Thanks for the favs. And to the new followers of this fic too.
Disclaimer: Kubo owns Bleach. Credits to my cousin Ninya.
Chapter Thirteen: The Beauty and Evil of Choices.
"Do you have more quarters?" Rukia asked Grimmjow as she patted the pockets of her jeans for any more change.
Grimmjow searched the breast pocket of his button-up shirt and handed her a few of them. "You'd think most places now just take credit cards."
She slipped the coins into the slot and made the coffee selection. It was lukewarm at best but it would do for now. She fought a yawn as they stood and watched coffee drip into the styro cup, downing a big gulp of her own cappuccino when her eyes started to feel heavy again.
"You alright?" Grimmjow asked as he ripped open a packet of sugar to stir into his coffee. "It's five in the morning the day after your wedding. I don't imagine you've slept a wink."
Her cheeks flushed at the reminder of just how close she and Ichigo came to consummating their marriage earlier, seconds before the phone started to ring off the hook. It had been Yuzu calling with the news that Isshin had a heart attack after getting home from the wedding. She and Ichigo had scrambled to get dressed and drive to the hospital. They'd arrived in the waiting room where the Kurosaki sisters, Kaien and Grimmjow were all restlessly sitting around. Most of them had already changed from their wedding outfits but they all wore matching weary looks.
Not wanting to intrude, Rukia sat with the rest while Ichigo went and talked to one of Isshin's several attending physicians. She tried not to fear for Isshin but it was hard to ignore everyone's worried expression—that of her husband's especially as he paced with a grim look on his face and panic in his eyes.
From the bits and pieces she heard from doctor's discussion with Ichigo and from what the others have told me, Rukia learned that Isshin had been diagnosed with unstable angina almost two years ago. It meant that one or more of his coronary arteries had become blocked or narrowed which limited the flow of blood to his heart. It increased his risk of a heart attack and since it was the unstable type, it could trigger an attack with or without strenuous activity which was why Isshin had eased off from working and had been trying to live and eat better. While one could live with it through medication and a healthier lifestyle, all it would take was one attack that could result to death.
- Damn him. I didn't think he was serious about dying. -
Sure, he didn't really have a timeline for how long he had left to live but he acted like he did whenever they talked even though he never told her his actual condition..
He had undergone coronary angioplasty almost two years ago as a non-invasive procedure of providing him with some relief from the chest pains. He had told his children that it was a mild heart condition and that the treatment would've fixed it and since he had been doing well except for a couple of non-serious attacks recently, none of them had really thought him that vulnerable. Tonight's attack had been a serious one and doctors warned that they might have to perform an emergency bypass surgery on him.
Her own heart had squeezed painfully at the news. It was risky but with or without it, Isshin could die.
Unable to stand the wait for another minute without going out of her mind, Rukia decided to go down to the cafeteria and fetch everyone something to drink and snack on. Grimmjow went with her.
"I'll be okay," She said, turning back to Grimmjow. "I'm not sure I can say the same for the Kurosaki siblings."
"They're made of sterner stuff despite their sheltered lives. They're all like their father in that way. They'll get through it."
She nodded back. "We'll make sure they do. You, me and everyone else who is part of this family in some way. They're good people, Grimm."
"They are," he agreed as they finished making the last cup of coffee. "I've decided to postpone my trip to London. I'll stick around for as long as I'm needed."
Rukia smiled at him as they picked up the cups and the brown paper bag that contained the microwaved ham and cheese wraps they got from the deli counter. "Thank you, Grimmjow. It means a lot to me and to them to have you around."
He just smiled as they started walking to the elevator.
"You know, you should find a girl already Grimm, would you like me to introduce you to Inoue?"
Grimmjow's eyes bulged as he choked on his coffee. His gaze narrowed at her. "No. I'm not interested in your assistant, Ruks."
"You're not?" She asked casually, glancing up at the ceiling in mock-innocence. "Because that's really too bad. Inoue is an amazing girl—beautiful, intelligent, super-sweet."
His expression tightened. "I'm sure she is, if you say so. I haven't really spoken much to her personally and I don't intend to."
She rolled her eyes. "Why not? She would be perfect for you."
Grimmjow held her gaze for a long moment, his jaw clenched tight. The elevator door opened. He stayed behind for a moment and she paused on her way out to wait for him. He said nothing as he slowly stepped out of the elevator and she lagged back to keep pace with him.
"Grimmjow?" Rukia prompted uncertainly, aware that there was nothing teasing or playful about his mood anymore.
He sighed. "I get that you feel terrible and want me to be happy, Ruks, but I'd really appreciate it if you didn't force me in a certain direction. You can't just grab the first girl you think will match up well with me and drop her in your place. It stings a little bit."
"Oh," was all she managed to say as her heart dropped at his words.
Their conversation in the last two minutes did a rewind in her head and she saw where she could've kept her mouth shut. She bit her lip, lowering her head. "I'm sorry, Grimmjow. I didn't really think."
He smiled weakly. "It's alright. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gotten grumpy. You're just doing what you always seem to do best—try to make everyone happy."
She made a face. "Apparently, I suck at it."
"No, you don't," he said with a soft laugh. "I'm just..."
She glanced at him, waiting for his next words nervously. He bumped her gently on the arm as they walked, rounding the corner to the last hall that led to the ICU's waiting room. "It's just been a rough night for me, Ruks."
"I know," she said softly. "The fact that you're here when you probably want to be long gone by now is proof of how good a person you are, Grimm, which makes me feel even worse because I can't make you happy the way you deserve to be."
He raised a brow meaningfully. "If I'm only there for those who constantly make me happy, that doesn't really make me a good person now, does it? I'm just merely returning the favor."
Rukia opened her mouth to answer but Kaien suddenly popped up from around the corner, nearly colliding with them.
His eyes narrowed at them. "Well, you two sure look cozy. Does Ichigo share nowadays, Grimmjow?"
"I would shut my mouth if I were you, Shiba," Grimmjow growled next to her.
"Afraid of the big, bad Ichigo?" Kaien retorted, an unpleasant smile curling on his handsome face. "All these years and you're still happily following him around like a loyal dog."
Rukia was honestly too stunned for a moment that she didn't react at first as Kaien's taunts registered. "That didn't take long," she blurted out, narrowing her eyes at the man. "Less than twenty-four hours and I'm quickly discovering my own reasons for not liking you."
He scoffed at her. "What makes you think I care about you think? Aren't gold-digging trophy wives supposed to just sit pretty and stay mute nowadays?"
She thrust her chin up defiantly. "Aren't rambling idiots supposed to shut up before they dig themselves a deeper hole when they can barely climb out of the one they're already in?"
Kaien's eyes narrowed but before any of them could say anything more, a rush of raised voices came down the hallway behind him.
"Onii-chan don't." Yuzu sounded frantic as Ichigo stormed in behind his cousin, his face contorted with anger.
Rukia's heart started pounding hard. She'd never seen Ichigo this furious. He looked like he was going to tear Kaien into pieces and eat him for lunch.
"Don't you dare walk away like a coward, Kaien!" he bellowed. Karin and Yuzu were clustered around him, grabbing each of his arms as they tried to haul him back.
"I will walk away if I want to, Ichigo," Kaien sneered, turning around to face Ichigo. "I don't have to listen to your baseless accusations. I forget that you're always more than happy to pin the blame on me but if you think I'm just going to keep putting up with it, you're wrong."
"What the hell is going on here?" Rukia demanded.
Both men ignored her.
"Of course it's never your fault, Kaien!" Ichigo shot back. "Every time something goes wrong, it's always someone else responsible for it. It's only your responsibility if it's convenient to you and it serves your purpose—it doesn't matter who gets hurt in the process."
Kaien's face darkened furiously. "You're getting carried away again with your preaching, Kurosaki, which you have no right to give considering what a hypocrite you are. You're just as bad as you accuse me to be and you know it."
Nelliel stood between them, glaring as she spoke. "Stop it both of you!"
"Don't you dare interfere Nelliel!" Kaien said that boomed all over the place.
Grimmjow pulled Nelliel's arm and hid her behind him. "Don't you fucking yell at her!"
"I will never be as vile as you are, wondering out loud what to do next to the company as if my father was already a cold, dead slab of meat just waiting to be disposed of." Ichigo said slowly and menacingly, advancing toward Kaien despite his sisters' hold.
"Are you for real?" Rukia hissed at Kaien. "At a time like this, that's what you're concerned about?"
He gave her a snide smile. "Aren't you concerned about the same thing, Ruki? With Isshin dead, your husband's likely to gain more money and power. Wasn't that the whole point of why you married him?"
You son of a bitch.
As she was about to launch herself at him, red flickering across her vision, Ichigo's feral growl caught her off guard and she watched in horror as her husband charged forward, tackling his cousin with a shoulder to the chest, throwing them both down on the floor.
"Shit."
Grimmjow's muttered curse rushed over to the two men brawling in the hospital lobby.
"Ichigo! Kaien! Stop it!" Nelliel pleaded hysterically. "What the hell is wrong with you two?"
Karin pulled Yuzu close to her side to keep him out of the fray while Grimmjow arm shot out to keep Nelliel from throwing herself into the mix as her brother and cousin rolled around the floor, trying to get as much fist into the other's face as possible.
"Don't you ever dare speak a crude word to my wife, you ass!" Ichigo spewed, grabbing Kaien by the collar and fiercely jabbing him on the jaw.
This can't be happening. Ichigo is pummelling his scum of a cousin into the hospital floor until he becomes fossilized in it, hours after their wedding and with his father in critical condition. Can this night get any crazier? Apparently, it could because without being really conscious of it as her feet moved, Rukia found herself pouring the now-tepid coffee over both of their heads.
That stilled them.
"Rukia, what the hell?" Ichigo demanded, blinking rapidly at her through the brown liquid dripping down the side of his face.
Kaien sputtered and raised his head, shaking as much coffee as he could off himself.
"As much as I would love to flatten Mr. Shiba into a permanent floor fixture, this is not the time and place to do it!" She grated, glaring at both of them. "Issh- I mean, Dad needs us here and I'll be damned if I'm going to have to spend the next few hours bailing you out of jail."
Grimmjow gently took her arm to lead her away but she shook free from him.
Rukia planted her fists on her waist and stared down the two cousins. "Now, be big boys and pick yourselves up the floor before I wipe it clean with your asses."
Kaien glowered at her. "You're so much prettier when you don't open your mouth, Rukia."
Ichigo's eyes closed briefly before they opened again, flashing her a look of remorse. "Sorry, Rukia, but I'm not going to let that comment pass," he muttered before he turned to Kaien and slugged him in the face again. Kaien fought back and she had no choice but to step back as the two stumbled along the floor again, trying to get at each other's throats. Grimmjow groaned and dived in, trying to pull Ichigo away from his cousin.
Thirty seconds later, the hospital lobby was full of staff and other people trying to break up the fight.
Rukia closed her eyes and swore softly. She knew she wasn't going to have a typical wedding night. She just had no clue it would turn out this way.
She grimaced at the sight of Ichigo's busted lip and the bruises on his jaw. Her heart twisted but she reined her emotions in.
- If he kept this up, I'd be a young widow in no time. -
.
.
"Don't be such a baby!"
"Rukia, I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm sticky with coffee, my father just came out of a bypass surgery and I still smell like the jail cell I sat in for two hours."
Rukia winced at Ichigo's incensed reply which only worsened her pounding headache.
"Uh-huh," she said on her cell phone as she rode up the elevator to Ichigo's penthouse. "That's what happens when you insist on beating Kaien into a pulp and the hospital staff calls the cops on you. Unfortunately for you, your Dad had to go into surgery just then so we all got a little busy. I forgot to call your lawyer right away."
"You forgot?" Ichigo repeated in disbelief. "You forgot after you promised you'd call Shunsui right right away as the police was carting me off in the back of their car? I waited for an hour thinking he was coming any minute considering the exorbitant amount of money I pay him and my entire legal team. When he still didn't show, I called him and was dumbfounded to learn that he was still snoring away because he had no idea I was in prison."
She sighed. "Ichigo, it's two hours. You made it out of there before your father came out of surgery. You were driven away from your short stint as a hardened criminal in the cushy backseat of your luxury car. Yes, you're tired, hungry, a little smelly and filthy. Life isn't perfect. You had the money to bail yourself out of jail after a mere two hours of inconvenience, your father's alive and on his way to recuperating and your wife isn't about to kill you yet despite how foolishly you acted this morning. You're lounging about in Isshin's five-star hotel-like hospital suite where I'll meet you in half an hour with fresh clothes so you can shower, and a king's meal to stuff down your throat. Stop complaining and count your blessings."
She heard his agitated exhalation. He sounded like he was gritting his teeth before replying.
"But you weren't here when I got back," he complained.
She couldn't help but smile as the elevator opened to the private foyer of the penthouse. Since Isshin came out of surgery and both Ichigo and Kaien, from each of their separate cells, decided not to press any charges against each other, she'd been able to relax again.
"Of course, I'm not. Knowing how much you want to wring my neck right now, I thought I'd give you some time to cool off before I show my face with some peace offering."
She pressed the fob Ikkaku gave her on her way up after he drove her from the hospital for a key-less entry to the condo. She called him and Inoue around seven-thirty when she felt that it was as decent an hour as she could find to alert them of the situation with Isshin and Ichigo's arrest. Apparently, they'd already heard and were on their way because the cousins' scuffle in the hospital was already all over the local morning news. The paps were already camped outside the hospital when she left and Grimmjow had arranged to beef up the Kurosaki's' security.
"Half hour, okay?" Ichigo said with a resigned sigh. "If you're not here then, I'll come and get you."
She smiled as she went into the condo and headed toward their bedroom—er, she meant Ichigo's bedroom.
"You never warned me you were going to be such a needy husband," Rukia teased, smirking.
"If I've become one, it's all your fault," Ichigo replied sulkily. Really, he sounded like a six-year-old but the fact that she knew he knew exactly how he was acting and hated it endeared him to her a little more. "How did you get in anyway? I'm yet to give you your keys. I was going to give them to you today."
"Ikkaku-san," she answered. "Perks of having my own bodyguard-slash-chauffeur. And Omaeda remembers me, of course."
"Who's Omaeda?"
"My friend at the concierge, remember? The one who dealt with Riruka two nights ago." She sighed. "By the way, would your siblings need food too? I'll make sure to bring enough. The fridge there is stocked but mostly with just granola bars and those microwavable sandwiches. There's gourmet food service but I was a little offended by their prices. I can't rob a sick man like that."
"Well, Nel already ordered food and fed everyone so don't worry about them," Ichigo answered with a sigh. "Grimmjow drove them home after I got back and he's getting some sleep too for a bit before swinging by again later. You and me are on watch but Dad hasn't even woken up yet so we can nap a little. There's a nice, big sofa bed here."
She grinned. "I know. I saw it. Not exactly the marital bed to spend our first day married on but I'll bring some more blankets for us."
"Just get here, okay?" he asked, his voice faltering a little, more desperate than impatient. "I need to relax and I can't until you're here."
"Okay," she said. "Now, let me go so I can get on with what I need to do here and head back over there as soon as possible."
"Alright. See you later."
Finally, she slipped her cellphone into her jeans' back pocket and looked around, and scrambling into the shower. The steam helped her aching midsection and the pounding headache the lack of sleep, the summer heat and the pain meds joined forces to torture me with. After drying her hair enough that it wasn't dripping all over the place, she let it hang over my back and put on a pair of white, cotton shorts, a floral peasant blouse and her red sneakers.
Since they had a lot of stuff already packed in bags for their honeymoon trip, she had to go rummaging in the epic walk-in closet. After emptying a small, leather duffel bag she'd dug out, she went to rifle through some of Ichigo's clothes to find him a comfortable, uncomplicated set to wear along with a clean pair of black boxer briefs which Rukia stared at for a full minute. It was hard not to imagine the snug fit of the fabric over the slopes and planes of that certain part of Ichigo's anatomy which she became intimate with last night—or much earlier this morning.
- Of all things that could've interrupted us, a heart attack—neither mine nor his—was the last thing I expected -
If things had progressed much further, she would've probably would've acquired respiratory and circulatory problems—too much gasping and moaning and fevered blood directed to specific pleasure zones that were near bursting with sensations. If nothing had happened to Isshin, they would already be aboard Ichigo's private jet by now, kicking back and enjoying the high life while they traveled in comfort and luxury to his secret destination for their honeymoon.
She snapped herself out of the daydream and sat on Ichigo's side of the bed to pick up some of his important items like his watch, tablet and cell phone charger from his night stand, the charger bouncing off a small, black leather portfolio folder sticking out from under the bed. Absently, she picked it up to put it away in case it was important and work-related but as the folder contents shifted to one side, the top right corner peeking out from under the cover, she noticed the edge of a colored map. Before Rukia could even consider that what she was doing was snooping, she found herself opening the folder and glancing down at its contents.
Her eyes widened, her heart starting a quick cadence.
Tucked in the folder was a small collection of traveler's maps, assorted pairs of tickets, brochures and guides. Under them was a notepad clipped on the folder, scribbled with Ichigo's unmistakeable large, bold scrawls. Her breath caught in her throat as she set aside the other contents of the folder to scan Ichigo's notes.
Project: Honeymoon with Rukia
Goal: Make my wife happy and let her have some fun at her favorite place in the world.
Timeline: One week
Resources: R's profile report, Isane, Nel, Karin, Inoue
Brainstorming ideas:
1. Quaint, romantic, private accommodations (R dislikes blatant displays of wealth)
2. Shopping, of course. (As per Inoue, remind her of the family she's helping feed by buying clothes she can afford but may not necessarily need. As per Nel, let her buy what she wants and if she wants to put her own spin on it, let her. As per Karin, spoil her like a princess. She hadn't always been one. Rukia. A princess. Imagine that.
Important: Spontaneous. Gotta be spontaneous. Go wherever you and R end up—as long as you're together.
2. Have fun.
3. Hold her hand.
4. Kiss her a lot—lots.
5. Cuddle.
6. Snuggle.
7. Buy her flowers.
8. Tell her she's beautiful.
9. Try not to throw yourself all over her.
10. Read books to her.
11. Dance with her—anywhere, everywhere.
12. Talk. Ask her about her time in Tokyo. Ask her where she wants to go in the world and take her there. Show her the world. Let her be young. And carefree. And happy.
Her fingers were shaking as she traced the letters of his scribbles absently, stunned by what she just read. At first, she was a little peeved that Ichigo wrote out their honeymoon like a business project outline. She wasn't surprised considering his pragmatic and logical approach to most things, with her exception, of course, but it seemed cold to her at first—until she got to the second line where the goal was stated.
What obviously started out as a nearly-academic outline became something else.
Rukia could picture out Ichigo sighing as his own random thoughts started taking over his no-nonsense plan—when he started to write more of what he thought and felt as candidly as he would've in his head and heart.
- He wanted to take me to Tokyo for our honeymoon, of all places. -
It had been the dream and escape she paid a high price for with her father—one she had achieved for a very short time before her father's death dragged her back home where he'd wanted her to stay in the first place. Tokyo was one of the reasons she took Ichigo's offer in the beginning—for the chance to go back and reclaim that dream—yet here he was, planning on taking her back, even for just a short while.
- He was going to let me live that dream again, even for just a week, and join me in it. -
And he would hold her hand, kiss her lots, go for romantic walks with her and let her be young, carefree and happy. Tears stung her eyes and she tried not to smile and cry at the same time. She never thought he'd think of her that way—that he'd want to see her well and happy. Ichigo Kurosaki is just as full of surprises in this marriage as she is.
Rukia laid there for a while, blinking back tears and grinning silly alone, before she sat back up and returned the folder and all its contents to where she originally found them. She finished packing the bag with some toiletries, grabbed the food from the fridge and hopped back into the car.
Ikkaku helped her up with the cooler bag into the hospital room, standing guard for her as well in case anyone accosted her along the way. He left as soon as she stepped inside Isshin's luxury hospital suite. Yes. People could really pay an arm and leg for a stint in the hospital of a five-star-hotel caliber.
Ichigo was sitting next to his father's bed, his eyes shut, his fingers kneading his forehead. Even though he seemed to have washed the coffee off his face and hair, he still looked disheveled and dirty and scraped up.
Her heart surged, remembering all that she read from his notepad earlier.
She set down all her stuff and approached him.
"Hey," Rukia greeted him softly, placing a hand on his shoulder as she leaned against Isshin's bed and faced Ichigo. "I brought some food and fresh clothes."
He looked up at her touch, his eyes fluttering open and gazing at hers. They were anxious, tired and tender. "I'm sorry about this morning," he blurted out, taking her other hand and squeezing it. "I was tired and worried about Dad and Kaien just pushed me over the edge when he started talking about what needed to happen in the company if Dad died. I wasn't prepared for that."
She squeezed his hand back, studying the fresh nicks on his knuckles from this morning's scuffle. "I know. I understand."
Ichigo shook his head in dismay. "And then when he turned on you—I just kind of exploded. I'm sorry for putting you through that. I've never gone that far before."
She smiled. "I can actually see that."
He smiled weakly. "You can say I might have unraveled a bit with all the events of the last twenty-four-hours."
"I didn't particularly make it easy on you," she said with a sigh. "I'm sorry for forgetting to call your lawyer."
"Don't worry about it. It helped me think and pull myself together," he replied, glancing at Isshin who was still lying unconsciously in bed. "I was starting to panic about the possibility that he was going to die and that I would never be able to confess our lie and ask him to forgive us for it. I did this to make him happy but the guilt wasn't something I'd been prepared to live with."
She could empathize completely. She had been racked with that same guilt the whole time they waited for the doctors to proclaim that Isshin was going to make it.
"I still think he would be happier not knowing," Ichigo continued, still studying his father. "But to know that the option to tell him was there if I needed it gave me some room to breathe and make the better choice. But if he'd died, he would've taken that other option away and leave me with one I could never rectify."
- The beauty and evil of choices. The lies we say out loud and the truths we couldn't even utter within the confines of our own hearts. Such is the burden of free will. -
"He's going to be okay, Ichigo," she reassured him gently, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Isshin is a stubborn, old goat. We're not going to lose him. Not for a long while."
He smiled and leaned in toward her, pressing his head against her chest, his own arms circling her waist. It gave her a certain height with him sitting while she stood and she tightened her arms around his shoulders and neck, resting her chin on the top of his head.
They held each other like that for a long time.
"I'm sorry we couldn't go for our honeymoon," he spoke up, still holding her. "I'll take you another time."
Rukia smiled. "It's alright. Where would you have taken me anyway?"
"Somewhere special," he said. She couldn't see his face but she could imagine it. "I think you would've liked it very much."
- I would've loved it but he doesn't know that I know. -
Lies and truths.
Sometimes, she wished they could stop telling the first one and start admitting the other.
me: Thanks again for reading. What do think so far?
I apologize for Kaien's behavior. Trust me, he's not really all that bad. Coz I'm a fan of his, LoL!
To those of you requested Ichigo's side of the story, sorry if you're not going to hear from him soon. pls don't hate me *ducks under my bed*
I got 30 reviews last chapter! I am speechless. That's what made me upload this chapter quickly.
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