[Bleach] Ever the Same {songfic | IchiRuki}

[Mellie]

Ever the Same
By: mellie
Anime/Chars/Pairing: Bleach; IchiRuki, brief appearance by Byakuya
Warnings: Uh...really obscure reference to death. Angst.
Notes: Set Post-SS sans current arc. Inspired by Rob Thomas's Ever the Same, mood soundtrack his CD Something to Be.
Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine. Nor are the lyrics.

We were drawn from the weeds
We were brave like soldiers
Falling down under the pale moonlight

The moon rose high above Karakura Town. A shadow merging with darkness easily ran through the thick night air. Alongside him was the pixy of a girl, matching his movements fluidly. Her phone had gone off moments ago: A hollow was close.

?Oi, Rukia, how much further?? The orange haired teen cast a look at the petite woman.

?Getting tired already, Ichigo?? A coy smile played across her lips as she turned left.

A few choice words were uttered beneath the substitute shinigami?s breath as he turned after her. The roar of a hollow echoed ahead of them, near the riverside. Destruction led up to the large beast before them. In its taloned hands lay a child, fighting uselessly against a force it could not see. ?Hey, don?t you have something better to do with your time??

His sword carelessly swung over his shoulder, Ichigo stared at the hollow before him. It tilted its large, masked head at the spirit power of the boy, dropping the child from his grip. Rukia swooped in, barely catching the toddler before the river swollen with early summer rain claimed him.

She hated leaving Ichigo?s side, but knew the cocky teen couldn?t fight without hesitation until the child was safe. Startled tears rang in her ears as she made her way through the maze of streets. Her mind was elsewhere, body moving on its own volition far from the field of battle. Once she knew they were far enough, she set the child down. ?It?ll be all right. Do you remember where you live??

Beneath the hand she had laid on his head, he nodded. ?That way.? A small hand pointed just down the street. Lights were on outside and the occasional call of a name was heard. Rukia smiled before pushing him home.

As she ran back towards the riverside, worry flooded her senses. He was too reckless when fighting, with strength and experience on his side. Doubt invaded her mind that she would ever feel comfortable with him fighting.

Silver moonlight illuminated two figures engaged in battle and Rukia felt her breath catch in her throat. A confident smile lay across that handsome face as he brought the blade closer to the enemy. Blood covered them both, but the hollow was fighting with desperation. It wouldn?t be long before Ichigo would fall the beast. The large blade of Zangetsu gleamed in the moonlight before cracking through the white mask. A scream of agony ripped through the stillness of the night as it slowly disintegrated to meet its end.

?Oi, what took you so long, Rukia?? He turned to her and flashed that grin of his. Rukia returned his smile, her heartbeat quickening.

You were holding to me
Like a someone broken
And I couldn?t tell you but I?m telling you now

Her fingers were tangled in his hair, his arms around her delicate body. Each day they had together was a blessing, another day loneliness would still be a stranger. It would come to pass that this would end. Their happiness rested only on her brother?s whims. It was with his permission she had been allowed back to Earth to see Ichigo. Byakuya had been apologizing in his own way, and Rukia had been all too quick to find the brazen man whom had captured her heart.

?It can always be like this, can?t it?? His warm breath across her forehead made Rukia desirous to say yes. She never felt as safe as she felt when held within his arms. Being away from the comfort scared her. Instead of answering, she moved closer to him. He wants me home soon...

Ichigo sensed the darkening of her mood and held her closer. Their days were numbered-always had been, always would be. ?I?m here. I?m not going to leave you.?

Just let me hold you while you?re falling apart
Just let me hold you so we both fall down

Fall on me
Tell me everything you want me to be

The day of departure had come. Soul Society?s gates would open and readmit her, taking her too far away from his warmth. If she had it in her to disrespect her brother any further, she would have found a way to stay behind with Ichigo. But sometimes life took you places you didn?t want to go.

He stood a ways back, hands stuffed in pants pockets and eyes looking towards the ground. It wasn?t often that he came to see her off. They tried to avoid goodbyes that echoed into forever, instead pretending that it would only be a short while before they would see each other again. But they felt it this time. There was something different and heavy over their separation.

Rukia ran to him, burying her face in his shirt. Instantly his arms were around her. He was tense with unshed emotion as he held her close. It wouldn?t be the last time he would hold her, he knew. However, everything would change. Without knowing what it was, both of them acknowledge it. After a few moments, he pulled her away from him.

The calloused pads of this thumbs brushed across her cheeks to wipe away her tears. From his pocket, he pulled something out and pressed it into her hand. She looked down at it, an image taking shape beneath her tears. Startled eyes met his and they shared a reminiscent smile. ?Thank you, Ichigo.? Small fingers wrapped around it and her hand found her heart.

He watched her walk towards the large paper gates that would take her from his life once more. Resolve and strength squared her shoulders as she walked past the gates, casting one final look at him as the door slid shut. Ichigo jammed his hands back into his pockets, staring at the place she had been moments before. ?Always and forever,? he whispered in her wake.

Forever with you forever in me
Ever the same

Rukia rubbed her thumb across the smooth stone absently. It had been three weeks since she had left Ichigo, the orange haired man never leaving her thoughts. Almost like a golden bird in a gilded cage, she stayed within the walls of the Kuchiki manor. It was a self-imposed imprisonment and she wasn?t ready to leave.

Friends from soul society often stopped by, but she rarely took pleasure in their company. Her brother was her lone companion most days. They would sit quietly in the living room; silence their only means of communication. He innately understood everything in her solemn airs, neither punishing her for the emotions nor hiding his own behind the wall of nobility. The disruption of soul society had changed something between them, and more importantly something within him.

Without being able to name it, she respected it.

Today, however, she was left alone within the stately manor. Her feet had brought her to the outdoor tea patio, a place she knew her sister and brother had enjoyed many an afternoon. The breeze rustling the newly budding branches reminded her of a summer past, one she spent on Earth. With Ichigo.

We were free like water
Flowing down
Under the warmth of the sun

Water swirled around her ankles, eager to lead her further and deeper into the cool depths of the river. Overhead, late July sun beat down hotly. Ichigo watched her from the shore, enjoying the feel of her smile. Her laugh filled the air as she tossed a rock his way. He frowned, but had little time to react before her hands wrapped around his hand. Slightly alarmed, Ichigo tried to pull back. In one sharp tug, he found himself lying over her, her strength still able to catch him by surprise.

?That?s one way to do it,? he grinned down at her.

Violet eyes glared up at him, her hands uselessly pushing against the sinew of his shoulders. ?Ichigo! Let me up!?

?Not until I?m through punishing you.? He grinned wickedly before leaning down to crush his lips into hers. Well muscled legs trapped Rukia?s between them, allowing her no means to fight his strength. At least she wasn?t trying to bite him like last time. Instead, he felt one hand grab the front of his shirt collar and pull him closer. A man could get used to this.

When Rukia had started to shiver, Ichigo had pulled her up and carried her to the grassy shoreline. He set her down first before stretching out beside her. Clouds were starting to paint the afternoon sky, but the warmth of summer breeze chased away the cold. ?Ne, Rukia, when ya got to go back??

She let the grass tickle her cheeks and the branches overhead dance in the wind as she thought about it. There had been no word from Byakuya, and hollow activity had been light. Maybe this time it would be longer, let her pretend that she would never leave Ichigo?s side. ?He hasn?t said.?

A smile formed on her lips as she felt his hand wrap around hers. His hands were always rough and she enjoyed the feel of them on her pampered skin. She remembered how they felt as they skimmed down her sides, parting her legs as he prepared to enter her. ?Let?s always celebrate summer,? he murmured as he reached over and affectionately pulled a lock of her hair.

Now it?s cold and we?re scared
And we?ve both been shaken
Look at us
Man, this doesn?t need to be the end

In between the stages of consciousness and sleep, Ichigo lay in thought. His reverie was broken as a silhouette of five years past danced into his bedroom. Jolting up in surprise, brown eyes scrutinized the shadow before him. Everything about her was the same, and yet, there was something entirely foreign. Something heavy and dark weighing on the very essence of her being. ?Rukia.?

She turned to look at him, violet eyes dark with unspoken grief. He moved towards her quickly, wrapping his arms around her. Her hands grabbed onto his shirt, tears wetting the thin cotton. Winter whispered in through his window, but he only knew of her. After so long she was back in his room, in his arms. It should have felt more right, but nothing felt like it should have. She wasn?t supposed to be crying.

?He?s gone,? she breathed into his chest, her voice heavy with tears. He felt her lean into him and offered her his support. Instinctively it was clear what she was talking about and why she was crying. He placed his hand to her head and let her cry. Ichigo fought back his own tears, knowing he had lost and gained her all at once.

You may need me there
To carry all your weight
But you?re no burden I assure
You tide me over
With a warmth I?ll not forget
But I can only give you love

Even now, three years later, she was like a lone bloom of a Chinese bellflower. Beautiful, sad, and fragile she graced the earth with her sorrowful existence. The past was not something she could be without, there was more than guilt holding her back. All the same, he loved unconditionally.

Within the haunted smile, she offered what was left of her heart. She never spoke a word of what had happened, but Ichigo had come to understand. He made her happy, offered her the only freedom from her past. And when the tears came and she couldn?t escape the cruel fingers of her past, he held her tight and promised never to leave her side. Being alone scared her the most. Everything she ever knew slowly was stolen from her. He was all she had left.

Often Rukia apologized for not being able to love him better, but it was enough that she was back in his arms once more. Even if they could never go back to how they had once been, they were going to some place new. Some place they could go together. She loved him, and he loved her. They would carry the weight of her past together. And on those days when she allowed herself to forgive and forget, they had never been apart.

Forever it?s you
Forever in me
Ever the same

~fin

[Kane Shi Megami]

Wow I love this pairing and your story was really good.