Disclaimer: do not own Bleach

Hope you guys enjoy.


The eighteen-year-old Kurosaki Ichigo was fuming. He currently found himself sitting down in a foreign couch while listing to the snickers of lecherous young men, the ear-splitting giggles of young women, and the blaring stereo. In other words, it was a party, but not an ordinary party. It was in fact a graduation party.

That damn midget insisted that he'd go celebrate with his friends, even thou he had insisted that he'd rather go home and relax. But no, things always went her way. If he didn't know any better he would say that she was the one wanting to come. Looking at her, he grunted. Damn midget, getting me to come here just so she can have fun.

Ichigo stole another glance at her; he had to admit she looked really cute. She was wearing a pastel colored sundress, which had bright blue flowers and a green wavy border. The pastel matched perfectly against her soft skin. Damn it, I need to get my head out of the water, Ichigo scolded himself for having such thoughts.

"Oi Ichigo, come over here and stop being such as killjoy." Rukia commanded from where she was standing, trying to lighten him up. She would be damned if he didn't have a good time, she was getting tired of her schoolgirl charade. That big oaf, damn him. Can't he see I'm doing all this for him?

Ichigo decided that sitting was a better choice and ignored Rukia. He simply deepened his scowl towards her and turned away. She let it out an annoyed growl under her breath and stomped over to where he was. "Ichigo… If you don't get up out of your lazy ass," he simply ignored her; no way was he going to go talk to all those fake people. He was rather enjoying himself or simply put enjoying the view of Rukia, but now she ruined that too.

Rukia kicked him hard in the shin after he ignored her, and Ichigo let out a 'Ow' sound. "Ichigo, you bastard. Get up!" her voice firmly stated that there would be blood if he did otherwise.

"Fine, fine you damn midget." Ichigo said, while getting up and walking back to a group of friends with Rukia by his side.

There they stood conversing the night away with Chad, Inoue, and Ishida. All and all it wasn't that bad, Ichigo had to admit. They talked about what they were planning to do after high school. When it came around to Ichigo he simply gave them a shrug and said he doesn't know yet. As for Rukia, she said that she was simply going to school as part of her orders, and she will continue to follow them.

"Hey Orihime come over here," Tatsuki yelled, from across the room. Inoue excused her self and said her farewells; Ishida decided that he would follow Inoue to continue their chat. Chad was later beckoned over by his band mates.

"See… It's not that bad now, is it Ichigo?" Rukia said in an I-told-you-so voice, while grinning towards Ichigo.

"Yea, I guess your right… Although it would still be nicer at home," Ichigo stubbornly said, causing Rukia to pout in annoyance.

Then she saw it, a big bowl of punch. Ooooh juice!

"NO, no way in hell am I dragging your ass home Rukia," Ichigo said loudly and humorlessly, taking the cup from her hand. "Do you know what the put in that stuff, at parties like these?" Ichigo questioned looking at Rukia.

"What," she asked irritated, looking right back at him with narrowed eyes.

"Stuff that will fuck you up, that's what." Ichigo answered back, deepening his scowl.

"Oh," she said with an 'O' shaped mouth, giving a gloomy pout over the lost juice.

Damn her and her cute puppy eyes, he thought to himself. Looking around for something to satisfy the midget he landed his eyes on a half gone batch of brownies.

He picked one up, "here eat this. They taste good, can't remember if you had one or not." Ichigo said, giving her the brownie. Rukia eyed it suspiciously for a while then took it from his hand. She then continued to exam it by poking it. "Just eat the damn thing, It's like cake but better." He told her, while he got one for himself. He then noticed the note by the batch, "Please, one per person, share the wealth!" Shrugging it off, he took a bite then Rukia followed.

"Ooh, I like it." Rukia gave Ichigo a smile. He can be so nice sometimes.

"Told ya," he said shrewdly. After they ate their snack they went and sat on the couch, and talked for a while about Soul Society, once Ichigo brought it up. He was asking her, how she liked it and what is there to do other than being a shinigami. Afterwards she asked him why he wanted to know, he simply gave her a shrug and said, "just wondering, that's all."

After a while of more talking he opted to go home and she happily agreed. Once they said their goodbyes to the gang they headed towards the clinic.

--

The walk back to Ichigo's home was uneventful, but it was comforting nonetheless. They were both taking in the silence and enjoying the close proximity of one another. They both thought at the same time. I had fun tonight… with Rukia/Ichigo.

"Dear Ichigo and third daughter of mine. I had to go to an emergency doctors convention. I took Karin and Yuzu with me; we will be back in two days.

Love Daddy

P.S. Don't you touch Rukia-chan.

"I-chi-go," Rukia said in a sing song voice, "hurry up and open the door, I don't like out here. It's scary!" she whined to Ichigo

Well that was strange he said to himself then preceded to open the door. Rukia quickly stomped over Ichigo and ran to the couch then curled up like a little child. "Oye Rukia, what the hell is wrong with you?" he asked, while closing the door. Then it hit him, and it hit him hard.

He lazily stumbled over to the couch and sat down next to Rukia, he wasn't feeling very well at the moment.

"I don't feel well," Rukia said childishly. She continued to hug her knees and look at Ichigo.

"Yea… me either." He responded mellowed out. He was doing a lot of thinking, what could have them like this. They both felt so relaxed, but their hearts kept pumping as if they were fighting a dozen hollow. "The brownies! It has to be them. That's the only thing we ate over there!" Ichigo declared in a quirky voice.

"Ohh, brownies. I like brownies Ichigo," said Rukia, opening up and happily scooting over to Ichigo, as if he had brownies.

"Shut up Rukia." That got him a punch in the face. "Ahh, you stupid midget."

"You big oaf, I am not a midget, I'm just petite. You're the giant ogre." Rukia exclaimed in a matter-of-factly voice.

"No, listen up Rukia the brownies. They had stuff in them, we were drugged." Ichigo tried to explain to his midget counterpart.

Rukia suddenly became nervous and scared at what was going on. She had heard about this before from Matsumoto.

"YOU, you did this. Matsumoto-san told me about this, she said 'Rukia-chan, since your going to be in the living plane for a while, let me warn you. If you ever go to a party, watch out for nasty perverts who will try to drug you, to take advantage of you.' Ichigo you pervert, go away. I hate you." Rukia said in shrieks, while Ichigo's sweat dropped.

"Rukia, I didn't do this on purpose you dumb-ass," Ichigo told her, and she gave an "oh" sound and looked away from Ichigo, blushing for thinking he would want to do that to her.

"Ichigo," she said softly in a questioning tone.

"Mhmm," he groaned back, looking at her. Damn she looked cute right now with that face.

"I'm hungry," she whimpered to him, looking at him with puppy eyes.

"Yea, me too. Lets go see what's in the kitchen to make," he said laid-back, admiring her eyes.

She gave him a nod and let him lead the way to the small kitchen. As they opened the fridge, they stared at its contents, as if it was first time they had seen food. They were openly drooling over the food in the fridge, which seemed to be filled with Yuzu's previous dinners and desserts.

"Ichigo?" Rukia whispered almost inaudible, looking back and forward from Ichigo to the fridge.

"I know," replied Ichigo in a throaty whisper, eyeing the vast amounts of food.

"How can we possible heat all this up, we only have one microwave," Rukia asked with much despair, crinkling her eyes at the image of a microwave stuffed to its limit.

"Umm." Ichigo took a thoughtful pause to carefully assess the emergency at hand. "I know," Ichigo said and Rukia gave him an intense stare. "But you have to listen carefully Rukia…. Okay, you take the fourth and third shelves, heat the food in the microwave and lay out the cold desserts. I'll take the rest and use the stovetops and oven since you don't know how to use those yet." Ichigo said logically. Rukia gave him a solemn nod and started on what Ichigo told her, as if it was a mission assigned by Soul Society.

The next thirty minutes will be filled with arguing over spilling and burning food, bumping into each other for prolonged periods of time, and the proper way to set the table. Rukia happened to win all the fights too, telling Ichigo it was his fault for not telling her to cover the food in the microwave. She then made him clean up the mess; causing Ichigo to forget about the pots and pans on the stovetop, with burning food. As they were rushing to the flamed pans they ran right into each other. Ichigo landed back first onto the floor as Rukia broke her fall with his chest. They laid there for what seemed hours, staring into the others eyes. After a couple seconds they blushed ferociously and Rukia slapped him for 'trying to make a move on her,' even thou she was on top.

After much chaos, both were sitting in front of a table graciously covered with food, thanks to Rukia of course.

"Ichigo, can we eat yet?" Rukia asked fidgeting in anticipation.

"Yea," nodded Ichigo. Taking a little of everything and putting it in his plate.

"Ooh, Ichigo this so good," a cheerful Rukia said, savoring the various amplified tastes.

"Mmh," groaned Ichigo with his mouth stuffed with food.

Rukia and Ichigo ate to their hearts content, their taste buds loving the magnified tastes of everything. They sat in silence throughout the first half of the late night meal, both having so many thoughts running through their heads. They would occasionally look up and see the other, causing a small blush to creep up to their face. Both wondering how it would feel to hold each other, to be more than just fighting partners, and thinking of what the other thought about them.

Rukia was currently shugging her third class of orange juice. "Hey Rukia slow down, your gonna piss your self," Ichigo said with a chuckle.

"I can't help it, my mouth is so dry. I feel like I'm going to choke." The small girl told him, while putting her glass back down. A specific thought had been running through her head almost all night, a lot more than the others, and it was also beginning to bother her. She frowned and looked at Ichigo who was currently patting his stuffed stomach, "Oi Ichigo, why did you want to know about Soul Society," she asked softly, picking at some leftovers on her plate.

"Eh… um," Ichigo was taken back by the question. "Eh… you know why," he simply answered her.

"No I don't," she deadpanned. She looked into his eyes and saw that he was nervous and was probably trying to hide something. "Spill it, Ichigo!"

"What is it to you?" he asked irritated.

"Nothing of course, but I still want to know!" she said sensibly. Boring her amethyst eyes into his amber ones.

"Oh." He sounded a bit let down by her response. "I was just wondering you know, since I'm out of High School and all. I really don't see my self wanting to have a regular job and all. And I know I can work a deal out with old man Yamamoto; you know so I can visit my family and friends," he said sheepishly, running a hand through his hair.

"No Ichigo, you deserve a normal life." The words she said causing her to feel a touch of pain in her heart. She looked down at her plate, "Don't go, you know you want to be normal."

"That's just the thing Rukia, I don't. I'd hate a normal life, normal career, and a normal wife," he responded gruffly. Rukia widened her eyes at what he said. All this time believing that he would prefer normalcy than being a shinigami living at soul society.

She had simply looked back up at him and said, "Oh."

They had sat in silence for a while longer, before Rukia looked up at the microwave, "Ichigo, it's only been twenty minutes since we sat down," she said fretfully.

Ichigo looked taken aback as much as her. To them it had felt like at least an hour or two.

"Come on, let go upstairs," he signaled to Rukia while getting up.

--

"Ichigo, any other reason why you would want to live in Soul Society?" Rukia asked in a mellowed out voice, but also with a tinge of hope laced with the question.

"Yea," he said as his face reddened.

"And?" The small girls heart, which was already pounding against her chest, pounded harder. She felt like she was going to explode at any moment, every single emotion running through her mind was augmented. Fear, happiness, and longing was running through her core and evident in her amethyst eyes.

"And, it's none of your business. You midg-" He stopped due to the pain coming from his shin. He should have gotten angry, but right now he couldn't. For some reason unbeknown to him he felt like opening up, probably due to the relaxed state that he was in. "You… allright," he sighed and sat down on his bed.

"What," she breathlessly asked, with her eyes wide.

"I don't want to be separated from you, you midget. Call me crazy but that's it," he said calmly, but the blush in his face was evident.

"Ichigo, your stupid," she chuckled. Happiness and relief washed over her features, as she continued to take in what he had said.

"What," he asked

"Ichigo, I wouldn't like that either," she said sheepishly, plopping down next to Ichigo.

Amber and amethyst met, piercing into each other's soul. As both their mouths formed a smile, of which neither has had before. It was a smile of total freedom, freedom from their enclosed hearts. As both their heads floated mindlessly to meet the others lips, their eyes began to shut, and their lips began to open. As both sets of lips sealed their fate, they began a graceful dance of joy and desire.

Rukia's arms mindlessly traveled up to Ichigo's neck, while Ichigo's hand embraced the side of Rukia's face. When they parted from the kiss for air; they did not blush, both knowing that everything was perfect. They both arched their head, so that their forehead could meet. Who would have know, that this twist-of-fate would have been so significant.

Brownies, they both thought as they went for a other chaste kiss.


Hope you guys liked it, the ending took me hours to do. Please review and thank you for reading. Go check out the other stories too: )