AN: I never thought I'd see the day I wrote a Kisuke x Rukia oneshot. XD
Anyway, here is my entry for the second round of the Bleach Romances Fanfiction Contest . I certainly hope it's good enough ^^
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor its characters; they are the property of the creator, Tite Kubo, and the respective agencies/companies involved in producing the movies/anime/manga/etc. This fanfiction is mine, however, and so are the OC's and additional plot I incorporate in them.
The violet-eyed Shinigami hummed to herself, adjusting her Zanpakuto and using a little bunny hairpin (a free gift, courtesy of Kisuke Urahara for being a loyal, long-time customer) to pin up the lock of shiny black hair that perpetually fell in her eyes. After examining herself in the mirror, she deemed herself ready—well, at least outwardly—to complete her task.
On her way to the Urahara shop, she wondered how she could even think of doing what she'd planned. Ichigo was already her boyfriend and a very caring one at that, but insistent thoughts of a certain mysterious ex-captain would not stop invading her mind. She merely wanted to expose her feelings to him; it was tiresome to keep the secret within herself. She needed to do this before it started ruining her relationship with Ichigo, and she had no wish to hurt the young boy's feelings. It's just a crush, nothing more.
"Hello, anyone here?" she called out, knocking on the door. The shop was dark and Rukia didn't feel anyone around, but she knew well that the inhabitants of the shop always masked their reiatsu. This she found out several years ago ago in a very embarrassing fashion, when assuming the shop was empty and curiously poking around in Urahara's private possessions.
The lights turned on seemingly of their own accord and the man appeared. She felt her cheeks heat up at the mere sight of him and smoothed out her reiatsu.
"Ah, Rukia. How may I help you?" His drawling voice never failed to make Rukia jump slightly, especially when he said her name so smoothly—like oil, she thought. Mentally shaking the thoughts out of her head, she spoke in a voice as normal as possible, given the circumstances.
"I would like to place an order for one Chappy Gikongan dispenser."
He magically pulled a notebook and pen from his wide haori sleeves and wrote her name and order with a flourish.
"Anything else?"
"That's all."
"Very good. Come back to the shop next Monday." He bowed and made to leave.
"Kisuke, wait!"
Mildly surprised by her use of his first name, he raised an eyebrow and paused, absentmindedly spreading a fan in front of his face. "Yes?"
"I—I have something to tell you. I, well, I like you." The words tumbled nervously from her mouth and she awaited his reaction with a beating heart.
He merely continued staring down at her with a faint frown, expression otherwise inscrutable. Finally he spoke in a serious voice exceedingly rare to hear from the normally mischievous and jolly man.
"Rukia, please don't."
She blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Don't do this; you will only hurt Ichigo and yourself. We are not meant for each other in the least."
She had expected the possibility of rejection but her stomach dropped nevertheless. "Why?"
"Rukia, I am much older than you, much more than you might imagine, and you are a very innocent and pure girl. On the other hand, I could flirt carelessly and steal the hearts of many women before crushing them without a single glance. Do you understand? I'm not the kind of person you should fall in love with. Save your affections for Ichigo." He turned and took a few steps away as Rukia stared helplessly at his retreating back. Before flash stepping away, he tilted his head slightly to glance at her.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, and was gone.
Even a few minutes later, she found herself unable to move, rooted to the spot. Tears spilled down her cheeks, hurt and confusion and anger swirling within her, and she did not know whether she wanted to kiss or kill the man who had so simply rejected her. A little part of her mind whispered that he was probably right, and that she was being foolish and naïve, and she decided to listen to it.
"Fine, Kisuke...I'll give you up." She murmured to herself, feeling broken and empty, and headed away. Nothing marked her solitary path, not even a single sound, save for silent drops on the ground. Completely unaware of what had happened, Ichigo greeted her happily and presented her with a small gift. She smiled wearily and thanked him, then entered the closet she inhabited and buried her head in her knees.
A year later, the Winter War was over. The great menace of Aizen was finally gone, thanks to everyone's combined efforts, and Rukia had efficiently managed to avoid Kisuke nearly the entire duration of the battle. She had not entered his shop ever since he refused to accept her feelings, choosing instead to ask the Shinigami Women's Association for her supplies. Kisuke was perfectly aware of this and observed her whenever he could, a silent ache in his heart. He missed her cheerful presence in his rarely-visited shop and often sat alone in his room, playing idly with a rabbit-shaped candy dispenser.
Meanwhile, Rukia was busy helping the Gotei 13 clean up the destruction Aizen had left in his wake, both physical and mental. On the rare occasions she could visit Ichigo, they attended concerts, had dinner, and did everything a normal human would do on a date. Despite being part of the very picture of a perfect couple that fought, loved, and played, Rukia was not happy but remained in the lukewarm relationship they shared—that is, on her part. The substitute Shinigami noticed the slight change in her demeanor but did not comment.
One night, on the way back from a late dinner, Ichigo and Rukia silently walked hand in hand on the empty street back to his house. Their path was interrupted a couple ardently kissing directly in front of them, completely unmindful of passerbys.
The man wore a green and white striped hat and the woman had purple hair.
"God," Ichigo grumbled, turning red. "Can't those two old geezers do that sort of stuff privately? It's not like anyone wants to see them. Come on, Rukia, let's take the other road."
After a few more seconds of blankly staring, Rukia mumbled something and nodded, following Ichigo, but the image was already burned into her mind. Her stomach did a funny flop. Kisuke was in love with Yoruichi...it made perfect sense. They were a good couple, too, considering their personalities. She did not notice when the couple separated to watch her, just as she turned her back on them.
When safely back in her "room", Rukia stared at the ceiling while absentmindedly petting her favorite plush rabbit. I was so foolish. Compared to him, I'm an immature child. I've only been proving that more by avoiding him all this time, and staying in this unhealthy relationship.
Not giving herself a chance to change her mind, she quickly slid open the closet door with a bang and said, "Ichigo, we need to talk." He was lying facedown on his bed, casually reading a book, and looked at her questioningly.
"Yeah, what's wrong?"
She stood for a while staring at her feet.
"I want to break up with you." The fateful words out, she dared not look at him straight.
After a moment's silence, he said, "It's okay. I can understand." More frightened by this quiet acceptance then if he had yelled or thrown a fit, Rukia looked up.
"Ichigo, I'm really sorry-"
"I said it's all right. I'm going to take a shower." He gave her a reassuring smile and left the room, but avoided her gaze.
Feeling like the most horrible person alive, she retreated once again into her closet and traced patterns on the wall all night, long after Ichigo had returned. She heard the occasional bump and squeak of Ichigo's bedsprings and gave a sigh. The awkward night passed slowly, one minute seemingly an eternity, and Rukia quietly dressed at dawn. She noticed Ichigo frowning even in his sleep and resisted the urge to brush aside his hair, instead jumping lightly out of the window.
Before she returned to the Soul Society, Rukia made a stop.
"Hello?" She knocked on the wooden door and it slid open immediately. Kisuke looked down at her, surprise evident on his face.
"Rukia?"
She gave him a timid half-smile. "I believe I ordered Gikongan some time ago, am I correct?"
He paused, as if unsure of her motives, and broke into a wide, familiar grin. "Of course. Here you go." Casually, he reached into his left sleeve and pulled out the Chappy soul candy dispenser, placing it in her hand.
Dumbfounded, she asked, "You kept this with you all that time?"
"Except for during the fight with Aizen. It obviously would've been destroyed," he quipped.
"But—I mean—wasn't that last year...?"
"Exactly."
They stared at each other for a moment, and Rukia finally coughed. "Well, I'll be going. See you later."
"Rukia."
When she twisted around with a questioning smile, he placed his hands on her slight shoulders and abruptly captured her lips in a quick kiss. When he released her, she could only stare at him, stunned, as he chuckled at her expression.
"Kisuke?"
"That was all on purpose. I just wanted to know...if you really had feelings for me, or if it was just a crush."
She finally found her tongue. "But I saw you kissing Yoruichi-"
"Also part of the plan. I'm indebted to her for helping me."
"Why-how did you know?"
"That you still love me? You wouldn't bother wearing this cheap thing if you didn't." He reached down and patted the pin in her hair. She instinctively reached up, holding his hand in place, and pulled him down to her eye level.
"Urahara Kisuke, you devil," she whispered in his ear and he laughed, before engaging her in another, deeper kiss.