Chapter 12-Truth
"How long will this take?" Karin grumbled loudly the moment the girls walked through the automatic mall doors.
"Not too long." Rukia said as she started to fumble through her pocket for her shopping list. "I just have to purchase a few important items..." The list she retrieved rolled open to just above her knee.
Karin grabbed the usual baseball cap adorned on her head and pulled the edges down in desperation. "This is going to take forever! Why'd I let you guys drag me here?" Her sister tried to comfort her as Matsumoto grabbed the list Rukia had started to roll back up.
"Rukia!" Matsumoto cried as she scanned the bulleted items. "This is the most boring shopping list ever! Kitchen supplies, towels, bedding, light bulbs…" she looked up from the paper with a reproachful look. "Where are all the essentials?"
"Toilet paper's on there." Rukia tried to point it out, but Matsumoto merely bopped the shorter girl on the head.
"I mean clothes you silly thing!" Matsumoto exclaimed.
Rukia rubbed her head crossly. "I can only afford what's a necessity. I can't buy every little thing I want on a whim. It's called a budget Matsumoto, even you should know about that."
"Well…" Yuzu approached carefully. "New clothes wouldn't hurt. You don't really have any of your own… Not that I mind letting you borrow my dresses!" She added quickly.
Rukia frowned. "I'm sorry Yuzu. I promise that as soon as I have enough money to buy outfits, I'll make it up to you. I just can't afford to make fashion a priority."
"Actually…You probably can." Tatsuki pulled something small out from her back jeans pocket and handed it to Rukia. "I sorta forgot about it until now, but Ichigo wanted me to give you this…uh…temporary credit card…" Tatsuki's eyes scanned the sky as if searching for an explanation in the air. "You can spend as much as the card will allow, which should be enough for everything on your list and the…essentials." She muttered sarcastically.
Rukia frowned more suspiciously this time. She knew a few details about credit cards and she was planning on dedicating an entire lesson on it when her Human Liaison sessions started. "Why would Ichigo give me this? I'm spending my own money." She asked.
Tatsuki looked aggravated at being asked for further explanation. "Look, it's not his, it's yours to use."
"Then why does it have his name on it?" Rukia asked as she fingered the raised letters that read Kurosaki Ichigo on the thin plastic.
Tatsuki looked miffed. "He just filled out the paperwork so you could have your own credit card. You'll still have to pay the bills on it. Ichigo said he told you how these things work."
"Well he never told me about temporary credit cards…" Rukia mulled it over. She knew with credit cards humans sent in the money later instead of paying up front. Even if the card was Ichigo's, Rukia could be responsible for paying it. "Well okay." Rukia nodded as she came to her decision. "I'll just make sure I pay the bill on time."
"Fantastic!" Matsumoto clapped. "Now that boring business stuff is out of the way, we can start spending all your hard earned money!" She started dragging Rukia towards the nearest clothing store.
"I've never heard of a temporary credit card." Karin started, but then Tatsuki immediately began to drag the girl in the opposite direction.
"Why don't we leave those girly girls to buy clothes while we hit the arcade? My treat!" Tatsuki didn't have to struggle with Karin for long before the younger girl took off in agreement.
"Wait a minute!" Rukia cried out fearfully, now sandwiched between Orihime and Matsumoto with Yuzu leading the way. "Don't leave me with these guys!"
Tatsuki merely grinned sadistically and waved as Rukia was left all alone with the shopping sharks.
"Ohh!!" Orihime gasped. "This pink headband would look adorable on you Kuchiki-san!"
"Pink?" Rukia questioned.
"It'll get that one piece of hair out of the way!" Matsumoto agreed.
"Maybe we should go to a salon and get Rukia's hair styled." Yuzu suggested.
Rukia watched the ample girls bounce and jiggle around in glee. And to the glee of random male passerby…
"Makeover!" They shouted together.
Rukia threw her head back and let the animated women drag her around. There would be no derailing their commitment to make Rukia a fashionista. They visited store after store, and after a lot of perseverance and persistence on Rukia's part, she was actually able complete her list before the other girls forced her into trying on and purchasing outfits.
Rukia couldn't completely complain. Well, she could…but she wouldn't. Her friends were appealing to her more feminine and playful side and she was actually looking forward to seeing Ichigo's reaction to her wearing clothes that hadn't previously donned his younger sister.
She found shopping with a credit card to be quite fascinating. She could pile a mound of clothes onto a counter, swipe her card, and with a, "Thank you for shopping Miss Kurosaki!" from the cashier, she was on her way. She blushed furiously the first time an attendant called her by Ichigo's last name, but didn't correct them. There was probably a lot of paperwork she would have to falsify in order to receive her own credit card. Ichigo was simply saving her time…she was in no way secretly thrilled by the way Kurosaki Rukia sounded in her mind…
The estrogen was definitely getting to her.
Rukia finally convinced Orihime, Matsumoto, and Yuzu that she had enough clothes to last her at least a week according to Matsumoto…Rukia thought the new wardrobe would last her lifetime in Soul Society…And they should meet back up with Tatsuki and Karin before they abandoned them at the mall…if they hadn't already.
As they neared the arcade, they could hear the triumphant yells of Karin echoing across the mall walls. "Suck it Arisawa! I am the soccer star of actual and virtual reality!" Rukia watched the self proclaimed soccer star pump her fist in the air and dance around the dimly lit room filled with noisy machines.
Rukia's eyes lit up at the bright colors dancing around her. "Remind me to make Ichigo take me here one day." She mused bringing their presence to Tatsuki's attention.
Tatsuki turned away from Karin's celebrating to stare wide eyed at the new arrivals and what they had in tow. "Jeez Rukia. I don't think you'll have enough change for one round of gaming after all that shopping." She pointed to the mountain of bags and boxes the shopping troupe had brought with them.
Orihime bit her lip. "Hmm…maybe we went a teeny bit overboard…" she admitted.
Matsumoto huffed. "There's no such thing as too much shopping." She frowned disappointedly at the girl she imagined to be her protégé.
"How are you going to get all of that home?" Karin asked sensibly.
Rukia quirked her face. She hadn't thought of that. "We should call Ichigo." Rukia suggested.
"Are you sure you want him to see how much you bought?" Orihime asked a little too quickly.
Rukia shrugged without a hint of guilt. "It's my money anyway. And he's bound to find out about all this stuff eventually." She gathered all the receipts from her purchases to add up the damage. "I wonder how much did I spend though…" She said aloud.
Matsumoto twirled a few fingers at a group of guys who had been watching them. "We don't need to bother Ichigo anyway when there are plenty of able bodied men all around us." With a wink of her eye and a cute giggle, the bag dilemma was solved.
Karin,Yuzu, and Matsumoto began to direct the more than willing helpers they had acquired, while Rukia fumbled with mathematics.
"I need to make a note to tell Urahara to add a calculator to this gigai." Rukia complained heatedly. The notion of a calculator on her person started as a joke, but it was beginning to sound like a very useful feature…
Orihime tilted her head quizzically. "Doesn't your cell phone have a calculator Kuchiki-san?"
Rukia looked up. "Huh?"
"Your soul pager," Orihime went on. "It takes calls, texts, and pictures like any normal phone. Doesn't it have a calculator?"
"Hey it does!" Rukia discovered before grimacing at her own ignorance. "Can we not mention this to Ichigo?" She could already picture his annoying face mocking her.
Tatsuki furrowed her brows and frowned. "What's with you two and secrets?"
"What are you talking about?" Rukia asked as Orihime bit her lip and glanced away.
"Nothing." Tatsuki waved a hand. "Never mind me. I'm just miserable with all this shopping." She said sounding bored.
"You didn't even do the shopping." Rukia declared, still feeling somewhat abandoned and left to the mercy of the style hounds.
"Eh…Are those all the receipts?" Tatsuki shifted the conversation and looked interestedly at the papers gathered in Rukia's fist.
Rukia nodded. "Yes, I've got them right here. A responsible independent human keeps their receipts for their records."
"Right…" Tatsuki said dryly. "Can I see those?"
"Um…Okay…" Rukia handed the papers over apprehensively and then watched Tatsuki promptly dice them into shreds and ribbons.
"Tatsuki!" Rukia dove to the ground to collect the chopped remains. "What are you doing?!" she cried out distressed. "I just said I need those for my records and in case I need to return something!" She glared angrily at the girl who was usually level headed despite all the jabs she must have taken there.
"Sorry Rukia. It wasn't my idea, but I'm afraid you've been had." Tatsuki stood with an empathetic expression on her face.
"What are you talking about?" Rukia asked confused.
"I need Ichigo's bank card back too. You definitely put some damage to his checking account." Tatsuki smirked. "That should teach him to make me do his dirty work."
Rukia steamed. "You told me it was a temporary credit card."
"It's Ichigo's bank card." Tatsuki explained with a laugh. "He said all the clerks give him a hassle because they think he stole it from some cute girl with a name like Ichigo. I'll bet you didn't get ID'd once."
Rukia scowled and made a mental note to mock Ichigo after she beat the crap out of him.
Tatsuki continued explaining. "Ichigo got a job to buy all this crap for you because he knew you wouldn't accept handouts."
"What?!" Rukia's jaw dropped. She knew he was hiding something, but she never figured he'd lied to her about being employed.
"Sorry Rukia." Orihime laid a hand on her shoulder.
Rukia shut her mouth so she could drop it again. "You knew too?!" She pursed her lips together. "Why is it that I'm always being kept out of the loop?"
"Don't get too upset Rukia." Yuzu returned and attempted to console her softly. "It's just Ichigo's way of showing you how much he cares."
"He just happens to also be an idiot." Karin added.
"Nonsense!" Matsumoto joined having sent her little worshipping workers on their way. "You should be happy to have such a great boyfriend Rukia."
"He's not my-"
"Oh, or is that called a sugar daddy?" Matsumoto pondered with a finger scratching her chin.
"A sugar what?!" Rukia snapped.
"Isn't that a candy?" Orihime chirped.
Tatsuki nodded. "I'm pretty sure it's both."
"Can we get some?!" Orihime asked. "We can dip them in chili powder!"
"Wait a minute!" Rukia shouted to regain control and to avoid giving Orihime any more sugar. "We're not having candy! I've been lied to for…for how long?" she asked the group.
"Ever since you got your job Kuchiki-san." Orihime answered.
"And everyone's been keeping this from me from the start?"
"Well actually," Orihime began. "Kurosaki-kun asked Ishida-kun for help to get a job at his father's hospital and asked for it to be kept a secret. But then Ishida-kun told me after we were…um…he told me in confidence…but then I accidentally let it slip to Tatsuki, and Mizuiro heard us and he told Keigo." She paused to reflect. "I'm actually surprised you didn't find out before now."
Rukia gaped at her friends. Secrets indeed. She narrowed her eyes in determination. "Ishida's hospital you say?"
"Oh please don't do anything Kuchiki-san, we weren't supposed to let you know." Orihime pleaded.
"It doesn't really matter now Orihime." Tatsuki grinned maliciously. "Rukia bought everything she needed and she can't return it now. He might as well quit that job. I'm pretty sure he hates it there."
Rukia was fuming. How dare that idiot lie to her?! He couldn't blame her for trying to do things on her own. She never got in his way when he had a stupid vendetta against a hollow. He should have respected her wishes.
Rukia put on her school girl smile and waved cheerfully to her friends. "Well thank you so much for accompanying me on my little outing! I think I'm going to give a special thanks to Ichigo now!"
Even Matsumoto backed away from the killing aura Rukia was radiating as she swiftly set off towards the hospital to give Ichigo a piece of her mind and a taste of her fist.
Her anger kept her pace brisk and she was nearing the hospital fast. "I can't wait to make some jam out of that damn Strawberry…" Rukia growled to herself.
Suddenly her phone beeped at the presence of a hollow and put her homicide plans on hold. "As long as I have some anger leftover for Ichigo…" she muttered. She ran to the area where the hollow's reiatsu was located and paused when she felt another familiar reiatsu go with it.
"Ichigo..." Rukia broke into full speed, forgetting her vendetta and replacing it with fear that one of those tentacled hollows was with Ichigo. She'd been with him every time one had shown up, so she didn't bother to mention her concerns about making contact with the flailing appendages.
The hollow appeared to be close to the hospital, so Ichigo was most likely already engaged. Sure enough, when Rukia was close enough to hear the hollow roar, she heard Ichigo's battle cry as well.
"ARRRGGGG!" Ichigo swung down at the hollow, but a quick tentacle deflected him.
Rukia gasped, but then saw Ichigo pull Zangetsu out to block the attack.
"I'm in a bad fucking mood you ugly shit!" Ichigo yelled angrily at the hollow.
"So am I you lying bastard!" Rukia took pleasure in Ichigo's look of shock as she joined in the attack. She hadn't attempted to switch into her Soul Reaper form since she'd entered her new gigai, but decided the current situation was a perfect time to try it out.
Rukia remembered to focus her reiatsu and concentrate on wielding her zanpakuto, and she suddenly felt a shift. Rukia glanced down and saw she was in her shinigami robes and ready for battle.
The hollow roared hungrily at the new prey landing before him and lashed out an attack.
Rukia easily evaded the furious charge and flipped gracefully over the hollows head. She landed softly on the ground behind the monster and took her battle stance.
"Dance. Sode no Shirayuki." She said with calm grace. She saw Ichigo stare openly at her and she let a smile slip. No matter how many times he saw her use her power, he still seemed transfixed by it. Rukia took a proud satisfaction in stupefying the powerful substitute without even trying.
Her smile wavered when she saw the hollow shift it's aggression back towards Ichigo with a sneaking arm.
"Behind you fool!" Rukia yelled at Ichigo as her zanpakuto's first dance froze the hollow in it's place and in a brilliant crystalline flash, destroyed it within the icy prison.
Rukia ran to where she last saw Ichigo, and unfortunately found him on the ground wheezing.
"Ichigo!" she cried out. She rushed to his side and pulled him into a sitting position. "You idiot! Did you let it touch you?"
He didn't answer but instead grabbed her shoulders fiercely, frightening her with his intensity.
"Rukia!" He panted, still recovering. He looked at her and his intense gaze matched his grip. "Is this what you saw when that last hollow touched you?" He asked almost pleadingly.
Rukia frowned feeling annoyed. "How am I supposed to know what you saw in your own head, you half-wit?" she stated bitterly.
She was only angry at herself for not telling Ichigo sooner about the tentacles. She let it slip from her mind because of her own trepidation from the experience.
Ichigo stood up and brought Rukia with him, not releasing her from his grip. "Did you see Aizen and the hogyoku?" He leaned down and stared into her face.
Rukia nodded slowly. "And I saw Kaien."
Ichigo frowned with his scowl if that were possible. "You mean the espada?"
"I saw them both."
He loosened his grip and rubbed his thumbs along her shoulders. "I didn't see that…"
"I don't know what it means." Rukia shook her head. "I just decided it was best to avoid touching the hollows. Maybe since it's happened to you too we should go to Urahara…"
Ichigo looked away and nodded slowly. "Yeah…there's something not right about this…" He looked back down to her and attempted a smile. "Let's just go home for now and work on this tomorrow."
Then Rukia remembered that she was mad at him and she swiftly punched him in the stomach causing him to double over.
He looked at her like she was insane. "What the fuck?! Are you trying to finish what the hollow started?"
"You lied to me!" Rukia reverted back to their usual arguing to stay away from the subject of bad memories.
Ichigo bent over and shook his head. When he rose he slumped in realization. "You found out about my job huh?"
"Well it seems I was the last person in the city to know!" she griped.
"I'm not going to apologize Rukia." Ichigo said earnestly. "You needed help but you're too stubborn to ask for it. I told you I was going to support you, so go ahead and hit me if you want." Ichigo opened his arms and closed his eyes tightly, preparing for another attack.
Rukia sighed. "I already hit you. I'm too tired to pound information into you that you're already so keen to ignore." She crossed her arms and focused her reiatsu, returning to the form of her gigai. "You're forgiven."
"You going easy on me Rukia?" Ichigo smirked.
"I suppose I am." She glanced at him. "It's the closest thing you'll get to a thank you."
Ichigo placed himself back into his body. "You're the only person I know who thinks not beating someone is a form of thanks."
Rukia sauntered away. "Well that must make me pretty amazing huh?" she teased.
"Amazing…annoying…It's a fine line." Ichigo considered. "But I guess I'll take whatever thanks I get."
Rukia snorted. "Go ahead and say that before you see how much I spent."
Rukia watched Ichigo's eyes widen, then sag with slight distress at the thought of his bank account.
She laughed as they started to return home for the night when she suddenly realized she didn't know where home was. "Ichigo?" She asked. "Where are we going?"
He peered at her incredulously. "I told you, we're going home. Something wrong with your hearing now?"
She rolled her eyes at his response. "I mean who's home? We don't live together anymore."
Ichigo frowned and looked way. "I guess I'll drop you off at your house then I'll go home for the night."
Rukia considered her words before saying them out loud. "Or you could just stay at my place..."
By Ichigo's scandalized reaction, she should have spent more time on her choice of words.
"What?" He asked, still looking shocked.
"We're closer to my house than yours, and you're already worn out." Rukia glanced at his weary and…smelly appearance with a touch of disdain. "I think that hospital and the hollow have done a good job of working you over."
Ichigo looked insulted. "I'm not that weak. I don't need your charity."
Rukia made an 'o' with her mouth. "Oh, so you don't enjoy people fretting needlessly over you when you're quite capable of taking care of yourself?"
Ichigo only scowled and rolled his eyes at her well-timed mock. Rukia grinned knowing her point was made. "Don't worry Ichigo. I won't make you sleep in the closet."
He glanced nervously to the sides and anywhere that wasn't her face. "But…uh, where...what…"
"Come on Ichigo. You don't want to be my first house guest?" Rukia was actually excited for the chance to play host, even if she wasn't truly intending to treat Ichigo as a guest.
"No, it's not that…" he mumbled still looking timid.
"Then just shut up." Rukia said decisively. "You're obviously too tired to form a sentence. You might as well crash at my place." Rukia smiled up at him. "I've always wanted to use that expression."
Ichigo rolled his eyes and found the courage to meet her eyes again. "You're so lame."
Rukia titled her head in slight agreement. "Well I'm sorry, but Nii-sama has never been fond of sleepovers at the Kuchiki manor." She got excited as a thought formed in her mind. "Maybe we could watch movies and eat popcorn!"
Ichigo sighed. "It's not like a girly sleepover Rukia. I'm just crashing because it's late."
"It's my house, it'll be a girly sleepover if that's what I decide it is." She argued.
He looked down at her with unease. "Well I'm not letting you paint my nails or do my hair."
Rukia shivered at the image. "No makeovers." She remembered how difficult it was to pry Matsumoto's hands away from her own hair. "Just…take a shower okay? You smell like…I don't want to even think about it." Rukia grimaced.
"No." Ichigo sighed again. "You don't."
When they finally reached Rukia's house, they were ready to literally crash. Rukia finally understood the validity of the expression.
On the walk over Ichigo told Rukia that he might invest in a car because the trek was just too long. But when she mentioned learning how to drive herself, he quickly rescinded his proposal.
"Why can't I drive a car?" Rukia called to Ichigo who was currently in her bathroom taking a shower.
"It's rude to talk to people when they're in the bathroom!" He yelled over the roar of water.
"It's not rude if it's my bathroom!" Rukia argued.
"You're gonna throw that, 'it's my roof, my rules,' shit over my head aren't you?" he complained loudly.
"It's only fair, since you did the same to me." She called back.
"Whatever." Ichigo's voice was considerably clearer, since he just turned off the water and exited the shower.
Rukia sat on her bed with a manga laying in front of her as Ichigo emerged from the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist.
She quickly pulled the manga up to cover the bright blush she knew was spreading over her face.
Ichigo was glistening with droplets of water and hot shower steam emanating from his body. Rukia peeked over the edge of her manga and tried not to care about the way his muscles tensed when he moved closer and then again when he became aware of her presence and the fact he only had a towel covering himself.
"Shit." Ichigo said as he gripped the towel a little tighter. Despite them sharing a room while Rukia secretly stayed in his closet, there weren't a lot of times when they found themselves half naked in front of their roommate.
Rukia composed herself and managed to roll her eyes at Ichigo as she pointed with the corner of her manga to some folded clothes on the edge of her bed. "You're lucky I'm such a generous host and I took the liberty to buy you some sleepwear while I was at the mall earlier." She tried to sound extra snooty to cover the dryness she felt in her throat.
Ichigo walked tentatively towards the clothes and paused when his hand hovered over them. He looked at Rukia with an odd face. "You bought me sleepwear?"
Rukia's eyes widened at the implications. "I…" Rukia realized that a bulk of money she spent that day was for Ichigo's use. The pajamas were just one thing… "I just thought they looked cute…" Rukia shrugged.
Ichigo scowled at the mention of the word cute and held up the clothes. "You got me fucking Chappy bottoms!" He cried out as the sleep pants rolled out to reveal smiling happy Chappy's all over the legs.
"They didn't have any Chappy pajamas in my size except for some thongs. Matsumoto wanted me to buy them, but I didn't like where that string was supposed to go." Rukia frowned remembering how uncomfortable that should have been and how humans must have had a masochistic side if they enjoyed strings up their-
"You spent my money on thongs?!" Ichigo roared, still holding up the Chappy bottoms.
Rukia glared back. "Well I didn't know it was your money, and no, as a matter of fact, I didn't buy any thongs." She pointed stiffly to the bottoms. "That's why I bought the bottoms instead!"
"But you bought these for me!" Ichigo argued. "You can't spend your money on useless shit just because Chappy's fucking face is on it!"
"Don't you dare insult Chappy's adorable face! And those bottoms aren't useless, unless you'd like to sleep in the nude tonight!"
That argument shut Ichigo up. And he swiftly retreated to Rukia's bathroom again with bottoms in hand, and slammed the door as he changed into them.
Rukia let out a loud huff of breath. She didn't need to get so riled up before she was turning in for the night. There was still the party to set up for the following day.
Rukia stood up from the bed and put her manga away before looking at the inviting mattress again. Though she had suggested Ichigo spend the night, she didn't quite have a place to put him. She had a spare bedroom, but not a spare bed. There was a couch downstairs, but it wasn't a size suitable to Ichigo's tall stature.
Rukia reasoned that her king sized bed would fit the two them with a great deal of personal space between them…if they could get past the fact that they were sleeping in bed. Or rather if Ichigo could get past that fact since Rukia was less prudish and more realistic.
Rukia shook her head realizing why Yoruichi, Urahara, and Isshin had pulled together to buy her a brand new large sleeping space.
"Those perverts." Rukia grumbled out loud.
"Talking about yourself?" Ichigo butted in.
Rukia turned around with a glare that was extinguished by Ichigo's bare chest.
"You didn't think of getting me a Chappy shirt to match?" He asked rudely and folded his arms as if to protect his decency.
Rukia's glare returned. "I'm sorry I couldn't complete the ensemble," she mocked " But that surely doesn't make me a pervert. It just shows how much of a prude you are. To think that I've never seen a bare chest before."
Ichigo glowered down at her and stepped closer. "I'm just beginning to think that this situation feels really set up."
"What are you taking about?" Rukia asked with genuine confusion.
Ichigo smirked. "You invite me over to spend the night, provide me with my own attire, and now I bet you want us to share the same bed."
Rukia gaped in mock outrage but her mind was idling over the fact that it did seem like an elaborate set up. Before she could argue back, Ichigo leaned close and asked quietly,
"Kuchiki Rukia, are you trying to seduce me?"
She slapped his bare arm hard. "What the hell kind of absurd question is that?!"
"Fuck!" Ichigo rubbed his arm where a small red handprint was forming. "It's a valid question! You even bought me a freaking topless nightie to sleep in!"
Rukia almost choked, not knowing whether to laugh or yell. "I bought you Chappy pajama bottoms! That's hardly what I would consider lingerie!" She chose the latter.
"Well I don't know what you're weird sexual tastes are." Ichigo crossed his arms and looked shrewdly down at the short girl.
"Who said my sexual tastes are weird?! You don't know anything about sexual tastes at all!" Rukia poked a finger at him.
"And you do?" Ichigo poked back.
Rukia's hands found her hips as she got into Ichigo's face. "I'm sure I know more than you!"
"Then it's like I said, you're trying to seduce me." Ichigo said with warped logic.
Rukia's eyebrows rose high. "If I were trying to seduce you Ichigo, I'd have to make it pretty damn obvious for an imbecile like you. But I most definitely would not need an elaborate set up."
Ichigo blushed and looked like he was about to argue again but paused. He changed course. "So…are you?…Are you trying to make it obvious?" he asked slowly with obvious nervous distress.
Rukia opened her mouth and blushed herself. "Uh…no?" She didn't know how to answer. She wasn't trying to seduce him but…she wasn't against the idea…
Ichigo stiffened and his face darkened. He crossed his arms and took a step back. "Well then quit fucking teasing me."
Rukia was surprised at Ichigo's seemingly offended stance. "I'm not teasing you." She stated.
"Maybe if you'd stop yelling and getting so easily offended you'd realize how ridiculous you sound complaining about whether or not I'm trying to seduce you!" Rukia chastised as she watched Ichigo's hard chest rise with an annoyed breath.
"Well I can't help that you send mixed signals!" Ichigo snorted childishly
Rukia's fists clenched and her lips tightened. It was a long day. She'd worked, shopped, fought and Ichigo's Chappy bottoms were angled on his hips in such a way that Rukia had had enough.
Ichigo didn't notice Rukia's emotions boiling over and continued to complain. "One minute you're spouting Shakespeare like you know it by heart, then you go ahead and praise Renji for blowing up your house. I get a fucking job and you act like it's the end of the world because I bent the truth a little bit. Then you suggest I spend the night? I don't know what to say or do anymore to understand your crazy ass."
"AHHGG!" Rukia groaned as she shoved Ichigo against the wall harshly to stop his incessant grumbling. He fell back with shock all over his face at her outburst.
"Then shut your stupid mouth and don't do anything!" Rukia shouted and did the first thing that came to her mind to get him to stop bitching. Without warning on Ichigo's or her own end, she grabbed his face between her hands and closed her mouth over his.
Rukia's eyes widened in shock as she realized she had impulsively kissed Ichigo. And that she was still kissing him...and he was kissing her back.
She pushed away quickly and let the air rush into her lungs in a gasp. Her hands were still on his face and Rukia saw that Ichigo was holding them there with his own.
They both stood silently, but breathing hard when Ichigo finally spoke. "Now…I know you're trying to seduce me."
Rukia wanted to hit him, but his hands had closed around hers tightly and she couldn't back away to strike him. "I thought I told you to shut up." Rukia said instead.
Ichigo nodded as his eyes slowly slid closed. "Right…your house, your rules." Then he brought his lips down to hers in a second kiss that he took control of.
It was gentler than the way Rukia crushed Ichigo's mouth to stop him from talking, but it seemed just as hard as their lips pressed into each other feverishly between breaths.
Ichigo's hands finally slid off of Rukia's and went to rest on her own face. The kiss turned tender as Ichigo cupped her cheeks and pulled her closer to him. Rukia wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down closer to her height as she sucked on his bottom lip.
A strangled moan sounded out from Ichigo's throat as Rukia ran her tongue around the edge of his lips.
Her own moan followed as Ichigo used the opening to slip his tongue inside Rukia's mouth.
"You're too damn short." Ichigo spoke almost into her mouth, as he hadn't stopped kissing her. Rukia grunted in either reproach for his comment or pleasure in the way his tongue moved against hers. Soon she felt strong arms trail down her shoulders like Ichigo had done during the massage awhile back and then wrap around her waist, lifting her up against him.
Rukia knew Ichigo could easily manage to support her small frame the way it was, but she was aching for closeness that she couldn't believe she had gone for so long without. She wrapped one leg around his torso and then the second, pressing herself hard against him.
They almost fell as Ichigo groaned loudly and trembled at the close contact.
Rukia smiled against his mouth. "Am I too heavy? Do we need to increase your training sessions?" she teased as Ichigo nipped lightly on the edges of her mouth.
He pulled back enough to scowl at her. "I guess if it's training like this I can't complain." He said huskily.
Rukia snorted. "That would be a first."
Ichigo scowled harder. "I definitely need practice if you're still able to mock me like that."
Rukia moved to his ear and ran her tongue along the soft lobe. He shivered and then she whispered with a smile, "You'll never get me to stop mocking you."
"Wanna bet?" Ichigo challenged and then he bit her neck.
Rukia gasped and then hissed. She had expected to be furious at the Strawberry for actually biting her, but she only felt the heat in her body rise and foreign nerves she hadn't felt before explode with intensity.
"Ichigo!" she panted his name. She actually panted his name. Rukia felt like a fool in one of her more adult manga, but as Ichigo sucked on her neck, then her collar bone, and then even lower, she lost the ability to even spell her own name.
"Oh wow…" Rukia managed as Ichigo kissed her senseless. She began to fight for dominance as his mouth found hers again. She wanted Ichigo to feel as helpless, lost, and utterly thrilled as she did. Her legs held against him more tightly and when she felt Ichigo's knees buckle and his hand reach out to a wall for support, she knew she was doing well.
"Holy crap Rukia." Ichigo gasped as her own mouth moved to his jaw. She sucked along the line to his chin and bit lightly in spots she thought were tender.
Ichigo leaned his back against the wall and tried to catch his breath as Rukia assaulted him with her further exploring kisses.
Rukia could feel his heart beating harshly in his chest as she placed a hand there to feel his firm and lean muscles. Then she felt one hand under her shirt to caress her back.
Rukia felt Ichigo's fingers pick at her bra strap. "What are you doing?" She asked breathlessly as her mouth left the shoulder she was grazing her teeth along. Ichigo stopped groaning and set her down quickly looking ashamed. "I-I'm sorry. I-"
Rukia pulled his hand from her back and still holding it, moved it up under the front of her shirt to rest between her breasts. "It's a front clasp." She said simply.
Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise at her willingness. He swallowed and nodded. Rukia smiled softly at him and undid her bra to save him some embarrassment. Ichigo moved his hands to her waist and then lifted her shirt off her body completely.
His eyes got even wider as he stared at her bare chest in front of him. He couldn't look away. Rukia couldn't help but blush under his gaze then she snickered softly. "Come on Ichigo. I know you've seen Yoruichi naked before. Not to mention Matsumoto doesn't leave much to the imagination."
Ichigo continued staring while he answered. "Who?" he asked cluelessly.
Rukia smiled widely. "Good answer." She pulled his face down to her mouth again and tantalizingly drew his tongue out to suck on it gently.
He trembled and let out a low moan before wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up against him once again.
Though Rukia was more exposed, she felt unreasonably hotter. His skin slick and hard against hers made her body vibrate in anticipation for more.
They stumbled back until they reached the wall, but this time Ichigo held Rukia against it. He used his hips and thrusted her body higher so that he could kiss her chest.
They both moaned loudly and Rukia wrung her hands through his hair to watch him as he placed one chaste kiss right above her heart. Then he slowly left feather kisses on her breast until closing his lips softly around a nipple.
Rukia gasped and tightened her grip at the new sensation. She lowered her head into his spiky hair and moaned as his tongue slipped around her nipple experimentally. Rukia was shaking so hard she thought she would collapse. Ichigo looked about the same. His breaths were ragged and she could feel every hot exhale of air tickle her chest before he covered her with wet kisses again.
"Bed!" she cried out. She pushed off from the wall as hard as she could manage and Ichigo flipped them around so he was leaning on it instead.
He strayed from her chest and let his teeth scrape the skin he had been kissing earlier. He groaned frustrated, as if he wanted to bite into her and consume her. Rukia actually wanted him to devour her and practically climbed the wall with her fingers as she felt sharp edges of teeth trail her shoulder, neck, and chest.
"The bed!" she cried out again. "Get to the bed now Ichigo!"
They pushed off the wall together and Ichigo threw her savagely onto the bed. Rukia gasped and bounced as she landed, and then waited to feel Ichigo fall on top of her…
And then she kept waiting…
Rukia caught her breath and leaned up on her elbows to find Ichigo still leaning back against the wall panting.
"What the hell are you doing?" She managed to get out. "I meant both of us! I know you're new at this but…come on. You were doing pretty good earlier." Rukia thought teasing him would be the perfect way to get him to pounce on her, but Ichigo remained still, except for his chest heaving to breath.
He looked up at her and Rukia's eyes widened at his expression. His gaze resembled that of a hollow. Full of pain, hunger, desire…all of it for her. For a second she expected his hollow mask to appear, but realized her expression probably read the same. They were both aching for each other. Years of arguing and what she figured out was sexual tension was finally being released.
"If we keep going like this…" Ichigo breathed hard. "I'm not going to be able to stop." His animal look wavered and Rukia saw his confliction.
"Oh." She said simply. She looked down at herself, suddenly embarrassed by her condition. "I guess we were letting things get a little out of hand huh?" Rukia swallowed and covered her chest with her arms. "But you don't need to throw me around the room." She scolded. "I'm not a plush doll." She looked up to meet Ichigo's eyes again. He was smiling at her.
"I could get used to you yelling at me topless." He smirked.
Rukia couldn't help the smile that forced it's way past her frown and she threw a pillow across the room.
"Is this what I'm going to be sleeping on?" He asked jokingly, knowing that the pillow was a weapon and not an offering.
"What? Now you're ready to jump into bed? Not afraid I'm going to seduce you Kurosaki?" Rukia walked quickly over to her fallen top while still covering herself and put it back on.
"I think you managed to make it obvious enough for me." Ichigo mocked and stepped towards her.
Rukia ran her fingers through her disheveled hair and met the boy's eyes. There was still a lot of desire swimming through them. Rukia felt her stomach flip at having caused so much turbulence in Ichigo's demeanor.
"My bed's about mile wide." Rukia commented. "I think we could both fit without you worrying about losing control again."
"I'm not so sure." Ichigo said smoothly. Then he leaned down and kissed her again. This time it was slow and deep. His tongue gently probed hers without ransacking the rest of her mouth. Rukia felt herself lifting onto her toes to feel more of the kiss. Then Ichigo pulled back with a final suck on her bottom lip.
He ran a hand through her hair and caressed her cheek. "Okay. We can sleep now."
"Speak for yourself." Rukia mumbled, but climbed into her bed anyway. Ichigo followed and lay next to her.
There wasn't quite a mile's distance between them, but it was a lot. Rukia felt restless. She wasn't sure if she was the cuddling type, but she felt an anxious urge to get as close to his body as possible.
They looked at each other from opposite sides of the bed and then laughed at their own awkwardness. "Fine," Ichigo sighed as he pulled himself closer to Rukia. "I'll give." He pulled her by the waist closing the distance between them and let his other hand reach around her head and pull her hair away from her face. There was an advantage to their height difference.
"By the way," Rukia snuggled closer and pulled her legs in. "I usually have cold feet." She wrapped her feet around one of Ichigo's calves and he jerked in response.
"Damn Rukia!" He scowled at her. "Do your feet power your zanpakuto?"
Rukia just shrugged, already finding the warmth of his body to be more comfortable than her plush mattress.
"So…I win right? I win the bet?" Ichigo asked hopefully.
Rukia pinched his shoulder that her arm had wrapped around.
"Damn it! I know, I know! You're not a prize...but I still win right?"
Rukia rolled her eyes before meeting his. "If you call winning spending the last few weeks looking like a dork competing for someone's heart that was already yours, then yes. You've won." She said sarcastically.
Ichigo smiled softly. "Sounds like a good win to me."
Rukia shut her eyes and yawed. "Great…I've done the impossible and managed to inflate that oversized ego even more."
Ichigo pressed his forehead to hers. "Then our giant heads will finally match." He teased.
Rukia didn't respond. She was too comfortable in his arms to punish him for his usual idiocy. And she could get used to not punishing him.
"Oi." Ichigo said quietly.
Rukia opened her eyes to stare right into his.
"Kiss me." He didn't quite command her, but it wasn't a plea either. He said it like a fact. Like kissing him would become the standard between them from now on.
Rukia didn't argue and complied bringing her lips gently to his.
She could get used to that too.
AN: It's not the end! Although I realize it does have that kind of conclusion feeling. Maybe it's just the end of part one or something. I don't know. I loved this chapter when I started, but now I hate it. I thought I'd let you guys read it and leave comments and suggestions and stuff before/if I decide to change it. If you really wanna cut into me, go ahead and leave me a pm if you're afraid of being rude or something. I don't mind.
Thanks so much for reading, and don't worry...if you are worried anyway...there's plenty more to the story. Thanks!