Standard disclaimer applies.
Author's notes: I bet you thought I was never going to update again. I've been working on a number of ficlets for the collection (as well as some others that will be posted separatedly), and I'm aiming at ending this on number 70... But who knows, I said something like that before and didn't stop, so it may be more than that. I also want to make a thorough revision of previous shots (and perhaps rewrite), but it'll take time, so that happen after I get back to school.

This was formerly a passage from Fragments (which, if I may say so, is totally weird, haha). A little 'slice of life' ficlet with Rukia, Ichigo, and the twins. The focus slightly changes from Rukia to Karin, but I've tried to make it as smooth as possible. My main goal is establishing how Rukia is settling with her new family and how the girls are coming to accept their new sister. Isshin is missing, though, because then, this would probably be crack. Hmm... Maybe next time, haha :D

And my, is this a long A/N! Before I let you off to read the fic, let me thank you all again for your wonderful reviews!

Approval
20.07.2007

The breeze is blowing gently, the grass is so very green, the sun is high up in the blue, blue sky, and the trees are already blooming. White and soft pink fly past, following the paths of the wind. It's a moment of peace that is beautiful in its own rarity, and it's only rare because she spends most of the time up and down with her sword and following Ichigo, or at school trying to survive Math class, or at home, living in a crazy household.

It is not like she is unhappy with her current lifestyle; but right now, she is simply doing nothing of the former or the latter. Here she is, sitting in a bunny-patterned cloth in the middle of the grassy field, legs tucked under her and skirt full of stems and flowers and their petals. Here is Kuchiki Rukia, feeling like a little girl again, making flower crowns.

Like a little girl… Except that as a kid, she grew up spending half of her days stealing food and water rather than playing with other girls. The memories flash through her mind and a bittersweet smile slips on her face. She wouldn't change a thing in her life, they are what make her who she is now, but there's no sense in hiding she would have liked to be able to play freely without having to worry if she'd survive another night in that ruthless neighborhood of Rukongai.

Ichigo looks up at her from his book just then; he adjusts his new reading glasses over the bridge of his nose and frowns when he finds such kind of smile on her. He is resting across her, leaning against the strong trunk of an old tree that provides them with shade; his amber eyes are all on her now… studying, studying. And because he's never been the patient kind of guy, it doesn't take much for him to ask her about it.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Rukia?" he wonders, in that brash and rude tone, as he leaves the book on his lap and then turns to uncap the bottle of water laying by his side. She can hear the concern dripping from his words.

'Are you alright?' she reads, however, in the way he speaks and the way his eyes screw up slightly at her while taking a long gulp of water, trying to find the answer. It's kind of nice of him, actually, for him to be concerned; the feeling of someone caring about her feels so very foreign to her.

"Nothing's wrong, idiot," she admonishes. The nostalgic tone of her smile dissipates, briefly replaced by a grateful grin that also disappears after shaking her head. She stops weaving the stems of the flowers together and looks up at him sternly. "Go on and read that or you'll never finish with that novel!" she instructs. It's an order meant to force him to let go of the issue; 'because there's really nothing wrong,' she thinks.

Ichigo scowls and raises an eyebrow, looking skeptical. The books still rests wide open on his lap. "You are hiding something from me, aren't you?"

She smiles slyly and sticks her tongue at him. "If I did, why would I be telling you?" Her voice grows stronger. "And Ichigo, you really need to finish that book as much as you dislike it."

He brushes a hand through his bright orange hair, looking up at the sky in some sort of resigned fashion, and then grunts out loud, "Ah, you're impossible."

"And I love you too, darling!" Rukia chuckles mirthfully, expectant.

His mouth goes agape and he looks down at her with widened eyes, until he finally manages to shake the shock away and huffs angrily. "Shut up," he growls, crosses his arms over his chest, and looks away; his cheeks betray him, for they are tinged a bright pink.

His reaction makes it all the more difficult for her to stop laughing. Ichigo eventually shrugs her off after telling her to "Shut the hell up, Rukia!" one more time. At least she is not making weird faces anymore, right? And, as Rukia's laughter fades, he goes on muttering under his breath about the 'frickin' fruity romance novel' he has to write a report about, how he 'frickin' hates Oochi-sensei' for this, and 'why didn't Rukia just shove the book down his throat' and end his torture already.

"Shakespeare would cry at this!" he bellows at some point, and Rukia shakes her head at the fuming boy, trying to hide her chuckle.

"Rukia-nee-chan!" Yuzu's voice makes them both to look up at the girl running their way. On one hand she is holding tightly onto her annoyed sister's hand and pulling her along, on the other she has a handful of wild flowers gathered in the basket she is holding. "Rukia-nee-chan! Look, I found these for the crowns."

"Ah, excellent, Yuzu-chan!" she smiles at the younger girl gently. She pats the grass beside her, motioning for her to sit down beside her. Her eyes fleetingly cross with Karin's tired ones, and she grins slightly in understanding. "Now let dear Karin rest for a while and you can help me out sort them out, ok? I'm almost done with these ones; we could finish them up with what you've found!"

The light-haired girl nods quickly, smiling at her twin once before letting go and nearing the older girl. The dark-haired one simply throws a look of gratitude at her direction (to which Rukia nods almost unnoticeably) and nears her older brother, who has resumed his lecture. The boy looks up from his book and gives his younger sister a nod of acknowledgment as she settles nearby against the old tree.

"Hey," he mumbles, fingers brushing against the pages of his book as he moves forward in his reading.

"Hey, Ichi-nii," Karin smirks slightly at him, having caught him stealing glances at the earlier exchange, but says nothing else. She crosses her arms behind her head, closes her eyes, and heaves a contented sigh.

After a few moments, however, and a squeal of delight from her sister, she reopens her eyes and peers at her surroundings only to find the gleeful smile on Yuzu's face and the gentle glint on the older woman's eyes as she smiles back. Her gaze shifts to her brother, who in an excuse to drop the book, is drinking water yet again, and, oh-so-very casually, looking at the scene as well.

"Ichi-nii," Rukia catches Karin say as she rests against the tree beside her favorite older brother, "Well done. I think… Rukia-nee will be a very good mother."

Ichigo chokes on his drink.