A/N: Bleach is not mine. Guys, I am so sorry for the late update. I hope you're all still waiting for this. And as my apology, I wrote a super lengthy chapter for you all and I really hope you like can enjoy it!
NB: I made some changes in the first chapter (prologue) because originally I wasn't thinking to make this story multichapter so now as the story develops, I need to change some things in the prologue. You can check it out, but actually we got it covered in this chapter😊
Warning: DRAMA ahead! Sorry for Grimmjow's language, and this is a really long chapter. I really do hope you like this :D
Ichigo has never been good at texting or any kind of social media. So, for days after he finally got Rukia's phone number, he never sent her any text nor called her. Unlike Keigo who can go on texting the new transfer student shamelessly albeit receiving inequivalent amount of replies, Ichigo is just not that kind of guy.
On a random Friday night after a tiring football practice, the orange-haired teen is just laying on his bed, his left arm supporting his head while his right aimlessly opens and closes multiple applications on his iPhone. There are 2 unread messages from Getaboshi, 25 unread messages from the football team WhatsApp group, 3 unread messages from Yuzu, and 3 unread messages from Inoue.
Ichigo ignores them all and opens a contact named Rukia and checks out her profile picture. It is a photo of Rukia in a yellow sundress, she was being kissed by her cat on the cheek. Ichigo can't be lying and he swears he won't tell this to anyone but even though he keeps seeing her every damn day at school, he just keeps being taken aback by her beauty again and again every time he looks at her. And her cat is a funny looking orange furred Persian with one of the flattest cat noses Ichigo has ever seen.
Her cat does look stupid, Ichigo thinks. Why is she so obsessed with her cat?
Ichigo closes the tab of her profile picture and tries to distract himself even after watching some conspiracy alien theories on YouTube, he finds himself wandering back on WhatsApp and his chatroom with Rukia. He wants to talk to her. He really does. He envies the way Renji can text her whenever he wants. He even envies Keigo who has it in him to keep initiating conversation with her. God, how pathetic is he to be jealous of Keigo of all people. Ichigo randomly remembers how his boxing mentor, Kenpachi Zaraki, always shouts at him to be a real man while punching him to a pulp. But, Ichigo hates texting. He rarely texts, replies texts in short, and when he wants to talk, he would just call.
Be a freaking man, for God's sake. Ichigo takes a deep breath and types—
rukia
And deletes it.
you up?
And he deletes it again.
rukiaa
He deletes it again and cringes. What's with double aa? He never types like that.
Are you free tomorrow—
He messes his orange spikes out of frustration and deletes it again.
Oi, let's hang out—
God, Ichigo thinks. He sounds like a douchebag.
your cat looks stupid and are you free tom—
Ichigo, frustratedly, types furiously on the keypad, knowing full well he is going to delete it later on but the moment an "online" status appears below Rukia's name, Ichigo jumps and accidentally drops his phone to the floor.
He groans.
Renji is right. He is such a loser.
They get a lot closer each day. Ichigo mostly talks to Rukia only between classes and after classes. Rukia spends lunch break with Hanatarou and her new friend, the pianist from another class, Hinamori Momo. Ichigo mostly spends his lunch break on the rooftop with the football team, plus Ishida.
It is noticeable by the teens around him. Like Keigo, who notices that Ichigo does talk a lot with Rukia compared to other girls in their class. During classes, Keigo can hear the two sometimes talk in whispers. Keigo also notices that his dear Kuchiki-san is different when she talks to Ichigo. Her voice is not as sweet and girly as when she talks to him or Mizuiro, or not as soft as when she talks to that castaway Hanatarou. When she talks to Ichigo, her voice sounds deeper, but feminime, and still holds that cool, overwhelming aristocratic queen aura around her, but also sounds more genuine and real, like she is her true self when she talks to Ichigo, though Keigo never voices his opinion on the matter to anyone. Keigo also knows that they sometimes (almost a lot) bicker with one another. Although it confuses Keigo to no end, how can someone as sweet, cute, and innocent as Kuchiki-san can scold Ichigo over some things. Keigo also knows that sometimes she calls him an idiot, or a fool, but with a softer tone, as if they had pet names for each other.
One or twice Keigo notices Ichigo unconsciously places his elbow or even spreads his right arm on the back of Rukia's chair when he talks to her, and the way Rukia doesn't get his arm off of her chair makes it seem like they are so used already with the close proximity.
Mizuiro notices the way Ichigo always pays attention to Rukia, like when the orange haired football captain is having a heated argument with Ishida, Ichigo still notices that Rukia is struggling with her orange juice bottle and without a word, takes the bottle from her, opens it for her, all the while still giving the blue haired nerd an earful. That, and also those secret moments the two share after football practice for Ichigo and counselling for Rukia, how the orange haired football captain always waits for her, buys her drink, and walks her to her car or the school gate.
Momo, Rukia's new friend, notices the football captain is always there after their orchestra training. Sometimes it's him and Renji, waiting for Rukia, sitting in the back of the auditorium leisurely in their t-shirts and shorts, in their after football practice outfit, sometimes it's Ichigo and Chad, sometimes it's just Ichigo. But, mostly Ichigo is always around. He waits for her, with his drinks and chips, and always walks her to her car and carries her big cello.
And sometimes it bothers Momo to no end that he is always around. Like before orchestra, they have one hour of free time and Rukia always waits in class until it's time, and Momo usually goes to Rukia's class and gossips, mostly about her love life with Toushiro. And Ichigo. Is. Just. Always. There. It's embarrassing since Toushiro is one of Ichigo's close friends in the football team and probably knows a lot about the two's relationship from Tushiro's side of the story. But Momo does not really care.
"He texts me this, Rukia, what do you think?" Momo is panicking, "does he want to get back together, does he not?"
The whole idea of Momo asking for a relationship advice to a heartless girl like Rukia is already ridiculous in Ichigo's mind.
"Ugh, I hate him!" Momo says in one afternoon. Ichigo is just eating snacks next to Rukia. But it annoys Momo to no end, especially wiith Ichigo's smartass comment to defend his friend like he is Hitsugaya Toushiro's lawyer in a divorce court. "I don't want to hear a word from you today," she sends a piercing glare to Ichigo. And the orange haired captain chuckles and replies, "fine, you got it."
"Oh my God, I love him, I love him, I love him." The pianist says on another different day. It is an on, off, on, off, relationship between the two. "Not a word, Kurosaki, not a word!" She shouts.
And when Ichigo only gives her another annoying scoff and takes his leave without another word, Momo shakes Rukia by her shoulders in frustration. "Why is he always around?! Are you two dating or something?" To which Rukia shrugs her shoulders and denies.
Rukia is unique, a walking contradiction to the people around her. She has that cold, I-don't -want-anything-to-do with you aura around her, she never cares enough about the hot gossips at school, she never pays attention to the school's assholes like Grimmjow and she never cares about popularity even when the most popular girls secretly think she may have the potential.
And just like Renji's testimonial in the earlier days she transferred here, Rukia does not really show interests in boys, or girls, or romance in general even though many have been interested.
On most days, Rukia shows so little care about anything. But she handles stuff in her own unique way that makes her more interesting. To people who know her and people who pay attention, Rukia is not that selfish and there are always reasons why she does things the way she does.
Ichigo notices that.
Like that one time Keigo buys her an orange juice in an attempt to win her heart. "Here, here, our lovely Kuchiki-san, I bought you an orange juice. I asked the cafeteria Madame to make it especially for you. Less sugar, more milk." Keigo winks and Rukia blinks from her seat. Hanatarou sinks deeper into his seat next to Rukia (Ichigo carelessly offers the poor boy his seat next to Rukia, knowing full well Hanatarou wants to eat lunch with Rukia but being too intimidated or embarrassed to ask Ichigo nicely), he never feels comfortable when the guys surround Rukia, being an invisible nuisance he thinks he is.
Ichigo, who stands behind Keigo, sees the way Rukia blinks once, twice, her eyes turn to Hanatarou's lunch next to her (she notices Hanatarou has never bought any special lunch, it is always only a bread and mineral water and he does not have enough pocket money to buy drinks/food at the cafeteria either) then she manages to smile sweetly (it's fake) and says in her girly voice she never uses to Ichigo. "Oh, how kind of you, Asano-san." She smiles. "But, I love strawberries." Ichigo can't help but snort. She is unbelievable.
Rukia sends the orange haired football captain a piercing glare that, again, no one seems to notice (but him) and in a mere second she turns to Keigo and gives the poor hormonal teenager the most breathtaking (albeit fake) smile that Ichigo does not want to admit, also makes his heart beat faster a little bit. "Will you be a dear and ask the kind lady for the strawberry one?"
That line alone plus that sweet smile sends Keigo running to the cafeteria and comes back in a mere minutes later.
Once Keigo is gone, Ichigo can hear the way Rukia turns to the poor kid Hanatarou, and asks him in a softer, genuine tone, "which one do you want? Strawberry or orange?"
Hanatarou gulps and blushes. "What? Rukia-san, Asano-san bought it for you, you don't have to-"
Rukia rolls her eyes and hands the orange juice to Hanatarou. "Is orange fine for you, Hanatarou?" She says. Hanatarou nods shyly. It is only an orange juice but the attention means a lot to the lonely boy. And then she mumbles, maybe or maybe not on purpose for him to hear, "I may have a thing for strawberry these days,"
Ichigo coughs and Rukia hums.
She is never flustered. When there is a box of chocolate from a secret admirer from another class sitting innocently on her desk on one pretty Wednesday morning, that Kuchiki mask she has on her face never wears down, not even a single tip of blush or signs that she is flattered, or embarrassed, or even surprised. Like it is normal to find a heart shaped box on her desk on a Wednesday, like it is nothing more than ordinary.
She is just that cold, Ichigo thinks. How can a girl behave like that?
With one arm supporting his head lazily, Ichigo frowns at his chair mate. "Who is it from?" He asks, sounding more rude than he intends. He has no reason to be annoyed. But the heart shaped box annoys him more than Keigo or Renji, or his dad, or whatever.
Rukia opens the card and reads the romantic poem on it with no change of expression on her face. Ichigo takes the card out of her grip and scoffs. "The hell." He gives the card back to her and she puts it nicely in her backpack. "Even I can do better." The orange haired teen adds. He is not kidding. He can quote Shakespeare if she asks him to.
"I think it's nice." Rukia replies, voice void of warmth as usual, in contradiction to the compliment she is giving. "And you can't do better." She adds while trying to open the box of chocolate. Her expressions never change.
Ichigo starts tapping on his desk casually. He knows Rukia hates it when he does that. "No, seriously." He stops tapping and leans closer to her. "Do you even like stuff like this, Rukia?" He asks, genuinely curious even though her unbothered gestures kind of say it all.
Rukia snorts and takes one heart shaped white chocolate. "What's not to like? It's chocolate."
When Ichigo sighs and opens his mouth to argue that that is not his point, Rukia plops one big round dark chocolate into his mouth to shut him up. When the dark material melts in his mouth, Ichigo gives up.
At first, Ichigo can't lie that he is attracted to her for her look. And maybe her unique charisma. It begins as a mere harmless attraction or recognition like yeah, okay, there is a beautiful new transfer student sitting next to him, to a harmless crush like yeah, okay, this girl is different from any other girls he knows. Ichigo didn't think it would grow to be more than that, didn't think it would last for more than two, going into three to four months either. Ichigo used to think that if he would ever fall for any girl, she would be someone who radiates warmth like the sun, like his mom, not a girl who is deemed an ice queen by the whole school.
But again, Ichigo can't forget the day he realizes Rukia is not that selfish, not that heartless, not that uncaring as everyone makes her to be. She is just that good at putting on her mask and shows. That's the moment the orange haired football captain realizes that he is falling for her, when he knows, the so-called ice queen can also radiate warmth to the people she deems necessary.
It is another rainy day on a Tuesday and Ichigo and his friends decide to eat their lunch in the class. Hanatarou and Rukia are eating together like usual. Amidst Keigo's noisy storytelling and Mizuiro's singing, Ichigo's attention never diverts too far from Rukia, his arm rests slightly on the back of her chair, listening and sometimes giving input to Rukia's and Hanatarou's conversation without noticing that Hanatarou is intimidated by his presence next to her.
"See, Rukia-san? Isn't she great?" Hanatarou is showing Rukia a set of photos from his old, battered phone. Rukia keeps on chewing her katsu, eyes focused on her friend's phone. "This is the very first time she holds an exhibition in Karakura." Hanatarou adds excitedly, he never talks like that to anyone. "I have been a big fan of her works since I was 8. She inspired me to try photography."
Rukia swipes her friend's phone left and left to see more of the photos. "But, her gallery exhibition is mostly exclusive, it's nearly impossible." Hanatarou laughs meekly.
"But, the tickets are available online? Can we buy them?" Rukia asks. Hanatarou notices the way she gives Ichigo a bite of her katsudon with her chopsticks, even though her eyes are still glued to Hanatarou's phone. The orange haired football captain eats the katsudon off Rukia's chopsticks and peeks over Hanatarou's phone to partake in taking a look. They are always sitting so close to each other, her left shoulder in contact with the front of his chest and neither of them seems to mind the close proximity, Hanatarou realizes. Have they always been this close?
Hanatarou blushes for no apparent reason, secretly thinking that the two actually look good together. He shakes his head and answers Rukia's question earlier. "It's limited and must cost a fortune." He laughs meekly again. "Meeting Retsu Unohana is like a dream too good to be true." He adds. "At least to me. There is no way I can afford that."
Rukia's eyes soften on the boy. That's understandable. Even Ichigo can feel pity for him.
Later when lunch is over and Ochi-sensei is explaining another thing about integrals and whatnot, Rukia pokes Ichigo with her chappy pen, "Ichigo, can I borrow your phone?"
"What for?" He asks.
"Mine is dead and I need to look up something." She replies. He unlocks his caseless iPhone and gives it to her, suddenly remembers to pray to God his last search on google is not something embarrassing.
Rukia flips over his dark iPhone and notices there is a scratch on the left edge (he got it when he was butchered by Grimmjow on the night before the first day at school).
The next day, when Ichigo arrives and sits on his seat and just gets ready to have some nap before the teacher comes, Rukia arrives, sits on her chair, and says, "Ichigo, give me your phone."
Ichigo is too sleepy to respond. "What? No." he says.
She pokes him at his side and at that, the ticklish Ichigo sits straight up and Rukia chuckles. Dorks. He gives her his phone, and Rukia takes an all black, iPhone hard case from a plastic bag. "Here," she says.
It may mean nothing to her, but to Ichigo, it shows that she cares about the little things. She notices his phone has no case and she buys one for him. Just like that one time when Ichigo hurts his knee during football practice and she bought her a nice knee pad for protecting his knee from future impact or injuries.
Rukia cares. She just does not want people to know that she does.
Hanatarou comes in a few minutes later to the class, notices something's on his table, and his face lights up with excitement. He looks up and finds Rukia, in the back of the class, waving at him with a genuine smile on her face. Hanatarou runs to her seat and hugs her. "Oh, my God, Rukia-san!" He says between tears, "Oh my, God, oh my God." He hugs her again, tighter this time that Ichigo is this close to tear them apart.
"But, how?" Hanatarou asks, his eyes glimmering of joy, holding tight the tickets of 'Exclusive Exhibition of Unohana Retsu' in his hands.
Rukia can't hold back a smile."I got them for free." She shrugs, clearly lying.
"B-but, but how, Rukia-san?" Hanatarou sniffs.
"My sister knows her," Rukia answers, trying hard to avoid eye contacts with the poor boy, afraid that her lie is obvious, "and I also got us in for a special dinner with her,"
The scene is so heart warming that even Ichigo is touched by the way Hanatarou keeps crying and shaking in disbelief.
Hanatarou cries again. "Thank you, Rukia-san!" The poor boy tries to hug her again but it seems like the football captain sitting next to Rukia has had enough of it as his arm comes between Hanataraou and Rukia. Ichigo hints at Ochii-sensei that has just come into the class.
Hanatarou laughs nervously and scratches the back of his hair and waves his goodbye to Rukia as he retreats back to his seat.
When Hanatarou is gone, Ichigo leans in closer to her and says, "Rukia," sometimes Rukia hates how he says her name so intently, "I know the exhibiton plus the dinner tickets cost you almost 1,000 dollars." She bought it online with his phone yesterday.
"He doesn't have to know that." Rukia replies matter of factly. "Just pretend that you don't know." Her eyes are making threats but Ichigo's stomach just feels funny. Why is she always more beautiful to him when she is annoyed.
"Just like I pretend I don't know that you googled 'why is 11 not pronounced onety one'," She crosses her arms and raises her eyebrows at him challengingly and Ichigo blushes. Why does he like it when she is challenging her? Is that really a thing?
The orange haired captain pullbacks and murmurs. "Why do you always act like you don't care about anyone when it's actually the exact opposite?"
There is a slight blush on the Kuchiki's cheeks that Ichigo doesn't see. "Because, I don't." She says lowly, "I really don't." And Ichigo sighs. She really is that stubborn.
Ichigo does not witness this directly but it has been a hot topic in the football team's locker room. On a Friday, Rukia, Hanatarou, and Hinamori Momo are eating their lunch in the cafeteria when the Cafeteria King, Grimmjow Jaggerjacques thinks it will be a great idea to approach the three. He pushes Hanatarou out of his seat in front of Rukia until the poor boy falls down on his knee. The class leader, Tatsuki who is also eating in the cafetaria, is this close to yell at the jock, but is held back by her friend, Orihime, who really does not want any commotion with Grimmjow today. So she tries to hold down, being the sole protector of girls community against this asshole, Tatsuki rarely takes a break.
Grimmjow sits in front of Rukia and slams his hand hard on the table. The raven haired girl does not even flinch when Momo almost jumps in shock next to her. All eyes in the cafeteria turn on them.
"Oi, Kuchiki, you're invited to my pool party." He says. This is it. This moment should be the greatest moment in every highschooler of Karakura High that wants popularity. Being invited to one of Grimmjow's party means you're recognized in the popularity food chain. Every girl melts in the presence of Grimmjow. No one wants to say no. It's the King of Karakura High asking you to go to his party. No girl in thr sane mind would ever say no to that. Only the most popular ones, the hottest ones are recognized by Grimmjow.
Rukia's face is indifferent. She glances at Hanatarou on the floor, his food scatteted messily, his clothes are ruined, and looks at Grimmjow straight in the eyes without any fear. "Okay. Thanks." And just like that she proceeds to leave, muttering "let's go, Momo." And the pianist follows.
Just like that? Just fucking like that? Grimmjow chuckles. So, this is why she is called the Ice Queen.
As Rukia walks past him, Grimmjow slams his hand on the table again, harder this time, and grabs her hand and hisses dangerously. Clearly he is not used to people brushing him off easily like dirt. "I am not done talking." His grip becomes stronger. "I haven't told you when and where my party is going to be yet."
Rukia is calm with no change of expression on her face, there is not even a slight increase of octave in her tone as she replies and takes his hand off of her hand, "You know what? If it's meant to be, I think I will just guess it." She says coldly. Momo is this close to laugh out loud, and Grimmjow's friends behind him can't muffle their laughter at how ridiculous that sounds.
"That doesn't make any damn sense." Grimmjow grits his teeth in anger.
The Kuchiki's stare on him does not even waver in fear. "Exactly." She even has the audacity to take a napkin on the table and wipes the part of her hand that has been touched by Grimmjow exactly like cleaning her hand off of dirt and proceeds to leave once again.
The blue haired jock gapes in disbelief. She treats him like some kind of trash. How dare she act mighty in front of the Cafeteria King? His friends laugh again and Grimmjow throws fits and shouts. "Shut the hell up." Embarrassed, he walks out of the room.
A few meters away from the crowd, Tatsuki laughs. Finally, she finds a fellow girl who doesn't fall under Grimmjow's feet and can stand up for herself. After being literally the only one girl in the whole school who can do that, Tatsuki is glad Kuchiki is around.
Sunday night, on the 150th day out of the 700, is a major turning point in Ichigo's and Rukia's relationship. The night begins with Ichigo's phone call to Grimmjow, demanding him his part of the literature essay they have to do together.
"You know where to get it." He pauses, even through the phone, Ichigo can imagine the smug smirk on Grimmjow's face. "Still remember the way, don't you, bastard?" He says again.
Ichigo ends the phone call and slams his phone on the pillow.
Of all the things he gets himself into.
The assignment is due on Monday and Ochii-sensei thinks, even in this digital era, it is necessary to have the essay handwritten rather than to have it typed and printed. "I know how you kids just google things up and copy and paste them on your document." She sings.
So, that's what brings Ichigo to this predicament. He was supposed to work on the essay with Chad, and Rukia would have been the one who needed to discuss it with Grimmjow.
He has a hero complex. Grimmjow is an asshole and his new transfer student friend better stays the hell away from punks like him.
He tells himself that.
The truth is simpler than that.
Ichigo just doesn't want Rukia anywhere near Grimmjow.
Ichigo is all too familiar with this particular block and alley. That one part of Karakura where no goody two shoes ever set their feet on. It is nearly 9 PM when Ichigo, dressed in a simple adidas white t-shirt, simple khaki jeans, and khaki woodland shoes, gets off from his black range rover and parks it right under the bridge, near the dark alleys and empty old buildings.
The darkest place for middle and high school students in Karakura.
Every teenager has his bad days. Ichigo's just happens to be this particular place.
The orange haired teen walks for about 500 m further into the dark alley and sees Grimmjow's red Ferrari already parked in front of the tallest abandoned buildings in the area.
"Well, well, well, well." A pink haired guy, just a year older than Ichigo, lurks out from the dark shadow. "I can't say I don't miss that fucking orange head of yours." Syazel Apporo Granz, the little shit, Ichigo thinks.
Ichigo chooses to ignore him, walks past the pink haired teen, and bumps his shoulder roughly on purpose. Syazel only laughs. His laughter rings like an evil in a bad dream.
A few meters into the building, there is Grimmjow, dressed in an unbuttoned shirt and expensive leather jacket, his necklace sparkling in the dim room, sitting in a circle with his friends, drinking beer, smoking, and laughing.
There are delinquents and there are punks, Grimmjow is just going down further into the bad place, a mafia wannabe, maybe.
Ichigo sees him quite differently. An only kid coming from a rich family, his dad never cares about him, cheats on his mom, mom being depressed and only married his dad for wealth, Grimmjow is just a broken home kid inside.
"Should we throw a welcome back party for you?" Grimmjow claps his hands and grins at Ichigo. Yammy, Di Roy, and Nnoitra laugh. Ulquiorra just stays silent. "Since we used to be fucking best friends and all."
Ichigo's frown gets deeper.
"Just give me your part of the essay and I will leave." He says.
Grimmjow spits. "Now, where is the fun in that?"
"Are you sure that's the only reason why you're here, Kurosaki?" Yammy mocks. "Isn't it because you miss coming back here? A fucking outlet of your pathetic life after your mom's dead?"
Ichigo's ears turn red.
Grimmjow spits again. "Fucking pansy. Do you enjoy playing cool in high school, with that plain cold asshole attitude, playing a good football captain with fucking good grades?"
"Just admit it, Kurosaki. Other than me beating the hell out of you a few months ago, you miss getting into fights."
Amber meets blue. The tension is so thick in the room. Ichigo really wants to punch the smug blue haired teen in the face. But today is Sunday and tomorrow they have school and getting into a fight in an enemy's territory is probably a terrible idea. And his dad is going to throw fits.
Grimmjow throws two pieces of paper at him. The papers land exactly at Ichigo's feet.
"There," Grimmjow mocks. "Dear Orihime writes it for me, trying to protect her precious Kurosaki-kun, she is apparently willing to do anything." He grins. "Even to sleep with me, that damned stupid girl."
Unbeknownst to the ones around him, Ulquiorra stiffens at the mention of the auburn haired cheerleader.
But as Grimmjow expects, there is no reaction from Ichigo. Not the one Grimmjow has been hoping for. At this point, Grimmjow is not even surprised anymore.
Ichigo only stares hard at Grimmjow, thinking how he does not want any trouble right now. He breaks their eye contact, grabs the papers on the dirty floor, folds and keeps it in his pants' pocket, and turns around without another glance. "I'm going." He waves lazily, "try not to kill yourself before 30." He hints at the alcohol, cigarette, and weeds the delinquent kids have gotten themselves into.
That successfully angers Grimmjow. Picking fights with Ichigo has been his thing, lately. All he wants is a reaction. A mere reaction. Ichigo acting cold and without care makes him sick.
"I am fucking pushing for the fucking wrong button, aren't I?" He yells. And Ichigo only waves him off and keeps walking with both hands in his pockets. "Back then, the night before the first day at school. You weren't fighting for Inoue, were you?"
Grimmjow was right. He wasn't.
"You, Kurosaki, coming to my place to kick the heck out of me, was not to protect that stupid bitch," Grimmjow spits, his tone condenscending. "You just wanted to be in a fight, just wanted to beat the shit out of people. Me, being a fucking asshole makes it fucking justifiable for you." The blue haired jock nearly shouts. It was unnoticeable but there was a hurt in his voice. "What? The punching bag and the boxing ring are no longer enough for you?"
There was no answer.
"Answer me, bastard. Am I fucking right?"
He is not worth it. Ichigo keeps it echoing in his mind, like a mantra. He gives his former best friend another wave lazily without turning his face around and just keeps on walking to leave.
"Fucking shit." Grimmjow mutters under his breath.
"Oi, Kurosaki!" Grimmjow shouts. It doesn't work on the orange haired captain. Ichigo keeps walking.
Grimmjow bets another desperate card. "You've been awfully chummy with the new transfer student, haven't you?"
Ichigo halts his steps and Grimmjow smirks. His friends laugh, Di Roy, Nnoitra, Yammy, Aaroniero, and Shawlong. Ulquiorra doesn't say a word, like usual.
Even without seeing his annoyed face, Grimmjow knows Ichigo too well to recognize the way Ichigo's broad shoulders stiffen and the red that starts coloring his ears.
The right button indeed. He finally gets Ichigo's attention.
"Kuchiki fucking Rukia, is it?" Grimmjow grins.
"You're playing hero or what?" Grimmjow roughly shoves Ichigo's shoulder to turn him around to face him.
Ichigo's amber eyes burn into Grimmjow's blue ones. Grimmjow knows that too well, the pent up anger. "What do you want?" Ichigo shoves Grimmjow's hand off his shoulder, his voice husky and dangerous.
Grimmjow snorts. "You ask yourself that, bastard." He takes Ichigo by the collar. "Shouldn't she be the one doing an essay with me?"
Ichigo's eyes burn into Grimmjow's blue ones. His jaw hardens. Getting into a fight with Grimmjow is not worth it. Ichigo tries hard to keep that as a mantra in his head. Ichigo knows Grimmjow is just trying to get under his skin. Getting a reaction out of him means Grimmjow gets what he wants, that he is winning. Ichigo will not let that happen. Grimmjow is never worth it. And Ichigo hates to lose.
"Why? Did she ask you to switch? Or was it just you, eager to get under my fucking nerve?" Grimmjow hisses dangerously. This is just exactly what he wants, a reaction from Ichigo's part.
Ichigo stares at him. Hard. If looks could kill, this would be it.
"Should I go after her? Make her drop on her knees for me just like I did with Inoue and any other stupid girls in our school?" the blue haired baseball captain adds.
"Go to hell, you sick bastard." Ichigo warns the blue haired jock in a dangerous tone and shoves Grimmjow's hand off his collar rudely. Grimmjow has not heard him curse for so long. He laughs and then sees the way his former best friend tries to take some calming deep breath before turning on his heels once again.
"She is quite a beauty for my sore eyes though. A little bit an ice queen though can see she must be not different from any other girls. How difficult could it be? Probably craving for boys' attention like any other chicks we know." Grimmjow adds. "I will freaking have my way with her then maybe I will let Di Roy and Aaroniero have her next." seeing how Ichigo's back has not yet turned to face him, he shouts, "like a damn slut."
That's it. That's the final blow.
With both his hands clenched and still hidden in his pockets, Ichigo turns around and kicks Grimmjow right in the chest, sending the blue haired jock stumbling and falling right onto the dirty floor.
At this point, Ichigo thinks, as he throws one, two, three, four, five, punches until he loses counts, he just doesn't care if he loses anymore.
Ichigo remembers those days, in middle school, the 2nd year. He lost his mom to breast cancer in July. Then came the darkest moment in his teenage life, so far. Ichigo had been an object of bullying because of his hair, mostly, because he was so good at sports, and never studied that much but still got the better grades, maybe, or because he acted like an arrogant asshole, almost definitely.
He met Grimmjow that summer. Though the two bonded (mostly through fists) like no other, he was like a poison in Ichigo's life. Grimmjow got him into smoking and getting into numerous fights with other gangs of thugs from other schools. Ichigo remembers the way he used to beat other people (assholes, mostly assholes, because even in the darkest moment, Ichigo had standard, he never beat up the innocent). It was just a way to leash his anger to the world, to fill the bleeding hole that his mom left in his heart. Grimmjow helped him move on from the death of his mother, but only in the worst possible ways.
Then one day in his 3rd year, things got too far. Ichigo (and the gang) got into a nasty fight with a bunch of guys from another school. He was cornered alone, Grimmjow and the others were nowhere in sight. It was 6 or 7 against one, and these guys had no mercy. If it wasn't for Chad, a kid from a different school from him, who appeared out of nowhere to help him, things could have gone worse. Ichigo was hospitalized for almost a month. His dad was deadly worried. And furious, but couldn't do anything to a broken kid on a hospital bed. "Your mom would be disappointed in you." His dad said. "You know she would." he added and left the room.
Ichigo cried that day, feeling sorry to his mom.
Yuzu cried everyday as she peeled apples and helped him change his bandage back at home, and Karin was quieter than she used to be. Chad got hospitalized, too, for helping someone he didn't even know (and who knew that someone turned out to be his best friend after this). He was not as bad as Ichigo, and he only required 3 days for mending a broken arm. They became best friends in the aftermath. Ichigo asked why Chad helped him that day, and Chad said his abuelo always taught him to use his fists for the right reasons, for protecting someone. Ichigo and Chad made a vow to each other, about what they each will fight for. "You use those fists of yours for my sake. I'll use mine for you. If you've got something you want to protect with your life, I'll risk mine to defend it." he said, the start of the budding friendship that would last forever.
Zangetsu, his football coach, his role model, his dad at school, threatened to kick him out of the football team if Ichigo kept on getting into fights. "I would kick you out," he said. "And that's only if you ever recovered your left leg." he added. Ichigo went to physiotherapy for almost two months, and it was a miracle he could join the team again in the last 3 months of his middle school life.
Grimmjow never visited Ichigo during his hospital stay and when he got out, Grimmjow acted like nothing happened, like he didn't leave him all alone to those thugs that actually had problem with Grimmjow in the first place. "I am done," Ichigo said, one afternoon. "I am done with this whole shit." And Grimmjow couldn't accept that, still can not accept that to this day. He felt like Ichigo betrayed him, his best friend.
Fate worked in many ways and the two got into the same high school and the legendary rivalry between the football captain and the baseball captain began. Grimmjow becomes the number one jock in school, he gets all the girls, drives the expensive sports car to school, gets all the attention, the hotshot of Karakura High. Ichigo attracts attention, too, in a different way. The handsome, brooding, football captain, who acts like he cares about nothing, never shows any interests in girls, and the girls find him more interesting as he sometimes comes to school in a bike with a blue helmet (in contrast to his rival), or gets on the backseat of Renji Abarai's old vespa, also with the adorable vespa helmet, like he doesn't even care about what he does, but that somehow just makes him cooler.
Ichigo doesn't get into fights again after parting ways with Grimmjow. Until that day. When Tatsuki called him to save Inoue. Somewhere deep in his mind, Ichigo knows Grimmjow is right.
That day, he was not fighting for Inoue.
And we're finally caught up to this day.
It is Sunday morning and Renji is just hanging out at Rukia's. Her brother Byakuya and her sister Hisana are out of town this weekend, so Rukia invites Renji over to hang out, as in to watch a movie, eat popcorn, cook ramen, play with her cat, and now, watch the sunset in her backyard.
Renji says it so casually, like he is telling how the weather is on this hot summer day. He pops another candy in his big mouth.
"He likes you," he throws the candy wrap nonchalantly. Rukia frowns. Her brother is not going to like it. "Someone has a massive crush on you."
Kon's fur feels so soft in her hands. The cat is sleeping still on her lap. Rukia does not even look up.
"Who?" She asks without a care. Her heart does not even flutter. She does not feel anything. She shows no interest. Boys confess their feelings to her all the time, this is not something new.
"Ichigo." He says, carefully watching her reaction.
Rukia does not look up to look at Renji. Still. She does not say anything either.
Her fingers stop playing with Kon's fur for a while.
This is certainly not the first time Renji tells her there are guys who secretly have feelings for her. But this one is kind of... different.
There were many boys that had feelings for her. Rukia may not care about those stuffs, but she is not stupid. Most of them can be dismissed easily, but few of them left impressions on her, like Renji, her best friend, for example, who confessed his feelings for her back when they were in 6th grade. Rukia was just leaving to New York and Renji chased her all the way to the airport, telling her he was in love with her and asked her to stay. But what was love when you were only 11 or 12? (she never stops making fun of him about it till this day).
Rukia hugged him "Renji?" she said, and the red headed child's eyes were watery, "Yeah?" he was hopeful. Rukia patted his back, "Try a little more ESPN, and a little less chick flick, okay?"
That was Renji's first heartbreak. Hisana muffled a laugh behind her but later scolded her to no end in the airplane. "Don't be that cold, Rukia. Boys have feelings, too." she said.
So, hearing this about Ichigo, who somehow has been her friend in the last 4 months, Rukia thinks... this is not a kind that she can dismiss easily like a tissue paper. Not when she can't deny how her heart beats a little bit faster at the mention of his name.
But Rukia is used to be known as heartless, an Ice Queen, who does not and will not harbor feelings for a guy (being best friends with a hardcore feminist named Nanao Ise does not help, either, as the two made a pact to never get married when they were 15). She just thinks that being in love, getting into a relationship is never her thing since she was a kid. Rukia is a loner, by default. Being raised in a Kuchiki family adds more fuel to the fire. She was trained to have no feelings, to act elegant, to act like she is above anyone else and no man is ever going to be good enough for her, unless her family tells her so. Her history of moving around and transferring schools due to her brother's business plays a significant part of making her who she is these days. Rukia grows up with no intention to make a lot of friends. There is no point, she thinks. It is not like there is a guarantee that she will stay long. Given her history of moving across the country (and the world), transferring school every now and then has been part of Rukia's life. Not having constant friends in her life makes her kind of lonely, but that is it for her. She wants to have normal school experiences like her friends, but having to move around kind of prevents her from doing so. Being a foreigner in foreign lands and cultures did not really help, either. That, and there is Hisana, who is diagnosed with breast cancer when she turns 15. Rukia becomes more and more and more withdrawn from the social life she ought to have at school. She thinks why should she live life to the fullest? When her sister's days are numbered.
"Yeah, and?" Renji's voice snaps her back to reality.
"And?" She finally looks up and stares at him. She raises her eyebrows elegantly.
And? It does not and should not make any difference, Rukia thinks.
"And what do you think? About Ichigo?" Renji tries again.
Rukia remembers the first impression she has on Ichigo Kurosaki. Coming late to school with a battered face, that whole drama with Inoue crying, and Grimmjow throwing paper planes on him that unfortunately landed on Rukia's head once. 'He screams trouble', her mind says. And all Rukia wants for her rest highschool days is to keep laying low, and be as invisible as she can.
On the 5th day at school, in PE class, when Ichigo was playing football with some other guys in her class and for the first time, as Rukia saw him with a big happy smile on his face as he scored another goal, Rukia realized, without that grumpy scowl, Ichigo looks a lot like someone she knows. Someone who is much older, but also good at football, someone Rukia tries so hard to forget.
As the days go by, it feels easy to talk to him. Rukia thinks it's because he acts so much like Renji with a face that looks like Kaien, only grumpier, and that makes her feel comfortable and becomes more at ease around him.
But as they become closer and closer as friends, Rukai knows that Ichigo is not Renji. And Ichigo is not Kaien either.
At some moments, Rukia understands why Ichigo has always been the hot topic in the girls' locker room, or why girls sigh in the presence of him, and when she has lunch (sometimes) with the girls, she can place it why Inoue is crazily in love with him. That Kurosaki boy, with his lazy and annoyed expression, his athletic figure, and the way he walks like he owns every damn room but at the same time seems like he does not care about the world, has what it takes to be a typical high school heart throb.
They bicker a lot as they get closer. And there are moments where she teases him because he is funny when he is flustered. He doesn't like her, he can't like her, Rukia has that thought plastered in her mind. Why should he? She is heartless, rude, and does not want anything to do with anyone. He can do so much better than that.
However, Rukia also remembers the way Ichigo waits for her after class, walks her to her car, carries things for her, and pays attention to her, or that sometimes she can feel his gaze linger but she just shrugs it off if her mind starts to wander further.
She tries to see him like she sees Renji, and Renji also does those things, does he not? (she knows they're not the same, but does not want to admit it). And the lessons Rukia learn from spending time with the Karakura High School girls is that Ichigo somehow belongs to Inoue, and Inoue belongs to Ichigo, the whole drama with Grimmjow is just like a dramatic story of how the princess would end up with the prince in the end.
And then there is that first day of school, Rukia heard about it a lot, about how Ichigo got himself beat up to protect Inoue. Maybe it is all true. It may be a fairy tale on its way to come true. And Rukia does not want anything to do with those tangled threads of high school drama.
So, no, Ichigo can't like her. Renji is just being his usual self, always on edge, and always suspicious of any guy being close to her.
Rukia keeps her eyes on him, her gaze judgeful. "Did he tell you that?"
"Yeah." Renji nods. "His drunk ass told me last night when we were out with the football team." The redhead says.
That idiot. Rukia thinks. They are underage, why is he drinking?
"Well, the guys have been on it for a while, thinking that he has a crush on you, though he never admitted it before. Ichigo never really seemed interested in girls before, you know, so we make fun of him all the time - about his crush on you."
Rukia remembers the first time Ichigo drove her home, of how he asked for her number but never ever initiates a conversation with her through texting, even to this day. Unlike other boys who are interested in her, Ichigo never texts or calls. He can't like her, she thinks.
Rukia shakes her head at the memory and can't hold the corner of her lips from curling up a little bit and Renji thinks he must be losing his mind.
"Last night, he got so drunk that he started spilling me the beans." Renji chuckles. "Asking me if I could be his wingman."
From the shadow of her hair, Renji is certain. It is definitely a smile from her part.
He nudges her in the shoulder. "So?"
Rukia stares ahead at the koi pond and puts her hair behind her ear.
She opens her mouth to tell him that, but that is not her. She is not capable of love, or to be loved. And what about that whole drama with Grimmjow and Inoue? What about her unresolved feelings for Kaien? What about her guilt and reluctance to live her life to the fullest when Hisana is sick and needs her? What if she is going to move again? Rukia wonders if it is even worth all the trouble.
She looks back at Renji, her face expressionless and cold as usual, and shrugs her shoulders.
She can hear Renji's laugh but his words linger in her head. "Asking me if I could be his wingman." He is such an idiot, Rukia thinks. She turns away, with a small smile on her face.
Renji texts him at 8 PM asking him to pick him up at Rukia's (wingman, remember, wingman) and promises Ichigo a free chinese on their way home.
At 10 PM Ichigo arrives with his black range rover parked in front of the Kuchiki manor's gate. When Rukia opens the gate, Rukia does not know what gets into her. She is never flustered. But the sight of the handsome football captain with his messy orange hair, his sharply cut jaws, and athletic figure, just standing there, both hands in his pocket, and his woodland shoes-covered feet kicking stones aimlessly like he has got nothing better to do, gives her a funny feeling in her stomach. Blame Renji's words to her earlier. Why does she start seeing him differently?
Ichigo looks up and waves at her. "Hey." He greets her casually, Rukia notices the bruises, cuts, and shed and unshed blood on his face. He looks like hell. Even worse than the first day at school. And just like that, the funny feeling in her stomach is replaced by worry.
Rukia worries. A lot. She is just better at hiding it most of the time. But not tonight.
"Jesus christ, Ichigo." She almost runs to him until they're just one feet apart, "why do you look like crap?" She asks. She is panicking. Ichigo just does not realize that. Her hands unconsciously go to his face, examining it further. Ichigo does not like it when people worry about him. He denied Inoue's touch on That Night, he also denied Tatsuki's the day after, but tonight, as Rukia's cold pale hands touch his face, examining his injury, he lets her. His skin burns at the contact like electricity and he covers her tiny hands with his and lets them stay there. Rukia is too busy checking up on him that she does not realize how close they are standing to each other (he could just lean down and their noses could touch), her hands on his face, his larger hands on hers.
"Fool, what happened to you?" She whispers, and can't hide her worry. Rukia is done examining his wounds and about to withdraw her hands from his face, but Ichigo's grip tightens and keeps her hands there. He likes having her cold hands in his.
Ichigo only smirks in his trademark cocky way. "You should see the other guys."
Rukia only frowns, unhappy with his answer.
And then he adds, "there were five of them."
Rukia's frown only gets deeper. She is not pleased. Not pleased at all.
Renji's cough makes Rukia pull her hands away from him and Ichigo quickly lets go and nervously scratches the back of his head.
"Am I interrupting something?" The redhead teases, "seriously, guys, don't- whoa, Ichigo, what the hell happened to your face?" Renji's clearly shocked to see the bruises on his best friend's face, but also thinks, how could Ichigo have some fun without asking him to join.
"Was it Zaraki-taichou, was he going too far? Wait, no, he is out of town this weekend." Renji keeps mumbling to himself and places his hands on the orange haired captain's face to examine it further but Ichigo is quick to get the red head's hands on his face. The two are so comfortable with each other that it's not even weird for Renji to just touch his best friend's face like that. Rukia could laugh if the situation is not that serious. Ichigo only wonders, what's with people touching his face when it's wounded?
"Wait a minute, you said you were going to work on the essay with Grimmjow," Renji's brows furrowed, putting one and two together. "The hell, man?! I told you, you shouldn't have gone to him alone." He adds. "And what is the matter with you? Did you two write it with your freaking fists?"
"Stop nagging me like an old man," Ichigo replies, annoyed. It's actually more like a wife.
"You should go to the hospital, Ichigo." Rukia says, arms crossed, clearly unhappy with the state Ichigo is in. "Some of them need stitches."
"No, my dad runs that thing." Ichigo replies stubbornly.
Renji holds his arms up. "I won't patch you up this time, you idiot." He says, "I don't want to get another earful from your dad."
"Whatever. Let's just go." Ichigo says as he's about to get into his car.
"So, what? You're just going to leave them be? They will leave scars." Rukia is in her full scolding mode, Renji knows it.
"Rukia, I am fine." Ichigo replies, finally impatient with her, and opens his car's door. She is just as nagging as Renji.
"No, you're not." Rukia stubbornly closes Ichigo's car's door behind him by force.
"I can help clean the cuts." she says. "And I have butterfly stitches. They help." Amber meets violets and Renji feels like a third-wheel already. It's like her eyes are telling him that, no, he can't leave like that. "Follow me." Rukia adds.
Ichigo opens his mouth to counter her, but Renji shuts him up. "You can't win with her, you know that."
The orange haired teen sighs and follows her lead. As the two teenage boys follow her into the manor from behind, Renji whispers to his best friend, "when I texted you to put on the best shirt to impress her, coming here with a face that looks like hell is not what I meant," he says, laughing. Ichigo groans.
Ichigo and Renji are seated in the family room. It's the first time Ichigo has been into her house and he just realizes now just how big her house actually is. It's only a few minutes later when Rukia comes back with an emergency kit in hand. Renji sits on the sofa across from them, sitting comfortably with his feet up. Ichigo is't sure if his friend is just mannerless or already too comfortable for his own good as he acts like this is his house too.
Rukia makes Ichigo face him. They sit so close to each other that Ichigo smells her perfume and can see the deep irises of her unique eyes, still deciding if they're blue, purple, or violet. He doesn't know. He can see her eyelashes as she concentrates fully on cleaning the bruises and cuts on his face. Her touch is so gentle for someone as fierce as Rukia. There are butterflies in his stomach, and his heart beats thrice faster than it usually does. Ichigo does not know if it affects Rukia at all, but to him, it's like all the blood rushes to his head.
"What happened?" she whispers softly to him, her worry is still palpable. Renji may be there but it's like the two are in the bubble on their own.
He doesn't know how to answer her at first. "Grimmjow." Ichigo replies, can't take his eyes off of her eyelashes, and her rosy cheeks, and her pink lips. God, he is in love with her, he thinks. He wants to kiss her.
"Was it Inoue again?" Renji asks. Ichigo doesn't give him an answer and Renji's nagging of, "The heck, Ichigo, I told you, she was not worth getting your ass kicked like that, what the hell were you thinking. Why would you even fight for her, seriously-" tunes out in his ears.
He can't stop staring at her lips. If only he could just lean in and kiss her, right there, he would.
At another mention of "Inoue" from Renji's lips, Rukia's lips curl downward slightly like an unnoticeable frown and her touch becomes rougher that Ichigo almost winches in pain. But of course, he does not realize that. And Rukia also does not want to recognize the slightly annoyed feeling she gets when Renji keeps bringing up Inoue. It's not jealousy, she thinks. It's not. The doubt is sung like a lullaby in the back of her mind.
Rukia tries hard to concentrate on the cuts, to keep the skin so close to each other so they would heal. But her hands are almost shaking and her heart beats twice faster than it usually does. Ichigo stares at her with such intensity that her face boils. She is never flustered. A Kuchiki never gets flustered by... some boy, she reminds herself. Then, why is she now?
Rukia clears her throat and avoids eye contact with Ichigo as much as possible. "Listen, I don't know what got you into this." Rukia says, pulling her final touch on his face, her hands slide down to his neck and jaw.
Ichigo never stops looking at her. He just can't. He doesn't even care that Renji is in the room. He remembers what Grimmjow says about Rukia, how it breaks all the self-control he masters. Ichigo remembers the way he kicks Grimmjow and beats him senselessly until Ulquiorra, Yammy, Di Roy, and the others get him off of Grimmjow and as Yammy holds both of his arms from behind, Ulquiorra and Di Roy punch him without mercy.
But then there's Rukia, looking at him with worry in her eyes, her touch gentle, and her voice reassuring, when her Kuchiki mask and the cold Ice Queen act finally cracks in front of him, and when she finally looks up and their eyes meet with such intimacy Ichigo has never felt with anyone before, amber meets violet again, and Rukia asks, carefully, lowly that only Ichigo gets to hear. "Was it even worth it?"
He could just kiss her right here right now. He knows he wants to. He just doesn't have it in him, yet.
As he covers her hands with his once again, his eyes on her lips, then to her eyes again, Rukia's fingers on his neck curls but his grip tightens, "She is." he says, his voice husky and demanding and cocky at the same time that Rukia just melts.
If he is being an idiot, doing it again for Inoue, then why does it feel like he is doing it for someone else? For her?
It's not for her, she says. It can't be her.
Later that night, Rukia lays in bed, trying to calm her heartbeat, her hand on her chest, as she keeps trying every method she knows to get to sleep, to get Ichigo out of her mind, to forget everything that makes her so unlike her. She puts the pillow in front of her face and she wants to scream in frustration. She is a Kuchiki. She is better than this. What the hell gets into her?
At 11.30 PM, her phone rings, Rukia sits straight up, her voice annoyed without looking at the caller id (she thought it was Nanao or Rangiku, since only the two of them who call her so late at night) as she greets rudely, "What?" she says.
"Rukia."
It's Ichigo.
A/N: So there it is! Ichigo finally called her, whooo. He skips the texting bit and just goes straight for it.
Sorry again for the late update. And please, please, tell me what you think as your reviews encourage me to write more :D
Anyway, just a side note, Ichigo and Renji are doing boxing with Kenpachi, Isshin made him, so that Ichigo will stop fighting thugs and can concentrate on healthier sports. And… there will be more drama in the next chapter (hint: Inoue is there!)
Tell me what you think! And tell me your predictions of what could happen next :D