By this time Chad started to sing the karaoke. Uryuu (who got caught by Urahara trying to run away, was fed several bottles of sake) was making out with his girlfriend Orihime. Renji and Tatsuki started their rivalry as they lashed out against each other. Matsumoto finally got Hitsugaya and Hinamori drunk, and the three of them playing strip poker. Urahara and Yoruichi… were nowhere to be seen. Karin, Yuzu and Jinata passed out and were sleeping on the couch. Yumichika was busy ranting on and on about his "beauty," as Ikkaku just kept laughing. Mizuiro was calling most of his girlfriends, giving them sweet talks. And Isshin and Keigo…were still dead.
Ichigo looked around the room and its chaos. He shook his head.
"I do NOT want to clean up this mess," Rukia said.
Ichigo nodded his head then looked at her, "Hey, come with me for a sec."
Ichigo grabbed Rukia's hand and they walked upstairs to his room. Once the room was closed they sat on his bed. Rukia, like she always did, grabbed one of his old mangas and lied on her stomach as she started to read it. Ichigo just sat next to her and looked out the window. They just stayed like that for a few minutes.
"Kind of reminds me of the old days," Rukia broke through the silence.
Ichigo looked down at her with a smile. "It sure does," he responded.
Rukia closed her book and sat up, looking straight into his amber eyes.
"So… what did you want to talk about?"
Ichigo looked deeply into Rukia's violet eyes and smiled. Without saying anything, he grabbed one of her arms and pulled her into his embrace.
"Ichigo!" Rukia exclaimed in surprise.
"I'm just thinking about the old days," he whispered into her hair as he smelled it. "You still smell like strawberries."
Rukia stopped tensing against Ichigo's body as she smiled. "I guess it was a way to constantly remind me of you."
Ichigo held her tighter. "Seven years. Two kids and seven years later here we are. Time sure does fly by quickly."
"I know," Rukia agreed, "but what's up with this sudden display of affection?"
"Don't be shy," he teased. Ichigo slowly pulled himself away from her but brought their face closer instead, "It's not like we haven't done something like this before… heck, we have two kids to prove it."
Rukia laughed lightly. "Yes, you're right, but if I'm correct, of the only five times that we've done it, half of the times we were drunk, and the other half was because your hormones was going way too out of whack."
Ichigo laughed right back at her. "I understand blaming alcohol, but those other times were because you kept tempting me with your short skirts."
"I never flashed my panties at you," Rukia glared.
"I know," Ichigo replied as his lips got closer to her ear, "But just seeing your legs drove me nuts. Heck, even after you had Takeshi only your body could make me feel so horny."
"And I'm guessing that I still have that magic over you," Rukia moaned from Ichigo's hot breath in her ear.
"You know it," Ichigo grunted as he moved Rukia's body so she was straddling him. "And I can prove it to you."
But before Ichigo could press his lips anywhere on her body, Rukia pulled away. "Ichigo."
"What?" he muttered with disappointment.
Rukia looked at him sternly. "I'm not sure about this."
Ichigo sighed. "Oi! Don't tell me that these seven years—"
"That is the least of it." Rukia interrupted.
Ichigo didn't say anything but glared at her.
"Two out of the few times we've done it you got me pregnant. I'm not sure I want to take another chance at this," Rukia sighed.
Ichigo smiled at her. "I can get some protection this time."
Rukia whacked him on the head.
"Don't even think about it," Rukia said sternly, "Besides, you know for a fact that that seven years thing is more of a factor here."
Ichigo heavily sighed as he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned against the bedpost. The two just hugged each other for awhile, just breathing in each other's scent.
Then, Ichigo felt like he couldn't take it any longer. He gently shoved Rukia's body off of him.
Rukia looked up and saw him grab something from his closet and open his bedroom door.
"Where are you going?"
"Cold shower," he harshly replied as he closed the door behind him.
Rukia smiled as she lay back on his bed.
"Idiot," she whispered into his pillow as sleep took her.
Rukia's Dream/Flashback… 10 Years Ago
"You may come in now," Ochi-sensei called out.
Rukia took one last breath as she slowly walked into her new class. "Konichiwa. Watashi Kuchiki Rukia desu. Orishgu ne," she announced as she bowed.
She was only in her first year of high school but had to move from Tokyo to Karakura to take care of her sick "grandmother." The old woman wasn't her biological grandmother, but she was the one who took care of Rukia before she got adopted into the Kuchiki Clan several years before. Her older brother, Byakuya, agreed to have his sister move into her grandmother's house, thinking this would be best because Rukia didn't like attending the classy high school.
After she finished her greeting, Rukia looked up and the first thing that caught her eyes was orange. Correction: orange hair. One of her classmates had unbelievable orange hair, and he was sitting next to the window.
As soon as the transfer student walked in, Ichigo felt his body tense. He didn't know why. He was just minding his own business, looking out the window like usual, when the new girl caught his eyes.
She was a petite woman with silky, black hair, with one strand of her bangs hanging across her forehead. She looked nervous but at the same time she wore an emotionless expression… that is until she saw him.
Amber met violet.
Violet met Amber.
"You midget!"
"You wanna make something of it, carrot top!"
Renji, Uryuu, Chad, Orihime, Tatsuki, and everyone else were staring at their two friends bickering at each other like always. Nobody knew how these two became friends… heck, they're not even sure if they should call the arguing idiots' relationship, "friendship." But they cannot deny that ever since Rukia transferred to their class, she and Ichigo, who sits next to her, seemed oddly close.
"Next time buy your own juice box bitch!"
"I wouldn't need another one if you hadn't stepped on mine earlier, strawberry."
Yup. Their relationship is very strange, just like their nicknames for each other.
"Can you guys shut up now?" Uryuu asked.
The two bickering "idiots" finally turned their faces away from each other with a "hmpf." Everyone else was glad that they could get some quiet again.
"Oh! By the way," Matsumoto shouted out, "I'm having a birthday party this weekend! Everyone is invited!"
No response.
"There's going to be booze."
"I'm there!"
"What time?"
"How much booze?"
"Where are you getting those?"
"Drunken-women-paradise!"
"Shut up, Keigo!"
"I want to go!"
Matsumoto grinned as her friends were now getting excited about her party. Little did she, or anyone else, know that that night would end up altering the future for their "idiots."
Knock knock.
Ichigo waited but there was no response.
Knock knock.
Again, nothing. He was starting to get impatient.
Bam Bam!
Ichigo slammed his fist against the door.
"HURRY UP MIDGET!" Ichigo yelled out.
"HOLD YOUR HORSES, YOU ASSHOLE!" Rukia's voice could be heard from the window directly above the beaten-up door. "I'M ALMOST READY!"
"Tsch." Ichigo crossed his arms across his chest and pouted. He walked around the front yard when the door suddenly opened. He turned around and saw an old woman smiling warmly at him.
"You must be Ichigo," she held out her hand which Ichigo took and shook. "I'm Yume, Rukia's grandmother."
"How do you do?" Ichigo responded, "Um, sorry about the banging… and the shouting."
Yume-san smiled. "No problem. I often hear Rukia yelling these days. And it seems most of the time it is when you call her."
Ichigo didn't know how to reply back, so he just smiled and nodded.
Yume-san opened the door even wider. "Com'on in. I think Rukia is going to take a lot longer."
Ichigo immediately walked into the door, already liking Yume-san a lot more than Rukia. He followed the elderly woman into the living room where she offered him some cookies.
"I must thank you," Yume-san started, "For taking such good care of Rukia."
"Not a problem. She's not so much trouble-maker… in fact, she is the trouble."
Yume-san laughed loudly. "Yes, before she was adopted, Rukia would always cause so much trouble around here. My husband, bless his heart, would often get so stressed out because of her, but he would immediately forgive her when she starts pouting."
Ichigo nodded as if saying that he understood where Yume-san's husband was coming from. Afterall, how often did her pouts make him forget his anger and make him do whole bunch of silly things.
"I'm ready."
Ichigo looked up. He swore he felt his jaw hit the ground.
Matsumoto strictly told everyone that they had to dress up formally. Why? Well, she was just a classy girl. So Ichigo wore a nice pair of clean, black, dress-pants and a button-up, crimson shirt, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Even though this attire might not seem formal, on him it did (and boy does he look good! wipe off drool). But he was nothing compared to Rukia.
Rukia went shopping several days before with the girls but found nothing that she liked. Then she remembered the black, strapless dress that her sister, Hisana, bought before her death. The dress hugged her from the chest to her hips, and from there on it effortlessly flowed out onto the ground. There was a high slit on the left side of her dress. And there were patterns of flowers, in red, drawn and embroidered opposite to where the slit was.
Rukia stared at her friend and smiled widely with a blush. "What do you think?"
Ichigo did not know how to respond. He just kept staring at her with his mouth open. He was only able to get out of the trance when Yume-san slapped him hard on the back.
"You look amazing!" Ichigo blurted out before he could stop himself. He quickly turned away as his face started to become red. He could see Yume-san smiling (rather mischievously) from the corner of his eye.
"Well don't you two look handsome!" Yume-san exclaimed, "Let's take a picture!"
The two friends didn't know why the old woman wanted a picture. But they couldn't say no when she started to use her "I'm-an-old-woman-who-will-die-soon-and-all-I-want-is-a-picture-of-my-granddaughter-in-a-beautiful-dress-with-a-handsome-young-man-standing-next-to-her" tactic to get the two standing together for a picture.
After getting blinded from the flash that went off a million times, Ichigo and Rukia left her house and walked towards Matsumoto's.
For some reason there was an awkward silence between the two. They had a good distance between them, but whenever a man walked by and eyed Rukia, Ichigo would quickly stand next to her and send the man (or men) a threatening glare. Rukia could very well take care of herself, but for some reason she felt vulnerable tonight, and didn't mind Ichigo protecting her.
Finally, after what seemed like hours of silence, the two reached Matsumoto's house. It was quite large, but not large enough to be a mansion. Still, many people, in elegant attire, could be seen.
"Well," Ichigo sighed as he scratched the back of his head, "Let's go and get this over with."
Rukia nodded and the two finally walked inside.
A/N: hehe. I hope you like Rukia's flashback. I'm going to write more about the past in future chapters...
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