Disclaimer: I obviously own nothing but the idea for this story.
But Really, Wasn't it already Kind of Obvious?
The breeze was warm as it rushed over her face. The salty smell of the ocean filled her nose and she inhaled deeply to savor the memory. Behind her, their bonfire celebration raged on. But she needed a minute to collect herself. She wasn't even quite sure what was being celebrated on this night, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the laughter, the fun, being able to wind down and just feel normal for once, although she was anything but. She watched her feet as the waves came crashing over them and the bitter cold of the water caused her to suck in a sharp breath and she quickly backed away.
She was surprised by the warm body she collided with and once she realized who it belonged to, she became instantly agitated.
"You fool! What are you thinking sneaking up on a lady like that?" He lifted an eyebrow and wanted with everything in him to come at her with the whole 'I see no lady' insult, but considering what had been running through his mind lately, he decided against it.
"Sorry, I uh – I just wanted to know if we could maybe take a walk?" She eyed him cautiously, taking note of the way he would not look her directly in the eyes. The way his feet shifted nervously in the sand. The way he kept running his hand through his hair, trying to seem nonchalant, but giving her the exact opposite impression.
"Sure .." They began their trek along the water, neither of them speaking for a long time. The sound of their friends laughter and conversations muffled together and started to fade into obscurity. The awkward way he approached her had her mind running in several directions. It was obvious that he wanted to talk about something, but what? He was obviously mulling something over, and practicing in his head how he would say whatever he wanted to say to her out loud.
Her lips curled up into a smirk, and she tried her best to suppress her laugh, but she couldn't.
"What's so funny?" An eyebrow quirked up.
"Nothing." She placed her dainty fingers over her lips and waited until she could stop smiling. "You are acting kind of strange is all. Just kind of curious if everything is okay?"
He stopped in his tracks, turning to face her, but still avoiding eye contact. At this point they were pretty far from their group of friends and the fire that they were surrounding, He brought his hand up to scratch at the back of his head, and his feet shifted anxiously in the sand below them.
"Look, I don't really know how to say what I want to say. I've been thinking about it for such a long time and really, I just keep coming up with nothin'" She planted her hands on her hips and tilted her head to the side.
"Ichigo, what is going on? You are acting really strange and it's making me kind of uneasy."
He dragged a hand over his face, then took a deep breath in.
"You know, I'm not exactly great with my words. I'm more of a 'take action' kind of guy. I don't really know how to say this."
"We've worked side by side for years. I think we know more about each other than either of us care to. You know you can say whatever." He finally got the nerve to look into her face, her features highlighted by just the light of the moon. Their eyes locked. "I can't promise that I won't beat you down if you plan on insulting me but-"
Her eyes went wide and his large hands came to cup her face. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers in a soft, unsure kiss. Her body froze, the shock completely crippling her. He was ready to break away and face what would surely be a slow and painful death when her thin arms snaked around his neck to pull him closer. Their bodies came together closing the distance between them, and her soft lips began to move eagerly against his own.
Was this actually happening? He couldn't believe it. As much as they were in tuned to each other this was the one area where he just didn't know. She never spoke of romance, of past lovers, of current love interests. Like Hell he would ever bring it up either. He was almost certain his actions on this early summer night would be his downfall. Not cut down by some powerful foe, but his own longtime comrade and ally. She was feisty, and could completely destroy him if she so chose to. That was one of the many reasons that he had come to fall in love with her in the first place.
When it was over and he opened his eyes, he found hers staring back at him. He searched them for an idea of her reaction, but he just couldn't read her. It was frustrating as hell. Under normal circumstances, he could read her. A nod of the head – Hell, a look was usually enough to tell what she was thinking and what she expected of him.
"I didn't expect that at all." He released her face and took a couple steps back. Maybe he had underestimated her lack of aggression. Maybe she needed a moment to process her anger. Maybe if he turned now he could get himself a little head start and prolong his doom just a little bit longer.
"Like I said, I'm not a feelings guy." He shoved his hands into his pockets, his face felt hot and his cheeks burned bright red with embarrassment. He felt like a complete idiot. Did he really misinterpret their relationship that much?
"I just meant, that I can't believe it took us this long to get here." She smirked at him, trying to lighten the mood. Her arms crossed over her chest. Her hands grazed over the skin of her arms that was now covered in goose bumps.
He let out a sigh of relief and didn't waste another moment. He pulled her into his arms, crushing her against his chest. She returned the gesture, snaking her arms around his slim waist, then buried her face into his chest. She took in his scent, and his warmth and thanked the Gods that he couldn't see the goofy ass smile that was plastered on her face.
"Rukia-" He inhaled her scent and placed a quick kiss on the top of her head. "I just want to be with you."
She craned her neck up so she was once again able to look into his eyes and nodded.
"Yeah. So do I."
A/N: Thanks for reading! I've pretty much already finished the next couple of chapters.