The window was wet from the rain that poured down outside. The sky was colored grey of dark clouds and outside on the streets people tried to get away from the rain by running in under buildings. Some people walked with umbrellas over their heads and some had nothing except for a cap.
A sigh could be heard in the darkened room where a lonely young man sat. His orange, spiky hair seemed to shine in the light from the candles that stood on a small table next to his bed where he sat in the darkness. In his eyes, which wore the colour of amber, you could see how lonely he was. Something was missing in his life, but he didn't know what yet.
The door behind him opened and someone with small, easy footsteps walked towards him. It was a woman whose name was Kurosaki Masaki and mother to Kurosaki Ichigo, the boy that sat on the bed and watched out through the window.
Masaki laid her hand on her son's shoulder and looked at him with the typical mother gaze "I-am-worried-about-you". "Ichigo, what's the matter? You've been so quiet these last days. Is it something you want to tell me?"
Ichigo shook his head slowly as if he wasn't listening or was somewhere else. "No, mum, I am just… thinking. It feels as if something's missing in my life."
"Missing? What do you mean, Ichigo?"
Ichigo sighed and looked up at his mother that he loved so much. "I am not sure, mum. But…" Ichigo interrupted himself, as if he wasn't sure how he should continue the sentence.
"Even since I have found out that Inoue Orihime's brother told you that he would be happy if I married Orihime I have been having a strange feeling… As if someone or something wants to tell me something", Ichigo said with sad voice and looked out through the window once again.
Masaki stared at her son for some seconds before she found the strength to talk again. "But Ichigo, you know how important this wedding is! It will help Inoue a lot and you know that. She hasn't had such an easy life with hitting and abusing parents, plus that you two have known each other since you were small, Ichigo. She has always been looking up to you."
Now Ichigo became angry and sat up so that the light from the candle almost died. They threw shadows in the room before they were reintroduced as they had been before Ichigo stood up.
"Mum, isn't that my decision to make?! Of course I care about Orihime, she's my friend but I don't like her in that way! Why the hell shall I marry someone I don't even love?" Ichigo literally screamed in his mother's face by now. "Neither you or dad can make those decisions for me, they are my own ones and both of you know that!"
"Kurosaki Ichigo, now you calm down! Just so you know it, I and your dad have already decided for you. You and Orihime shall get married in the church two months from today, either you like it or not. Your father, I and Sora have been discussing this subject this whole evening and we all three agree to that it would make Orihime good if you marry her." Masaki turned around and walked towards the door. When she reached it she turned around and watched her paralyzed son with a sad gaze. "Ichigo, I am not doing this because I want to hurt you. I am doing it for your own good."
When the door closed behind Masaki it got awfully quiet in the room. Ichigo stared paralyzed at the door from where his mother just had disappeared from. She couldn't be serious about this, nor could she…?
'Why would mum and dad do something like this towards me? They can't force me to marry Orihime; I don't even love her in that way! She's my friend, nothing else, and will so remain. I know that she probably have more then friendly feelings towards me, but I can't pretend I have them back towards her just to please my mum, dad and Sora… It's not right for none of us.' Ichigo shook his head and sighed.
He walked back to the window and looked out. Now the rain had gone from drizzle to pouring rain. It was as good as empty on the street except for a couple and a lonely young girl that stood on the other side of the street with no umbrella or something else that could cover her from the heavy rain. Her gaze was attached to the ground and her hair laid as pasted towards her face. She shook Ichigo could see, probably because of the cold rain.
"Why is she just standing there, like a statue? She'll catch a cold if she stands there much longer", Ichigo said to himself and made a decision that would change his life forever.
He ran downstairs and grabbed an umbrella that hung in the hallway. He also put on a jacket and shoes before he opened the door. He released the barrier that held in the umbrella and laid it over his head. Then he walked over the street towards the girl which still stood in the same position as when Ichigo last had seen her.
"Hi there, why are you standing here in the rain all alone with no umbrella? You're gonna catch a cold if you stand here much longer."
The girl looked up at him with a surprised look in her eyes. At first she didn't answer, just looked at Ichigo. When she answered it was with a whispering and weak voice. "Hi… I am standing here because I love the rain. I always feel so relaxed when I stand outside and let the rain pour down on me, like now..."
Ichigo smiled and placed himself next to the girl. He laid the umbrella over their heads so they wouldn't get wet. "Hey, why don't you follow me to a drier place? You should change clothes before you catch a cold. Why don't you show me where you live? A girl like you shall not walk around alone this late."
The girl shook her head slowly and looked down on the ground. "Thanks, but you don't need to worry about me. I can take care of myself."
"I am sure that you can, but I wanna be a gentleman and escort you home. Don't worry, I won't try anything", Ichigo said and laid his hand on the girls shoulder. "By the way, I didn't catch your name. My is Kurosaki Ichigo, what's yours?"
"Nice to meet you Ichigo, I am Kuchiki Rukia. Alright then, now when you asked so kindly and even took the time to introduce yourself, I guess I could let you follow me home. But I will have to warn you; if you try anything stupid I am afraid you will regret it", Rukia answered with a small smirk on her lips.
Ichigo laughed and laid his arm over Rukia's shoulders. "So, which way shall we go, Miss Rukia, to get to your house?"
A smile appeared on Rukia's lips and she let Ichigo have his arm around her. In some strange way it felt… good. As if Ichigo always had done like this towards her. "Well, I don't live in a house, really. It's more an apartment you can say. We shall go straight forward first until the road separates, then we shall go to the right."
By now both Ichigo and Rukia had begun to walk while Rukia had been telling the way, but Ichigo almost stopped when he understood which way they were about to walk to. He swallowed and tried to calm himself down since he didn't want to scare Rukia. But it was too late; Rukia had already noticed that something was wrong.
"Ichigo how is it? Is something the matter?"
"Oh… Not really, Rukia… It's just that… Do you know a person that's called 'Inoue Orihime' where you live?" Ichigo didn't dare to look at Rukia in case she would see on him what he was feeling towards maybe meeting Orihime.
"Hmm… I think I have heard that name before but I don't know her if that's what you mean. Why do you wonder?"
'Because I don't want to meet her since she's going to ask a lot of questions and probably tell you that I am going to marry her in two months from today', Ichigo thought and sighed deep. He felt such an urge to tell everything for Rukia, but he didn't know how to start.
"She's… a friend to my family. I have known her since I was a small child. My parents and Orihime's brother is really good friends."
Rukia looked up at Ichigo. She thought she had heard a small tone of sadness in his voice, but why he sounded so sad about it she couldn't tell. If she just could be able to look into his eyes she might found out the answer. But since Ichigo just looked straight forward it was kinda hard to get a good look of them.
"We're here", Rukia said and pointed on a white house with four floors of windows. "I live on the 2nd floor, right there."
Ichigo let a small sigh of relief escape his mouth. Thank goodness, Rukia didn't live in the same apartment as Orihime, she lived two houses away. Rukia had probably just seen Orihime when she walked by sometimes.
"Well, I guess that's it then. I escorted you home as I promised I would." Ichigo gave Rukia a small smirk and turned around when a small hand laid down on his shoulder.
"Ichigo… Don't go yet, I want to invite you in. How does it sound with a cup of coffee as 'thank you for escorting me home'?"
Ichigo turned his head and watched Rukia that once again stood in the rain with no protection. Her clothes were all wet again and her hair once again pressed towards her face. Ichigo felt how his eyes seemed to drag themselves towards Rukia's, as if some kind of strange powers forced him to look in Rukia's dark blue eyes. In the darkness that was they looked dark purple and they were so… beautiful.
Suddenly Ichigo felt such a strong urge to hug Rukia and never let her go that it actually surprised him. He just wanted to tell this young and still unknown woman everything. About the marriage, how lonely he felt, how something seemed to miss in his life… and more.
Instead he gave Rukia a smile and nodded. "Thank you, Rukia. That sounds like a wonderful idea. Shall I escort you to your apartment door as well?"
Rukia laughed, bent down her knees and grabbed the sides of her wet clothes. "Thank you, Mister Ichigo. That would be wonderful and very kind of you."
Ichigo lifted up his arm towards Rukia that took it and so they walked to the entrance door. Ichigo opened it to Rukia after he had shaken of the most of the water from the umbrella. They took the stairs up to Rukia's apartment and when they reached it Rukia took up a key from her jeans pocket which she used to open the door.
A small whistle escaped Ichigo's mouth after he had closed the door behind him and lifted his head. In the hallway it wasn't so much to see, just jackets and shoes, but that wasn't why Ichigo had whistled liking either. In the living room, which also used as bedroom, Rukia had the most beautiful view Ichigo had ever seen. From the window you could look out over the open sea that now was dark blue and made small circles from the rain that fell down over it.
"Wow, Rukia… Talk about view…" Ichigo said and walked over to the window.
Rukia came out from the kitchen with two cups of coffee in her hands and smiled at the sight that met her. "Isn't it nice, Ichigo? You shall know how many times I've been sitting on my bed and watched out from that window. It's just so nice to think of something else for a while, don't you think?"
By those words Ichigo managed to let go of the window. He instead turned his gaze to Rukia and looked at her with big eyes. "Are you serious with me now? I do the same thing myself when I have a lot things to do or think of."
Rukia laughed and gave the coffee to Ichigo. "I am not so surprised by hearing that, since I have seen you do that many times. You live over there, right?" Rukia pointed with a finger on a grey house that could hardly been seen from the rain, only a small white window.
"Wow, so you mean that you have been… watching me from over here?" Ichigo watched Rukia with a gaze that said everything about how he felt right now:
Surprised.
"It's not like you think, Ichigo. It was a real coincident that I saw you that first time. I don't even know why I looked at your window when I did it, but when I did the first thing I saw was your face. You looked so lost in thoughts and… lonely."
"Yeah… I am kinda lonely even though people around me don't think I am just because my family is rich since my dad is the only really good doctor in this town." Ichigo couldn't help that a small tone of bitterness founded its way out of him when he talked.
"My goodness, you're him!" Rukia looked at Ichigo with big eyes and a hand in front of her mouth. "You are Kurosaki Isshin's son… I'm so sorry, I didn't know…"
"Please, don't begin, Rukia. I have heard enough of those things already in my life. All I want is to be treated like a normal person, not some kind of God. I have already had enough of that by now…" To Ichigo's big surprise tears begun to fall down his cheeks.
"Shh, it's alright, Ichigo. I am sorry", Rukia said and laid her arms around Ichigo in a hug.
"Hi there, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime waved and walked up next to Ichigo. She had a big smile on her face and her eyes sparkled.
"Oh, hi… How are you today, Orihime?" Ichigo watched Orihime with sad eyes. She was a really beautiful and innocent young girl that a lot of guys in his own age would like to have. Something that Ichigo would be really happy for if it actually could happen.
"I am feeling great! I just can't wait till next week when the wedding is going to happen. Aren't you excited, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime didn't seem to notice the sadness Ichigo felt.
"I guess I am…" Ichigo shivered by the thought. It was only one week left until the wedding and he still hadn't been able to tell Orihime about his feelings towards it. He had just pretend he was as happy as she was, but the more closer the wedding day approached the harder it was to keep that happy face up.
Orihime grabbed Ichigo's arm and looked up at him. "Kurosaki-kun, I have noticed that you aren't home so much nowadays. What are you doing all days? I have heard rumors about that you are staying over a lot by a girl named Kuchiki Rukia. She lives just some house away from me, right?"
"Yes, she's a friend of me. Does it bother you that I am with her?" Ichigo asked and looked at Orihime with a raised eyebrow.
Orihime shook her head. "No, she seems to be a really nice girl, Kurosaki-kun. As long as she doesn't try anything I am happy if you have a friend that can help you."
Ichigo gave Orihime a small smile and nodded. Rukia had helped him more then he thought was possible. Even since that rainy day soon two months ago Ichigo had never felt alone or sad, the other way around. He had been laughing and smiling more then he had done for months. Rukia made him whole, filled that hole that had been building in his chest with caring and… love.
Ichigo hadn't tell Rukia or Orihime, but he was suspecting that he had fallen in love with Kuchiki Rukia, the lonely girl he had met outside in the rain and followed home for a cup of hot coffee. The unknown girl that knew exactly how he felt.
But Ichigo also knew that their love wouldn't be accepted, it was forbidden. His mum and dad would go crazy if they founded it out, so he just pretended to them that they were friends. Or no, that was not right. Ichigo hadn't seen any signs from Rukia that told him that she loved him back. Maybe she just wanted to be friends, maybe not. If he wanted to found out that answer he would have to ask her or show his feelings towards her and then see what she did.
"Orihime, I'm sorry, but I gotta go now. I will catch up with you later today, okay?" Ichigo took Orihime's hand and kissed it gently, just the way a gentleman should treat his wife.
Orihime blushed and nodded. "Of course, Kurosaki-kun. I understand. See you later then", Orihime curtsied and gave Ichigo a small kiss on the mouth - which he didn't respond.
"See you, Kurosaki-kun."
"See you later, Orihime", Ichigo replied and bowed. After that he turned around and began his journey to the beach beneath his house where he and Rukia had decided to meet up just this sunny afternoon.
When he came down to the beach he sat down on a bench that stood all alone some meters from the waves that swept in on the brown sand beneath his feet's. The view of the sea made Ichigo calm and he almost forgot his problems.
But just almost.
"Hi there, I thought you wouldn't come."
A voice made Ichigo jump where he sat, lost in the sight of the sea. He turned his head and saw Rukia sit on the bench's flat tabletop above his shoulders. She wore a pink dress that reached down to her knees and pink small ballerina shoes. The wind blew her hair back and forth and the sight of Rukia this free dressed, but at the same time up dressed, made Ichigo love her even more since she was so beautiful.
"Heh, how should I be able not to come, Rukia? You know that these moments I have with you is the ones I can call happy and relaxing. Haven't I told you many times that I feel free when I am with you?" Ichigo looked up with a smirk on Rukia.
Rukia just laughed and shook her head while she looked out at the sea. "I know, Ichigo. You've been telling me that so many times that I almost can your little "speech" in and out. But I am really happy to hear that I can make you happy."
It got quiet. The only sounds that could be heard were the sound from the waves that swept up from the sea to the beach and the birds singing. Ichigo looked up at Rukia's face and felt how much he really wanted to stroke her cheek, lay his arms around her and never let her go.
As if Rukia had read his thoughts she looked down at Ichigo with a smile that soon disappeared when she looked into Ichigo's eyes. In them she saw what Ichigo had wanted to tell her for such a long time but didn't have the courage to speak out loud of.
Ichigo made his move. He stood up and sat down next to Rukia on the bench where he took her hands. Then he looked her deep into the eyes before he said the words he had wanted to say for days.
"I love you, Kuchiki Rukia", he said and kissed Rukia gently on the lips.
To Ichigo's big surprise he felt how Rukia kissed him back, that her lips actually pressed against his own ones. A warmth he never had felt before filled him and made him happy, it felt wonderful. It felt as if… that something he had been missing, now finally was founded.
Ichigo knew right in that moment that from now on he would never be able to marry Inoue Orihime since he had finally found the woman in his life. Why did he care about what his parents or Sora said? This was the sign he had been waiting for, the sign that would show him what he was supposed to do.
After the kiss broke the both young teenagers hugged each other tight. No one of them wanted to release the other since that would only result in that the warmth they felt would disappear, but also because of that the wall that had been keeping them apart also would build up again.
The wall between rich and poor.
Rukia looked at Ichigo with sad eyes. "Ichigo, this is wrong… I know that you are going to marry Inoue Orihime in one week. Even if I love you and would love to have you next to me forever, I can't just steal you from Orihime. This is wrong, you and I."
Ichigo stroked Rukia's cheeks slowly. "Rukia, I don't care. I love you, not Orihime. She's my friend, nothing else. My parents made this decision without asking me what I think about it, which is also one reason why I can't do it. I know that Orihime hasn't have had it easy, but I won't help her by marrying her, but my mother doesn't seem to understand that."
Rukia shook her head and sniffed little. "I know, Ichigo, but I… saw how much Orihime really cares about you. I saw when she… kissed you before and it just feels so wrong to take you away from her. I know that she wouldn't do it if it was the other way around."
Ichigo kissed Rukia again to show her how much he loved her. "Rukia, I promise you that in some way I will fix this. I won't let my parents take away the thing that makes me happy, make me smile and laugh. Don't worry, I will think of something."
The church was filled with people. His parents and their relatives that was still alive, Orihime's brother Sora and some friends to his mum and dad.
Ichigo stood next to the priest and waited for Orihime to walk in through the doors. He felt very nervous for what he had in front of him. But now he couldn't turn back, it was too late for that.
Suddenly the church organ begun to play and the gate opened. Orihime was walking towards him with a big smile on her lips and sparkling eyes. She wore a white, long dress that filled her body shape perfectly and made her look even more beautiful then she was.
Ichigo got filled with sadness towards this happy young girl in front of him. He didn't want to do this, but he also knew that if he didn't he and Rukia would never be together.
When Orihime reached Ichigo the priest began to talk. Meanwhile he did so Ichigo took a deep breathe and turned to Orihime. He looked her deep in the eyes and managed to fill himself with enough courage to say what he had to say.
"Inoue Orihime, do you take Kurosaki Ichigo to your husband?" The priest asked Orihime.
"Yes, I do. I really do."
"And do you, Kurosaki Ichigo, take Inoue Orihime to your wife?"
Ichigo took Orihime's hands and said with such a loud voice that everyone in the church should hear him: "Orihime, I am really sorry to tell you this but … I can't marry you. I don't love you in that way, only as a friend. You are a really great friend, but nothing else for me. I have met another girl that fills my heart with love and makes me happier then I've been for months. I am really sorry about this, Orihime, I truly am."
When Ichigo walked out from the church it was really quiet. The only one that actually smiled was Orihime that understood Ichigo's feelings.
By the beach Rukia sat on the same bench she and Ichigo had been sitting on a week ago. She felt… sad. Sad for what Ichigo had done to Orihime, but at the same time she felt happy for that Ichigo had choose her instead of Orihime.
"Rukia", she heard a voice say behind her. "I am here now."
"Ichigo…" Rukia turned around and looked at Ichigo.
He held up a small box in front of her. He slowly opened it and inside Rukia could see a small gold ring with a little diamond on it. "Kuchiki Rukia, do you want to marry me?"
"Yes, I want…" Rukia nodded, smiled and hugged Ichigo tight. "Yes I want to, Ichigo!"
Ichigo laughed and kissed Rukia. "Thank you Rukia for being here and want to live the rest of your life with me."
"Thank you Ichigo for escorting me home that raining day. If you hadn't, I wouldn't be here with you now." Rukia smiled and nuzzled Ichigo's nose against her own. "I love you, Kurosaki Ichigo."
"And I love you, Kuchiki Rukia."
Then the both young, new engaged teenagers met in a kiss that showed them both how much they cared for each other.