Alternate ending. WARNING: KaiRuki. If you are not a fan of the pairing, please hit the back/close button now. Last chance. You really want to proceed? Don't say I didn't warn you.

Okay.

This one start a few days after the practice for the play and the soccer championships. You can re-read that if you want, just to refresh your memories.

All The Right Moves

Alternate Ending

He Who Silently Waits

Rukia was lying on her bed, resting. The soccer championships happened just a few days ago, and her head was still throbbing whenever she recalled how hard the ball had hit her.

This event caused her to think back on what happened before the game. Kaien dropped by for a visit in her home, out of concern of course, as he innocently believed that the petite woman was as sick as she claimed she was. Rukia felt really guilty about doing that to him. He'd been nothing but a good guy, and here she was, repaying his kindness by lying.

She sighed in frustration as she thought further back, before she lied to him about being ill. It was during their practice for the play when Rukia felt a little unsettling feeling in her stomach, but in a weirdly good way. And after Kaien's lips rested on hers, she couldn't help but feel…disturbed; and what bothered her the most was how it was all in a good light.

Rukia remembered the kiss, and her stomach turned. Could she actually be in-like with Kaien?

Were those fireworks real? Could it be possible for Rukia to like this guy who saw her in pigtails as a child? Who made her and Momo cry several times by stepping on their paper dollhouses when they were kids? Who thought he was ten times wiser than her, Momo and Rangiku altogether? Who acted like he was 35 whenever he talked to her? Who…who would patiently wait in the car when she'd come running late during dismissal? Who'd offer to carry her bag at the end of the day when she was so pooped? Who'd make faces at her on the car's rear-view mirror just to irritate her? Who could look really cute if only he wasn't such a smart-ass?

Rukia shook her head at those thoughts. No, no. She couldn't.

Must. Think. Of. Tōshirō.

The days went by with Rukia spending as little thought as she could about "the kiss". Meanwhile, it seemed like it wasn't a big deal to Kaien. He was still very casual around the petite girl, treating her like she was a little kid. Maybe, kisses on the lips ceased to bother him. He must have done it like a bajillion times. Besides, it was for a play. Maybe he was very professional. Maybe he had kissed all the senior girls in their school in all the secret corners. That last thought made her fume silently, but she refused to acknowledge it.

"Rukia," Kaien said, snapping his fingers in front of her face, breaking Rukia's thoughts one Friday afternoon.

"You need a ride home? I'm dropping by the burger place. Momo and Rangiku are doing some assignment at their classmates' house."

En route to the parking lot, Rukia, who had spaced out yet again, accidentally bumped into Renji.

"Hey," he started. "You going home? The guys and I are going to the burger joint. Me, Tōshirō, Shūhei…you know, the guys. Come, join us. It's the weekend anyways."

Rukia, upon hearing the name Tōshirō automatically agreed.

So there she was now, hanging out with some guys from the soccer team at the burger joint. Tōshirō wasn't really paying attention to her. Instead, he just sat here, two guys away from the petite girl who stole glances his way, as he idly drummed his fingers on the table. Kaien was with some rowdy seniors at a nearby table, and he wasn't acknowledging her being there either.

Then all of a sudden, everyone started nudging Renji and giggling, as if prodding him to say something to Rukia. And she was starting to panic.

Oh no, wrong guy. Wrong guy!

Rukia knew that Momo had some sort of crush on Renji, but she also knew that Renji had a crush on herself, not Momo. Her brain was working overdrive, trying to find some sort of excuse to leave the table. Would it be too awkward now if she suddenly stood up and went to the comfort room?

Suddenly, someone loudly said, "Go, ask her."

Rukia had never felt so cornered in her entire life.

The teasing was getting more embarrassing and unbearable. To make matters worse, she could feel emerald eyes looking curiously in her direction.

Then there he was—Renji—who casually said to her, "So…you going with anyone to the school ball yet?"

Rukia was really panicking now. She had no idea what to do—how to reject him without making him lose face in front of all his friends. Amidst the confusion, she had nervously blurted out, "Yes", and began to lie. "I'm going with…"

The first name that popped into her head was the name of the only man she saw most often apart from her dad.

"…Kaien?" Rukia said vaguely in a voice full of uncertainty.

Nevertheless, this caused the guys to hoot. "Shiba Kaien? The senior?" There were some whisperings as the guys from the soccer team were aware of the senior's womanizer reputation, and the fact that he was in the same room as them.

Rukia cautiously nodded.

"Is he…courting you?" Renji asked.

Rukia's eyes widened and she panicked once more. She didn't really know quite what to say. What she didn't know was that her silence and her hesitation were making the air pregnant with meaning by the second. And as the silence continued, Rukia could almost read the conclusions forming in the guys' mind.

Silence. Renji's face fell down, although it was strange because more than disappointment, there was…sympathy.

Suddenly, the red-head patted Tōshirō on the back in mock pity. "Sorry, but you can't compete with a senior."

Rukia was absolutely horrified—were they trying to tease Tōshirō and not Renji to her all along?

And as if fate had wanted to bury her deeper in the grave she dug for herself, Kaien sauntered to her in his usual I'm an upperclassman stride and said, "So, let's head home?" It was getting dark, after all, and she wasn't even supposed to be out this late.

Rukia honestly would have said no, as a final attempt to prove the guys that she and Kaien weren't going out, but upon looking at Tōshirō and gauging his reaction—he wasn't paying attention to them anymore—she sighed in defeat and nodded her agreement to Kaien.

The drive home started was a silent one. Then, with a suddenness she did not even expect from herself, Rukia cried to Kaien about Tōshirō.

"Pssh. That's stupid," he commented after she relayed what happened earlier, parking the car beside the street so as not to intervene with the flow of traffic. "If the guy really likes you, he'll pursue you. And please, don't even go after this thing just because of the bet. I'll still buy you the dress if that's what the tears are about."

Rukia just sniffed pitifully in response. Talking to Kaien sometimes made her feel like a grownup. He never really took anything seriously, but he knew how to get serious and dish out good advice when the situation warranted it. And even when Rukia felt like her problem was so overwhelming, Kaien had a way of making it sound like a fairly easy deal that she could manage if only she gained some perspective.

"Wow. You really feel bad about this, huh?"

"No, no." Rukia tried to explain as she wiped her tears, but Kaien had already made a move to enclose her in his arms.

"Don't be shy. It's alright. We all have our own share of problems."

Kaien continued comforting the petite woman, rubbing her back gently to stop her tears; and as for Rukia, everything instantly seemed okay.

They stayed in each other's arms for a few moments, before Rukia suddenly felt Kaien become a little fidgety, as though he couldn't decide on something.

Finally, he pulled out a pink balloon from the back of the car (she might've been so distracted to have missed that), and handed it to her. "Here. Cheer up, 'kay?"

Rukia felt so happy at the sight of the bright-colored balloon that she took it home and placed it in her room.

A few weeks later, the balloon was all shriveled up, and as Rukia was about to pick it up and throw it, she found that there seemed to be a piece of paper inside.

The note—from Kaien—said: Will you go to the ball with me?

Rukia couldn't help but smile at Kaien's antics.

It was two weeks before the ball, and a package arrived at the Kuchiki doorstep. Rukia wondered who it was from, since it was addressed to her. She anxiously tore the box open only to discover, wrapped in white silky paper, a long pink dress—that she thought was hellbent on winning the tackiest dress award.

It was ruffled, it was long, it was baby pink, it was a cute girl's flamenco outfit gone wrong, and it was from Kaien, so it was the sweetest thing she has ever seen.

At the ball, Rukia and Kaien had a great time dancing, laughing about the dress the petite girl was wearing, and flirting about how her wearing it might actually mean something. Most people thought that Kaien had already fooled the entire junior and senior female population and that the only ones who would fall for his antics were the sophomores. Others decided that, being Momo's friend, Rukia was just doing her cousin a favor by being his date. What was pretty obvious to everyone was how the two were truly enjoying each other's company that they barely noticed anyone else.

And of course, asking permission was a breeze—Byakuya had always liked Kaien and though that he was trustworthy.

And, as was expected the moment the two stepped into the halls together, Kaien and Rukia won the King and Queen of the Night.

Things went by pretty smoothly after that night. Unexpectedly, but both to their joy, Kaien and Rukia didn't experience any awkwardness with each other. If anything, the two grew even closer.

The play was a huge success, too, and Urahara-sensei was so happy with the result of his hard work that right after the play, he announced that there would be a re-run, still with Shiba Kaien and Kuchiki Rukia as the lead stars.

As she made her way home after the spectacular night of the play's screening, Rukia was shocked when she caught sight of a bouquet of red roses on their doorstep. She picked it up and opened the card that came with it.

To my Juliet,

Congratulations for a job well done!

Is it okay for your Romeo to take you out to lunch tomorrow?

Yes? That's great! I'll see you tomorrow, then. I'll make sure you'll enjoy.

Don't be late. It's not everyday that someone as gorgeous as I am invites you out to lunch. Well, we can negotiate for it to become a regular occurrence if you like.

P.S. If girls say I'm not a bad kisser, is that a plus? :)

-The End-

That's it! As I said in the previous chap, this is wickedsistah1024, for the very last time for ATRM, signing off. Happy New Year people!