It's been centuries since I have updated. I'm very sorry. I didn't abandon this drabbles though. But I'm afraid I won't be able to make another doujin as soon as possible. I'm rushing into some comic I am making—for my grades and graduation.. which is kinda no--VERY important. But I am side tracking the doujin. I'm doing my best to make both ends meet. So please, I hope you do understand.
The winner of the next doujin I'm going to make is: OF PAJAMAS AND BOXERS.
Tell me if you agree with that… hehe. It'll be so much fun. Anyway, again, thanks to those who reviewed, and those who have seen the doujin 'message' and reviewed it also.
Oh and in the previous chapter Yin and Yang… I kinda said there that they both have bankai well in fact they don't, only Ichigo. Rukia is only in shikai mode. I'm very sorry for the mistake. I got so carried away with their swords that I typed furiously and so on. Anyway, I have corrected that mistake and thank you to all those who pointed it out in a nice way.
Thank you, thank you, and thank you.
MCRdeathGod, The Orange Rat, Bella68, HinduGoddess, the-long-lost-strawberry, Emmychao, amerie-san, Final Fight and Strawberry-Ringo.
And to those who placed Strawberry Rabbit on their alert, favorite story and so on,
THANK YOU!
--------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: I disown Bleach, I own the plot/story. Hehe
Title: Immortal
Type: One-shot, angst, thoughts, fluff
Fic is not for grammar Nazis. Hehe. I like that term. Grammar Nazis... whoever came up with that term, may god grant you lots of cookies!
--------------------------------------------
Kuchiki Rukia had never thought about her age really, other than her being older than Ichigo… and that the brat should know his place.
But she was not, old as in old like that of a grandma or worse...
A period or days could only sound so long when it is given a specific number or term. Like for example, 15 seconds sounds too fast—but in reality, a lot can happen in 15 seconds. A year sounds too long, but when you look at it and as time pass, it seems all too fast… one minute you're in pre school, the next you're trying to look for a job after college graduation. It's that fast.
When she once tried to know the difference of time from the soul society and the human world, the difference of each time in each world is massive. Ten days in the human world is actually equivalent to twice the days or more in soul society.
So maybe, despite her protests about her being small--which she is not she swears, she muses… her 150 age could mean that she is really only about 15 to 16 years, young looking and all.
But what exactly made her to have any concern about age and time anyway?
Aahh. The answer is in her hands.
"Immortal- the novel" The book she borrowed in the library after Ichigo had taught her how to apply and use a library card.
She was mesmerized by it, the gold metallic title shining outside and the title itself of course. Immortal…
What was it like to live forever?
Would it be great? Would it be sad? She wanted to find out.
The story is about a young woman who had lived so many centuries—a vampire. She scoffed, she doesn't believe in such stuff… but the story is interesting.
The girl happened to fall in love with a mortal man… a mortal man who died in the end, and leaving the woman again to dwell in her immortal and alone self.
But the woman was content, for the man had loved her so much to stay by her side till the end.
So it was freaking sad. She found herself crying at it, and Ichigo told her how pathetic she is and told her to stop reading such things if she can't stop whining about it. She of course, got mad… pummeled Ichigo and left before she really kills him—not that she would of course.
Then she thought, she's not immortal like that woman… sure she is old in age but not immortal… but for some strange reason, she found herself in a similar situation.
She had admitted to herself that she was growing fond of the carrot top, and even if they bicker with each other, it's their way of expressing themselves how they care for the other…
She had come to realized that she had fallen for him... Hard.
But that was it, she won't dare tell anyway… they were of different worlds, even if everyone agrees, could she pull it off?
She felt like the woman in the book, different from the mortal man, had been alone all her life and was used to it, but she decided to do the impossible anyway, stay with the man.
Rukia snorted—yeah right… no wonder it's called fiction… it doesn't really happen anyway…
But she envied the woman though, be real or not… the man stayed, up until his final hours with her and her only… He loved her back.
Would Ichigo love her back if she fought for it? He doesn't seem to be interested like her. She shook her head. Guess not.
Rukia didn't want to finish the book anymore. She sighed and decided to return it in the library.
She placed it back on the shelf after she had filed it on the front desk.
As she slipped the small book on the space provided, she whispered to herself. "Immortality… living for eternity alone… is perhaps…. what is planned for me. I may have lots of friends to leave my heart to… but no one to give it to… pitiful right? Kaien dono?"
She smiled weakly remembering what her vice captain had told her years ago, about leaving 'memories' which is the 'heart' that he used to call, to people who cares about her--friends, family etc.
But that's not the case for her anyway, she could not die alone, but her love… her love would have no place to go after.
Heart and love are two different things.
'Geez,' she scoffed, I'm being stupid, 'I should stop thinking about this… that's it, and I'm going back to reading manga; this is too much depressing.'
She was about to step away from the book shelf when the said carrot top stood in front of her.
"You done reading it?" He asked.
"No. Too crappy… I lost interest in it."
"Then you don't know what happened to the ending then?"
"It's not that important… I don't really care… Its just make believe."
So she was lying, she didn't want to read any further, which she knows will bound her crying again… and also it just makes her think more about her situation with the amber eyed substitute shinigami.
Ichigo walked past her and took the book out from the shelf. "I heard it's a great ending."
Rukia placed her hand on her waist. "I told you I don't want to. If you're so persistent about it, why don't you go read it?" She turned around. "I'm leaving."
Ichigo coughed, trying to not burst out profanities at her. "I already did… It's a good ending… it kinda reminds me of something though."
Rukia raised an eyebrow and looked back at him. She had to admit, she was curious. "What?"
"I won't tell till you finish it." Ichigo teased, a smirk forming in his lips.
"Fine, then don't." Rukia scoffed, she didn't want to fight Ichigo today, not after all that thinking about the book and him.
As the petite raven haired shinigami walked away, Ichigo slumped and opened his mouth.
"The woman's vampiric immortality curse was broken…" Ichigo came, Rukia stopped in her tracks. "And why is that?" She inquired her back still turned.
"Because the man loved her back; he loved her back for real. So she was able to die with him."
"Good for her." Rukia coughed and started to walk away again when she felt arms embrace her from behind.
"Ichi…" she almost whispered.
"You could give your heart to me…" Ichigo buried "You could give your all… I would happily accept it. That is… "
Rukia stiffened; she was not hearing this right? She was just thinking too much, and perhaps this is just some kind of twisted day dream. But the feel of his breath on her neck and the strong arms on her shoulders told her otherwise.
"That is if you also accept mine." Ichigo finished.
Rukia turned around to look at him.
Ichigo frowned at her expression.
"geez Rukia, could you at least stop gaping like a goldfish gone wrong? I've screwed up my image just to say all that and you don't even talk."
"Urk! How am I supposed to say something… when you surprise me like that? Geez, be a bit more considerate… If I had a weak heart, I would have died then and there." Rukia spat back.
The librarian shushed them and they apologized, and the said librarian left with a snort.
"I kinda got worried when you took the immortality story seriously. I have never seen you cry like that back then… It was as if it really affected you. And I was right." He looked away. He had this thing with Rukia that he can't look straight at her amethyst eyes when saying something sappy, because he drowns in them… and who knows what he could do…
Like back then when he first appeared in front of Rukia from the sky… when he told her he came to save her, he didn't look because he almost blushed when he did. And also from the time she told him she wasn't going to say 'sorry' while he cradled her in his arm, he still looked away, but had that genuine and relieved smile plastered on his face.
So he loved her, no big. Okay, so it was a big deal… he didn't have enough courage until he saw that sadness looming all over her eyes, and hearing her something about being bound to live for eternity when he followed her in the library… he just had to snap her out of it.
So he followed her, big freaking deal. That's not the point here.
"I…" Rukia for the first time was rendered speechless.
"Well? Would you accept mine?" Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose, a blush creeping up his face as he tried to retain his composure.
"We're of different--."
"Don't give me that bullshit." Ichigo spat.
"But it's true!" Rukia reasoned.
"You and I both know that's not what you meant." The amber eyed shinigami looked straight at her, brows still furrowed as always.
"So what if we're from different worlds? What if you say you're older? So what? It's just a number… And don't say that you'll be alone for eternity! Don't even use the word if you don't know how to use it properly." He continued.
Rukia just stood there, stunned and almost angry at Ichigo.
"'I would stay with you for eternity!' That's how you should use It." grumbled Ichigo.
"Ah…" Rukia came.
"What now? Still not giving up?"
"Ah… I love you."
"Still not giving up are you? You stubborn middge—what did you say?" Ichigo blinked.
"I love you, you moron!" Rukia spat at him, her face red as a tomato. Ichigo did the same.
"I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO KEEP QUIET?! OUT! OUT!"
The librarian yelled, so much for silence. Rukia and Ichigo ran outside for their lives. The librarian looked like a hollow ready to pounce.
Silence came between the two as they rested under the three from all that running.
Ichigo looked at her. "So, you accept mine."
Rukia flushed, and nodded. She then took his hand with hers. "Thank you Ichigo."
"Yeah… I love you too..." He raised her hand and kissed it softly. "No more immortal and alone for eternity crap shit okay? We can do this, we always have."
He caressed her cheek and kissed her ever so softy, it gave a new life to the couple.
Rukia leaned in close to him, deepening the kiss. If this is her version of the woman dying with the man she loves, then so be it.
He loved her back, he had broken her curse—which is herself and her doubt, and he… he told her he would be with her for eternity.
So she's not immortal… she didn't want to be anyway. She's happy that way.
Only, she felt her heart feel immortal, her heart, her love not fading away so easily because Ichigo is in it and her back at him.
END
-----------------------------------------------
Oooh… the fluff. Haha! I hope you like this guys again, so sorry for the very, very late update. Thanks for supporting this and see you soon… Oh, and I'm taking requests for the next chapter since I'm somewhat blocked out because of my other ichiruki fic: FALL. Do check it out, when you have time. Thanks.