Reason Enough

Ch. 4

Scowling in his usual manner, Ichigo's lanky form was content to menace the table in the back corner. Watching as the others, and most especially Rukia, spun around and moved on the dance floor did nothing really to make his mood any better. And it was even worse considering how things had been between him and Rukia. Getting out of the car, he'd tried to do something nice and hold the door for her. And what had he gotten for his troubles? That simpering fake smile and a "Why thank you for holding the door, Kurosaki-kun." And that had stung, much more then he'd wanted to admit.

Kurosaki-kun? Since when did she call me that? It…was always just Ichigo with her.

Staring out at the dance floor, he watched her as she laughed and twirled, dancing with Ishida. There was no denying that she was beautiful like that. Spinning in time with the music, silvery laughter wafting up over the sounds that pounded out of the speakers at the front of the room. He scowled as Keigo cut in, easily liberating the petite girl from the Quincy and handing the other man Inoue. And as amusing as it might have been to laugh over the way Ishida suddenly seemed so flustered and shy, his attentions were on his shinigami. And despite the fact that his rational mind might argue otherwise, that she wasn't his, didn't belong to him in any way, he knew better. No matter what anyone else might say, she was his. His to protect, his to cherish, his to watch, his to fight with and bicker over. His to love.. And he'd be damned if he was going to let Keigo or Renji, or anyone else change that.

All right, Keigo. Get your hands off of MY Rukia.

Pushing himself up from the table, he stalked through the crowd. Grabbing her hand, he yanked her away from Keigo and pulled her over to a vacant spot on the floor. Taking her hand in his, he wrapped his other arm around her small waist, eyes not meeting hers. If Rukia had been expecting anything from him, it certainly hadn't been for him to bodily haul her onto the dance floor like that. Glaring at him, she pushed against his larger form, trying to break away.

"Ichigo, what the hell?! Cut it out! What do you think you're doing."

With a sigh and a slight growl, he pulled her against him, tightening his grip on her waist. Did she have to be like this? He'd thought this whole thing out, well at least some of it. And then this song had come on, and he'd hoped…

"Rukia, just shut up and listen to the song, ok?"

Surprised at his words, she uncharacteristically shut her mouth and did just that, resting her head against his chest and listening to the words that filtered through the crowded room. What did a song have to do with anything, anyway? Oh well, it wasn't as though half of everything Ichigo did made sense to her. And…truthfully she was enjoying being this close to him, being held like this. Even if it was only a dance, nothing more.

He relaxed as he felt her stop resisting and simply lean into his embrace. Good, at least she wasn't going to hit him or something. Now, if only things would work out the way he'd planned. Well, maybe planned wasn't the right word. Afterall, he hadn't expected the song to start playing, hadn't thought ahead about a way he could manage to apologize to her without having to rely on his own flawed ability at communicating his feelings. And the song…hopefully she'd get the message.

I'm not a perfect person.

There's many things I wish I didn't do.

But I continue learning.
I never meant to do those things to you.

And now I have to say before I go.

That I just want you to know…

I've found a reason for me.

To change who I used to be.

A reason to start over new.

And the reason is you…

She felt her cheeks flush as the first few lines of the song made their way to her ears. Was this…his way of trying to apologize. Of trying to make amends? It…didn't seem like something Ichigo would do, and yet…given how much of a hard time he often had getting his feelings across, maybe it wasn't too much of a stretch to assume that the orange-haired young man might have actually come up with a good idea.

Staring up at the ceiling, he did his best to calm the rapid flutter of his heart. She was so close, so small in his arms. So…fragile, in a way. Taking a deep breath, he swallowed past the lump in his throat as he glanced down at her. He was almost afraid to see the look on her face. Would she understand? Would she hate him, clock him in the mouth? Or…would she accept his apology, as unconventional as it might be?

I'm sorry that I hurt you.

It's something I must live with every day.

And all the pain I put you through.

I wish that I could take it all away.

And be the one who catches all your tears.

That's why I need you to hear.

I found a reason for me..

To change who I used to be.

A reason to start over new.

And the reason is you…

The more he listened to the words playing in the background, the more he was realizing how true they rang for him. Because…she was his reason. His reason for fighting, his reason for trying so hard. The reason behind all his hard work, all his training and dedication. She was the light in his world, the sun in his sky, the one who had come crashing into his life at breakneck speed and turned it upside down. And…he was glad for that. Glad for the changes, glad for the chaos, glad for her. When had she become so important to him, such an integral part of his world that when she wasn't around, nothing felt right, nothing worked right? He pulled back slightly to look down at her, brown eyes meeting violet as he mouthed the last part of the chorus in time with the song.

Please, please understand…

And then…it wasn't important anymore. It didn't matter that he was afraid of rejection, or that she might punch him later for it. As the song's refrain continued, he slowly pulled her hand up to his shoulder, resting the small fingers on his arm as his own hand slid carefully down her arm to her shoulder to settle at the nape of her neck. Tightening his hold on her waist, he gulped slightly before pulling her flush against him and leaning down to cover her lips with his own. He may not have known how to say it, how to express it, but he hoped that at least this might finally get his point across.

She almost cried, almost swooned when he looked at her like that, mouthing the meaningful words of the tune to her. Even if he didn't' realize that it seemed, for a moment, as though he was saying so much more then just an apology to her. And then, his hand had slid gently down to the back of her neck, and she'd found herself pulled into a kiss that took her breath away.

Ichi…go….

If there was one thing at the top of the list of things Kuchiki Rukia had always wanted to do but never thought she'd actually GET to do, being kissed by Kurosaki Ichigo in such a gentle and romantic way was definitely it. And though she could have chosen to expound on the moment in question, she instead simply leaned into the kiss, letting her hands slide around his torso to tighten as she kissed him back with as much feeling as she could feel him putting into the kiss. It didn't matter if it was just a fluke, or if things would go back to the way they'd always been afterwards. Right here, right now, things were perfect.

His fingers bunched in the material at the small of her back, dragging her closer, tighter against him as he deepened the kiss in response. She was intoxicating, like a drug he couldn't get enough of, and he couldn't comprehend how on earth he had denied this for so long. Denied how much he wanted her, needed her. Long fingers threaded their way into her hair as he tilted her head back, pouring all of the need and desire and love he felt into this one kiss. Because this had ceased simply being an apology when he'd realized how true the lyrics of the song were. And become so much else. When the need for air, finally overcame his desire to continue exploring the geography of Rukia's mouth, he pulled back, gasping as he looked down at her. With a sigh, he tightened his grip on her, pressing her head against his chest and resting his chin on the top of her ebony head for a moment before swallowing hard and leaning down to nuzzle the side of her face. It was now or never. He'd done the hard part, and actually acted on his feelings. Now…he owed her the truth. A deep breath and he leaned in to whisper to her.

"Rukia…..I…."

Mentally steeling himself in case rejection was eminent, he brushed his lips against her ear before he continued in a whisper so soft he wasn't sure if she'd hear him.

"I love you."

And there it was. The second time Kuchiki Rukia could honestly say her heart stopped. Tears welled up in her eyes and she buried her head against his chest, holding on for dear life. He loved her. He really loved her. HER. Biting her lip, she pulled back to look up at him with tear-filled amethyst eyes. But despite the tears, there was nothing but love in her eyes.

"I..I love you too, Ichigo."

And all it took were those few simple words. Within moments, his embrace had tightened around her and he was holding her like a drowning man holds a life preserver. She was here, and she was his, and she loved him as much as he loved her. Human, shinigami, vizard. It didn't matter what they were, where they came from. All that mattered was now, and them. They were together, and happy. With a sigh, he rested his cheek against her hair, arms tangled around her as he simply relished the feeling of having her in his arms. From the edges of the dance floor, their friends simply watched with slightly smug looks as the last lines of the song rolled off the speakers.

I'm not a perfect person.

I never meant to do those things to you.

And so I have to say before I go…

That I just want you to know…

I found a reason for me.

To change who I used to be…

A reason to start over new…

And the reason is you…

I found a reason to show…

A side of me you didn't know…

A reason for all that I do…

And the reason is you…

Those words rang so true, not just to those watching, but to the pair wrapped up in each other on the dance floor. She was his reason, the one who had changed him, found the parts of him that no one else could see and made the sunlight shine into them. The one who had taken all of his darkness and turned it into light and hope. She was the sunlight, she was the sky. In a word, she was Rukia. And that was reason enough for him.