Petrichor

Chapter–2

Rukia stared at herself in the standing mirror. She was getting ready for the dinner at the Kurosaki household. Somehow, she felt nervous, though she couldn't tell why. Maybe it's because they were strangers? She had already agreed though. How in the world could she deny her daughter when she was too eager to join the Kurosakis once more? It felt as if she was going on a date, a first date, from all the nervousness and jumpiness.

She ran her fingers through the wavy locks, her hairstyle for the night–courtesy of Momo, with some threats flying in the air if she didn't agree. With a sigh, she picked up a pink tube from the dressing table and applied the shiny gloss on her lips, making a pop sound when she was done.

A giggle from the bed caused her to turn around with a grin.

"You want to do that?" She asked Amaya, sitting on the queen-sized bed wearing a purple bow dress and matching shoes.

The three year-old nodded. Rukia bent down and applied the lip gloss gently on her pouted lips. She laughed when the little girl mimicked her, failing to make a proper popping sound.

"So, how do I look?" the twenty-three year old mother asked, twirling around wearing a knitted, plain black sweater tucked into a high-waisted, pastel pink accordion midi skirt.

Amaya nodded approvingly.

"You think so?" Rukia laughed as she bent down once more to peck her daughter on the lips.

"I didn't know you cared that much about your appearance. It's just a dinner, after all." Mother and daughter turned towards the door when a familiar voice spoke up.

A short raven haired woman stood leaning by the doorframe, a white envelop in her hand.

"Momo, it is just a dinner. I just felt like dressing up. What's wrong with that?"

Momo raised an eyebrow as she walked inside.

"The fact that you're all jumpy and nervous?" she finished her statement as a question, letting her best friend know that she knew exactly what was wrong. "Found an eligible bachelor there?"

Rukia turned to face the mirror once more, frowning at Momo for even thinking something like that.

"Of course not! I didn't even see a man there."

"They why are you so nervous?" Momo laughed, pointing to Rukia's fingers that were slightly trembling.

Rukia stood silent for a minute before saying. "No reason." Momo rolled her eyes as she plopped down on the bed beside Amaya, kissing her cheek sloppily and the girl wrinkled her nose in response.

"You're nervous for no reason? Rukia Kuchiki gets nervous for no reason? That's unlike you. C'mon, what are you not telling me?"

Rukia glared lightly at her. "There is nothing to tell. Nothing happened, okay. I was just invited for dinner because the twins liked Amaya and she liked them back. It's just that…" Rukia glanced at her daughter who was playing with her shoes. "…she never met anyone except us, Toshiro and Hisana before. She doesn't even have any friends. You should have seen her smiling when she was there, playing with those girls. I…" she sighed, trailing off.

"I know." Momo said softly, looking down at her hands. Her eyes lit up in realization as she saw the envelope in her hands.

"Here." She said throwing it at her best friend. "It's addressed for you."

Frowning, Rukia opened the envelope. There was a lavender colored paper in it. Rukia gently pulled it out and untied the silver ribbon tied around it. Her eyes widened as she read the card, a smile gracing her lips.

Love is sweet. It said at first in big letters while the rest was smaller.

So here's a treat from us to you on the day we say I do.

Renji & Tatsuki.

At Kuchiki Plaza.

Then, at the end was the date. Rukia hid her grin behind her hand as she stared at the paper.

"Oh my gosh Renji!" she squealed.

"What is that?" Momo asked, now on her feet and snatched the paper from her. "Whose wedding invitation is this?" she asked turning the card over.

"Renji!" Rukia squeezed Momo's shoulders who stared at her blankly.

"Okay," she drawled out. "Who's Renji?"

Rukia stared at her friend like she had grown another head. "My friend, of course. The one I met in high school."

Momo wrinkled her nose. "The…pineapple haired one?" she asked slowly, not too sure if she was saying the right thing. But she was sure Rukia had told her something like that before

"Uh…the red haired one." She corrected and cleared her throat, looking away. Renji definitely won't like it if he heard Momo. It was her fault anyway, for telling her that Renji always styled his hair like a pineapple.

Rukia kept glancing at the card and squealing like a three year old. Even her daughter rarely does that.

"Sorry to break it but I think you're running late." Momo pointed towards the clock on the pastel pink colored wall across from them and Rukia gasped.

Momo quickly sat on the bed as Rukia rushed around, knowing perfectly fine how she could be when she was running late. Momo pulled out her I-phone and scrolled down through the contacts and clicked on Shiro-chan and picked new message.

House's empty. You can come over if you want.

She pocketed her mobile and looked up to see Rukia hopping on one foot trying to pull on a pair of nude Jimmy Choo heels while holding Amaya on her hips. Momo sighed, gently face palming.

"See you later, Momo!" she heard Rukia yell followed by the sound of the door closing and the automatic lock clicking.

"Have fun, cupcakes!" Momo yelled back.

::

Rukia parked her deep red Kia Rio Sedan in the little free space that was right across from the Kurosaki house. She unbuckled her belt and proceeded to do the same with Amaya's. She picked up the girl and opened the door, pulling the strap of her sling bag up her shoulder as she closed the door. She couldn't help but notice the huge smile that kept growing on her daughter's face as they neared the gates.

"Are you that excited?" she asked and Amaya only smiled.

The moment her hand touched the button, the door swung open by a very excited Yuzu dressed beautifully in a floral dress.

"I'm so glad you made it!" She chirped and Amaya extended her arms towards her. Yuzu didn't wait as she picked her from Rukia and proceeded to walk inside.

"Please come in, Rukia-chan." She called over her shoulder while Amaya waved at her.

She followed the strawberry blonde into the elegant kitchen. The furniture was black while the walls were pristine white. The dining table as well as the chairs was black. It was simple yet managed to look classy.

The table was set with mouth-watering foods. The smell of it alone was enough to make Rukia's stomach grumble.

"Someone is hungry." Rukia blushed in embarrassment while Masaki chuckled. "Don't stand there, have a seat, Rukia-chan."

Yuzu and Karin walked in with Amaya and put her next to Rukia while the twins took the side opposite of them. Masaki took one end of the table.

"Is someone else joining with us?" Rukia asked, indicating to the plate set on the end opposite of Masaki.

The twins groaned, making Rukia wonder if she said anything bad.

"It's our dad. You really don't wanna meet him." Karin said grumpily. "He's a complete moron." Rukia raised her brows.

"Really?"

"Now Karin-chan, don't be like that." Masaki only chuckled, as if insulting their father was quite normal. As if on cue, they head the front door open and slam shut, followed by a deep male voice.

"Daddy's home, ladies."

Karin and Yuzu sighed simultaneously while Masaki settled for a shake of her head.

Then, with a horn and a party popper, a raven haired man appeared in the kitchen, wearing a suit – minus the jacket –grinning rather cheekily. From the looks of the Kurosaki women, the dramatic entrance didn't seem to be the first time. Rukia only stared, was there really anything she could say, or do?

Amaya clapped and giggled, swinging her legs.

The head of the Kurosaki household stopped his rather stiff dancing and turned around to face Amaya with a serious look on his face. For a moment Rukia thought that he was mad for having some strangers over for dinner. But then, a goofy grin slowly spread across his face, his eyes shutting close at the action.

"Who's the baby?" he asked tiptoeing closer towards Amaya. Rukia didn't know whether or not she should freak out.

"Dad, this is Rukia-chan. And the baby is Amaya–"

"Oh I know!" Yuzu was cut off by her father. "I got it!" he snapped his fingers and grinned at Rukia. "So my idiot son has finally decided to grant my wish and gave me a grandbaby, eh? Where is that good-for-nothing stupid head? Well, he isn't good for nothing now anymore, is he? He actually gave me a granddaughter. What's your name sweetie?" he turned towards Amaya who grabbed his hair.

Rukia sat dumbfounded. She was flabbergasted. Shocked beyond words. She didn't even know where to begin. Hell, she even forgot to blink! How in the world did he manage to connect his son with her when she hasn't even met him? And how…how –

Wow, is that man even mentally stable?

"Now that I look closer, you have your father's eyes." His voice brought her back from her stunned frozen state.

"Ignore him. That idiot is always like that. No wonder out brother moved out." Karin said in a bored tone.

"Dear," Masaki called gently to her husband who was tickling Amaya. "Amaya-chan is Rukia-chan's daughter. They both came over for dinner."

Isshin Kurosaki stood up straight, pouting and walked over to his seat, sulking. "So she isn't our idiot son's daughter?"

"No dad!" Yuzu said feigning anger. "Now sit straight and eat. The food's turning cold."

He immediately complied. Rukia couldn't help but smile at that. Despite the silly attitude the man had, he still loved his family a lot. Rukia never remembered having a moment like that. Hisana was all she remembered as she grew up. She doesn't even know how their parents looked like. They were dead before she could even sit.

"Why doesn't Amaya-chan talk?" Yuzu asked curiously, not really knowing that it was a sore topic for the child's mother.

"I don't really know either. I tried lot of things but she still refuse to say a word." Rukia had her gaze locked on her plate.

"Did you check her hearing?" Masaki asked worriedly.

Rukia nodded. "Yes. Her hearing is perfectly fine and she is quite healthy too. I don't know why she doesn't speak." She glanced once at her daughter, holding a pair of chopsticks while Yuzu helped her fill her plate.

"What about a speech-language pathologist?" Masaki asked again, pausing her dinner to stare at the girl.

"I tried. They said it could be because she doesn't understand but I don't think that's the case either. She knows what we say. Or it might be because of family history. But both me and my sister didn't have those problems."

"What about her father?" her question caught her off guard. Of course, none of them knew that Amaya was born out of marriage or the fact that she doesn't even know who her father is. For three years she had lived perfectly fine without a man in her life and without a father-figure for Amaya. No one questioned, she was too used to it that she hadn't thought of how to answer if it was ever brought up.

The table fell silent. Rukia looked at each of their faces before lowering her gaze to her plate. She bit her lower lip, not knowing how to answer.

Masaki, figuring the answer chirped. "That could also be one of the reasons but I'm sure Amaya-chan will start talking in no time now. My son started talking when he was three and half years old. Almost four."

Rukia couldn't be any more grateful towards her. She sighed and smiled at the woman. Masaki smiled back, resuming her dinner.

After dessert was served, the twins took Amaya to the living room with their father following behind them. Rukia insisted that she help Masaki clean up the table and wash the dishes though the woman refused her help saying that she was a guest. So, Rukia sat by the island counter, silently musing.

"It's alright, dear. Things like that happen all the time these days." Masaki's soft voice brought her back to the Kurosaki kitchen. "But having a child is the best thing that could happen to a woman."

"Do you regret giving birth to her?" the older woman asked after a moment.

"No." Rukia shook her head. "I thought about aborting it at first but I couldn't do it. I thought about giving her away to someone else. That decision was resolute until I gave birth to her." She looked up at Masaki who came to sit in front of her, wiping her hands on the apron she wore. "But when I held her after she was born…" her vision turned blurry. "…I couldn't do it. I couldn't give her away despite the possibility that she might get a happy family. With both parents. A mother and father who'll love her." Masaki took her hands in hers and squeezed them, silently providing her support.

"I was ready to give her everything she deserves. I mean, I was the one at fault. She is just an innocent child. I couldn't let her pay for the mistake I did. But I didn't even know how to raise a kid, I never knew my mother. I wasn't sure I would be able to give her the love she needs but she was so small…and so innocent…I just couldn't give her away."

"I understand." The auburn haired woman pulled the strands of raven that had fallen over her eyes behind her ear. "You did the right thing, Rukia-chan. Not many people are willing to do what you did. They are more concerned over their title, wealth and fame."

"You're strong, know that."

Rukia nodded, wiping the lone tear that fell from her eye. "I'm sorry."

Masaki shook her head. "I'm glad I was able to help you lift your burden a little. Being a mother is the most wonderful feeling in the whole world."

"Yes. Minus all the vomit and poop, everything else is wonderful."

The two women chuckled.

When it was time to go, Amaya had already fallen asleep. Yuzu kept patting her head until Rukia came to pick her up to leave. She thanked once more, promising them to visit again before leaving. Thankfully for her, the hyperactive man had fallen asleep along with Amaya and didn't come to see her off.

"Good night, Rukia-chan." Masaki said as they reached the gate.

"Good night, Masaki-san. Thank you so much for tonight." Rukia said softly but Masaki only shook her head, smiling gently.

"I'll see you again later. Be careful while you drive."

Rukia nodded as they left the house. She opened the passenger seat door and gently put her daughter in, wrapped the belt around her and pulled a cushion from the backseat behind her head, making her comfortable. She stood up straight and closed the door as silently as she could, careful of waking her up before walking over to the driver's seat. She sighed as she shifted gears and drove out of the parking spot, heading towards the apartment she shared with Momo.

What have you done, Rukia?

She asked herself as she recalled the way she almost cried in front of a woman she met only for the second time. She just couldn't help herself. Masaki felt like a real mother to her, a mother she had always dreamt of. Kind and warm. She was immediately drawn to her. She had half expected her to stare at her in disgust when she figured out that she didn't know Amaya's father. She hadn't at all expected that reaction from her. She hadn't expected her support, help her get out of the awkward situation. She didn't know that she'd understand. But she did. And that was what drew her even more, what made her drop her guard and tell her all those feelings she had kept hidden. She was a mother herself. She understood. But their circumstances were different. Masaki was a happily married woman while she was a single mother who had no idea who her daughter's father is.

Rukia gently picked Amaya up after parking in the underground parking zone. She took the elevator up to the tenth floor. Balancing Amaya on one hand and pushing up the strap of her bag up her shoulder, Rukia entered the PIN to unlock the door to her apartment. It opened with a beep and Rukia tossed her heels by the entryway and walked towards the pristine white door to her room.

She noticed a white haired man on the couch, papers and books sprawled around him.

"Hey Toshiro." She greeted the step-brother of her best friend.

"Hey Rukia. How was the dinner?" he asked not looking up from the book he had his face buried in. Typical Toshiro, the genius, as Momo called him.

"Awesome." She replied as she opened the door to her bedroom, silently closing it before walking towards the bed and gently lying her daughter down.

She stared at the innocent face for a moment and tucked a strand behind her ear.

"I love you." She bent down to peck her on the forehead.

Rukia smiled when Amaya smiled in her sleep and stood up, turning the lights off before walking towards the bathroom for a shower.

::

Ichigo clenched his jaw to stifle a yawn, his eyes watering at the attempt. He stared at the paper in his hands, a sales record for the past month of Hotel Shihoin. He was suddenly feeling very lazy and sleepy but he couldn't understand why. Usually, he was the most active one at work but today, all his energy kept draining, like some invisible force was sucking it all up. He leaned back in the leather chair, tilting his head to try and concentrate on the graph in front of him. But, for the life of him, couldn't bring himself to do it.

He slammed the paper on the glass desk and stood up. The orange haired GM walked towards the fixed window on the right side of his modern-looking office. He leaned against the frame and stared at the park beyond the building he was in. It was about an hour after lunch and the park was already crowded. Teenage couples lay sprawled on the grass, old couples sat on the benches by the huge lake and children played across the field. It was a lovely sight but he felt like sleeping there, under the shade of an oak tree.

Ichigo dug his hand into the pocket of his slim-fit pants when his mobile vibrated. He picked it out with a frown but it disappeared, replacing a smile instead when he saw the caller ID.

My love

He smirked as he slid the button, answering the call.

"Yes, my love?"

"Oh you're making me blush." A feminine voice giggled from the other end making Ichigo grin wider.

"How is my darling today?" he asked playfully.

"Fine, as always. How are you?"

"As perfect as a person can be but I'm feeling lazy. What should I do?" Ichigo leaned against window frame once more, imagining the woman busy in the kitchen.

"That is not good at all, Ichigo. You should be more active while working. Would you like to come over? I can make you something good."

"Hmm. Like what?"

"Everything you like."

Ichigo grinned victoriously. "I knew you'd be the best solution to my illness."

There was a knock on the door.

He heard her laugh on the other end. "I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Take care, Ichigo."

"Love you, mom."

He disconnected the call and pocketed his mobile before giving the permission to enter. A buxom ginger haired woman wearing a white ruffled shirt tucked into a grey pencil skirt walked inside, a black file in her hands. Her heels clicked on the dark wood floor as she walked towards his desk.

"Mr Kurosaki, you have a meeting with the Hotel Shihoin management in twenty minutes." She said with a smile, placing the file on his desk. "It's time to leave."

"Thank you, Rangiku." Ichigo said to his secretary as he grabbed the jacket from the back of his chair and buttoned it up.

"No problem. I'm actually looking forward to the meeting." She said as they walked out of the office.

"Why? Do you like to see me suffer with those old geezers?" Ichigo asked with a sigh as they stepped inside the elevator.

"Nope. Not that. I like how you are younger than them but have a higher position than those who are above thirty."

The elevator doors closed with a ding.

"I know, I'm awesome." Ichigo said adjusting his collar and gave her a careless shrug.

Rangiku Matsumoto snorted, leaning against mirror wall of the elevator and fanned herself with the notebook, losing all professionalism once they were alone.

"Your arrogance never ceases to amaze me."

"Don't say you don't like it."

"Psh, I've seen better."

"Like that man who looks like a fox? The silver haired dude you met at the last anniversary party?"

"Shut up." A light blush caressed her cheeks.

Ichigo chuckled. They walked out as the elevator doors opened. People eyed them as the pair walked towards the main doors. Most men wondered how someone as young as Kurosaki Ichigo could be a general manager at one of the most successful businesses and have a woman like Rangiku Matsumoto as his secretary. Most women envied Rangiku's position and the woman herself for being able to experience the hotness that was Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Mr Kurosaki is a Greek god mistaken for a Japanese man." The duo heard one woman sigh dreamily.

"I know right! I pray to every god out there for giving me the opportunity to work here." Another muffled squeal was heard. "His face alone is enough to keep me going for days without food."

Ichigo wiggled his eyebrows at Rangiku as they walked out of the large glass doors. Rangiku only rolled her eyes.

"By the way," he stopped in front of the car. Rangiku looked up from her notebook questioningly. "Find me an interior designer. A good one. My apartment needs some remodelling."

"I have a friend who owns a small firm. He's got some good people." She said as they slipped inside the chauffeured car used only for office purposes. "But we're hardly on good terms."

"How are you friends then?"

"God knows."

::

Rukia walked through the hallways of the building she worked at. The walls alone were proof enough that the place was filled with people with the talent of art. She smiled at the thought. Yumichika Ayasegawa, her boss was very picky on who he employed. He wanted only the best that could do art beautifully.

She knocked once on the glass door and waited for the permission.

"Come in." she opened the door and walked inside a simple, modern yet elegant looking office that was kept quite neatly.

A man with raven hair ending just above his shoulders sat behind a mahogany desk. She was used to the feathers on his lashes now. He had claimed more than once that it was beautiful art.

"You called for me?" she asked, standing in front of the desk.

"Oh newbie, I have a project for you." he handed her a file quite gracefully. Rukia took it from him and opened to see a contract.

"What…is this?" she asked looking at him, eyes almost shining with excitement.

"Exactly what you see. Some rich boy wants to decorate his home."

A/N: Thank you thank you thank you so much for the many follows favorites and reviews. I'm really glad you guys liked this story.

Thank you so much! ^^

I think you already have an idea of how Ichigo and Rukia are going to meet hm?

Also, you might have to deal with a clingy Orihime for a while :P Sorry, it's for the story (:

Sorry for the mistakes, no proof reading done so I'll be taking the blame this time :'D

Ja!