Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or the characters. Song: Concrete Angel by Martina McBride. Thanks to CrystalRaindrop007 for beta'ing!
A statue stands in a shaded place,
An angel girl with an upturned face.
A name is written on a polished rock,
A broken heart that the world forgot.
Concrete Angel — Ch. XXI
January 29th, 2:00 PM
Ichigo sighed deeply and kicked a rock that sat in front of him. It flew across the park and hit into the river beside a small child. The little girl squeaked and ran away, and Ichigo only frowned more.
Nothing was going right. Not in his life, at least. Sure, Kai was behind bars and no one had heard anything whatsoever on Byakuya in the past three weeks... but his life was hell. His personal life with said girlfriend was... complicated.
Rukia...He was thinking about her again. How she had looked so broken when they had woken up that morning, how her pain seemed to shine through. She acted like everything was all right, but he knew it wasn't, at least not for her.
She was crying. The blanket was pulled tightly around her small body, and she was crying softly and quietly. He just sat on the other end of the bed, his own body covered with his sheet. He didn't know what to do; he barely even remembered what had happened.
"Rukia..."
He reached out to touch her, but she flinched and moved away.
"Don't t-touch me, please."
For once, he didn't listen to her, and he took her shaking body into his arms. All of her pain came flooding out, and she allowed him to hold her, even though she wanted to get as far away from him as she could. She wanted to get away...
"Ichigo..." she sobbed quietly, "I'm s-sorry..."
He somehow found and forced a small smile.
"Shh... there's nothing to be sorry for, Rukia. I love you, and I'm sorry fi I hurt you, but please... don't blame yourself. Neither of us knew quite what we were doing, but I do know we'll get through it. Please... stop crying."
She nodded and tried to smile, but her tears wouldn't stop.
"Sorry, Ichigo..."
He shook his head, and just held her tighter. As her blanket began to slip down her shoulders, he reached out, without looking, and pulled it back up before tucking it under her chin.
His actions made her feel a little more safe; he cared more about her feelings than her body.
"Ichigo... will you forgive me?"
He laughed and forced a small smile.
"There's nothing to forgive."
He kicked another rock, and didn't even care when it hit into a car. Had he ruined his relationship with Rukia altogether? Did she hate him now?
He didn't know. He just didn't know.
It'd been over two weeks now, and she was still partially avoiding him. She slept in her own bed, and never even came into his room. She'd greet him with a smile and a kiss every morning, but she never climbed into his bed in the middle of the night because of a nightmare or just because she didn't want to be alone. It was like...
... she was afraid of him.
January 29th, 2:30 PM
Rukia bit her lip, wincing as she began to taste blood in her mouth. Her fingers twirled into her hair, and her eyes nervously stared at the home pregnancy test she'd picked up from the clinic. She had turned it upside down, and when it beeped three minutes later, she reached out with shaking hands to grab it.
Taking a deep breath in, Rukia gripped it in her fingers. She hadn't been feeling well for the past few days, and she was sure that neither her or Ichigo were thinking straight enough to have used protection when they had slept together.
She just needed to know for sure.
Closing her eyes and then opening them again, Rukia turned the test around in her hand.
"Ichigo..."
He silently handed her a set of clothing, and politely turned around while she changed. He was being more silent than usual, and she was worried that he might hate her now.
"Ichigo, please look at me."
He squeaked, and Rukia felt the need to throw a pillow at him.
"I'm dressed, you pervert!"
He let out a small laugh, and she almost felt like smiling as he turned around and looked her in the eyes.
"I... don't remember everything that happened," she started, biting her lip a little as she folded her hands into her lap. "But I know that I love you, and you said you love me, so we'll be all right... right?"
Ichigo smiled and nodded as he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.
"Right."
The bright red line flashed at her, and Rukia breathed a sigh of relief. After tearing the box to little pieces and flushing it down the toilet so Ichigo would have no hope of finding it, she stuck the pregnancy test into her pocket. She wanted to keep it, even though she knew she was being a little silly.
It had seemed as though they would be perfectly fine, but she felt weird around him... she was always scared when he touched her, but she was getting better about it. She was pretending that it didn't bother her, but he knew it and she knew it; she wouldn't feel better for a while yet.
But at least she wasn't pregnant, like she'd feared. She knew that, if she spent the rest of her life with Ichigo, which she wanted, then she would love to have his baby at some point, but not yet. Not now.
Smiling a little, Rukia walked down the stairs and her smile grew when Ichigo walked through the door. She went up to him, kissed him on the cheek, and wrapped her arms around him, settling her head into his chest.
"Welcome back, Ichigo."
He smiled, too.
"I wasn't gone long."
"Still..."
Rukia laughed a little, grabbed his hand, and hauled him the rest of the way in the house before closing the door and beginning to peal off his scarf, hat and coat. She hung them all up, then glanced with curiosity into the grocery bags he was holding.
"Did ya get me anything?"
She looked up at him with such wide, hopeful eyes that, for once in his life, he was glad that he actually had gotten her something.
"Yup!"
He reached into the bag and held out a sucker to her. She grinned, took the wrapper off and popped it into her mouth.
"Sdwabeeey."
Ichigo looked utterly confused.
"Huh?"
Rukia popped the sucker out of her mouth and repeated, "Strawberry."
"Really?" Ichigo looked surprised. "Let me taste."
Rukia held out her sucker, but to her surprise, he gently kissed her instead. She closed her eyes and let him, only encouraging him when he deepened the kiss. When he finally pulled back, he smiled and laid his forehead on hers.
"You OK?"
She knew exactly what he was talking about.
"Mm hmm," Rukia said softly, closing her eyes as she kissed him again. She pulled back, surprised, when the little voice of Yuzu echoed through the hall.
"Yuck! Get a room, you two!"
Ichigo grinned, stuck his tongue out at his sister, and took Rukia's hand, hauling her into the kitchen with him.
"Will this room work?"
"Uh huh."
He grinned and kissed her again.
January 29th, 6:15 PM
"Dinner time!"
Ichigo and Rukia, who were sitting on the couch and watching a movie, yawned and picked themselves up before walking sleepily into the kitchen. Yuzu smiled at them when they entered, and had the nerve to ask them if "getting a room" wore them out so badly. Ichigo, of course, just screeched loudly and began to eat quickly.
"No," Rukia began. "Getting a room isn't the hard part."
She winked at Yuzu, and Ichigo grumbled something she didn't quite understand. In truth, she was only trying to ease the tension that had set over the Kurosaki household fifteen days ago.
It worked. Soon, Ichigo was yelling at his dad, who was being perverted, and Karin was sighing at them all while Yuzu and Rukia talked randomly about 'girl' stuff.
"SO!"
It was the loud, annoying voice of Isshin.
"When do I get a grandchild—"
Ichigo kicked his father, very hard, under the table. Rukia began to choke on her food, and the negative pregnancy test which still sat in her pocket seemed to weigh a hundred pounds more.
January 15th, 6:20 AM — Flashback
Rukia groaned as she slowly turned around in bed. Her head was pounding, and when she opened her eyes, the first thing she did was clench them shut again. She just wanted to sleep...
As she finished turning around, she felt someone warm in the bed beside her. She thought nothing of it until she realized that the cold was biting her skin, and therefore, she was naked.
She screeched when she saw Ichigo in the bed beside her, completely naked as well.
Oh, God...
"Mmm... Whazz... Rukia?"
Ichigo sat up in bed, and the blanket fell away from his body. She blushed and turned away, stealing the blanket from him to pull around herself. Her hands were shaking and tears were beginning to well up in her eyes as she realized what they'd done.
Ichigo, too, realized what had happened, and he pulled the sheet around his body. He bit his lip.
Soon, she was crying. The blanket was pulled tightly around her small body, and she was crying softly and quietly. He just sat on the other end of the bed, his own body covered with his sheet. He didn't know what to do; he barely even remembered what had happened.
"Rukia..."
He reached out to touch her, but she flinched and moved away.
"Don't t-touch me, please."
For once, he didn't listen to her, and he took her shaking body into his arms. All of her pain came flooding out, and she allowed him to hold her, even though she wanted to get as far away from him as she could. She wanted to get away...
"Ichigo..." she sobbed quietly, "I'm s-sorry..."
He somehow found and forced a small smile.
She nodded and tried to smile, but her tears wouldn't stop.
"Sorry, Ichigo..."
He shook his head and just held her tighter. As her blanket began to slip down her shoulders, he reached out, without looking, and pulled it back up before tucking it under her chin.
His actions made Rukia feel a little more safe; he cared more about her feelings than her body.
"Ichigo... will you forgive me?"
He laughed and forced a small smile.
"There's nothing to forgive."
There was silence for what seemed to be forever, then Ichigo whispered something about getting dressed. Rukia nodded and looked away while he climbed out of the bed and dropped the sheet to the floor. It was a little under three minutes later that she felt the bed dip down, signaling that he was finished.
"Ichigo..."
He silently handed her a set of clothing, and politely turned around while she changed. He was being more silent than usual, and she was worried that he might hate her now.
"Ichigo, please look at me."
He squeaked, and Rukia felt the need to throw a pillow at him.
"I'm dressed, you pervert!"
He let out a small laugh, and she almost felt like smiling as he turned around and looked her in the eyes.
"I... don't remember everything that happened," she started, biting her lip a little as she folded her hands into her lap. "But I know that I love you, and you said you love me, so we'll be all right... right?"
Ichigo smiled and nodded as he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.
"Right."
February 14th, 10:12 AM
Ichigo was sure he'd lost his mind as he grabbed the small box off of the counter after paying for it. He'd lost a very important part of his mind, and he needed to find it quickly, before he did something stupid.
But he was already doing it. God, he was going to die.
Oh, well.
At least he'd die a happy man.
Maybe?
Deciding to stomp on his brain, Ichigo walked inside of his house, closing the door behind him before taking off his coat. He hung it up, then went in search of Rukia. She was around somewhere...
He needed to find her, take her someplace romantic, and then... and then...
"Oi! Ichigo! Where in the world were you?"
Rukia was suddenly standing before him, her hands on her hips and her lips pressed tightly together. Ichigo gulped and gripped the small box in his pocket.
"Um... nowhere... at all. Oh! I was outside, getting some fresh air and... you know..."
He snapped his mouth shut and turned around. Rukia raised an eyebrow, then walked over to his side. She smiled, grabbed his hand, and asked happily, "Can we go ice skating?"
Oh, well. Not as romantic as he'd hoped for, but it'd work.
"Um... sure."
In a record of ten minutes, they were dressed in warm clothing, had their skates on, and were busting their butts. Ichigo more so than Rukia; she just laughed at him when he did fall down, and didn't make a move to help him up. He, all the while, was trying to figure out the best way to do this. On his knee... nope, he'd kill himself on the ice. Standing up... no, he was way taller than her.
On his knee it was.
Sighing, gulping, and blaming the dark red blush and nervous shaking both on the cold, Ichigo walked over to Rukia, grabbed her arm, and made them both fall down. She screeched loudly, closing her eyes tightly as she landed hard on top of him. He groaned. OK, so part one of his plan didn't work right.
"Rukia... off me."
She giggled.
Pulling his sore body off of the ice, Ichigo helped Rukia up, then pretended to fall down again. Rukia looked down in concern, and when she stuck out her hand to help him up, he grabbed it, and took the small, blue velvet box out of his pocket.
Gulping, he flipped it open. Rukia's eyes grew wide.
"Ah... Rukia, I know this is all too soon, most likely, but I love you more than I could ever tell you, show you, or... or anything. I love you more than words can say. I want to spend my life with you, even though you are a moody, insane midget. I know we're both too young, but we can wait a year, three or five even... I just want to know that you love me enough to accept me when I ask you to marry me."
Rukia's bright, beautiful violet eyes were open as she stared at the man before her. She wanted to badly to scream 'yes' and throw herself into his arms, but her body wouldn't move. Slowly, a small tear made it's way out of her eye and slipped unnoticed down her cheek.
Ichigo bit his lip as he waited for her answer.
"I knew it... it was far too soon, I just..."
He trailed off, and began to let go of her hand. But her small fingers wrapped tightly around his own, not letting him go.
"Ichigo..."
More tears followed the first, and even though she had told herself she didn't want to cry anymore, these were tears of joy. Tears of happiness. Tears of love.
"...yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes."
"Yes!"
Rukia laughed, wiping away tears, as Ichigo carefully took her glove off and slipped the ring on her finger. As if on second thought, he slipped it off again and smiled as he showed her the engraved words on the inside. In soft, beautifully slanted letters the words 'Concrete Angel' shone back at her.
"You like it?" he asked, putting it on her finger once again.
Rukia would only nod; it was the most beautiful ring in the whole world. It had a shining, golden band and the aquamarine stone right in the middle that shone a million different colors every time she moved her hand made the gold light up beautifully. Those two words were so simple, yet said so much, and as Ichigo finally moved his hand away from her fingers, she clasped the ring close to her chest as her eyes closed.
"I love you, Rukia," he said softly, standing shakily to his feet on his ice skates. He pulled her into his arms and smiled into her hair as he buried his face in her soft, black locks.
"I love you, too, Ichigo."
Her voice was just a whisper, but she knew he'd heard it, because he lightly whispered back, "Thank you, Rukia..."
Hmm. Well, I had a ton of fun writing this chapter. I dunno what kind of reactions I'm gonna get because Rukia isn't pregnant, because now their engaged (And I know that Ichigo moves quickly. But their not getting married for a looong time yet!) and because... this wasn't so drama and angst filled that I killed myself. I didn't know exactly how much drama people wanted, so I just did it like I wanted to, and everyone will have to live with it.
FYI: PDA means Public Desplay of Affection.
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Sneak preview of Chapter 22!
Rukia smiled and blushed a little as Yuzu's eyes opened wide. The little girl was staring straight at the ring, not moving her gaze for a second. Ichigo was watching both of them, an amused look on his face as Yuzu began to inspect the ring.
"So pretty!"
Rukia laughed softly.
"Yeah, it is, isn't it?"
Yuzu nodded happily and Rukia turned to look at Ichigo, the man she loved and the man she would one day marry. He smiled at her, then stood from his spot and took her hand before pulling her out of the kitchen.
"Huh? Ichi-nii, where are you and Rukia-chan going?" Yuzu asked, frowning.
"To get a room. Remember? You Don't like PDA?"
Yuzu pouted, but didn't protest as Ichigo walked off.
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P.S. Will most likely update on or before 8.5.07!
Please Review!