Rain and its Mishaps

Chapter 4- Waterlogged

AN I'm back! Yeah, I'm a lazy bum who doesn't have the attention span to take A LITTLE bit of her time to write a chapter for her fanfics, but yeah, that describes me to a T. Last week I've been going to church because I volunteered for VBS and it was uber fun! But now I have nothing to do at home… until my parents decide to give me something that I won't enjoy doing… But until then, I'm gonna write! I know the last chapter was cliché and I took some parts out of the real Bleach stuff, like Rukia trying not to be so involved in the Real World so that when she had to leave, it wouldn't be so painful, but I'm trying. Anyways, onto Chapter 4!

Ichigo woke up bright and early. You would have never guessed that it rained the previous day. The sky was a clear blue and a couple of white clouds lazily floated around. The sun was shining and happy which seemed like a big joke to his misfortune the day before. He remembered yesterdays events and mumbled something incoherent under his breath, then got up. Rukia must have gotten up earlier because the closet door was open and empty. There was a simple note that said "I'm going out." It didn't take a monkey to figure out what that meant.

Ichigo walked downstairs, grabbed a cereal bar and chugged down some milk before heading out to find Renji.

"Oi! Renji! Wake up!" Ichigo yelled into Renji's ear. Urahara had let him into his room and left with a mysterious-as-always grin. Renji was still sleeping and for some strange reason, it pissed him off, so he decided to give Renji a not-so-gentle wake up call.

Renji sprang up and jumped out of bed, his eyes scanning the room, looking quite like a cornered rabbit. He rubbed his eyes a little to wake up, and found Ichigo on the floor laughing his butt off. He scowled and sat back down on his bed, scratching his head.

"So? What do you want this early in the morning, you retard?" Renji asked while Ichigo picked himself off the ground.

He scowled again as Ichigo replied, "You were supposed to help me find some damn flowers for Rukia remember? It was YOUR smart idea, and YOU forgot?"

And who's the idiot who made her get mad at you in the first place?

Rukia yawned. She had woken extra early to avoid any awkward meetings with Ichigo. Sometimes all she wanted to do was go up to him and try to strangle the life out of him, and sometimes she felt like she should be just a little nicer to her not-so-sweet savior. Today, she felt neither and instead wanted to go clear her head in the refreshing morning air. She found a spirit nearby and helped it pass on to Soul Society, attacked some hollows, and changed into her gigai to eat some ice cream- all before Ichigo woke up.

Now, she was walking along the riverbank back to the Kurosaki Clinic, when her spirit phone rang again. Apparently there was a hollow around the nearby park. She cursed and raced off, leaving her gigai in the bushes of some nearby trees.

After what seemed like hours (but was only five minutes) Renji was awake and ready to go. Renji decided to try their luck at the flower shop again, to Ichigo's dismay. He was pretty sure the world hated him at the moment- especially the flower shop, but Renji just replied, "You have a better idea?" and he immediately shut up. He might as well try. When you're in the pit of broken luck, the only way to go is up, right?

They arrived at the flower shop to see the shop owner about to close the shop for the day. It was only nine thirty, and most people weren't even out their doors yet! The shop owner mumbling something they couldn't hear while packing something into boxes. He was about to switch the door sign from OPEN to CLOSED when Ichigo and Renji burst through the door. Along the way to the flower shop, they began a race, and like the stupid idiots they were, they always took things too far. They looked like they had ran a mile a minute, dripping sweat and panting.

"H-hello? Can I help you?" the flower shop owner asked tentatively. Youngsters these days, they just have too much energy for me sometimes…

Ichigo scowled and managed to ask, "Do you have any flowers?" which if anyone else asked, would have been a very stupid question on a normal day (this was a FLOWER shop for Pete's sake!) but today was a bit different.

"I'm s-sorry sir, but yesterday's storm has waterlogged my plants, and they have all died. The rain was pretty sudden, so it might be some time before I get anymore." the shop owner replied. Ichigo scowled and swore, contorting his face even more, and scaring the shop owner even more.

"I-I'm sorry! I'll t-try to get some new flower soon!" he managed to squeak out, but Ichigo cut in saying, "Nah, its ok." in a very disgruntled way, then walked off with Renji close behind him.

I hope those two don't come back soon! the shop owner thought to himself.

"DAMN IT!" Ichigo yelled as he plopped down on the grass. Since that brilliant plan didn't go so well, the duo decided to rest in the park, not so far away from the little flower shop. He glared at Renji as if to say that it was all his fault, but either Renji was too stupid to care, or too stupid to notice it.

"So what are we going to do now, Pineapple head?" He asked, making Renji glare at him and yell, "I'M NOT A PINEAPPLE HEAD!" when suddenly Ichigo's shinigami substitute badge went off along with Renji's spirit phone. They both sprang up and ran into the direction of the park. They didn't have to say a word. Being a shinigami is what they were made for wasn't it?

By the time the two got there, Rukia was already fully engaged in battle with the hollow. She pretended not to notice them and kept on fighting. Hopefully they'll be smart and leave so I can vent some of my anger on this thing. She thought, but to no avail. Ichigo, seeing Rukia in danger, immediately started to run up to the hollow and slash it. Damn it! Why does he have to shove his nose into EVERY LAST THING!

Rukia slashed the hollows chest, and it disappeared. She gracefully leapt down and put Sode no Shirayuki into it's sheath. She was burning on the inside with murderous intent. How dare he just come in like that? I am perfectly capable of handling a small-fry like that on my own, and he should know that!

Renji knew that Rukia was fuming and seeing Ichigo try to approach her, he was about to yell out a warning for him, but then decided against it. They had to talk to each other some way or another. He sighed, turned around, and walked away muttering a "Good luck" to Ichigo.

"Oi! Rukia! Wait up!" Ichigo yelled as he ran to her. She single-handedly beats up a hollow and decides to just walk away like I don't exist? And right after I tried to help her too!

Rukia turned around. "What do you want, Ichigo? I'm busy if you haven't figured it out already." she said coldly and was about to walk away again when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Rukia?" Ichigo asked her angrily. "I was just trying to help you!" She's been avoiding me all week! She can't STILL be mad about me not picking her up a few days ago, right?

She turned around and looked at him straight in the face. "Next time you try to 'help' me, make sure to know your boundaries, Ichigo. Because next time, I won't be so forgiving."

"Well how do we even know that there's going to BE a next time?! With the way you've been acting, I could've sworn that I didn't save you from your death a few months back!" He retorted.

"Then maybe that shouldn't have happened." she said softly. "Maybe sometimes you don't know me as well as you think you do." Then she turned around for the last time and walked away.

AN Yeah, I just found out that Rukia's b-day is in January so I don't know how it's so sunny and crap, but whatever! We'll just have to forget that little detail, that's all! Haha XDDD See you in the next chap!