Disclaimer: Yep, I totally own bleach, Yep, yep... (Sarcasm is one asset that I may never abandon.)

*****

Flying on Ice

By: anaime

Chapter four - Trigger

It was almost noon when Shiba Kaien stepped out of the over-conditioned taxi along with a few friends. He smiled when he breathed in the familiar Karakura air; it had been far too long.

*****

Ichigo and Rukia were practicing their free skate performance when the doors of the skating rink burst open. Before Ichigo could discern the new silhouette that entered, Rukia let out a shriek and pushed Ichigo out of the way –he had promptly tripped on the ice, damn midget- and threw her arms around the person that entered in three seconds flat. Considering that she had the whole skate rink plus 10 meters on rubber to cross over, it was a feat.

Ichigo also went to where, now, a small crowd had gathered and all but buried Rukia's small figure from Ichigo's view. In Ichigo's mind, a slight mantra of 'whatthehell' kept on chanting. When he finally squeezed into the small group (there a guy with red hair and tattoos as eyebrows) he was there just in time to see Rukia squeal (was Kuchiki Rukia really capable of squealing?) happily.

The next moments happened in a blur.

Rukia had stood on tiptoes and with a happy grin and fluttering eyelids, kissed the guy that was currently holding her in his arms.

Ichigo blinked.

Ichigo blinked again.

This really must have been a horrible, horrible dream because foreign (and unwelcomed) feelings were rising up in his chest. Flames of fire and a twist of a double edged sword; a flick of stinging ice. He had never been so overwhelmed by emotions ever before, not since when his mother had died. Ichigo could feel his eyelids burning drily with anger. His chest tightened until Ichigo gasped for breath…

No way… Kurosaki Ichigo was not jealous.

It must have been something bad he ate for breakfast. His stomach –oh no, Ichigo could only feel an empty hole where his stomach, five minutes previously, had been. This was not normal. This was not an emotion Ichigo was used to feeling.

This could not be because Kuchiki Rukia was currently pecking a random guy.

Before Ichigo could try to deny to himself that he had no feelings at all for the damn midget, Rukia and the bastardbroke off their simple embrace. Too bad for Ichigo, the gnawing feelings of jealousy was still clawing at his whole being. He growled low, trying to ignore the urge to punch the handsome face of the bastard standing in front of him.

Before anything could get out of hand, Rukia was led away by what looked like her boyfriend -no!- toward the ice rink entrance. Thankfully, the group around them also swarmed to follow the couple, and Ichigo was left standing a few feet away, chest heaving up and down in an animalistic manner. His hands were also clenched so tightly that he swore his nails had dug into his skin.

In a matter of seconds to Ichigo, the crowd surrounding Rukia was already outside, and unfortunately –or fortunately… Ichigo had no idea- Rukia's small head had already disappeared. Ichigo leaned on the nearest surface of the glass wall around the ice rink and painfully clenched his left hand in the fabric of his shirt right above his heart. His heart was thudding a torturous rhythm. The beats were so intense, as if Ichigo had just run a marathon. He was panting harshly.

What was Rukia doing to him?

*****

As Ichigo pondered at the mysteries of his heart, body, and soul, Rukia was outside and having the same dread wash through her wn body not unlike that of what Ichigo had felt not a moment earlier. In front of her was a beautiful woman, long, wavy hair and porcelain features graced her face. She had a rack, too.

But that wasn't why Rukia was devastated.

It turned out the perfect woman standing in front of her is engaged to Kaien-dono. It really was no surprise. Rukiahad known that Kaien-dono had a girlfriend when he went on his skate tours, but it was still a stab in the heart. Granted, Rukia hadn't seen her former skate partner in a year, but the tender feelings she felt for him had only welted a little due to time. Her heart might not have been thudding as hard as Kurosaki Ichigo's, but it was still broken.

Rukia forced a smile at the graceful, elegant woman in front of her, and accepted an invitation to a party that evening only because Kaien-dono was looking at her with expectation. She also promised she would bring her new skate partner along. With a simple greeting to Renji, she departed back to the ice rink with full intentions of skating all her emotions away.

She was surprised to see that Ichigo was also a blur around the skate rink, and he was skating fast. It was the first time Rukia observed Ichigo alone, skating. He had a good physique. His skating couldn't be called graceful, but it was strong and steady. Calm, unwavering, like a dock by the bay that would always be there to there to support you. Somehow, looking at him made Rukia the pain in Rukia's heart lessen.

Without thinking, Rukia skated to Ichigo and he stopped when he saw her, and his warm amber depths was gazing at her differently... tenderly? It was some emotion that comforted Rukia. Again, without even contemplating, Rukia found her own limbs encircling what was Ichigo's waist, and she hugged him to her, silently crying. Rukia breathed in his scent. A musky scent that was all Ichigo. She needed a harbour right now. She needed comfort.

Ichigo stiffened underneath Rukia's touch. His brain was currently suffering electric shocks that were traveling all through his body. The touch was different from all the other contacts they had to make during skate practice. This contact was purely voluntary.

Ichigo didn't know why Rukia was clenching him desperately when she had only been ecstatic only a moment ago. And Ichigo, under a minute ago, was skating off his stress and trying to forget the feelings that Rukia had invoked inside his body. But it didn't seem all that important right now, with Rukia trembling against him.

Ichigo put his arms around her, and ignoring the slight pang in his heart, he whispered words that made no sense into Rukia's ears. Comforting words, heartfelt murmurs.

Rukia had long stopped trembling and crying, but she still nestled her nose against Ichigo's collarbone, not trying to grasp back heartbreaking emotions Kaien had unwittingly caused.

They both stood there for who knows how long, rocking in each other's arms… It was just a moment, a harmless moment (or they thought) that would later be remembered and denied.

The moment was ruined when Rukia promptly pushed Ichigo away and accused him of sexual harassment (she only realized later that Ichigo had not pushed her away) (she then later realized her heart was thudding, which didn't make any sense at all). The bewildered look on Ichigo's face –not an angry retort Rukia was expecting- made Rukia want to smash her foot into his heel.

Rukia did what both her conscious and subconscious urged her to do.

*****

Rukia woke up with a pounding headache. Damn. She should learn how to control her liquor. It couldn't be helped. All Matsumoto did last night at the party was shove drinks into her hands after each of her 'acquaintance' with another guy. Acquaintances were long enough for Rukia to finish her drink. She glanced blurrily at her alarm clock, it was almost six. Thankfully, it was a Sunday, and there's no practice on weekends except when a tournament com-!

Oh shit!

Cursing obstructively and haphazardly throwing on her clothes, Rukia made a grab for her skate equipment and almost stumbled. Her headache was killing her. Mentally berating herself for the amount of alcohol from last night, she shoved two Tylenol pills down her throat. If she rushed to the skate rink, she might just make it.

Parties in her early teens always ended like this. She would go partying with Kaien, come back ass drunk, and rush to the skate rink the following morning. It was a nostalgic routine. That is, until Kaien decided to quit his competing skate career and rounded up a bunch of people, many which were Rukia's close friends, to give skate performances across the world. They were a very popular skate tour group called the 'Shinigami'.

While musing, Rukia had arrived at the skate rink, she threw the doors open and was about to apologize when she noticed the skate rink was empty.

Oh yeah…

Last night, after she had dragged Ichigo to the party and introduced him to various people, Ikkaku and Renji had dragged Ichigo away to the bar. Rukia saw him later when he and Renji were deep into a drinking game. Ichigo was completely wasted. He'd be lucky if he even got home.

Yoruichi was there dancing with Soi-Fon half naked. They were pretty drunk, too. And Urahara was salivating.

Now clearly disgruntled, Rukia huffed loudly. Well, she was at the ice rink, and she had ice skates. She doubted that she'd sleep at home... So, the most logical reason to take was...

Her pulled out her iPhone and let calm soothing music play. They did better work at reliving the headache than Tylenol. Smiling softly, Rukia put on her skates and started skating to the music. She hadn't done this in a long time.

A looping figure eight, generous backward crossovers, some simple jumps and spins was enough to put Rukia's soul at ease. She skated for the first time in month just for her own enjoyment. She was enveloped in her own world, with eyes closed and loosely concentrating on the music and her in synch movements.

She never noticed the door to the ice rink open with Ichigo who had also woken up and realized he was late for the skate practice. She never noticed him stop in his frantic movements and look at her. Truly look at her.

She didn't know his scowling face had gone away at the sight of her spinning carelessly, and wasn't aware that his eyes had softened when she threw her arms out in front of her and skated with more flourish. When Rukia bend her head back and felt the wind drifting through her hair, she smiled. Ichigo also felt a slight tug on the corners of his lips.

Ichigo just stood there and stared while Rukia did the thing she loved most in the world.

*****

Oh... I'm so pissed off right now. I put this on Doc, and it didn't save all the edits and AN I made, and spent another 15 minutes trying to re-edit, and I don't even know if I did a half-ass job like I usually do (not intentionally... it's rather unavoidable, really. =3). Damnnnnnn.

So.... Long time no see. It so wasn't one and a half month. Right now, I just want to thank the people who have reviewed, this chapter would never have made it out if not for you guys! (Constant bouts of laziness, finals preparation, slight writer's block, lack of enthusiasm, etc. are some reasons...) Really, thanks so much. You guys are awesome. So, review on! May it be a highly exalted criticism or a sweetly coated 'I like', review on! I luvz you ppl for it! 3