Chapter Thirteen
What Our Plans?
Rukia, Tatsuki, Riruka and Orihime were talking and catching up with recent events at Tatsuki's place. The subject of the dance came up as they listened to the band No Doubt.
"Forget it I'm not going," Tatsuki said.
"You have to go Tatsuki. Even if you go alone you'll be with all of us so you won't really be alone," Orihime pleaded.
"As much as I'd love to spend time with you all no thank you, sounds boring," Tatsuki said.
Orihime was surprised to see that Tatsuki seemed over her earlier convictions about Renji. It didn't seem like she remembered Renji at all. Isn't this the same friend who declared that she was falling in love not long ago over their physics assignment?
"Lots of guys asked you and I think you scared them all off," Orihime said.
Tatsuki laughed at that it was true. She just didn't care for any of the guys who asked and being forced to spend any time with them would be a giant bore. But now it was getting closer to the dance and she did not want to reach out and get rejected. Even Huyu would likely scoff at the idea of taking her after the way she treated him.
"Would you go if you had a date," Rukia asked.
"Who," Tatsuki asked.
"Ichigo would go with you," Rukia answered.
"Rukia you're going with him," Orihime said.
"He'll understand," Rukia said. The dance was becoming too big of a deal and she felt like backing out.
Tatsuki got the feeling that Rukia wasn't really tuned in to the way things worked with High School dances.
Orihime grinned and you could almost see the light bulb go on over her head.
"I have the perfect idea. Tatsuki you have to agree to go first and don't worry about the guy," Orihime said.
"What are you talking about a blind date," Tatsuki asked.
"Exactly and it is sooo perfect," Orihime said.
"Now I want to know," Rukia said.
"I'll bring him to school and introduce you two at lunch," Orihime said.
"What do you mean bring him to school," Tatsuki asked.
"And Rukia you are not backpedaling," Orihime scolded ignoring Tatsuki's question.
"I'll go," Rukia said.
"Yes we'll all go even Riruka," Orihime said looking back over her shoulder.
"At least I can escape if it is as boring as Tatsuki claims," Riruka said.
"Just think of all the cute clothing we can look at," Orihime said.
"Not to mention the cute decorations we can set up," Riruka grinned now fully invested as her mind went wild with possibilities.
"We have to go to the official dance first to at least try it out thought," Orihime agreed.
"Orihime can't you talk to Uryû," Riruka asked the gears of planning spinning in her mind.
"About decorations," Orihime asked to clarify.
By the end of the conversation they were all on the dance committee. The former members of the committee were at first intimidated then charmed into stepping down. Tatsuki lamented that she had yet another responsibility added to an ever-growing list. Riruka lent her CD to Orihime and they called it a day.
000
The Kurosaki family was abuzz with craziness. Yuzu tried her best to reign in the circus as she served dinner. They all insisted that Rukia join them despite anything that Ichigo said about going out to eat. There was no arguing with them so Ichigo joined the circus. Turned out they missed Rukia too.
At the end of dinner Ichigo still wanted to take Rukia as far away from his family as possible. It was late so he told his family they were going for a walk.
"I don't think that it would be proper for me to stay in your room any longer knowing what your father thinks is going on," Rukia said.
Red-faced she recalled the way Isshin interrupted them earlier.
"Did he say something," Ichigo asked.
"Well I said I was staying somewhere else but he quickly offered me that other room," Rukia said.
"When you were gone we talked a lot. I guess I forgot how much I talked about you," Ichigo said.
"You talked about me," she wondered then quickly joked, "You didn't have a ton of girls coming in and out your room anyway. I mean isn't that what your father would expect," she said.
"No! Why would he expect that," he asked horrified.
"I don't know I like my closet just fine," she said.
"It's my closet and it not for sleeping in any way," he said.
"That's why I said I was staying somewhere else. Your reputation will stay intact and I can have my closet back," she said enjoying his overreactions he was still the same Ichigo.
"You think my dad won't notice that you're there," he said.
"Parents expect rebellion," she said.
"You can stay in the spare room," he said.
"I'm staying in my closet," she said.
"Forget it," he said.
They continued to walk down the street; it was odd not having any Hollows to fight or assignments to do.
"Why the closet Rukia," he asked.
"I would think that you would figure it out by now," she replied.
He couldn't think of a reason she would want to sleep in that tiny dark space.
"First I'm just used to sleeping like that wherever I feel comfortable and I wondered if I would be able to control my abilities in Kisuke's defective Gigai," she said.
"So you didn't want to freeze me to death by accident," he said.
"It sounds stupid when you put it that way. Besides that I doubt that would be able to contain my powers anyhow," she said.
"So it was more of a comfort thing," he said.
"I don't know honestly…I mean your family would have found me out if I was sharing your bed," she said.
"That much is true," he agreed.
He had a feeling that they knew all along she was in his closet anyway. In any other family he imagined it would be a cause for major concern but his father and sisters were just too crazy for the average family. To try to describe to the outside world his crazy teen years would be impossible.
"Ichigo who were you going to this dance with if I didn't come back," Rukia asked.
"It wouldn't matter," Ichigo said looking up at the starry sky.
"Of course it-
"I would go with someone from school most likely. We would have a good time because I would be surrounded by friends determined to have a good time and force me to have a good time.
It wouldn't be special and unless something momentous happened I probably wouldn't remember a thing. I would go to sleep that night thinking of you. I would sleep wishing she were you…it just wouldn't be special," Ichigo said.
That pain was returning again but she was there he looked at her just so that he could breathe again.
Rukia stopped walking.
I am holding him back.
"How can I live up to that," Rukia asked.
Ichigo turned realizing she had stopped and was sitting down on a park bench.
"You're missing the point. You can't just put a substitute in your place and expect me to live some fantastic life…thank you very much but no thanks," Ichigo said pacing in front of the bench.
"You didn't even say what I thought you would. While I was gone I thought you would live this fantastic life…I thought you would wake up and give Orihime a chance," Rukia said.
"I'm not clueless. I know how she feels but I know how I feel. Everyone keeps telling me about Orihime and how she feels…when you were gone it didn't comfort me. I can't change that I'm in love with you and it doesn't matter how much time, the place or the people surrounding me. Anyway it's not fair to Orihime either," Ichigo said.
How strange of him to use those very words that she had thought about earlier…clueless.
"I realize that now. There are plenty of other interesting souls out there but somehow you foolishly pick me…but it's not one-sided. Just like the time I said goodbye to you, after you saved me, you let me stay there in the Seireitei. Confident that we would see each other again you let me go.
If I told you I needed to leave tonight you would trust me like that again. That's what love does to people. It would be painful to be separated but that is the pain we accept. The pain of loss," she said.
"Loss. Pain. I won't accept that love has to be like that," Ichigo said.
Rukia looked up at him. He was smiling down at her.
"Do you even know what you're babbling on about," he asked.
"I just-
"Let it go. I'll break every rule for you. I'm in love with you and I will not leave you ever. Got that," he asked.
"I got it," she said smiling back at him.
"I'll follow you wherever you trace off to so there is no loss," he said.
"You're the one who is leaving me this time. They are keeping us apart don't you see that," she asked.
He sat beside her this time pulling her close. They sat like that for a while as the air grew colder. She leaned into him thankful for the warmth and not wanting to leave just yet.
"Something is strange I'll say that much. But you are coming with me no matter what," he said.
"T-
His kiss cut off her protest.
Damn how could she be so weak against him?
She knew that Yoruichi would laugh her head off at Rukia's absolute demise. But it felt good and all her fears disappeared.
What took you so long to give up? Ichigo wondered.
000
"Rocksteady"is by No Doubt