"That's got to be the most romantic thing I've ever read!"
"You really think so?" I asked curiously, scratching the top of my head.
"Definitely! Do you know who wrote it?"
"Well…no, I have no idea who wrote it. I found it in my desk when I got here this morning."
"Oh! No fair! I hope you find out soon, Rukia."
"Yeah, thanks, I guess." I said cautiously.
"Just wait until Ichigo finds out you've got a secret admirer. I bet you anything he gets jealous." Tatsuki said suddenly from behind her book.
"Why do you say that?" Orihime asked.
"Please, it couldn't be more obvious that Rukia is incredibly important to him. Knowing that someone else has eyes for his little pet will drive him insane!" she explained dryly.
"His little pet?" I said. "I'm not Ichigo's pet, Tatsuki!" I scowled at her, narrowing my eyes. Ichigo's pet? Please! I sighed as I leaned back in my seat. It was lunchtime, and I was hungry, more than usual. I reached into my bag and pulled out my small bento box Ichigo's sister has put together for me. Removing the lid revealed neat and orderly portions of rice, meat, and a mixture of vegetables. It not only looked good, it smelled good too, causing my mouth so water slightly. I picked up the chopsticks and began eating when a familiar shadow appeared beside me.
"Wow, looks like Yuzu's really outdone herself this time," the familiar voice said.
"What's the matter, you jealous that I've got a better lunch than you?" I said, taking a bite of rice.
"What makes you so sure yours is better?" Ichigo asked, pulling a chair next to my desk and sitting down.
"Call it instinct," I said, handing him my juice box for him to open.
"You still can't do this?" he said with slight irritation.
"I could if I wanted to," I replied. "But you seem to have the technique mastered so handing it to you is just easier."
"There's no technique, you just poke the straw through the hole!" he barked.
"Details, details." I said, taking another bite of food.
"So have you heard the news, Ichigo?" Tatsuki said.
"What news?"
"Oh, you know, about Rukia having a secret admirer."
"A secret admirer?"
"Yep. Whoever he is wrote her a note and left it in her desk this morning."
"What'd it say?" he asked me.
"Nothing..." I said nervously, sliding the note into my lap.
"Oh it was just so romantic, Ichigo! Especially the part where he and Rukia were just about to-"
"Okay, that's enough of that, Orihime." I said in a desperate attempt to cut her off.
"Aw, but I was just getting to the good part!" she whined.
"Sounds like this admirer of yours is a perverted creep," Ichigo said nonchalantly.
"How would you know? You don't even know who he is!" I retorted.
"Neither do you! If you were smart, you wouldn't let your guard down when it came to this guy." Ichigo argued.
"And why should I listen to you?" I said with offense.
"Alright, fine, don't listen to me. But when you get yourself into trouble, don't come running to me, because all I'm going to say is 'I told you so'". He said angrily to me before storming off.
"Told you he'd get jealous," Tatsuki said.
XXXX
Your beauty shines like the morning sun, Miss Kuchiki. Your violet eyes sparkle like the night sky. I bet they're beautiful in the moonlight.
"Another note? What's it say?"
"Orihime!" I said, clutching my chest. "I didn't know you were behind me…"
"Sorry! So, what's it say?"
"Uh, nothing, don't worry about it." I said, attempting to cram the note into my bag. My arm was suddenly stopped and the note was pried from my hand before I had the chance to put it away.
"Well, look what we have here."
"Ichigo, give it back!" I said, reaching for the note that was now high above his head.
"Not a chance, shorty. This is mine now." He said, a suspicious smile on his face.
"And why do you want it?" I asked, my eyebrows raised.
"I'm going to burn it," he said, putting the note in his shirt pocket and walking away.
"Burn it? Ichigo, get back here!" I shouted.
"Later, Rukia!" He said, waving at me.
"Damn it, Ichigo." I said under my breath.
XXXX
"Damn, this guy is good, almost too good. No wonder Rukia has been hiding these from me." I said, studying the note carefully.
"Yo, Ichigo! Whatcha got there?"
"None of your business, Keigo." I said, stuffing the note back into my pocket.
"Aw, keeping secrets from me again?" he said, elbowing me in the ribs.
"Why don't you go bother someone else?" I said, my fist making contact with his face.
"Ow, ow, ow, okay, I'm sorry!" he whined, a small trail of blood coming from his nose.
I sighed and let my mind wander back to Rukia's secret admirer. Why did it bother e so much that someone else liked her? It's not like we were together or anything. Still, the thought of Rukia being cradled in someone else's arms caused my blood to boil and my heart to ache.
"There's no way in hell I'm going to let you slip away," I said under my breath. "I'll make sure it's me who wins your heart."
XXXX
"He flat out took it from you? Wow, that's a new low, even for Ichigo."
"He said he was going to burn it!" Orihime said.
"I don't think he's really going to do that," I said quietly. "I don't know what his real intentions are, but I don't think he's really going to burn it."
"Rukia…?"
"Think about it, Orihime. He's angry when I get a note, then he takes it from me and says he's going to burn it. Ichigo may be a jerk sometimes, but he's not heartless." I explained.
"Sounds to me like he wants you all to himself," Tatsuki said. "He's trying to eliminate the competition."
I stared at her. "What are you getting at?"
"I told you before, you're his pet. He wants to be the only one to have you, so he's trying to prevent you from running away from him and finding another owner."
"For the last time, I'm not Ichigo's pet!" I yelled.
"Tatsuki's right though, Rukia. It does seem like Ichigo is jealous of your secret admirer. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Ichigo might have a crush on you," Orihime said half-heartedly.
I blushed. "No, he can't! We're just friends!"
"Maybe so, but judging by his behavior, I'd have to agree with Orihime. It looks to me like he wants to be more than that." Tatsuki said, folding her arms.
"But…it's not possible…is it?" I said to myself. Ichigo having a crush on me is just too crazy of an idea, but it would explain his behavior. I smiled slightly at the thought of him holding me close to his chest, so close, I could hear his heart beat. Maybe being together is really what Ichigo wanted. Hell, maybe it's what I wanted too, but right now, it was too soon to tell.
XXXX
"Damn it! Why does poetry have to be so hard to write?" I said, slamming my head down onto my desk. Rukia had gone out to get some supplies from Urahara, leaving me alone to get some work done. I had spent the last half hour going over all the notes I had confiscated from her in the past week hoping that, from them, I would get an amazing idea for a poem. So far, I wasn't having any luck and was getting a headache. I wanted my poem to Rukia to be special, something this creep couldn't out-do.
"This is impossible…" I grunted, rubbing the red spot on my forehead. "Why can't I do this?"
"Do what?" came Rukia's voice.
I jumped from my chair and quickly hid the notes and notebook in my drawer.
"Uh, my homework! Yeah, that's it!" I said. "What're you doing back so soon?"
"I forgot something, so I came back to get it." She said, suspicion and confusion written all over her face.
"Oh, yeah, okay." I said, my heart pounding in my chest.
"You sure you're okay, Ichigo? You look a little pale."
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. You just scared me, that's all."
She raised an eyebrow. "That's a first. You must have really been absorbed in your work to not notice my spiritual pressure."
"I guess," I said, running a hand through my hair.
"Well, I'll let you get back to whatever it is you were doing. I'll be back in an hour or so."
"Yeah, see you." I said watching her leave the room. "That was too close for comfort…"
My heart was racing, but I couldn't understand why. Was it really because she scared me, or was there another reason behind it? I remembered the look in her eyes moments ago as my heart began to pound harder.
"Why is it this happens every time I look at you…?" I said. Suddenly, it felt like I had just been slapped in the face as the realization of what I had just said sunk deep into my brain.
"That's it!" I said excitedly, digging for the notebook I had tossed aside. I had it, I finally knew what to say in my poem. And I knew for sure it would win her over.
XXXX
"Huh…that's strange."
"What's up, Rukia?"
"There aren't any notes in here today," I said, tearing my desk apart.
"You're kidding!" Tatsuki said.
"Seriously, there's nothing." I said with disappointment.
"Why the long face?" Ichigo said, suddenly appearing next to me. "Your secret lover not show today?"
"I hardly think that's any of your concern." I said stubbornly.
"Oh well, guess you'll have to find someone else. Who knows, maybe it'll be a math nerd." He said, messing my hair up before walking away once again.
"Math nerd? What the hell is he talking about?" I said, putting my hair back in order. Suddenly, I remembered the conversation Ichigo and I had last night after I got home from Urahara's. He has asked to borrow my math book, saying he left his at school. I let him use and, and I thought I saw him slip something into it before handing it back to me, but I never checked to make sure. I quickly reached into my bag and pulled the book out before gently shaking it. Sure enough, a folded piece of paper fell onto my lap. I rushed and opened the note and began to read.
Why is it when I look at you,
My troubles melt away?
Why is it when comfort you,
I know just what to say?
Why is it when I stand by you,
I feel so safe and calm?
Why is it when I say your name,
It comes out as a beautiful song?
Why is it when I see your eyes,
My heart begins to shake?
Why is it when I hold you close,
I know it's no mistake?
Why is it that I'm telling you
My feelings in this way?
I guess because I'm too afraid
To admit and openly say
That I'm in love. I know it's true,
Rukia Kuchiki, I'm in love with you.
I felt a tear run down my cheek and a smile break on my face. I looked at Ichigo, who was happily talking with his friends, then back at the note.
"Are you okay, Rukia? You're crying!" Orihime said softly.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, wiping the tear from my cheek. "I've never felt happier."
XXXX
Class was over, and I was waiting outside the door. I could feel my heart rate rise slightly, my nerves building. I know she got the poem, I watched her read it, all I was waiting on now was her reacting when she saw me.
"Ichigo…" a voice said from behind me.
I turned to see Rukia standing there, her eyes shaking and her cheeks slightly pink.
"Hey…Rukia." I said as calmly as I could. She was silent, her eyes starting to glisten with tears.
"Ichigo, did you…did you mean all that?" she said quietly.
I smiled at her and put my hand on her shoulder. "Every word."
Tears began to fall down her face like raindrops, but she was smiling, so I knew she wasn't upset. I gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, smiling warmly at her.
"You're insane, you know that?" she said to me.
"Only a little," I replied.
She laughed before wrapping her arms around my midsection and hugged me tightly. Her face was buried deeply in my chest, my shirt getting damp from her tears. I looked down at her and smiled before wrapping my arms around her tiny body, holding her as tightly as I could without hurting her.
"But why? How…why me?" she asked, looking up at me.
"Because you're the one who changed my world. You're the one who made the rain stop. You're the one I care the most about and it's you and only you who I want by my side." I said to her, running a hand through her soft, ebony hair.
"Ichigo…" she whispered.
"And you're the only one I'd feel comfortable doing this to," I said, leaning down and crushing my lips onto hers. She whimpered softly as her body began to relax. It wasn't long before she was kissing me in return.
"Woohoo! Alright, Ichigo! Way to go, man!"
I pulled away from Rukia to see Keigo standing a few feet from us, giving me the thumbs up.
"Get out of here, will you?" I yelled, punching him in the face once again.
Rukia laughed and reached up to turn my face back to hers.
"I love you, Ichigo." She said softly, her hand lingering on my cheek.
"And I love you, Rukia." I said, reaching for her hand. I removed it from my cheek and placed a soft kiss on her palm before lacing my fingers between hers. "Now let's get out of here before Captain Idiot wakes up."
She smiled at me before nodding her head in agreement. "That sounds like a really good idea," She said, squeezing my hand gently before walking away from the scene with me following closely behind.