Title: Love Melodies

Summary: IchiRuki, series of one-shots and fluffs. Chapters were inspired from songs.

Author's note: As promised, this is my first major comeback. I love the reunion chapter and I put it as my wallpaper. How sweet strawberry, staring blankly at your blueberry like that in awe… miss her too much? No worry IchiRuki fans, after 17 months, at last – sun and moon met in the broad horizons. Let us just keep on supporting Kubo and tell him that this pair is the best.

I dedicated these stories to my inspirations: the authors of Tangled Heartstrings and Reasons… and to all the IchiRuki fanfic authors there… I've been reading your fics for months and it made me feel a tug in my chest to go back since I am… yes – a proud unemployed individual, preparing for her local board exams and entrance exams for school abroad. Good luck to me. Since I am out of school in an early age and my period to study lies in my hands, I decided to use the remaining time to vent my happiness and frustrations in writing fics. Even if I had a dance training twice a week, I just feel that writing will always fill the hole inside. Aren't I too dramatic? Lol, used to be, I tell you.

This song made me really feel courageous. Whenever I do choreography for this one, I end up singing it by myself (laughs). Song: Athena by TVXQ. Anyway, I apologize for the wrong grammar. I was busy singing (almost yelling in the process lol) while writing but please leave a comment, I prefer the constructive one. Thank you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. It was Tite Kubo's. I do not own 'Athena'. It was TVXQ's

Chapter 1: Athena

Ichigo gritted his teeth furiously as he stared at the vast orange sky above him. No matter how he tried to push himself, almost to his utter limits, he kept on falling in his knees. He clutched his chest as he felt another shot of pain – it felt like piercing not only his body but his soul as well. Large beads of sweat broke from his forehead, flowing continuously in his eyebrows leaving a slight pain in his brown orbs. He rubbed his irritating eyes as he tried to keep his composure.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She's leaving. He heaved again and felt his eyes too heavy to open. He looked back and glanced at his huge sword, now stuck in the grounds of Earth. He ran towards Zangetsu, quickly pulling it, doing a flash step in his side. He immediately did shunpo and slashed the harsh wind into half.

Now, he was really insane. He heaved again, his chest barely holding and keeping his own body from being broke into pieces. He frowned at the sudden thought. He is not broke. He is just a broken-hearted man.

Apparently, the woman who saved his life and his family's, the woman who gave him the powers to protect, the woman who made him a man of courage, the woman who made the rain stopped, the woman whom he offered his own heart was now leaving… for good.

He was in despair after not seeing her in 17 months. When they reunited, she stabbed her sword in chest for the second time. And for the second time, she gave him back the powers he needed to regain his own. It wasn't only the power she was able to give him that time. She was also able to make his eyes slightly rest from furrowing. She was also able to make his heart beat tremendously again. And above all, she was also able to make the rain in Ichigo's hollow world finally stopped.

He screamed again, fuming tears escaping from his eyes. He continued to slash and make each movement faster than the latter. His broad arms started to ache from gripping tightly his sword and ended up raising it, waving it in a very disastrous manner. He spat another yell and did a Getsuga Tenshou in the process. It created a big blue crescent flash hitting a big rock a mile away from him.

He placed down his katana and panted feverishly. He wiped the sweat forming in his chin with the back of his hand. He winced as he felt his arms aching but immediately brushed the thought away. The pain in his body is nothing compared with the pain subsiding in his underworld.

Rukia frowned as she glanced at Ichigo's bed. The lad hasn't been home since the announcement from Gotei 13's head was made. No, it wasn't the fault of Sotaicho. It was hers.

Apparently, it was announced that the gates between Karakura and Sould Society will be finally sealed. It also includes that sealing of gates from Huenco Mundo to Karakura so basically, the gates that connect Karakura to the other world will all be sealed. This is to prevent another raising rebellion, making Karakura involved in any. This is also to protect the people leaving in the town. During the battle with Aizen, the souls of the living people who met Aizen in the way were dissolved in its utter piece.

When the announcement was made, Ichigo took her by arm and told her to meet him at the riverside that evening. At first, she refused and even not tried not to look in his eyes. She knew that if she did, she'd see those determining eyes that kept on transmitting her a message, I am fucking serious, Rukia.

Those same eyes that pierced her heart, same eyes that stared at her when he broke into Soul Society to save her, same eyes that looked worried to death when she was attacked by an Arrancar, same eyes that told her to stay in his side when they went to Huenco Mundo, same eyes that glanced down at her while calling her midget, same eyes that look hurt when she bade goodbye because he is going to lose his powers, same eyes that looked relieved when she stabbed her sword in his chest.

When they met that night, he called her Athena. She furrowed her brows hearing her new pet name. He sighed and said that Athena was a mythical goddess – the goddess of war. A courageous young woman who protected the world from evil then he looked at her and said: "I don't know that one day, I'll see a mythical creature turned to reality. You were the Athena of my hollow world and heart. You protected me from evil and death."

She admitted that it raised her heart beat, travelling as fast as kilometer per millisecond. She brushed the thought away and mocked at him, telling him that he surely grew weak after battling Aizen. He winced and yelled at her that she's an idiot, imbecile, pathetic and, and –

She cut him, telling he was yelling all same words and grinned, crossing her arms in her chest. He blushed and looked away, muttering, "And above all, you are blind, deaf and numb."

She spat, "Idiot! I have eyes and ears! All functioning wise! And I am not numb you idiot!"

She saw him enveloping his hands in his pockets and starting to turn. Oh, the cue. "… then used them beyond the 'wise' manner, Rukia." And he started to walk away.

She called him but he just waved a hand and disappeared in the dark.

After that encounter, she wasn't able to see him. She asked his good pals and said Ichigo told them that he can't attend to school but they were still able to see him after class. He even called and asked them about lectures and all. Though it's weird, they just let him do that.

But for Rukia, it is really weird and she won't brush the thought away. He was actually ignoring her! No. That's not the right term. She placed a pensive finger in her chin and started fidgeting the word, scanning her memories like a book dictionary. When she realized, her hands dropped in her side and kept head low in the process. He was avoiding her.

She was not numb. She was neither blind nor deaf. She knew what the boy was referring when he said those words. He was almost in the verge of confessing his feelings. She knew that it wasn't just Ichigo who had a feeling grew towards her. Actually, it was she who had felt it first. The first time she saw those powerful eyes, she learned that he was no boy. He was not just a boy. That is, it wasn't just his hair color that made him different. The time she stabbed him in order to transfer her powers, it was when she first felt his heart beat. It was different and she can't explain how his heart beat went.

But when she did it to help him regain his powers, she felt the new beat – she heard her name from his insides as if it was waiting for her to comeback. That's where she learned that he loved her. But she knew… they weren't for each other. He was a human and she was a dead person, and time will come that after meeting each other, they had to part ways because their fates go in opposite roads. During the time he was battling beside her, she learned to accept that if that time comes, whether he felt the same way towards her, she would turn him down and would take the road her fate told her to.

In this way, she knew that she would be able to save him again. This time, the result will go through lifetime. She knew that she had already save him and all but what she knew the most, the thought that sails above her heart, is that… Ichigo was the first person who made her inner world warm. Ichigo was the first person who lit up a candle and made her see that beyond those icy powers, there's an orange effect that will warm her heart once she smile.

Ichigo learned from Uruhara that tonight, Rukia and the people from Soul Society will leave the town. He asked if the old man will come with them and said he'd be staying so there would be someone who will look over them. He said that he will also be doing the spirit ritual and all. The orange headed guy asked if transferring the souls will open the gates to the Soul Society.

Uruhara Kisuke just grinned and closed his fan in a snap, "The Research and Development team worked with me and we created a new invention. That is, when the new ritual is transpired, it effectively transports the spirits in the society without the gates. It was faster." The older man stared at Ichigo who frowned in the explanation. "Ah. The process is like doing shunpo. Faster! You know shunpo, right?" He laughed and sweat dropped, seeing the younger lad didn't take his pun.

"What's with the frown, Kurosaki?" his tone turned in a serious one.

"Nothing." He muttered and turned in his back. "I'm going home."

He immediately turned into happy look again, "Good, good."

Strawberry. Rukia rolled her eyes with the thought of his name. She continued to walk around the town. Her captain told her that they had 3 remaining hours before the gates are going to be sealed. She frowned as she thought that she hasn't seen Ichigo for a week. If that idiot really liked her, then he should have spent the remaining time with her.

But surely, it would just bring both parties a harder time to part ways. That idiot was thinking after all. Deep inside, she knew that longed for him. She knew that she needed him. After this, her life will go in a rally of boredom and coldness again. She mentally kicked her head for thinking Ichigo to completely die. Indeed, she's becoming selfish. Damn you Ichigo, I am getting doomed!

When she was in his side, she felt comfortable like she's safe in his arms. She felt like she doesn't to pretend and laugh as much as she could when there's something to laugh about.

She raised her head then turned on sides in a clockwise motion, feeling her nape is aching after staring at the ground for a long time. She was thinking where she could go and bade goodbye. She already did her part telling the Kurosakis (minus the strawberry head), her classmates and the rest of the people she met in the town. Now, now… where's that brat? He'll surely miss the rest of his lifetime if he had really decided not to see her for the last time.

Suddenly, her eyes widened as the dim light produced by the moon revealed a tall man with an orange hair walking towards her.

"Ichigo." Her voice trailed off, the air absorbing it in the mid-winter breeze.

The lad scratched the back of his head before bowing before her. "I am sorry."

Rukia raised an eyebrow and was going to stay something when he continued. "I am sorry. I just don't know what to do when I heard that we are going cut the ties that bound us. Rukia…" he looked at her, his eyes looked hurt and had a hint of depressed. "I really don't want you to leave my side. I want to continue fighting with you. I wanted you to see entering in my closet and mutter a goodnight. I want to see you struggle with that stupid juice box for the hundredth time in life. I want to be a part of you… even if it requires a lifetime suffer. I –"

Rukia placed a hand in his chest, looking at the ground. "Idiot, who told you that I am going to break that stupid tie," she sighed, "and Ichigo… I know. I know. I actually feel the same way. But you know? Even without those gates, we could still feel each other's presence. And believe me because I do… that what connects us is beyond our powers… it is our soul that connects us. Mine to yours and vice-versa – it was you who said it… there's always a curse between us." She pressed her hand in his chest. "Ichigo, a part of me stays in your soul and a part of you stays in mine. Just feel me here."

"Rukia…"

She looked up at him, and him looking down at her. He placed his hand in her arms, "Who's going to make the rain stop, midget? You used to. You always did."

Rukia grinned and kept pressing his chest. "A part of me… stays here."

Ichigo's eyes widened and utter, "Oh."

The small girl decided to drop her hand, creating a gap between them. "…and I… I don't know who's going to fill the gap inside me. Strawberry, you shouldn't have really come into my life." She muttered, looking away.

It was the latter's chance to do his move. He squeezed her shoulders and pulled her in his chest. "…and a part of me, to fill that stupid gap of yours… will continually warm you."

She blushed. He blushed.

They stood there for a moment. His arms around her small frame, her hands clutching the back of his shoulders, his cheek caressing her hair, her face on his chest. It felt like forever but it doesn't matter. They don't need to throw sweet words anymore. A hug completes the emptiness inside.

"I'll be waiting." They utter in unison.

It was time to bid goodbye for the last time. The rest had already entered the gates and the others were just standing beside to guard the remaining who'll enter.

Rukia was wearing a violet kimono, given by Uryuu. Her hair clipped with sakura blossom like pins, courtesy of Orihime. She turned around and took a last glance at her friends.

There was Orihime who was already trying to keep her tears breaking from her grey orbs but Yuzu was already crying. Karin was on her side patting her head. The girl grinned at her and she nodded back.

Uryuu pushed his glasses and looked at her, "Thank you, Kuchiki." Chad, on the other hand, raised a hand. She smiled at the manner her friends were showing her. The rest were her classmates who had a thread of spiritual power, mainly Tatsuki and Keigo.

Isshin was in full tears as he started to run to Rukia, "Rukia-chan! My third daughter! We're going to miss you! But who knows, my bitter son is going to miss you to death!" he was about to hug her when he received a knock in head from Ichigo.

"I'm used not to see spirits after not seeing one for 17 months," he started, not looking at her. "But now that I could see… and the thought that I can't see you." He sighed and looked at her with a mock face. "I am going to see you again. I'll come running for you when I felt you need me." He scratched the back of his head.

Rukia smirked, "That's my line, idiot."

"Sure, midget."

SILENCE.

They stood there until a hand patted Rukia's shoulder, her captain, telling to keep on going. She nodded as she watched his retrieving back, on his way to the gates. She was about to turn on her back when she finally looked at Ichigo for the last time, his eyes looked hurt, and gave him a meaningful smile. "Thank you."

"I'll see you, shini—Kuchiki Rukia."

She nodded and started walking. On the mid, she turned again and said, "It's Athena, Ichigo."

FIN.

A/N: I know its lame, leaving an ending like that. But you see… hahaha! Just give me a review and I'll update! Lol, I had a new idea in mind.

Hint: Super Junior's song.