Tell me why, you're never gonna take the ride,
Don't know why, you're never gonna stay in sight,
I just wanna know what the hell is goin' down
What can I do to make you feel right?
What kinda fool if I make you cry?
Give me a break!
You'd better change your stupid ways,
Before I go away…
The rain was pouring outside, soaking the streets of Karakura town. Ichigo was standing by his window, watching the rain fall while I was sitting at his desk staring at him. Something was bothering him, I could tell by the expression on his face. Ever since we returned from Hueco Mundo, Ichigo has been rather…distant. He won't talk to anyone about what happened there, not even me.
"Ichigo…" I said to him, but he didn't answer. He just continued to stare out the window, completely hypnotized by the rain.
"Ichigo!" I called to him, this time gaining his attention. He stared at me, but there was something different about his eyes. Usually, whenever I would stare into them, I saw nothing but strength and determination, but this time, all I could see was fear and sadness.
"What do you want?" he said to me.
"I want to know what happened to you…" I said to him gently. "…in Hueco Mundo."
He turned his face away from me and stared back out the window. "I don't want to talk about it."
"I don't care about what you want anymore, I won't put up with this depression for a second longer." I said, walking over to him and placing my hand on his back. "What happened?"
He sighed, but still wouldn't look at me. "Rukia…what if I told you that I don't think Aizen is actually dead?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I said I don't think he's actually dead. I can't explain it, but I have this feeling that he somehow survived, and that he'll come up with a plan to end all our lives." He said.
"But that's impossible…" I gasped.
"But I think it's true." Ichigo said.
I stared at him, his eyes now reflecting nothing but hate and anger. I hated seeing him like this, seeing him in so much pain was more than I was ready for, and I wanted nothing more than to end his pain.
I just wanna hold you tight,
I just wanna feel your sigh,
Wanna be with you tonight,
So baby, don't let me down
I know how to satisfy,
I know you want me tonight,
Never show me what's inside,
You cause my nervous breakdown.
"What if he comes after the people I care about?" Ichigo said through gritted teeth.
"I won't let that happen." I said to him.
"How can you make that promise? You can't protect them all!" he said, staring directly into my eyes.
"Maybe not, but I'll do what I can to protect you while you protect all of them. I won't just stand by and watch you get hurt." I said to him, mesmerized at how quickly the emotions in his eyes changed from hatred to concern.
"I don't need protecting, I can take care of myself." He said with a serious look on his face.
"But that's not going to stop me from trying to protect you anyway." I said to him, placing my hand on his cheek.
Ichigo continued to stare at me, many mixed emotions now appearing in his eyes. He reached his hand up to his face and placed it on mine.
"You're impossible." He said, taking my hand off his face and turning to the window once again.
"No, Ichigo, you're impossible!" I said, now standing on his bed so that I would tower slightly over him. "I know damn well that you can protect yourself, but even strong men like you need help every now and again, and until you realize that you don't always have to tackle everything by yourself, I'm going to be right there with you, fighting and protecting you."
Ichigo looked up at me and smiled, his eyes now displaying happiness and compassion. Before I realized what was happening, he reached out and wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off his bed, placing me carefully back on the floor beside him.
"And what makes you so sure I'll let you protect me?" he asked, running his fingers through my hair.
"Because I know you, Ichigo. And I know that you won't reject me." I said smiling.
Ichigo smiled at me sweetly before pulling me in. His strong arms embraced me tightly as he held me so close; I could hear his heart pounding in his chest. I lifted my head to look at him; his face looked so sad and lonely yet happy at the same time.
"Ichigo…" I whispered, reaching my hand out once more and placing it on his cheek.
"Thank you, Rukia." He said to me, resting his forehead on mine.
I stood on my toes to close the gap between us and kiss him deeply. I wanted nothing more than to make Ichigo happy, and I knew that he wanted this; he wanted me there for him, and this was my way of reassuring him that I would never leave.
Time is right, I'm gonna get you playin' high,
It's alright, I'm gonna get you shinin' bright,
Really wanna know what the hell you're feelin' now
What can I do to make you feel right?
What kinda fool if I make you cry?
Give me a break!
You'd better change your stupid ways,
Before I fade away…
The kiss broke seconds later, only because I pulled back. I stared again into Ichigo's eyes but this time, I couldn't read the emotion within them. I couldn't even tell what he was thinking.
"Rukia…" he whispered before cupping my face and placing his lips over mine, kissing me deeply and passionately.
Ichigo moved his hands from my face to my shoulders as I stood there frozen. He continued to kiss me, each kiss becoming slightly more aggressive than the last one, but I didn't care. I knew now what that emotion was in his eyes, and I shared the same. I was in love with him, and I knew he was in love with me, and right now, it couldn't be more obvious what we wanted. Ichigo slid his hand down my arm, pulling the strap to my dress down before placing soft kisses on my neck and shoulder. I sighed slightly, the sensation sweeping over my entire body. Ichigo kissed my lips again before laying me down carefully on his bed.
I just wanna treat you right,
I just wanna see your eyes,
Wanna kiss you through the night,
So baby, don't let me down
I know how to satisfy,
I know you want me tonight,
Never show me what's inside,
You cause my nervous breakdown...
I wrapped my arms around his neck as he hovered above me, staring directly into my eyes. I smiled at him when he smiled at me and leaned up to kiss him again: I couldn't resist the intoxication of his lips. He ran his hand down my body, sending shivers through my spine, and kissed my neck once more. We kissed again and again, both passionately and violently, and tangled our bodies together, melting into one being. Each kiss Ichigo placed on my body was like a drug, and I craved them more and more. The more he kissed me, the more irresistible he became, and I never wanted it to end. I could feel my heart beating hard in my chest, and my breath was escaping me, and although I didn't want to, I knew I had to stop him before things got too out of hand.
"Ichigo…" I whispered in his ear. "…Ichigo, wait."
He placed one more kiss on my neck before raising himself above me. "What's wrong?"
"We…we can't do this." I said breathlessly. "Think about it, is this really what you want right now?"
He stared at me, a hint of disappointment gleamed in his eyes. "No, you're right. It's too early for that."
"I…I'm sorry, Ichigo." I said to him, slightly embarrassed.
"No, don't be, it's alright." He said with a smile, removing himself from above me and instead laying down beside me. I turned to face him.
"Are you sure you're alright with this?" I asked him sincerely.
"Rukia, I'm not going to do anything until we're both ready. I don't want either of us to feel regret when it happens, so for now, it's better that we wait." He said to me, placing his hand on my cheek and rubbing it gently with his thumb.
I smiled at him. "I knew you were a good guy, Ichigo."
"I do have one question, though." He said.
"And that is?"
"Is it still okay for me to do this?" he asked, placing his lips over mine once more.
"Only if you are okay with me returning the favor." I said, leaning in to kiss him softly.
"Then I guess it's okay." He laughed, kissing me again.
"I-Ichigo…" I managed to say between kisses.
"What is it?" he asked sweetly.
"I love you." I whispered, running my fingers through his messy hair.
He smiled sweetly at me. "I knew it."
"What do you mean 'I knew it'? I just spill my feelings for you, and that's all you can say?" I asked, taken aback by his reply, and turning away from him.
"Just come here." He said, pulling me closer to him. He wrapped his arms around me once again and rest his head on my shoulder. "Don't tell me you don't already know that I love you too." He said softly in my ear.
I could feel my face warming up as I smiled just slightly.
"Yeah, I already knew that." I said.
Tell me why, you're never gonna take the ride,
Don't know why, you're never gonna stay in sight,
Give me a break!
You'd better change your stupid ways,
Before I go away
I just wanna hold you tight,
I just wanna feel your sigh,
Wanna be with you tonight,
So baby, don't let me down
I just wanna treat you right,
I just wanna see your eyes,
Wanna kiss you through the night,
I know how to satisfy,
I know you want me tonight,
Never show me what's inside,
You cause my nervous breakdown...