Chapter 4

"I want cheese pizza with extra cheese" she beamed brightly at him.

He was following her. "You'll get fat."

She snapped. "My metabolism is awesome. I won't get fat."

"You won't say the same thing after a couple of years when you are older. You already look a little heavier than the last I saw you…"

"Oi. Watch it. It's all my womanly curves. Now shut up." She snapped and unlocked the door.

He smirked and stepped inside the familiar surroundings. He used to spend hours after school playing video games with her in middle school and early high school days. It was his only sanctuary where he can be himself.

They went to the same middle school and it took her one whole year to notice him. It was on the day he rudely refused to say sorry to one of her friends who fell on the floor after bumping on to him. She practically started a fight.

And suddenly he was on her radar. And he was in her every class. She realised who was the one student that gets all the A's, answers all the questions directed towards the class and gets all the praises. And for whom that posh black car waits for at the end of the day outside the gate.

It infuriated her how all the teachers loved him. But she realised he was never happy or ever had any friends. And if anyone ever approached him, he would put up the most horrid heart freezing look, they'll never go back.

Then one day she spied a volume of her favourite manga sticking out of his bag. And she persisted on talking to him.

He had never thought anyone would voluntarily come and want to talk to him about video games and manga. Especially not a cheerleader, and the most popular girl in their class.

He soon found he couldn't get her off his back and she loved to talk his ears off about anything and everything during their philosophy class, recess and homeroom. She was always so interested in talking anything and everything. He was surprised that he didn't mind her at all. It was kind of nice. She was an entirely different creature to the kind of people he was used to.

Even after he started playing basketball and grew taller, he only considered her his only friend. The teammates and flocking girls didn't matter much to him. He is always at his most comfortable self around her.

"Oi" she broke him away from his thoughts as her head popped through the door to her room. "Tea?"

"Yes." He nodded and looked through her collection of DVDs and video games scattered around the floor. "Do you ever clean up around here, Ran?"

She shrugged and left.

He found a DVD of an animated movie they used to watch occasionally. A smile played across his face. Memories.

The first time he came to her house was when he dropped her off in his expensive car driven by a chauffeur, on a rainy day. The warmth her family showed him was something he had never experienced at the large mansion he calls home. He lives with his sick grandfather, little sister and his distant uncle and aunt who's taking care of the business and the household after his parent's death. He has never felt a part of a family until he met her folks.

"Oh my god." She exclaimed loudly as her eyes fell on the TV. "We used to love this movie." She quickly set the cups down on the floor in front of them and sat next to him on the floor, leaning back on her bed, leaving a little space in between them.

"Yeah. Even when you were supposed to be studying." He recalled their first year of high school, before he transferred.

She giggled. "You were kind of a strict tutor."

"I was just doing what I can to push you to study harder. Speaking of which, how is it going."

She shrugged.

He pursed his lips together, "Rangiku I've told you before and I'm going to tell you again, please try to study a little harder. It's our final year in high school. And you have the brains, more than most people I know. All you need to do is study a little and you'll easily become an A grade student."

She giggled, reached out and pinched his cheek. "Stop trying to boss me around Byakuya. You've only just arrived here. And you know I don't give a crap about grades."

"Don't I ever" he irritated moved away from her pinching fingers and his gaze turned towards the TV.

She sat in silence for a second. "It's kind of boring."

He looked down at her coldly. "You should understand that a little of this boring hard work now, will get you a lot further in the future…"

"No. I meant… studying without you… it's boring." He looked at her face, his face unreadable. "It was always fun when you're around."

"Then maybe we should take this up again."

"You'd tutor me again?" she was pleasantly surprised. This means she can spend more time with him again. Even if it will be spent studying.

"Yep. For a price." He looked at her mischievously.

"A price?" She grinned. "Well let me know what you want. If it's too expensive I can always borrow from my best friend." she whispered the next sentence. "He is a rich spoiled kid."

"Well I don't think you'd need money for what I have in mind." His eyes were twinkling uncharacteristically.

She raised one eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

"Oh… nothing too impossible." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I heard you give them away freely to everyone these days for things like opening a door." That response sent a surge of electricity through her body. She blushed from head to toe.

She couldn't believe what he's just said to her.

He enjoyed every second of that look on her face, then casually gave her a pat on her head. "Learn to take a joke Ran. You were never this easy to catch off guard like this before. Better cut down on kissing random strangers."

"You're more annoying than I remember." She punched him on his arm angrily, still red faced and went back to her cup of tea. "Who would've thought preppy school girls could ruin the perfect Byakuya and turn him into someone so… evil."

"Evil?" his eyebrows were high.

"Yep" she announced sternly, keeping her face straight. He suddenly ruffled up her hair playfully. She couldn't keep up her half-hearted resentment and let out a chuckle. She has missed this kind and gentle Byakuya.

An hour later, Rangiku was giggling with mouth full of biscuits and falling on his shoulder as he suppressed his grin. This movie never fails to crack them up.

"I've missed you Byakuya" she mumbled out in between her bouts of laughter and mouthful of biscuits. She lightly pecked him with her head on his arm sideways and looked up at his face.

He looked at her fondly. "It has been a while, hasn't it?" her stomach did a lurch when their eyes met. A strange urge unsettled her a little. This is so confusing.

She shook her head awkwardly, maintaining the distance between them she quickly stood up and picked up the empty tea cups.

"I'll help you with cleaning up."

He was about to get up she stopped him. "No. You watch the movie I will be back in a jiff." She ran out the door.

She sped down stairs to the kitchen and dumped at the dishes in the sink. She so desperately wished she could stop feeling so conscious around him. This is getting the best of her.

She feels weird, but happy. She scowled. Why is everything suddenly so confusing?

She grabbed the edge of the sink, closed her eyes and relaxed her shoulder.

He's waiting upstairs. She doesn't want to keep him waiting. It has been more than a year since she's last seen him, she can't waste that time running away from him like she's scared of him.

She is still his best friend.

She breathed in and out very slowly. Relax Rangiku. Relax. Relax. Re… lex…

"Your shoulder is tense" she jerked away in surprise at his voice next to her ears and hands pressing on her shoulder.

"By… Byakuya… you scared the living daylight out of me…" she rubbed the spot he touched, carefully removing herself from his touch. Her face was scarlet red. Again.

"What are you doing? Hadn't even start on the dishes yet…" He craned down.

Something buzzed somewhere and Rangiku startled. In her skirt pocket was Byakuya's phone. Before she could go for it, he reached down and slipped his hand inside her skirt pocket.

She was speechless, dumbfounded, flabbergasted ...

Did he just…

The phone was in his hand in the next second.

Her heart was about to leave her body through her mouth. Relax Rangiku. Relax. Relax.

"Rukia… yes… I won't be back for dinner… ok… just order something… did he? Umm…. Okay I'll call him… bye." He puts his phone in his back pocket.

The next moment a piece of cloth that is usually used to wipe the benches was on his face as she threw it at him. "You… pervert!"

"What are you mad about again?" He smirked quizzically.

"Why did you…" she reddened again "... do that?"

"What? I did nothing you didn't do to me before." he spoke with an air of carelessness.

She gritted her teeth, red-faced.

"Hey it's not my fault if you have a mind like gutter and look at things through your dirty smudgy glasses…" he shrugged.

"God! You are the most…. Annoying… "

"Rangiku!" he patted her on her head. "Relax! I'm just pulling your legs. You don't have a dirty mind. Just let me be a little careless for change. You're the only I get to be myself with. " He smiled sweetly.

Her heart melted instantly but she still crossed her arms and sulked. Then sighed as she could tell how much he's enjoying pissing her off just by looking in his eyes.

"You don't have to hang around here. Rukia wants you home?" She changed the topic, open the cupboard and grabbed a pack of chips.

"Why? No room for me here?" he rolled up his sleeves of his shirt and started doing the dishes before she could stop him.

"Oi. You're a guest here."

"Since when? Move, Ran." He pushed her aside and continued.

She bit her lips and moved aside to stared at his back.

She doesn't know whether it is possible for her to just be friends with this boy without wanting more. She grabbed a mouthful chips and chewed them angrily. Why does it have to be him?

Because he's perfect.

She shook her head. Confusing thoughts, be gone!

"But you never do dishes or anything at your home." She reminded him.

"I don't mind doing it here. This feels more like a home to me than where I live. I can't believe it's been a year since I set foot here." he turned and looked at her with sparkling eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat. God have mercy.

Her need and want of him is only increasing by the second. Is there any chance for her with him? After all those girlfriends he just casually brushed off, and a mysterious first love he still wants to move on from? She inwardly scowled in jealousy.

She stood silently for a moment before announcing, "I'm gonna go have a shower."

"Can I have one too after you?" he called from the sink. "I had basketball at PE today."

"Sure. If you want. Do you want something to wear? I'll get some of dad's clothes if you like." He shrugged unsurely.

When she came back she was wearing her shorts and a loose neck top that's showing off her shoulder. Throwing away her wet hair to the side, she found that he was done with the dishes. And not only that, he has also cleaned up all the junks she had lying around the kitchen, packed the garbage and wiped the benches clean.

Her mouth was agape. "Wow. You'd make a damn good wife one day."

"More so than you, clearly. This, is what you do with the kitchen when your folks are out?"

"Jesus!" She snapped, "Mum! Is that you?"

He silently smirked again. She jumped on the countertop and watched him work on drying and the dishes while swinging her legs, munching a pack of chips she took out the cupboard.

After he was done putting all the dishes back he turned around and found her making another mess on the clean counter top.

"Oh young lady. You better not be making another mess here." He suddenly grabbed her by her legs and pulled her, then put her down on her feet after hoisting her up by grabbing her waist like she's a little child. She almost choked on the chips before she could squeak. There was very very little distance as they stood facing each other.

She turned red again as he leaned further, still keeping his hands on her waist. She could feel her the proximity making her heart quickening its speed.

With his calm voice warned her, "If you're going to make a mess here, you have to clean it next."

Too close!

She quickly pushed him away and stuck her tongue out. "It's my kitchen. I will make as much mess as I want."

Then ran off upstairs with her face as red as the sunset outside. Before disappearing she yelled, "The towels and the clothes are hanging just outside the bathroom."

He smirked and silently walked upstairs after turning the lights off at the kitchen.

…