November 18,2007...still┘
(KYO)
I didn▓t know what to say to her. She was right there next me holding my hand, and I couldn▓t say anything. We soon arrived at the market down the street, in my opinion we arrived way too soon. ⌠Kyo, what type of milk do you want? White, strawberry, chocolate?■ ⌠Wait, Tohru you came all the way down here to get me milk? You didn▓t, you shouldn▓t have done that.■ Tohru was so nice, and I was so┘well Kyo like. She didn▓t have a right to be this nice to me. I wonder what she would think if she knew what I actually was underneath the orange fur? ⌠Well, I know you love milk and I used the last of it for dinner, so it was my fault.■ ⌠It isn▓t my milk you know, it▓s everyone in the houses, it actually should be your milk since you are the one who buys it.■ I was starting to lose my temper that was bad. She would hate me or start crying, hate is too strong a word for her, at least and I would hate myself if I did that to her. ⌠Here you know what Tohru, if you give me a shopping list I will go out to the store every time you need something without exception. Okay?■ ⌠Oh no, you couldn▓t do that I mean I live in your house and all, and I don▓t even pay rent. This is what I contribute for letting me stay there even though I could go back to my grandpa▓s house and stay there and┘■ I cut her of I couldn▓t take what she was saying especially the part where she would consider moving out. ⌠How about this you can still do the shopping, but I want to come and help you whenever you go. Understand?■ She nodded with a big Tohru like smile, ⌠Well?■ What did she mean by this question? Oh, ⌠I prefer white■ She grabbed a bottle of white milk and placed it in the basket I was carrying with my left hand. At least I knew I was being helpful while being there. ⌠Hey carrot top■ a voice from behind me called■ I was about to knock out whoever dared to give me that comment.
(ICHIGO)
I made my way through the store attempting to squeeze past the people blocking my path. ⌠The last thing we need is the soda. It▓s near the refreshments in the back grab some,■ She handed me the basket containing the various food items, ⌠Then meet me outside the store.■ Once again, I was the one doing the shopping. I dodged past the people with speed and grace since when being a shinigami I had to do ▒a lot▓ of dodging. A few feet away stood a boy around my age, 17, with orange hair I would recognize anywhere. ⌠Hey carrot top■ I yelled on a few feet away from his back. He slowly rotated around with a nasty look on his face. I could tell he still didn▓t like getting teased about his hair and I couldn▓t blame him. ⌠Excuse me■ he said with hate in his voice now facing directly at me. It took him a moment to realize who I was because as soon as he shifted toward my head his body relaxed and a grin crossed his face. ⌠Well, if it isn▓t Ichigo■ he said with great pleasure. ⌠Kyo it▓s been a long time, last thing I remember is when we beat up that 5th grader for making fun of your hair.■ We both laughed at this. ⌠You did what?■ a frantic frail voice sounded behind him. It was a girl about 16 or 17, cute, long brown hair, blue eyes. Kyo looked a little frantic now too. ⌠No, we didn▓t really beat him up┘hard■ The last word trailed off so I could hardly hear it. There was worry and sorrow in her eyes. ⌠Oh Ichigo this is Tohru■ Kyo said while gesturing at the girl behind his back. It took me a moment to process then it hit me, ⌠Oh, you▓re Kyo▓s girlfriend, nice to meet you■ Kyo turned pink, really pink.
(KYO)
⌠No, she▓s not my girlfriend■ I added, a little disappointed though that I had to say it. Ichigo smiled with a disbelieving look in his eyes. I couldn▓t believe it, the kid with the orange hair, the one that made me feel good about myself standing right in front of me. ⌠So, Ichigo you▓re not little Ichi anymore are you?■ I laughed at my comment, but he found it a little less funny than I did. ⌠No, taller now. As are you.■ ⌠ICHIGO!■ a voice boomed through the store startling me and that was quite a thing to do. A small girl, looked pretty young height wise, but her face looked a lot more mature, so I was assuming around 16 or so. Black hair down to her shoulders and a serious look on her face. ⌠Ichigo, I have been waiting outside for 10 minutes.■ He looked apathetic ⌠sorry, bumped into an old friend. Oh Kyo, Tohru this is Rukia, Rukia, Tohru and Kyo.■ He gestured at each of us while saying our names. Rukia suddenly got real polite it was scary, ⌠How do you do my name is Rukia.■ Scary.
(ICHIGO)
I actually completely forgot about Rukia, I▓m going to pay for that later. ⌠Sorry Rukia■ I wondered if my voice sounded apologetic enough. ⌠Well, see you around I suppose■ I gestured toward Kyo, even though I knew that us meeting again was very unlikely. Rukia grabbed my hand and started heading out the door before I could turn around. After a few steps I felt a hand grab my arm and it even made Rukia stop in her tracks. ⌠This time I actually want to say good-bye.■ I smiled at him, then was once again jerked away out the door. I knew what Kyo meant, last time when I moved I didn▓t even get to say goodbye since the move was so sudden. ⌠Hey, Rukia I still have to pay you know.■ She groaned then headed toward the shortest line she could find, she even scared an eight year old away that was waiting in line before us. We paid, then left. That was the end of my thought to be last encounter of Kyo Sohma.
(RUKIA)
When we were far enough from the store I had to ask Ichigo a question, ⌠That Kyo, there▓s something about him, I can sense it. It▓s not spirit energy, but more like a curse.■ He gave me a calm straight face, ⌠Rukia, the only thing strange about that guy is his hair and that shouldn▓t freak you out much since I probably have brighter hair then he does.■ I still wasn▓t sure, I would probably have to investigate this a little more later. Now, on to the second part of my plan. ⌠Ichigo, take a left here.■ We turned down a long dirt road passing only one house on the way. At the end was a meadow. It▓s just as beautiful as I remembered. A few years ago I came across this place in search of a hollow, no hollow but the energy in the area was strange. At the end of the meadow was a cliff over viewing the whole town. I pulled out a orange picnic blanket and laid it out flat on the ground. While I was doing this, Ichigo just stared at me wit ha bewildered face. ⌠┘Rukia, what are you doing?■ Well that was a dumb question. Of course he must have known what I was doing. ⌠Picnic, haven▓t you ever been on one?■ ⌠Of course I have┘Rukia, have you been reading romance novels again?■ the truth was I had been, but that hadn▓t been the reason for this. ⌠No, I wanted to thank you for your hard work you have been doing. I know this is supposedly Renji▓s job, but you fill in for him and your not even a true Shinigami.■
(ICHIGO)
Wow, this was a shocker for me. ⌠thanks Rukia.■ I didn▓t know what else I could say. I wouldn▓t say this to her face, but this meant a lot to me. So, we ate. We laid down side by side staring at the beautiful purple and pink sunset. I didn▓t want this moment to end, at least not for a while. Unconsciously, I inched my hand closer to Rukia, placing it on top of her hand. Surprisingly, she didn▓t smack me or pull here hand away, she rotated it, so are hands could intertwine. My heart beat was a lot faster then normal, eventually I started to blush. I never had felt this way about a girl before. About an hour or so later I noticed that Rukia fell asleep. She rolled over my hand still in hers, but now her body was up against mine. I thought in my head, ⌠Yep, my dad would kill me right now if he saw me.■
(ISSIN)
⌠Achoo!■ sniffle, ⌠Someone must be talking about me somewhere.■ ⌠Get a life dad■ Karin screamed from the kitchen in a nonchalant voice.
And that is the completion of chapter 4 hope you enjoyed! -Your Neko Writer R&R