(I didn't plan on writing this, but I couldn't get this little scene out of my head.)

In which Ichigo and Rukia meet again in the next life (and they conveniently have the same names lol).

EPILOGUE

Rukia couldn't believe that she was talked into attending this Halloween party.

It was unbearably cramped and stuffy. Although the house was big, the host decided that it was a good idea to invite every teenager and their siblings to come and celebrate. While Rukia didn't appreciate the lack of personal space, she was mostly annoyed at the fact that her friends had abandoned her twenty minutes after their arrival.

Uninterested in dancing or playing beer pong with aggressive frat boys, Rukia found herself squashed in between two couples making out on the couch. She tried to make her body as small as possible, but she was eventually pushed out of her seat. Groaning, Rukia brushed herself off and shouldered her way into the corridor. She hadn't planned on drinking, but the tequila was looking awfully appetizing right now.

She had to find Nanao.

Rukia would let her know that she was planning to leave early because this really wasn't her scene. As she headed toward the kitchen, she felt a large hand snake around her waist.

"Looking a bit lonely, Rukia?"

Rukia turned around to glare at whoever had got in her way. She found herself face to face with a pair of sharp, turquoise eyes.

"Cut it out, Grimmjow. You're drunk," she said as she tried to pry his hand off her. He only tightened his grip and moved in closer. His breath reeked of alcohol.

"Oh come on sweetheart—why don't you entertain me for a bit? You're always so cold."

"Frankly, I don't think we're each other's type," Rukia hissed. She leaned back against the wall to put some distance between them, but that only encouraged him.

"Don't be mean Kuchiki." Grimmjow pressed his forehead to hers.

"I said, cut it out!" she yelled as she jabbed his stomach. Rukia broke free the moment that he leaned over in pain.

"Damn you Kuchiki!"

Rukia felt his hand seize her wrist, but seconds later, he loosened his grasp. "Huh?" Rukia spun around to see Grimmjow squaring off with some guy in a toque and glasses. She was curious, but not curious enough to stop risk getting trapped again.

Rukia made her way to the kitchen, but Nanao was nowhere in sight. She decided to head upstairs where there were less people. A handful of students mingled in the hallway, but all the bedrooms doors were shut. Rukia grimaced—she really didn't want to check what was happening behind those doors. Frustrated, she climbed up the last flight of stairs. It didn't lead to another floor, but to a door. Cautiously, Rukia turned the handle and pushed it open.

A light, cool breeze brushed against her skin. So this was the entrance to the rooftop deck.

She stepped outside and carefully closed the door behind her. To her surprise, no one else was here. Rukia wondered if the host had deemed this place off-limits. Sighing, she walked to the edge of the deck and leaned against the railing. At least the view was pretty. Rows of street lamps cast a warm glow onto the neighbourhood. It was almost midnight, and the lights from each house blinked out one by one.

Just when Rukia thought that she was granted some peace and quiet, she heard a loud grunt from behind her. Startled, she whirled around to see what it was.

A tall boy staggered in front of her. He covered his right eye with one hand, and held a pair of glasses in the other. Rukia quickly realized that this was the guy who had pissed off Grimmjow earlier. She rushed toward him, then tried to help him regain his balance. "Hey, are you alright?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"I'm fine," he managed to cough out. The boy gently pushed her hands away.

Rude, Rukia thought with narrowed eyes. "Jeez, stop trying to act all macho and settle down." She quickly snatched his glasses then kicked out her leg to trip him. He fell backwards onto the ground.

"Hey, what the fuck—"

Rukia got on the floor and kneeled beside him. She pulled his toque off and gingerly brushed his bangs away from his face. His hair was bright orange, as if it had been dyed that colour. "You're bleeding. I knew it."

"Are you insane?!" he sputtered out. In spite of his protesting gestures, he didn't try to get up.

"Did Grimmjow do this to you?" Rukia reached into her purse and pulled out a small pouch. She unzipped it and took out a couple of band-aids.

The boy immediately made a big X sign by crossing his arms over his face. "I am not letting you stick bunny band-aids on me."

"Well too bad, 'cause these are all I've got." She moved his hands away, and he was too weak to put up a fight. The boy turned his head in annoyance. "Hey, I need to see your wounds," she said sharply as she pushed his cheek back toward her.

"Why are you doing this?"' he grumbled.

"Because I don't want to owe you anything," she started to say. "You're the one who pulled Grimmjow away from me, weren't you?"

"If by Grimmjow, you mean that blue-haired freak then yes. And you don't owe me anything, I just hate that kind of stuff." He averted his gaze as he said this.

"A knight among bandits huh? Well you should've left me alone because Grimmjow isn't exactly a puppies-'n-rainbows kind of guy."

"Tch, I figured. And you could thank me you know," he scowled.

"If you didn't butt in, then you wouldn't be all bruised and battered!" She patted the band-aids against his brow bone. "There's nothing I can do about this black eye though. He really did a number on you, didn't he?"

The boy scrunched up his face and sat up. He rubbed his forehead and squinted at her. Rukia couldn't help but fidget under his intense stare. "Hey…" he finally started to say, "have we met somewhere before?" He drew his knees up as he said this.

She blinked in surprise. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark, and she could see his moonlit face more clearly now. He had angular features that contrasted his soft, brown eyes. Rukia felt her neck flush when she realized how ridiculously handsome he was. Without his glasses, he did look kind of familiar, but she was certain that she had never seen him before. Rukia couldn't place the stuffy feeling that rose in her chest—she wondered if she had glimpsed his face in a dream.

Rukia inhaled deeply, trying to quash the tightness. "Maybe my face is just that unforgettable," she said in a teasing tone.

He rolled his eyes and put his glasses back on. "On second thought, even if we had met before, I'm sure that I suppressed that memory for a good reason."

Rukia ignored him and stood up. "Why are you at this party anyway? You're not even dressed up."

"Oh you know, the usual. Thought it'd be fun to to get shit-faced and smash some girls."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm just kidding," he laughed. He got up as well and brushed off his pants. "My friends dragged me out here because they thought I needed a distraction. I had a lapse in judgement and gave in."

"A distraction from what?"

He hesitated to respond, but eventually said, "I just broke up with my girlfriend."

Rukia inspected his expression. He did look a bit like a lost, lonely puppy. "And you're the one moping?"

"It was...complicated." He scratched his neck sheepishly. "Wait a minute, I don't even know why I'm telling you any of this."

"It's not like you have anything to lose. We're strangers, aren't we?" He had piqued her curiosity, and she wasn't above being nosy.

He crossed his arms, still unconvinced. "Do you go to Karakura High?"

"Do you?" she deflected his question.

"No, but my ex-girlfriend did."

Now Rukia was really curious about who this guy dated. Was it Rangiku? He seemed like the type to go for those who were unapologetically sexy. Or was it Momo? Someone who was sweet and loyal?

"Okay fine. I go to Karakura High, so it's up to you if you want to tell me or not," she finally said.

He exhaled. "I dated someone named Orihime."

Rukia wasn't even surprised. She should've known that beautiful people gravitated toward each other. "Wow, you really messed up," she quipped. "She has a line of guys waiting to date her, you know."

"Well now they can," he responded—almost too quickly.

"You seem awfully unaffected. What happened?"

"Nothing happened…" he said slowly. "I just felt like I was being unfair to her."

"Oh yeah? How so?" She couldn't read his expression.

"I don't know," he scowled. "I was a shitty boyfriend. My feelings were half-hearted."

"But you didn't want to hurt her, so you stayed?"

"Observant, aren't you?"

"I try to be," Rukia said as she skipped toward the railing. She pressed against it, closing her eyes to feel the wind. She heard the boy's footsteps follow behind her. "So what are you gonna do now?" she asked.

The boy leaned his back against the railing, resting his elbows on the cold metal surface. "What's there to do?"

"Oh I don't know. Guess you can start searching for your soulmate now," she said with a lightness to her voice.

He looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Do you really believe in that stuff?"

Rukia opened her eyes, but she didn't meet his gaze. She wasn't sure if she believed in it or not, but she liked the idea of it. It seemed charming—to know that there was someone out there whose heart was made for hers alone. Rukia had never been a hopeless romantic, not really, but there was something about this notion that resonated with her.

"I think it's sweet," she said, finally turning and giving him a smile.

"Well, whatever makes you happy," he answered airily with a wave of his hand.

Rukia took a couple steps forward and stood in front of him. So this was the guy who Orihime became all swooney-eyed for. "I'm sorry about Orihime by the way. I think you made the right choice. It would've hurt her more if you stayed—from what I understand, I mean. "

"Yeah," was all he said. He looked at her more intently now. "What are you supposed to be anyway?"

Rukia tugged at the hem of her loose sleeve. "A Shinigami. Isn't it obvious?"

"Not in the slightest. Aren't you supposed to carry a scythe or something?"

She glared at him. "It was a last minute costume. And I don't appreciate criticism from the guy who didn't even bother to dress up."

"Fair enough, Shinigami."

Rukia let out a breath and smiled. "My name isn't Shinigami, it's Rukia Kuchiki."

He stuck out his hand and grinned. "Ichigo Kurosaki. Nice to meet 'ya."

Just as Rukia was about to reach out, she noticed that Ichigo's lashes were wet and sticky. She widened her eyes at the stream of tears that made his skin glisten. Rukia couldn't understand why this boy—who had been smiling just a second ago—suddenly looked so sad. The sight made her heart ache. It was such a downcast expression that she wanted to wrap her arms around his waist. But she didn't. "Hey...are you alright?" she asked softly.

Ichigo blinked. He reached up and touched his cheek. "Huh?" He took off his glasses and hastily wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Sorry. I have no idea where that came from." He tried to flash her a weak smile.

"It's okay." Rukia took his hand in hers. It was big and warm around her own. She didn't want him to feel sad. "Come on, let's ditch this party and get some real food."

Ichigo squeezed her hand back and laughed, causing her to blush. Something about his touch felt like home. "Sounds like a plan, Rukia Kuchiki."

(fin)