Thanks to: thatlazybum, Kaileychicago, ShadowSword524, rexiebones, Poisonfish, Archshadow24, TotallyCaptivated, shadow6600, Shiso no Kitsune, and Mako-Hero.
Shiso no Kitsune: I too have an issue with that. They mostly swing from one emotion to the other to keep from hurting themselves and each other. They were having trouble coming to terms with their current emotions, so diverting to an angry front seemed like the best way to go so they didn't have to face the truth: that they love each other. If they hadn't been doing that, then they would have ended up too happy or angry, which would have been OOC. And where the hell did I make grammar mistakes? I can't stand that.
TotallyCaptivated: I totally understand that what you said in your first review. Thank you for commenting!
Archshadow24: I would be scared of Byakuya's reaction.
This chappy is longer than the rest because you've all been so good to me. 80+ reviews! *squeals* I hope you enjoy! :) *grins like an idiot*
"Ugh, this stuff is disgusting," Rukia groaned, eating bitter soup straight from the can. There wasn't much variety in the kitchen cupboards, so in the end they came to a consensus and settled on soup instead of pocky. The soup didn't leave much to be desired, to be honest, and she now found herself lamenting that she had not munched on pocky instead of the globules of chicken and noodle.
"It tastes better with crackers," Ichigo offered, sounding guilty as he handed over the package of crackers. They both sat on the couch next to each other, covered in a warm, dry comforter that had come from the closet upstairs. Because there wasn't much room under the bedspread, they sat close enough for their legs to touch and their elbows to brush together as they scraped out the bottom of the can for leftovers of the soup-it may have tasted revolting, but they were starving.
"How's your foot?" he asked, reaching down to tweak one of her toes as he picked up her dinner to go and discard it in the trash. Rukia squeaked, kicking him away and giggling.
"It's okay. The medicine helped the pain. I don't feel much," she told him, massaging the soles of her injured foot with care while minding the bandages.
"That's good," he said, and walked out of the living room with their garbage in hand. Rukia turned her eyes upon the candles that they had set earlier on the table after he was gone, specifically admiring the vanilla scented one. The wick on the candles burned with luminescent fire, their brightness casting an ethereal glow on the room that didn't quite banish the darkness, but repelled it from the designated area around the couch. The radiance of the small flames appealed to the cream of Rukia's skin, making her seem almost angelic in its aura. Ichigo, who was making his way from the kitchen with his flashlight in tow, stopped momentarily in the hall when he saw her.
Outside, the wind picked up ominously as Rukia drew her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around herself. The violet of her irises no longer shimmered with sorrow of her comprehension an hour earlier, but with thoughtfulness and inquisitiveness as she shifted forward on the edge of the cushion and reached her hand out, fingers hovering above the candle's flame. Even at this proximity, he couldn't help but marvel at her beauty. She may not have been Rangiku or Orihime, but that was what he loved about her. Rukia spoke her mind and even though she was of a noble family, she never treated anyone as if they were beneath her. She could be downright brutal-wherein bodily harm is involved- and outspoken sometimes, but he amended, it was an improvement over one of those gossip-spreading, soft-spoken feminine types who cried over a broken nail.
Ichigo liked Rukia because she didn't take shit from anybody; she was a fighter and a survivor and, like him, would unquestionably risk herself and her wellbeing for the sake of others. He had never seen her act selfish before and she never asked for or accepted anything unless someone shoved it on her, but when she did want something she was very ambitious and would stop at nothing to get it-she drew the line at murder, but she wasn't beyond physical harm, he knew.
However, even if she was a Soul Reaper, it was at times like these when she was so oblivious that she looked the most human.
"Hey," he called out, interrupting her train of thought, "we should get ready for bed, 'kay?" Rukia nodded, blowing out the rest of the candles and picking up the vanilla-scented one in her hands delicately before trotting over to his side. Minding the wax, she cradled it in the dip of her palm as Ichigo lagged behind her a few steps so he could shine the light ahead for them to see the way upstairs. Hovering close to her side, they moved up the stairs only for Rukia to halt six paces forward. "Chappy!" she announced.
Ichigo looked behind him just as the plush bunny came scurrying out of nowhere and hopped along beside her new owner. Smiling in content, Rukia pivoted on her heel and hastened her way up to the next floor with Chappy and Ichigo following in close pursuit. They temporarily established themselves in the bathroom so they could clean up for the night and change into their pajamas. Rukia settled her candle down on the vanity and tied her hair back with a scrunchie so she could wash her face. Ichigo, who was smearing toothpaste onto his toothbrush, pushed her aside and moved over to the sink, grinning. "Move outta my way, midget," he commanded.
"No, you get out of my way!" she hissed, kneeing him in the back of the legs and causing him to crumple in a heap on the floor.
"Why, you little-!" Shoving the toothbrush into his mouth, Ichigo prepared to make his counter attack just as Rukia bent forward to splash her face with water, and promptly flashed him as his shirt rode up over her bottom.
He swore he felt one of his blood vessels beginning to rupture in an imminent nosebleed. But instead of yelling at her in a full blown panic attack to cover her panties, he decided to just tick her off and said, "White, huh?" Jolting, Rukia grabbed the edge of the sink and thrust her foot out, nailing him right in the face.
"You, pervert, Ichigo!" she screeched. Drying her inflamed cheeks, she grabbed her toothbrush and went out in the hall, pouting with mortification and resentment.
"Aw, c'mon back in here, Rukia. I was just joking," he said, poking his head out the door. Trying to make up for her lack of riposte, she tossed her towel onto his head and began furiously brushing her teeth from where she stood. Exhaling noisily, he vanished back into the bathroom and she heard the water running as he went about his business.
Anger fading, Rukia removed her toothbrush from her mouth and walked into the doorway. "Hey, Ichigo," she said around a mouthful of frothy paste, "do you think-"
"Wash your mouth out," he ordered, and stripped off the black slacks he'd been wearing-the kimono had been removed before dinner and put away. Blushing, she marched over to the sink and rinsed the toothpaste down the drain before standing up straight again from where she'd been bowed down over the basin. Folding his pants, Ichigo took his place beside her and commenced to brush his teeth.
"I...I was wondering if you maybe wouldn't mind sleeping together tonight," she said, and he spit out toothpaste everywhere. Understanding how improper her words sounded, she tried to go back over her sentence and fix what she'd said. "I-I mean...what with your room being a mess, I though maybe you'd appreciate being in Yuzu and Karin's room. I'll sleep in my bed and you can use one of theirs," she rectified.
"No, thank you," he said, spitting into the sink. "I'll sleep downstairs on the couch for now."
"But-" she began.
"No arguing. I'll be fine." With that, Ichigo picked up the flashlight and exited the bathroom. The only other words he offered were a firm "good night".
After she was done cleaning up, Rukia picked up her candle while cradling Chappy under her other arm, and walked down the hall to Yuzu and Karin's room.
Once there, she blew the flame out on the wick and snuggled up under the covers with her bunny while listening to the howl of the desolate wind outside.
Exhausted, Rukia drifted into reverie for around over an hour and woke up at 1:00 a.m. in the morning. Even though she was enveloped by the thick coverlet, Rukia felt as if her core temperature had dropped. Not only that, the noise of the blizzard passing overhead passed straight through house, making the Kurosaki residence seem as bleak and empty as it really was. The cramped space that was the twin's domain seemed so much more unwelcome and spooky without the steady rhythm of their breathing as they slept. Chappy was there, but she didn't provide much heat and the only movement she made was to twitch in her sleep every so often.
Rukia didn't think she could stand another minute in the room, so she ever so leisurely slipped out of bed, being cautious so as to not wake the plushy, and strode out of the door. It was darker than what she would have preferred, but she could still see, nonetheless, and only waited for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the shadow before she continued down the hall. After hitting a wall once and nearly tripping to her death down the stairs, Rukia found herself in the living room.
The steady breathing of the teenager spread out on the couch soothed her more than she knew it should, but she allowed herself the luxury nonetheless.
With no socks on, she pranced a moment and tried to massage warmth back into her arms before gathering up her certitude and walking over to his side.
Tugging the comforter aside, she had to bite her lip just to try and not laugh when she saw the position he was in. With not enough room to modestly sprawl out like he did on his bed, Ichigo had one of his legs draped over the side of the couch in addition to his left arm, which was bent at an angle just above his head.
Stretching her hand out, she slipped her fingers through his silky orange hair and began lightly stroking.
He hummed. "That feels nice and all, but how many times do I have to tell you, it's creepy to stand over people while they're sleeping?"
Flushing pink and feeling glad that he couldn't see the blood rushing to her cheeks, Rukia smacked him. "You idiot, you're not sleeping," she scolded.
"No. It's freezing. Not only that, the damn wind's been keeping me up," he griped. Looking down into chocolate brown eyes, Rukia pulled the covers back.
"Well, it's the same here, so move."
"Rukia, there's not any room for you-" he started to carry on, and grunted as she hopped on top of him.
"Then I'll just lie on top of you, idiot," she said. Curling up against him, Rukia pulled the comforter around them. Even though she tried to act bold about her actions, her face and ears were flushed and she kept predicting to get chucked into the floor. Ichigo aimed to do just that, but he had to admit that her sincere intentions were welcoming and it was chilly, so the last thing he wanted to do was toss her onto the ground. Resigning himself to the inevitable, he folded his arms around her tiny frame and pressed his nose into her hair. He wanted to say something formal to her so they could retire for the evening, but any type of decorum he could have mustered had gone astray from the moment he'd confessed. In the position they were in, it was a little hard to try to think of being polite or to treat the situation as it were between acquaintances.
Ichigo tried to dredge up the words he really wanted to say to her, but it was a tad bit more complicated than the first time.
The way he was squirming, it was sort of testing for her to ignore his internal clash, which she knew was just that, just because he was so damn predictable.
"Ichigo, will you stop moving around and just say what you have to say?" she growled, causing him to jump.
"Ah..."
"And don't say it's nothing, because I know you too well for your games."
"Alright, then. I, um..." And right off the bat, he began to falter.
"Ichigo!" she hissed.
"Okay! Just give me a sec..." he retorted. "I...I..." Pissed now, Rukia reached down and pinched him in the side. "Gah! Don't do that!"
"Say something!" she spat.
"I was until you pinched me, dammit!" he cried, and when she moved her hand in a motion threatening to pinch him again, he surrendered. "Alright! Alright! I was just going say that...that I-Dammit, I can't say it when you're staring at me like that!"
"Oh, please, Ichigo! Stop being a wuss and tell me already!" she demanded. Ichigo crossed his arms, sulking now and feeling wounded that she'd just called him a wuss.
Well, if she was going to be that, then he wouldn't tell her at all.
"Oh, my God," she huffed. "You're such a child." Rukia glanced at him, at how immature he looked, sitting there propped up against his pillow, moping like a child that had been refused a toy. A chocked noise passed her lips, and then she doubled over laughing at him.
"Don't laugh!" he shouted, face completely red with embarrassment.
"You are so ridiculous!" she howled, pointing her finger at him. Moonlight filtered into the room from the window as dense, compacted clouds left over from the snowstorm passed overhead. Rukia laughed even harder when she saw him clearly. "You're blushing!"
"Stop that!" He slapped her hand away, flushing darker in color, causing the scarlet to clash with the orange of his hair.
"And here you're making such a big deal over telling me you love me!" she howled.
"You mean you knew all this time and you made me go through that!" Ichigo shrieked, flailing around. "You stupid little midget!"
Eventually, after much thrashing around and shared laughs, the two settled down against each other.
"I do love you, you know," he finally said, squeezing her.
"Finally you say it," she sighed, and cuddled up against him.