"Ignore."
That was the one word that Ichigo kept repeating over and over again in his head.
"Ignore."
"Ignore it."
"Just ignore it."
The orange head bit back a groan as he tried to focus his mind on something else.
"Ignore—"
But luck wasn't with him at that moment.
"Dammit," he muttered.
"What was that?"
The new voice that suddenly interrupted his train of thought got Ichigo to look over at the very object that he was trying to ignore. 'Dammit,' he cursed again, but mentally this time. "Huh?"
A frown appeared on Rukia's face as she stared at him like he had grown another head. "I asked 'what was that' that you were saying. You've been acting weird ever since we left the house."
"Nothing's wrong with me. You're just hearing things from down there," he emphasized by patting the top of her head.
The vein popped out. "I'm not your dog!" She delivered a quick kick to his shin that got him bending down on the ground to nurse his bruising leg. She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, "Who's shorter now?"
"That was totally uncalled for," he glared at her as he rubbed the sore spot. Once the pain dulled he stood back up to address her last question. "And I have to admit things do look completely different from down there. No wonder you're a bitch."
"ICHIGO!" she screeched in full blown anger and was about to deliver another kick when Ichigo took this chance to run away to avoid her. "Get back here!" Shouting after him, she started chasing him with a glare intended to kill. And if she was in her Shinigami form, he wouldn't be surprised if she suddenly learned Bankai. As Ichigo ran towards the crowded streets he slowed down to a walk, confident she wouldn't be able to find him easily here. And when she was all emotional like now, her ability to sense his reiatsu dropped to that of a first year Shinigami Academy student.
When his body finally calmed down from the adrenaline from escaping the she-devil, Ichigo's mind started to wander off to what had happened. The day started off like any Sunday. There was no school and Rukia took this chance to propose they go to the mall to hunt for some new manga. Anyone who knew Ichigo would have already realized that this would end up being a bad day for him. But nothing prepared him for what had happened that led up to this shitty moment. All he wanted to do was sleep in and enjoy this peaceful day which was rare for him as a Substitute Shinigami. But the midget just had to spoil his plans with her own.
And she used that freaking puppy-eye attack that he knew she knew was one of his only weaknesses.
Ever since they had left the house she went on and on about the latest events in Soul Society. From stories of a drunken Matsumoto putting a tattoo of a pink heart on a passed-out Renji's butt during a drinking party, to rumors of Kenpachi getting spanked by Yamamoto for failing to finish all his paperwork on time. If it was any other time, Ichigo might have lent her an ear and actually take interest in all these stories. But she was so preoccupied that she hadn't realized what she had done.
But Ichigo did.
And that was when all this mess started.
Now that he thought about it, it was pretty cowardly of him to have run away from her…But this was a serious issue! Never once in his life had he ever been in such a situation where he couldn't solve with his fists or his potty mouth. And he wasn't sure how to address it. Sure he knew there were changes happening to him but he didn't expect it to appear so directly in front of him and by Rukia nonetheless.
Making a turn at a corner, Ichigo made his way to the local bookstore. Even though he wanted to avoid Rukia at all cost, he knew there was no way he would leave her alone in this city when she had no way of getting back home on her own. And since this was the destination they were originally heading, he knew she would appear there sooner or later so he would just have to wait until she does. Going to the café that was inside the bookstore, he ordered a black coffee and then made his way to the manga section where he grabbed a seat at one of the couches in the corner. Grabbing a random manga off a shelf, he settled into his seat and began to read it as he took sips of his coffee.
He hadn't passed even the first chapter when he felt the familiar presence of someone walking inside the bookstore with a high level of reiatsu spilling out of her. But he pretended to remain impassive as she stomped her way towards him.
Rukia glared at the mass of orange hair that was sticking from behind the manga he was 'reading,' and stopped only a foot away from him. Crossing her arms in front of her, she tapped her tiny feet against the wood floor, waiting for him to say something first.
After a moment of eerie silence—and no other customers in the bookstore dare near these two Shinigami in fear they might walk into a great crossfire—Ichigo finally sighed in defeat as he acknowledged her. "What?"
A thin eyebrow rose as she stared back at him. "'What?' Is that all you really have to say?"
He grunted as he set the manga down on the table next to the couch. "Just hurry up and grab your manga so we can go home," he said, while still keeping his eyes away from her.
"No," she sternly cut him off, "We're not leaving until you tell me what the hell that was all about."
"It was nothing," he grumbled.
"That wasn't 'nothing,' Ichigo," she snapped at him. Walking over she sat next to him on the couch and stared directly at his face, although he wasn't looking at her. "Kurosaki Ichigo, if you won't tell me why you're acting weird I'm going to beat the life out of you until you do."
For some reason a scoff came from him, which insinuated either that he didn't believe her threat or he knew she was telling the truth and could very well execute them. When he felt her hand nearing his own, he quickly flinched away and finally looked at her direction but only to glare daggers at her. "Don't touch me."
She gave him a mock look. "What's with your attitude all of a sudden?"
"It's nothing. Just don't touch me," he repeated.
"Why?"
"Dammit, Rukia, just don't!"
But being the person that she was, she grabbed his arm and forced him to turn and face her directly. "Well that's too bad for you because I'm still going to touch you. Now tell me, why are you acting so childish?"
"I'm not a child," he growled as he pulled his arm out of her grasp. "This is all your fault anyways."
"What?" she gapped at him. "How? What did I do?"
"You were touching my hand!" he snapped at her.
"Just now, you mean?" she frowned.
"No. Before."
"When?"
Ichigo frowned as he muttered, "When we left the house. You suddenly held my hand as if we were lovers or something."
"…" Moments of silence passed by them as Rukia registered what he had just said to her. "That's it?"
"What do you mean 'that's it?' This is serious, Rukia!" he shouted at her.
"How?" she scoffed, "Just because I was holding your hand doesn't mean it's the end of the world. It's not like Kenpachi-tachio is replacing Yamamoto sou-taichio or something."
"That's not the problem."
"Then what is it?"
He opened his mouth to tell her but stopped himself in time to look away as his cheeks suddenly heated up. "I'm not telling."
Rukia rolled her big eyes at his childish response. "Stop stalling and just tell me! Is it because it would ruin your image if you are seen walking around with me as if we're in some kind of relationship?"
"No, not really."
"Then what is it?" she asked but when she got no response, she threatened, "Tell me or I'm going to touch your hand again!"
After a few second, Ichigo finally mumbled his reason under his breath, although it was still loud enough for her to hear him. "…I actually liked it."
"Liked what?"
"Holding hands…and looking like that."
Rukia was about to respond back when his words hit home somewhere in her chest. She gapped at him for a few moments in disbelief until a small blush appeared on her own cheeks. "Oh."
"Yeah," he sighed in defeat.
When she looked at his expression a small chuckle escaped from her lips which only cause the blush on Ichigo's face to deepen. "Ichigo," she softly called as she grinned at him. "You're face is really red."
"Shut up," he mumbled under his breath. But he didn't flinch away this time when her tiny hand came over and grabbed his bigger ones.
"Let's go home now," she said, her bright smile still on her lips as a cute blush also graced her face.
Ichigo didn't say anything but held her hand tightly all the way back home.
The End
A/N: Short but cute...at least it is in my opinion. They might have been a bit OOC but then again, I have no idea how they would react in this situation if it really happened in the manga. Only Kubo would know (and what I wouldn't give to enter his mind right now!). I could have made this longer and elaborated on the details but my fingers were tired. And I don't think there needs to be much explanation: these two just like being with each other and it only increases their affection for one another as well. I'm showing their natural progression in their relationship...at least I was trying too ;P
And in case some of you guys didn't get it, when Ichigo said:
"…I actually like it…Holding hands…and looking like that"
He meant that not only did he like holding hands with her but also holding hands as if they are in a relationship. So when Rukia held his hand again, she meant it that she liked it as well. And holding hands all the way back home can be a way to show the start of their new relationship.
Well, thanks for reading this silly oneshot and please review!
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