Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
All these kind reviewers have made me want to start on this chapter early! Hint: Start. Sadly, it doesn't mean it will be finished early, for I have lots of other mess that I have to do. And I have a rather short attention span. Haha. I know that's no excuse, so...HERE! Chapter five is up and hopefully will be as well received as the past four. Haha.
Anyway, here's the fifth installment!
Wheel of the World
Chapter Five: Matter of Time
Migraines weren't fun.
Actually, Rukia had no idea what a migraine was up until now.
Apparently, said condition was a searing pain that pulsed and pounded in your skull due to some loud racket going on twenty four seven or some other random thing. Rukia deemed the cause of her torment the shinigami that had just made themselves at home in her house.
And they hadn't even asked her first!
No, no, no. Because the almighty Hitsugaya Toshiro didn't need to ask a lowly human for her permission to enter her house.
Oh...my... Rukia thought in annoyance, her head seeming to constrict around her brain with every syllable thought.
What annoyance, you ask?
"No! I want to use the soapy bubble thing in my bath!"
"No, orange top! Only beautiful people like myself do that."
"Renji! Matsumoto is being mean - "
"Matsumoto, be nice to Ichigo."
"Aw, Renji, I thought you were more man than that. You seem pussy whipped by little Ichigo."
"I am all man, woman!"
"Man woman?"
"I was calling you woman, woman!"
"Toshiro! See how sweet this tastes!"
"Hina - " Aforementioned Hitsugaya's response was cut off by Hinamori shoving a sweet, sticky chocolate in his throat. He chewed slightly and then gave a noise of approval. "Mmm."
Rukia sighed with exasperation as she sunk into her couch. Placing her hand on her forehead in a futile attempt quell her throbbing skull, she gave out a pure growl. "Ugh..."
Aren't shinigami supposed to be mature?
A ringing at the doorbell stopped all further activity. All the shinigami paused somewhat, eyes widening as if afraid to get caught by whoever it was standing at Rukia's door.
"No one bowl me over on the way to the door," Rukia stated crassly, rising tiredly from her seated position and making her way over to the door.
Opening it, Rukia looked in surprise to see none other than Ishida standing there, package in one hand, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge of his nose with the other, "Afternoon, Rukia."
"Oh, hello, Ishida," Rukia said politely, giving him a bright smile while saying cheekily, "To what do I owe this visit?"
"Your inferior cooking skills."
"Hey, I can cook!"
"Says the girl who managed to burn cereal."
"That was unintentional!"
"That's what they all say." Ishida gave a sarcastic comeback as he proceeded to enter the house, bag full of ingredients to some kind of dish he was preparing for Rukia. He had no clue what was in store for him...
"HOLLOW!"
Rukia blinked and turned scarlet.
Ishida's mouth dropped.
There stood Ichigo, zanpakutou in hands, eyes set in a determined manner, and wearing nothing but a pair of boxers with hearts imprinted on the fabric. His orange locks were slightly wet, as were the rest of his body, as if he had just gotten out of the shower.
The carrot top took in the scenario slowly, and realized that the bespectacled man in front him was indeed not a hollow and he had over reacted to the sudden increase of spiritual pressure in the area. A blush was scarlet against his wet cheeks and he turned, "Ah...um...yeah..."
Hitsugaya then walked by, tossing several Hershey kisses into his mouth as he did so, "You really are turning into your father."
"Shut it!"
The raven haired girl looked at the shorter white haired boy with a smile. He had been eating much chocolate by the looks of it, for his fingertips and corners of his mouth were smeared with the dark brown color of milk chocolate that contrasted strikingly with the white of his hair. She walked over to him slowly, her pace steady and quietly confident, and stuck out a hand which the surface of her index finger touched the corner of his mouth and wiped it away, "Now this," She gestured to the chocolate now on her finger, "is interesting. A shinigami hopped up on chocolate."
The icy eyed shinigami forced down the blush from his cheeks at her extreme closeness, and retorted with a crass, predictable, reaction of, "I'm not hopped up!"
"Okay, fine, you're just addicted."
"I'm not addicted!"
"You have the greatest comebacks in history," Rukia shot back with sarcasm that could drown anybody.
"Thanks." Apparently, Hitsugaya didn't sense the it.
Rukia just rolled her eyes playfully and followed Ishida to the kitchen, where he laid the grocery bag on the counter and began to unload it. "Well, I don't know if I bought enough stuff to make a meal for..." He looked back and counted to himself, "...five extra people, but I can try."
The Kuchiki girl smiled and looked up at him, "You really don't have to cook, Ishida. I'm sure I can scrounge up something and - "
Ishida raised a finger, "Stop right there. Even the very notion of you cooking sends me into shock."
"Hey!"
"And it makes me want to dry heave."
"Ishida Uryu!"
Ishida ignored the little thud his heart made as she said his full name. Instead of completely freezing up like he was known to do, he simply chuckled and placed a large hand on the top of Rukia's head and ruffled her hair in a gentle manner before taking the plastic bag of chicken, as well as some seasoning things, over to the stove, where he brought out a pot.
"What are you making?"
"Broiled chicken and some rice with gravy."
Rukia's small stomach growled at the thought.
"It'll be a while before it's done, but I think everyone will enjoy it."
"Ishida..." Rukia said, looking over to the navy eyed teen who had begun to fill the pot with water.
The bespectacled man turned, "Yes?"
"Do you...know...about the shinigami?" Rukia said tentatively, referring to the group of spiritual beings that were doing kami knows what in her living room at this moment.
"Yes." Ishida said with a small smile. "I overheard at break."
"You know that they're going to live with me too?"
Silence.
Twitch, twitch.
"WHAT?!"
"Ishida, there's smoke coming from your ears..."
The Quincy ignored her statement of the obvious and marched into the living room, where the shinigami had apparently found Rukia's Twister game.
"Matsumoto," Hinamori called out from her comfortable seat on the sidelines, "Right foot blue."
Rukia watched with a wondering expression as the voluptuous shinigami moved her right foot, that had her basically straddling Renji's back like a horse, over to the other side of the red haired man, joining her other foot that was already on the blue circle. She now looked as if she was about to use the Abarai as a lounging chair, much to the hot tempered shinigami's dismay.
Apparently, Ichigo noticed the raven haired man's anger management problems and asked the inevitable question, "What is up with you, dude?"
This was the wrong question to ask, obviously.
"What's wrong...WITH ME!?"
Everyone blinked at the man's sudden, seemingly unprovoked outburst.
"Uh, yeah. That's what I asked." Ichigo spoke up again from his tangled position on the Twister board.
"Calm down, Ishida. I really don't know why you're so worked up..." Rukia stated, putting a small hand on the Quincy's bicep, and immediately feeling the tension releasing from the joint.
It seemed that only Matsumoto noticed the way Ishida's face went from the intensity of an oncoming storm to the tranquility of a clear lake in a matter of seconds as soon as Rukia touched his arm.
Ishida looked down at Rukia, who still had her slight grip on his arm, "They're living...with you."
Rukia blinked, "Is that why you looked like you were gonna rip their heads off?"
"Well, it's like they're...um...mooching off of you."
"Oh, well I don't have any problem with that. I mean, I really can't protect myself with the hollows and all that are gonna be around and I am grateful to have them here to protect me until I can gain some powers of my own!" Rukia beamed at the taller figure, "Besides, it would be nice to have some company..."
"I've been spending the night with you, though, Rukia..." Ishida offered lamely.
"WHAT?!"
The moment between two friends was interrupted by a rather irate looking white haired shinigami standing in front of them. They looked from him, to the pile of Matsumoto, Renji, and Ichigo on the Twister board. His little "outburst" had caused the collapse of the human tower that was formed by playing the game. Obviously, Hitsugaya had been the poor soul on bottom.
"You spend the NIGHT with HER?!" Hitsugaya shouted, a shocked and disgusted, as well as downright angry look, was on his childish features. He pointed his index finger accusingly at the two across from him.
"Well, yeah." Rukia said, blinking with innocence, not noticing the implications of what she had just said.
"You...you..." Hitsugaya stuttered, the finger he had pointed at them shaking with disbelief.
Prying herself out from under the form of Ichigo, Matsumoto gave a grunt as she lifted herself from the bodies around her. After that, she chuckled at Hitsugaya's frustrated expression before walking over to her taichou and placing her hand on his head, ruffling a few spikes of his ivory hair, "Hitsugaya, you perv, jumping to conclusions..."
Hitsugaya grasped the taller woman's hand and removed it from his head. "Matsumoto..." He started, but was cut off by the strawberry blonde.
"Now, it is completely obvious to me that these two haven't slept together."
Rukia chose this moment to pipe up, "But...um, yes we have, Matsumoto!"
Ishida blushed the color of Renji's hair.
Ichigo gasped and fell backwards, further crushing Renji beneath him.
Renji looked like he had seen a ghost.
Hinamori gasped rather loudly and placed a hand to her gaping mouth.
Matsumoto quirked a brow, amused at the Kuchiki girl's statement.
And Hitsugaya...
Oh yeah, Hitsugaya lost it.
"WHAT?! You - you! NASTY!"
Rukia tilted her head, her large jewel-like orbs stared with curiosity at the spasming taichou. "I don't see what's the problem with it. We were about five years old when that happened. It was a sleepover with me and you because your parents were out of town."
Ishida smiled with nostalgia, "Oh yes, I remember that."
Hitsugaya stopped and into his eyes crept realization, as well as a blush that crossed his features that made him look like a tomato with white hair.
"Well, don't you feel stupid, Hitsugaya!" Renji spouted as he and Ichigo began to laugh heartily at the shorter spirit's meltdown.
The smaller shinigami crossed his arms over his chest as he plopped down onto a cushion beside Hinamori, "Shut up."
Matsumoto looked at her captain with an all-knowing glance, Hm...interesting.
The dinner Ishida made was absolutely delicious, and everyone wanted seconds, but in Ichigo and Renji's case, thirds, fourths...and so on.
Rukia smiled to herself, happy that her house was lively once more, as she placed her chopsticks down on her plate and rose from her seat. She gave Ishida a grateful smile and patted her stomach, "It was very, very good," She complimented, "Thanks for taking the time to make it."
"No problem." Ishida had to force down his blush, "I'm practically living here anyway."
"I know." Rukia closed her eyes in a bright smile, "And I am happy for that."
This time Ishida couldn't force his blush down from his cheeks, and it spread from ear to ear across his handsome face.
As Rukia left the dining room, she heard Hinamori calling out to her, "Rukia, aren't you going to stay for dessert? Toshiro made some of that pudding stuff in the box!"
Rukia smiled gently at the upbeat girl's antics to get her to stay, "I'm going to eat some later. I'm full right now. Thanks for reminding me, though."
With that, Rukia stepped out the front door and closed it behind her.
Sighing, she plopped herself on the front steps, curling her knees up to her chin and resting the latter on them. She wrapped her arms around her legs, intertwining her fingers underneath them. She closed her large eyes and a smile crept upon her lips. "I think this is all for the best..." She muttered to herself, nuzzling her chin against her knees as a brisk, chilly breeze blew past her, ruffling her raven locks and school uniform that she hadn't bothered to change out of since getting home.
The peaceful quiet was broken when an all too familiar voice rang throughout the night air, "What's for the best?"
Her eyes shot open as she looked up to her left to see the figure of Hitsugaya standing beside her, looking out into the night with an unreadable expression on her features, "Ha...privacy."
"Oh, ouch." Hitsugaya stated coolly, a far cry from what he was like just hours ago when Rukia made the infamous statement declaring that she and Ishida slept together.
Rukia chuckled, "Do you want to sit down?"
"No, I'm good."
"Would you please sit down?"
Hitsugaya gave a cocky smirk down at her, "Oh, you don't want me to leave?"
"No, you're just making me uncomfortable. Besides, I'm used to us being...ya know, similar in height."
The white haired shinigami turned his head away, crossing his arms, "Is that a jab at me? At my height?"
"It's what you want to make of it, I guess." Rukia shrugged in reply, focusing her gaze out to the street in front of her house once more.
Suddenly, Hitsugaya sat himself down beside Rukia with a 'humph'.
"You didn't have to sit down." Rukia said, not taking her eyes from the scenery around her.
"I know...just didn't want to make you feel...uncomfortable."
Rukia didn't know if it was the night air or the way he said that last word that made her shiver, but she knew she didn't like it. Whatever it was. She didn't like the way she suddenly blushed when he said that. She didn't like the way she could practically see him smirk when she heard him say that word. She didn't even know what the deal was with this!
And frankly, she didn't want to know.
"You know, you should've brought a jacket if you were going to be cold." Hitsugaya offered, shedding his air of confidence for a moment and sounding genuinely concerned.
"I didn't need a jacket, I figured." Rukia replied, "Thought it'd still be relatively warm outside."
"Ah..." Hitsugaya acknowledged, nodding his head solemnly as the night breeze came up and whipped a few strands of pale hair around his face. "I'll be back..." He got up and entered the house.
Rukia exhaled a breath she didn't even know she had been holding. How...how could just sitting beside him make her feel like she was suffocating? It was a strange feeling that the Kuchiki girl had never experienced before...and frankly, she didn't know what to think about it, or the slight jump of her heart when she heard the door open, knowing it was him.
Hitsugaya once more lowered himself onto the step beside Rukia, "My cooking debut - chocolate pudding." He said with an air of confidence that Rukia just couldn't help but smile at. The white haired shinigami presented her with a bowl of creamy chocolate pudding.
Rukia eyed it, before looking up into Hitsugaya's turquoise orbs that were focused on her reaction. "Ah, thank you." She said, taking the bowl from his hands into her own. Their fingers brushed one another, and she felt a warmness tingle from her fingers throughout her entire form with that simple touch. She ignored it, or tried to, for her mind was buzzing with thoughts.
He watched her intently as she put the first spoonful into her mouth. "You like it?" He asked with much more childlike enthusiasm than he intended.
Rukia swallowed, and looked over to him with a smile, "It's good for your first try."
Hitsugaya smiled back, "Thanks."
It was strange, the two of them here like this, eating chocolate pudding on the steps to her house in the beginnings of nighttime. But, Rukia had to admit, it felt nice to have someone close to her like this. Someone who didn't know her past, someone new...
A particularly strong, chilly breeze picked up and blasted Hitsugaya and Rukia with a cold wind, causing Rukia to erupt in a fit of shivers, while surprisingly Hitsugaya just sat there on to stoop and took it. No sign of him being cold was anywhere. He looked completely comfortable with the freezing blast of wind that just decided to come out of no where.
Rukia then felt a weight on her shoulders.
She looked to her right to see Hitsugaya's hand hanging limply from her shoulders as he pulled her close into his surprisingly warm, toned chest. It was like the cold wasn't even effecting him. Like he was immune. Rukia blushed a shade of crimson even darker than Renji's hair, but said nothing.
Hitsugaya just kept looking ahead, as if bringing her close was the most natural thing to do. "Can't let you get sick, can we?" He said cheekily, a smile playing on his lips, and Rukia noticed a smile crossing hers as well.
"No..." She replied softly, a barely audible whisper against the silence of the night.
So the two just sat there, in the comfort of one another's company, without a care in the world. As cheesy as it sounded to Rukia, she found herself thinking it felt somewhat natural to be here like this...
Natural, and somewhat...right...
End Chapter Five.
Finally! Wow, how long has it taken to finish this! Don't answer that, you'll make me feel bad! Haha, but hopefully the cute little moment at the end will quell your anger at my lack of updates! Lol.
Anyway, it would be really very nice if you reviewed! Also, in advance, I'm sorry for any grammar problems that may be in this fic. I just got like two reviews in one of my other stories that criticized my grammar, when the reviewer spelled GRAMMAR wrong! Like, dude, before you critique my story, learn how to frikin spell grammar! Even if it is a problem, just state it nicely. Because I love all my reviewers dearly! My HitsuRuki FAMILY! (hugs)
Okay, I'm done with that piece of rant-o-rama.
HitsuRuki Army, FTW!