Chapter 7.5: Nothing but a Miracle

~Rukia~

Despite despising the whole set-up with every fibre of her being, she was still attending this omiai because:

A) She's a member of the Kuchiki clan. Barring murder and mayhem, what the elders say she typically would do.

B) There could be worse dates than Hitsugaya-san.

C) Ichigo was her backup plan and she just sent him the 'signal'.

Any minute now.

And just like that- she's back on the market.

The marriage market that is.

She supposed she should be giving the elders some credit for compassion. They did give her the obligatory two months of "mourning" after Kaien came to break off their engagement before setting up the meeting though she strongly suspected that the grace period had more to do with Nii-sama's insistence than anything else.

She clenched her fist. She felt like livestock, like some sort of modern-day human chattel worth only for what her marriage and her future husband could bring to the great Kuchiki household.

"More tea?"

Startled eyes flitted from her cup of cooling tea to the pensive man in front of her.

The man seated opposite her was her date for her first omiai and she didn't think she would have had the patience to go through the meeting if it had been someone else. She hadn't done this before but her date was pleasant, seemed nice enough that Rukia was not opposed to another date with him. She just didn't know him well enough at the moment to feel at ease in his presence.

"Y-Yes," she pushed her cup over as Hitsugaya-san filled it to the brim and she muttered her thanks to the man before sipping at it.

His eyes were a beautiful shade of emerald green and his features sharp. He was polite- achingly so, handled himself appropriately and spoke even less than she did. He was quiet- contemplative almost and seemed content to leave her to her thoughts as they sat in silence. Even though Nii-sama had seemed surprised at her willingness to go through with the elders' demands, her brother had still done the necessary vetting and for that, Rukia was immensely thankful.

If she were to put her Kuchiki education to good use and start being practical, she would begin to see her upcoming nuptials for what it really was- a simple business transaction between two families instead of an actual love affair between her and her future spouse. It was something to be gained, something to be bartered; bringing emotions, personal feelings into it was bad form.

Rukia grew up knowing all too well that love in marriages among members of upper echelons like her happened later- much later after the wedding, late in their marriage, and typically after the birth of an heir to carry on the family name. And even then it wasn't a guarantee.

She was lucky enough to have been born to parents who loved her and each other but Nii-sama had hinted enough of a childhood spent mostly in the presence of nannies and tutors for her to know her parents didn't start off that way. Her parents probably started off no better than strangers who were forced to marry and produce a child to meet the clan's demands then against all odds fell in love with each other years later. Maybe she should take a hint from them, be more optimistic about her situation and start analysing her date critically for traits that she would appreciate in a future partner instead of a potential love match.

Toshirou Hitsugaya had a lot going for him. He was young- close to her age so they probably had quite a few things in common if she tried harder; a prodigy in the corporate world with a few start-up tech companies under his belt. Were he the ambitious type, he would see that she was his best choice and he, hers. Opportunities like these didn't come knocking twice. He could go far with financial backing from the Kuchiki family but go further still if he married the sister of the current Kuchiki clan leader.

And she- she could do way worse than a guy like Hitsugaya-san. She gulped- gripping her tea cup hard. It didn't even have to be now. They could go for a few more 'dates' before she decided on anything. She didn't even have to love him- she just had to like him well enough to spend the rest of her life with him in close quarters. The sooner she got this over with the sooner the elders will stop nagging her and putting her through hell.

It certainly wasn't his fault that his shoulders weren't as broad, his hair colour was too light- a silvery shade of ash blonde that bordered on white, and his eyes were green instead of bro-

"There you are!"

Ichigo came stumbling in, ignoring the waiters and waitresses who were quite shocked and taken-aback by the sudden appearance of a gate-crasher when the restaurant in question was shut for the arranged private function.

The maître-d- well-dressed, stocky and perfectly incensed by Ichigo's behaviour seemed to be ready to throw hands with him but the idiot wasn't the slightest bit perturbed. The older man only stopped when it became apparent that neither of their esteemed guests seemed to be making a fuss about the sudden intruder.

"Sorry. Traffic is horrible-" he pulled out the chair from the next table without any prompting and seated himself right next to her- "I swear it gets worse- Chibi?"

"Kurosaki?"

Rukia looked between the two men- both of them surprised and in Ichigo's case, faintly amused as he smirked at her date, "Oi, what's up chibi? What are you doing here breaking my sister's heart?"

"You know Hitsugaya-san?"

Ichigo snorted.

"Know him? I grew up with him- same neighbourhood, same high school, same classes. Heck, we even boarded the same plane to come to the States!"

Her best friend leaned in closer towards her and mock whispered, "Kid had the biggest crush on Karin growing up. When he had to leave for university, he wrote her a love poem where he tried to rhyme heart-break with entrée."

Hitsugaya- calm, collected and the very epitome of stoic minutes ago- blushed, growling even as he got up to his feet and stared Ichigo down. "T-That was ages ago! If I were you, I'd be more worried about the fact that my girlfriend is on a date with someone."

Ichigo's smirk widened. Rukia could tell that he was enjoying this far too much to be healthy.

"She's not my girlfriend."

Yes, of course not- they're nakama but something felt off with those words coming from him. Hunger pangs they must be, it's either that or her low blood sugar was making her cranky. Yet another reason she detested eating at fancy upscale Michelin restaurants- the portions were meagre.

"You on the other hand are far from over your crush over my sister. Still sending her Christmas cards?"

"Mind your business, Kurosaki!"

Turning his attention to Rukia, her date was more than a little flustered as he made a motion to ask for the bill, "I enjoyed the meeting tonight, Kuchiki-san and I apologize for cutting this dinner short but it seems like you have a prior engagement."

Glaring pointedly at Ichigo, Toshirou hurriedly handed his credit card over to the waitress.

"I would be more than happy to schedule another dinner with yo-"

"That won't be necessary."

Rukia stared at Ichigo; horrified that the jerk would even make that decision for her. The nerve of him!

"Hang on there, I didn't-"

Ichigo grabbed her hand and squeezed. The surprise at his action- surprised that he would be so forward in his approach to her made her glare but Ichigo motioned towards her date instead. His eyes told her Look! and when she did, Rukia swallowed her words.

Something relaxed in Hitsugaya-san's posture- the set of his shoulders considerably less stiff and a sigh of relief almost as she looked at him. Maybe that was why she felt a familiar ache when she looked into Hitsugaya-san's eyes- neither of them wanted to be here.

She bit her lips and forced herself to smile instead.

"I am sorry, Hitsugaya-san. But Ichigo is right. I am going to be quite busy for the next few weeks with my new book and an upcoming charity event."

The lie rolled off her tongue easily and she tried not to stiffen when Ichigo casually draped an arm over her shoulder. His scent was masculine with a hint of the evening frost that lingered on the lapels of his coat despite the cosy indoor heating.

"I see. In that case, it was a pleasure meeting you."

The gesture was gentlemanly as her date kissed the back of her palm and made his exit.

The glare he shot Ichigo on his way out on the other hand was anything but polite. A sentiment that was shared by everyone on the waiting staff apparently as they shot Ichigo a collective dirty look and haughty sniffs as the two followed Toshirou's lead.

Rukia sighed.

While it was a shame that it hadn't worked out between Hitsugaya-san and her, she knew it wasn't the right move to make- not if he was still hung up on a past flame, especially if the woman involved was Karin. She couldn't do that to Ichigo's sister who was in effect pretty much her own sister.

Slipping into her heavy coat, she told her best friend, "Let's go eat."

"I thought you just had dinner with chibi."

The heiress rolled her eyes. "Well, I sat through dinner with him. Does that count?"

Not only were the portions small, she had been too nervous to eat- merely picking her food instead. She also wanted to make a good impression. The last thing she wanted to do was end up with something leafy stuck between her teeth.

"What are you in the mood for then?" asked Ichigo, hands deep in his pocket. White puffs of smoke ghosted the air as he spoke.

"How about good old-fashioned grease and salt?" she offered.

"Like hamburgers and French fries?"

"Only if you throw in some milkshakes."

A smile mirroring hers formed and Rukia told herself that if she happened to huddle closer to him- it was only because of the constant stream of people passing by, she wouldn't want to get separated from him.

"Deal."

XXX

The diner was practically deserted by the time they shuffled in. With the smell of pancakes wafting through the air, Rukia could almost hear her stomach growling in response. She knew exactly what she wanted and when the waitress came over to take their order she was more than ready.

Ichigo however seemed to have other things on his mind. He had seemed a bit off earlier with all the excessive touching in front of Hitsugaya-san. Right now though he was twitchy and thumbing the corner of the menu repeatedly- almost like he was steeling himself for something. As to what he was so anxious about though, Rukia hadn't the slightest clue.

The minute he saw their waitress, he said to the woman- "So you come here often?"

His voice carried embarrassingly loud in the empty diner.

Her first response was confusion- thinking he was talking to her instead. When she realized that he was 'talking' to the waitress, Rukia fought the urge to smack her head from second-hand embarrassment. She had been Renji's wingwoman before and even that particular experience, watching someone who was like a brother to her flirt with a stranger- wasn't nearly as bad as this.

Giving the waitress a quick once-over, Rukia frowned. The woman was cute enough she supposed- blue eyes, brunette, dimples and she supposed men were suckers for women in some form of uniform. She pouted- come on she was way cuter!

Besides, looking at the poor woman- even Rukia felt bad for her. The poor girl looked just as confused as she was. Ichigo's flirting skills were just as bad as his other social skills- practically non-existent in a lot of circumstances.

"My friend thinks you're cute and wants to go out with you."

The woman blushed, "I'm sorry- you guys are cute and all but I am not into threesomes."

Rukia's cheeks burned. She said he was a friend damn it, where the hell did the woman get the idea that they were together?

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"Oh in that case," the brunette smiled coyly before scribbling her number and handing it over to Ichigo with a wink. If Rukia was annoyed at the gesture it was only because all of this was taking time away from her and her food and Ichigo's lame attempts at flirting were ruining her appetite.

He waited until the waitress was out of earshot before turning on Rukia.

"What was that for?"

She scoffed. "You should be thanking me! It was almost too painful to watch. She's the waitress- where else would she be?"

The man seated opposite her growled but Rukia was less-than-impressed by it.

"I was trying to prove a point!" he insisted as the colours on his cheek brightened.

"What was the point then- that you suck at flirting?"

He eyed her with concern. "What's wrong with you, Rukia? You're crankier than normal. Did it have anything to do with that date just now?"

Rukia waved off his concern. She didn't know why she was being so annoyed with her tone bordering on sharp and snappish earlier. She was hangry- it must be.

"It's nothing. I'm not myself when I'm hungry."

He left her stewing in silence after that, which in hindsight might have been the smartest thing to do. Her temper was unbearably short then. When Ichigo's order of hamburger and fries came first, delivered by the very helpful waitress who was beyond attentive to the needs of their table, Rukia was scrunching up her third ball of paper napkins. It was bad enough when Ichigo was flirting but when the woman was flirting back- Rukia thought she might have lost her appetite completely.

He pushed his plate of food towards her.

"Here."

Rukia mumbled her thanks, picking at the fries absentmindedly. It might as well have been ash in her mouth- she couldn't tell the difference.

"So what's the story between you and chibi?"

She rolled her eyes. She knew this conversation was coming.

"I had nothing to do with it. The elders set up the meeting, Nii-sama did the vetting and I just attend them. It's a disaster."

"Why the omiai then? You're not even in your thirties yet- why the rush to marry you off?"

She sighed. "They want to see me settled down. A Kuchiki spinster doesn't reflect well on the family. It means another hungry mouth for them to feed."

It was partially the truth. There was also something along the notes of her being a disgraced bride-to-be who was rejected by her betrothed and the sooner she was out of their hair, the sooner the rest of the people in her circle would forget the unfortunate incident.

Ichigo snorted.

"And they couldn't afford it? Don't make me laugh! And you're tiny! How much are you going to cost them- whatever upkeep you need- it's not like you're going to dent the coffers and you've barely even used any of your inheritance money. As far as I can tell, you're an independent woman with her own means of income. What right have they got to control you and make these crazy demands of you?"

"It's not that simple."

Ichigo didn't grow up in the same environment of heavy expectations, where family honour and duty came above all else. The Kuchikis funded her lifestyle growing up, gave her the best education that money could buy and moulded her into the poised lady that she was- it was now her turn to give back.

He shrugged.

"Maybe it's not but I say ditch them- whatever it is it's not worth it. Your family is Byakuya- not this stupid clan who keeps making demands of you. Families shouldn't operate on a debt system and you shouldn't be prompted with a big 'you-owe-us' lecture every time they want you to do something."

He scrunched up his face, angry on her behalf and asked her. "Forget about the Kuchiki part- What do you want? What does Rukia want?"

"I want-" she breathed - "I want to be free to make my own decisions. I want to stop attending omiai because I hate the awkwardness. I'm not even sure if I want to get married but if I do, I want to get married on my own terms- marry a guy that I like and I choose to be with, not because the Kuchiki elders decided otherwise."

I want you.

XXX

Wait- what- where did that come from?

"Then why don't you? What's stopping you Rukia?"

She froze- like a deer in the headlight, stunned because Ichigo was right.

It wasn't the Stone Ages anymore. She had a job, her own apartment that she bought with a loan from Nii-sama. She didn't owe them anything so why was she letting them make those decisions for her? Why was she bending over backwards to suit their demands?

Whose life was she living and who was she trying to please?

"Damn it Rukia! What were you trying to do? Freeze yourself to death?"

Oh that's right. She must have left her gloves in her bag and forgotten to put them on. Even now, her hands- she couldn't feel them. It wasn't too unusual- she had cold hands to begin with and with her favourite seasons being autumn and winter, she was used to the cold. Ichigo though was a summer baby through and through- bitching about the Seattle weather was what he liked to do best, right now though Ichigo didn't seem to mind the cold as he reached across the table and took her hands into his much warmer ones.

Tilting her head up to meet his eyes, Rukia gulped. She should move- this kind of close proximity between them wasn't normal. Him touching her this casually wasn't normal. She should say something, do something her brain was telling her to but she just sat there- numb and transfixed while he blew hot air over their linked hands, rubbing slow circles into her knuckles until Rukia could feel her digits again.

"You'll catch a cold if you keep doing this, silly."

She wanted to snatch her hands back but his warmth stayed her. There was something about this moment that seemed too tender. A slight jerk of her hands would have been the end of it all.

"Hey! Can we turn on the heater here?"

Autumns and winters were nice enough she supposed, but maybe she liked being warm too.

Hese's corner:

I'm sorry if you guys were expecting an epilogue to tie up the story. This is however the last chapter, the missing chapter to help tie the story in a bit more. I did a lot of editing so feel free to start reading from the beginning. The story is being reassembled on Ao3 so head over there if you want a more chronological read of the story and enjoy the social media features. I will be using the other edits to add on to other parts of the story that we touched on. Major changes on mostly chapter 1, 4, 7.5 and 11. FF doesn't let me post the link to Ao3 here T.T. Look for me under my Tumblr name- hesesols!

Trivia: In true Grey's Anatomy fashion, all the chapters are named after song titles.