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The Thirteenth Division had their own memorial for Lieutenant Kaien and his wife, Miyako. Not to mention the other reconnaissance team members who had died. Rukia was just happy she had an excuse not to attend the Shiba family memorial. Some of the squad members had gone. Kaien and his wife were both beloved. Rukia wouldn’t have been able to bear it. Seeing her soul mate, the man who’s face she had seen in every dream since her death, being buried after Rukia herself killed him.
Rumour was Kaien’s younger brother screamed at all the Soul Reapers who showed at the funeral. Said they were all responsible. Rukia couldn’t make herself feel he was wrong. That’s what had her hiding in a crevice of the hall, out of view of the memorial posters of her soul mate and his wife.
Rukia took a drink from a waiter, doing the rounds with something alcoholic. Up at the front, Nanao was taking her turn at a speech. Most of the Lieutenants from other squads had shown up. It was strange to remember that he belonged to the whole Seireitei, and not only the Thirteenth.
“-when Miyako first told me he was her soul mate, and asked for my advice-” Rukia choked on her drink. With so many people in the hall, the sound went unnoticed, but she shrunk farther into her cubby anyway, pulling her feet inside. “What she didn’t know, was that Kaien had been bragging about his soul mate the third seat for months already, to anyone who would listen. He thought they had been dating since-”
Most soul mates never met. It wasn’t unheard of to have an unreciprocated soul mate, just unlucky. But Rukia had felt sure Kaien knew her. The first time they met she asked him if he ever had orange hair. He had yelled at her. “What, you got a problem with my hair?”, then he grinned, and they had been inseparable...
His soul mate the third seat. Miyako, his wife. For the best, Rukia thought, shrinking in on herself. She didn’t deserve to be his soul mate after getting him killed. Even if Kaien was hers.
--
It was a clear night and a full moon. Rukia stood on a telephone pole, looking down at Karakura. The human town she was assigned to protect. She sensed it before the phone beeped in warning. Jumping lightly from rooftop to electrical wire to tree. The hollow’s pressure was minimal. From here she could tell that it would fall in a single swords swing.
She had faith in her abilities. After everything that had happened back home, and her long grieving process, she needed this. For the first time in her life since she was a little rukon urchin, she was self sufficient.
She wished Kaien had been around to see it.
Rukia frowned, brushing aside the thought. This hollow might be a weakling, but better soul reapers than her had died for being distracted.
Rukia dropped onto the roof of a house, shaking her head firmly. She tried to emulate the etch-a-sketch she watched a human child play with yesterday. She was blank, no distractions. It was a residential area. Just one house between her and the hollow. It was close. Too close. Rukia phased through the wall on the upper floor, hand already resting on Sode no Shirayuki. If the hollow was in an occupied residence that would be a problem.
“It’s pressure is gone...” Rukia murmured to herself. She was in a regular human room. Beige walls, small bed and a desk under her feet. Did this hollow have the ability to mask itself? Rukia hopped down onto the floor, ignoring the bright orange human who circled around behind her, shouting something. He couldn’t see her anyway.
“You’re a pretty confident burglar!”
The human jumped, kicking her in the ass. Rukia was so surprised she let herself be kicked onto the floor, on her face. She looked over her shoulder, blinking at the human in shock. No human should be able to see her, never mind attack her.
She looked up into the eyes of her soul mate.
Not Kaien, some human in some human town. And he was... yelling at her. Rukia’s heart dropped to her stomach and then straight to the floor. She gasped for breath. “You can see me?” She reached out, turning his face this way and that. It was him alright. “You look normal, but you must be defective in some way.”
He kicked at her legs. This time Rukia was prepared. She easily jumped onto his extended leg, then bounced off that and onto his head, kicking him to the ground.
“Who are you?”
“You want to know? Then I’ll tell you. I’m a soul reaper.”
“Right, why don’t you go play your little soul reaper games somewhere else, ok little brat?” he growled, covering the top of her head with his hand. It was so easy to slip back into argumentative banter.
“I’m a brat am I? Bakudo number one, sai!” The humans arms were wrenched behind his back and he fell to the floor. “I may appear young to you, but I have lived nearly ten of your lifetimes. I would kill you on the spot if it wasn’t against my orders so you, little brat, be grateful.
“Now I’ll explain to you why I’m here, and I’ll use small words so you can understand it.”
--
“If you came here for your mission, does that mean a hollow is nearby?”
“I do not know why, but I cannot feel it’s presence anymore. It’s as if a great power is hindering my senses...” but the puny hollow she had sensed couldn’t be that strong.
“What do you mean!! Didn’t you hear that voice just now!?”
--
“It’s back, get out of here!”
“No! Coward, quit attacking others! If it’s my soul you want, come and get it. Fight me one on one you ugly bastard!”
Everything went quiet. Rukia ran forward. Mind empty except for one thing. She could save this one.
“Do you want to save your family?”
“Of course I do! If there’s a way then tell me how.”
“You must become a soul reaper yourself. You must take my zanpaku-to and run it through to the center of your being, so that I may pour my powers into you. I can’t guarantee that you will live, but if it doesn’t work it won’t matter.” They would all die.
“Then give me that blade, soul reaper.” His eyes shone in the streetlight.
“My name is Rukia. Rukia Kuchiki.” He would know her name, at least, before they died. A pathetic death for a soul reaper of any talent.
He put his hands over hers, on the hilt of her sword. “And my name is, Ichigo Kurosaki.” As one they plunged the blade into his chest, and it was pure blue energy.
--
The night after they finished with Acidwire, Orihime’s brother-turned-hollow, it was too late for Ichigo to argue when Rukia went to sleep in his closet. That was the first time Rukia heard him whisper her name in his sleep. She frowned from the other side of the closet door.
This human was weird, that’s for sure.
Could he have had soul mate dreams already? They weren’t supposed to occur in life, but then a human wasn’t supposed to see soul reapers either. Or maybe he was having his first tonight, after taking her soul reaper powers. The influence of her spiritual pressure inside of his body.
Or maybe he was just having a normal human dream. Rukia huffed, and slipped the closet door open.
She kicked her feet over the ledge, and dropped to the floor quietly. She padded on bare feet out of the room and downstairs, to the kitchen in search of a glass of water. Ichigo had begrudgingly told her where to find one before falling asleep.
“It’s been awhile, Captain Shiba. I didn’t even recognize you at first.”
“Hm,” he laughed, and stepped out of the shadowy hallway, walking past the memorial poster which still hung on the wall. “You’re sharper than you used to be, Kuchiki.”
“I’m surprised you remember me, Shiba.”
“How could I forget the little noblewoman who followed my cousin Kaien around so diligently? You certainly have a type.”
Rukia frowned and turned away from the sink. Ex-Captain Shiba was pulling a chair out at the table. She sat down across from him, pushing her glass back and forth across the table, hand to hand.
“Lighten up, I’m just joking. You saved my kid’s lives. And thanks to you, I got to avoid an awkward conversation about where Dad got a sword. I just want to know what you’re sticking around for.”
Rukia kept her eyes trained on the water glass, leaving a slugs trail of condensation on the table. “I got distracted, and almost got us all killed. I had to give your son my power in order to save us all, and it’s been reluctant to come back.”
“I see. Well I owe you, so stay as long as you like, just don’t blow my cover.” He winked at her and got up from his chair, the frowned. “How did a small fry like that pull one over on you?”
She surveyed him for a moment. “It wasn’t the hollow, it was your son. He’s my soul mate.”
Shiba’s eyes widened, then the corner of his lips lifted. He turned back to the hallway and his bedroom. “Just like Masaki and I. Welcome to the family, third daughter.”
--
“I know you wanna ask me about my mother’s death, don’t you.”
“Would you answer me if I did? That’s your business. All I know is, for you, it’s a deep jagged wound. And because of that I don’t know what words to say, I don’t know how to ask you about it without dredging up your pain all over again. I’ll wait for now, and when you feel like you’re ready to tell me about it, I’ll be there to listen,” she flashed him a smile as they ran, in tandem, toward the hollow. Neither of them spared another glance, only sprinted towards Yuzu’s wails.
--
“What does it matter now you fool? The kid’s already dead. If you so much as touch him, they’ll add twenty years to your sentence.”
“I got him involved in all this.” The tension fell from her body, and Rukia looked at the ground. For a moment she gave up completely. So she could at least see him through to the end no matter what might happen to her. “It’s my fault Ichigo’s dead, so what the hell’s wrong with me going to him!”
“So even if it will make your sentence harsher, you truly feel that you must help him. Is that what you’re saying to me?”
“It is, brother.”
His eyes flicked down, to Ichigo lying motionless at his feet. “I understand, Rukia. This young man does indeed bare a striking resemblance to him.”
Ichigo reached up, grabbing a fist of Byakuya’s shihakusho. “Dead you say? I’d rather you quit talking about me like I’m not even here, got it?”
He was alive! For a moment Rukia was too relieved to be aware of anything else. “Let go.”
Rukia gasped. Byakuya was giving him a warning, one that Ichigo wouldn’t heed in a million years. She fought from Renji’s grip around her throat, slack from surprise, and ran to kick Ichigo’s hand from her brother.
“How dare you grab my brother like that. We should leave here now, Brother. The actions he just took have opened my eyes to the truth. I am ready now.”
“Wait, Rukia! Stop, look at me! Hey!”
“Don’t move! Take even one step, or try to come after me, and I’ll-I’ll, I will never ever forgive you! You are going to die, so why not stay put and live a few seconds longer.”
--
“Farewell.”
“Yo.”
--
“I don’t want you to rescue me you said. Go home you said. Y’know sometimes you talk to much Rukia. Good thing I don’t listen. This is the second time I’ve had to tell you this. I’ve come here to rescue you, got it?”
“What a fool. I’m not going to say thank you. I won’t!”
“I didn’t expect you to.”
--
“In the morning they’re gonna open a gate for us to go back to our world. And you’re still not back to full health.”
“I have to tell you something. It’s only right that you be the first to know. I’ve decided, Ichigo, to stay here, in the soul society.”
“Well that’s fine, good for you. Sounds like you’ve made up your mind.”
--
“You know, I haven’t been around your spiritual pressure in a while
“Ah, I guess that’s true?”
“Yeah. But those dreams just won’t stop. If anything they got even worse once I stepped foot in the Soul Society.”
“Have they now?” Rukia laughed and averted her eyes. He knew.
“You wouldn’t believe the crazy theories Ganju has about it.”
Despite herself, Rukia’s gaze snapped back to Ichigo. He smiled at her, looking her over once more before turning back to the senkaimon. Rukia smiled to herself as the white glow washed over his back.
--
“Even if no one believes in you, stick out your chest and scream your defiance! Because that is the kind of man you are, I know it in my heart!”
“Hn.” He finally smiled. “You’re awfully noisy.”
---
“Ichigo, you say that because you’re worried about me but that’s just not like you. I didn’t come here so you could worry about me. I can take care of myself, even without your help.”
“... Alright then.”
--
“How come as soon as I’m not watching over you you just turn into a coward!? How shameful... Urahara told me about Tsukishima’s power. To be able to change people’s past is a dreadful ability. But so what? He may be able to change your past, but he cannot change your future. The bonds you lost, you can just create them again. Am I wrong, Ichigo?”
His smile was back. Finally.
“Actually,” he said, keeping his eye contact with Rukia. “He didn’t change my past.” I promise, Rukia, his eyes were saying. He could never erase my bonds. Our bond.
--
Five years later.
“Human graduations are exhausting,” Rukia yawned. It was the end of a day spent in one stuffy, overheated building after another, and then a much more enjoyable party with the Karakura gang. The two of them walked along the river, back to the Kurosaki household, where Isshin was pretending not to know Rukia had been staying.
“Hm,” Ichigo hummed back, hands stuffed into his pockets.
Rukia’s fingertips itched, a restless energy running through her body. “So you really have no idea what you’ll do next?” She had watched him dodge the question all night. From teachers, former and current classmates, family.
“Hell, I don’t know. I’ve got a couple offers. How did you know what to do when you went off and became a soul reaper?”
Rukia snorted. They slowed to a stop along the grassy bank and sat down. The dew soaked through Rukia’s dress. “In rukongai it’s less ‘what job do you want’ and more ‘how do I get as far away as possible’. Are the offers any good?”
“There’s a translator job that sounds okay,” he started off uncertainly. “There’s only so much I can do with an English lit degree.”
“So take the job, fool,” Rukia slapped her hand against his arm.
“It’s not that simple,” he huffed back at her.
“And why not? You humans overthink everything.” Rukia laid back, letting the cool moisture from the grass warm her skin, warm from a few too many drinks.
“Fine, why don’t you tell me what to do, since you’ve got it all figured out then.” Ichigo leaned forward, resting his folded arms on his knees. Rukia wiped a hand over the grass and flicked water at his face. He jumped a little, glaring at her.
“Well, you accept the job first of all. Then you find your own place, since you can’t go back to the dorms. And while you’re looking, you make sure the place you end up has big closets.”
Ichigo looked over, straightening his back. “Why’s that?” he asked, voice croaking in the middle.
“Isn’t it obvious? I need somewhere to stay.”
“For how long?”
“I spoke to the Captain. We agreed that Karakura town needs someone stronger than Zennosuke looking after it - with all the troublemakers who end up here - I’m stationed here until further notice.”
“So, you want a closet to stay in,” he asked, leaning toward her.
“You got a problem? You already know you can’t get rid of me,” she huffed, pretending offense.
“What about,” he cleared his throat. “What about a room?”
Rukia’s smile twitched upward. He didn’t know yet, but she would just take over his.