Fragaria Vesca

By Summer

One cup (144 g) of strawberries contains approximately 45 calories (188 kJ) and is an excellent source of vitamin C and flavonoids.

Chapter Ten: Theobroma Cacao

"Hey, Ichigo!" Tatsuki called out. "Wait up!"

Ichigo looked up from his cell phone and smiled at his friend. "Hey."

"No more homework, no more books!" Tatsuki rhymed with a smile. "And were celebrating tomorrow. You're going to join us, aren't you?"

Tomorrow was Saturday and it was also his date with Rukia.

"Sorry, Tatsuki. I've got plans tomorrow."

"It's only the first day of vacation."

"And I'm planning to enjoy every minute of it."

She frowned, guessing on how he was planning to spend the first day of vacation, "I don't think I can approve of some random girl without meeting her."

"You'll like her," Ichigo said.

"So you're ditching all your friends for some girl."

"I'm ditching all of my friends to go out on a date with a amazing girl."

Tatsuki gave him a half smile. "Whatever. If its an utter fail, call."

"Come on, Tatsuki. Your always telling me I should date. Look at me. I'm dating."

"I didn't mean with the first stranger to cross your path."

"I more crossed her's. Besides, who would I date here? Come on, I like her. Be happy for me."

Tatsuki frowned and Ichigo laughed.

"Fine. Fine. I'm happy for you." She paused. "You could bring her."

"And subject her to Chizuru, Keigo, and Mizuiro before I have to. Are you kidding?"

Tatsuki laughed. "That's true. What about Sunday?"

"Hospital start of summer picnic."

"You hate all those hospital social events," Tatsuki pointed out.

"She's going."

"What if your date is a disaster."

"Gosh negative Nancy, thanks for the encouragement."

"I'm just trying to be reasonable. Did you know that seventy percent of all first dates end in fails?"

"Where the hell did you hear that?"

"Just some where."

"Besides, it's not even a first date really. Rukia thinks it is because a first date happens when you ask, or some nonsense. I say if you've already kissed, then it's a date."

"Already what?"

"I keep telling her we're really on date number four."

"Wait, go back to the kiss part. You've only known her a week!"

Ichigo gave his dark-haired friend a confused look. He never thought about the fact that Tatsuki was a girl. To him she was just a good friend. Like one of the guys so he never figured she'd get upset about something so girly. Then again, he didn't really know the real reason she was upset either.

"Come on, Tatsuki, it was just a kiss. A good kiss." Ichigo smiled.

"Whatever."

"Look, I've gotta run. But I'll see you Monday, right?"

Tatsuki frowned, "yeah, I guess."

"Be happy for me, Tatsuki!" Ichigo called out as he walked away. "See you then!"

"Be happy why?" Orihime asked, coming up from behind Tatsuki. "Although he looked really chipper. For Ichigo."

"Can you believe he's already kissed that hussy! The nerve of some girls!"

"Oh?" Orihime said. "He must really like her then. She was pretty cute."

"NO!"

"No?"

"She's just a slut!"

Orihime paused to think about what Rukia looked like when they met. Short, dark hair neatly combed, minus the piece that kept falling into her eye. Pressed clothes, cute shoes and a very scary older brother. "Nope. I really don't think she's a slut."

"Oh, what do you know, you only met her once."

Orihime looked ready to pout, then smiled. "Come over to my house, Tatsuki! I got some leeks, red plumbs, apples, and fish and I know just what to do with them!"

Tatsuki looked worried but followed behind the happy Orihime anyhow.

XXX

They met the next day at a coffee shop in the downtown area. Ichigo would have agreed to meet in the park across for her house but he was worried about looking like a stalker again. He figured he was a safe on an outside table forty-five minutes early.

He wasn't worried about Rukia finding the place. According to the short girl they had a driver that was well acquainted with the area. A part of him thought it was kind of funny that he was dating a girl with a driver.

From then many text messages and phone calls they had shared in the last few days he got the feeling that money wasn't much of a factor for Rukia or her brother. Sure, they had plenty of it, but they never seemed to spend much of it. Apparently her brother worked most of the time and she was left in the hands of her tutors, a nanny that Byakuya still insisted on, and a team of body guards that she hardly needed. He got the feeling that there was a lot more about the division between brother and sister then long work hours.

Her text messages screamed of loneliness. He wasn't sure that she thought of it that way, but she often mentioned that she was alone or reading or at the piano. She was never busy.

At first, he thought it was great that she had the time to talk to him but in the last day or so he got to think how lonely it was. When he was talking to her one of his sisters or his father would barge in. He still texted her constantly but he'd be in the middle of family dinner or talking with school friends or even in the middle of school. He realized that he was constantly surrounded by people and she never was.

He hoped that he could change that. It seemed like a rather sucky way to live. In a few days she would have art classes with his friends and that would help things. Maybe she'd become friends with Tatsuki and Orihime too. Girls needed girl friends, right? Plus he didn't know that many girls that she could befriend.

He fiddled with his cell phone waiting for the time to change. In a sad, love-struck kind of way he noted that it had been an hour since he last talked to her.

Yes, it was pathetic and unlike him to think about not talking to her in a hour as a bad thing. He would be the first to admit that was cheesy and girly.

The thing was she made him happy and nervous and comfortable all rolled up in one. And yes, she made him feel sexual too. He could admit, if anyone dared asked him, that he had great dreams all week about her creamy skin and soft pink lips and what he'd really enjoy doing for a few hours if she let him.

He was lost in this thoughts when small hands fell over his eyes. "Guess who!" she sang out as she pulled her hands back right after and made her way to the seat across from him. "And here I thought I was early."

"I finished my errands early." He beamed. "Hey, short stack."

She stuck out her tongue, "hey back, Orange Glow."

"What kind of pet name is Orange Glow?" a voice behind Ichigo asked.

He turned his eyes from Rukia to look behind him.

Standing there was a short, dark blond haired girl and a tall man with spiky black hair. They were both in black tuxes and white head-bands.

"Ichigo, these are my bodyguards for the day. Sentarō and Kiyone."

"Why does she look like a teenager?"

"I'll have you know that I'm twenty two," Kiyone said.

"They both go to the university in Tokyo, but spend summers with us."

"So we can be close to Master Ukitake," Sentarō said with pride.

"Master Ukitake use to be our Kendo instructor until he went to work for the Kuchiki's full time."

"Oh! I took karate with Tatuski for years," Ichigo said.

"They are not the same thing!" Kiyone said with a harsh tone.

"I knew that," Ichigo said. When he was little he actually had wanted to take kendo first, but his parents frowned on letting there five year old son wield a sword. Although it was unlikely to happen when he was young. He would have been using a shinai. One way or the other his mother wasn't letting him whack other kids with sticks. They enrolled him in karate instead where he met Tatuski.

"I was Master Ukitake's favorite," Sentarō said with pride.

"No, I was Master Ukitake's favorite!" Kiyone said.

"Rukia!" they both shouted.

"Umm."

"Who are we kidding," Kiyone said sullenly. "Miss Rukia was Master Ukitake's favorite. No one looks prettier holding a sword then Miss Rukia."

"Okay, you've met him now," Rukia said. "Now shoo."

The two bodyguards looked a bit sad, but Ichigo wasn't sure if it was because they were being ordered to go or because they weren't Ukitake's favorite.

"Alright, Miss Rukia, we'll be close."

"I have no doubts," Rukia said.

The pair turned and walked a ways down the sidewalk, stopping at a large tree.

"Yeah, that doesn't look totally weird, Rukia," Ichigo said.

"It can't be helped. I have to bring someone, and Ukitake was feeling a bit under the weather today."

He glanced back over at the pair under the tree, then turned again to face Rukia. "Is this really what you're life is like?"

She laughed. "Only around Byakuya. Most of the time they walk next to me and I make them take of the stupid jacket. And pretty soon you wont even notice them. There not usually so obvious."

"If you say so."

"Is this going to be a problem, Ichigo?"

"No," he sighed.

He wasn't sure what to do now. It felt odd that any moves he made were being watched by Byakuya's henchmen. How was he to know that if he moved to hold Rukia's hand that one of them wouldn't slice off his own? He was lost in his thoughts and only noticed when Rukia stood up.

"Ichigo, this isn't going to work out-"

She was cut off as Ichigo jumped up and grabbed her arm and prevented her from moving. "Rukia, please."

"I can't change who I am, Ichigo. I can't change the fact that Byakuya makes me have bodyguards or that I-"

She was promptly cut off as Ichigo kissed her. It was a short kiss but it didn't stop her knees from shaking or the butterflies in her stomach from fluttering.

"I'm sorry I'm being an ass. This is weird for me. But I promise to ignore them if you forgive me."

She made a face and stuck her finger in his chest. "Don't think you can always get out of things just by kissing me, Ichigo."

"I promise," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," but she smiled. "So, what's first?"

XXX

First: By now we should know who own Bleach and who doesn't. That's right! Good job!

Second: Theobroma Cacao means… well it's the name of the Cocao tree. The wonderful source of coco! Yay! My niece spent some time in first grade learning all about cocao and loves to talk about it.

Third: This is kinda off topic… but my friend says every day I become more and more like Rukia… it doesn't help that I cosplay her.. Or that I have a really hard time opening juice boxes and have to have help..(seriously! I've had this issue since I was five! I have bad lunch memories of failing at tiny straws and stupid boxes!) Or that I draw really crappy bunnies.. (they kinda resemble dogs..lol)… but she claims that I am becoming more and more like her..

Anyhow.. This all started because my sister is going to have another baby at the end of the year.. And my first niece is a total anime fan (YAY!) She cosplays too! And I was trying to think of a good con outfit for her and the new baby.. And I was like…I can make the baby Kon! Or Chappy! And my friend was like.. AHH! Too much Bleach for you!

Fourth: Actually, the real statistic is that 70% believe in love at first sight. I couldn't find one on first date fails…. And I thought that was funny to be what the real statistic was… and why she had to be right is beyond me..

Fifth: Thanks for taking the time to read this story. As always! Everyone is so nice! And since some people take the time to review, I also like to take my time to say individual thank you's to these people. But really, I'm just grateful for everyone who reads and enjoys this story!

Aizawa Ayumu- Yay! I liked that Rukia kissed him first. No fooling around with that girl. ^_^ I really wanted her to kiss him first because I wanted him to be really unsure as to what to DO with Rukia. Not that he doesn't know what to do with a girl, but that he doesn't know what to do with a girl like her.

Zangetsu50- Thanks! I'm glad your enjoying the story thus far!

Abarai Starsha- Awwh, thanks! I don't try and set myself up to update by a certain day, so if I fail I don't feel bad, and sometimes other stuff gets in my way, so I feel like I don't update enough, but I do love writing this, and I have a very good idea where I am headed. I'll try and be timely with updates! =)

Urikaa- Thanks! I'm having a blast writing about the twins. I really like that Ichigo's family is so different from Rukia's. But hopefully we get to see a little more or Rukia's world, because its interesting in it's own ways.

Goku's Daughter- As always, thanks for pointing out the flaws. I do mean that. It really helps. I try to remember all of them and it really helps with proofing. Going back and trying to individual read every word to make sure I got them…

Falconrukichi- ohh.. Isshin came from a kitchen door. I figured they should have one. And I figured he got home, heard voices, caught his son kissing a girl and well… did what Isshin does best. Actually, I did write this part out too, but edited it out. They way it was before left in the middle of Rukia and Ichigo's talk at the door to go to Isshin, and I felt it took you too far out of what was going on. LOL… I've taken out a lot of stuff in this story. Poor Byakuya keeps getting edited out too! But I want to keep some mystery about him and why he does what he does!