Chapter 8: Interlude

Rukia was biting her nails. A lot. There was also a jittery feeling at the pit of her stomach that she cannot seem to shake, and she knew exactly the cause, which was scheduled to arrive in his taxi in approximately five minute's time.

As she stood waiting by the sidewalk in front of her workplace, Rukia nervously wondered what reason she should give him for requesting him as a driver specifically. He definitely would ask, no doubt, but surely she won't burst out with the actual reason. No, that would be too forward of her, and anyway, she still remains somewhat conflicted about her actual feelings towards him.

Before she can come up with something adequate, however, she spotted the cab arriving, Ichigo's bright ginger hair drawing her attention even from a distance away. There was definitely no backing out now on this.

After Ichigo pulled up and parked right in front of her, he rolled down the passenger window and raised a brow quizzically at her. "You asked for me?"

"I, ah," Rukia's brain scrambled to grasp onto an explanation, any explanation. "I simply wanted to hear the end of the story you were telling me earlier this morning. The Karin one."

"Oh right, of course. I did leave off on a cliffhanger, didn't I?"

"Yes. Yes you did." Breathing a sigh of relief that he seemed to buy her utterly false reason, she settled into the front seat next to him, just as she had done earlier that morning. "So please, continue."

And continue he did, in the completely overdramatic and over-the-top manner which he had embodied before. Rukia had to admit that she was impressed with his storytelling ability, which was definitely riveting and animating, and there were several occasions during which she took a glance over at him, glad that there was little risk of being caught in the act as he had to keep his eyes on the road. The jitteriness at the pit of her stomach continued. She was so unused to herself being like this.

Ichigo's story ended with a grand finish, but Rukia found that she had been so intently focused on the way in which he told the story that she had not paid so much attention to exactly what he was saying. Nonetheless, she tried to react appropriately to the ending based on the parts of the story she did absorb.

"Wow, I talked a lot," Ichigo said. He turned to look at her briefly while stopped at a red light. "And now you probably know more about Karin than you care to."

Rukia shrugged, wanting to keep her calm and collected facade in front of him. "She's a very nice person, from what I can tell. It's good to learn more about people, especially since she lives so close."

"She's certainly nice to you," Ichigo laughed. "But behind closed doors, she lets loose a decent amount. At least with me and Yuzu."

"I can imagine."

The car pulled up to Rukia's building, and she felt a pang of disappointment that the ride was over so soon. She paid the fare, hesitated a moment, "Say, Ichigo ..."

"Yes?"

She quickly shook her head and got out of the vehicle, "Ah, nevermind."

Without another word, Rukia began walking away, purposefully and consciously avoiding looking back. She had no idea what had possessed her before to speak out, nor was she sure what exactly she was going to say in the first place. In fact, this whole business with him has left her feeling a little out of control with her own emotions, and she was certainly having difficulties accepting that fact. This warmth inside her chest when she thinks about him, this impulsion, this ... crush. This state of being was very uncharacteristic of her, and she knew it.

Rukia collapsed onto her bed, face buried in her arms, heart racing.

"I swear, he's going to be the death of me."

A/N: I promised an update and here it is, even if it's about two years late :')

This was admittedly short, but I needed to wrap some things up before moving onto the next phase of the story, for which I have many plans in mind. Hope you enjoy and I'd love any reviews.