Man, three updates in three days. This has to be some kind of record for me! Your positive response for the last two are what really motivated me to get this one out too and it is a doozy! Nice and long for ya :) Without further ado, I present to you the DATE
Ichigo smiled to himself as he zoomed through the streets of Tokyo on his way to pick up his lovely date for the evening. He hadn't been able to stop smiling all day. Even at work, he was happy. Rukia had become a pleasant distraction from the craziness that his job had become lately.
He had called her the same day she had given him her phone number, too eager to wait any longer, and set up a date the Friday night of that same week.
At first she had insisted that he not come to pick her up, knowing that a millionaire bachelor pulling up to her small apartment in a not so great part of town in an expensive sports car would cause one hell of a stir. But, after he had bugged her a hundred times about it both over the phone and during his now daily visits to the coffee shop, she had finally agreed, hesitantly giving him her address.
Ichigo knew how Rukia really felt about this date. He knew that she had only agreed to his request in the heat of the moment. He wasn't an idiot. He knew that she regretted her decision to say yes.
He knew that he had to be the best date a girl could ask for tonight if she was even going to think about agreeing to a second one. He would have his charm going full force tonight and would treat her like the queen he believed she was.
And for the first time in a long time, he was actually nervous.
He had to do something to impress her. He had to do something to get her to come around even if it was just a little bit. The quick banter between the two had to stop. He had to try to have an actual conversation with her. Even though she claimed to know everything about him, he knew hardly anything about her. He didn't even know her full name.
He promised himself that he would find out more about her. What she liked, what she disliked. Maybe how her childhood was. What she was studying in school. Just something.
He mentally prepared himself as he pulled up outside the apartment building his GPS had led him to and checked to make sure he was at the right address. Once he was ready, he stepped out of his car and walked toward the front door. Before he could get anywhere near the building, his lovely date for the evening stepped out the door.
And Ichigo's jaw dropped to the ground.
She looked amazing.
She was wearing a sinful little black dress with small black heels. The dress had two straps and dipped low enough in the front to show a nice amount of cleavage without being too revealing. It came in at the waist and then flowed out to her knees, swishing as she walked. Her hair had been done up into a simple up do and she had even applied a small amount of mascara and lipstick.
"Don't look so surprised," she said smugly, snapping Ichigo out of his reverie once he realized he had been caught gaping at her. "If I'm going to go out on a date with a millionaire, I might as well look the part, right?"
"You look beautiful," he told her with a sweet smile.
She eyed him warily. "Beautiful? That wasn't the word I was expecting."
"What were you expecting?"
"Hot, sexy, doable."
"Believe it or not, I actually have some class."
"Who would've thought?" she countered sarcastically before walking toward Ichigo's car. He reached out to open her door but she pushed his arm away.
"I know how to open and close a door, thank you very much," she said before she yanked the door opened, sat in her seat, and slammed it closed.
Ichigo could only shake his head at her as he walked over to his side and got in the car. This was going to be a very interesting night.
"You know, I'm kind of surprised at your outfit choice," he said as he started the car and pulled out onto the road.
"Why? Thought I was going to show up in sweats and a t-shirt?"
"I know you aren't exactly thrilled about tonight and I just figured you'd do something to rebel against it."
"I have to go on a date with you no matter what. I might as well dress up and have a little fun while I'm at it."
"Fair enough."
"So, where're we headed?" she asked.
"I thought you wanted to pick the place."
"I'm picking the after dinner place. You can pick the restaurant."
"That's too kind of you."
"And since you're footing the bill for the night, just know that whatever place you pick, I'll be getting one of the most expensive items on the menu."
"Fine by me. You can have whatever you want tonight."
"Really? Well in that case let's have dinner at a jewelry store."
"Why? You want a ring?" Ichigo countered with a smug smile.
Rukia narrowed her eyes at him. "Very funny."
"Seriously, what are you in the mood for."
"I could eat anything right now."
"Well in that case, a buddy of mine owns a pretty nice steakhouse that's really good. That sound okay?"
"Fine," Rukia replied with an air of disinterest. Ichigo smiled. She was playing oh so hard to get.
Ichigo pulled up to the restaurant and handed the valet his keys. Feeling bold, he placed a hand on the small of Rukia's back and led her inside. He could tell it bugged her but she apparently decided to let it slide. So far, so good.
"Ah, Mr. Kurosaki! So good to see you tonight! Shall I go inform the owner that you're here?" the host said as the pair walked inside.
"Yes, please. And set aside one of your best tables for us while you're at it."
"Of course, sir," the host said with a small bow before walking away.
"Geez, do you act like you own the place everywhere you go?" Rukia said with a roll of her eyes.
"Not everywhere. Like I said before, a good friend of mine is the owner. He's a pretty cool guy and he treats his friends really well."
After a few minutes, the host returned and led them to their table. Rukia insisted on pulling out her own chair ("I know how to pull out a chair too") and then began to peruse the menu. Ichigo watched her as she did, thinking that even though she seemed to be putting up a tough front, she was at least willing to let herself have a good time. It wasn't ideal, but it was a good start.
As Rukia was looking through the menu, a rather large man walked up behind her, causing her to practically jump out of her seat.
"Hey, Chad. Long time no see," Ichigo said as he got up to greet his friend. Rukia placed a hand on her chest to calm her racing heart after this friend of Ichigo's scared the absolute shit out of her.
"Chad, this is my date for the night, Rukia. Rukia, this is my friend Yasutora Sado, but you can call him Chad."
"Hi," she said with a shaky voice as she shook the man's large hand that completely dwarfed her own.
"Nice to meet you," Chad responded in a deep voice, his face completely emotionless.
"So…you, uh, own this restaurant," Rukia said trying to make small talk.
"Yes."
"And you're one of Ichigo's friends?" She wasn't going to lie. This guy looked and seemed like the exact opposite of the kind of person she figured Ichigo would be friends with.
"Yep. Chad and I have been friends since middle school. I hardly ever get to see him unless I come to the restaurant."
"We have both have busy lives," Chad said quietly.
"That's nice." Rukia was completely unsure of how to take this guy and she felt extremely awkward.
"So what would you both like? I'll have the chef prepare it right away."
"Chad, bring us both the best, most expensive thing you guys have. That alright with you, Rukia?" Ichigo said as he turned to her with a smirk. She was irked that he ordered for her but she did say she was going to order the most expensive thing anyway so she might as well just go with it.
"Fine," she said with an irritated voice.
"Alright then," Chad said before walking away.
"He's…interesting," Rukia said once she was sure the strange man was out of earshot.
"Yeah, he's kind of scary when you first meet him, but he's an awesome guy. He's got a heart of gold, too."
"I see."
As they waited for their food, Ichigo tried to talk with her about herself but she wasn't giving him much of anything. So instead of learning about her, he ended up talking a lot about himself. He told her how he and Chad had met and become friends. He told her about his sisters and what they were doing at college. He even talked briefly about the work he was doing at the company. Rukia tried to make it seem like she didn't care as he spoke, but he could tell he had drawn her in, even if just a little bit, with his stories.
Once the food came, conversation virtually ceased as Rukia devoured the delectable steak that was brought to them. Ichigo chuckled to himself, wondering how such a small girl had such a big appetite. He liked that she didn't care about impressing him, though. Most of the girls he had gone out on dates with before would order a salad and a small glass of wine and eat as daintily as they could. Rukia seemed to not give a damn and enjoyed the food given to her.
"What?" she asked with food in her mouth when she noticed him staring at her.
"Nothing," he said with a small smile.
Once Rukia had enjoyed a full steak, some wine, and a chocolate cake for dessert, Ichigo paid the rather large bill and they left the restaurant.
"Wow, that was the best meal I've had in a long time," Rukia said as she patted the tiny food baby she had acquired.
"I'll let Chad know you enjoyed it. He loves hearing stuff like that."
"He seemed nice, though absolutely terrifying at the same time."
Ichigo laughed and said, "Yeah, he gets that a lot. He really is a nice guy. He's like a giant teddy bear."
Rukia smiled at that. Though Ichigo was kind of a jerk, the people that she had been introduced to that knew him all seemed like good people. Maybe they helped keep him in line.
"So, where're we going now?" he asked her.
"Does this thing work?" she asked, indicating the fancy GPS system built into the car.
"Yeah."
Rukia reached up and programmed an address into the machine and it began voicing instructions. Ichigo followed the GPS where it took them until he pulled up outside a small and rather plain looking black building. There was a valet standing out front, which was good because Ichigo didn't see parking anywhere near where they were.
"Rukia? Is that you?" the valet asked as the two got out of the car.
"Yep, it's me, Hisagi. How are you?" Rukia told the man.
"Good. I haven't seen you in awhile. You didn't go and get a rich boyfriend, did you?" Hisagi asked eyeing both Ichigo and his very nice car.
Rukia chuckled. "No, he's just my date for the night. Hisagi, this is Ichigo Kurosaki. Ichigo, this is Hisagi. He works here at the club."
Ichigo shook the man's hand and handed him the keys to his car. Hisagi looked like he was excited to get behind the wheel of such an expensive and fast car. He walked past the two and got in the car and began testing the acceleration.
"He's not going to steal my car, is he?" Ichigo asked Rukia as he watched Hisagi gush over the interior of the car.
"Eh, you should be fine. But you still better have good insurance," Rukia said with a smirk before she turned to walk inside the club. Ichigo looked back worriedly at his car before sighing and following after his date.
When Ichigo walked in the door, he was shocked to say the least. The club that Rukia had taken him to looked bland and rundown on the outside but it was a lavish nightclub on the inside. There were people sipping from wine glasses, couples swaying on the dance floor, and a man playing the piano in the corner.
"What is this place?" he asked as Rukia led him to a table.
"It's a real dance club. You said you wanted to go dancing, right? This is the best place to do it in this city."
Before Ichigo could respond, a high-pitched squeal was heard from across the room. In a flash, a tall, buxom woman with blonde hair engulfed Rukia in a hug, crashing the tiny woman to her chest.
"Rangiku…I…can't…breath," Rukia wheezed out, struggling to free herself from the woman's grasp.
"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie. It's just that it's been such a long time since I've seen you!"
"Yeah, sorry about that. Life has been a little hectic."
"I'll bet," Rangiku said before turning her eyes toward Rukia's date. She eyed Ichigo up and down before turning back to her friend. "My, my. Look what you brought. You moving on up, Rukia?"
"Not exactly," she answered uneasily. She was slightly embarrassed that all her friends were meeting her "big shot" date but she had brought him here.
"I'm Rangiku Matsumoto, the owner of this lovely club. And you are?" she asked extending her hand out to Ichigo.
He shook it and replied, "Ichigo Kurosaki."
"Really? The Ichigo Kurosaki? Damn, Rukia, I didn't know you were so good at picking up millionaires."
"Uh, there's no picking up going on here. This fool bugged me for a very long time before I agreed on a first date."
"Right. Because you can afford to be picky when a millionaire asks you out."
"Hey!" Rukia said, slightly offended at Rangiku's tone.
"Oh, I'm just teasing you, Rukia. Lighten up. Shall I get you both something to drink?"
"Anything alcoholic will do for me," Rukia said as she rubbed her temples with her hand.
"A glass of Scotch for me," Ichigo told Rangiku.
"Alcohol and Scotch. Coming right up!" she said with a smile before turning away.
"Sorry about that. Rangiku's kind of…eccentric," Rukia said before she sat down at a table, Ichigo following her.
"That's alright. She seems nice. And she runs a very nice club."
"Yeah, I discovered this place a few years ago. I had to sneak in the first time I came here because I wasn't even twenty-one yet. I can't really explain it but something drew me to this place. Rangiku took me under her wing even after she found out I was too young. She was one of the few people who stuck around after-," Rukia cut her sentence off quickly.
"After what?"
"Nothing. It doesn't matter. The point is, the people here are like family to me. That's why I brought you here. It's one of the few places in the city I feel comfortable in." "
Ichigo smiled to himself at that. Rukia had taken him to one of the few places she felt like she belonged. These people were like her family. It was like she had finally given him a glimpse of her life.
"Rukia! My beautiful little dancing princess. How are you this evening?" a familiar voice called out. They both looked up and saw Rukia's dance instructor heading toward them.
"Hey, Yumichika. I'm doing fine," she said as she extended her hand for him to kiss.
"So, you two just ran into each other on your morning run, huh?" Yumichika said teasingly causing Rukia to look away guiltily. "Good to see you again, Mr. Kurosaki," the eccentric man said with a nod toward Rukia's date.
"Yeah, you too."
"Mr. Kurosaki, would you mind too terribly if I stole her away for just one dance? She's quite the partner and they're about to play one of my favorite songs."
"Not at all," he said with a smile. In any other circumstance he might've been irked at someone trying to steal Rukia away from him while he was on a date with her but he knew from the moment he met this man that he wasn't a threat to him.
Rukia took Yumichika's extended hand and let him lead her to the dance floor. Ichigo watched the pair with peaked curiosity. This would be the first time he would see her dance and from what he had heard, she was quite good at it.
The band began to play a sultry little Latin number and the pair took their stance with practiced ease. As they began to move, Ichigo couldn't keep his eyes off his date. Yumichika was right. She was quite the dancer. The instructor and student moved along the dance floor as if they owned it, selling their number to all who were watching.
"They're amazing, aren't they?" a voice said to Ichigo, causing him to jump out of the trance Rukia's dancing had put him in. He saw Rangiku carrying the two drinks she had been tasked with getting earlier. She placed the two drinks on the table, her eyes not leaving the dancing pair.
"Yeah, they are. I had no idea Rukia could dance that well."
"She's been dancing like that ever since I first caught her trying to sneak into my club. I think that's why I took her under my wing. I used to ballroom dance too back when I was younger but I was never as good as she was. She always tries to write it off as a simple hobby but I know it's one of the few things she's really passionate about."
Ichigo listened to Rangiku's words as he watched Rukia move along the dance floor with her partner. Yumichika would dip her or twist her around and she followed his lead as if this dance was the only thing in the world she knew how to do. As much as he wanted to get out on the dance floor with her, he would be content watching her all night.
Eventually the music stopped, and Yumichika and Rukia struck a final pose, earning some applause from others in the club. They walked back to the table he was sitting at, both slightly out of breath.
"Well that was fun, my dear, but I must leave you with your date. Come find me if you want to have another go before you leave."
"Sounds good," she said before Yumichika gave the pair a slight bow and walked off.
"Wow. I had no idea you could dance like that."
"No reason why you should," she said before she took a sip of the martini Rangiku had brought her.
"I'm serious. You are really good."
"Thanks," Rukia said with a smile. For the first time all night Ichigo wasn't getting a standoffish vibe from her. It was like she had finally settled in and was enjoying herself. He figured he should take advantage of her good mood.
"So, how long have you been dancing?"
"Ever since I was little. Back then I just did ballet, tap, and jazz. It wasn't until I was older that I realized ballroom was the style for me."
"You seemed right at home on that dance floor."
"As I should be. I can't even fathom how many times I've danced on that floor."
They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they sipped their drinks and watched the couples on the floor. Occasionally Ichigo would ask her a question about herself, which she would quickly answer. Again, he wasn't getting a lot of information out of her but at least she was willing to talk. Yet another step in the right direction.
"This is nice," he commented after another moment of silence.
"What?"
"Sitting here drinking, watching people dance, enjoying each other's company."
"Well at least one of us is enjoying the other's company."
"Oh, come on. Just admit that you're having a good time tonight."
"Alright, it hasn't been so bad. But that's probably more because of the club than the company."
Ichigo rolled his eyes at her. She would never fully admit the date had been a success so far.
"I will say this though. You haven't been as much of a douchebag as I was expecting you to be."
"That so?" he said with a sly smile.
"Yeah. Though the true test is yet to come."
"And what's the true test?"
Rukia sat down her glass and got up from the table extending her hand to him. "You still have to dance with me."
Ichigo grinned and let her lead him to the dance floor.
"Just a warning, though. I've never done anything like this before so I apologize in advance if I make you look bad."
"You want me to lead then?" she asked teasingly.
"Hell no," he said before the music started and they began to move slowly but surely. Ichigo had slow danced with women before at banquets and such so he knew a little bit but he still fumbled around as he lead her across the dance floor.
Ichigo missed a step and ended up messing up the rhythm. He gave her a quick apology smile before continuing on.
"So, the big shot millionaire is a klutz on the dance floor after all."
"I missed one damn step."
"I have high standards."
"Yeah, no kidding." As the song progressed, Ichigo began to get the basic idea of the dance and was able to lead with relatively few problems. At one point, he was feeling particularly bold so he twisted her around before bringing her close to himself.
They danced through one song and decided to stay for the next. This particular number was slow and sexy and Ichigo absolutely loved how close they were dancing. Rukia looked as though she was completely entranced in the music because he knew she wouldn't normally allow this close contact.
At one point, Ichigo even lowered his hand from her waist to the curve of her back. This was what he had always wanted. He wanted to sway with her on the dance floor. He wanted to rub slow circles on her lower back. He wanted to lean in and lightly touch his lips to hers…
The music stopped and suddenly the situation clicked in Rukia's mind because she quickly pushed herself as far as she could away from him. She looked down uneasily and walked back to their table.
Well it was nice while it lasted.
He followed her back to the table and sat down. The two lapsed back into silence, quietly watching the couples and listening to the music. Eventually he could tell she was getting tired when he caught her yawning a few times.
"Want me to take you home?" he asked her as he polished off his Scotch.
"Are you fit to drive?" she asked skeptically.
"I've had hardly anything to drink all night. I'll be fine. Come on," he said as he got up and offered her his hand, which she eyed warily before reluctantly accepting.
After Rukia had said goodbye to her friends at the club, the pair waited outside for Hisagi to return with the car, which Rukia had warned might take a little while. He wasn't exactly the most competent person for the job.
"So, be honest with me. Was tonight as bad as you thought it would be?" he eventually asked her.
She sighed and replied, "No, I guess not."
"Would you consider a second date?"
"Don't push your luck, buddy."
He shook his head at her. He still had a long way to go if he wanted to capture her affections but the night had gone smoothly and he felt closer to her now than he ever had. It was a small victory.
He wanted to think about the possibility of a goodnight kiss but he knew that was out of the picture. He saw how she reacted when they got too close while dancing. He would probably leave without the ability to produce children if he tried to kiss her.
"Rukia?" another voice called to them. Ichigo turned and spotted a man with scruffy blond hair wearing a dark coat and a weird looking hat approach the two.
"Urahara? Is that you?"
"Indeed it is. I didn't know you come here."
"I come here all the time, Urahara. How did you even find out about this place?"
"Yoruichi found it. Says it has the best vibe of any club she's been to."
"Yeah, it's a great one. Where is Yoruichi?"
"Oh, she insisted on parking the car herself. Says she didn't trust the valet not to wreck it."
"Yeah, that's probably a wise decision." Finally, Urahara turned from Rukia to her date. His eyes flickered in recognition.
"What in the world are you doing out with Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia?"
"It's…a long story," was Rukia's reply.
"My, my Kurosaki. You've grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you," Urahara said. Ichigo was confused by his words. Plenty of people recognized him on the street but no one talked as though they knew him personally.
"Um…excuse me? Do I know you?" he asked the mysterious man.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It has been awhile. You probably don't remember me. My name is Kisuke Urahara. I used to work with your father."
"Really?" Ichigo asked in shock. He had never met anyone aside from a few people at the company who had known his father, let alone had worked with him.
"Yes. That was before I realized my true calling was in real estate."
"Urahara is my land lord," Rukia explained.
"Oh, I see. Well, it's nice to officially meet you," Ichigo said.
"You too. Well I must be off. I promised Yoruichi I would save a table for us. It was nice seeing you Kurosaki and you too, Miss Kuchiki."
Rukia stood ramrod still as Urahara walked inside the club, praying to anyone who'd listen that Ichigo hadn't caught it.
He did not just do that.
"Kuchiki?" Ichigo asked in confusion. Rukia groaned internally. This was not happening. "Wait, your last name is…Kuchiki?" he said slowly, putting the pieces together in his mind.
Urahara had just called her Kuchiki. Rukia Kuchiki. That was her full name. And that meant…
Rukia the Coffee Shop Girl is Byakuya Kuchiki's sister!
Oh, Urahara. When I was thinking of how I wanted Ichigo to find out I realized that there is no one more perfect to spill the beans than Kisuke Urahara. Let me know what you thought!