*18 months later*
"Will you marry me?" he said, his voice quivering as he asked one of the most important questions of his life.
She stood before his kneeled form, barely containing the tears that threatened to fall at his proposal. She couldn't believe this was happening. She couldn't remember ever feeling this happy. The beautiful diamond sparkled in its place inside the small black box her longtime boyfriend, and soon to be fiancé, was holding out to her.
There was only one thing she could think to say. "Yes," she choked as she let out a happy giggle, the tears finally starting to fall down her cheeks. She leaned down and hugged him, before giving him a passionate and joyous kiss.
Rukia Kuchiki looked on at the scene in shock.
"I love you, Orihime," Uryuu Ishida said, his voice also filled with emotion as he removed the diamond ring from the box and placed it on his newly dubbed fiancé's ring finger.
"I love you too, Uryuu," the auburn-haired woman replied as she looked in awe at the sparkly ring.
Ichigo stood beside his girlfriend, also quite taken aback at the sudden turn of events. The park they had been told to meet Ishida at was currently hosting an elaborate festival, with many people milling around in their traditional Japanese garb. Ichigo and Rukia, as per Ishida's instructions, had also donned the appropriate yukatas. When Uryuu had said he wanted them to witness something important at the festival, neither of them had anticipated this.
The fireworks currently going off above them prevented many of the people around the two pairs from noticing the sudden proposal, which was better for the two lovebirds, as they could have an incredible moment all to themselves.
Ichigo and Rukia stood completely still, not having any idea what to do.
Finally, Orihime seemed to remember that they were there. She turned her happy, tear-filled eyes upon her best friend and pulled away from her fiancé to give Rukia a tight hug.
"Oh, Rukia! Can you believe it!" she exclaimed as she pulled away from the hug and showed off the sparkling rock on her finger.
Rukia, still at a loss for words, somehow managed to stumble out, "Y-yeah, Orihime. This is…great!"
Both Orihime and Uryuu were too caught up in their own happiness to notice the rather unsure look coming from their closest friend.
Rukia was certainly happy for Orihime, but this all seemed kind of…sudden. Orihime and Uryuu had started dating right around the same time as Ichigo and Rukia did, and yet they weren't even close to considering getting married. Rukia wondered how long they had thought about this, or if they had even discussed it. She hoped so, considering the rather expensive diamond Uryuu had purchased.
It looked as though the same thoughts were going through Ichigo's head as their eyes met and they shared a look between them, communicating with their eyes everything they knew they couldn't say in front of their friends.
"Come on, I'll buy a round of sake for all of us to celebrate," Ishida said, looking to be as deliriously happy as Orihime was. Not having anything else to say, Ichigo and Rukia followed after their friends, trying not to look as confused as they felt.
After a night filled with celebration, Uryuu announced he was going to take his new fiancé home, where they were going to celebrate in private, Rukia suspected. Rukia walked with Ichigo back to where he had parked his signature silver sports car, not exchanging a single word between them. It wasn't until the pair had gotten into Ichigo's car, buckled up, and began driving home that Rukia finally spoke what was on her mind.
"They're engaged!?" she exclaimed suddenly, not being able to hold back her emotions any longer.
"I guess so," Ichigo replied, still confused that their friends were suddenly deciding to get married, but not nearly as incredulous as Rukia seemed to be.
"How can they be engaged? They only just started dating!"
"They've been together for over a year and a half," Ichigo corrected, trying to remain the voice of reason, an uncharacteristic role for him.
"Yeah, but they've never even mentioned the idea of getting married. Did you know Ishida was going to do this?" Rukia asked, as she turned an accusatory glance toward her boyfriend, who calmly kept his eyes on the road ahead of him.
"No, but I'm sure he didn't decide to propose on a whim. They probably talked about it with each other."
"If they had, Orihime would've told me. Trust me, when a girl's boyfriend starts talking about marriage, the best friend is the first to know."
Ichigo sighed. "Maybe Orihime didn't want to tell you. I mean, based on your reaction, you probably would've just told her she was crazy for even considering it."
Rukia became indignant at that. "That's not necessarily true! I might have told her she needed to really think about it, but I wouldn't have just flat out discouraged it. I would rather have them discuss it than just decide to get married on a whim."
Finally, Ichigo asked the question that had been in his mind since they had gotten into his car. "Why are you so upset about this? I mean, I was taken aback, sure, but I'm still happy for them. You seem to think the whole situation is ridiculous."
"No, I don't! I just think it's all so sudden. One minute they're just happily dating and the next they're diving into something as huge as marriage. Don't you think it's weird?"
"Not really. Like I said, they've been dating for over a year and a half. Plenty of people decide to get married way before they've dated that long. And what the hell do you care anyway? It's not like Uryuu proposed to you," Ichigo accused.
At that, Rukia immediately clammed up, deciding to divert her attention to the passing city out her car window. Ichigo noticed this and his eyes narrowed, finally starting to understand what was really bothering her about her friends' engagement. He knew her too well for her to try and hide it from him.
"Oh, I get it. You're freaking out because you think this means we need to start talking about marriage since we started dating the same time they did. I'm right, aren't I?" Ichigo asked, with a critical tone in his voice.
"No," Rukia replied, her voice giving away her lie. As they pulled up to a stoplight, Ichigo turned an accusatory glance toward his girlfriend.
"Rukia," he started, his voice low.
"What?" she asked, still avoiding his pointed stare.
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying! I just…ugh, I don't know. It's so…I can't really-," Rukia garbled the rest of her words, not being able to accurately describe the thoughts running through her head. Finally, she let out a big sigh and conceded. "I'm not ready," she stated simply.
"I know that," Ichigo immediately replied as the light they had been stopped at turned green and his eyes returned to the road ahead of him.
"I just don't think it's something we should think about right now."
"Rukia, I know. At no point during this conversation did I say we should start talking about marriage. I'm perfectly content with where we are."
"I am too."
"Good, then that's all that should matter," Ichigo said emphatically as he pulled into his designated parking spot beneath his apartment building.
"I just don't want people to start immediately turning to us as soon as they hear about Uryuu and Orihime like, 'Oh, they've finally decided to tie the knot, look's like you two will be next!'," Rukia mocked as she opened her car door and stepped out. Ichigo followed after her as she went straight to the elevator, swiped the key card Ichigo had long ago given her that would get them directly to the penthouse, and slowly ascended the building.
"Yeah, but I thought you didn't give a shit what other people think. That's one of the many things I love about you," Ichigo reminded her as he cornered her against the wall of the elevator and placed his hands on her hips.
"I don't. It's just annoying," Rukia spoke quietly as Ichigo's close proximity and wandering hands were starting to distract her.
Ichigo smiled. "I know, it's annoying for me too, but this time isn't about us. It's about our closest friends. All we have to do is be happy for them."
"I am happy for them. I really am. They're perfect for each other," Rukia said in defense. She didn't want Ichigo to think she thought her friends were idiots or that she completely opposed their marriage.
"I agree," Ichigo said as the elevator dinged, signaling their arrival at the top floor. Reluctantly, he removed his arms from his girlfriend and walked out to the hallway and up to his front door. He removed the keys from his pocket, unlocked the large door, and entered his home, followed quickly by Rukia.
"Do you think Uryuu will ask you to be his best man?" Rukia asked, as the conversation became less tense and the idea of her best friends getting married settled in her mind. Ichigo closed the door after her and joined her in the lavish living room.
"I'd be surprised if he didn't. He doesn't exactly have a lot of friends."
Rukia scoffed at that. "Well he found a true winner in you," she commented sarcastically.
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "And I'm assuming you'll be the Maid of Honor?"
"I'd better be. I've known Orihime longer than any of her other friends, plus we're roommates."
"I don't know if I'd still consider you two roommates since you end up only sleeping in your apartment together like once or twice a month."
"Well both our names are still on the lease so, contractually speaking, we still hold the title of 'roommates'," Rukia said matter-of-factly as she plopped down on the couch, Ichigo joining her.
"Spoken like a true business executive."
Rukia smiled at that.
"Speaking of your lease," Ichigo continued, the flow of the conversation leading him to a particularly avoided subject he'd been wanting to discuss with his girlfriend for awhile now, "Isn't it almost up?"
"Yeah, I think we have to renew it next month," Rukia replied as she tried to remember last they had signed it.
"You're going to renew it?" Ichigo asked skeptically.
"Yeah, why not?"
"Well, if Orihime's engaged now and she spends most of her time at Uryuu's place, wouldn't it make sense for her to go ahead and move in with him?"
"I don't know, maybe. I didn't even know they were going to get engaged so I have no idea what their plans are for all that," Rukia replied, not liking where this conversation was going.
"I know, but I think it makes more sense if you're up for renewal next month to just go ahead and drop the lease. Like I said, you both never spend time there. Seems like a waste of money to me."
"Well, if we don't renew it, where am I going to live?" Rukia asked.
Ichigo did his best to hide his frustration at that question, though it didn't stop him from giving his girlfriend a condescending look.
"What? That's my home! Even if Orihime moves out, it doesn't mean I can't still live there. I'm not getting engaged. Plus, with my new raise it's not like I can't afford it."
Ichigo had to handle this situation delicately if he wanted to prevent another argument. He couldn't deny, however, just how idiotic his beloved girlfriend was being right now. Did she really not get it?
"Rukia," Ichigo spoke slowly, as if he was talking to a kindergartener. This did not help make Rukia any happier, though. "You do realize you live here, don't you?"
"No, I don't. My name is on the lease for another apartment," she said indignantly.
"True, but you don't live there. You pay rent there, sure, but you spend 95% of your time here. Not to mention the fact that half my closet is filled with your clothes, we ride to work together almost every morning, and you've started redirecting important mail here because it's easier."
Rukia immediately started sweating nervously at Ichigo's words. "Yeah, so?" she replied lamely.
Ichigo sighed. He was done beating around the bush. "Rukia, you haven't lived at that apartment in a long time. Why don't you and Orihime just make it official and move in with your boyfriends, or I guess in her case, fiancé. Both Uryuu and I have bigger apartments anyway."
"Are you asking me to move in with you?"
"You've already moved in with me, Rukia. I'm just suggesting you stop wasting money on the place Byakuya got for you. I'm sure if you talked to her, Orihime would tell you she was planning on moving out anyway."
Rukia looked away from Ichigo, a million thoughts running through her head. She hadn't ever wanted to admit that she and Ichigo had essentially been living together for a while now. A lot of her stuff was here and she spent the majority of her down time here, but the lease on the other apartment kept them from making that final step. They had just discussed not being ready for marriage, but were they ready to officially live together?
"I can't afford to live here," Rukia offered, knowing it sounded stupid. She already knew what Ichigo would say to that.
"Jesus Christ, Rukia, do you actually think I would make you pay rent? You do realize that this place is actually below my pay grade, but I bought it anyway because it was the nicest place I could get closest to work. If I wanted to, I could buy a huge house outside the city. You won't ever have to worry about paying to live here, trust me."
"It just doesn't seem right, though," Rukia said, trying to defend herself, though she could feel her resolve wavering.
"It is right. Stop coming up with excuses, Rukia. You already live here. There's no need to freak out about making it official. You made the transition to living here so smoothly that you didn't even realize you had done it. This isn't exactly a commitment to be afraid of."
"I-I'm not afraid of it," Rukia offered with her arms crossed, trying to give off an air of confidence, but she knew her shaky voice and Ichigo's scary ability to read her like a book had given her away to him long ago.
He reached forward and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face before he cupped the side of her face and gently turned her head so that she was looking him in the eye. "Rukia," he started, his entire countenance changing from one of frustration to gentle kindness. "I want you to be here all the time. I want to wake up beside you every morning and eat dinner together every night. I don't want you constantly having to go somewhere else to get the mail or grab more clean clothes. I want all of your stuff here in one place. I want to be together, just the two of us, in our home, not my home."
Rukia's entire resolve crumbled at his words and the look in his eyes. She imagined what he described, and her heart fluttered at the thought. She wanted to do seemingly mundane things like change her address to his, get rid of the key to her old apartment so that the only one she had was his, and other things that made what was formerly his house, theirs. She hadn't realized before just how much she actually wanted to take the next step in their relationship, but she certainly knew now as she looked at the almost pleading look in her boyfriend's eyes.
"O-okay," she finally said, her brain only coming up with that one word.
Ichigo pulled back slightly in surprise. "Really?"
"Y-yeah. I mean, I'm not used to being this committed to someone else, but you're right. It's time I learned not to be afraid of stuff like that. What you said about how natural it was for me to move here I hadn't even realized it was already happening is true."
Ichigo let loose one of Rukia's most favorite smiles of his. It was the one he only reserved for her where his face took on an almost goofy glow because he couldn't contain his happiness. It made her heart swell even bigger than it already had. "So you want to move in together?"
"Yeah, let's do it," Rukia replied, her voice more confident as the idea solidified itself in her mind. She wondered if her best friend, who she had lived with for years, was also coming to the same conclusion. It would be hard to part from her, especially after everything they had been through as friends, but she knew that it was time for them to move on as they both had, almost simultaneously, found their other half, the love of their lives, and were ready to be happy with them.
Ichigo smiled even bigger, as impossible as it would seem to be, and came forward to plant a big, sloppy kiss on his girlfriend, and now roommate's, face. She giggled at him and pulled away, giving him one of her own goofy smiles, also reserved only for him.
A thought occurred to her as they reveled in their happy decision. It was probably dumb, but a childhood dream was presented to her and she just couldn't pass up the opportunity.
"I have an idea," she said suddenly as she stood up from the couch, pulling Ichigo with her.
"What?" he asked in confusion.
"It's probably dumb, especially since this all won't be officially official until the lease on my old apartment is up next month, but we're doing it anyway," she commanded as she took his hand and dragged him back to the front door. She opened it and pulled them both into the hallway.
"What are you doing?" he asked, becoming thoroughly amused at her antics.
"Ever since I was a kid, I always imagined this would happen as soon as I moved in with a guy," she began to explain.
"What would happen?" Ichigo asked yet again.
She smiled and then nodded her head to the doorway, as if that would answer all of Ichigo's questions. He still looked thoroughly confused so Rukia nodded again.
Eventually, Ichigo sighed and said, "Rukia, you aren't making sense. What do you want to do?"
Annoyed that he didn't seem to get her signals, she sighed and explained it for him. "Carry me through the doorway, dumbass!"
A lightbulb went on in Ichigo's head and it was nearly visible from the way Ichigo's face lit up in understanding.
"Oh, well why didn't you just say so," he said exasperatedly, though he gave a small smile once he thought about how adorable of a request it really was. He didn't waste any time in swooping down to pick his girlfriend up, bridal style, as if she weighed nothing.
They exchanged satisfied smiles as Ichigo waltzed through the front door of the penthouse, officially dubbing it as the home of Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki. She giggled as he turned back to close the door behind them.
"Welcome home," he said softly, causing Rukia's heart to flutter.
"Thanks," was all she said as they continued to stare lovingly at each other. Eventually, the moment passed, and Rukia began to feel a little awkward in Ichigo's arms.
"You, uh, can put me down now, Ichigo," she said before he seemed to remember that he was just standing there in the middle of their living room holding her. He sheepishly lowered her back to her feet.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Ichigo asked, before they lapsed into another awkward silence.
"It's kind of late. We should probably just go to bed."
"Yeah, I guess so," Ichigo replied, almost reluctantly, as he followed his girlfriend toward his—their—bedroom.
"By the way," he suddenly commented from behind her. She turned to look back at him with a questioning glance. "I love that yukata on you. Purple really brings out your eyes."
They walked into the bedroom as Rukia smiled at the compliment, before an idea popped into her head yet again and she got a sly smirk on her face. "Thanks, but I bet I know what you would like better."
"What?"
"It off of me," she replied with a smirk, trying her best to be seductive.
Ichigo scoffed. "That was lame," he said, amused at his girlfriend's failed attempt.
"Shut up," she said in annoyance. Before she could admonish him any further for making fun of her, he swooped down to pick her up before depositing her on their bed. He then proceeded to make sure the only sounds coming from her mouth the rest of the night were delightful gasps and breathless moans instead of lame pick-up lines.
"That's wonderful news, Mr. Ishida!"
"Thank you. Mr. Ukitake. We're very excited," Uryuu said proudly to the long, white-haired man seated in front of Ichigo's desk in his office. Uryuu had stopped by for their usual lunch and was surprised to see his friend and the head of human resources at Kurosaki Corp having a rather lively discussion. Ukitake had been updating his supreme boss on the status of everything in his department and Ichigo had been, in return, updating Ukitake on the love lives of his close associates and friends. Ichigo had just informed his employee of Ishida's engagement, which he, of course, was thrilled to hear about.
"My oh my, love is certainly in the air. I just knew you and that sweet red-headed woman would be perfect for each other as soon as I saw you both together. And, I suppose, it won't be much longer before Mr. Kurosaki will be joining you in the married club," Ukitake said with a knowing smile as he turned back around to look at his boss.
Ichigo just smiled politely, thinking about how accurate Rukia's prediction was.
Ishida smirked at that. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Mr. Ukitake. Orihime told me she and Rukia talked about marriage a few days ago and Rukia was adamantly opposed to the idea," he said, goading his friend. As expected, Ichigo narrowed his eyes at Uryuu.
"Really? That's shocking," Ukitake said.
"She didn't say she was opposed to it. She just said it would be a little while before we started talking about it," Ichigo was quick to defend, trying his best to hide his annoyance that Rukia had gone straight to her best friend to tell her all the details of their talk. Women really did tell each other everything.
"Well, I won't claim to know Rukia well, but from the small amount of time I spent as her boss, I can say with some confidence that she likes to hide what she's actually feeling. Who knows what she may really feel about marriage. Maybe she just wants to give her friends some time to celebrate before stealing the spotlight," Ukitake offered.
"Or maybe she doesn't ever want to get married," Ishida said, picking up on how uncomfortable this conversation was making his friend and not resisting the chance to egg him on a little.
"Maybe we should stop talking about my love life and start talking about business," Ichigo said with what could almost be considered a sneer. Ishida couldn't help but chuckle at that.
"You're right, we're getting off topic. I trust you don't have any issues with any of the things I discussed with you, Mr. Kurosaki?" Ukitake asked.
"No, everything sounds good to me. You're doing as perfect of a job as ever."
"I appreciate that, Ichigo, but you make it far too easy for me by doing such a good job of running this company," Ukitake said, affectionately using his boss's first name. Though Ichigo outranked the older man, there was still a kind of father/son bond between them since Ukitake was one of the few people still here that had been around when Ichigo's dad started the company.
"Thanks, Jushiro. You're welcome to stay and have lunch with us, if you want?" Ichigo offered, returning the sentiment.
"That's kind of you, but I have places to be. I'll send you an official report once it's written for your records," Ukitake said, as the moment passed and he got up from his chair to leave.
"Great. Thanks for everything."
"Of course. Goodbye Mr. Ishida and congratulations, once again," Ukitake said before he made his leave. As he was opening one of the doors to Ichigo's office, however, he was surprised to see it opening for him, as someone came into the office unannounced.
"Oh, hi Mr. Ukitake!" the person on the other side said once they entered and realized someone was standing just outside the door.
"Ah, Ms. Kuchiki. What a pleasant surprise! It's been a long time since we've seen each other."
Rukia smiled at her former boss. Even though her position at the newly reinstated Kuchiki Company was worlds better than when she had worked under Ukitake, she still greatly missed her kind-hearted boss. "What are you doing here?" she asked, not expecting to (almost literally) run into him.
"I was just giving an update to Mr. Kurosaki. And, as much as I'd like to stay and chat, I have somewhere to be. We should schedule a time to catch up, though. I can see you're doing splendidly," Ukitake said as he observed Rukia's put together business get-up and the way she carried herself around her former employers.
"Yes, I am. And I'd love to grab lunch sometime, if you're available."
"That would be wonderful. I'll let my secretary know so she can contact your office. It might take awhile, though. She's not nearly as good as my last one," Ukitake said with a knowing smile.
Rukia returned the smile at his words. "Well," she played along, "No one could ever top her."
Ukitake laughed. "I'll see you later, Ms. Kuchiki. And you too, Mr. Kurosaki. Mr. Ishida," the older man said as he nodded to each person in the room and then finally slipped out the door, closing it behind him.
Rukia finally turned toward the other two men in the office.
"What brings you here?" Ichigo asked playfully as she walked further into the room up to her boyfriend's desk. She sent a quick nod to Uryuu as a greeting, which he returned.
"That's no way to say hello to your girlfriend when she takes the time to surprise you at your office," she told him indignantly, though Ichigo could tell she wasn't really upset.
"True, though something tells me you're not here to say hello," Ichigo knowingly replied as he comfortably leaned back in his desk chair.
Rukia conceded. "Fine, you got me. I'm here for business," she said as she held up the group of file folders she had been carrying.
"What are those?" Ichigo asked.
Rukia walked around his desk as she spoke. "Just some things my brother wants you to sign off on. You know, the usual crosstalk between Kurosaki Corp and the Kuchiki Company. Brother likes to send me to give these to you because he knows I can always get you to agree," she said with a sly smirk as she leaned slightly over where Ichigo sat in his chair to give him a quick glance at the small cleavage her conservative, though still slim-looking, black business dress revealed.
Ichigo audibly gulped as she did this, trying to keep himself under control given that they were very much not alone. "That's evil," he remarked in a strained voice.
"That's genius," Ishida quipped, watching the scene with an ever-present smirk.
Ichigo reluctantly took his eyes of his girlfriend to give his best friend a glare, not forgetting his earlier comments about marriage.
"Are you here for any particular reason, Uryuu, or do you just want food?" he asked.
"Just the food," Ishida simply replied.
Ichigo quickly grabbed his wallet and pulled out a plastic card. "Here, get one of the interns to get some food from that Italian place around the corner. You can get whatever you want for you and Orihime as long as you leave us the hell alone," he said, almost desperately.
Uryuu smirked and said a quick, though slightly sarcastic, thank you, before he turned and left the couple alone in Ichigo's office.
As soon as the door was closed behind him, Ichigo grabbed his girlfriend and quickly pulled her onto his lap. He then buried his face in her neck, getting a good whiff of her delectable scent.
Rukia smiled and let him have his fun for a little bit, knowing that would make him all the more willing to sign off on the agreements her brother had sent her with. Plus, it also meant she didn't have to work for a little while since she was already off on 'official business'. She loved it when official business turned into pleasurable times in her boyfriend's office. Perks of dating a CEO, she figured.
Once they had thoroughly explored each other as much as the propriety of being in Ichigo's office at his company would allow, Rukia pulled back, grabbed the files holding the paperwork she had brought with her, and held them up to remind him she wasn't here to make out. Ichigo sighed, and begrudgingly began looking through and signing everything while Rukia sat comfortably on his lap. She could get used to this.
Eventually, Uryuu had returned with Ichigo's credit card and a few interns-hands-worth of food, which he helped place on Ichigo's desk before taking he and his fiance's portions and leaving Ichigo and Rukia to their "canoodling", as he called it.
Ichigo set down his paperwork, Rukia hopped off his lap and into one of the chairs facing his desk, and they ate their lunch together. Free lunch was yet another perk of dating a CEO.
"So, do you think we should do something together this weekend? It's been a while since we've done anything adventurous. I'm always down for a quick beach trip," Ichigo commented as he remembered the last time he had taken a few days over a weekend to spoil his girlfriend with a private beach trip. Though, in the end, the price of the trip was probably a waste since Ichigo didn't let Rukia go two feet in her bikini without jumping her.
"Well, I can't this weekend but maybe we could plan something for the next," Rukia offered.
"What are you doing this weekend?" Ichigo asked, not remembering her mentioning any other plans.
Rukia stopped eating to give Ichigo a pointed look as if to say 'you should know what I'm doing this weekend because it's important'. Unfortunately for him, his clouded brain couldn't come up with anything and he just knew he was about to get in trouble.
He merely shrugged his shoulders in defeat as Rukia continued to look annoyed at his forgetfulness. Finally, she bailed him out. "The competition!" she exclaimed, as if it was obvious.
Finally, Ichigo understood. "Oh! I didn't realize that was this weekend."
"Yes, it is. Did you forget that I've been spending three hours at Yumichika's after work for the last few weeks practicing?"
"No, I knew that. I just didn't realize it was so soon."
"Yeah, and I'm kind of freaking out about it."
"Come on, you'll do great. You'll be the best dancer out on that floor," Ichigo encouraged as Rukia continued to look unsure of herself.
A few months prior, Yumichika had convinced his longtime dance partner to finally enter and compete in a local ballroom dancing competition with him. In all the years they had danced together, they had never competed, wanting it to just be a fun past time. But, Yumichika had come to the conclusion that Rukia was far too talented to not try and win something. Plus, the prize money a first place win would get them was certainly a nice incentive.
So, Rukia had reluctantly agreed, and the pair started working on a good routine. They decided to dance a salsa, since that was what they both were the best at. And, after months of practicing and preparing, they were ready to show off their skills at the competition that Saturday.
Rukia couldn't help the anxiety she felt about it, though. She had never showed off her dancing skills quite like this before. She didn't really care about winning as much as Yumichika seemed to, but she was nervous about performing in front of a good-sized crowd. The normal patrons of Rangiku's club wouldn't come close to this.
Eventually, as much as Rukia didn't really want it to, the day of the competition finally came. She left her and Ichigo's apartment early so that she could get ready and get some last minute practice in at Yumichika's studio. The costume she had bought for the dance was black with plenty of sequences. It had long sleeves and an asymmetrical skirt, which did a fantastic job of showing off her legs. It had a rather low cut in the front and a cross work cut out pattern in the back. Overall, it was pretty damn sexy and she felt a little uncomfortable wearing it, as she usually didn't wear things this revealing. But, it would be perfect for their well-crafted and rather sexy performance.
Her hair was slicked back in a sleek bun and she placed a decorative flower pin in it to add a little extra flare. She tried to avoid a lot of makeup, but for these kinds of things, it was almost expected. She did like the way the ruby red lipstick looked on her, though.
When Yumichika, who was dressed in a flashy costume that complimented hers, finally got a good look at her all dressed up, he smiled and told her, "You look like a dancer." She didn't really know what that meant, but she appreciated the compliment.
As they drove to the competition site and began the sign-in process, butterflies flooded Rukia's stomach. She felt confident about their performance, but she couldn't deny how nervous she was to dance in a setting like this one. Other competitors were dressed up in their own sequined, dazzling costumes, looking like they were on a mission. It was definitely intimidating.
Ichigo, Uryuu, and Orihime were of course in attendance to watch her. Orihime wouldn't stop gushing the past few weeks about how excited she was to see her best friend finally perform in front of a large audience. In addition to those she knew would be there, she was happy to hear that Rangiku and a few other friends from the dance club would also be in attendance. She had debated on whether or not she should invite her brother to watch, especially considering how sexy both the routine and her outfit were, but eventually she decided to let him know about it, figuring he might not even want to come. She was pleasantly surprised, then, to see a text message from Ichigo about a half hour before she was scheduled to perform that said her brother had come and decided to sit down right next to him, apparently making her boyfriend feel rather uncomfortable. She couldn't help but giggle at the mental image.
Eventually, the time came for them to go on. Once she walked up to the dance floor that was surrounded by a good-sized audience, her stomach started to flip-flop. She waited as the pair before them finished up their routine, taking the time to look out at the audience to see if she could spot her friends. She didn't know if it was the lighting or just her nerves, but she was unable to differentiate anyone watching, which was surprising considering she figured Ichigo's bright hair would be easy to spot.
Before she could look any further, the emcee announced them and they took one last deep breath before calmly walking to the middle of the dance floor to the sounds of enthusiastic applause. As she waited for their music to start playing, she could've sworn she heard Rangiku's rather loud screams of support.
Suddenly, the beginning notes of the song they had picked out sounded over the speakers and Yumichika and his longtime dance partner began the routine they had practiced hundreds of times. Rukia was surprised, as they started slowly moving before both the music and the dancing picked up, how easy she eased into it all. Gone were the butterflies and the anxiety. Now, as she danced her heart out with her partner, she felt like she was truly in her element. She felt as though she was made to do this.
The routine went exponentially better than expected. Not only did they perform perfectly, without any kind of mistake, but the audience also was so enthralled by their dance, that they started to get into the music and clap along. There wasn't a more thrilling feeling as a performer than to pull your audience into what you were doing.
Rukia couldn't help the large smile she flashed as they finished the routine on a practiced pose. She let the sounds of the practically thunderous applause wash over her as she noticed some in the audience even standing to their feet to applaud the pair. They took a few bows and exited the dance floor, allowing the couple following them to begin their routine. They waited until they had walked backstage before Yumichika enveloped his partner in a large hug, gushing about how incredible she had done. She returned the compliment, still feeling a rush from the successful performance.
They waited backstage a little longer as the rest of the pairs competing performed, before the emcee announced that the judges had made their decisions and it was time to hand out awards. Rukia and Yumichika came back out to the dance floor with the rest of the competitors in their group and stood silently while all the contributors and sponsors were thanked. Rukia again scanned the crowd for familiar faces. Since the lights had lifted a little for the ceremony, Rukia was finally able to spot the mop of orange hair belonging to her boyfriend. She smiled as she saw all her close friends seated together, anxiously awaiting the results. She couldn't help the small laugh when she spotted even her stoic older brother looking anxious as they all awaited the result.
Third place was announced and the pair who won the prize celebrated before moving to stand on the appropriate place on the podium. There was another drumroll as the emcee then announced second place, which went to the couple standing to the right of Rukia and Yumichika. Rukia held her breath, as they waited for second place to gather their awards and stand on the podium. She hadn't cared about winning before, but after how well their dance went over, she started to wonder if they actually had done it.
"And our first place award winners are…" the emcee paused for dramatic effect, "…Yumichika Ayesagawa and Rukia Kuchiki from Ayesagawa's Dance Studio!"
Excitement and relief flooded Rukia as she turned toward her dance partner with a huge smile and they exchanged a tight hug. The audience clapped and cheered yet again as they, apparently, agreed with the judge's pick. After they broke their hug, the pair went to accept their trophy and individual medals before they stood at the top of the podium, looking overjoyed at their victory. They posed for a few pictures until the emcee announced the end of the competition and the couples went backstage to retrieve the things they had brought and then go out to meet their friends.
Rukia wasn't able to make it two steps into the main lobby of the venue the event had been held in before she was practically tackled by her auburn-haired best friend.
"Congratulations, Rukia! Oh, you were so amazing! Everything you did was perfect and the audience loved it and you looked so beautiful, but then you always look beautiful, and-," Orihime continued to gush. Rukia tried to pick out words to understand the flow of sentences coming from her best friend but she just settled for letting Orihime say everything she wanted to.
Eventually, though it took a minute, Orihime stopped herself from spouting off any more word vomit, before she stepped aside to let Rukia get hugs and congratulations from the rest of her friends. Rangiku, in particular, was over the moon, claiming she had a "dance celebrity" as a regular at her club and then preceded to talk all about what their win would do for business. Rukia rolled her eyes at her buxom friend and turned toward the last two people who wanted to congratulate her.
She looked up at her brother, unsure of what he would say about her performance, but he shocked everyone, including herself, by placing a hand on her shoulder and saying, "Congratulations, Rukia. You danced excellently. Though, I must admit, I'm not very surprised. Kuchiki's excel at everything they do."
Rukia resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her brother, who wouldn't change even if his life depended on it. "Thank you, Brother," she told him politely, even though she could hear the snickers coming from her dance club friends behind her.
Finally, Byakuya stepped aside to reveal the only person whose opinion she truly cared about. She was thankful her friends were there to watch her, but she only really cared about Ichigo seeing her perform. He was smiling lovingly at her, as if he couldn't be more proud, and was holding a small bouquet of roses.
"You were incredible out there," he told her sweetly before handing the flowers over to her, which she gladly accepted.
"Thank you," she replied, her voice only slightly above a whisper. She wanted to kiss him and thank him for coming to watch her, but she was acutely aware of her brother standing behind her, practically analyzing them. It seemed Ichigo was as well, because he chanced a glance at the elder Kuchiki, saw that he was giving him a look as if daring him to touch his sister in front of him, and backed away slightly from his girlfriend. He then suggested that they all go out for drinks to celebrate, his treat.
Everyone besides Byakuya accepted the invitation, and went back to Rangiku's club for a small celebration.
As the evening became more lively and then subsequently winded down, Ichigo and Rukia bid farewell to their friends and then drove to their shared penthouse.
They walked through the door and Rukia removed her shoes with a sigh of relief, as the exhaustion of the day finally settled in. She placed the trophy she had earned down on a nearby coffee table along with the medal that she hadn't removed from her neck since it had been placed there by the competition organizers.
"So," she started as she turned around to face her boyfriend who had been watching her silently this whole time. "Tell me everything you wanted to say earlier but couldn't because my brother was watching us."
Ichigo smirked at that and then walked over to his (now much shorter since she removed her heals) girlfriend and glided his fingers up and down her arm, sending shivers down her spine. "You looked incredibly sexy dancing out there, especially in this outfit," he told her as he looked down and practically ogled her, figuring he was allowed to since he had to keep his feelings to himself earlier in the presence of her brother and their friends.
Rukia chuckled. "I figured you would like it."
"You know what I would like even more?" he prompted.
"It off of me?" she answered for him, repeating her words from the night Orihime and Uryuu had gotten engaged.
Ichigo softly laughed at that. "God, I love you," he commented suddenly, not able to contain the feelings she brought up in him.
Rukia smiled. "I love you too," she whispered as he leaned down and placed a loving kiss on her waiting lips.
"So," she continued as she took his hand and began leading him to their bedroom, "since I've shown off my vertical dance skills, maybe you would be willing to see me display my…horizontal dance skills," she told him with a smirk.
He lifted an eyebrow at that. "Man, you really pile it on with the cheesy pick-up lines, don't you?"
Rukia dropped his hand and looked indignant at that. "Jesus, do you want to have sex with me or not?" she asked, irked that he had, yet again, mocked her attempt at seduction.
Ichigo laughed, reached down to grab the woman he loved so goddamn much, threw her over his shoulder, and practically dashed toward the bedroom, Rukia laughing joyously the whole way there.
*Quietly sobs* It's finally over! Crazy to think that this story I got the idea for almost three years ago is finally done. To be honest, there were times when I never thought I'd actually finish it, but here we are!
I hope you guys liked the last glance into the characters' lives. I figured it was only fitting to end the story officially with a dance routine, since that was what gave me the idea for this beast of a story in the first place. I remember listening to a ballroom dance song on my Ipod and thinking about how cool it would be if Rukia were a dancer and then what Ichigo would think about it and then BAM 30 chapters later here we are. So crazy. I will definitely miss this story and this universe of Bleach characters.
I wanted to address one thing real quickly since I got a couple of reviews about it and I didn't respond to them individually. A few people were wondering if I had any plans to write more IchiRuki full length stories. The answer as of right now is...well, no. This story, as fun as it was, was really difficult to get all the way through. I mean, I didn't update for like a year and a half because I had basically run out of ideas, then the story kind of morphed into something else and I was able to get enough motivation to finish it. That being the case, I'm pretty reluctant to jump into another full-length, even though I have a few ideas. This doesn't mean I won't ever write IchiRuki again though! I've discovered that I'm more of a oneshot writer (as evidenced by my large collection of oneshots for the FMA fandom both here and on my tumblr) so I might get some ideas and put out a couple of those. I do also have a small 4 or 5 chapter story that takes the timeskip in the Bleach canon and modifies it that I might finish and put out one day. I appreciate those of you who want to see me do more IchiRuki but I'm going to take it slow for now, especially since I'll be starting medical school in a few months (!).
Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, gave advice or constructive criticism, and just generally enjoyed my story. It means the world to me that I was able to give you guys something to enjoy. I'll miss all of your kind reviews for sure!.
xoxo sarabethloves