Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach
Chapter Ten - Fear of Death
"Come on Ichigo," Rukia said as she pulled on his arm, practically dragging him to the permanent Senkaimon that had been set up in their basement. "You're the one who asked me out. The least you can do is have the balls to tell my brother that we're dating."
"Have the balls?" Ichigo repeated, momentarily forgetting their destination as he turned questioning brown eyes to his girlfriend of three days. "Where the hell did you learn to talk like that?"
"Karin," Rukia replied, using his momentary distraction to her advantage. Giving one final, mighty tug she succeeded in pulling Ichigo down the stairs. Unfortunately he lost his balance on the second step and tumbled down the stairs, landing in a heap at the bottom.
"What the hell?" Ichigo exclaimed, jumping to his feet and glaring at her. "Are you trying to kill me?"
"It was just a little tumble down the stairs you baby," Rukia said as she once again seized him by the hand and pulled him over to the Senkaimon. "And besides, it's not like anything would really change if you died."
"Little tumble my ass," Ichigo grumbled, rubbing the side of his head where a knot was already beginning to form. "I'm lucky I didn't break my neck."
"Ugh," Rukia groaned as she placed her hand on the Senkaimon and released a measured flow of reiatsu. The frame began to glow seconds before the portal to Soul Society opened. "Stop your whining and come on."
It was in that moment that Ichigo remembered where they were going and why it was that they had to go there. Screaming out his protests he turned and attempted to flee however Rukia anticipated this action and reaching out she caught the back of his shihakusho.
"Oh man," Ichigo thought to himself as he was pulled into the Senkaimon. He wasn't ready to die just yet, despite the fact that it really wouldn't change all that much, and he didn't want to tell Byakuya that he was currently dating the man's sister. While it was true that he had defeated the Squad Six Captain in the past he didn't relish the thought of having to fight him again. After all he may be more of a challenge while fighting for his sister. "I really don't wanna do this!"
"Deal with it," Rukia told him. "If you and I are going to be together then we have to tell my brother."
"Why?" Ichigo demanded, once again fighting against the hold that she had on his arm.
"Because he's my brother," Rukia said, refusing to relinquish the hold that she had on him. She knew that he would flee should he gain his freedom and she was determined not to let that happen. "And I care about him and want him to know."
Groaning to himself Ichigo resigned himself to his fate and ceased his struggle for freedom. If Rukia really wanted to tell Byakuya that they were dating then who was he to stop her? If it was his fate to die today then he was resigned.
But that didn't mean that he had to like it.
"I don't wanna die!"
Rukia rolled her eyes at the outburst from her boyfriend but chose to remain silent. Ichigo stopped fighting at this point, which made it much easier to pull him along, and Rukia heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad experience after all.
"Hey Rukia-chan!"
Rukia turned her violet eyes in the direction that the voice had came from and she smiled broadly as her gaze fell upon the Squad Ten Captain, Rangiku Matsumoto. "Hey Rangiku-san," she called out, waving for the voluptuous blond to come closer. "What are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Ichigo said, his gaze locked on Matsumoto. "She's avoiding her paperwork."
"Why Ichigo I'm offended," Matsumoto said, although the wide smile that she wore on her face belied the words that she spoke. "I'll have you know that I complete my paperwork. . . mostly on time."
Rukia laughed however even this was a drastic change from the older woman's days as a vice-captain. She had been legendary for avoiding doing her paperwork however after the loss of Captain Hitsugaya the new captain had taken charge, surprising everyone with how much she had changed.
"So what brings the two of you to Soul Society?" Matsumoto asked, her curiosity aroused. It wasn't normal for the two Squad Five officers to come to the Seireitei on days that there weren't meetings for either the captains or the vice-captains. After all they were permanently stationed in the world of the living.
"An execution," Ichigo mumbled, his gaze downcast.
Matsumoto's eyes widened in surprise and Rukia quickly held up her hands. "It's nothing like that Rangiku-san. It's just that Ichigo asked me to be his girlfriend and I wanted to share the good news with Nii-sama."
"Well that's just insane," Matsumoto commented, her gaze once again focusing on Ichigo. "If I were you I'd wait until you guys got engaged before I told him anything."
"Don't look at me," Ichigo said. "It's not my idea."
"It'll be fine," Rukia told both of them. "Well we should probably be going. We'll see you later Rangiku-san."
"Maybe," Ichigo added as he was pulled along by his girlfriend. He wasn't really expecting to escape this encounter unscathed since it was a no win situation. On the one hand, if he beat Byakuya then Rukia would probably be angry with him but on the other hand, if he didn't beat Byakuya then the Squad Six Captain would probably kill him.
"And I bet that bastard would enjoy it," Ichigo muttered.
"What was that Ichigo?" Rukia asked, turning her head and gazing back at him.
"Nothing," Ichigo lied, having no desire to repeat himself.
Leaving Matsumoto staring at them the two Squad Five officers continued on their way across the Seireitei. It was too early in the day for Byakuya to be at home at the Kuchiki Manor so Rukia proceeded to drag her captain and new boyfriend in the direction of the Squad Six barracks.
As they walked Ichigo could almost swear that he saw his life flash before his eyes and in his opinion it was way to short. He was reluctant to follow Rukia any further however he knew that he didn't have a choice in the matter. He struggled to swallow around the lump that had appeared in his throat, feeling like a lamb being led to the slaughter.
"This sucks," he thought to himself, clenching his hands into fists.
When the couple arrived at the Squad Six office Rukia stepped forward and knocked on the door, while still maintaining her grip on Ichigo's arm. "Enter," a gruff voice called out from within. Rukia offered Ichigo a brief smile before she slid the door open and pulled him inside the office.
Byakuya was sitting behind his desk and he gazed up as Rukia and Ichigo stepped inside his office.
Rukia could tell, by the faint look of confusion in his eyes, that her brother was confused by their appearance in his office and she offered him a smile. "Hello Nii-sama. Ichigo and I," she paused and tugged on Ichigo until she had him facing forward, then continued. "have something that we'd like to tell you."
Byakuya's questioning gaze focused on Ichigo and a look of defiance suddenly appeared on the Squad Five Captain's face. "Rukia and I are dating and she thought that you'd like to know."
Byakuya took a moment to digest the information that he had just been given and then he nodded before returning to the pile of papers that were stacked in front of him, as though his paperwork was more important than the two of them. "Very well."
"Wh. . . what did he say?" Ichigo stammered as Rukia beamed a smile at her brother. He couldn't believe the words that he'd just heard and wanted to find out if he'd hallucinated the entire thing.
"He said very well," Rukia repeated. "Which means that he's fine with our relationship."
And with this Rukia once again seized Ichigo by the arm and pulled him from the office, before he had the chance to do something stupid that made Byakuya change his mind. It would be so like him and she didn't want to give him the opportunity.
"It didn't sound like he was saying okay," Ichigo grumbled as the two of them made their way back toward the Senkaimon that would take them home to the world of the living. "It sounded as though he didn't have time for us and didn't care what we had to say."
"I don't believe this," Rukia said, placing her hands on her hips as she turned to glare at him. "First you didn't want to go because you were certain that Nii-sama was going to be mad and that you'd have to fight him and now you're upset that he didn't react the way you expected. What the hell is wrong with you Ichigo?"
"I'm defective," the Squad Five Captain muttered, his tone of voice serious as he answered her question.
"Yes you are," Rukia said, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a hug. "But I wouldn't have you any other way."
"And that makes you defective," Ichigo deadpanned.
Resisting the urge to slap him upside the head Rukia instead pulled him even closer and touched her lips to his. The two of them were definitely not a normal couple but hey, normal was over rated any way. They were who they were and that was good enough for her.
A/N - and there's chapter ten! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Til next time this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.