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Rukia collapsed against the futon, breath rising from her lips in chilling wisps. A dull ache blanketed her body, born not only from the spiritual energy she had exerted, but the bitterly cold temperature she was still acclimating to while mastering her Bankai.
She'd spent decades wielding an ice zanpaktou, even having been in the presence of other, more powerful Shinigami with similar abilities, such as Hitsugaya-taichou. Yet, somehow, nothing could compare to the chill Rukia felt when trying to harness the full power of Sode no Shirayuki.
Perhaps the most daunting part was knowing how much more work was still needed. How far she still was from reaching Absolute Zero. It was clear that not only would this cold persist, it would only grow more intense.
The further Rukia progressed with her Bankai training, the seemingly more difficult and frustrating it became.
At her current level, she could only maintain the technique for so long before the cold became too much to bear. As much as she tried to endure it; determined not to abandon the progress she'd made; Hyosube-dono would step in, urging her to stop, so as not to harm herself.
Each time, he assured her to be patient and that her mastery would come with time.
Rukia would relent through gritted, chattering teeth, as she reflected on his words. Time.
The time they had, unfortunately, was scarce.
In the midst of a war, Rukia felt pressured to master the technique faster, knowing that she was too weak to stand against the invading Quincy forces.
In many ways, it was already too late.
She needed to become stronger.
For the sake of the Soul Society and her peers, as a Lieutenant of the Thirteen Court Guard and for the safety of her friends and family. Not to mention, the many lives that had already been lost.
She needed to become stronger, to ensure that no more would have to suffer the same fate.
The very idea woke with it a chilling image, still etched in the back of her mind. Nii-sama and Renji lying prone, their lifeforce slowly slipping away.
Still, as frustrating as it was, Rukia understood where Hyosube-dono was coming from.
She couldn’t afford to be reckless.
Her Bankai was incredibly powerful, one that, if utilized correctly, could be instrumental in fighting against the Quincy. Yet, if not, it could be as dangerous to her as it was to her opponents.
If Rukia were to make even the slightest mistake, she could die.
She had already brushed too closely with death for her liking and knew it wasn't worth the risk to cast her life aside so carelessly. Not when she had been given another chance, where others hadn't been as lucky.
Still, even now, with her latest training hours behind her, the cold hadn’t dissipated; a numbness seeping into her bones. Bundling herself amongst the sheets, Rukia rubbed her hands vigorously together as she tried helplessly to conjure any semblance of warmth.
As her body was wracked by shivers, suddenly, without a word, there was a stirring beside her. A presence that, in her quest to thaw herself out, she hadn’t registered.
Not until she was pulled abruptly against a warm, fleshy cushion, firm arms surrounding her.
They weren't strangers to holding one another into the late hours, sharing body heat. It had been necessary during their younger years on the streets of Rukongai. Though it had been so long, Rukia still recognised that same urgency and desire to protect in his grasp, even while his consciousness was muddied by sleep.
This time though, it carried a distinct difference.
Perhaps, most glaringly, was the body surrounding her. Not that of a bony, malnourished child, but a battle-hardened warrior.
His embrace carried more of an intensity than she could remember, bolstered perhaps by his growing strength, an ever-mounting desire to keep her close after having lived through the void her absence left. There was an entirely new set of urges permeating through his touch. Hands she had once slipped, begrudgingly away from, now dragged her impossibly close, caressing and tattooing patterns against her skin without reticence.
But, for as much as things had changed over the years, there was an unwavering sense of home in his grasp, his very presence. One that spread vibrantly through her the moment Ichigo had first launched her back into his arms.
Steadily, with the heat permeating from his skin, Rukia could sense the chill wracking her bones begin to dissipate. It wasn't scalding, but rather a controlled, radiating comfort, a sign that Renji too was forging stronger connections with his Zanpaktou.
Zabimaru hadn’t been a fire-based weapon. At an earlier point, it was the last thing she would feel comfortable with him wielding, judging by his Kido skill. Yet, he had learned Zabimaru’s true form, and with that knowledge, uncovered new abilities and potential within himself.
Now, the more Rukia thought about it, the more she realised the element actually suited him.
Renji had always been hot-blooded and passionate, with sun-scorched skin and hair the colour of an inferno.
While fire was an entity of dangerous, destructive power, when utilised with proper control it could also bring about light and comfort.
These were aspects of Renji that Rukia had come to intimately know. The force of his strength pulsating through her arms as their Zanpaktou had clashed. The calming heat of his body permeating through her as the last residual effects of Absolute Zero passed.
It was symbiotic, as she gave just as much comfort to him in return. Rukia could sense it in how he reached out for her, needing the reassurance of her presence. In how tightly he had taken hold of her, the way that contact lulled his breathing to a steady, calming pattern.
As much as their battles had helped to push one another beyond their physical and mental limits, they aided in each other’s recovery.
Much like when faced with the uncertainty of their youth, they now faced the world together, the threat of war now loomed ominously over them. Yet, Renji’s grasp held confidence in a better life ahead for them, beyond the fighting. The one they had always sought.
Though, the idea didn't seem so uncertain to Rukia, as she nestled deeper into Renji’s embrace.
If anything, as far as she could tell, they had already found it.