Hello everyone. I must apologise for not updating quickly .my dearest uncle met with accident and passed away recently. He was the one who always encouraged me to express through writing. Anyway I couldn't bear myself to write a single word after his death .it took some time for me to adjust and find my inspiration again. I might update my other fics too very shortly. Hope you would understand .

Chapter 7

Rukia clicked the doorbell once. She heard the sound of someone tripping and laughed before said person opened the door with a purple looking bruise on her noggin. Rukia laughed at her while pointing to her forehead making her friend blush in shame and cover it up saying that she'd put a bandaid on it.

"Hey, you look cute... You really did work hard for him."

Rukia's cheeks heated up. "I didn't even try..."

"Sure you did Rukia... Sure you did." Momo said as she gestured Rukia to come in. Rukia entered after Momo and took of her shoes. She followed Rukia upstairs to her room and they sat on the bed. Rukia got rid of her jacket and her sling bag and literally plopped herself on the soft bed.

"That's nice..."

Momo raised an eyebrow. "Tired?"

"Kinda. We had to do a lot of walking to shake them off." Rukia replied as she curled up on the soft bed.

"Them?"

"The fangirls." Rukia replied brusquely.

Momo broke into a roar of boisterous laughter. "Damn... Desperate much."

"Well said Momo, well said..."

Rukia sighed. "Think they took pictures?"

"Maybe, if they did, expect news of it on Monday... Let's enjoy the weekend... And besides it's you're birthday on Monday... Ah, how fast the year goes... I mean, we were scavenging for members last year then Kurosaki-san transfers in the day after classes reconvene from the New Year…"

"Don't remind me... I'm gonna have go start working for real once I graduate." Rukia sighed.

"You're not going to a university?"

"Nah... Too expensive."

"You can apply for a scholarship, you're too smart to just simply work."

"Maybe but living in a dorm and all is gonna ba costly on my part. Look, it's just way too difficult for someone like me..."

"But Rukia-"

"I know... Just don't bother me about it... I don't want to think about it." Rukia said as she closed her eyes fitfully.

"Alright then." Momo sighed as she stood up from the bed and walked over to her closet. She pulled out a neatly folded set of pajamas and dropped it on Rukia's face earning herself a small groan from Rukia.

Rukia peeled the clothes off her face and forced herself to get up.

"Wanna take a bath Rukia?" Momo asked.

"Sure, if that's okay with you.

Momo pouted. "Of course it's okay for me. I've known you for forever. Oh! We haven't bathed together since middle school!"

"I-isn't that embarrassing."

"Don't be a prude Rukia... You're practically the only person I know who wouldn't dare enter a hot spring... Come on, let's cure that problem of yours!" Momo said enthusiastically.

Rukia sighed in defeat as she dropped the pajamas on the bed and massaged her temples furiously. "Fine fine... Go draw the bath then..."

"Knew you'd break eventually!"

"Shut up Momo." Rukia said before her eyes trailed towards Momo's laptop. She took it and asked if she could use it. Of course Momo would let her use it.

Momo went for the bathroom while Rukia turned it on. She saw the typical boot up screen and once it went to the desktop, she clicked on the web browser. She was curious about his performance and since Momo wasn't here, she could listen to him. She found a video of his performance after much searching. He was playing Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu. It was a difficult piece to play and it was easy to screw up. It was a piece that showed once's piano prowess with ease, it's a risky choice for any pianist since they make themselves so open to the audience to the point there is no sense of privacy any more. They know who you are, how you play and what you feel.

Rukia's eyes carefully watched the nine year old Ichigo Kurosaki play with such technique and musical prowess. His fingers moved so gracefully and so fluidly that he didn't look like a kid. His emotions were perfect; he understood the piece so well. The piece ended and there was applause. This was the genius prodigy Kurosaki Ichigo.

Just what happened to him?

Rukia began to update herself on what was new in the world. It wasn't every day that she could use the Internet so she wanted to savor it. Rukia was done searching and she clicked the X button. As soon as she went back to the desktop and clicked the start button to shut it down, she saw an odd file. It was labeled with numbers and jumbled letters. Why would Momo have a file like this? Rukia knew Momo always labeled her files neatly.

She clicked it to find it was a video. Before she could watch it, Momo came walking in. All Rukia saw before she left the laptop alone momentarily was a familiar head of orange hair.

"Did your chest grow?" Momo said astounded as she played with the warm water.

"Did it? I don't pay much attention..." Rukia replied as she looked down to her rather small chest. "Now that I think about it... My bras have been getting tight."

Momo literally hugged Rukia from behind, splashing the water all over the place. "Oh Rukia... You're becoming a woman!"

"Momo! The water!" Rukia retorted as Momo quickly withdrew.

"Ah! Sorry... At least your chest is growing, I'm still an airport runway..."

Rukia looked at her sternly as they compared chest. "Please, I'm the runway... Don't make me feel bad."

"Oh, you do care about your chest..."

"The only time a woman wouldn't worry over chest is when she's already well endowed to begin with." Rukia sighed with close eyes as the steam felt so relaxing.

"How very true... I bet the other girls in class are pissed. They're more endowed than us yet Kurosaki-san chooses to talk to the both if us. We don't get ignored." Momo replied with a smile.

That's because we have a special relationship, Rukia thought instantly.

"True, it's kinda funny actually."

Then she remembered the video she almost watched and how she could've sworn she saw Ichigo there.

Rukia stood up from the bath causing some of the water to spill. She looked back at Momo and smiled. "I'm gonna dry up first... Some of the steam's getting to my head..."

Momo shrugged. "Ah well, catch up to you in a few."

Rukia grabbed a towel and dried up. Once she was dry, she found the pajamas Momo had laid out for her. Momo placed the towel over her shoulders as she looked at the laptop again. She found the video again and clicked it.

It looked like camera footage from somewhere. She couldn't tell where the camera was and the date was from when she er... taught Ichigo history. She could hear their conversation on their way to his place. The video most certainly showed Ichigo and a bit of her. Was she carrying something? Right... Her bag. Wait... The keychain? Momo's so called good luck charm?

Then she could see where this was going. From where she put her bag, there was a perfect view of the room. The camera shook when Rukia took her notebook from her bag. The thirty minutes consisted of her teaching him on his lap.

Rukia flushed red when she saw what they looked like whenever they kissed.

This looks rather... Steamy...

What has happened to you Fubuki Rukia?

Rukia looked up when she heard Momo drop her clothes on the floor. She had already been wearing her pajamas, she dropped her school uniform. Rukia froze as the video kept playing.

"Momo?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Why do you have this?"

"Because..."

Rukia raised her eyebrow intimidatingly. It scared the shit out of anybody. "Because what Momo?"

"Uh..."

"You're not stalking Ichigo are you?"

Momo shook her head. "No! God knows I would never stalk that jerk!" she blurted out which intrigued Rukia.

"Jerk? What do you know Momo?" Rukia interrogated intimidatingly.

"That he's a rich jerk from Germany... And that you're working for him so that he'd stay in the club... Why didn't you tell me? I had to hear it from Kurosaki himself..."

Rukia bit her lip as she closed the laptop. She stood up and confronted her friend.

"Rukia... You're really cute and you don't know what the boys are saying about you..or what they dream to do to you. So last year, I asked Ishida-san to make me a surveillance bug just so that if that dumb jock tried to do anything to you, I'd be there with the police for harassment or something... I was worried... So..."

"You put another surveillance bug just in case Ichigo wasn't who he seemed to be... You're intuition is as correct as always..." Rukia sighed before she hugged Momo, Momo was taken aback.

"Don't feel bad Momo... What you did wasn't wrong... You were just worried right? I'd do the same for you actually... Though my only worry is how you see me now..." Rukia said in an apologetic tone.

Momo hugged her back. "You're still as awesome as ever..."

"So you've known for quite a while huh..."

"Yeah... I gave him a good slap for it." Momo chuckled.

The two friends separated. "Thank you... I slapped him once on accident."

"I saw that... It's in that video... But that's the only one... If he ever tries to do anything to you, I'll edit that video and release it to the student body. It's my precious blackmail material."

Rukia shook her head. "Ah well, at least he'll behave... Have you ever heard him play the piano before?" Rukia asked as she reopened the website with his video.

Momo shook her head as she picked up the clothes from the floor and headed over to Rukia's side. There was a small boy playing the piano with orane hair. Momo instantly knew it was Ichigo.

"This is Frederic Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu... Look at the way he plays it... The guitar isn't his speciality... It's actually the piano." Rukia informed.

"I didn't know that... I thought the Internet was wrong..."

"I found him playing Alkan..."

Momo was astounded. "A-Alkan? Seriously?"

Rukia nodded. "It was a really dark Alkan... But it felt enchanting... That's what they mean by the music seducing you... Listening to him felt exhilarating... The darkness felt addicting... It was terrifying yet awestriking at the same time... I... It's a strange feeling but it's splendid... If you ever hear him live, never leave when he asks you to and be quiet so he doesn't realize you're there... He gets too into his own music so he forgets the world around him..."

Momo grinned. "Hey Rukia..."

"Yeah?"

"Do you like Kurosaki-kun?"

Rukia flushed red. "Hell no! If I ever fall in love with that perverted jerk, that would be the end of the world!" she yelled at her friend.

Such a violent reaction, Momo thought.

Momo hopped on the bed with Rukia. "Before we prepare dinner, play Q&A with me. No backing out because this video is pretty much blackmail for you two."

Rukia scowled. "Momo..." she seethed.

"Just answer me... How many times have you kissed?"

Rukia averted her gaze as all the blood rushed to her face. "I don't remember..."

"Oh? That many huh... Is there a chance that you'd ever fall for him?"

"Actually, I do like Ichigo the pianist but then his other personalities overpower that one so no."

"When you guys were bickering this morning, did you two plan on nearly kissing?"

"W-what! I wasn't thinking that... Was I?"

"You two were eyeing each other in that way. Be thankful that the entire class is dense." Momo said.

"Oh dear..."

"Next question! Do you like kissing him?"

Rukia paused. "Kinda..."

"So is he a good kisser?"

"Extremely... It's annoying... Damn overachiever."

"Oh ho? Should I give him a go?"

She could tell that Rukia was ready to yell at her but then held her tongue. "B-be my guest... No one's stopping you."

"Rukia my dear, you're stuttering." Momo mocked.

"I wasn't..."

"Hey, I understand if you don't want to share your precious master."

"Not you too! I've had enough of hearing 'your precious master' or 'your beloved master' and on and on with his arrogant vanity." Rukia whined as she stood up. "What do you want for dinner?"

Momo beamed up and grinned. "Yay! I love your cooking! I want curry! No wait... Ah nevermind, yeah I want curry!"

Rukia sighed as she took Momo by hand and dragged her to the kitchen.

Rukia was just in the middle of stirring the curry into completion while Momo was setting up the table. Momo was a bit more well off than Rukia but Rukia never took advantage of Momo's money. Her parents always had great intuition and they trusted Rukia like they trusted their own daughter. After all, they've known Rukia since she was little. Around elementary and they were good neighbor friends to Hisana, Rukia's sister.

Rukia took two plates of piping hot curry and rice and placed it on the table while Momo went to the refrigerator. "Want anything?"

"What's in there that can be consumed with no risks?" Rukia asked.

"Pretty much everything... We have excess in drinks so just drain it. We won't mind." Momo said.

"Is that so? Then you know what already..." Rukia said.

Momo nodded as she got a bottle of strawberry ramune . Rukia absolutely loved the soda while Momo settled for chilled lemon tea. The ones by nestea. Momo brought the drinks to the table and sat next to Rukia.

"Itadakimasu!"

Momo took her spoon with much enthusiasm. She dug in rather quickly and at it with much joy. She sighed at the deliciousness of the curry. She liked the way Rukia made curry, not too spicy yet it retained its full flavors.

"I haven't had curry in a while." Momo sighed.

"Really? Well I just had it a couple of days ago..." Rukia said.

"How much does he pay you?"

Rukia pointed the spoon in her direction. "That is confidential... However, I also need to cook for him."

"I envy him... He eats your cooking almost everyday."

"Actually, I make a couple of meals and stick them in the fridge for him to microwave and I've also taught him the wonders of Japanese instant rice meals..." Rukia corrected Momo as she slowly devoured the curry while Momo's plate had half of the curry annihilated.

"He really is helpless isn't he when it comes to housework and cooking. As for academics, sports and everything else, he's brilliant." Momo said as she ate the last of the curry.

"Seconds?"

"Yes please."

Rukia chuckled as she gave Momo a second helping of curry. "Here you go." Rukia said, handing her the newly refilled plate.

Rukia resumed eating hers and wondered just how deep Momo's stomach was for food? Shouldn't she be watching her weight? Ah well, Momo's allowed a freebie every once in a while.

Momo grinned. "Let's have ramen next time!"

"Go to a ramen stall then..." Rukia retorted.

"But I wanna eat your ramen!" Momo whined.

"Alright alright... Tomorrow then... ramen for lunch okay?" Rukia smiled.

Momo began to rejoice enthusiastically while Rukia massaged her temples. "I feel like a mom and your my daughter."

"You do kinda act like a mom sometimes but that's one of the reasons why I love you." Momo said sweetly as she went over to a cabinet and pulled a bunch of DVD's. She smirked.

Rukia smirked back. "We are so not sleeping tonight."

His fingers moved like magic as he strummed against the sleek chords of the guitar. He did a few riffs and famous guitar solos as he played. His eyes were closed. As soon as he finished one song, his phone rang. He took it and pressed the device against his ear. He was always in a good mood whenever he played the guitar.

"Hello?" he greeted as the guitar by his side.

"Sir... Kuchiki Ginrei has finally passed away... Rather, this happened fifteen minutes ago sir..."

His whole bodied stiffened and his mind began to flash with hope of what he could do with Ginrei gone. As much as the thought of waiting for him to pass away just so he could be happy was cruel, he had been waiting so patiently for years. "Cause of death?"

"It was a heart attack sir. His body couldn't handle the disease anymore sir..."

"I see..."

"Sir? His final orders was to prepare the papers for your transfer right away..."

"I see... How soon?"

"By next month if nothing goes wrong."

"Good."

Then he closed the phone.

He spent a few moments to mourn the loss of Ginrei. He had been an excellent mentor but sadly, he could not replace Kuchiki Sojun.

He looked at the guitar and held it closely.

"Sorry for the delay Hisana."

Ichigo let the hot shower drown his thoughts. He was leaning against the wall as the warm water beat against his sun-kissed skin. His hair was wet and no longer spiky. He kept staring at his hand constantly as though he found something wrong with it.

It's your problem... A deep deep problem... If I delve into your heart, I'll just sully it. So until you feel like telling me. I'll wait... I'll wait until you want to talk.

That's what Rukia said but...

He sighed against the wall as the water dripped down from his body.

Rukia was having such a big effect on him. Never had he met a woman who hated him. Never had he met a woman who rejected him so easily. Never had he ever met a woman who had come so close to understanding him. Did he want her to wait?

"Kurosaki Ichigo... What the hell is wrong with you? Didn't you promise not to get attached to Karakura? How the hell are you gonna go back to Germany at this rate?" he scolded himself.

The taste of her lingered on his lips unbearably.

Ichigo closed the shower and didn't even bother to dry himself thoroughly. He simply plopped over on the bed in the nude and somewhat wet. It was cold but he didn't care. He closed his eyes as he could still smell her scent in the room.

XxxxxxxxX

Please do review and do check the poll that I am conducting .awaiting your response,

Love ,

Amethyst hazel.