A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews! You guys are all lovely :) This is the final part. Enjoy!

PART II

Ichigo headed to the riverbank after he ran some errands for Yuzu.

It was the middle of summer, and the sun was just starting to set. During this time of the season, it was finally warm enough to wear tee shirts and shorts even when it got dark. His shirt was only slightly damp from sweat, but there was a cool, comforting breeze that made the warm air more bearable.

"How long do you plan on following me?" Ichigo asked as he gripped the plastic bag in his hand. He didn't turn around when he heard the rustle of grass behind him.

A light, airy laugh rang in his ears. "You knew? Just when I thought that you were losing your touch."

"Even if you tried to conceal your reiatsu, I'd know it was you." Of course he would know. Her reiatsu thrummed within his own body, after all.

"Says the guy who's the absolute worst at concealing his."

"Whatever…" he muttered. Without warning, he felt a light pressure against his back. A small hand rested on the space between his shoulder blades. Ichigo's entire body stiffened at her touch. He felt an ache somewhere inside of him.

Not once did Rukia quietly announce her arrival to Karakura. She had to boldly appear before Ichigo on the classroom's window ledge, or stab him with a blade brimming with reiatsu—Rukia simply didn't do quiet. Apparently, today was different.

He finally gave in an turned to face her. Rukia looked like Rukia. He had to remind himself that Shinigamis didn't age. Although her presence felt strange to him, he was comforted by it. She tilted her head to look up and him. Her expression was open and familiar. "Hey," he greeted casually. He could never get used to her wide eyes.

"Hey yourself." Rukia took a step back and leaned forward. "You look like shit."

"And you're just as charming as ever."

"What can I say? Must be the Kuchiki in me."

"Give it a rest. I didn't get enough sleep okay?"

"Oh yeah? What were you doing last night?"

Ichigo stared at her in disbelief. "That's not what's important right now—what are you doing here anyway?" he asked in exasperation.

Rukia blinked at him, completely unfazed. Ichigo was getting increasingly annoyed at how she thought she could just waltz in town and act like a year hadn't passed. "Would you believe me if I said that I came to see you?"

Ichigo tried to read her expression, but her eyes remained neutral. "Tch, like hell I would. You never visit unless you've got business with me involving the Soul Society."

"Hm, I suppose you're right." She crossed her arms. "But this time I really mean it. I wanted to make sure that you were still alive and all. You're always so reckless."

"Really," he said dryly.

"Yes really." Her expression softened. "I worry about you."

Ichigo crossed his arms. "Well I don't need you to. I can handle myself. If anything, I'm the one who's scared that you'll jump off a cliff for someone else's sake at any given moment."

"And I could say the same about you."

This was the argument that they would have for the rest of forever. They fought and bled for each other, but Ichigo hated the fact that Rukia would put her life on the line for him. Although he knew that her duties involved life-threatening situations, he couldn't stand the thought of her getting hurt for his sake. Every time he yelled at her for protecting him, she'd just roll her eyes and call him a hypocrite.

"That's different!"

"It isn't! Shinigami protect each other. That's what we're trained to do, Ichigo."

Ichigo would only scoff at this. Idiot. I don't protect you just 'cause it's my duty…He didn't want Rukia to worry about him. Hadn't he proved to her time and time again that he couldn't be taken down so easily?

When Rukia spoke again, her tone was almost smug. "Besides, should you really be worrying about a captain?"

It took a second for Ichigo to register what she had just said. "Y-You're a captain now?!" he sputtered. It wasn't that he didn't believe in her abilities—he knew just how strong Rukia was (he had first hand experience of her punches after all)—but he was genuinely surprised by the news. So that was what was different about Rukia this time…

She radiated a new kind of strength and confidence in her attitude.

"You don't have to sound so shocked you know."

"Wow, the Soul Society is in real trouble now. Guess they're running low on soldiers to promote—oof! Damn it Rukia!" He bent over and clutched the spot where she jabbed him.

"Shut up Kurosaki, and you better start addressing me as Kuchiki Taichou from now on."

"Jeez, I'm just messing with you. Congratulations Kuchiki Taichou. Now you can officially boss people around," he said in a low, teasing voice.

Blushing, Rukia immediately looked away. "Whatever. I could care less about you think."

Rukia skipped toward the river, and Ichigo had no choice but to follow. He watched her stare at the shimmering water with her hands clasped behind her back. A gentle breeze picked up, lifting stray strands off her face. Ichigo noticed that her hair was the longest he'd ever seen it. He wasn't used to this feminine style on her, but it suited her nonetheless.

"How are the others doing? I've been meaning to visit them."

"Ishida is still a big nerd, Orihime is a manager at the bakery, and Chad is on vacation. Everyone is keeping busy."

Rukia smiled at this. "That's good to hear. And what about you? How have you been?"

"You're the one with the Big Life Changes," he pointed at her with an accusatory finger. "How about you update me on what you've been up to in the past year?"

Ichigo didn't know if he had said something wrong, but Rukia's expression suddenly fell. She glanced up at him with a small smile. "Actually...I did have a reason for coming here. But it isn't what you think it is…"

"So what is it?"

She took a moment to answer him. Ichigo wondered what exactly was making her so uncomfortable? Finally, she spoke. "Renji...he proposed to me."

Right as Rukia uttered the world "propose," Ichigo felt his heart plummet. He couldn't even find the words to speak.

Ichigo did all he could to compose himself. He shouldn't have been so surprised. He knew that Renji was in love with Rukia from the moment he saw the way that Renji looked at her (as though she was brighter than all the starlight combined). It was the same way that his dad looked at his mom when she was still alive. So where did that leave him?

He tried to feign nonchalance with his next question. "Oh yeah? And what did you say?"

"I said yes."

Her response pierced him in places that couldn't possibly heal. He could handle stab wounds, cero blasts, but he didn't know this kind of pain. It tore through his entire being. It felt like he was losing something that he never had in the first place—so why did it hurt so fucking much?

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" she continued. "We've been friends for so long, and I care about him deeply...but I've been thinking a lot lately and...and my heart feels all wrong." She seemed uneasy under his stare.

"You love him don't you? What's there to think about?" He didn't mean to sound so bitter, but that's how his words came out.

A pause. "You," she said. Her tone was flat.

Ichigo opened his mouth, but nothing came out. When he took a couple steps forward, Rukia held out her palm to stop him.

Frustrated, Ichigo ran his fingers through his hair. He was so stupidly fond of this woman that it made him breathless.

"Hey…I'll see you tonight, okay? I have to meet the others as well," she said.

Even though it was irrational, Ichigo worried that once Rukia left his sight, he wouldn't ever see her again. It wasn't uncommon for her to disappear for long periods of time after all.

Sensing his uneasy posture, Rukia lightly touched his arm and said, "Later, Ichigo"

Ichigo felt like he was having a serious case of déjà vu.

He had just taken a shower, and after padding into his room, he froze when he noticed Rukia's presence.

She was standing by the window, completely drenched. Droplets trickled down her calves and pooled around her bare feet. Rukia gathered her hair in her hands and wrung out the excess rainwater. More droplets splashed onto the floorboards.

"God damnit Rukia, you're getting water everywhere!" He tossed the towel on his neck at her. It landed on her head, covering her face.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "It's not my fault that it suddenly started raining!"

Before she yanked it off, he noticed how her thin, linen dress clung to her skin. "And you're going to catch a cold!" he coughed out, hoping to disguise his embarrassment. Ichigo rummaged his closet for a sweater. He walked over and handed it to her. "Here. Wear this."

"T-Thanks…" she mumbled as she took the shirt in her hands.

Ichigo turned to leave the room, but she instinctively reached out and grasped his wrist. "It's okay, just turn around."

He gave her a look, but nodded and faced the wall. Faint rustling noises followed as Rukia peeled off her wet clothes. Even though he couldn't see her, he squeezed his eyes shut anyway to shake off any inappropriate thoughts.

During her stay at his house, he had caught glimpses of her bare back when the closet door was slightly more than ajar. All of those times, Rukia must have thought that Ichigo was decent enough not to sneak a look when she changed. (He was respectful, but not completely immune to his hormones).

"I'm done," she said curtly.

Ichigo turned around to see Rukia swallowed by his old shirt. The hem sat above her knees, and he had to stifle a laugh. She looked smaller than ever in his ratty boy clothes. Beside her, a dress was laid in a sopping heap on the floor.

"You look cozy."

"Shut up. And you should put a shirt on," she responded as she poked his stomach. Flustered, he tensed his muscles.

Ichigo grabbed the tee hanging off his chair and pulled it over his head.

"Your room hasn't changed one bit," she noted as she peered at his belongings.

"Did you expect it to?"

"Guess not…" Rukia settled on his bed. "I'm glad that it's the same though. It smells like you, and that's comforting I suppose."

Her last comment came so out of left field that it made him nervous. He averted his gaze, attempting to seem unfazed: "Tch, what else would it smell like?"

"You're right. That was stupid of me to say. I'm just feeling a bit nostalgic." Rukia gave him a small smile. "Do you…ever think about the life you had before you became a substitute Shinigami?"

Ichigo paused to consider his answer. He had been so consumed by his Shinigami duties that simply he had no time to stop and think about much else. He did, however, remember just how helpless he felt before he gained his Shinigami powers. He couldn't protect those who he loved, and that hurt him the most.

In spite of Rukia's protests, he would always, always be grateful for that night in which she changed his entire world with one stab of her blade.

(He didn't have time to sit down and think, Holy shit, I'm so into this girl who came and stopped the rain).

"Not really," he replied honestly. "I didn't have much going on for me back then."

"Oh Ichigo," Rukia sighed as she stood up and moved toward him. She grazed her fingers over his shoulder and said, "To think that you were such a scrawny little punk when we first met."

He scowled. "Are you trying to comfort me or insult me?"

"Probably both."

"How considerate."

She gently squeezed his arm, suddenly serious. "We've both changed, haven't we?"

He still refused to look at her, but he was hyperaware of how her fingers lingered on his skin. His chest tightened. "Who knows?"

Rukia finally pulled her hand away and turned her back to him. "Remember how I was able to find you when you turned into a hollow?" she asked.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Yeah." Uncertain of where this was going, his voice was weak.

"I don't know why or how, but there's something that draws us together. I'm always able to sense you, wherever you are." Her voice was so soft and gentle, Ichigo was afraid that he wouldn't be able to stop himself from reaching out to touch her.

She took a deep breath. "But—but even if we weren't connected by some cosmic force or whatever it is that pulls us toward each other…I'd still come running to find you."

Ichigo's eyes widened at her words. He had never seen her look so vulnerable before. His heart felt like it would burst at the slightest vibration.

In a tender, but urgent tone, he said her name as if he'd been saying it his entire life: "Hey Rukia." He stepped toward her. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"That one time I slept in your bed..." Rukia started to say.

Ichigo waited.

"…I didn't do it because I was scared or annoyed. I did it because I wanted to. Do you understand now?"

Her words made his heart skip. Without a second thought, he closed the distance between them by slowly crossing his arms over her shoulders. She immediately froze at his touch.

"I promise I won't do this ever again," he murmured. "So just let it go this once."

Rukia bit her lip, worried, but she melted into him. It wasn't as though they were committing some scandalous act. Still, they had broken down the wall that they had so carefully erected between each other. A boundary was crossed. They stayed like that for a moment—quiet, yet nervous.

He pressed his forehead closer against the space between her neck and shoulder. Ichigo wasn't selfish enough to tell her not to marry Renji, but he was selfish enough to hold her in the way that he had always wanted to. He prayed that she wouldn't hear his heart thump as he asked his next question.

"So why did you say yes to him?"

She swallowed hard. "Because...because Renji and I have history. We've never been separated for long."

Ichigo couldn't help but flinch at this response. It only hurt because he believed it, too. Renji and Rukia grew up together, suffered together, became Shinigami together. It would be so much easier if it had been another man—that way, Ichigo could hate that person all he wanted. But he couldn't hate Renji. Ichigo's heart clenched when he wondered just how intimate the pair had gotten.

"And Renji…is a Shinigami," she breathed out.

"I'm a Shinigami—"

"A substitute Shinigami." She pulled away from him and turned around to face him. "I can't stay in the World of the Living. " Her eyes were wide and wet.

Ichigo held his breath. He was well aware of that already. She didn't have to punctuate it. He tried to swallow down whatever was threatening to rise in his throat. He could ignore all of that, pull her close against him again and maybe kiss her to keep her from going away. But he couldn't bring himself to do it.

She lifted her hand and brushed it over his jawline. "You told me that once a bond is formed, it never disappears—so we'll meet again in the future, right? I may not know it's you, and you may not know it's me, but I believe that we'll meet as ordinary people..." Her voice lowered into a tender whisper. "I promise I'll search for you."

Inhaling, Ichigo told himself to stop being such a sissy. He grabbed her hand and pulled her body against his own. Rukia felt warm and soft and light in his arms.

He didn't say anything, but he hoped that she knew he would race to her door, too.

The next morning, Ichigo woke up to the sound of knocking.

"Ichi-nii! I'm coming in!" Karin's voice echoed in the hallway.

Ichigo groaned as he opened his eyes. He shifted under the covers, but didn't respond as Karin burst through the door. She was already dressed in her soccer uniform.

"What do you want?" he muttered, grumpy from this rude awakening.

"This is for you." She held out an envelope to him.

Annoyed but curious, Ichigo mustered the energy to sit up and take the card from her hands. His name was scrawled across the front. "What is it?"

"A wedding invitation," she replied curtly. "I got one too."

Immediately, Ichigo tasted something bitter in his mouth. Rukia, you really know how to kick a man when he's down. "So you knew about it? Did everyone know?"

This time, Karin hesitated. "I saw Rukia when I went to visit Urahara. She told me then."

Ichigo didn't say anything.

"Are you okay?" she asked, softening her voice. There was a knowing look in her eyes.

"Yeah," he yawned and stretched. "I will be. Maybe."

Karin nodded. "You should open it," she gestured. "Anyway, I'm going to practice now. Yuzu put breakfast for you on the table." Without another word, she turned and left him alone.

Ichigo eyed the envelope in his hand. Carefully, he tore it open and pulled the card out. He was surprised to see that it wasn't an invitation at all—it was a letter. He unfolded the paper to find a couple words written neatly on the middle of the page.

Someday I'll fall in love with you all over again.

Idiot, Ichigo thought as he furiously rubbed his eyes. That's my line.

She had better keep her promise to him.

"You know, if death isn't really the end for us, then that time we met might not have been the first.

We might have been connected from long before that. I'm not really sure, but I think that maybe once a bond is formed, it never disappears.

If that's the case, even if we forget everything, we'll be connected again somewhere in the future."

— A literal thing that Ichigo said to Rukia in Fade to Black.

I'd love it if you guys could let me know your thoughts! ^_^

Ichigo and Rukia really belonged together. She stopped his rain, she changed his world, she's his RAY OF LIGHT.

THANKS FOR NOTHING KUBO. YOU HAD ONE JOB AND YOU MESSED THAT UP.

I'll only forgive Kubo if he writes another Bleach chapter that includes a time machine and IchiRuki sharing a passionate kiss. That is all.