Falling in Love in a Coffee Shop
A/N: Hey guys! Your awesomeness is awesome! I love all these great reviews I've been getting! Super thanks to: Lunacat13, Jessenia-chan, Romance Without Words, buchielle, Aizawa Ayumu, Personal Riot, Fanficaddict12, zxGenesisxz, and Thornspike. You guys! I love you all! Sorry if I don't update day-to-day on weekdays; what with school and all things can get kinda busy. Oh! And a warning: there's some naughty stuff in here. No smut, but it's pretty close. I may change the rating in the next three or four chapters... *foreshadowing, yay* So, please enjoy. ~Nana
Disclaimer: In my rush to get yesterday's chapter out, I forgot to say that Bleach belongs to Kubo. So here is a double disclaimer. Bleach belongs to Kubo! Bleach belongs to Kubo!
Chapter Four
Nothing
I wanna come too...
"I can guess your date went well, then," Uryuu said finally.
Ichigo didn't even try to hide the smile steadily spreading across his face. "Yeah."
"How come you get girls so easily?" Renji complained. "They just walk in and give you their number. I, on the other hand, have to use all my moves on them."
"What moves?" Uryuu asked. Renji gave him an annoyed glance.
"Anyway, that was so tongue," Renji said. "Right, Ichigo?"
"I...what?" Ichigo blinked. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, it was definitely tongue."
Uryuu rolled his eyes. "You're acting like that was your first kiss." He looked suspiciously at Ichigo. "That wasn't your first kiss, right?"
"No, but she's twenty-two," Ichigo said, trying very hard to explain the unexplainably heady feeling of euphoria he was experiencing. "And she's, you know, really hot. And she's dating me."
"Lots of people date you," Renji said.
"Just not for a while," Ichigo said. The happiness faded a little. "Not since..." he trailed off.
"Get over her, Ichigo," Uryuu said. "I know she wasn't your dream girlfriend, but-"
"Not my dream girlfriend? How can you say that? We were going to-" Ichigo sighed and passed a hand over his face. "I don't want it to happen again, okay?"
"It won't," Uryuu said confidently. "If you and Rukia get together, it'll turn out okay."
"How do you know that?" Ichigo scowled.
"Remember, I'm much better at sensing people's feelings than you are," Uryuu reminded him. "I can just tell. Just go with it."
"If you say so," Ichigo said doubtfully. "You really think it'll go that far?"
"Maybe," Renji said helpfully.
"And if it does, you guys'll be there for me, right?"
"Of course," Uryuu promised him.
"Okay. I just...don't want anyone else to be hurt." Ichigo put a hand to his forehead.
"I get it," Uryuu said sharply. "I understand as much as you do. I hope you remember that I was involved with Orihime as well."
Ichigo closed his eyes. "You're right. Sorry, Uryuu. Hey...I'm going to head out, if that's okay with you guys. I need some time to think." Ugh, why had he even brought it up? Suddenly the idea of seeing Rukia again tomorrow didn't seem so fantastic.
"Okay, see you tomorrow, Ichigo," Renji said, standing up and leaving. It was awkward for him to be involved in the conversation, Ichigo guessed, having not been part of the Orihime fiasco.
Uryuu stood up too. "Ichigo." Ichigo looked up. "I know it scares you that more people will be hurt. But Rukia doesn't seem like that kind of person. What happens will happen. So enjoy yourself. Forget Orihime. I did." He left Ichigo sitting alone at the employee table to think about it.
"He's right," Ichigo said aloud. He got up and walked out of the shop. Let it go, just let it go...
He wouldn't ever let it go, would he?
"Ichigo!" Ichigo looked up from his book to see Rukia running in, waving. He smiled at the sight of her beaming face.
"Sorry I'm late," Rukia said breathlessly. "We had a huge issue due today. Ugh, and on my third day, too!" She gave Ichigo a casual kiss on the cheek.
Ichigo blushed. "'s okay. I'm glad you came, though."
"Sure!" Rukia said. "You're too cute, really. Like a little plushie!"
Ichigo would've resented the comparison if it weren't for the huge smile on Rukia's face. "You like coming here?"
"You're here," she said as if it was obvious. "Hey, Renji! Make me a chocolate coffee!" She gave Ichigo a wink. "Don't worry, you aren't paying."
Ichigo relaxed, happy that his wallet wouldn't have to suffer today. "In that case, Renji! Get me a vanilla iced coffee!"
"Yessir," came Renji's sarcastic response.
Rukia sat down across from Ichigo, slinging her bag over the back of the chair. "The customers don't mind when you yell?"
"Nah, they're used to it," Ichigo said. "People do some crazy stuff in here. We had one customer who-" He stopped mid-sentence, redness creeping into his cheeks. "Rukia? Wh-what are you doing?"
Rukia smiled sweetly. "Nothing. What did your customer do?"
Ichigo looked at her with disbelief. "I don't remember what I was saying. Why is your hand on my leg?"
Rukia pouted. "You don't like it?"
"N-no, that, it, I don't mind it," Ichigo managed to say. Didn't they just go on their first date yesterday?
Rukia brightened. "Okay! I think you were saying something about customers. Actually, I wasn't really paying attention."
Ichigo blinked. He wasn't paying attention anymore, either. Rukia's hand seemed to be demanding all of his attention.
"All the girls!" Renji snapped, delivering their orders and stalking away. Ichigo still wasn't paying attention, until Rukia withdrew her hand.
"Drink your coffee, it'll get cold," she said as if Ichigo was not bright red, taking a casual sip of her coffee.
Ichigo did so, fervently thanking the heavens that he was wearing loose pants today. "Do you mind warning me next time?"
"Warning you of what?" Rukia looked so innocent.
"You know what," Ichigo told her, scowling.
Rukia cocked her head and gave him a little half-smile. "Hey, Ichi, do you want to come over and see my apartment tomorrow?"
What? When did this happen? She's doing sexual things and now she's inviting me over to her apartment? Weirdest relationship I've ever been in, Ichigo thought wryly. "Why?"
"I'm not a bad cook, I figured I could make dinner," Rukia said, shrugging. "You know, to pay you back for all that awesome Chappy stuff you got yesterday."
"You don't need to-"
"C'mon," Rukia pleaded. Oh, damn. Those eyes! Ichigo silently cursed her ability to look adorable.
"Fine. But the food better be good," he warned her.
"Okay, so I'll get ready when I get off work, then come here at six. That's when you get off, right?" Ichigo nodded, so she said, "Good. So I can come take you to my little three-room house, hmm?" She grinned. "I promise I won't do anything naughty. What would you say it was, our third date?"
"Something like that," Ichigo said, after recovering from her promise. "You know, you're probably the weirdest girlfriend I've ever had." Oh, shit, he just said girlfriend! They weren't official yet, were they? "I mean-"
"You mean unconventional," Rukia suggested, ignoring her new title. "Weird sounds like I'm crazy."
"You are!" Ichigo said.
"Tche, only a little," Rukia told him. "Hah, your reactions are so cute, Ichi."
"My...reactions?"
"You know, when you blush and wince and stuff," Rukia said, sipping her coffee. "You looked like you might die when I ignored your girlfriend thing."
Ichigo couldn't help but smile a little. "You did that to get a reaction out of me?"
"I can't help it!" Rukia said. "They're too cute to resist! Besides, I like the sound of that. Girlfriend." She pronounced the world like it was something foreign she was trying to learn.
"You do?"
Over-pronouncing every syllable, Rukia said clearly, "Rukia Kuchiki is going out with Ichigo Kurosaki." She paused. "Yeah, sounds nice."
"C-cool," Ichigo said, blushing again. God, he really had to stop doing that. And 'cool'? Really? He sounded like a fifteen-year-old, or something!
"Ichigo! Break's over!" Renji yelled, jealousy pretty obvious in his voice.
Ichigo checked the clock to make sure Renji wasn't just lying, and then said, "He's right. I'll see you tomorrow? Girlfriend?"
Rukia smiled. "Okay. Boyfriend."
She got up, grabbing her coffee. Then she spun around, catching Ichigo's sleeve. "Wait! Can I buy something?"
Ichigo raised his eyebrows at the coffee in her hands. "Sure?"
"How much does a kiss cost?" Rukia asked, with a perfectly straight face.
Ichigo took the hint, leaned down and kissed her. "Nothing," he said as he pulled away. "Bye, Rukia."
"Bye, Ichi," Rukia said, beaming as she ran out of the shop.
Something hit Ichigo in the back of the head. "Hey loverboy!" Renji yelled from the kitchen. "Put on the freaking apron and get back to work!"
Ichigo smiled, a smile he thought would probably last until tomorrow, and picked up the apron. He could wait.
A/N: Haha, hope you liked, guys! Little naughty action going on there... Oh, if anyone's opposed to smut, let me know. I can erase it from the plans if that ends up being the majority vote. (Never fear; I don't write really vivid stuff because I always feel if I do too much it's impolite or something...) In any case. Whoever can guess the situation between Ichigo, Orihime, and Uryu gets a free oneshot, if they so wish! I will write any pairings, het or otherwise :)
Review, people! ~Nana-chan