If Not in This Life, Maybe in the Next

by darisu-chan

Series of IchiRuki one-shots for your IchiRuki needs. "Isshin's latest attempt at listening through Ichigo's door finally brings results."

37. You And Me

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

Author's Note: Yo! remember when I told you most one-shots would be short from now on? Well, I lied to you like I freaking liar. I meant for this one-shot to be short and it turned into this monstruosity. One of the longest ones in this collection. This is why I didn't upload it yesterday or the day before like I was supposed to do. I hope the length makes up for it. Anyway, today we have the "childhood friends to lovers" prompt and let me tell you I'm a sucker for that shit. Main reason why I used to ship RenRuk to begin with long ago. I like those type of stories. But I also relate because I fell in love with my childhood friend. Except I didn't end up with him. Maybe that's why I like them. To live vicariously through them. Well, this one-shot ended up being more dramatic than I had intended but hope you like it. It was a pleasure to write. So, it is made up from small snippets of the lives of Ichigo and Rukia through the years. It's about their bond and friendship and, later, feelings for each other.

As always, thank you all for your continuous support. It makes me happy to know you like what I write.

See you soon!

(I recommend listening to the song "You And Me" by Lifehouse, because I listened to it as I wrote it.)

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Reviews

Maiko: Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked how I portrayed their relationship and that the point I was trying to make came across. I had forgotten about Dengeki Daisy until you brought it up! I only read it because the characters reminded me of IchiRuki but in a shojou! Kurosaki the janitor xD And they didn't get caught because Ishida made sure no one found them out. He was their biggest shipper in school. I also thought Bleach would end like that, with Ichigo being a Shinigami. It was dumb to have him remain a normal human and I'll never forgive Kubo for that. Thanks again!

Bleach power: Thank you! I'm glad it was realistic enough. I feel like I don't write enough about the trifles of dating life, so I took the opportunity with stride.

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You And Me

Prompt: childhood friends to lovers

Summary: From the moment they met at the park, Ichigo had always been in love with Rukia.

---

5 years old

That day, Ichigo hadn't wanted to go to the park. He had been sad that his favorite toy, an orange car, had broken when he accidentally let it fall down the stairs. His father had tried to put it back together with glue, but that hadn't worked out. Ichigo, naturally, had felt completely miserable and had started crying. His mother had bought that car for him before his little sisters had been born. It meant the world to him and now it was gone. Seeing him so sad, Masaki, his mother, had told him they should go to the park. Since Yuzu and Karin had been born, they hadn't spent as much time together as they used to. Any other day, Ichigo would have been beyond excited to hang out with her, but not that time. He walked side by side with Masaki, eyes red from crying so much, forehead set permanently in a frown, and mouth rounded as he pouted. The sight would have been funny if he wasn't genuinely disgruntled.

Masaki sighed as her son kept on kicking invisible rocks as they walked. Nothing she and Isshin had done seemed to make him happy. Parenthood was difficult, especially when you had two babies and a young son to worry about. Still, she had firmly believed playing in the park would do the trick. She had brought Ichigo's favorite ball, as well as snacks for a picnic. There were games in the park and there were bound to be other children. Even if Ichigo wasn't the most sociable child, he still felt happy to play with other kids his age. She was counting on that happening. However, when they arrived, the child had been uninterested in playing with his ball. When Masaki had tried to give him the fruit she had brought for the trip, he had told her he wasn't hungry. Not even a chocolate bar tempted him to eat something. Her poor boy had just walked towards the swing and sat there, pouting all the way. Worried, Masaki sat at a nearby bench, close enough to watch her son, but far away enough he wouldn't feel as if she was bothering him. That was when she noticed a little girl walking towards her son. She was carrying two stuffed animals in her chubby arms, and she looked at Ichigo with narrowed eyes. Next to her, a much younger woman sat down.

"Oh dear." The woman muttered as she saw the girl approaching the boy. "There she goes again."

"Is she your daughter?" Masaki asked her.

"Younger sister." She replied. "We just moved here and I'd hoped she would make some friends in the park, but she really doesn't know how to get along with other children."

Masaki giggled. "My son's the same way. Let's see how their first meeting goes." She said, pointing towards the two children. The girl was saying something to her son that had him frowning. "I'm Masaki, by the way." She added, shaking hands with the young woman.

"Hisana."

Even as the other woman looked apprehensive, Masaki had a feeling this was the start of something new.

---

Ichigo kept pouting as he sat on the swing without moving. Life definitely was unfair. What had he done to deserve such a tragedy befall on him? No other car would be able to compare to the one he had. It was one of a kind. Because his mother had bought it specifically for him. He genuinely wished his parents would understand that, but he guessed they were more focused on his sisters now. As these thoughts plagued his mind, he didn't notice the figure approaching him until she was right in front of him.

"Hey." A strong but childish voice said. Ichigo raised his head and stared right into two violet eyes. He blinked once, not really comprehending what was going on until the voice spoke louder. "I'm talking to you. Don't ignore me!"

The voice belonged to a girl about his age. She had black hair styled into two pigtails. A single, rebel strand fell between her eyes, making them look bigger than they were. Her skin was very pale, almost like snow, but her cheeks were flushed pink. She was dressed in a pretty pink and white dress and pink shoes to match. In her arms, she was carrying a pink bunny and a yellow lion. She commanded herself with the pride of an adult and her voice was equally as strong. Ichigo had definitely never met someone like her before.

"What do you want?" He spat as he crossed his little arms on his chest.

The girl glared at him. "Are you gonna keep sitting here?" She said, gesturing to the swing.

"What's it to you?" He replied, not wanting to be having this conversation with the strange girl.

"My friends want to swing." She said, motioning to her stuffed animals.

"Those aren't friends. They're toys." He told her with a deadpan.

Her glare turned sharper. "Well, they're the only friends I have."

In any other day, Ichigo would have felt sad that she was friendless, but he was annoyed as it was, and the girl wasn't making it any better. "Sucks to you."

She scoffed. "As if you had friends."

It was his turn to glare at her. "I have friends." Well, he only really spoke to Tatsuki. All the other kids always made fun of his hair. Tatsuki didn't. Although she always bested him at their judo classes. But still, she counted, right?

"Right." She replied, as if she didn't believe him. "Are you gonna leave?"

"No." He grumbled.

"Why?"

"Just 'cause."

"But I want to use the swing!"

"Too bad."

"Why are you so mean?" She complained, pouting.

Ichigo sighed, feeling the beginning of a headache coming. What was up with this girl? Why couldn't she leave him alone so he could wallow in peace? "I'm sad, alright!" He finally exclaimed, completely frustrated with the situation.

The girl blinked and then stared at him in understanding. "I'm sad too."

"Why?" He found himself asking.

"I moved here with my sister, but I didn't wanna go. I miss my old home." She replied. Ichigo sympathized with her. If he had had to leave his own home and friends behind, he would have been sad too. Sadder than he was now. "What about you?"

He mulled over her question. Now that he knew her situation, his own reason for sadness seemed pitiful in comparison. "My favorite car broke. My mom gave it to me and asked me to take care of it, but now it's gone." He said, defeated.

The girl smiled at him softly. "My mommy and daddy are gone." She told him. "But they left these toys behind so I could play with them. Onee-chan always tells me to take care of them." As he heard her, Ichigo felt his heart constricting. He couldn't imagine living without his parents. To think this girl was an orphan but still had the strength to go on was outstanding. "So, here." She said, pushing the lion into his arms.

"W-wait! What are you doing?" He exclaimed, dumbfounded.

"You need it more than I do." She replied. "His name is Kon. Treat him right."

Ichigo looked at the lion. Its body was yellow, its claws were white, and its mane was spiky and brown. It had a white button on the center of its belly. Its ears were pink and it had black beady eyes. It was soft to the touch and surprisingly huggable. He quite liked it, if he was being honest. But he couldn't possibly take it. "But… it's your friend." He muttered. "Why are you giving it to me?"

The girl grinned at him. "Onee-chan always says I should be kind to others, especially if they're in pain. You looked sad, so I decided to give it to you. Besides, he kinda looks like you!"

"Hey!" He complained. "I don't look like him… right?"

She started laughing at his expression and soon Ichigo joined in her laughter as well, his previous sadness forgotten.

"I'm Rukia, by the way." The girl suddenly said, smiling at him.

"I'm Ichigo."

"And this is Chappy." She said, making the bunny wave its little arm. "Do you wanna play with me?"

"Sure."

And just like that their relationship started blooming. Neither could have known that that little moment of kindness would be the beginning of something much more wonderful.

---

7 years old

Ichigo entertained himself by throwing rocks at the river. It was fun to see how they skipped in the water. He was about to throw another rock, when someone sat down next to him with a loud thud. He didn't even need to turn around to know exactly who it was.

"Wow. Not even a hello. You've gotten rude." He said in a teasing tone, looking over his shoulder towards where Rukia was sitting.

The girl didn't say anything. In fact, she looked like she didn't want to speak at all. She was wearing her favorite yellow dress, uncaring if it got stained by the grass underneath her. She was hugging her legs as she hid her head on her arms. That wasn't the Rukia he knew. Rukia was always vibrant, always having a witty thing to say on the tip of her tongue. She was warm and bright, like a ray of sunlight.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo muttered, making her turn to look at him. Her usually sparkling eyes were now filled with tears. He felt as if all air had left his stomach.

Rukia never cried. It was something he had found out very early on in their friendship. Ichigo was a crybaby. He cried when he got hurt. He cried when people made fun of his hair. He cried when he lost to Tatsuki in their judo classes. He cried for so many stupid reasons he couldn't even begin to count. But Rukia didn't. If she fell down and scratched her knee, she would just call herself an idiot and stand up. When the older kids who always made fun of his hair bullied her for being short, she would punch them on the face. When she was sad, she drew or went to play with him to feel better. The only other time she had been close to shedding tears had been when someone made fun of the fact she had no parents. However, she had pushed the tears away and had done what she did best: fight.

If Rukia was crying now, something terrible must have happened.

Ichigo instantly took her arms in his hands, searching for invisible wounds. If she was badly hurt, he could always carry her on his back and take her to his father's clinic. Dad would surely know what to do and Rukia would be fine. She had to be fine. He continued inspecting her, only to find nothing. When he was about to ask if maybe her tummy ached, she sprung into his waiting arms and held his neck tightly.

"Onee-chan's leaving me!" Rukia sobbed, her whole body shaking.

Ichigo frowned. That wasn't possible. He knew for a fact that Hisana loved Rukia more than anything in this world. Although she was fifteen years older than her sister, their relationship was closer than any other he had ever seen. Hisana was protective of her baby sister and, without their parents, she did everything possible to raise Rukia. The woman worked hard so they could have a place to live with all the necessities she would need. She was always there for Rukia, no matter what. As an older brother himself, Ichigo knew that protecting your younger sisters was a hard but rewarding job. He would die for Yuzu and Karin. He would never leave them. Hisana was the same if not more protective of her sister than he was with his. Her duty was even bigger than his, after all.

"What do you mean leave you?" He asked her as he hugged her close to him.

"Sh-she met some guy." Rukia croaked out. "And now she's marrying him." She cried.

Oh.

That explained it.

Ichigo had heard about the guy one time he had eavesdropped on his parents. His mom was telling his dad about a man Hisana had met at her job. She worked at a fancy restaurant in town. There, she had met a very wealthy man while she was serving him. He had been impressed by her, said his mom. He had been blinded by her beauty, said his dad. They had been excited for her. Hisana wasn't an average twenty-two year old. She didn't have many friends in Karakura, and the ones she had were older than her. She hadn't been able to go to college, and she worked a low-wage job which left her with not a lot of free time. And when she wasn't working, she was at home taking care of her sister. It wasn't something kind-hearted Hisana would have seen as a great sacrifice, but the people around her did. She had never had a boyfriend before. And so, to have such an important young man become interested in her was astounding. If she married rich, Hisana wouldn't need to work anymore and could lead a peaceful life.

But where did that leave Rukia?

Would Hisana be so heartless as to leave Rukia behind for a bright future?

No.

That was impossible.

Rukia was Hisana's last relative. She would never leave her. Ichigo knew that. He was confident on that.

The mystery now was why Rukia had thought such things.

"What makes you think that?" He asked her as her crying had faded, and just a few tears remained.

Rukia sniffled. "Why would she need me when she has him?" She referred to him as if he were the living embodiment of all evil.

"But Hisana-san loves you." Ichigo insisted.

"Well, she loves him more." She said with such certainty, it unnerved Ichigo.

"Rukia." He called her, making her look at him. "What happened?"

Something specific must have occurred for her to have such feelings. Rukia didn't necessarily judge people she had just met. And there must have been a powerful reason to make her believe her very own sister would abandon her.

"At first, onee-chan didn't tell me about him." She started retelling him. "She only introduced him to me to tell me they were getting married. His name is Kuchiki Byakuya and he's very rich. He's always serious and he hardly smiles." Rukia told him as he listened intently to her every word. "I was happy for onee-chan, but…"

"But?" Ichigo prompted her when she grew quiet.

"They had an engagement party with his family yesterday." Rukia said with contempt. "Onee-chan made me wear a very puffy and ugly dress for the event. Then, we went and I could see his family and friends faked smiles when they greeted us. When onee-chan wasn't looking, they glared at her. And then…"

"And then what?"

Here Rukia started crying again. "I overheard some of them talking. They called Byakuya an idiot for falling in love with a poor girl who was obviously a gold-digger." She said. "So I spilled punch on their dresses, accidentally."

Of course. That was so like Rukia.

She never let that kind of comments go without a consequence, as all of his bullies had soon found out.

"Byakuya was really mad. They fought yesterday night after we came back home. He called me an ill-mannered girl." Her sobs grew louder. "They fought because of me, Ichigo! I don't want onee-chan to be unhappy! But he's right! I don't belong in their family! One day, onee-chan will have babies and I won't be of use to her anymore!" She blubbered as fat teardrops fell from her dimmed eyes. "It'd be better if she abandoned me, but I don't want her to do it! What will happen to me? Maybe I won't even be able to see you anymore."

No.

That couldn't happen.

By any means.

Rukia had been his best friend for the last two years. Ichigo couldn't imagine a life without her, as much as she couldn't imagine a life without Hisana. There must have been a solution to this problem.

"Oh, Rukia." He said before embracing her. "I don't think that'll happen." He reassured her.

"You don't know that." She said pitifully.

"I know Hisana-san loves you very much. If she'd wanted to abandon you, she would've done that when you were a baby. But she didn't, and she raised you." Ichigo explained to her, while patting her back. "The guy she's marrying will have to love you as much as she does, or else I'll give him a piece of my mind." He said, raising a fist for added effect.

Rukia giggled despite herself. "He's much taller and stronger than you."

"One day I'll be taller and stronger than him, you'll see." He grumbled. "But, in any case, Hisana-san won't leave you. And, even if that ever happened, I'd tell my parents to adopt you, and then you could be my third sister." He told her, smiling at her. "You'll see things will be alright."

She smiled sweetly at him with that smile that never failed to take his breath away. "Thanks, Ichigo. For everything."

Pink dusted his cheeks and he started coughing to recover himself. "Now go and apologize to your sister, but also explain what happened. She'll understand."

Rukia smiled and then pecked his cheek, leaving him sputtering. "I'll do that. Bye!" And with that, she ran home, leaving a flustered Ichigo behind.

He recovered and then smiled as he watched her disappear.

That Rukia.

Always making him feel strange things.

---

A few months later, Rukia and Ichigo stood next to each other during the wedding reception. Hisana and Byakuya had gotten married after all, and Byakuya had even given the Kuchiki name to Rukia, declaring he had officially adopted her as his sister. The news had made Rukia warm up to him. They would be moving to a neighborhood even closer to where Ichigo lived, so he would be seeing her more often than before, and, for that, he was happy. He turned to look at her. She was wearing a traditional kimono in a lilac color which brought up her eyes. Rukia claimed she didn't like it, but to Ichigo she looked very pretty. Her hair was adorned with white flowers, making her look angelic. For his part, Ichigo was wearing a gray suit with a light blue tie. He hated it but his mother had assured him he looked handsome. In one table, his parents were sitting with other friends, his sisters gently resting in their strollers. Meanwhile, the newlyweds sat on their table, smiling softly at each other.

"By the way," Rukia suddenly muttered next to him. "I did what you told me and I explained everything to onee-chan and Byakuya nii-sama." She had taken to calling her new brother in that way knowing he would appreciate such respect given to his person. "Those women won't be bothering us anymore."

Ichigo grinned. "Those are great news!"

"Yeah." She said, returning his grin. Then, she took his hands in her much smaller ones. "Wanna dance?" She asked but did not wait for his reply as she pulled him to the dance floor.

Although embarrassed, especially when he noticed his dumb father was taking pictures of them and yelling obnoxiously, Ichigo took Rukia's hands and made them sway at the rhythm of the music that was currently playing. When it got more upbeat, he twirled her around. Rukia laughed and it sounded like bells resounding. As they looked into each other's eyes, Ichigo wondered what it would be like if the ones who were getting married were actually Rukia and him.

---

8 years old

Ichigo had escaped home.

He knew his father and younger sisters would be worried about him, Yuzu tended to cry when he wasn't around, but he couldn't make himself care about it.

Nothing mattered anymore.

The moment their sun had ceased to exist, so did all the happiness he felt.

He couldn't bear it.

His father looking so lost and upset.

His sisters crying.

The hole which burned inside his chest.

It made him want to scream and gouge his eyes out.

So he ran and ran and ran until he reached the river bank.

When Ichigo had been younger, his parents had taken him to the river bank to feed the ducks. There, they had told him he was going to become an older brother. It had become one of his favorite places since. He returned multiple times with his mother and his father to throw rocks or feed the birds. After Yuzu and Karin had been born, their parents had taken them there for picnics. As he grew older and could leave his house by himself, he had gone plenty more times. Eventually, he had showed Rukia this place and they would often play together, being careful of not falling into the water.

It was his place and naturally where he had run off to.

He had never imagined anyone else would come looking for him there.

"Your dad's been looking everywhere for you!" Rukia exclaimed as she sat next to him. She glared at him when he ignored her. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Ichigo shrugged and looked towards the river as the sun began to set. "It doesn't matter."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?"

"Everyone's better without me." He grumbled.

"No, we're not! Yuzu and Karin have been crying because you were gone!" She snapped at him. "Uncle Isshin has even organized the neighbors to look for you! There's a search party looking for you!"

He sighed. "You should all just let me be."

Rukia mumbled something under her breath and then she whacked him on the head.

"Hey!" Ichigo complained, rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

She stood in her full height and glared at him. "Do you really think you're the only one who's suffering?!" She shouted. "Your sisters are sad. Your dad is sad. Everyone's gonna miss auntie." She changed her tone for a softer one. She sniffed and it was then when Ichigo could finally tell she had been crying. She was as devastated as the rest. Masaki had been like a mother to Rukia for the past three years. Whenever she visited him, his mom would spend some time with her. Masaki was truly like the sun, warming everyone's hearts. "That's reason enough for us to stay all together, right? We can't have you running away like that. You scared us!"

He looked at his palms and then clenched them into fists. "Why?" He whispered.

"Huh?" Rukia said, confused.

"Why do you want me around so badly?!" Ichigo shouted. The brass sound of his voice made her flinch. "It was my fault! Mom's gone because of me! I'm a killer! Why do you even care?! You should all forget about me!" He finally cried, feeling all the emotions he had tried to push down coming pouring out of him. Self-loathing. Despair. Loneliness. Guilt. All coming out of his small body.

Rukia eyed him carefully, and suddenly wrapped her hands around him, pulling him closer to her. "It's not your fault." She mumbled in his ear. "No one blames you, Ichigo."

"But it is…" He insisted, his voice coming out broken. "If I had obeyed her, she wouldn't have run after me…"

Kurosaki Masaki had died two days earlier during a rainy afternoon. His mother had gone to pick him up after his judo classes where over. They had been walking home when Ichigo thought he had seen a girl in trouble in the other side of the street. Uncaring of the incoming traffic, he had ran after the girl. His mother had tried to stop him and, when a speeding car rushed closer, she had used her own body to protect her son. The poor boy had fainted and had woken up to realize his mother was gone forever.

"You couldn't have known." She told him patiently, a hand caressing his hair. "It was an accident…"

"But─"

"Your mother wouldn't have liked seeing you like this. My parents died in an accident too, you know." Rukia began saying, her eyes getting a faraway look. "I was a baby, so I don't have any memories of them. All I've got of them is Chappy, Kon and the things onee-chan tells me. I used to feel sad about that. I felt lonely, like you. But I'm not alone anymore. I have onee-chan, nii-sama, and I have you." She held him closer, burying her head in the crook of his neck. "You're not alone, Ichigo. You have your dad, Yuzu, Karin, and you have me. I'll never leave you."

Ichigo sobbed and held Rukia closer. "It hurts so much." He cried. "Will it ever stop hurting?"

She shook her head. "It just doesn't hurt as bad…"

They remained there, with Ichigo crying his heart out as Rukia held him. When his crying subsided, she gently rubbed his back in a way that reminded him of all the times his mother had comforted him. It made his heart ache at the same time warmth spread through his body.

Ichigo had lost his sun. The person that had made everything better.

But…

He still had his little ray of light, who was currently holding him like no one had ever done before.

It felt as if Rukia's body was designed to fit perfectly against his.

Ichigo sharply inhaled her scent, trying to memorize it for years to come.

Funny…

It smelled kinda like his mom.

He stopped crying and rubbed his eyes. "I think I'm ready to come home."

Rukia had smiled brightly at him. "Okay. Let's go." She took his hand in hers and, together, they walked towards his home, where his father was waiting for him. Ichigo instantly ran towards him, and Isshin quickly scooped him in his arms, reassuring him that he was still loved. Around them, Yuzu and Karin started crying too, holding their father's legs. Rukia remained to the side, smiling softly at the scene.

Hisana put a hand over her shoulder and smiled at her. "You did well, Rukia."

She beamed at her sister.

---

12 years old

Ichigo honestly couldn't understand it. Rukia had been ignoring him for the past few days and it made no sense whatsoever. He hadn't even done anything to annoy her. Although it was common that they would sometimes end up bickering due to their similar personalities, they usually made up before the day was over. But not in this occasion. Each time he had tried to speak to her at school, she had ignored him, even if that meant eating lunch by herself. When he had tried to go to her house and ask for her, Hisana had told him Rukia was busy at the moment. He hadn't believed her due to the apologetic smile she had. He had even tried sending her paper notes in class, but she had thrown them away! What was wrong with her?

"Is Rukia-chan still not talking to you?" His father asked him during dinner.

The boy pouted. "She won't even answer the phone." He mumbled, missing his amused smile.

"Have you annoyed her lately?" Karin asked him.

"No." He shook his head.

"Did you tell her she looked pretty?" Yuzu suggested next.

"Rukia doesn't care about that." She wasn't girly in the same way Yuzu was.

"Did she see you with another girl?" Isshin went next, a scary grin on his face.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Ichigo retorted, playing with his food.

"Aha! So it is about another girl!" His father said triumphantly, even standing on the chair for good measure as he pointed at him.

"What?" He asked in disbelief.

"Oh, I can't believe you're becoming a player! I didn't raise you like that!" Isshin exclaimed exaggeratedly to the amusement of his daughters.

"It's not like that!" Ichigo complained, waving his arms desperately.

"Oh, Masaki, help me from heaven! Why is our son becoming like this?!" He yelled to the poster he had hung of his late wife. "Tell our son to stop torturing our third daughter!"

"Shut up!" The boy said, hitting his dad with his fork.

"Ouch!" Isshin said as he fell to the floor. Then he stood up quickly and flashed Ichigo a smile. "Good aim, son! You're getting better at it!"

"Can you go back to your point and tell me what a girl has to do with anything?!" He said in exasperation.

"Oh, that's easy to answer. Rukia-chan is a girl." Isshin started explaining.

"So? Tatsuki's a girl too and she hasn't gotten mad at me yet."

"But you're not as close to Tatsuki-chan as you're with Rukia-chan."

"So? What's your point?"

"That you've been hanging a lot lately with Orihime-chan."

Yeah.

That didn't explain anything.

"Well that's not my fault." Ichigo grumbled. "I feel bad for her, that's all."

Inoue's brother had passed away after getting hurt in an accident. His injuries had been so bad that Isshin hadn't been able to help him in time. Ichigo had stayed with the girl as she waited for news on her brother. He had felt bad for her. Her situation reopened many of his wounds. But, when something similar had happened to his mother, he had had Rukia and his family to look out for him. Inoue had no one. He had attempted to be what Rukia had been to him back then. And so, he had later found out they went to the same school, they just were in different classrooms. He had gone and made sure she was doing fine, now living with her aunt, as she had told him. The girl was nice enough but shy. She didn't say much every time they talked, but Ichigo was just glad she was doing better.

But why would Rukia be mad about that?

"Well, she might feel as if you have replaced her." Isshin answered his question. "Just be sure to reassure her when you see each other again."

Well, that was stupid.

Rukia had no reason to believe that. They had been friends for about seven years now, and she still remained his closest friend. She had no reason to think otherwise. She was just being stupid and jealous. Why did he have to be the one to apologize? Rukia should apologize to him! She was the one to get mad at him, after all. But, on the other hand, Ichigo truly missed her. His mother used to say that, even if things weren't your fault, you could always give the first step. When it comes to relationships, Masaki would say, there are no fixed rules.

His father gently rubbed his head. "Don't think too much about it. Just talk to her." Isshin told her.

That night, Ichigo could hardly sleep. He mulled over exactly what he was going to tell Rukia tomorrow. Thankfully, they didn't have school, so there was no reason as to why he couldn't go to her house to talk. There should be no interruptions too. With that decided, he fell into an unsteady dream. His mind was filled with images of Rukia not wanting to be his friend anymore. Of her ignoring him or, worse, insulting him. Ichigo woke up multiple times with cold sweat dripping down his forehead. And, in the morning, he looked like a zombie, with dark bags under his eyes.

"Bad night?" Isshin asked him during breakfast.

"Couldn't sleep." He muttered as he ate.

"Nightmare?" Yuzu asked him with big worried eyes.

"Yeah…" He replied, feeling embarrassed for being so old now and still getting nightmares.

"You should sleep with Kon." Karin added.

Kon.

He still had the stuffed lion Rukia had given him when they were five. He had put it on his desk. However, during the past few days it had given him more headaches than comfort. It seemed as if it had been taunting him each time he went into his own room.

"Wouldn't work." Ichigo said, but upon seeing the way his sisters looked at him, he flashed them a smile. "Don't worry. I feel fine."

"Onii-chan…" Yuzu whispered.

"There, there. Your brother's fine, right Ichigo?" Isshin said, gently patting the girls on their backs.

"I am." He smiled.

Karin was about to reply when the bell rang. Isshin went to the door and opened it, revealing Rukia outside.

"Is Ichigo home?" She asked shyly, completely opposite to how she usually acted.

"I am." Ichigo said, standing up from the table and rushing to the door. He couldn't believe it! Rukia had actually gone to see him!

"Do… do you want to go for a walk?" She asked him.

"Sure. Let's go!" He said before she could change her mind, already leading her away from his house.

"Just be careful and come back soon!" Isshin called after them. Ichigo waved at him and then went on their way.

They had ended up walking towards the park and, then, to the river bank. Those were their favorite places where they had shared many precious memories. However, Rukia hadn't talked even once. Ichigo didn't even try to make conversation. He knew that she was probably thinking hard. In those cases, it was better to let her speak first. Friendships were a give and take, as his mother used to say. Sometimes, people needed some space. It didn't mean they didn't care about you anymore, though. It was just people needed time to deal with their own problems.

Rukia stopped walking and sat down on the grass. She patted the spot next to her and Ichigo joined her on the ground. She went quiet for a few moments before talking.

"I'm sorry." She told him, looking him straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry for everything."

"Then why did you stop talking to me?" He hadn't meant it in the way it came out. His words were sharper than he had intended, but he needed to know.

"Because… because I was scared and angry." Rukia said as she played with her fingers. "ichigo… do you… do you still want me to be your friend?" She asked him looking so insecure he wanted nothing more than to smack her head for being so dumb. Which he did.

"Of course I still want to be your friend, idiot." He said as he smiled at her. "I was worried you didn't want to be my friend anymore."

"It's not like that!" She denied. "It's just… do you like Inoue more?"

So his father had been right. Well, that just went to show Isshin wasn't a crazy goat… all the time at least. Ichigo shook his head. "Rukia, no one can take your place. I thought you already knew that."

She beamed at him. "Then, can you forgive me?"

"On one condition." He said. Rukia raised an eyebrow at that. "You have to buy me the next Weakly Ottoko Bounce issues for a month."

She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "Deal." With that she went to shake his hand, but Ichigo hugged her instead.

"You're my best friend." He whispered in her ear. "Never forget that."

Rukia turned pink and then she laughed. "Idiot. I won't."

"Good."

They remained hugging for a while before parting. They decided to throw rocks and play around before going home.

Years later, Ichigo would realize something had shifted in their relationship that day. What was it? That was something he would have to discover in years to come.

---

13 years old

Ichigo knew he would find her there. After all, it was their place.

He really should have known she would bolt right after the funeral. If he hadn't been so shocked by the news, he would have made sure to keep an eye on her. However, the moment he had become distracted, she had taken the opportunity to escape. Now, she was there, still wearing her black dress. He couldn't see her face, for she was hiding it under her arms, but he knew she was crying. He had a déjà vu of another similar situation from long ago. The only difference was that he knew no reassurance would bring her comfort.

He wordless sat next to her, watching as the sun set.

"You know, we really need to stop running away from home." Ichigo muttered, breaking the silence that had installed between them.

Rukia didn't answer right away and, when she did, it was only to reveal her teary eyed face. "It's so not fair, Ichigo. Why did it have to happen?"

Ichigo wondered that too. Why could evil people keep on living when two of the most amazing people on Earth had had to go? First, it had been his mother due to an accident. Now it was Hisana's turn. After battling a disease for years, she had finally passed away exactly the day before. The worst part was that she had hidden it from Rukia until roughly six months earlier, when things had taken a turn for the worse. He knew what his friend had been thinking. If only she had known earlier, she would have cherished more the time they had had left. She would have come back home earlier. She would have behaved better. She wouldn't have let a day go by without telling her sister she loved her. Ichigo knew because he had been through that before. But no wishing ever made things better. Those what-ifs did nothing but tear you apart. He didn't want that for her.

"First my parents and now onee-chan." She cried. "Why her?"

Why Hisana, indeed. She should have been given enough time to watch her sister grow. She should've had the time to grow old with her husband. To have children with him and watch them grow too. But her very illness had prevented her from ever becoming a mother. And now it prevented her from living any longer, of spending time with her loved ones. Life wasn't fair, it hadn't been fair to Hisana and now it wasn't being fair to Rukia, and god knew both of them deserved better.

"What am I going to do now that I'm all alone?" She said as she sobbed harder.

Ichigo immediately enveloped her in his arms. "You're not alone." He whispered as he brought her closer to his chest. "You have Byakuya." He said. As much as that man was serious and stuck up, Ichigo knew he had loved Hisana with all his heart and that he loved Rukia too. She was his one and only pride. "You have the twins." He said. Yuzu and Karin loved her like a sister. They would make sure to be there for her. "You have my dad." Who loved her like his daughter, as he so affectionately called her. "And you have me." He finished, remembering she had told him the same thing when his own mother had died.

"Promise?" She whispered in a broken voice.

He smiled softly at her, gently rubbing her cheek. "Always." He promised.

Rukia smiled as tears ran down her face and then buried her face in his chest. "Thank you." She whispered.

"That's my line." Ichigo said as he held her.

He knew then, as much as he knows now, that he would never break that promise.

---

15 years old

"And then he told him to suck it and kicked his ass. It was awesome!" Rukia yapped animatedly as they walked home from school. Once again, they had been put in exactly the same classroom. That had been ten years in a row. Ichigo should have been tired from her by this point, but he wasn't. It was a miracle since Rukia could be the most annoying person when she wanted, but she was still his best friend.

"You're really into that manga, huh?" He asked her.

"Yep!" She exclaimed. "It has everything, drama, gore, fights and romance. You should read it."

"Fine. I'll give it a try."

"Excellent. I can lend you the first fifty volumes."

"Fourteen volumes?! Just how long is it?!"

"It has sixty eight volumes currently."

As Rukia went over the details of the manga's serialization, Ichigo analyzed her. Things were different in high school to say the least. First of all, the two of them had now more friends than they had had before. In middle school, Ichigo had met Chad, a Japanese-Mexican boy who had come to their town all the way from Mexico. He had been equally as bullied as Ichigo had been and soon the two of them bonded through their experiences. Since Chad was as good of a fighter as he was, they soon became known as a dangerous duo. Which was a complete misconception for, as Rukia often said, both were dorks. Upon entering high school, he had also befriended two other boys, Keigo and Mizuiro. They were much different than the people he had known before, and they had quickly become friends. Rukia was their friend as well and usually sat with them during lunch. However, for the first time since Rukia had started school, she finally had female friends. Usually other girls were put off due to her strong personality and that she was usually tomboyish, but things had changed. Tatsuki and Inoue were in their class and, through them, Rukia had befriended the other girls in class. Now she sat with them during lunch more than she did with him. It never bothered him until today, that is.

"By the way," Ichigo interrupted her suddenly as they were suddenly standing in front of the river bank. "What happened during lunch?"

"What do you mean?" Rukia had replied instead, trying to keep her voice even although he saw right through her.

"You seemed weird when you came back to the classroom." He answered. "Did they bother you?"

Girls tended to bother Rukia and make fun of her for several reasons. The most popular one in their middle school had been because she, apparently, hadn't gone through puberty yet. Ichigo had been pissed, but she had told him not to meddle. However, if they had a repeat of that, he would sure as hell give them a piece of their mind.

She laughed awkwardly but dismissed him. "What are you talking about? Nothing happened."

"Then why couldn't you look me in the eye for the rest of the day? Why did you ignore me when I called you to show you something today?" He asked again, his tone turning accusatory as he uttered his questions. Rukia was like a puzzle, somedays. He could tell she had been bothered by something, but he just didn't know what it was.

Rukia sighed. "Ichigo… do you think our relationship is weird?" She asked instead.

"What?" He blinked. "What do you mean by weird?"

"It's just… are we too close?" She asked again.

Alright.

This was puzzling.

"Too close? We're best friends! What do you mean by that?" Ichigo just couldn't understand where this was coming from.

"We walk to school and then back home together. We usually partner for projects. We eat lunch together. I go to your house all the time. Your sisters call me 'Rukia-nee.' Nii-sama actually tolerates you and he invites you over for dinner a lot. We hang out during the weekends. Don't you think we give people the wrong impression?"

"Wrong impression? About what? And since when do you care about what people think?" He said, confused as to what she meant to say.

Rukia stopped walking and looked at him with pink cheeks. "Today, the girls asked me if we were dating."

…

His brain tried to process this new information.

…

"Huh?!" He exclaimed, his face becoming as flushed as hers were. "W-where did that come from? What gave them that idea?"

"Us! And the way we act! We're together all the time!" She told him. "All the class thinks we're together!"

Okay.

That did explain some rumors he had been hearing and Keigo's obnoxious questions. Now he knew what 'hooking up with Rukia' meant.

He definitely was going to punch him tomorrow.

"And? Who cares what they think?" Ichigo countered. Sure, he felt embarrassed but that didn't mean he wanted to stop hanging with her. Rukia was his best friend. He wouldn't change that for the world.

"What?! You're not bothered at all?!"

"Did you clarify the misunderstanding?"

"Yeah, I told them we aren't dating."

"Then there's no problem, is it? They know. And most importantly, we know what our relationship means. It has got nothing to do with other people. Just you and me."

Rukia mulled over his words and then frowned. "But… if other people think we're together, doesn't that risk your chances of dating other girls?"

Ichigo sighed and then gently flickered her forehead with his fist. "Idiot. As if I cared about such a thing."

"So you don't want to date anyone?" She asked, genuinely surprised.

He scoffed. "Of course not. Who do you take me for? Keigo or my crazy old man? Don't make me laugh. I'm not a pervert."

"But what about Inoue? Don't you like her?"

That made him almost trip. "Hell no! Whatever gave you that idea?"

She laughed. "She was a crush on you~" She basically sang.

"That's got nothing to do with me." He declared. "Why are you bothered anyway? Do you wanna date boys? Is that it?"

Rukia glared at him. "Fool. As if I was interested in something like that."

"Yeah, you're right. Byakuya would murder any boy who got close to you anyway." Ichigo said matter-of-factly.

"He's not that bad, and you know it. The fact you're alive is proof enough!"

"Yeah, but only 'cause I'm not a pervert. Can't say the same for the other guys."

She hummed unconvinced. "Well, since you don't have a problem with it, we can still hang out, right?" She asked unsure.

He sighed dramatically and grabbed her wrist. "What am I going to do with you?" He muttered before making her run with him.

"Where are we going?!" Rukia yelled as they sped through the streets.

"If we hurry up, we can still make it before the Don Kanonji show ends!"

"But I thought you hated it!"

"I don't mind watching it with you!"

That made Rukia stare at him as if he had suddenly grown two heads.

"What?"

She laughed gleefully and then smiled at him. "Nothing."

That afternoon, as they munched on chips and Ichigo complained about the show while Rukia hit him with a pillow, he briefly pondered why the thought of dating her hadn't bothered him at all.

Maybe it was because, deep down, he wished it were true.

---

17 years old

Ichigo groaned as he received an earful from Tatsuki.

First of all, he hadn't known Inoue was actually trying to ask him out on a date. He had figured she wanted to be nice and ask him somewhere fun or something as friends.

Secondly, since it wasn't a date in his book, it hadn't been awful to invite other people. And what did Rukia going have to do with anything, anyway?

Thirdly, yeah, he had rejected Inoue after all was said and done. But, in his defense, he honestly saw her in the same way he saw Yuzu and Karin. Like a sister. You couldn't make him like her only as to not hurt her. Not returning her feelings wasn't his fault.

"Are you listening to me, Ichigo?!" Tatsuki suddenly yelled.

"Loud and clear. We've already established I'm a worthless human being and I'm lucky Inoue even set her eyes on me. Got it." He answered, sarcasm dripping through ever word.

"That's not what I meant!" His friend exclaimed.

"Then I don't understand why are you here, yelling at me."

Tatsuki sighed and sat down on one of the chairs in the empty room. "There's no possibility of you liking Orihime back, is it?" She asked, voice much softer than he had known Tatsuki to use.

"No." Ichigo answered honestly.

"Is it because of Kuchiki?" She asked, making him frown.

"You keep bringing Rukia up and I don't understand what she's got to do with anything."

She chuckled lightly. "You're still in denial, aren't you? You're worthless. Absolutely worthless."

"Hey!"

"You like her, don't you?"

Ichigo turned red.

"Wh-what?! No! Of course not! She's my friend, just like you!"

Tatsuki laughed. "Even though we're both your childhood friends, you don't see us in the same way. So stop lying to yourself and do something about it."

"Wait! So you're not mad at me anymore?" He asked, not understanding the situation at all.

"I was never mad at you. I was mad at the situation and I'm sorry that I took it out on you. But here's a piece of advice, do something now before you regret it." She said cryptically.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure I follow, but I promise I'll try to understand everything."

"Good." Tatsuki nodded. "Now go. Kuchiki's waiting for you." With that, she ushered him out.

Having no idea what had just taken place in that room, Ichigo walked out of school and there, in the yard, was Rukia waiting for him. She looked crestfallen for some reason. He hated that look on her face.

"Hey." He greeted her as he approached her. She jumped, surprised. She clearly hadn't heard him come.

"H-hey." Rukia stuttered. "Ready to go?"

He nodded. "Let's go."

They walked in silence for most of the way. Ichigo didn't feel like talking after the conversation he had just had with Tatsuki. Somehow, he didn't feel any better for rejecting Inoue, and currently his feelings were a mess. All because of the short girl that was walking beside him. Therefore, he was surprised when Rukia suddenly grabbed his sleeve and forced him to stop walking.

"Tatsuki scolded you for rejecting Inoue, didn't she?" She asked out loud.

He grumbled. "Yeah. Kinda like that."

"I'm sorry." She said, looking down at the ground.

Ichigo stared at her, bewildered. "What for?"

"For ruining your date. I wasn't supposed to go, right?" She said in a small, pitiful voice. "Am I ruining your life for being so close to do?"

He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. Holding up a finger he said, "Okay, first, I didn't know that was a date, that's why I started inviting everyone. It's not your fault if you came. It's mine for not reading the mood correctly or whatever." He held up another finger. "Second, you're not ruining my life for being close to you. I like being close to you, and that's never gonna change. So forget whatever weird ideas are going through your head." He held up one last finger. "Third, stop looking so sad."

Rukia sniffed. "Who's sad, you fool?"

He laughed. "That's the Rukia I know."

She instantly buried her face in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her small frame. "You're my best friend and that's never gonna change." He muttered into her ear.

"Promise?" She asked, looking straight into his eyes. Ichigo felt his knees wobbling but he remained standing.

"Always."

They smiled at each other and then walked home. As their fingertips brushed against each other, Ichigo realized Tatsuki certainly had been right.

It was about Rukia.

It was always about Rukia.

18 years old

"Why did you bring me here?" Ichigo asked as he and Rukia sat on the river bank. It was the middle of winter, and even with their coats, it was freezing. They could have easily gone anywhere else, yet here they were.

"'Cause it's our place." She replied simply.

That didn't answer anything.

"So?" He prompted.

Rukia sighed as she sat on the ground. "Can you stop questioning everything and just sit down?"

He rolled his eyes yet sat as he was told. "Alright, alright. There. I'm sitting. So what's up?"

She played with her fingers in the same way she always did when she was nervous. She was also refusing to look him in the eye. It made Ichigo curious as to what exactly she wanted to talk about.

"I passed my university entrance exams." Rukia told him straight to the point.

He felt a grin appearing on his face. "That's great, Rukia! I'm so proud of you!" He said as he hugged her. "But wait… weren't you supposed to get the results in a week?" Rukia had applied for the few universities in Karakura and they all gave results next week. He knew that because he had applied to some as well.

"They're not from here in Karakura." She blurted out.

"Oh." She had definitely not told him she wanted to study anywhere else. "Then where?"

"In Tokyo." Rukia told him, closing her eyes as to prepare herself from his outburst.

"Oh." Outburst that didn't come. Ichigo grew quiet as they both stared at the river in front of them. "Tokyo, huh?" He whispered.

"Nii-sama thought it'd be great if I got an education in Tokyo. They have the best schools and he studied there too!" She frantically explained, eyes wide, as she tried to make him understand.

He sighed and smiled measuredly at her. "I'm not mad. But… are you going there?"

"Yes." Rukia answered without beating around the bush.

"Oh."

"But I'll come here during the holidays and in any chance I get. I promise I'll call you and text you every day and we can still see each other!" Rukia said, taking his hands in hers and squeezing them.

"It's fine. If it's what you want, then I'm happy for you." Ichigo told her, smiling to ease her worries.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

Rukia smiled at him and then held his arm, putting her head in the crook of Ichigo's neck. He put his head over hers and took a whiff of her perfume. Rukia always smelt sweet, like vanilla, lilies and strawberries. It was a comforting aroma, one which had accompanied him for the last thirteen years of his life. He couldn't lie to himself or to her. He would miss her. They had been through so much together, both the good and the bad, that he felt as if a piece of his heart was being ripped apart. But, if it was for Rukia's happiness, he would bear that and so much more.

"When do you leave?" Ichigo asked, breaking the calm silence between them.

"A week or so before classes start." She answered.

That was in spring and it currently was winter. There wasn't much time left.

"Then let's spend the time we have left together."

"Yes!"

And so they did. They hung around every day. From going to school to studying to just going around their favorite places in town. Ichigo was right there when Rukia broke the news to everyone. Isshin cried when he heard. Yuzu made her promise she'd call at least once a week. Karin was visibly upset even though she had tried to hide it. She would never admit it, but she was as attached to Rukia as much as Yuzu and Ichigo were. She was going to miss her. Inoue and the others almost cried too. Well, Keigo did cry. They were all going to college together, and so they would miss Rukia, the only one who was going away. They organized her a going-away party in Ichigo's place. They all had a good time. And soon, time passed by, they graduated and Rukia was ready to leave.

"I guess this is goodbye." Rukia said as they both stood in the station, Byakuya and his family waiting for them a bit farther away.

"It seems like it." Ichigo said in a sadder way than he had intended.

"Hey, but we'll talk every day, right?" She asked hopefully.

"Right." He nodded solemnly.

She smiled at him. "Good. Because I'll want to know everything about your life."

"You too. Don't hide anything from me."

"Never." She said, sticking out her tongue.

Ichigo laughed with her, feeling nostalgia invading him. That would be the last time they would laugh together until summertime. Rukia seemed to have the same mindset, because she started looking down at the floor, not wanting to say goodbye to him. She had said so herself. That telling him she was leaving had been one of the hardest things he had had to do.

"Hey." He said, touching her head. "It'll be fine. Time will pass by sooner than we think, and in the blink of an eye you'll come back."

"Promise nothing will ever change?" Rukia said in a small voice, grabbing his hands.

"Promise." Ichigo told her. "Nothing will change."

"Good." She said as she tried to blink her tears away. He brushed them away and pulled her to him. "I'm gonna miss you."

"Me too." He whispered to her as they hugged.

"Rukia. It's time." A deep voice said from behind them.

They pulled away and Rukia nodded at her older brother.

"Well, then I guess I'm going." She said, unsure.

Many, many times, Ichigo had thought about telling her his true feelings. For a long, long while now, he had known he was in love with her. Try as he might, those feelings hadn't gone away. If anything, they had gotten stronger as time went on. However, he had never counted on Rukia leaving. Tatsuki had warned him before that he shouldn't wait too long to tell her, but he in fact had waited too long. Now, every day that they were together, he had wanted nothing more than to tell her everything he felt for her. But… He hadn't. It wouldn't be fair to her to spring up something like that to her just when she was about to leave. And how would she answer, anyway? It was obvious she didn't feel the same way. That would destroy their relationship.

However, standing there, about to watch her leave for good, it made him want to reach out and hold her forever. To tell her everything. But, when she turned to look at him with those big, violet eyes of hers, Ichigo knew he couldn't do it. It would be for the best that Rukia left with no strings attached. She deserved to enjoy life after everything she had been through.

"Bye, Rukia." He said instead and then she was long.

Still, later that day as he lay in his bed holding Kon, Ichigo couldn't help but think Rukia had looked as if she had been waiting for him to say something, and then had been disappointed when he hadn't said anything.

---

20 years old

Promise, his ass.

They had both been liars.

Although Rukia had called him every day when she first got to Tokyo and he had done the same, after the summer was over, their conversations had been increasingly becoming scarce. First, she called him every two or three days. Then, once a week. Currently, Ichigo felt lucky if she called him every three months or so. Okay. He got it. She had gone to a much different place, livelier than Karakura Town, and with more distractions. She had new friends too, different to the ones she had always had. Plus, she still had to study and work on projects. She led a busy life now, which meant that she couldn't even take the time to call a friend. And maybe when Rukia didn't want to come that first year during the winter holidays, he got it because she probably was tired and Byakuya was going there anyway. But the lack of calling spelled trouble to him until he found the reason. Rukia had a boyfriend, and that really shouldn't have stung as much as it did. Ichigo hadn't ever met the guy. He had just seen pictures of him. He looked like the kind of guy Byakuya would never approve in a million years. Long, red hair. Tattoos on his face. He looked like a delinquent and that was saying something coming from someone like Ichigo who had been confused as one all his life.

And, yeah, he had no right to be jealous. He had dated other girls too. First, it had been Senna, a pretty girl he had met at a party one time. They had hit it off right away and Ichigo felt good that he was getting over Rukia. But six months passed by way too quickly, and their relationship fizzled just as fast. He wasn't open enough, caring enough for such a vibrant girl like Senna. And she couldn't compare to Rukia, who only needed to look at him to know what was going through his mind. Then, it had been Riruka, a girl he had met at the bar. She was cute, feminine and had a strong personality. It was everything he liked. However, dating Riruka had been a big mistake as it had been proven to him three months after dating. She was jealous and demanding. Too much for him. So he broke things up with her and, to this day, she glared at him every time they somehow were in the same place.

Rukia hadn't asked about any of them and Ichigo hadn't asked about her current boyfriend either. It seemed to him that there were parts of their lives which they tried to keep hidden from the other. Parties they attended. The people they had met. What they did on their free time. They weren't kids anymore, sure, but Ichigo felt they would both be outraged if they found out all of the less than virtuous things they had done since she went away.

So, he lived his life. He had moved out to an apartment he rented where Chad lived. He had a part-time job now with a free schedule, so he could organize his time. On the mornings, he went to college and studied whenever he could. He went to the gym three days a week. He went out with his friends on Saturdays and he had dinner with his family on Sundays. Once a year, he visited his mother's tomb and left flowers behind. He hoped Masaki would be proud of him. And, every day, he pushed any thought of Rukia away from his mind. She was happy with her new and exciting life, so he was trying to do the same. If they didn't speak for a long time, it really shouldn't matter, even if they had known each other for fifteen years.

Therefore, Ichigo was shocked when he went to his childhood house one night for dinner and found out from his father Rukia was coming home for the winter holidays. She had missed the previous ones, and she hadn't even bothered coming during the summer. He wondered why she had decided to come now. Maybe Byakuya had asked her to. The other question he had was why she hadn't told him she was coming yet. He didn't get an answer to these questions but, a week later, he did receive a text from Rukia.

Coming home on the 24. Let's hang out! :D

It was simple but it was so unlike Rukia it bothered him.

Where was the bunny emoji she always used?

Why was it so impersonal?

Where was the 'hey, idiot' she always used when texting him?

It all made him uneasy. As if things had truly changed even though they had promised they wouldn't. When Byakuya invited him over for dinner, Ichigo had almost refused due to this, but he had been forced to accept when Yuzu had told Byakuya they would all be there. Now, he was walking there, dressed in a blue shirt and jeans. Karin rang the bell and the door immediately opened. Behind it was Rukia, looking different than before. Her hair was shorter, reaching to her neck, and it seemed she had even grown a little bit. However, her smile was as sweet as ever.

"Rukia-chan!" Isshin instantly said and tried to hug her, but Yuzu ran to her first.

"Rukia-nee!" She exclaimed as the two hugged. "We've missed you."

"I've missed you too." She replied.

"It's good to see you, Rukia-nee." Karin said as she approached the older girl.

"You too, Karin." Rukia said as they greeted each other with a pat on the back.

"Rukia-chan!" Isshin cried and then hugged her. "How have you been, third daughter? We hardly see you anymore. Have you forgotten about us?" He said as he clung to her.

"Don't worry, uncle, I haven't forgotten about you." She said.

As his father stopped holding her, his whole family parted so they could greet each other. As Rukia turned to look at him, Ichigo felt as if time had stopped.

"Hey." He said, standing in front of her.

"Hi." She said shyer than usual.

"So, you're back."

"Yeah." She smiled.

Ichigo was about to say something else when they were interrupted.

"Rukia! Where are you?" The voice said. It belonged to a man and it was unfamiliar to them.

"In here!" She said, turning around.

Footsteps could be heard and, then, a red-haired man stood in the doorway, next to Rukia.

"Everyone, this is Renji, my boyfriend." She introduced them. "Renji, this is the Kurosaki family."

"Rukia's told me a lot about all of you." The man said. Funny, they hadn't heard anything about him.

"Nice to meet you." Isshin was the first to recover from the shock. He reached out and shook his hand. "I'm Kurosaki Isshin, and these are my daughters, Yuzu and Karin."

"Pleasure to meet you." Yuzu said sweetly.

"'Sup." Karin simply said, shrugging.

"And this is─"

"I'm Ichigo." He said, interrupting his father and standing as straight as he could, mildly flexing his arms. He had filled out since he started to go religiously to the gym.

"I've heard all about you." Renji told him as they shook their hands.

"Let's go inside." Rukia said as Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the newcomer.

All of them went inside, each silent due to very different reasons. In the living room, Kuchiki Byakuya waited for them. He greeted them as always and led them to the dining room, where they were served a delicious food. Or that was what Ichigo thought. In reality, he couldn't taste anything. He felt his blood boiling. As they ate, Rukia told them all about college life, with Renji adding things here and there. Ichigo didn't hear any of them. Was this jealousy? Or was this just about your supposed best friend hiding things form you? Because, he hadn't heard a thing about Renji. Not even a peep. If he knew what he looked like was only through social media. Rukia never had spoken about him to Ichigo. And now what was this about bringing the guy home to meet his family? What was the use of that? And the guy speaking with such familiarity to them as if he wasn't the outsider made him angrier.

After dinner was over, Rukia suddenly approached him and told him to go back outside. Ichigo didn't know why he had accepted so easily, but he had and now they were walking around the streets.

"So…" Rukia started saying as she played with a few pebbles on the floor.

"So?" He questioned, not knowing what she wanted to talk about.

"What do you think about Renji?"

Oh.

So she wanted his opinion now.

Ichigo shrugged. "He seems nice."

"Just nice?" She questioned.

"Yeah. I mean, I just met him."

"But you surely have an idea about him by now, right?"

He sighed in frustration, both at her and at himself. "What do you want me to say? I don't really know him."

She pursed her lips. "You always have opinions about everyone."

"Well, maybe now I've decided to not judge people before I know them." He retorted, hitting a pebble with more force than necessary.

Rukia hummed, clearly not believing him.

"But he clearly knows all about me." Ichigo spat before he could stop himself.

"What?" She said, stopping dead on her tracks and glaring at his back.

"He knew all about me, but I sure as hell didn't hear about him until tonight." He said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked him as she ran towards him.

"You tell me." He replied.

Well, would you look at that.

They had reached the river bank already.

Rukia frowned at him. "You never told me about your girlfriends either."

"Doesn't matter. I never brought them to meet you." Ichigo told her.

"Why not? I didn't ask you not to."

"For starters, you barely come anymore." He complained. "And they weren't serious relationships to begin with. But, if they had been, I would've told you. Because you're my best friend. Or at least that's what I thought."

"I am your best friend!" Rukia exclaimed, moving to stand in front of him.

"Really? 'Cause evidence shows the opposite." He said, balling his fists. "You don't call me as much as you used to. You don't text me. And you hide things from me. What am I supposed to think?"

"You do that too! You could call me too, you know, but you don't. And you hide things from me too! Did you think I wouldn't find out you got a girlfriend right after you started college?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at her. "It wasn't right after classes started. And I don't see what the problem is. I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just didn't know where it was going. You didn't tell me about Renji either, so you have no right to complain about it."

"Because you started it."

"I didn't start anything! Maybe I felt as if I didn't want to bother you when you were busy."

"I'm never busy for you." Rukia said honestly, but Ichigo was too mad to see that.

"Oh, really? Then why don't we speak regularly anymore? Why don't you come here more often? You know I can't go to you 'cause I've got to pay my own rent and food. What's your excuse? And it's not just about me. You don't talk to Inoue anymore or your other friends. You hardly see Byakuya. You don't even come on your sister's anniversary. Is life in Tokyo really more important than the people here?"

"Stop it!" She shouted, covering her ears. "You've got no idea about anything, Ichigo!"

"Then enlighten me, Rukia!" He yelled too. "Why does it feel as if you want to push me away? Do you really prefer that baboon?"

"Don't insult him!" She screamed. Then, she sniffed. "You promised me things wouldn't change!"

"Well, you promised to always be there for me too. Guess the only thing we're good at right now is breaking promises."

Rukia flinched at his tone of voice but then glared at him. She looked at him in the same way she looked at the people who bullied her in school. "Fine. If you want to be difficult, be difficult." She hissed and then left him behind.

Angry, Ichigo turned away, not even wanting to watch her go again. He grabbed a rock from the grass and threw it to the river with all his might as he yelled in frustration.

It was funny.

That was the first time one of them had left that river bank without making up.

It felt as if they weren't friends anymore.

Huh?

Was that rain or snow?

He looked up and felt the cold rain drops falling on him.

Of course.

That night, Ichigo went home and grabbed Kon from his closet. He packed it along with other stuff from his youth that he had brought with him into a box. He gave it to his father the following day. Although Isshin had tried to ask him about the events of the night before, he had ignored him.

He didn't know what to feel, so he decided to do what he did best and bottle everything up once more.

It was high time he finally got over Rukia.

Only then, he could be her friend again.

---

23 years old

Work had been exhausting that day and, to top it off, it had begun raining as he walked back home.

Oh, joy.

Ichigo hated rain. It had been raining when his mother had passed away, so naturally he had an aversion towards it, which had only increased as the years went by and bad things kept happening on that day. Today wasn't any different except for the fact it was much worse. Today had been a shitty day at work, preceded by many more shitty days. He was genuinely thinking about quitting soon. What stopped him was that he would have no money to pay for rent and food. If he were to quit, he would need to get a new job almost immediately. Then there was the fact he had forgotten his umbrella and his jacket wasn't doing much of a job at keeping him dry. In his defense, who would have thought it'd rain so hard in the middle of fucking October.

As always, his feet brought him to the river bank. It was an unfortunate joke of the universe that his new place was close to the river. Ever since that day, Ichigo hadn't been able to look at it without feeling overwhelmed by many different emotions. He had tried many things to stop feeling that way each time he got but a glimpse of the river. Nothing had worked so far. But, now, it seemed fitting that after a depressing day, he'd have to walk by the place which depressed him during a depressing weather. Honestly, fuck his life. Ichigo wanted nothing more than to throw something. He walked towards the river bank, descended and grabbed a rock. He threw it hard enough to be able to hear the noise it made as it hit the water perfectly, even as the rain poured all over him. He cursed himself for being an idiot and the weather for being so horrible. He threw several more until he grew tired of it. Satisfied, he turned around and found a person staring at him, open mouthed.

Her dark hair plastered to her face due to the rain.

Her pink dress was completely drenched.

She shivered, either from the impression or the cold.

Her eyes were the most remarkable thing. Ichigo couldn't have been able to tell you if they were violet or deep blue, but they were staring at him in such a way that made him want to protect her from everything around her.

Ichigo walked towards her and Rukia gulped when she saw him. Wordlessly, he grabbed her wrist and led her away from that place and the rain. They walked in complete silence until they reached his apartment. Luckily, it happened to be close by. He fished his keys from his pockets, and then opened the door. He went inside and ushered her in, before going to his bedroom and reappearing with a two towels and a shirt. He grabbed Rukia's wrist again and directed her to the bathroom.

"Take a hot shower and change into this." He told her, giving her one of the towels and the shirt. "Put your dirty clothes on the hamper and I'll dry them for you." Rukia nodded and then closed the door.

Ichigo went back to his room and changed into shorts and a shirt. He dried his hair with the other towel and then went to his kitchen to prepare hot chocolate for them. It was what his mother always did when he was sad. Minutes later, Rukia reappeared, wearing his oversized shirt and the towel on her shoulders. He ignored how good she looked in his clothes and gestured to his table.

"Wanna sit down?"

She did as he told her and sat down in front of him. Ichigo passed him the mug and she took it gratefully. They all took sips from the liquid, letting it warm them up. The rain had chilled them to the bone. He hoped neither got sick after this.

"So…" Ichigo started, feeling he needed an explanation for her impromptu appearance. Ever since their fight, they hadn't seen each other or even spoken to each other. Whenever Rukia had come back, he had made himself scarce by traveling to other places or just shutting himself up in his apartment. He hadn't expected to see her at all, much less in October, when she was supposed to be at Tokyo working.

"I…" She stuttered, not knowing what to say. "I'm sorry."

He blinked. "For what?"

Rukia sighed and played with the mug. "Ever since our fight, I've been thinking about it. I regret now everything I said to you that night. I was mad at you because you were right. It's true. I just didn't want to accept it, because by doing it, it'd be accepting some things I wanted to push far away from my mind. But all along you were right. I changed and I broke our promises to each other. I pushed you away first, and I tried to put all the blame on you because I was jealous."

"Wait!" He interrupted her. "Jealous?"

"Yeah." She mumbled.

"But why?" Ichigo asked again, stunned. He hadn't expected that.

Rukia looked at him, violet eyes glassy and afraid. "Because you started dating that girl right away."

He stiffened. "It wasn't right away. It was some good six months after college started."

She looked away, uncomfortable. "Still… I had been gone for less than a year and you had gone and found my replacement."

"She wasn't your replacement!" He denied. "You should know by now there's no replacing you."

Her cheeks turned pink but she still wouldn't look at him. "But… you did with her everything I wanted to do you with you. I wanted to be your first in everything."

Ichigo stared at her with disbelief. Had he heard right? Was Rukia implying what he thought she was? He started chuckling and then he started laughing from the sheer incredulity he was feeling.

"Sure." She mumbled. "Go and laugh about my feelings." She muttered, feeling depressed.

He ignored and stood up, walking around the table until he was facing her. "You're such an idiot, Rukia." He told her as he crouched down, her face only millimeters away from his. "I only asked her out because I was trying to get over you."

Rukia started laughing too, tears falling down her face. He brushed them away. "And I didn't tell you about Renji because I was still mad at you over her. Then, I saw you seemed to be dating another girl, and I stopped trying to call you."

"Ugh. Don't remind me of her." He grumbled, taking the seat next to hers.

"I didn't want you to meet Renji that day. But he insisted on coming here and there wasn't a good reason to tell him not to." She confessed.

"There wasn't?" He questioned.

"Not one I could easily explain, anyway."

They fell silent. Each deep in thought.

"There's just one thing I don't understand." Ichigo suddenly spoke up.

"What's that?" She asked him.

"What are you doing here?"

Rukia took a deep breath and stared at his eyes. "Do you want the real, honest answer?"

"Yes."

"Renji asked me to marry him."

"Oh."

What a way to destroy what was left of his heart!

Ichigo frowned, at a loss of what to say. He couldn't be happy about it, and it didn't even began to explain what she was doing there.

"I said no." She added after he remained quiet.

"Why?" He asked her.

"Would you call me an idiot for still being in love with my best friend even after years of not speaking to him?" Rukia told him.

"No." Ichigo said, shaking his head. Then, he took her small hand in his and laced their fingers together. "I'd call you a fool." He said, using the same word she always used to playfully insult him.

She smiled at him, eyes full of hope. Who was he to even deny what she wanted to hear?

"But I guess I'm a fool too." He said, squeezing her hand. "'Cause I've been in love with the same girl ever since she basically ordered me to get off of the swing when we were five."

She laughed in such a way that reminded him of when they had been children without a care in the world. He soon joined her, laughing his heart out. He reached her and, gently, he rested his forehead against hers.

"Guess we're both fools in love, huh?" Rukia muttered, her lips so close he could almost feel them.

"Guess so." He whispered.

Then, Ichigo leaned forward and finally captured her lips in his. Rukia responded to the kiss just as passionately. Her hands grasped his hair, as he pulled her to his lap, grabbing her hips to keep her in place. He licked her lips until she opened her mouth. His tongue trailed inside the crevices of her mouth, committing to memory the way she tasted, the way she felt against him. Her breasts pressed against his chest. Her arms around his neck. Her legs straddling him. Her lips moving against his.

They broke from the kiss to just look at each other. Rukia grinned first and he couldn't help but beamed at her.

"Wow." She mumbled.

"Yeah, wow." He imitated her.

"To think we could've enjoyed that for years if we hadn't been such idiots." She exclaimed.

"First of all, we had already established we were fools. Secondly, we can make up for lost time." Ichigo said, holding up his fingers to make his points. Next, he stood up, making sure her legs wrapped around his waist. He easily carried Rukia to his bedroom as she giggled all the way.

And then,

They certainly made up for lost time.

---

25 years old

Ichigo didn't know exactly what had led him to where he was. He just knew he was unbelievably lucky as he stood there, on the park, waiting for his life to change forever. Chad stood next to him, his father was already crying from where he sat on the bench. Karin gave him a thumbs up as Yuzu gave him a watery smile. His friends all looked animatedly. But, as the music started, all coherent thought was thrown out of the window.

Twenty years ago, Ichigo had come to this very park after having what he thought was the worst day of his life. Today, he was having the best day of his life. And all because of her. The headstrong girl with pigtails and a pink dress who made his day better by giving him a stuffed lion. The girl who would become his best friend. The girl who never thought twice about defending him when the older kids bullied him. The girl who made him laugh when all he wanted to do was cry. The girl with whom he had shared so many things they would be impossible to count. The girl who lit up his entire life just by smiling. The girl he loved more than anyone else. And the girl who was about to become his wife.

"Hey." Ichigo said once Rukia was standing in front of him. She looked stunning in her wedding dress. She was definitely the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Hi." She said shyly, her cheeks turning red from the intensity of his gaze.

The minister cleared his throat as he begun the ceremony, but Ichigo couldn't focus on anything except his soon-to-be wife. He held her hand as the minister spoke, stealing glances at her each time he could. Rukia would probably scold him later for not paying attention, but he couldn't care less. It was her and him surrounded by all of their loved ones. But he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. This was a dream come true. The moment he had waited for his whole life.

"You may kiss the bride." The minister announced and Ichigo instantly leaned down and captured her lips with his. Her hands grabbed his suit to keep herself upright. All of their guests cheered as they pulled apart, grinning at each other.

Later, they would escape their own wedding reception to stroll around the river bank. Their hands were entwined as they moved, exploring the place they knew so well. Rukia was still wearing her white gown, and he was wearing his suit, but neither cared as they sat down. Ichigo put his arms around her, pulling her close to his chest.

"It's finally you and me." He said as he kissed her temple.

Rukia grinned at him. "Well… it's not just you and me." She said, taking his hands in hers and putting them on top of her belly.

"You mean you…" Ichigo mumbled like an idiot.

"Yep." She said, smiling happily at him.

He cheered and then kissed her deeply. Rukia returned the kiss gladly, caressing his tresses.

Twenty years ago, Ichigo hadn't wanted to go to the park.

Twenty years later, he was glad he had gone after all.

---

A/N: So sorry that I didn't edit half of this. I just wanted to upload it as soon as possible, lol.

Anyway, the part when they're mad at each other because they didn't tell the other they were dating someone was taken from my personal life. The childhood friend I mentioned above got mad at me when I didn't tell him right away I had a boyfriend in college. Like Ichigo and Rukia here, he had left to another place and we only saw each oother like once a year, and even though we used to talk daily through texts, we just stopped. Of course I couldn't tell him that the reason I didn't say anything to him was because I had just gotten over him and was trying to enjoy dating life. Years later, he got a gilfriend and they've been so steady that they're already planning to get married. He didn't tell me either. I had to find out through social media and I got mad too lol. But, anyway, that was a funny tidbit. Hope you enjoy it.