It was an ordinary afternoon. Supposedly. If it weren't for the ebony-haired shinigami in his closet. He sighed and promptly flopped down on his bed and turned to watch Rukia.
Rukia was sprawled on the floor drawing another one of her masterpieces: Chappy the Rabbit. Honestly, he could not understand what is so adorable about rabbits. They poop and they take a leak. They smell. And they bite.
But she seems happy with what she's doing. It's as if she's just a regular girl coming over for some bonding time with a friend. On second thought, if Rukia was really just a regular school girl, she won't be inside his room right now. Hell, maybe she would not even know him. So he thanks his stars, albeit sarcastically, for letting him meet this shinigami. On third thought, if she was just a regular girl and if he let her into his room, then that would mean something like...suki...or...ai...is between them? He could feel his face heating up and once again thanked the stars that she is not just a normal girl.
"Oi Ichigo. That's so unlike of you." He was jarred from his musings with the husky voice of the girl dominating her thoughts. Despite being startled, he could detect sarcasm in her voice.
"Leave me alone" he replied, his irritation evident from the glare he's giving her. She laughs; a genuine laugh he could tell. She rarely laughs and even if she does, most of the time, she's in that bitchy articial mode of hers. Frankly, those times give him the creeps. But she's really laughing right now and even though he's at the receiving end of her laughter, he wishes that she could laugh like that forever. He doesn't give in to the urge to smile at her and laugh with her. He still has to maintain his image after all.
"Didn't your noble upbringing tell you to keep silent when people are in deep thought? I guess it didn't get past through that thick skull of yours" he retorted with a smirk.
Rukia got up from her lying position and was about to kick him when he suddenly grabbed her arms and pushed her down on the bed.
No, he was not going to do whatever you might have expected, even wanted him to do.
He has control over his hormones and he wouldn't want Senbonsakura to convert him to minced meat.
He just wanted to spend some quiet time. With her. Well, not really quiet. Nothing was ever really quiet with Rukia around. And we're not just talking about sound.
It is evident from Rukia's expression that she's startled but her blue eyes are already blazing with indignation. She was about to start a barrage of curses when he sat beside her and interrupted her.
"Just listen, okay. I want to play a game with you."
"Aho! Are you regressing back to your childhood? Just tell me. We've got the best doctors in Soul Society."
"No I'm not. You better get those weird ideas out of your head."
"Then why the hell do you want to play a game? Are you proposing that we play with consequence?"
"Consequence? Who told you that? What kind of consequence?"
"Ah! Asano-kun was talking to me yesterday. He said you humans usually play this game of consequence wherein a person asks you a question and you can either choose to answer or do something that person asks you to do. He even said that beautiful ladies, like me, are the best ones to play this game with."
"Damn that pervert! Did Keigo tell you anything about what those beautiful ladies do? Those do not include you by the way."
He received a jab in the stomach for that comment.
"He mentioned something about clothes. But I wasn't able to hear the rest of his story because I was too busy eating this cold, delicious thing. It tasted like you. Strawberry! Hahaha!"
"Teme! I'm not a strawberry. How many times do I have to tell you that?"
"But it tasted really good."
He was blushing at the implication of that comment.
But before Rukia can make fun of his name again, he looked outside the window and then took a deep breath.
"Ne Rukia. Our game won't be truth-or-consequence. It would be the what-if game."
"What kind of stupid game is that? Only you humans think of such ridiculous games."
"Just humor me, okay? Just this once."
"Say please."
"I'll treat you to strawberry ice cream after we finish the game."
"Oh! Okay! You tell me the rules."
"I will give you a situation but you only have two choices. You have to choose only one. Then we take turns asking each other questions."
"Heh. That's child's play. Give me the first situation."
"Here I go. What if you had to choose between Keigo and Mizuiro for your lover? Who would you choose?"
"Baka. I'd go for Keigo. He treats me like a lady."
He could not help but roll his eyes at her reply. This girl is crazy. Who would even want to choose between those two? He was expecting her to protest the indignity of his question but Rukia is Rukia after all.
"My turn. What if you were given a chance to either go on a date with with Yoruichi-san wearing formal clothes but with a big, gaping hole in your butt OR eat twelve concoctions of Orihime, consecutively? Ah! I forgot, you are not allowed to go to puke nor poop when eating those twelve dishes."
"No way! That's too hard."
"You think it's easy to choose between Keigo and Mizuiro?" she said with a glint in her eye. No, it definitely is not easy, he muses. This is what he gets for crossing wits with this girl.
"I'd go out with Yoruichi-san."
"Even if Zaraki tai-chou sees you? I could already imagine Nii-sama's reaction!" She's already laughing her head off.
"I don't want to get Inoue embarassed." She considerably toned down her laughter at that. But he stills that annoying sound that only girls can make, giggle.
"Next question. What if you can get all the Chappy items you want but you'll have to live as a rabbit or you can get to live again as a human here in Karakura?"
He doesn't expect her to understand the significance of his question but he doesn't want to impose the condition that if she were to be human once again, it would be a life with him.
"You very well know I can't live here. Look where that dream once got me."
So she did think of it? His heart started beating faster.
"Besides, I don't want to see you... All bloody again. So I wouldn't choose the second option. I would go for the first. I'm sure Urahara-san would can make me a rabbit gigai. And I would get to all the Chappy items I want. If I chose the second one, I would only get you. What kind of life would that be, ne?"
He somehow understood the futility of that dream, his and hers. But he does not know what it is to give up. If that's what Rukia really wants and it definitely is what he wants, then he would move Soul Society and Hueco Mundo to make it real for her.
But he's not about to tell her that. The time is not yet right. So he didn't criticize her.
"My question is: what if Ishida and Chad both have a crush on you? Who would you choose?" He could already see a smirk trying to break free.
This girl is just so...perverted? If all those girls out there think like her, then he doesn't even want to get associated with them. That was a mean joke. That shinigami-hating Quincy? Or the silent Chad? Why is he even considering answering that stupid question?
"I refuse to answer that question."
"Hey, that's unfair! You need to answer it. Or are you afraid of choosing the wrong guy?" It would be a pleasure to wipe off that silly grin.
"I'm a guy, a man in every aspect of the word. I'm not a queer. Or are you implying that I'm one?"
"You are the one thinking about those things. I never did suggest anything like that moron. Now, answer the question!"
"Rukia! That's ridiculous! What if I asked you who you would choose between Chizuru or Inoue?"
"Ah! Orihime is definitely my friend. I'm not sure about Chizuru. So I choose Orihime." That grin is really getting on his nerves. Why did he start this game again?
"It's a simple question. You're making it a big deal by thinking beyond the question." Grin. He won't win this argument. So he resorts to the only thing that would make her forget.
"I'll give you a Chappy shirt if you stop asking that question." She frowns for a second.
"Buy me the pink one then." Grin!
"And since you already asked me another question, I will ask you another one."
"Hey, when did I ask you a question?"
"The one where I had to choose between Orihime and Chizuru."
"That's not counted!"
"It is. And here's my question. What if I asked you to accompany me on a date? Would you or would you not? After all, you'd rather not be seen with a girl right?"
He was ready to strangle her a while ago but now she asks THAT question out of the blue? Why does she turn his world upside down?
"A DATE? Are you crazy? That's between a boy and a girl..." He does not really want to expound.
"That's exactly what Asano-kun told me. What's wrong with that? I'm a girl. Wait! I must be missing something here."
Phew! That was close. So she knows what a date is. That's good. She won't ask him anymore.
"Ah! Ichigo, I didn't know you were such. You're saying that since a date is between a boy and a girl and I most certainly am a girl, you would not accompany me because… you're not a boy! Do you want me to draw?"
"Ah! That's not it, you bitch! That's not it!" He's not about to tell her what a date really means.
"Come on! I'll take you on a date!" She will have to discover it for herself.
"Let's buy strawberry ice cream and my pink Chappy shirt on the way, right?"
Ichigo let out a sigh. This is what one gets when one crosses Rukia. Stupid game. Stupid Ichigo.
"Alright, alright." Why did he save this girl again?
"Ichigo, one last question. Before we go. If either me or Orihime was in danger, who would you save?"
"Baka! Of course I would save Inoue."
"Ah…" She averted her eyes and he could not help but notice that the atmosphere has suddenly become gloomy.
"After I save Orihime, I would come after you. It's better to have a good support system right? And the best support system consists of friends. I would gather those three together and I would save you."
Because you're the one that matters most… He could not tell her that. There are things better left unsaid. She has to figure that out for herself.
"Come on. Let's go. Get a sweater in my closet, it will be cold tonight."
There are definitely things better left unsaid. Maybe they could share that sweater. Or maybe not. She's so selfish. But still…
Ichigo doesn't really understand how this girl turns his world inside out, makes it a maze and expects him to get out of the mess she prodded him, notwithstanding. She makes him look stupid and perverted. She makes him feel like a bastard and a clown at the same time. But she's the only one who makes him feel this way.
So he is going on a date with her. And will go to a store with Chappy clothes with her. And eat strawberry ice cream, her favorite, with her.
Trust him to make such a big mess out of just a little game. Trust Rukia to make a fool out of him.
He complains but he's glad. After all, she makes his like much more interesting. And for him, interesting means beautiful and worth living.
