? She needed to find out why she was here, in her apartment, getting interrogated by Gin Ichimaru.
"So Aizen has thrown around more weight to get what he wants, is that correct?"
"Essentially. Kurosaki could very well afford the secretive army Aizen has accumulated, but he's too stupid to realize he needs it. And that just might be his downfall."
"Just what are you saying, Ichimaru? Don't bullshit me anymore. Why does Aizen think I won't turn against him and help Ichigo?"
Gin smiled a bigger and more self-satisfied smile than any of the others he creepily wore since they started their conversation. "Do you know how long we've been in your apartment, Ms. Kuchiki?" he asked.
Rukia's stomach turned at the word "we've". Her earlier suspicions that there were others with Gin was apparently confirmed.
Rukia didn't answer Gin's question so he continued on. "About as long as you've been on your little 'date' with Mr. Kurosaki."
Rukia remained silent. This much she had basically figured out. The question was what had they done.
"You see, Ms. Kuchiki, you've been under constant surveillance since before your brother's company even went under. We've been watching you, listening to you, and following your movements for months."
Rukia felt sick.
"And, while you were off doing who knows what with your soon-to-be poor, homeless millionaire, we were in your apartment placing secret cameras, listening devices, and pretty much anything you can think of that will tell us what you're doing, where you are, and what you're saying every minute of every day."
Rukia couldn't contain the rising anger his words elicited any longer. "You sick son of a bitch!" she screamed. Gin merely laughed at her.
"So, when I say that Aizen has accumulated a secret army, I wasn't lying. You will not be able to utter a word of what Aizen is planning to Kurosaki or anyone else who may be under him without us knowing. And, if you do, you will face severe consequences," Gin's tone had turned from one of mockery to deathly seriousness.
"You can't do this! You can't stalk me to get what you want. My brother still has his connections, I'll tell him and he'll call out the hounds on you!" Rukia yelled, her anger masking the more serious emotion plaguing her currently: utter and total fear.
"Your brother can do nothing to save you. Aizen has taken care of him as well. In fact, he's made an excellent barter tool. You see, if you go against what we want and inform anyone of what you'll be doing, we'll just have some of Aizen's men take care of your brother. I sincerely hope you're not too stupid to understand what I mean."
Rukia narrowed her eyes dangerously. She couldn't fully comprehend the severity of what was happening because of the swirl of dangerous emotions in her head. All she knew was that she was running out of options.
"You can't kill Byakuya," she told him through clenched teeth. "I thought Aizen wanted to give Byakuya his company back after this. He can't do that if he kills him."
Gin scoffed. "Oh, please. Your brother is not that important. If Byakuya dies, we'll just get someone else to take over his company. We have plenty of good options. Aizen is being generous to allow your brother to take his company back after you've accomplished what we want you to."
Rukia couldn't believe what she was hearing. She really couldn't believe it. She knew that getting into this situation would be dangerous for her, but she had not expected to be trumped so easily. She really thought she could beat them. But, as it turned out, Aizen had far too many resources to not catch on to to their plot.
"As for your surveillance, you won't have to worry about us spying on you while you're showering or changing or anything like that. Believe it or not, Aizen does have some class. However, if you give us any reason to believe that you're taking advantage of that fact and using those times to transmit information to Kurosaki, we won't hesitate to have the cameras on all the time. Some friends of mine would just love for that to happen."
"You're disgusting," she told him venomously.
"And you're out of options. You have no choice but to do what we say. Now, Ms. Kuchiki, are you ready to be a good little girl and listen to what we have planned for you?" Gin asked, his sadistic smile returning.
Rukia realized that as much as every fiber of her being didn't want her to, she had to go along. Her heart dropped into the lowest pit of her stomach when she thought of Ichigo and what this would mean for them. She stayed silent as Gin began to speak.
Rukia sat at her desk the following weekday morning, feeling more tired and defeated than she ever had before coming to work. It was torture to walk into the Kurosaki Corporation building—the tall, pristine symbol of Ichigo's success—knowing that if she didn't figure something out, all of the people inside were about to be fired and replaced as Aizen's regime took over.
She set her bag down beside her and idly began her morning tasks. She ignored everyone as they began to file into their cubicles or offices, ready for the day's work. She didn't want to talk to any of them. It hurt her too much to think of what she was going to do to all of them.
At one point during the morning, she got up to go make copies for a little while and returned to her desk to find a simple, red rose on top. Her heart clenched when she realized immediately who sent it. She didn't even need to look at the small white card attached to the stem with a delicate ribbon.
She turned over the card and read the note. Just wanted to give you something small and sweet to help brighten your day. You deserve it…Rukia stopped reading to ponder just how wrong that last statement was. She didn't deserve anything from him. Not anymore. Once he found out what she was really doing, he was going to despise her. As much as it hurt, she continued reading the rest of the note. Come to my office for lunch today. I have some things I want to talk to you about. The note was signed with a simple "K" in Ichigo's familiar handwriting.
Rukia didn't even want to think about what he wanted to tell her at lunch. She had a few ideas and knew that what she had to do was going to be difficult.
But she had to do it. She had to protect him in whatever way she was capable of. She began to go over the things she was planning on doing and saying to him that she had prepared after Gin had left her apartment.
That is, the things she had prepared after she finished drying the last of the tears flowing down her face.
When the clock on her computer finally read '12:00' she knew she had to suck it up and go through with it. It was like a ripping off a bandaid. Painful, but quick.
She rode the elevator up to the top floor and mentally prepared herself before she stepped out and walked the long hallway to the familiar mahogany double doors, giving a quick nod to Ichigo's secretary, Nanao.
She tentatively knocked and, after hearing a cheery 'Come in', stepped through the door. Ichigo was sitting at his large desk, his feet propped up on top of it, looking completely at ease. He smiled as she entered and closed the door behind her.
"Hey," he said softly, the greeting unlike anything she had heard from him before. God, he's going to make this so difficult she thought to herself.
"Hey," she replied, trying not to show the obvious distress she was feeling.
"I picked us up some food from that Italian place right around the corner," he told her as he indicated the multitude of delicious-smelling to-go containers littering his desk.
"You mean the interns picked us up some food?" she teased, finding it hard to resist despite the seriousness of her situation.
Ichigo laughed lightly at that. "Yeah, you're right. Here, come eat," he said as he removed his feet from their place on his desk and began dishing out some pasta for her.
Once he had adequately filled up a plate, he handed it to her. She received it from him as best she could, considering she couldn't stop her hands from shaking. Immediately Ichigo saw and said something about it.
"You okay?" he asked gently, beginning to notice her rather sedated demeanor.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Rukia assured as she opened up a package of plastic silverware and began twirling the noodles around her fork.
Rukia didn't even have to wonder if Ichigo would buy her lie. She knew he wouldn't.
"Are you sure? You seem kind of on edge."
"I'm fine," she told him, this time using a stern tone of voice. She knew he still wouldn't buy it, but she hoped he would at least take the hint and let it go.
She inwardly groaned when she saw him open his mouth to no doubt give a rebuttal, but she was saved at the last minute by a knock on the door.
Ichigo sighed exasperatedly and answered. "Come in," he said, his voice much more strained than it was when he said the same thing to Rukia.
Rukia turned around to see Uryuu Ishida walk through the door into Ichigo's office. "Ah, Ms. Kuchiki, I was hoping to get to talk to you," he said as his eyes immediately found her.
He strode further into the room until he was sitting in the chair beside her in front of Ichigo's desk.
"Talk to me about what?" she asked innocently. She became nervous when she saw the stern and calculating glance he was giving her. It was as if he already knew everything.
That's when she remembered the police detail Uryuu had asked to keep watch at her apartment. Whatever happened to them must have gotten back to him.
And, her suspicions were confirmed when Uryuu answered her question. "About an incident that happened at your apartment Saturday night."
"Incident?" Ichigo questioned and Rukia could tell he was immediately alert. "What happened?"
"The friends I have in the police told me they noticed some suspicious people lurking around your apartment," Uryuu said, his gaze fixated on Rukia. She tried not to look as guilty as she felt.
Now was the time for Rukia to showcase her acting skills. "Suspicious people? I never noticed anyone."
"Are you sure? Because my friends tell me that they were particularly intent on sticking around. One of my friends even chased one down for awhile, but it turned out to be a false lead."
"Well I don't exactly live in the greatest area of town. Suspicious people lurk around there all the time. Are you sure it wasn't just some thug trying to sell drugs?" Rukia questioned, beginning to get defensive.
"Quite sure. These men, I'm told, didn't look like thugs. They looked like spies."
Ichigo's eyes widened at that. "Are you serious? Do you think Aizen has been spying on Rukia?" Ichigo asked his friend.
"We know Aizen has been spying on me, in some capacity. That's what we want, isn't it?" Rukia said, trying her best not to sound suspicious. This was killing her.
"Maybe, but not quite like this."
"Yeah, I'm with Uryuu. We know Aizen is watching, but I don't like the thought of there being spies at your apartment," Ichigo said, his voice beginning to take on the tone of a protective alpha male.
"Yes, it's quite unusual and unnerving. If Aizen needed someone to spy on us, he wouldn't place people at Rukia's apartment. We've never discussed our plans there," Uryuu said, his calculating gaze practically boring a hole through Rukia.
"Does it matter? So what if they're spying on me? It's not like they're going to find anything out by being there," Rukia said, her mind spinning trying to think up excuses.
"Are you serious? You're actually okay with people creeping around your home?" Ichigo asked her incredulously. He looked about ready to tear the heads off of anyone who stepped within fifty feet of where she lived.
"What the hell can I do about it?" she asked, her voice rising in volume.
"Ms. Kuchiki," Uryuu projected, effectively cutting off whatever argument was about to ensue. Rukia turned a questioning glance toward him and practically shriveled under his intense gaze. "I need you to answer a question and I need you to answer it honestly. Do you understand?"
Here it comes Rukia thought. She tried to look confused despite the fact that she knew exactly what Uryuu was about to ask.
"Have you had any contact with Aizen or one of his men?" Uryuu asked. Ichigo seemed taken aback by his friend's question but then turned expectantly to the small, raven-haired woman that was trying her best not to start shaking in her chair.
She wanted so badly to tell them the truth. She wanted to explain everything Ichimaru had said to her. And, as much as the thought scared her, she wanted nothing more in that moment than to run into Ichigo's arms, sob into his shoulder, and beg for him to keep her safe and solve all her problems, which she knew he would do without hesitation.
Instead, she mustered the greatest look of innocence and indifference she was capable of and answered.
"No, I haven't."
Welp, I told you the plot was thickening! Let me know what you guys thought. I'm hoping to answer a lot of questions in the coming chapters. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about our dear Byakuya, what happened to Ichigo's parents, or Kaien. I'm hoping as these next few chapters progress things will start to make a whole lot more sense.