Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

Author's Note: Hey! So I'm back for IchiRuki Month with more one-shots. So first things first, I wanted to explain why I'm posting in a new collection instead of posting the new one-shots in If Not in this Life as usual. The reason is that I'm still missing some of the prompts from two years ago and all of the prompts from last year. I've honestly been ignoring my projects, as I really haven't had motivation to write. This year's been kicking me in the butt, y'all, but I'm sure it's the same for all of you. I was obviously not gonna finish writing over 40 prompts before August, and I didn't want to miss IR Month again or post the one-shots out of order. So I decided to do something different this year. Instead of writing miscellanious stories, I wanted to write interconnected one-shots in the same story. So all of these one-shots can be read as stand-alones but they form part of the same overall story.

This story is set in the Bleach universe, and it is semi-canon, as in most everything is canon except for the final chapter for obvious reasons. If you've read other stories of mine set in Bleach universe, ignore them cause this is an entirely new timeline I created specifically for this collection. And just a heads-up, they are not in chronological order. I will try to explain at the end of each story when exactly do they take place. This first one-shot, as it is what sets in motion everything, can be considered the very first one, and all of them will obviously go after unless there is a flashback. However, there will be timeskips between the rest of them. Some will happen right after this one-shot, and others years later. Again, I'll explain at the end the order as I publish them. I also haven't written all of them, so I'm unsure of the chronological order as of now, but I'm trying not to worry too much about it, as all will fall into place. This is a journey, an exploration of the IchiRuki relationship, all the could-have-beens that have been in my mind since the ending. This is me celebrating my most beloved ship, but it is also my thesis on why I believe they work so well together, platonically or not. So when you read each collection, please bare this in mind.

As for the title, I want to make clear that, yes, I have read Wuthering Heights before, and yes, I do know that the story is not about a healthy relationship (which is the point of the story, but anyway) and I do not wish to romanticize anything about that book, but, damnit, isn't this such a good quote! I adore it and, ignoring the context, I do think it fits Ichigo and Rukia rather nicely, and that is why I used it for the title, as this is the idea that I want to explore: that of the true meaning of soulmates. So for anyone out there that might hate Catherine and Heathcliff, I apologize. That is the only reference to this novel you're going to find in this collection, I promise.

I also used partially as inspiration the song "peace" by Taylor Swift as I believe the verses, but specifically the chorus, fit the idea I have in my mind, so you can listen to it while you read this first one-shot.

I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

See ya!

but if i know you

Prompt: once upon a dream

Summary: And she believes she would wait for him for lifetimes. Yet she's not sure she wants to wait any longer.

But if I know you, I know what you'll do

You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream

Rukia has never been one to ponder the meaning of dreams.

When she was a young, hungry child, she never allowed herself to daydream, much less to dilly dally in whatever nocturne vision she had had the night before. The only way for her to stay alive had been to keep both feet steady on the ground. Never looking back. Only ahead, to another day of struggle. And that's how her life went. Day, after day, after day.

She finds that being a Shinigami is not that different.

From the moment she had entered Shin'ō Academy, Rukia hadn't dared look back or stall. And when she had been adopted into the Kuchiki Clan, she had forced herself to not yearn for what she couldn't have, and instead be grateful for all the wonderful things she now got to enjoy.

What were dreams when you got warm food in your belly, a soft bed, clothes and a job?

Rukia had always been pragmatic, and so, most of her days had become dull.

Although it is true that Hollow-hunting brought some action into her life, between training, filling out paperwork, attending meetings, and the occasional get-together, decades have passed her by without much excitement. Even after becoming a lieutenant, her life hasn't exactly been colorful. It just means she's busier and that her responsibilities have increased.

But there have been times, sprinkled here and there in the past four years or so, when she has felt more alive than ever before. When her days have been filled by sunlight. When she has been painted orange by more warmth than she had ever known before.

And it has been in these moments, when Rukia has allowed herself to dream.

Back in the Human World, back in Karakura, she has learned the true meaning of wonder.

When she was powerless and lost in a foreign place, she had finally felt as if she were more than what she always had been. She had finally felt human. And even though such feelings had ended up burdening her, Rukia cannot help but cherish every single one of them.

Because Shinigami have ambitions and emotions, but they don't let themselves experience the beauty of life, as they are, by all effects and purposes, dead. So they go through their afterlife fighting, and working, and drinking, and eating, and worrying about, quite frankly, nonsense.

And Rukia had been like that as well. Trying to become a better Shinigami, but failing in both her duties to her division and her duties to her brother. There had been only one ray of hope that had soon been extinguished by her own failings.

But in Karakura, she had felt lighter than ever during those couple of months.

And she had had dreams.

Dreams about the manga she would read, the bunnies she so liked, the spirits she had encountered, the people she had met at school, and even what went down in the lessons she hadn't been quite able to grasp. It had all been so very mundane and simple, yet wonderful at the same time.

There had been a beauty to it, to these dreams any normal human had every day. The ordinary had seemed so rich to Rukia, in comparison to the tediousness of her dead life.

But there had been nightmares too.

Some humorous, like when she had dreamed she had failed an algebra quiz ─ only to find out later on that she had done so indeed.

Others were more gruesome.

(Mistakes from her past, rain, blood, Grand Fisher)

She didn't like to dwell as much on those dreams, preferring to forget about them once morning would come.

But, most of all, she had dreamed about Ichigo.

Rukia hadn't stopped to think at the time what it meant to dream so often about him.

As they had spent almost every waking hour together, it had been obvious to her he would have to appear in her dreams as well.

It was to be expected.

However, even when they were apart, Rukia had found herself dreaming about him.

About his stupidly bright-colored hair, his scowl, how he would complain each time he had to fight a Hollow. How good he was with kids, particularly his younger sisters. How nice he often was to her, bringing her food, asking if she had been hurt during a tough fight, teaching her school stuff, and even lending her money.

(How heroic he had looked when he had saved her from her execution)

During their time apart, Rukia had figured Ichigo so often appeared in her dreams because she missed him. He was so ingrained into her life, into her soul, that she wouldn't even be surprised if, somehow, he shared space with Sode No Shirayuki in her inner world.

However, now she has to question this idea.

And it's not as if Rukia doesn't miss him ─ she does, oh so much ─ but the nature of her dreams is much different than it used to be.

Because, after the war, things have changed.

In the Soul Society, in the Gotei 13, in her division, death looms everywhere she goes. Tragedy had struck in the afterlife as it had never before. They had lost so many great Shinigami, and their absence is felt even two years after the war was won. Rukia, who had to deal with the tragic death of Captain Ukitake, feels it more keenly. There is now an even greater responsibility on her shoulders. To do right by her division, by Ukitake-taichō, by Kaien-dono.

Yet it is frustrating.

Rukia cannot help but wish she was anywhere but the place that was supposed to be her home.

When she's all alone and no one is looking, she often thinks about clear skies, green grass, the breeze gently blowing on her face, the sun, shining brightly from above, warming her from inside out, as she walks the streets of a sleepy town. She envisions classrooms, the mall, the park, and a house next to a clinic. Soft dresses, delicious food cooked by young hands, lion plushies, and orange at every corner. It's peaceful in this corner of her mind. But whenever she catches herself having such thoughts, she admonishes herself. Because the Soul Society is where she needs to be. She is a soul, and this is the place where souls live. It is time to stop pretending she is human.

At night, when sleep takes over, it is a different story. Her treacherous thoughts make a comeback, and it is when she dreams about Ichigo again. She sees him, not broken or defeated, nor as a hero, just him, standing next to her, and smiling at her so tenderly, as he had done back at the Soul King Palace, when their blades had crossed as they had trained. And Rukia believes this is what happiness is all about. What she had been missing her whole life. The feeling of standing next to Ichigo as her equal. Side by side. Always together.

However, her dreams are not as calming as they could be. Because each night, just as she is enjoying his presence, Ichigo will suddenly give her his back, and walk away. Far away from her reach. And before vanishing, each and every time he would look back at her only to cryptically say, "You know what to do."

And what the hell is that supposed to mean? Rukia thinks every single morning, upon waking up. Because she does know what needs to be done. Ichigo is a human, and thus had returned to his home, his family, and the life he had been meant to live before she had gotten in his way. And she needs to continue down her own path. Guiding her division, making nii-sama proud, fulfilling her duties, and being the best Shinigami she can be.

They are from two different worlds and no matter what her dreams tell her, this is how things have to be. Forever apart. Meeting once in a while. Each of them moving on. Finding their own place in the universe.

Such is the way things must be.

The natural course of their existence.

The unavoidable truth.

Yet there are some things that not even destiny can stop.

Everything finally falls into place one evening when Renji comes to pick her up at her division, claiming he needs to talk to her. Rukia is not sure what is going on, but she walks away with her friend to a secluded area, where Renji pours out his heart to her. He confesses he has loved her ever since they were children. But that when she had been adopted into the Kuchiki family, Renji hadn't felt good enough for her, and had decided to wait until he was finally worthy of her. And now, after several battles won, after the end of the war, with both alive, he has decided it is time to make his intentions known. He wants to love her, to marry her, and even to have children with her. Whatever she wants, Renji swears he will give her.

Rukia is stunned into silence, not knowing how exactly she can respond to such a confession. Renji, most likely fearing her refusal, tells her to sleep on it before giving him an answer. He leaves her there with the promise that, surely, in the morning everything will be clear for her.

But when she goes back to her room, she doesn't think about Renji. Instead, a distant memory resurfaces in her fogged mind. Suddenly she's back in Karakura Town, to a time when the Arrancars had left them rest for at least one day, just before things had gone south. Yuzu had wanted to watch a movie that night, Rukia recalls. She had chosen a romantic film about a princess, one Karin and Ichigo hadn't cared to watch, but had accepted out of love for their sister. And, as they had watched it, Rukia had been mesmerized by what she had seen. She still isn't sure how humans had managed to make drawings move on a screen, but the combination of the animation's fluid motions, the colors, the music and the voice acting had made for an unforgettable experience. Yet, the plot perhaps had been what had intrigued her the most. The story about a young girl, the same age as Ichigo, cursed to sleep for one hundred years, with the only cure being true love's kiss. Luckily, in the film the heroic prince had defeated the witch and had kissed the princess that very night. No harm had been done and the two had lived happily ever after. But how sad it would have been if the girl had slept for a lifetime, wasting her life away, Rukia had wondered. She had told Ichigo as much later that same evening.

"But she does, in the original story." He had interjected. "Or at least in the version I know."

Rukia had been clearly surprised by this statement, so Ichigo had continued explaining. "In the story, there is no prince at the beginning. So when the princess pricks her finger, she falls asleep for a hundred years, just as the curse intended to happen. And once that period of time had passed, a prince did find her and kissed her, breaking the curse and waking her from her deep slumber."

"But why didn't he appear sooner?" Rukia had questioned, clearly outraged.

"Well, the story comes with a lesson. That it is better to wait for a hundred years for your true love than to just marry anyone else just because." Then Ichigo had become inexplicably bashful, and as he scratched his cheek, he had told her, "but it's just a story. Don't think too much about it."

But she had.

Rukia had often wondered since about the cursed princess.

One hundred years is a long time for a human.

It is more than a lifetime.

So many things can happen during that time, and upon waking up, the world would have definitely not been the same for the princess.

And when she slumbered, what had she dreamed about?

"Her prince!" Yuzu had quickly answered Rukia. "She probably dreamed about her true love day after day until she finally got to meet him. So that when they met, she knew him by then!" The young girl had exclaimed, gushing about the romance in the story.

But that answer, if lovely, was not truly satisfying.

Because who would wait for a hundred years for a promised love? And what would one do during that time? Would you truly be happy not living as you wait for someone that may not come at all?

And what about dreams? What do they even mean? Can they truly show you your true love? Or is that just wistful thinking?

Would a sleeping princess dream every night about her true love?

Would someone who is awake only be able to feel alive in dreams?

And now, as Rukia lays awake considering this, she may have found her answer.

There might be some truth to that story.

Because, even though she should be thinking about Renji and his proposal, all she can think about is Ichigo. Him and his deep eyes, his ever-present scowl, his calloused hands and the way they feel against her skin. They fill every corner of her mind. She thinks about his passion, his will to protect, how he pretends he's not as kind as he really is. How he never fools her when he's sad and about to give up. How he believes he's weak, ignoring that his strength goes beyond his muscles and fighting abilities. And she wonders what he's doing right at this very moment. Perhaps he's studying or working on a project. Maybe he's already asleep. Or it could be he's out, hanging out with his friends. Then, Rukia cannot help but ask herself if Ichigo ever thinks of her as much as she thinks of him.

It is then that it clicks.

The reason why she has been dreaming about him for as long as she has.

And Rukia can only conclude that Ichigo is who and what she wants.

It has always been this way.

And, yes, she believes she would wait for him for lifetimes. Wait until his remaining human life is over. Until he can join her in the Soul Society as a true soul. And it could take eighty years or more, but that doesn't matter to Rukia. She is willing to wait for him, no matter what.

Yet she's not sure she wants to wait any longer.

Because, even if life and death should separate them, the issue is not as clear cut as others have made it seem.

There must be a way for them to be together now.

"You know what to do."

Yes.

Rukia knows that now.

So the next morning she wakes up with purpose, beyond doing what it is expected of her.

She talks to Renji and explains as much as she can why she cannot accept his proposal. To his credit, her friend doesn't get upset. He's visibly sad but understanding at the same time. As if knowing what she is about to do, Renji simply tells her to take care of herself, and to tell Ichigo he better be good to her. Rukia can only thank him for the kindness he has always shown her, and watches him walk away, finally able to move on.

It is a bittersweet affair.

Telling Byakuya, on the other hand, is altogether a different story. It is supposed to be more difficult than talking to Renji was, yet she soon learns that it is not, as it takes nii-sama one look at her to know what she intends to say.

"It took you long enough, Rukia." Is his mere reply.

It goes without saying that his reaction leaves her flabbergasted.

Of all people, Byakuya should be the first one to oppose her. But she forgets he is one of the few people that gets her decision.

Nii-sama manages one soft smile at her, before talking again. "He's waiting for you. Go. I will handle things here."

As astonishment becomes understanding, Rukia can only nod. She feels a tightness in her throat that she can't unravel. She turns around and she's almost out of the door when her brother speaks again.

"And Rukia."

She turns to look at him.

"I'm very proud of you."

She could've hugged Byakuya right then and there and cry in his arms, but she controls herself. It would make the two of them uncomfortable and, besides, there is no time left to lose. So, instead, Rukia sprints away from the Kuchiki Mansion and opens a Senkaimon to Karakura Town. As she enters, she never looks back, and when the gate opens, she finds herself directly in front of Urahara's store, who is already waiting for her, with a knowing look on his face.

"I had a feeling we'd have a visitor today." The former Shinigami explains to her, as he shows her the new gigai and the set of clothes he's carrying.

Rukia is once again overcome with emotion, but before she can thank him, Urahara interrupts her.

"Don't make him wait anymore." It is what he tells her before shooing her away.

She doesn't think twice and, now inside the gigai, she leaves to her destination.

The trek to the Kurosaki household is much more peaceful than Rukia remembered. As she walks under blue skies, with the sun shining brightly from above, she feels lighter somehow. As if this is the place where she's meant to be. And when she sees the house in the distance, she can't help but grin.

As she reaches the door, there is a single moment of doubt. Rukia cannot stop herself from questioning if she made the right choice or not. But as she takes a calming breath, she assures herself. Because if there is one thing in this world that Rukia knows better than she knows herself, it is Ichigo.

And he has never failed her.

So, with her heart leaping through her throat, she knocks the door.

Not a second later, he is there, openly gaping at her.

"Long time no see, Ichigo."

Rukia can't help but smile.

He looks just the same as always, if a bit out of breath.

Then, warm arms envelope her.

She's made it home.

A/N: So my original idea was to actually write a fic inspired by Sleeping Beauty, but since I haven't finished my Snow White-inspired story, I decided that I didn't need to start another story inspired by a fairytale. Maybe I will once I finish The Fairest of them All. In the meantime, I found a way to incorporate the story given the prompt comes from the song Once Upon A Dream. So, when Rukia was openly living with the Kurosakis, before Ichigo started his training with the Vizards and before Orihime was taken by Ulquiorra, Yuzu, Karin, Ichigo and Rukia watched Disney's Sleeping Beauty, you know, the 1959 film, which is one of my favorite movies of all time and it is where the song comes from. Then Ichigo makes a reference to the Charles Perrault version of this fairytale, where there is indeed a lesson at the end that says that it is better to wait for one hundred years for the right person, but that the young ones will be young and choose in the moment. Basically, that the youth aren't patient enough to wait for true love. I wanted to bring into the story this idea that it is better to wait for the right one. In this case, that instead of marrying whoever just to move on, it is worth it for Rukia and Ichigo to wait for the time they can be together (meaning Ichigo's death). This doesn't mean that they don't get to do other things and enjoy life, but I meant that they don't need to be in romantic relationships with other people. However, in this story Rukia makes it clear that though she can wait for him, she doesn't want to and in true Rukia fashion, she finds another way, which basically means that both of them will sort of live half the time in Karakura and half the time in the Soul Society, which is a new situation they will have to navigate. There will be more about that topic later on.

As for the timeline, this is two years after the war, so around the time that renruki novel takes place. However, I effectively ruined that relationship in here lol. I wanted it to feel as if it came out of left field for Rukia, because that's how it felt given the timeline we were given. So, in total, Rukia has known Ichigo for around four years at this point, and Ichigo is currently in college. I will keep his profession of English Major because a) I'm an English major myself, and b) I want Ichigo to continuously wax poetic about Rukia and make literary comparisons. I made him reference one version of Sleeping Beauty on purpose here to show he reads a lot lol. I also don't believe he'd ever have the patience to be a doctor, but that's my personal opinion.

Well, I hoped you guys enjoyed it and I'll see you next time with more!