Bleach 1. Chapter 1

Blind Eyes, Empty Head. Chapter 1

"Kurosaki-kun!" cried Inoue, excitement at the sudden flicker of the orange haired hero's eyelids. In an instant Ichigo shot up from the familiar blankets clothing him and turned to examine the figures standing around him.

"Where am I? Is this my house?" He questioned his eyes adjusting to the light allotting him the ability to take note of four figures standing at his bed side. Well, almost four. The big busted ditz was kneeling at his next to him, but as Orihime had screamed directly into his ear several moments ago her presence was clearly noted. The darkest of the figures placed a pale palm upon the now embarrassed Inoue before speaking. "Yeah, You slept for about a month…" mumbled Rukia. Chad and Ishida stared at the floor uncomfortably silent.

"A month?" Ichigo question his eyes widening with shock. His mind tried to make sense of said statement. Why had he needed to sleep for a month. He was training with Zangetsu and then…Aizen. "Oh right my powers!" Ichigo cried placing his palm to his chest instinctively trying to feel around for any remaining reiatsu.

"Ichigo…" Rukia mumbled waiting for Ichigo to look up at her before continuing. The violet eyed Shinigami instantly regretted this move. The orange haired boy raised his face innocently to meet her gaze, his palm still loosely placed over his heart. "Urahara told us everything…Youv'e lost your Shinigami powers…" Determining it was best to stay strong she met Ichigo's surprisingly lighthearted gaze. Several moments of silence passed in the room before she spoke again. "You, already know?" It was phrased as a question but didn't really require an answer. A deep breath of warm air escaped Ichigo's lips as he placed his forearms back on the mattress beneath him.

"It seems so. I guess I'll have to resign as a Shinigami." muttered Ichigo trying to sound as normal and apathetic as he could. Chad, Ishida, and Inoue subconsciously smiled feeling relieved that their friend was taking such a shocking announcement as well as he was. As well as they thought he was. Rukia knew better.

"The first stage brings intense pain, loss of consciousness, and a reversal of time in regards to whatever you experienced in the Dankai. Your hair's shorter isn't it? It's not cause we cut it…" Rukia placed her monologue on hold for two reasons. Yes, she wanted to give her injured companion a moment to inspect his body but primarily because she feared if she didn't take a deep breath her already dry mouth would no longer permit words to escape her lips. The breath didn't help much and though her voice appeared normal to the 'background characters', Ichigo knew something was up. He wasn't completely sure but he had spent enough time staring at his closet to tell when something was upsetting the petite Death-God. "In the second stage your remaining reiatsu stabilizes and you awaken. Soon your remaining Reiryoku will disappear as well. Ichigo's gaze stood stagnant for several moments on Rukia's pristine and pale facial features.

"Yeah, I figured It'd be something like that." Admitted Ichigo before coming to a personal conclusion of why Rukia seemed so upset. "I guess I'd be upset too if I put a bunch of work into training a dog only to have it hit by a truck…" Deduced the steadily waking, former, substitute Shinigami. "Can I go outside?" Rukia nodded as Ichigo stood and walked towards his home's exit the group following him slowly. As Ichigo stepped onto the concrete sidewalk the bite of a harsh reality sunk it's fangs into his neck. "I can't feel any spirits." maintained the youngest Kurosaki youth. Turning his head he looked down to see the girl who had given him his gift, in what seemed, such a short time ago. "Even Rukia…I can't even…" his thoughts bubbled and collided as he looked to see such anguish and apathy polluting her immaculate visage. "I wont be able to tell her…Tell her I can't even see her…I really Have lost my powers."

"This is goodbye Ichigo." noted Rukia her frame shaking whilst feigning control. His eyelids fell slightly noting her discomfort…

"She's been good to me…even when I'm no longer any use she has enough pity to try and look like she cares." thought Ichigo before returning her stoic comment as best he could. "It would seem so." The words rolled off of his lips in a fashion much less masculine than he had hoped. Her small arms folded over her even smaller chest, her dark robes fluttering in the depressed wind.

"I'll be strong. I can be strong for him…" Reflected Rukia before speaking. "What, Don't look so sad. Even if you can't see me I'll still be able to see you." Her words were normal yet her mind determined that repeating the mantra, "I don't need to burden him with my feelings. I can be strong for him this time.", was a good idea.

"What? That doesn't make me happy at all! Anyway, I wasn't looking sad." Returned Ichigo trying to sound harsh his head falling to the ground, his right hand clutching his orange hair harder than he intended. "I won't be able to tell her…" relayed his mind once more. Rukia's face fell to the asphalt as well and the two stood for several moments in silence. To anyone else it would seem as though the road beneath them held some deep significance but to the two opposing figures it was a simple way to deal with the misinterpreted emotions and physically drastic flux in feeling. Rocks don't hurt to look at. "Give everyone my regards." choked Ichigo not knowing what else he could say. "I want to see her looking at me one more time." screamed his increasingly desperate mind. Her face was fading fast and even with his raised head his eyes were strained to remain on the girl he loved so much.

"I will." She whimpered, her face raising to look into his eyes once more. Even if she couldn't tell him of her utter gratefulness and overall adoration, and…and love. She wanted to see him looking at her one more time.

"Bye Rukia…" uttered the orange haired high school student. He couldn't see anything. Several moments he stared into the air in front of him unable to see Rukia staring back with a wide eyed anguish filled face. Ichigo turned walked past his, still visible, friends and entered his house closing the door behind. Placing his back to the wooden frame his knees shook and his strength gave out. He could hear his friends banging on the door trying to console or check on him but Ichigo was less than interested. He couldn't see her and his head felt empty.

This will be a ten shot and by no means affect any other stories. If the people reading my SennaxIchigo story are upset I updated this before that, Well oh well. They haven't hit 60 reviews yet. I am a man of my word.


	2. Chapter 2

Blind Eyes, Empty Head. Chapter 2

If you want this Chapter to be any harder on you I suggest playing Bleach sad Theme 2 while reading.

Inoue, Chad, and Ishida slammed their fists against Ichigo's front door for several minutes before deeming that they were not going to receive any sort of answer.

"Rukia-san do you think…" Orihime began but was cut short as the dark haired beauty already had her back turned and was entering the elegant doorway that led to the Soul Society.

"Should we bust it down?" Chad questioned a particularly curly strand of dark hair obscuring his vision. The group considered it for several moments before Ishida stepped forward his arms crossed.

"Kurosaki-san will be fine. I know when I thought I'd lost my powers I needed some time to think about what I would do from this point on…Give him a week, if he's still downtrodden will

look for a stronger solution." As the Quincy spoke his left hand raised and pushed his small glass frames up the bridge of his nose. While Orohime wasn't particularly satisfied with the

decision she nodded and left with the group glancing back to the household several times.

-In Soul Society-

Rukia exited the ornate portal slowly leaving her caught in a mass of dispersing hell butterflies each with their own distinct destination. As she walked down the stone streets of her home

she smiled jealously at a passing group of academy students laughing. Shaking it off she continued her slow pace towards the Division 13 barracks. Taking in several unsteady breaths

Rukia noticed the large hill where she should have been executed. The cross still remained broken where Ichigo had struck it and once more she placed her walk on hold. Previous

moments whirled through her mind. How she had resigned herself to death in appearance and sobbed inwardly praying that she would get to see him one more time. The feeling if his

large hand picking her up, as platonic as it was, and throwing her over his shoulder. She liked that he was strong. "A man should be strong. Otherwise…" She mumbled getting lost in her

selfish musings before remembering how she hadn't thanked him. She should have. She should have dropped that stubborn sense of false strength and told him she was scared and

jumped into his arms like the girls did in those comics she had stocked up in Ichigo's closet. She continued towards her destination deducing that, that, had been the problem the entire

time. She was so insistent on portraying herself as strong, structured and intelligent while he had forced himself to act apathetic and omnipotent. "How do you get romantic feelings

across with such an attitude." She sighed looking up at the entrance to Squad 13's building. The violet eyed Kuchiki knew exactly what she would request. To be stationed in Karakura as

the residing Shinigami; that way, she would be fulfilling her obligations whilst being close to the Idiot who had been her Messiah.

-In Ichigo's Bedroom-

Mismatched clouds drifted by upside down buildings in an, all together, other-worldly manner. A small smile formed on the mouth of the orange haired youth. This place…It was nostalgic

yet different. Sitting cross-legged atop his current residence, Ichigo placed his palms atop his kneecaps and pivoted his head left then right. Just pale grey towers. He even went so far as

to lean back on his elbows to turn and get a 180 degree view. "Zangetsu?" thundered the soul inhabitant. There was no answer even after an extended period of waiting and suddenly

he understood. That was the difference. This place where he'd spent hours, days, even months was completely unoccupied. It was lonely and one could only stare at the spiraling clouds

for so long before getting dizzy. "It must have been hard for them…" sputtered Ichigo speaking aloud to break the defining silence. At this point he would even have settled for the

company of a white lunatic laughing hysterically before attempting to impale him. Something wet touched the top of his head and drizzled down his scalp causing him to place his hand

steadily in his orange locks before looking up. There wasn't anything above him. He looked down and then again he felt a drop of water touch his body. Again. Again. His cheek this time.

His forehead, His palm, his neck. Before Ichigo had time to consider looking for shelter, not that there was any, deep dark rain poured down on himself. The water felt heavy, dark, and it

soaked right through his, unfortunately, civilian clothing. "It's cold…" He mumbled taking his knees to his chest in a quite uncharacteristic fashion. "It's cold. It's cold. It's cold….It's cold…"

repeated the drenched youth his face staring strait into the awkward sky causing him to blink as certain drops of rain collided with his pupils. His soaked locks clung to the muscles of his

neck in awkward curls and in then it didn't.

His body twitched and the groggy youth opened his auburn eyes staring at the white paint on the ceiling above him. "That's right I came to my room and went back to sleep…" Ichigo

thought placing his palm over the left side of his face in an attempt to calm himself. Despite it's bleak sense of oblivion, the time he had just experienced in his mind was a reminder to

himself that he had once been competent in the happenings of the great beyond. As he sat up in his bed his back ached and the orange haired savior wondered for several moments if

what he had experienced was the real thing or a dream version of Zangetsu's home. After several minutes of trying to access his mind of his own free will he determined sadly that it was

the latter.

Still a 10 shot. This chap is short, The two will at least be in the same room in the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Read and Review. As, I suggest listening to sad music while having the site playing.**

The past three weeks had been extremely peaceful for Ichigo. No peaceful wasn't the right word. They had been boring. He woke up, his dad attacked him in an honest attempt to raise his spirits, he

walked to school, he ate lunch with Chad, Ishida, and Orihime, and then he walked home alone despite his friend's protests. When he was home he smiled at his sisters, went to his room and either

studied or stared at his closet. Desperately. Continually. Hopefully. It never produced any noise, and despite how many times he opened it, it remained empty. It wasn't unusual for Ichigo to sit in front

of his door cross-legged and stare as deeply as he could into the wood paneling inside the closet praying to kami that he would get the smallest glimpse of black haze. He never did. It just caused his

eyes to water and his head to throb. With that he'd sigh and go to bed knowing that he was only causing his family to feel distressed.

The past three weeks had been quiet for Rukia. No, quiet wasn't the right word. They had been lonely. From the start she had asked her superiors to be reinstated as the resident shinigami of Karakura

town and to her surprise her request had been granted. Her Taicho had said something about it being the least they could do after all Ichigo had done for them but the heartbroken girl could not

remember his exact words. After being placed back on duty her immediate instinct was to go see her Ichigo; however, said act hadn't turned out nearly as well as she had planned. He looked tired,

bored, and confused. She understood the later emotion. She herself could not understand why the savior was the only one who had lost anything. It left a prickle on the back of her neck. During the

day the youngest Kuchiki followed several paces behind Ichigo's irregularly slow pace and only left to destroy hollows if he was safely surrounded by his schoolmates or if it was an emergency. When

Ichigo was home things seemed much worse. The majority of Ichigo's free time was spent in his room and to her horror a majority of that time was spent cross-legged across from her closet staring

desperately into nothing. The first time she'd seen that she'd immediately deemed it unacceptable and resolved to sit across from him as long as he stared. His face was so pained and as the hours

passed she could see his eyes weaken and battle to stay focused.

Today's routine had stayed consistent. Ichigo moped as he entered his house, kissed Yuzu and Karin's foreheads before making his way up to his room. As the tall strawberry opened his door widely

Rukia ducked under his arm and gave a bow of thanks, knowing full well he couldn't see her. Walking to the closet she placed her sheathed white sword against the back of the closet and sat leaning.

Looking at the clock she noticed that it was five. "He'll do homework for about an hour before trying to see me." She smiled to nobody in particular. "I have time for a quick nap." As she spoke she

leaned into the back of the closet and pressed her face to the nearest pillow. The silent shinigami was asleep for fifteen minutes before she heard Ichigo's chair shuffle back and heard his footsteps

approaching the closet. "You're going to try earlier today Ichigo?" She questioned hopefully. Obviously she recieved no response but he did sit down and begin staring desperately into her eyes.

"This time, I'll be able to see you…" he declared strictly his eyes as wide and desperate as they could possibly get. No longer able to take the pained look she had received for the past several weeks

the small girl leaned forward pressing her forehead to his while cupping each side of his face with her delicate pale hands.

"I know you will Ichigo." She smiled desperately trying to make herself believe the words escaping her mouth. Thirty minutes passed Rukia's face still close as possible to Ichigo's. Despite the utter

anguish each side was feeling Rukia could not help but take note of how natural it felt to be in such close proximity. Ashamed, she was thankful that he stayed in this position until nearly midnight as

she had no intention of moving. Ichigo shifted slightly wincing a bit causing her heart rate to increase. "Can… Ichigo can you…" Rukia was cut off as her lover spoke.

"This time… This time…" mumbled Ichigo, drastically unaware that several streams of salt had begun running down his cheeks and over his lover's small fingertips. Slowly his head sank from her grip no

matter how she tried to hold it up. "I…I will…I…Rukia…Are you even hear?" choked the destroyed hero his knuckles turning white as he clenched his palms into fists.

"I can I'm right here Ichigo!" cried Rukia leaning as far forward as she could tears now painting her face as well.

"I'm…I'm an Idiot aren't I Rukia?" He laughed cynically.

"Yes you're a morron. Ichigo please I'm right here!" Trying to grasp his shoulders she yelled as loud as she could the built up desperation finally releasing. Slowly Ichigo's hands unclenched and he let

his body fall back onto the carpet in a diluted thud.

"I can't see a thing…" Ichigo stuttered stoically staring at his white ceiling. Rukia held back several choked sobs before finally resting her head on his chest her dark traditional hair scattering across the

collar of his shirt.

"Please Ichigo?" She begged before continuing trying her best to snuggle into his chest and produce some sort of response in his being. "Please see me?" As she finished she closed her eyes and the

two fell asleep on the carpet.

**Review.**


	4. Chapter 4

_I just finished getting a story published in real life and that takes months and months of work, so sorry for the delay. I'm updating all my stories to show my readers I'm still living so this will be shorter than usual. -I know that in the manga he can see her again, so if my readers would prefer I discontinue this story I will-_

When Ichigo opened his eyes he found that his chest hurt. Not just his chest but his back as well. "Where am I?"

he mumbled looking left then right before realizing that he had fallen asleep on the carpet. "That's right," he said

leaning up and effectively toppling the still sleeping Rukia off of him and onto the carpet. He stretched and slowly

stood up several dissatisfied creaks erupting from his body. His eyes fell to the clock and then to his door. His

dad had probably seen him asleep on the floor and left him rather than waking him up. Ichigo smiled

appreciatively. For a few moments he remained still. He didn't turn his head, he didn't oblige the rumbling in his

stomach. He just stared at nothing, his eyes glossy and his back throbbing. "I'm going go back to bed Rukia," he

mumbled before staggering forward and falling back onto his bed. "Lay down with me?" he said aloud, his

eyelids narrowing but never closing completely.

Rukia awoke uncomfortably as she was semi-thrust from Ichigo's chest onto the carpet. "Idiot what the hell are

you doing!" She yelled rubbing her backside. "Is that any way to treat…" Her voice trailed off as the realization

that he couldn't hear her hit once more. Slowly standing up she couldn't help but feel guilty that she had slept as

well as she did. After all she'd gotten to embrace his warmth to her hearts content while he fell asleep with salt

stained cheeks. Rukia watched as he stared at the ceiling for several moments before telling her that he was

going to go back to bed. "You have school Ichigo," She replied watching as he fell onto his bed like a tree;

separated, from its trunk. Her heart clenched slightly as he asked her to lay with him and; nodding, she walked

over to his position and coyly sat left of him before lying down herself. Rukia scooted closer and pressed her

forehead to his. Her right hand fell to his cheek and her thumb traced small circles on his cheek before traveling

up his face in order to push several orange locks out of his face. She smiled lightly as hi features seemed to calm

slightly. "I love you Ichigo," she mumbled feeling her eyes begin to water once more. Ichigo's eyes fell

completely as he walked into the space between consciousness and sleep.

"I love you too Rukia," he mumbled before everything went dark.

_-Still No Beta-reader-_


	5. Chapter 5

**For those who asked, yes I really had one of my works published. No, I will not say what the title is, as I prefer to not give my identity away. I'm considering making this more than a 10 shot but I need the reviews telling me you all want that. **

Rukia's mouth gaped slightly and her eyes widened as the words she had desperately longed to her slid out of Ichigo's mouth.

"Ic..Ichigo?" she asked sitting up from her lying position. "Ichigo wake up," she ordered trying to shake him with her small palms that

simply slid right through his statuesque shoulders. "Ichigo, I know you heard me! I order you to wake up this instant!" Rukia yelled. The

shakes coming from her petite hands slowly steadied and after a few more desperate commands the stopped all together. "Wa..was I just

hearing things?" she stuttered looking down at the dozing boy. Small rivers of salty tears made their way down her pale cheeks before

jumping off of her and onto Ichigo. He didn't stir, didn't look up. He didn't scold her for waking him up so suddenly and he didn't say he

loved her. She had been hearing things after all… Of course she was hearing things. Did she honestly think that desire was any match for

circumstance? "I'm a fool," Rukia mumbled before falling back onto the bed, pushing her face desperately into one of the extra pillows.

Several hours after going back to bed, Ichigo finally stirred and lazily opened his eyes. His back wasn't hurting as much as it had been

earlier but for a reason he couldn't describe he felt like he hadn't slept as well as he did on the floor. The orange haired boy rolled his

head around his shoulders before sitting up and stretching his legs over the edge of his bed. "I'm gonna grab something to eat. I'll be

back in a second," Ichigo said before standing and walking out of his room. He realized that he had made a habit of narrating his actions

while in his room, and he couldn't help but feel slightly humiliated by this fact. "If she's not there then I'm just talking to myself," He said a

flush spreading over his cheeks. He entered the kitchen soon after exiting his room and noted, on the microwave's clock, that it was

around one o'clock in the afternoon. His sisters would be at school around this time and his father would be working. Ichigo itched the

right side of his neck and opened the refrigerator door, staring into it for several minutes until the fridge's fan kicked on and brought him

out of his daze. Turning, he walked over to the cabinets and grabbed a loaf of bread from one of the lower shelves and began walking

towards his room once more. "Am I really going to eat this dry?" he asked, while making a mental note that the bread was fairly large and

not sliced in any way.

"Seeing as you're a moron, probably," a small feminine voice said causing Ichigo to stop immediately and turn around quickly.

"Hello," he called out his grip tightening to the point in which the bread was squishing in his palms. Ichigo immediately recognized the

voice as that of the girl he'd been so desperately trying to contact and though his throat was quickly drying out he called out again.

"Rukia," he said once more. His head continued to survey the small hallway with everything he could until finally he felt something light fall

on his foot. Looking down he realized that he'd squished the loaf of bread in half in his desperation and with a humiliated look on his face

he turned towards the wall and his face under his arm. "I really am a moron," he laughed out loud heartbreaking cynicism evident in his

voice. "I'm so desperate to hear her that I'll settle for her calling me stupid," he finished.

Rukia hadn't been able to go back to sleep after the incident. The incident. That's all her mind would let her see it as. A moment of

complete delusion she'd been granted so that she could continue to watch her Ichigo without completely losing it. The hours weren't

terribly oppressive to get through. Every once in a while Ichigo would stir and she would trail the back of her palm across his cheek or pull

the blankets further up his body. She couldn't help but feel slightly frustrated at the fact that she could touch Ichigo's blankets but not

Ichigo himself, but she tried to be thankfull for what she had. Rukia watched for a few hours until he stirred and sat up on his bed an

uncomfortably depressed look in his eyes. She waited for him to speak and as he told her he was going to get something to eat she stood

as well and followed him in order to make sure he didn't hurt himself. "As if I could do anything if you did," she mumbled her own line

hurting more than she had expected it to. Rukia walked several paces behind the tall boy dashing around him every few minutes so that

she could see his face but he wouldn't walk through her. When they arrived in the kitchen she sat on the table an, crossed her left leg

over her right, and placed her chin in her palms. "It's about one," she said aloud watching him stare at the microwave for several seconds.

During their situation, Rukia had gotten pretty adept at estimating how long it would take Ichigo to complete a task and she smiled as he

walked towards the fridge almost immediately after she'd spoken. The petite girl kicked her legs back and forth on the table as she

watched him stare at the fridge for a few minutes before turning to the pantry to grab an entire loaf of bread. "You're really that Hungry?"

she asked, before hopping of the table in order to follow him. The two walked down the hallway, but Ichigo suddenly stopped before

reaching his door. Rukia raised her eyebrow curiously.

"Am I really going to eat this dry?" he asked aloud.

"Seeing as you're a moron, Probably," Rukia laughed attempting to nudge him in the ribs like she would in the past. Her heart stopped when she received a reply.

"Hello?" Ichigo asked turning so that his face was literally hovering Inches above hers. Rukia's eyes widened as she stumbled back a few

steps in order to see him better.

"He..Hello, Ichigo?" she asked an enormous amount of hope in her voice.

"Rukia?" he asked out loud turning around in circles several times. Rukia placed her petite pale palms over her mouth and tried to respond

again, her heart beating a mile a minute.

"Yes Ichigo?" she half cried beginning to run around him as he turned in order to keep eye contact. "Ichigo, I'm right here. We went over

this last night…Just see me..Please?" She asked her voice raspy. Rukia tried several times to grip Ichigo's cheeks but as his face slipped

through her palms she cried out in frustration. "Damn it Ichigo stop spinning around I'm right here!" To her surprise he did. And for several

seconds she permitted herself to hope that he really could see her. Unfortunately, it didn't last and soon Ichigo turned towards the wall

and placed his forehead up against it.

"I really am a moron," He said. Rukia's heart sank and she herself leaned against the cold wall. "I'm so desperate to hear her that I'll

settle for her calling me stupid."

"Don't settle on my account, you really are stupid," She replied, a halfhearted smile decorating her face. The petite girl turned and slowly

slid down the wall until she was in a sitting position and looking up at the statuesque guy she adored. "And you're lazy, and selfish, and

pig headed, and…and," Rukia stuttered trying to hold back tears. "And maybe it's me who isn't trying hard enough," She said standing up

her face contorted into a pained look. "I promise…I won't let this go on any longer Ichigo," She mumbled leaning up onto her tip toes

before planting a small kiss on his chin. "I'll find out how to fix this."

**I think That's enough of the depressing stuff. Look forward to the next chapter. And Please Review. **


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