23 Hospitality and Comfort

Though he was somewhat tempted to go and see if Rukia's intuition was accurate, Ohta spent the anniversary of Ichigo's mother's death simply walking around town. Being invisible had its perks. Not because he had any plans on 'misusing' it, but because it allowed him to fuck with people and see the side of them they kept hidden from others. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't very pretty.

After loitering around behind a masked man who sneakily took pictures of a bunch of brats, Ohta followed the overweight fellow to his home to find he had a waste pit of an apartment filled with less-than-innocent photos. Shinigami, somewhat ironically, were prohibited from reaping the lives of humans without specific orders to do so, but as a 'freelancer,' Ohta felt no obligation to obey their laws.

Waiting until the man was preparing to perform his daily ritual, Ohta made a pistol out of his thumb, index, and middle fingers, placing it against the back of the man's head, sending shivers through the man's bloated body as he said, "Boom, headshot." before pulling an invisible trigger.

Though there was no blood or gore, the predatory man instantly slumped forward in response to Ohta's words, his brain experiencing a catastrophic hemorrhage.

Confused by what had happened, the overweight man, now in a ghostly spirit form, uttered a confused, "Huh? Is that my body...?" while staring at his sad figure, planted face-first into the ground with his dirty underwear on display.

"See ya later, fuckwad," said Ohta, earning the man's attention, distracting him from a pair of eerie purple doors that rose behind him, the front of which protruded two skeletal figures with bandages and chains adorning their bodies.

"Who the fuck are you!?" screamed the man, practically frothing at the mouth as he bellowed, "This is my apartment! You can't be here! Get out! Get the fuck out of here right now...!"

"You first," retorted Ohta, kicking the man in the chest as the doors behind him opened, revealing the eyes of a demonic entity shrouded in red and black energy. Yoruichi had explained that the interior connected to Hell, where wicked spirits and monstrous creatures were tortured until their souls dissipated. She couldn't explain how it was determined who ended up there and who moved on to Soul Society, but Ohta didn't really care. He just assumed it had something to do with Karma.

As the gates to Hell closed behind him, Ohta turned around and departed the smelly apartment, remarking, "Man, Japan is filled with perverts..." as he walked through the bars lining the third-floor landing, strolling casually through the air. He hadn't been keeping track, but this wasn't his first time sending a predator packing to the netherworld.

Allowing gravity to take hold of him, Ohta dropped to the ground near an alleyway where several high-school, if not college-aged, teenagers were skateboarding. An elderly woman was trying to pass through the area, but the group ignored her, hogging the street and sidewalk as if they were the only ones with a right to it.

As none of the boys outright deserved to die for their actions, Ohta took a moment to consider his options before using his psychic power to 'gently' squeeze the cores of each person. Doing so caused most of them to keel over, falling to their knees and holding their stomachs with expressions as white as sheets. Ironically, though not surprising, when the old woman saw this, she quickly approached the closest one, placing her hand on his shoulder to ask if he were okay and if she should call an ambulance.

"Hopefully, that teaches them something..." muttered Ohta, leaving the scene with his hands in his pockets. The old woman looked at him when he spoke, but that also wasn't surprising, as, according to Yoruichi, those close to death became progressively attuned to it...

...

..

.

*tok* *tok* *tok*

Though he was tempted to pretend he wasn't in, Ohta arose from his bed and went to his front door, unsurprised to find Rukia standing outside with a somber look, her hair dripping and the vanilla sundress she was wearing slightly transparent from the rain.

"Well, that's not promising..." remarked Ohta, stepping aside as he added, "Get in here..." in a marginally softer tone.

Instead of walking past and into his room, Rukia stepped closer to Ohta, bumping her forehead against his chest as she muttered, "I really messed up today..."

"..."

After a moment of silence and feigned hesitation, Ohta wrapped his arms around Rukia's body, finding she was trembling slightly. She tensed as he did so but made no effort to break free, permitting him to hold her until he said, "Let's get you into the bath. We can talk once you've warmed your body and are no longer shivering..."

Without waiting for Rukia's response, Ohta guided her to the bathroom. He was half-tempted to remove her dress, but even he felt that would be a bit much. Instead, he showed her where the towels were before leaving to retrieve a clothes change from her apartment.

While waiting for Rukia to finish bathing, Ohta prepared some hot cocoa while considering how to handle the present situation. The simplest thing to do would be to hear Rukia out and then send her on her way, but when a girl went to a man she liked for comfort, sending them away was a good way to send them spiraling into negativity.

"Well, we'll just see how things play out..." muttered Ohta. He technically wasn't in a relationship with Yoruichi, so if Rukia sought him for more than simple consolation, he had no reason to reject her. That might decimate his chances with Yoruichi, but he wasn't exactly looking forward to getting entangled in the mess that was her personal life...

Interrupting Ohta's thoughts, Rukia emerged from the bathroom wearing the silky beige pajamas he pulled from her dresser. She lacked the charm of a mature beauty like Yoruichi, but her delicate, forlorn appearance gave even Ohta a middling desire to protect her.

Rising from his bed, Ohta adopted a muted smile and asked, "Feeling better?" while picking up and proferring the cocoa he had prepared for her.

Accepting the cocoa, Rukia offered a faint "Thank you..." before taking a tentative sip. It wasn't as sweet as traditional hot chocolate, as it used actual cocoa powder, but its bittersweetness and warmth brought a smile to Rukia's face as she remarked, "It's good..."

"There's more if you need it," said Ohta, gesturing to his bed and adding, "When you're ready, take a seat and tell me what this is all about."

Nodding her head, Rukia sat on the edge of Ohta's bed, her smile fading somewhat when she witnessed him pulling out his desk chair rather than sitting beside her.

Noticing the subtle change, Ohta raised his brows and asked, "Did you want me to sit next to you? Because I can."

Though her instinct was to refute Ohta's words, Rukia ultimately remained silent, her smile gaining a hint of meek diffidence as she averted her eyes by hanging her head.

Exhaling a faint sigh through his nose, Ohta made things easier by sitting next to Rukia, putting his hand around her head, and pulling her face into his chest as he whispered, "Tell me what's wrong..."

Escaping from Ohta's hold, Rukia's forlorn look gave way to a wide-eyed, slightly panicked expression as she placed her hand on her chest, feeling her heart racing as she asked, "What are you doing?" in a near-monotone voice.

Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta responded, "I 'thought' I was comforting you. Guess I took things too far...?"

Exhaling a sigh of her own, Rukia shook her head, regaining a hint of her earlier melancholy as she hung her head and replied, "No...it's true that I came here seeking consolation. It's just...I'm not very good at things like this..."

Instead of asking for clarification of what she meant, Ohta adopted a faint smile and expressed, "Just tell me what you want me to do. If you need a shoulder to cry on, I've got two."

Looking up at Ohta, Rukia's obsidian-black, faintly purple eyes wavered for several seconds before she swallowed hard and asked, "Can I put my head on your lap...?"

"I've also got one of those," replied Ohta, patting his lap as if it were no big deal. Then, when Rukia finally mustered the courage to put her head down, he proceeded to caress it, soothingly stroking his fingers through her hair in silence.

"..."

After what felt like an hour but was closer to ten minutes, Rukia repeated, "I really messed up today...a Hollow attacked while Ichigo and his family were visiting his mother's grave, and I got involved when I shouldn't have. To make matters words, a Shinigami from Squad 2, the Stealth Force, was present. With this, Soul Society knows about Ichigo and that I've lost my powers as a Shinigami..."

Instead of trying to sugar-coat things, Ohta conceded, "That's a pretty massive blunder. But I don't think it's the reason you're upset. Tell me what happened with Ichigo..."

"..."

Hesitating for several seconds, Rukia revealed, "The Hollow that attacked happened to be what killed Ichigo's mother six years ago. He asked me to stay out of it, but when it attacked his sisters, I took action..."

"Did you kill it...?" asked Ohta.

Shaking her head, Rukia replied, "No...I can't use your power as well as you can, so I only managed to injure it. After that, it ran away, escaping into the void and presumably returning to Hueco Mundo..."

"Then everything's fine," assured Ohta. "Ichigo might be a little butthurt, but he isn't going to hate you for stepping in to save his family. If he gives you a hard time, just let me know. I'll kick his teeth in."

"Don't you mean you'll talk some sense into him?" asked Rukia.

"Violence is an effective form of communication when people are being intentionally difficult or obstinant..." replied Ohta. "Besides, it wouldn't be the first time Ichigo and I fought. Our views haven't always aligned with one another..."

Exhaling a soft chuckle, Rukia sounded a lot happier as she muttered, "I can imagine. You're a lot more 'resolute' than other boys your age. There are times I can't help thinking you're much older..."

"Not as old as you..." retorted Ohta.

"Ha ha, very funny..." responded Rukia, her voice carrying a hint of feigned displeasure. She didn't appreciate the insinuation she was old, but at 153, she wasn't exactly young. At least not by human standards...

Exhaling a faint chuckle of his own, Ohta allowed a comfortable silence to settle between him and Rukia before asking, "Feeling better...?"

"Much..." replied Rukia, her expression having eased into a contemplative languor. She knew she should leave, but Ohta gently caressing her head was a comfort she hadn't experienced since she was a mortal starving in the streets...

Catching Ohta a little off guard, Rukia asked, "Why are you so good to me...?" in a faint, nearly inaudible tone.

"I'm not..." argued Ohta, his expression softening into a self-deprecating smile as he casually revealed, "If anything, I'm taking advantage of you. You seem lonely, so I'm hedging my bets by befriending you. Once I get to Soul Society, I expect you to return the favor in full..."

Believing that Ohta was just messing with her, Rukia snorted through her nose and muttered, "You never change..."

"That's not true," Ohta retorted. "Even though it's not strictly necessary, I change and wash my Shihakusho daily."

"That 'isn't' what I meant," replied Rukia, rising to a seated position so she could stare at Ohta and speak to him directly. However, when their gazes met, she found herself at a loss for words, entranced by the atypically gentle smile on his face. In reality, his expression wasn't any different from his usually cheeky smile, but with the right atmosphere, even apathy could resemble smoldering passion...

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Ohta asked, "Is there something on my face?"

Freed from the spell she was under, Rukia promptly turned away, placing her hand against her chest to find that it was again beating rapidly. She had made a habit of reminding herself that she didn't feel anything more than friendship and camaraderie toward Ohta, but now that there was a chance she would need to flee far from Karakura Town, she felt..terrified...

"Take your time and enjoy some cocoa," said Ohta. "I still need to shower and get changed. If you're still here when I get out, we can talk more..."

Rising to his feet, Ohta had every intention of showering but stopped mid-step when Rukia grabbed his sleeve, saying, "Wait..." in a nearly inaudible tone. This was expected. What wasn't was Rukia adopting a serious and resolute expression as she said, "Let me go with you..."

...

..

.

(A/N: Daily reminder that this is not a harem novel...)