Autor's note: Hello everyone! As I prepare the chapter for the new season of "The Nightingale", I give you this beautiful IchiRuki. If you resist reading, you will find out in the end, just pay attention to the details. It's only 8 beautiful chapters.
They are adult characters, alternate universe, use of OoC and +18 scenes.
Spoiler: The mystery has been solved, if you want to know who the coffee girl is, go to the end of chapter 6.
The Coffee Girl
Chapter 1
Ichigo looked at the magazine cover his assistant had left on his desk along with all the papers he had to see that day, and sighed. There was a little note on the magazine in that beautiful handwriting of Rukia telling him to keep the fantasy alive and wishing him a good day, along with a note for lunch that day. She had sent him the copy of that month's edition of that magazine where there was a many page article with many photos about them due to their tenth wedding anniversary.
The idea for that interview had been Byakuya's, who basically ordered him to do it, and Rukia didn't refuse saying that it would be a good thing to prepare the image they wanted to show to people. They had to prepare the ground in the voters for the elections of the following year and instead of making political proselytism before time, it was better to appear as normal people.
"People like to talk about the lives of the rich, famous and politicians, plus you need to be in magazines more. You are the perfect candidate, the internal election was unanimous, and now we must show that you are the perfect husband and father, at least until the campaigns officially begin." Rukia had told him after confirming the date with the magazine for them to do that interview.
— I'm the perfect husband. — Ichigo muttered to himself.
Ichigo flipped through the magazine, looked at the photos that were taken of them, read one or another statement, and stared at the photo of the wedding rings that he and Rukia had been wearing for over 10 years. The one he wore said "Owned by Mrs. Kurosaki" and the one Rukia wore said "Owned by Mr. Kurosaki".
The reporter had asked them endless questions, but when she asked them what the secret was to maintaining a marriage like theirs, Rukia answered simply: we keep the fantasy alive.
Before that interview, Ichigo had argued with Rukia because of his secretary. Rukia was upset with the girl because every time she went to Ichigo's office, which was only a few floors above hers in the Kuchiki Tower, the secretary seemed to want to show her that Ichigo would notice her and fall for her charms.
The girl was pretty, long hair, nice curves, and a mole under her lip that indicated she was dangerous and would jump on anyone with a bank account big enough to put her out of work for the rest of her life.
Ichigo didn't want to fire the secretary because she was the one who knew best the details of the political campaign they were preparing and she was efficient, but Rukia didn't give in until Ichigo fired the girl.
Byakuya himself chose Ichigo's new secretary, a young man who was really capable and efficient, and who Ichigo hated from the moment the boy took over as secretary. The boy used to look at Byakuya with too much respect and that only meant one thing: Byakuya was going to be watching him through that secretary.
If there was something Ichigo really hated, it was Byakuya's constant interference in their lives, but it was something they couldn't avoid if they wanted to continue having a good life.
Or a life.
The argument with Rukia that night was aggressive, there was yelling and complaining, accusations and threats about nonexistent infidelity from both sides, but the make-up sex was even more aggressive than the disagreement.
They both remembered each other because their wedding rings had those words engraved on them.
The sex was good, but the make-up sex was better.
Ichigo wasn't stupid, he knew the secretary was trying to get his attention but he preferred to pretend he didn't see anything and went about his own business. An affair, a lover or an infidelity, would be something his enemies would begin to destroy his political career with because he had sold his image as the almost perfect man.
If he betrays his marriage, what could be expected about his commitment to the country if he became president? People loved the romantic idea of love and it was what he used as a background to empathize with the electorate. It was his cover letter before they allowed to launch the electoral campaign that was being planned from that moment.
The first reason not to betray their marriage was Rukia.
He was really in love with his wife, they had met at the university and the attraction was almost immediate. They got married when they had both finished their own studies and their twin sons were born before they had been married for two years.
The second reason was the political campaign, he really wanted to become president of the country.
And the third reason was his brother-in-law.
— Mr. Kurosaki, the Boss is here. — The voice of his new secretary sounded over the intercom. — He'll be in at any moment.
Seconds later, Byakuya Kuchiki entered the office accompanied by his two assistants, who were nothing more than a pair of thugs trained to get rid of anyone who tried to get close to the man, and who would undoubtedly give their lives for him.
Byakuya was one of the richest men in the country, owner of the Kuchiki Tower and many other businesses that were perfectly hidden, as well as everything he did that should not be public knowledge.
The man who would kill the fucking bastard who dared to hurt his little sister.
The Mafia Boss, in simple words.
Ichigo got up from his seat and went over to greet his brother-in-law, who only shook his head slightly as a sign that he heard the greeting, and sat down in one of the black armchairs that were in the office. The thugs stood in the doorway, waiting and silent.
Byakuya's neutral expression only changed when the twins were with him, and Ichigo had a theory that the twins were the reason why Byakuya was so "nice" to him; the twins would take the place that Byakuya would leave in the companies and in many other things. Just thinking about it made him nervous but it had to be. He was as into all of this as Byakuya was, and even if he didn't want to, his sons would be into it when they were able to hold a gun.
His past wasn't as clean as they made it seem to everyone.
Byakuya involved him in the family business when the twins were born, and his hands were as red as the blood of those "old friends" that Byakuya no longer wished to tolerate. Byakuya was also responsible for cleaning up that past when Ichigo informed him that he would be entering politics formally.
Being the Mafia Boss's brother-in-law was dangerous, but Ichigo knew that Byakuya would support him in his plans because being the President's brother-in-law was something Byakuya wasn't going to waste.
Ichigo had spent weeks looking for a coffee shop where he could have a cup of coffee without having people surround him and ask him awkward questions, so when he entered that coffee shop on the outskirts of the city and saw that it was empty, he doubted for a moment the quality of the coffee they sold there.
The doorbell rang and the girl behind the bar looked up from the magazine where his photo happened to be on the cover along with Rukia's. The girl looked at him, looked at the magazine, looked at him again, and then smiled as if a celebrity had walked into the coffee shop.
Ichigo considered for a moment to turn around and leave, but he closed his eyes and took a deep breath forcing himself to stay there. He was out of town for a fucking coffee and would have it before he left.
The only good thing he could say was that there were no people in that cafe who wanted to take a picture with him and asked him awkward questions.
He knew how things would be when he launched his internal political party bid to be the candidate in the presidential elections the following year, and although he was overwhelmed by being in the public eye, he reminded himself that he had to resist if he wanted to reach the presidential seat.
— Welcome! — The girl spoke with a huge smile seeing him still at the entrance without having taken the final step to stay there. — Can I take your order?
— A coffee.
The girl nodded and did not lose her smile as she prepared the coffee, as if her first client of the day had arrived. Ichigo sat on the bar and opened the only button on the coat he was wearing to be more comfortable.
The place was actually empty, not a single customer, although it was nice.
The girl placed a cup of coffee in front of him, just as he had asked, and when he tasted it he discovered that it really tasted good.
— Enjoy it. — The girl commented with a smile, without taking her eyes off him, as if she wanted to tell him something or ask him for something.
— Yes, it's me. — Ichigo replied tiredly as he pointed to the cover of the magazine. — And no, I'm not going to sign it for you.
Ichigo could see the disappointment in the girl's eyes, who simply went back to her seat, picked up the magazine and sighed before continuing to read it. Ichigo thought for a moment that the girl would insist but she didn't comment on it and he was able to enjoy his coffee in peace.
At the end, Ichigo paid cash for the coffee and the girl just thanked him for coming.
Ichigo concluded that the following week he would come back for another coffee because the place was quiet, away from people and he could disconnect from the world for the duration of a hot coffee.
Also, the girl was quiet and pretty.