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tampered2007-02-08 11:22 am
juicebox-woes.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2007-02-08 11:22 am
Log: Complete
When; Feb. 7
Rating; PGish
Characters; Shihouin Yoruichi![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
goddes_of_flash, Kurosaki Ichigountame, Nell Tulisped, Kuchiki Rukiajuicebox_woes
Summary; After coming back from training to a demolished apartment, Ichigo is less than happy to learn of Rukia's condition. When Yoruichi agrees to take him to her, Ichigo and Nell make their way to the semi-comatose shinigami.
Log;
Yoruichi sighed, tapping one foot on the ground absentmindedly, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the wall outside of the temple. As much of a bad idea as this might be, she supposed that she owed it to Ichigo to let him see Rukia. Afterall, it had been her fault that the girl had been hurt in the first place. And Rukia had asked for him, during those brief periods of lucidity. Glancing around, yellow eyes scanned the streets as she waited for the orange-haired substitute shinigami to show up.
Four days worth of training, staying in silence with only Nell and Zangetsu for company. Perhaps that alone had been enough of a reason for the current shortness of his fuse. Or maybe it was all down to one person and one person alone; Rukia. She'd disappeared before he'd decided to leave, without a sign as to what she was really up to. And now, on their return, he'd been given news that she was unconcious. She'd been physically dead for some time. He still couldn't understand the why or the how. All he knew was that he needed to get to her, to get her out of harms way. Even if she ended up hating him for it later. "You okay?" Even in his haste to make his way to the temple steps, he hadn't forgotten the small arrancar that'd been his company all that time. She'd asked to come along with him, and he wasn't going to refuse her something as simple as that.
Toddling after him wasn't doing much good, but Nell didn't want Ichigo to get mad at her for being slow - or for having him carry her. She could already guess the who and part of the way for what was making him rush so, and while she couldn't hide the small frown that graced her features, she did manage a smile for his sake. "Nell'th alright." She'd promised to be good, after all.
They made a difficult pair to miss, the tall figure with the shock of spiky orange hair, and the small child with part of a porcelain-white mask gracing her head. Nodding slightly to herself, Yoruichi pushed off of the wall to step forward slightly with a simple nod of greeting to Ichigo and a glance at Nell. "This way." She didn't bother sparing time for pleasantries. Not only would they probably not be received with any degree of happiness, they tended to be lost on Ichigo. Turning, she headed off into the trees that surrounded the temple.
His gaze followed Yoruichi as she headed off into the trees, a frown appearing on his face in response. At that moment, he had no way of following her. Not only was he back in his own body, but he had a 'child' to take with him. Well, he could take care of one thing at least. "Nell, get on." Once she was on his back, his longer strides would hopefully keep them both close to the other as she led the way.
Now that she could do. With a happy grin she launched herself onto his back, grip not too tight as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Nell'th thorry if Nell fallth athleep," the small arrancar murmured, making sure to warn him of her less than awake state just in case. It wouldn't do to fall off, after all.
It didn't take them long at all to reach what could only be described as a door. In....the middle of the trees. A simple large rock stood, as though part of a shrine, little paper lanterns strung along the edges of the space it inhabited. But in the center of the rock was just...a door. An ordinary sort, like you'd find in any house or apartment. Pausing in front of it, Yoruichi glanced back at Ichigo. "I take it you need help out of your body?"
At her quiet words, Ichigo glanced backward, a faint smile on his face. After having forced herself to stay awake as long as she had, he couldn't blame her for wanting to sleep. And if things were different right then, he'd probably be doing the same too. "...don't worry." And so, he turned his attention back to moving onward, his feet moving into a run as he picked up the pace. Within moments, (though still longer than he wanted), he found himself staring ahead at the door they'd been led to. She was inside then? "I've got it covered." Namely a certain badge he still carried. "We going in, or what?"
She rolled her golden eyes slightly at him. "Unless you'd rather stand outside, yes." A palm against the door, coupled with a strange-looking key, and it swung open. Stepping through, she headed down a long staircase that seemed to have no business being in such a place. "Close the door behind you." Heading down, down, the dark corridor finally opened up into what looked like a fairly close copy of the space he had used to train in to acheive bankai. The only notable difference was a small..."cottage", for lack of a better word. A simple, small structure that stood off against the side of one of the rock outcroppings. With a yawn, and a stretch, she made her way over, pulling open the door and stepping aside. "Go ahead."
Biting back a retort, Ichigo simply followed on after Yoruichi, barely registering the similarities. Right then, none of that mattered to him. Only, it seemed, the cottage he'd just been told to head into. His gaze flicked to Yoruichi briefly, before he turned his attention to Nell once again, even as he started heading inside. "Need to put you down for now, alright?"
Nell frowned but complied, sliding down to the ground with the smallest of pouts in place as she did. Good, she reminded herself. Had to be good. Especially since she wasn't sure they had a bed to sleep in. Stupid City. And now this. But... "Want Nell to wait here?" She could content herself with the past four days and the stolen kiss - on the cheek, but still, it counted! - if Ichigo wanted to be alone with Rukia for a while. Just not too long, she amended the thought with a yawn.
Turning back to Nell for a moment, Ichigo ruffled her hair briefly, the only friendly sign he could give, beyond the almost silent "thanks." Even if it was only a few moments alone just then, it'd be enough. Just to make sure things weren't worse than they sounded. Or, above all else, he didn't overreact and end up hurting someone. Again. Turning his attention back to the room once again, he headed further inside to find Rukia.
The little cottage was fairly sparsly furnished, obviously not intended for more then a bit of shelter for resting. There were no real amenities at all other then the small table which had likely once held the laptop. Which was now upside-down and rather unhappily cracked on the ground. Aside from the slight beeping of the broken device, the only sound was the quiet and even breathing of the girl who lay in the bed next to the table, head turned towards the door, one hand hanging off of the edge where it looked as though she'd shifted, thin gold bracelet with it's pendant strawberry the only real splash of colour against the white sheets and her pale skin. Bandages wrapped their way halfway down one arm and up her neck, disappearing underneath the white robe she wore and hiding the burns from the kidou that had saved her life.
His feet carried him inside, his eyes taking a moment to get used to the light of the room. And yet, the moment his sight was clear, he found himself rooted to the spot. She was there. Only, that wasn't her. The body lying in the bed, she wasn't the same Rukia he knew. The Rukia he knew... "...shit." Forcing himself forward, he stopped alongside the bed, his arms stiff by his sides as he stared down at her. What the hell had been happening?
Yoruichi gave him a moment before stepping into the doorway quietly. "She won't wake up for more then a few minutes at a time. Last time she did, she collapsed, bashed her head, broke the machine in the process. Time before that...only thing she managed to do was ask for you." She rubbed her temples, but kept her distance, not wanting to intrude, but wanting to make sure he understood.
"...out." It was the closest he'd be able to get to staying civil right then. Yoruichi. Soifon. They'd been the two who were keeping watch over her. And now this. The last thing he needed right then was a reminder of it all. "...Rukia." He shook his head, hand brushing gently across her face, a gentle smile on his own for a few brief moments, before he was schooling himself. "Nell?" His voice was raised a little in hopes of getting the young arrancar's attention.
Not that she'd been waiting for him to say something, or anything of the sort, but Nell - gently - pushed past Yoruichi to toddle over to Ichigo's side, hand searching for his and holding tight. "Do you want Nell for thomething?" Not that she'd mind just standing where she was, of course.
As his hand brushed across her cheek, there was the faintest twitch of the corner of her mouth, a slightly change in her breathing as her head shifted towards him. Almost as though, even in the blackness of her own mind, she still knew he was there..
Yoruichi simply stepped back, closing the door behind her with a sigh and leaning against the side of the cottage.
Forcing himself to look down to Nell, Ichigo's hand tightened briefly in response to her own grip. "I need to you do me a favour, alright?" Though hopefully, she'd both catch on to what he wanted, and also find that there wasn't much work to do. Only one way to find out. "Could you help her out?"
"You mean thpit on her?" The small arrancar blinked, frowned, staring up at Ichigo for a moment as if trying to read his expression. Freeing her hand she crawled up onto the bed to sit next to the shinigami. The only time she'd done this on a proper shinigami had been Momo, but she was dead at the time and the two healers had been there. But if it worked then and worked on Ichigo, it would work on Rukia... right? She glanced over at the orange-haired boy for a second before doing what was wanted of her, sticking a hand in her mouth to start the somewhat disgusting process.
Perhaps not the most elegant way of healing someone, and definately not the nicest, but he knew from experience that it had worked before. So, it had to work again. Once any injuries were healed, it would just mean that Rukia was tired, right? Right! Watching the pair silently, Ichigo held back a smirk at the fact that, if Rukia did wake up any time soon, she'd probably end up yelling at him for the simple fact she was now drenched in saliva.
Spit exhausted, Nell grinned happily and sleepily, nearly falling off the bed as she crawled back to Ichigo's side. "Ith that enough?"
For a few moments, nothing happened. But then her breathing shifted slightly, the barest beginnings of a frown apeared on her face, and her one hand flinched slightly. Turning her head a bit, her hand brushed against his, as though trying to find it. "...chigo.....?" A slight cough and a whimper, and the other hand moved as well, fingers curling slightly into the sheets. "....'s wet....."
Nodding his head slightly, a hand dropped to rest on Nell's shoulder as he watched Rukia, waiting for a sign that it had helped. Even if it didn't fix her completely, it was better than just waiting for something to happen. "You be alright to stay awake a little longer?" Once he was sure Rukia would be alright, then he'd be set to take Nell back...somewhere, to sleep. Anywhere had to be better than their apartment, given it's current st-- "Rukia?" It'd worked? She was...well, he didn't exactly know what she was, but at least 'awake' had something to do with it. "How y'feeling?"
Long eyelashes fluttered slightly before lids drew back from somewhat unfocused blueviolet eyes. She blinked hesitantly a couple of times, eyes settling shakily on his face. For a moment, it seemed as though she didn't recognize him, then her mouth turned up in a weak smile. "Ichigo...." Grimacing slightly, she shifted, tried to sit up. But her exhausted body wouldn't permit it. "Hurts.....tired... why.....why are you...here?"
"'cause you fuckin' well died." Despite hims words, he found himself unable to hide the look of relief at the fact she was awake. Talking. Alive. "Why did--" He cut himself off. Now wasn't the time to be asking things like that. And besides, to an extent, he sort of knew. He'd known for a long time. It just took a 'conversation' with Renji for him to work it out. "We came to check up on you."
She frowned at him, somewhat confused. Die? She hadn't died. Had she....? "I didn't.......You didnt' need to do that......I'm fine. Just.....tired. And sore. And....wet? Why am I wet?" Reaching up to feel the bandages that wrapped around her torso, she frowned again. "What....what happened?"
With what could only be considered a gurgle, Nell - perhaps a little proudly - muttered, "Nell thpat on you, thtupid. You thould be thankful," before attempting to crawl into Ichigo's arms with a yawn, no longer caring what short of mood he was in.
She blinked, looking at the same time disgusted and confused. Nell....spat on her? It took her a moment to recall that the small Arrancar's spit could...it could heal. So that meant... Glancing over at the child as she wormed her way into Ichigo's lap, she simply stared. If what Ichigo said was true, then Nell....Nell had healed her. Maybe even saved her life. So rather then her initial reaction, which was to recoil and demand a bath, she cast a gentle smile towards Nell. "You...healed me? Thank you, Nell...."
An arm moved automatically, holding Nell carefully as he pulled over a chair. It couldn't hurt, right? "Get some sleep. I'll take you back when I head home." At least one of them could try to get some much needed rest. That wouldn't stop him from talking to Rukia still, of course. For a little while at least. "You done with all this?" Namely the training. "Had enough of tryin' to kill yourself?"
Eyes narrowed at him, smile quickly turning into a frown as she tried again to sit up, this time managing it, though she was shaky. One hand grasped for the headboard, using it to steady herself so she could glare at him properly. "I was NOT trying to kill myself, you idiot."
"Not how it looks." After what he'd been told, there wasn't much else he could call it. "You were trying to force yourself to do things." Pot meet kettle. "There's no reason to rush right now, is there?" He was doing his best to keep himself quiet, calm, partly because of the slumbering child her held, and partly due to the fact he just...didn't have the energy right then.
"You're one to talk." Scowling slightly, she nonetheless tried to keep her voice down. Afterall, regardless of the fact that the little girl was sometimes a source of irritation, she actually did like her. And the arrancar had healed her, apparently. She owed the child at least the courtesy of not waking her. "And how do you know what I was doing, anyway?"
"I didn't have time. You do." Okay, so maybe it wasn't completely viable, but there was some truth behind it all. His bankai training had had a deadline. Rukia's current training didn't. As for how he knew... "Yoruichi." And her comparisions to his own experiences had further proved the points made.
"How do you know that? You know as well as I do how shaky this..."truce" is. There isn't time to just...sit around." Despite her words, there was one thing that kept turning over and over in her mind. He'd said she...died? But...she didn't feel dead. And she was fairly certain she had a heartbeat. Biting her lip, she glanced back at him. "I....did I really....die?" She wasn't really sure if she wanted the answer. But....now that he'd said it, she couldn't just leave it alone.
"If the truce breaks, then you'll have a damned deadline. Right now, there's no reason to try and kill yourself over it." A scowl appeared as he looked down to Nell. "Yeah, you did. I don't know all about it, and I don't think I want to. But you're here, and you ain't gonna go do something like that again."
"I won't have to. It worked. I can feel it." She clenched her hand into a fist, watching the little enameled fruit swing slightly on it's chain before dropping the hand into her lap with a soft sigh. She'd worried him. Whether he would admit it or not, she could tell. And it bothered her. In fact, it was precisely the reason why she'd refused to tell him where she was going in the first place. Because she hadn't wanted him to worry. "Ichigo, I.......I'm sorry..."
He shook his head, his gaze not moving from the young arrancar. "It don't make a difference now, does it? You went and killed yourself." Even if that wasn't the case right now. "You go on and on about me not doin' anything stupid. And then what do you go and do?"
"But I'm NOT dead. I've got a heartbeat." As much as she wanted to snap back at him, to yell about how close HE had come to dying so many times, about how she had felt on all those occasions when there was nothing she could do, she just couldn't. In a way...she deserved his anger. "It wasn't...supposed to happen like that...." She bit her lip, trying to ignore the faint memories that the conversation churned up. Pain, a feeling like thousands of tiny needles trying to drive their way out of her body, wanting to move but being unable to, the inky blackness that wanted to swallow her up. They were frightening, and she tried to push them back. No, she didn't WANT to remember. Fingers clenched in the sheet as she shook her head slightly, hand trembling.
"Look..." A sigh, and what anger he had, began to fade. This wasn't what he'd come there for. He'd finally found out where she was, and so he'd gone to... To what? See if she was alright? Well, that was a given. To yell? That seemed to have already happened. To make sure she stayed out of trouble...? "...I know why you did it. Don't mean I'm happy about it." Of course, he doubted he ever would be. But it was just a part of who he was. "But...I ain't gonna stop you. ...not this time."
Somewhat surprised at the sudden deflation of his anger, she glanced up at him, expression confused. "You...aren't?" That didn't seem right. Normally she'd have expected him to simply stand up, hold Nell in one arm and throw her over his shoulder with the other and just stalk off without giving her the opportunity to say or do anything. With the exception of telling her that "all her opinions were rejected", of course.
"...no." Shifting Nell into a one-armed hold, he turned to look over toward Rukia finally. "Just get yourself better. We can...talk about this another time." A smirk. "You look like you could use the sleep." When all else fails, rely on the wonders of their arguing.
She managed a half smile, frowning slightly at the bandages. They itched. Reaching up, she tugged at the ones that wrapped around her throat. "I can't sleep with these on...especially not now that they're wet..." Scowling slightly, she tried to find the knot to unwrap the linen.
Shaking his head, Ichigo's hand reached out to take ahold of hers, to pull it away from the bandages. "Keep 'em on for now. They'll dry soon enough." His own experiences had taught him that much. "Once you've got some more sleep, I'll take you back home. Y'can sort it out then."
"But they're itchy~. And I thought...Nell healed me. So I shouldn't need them then, right?" Her fingers curled around his larger ones, squeezing slightly. The contact was...comforting. It was ironic in a way, how one who had been so uncomfortable with physical contact, so unused to closeness, would have found herself suddenly reveling in it. But then, even that simple touch was different when it was him.
"Then next time, don't get yourself hurt so much." Yes, that was a 'next time'. He already knew, without having to ask, that this wouldn't be the last time she left to train with Yoruichi and Soifon. All he could really hope was that she'd at least tell him next time.
"But I dont' even remember getting hurt! Just.....pain. Pain like....I've never felt before..." She made mental notice of his mention of "next time" with some degree of surprise. He was being...unusually accepting of this. But maybe it was just an indication of how much things had changed between them since coming here. Reaching up with her other hand, she kept tugging at the linen. "If Nell healed me, then I shouldn't need to keep these things on." Pulling her hand from his, she shrugged one shoulder out of the thin white robe to examine the bandages rolled around it that stretched down her arm. "What...did I do?"
"Just lie down and go to sleep." Because in all honesty, he didn't want to even begin to think about what had happened. The basics he'd been given by Yoruichi was more than enough already. But to have to see proof of it all too... "We'll head back tonight. Once the house is back to normal."
Well, that wasn't going to work. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Once the house is back to normal? What did you do?!"
"Me? Nothin'." Well, to an extent. According to what others had said about it, the severity was dependent on how much damage they themselves had caused to the City. Given the two involved... "Curse. Pretty much destroyed the place."
"Is Chappy ok!?" She didn't care much about the apartment itself. Her bunny, on the other hand...
"Yeah, he's fine. About the only thing that is." Given the state he'd found the apartment in, it was a suprise to find the rabbit completely unharmed. Though he wasn't going to complain about that.
A sigh of relief. That was good. "And...you're ok?" Keep up the conversation, anything to avoid having to go to sleep. Sure, she could tell that her body was screaming for the rest, but when she tried to think about it, her mind always went back to that terrible blackness she hadn't been able to escape. Not only that, but despite the exhaustion, she felt fidgety. An obvious aftereffect of being kept quiescent for several days.
"'course I am." Ignoring the fact that he was equally as tired. Keeping himself awake for as long as he had, had been a chore in itself. At least he hadn't been alone (much) during that time. "Now go to sleep." And a quieter, "...I'll be right here when you wake up."
"Promise?" A faint smile and her hand reached for his, fingers twining through his tightly, seeking the comfort his touch always seemed to bring. She laughed slightly, slipping back into the robe and squirming down under the covers. "Nell got the best spot, though."
"I said I would, didn't I?" Though his tone was light, despite what could've been harsh words. His own hand tightened around hers as he too moved himself into a more comfortable position. Or at least as comfortable as he could get, given his current seat. "I ain't a pillow, yanno."
"But you make a good one. Maybe I should be jealous of Nell?" She smiled at him, eyebrow raised in concordance with her teasing tone.
A glare, though the usual anger was nowhere to be found. "Maybe I should just stop either of you from sleeping with me?" His eyes widened at his own words, as he turned away, scowling at himself. "You've both got your own beds."
"Well if you don't like it, then maybe I will just stay in my own bed." A trace of irritation, but it was more a challange. Daring him to actually tell her not to. She knew him well enough to know better, of course. But that didn't mean she would pass up a chance to make him actually admit it.
"Then go ahead." No matter what he ended up saying, he knew that it wouldn't stand for long. Not if Rukia ended up seeking comfort from him again. He wouldn't be able to tell her to leave. Just like he didn't seem to be able to say the same to Nell.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. Really, the man was impossible sometimes. But then, would she really want him any other way? "Maybe I will." Taking a deep breath she let her head drop back onto the pillow to stare at the ceiling for a moment. "But I'd rather be with you." Oh well, what point was there in argueing anyway? He was here, that was all that mattered.
"...yeah." It wasn't an area he was comfortable in, and he doubted he ever would be. But at least things had gotten less...embarrassing. Or was that, confusing? "...just get some sleep."
Eyes flickered over to him, slight smile the only thing portraying emotion on her face. He was...cute. She knew he'd kill her if she actually said that to him, but she could think it ALL she wanted. "Alright." She squeezed his hand before closing her eyes with a sigh. Despite the fact that she didn't want to let go of consciousness, sleep was stronger and she soon drifted off, hand still wrapped tightly around his.
Watching in silence, Ichigo simply waited as Rukia slowly began to fall asleep. His own grip remained unwavering, even as she finally lost her battle, a feeling of relief passing over him in response. And now, to try and get some sleep of his own. Well, at least the two others were. That was all that mattered to him just then.
Rating; PGish
Characters; Shihouin Yoruichi
goddes_of_flash, Kurosaki Ichigountame, Nell Tulisped, Kuchiki Rukiajuicebox_woesSummary; After coming back from training to a demolished apartment, Ichigo is less than happy to learn of Rukia's condition. When Yoruichi agrees to take him to her, Ichigo and Nell make their way to the semi-comatose shinigami.
Log;
Yoruichi sighed, tapping one foot on the ground absentmindedly, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the wall outside of the temple. As much of a bad idea as this might be, she supposed that she owed it to Ichigo to let him see Rukia. Afterall, it had been her fault that the girl had been hurt in the first place. And Rukia had asked for him, during those brief periods of lucidity. Glancing around, yellow eyes scanned the streets as she waited for the orange-haired substitute shinigami to show up.
Four days worth of training, staying in silence with only Nell and Zangetsu for company. Perhaps that alone had been enough of a reason for the current shortness of his fuse. Or maybe it was all down to one person and one person alone; Rukia. She'd disappeared before he'd decided to leave, without a sign as to what she was really up to. And now, on their return, he'd been given news that she was unconcious. She'd been physically dead for some time. He still couldn't understand the why or the how. All he knew was that he needed to get to her, to get her out of harms way. Even if she ended up hating him for it later. "You okay?" Even in his haste to make his way to the temple steps, he hadn't forgotten the small arrancar that'd been his company all that time. She'd asked to come along with him, and he wasn't going to refuse her something as simple as that.
Toddling after him wasn't doing much good, but Nell didn't want Ichigo to get mad at her for being slow - or for having him carry her. She could already guess the who and part of the way for what was making him rush so, and while she couldn't hide the small frown that graced her features, she did manage a smile for his sake. "Nell'th alright." She'd promised to be good, after all.
They made a difficult pair to miss, the tall figure with the shock of spiky orange hair, and the small child with part of a porcelain-white mask gracing her head. Nodding slightly to herself, Yoruichi pushed off of the wall to step forward slightly with a simple nod of greeting to Ichigo and a glance at Nell. "This way." She didn't bother sparing time for pleasantries. Not only would they probably not be received with any degree of happiness, they tended to be lost on Ichigo. Turning, she headed off into the trees that surrounded the temple.
His gaze followed Yoruichi as she headed off into the trees, a frown appearing on his face in response. At that moment, he had no way of following her. Not only was he back in his own body, but he had a 'child' to take with him. Well, he could take care of one thing at least. "Nell, get on." Once she was on his back, his longer strides would hopefully keep them both close to the other as she led the way.
Now that she could do. With a happy grin she launched herself onto his back, grip not too tight as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Nell'th thorry if Nell fallth athleep," the small arrancar murmured, making sure to warn him of her less than awake state just in case. It wouldn't do to fall off, after all.
It didn't take them long at all to reach what could only be described as a door. In....the middle of the trees. A simple large rock stood, as though part of a shrine, little paper lanterns strung along the edges of the space it inhabited. But in the center of the rock was just...a door. An ordinary sort, like you'd find in any house or apartment. Pausing in front of it, Yoruichi glanced back at Ichigo. "I take it you need help out of your body?"
At her quiet words, Ichigo glanced backward, a faint smile on his face. After having forced herself to stay awake as long as she had, he couldn't blame her for wanting to sleep. And if things were different right then, he'd probably be doing the same too. "...don't worry." And so, he turned his attention back to moving onward, his feet moving into a run as he picked up the pace. Within moments, (though still longer than he wanted), he found himself staring ahead at the door they'd been led to. She was inside then? "I've got it covered." Namely a certain badge he still carried. "We going in, or what?"
She rolled her golden eyes slightly at him. "Unless you'd rather stand outside, yes." A palm against the door, coupled with a strange-looking key, and it swung open. Stepping through, she headed down a long staircase that seemed to have no business being in such a place. "Close the door behind you." Heading down, down, the dark corridor finally opened up into what looked like a fairly close copy of the space he had used to train in to acheive bankai. The only notable difference was a small..."cottage", for lack of a better word. A simple, small structure that stood off against the side of one of the rock outcroppings. With a yawn, and a stretch, she made her way over, pulling open the door and stepping aside. "Go ahead."
Biting back a retort, Ichigo simply followed on after Yoruichi, barely registering the similarities. Right then, none of that mattered to him. Only, it seemed, the cottage he'd just been told to head into. His gaze flicked to Yoruichi briefly, before he turned his attention to Nell once again, even as he started heading inside. "Need to put you down for now, alright?"
Nell frowned but complied, sliding down to the ground with the smallest of pouts in place as she did. Good, she reminded herself. Had to be good. Especially since she wasn't sure they had a bed to sleep in. Stupid City. And now this. But... "Want Nell to wait here?" She could content herself with the past four days and the stolen kiss - on the cheek, but still, it counted! - if Ichigo wanted to be alone with Rukia for a while. Just not too long, she amended the thought with a yawn.
Turning back to Nell for a moment, Ichigo ruffled her hair briefly, the only friendly sign he could give, beyond the almost silent "thanks." Even if it was only a few moments alone just then, it'd be enough. Just to make sure things weren't worse than they sounded. Or, above all else, he didn't overreact and end up hurting someone. Again. Turning his attention back to the room once again, he headed further inside to find Rukia.
The little cottage was fairly sparsly furnished, obviously not intended for more then a bit of shelter for resting. There were no real amenities at all other then the small table which had likely once held the laptop. Which was now upside-down and rather unhappily cracked on the ground. Aside from the slight beeping of the broken device, the only sound was the quiet and even breathing of the girl who lay in the bed next to the table, head turned towards the door, one hand hanging off of the edge where it looked as though she'd shifted, thin gold bracelet with it's pendant strawberry the only real splash of colour against the white sheets and her pale skin. Bandages wrapped their way halfway down one arm and up her neck, disappearing underneath the white robe she wore and hiding the burns from the kidou that had saved her life.
His feet carried him inside, his eyes taking a moment to get used to the light of the room. And yet, the moment his sight was clear, he found himself rooted to the spot. She was there. Only, that wasn't her. The body lying in the bed, she wasn't the same Rukia he knew. The Rukia he knew... "...shit." Forcing himself forward, he stopped alongside the bed, his arms stiff by his sides as he stared down at her. What the hell had been happening?
Yoruichi gave him a moment before stepping into the doorway quietly. "She won't wake up for more then a few minutes at a time. Last time she did, she collapsed, bashed her head, broke the machine in the process. Time before that...only thing she managed to do was ask for you." She rubbed her temples, but kept her distance, not wanting to intrude, but wanting to make sure he understood.
"...out." It was the closest he'd be able to get to staying civil right then. Yoruichi. Soifon. They'd been the two who were keeping watch over her. And now this. The last thing he needed right then was a reminder of it all. "...Rukia." He shook his head, hand brushing gently across her face, a gentle smile on his own for a few brief moments, before he was schooling himself. "Nell?" His voice was raised a little in hopes of getting the young arrancar's attention.
Not that she'd been waiting for him to say something, or anything of the sort, but Nell - gently - pushed past Yoruichi to toddle over to Ichigo's side, hand searching for his and holding tight. "Do you want Nell for thomething?" Not that she'd mind just standing where she was, of course.
As his hand brushed across her cheek, there was the faintest twitch of the corner of her mouth, a slightly change in her breathing as her head shifted towards him. Almost as though, even in the blackness of her own mind, she still knew he was there..
Yoruichi simply stepped back, closing the door behind her with a sigh and leaning against the side of the cottage.
Forcing himself to look down to Nell, Ichigo's hand tightened briefly in response to her own grip. "I need to you do me a favour, alright?" Though hopefully, she'd both catch on to what he wanted, and also find that there wasn't much work to do. Only one way to find out. "Could you help her out?"
"You mean thpit on her?" The small arrancar blinked, frowned, staring up at Ichigo for a moment as if trying to read his expression. Freeing her hand she crawled up onto the bed to sit next to the shinigami. The only time she'd done this on a proper shinigami had been Momo, but she was dead at the time and the two healers had been there. But if it worked then and worked on Ichigo, it would work on Rukia... right? She glanced over at the orange-haired boy for a second before doing what was wanted of her, sticking a hand in her mouth to start the somewhat disgusting process.
Perhaps not the most elegant way of healing someone, and definately not the nicest, but he knew from experience that it had worked before. So, it had to work again. Once any injuries were healed, it would just mean that Rukia was tired, right? Right! Watching the pair silently, Ichigo held back a smirk at the fact that, if Rukia did wake up any time soon, she'd probably end up yelling at him for the simple fact she was now drenched in saliva.
Spit exhausted, Nell grinned happily and sleepily, nearly falling off the bed as she crawled back to Ichigo's side. "Ith that enough?"
For a few moments, nothing happened. But then her breathing shifted slightly, the barest beginnings of a frown apeared on her face, and her one hand flinched slightly. Turning her head a bit, her hand brushed against his, as though trying to find it. "...chigo.....?" A slight cough and a whimper, and the other hand moved as well, fingers curling slightly into the sheets. "....'s wet....."
Nodding his head slightly, a hand dropped to rest on Nell's shoulder as he watched Rukia, waiting for a sign that it had helped. Even if it didn't fix her completely, it was better than just waiting for something to happen. "You be alright to stay awake a little longer?" Once he was sure Rukia would be alright, then he'd be set to take Nell back...somewhere, to sleep. Anywhere had to be better than their apartment, given it's current st-- "Rukia?" It'd worked? She was...well, he didn't exactly know what she was, but at least 'awake' had something to do with it. "How y'feeling?"
Long eyelashes fluttered slightly before lids drew back from somewhat unfocused blueviolet eyes. She blinked hesitantly a couple of times, eyes settling shakily on his face. For a moment, it seemed as though she didn't recognize him, then her mouth turned up in a weak smile. "Ichigo...." Grimacing slightly, she shifted, tried to sit up. But her exhausted body wouldn't permit it. "Hurts.....tired... why.....why are you...here?"
"'cause you fuckin' well died." Despite hims words, he found himself unable to hide the look of relief at the fact she was awake. Talking. Alive. "Why did--" He cut himself off. Now wasn't the time to be asking things like that. And besides, to an extent, he sort of knew. He'd known for a long time. It just took a 'conversation' with Renji for him to work it out. "We came to check up on you."
She frowned at him, somewhat confused. Die? She hadn't died. Had she....? "I didn't.......You didnt' need to do that......I'm fine. Just.....tired. And sore. And....wet? Why am I wet?" Reaching up to feel the bandages that wrapped around her torso, she frowned again. "What....what happened?"
With what could only be considered a gurgle, Nell - perhaps a little proudly - muttered, "Nell thpat on you, thtupid. You thould be thankful," before attempting to crawl into Ichigo's arms with a yawn, no longer caring what short of mood he was in.
She blinked, looking at the same time disgusted and confused. Nell....spat on her? It took her a moment to recall that the small Arrancar's spit could...it could heal. So that meant... Glancing over at the child as she wormed her way into Ichigo's lap, she simply stared. If what Ichigo said was true, then Nell....Nell had healed her. Maybe even saved her life. So rather then her initial reaction, which was to recoil and demand a bath, she cast a gentle smile towards Nell. "You...healed me? Thank you, Nell...."
An arm moved automatically, holding Nell carefully as he pulled over a chair. It couldn't hurt, right? "Get some sleep. I'll take you back when I head home." At least one of them could try to get some much needed rest. That wouldn't stop him from talking to Rukia still, of course. For a little while at least. "You done with all this?" Namely the training. "Had enough of tryin' to kill yourself?"
Eyes narrowed at him, smile quickly turning into a frown as she tried again to sit up, this time managing it, though she was shaky. One hand grasped for the headboard, using it to steady herself so she could glare at him properly. "I was NOT trying to kill myself, you idiot."
"Not how it looks." After what he'd been told, there wasn't much else he could call it. "You were trying to force yourself to do things." Pot meet kettle. "There's no reason to rush right now, is there?" He was doing his best to keep himself quiet, calm, partly because of the slumbering child her held, and partly due to the fact he just...didn't have the energy right then.
"You're one to talk." Scowling slightly, she nonetheless tried to keep her voice down. Afterall, regardless of the fact that the little girl was sometimes a source of irritation, she actually did like her. And the arrancar had healed her, apparently. She owed the child at least the courtesy of not waking her. "And how do you know what I was doing, anyway?"
"I didn't have time. You do." Okay, so maybe it wasn't completely viable, but there was some truth behind it all. His bankai training had had a deadline. Rukia's current training didn't. As for how he knew... "Yoruichi." And her comparisions to his own experiences had further proved the points made.
"How do you know that? You know as well as I do how shaky this..."truce" is. There isn't time to just...sit around." Despite her words, there was one thing that kept turning over and over in her mind. He'd said she...died? But...she didn't feel dead. And she was fairly certain she had a heartbeat. Biting her lip, she glanced back at him. "I....did I really....die?" She wasn't really sure if she wanted the answer. But....now that he'd said it, she couldn't just leave it alone.
"If the truce breaks, then you'll have a damned deadline. Right now, there's no reason to try and kill yourself over it." A scowl appeared as he looked down to Nell. "Yeah, you did. I don't know all about it, and I don't think I want to. But you're here, and you ain't gonna go do something like that again."
"I won't have to. It worked. I can feel it." She clenched her hand into a fist, watching the little enameled fruit swing slightly on it's chain before dropping the hand into her lap with a soft sigh. She'd worried him. Whether he would admit it or not, she could tell. And it bothered her. In fact, it was precisely the reason why she'd refused to tell him where she was going in the first place. Because she hadn't wanted him to worry. "Ichigo, I.......I'm sorry..."
He shook his head, his gaze not moving from the young arrancar. "It don't make a difference now, does it? You went and killed yourself." Even if that wasn't the case right now. "You go on and on about me not doin' anything stupid. And then what do you go and do?"
"But I'm NOT dead. I've got a heartbeat." As much as she wanted to snap back at him, to yell about how close HE had come to dying so many times, about how she had felt on all those occasions when there was nothing she could do, she just couldn't. In a way...she deserved his anger. "It wasn't...supposed to happen like that...." She bit her lip, trying to ignore the faint memories that the conversation churned up. Pain, a feeling like thousands of tiny needles trying to drive their way out of her body, wanting to move but being unable to, the inky blackness that wanted to swallow her up. They were frightening, and she tried to push them back. No, she didn't WANT to remember. Fingers clenched in the sheet as she shook her head slightly, hand trembling.
"Look..." A sigh, and what anger he had, began to fade. This wasn't what he'd come there for. He'd finally found out where she was, and so he'd gone to... To what? See if she was alright? Well, that was a given. To yell? That seemed to have already happened. To make sure she stayed out of trouble...? "...I know why you did it. Don't mean I'm happy about it." Of course, he doubted he ever would be. But it was just a part of who he was. "But...I ain't gonna stop you. ...not this time."
Somewhat surprised at the sudden deflation of his anger, she glanced up at him, expression confused. "You...aren't?" That didn't seem right. Normally she'd have expected him to simply stand up, hold Nell in one arm and throw her over his shoulder with the other and just stalk off without giving her the opportunity to say or do anything. With the exception of telling her that "all her opinions were rejected", of course.
"...no." Shifting Nell into a one-armed hold, he turned to look over toward Rukia finally. "Just get yourself better. We can...talk about this another time." A smirk. "You look like you could use the sleep." When all else fails, rely on the wonders of their arguing.
She managed a half smile, frowning slightly at the bandages. They itched. Reaching up, she tugged at the ones that wrapped around her throat. "I can't sleep with these on...especially not now that they're wet..." Scowling slightly, she tried to find the knot to unwrap the linen.
Shaking his head, Ichigo's hand reached out to take ahold of hers, to pull it away from the bandages. "Keep 'em on for now. They'll dry soon enough." His own experiences had taught him that much. "Once you've got some more sleep, I'll take you back home. Y'can sort it out then."
"But they're itchy~. And I thought...Nell healed me. So I shouldn't need them then, right?" Her fingers curled around his larger ones, squeezing slightly. The contact was...comforting. It was ironic in a way, how one who had been so uncomfortable with physical contact, so unused to closeness, would have found herself suddenly reveling in it. But then, even that simple touch was different when it was him.
"Then next time, don't get yourself hurt so much." Yes, that was a 'next time'. He already knew, without having to ask, that this wouldn't be the last time she left to train with Yoruichi and Soifon. All he could really hope was that she'd at least tell him next time.
"But I dont' even remember getting hurt! Just.....pain. Pain like....I've never felt before..." She made mental notice of his mention of "next time" with some degree of surprise. He was being...unusually accepting of this. But maybe it was just an indication of how much things had changed between them since coming here. Reaching up with her other hand, she kept tugging at the linen. "If Nell healed me, then I shouldn't need to keep these things on." Pulling her hand from his, she shrugged one shoulder out of the thin white robe to examine the bandages rolled around it that stretched down her arm. "What...did I do?"
"Just lie down and go to sleep." Because in all honesty, he didn't want to even begin to think about what had happened. The basics he'd been given by Yoruichi was more than enough already. But to have to see proof of it all too... "We'll head back tonight. Once the house is back to normal."
Well, that wasn't going to work. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Once the house is back to normal? What did you do?!"
"Me? Nothin'." Well, to an extent. According to what others had said about it, the severity was dependent on how much damage they themselves had caused to the City. Given the two involved... "Curse. Pretty much destroyed the place."
"Is Chappy ok!?" She didn't care much about the apartment itself. Her bunny, on the other hand...
"Yeah, he's fine. About the only thing that is." Given the state he'd found the apartment in, it was a suprise to find the rabbit completely unharmed. Though he wasn't going to complain about that.
A sigh of relief. That was good. "And...you're ok?" Keep up the conversation, anything to avoid having to go to sleep. Sure, she could tell that her body was screaming for the rest, but when she tried to think about it, her mind always went back to that terrible blackness she hadn't been able to escape. Not only that, but despite the exhaustion, she felt fidgety. An obvious aftereffect of being kept quiescent for several days.
"'course I am." Ignoring the fact that he was equally as tired. Keeping himself awake for as long as he had, had been a chore in itself. At least he hadn't been alone (much) during that time. "Now go to sleep." And a quieter, "...I'll be right here when you wake up."
"Promise?" A faint smile and her hand reached for his, fingers twining through his tightly, seeking the comfort his touch always seemed to bring. She laughed slightly, slipping back into the robe and squirming down under the covers. "Nell got the best spot, though."
"I said I would, didn't I?" Though his tone was light, despite what could've been harsh words. His own hand tightened around hers as he too moved himself into a more comfortable position. Or at least as comfortable as he could get, given his current seat. "I ain't a pillow, yanno."
"But you make a good one. Maybe I should be jealous of Nell?" She smiled at him, eyebrow raised in concordance with her teasing tone.
A glare, though the usual anger was nowhere to be found. "Maybe I should just stop either of you from sleeping with me?" His eyes widened at his own words, as he turned away, scowling at himself. "You've both got your own beds."
"Well if you don't like it, then maybe I will just stay in my own bed." A trace of irritation, but it was more a challange. Daring him to actually tell her not to. She knew him well enough to know better, of course. But that didn't mean she would pass up a chance to make him actually admit it.
"Then go ahead." No matter what he ended up saying, he knew that it wouldn't stand for long. Not if Rukia ended up seeking comfort from him again. He wouldn't be able to tell her to leave. Just like he didn't seem to be able to say the same to Nell.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. Really, the man was impossible sometimes. But then, would she really want him any other way? "Maybe I will." Taking a deep breath she let her head drop back onto the pillow to stare at the ceiling for a moment. "But I'd rather be with you." Oh well, what point was there in argueing anyway? He was here, that was all that mattered.
"...yeah." It wasn't an area he was comfortable in, and he doubted he ever would be. But at least things had gotten less...embarrassing. Or was that, confusing? "...just get some sleep."
Eyes flickered over to him, slight smile the only thing portraying emotion on her face. He was...cute. She knew he'd kill her if she actually said that to him, but she could think it ALL she wanted. "Alright." She squeezed his hand before closing her eyes with a sigh. Despite the fact that she didn't want to let go of consciousness, sleep was stronger and she soon drifted off, hand still wrapped tightly around his.
Watching in silence, Ichigo simply waited as Rukia slowly began to fall asleep. His own grip remained unwavering, even as she finally lost her battle, a feeling of relief passing over him in response. And now, to try and get some sleep of his own. Well, at least the two others were. That was all that mattered to him just then.