Love & Us

Chapter Four: Never Really Mattered

Rukia stood up and walked over to the door. This was it; the only thing separating them from each other was this god forsaken door. Rukia took a deep breath trying to calm herself down. She didn't want to walk in and let him see her high on adrenaline, or twisted with nervousness. No for some reason, she wanted him to see her looking normal, as if nothing of love had conspired between them. As if her coming back was like seeing someone who you barely remembered from class at a class reunion. Though what she really wanted was just the opposite. She wanted to talk to him, to apologize and ask for there friendship back. She wanted what was normal for them. A punch and a kick here and there, some screaming and yelling, and fighting hollows. No she didn't want a relationship, but she did miss him, a lot. But she thought, no she knew what she was doing was the right thing. See him then never see him again, hopefully. Too bad hope was not a part of her life. Rukia shook her head trying to throw out the thoughts of him and her, until finally she opened the door. Rukia watched as everyone turned and looked at her, everyone except him.

Ichigo heard the door open , and everyone quite down. 'So she finally got the nerve to come in huh?' he said to himself as he began to laugh. Everyone was surprised at this, Ichigo, laughing. And for what? He hadn't even turned around yet. But the truth was Ichigo had known she was there the whole time. He happened to see her reflection on his dad's china closet. At first he thought he was hallucinating but when he keep looking back at it, it became more and more real to him. Then once he realized she was truly there ,his face grimaced. How dare she come back he thought. How dare she come this day too, no he wouldn't forgive her if that's what she was looking for.

Everyone's gaze went from Rukia to Ichigo. They hadn't expected him to be laughing. Everyone knew they didn't talk anymore, there had been no sight of the orange headed fiend in soul society since Rukia's mission so everyone assumed something had happened. But laughing they remained surprised until he turned around and gave them exactly what they expected.

Ichigo looked to Rukia, who wouldn't seem to dare stare him back in the eye.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Huh?" Rukia asked startled by the first words spoken between them. And in that realization of what he just asked she knew that the first thing she wanted wasn't going to happen. He wasn't just going to pretend she was that classmate no, she could see the disregard for he in his eye's. So what could she do but talk to him. Everyone was quite no one dared, not even Renji dared to get into this. That was strictly between them two

"Are ya deaf now or did you just not understand me, what the hell are you doing here?"

"We need to talk."

"No, you need to leave and I need to open my present." Ichigo growled

"Ichigo, we need to talk." Rukia said angrily

"Don't call me that!"

"huh?"

"Don't call me by my first name like you know me"

Rukia was shocked at this, but in all he spoke the truth. She didn't really know him anymore. I mean come on now people four years is a lot of time to change. That's one thousand four hundred and sixty days, thirty five thousand and forty hours and two million one hundred an two thousand an four hundred minutes. I'm not even gonna dare go to seconds. But to get the point across, she could tell he had change, just by his attitude.

"Okay." Rukia said resorting to her last option. Rukia walked up to him, she could tell he was surprised until she grabbed his hair.

"Excuse us everyone, we need to talk" Rukia said as she began pulling Ichigo out the door and down to the corner of the edge of his block and across to the park. Rukia stooped when they got to the park. Ichigo looked at her, she was still avoiding eye contact. Ichigo reached up and smacked away her hand.

"Get off of me, and why the hell did you drag me all the way over here?"

"Why so nosy all of a sudden you weren't complaining when I dragged you over here"

"I just wanted to see what you had to say for yourself." Ichigo said watching her look away and cross her arms. "What exactly are you back for, a Chappy, a hotdog, the rest of your shit?"

"I came back for forgiveness."

"Well if you want that I suggest you go to church, cause I'm not the one to give it to ya. Your barking up the wrong tree…bitch"

Rukia turned her head back towards him but still couldn't bring herself to look directly into his eyes. She flinched it wasn't the words he was using that hurt her it was the words in-between the lines that hurt the most. For example when he said "Well if you want that I suggest you go to church, cause I'm not the one to give it to ya. Your barking up the wrong tree…bitch"

It really meant, I'm not forgiving you…ever, so just leave me alone and go the fuck home already. Rukia managed to speak again after the long silence between them.

"You don't understand Just give me a chance."

"A chance? Humph, I think you've had plenty of chances over the last four years."

"Then just give me time." Rukia said a little plead filled.

"Time? You soul reapers rule time, you don't age like I do. You've had plenty of time Rukia, and mine is running low; I shouldn't be sparring you this as it is."

What could that possibly mean Rukia asked herself.

"What is your problem why can't we just talk?."

"You wanna know what my problem is huh Kuchiki. Is that you just come back like this, like nothing ever happened. Like everything's fine between us. As if we're friends. And you wanna know what really makes me sick when I look at you, is that you just come back thinking that I'm just gonna forgive you. Like it's my job to forgive, because I'm a human being well guess what Kuchiki it's not. It's like what you said I'm a human and you're a soul reaper, we just don't mix. It'd be better if we didn't even talk, I never really mattered to you anyway."

Ichigo watched as Rukia walked up to him, putting about ten inches between them before she pushed the box that Urahara had gave to her into his chest lightly. Rukia failed to realize it the box she had ordered four years ago for him. She looked onto the oncoming sunset and said "Happy birthday Kurosaki-san" then she left.

Ichigo grabbed the box and watched her walk away until she faded into the park. Then he began his journey back to his ruined birthday party. He felt bad he had been hard yes but he still believed she deserved it.

When he entered everyone quieted down, then out of no where, he was jumped by his dad and Renji.

"Where's Rukia?" Renji asked.

"Don't know, don't care" Ichigo said knowing it was a lie.

"What have you done to my dear third daughter?" Isshin asked, crying to his picture of Masaki on the wall. "Our son is a failure, he's ran our dear third daughter away."

"Shut it old man, I did no such thing, she left of her own free will goddamn it, and would everyone stop blaming me, it isn't my fault, it's hers." Ichigo yelled angrily talking to himself more than everyone else.

Ichigo grabbed his jacket then ran out the house slamming the door behind him. He noticed he still had the box in his hand. He sat down on the curb and opened it. It was a custom designed soul reaper glove. Instead of it being red like hers it was mostly black and had some blue and red on it too. Ichigo smirked a little, he had always wanted one they seemed really cool to him back then. To bad it would go to waste now. Ichigo stood up and headed back to his home, but when he got there she was walking out of the door with Renji. It was obvious they were leaving. He watched as her eye's filled with shock as she looked at the glove. Rukia then realized that she had gotten that glove for him years ago.

She watched as he continued to walk past her no words, not even a glance. Renji watched the two they were pathetic and here he was trying to help, he probably only made things worse. Then He stopped just as he pasted her, so she stopped to.

"Hey Rukia?" She heard him say.

"Yeah?"

"Did I ever thank you, you know for the glove and stuff?"

"No."

"Oh." He said and continued to walk away then stopped again, back still towards her as she turned to look at him. She smiled as she heard him say…

"I will"

Rukia walked away smiling and laughing, that was a thank you and it meant he liked the gift. She would have to thank Urahara later for being lazy and not giving it to him years ago.. She continued cheesing even though their problems hadn't been solved yet, that meant there was a chance they could be friends again. It was a small one, but it was a chance. Renji looked at Rukia and noticed her smile and chuckle then back at Ichigo's retreating form. He was confused.

"Hey Rukia what's that supposed to mean?"

Rukia stopped laughing do to his question, but was still smirking.

"What's what supposed to mean?"

"You know the whole thank you, I will, thing?"

"Oh it's nothing really"

"Yeah it is come on tell me I fill left out," Renji asked pleadingly.

"I can't really explained it's just a me and him thing."

"Oh, sure."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Rukia asked

"Nothing it's just a me and him thing." he said rather smartly

"Oh you and Ichigo have a thing now, I never knew you were gay Renji."

"Wait what I'm not gay honest."

"Oh sure."

"I hate you."

"I know."

"Okay but why were you smiling? Huh?"

"Because it's funny."

"How's that funny?"

"I don't know it just is."

"Are you sure you're not smiling, because he finally said your name?"

Then it hit Rukia, and she smiled even more, he said my name, she said to herself.

"Nope Renji, I hadn't even noticed."

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