A/N: Mmmkay tish been a short while since my last update. I've been very busy... with living. As in doing nothing but wallow in self pity and drink gallons of Doctor Pepper. :D...
Right now I both love and hate Mister Kubo Tite. ED 16 of Bleach made my fangirly day... but I found out about the third Bleach movie (Yeah.. I'm slow) I think it's all a ploy to mess with my head really. Kubo knows I'm watching his every move (I nearly went to comic-con just to meet him ya know!) and he's plotting my fangirly death. -sobs- I mean seriously... why name the movie THAT... -cries-. Why make such a lovely very IchiRuki ED and then throw that movie title in my face!! CHE CHE!! Well maybe Ichigo will finally realise how much she means to him. It usually happens once you're too late.
I think I'm starting to love Kubo again... more or less because I love characters that have lost everything and continue to live to fight for others, even if they live in Misery... AS IN the Doctor.. :D... Gawd... okay enough of my ranting. If you're curious to the title look it up. You'll feel equal sadness in your hearts...
--
Rukia sat silently at the foot of Ichigo's bed, her head resting against her knees that had been pulled up to her chest. She sighed heavily, trying to fight of tears that she had thought stopped falling so many years ago. It wasn't her fault that resemblance was so exact that it nearly broke her heart each time he made that face.
The face that made her think of him.
She bit her lip as the two came to mind, too much alike for it to be healthy for her. She figured that she was only hurting him in this case. She wasn't sure if she had fallen in love with him or with the same man all over again. It wasn't fair for her, or for him either. She did love him, she knew that much.. but what part of him did she love?
Did she love the Ichigo in him...
Or the Kaien.
She took a deep breath and sighed.
She wiped her tears on her sleeves and stood, holding her head high. She knew it was time to let these silly thoughts go. She had dwelt too long on her fantasy of Kaien... and her fantasies of Ichigo. she had spent too many nights imagining one or the other whispering sweet nothings into her ear as they lay sprawled under the stars. His hands would trace the contours of her body and his lips would graze her neck teasingly.
She shook her head, these were the things she needed to let go of. These were the dreams she had to stop chasing. Kaien was dead, and Ichigo... Ichigo was human.
She figured, though, it was Ichigo himself she felt these feelings for.
She had once, long ago, dreampt silly dreams of a life with him. He was strong, handsome, and had good intentions... no one had the right to blame her for finding him attractive. No one could blame her for those dreams. They were just little things she was sure could harm no one.
In the end though... they hurt some one.
Her.
She had fooled herself into believing that she could end up with him, that they could maybe get married and have a few kids. It was just a silly dream.
The door creaked open and Rukia froze. She turned her head slowly to see Isshin standing in the doorway, his face serious and concerned.
"I heard you crying." Isshin stated, walking into the room.
Rukia wiped at her eyes once more. "Don't be silly, Mister Kurosaki. I was just practicing for a play."
Isshin shook his head and took a seat on the bed. "You can't lie to a father. We see through facades, Rukia. More so I was trained to know when one of my subordinates is lying."
Rukia looked at Isshin in question.
"Right now you may not think a life with my son is possible." Isshin stated, "Because you're a shinigami and he's just a human boy.."
Rukia's jaw went slack.
"But I want you to know that it is possible." Isshin muttered, his fingers running along his silver wedding band. "That you can have a normal life here in the Human world."
Rukia felt her brain shut down.
Isshin grinned. "If it weren't Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu... they wouldn't be here. Think about it," Isshin stated, placing a hand on her knee. "Don't you want it to be possible?"
Rukia looked away. "Who are you, really?"
Isshin laughed. "Sometimes you can act so much like your brother."
"N-Nii-sama!" Rukia nearly cried, turning around, her eyes wide.
"Your brother was a lot like Ichigo before Hisana died. He was rough, brash, and fought for what he thought was right. But after Hisana died, he thought that his foolishness had caused her death. Rukia, don't let my son slip by or he'll regret it each day he lives."
Rukia sighed. "How do you know Nii-sama?"
Isshin smiled. "I know a lot of people you know."
Rukia narrowed her eyes. "Seriously."
Isshin sighed. "It's a long story I'll tell you over dinner one night after you marry my son."
Rukia blushed.
"Don't let your dreams die.." Isshin stated, getting up, "Lift up your head, stand tall, and chase them as if your life depended on it!"
Isshin left the room, briefly pausing at the door. "You'll know where to run when the time comes."
--
Rukia didn't know what had brought her here. Maybe it was his intense reaitsu pulsing wildly in the dark night, drawing her inwards. She stood just a few feet from him, both had their eyes cast to the ground.
Ichigo took a deep breath. "Thank you, Rukia."
Rukia shot her head up. "What?"
Ichigo shrugged. "Just, thank you."
His words were filled with double meaning.
When he whispered. "Thank you, Rukia." He really said "I love you, Rukia." and when he said. "Just, thank you." He really meant to say. "Please, love me."
Rukia felt her feet carry her across the black tar streets and found his warm gaze meet hers as she stopped, just a few feet before him. He smiled lightly as she stopped. He held out his hand and she took it. She loved the feel of his hands on hers.
"Ichigo," she muttered, "Thank you. Just, thank you."
He didn't need double meanings to tell him what she was saying.
"I love you, please... love me."
It was finally time for her to start chasing her dreams.
