Tanabata
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters. They belong to Kubo Tite.
Author's Notes: Here it is! The one shot prize for the 300th review of my 100 Romantic Bleach Drabbles! Two more one shots to go and then I've got all my prizes done until my second set of drabbles begins! Inspired by Lady Antebellum's "All We'd Ever Need"!
Dedicated to Dragen Eyez! Please enjoy!
"You still have that old picture up? Why don't you just get rid of it?" Kurosaki Ichigo asked her girlfriend as he stared at the pictures across her mantle. The most prominent one was of her and her ex-boyfriend together from the previous year's Tanabata festival.
"I don't ask you to get rid of that photo of you and your ex," Kuchiki Rukia snapped. She always grew annoyed when Ichigo brought up her picture. It brought back so many good memories that Rukia just could not part with it. She would suffer through the sad ones just to keep the good ones there.
Ichigo just scowled at her. "I'm not going to continue playing second string to the guy who walked out on you, Rukia! It's me or him!"
"Just leave then! No one asked you to stick around!" Rukia snapped again, glaring daggers at Ichigo. The orange haired man just scowled more and walked out of the apartment. "Stupid bastard," Rukia muttered after he had slammed her door shut. To her, it appeared to be time to break things off with Ichigo. They had been going south for a while, anyway. 'Ad he's no Gin,' she thought, turning back to the picture on the mantle. Gin had been her first love and he was still her only true love. Getting over him was no easy feat. He had been everything she had wanted in a man and everything she didn't want at the same time. Gin had been a wanderer and Rukia had been foolish enough to believe she gave him everything he needed to stay in one place.
She had been wrong, in the end. Her love had not been enough to hold him. He had walked out of her life, leaving so much left unsaid. She wasn't even sure if he loved her. He had never said it outright. Dealing with his emotions had not been his way, either.
"Stupid foxy bastard," she sighed as she picked up the photo and stared at it sadly. Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes as she thought back to the Tanabata. It had been such a good night for them. Rukia had told him she loved him for the first time after tying their wishes to a bamboo branch. Gin had just chuckled and kissed her, making her feel like the only person that mattered in his world. He had left her a week later.
Rukia set the picture down and wiped the tears from her eyes. She needed a good night's sleep to clear her mind of the "what ifs" that thinking of Gin always brought up. She went to her bedroom and grabbed the t-shirt – one that had belonged to Gin – that she slept in before taking a quick, relaxing shower. One day she would work up the courage to throw out the shirt, but right now it was a comfort to her when she was feeling down.
"C'mon man! You really turned Matsumoto down? I'd hit that," Hisagi Shuuhei said.
"She's all yers, Hisagi. Ain't my type," Ichimaru Gin replied as he and Hisagi left a bar together. It was a Friday night and the two of them had gone out for drinks with their co-workers to celebrate a birthday.
"But she's so into you! And have you seen her body? Sometimes I wonder what's going on in that head of yours! You've been available for a year now, Gin! Why aren't you even trying to play the field?" questioned Hisagi as they walked down the street towards the apartment they shared. Hisagi had been friends with Gin since they were toddlers. He knew when something was on Gin's mind. "I thought you were over that chick?"
Gin stopped and looked over at Hisagi. "I ain't pinin' away fer her if that's what yer implyin'. Jus' don' see Matsumoto the way ya see her. She ain't nothin' more than a friend," Gin said in a voice that told Hisagi he had better drop the topic. Gin didn't like being pushed into dating. He also didn't like when Hisagi brought up Rukia. He didn't like being reminded of the way he had left things with her. H hadn't been strong enough to stay with her when she had told him she loved him. He was not strong enough to move on, either.
He knew he had no chance of getting her back after all this time but she was always on his mind. He had loved her so much it had scared him. Ichimaru Gin was not known for commitment. The idea of a long term relationship scared him something awful. Before Rukia he'd been known for week long relationships and one night stands. After Rukia, he was known as the guy at the office who was more interested in work than people.
'It's a vicious cycle, ain't it? Finally found the girl worth chasin' after an' keepin'... and I run away t'wind up alone,' he thought as he and Hisagi walked home in silence.
It was true. She had been all he ever needed in life. He should have been trying to prove that to her instead of looking for a way out. Even a year after their relationship had ended, she was still the only woman in the world who mattered to him.
"You know, Tanabata's coming up. You should ask Matsumoto or Ise to go with you Gin. I bet you'd have a good time with one of them," Hisagi said, breaking the silence.
Gin stopped to look at him. "Tanabata? Yer sure it ain't passed yet?"
Hisagi raised an eyebrow at Gin. "Yeah, I'm sure. I know how to read a calendar, Gin."
"Hisagi, I could kiss ya!" Gin exclaimed. He was certain Rukia would go to the Tanabata festival. She had told him herself how she went every year. Of course, Gin didn't miss the irony of the situation either. It had been just about a year since he had last met with Rukia, much like the lovers Tanabata was held for. If he could find her, then he could tell her how he felt, he could right the wrong he had done her.
"Please don't kiss me," Hisagi said, eyeing Gin cautiously.
Gin just hurried home ahead of his friend. He had plans to make if he wanted to get Rukia back.
"Let's go write down our wishes," Rukia said, forcing a cheerful smile. She had accepted Ichigo's invitation to go to the Tanabata festival with him rather reluctantly. They had fought almost every day leading up to it and Rukia wondered why she even gave him the time of day anymore. They had grown apart and spending time together only seemed to make it worse.
"Sure," Ichigo said, humouring her. He didn't really care about stupid traditions but he wanted to at least try to give her a night better than the one she had shared with Gin. His manly pride demanded it.
Rukia led the way quietly, looking anywhere but at her date. Tonight would be the night she broke things off with him, she was sure of it. She just couldn't continue to put herself through the pain any longer.
"What the hell is he doing here?" she heard Ichigo growl. Rukia looked up and started.
"G-Gin? Why are you...? What are you doing here?" she demanded, too surprised to really be angry with him.
"I needed t'see ya b'fore I lost ya fer good," Gin told her as he approached her.
"Too late for that. She's with me now, Ichimaru," Ichigo stated.
"Pipe down. Ya don' get t'speak fer her," Gin said without sparring a look in Ichigo's direction his gaze remained on Rukia and only Rukia. Rukia just remained quiet. "Rukia, I shoulda been tryin' ta prove ta ya that yer the only person that matters at all ta me! I was a fool and I shoulda told ya how I feel, every li'l thing I kept inside o'me," he confessed, taking Rukia's hands in his own.
Rukia blushed as a few tears slid down her cheeks. "Gin," she whispered, not sure what to say to him.
"What we had... what we have, it's all I ever need. I love ya, Kuchiki Rukia," he told her as he pulled her close to him. Leaning down, Gin kissed Rukia softly.
"Gin, I love you too. I never stopped," she said softly. She turned slightly. "Goodbye, Ichigo. It's over."
Ichigo just growled and stalked off, muttering every obscenity he could think of about the couple.
"Jack ass," Rukia muttered.
Gin chuckled and wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Ain't nothin' or no one gonna keep us apart now," he told her as he stroked her hair gently.
"Good," Rukia said before pulling Gin down and kissing him again.