Kill Her, Kiss Her
Light of 1000 Stars
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!
---…---…---…---…---…
Chapter Four
She wasn't even sure how she got here.
One minute, she had fallen asleep. The next minute, she woke up to find the stranger from the other night; Ichigo Kurosaki—picking her up easily from the couch to his car outside. How did he even get inside her house?
Now, they were on a familiar road in the town. Rukia knew where he was headed: that old, disgusting district at the edge of the suburbs.
She grunted in unwanted confusion. "Why are you taking me here?" Rukia growled.
"You'll see." He flashed a grin at her before turning back to the road.
"Then tell me this: how did you get into my house? And what do you want with me?"
"Number one. I picked your lock; I've done this many times and trust me, I'm the master when it comes to doors. Your house doesn't even have an alarm. And it makes it all easier when you're asleep, too." He laughed a bit. "And what I want with you…well, that's out of my reach to tell you."
Rukia felt her blood boil. Practicing her self-control, she gripped the edge of her seat harder. She leaned forward, yelling at her captor.
"I've never done anything to you!"
"My my. How feisty." Ichigo clicked his tongue. "No. This has nothing to do with you doing anything to me. Honestly, I'd like for us to be friends. So be nice and I won't hurt you, alright?"
"Friends?" Rukia spat out bitterly. "What the crap are you talking about?! You just kidnapped me!"
This guy knew how to get on her nerves…
Ichigo sighed. "Look, just quiet down, okay?" he asked, a bit irritated by her yelling. "We'll get through this; once I figure out how to hold you hostage."
"Hostage?"
---…---…---…---…---…
Renji pushed his foot hard on his pedal, hoping to go a little faster. A ticket for speeding; he was willing to make the risk for Rukia's—his Rukia's—safety. He grew impatient as the red light shined onto his face, mocking him—daring him—to cross the boundaries of American law and take off.
He grumbled, praying to the Lord that she was not hurt. If she was, he wouldn't know how to forgive himself.
"Just get out,"
Renji disobeyed, standing at the counter for a few moments longer.
"What did he say to you?" Renji asked, softening this time to pry information from her. Rukia continued to pour coffee for the Starbucks' customers behind Renji, ignoring him.
"Yo, am I gonna get my coffee or what?" the guy behind him shouted.
"Coming right up, sir." Rukia turned, flashed a smile past Renji.
"Hey pal, I was here first. Let the lady serve me and then you can order, alright?" the young man tapped Renji on the shoulder.
Renji didn't even budge. "Rukia," he said, firmer this time. "What did Kurosaki ask of you?"
Rukia turned to him, coffee ready in hand. "Here you go, sir." She handed the cup past Renji, to the young customer behind.
"Answer me!" Renji shouted, but Rukia did not do so.
Angry and embarrassed, Renji left the coffee shop, muttering: "If you die, don't blame me."
His last words were all a lie. If his childhood friend were to die, he wouldn't do anything but blame himself. He knew that. She had always been a part of his life, even when his own family left him, she had been there.
Now, the only thing he wanted was for her to always be by his side.
He found Rukia's driveway and made a sharp turn into it, jumping out of his car and rushing to her front door.
Her door was wide open.
---…---…---…---…---…
She wasn't sure why she hadn't noticed before. Maybe she was too intent on finding an escape route. Yeah, that had to be it.
Under any other condition, Rukia would've noticed right away how drunk Ichigo truly was. He swerved, barely missing a coming car.
"Kurosaki!" Rukia used his name for the first time tonight.
The car then suddenly came to a complete stop. Rukia jerked forward, out of her seat. She hissed in aggravation.
"Sorry. Rough landing."
When Rukia lifted her gaze out the windshield, she saw where they were: Old Motel. There were drunks everywhere; in packs or singles, lounging around the place or walking about. Dirty doors stuck out of the walls. Windows were decorated with bars, making it look more like a place of barracks than a hotel. Dark shadows and strange figures popped in and out of rooms, laughing their heads off from their pranks.
"No way I'm going in there," Rukia breathed.
"Oh c'mon." Ichigo slurred, turning to her and giving her a sloppy grin. At this, Rukia sunk back into her seat. Alcohol intoxicated her nose and made her eyes water. Why hadn't she been able to smell it before?
"Disgusting." Rukia commented openly, scowling. "You're drunk. Just like all the rest of these idiots."
"It's not that bad," Ichigo laughed, as if some sort of unheard joke was told. He got out of the driver's side, opened Rukia's door, and proceeded to grab her wrist. "C'mon. We can rest here."
Rukia backed away until her back hit the other door. "No!"
Ichigo roughly grabbed her wrist anyways, dragging her out of the car. She struggled against him, pulling and kicking, but Ichigo managed to grab a hold of her arms and abdomen.
"Do we have a problem here?" a drunk asked, leaning against Ichigo's car. "Looks like the lady don't like you, son. Maybe you oughta leave her with me."
Rukia quickly stopped struggling against Ichigo's hold. He released her and held her hand.
"There's no problem." Ichigo mustered out, grinning again. "My girlfriend and I were just ending our little argument."
"What?" the man said, rubbing his nose ring. "This place not fancy enough for her?"
"Yeah," Ichigo pulled Rukia towards the nearest open hotel room. Rukia followed, her eyes wide and on the man behind them.
"Hey, hey? What's the rush?" the drunk shouted, walking with them.
"My girlfriend and I," Ichigo started. "We have a make-out session to get to."
The drunk, for whatever reason, was bored and left the two alone. Ichigo pulled Rukia into the unlocked room, shutting the door behind her with a slam and turning the door locked.
"This has to be someone else's room." Rukia noted. "It's already unlocked and has been paid for, idiot. Won't they be angry and try to come back for it?"
Ichigo shrugged. "Who gives. I'm tired." He flopped his amazingly tall body onto the old, dirty mattress, face down.
"Good. Go to sleep." Rukia muttered. After a few heartbeats, she gathered whatever courage she had and began fumbling with the lock.
"Do you really want to run outside into the hands of the other gentlemen outside?"
Ichigo heard as Rukia stopped messing with the old chain on the door. She didn't respond.
"That's what I thought. Now be a good girl and go to bed. We have some traveling to do tomorrow."
"I still don't know why you want me so much," Rukia hissed angrily, walking to the other mattress. "I'm not worth anything to you!"
"Too true, Miss Kuchiki." Ichigo muttered through his pillow. "But it's my job. I'm doing this to get grub on the table, ya know?"
"You are so low," she breathed venomously. "Who is hiring you to kidnap me and keep me hostage?"
Ichigo only chuckled back casually.
"Customer confidentiality."
---…---…---…---…---…
Author's Notes: I'm back from FL!! Hey people! Here's a late update! Hope you like it!