DISCLAIMER: I Don't Own Bleach

Is it just me who has a problem uploading my Docs. at Document Manager? I had to edit one of my saved docs. into this chapter just to post it...

EDIT 11/17/2011: I love you guys to death and all but please don't review to tell me which story you want and don't PM me either because that will not add to the poll count... Reviews are meant to be reviews and I'd like to remind all that to vote, go to my profile page and click on vote now which will pop up without you having to stroll down or anything... Just a friendly reminder, I'm not mad but it is a poll.

Ichigo was trying to fix his hateful necktie. He knew how to tie it, the thing just refused to fix itself and so he struggled to make it neat. Normally, he wouldn't have even bothered but it was still Momo Hinamori's wedding so he had to do it for a friend. Though subconsciously, he might've done it for Rukia. Subconsciously of course, he would be castrated if that was entirely true. Ichigo scowled even deeper once he had managed to keep it in place perfectly. He took a few steps back and observed himself in the mirror to see if he looked socially acceptable for a wedding.

A small smile graced his lips.

"Perfect..." he mumbled to himself before grabbing his essentials and placing them in his pockets.

He walked out of his room nonchalantly. His feet finally carried him to the door and he opened it with a small turn. He closed it after walking through the door and double checked the knob to see if it really was locked. It was so he could breath a little easier. He ran a hand through his bright tangerine hair as he slowly reached the elevator doors. He pressed on the button lightly and the elevator came up in no time.

He walked in and clicked on the basement floor. He had to endure the horrible elevator music that would never ever change. No matter how many times he would request the management to change it or to simply turn it off, they told him that it was just him. Apparently, leading experts had claimed that it soothed people. It did the exact opposite to him and how people could tolerate it was a miracle. He finally heard the elevator ding which indicated that the elevator had reached the basement where his car had been parked.

He exited and walked to where his car had been parked. He had memorized where his designated parking spot had already been. He smoothly unlocked the car with one touch of a button and he entered his car accordingly. When he was wearing an expensive Italian suit and riding an expensive luxury BMW then he really played the part of a celebrity.

The engine gave a roar as he revved it up. He then proceeded to get out of parking and onto the road. The church wasn't fancy, it was one of those small quaint little churches every girl had dreamed to be wedded in. Though, it was a bit out of town though, he didn't mind the long roads as long as he was listening to the purr of the engine. He loved his car to hell though of course he didn't love the car as much as he loved a human being though. Humans were still so much better.

Midgets in particular, he thought nonchalantly.

His eyes widened and he shook his head. He had promised not to touch or go near Rukia unless Rukia herself had wanted him to. He promised that much to Mono since it was her wedding. Toshiro was such a lucky bastard, marrying a girl like Momo despite his lack of social skills as well a lack of romance. Everybody had been surprised when he proposed to Momo, they had all thought that it would be Momo herself who would propose the idea of marriage for him to man up. Ichigo, Renji and Kaien teased the poor growth stunted man until he grew as red as an erupting volcano.

He smiled softly as he recalled how it was Rukia herself who pitied Toshiro enough to appease everybody.

Ichigo had just driven through the tunnel and finally made his way back to the open highway. He drove for a few more minutes before he exited the highway and found it in a nice cool open area. He found the small chapel pretty quickly and saw the place where he could park. He parked in one smooth go and got out. He didn't need a valet, he didn't trust valets with cars like his. He locked it and double checked before walking through the parking lot and approaching the Chapel where everyone was.

He saw a lot of people from Momo's side of the family as well as Toshiro's side of the family. He then saw his friends at Momo's side of the pews and approached them with a smile. He placed a hand on Tatsuki's shoulder.

"Yo." he greeted.

Everyone looked at him.

"Ichigo!" they all exclaimed.

It's been a while since everyone had been gathered up like this. Tatsuki was here with Renji and Orihime was here with Ulquiorra. Kiyone came by and even Rangiku showed up with Gin. Kaien was supposed to be on Toshiro's side with Ukitake but he felt a bit lonely with just Ukitake so he visited this side of the pews.

Ichigo found himself glaring at Kaien before regaining his senses and pretending that he was perfectly fine. For once, he was glad he had the acting skills. He still couldn't stand the sight of Kaien in the metro with Rukia. He had time, he could've jumped in with Rukia but he broke down the moment he saw Kaien. They were going together and maybe the thought of her smiling at another man broke his heart but it took him months to realize how he should've just swept her off her feet instead of watching her go like a lovestruck idiot.

He blamed Kaien then but then he had eventually learned to blame himself but feelings were hard too change so he still partially blamed Kaien.

"I didn't think you'd actually go Ichigo." Tatsuki said astounded as she gawked at him with completed and utter shock.

He chuckled dryly as he took a seat next to Tatsuki. He scratched his cheek before smiling. "You don't expect me to be a pussy forever." he replied jokingly.

Renji roared in laughter as he leaned forward so he could see Ichigo past Tatsuki. Ichigo couldn't help but mentally point out that Renji's goofy grin would never change. "I'm glad you know you were being a pussy." he commented.

Ichigo scowled heavily as he looked towards the altar. "Shove it Renji."

"Well as I thought Ichigo... You did come." Orihime commented casually as she looked towards his direction.

He gave her a quizzical look. He raised an eyebrow as his scowled deepened. "Liar. I bet you and Ulquiorra were betting on whether I was coming or not and you simply used your luck to win. Don't try to look smart Orihime, Ulquiorra looks rather bothered." he joked with a grin on his face.

She had completed and utter disbelief on her face before she looked away and pouted. "I did not."

"You're a bridesmaid aren't you...? What are you doing down in the pews Orihime?" Ichigo asked.

She shrugged. "I'm not gonna be with Ulquiorra for a while so I'm going to spend some time with him before I go with Momo."

Ichigo sighed as he eyed Tatsuki. She looked at him as though what he was doing was gravely offending. "What...? Does it hurt to be here for the exact same reason Ichigo!" she yelled at him.

Ichigo winced at the volume before glaring at her. "No need to get all flustered Tatsuki, I was just asking for crying out loud." he berated much to her chagrin.

"Oh shut up Ichigo. We weren't happy to see you just to hear you bitching already." Tatsuki smartly retorted.

"Shove it Tatsuki..."

Then the question came again. It always came up in his mind and it came up from other people. Every single fucking time.

"Will you be alright...?"

Then he would always answer with the same answer he had been using for nine months. He would always sound perfectly normal whenever he pulled off this one single line. He always seemed so distant and neutral whenever he replied with this single sentence.

"Is she going to be alright...?"

Always saying it like he had already moved on when he hadn't. He could never move on unless another girl like Rukia came and that chance was low. No one could be like Rukia Kuchiki.

And besides, he was getting older and older. The chances of him staying a bachelor was rising and rising. He couldn't help growing older anymore, he wasn't twenty six anymore. He's already twenty seven and eventually he'll turn thirty. Not the best age to go on dates in his own personal opinion. He would be handsome at thirty yes but his face wouldn't last forever.

"Hmm... I wonder... Catch you later."

Ichigo said goodbye and sat down next to the guys. Only the guys were left, he crossed his legs and rested his arm on the backrest of the pew. He took another glance around and found himself smiling when he saw the festive mood of the place. Eventually, one or two women began to approach him, Renji and Ulquiorra for autographs. After all, there was an actor, a best selling author as well as a renowned pianist there, all known for their good looks.

The three entertained the women for a while before they looked forward. Toshiro was there looking all nervous in his midnight black tux with a small white flower in his breast pocket. He looked exceedingly handsome and he looked nervous. It was only natural to be nervous since the man was getting married after all.

Marriage was always a big deal.

Ichigo smiled as he watched Toshirp fidgeting over his neck tie. He closed his eyes and wondered what would have happened if the Kuchikis had never interfered in the first place. He would have been standing in Toshiro's place looking just as nervous. Then time would stop once the beautiful bride would come walking with the tune of 'Here comes the bride' or perhaps Canon instead.

Rukia.

All of a sudden, the crowd toned down and soft music began to play. Ichigo didn't turn around yet, he merely rubbed his eyes before turning back. Coming from the grand church doors was Momo in a stunning wedding dress that had suited her to a T. Ichigo had assumed it was her dream dress and she looked blooming. A smile was on her face as the veil swayed softly with her every gentle step.

She drew nearer to the altar and as soon as she did, Ichigo's heart had officially gone into cardiac arrest. His air supply had been unbearably constricted while his palms began to go cold. His eyes had widened and he found his mind to have gone completely blank.

Following the blushing bride was the one woman he was in love in. The one woman who held all the keys to his heart and the one woman who still owned it. The one woman who made him do things he would have never done and the one woman who made him so cheesy and romantic for her sake. The one woman who made him humiliate himself in public and the one who had him head over heels for.

Rukia Kuchiki.

Nine months and she was still as beautiful as ever. Seeing her in person was too different from seeing her on the television screen. Her best friend was right, that dress made his mouth water. She looked so drop dead gorgeous in that getup. Seeing her made him die over and over again. Her ebony hair had never looked more perfect. Her mesmerizing amethyst eyes had never looked more dazzling. Her beautiful face had never looked more like a Goddess. Her lips had never looked so luscious and tremendously kissable before.

Was she really Rukia Kuchiki?

Not Aphrodite in disguise?"

Ichigo swallowed thickly as he watched her with careful attention. Every step, every light twitch, every muscle movement and every smile. He felt time slow down and even though everyone's attention had been focused on Momo, his attention was solely on Rukia. She hadn't noticed him yet and he would've liked to keep it that way. God forbid that he rob her of that resplendent smile. How could this little lady steal his breath away so easily?

It was like she was cheating or something.

He gulped again when he saw her back and mentally noted to strangle Momo for letting Rukia get away with that dress. Backless again? She must be seriously doing this on purpose, that little she-devil was a seductive temptress in her own right. She had him paralyzed on the spot, he couldn't move as he merely watched her like a lovestruck robot. How could she entice stronger feelings in him?

The swelling of his chest had expanded to the rest of his paralyzed form.

His heart finally began to beat again with an increasing momentum. Eventually, it began to race as if he had just run a ten kilometer marathon without resting. He began to feel so restless yet he couldn't satisfy his restlessness at all. It took all of his willpower to not run and grab that splendid little lady away. He clenched the armrest of the pew and hoped he wouldn't dent it in the slightest. It was such a nice chapel after all, it deserved nice pews.

Finally, those exquisite amethyst eyes met his now rekindled amber eyes.

Her expression had been the same as his but thanks to her self control, she looked away before she did anything regrettably stupid. He saw how her hand trembled and he remembered the words Momo had spoke. The very ones in which he questioned its validity as the truth. The honest to goodness truth.

"You don't know how much she has cried these none months."

Ichigo swallowed thickly again and wondered if he literally had some blockage in throat.

"How she would cry to herself to sleep and how she would wake up with dreams of the times you've spent together."

The mere sight of her allowed some light to shine in his bleak world. She truly was his one and only Ray of Light. His one light in the dark.

"How she would get this strong urge to see you."

Ichigo saw how her expression had changed again slightly before she quickly covered it up and resumed her role as the maid of honor.

"Rukia still wears that necklace you know?"

He found himself glancing at her enticingly creamy white neck for any traces of jewelry only to find that she had none but he did manage to find a silver chain obscured by her ebony tresses.

He was suddenly thrust out of his own thoughts when he felt a large hand shrug at his shoulder with concern. Ichigo forced his eyes off his Goddess and looked at Renji who was clearly worried for Ichigo.

"Ichigo... You doing okay?"

Ichigo had barely managed to nod at Renji before he forced himself to watch the wedding and not the attractive maid of honor who held the very fate of his heart. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly in order to calm his heart which had been so close to changing his blood pressure to an extreme dangerous high. He might've gotten an aneurism already if it weren't for Renji.

"We have all gathered her today to witness the union between these two loving people..."

Ichigo didn't listen. He watched the usual procedures run its course but the only reason why time seemed to have sped up was because he had been staring at the maid of honor the whole time. He would occasionally glance at the couple but he would soon find himself gawking at Rukia like a teenage boy with a crush on the most popular girl in class. Scratch that, she was probably the most popular girl in school.

Seconds and minutes ticked away at the speed of a bullet train. He found himself unable to hear anything and he wasn't do sure if he was still on earth anymore. His senses had been numbed to the extreme and he was only sensitive to her and her alone. Soon enough, he finally managed to bring himself back to hear the wedding vows.

"Do you, Toshiro Hitsugaya, take this woman, Momo Hinamori, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to obey; from this day forward until death do you part?"

He smiled a smile with so much warmth and heat radiating from it. A huge contrast to his usual cool self. The man was already a living and breathing example of global warming.

"I do."

The priest had a pleased smile on his face when he faced the blushingly blooming bride. He spoke in his aged voice.

"Do you, Momo Hinamori, take this man, Toshiro Hitsugaya, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to obey; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Momo used all of her power to stop grinning like an idiot when Toshiro bent a little to kiss her. Everybody applauded as they kissed and once they had separated. Momo allowed one hand to leave her bouquet and to hold her husband's hand. She looked at the people with Toshiro. They did it, they were finally married, heck she had even spotted her sobbing father who had given her away.

Momo looked back towards Rukia who had a genuine grin on her face. Momo immediately tore her hand of Toshiro's to hug her best friend and maid of honor Rukia Kuchiki. Rukia was taken aback before she hugged Momo back with just as much glee.

"Rukia... I did it!"

"Yes you did... Mrs. Hitsugaya." Rukia replied softly.

Momo stopped hugging Rukia as everybody proceeded to step outside the chapel for the traditional throwing of bouquet. Ichigo had exited first and gone to a corner away from the women who had desperately wanted that bouquet. He was curious as to who got it so he just stayed a few feet away from the angry mob of women.

He didn't realize that a certain midget had thought of the same thing he did. He was too tall for her to see him and she was too short, she merely passed his line of sight. It was a beautiful bouquet indeed. Toshiro was laughing when Momo turned around and got ready to toss the bouquet. In one swing, the beautiful bouquet was flying through the air and the women were desperately trying to catch the bouquet.

The next scene shocked everybody, even Momo.

Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki were holding the bouquet together.

How did this happen?

Momo just happened to throw it with a little more force than necessary. It made its way to the angry mob of desperate women and made its way to the men's side. Ichigo thought of politely catching it to give Momo another go seeing as though it was clearly an accident. Rukia had thought of the same thing but rather out of politeness, it was more out of her obligation as Momo's best friend.

Ichigo stared at her and and Rukia stare at him. Feelings had surfaceed and they stared at each other for what seemed to be forever before Rukia jerked it off his hand after regaining her senses, she gave it back to Momo for a second try to get it right. Momo gladly accepted it but still...

Rukia was a woman and she held it. It meant she was getting married soon. It normally didn't apply to men but Ichigo caught it as well. Destiny loves screwing with them. Rukia stayed feet away from the handsome orange haired man and controlled her erratic heartbeat and hyperventilation. She had yet to get rid of that blush on her face. Her hand found its way to the silver necklace. It had always helped her calm down.

Momo's second try had made its way to Orihime Inoue who was genuinely surprised she had such luck. Part of the magic had already been sucked up by Ichigo and Rukia but tradition was tradition. Ichigo left immediately for his car. The reception was coming soon as the sunset filled the sky. He hopped in and decided to let the car cool off from being under the afternoon sun. It was another classy place and most likely, Rukia had helped choose it.

Once the car had cooled down enough, he drove off.

He desperately could not cast off the feeling of touching her hand again.

"Rukia!"

Rukia looked back to find familiar raven hair. She put on a smile and flexed her hand in hopes of ridding herself of that tingly feeling. She walked up to him and kissed his cheek out of cordiality.

"Hey Kaien, I didn't see you there." she greeted him as normally as she could. Seeing Ichigo again made so many feelings surface, she wasn't sure if she could contain them unless she had her Kuchiki mask.

"Well I do sorta blend in with the crowd." he replied with a laugh.

"No, I don't think you do. You kinda stand out seeing how tall you are." she replied. She emphasized her point when she tried to reach for his head but failed to reach it without tiptoeing.

"Yes but you need to jump for Kurosaki." Kaien replied without thinking. It took him a few seconds to register that he had made a reference to Ichigo. The last thing he had wanted to do would be to make Rukia cry.

"Yeah... But it's always smarter to grab him by the collar." Rukia replied awkwardly do that he wouldn't worry. Her hand was still flexing from beside her, her fingers still tingled from excitement.

"I guess... Shall we get going then...? You came here with Momo didn't you? I'll be your ride." he offered.

Kaien extended his hand towards her with a warm smile. Just her mere company made him happy, he didn't care of her thoughts were with someone else. He didn't mind how someone else held her heart, just being near her was good enough because asking her to love him again is too much.

Thinking back now. She had loved him like she had loved Grimmjow. Her love had mostly stemmed from adoration even if he truly loved her because she was Rukia. That fact stung his heart badly. The fact that her love for Ichigo was born directly from her heart. It was a pure untainted love, it wasn't influenced by anything but herself. Kaien envied that greatly.

It was like she had loved him before in her past life, if she ever had one that is.

Rukia took his hand and nodded. "Thank you."

"You welcome." he replied.

Kaien led her away from the crowd and found their way to the parking lot. A lot of cars had already left for the venue and some had decided to head home first before going to the reception. For some strange reason, Rukia had unintentionally looked for a black BMW. She didn't understand why she was so disheartened to have been unable to find it. Maybe she did and was in the process of self denial.

She hadn't understood herself for months.

She shook her head out of her daze and entered Kaien's car. It was a rather nice car that could rival that BMW any day. The only problem she had with it was that it felt so foreign in that car. She had been in the passenger of his car for who knows how many times but it felt so foreign now. She pulled the seatbelt over her as Kaien backed up and went from park to drive.

Rukia closed her eyes as she rested her head against the car window. His car smelled differently too. It was weird, most people had problems with their exes yet why was she completely fine in a car with her former fiancé. The feeling of watching your loved one so close to death was still fresh in her mind after such a long time. That was a unforgettable memory but she couldn't recall why she felt so happy whenever he smiled. Was she cruel for not feeling a thing for him anymore. Heck, Grimmjow was still capable of stirring some feelings inside her seeing as though he was her first. Rukia had been such a prude when she was younger but as for Kaien, there was a complete blank. She didn't understand why she agreed to marry him, why was she so infatuated with him then.

This was the one thing she feared the most.

That she would forget Ichigo like she had done so with Kaien.

It was so cruel of her, Kaien was being so nice to her. He helped her all the time, maybe he was expecting her love in return but she doubted that. He knew she couldn't do that, reigniting one's love for a person is definitely not easy. It was like trying to pull something out of thin air.

Rukia slowly opened her eyes, she watched the city turn into a blur as the car kept its momentum. The bouquet wasn't lying though.

She still couldn't believe they were going to make her president. The one position directly below her brother. Was she even appropriate for the position? It was true that she was a double major. She took Legal Management and Business Management but what she pursued was law and so she went to law school afterwards. She wasn't exactly qualified to run a company, to be the second in command.

She had this coming but she didn't think it would be happening so soon.

Failure wasn't an option but what if she messed up? One decision of hers would decide the fate of the many employees of the corporation. Why couldn't she just be a branch head rather than the president of the thing in its entirety. There was too much responsibility for her to bear. Was she even the right person for the job? There were so many Kuchikis more eligible for the position than her.

Married too, she thought ruefully.

Why do you need to be married in order to take a high position in the clan?

They did tell her that should that certain person die, there would be an immediate successor to the line. They were basically emphasizing that they married early and had kids early to keep the bloodline. She really didn't like the concept of that.

She really didn't want to marry someone she didn't want to marry.

She hoped whomever they had arranged for her was a decent guy at least. Maybe on the handsome side and not too arrogant. She had hoped he would be nice, unlike every other guy they had tried to match her with. Someone she could be comfortable with in the very least. Someone who could at least try to understand her. Someone she could learn to trust.

Rukia sighed fitfully. She found herself staring blankly at her hand and remembering the sight of that ring on it. She didn't deserve that ring, it was just too beautiful for someone like her. Those emotions stayed vivid in her mind, somebody who had wanted to marry her despite how broken and flawed she was, she didn't deserve such a person to love her.

She shouldn't have met him. She should've just drove him out of her life the day they met. She should never have helped him with the paparazzi. She shouldn't have fallen for him. All she ever did was make it rain harder for him. He mentioned how he felt like it was always raining in the inside.

She was sure she made it storm.

Knowing that she was the one who hurt him ripped her apart. Knowing that he knew nothing made it worse.

"You cold? If you are, I can always turn on the heater."

Rukia was quickly snapped out of her thoughts. Her head jerked towards his direction and she pulled off a reassuring smile. She shook her head softly. "It's okay, it's not that cold yet." she replied.

She saw how he flexed his hands against the steering wheel. It must've hurt for him to have her acting so distant and cold. Maybe she really was a manipulative bitch, she just didn't know it until now. Rukia continued to watch the ever changing scenery of the city while leaning against the window. She didn't deserve to be loved, she didn't deserve any of these blessings.

The silence in the car wasn't comfortable in the slightest.

"I haven't done something to offend you have I?" Kaien asked casually.

Rukia just kept looking out the car window. "Not at all... Why would you think that?" she replied.

"It's just that... You seem kind of tense. It makes me wonder of I did something offending to you." he added.

Tense? Really? He wasn't even commenting on how dreary it was?

"It's just some stress from work. Since Toshiro's been busy, I've been taking some of his load." Rukia lied through her teeth.

"I see... Why don't you split that up with me?" he offered.

"It's fine... I've managed to cram it all before the wedding so I can relax on Momo's big day." Rukia politely refused.

"I see..." he replied.

"We're here." he stated.

The car began to slow down at this building. The restaurant in it was known for excellent food and was usually picked as the reception for weddings. Kaien went into the parking lot and began to park the car. Even through the windshield, Rukia could already see that familiar BMW directly in front of her. She looked away as Kaien got out first and opened the door for her.

Rukia took his hand and stepped out. Once she was standing, Kaien closed the door and locked the car. He then escorted her in complete silence.

Ichigo crossed his arms as he looked at the place. He had been here before for a party but the food selection had been different. Momo chose a food selection more fitting for a wedding. He did like the fillet mignon here, they made it juicy. He felt a bit out of place among his friends since he was single. He now shared Rukia's sentiments for all those movies she watched of him with other leading ladies out of support for his job.

He then forced himself to at least drink some red wine or eat some of the salad. He liked the wine and he did like the salad but his appetite wasn't working very well.

"Hey Momo! Where's Rukia...? She's a bit late." Orihime asked casually, completely forgetting the fact that Ichigo was present.

Momo agreed with Orihime and crossed her arms. "True... I think she went with Kaien but the traffic gets pretty heavy at this time of the night." replied back.

"Sorry for the delay."

Everyone looked to the source of the voice. Everyone smiled while Ichigo looked away making him stick out like a sore thumb. He tried to be as inattentive as possible. Though naturally, just ignoring her was too difficult. He could smell that fantastic scent of hers from a mile away.

"What took you so long my lovely Maid of Honor?" Momo asked matter-of-factly.

The smaller woman sighed as she did her trademark massaging of the temples. She placed her hands on her hips in a haughty manner before speaking. "Don't push it Momo. The traffic got a little heavy halfway through."

"We can talk later, take a seat first." Orihime interrupted in her usual bubbly manner.

Rukia nodded softly before turning her head towards the table. She frowned when she saw that the only free seat was the one in between Momo and Ichigo. Why he chose to sit there was beyond her but after much thought, she realized that he had probably arrived here before Momo did. The blame was all on the bride. Momo realized her mistake and offered to switch but Rukia politely declined.

She sat down next to him, crossed her legs and made an invisible barrier in between the two of them. Something Ichigo actually noticed and took note off.

"So Rukia, how did you get here?" Renji asked oh so very casually.

Rukia took the glass of water directly in front of her and drank from it swiftly before answering her best friend's question. "Kaien drove me." she stated normally. There was nothing wrong with having him drive her. She wasn't obligated to anyone after all.

"He did...? So where did he go now?" Renji replied.

Rukia pointed towards Toshiro's side of the guests. "He said that he probably made Ukitake feel too lonely or something along those lines. He's over there." Rukia replied as if she was talking about the weather. Nothing wrong with that.

"Ah well, we haven't even gone with the real appetizers yet so you're fine." Tatsuki reassured Rukia with a joking hand.

"I think the first thing we should have done was ask if she had wanted some wine?" Ulquiorra suggested being the Robot Mozart he was.

"Oh! Right of course! You like red wine don't you Rukia?" Momo said while laughing awkwardly. She was such a terrible host.

Rukia nodded. "To some extent, I do like red wine." Rukia replied.

Ichigo rolled his eyes as he grabbed his own glass of wine and shook it absentmindedly. He wasn't thinking very well. "More like champagne's what you want anyway..." he mumbled to himself before sipping the delicious substance.

Rukia was so close to stepping on his foot on reflex. Here she was trying to be as normal as possible and here he was, making rude comments on reflex. Thanks a lot Ichigo, you've just made things ten times easier.

Rukia's glass was filled and she drank the delectable liquid slowly. Wine wasn't meant to be consumed like water after all, that's just plain stupid. Those who did that were called alcoholics. Soon, they began to serve the actual appetizers which involved shrimp as the main ingredient. Rukia didn't really care about what dish it was but she didn't kind because it tasted great as soon as she ate some of it.

Casual conversations filled the table. Toasts were made and speeches were given before the main dish came so all the guess could focus their appetite on the main dish which was to say, the guest's choice of a juicy fillet mignon, veal or simply exquisite lamb chops. Lobster was also another splendid option.

Rukia chose the lobster while Ichigo chose the fillet mignon as expected.

Being deprived of Italian food, Rukia's other options were normally something that wasn't beef or pork. Rukia was quickly served her lobster while Ichigo got his steak in due time. Everyone began to eat the scrumptious food along with even lighter conversations.

Rukia accidentally hit the lobster the wrong way and a piece of its shell flew to her orange haired companion to the left. She looked at him with complete and utter shock on her face while he seemed to be quite aggravated.

"Watch where you're cutting next time." he said in a normal tone.

He closed his eyes in order to calm down his boiling temper and turned away. Ichigo continued to slice at his steak in his calm manner. Acting had its perks so he used full advantage of his talent. Ichigo had managed to calm his nerves and resumed eating. He was interrupted moments later.

"Umm... Your sauce is spilling to my side." she said, more of squeaked actually.

Ichigo looked towards her direction and followed where her eyes were looking. He saw a small trail slip by and was slowly going to her side. Ichigo quickly grabbed a paper towel and wiped it off. "Sorry..." he apologized weakly.

"I-it's fine... Just be a little less sloppy."

"O-okay..." he replied shakily before they continued to eat in silence.

The silence was only exclusive to the two of them, everyone was talking to each other except the two of them. The silence was too awkward and as much as they had wanted to talk to each other, they simply didn't have the guts to talk to each other. Yes, they were both cowards. Even casual banter was fine for the two of them.

Ichigo finally manned up and decided to talk to her even for a little while. He couldn't stand the awkwardness. "How have you been?" he asked in the friendliest tone he could muster.

She slowly looked at him and formulated a reply in her mind. "I've been fine. You?"

He shrugged as he sliced a piece of his steak. "Not too bad I guess." he replied flatly.

"Why? What have you been up to?" she further inquired.

"Well..." he said as he drank some of his wine and allowed the delectable liquid to slide down his throat. "I have a new project with Orihime. Got backed into a corner so we accepted. Just finished with the script actually so the filming's gonna happen pretty soon."

She nodded. "I see."

"How about you...?" he asked back.

"You remember Soi Fon right?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, somewhat."

"Well... I was stressing over some cases but I ended up giving them to her instead." Rukia said matter-of-factly.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow as he chewed on his food. Once he swallowed it, he spoke. "Hmm? Why would you do that?"

"Zaraki asked me to."

"I see."

Then silence won over again. Ichigo shifted uncomfortably in his seat while Rukia nervously bit her lip, she then anxiously uncrossed her legs before crossing then again. It was just so weird. How hard could talking to each other be? It was supposed to be as simple as eating rather, it used to be as easy as breathing. They used to talk for hours and hours with never ending topics. Why couldn't they do something as simple as that anymore.

Dinner was almost ending and the two only had one single fluid conversation. The awkward tension did not decrease in any way and it didn't look like it was going to die down any soon. Dessert came and they were all given Pana Cottas of their chosen flavor. Both Ichigo and Rukia too the one in strawberry syrup and before they dug in, Rukia stood up from her seat and began to walk somewhere.

Ichigo's eyes trailed her destination. His face darkened when he thought she was heading for Kaien but then she went for the small stage instead where the band had been playing. She grabbed the microphone and gave the band a thumbs up to stop playing. Ichigo looked towards Momo who seemed just as equally confused as he was but Toshiro didn't look too surprised. A secret plan by the two midgets perhaps?

Rukia now had everybody's attention.

"Before we eat the delicious dessert we have been so generously given to eat, I would like to say a few things. Even though I think having an Italian dessert is a godsend for me and I am now thanking Momo for that brilliant choice, this is far more important."

Ichigo's table laughed. Everybody knew about her obsession with Italian food.

"There is no such thing as a wedding reception where the bride and groom don't dance. And although Momo happened to forget this important part, I'm pretty sure we all want to see the newlywed couple dancing." she said enthusiastically.

Ichigo smiled, he had missed this glowing Rukia.

She then snapped her fingers and the band now played a familiar tune. Momo suddenly brought her hands to her face saying 'Oh my God' with much surprise. Ichigo knew that this was her favorite song.

Rukia smiled. "I'm dedicating this song to a person who I really love, a person who's been there for me my whole life and my one and only best friend in whole wide world Momo Hinamori... Oh wait, it's Momo Hitsugaya now. Hey Toshiro, what're you waiting for?"

Toshiro laughed for once and took Momo's hand. He led her to the dance floor and he began to dance with her. Momo was visibly shocked because she knew he couldn't dance yet he was dancing perfectly fine. It meant that he had been learning how to dance just for her sake. Momo's face beamed at her husband and he did the same as they danced. Rukia had been singing Momo's favorite song as the couple danced and Ichigo couldn't stop the warm sensation flooding his entire being.

He closed his eyes and listened to her voice. He loved her voice, he loved listening to her sing. It was so lovely and perfect. So heartfelt an pure, too beautiful actually. He missed her too much.

Rukia's song ended with a standing ovation. Momo and Toshiro applauded her and Ichigo was actually the one who clapped the hardest. Rukia then left the band and the stage and they continued to play more songs. The couple kept dancing in the middle while other couples joined in on the fun. Orihime had successfully dragged Ulquiorra to the middle and Tatsuki had threatened Renji to do the same. Rukia just stood by the stage while Ichigo had walked past the center to lighten the food load. He needed to digest the food.

He stood next to Rukia and watched everybody dancing to a lot of favorite songs. All of a sudden, the song glow came up. Ichigo remembered how this was her favorite song and he remembered how she made him love this song too.

Ichigo looked towards Rukia when he felt her tugging at his shirt. She looked at him before looking down nervously and looking at him again. "Hey... Do you want to dance?"

"Dance?"

She nodded, she looked so anxious and nervous but not awkward. "Just one dance. It's not going to hurt." she said.

"You sure?"

"It's just a friendly dance... Right?"

"True." he said calmly but he was overwhelmingly happy on the inside.

Ichigo took her hand again for the first in such a long time. He led her to the center and all of their friends watched them go in complete and utter shock or disbelief. Ichigo held her right hand with his left and held her waist with his right hand while her left hand was positioned on his shoulder. Ichigo led and they began to beautifully dance with the soft music. It's been too longs since he had last held her like this.

He was overflowing with too many emotions right now and she had been looking at his amber eyes with such earnest amethyst eyes. As they kept dancing, they developed their own small world, just the two of them. No worries, no stress, just the two of them dancing. Before Ichigo knew it, she had been much closer to him than they had initially begun with.

Yes, it's been too long.

Ichigo spun her around and danced with her perfectly. Like two halves of one whole or like two puzzle pieces meant to fit with each other. The song ended slowly and the two finally came to a stop. That dance felt like an eternity. They were staring into each others eyes and they could still see it plain as they, that feeling of want and longing was still there. Ichigo looked away and separated from her first. She didn't stop him but her hands lingered on him before he completely left. Rukia bit her lip and stopped a sentence from coming out. It was a sentence formulated from her deepest desire at the moment.

Don't go.

Rukia forced her eyes shut and went back to where she was before she had asked him to dance with her. She missed him too much, more than she really should. The feeling of his hand sliding down her back gave her goosebumps. The sudden proximity they had, she wanted to be far more closer than just that. He was right here but she couldn't do anything to keep him. She hated feeling like this. She hated feeling helpless.

It was too obvious to her that she still loved him. It didn't waver these past mine months but she couldn't tell him. She could no longer wrap her arms around her waist or drag him by the collar just to kiss him. She couldn't make him smile anymore. She hated such helplessness.

"I still love you..." she whispered under her breath but her voice reached no one. It simply fell upon dead ears before fading into the unknown oblivion.

Momo and company stayed until the very end seeing as though they were practically the hosts. They were going to drinking at Rukia's place before Toshiro and Momo would go on their honeymoon the very next day, they asked Ichigo if he had wanted to come but Ichigo refused. Alcohol was always bad for him. He opted to stay a little whole longer and everyone went ahead.

They all went down the elevator leaving Ichigo all alone to contemplate by himself. They finally reached the ground floor where the limousine they had rented for fun was waiting for them. It was a wedding, why not go all out and rent a limo?

Before they got to the car, Rukia remembered that she left her purse upstairs. "Hey guys, I'll be right back. I just forgot my purse."

"Make it quick okay?"

Rukia nodded before walking briskly, it was all she could manage in her heels. Rukia quickly reached the elevator and clicked up. It came quickly considering the lateness of the hour. It went straight up and she reached the floor. Before she could even reach the entrance of the restaurant, she bumped into Ichigo exiting the building. She nearly fell off balance thanks to her heels but Ichigo caught her arm and pulled her back. She fixed herself.

"Thanks..." she thanked him.

He scratched his cheek. "No problem."

Rukia tried to run past him but he stopped her. "Umm... You're looking for your purse right?" he asked before lifting his hand to her eye level. He was holding it. "Umm here..."

She took it and thanked him a second time. He finally showed a real smile at her and that made her heart skip a beat.

"Your welcome." he replied before walking. "Wanna go down together?"

She nodded before walking by his side. They reached the elevator and he clicked the button for her. They went inside and she clicked the button for the ground floor. A comfortable silence washed over them as they waited for the elevator to descend. From where he was standing. He could smell the full force of her fantastic vanilla scent which he knew was all natural. She on the other hand could smell his masculine scent that she had loved so much. There was no such thing as awkwardness during this moment.

All of a sudden, they felt small tremors.

It was an earthquake, a small one but an earthquake nonetheless. Rukia let out an almost shriek but it came out as a squeak. She quickly clung to the nearest thing and that was Ichigo. She clutched onto his shirt as the lights flickered off and they felt the motion of the elevator stop. Out of pure instinct, his arms flung around her to calm herself down.

Here's the situation. A small earthquake hit, the tremors were enough to knock a few things off its place, the tremor resembled that off a joy ride in an amusement park but it probably caused some old electrical wire to snap. They were stuck in the elevator in the darkness, it was getting colder and colder and they might just run out of oxygen in a couple of hours.

Ichigo felt her tremble slightly and wondered if she was scared. This was already the fifth minor earthquake this year and there were seven minor ones last year too. Karakura just happened to be a huge earthquake zone. He stroked her hair to calm her down but her trembling didn't stop and he heard her whimper.

"Are you scared Rukia?"

She nodded, it's the first time she had heard him call her name all night.

"Are you afraid of the dark?" he asked softly.

She shook her head. "Hell no."

He smiled. It was just like her to be so stubborn even in this emergency. He kept stroking her hair and calming her down by continuing to wrap her in his warm embrace.

"Are you claustrophobic?"

"No." she replied weakly.

"Hmm... Are you scared of earthquakes? You've never had a problem with them before." he said.

"I don't... I'm scared of everything combined." she whimpered softly.

Ichigo was about to reply but one aftershock came and Rukia nearly screamed again. Ichigo let her sit down next to him on the floor and he kept his arms wrapped around her to keep her safe. That nine month barrier had been broken in an instant.

"I kn-know its weird b-but... Even Momo or Renji know about th-this... Only H-Hisana and Byakuya know..." she stuttered. She was still trembling but it could've been much worse.

"Shh... It's okay Rukia..." he spoke softly.

She buried her head in the crook of his neck like she had done so before. She didn't need the necklace to calm her down when he was right here next to her. "I was really small then... I was still in kindergarten. Back then, we had a class pet, Chappy the rabbit. It me and a classmate's duty to feed it after school. Everyone had gone already I was always bullied back then because I was too smart. My eyes freaked them out and I was so pale white. Renji always protected me before but he went home early that day."

"My classmate ditched me and left me all alone. I had to feed the class pet all by myself. I cleaned its cage and replaced the drinking water all by myself too. You remember that huge earthquake right?"

He nodded. "I was with my mom then so I wasn't scared."

"Well I was with no one. The rabbit food was in the closest up in the highest shelf. When I tiptoed to reach it, the earthquake came and I fell in it. The tremors were so huge, the broomstick rammed the closet door shut and I couldn't get out. It was so dark in the closet, so tight and the tremors wouldn't stop. No one was there for me, I was all alone. I've never been that scared in my life, not even when that Stark guy pressed a knife against my neck. Maybe it was because I didn't want to die all alone."

"Rukia..."

"I cried and cried. I called for help but no one came and the aftershocks made it all the worse... A-Ahh!" she said but yelped in surprise when she felt another aftershock.

"Shh... I'm here."

She tightened her grip on him. "I don't know how long I was in there but I was so happy when Byakuya rescued me. He was dating Hisana then, he was the first one who found me. It was the one only time he acted like my big brother. He was like a superhero to me before but when my sister died, he became like that. He carried my through the debris and stopped me from crying. He sounded so kind then. He bought me ice cream and a Chappy toy, he did it with a smile."

"Whenever I feel a tremor, I avoid small spaces. I always stay in large open areas. Whenever an earthquake hit, notice how I would leave a small room?"

"Yeah..."

She finally stopped trembling much to his relief. "I-Ichigo?"

Ichigo was ecstatic, hearing his name roll of her tongue was like funding a spring of fresh water in the middle of a dessert. "Yes?"

"Say my name... Please... I want to hear it." she pleaded.

He smiled. "Rukia..."

She was quiet for a moment. "I've missed hearing that." she admitted to him.

She could feel his heated gaze on her even in darkness. It was like he could see her no matter how dark it was. She felt so loved again. She looked up and she didn't understand how but she could see him. Maybe she was guessing where his features were but she knew she was staring right back into his eyes. They were so close right now.

"Just this once... I want to forget everything..." Rukia said in nothing more than a whisper.

Just this once.

Rukia surged forward and found his lips. She could tell he was surprised but she had been dreaming of his kiss all the time. She felt safe, she didn't feel scared anymore. Her childhood trauma slipped away when she felt his hand entangle with her ebony tresses. He angled his head to kiss her properly. Her grip on his shirt tightened to pull him closer. Her free hand was gripping his tangerine hair while his free hand cupped her cheek lovingly. Their lips slid against each other tenderly before their tongues came out in play. They didn't battle like before, it was a sweet tender clash of long suppressed passion finally set free.

He tasted so good, too good. It's just been so long without him, she yearned for his kiss and his heated touch. Rukia moaned against him as they kissed the darkness away. He kissed her fears away until they were now nonexistent. He loved her too much and all he had wanted to do was kiss her. Having her there was all he could ever need. They kissed for who knows how long.

Eventually, the lights flickered on and Rukia felt hopeful. She separated from his lips and looked at him in all of her beauty. He looked so handsome right now. A pang of pain shot through her chest, she would never see him again after this. The elevator doors slid open and based on how they were opened, it was a forced entry.

"Ichigo... I still lo-"

Rukia stood up abruptly from Ichigo when her phone rang. She picked it up and was too surprised.

"Rukia! Are you okay? Where are you?"

"B-brother...?"

"Tell me where you are!" he demanded. It was so rare of him to display such emotion.

"I got stuck in an elevator... It's fine, Ichigo was with me." she said softly to calm him down.

He sighed in relief. "Thank goodness you're safe. Were you scared?"

"A bit... What happened out there anyway?"

"Apparently, when the tremors came in, a truck drive was surprised. He panicked and bumped into a pole. He knocked it down along with the electrical wires." he informed her.

Rukia smiled. He remembers how he rescued her when she was little. Byakuya does care.

Once the doors were forced open, Kaien, Momo and Renji were on the other side. Momo looked like she was about to cry when she rushed towards Rukia and hugged her best friend tightly. "I was so worried Rukia!" she wailed.

"Momo..." she said before looking at Kaien who looked just as worried.

She separated from the worried bride.

"Rukia, is Kaien there?" Byakuya asked sternly.

"Yes... He is. Why?"

"We've arranged a marriage. He's your finance again."

Rukia's eyes widened, she merely stared at Kaien. Her hand quivered as they went to her mouth. Her lips still had the tingling sensations of Ichigo's searing dream-inducing kiss. "M-my Fiancé?" she stuttered.

"Kaien... You're the one I'm supposed to marry? Is this why you've been so nice to me? Did you know?" she began to interrogate him through her shock.

He nodded. "I did..." he replied to her last question.

Ichigo watched his heart get broken again. Just when he thought he finally had Rukia back, Kaien stole her away from him again. He hated this man, he may have looked like Ichigo but they were nothing alike. He gritted his teeth as he watched the revelation unfold.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

He looked away. "Because I didn't want to shock you."

"I didn't want to hear it from Byakuya!" she yelled at him. She looked hurt.

"Rukia... I-"

"I don't want to hear it... You know I don't love you Kaien so don't expect anything from this marriage. This is purely and strictly business." she snapped at him.

"Momo, let's go." she demanded.

Momo nodded as she and Renji followed Rukia back to the car. The earthquake didn't damage any property so it was all good. Once they were gone, Kaien gritted his teeth. He stormed inside the elevator and grabbed Ichigo in the collar. He punched Ichigo in the face and glared at him with absolute murder.

"It's your fault! Because of you, nothing ever goes right for me! If you hadn't shown up today she would've taken the engagement better! Because of you! I lost her love when I woke up. You don't know how I felt watching her being so happy with you! I hate watching her cry over you, I hate being your replacement when I got her first!" he snarled at Ichigo before punching his face again while Ichigo just stared.

"At my wedding. Why don't you just fuck off! Stay the hell away from Rukia because she's going to be mine now. For too long I've endured this, I've tried to move on and now I get this opportunity on silver platter! I'm not going to let her go again!"

Ichigo glared at him now before brushing Kaien's arm aside so easily. He punched Kaien and kneed him in the gut against the elevator wall. Ichigo was ten times stronger than Kaien. "Why don't you shove it asshole! You think I could just stand by watching you be with her these past mine months! Fuck no, you fucking Jackass! If it weren't for Rukia I would've beat the living shit out of you already! I would've ripped your fucking head off so consider yourself lucky you have the chance to marry her you got that you son of a bitch!" Ichigo yelled at him before walking out in an extremely pissed way.

Despite the pain, remembering her kiss made the pain go away.

He didn't know what to do.

All he knew was that he loved Rukia and he was going to steal her back.

Whether she he wanted him to or not.

Ichigo Kurosaki's back to kicks some ass.

AN: Hey hey hey! I finished the chapter faster than anticipated and longer than I had anticipated too. I just kept writing but and then it became like this. Thanks for the support as always and I want you guys to participate on my poll on which new story to publish once CWADOS is done. Hahaha, thank you IRforever for the acronym.

Here are the story idea:

My Best Friend's A Ghost:
Rated T

Ichigo has always been able to see ghosts and because of it, he's treated as the school's number one punk. He has a crush on the school idol Orihime and it would seem to be forever unrequited until he meets her. Rukia is his recently departed classmate. They meet again and because of an accident, she gets bound to his soul and is now forced to help him with his problem or she would never be reincarnated. There are five rules for reincarnation candidates. 1: No killing, 2: No cursing, 3: No permanent possession of a body, 4: No backing out of the candidacy test, 5: No falling in love.

Two Can Play That Game:
Rated M

Rukia is used to manipulating men as she pleases and Ichigo is used to having his way with women. These two meet in a battle of wits, passion and seduction. The problem is, She's his new professor and He's her new student.

Trade Mistakes:
Rated M

Rukia was forever scarred in a summer romance back in her youth. She loved him and he left her. Seven years have passed and she has a moved on, a new life, a new position and a great boyfriend. She gets a promotion and her new boss is the very man who had left her all those years ago. The problem is, she's falling for the man who broke her heart... Again.

(Tentative Title)- written way before Rukia showed up in chapter 459 so don't blame me...
Rated T

Five years have passed and Ichigo is still living normally. Aizen escapes and a powerless Ichigo is brought back to Soul Society as the one and only hope. He and a select few comrades jump back through time to stop Aizen before he gets his hands on the Hogyoku if they can do it that is. Can they right the wrongs or will the future repeat itself? Pairings still included.

So those are four ideas, please vote. I will be officially writing for the winner of this poll. The poll ends once once I submit Chapter 30 of CWADOS so I have time to write in advance.

Keep Reviewing! It keeps me writing and Reviews make my day, it lets me know if I'm still doing okay or if I'm beginning to suck so feedback is very important.

Greekgeek0- yeah, that scene with Isshin, Kaien and Byakuya is supposed to confuse you. I made it un-descriptive on purpose and it was meant to annoy readers, pardon me though. Yeah, maybe Rukia was too sudden but she was already in a bad mood do I guess she just snapped...? I dunno, it was supposed to be an Ichigo only chapter but I couldn't help but add Rukia in it.

astounded newcomer TJ- I love long reviews, its a fun read for me and it helps me improve so don't bother. The violence was for you~

Thanks as always shnizlefritz, Ghost 2113, IchiBear, teshichan, arya-demon4-bloodmoon

AkaBaka-chan signing off~