'Shouldn't you be preparing for the Royal Banquet?' Renji asked casually, trying to make it seem like the idea of his longtime friend (and not himself) attending the event didn't make him want to turn green with envy. 'It's tonight.'
'What's there to prepare for?' Ichigo shrugged. 'I'm busy.'
That was true - the clinician was currently typing in his patients' records, that were individually segregated into binders for each person, into his computer. He wanted to do this a long time ago, but didn't get to actually doing it because he knew it would be a time-consuming process. However, now that he was alone in the house (save for his unexpected guest) with nowhere else to be, he couldn't it off much longer. Knowing himself, it was either today or never.
'I don't know.' Renji fished into his pack of candy for another sugary ball, which he then threw up into the air and caught in his open mouth. 'You got a suit? 'Cause you need to wear a suit.'
'Of course I have a suit.'
'Alright. Do you have some leather shoes?'
'Damn, Renji, do you think I wear sneakers when I've got my suit on?'
'Dunno. Never seen you wear the suit, man.'
'You've got common sense though. I'm a professional, so of course I've got a suit.'
'Tch.' Renji clicked his tongue, but let that snide remark slide. The redhead couldn't quite place his finger on it, but Ichigo's been on edge ever since he learned about Ulquiorra's past relationship with Rukia. Quite frankly, Renji thought that his friend was being immature. Sure, it hurt Renji too when he found out that Rukia had a thing with someone - but that was over. Besides, it's not like vampires fell in love with each other the same way that people do. Once Renji understood that, he was at ease. Poor Ichigo was still in the dark, but Renji made no effort to correct this misconception. As cruel as it sounded, he was happy to let Ichigo's anxiety bubble. Serves the bastard right. Besides, Ichigo would figure it out eventually. It's
'Hey Renji...'
'What?'
'Have you ever met Ulquiorra?'
'Yeah.' he rolled his eyes. 'So what?'
'So... How's he like?'
'Oh gosh, he's mean.' Renji said without hesitation. 'He is not nice. Complete asshole.'
'For real?'
'Yeah, for real.'
'Then why would Rukia fall for him?
'Other way around.' Renji flashed an awkward, toothy smile that kinda curved downwards at weird areas along his lips - like the reminder of Rukia being involved with such a nasty person made him cringe. 'Ulquiorra had a huge thing for Rukia, and at first, she was just being nice...' he trailed off and paused, looking up at the ceiling as if trying to remember. 'Well, I guess she did fall for him eventually. But she snapped out of that real quick. I think she was just curious to about all that boyfriend-girlfriend stuff. He was her first relationship, you know?'
'How long ago was that?'
'Uhh... Like a decade ago.'
Ichigo's jaw dropped.
'What?' Renji smirked. 'Don't forget that vampires live for eons compared to us, dumbass.'
'Alright, so... If it's been ten years, why is he only asking her to marry him now?'
'He hasn't asked. He's gonna ask. I don't really know the full story, but Rukia mentioned something about him saying that he'd go away and become a better man for her or whatever.'
'Did he do that?'
'If by doing that, you mean dedicating himself to serve her father to get some weird seal of approval, then yeah.'
'You know about that too?' Ichigo sucked his teeth. 'It's fucked up.' He was, of course, alluding to the fact that Byakuya wasn't actually Rukia's brother, but the man who helped bring her into this world.
'Yeah... Old wounds, though.'
'Rukia deserves to have a father who's proud of her.'
'He is. He's just... I don't know. Family issues.'
'Byakuya mentioned that Rukia doesn't meet up to his expectations. What did he mean by that?'
'Oh, for fuck's sake!' Renji let out a throaty, exasperated growl. 'What's with all these questions, Ichigo? You're exhausting me. Fucking chill. You hardly know her anyway.'
'Despite what you think, I actually really like Rukia.' Ichigo snipped, swivelling around in his chair so that his task-of-the-day was forgotten. Renji's features softened when he saw panicked, hazel eyes. 'I mean, yeah, it's complicated and maybe I'm being really dumb for going along with all of this... But I really like her and I don't want to lose her.'
'Oh my fuck.' he bit on his candy to give off an angry crunch. 'She's not gonna leave you. Are you crazy? She's so into you. Way too into you, if you ask me...'
'Sure, but what if one day, she gets bored of me?'
'Then don't be boring.'
'Renji...'
'Seriously, Ichigo - I don't want to hear it from you, alright?' Renji balled up his now-empty bag of candy and threw it at Ichigo. The plastic bounced off his shoulder and onto the floor. 'Rukia likes you enough to bring you to the Royal Banquet. That's huge. You get to be a part of her world for an entire weekend. She put a lot of faith in you, you know. I don't get why you're being such an insecure little bitch. Besides, human rationalization doesn't apply to vampires. What you and I think makes sense, doesn't make sense to them, so... I know you think that people should date before they get serious, but in fucking vampire land, they fall hard and fast. Although, to be honest, even this is kinda a bit too fast...'
'Dude, you are not helping.' Ichigo sighed heavily. He glanced at the work he was doing on his computer before knocking himself lightly on the forehead with his knuckles a few times. Renji almost felt bad for him - he looked like a defeated man. 'I'm freaking out. That stupid gala's tonight and I have no idea what to expect. You know, Rukia and I haven't even spoken much the last few days.'
'Oh, really?' Renji snipped. 'Last time I spoke to her, she mentioned very briefly that you idiots sleep in the same bed - what about those late-night conversations, hmm?'
'I mean, yeah, we talk... And it's nice and all, but we didn't talk about the gala at all. She doesn't seem worried.'
'Then you shouldn't be either.'
'Renji-'
'Ground rules.' the redhead conceded, his tone taking a serious turn. 'Do not tell anyone you're human, unless you wanna be in a really bad situation. Don't piss off the Captain, don't flirt with other girls, don't lose your shit with Ulquiorra, and most of all, stay away from the werewolves. Occasionally, a couple of mutts weasel their way into the castle to cause trouble. Don't involve yourself with that.'
'But Renji, you're not-'
'Ichigo, stop. I don't know the answers to your questions and it's pissing me off that you're even in a position to ask these questions.' Renji fumed, but rubbed the back of his neck to calm himself down. He couldn't lose his shit now. 'Listen, I know you're freaking out... But keep it together, alright? To be honest, I'm not into the whole idea of you and Rukia being together... But you're both my friends so I want you guys to get through this in one piece. Rukia's the type of person to shoulder everything by herself, so if you show her that you're worried, she'll fake her confidence just to make you feel better.'
'You're right.' the clinician cleared his throat and stood up. 'Anyway... I guess that means I have to take a shower and put on the damn suit.'
'Is everything alright in there?' Karin knocked on the door of the dressing room where Rukia was trying on some gowns in. The elder Kurosaki twin accompanied her (almost) sister-in-law to the Karakura shopping centre to help her pick out an ensemble for some gala that she had to go to in the underworld or something.
Ugh.
It all sounded so crazy, but Karin was determined not to let this faze her. She had enough problems in her life as is and quite frankly didn't have the energy to get invested in all the nonsense that her brother was trying to suck her into. It was so like Ichigo to just run off and get married to a demon. Though laughable, Karin couldn't say that she couldn't believe it. Ichigo always had a knack for getting into trouble. This incident just happens to take the cake.
'Rukia-chan?'
'Sorry! I'm just having a little trouble with the back zipper.' Rukia called.
'Need help?'
'I'm good... Almost... There!' the vampire laughed happily. Not even a second later, she waltzed out of the dressing room to a pleasantly surprised Karin.
'Wow.' the elder of the Kurosaki twins nodded slowly as her eyes scanned the petite woman up and down. 'That's a nice number.'
Rukia was wearing a long, white gown that barely revealed any skin as it featured long sleeves and a turtleneck. Unexpectedly, the whole ensemble was tight. Really tight. Not in a vulgar, unsightly way, but in a surprising way since Rukia never opted for tight clothing. Oddly enough, it suited her as it highlighted the most sensual parts of her body that were harder to appreciate when hidden in her usual, loose attire. The fabric was plain and pure and boasted a slight sheen like fresh snow out in the sun a day too early for winter. The shoulders were padded in a strict, angular cut so that her shoulders looked broader and thus, the narrow diameter of her waist was exaggerated.
'I like it.' Rukia announced proudly.
Who wouldn't like it on you? Karin thought with a smile.
'What do you think, Karin-chan?'
'It's nice. You look really pretty in it.'
'Great! Let me just take it off.' she turned around to head back into the changing room.
'Sure.'
When Rukia reemerged with the gown on-hand, she gestured to Karin to head over to the cashier with her. The human girl followed and reached into her purse; an act that Rukia found suspicious.
'What are you looking for?'
'Just this.' Karin said as she retrieved a credit card from her bag. Before her companion could say anything else, the taller girl grabbed the dress and handed it to the employee working the register. Rukia tried to protest, but Karin quickly handed the card over to the woman handling the sale.
'Karin-chan-'
'Relax. It's Ichi-nii's. He's paying.'
'I'm still not fine with that.' there was a hint of aggression in the noble's tone.
'Rukia-chan, he gave this card to me with specific instructions. He's not gonna let you pay for anything. Yuzu and I work, but he still won't let us pitch in. What more of you? You're his wife.'
'Even so, I don't want him to pay for me!'
'Rukia-chan... Come on.' Karin was starting to feel awkward. She didn't want to be in this position. Rukia was obviously angry, but Ichigo would be angrier if his sister let his wife pay. Karin took a paper bag with the gown inside it from the cashier before heading out of the shop with Rukia.
'Seriously, I don't want him to pay for everything!' she insisted. 'That's so unfair! I should be the one giving him money since I just barged into his life.'
'Trust me, Ichi-nii's glad you're around.'
'Even so, I can't help but feel I'm burdening him...' she trailed off. At those words, saddening blue eyes fell to the floor. 'First, he gets a wife he never really asked for. Now he's paying for me too... It just feels so wrong.'
Karin held her breath. Rukia was opening up, and the mortal didn't want to drive her away. Karin took all matters concerning to her brother very seriously, so she saw this as an opportunity to investigate just how sincere Rukia's feelings were towards him.
'You know, Ichigo and I haven't spoken much since Nii-sama visited. Sorry that he didn't stay long enough for you and Yuzu-chan to meet him, by the way.'
'No worries. It might have been too much for Ichi-nii to handle anyway. As for him not talking to you, what do you mean by that?'
Rukia sucked in a shaky breath. 'I mean, he's nice to me, but he's thinking about something. There's a faraway look in his eyes and I know that means I have to back off. I make small conversation here and there, but I know he wants to be left alone. I don't want to impose any more than I already have.'
'You came into our lives unexpectedly, but trust me - Ichi-nii's glad you're around.'
'For now.'
'Eh?'
'He's glad now. But as things become more serious, he might withdraw from me. Just like now... After Nii-sama showed up, we haven't been as close.'
'He just needs time.'
'I know. But every moment he spends away from me, I just want to be by his side even more. I want to comfort him but I don't know how. I just tell him that I'm around if he ever needs to talk, but he hasn't opened up to me yet.'
'Trust me, Rukia-chan; just offering a listening ear means so much to him. I'm sure of it.'
'I just want him to feel better. I have an idea of what he's thinking about, but... I don't know. I need to talk to him about it. I hate it when he's hurting.'
'Rukia-chan... You really like Ichi-nii, huh?'
'Yeah...' she smiled to herself. 'He's so sweet. He's tough in all the right places, but he's just a big softie. Oh, and he's so handsome! You know how storybooks glorify some prince charming? Well, he's more than that, he's like, he's like... Like a king, don't you think?'
Karin couldn't suppress the big grin that played on her lips. Maybe Rukia didn't know her brother the longest, nor did she really know much about his life, but the undeniable fact of the matter was that she was utterly in love with Ichigo.
'Come on, Rukia-chan! We still have to pick Yuzu up from the grocery store.'
'Onii-chan!' Yuzu cried as she, her sister, and her brother's new wife walked into the Kurosaki household. 'We're home!'
Ichigo heard, but didn't respond since he was busy taking a shower. He knew that no one would be worried though - no doubt they could all hear the patter of the water against the tiles. It wasn't a big house.
He did think, however, to hurry the fuck up. The fact that they were back meant that Rukia had already picked her gown out for tonight. He didn't think that she was the type of woman to take hours getting ready, and he didn't want to keep her waiting, so he should really start moving along. Though Ichigo liked people to think that he didn't care much about what people thought of him, he was actually very vain. He liked his body to look a particular way, and grooming his face took him ages. Heck, he even tweezed his eyebrows - not that he would reveal that to anybody. But it was totally his thing. He needed to get that done, shave, exfoliate, moisturize.
Need to look fucking fantastic tonight in case Ulquiorra turns out to be a hunk.
'He can't be that good...' Ichigo muttered to himself. 'She left him, so... Renji said he was a cunt anyway...'
The poor guy was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn't hear the door open, or the shower curtains part, until the physical sensation of a small body sliding up from behind him startled him out of his trance.
'Ru-'
'Shh.' she placed a finger on his lips as a free hand palmed his chest. 'Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you, darling. You don't mind if I join in, do you?'
'N-Not at all.' he laughed anxiously.
'Mm...' she moaned quietly as the feeling of the hot water rolling along her skin soothingly quelled her aching bones. Her fingers glided to her lover's shoulders, where they kneaded his flesh expertly. Against his better judgement, Ichigo threw his head back and sighed loudly. Shining sapphires observed the muscles of his abdomen flex and tense with every magical move her hands made on him. 'You're really stressed, aren't you, darling?'
'Not anymore...' he groaned as his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her to him. She went red in the face, but hoped that he'd think it was because of the steam rather than his flirting. She locked gazes with him. Smouldering ambers nearly knocked the wind out of her. Her mouth went dry and she felt weightless. She could only thank the heavens silently for his strong arms supporting her. 'Something wrong, Rukia?'
She shook her head before pressing the side of her face up against his chest. 'No... I just miss you. We haven't been this intimate in a while.'
'Ha... Sorry. I just didn't want to come onto you so strongly.'
'Ichigo, we already had sex. And you're my husband.'
'Not yet.'
'Ichigo...'
'But I want to be.'
She lifted her head up to stare right up at him. He met her eyes and kissed her nose.
'Ichigo...?'
'Whatever I have to do, I'll do it. Even if I have to spend a whole weekend with bloodthirsty vampires this weekend.'
She smiled and kissed his chest. 'Good. I know you'll be fine.'
'Hey, Rukia...'
'Mm?'
'This Ulquiorra guy... Is he someone I should be worried about?'
'No.' she looked up at him again. The sincerity swimming in blue was impossible to miss. It put him at ease. 'You're the one I love. I'm telling everyone tonight.'
A/N: Thank you so much to everyone supporting this story!
Next chapter will be the first night of the gala as well as Ulquiorra's first meeting with Ichigo.
Thank you to RukiYuki, SaiyanWarrior200, Scarease, Janina, IchiRuki 4vr, Black Sun Upon An Icy Sky, jobananasan, and the Guest reviewers!
SaiyanWarrior200, that definitely sounds like something the Rukia in this story would do!
IchiRuki 4vr, Byakuya in this story will be in a lot of situations where he may act strangely!
Black Sun Upon An Icy Sky, thanks so much for your thoughts on the chapters, hope to read your comments again!
jobananasan, Byakuya and Ichigo are going to be forced to interact a lot! In this story, Rukia is mentally more immature than Ichigo and the rest of the characters, so life hasn't really brought her down. She's still full of spunk and sometimes, that can delude her into thinking that her words are inconsequential. She tries her best, but as you'll see, she hasn't developed the social filter that comes with maturity - so her choices can brew a whole lot of trouble for her companions. Renji will have a lot of conflicting emotions. Ulquiorra will have his own motivations, but I think they are different from what you are thinking!
Thanks so much, everyone!
Working hard on the next chapter for you guys!
