Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.


March

ホワイトデー
White Day

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Take the 14th off. Make sure you come to my house.

He sat there in silence, his small desk lamp shining down on his orange hair. He rested his head on a stack of magazines, sighing heavily with his arms outstretched on his desk. His left cheek pressed down firmly onto the wrinkled cover of Top Onsen Destinations in Japan, one of the many magazines he had bought earlier that day. As he tiredly lifted his head to scan through yet another magazine, he wondered why he had assumed this would be easy – that woman herself wasn't easy. Kuchiki Rukia, the woman he unwillingly longed for. The woman who had given him those chocolate-covered strawberries and a deep, tantalizing kiss a month ago.

He had rarely seen her since then. She, being busy with her lieutenant duties, only visited when she was summoned to monitor the Hollow activities in town or to meet with Urahara. He'd managed to catch her once, fully intending on talking to her about the events of that fateful day (or at least continuing their osculation), however he froze at the sight of the raven-haired beauty. A flurry of uhs and ums escaped him when finally, Rukia laughed and gave him a tight hug. He cursed his nerves before hugging her back, making sure to remember her warmth and her scent because he knew he wouldn't see her again for some time.

He sent Rukia the note last week with the help of Urahara, in anticipation for the upcoming White Day. Ichigo usually wasn't into holidays, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't excited. With all the money he saved working for Ikumi-san, he could easily take her on a small excursion, just the two of them. Then maybe…

Ichigo halted his thoughts, putting down the Romantic Spots for Couples in Tokyo magazine that he had subconsciously picked up. We're not even official yet! he scolded himself.


"Are you excited to go back?"

Rukia jumped, nearly crumbling the paper in her hand. Ukitake had been watching her – she'd read the note, sigh, look out toward the pond, and repeat. He was no fool; he knew a lovesick puppy when he saw one, and his lieutenant – well, he had a theory or two about her.

"U-Ukitake-taichō! Excuse my absence, I will return to the office right away!"

"No need to worry, I finished all our paperwork."

He smiled, sitting down next to Rukia. She instantly felt guilty; all afternoon she had been sitting by the garden, thinking about him. She wasn't purposefully neglecting her work, but she found it hard to focus when all her attention went to him and his soft lips.

"Do you like him?" Ukitake suddenly asked.

"Wha-? N-no! He's foolish and disrespectful and-"

"And he cares about you immensely. And I think anyone with eyes can see that you do too, am I right?"

As much as her pride fought to keep her from admitting the truth, her captain's gentle smile coaxed her otherwise. She could never win against him.

"You know me too well, taichō," she finally smiled, softly.

He returned the smile, facing the garden to look towards the pond.

"I wonder what Ichigo-kun is planning?"


Stepping out of the Senkaimon, Rukia let out a small, white breath. Karakura town was surprisingly quiet at 6 a.m.; a big difference from the noise in her chest. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears and a tremble in her hands. When had she become so nervous about seeing Ichigo? Perhaps when she remembered the kiss they shared and what that might mean for their future. Perhaps Ichigo was inviting her back to further their relationship. Or worse yet, perhaps Ichigo was going to end it all before it could begin. No matter, she would face the day as a strong Kuchiki would – with her head held high and a firm poker face masking her anxiety.

Picking up her gigai from Urahara's (but not before being bombarded with lecherous inquisitions), she made the short trip to the Kurosaki clinic. The sky was bright and blue that day; the temperature not too cold. Everything was beautiful. And Rukia couldn't help the warmth she felt as she caught a glimpse of orange exiting the front door.

"Eh? Why are you smiling like that? It's creepy."

…And there he goes, ruining it.

"Shut up, baka," she quickly wiped away what trace of happiness she showed on her face. "What did you call me here for, anyway? You should know I'm missing a whole day of paperwork because of you."

"Oh don't give me that. Ukitake-san said he's got your work covered so you have nothing to worry about."

"You're talking to my taichō behind my back! What are you planning, Kurosaki?" she seethed.

"Calm down, will you? Geez you're noisier than a newborn baby!"

They scowled at one another, glaring daggers into each other's skulls. However, Ichigo softened his stance first, moving to hold her hand.

"I'm glad you came."

"…Yeah."

They both smiled at each other, for a moment forgetting their agenda. As Rukia slowly stood on the tips of her toes, moving her face closer to his, Ichigo moved to lower his head closer to hers. Their warmth radiated off of each other, lips nearly touching when suddenly–

"RUKIA-CHAAAAAAN!"

Their greatest obstacle, Isshin Kurosaki, threw the door open to be greeted by the sight of his son and third daughter moving dangerously close to each other. With his mouth gaping open and tears pooling in his eyes, he moved towards Rukia, pushing Ichigo down and trapping her in a bear hug.

"RUKIA-CHAN! YOU'VE FINALLY DONE IT! YOU'VE TURNED HIM INTO A MAN!"

"Damn it, get off of her!"

Ichigo finally managed to pull his father off of Rukia, stomping him to the ground. However, that was not enough to remove the smile from Isshin's face, looking up at the two of them from the ground.

"You know, you two look cute together," he chuckled.

"Shupt up, old man! Go do your job!" a blushing Ichigo retorted, grabbing Rukia's hand and making a run for it.

As they nearly ran to the train station, they could hear an ecstatic Isshin yelling behind them.

"TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY IDIOT SON, RUKIA-CHAN!"


An hour later, Rukia found herself on a bullet train, her legs nearly numb from the long ride. Ichigo sat next to her, occupying the aisle seat, sipping on a bottle of cold oolong tea.

"Where the hell are you taking me?"

"Secret."

Rukia, though annoyed, couldn't ignore the building excitement. In the hour that she had spent on the train, she watched as the scenery changed from skyscrapers to grassy fields. The view was beautiful as they passed through mountains of trees and gardens of flowers. However the best part, she thought, was Ichigo gently holding her hand throughout the whole ride. She lightly squeezed, gaining Ichigo's attention and smiling up at him. Ichigo's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the beautiful girl beside him, and he grabbed her chin to pull her face upwards. He lowered his head and began to close his eyes and–

"Excuse me, would you like to purchase some snacks or drinks?" a woman pushing a tray asked as she passed by them.

"No!" he yelled, annoyed.


"Where…are we?"

They stood in front of big building, Rukia's eyes wide with wonder. A sign attached to the building read Mother Bokujō, and it smelled…bad.

"Come on, let's go," Ichigo pulled her in.

Rukia was skeptical; besides the smell, all she could see were small children making a ruckus. Nonetheless she entered, taking in a quick breath as she saw her surroundings.

"Wha…"

It was a big farm – Rukia could see fences with farm animals behind them, snack stands, large fields of flowers – and it was magical. Suddenly Ichigo stopped, moving aside to let Rukia see. Rabbit and Marmot Hugging

"OH!"

A loud gasp and a swift pull had Ichigo stumbling behind Rukia into the pen. Countless rabbits roamed the area, hopping about and munching on grass. Rukia ran to a small white rabbit with red eyes, grabbing it and cradling it in her arms. Ichigo could not help but laugh; her eyes were sparkling as she looked back at him, smiling so wide that he nearly saw all 32 teeth. They spent some time at the rabbit pen, Rukia running to a brown rabbit, and then to a white and black spotted one. With some difficulty he finally pulled her out of the pen, moving to pet the cows, and then the piglets. Upon Rukia's pleading they made their way through the strawberry picking area, as she laughed at his scowling face the whole way.

"Here, eat my strawberry," she said, as she fed him a fresh strawberry dipped in condensed milk.

Ichigo's face was bright red as he reluctantly opened his mouth, letting her stick the fruit in. Delicious, he thought, taking a bite and watching Rukia lick the remaining milk from her fingers. A small pool of milk had formed on the corner of her mouth, inviting Ichigo to clean her off. He snaked his hand around her nape, gripping her firmly.

"Here…" he said, moving closer, "You missed some…"

"MOMMY, THERE'S A MAN TRYING TO KISS A LITTLE GIRL!"

"ARGH!"


Another hour on the train had them right back at Karakura Station. They walked in a comfortable silence as the sun set behind them. Today was perfect, and Rukia was happy. She looked up at Ichigo, his usual scowl placed between his eyebrows, though it was softer than usual. Feeling brave, she grabbed his hand, hooking her fingers between his. He stopped, looking down at her smiling form.

"Thank you for today," she said, "Though I don't know what the occasion was."

"It was White Day. I knew you loved rabbits, so…I'm repaying you for…you know."

"Valentine's Day?"

"Well, yeah," he blushed.

They watched each other in silence, Ichigo fidgeting the hand in his pocket as Rukia looked anywhere but his face. She was nervous again; reading the situation, she knew something big was about to happen. Even after the day they spent, would he still reject her? He had tried to kiss her several times…or was she reading his body language wrong? What if–

"Hey…" he finally spoke, squeezing her hand and nearly closing the gap between them, "I…need to say something."

"O-okay."

"Look. I-uh… You know, um…"

Ichigo was blushing heavily, his breathing shallow. Fighting a war was easier than THIS, he thought. But it was at that moment, as he looked deep into her violent irises, that he remembered – the countless times she had come close to death, the 17 long months away from her, the despair that overtook him – he realized, from the depth of his soul, that this woman standing in front of him was everything to him. She was irritating and stubborn and stuck-up – yet he couldn't help but think how amazing, charming, and breathtaking she was.

And he kissed her, not even giving her a warning. He dove into her mouth in full force, cupping her delicate face. Her lips were warm, easily learning the rhythm of his kiss, and she grabbed his shirt by the stomach to pull herself into him.

"I love you," a breathless Ichigo declared, reluctantly breaking the kiss.

Rukia lost herself in his strong eyes – the eyes that she loved. Really, she loved everything about him. She loved the good and she loved the bad. She loved it when they bickered and when they got along. She loved his family, his friends, his life. And while she was scared – terrified, even – of their future, for once in her life she decided to break the rules and follow her heart instead.

"And I've always loved you."

.


a/n: Not 100% satisfied with this but I hope you guys enjoyed it. I've never been to Mother Bokujō but it is a real place! I figured an unconventional White Day gift would suit this unconventional couple. Anywho, so sorry about my mini hiatus. The last two weeks of my semester were absolutely hellish. I spent most of my free time at the library with a bottle of 5 Hour Energy in one hand and a textbook in the other, and thankfully I passed with good grades :) A little announcement, though: towards the 2nd~3rd week in January, I will be going away to San Francisco to see my cousin and her hubby (and their new puppy!), then fly straight to Japan to spend time with my family. So I'll try my best to get another chapter out before I go. Otherwise, thank you guys so much for the reviews, favorites, and alerts! And if I don't get to speak to you all again, have a safe and happy New Year and let's all make the upcoming year 'a good year' ;) Love you all.