Disclaimer and Notes: I would love to own Bleach right now. Then Kubo-sama would work for me, and he'd have to tell me every little detail about the plot.

And maybe I could learn a thing or two about plotting! It's all good (for me)!

XD

N/A: Okay. I can't even bring myself to TYPE the length of time this fic has been on hiatus.

But it's revised, re-read, spellchecked for the hundredth time, and ready to go back to the internet. Now excuse me while I go drown my guilt.

To the Wind
Chapter 13
By AdventWing

"…Katobeto just called.

Rukia's gaze snapped to his eyes. "What did he say?" She asked, unconsciously thumb-marking her place in one of the many manga she had purchased yesterday.

He sank into the couch next to their bed. "I wasn't really paying attention. I was swearing at him for spying on us last night."

"…Last night…?" She asked hesitantly. They had gone straight to bed that night, they were both so tired by the time they got home. When she woke up, all she could think about was what he had said last night. Appealing. She flushed. She never really thought of herself that way.

"You know, at dinner?"

"…Oh, right." She paused. "Wait! You SWORE at him?"

Ichigo threw up his hands, "OI! I said he was SPYING on us! Why the hell are you mad at me?"

Rukia started hefting pillows at him.

"I didn't call him half the names I had in mind, Alex cut me off!" He said, dodging the fluffy missiles.

Rukia set her weapons down as restrain settling on her features. "Then?"

"Then? Then he called again."

"Brilliant." She muttered.

"He asked me about our reports." He scoffed derisively. "The way he goes on about those, it's like our whole grade depend on them or something."

"We can only hope." She replied. "…I just have this feeling he has something planned as an evaluation…"

Eyeing her current state of dress as little as possible, he asked, "…when exactly are you going to get out of bed?"

Rukia settled comfortably against the fluffy pillows. The blanket was strewn around her, the sheets wrinkled. Burying herself in her manga, she retorted, "Well, I don't know. I'm quite happy sleeping in for once."

"You've already slept in. To sleep in you need to actually sleep."

She gasped dramatically. "You're giving me a lecture about sleeping in!"

"You're NOT sleeping in!"

Rukia pointedly ignored him, and partook to a more enjoyable pursuit.

"C'mon. We need to get ready to go."

"Go? Where?"

He picked up a random volume and flipped through it. "Hey…this one's—" He was cut off when Rukia picked it artfully out of his hands. "HEY!"

She tsked at him; putting it in a pile beside her. "Don't start at the end. That's a good one."

Ichigo frowned. "Karin already has that one. I should know. I bought it."

"Well, she didn't have the last few." She grinned slyly at him. "Maybe I'll lend it to her later."

"…You'll lend it her?"

"Well, yes. It is mine. And considering the fact that I've borrowed so many of hers…"

"…But I bought it!"

"Well, okay then. You can read it first." She continued, enjoying the how fun it was to tease him. It was a rush like no other, different from when she lectured him. "Maybe you could learn something from it."

"Learn? What the hell could I learn from—" He squinted at the title. "…I'd be more worried about what YOU'RE learning from Kodomo no Omocha." He did a double take as he caught the hands of the clock. "…Damn. It's late…Rukia," he finally snarled, "I told you to get changed!"

She pointedly ignored him. Ichigo tugged on her blanket and was met with immediate resistance. He met her warning glare with one of his own. Gripping the soft material with tight-fisted hands, he eased up a little.

Then, he yanked the blanket away from her, when he felt her grip grow slack in response to his. It was with triumphant flourish and a haughty grin that he raised the conquered blanket above his head as she reached for it.

He probably would have won the round if Rukia hadn't tackled him.

He wasn't really surprised, more disorientated than anything else. One moment he was upright, the next he was pinned to the ground. He shook his head to clear it. This is the second time. It better not become a regular experience-"…No more TV for you." He said, scowling up at her triumphant face. He struggled briefly, the large blanket caught between them. "Get off." Damn. She was using it to prevent him from struggling too much, her knees used to pin it and him to the ground.

Rukia smirked in reply. "Pathetic. Isn't this kind of embarrassing for you?"

Truth be told, it was. And in more ways than one. Ichigo's expression darkened considerably. "I could throw you off in a second. I'm giving you an opportunity to prevent your little ass from getting owned. You do realize that you weigh…" He frowned thoughtfully. "…What the hell have you been eating?"

A thoughtful frown crossed her face, as she quickly assessed all the new foods she had been trying. Ichigo grinned when he felt her ease up a little. Lifting her upwards, he threw her effortlessly to the side. He was just about to pin her down and give her a piece of his mind, when she simply grasped him, and with surprising ease, rolled the both of them over so that his back slammed against the floor once more.

He grunted at the impact. Rukia, however, sighed, almost lazily, and crossed her arms over her chest, while straddling his abdomen. "Please. Are you sure you did Karate? Didn't they teach you any grappling techniques?"

Ichigo, not to be outdone for long, tried again to turn the tables on her. He got creative. The blanket was still caught between them, so he tried to use it to his advantage, as she did.

His back slammed onto the floor for a third time that day.

"Say it." She drawled.

"Screw you."

"It's really easy." She said a matter-of-factly and then began stressing his would-be-plea in a high-pitched voice. "Just cry…Mercy! Oh please, Great Shinigami Rukia! Mercy!"

"I have a better idea," he ground out. "You get off, or we're not going for that freaking picnic."

Rukia was dismayed for a moment, but then glared at him challengingly. "What if I decide to just stay here all day?"

Ichigo scoffed at that. "You can't stay on top of me all day. You won't get to go on the damn picnic then."

Rukia shrugged. "We can go tomorrow. Or the day after. There's no rush." She smirked. "Hearing you cry for mercy, however…"

"Hell no. If you think I'm going to—"

He let out a grunt of surprise when Rukia leaned in, grabbing the front of his shirt. "…Don't let me get…rough."

Ichigo swallowed. He had noticed that the tone of her voice varied…harsh when she was serious, or light when she was relaxed. In this position, its current silky soft quality was hell on his nerves. He averted his eyes, finding the wallpaper a good focal point. Damnit. Why the hell does she have to have such an effect on me? "Hell no."

"Fine then. One word. Just say mercy."

He tried again to buck her off. "…No."

Rukia sighed dramatically, and then cracked her knuckles gleefully. "Too bad."

"…What the hell are you—OW!"

--

"…"

"You had to do it the hard way." She said pacing herself so she'd walk alongside him. "I told you that you would have begged for mercy either way."

Ichigo harumphed irritably, almost embarrassedly. "I wasn't even trying."

"Ah," She began in a singsong tone, "So that's why you whimpered like a child when I locked your arm! You were trying to lull me into a false sense of security!" She clucked at him condescendingly. "Sneaky."

"Did you expect me to take you seriously? The only girl that's able to beat the shit out of me is Tatsuki—"

Rukia buried her heel into his calf quickly, skipping ahead while he grit his teeth in pain. "Well then, you'd better start training or something." She said merrily. "The number of girls who can beat the shit out of you have been bumped up to two!"

--

"I hate picnics." Ishida muttered darkly.

"Ah…you do? I kind of like them." Orihime replied hesitantly.

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "Ishida, all your sentences since yesterday have begun with 'I hate…'. Any particular reason why?"

Ishida fixed her with a cold stare, and Tatsuki felt a slow chill work its way down her spine.

Then, he shrugged.

Orihime sighed. True, Ishida wasn't very…amiable today…but surely there was a reason for it. "He probably used up all his manners on the trip," she heard Tatsuki mutter to her.

"…Where are they?" Ishida glanced sideways at Chad. "Where did he say for us to meet again?"

Orihime rubbed her head embarrassedly. "Can't remember. Tatsuki?"

Tatsuki shook her head in a negative.

Chad paused lengthily before replying. "Yamamoto Park."

"…That's pretty close by. Really close. Are you sure?"

Chad paused, again, before replying. "Yes."

--

"…Huh. They ain't here yet."

"What? Who's not here yet?" Rukia asked, hoping onto a fence beside them.

Ichigo shrugged, she was nearly eye level with him, and continued on. "…Maybe they're already inside. We ARE kind of late." He fixed her with a glare, and then ambled on through the large wooden arch.

Rukia blinked, and then frowned despairingly. "And just whose fault is that?"

--

"…Are you sure?"

Chad replied immediately now. "No."

"…Then why are we here?"

"Well nobody had any other ideas, so I thought that Yamamoto was the best choice." Chad answered, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

Tatsuki groaned, and reached into her back pocket. "…Morons. This is why people have phones…." She paused, the hand that was going for her cell phone suddenly hanging slack. "But Ichigo doesn't have a cell phone…does he?"

"Nope." Chad said.

"Rukia-chan has one." Orihime began tentatively, but she too paused thoughtfully. "…But does anyone have her number…?"

--

"Yours!"

"It was completely your fault."

"Damn it. It was your fault! You wouldn't get out of bed!"

"On the contrary. You didn't tell me that we were expecting guests!"

"Why the heck else would I have asked you to hurry up?" he demanded.

Rukia flushed. "I never thought you'd invite them to a picnic…."

"…" Ichigo pushed an errant branch out of the way. "I just decided it." He said flatly. "Anything wrong with that?"

Rukia eyed him carefully. "Nothing wrong…" she began, "But you could have asked me."

"…I thought you would have wanted them over."

Rukia's blush darkened, and she began to stumble over her words. "Uh…well…" She sighed, feeling the corners of her lips tug up into a smile. "I mean, it'd be okay after the picnic…so yeah, I do, but did you? You're always whining about them…" She scrunched up her face to look more Ichigo-like when she said that.

"Who the hell is whining?"

Picturesque. That was it. It definitely held her interest. "Hey, Ichigo, let's try going over there." She tugged on his sleeve, forcing him to accompany her.

"Where?" He asked shifting the heavy basket Rukia had prepared earlier. Kinda heavy for a picnic basket. "…Hey…not bad," he murmured in appreciation. A tree for shade, soft grass, and a hill that gave them a good view of the forest. Clear skies more or less cinched the spot as good. You didn't need anything else for a picnic. Rukia quickly grabbed the basket, and began rummaging around. Curious, he leaned over peer into it…and received a face full of red chequered cloth.

"…You're kidding."

"It isn't a picnic without the cloth. Spread it."

Ichigo was amused, and because of that, obeyed, spreading one of his dad's favourite tablecloths on the soft grass. "When did you become an expert on picnics?"

Rukia froze, and then scoffed haughtily. "I was always an expert on picnics."

Ichigo tried again to sneak a peak into the basket, before Rukia slapped his hand away quickly. "Just what do you think you're doing?" She asked, glancing up at him.

Ichigo glared at her, bemused. "I want the food."

Rukia blinked. "Food?"

--

"Okay. I have a feeling it's the park next to the shrine." Chad sweated at their expressions. "No, really, this time." He scratched his head thoughtfully. "I remember Ichigo saying something about that…"

Ishida sighed. "Let's go home—yow!" Orihime clapped him on the back hard, causing him to jump a bit. "…Inoue-san?" he asked.

She beamed at him. "…Sorry, Ishida-kun! That's not an option!"

--

"HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT PICNICS REQUIRE FOOD?"

"WHAT THE HELL ELSE WOULD YOU DO ON A PICNIC?"

Rukia was REALLY blushing now. "Well…er…you see…at first I thought it was about food…but then I figured that today's definition of the picnic changed…from my research…most of the time, the food is brought as a pretence."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. He didn't get it.

"So…I thought why do we need the food?" she swallowed. "Uh, no. I mean, since we weren't going to do…any of…that, I brought some stuff to keep us occupied." She continued. "…Instead of…that." She shook her head embarrassedly. Yes, okay…it was most probably wishful thinking. She thumped herself mentally. Baka.

Ichigo frowned, as he searched through his mind furiously. What the hell does she mean by pretense…pretense to what? Pretense…on a picnic…between a guy and a girl…

"—Your nose is bleeding!" Rukia cried.

"…No it's not."

"Yes, it is!"

"…No…no, it's not."

--

"Okay Sado. There are TWO Shrines with parks next to them. We have a choice between the bigger and more well known one, which has a fountain somewhere in the middle, with stone pathways and ice-cream vendors and the like inside, and was built in—"

Chad sweated. "The other one." He cut in.

"—It was also once wholly owned by…the other one?" Ishida paused. "Are you sure?"

Chad nodded once, and quickly. "…Very." He replied.

--

"It must be the weather," she said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Hm." He murmured. How was it possible for someone's lap to be both comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time? PARADOX! "So, what's in the basket?"

Rukia didn't respond at first.

"Oh c'mon. Just tell me." He grinned up at her. "Is it funny?"

"…" She seemed to struggle with herself.

"Hah! I bet it is." He went sober, and glanced up thoughtfully into her face. "I won't laugh."

Rukia sniffed then, involuntarily attempting to maintain some of her dignity. "…Board games."

He laughed.

--

"Okay. This better be it." Ishida muttered, glaring irritably at the large wooden arch.

Orihime sidled up to him. "C'mon, Ishida-kun! It wasn't that bad! We got to visit many park entrances!"

He stared at her pointedly, and she met his indifference with a beaming smile. "…I guess." He muttered.

Tatsuki sighed. "You'd better be right, Sado…"

--

"Great. I'm bleeding again." Ichigo muttered, running finger tips across his forehead as Rukia knocked them away to deal with it herself.

"You laughed." She replied, her tone unforgiving and accusing.

"It was funny." He protested. She held the rock above his face once more. "Okay, OKAY!" He sighed in relief when she put it down.

"You know…" He picked at the grass distractedly. "…I'm wondering. Why did you even bother to consider the other 'definition' of a picnic?"

Rukia just couldn't figure out why her stomach seemed to twist. "…Well…I never even really considered it." She said defensively. "That's why I brought board games."

He snickered. She flicked his forehead irritably. "Ow…so…you didn't even think of it?" He asked, a little more serious this time.

Her flush darkened. "…W-What are you asking…?" She was suddenly caught in the gaze of his amber eyes.

When did he get up?

"Lately…this whole week…it's been like this…" He murmured, tracing her jaw with his fingers. In the shade of the tree, the leaves created patterns on her face that he traced as he leaned in.

Okay…I wanted this… She admitted, feeling felt her head grow light…watched his face inch closer…felt her eyes close….

And suddenly he was gone. She bit her lip to prevent herself from calling his name. Ichigo pressed a hand to his face. " I—"

She grabbed his elbow before he could stand up and pressed her lips to his. Eyes wide open; he was far too shocked to respond. She let him go, slightly disappointed, her head filing with a familiar buzz. Not even a second had passed before he moved forward to catch her before she could part fully. She rejoiced internally, kissing him back tentatively, and when they parted, she was feeling like her heart had stopped for the duration of that kiss. "Again?" She asked, distractedly, as he leaned into her for another.

--

"Okay. So, theoretically, if we wander around enough, we'll find them."

"Unless they've left." Ishida muttered.

Tatsuki eyed him irritably. "Sunshine-san, Sunshine-san, you make me happy when times are grey."

Orihime blinked at the rising tension between them, and then hopping between them, looped her right arm with Ishida's left, and Tatsuki's left with her right. "So they're in here somewhere, right Chad? Then let's find them!"

Chad smiled, bemused at the scene. "Yeah, let's go."

--

"Don't stop." She breathed hungrily. Ichigo halted the attention he was placing on her neck. "I said 'don't'!" She exhaled harshly, pulling him back up to her lips. He resisted, his eyes wary.

"Don't worry." She ordered softly, sensing his confusion. She placed light kisses along his jaw, her eyes cloudy, and half-closed. "…Just stop thinking…"

Stop thinking…how could she ask that? He had to. There are just too many things I have to think about…she can let me do this to her, but she won't tell me how— His train of thought derailed when she pulled him on top of her.

Rukia herself was only aware of one very acute feeling. Need.

--

"Ne…Ishida-kun? You don't seem to be in a good mood today…is something the matter? Is there anything I can do?" Orihime asked, falling back to talk to him.

"Huh? No…not really."

Orihime poked him teasingly. "C'mon. Tell me what's up."

He hesitated. "…It's just that…"

She frowned. She couldn't hear him. His voice was too quiet…

"…Last night…"

She moved a little closer.

"…I didn't sleep too well."

Her face fell. "Whaaaaat? Is that all?"

He nodded. She considered him for a minute, and then her eyes studied his carefully. "What was keeping you up?"

He jerked in surprise. "Uh. Homework." He answered, and it wasn't really a lie….

Orihime noted his reaction with satisfaction. "Aha. Homework is it? Funny. What was really keeping you up?"

He was thinking up a reply when Tatsuki screamed.

"Tatsuki?!" Orihime cried, rushing to her voice.

When she skidded to a halt, she found Chad and Tatsuki lying prone on the floor. Ishida dashed past her, checking Tatsuki, and then heading to Chad. "They...fainted?"

He pulled Chad so that he'd rest on the tree. Orihime was frantically fanning Tatsuki. Ichigo and Rukia just sat there.

"So, what happened?" He asked, eying their flustered nature and their rumpled clothes. No freaking way.

"They fainted." Rukia replied helpfully. Ishida focused on Ichigo's averted face.

"Hm. Fainted?"

"—Tatsuki! Are you okay?"

Tatsuki got up, albeit a little woozily. "I saw…something…."

Ishida arched an eyebrow. Rukia shrugged. Ichigo flush darkened considerably.

"Kurosaki?" He asked suspiciously.

Ichigo just sat there.

"What did you see?" Orihime asked worriedly.

Tatsuki shook her head to clear it. "I saw…" She looked around her. "I saw…an octopus."

Ishida slipped on his way to the both of them. "A what?" He mumbled, lifting his head up from his position on the floor.

"A GIANT…octopus! It was…right there!" She turned to Ichigo and Rukia. You two saw it right!?

Rukia hid the Memory Neutralizer behind her back. "Yes!" she said.

Ichigo just stared at Tatsuki slack-jawed, awed at the level of events that she was willing to believe. "…Yes."

Ishida shook his head. On dry land? Impossible. Octopus are incable of breathing on dry land. It could have been a hollow. It could have been a hollow octopus. It could have been— He shook his head. WHAT THE HELL THERE ARE NO GIANT OCTOPUS THAT CAN BREATHE ON LAND WHAT THE HECK AM I THINKING?

Chad suddenly sprang to his feet, his fists up. He looked around, past everyone and their bewildered expressions. Suddenly aware of them, he relaxed a little. "…Octopus." He said, equally confused. "…I saw one."

--

"Okay! Confess! What were you two doing?" Orihime asked, her eyes sparkly.

Rukia swallowed at the force of her questioning. "Well…we were playing a game."

Orihime had lured Rukia away on the pretence of finding a public bathroom. Once they were sufficiently away from the group, she had begun her own version of The Inquisition.

"Aw, Rukia! Tell me the truth! Tatsuki would never scream at a giant octopus!"

Rukia blinked, shocked. "Why not?"

"Why? She loves octopus." Orihime said a-matter-of-factly.

Rukia nodded, enlightened. "I see."

"So, c'mon! Tell me what happened!"

Rukia shook her head. "S-sorry. I can't even think about it without…"

Orihime made quick calming gestures. "Okay, okay! But have you decided on your feelings?"

"Well…I decided that…that I like him…in a romantic sense. Maybe I even…love him…." She whispered the last part, and her face went up in flames at her confession. "I mean, we just kissed. Again."

For Orihime, the air was caught somewhere, on its way to the lungs or on its way out, and she choked as a squeal struggled out.

Rukia continued heedless. "And after yesterday…I felt like…I could be—"

Orihime finally managed to get that squeal out.

Rukia, eyes the size of dinner plates, hushed her hurriedly. Orihime escaped her grip and began bouncing up and down…and all over the place.

When Rukia had finally caught up, Orihime had decided to envelop her friend in a quick hug. "That's great! Now, you need to tell him."

Rukia shook off the warmth of the hug. "Tell him?!" she squeaked.

Coughing, she tried as best as possible to maintain her cool. "I was thinking about it…but…it's hard…" I'm not even sure…of my own feelings…if I want to have these feelings!

Orihime paused at this, her smile slipping fractionally. "…it is isn't it? Hard I mean."

Rukia sighed heavily. "Damn it. It's not easy, you know? I mean, I can safely say I'm in…love…but what if he doesn't feel the same way I do? What if he…just doesn't like me the way I…do…?" Orihime placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, as she continued. "…that's just it, you know…I can suspect, but I can't be completely…sure…." She trailed off.

"And…there's a problem with that?" Orihime asked.

"…Yes."

I could get hurt.

And she didn't want that, no. There was so much to lose. She wasn't like other people.

She was dead.

Orihime grimaced at Rukia's expression. "Rukia…you can't keep doing this to yourself."

"…Doing?"

"You have more than enough reason to believe that Ichigo may feel exactly the same way." Orihime continued.

"Then why hasn't he said anything? I mean, with the way he acts with me I don't know if he loves me or..." Or if he just likes me. And improbable as it was, maybe he just liked her because she didn't mind getting intimate?

No. Ichigo wasn't like that.

"It doesn't matter what he thinks. You have to stop doubting yourself, you…" She trailed off now. How was she supposed to tell Rukia that she'd regret it if she kept doing this? Her main argument (that she herself regretted not telling Ichigo her own feelings) was the one she couldn't use…

She finally sighed, and grinned at her. "More than that, if he doesn't realize that he does feel the same way, you can help him along."

Tsuzuku