[Beta'd Version
Warning/s: This chapter is annoying.
Disclaimer: uh-huh, yep, no.
The Prince Forgot to Save his Princess
She gaped at the approaching car. The car's irritating honking racket didn't even hassle her in any rate. She needed to move. She knows she has to move… or else. She could hear the screeching of the brakes of the car but she doesn't know if it would work since its raining and the road is slippery. It's approaching… with all but one and a half inch left before the car hits her, she hears an annoying yell of frustration, possibly from the driver. He got down from his car and slammed the door rather too loudly but that didn't even shake Rukia up.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you trying to kill yourself? Look missy! I don't… Rukia!" The man who went out of his car to scream at his nearly victim had become soundless. Rukia Kuchiki… he almost killed Rukia Kuchiki! Oh my God! He almost killed the sister of Byakuya Kuchiki! That is certainly bloodcurdling… scarier than death.
Rukia was still crying, now out of her stupor, she fell on her knees right in front of the car. She started sobbing again, now with voice creaking, but it was muffled by the rain, pounding at the black car right in front of her. Izuru got startled and suddenly ran up to the crying young lady. "I'm so sorry." She hiccupped and he took his hand back when he saw her shake her head.
Kaien arrived shortly and didn't waste time to catch his breath, without delay sat beside Rukia and draped an arm across her shoulders. He tried to hush her but she started to cry more as she allowed her head to drop at Kaien's shoulder. She felt like a total pain in the ass. Causing a scene like this, running out of the rain, and now she's crying like there's no tomorrow. The rain mixed with her tears and she didn't care. She knows she has to stand up because the traffic is starting to build up, but she could barely feel her legs. Kaien silently and carefully got Rukia up her feet while they heard Izuru trying to calm all the frustrated party-goers on the line of the traffic. "I'm so sorry." She sobbed again while sitting at the cold asphalt head still laid down on Kaien's shoulder.
"Come on Rukia, I'll take you home."
Ichigo is so mad to know that Kaien is the one comforting Rukia and not him. Well, it was his fault why Rukia ran away. He is still very much confused about the situation. He heard his own silent growl at the background.
"Kurosaki, please tell the others that I'll bring Rukia home. She can't go back to the party." Unfortunately, Kaien wasn't so oblivious. But before he could finish, everyone was already trailing behind them with worried faces, they didn't even bother to get an umbrella in this pouring rain.
Momo ran to her first and hugged her tightly. Rukia could hear that Momo crying too. "Sis! I thought you were going to get hit by that car! I was so scared! Don't do that! You got me worried sick!" Momo sobbed while still clutching on her sister's limping body. "I'm so sorry." Momo heard Rukia say. Rukia's face was pale as ghost and her eyes were empty and hollow, like a deep pool where you could easily get drowned into. Kaien got startled when he felt Rukia try to raise herself up.
"No, Rukia Kuchiki, you are going to do what I say. And that is to let me carry you to my car and then I'll take you to your house." He turned to Ishida, "Can you come with us? Her feet are bleeding." Everyone glanced down at her bleeding and sore feet. Everyone's faces manifested a shocked, disturbed, and worried expression, especially that of Ichigo's.
She ignored Kaien's protests and looked Ichigo in the eye. He got paralyzed as soon as she laid eyes on him. Her eyes that used to be so lovely became so empty and dull. He felt a pang in his chest. "I'm so sorry." Her eyes manifest misery and her sobs got silent once again but her tears continued to stubbornly fall.
"Rukia…" He tried to start, he so wanted to take her into his arms and just tell her that everything's ok. But he couldn't, because it's not. He so much wished he could just beat the living crap out of someone and blame him for making Rukia cry, but then again, he can't. He is mentally beating himself up right now.
Her eyes were hopeful when she heard him say her name on an almost grief stricken tone. She knew nothing else was going to come out of his lips so she stared back at the asphalt and felt warm blood drenching her feet.
Kaien shook his head and carefully took Rukia in his arms, bridal style. She wanted to tell Kaien to go away, but her energy got drained out, and now she could feel the tiredness wearing her off. She saw Renji smile at her and showed her the shoes that she left on the way. Now she totally felt like a damsel in distress, with a totally wrong prince. She gazed back at the bearer of her broken heart so longingly and then just dropped her face on Kaien's chest. She kept both of her hands clenched on her chest as now she was cold.
Ichigo didn't understand; it was as if he was looking through a curtain of mist of confusion and jealousy. He didn't understand why he said he didn't care; he didn't understand why she cried, or why she ran away. It was all in a blur and he has absolutely no idea what is going on her mind. It was raining, though it slowed down a bit already, Rukia's delicate feet are bleeding and sore, she was crying, and she was being carried by Kaien. This made his blood boil, his stomach clench, his heart break, and his mind to work harder than it ever did. This was harder than algebra, trigonometry, or calculus, or whatever kind of problem you might want to present him. It was the hardest problem he has ever solved or encountered. There must be some equation on how to solve this enigma. If only anybody knew. If only it was as easy as that, if only… if only… if only she knew that he loves her. He loves her, a lot, as in a whole damn lot.
"Why did you say that to her?" Senna asked Ichigo while slowly approaching him at the back garden.
"What are you talking about?" Ichigo answered her question with a question of his own and not even looking at her direction.
"Oh, I know that you know perfectly well what I'm talking about Ichigo." Now sitting, she sighed and continued,
"I don't understand why you lied to her." She looked at Ichigo's face that bears its usual scowl, looking straight into nothingness.
"She loves him and not me." He answered as his scowl got deeper.
"How do you know that?" Senna now looked at the same direction as he did and now it was his turn to look at her with eyes pure of disbelief.
"It's too obvious. She would never love me." He felt a dull ache in his heart and looked away again.
"Have you ever told her how you feel?"
"It's no use trying."
"Why so?"
"Because she's taken!" Now mad and scowling, he stomped up.
"I talked to Kaien this morning; they broke up about 2 years ago." She said, smirking.
He gaped like a stupid gold fish, he tried to talk but he doesn't know what to say, so he resolved into what he does best, scowling. He shoved both of his hands in his pockets and just stood there.
"They still love each other." He looked away.
"You can never be sure." She said calmly, knowing that she's getting to her point.
"What kind of evidence do you want, Senna! It's too obvious! They're flirting!" Now out of patience he swung his arm in frustration.
She smirked, "What about that girl you saw at the mall with Kaien?"
"I was just concerned about Rukia. I didn't know they weren't together anymore. I thought Kaien was cheating on her." He said calmly, almost shyly, looking at the ground with his head bowed down. Senna almost giggled at how cute he looked. He looked like a child being scolded for eating a candy or something like that. She fought the urge the giggle and pretended she never looked at him.
"So why did you say that you didn't care?"
He tried to reply but no words came out of his mouth and he looked like a stupid goldfish. Senna smirked after a moment of silence and low growls of frustration emerging from Ichigo. She knew she won, Ichigo's silence confirmed it. She wore a triumphant smile and looked ahead of her, hearing Ichigo's footsteps drifting away.
Ok, so Rukia is a bitch, that didn't mean that Senna couldn't be one too. Oh, women.
Rays of sunlight pierced through the folds of her curtain. She slowly opened her delicate eyes and felt that they were sore. She absentmindedly held her arm across her face in attempt to protect it from the excruciating sunlight. She groaned as she tried to sit up and felt pain across her body like she just ran a thousand miles and cried a thousand rivers of tears. She looked around her recognizable room and found something missing, Senna. She allowed a low growl of abhorrence to escape her thin lips that probably hasn't eaten anything since hell knows when. She glanced at her digital alarm clock and it said 12:26 nn. She let out a deep sigh and moved the blankets off her lithe body. She stopped and groaned as soon as she felt pain shot across her body again. She bit her lower lip to prevent herself from screaming and she held her other hand in her forehead trying to retain information of the recent occurrences. Her body then started to fall again and she just lay back in bed.
She looked at the void ceiling contemplating if she should commit suicide now. It was the same thing she felt about Kaien, though she couldn't fathom how come this one hurts more. The thought of death sounds really alluring in her mind right now. She let out another hopeless sigh and closed her eyes slowly but was quickly disturbed when she heard her door-knob being turned silently.
"Kuchiki-san, I brought you lunch." It was only Orihime. What a relief, she smiled at the auburn-haired girl.
"Thanks Orihime." Orihime smiled back cheerfully and hurried to give her food.
"How are you feeling? Your feet is kinda sore, sorry 'bout that. I tried to find something to relieve the pain; I guess it stopped working after a few hours. Here," she placed Rukia's lunch on her bed, "eat this one first, and then I'll give you a pain killer."
Orihime helped Rukia sit up slowly and placed two pillows against Rukia's bed so she could lean on it.
"Thanks Orihime," Rukia paused, "uhm… last night… you know… the party… what happened after I left?" Rukia sounded really sorry, worried that she might have ruined the party for everyone.
"Oh," Orihime thought for awhile, "well, Kaien got you into his car and Renji drove it. Uryu and I took your car back here with everyone else… oh, and Yoruichi beat up Urahara." Orihime said cheerfully.
"Why did you all go home?"
"Because we were worried about you Rukia. They didn't want to stay behind, so we all went with you."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Rukia looked down on her lap where her food was and bit her lower lip.
Just then, Kaien came in with a bruise on his right cheek and his jaw.
"What happened to you?" Rukia asked, terrified.
He touched his bruised cheek and looked away.
"Nothing. I just bumped into something."
"you're as much of a bad liar as I am, you know, you haven't mastered the art of lying as well."
"Che, it's just a bruise, it's not like I'm not used to it." Rukia glared at him.
"And what do you mean by that?" She raised her left eye brow.
He waved his hand in dismissal while approaching her and softly laughed. She looked down on the memory of what exactly happened and how he got a bruise, though she was still puzzled of where he got the other bruise.
"Just start eating, Shorty, you might grow up a few more centimeters."
Her remorse for what happened to him quickly drifted as her eyes glared again like sharp daggers, she took her spoon and threw it at him. He was well used to it so he was able to dodge it.
"Once I'm able to feel my feet again you are so dead."
"Not if I get you first."
Orihime, who stayed silent in the whole conversation finally cut in.
"Alright you guys, I'll just inform the others that you're already awake Rukia." Orihime beamed and skipped away, literally.
Kaien picked up the spoon and placed it on her bed side table while she took the chopsticks and ate her ramen.
"How are you feeling?" He placed his hand on her forehead which she quickly shoved away.
"The way an unsaved damsel in distress should feel." She glared and he looked at her with bewitched eyes.
"Rukia, you're hot."
"I know, thank you."
"No, I mean, hot, as in your temperature is way beyond normal!" he quickly sat beside her and trapped both of her hands in his left while his right hand checked her forehead again.
"I need to tell Ishida."
"Let go of me!"
"You're going to make your health worse!"
"Shut up and let go! I'm freaking hungry, you bastard!" He then released her hands and swiftly jumped out of the bed. Who knows what a sick Rukia could possibly do.
"Sorry, I'll go call Ishida." He was half-way through the door when she spoke again,
"Whatever. Just bring some Peppero sticks when you come back."
"Strawberry?" he peeked through the door to confirm.
"As usual." He smirked.
Speaking of strawberries, Rukia stopped dead on her tracks, put down her chopsticks and she grimaced.
She heard a light knock on the door and heard her sister's silent voice.
"Nee-san?" Momo peeked through the door.
"Come in." She smiled.
"How are you feeling?" Rukia's shoulders slumped down, having been asked the same question 3 times in less than an hour.
"Sick." She simply snorted. Momo noticed her sister's soup being untouched and her spoon on her bedside table.
"Why don't you eat the soup?"
"I threw the spoon at Kaien's head."
Momo formed an 'o' shape with her mouth and nodded.
"Oh, why…? Never mind."
Rukia chuckled and Momo sat beside her.
Uryu knocked on the door and went in.
"How are you feeling Rukia-san?"
"Got a new question?"
"Are you feeling better?" Rukia rolled her eyes and said,
"Never been worse."
"Hmm…" Uryu nodded and noiselessly asked permission to check her feet. She nodded.
"You've taken a pretty long run last night, both of your feet must've hit something sharp that caused the concussion and the bleeding worsened because of the pressure from your running."
"Yeah, I figured. How long will it take for my feet to heal?"
"You will be able to walk in a few days."
"Good."
Silence.
"Umm, Ishida, thanks." She muttered shyly.
"No prob." He smiled back and pushed up his glasses. He then stood up and checked her forehead. She grunted and rolled her eyes. That big-mouthed Kaien. She hates being sick!
"They're both stubborn aren't they?" Kaien asked while searching the drawers for Peppero sticks.
"You can say that again." The voice of Senna came from the counter.
"Why can't they just tell each other how they feel and just get over this whole damned thing?" Kaien said, still not looking at Senna.
"They're too stupid to notice, too stubborn to be honest, and too hard-headed to get over the fact that they love each other." She said while her gaze followed his body shuffling around looking for something. She tilted her head to the side having an idea of what he was looking for.
"Are you looking for Peppero sticks?" Senna asked while sucking lightly on her own Peppero.
"Yup, the strawberry ones." Kaien said.
"The third cabinet to your left." She pointed out and he reached for it. He let out a low chuckle when he saw a pile of Strawberry flavored Peppero sticks piled up in a row. He shook his head lightly and took 3 boxes of Pepperos.
"So Rukia's not the only Peppero lover, ae?" Kaien teased.
"Hey, two girls can have the same favorites you know." Senna rolled her eyes.
"I wonder if two girls can have the same type for guys…"
"Most likely."
"So do you like Ichigo just like Rukia?"
"Rukia doesn't like Ichigo." She laughed.
"What? Are you blind? She is crazy about him!"
"I know… but I doubt that she likes him… I believe that she loves him." Kaien thought for a moment and nodded.
"I agree. What do you think of Ichigo though?"
"What do you mean? Like… what I think of him, if he's hot? Or what I think of what he feels?"
"The last one."
"I think he loves her as much as she loves him." They both rolled their eyes and gave a wistful sigh. Surely, everyone can see this… except two blind people in the world… Rukia and Ichigo.
It seemed as if the light bulb of ideas turned on for both of them as they gradually smirked and looked at each other. By the look of it, it won't go well for Rukia and Ichigo.
Author's Blabs: Well that was chapter 8... the beta'd version... eheh... i forgot what i'm supposed to say... lol... but i apologize for the long updates... and this cliffy... nyahaha! next chapter SHOULD really be the last... i mean... i could've ended this fic on chapter 7... weird huh? well... let's hope that the next chapter is the last... but... yeah... we'll see... and it's Spring Break! Let's jsut hope that the Evil Plot Bunny will visit me before the break's over. yays! well, you know what to do... hit that review button, hun!