Note: Please review if you'd like me to keep going.

WHEN THE SNOW FALLS
by Yih

Chapter Forty
Of Human Diversions

"I should have never agreed to show you around town," Ichigo muttered to himself as he watched Rukia squeal as she found another thing that captivated her attention.

Who would have thought a juice box would hold so much fascination? Or that a little toy store that sold a lot of stuffed bunnies would be so fabulous? Then again he knew nothing about the shinigami world and she hadn't exactly dressed like a modern Japanese girl when he had first seen her; although she certainly looked the part now in her dress. But she still knew very little about present-day Japan.

She didn't even know what slang was. Slang!

"Are you ever going to explain why everyone can suddenly see you?" Ichigo asked softly enough that the other people couldn't hear them.

Rukia swiftly turned around and glared at him, making shushing gestures with her hands. "I told you I'd tell you later."

"Yeah, true," he responded, "but every time you are about to tell me, you suddenly disappear on me."

"I can't help it if my Hollow alert goes off," she whispered fiercely. "Stop being petty."

"I'm not sure you used that word correctly."

Rukia rolled her eyes very deliberately at him. "I know what petty means and moreover, it's not slang, whatever you call those words you use that don't mean what they should mean."

In the weeks Ichigo had known Rukia, it was like she had become somewhat of a different person. She seemed much more relax, acting far younger now than she had when she had first come. There was still something about her that he couldn't pinpoint though, something intangible about her that made people show her respect. He didn't know what because she wasn't all that polite and nice to him.

"Well, then tell me now so you can keep your promise like a good little shinigami," Ichigo retorted. "I mean, you shinigami have honor, don't you?"

Rukia's face went carefully blank and Ichigo couldn't see any hint of emotion on her face. She was wearing her mask again, something Ichigo had seen far more earlier when he didn't really know her. He didn't like seeing her be careful around him. He'd much rather her being spirited and stubborn around him. It suited her better in his opinion.

Whatever brought the mask out, Ichigo decided he didn't like at all.

"I have a gigai," Rukia said softly. "It is a body that my spirit self goes into and it is something tangible that you humans can see. Of course, you having reiatsu means you can see me even in spirit form. I believe…"

"You believe?"

"I believe when you leave this world and enter the shinigami world, you will become what I am… a shinigami. You are very strong for a human. It is extremely rare for a human to see a shinigami."

Ichigo stared into her violet eyes, thinking of how lovely the color of them were. He had never seen eyes like hers before. Was it because she was a shinigami or was it just a part of her?

"Do you know when people die?" he asked.

Rukia shook her head.

"Do you… do you remember you life before?"

"No," she said. "I was young when I passed on and I came to the shinigami world as a mere baby."

Ichigo tilted his head and wondered. "Does that mean if I am old when I die I will be reborn as an old person?"

"The people in the spirit world are neither old nor young, they are the age they should be and if they are not they soon become that age and from there they live a very, very long life before passing to the next stage."

"And what would that be?"

Rukia shrugged. "I have no idea. Maybe one day I will know."

"Hmm."

Ichigo grabbed Rukia's hand and started dragging her with him as he navigated their way through the crowd. He didn't really know why he wanted to hold her hand. It wasn't like he liked her or anything, at least not like that. He just felt like they understood each other, even though they had hardly known each other for long.

"Hey!" Rukia exclaimed. "Where are you taking me?"

"Some place," Ichigo said, looking back at her. "Do you trust me?"

"I'm not sure," Rukia said seriously, although there was a sparkle in her eyes.

"You should," Ichigo responded. "I'm taking you some place you will definitely."

"What if I don't?"

"Then shame on me."

-

It had felt a little odd at first to wear a gigai. But there were certain virtues about it – mainly keeping her from endless boredom as she stayed in the human world to send the Hollows back to whence they came. It seemed like there were more and more coming each day, so many that she couldn't even spare the time to take a small break to go back to the spirit world to see Byakuya.

Rukia placed her hand on her abdomen, imaging the bump that still wasn't there. She ached for her husband, for him to hold her in his arms and for him to kiss her gently on the lips and tell her about his day. It wasn't the same, reading letters from him, or even sending him letters about her day.

There was something intangible she couldn't quite describe in words about being near the one you loved—

It was then that her Hollow alert went off and Rukia quickly popped the candy in her mouth that would remove her from her gigai and put her back into her spirit self. It felt right to be back in her own body. Rukia grasped the hilt of her zanpakuto, feeling Sode no Shirayuki's power, thinking that soon this mission would be over and she would go back home to Byakuya.

It wouldn't be soon enough…

A/N: I am sorry that it took so long to update, but if you would let me know what you think and if the story is becoming too boring or if it is still interesting – let me know. I know a lot of people just wanted to see Rukia and Byakuya get together and maybe this after story involving their relationship beyond the "getting together" part might seem dull and tedious and that I should have ended it before. Anyway, let me know if I should continue or not!

Released: 7/4/2009