FIRST KISS
By Ayame 213
A few days after Aizen's rebellion…
"DAMM-IT!"
Ichigo is running as fast as he possibly can. His wounds have barely healed but Zaraki suddenly decided that he wanted to resume their battle to the end. Ichigo decided to run for his life instead. He runs all the way outside the gates of the Seretei, towards the river on the outskirts of Rukongai. The sun is setting, painting the sky in shades of purple and gold.
Suddenly, Ichigo spots Rukia standing alone by the riverbank, her hand pressed against one of the many sakura trees that line the clear waters. After a nervous glance over his shoulder to check if Zaraki was still giving chase, Ichigo cautiously slows down and heads towards his friend.
"Yo"
Rukia knows it's him even before he speaks and turns to face him with an amused little smile on her face.
"Ichigo…what are you doing here? You look like you're out of breath"
"Shut up. It's that damn Zaraki that was on my tail again. What up with you, why are you out here by yourself?"
Rukia falls silent. A shadow passes like a cloud over her eyes as she looks away from him.
"…just…watching the sunset", she finally replied.
Ichigo stares her for a moment from the corner of his eye.
"What's wrong?" He asks
Rukia is silent again. The evening breeze gently blows through her hair.
"….I still haven't told you have I?…I'm…I'm the Shinigami that killed Ganju's brother"
Stunned, Ichigo turns fully to look at her face. "What…what are you talking about?" He asked quietly.
The words come pouring out. Rukia tells him what happened that night. That terrible night when she ran like a coward but Kaien-dono protected her with his life. The guilt that has plagued her for years. Rukia confessed her deepest, darkest secret to Ichigo, the person she trusted the most that evening under Soul Society's beautiful purple sky.
"I…I just don't know…how to make things right anymore". She finished with a whisper
Not wanting to see the accusations she was certain to find in his eyes, or perhaps to hide her own feelings of shame Rukia circled to the other side of the sakura. Ichigo watched her movements, fully aware that she is trying to create more distance between them. After a moment, he lets out a heavy sigh and follows her, his hands in his pockets. He finds her leaning against the bark stubbornly looking at her feet even as she senses his presence in front of her.
He watches her silently and finally understands Rukia a little bit more. Ichigo takes a step forwards closer to her and places his hand on her head. With one hand still in his pocket he pulls her gently to his chest. This one gesture of affection, so out of character for Ichigo, is all that Rukia can take. She places her hands on his chest in one last attempt to distance herself and maintain her composure but she can't push him away. Instead, Rukia holds on and silently loses control over her emotions. Ichigo can feel the wetness of her tears against the fabric of his kimono.
"Rukia…I may not know much but I know you can't change the past. The only thing you can say now is 'I'm sorry' and then close the chapter. I learned that the hard way…with my mom. The only thing left to do is keep moving forward. I'm sure that Kaien knew…no one blames you for what happened, Rukia. So stop beating yourself up and move on".
Ichigo tilts her face up and gently wipes away the tears with his fingers. He has a tender smile on his lips.
"Baka. You're messing up my clothes"
Rukia smiles a little at that.
"Shut up"
They suddenly realize how close they are to each other. Ichigo still has his hand on her cheek. Before he can stop to think about what he's doing, Ichigo slowly leans forward. Closer. Closer. Until their lips touch. Hesitant at first, the kiss grows deeper as Rukia holds on tighter and Ichigo dives his fingers deeper into her hair. It's like time stopped for a moment and left the two of them in their own private world.
A little dazed, hearts pounding wildly…they slowly break apart.
The reality of what has just happened then gradually start to set in. Suddenly very embarrassed, they both turn away from each other, blushing furiously. Ichigo tries to say something, anything to break the tension.
"I…uhh…." Thankfully, before he can finish his so called sentence, he hears a loud voice calling out his name..
"Ichigo! I've found you! Ichigo, you bastard! You think you can hide from me!"
It's Zaraki charging full speed towards them looking for round two of their little fight. With a look of pure horror on his face, Ichigo suddenly grabs Rukia, flings her on his shoulder and starts to run again for dear life.
"Ichigo! What on earth are you doing? Bakamono! Put me down!" Rukia yells out.
"Shut up! Can't you see that he's after us? You should be thanking me, I'm so nice I know you don't have the strength to run yet…"
"Us? What do you mean US? What the hell are you talking about?"
"Why you ungrateful little…"
"I have nothing to do with this just put me down dammit! Put me down!"
"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!"