Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Iron Snow

Rukia Kuchiki and the Impossible

Rukia stared at the crumpled up piece of paper in her hand, not knowing whether to crumple it even more or just throw it away. The air was thick with unknown energy, surging through her incorporeal form even if all it did was get her to shiver. It felt like…  multiple spiritual energies but spread out to the point that it’s covered an entire world many times over. Rukia didn’t know how such a thing was even possible.

The crinkling paper reminded her of what she had in her hand, the mission she was given. Rukia didn’t mind the assignment, in fact, she was even excited! Or at least at first, the discovery of a new realm was an amazing thing to live through. Until you have to be the one to actually explore such a realm. She didn’t want to be here, it was her assumption that her assignment would take place in the living realm, not a brand new, basically Hollowless world filled with people that could easily see her. 

Look at me, Rukia ponders, a world filled with only spiritually aware humans, and the first thing I think about is how ungrateful I am.

Taking one last look at her mission statement, she shoves it into her Shihakusho and keeps moving. Determined to get out of this forest and-

“That deer keeps looking at me funny.” Sure enough, staring at her from her left was a single deer, unblinking with its black eyes. She stopped dead (heh) in her tracks to stare back at the, somehow spiritually aware animal, raising a delicate eyebrow at it. “Never seen a Soul Reaper before?”

It still didn’t blink, but as Rukia kept up with her staring contest she could’ve sworn she saw the eyes of the deer shine with anticipation. It turned around and slowly walked off. Rukia was about to do the same in the opposite direction until the deer looked back.

"You want me to follow you?" The deer had the audacity to roll its eyes at her. Nodding in her general direction. With its piece portrayed, the deer walked off again.

Rukia bit her lip, on one hand, her mission was always first priority. But on the other… that deer was kind of cute.

She weighed her options. She doesn't need to report back until a few months from now, she could afford to spend a few moments on a flight of fancy, couldn't she?

Mind made up, Rukia followed after the intelligent and spiritually aware deer that was leading her further into the forest. 

She should've known a sentence like that was an omen for things to come. Whether she'll come to regret it, she'll just have to find out.

LC

As she got closer to the retreating form of the deer, which wasn't that hard comparably, Rukia could hear sounds of shifting, creaking metal. And only if she strained her ears could she hear an impossibly soft grunt with each metallic sound. 

Rukia glanced at the deer which revealed the emotional state of the animal. Her eyes widened, the poor thing was terrified.

Shaking limbs, wide eyes, and a twitching jaunt forward. Whatever it was leading her towards was capable of such an instinctual, primal reaction from the once calm, and amused animal.

A part of her began thinking this whole thing was a trap designed for her. An intelligent, and dangerous Hollow using a cute deer to lure her into its domain. 

On the outside, Rukia's expression stayed the same. Cold and indifferent. But on the inside, she smirked at the challenge. Trap or not, she has trained for over a century to exterminate the dark pests. Rukia Kuchiki will not be defeated by a cowardly Hollow.

"Never in a million years." The creaking was getting louder, signifying her proximity to her destination. She glanced at her tour guide once again, still shaking like a leaf. Maybe there's a fight? A Hollow attack? 

It would explain the deer's apparent hurry to guide her through the empty forest. Perhaps a friend of the deer is in danger?

Maybe the deer in this world are capable of facing Hollow. Anything is possible in this place!

Nodding to herself she began to pick up the pace. Much to her guides obvious relief. 

As the heavy metal grew ever closer, Rukia began to slowly slide her Zanpakuto out of its sheath, ready for battle.

 When she finally got there, however, she stopped cold in her movements at the sight befalling her: It wasn’t the thousands of pounds of metal that they were lifting at such a rate that all she could see were black blurs. It wasn’t the assorted crowd of animals that have the best seats in the house. It wasn’t even the lone Hollow that seems just as transfixed as the rest of them. 

It was their spiritual energy. Or rather, the lack thereof. 

Every living thing has a soul, a spirit made out of spiritual energy. From the lowest insect to the Soul King. To not have one meant you didn’t exist, an anomaly, a tall tale.

The human boy in a tight black shirt with workout shorts had no spiritual energy, instead, he was a living singularity. The more Rukia stared, the more she couldn’t comprehend what her eyes were showing her; a human with no soul. The outline of his body was the only thing visible to her when she tried to sense his spiritual energy, everything else was darker than a black void where no light could escape from. 

He wasn’t supposed to exist, his very being is against the balance of life and death. A living, breathing calamity waiting to happen. 

Rukia couldn’t breathe, so deep in the void that she felt herself getting sucked in. It took her ripping her eyes away from the human anomaly that she was able to catch her breath. 

Desperately, she tried to distract herself from the boy that wasn't supposed to exist. Craning her neck, she was able to spot a single Hollow mesmerized by the sight that threatened to suck her in.

In a hurry, Rukia was just about to unsheath her blade before she noticed something; the Hollow wasn't moving.

"What in the world?" She whispered, confused about what the Hell this world was supposed to be. Animals that can see Shinigami, a soul-sucking black-hole for lack of a better word, and now a peaceful Hollow. What was next? A human with a Zanpakuto?

She was ripped from her musings when a loud clang made itself known throughout the forest. Grudgingly bracing herself for the void that will greet her as soon as she turns to the other direction. 

Rukia blinked, then she rubbed her eyes only to blink again. The void was gone, what replaced it was a perfectly normal, very buff human boy. She narrowed her eyes, no way… 

She couldn't sense him, at all! How could a human have such control over their reiryoku? That absolute void she saw earlier shouldn't be so easily hidden!

"Nothing like a creampuff after pumping iron." The impossible human stated while nibbling on said creampuff. 

Wait… now I can see his reiryoku. It's simply white and… no wait. It doesn't feel right at all.

His pressure increased with each bite taken, by the time he was finished, his reiryoku vanished yet again. No, Rukia narrowed her eyes, it’s not gone. If she pushed her sensory abilities to their absolute limits, she could just barely see a near-incomprehensible dot of concentrated white reiatsu. 

“Impressive.” His level of control clearly fluctuated, but to be spiritually invisible was a skill that required quite the talent. Especially from one so young. Given that he was a human teenager, he couldn’t be more than two decades old. Briefly, she wondered how well he would do as a Soul Reaper.

"Wonder what it will take to defeat him?" Just as she voiced her thoughts, a deep, dark growl echoed throughout the forest. Hmm, seems like the boy heard it as well. Boy, boy… he needs a better name. How about, she studied the boy's hairstyle, mushroom head? Yes, that works just fine.

"Nom nom, I see you've been pumping iron." The mushroom head nodded to the shredded musculature of the approaching Hollow. Said Hollow sported a leering bone-white mask of its lost humanity. The large hole on the right side of his chest signified its emptiness inside, crawling on its hind legs to sniff at the creampuff in his hand.

If he keeps it distracted long enough, I can stab it from behi- SPLAT

Mushroom head stared at his outstretched hand, poised to offer his creampuff to the curious beast, now the creampuff stained the bark of a tree. Rukia stared at the Hollow, feeling almost pity for the soulless abomination. 

Almost. 

The boy looked to the malicious Hollow, and the world lost its color.

LC

Finn Ames fell on his back, breath finally catching up to him. The dissipating corpse of that… monster in front of him. Jagged claws, so close to relieving him of his bowels. The cause of its demise shone in the form of an oversized Partisan lodged in the beast’s multiple spines. 

"Brother…" Finn breathlessly called out, "Thank you for saving me."

Rayne Ames appeared before the corpse and his brother, allowing his Partisan to disappear from the beast's spines. He turned to Finn and raised a two-toned eyebrow, "Did I?"

"W-What?"

Rayne turned around, and behind him, the bodies of many more masked monsters were dissipating. Many of them are covered with large, grotesque claw marks. With their masks cracked and shattered. Some, however, weren't even in one piece. Or two, or three.

"...Either you have another savior, or you've improved greatly with your-

Finn scrambled to his feet, bowing low in thanks. He stammered out, "ThankyouverymuchbutI'vegottogonow!" Before swiftly turning around.

Rayne held out a hand placatingly, "Finn if you need to tell me something-

"It's fine!" 

"Such unconvincing words."

Finn flinched at his words. He desperately wanted to change the subject, so he voiced his first thought. "What were those things?" 

Rayne sighed, but he let Finn steer the conversation away from his clearly uncomfortable topic. "We're about to find out, all the Visionaries are meeting with an expert on the subject." 

"A monster expert?"

"No… someone unbelievable." Rayne looked Finn right in the eye as he said the next part, "We will be honored with a visit from a Shinigami."

"...oh."

LC

Lemon Irvine watched the creature struggle in its bonds. Her magical chains held the dark beast captive, struggling in vain as the links held under the savage desperation.

Loud clinks and clanks, along with its roars created a cacophony of a maleficent nature. 

Lemon giggled as the monster refused to give up, whether out of stubbornness or just plain stupidity. At first, the monster's presence itself was suffocating, in her last-ditch effort, she called upon every ounce of her magical power. 

She always thought of herself as weak, her magic, status, and wealth were always below everyone else. But this absolute beast of a monster was right in front of her, corded muscles, four arms, and the sharpest teeth she's ever seen.

It was utterly powerless against her chains.

She always thought her magic was simple Cuff Magic, the ability to conjure restraints at a whim. Useful sure, but utterly useless in anything other than a straight one on one fight. In this world, nobody plays fair.

But in a sudden need, a burst of adrenaline, or the will to just not die, she pushed her magic to the next level. 

Chains, links, cuffs, anything to trap or restrain she can conjure. The size, weight, or even shape of the restraints was entirely up to her own will. 

She smiled, the rush of adrenaline leaving her. With only satisfaction left. The monster finally stopped moving, growling at Lemon.

"Oh? Finally, giving up? You know, you're kinda cute when you're not trying to kill me." She reached and laid a delicate hand on top of its skull mask. The texture and feel of the mask felt… wrong somehow. Twisted and changed. "You're in pain, aren't you?"

The beast only growled, and shook its head to dislodge her hand. 

Lemon frowned, these things aren't supposed to be here. She didn't know why she thinks that, but it's a prominent feeling in her gut. She never listened before, but now… 

She looked at the wooden wand in her hand. Thin, delicate, and brittle. But inside was a potential with limits unknown, just like her. It took Lemon listening to her gut to finally unlock that potential.

…maybe she should listen every once in a while.

Lemon hopped up to the snarling creature, mouth wide in a toothy smile. "You're going to be my pet!"

The dark beast froze and slammed its head against the restraints. Cracking its mask.

Startled, Lemon tried to see what was wrong. "H-Hey what's wrong!?"

But the stubborn creature wasn't listening and kept bashing its mask until it finally broke. The beast slumped over and let out a content moan. Slowly turning to dust as it faded away.

"...holy cats, I'm not that bad am I?"

LC

Lance Crown sneered at the crushed corpses surrounding him. There he was, reciting his newest poem. It was really more of a sonnet, but in any case, he can't even relax without these monstrous freaks disturbing his tranquility.

He sighed, as the ripped-up pieces of his sonnet scattered across the wind.

One of the larger pieces dropped to the dirt, revealing the words, '... I loved you... '

He picked it up, allowing one tear to fall. The wind fluttered his light blue hair and scattered the other pieces of his sonnet to the wind. Lost forever.

Lance opened the locket around his neck, showing a picture of an innocent young girl smiling with light blue hair.

He hugged it to his chest, "Sorry Anna, I'll be more careful next time. I promise."

LC

BOOM "Yeah! That's what ya get, freakin ugly bastards!"

Dot Barrett smirked at the blown-up innards of the rude jackasses. He could not believe such cringy, skull-wearing jerks even existed but God was proving him wrong!

He sighed as the soot and corpse dust mixed together to clog up the air, it was putrid and he waved his hands to get it away from his picnic spot.

Turning around, he picked up the set-down teacup of herbal tea from the gravestone and sat down once again for a relaxing evening. "Hey, sorry about that. Just had to tell some schmucks off. Rude people these days, I swear."

He inhaled the sweet and cool aroma of the cup of Ocean's Sapphire tea he held in his hand with his pinky finger held high. Letting off a satisfied sigh, he finally relaxed. "Doesn't get any better than this."

Dot faced the gravemarker, "Couldn't get ya favorite flavor, by the way. Sorry, they were all out of Nature's Opal." 

He scoffed, "But ya knew that. That crap isn't even in season yet, and it's always sold out anyway."

He paused to take a sip, a refreshing, clean, and almost minty taste entered his mouth. Setting his cup down on the little plate he has, shaking his head all the while. "Never got ya obsession with that flavor, too much pulp and it had an earthy aftertaste I jus' couldn't handle."

He faced the gravestone, and the individual stuck to it by a wispy chain. "Know what I mean?"

The individual's fingers went through the other cup Dot had laid out for the picnic, but her nose could still just barely make out the enticing aroma of the herbal tea. To her, it was more than enough. "Hmph, ya always had bad taste."

Dot smirked at his sister, raising his cup to a toast. A toast that could never be answered. "Aw! Ya still love me, ya know ya do!"

Laughing heartily amongst each other. One in the living plane, one in the other. "Never change ya big idiot."

"Ya know it!"

In their merriment, neither of them noticed the astral chain just starting to have a hint of rust.

LC

Rukia coughed as she came to, remembering the glare of a mushroom and a large flash of nothing but white. Just what the hell kind of sentence was that?

Shaking her head, she started to remember something about a Hollow…?

Gasp! That's right, the mushroom head was facing off against a Hollow! She has to save-

Nothing. Rukia looked to the clearing in the forest where she last saw the beast, but there was no sign of it or the mushroom head. Did that mean he was killed, she certainly hoped not, or else she's out of a job. Did I just make a joke about someone getting eaten by a Hollow? Something was wrong with this world, she could feel it.

Hang on, there's a large hole in between the trees of the forest. It was as if a giant punched its way through the forest. At the very end of the large gash in the dirt was an absolutely massive crater, black dust suggesting a Hollow was killed without a Zanpakuto.

But where was the boy? Just then, she heard a twig snap behind her. Swiftly turning around, she laid a hand on her Zanpakuto ready to draw. 

The mushroom head was right in front of her with bored yellow eyes, or were they just apathetic? 

This is embarrassing, allowing myself to get snuck upon.

"Can I help you?" The living singularity said.

She bowed in greeting and responded with, "Sorry for disturbing you, I was simply curious when a deer led me here. It seemed adamant that I come here."

He nodded, "Makes sense I guess." Did it? That's not good.

Slowly he reached into his brown paper bag. Where did he even get that, in fact, where could he have stored it?

He pulled out a singular creampuff and held it out to her, "Want a creampuff?" 

Rukia blinked as she straightened herself out. This is him? This is the living calamity with such powerful spiritual energy (?) that she lost consciousness by only being near? This is the impossible boy? The human with no soul? 

She burst out laughing, unable to control herself after the day she just had. Rukia was about to decline, as she's never eaten a creampuff before and didn't even know if she would like it.

Her mind helpfully reminded her of how idiotic that course of action was. Images of the massive crater housing a Hollow carcass surfaced to her mind.

Thanking him for his generous offer, she took the creampuff from his hand and stared at the confectionary. 

Just what was she getting herself into? Was this her life now? 

...hmph, could be worse.

Chapter Text

Iron Snow

Rukia Kuchiki and the Loving Family

Rukia sniffed the creampuff, it was warm. She wasn't a picky eater, but the mushroom head took it out of somewhere and he didn't have any pockets. So she was just making sure it was clean to eat.

One doesn't say no to free food after all.

Taking a bite, she suddenly understood why the boy was so enraged when the Hollow swiped one away. These balls were delicious! 

The batter, light and fluffy. Soft enough to break with a little bite. The cream itself was sweet and filling, but not enough to overblow her taste buds. Making her want to take more bites.

Is this the start of an addiction? Now she understands… 

As she readied herself for the next bite, instead of her teeth crunching down on golden perfection, her teeth almost took off a chunk of her hand.

Recoiling, she looked at her hand. Empty of creampuffs and now sporting a bite mark. She blushed in embarrassment, what would her brother think of her now?

"A confectionery caused you to lose control? How sad. They can't be that go-BY THE SPIRIT KING!"

Hmm, maybe not like that. 

Rukia licked her fingers clean, content despite her almost self-cannibalization. She wanted to thank the boy for enlightening her to these delectable confectionaries but he was gone by the time she lifted her head.

Craning her neck around the green opening, she found him kneeling before a tree? No… the tree had a golden stain.

Oh. Understandable.

Approaching the somber scene carefully, Rukia got on her knees next to him. "I'm sorry," She felt reminding him of the tragedy in front of him was a bad idea. "I never introduced myself, Rukia Kuchiki." She offered a small, but polite smile.

The boy turned to face her with a sad, yet somehow deadpan look. "Mash Burnedead. Nice to meet you." He lowered his head in greeting before mourning the loss of his creampuff once again.

Mash Burnedead? A strange name to be sure, not very fitting for the power she saw him use. I actually passed out from it but that's not important. She supposed she was more used to names from the Soul Society rather than the living worlds.

"Goodbye lil' puff, I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you fulfill your destiny."

She watched him mentally construct an impromptu funeral for a dessert, offering nothing but her silent support. Don't I have a job to do?  

Ah, right! The note!

She didn't have time for nonsense such as this, an important meeting might start without her! It would bring shame to the Gotei 13 if she was late because she was goofing off in the woods. She can imagine her brother's disappointment already.

Sniff sniff, "I trusted you my dearest sister! How could you betray me like this!?"

Why were her fantasies so weird?

Anyway, she gave the mushr- Burnedead a solemn pat on the shoulder and rose up from her kneeling position. Pausing to wipe the dirt off her Shihakusho before realizing she was a spirit in a world of the living.

Mentally slapping herself in the face, Rukia determinedly made to march off in the direction of her urgent mission. Nothing could stop her from completing her objective! Absolutely noth-!

Growl

Bringing her sword up in a split second, Rukia assessed where the hostile noise came from. The trees were silent, the grass was still, and the birds were singing no more. Also, why was her stomach feeling strange?

Growl

Oh… that's why. Sigh, This is so very embarrassing.

Refusing to blush, Rukia just covered her stomach in shame, absentmindedly sheathing her Zanpakuto. She smelled a wondrous scent behind her. Turning around she was greeted by the sight of Burnedead holding a creampuff towards her. "It's my last one, take it."

Oh damn, she didn't want to feel guilty about this. "Oh no, I couldn't."

He stepped closer, "It's fine, trust me."

She gently pushed his hand away. She could see the apathy on his face but this time it was poorly concealing his obvious hunger. "Look, I told you I don't want it."

"Then why are you drooling?"

Was she? Feeling around her mouth found out that yes, she really was drooling. Am I allowed to still be embarrassed? At this point, I'm out of it. Wiping her mouth clean she tried yet again to reject his very tempting offer when her eyes caught the creampuff corpse on the side of the tree. 

I'm a genius. Rukia walked around Burnedead and wiped the smushed treat off of the bark. 

He was, by a large margin, confused. "Wha?"

Beggars can't be choosers , she supposed. Rukia quickly swallowed the somehow not cold treat and shivered as her mind caught up with what she had just done. This place was getting to her.

"Wha wha wha ?" Ah, it seems Burnedead was still confused. Looks like it is now her turn to enlighten him. "Food is food, can't complain about its condition when you're hungry."

He looked down at the creampuff still in his hand" "Oh… but you had a choice."

She nodded, "I did, but I could see how much you also wanted it. Why take yours when another was available?"

Burnedead slowly nodded, "I see," He looked deep into her eyes with his intense amber, almost glistening with tears. "I see now the way I was treating my babies was wrong, I will never take them for granted ever again!" Still, without emotion, he raised a fist into the air. Staring resolutely at the sky.

I'd give it a 6/10 for the theatrics, next time give it more emotion.

She blinked as he grasped her shoulders in the split second it took for her to grade his performance. Wow, he really is fast. "Thank you so much, Sadako." 

"What?"

"Ah, sorry. Just a character from a book I read."

She frowned, "I told you my name."

"I know."

Iron Snow

Despite her gobbling up the smushed and nature-flavored creampuff, Rukia was still hungry. 

"My pop's making dinner, want some?"

Oh great, now he can read minds. What can't he do at this point?

"I'm not, you just think really loud."

"What… how does that work?"

"You know how you hear your own thoughts?"

"Yes."

"Well, so can I, if I listen really closely.”

She raised a delicate eyebrow, full of skepticism. "Are you saying you can read minds?"

Burnedead raised one eyebrow in return, an inch higher than normal. "No. I can just hear your loud thoughts, not all of them."

Like this?

"Yup, just like that."

Rukia closed her eyes, willing her next thought to be behind all of her mental defenses. Like a bastion protecting a fluttering piece of paper. 

How about now?

Burnedead concentrated, the most thoughtful and expressive expression Rukia has ever seen on him. "I think you thought of the word 'ow'? Could be wrong."

Rukia preened, "It seems you only caught the tail end of my sentence, it's amazing how much reinforcement I needed to keep you out!"

Burnedead nodded, "Looks like I need to keep practicing," He then looked at her seriously. "If you don't eat for free, wanna trade?"

Actually, Rukia could eat for free. Preferred it even. Still, she was curious. “Oh?”

“After we eat, wanna help me with my workout?”

“Why would you need my help? All you know about me is that I’m the weird girl with a sword who eats off of trees.”

“Exactly!”

He pointed a long finger in front of her, shaking resolutely. “Only a visionary such as yourself would have the strength and forethought to eat a creampuff no matter what!”

“I just ate it because I was hungry.”

Burnedead ignored her, “Besides, one can never pump enough iron. There’s nothing I cannot deadlift, but I still have much to lift with my brain.”

Rukia nodded, “Your brain is a muscle.”

“So you understand,” He clenched his fist, “I cannot call myself strong if a single part of me is weak.” Turning around, Burnedead bowed deeply to Rukia. Reminding her of the times other Shinigami would bow in reverence or subtly ask for a favor.

She despised those sycophants, they were nothing but leeches hoping to gain goodwill with her family. Only this time, the bow was met with a simple, genuine intention. He wants her help and is offering free food to gain it. Blunt and straight to the point, Rukia could get behind this boy and his antics if this was going to be standard.

Besides, this boy was powerful. Teaching powerful future souls is a requirement for someone like her, it was like being back at the academy. This time, in reverse.

Rukia held out a hand, never breaking eye contact with Burnedead. “I’m honored to accept your invitation to your humble abode, please allow me to pay back your kindness by coordinating with you on how to best strengthen your mental abilities.”

“Uh… blub blub blub?” 

“A-Are you alright?”

“Too… many… big words…”

Ah, it seems he really does need training. Better rephrase it then, hmm. Ah! I’ll just speak to him like Renji! “Let’s eat, then we’ll train okay?”

She feared that her outstretched hand would be crushed by the sheer strength of the dumb boy in front of her, grasping her palm and shaking it with enough force to almost lift her into the sky. “Gotcha.” But, to her surprise, his grip was quite gentle even though he effortlessly lifted her. 

They shook on it and made their way to his home. 

Rukia did her best to not think about the fact that she was of smaller stature than most. She was just naturally lithe! She was not that light, it was just Burnedead and his insane strength!

Iron Snow

Arriving at Burnedead's home was a short affair, apparently, he didn't live far. The house itself was a rather tiny log cabin made by hand. Either Burnedead or his father built the little shack.

Better than the Rukongai, in any way. 

Still, it was better to ask. "Who built this, your father?"

Burnedead nodded with the tiniest smile, "Uh-huh! Pop's made it to keep me safe."

Him? The living black hole? Capable of ripping apart Hollows with his bare hands, and with enough reiatsu to knock her out. This is someone who should be protected?

This brings up two distinct possibilities; his father doesn't realize the full strength of his son, which is always a possibility, or the significantly more terrifying option, which is the possibility of Burnedead being considered weak in this world. If his strength was comparatively below-average, then the higher-ups of this realm must be true monsters.

She shook herself, these thoughts were not useful. She'll find out soon enough about this world's standards for power. As soon as she finishes paying off her debt.

No sooner, however! Rukia Kuchiki is a diligent officer of the Thirteenth Division! Hunger and a friendly spar will not stop me from fulfilling my duties!

"Duties? What duties?"

Ah crap, forgot he could read minds. 

"Not read, just listen really hard."

"Nevermind." She turns to face him, "I may have an errand to run after this, nothing to worry yourself about."

"Like a job?"

"Yes, precisely."

"Wonder what kind of job I should get?"

She huffed out a laugh, "Perhaps a bakery owner? Sounds right up your alley."

"Hmm," Rubbing his chin, he seemed deep in thought. "A bakery that only sells creampuffs? Sounds like heaven." 

By the Soul King, was he drooling?

"Huh? Oh sorry. I tend to pass out when thinking too hard."

"You really do need help with your brain, huh?"

Like a wilting flower or mushroom, in this case, his head drooped in shame. "Yeah, sorry for bothering you…"

Oh no, he's adorable! "No no! I'm perfectly okay with helping you out! It's the least I can do for a hot meal."

Turning to her, still drooping his mushroom head, he asked. "Really?"

She nodded frantically, no one as muscular as this boy in front of her should be this squeezable! "Y-Yeah! I really don't mind at all."

Slowly, his pinchable face straightened out as he rose to his full height. "Thanks…?"

Sigh "Rukia."

"Thanks, Rukia, you're a real pal." 

Heh? Pals, already?

They've barely known each other, and the difference between each other's life experiences is evident given how awkward Burnedead seems to be around her.

To be honest, Rukia wouldn't mind being friends with the silly boy, but she's probably not going to stay in this world for long. She didn't want to get his hopes up. Maybe in the future when he eventually joins Soul Society and gets recognized for his immense strength. 

She could see it now, a powerful soul making his way throughout the Rukongai. Making a name for himself and attracting the Gotei 13. Rukia would do her best to make the Thirteenth Division seem like the best option and then they could be friends all they like. When they weren't busy, she could introduce Burnedead to Renji! Hopefully, her brother would approve of her friendship…

"A bit quick to call us friends isn’t it?"

The boy shrugged, "I wouldn't really know, you're my first friend."

...curses. He's just too cute. Like a lost puppy wanting scratches.

Rukia sighs, admitting defeat just this once. "I guess we could be friends." Turning around, she had to cover her eyes at the sheer amount of happiness radiating off of Burnedead's deadpan face.

"Really!"

"Yes, really." Her stomach rumbled once again, reminding her of the reason they were walking. "Not to sound rude but are we there yet?"

"Yup, this is me." He stopped abruptly. 

Looking confused, Rukia stopped all of a sudden as well when she noticed the wooden door right in her face. How did she not notice that?

Oh right, wasn't she asking Burnedead about his little house before? She should've expected to literally run into it.

“Thank you for having me.” She gave a polite bow of gratitude as Burnedead opened the door. Or, he would’ve opened the door had he not spent that time just staring, looking absolutely dumbfounded at the little doorknob. “Is there something wrong?”

“I always forget, is it push or pull?”

“The.. door?” When he nodded Rukia continued her line of questioning, “Haven’t you lived here your entire life?”

“Yup, I always have trouble with this part.”

Rukia dropped her ghostly jaw, before hastily picking it back up as such behavior is unbecoming of a Kuchiki! Still, what has she gotten herself into? Burnedead was almost braindead at this very moment, it was almost like he’s never even had an education!

Hold on… oh no.

“Burnedead?” He turned towards her with a hopeless look. Oh by the Spirit King, she can’t help but take pity on him. “Would you like me to… teach you how to open doors?” Is this her life now?

Burnedead noticeably perked up, reminding her of an excited puppy. “Really!”

Instead of answering, she grasped the wooden doorknob and slowly pulled it towards her. Ignoring the implications of how she can interact with this mortal realm, (and her death on the inside as she’s reduced to a doorstop), she explained to the awed mushroom head. “Most of the time doors and entrances are supposed to be pulled. Try that first next time, it’ll usually work.”

“Thank you Sensei!” Expressing his absolute joy at learning how to open doors , Burnedead gave a perfect 90-degree bow.

10/10? His bow is more disciplined than my own, rivaling even my brother! How? This buffoon is the embodiment of constant contradictions!

She swallowed her indignation at the prospect of being uprooted in noble discipline by the strange, strange human boy and instead gave a smile. No matter her feelings on the matter, his simply joyous face was a sight to behold. Infecting her with his cheer.

“My boy? Is that you, Mash?” An elderly voice came from the inside of the humble shack. Forcing them to snap out of their reverie. 

“Hey pops. You’ll never guess what I did today.” Burnedead walked through the open entrance, giving one last look of reverence to Rukia before facing his father. “Go on, guess.”

“Hmm?” Rukia peeked into the cabin, seeing the inside for the very first time. This was the place that helped raise the impossible boy that she became spontaneous friends with, apparently. The walls were plain except for a couple of bookshelves and a singular window. The room was almost the entirety of his home with a fireplace and lounge chair next to it. Rukia didn’t know what she was expected, but as she thought about it she realized. Yeah, this fits with the mushroom head.

On the chair itself, was Burnedead’s father. A bald and clearly aging man, while his son looked to be in his late 10s. Strangely enough, on the side of his face, he sported a curved black line going all the way from his right eye down to his chin. He wore a comfortable-looking black robe with slippers. Currently sipping tea from a floating teapot. 

A floating teapot… at this point Rukia doesn’t care.

“You made friends with all of the neighboring forest creatures and became the princess you were meant to be?”

Burnedead shook his head, bowl-cut swishing with the motion but always keeping its shape. “No, even more unbelievable.”

His father gasped, “You gave up creampuffs?!”

“Never.” It was Burnedead’s turn to be completely horrified. While Rukia was watching this amusing debacle. Normal family matters were still new to her.

“Could you please take pity on your dear father and give him a hint?” Burnedead’s father leaned forward with his hands clamped together in front of his chest. Giving his son a hopeful face.

“Nope.”

Like a puppet cut from his strings, his father slumped over bonelessly. Muffled groaning could be heard from the lying lump of a man. If Burnedead felt any pity at the sight he gave no outside reaction as to indicate such.

At this point, Rukia felt like she should intervene, she was indirectly responsible for such a state of her host. “Are you alright?”

Confused, the father sharply shot up from his chair to look for the unfamiliar voice. Eyes narrowing at the mysterious stranger in his abode. Rukia noticed his eyes staying firmly planted on her face as if searching for something.

When he didn’t find whatever he was looking for, he blinked, before almost bowling over in his shock. Eyes wide, Rukia could only watch as the man quickly righted himself before he fell off the cushiony chair. “It can’t be!”

Rukia ignored his proclamation and instead asked the important question, “I’ll ask again, are you okay?”

The father coughed into his hand, getting up from his chair and gingerly approaching Rukia. Rubbing the back of his bald head sheepishly with an apologetic smile. “Ah yes, forgive me for my rude behavior.” He finally reached her and outstretched his hand for her to shake. She did so after some deliberation, and just like his son, he could easily grasp her spirit hand. “I never got to introduce myself, I’m Regro Burnedead. Who would you be Miss…?” Regro trailed off with an inquisitive look at her.

Meanwhile, Burnedead was sulking as his pops never guessed what.

Rukia gave a small but noticeable smile, “Rukia Kuchiki, a pleasure to meet you. Your son has told me all about you.” 

Regro’s eyes widened, “Really? Did he make me sound cool?”

Raising her eyebrow, something she’s been doing a lot today, Rukia gave her best diplomatic answer. “He said that you were a very hard-working man and that your cooking is simply scrumptious.”

Oh no, now he was tearful. “He really said that, oh I’m so happy that my son is praising me!”

“Does he not praise you often?”

“Oh no, he does it all the time. It never fails to make me smile, no matter what!” He finished with a boisterous laugh, flashing a grandfatherly smile. 

This stunned Rukia, as the father and son duo started doing some weird dance together, pumping their fists in unison to some unheard beat. Is this what a normal family is like?

Rukia didn’t want to know.

Chapter Text

Thank you to everyone who reviews my stories, just one is enough to keep me going.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Rukia Kuchiki and the Unfortunate Denial

Dinner with the Burnedeads was, as expected, strange.

The food itself was great despite the portions reminding Rukia of the scarcity she experienced in the Rukongai. How could Burnedead be so physically capable despite eating nothing but creampuffs, small legumes, and a few vegetables? 

"Is the food not to your liking, Ms. Kuchiki?"

She looked up, momentarily embarrassed. "Ah, no! I was just curious, that's all."

Regro tilted his head, "About what?" 

"Your son has quite the musculature, yet all he eats are sweets?"

He laughed, looking over at Mash worshipping his plate of creampuffs. "Yes, it's mind-boggling isn't it? It's been like this since forever, even when he was a baby." 

Leaning in, he motioned for Rukia to do the same. Rukia did so, curious as to what secrets he might entail. "I actually found my little boy on top of a building , I don't know how he got there but I could've sworn there was a whoosh sound. He must've fallen down from somewhere!"

Blinking, Rukia tried to comprehend the situation. "He's adopted? Hold on… he fell onto a building?" 

Regro nodded, "Amazing, isn't it! My sweet little boy has always been tough! Just like his old man!" He gave a hearty laugh as he started fist-pumping into the air.

Rukia frowned, "I mean no offense, but why tell me this? A perfect stranger." 

He stopped fist-pumping, "Isn't it obvious? You have no line, there's no one you could report Mash to."

"A line? Is that what you have on your face?" She motioned to the curvy line on the left side of his face.

He gently touched the black mark, "You don't know?"

"Uh, well… I'm from a secluded community. We don't really interact with this wor-Country! This country is new to us, so I'm not familiar with this whole 'line' thing."

He started breathing a little heavier, eyes wide at the implication. "Are you saying you lived somewhere with no magic!?"

"Ah, no, where I lived the magic users lived just fine with the non-magic users." She stretched the truth, just a little bit. While it was true Soul Society wasn't perfect by any means, at the very least people didn't discriminate due to one's Kido ability. Well, for the most part. "Funny thing is, the physical fighters actually mock the ones who use magic due to them believing it to be a cowardly way to fight.”

Rukia stopped as she felt her plate rumble, the ceramic bouncing off of the wood in sporadic jumps. She looked to her hosts in confusion but found no help in Burnedead as he simply used the rumbling table to bounce creampuffs into his palms, juggling them before throwing them up into the air and having each and every one of those sweet balls of cream land into his open mouth. He swallowed each of the treats one by one as they fell, twisting his body from all sides so not one of his cream-filled prizes went to waste.

He gave a shallow bow as he finished, his face never moving one muscle. Rukia thought that was ironic.

She shook herself after watching that display of… whatever that was, Rukia looked to the older Burnedead and found the source of the rumbling table. Regro Burnedead trembled in his chair, holding on to the seat of his chair with so much grip that Rukia knew he was restraining himself from leaping at her. 

That was fortunate, Rukia didn’t want to accidentally bisect her ‘friends’ father. Her reflexes were impeccable given her long life, even if she was considered young by Shinigami standards. 

“Do you think… do you think they would take my son?” Mr. Burnedead’s voice came out a rasping whisper like he was choking on something.

“I’m sorry? What do you mean by that?” Rukia needed to make sure she heard him right.

“Mash! Would they accept my son? I just know he would be-

“Sir.” Rukia’s voice cut through his plea, firm and resolute, even if internally she was quite confused. “I’m sorry to say this, but the only way to join my community is through… extremely specific and unorthodox ways.” 

“It doesn’t matter! Please you must-

He stopped as Rukia held up a firm hand, waiting for him to calm down before speaking. “Why the sudden desperation?”

Mr. Burnedead sank into his chair, letting out a heavy sigh. “Right… you don’t know.” He sat there with his brow furrowed, eyes intent.

Rukia knew very little about this world, only that it was important for her to meet with some of its leaders. Captain Ukitake said that she would know everything when she met them, but why all the secrecy? He never kept things from her before, besides classified information of course. She didn’t have a problem with him being tight-lipped until now, where her limited knowledge was preventing her from grasping the situation properly. She waited for her host to gather himself, and she waited she inwardly bristled at the loss of control. 

Information was key in life and death, without it, missions would fail, people would die, and the universe would be unbalanced. Total anarchy would reign supreme!

She blinked, where had that come from? This world was getting to her, and it hasn’t even been a day!

“This country…” She brought her attention back to Mr. Burnedead, who has finally calmed down. “Nay, this world, is not kind to people like Mash. In fact, they cull all those they deem unworthy to live in the world of the Gods.”

Her eyes widened, “That sounds…”

“Horrible? Despicable, downright vile?” 

“If there was a way to combine all three of those words then, yes.”

He cracked a small smile at her words, then continued. “It gets worse, the culling begins as soon as they’re born. It’s why we live deep in the woods so that no magic-user can find Mash.” Regro Burnedead lowered his head in his hands, looking every bit the old man he was. “My one and only, Mash… if anything happened to him, I-I…”

Rukia bit her lip, this mission kept getting more and more complicated every second. A world of magic supremacists? The idea is absurd, it also didn’t help that her captain absolutely insisted on her complete discretion regarding her mission. Something’s remiss about all of this, too many things were being kept from her.

“Ms. Kuchiki? Are you alright?”

“Hmm? Oh yes, I’m alright.”

“You just look like you have a lot on your mind.”

“I do, but I’ll first get this out of the way.” Rukia took a deep breath, no matter how many times she has to deny the desperate it never gets easier. Giving Mr. Burnedead a firm look she started, “Let me assure you that if I had any say in the matter, I would absolutely be honored to accept your son into our community. However, my superiors would not allow Mash Burnedead entrance at this time or anytime soon. My deepest apologies.” She finished with a shallow bow, though she couldn’t help but internally wince as the hope died in his eyes.

Regro swallowed his protests, he knew better than to argue. She simply couldn’t help his son, he had to accept that. It was out of both of their control. “I understand… heh, it was quite pathetic of me to ask a complete stranger to break her own laws.”

She frowned, pathetic? Rukia knew a good man when she saw one, and Regro was no different than other desperate parents begging her to take their children away from the Rukongai. Just for them to have a chance at a better life. It was only a century ago when she was in the same position as them. The Soul Society wasn’t the greatest, but she didn’t starve anymore, didn’t have to scavenge for the right to live. 

Mash Burnedead would absolutely flourish in such an environment, in the Acadamy alone, he would dominate the physical training necessary to become a Shinigami. Rukia could clearly see how much Mash’s father cared for him, and how he was giving Mash the best life he could with his limited resources. If he could become this strong by training alone in the woods all his life, then how much of a monster would he be after a full curriculum in the Shinigami Acadamy?

“U-Um, Ms. Kuchiki? Your face just got really greedy all of a sudden…”

Indeed, in her musings, Rukia’s face changed into a thoughtful, yet greedy expression. Just thinking about the good Mash could do in the Soul Society was enough to make her giddy. 

It wasn’t until she heard her host’s concerned words was it that she blinked and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I got ahead of myself.”

“It’s okay?” 

“If you’ll excuse me I promised your son a training session. Rukia bowed her head, “Thank you for the wonderful meal.”

Regro scratched his cheek, “I don’t know, it’s getting late and I still have to read Mash his bedtime story.”

Burnedead still has storytime? That’s utterly adorable! “I understand, however it won’t take long. Also…” She bit her lip, “By getting a good reading on your son, I could make a case for whether he should be allowed to join us.”

Regro’s eyes lit up, allowing slight guilt to well up inside of Rukia. “You will?” He moved to hug her with tears in his eyes. “Oh, thank you!”

Rukia sidestepped him easily, catching the emotional man before he tumbled into the hardwood floor. “Please don’t hug me, not a big fan.”

Regro wiped his glittering eyes, “Right, of course. I’m just so happy!”

She didn’t how to deal with overtly physical acts of thankfulness, so she just nodded before calling out to Burnedead. “The sun’s getting low.”

Mash, who had been quietly watching the entire time unknown to everyone, nodded eagerly. “Kay.”

Join them? Who’s ‘them’? Why are Pops and Rukia being weird? How many creampuffs should I take with me?

Mash pondered as he walked up to Rukia. He stopped at the door, twitching slightly. He gulped, then laid a hand on the rickety doorknob. Taking a deep breath he slowly twisted the doorknob and pushed.

The door slid open without any issue.

Chapter Text

Rukia Kuchiki and the Blindfolded Barrage

This is a great idea, Rukia! Give the spiritual freak of nature some tips on how to fight better, what could go wrong!?

Rukia cursed inside her head once more as she was forced to throw her body to the side, narrowly missing a deceptively powerful fist punching a hole through her abdomen. Instead, the attack only cratered the dirt and caused a few tremors to emerge around them.

The trees shook, birds panicked and flew away, and the various forest critters watching their spar in morbid fascination trembled with primal fear. All of it was caused by the dough-faced boy with a smoking fist. Wrapped around his eyes, a simple cloth fluttered in the wind.

How did I even get into this situation!? Why did I willingly choose to subject myself to this type of danger!?

One Hour Ago…

“Let’s eat, then we’ll train okay?”

“Gotcha.”

Now…

Oh… yeah.

Mash fiddled with his blindfold, obviously nervous about being in such a state. Which is the highest height of bullshit she’d ever seen! Here she was fighting with all her skill against his blind punches, and Mash was uncomfortable with wearing a piece of fabric.

His senses were good enough to track her every movement and accurately guess where he should next attack, to the point where Rukia believed he didn’t even need eyes to fight. The only person she could compare him to was the Captain of the 9th Division Kaname Tosen, and he was actually blind! 

“Why do you keep talking so much in your head?”

Rukia grumbled from her spot on the floor, picking herself up from where she tossed herself to avoid the hit from Mash. “Is that how you keep following me?”

“Sometimes. Mike warns me whenever you get too close.”

Rukia blinked, “Who’s Mike?” She asked, hoping she didn’t regret her question.

“My right pectoral muscle.”

…taking a deep breath, Rukia chose not to think about that and how exactly that works and hurriedly changed the subject. “Alright, round two. This time, I want you to stay in that exact spot. Try to defend without taking a single step.”

Mash shifted, planting his brown slacks into the ground beneath him. He nodded, “Kay.”

She dashed forward, gripping the handle of her Zanpakuto with both hands. Twisting her hips as she got closer, Rukia gave an upwards slash with her whole body. The only indication Mash got of her impending attack was a sharp exhale through her nostrils, but it was enough.

Mash’s muscles twitched as her blade approached his chest, forcing Mash to twist his upper body to the side while keeping his feet firmly planted as her swinging sword strike just barely scrapped his pectorals. His instincts screamed at him to take a step back, or at the very least step to the side, but Rukia told him not to move his legs. She’s older than him so she’s gotta know better than him, right? 

Rukia hardly seemed put out by Mash’s casual dodge, planting her sandals into the dirt and loosening her grip on her blade. She turned her next attack into a downwards slash meant to slice him open. She held back of course, no matter how strong the opponent accidents still happen. Being careless and just assuming Mash is strong enough to handle her at full power would be inviting trouble. Should Mash make a mistake, Rukia would capitalize on it. Only to teach him to not make it again. She’s the teacher in this scenario after all. 

Exhaling, Rukia put all of her weight into her forward momentum and cut Mash down his toned chest. Mash responded to this by catching her Zanpakuto in his hands, just before the edge could harm his friends. The blindfold-wearing Mash was reflected onto the blade, his serious demeanor a clear contrast to the baby-faced kid she met earlier. The blade trembled as Rukia tried her best to pull it out of his grip, both hands not being enough to wrench it out of the inescapable hands of Mash Burnedead. 

With her sword firmly in his grasp, he grunted and threw it to the side, Rukia included. She flew through the air, taking note that the sky has already darkened. How long had it been since they started practicing? The question would remain unanswered as Rukia gracefully rolled in midair, catching her fall on one foot. Launching herself off of the said foot, Rukia brought herself back to Mash. “Mistake number one! You caught my weapon, why didn’t you disarm me before throwing me?” 

“Uh…” Mash tilted his head to the side, contemplating the complicated question. Why didn’t he do that? 

“Mistake number 2! You took your mind off of the ongoing fight!” Rukia dashed and brought her Zanpakuto up perpendicular to her body, stabbing for Mash’s creampuffs. The ones below the belt.

Mash sensed that his precious two puffs were in danger, as well as his chances at a future family. Crouching down and shifting his feet into a wide power stance he became intent on catching the devious Rukia before she severed his lineage. He did not want to know whether he was strong enough down there. That’s one area he never exercised in.

Rukia gave a sharp smirk, delighted in the fact that he played right into her admittedly small hands! With Mash’s wide stance and her lithe enough body, she slid right under his grasping hands and right between his legs. Twirling around mid-slide, just before he left her range, Rukia let out a cry, slicing at the Achilles tendon on his left foot. 

Of course, Mash’s muscles warned him of the extreme danger and he listened, lifting his left foot and rolling away from the singing blade. He was up on his feet in less than a second, ready to continue the fight against his friend/teacher. Despite being blindfolded, Mash could feel Rukia’s smirk on her face. It took a moment for him to realize that he moved his feet, signifying his loss.

He lost… why did that feel so weird? He knew that they were only doing this exercise to strengthen his mind and by extension his senses, forcing him to listen to Rukia’s thoughts during combat and react to them. Every loss meant something for him to improve upon, something to strive for besides just the next workout or creampuff. He knew that.

So, why did it sting so much when he didn’t come out victorious? Mash never thought of himself as a prideful person. Maybe he just got used to beating every challenge he ever met, whether it be workouts given to him by his pops, or the wildlife looking for their next meal. 

“Huh, that’s weird.” Mash succinctly summarized. 

Oh well, he lost. Time to move on. Reaching up to finally take off his blindfold, Mash leaned back as Rukia’s stab went over his face. 

Backing up, he asked her. “What are you doing? I lost.”

Still smirking, the slightly sweaty Rukia held up three slender fingers. “Mistake number three! You put your guard down around an armed enemy.”

Mash tilted his head once more, thoroughly confused. “But… I thought it stopped when I lifted my foot?”

Scoffing, Rukia answered back in an amused tone. “When did I ever say we’d stop if you moved?”

“Uh, is that a trick question?”

Groaning, Rukia slapped a palm to her face. “No. I only said you should try to stay in one place to better your reflexes.”

“Did you? I remember your words sounding a lot shorter.”

“I said something like that.” No, I didn’t.

“See! You just said you didn’t!”

“Tch forgot you could do that.”

Mash let out a soft breath, “Wow, your memory’s bad.”

Rukia’s twitched.

He crossed his arms, having the gall to look pouty at her. Pouty! “So when will we stop?”

Rukia adjusted her grip on her Zanpakuto, her weapons ringing as she steadied herself, feeling an uncharacteristic bloodthirsty grin forming on her face. She couldn’t help it, being a teacher turned out to be quite fun. Is this what her instructors always felt? Glee at not only teaching the next generation but also at the chance to beat up brats while under the guise of instruction? Is that why people take on students? Normally she would’ve been dismayed at that assumption, but since she's enjoying herself so much she couldn’t find it within herself to care.

Pointing the tip of her blade towards her friend/student, she answered his question. “We will stop when I say we can stop!” 

With her piece said, Rukia leaped into action. Mash mimicked her, tossing his fist behind him. 

The Soul Reaper let out a battle cry, feeling her blade sing through the air. Its target, the venerable wall of muscle rushing toward her. Mash inhaled, feeling the speeding wind around him flow throughout his body and into his muscles. Energizing his blood to better his fighting capabilities. Exhaling, he cocked his fist and punched . 

Boom!

Their sounds of battle echoed throughout the night. Mash’s father didn’t get much sleep that night.

Chapter Text

Rukia Kuchiki and the Last Day

Goodbye.

One word, two syllables. Simple, concise, and easy to understand. Even Mash would be able to get her meaning. 

It's not even a permanent goodbye, Rukia can still visit anytime she wants. Even after her mission in this new realm is completed, she still has plenty of unused vacation days she's been saving for a rainy day. 

Or an overpowered mushroom.

Mash wouldn't be upset, he'll understand why she has to leave. She still has a job to do after all. 

She’ll tell him… just not yet. 

As Rukia and her new friend rested on one of the trees felled from their bout, she wondered how in all the realms she grew so attached to a teenage boy within the first day of leaving the Soul Society. 

Oh for the sake of the Spirit King, she's only known him for less than a full day! And now she's resting on a log after trying to slice open a blindfolded Mash. Is this what normal friends do? Do they always progress so quickly?

It’s not like she’s an expert on relationships considering her friends are… gone. And the last time she spoke to Renji was… damn it.

I really am lonely, huh…

Before Rukia’s thought could spiral into a familiar mire of thoughtful emptiness, Mash asked out of the blue, “You’re gonna leave, huh?”

Sighing, she turned to her new friend. “You really have to stop reading my mind, it’s getting invasive.” Why oh why, did she help him hone his hearing abilities again? 

Was it the free food? Was it the easy companionship, the genuine intentions behind his offer, or was it-

‘ Oh no, he's adorable ! ’

‘ No one as muscular as this boy in front of her should be this squeezable !’

‘... curses. He's just too cute. Like a lost puppy wanting scratches .’

‘ Burnedead still has storytime? That’s utterly adorable! ’

Nope, it was the food! Nothing else!

“Sorry…” Mash drooped his head down once more, unknowingly causing Rukia to have an aneurysm. 

Hnngh “It’s fine Mash, just don’t make it a habit. I don’t want to know what a fifteen-year-old boy with the power to read minds, without the concept of privacy, would do.” Frankly speaking, it’s a disturbing train of thought.

Predictably, Mash didn’t get it. “What? What does my age have to do with anything.”

She shook her head, dark hair swishing with the motion. “Nothing, you wouldn’t get it.”

“Oh okay.”

So accepting! Have teenagers changed since she’s been gone or is Mash simply the exception? 

Come to think of it, Mash seems like the kind of kid to blend into the background, there doesn’t seem to be a mischievous bone in his body. Weren’t teens supposed to be hormone-fueled creatures of instinct? Then again, back when she and her friends had been teens they were too busy scavenging and trying to delay the inevitable. So maybe she doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

Hell, Mash has never even looked at her in a way that could be considered strange or suspicious. That spoke volumes of his restraint or lack of desire, though Rukia didn’t know why she kept going back to this topic-calm yourself Rukia, you depraved woman! You are literally ten times his age!

Rukia heaved a heavy breath as her body filled with tension. She really needs to get a hobby, besides drawing of course.

“So what do you wanna do now?” Mash inquired. Staring off into nothing, probably thinking about creampuffs. No wait, he’s drooling. He’s definitely hungry.

Bemused, Rukia answered with a sly look. “My my, drooling are we?”

Blank eyes focused as Mash realized what his mouth was doing, “Sorry, after training I always eat some creampuffs. Guess I trained my body too well.”

Smiling, Rukia said, “I get it, when your body’s so used to a specific routine it starts to expect a few things.”

Mash returned her smile with a tiny smile of his own, “Thanks Rukia, you really are a good friend. It’s like you just understand.”

Blinking, Rukia processed what he meant. “Isn’t your father a friend?”

“Pops is great, but I wish he would talk to me more. Whenever I ask him about why I work out, he says he’ll tell me eventually.” Mash lowered his eyes to the cratered floor beneath them, “Pops tells me that magic isn’t important and that someone could live a good life without it. I know that I only have my muscles after all, but I don’t know why he looks so sad whenever he looks at me.”

Mash looks Rukia deep into her eyes, his amber lights reflecting off of her violet. “Did I do something wrong, am I a bad son?”

For the first time since meeting him, Mash looks almost scared, and vulnerable. Rukia didn’t know the feeling that came over her, but all she knew at the time was grabbing Mash and pulling him into her embrace. Mash is just as confused and shocked as Rukia is, but he wrapped his firm arms around her small waist all the same.

Rukia didn’t know what she’s even doing, or if she has a plan about… whatever this is, but she just opens her mouth and lets her heart speak. “Mash, I’ve only known you two for less than a full day but I can tell that from the bottom of my very soul, your father is so proud of you. He has his reasons, and it’s not my place to say but just know that all he wants is for you to live a safe and happy life.” 

She leans back and puts her hands on the sides of Mash’s face, comforting him in his rare moment of weakness. “So no thinking about how you’re a bad son because whatever thoughts your father may have, it’s not your fault and it’s not because you’re not enough. He’ll tell you when he’s ready, okay?”

Rukia knew that even without him answering back, her words got through to him. After all, those were the exact same words she wishes someone had told her.

“Wow,” Mash uttered, looking unsure of what to do, before finally deciding, “Thanks, see I told you, you really are a great friend.”

Rukia blushed, savoring the moment even though this was supposed to be about her helping him and not the other way around. She looked away from his shining eyes and grateful smile, “Fool, this isn’t about me.”

Rukia wanted to scoff, where did he get off at making her feel this way. She was the teacher just a moment ago, now he pulls it back around to her and… ugh! Suddenly, Mash’s warm hands found their way onto her face.

“It’s not your fault.”

Shocked, she looks up. “Huh?”

Mash looked determined, even more so than when he vaporized that hollow only more than a dozen hours ago. “Whatever you went through, it wasn’t your fault. And all the problems you faced, they didn’t happen because you weren’t enough.”

She tasted salt, her hands shook, and it took a moment to realize that she was crying. She tried closing her eyes, but the desperate action only made the tears fall faster. 

Damn him, damn him! She’s only here for a mission, a singular mission! This is only a break for her. Then she’ll go back, back to her life of apathy and pitying smiles. She’s not supposed to get attached to the mortals, she’s not supposed to hug them and let them know that their father still loves them, and she’s not supposed to cry into the hands of one of her only friends. 

This isn’t fair! She’s the adult here!

“Mash…” Her hands tightened on her friend's sincere face, “You don’t know what you do to me.”

“Sorry?”

She shook her head, “Tell me, do you mean it?”

Mash furrowed his brows, “Mean what?”

Jerking his head forward, she brought their eyes together, close enough to the point where their noses touched. “Your words! Did you really mean everything that you said!?”

Mash blinked, then nodded as if it were the easiest thing in the world. “Well duh, why would I say anything without meaning it?”

Rukia stopped moving, and just stared into Mash. Looking for anything, anything! Some sliver of deceit, a glint of deception or, or…

Nothing. Mash stared back, resolute and unblinking. Unconcerned with her frantic searching. 

Rukia remembered how to breathe and closed her eyes, bumping her forehead with Mash’s. She laughed as if it were the only thing she could do. The only thing she knew how to do.

Hiccuping as she laughs, Rukia still lets out a few words. “You damn fool.”

Mash, despite how confused he is, answered back, “Is that a good thing?”

Rukia snorted, “Only with you, Mash.”

“Oh, okay.”

For a split second, Rukia had nothing but the desire to move closer. To the point where their mouths could touch. But she burned that thought as soon as it came, by the Soul King what is wrong with her.

Mash is too young, he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Oblivious, naive, childish, innocent. He was still a child compared to her decades and decades of experience. Even though she ages slower, it doesn’t matter when the gap is so wide. She’s not that kind of woman, and she never will be.

Still, she allowed herself to relax in his arms. Mash copied her a few moments later.

As they lay there, in the aftermath of their spar, Rukia can’t help but think about what tomorrow may bring, if today could be so… eventful. 

But Rukia lets her thoughts go, and basks in this rare moment of tranquility. She still has a job to do, but for now, she just let's go.