Disclaimer I don't own Bleach or any of its characters Tite Kubo does. Please rate and review.
One day after school, Rukia and Ichigo were walking home together. They were walking in silence, which was not strange for them. But then Rukia broke the silence with a comment.
"I wonder what it would have been like if I had grown – up with you and the others," she said.
"Why?" asked Ichigo.
"Because maybe if I had grown – up with you, things would have been different. Ishida would have some one he could count on like his grandfather, Inoue would have her family, her brother would still be around. And you, you would be able to smile and be happy. Then maybe none of you would have regrets about losing those most important to you."
"There's no point in wondering what if, the past is the past and there's nothing we can do to change it. We just have to keep thinking about the future, because we can always change the future."
"Yes, I suppose you're right. And I guess the only good thing out of those tragedies is that when you do smile it makes them all the more special." Ichigo blushed at Rukia's comment, and the blush did not go unnoticed by Rukia as she teased, "Kurosaki Ichigo, are you blushing from a simple compliment."
Ichigo's blush intensified and he then responded with, "N – no, I'm not blushing."
Rukia laughed and said, "I thought you were smooth with the ladies, I never thought something so simple could make you blush."
"Shut up! I'm not blushing."
"Maybe I should tell Arisawa and the others, I'm sure they would love to hear it."
"Rukia, you better not!"
"Or what?" Rukia asked as she started running ahead, a smile on her face.
"Hey ya damn midget!" Ichigo yelled as he ran after Rukia. Ichigo didn't realize it but soon he had a smile on his face, and Rukia saw that rare smile of his, which only made her smile bigger.