Summary: its a one shot about Rukia and Ichigo visiting Ichigo's mother grave and how Ichigo wanted to thank rukia. it's set one year after the day Ichigo battled the Grand fisher near his mother's grave. ok, I admit, this summary sucks, coz I have no idea how to summarize it.

anyway, read it and you well get it.

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Bleach in anyway-legal or otherwise. if I did, it would definitely be an ichiruki and with more Byakuya and Hitsugaya scenes.

JUNE 17

At Krakura High School

"It always rain on this day huh? June 17." Orihime looked out the window and frowned at the darkened sky.

"For Ichigo that is. Though it really does rain—literally I mean. In fact it rains every year" Tatsuki too, looked up at the dark sky.

"I wonder if it will ever stop for Kurosaki-kun. It's been so long, shouldn't it have at least stopped?" asked the kind hearted girl.

"I don't know for sure, but I think it has stopped. Last year, he came back the next day totally fine. Usually he would still carry that depressed mood with him or a few days." Tatsuki said while turning back to face her friend.

"I guess she's the one who helped stop it. Ever since she came, I didn't think Kurosaki-kun was so scary. You know I was really scared of him before. Now, he's a very important friend."

"Kuchiki-san you mean? I guess she was the only girl then other than me who wasn't afraid of him."

"She's really special. Though he would always help his friends, I think he would go a greater distance for her. I really do envy her.." Orihime's eyes were getting teary as she spoke. Wiping away the threatening tears, she turned and smiled. "I'm happy for the both of them. Really"

Tatsuki smiled and hugged her friend as much as to comfort her. "I'm happy for them too."

At the cemetery

"Karin-chan, do you think it's really alright to leave dad back there?" Yuzu asked her twin as they walked up the hill to the cemetery.

"Sure why not. This way he won't embarrass us. Besides, he always catches up really fast." Karin continued walking straight ahead.

"ICHIGOOOOOOOOOO! HOW COULD YOU BE SO MEAN? DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR FATHER ANYMORE?" Isshin came running at top speed and still managed to bear hug Ichigo thus knocking them both onto the ground.

"What is WRONG with you? Can't you just stop attacking me for once?" Ichigo shouted back as he pushed Isshin off him, making Isshin roll down the hill like a ball. "Let's go Yuzu, Karin."

Ichigo was the first to reach and was surprised to see her there.

"Rukia."

"Ichigo. I thought I should pay my respects."

"Thanks."

"RUKIA-CHAN! You came! Oh I'm so happy. You really are my third daughter!" Isshin shouted as he came reached moments after an awkward silence passed between the couple.

"Rukia-nee chan! You came! Thank you." Yuzu whose eyes were already wet hugged Rukia tightly.

Hugging Yuzu back, Rukia nodded at Karin as a greeting.

"Thanks for coming." Karin said

"I'll take a walk down the road. You would want to spend time as a family together." Releasing Yuzu, Rukia gave a small smile and walked into the woods.

In the woods/ cliff (the place where rukia and kon were)

Sitting on the grass, Rukia looked at the lovely view. Though her eyes were on the landscape, she mind was back in time a year ago when she first came here. Back then all she cared about was hoping Ichigo stayed out of trouble and getting him to help her kill hollows while she tried to regain her shinigami powers. That's when she learned of his sad past and had started to understand him better, to care more for him. Now, a year later, she back here with him still concerned if not worried about how he deals with his emotions when it comes to his beloved mother. Heaving a sigh, Rukia was about to get up and walk back to where the Kurosaki family were when a something moved behind her. "Who's there?"

"Hey, Hey. Easy. Didn't mean to startle you Rukia" Ichigo said as he came into view.

"Oh. It's you, Ichigo." Seeing Ichigo, Rukia relaxed again.

"How's the rest doing?" she asked

"They're handling it. Like we do every year." Came the reply.

With that silence fell between the couple again until Ichigo asked if he could sit beside her.

"Sure."

"Rukia, I.. I've never told you this, but thank you."

Intrigued, Rukia tilted her head to the side and ask "Your welcome, but, what are you thanking me for? If it's about saving you and your family the day we met, you've thank me already—more than once in fact."

"That too. But no. I'm thanking you on a different matter."

Thinking really hard, Rukia finally came up with "If you mean the Grand Fisher incident, I didn't really help. You were the one who scared him off."

"No, not that. That bastard is already dead. Dad finished him off." Ichigo replied.

"Oh, I see. That means Kurosaki-san… did he knew that…. about I mean.. you and your mother?"

"Yeah. He did. Found him after so many years of searching."

"Well, at least he's dead. He can never harm anyone ever again. So, if that's not it, then what is it about?" asked Rukia again.

"….."

"Ichigo?"

Rukia loses patience easily when Ichigo acts like that— wanting to say something yet not saying it. However, today was his mother's death anniversary so she would try her best to be as patient as long as her temper could allow.

"Ichigo? Did you hear what I said?" Rukia tried again

"Ichigo, if you have something to say you can just spit it out. If not you don't have to force yourself to say it. I told you once before that I could wait until you are ready to speak then I would listen or ask."

After a few moments of silence pass, Rukia was about to try once more when Ichigo suddenly turned and faced her.

"Remember that time when I saved you from execution? Or rather from Aizen to be exact."

"How could I ever forget that?"

"Well, you asked me why I risked my life to save you."

"And you told me it was because I risked mine to save yours and your family's."

"Yah. But that was only part of it."

Surprised, Rukia turned away from Ichigo and looked over the cliff.

"You see, because of you, my world was changed, drastically."

"I'm sorry. It was because of me that you ended up having to run between the 2 worlds and protect them. I —" Feeling guilty, Rukia was about to start going on an apologizing speech but was cut off by Ichigo.

"No, Rukia. I never did blame you. Ok, maybe I did blame you when I first started out with you nagging at me all the time. But after I realized that because of you, I had the power to protect the ones dear to me, those I love."

"You would thank me for that? For making such a mess of your normal human life?"

"Well, yeah. But that's not the point."

"Not the point? Ichigo! How can that not be a point?"

"Look, you asked me why I thank you just now, so I'm trying my best here to explain why. So could you not side track me? 'cause I'm really not good with this kind of stuff"

"Fine. Continue with whatever you wanted to say"

"So.. like I was saying, because you changed my world, you help me realized what really happened to my mother."

Ichigo shook his head when he saw Rukia was about to start apologizing again.

"No, don't say anything. Just let me finish." Continuing only when Rukia nod her head, Ichigo continued.

"I not only realized that, but also I started to feel… I don't know, my heart, the hole in it. It started to heal, slowly. But it started to heal that day after my battle with the Grand Fisher. Rukia, before that, it had always rained on this day— June 17. Never once had the rain stopped since my mother's death. It always rained. But, since a year ago, the rain stopped. Slowly, from a shower to a drizzle till the rain stopped. And now, a year later, it not only stopped raining, but I think the sun has also started to shine."

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out again, Ichigo opened his eyes (when did he close them?) and faced Rukia.

"So, I wanted to thank you. Thank you for not only saving me, for giving me the power to protect those that I care for, and most importantly thank you for not only helping to stop the rain but let out the sun as well. Thank you, Rukia. You stopped the rain."

Speechless, Rukia just nodded. Forgetting all that she had in mind to tell Ichigo when he cut her off.

"I, I.. I don't know what to say. But I guess I should say 'don't mention it' ?" Rukia's eyes were getting wet. She had not expected this from Ichigo. Wiping away the tears that have yet to fall, Rukia looked up at Ichigo.

"You don't have to cry. Too shocked that I could say something like that?" Ichigo said while trying to help wipe away the unshed tears.

With neither of them noticing it, they had unconsciously moved closer to each other through their conversation. Rukia's tears had brought then even closer to each other, since none of them had expected this reaction from her. When they finally noticed that that they were close enough that just a little closer, their lips would touch, Rukia was about to pull back. However, with Ichigo's hand still on her cheek, his other arm going behind her back, he pulled her back. Shocked, Rukia's eyes widened and she looked up just in time to see Ichigo's face coming down on her. Before she could think to resist, she felt his lips on hers. The kiss was so soft and whisper light, but it was also sweet at the same time.

"Rukia—"

"KYAAAAAA! ICHIGO, YOU DEFINITELY ARE MY SON! RUKIA-CHAN, WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! OH, MISAKI! DID YOU SEE THAT? MY SON IS ALL GROWN UP AND HAS A GIRL— NO, IT SHOULD BE FUTURE WIFE!" Ichigo was cut off my Isshin who had came out from one of the bushes as he had apparently been spying on them for quite some time.

"Dad? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" unfortunately, Ichigo who was really red in the face was ignored by the ecstatic Isshin.

"RUKIA-CHAN! You must make my son take responsibility. Don't worry, I will make him. You will be my third daughter from now on. MISAKI! YOU HEAR THAT? THIRD DAUGHTER! KYAAAA!" Isshin was now hugging Rukia in one of his signature bear hugs that Rukia was turning red (embarrassment) to purple (suffocating).

"GET OFF HER YOU OLD GEEZER!" Ichigo who realized Rukia struggling for air, pried Isshin off her and punched him in such a way that Isshin flew 10 feet away from them.

"Are you ok, Rukia?"

"AWW, ALREADY PROTECTIVE OF HER! KYAAAA! HOW SWEET!" Isshin was now doing one of his happy dances and shouting for Misaki again.

"SHUT UP! CAN'T YOU SEE SHE WAS SUFFOCATING?" Ichigo who was really getting annoyed, grabbed Rukia's hand.

"Let's go, Rukia. AND DON'T YOU FOLLOW US!" Pulling Rukia beside him, Ichigo headed back to where Yuzu and Karin were supposed to be. All the time with Isshin making embarrassing noises and shouting at the top of his lungs.

so how did you find it?
my first one shot, so I hope it was ok... anyway,

please please please read and review!