I had a snow day today so I was able to finish this! Now the moment you've all been waiting for... Ichigo finally meets Rukia!
EDIT: There's a certain line in this chapter that you may find upsetting. I've addressed that at the end.
Chapter 4
Alone
Five days.
That's how long Ichigo Kurosaki had lived in Las Noches so far.
The schedule was practically the same each day. All the routines, from waking up in the morning to taking his pills to confiding in Urahara, was like a reflex now. To Ichigo's surprise, it hadn't been that difficult to adjust to his new life.
Ichigo's day went down like this:
7:30- Wake up. Ichigo had ten minutes to dress up and get to the cafeteria.
7:40- Breakfast. Usually, the breakfast was cereal but once in a while, pancakes or waffles were served.
8:30- Brush teeth, fix bed, take his meds and all that jazz. Toshiro spent a lot of time making sure that there wasn't a single wrinkle on the beds.
9:00- Exercise. To prevent the gym from being too crowded, not everyone exercised at the same time. Rangiku and Toshiro exercised later in the day, but luckily for Ichigo, he had Kenpachi to keep him company. Ichigo liked running on the treadmill while Kenpachi lifted weights.
10:00- Community. The patients on each floor were divided into groups. Each group had to do a bunch of activities together. This morning, Ichigo's group played a bunch of word games.
11:00- Check-Ups. The nurses weighed the patients, checked their physical health etc. to make sure nothing happened over night.
11:15- Relax. Ichigo stayed in his room and chatted with Toshiro, read, or browsed the Internet. Every few days, Ichigo had to do the laundry.
12:30- Lunch. Different main courses were offered each day. Salad was always served.
1:20- Relax. Ichigo liked going to the library, swimming, and playing pool.
4:00- On Sundays, visiting hours.
5:00- Dinner.
5:30- Therapy with Urahara. Although Ichigo could tolerate Urahara, he still didn't like him much.
6:30- Shower.
7:30- Closure group. Ichigo and the other patients had to review their daily goals, if they achieved their goals etc.
8:00- Go back to rooms.
9:00- Night meds.
9:30- Social gatherings. Everyone just hung out in the common room.
11:00- Bed time.
It was dinner now. Ichigo ran his fingers through his damp, orange hair. He went swimming for about half an hour before dinner. Ichigo mentally thanked Aizen for being so considerate. He loved how free he felt when his arms cut through the water, the gentle waves gliding past his body.
"Why are you smiling?" Kenpachi asked as he twirled some spaghetti around his fork.
Ichigo shook his head. "It's nothing."
Ichigo shoveled some spaghetti into his mouth. For hospital food, this spaghetti was pretty decent. Still, Ichigo missed his sister, Yuzu's, cooking. Her dishes were the epitome of food porn. They were neither too sweet nor too salty and tasted like the sweet tears of Jesus.
"Have you been enjoying your stay so far?" Rangiku asked, taking a bite of her salad.
"It's definitely been better than I thought it would be," Ichigo admitted.
Rangiku smiled. "Everyone I've asked has said that." The smile faded away. "It really isn't that bad here, but I can't wait for the day I can march out of Las Noches and tell the world I'm healthy."
Ichigo eyed Rangiku. She seemed perfectly healthy, so why was she still sitting in front of him?
Toshiro nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Momo is pregnant and I want to be able to live with my future baby."
Rangiku's eyes widened. Kenpachi, who had been drinking his water, slammed his cup down and spat the water all over the table. Toshiro, Rangiku, and Ichigo cringed.
"That's disgusting, Kenpachi!" Toshiro sputtered while Kenpachi laughed. Toshiro picked up the many napkins he had taken and began wiping the table.
Rangiku playfully shoved Toshiro. "Yo, I've known you for like four months and you have never told me that Momo was pregnant. How many months so far?"
"Seven," Toshiro said.
"Asshole! I thought we were friends!"
"You couldn't tell?!"
Suddenly, a piercing scream sliced through the air. Toshiro and Rangiku turned around. Ichigo looked over Toshiro's spiky hair.
A girl with schizophrenia was having a break-down. She flailed her arms and legs all over the place, like a toddler having a tantrum. Unohana rushed to the girl's side and gently, but firmly, guided her out of the room. Kenpachi's eyes never left Unohana as he mumbled, "I would."
Ichigo, on the other hand, didn't watch the whole thing. His attention was now focused on the person who had been sitting at the table behind the girl: Rukia Kuchiki. Rukia remained indifferent to the situation and calmly sipped her water. She was alone.
Toshiro turned back around. He raised an eyebrow when he looked at Ichigo and followed his gaze.
"Ichigo, why are you staring at Kuchiki?" Toshiro's voice grabbed Ichigo's attention.
"She's sitting alone again," Ichigo said.
"Kuchiki always sits alone," Rangiku said.
"I know." Ichigo glanced back at Rukia. "I feel bad for her. Should we invite her to sit with us?"
Toshiro and Rangiku jumped slightly at Ichigo's suggestion. Even Kenpachi stared at Ichigo.
"No," Toshiro said. He shook his head multiple times. "No no no no no. That's a bad idea."
Ichigo scratched his head. "How come?"
"She has bipolar disorder," Rangiku said. "And unlike you, she has little control over it. I don't want to say the wrong thing and get my head bitten off."
"Plus, she's a sex addict," Toshiro added. "She fucked all of her colleagues. I don't want her to grope my no-no square. Chizuru nearly did that yesterday!"
"That woman is unpredictable," Kenpachi agreed.
Ichigo narrowed his eyes into angry slits. "I don't fucking believe it."
"It's true!" Rangiku said.
"That's not what I mean." Ichigo gritted his teeth. "You guys are in the same situation as Rukia; living in a mental hospital. I can't believe you guys are being so judgmental."
"We're not being judgmental," Toshiro protested. "We know from personal experience that Rukia is a girl you don't want to mess with."
"Well I'm just going to have to prove that Rukia is not different from us." Ichigo held onto his tray and stood up. As he walked to Rukia's table, Toshiro and Rangiku begged Ichigo to come back while Kenpachi muttered, "He's dead."
Ichigo placed his tray onto Rukia's table and pulled up a chair. Rukia eyed him cautiosuly.
Ichigo smiled. "Hi."
Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"
Ichigo extended his hand. "Kurosaki, Ichigo. I'm new here." He waited for Rukia to shake his hand. When she didn't, Ichigo awkwardly pulled his hand away. His smile disappeared
"Why are you sitting here?" Rukia asked. She didn't hide the suspicion in her voice.
Ichigo cleared his throat. "Well you were alone so-"
"So what? You felt bad for me?" Rukia's nostrils flared. "I don't need your pity!"
"You're right, you don't!" Ichigo said quickly. "But I just wanted to get to know everyone. Please give me a chance."
Rukia leaned back and crossed her arms.
"Let's start over, OK?" Ichigo extended his hand again. "I'm Kurosaki, Ichigo."
Rukia hesitated before reluctantly shaking his hand. Her hand was small and delicate. "Kuchiki, Rukia."She quickly let go of Ichigo's hand. "I think I've heard of you. Your wife cheated on you, right?"
Ichigo swallowed. He blocked the image Orihime and Grimmjow's naked bodies from his mind.
"Y-Yeah."
"Sucks," Rukia said unsympathetically. "Welcome to the Singles Club."
"Thanks," Ichigo replied. He looked down at his food and began playing with a meatball with his fork. There was a long, extremely awkward silence between them.
"So, you have bipolar disorder?" Ichigo asked.
"Yeah," Rukia said. After a pause, "You do too, right?"
"Yeah." Ichigo slurped a noodle.
Rukia knit her eyebrows. "The food's really not that good."
Ichigo shrugged. "Compared to other hospitals, it's pretty good."
"No it's not."
"Yes it is."
"Trust me, I've tried food from other hospitals. Their food tastes the same."
"Trust me, I have too. The food here tastes better." Ichigo paused and smirked. "Maybe you're just a picky eater."
To his surprise, Rukia smiled. Well, it was more of a smirk, but this was the first time Ichigo had seen Rukia's lips curve upward. Amusement glittered in those violet orbs of hers.
She looked…pretty.
"Maybe I am," Rukia said. "My brother is filthy rich, so he always made sure we ate the finest cuisines."
"Who's your brother?"
"Does the name Kuchiki, Byakuya sound familiar?"
Ichigo nearly choked on his spaghetti. "The Kuchiki, Byakuya? As in the business mogul?"
Rukia's smirk became a flat line. Ichigo wondered if he said the wrong thing. "Yeah, that's my brother."
Ichigo stared at Rukia with his mouth hung open. "That's so…oh my god. I can't imagine what life must be like being related to someone so powerful."
Rukia laughed dryly. "I lived a life of luxury, but Byakuya set extremely high expectations for me. Being locked up here was not one of them. According to Byakuya, I'm no longer a Kuchiki."
"Wow," Ichigo said. "That's rough."
"Tell me about it." Rukia leaned on her left elbow. "I've told you about me, now it's your turn."
Ichigo tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I was a doctor in my past life."
"Good for you," Rukia said.
Ichigo leaned forward. "What were you?"
"A lawyer."
Ichigo smiled. "Maybe we can save lives together after we're cured."
Rukia snorted. "Sure."
Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo could see Toshiro, Rangiku, and Kenpachi silently observing them. Ichigo smirked internally. They're wrong. Sure, Rukia's hostile but she's not scary.
"I'm serious," Ichigo said. "We can set up a company. I can see it now: The Kurosaki and Kuchiki Hospital/Law Firm! I bet we'll be so successful, that we'll end up taking over the world!"
Rukia was laughing now. Her laugh was deeper than Orihime's, but the sound was pleasant. "World domination sounds cool." Her laughs died down and she eyed him. "You're not worried about me fucking all the employees?"
The smile froze on Ichigo's face. "Huh?"
"I'm sure you've heard about me," Rukia said. "That was I a sex addict. That I fucked all of my colleagues."
"I have," Ichigo admitted. "But those are just rumors, right?"
Rukia's tone was nonchalant as she answered, "No. The rumors are true."
"Oh" was all Ichigo could say. Although Ichigo wasn't a particularly nosey person, he asked, "How many?"
Rukia leaned forward slightly. "Thirteen."
"Damn," Ichigo said. "That's a lot of people."
"I know," Rukia murmured.
Ichigo hesitated. "Can I ask you another question?"
"Go ahead."
Ichigo felt like a pervert. "Were there women?"
Rukia bit her lip. "Yeah."
"How does lesbian sex work?" Ichigo asked. "Did she give you a lap dance or something?"
"Yeah," Rukia said. "Except I was the one who gave her the lap dance."
"How was it?"
Rukia hesitated before answering, "Hot."
"Jesus Christ," Ichigo muttered under his breath. "Have you always been like that?"
Rukia's eyes narrowed. "Like what?"
Something about Rukia's tone told Ichigo that he said something wrong. "I don't know, like a-"
"A SLUT?!" Rukia pulled away, seething. Ichigo could sense many heads turning to their direction. "You think I'm a slut now, don't you!?"
"That's not what I meant!" Ichigo protested. "You're just different!"
Rukia's face turned red. "DIFFERENT!? And you're not!? Oh, I get it! To you, I'm not just a slut, I'm a CRAZY slut!" As if to prove her point, Rukia tossed her head back. "AHAHAHAHA!"
Rukia shot up and swiped her arm across the table. Their plates shattered as the trays fell to the floor.
"FUCK YOU!" Rukia marched away. Three people walked after her. Two of them were nurses. The third was Ichigo.
"I'm sorry!" Ichigo said. "I didn't mean that!" He reached out and touched Rukia's shoulder. She whirled around and smacked Ichigo's hand away.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!" The two nurses each took Rukia's arm. Rukia shook them away and stormed off.
Ichigo went after her. "Rukia, wait! I didn't-"
Rukia whirled around and glared fiercely at Ichigo. "YES YOU DID!"
"I didn't!" Ichigo exclaimed. "When I said you were different, I meant different from me! I know I'm different from most people, but I'm not different in the same way you are! I've never participated in that sort of sexual activity!"
"You may not have done the shit that I've done, but you sure as hell enjoyed hearing about it!" Rukia turned around. Ichigo instinctively grabbed her arm. She turned around and ripped her arm away, as if Ichigo was a virus and she would become sick if she touched him.
"Rukia-"
"SHUT UP, OK?! JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Tears began forming in her eyes. In a dangerously quiet voice, she added, "I opened up to you, and you judged me. You are an asshole, Kurosaki Ichigo. An ASSHOLE!"
When Rukia marched off, Ichigo didn't go after her. Her words felt like a slap in the face.
He couldn't remember the last time he felt so guilty.
"Something's bothering you," Urahara said.
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Don't act clueless, Urahara. I know you heard about what happened during dinner."
"I only know what the nurses told me," Urahara said. "You upset Miss Kuchiki, but no one seems to know why."
"Let me guess, you want me to tell you the details?"
Urahara leaned on his elbow. "Do tell."
Ichigo sighed. "I said something that made Rukia think I was calling her a slut."
Urahara said nothing. He seemed to be thinking hard. Ichigo leaned forward, expecting an insightful comment.
"You know, for a doctor, you're not very smart."
Ichigo bristled. "Gee, thanks!"
"Why did you sit with her in the first place?" Urahara asked. "She's quite intimidating."
Ichigo slumped. "There were a lot of nasty rumors about her. I wanted to prove everyone wrong."
"That's not your job," Urahara pointed out. "If Miss Kuchiki wanted to clear things up, she would've done so a while ago. She's been here for three years, you know."
"What happened to her anyway?" Ichigo asked.
"I don't think I should tell you."
Ichigo took a deep breath. "Look, I hurt Rukia a lot and I want to apologize. But I want to know about her situation, too."
Urahara set his notepad and pen aside. In an uncharacteristically serious tone, he said, "I don't know the details since I'm not her therapist, but I do know one thing. Her husband was murdered."
Murdered. That eight letter word echoed through Ichigo's mind. Suddenly, the room began to spin around and Ichigo saw himself standing outside. The chilly air nipped the tip of his nose as fat drops of rain fell from the gray clouds.
Urahara was no longer in front of Ichigo. Instead, a woman with light brown hair collapsed in front of him, brick red blood dripping from her chest.
"Mr. Kurosaki?" Urahara's voice sucked Ichigo out of the rainy scene and back into reality.
Ichigo blinked and shook his head. "Yeah?"
"You look pale," Urahara said.
Ichigo felt dizzy. "I'm fine." After a moment, Ichigo got up. "I need to go find Rukia."
Urahara reached out for him. "Hey, we're not finish-"
Ichigo shut the door and ran off.
When Ichigo found Rukia ten minutes later, she was walking with the male nurse, Hanataro.
Ichigo ran up to them. "Rukia!"
Rukia's back stiffened when she heard his voice, but didn't turn around. She walked faster while Hanataro stopped and turned around.
"Mr. Kurosaki?" Ichigo ignored Hanataro and walked past him.
"Rukia." Ichigo grabbed Rukia's arm. She squirmed and smacked Ichigo's arm, but Ichigo held onto her tightly.
"Rukia, listen to me," Ichigo said calmly.
"Get the fuck away!" Rukia spat.
"No, Rukia," Ichigo replied firmly. "I need to apologize."
"What you need to do, is let me go and never talk to me again!" Rukia was glaring hard at Ichigo, but Ichigo could see the flicker of pain hidden underneath the anger.
Ichigo swallowed. "Rukia, I hurt you."
"Then you better run when you have the chance!" Rukia snapped. "You know the saying, 'what doesn't kill you better run like a black man!'"
Ichigo grit his teeth and placed both hands on Rukia's shoulders. Rukia grabbed his hands and tried to pull them off.
"You're not listening!" In a softer tone, Ichigo added, "Rukia, I heard about your husband."
Rukia froze. A shadow flitted over her eyes. "Let go of me," she whispered.
"Rukia," Ichigo said. "You're not alone. You think that you've lost everything, but you haven't. There are still people in this world who care about you." Ichigo swallowed. "I want us to be friends, Rukia. I know you hate me for breaking your trust, but please…give me another chance. OK?"
Rukia said nothing for what felt like hours. Finally, she looked up, her violet eyes staring intently at Ichigo. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Instead, she pushed Ichigo's hands off her and ran.
Ichigo and Rukia's meeting was obviously based off of the "I opened up to you" scene in SLP. It was my favorite scene in the movie. I hope I didn't ruin it lol
EDIT: I wanted to address the black man line, since I've gotten a few reviews about it.
While writing this chapter, I honestly tried to avoid using that line. I don't actually believe that stereotype, and I knew people would get offended by it. I actually find it offensive myself! But I needed Rukia to sound angry and I'm not that good of a writer, so I couldn't think of anything else that had the same effect. So I used that line and unsurprisingly, people were upset. I regret going through with it and hurting people. I'm not going to delete that line, because I feel like that would be acting as if it never happened, and I want to acknowledge that I wrote something bad. Thank you for reading this.