A Sunset Propose
Ichigo stood on the green grass looking to the beautiful view in front of him. A certain raven hair Shinigami sat beside him. It had been about four years since they see each other. So today, on his birthday, Rukia had back to celebrate his birthday.
Tired of standing like an idiot, he sat down beside her. He hugged his legs together, closer to his chest.
"Thank you for bring me here. The view is so beautiful. Karakura looked so peaceful from up here" Rukia said to the man who was now a doctor.
"No. Thank you. You came back to celebrate my birthday" a smiled appeared on Ichigo's face. He had actually been longing to see her all those four years.
Both them quietly looking to the view in front of them. From the hill, Karakura looked so peaceful. There, up the hill, also, they could see almost everything from Karakura. The wind mildly brushing of their hair
"Erm… Rukia. Do have someone that is really important to you?" the question kept playing inside his head. Blush crept out. "Sorry. Doesn't mean that. Don't have to answer" embarrassingly said to Rukia.
"Actually, there were. That will be Renji and…" Rukia said not knowing what Ichigo question would really means. When Ichigo heard Renji, somehow his chest felt so hurt. Somewhere inside him, felt like a razor blade stabbed through. Hurt so much, the pain that he couldn't help to feel.
Rukia looked at Ichigo. Somehow he looked in pain. Rukia put her small hand gently on his shoulder asking if he was okay. Ichigo just nodded and then he stood, walking down from the hill. Leaving dumfounded Rukia behind.
Rukia ran down to catch him. "Oi, what's wrong with you?" panted as it was quite far to reach Ichigo. "Just leave me alone" coldly he said as he walking away from Rukia with his hands in his pockets. There is something inside his pocket. A red small, soft box. He started to run when he sensed that Rukia was after him. Ran away up to another hill.
There was only him. Sitting under a shady tree, looking to a nice view of the ocean. Suddenly he felt his cheek wet. Tears slowly came through his eyes. He couldn't help it. Those tears weren't tears of happiness but pains. One shouldn't be sad on his birthday but Ichigo felt was very down. His world felt like crushed into little tiny pieces that only miracle could build it up again.
He took out the small red box out from his pocket. He opened it. Inside, there was a small, gold ring. There also a diamond on the ring made it look shiny every time the sun rays hit it. It is a beautiful ring. Ichigo looked more closely to the ring. In the inside of the ring, carved his name, a heart and Rukia's name. It was a ring that Ichigo wished to propose Rukia with. But now he knew that she didn't love him. She loved Renji.
'What's wrong with you?! Get a grip, Kurosaki Ichigo! Of course she'll love Renji. They had been friends since childhood time. You just knew her nine years ago and you leave her when you were 20! Who will be stupid enough to wait for you for a long four years time?' Ichigo said to himself, angrily. More tears streamed down to his face. He buried his face into his knee. The small box, he put it back inside his pocket. Time passed without him knowing. Soon he drifted to sleep.
While Ichigo was asleep, Rukia walked up to the hill. She got quite pissed when Ichigo just ran away from her, didn't tell her what's wrong. 'What an immature guy! Age already 24 but still acting like a kid aged four! Stupid.' Upon reaching the hill, she saw Ichigo sleeping under the tree. She saw his face. His face, there were trails of tears. Is he been crying, Rukia couldn't tell. Sitting beside him, quietly. She was looking at the ocean. The waves gently hit the shore, the sound of the ocean, the birds. It was music from the nature. It's just so beautiful. It made the pissed off Rukia calmed again.
Her body was against the tree trunk, she was sitting beside him. The music of nature made her eyes felt so heavy. Minutes passed and she was asleep. Her head was on his shoulder.
Ichigo opened his eyes. The sun almost set. He quickly brushed his remaining tears. Then he felt something on his lap. Looking down, he saw his angel, sleeping on his lap. 'If just she was mine' Ichigo sighed. Then he shook her shoulder. Rukia opened her eyes; first thing she saw was his blushing face. When she realised that she was on his lap a blush crept out. She quickly stood up.
"Ichigo…" Rukia tried to call him.
"What?" he said coldly not looking at her. Now he didn't want to see her, hear anything she said or to smell her unique strawberry scent.
"What's wrong with you?! Why just suddenly you acted like a four year old boy?!" Rukia shouted to Ichigo. Ichigo sighed. "It's what we do when our heart is broken to tiny pieces, Rukia. It's what I'm enduring right now" he whispered.
"What do you mean by that? Your broken heart?" Rukia confusingly asked the substituted Shinigami in front of her.
"Someone that important to you is Renji, not me. Don't you get it? I love you! I love you all along! But still, the one that you love is Renji not me. No mater how hard I try, you'll always loved him not me" from shout to whisper, Ichigo cried again. He sat on the grass, crying even more.
Rukia stunned. She never thought that the orange haired Shinigami in front of him love her. Loved her all along. Rukia walked to him; touching his shoulder gently. "Leave me alone, please" Ichigo whispered. "No way. You get all wrong Ichigo" Rukia whispered back to him.
"What do you mean I got all wrong?" Ichigo sobbed.
Rukia sighed. She stood up and stretched her hand to Ichigo. Ichigo looked at her face and her hand then to her face again. There was a smile on Rukia's face, a real smile. Ichigo took her hand and stood in front of her. Rukia brushed away his remaining tears on his face with a smile that only for those who are very, very important in her life.
"Stop cryin'. It is your birthday".
Ichigo suddenly seized her tiny wrist. Pushing it down, "What do you mean by doing that?" he asked her. Rukia smiled and tip toed to reach his height. She kissed him. For a moment, Ichigo shocked and thought that this was a dream. But when he looked at her face, her pair of eyes was shut and he pinched himself. The pain was there and this is not a dream. He replied back her kiss. Time passed like an hour, or a day or a century. They broke apart for oxygen.
Ichigo finally smiled and finally he knew what she meant by brushing off his tears and what he got all wrong. Rukia looked at him, "Do you know what I meant now?" Ichigo nodded.
"And who are important in my life is Renji because he's my bestfriend, Nii-sama because he's my brother and YOU, because I loved you too" Rukia said, finished her answer that wasn't finished. Ichigo smiled. Than he thought that this will be the perfect time.
The view now was very beautiful. The sun was about to set with a mild wind when Ichigo suddenly on his knee. "Kuchiki Rukia, would you be my wife?" Ichigo took out the small box and showed her the gold ring inside. Rukia surprised. She never thought that Ichigo would propose her to be his wife. Rukia took both Ichigo's hands made him to stand. Rukia cried slowly. Tears streamed down although she tried to hold it.
Ichigo saw her crystal tears. "Rukia, what's wrong? Did I hurt you?" he was worried about her.
Rukia shook her head. "No… I never thought that you would propose me, Ichigo. All these years… never ever I thought" a smile appeared, "and these are not tears of pain, Ichigo. These are tears of happiness… Of course I'll be delighted to be your wife" she smiled. When the remaining sun rays touched her face, it made her look orange, just like Ichigo's hair and Ichigo, of course he looked like his hair. Both of them smiled.
Ichigo took the ring from its holder and put it on Rukia's finger. Somehow the ring fit nicely to her tiny finger. Then Ichigo hugged her, the one who will be his wife. Rukia embraced him tight. "I love you so much, more than anything" he whispered to her ear with a smile on his face. "I love you too," also with a smile.
They broke apart. Looking at the sunset view in front of them, hand in hand. "You know, this is the best birthday I ever had" Ichigo slowly said. Rukia gripped his hand more tightly. "Let's go home and tell dad. He must be happy when I told him that you gonna be my wife" Ichigo said. A blush appeared on the raven hair girl.
Upon reaching home, Ichigo couldn't stop but to smile. Yuzu opened the front door when Ichigo pressed the bell.
"Onii-chan, Rukia-chan! Welcome home. I already made dinner" Yuzu said with a smile to see them.
All three of them walked to the dinner table. Isshin and Karin already waited for them. There on the table was a medium size cake. Covered with some icing sugar and written, 'Happy 24th Birthday, Ichigo, Onii-chan, Ichi-nii" with different colours. There were also two large size of candle, each represent 10 years and four of average size candle.
"Happy Birthday Ichigo!" Isshin couldn't help to cry and hugged his son. "Our son has grown up! He's now a doctor, just like his old man" Ichigo smiled when he heard that; his dad was hugging the huge poster of Masaki. All five of them sat on the dinner table and of course Rukia sat beside Ichigo. They sang a birthday song to Ichigo and started to eat the special dinner that Yuzu cooked for them.
When they were eating, Karin spotted the ring on Rukia's finger.
"Rukia-nee-san, what's that on your finger? It looks so beautiful" Karin pointing the ring using her chopstick.
A blushed appeared on Rukia's face. Ichigo knew that it was a perfect time to tell them. "Dad, Karin, Yuzu, that is a ring. And I'm the one who gave to Rukia. I would like to tell you that…" before he could finish Isshin screamed hysterically.
"My son finally found a perfect woman to spend his life with!" hysterically he jumped all over the room and to Masaki poster. "He had found a woman. A woman that is beautiful just like you Masaki. Oh how I wished that you could see her, Masaki. She's so beautiful" tears of happiness ran down to Isshin's face. He was too happy.
"Congratulation, Ichi-nii, Rukia-nee-san!" together Karin and Yuzu said. Than they heard a thump. Isshin just stumble to a stool. Isshin quickly stood up and walked to them. "Congratulation, son. You made me proud so much" Isshin cried. Then they all back to their dinner. After that, Ichigo cut the cake and all of them ate the cake happily.
"When and where did he propose you, Rukia?" Isshin looked at his will-be daughter-in-law.
"When almost sunset, up the hill that we could see the ocean" Rukia said, eating her cake slowly. Ichigo was in the kitchen taking some water for them. Isshin nodded. Then Ichigo came bringing a jug of orange juice and five glasses.
"Ichigo, you propose Rukia when the sunset and up the hill, didn't you?" Isshin smirked to his son. Ichigo nodded. "Just like your old man! I propose you also when it almost sunset and on a hill, ya know" Isshin smiled and ate his cake.
"A sunset propose" Ichigo smiled… He then kissed Rukia, it taste like cake.
Isshin 'wuuhuu' so was Yuzu and Karin, "Ichi-nii, you spoiled my dessert!"
After broke it Ichigo smile so as everybody in the house except Karin who already didn't have appetite to eat her cake.
"A sunset propose" Isshin whispered slowly… "A sunset propose"…
The End.
A/N: wuuhuu… Never thought that I finished this story in just a day… Got the idea when watching the ending clip where Ichigo, Rukia, Ishida, Inoue and Chad were up on a hill.
BlackBrightField2007.