Some Things Never Change
Anime: Bleach
By: Ryu-Takehshi
Kurosaki Ichigo sighed heavily; it was happening wasn't it? It was actually happening. He was completely past the worlds of excuses and explanations, and that had led him, well: "here".
He had been through a lot to get "here" and, thinking back on it now, the whole thing seemed kind of inevitable. As if, some weird outer-force was just conspiring with destiny to build up a certain amount of dramatic events that would ultimately lead to this conclusion. And, strangely, he was okay with that.
Everything seemed way too surreal to actually have been reality; like some sort of fairy-tale story that needed an obvious, albeit very satisfying, ending to it.
After years and years of fighting hollows and things that followed after, one would assume that Ichigo would've given up a long time ago; expect him to just wave the white flag, throw his hands in the air and say "That's it, I'm done," (which would be any normal person's reaction to everything he had faced). But, of course, she wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.
Ichigo's mouth curled upwards at the thought of her. If ever there was a time when the slightest idea of self-doubt entered his mind, she would always come to kick his ass and snap him back to his senses. And, again, he was strangely okay with that too.
He had needed someone to be there or, frankly, Ichigo would've probably killed himself under all of the pressure; which, upon further thought, would do little to solve the problem – since he would just be brought into the Soul Society where she would do everything in her power to track him down and drag him back to his duties.
So, in some kind of twisted way, even if it nearly killed him more than half the time, he enjoyed her presence with him. Even when she was slamming him in the back of the head, kicking him in the gut, or making him look like an idiot in front of his classmates… Rukia was always there for him.
Kuchiki Rukia, the shinigami girl that suddenly waltzed right into his life and changed his entire world. Before her, Ichigo was just some nobody fifteen-year-old kid with the power to see ghosts; he chuckled a bit: never would he have thought that there was any good to his power before Rukia came along; but, she always did have that weird ability to completely prove him wrong.
However, today was different. He had personally made sure that she was in the wrong today so that, as she appeared before his expectant eyes, the first thing she saw was his smug smile. At the same time, Ichigo received the grace of seeing her shocked, then annoyed, expression as she realized the inevitable was, in fact, happening.
"Please Ichigo; you'll never get me into that…"
"Pshh, as if that'll ever happen to us…"
"No, it doesn't matter what you say… it just can't happen."
Ichigo smiled at her from down the long stretch of flower-petal-covered carpet, which she would have to walk down in just a moment. The look of nervousness and annoyance on her face was downright priceless in Ichigo's mind because, despite all of her objections, they had finally made it here. He had won for a change, and he was damn proud to show it.
"You know, one day I'll have you walk down the aisle… You'll see…"
Nothing could ruin this moment…
Nothing at—
Beep, beep… Beep, beep…
Expressions soon changed as a tiny electronic beeping emitted from the confused bride's pocket, hidden within her dress – of which, she had also refused to wear without regular clothes underneath. God, Ichigo thought, she was so fussy about everything.
Rukia shot him a confused look as he bit his lip; afraid, but fully aware, of what was about to be said.
"Hollow…?"
Rukia nodded.
The audience of shinigami, and those aware of their existence, gave a sigh of both understanding and disappointment.
The situation finally reached Rukia's rational mind as she smiled slyly at the exasperated Ichigo, who promptly applied his palm to his forehead.
Rukia had won in the end.
He sighed, finally accepting that some things just never really change.
And strangely, he thought to himself as he and his shinigami partner ran from the altar and towards the hollow alert, he was okay with that too…