*IchigoxRukia* *Rated:M*
Summary: What happens if at the end of the story they find out that they were brainwashed right after the Winter War.
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26328907/chapters/87320104#workskin
Word count:175k
Chapters:34
Chapter 1: Ten Years Later
"They're here!"
Orihime's voice startled Ichigo out of his thoughts, and he looked in the mirror of their bathroom one more time. His lips curved into a smile, but it looked forced, and he settled for scrubbing a hand through his too-short hair to fix it. Random pieces flopped over, too short to be bangs and too long to stay neatly in place. I look like I lost a bet.
He glanced down at the faded t-shirt he was wearing and shrugged. At least it wasn't stained. Ichigo opened the bathroom door and walked down the stairs of the Kurosaki family home to greet their guests.
"Ichigooooo!" Keigo's voice still grated on Ichigo's ears after so long, and he clotheslined the shorter man as he tried to take a flying leap to grab onto him.
"Try not to break anything this time," Mizuiro said cheerfully as he helped Keigo up. "Hi, Ichigo. We brought snacks."
"Thanks, Kojima. Everything's set up in the living room." Ichigo pointed, and Mizuiro carried in both Keigo and a large, overfilled plastic bag.
"Is Ishida coming?"
"Oh, it's so unfortunate, Ishida-kun couldn't get the day off from work," Orihime's high voice echoed from the kitchen. "But Rukia and Renji should be here soon."
And then – there she was. Ichigo opened the door again and Rukia was standing in front of him. His heart leapt for the first time in a decade as he looked at her, standing in his home and smiling up at him fondly. Their eyes met and it was as if no one else existed. Ichigo barely managed to get out of the doorway in time for Renji to push past them, clapping a hand on Ichigo's shoulder before he went into the living room where the television and snacks were set up.
"I missed you," Rukia admitted quietly, when it was just them in the entryway of his home.
The rain stopped for just a moment as Ichigo said, equally soft, "It's good to see you, Rukia. It's been a really long time." His eyes focused on hers and his lips curved just slightly. He hadn't seen her since her wedding over nine years ago. Like a good friend, Ichigo had gone to the wedding, had taken pictures with Inoue's new camera, and had even sewn strawberry flowers onto Rukia's veil. He had been careful not to look too closely at Rukia during the wedding; to agree with Inoue that her tears were happy ones. It helped that she'd smiled at him and at Inoue, who cried as passionately as if it had been her own wedding. Ichigo had pretended not to notice that her smile faded away as soon as she looked away from them.
He'd ignored the fact that the rain began again the day of her engagement.
It had been Orihime's idea to invite them today, to get a message to Soul Society and see their friends for the first time in so many years. He didn't know where the time had gone or how it was possible that he was suddenly 28 years old.
"Even without a war it's busy in Soul Society. And I'm captain of the Thirteenth now." Ichigo could hear the quiet pride in her voice.
"A captain? Since when?"
"The ceremony to make things official was this morning – it's why Renji and I were late. I'd been acting captain since…" Rukia trailed off.
"This morning?" Ichigo repeated. "Why didn't you tell anyone? I – we would have come to see it." Despite his irritation at being left out of the loop, his hand found hers and wrapped around it, squeezing gently. He knew what she hadn't finished saying: that she'd been acting as a captain since Ukitake's death a decade ago at the hands of Yhwach. Ichigo spared a thought for the late captain, who'd always been kind to him and who had supported Rukia.
"Idiot." The word was said with affection. "Only captains and lieutenants attend the ceremony." Left unsaid: she hadn't wanted to make a fuss of it.
Ichigo squeezed her hand again. "This is your party too, then. Che, not telling anyone…Ino—Orihime's going to be upset, she would have baked a cake. And we'll have to call you Captain Abarai from now on, I guess."
Rukia blanched and pulled her hand from his with a sharp tug. "Kuchiki. It's Captain Kuchiki, I didn't change my name," she exclaimed sharply, although she kept her voice down. When Ichigo's eyebrows climbed nearly all the way into his hairline, Rukia put on a smile and waved her hands quickly in front of her as if to ward off his attention. "And anyway, I wouldn't have wanted Orihime to make a fuss! Aren't we here to watch Chad's fight?" Her tone was light, though her eyes couldn't meet his.
"Yeah. Guess it's starting in a few minutes, you should go sit down. And weren't you going to bring your…" Ichigo choked on the word but managed to stutter out, "daughter?"
That stutter resulted in a sharp look from Rukia, but she shrugged. "Ichika's around somewhere. I'm sure she'll get here soon."
"Get here soon? You mean you let a little kid run around Karakura by herself?" Ichigo spluttered. "What the hell, Rukia?"
"Even in one of Urahara's gigai she can take care of herself. And I was running around unattended in the Rukongai when I was her age. It's not like there's anything in Karakura that can harm her."
Ichigo's jaw dropped and he just stared at Rukia incredulously. Zangetsu chose that moment to wake for the first time in ten years and howl. Time stopped and Ichigo stared down into Rukia's violet eyes, his body shaking minutely, and amber eyes gone blank.
"Ichigo?" Rukia alone seemed to notice the tendrils of dark reiatsu that surrounded them – everyone in the living room was still chatting. "Ichigo?" she repeated. Rukia's voice was soft, and she reached out as if to touch him, but her hand flinched back as a very different reiatsu buzzed menacingly throughout the home.
Zangetsu quieted immediately; Ichigo shook his head once, to clear it. "That's…!" He raced up the stairs to Kazui's room, ignoring a shout from Tatsuki, who'd heard the sudden pounding on the steps. By the time he shoved his son's door open, Rukia right behind him, the reiatsu was gone.
"What –" Ichigo stared at his son and a girl he assumed had to be Ichika, who was holding a sheathed sword and apparently laughing at something that Kazui had said.
"What's wrong with you two?" Kazui asked, when he noticed that his dad was standing in the doorway, face set in a scowl.
Ichigo shook his head again. "Was someone else here just now? Did either of you feel something?"
Before Ichika or Kazui could answer, Rukia pushed past Ichigo into the bedroom. Her pretty, pale blue dress swung around her legs as she moved. Her hair had gotten much longer, Ichigo suddenly noticed, and it hung to her waist freely. Her arms were bare except for narrow straps that tied together into bows at the top of each shoulder. He felt himself flushing at the sight of her nearly-bare shoulders and looked away quickly.
"Are you both alright?" Rukia asked.
Ichigo took a moment to look at Rukia's daughter. She looked so much like Rukia it hurt: the same delicate face shape, the same eyes. The girl's hair was bright red like Renji's – Ichigo tilted his head slightly. Did Rukia dye Ichika's hair? he asked himself. The red didn't go quite all the way to her roots, where he could have sworn a lighter color peeked out. Maybe it was just the light in Kazui's room. Zangetsu grumbled something beneath Ichigo's thoughts and to his surprise, something protective slid through the grumbling. Well she is Rukia's daughter, Ichigo thought.
Ichika shrugged. "There was a black hole in the room a minute ago. Kazui stuck his hand in it, and the hole went away."
Ichigo's head whipped around to stare at the two children. "It went away? Are you sure?" He stepped further into the bedroom, looking over Kazui. "You okay, Kazui?" He received a nod in return.
"There's nothing here anymore," Rukia said. "It…felt like Yhwach, don't you think so Ichigo? I'll have to report this to Kyōraku Soutaicho when Renji and I leave."
Ichigo nodded briefly. "Yeah – but it's completely gone now. Maybe one of Kurotsuchi's machines picked up something?"
Rukia nodded briefly and put on another smile. "Ichika, I'd like you to meet Kurosaki Ichigo. He's…" The pause was so brief that only Ichigo noticed the lapse. "A very good friend."
Ichika jumped down from the dresser she'd been perched on and offered Ichigo a brief bow. "Nice to meet you, Kurosaki-san," she said.
"Yeah, likewise," Ichigo replied, distracted a second time by her hair. He shook himself and his eyes met Rukia's in a silent question – but hers were shuttered. "This is Kazui. Kazui, this is Kuchiki Rukia."
Kazui smiled up at Rukia and bowed to her; Rukia bowed gravely in reply, but then grinned down at him. "It's nice to meet you, Kazui." The boy looked exactly like Orihime, she thought. He even had her gray eyes.
"Ichi-nii, Rukia-chan! Chad's fight is about to start!" Yuzu called from the stairwell. "Come downstairs before Asano-san eats all the popcorn!"
"What's popcorn?" Ichika asked, even as Kazui's face lit up.
"Come on, we can get some from Oba-san!" Kazui exclaimed, and the two children ran downstairs without a backward glance at their parents.
Ichigo shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at Rukia. "I guess we should join them," he suggested.
Rukia's lips curved down into a slight frown and her eyes looked – hurt – for just a second. "Ichigo…" she started.
"The fight's going to start," he said.
They looked at one another in silence, her body leaning towards his and his head hanging down. Then they both turned and walked downstairs. For less than a second, a red string appeared between them, twisted and frayed.
That night, after their guests had left and he'd cleaned up the spilled popcorn from when Chad had landed a particularly good punch and Keigo had knocked over one of the popcorn buckets in his enthusiasm, Ichigo laid down on the couch and tried to fall asleep. He often spent the night on the couch with insomnia, and Orihime claimed he snored when he'd been drinking. Even though he'd only had two beers he didn't want to keep her awake.
Rukia was just behind him, Sode no Shirayuki released into its shikai state. Ichigo was already in bankai, clad in the white bone of Zangetsu with one curved, sharp horn adorning his head. The hilt of his zanpakutō felt awkward in his hands, yet another different shape and size after he and Rukia had left the Zero Division.
"I have already seen all of the possibilities, Ichigo," Yhwach told him as Ichigo rushed forward, Zangetsu ready to strike. "I have seen every move you could make. And I have seen what will break you." Even as Ichigo reached him, Yhwach lightly touched Zangetsu, which shattered in his hands. Ichigo fell back, blood spraying from the open slash across his chest.
"Yes, I have seen it. It's a pity – she was such a pretty girl." As he said the words, Rukia screamed, and the sound sent fear shuddering through Ichigo's heart. He struggled to climb to his feet and sought out Rukia.
Just in time to see her fall, blood spraying from a slash that nearly bisected her. "RUKIA!" Ichigo clutched his shihakusho shut across his chest to stem his own bleeding and rushed to her, ignoring Yhwach's low laughter.
You couldn't protect the Queen, Zangetsu growled as Ichigo threw himself down beside Rukia and pulled her into his arms. He grabbed the white bandaging that remained of his zanpakuto, wrapping it around Rukia's chest in a futile effort to reduce the bleeding until someone – anyone – could heal her. She looked up at him, violet eyes already growing dim, and tried to smile.
"I'm…sorry I wasn't strong enough," she whispered. "I l—"
"RUKIA!" Ichigo's reiatsu spiraled out of control, obliterating the ground around them as the shinigami in his arms died and Zangetsu howled his rage.
Ichigo bolted upright on the couch with a shout, narrowly missing the coffee table with his legs. His hair was plastered to his forehead, slick with sweat, and he could feel more dripping down the back of his neck. He was panting, breathing hard as if he had run a mile, and his chest ached as if Yhwach's strike had been real.
He opened his eyes and saw only the living room, with its beige walls and light, neutral-toned furniture. There was no sign of the destroyed Seireitei. Ichigo fell back against the soft couch cushions and let his head drop into his hands. Just a dream. Yhwach was gone, and Rukia wasn't dead – he'd seen her just hours ago, healthy and whole.
And happy, he supposed. From the day he'd stopped the Sokyoku from obliterating her soul, he'd wanted her to be happy and safe. If Renji made her happy and protected her, wasn't that a good thing? It was a good thing, he reminded himself.
When his breathing settled, Ichigo rose again and walked into the kitchen on bare feet. He poured himself a glass of water and glanced at the clock on the oven: it was three in the morning. "I didn't even drink much," he grumbled to himself. Maybe it was all the popcorn and sweets.
Maybe it was Rukia being here, his conscience whispered as he walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch. She and Renji had lingered after everyone else had gone, under the pretext that Ichika and Kazui were having fun getting to know one another. That was when the beer had come out, and Orihime had quickly plated some ika ten and small onigiri for everyone to enjoy. As one drink turned into two, she had brought out gyoza as well. Those had been more of a mixed bag: Orihime still liked to…experiment in the kitchen, and some of the small dumplings had been filled with odd combinations. Watching Renji try to figure out which gyoza were filled with shrimp and sweet red bean paste, and which held the more normal mixture of seasoned pork, had been entertaining.
Ichika had been restless and overtired by the time they'd all finished their second beers. Ichigo remembered the scowl on her face and for just a moment he'd thought it looked eerily familiar. Must have gotten that from Renji, he remembered thinking.
Renji and Ichika had left first, the former carrying his sleepy daughter over one shoulder. Rukia had lingered for just a moment longer under the blue lights of the Kurosaki Clinic sign, after Orihime went back inside to put Kazui to bed.
Ichigo dropped his head back against the couch cushion as he remembered what she'd asked him.
"This afternoon, back in the hallway. What happened to you just before we felt Yhwach?"
Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "I think I was just reacting to his reiatsu. Don't worry about it, midget. You said you'd report it to the Gotei. They'll figure it out, I'm sure."
The nickname earned Ichigo a kick in the shin, and he grumbled in pain even as Rukia's expression turned serious. "Are you sure it was that? I didn't feel his reiatsu until…afterwards."
"Yeah. Don't worry, Rukia. Really." Ichigo pursed his lips, looking toward Renji and Ichika, who were growing smaller as they walked back toward Urahara's place. "How old's Ichika, anyway?"
Rukia's lashes lowered to hide her eyes, and her lips tightened briefly before she looked up at him again. "She's eight years old now, and a new shinigami apprentice."
Ichigo frowned and his eyebrows scrunched in. "Only eight? She's tall for her age, then."
"Yes, she is." The words were flat, and Ichigo sensed he'd struck a nerve although he couldn't imagine how or what he'd said. "I'd better catch up to them. See you later, Ichigo."
Their eyes met one more time, and Ichigo smiled down at her softly. "Later, Rukia. Thanks for coming today."
Ichigo drained his glass of water and left it on the coffee table. Yhwach is dead, he reminded himself again, and had been for years, the earlier burst of reiatsu notwithstanding. And even if he hadn't been – what was Ichigo supposed to do? He hadn't raised a weapon to anyone, or anything, in seven years. Not since the first time his badge beeped after Orihime gave birth to Kazui and she – exhausted by the ordeal and from Kazui's nightly screaming – had begged him not to go.
A chill ran down Ichigo's spine despite the summer heat, but he stretched back out on the couch to try and sleep for a few more hours.