A/N: 3rd chapter guys! Sorry it took longer to update. Life has been a little busy as of recent.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters.
Summary: Karakura High School's Prom is coming up. Ichigo's friends pressure him into going this year since he's a senior, because apparenty he shouldn't miss it for the world. After the Winter War. Plz R&R.
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"Ohh? What if I actually wanted to go with him...?"
Ichigo looked surprised, "Sorry but, you two just don't look good together." He crossed his arms.
She smirked at him, "Whatever you say, Strawberry."
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A Prom to Remember
Chapter 3
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It was already Friday after school. Rukia, Tatsuki, and Orihime came out of the bathroom, having brought a change of clothes so they didn't have to go everywhere in their uniforms. She wasn't thinking about it, but Rukia had brought the dress Ishida gave her and was now wearing it. She must admit, she did quite like the blue and purple at the bottom...
Orihime gasped, "Kuchiki-san! It looks great on you!" She smiled happily, her eyes sparkling.
Rukia blinked. She completely forgot Inoue thought Ishida liked her. She figured she shouldn't fuel the fire, but it wasn't like she could do anything about it now. She chuckled a little, "Thanks, Inoue!"
"Alright then, let's get going" Tatsuki said quickly. She wanted to get this over with, as she didn't prefer to shop for a long period of time.
The girls nodded, heading out of the school and into the parking lot. They got into Tatsuki's car, Orihime in the front and Rukia in the middle of the back seat. Rukia was impressed. From what she knew, teenagers especially didn't get such nice cars. It looked to be a fairly new convertable, the color a deep and metallic forest green.
"This is a really nice car, Tatsuki," Rukia commented, admiring it.
"Thanks. We came into some money some time back, and because I got really high in the finals at my tournament, my parents decided to get me it."
"I see." She looked around the back seat and noticed an album sticking out from under the front seats. Picking it up, she set it in her lap and opened it, figuring it wouldn't hurt. She smiled to herself, flipping through the pages of Tatsuki's early childhood, seeing her in sparring gear and having to be no more than 4 or 5 years old. She chuckled a little. "You sure did start young."
"Eh?" She looked back at Rukia. "Oh! You found that old thing. My mom gave it to me just recently. Guess I forgot to take it out." Orihime looked back at them too, smiling as well when she saw the little Tatsuki.
Rukia turned a page and her face turned into one of silent awe and warmth. There was Tatsuki and Ichigo in the dojo standing next to each other after class. Ichigo was grinning widely and Tatsuki was smirking. Rukia's eyes were fixed on the child Ichigo.
"...His mom must've taken this picture." She said softly. "He's smiling so big."
Both Orihime and Tatsuki were a little surprised at her statement. After a second or two, Tatsuki grinned.
"Yeah, you're right. I guess it's obvious now that I think about it."
Rukia continued to flip pages, pausing a little longer when she saw Ichigo. Inoue watched her as she was thinking to herself. 'She looks like she knows a lot about Kurosaki-kun's past and his mom.'
The pages stopped turning suddenly, and Rukia's hand wandered over a picture, her finger sliding over Ichigo's face. A sadness filled her eyes. "He suddenly started scowling... He looks so distant." Her lips tightened as she understood that this was the time his mom died, this was the time he was changed forever. '...But I wouldn't have him any other way...'
Tatsuki nodded, "That's a dead giveaway that that's when his mom passed away. He stopped going to karate soon after too, and we drifted apart a little."
"Ahh." Was all Rukia said, closing the book slowly. Memories of 3 years ago flooded her mind--being told his mother was murdered, being so insensitive by suggesting a hollow had killed her, the understanding they came to as they ran down the steps, the fight with Grand Fisher, and finally, Ichigo laying on her lap in the rain after the battle. She remembered how she felt back then. Despite the cold and dampness the rain had brought, all she felt was warmth in that he was alive. That's all that mattered at that moment.
She hadn't noticed Tatsuki start the car, or her own movements as she put the book back, or even Orihime's lingering gaze. Her mind had gone back in the past and was thinking about the boy with brightly colored hair the whole car ride down.
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"Can I help you, Kurosaki?" Ishida said cooly, packing up his things from the craft club.
Ichigo leaned on the door frame. "I guess." He had a stare down with the wood in front of him.
Uryuu raised a brow and looked up. He was acting a little off... "What is it?" He walked over.
"Do you think you could actually take Rukia out to prom and all?" He muttered. Ishida was lucky he was able to make it out.
"I was planning to anyway, but yes."
Ichigo didn't expect that answer. He looked the quincy straight in the face, confusion plastered on his face.
Reading his mind, Ishida replied, "No, I don't like Kuchiki-san." He crossed his arms. "But I might as well show Keigo up. Besides, it's going to be her only prom, correct? I can at least make it enjoyable and let her have the full experience."
Ichigo was silent for a moment. He didn't know why, but something stung. He had always been her connection to the human world, had always been there by her side in combat, and had always... had her to himself. Hearing Ishida say that made him feel like something was stolen away from him. He shook his head slightly, 'Geez, what am I thinking? I don't need to be the one to...' he cut himself off of that train of thought before continuing, 'And it's not like I'm the only guy friend she has... just the one she hangs out with most.' that second part was added on as an after thought.
Ishida wasn't blind. He saw the substitute's face falter after he had spoken.
"Aren't you being selfish?" The quincy said after a good second or two.
Ichigo looked at him, "Excuse me?"
"You're already taking Inoue-san. Thinking no one would want to take Rukia and that you'd still have her by you the whole time is selfish."
Ichigo's eyes widened, but he quickly covered it up with a snort, "Don't make me laugh. Besides, didn't I just ask you to take her? Gets her off my back." He turned and walked out, making that the end of it.
Uryuu watched him walk out. He shook his head and went back to packing his things.
--
It wasn't long before the three girls got to the mall. They piled out of the car and walked in. Inoue knew her way around most, as neither Tatsuki or Rukia did very much shopping. Rukia looked around in slight awe. Not only had she not gone shopping often, she'd never been to a mall. The sight of so many stores in one complex all within easy walking distance of each other stunned her. She looked around at all the shops, eyeing them with kiddish curiosity.
Orihime giggled a little at the sight. She had almost forgotten Rukia was originally from Soul Society and that even now, hadn't experienced the most simplest of things. She subconsciously was grateful that Ichigo hadn't been the one to take her to the mall or anything, it almost would imply a date. But as soon as that thought arised, she pushed it aside.
Unlike Orihime, Tatsuki was just confused. Yes, she had seen both Rukia and Ichigo in those black uniforms running from the school off to fight monsters, but that was the extent of her knowledge. How Rukia was acting now made her wonder. Scenarios and random explanations sprung up in her head. Did she come from a Hick town? Was she an alien? Did she come from a whole different dimension? She quickly shook it off when she realized how crazy all of them sounded. Coming back to reality, she spoke up.
"Okay Orihime, where do you think we should start?"
Inoue tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm... There're a couple clothing shops on this floor that might have something! Let's check."
"Lead the way." Rukia said politely. Inoue did as told and led them to the shops with a smile on her face.
They browsed the racks of prom dresses, but none of them appealed to the girls in the first shop. As they were walking out, Rukia's phone beeped. Her eyes widened as she grabbed the phone with urgency.
Inoue's brow furrowed. She knew what that meant. They shared a glance as Rukia opened it. She gasped a little, "3 of them?!" she shouted, shocked.
"...3 of what?" Tatsuki chimed in.
Both Rukia and Orihime froze. They forgot that she didn't know.
"Umm... 3... voice messages!" Rukia covered up quickly. "And um... actually, I gotta go to the bathroom. Where is it, Inoue?"
"Oh! Uh, it's right over there!" She pointed to the woman's restroom.
"Thanks!" Rukia sprinted down to it and inside.
"What was that all about?" Tatsuki asked. She had a gut feeling that it was 3 of those monsters, instead of voice messages.
"I... guess she has to go to the bathroom real bad?" Orihime smiled her best smile.
They both looked at the bathroom door as it opened, two Rukias emerging. One in her normal attire and one in the black shinigami robes.
Tatsuki's eyebrows furrowed. She was right. She watched the one in black take off as the 'normal' one bounded over to them. Something didn't feel right about this one, like it wasn't Rukia at all.
Her gut told her to follow the supposedly real Rukia and see all this for herself. But how could she get away? She wracked her brain for an excuse to get out of there.
"Hey, Orihime... I forgot my money at home, I'll be back in a bit. Keep looking, okay?" She smiled.
"Oh, okay. Be back soon!" Orihime could tell she was curious about Rukia, but didn't stop her. She'd have to find out sometime.
Tatsuki gave a short wave and bolted out, going after the shinigami. When she got outside, Rukia was nowhere to be found. A loud crash and smoke gave way to her location, however. She sprinted to it and saw Rukia's sword slash through the monster, making it dissipate. Not a second later, Rukia was off again. 'Shit, I forgot there were three'. She sprinted off again, watching Rukia jump from light pole to pole. She gawked for a second as she ran, but she was pulled out of her thoughts soon after.
"Rukia! Watch it!" Ichigo's voice. Tatsuki stopped running and hid behind a building to watch the scene unfold.
A clawed hand came searing down towards Rukia. If it hadn't been for Ichigo's warning, it may have hit her. Rukia dodged the claws and let herself fall to stand next to Ichigo.
"This one seems a little more powerful." She heard Rukia say.
"Pfft. I guess, but it's nothing we can't handle." Zangetsu was already unwrapped and held tightly in Ichigo's hands, ready to strike.
'Daang, that thing looks like a butcher knife.' Tatsuki commented in her head dryly. She hoped that after this was all over, they'd say something interesting... just a clue to what this was all about.
Soon enough, with seemingly perfect teamwork, they destroyed the hollow.
"You know," Rukia sheathed her sword as did Ichigo, "These hollows are getting annoying. I had to leave the mall abruptly while Tatsuki was there. I'm sure it seems suspicious..."
"Oh, it'll be fine." He waved her off, "Having any luck at the mall?"
Her expression turned to excited when she thought about the mall. It kind of creeped Ichigo out. "Not for dresses yet, but... wow! They have so much stuff there! And so much of the same KIND of stuff!"
"...Just the joys of mass production." He rolled his eyes, then came to a realization. "Wait, you've never been to a mall before?"
She gave him a look. "No, Ichigo, you never took me to one and they don't have them in Soul Society! How could I ever have been to one?!"
"Well, hey! You're, what... 153? 4? I figured that at some point of your life, you'd live a little."
Ichigo earned a kick in the shin for saying that.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"For calling me old and unsociable! You know spirits age a lot differently than humans!"
"Cool it, I'm just joking, midget." He patted her head for emphasis. She fumed and slapped his hand away.
"Just--!" She pointed off in a direction, "Just go back to what you were doing!"
Ichigo shrugged, "Yeah yeah. And you better get back to the mall." He turned and walked away. Rukia huffed, crossed her arms and stood there for a couple seconds.
Tatsuki didn't have sufficient time to absorb all of what she just heard, but right now, she needed to get out of there and back to the mall. She sneaked away through an alley and ran back at top speed, hoping to god she'd beat Rukia there. Thoughts and questions swam through her head as it played back the recent conversation. She barely noticed herself entering the mall. She finally slowed to a stop in the middle of the lobby and came to a decision.
She definitely wouldn't allow Rukia to be with Ichigo now.
--
Rukia shifted her eyes around the entrance of the mall to try and find them. Luckily, she saw them exit another store. She jogged over and waved at Chappy.
"Bathroom!" Chappy exclaimed upon seeing Rukia, racing to the restroom. The shinigami followed her in, happy to get back in her gigai. She hoped Chappy put on a good enough show to satisfy Tatsuki's doubts.
"Rukia sure seems to have to go to the bathroom a lot..." Tatsuki said, crossing her arms.
"Oh, you know how it is, Tatsuki-chan! Sometimes you drink something strange and it just goes straight through you!" Orihime replied quickly.
Just then, Rukia emerged and went over them. "Sorry for all the bathroom trips, guys... lets go find those dresses now." The two other girls nodded and proceeded to a different shop.
As they shopped, they all found a couple dresses to try on. The three of them took turns going in and changing, then commenting on each other's. It was Orihime's turn to go in now, and Tatsuki decided to use this opportunity to talk to Rukia alone. She had been thinking a lot about the conversation she overheard. From it, she decided that Rukia was infact a spirit that was at least 150 years old and that she was from a totally different world. Which, judging by the name, "Soul Society", it meant it was some kind of place where spirits congregate. She could even be dead.
"Rukia." Tatsuki said calmly.
"Yes?" A knot formed in the shinigami's stomach as she looked over.
"Should you even be here?" She used a condescending tone.
Rukia's eyes widened. Could she have... no, that's absurd. She was at the mall the whole time. "What... what do you mean?"
"Well, you're from that... that 'Soul Society', right?" Tatsuki's voice remained low as she clenched her hands together, not even looking over to her.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How did she ever find out even the mere name of Soul Society?! She didn't understand. "How... how do you know about Soul Society...?"
"I heard you and Ichigo today. When you were in those black uniforms." Her words made Rukia freeze in place. The atmosphere seemed to cool as well, the cold biting at her skin and making her hairs raise. This wasn't good. Should she deny it? Should she explain everything? As these thoughts ran through her head, Tatsuki began to speak again.
"Listen, I don't care about the details right now." She finally looked over to the petrified Rukia. "I heard enough to know just one thing..." The thoughts of all of Orihime's inner turmoil and her crush on Ichigo caused her anger to spike. She grabbed Rukia's collar and tugged her towards her to get in her face and glare deep within her eyes. Rukia gasped and Tatsuki continued.
"You shouldn't be here! Let alone get that close to Ichigo!" She growled a little, raising her voice and forgetting about Orihime just a wall away. "You're just a spirit, and you're 150 somethin'! You're from a totally different world! Hell, you could be dead! If it weren't for you, Orihime could be happy! They could already be together!!" She saw the shock and sadness in Rukia's orbs, but continued. "You're just interfering with Ichigo's life!! What's wrong with you?! Let him live his life the way he should've! Who are you to butt in?!"
Rukia jerked away, almost in tears. She knew that. She knew all of that. That was one of her greatest fears coming back here, that she'd just be interfering again. But... but he had said to her... He said it was okay.
That's when Orihime burst out of her changing room, disappointment and resolve on her face. Her dress looked like it had been secured in a hurry so she could look presentable. Both Tatsuki and Rukia looked at her, surprised. Orihime marched right up to Tatsuki.
"Tatsuki!" She left the chan suffix off this one time. "How dare you talk to Kuchiki-san like that!"
The anger on Tatsuki's face melted away as her eyes connected with her best friend's grey ones. She now knew she had gone too far.
"Kuchiki-san... is my friend! One of my best friends! I'm disappointed in you! You don't even know the whole story!" Inoue's fists clenched at her sides and she shook a little. She didn't usually yell, but she was furious at Tatsuki's assumptions. "She changed Kurosaki-kun's world! She has a right to be in his life! He doesn't regret getting involved in all this, and neither do I! She changed my world too. Because of her, I am strong! Because of her, I can help more people than I ever imagined!"
The scene stilled and Tatsuki continued looking into grey, her friend's words sinking in. "I... I'm sorry, Orihime..."
Orihime broke the gaze. "There's someone else you should apologize to..." She looked over to Rukia and smiled a little before going back in the dressing room.
Rukia's heart leapt, hearing Inoue defend her like that. It made her so happy to have a friend that wanted her around and wasn't hesitant to say it. She had just gone from an extreme low to happy, for that she was grateful of. If Inoue hadn't interrupted, she didn't know how it would've turned out.
"I'm sorry." Tatsuki said, looking down at the ground. Rukia was snapped from her thoughts at the sudden apology. She looked over to her and contemplated something for a few seconds.
"It's alright. Your... your opinions are founded." She gave an understanding smile and sat down at the bench. "But... you must know that I'll never keep Ichigo from Orihime. I fully support them two if they decide to get together."
Tatsuki sat down as well. That's right. Rukia had never shown any signs of intentionally breaking them apart, had she? Thinking back to just a few minutes ago, she could barely believe she had been that harsh on the petite woman. She didn't really know anything about the situation, after all.
Seeing her face, Rukia knew she was regretting her words. Because of that, she decided on something. "How about... I tell you the story from start to today?"
Tatsuki looked over to her, "You sure Ichigo wouldn't mind?"
"Pfft, like I care what he thinks." She succeeded in lightening the mood with her comment and thought it'd be a good time to start the story. She retold her past starting 3 years ago, how she met Ichigo and their adventures those next two months. Fighting the hollow that had killed Ichigo's mom, finding out about the quincies and that Ishida was one, and though she wasn't there, she mentioned that at some point in that duration Orihime and Chad had gained their powers as well. She told her how her brother and childhood friend had come to take her back because of her crime, how Ichigo came after her even though she had clearly said not to, and how he failed.
"I thought he had died because of me." Rukia said sadly. "He was a bloody mess in the street, staring at me hurt and confused as I left... I was sure I'd never see him again, that I had taken his whole life from him."
"What happened next? You're here now, obviously..." Tatsuki was engrossed in the story. It sounded like it came out of a comic book.
"Well, I was sentenced to be executed. I had nothing to live for, or so I thought, and became content. Unknown to me, Ichigo had began training and went to Soul Society to rescue me only two weeks or so later. I of course heard nothing about it, and there were times I thought I felt his reiatsu... but I figured I was only hallucinating. I eventually learned of his rescue attempts and even met him on one occasion. I said to him that he shouldn't have come for me, and you know what he said?"
"What?" Tatsuki's eyes were fixed on her. Orihime had also joined her side at some point during the explanation, interested to hear Rukia's POV.
Rukia imitated his voice, "'From this point on, all your opinions are rejected! Got that, dumbass?!' The nerve of that guy! Then he told me I didn't get to complain, and that I should be trembling while saying, 'Oh, save me!'"
Both the girls laughed. "I don't think you'd tremble, Kuchiki-san!" Inoue said, smiling.
"Damn right I wouldn't!" They all shared a laugh again and Rukia continued on with her story, entertaining them in the mall's dressing room for another good 20 minutes. She went on about the rescue, Aizen's betrayal, the Hougyoku, and how she stayed behind in the Soul Society. Her speech flowed right into the information about the arrancar and the espada, and then about Orihime's kidnapping. How Ichigo went against Soul Society's orders and went to save her, then how it ended up all 5 of them going to help.
"Wait, 5 of you?" Tatsuki was confused.
"That's right." Rukia said, blinking.
"You, Ichigo, Chad, and Ishida... that's only 4."
"Oh! Renji came too, we were all on good terms at that point."
"Ah, I see..."
Rukia proceeded to tell them about the rest of the war and how it ended, how they were all lucky to be alive. Once she finished, they got up again and shopped some more, except this time, there were no secrets and no ill feelings, no suspicious glances or awkward moments. They were comfortable being in each other's presence, making it go a lot more smoothly the rest of the night.
They did infact get dresses and even decided no one would see them until the night of. They smiled as they said their goodbyes and parted ways for the night.
A certain noble stepped into the Kurosaki home at 10PM, still elated from the time spent with her friends.
And for the first time in a long time, Rukia felt like she truly belonged.
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A/N: Again, sorry it took so long to get that out. School started, and I had a con to go to last weekend... yeah. Um, I know this chapter has a lot of IchiRuki. That's mainly because there'll be a lot of IchiHime later to balance it out. You just won't see it yet. :3