Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of it's characters. Which is probably a good thing.
Ichigo was bored. So bored, in fact, that he was talking about his life problems to Kon. He didn't even know you could get that bored. Between the ever-growing problems that had arisen with Uryu and Orihime going out, the numerous hollow attacks that had occurred lately, and Rukia being transferred to a different area for some mass hollow attack in Europe. Especially the last one, but why, even Ichigo couldn't figure out. Rukia had told him that she was going to be gone for only a couple days, and he couldn't figure out why he was so freakin' worried about this. It also didn't help that every time he mentioned Uryu or Orihime Kon told him he needed to pull some freaky move that was dirty even for Kon.
Right as Kon was telling him this for the 17th time, Ichigo decided he was going to go take a walk. Leaving the house, he began to walk up the empty street, strangely coming up to the spot where Renji and Byakuya and taken Rukia. The spot hadn't been cleaned in a while and was pretty dirty, and the spot was covered in litter from these stupid kids. Ichigo stomped the ground and decided he was going to pick it up, when a huge crash entered the empty. A huge spider-like hollow with six legs and two pincer-like arms, covered in blue skin was charging at him. It was just a weak one, there was no danger though. He reached his hand for his pocket, only to find that his combat pass wasn't there. Ichigo dodged the hollows swing and then began to worry. What was he going to do now that he didn't have his pass; he couldn't change into a Soul Reaper. As the hollow swung a second attack at Ichigo, a ball of blue colored energy hit the pincer, blowing off the limb from the body. Ichigo looked in the direction it came from only to see Rukia, who charged forward with Zanpkuto in hand. Rukia swung her Zanpakuto, aiming straight at the hollow's head, and with one fell swoop of her sword, the hollow skull was sliced in two in two, quickly fading into Reishi.
"It's been a little while, hasn't it?" Rukia said, smiling one of her huge schoolgirl grins and waving at Ichigo.
Ichigo had to fight off the urge to run up and hug her, contemplating why it was so hard, but fought off the thoughts he was having. "She's only a friend", he told himself over and over again in his head, but still…
Rukia went back to her Gigai, and then, ran over to Ichigo.
"So, how was it while I was away" she asked as if nothing had happened just there.
"It was terrible. You know, a lot can happen in two days to make life terrible. By the end I was talking to Kon about my life problems." Ichigo began to rant more about Uryu, Orihime, and Kon but was cut off by Rukia.
"I think I get the picture," she said, "that is pretty bad about Kon though. You want to go back to your room? I think it will be more comfortable there."
"Sure." Ichigo replied and as they walked back Ichigo began to rant more and more about life. As the topic turned to Uryu and Orihime, images of Rukia and him doing the same things came unbidden, but they were quickly suppressed by Ichigo's denials.
"Does it really look like Uryu was eating her face off?" Rukia asked, and just as she said that another image of Rukia and him making out, but this time his strongest denials couldn't shake the image.
"Hey Rukia, you want to go to a coffee shop. There's this one really close that has really good coffee" he asked changing the subject. As her mouth opened he quickly cut her off, saying "Coffee is a drink even better than juice."
"Even better than juice! Wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. I want to try it Ichigo, can we go? Can we go? Can we-"
"Yes! We can go. Okay!" as he cut her off again. As they walked, the image of Rukia and him remained on his mind as she told him about the hollow attack. As they walked down the dirty street (didn't ANY of these streets get cleaned? Was Karakura town that poor?) He started to notice things. Like the way she walked, the way her eyes were like pure ice. He also noticed how good her body looked.
"NO! I can't love Rukia. She's a friend, that all," Ichigo thought. But suddenly another thought came into his head unbidden. "A friend you were just checking out."
Ichigo ignored his own thoughts and kept on walking with Rukia., talking about thing.
They finally reached the coffee shop, and the two entered the building. After getting seats and a couple frappes, the two began to converse again. Suddenly, Ichigo's strongest denials couldn't stop him. Against his instincts, he decided to stop trying to shut it out of his mind.
"Hey Rukia, can I tell you something," he said, squirming on the inside.
"Sure. What is it?" she asked with one of the voices she had when she was learning things about the World of the Living. It was so inquisitive, but for some reason, it didn't annoy him anymore, like it did when she asked him about things like juice, flashlights, or ovens.
"Ummmm, well, you see, I, um I," Ichigo stuttered out. Man, how awkward could this get?
"What is it Ichigo! You're killing me here!" Rukia shouted, as the entire coffe shop turned to look at them.
"Crap, could this get any worse," he thought.
"Well, erm, Rukia, I kind of have been having these weird feelings for you, and while I it'd be kind of weird, seeing as how you're a Soul Reaper, and I'm a human, Vizard thing, and I live in the World of the Living, and you live in the Soul Society, but, erm, do you feel anything for me."
"Ichigo…," Rukia started.
"I'll go out with you if she turns you down!" one girl in the crowd shouted, to her date's dismay.
"Ichigo, to be honest, ever since you saved me from that one hollow that was after the parakeet, I felt something. Now, I'm squirming on the inside. But in a good sort of way."
Ichigo leaned forward then, and kissed her. And she didn't pull away.
So what did you think? Please review.
