"That is ludicrous."
"It's not. It's true."
"You're telling me that you think Measure for Measure is better written than Hamlet-" she watches him sputter, near choking on his own bafflement, "-one of the greatest pieces of literature written, so legendary that what's left of literary scholars today are still talking about it five hundred years later?"
"I am. You need to read Measure for Measure again."
"No don't turn this on me, you need to read Hamlet again-"
"I already did. Four times. I'm not saying it's bad. I'm. Just. Not. Impressed." She crosses her arms and looks at him pointedly, working admittedly hard to prevent the smirk working at her face. "Anyway, that's my personal opinion."
"Yeah, well, your opinion sucks-"
"My opinion is pristine."
"Okay, so-so why would, like, hundreds of literary scholars disagree with you?"
"I don't know these scholars you speak of that you read from one book, but I can tell you they're dead and outdated."
He huffs, twisting around so that his back is turned to her against the screen. Like he's punishing her.
She knows he can't see her, but just in case she smothers her grin into her palm.
It's strange, she considers as she moves the chair she was leaning against, studying the floor beneath the table. How quickly they've fallen into a bizarre sort of friendship-and over books at that.
At the day's end after they had exchanged Hamlet and King Lear, Rukia became rather embarrassed at herself. How rude she was at his misunderstanding her proposed arrangement, how quickly she had taken his valued copy from his hands…
How excited she became at the thought of having a reading partner.
She didn't sleep well that night. It wasn't like her to act that way. The fact that she hadn't had a literary friend in so long was no excuse. As a lady she was to have poise, she was to be elegant and reserved and not expect more of other people than what their duties called for, that was something she swore to herself after Kaien-
She was ready to apologize when his next shift came. Instead, before she could say a word he came back with her King Lear in hand claiming that Lear "was a total pissant."
She still chose her words carefully around him, and days after the hospital left her not wanting to talk to him at all.
But today was a good day, and she was rather ashamedly surprised that annoying him so easily was… Quite fun.
As if on cue, he turns his head-but not enough to look at her. "You're wrong."
"On the contrary: I'm always right. I'm the Prized One, remember?"
He scoffs and shakes his head. "Whatever that means, I can see it clearly hasn't gotten to your head." He stops, and she can hear him wrapping his knuckles on the floor. "So you're telling me none of it resonated with you? I mean, this guy's birthright was taken from him, so he fought-"
"No, not really." she stops him half-mindedly. Her gaze and attention is really on the small chandelier hanging above her table that needs quite a bit of dusting."Besides: he doesn't deserve to be king. His self-entitlement cost lives, and for what? What he thinks may have been a ghost of his dead father?"
"Well no one's arguing Hamlet's a good guy, but-that's my point! Lives were cost at the selfish decisions of the rich. How about Ophelia, didn't you feel a… I don't know, a connection to how vulnerable she-um EXCUSE ME what are you doing?"
She looks down at his sputtering expression from where she stands on the table. "What? I'm dusting this chandelier."
"Yeah I can see that, but Kiyone's coming later and… I don't know, has a ladder?"
"Kiyone's gone for the day, and I need this done now." She blinks at him. "Did no one tell you? My brother's coming for a visit."
"No one tells me anything here." He grumbles, but still eyes her skeptically as she reaches up to polish the decorative glass petals. "Look, could you just-can you get down from there? You're gonna get hurt, and he's not worth it."
"No I'm not; see? I'm already done." She drops her rag on the ground below. "And don't talk that way about my brother. Now, he's coming soon so I have to-"
She twists her body to find the chair from which she can step down, forgetting that she's standing on what she realizes now is a rather slippery paper.
She hears a shout as she tumbles down.
He's shouting and Rukia is on the ground and groaning and goddamn it he knew this would happen and if the psycho doesn't answer him this second he's gonna blame her for the ten years shaved off his life but he can't think about that now he's-
He's inside the room. Holding her.
He doesn't remember even twisting the latch open, or the exact moment that he decided to disobey her orders by coming in-but whatever. It wasn't a question, coming to her side.
"Rukia. Hey! Rukia, answer me." She grimaces in response, but he near bellows in a sigh of relief. "Jesus! You scared the shit out of me."
"What are you doing over here, fool?" Her glare and tone could kill, but Ichigo just rolls his eyes.
"I don't know, why were you thinking you could just stand up on such a weak ass table and not get hurt?"
"That's not the point."
"That is the point, dumbass, that's why we're here!"
"Don't talk to me that way. Go back to your side, I'm fine-" she starts to get up, but flinches with a sharp intake of breath.
Her eyes meet his and they stare each other down.
"Where does it hurt?"
"I'm fine, I just said I was."
"You just fell four feet at least, so no you're not fine-"
"Quit overreacting, it's not like I went unconscious-"
"Even so, you could have sprains. Let me have a look-"
"This is completely disregarding my orders-"
"Rukia, sit on the damn chair and shut up!"
He thinks she's going to scream back for a moment, until she follows his orders with an irritated huff and pulls herself up to sit in the closest chair he had pulled for her. Ichigo doubts she really gave up that easy, and that he'll have to pay for it sometime later.
Whatever, he can deal with it once he finds her injuries.
After giving her head a once over and asking her repeatedly whether she hit it (the answer is a bratty, resounding "no" each time, which leaves Ichigo somewhat relieved), he moves back to look at the rest of her body.
"Where does it hurt then?"
Silence.
"I'll wait right here as long as I have to."
"... My hands broke my fall, but my ankle is rather sore."
Ichigo nods. "Makes sense, if you twisted it," he mutters before kneeling at her feet to take a closer look.
Surprisingly the ankle looks fine; a little swollen, but nothing that can't heal on its own. He gently feels out the rest of the foot, gingerly pressing his thumb into different points of the fragile bones.
"Here? Is it okay here?"
She doesn't answer, but he can feel her nod. He swallows thickly, moving his hand slowly past her ankle, up around her calf.
Her skin-he tries not to notice-is very soft.
"Here…?" He looks up and finds her watching him. Her lips are slightly parted, and her half-lidded eyes look slightly… Hazy? Dazed? Curious?
He doesn't know what to call them, but he knows he's not able to look away.
He's caught by the stillness of the moment-his looking up at her, her gazing down at him-and he's pretty sure the only noise in the room is his breath, the creak of her chair. He should probably do something, say anything to make this normal again-and he'd rather not do anything because the only thing he can do would be very inappropriate and something he very much does not want to do so he opens his mouth to speak-
"My sister Karin is unhappy in the kitchens, would you be able to put her in masonry?"
Rukia's eyes snap open wide. Her face falls, startled and even a little sad and she firmly kicks her leg from his grasp.
Ichigo wants to shove his whole fist in his mouth and choke.
You absolute piece of shit.
"Of course, I'd be happy to put a good word in." She clears her throat, looking anywhere but him. "Are you done? I've told you, I'm all right."
"Y-yeah of course. Sorry." He stumbles back onto his heels, brings himself to stand on suddenly jittery legs. "Look, Rukia, I didn't-that's not what I-"
"That's Lady Rukia to you."
The two of them jump at the unexpected voice, and turn to see where it's coming from. Byakuya is standing at the doorway, coolly eyeing his sister and her flustered bodyguard.
He sees her get up rather quickly and bow. "Brother, I thank you for your presence-"
"Are you hurt, Rukia?" Byakuya directs the question at her, but keeps his eyes trained on Ichigo's. "I can only imagine that was what was happening so distastefully with your bodyguard. Though how he would have any medical knowledge is beyond me."
"My father often offered medical assistance in the Valley-"
"Medical knowledge in the Valley is akin to a monkey learning how to be a doctor here: not even close in their knowledge."
Before Ichigo has the chance to snap, Rukia pipes up. "He did well in searching for immediate injuries, Brother. And I have no doubt the medical facilities look for anything he might've missed tonight."
"I would believe so." He eyes Ichigo sternly for another moment before turning his attention to his sister. "In any case, you know better to be careful Rukia. I don't need to remind you of your delicate condition."
"Of course, Brother. I only wanted the room to look nice for you-"
"Guard, you may leave." He nods curtly back to Ichigo. "I require a private meeting with my sister, and from there I will accompany her to the medical facilities."
He hears a sharp intake of breath from Rukia. "So early today? Can't it be a little later-"
"The hospital needs to see you sooner for another test. Their schedule cannot be helped."
"... Of course." Rukia bows again, then turns to Ichigo. "Ichigo, you may go. Thank you for your service today."
Ichigo grits his teeth. He knows Rukia was looking forward to Byakuya coming, but he doesn't like the idea of this fucking asshole nitpicking her without anyone to protect her.
But then… He was just a fucking asshole to her, too.
And Rukia's still not looking him in the eye.
He walks out of the room, past the captain with tightened fists before slamming the door with a frustrated thud.
Lunch with her brother has never been… Well. Comfortable. Particularly after he's just found her and her bodyguard in a compromising position.
Not that it was at all what it looked like; Ichigo was just checking her for injuries, after all. Maybe she felt… Dizzy when he was gently pressing her ankle, his calloused hand moving its way up her calf-but she can blame the lightheadedness on her fall. Besides: it was clear he thought nothing of it, either. The way he asked for his sister…
She's not offended, she muses as she pours more tea into her brother's cup. Not in the slightest. She's rather used to people asking things of her, and it's all right. Really. He's already proved himself a capable servant, he can ask for things.
It's better that there's distance, she thinks as she holds the cup out to her brother with two hands. It's better to think of him as just that: a capable servant. Don't blur the lines like last time.
"You look deep in thought today, Sister." Byakuya observes her from behind his raised cup. "Is something the matter?"
She shakes her head, shakes the annoying feelings of disappointment and loneliness from her mind. "Not at all. I'm just rather tired. I suppose I wasn't expecting to… To go to the hospital so early today."
"It is necessary. You know the tests are planned very carefully." He replies shortly, but there's a tinge in his voice that she knows is not unkindness. "After tonight, you will get a bit of rest. I have requested that they give you a longer break before your next visit."
She bows her head low. "Thank you for your kindness, Brother."
"It is no kindness. I would think it does little good for the doctors to have you so weary, as they have the past few weeks." He sips his tea nonchalantly, but she knows his action for what it is: a mercy.
They are not common from him, but she knows he does try where he can.
Which is why she knows moments like these are the best times to ask.
"By the way, Brother-if you would be so inclined… I would like to ask for my favor of the month. My bodyguard-Ichigo Kurosaki-"
"I know who he is, you need not describe him by name."
"Of course. His sister… I believe her name is Karin. If I am to be believed, she does not make a great fit in the kitchens-"
"Has she made your meals incorrectly? Does she need to be reprimanded?" Her brother drums his fingers slightly on the table.
"No! No, nothing like that. Just… I believe she might be better elsewhere. Perhaps Masonry? From what I've heard, there are always workers needed there-and I'm sure she is quite capable of the work."
Byakuya watches her evenly, and she resists the urge to squirm or gulp down the rest of her tea in distraction. He doesn't tolerate people that can't hold a level conversation with him-no matter how intimidating he may or may not know himself to be.
Finally, he lets out a dignified snort. "That group has been spoiled enough already," he lets out, clearly irritated. "The boy is your bodyguard, one is being led around our classified medical facilities, the others have jobs citizens more qualified than them have been requesting for years. Yamamoto believes they bring good, but I do not."
"I think-I believe they are just hard working people with no place to go-"
"They could've gone someplace else. There are other villages that still exist… But very well. If you request to have the girl moved… Then I trust your judgement." He looks at her, and it's subtle-but she'd say it is one of exasperated affection. "You ask too much for others, Sister, and not enough for yourself."
She is about to say something, thank him for his kindness yet again when he clears his throat and stands to leave. "Shall we go, then?"
Rukia nods, stacking her dishes neatly for Kiyone to take while she's gone.
She tries not to think about discomfort she'll face tonight, the raw pain that'll sure enough be in her shoulder.
But It is worth it, she tells herself until it gives her the strength to stand taller.
So long as I'm helping people, it is worth it.