Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or the characters! Thanks to CrystalRaindrop007 for Beta'ing!
Before the rain . . . there's always darkness. — Me
Before The Rain — II
Over the next few days, Rukia walked through the slave stable as much as she could, hoping to catch a glance of Ichigo again, but for four days in a row, she didn't even see him once.
It shouldn't have been surprising, as most of the slaves usually were worked in several areas, but she had really hoped to catch a glance of him again.
On the fifth day, she walked back home after dark and went inside, not having seen a glance of the carrot-top boy.
On the sixth morning Rukia awoke to the sunrise. Smiling to herself as she watched the bright reds and pinks of the sun breach the horizon, she quickly changed from her bedclothes into a baby blue, tight sweater and a light, dusty brown skirt. After running a brush through her hair and sticking a flower behind her ear as she often did, she walked from her room, humming quietly as she walked down the large cases of stairs.
Deciding to skip breakfast once again, she quickly exited the house and began walking around in the soft grass. Thankfully it hadn't rained in a couple days, so the only water on the ground was the soft, misty dew from the night before.
She wondered if she would see that boy . . . no, Ichigo, on her way out for her morning ride. She didn't have to walk through the slaves stable, so she doubted it.
Soon, she found herself saddling up her horse and climbing onto the beautiful, brown chestnut's back. Whispering quietly to the horse, she breathed in the fresh air and smiled as the wind blew her hair around her face.
"You really like being outside, huh?"
Rukia was startled as the voice she knew belonged to Renji spoke. Turning her horse around to face the red-head, she nodded.
"Yeah. I love it."
Both were quiet for the next few minutes as Rukia led the horse, Morning Glory, around the stable. Renji was leaning up against the fence, his chin resting on his hands as he watched Rukia trot around. Finally, she said,
"Renji, what were you and Ichigo fighting about yesterday?"
Renji looked surprised.'
"That slave?"
"Stop calling them that!" Rukia said, looking down at the ground.
"Look, Rukia. They are different from us. We're - "
"We're what, Renji?" Rukia said, stopping the horse to stare at him. He just sighed, throwing up his hands. He made a few motions with his mouth, as if to say something, but finally just sighed again and slumped down on the fence.
"They're just different," he said.
Rukia smiled sadly.
"And that's where we will forever disagree. And you didn't answer my question."
Renji felt as if all he ever did around Rukia was sigh as he felt the strong exhale of breath leave his body.
"He insulted my hair."
"And you fought him over that? God, Renji! You have such an ego!" Rukia said, chuckling.
Hearing her say such only hurt said ego more. Renji pouted as he watched Rukia begin trotting again. He sighed and rubbed the cut on his face that hadn't been healed from the day before. Rukia had been busy healing the stupid stable boy, and there had been no other healers around, so they had simply patched it up and told him to suck it up. He said,
"And since when were you on name basis with a slave?"
"Stop calling him a slave!"
"Whatever!"
"Yesterday, in answer to your question. He's the boy I told you helped me up. He asked my name as I was exiting the stable. And he told me his," she said simply, a smile still plastered to her face.
After that, everything went quiet.
They both bathed in the total silence until a loud, banging, crashing sound came from inside the private horse stable. Rukia was surprised, and quickly halted her horse before jumping off and running inside of the stable, no doubt worried about the horses that were currently residing in said stable.
What they found completely surprised both Rukia and Renji.
There, in the middle of a large pile of metal feeding buckets, sat Ichigo, dazed, with a bucket half over his head. Rukia giggled as she bent down beside him and lifted it off of his head, setting it on the ground beside him.
He was just as surprised to see her as they were to see him.
"Sorry, ma'am!" he said, flustered. Renji rolled his eyes as Rukia offered her hand. He took it and she helped him stand to his feet. Ichigo gave a sloppy bow and then turned to look at Renji. He growled. Renji growled back, and Rukia was sure she was going to have to buy muzzles for the both of them.
"Look, if you fight, I'll kick you both out," she said, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at the two boys.
"Sorry, ma'am," Ichigo said, slinking away from Renji. Renji raised an eyebrow. He sure wasn't that polite last night when he shoved his fist into his (Renji's) face.
"Call me Rukia, please," she said, turning to face the flustered, orange-haired teen. He nodded.
"Sorry, ma'am - I mean, Rukia."
"That's better. Now, what are you doing here?"
Renji didn't like being ignored, so he said,
"Yeah. What exactly are you doing at the private stables?"
"Uh . . . well, Kuchiki-Sama told me to come here because I would be working with the horses. I guess. See, well . . . He said I wasn't cut out for the other work, which I really think he was wrong about, because I was working twice as hard as the other men, but still . . . he said I was to work as stable boy here, soo . . ." Ichigo stopped speaking, reaching a hand out to scratch his head in thought. "Sorry, Rukia, I was rambling."
"That's OK. Well, if you're working here now, would you help me put my horse away?"
Ichigo nodded, then turned to Renji.
"Renji, Kuchiki-Sama wants to meet with you."
Renji nodded, and after saying goodbye to Rukia, walked off, sure to send several glares back in Ichigo's direction.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Ichigo asked, motioning to the retreating back of Renji. Rukia laughed as she took the reigns of her horse, and, with the help of Ichigo, led Morning Glory back into the stall.
"No. He's to thickheaded, and I don't think I could ever love someone who treats the slaves as he does," Rukia said, sighing sadly and then turning back to Ichigo. "Why weren't you around for the past few days?"
Ichigo just shrugged. He didn't answer her question but instead picked up a brush and began running it through the horses hair. Rukia smiled and climbed up onto the railing of the stall that Morning Glory and Ichigo were inside of. Her thin hands clasped the railing tightly as she swung her feet back and forth.
Ichigo glanced back at her and raised an eyebrow before turning his attention back to the horse in front of him.
He soon let his eyes wander, and after a quick glance around, he realized that there were seven or eight horses in the barn in all. He raised his eyebrow.
"Do I take care of all of these?" he asked, looking around still. Rukia nodded.
"And if you like, you can sleep up in the loft. I know it's not much, but it's better than anything else I could offer you," she said, smiling as she pointed upward. "There's no bed, but it's warm and has blankets and a lot of hay. When I'm watching over a sick horse or something, I sometimes sleep out here, too. Despite Nii-Sama's asking me not to."
Ichigo nodded and let her go on talking; she probably didn't have anyone else to talk to.
"There are nine horses in total. One is being watched by a neighbour because we currently don't have room. Mine is Morning Glory, and Nii-Sama's is Senbonzakura. She's over there in the corner, the black one. Renji's is Zabimaru; he's one of the horses that is gone. The other six are Cloud, Snow, River, Rain, Blackie and lightning," she explained, pointing to each and every horse as she said its name.
"Ah, you should be careful . . ." Ichigo said, wincing as she began swinging her legs back and forth again, this time not holding tightly to the railing.
Just as Ichigo uttered the words, Rukia gave a gasp of surprise as she suddenly fell backward. Ichigo dropped the brush he was holding and ran over into the other, empty, stall that Rukia had fallen inside of.
He smiled when he found her, laying in the piles of hay with an expression of surprise on her face. The yellow straw was caught up in her hair and covering the soft fabric of her sweater. He stuck out his hand and she took it, smiling slightly as she clambered to her feet.
"Thanks, Ichigo."
"Ah. This is the second time now that I've helped you up," he joked, smiling. Rukia responded,
"Well, I've helped you up once."
"Yeah."
Ichigo nodded as he helped pick straw from her raven hair. He took a piece out from behind her ear, causing the flower she had placed there that morning to fall.
Bending down, he picked it up and twirled it around in his fingers before placing it back in her hair. She smiled and looked away, hiding the pink tint that covered her face.
"Rukia!"
Both teens sprung apart as their red-headed friend busted into the room. Rukia turned around to look at him, her hands clasped in front of her. Ichigo let his hand fall from her hair and reached down to pick up the brush again, going back to working on the horse.
"What were you doing?" Renji asked, forgetting what he was there for.
"Nothing," Rukia mumbles.
"Didn't look like nothing to me," Renji growled. Ichigo clenched his hand tightly around the brush, willing himself not to throw it at the red-head. Rukia had gotten him out of a beating once for, but he was pretty sure she couldn't do it twice. And he didn't want to get himself or her into trouble.
"It was nothing. What do you want?" Rukia asked, jumping up to perch on the railing again, this time sure to grasp the railing tightly.
"Kuchiki-Sama wants you home," Renji said, leaning against the door. Then he said, "Stable boy. My horse is gonna be back tonight. Make sure you clean him up good, OK?"
Ichigo nodded.
"What? I can't hear you," Renji said, crossing his arms across his chest.
Ichigo mumbled something under his breath. Rukia said,
"Renji, leave him alone."
But as she followed him outside of the stable, she glanced back at Ichigo, and smiled before completely disappearing out of sight. Ichigo acted totally different around her. Around her . . . he talked. But around everyone else, he either yelled, when he was mad, or barely said anything at all.
And when he was around her, he smiled.
Renji growled something under his breath as they walked along.
"Huh?" Rukia said, quite sure he was speaking to her.
At first, Renji looked like he wasn't going to talk, but then, he said, "Rukia, why are you around that boy so much? And why was he touching you?"
"I fell. He helped me up," Rukia said simply. "And I like talking to him. He listens to me."
Renji rolled his eyes.
"Yeah. Whatever. But I don't think you should be around that slave so much. Don't get attached, because when he's gone, I don't want you hurt."
"Do not call him a slave! And I'll be around whomever I want to be around," Rukia said, turning her gaze away from her friend. "And I won't get hurt."
But she knew that it was a possibility that she would get hurt. She liked spending time with Ichigo. She had only talked with him twice, but she liked him. He listened, really listened, and not just nodded his head every once in a while. She liked spending time around him, and if she had her way, she would spend a lot more time around him.
"That's the star I gave my mom. I talk to it sometimes. No laughing, either," Rukia said, smiling as Ichigo gave her a of-course-I-won't-laugh-though-it-is-silly look. "I feel closer to her that way. My brother gets mad, but I stay out every single night until past dark."
Ichigo just smiled and nodded, as he usually did.
Rukia looked at him for a second before turning her head again to stare up at the stars.
She was currently laying on a thick pile of straw that Renji's horse, Zabimaru, was eating from. Ichigo was combing the horse thoroughly as he listened to Rukia talk.
Rukia, still wearing the same clothes as earlier that day, had decided not to go to her usual spot, as Renji would most likely come along. She decided, instead, to visit Ichigo. And she was glad she had, because she liked talking. She wasn't a girl to keep a diary, and she really didn't have anyone else to talk to. There were her personal maids, but they never listened. She could not talk to her brother, and lately, she and Renji, who used to be so close they would tell each other their underwear color, had been drifting apart.
"You know, I never told anyone else about my mom's star. I once thought about telling Renji, because back then, we told each other everything, but it was for me and me alone. But lately I have been really wanting to tell someone, because when I tell people about the things I do, I feel more comfortable, like I'm not keeping things from the world. I feel . . . relieved. Thanks for listening.
"Ah."
He hadn't said much that night, just listened. But Rukia felt comfortable talking to him, because he didn't laugh at her, and he didn't yell at her. He actually listened.
"Hey, Rukia. Want to go for a ride?"
Rukia looked up as Ichigo spoke a whole sentence. She smiled widely and nodded, dropping the single, lone flower that she had gripped in her hand. Ichigo helped her to her feet and, after putting Zabimaru back in his stall, they took out Morning Glory. Ichigo helped Rukia up, then looked around the stable. All the other horses were either sleeping or eating. Rukia noticed, too.
"Come on, you can sit behind me, OK?"
Ichigo nodded and climbed up behind her, sitting inside the saddle with her. It really wasn't hard, as she was very small. She was holding the reigns, and quickly led Morning Glory out of her stall and into the crisp, night air. Ichigo closed his eyes as Rukia sped up the horse to a trot as they entered the large, open field. He could feel the air rushing past him, blowing his hair around and chilling his face.
He felt free . . .
"Hold on!" Rukia said happily. Ichigo panicked.
"Hold onto what?" he asked. He didn't have time to receive an answer as Morning Glory sped up. She was now running free across the whole field, going where Rukia told her to go and listening to everything Rukia told her to do.
Ichigo wrapped his arms gently around Rukia's waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. She was surprised when she felt his weight moving closer to her, but smiled when he wrapped his arms around her.
Taking a deep breath, she told herself that he was just doing it because of their speed.
But as they continued to run, and eventually slow, Ichigo didn't relax his grip on her. She looked back and smiled when she saw him smiling himself, his eyes closed as the air rushed through his hair. He opened his eyes and noticed her looking at him. He whispered,
"What?"
Rukia shook her head, still smiling.
"Nothing. You just look . . . so relaxed."
"Ah. I haven't been this relaxed since . . . " He trailed off. "Sorry. I don't want to talk about it."
"That's OK. If you ever do want to talk, though, I'll listen."
Ichigo smiled and settled his head back on her shoulder, closing his eyes again.
Rukia leaned back onto him, letting her grip on the reigns loosen.
"Hey Rukia, what would I be doing if I wasn't stable boy?"
Rukia sighed.
"Well, you would either be working in the fields or somewhere in the castle, but probably in the fields. I'm glad you're stable boy, though. Because they mistreat the field workers so badly," Rukia said, sadly looking up into Ichigo's eyes. "So I'm glad you're here with me instead of out there."
Ichigo just smiled.
When they got back, a surprise was waiting for them.
Ichigo quickly jumped off the horse, helping Rukia down before bowing quickly before Kuchiki-Sama.
"Rukia, you were supposed to be home hours ago," he said. Then, he turned to Ichigo. "What were you doing out so late with my sister?"
Ichigo's mouth fell open, but he tried not to show his surprise at Rukia being Kuchiki-Sama's sister. She had called him Nii-Sama several times, but he just never really thought about it. That would make her . . . the princess!
"I am sorry, Byakuya. We were just riding."
Ichigo realized his mistake a second too late. He had called Byakuya by his given name; a mistake. He had taken several beatings from the guards when he had called the Prince, soon to be king, by his given name. He had had it beaten into him that he called Kuchiki-Sama such. If he didn't, he would be beaten within an inch of his subconscious again. And he didn't want that to happen.
Kuchiki Byakuya eyed Ichigo then turned to his sister, taking her arm and leading her away.
No one spoke a word about Ichigo's slip-up.
As he watched them leave, Ichigo called,
"Bye, Rukia!"
She smiled and turned around, waving at him happily before skipping off with her brother.
A smile slowly worked its way across Ichigo's face as he watched her walk off, her dusty, brown skirt flying in the wind.
I hope you liked it! Sorry again if they seem OOC, but they are AU characters, with not all that crap happening in their pasts . . . soo . . . Also, if you are a flamer, flame away! (Hands over matches and lighters) I will continue this, anyway!
Please Review!