Chapter One

Rukia and Ichigo

"Damn teleportation spell," Ichigo coughed. He waved his hand, shoving aside the plumes of pinkish smoke covering him. He stopped and inspected his hand. "Kisuke! What game are you playing at?"

Ichigo followed the trail of fine fabric up his arm. He was found himself changed out of his lax t-shirt and jeans, stuffed against his will in fashionable kimono. Its colors were muted, kept to a simple black, white, and crimson. Honestly, it wasn't too different from the shihakusho he wore when he transformed into a Soul Reaper, but it was clear that there was something very different about this get up.

"Ichigo? Is that you? What are you wearing?"

An embarrassed blush crawled up Ichigo's face as he noticed Rukia wadding out of her own cloud of pink smoke. She coughed into her hand, squinting against the smoke to see him better.

"Rukia? You should be talking! Take a look at yourself!"

"What are you talking about?" she snapped back. "You're the one wearing a ridiculous get-!"

She stuttered to a stop as she looked down and saw her own clothes. Dressed in her own kimono, Rukia's own fabrics revealed glistening snowflakes against a gorgeous white background. As she shifted Ichigo noticed the almost imperceptible lines detailing winter forests and mountains. Rukia was a living picture.

"Hey! Stop starring! It's embarrassing!" she shouted at him.

Ichigo turned away and said, "Right!"

Doing so brought him close to a mirror. Grimacing against what he was about to see, Ichigo stepped within the mirror's view to get a better look. His kimono depicted crossing lines of white and red against a black backdrop. They converged to his back outlining what appeared a face closely resembling the Hollow mask that had followed him ever since training with Kisuke to regain his Soul Reaper powers.

He grumbled, "Looks like we're both in some crazy getups. What do you think the joke is?"

"Honestly, I don't know. And where are our zanpaktou?"

Ichigo began looking around desperately when a door to the room burst open.

"Here are our two lovebirds! Oh yeah, I'm getting all the right vibes from you, immediately!"

Rukia and Ichigo turned around together to see a portly, freakish being. It was flabby, American man with small, white wings fluttering out his bag. He was dressed like a bum under a bridge and had a bunch of colorful bottles belted around his waist with a fraying rope. But it wasn't his unflattering appearance that disturbed Rukia and Ichigo, but the fact that there was something wrong about his entire being or aura. It was like he didn't belong in this world. Like he was made up of an alien substance.

"Ichigo?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah, we're busting out way out!"

The two charged the man. Rukia grabbed his greasy face and Ichigo delivered a massive punch to the gut. Even if his flesh absorbed a lot of the force, the stranger crumpled. Rukia guided him to crash heavily to the floor. Not skipping a beat, they vaulted over the man's body and burst through the doors to enter a gigantic room. It was bright, sparkling, and musical, dazing them both for a moment.

That moment was enough for the enemy to get the drop on them.

Tall, greenish-gray monsters jumped Ichigo and Rukia. They wore fine, tailored suits, but wielded crude, heavy weapons. Attacked from all sides, Ichigo and Rukia were unable to maintain any forward momentum. They went back-to-back, jabbing, parrying, and kicking. Unfortunately, their fists and feet could only break so many weapons before they found themselves ensnared in a net.

"Dammit!" Ichigo cursed. "What the hell was Kisuke thinking?"

"Kisuke Urahara was not the one to send those spirit tickets for you to mee up and reconnect," the fat guy from said, walking over to them. he massaged his guy carefully. "Well, this is already going to be tough since you two haven't taken to this place just yet. So, let me reset what I can."

He began fiddling with the bottles at his waist. Ichigo swore and Rukia struggled to get her hands free. She made the motions and began reciting a kido spell. She was too late. The man blew some sparkling, blue dust into their faces. Against their wills, Ichigo and Rukia calmed down.

"Alright, alright everyone, can we please get this net off them? I've work to do here," the guy said. As the net was removed, and the tuxedoed monster drew back, he introduced himself, "Folk call me the Love God. You two have shown a genuine spark between yourselves and I am here to see if there's something that we can do about that. Perhaps fan it into an unconquerable flame of passion? Or will you both just remain friends?"

Rukia looked away awkwardly. Ichigo scratched the back of his head. Thoughts, memory, anger, the will to fight were all repressed. The sane part of him knew this was wrong, but this Love God's words were awakening very fresh thoughts. Thoughts about why he went to save Rukia. What she meant to him.

For Rukia, she could not dismiss the memories of waiting to die and thinking back to her happiest moments. Times with a young man that made her sacrifices and struggles worth it. A young man who gave her a place when the entire Soul Society had swallowed her whole, leaving her without her childhood friend and cold brother. Memories and thoughts swirling around that same young man who like the wonderful fool that he was swept in to save her, even though she begged him not to.

She was so stubborn for staying behind, but all he wanted was her happiness.

He was so stubborn for never listening to her, but he somehow transformed everything around him for the better.

Love God watched them intently and smiled, "Now there is what I like to see! We might have gotten off on the wrong foot, but I think we can salvage the night!"

The tuxedoed monsters led Ichigo and Rukia to a small, polished table, secluded from the rest of the grand hall. A beautiful screen of silk with intricate paintings of scenes from the Western Soul Society wrapped around their table, supported by vibrant potted plants. There was a pleasant, calming aroma in the air here, too.

Ichigo found himself pulling out the chair for Rukia. Both were a little surprised by this. Curious with what was happening to them, they sat down together. An orc handed them a menu, grunting, "I highly recommend the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under for dessert. We have Thor in the kitchen, and he puts some real thunder into the brownie. Guaranteed to get your heart beating."

"Um, shouldn't we order our main dish first?" Ichigo asked.

"The perfect dessert makes the most of any meal," the orc said, retreating behind the screen.

"Look here Ichigo, there's a dish called 'Dinner a la Yuzu.' What the hell do you think is going on?"

Ichigo scowled. "Let's order it and find out."

That is exactly what they did. Not too long later, the orc returned along with another one of his fellow monsters. They helped a young woman who looked like Yuzu. She was taller, more composed, and wore a dirty apron. She had clearly been the one to cook this meal: one of her many delicious rice and curry compositions.

"Yuzu?" Rukia and Ichigo said together.

She winked at them and said, "Don't worry about it. Just eat up! I was so excited that I was given a chancer to make dinner for you both! I'm certain this will work out really nicely! To think that there's a world out there for everyone to have their happy ending?"

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked, feeling the fog lift slowly from his mind. Something was not right here.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have said so much!"

"You've hardly explained anything at all," Rukia said, growing wary. She was likewise recovering.

Yuzu hurriedly heaped food on their plates. "I'm certain you'll learn about it soon enough! For now, just enjoy your time together!"

Confused by the presence of an older Yuzu spouting vague comments and recovering from the strange spell that was surpassing their aggression and suspicion, both soul reapers missed the sparkling pink dusting their meal.

"Please! Please, eat!" Yuzu said, bowing before rushing back to the kitchen. The orcs collected everything else that wasn't needed onto a rolling tray. One orc poured them two glasses of a strange liquid before leaving with his companion.

"What should we do, Ichigo?"

"I feel like a jerk if I don't eat. Just be careful, there might be something up with it, though it is Yuzu. She wouldn't do anything to us. But I wonder if she's being held hostage. We play their game until we see an opening, and then we take it."

"Sounds good."

Their plan never got to go into motion. Just one bite laced with Love God's potion was enough to work the portly cupid's devious magic. Rukia blinked and saw Ichigo with a full perspective, all inhibitions torn away. It wasn't like she was drunk, but all the excuses and restrictions of her positions and society melted away. Her feelings were laid honestly bare before her own heart and mind.

Rukia loved Ichigo. It was silly and nigh impossible, given their difference in ages and literal beings! However, there was a connection there. Closer then friends but not quite lovers. And why not the latter? What was really holding her back?

Renji. Byakuya. The Soul Society. But all of those had been superseded by Ichigo and his incredible ability to transform the world and those around him. All that remained were her own misgivings, her fear. She had run once because of them, but he still came for her.

It was time to return those feelings and actions.

Across the table, Ichigo blinked back at her in surprise. He loved her. How else could anyone describe the feelings that propelled him to go to war against the entire Soul Society? Consequences, differences, the world all be damned! Rukia's safety and happiness mattered more him, and not just for the debt he owed her.

He hated the rain, just like Zangetsu did. She was the sun that drove away his rain and depression. She had helped him see a light of hope when others had failed. Not because they didn't care or weren't right, but there was something about Rukia that reached through the haze and freed him. Was it their connection through her sharing her powers? Ichigo wasn't sure, but he saw with clear eyes the red spirit ribbon floating from Rukia, and it was bound all over him.

A connection of fate.

More than friends, but less than lovers. The cool guy façade and tension eased, allowing him to finally reach out to her. Back when she had told him that she would remain in the Soul Society, he had clenched his fist rather than take her hand and make one selfish request. He hoped it would be okay if he asked now.

Ichigo's hand reached over his plate. Rukia mirrored him. Their fingers met and intertwined. A tremor ran through them both, the shock and surprise that should have accompanied this physical contact no longer there. Just acceptance.

"This has been one hell of a night," Ichigo muttered.

"Why?" Rukia asked.

He shook his head and laughed, "Because I can't be sure of anything anymore except that I love you. I can't help but say it and feel it!"

"Don't go and become a poet on me, Ichigo. That isn't you," Rukia said with a smile.

"What am I?" he found himself asking.

"Someone I want to get to know for the rest of my life," Rukia answered. "And someone who I really want to eat this Chocolate Thunder from Down Under with."

Ichigo smirked. "Now there's the freeloading, closet-stealing woman I know."

Rukia pulled in him into a kiss before he said anything else stupid and made her angry.

Love God watched the couple make out. A pity, there was food was going to get cold. But for the next 24 hours they would have their romantic bliss. After that, those two would see where their hearts truly were. He made sure to tell a passing orc to send a key over to Rukia and Ichigo's table with their dessert.

I'll tell Yuzu myself that everything is going well. To think that there are multiple worlds and universes out there for these two! I should probably find the original and see what really happened for myself.

Nah, he'd never get around to that. Love God had too much fun, too much food, and too much to do elsewhere. He'd forget this passing thought long before a free moment arose. He walked over to where he could spy on the other version of Ichigo and Rukia. They were older, sharper, more deadly, and having a hilariously awkward time with the other women in that young man's harem.

No, that's a story I don't know if I'd ever believe!