Tale of the Two Lovers
by Ulquiorra9000
Chapter 4
Ichigo was already winding down for the night, relaxed at his desk as he re-read the latest chapter of his history textbook. The house was finally quiet after Karin and Isshin's earlier bantering and Yuzu fussing at them to hush, and crickets were chirping outside. There was class tomorrow on Monday morning; Ichigo had to be ready. If Isshin was going to grill him to graduate with top grades, he might as well pass with flying colors.
The doorbell rang, and Ichigo nearly jumped out of his skin. He nearly dropped his book and cursed. Who the hell?
"Coming!" came Yuzu's distant voice, and Ichigo heard the front door open, and Yuzu gasped. "Oh my gosh! Long time to see, Rukia!"
Ichigo felt himself blush. No way... she's here?! He sprang to his feet, rushed down the stairs, and found Yuzu and Rukia bowing to each other at the front doorstep.
"Hey. Didn't know you were in town," Ichigo said off-handedly, scratching the back of his head.
Rukia, in her gigai body, stepped inside and slipped off her shoes as she smiled. "You know me. I'm impossible to get rid of."
"Yeah, no kidding."
"BIg brother! Be nice," Yuzu told him. She shut the door. "We have a guest! Rukia, can I get you anything? Tea, and tea cakes?"
"Well -" Rukia started.
"How about a big hug?" Isshin cried, and he wrapped Rukia in his beefy arms. "My third daughter is finally back! The clinic just isn't the same without you!"
Rukia managed to hug him back with her shorter arms. "N-nice to see you too, Mr. Kurosaki."
"Please. It's Isshin to you," Isshin insisted, letting her go. He jumped up and down, beaming. "I'm just so glad to have you back! That brat Ichigo hardly even talks about you anymore. It's like he forgot you existed! So cruel!"
Ichigo punted Isshin across the room with a well-placed kick. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here," he grouched. "Can't you go be quiet somewhere else?"
"I thought I was supposed to be man of the house," Isshin grumbled as he slouched off to his bedroom. Meanwhile, Yuzu hurried to arrange the refreshments, humming all the while.
Ichigo felt himself tense up, his heart racing as Rukia stood there. "So, uh..." he started. "It... it really is cool to have you back..."
"Of course." Rukia did a little bow. "It's only natural for me to visit my fiance. Don't you think?"
"O-oh yeah. The whole fiance thing," Ichigo repeated with a nervous laugh. Damn, this was getting awkward. What was he supposed to do?
"Thanks. We'll have these in Ichigo's room," Rukia said kindly, when Yuzu offered a tray of two full tea mugs and tea cakes. She took the tray and led Ichigo upstairs to his room, where she set the tray on the desk and locked the door.
Ichigo sat on the corner of his bed, a nervous grin on his face. "Locking me in? This must be serious."
"No, I just know how much Yuzu and your father like to barge in on things," Rukia said, handing Ichigo a mug. She sat at the desk and sipped from her own mug. "Nice and private in here."
"Yeah." Ichigo took a sip and turned his own mug around in his hands, staring at the steaming liquid. "Hey, um..."
"Yeah?"
Ichigo looked up. "Be straight with me. This isn't just a friendly visit, is it?"
Rukia blinked. "Sorry?"
"Renji showed up in a gigai yesterday and got on my case," Ichigo told her. "He said Byakuya sent him. But I bet it was your idea, too."
Rukia took another sip of tea, ever so politely. "I didn't tell Renji to do that. I just didn't oppose the idea."
Ichigo made a small grin. "Close enough."
"Look, I'm sorry if Renji put you on the spotlight," Rukia admitted. "He's not the most diplomatic person. But relax. You'll only see him at school."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better, or what?"
"Come on! It's just school," Rukia pressed him, pouting. "We'll act like normal students and everything. I promise."
Ichigo sighed. "Okay, as long as you... what?!" He jumped and nearly spilled his tea. "We? Don't tell me you -?"
"I transferred, too!" Rukia beamed and pointed right at her fiance. "Rukia Kuchiki, model student, makes her return! And having an ape like Renji around will make me look even better. I might even get voted 'most popular' in the senior yearbook."
Ichigo sputtered. "That's not what's important here! I'm on track to graduate high school in two months, and now everyone's getting things messy again. You and Renji and Byakuya -"
"And Momo and Rangiku," Rukia added as she took a tea cake.
"Ran..." Ichigo's jaw dropped as he imagined the busty strawberry-blonde Soul Reaper. "N-no way. You invited her and Momo too? Where are they?!"
"Orihime's house," Rukia explained. "Don't worry, they won't come crashing in here. I made sure of that."
"Thank goodness for small favors."
Rukia got up and sat next to Ichigo. She held his shoulders. "Ichigo, we're engaged. Don't you want to spend a little time with your fiancee? After everything we went through, and the war against the Wandenreich... this is our time. Just you and me." She kissed his cheek. "I want that. Don't you?"
"W-well..." Ichigo made another nervous laugh as his face warmed. He could feel Rukia cuddling up next to him, the warmth of her gigai body... "We could just have a quiet evening together. And tomorrow at school, you'd better keep Momo and the others off my case."
"Of course I can." Rukia got up and took Ichigo's hand. "Now, what's good on TV? That's one human thing I really miss..."
Against all odds, Rukia was right; once she and Ichigo changed into sleepwear and relaxed together on the couch with snacks and a blanket draped over their laps, Ichigo felt his anxiety melt away. Rukia burst out laughing at the ridiculous game show on TV, and Ichigo chuckled, too. "Look, not all humans are as stupid as the ones in the game," he told her, taking a bite of popcorn. "It just makes the show more fun."
"Maybe you should go on the TV and play," Rukia teased him. "I'd watch that."
Ichigo watched a contestant get flipped off a board and land in a pool of water filled with rubber duckies. He groaned. "Please, oh please don't make me."
Rukia elbowed him. "Not even for me?"
"Especially not for you!"
"Jerk! What if I asked nicely?"
"Make Renji do it, you mean-spirited shorty."
Rukia made a face. "I dare you to say that again, carrot-top!"
They glared daggers at each other until Icigo burst out laughing. "You know, I think I did miss this."
Rukia grinned. "Heck, me too. And is there any more popcorn?"
Ichigo handed her the bowl. "Here."
"Great." Rukia ate a mouthful. "This is nice. I could stay up all night."
"You'd better not. I have school. And apparently, you do too."
"Can't pull an all-nighter?" Rukia teased.
Ichigo glanced away. "No. Not happening."
"Spoilsport..."
Ultimately, Ichigo compromised with a midnight bedtime, and Rukia wasted no time in hopping into not the closet, but Ichigo's bed next to him.
"Excuse me! Your closet's over there!" Ichigo cried, red in the face as he pointed.
Rukia settled down and drew up the blankets to her chin, her violet eyes defiant. "We're engaged, loser. Don't overreact to stuff like this."
"Overreact?!" Ichigo took a step back. "Y-you expect me to sleep in the same bed as -"
"Your fiancee? Yes. Now get in here."
"But...!"
There was a knock. "Ichigo? Is everything okay in there?" came Yuzu's muffled voice.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Ichigo hollered back. He sighed and ran a hand down his face. "You're not going to back off, are you?"
Rukia's smile widened. "No. But you should come over here. It's time for bed."
This is nuts... Ichigo shut off the lights and climbed in with his fiancee, making sure to face away from her, or not even touch her. This was too much, too soon.
Not for Rukia, though. She snuggled up and wrapped her arms around Ichigo as the big spoon. "You're really warm, you know," she murmured into his ear, her dark hair tickling him.
"Y-yeah, I know." Ichigo resolutely stared at the wall to occupy himself, but damn, Rukia felt really good pressed up against him...
"You don't mind if I sleep like this, dear fiance?"
"D-do whatever you want." Ichigo felt himself go even warmer as Rukia snuggled tighter, her leg gently rubbing against his. It didn't help that Rukia was wearing not the long-sleeved outfit she used to have, but rather, a thin pink nightie. The kind that didn't even go down to her knees, and had a pretty modest top... Ichigo felt his interest tightening his pajama pants, and he resolved to not turn over. Just sleep... just sleep! He told himself, even as he kept picturing Rukia in that tantalizingly thin nighty, and -
Yeah, he definitely felt the gentle squish of Rukia's breasts pressed against his back.
It was going to be a long night!
*o*o*o*o*
"Ichigo! How do I look?"
Momo Hinamori twirled around in the hallways of Karakura High the next morning in her gigai, her uniform's skirt billowing out.
"Fine," Ichigo said vaguely as he walked by. "Good morning. Come on, we'll be late for biology."
Momo pouted. "That's no way to treat a friend."
"Sorry." Ichigo was still preoccupied as he sat in biology with all his Soul Reaper companions, his mind on anythintg but the anatomy of a plant cell. He'd spent half the night having a furious debate on whether to roll over and cuddle up next to his fiancee, and part of him couldn't believe he was having that debate to begin with. It was too soon! He couldn't just thrash around in bed like some horny animal! Or worse, like Keigo!
"Kurosaki? Are you all right?" the professor asked.
"Yeah. Fine," Ichigo muttered, glancing out the window, his chin rested on his hand. He heard Momo and Rangiku giggle at him and went pink. He was pretty sure Rukia had already filled them in on the details of last evening. Just great!
"Feeling okay, bro?" Renji asked from the desk on Ichigo's right. He had a teasing grin on his face.
"Shut up, dude," Ichigo muttered.
"Did Rukia throw herself at you? Bet she did."
"Shut up."
"I know you, man," Renji said, lowering his voice to a mutter. "I bet you love having her around."
"She's a friend. Why wouldn't I like it?"
Renji nodded. "So, does that mean you've accepted her as your fiancee?"
"Mind your own business," Ichigo snapped as the professor blabbed about chloroplasts.
Renji scowled. "Come on! Even when you had her over for the night, you won't accept her? Lame!"
"Nothing happened!" Ichigo snapped back.
"Bull!" Renji retorted.
"D'you think she seduced me or something? No way some annoying midget like her could pull that off."
Rukia slammed her open palms on her desk and bolted to her feet. "What the hell did you say about me?!"
Ichigo rose to his feet, too. "I didn't say a thing!"
"I heard your little chat with Renji, Ichigo." Rukia jabbed an accusing finger. "Do you find me repulsive or something? H-how could you?!"
"I didn't say that!" Ichigo cried. "Look... it's more like -"
"Kurosaki, Kuchiki, that's detention," the professor cut in. "Right after school. Now sit down and be quiet!"
Ichigo didn't say another word all day, and he was equally stone-silent in the detention room. And for some reason, Momo and Rangiku were there, too, alongside Rukia.
"We got ourselves in trouble on purpose," Rangiku muttered happily to Ichigo, "so could help you and Rukia out."
Ichigo scowled.
"You can count on us," Rangiku added.
"Hey! No talking!" the detention teacher barked.
Ichigo rolled his eyes, wrote a note, and passed it to Rangiku: You and Momo don't have to be here at Karakura Town. Or Renji. I'm fine!
Rangiku smiled and passed her own note when the teacher wasn't looking. Silly! We're here to support Rukia and your engagement. Byakuya sent Renji, but Momo and I are here for our friend. And for her story, too!
What in the world? Ichigo covertly passed Rangiku another note: Rukia can handle herself, Lieutenant. And what "story"?
Rangiku pointed at Rukia, who was hunched over her desk, madly writing something. Ichigo got the feeling it wasn't homework...
Now Momo passed Ichigo a note. In case she didn't tell you, Ichigo, Rukia got published in the Seireitei Bulletin! And I'm her editor! She started an epic poem called "Tale of the Two Lovers". Can you guess what it's about?
Ichigo's jaw dropped. No way! Rukia... she was writing about her love life for the whole Soul Society to see? Even Byakuya and Hisana would get their hands on it! And sure enough, Rukia passed him her folded-up paper. Ichigo had no choice but to read.
"A more stubborn ox have I never met," spoke the princess Raiko,
For the hero Kuzo spurned her courtship, her bed growing cold
Once the princess spoke of betrothal.
"I am free like the falcon soars overhead," spoke Kuzo the obstinate,
"and I have a heart of adventure and lust for the journey,
"and my time here in the rabbit kingdom may grow short."
Such cruel words the hero spoke! For he saw only fleeting pleasures
When he regarded the maiden fair. For they may share a bed,
And watch the amusements of the traveling circus, and hear
The strains of music at the opera, but not yet were their hearts
Bound by the silken twine of love's warm kiss of fate.
"Perhaps, then, you should desire more of what my kingdom fair
Can offer a man such as you?" the maiden implored.
"I must leave on the morrow," Kuzo replied, "for I have lands yet to see."
Ichigo stared in shock as the girls giggled at him. He was at a loss for words. What?! Rukia based this story on her and his personal life! And just because he couldn't just leap into Soul Society life, he was a selfish wanderer? Not true!
Barely a minute later, Rukia passed another paper, and Ichigo just had to read it.
"What desires ring true in that beating heart of yours?" inquired
The princess fair, the lavish Raiko.
"I seek whatever cure may exist for this void within me," spoke Kuzo,
"For I have wandered far, but satisfaction slips time and again
Through my fingers."
"Then prove thyself," princess Raiko spoke, swathed in her robes
Of pink and white. "My brother-in-law is the lordliest of men,
And should you best him in single combat, and complete the challenges
That he shall set upon you, may you forever be the hero of legend
Here in the rabbit kingdom!"
"O! For my soul burns for the thrill of challenge," Kuzo declared,
"To find the limits of my mortal shell, to test the spirit within me,
And discover the elusive lady known as Love, and tame her."
"It is decided," the princess declared. "The challenges shall begin
Once the sun clears the horizon tomorrow! Chappy, send word
To the kingdom's lord!"
And Chappy, that magical vassal, hopped on his way.
"Now," the princess added, "perhaps first, I shall prove why I
Shall be worthy of binding my loving soul to yours, and unite the flesh."
She discarded her robes, and in that sun-kissed field of
passion-red flowers,
The princess had Kuzo on his back, his clothes forgotten,
as her hands ran over his chest, testing the muscles between her fingers
That would, tomorrow, rise to the lord's many challenges.
"O, what a supple bosom you have," the hero Kuzo spoke,
As his hands embraced the maiden's tender flesh, kneading,
Caressing, testing her tips between his fingertips,
His manly sword already unsheathed and held at length,
And the princess rocked as though on a storm-tossed boat,
Skin shiny with sweat,
As the hero plunged his sword within her, the troubles of tomorrow
Utterly forgotten, Kuzo's hands clasped firmly opon the maiden's
Silk-smooth hips, his passion filling her -
"What is THIS?!" Ichigo roared, scrambling back in his seat, heart thumping, his face totally red, his pants taut again with inexplicable interest. "Rukia...!" He set his school bag over his lap to hide that "sword" of his.
Rangiku chuckled and slapped the surface of her desk. "If you reacted like that, then this installment must be ready for publication!"
"How do you like this?" Rukia teased him, turning to face him with a wicked grin on her face.
"D-don't you dare publish that!" Ichigo wailed.
"Oh, this is totally going into tomorrow's Seireitei Bulletin!" Momo added with glee. "Everyone will love it. Welcome to Tale of the Two Lovers, hero Ichigo!"
Ichigo sputtered. "I-I'm not the hero guy in that story! That's not me!"
The detention teacher loomed over all of them. "Done talking yet?" he demanded. "That's going to be detention tomorrow, too, for all of you. Now shut up!"
*o*o*o*o*
"Look, Ichigo. You kind of forced my hand," Rukia said simply as she and Ichigo walked home together as the sun was setting. "You were being stubborn like an ox all day."
"I know that's a line in your poem," Ichigo bit back. "There's no way that hero guy and the rabbit kingdom princess are supposed to be us."
"Hey, I have the whole thing planned out," Rukia told him with a smile. "I remember everything we've been through together, Ichigo. All the struggles and laughter and pain... and the love. This is how I want to express it. This is how I tell our story to the world."
Ichigo grunted. "The world could stand to not know a few details..."
Rukia elbowed him. "Dummy. This is coming straight from the heart. It's about us."
"Yeah, no kidding." Ichigo glanced away, his skin tingling. Damn, but Rukia could write a pretty hot scene... and he still remembered her adventures in the bed last night... and he was finding it pretty hard to say no to all this stuff...
"I just need to explore your life a little. Your world," Rukia explained gently as they entered Ichigo's neighborhood. She held his hand and squeezed it. "I know this all isn't easy for you. Why not spend a little time here, and figure out just where we should go from here?"
Ichigo swallowed. "What are you getting at?"
"It's not like we're getting married tomorrow," Rukia told him. "Relax, will you? I'm sure you'll come around to my way of thinking." She gave him another of those wicken grins of hers.
Ichigo made a nervous laugh as he stepped onto the Kurosaki Clinic's front porch. "Bring it on, dear fiancee."
"Oh, I will." Rukia poked his side. "Now, get your butt in the house..."
