First attempt at a Bleach story, let me know what you think

Just a Game

By: ForeverSam

"Forget it. Maybe in a cold hell"

"Come on Ichigo! One night of fun won't kill you!"

"No, but I might kill you"

It was the last day of school, and Keigo was trying to convince Ichigo to come to the end of the year party he was throwing. So far it wasn't working. "Come on," Keigo protested, "It's summer, you have to do something fun! Especially with your family already gone to the lake! Come on, just one night!"

Ichigo huffed impatiently. "What part of no aren't you getting?"

"You're impossible!" Keigo yelled. He looked around as the door to the classroom opened, and grinned. "I know how to make you come…hey, Rukia!"

Ichigo paled. Oh no…

"Hi Keigo," Rukia said in her 'innocent-school-girl' tone.

"Hey," Keigo jogged over to her, "I just wanted to let you know, I'm having a party tonight, and you're invited"

"Really?" Rukia cocked her head curiously.

"Yeah," Keigo grinned, "It'll be great. Do you wanna come?"

"Well, it doesn't sound too bad…"

What?! Ichigo wanted to scream. If she went then he had to go. No way. He waved his arms at Rukia behind Keigo's back, trying to catch her eye before she condemned him to a slow and torturous death. But he was too late. "Okay sure, I'll come"

"All right!" Keigo whirled around to Ichigo, grinning, and Ichigo groaned.

"Forget it. I'm still not going"

"Oh come on Ichigo," he was surprised that Rukia stepped in, "You need a night off"

"I'm going to hurt you. Badly," Ichigo seethed as soon as they left class that day, "Why the hell did you say yes?!"

"Why not?" Rukia said in a cool tone, "Besides, it would have hurt Keigo's feelings if I said no"

"Who cares?!" Ichigo yelled.

"You don't have to go you know," she informed him coolly, "I don't need a guard or anything, I can go places alone"

"You're missing the point"

"Then why don't you tell me it?"

The point was, Keigo was more than likely to have alcohol at the party. A bunch of drunk guys and a couple of pretty girls? It would have been messy. Somehow though, he knew he couldn't tell Rukia that. He knew perfectly well Rukia could take care of herself, but it would be bad for her cover if she kicked every guy's ass that tried to hit on her. That'd take a bit of explaining.

"Well?" she was looking at Ichigo expectantly. He shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed.

"Never-mind. I'll go. And I have a very odd feeling that I'm going to regret it. Greatly"

Ichigo had a lot of ideas about what fun might be. One of them wasn't sitting around and watching his classmates get completely wasted. Oh well. At least Rukia had strayed away from the alcohol. A drunk Rukia wasn't something he wanted to have to deal with when they left. "Hi Ichigo!" Orihime plopped down on the couch next to him, "Some party huh?"

"Yeah," he muttered. His elbow was propped on the edge of the couch, and his chin was resting in his hand. He wanted to leave. More than anything, he wanted to go home.

"You're not having fun"

"What was your first clue?"

"Oh come on. Even Rukia is having a good time"

"I have a theory about Rukia; she's clinically insane"

"Why, because she's having fun?"

"At least she isn't drinking"

"You're confusing me," Orihime pouted, "Come on," she jumped up and grabbed him, dragging him into the throng, "You're going to have fun even if it kills you"

"If it doesn't kill me, I'm sure it'll kill someone else"

Orihime giggled and dragged him over to where Rukia was standing, holding a cup of punch. "You sure that isn't spiked?" Ichigo asked her wearily as she took a sip. She looked over the rim of the cup.

"What?"

"Never-mind," he leaned against the wall, "Just don't drink too much of that, okay?"

"Whatever you say," she put the cup on the table next to her, "So Orihime finally figured out a way to drag you off the couch?"

"Just tell me how much longer we have until we can leave"

"Hey!" Keigo yelled over everyone, "I have a great idea! Lets' play Spin the Bottle!"

If anyone had actually been sober, they probably would have protested. But his words met a roar of approval. Rukia looked at Ichigo. "And Spin the Bottle would be…?"

"Our cue to leave," he grabbed her arm, "Come on-"

"Ichigo, Rukia, leaving already?" Keigo asked, grinning stupidly, "Come on, you get first spin Ichi!"

Ichigo whirled around and glared at Keigo. "Okay, A, don't call me Ichi, and two, I don't wanna play"

"Yeah you do," Keigo grinned, "Maybe you'll get to kiss Rukia, smoochie, smoochie…"

Ichigo shoved him away. "No more alcohol for you"

Rukia was looking at Keigo as if he were crazy. Well, he was, but that was beside the point. "What the hell is he talking about?" she look at Ichigo.

"Spin the Bottle is this really stupid game," Ichigo explained, "A person spins a bottle, and they have to kiss whoever the mouth of the bottle points to"

"Sounds fun," any idiot would be able to tell she was being sarcastic.

"It is!" but then again, Keigo wasn't your average idiot. "Come on, one spin Ichi!"

Ichigo slammed Keigo over the head with his fist. "What did I just say about calling me that?"

"Fine. Spin once then you can leave"

"Is that a promise?"

"Yes"

How was Ichigo supposed to resist that? True, Keigo was dead-drunk, but Ichigo figured if he spun once he could get the hell out right after. Okay. He could do this. "All right. One spin"

"Yes!" Keigo yelled, "How about you Rukia? Sit in while he spins?"

Rukia looked over at Ichigo, who shrugged. He didn't care if she sat in. Why would he? "Okay," she said after a second, "Just until he spins though. Then I really have to leave too"

"Cool," so they sat down in a big circle, with a beer bottle in the middle. "Okay Ichigo, give it a whirl"

Ichigo cautiously reached out and spun the bottle. If worse came to worse, he could always just grab Rukia and run out…

Needless to say, by the time the bottle slowed down, he was nervous. He watched it, hoping beyond hope it would land on a boy so he could just refuse it and leave…

And it stopped. Right on Rukia. Both of them exchanged looks, and Ichigo saw that her face had turned white. He wasn't surprised. He was pretty sure he was pale as well. "Well all right!" Keigo yelled, "Ichigo, you know the rules, kiss her!"

Orihime, who was sitting next to Rukia, was giggling like mad. Somehow she had gotten it in her head that Rukia and Ichigo liked each other. It was insane, but Orihime liked the theory. Now she, like everyone else, waited for the reaction. Or the explosion. "Wait a sec…" Ichigo said slowly, "You. Want me. To kiss. HER?!" he jerked his thumb at Rukia, who scowled.

"I'm sure there are worse things in the world"

"No, it's not that…I just…it's…" he looked around for an escape, "Argh! Forget it! No way! I'm not doing it!"

"Ichigo buddy, you have to," Keigo was grinning evilly, "Come on, just a quick one. It won't hurt"

"I might hurt you though," Ichigo was furious. Why the hell had he agreed to this?

"You can't leave until you kiss her man," Damn. He knew Keigo was serious, even if was completely sloshed.

"Fine," Ichigo pushed himself off the floor, and walked over to Rukia, who found herself being pushed up by Orihime. For a second they both just looked at each other. Ichigo had to admit, he had often dreamt about his first kiss being with Rukia. But he hadn't dreamt about doing it in front of all his classmates.

"Just kiss her already!"

Ichigo threw Keigo a glare over his shoulder, then leaned down and did the unimaginable; he kissed Rukia Kuchiki.

It lasted for about five seconds, maybe six. But it was probably the best five or six seconds Ichigo'd had in a long time. When they pulled apart they're eyes met, and they both agreed on one thing: it was definitely time to go. Somehow they managed to slip away without being seen. As soon as they hit the street they ran, not stopping until they were on Ichigo's street. Rukia was the first to take an attempt at talking. "Good party"

"Oh yeah, it was great"

"I'm guessing that was sarcasm"

"You're getting good"

"It was just a stupid game"

"How do you know that's what's bothering me?"

"So what is bothering you then?"

"Well…okay, it's the game, but how did you know?!"

"Never-mind that. It was still just a game"

"Right," he shoved his hands into his pocket, "Just a game"

"Just a game"

"That involved a kiss"

"That didn't mean anything"

"Right"

"Just a game"

"So why is it such a big deal again?" Rukia looked at Ichigo, once again wanting answers he couldn't give. What was he supposed to say? It was a big deal because he really liked her? Because he had wanted to do what he had just done for as long as he could remember? Not a chance.

"Because we're teenagers and that's the way we are"

"But I'm not-"

"You know what I mean," they walked up the driveway to Ichigo's house, and he let them both inside, "Lets' just forget tonight ever happened, all right?"

"Sounds good"

But even so, it was weird when she walked into his room, even if she was just going to the closet. "Good night"

"Night," he changed into his pajamas, and crawled into bed. He was exhausted. But even so, he couldn't prevent a small smile from spreading over his face. He had kissed Rukia, after all. Who wouldn't be happy? What he didn't know was that Rukia was laying in the closet thinking the same thing about him.

But it was only a game

I know, it's lame. But I had fun with it. I've always dreamed of Rukia and Ichigo kissing, even I know full well it'll never happen. Well, you know what to do now /points to review button/