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Warning: all.
Theme: All.
bittersweet
XV. pluviophile
appleschan
He walks home with Rukia every day.
And they always both get weird as shit looks.
Middle age women think they're cute. Girls giggle and cooo like a bunch of three-year olds. Boys look at her appreciatively but frown and glare at him. Ichigo glares back with twice as much force and poses with extra male bravado as if daring them to come close.
What a loser, each of these boys probably thought, because they aren't him, that lucky guy.
What a fucking loser, Ichigo thinks so too.
Because according to the general school populace and some of their friends, Rukia is...
...the daughter of an angel and a god with her beautiful legs and cute lone bang that hangs on her pretty face, and her super nice attitude is a plus too, oh Kuchiki-san, such an existential masterpiece, says Keigo.
...Kuchiki-san...is an amazing woman, isn't she? Pretty, strong, and smart...says Inoue.
... ... says Chad.
...she is adequate. But allow me to point out that I do not think exterior is a valid basis for personality. Why are you asking me this? Says Ishida.
They all share Keigo's thoughts; they all worship her. Idiots. What a bunch of idiots.
Yet.
Ichigo shares a large part of his classmates' opinion of her, but grave first, before admission.
The Kurosaki Wall, most of his schoolmates and high school gangster like to call him. Because to peak under Kuchiki-san's skirt, they have to endure him. Literally. Most cases are hopeless, needless to say, because after he says, "just try, you little shit" the world will surely end for the hopeful admirer.
Every time after the bell rings, he and Rukia would be out the door, and out the gate then down to the usual way home -barely saying goodbye to their friends. She would be carrying her usual things, bag, the usual paraphernalia -with an additional, separate bag that belongs to someone else that she refuses to leave home. Ichigo does not question her about it, and does not offer to carry it for her and it's probably the last time she'll carry it.
As he walks beside her -in quiet, rhythmic steps- along the usual string of colorful local shops in their path, he feels the familiar stupid wispy flutters of butterflies in his stomach -which, of course, became regular tenants.
He actually wants to burn them, or pluck off all their little wings one by one. Because fuck, he more than likes Kuchiki-san. Annoyingly so, disturbingly so, frustratingly so.
"Hey, pipsqueak."
He hears no answer, but he keeps his gaze forward. It makes him look kinda cool. "Pipsqueak."
Still, he hears no answer. "What the hell?"
He turns around and sees Rukia a few steps behind him in front of a stuffed toy store. He closes his eyes and wishes what he just witnessed would go away. "Holy fuck no." He wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near a stuff toy store with a cute girl.
He won't buy her anything and hopes she won't ask for anything like all those colorful girls aww-ing at some cute stuff in the store.
She doesn't say anything when he stands next to her. She only points to a blue stuffed toy holding a stuffed trident.
"It looks unusual, don't you think?" She smiles up to him, and Ichigo looks down at her then looks away just as quickly when he detects the fake, poorly disguised mirth in her face. Instead, he glares deeply at the offending toy and tows her away, muttering about uncreative makers and inappropriate toys.
Within minutes, they continue their silent walk home. Rukia hums slightly. Ichigo, a few paces ahead of her, fidgets. Ichigo thinks he hears Rukia grunt and stops walking to let her rest when he hears her audibly grunt again. When he hears her walking again, he resumes his pace ahead of her. And with it, the silence.
Some days, they talk, more often, they don't. But at times, he attempts to talk to her anything about everything. More often than not, she answers. Thankfully.
"Why do you always come with me? Find your own way, why don't you?" He says, trying to sound irritated and bored at the same time. He hopes, he really hopes she'll answer.
They both reach the last turn before his house when they both stop walking. Rukia is closely following him, hunching over her extra baggage.
"I cannot. This is my way." She stresses firmly, blowing a sigh and tucking her bang behind her ear.
"I don't care."
"Don't be silly, Ichigo. Of course I'll walk with you." Then she walks ahead him, Ichigo catches up to walk beside her this time. His house is still a few blocks away.
It is spring when he learned that Rukia isn't a flower-person. But she likes the weather, he thinks. If they aren't in a hurry, they would usually sit in a tree and read a book –or nap. He naps most of the time while she reads.
They walk together numerous times during the summer -because of unavoidable school activities. Every time Rukia complains about the heat, he just casually smirks and buys her a cold drink to shut her up while he savors the heat in his back, in his arms, he kinda likes the warmth. Even now, she still hates it and dreads its return. Rukia thinks he's weird for liking it.
Autumn when she thinks it is her job to step on each, crunchy leaf she sees. And he thinks it is his job to let her enjoy. So he usually sits nearby, and waits for to finish torturing each leaf. Whenever she finds bunnies, she cuddles with them until he pries her away from them. But she always argues back fiercely, and will only stop if he promises her to come back the next day.
It is winter when she plays like a child the most; she creates snow angels all the time and draws his grumpy face on them. This is when he sees her extremely happy and carefree. Last winter, he bought her a pair of fluffy ear muffs, because he thought she looked cute and at one point, he asked for winter to never end.
It has been a year since they started walking home together.
"You should really find alternative route to your boyfriend's house."
He says finally. His heart clenches.
His fist clenches beneath his pocket, to where his phone is. Why did he say that? He wonders.
Rukia has a boyfriend that she takes care off every after class. The boy had an accident that left him in a vegetative state. The extra things she carries all the time are all his school notes and she insists on updating them so when he finally wakes up, he won't be far too behind.
Ichigo takes care of her in his absence.
Sometimes when they walk home together, he knows everybody expects him to hold her hand or buy her some ice cream that she could lap with her small pink tongue while they walk.
But he doesn't, because it's not his job. It's his job.
"Ichigo, that makes no sense. You and Kaien live in the same house."
Ichigo walks her to him every time after school hours. He hears her talk about him to Kaien because she reads in a medical book that continued interaction is -in some cases- helpful. She falls asleep beside his beeping machine and Ichigo has no choice but to carry her to one of the rooms in his house or bring her back to her home right in the middle of the night and explain to her scary brother.
He brings her food and sometimes, he joins her when it isn't too painful for him.
She doesn't cry much but when she does, he hears it clearly in his room. It is when he finds himself in front of Kaien's room -hers- and debates heavily whether to enter or not. And if he does, what would he do?
When Kaien wakes up, he'll probably punch him for doing this to him, and most importantly, to her.
It is not too long when their footsteps stop and he hears his family and their exceptionally loud and cheery dinner bouts. Tonight is different. He's home and they're home.
But before he could put one foot forward, Rukia suddenly takes his hand, grasps it firmly before opening the door and pulling him inside.
He thinks it's the first time she has done it.
Fitting because it's the last time they will walk home together, he got a message from his father that Kaien had woken up.
The End
something lighter to balance the heavier themes of this chapter's predecessors.
edit: oops. chapter initially deleted. sorry. weird syncing problems.