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The three of them stood overlooking Karakura Town, the city stretching out before them in the night.

Y/N sat lazily on the ledge, his legs dangling over the edge as he played with a small sphere of blue energy, rolling it between his fingers, practicing manifesting and dissipating it at will. It had taken some trial and error, but Poseidon had been insistent that he learn to control his abilities properly.

Ichigo stood nearby, arms crossed, as Rukia continued her lecture on Soul Reaper duties.

"Understanding a Hollow's movements and behavior is critical," Rukia explained. "It's not just about swinging your sword. You have to anticipate their instincts."

Ichigo sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I got it."

Rukia narrowed her eyes. "You say that, but your footwork is still sloppy. Iโ€”"

Y/N, still rolling his energy sphere, called out, "C'mon, let her breathe, Teach. She just started."

Rukia shot him a side-eye glare. "You, of all people, shouldn't be slacking."

Y/N grinned, still toying with the energy. "I am training. Just... differently."

Meanwhile, inside Y/N's mind, the familiar gruff voice of Poseidon spoke up.

"Your control is improving, but you're still treating it like a toy, boy. That sphere should be a weapon."

Y/N chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you, old man."

"Then stop wasting time and practice forming actual techniques!" Poseidon grumbled. "A warrior who hesitates is already dead."

"Man, you sound like one of those old martial arts masters," Y/N muttered, watching the sphere ripple before he clenched his fist, snuffing it out instantly.

Rukia's voice suddenly cut through his conversation. "The kid from earlier."

Y/N turned his gaze toward where Rukia was pointing. A young boy was walking alone down a dimly lit street, completely oblivious to the danger lurking nearby.

"He's the most likely target," Rukia said, voice calm but firm.

Right on cue, a Hollow appeared, its massive, grotesque form emerging from the shadows, letting out an ear-splitting shriek as it lunged toward the boy.

Ichigo's eyes widened, and she moved to stop itโ€”

But Rukia's hand shot out, gripping Ichigo's arm.

"Wait," Rukia ordered.

Ichigo gritted her teeth. "What the hell are you doing?! That thing's gonna kill him!"

Rukia's expression didn't waver. "If you save that child, what stops you from saving every lost soul? If you save this one, will you save the next? And the one after that?"

Ichigo stiffened, her body tensing.

Rukia's voice softened, but her words cut deep. "If you take on this fight, then shoulder the responsibility of a Soul Reaper."

Ichigo's fingers curled into a fist.

"If you are truly willing to do this..." Rukia continued, "then be willing to die for them."

Y/N's grin faded slightly. Even Poseidon had gone quiet in his mind.

Ichigo grappled with the weight of the decision, her eyes darting back to the child, who had fallen, trembling in terror.

Memories of her family flashed through her mind.

Rukia had given up everything to save her.

Would she hesitate to do the same for someone else?

Ichigo squeezed her eyes shut, then let out a harsh breath.

"Damn it!"

With that, she broke free from Rukia's grip and charged straight for the Hollow.

Y/N smirked, watching as she closed the distance, her sword gleaming under the moonlight.

Poseidon grumbled in his mind. "She's got fire, I'll give her that."

"Yeah," Y/N murmured, cracking his knuckles. "She'll need backup."

As Ichigo leaped forward, Y/N extended a hand toward the Hollow.

With a flick of his fingers, the air trembledโ€”

Then, suddenly, several beams of high-pressure water erupted from his palm, piercing straight through the Hollow's body.

The creature howled in agony, its limbs spasming as the water shredded through it.

Ichigo didn't hesitate. She followed through with a massive downward slash, severing its head in a single clean strike.

The Hollow let out one final, fading wail before its body dissolved into the air, purified.

Y/N whistled. "Damn, that was kinda badass."

Ichigo huffed, straightening up. "Next time, warn me before you start shooting holes through things."

Y/N grinned. "Where's the fun in that?"

Rukia was staring at them both, her expression unreadable.

She had expected Ichigo to make the decision to act.

But Y/N's powersโ€”his control over themโ€”

That was something else entirely.

Ichigo gritted her teeth, her body still tense as she watched Y/N release the Hollow's spirit, the faint glow of its purified form disappearing into the night sky.

Her fists clenched, frustration bubbling inside her until she finally snapped.

"Stop acting like this is normal!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the quiet night.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, still grinning lazily. "What's got you all worked up now?"

Ichigo turned toward Rukia, eyes burning with anger. "I never agreed to this! I didn't ask to be a Soul Reaper! I never said I'd commit to this!"

Rukia met her gaze calmly, her arms crossed. "And yet, here you are, fighting Hollows."

Ichigo scowled, her nails digging into her palms. "Yeah, because I had to! But what happens when I don't want to? What happens when it gets too much?! I mightโ€”"

She hesitated, her breath hitching.

Y/N watched as she struggled to say itโ€”struggled to admit what she was really afraid of.

Ichigo's hands shook slightly before she exhaled sharply. "I might run away."

Y/N's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't say anything, letting her continue.

"I'm not a good enough person to throw my life away for people I don't know," Ichigo said, voice quieter now, but firm. "I'd like to think I would... but I don't know if I can."

She turned her head to the side, jaw clenched. "But I do know that I'm not the type of girl who can just go to sleep without paying her debts."

Rukia's expression softened just slightly, but she didn't interrupt.

Ichigo took a deep breath before raising her chin, determination settling into her eyes. "So fine. I'll do the damn Soul Reaper job."

Y/N, who had been silent up until now, suddenly grinned, clapping his hands together. "Oh, finally! I was starting to wonder if you'd ever admit it."

Ichigo turned to glare at him. "Don't start with me."

But Y/N simply chuckled, tilting his head slightly. "Relax, Ichi. I'm just sayingโ€”it's kinda badass of you."

She blinked, clearly thrown off by the unexpected praise, before scowling again and crossing her arms. "Shut up."

Y/N grinned wider before stretching his arms. "Well, since we're admitting thingsโ€”guess I wouldn't mind either."

Ichigo stared at him. "What?"

Y/N shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "What? You thought I'd let you have all the fun?"

Poseidon's gruff voice echoed in Y/N's head, amused. "Hah! I like this one. Reckless, but I like him."

Ichigo rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

Rukia, watching the two of them, sighed but smirked slightly.

Maybe these two wouldn't be so bad after all.

THWACK!

A baseball whizzed through the air, narrowly missing Ichigo's face before smashing into a tree behind her.

"HEY, WHAT THE HELL?!" Ichigo shouted, gripping her sword as she glared at Rukia, who stood across from them with an automatic baseball launcher, reloading it with an eerie amount of enthusiasm.

Rukia huffed, flipping open a notepad filled with crude, almost disturbing drawings. "The exercise is simple! You must deflect the baseballs that have a hand drawn on them and cut through the ones with the head!"

Y/N and Ichigo stared at the baseballs flying at them at rapid speedโ€”each one featuring horrific doodles of their own faces.

Ichigo twitched. "What the hell is this supposed to be?!"

"It's your faces!" Rukia said proudly.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, barely dodging a ball. "Rukia, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but these are awful."

Ichigo nodded aggressively. "Seriously, I can't tell if that's my face or a melting potato!"

Rukia frowned deeply, looking genuinely offended. "Excuse me?! I spent an hour drawing these!"

Before either of them could protest further, the machine whirred, and more baseballs flew toward them at alarming speeds.

"LEFT!" Y/N called out, swinging his sword at oneโ€”but completely missing.

Ichigo swung her blade wildly, trying to cut a "head" ball but instead deflecting it like a baseball bat right back at Rukia.

Rukia ducked just in time, the ball shattering a window behind her.

She slowly turned back to them, eyes narrowed. "You two are hopeless."

Y/N sighed, twirling his sword before resting it against his shoulder. "Look, we could be getting better at thisโ€”"

"โ€”If your drawings didn't suck," Ichigo finished, crossing her arms.

Rukia gritted her teeth, looking seconds away from throwing the entire baseball machine at them.

Just then, a new voice cut through the air.

"Oh! Y/N! Ichigo! What are you doing up here?"

The three of them froze before turning to see Orihime standing near the rooftop door, her hands clasped together.

Y/N blinked, lowering his sword. "Oh, hey, Orihime. Fancy seeing you here."

Ichigo groaned, rubbing her face. "Just suffering."

Orihime tilted her head curiously, noticing the scattered baseballs on the ground, some of which still had terrifying doodles on them.

"Wow! Is this art practice?"

Rukia brightened immediately, nodding enthusiastically. "Yes! Someone with actual appreciation for the arts!"

Ichigo gave Orihime a look. "No, it's not. It's supposed to be training. But somebody thought it'd be a great idea to make us guess between a scribbled hand and a malformed blob."

Orihime giggled, bending down to pick up one of the baseballs. "Oh, wow! I can totally tell this one is Ichigo!"

Y/N leaned over her shoulder, studying the baseball. "...Orihime, that's me."

Orihime blinked, looking back at the ball, then at Y/N, then at the ball again.

"...Oh."

Ichigo snorted, bursting into laughter. "SEE?! THIS is what I'm talking about!"

Rukia crossed her arms, grumbling. "You're all just uncultured"

Later That Day

The streets of Karakura Town were unusually quiet, the soft hum of streetlights buzzing overhead as Y/N and Ichigo strolled side by side. The cool evening breeze rustled the leaves, casting faint shadows against the pavement.

For once, there were no Hollows to fight, no training disasters, andโ€”most importantlyโ€”Rukia was back at their house, passed out in their closet, snoring like a gremlin.

Ichigo had insisted they get some fresh air before heading home. Y/N hadn't arguedโ€”he didn't mind the peace.

But silence with Ichigo? Yeah, that wasn't gonna last.

"So, uh," Y/N stretched his arms, glancing at her. "Didn't peg you for the 'midnight stroll' type, Ichi."

Ichigo huffed, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "I'm not. I just needed a break from Rukia's 'oh Ichigo, swing faster! Oh Ichigo, stop sucking!'" She rolled her eyes. "Like I don't already know I suck at this."

Y/N smirked. "Hey, I think you're doing great. Only seventeen more training disasters before you reach my level."

Ichigo shot him a flat stare. "That's not comforting."

Y/N grinned, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Nah, but seriously. You don't suck, Ichi. You just have the grace of a baby giraffe on roller skates."

Ichigo let out a dry laugh, nudging him with her elbow. "Gee, thanks."

Y/N chuckled, but after a moment, his gaze flickered toward the quiet streets ahead of them. "Kinda weird, huh?"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He exhaled, tilting his head slightly. "How normal everything still looks."

Ichigo followed his gaze, watching the dimly lit houses, the distant glow of convenience stores, and the occasional breeze rustling through trees.

It really did seem... normal. Like there wasn't a world of ghosts and monsters lurking beneath the surface.

Like their lives hadn't just completely changed overnight.

Ichigo shrugged, her voice quieter. "I guess. Hard to care about normal stuff when you know a giant masked monster could pop out at any second."

Y/N chuckled. "True, true. But at least now we get to swing swords at them instead of just running like idiots."

Ichigo snorted. "Speak for yourself. I'd rather not have a sword bigger than my torso."

Y/N grinned. "It suits you, though. You should accessorize it with a matching handbag."

Ichigo deadpanned. "Yeah, let me just get a Louis Vuitton sheath for my fifty-pound sword."

Y/N smirked, but after a second, his expression turned playful as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Y'know, Ichi... I don't think I've ever asked."

Ichigo sighed. "Asked what?"

He grinned wider, stopping in his tracks. "What's your type?"

Ichigo froze mid-step, blinking at him in disbelief. "My... what?"

Y/N leaned forward slightly, resting his hands behind his head. "Your type. What kind of guy makes your big, scary, Hollow-slaying heart go doki-doki?"

Ichigo stared at him for a long second before groaning loudly.

"Why the hell would I tell you that?"

Y/N shrugged, rocking on his heels. "Because I'm charming?"

Ichigo snorted, crossing her arms. "You're insufferable."

"Flattering," Y/N replied smoothly.

Ichigo rubbed her temples, muttering something about how he was worse than Rukia's awful training methods.

Y/N smirked, undeterred. "Alright, alright, lemme guess."

Ichigo sighed loudly. "Oh my godโ€”"

He lifted a finger, ignoring her protests. "You like the bad boy type. Y'know, the brooding, mysterious ones who stare out of windows and quote philosophy for fun."

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched. "Yeah, because I totally love the walking Tumblr aesthetic."

Y/N grinned. "Ooor maybe you're into the serious, responsible type. Someone who acts all cool but secretly has a soft side."

Ichigo rolled her eyes. "Are you done?"

Y/N tapped his chin, mock thinking. "Oooor... maybe you like the funny ones. The ones who never shut up, always keeping you on your toes."

Ichigo squinted at him. "You're just describing yourself now."

Y/N snapped his fingers, pointing at her with a triumphant grin. "Aha! So I'm your type."

Ichigo punched his shoulder.

"OW!" Y/N laughed, rubbing the spot. "C'mon, Ichi, you could've just admitted it instead of resorting to violence!"

"I will end you," Ichigo muttered, speed-walking ahead of him.

Y/N chuckled, jogging to catch up, but his teasing expression faded slightly as he looked at her.

She was more relaxed nowโ€”not as tense as before.

And if he could do that for her? Yeah, he'd keep messing with her as much as he wanted.

The quiet night stretched on, their footsteps echoing softly against the pavement.

And for a while, they just walked.

"Oh! Y/N! Ichigo!"

Both of them turned, spotting Orihime hurrying toward them, her usual cheerful smile in place.

Y/N grinned, but the moment she got closer, he frowned slightly, noticing the bruises on her arms.

She was covered in them.

"...Orihime, what the hell?" Y/N stopped walking, stepping forward as his gaze scanned her up and down. "You look like you got hit by a truck."

Orihime giggled, rubbing the back of her head. "Oh, actually... I did."

Silence.

Ichigo's eye twitched. "...You what?"

Orihime fidgeted, tapping her fingers together. "Well, I went out to buy food last night, and thenโ€”bam!โ€”a car hit me!"

Y/N stared at her, completely dumbfounded. "Orihime, that'sโ€”"

"But don't worry!" she added quickly, smiling as if she hadn't just said something insane. "I've been getting run over a lot recently."

Ichigo looked like she was seconds away from having a stroke. "Orihime. That's not normal."

Y/N ran a hand down his face. "Okay, you have to be joking. Please tell me you're joking."

Orihime blinked at him, tilting her head. "I mean... I do daydream a lot, so maybe it's my fault?"

Y/N groaned. "That doesn't make it better!"

Ichigo rubbed her forehead, trying to process what she just heard. "Who the hell just casually gets hit by cars and laughs about it?"

Y/N stepped closer, concern flashing in his eyes. "Seriously, Orihime, are you okay?"

Orihime giggled, patting his cheek playfully. "You're sweet for worrying about me, Y/N! But I'm fine! Just a little sore."

Y/N didn't buy it. His gaze flickered to the bruises along her arms, and something unsettled stirred in his gut.

He had a bad feeling about this.

But she wasn't lyingโ€”at least, not intentionally.

She genuinely thought this was just bad luck.

Ichigo exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. "Look, if someone's messing with youโ€”if you're in troubleโ€”you'd tell us, right?"

Orihime blinked, then quickly shook her head. "Oh! No, no, it's nothing like that! I promise!"

Y/N narrowed his eyes, but before he could press further, Orihime suddenly clapped her hands together.

"Oh! Were you two on a date?"

Silence.

Ichigo's face immediately turned red. "WHAโ€”?! NO!"

Y/N blinked, then grinned. "Damn, Orihime, coming in with the hard-hitting questions."

Ichigo whipped her head toward him, eyes burning with betrayal. "DON'T ENCOURAGE HER!"

Orihime giggled, watching their banter with amusement. "Well, you two are always together."

Ichigo groaned. "That's because we're dealing withโ€”" she stopped herself, biting her lip.

Y/N caught it immediately.

Orihime wasn't supposed to know.

Orihime noticed the sudden tension but didn't comment on it. Instead, she smiled softly. "I just think it's nice. You two are really close."

Y/N watched her carefully, still trying to figure out how to ask what he really wanted to without tipping her off about what was really going on.

Instead, he sighed, flashing her a lazy grin. "Well, you're lucky, Hime. You get exclusive VIP access to our very dumb, very dramatic lives."

Orihime tilted her head, smiling. "Oh? Does that mean I get to go on all your secret adventures?"

Ichigo tensed again, but Y/N just smirked, smoothly changing the subject.

"Of course. I was thinking of giving you a special title."

Orihime's eyes sparkled. "Oh! Like what?"

Y/N rubbed his chin in thought, then grinned. "How about... Princess of Karakura?"

Orihime let out a soft gasp, flustered but delighted. "Oh my gosh! That sounds so cool!"

Ichigo pinched the bridge of her nose. "I swear, you're such a damn flirt."

Y/N shrugged. "It's a gift."

Orihime giggled, but then glanced at her watch, her eyes widening. "Oh no! I'm late! Shoten's gonna start!"

Before Y/N or Ichigo could respond, Orihime leaned up, pecked Y/N on the cheek, and turned on her heel.

"Bye-bye, Y/N! Bye, Ichigo!" she waved before running off.

Ichigo stared at Y/N, who stood frozen in place.

"...Did she justโ€”"

"Yep."

Ichigo's mouth opened, then closed.

Then she smirked. "Damn. You got outplayed."

Y/N sighed, rubbing his temple. "I am many things, Ichi. A warrior, a vessel of Poseidon, an expert at annoying you."

He exhaled, shaking his head.

"But I was not prepared for that."

Ichigo burst into laughter.

And as they continued their walk, Y/N's thoughts lingered on Orihime's

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