Paroxysm

"Ah, that was fun." Rukia said as she took of her tiara and sash down on Ichigo's table. "I'm not really sure with this though," she mused, "how on earth did I get to be prom—whatever."

"Hn?" the orange head turned with a bored expression on his face before throwing his own sash and crown on the bed. "How the hell am I supposed to know?"

Rukia cocked her head to the side and eyed Ichigo's crown, "Hm, come to think of it. I wonder how you get to be prom king."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed dangerously, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, let's see." She sat down on the edge of the bed and began counting her fingers, "You're not the most pleasant person in class… you scowl a lot… you never socialize with anyone except Chad and your other two friends…" she shrugged her shoulders, "That's it. I don't really know what they're thinking."

Ichigo desperately wanted to throw an insult back at her, "Look who's talking? How did you get to be prom queen?" he then eyed her from head to toe, "You're not tall…"

"Oi!"

"… F on each and every subject."

"Ichigo…"

"… tardy, absent, sometimes cutting classes."

"You're with me during those times!"

"…and…" as for finale, he revealed the last one dramatically, "… you brought Ishida Uryuu as your PROM DATE!" impossibly, the permanent scowl on his face heightened, almost sending Rukia down the floor.

Rukia arched an eyebrow at that, "What's that got to do with anything??"

"He's the weirdest guy I've ever met!"

"So?"

"He's your freakin' date!"

Rukia was now pissed off and then stood up, planting her hands on her lips and looking up defiantly at the substitute death god. "Ha! Look who's talking now!" she threw right back at him, "As if Orihime's any different from Ishida!"

Ichigo knew she'd just say that as a comeback, "Oh yeah? Inoue doesn't bring extra strange costumes in her bag pack!"

"Well, she has the weirdest taste for food."

"Uryuu loves sewing."

"So?"

"He's a guy!"

Rukia's eye twitched, "Orihime loves sewing too!"

"At least she's a girl!"

"That's sexism! For your information, Ishida's the best sewer I've ever known even if he's not a girl."

"Oh yeah? How'd you know??"

Rukia scoffed and pointed down at her dress, "He made this!"

Ichigo looked at the dress and the one who's wearing it and realized that Ishida did a great job. She looked beautiful in that dress, he had to admit. But forget that, he's pissed off and they're in the middle of a pointless argument. "Way to go, Einstein. You just proved how manly your date was."

Rukia couldn't understand how their conversation twisted into something like this, "Why are you so pissed off that I took Ishida with me?"

"I'm not!" Ichigo coughed nervously. He thanked the gods that the room was dark or she could've seen the blush on his face.

"… you're jealous are you?"

"What the hell are you talking about, idiot?"

Rukia tauntingly wriggled her eyebrows, "You are jealous!"

"Quit it!" Ichigo growled dangerously.

The dark haired death god smirked triumphantly, crossing her arms casually, "Not until you admit it."

"What is there for me to admit if there's nothing I should admit of?" What the fuck? Ichigo couldn't even understand himself. Why was he so upset anyway?

Rukia rolled her eyes and shook her head, "C'mon, Ichigo. You and I both know you will never ask me out. Why waste my time waiting if Ishida's…"

"… alone and without a prom date." Ichigo grumpily filled in.

"He's not alone." Rukia protested, "Many asked him out."

"Who? His sewing tools?"

"You're being very mean…" her eyes gave him a disapproving look. Ichigo looked like he was about to explode. "If you're so irked up that Ishida's with me, then why did you ask Orihime out?" she didn't mean to sound so sulky at that. It seems Ichigo's mood was too contagious, she caught it.

Ichigo's cheeks coloured almost matching his hair. Boy was he thankful it was too dark for Rukia to see. He'll never hear the end of it.

"Because she insisted." Ichigo was telling the truth of course. He himself was surprised when Orihime asked the unexpected question. Now who could deny those hopeful eyes of her—and Tatsuki's fist? Inoue had been too kind to him and the least thing he could do was to go with her in their prom.

"That girl admires you too much." Rukia shrugged, "I don't know what she sees in you." Of course Kuchiki Rukia was lying. Ichigo would probably be the coolest guy in his school. He sported that wild, orange hair that earned him a lot of enemies. She could even hear the girls from their class talk about Ichigo's scowl being sexy. Rukia took the silence as an opportunity to look up and study Ichigo's face. The scowl really made him… different. It somehow symbolizes him. And without it, he wouldn't be the Kurosaki Ichigo all girls… and some men drooled for.

Ichigo glared at her, "And I suppose Uryuu fancy you that's why he asked you out?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Exactly my point!" he then swiftly looked away, trying not to look embarrassed, "Inoue and I went out because we're friends. While you," he pointed, "I'm not even sure if you and Uryuu are even that close."

Rukia blinked slowly, "Then what's the point of this argument?"

"What?" Ichigo asked, quite confused.

Rukia sighed in resignation, "Ishida and I went out because we're friends. We both have no dates so why not go together?" her eyes then glared back at him, "What are you yapping about, anyway? You and I became Prom King and Queen, right?"

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Technically, we became each other's dates in the end. We had to stay together for the rest of the night…"

Ichigo's eye twitched.

"… and we went home together. Although I don't exactly picture Ishida walking me home… since, oh I don't know… I'm living in your closet!"

Why does she always end up with the right reasons? Ichigo bitterly thought.

"… and it would be rude if Orihime walked you home where is, you are supposed to walk her home."

"Fine, I get it!" Ichigo barked and then dropped effortlessly on the bed beside her. He dropped on his back, both arms behind his head as his eyes searched the white ceiling of his room.

It didn't take long before he felt her arm circle around his waist as her head rested right beneath his chin. He looked down and saw the dark haired death god snuggle closer to him.

"All you have to do is to apologize." She softly murmured against his white shirt.

Ichigo prevented himself from sulking but failed to do so and then looked back at the ceiling again. "I'm not the one who started the fight in the first place so why should I?"

"Your pride is as tall as the Tokyo tower, you know that?" She retorted. She remembered two days prior when they had this huge fight over Rukia's desire to go visit Soul Society again. She was merely asking for his permission so she could go and visit her brother and Renji. Ichigo was adamant with his decision of not letting her near anything dangerous again and refused. Rukia got angry and eventually, that ended in a nasty argument.

After that, the silent treatment ensues. As usual, Ichigo was about to break out from the treatment and was beginning to fret the fact that he'll be dateless on the upcoming prom night if he didn't do something to amend the damage. But when he was ready to apologise, he learned that Rukia's already going with Ishida. Ichigo was so upset he desperately wanted to beat the weird Quincy into a bloody pulp for even daring to ask his woman out.

And so when Orihime asked him, he accepted.

The first time they talked again after two days of avoiding each other was at the prom ball. When both were forced to stand on the stage in front of everyone and take the stupid titles. From then on, they started arguing just about everything like they actually missed it. Eventually, their dates were long forgotten and decided to go together instead. It seems both Ishida and Orihime doesn't mind. Not when they saw the evident blushes on each faces.

"You're the most difficult woman I've ever met." Ichigo broke the silence.

Rukia flushed and smiled, "That doesn't stop you from loving me now, does it?"

Ichigo knew he was forgiven and smiled himself. He wound his arm around her small form and kissed the top of her head. "If you really want to go back to soul society… you're not leaving without me. I'm coming with you."

Rukia raised her head and looked at him with wide eyes, "Are you saying…"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. This was very difficult for him, "Yeah, yeah. We're going…"

Rukia smiled softly, "Thank you…"

Ichigo couldn't resist. He gave a small smile back, "Whatever." Then he added, "And—sorry."

Rukia kissed him on the cheek and then returned to her previous position, back under his chin, "You just know when to say the nicest things…"

Ichigo sighed and rubbed her arm, "Again, whatever."

Another comfortable silence surrounded them not long before Ichigo broke it again.

"Ch, going out with weird guys and ignoring me to make me jealous, which I-am-not… Don't do that again."

Rukia could only smile, "Ditto."

End