DISCLAIMER: Tite Kubo owns Bleach. You know, I should just copyright this disclaimer. Honestly.
A/N: Ohayo and thanks for all of your kind reviews! You guys are the best.
OMG I searched up "Memories in the Rain" in the Bleach section...there are already like FIVE stories called that! I hope you don't mind...sorry!
Heheh! The plot thickens! Okay, well…not really. But oh well.
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"Come on, Rukia. We're going for a walk."
Rukia raised her eyebrows.
Ichigo sweated and hoped she wouldn't think he was a weirdo.
Okay, so it was a lame excuse, but he had needed to think of something fast. And a walk would give them some one-on-one time.
"Er…hey, why don't you wear this coat? It's chilly outside." He had slipped the note in the coat pocket last night.
"Why this coat?"
"It, um, looks good on you."
"Wow, looks like someone's changed," she said as she slipped it on. "Seriously, though. Why are you all concerned about me all of a sudden?"
"I…I'm not!"
"Yeah, whatever." Rukia hopped out the window. "See you soon."
Ichigo ran down the stairs and out the door. "Bye, Dad. I'll be back before seven."
He heard his dad roar from somewhere in the living room, "Good luck with her!"
He caught up outside with Rukia. "Let's go."
Rukia didn't budge. "So."
"Huh?"
"What's the deal? You're acting weird today, Ichigo. Are you sick?"
"No, no! I'm great. I just…hey, if you're cold, you should put your hands in your pockets."
"I'm not cold."
"Well, yeah, but you could still do that. See, it's…comfy."
Rukia's eyes widened. "Ichigo, are you on DRUGS?!"
"NO!"
"Okay, just checking." She regained her usual expression. "We wouldn't want any psychos fighting Hollows…"
"Hey!"
"Kidding, kidding. So. What do you want to do?"
Ichigo could hear the blood pounding in his ears. This was it. Another perfect opportunity…
Come on, Kurosaki. Just say it. Three words…just three…
"Hey, Rukia."
"Mm?"
"I…I lov - "
"Hey, look! A butterfly!" And she ran off.
Ichigo sighed. This was going to be a lot tougher than he thought.
Soon he caught up with her. "Are you sure you're not cold? You look kinda cold to me." Actually, she didn't, in fact she looked quite warm to him. But alas, the stupid things love often makes one say…
Rukia looked suspicious. "Ichigo, I already told you. I'm not cold."
"Yeah, but maybe your hands are cold."
"Ichigo. Get it into that orange head of yours. I'm. Not. Cold. I'm not cold. Get it?"
"Well, okay. But if you are…"
"Ichigo!!"
"Okay, okay!"
If only there was another way to get her to find the note…without being too obvious…
Then again, he could just say it to her face, that he loved her, but he didn't have the guts to do that just yet. Dang it, why'd she have to be so stubborn?
"Ichigo, I love you."
Ichigo was snapped out of his thoughts. "W-what did you say, Rukia?"
"Baka." She huffed. "I've been calling you for the past two minutes…I even tried the 'Look! It's a Hollow!' technique and you didn't even look up. And now I say this, and you finally react…" She smirked. "Well, at least now I know how to snap you out of it."
Ichigo felt the blood rushing to his cheeks. "You didn't have to…have to…do that, you know. You could have just…I don't know, nudged me on the shoulder, or something."
Rukia glared at him. "I already tried that."
"Oh." Ichigo shoved his hands in his pockets. "Heheh, sorry about that…"
"You're not sorry!" she scoffed.
Suddenly he noticed her hand, which was going for her pockets… Yes…yes…just a little more…come on…
"Huh? What's this?" She took out a small white lump. Ichigo swallowed. That definitely wasn't his note.
"Hmm…it's a piece of paper…nah, it's too messed up. I can't read it." She tossed it in the trashcan.
"What was that?"
"I dunno…oh yeah. I put this coat in the washer this morning…that's funny, I don't remember putting a piece of paper in this pocket."
The realization of it all hit Ichigo like….well, the way realization hits people.
His hours of hard work. Flushed away. Gone. Bam. Just like that.
That meant that if he wanted to let her know how he felt before the walk was over, there was only one way he could do it. He had to tell her.
It was now or never.
"Rukia…"
"What?"
"I…I think you're…you're…" he stammered.
"Hey, look! People are flying kites!"
Damn it. Cut off every time.
"Yeah, that's nice. What I was going to say was…well, I thought you should know that I - "
"Have you ever seen a duck? I mean, not just on TV, but a real duck?"
"Yeah, of course I have! Anyway, what I meant to say was - "
"Weird. This bench is orange…just like your hair! But your hair is brighter."
"RUKIA! LISTEN TO ME, GODAMMIT!" He pressed her against the bench, his hands still on her shoulders. Her eyes were wide. Ichigo let her go and backed off slightly, running his hand through his hair. "Sorry…but…I needed to tell you something."
"What?"
"I…love you."
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He said it!! He said it!!! Okay, I'll stop now. Well, tell me what think. All reviews are greatly appreciated. - Kuchiki-chan