Chapter 10

Rukia and Renji returned to Soul Society in painful silence. She felt as if she had to explain herself but Renji was in a state she didn't see often – a cold, stone wall, unreadable. Though this wasn't entirely unwelcome, given that she didn't know what to say.

Renji couldn't think straight, there was an anger engulfing his core. And while there was nothing obviously treacherous about what he happened upon, even a self-proclaimed fool-in-love like he could see that there was more to the friendship between the two that they dared not admit yet. He wanted to punch Ichigo into a pulp, then tear him to pieces. Yes, he wanted revenge served scathing hot to quell the napalm coursing through his veins. The jealousy sickened him, a rude visitor that rode on the heels of anger and became a self disgust, thoughts of derision seeping into what little space he had left for coherent thought.

They arrived home, though he realized he couldn't call it so for much longer, somehow feeling an end looming on the horizon. For a moment the pair had to sit in each other's company, and Renji could feel that Rukia was respectfully waiting for him to acknowledge her, she appeared guilty… which drove him mad.

Out of habit, Rukia entered the foyer first, and looked back at Renji who couldn't bear to look at her. Instead, he shut the door behind him slowly, purposefully lagging so that he could have some breathing room. She retreated for the evening, feeling that she too, could not bear a conversation about something so heavy that she could not yet describe herself.

Ichigo fell back onto the couch once he felt their presences disappear. He realized his heart was racing in excitement until he caught a breath. He looked at the hands that held her and felt his skin tingle in desire. He held a closed fist to his lips, and closed his eyes briefly, what was he supposed to do now?

Surprisingly, he heard keys at his door and Uryuu entered. His friend looked up at him and Ichigo gave him a silent nod.

"Visitors?"

"Rukia and Renji."

"Oh," Uryuu replied, his interest piqued. "What happened? House looks intact."

Ichigo let out a short laugh, "Nothing happened."

Uryuu set his backpack and keys onto the dining table. "I don't believe that at all. What happened?"

Ichigo let out a deep sigh, burying his face into his hands. "Not enough." He began, as Uryuu re-emerged from his room in clean house clothes. "How was work?"

"The same. I bumped a few cases, didn't see anything too emergent, so I came home." Uryuu sat in the armchair, and visibly relaxed. "Take it she didn't come here to dump you for good?"

Ichigo shot Uryuu a look, "Dumping implies any sort of romantic relation. After tonight though it sounds like she hates me."

"She always sounds like she hates you."

"So what does it sound like when she likes me?"

Uryuu paused to think, "Generally speaking, when a girl shows up at your house this late in the night it tends to be a booty call."

Ichigo looked confused, "A booty call? Where did you learn that?"

"The nurses gossip quite a bit."

"And what's it mean?"

Uryuu glared, "You know what it means."

Ichigo laughed. "No, it wasn't a booty call."

"And here I was excited that I finally had something contribute to the gossip."

"Alright, I'm outta here." Ichigo replied, amused, and returned to his own room.

The days following the late-night visit had exhausted both into feeling like it had been months. They shared a tasteless breakfast with Ichika quickly downing hers, excited for lessons of the day, seemingly unaware of the tension. The pair hoped she would help ease discussion, a highly irresponsible hope they quickly realized when Ichika left the house and it descended into a sandpit of unspoken emotions.

Rukia had now become used to Renji sleeping on the couch. This morning, at Rukia's request, Ichika was escorted to school by a trusted officer. Ichika complied after being satisfied with the excuse that 'mother had other duties to attend to this morning.' The duties being her husband wanting to speak with her and most importantly the task of determining if there was anything left to save.

"We're going to have to talk about this at some point." Rukia said firmly, approaching Renji as he dressed for work.

Renji didn't say a word, instead glancing at Rukia as he passed to continue getting ready.

"What will waiting accomplish?"

Renji shrugged, "I'm just going by your style, Rukia. Move in silence, communicate nothing."

"That's petty." Rukia remarked.

"No, it's cruel. Now although I know you're suffering at the idea of not knowing anything, leave me alone so I can finish what I'm doing here." Renji retorted without looking at her, focused on the sash around his waist.

Normally, Rukia would snap back at the command, and Renji would jokingly respond with a 'yes, captain.' A brief heartache visited her chest, tightening her breath at the thought. She left.

Far be it for him to be mature, and patient as he had been all these years. He was done with being kind and accepting, only to be left in the dark when Rukia went into her moods. He couldn't believe at one point he thought he could read her – he couldn't believe he ever thought he would ever see her so intimately. What a shame. He paused, gazing at their once shared bed reflected in the mirror – a testament to the intertwining of their lives, the melding into one and re-emergence of a united two… or at least that's what he thought he wanted.

He still wants.

True to his word, Renji appeared shortly to Rukia who was now seated in the den reading through a pile of paperwork.

"Glad to see you can still do your job in a situation like this." Renji remarked dryly.

Rukia placed the sheets aside, "We're just attacking each other now, are we? Here I was thinking we'd actually have a discussion about this."

"Discussions usually mean you just lecture me." He challenged, "and yes, though it hardly compares to what you've put me through." He shared the couch a fair distance away, arm casually draped on the back of the furniture, leg atop the opposite knee.

Rukia opted not to respond, instead sat back crossing her arms and legs, looking at Renji with as neutral an expression as she could muster.

"I'm giving you a chance to explain what happened that night." He leaned forward, elbows onto his knees.

Rukia took a moment to consider what to say. "I went for a walk."

"In the living world?"

"Why not?"

Renji took a moment to regard Rukia, and was surprised to read that her answer was serious. "You're right, objectively, there's nothing wrong with it. Why did you end up with Ichigo?"

Rukia didn't have an answer for that one. "I don't know, honestly."

Renji let out a sigh, looking away for a moment to think about what to say next.

"I just… I ended up there." Rukia said.

"You just ended up in Ichigo's arms… in the middle of the night?" Renji asked, anger and hurt threatening to spill out of him.

"Yes, I only wanted to see if it were true… that he and Inoue were truly apart. I didn't plan on him being awake… I- "

"Okay." Renji replied simply.

Rukia sat in silence, understanding that this wasn't much of a discussion but more of an interrogation. She saw the worry in his eyes. She owed him this much.

"Do you see how that looked? How it could have hurt me finding you that way?" He looked at her plainly.

"I see it, and I apologize." Rukia answered, meeting his eyes.

Renji shook his head slowly, "That's not all, Rukia. Do you not see how it looked?"

Rukia looked at her hands now on her lap, guard down. "I wasn't there to do anything more than investigate, Renji. I promise. Ichigo drives me mad, you know he irritates me and-"

"Crying… and he was about to comfort you… am I not enough?" The softness of Renji's voice nearly broke Rukia's heart.

"Of course you are-" She implored, inching closer to reduce the distance between them.

Renji instinctively retreated, and Rukia ceased the attempt. She knew he didn't have to believe her, and the evidence against her only grew.

"That night when you visited for dinner. He confessed his feelings, didn't he? Your behaviours don't make sense otherwise." Renji asked.

Rukia nodded, somehow still afraid to admit despite the evidence mounting the contrary diminishing.

"And you…"

"Didn't reciprocate." Rukia finished. "I don't know that I ever loved him… not in the way that he loves me, at least."

Renji let out a dry laugh, "'Not in the way he loves' you? Rukia, what other way is there to love someone?"

"What?"

Renji shook his head again, chest aching with wave upon wave of pain. "Could you please just be honest with me? We were once friends, Rukia."

Friend, Rukia let the word linger in her head, its meaning haunted her once she realized that perhaps it no longer held the power it once did. "Aren't we still?" She asked.

Renji looked at her, hurt. "I took a risk, Rukia." He began, "multiple times, actually."

Rukia returned his gaze, she waited patiently for him to continue.

"I thought this was what you wanted." Renji said quietly. He played with the ring on his finger. Rukia's idea, he recalled, because she so loved some of the customs in the living world.

Rukia sat in silence, Renji couldn't tell if she was stunned, hell, he couldn't really see, as his vision blurred threatening tears. How he wanted for all of this to blow over so they could rebuild what was broken, so to keep loving the girl of his dreams.

"What can I do to make this up to you, Renji?"

Renji looked at her almost incredulously, "Are you seriously asking this?"

"Yes."

"Alright, easy. Stop talking to him. No more impromptu visits to the living realm, no need to associate yourself with that part of the universe unless necessary – send a damn representative, send me. The entirety of Soul Society knows that Ichigo and Uryuu can handle imminent threats, not to mention Urahara and Yoruichi." Renji gauged Rukia's reaction to the demand, one that he knew he would never make, and if she knew him, too, wouldn't let him ask.

Rukia nodded grimly. "Okay, Renji."

"Rukia." He said, gently.

Rukia let out a shaky breath, and held herself. "I don't want to lose you."

Words that he rarely heard because they were so seldom said, held a weight they never did before. She was telling the truth, he could tell, from her visible shrinking and avoiding eye contact. After all these years, this was what she could muster, and he wondered if this was all there was. He wondered if Ichigo would see more. The sting was followed by the flames.

"You can't." He said, his own voice breaking.

Rukia knew her husband as a man of absolutes. In Renji's world very few things were grey, so she learned long ago that once he had decided, he rarely wavered. One of the things she loved about him, she recalled. Rukia sat there for a moment, digesting the requests and the situation.

"We just need time to sort through this."

"Between your husband and anyone else? This isn't a matter of time."

Renji stood and left; he was unable to take the pain and uncertainty. After all this time, he could no longer ascertain her love for him. Where previously he could discern her coldness from firmness, lecturing from support, teasing from love – it felt like they were suddenly very two different beings ripped into the present. The present where Ichigo still – and maybe always had – loved Rukia.

At this point in their training, Ichika and Kazui earned a few hours to spar and practice any skills they felt they needed to refine. On this day at the dojo, Ichika found herself bored watching Kazui attempt a spell for the nth time, she asked about her aunt and uncle.

"Mom and dad aren't living together anymore," Kazui answered honestly. Almost as if it was news that was as banal as the day's weather.

"What? When?"

Kazui took a moment to think, "It's been a while, I think. I'm used to it now. Mom doesn't seem to cry as much anymore, either."

Ichika looked at Kazui in bewilderment. "And you're not sad?"

Kazui shared a look with Ichika, and decided to pause his practice to sit near her. "I still am." He said after getting comfortable. He hugged his knees and picked at the lint off the floor.

"Do you still see your dad?"

Kazui nodded, "He lives with uncle Uryuu now. Their condo is really cool, and we play video games and go to the park. And he comes whenever I call. I don't like to bother him much… 'cus sometimes he still seems sad."

"Oh." Ichika replied, thoughtfully. She knew that if she were in Kazui's shoes, she could manage such a situation, but even she, in her fierceness and independence, wondered if she could do anything to help. She turned the problem over in her head, concluding that just because you don't love each other anymore doesn't mean that you can't live together.

Kazui looked up at Ichika from his knees. "Why do you care?"

"Things are different I think." She paused in thought. "They don't seem happy too, almost like they're not friends anymore."

Kazui fiddled with his shoes, waiting for Ichika to complete her assessment, as he had learned to do after all these years.

"They don't argue anymore, and the house has been really quiet. I don't like it. They won't talk about it… not yet anyway."

"I wonder if there's anything we can do to help them stay together? It might be a little late for my mom and dad, but for yours maybe not yet." Kazui said, sitting up a little straighter, almost hopeful.

Ichika shook her head, "Don't be stupid, they're not breaking up! We're still together!"

"I guess not, then." Kazui replied.

After a brief silence, Ichika asked, "Was this how it started for your parents?"

Kazui looked at Ichika's side profile, registering this side of her personality as something made her a little more tolerable. "Mmhmm."

Ichika leaned back on her palms. "Ah, if there was only a way to get them to get along again."

"Like a spell or something?"

Ichika nodded, thinking. "Oh! Maybe captain Mayuri knows something about it! His lab has these machines, and he's always inventing things."

Kazui looked at Ichika thoughtfully, as she quickly stood and stretched. "Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah! I know how to get home from here, if we just follow- ah, just follow me." She said eagerly, as Kazui stood.

Renji arrived at the dojo readying himself for another painful evening with Rukia and Ichika's probing questions. He arrived a little earlier today hoping to avoid Ichigo. Original arrangements were made awkward ever since the night he caught him with Rukia. This being the first weekend of the new arrangement, Renji hoped the kids would finish quickly as he entered the Shiba grounds.

Unfortunately for both men, it seemed, they locked eyes as Renji entered the building. Not a word said, each acknowledging that in front of the kids, maturity was to be exemplified.

Ganju appeared, pointing them in the direction of the gym, and then followed. "How's Rukia?"

"Good." Renji replied. "How'd the kids do?"

"Good." Ganju said, as they entered the gym together.

Ichigo looked around, not entirely surprised by the empty gymnasium as the kids were still fond of hiding and attempting to scare their parents.

"Ichika, time to go." Renji said aloud, walking towards the right wall.

Ichigo walked in the opposite direction looking for Kazui. "I don't think they're here."

The fathers found it odd, but not alarming. The next place to look being the green, the three men made their way to the corresponding exit.

"How's Inoue?" Ganju asked.

"Fine." Ichigo replied, bordering on desperate to leave as the memories of the estate made the visit nearly insufferable.

The three split up to cover more ground, occasionally calling out each child's name as they searched.

"They're not here." Ichigo said grimly.

"Where are they?" Renji turned to Ganju who took a moment to think.

"You were supposed to be watching them!" Ichigo raced to Ganju, grabbing his shirt.

"I thought you'd grown out of this Kurosaki." Ganju pushed Ichigo's hand off of his shirt. "I was watching after them. I only left for a few minutes. I'm sorry, but I don't know. They can't have gone far."

"I have no way to contact Kazui." Ichigo began, and he paced. "Where the hell could they have gone?"

"Ichika knows the area pretty well," Renji added, surprised at how calm he was. "It's just impossible not knowing what they're thinking."

"That must be it, Ichika probably put him up to this."

"Really, Ichigo?" Renji growled, "if you have the time to spin conspiracies maybe figure out where the hell they might be going. Knowing your kid, he probably ran off to hide and Ichika went looking."

Ichigo glared at Renji, supressing the urge to punch him in the face. "Kazui's smarter than that. And if he were in danger he would have teleported back by now."

"Maybe you two should cooperate and actually go looking for your kids." Ganju said, reappearing from the dojo unbeknownst to the bickering pair. "Urahara and Yoruichi have been notified and they're watching for Kazui. Inoue's been notified. She's on her way."

"You didn't need to tell her."

"Not on your weekend, too, eh?" Renji smirked.

At this, Ichigo swiped at Renji who dodged effortlessly.

"Can you two cut it out?" Rukia called out, landing gently on the grass.

"Took you long enough," Ichigo muttered.

"Now is not the time for this, Ichigo." Rukia glared, flipping open her phone. "This was where you last saw them?" She turned to Ganju.

"No. But they sometimes came out here to spar, didn't want to damage property, the kids got that."

Inoue joined shortly after Ganju completed what felt like a briefing to a superior officer. He himself was removed from Soul Society on an official level – being part of the families, himself. He nodded a greeting to Ichigo's wife.

"I'm not too late, am I?" Her fairies disappearing into her hairpieces now so rarely seen to the party that they simultaneously shared a moment of nostalgia.

"You didn't have to come up here – you should have waited for Kazui at home."

Inoue turned to Ichigo with a defensive but firm air, "My child is missing. I can and will help."

Ichigo nodded.

Inoue turned to Rukia, as did the rest, for she was the natural leader in the situation. Ichigo far too emotional, Renji being used to her in the role, and Inoue too unfamiliar with the area to lead.

"We'll split up. Ichigo and Inoue can spread away from the estate, I will go towards the city, and Renji will go towards our residence." Rukia glanced at her phone. "Soul Society is aware of the situation. Stay covert, we cannot alert anyone that our children are missing."

"It'll be hard to miss the two, in the assumption that they stayed together. Keep alert for any surges of reiatsu." Renji added.

Ichigo turned away immediately, not noticing that Rukia had pulled Inoue aside. Renji passed Rukia without a word, making his way back home. He wondered what she'd have to say to Ichigo's now ex-wife, but decided against adding more fuel to the fire.

"What is it Kuchiki-san?" Inoue asked.

"I know that this might not be the time… but I'm sorry. I heard about the separation. Is there anything I can do?"

Inoue took a moment to assess Rukia's expression, and found it as genuine as usual. She sighed, wondering if there was anything Rukia couldn't do. "No. I'm managing. We're managing. It's awkward but it's what I wanted." She let out a soft but somehow sad smile. "Thank you."

"Of course." Rukia nodded, returning the smile, and lightly touching Inoue's arm. "If you find them, the phone you have should be able to reach me."

Inoue nodded, and turned to leave. Ichigo stood at a distance, and his eyes landed on Rukia. Once Inoue caught up to him, he nodded to her as she passed to lead. He turned back, finding Rukia still looking at him, and let out a scowl before finally following Inoue. Rukia continued to watch as she listened to her heart racing inside her chest. She cursed, and turned to begin her self-assigned task.

Beyond the grounds, Inoue stood and gazed at the map Rukia had sent to her on her phone. Ichigo caught up to her, after shaking his head indicating no sign of the children in the immediate vicinity.

"I sent the fairies out. They're a bit out of practice… but should help with all this area we have to cover. This map says this path should lead us through woods and to a neighbourhood." Inoue said.

Ichigo nodded simply. They walked in silence for a few moments.

"It's nice to see you." Ichigo said.

Inoue turned to her ex-husband with a smile. "It's nice to see you too."

Their routines had solidified into weeks without seeing the other for more than a few minutes. Kazui was becoming familiar enough to transport himself between residences, and the pair didn't speak to each other unless necessary. There was no one around to show them what it was like to transition out of marriage into whatever the hell happens after divorce. Not that anything was official yet, as the process was in its early stages.

"Work treating you well?"

Inoue nodded, arms crossed at her stomach, eyes on the ground before her. "As usual. You?"

"The same." Ichigo said.

It occurred to her that their sparse conversation wasn't new. Their friendship borne of necessity all those years ago – young and naïve. Her crush was fierce, and his newfound power exciting to them both. What were they like, she wondered, when they were happy and married? Their similarities beyond values were slim, yet, they were cordial, respectful, as she had dreamed of him years ago.

She watched as Ichigo pushed an arm out to stop her as he assessed a small spiritual anomaly nearby. If it weren't for Kazui, she realized that there was nothing to keep them together. If not for Ichigo's loyalty and her immense love for him thus accepting of whatever attention she could get… the Inoue now wouldn't have deemed their relationship as worth pursuing.

"What?" Ichigo asked, interrupting her train of thought.

"Oh-Uh- Nothing."

"You're spacing out like you're thinking about something." Ichigo said.

Inoue looked at him in surprise.

"Don't look at me like that, you can't know someone for years without learning a few things about them." He chuckled.

"I just thought we wouldn't have much to talk about if we met now." She admitted, as they continued their search.

"You don't say?" Ichigo asked, now curious. "You wouldn't be interested in me at all?"

Inoue laughed. "You're handsome enough, but only enough for me to look."

Ichigo shook his head and smirked. "Glad to know."

Ichigo wondered about the last time they spoke this easily. He admitted to himself that he had no right to be nostalgic, let alone miss what they had when she herself felt like it wasn't what he truly wanted in the first place. But nothing beat the intimacy he missed, the certainty that someone was home waiting for you, caring for you, and loving you no matter what you had done. He shook his head, and felt shame creep in.

"What did Rukia say to you?"

Inoue looked up at him attempting to read his thoughts before she answered. "She asked how I was doing, she said she heard about the divorce."

"I see." Ichigo replied.

Inoue felt the familiar ache rear its head in her own chest, and she asked, "How is she doing?"

Ichigo shrugged, "Good, it seems."

Inoue nodded, somehow relieved that nothing had transpired between the pair yet. It wasn't that she didn't want Ichigo to be happy eventually, just perhaps not immediately. She surprised herself at her composure with Rukia, finding that she wasn't as angry as she used to be. She knew Rukia to be as loyal, if not more so, than Ichigo himself. Inoue respected and appreciated that about her, and it seemed to her that her dear friend was happy with Renji. However, if anything were to happen between them, it had little to do with her, now. Besides, whatever Rukia felt for Ichigo did not appear to be love, though the same could have been said of how she interacted with Renji all those years ago. Inoue paused, wondering if Rukia could differentiate in the first place.

"Nothing happened between us, I just wanted you to know."

"I know, Ichigo." Inoue said gently.

Ichigo nodded, and perked up at the sight of Inoue's fairies returning to the pair.

"No sign of the kids." Inoue said simply, once the creatures returned to their resting place.

"The neighbourhood's the next obvious place…" Ichigo began. He locked eyes with Inoue. "Orihime you… thank you, you don't have to comfort me."

"I know that, too." She replied. "Let's go."

Rukia continued towards civilization in the same path she and Ichika would take to visit her office. A quick questioning at storefronts and familiar faces confirmed without a doubt that at least Ichika was witnessed passing through an hour or so ago. She nodded greetings in return from roaming officers sent her way, her mind admittedly scattered. It had become rare for both couples to be together, even stranger given the circumstances. She couldn't alleviate the guilt sitting heavy on her shoulders once she laid eyes on Inoue. Even if she didn't do anything actively to wreck their relationship, she felt responsible as the other woman.

What a title… 'other woman,' she thought to herself.

Regardless, what pressed on her mind was Ichigo. Even across the field, the way he looked at her bore into her soul. She owed him answers, she felt, about that night. The fact that he had seen her cry didn't sit right with her, vulnerability was something she showed rarely in front of anyone, even Renji. Her husband's accusations sat with her, despite his patience, his caring… Rukia acknowledged that Renji was wearing thin.

She looked around, trying to gather her bearings. Her phone revealed a text from Inoue's update, they had moved towards the nearby village, and weren't having much luck. Nothing from Renji, Urahara or Byakuya either. She tucked the device into her pocket and recognized that she stood close to the eleventh division, the sun beginning to set behind her.

"Kuchiki!" A familiar voice called.

"That's captain Kuchiki-"

"Yeah yeah," Ikkaku interrupted. "What are you doing here? Truth be told, captain's saying that Ichigo's around. That can't be true, can it?"

Rukia smirked, "He is around. But not for good reasons. Have you seen Ichika?"

Ikkaku paused to think, "Oh, she missing?" He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, I haven't seen her at all today. Lessons aren't for another week… have you tried Mayuri?"

"Captain Kurotsuchi? What would he have to do with this?"

"Ichika seems to enjoy his work, asks me tons of questions about him from time to time."

"She wouldn't know where he works." Rukia brought a hand to her chin to think.

"I'll let the team know that you're on the look out."

"Thanks." She bid Ikkaku farewell with a nod and decided to pick up speed, searching for a quiet place to meditate and search for the children's reiatsus. She knew it may be in vain, considering how small and immature their powers were, but at this point, her trail had gone cold.

"Hey." Ichigo appeared, gently letting Inoue down.

"Did you carry her all the way here?"

"Fastest way to do it."

"I'm sorry Inoue."

"He's carrying me a little better now, anyway." She laughed politely as she straightened her clothes. "You've got a lead?"

"Something." Rukia replied. "If Ikkaku is right, the kids might be heading to the twelfth division, I'm just not sure how."

"What would they want to do with that creep?" Ichigo asked.

"I don't know, but they might be close, so it's worth searching for them." Rukia said, positioning herself in a triangle with Inoue and Ichigo. "You know the drill, hands in."

Inoue looked at her outstretched hand in surprise and took it. She looked at Ichigo who hesitantly took the small hand and her own in turn. They closed their eyes.

Beyond the thrum of her own heart, and the sensation of her body heating up at their touch, Rukia was infinitely more professional. Focused and collected, she did what she could in isolating reiatsu similar to hers and at a later point, Kazui's. They all felt what she did, and a pull further into the city center tugged at them. They simultaneously opened their eyes.

Rukia's eyes fell on Ichigo's and a flicker of hope flashed across her face followed by a proud smirk. "We've got them!" She eagerly pulled out her phone intent on notifying Renji.

Inoue glanced at Ichigo, and saw again that gentle look reserved only for Rukia.