"Not the lawn mower!" Renji yelled, jumping off the couch and tripping over Ichigo, tumbling to the ground. He opened his eyes and groaned, looking around. Everyone was just waking up and laughing at this spectacle. Ichigo was rubbing his head and eyeing Renji with menace in his eyes.
"Baka! What the hell were you dreaming about, huh? Did you have to run me over in the process?" Renji grinned at him and stood up, rubbing his head. By this time most everyone present was awake, yawning and laughing. Tatsuki was already in the fridge, searching for some kind of good food. "Sorry, man. I didn't really know what I was dreaming of…blame my subconscious." Ichigo smirked and unclenched his fists. No fight would have to take place. Ichigo, incidentally, had fallen asleep on the floor after talking to Renji for awhile, Rukia right beside him. He looked down and saw her arms wrapped around his chest, hugging him tightly for warmth. He blushed but smiled genuinely at the gesture. Her face was just starting to move, eyes fluttering and mouth moving slightly. She opened her eyes fully and saw someone's shirt. Ichigo's shirt.
She yelped slightly and quickly unwrapped her death grip from around him. He laughed and patted her head. "Um, sorry Ichigo! I, uh…didn't know I had actually done…that."
"Hey, don't worry. We both fell asleep in the wrong place, so it's understandable." Rukia smiled and stood up, smoothing out her jean shorts and tank top. It was neon yellow and had black letters that read "Live, Love, Laugh, ROCK", giving a general statement that was frankly a very good one. Ichigo stood up slowly, stretching his legs out and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Sora appeared in the doorway to the main room, smiling tentatively.
"Did everyone sleep well?" A chorus of "yes" met his ears, making him nod his head and walk into the room. Everyone was fighting to shower first—except Rukia. She was sitting on the couch, laughing her head off at these goons. Ichigo ended up wrestling Renji and winning, so he took first shower. Gin and Rangiku had skipped showers and were talking to Sora.
"Hey, Rukia!" Rangiku called her, waving her arms toward herself. "Come here!" Rukia stood up and walked over, groaning at how sore she was. Rangiku pulled her into a crushing hug. "Gin and I are going to catch a bus to his place, okay? I'll see you back at our place in a little while, 'kay?"
Rukia raised her eyebrows at Gin, who was kissing and whispering into Rangiku's ear, causing her to giggle. "Yeah, fine. Just…never mind." Rangiku and Gin waltzed out the door without another word, laughing and flicking each other. Ichigo walked out of the bathroom and was immediately tackled by Renji.
"Damnit, Strawberry! I was going to take first shower, but no! You had to go and pull the headlock on me!" Ichigo twisted out of Renji's grasp and sent him sprawling to the floor.
"I'm stronger than you are, Pineapple-head. It's a fact, so get used to it." With that, he sat down again, paying Renji no heed. When things had finally settled down a bit, Ichigo jumped up and yelled, "Oh, shit! Wait…no, shit! Oh, I'm dead! Wait…NO!" And started running toward the door, making everyone laugh. Just as he was reaching to open the door, a strong hand grabbed onto his shirt, jerking him back. He turned around, utterly bewildered. The shocked expression only heightened when he realized who had stopped him.
"Rukia?"
"Explain why you made that rather amusing revelation before you leave."
"No time! I didn't plan on staying the night, and now I'm going to be ultra-late for classes!" Rukia laughed and patted Ichigo's arm sympathetically.
"You really don't have many brain cells, do you? It's Thursday today, and you said you graduated next week. You usually don't go to classes after final exams, which I'm sure are over by now…so I'm guessing you're mistaken." An understanding expression dawned on Ichigo's face, and he turned around fully, scratching his head.
"Oh, yeah…now I remember…"
"Well, you didn't go to class yesterday, so it stands to reason…" Ichigo took on a scowl as she spoke with a mocking tone.
"Shut up, Midget! I'm just into that routine! OW!" Rukia had kicked him in the shin, causing him to stumble. He bent over and rubbed his shin, which was a mistake. Rukia hit him over the head with a very powerful fist. "Jesus, Rukia! Are you planning on killing me?" Rukia grinned evilly, hands on hips.
"Not if you don't call me midget. Otherwise, you will die." Ichigo's frown deepened but he said nothing. Rukia's mischievous grin grew ear to ear. "Good boy." With that she walked back to the couch she had been sitting on and sat back down, acting as if nothing had happened. Everyone was attempting to contain their laughter except Kira, who was moaning about how much his head hurt. Rukia flicked his head, eliciting a piteous wail from him.
"Baka! I told you not to get drunk!" Urahara and Yoruichi were both awake by now, Yoruichi laughing as Urahara tried to listen to her stomach, which looked rather comical. Orihime was packing everything up, preparing to leave. Rukia and Renji were also discussing the subject of leaving; or rather the subject of how to get Kira to leave in the state he was in. Sora had disappeared into a side room—probably his bedroom. Rukia walked over to Ichigo, a deep frown on her face, making her eyebrows scrunch together.
"Hey, Ichigo?"
"Yes, M—er, Rukia?"
"I'll let that one go. Could you help me with Kira? You and Renji need to haul his sorry ass out to the car. He's absolutely hammered. Who decided to bring the alcohol?"
"Who do you think?" Rukia rolled her eyes and jerked her thumb over in Urahara's general direction. Everybody was tired and worn out from the night before, but in high spirits nonetheless.
"Yeah, okay. I'll help you." Ichigo walked over to where Renji was standing over Kira and took him under his arms. Renji grabbed his shoes and picked him up, barely using any energy. Two toned, well-muscled men picking up one drunkard was no challenge whatsoever. They shuffled their way across the floor, smiling and simultaneously thinking about how funny it would be to drop the semi-conscious man on the floor. After negotiating the door with Rukia's help, they plopped him in the back of her shiny convertible. Ichigo wiped his hands on his pants and admired the car, looking at the interior's leather upholstery and glowing dashboard. It was sleek and low to the ground, a fancy job. The paint looked custom, vibrant and new without a single scratch to taint the overall effect.
Renji slid into the passenger seat, not bothering to open the door but instead throwing his leg over the side. Rukia, though, took the time to open the door and sit down and seat herself properly. She smiled up at Ichigo and winked. "I'll catcha' later, Kurosaki. Good seeing you again." Renji suppressed laughter and earned a hit upside the head from Rukia before she drove off, waving back to Ichigo as she drove out of sight around the trees and winding path. Ichigo sighed at the events of yesterday. They had already gotten quite close, and Ichigo could tell that his feelings for the woman were growing quite rapidly. He just hoped that the same went for her.
Rukia relaxed into her seat and accelerated, smiling as the wind whipped her hair around her face. It was always a rush to drive fast on a road with no other cars—right now was the perfect example. The three were on a country road, not having reached Karakura or its suburbs just yet. They could still smell the salt from the ocean, which sent Rukia for one on a high. She was energized and happy from the previous night and the morning. Kira wasn't feeling the same, though. He was still moaning in the back, massaging his temples.
"Ah, my head!" He wailed, sitting up for the first time and looking at the two in the front seat. "Hey, where's Rangiku and Gin?" Renji rolled his eyes and answered without glancing back.
"They went to his house to screw around. You didn't even notice that? Man, how many Sapporo and did you have, Kira?" Kira scratched his head slowly before answering.
"I kinda lost track after the tenth…" Renji slapped his head in frustration and groaned.
"You have got to stop drinking, Kira! You need to be sober so we can be a band, damnit!" Kira grinned and agreed, though the gesture was taken none too seriously by either Renji or Rukia. As Rukia drove up a ramp and onto the freeway, she rolled the top up with the touch of a button, sealing out the roaring sound of wind created by the car's speed. The three didn't talk again until they got back to their apartment. The silence wasn't awkward, wasn't friendly. For once it was just because they didn't know what to say.
"Come on, Onii-chan! Hurry up or you'll miss it!"
"I'm coming, Yuzu." The five people nimbly climbed a tree in the back of their house, all laughing and throwing branches at each other. Ichigo was the first to reach the top despite his delayed start, and held his camera above his head, hollering like a maniac. "Beat you guys!" Isshin wailed in disappointment and hurried to the roof, narrowly avoiding Ichigo's well-aimed throw of a rather sharp branch. Yuzu, Karin, and Masaki followed, laughing and jumping around on the relatively flat roof.
After a few minutes, Ichigo motioned for them to sit down. They obeyed, sitting in a line by the roof. The sun stained the sky orange and pink, like a masterpiece come to life. Ichigo placed his camera farther up the roof and hurried to join the others, sitting between his sisters and smiling softly. The camera clicked and a blinding light flashed, leaving him momentarily blinded. He got up and grabbed the camera, checking to see how the picture had come out. After giving the thumbs up to the other four, they climbed back down, Karin jumping to the ground expertly. Ichigo tossed his camera down, hoping someone would catch it.
"Got it!" Masaki yelled up before returning to the comfort of their home. Ichigo stayed on the roof, watching the sun sink below the horizon, providing light for someone else somewhere else. He laid back, hands clasped behind head. What a beautiful night it was. All of the constellations were visible, their sparkling light illuminating everything around Ichigo. He smiled and closed his eyes halfway, letting the breeze ruffle his hair and stir his clothes.
Ichigo hit himself in the head and focused on his computer screen once again. He stared at his keyboard. It wasn't working. He'd been uninspired for a while now and thought that sitting down and making himself pound out a few more chapters of his book would help things. He was all too wrong. He just couldn't focus. He kept thinking about his past. He kept thinking about his present. He kept thinking about Rukia. He groaned and ran a hand through his unruly hair, finally giving up and slamming the sleek laptop closed. He slid the laptop into its case and sank slowly back onto the couch. The setting sun was no longer visible—dark rain clouds had made the city look gray and dreary. At least it hadn't begun to rain yet.
Plink. Scratch that. The rain started to pour down, hammering on Ichigo's apartment windows. He ignored this and thought about the past two days. He had gotten home a few hours ago, glad that his trip home hadn't been in the rain—he had ridden his Vespa from Urahara's nightclub back home. Ichigo thought about his time spent with Rukia, which was no doubt time well spent. He couldn't help but notice that their relationship had grown drastically in the short time they'd known each other. He thought about the petite, raven-haired girl with the most beautiful violet eyes he'd ever seen. And after thinking about her and only her he realized that he had feelings for her past friendly. He really liked her.
"Ugh. I'm turning into an emo." He muttered aloud, smacking his face and leaning back into the couch. In all honesty he had never in his entire life had such feelings for a person. He loved his mother, his sisters, even his father, but that was a different kind of love. It was sweet and tender, not at all like the fire he felt for Rukia. He didn't want to admit it, but deep in his mind some part of him acknowledged that he was falling for her. Falling hard.
He got up and dragged himself to the fridge, pulling a bottle of Sapporo out of the top shelf and popping the top, taking a long drink from it. Although he wasn't much of a drinker, he did sometimes have a bottle or two when he didn't want to think. Right now was one of those times, because although he was an adult he had absolutely no experience with love and didn't know what to make of it. I'm absolutely hopeless. I might as well give it up now…He took another swig of beer, shutting out thought and leaving his mind blank. It was better that way.
After finishing his drink, Ichigo padded down the short hallway to his bedroom. Though he still had plenty on his mind, the alcohol had left him slightly drowsy, and it was getting late—he'd spent a good long time at Urahara's with the gang, goofing off and thinking of baby names for Yoruichi. He pulled his shirt off and threw it across the room, landing it perfectly in his hamper. He then slid his jeans off, leaving them on the floor for when he woke up. Yawning and stretching, he climbed into his bed and flicked the light switch, bathing himself in blackness. He lay on top of his blankets, too sleepy to bother pulling them over him. Instead, he fell into a restless sleep, dreaming about Kuchiki Rukia.
Meanwhile, Rukia was attempting to fall asleep in her apartment, not quite as successful as Ichigo was. She turned over, facing Rangiku, who was sleeping soundly. She turned again, this time facing the wall. She groaned and finally settled for lying on her back, knowing that she wouldn't be getting a lot of sleep. She was too preoccupied. With what?
She was thinking.
Thinking about Ichigo.
He was, admittedly, darn close to perfect. His eyes were beautiful, his hair was funny, his body was perfectly toned, his laugh was exquisite, his personality and sense of humor were flawless; his character was untainted in every way. Rukia pounded her head with her fists, trying to make her betraying thoughts leave her mind. It did not work in the slightest. She sighed and thought about how she'd started to understand Ichigo in the short time she'd known him. Everything about him was appealing to her. Everything. She was under his spell, and no one could break it.
This was a disaster.
As dawn broke, the clouds of the storm from the previous night started to drift apart. The patchy sunlight hit Ichigo's tired face, making him stir in his fitful sleep. His eyes fluttered, dark eyelashes leaving shadows along his cheekbones. After a moment he opened his amber eyes fully, immediately squinting at the sun's sudden and unwanted appearance. Shading his vision with the back of a hand, Ichigo groaned and blinked a few times, trying to wake up fully.
He shook out his limbs, flexing his fingers and toes before sitting up slowly. Not slowly enough. A wave of dizziness washed over him, forcing him to lie right back down. It certainly wasn't the drink—he'd only had one, and couldn't possibly have gotten drunk from that amount of alcohol—so he was either sick or just not well rested. Most likely the latter. He hesitantly sat up again, achingly slowly this time. There was no dizziness, nor any other signs of being sick. Definitely the latter. He clenched and unclenched his fists, mulling over recent events.
His mind came to rest on Rukia, and he noticed with quite some embarrassment that his cheeks heated up and were no doubt a nice shade of red. He sighed and pulled his jeans on, not paying much attention to what he was doing—it was only when he fell face first onto the carpet did he realize he had put his foot through the ripped knee of his jeans. He growled at the jeans, not really expecting a response, and carefully tugged them on. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he wandered into the kitchen and smiled at his empty calendar. He only had to go to graduation next week and then he was done for life. He didn't intend on going to graduate school so he had a whole life ahead of him to become a successful businessman and own his own nightclub.
He could do whatever he damn wanted, and not get yelled at, not be late for anything. The downside to being out of college was that he would be visiting his family more often…more specifically, his dad. The most immature, silly, eccentric, pervy person in the world—including teenage boys. He thoroughly enjoyed visiting his mother and two younger sisters, but he really didn't get along with his father. Their relationship during high school had been a rather odd one, since they showed affection by attempting to kill each other.
Ichigo pulled his mind from memories and back to the present. After taking a plum out of the fridge and getting a glass of apple juice, he sat down by the couch and turned on the TV. Some old 80's show was playing, a grainy film with a cheesy plot and music that was just painful to listen to. He quickly flipped the channel and ignored the news, just having the TV on because it was what he did in the morning. The phone rang loudly, making Ichigo jump and almost spill his juice. He set the glass down on the coffee table and ran to answer.
"Kurosaki speaking."
"No need for formalities, Ichigo." Rukia said, a smile in her voice. Ichigo laughed and leaned against the kitchen counter, at ease and happy.
"Oh, I'm sorry. 'Sup, homie? I's yo' man, Ichigo. There, is that good for you?" He heard laughing at the other end of the phone and joined in.
"That was very good, mister gangsta'! You know what I mean. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today—ah, that sounded like what a teenager would say. Well, I—"
"Sure. I'm absolutely thrilled that I don't have class, so let's celebrate. Hah, that sounded strangely self-serving."
"No it didn't. Seriously, it would be fun. Why don't we go to Seireitei since you don't have to work on the weekdays? Believe me, I'm sure working there has dulled the sense of awesomeness, but if you went as a customer you'd probably have that feeling of how cool the place is back." Ichigo smiled and thought for a minute. If Urahara saw this, which he most likely would, Ichigo would never hear the end of it. However, it did sound like a lot of fun and he couldn't help but notice that his heart was racing just from talking to her.
"So it's a date. Er, not really a date, but—"
"Ha! No, I get it."
"I'll see you at nine. I'll pick you up."
"Good—I absolutely adore your Vespa." Ichigo chuckled at Rukia's odd obsession about motor scooters, but agreed quickly before saying goodbye and hanging up. He was left with a foreign emotion making his stomach flutter, making his head spin in a good way. Unfortunately, he was stuck for twelve hours waiting, which at the time seemed practically impossible. How could he wait when he wanted so much to see Rukia? Realizing his thoughts, he blushed and thought about something else. There was no doubt about it, though. He was falling in love with her.