Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a despicable human being for taking so long to get this update out. It's no secret that my updating skills are not the best and it doesn't help when you get really bad writer's block, too. I made up for it a little bit by making this a longer chapter, so I hope you'll forgive me! Also, just as a warning, I used a bit more severe language than I have in previous chapters so just heads up for that. It's not too bad though.
"R-Rukia? Is that really you?" the familiar red-haired man asked in complete shock as he got a good look at his former friend.
"Renji? What are you doing here?" Rukia asked him, equally surprised at his presence. Though, after taking one look at the waiter uniform he was wearing, she figured she shouldn't be so surprised.
"I'm working. What are you doing here?" Renji asked the stunned, raven-haired girl.
The implications behind his question were not lost on her. Renji was probably more shocked by the elegant gown and expensive diamond jewelry she was wearing than by her attendance at the gala. The last time Renji had seen his old friend was right after Byakuya's company went under and Rukia had sold just about everything she had previously owned. She almost groaned aloud when she realized how she must look, all dolled up and sipping champagne next to a well-known millionaire.
Still, Rukia didn't know how to answer him. What was she doing here? Kurosaki and Ishida hadn't filled her in on the exact reason she had been invited so she was about as confused as Renji. Of course, she couldn't tell him that she was working undercover to help expose the man who had taken down the company that Renji had worked at himself for awhile. She was stuck with the only excuse she could possibly come up with.
"I'm…Ichigo's date," she told her former best friend reluctantly as she motioned to where she knew Kurosaki was standing. As Renji turned his gaze from her to her orange-haired partner-in-crime, she too glanced at Ichigo, wondering what he possibly thought of the situation.
Well, he didn't look as mad as she suspected he might be. Kurosaki's unwanted overprotectiveness of her made her believe he would see Renji as a threat, but he looked more confused and curious than he looked jealous.
"Oh," Renji said in a slightly disappointed tone as he looked down. "I see. Well, good for you, I guess."
Already the situation had not gone smoothly. It had been ages since she had seen one of her closest friends and now, after everything that had happened between them and with the company, she felt like the worse friend in the world. Right around the time things were starting to look bad at her brother's company, Renji had told Rukia all about the feelings he had been keeping to himself for quite some time. She had suspected that he liked her as more than a friend so it wasn't a huge shock. Of course, with the ways things had been going and with the way they ended up, Rukia believed her safest bet was cutting off all ties with anyone at the company so, despite how much she knew it would hurt him, she told him she didn't feel the same way and that they should probably stop seeing each other all together.
Though he had been understandably upset, he could tell she was removing herself from him for a reason and, that being the case, gave her the space she needed as she figured everything out. He had worked in the finance department at Byakuya's company so he knew what was happening when it went under. He knew the stress and hard times she was going through.
But now, she just looked like a gold-digging tramp to him, wearing an elegant gown and diamond jewelry claiming she was a CEO's date. She had to talk to him alone so she could try to explain herself to him before his good opinion of her went straight out the window.
"Renji, do you think you could take a few minutes to talk? It's been awhile," she asked, almost desperately. She tried to communicate with her look that it was urgent.
"Uh, I'm not sure my boss would like it if I-,"
"Please, Renji. I really need to talk to you," Rukia said, cutting him off.
Again, she tried communicating silently. Eventually, after she had pleaded with her eyes, it seemed Renji understood, but before he walked away with her, he turned toward Ichigo.
Uh, oh. This can't be good, Rukia thought to herself as she watched the two men have a stare off before Renji finally spoke.
"Do you mind if I steal her away for a few minutes?" Renji asked him politely, though she could see he hated every minute of it.
Rukia was about to huff and puff about being treated like Ichigo's property before she stopped herself. She had just said she was Ichigo's date. It was perfectly normal for Renji to want to make sure it was okay to spend a few minutes alone with her.
She kept quiet, but she internally fumed.
Ichigo narrowed his eyes at her red-headed friend and then looked back to her. She tried to communicate silently with him the same way she just had with Renji, praying that he would understand. Though she didn't have to explain anything to him, she silently reminded herself.
"Fine," Ichigo finally huffed after he caught on to Rukia's pleading look. He didn't own her in any way and, despite how attractive the idea of her being his date to the event was, that wasn't actually the case.
Renji nodded his head at Ichigo's approval and lead Rukia to a more secluded part of the grand ballroom. She could practically feel Ichigo's eyes burning into her back as she walked away.
"So, I see you've done well for yourself," Renji began with a cynical tone.
"It's not what it looks like, Renji. I promise."
"Not what it looks like? What else could it be?" Renji replied. She could hear the hurt in his voice and tried to quickly redeem herself.
"I'm not really Ichigo's date. I just said that because there were other people around."
"What does that mean?"
"Renji, things are getting serious for me. I can't tell you everything right now, but what I can tell you is that I'm working on a plan," Rukia told her best friend quietly as she looked around to make sure there was no around to hear her.
"What kind of plan?" Renji asked skeptically.
"A plan to get Byakuya's company back."
That bit of information seemed to floor the red-head as he gaped at Rukia in disbelief.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. Through a series of unfortunate events, I sort of befriended Ichigo Kurosaki. He and a few others of us are working on a plan to not only get Aizen off of Ichigo's back but also to get back my brother's company. That's the reason I'm here tonight."
"You've got to me kidding me. Are you nuts? Aizen will chew you both up and spit you out. You of all people should know that," Renji told her incredulously. It seemed he wasn't as supportive as the others were.
"I know I can pull this off, Renji. I can't just let Aizen get away with what he did. Plus-," Rukia started before she stopped short, realizing what she was about to say.
"Plus what?" Renji asked.
Rukia was silent as she contemplated her next words before she sighed and continued, "Plus, I owe Ichigo for what he's already done for me. I want to help him save his company."
"Why? What has he done for you?" her friend asked skeptically.
"A lot, believe it or not. He helped me get a better paying job, he's giving me the opportunity to help save Byakuya's company, and, you know, this stuff doesn't buy itself," she said as she indicated the dress she was wearing.
"So you're putting yourself in Aizen's way for a fancy dress?"
"Oh, come on, Renji, that has nothing to do with it. Ichigo Kurosaki is an annoying bastard who keeps trying to get in my pants, but I trust him. He's the only one besides Orihime who's given me the time of day since we lost all our money. I want to help him. And he wants to help me."
"Rukia, I really don't think you understand who you're dealing with here. Do you and that orange-haired freak really think you can outsmart a guy like Aizen?"
"Yes, I do. I really, really do, Renji. I am going to do this. I am a fucking Kuchiki and I will not stop until we've won this. Do you understand?"
Renji stepped back a bit in shock at his best friend's words. He had never seen her this fired up. When they had parted ways, she had looked destroyed because of everything that had happened. Now, she was determined and resolute. He still thought she was crazy, but she knew what she was getting into and she still wanted to go through with it. It made him question what kind of relationship she and Kurosaki really had if she had changed this much since he had last seen her.
"Who the hell is that?" Ichigo asked, not able to hold in his annoyance any longer as he watched Rukia walk away with the random waiter guy she somehow knew.
"That's Renji Abarai. He and Rukia have been best friends since they were kids," Orihime stated.
"How have I never heard about him?" he asked.
"Probably because Rukia hardly ever talks about him anymore. They didn't part on the greatest of terms."
"What happened?" Ichigo asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"Renji had been working at the Kuchiki company when it went under. Rukia hasn't told me all the details, but basically Renji wanted to progress things in their relationship right towards the end and Rukia, afraid of what was going to happen, cut off her ties with him so that they both wouldn't be hurt in the aftermath of the company going down. This is the first time they've spoken to each other since it went under, as far as I know," Orihime informed.
Interesting, Ichigo thought to himself. He wondered if she really wouldn't progress things in their relationship because of the company or because she didn't feel the same way. He knew he shouldn't feel the way he did, but he couldn't deny the small bit of jealousy creeping up as he watched the two talk in a corner.
Before he could dwell any longer on the subject a slick and chill-inducing voice was heard behind him.
"Ah, Mr. Kurosaki. So nice to see you here." Ichigo recognized it immediately and swiveled around to face the person head on. When he got a glimpse of his enemy's sly smile his eyes narrowed in anger.
"Ichimaru," he practically growled. "What are you doing here?"
Gin Ichimaru, known accomplice of Aizen, swaggered up to their group of three, smiling that sadistic smile he was known for.
"I was invited, just like everyone else here."
"Who the hell invited you?" Ichigo asked, throwing politeness out the window.
"Now that's not a very nice way to treat one of your guests, Kurosaki. You're ruining such a lovely party for me."
"What a shame," Ichigo replied sarcastically with a snarl.
"Come now, Kurosaki. You don't need to be so hostile. I'm merely here to enjoy the champagne and look at all the pretty girls. In fact, one girl in particular has caught my eye," Gin said as his nodded over to the corner of the ballroom.
Ichigo didn't have to look behind him to know who Ichimaru was talking about.
If he was angry before, he was furious now.
Gin chuckled at Ichigo's reaction to that statement. "Tell me, Kurosaki. What are you doing with the former Kuchiki heiress?"
"That's none of your damn business, Ichimaru."
"It's not? I think you made it my business and everyone else's as well when you hired Byakuya Kuchiki's heiress to work at your company. This is the business world, Kurosaki. Word has a tendency to get out rather quickly," Gin replied with a snide smile.
"I'm just helping her get up off her feet again," Ichigo defended.
"In exchange for her body?"
Ichigo had to muster all the restraint he had to not lash out at Gin for that one. "You shut your goddamn mouth, Ichimaru. That has nothing to do with it."
"Oh, I'm sure it doesn't," Gin replied cynically.
"Just stay out of it."
"I'll stay out of it when you stop fucking Byakuya Kuchiki's little sister."
And that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Ichigo couldn't contain his anger anymore. It was a good thing Ishida was standing right behind him. Before Ichigo could unleash his anger on this sad excuse of a man, Uryuu grabbed his arm and quickly whispered in his ear.
"Don't you dare make a scene, Kurosaki," he told him in a deathly, demanding tone. He wasn't about to let his friend's temper ruin everything for them.
As much as Ichigo wanted to push his friend away and beat the sadistic smile off Ichimaru's face, he knew Ishida was right. He had to quickly calm himself down.
Gin watched this exchange with a sly smile. "I would be careful if I were you, Kurosaki. Wouldn't want anything bad happening to that girl of yours," he said cryptically, before he slowly walked away, chuckling as he left.
Ichigo watched him go with deadly eyes before he quickly turned and started walking to the corner of the ballroom. Ishida had to run to catch up with him.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Uryuu asked his friend.
"To get Rukia," Ichigo said with a gruffness to his voice that his friend hadn't heard for a long time.
"What about the plan?" Uryuu said, trying to reason with Ichigo, but he knew it would probably be a lost cause.
"Screw the plan," Ichigo stated simply before he walked ahead of Uryuu, leaving him behind. He wasn't going to let his friend talk him out of this one, not when Rukia was in danger. He saw the way Gin was looking at him and at her. He had seen that look before. That bastard had something planned for Rukia and he wasn't going to stay and find out what it was.
He walked up to Rukia and her friend, not caring that they were deep in conversation. "Rukia, it's time to go," he interrupted swiftly. They both turned to look at him incredulously.
"What? I just got here," Rukia said indignantly.
"Yeah, and now it's time to go."
"What the hell? I'm not just going to leave."
"Yes, you are. Let's go," Ichigo told her with more force than she had ever heard from him.
"Now hold on a minute. You can't tell me what to do. I just got here and I'm going to stay."
"Look, I'll explain later, but right now we really need to leave."
Ichigo's gruff facade seemed to fade and Rukia saw a terrified look in his eye that took her aback for a moment. He was pleading with his eyes for her to leave and it honestly made her nervous.
"What's going on?" she asked sincerely.
"I can't say right now. What I can tell you is that we really need to go," Ichigo pleaded yet again.
Both Rukia and Renji eyed him strangely, wondering what the hell could be going on. Finally, as she looked deep into Ichigo's eyes, Rukia relented. Something was wrong and, as much as she hated doing what Ichigo told her to, she knew she had to go with him.
She turned toward her friend. "Renji, it looks like I have to leave. But I promise we'll talk more later, okay?" she said.
Renji looked between Rukia and Kurosaki before he too relented with a sigh. "Fine. Just don't forget about me."
"I won't," she said before she gave him a weak smile and turned to leave with Kurosaki.
It was silent between the two of them as they swiftly left the ballroom and went to where all the cars were parked. They didn't even wait for the valet to bring Ichigo his car. They just got the keys and went straight to it. When they got inside and zoomed out of the parking lot, Ichigo breathed an audible sigh of relief. Finally, Rukia figured it was time she got some answers.
"Okay, now you have to tell me why you ran me out of there so fast."
"I had to make sure you were safe."
"Safe? Safe from what?" The more and more Ichigo talked, the more scared she was becoming.
"It was too dangerous there."
"Ichigo, you need to stop beating around the bush and tell me what the hell happened."
"Not until I know we're safe."
"Goddammit, Ichigo, you're starting to really freak me out. Where exactly are we going?"
"My house. It's the only place I know where they won't get us."
"Who's they?"
"Aizen and his cronies."
"They're after us right now?" Rukia exclaimed as she looked behind her to see if anyone was following them.
"Not exactly. Look, please just let me get you there in one piece and then I'll explain everything," Ichigo pleaded with her yet again.
Rukia wanted to argue with him more. She wanted to question him and figure out what the hell he was so nervous about, but the look on his face made her stop. Obviously something bigger than the two of them was happening here and she had to trust him. After all, she had just told Renji that she did, might as well put it to practice. For once in their relationship, she didn't argue and was silent as he zoomed through the streets of Tokyo.
They made it to his apartment buidling without incident and parked in a special parking garage before they got out and took what was apparently his own private elevator up to his penthouse.
Entering Ichigo's lavish home was not exactly the way she had envisioned the night ending. Everything looked the same as it had the last time she had been here. She walked in and plopped down on the couch in the large living room as Ichigo locked and bolted the door behind him. She wondered if he expected her to stay there all night.
"Alright, now will you finally tell me what's going on?" Rukia worriedly asked him as he joined her on the couch.
Ichigo sighed and rested his head on the back of the couch before he let out a long sigh. "I ran into one of Aizen's cronies at the gala."
"Who?" Rukia asked curiously.
"A guy named Gin Ichimaru."
The name made Rukia's entire body go cold. She jumped up from the couch in shock. "What!? Are you serious?"
Ichigo was surprised at her sudden shock, to say the least. "Uh, yeah. Do you know him?"
"Of course I know him! That sick bastard is the sole reason my brother lost his company! Byakuya put his trust in Ichimaru and that snake-faced bastard used that trust to bring the Kuchiki corporation down. Why the hell was he there?" Rukia angrily shouted.
In Ichigo's anger at Gin having shown up at the party to threaten Rukia, he seemed to have forgotten that he was the one responsible for what happened to Rukia's brother's company.
"I don't know why he was there. He said he was invited. He came up to me and started accusing us of sleeping together. And then he said that I better be careful because something was bound to happen to you. It's just… the way he said it that got me so riled up. I knew he had something planned and I just…couldn't let them get you," Ichigo as as he rubbed his forehead with his hands. He was starting to get a bad headache.
Rukia stood back and took in Ichigo's words. He was terrified for her safety. She knew he really cared about her but this was something completely different. He was legitimately scared that Ichimaru or one of his men was going to hurt her. She began to understand why he had been so desperate to leave.
"They're not going to get me, Ichigo. I won't let them," Rukia reassured as she sat back down on the couch.
"That doesn't make me feel better, you know."
"I know, but it's the truth. Those bastards could tie me up and torture me for days and I still won't let them win. I don't care how dangerous it is," Rukia said with a determination that surprised even herself.
Ichigo looked up at her and smiled. "That won't stop me from trying to protect you, you know."
"Of course it won't," Rukia said with a roll of her eyes. Typical alpha male…
"I'm sorry for making you leave so quickly."
"You should be. You spent all this money on these expensive clothes and you don't even get to enjoy them."
Even though he was shaken from the events of the night, he couldn't help but let loose a small smirk. "I'm enjoying them right now."
"Oh please stop it before I slap you," she told him playfully. He chuckled at that.
"You don't mind staying here for the night, do you? I just want to make sure everything has died down before you go back home."
Rukia sighed and said, "Fine, I'll stay. Though I think I can handle myself just fine if someone were to get me at my apartment, but if it'll make you feel better, I'll stay. Though I don't have anything to wear," Rukia thought as she looked down at her extravagant gown.
"I wouldn't worry about that. I have plenty of clothes for you to wear."
"Oh, no. I am not wearing one of your former conquest's clothes," Rukia said indignantly.
"I was thinking more along the lines of something one of my sister's left here."
"Oh, well, I guess that's okay then," Rukia said sheepishly. She got up to go follow him to where his sister's usually stayed when they were over when he suddenly stopped and turned around with that signature goofy smile of his plastered across his face. She inwardly groaned when she wondered what he could possibly be thinking now.
"Although, it does seem such a shame for you to change out of that gorgeous dress without putting it to good use," he told her slyly.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "And just what the hell do you mean by that, Kurosaki?"
Again, he chuckled at her feistiness. "Relax, will you? I don't mean anything weird by it. I just think that you should at least get to have one dance while you're wearing that dress."
"A dance? You want to dance with me right here and now?"
"Why not? I can play a song through the speakers and there's plenty of room. Besides, I've gotten much better since we last danced," he said with a cocky smile.
"Really? You've been practicing?" she asked skeptically.
"A little," he said with a smile. She rolled her eyes and laughed at him. As much as he tried to play the part of the suave, rich bachelor, he really could be a big dork sometimes.
"Fine. One dance," she relented. He smiled at that and went to go pick a song. A slow, jazz number sounded through the speakers before he came back to where she was standing in the middle of the living room. He wrapped a hand around her waist and clasped the opposite hand before she sighed and put her hand on his shoulder. They began to slowly move and sway as best they could on their makeshift dance floor.
"I really am sorry about tonight," Ichigo said as they moved.
"It's okay. I understand. It's a dangerous situation and you wanted to make sure I was safe."
"Yeah, I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if something were to happen to you."
"Stop talking like that, will you? Nothing's going to happen to me, I promise," she reassured him, though it did little to calm his anxiety.
They were silent for a few more moments before a thought occurred to Rukia and she gasped.
"Wait! What about Orihime?" she asked worriedly.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Ishida will take care of her. I wouldn't be surprised if she spends the night at his place, though I have a feeling those two will be doing a little bit more than dancing once they get home," Ichigo said with a smirk.
"Oh, god. I'm going to be hearing about that for the next week," Rukia said with a groan while Ichigo lightly laughed at her.
"You really do look beautiful tonight," Ichigo told her quietly after a few more minutes of silence.
"Thanks, you don't look half bad yourself," she said sincerely.
"You think so? I was going for a James Bond look tonight."
"Of course you were," she said with a smile to which Ichigo responded with a smile of his own. This was nice, he decided. He was going to ignore the fact that he had been fearful for life just a short while ago and focus on the fact that she was being cordial to him while they were dancing in his living room.
The restraint that he had made himself use while they worked as partners was wavering as she looked up at him like that. She looked absolutely beautiful tonight and the way her smile was lighting up her face was making him weak. All he had to do was lean down a few inches and he would get what he had been desiring for months.
But he knew he couldn't. Not now.
And that thought absolutely killed him.
The music stopped and they both broke apart reluctantly.
"Thanks for the dance," Rukia told him.
"You're welcome. I can show you were my sister's keep their clothes now if you want."
"Yeah, that'd be great," Rukia said with a strange tone to her voice. Ichigo didn't want to believe that it was disappointment that he was hearing but it sure sounded like it.
He led her to the bedroom his sisters always shared when they stayed at his home and she picked out one of Yuzu's set of pajamas to wear. He showed her to another guest bedroom and told her he could use whatever she found. She thanked him and then closed the door behind her without so much as a goodnight.
Ichigo sighed as he stared at the closed door in front of him. Why was it getting so hard to resist her? If the night had proved anything, it was that getting close to Rukia right now was dangerous for both of their lives, but he couldn't deny the attraction he felt as they swayed together in his living room. It was even worse now that he could catch hints of her own slight interest in him the more time they spent together.
The game was beginning to get dangerous and he wondered how long it would take before one of them got burned.
Well, I hope you guys liked it! Let me know what you thought. Also, if any of guys are wondering what happened with Kaien or Ichigo's parents, those plotholes may or may not be filled sometime in the near future ;)