"Ichigo, don't you have anything to say about that?" Ikakku asked.

"Uh..."

Ichigo didn't have a thought, he knew that Renji messed with Ichigo a lot in a brotherly way. Rangiku didn't appreciate this "brotherly moment.

"So she just knocked the hell out of Renji for insulting your manhood and shouted at Yumichika for almost saying something like it. No words at all?"

"Nope. Uh...thank you...Rangiku?"

"You're welcome berry!" she replied with excitement.

Ikakku snickered, "Hehe, berry."

"Don't start." Ichigo complained.

After a few more minutes of interrogation, lunch was over and they headed back to class. Although, Ichigo had pulled Rangiku to the side to talk to her for a second.

"What is it?" Rangiku asked.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Do what?"

Ichigo pinched his forehead, "Knock out Renji. He was just kidding, we always take stabs at each other."

Rangiku scoffed and crossed her arms, "I'm just trying to defend your manhood, which is something you can't do on your own.

His eyes widened, "Excuse me?"

"You let him say all those things and just sit there clueless!"

"I tried to tell him to shut up but you knocked him out. Plus, we joke around. Once again."

"Ichigo, you don't let someone insult your manhood. Can't hoist the mainsail? Cooking with a wet noodle? What does that even mean?"

Ichigo let out a sigh, "It means you can't get it up, and you're doing it with a droopy penis."

Rangiku laughed for a minute, "Oh wow. Where'd you get those terms from?"

"Not important. But you can't just-"

"Wait a second, you never told them we were dating did you?"

"Uh..."

Rangiku crossed her arms and leaned to her right while tapping her foot, "I'm waiting."

He didn't want to tell her that he never delivered the news, he knew he felt shame. After having a woman fall in love with him, while he wanted to tell but never did made him feel bad. Then he went back to his conversation with Ikakku.

"I told Ikakku...in a way. They figured it out at the dance remember?"

"Alright, then. What did he say?

"He asked how it was, if you know what I mean.

"Ugh, third seats."

"What's the matter? I didn't-"

"I'm not mad at you. It's just Ikakku and his vulgar mouth."

"Well, we can just head back to my house after my school."

As the hours went by, the school day ended and they were back at his house. The rest of his family were still gone. Ichigo was looking for a movie to watch while Rangiku blasted her music.

"If you wanna call me, call me, call me."

"That's a nice song Rangiku, who is it by?" Ichigo asked.

"Some American guy, his name is Luke something, what are we gonna watch?

"I found something but I'm not too sure about it. Why don't you choose something, anything you have in mind would be a great idea!"

Rangiku studied Ichigo carefully, "Ichigo are you feeling alright?"

Ichigo smiled, he rarely smiled but this was a special smile. It was a smiley smile that smiled, "I'm fine love. Here's the movie I found. What do you think of it?"

"It's...okay. I'm not sure if I'd watch it though."

"Well you'd sure be crashing my party if you didn't. I love you Rangiku.

"I..love you too."

They watched the movie and later on she was asleep on his chest. Ichigo planned on dozing off until he looked at the clock to see how long he stayed up, it was 12:00. It was the same day that his mother had passed away. He silently lifted Rangiku off his chest and gave her a kiss on the cheek before he headed out the door, leaving her with a couch pillow.

Morning came, Rangiku opened her eyes. She noticed that Ichigo wasn't there, Rangiku yelled his name a few times. There was no reply. He had been gone for the moment. She picked up the house phone and dialed his cellphone number but there was no reply.

Rangiku wondered where he could be at the moment, maybe he was fighting a Hollow. But his Soul Reaper pass was left behind. Minutes later, the doorbell rung. Could it be Ichigo or worse, his father!

She answered the door and the people that rang were Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiro. Keigo had a bandage on his nose though.

"Um...is Ichigo home?" Mizuiro asked nervously, he peeked inside but his orange haired friend was not in there.

Rangiku had her head down, "No, he isn't. He was here last night but I woke up and he was gone.

Tatsuki sighed briefly, "I told you guys he wouldn't be here today!"

This caught Rangikus attention, "Why wouldn't he be?"

"Today is the day his mother was...killed. Ichigo was the happiest person that you could ever meet, he had the most beautiful mother ever. Then when she passed, he's never been happy.
"Do you know where he'd be?"

"The graveyard, it's at the top of a hill."

Without a word of thanks, Rangiku dashed outside and searched for the graveyard. She did not know much about Karakura town but just let her instincts guide her, she sensed his spiritual pressure. Rangiku later arrived at the Graveyard, she traveled up the hill but Ichigo was nowhere to be found. Before she left to look for him elsewhere, she seen a grave. It was more decorated than the others and it seemed that a fresh bouquet of flowers were sat down not too long ago. It said Masaki Kurosaki on it, she felt his pain. As if she had met Masaki before.

She searched for hours and hours across the whole town, she had figured that he might have went back home while she was looking and was walking near the bridge. Rangiku seen Ichigo sitting down under the bridge. She rushed over to him immediately, he was a bit bruised however.

Rangiku knelt down next to him, "Ichigo! What happened to you? Who did this?"

Ichigo said nothing. He turned his head towards her, and then put his head back down.

"Ichi... Tell me wha-"

Ichigo grabbed Rangiku and held her close to him, never had she been held this close before. If the grip was any tighter she would have began suffocating, she retaliated by hugging him even closer.

"Ichi…"

He said nothing but gave her a kiss on the forehead and held her closeRangiku...where have you been? Were you looking for me the whole time?"

"Yes...I looked everywhere for you. I was so worried and you're all beat up, what happened?"

"My hair still gives me problems."

"They told me what happened, it's not your fault."

" I just have to be strong all the time. For my mother, for my sisters, my crazy dad, and you."

"Ichigo...you don't have to...have to...have…"

Rangiku started to sniffle. It wasn't the rain on Ichigo's shirt anymore, they were

Rangiku started to sniffle, Ichigo couldn't tell if she was crying or sick in the rain. He felt something wet on his chest, could it have been the bridge possibly leaking, snot (ew) or her tears...she was crying. "You don't have to be strong by...yourself."

"Geez, what is there to be sad about?" Ichigo asked, he couldn't quite understanding why she was crying but he understood her sadness.

"Ichigo, you're my baby and I can't just let you be sad. I'm caught up in a lover's thing, I'll do whatever I can to make you happy again. I know you would do the same for me, wouldn't you?"

Ichigo looked at her with amazement, "Did you just ask that?"

"Ask wha-"

"You reeeeally just asked if I would do anything to make you happy."

"Oh, I di-"

"Rangiku I'm a Shinigami, Human, Vasto Lorde, Half-Quincy, Hell King, and much more. I would take the entire world with just my right hand." Ichigo pulled her even closer, "Only if you were there holding my left hand."

Ichigo couldn't resist, he locked lips with Rangiku while playing with her hair but he stopped for a minute. "By the way Rangiku...the next time you ask something like that. I'll hide your beauty stuff."

"You monster!"

The two laughed and all and began their walk back home, it was still raining and they were getting drenched. A nasty cold would sure follow afterwards. They got back home and settled down, Ichigo laid down on the couch and instantly drifted off to sleep without a word of "goodnight" or "I love you".

Rangiku didn't mind. Ichigo was happy that was the only important thing.

Morning time came, this time it was Rangiku who was absent. Ichigo had no idea where she was, her stuff was still there so she was in the house somewhere he knew. He went to his fridge and took a carton of orange juice.

"Surprise!"

"AGH!" Ichigo dropped his drink and thank goodness it was still closed. He turned around and leered at Rangiku. She was wearing a two piece Bikini. Surprisingly they could support her bust, she also wore on cut-off shorts over the bottom with sunglasses resting on her forehead.

"Why are you dressed like that? If you feel like-"

She laid her hands on his shoulders, "No...we're going to..." She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "The beach.."

Ichigo looked dumbfounded for a second, "Right...well I'm really tired. My face hurts, I've got a bad headache and uh...a bad hip. Yup! Really bad hip, I'll just lay down and watch TV."

Ichigo went to lay down until Rangiku grabbed him by the shirt, "Nuh-uh! The sun is hot and they're serving snow cones, so let's hit it!

"W-wait! I don't have any trunks!"

"I've got that covered...check it out!"

Rangiku showed him the speedo, his face was red as an apple. He instead just ran upstairs and took out a pair of swim trunks.

"Hey look what I found! Turns out I had a pair of trunks after all, so are we going?"

They headed out to the beach, it was a hot day. There were people running around and doing all kinds of things, playing volleyball, burying each other in the sand. There was nothing that could ruin the perfect day...except other people.

There with them were Ikakku, Mizuho, Renji, Rukia, Byakuya, and many more.

"Rangiku, you didn't tell me they were coming."

"Well why wouldn't they come? I need girls around so I can have someone to talk to."

"Okay, they're okay. But Ikakku and Renji? He's not mad at you?"

"Forgiveness. Now come on! We have to find a good spot."

The crew went looking for a nice spot, it was entirely occupied. The only available area was near the trash dumpster, no one would settle for that. Especially Ikakku Madarame.

"Damn it! There's not one good spot here and I'm not sleeping next to a dumpster!"

"Relax Ikakku." said Renji, "All we have to do is just wait for someone to leave, then we move in and take a spot. I told you Rangiku, that we should've waited another day."

"No, i'm trying to have some fun right now. I'll handle this." Ikakku took someone's cooler and stood on top of it. Trying to say something.

"Hey buddy, that's whiskey you're standing on!" a random man said.

"Relax, you'll get it back." Ikakku cleared his throat.

Ichigo facepalmed himself, Renji just watched and thought it would be funny.

"Attention everyone! People of the beach! It seems that some of you have been here for far too long and need to give up your spots for the more deserving people! Say, people that have been protecting you and deeply care about your safety. So grab your stuff and move along! Go on, get!" Everyone turned away from him and went back to whatever they were doing.

"Alright then. You bastards won't listen to me...so you leave me no choice but to-"

"Buddy, I really need you to get off my cooler."

Ikakku got off, then he threw the cooler as far as he could. It went so far that it was sure to have crashed somewhere in the street. The man was intimidated and grabbed his things and ran away.

Ikakku looked back at his friends, "Guys! A spot just opened up!"

Everyone just decided to deal with it and minutes later umbrellas and towels were laid out, not to mention the extra space they had from a few surrounding people being intimidated by Ikakku's rage.

"Well, now that's taken care of what should we do first?" Mizuho asked.

"It's hot, so I feel like going in the ocean! Who's coming with me?" Renji asked.

Sorry for taking so long guys, I'm really busy with writing my own novel in reality and these college tours. It's almost summer break though! Plus I've been thinking about doing an Ichihime fanfic since it's my number one ship in bleach, IchiRan is just something I thought was nice and look where it is now! Anywho, I've decided you've all been waiting long enough and I'll do the beach scene next chapter. Which I promise won't take long, give me until Sunday.