How long had it been since he'd seen Tatsuki, two years was a long time, people can change a lot in two years, he had, and yet they were able to pick up exactly where they'd left off, like those two years had simply been two days. Why then was he so nervous standing on her doorstep? Whatever the reason he wasn't given much time to dwell on it as the door was thrown open mere seconds after he knocked "finally" Tatsuki said playing up how annoyed she was "took you forever to get here" "nice to see you too" Ichigo sarcastically responded "yeah yeah yeah" she brushed him off "now get your ass in here" she said practically dragging him into her house.

"What's this about anyway?" He asked following her through the house and down into the basement, each step he took caused the stairs underneath him to creak ominously. While he wasn't one to believe in superstition or anything of the sort it was almost like they were warning him of something up ahead, something he wouldn't be fond of. "He's here" Tatsuki announced leaving him with a sinking feeling in his gut. "What are you putting me though now?" "Nothing you haven't had to deal with before" that wasn't frightening at all. Stepping foot into the well-lit room he was greeted with his name being shouted at an ear splitting level "ICHIGO!" "Every time" he muttered to himself knowing who the voice belonged to.

"This better not be what I think it is" he said seeing Mizuiro was there as well "oh it is" Tatsuki said coming up behind him and slapping his back. "I'm not doing this" he said turning around to make his exit back up the rickety stairs "wait!" He heard Keigo call out to him. "I have something that might change your mind" Keigo told him while laying an old and ratty tweed case on the ground. That couldn't be what he thought it was, there was no way he'd sold the damn thing years ago, and yet the case looked so familiar, could it really be? In an almost cautious manner Ichigo made his way over to it, even though he wanted nothing more than to be able to just walk away the sight of that case brought on a flood of memories and though there was a slim chance with every step he took his hopes got higher and higher.

Down on one knee he began fumbling with the latches, rusted from disuse and moisture they were stuck pretty bad, eventually after breaking off two of them he was able to open it. Under a thick layer of dust sat the guitar he's sold off over five years ago, the cracks in the nitro lacquer, the buckle rash on the back, it was just how he remembered it. "H-How" he managed out after a moment "we followed you" Keigo began explaining "after you pawned the guitar I went in and bought it simple as that, I wanted to give it to you when you were more secure and then… well it just took this long for me to get it back to you." "I-I" he started but found himself at a loss for words. "You're welcome Ichigo, now, what do you say?" Taking a look at his friends all he could do was smile "I think we got him" Tatsuki said "I'm gonna need more than just a guitar guys, and this is going to need some serious work." Anyone else would think he was being ungrateful, his friends however knew otherwise "it's good to have you back" Tatsuki said once again slapping him on the back "it's good to be back" he told her, a small smile making its way onto his lips while his eyes never wandered from the guitar.

Three Days Later

For the second time in a week Ichigo found himself walking up the winding path to his mother's grave; unlike the first time the air around him was much calmer though it still lacked the sounds of nature. Reaching her stone he kneeled and brushed the snow from its face; taking a seat in the snow in front of it he found himself just sitting and staring at it. Truth be told he didn't know why he was here, for some reason he found it to be calming, like in just this one place he could still feel her.

It could have been minutes, it could have been an hour he found himself sitting in silence only roused from his thoughts by the cough of someone behind him. Looking over his shoulder he found the same petit raven haired girl he'd run into the last time he was here. "Come here often?" There was a twinge of light-heartedness at play in her voice, it wasn't funny, hell Ichigo didn't even know if it was supposed to be a joke or not and yet he found himself chuckling lightly at her question. "Seriously?" She asked him doing her best to give him a disappointed look, her voice though gave away how she truly felt as it still carried that playful tone to it, shrugging his shoulders in response Ichigo stood and dusted the snow from his pants.

"I didn't expect to see you so soon" he admitted "do you just hang out in cemeteries or have you been following me?" He playfully asked her "I was visiting my sister jerk, your hair was too loud for me to ignore when you walked by." Something inside of him broke, that was the only explanation for why he found himself laughing so hard, he took a deep breath and steadied himself. He'd expected to see her laughing just like he had but there was that same look of disappointment "come on midget can't you take a joke?" "You're pretty rude, aren't you strawberry" involuntarily, he tensed, she didn't seem to be playing anymore, had he read her wrong and offended her? Ideas of how he could fix the situation raced through his mind going a million miles an hour only to be completely blindsided by the soft giggling of the girl in front of him.

"If only you could see your face right now" he could feign anger and give her a taste of her own medicine, but he was too lost in her smile to begin taking up the effort to do so. "Is there something I can help you with?" He eventually asked "or did you just seek me out for some company?" "Do I look that desperate for company that I'd seek out a stranger" "and you said I was rude" "you still are strawberry" "whatever midget."

"I just wanted to return these" she told him pulling off the gloves he'd given her the last time they met "keep them, I had an extra pair" he told her showing her his hands which were covered by and identical, yet worn pair. "I can't accept this" she bluntly told him "just say thank you and take them" "but they're new, and yours are old" she reasoned "very observant, now observe the fact that I don't care, just take them and consider it a gift." "I don't need handouts" "it's not a handout midget" how hard is it to give someone gloves? He asked himself.

Their exchange continued for a while till Ichigo just had enough and without thinking blurted out "just buy me a coffee then" that seemed to stop her. "What?" She asked him now caught off guard, he was too, why would he ask that? Sure she was cute with that button nose, big beautiful violet eyes, god was he really sort of asking out a girl he'd met at a cemetery, was he a terrible person? Would she think he was a creep, he probably wouldn't blame her if she did. He could play it off as a joke but something in him refused to let him and instead he doubled down "if you won't just take the gloves you could buy me a coffee and we'll call it even, sound fair?" "No, these are worth more than a cup of coffee" she pressed onward vehemently trying to give him give him back the gloves "not to me" he answered with a shrug "why are you so frustrating?" She asked him and once again he just shrugged in response.

Clearly, she was aggravated by him, maybe he had gone too far "fine" she said in a huff. Shocked, stunned, aghast, these were all words to describe how he felt at that moment, he couldn't believe that she had agreed. "Are you sure?" He asked not being able to accept the fact that she'd actually agreed "chickening out now strawberry" she teased "no… I don't want you to feel forced" she smiled softly before grabbing his wrist and pulling him after her "come on there's a nice place not too far from here."

…

Did this count as a date? No, she was just repaying him back for the gloves that's all this was. If that was the case why then did she feel so nervous when his eyes landed on her? "So what do you do for a living that allows you the luxury to have coffee with me?" She asked, sheepishly he rubbed the back of his head "ugh, well currently I don't technically work" "what's that supposed to mean?" She asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity "I do have a job, it's just that I have to wait two months to actually start working, staff are being shuffled and they're binging me in once it's all done, till then I get paid to do nothing" "so till then you're a mooch?" She tease, his lips curled up into a smirk "I guess you could say that" he replied. "Just so you know berry boy, I don't date mooches."

"So this is a date then?" He asked her "that's-that's' not what I meant" she stuttered out trying to clarify her previous statement, it seemed too late though if that cocky smirk of his was anything to go by. "Too good for me now?" "Now? I was always out of your league" there was silence between them for a split second before they both began quietly laughing at their exchange. "Why is it so easy with him?" She wondered to herself, evidently Ichigo must've heard her as his eyebrow raised while he took a sip of his drink, silently questioning what she was talking about. There was no straight answer she could give him "this, talking, teasing, it's all so easy with you" "maybe this should be a date then" he proposed.

She was taken aback by his words, she wasn't against the idea but it scared her to an extent, the chance that he would be accepting of her after finding out her job was probably slim. His amber eyes looked hopeful, she wished she could feel that way too "I'm sorry" she whispered to him while packing up her things "hey, look I'm sorry" he said trying to get her to stay but in the end she left him in the booth alone with just the coffee she'd bought him.

Three More Days Later

Coming off the stage Rukia sat down in front of one of the many mirrors, grabbing one of the many pallets of makeup she set to work reapplying what had washed off with sweat and fixing what had smeared. "Where are you headed Asano-San?" She asked seeing her boss leaving in the mirror. "Ah Rukia-Chan" lifting his arm he showed her a large rectangular case "got a gig tonight, don't worry though Chizuru is still here, just make sure she doesn't get too friendly, you know how she is." "You play in a band?" She asked him as she applied mascara "yeah, me and a few friends from high school" "you've never talked about it before" she observed "yeah well we only just reformed, tonight's our first show in seven years" "oh, good luck then!" "Thanks, we're gonna need it" and with that he was out the back door leaving her to finish getting ready.

About an hour later she was packing up her things in a swift manner more than thankful to leave this debauchery behind her for another night. The crisp night air sent shivers down her spine as she left the club, tired legs did their best to carry her through the deep layers of snow the only victory she was allowed was a verbal one as string of nasty remarks damning the cold left her mouth.

Her attention was drawn to her phone as it buzzed in alert "really?" She asked the air, with a groan of frustration she changed her route and headed down the street stopping outside of a seedy looking bar. Stepping inside intent on finding her drunken friend then getting the hell out of there she did her best to block out any distractions and searched for Rangiku's long orange hair. "Rukia!" She heard her friend shout "you're not drunk" she angrily stated "you're right and I'm sorry but I needed you here to confirm something for me" "Ran I just want to go home" she complained "it'll only take a minute and I'll pay for a cab for us, fair?" "Fine, what is it?" "More like who" Ran said pointing towards the band on stage.

His hair slick with sweat and he might as well have not been wearing a shirt as it clung to his body in a manner that seemed to do little to cover the muscle beneath "Ichigo" she mumbled "so that is him" Rangiku kept talking but Rukia blocked her out now much more interested in what was going on around her. Her legs carried her to a nearby table; she didn't know much music beyond classical, Byakuya didn't really allow anything else in the house. She couldn't quite make out the lyrics he sang, but, judging by his pained expression and the lonesome wail he evoked from his guitar it could only be sad.

"You have excellent taste" Rangiku said sliding some fruity drink with a little umbrella in front of her "could you find out if he has any single friends for me?" "I don't think that's gonna happen Ran" "you just need to be a bit more confident in yourself that's all" "that's not it Ran" she said maybe a bit angrier than she'd meant "what kind of guy is going to want to go on a date, let alone have a relationship with a girl who takes her clothes off for money? He won't want to and I'd rather wallow in self-pity then be humiliated and rejected" she confessed.

"Can we get out of here now?" She asked as Ichigo's band finished playing "sure" Rangiku said sympathetically. The bustling crowd made it hard to stay close to each other and Rukia was finding it harder and harder to keep Rangiku in her sights. Pushing her way through the crowd she managed to make her way to the bar. Pulling out her phone intent on sending a text, it would be easier this way instead of searching the crowd "Rukia?" Her name, said by a familiar and husky voice that happened to belong to the last person she wanted to see right now, pure, unadulterated dumb luck that she would end up right beside him. Running away again wasn't an option, too many people for that "hey Ichigo" she said turning to meet him. She was surprised to see an element of sadness in his eyes "I'm sorry about the other day if I crossed a line or something."

"You didn't" she told him with a sigh "look I was just scared, I think I like you more than I should" "are you scared now?" She could feel his eyes lingering on her anxious for an answer "yes" unsure whether it was the admission, or the calm that came with it that scared her more; still she waited with baited breath for his response "good, I'd hate to be the only one" flooded by relief she gathered the courage necessary to take a seat next to him "so you play in bars, guess that means you have a job." Getting the hint he smiled at her words "guess I do, after all who wants to date a mooch" "I never said anything about a date berry boy, if you want one you're going to have to impress me." Her teasing didn't seem to be lost on him, laughing at her demand.

"Well if I was trying to impress you I'd tell you all about my stint as a songwriter in Nashville, schmoozing with the stars, writing songs for them, preforming with them" "that sounds generally impressive" she told him as a smile crept onto her face "it would probably be a whole lot more impressive to someone who understands the significance of what you said." He seemed more than a little surprised by her response, but she continued intent on setting his nerves to rest "however if you can't find anyone here, I'm more than happy to listen and learn" "you're going to regret saying that." "Something tells me I won't" clearly he was caught off guard, his cheeks turning a rosy red and he began stuttering over his words trying to find his confidence again.

There was something she realised listening to the various stories he told about his time as a songwriter, he'd had experiences most could only dream of and yet he wasn't bragging about them. He seemed elated to share his experiences and immerse her in all of them, that and he looked too damn cute talking about something he was so obviously passionate about. "Why'd you leave?" She asked interrupting him, she hadn't meant to the question just came out without thought "you just talk about it so fondly." A soft and sad smile paired well with wistful eyes, it was a haggard look only the old seemed capable of.

"I do miss it sometimes" he began "but playing the game gets tiring after a while. I was playing the same songs over and over again and when I'd wrote them I'd been in a dark place and I just kept going back every time I preformed them. Then my label wanted more of them same and there were too many acquaintances masquerading as friends wanting me to write with them that it just stopped being fun and it just brought me down again. Eventually I called it quits, came back here and picked up school again. I thought about being a doctor like my old man, I like helping people, decided against it and became a teacher… figured I could help kids make better decisions than I did at their age."

Reaching out to him she placed her hand in the palm of his, unsure of what to say after that. His hand slowly encased hers as if he was scared she would pull away from him. Their gazes met, his amber eyes looked hardened by all they had seen and yet there was gentleness to them that as he looked into hers had her heart beating a mile a minute.

They sat there for a while and at her behest Ichigo continued his stories; their hands only separating when the bartender informed them they were closing. Both were bewildered at the time that had slipped by them "do you have a ride?" He asked as they stepped out into the cold "no" she answered pulling the zipper on her coat up further to fight off the cold. "Would you like one?" He asked pulling a set of keys from his pocket "I'll be fine" she assured him "you don't have to worry about me" pressing a button on a small fab the engine of a red sports car roared to life. "It's got heated leather seats" he told her, a cocky smirk plastered on his face. She had to admit it sounded a hell of a lot better than freezing her ass off walking home, so she relented "no funny business" she told him as they walked towards his car "wouldn't dream of it" he snarky replied.

It felt awkward sitting beside him as they zipped through the empty streets, the only words shared between them were the directions she gave him at the start, since then nothing, though, judging by the serious look on his face and how laser focused he was on the road this might be what he preferred. As they pulled into parking lot for her apartment he shut off the engine and began unbuckling along with her "what are you doing?" She asked "I was gonna walk you the rest of the way" "why?" Her brow now raised "I just wanted to make sure you got home safely" heat rose to her cheeks, had she not spent so long talking to him she might've considered dashing from his car as fast as her legs could carry her.

"You're sweet Ichigo" she told him; leaning over to his side of the car she punctuated her words by placing her lips softly against his cheek "I'll be fine though" she said opening the car door, ready to step into the cool night air and only stopped by his hand grasping hers "I want to see you again." There were butterflies in her stomach and a goofy smile on her face, which was probably a deep shade of red by now, with her hand outstretched the only word she managed out was "phone." Laughter filled his car as she watched him frantically fumble around looking for what she'd requested "here" he said handing it to her, a dusting of red adorning his cheeks.

Giving it back to him with her newly added number she quickly made her exit, not wanting to risk letting on to how nervous and excited she was by such a small, simple action. Reaching the threshold of her apartment building she spared a glance back at Ichigo, his eyes were firmly set on her, watching, waiting for her to be safely inside. Even as she slept that night, that goofy smile that had crept onto her in his car didn't leave her.