...
...
It's like you've got superpowers
Turn my minutes into hours
You got more than 20-20, babe
Made of glass, the way you see through me...
...
...
...
Christmas passed without much fuss. Rukia was busy wrapping things up for the end of the year, so Ichigo busied himself with visiting his family for the holidays. Kazui would spend Christmas eve with his mother as well as the next morning, and then come to stay with him after and attend Christmas dinner at his father's home.
As such, Ichigo found himself unable to sneak away the night of Christmas, as his father and sisters had visited for dinner (and found themselves impressed at what he was able to cook for them) and were planning to sleep over. He messaged Rukia instead, sinking into the couch with a tired sigh, he stared at the Christmas tree in his own living room, thinking of her.
From: Ichigo
Hey. u up?
He sent the message and then sighed, leaning back in the sofa and letting himself relax. He wished she could've been there, having dinner with him and his family. She would've teased him about his cooking... and could see his sisters again...
From: Rukia
yeah. wanna call?
From: Ichigo
yes
He sat up then, straightening his posture and running a hand through his hair. It shouldn't, but video calling with Rukia always made him nervous, despite the fact that they did so at least a few times a week.
His phone rang then, and he pressed the button, holding the screen up. "Hey,"
"Hey you. What're you doing?" Rukia was still sitting at her desk- a realization that troubled him- and appeared to be eating.
"Nothing, I just cleaned up after dinner, everyone else went to bed. Are you still in your office?"
"Oh, yeah," Rukia said nonchalantly, and shoved a forkful of salad in her mouth quickly, "I had to stay late."
"Again? This late?" Ichigo blinked in confusion. "Are you eating now? Please don't tell me that was supposed to be your lunch."
"Ummm..." Rukia's voice trailed off, and her amused expression told him he was right. "I didn't get time to eat today, I had to meet some new academy graduates who are joining my squad."
"Rukia." Ichigo's voice was exasperated, and it earned a laugh from the woman in the screen.
"I'm fine Ichigo, don't worry about me."
"How can I not?" he replied incredulously. "They're overworking you, darling."
He could see her blush at the affectionate name, and she gave a pout to look unfazed by it.
"So how was dinner?" Rukia questioned in attempt to change the subject, her heart thumping at hearing him call her by such a soft word. She ate her food quietly while she wrote something on a paper- still working.
"It was fine- Rukia, you need to get an assistant or something," Ichigo shook his head, "It's not fair that you have to do the work of a captain AND a vice captain when they're not even paying you for both! Frankly I have a lot of choice words for those higher ups.." his last sentence ended in a grumble, which Rukia giggled at.
"Well," her voice was lower now and honey-like as she teased, "Maybe you should come here and help me."
It was his turn to blush then, despite it being a rather innocent notion. "Ok. I can be there in 15 minutes-"
"No, Ichigo! I was kidding," Rukia's tone was half-laughing, half-exasperated, and she began gathering her papers hastily, "See, I'm leaving, ok?"
"Ha ha." He leaned back again, saying in a teasing voice, "If you don't want me coming over there, you can just say so."
"Don't be ridiculous," her tone was unusually sharp then, before normalizing again as she put her phone down so she could put her things away. "You know that's not true and it never was."
"I know..."
The conversation moved to his plans for following night, and Rukia's, as well- she would be busy, but planned to be done so they could keep each other company on new year's. He could only nod and hope at those words. They hadn't gotten to see each other for Christmas, and new years was now only six days away.
He wanted to spend it with her- if only for a moment.
Rukia was irritated. It was December 31, and in an hour, the year would be over and it would be a brand new one. A whole new year, one that Rukia found herself actually looking forward to with great desire. An entire new year, full of possibilities and experiences... and time. Time with a certain man whom she wanted to be with, more than anything.
And she was spending it organizing paper work.
Work, work, work... normally she loved her job, even the annoying, dull, mindless parts of it. But right now, she found herself feeling frustrated. Ichigo would be here at any moment, and she didn't want to keep him waiting. But her work wasn't done yet.
Don't keep him waiting around. What is more important?
Rukia sighed, shoving herself away from the desk. Enough, she thought to herself. Everyone she knew was out right now, having fun with their friends or family. Ichika was going to watch the fireworks with her academy friends. Renji was probably at his own division, sitting on the rooftop waiting for the fireworks to start with Nii-sama and some of his friends. And Ichigo had told her that Kazui was going to be setting off fireworks of his own with his friends, and so were Yuzu and Karin.
She continued to work, trying her hardest to not let her handwriting get messy as she wrote as quickly as possible, knowing it was probably going to hurt tomorrow...
The door of her office opened suddenly.
"This isn't the time-!" She began hotly, only stopping when she saw who it was.
Ichigo stood in the doorway, looking a bit concerned. "You okay? Not done yet?"
Rukia shook her head, angrily leaning her forehead on her hand. "I'm sorry, I thought maybe you were 3rd seat Kotsubaki, bringing more work for me to be stuck with."
Ichigo merely nodded, crossing the room slowly. Rukia, who was long used to his presence in her space, didn't pay too much attention as he moved around her desk so that he was standing next to her. He glanced at the clock on her desk; it read 11:38. He glanced down at Rukia then; she looked irritated and tired, he knew she still had work left but also that she was clearly burnt out and probably running on fumes.
Reaching down, he took her hand gently, which stopped her from writing. She looked up at him in confusion, but he said nothing, gently pulling her hand away from her papers. His expression said more than words did, and Rukia found herself forgetting about all of her leftover work as he pulled her from her seat gently and leading her out of the room.
They ended up on the roof of squad 13's building, Rukia standing as she stared up at the sky. It was incredible to her that despite it being winter there was not a cloud in the sky; there were thousands of tiny stars scattered all across the sky, and it stunned her that she'd been under this sky for so long yet never stopped to notice it.
She was shaken from her thoughts when Ichigo came up to the roof, draping his blanket over her shoulders- and she didn't realize how cold and frosty it was until he did.
"11:59," he whispered, and he found himself getting lost in the clear blue of her eyes as she stared up at him. He moved first, slow and cautious, and she she did then, taking on step forward as her face tilted up towards him. She felt his hands slide down to grip her waist tightly, pulling her closer. There was a moment where her face was right up against his, their eyes meeting in that moment, and then he felt her lips on his; he watched in quiet wonder at how her eyes sank closed slowly as her soft, feminine frame leaned into him- an action that made his face heat.
Not a moment into the kiss did he hear a hissing sound from behind them, and then a loud boom resounding across the sky; so close he could feel it in his bones. He didn't move away from her soft lips, but his eyes opened and he saw the sky lit up with fireworks. Rukia's eyes opened too, and he froze on her gaze, staring at how the light of the fireworks reflected in her wide eyes.
He moved back then, just barely, slow and reluctant, unable to stop the small smile from gracing his face. Rukia did too, and they stood in silence living in each other's company as he rested his forehead on hers, both listening to the loud whistling explosions of the fireworks above them. Ichigo didn't bother to look up at them- fireworks be damned... Rukia was far more enchanting, anyway.
...
...
...
Cause nobody ever loved me like you do,
I'd love to see me from your point of view.
...
...