Sorry for the long update again! Unfortunately, I'm going to be super busy this summer so updates aren't going to be frequent. Thank you in advance for your patience

Chapter 11

Letters to Juliet

Orihime,

I know that we left on bad terms, and I understand if you chose not to read the whole thing, but please, just please hear me out. I have so many things to tell you, and so many questions to ask.

First off, I'd like you to know that I'm doing well. The people here are generally nice. I've made friends. Remember that Victoria's Secret Model you used to love so much? She's here as well and we're quite close. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm also friends with your former college roommate. It's a small world, after all.

I'm sure you heard that Yuzu is engaged. The wedding is mid-April. I hope you can come. Yuzu has always been fond of you. I told her that I would attend her wedding as a cured man. To be honest, though, I don't completely understand what my ailment is. Dr. Urahara says I have bipolar disorder, but I don't really recall having many mood swings. That's one question I wanted to ask you. Did I lose control of myself often? Was I "unpredictable?"

The question I really want the answer to is, "did I ever hurt you?" I don't know what went wrong between us, Orihime. I don't know how we went from being completely in love to-

"Whatcha reading?"Ichigo jumped at Toshiro's question and quickly folded the letter and shoved it into his pocket. Toshiro's brows furrowed.

"Er, nothing," Ichigo sputtered. He got up from his bed and forced a smile. "Man I'm starving!"

Quick as a mouse, Toshiro swiped the letter from Ichigo's pocket as he turned to the door.

"Hey!" Ichigo whirled around and grabbed at the paper. Toshiro stepped back and unfolded it. Eyes widening, Ichigo tackled into Toshiro and the two men rolled across the floor, cursing and clawing at each other.

Toshiro managed to slither away from Ichigo's grip. He shot up and crossed his arms.

Ichigo rose to his feet, anger swelling up inside him. "What the FUCK, Toshiro?! That's mine! Give it back!"

Toshiro's cool blue eyes stared hard at Ichigo. His expression was unreadable. "Ichigo, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that you're taking something that's MINE!" Ichigo extended his arm. "I'm gonna give you three seconds Toshiro. One…two…"

"I'm not stupid, Ichigo," Toshiro replied, unfazed by Ichigo's threat. "I know what you're up to."

Ichigo's arm dropped to his side. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You think we haven't noticed?" Toshiro's voice was much louder than before. "You think we haven't noticed you and Kuchiki sneaking off everyday to god knows where? You think we haven't noticed you and Kuchiki coming back with sweat all over yourselves?"

Ichigo's jaw dropped. "W-We're not having sex!"

Toshiro ignored Ichigo's comment. "It took all of Kenpachi's effort to not ask questions. Rangiku and I figured that your relationship with Kuchiki was none of our business."

"You're goddamn right it isn't!" Ichigo snapped. He surged forward and tried to grab the letter from Toshiro's tiny hand. As if anticipating this, Toshiro stepped away.

"Then yesterday," Toshiro continued. "I went through our drawers to look for The Jungle. It wasn't there."

Ichigo made another grab at Toshiro's hand, but Toshiro ducked and walked backwards.

"So I searched around the room and not only did I find The Jungle, but I found a piece of paper with the name 'Orihime' on it. I didn't have to read the letter to know who this Orihime person was. I couldn't help but think about your mysterious relationship with Kuchiki and then I remembered that Kuchiki had outside privileges and I put two and two together." Toshiro's lip curled. "Do you understand the severity of your actions, Ichigo?"

"I'm not going to kill anyone, Toshiro," Ichigo said.

"You're using Kuchiki to communicate with your ex who by the way, put a restraining order on you," Toshiro snapped.

"U-USING?!" Ichigo let out a dry laugh. "Is that what you think of me Toshiro? A guy who toys with people's feelings?"

"I think your judgement is clouded!" Toshiro replied without skipping a beat. "Think about what you're doing, Ichigo! We live in a world where people could sue you for just bumping into them. Imagine what the consequences would be if you went through with your plan!"

Ichigo spread his arms out. "You think I haven't thought about them already?! Toshiro, I know that Orihime put a restraining order on me. I know that I could get in a lot of trouble for this-don't give me that look-but I need to do this. I have questions that need to be answered Toshiro. I refuse to live the rest of my life wondering why my ex cheated on me and cut all ties with me."

Toshiro groaned and rubbed his face. He gazed at Ichigo solemnly and then examined the letter in his hand, his ice blue eyes narrowed. For a moment, Ichigo was scared that Toshiro was going to rip up the letter, and prepared to jump at him.

To his surprise, Toshiro sighed and handed the letter to Ichigo. Ichigo took the letter and realized that his hands had been shaking.

"If you get sued," Toshiro said. "It's on you, not me."

Ichigo smirked. "I know." Ichigo tucked the letter in his pocket and began walking out with Toshiro. "Are you going to tell Rangiku and Kenpachi?"

Toshiro shrugged. "If you don't mind…"

"You can tell them," Ichigo said. "Oh, and by the way, I'm not having sex with Rukia."

Ichigo sat down on the smooth wooden floor of the dance studio. He took the letter out of his pocket and fingered the corner of the paper. After breakfast, Rukia had dashed off somewhere, whispering to Ichigo that she had "things to take care of." Ichigo wasn't sure what Rukia meant, but was glad to have some time to himself. Ichigo was never alone these days. In the morning, he was Toshiro, Kenpachi, and Rangiku. He was with Rukia for most of the day, practicing their routine. In the evening, he was with Urahara.

Ichigo lay down and unfolded the letter. He lifted the white sheet over his face, casting a shadow on him. Ichigo's eyes skimmed the letter…

Something jammed into Ichigo's side. He instinctively cringed as his side throbbed. "OW!"

"What the hell are you doing?!" A familiar voice demanded.

Ichigo blinked and stared at his attacker. It took his mind a moment to process the large violet eyes.

Ichigo rose to his feet, fists balling at his sides. "Did you just kick me?!"

"Serves you right for sleeping," Rukia snapped. "You were supposed to practice on your own!"

"What about you?!" Ichigo shot back. "You showed up late!"

Rukia crossed her arms. "There was something I needed to do."

Before Ichigo could come up with a witty comeback, Rukia glanced back at the entrance.

"You guys can come out now," Rukia called. "I'm done playing cat and mouse."

Silence. Ichigo wondered if Rukia had taken too many pills.

Rukia smirked. "Don't be scared, I don't bite."

"Actually-" Ichigo began.

All of a sudden, Ichigo heard anxious whispering. One voice was deep while the others were more high pitched. Ichigo couldn't make out what they were saying, but knew they were arguing.

Ichigo frowned. "If you guys don't come out now, then I'm just going to have to come over."

The whispering ceased. Just as Ichigo was about to march over, one of the stalkers fell forward.

"AHHH!"

Ichigo's jaw went slack. "T-Toshiro?!"

A very flustered Toshiro scrabbled on the slippery floor. "K-Kenpachi, you're gonna pay!"

Kenpachi and Rangiku entered the studio. Kenpachi was dying of laughter while Rangiku grinned sheepishly at Ichigo.

"They're the things I needed to take care of," Rukia said cooly. Amusement flickered in her eyes briefly.

Like Toshiro, Ichigo was not amused.

"Why were you eavesdropping on us!" Ichigo's words sounded like a statement more than a question. Ichigo hated when people stuck their noses in his business.

"Sorry, Ichigo," Rangiku said, blushing. "We were just…curious…you and Kuchiki are always er, sneaking off…and Kenpachi jumped to conclusions…then Toshiro told us you two weren't…you know…doing the do…"

Ichigo flushed. He knew Rangiku's hesitancy was deliberate, an attempt to win his forgiveness. It didn't work, but Rangiku had a knack for throwing guys off-guard with her big blue eyes, wavy blonde hair, and full lips.

"Well, um…" Ichigo stammered.

"Now if you'll excuse us, we'll be dancing," Rukia interjected. Her statement seemed to be directed at Rangiku more than Kenpachi and Toshiro.

Rangiku seemed to have felt that way too. "I gathered that much," she said stiffly.

"What's your definition of dancing?" Kenpachi inquired with a perverted grin. Toshiro glared at him.

Ichigo sighed. He probably should've told them what he and Rukia were doing. "Look, guys…" Ichigo began. He explained everything to them: the dance tournament, his deal with Rukia, Orihime, Urahara's approval.

Toshiro seemed too shocked for words. Rangiku had made "aww" sounds the whole time. Kenpachi was laughing.

"You, dancing with Kuchiki!" Kenpachi was smacking the floor. "You going to salsa dance?"

"No we're not," Rukia said coldly. Kenpachi shut up.

"So um, yeah we're going to have to practice now," Ichigo said. "I'll see you guys later."

Toshiro was still silent as he got up and walked out with Rangiku by his side. Rangiku winked at Ichigo and sang, "Try not to fall in luuurve with Kuchiki!" Ichigo ignored her comment while Rukia raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know what Rangiku's talking about," Kenpachi muttered. "It's a miracle that Ichigo is even still alive!"

And idea popped in Ichigo's head. "Hey, Kenpachi! Do you know what girls really love?"

Kenpachi's face lit up. "Anal?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Even more."

Kenpachi thought for a moment. "Oral?"

"Eh, close but not quite," Ichigo said. He lifted up his letter and shook it gently. "Girls love the old-fashioned way of doing it. Write Unohana a love letter!"

"Ohh," Kenpachi said. "I'm practically illiterate though, so you're gonna have to be my editor."

"No problem," Ichigo said as Kenpachi ran to catch up with Toshiro and Rangiku. When they were out of earshot, Ichigo asked, "So what exactly were you doing with them?"

"Oh." Rukia chuckled. "I noticed they were following us, so I decided to run around Las Noches."

"And you knew they were going to follow you?"

Rukia stretched her arms. "I think they thought I was hiding a grenade somewhere."

Ichigo smirked. "Can't blame them." He handed the letter to Rukia. "Anyways, I finished the letter. Give it to Orihime as soon as possible." Ichigo paused. "Thank you, by the way."

"No problem," Rukia responded and took the letter. As soon as the letter left Ichigo's hand, he suddenly felt a twinge of regret. Was the letter ready to be delivered? Ichigo thought it was fine this morning, but now all the sentences seemed incoherent and weird.

As if reading his mind, Rukia said, "There's no need to worry, Ichigo. I'm sure the letter was written beautifully."

"Really?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia smiled. "Now, where did we leave off last time?"

Ichigo and Urahara sat across from each other without saying a word. The only sound in the room was the crackling of fire. It was December now, and Urahara had decided to use his fireplace. Ichigo stared blankly at the dancing flames.

Finally, Urahara said something. "Anything interesting happen today?"

Ichigo hesitated. "I finished my letter."

"Oh?"

Ichigo nodded. "I gave it to Rukia today. She's going to deliver it when she sees Orihime."

"And what if she doesn't?"

"She will," Ichigo said firmly.

Urahara leaned back in his chair. "Christmas is just around the corner."

"I know."

"Are you going to go home on Christmas, or would you like to stay at Las Noches?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I'd like to go home." Ichigo glanced at Urahara hopefully. "Am I allowed to?"

"Most patients are allowed to celebrate with their family," Urahara said. "I think your healthy enough to go home for the holidays."

Ichigo bit his lip to keep himself from smiling. "What do you mean by 'healthy enough?'"

"You've gotten better at controlling your emotions," Urahara said. He was jotting something down on his notepad. "Much better…"

"Um, if you don't mind me asking," Ichigo said. "What exactly do you write down every time we meet each other?"

"Stuff," Urahara replied.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "What kind of stuff?"

"You don't need to know." Urahara placed his notepad on his lap. "Now tell me more about your day."

As Ichigo discussed about today's practice, he eyed the notepad on Urahara's lap and tried to read its contents. But Urahara quickly placed his hand on it.

"Oh would you look at the time!" Urahara said. "I'll be seeing you tomorrow. Good night, Ichigo!"

Ichigo's hand twitched. He was beginning to notice that Urahara had stopped addressing him as "Mr. Kurosaki." Though Ichigo didn't like formalities, he didn't want Urahara to speak to him as if they were friends. Even after over a month, Ichigo still didn't like Urahara.

"Night," Ichigo mumbled and walked out. Sure enough, Unohana was standing outside.

"Ready to go?" Unohana said cheerily.

"Yeah," Ichigo said. Unohana smiled and placed her hand on his back, leading him to the elevator. "You don't have to walk with me."

"I know you can take care of yourself," Unohana said. "But it's my job to accompany you."

"I know, I know," Ichigo replied. "I'm just saying."

"How was your session with Dr. Urahara?"

Ichigo frowned. "He doesn't tell me anything."

"Like what?"

"Like what he notices about me," Ichigo said. "Occasionally he'll say I'm recovering, but I don't know what I did to make him say that."

"Dr. Urahara's always been like that," Unohana said. "He's secretive, but he means well."

"I don't like him," Ichigo admitted.

Unohana giggled. "He's the type of person you have to get used to first." Unohana began telling stories about Urahara's old patients. Some of them were extremely relatable but otherwise, Ichigo couldn't care less about Urahara's social life.

"We're here!" Unohana said as they stopped at Ichigo's room. Unohana scanned the hallway. "Good night…Ichigo."

Without thinking, Ichigo said, "Night, mom." Ichigo was just as surprised as Unohana.

Unohana laughed. "Don't be embarrassed, you're not the first person to call me that."

"Yeah," Ichigo mumbled. "Well…see ya tomorrow." He entered his room and shut the door as quick as possible. He sensed Unohana linger for a few seconds before walking away. Ichigo slowly sat down and buried his face in his hands.

Ichigo had the most bizarre dream that night. He was standing on the edge of a mountain shirtless and wore a turban. In front of him was a cobra that kept hissing his name as Ichigo did some sort of cobra dance.

"Psst, Ichigo! Ichigo!" The cobra sounded suspiciously like Rukia. "Ichigo, wake up!"

Ichigo's eyes snapped open. Brown eyes met with violet eyes.

Ichigo jerked. "WHA-"

Rukia slapped her hand over Ichigo's mouth and hissed, "Shhh! Do you want to get us in trouble?"

Ichigo pointed at Rukia and slowly sat up, shakily asking, "You…what are you doing in my room?"

Rukia sat on Ichigo's bed and smirked. "You want to know what Urahara thinks of you?"

Ichigo blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"I heard you talking with Unohana," Rukia answered.

Ichigo's mind clicked. "Nice of you to say hi," he said dryly.

Rukia ignored him. "I can help you."

"But why?" Ichigo said. "You're already delivering the letter to Orihime for me. You don't need to do more."

Rukia shrugged. "I don't mind. I'm actually going to have a lot of fun sneaking into Urahara's office."

"Sn-SNEA-" Rukia grabbed Ichigo in a headlock before he could finish. Next to them, Toshiro snored and rolled in his bed.

"Idiot, keep your mouth shut!" Rukia hissed. She released Ichigo, who rubbed his neck. Ichigo watched as Rukia made her way out. She stopped and turned around. "Are you coming or not?"

"This isn't a smart idea," Ichigo said. Nevertheless, he put his sneakers on and followed Rukia. She stuck her arm out, blocking Ichigo from the door.

"Follow my lead," Rukia whispered. "There are security cameras all over the place." Ichigo stifled a groan.

Rukia cracked open the door and peeked out. After a moment, she sprinted down the dimly lit hallway, her steps barely making a sound, and dived behind a wall.

Ichigo glanced around the hallway and sure enough, saw a black camera hanging on the ceiling. It was moving around every few seconds and when the lens pointed away from Rukia, she ushered Ichigo to join her.

Taking a deep breath, Ichigo dashed to Rukia. Each step was heavy, and made the hallway sound as if an earthquake was taking place.

"Try to be more stealthy next time, fat ass!" Rukia said. Ichigo scowled.

Under the lights, Ichigo could see Rukia's attire: a white shirt with a pink cartoon rabbit on it and matching pink pajama shorts.

"Cool outfit," Ichigo drawled and smirked when Rukia rolled her eyes.

The two took the elevator to Urahara's office. As soon as the doors slid open, Rukia ran down the hall with Ichigo tailing her. Suddenly, Rukia slid behind a wall and pulled Ichigo towards her.

They were so close to each other. Ichigo's muscular body was practically pressed against Rukia's petite one. He could feel warmth radiating from Rukia. She smelled faintly of peaches…

Rukia ducked under Ichigo's arm. "A camera nearly capture us," she whispered. She placed her small hand on the wall and looked down both sides of the hall.

Rukia turned to Ichigo. "OK I'm going to unlock Urahara's office."

"And how exactly are you going to do that?"

"You underestimate me," Rukia said. She dashed across the hall and pulled out a bobby pin. Ichigo watched as Rukia began to pick the lock. After about minute or so, Rukia opened the door, glanced around to make sure the coast was clear, and ushered Ichigo inside.

"Don't turn on the lights," Rukia said when Ichigo's hand searched for a light switch. She stuck her hand in her pocket and took out a small flashlight.

"Are there cameras in Urahara's room?" Ichigo asked.

"Even if there were, Urahara wouldn't give two shits." Rukia turned on the flashlight and crept over to a black file cabinet. She opened a drawer, shone the flashlight on the files, and leafed through them.

Ichigo sat down on the patient's chair and looked up at the chandelier. In the dark, the crystals looked like diamonds.

A manilla folder plopped onto Ichigo's lap. "Found it," Rukia said and handed Ichigo the flashlight. Ichigo stared at the folder and slowly opened it. The first thing he saw a cringeworthy picture of himself. Beneath the photo was his name: Kurosaki, Ichigo.

Ichigo's eyes skimmed the paper. Doctor at Kurosaki Clinic…divorced…diagnosed with bipolar disorder…may be suffering from depression…defense mechanisms: denial and repression…

Ichigo swallowed and closed the folder. "Done already?" Rukia's voice rang in his ears.

"Y-Yeah," Ichigo mumbled and gave the folder and flashlight back to Rukia.

The trip back to their rooms was silent. Rukia may have said something, but Ichigo's mind was too preoccupied with the file.

May be suffering from depression? Yeah right. Maybe Ichigo had bipolar disorder, but depression? A lot of shit had happened to him recently, but Ichigo wasn't depressed…

"You know Ichigo, everything Urahara writes about you is just his analysis," Rukia said. "It's not necessarily the truth." Ichigo replied with a grunt.

The two stopped behind a wall. "Ukitake once thought I was a sociopath," Rukia added.

For some reason, this made Ichigo feel slightly better. "Oh yeah? He told you that?"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "After what we did tonight, do you seriously think that?"

"I suppose not," Ichigo said. He paused. "Well, are you a sociopath?"

"I've got ninety-nine problems," Rukia said. "Sociopathy isn't one of them." Out of the blue, Rukia smiled and Ichigo's stomach did a flip. "Don't dwell on it, Ichigo. Urahara's opinions may change."

"Did you read what was in the file?" Ichigo asked when they stopped at Rukia's door.

Rukia shook her head. "No. That's your personal life, not mine." She stepped inside her room. She closed the door slightly so that her head could peek out and said, "I promise I won't read your letter too. I'll deliver it as soon as possible."

Ichigo smiled. "You've really done so much for me. Thanks."

Rukia's expression was unreadable as she averted his gaze. "No problem. Well…good night."

Before Ichigo could say the same, Rukia shut the door. Maybe he was tired or just hearing things, but Ichigo thought he could hear faint sobs coming from Rukia's room.