Rukia x Ichigo

Not Just a Comrade

When Ichigo finds her, Rukia is near the top of what must be the tallest tree in the western Rukongai. Grasped in his mind - and his hand clenched as if he can see it - is the red spirit ribbon that led him to her. He doesn't question how she got up into the tree, of course, but flickers out of sight and reappears on the branch closest to her.

Rukia is curled up on the branch as though she isn't nearly seventy meters up, and her back is pushed against the rough tree trunk. Her head is hung low and tendrils of her hair obscure her eyes. Her weight shifts. "Why are you here?" she asks just after he lands.

"You going to tell me what's eating at you?" Ichigo asks, a thread of irritation in his voice. "We won. Together." His hand braces against the tree trunk as a stiff breeze sends the tree swaying. The black fabric of his shihakusho flutters wildly for a moment before the breeze dies down again.

"Yes," Rukia agrees, but doesn't raise her head.

Ichigo's expression softens as he looks at her. "I know the Seireitei lost a lot of good people," he says quietly. "I'm sorry."

A noise comes from her throat. "We did." Her voice is low and a little choked. "I didn't even get to say goodbye to Captain Ukitake."

"I know," Ichigo murmurs, and his free hand reaches out, resting on her ankle. "Is that why you're out here? I know the memorial service this morning was...hard." He squeezes her ankle gently. "I'm going to miss him, too."

Rukia's head comes up and she looks at him with red-rimmed eyes. Ichigo's lips firm in response and his hand leaves her ankle in favor of brushing a tear from her cheek. "That's not...exactly why," Rukia admits.

"Then why? This can't be comfortable, and I know you're not fully recovered," Ichigo grumbles.

"You're leaving for Karakura tomorrow." The words seem to blurt out before she can stop them, and Rukia's cheeks flush and pale before she looks away. The wind blows between them and tangles her hair.

Ichigo frowns. "Hey. Don't do that." He shifts closer - despite his precarious position on a tree branch - and his hand gently pokes at the cheek closest to him until she looks at him again with a sour expression on her face. "Come on, Rukia. What's actually going on? It's not like I'm going away forever or anything. But Dad will kill me if I don't finish high school."

She manages a huff at that and shakes her head. "It's nothing, I'm being stupid." Another gust of wind shakes the tree, and they both glance up toward the threatening clouds gathering above them.

"It's not nothing," Ichigo insists. "Wait, are you really that upset that I'm going back to Karakura?" The first fat raindrops start to fall, and he grunts in irritation.

And Rukia thinks, everyone leaves me eventually. You are no different. But she says, "It's nothing, idiot, leave it alone." She stands from the tree branch. "It's raining, we should get back to the Seireitei."

His hand finds her wrist before she can use flash-step, and Ichigo's amber eyes darken with irritation. "Rukia." There is a wealth of meaning in the three syllables of her name. He tugs and pulls her down to him, arm coming up around her even as the tree sways and shakes. His foot lands on air and his other hand pushes against the tree again to stabilize them. When she doesn't fight him but buries her head in his chest Ichigo scowls. "Midget," he says, a note of worry entering his voice.

The rain drops begin to fall faster, and Ichigo leans over her to shelter her from the rain. Rukia huffs again. "It-"

"If you say it's stupid or nothing again," Ichigo warns threateningly, "I won't-" He pauses. "I won't ever buy you another chappy."

The words startle a watery laugh out of Rukia's mouth. "Kuchikis aren't supposed to need other people," she tells him, the words a little muffled by his shihakusho. "But I want..." Ichigo just listens, and the hand on her back strokes up and down gently. "I want to be someone to you."

The words make Ichigo's brows draw together and he looks down at her. "What are you talking about? You are someone to me, Rukia." His arm tightens around her.

She huffs again. "I'm your comrade in war, I know. And the war is over, Ichigo."

The expression on his face darkens further, and as it begins to pour, Ichigo swears. "That's ridiculous. Come on, we're not having this conversation in a storm." Before Rukia can protest he lets go of the tree and sweeps her up. They are mere flickers in the rain as he brings them back to the Seireitei and then to the Squad Thirteen barracks. A few shinigami look up as Ichigo lands in the courtyard, but his expression has them quickly hurrying to get themselves out of the wet weather as well.

Ichigo strides into the empty, quiet Ugendo and sets Rukia back down on her feet. "Now what's this bullshit?" he asks bluntly as the rain begins to fall in sheets, obscuring any view into or out of the building.

She sputters at him and kicks him in the shin. "You don't get to just carry me off, fool! Some of my squad members saw us!" she exclaims.

He just smirks at her. "Just tell them you aren't healed up yet - which you aren't, which is why I didn't want you to get rained on. Now talk."

Rukia sobers again and her arms wrap around herself. "We're comrades in war," she repeats. "And Yhwach and the Sternritter are defeated."

Ichigo's hand comes up and he rubs the back of his neck. "That's not what you are to me," he objects.

"I want to be someone to you." The words are whispered so softly that he struggles to her them, but Rukia's flushed cheeks and the way she keeps her head ducked tell more than her words. Ichigo's arm loops around her body again and he pulls her flush against him.

"Rukia, you are someone to me." Ichigo's eyes have gone soft and honey-colored, and his other hand touches her cheek.

"But you're leaving."

He scoffs. "I need to graduate from high school, midget. I told you dad will kill me if I don't. Captain-Commander..." Ichigo pauses and his eyes meet hers. "He offered me a position in the Gotei. I've been thinking about whether to take it."

There is a dawning light in Rukia's eyes, and her hands slowly come up to rest on his chest. "But what about everyone in Karakura? Your sisters?"

He shakes his head. "He gave everyone soul passes. They can come visit me whenever they want, and I can go visit them." Ichigo's fingertips brush her cheek again. "They can come visit you, too. Do you really think Yuzu and Karin would be happy not seeing you? Or that my dad would be fine not seeing his 'third daughter'?"

Rukia laughs again, and Ichigo leans down so that their foreheads touch. "But-"

"But what? Problem solved, Rukia - I'll graduate high school and join the Gotei. Our friends can visit whenever they want."

"When you say someone to you..."

Ichigo huffs and pulls his forehead from hers just enough so that he can cover her lips with his instead. She throws her arms around his neck, the silken fabric of her tekko brushing against his skin, and his arm tightens around her as they kiss. "That's what I mean," he mumbles against her lips when they pull back, heated breaths puffing between them.

"Oh," Rukia whispers, and can't help it when she grins up at him, cheeks flushed and lips already a little reddened.

"Yeah," Ichigo whispers back, and kisses her again. "We'll rebuild together and-" He looks around and his expression sobers again. "We'll make sure Squad Thirteen stays a place that Ukitake would be proud of, okay?"

"Who says I'll let you into my squad?" Rukia asks. "You keep insulting the lieutenant's height."

Ichigo just laughs at her. "As if I want to be anywhere but here with you, the woman who dries the rain and makes the moon shine."

She leans into him. "I guess I can accept both a swordsman and a poet, even if you are a little sappy."

He just scoffs and kisses her as the rain slows and stops, allowing sunlight to peek out around the clouds.