Falling in Love in a Coffee Shop

A/N: *o* So many reviews and favs? You guys are awesome! Thanks to: Aizawa Ayumu, buchielle, Rukes, Zangetsu50, Kiraa Satsuki, Secret Starr, and Personal Riot. I apologize for these short chapters, I am, how to say it, 'testing the waters'. So without further ado, here is Chapter 2, please enjoy! ~Love Nana-chan

Disclaimer: Aaah, such a shame Bleach is not mine. Actually it's probably good Kubo owns it, not me. Heaven knows what chaos I'd have caused so far...

Chapter 2

Number

Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you

Ichigo was still sitting there, five minutes past Rukia had left the shop, just staring at the piece of paper in his hand. He had no idea what to do with it. Sure, he had had girlfriends before, but after a particularly nasty experience with his last girlfriend, he'd stayed away from dating. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't dated anyone since Orihime a year and a half ago.

"Oy, Ichigo, you're off break now!" Uryuu yelled, startling Ichigo out of his reverie.

Ichigo gave the paper another wary glance, and then he put it in his apron and went over to help Uryuu. Girls, in his opinion, were frightening, confusing things. He'd never been afraid of much, but girls were one thing he just didn't do well with.

"Who was that?" Uryuu asked Ichigo as he walked into the kitchen.

"Her name is Rukia," Ichigo said, avoiding Uryuu's eyes, which would probably look stern. And only fathers were allowed to look stern. Not like Ichigo's dad ever did. "She just moved here."

"Hey Ichi! Thought I saw a little number action there!" yelled Renji, the other worker on shift, bumping into Ichigo with a plateful of fresh muffins.

"No," Ichigo lied, knowing very well Renji wouldn't let it go.

"Yes," Uryuu corrected him. "I saw her write it down."

Could Uryuu be any less perceptive? Ichigo scowled. Here we go again.

"Ooh, Ichigo's gonna have a giiiirlfriend," Renji singsonged.

"Thanks a lot, Uryuu," Ichigo said under his breath.

"Sorry," Uryuu replied just as quietly. "I forgot how he was."

Ichigo sighed and busied himself taking orders, though it was hard to ignore Renji's constant jokes. He reminded himself that he only had an hour left of work, and then he could go home and figure out what to do with that number.

Ichigo unlocked his door with fumbling fingers and, flinging the door shut behind him, practically ran to the couch and flopped down on it. He pulled the paper out of his pocket. Having been constantly reminded of its existence by Renji, he'd remembered to take it out of his apron before he left the shop.

He flipped the paper over and over in his hands, studying the way the numbers were indented into the paper and showed up, ghostly, on the other side when he held it to the light.

By the time the phone rang, disturbing his absentminded study session, he had memorized the number indefinitely. He got up to answer it, almost reluctantly.

It ended up being a telemarketer who wanted to sell him some gardening crap. He hung up without saying anything back, then realized how hungry he was. He made up some noodles and sat down at his little table, waiting for them to cool, playing distractedly with the piece of paper in his hands.

He realized with a shock that his noodles were cold. "Aw, c'mon," he mumbled, putting them back in the microwave. How could one piece of paper be so distracting?

Sometimes Ichigo was glad he lived alone. He could talk to himself and nobody was disturbed. When he still lived with his dad and two sisters, they would always tell him he sounded crazy. Yuzu and Karin were both in college now. To be honest, he wasn't sure how Yuzu was doing, living alone. She hadn't gone to the same college as Karin, and if she had been lonely when Karin was out of the house, Ichigo couldn't even imagine how she felt now. He didn't get to hear from them too often.

But judging from the fact that his dad dropped by whenever he felt like it, he might be hearing news tomorrow, or next Monday, or next year. Whenever his dad remembered. Which would probably be at the least convenient time. What if he was having Rukia over? His dad would probably spout some crap about wives and babies.

Rukia. The number. Ichigo groaned and flopped down on the couch. "Just call her," he said to himself. "Come on, just call her!"

He didn't understand what was so frightening about the phone to him. It seemed like if he pressed the buttons it might catch on fire or something. It was getting late when he typed in the first digit.

Ichigo covered his eyes with the phone. "Just finish the number," he told himself. "If she gave you the number that must mean she wants you to call her. Just call!"

He checked the clock. 9:21. It was steadily approaching on 'too late'. Ichigo steeled himself, and then before he knew it, he had done it. Painstakingly dialing the number, agonizingly slowly, and then pressing talk.

It rang once.

Twice.

Three times.

Then...

"Hello?"

"Hi, Rukia? It's Ichigo," Ichigo said, fighting back the slight waver that threatened to invade his voice.

"Oh, hey!" Rukia said. "Glad you called! I was about to go to bed."

"At 9:30?"

"Um, sure?" Rukia said, laughing nervously. "So, is there a time you could show me around?"

"I, yeah, sure," Ichigo said. Helpless to her charms. "I have a day off tomorrow." Actually, he technically didn't, but Uryuu said he was okay taking over for him.

"Cool," Rukia said enthusiastically. "I'll meet you at the coffeeshop...when?"

Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh...does noon sound okay to you? We could, I dunno, grab lunch or something?"

"Sounds good," Rukia said. "Thanks, Ichigo."

"Anytime," Ichigo said. Awkward silence.

"Look, I kinda have to go," Rukia said finally.

"Yeah, okay," Ichigo said.

He paused. "Um, wait!"

"What?"

"This thing tomorrow...is it anything like, like a date?"

An uncomfortable silence, then, "Yes, Ichigo. It's exactly like a date."

Click, and Rukia had hung up. Ichigo stared at the phone, half in awe and half confused.

I have a date for tomorrow!

A/N: Cliffhanger? Yes indeed!

It appears that I'll be able to update fairly quickly, sooo...you should be able to see the date (per Rukia's POV) tomorrow. Maybe, lol.

Reviwes are loved! ~Nana-chan