Hello all you wonderful people! Sorry for the late update. Had a hectic weekend. My cousin got married and after that I fell sick. I'm only just recovering.
Hopefully this chapter will be to your liking. I haven't given it much thought.
Once again, thank you for all the reviews and all of the alerts. I can't even count the number now. It means the world to me that each and every one of you has taken the time to read this story. :)
Thank you all once again :)
Namaste!
Crossroadsoflife: Think of them in a Renruki kind of relationship. That's what I thought when I wrote them.
You guys are just the best! I thought the idea of ShuuheixRukia will not sit well with people but I cannot believe you guys liked it! But no worries, we're all Ichiruki, aren't we? And Ichiruki it will be… I promise. :)
Tell Me You Love Me
Chapter 8
The Bachelor and the Bachelor Party
Rukia had never been to a bachelor party before. She had never been to a regular party in years, you know senior prom, student-teacher mixers in college, etc. Hell, she couldn't even remember the last time she'd been out anywhere, just to have fun. She realised now that there was a first time for everything.
On entering the night club called Havana, she saw just what she was in for tonight. One look inside and she thought:
This is NOT my cup of tea…
The interior was a single, vast room which was dimly lit. The glass topped dance floor glowed a bland white acting as a light source to the room, on which gyrated a sea of bodies swaying to blaringly loud music dished out by a DJ. The DJ was a rather skinny man who stood on an elevated platform at the far end of the dance floor.
Rukia nearly walked back out after a first glance of this rather unwelcome sight; booze and booze-filled people flailing their arms about and calling it "dance". She would have traded her right arm just to be back at the hotel, nestled in bed with a good book. Or better yet, spend the night chatting and catching up with Shuuhei.
However, she followed the group into the club, reluctantly.
Pushed against the four walls of the club, were comfortable-looking leather couches and chairs. Most of them were already occupied by people, who Rukia guessed, were taking a break from dancing the night away. But luckily, she and her friends found seats with a good view of the dance floor and which were also close to the bar.
"It's loud in here," yelled Momo, over Pitbull's "Give me everything" pounding out of the speakers.
Rukia nodded. She sat down on a couch and relaxed. Shuuhei took a seat next to her, watching with interest the scantily clad bodies of women as they danced. Rukia snorted.
Clearly, none of them were the partying type but they were a bunch of people who were ready for anything.
"I'm going to go get us some drinks," said Renji, also with his eyes on the dance floor.
Tatsuki elbowed him in the ribs causing him to force his gaze back at her, yelping out in pain of course.
"What? I can't even look?" he said, rubbing his aching ribs with his palms.
"Hell no," said Tatsuki very, very clearly. Rukia smiled and cheered for Tatsuki on the inside.
Oh yes, Renji and Tatsuki were indeed a couple. Rukia always knew that their friendship would turn into romance one day. She wasn't surprised when she'd heard of it from Tatsuki. She was just – bloody happy for them.
When Tatsuki had made herself absolutely clear to Renji that he is to maintain "Tunnel vision" for the next couple of hours, he walked over to the bar after everyone told him what they wanted to drink. Chad went with him. Rukia didn't want alcohol. What she wanted was to leave (she didn't say that, of course). Shuuhei shot her a glare when she declined.
"I'll be back," he told her, getting up. He moved past people to make his way to the bar.
Rukia frowned, wondering what he was up to.
Sure… Arnold…
"Come on Orihime, let's dance," said Kurosaki Ichigo's voice, startling Rukia. She'd almost forgotten about his presence here with them. She blinked.
Did I… forget… that he was here…?
No freaking way…!
Orihime seemed delighted and took his offered hand and walked over to the dance floor. Rukia watched Ichigo and Orihime place their arms around each other and started to move along with the tunes of Usher, this time.
She tried to force her eyes away from the sight. It was difficult. To her, it was the actual proof of their relationship together. She knew they were a couple. Now, however, she had the evidence of it. The happiness which she felt when she had seen Shuuhei again felt like it was slowly being washed away. And it was being replaced with a mixture of anger, sadness and outright hate for the couple.
It wasn't long before Izuru and Momo followed Ichigo and Orihime's example and moved to the dance floor as well. Rukia was left with Tatsuki and Uryu.
Uryu was watching Ichigo and Orihime the same way that she had been watching them. She'd recognise that look anywhere. It was a look of disdain. And because she knew she had the very same look on her face.
Rukia slid closer to him on the couch, making him look at her in surprise.
"So…" she said, looking closely at him. "How do you feel about all this?" she asked, tilting her lead slightly at the orange-haired couple.
Shock was etched on his face, if only for a moment. He was quick to recover but not quick enough to hide his surprise at her question.
"I don't know what you mean," he said, straightening his glasses, looking away from her.
"You can cut the theatrics Uryu," Rukia said, watching him closely, "I've always known you have a soft spot for Orihime."
Uryu looked back at her so fast that Rukia was surprised he didn't crick his neck.
"H-How…?" he managed to ask, eyes round and mouth open.
"I have eyes, don't I?" she said, rolling them in her head. There was a moment when they just looked at each other, the silence saying more than words ever could.
They were both in the same position. Both of them were pining away for people who they knew would never become theirs. They could only be bystanders and watch as the people they wanted went further and further out of their reach. She put a consolatory hand on his and gripped it, tenderly. She tried to put a lot of unsaid things into that gesture and perhaps she was successful for he smiled. It was a small, meek smile but a smile nonetheless.
Rukia smiled back.
"Alright, what did I miss?" said Shuuhei's voice, and as she looked up at his tall figure, saw that he was holding a drink in each hand.
Rukia raised her eyebrows. "Meet someone at the bar already, Hisagi?" she asked, a hint of coolness behind her voice.
"This one's for you short-stack," he said, completely unfazed by her narrowed eyes which would have scared a braver man. He held out one glass which had a few cubes of ice and a murky brown liquid in it.
"I don't want it," she said, anger rising up quickly at how she had to repeat herself. If she wanted a drink she would very well asked for one, wouldn't she?
Shuuhei acted as though she hadn't spoken at all. He just stood his ground, holding out the drink to her, not saying a word.
Rukia was getting more annoyed by the second. What is wrong with Shuuhei all of a sudden? He had locked eyes with her and she was taken aback when she saw something akin to determination shimmering in his aqua eyes. Then, her eyes moved slowly and in her peripheral vision she saw Ichigo and Orihime, their arms locked together in an embrace as they danced. They were both smiling.
The sadness and anger flared up inside her.
Son of a bitch! That's it!
"Give me that!" she said, pulling the drink out of Shuuhei's hand and downing it in one gulp. This was a bad idea as her mouth seared with the after effects, burning her throat in the process.
"What's in that?" she asked coughing, her voice coming out in rasps.
"It's scotch on the rocks with a twist," he answered, holding back laughter at her reaction.
"What are you, forty?" she asked him, annoyed. She licked her lips.
On second thought, this is pretty good. She did like the taste of it in her mouth now, once she got used to it.
Shuuhei grinned. I knew you'd like it, he thought.
"What the heck is everyone doing?" Renji said, in a booming voice. "Let's daaaaance!" he yelled.
Perhaps it was the alcohol in her, but all of a sudden, she felt daring. She got up, feeling incredibly energised and open-minded.
For the next half hour, she danced with Renji, Uryu, Chad, and Izuru. Shuuhei took a seat on a leather couch, sipping his own drink. He declined offers from many women who had come on to him. He wasn't interested in any of them. His eyes were fixed on Kuchiki Rukia.
Being friends with her for the past year, he thought he knew quite a lot about her. He did know a lot about her. But for the first time, he realised that there was more to her than he could ever imagine. First off, he realised that she had weaknesses. She had shown him different sides of her personality that she'd normally kept hidden from everyone else. She changed from someone who looked formidable to someone who needed a shoulder to lean on and cry. He saw these changes, gradually. But tonight, seeing her dressed like she was, drinking and partying with her friends, he felt he had to know this side of her too. He thought this was the woman she would be if she hadn't been screwed over by her friends.
Her cheeks were flushed, her were eyes dancing on their own, making them sparkle even more and there was a sheen of sweat on her forehead. She even danced well, with the soft grace and ease.
I am sooo attracted to her right now…
He couldn't believe it. He was attracted to Kuchiki Rukia. He appreciated her friendship and enjoyed hanging out with her for she was an actual friend. She was a great help for him in studying and he genuinely cared about her for who she was. She didn't take crap from anyone and he felt he could lean on her back then. Now, she needed someone to lean on, a predicament he never thought would come about, and he wanted to be that person for her. Without a doubt, that was what he wanted.
It was then that he saw something that brought him to his feet in an instant, without really thinking about doing so.
"Shit!"
He moved immediately.
Unknown to Rukia or Shuuhei, a pair of amber eyes have been following her ever since the arrival of her now best friend. They were fixated on her more than Shuuhei's had been all night. The amber eyes flashed a different emotion based on the circumstances Rukia had been in; like when she had talked to Uryu and gripped his hand in understanding, the eyes were narrowed in suspicion and distrust. When she'd danced with all of her other friends, they softened at her happy expression, filled with rage when her partners had touched her, if at all, while they danced and went to plain jealousy whenever she so much as looked in Shuuhei's direction.
A million and one questions passed through Ichigo's mind. What kind of relationship did they have? Are they dating? If so, then how long have they been dating? Are they in love? Rukia seemed to like that guy a lot. And he has been watching her all night, refusing to dance with any other woman. But he hasn't danced with Rukia either. What is going on?
His body was physically moving, yes, but his mind was completely fixed on the two of them; which is probably why he didn't notice that Orihime was talking to him.
"Ichigo? Are you even listening to me?" she said, looking into his brown eyes.
"What?" he asked, feeling very distracted.
"You haven't said a word for some time now."
"Oh…" he said, looking at her but not really seeing her. "I'm kind of tired. Why don't we rest for a bit?" he suggested. It was contrary to what he wanted to do; which was to stay and keep his eyes on Rukia who was dancing with Uryu now.
Orihime knew what he was doing. It wasn't hard to miss. He had been distracted all night. But something else also rankled at her although she didn't know what it was. She was starting to get irritated long before she realised Ichigo wasn't paying attention to her. But what that something was… she needed to find out.
"I'm hungry. I'm going to get us something from the bar, okay?" she said, not really answering him and not waiting for an answer either. She turned around and was swallowed by the crowd, leaving Ichigo on the dance floor.
He turned to move as well, feeling like a mess when he bumped into someone else.
"Watch where you're going, you – "
"Oh, I'm so sorry – "
They both spoke at the same time and stopped at the same time for each had recognised the other's voice.
Once again, deep purple met glowing amber. The reactions, this time, were different. One had a look of surprise and elation while the other was filled contempt and anger. Ichigo was surprised and Rukia was pissed.
They just stood there, staring at each other. Ichigo's heart pounded inside his chest. It drowned out the sound of music and chatter and dimmed everyone's presence around him. He saw – only her.
Rukia found herself staring into those eyes again. She felt so angry at that. She was angry, so very angry. It showed in her face and he noticed. He saw the look of contempt and hate that she held for him. He reeled in shock.
She hates me…
His mouth opened to form words but nothing came out. It brought back familiar words to him: Don't ever speak to me again. He felt twice as stunned as he was back then.
Punch him! A voice inside Rukia's head commanded her. She balled up one fist; ready to strike. It is long overdue, she thought. She vaguely wondered if Inoue would still love him if his nose wasn't dead centre in his face.
She almost raised her fist when she felt another arm grabbing her own. She turned to the side and saw Shuuhei.
"Is there a problem?" he asked, delicately. He looked between them, silently fuming on the inside at the tension that sparked between Rukia and her ex-boyfriend. He had seen her bump into the last person he wanted her to speak to; and he knew he had to stop it, for Rukia's sake.
Rukia relaxed, somewhat. She looked at Shuuhei and said, "No, there's no problem." She may as well have said, "He's not a problem." That's what it sounded like to Ichigo. He also noticed how the blue-haired bastard still had his hand on Rukia's arm.
Shuuhei on the other hand, gave a small tug to that arm, effectively making Rukia fall into his arms and moving slightly away from a seething Ichigo.
"What are you doing?" Rukia asked, startled by his behaviour.
"Dance with me," he stated, smiling slightly, his eyes dancing in excitement. And she did.
Now, Kuchiki Rukia would never grind with anyone. Period.
She wouldn't grind with Shuuhei either. He didn't come on to her or try anything weird. He just showed her a good time. Rukia threw caution to the winds and allowed him to have control. So, she spent her time getting buzzed at the bar, and then dancing again with him, getting buzzed, then dancing and so on and so forth.
And boy… did she have fun.
Ichigo's amber eyes were narrowed into slits, as he watched them, dancing together, laughing and conversing together. It was like they were oblivious to the outside world now that they were in each other's presence.
Shuuhei was continuously rambling while Rukia had clasped her hands around her stomach, laughing to no end, even as they danced.
It gave him the savage urge to pummel something into smithereens.
Without really thinking, he went over to the bar and had a couple of shots of vodka.
He just sat there… thinking…
It was close to 2 am when the party made it out of the night club. Everyone, apart from Ichigo and Orihime, were wasted.
The husband and wife to be had pulled a "Shuuhei and Rukia"; getting buzzed and dancing all night. Renji and Tatsuki could barely stand, although Tatsuki seemed in slightly better shape than Renji at the moment. Uryu had hooked up with a woman an hour before and had left with her. Chad was sober enough to catch a cab all the way back to his place without actually passing out in it on the way.
But the worst of the group were:
"I would do anything for you… I would climb mountains…!" sang Shuuhei at the top of his voice, swaying on his feet, as he held Rukia by the arms who looked to be in about the same condition as he was in.
Rukia was smiling at him, not knowing which planet she was in. She just felt like smiling.
"I would swim all the oceans bluuuuuuue…!" Shuuhei sang and in effect, ruining David Bowie's fantastic top notes.
He swung her around in his drunken stupor earning a laugh from her.
"Shing with me," he said with difficulty.
Rukia obliged. "I would walk a thousand miles… revealing my secrets… more than enough for me to shaaaare…!"
Ichigo was gritting his teeth at this unwelcome "show" they were putting on outside. People were starting to look at them, some staring, and some laughing, at the dizzy, disoriented group.
The singing duo was swirling around on the path, moving away from the rest. They seemed to have forgotten where they were and the people around them.
The valet brought the Range Rover to the front and Ichigo, with increasing difficulty, got everyone inside and shut the doors.
He handed the keys to Orihime and said, "Here… drop Momo and Izuru at their place, drop Renji next and drive to Tatsuki's and stay there. I'll come and get you, okay?"
She nodded. She wondered what he was going to do. He answered her before she questioned him.
"I'm going after Sonny and Cher over there," he said, pointing at the performing duo on the sidewalk, moving further away from them. "I'll put them in a cab and make sure they get to their hotel safely. It won't take long, I promise," he said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek and pivoting.
She did the same.
Ichigo was walking towards Rukia and Shuuhei and saw the Range Rover taking off down the road.
"Alright, that's enough!" he said, grabbing them both. It was easy, like taking care of children. He led them by the hand, waved over a cab and got them into it.
However, just like children, they wouldn't shut up. There was more singing, loud singing, in the cab.
Oh joy…
It was a fifteen minute drive, but it felt a lot longer to Ichigo. He could only come to one conclusion after that cab ride with the both of them:
I'm never having kids!
Again, he led them by the hand, into the hotel. They just wouldn't shut up! And Ichigo's patience was wearing thin.
The concierge gave him their respective room numbers and pushed the button to the elevator for him. He mumbled thanks and got in. It looked like the concierge didn't want them waking up the entire hotel and wanted to hurry them into their rooms.
Ten minutes later, he put Shuuhei in his room but it seemed he didn't want Rukia to leave. Ichigo pushed Shuuhei onto the bed and threw the covers over him, wanting to be rid of him.
He slammed the door shut on his way out and Rukia gripped his arm with both of her own. He gulped and looked down at her. Without his arm for support, she'd be face down on the floor.
"Shhh!" she said, looking adorably angry. "You'll wake everyone up!" she said in a loud whisper.
She looked so cute that he smiled.
Surprisingly, she smiled back at him. He was even more surprised and felt his heart flutter for the first time after meeting her again.
She reached up and put a hand to his face, making him jump at the sudden contact and because that simple touch sent wave after wave of tingles down his body.
"I've always liked your smile," she said, gently. She was slurring her words but he understood what she said.
His smile was somewhat fixed on his face after she said that. He cleared his throat and led her toward her room.
He opened the door and accompanied her in. He was very nervous. He was putting Rukia into bed; of course he'd be nervous.
He gulped and got down to his knees as she sat down on the bed. He took off her shoes and leather jacket and gently urged her onto the mattress.
She moved to his touch and lay in bed, staring at him. He didn't know if she was really seeing him but he liked having her eyes on him. He put away the discarded clothing and pulled up the covers over her.
By that time, she'd already fallen asleep.
He huffed. This was not good. She was incredibly vulnerable to him now. He sat down next to her and looked at her sleeping form; so serene and calm and beautiful.
He pushed the hair out of her face, enjoying the smooth skin of her face. He didn't know just how much he'd missed doing this. He traced his fingers on her eyebrows, down her nose, reacquainting himself with her face. She was breathing evenly, falling deeper into her slumber.
He kept running his hands softly over her head, like he used to when they were together. She had done it to him all the time. She'd run her fingers through his untidy hair. She always told him that she was trying to straighten it out, but he knew better.
He smiled at the pleasant memory.
She sighed in contentment. Ichigo pulled back his hand immediately. She was drunk and passed out; he shouldn't be anywhere close to her, let alone touching her face while she slept.
It didn't matter how much he wanted the right to be able to do this to her, he knew he just couldn't.
He also knew that this would probably be the last time he would be able to touch her. It pained him so much that it over whelmed him for a second. He didn't know if he had the strength to walk out of her room.
In a final act, he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. He was saying goodbye. Then, he heard it.
A name… which came out of her mouth… in a contented sigh.
His name…
She spoke his name… softly, pleasantly, lovingly…
He didn't think twice.
He bent down and kissed her on the lips.
Hope you liked this one. Please review.
