...
*Ichigo speaking to his inner world
*Zangetsu's voice
*Hollow Ichigo's voice
...
"If I ask, will you answer? It's our problem...your deep..deep problem. I don't know how to ask. A good way to step deep into your heart is to ask without soiling it. I don't have such way. That's why I will wait when you want to talk tell me. I'll wait in tell then."
-Kuchiki Rukia
...
...
...
12:40 AM; Kurosaki Household
...
She stepped out of the shower, quickly wrapping her towel around her petite body before the cold air caught her. Taking a smaller towel, she rubbed her short, chin length hair, pushing it away from her face behind her ears.
Stepping out of the shower, she dropped her towel, letting it pool at her feet as she picked up her pajamas and put them on. Rubbing the small towel on the back of her neck, she stepped out softly, glancing at the clock in the hallway- it read 12:43 AM. No doubt Ichigo would be asleep right now. She just liked taking a bath late at night, right before heading to bed. It was relaxing, in her opinion, and showers surprisingly helped her fall asleep easier.
She pulled on the hem of her shirt, softly padding down the hallway towards Yuzu and Karin's room. Today, the house was to Ichigo and her only- Yuzu and Karin had been invited to an all-girl's sleepover, and Isshin was out for the week at a CME. And so, Rukia had Yuzu and Karin's bedroom all to herself, which meant it was easier to go in and out without waking the girls up.
In her room, she slipped off her slippers and sat down on her bed, pulling the cover back, and grabbed her book. Right now, she oddly didn't feel tired at all, so she decided to do just a bit of reading.
Rukia relaxed, reclined against the headboard of the bed, diving deep into the latest manga she had been reading- Nana. It was a sad, romantic manga, and she found herself enjoying it. She was on the page where Rocker Nana finds out that her superstar Rocker boyfriend Ren has died in a car crash, when she heard shuffling in the hall. She looked up, peering at her open door, watching to see if someone would appear. She heard some noise, of feet hurriedly shuffling in the hallway, and then Ichigo's panicked voice.
"Rukia! Rukia, come quick! Rukia!"
"Ichigo?" She lifted herself off the bed, swinging her feet over, when Ichigo appeared in the doorway. His eyes were reddish, wide and frantic, as if Tsukishima, Aizen, and the Kikou had come back to life, he still looked asleep, and his face was contorted in pure confusion.
"Rukia, come here! Rukia!"
Said girl stared at him as she stood up, he immediately walked back out, and she followed him, "Ichigo, what's wrong?"
"Rukia, come quick!"
He lead her into his room. Once inside, Ichigo turned to face her, brown eyes wide, a hand clamping over his mouth as if in shock, and pointed at the small desk fan sitting on his side table.
Rukia stared at the fan, and then looked back up at him, unable to get what he wanted.
"...Ichigo?"
Ichigo looked back at the fan and continued to point at it as if it were Byakuya in gold sequined tights, his eyes looking like they would pop out of his head.
"Ichigo..." Rukia paused, looking at his expression, and then realized.
Ichigo was sleepwalking.
Oh. He looked like he was completely awake.. Still, it wasn't the first time Ichigo had slept walk and called people's names while trudging through the hallway.
She shuffled across the room, sitting down on the edge of his bed, and said gently, "Ichigo, you look tired. Why don't you come here?"
Ichigo did as he was told, slowly moving across the room, eyes still wide in shock from the desk fan, and climbed up on his bed as Rukia pulled his covers back. Rukia shook her head in realization when she saw the proof that yes, in fact, Ichigo was sleep walking and talking- he was wearing her bunny slippers.
"Ichigo, those are my slippers, remember? You don't like Chappy."
He sat on the edge next to her, staring at his feet for a second before it dawned upon him that the slippers were in fact, Rukia's, before shaking and kicking his feet wildly until the bunny slippers flew off his feet.
"Alright, lie down." Rukia stood now, gripped him by the shoulders gently as she pushed him backwards to his bed. It was a bit scary when Ichigo sleepwalked, because she never knew what he might do, or even when it could happen. It was a bit eerier now since she was alone in the house, but she simply comforted herself- it really was no big deal. It was still just Ichigo- her Ichigo, just sleepwalking. She smiled.
"Gold is worth a lot."
Rukia stared at Ichigo, who was looking up at the ceiling, and rolled her eyes. "That's great... go to sleep now, Ichigo."
She drew his blanket over him, and made to leave, but he grabbed her hand and yanked her down. She landed with a squeak, her face against his chest so she could hear his heartbeat, and he mumbled casually, "Thank you Rukia, the rain has stopped."
"Ehh..." She pulled off of him, her hair now sticking up in random directions, "You're... welcome...?"
And just like that, Ichigo's eyelids sunk closed. Rukia made to get up again... but was held down fast by Ichigo's iron grip.
Uh oh.
She laid there for a few minutes, wriggling carefully when she felt Ichigo's grip slacken on her. She stood with a sigh, and went back to her room.
Ichigo stayed quiet for the rest of the night, except right when Rukia shut off her lights she heard a loud, confident scream, "GETSUGA TENSHO!"
Rukia rolled her eyes, pulling the blankets tighter around her.
9:44 AM, Kurosaki Household
...
Rukia sat in her chair at the breakfast table, in a neat sundress and her favorite bunny slippers. In one hand, she had a cup of hot milk tea, in the other a folded newspaper- she liked to read the comics section. She took a sip, grey-blue eyes looking up at the stairs when she heard heavy steps. Kurosaki Ichigo, her boyfriend of 1 year and 2 months, stood on the bottom step, rubbing his eyes with his fist, pajamas wrinkled, face flushed. She smiled.
He was 19, but he looked more like 9 only.
"Morning, sunshine." She sipped her tea. He grumbled a response that was too low for her to hear, as he shuffled across the room and sat down in the chair in front of her.
She reached over and pushed the plate of waffles in front of him. "Go on, I made it all by myself this morning."
Ichigo raised sleepy eyebrows at her, squinting at the offerage, "Mmm, really...(stares at waffles)"
Rukia leaned with her chin in her palm, watching him curiously, "What?"
Ichigo poked the waffle with his fork, "It looks safe enough..."
He actually let out a squeak when Rukia's fork hit him in the head. "Ow! What the hell, Rukia?"
"Shut up and eat it." Rukia's voice was triumphant and she watched Ichigo cautiously hold the fork up to his mouth and...
"ACK!" He started gagging, like he was choking, and fell to the floor. Rukia let out a scream.
"ICHIGO!"
She shot off her chair, heart beating fast. She killed her boyfriend! She could see the newslines now...
'Vice captain of 13th squad murders beau with poorly cooked breakfast item...'
And just like that, he was back up sitting on his chair, grinning from ear to ear, laughing evilly as he took another bite. Sparkling brown eyes met hers joyously as he said mockingly, "Scared you, didn't I, Kuchiki-fukutaicho?"
"You freak, I thought it was real!"
Ichigo only laughed, "You fell for it, midget!"
Suddenly Rukia stopped, face contorting in wonder, "Oh that reminds me..."
"What?"
"Last night, you did some naughty things." Rukia's eyes narrowed, Ichigo frowned.
"What?"
"You were sleepwalking, again."
Ichigo plopped back into his chair, face serious, "Did I talk too?"
Rukia leaned back in her seat, arms folded across her chest, "Yes. You said some really odd stuff, Ichigo."
"What?" He jerked backwards, face red, "What did I say?"
"Nothing, really. You came into my room screaming my name and saying to come quick, like something terrible had happened, and took me to your room, and you pointed at the fan. Then you lied down on your bed and said, 'Gold is worth a lot.' And then..."
"Then?" Ichigo's voice is a frantic whisper, his eyes wide with horrific curiousity.
"And then, you said, "Thank you Rukia, the rain has stopped." She raised an eyebrow at him "What is that supposed to mean?"
"...I-I don't know!" Ichigo leaned back in his chair, not meeting her eyes.
Yes, you do.
Shut up, Zangetsu!
"Ichigo?"
At the least, Ichigo, I speak the truth.
What? I'm not a liar!
Then tell her the truth.
Haha! Maybe then you'll get some! Maybe even more then the old man here!
Shut UP, retarded hollow! ...And what is that supposed to mean?
"Ichigo!"
Ain't it obvious, King? Old man gets more action with that pretty shiro girlthen you will ever get. Which is why you should let ME take over.
Yeah right! Keep dreaming! And what do you mean, "pretty shiro girl"?
Why, the Queen's zanpakuto, King! How stupid're you?
...You screw Sode No Shirayuki in my head? Old man!
We'll talk again, Ichigo. Farewell.
Hey old man! Old man, you don't... do you?
"Ichigo!" He was shaken out of his mental banter when a blueberry hit him right on the forehead, bouncing off and landing in the pool of syrup on his plate with a plop.
"Ow."
"That hurt?" Rukia looked surprised.
"No. Just an automatic response... why're you throwing fruit at me?"
"Cause... fellow fruit need to know each other." Rukia stood, gathering her plate, glass and silverware and going into the kitchen.
"Wow, great comeback."
"Isn't it?" Rukia grinned as she turned the faucet on, "And I can use it on Renji, too!"
"By all means." Ichigo stabbed his waffle, bringing the whole thing to his mouth, "Pelt him with fruit as much as you want. Though you have to admit, he's not much of a pineapple anymore."
"True..." Rukia pauses, holding a dripping plate up in the air before continuing, "So tell me what 'the rain has stopped' means."
Ichigo sighs. "Can't we just drop it?"
"You don't want to tell me?"
Silence.
She looked over her shoulder at him, and closed her eyes.
"Well, if you really don't want to talk.. I'm not gonna force you. You don't have to."
She went quiet as she turned back around, the only sound being the water as she rinsed dishes.
He ran a hand through his hair, eyes on her back.
Dumbass king.
Great. Now what do you want?
Why didn't cha tell her when she asked? Mooooo-rooooonnnnnn!
Leave me alone.
You don't trust her, Ichigo?
What? Of course I do-
Then why can't you tell her? You said yourself that she made the rain stop. You are not the only one who owes her. I do, as well.
I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the Queen. Go do something right for once, King, or I'll knock you over and take your place!
Ichigo's eyes fell on her petite form again. Rukia really hadn't changed a lot since she came back last year. The only difference that stood out was her hair. Even after being separated for over a year, she could still read him like a book. When he was faking, when he was real, when he was pissed, when he felt like crying on the inside but didn't show it, when he smiled through pain... she seemed to know it all.
After all that they'd been through... he still couldn't tell her?
Ichigo shook his head. It really wasn't fair.
"In Zangetsu's world..." Ichigo began slowly. The sound of running water slowed, Rukia stopped moving. She didn't turn to face him, but stayed like that, listening silently.
"The seasons are based on my feelings. Zangetsu told me that when I'm sad, it rains in his inner world. He hates rain, but... after I rescued you, way back in the Soul Society... you made it stop raining in his world."
"Oh..." Although Ichigo cannot see her eyes, the smile and pink color on her face, and the tone of her voice is enough to be telling.
"And... Zangetsu's been constantly bugging to me to say thank you." Ichigo leaned back, trying to make the scene a bit more casual, putting his fork on his plate, "So... thank you."
Rukia shut off the faucet, going back to the table and sitting down in her chair on front of him, not meeting his gaze. She looked up at him suddenly, large bluish eyes shining, an easy smile on her face.
"Then tell Zangetsu the pleasure's all mine."
And Ichigo smiled back.
Thank you, Ichigo.
No. Thank you, Rukia.