Once More, Ichigo - [Rewrite]

Once More, Ichigo

Rukia couldn't believe it.

She sat on the edge of Ichigo's thin, worn mattress; his dress shirt wrinkled and coming off her shoulders, Rukia's small, strong hands barely visible beneath the cuffs of the sleeves.

The soft blue of his shirt looked nice against her bare, long legs in the moonlight pouring through the window, Rukia's hair roughed up from tugs and pulls, from fingers entangling themselves in it.

She bit her lip, dropping her gaze to her fingers playing about each other in her bare lap, her damp, black tresses falling about her face, teasing her exposed, sweaty skin of her collar and shoulders.

Ichigo kneeled on the floor between her spread legs, his arms behind her knees to curl around her thighs, hooking his hands on them, his head resting against her left leg, his orange mane just barely dry from its previous state of a sweaty mess.

He kneeled before her, between her legs, exhausted and skin slick with sweat.

Ichigo breathed in her scent, finding his own laced with hers and their time spent together just minutes before, his tight pelvis hot at the memory beneath his sweats hanging low, ever so low on his slim, defined hips.

He kneeled before her, shirtless and covered in her scratches and bruises as deep as those around her hips.

Rukia slowly moved a hand off her lap, the sleeve riding up to expose her fingers enough, enough to bury themselves in his soft mane, fisting themselves gently around it.

He closed his eyes, nuzzling her firm, but soft thigh, his hands gripping her tighter, ever so tighter.

Ichigo kneeled before her as a human.

He had learned he'd lose his power, that of a shinigami, before he stood against Aizen and defeated him; he had learned it from Tensa Zangetsu, after his beloved zanpaktou and Hollow, merged into one spirit, smiled softly- crying, hiding his face from Ichigo- and admitted….

"What I wanted to protect, was you, Ichigo."

Ichigo's hand moved to his chest, feeling his heart beat slowly and steadily, his reflection meeting his gaze as he looked up, the bathroom filled with the shower's burning steam, the world beyond the wooden door quiet and still.

Somehow, Zangetsu had held on to Ichigo's heart, fighting to keep his powers within Ichigo even for a moment longer, fighting to keep Ichigo a shinigami for as long as possible.

It has been nearly three, precious months of holding onto that last slither of Zangetsu's power within him, of the power Rukia has awaken in him.

They felt it leave him, tonight.

A sigh left his lips, amber eyes staring into his reflection.

He was still tall- as tall as Chad now, actually.

Leaning on his arm, gripping the ceramic basin of the sink, Ichigo ran a hand through his orange hair, his once wild and spiked hair now tamed and longer, only a few tuffs sticking up in rebellion, as it once did.

He was still muscular, his light, fading scars still on his skin.

Ichigo smiled softly, reaching out to the fogged mirror, placing his hand above his reflection's heart, their hands pressed together.

"You old fool, Zangetsu… because of you, I was able to protect them…."

I was able to protect her.

"…so, you protected me."

...thank you.

Karin and Yuzu hugged Ichigo tightly, telling him to say 'good-bye' to Rukia for them, the fraternal twins leaving hand-in-hand for school in the chilled morning, the sun peeking through clouds happily.