Hello and welcome back! As i promised, here you have the one shots i've last told you about. This is the third part of the story, mostly telling the the life Ichigo has with Rukia in Tokyo. It's more like a moment of respiro before we'll go back to the action.

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III.

The salary man and the terrible housewife

Or no one can teach the married life, you have to learn it on your own.

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Pregnancy moods

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As he looked in the mirror one more, Ichigo straighten his back and fixed his tuxedo. He cocked an eyebrow in a James Bond way and then drew a self pleased smile.

"Perfect!" he whispered. "Now, what is she still doing?"

After saying that he left the living room of his brand new rented apartment in Tokyo and headed to the bathroom. Without knocking he opened the door and bumped on a petite brunette dressed in a gorgeous and violet glitter dress. The idyllic image of the woman suddenly crushed though, as he found her lying on the floor with her head on the toilet.

"Rukia, i don't want to rush you but the taxi will be here in 5 minutes..."

At the sound of his carefree voice, the woman raised her head from the toilet and faced him with a furious and menacing glare. This was wrong and he knew it. Hence, he instantly backed off, just like an innocent gazelle on the point of becoming a meal.

"Ok, ok... i 'll cancel the taxi... take your time, Rukia. Take your time..." he tried to fixed it, but apparently it was too late. Leaning on the sink, she got up in her feet and pointed a long and frail finger at him. It was too late now! He could no longer avoid it, as the silly gazelle was at the lioness's mercy. He had no other choice, but to endure it, just like he did the past month...for almost every day.

"I'm slowing dying here! Like for more than an hour i've done nothing but watching my past three meals going into the toilet... through my mouth! My mouth, Ichigo! And all you can think about is your damned taxi?!"

His eyes widened. With worry, with dismay? Either way, he decided that he would be better off speaking.

"I'm feeling sick Ichigo! SICK! Can you understand the meaning of that?! You don't even care! You left me here alone in the bathroom and went to turn yourself into Prince Charming!"

"You think i look charming with this tuxedo?" he asked light-heartedly, reaction which made her shut the door in his face.

" Just leave me alone as did so far! Go back to your fancy clothes!" she cried from behind the door.

"That's unfair!" he snapped form the hallway. "I did stay with you! For more than half an hour, but there was nothing i could do for you ! It's not like my presence will stop your nausea! "

"This is what humans mean by 'in sickness and health'?! Share the good , the bad?!"

"What?! That's unfair Rukia! What do you expect me to do? To put two fingers down my throat and be sick with you together?!"

On that line, she opened the door and faced with an mad glare:.

"I bet, Ichigo, that if it were you the one to carry the baby you wouldn't have said those words!" and then she sat on the toilet seat and started to cry loudly, just like a baby. "W-hy...w-hy is it have to be just me?! Wa-why can't you understand what i'm going through? I'm having a baby, Ichigo... you don't know how it feeeeels!"

But, Ichigo far from being impressed with her drama he stepped into the bathroom concerned with a far more important matter:

"Rukia, don't excite yourself. Take it easy. You might hurt the baby..." he tried with a calm voice.

"Y-y-you d-don't care about me-e-e!" she snapped back crying louder. "You only care about the ba-baby!"

He took a deep breath in order to keep himself composed, took his tuxedo off and leaned over the toilet seat to hug her.

"Don't say such nonsense. You know...the truth..."

On this she instantaneously stopped crying and turned to him with big widened eyes:

"What truth, Ichigo?"

"About...you know... about what i feel..." he replied obviously ill at ease.

"Feel about what?"

"A-about you..."

"And what do you feel about me?" she asked innocently.

Obviously in a discomfited posture, his chicks suddenly turned all red.

"What do you feel about me, Ichigo?" she reaped the question rather sharply.

"You know it! Why do you need me to keep telling it to you over and over again. And after all the facts matter more than words and the fact are... you know..."

But as she cocked her eyebrows in a 'i'm about to do something nasty if you don't give the right answer' way, he found himself with no other choice but to confess:

"I love you, Rukia! Fine, i love you! Now can you please get ready so we can leave?"

In spite of those words, which were supposed to be magic, she immediately went back to her crying:

"I don't want to go anywhere! I'm feeling so sick! W-what if i'll die?

He frowned tired.

"What if something is wrong with the baby?"

He frowned worried.

"I keep feeling these cramps...and if something happens..." she went on the her tears and drama. "Just save the baby, Ichigo! The baby!"

He frowned really worried. What if something was indeed wrong and this was more than some pregnancy sickness?

"Ok, Rukia. We're going to the doctor. Let's get you off this dress and go to the hospital!"

And just like the magic that didn't work before, Rukia now refrained from crying:

"Oh, but i'm not that sick..." she said nonchalantly. "It's just the usual. Even your father said it's normal. I talked to him on the phone the other day? I forgot to mention you that."

He blinked stunned. Her voice sounded clear and normal as if nothing was wrong. He kept blinking, while biting his tongue because he knew he wasn't allowed to get mad at her. It was not as if he didn't have reasons to become so, giving that they were supposed to leave the house fifteen minutes in order to attend the annual party at the multinational engineering company he was working. It wasn't as if that party was important giving that his manager- who took a like on him- expressly mentioned him to not be late since he wanted to introduce him to some potential investors. No, it wasn't important at all...

He just got up and took his tuxedo.

"W-where are you going?" Rukia asked worried. "You're leaving me alone again?"

"Since you're not that sick, i will go prepare myself for the party."

"Prepare yourself? What else is there to be prepared? You look perfect! But look at me, i'm a disaster! The hair is undone... I'm not wearing any make-up! I can't find my earrings! I know i put them somewhere ... i wonder where..."

He rolled his eyes:

"I wonder, Rukia... I wonder when you became so careful about these things..." he mumbled.

"What did you say?"

"I said it's late!" he snapped from the living room. "The cab must be here any minute! Please try to hurry, i don't want my boss to wait for me."

"I've had enough of this boss of yours! And of this party! And of..." she began to cry again.

"Rukia, you can stay home, if you want!" she said with an encouraging smile as he suddenly repapered in the bathroom with this elegant tuxedo on.

"Home?! Alone?!"

"Well, it's only for a couple of hours..."

Her chin began to tremble.

"Fine!" she said trough her teeth and straighten her back in a solemn position, even though she was just seating on the toilet. "Fine, Ichigo! You go and enjoy yourself, attend parties, get drunk, dance with easy going women while the mother of your future child is staying home alone, sick ...and pregnant! Fine, Ichigo, do that!"

"FINE, RUKIA!" he snapped, losing his nerve. "FINE, I'M STAYING HOME! No party, no promotion at work! No, nothing!" and he angrily exited the bathroom, leaving Rukia speechless.

One moment later though, the interphone began to ring. Calmly Rukia got up from the toilet seat and carrying her gorgeous dress, she headed to the door to answer.

"Yes...?"

"It's the driver. Your car is here..."

"Tell his it's cancelled!" Ichigo snapped still irked from the living room.

"I understand, thank you." Rukia answered politely. "We'll be down in a couple of minutes." then she turned to the leaving room entrance and said with the most natural and calm air. "Get your shoes on, Ichigo. The car is here. I'll brush my teeth and we're off."

His eyes widened, as she was a completely different person. Calm, composed and rational. She looked so much like the Rukia he knew so well. What was he supposed to think about it now? Was this what they called pregnancy moods? Isshin warned him about them. Why didn't he paid attention to him?

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