A/N: Lol, I got this funny review last time. A flame. But what makes me laugh is that said person is too chicken to sign into a FF account so I can reply to them. LAME. I'd say you're the loser, hun. ;)
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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And so, he decided to do something that wasn't dictated by his tough guy facade, just by his heart. Sitting down on his bed next to her, he managed to tone down his voice and say...
"Why don't you tell me all about him?"
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A Prom to Remember
Chapter 5
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Rukia was surprised at Ichigo's tone of voice, not to mention the question. She gazed downwards and words began to spill from her mouth, trying to cover all that happened.
"Kaien-dono... was my teacher, the one who taught me everything I know. He was a lot like you really, just more light hearted. He smiled more and was playful." She paused, thinking of what she wanted to say next. "I never felt welcome until I met him... everyone always looked the other way or was too polite because of my Kuchiki name. But he treated me on an equal level, like I had the same dignity as everyone else." Another pause. "During our training, we built a close friendship and I actually started to look forward to getting up and going to my squad every day."
Ichigo listened intently, letting her words soak in. It sounded like she cared deeply for this man... and still does. Without thinking, he asked a question that had been on his mind. "...Were you two closer than friends?" He couldn't stop himself from saying the words. Mentally he cursed at himself.
Rukia looked shocked and a little flustered at the thought, "N-no! No no no!" She waved her arms frantically in front of her in her defense. "We were just close. He had a wife, and she was amazing too."
"Ahh. Alright alright. What happened next?" 'It was probably just a harmless crush, if anything anyway...
...Why am I so worked up over this?!'
Noticing she hadn't started talking, he broke away from his thoughts and focused on her. Her head was down again and her tiny fists clenched the fabric of her skirt. Was that a whimper? His arm moved to put a hand on her shoulder, but he drew it back.
"You don't have to tell me if it's that painful..." He said, remembering how she offered him the same space so long ago.
She shook her head. "No... it's fine." She looked back up at him, meeting his gaze."One night, Miyako, his wife, was sent on a mission to investigate a strong hollow. But when they came back, she was infact possessed by the hollow and killed many shinigami that night." She started, averting her eyes yet again. "Kaien-dono went after her, and in the process, he... he was taken control of too. Ukitake-taicho told me to run, and I did, but then I stupidly came back. With my sword out in front of me, the hollow, in his body, attacked me and I... I impaled him." Her jaw clenched painfully, able to feel to tears stinging at her eyes. "The real Kaien spoke to me as he was dying. He said thank you, and that he'd leave his heart with me..." She put a hand up to her heart and clenched the fabric. She tried to fight back the tears, but they came anyway. She looked down again in order to hide the droplets of pain.
Ichigo's lips tightened into a straight line. She needed somebody... him, right now. He pushed aside his pride and wrapped and arm around her shoulders, letting her cry into him. He had only seen her cry three times... and those three times, the tears were only brimming at her eyes, maybe a stray one falling. But this... he had never seen the fierce and strong woman break down like this.
After she calmed down, he had the need to ask her just one more thing. He had to, or he'd never be at rest. "So I resemble him and apparently act a lot like him. Is that why..."
Her eyes shot open and looked up to him suddenly, appalled at the idea. "NO!" She shouted. Seeing his eyes widen at the raise in volume, her voice became gentle. "Ichigo... you are not him, and he is not you." She cupped his face in her hands, looking straight into his eyes. "You are two different people, and I have never acted like you were the same. You bear a resemblance, but that is not why I am your friend!" Dropping her hands down, she sucked in a breath and almost whispered "That is not why we are close."
He silently looked at her and processed her little outburst before smirking a little, "Good." He got up and his arm slid across and off her shoulders.
That's when she realized all traces that she was sad were wiped clean. A smile graced her lips, surprised at how much better she felt. Watching him head for the door, she thought of something.
"Oh, how was your night with Inoue?"
He stopped midstep, turning back to her. "Ah, it was alright. We saw a movie... and it reminded me of..." He stopped midsentence. 'Of us? That makes it sound like I'm implying something!'
Rukia raised a brow at his sudden halt of speech and the look on his face. "Of...?"
"...Stuff." He said gruffly before turning around again and going downstairs to fetch some leftovers.
She sat there silently for a moment and then sighed. He was a weird one, alright.
--
"I'll get it done." Ishida promised, taking the bag from Rukia. True to her word, she had brought the prom dress for him to edit. She was excited to see what kinds of things he would add onto it, to be honest. Seeing him gently put the bag in his locker, she went ahead and walked toward the classroom.
She got to her seat and started to take out her books for the class. She was perplexed as to why Ichigo wasn't there already, but didn't let it bother her too much. Hearing the girls talking in a group behind her, she couldn't help but eavesdrop.
"You guys actually went on a date?!"
"Y-yes, well, kinda..." Orihime. So she was talking about her and Ichigo's outing last night?
"Well! What happened? How'd it go?"
"Oh, it went great! We saw a movie, he bought me my popcorn and drink... and... and..." By the tone of her voice, Rukia could tell she was blushing. Just what happened?
"Aaaand?" The girls seemed excited.
"And when... when he dropped me off, he... he kissed me on the cheek."
The girls went in a mini uproar and started talking about it all at once.
"Wow, he must really like you, Orihime!"
"Congratulations! I bet you're the only one who could get that out of him, Orihime!"
"So maybe he's a romantic after all! You're so lucky, Orihime!"
Rukia clutched the books in her hands tightly, the girls' comments swimming in her head. She hadn't immediately noticed herself trembling ever so slightly. She clenched her teeth, feeling the sting in her eyes. What was wrong with her? Ichigo kissed her cheek, so what?! She shouldn't be feeling like this...
Wrapped up in her thoughts, she made the tiny mistake of letting a small whimper escape her throat. Nobody noticed, except for Inoue. Orihime looked over her shoulder and saw Rukia shaking a little. She hadn't even seen her come in! She was so caught up in her story, that...
that...
Realization washed over her. 'Oh no... is she upset over what I said? That means...' She gulped. Was she right all along, then? Did Rukia like him too?
The Kuchiki then stood up. She needed to get ahold of herself, this was ridiculous. Trudging out the door, she bumped right into Ichigo. She was glad that made her collect herself pretty quickly.
"Watch it, midget!"
"You watch it, you overgrown oaf!" She rubbed her nose. She had ran smack-dab into his chest. "It's all your fault anyway!"
"Bullshit! I didn't even see you there, you're so tiny!"
Rukia fumed. "Maybe if your fat body didn't take up the whole doorframe, this wouldn't have happened!"
"WHAT?!" A vein popped from Ichigo's head. "Me, fat?! You're kidding, right? Have you even looked at me lately?!"
"Yeah, this morning! I saw you got a little pudgy around the midsection!"
Ichigo gritted his teeth, about to make a comeback. But he was interrupted.
"Kuchiki-san, you... saw Kurosaki without his shirt this morning?" One of the girls asked.
A long silence filled the room. The two of them had very similar reactions--first, they were blue in the face, then blushed greatly at the implication.
"NO!" They both shouted together. After another brooding silence, they both spoke.
"...I'm going to my locker."
"Yeah me too."
They both practically stormed out and went to their respectful lockers, but because the lockers were set up to be in alphabetical order, they weren't as far away from each other as they had hoped.
"Pervert. Looking in my room when I'm changing." Ichigo muttered, rumaging through his locker.
Rukia smacked him over the head with her notebook. "Fool! I just needed a quick comeback, and that's how it came out!"
"Yeah well, look where it got us! I'm gonna get bombarded by questions about our living situation!"
"What, embarrassed that I'm living with your family?!"
"No! It just makes it look like... like..."
"Like what, Ichigo? Oh wait, I bet you just suddenly started caring what people think because you're with Inoue now!"
Ichigo looked at her, shocked. This wasn't just bickering anymore, the kind that made them happy... it was different. Was she serious?
"What makes you think that?" He realized he needed to clarify, "What makes you think I'm with Inoue?"
She looked at him like it was so obvious, "Gee, you're going to prom with her, you went on a date with her, and you even kissed her cheek! Oh wow, how could I ever think there was more between you!" The sarcasm was dripping from her voice.
Ichigo sighed heavily, "Rukia..." he pinched the bridge of his nose for a second. Glancing around, he bent over a little and talked so only she could hear. "Listen. I don't like her like that, okay? But I don't want to just break her heart. I'm trying to be nice! She's my friend, I can't just... disregard her. I have to give her a fair chance."
They stood there for awhile in silence after that. Rukia didn't know what to say. She did know one thing, though. She trusted him enough to believe he wasn't lying. No, not just believe... she knew he wasn't. She gave him a soft smile. He smiled back a little and they were engulfed in silence again for some more seconds.
"Wait." Ichigo furrowed his brow. The scene had been replaying in his head the whole time. He looked as if he was processing something in his head.
A light bulb went off and a smirk started to spread on his face. "...Why were you so upset about it?"
Rukia gasped and looked like a deer in headlights for a moment. Shaking it off, she slapped him upside the head with her notebook again. "Fool! Don't jump to conclusions!" She ran off back to class.
Rubbing the spot where he had been hit, he watched her run in. The smirk was still plastered on his face. He started to snicker, and then laugh. Just like that, they were fine again. He decided to make his way back to class now.
Then the bell rang.
"Shit!" He darted to the door.
--
The week passed pretty slowly to most because of the hype for this weekend, but it was over soon enough. Today was Saturday, the big day.
Rukia went over Inoue's to borrow some makeup, as she had never bought any during her stay in the living world. There was no need for it until now.
"Thanks a lot, Inoue. I appreciate it." She smiled at her.
"No problem, Kuchiki-san!" She smiled right back.
Rukia was about to turn and leave, but Orihime spoke.
"Hey, Kuchiki-san... can I... can I ask you something?"
Rukia blinked and turned back to her. "Sure, anything. What is it?"
"Ah... um... Do you..." Orhime gulped and looked down, rethinking her actions. "A-actually... nevermind, Kuchiki-san. I'll see you at the prom!" She forced a smile.
Rukia's brow rose, but she didn't push it. "Okay... see you there." She smiled awkwardly and started to head back to Ichigo's house.
After she was out of sight, Inoue sighed. She was going to ask if she infact liked Ichigo. But she decided against it--they didn't need any drama tonight. Besides, she was... a little scared to know the answer.
Stepping back inside, she took her dress out of the bag and started to get ready. A real smile graced her lips as her excitement rose, realizing once again that she would get to be with Ichigo this whole night.
--
Back at the Kurosaki residance, Rukia walked in to see Ichigo in front of a mirror fumbling with his tie. She sighed a little and walked up to him.
"Having trouble?"
She saw his scowl deepen through his reflection. "No. I'm fine."
"Just turn around."
He raised a brow, doing as instructed, "And what do you plan to do about it?"
"This." She grabbed his tie and unravelled it, retying it perfectly with ease.
Ichigo only stood there and huffed.
'That's probably the best thank you I'll get...' Rukia thought, tightening the knot. "There. Geez, Ichigo, I would've thought by now you'd be able to do that."
"Shut up. Don't you have to get ready?"
"Yeah yeah." She trudged away from him and up the stairs. She grabbed her newly revised dress and went into the girls' room to change.
Only a half an hour later, the doorbell rang. Ichigo walked over to the door and opened it. "Hey, Ishida."
"Good evening, Kurosaki." Uryuu stepped in. His suit was complete white, as was his tie and shoes. His shirt was a combination of royal blue and navy in a neat pattern. It was also made of a silky material, making it shine in the light.
"Holy shit Ishida, you're going to stand out so much, you know that?"
"Of course." He looked passed him to something else and smiled lightly, "As will my date."
Ichigo quirked a brow and followed Uryuu's line of sight. What he laid eyes on made him gawk.
There was Kuchiki Rukia, standing at the base of the stairs. Her dress was navy with blue and indigo sparkles dotted all over it, making her shimmer in the light. It went down to her ankles and fit her form perfectly. There was a slit up her left thigh and white swirls curving around the base of her dress as well as on the straps, which tied together at the back of her neck. Her shoes were a glossy white, the heels making her 3 inches taller. As for her hair, it was clipped up in the back, leaving only her signature bang and a few tuffs of hair in front of her ears. Her makeup was done neatly and in a way that brought out her bright eyes.
All in all, she was absolutely gorgeous.
The Kuchiki smirked as she made her way to Ichigo, gently pressing up on his jaw to close it. "See you at the dance, Ichigo." She made her way to Ishida, who offered his arm. She took it and they walked out of the house.
Ichigo stood there for a good minute in the same exact position. He finally shook himself free of the mini trance and grumbled something incoherent as he went up the steps to his room.
"You get it all?" Karin asked from behind a corner.
"Yes!" Isshin gave a thumbs up to his daughter with his free hand. His other hand was currently occupied by a camcorder.
Yuzu giggled, "His face was priceless!"
--
"Wow Kuchiki-san, you really did make an impression on him." Ishida smirked, leading her out to the car.
She smirked back, "Heh, I guess so. His face was great."
"Well, you do look very pretty, if I do say so myself."
She smiled a little at him. "Thanks." He opened the car door for her and closed it when she got in. Walking around and to the driver's side, he sat down and started it up.
Rukia took one last look at the Kurosaki residence before they took off. Idle thoughts of Ichigo and Inoue together crept into her mind. Her face contorted just a little at the idea.
Was she really falling for the strawberry?
Uryuu turned and studied her expression. He faced ahead before saying anything. "...Don't worry so much. I have a feeling tonight will go alright, for all of us." He saw her give her a small, grateful smile from his peripheral vision. Without another word, he drove off to the restaurant they were to eat dinner at.
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Isshin checked his son once over, making sure he looked his best. Ichigo didn't much care, so he felt the need to make up for it. The 18 year old was in the traditional black suit with a grey shirt and a dullish magenta tie.
"Can I go now, old man?" Ichigo glared at his father, crossing his arms.
"Oh fine! I suppose you look alright." Isshin approached him and then proceeded to stuff the camera in his pocket. "Take pictures, okay son?!" He slapped him on the back and watched as he stumbled forward.
Ichigo growled, but didn't say anything else. He trudged out the door, keys in hand. He got in and drove to Inoue's apartment.
Now he stood in front of her door. Taking a deep breath and gathering his bearings, he knocked on the door.
"Coming!" Ichigo heard the restling of her dress as she made her way to the door. When she finally opened it up and came out to meet him, his eyes widened. Inoue looked stunning too, in her own way.
She had a knee-high dress made of a silky dark grey material; it had magenta lace running around the length of the dress. A ribbon of the same color wrapped around her waste and seperated her chest from the rest of the dress. Spaghetti straps sat atop her shoulders, securing it to her. Her hair was up in a bun with a braid running along each side of her head to the back. Her shoes were the same magenta and her jewelery consisted of a lot of white gold; she wore dangling earrings, a simple necklace, and a bracelet on her left wrist. Her makeup held a pink theme and her eyeshadow glittered.
"Wow, Inoue... you look beautiful."
Orihime smiled shyly and blushed, "Thank you, Kurosaki-kun... You look handsome yourself."
He gave her a slight smile. "Thanks." He then held out his hand, "Hungry?"
She looked to his hand and then up to him, smiling again. That's right, they were going to dinner too. "Yes, Kurosaki-kun." Taking his hand, she was led to the car. Any negative thoughts she had earlier were pushed from her mind; her heart felt so light right now.
--
'This is sure a fancy restuarant...'
The Kuchiki noble looked around the premises, surprised. She had expected a nice dinner with Ishida, but nothing like this. Even compared to the stuff she ate at the Kuchiki manner, it was still a step up. Especially as far as atmosphere is concerned.
Ishida pushed up his glasses, pleased with himself and her reaction. "Surprised? Don't be. I figured a Kuchiki such as yourself already is accustomed to fancy dinners, so I tried to take it to a higher level."
"Ishida... you really didn't have to do this. The food must cost a fortune."
"Don't pay any attention to the prices. My Dad is helping cover it."
She suddenly chuckled a little, "I bet he doesn't know you're taking a shinigami, then."
He only smirked, "He probably realizes it by now, because of our reiatsu. But I already have the money."
"Sneaky." Rukia watched Ishida address the man at the front about his reservation. They were led to a table and were seated. After being handed a menu, she opened it and dared look at the prices.
She gasped. "Holy--"
"--Kuchiki-san." Ishida interrupted her. "It's alright, really. Get what you want."
Rukia frowned a little, but didn't protest anymore for the fear of being too rude. Scanning the menu, she made her choice and ordered along with Uryuu when the waiter came by. They sat in silence for a minute or two before one of them spoke up.
"How do you feel about Kurosaki and Inoue-san going together?"
The question took her a bit off guard, but she didn't try to avoid it. "I... I don't know."
"Mixed feelings?"
She only nodded her head.
Uryuu looked down a little and fumbled with the silverware. "How about I tell you what I think, then?" He looked back up at her. In those blue of his, she could've sworn she had seen sadness.
After a pause, she answered him. "Go ahead."
The quincy cleared his throat before his voice came from out his mouth.
"I hate it." He said simply.
Rukia's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that. She stayed silent in order for him to continue.
"She's always entranced with that damn Kurosaki, she sees no other man besides him. It's the worst tunnel vision I've seen and she's not even with him." Though he stayed visibly calm, his voice definitely held an undertone of anger. He was glaring at the side of the table now. "And he just made it worse by accepting to go with her, only as friends or not." After a moment, he relaxed a little and his eyes softened. He clasped his hands in front of him with his elbows on the table. "But... she's happy. I know she is. So I guess it's only right she enjoys herself, whether their relationship ends with this night or goes on an eternity."
Kuchiki Rukia, was shocked. Yes, she had seen he was nicer to her than anyone else, but... she hadn't expected his feelings to be so strong. 'Then again, how could I have expected this? He stays in the background a lot, and doesn't present his feelings often.' Her thoughts circled a bit before she came to a conclusion, 'Hm, could he have really told her his feelings anyway? Like he said, she has a bad case of tunnel vision. He'd only end up getting hurt. And he knows that.' Suddenly she gained a new respect for Uryuu, he was taking this well for his circumstances and keeping her feelings first and foremost despite his pain.
"Now it's your turn." He kindly informed her.
She chuckled to herself, 'When did I make that deal?' Never the less, she searched herself for the right answer. It was tough wording it right.
"I... it doesn't sit well with me. I don't quite know why, but it just feels like it isn't right, them being together. I mean, if they really do fall in love, okay, I'll do my best to be happy, but... as of right now, I can't see it."
"Would you rather him take you to prom?"
She blinked, and considered it. "Yeah, no offense to you or anything of course. But he probably is my closest friend, and..."
"And seeing him taken stirs up your insides a little."
Rukia simply nodded, it was true. But, did that mean...?
"Well, Kuchiki-san, it looks like we're in the same boat."
"But I... I don't think I like Ichigo! I probably just got a little upset because of the sudden change." She wasn't aware of the slight blush across her cheeks.
Uryuu only smirked slightly. The waiter came just in time and delivered their food. Rukia considered it a welcome distraction.
'Denial sure is interesting. I wonder if she'll come to terms with it tonight.'
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A/N: I'm sorry it took so long, guys! I wrote 2/3 of it pretty quickly, but the rest I did in little snippets. D: But, as you can all see, we still have one chapter left! Orihime/Ichigo's dinner and the actual prom ended up not fitting in this chapter, as I want to make all of them about the same length. Might as well seperate it anyway.