Coffee With A Dash Of Showbiz

by AkaBaka-chan

Two polar opposites have the most unpleasant of meetings leading to a series of the most petty fights. Rukia Kuchiki, a pleasant coffee shop owner hates him as soon as she saw him. Ichigo Kurosaki, an actor hates her even more. Will they ever get along?

13. As Sweet As Ice Cream

Chapter 13: As Sweet As Ice Cream

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH AND IT'S AWESOMENESS. IF I DID, ICHIGO WOULD'VE MET RUKIA AGAIN BY NOW

---

"Sure you don't need any help?"

Rukia shook her head no as she moved with her crutches towards the entrance of Chappy Land. It was difficult but she had quickly adapted to having crutches. The only actual problem she had was him. He had forgotten to wear some form of cover up. He only brought a pair of shades. Hopefully, people would continue to ignore them but at this rate, tomorrow's headline would be: Kuchiki Princess in Chappy Land with actor Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself?" she asked as she moved even faster than he did.

He shrugged as he fixed the aviator shades on his face. "Relax. We're here to have a good time." he said reassuringly however the words didn't serve it's purpose.

"But still... How could you forget your hat? And your contacts? And why is it you only remembered to bring your shades because today's weather called for shades?" she replied to him, if anything, her worry increased.

He sighed heavily as he stuffed his left hand in his pocket. It sure is cold for a sunny day. "If I recall, Chappy Land is owned by the Kuchiki Corporation. They had to do something with the extra funds and so they decided to open a theme park and see if it would profit them. The theme of the park was chosen because the president's wife's little sister was obsessed with Chappy." he stated flatly but even an idiot could tell what he implied.

"I'm not obsessed with Chappy." she snapped at him as she still had a faster pace than him.

He scowled. "Midget, trust me, you are. You have the complete Chappy the bunny mug collection. You have one missing Chappy beach bunny umbrella. You have at least fifteen of the twenty global Chappy alarms. You know, the irritating ones that say the time and alarm in different languages. You have five winter Chappy scarves and five autumn Chappy scarves. Let's see... What else?" he listed her collection with a hint of sarcasm.

"A-alright... Fine... I acknowledge the fact that I am an avid collector to some degree." she said in defeat as she trudged on. The crutches were somewhat hard to use against the slippery snow.

"That would be an extreme understatement." he sharply commented as he kept following her.

She too ended up scowling. "What's your point?" she snapped at him.

"I'm just saying that you practically own the place while you're here. So you should just relax and stop being such a worrywart." he replied to her.

"The employees aren't a problem, the park goers are. They have cameras and they could easily post it on the Internet." Rukia reasoned. "I'm just worried about the press. Since I'm the first adopted Kuchiki, the media has been following me like a pack of wolves. I'm their favorite subject. I just wonder what they'll write when try find their favorite business topic with their favorite showbizz topic." she said anxiously.

Ichigo stopped walking and stopped her as well. He grasped her shoulders reassuringly. "Rukia Kuchiki, calm down. You are a Kuchiki right? You always walk with your head held high. Where's your Kuchiki pride? What are you so paranoid about?" he asked her seriously.

Shit... He doesn't seriously expect me to answer that. If I were honest, it would be because I don't want to be seen with him.

The media would definitely make up a story, her brother would be furious with her and Ichigo might get ideas. In all honesty... She didn't want to be labeled as his girlfriend. Even if it was false, the title scared her. She couldn't possibly tell him that.

He's been doing so much for me...

I want to stop feeling things for him.

Rukia was blushing but luckily, that could be passed of as windburn from the cold wind. She pursed her lips. "It's complicated."

He sighed. "Rukia, you always walk with an air of elegance. You have the 'don't talk to me cause you're not important enough' aura. Besides, don't you have more class than that?" he said.

She paused.

She breathed in deep. "Of course I have more class than that. Who do you think you're talking to?" she said in a snappy manner.

"Now that is Rukia Kuchiki." Ichigo declared.

She smirked. "Excellent, let's get going shall we?" she said as she tried to shake him off

"I swear, something's wrong with that little Chappy filled head of yours midget." he said in a sigh. "Are you bipolar or something?"

"Of course not. If I was you'd be under more hell than you are now." she replied quick and simple.

"Damn woman." he mumbled as he followed Rukia.

He looked at her as though he wanted answers but he shook his head. "Alright then. I'll wait until you feel like telling me why were you so paranoid."

Rukia had to blink and pinch herself just to make sure she wasn't imagining things. He was actually understanding. He wasn't being aggressive as usual.

"Okay." was all she replied as he retreated and had begun to walk. He stopped again when he realized she wasn't following and frowned.

"What are you waiting for Rukia?" be hollered out.

Rukia shook her head and trudged on. "I'm coming. You don't have to yell." she said angrily.

"Yeah yeah, whatever." he retorted back as he followed her.

They reached the security check and got through rather quickly seeing as though the heir to the Kuchiki Corporation was within the park premises. Of course, most of the guards were curious about Ichigo, they just simply ignored him. Though one female guard gave him the flirt glance.

Strangely, that didn't sit too well with Rukia. Fine... she knew why it didn't sit too well with her.

Though thankfully enough, Ichigo intentionally ignored said glance.

After getting through the security check, they went to the actual gate and got through rather easily along with the envious stares from the average park goers. Most of them understood why they were allowed in so easily. The visitor was Rukia Kuchiki. Though the faction who didn't believe it was her simply shrugged her off as some rich person who could afford the V.I.P tickets. Rukia just sighed at the pettiness of it all.

She would've waited in line like all normal people however she didn't want to waste the tickets Grimmjow gave her. That would be unfair to him.

Once they were through, Ichigo forced her to sit seeing as though standing up with crutches was a straining and tiring thing for her while he went to fetch them a map himself.

He's being way too nice...

Ichigo finally came back looking rather furious. He stomped all the way to her and sat next to her angrily and gave her a crumbled piece of paper which seemed to be the map in... Italian?

"You're multilingual right? Well some douche bag forgot to refill the kiosk with English and Japanese maps. I can't read anything." he stated.

Rukia took a good look at the thing. "Sure I can read it. However, something run by the Kuchiki Corp. Is flawless in it's operations. Are you sure you didn't miss the English or the Japanese one?" she asked just to be sure.

Ichigo paused before nodding. "I'll be right back." he said as he ran back to the stand.

Rukia chuckled. "How careless of him." she mumbled.

Rukia began to hum a familiar tune to herself as she admired the snow. After a few more minutes Ichigo came back with the right map. The moment he got there to hand it to her he couldn't help but stop.

"What's that song you're humming? It sounds familiar..." he asked her.

She took the map and checked it. "Told you it was hidden somewhere in the kiosk." she grinned.

He shrugged off the sarcasm. "You're not answering me." he stated clear as day.

"It's called glow. It's the song we sang together before. Don't tell me you forgot already..." she mocked him.

"Che, my memory isn't that bad. I just wanted to know the title." he scoffed as he stuffed both of his hands in his pockets.

"Whatever..." she replied.

"So why were you humming it?" he asked.

"Well. All this snow reminded me of when Hisana was alive... Winter was her favorite season. glow was my favorite song before she passed away." she said with a far away melancholic look.

"Oh..."

"She used to sing that song a lot with my brother. My brother is a fantastic singer you know. Though it's impossible to get him to do anything fun anymore since she's not around."

He extended his hand towards her. "Come on. Enough depressing stuff, we're supposed to have fun." he said in a carefree manner as he pulled her up and held he up long enough for her to get her crutches.

"Since when have you been so nice?"

"Maybe if you weren't such a bitch from the start then maybe I would've been nicer to you earlier." he smiled at her arrogantly.

"You are such an ass Kurosaki." she growled at him.

His smirk stayed on his face and he crossed his arms. "Only when I want to be." he replied smugly.

She focused her weight on her functional leg and hit his shins with one of her crutches hard making him yelp in pain and go to the floor to alleviate the pain.

"Come on dumb ass. Let's get going." she said with a sadistic tone.

Once he recovered he stood up and ran after her while limping slightly. "What the hell was that for Rukia!" he yelled at her from a distance.

"Punishment." she simply replied with a grin.

"Damn woman, would you stop hitting me!" he yelled at her angrily as he limped on. His leg was starting to form a bruise with a bad shade of purple.

"If you want me to stop hitting you then you need to stop insulting me." she replied smartly.

Seriously, how can this woman look poise and elegant with crutches? Kuchikis are freaky, thank god she's not a pure blooded one.

Ichigo simply groaned as he grabbed the map from her earning him a soft glare. He simply shrugged the glare off and took a gander at the map. Apparently, the nearest ride was the Chappy High Speed Roller Coaster. One of the few attractions that targeted older park goers. He called Rukia and pointed towards the ride.

"That's the nearest one. Ride or skip?" he asked her.

"Definitely ride." she answered.

He raised an eyebrow. "You sound confident. So I'm guessing it's not actually thrilling?" he asked her curiously.

"No no. It's quite thrilling actually, I was just hoping you might enjoy it as much as I did when I went here before with Hisana and Byakuya." she stated in a sing songy way.

Ichigo's face grimaced. "Why is it I don't believe you when you say it that way."

She grinned. "What's wrong Ichigo? Scared are we?" she asked mockingly as she placed one hand on her hip.

He scowled rather deep. "Hell no. Are you kidding me? Are you saying I'm scared of a Chappy ride? Now that is a load of bull."

"I'm just saying. I mean, they asked my brother to test the ride and they didn't open the ride to the general public until brother gripped the bar." she stated.

Ichigo eyes widened and he didn't blink at all. "You've gotta be shitting me."

"I'm not. Now come along now." she said like a mother to her scared little son as she dragged Ichigo to said Chappy ride with crutches. How she did that was a mystery.

Is she really injured?

Finally, they reached the ride. Ichigo hid his hands so that she wouldn't notice how sweaty they were. He was a tad bit nervous seeing as though it could make Byakuya Kuchiki grip something then it was just right for him to be nervous right? But if that was the case then why wasn't she nervous? Maybe Byakuya Kuchiki's nerves of steel rubbed off her.

They showed the park attendant their special V.I.P tickets and he let them through with no qualms. No actual waiting in line. Normally, that was a good thing because rides like these always have extremely long waiting lines like now however, this only added to Ichigo's misery.

How splendid, he thought.

Finally, after breezing through the line, they were at the waiting row for the roller coaster. Sadly, they were at the front. Why does it have to be the front? Why not the back or the middle?

The small gates opened automatically and after helping Rukia sit down he gave the crutches to the attendant before sitting down himself. He anxiously lowered the bar. He stiffened slightly but in Rukia's point of view, he stiffened considerably. She simply smiled and leaned back while she witnessed the man next to her stay upright and not relaxed at all. She had to hold off a snicker. This was too
hilarious.

The dreaded ride was finally set to motion. Ichigo was as white as a ghost while Rukia was just as pale as she always was. The ride escalated to uncomfortable heights. The going up part was uncomfortably vertical. Not slanted but nearly vertical. When they reached the top, the height leveled with the ferris wheel, it was unnerving. In precisely two seconds, they dropped. Literally. It was a huge drop and the turn was sharp.

Once they were through the thrilling drop the ride kept turning sharply and kept making sudden plunging drops. It would've been exhilarating if it was your second or third time going. Ichigo saw the incoming loop, he had been on loops before and most of the time, he didn't feel it. However, he could feel this one. It twisted as it made a loop so it was meant to be felt. After another sudden drop and a twist, they went up again into another loop with a twist.

After another series of gut twisting and stomach hurling ordeals they went through the tip. Ichigo had to look backwards to wonder why they stopped only to find one path he didn't see earlier. With a sudden jerk, the ride zoomed backwards until before he knew it, he was back where they first were. He glanced at Rukia only to find that her expression had not changed in the slightest.

"See, that wasn't so bad." she said.

"Now that I think about it, if you didn't make me so anxious from the start then I would've survived just fine. Were you lying about your brother?"

She shook he head as they slowly arrived back in their place by the gate. "I wasn't lying. But did it ever occur to you that he went on continuous rounds and had simply gripped the bar out of nausea?" she asked him while he carried a dumbfounded look.

He paused. "Right... If it was a test then the subject would have to do it multiple times..."

Then he his eyes widened more. "Why was he the test subject?"

"Because his wife's sister said to make it the greatest roller coaster ever on impulse. He had to check for the quality himself." she replied nonchalantly.

"I'm guessing you were thirteen?"

"Twelve actually." she swiftly replied.

"Oh, well that's understandable. Did you have fun when you were twelve?"

"When you're a kid, things like these are extremely fun." she replied.

He gave her a weird look. "No, I'm guessing that's just you."

She shot a glare in his direction. "I'll choose to ignore that..." she said angrily.

Ichigo shrugged as the safety bars went up. He stood up and got out first. He helped Rukia up and called the attendant for their crutches. After a while, they were going through the exit gate and back onto the main street where they had first started. Ichigo wobbled a bit but managed to ease himself and find a nearby drinking fountain before properly returning to her side. She noticed his little moment of nausea and raised an eyebrow?

"You okay Ichigo?" she asked with real genuine concern.

He smiled to reassure her. "I'm fine. So where to next?"

She shifted uncomfortably where she stood and looked at him awkwardly. "A-actually... I was hoping you would do me a favor..."

He gave her a quizzical look and crossed his arms accompanied with his trademark scowl. "What favor?"

She avoided his eyes. "There's a competition right now... And the prize is a limited edition necklace. You know a Chappy exclusive so I was wondering if you were willing to help me..."

"What's the catch?"

"Er... It's a couples game. I saw the poster while you were drinking from the fountain." she said awkwardly.

He paused for a moment while giving her this odd sideways glance. After a while of thinking he finally spoke. "In other words. You want me to act as your boyfriend just to get your item?"

She nodded. "In a nutshell."

"What do I get out of helping you?" he asked her.

She thought about this for a sec. "I'm going to regret this... You can do what you want with me."

He had to blink just to make sure those words really escaped from her throat. He sighed before laughing hard earning him a frown. "So I can do one requirement of our bet?"

She blushed furiously. "No! That's not allowed." she yelled at him.

He roared in laughter. "How do you know which one I meant?"

She hit him again with one of her crutches. "Sh-shut up! Please, anything but actually dating you or actually having sex with you..." she said angrily with an evident blush on her face.

He laughed even more as he ruffled her hair making her pout this time. "I'm not that bad. I'll decide what I'll gain from this later but we need to establish some ground rules if you want to win this thing." he smirked.

She looked at him cautiously. "What rules?"

"Let's see... You have to hold my hand. You have to act like you do like me. If I try to kiss you, you can't push me away because I'm supposed to be your boyfriend. So on and so forth. Think you can do that?" he asked with a grin as he leaned down to meet her height.

"Fine... For Chappy..." she said stubbornly.

He grinned as he went closer to her. "Where is it?"

She shoved the map to him and pointed. He only grinned as he accompanied her to their destination. He couldn't hold her hand again because she had her crutches to worry about. If only she didn't need them, he would've held her hand any day. A silent Rukia was certainly a sight to behold and a sight he most certainly welcomed anytime. She always the most honest when she's quiet actually.

Rukia stopped and tugged at his sleeve making him look back at her. "Promise you'll be a gentleman?"

"I promise..."

"So you two are entering the couples game?" the perky park attendant in a fancy dress asked oh so perkily.

Ichigo nodded with a grin as he wrapped his arm over Rukia's shoulder much to her dismay. "Yeah. Is there a problem?"

She smiled politely as she shook her head. "No, there isn't a problem but you guys need to pass a little test. You see, there are a lot of cases where the couples are fake and that ruins the purpose of the game."

Ichigo only grinned in amusement. "And what is this test?"

The attendant smiled. "Oh, it's nothing strenuous or anything. Just a simple kiss on the lips would do." she said cheerily.

"Oh, that's not a problem. Right Rukia?" he asked her as her drew her as close as he could bring her with her crutches.

She nodded reluctantly. Luckily, that could've easily have passed of as embarrassment. "Y-yeah. No problem..."

"Just in case. Their won't be any physical tests are there?" Ichigo asked in a concerned tone.

"Oh, you two will do just fine. The physically tests normally go to the boyfriend. So she'll be just fine. Umm, so shall we get to the clearance test?" she asked.

"That's not too hard." Ichigo said with his trademark arrogance as he grabbed the nape of her neck and planted a kiss on her lips. It was quick but warm. Though the thing is, once you have warmth in the cold, you would want said warmth back.

He looked back to the attendant and smirked. "Do we pass?"

The attendant nodded. "Yep. No qualms about that. Right this way." she said politely as she gestured towards the entrance.

Ichigo smiled as he pulled Rukia with him. Slowly of course. His "girlfriend" was injured after all. He grinned silently and reveled in this one time chance. This wasn't likely to happen again.

"W-wait! Ichigo! Don't pull me, I'm injured for Christ's sake you idiot!" she yelled at him angrily.

"Whatever midget." he replied smugly.

"What's up with that tone? Mocking me and all!"

"I'm not mocking you my dear girlfriend..." he grinned.

"Ichigo Kurosaki! Don't you dare use that pathetic-"

He leaned closer to her and cut her off instantly. "Pathetic what?" he said smugly as his head angled dangerously as if to kiss her again.

"You're pushing it again." she stated bluntly.

"Pushing what?" he asked hotly as he stayed dangerously close to her. They were already attracting the park attendant's attention.

"You know... It's only pretend..." she whispered.

"That's why I'm pushing it..." he said as he gave her another searing kiss but kept it brief. They had a competition to win and they needed to stop showing off to the other couples and the evidently envious park attendant.

She had to push him off personally. With the crutches. He just laughed at her. His temporary girlfriend. She glared at her faux boyfriend. It was all good.

"Ah... It's the love hate type..." the park attendant mumbled as she witnessed the couple slowly disappear from her line of sight.

Then the attendant's eyes widened. "W-wait... It can't be that Ichigo Kurosaki can it?"

---

"Sorry to keep you waiting ladies and gentlemen. We will now begin the annual Couples Game! The prize in this event will be an exclusive silver Chappy necklace. So, boyfriends, work hard for your girlfriends!" the MC announced as the small crowd of couples cheered.

"And guess what folks! We've got a special couple amongst us today!" the MC added.

Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other with worried expressions. Rukia mouthed the words: Did they find us so soon?

Ichigo just shook his head. "No, it can't be..." he whispered to her.

The spotlight suddenly searched the crowd and Ichigo and Rukia's heart raced as the light shot passed through them. Luckily, it stopped on another couple. Ichigo had been holding her hand in reassurance then but as he saw the couple his grip on her hand tightened.

Ichigo scowled heavily as he saw a head of auburn hair. After some couples moved, his suspicions were confirmed. He saw a familiar bubbly face. On her hair were familiar clips she never seemed to take off. Ah yes, her unusually large but annoying assets. His grip tightened even more as the memories flooded in.

"Orihime Inoue..." he seethed while Rukia watched him worriedly.

"Calm down Ichigo. Compose yourself, just like in the party. Be civil for crying out loud." Rukia whispered angrily.

The crowd still cheered as the MC asked the couple to go up the stage. The crowd made a path for the couple and they went up the stage safely. Ichigo rolled his eyes as he looked at te guy. Honestly, pink hair? Actually, he's like an Uryu with pink long hair. If it weren't for Rukia, he would've left a long time ago.

"Ladies and gentlemen. We've got Ms. Orihime Inoue and Mr. Syazel Apporo Grantz on the stage!" the MC announced with a smile as the crowd cheered. It's not everyday you see celebrities in a theme park.

Orihime waved with the most innocent smile conceived. After a while, she noticed a certain orange head in the crowd. She smiled happily.

"Oh, if it isn't Ichigo Kurosaki." she said in her usual annoying tone as she pointed towards him.

The spotlight quickly switched to Ichigo and Rukia. How splendid...

The MC's eyes widened in excitement and he got the crowd to look at the lovely couple. "Well whaddya know? It is Mr. Ichigo Kurosaki and the lovely little lady is... Why, if it isn't Ms. Rukia Kuchiki."

They had no choice now. Ichigo and Rukia slowly made their way to the stage. Ichigo went up first so that he could assist her up the stairs. Going up the stairs with crutches isn't the easiest thing to do after all. After they were up the MC had decided to state the obvious.

"Oh, Ms. Kuchiki, are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

Rukia only smiled. "I'm fine. This'll get better in three weeks." she replied sweetly. After all, she was the Kuchiki sweetheart. No other Kuchiki could please people like she did since all the others were stuck up and anal retentive from the moment of conception.

"I hope it gets better soon Ms. Kuchiki. After all, we wouldn't want the only spontaneous side of the family out of commission right?" the MC said making the crowd laugh.

Rukia pretended to go with the joke.

"Now then, if you're here Ms. Kuchiki, does that mean you are currently dating Mr. Ichigo Kurosaki?" the MC asked bluntly as the crowd became curious.

Let's do this professionally now...

"Sadly, we are not what you said yet. This date is just a way for him to make it up to me. We've been friends for a while you see." she replied professionally. If it came to cover ups and dealing with the media, Kuchikis were experts in that department.

The MC laughed. "An apology date? Do pray tell just what exactly is it did he do?" he asked jokingly.

Rukia chuckled. "Now now, his little offense towards me is a little personal now." she said sweetly.

The crowd was disappointed.

"Ah well, that's a story for another time as long as you both qualify for this event fairly, we have no problems with you participating. So, we'll have our special guests exit the stage so we can start with the event." the MC said in an energetic booming voice.

All four on the stage smiled and went down accordingly though the shortest among them took a while. Ichigo of course, extended his help. The moment the other couple got down, they found their spot again before watching the odd couple slowly descend from the stage.

"I take it Mr. Kurosaki is dating a Kuchiki. He's got guts... Maybe it's just a fling?" Syazel said in a whisper to the auburn haired one.

"Knowing him, he'll say it's just a fling or an apology date as they put it however, don't forget that the test couples need to take is a full on kiss on the lips right?" Orihime replied with question.

He shrugged. "I do know that a Kuchiki never gets touched by those a Kuchiki doesn't want to be touched by." he stated.

"Exactly. I don't think they're actually dating but I think he's absolutely smitten by her don't you think Syazel?" she asked him sweetly.

He nodded as he fixed his glasses. "It's quite obvious by the way he looks at her. Though this room is filled with a bunch idiots, they won't notice. They'll go with what she said." he replied analytically.

"Did I ever mention that you make an excellent back up boyfriend?" Orihime asked.

"You can stand to mention it more. What are you going to do about Kurosaki. You're not done with him yet after all. You've still got some unfinished business with him. I mean, he's the only guy who's ever rejected you." Syazel states bluntly.

Orihime gave him a soft glare. "I'd rather not remember that part thank you. I'd rather think of him as a challenge. He's the only one who's been this difficult. It always breaks my heart whenever I remember how he was the only stain amongst my collection." she said with an awfully evil grin.

"The only one?"

"Yes... Now let's not talk about me now. You are far too observant and analytical for your own good. You just might learn my secrets." she smiled at him.

He grinned. "Fair enough."

Once Rukia and Ichigo got down they took their respective positons while tolerating all the curious stares. It was getting somewhat irritating by now. Ichigo shifted uncomfortably next to Rukia. Just the sight of her auburn hair made him mad. He just couldn't stand her anymore. The only reason why he wasn't mad at the party was because he was too preoccupied with thoughts of Rukia.

Okay... That sounded wrong...

What the hell is she doing here and why do I feel so pissed all of the sudden?

Rukia just sighed, Ichigo was having his mood swings again. She tugged his sleeve to get his attention which was what happened. His scowl was deeper than usual.

"Calm down. She won't do anything to you. It's not like she bites or something right?" Rukia said.

"It's just... She just made me feel more miserable after losing Senna. I had hoped she would pick me up from my depression but she was different. The Orihime Inoue you see is just a facade...
She just uses people as leverage. Stepping stones would be a better word. She used me to get an up in her career which was what had happened. And-"

"Ichigo! Seriously, if you don't start shutting up then I might as well not talk to you at all." Rukia threatened. Who's being the sissy now?

He lowered his head. "S-sorry... Just got a little carried away..." he said as he scratched the back of his head.

"That is a very huge understatement." Rukia sighed.

Ichigo kept his mouth shut as their attention went to the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Let's get this show on the road! The first obstacle is the couples test! Just exactly how much do you know about each other? Only true couples would know the answer! There are information cards with the park attendants sprawled out in the area, fill them up and that same attendant will test you based on that information! Are there any questions?"

The crowd was simply silent.

"Alright, I'm taking that as a yes. Now on my signal. One! Two! Three! Go!" the MC shouted energetically.

And with that, the couples scattered within the area like an army of ants. Naturally, Ichigo and Rukia took it slow. Apparently, they counted the number of participants because the number of attendants were exact. They found their attendant and had begun to fill in their information card. Of course, there was no need to worry about the test.

Or as Ichigo had put it when they were looking for an attendant. "Have a little faith in me midget."

Rukia gulped nervously. Still, they weren't really dating so the chances of getting the wrong answer was high. After filling the last bit of information she gave the information card to the smart looking girl. Thankfully, the girl they picked looked like a smart teenager on a part time job. The student council president type so they had no worries. She looked professional enough.

After a few more nerve wracking seconds, Ichigo finally gave his information to the girl and the girl took a moment to assess the information. She gave the couple a good nod before smiling.

"Let's begin shall we? Ms. Kuchiki, What's Mr. Kurosaki's favorite song?"

Rukia didn't even have to think about seeing as though he would always sing this song in the shower thinking that the sound of the water would drown out his singing. She smiled. "Unchanging Word."

The attendant smiled. "Correct."

Ichigo looked at her weirdly. How did she know?

"Mr. Kurosaki, I'd also like to ask you the same question."

He grinned. "glow." he answered quickly.

The woman nodded. "Correct, what are your favorite movies?"

"Definitely Memories of Nobody." Rukia answered confidently.

"If it's her then it's Fade to Black." Ichigo scoffed.

"That is correct." the woman said with a smiled as she took another glance at the information cards.

"Now then, the next question for both of you is: Most embarrassing moment.

Ichigo gulped but had managed to smirk as a sign of confidence. "When I accidentally walked in on her."

Rukia clenched her fist and blushed. "When I played with him three days ago..." she said embarrassed.

The woman's eyes went to Rukia. She gave her a puzzled look but shrugged anyway. "Since it seems it was a sensitive matter I'll let this vague answer slide. Mr. Kurosaki, do you know Ms. Kuchiki's best friend?"

Ichigo nodded. "The male or the female one?"

"You can say both." she replied.

"Momo Hinamori and Renji Abarai." Ichigo answered as he placed his hands in his pockets.

The woman fixed her glasses. "Their occupations?"

"Psychiatrist and Novelist."

"Excellent. Ms. Kuchiki, likewise." the woman said.

Rukia cleared her throat. "Tatsuki Arisawa and Uryu Ishida. Manager and Journalist." she said confidently.

"Correct. Though that's still the easy part. You two up for a couple of harder ones?" the woman smiled as she tool another glance at the card within her possession.

"Sure, anytime." Ichigo answered nonchalantly.

"Ms. Kuchiki, state the members of Mr. Kurosaki's family."

Ichigo's eyes quickly went to Rukia. She can't possibly know the name of his dad much less his mom. How will she pull this off? Ichigo averted his eyes, closed them and hoped. Participating in this game was her idea since she had wanted the prize so badly. Even if he was dragged into this, he didn't want to quit this game just yet. She had dragged him too deep already.

No... It wasn't Rukia who got me stuck here. It was Orihime Inoue. What is that woman planning? Did she have to announce our presence here? She wouldn't do anything unless it benefited her...

"Karin Kurosaki, Yuzu Kurosaki... Isshin Kurosaki and Masaki Kurosaki." Rukia answered rather quickly for someone who shouldn't have known the answers. Ichigo's eyes suddenly shot opened and her looked at Rukia with evident disbelief.

"Correct, Mr. Kurosaki?"

Ichigo shook his head and cleared his throat. "Byakuya Kuchiki and Hisana Kuchiki."

"Correct. Ms. Kuchiki... Who is Mr. Kurosaki's first love?"

Rukia literally froze. First love? Ichigo's first love? Who is it? Perhaps someone from high school or someone from college or... or...

"Let's specify things. When I say love, I am not simply referring to a mere crush." the woman added.

Love... Who did Ichigo first love?

Rukia's fist clenched tightly. One named popped into the back of her mind. It was a painful name. Rukia's eyebrows slanted downward slightly as Ichigo looked at her with a worried expression. She had to be right.

"Senna." she simply said.

An eery silence came as soon as the name had escaped Rukia's lips.

"Correct... Mr. Kurosaki?" the woman asked as she ignored the slight eeriness in the air that had come with the name.

Rukia sighed in relief but as soon as the relief had shot past her a new feeling surfaced in her chest. It was an unpleasant feeling. Rukia closed her eyes. This was something she had felt before. Not frequently but she had. But... To feel this feeling would be the absolute worst.

I would have to be absolutely heartless to feel this when it involves her...

Rukia opened her eyes slowly. So Ichigo had never loved anyone else? Just her... and her only? Why doesn't that sit too well with me?

This time, she really didn't know.

Her eyes went to Ichigo and she found him looking rather pissed. If he's pissed then he probably has an answer, though he probably doesn't like the guy.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaques..." Ichigo said in a discrete growl.

Rukia felt surprised. It was true that she hadn't loved her previous boyfriends as much as she had loved Grimmjow. Perhaps that could already pass off as a first love because that was what she thought when she wrote his name on the card. She honestly didn't expect Ichigo to know this much.

"Oops... Another touchy subject. Anyways, you are correct." the woman said though she didn't sound sorry.

After several difficult but not as sensitive questions. The attendant simply smiled as she took her results paper to the stage where they officials were to check.

Ichigo sighed in relief as he took Rukia to a nearby bench. Once they were seated, they rested in silence.

"How did you know about my family?" Ichigo asked without looking at her.

"Your father and your mother used to be acquainted with my brother. They were introduced to me as old friends that's why I know them." Rukia said.

"They could've been any other Kurosaki you know?"

"I know but my brother mentioned they had a son around the same age as me and two twin daughters. I just took a random guess..." Rukia replied.

Ichigo laughed. "Lucky guess..."

"Lucky guess about Grimmjow too..." Rukia shot back.

"Yeah... So he was your first love?" Ichigo asked.

"First real one... I have no idea why I fell so hard for him then... Believe it or not, he acts exactly like you. You guys could be brothers or something." Rukia replied with this warm smile on her face.

"Brothers? With him? Hell no!" Ichigo retorted.

Rukia chuckled. "Suit yourself..." she scoffed.

Woah! Let's recap... She fell in love with a guy who acts like me? Holy shit... Does that mean she likes me?

It could be... What other reason does she have to tell me this?

But this is Rukia we're talking about here... She won't fall for a guy like me... She despises my kind.

Wait up Ichigo... Why am I thinking about this anyway? It's not like I like her or anything, this shouldn't matter to me. Yeah, I don't like her that way at all... Do I?

"You alright there? You look a little pale Ichigo." Rukia asked as her face was extremely close. Naturally, this wasn't on purpose.

Ichigo flushed red and shook his head before making some distance. "Y-yeah, I'm fine." he quickly replied.

"Alright then. If you want to take a breather now's the time because a lot of couples aren't done yet." Rukia informed him.

"No thanks, I'm good." Ichigo replied.

Rukia tugged at his shirt. "Help me up will you? I'm gonna get myself a drink." she said.

Ichigo shrugged. "I can get one for you." he replied.

"I don't want to be weak all the time so help me stand." Rukia shot back angrily as her faced turned into a scowl.

Ichigo grinned. "I won't help you."

"And why not?" she snapped at him.

"Didn't I tell you before? It's alright to rely on people sometimes. You don't have to do everything on your own." Ichigo replied as if to scold her as he stood up. He cocked his head. "So tell me, what kind of drink do you want?" he said with a smile.

Rukia pouted at him. "I just want some Pepsi okay?" she told him in defeated tone.

"That was awfully quick. I thought I'd have to take a few minutes to convince you." Ichigo teased.

"Shut up Kurosaki..." she shot back stubbornly.

Ichigo frowned. "And back to last name basis." he mumbled angrily as he walked to the nearest kiosk.

He quickly found a bottle of Pepsi and grabbed a bottle of Mountain Dew for himself. He got past the many accusing stares and went to the cashier to pay for it. He handed the guy the money and got his change shortly. He fixed his shades and walked back to Rukia and handed her the drink she wanted. She took it in her usual royal manner.

"You could say thank you your highness..." Ichigo said.

She looked at him and shrugged. "Thanks..."

He smiled. "Much better."

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" she asked him bitterly.

He sat down and opened his soda. "Aren't you having fun too? After all, you even forgot about the prize. I mean, if you hadn't forgotten about the prize you would have never even stop to wonder why we know so much about each other." Ichigo said confidently.

Rukia's eyes widened but then softened. She closed them softly. "Am not... That's just mere speculation." she retorted.

"You're only this stubborn when you know I'm right." he replied arrogantly as he drank from his bottle.

"And you're only this aggressive when you have something to hide." she replied back as she too drank from her bottle.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked her as he looked in the opposite direction.

"I bet I know what you're thinking." she stated confidently.

This intrigued him. "Oh really? Interesting... Do tell me what is it exactly am I hiding." he asked teasingly.

"You're wondering that since you act like Grimmjow you think I might like you. The fact that I've told you that much is bothering you." Rukia grinned.

Ichigo swallowed thickly. "And what makes you think that?"

"Because you act like him. Don't worry, I've been over him a long time ago. I won't go around falling for you or anything." she reassured him.

Ichigo was supposed to be relieved yet why wasn't he? Instead of relief it was an entirely new and different feeling. It was unpleasant.

"Who said you were right about what I was thinking midget..." Ichigo replied stubbornly.

Rukia chuckled. "Just as I thought." she stated.

"Che, whatever..." he replied.

Rukia took another sip. "Hey Ichigo..."

"Yeah?"

"Why were you so mad earlier?" she asked him.

"You mean with the Inoue thing?" he replied.

"Yeah..."

"I just got pissed. Because she had the choice not to call me up but she did. I'm betting she has some ulterior motive for doing that. Perhaps she's looking for a scandal to ruin me and get another up in her carrier..." Ichigo replied angrily.

"What did she do exactly?"

Ichigo looked at her and shrugged. "I like my privacy so when we started dating I asked her to be discrete throughout the relationship. I'm guessing it didn't go through that thick skull of hers. The first three days were good. I mean, she was being a pretty good girlfriend and I was getting hopeful. Then, she started being a completely different person. Blatantly cheating on me? I had no idea just how she pulled that off without making a scandal? Then she started trying to seduce me and tempt me as though all men would fall for that..." he said in an anger fueled tone.

"So you're saying she was just trying to win you?" Rukia asked.

"That's only half of it. I know her type. She's just a fame whore, sticking to the popular and the famous just to get an up in her career. She was just collecting me." he scoffed.

"Oh..."

"And Rukia, don't go feeling sorry for me okay? I don't need it." Ichigo told her.

"I wasn't planning on feeling an ounce of pity for you anyway. Don't make any assumptions idiot." she replied.

He grinned as he drank from his bottle. "Of course Rukia... of course."

"It's true. I don't need to pity you, you won't accept anyway and you most certainly don't need it. After all, pitying you is nearly the same as insulting you." she shot back.

"You got that right midget." he scoffed.

Her head snapped in his direction accompanied with a glare. "Hey..."

Ichigo just laughed making her even angrier. Pissing her off was just way too fun.

It would be nice to stay like this with no troubles.

---

"They're being awfully friendly with each other don't you think Orihime?" Syazel asked as he cleaned the lens of his glasses.

A knowing smile surfaced on her lips. "Yes... I think I can use this to my advantage after all. It should be quite easy." she replied.

Syazel put his glasses back on and took a sip of his coffee. For a theme park, they have pretty good coffee. "How?"

"I'll just turn his infatuation with her against him. It's easy to make another scandal. I've done plenty of that already." she grinned.

"True. It is your favorite sport." Syazel chuckled.

"I prefer the word hobby." she replied sweetly as she took a bite of her strawberry ice cream.

"Strawberry ice cream in this weather?" he asked her.

"I don't mind. I do love strawberries after all."

Them the crowd grew silent as their attention was drawn to the stage.

"Sorry to keep you waiting ladies and gentleman! We will now be announcing the results for stage one!" the MC announced as he was handed a neat envelope. He opened it and glanced at the results.

"Apparently, out of the twenty couples only seven passed... We have numbers five, seven, nine, ten, thirteen, fifteen and twenty!" he announced as he waved the paper in the air.

"I repeat! Numbers five, seven, nine, ten, thirteen, fifteen and twenty ladies and gentleman!" the MC repeated enthusiastically.

Ichigo and Rukia looked at each other grinning. Ichigo was just smiling though, Rukia was beaming at him. Laughing even.

"Ichigo! We're number fifteen! We passed!" she almost yelled if she hadn't mustered enough self restraint not to.

Ichigo had to think twice. She didn't mention the necklace...

"Yeah, we actually made it midget." Ichigo said happily as he hugged Rukia.

Rukia was about to hug him back withe her free arm if she hadn't noticed the attention they were attracting. She quickly pulled back as far as her crutches could take her which was to say two feet and cleared her throat. Ichigo's eyes widened as he realized what he had involuntarily done and stood awkwardly.

"Umm... Yeah..." Rukia added.

"Right... So, perhaps a cup of coffee? Your Pepsi's done after all..." Ichigo said in attempts to keep the attention down.

"Sure... Coffee's good." she replied.

He nodded and cleared his throat. "So, I'll go get a cup for you." he declared as he glanced at her once before walking of to the Kiosk to get a cup of coffee.

Awkward much...

---

Renji ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. His hand gripped the small device tightly as his eyes scanned the contents on the screen again. Clothes were scattered all around the room as he threw the cellphone on the bed again. He sat on the couch angrily and sighed.

"I don't believe it... I need to ask that dumb ass's help for this? Damn, I'm getting pathetic..." he scolded himself as he stood up again just to get the dreaded phone to text a certain man.

His fingers clicked on the tiny device's keypad and ended with one conclusive click. He put the phone next to him and just dropped himself on the couch and waited. After what seemed like hours, his ringtone rang out and he lazily grabbed in and looked at his inbox.

---

From: Ichigo Kurosaki
Re: Tatsuki

Wow, you're actually making a big fuss over this aren't you? Wait, don't answer that you'll just waste some texts. Tatsuki would love it if you would just wear your usual clothes because she did make a side comment about how you did look good when you weren't trying to impress anybody when she thought I wasn't listening.

---

Renji's face flushed before shaking his head vigorously before tossing the phone away. He sighed fitfully as he tied his hair in one swift motion. He looked through the scattered clothing and got the clothes he had intended to wear before he got that text from her.

His thoughts were preoccupied as he changed his clothes. His mind drifted to the text he received earlier. The words were still fresh on his mind.

---

From: Tatsuki Arisawa
Re: (No Subject)

Hey, Renji... I was wondering if you would like to meet up for some coffee later. Maybe some time after lunch. I was thinking of Rukia's place actually if you like. So what do you say?

---

It was only natural that he said yes. It was also this text's fault for forcing him to actually mind his clothing for once. He sighed again as he buckled his belt. Once he was done with the darned thing he went to his closet again to get himself a coat. Even with the heater on, he could still feel the cold trespassing his property. He found his wallet under a heap of clothing and checked it's contents to make sure he had his cash. He took his phone from the spot on the couch where he tossed it and went for his computer. He unconnected his USB from the thing and placed it in his laptop bag. Even if it was a date, it was also a good opportunity to get some material for his next novel.

His double checked his laptop bag to make sure his stuff was there and looked for his keys which were on the side table near the door. He went through his stuff one more time before getting through the door. Once he was out, he quickly locked his door and went his merry way to the elevator. He pressed the down button and had waited for about a minute before a familiar ding resounded in the cold hallway. Renji went through the doors and clicked the ground floor button while listening to the sickening elevator music. Once the elevator brought Renji down, he shot through the lobby and gave the desk guy a friendly nod as he exited the building.

He was back out on the chilling street along with all the busy people of the world. Renji shook his head at the sight of those stupid teenage gangs. They were at that age where nothing in the world mattered. They were just minding themselves and other gangs they would fight with.

"How pointless..." Renji mumbled as he walked through the familiar way to Rukia's cafe.

After precisely five minutes, he arrived at the familiar cafe and went through. The comforting heat welcomed him. He had expected to find Rukia behind the counter but them remembered that she was injured. Still, perhaps she could be upstairs, he had to ask.

He approached a certain regular and asked.

"Hey Momo... Where's Rukia?" he asked her nonchalantly.

Momo sipped her tea calmly before looking at Renji. "She's on another date with Ichigo." she simply replied.

"She's still in the in denial phase right?" Renji replied as he absentmindedly scratched his cheek.

Momo's eyebrow rose. "I'm surprised you're not being jealous..."

"I have no reason to be. At least, not anymore. Ichigo's a good guy, I don't mind." Renji replied as he stole a cookie from Momo's table.

Momo glared at him for it but let it slide. "So what are you here for?"

Renji shrugged. "I'm meeting up with someone." he replied in his usual rugged tone as he eyed a nice secluded table in the corner of the place.

Momo shot him an odd look and started to seem as though she was in deep thought. Her eyes widened in realization and grinned. "You're on a date. And I'm guessing it's Tatsuki..." she said teasingly.

Renji flushed red as he brushed of her comment and sat at the table near the corner. "Shut up..." he mumbled.

He heard Momo laugh as he brought out his laptop and his USB. He laid it out on the table. He took his charger and hooked up to the nearest electricity output before turning on his laptop. As soon as it finished booting up, he stuck the USB to the side and waited for it to register. Once that was done, he opened his document and resumed writing.

"Mr. Renji, would you like some coffee perhaps?" Kiyone asked from behind the counter.

He shook his head. "Later..." he replied as he began to think again.

"Alright then." Kiyone replied as she resumed wiping the glasses.

He cracked his neck before stretching his fingers. He laid his fingers on the keyboard and had begun to type. The more he typed, the more indulged he became in the very world he himself created. Once he got his fingers to flow, his brain would just keep providing him with the words and he would be able to produce another chapter. All he needed was the means to start writing and he would be off in his own world.

As soon as he was several words deep, he didn't notice the person he was meeting up with at all.

Momo grinned as soon as she saw Tatsuki coming in. She calmly drank her tea but she found it difficult to erase the grin on her face. It was awfully boring since she didn't have the usual couple to tease today but she had just found a new target. Guess she'll have to make do with them.

Tatsuki walked up to Momo with a friendly smile. "Yo... Have you seen Renji?"

Momo nodded as she sipped her Oolong Tea. "He's the one in the corner who seems to be too absorbed with his laptop to notice you come in. You should probably give him a good poke or something." she stated nonchalantly.

Tatsuki gave her an odd look and looked at the corner where a certain redhead was. He was typing furiously on the keyboard with a certain aura. An intimidating aura at first but one would notice that the aura was pink. Tatsuki couldn't help but stifle a laugh. So this is how he's like when he's writing.

She walked up to his table and gave him a good slap at the back. Renji literally jolted from his seat and instantly looked at her.

"Y-Yo... A-Arisawa... I didn't notice you coming in..." Renji greeted awkwardly.

"Thought so. I don't see Ichigo or Rukia around though..." she grinned as she took a good gander around.

"Momo said they're on a date or something to that effect." Renji replied in his usual rugged mannerism as he gestured to the chair opposite him. "Care to take a seat?"

Tatsuki shrugged but smiled. "Of course." she replied professionally as she sat down while Renji sat down on the opposite end. He closed his laptop temporarily.

"Didn't Ichigo tell you or something? That he went with Rukia somewhere?" Renji asked.

Tatsuki shook her head. "All he said this morning was that he was going to an amusement park or something like that." she replied as she rested her head on her palm with her elbow propped up.

"Do you think it's Chappy Land?" Renji asked.

"If it's Rukia we're talking about here then it probably is." Tatsuki said as she looked at the counter to find Momo behind the counter ransacking a few cabinets while Kiyone was near tears trying to stop Momo.

Tatsuki sighed as Renji also noticed the scene. They stood up and walked to the counter while the other customers ignored it. Luckily enough they were the regulars who knew well enough that the word normal meant nothing in this cafe. Tatsuki went behind the counter herself and grabbed Momo's attention.

"Hey Momo, stop terrifying the poor girl." Tatsuki said.

Momo looked at her and shrugged. "I'm not terrifying Kiyone." she shot back.

Renji leaned against the counter. "What on earth are you doing anyway?" he added.

"I just had this great Ichigo and Rukia plan!" Momo replied happily as the door shot open again.

All four of them looked at the door to find the familiar busty strawberry blond and her fox faced handsome boyfriend. She grinned at the scene and walked up to them. "Hi, what are you all doing there and where's Rukia and Ichigo?"

The four of them exchanged looks before looking at the woman. "She's on a date with Ichigo." they replied simultaneously.

"Again?" she replied.

They all nodded and unison.

Suddenly Momo stood up and grabbed her. "Come on, Rangiku. Help me out here because I have a terrific plan for Ichigo and Rukia." Momo said evilly.

Rangiku raised an eyebrow. "Plan? Is that why you're all gathered there?"

"Something like that. Momo still hasn't told us her great plan." Renji replied as though everything was such a drag.

"Shut up, pineapple." Momo shot back. "Now, I was looking for some Gin seeing as though it's clear like water."

"And what makes you think Rukia has Gin here. She doesn't have any alcohol in a cafe like this." Tatsuki added.

Momo smirked. "And that's where you're all wrong. Rukia is actually a full fledged bartender for your information so she keeps a bunch of alcohol here somewhere. You just have to ask if you want some. The best evidence of the alcohol is Ichigo because apparently, Rukia made him some cocktails one time." Momo said smugly as she wagged her finger around.

"Oh, you mean Rukia's alcohol? She keeps it in that cabinet." Rangiku said as she pointed to a certain cabinet Momo had missed.

"Thanks." Momo said swiftly as she shot past Kiyone and went straight for the cabinet.

Renji gave Rangiku a strange look. "How do you know?" he asked.

"Don't think Momo is the only one who knows about Rukia being a bartender. Rather than go to bar I can always just go to Rukia you know. She knows how to make a good Sidecar for your information." Rangiku replied as she placed her hand on her hip.

"Rukia can make an awesome Martini too!" Momo added as she ransacked the liquor cabinet.

"A M-martini?" Renji added.

"She can make an even better Margarita." Tatsuki added as well.

Renji's head shot in Tatsuki's direction. "How do you know?"

"She made cocktails for this dorm party we had before." Tatsuki replied.

Renji blinked once before shaking his head vigorously. "W-wait... Am I the only one who doesn't know about Rukia's so called awesome bartending skills?" he asked hysterically.

"Uh huh. You're the only one." Kiyone added with a cheery smile.

"Kiyone too!"

"Yeah yeah, stop being such a mom about it Renji." Momo said irritatedly as she pulled out a bottle of good old Beefeater Gin.

"What are you planning with a bottle of Gin?" Renji asked the obvious.

"I just had this thought." Mono said excitedly as she poured it into two normal glasses. "When they come home, one of them is bound to think it's water and they'll drink a whole glass of it. It's not a shot mind you so they'll probably get tipsy. If it's Ichigo then he would be dead drunk since he's pretty weak to alcohol. Let's just pray Ichigo drinks it shall we?"

"This isn't going to work Momo. It's a pretty stupid plan." Renji said stubbornly as he crossed his arms.

"I dunno Renji... Momo is a psychiatrist, analyzing how people think is her job, though her job handles the mentally disturbed, she knows Rukia more than anyone else here. And I know Ichigo more than any of you people here so it just might work." Tatsuki agreed as her hand was cupping her chin in thought.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Renji said as he started to massage his temples in frustration.

"I've seen Ichigo drunk once. It was funny actually..." Rangiku said as she trailed off until she stopped talking after realizing something. "I think he might do something to Rukia..."

"Sounds plausible, maybe he'll bawl his feeling out to her." Tatsuki speculated.

"Or maybe he'll show it with his body." Momo grinned heavily as she began to squeal in excitement.

Kiyone flushed red. "You don't mean that do you Ms. Momo?" she said as her hand covered her mouth in shock.

"I do mean it." Momo grinned but that soon disappeared. Momo sighed and smiled softly. "Look, I just want Rukia to be happy. I'll do anything to bring back her smile. Even for just one second, I just want to see it again. All I know is that Ichigo is the guy for the job. I didn't think she would actually like him to this extent but if she does, I think she'll learn to love him on her own free will. I'm not saying this as a doctor. I'm saying this as her best friend. I think... No... I know she loves him now. Forget about Kaien, I know the guy and he would wish for this too. After all, Rukia didn't give him the ring back on her own volition, he took it back."

Renji chuckled before smiling as well. "Yeah, my little crush for her all these years is nothing compared to the trust they have for each other. I know that now and I don't love her like that anymore." he said softly as he gave Tatsuki a sideways glance discreetly.

"Ichigo wasn't this alive since Senna. It just killed me to look at him all depressed before. After learning how to mask his emotions I could still tell he was still hurting. Rukia made all the rain stop didn't she?" Tatsuki added.

The trio smiled as they all looked at a small picture of Rukia and Ichigo taped in a hidden corner of the counter not visible unless you looked hard enough for it. Ichigo probably put it there to annoy Rukia but the picture showed no signs of attempted removal.

---

"Now then Ladies and Gentleman. Welcome to the third and final round of the annual Chappy Land Couple's game. Our last two contestants is number fifteen, Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki and number twenty, Orihime Inoue and Syazel Apporo Grantz." the MC said in a booming energetic voice.

The eliminated couples cheered even though they were out of the game.

"These two couples have competed excellently and are now on this stage for the final round. The final round is The Best Hollywood Kiss. The couple who gets louder cheers wins!" the MC announced enthusiastically.

Rukia gulped heavily as her eyesight started blurring. And she thought the last one was bad since she had to cheer on Ichigo like a supportive girlfriend. It was by sheer luck that they managed to qualify. She had to kiss this idiot in public just to get the necklace when she could just simply find some person on eBay who was selling it. By joining this contest, it would be absolutely free but at her reputation's dispense.

Rukia sighed. What have I gotten myself into?

Ichigo on the other hand was closing his eyes in thought. He didn't feel as bad as he was supposed to. Still, this was still pretty much a predicament for her. Technically speaking.

The MC flashed a smile and face the mic towards the audience. "Who do you guys think should go first. By the way, the time limit is five minutes."

Orihime smiled sweetly while Syazel was doing his best to look as charming as ever as the crowd shouted who they wanted to see first. After listening to the crowd the MC smiled and nodded his head. The votes were tied and the MC served as the tie breaker.

"Personally, I would rather see Mr. Kurosaki and Ms. Kuchiki I think I'd rather save that for last. Alrighty then, Orihime Inoue and Syazel Apporo Grantz are up first!" he said as his hand gestured to the perfect looking couple.

They went to center stage and stood in front of each other. They simply smiled at each other and leaned forward simultaneously. Their kiss was indeed Hollywood worthy and they didn't stop until the MC said that time was up. The crowd cheered at the sight of a live steamy kiss.

Rukia swallowed thickly as her heart raced uncomfortably. They had to beat that? Byakuya would most definitely hear of this after a day or so and the rumors would be horrible tomorrow at the premiere. Her line of thoughts stopped when she felt Ichigo's hand hold hers discreetly.

He smiled at her. "Don't worry, we'll deal with it the way Ichigo and Rukia deals with things." he said confidently.

Rukia managed to smile as her chest suddenly felt lighter. That's right... We'll deal with it the way we usually do.

The MC called them to the center. Ichigo helped her forward. The MC forgot the fact that Rukia had been standing far long than she should have and called for a chair even though both Ichigo and Rukia refused. One of the maintenance guys got them a chair and Ichigo helped her sit and set aside the crutches.

He only grinned as he kneeled down on one knee in front of her and further increasing Rukia's embarrassment.

"Trust me on this midget." he grinned sloppily as he surged forward and purposely caught her by surprise.

Ichigo caught her lips tenderly. His hand had gone behind to the nape of her neck to draw her closer. His hot insistent lips slid against her as he tilted his head to the side to taste more of her. He didn't really get the chance to taste her for this long quite often. His tongue brushed against her lower lip as he simply ravaged her delicious lips. He didn't even give Rukia a chance to retaliate even though she was doing her best in coping with his belligerent advances. He was dominating this kiss today.

Rukia's hand slid to grasp the back of his head. She even took the initiative to simply thrust her tongue in before him. There was no way she would simply let him be dominant throughout the duration of this kiss even though it felt way too good for her own good. Screw the press, what's the worse her brother could do to her anyway for having a bit of fun once in a while? Her body tingled at the sensations Ichigo's mouth was offering her and at this point, they didn't care about the prize anymore. Their minds were focused on fulfilling each other's needs. They both haven't done anything fun like kissing someone like this or getting laid for three years. They both needed this.

They haven't even started on the real fun when the bell rang and they were forced apart. Ichigo jolted back first while Rukia simply leaned back as she quickly withdrew her hand and placed it bashfully on her lap. She looked away from the audience as an evident blush stained her cheek. Ichigo's cheeks were heated but it looked like the kind of red you get from the cold.

The audience cheered for them once more as Ichigo pushed Rukia on the chair to the side so that the center would be open for the MC who seemed pretty surprised that his spontaneous Kuchiki comment rang true. He cleared his throat and fixed a stay hair on his head. Rukia glanced at Orihime to find Orihime smiling madly for no reason.

It would've looked like Orihime's run of the mill everyday smile but it wasn't. There was this strange malicious glint in her eyes.

"Now then Ladies and Gentlemen! Now weren't those kisses just simply made to be in Hollywood! These two couples played it out well but only one couple can win. Everyone who thinks the Orihime Syazel kiss was hotter, make some noise!" the MC said as he hyped up the crowd. The crowd was practically screaming which worried Rukia. Once they were done, the MC pulled flashed another million dollar smile as he shoved the mic even further towards the audience.

"Everyone who believes that the Ichigo Rukia kiss was hotter, make some noise!" he said excitedly as the crowd got ready to shout.

After a few seconds of nerve wracking silence an unbelievable noise filled the room. It felt like the all the cheering could make a small earthquake that could shake the richter scale infinitesimally. Rukia couldn't believe it, they didn't really script the kiss. In fact, they even lost themselves in the kiss and they were getting this much cheering. She looked at Ichigo to find him grinning smugly.

"See, it worked out." Ichigo said to Rukia.

She nodded. "Yeah."

---

"Do you want the wheelchair now?"

She shook her head as her free hand fiddled with the dazzling piece of silver dangling on her creamy white neck. It was beautiful even though there was a small Chappy insignia on it. It couldn't be explained by mere words but it was beautiful. Apparently, the necklace wasn't the only prize. Ichigo got silver ring. The Chappy logo was hidden but the intricate design on the front was something words could not describe. If it were put into words, it would've ruined the magic. It looked rather Celtic to be precise.

"I seriously think you're tired of walking." he said smugly. "I mean, we've already gone through the rides and it's almost closing time. Or rather, it's almost time for dinner."

She smiled. "Let's stay until the park's really closed."

"Alright..." he replied as he watched Rukia walk in front of him. The sight of her was absolutely breathtaking when the sky was completely orange. The sunset made her eyes stand out so much more. It was such a rare sight for the to be snow and a sunset looking so perfectly in sync.

He walked past her and stopped her from moving.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked get seriously.

"Of course." she replied as she gave him an odd look.

"Listen... I just want to say sorry." he said.

"For what?" Why are you apologizing."

He breathed in deeply. "I'm sorry for suddenly barging in your cafe. I'm sorry I accidentally walked in on you. I'm sorry for the way I acted after you tried to slice me with a katana. I'm sorry for not keeping my hands off of you at the party. I'm sorry for suddenly living at you home. I'm sorry for forcibly making you go out with me. I'm sorry for chickening out and running away from you." he said.

He closed his eyes and smiled at her. "I just want to say sorry for every bad thing I've done to you and I'm sorry for playing with your feelings. I know I really hurt you and I probably deserved that little stunt you did but I just want to apologize."

Rukia couldn't help but stare. "Wh-why are you apologizing. Why now?"

"I don't know. It just felt right... Looking at you, I just suddenly felt sorry for every wrong I did to you." he grinned.

She looked straight at his amber eyes and saw that they were being honest. "Ichigo... Wh-"

"I'm sorry." he said with this soft smile as the sun's light bounced of his hair.

Rukia furrowed her eyebrows and thanked God the sunset covered her blush. She punched him in the gut.

"You idiot. Why the hell are you apologizing! Didn't I tell you before? I forgive you already dumb ass." she scolded him.

He laughed. "Yeah, you're right. I know that already but saying all that just takes a big load off my chest."

"You're being weird today."

"I know." he replied.

"Hey listen, I'm just gonna head to the restroom. You wait here okay Rukia?"

She scowled. "Of course, it's not like I'm a child or anything..."

He chuckled as he ran off to the nearest restroom. His heart felt so much lighter for some reason. It felt so clear. It was like he could see right through it. It was unclouded and clear as crystal. He thought deeply about Rukia and what was wrong with him these last few days. He could think so much clearly now. He could finally get some answers

He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Holy Shit... I actually like Rukia.

He began to walk slowly as the realization had begun to sink in. The ever loving panic had begun to sink in the bottom of his stomach.

What the fuck... I like Rukia? That midget and prude of a woman? Wait, that's the wrong conclusion. But... It sounds right. What should I do? I thought the realization happened to girls first before guys but she doesn't seem to have changed at all. Of course she has, she did an out of character kiss at the hospital and she showed me Kaien.

He grasped his head. Holy shit... I like Rukia and I don't know what to do...

He sighed as his head was in chaos. Sure it was clear and unclouded but it doesn't mean it couldn't be in chaos.

As soon as he reached the restroom, he saw a familiar head of auburn hair by the entrance. His temper had begun to resurface oh so slowly.

"Good afternoon Mr. Kurosaki. Congratulations on winning the contest earlier. Well done."

He grimaced. "It's actually good evening by now." he replied.

She looked at her watch and smiled. "Oh, you're right. Good evening then."

"So what are you doing here?" he asked cautiously.

"Me? I'm waiting for Syazel." she replied.

"You're new boyfriend?"

"Jealous?"

"No." he shot back. What did this woman want anyway?

"Of course. He's just a really good friend is all." she replied sweetly.

"Is that so Inoue? Now if you'll excuse me I need to go to the men's room too." he said hastily.

As soon as he was almost done walking past her he was stopped by her.

"Are you really sure you want to be with the Kuchiki princess? Her brother won't let you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's too obvious that you like her." she smirked. "I'm just saying that you're way out of her league."

"That's my problem." he retorted.

She giggled. "You're not denying it Ichigo?"

"Don't call me that!" he snarled at her.

"I don't really care if you don't like me calling you Ichigo. I'm just warning you about her brother Byakuya. I know him personally, trust me... You don't want to get involved with the guy. After all, your precious Rukia can never say no to him."

He glared at her. "What are you doing really?"

"I'm just doing as I please." she replied swiftly.

Before he realized it, he was being pulled by her. Before he could even blink, he found her kissing him. He suddenly pushed her off and took many steps back. He wiped his lips with his arm in disgust.

"You! What are you you doing!" he yelled at her.

"Oh come now, don't be such a sourpuss. I'm merely taking home a souvenir." she grinned madly.

And with that she made her exit.

Ichigo spat as he angrily headed in the men's room.

Orihime waltz to the back of the building to meet up with a certain pink haired man with a camera in hand.

"You got the pictures didn't you?" she asked him seriously.

"Of course I have them. Several angles in fact." he replied as he handed her the camera.

She took it and scanned through the shots. "Not bad Syazel." she praised.

He crossed his arms and smirked.

---

Rukia trudged on the snow as she arrived at a familiar door. She limped on to the door and brought out her keys to unlock the door. Once it was done she limped in and sat on the nearest chair.

"Home Sweet Home." Rukia muttered unenthusiastically.

"Yeah." he was all he said.

Earlier, he was cursing so much over Orihime on his way back to Rukia but one look at said woman made him and forget all about the incident. A blush surfaced on his cheeks as he saw an innocent smile on Rukia's face. Then Ichigo acted like girl.

He walked towards the counter and sat on it. That was when he noticed two glasses of water on the counter. He grabbed it and felt that it was already cold from the weather. He shrugged as he drank it all seeing as though he was thirsty. He then took the other glass and presented it to Rukia.

"Water?"

She nodded. "Sure." she said as she reached out a bit to get the glass. She was about to drink it when she smelled it. Water doesn't have a scent...

Her eyes shot wide open. "Ichigo, this isn't water! It's Gin!" she yelled at him as she placed the glass on the table. It was a full glass too.

Too late, when she looked at Ichigo, he was already red and tipsy. Due to his low alcohol tolerance, he was already drunk. Who would leave two glasses on the counter anyway? Oh wait... Momo.

She couldn't stand to help him at all. What could she do?

Oh dear, he fell of the counter...

Luckily enough, landed right in front of her moaning about like a zombie. Rukia sighed as she tried to touch him but that only showed that her was dead drunk. Okay... This is most definitely Momo's idea. Curse her for graduating at the top of her class in college, the course was Psychology.

"I am so going to kill that girl tomorrow." Rukia seethed as she observed the corpse on the floor.

"What do I do with him?" she asked herself as she crossed her arms.

Rukia sighed as she took her phone and clicked a certain person. She pressed the call button and placed the phone against her ear. After listening to the infuriating sound of the phone ringing the person on the other end picked up.

"Hello?" he groaned.

"Renji, I need a favor." Rukia said.

"Favor? Alright, be there in ten..." he said in a lazy moan as the phone went dead.

Rukia sighed again as she watched Ichigo twitching on the floor. "It seems Momo overestimated Ichigo's alcohol tolerance. She put a little too much Gin in the glass."

She waited for exactly ten minutes before Renji came rushing in. He looked at the corpse on the floor.

"Shit... Don't tell me it actually worked?" he mumbled.

Rukia raised an eyebrow as she gave Renji a subtle glare. "Oh, so you know about the Gin? Tell me, just what was Momo thinking giving Ichigo a full glass of Gin?" Rukia replied angrily.

Renji was practically trembling. Looks like Rukia isn't in a good mood right now. "I tried to stop her but I gave up. There is no reasoning with that woman. Did you call me here to help put the corpse in the coffin?" he asked.

"Something like that." she replied as she stared at said corpse. "He's dead drunk you know."

"Look, this plan was approved by Arisawa and Rangiku and Kiyone." he added.

"Rangiku, I can believe and I can't simply punish her and Tatsuki all together... Though I can punish Kiyone..." she said seriously.

Renji cleared his throat. "Yes well, shall we get this corpse up now?" he asked as he neared Ichigo.

She nodded. "Yeah. I can't leave him on the floor. Look... He's already drooling all over my floor."

"Is he light?" he asked.

"You weight lift Renji... I bet you can carry him." she replied as she raised an eyebrow.

"Right..." he replied as he began to lift Ichigo.

"He's lighter than I thought." he commented as he proceeded to the stairs.

Rukia only nodded as she stood on one foot and got her crutches. She still wasn't totally used to them after all but once she was up and about, she went to the refrigerator for something to bite. She found a leftover sandwich from this morning and grabbed it. She limped on with it and popped it in the microwave. After setting the time, she went to the lovely stool behind the counter and waited.

She heard the microwave signal that it was done and she stood up again with some effort and grabbed her plate carefully and placed it on the counter. She then went back to the refrigerator to get her a cold can of Pepsi. She went back to the familiar stool and had begun to eat her small snack just as Renji had gone downstairs.

He stopped by the counter. "He's back in his room. Sleeping like a baby."

She chuckled. "Knocked out after one glass? He's really pathetic huh..."

"No kidding." he replied.

"You want something to eat or drink?"

"I just realized today. I'm the only one who hasn't tried any of your cocktails." he said.

"Well it seems like I've lost two full glasses of Gin so anything with it is unavailable." she replied lazily as she was halfway through her sandwich.

"Well, if I can't have an average Martini then I'll have a Vodka Martini."

She rested her head on her palm. "Sure thing, can you get the Vodka and the Dry Vermouth for me? And a shaker and a glass as well. And ice.."

"Of course." he replied as he went to get the following quickly. Since he would sometimes cover for Rukia, he already knew where most of the stuff were and because of this afternoon's little alcohol plan, he now knew where the alcohol was.

Once he got all she had had asked for, he laid them before her. She gave them a good look before taking a bottle. "Renji, this is Sweet Vermouth..."

"Really? I couldn't tell the difference."

"You don't sound all that sorry." she sighed.

"You know what? I'll ask for it some other time." he concluded.

Rukia sighed even more. "Great... Can you put them back?"

"Yeah."

Renji grabbed all the stuff he had laid out and obediently returned them to their respective places. He walked and stopped in front of the counter.

"Do you need help getting up?" he asked.

She looked at him with a scowl. "I'm not that helpless Renji."

"I know..." he said before looking straight at her.

"Hey Rukia... I've always wondered what would it be like to be in Ichigo's position."

She rested her head against the table. "I'd rather not think about what's Ichigo's position as of the moment. However, it would've never worked out anyway." she replied.

"And why is that?" he asked as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"You're a really good friend Renji. But I want it to stay that way. I don't want to lose that. Besides, I honestly don't think we would have gone very far knowing myself." she replied.

"True. I just wanted to hear it from you before I ask Arisawa on another date."

"Oh, you went on a date. Did you have fun?" she asked sarcastically.

"Why yes. Yes I did, and you went on a date too." he shot back.

She frowned. "It's not a date... It's just a little bit of fun. I haven't gone to that place since Hisana was alive."

"Fun huh? So a little bit of fun equates to a nice silver necklace?" he scoffed.

"Shove it Renji..." she shot back.

He laughed. "Goodnight Rukia." he said as he went for the door. He held the doorknob and twisted it. He went through and shut the door.

Rukia managed to stand up again and set her plate and her glass aside. She struggled up the stairs but managed anyway. She passed by his door and stopped to think. Maybe she should see how he's doing.

She turned to face the door and opened it. She limped in and saw that he was indeed sleeping like a baby. He was completely and utterly knocked out. She smiled as she watched him sleep. He never scowled when he was sleeping. She heard him mumbling and leaned closer to hear.

"Rukia... Come back here midget..." he groaned.

Rukia's smile faded. He's dreaming about me?

Her hand had begun to involuntarily touch his hair but only so slightly as not to wake him.

"It would do you no good to go falling for someone like me Ichigo. I'm not worth it..." she mumbled.

She leaned down and kissed his forehead as she prayed he wouldn't actually do what she feared he might do. Her face then showed a pained expression. "Same goes for me too... You deserve so much more since you're such a great guy..."

And with that, she went of to bed.

Hey Kaien... What should I do?

---

AN: First of all, I would like to apologize for not posting for a month or so. You have no idea just how stumped I was. I wanted to insert another chapter before the premiere as to not rush things but then, I got hit by a big wave of writer's block! It was scary because whenever I tried to think, I would come up with a blank. And when I got home from the States a week ago was the only time when idea's started to pop in my head. Once again, forgive me for not making a new chapter sooner and I'm sorry if this chapter was kinda suckish.

Nonetheless, I'm just happy I went skiing since my country is tropical, I can't do that. So yay for Whistler, Canada. It was fun. I've been slowly drawing more people in to the Bleach Fandom but I need to convert them to IchiRukis first before the IchiHime thing takes them.

Ichigo and Rukia have a movie together. Orihime only plays a minor role in the bleach movies.

Fun fact: Ichigo says Rukia's name 49 times in one hour and thirty. I counted.

I'm seriously disappointed in Kubo for dragging the the current manga arc. I was only happy when I saw an unknown Shinigami and when I saw Ichigo's fullbring looks like a Shihakusho. But that was it... I'm just glad Orihime is being a bit more useful like her new shield thing that absorbs the attack upon impact and sends it back to you. She's getting more useful at least. At least the kurosaki-kuns are more tolerable at least... I am seriously hoping that the Shinigami is Rukia.

The current anime arc is also interesting. I mean, Kenpachi VS Kenpachi. Doesn't it sound epic? And Unohana and Unohana? Is she finally going to fight? It would be fun if the character's would fight their own Reigai. Though I don't like that Rukia lost to her own Reigai... It leaves a bad taste. It's like saying she's super weak or something when Ichigo took out a bunch of them with a Kuroi Getsuga...

Oops Pardon the spoilers.

Thank you for the reviews

Thanks to smilie09. shnizlefritz, Imou for reviewing again. I memorize you guys already.

ichiruki88- sorry for the grammatical errors so far. The Iphone has the somewhat annoying feature called auto correct. I'm sorry if Ichi is kinda OC

GreekGeek0- glad you appreciate it! No, you're not tearing my ear off...

Thanks also to xwhitemoonx, ice devil cat demon, maxslayer10 and kyurikochan for reviewing.

Songs:

Anata Ga Ita Mori- I forget the artist but it's the ending song for fate/stay night... such a sad song.

Oblivious- Kalafina( This song sounds epic)

Gallop- Pe'zemoku(this is the sixteenth ending for bleach. If anyone has watched it you will notice that it is an IchiRuki ending. No other character is seen in that ending except for Ichigo and Rukia)

REVIEW ONEGAISHIMASU!

AkaBaka-chan Signing Off~