Wicked Games (II)
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Standing in front of the mirrors, Rukia idly wonders if the Quincy people have harnessed the ability to manipulate the reishi in the air and channel it towards everyday tasks and pursuits in the form of clothes-making and leather-tanning.
The seamstress and her assistant are early. The women work fast-paced and have exceeded all expectations with their speed and the quality of their work. The appointment for the fitting has been moved to the morning instead of the end of the day on account of them being ahead of schedule.
"How do they feel on you? Are they too tight?" asks Masaki when Rukia finishes lacing up the winter boots. The seamstress hovers in the background with her noticeably nervous-looking assistant, trying their best to not seem too eager or invested in the outcome of her verdict.
Rukia shakes her head, beaming as she tells them, "They're very well-made and fit perfectly."
It was a rushed order but none of the urgency is reflected in the end product. Instead, the ankle boots are polished until the white leather gleams in the light with their inner fur-lining well-stitched and holding well. The soles of her shoes are thick and she takes a few steps in them, eager to break them in. She wiggles her toes inside the confines, feeling snug and warm, especially with her socks on. The workmanship of her leather winter boots speaks for themselves.
"Thank you very much," she says to the two women with a slight bow, who immediately bow back. The seamstress simpers, declaring that the pleasure is all theirs and that they are much honoured by her words while her assistant keeps her head bowed.
Masaki suppresses the urge to snort. Hilda- the seamstress is a shrewd businesswoman and has already charged her (well Ichigo really) triple for the rushed order. With the earlier than expected delivery a generous tip is more than stipulated. It wouldn't do for the mother of the Crown Prince to be seen as a penny pincher. Hilda has a reputation and her services do not come cheap, but the woman delivers and performs far better than expected. Masaki can respect that.
"I'll like to commission something else from you. A pair of sheepskin slippers this time for Rukia for her indoors use."
"Naturally, Madame Kurosaki. When does it need to be ready by?" asks Hilda. The crafty gleam that shines in her eyes might have been a trick of the light, but Masaki thinks that it wouldn't have been out of place at all on her. In fact, it suits the seamstress uncannily well.
Masaki shakes her head. "We are in no rush. The normal pace would be just fine. Shall we say in two weeks' time?"
She isn't about to be fleeced twice. She still needs to save some money for her idiot son and Rukia. Weddings are expensive and she knows just how expensive babies can be. One should set aside a budget to prepare for these events accordingly.
The seamstress nods, then gesturing at the rack of clothes she has behind her, says, "Of course. Now shall we proceed with the dress fittings?"
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The rest of the day passes in a blur for Rukia. She is made to change clothes for her fittings so many times that she loses count by the end of it. But she is grateful to the seamstress and her assistant. By the end of her ordeal, she is wearing her new clothes. Her new dress is well-fitted and comfortable. The knee-length dress is a soft shade of powdery blue and embroidered at the hemline with white flowers, the long-sleeves brushing softly against her arms. She still keeps Masaki's fur capelet but Hilda has reassured them that her new coat is in the works and will be ready by the end of their third appointment.
There is a bag filled with her new clothes that she takes with her when Masaki leads her back to Ichigo's apartment. Masaki doesn't stay for long, bidding goodbye as soon as Rukia sets foot inside and locks the door behind her.
Alone, Rukia wastes no time in unpacking her new clothes into the new wardrobe that sits adjacent to Ichigo's, sliding woollen socks into drawers, putting her new undergarments- modern underwear from the Human World that Masaki calls bras and panties- into the unoccupied compartments.
The hook-and-eye clasp is something she is going to take some time in getting used to though Masaki is quick to reassure her that it will become easier with time. She doesn't mind it but they are definitely different from her chest bindings. Her new underwear collection is colourful and they flatter her figure. The bra makes it seem as though she actually has a chest for once, though her panties are skimpier and thinner than what she's used to. Her cheeks burn as she fingers the lacy details on them.
She stands on her tiptoes to hang up the other two new dresses, both in varying shades of blue. The colour seems to be an acceptable alternative to white and is by far the more popular colour within the ranks of the Wandenreich Empire.
Shirayuki hums through their bond from her stand not too far away, sharing in her owner's excitement when she is done. Rukia eyes her zanpakutou with a slight frown. Shirayuki doesn't reveal anything more about Ichigo's mysterious zanpakutou or the secrets to more shikai releases during the jinzen sessions. They share tea and chat, but when Rukia broaches the subject, the yuki-onna merely shakes her head, sighing that Rukia is still not ready to learn any more advanced dances from her, let alone be ready for bankai.
The sound of a door opening and his reiatsu alerts her to Ichigo's presence.
He is back early today. She patters out of the bedroom to seek him out. She knows it's stupid and more than a little irrational but there is a part of her that wants to see his reaction to seeing her in her new dress and new shoes.
Ichigo doesn't disappoint. His eyes light up when he sees her coming out from the room and smiles.
"I see someone's got new clothes. Go on," he urges, "do a twirl. Show me your dress."
She does so shyly, pivoting on her heels with a giddy rush that she doesn't quite understand. She doesn't even make a full spin before strong arms wrap along her waist, lifting her off the ground. His musky scent surrounds her and she is fighting against instincts not to burrow in deeper against him. He is so warm. He buries his nose into her soft hair, whispering into her ears, "You look very pretty."
"T-Thank you."
True to his word, Ichigo has mostly kept his hands to himself. His stares are always intense and he is still unapologetically sneaking in his little touches- touching her on her shoulders, hugging her, but his kisses are chaste. He likes to snuggle with her, still holds her close like his favourite toy when they go to bed at night but his touch isn't untoward or lewd. He keeps his hands away from her chest and carefully avoids her when she comes out from the bathroom with her hair wet. He doesn't so much as hint at anything sexual, let alone initiate any further heavy petting sessions between them. Rukia is appreciative of Masaki's influence on her son, but the change in behaviour is drastic enough to make her suspicious, wondering if this is the same Ichigo who kidnapped her.
She squirms after a while, frowning when she realizes that Ichigo is still not putting her down. His displays of affection are sometimes too much. She is not used to the idea of being held for too long.
"Ichigo—" Rukia pushes against his chest— "let me down."
His grip on her tightens and that is when she feels herself stiffening in response. A chill runs down her spine as he drapes the fur capelet over her shoulders and then still carrying her in his arms, makes his way out of the cosy apartment, locking the door behind them.
She is a fool, she thinks, chiding herself for her naiveté. She has been tricked again. All this- this gentleness and a play of domesticity is just a façade.
Ichigo is still the same man who brought her to Silbern to be his pet, the same man who whispered lewd and filthy things to her in the bedroom. Yet, Shirayuki thinks that she should trust him. The changes in her inner world and Shirayuki's advice silence her protests and her struggling.
Rukia bundles her fists at the front of his coat. She doesn't know what to think any more, but for now, she plays along. Survival is the name of the game and if she can sway Ichigo over to side with the Shinigamis instead, it would have been worth any sacrifice she can be forced to make.
"Where are you taking me?" she asks. There is an edge to her voice and she can feel her heart hammering against her chest. She plays hard at nonchalance, trying not to let her trepidation show. "Put me down. I can walk by myself, you know."
Ichigo shakes his head, kissing her at the top of her crown before telling her, "It's faster this way. We have an appointment with the doctor."
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They make their way through the confusing maze of corridors again, but this time, they seem to be heading down. The stairways are longer and winding, the hallways darker. Here, the sun's glare no longer touches them and artificial fluorescent lights dot both sides of the stone wall. The sound of Ichigo's footsteps echo ominously and Rukia wonders if Silbern has a dungeon in its basement.
Down below, the chill is even more unbearable and the air frosty, so much so that her breath comes out in puffs of white smoke and she has no choice but to huddle closer to Ichigo for warmth despite her new shoes and clothes. Their progress is slow as they make their way deeper into the pit of Silbern.
Just when she thought that the journey would never end for them, Ichigo stops in front of a set of double doors. The metal doors are heavy-looking and fitted with grills. There is a gargoyle or a demon with snarling teeth and hooded eyes that grips the knocker in its mouth. Rukia can't help but think that this place is more of a prison than a clinic. It looks forbidding and its location, being tucked away in the deepest and darkest part of Silbern, effectively deters visitors.
She narrows her eyes. Just who is this doctor that they have an appointment with?
From the other side of the door, Rukia hears the sound of tinkling- of someone –or something— tinkering away. She focuses as best as she can and reaches out to sense the reiatsu of the occupant inside the room.
The outcome has her reaching for her absent sword. She would recognize the presence of a Hollow from anywhere, but that is not what sets her teeth on the edge, that has her adrenaline pumping, missing the weight of Shirayuki in her hands. The thing behind the door is not just any Hollow. The reiatsu is too well-honed and polished to be one of the more primitive or lower castes creatures.
"Ichigo!" she calls out in alarm but he has already pressed his palm flat against the iron doors. The eyes of the door-knocker creature glow red as if sentient, then apparently recognizing him and acknowledging his authority, allow him entry. The doors swing open with a loud groan unprompted, revealing a brightly-lit lab, fully-functioning and rivalling that of Kurotsuchi's personal laboratories in the Twelfth.
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—Arrancar!
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At the centre of the room, there is a pink-haired man bent over the bench. His golden eyes show no sign of surprise as he looks up, tugging a pair of strange-looking goggles off as he dips into a mocking bow and leers at them.
"Szayelaporro Granz, at your service."
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Rukia's hackles are raised. She doesn't like how the Arrancar is looking at her, like she is his next specimen to be dissected. If Ichigo wasn't here, he wouldn't think twice about luring her over to his experiment bench, spreading her chest open and cutting her up in the name of science. The long-ingrained Shinigami instincts flare to life and she readies herself with a kido. Even without Shirayuki, she is not completely powerless.
"Stop, Rukia. He can't hurt you. Look!"
Ichigo's nudge draws her attention to the heavy chains that trail on the stone floor, making an unbearable grating sound against it as it is dragged around. The chains are solid black, as thick as her elbow breadth and clasped around Granz's legs. They limit his movements to no more than five steps away from his work bench.
Rukia casts a glance at the work bench and the tables nearby, noting the contents upon it with a grimace. The Arrancar may be imprisoned but he has by no means been kept idle. There are vats of unknown substance- thick and congealed, being perched high and pumped into cylinder tanks that contain what seem to be the remains of a Hollow mask, test tubes and flasks with brightly coloured fluids set next to strange-looking equipment. There are petri dishes that line the shelves, suspicious-looking contents in a flask that bubbles with a ghastly smell to it. Before they came in, Granz was hunched over the flask, studying its contents and scribbling furiously on his stack of notes.
"We captured Granz during our raid at Hueco Mundo. He is one of the few Arrancars that the All Father spared in exchange for services for the Wandenreich Empire. He's an annoying piece of shit but he does have his uses."
The pink-haired man snorted, "So eloquent and polite. I'm a scientist and what Princeling means to say is that Yhwach has brought me here and kept me alive because everyone else in this freezing hellhole seems to have a scientific knowledge that's reminiscent of the Dark Ages. Now in his hour of need, the fair prince turns to me because he wouldn't trust anyone here to figure out a way to distill water unaided, let alone figure out a suitable contraceptive for Shinigamis."
Rukia frowns, giving Ichigo a questioning look. She is waiting for an explanation from him, to tell her why they are here with the Arrancar.
"That night, my mother didn't just threaten to disown me if I don't return Shirayuki to you and. She also chewed me out for not thinking things through and taking the necessary precautions. She has no intention of being a grandmother right now."
Granz smirks as realization dawns in Rukia's eyes. He calmly sets aside his experiment and notes to wheel out an examination table behind him and pushes it towards them. Then, still smirking, he turns around to set a tool kit on the table, unveiling it to show an assortment of gleaming silver needles of varying sizes and their syringes.
"That's right, little Shinigami. Your master has brought you here for a contraceptive implant. Can't have your spawns running around this place like they own it. Though if you ask me, it'll be quicker to just sterilize you instead. Take care of the problem once and for all."
"Granz," growls Ichigo, "shut the fuck up before I rip your tongue out! No one is getting sterilized."
Rukia is apprehensive and ready to bolt but Ichigo's grip on her is firm and keeps her off the ground. The look in his eyes coaxes at her to trust him and he is quick to reassure her, stroking her hair gently as he tells her, "Trust me. I won't let anything happen to you. Granz is an ass. Don't listen to him. Don't let him get to you."
It appeases her for now, remembering how he kept the three Sternritters at bay. Shirayuki said she should trust him.
"Put me down," she tells him with a heavy sigh, "I won't run. I promise."
He sets her down on to the ground with a quick peck on her forehead but stands close by, keeping his hands on her shoulder. Rukia doesn't know if this is a move to comfort her or instead meant to keep her grounded and stop her from running.
"Walk us through the process," he tells Granz, scowling deeply. The look he shoots the Arrancar is sharp enough to kill but the warning goes unheeded.
The man merely sighs, as though much inconvenienced, "Oh very well! You see when a man loves a woman very much and they engage in coitus, the man ejaculates and his sperms s—"
"Granz!"
A smirk graces the scientist's lips and he tuts at the pair, "So impatient, youngsters these days. Very well! The scientists in the Human World have been successfully creating contraceptives for decades. It's not that hard to replicate the process or understand the theory behind those primitive methods. Yours truly has outdone himself by coming up with a process for the Shinigami souls."
The stupid sneer he gives her makes Rukia want to walk over and knock his teeth out, but she is tethered to Ichigo and his hands still her. Their annoyance simmers and boils while Granz launches into further explanation.
"You see, during pregnancy, there is foreign reiatsu from that of the foetus that implants itself in the female's womb. We can mimic the process by displacing another Shinigami's reiryouku and dilute it to a small fraction of its full potency. We then place it inside the female's womb and trick the female body into thinking that there is already a growing foetus in the womb, thereby preventing implantation of an actual foetus. Any questions so far?"
"Is it safe?" Rukia asks.
Granz scoffs, chiding at her, "The Great Granz-sama is perfect and his plans are beyond compare! It's ineffable! 'Is it safe?'"
He snorts, "Have a little faith, Shinigami. You should learn to trust your master and betters. But I shouldn't be surprised I suppose. After all it's clearly not your brains that your master is interested in! I hope your cunt is tight and sweet enough that he doesn't mind your obvious lack of sense."
Rukia scowls but before she even retorts, Ichigo is there. His left palm is wrapped around the man's throat and squeezing it tightly. Granz chokes, gasping for air as his eyes widen, his arms flailing and gripping at Ichigo's hand, trying in vain to get him to loosen his hold.
Ichigo's leer is dark and dangerous as he whispers, "I don't recall giving you permission to talk to her. Speak to her like that again and we'll see just how perfect you are without your tongue to spew your nonsense!"
He keeps his grip on him until Granz's eyes finally roll to the back of his head and he ceases his struggling, flopping like a dead fish. Ichigo loosens his grip in disgust and Rukia is amazed to see that the man comes back to life, spluttering for air. His spectacles hang lopsided and his hair is a mess. There are faint finger marks in the shape of Ichigo's hand on his pale throat.
Granz recovers admirably, straightening himself and dusting imaginary dust off his starch white uniform like nothing happened. Rukia fights to contain her disgust when she sees his erection peaking against his clothes, but he seems unabashed of his arousal, opting instead to comb at his messy hair with his fingers and righting his glasses. His voice is hoarse when he speaks.
"It seems that I would need a sample of a male specimen's reiryouku. Normally I would recommend that of my own but—"
"Finish that sentence and I swear on my pride as a Quincy, you're a dead man walking!"
The threat of violence is potent enough with a flare of reiatsu from Ichigo and the air around them becomes heavy, heavy enough that Rukia feels like it is a struggle just to breathe but Ichigo quickly notices it. He hoists her back into his arms and envelops her within the field of his reiatsu, shielding her from the worst of its effects. The same cannot be said for Granz as he falls to his knees. Self-preservation belatedly kicks in for the Arrancar and he concedes.
"I-I gah- I- gi-give!"
This time, there is dried blood that stains his uniform when he picks himself up. He accidentally bit himself during the ordeal and the wound on his cut lips is still bleeding, dripping fresh blood onto the stone floors.
"A-A sample of your reiryouku then, please," he mutters, studiously avoiding Ichigo's gaze when the latter glares at him, "And if the Shinigami would lie down on the examination table."
Rukia tries not to let her trepidation show as she lies flat. Her mind flashes with worry. Only exceptionally powerful souls have been known to get pregnant and carry the child to term. She isn't sexually active and she supposes when the time comes Nii-sama would select a spouse worthy of being associated with the clan, but she doesn't think she is powerful enough to fall pregnant.
Yet, Ichigo is right. It's always best to err on the side of caution. With him being what he is and the way her luck has been going as of late, it is not entirely impossible for it to happen. Neither of them needs the complication of a child in this war. With a Quincy for a father and a Shinigami as the mother, the child will know no peace, forever hated and hunted by both sides. Rukia is not cruel enough to subject her child to such a horrible fate.
But what if something goes wrong during the fitting process? She likes children and even if having them is not something that she has given much thought about, it doesn't mean she doesn't want to have it as an option. What if this is the one thing that messes up her possibilities of having children?
What if—
"I got you. I won't let anything happen to you."
In her moment of weakness, it is Ichigo's hand that finds her. His brown eyes peer at her with concern and rapt attention as he stands close. He laces their fingers together and gently strokes at her hair with his free hand, bending down to kiss her on the forehead chastely. She sighs, leaning in towards him and his touch, letting his presence still and quiet her buzzing mind.
"I promise. Nothing bad is going to happen to you."
He grips their linked hands tight. Granz has reassured him that the process is entirely reversible and virtually harmless despite his misgivings. The man is a scientist and he has the scientific data to support his claims, but Ichigo is still not happy about this. The day he becomes King, he is taking away the implant and giving Rukia as many babies as she wants.
"Whenever you're ready! Unless you're having performance anxiety over there, in which case I will happily give you a few more minutes," says Granz snidely some distance away.
Ichigo scowls and glares, but knows that he can't rough Granz up any more than he already has. He still needs the bastard, unfortunately.
Ichigo splays his left palm open and Rukia watches as a ball of light converges. It is spectral blue and pulsing with power, a strange but powerful amalgamation of reiryouku that has a little of everything. She notices his Quincy powers first- a burst of brilliant blue like star fire, but then the colour changes, turning purple with the introduction of something that echoes of Shinigami. The purple gives way to scarlet red but it doesn't last. The red darkens to the colour of dried blood and then comes the imprint of his Hollow powers. It is the blight and stain of the earth that consumes all, seeping even the light from their surroundings, causing the lights to dim. It is in that form that his reiryouku pulses- pitch black surrounded by a strange glowing ring of blue.
Rukia swallows, gripping their fingers tight. What in the world is Ichigo? How is he still alive with this contradicting mix and swirl of energy and not torn apart by it?
"And now the Shinigami's," drawls Granz as he tugs on his goggles, "We need to assess the compatibility of the souls to decide how diluted the reiryouku we're inserting needs to be."
Rukia gulps and pulls her energy outwards, imagining she is about to channel a kido spell. Though her reserve of reiryouku has never been particularly impressive, she is proud of her precise and measured control over it. Yet, on this occasion, her reiryouku seems to have a mind of its own. At the first instance of being channelled, it spills from the tips of her finger, white as virgin snow, eager to twine against the swirling mass of black. In this form, his reiryouku sings to hers and she can't stop her powers from reaching out for his.
He feels like home.
She gasps, meeting his eyes and wondering if he feels the same way that she is feeling- this sense of belonging that resonates within her soul and tugs at her heart. Is that why Shirayuki asked her to trust him even after all that he has done to her?
"Your reiatsu signatures blend well together," interjects Granz as he peers at them with his goggles attached. The two different blends of reiryouku glow and pulse in tandem, humming in their eagerness to meld against each other. The result is a spectacular show of white and black, yin and yang- light against dark. It is powerful and intoxicating enough to make the scientist in him ache at the not-knowing.
He has never seen anything like this before. He wants to collect data, to conduct experiments and test out theories. He wants to study this!
"This is taking too long," huffs Ichigo, interrupting Granz from his train of thought.
Granz jerks, recovering just in time to flash a mocking smile and bluff his way through, "Well, well- aren't you the scientist! What do you need me for, I wonder?"
Turning to Rukia, he sneers, "I have seen enough from you. You can keep your reiryouku to yourself now. I'll have to make adjustments for it but it is not something that a distinguished scientist like myself can't handle. We just have to give you a stronger dose of Princeling's essence on account of your compatibility."
Ichigo narrows his eyes at Granz. "That wasn't what you said earlier. You told me that the reiryouku would be diluted!"
"Well that was before I had the opportunity to see for myself the compatibility of your reiryouku! I told you that necessary adjustments may be needed. Science is a very delicate business and needs to be fine-tuned."
Ichigo growls. He knows just how deadly and overwhelming his own powers can be. He won't sit idly by if Granz only intends to treat this as another one of his science experiments!
"That's it! I'm calling the whole thing off! I won't let you endanger Ru—"
Yet, it is Rukia's voice that interrupts him as she grips at their linked hands, a determined look in her face. She has seen the way their reiryouku meld and twine against each other. Ichigo's reiryouku- It can't- it won't hurt her.
"Let him do it. I'll be fine."
Granz's maniacal grin stretches from ear to ear. "Well, you heard the lady. Now no more objections! Daylight's a-wasting! Princeling, channel your reiryouku inside the item I am about to hand you."
The ugliness of the trinket that he throws at Ichigo nearly made him drop it. The thing is white but insectoid in appearance, flattened and roughly the size of a golf ball but with a gapping mouth at the centre of it.
Ichigo grimaces, shooting Granz a dark look but the latter gives a shrug and a yawn. Ichigo has no choice but to comply and watch in disgust as the creature feeds on his reiryouku, quickly swelling into a ball that fits neatly into his palm. It gives a loud 'burp!' when it's done. Ichigo throws it back to Granz, unwilling to even hold onto it for a second longer.
Granz smirks. Holding the strange balloon in one hand, he mulls over his selection of needles and their attached syringes, picking one up and just as quickly setting it aside. The process is repeated twice until he makes his final selection, settling on a narrow needle that's as long as a finger. His grin is sadistic as he plunges the needle into the sphere, which gives a sickening squelch as all of its content is drawn up. The sphere is a shrivelled husk again and Granz crushes it before bringing it close to his mouth. With a big gulp, he proceeds to swallow the crushed remains whole, ignoring the looks of abject disgust from Rukia and Ichigo.
"Now come closer towards me."
Rukia can feel herself being rolled towards impending doom but steels herself, gritting her teeth hard and gripping Ichigo's hand even harder. She is unwilling to show her fear and discomfort even as Granz makes her roll up her dress to show her lower abdomen, exposing herself in her underwear.
He smiles wickedly, enveloping the needle and syringe in his own miasmic reiatsu. "It's only going to hurt a little."
She winces at the sudden pain as the needle pricks at her skin, penetrating it. The needle is long and she whimpers from discomfort. But the discomfort fades to a dull ache as Granz injects the contents of the syringe inside of her. She feels Ichigo's energy trickling into her and she relaxes, letting the syrupy feel of it course through her veins until the warmth settles into a throbbing ache in her loins.
"All done!"
Granz's announcement has she jumping to her feet, eager to get away from the man. She is a little light-headed when she steps off from the silver trolley. Her body feels warm and her fingertips tingle. She is suddenly acutely aware of the reishi particles pulsing in the air and the reiatsu of the people nearby.
She gasps, eyes sharpening as she focuses on Ichigo's reiatsu. It thrums so warmly, the outlines of it glowing faintly in blue. It draws her towards him like a moth to a flame and she can't stop herself from inching towards him.
"Rukia!" he calls out in alarm, but lethargy creeps up upon her unaware and her eyelids have never felt heavier. Her lips curl into a soft smile as she burrows herself deeper into his arms, grateful that he caught her before she has the chance to fall flat on her face.
And with a quiet sigh, the world is no more.
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"What did you do to her?"
Ichigo is furious. He nearly stopped breathing when he saw Rukia slumped in his arms, unresponsive to his touch and voice. The sly sneer from Granz makes it worse. If he didn't have his hands full with Rukia, there is no telling what he would do to the Arrancar.
Granz flippantly waves his concerns off, tutting, "She'll live. Acclimatizing to the presence of foreign reiryouku and its reiatsu inside of you can be draining, even for the most powerful of souls. With the dose that she's been given, I'd say that she got off lightly. She'll wake up fine in the morning."
Ichigo scowls. "She better!"
He lets his threat hang in the air while he cradles Rukia's sleeping body tightly in his arms. He can feel her pulse and the steady beat chases away some of his more murderous thoughts. He pushes the doors open. With the procedure done, there is no longer any need for either of them to stay. Granz is a certified creep and a smartass. The longer he stays there, the stronger his urge would be to pummel the Arrancar and that wouldn't do when the All Father still has use for the man.
"You won't forget the payment for my services, will you, Princeling?"
Granz's voice calls out to him just as the door closes. Ichigo hates him for how smug he sounds but grits his teeth tight as he answers.
"Consider it done."
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Lying next to her in bed, Ichigo sighs, running his fingers through her black hair as he gently kisses Rukia on her lips. She doesn't stir and he hugs her tighter in response, only reassured by the sound of her beating pulse that there is no immediate need to knock down the doors to Granz's lab/prison and end his pathetic existence. Rukia looks so peaceful in her sleep. Her prone figure is small as she curls herself into a ball on the king-sized bed.
Ichigo doesn't want to leave her like this. She is so deep in her sleep that he is wary of leaving her unattended; even with the doors to the apartment locked. It leaves her more vulnerable than usual. He is half-tempted to rouse his mother and have Masaki watch over her before realizing that it is past midnight and well past the respectable hours to go calling.
It can't be helped. He presses a final kiss to her lips and reluctantly tears himself away from Rukia. He has a meeting that he needs to attend and he has been putting it off for long enough. There will be repercussions if he puts it off any longer.
Jugram Haschwalth is not a patient man.
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"Enter!"
Ichigo is scowling as he makes his way into Jugram's private studies. The Sternritter Grandmaster is a busy man who likes to leave things organized and neat. It is past midnight but he is still up, sitting in an uncomfortable-looking chair, hunched over his desk. He is either writing or reading missives while nursing a cup of hot drink. His blonde hair flows long and straight, cascading down his back like that of a fairy tale princess. Ichigo idly wonders, not for the first time, if Jugram has to brush his long blonde hair a hundred times twice a day, once before bedtime and once after he wakes up just to keep the hair from knotting.
Jugram looks up from his stack parchment at the sound of Ichigo approach, his pale green eyes narrowing at the state of his attire. The Sternritter coat on Ichigo is left unbuttoned at the top, the black fur cloak draped carelessly over one shoulder like an inconvenient afterthought. His orange hair is mussed and wild, looking as if he has just rolled out of bed and left in a hurry.
He clucks his tongue. The half-breed has no respect for the uniform. Despite what the All Father says and advocates, Jugram does not believe that the boy is worthy of his position.
"I see that your new pet still takes up much of your attention," he remarks snidely, "though I am quite happy to see that the cut on your lip has healed."
Ichigo rolls his eyes in response. "I know you didn't ask to see me just to taunt and exchange pleasantries. So let's get on with it. I find my pet to be much better company than yours."
Jugram can feel his eye twitching. That insolent boy!
"Very well," he says behind gritted teeth, "I will do my best not to keep you then."
"If you would be so kind," drawls Ichigo sarcastically.
Jugram ignores his sarcasm, all business-like as he folds his hands. "The purpose behind the meeting today is twofold. Firstly, in regard to the Arrancar- Grimmjow who escaped from Hueco Mundo, you were tasked with his capture. Any news?"
"I followed him to the outskirts of a small town in the Human World, but I was summoned to aid in the siege of Seireitei before I can do more."
"Hmm," Jugram sniffs. Credit should be given where it's due, he supposes. "Yes. The All Father is very pleased with your part in taking down the Shinigami Head Commander. The old man is now dead and the remaining Shinigamis are too scattered and weak to be of any threat. We've stolen the bankai attacks from some of their captains and they are useless without them."
Ichigo keeps his head bowed but says nothing.
"On to the next agenda then- I'm sure you'll find this much more interesting. Some Sternritters have reported seeing a Shinigami of the rank of Vice-captain fitting the descriptions of your pet."
Jugram fixes a piercing stare at him. "Are you aware of this?"
"They must be mistaken."
Ichigo continues without skipping a beat, "The All Father's orders are clear: to eradicate all Shinigami Captains and Vice-captains. I am loyal to Him and would never harbour a known fugitive. Rukia is an unseated officer. She is no one of importance."
Jugram takes a tentative sip from his tea.
"Her elder brother is Captain Kuchiki of the Sixth Division. You are telling me that there is nothing to worry about her at all?"
"Her adopted brother," Ichigo corrects, "they are not blood-related."
"Ah," tuts Jugram, drumming his fingers against the wooden table, "but you should know better than anyone else- being a filthy half-breed yourself. Blood isn't everything. You are only a Gemischt Quincy, who by all accounts should have been struck dead when the All Father activated the Auswählen. Yet, here you are, living and breathing, the Crown Prince of the Wandenreich!"
Ichigo growls through gritted teeth, "Rukia is an unseated officer."
"Can you be sure of it?"
"You know as well as I do that the Vice-captains of the Shinigamis wear a badge to distinguish them! Rukia didn't have anything on her when I found her. You can search her but you won't find anything. It will be just as I have already told you."
Jugram reclines against his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"I certainly hope it stays that way."
"It will," Ichigo promises, "the All Father has no reason to doubt me. I am loyal to Him and the Empire."
"Very well. You may leave. I hope your pet kept the bed warm for you while you've been away," says Jugram dryly.
Ichigo gives him a rude gesture in response, slamming the door shut in his face and ignoring Jugram's angry tirade behind him with relish. He makes his way down the dark corridors in a brisk pace. The Grandmaster can search Rukia, strip the apartment bare and conduct searches however he wants, but he won't find anything.
In the dead of the night, with only the faintest of light from the torches, the polished wood catches the light. It is etched with the character for the Thirteenth Division and Ichigo holds it tightly within his palm.
He lied to Jugram. The badge was the first thing he noticed on Rukia during their fateful encounter.
Rukia is his.
He knew it from the very moment he laid eyes on her. When the tail ends of her reiatsu- ice cold and chilling, brushes against his, the cacophony that is the fractured parts of his soul- Hollow, Shinigami, Quincy is silenced. For the first time since he is old enough to remember, there is no raging impulse to be calmed, no two voices talking over each other, shouting to be heard.
Harmony and peace- quiet; the silence is golden. The Shinigami is the missing part to him and he knew then what he had to do to protect her. The dormant instincts that he never knew he possessed flared to life, urging him to keep her close, to make her his and never let go. For once, there is no conflict within his soul. Every fibre of his being is in agreement, united in what he wants.
He wants her- the tiny Shinigami who stands fearless on the battlefield, the woman who brings with her snow and ice, cooling his blood that runs too warm, too hot. He is the Sun- terrible, unforgiving in his wrath, molten and glaring, but Rukia is his moon. She brings with her stillness and calm, soothing his battered soul. She drowns out the noise.
That Shinigami is his.
Zangetsu concurs.
She is the Queen and he will be damned before he lets anyone take her away from him. Be it Jugram or the All Father, Zangetsu and him make no exceptions.
.
.
.
Author's note:
Plot TWIST! Bet you didn't see that one coming huh?
Granz is a creep. Ichigo somehow turns into Darth Vader in this fic. He develops a thing for choking people who are rude to Rukia. O.O I don't know how that happened and I have no excuses.
Song inspo: Wicked Games (The Weeknd)