After the Rain Had Gone
Author: SheilaLuv
Disclaimer: Hello, folks. When I read Bleach manga for the first time, I'm amazed how things worked on Ichigo and Rukia; how fate and chances helped them to grow. No wonder they are my favourite couple in the entire fandom, hehe.
Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite, whom I adore and bow down to. This is my first attempt to write a Bleach fan fiction. Just do it in one-shot. IchixRuki. Took place after Memories in the Rain arc. The opening song is Thank God I Found You by Mariah Carey and 98 Degrees.
Summary: Ichigo's wounded heart looked for serenity, and he found it in Rukia. One-shot, IchigoxRukia, in a kind of subtle way…just read between the lines and review, please! Enjoy!
See I was so desolate
Before
you came to me
Looking back I guess
It shows that we were
destined to shine
After the rain, to appreciate
The gift of
what we have
And I'd go through it all over again
To be able to
feel this way
Karakura town was cloudy that day. Rain drops fell down from the sky and soothed summer's sun perfectly. Looked outside the class through the window, lost in thought, was Ichigo Kurosaki. He felt restless. Saw the rain purified Earth's sins always reminded him about the most traumatizing tragedy in his entire life. It had occurred a long time ago, but those wounds won't be healed easily.
Ichigo shifted his position and faced Rukia, the one who was sitting beside him.
"What's wrong, Ichigo?" the dark-haired girl asked. Her deep, purple big eyes threw a questioning sign.
"Nothing," he said subtly. Ichigo turned his eyes away and tried to focus on his Mathematic textbook. "Solitude. It lingers here."
Ichigo continued reading his textbook, but Rukia couldn't help the feeling that he was covering up something. In recent days, Rukia found Ichigo suddenly woke up from sleep. He always panted hard, labored breathing escaped from his mouth, tried to ease the anguish feelings he had held for so long. Then, he would shift his positions, pulled back the curtain, and stared at the pale moon; empty eyes had been searching for answers.
Rukia drew a deep breath. She could feel that something's wrong, but she thought that she would figured it out later. Soon or later, Ichigo would confide all his problems to her in his own way.
School finished at 5 pm in the evening. Ichigo and Rukia strode down the street. Rain had let up a bit, but still it drizzled, created such a chilly atmosphere surrounded them. Rukia walked cheerfully, admired how rain drops fell from the sky, and let her gaze wandered around. Water went with the creek's stream, sang a silent, peaceful melody. Wind softly caressed her dark hair. Her silent countenance looked serene.
Ichigo sensed something's ambivalent. He didn't know why he felt this way, nor did he know? He didn't know why she acted the way she was, it's just didn't fit with his mood. Not now. Not this way. Damn, what the hell was wrong?
"Rukia," he broke the silence tentatively, caused Rukia to turn to him.
"Hmm?" she responded, soft voice and penetrating eyes stared back at him, as they continued to walk down the road.
"Nothing. It's just…never mind."
She eyed him suspiciously.
"Really, what's wrong, Ichigo?" she inquired. She knew those expressions of sorrow. She had felt those damn things for years.
"I've told you, just drop it already!" Ichigo replied.
Rukia didn't respond verbally, but she abruptly kicked Ichigo's shank in a single move, and hell, that caused this gloomy, fifteen-years-old boy screamed his lungs out. Rukia quickly increased her paces, didn't care of what she had done.
"Ouch! What the hell is wrong with you, stupid?!" Ichigo snapped harshly, soon decided to chase after her.
"I suppose to ask you the same exact question! You're the one who feels anxious today, and yet you still refuse to tell me what's going on in your stupid, somber mind!" Rukia replied hastily. She kept running down the road, but suddenly, Ichigo caught her right arm, forced Rukia to stopped and looked at him directly. They were both panting hard.
"Just tell me, what's disturbing your heart right now," Rukia inhaled softly between her labored breath, some of expression were playing on her face. Ichigo couldn't figure out exactly what they were, but probably a mix of whole lot. She had never looked at him this way before.
Ichigo froze.
More silence, until…
"Last night, I dreamed about my mother. She appeared and…and asked if everything's alright…,"he lowered his head, didn't want Rukia to see those pathetic expressions painted in his face. Still helpless, even after all things had passed away. The wounds were just too real to be healed. The heart was just too fragile to be mending.
"And?" Rukia demanded. "Go on."
"She's just…smiled. Said that she finally trust me enough to take care all things she'd left behind. I know I have to do it, and I want to. But, no matter how hard I try, something still remains the same. I mean, deep in my heart, even if everything's okay now, no one will ever be able to fill the emptiness that lingers after she'd gone. No one."
Now she understood.
"And it hurts," Ichigo finished his sentence off.
Rukia lost in her deep thoughts. She knew how much pain they caused. She's still familiar to those feelings, after all those damn years.
"You're always felt the same way. Guilt. Sorrow. They were still chased after you, even if in your deepest dreams. They were still haunted you, even if in your brightest days." Rukia absorbed his words," and indeed, it's so painful. Because, no matter how hard you try, that person was too precious to lose, too important to be replaced. Even after that person's departure, she's still someone whom you love."
Ichigo nodded, silently.
"I think it's your mother's way to tell you that she's alright. She asked you to take care of your living family, didn't she? She trusted you to pick up the pieces, Ichigo, that's why she told you to protect and shield everyone who you hold dear, instead turn your back away and let them slowly fall apart."
Ichigo lifted his head and stared into that deep, calming purple eyes. He realized that her words were real, she really meant them. He swore to protect his family, his friends, and her…so he wouldn't have to regret again. So he could always live in peace, knew when he's going to wake up the next morning, there're still people who cared, whom he could relied on to. He had failed in the past, and he would go through hell before he had it happened again.
"Thank you, Rukia…" he said gratefully, and after he uttered those words, he softly grabbed Rukia's hand, placed her small, warm and smooth palm in the shield of his strong grip, instinctively led their way back home.
As their fingers intertwined, Rukia's warmth amazingly erased all of his sorrows and anxiousness which haunted him since last night. Serenity. His wounded heart looked for it, and he found it in her. He wanted this. A chance to be the way he really was, felt that deep in his heart, someone trusted his determination. His weary soul would be sheltered throughout the rain. Someone who could melt his frozen heart and showed the true beauty of rainbow after the rain had gone.
Rukia, I need you to the very last…
I'll be by your side, now more than ever…
A serene smile faintly sculpted in Rukia's face.
Then he realized exactly what he needed the most, after all this time.
All he needed was Rukia, who was tough and reliable, the one who would never backed down to protected him, yet still the one he could confide the most. She's the one he always run to, the only one he belonged to. And for him, it was enough.
The rain had finally let up, as rainbow slowly emerged, illuminated their heart in an inexplicable way, decorated the sunset sky with its beauty.
Owari
Author's note: Thank you for the time! Did I do well with the characterization? This is my first attempt to write a one-shot Bleach fic. Don't hesitate to review and give me feedback and corrections, those are that I'm looking for! Any comments will be appreciated! And for you folks who haven't read my other Naruto fic which titled "Choices", just go read it and feel free to commenting on it! Have a nice day, friends!