A.N:This one was written as the response following their first kiss.
"Aa, so does that mean we're an item now?" Rukia asked teasingly, even going as far as to lower her lashes as her arms slid around his bicep.
Ichigo's eyes went as wide as saucers — and an angry shade of red bloomed against his cheeks. "
You know it does! Don't ask unnecessary questions," he grumbled, his trademark scowl resurfacing almost instantaneously.
Unbothered, the lieutenant grinned and leaned her chin into the rise of a broad shoulder.
"Really though, what's the difference between lovers and friends?" Ichigo's newly-acquired 'girlfriend' queried, causing the man in question to choke in air because of the use of the word 'lovers'.
The orangette recovered quickly, but still refused to meet her gaze. "A girlfriend is more... intimate than a friend," he explained, a familiar rise of colour gracing his features, "Like dates, hand-holding," kissing too, but that was obvious, " ...Buying her- well, you - flowers, gifts, stuff like that."
The more he explained, the more he was beginning to realise that he /did/ to all of those things with her (especially the 'buying things') — all except the actual intimacy. It was like a marriage without benefits.
"I see," Rukia hummed, her indigo gaze sparking alight with mischief all of a sudden.
Ichigo inwardly groaned. This wasn't good. Whatever was going on in that little mind of hers would not be anything good.
"How do you know all of this, Ichigo? Have you had one before?" She asked innocently, and this time, he really did groan.
"No, you idiot, you would know if I did," Ichigo muttered irately, earning a victorious grin from the brunette.
"It's always been you and you know it." Exhaling a sigh (because really, it was like she enjoyed annoying the hell out of him), Ichigo slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close, burying nose-deep into raven tresses and inhaling.
"I know," was her smug response, and inwardly, he rolled his eyes. The sharp retort on his tongue died as slender digits massaged into his hair, and his arms tightened around her waist as shoulders relaxed considerably. If this was what having a girlfriend was like, he definitely wouldn't mind getting used to it.