IX. What Are You Hiding From Me?
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Airports, much like other crowded places, featured plenty of strangers milling about on their own business and busy running errands. There were plenty of people to see, places to be. Kon, who was next to her, was clearly distracted by the through and fro of people passing in front of him, happily enticed by the many strange and wonderful scents surrounding him.
Some of these strangers even stopped to say hi and never one to pass on the opportunity of making new friends, Kon sportingly offered himself up for behind-the-ear scratches and pets. He didn't often venture into public spaces; didn't often get the opportunity to greet people. His wagging and ever-thumping tail showed just how excited he was about the experience.
"How old is he?"
Rukia was jolted out of her musings. Her hand gripped tight on to Kon's leash, mindful not to let the canine out of her sight. Even if he was friendly, his size still meant that he towered over some younger toddlers. Rukia looked up and smiled at the woman who stopped to pet Kon on the head.
"A little over three," answered Rukia. She bent slightly, scratching Kon under the chin. "Aren't you, Kon?"
Kon barked in response to that, causing the woman to giggle. The stranger lingered for a few more minutes, making polite small talk before she excused herself, walking away towards the main exit to another woman who was waving frantically at her.
Rukia heaved a sigh after the interaction, watching as the woman's figure slowly disappeared from view.
"You're such a social butterfly," she said to Kon. Unlike her, Kon didn't have any reservations about meeting new people and making friends with them. She sometimes wished she had such a simpleminded approach to things.
Maybe then she wouldn't feel so ...conflicted, for the lack of a better word, about her decision to pick up Ichigo from the airport today?
Kon responded to her with a loud bark before he turned his attention back to the crowd passing through.
Rukia, sensing his eagerness and pacing, tugged at the leash to pull him back, commanding him to sit as they stood behind the barriers. The stream of people coming through the arrival halls was never-ending.
Ichigo's flight touched down quite a while ago, but she still hasn't spotted any telltale shock of orange hair passing through the gates.
Rukia brushed her thumb against the edges of the leather handle to the leash, willing herself to be patient as she resisted the urge to tap her feet. She wasn't sure why she felt nervous; why the thought of seeing Ichigo again suddenly made her feel equal parts of giddiness and unease.
She pursed her lips. She wasn't sure why she even volunteered to pick Ichigo up from the airport. She tried to tell herself that it really wasn't that deep. For starters, they were still on a mission to catch a killer and a huge key to the success of the task was how well they were selling (or rather, faking) their relationship.
Besides, it just felt like the right thing to do. Isshin was busy at the Kurosaki Clinic. Yuzu was having classes and Karin was on a date with Toshiro- their first one after the proposal. Rukia wasn't callous enough to let Ichigo take the taxi home; not when she's still pretending to be his girlfriend in front of his friends and family.
As for Kon's presence, Rukia told herself that it was because she had already introduced Kon to Ichigo's sisters and his father. It just didn't seem right if she didn't introduce him to Ichigo. Everyone likes Kon and Ichigo, was well, Ichigo.
There was no reason why the two wouldn't get along with each other, right?
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"Rukia!"
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Rukia shot up, raising her head upwards. Ichigo was standing not too far away, slinging what she thought was his laptop bag over one shoulder and his other hand gripping at a weathered-looking brown duffle bag. Dressed in khaki chinos and a white long-sleeved linen shirt with the sleeves rolled past his elbows, he didn't look any different to how he normally did, but Rukia could not explain the surge of warmth she felt when she saw him.
All the whirling thoughts that had her furrowing her brows suddenly faded away and in its place—
Rukia couldn't care less about the supplanters. She just knew that she was glad to see Ichigo again.
She didn't know how to explain her actions as she broke into a run, Kon's leash still firmly in hand. She ran towards him; towards Ichigo who somehow just took everything in stride. He dropped his duffle bag unthinkingly and pushed his bag at the side behind him.
When Rukia finally reached him and threw herself at him, his smile only widened and he spread his arms wide. He easily caught her in his arms, wrapping his arms protectively around her waist and hoisting her up when he felt her legs encircling his waist. With the amused chortling and wolf-whistles coming from the crowd around her, Rukia focused only on the painful tempo her heart was beating at- the same tempo she could have sworn she could hear echoing from Ichigo's chest.
Adrenaline coursing through her veins, Rukia looked down to find that the distance between Ichigo and her was practically nonexistent. They were close enough to brush noses with each other. She looked into Ichigo's eyes, mesmerized by the way he was looking at her- the way he only seemed to have eyes for her in this crowded space full of noises and people.
Her mouth feels dry and there was a lump growing at her throat. She was so stupidly stunned by the stunt she just pulled, the fact that Ichigo's reaction to it was to catch her and hold her close.
Like any idiot, she could only mirror the dopey-looking grin he was giving her, touching their foreheads together. She could feel the heat of Ichigo's warm breath fanning her cheeks and realized belatedly that her cheeks were burning.
Kon's loud barking finally drew her attention back to reality. Realizing the crowd that they were drawing, she hastily drew back, motioning for Ichigo to put her down.
With both feet planted solidly on the ground, she couldn't help but feel self-conscious. She could still feel Ichigo's eyes on her. His touch lingered on the small of her back even as he set her down. She cleared her throat and tucked her stray bang behind her ear, willing herself to remain calm when she raised her head up to face him again.
"W-Welcome back."
Ichigo's eyes were more amber than brown; an uncharacteristic softness that he directed at her as his grin stretched wide from ear to ear.
"Happy to be back," he told her. He turned his attention towards the dog plopped obediently by Rukia's feet, his tail wagging furiously and big eyes staring expectantly at him. Sensing Ichigo's attention, Kon immediately got up, circling him by his feet and rubbing his body at Ichigo's legs.
Surprised at Kon's enthusiasm, Ichigo stooped low to his eye-level, laying his palm open in front of Kon for him to scent. The dog immediately nudged at the open hand, pushing and nuzzling; only stopping when Ichigo laid the hand on his head, petting him and scratching him behind the ears.
Kon closed his eyes in contentment, his hind legs thumping uncontrollably.
"Who's this?" Ichigo asked, mid-scratch.
"Meet Kon—" Rukia smiled as she booped Kon on the nose, giggling at the confused look he gave at the sudden touch— "He's really friendly."
Ichigo chuckled. "I can see that."
He looked up at Rukia. The sun was only just beginning to set at 9. The dying light of the day streamed through the open windows to cast her in a soft glow. The smile that she gave him was indulgent and easily met her eyes. Ichigo returned it as he straightened to his full height by her side.
He cast a surreptitious glance at Rukia's hand that wasn't holding on to Kon's leash. He gulped, suddenly feeling shy. It was only a thought, but something inside of him grew bolder and fiercer every second he sees her smiling like that at him.
If he were to reach out for her hand, would Rukia let him hold her hand?
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"It looks like you've got a welcoming committee all to yourself there, Kurosaki."
Uryuu's lazy drawl interrupted the moment, making Ichigo nearly jump out of his own skin.
The man that Rukia saw was as tall as Ichigo and bespectacled. His black hair was cut short to frame his angular face and much like Ichigo, he was carrying a bag of his own. His navy-blue collared tee was short-sleeved and paired off with low-rise black jeans. The silver watch on his wrist gleamed as it caught the light. He was smirking lightly at the pair as he stopped in front of them.
She realized that this must be one of Ichigo's colleagues at Karakura General who went to the medical conference with him. She chided herself when she felt the heat swarming at her cheeks, the way she was naturally avoiding his eyes.
Rukia winced. This scene was exactly the sort of scene they needed to showcase how mushy they were as a couple.
She thought she wanted his colleagues and friends to see them together, so why was she acting all shy and embarrassed; when this was everything that she was aiming for?
Embarrassed and annoyed at his appearance, Ichigo frowned at Uryuu.
"Well, go and get your own if you're jealous. Scoot! I've already spent a day and two nights being in close quarters with you. I'm off work now and I still have another 12 hours to go before I am due my next shift. So—" Ichigo made a face, waving him off flippantly— "Go away, Ishida!"
There was a limit to how much time Ichigo was willing to spend with him, even if Uryuu was a friend and a colleague. Where's the healthy work-life balance that the hospital admins were always harping about?
Besides, couldn't he see that his presence was clearly not wanted at the moment?
Uryuu rolled his eyes. "Fine! I'll leave you two lovebirds—" He paused, his smirk widening as he pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose. He saw the panting Kon between the two of them and changed his mind, unable to resist the urge to tease.
"My apologies, Kurosaki. You're a family man now. I know better than to intrude on your family time. See you at work tomorrow!"
"W-Why you!"
"Dr. Kurosaki!"
The voice that came from somewhere behind Uryuu sounded familiar. All three of them turned towards the same direction. Rukia blinked, her eyes instinctively flitting towards Ichigo, who forced a smile.
"A-Ah, Inoue."
Orihime's smile seemed to stretch even wider as she ran towards them, pulling her silver suitcase along. She came to a stop in front of them, her chest heaving after the little run from the arrival gates.
Rukia snorted, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Her intentions were much too obvious and if she wanted to go ahead and make a fool out of herself, who was Rukia to stop her?
"Dr. Kurosaki! You're still here! You were walking so quickly and so far ahead of us! I wasn't sure if you'll still be there when I got out!"
Orihime beamed as she played with the ends of her hair, flashing a coquettish smile. "I was hoping that we can grab dinner together. I barely picked at the food on the plane and I noticed that you didn't either. I know a great Italian restaurant."
She looked at Ichigo expectantly. She knew she had him exactly where she wanted him when she noticed Ichigo's silence and his pursed lips. Ichigo- her Dr. Kurosaki was a gentleman, through and through. He would never say no to a simple request like that. Orihime gave herself a mental pat on the back, congratulating herself for a move well-played.
She instinctively held her head up a little higher, a hint of gloating in the smile she gave to Rukia as she turned to her as though Orihime has only suddenly became aware that she and Ichigo weren't alone.
"You guys can come too, if you want? I'm sure Dr. Kurosaki won't mind!"
Uryuu shook his head, declining the offer. He had no intention of getting involved in this. Rukia stood still; her expression unreadable as she remained strangely quiet next to him. The dark-haired man winced as he looked at Ichigo, pitying the poor man. Silence from the girlfriend is never a good sign in this case.
Orihime took it all in stride as she continued confidently, clasping her hands to her chest. "Well, why don't we take two cars there? Rukia can drive Dr. Ishida home. I'm sure she wouldn't mind it at all."
Orihime's hand shot out to grab Ichigo by his arm. Her plan was simple and bulletproof. She couldn't see how Ichigo would say no to her now. Her luggage was obviously too heavy for herself to carry and it was late- far too late for it to be safe for a woman like her to take the taxi alone. Ichigo was such a strong, capable man.
Surely, he wouldn't mind sharing a taxi with her?
After that, who's to say that he won't send her home after dinner?
It's only right that she invites him in for a cup of tea or coffee once she's home. Anyone who wasn't blind could see that it could escalate into something more—
"Actually, I do mind."
Ichigo pivoted, turning away from her at the last minute so Orihime grasped only air. Her eyes widened in surprise, her mouth gapping slightly.
Orihime could feel her heart breaking as she watched Ichigo avoid her touch, choosing to move towards Rukia and her mutt instead. Her nails dug into the meat of her palm. The crushed look on her face would have made anyone else think twice about refusing her, but Ichigo stood firmly by his decision.
Ichigo frowned. "I mind," he repeated, louder this time. "Rukia's my girlfriend. I don't like the idea of her driving another man home—" He looked at Uryuu to see his friend looking amusedly at him. Ichigo cleared his throat— "No offense."
"None taken."
"Point is, Inoue, I am tired. I don't want food. I appreciate the gesture but I don't like you butting in and trying to run my life for me. Right now, I just want to go home and not think about work for the next few hours. I will see you at work tomorrow."
Orihime blinked, stuttering as her face paled. "W-Well, that's fine! W-We can talk about other things during dinner."
Uryuu heaved a sigh. He couldn't bear the cringe and he didn't like seeing Orihime making a fool of herself. Much like his horde of admirers, Orihime viewed Ichigo through rose-tinted glasses.
But patience was never the orange-haired man's strongest suit. Ichigo was also opinionated and he did not hold back from making comments. Push him any further and he might snap. Uryuu didn't think Orihime would like being at the receiving end of his sharp tongue.
Uryuu reached out to grab Orihime by her shoulders, gently steering her away towards the exit doors.
"I changed my mind. I think I'll go for dinner after all." Uryuu bit the tip of his tongue, keeping his hold on Orihime when she tried to squirm out of his hold. "Let's go, Orihime."
He turned his head on their way out, miming the words out to Ichigo.
You owe me, Kurosaki.
Suddenly alone with Rukia and Kon again, Ichigo frowned; unsure about how he was going to approach his fake girlfriend after Orihime's interruption. Yet, before he could even come to a decision, Rukia was already walking past him with Kon.
Ichigo's eyes widened as he panicked. He picked up his bag, chasing after her. "W-Wait up, Rukia!"
Thankfully, with his long strides, he easily caught up with them. He gripped Rukia by her wrist, causing Rukia to stop dead in her tracks. She turned to look at him with her eyebrow arched.
She wrinkled her nose, huffing. "Well, what are you waiting for then? There's still time if you want to join them for dinner. Orihime said you didn't eat much on the plane."
"Yeesh, weren't you listening at all? I said I wasn't hungry," Ichigo replied, his hand still holding onto hers. "Although—" He pushed his luck, taking another step towards Rukia when she didn't immediately push him away— "I can't help but think you're reacting a little too strongly to this."
The implications of her being angry with him were far-reaching. She wouldn't be angry if she was only pretending to be in a relationship with him. Ichigo's heart was thumping so loudly that he thought it was a miracle that Rukia hadn't heard it from where she was standing. He gulped, licking at his dry lips.
"Are you jealous, Rukia?"
Rukia snorted. "In your dreams!"
Her first instincts were to scoff and deny. Ichigo didn't know what he was talking about. He was wrong. She wasn't jealous at all. Being jealous would mean that she had feelings for him that went beyond what this mission entailed.
Her grip on Kon's leash tightened. She was a professional. Her relationship with Ichigo wasn't like that.
...Right?
"What a cute couple!"
Rukia heard someone in the crowd whispering that as they walked past her. Blinking, her gaze flitted to Kon who cocked his head at her in response, wearing his signature happy-go-lucky 'grin' and Ichigo, who had his hand wrapped around hers. She realized how this must look to a bystander.
They must think that Ichigo and her were together and that Kon was their dog. They looked like a family.
Well, they were, she reasoned, together, but not like that. This was all for a mission, she told herself. She had to make things look believable. She had to sell their story so people- meaning his colleagues and friends, the real killer- would believe it and take the bait.
But unthinkably, the void shouted back: why did you bring Kon to the airport with you?
She suddenly froze. The echoes that cloud her mind only grew louder with time. If Nii-sama's visit to the Kurosaki home, Momo's serendipitous meeting with Ichigo at the café and everything that happened after that, was the byproduct of unfortunate circumstances and sheer bad luck; why did she voluntarily bring Kon into the airport?
Why would she want to introduce him to Ichigo? And why would she feel nervous about the introduction between man and dog?
Ichigo's approval had nothing to do with her decision to keep Kon as a pet. Kon was hers and she'd keep him even if Ichigo didn't like Kon.
As for Kon, she doubted the canine had the brainpower to comprehend what she was trying to achieve, let alone judge her for it. Ichigo's friends and colleagues wouldn't care if she had a dog or a cat. Even without Kon here, she could still play the part of the lovesick girlfriend and do it well.
As for Orihime, the last time Rukia met the woman she was trying to rile her up on purpose to see if she was the killer. It wasn't personal and a part of Rukia even felt guilty for what she said. She didn't know what came over her or why she felt particularly murderous when the woman tried to latch on to Ichigo earlier, so much so that she felt like sicking Kon on her.
Just as she had no justification for showing her displeasure in front of Ichigo like that, Orihime's slight shouldn't annoy her or make her bristle.
By process of elimination, the only reason she was feeling like this was because—
Her face was feeling uncomfortably warm. She must have made a noise because Ichigo peered at her concernedly.
"Rukia?"
She didn't know if Ichigo heard what she heard or if the man realized the predicament that she was in. Of all the unthinkable things that Rukia Kuchiki thought possible, she'd never imagined herself falling in love with her fake boyfriend.
"Oi, earth to Rukia! Are you ok?"
Unnerved by her silence, Ichigo was waving his hand in front of her, trying to draw her attention and she irritably slapped it away.
Said fake boyfriend either did not reciprocate such feelings or was too dense to notice them. Rukia heaved a sigh. This was all simply too embarrassing to recount.
"I'm fine."
Ichigo frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," said Rukia, as she jerked her hand away from his hold. She rubbed at her wrist, avoiding Ichigo's gaze. "I was just thinking about stuff."
The lie slipped out of her mouth easily. She cleared her throat. "Renji said something very interesting to me the last time we spoke. Is there something that you're not telling me?"
"A-Ah." Ichigo's hand rubbed at his nape. He gulped, feigning his composure. "N-No! Of course not! Why do you say that?"
Rukia sighed, narrowing her eyes at him as he made the gesture. Ichigo really was a terrible liar. His attempt to divert her attention was even worse than her own.
"You're hiding something from me," Rukia repeated matter-of-factly.
"Am not!"
Ichigo growled. He coughed, looking away from her. It's not like he was hiding anything of importance from Rukia. If anything, him hiding the fact that he was in too deep in this fake relationship and his insecurities for being the only one who felt that way about his partner, was the only thing that kept this mission going. If he told Rukia how he really felt about her, he doubted she'd want to have anything to do with him and the mission.
Renji couldn't possibly know that he was in love with Rukia. In fact, Ichigo doubted if the redhead detective knew anything about him at all. During his check-ins with Renji, Ichigo got the feeling that he was never off the suspect list to begin with. To him, it felt like Renji was biding his time, using this mission and the fake relationship with Rukia to divert Ichigo's attention away, so he could gather enough evidence to prove that Ichigo was the real killer after all.
Ichigo thought back to his first meeting with Rukia and Renji together in the interrogation room. He tried to remember the details- every look that Rukia shared with the other man; the way they moved around each other; alternating between the roles of good cop, bad cop. The two obviously shared a history together.
If Renji were to say something to Rukia- maybe even confess; would he stand a chance against Renji?
If Ichigo were to confess to Rukia, would she even consider him at all?
If Renji told her that key evidence has been uncovered to prove that he was the real killer, would she believe Renji? Would she even give Ichigo a chance to explain?
Would Rukia bother listening to him at all?
Ichigo didn't know the answer to those questions, but the thought of Rukia picking someone else over him hurt. If it ever came to a choice between him and some other man- even if it was someone Rukia shared a deep history with like Renji, he wanted to be her first choice.
Rukia's gaze softened when she saw the look on his face. Her lips pursed. She felt guilty. She wanted to take the pressure off of her and distract Ichigo, but she didn't actually want him to put him on the spot like that.
"You don't have to tell me now," she added quickly. "I- I trust you."
Renji might not know what he was talking about but Rukia knew Ichigo well enough to know that he wasn't the killer that Renji was trying to make him out to be. She forced her eyes to meet his gaze. As long as it wasn't something that threatened the safety of innocent civilians or that of his patients, she'd let Ichigo keep his secrets.
After the revelation she just had herself, it would have been too hypocritical of her to ask Ichigo to reveal all of himself to her and hold nothing back. They may have learned a lot about each other over the past few weeks, but Rukia would be the first to confess that she'd feel uncomfortable about telling Ichigo about her past and her childhood. She wouldn't even know how to broach the subject on Hisana, let alone why she left the Karakura police force.
"I'll wait until you're ready to tell me your secrets. I trust you enough to know that you're not a cold-blooded serial killer, so whatever you want to tell me- I'll wait until you're ready."
Until then, she could only hope that her instincts were right and that her trust in Ichigo wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass.
With that thought in mind, Rukia turned on her heel, tugging Kon along by his leash as she walked towards the exit. Ichigo fell into step easily beside her. The pair of them were strangely wordless as they made their way out, preoccupied with their own worries.
Kon easily hopped into the backseat when Rukia opened the car doors. His wagging tail and excited barking showed just how much he looked forward to the car ride back home. Ichigo didn't share his enthusiasm. He sat at the passenger side, letting the songs on the radio drown out the sound of his thoughts.
As the building of his apartment slowly came into view, Ichigo heaved a sigh. He made up his mind. He promised himself that he'd tell Rukia how he really felt about her when all of this is over and the killer is caught.
To do that, he might need some help.
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"So let me get this straight," Grimmjow drawled with a lazy smirk as he leaned back against his plush armchair. "Rukia who's not really your girlfriend only pretended to be your girlfriend to be bait so you guys can catch the motherfucker who's targeting your patients. But you somehow got your family involved in this, both of you got invited to her brother's place for a holiday and now—"
Grimmjow paused for dramatic effect, leaning in and his smirk splitting across his face even wider as Ichigo squirmed under his gaze.
"You're in love with your fake girlfriend!"
Ichigo sat across the table from him and folded his arms defensively. He was ever so grateful that Soifon was nowhere in sight and that there was no other audience in attendance to witness this. Grimmjow's loud chortling made his eye twitch.
Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose, resisting the urge to snap at him. He still needed Grimmjow's input. He growled, "You can stop laughing now. It's really not that funny."
"Pfftt!Says you," Grimmjow snorted. He was laughing so hard that his sides ached. "Of all the things I was expecting, I wasn't expecting this when you phoned up all serious, saying that you needed someone to talk to bout stuff."
Grimmjow shook his head, dabbing at the tears where he laughed so hard, he cried. "Never thought I'd see the day. Got me worried for a second there with how serious you sounded. Bee and I had a bet. She thought you're dying. Like you've been diagnosed with cancer or some shit. I bet her fifty that you knocked your girl up and needed me to be your best man for the upcoming shotgun wedding."
Ichigo's cheeks coloured as he heaved a sigh, already regretting his decision to come to Grimmjow.
He wasn't nearly stupid enough to admit the truth to his drama queen father. He just knew that Old Goat-chin would blow the whole thing out of proportions, especially with how annoying he's been in needling Ichigo to propose to Rukia.
Ichigo made a face. Isshin was off his list before Ichigo was even aware he had a list. He couldn't risk disappointing his sisters, not to mention, the damage that he would render to his own ego if the twins ever found out that he didn't even have the balls to confess to their Rukia-nee; so, turning to Karin and Yuzu were definitely out of the question.
With his limited number of close friends, his choice came down to either Grimmjow or Uryuu. Between the two, there still lied a clear distinction: one of them has a wife and has been blissfully married for the past few years, while the other didn't.
"Ok, so you like her. What's holding you back?" Grimmjow smirked. "Lil Berry too much of a wuss to confess?"
Ichigo glared. "I'm not a wuss. I just—"
He trailed off. Catching the killer hinged on how successful they've managed to 'sell' Rukia as his girlfriend and their fake relationship status. Ichigo might have fallen head over heels in love with Rukia, but he couldn't say the same for her. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable in his presence if she rejects him.
"I just don't want to make things awkward between us. What if- what if Rukia doesn't feel that way about me- about us? I don't want her to feel like she can't act like she normally acts around me. I don't want her to run away from me. I want things between us to stay good- like they are right now."
"So don't confess. Don't rock the boat. If she doesn't know, things can't change between you two. Case closed!"
Ichigo growled. Grimmjow was definitely trying to rile him up.
"But that's the thing, Grimm! I want her to know about my feelings. I want her to feel the same way about me and we can take the next step together. I'm not afraid to say it out loud to her and let her know that I like her, but I want to do things slowly. To ease her into the idea. After we catch the bastard—"
He gulped, his fists clenching. "I'll confess. I'll tell her how I really feel about her."
Grimmjow snorted, clinking his coffee mug against Ichigo's. "Atta boy! Knew you had it in you to come to the right conclusion."
Ichigo rolled his eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Gee, thanks!"
"Well, do you know what she likes to do?"
Ichigo blinked. "Huh?"
"A date, you dummy! You can't be this thick—" Grimmjow shook his head— "I'm trying to come up with a plan for your date with your girl. Keep up!"
When he saw the confused look that Ichigo was giving him, Grimmjow rolled his eyes and elaborated, "See, most people in your circle already know you two are an item, so there's not really a reason for her to go on a date with you unlessshe actually wants to."
Ichigo's eyes lit up and he sat up a little straighter as his ears perked up at Grimmjow's suggestion.
The blue-haired man leaned back confidently, shrugging. "If she says yes, you'll know that there's a high chance that she might feel the same way about you, which is what you want. If she says no, then well, sorry but at least you'll know where she stands."
"That's actually not a bad idea."
"Well?" Grimmjow prompted, nudging Ichigo on the shoulder. "Does she like to go to the movies? Or is she more artsy and likes museums and shit? C'mon gimme something to work with!"
Ichigo frowned. What did Rukia like?
"She likes animals," he told Grimmjow after much thought. "Rukia has a golden retriever named Kon. Maybe we can go for a walk or somewhere pet-friendly like a park."
"Alright then! Looks like that's you sorted!" Grimmjow smiled, getting to his feet and clapping Ichigo hard on the back. He pulled Ichigo out of his seat, eagerly pushing him towards the direction of the door.
"Hey! Stop pushing me! I can walk, you know! Grimm—"
The blue-haired man gave a loud yawn, not feeling guilty by the slightest as he pushed Ichigo out of the doors and locked up behind him. There was the noisy sound of locks clinking into place, just as Grimmjow snarled at him from behind the door.
"Now scram!"
"Oi! What gives? The fuck you gotta be so rude for, Grimm!" said Ichigo as he picked himself up, dusting at the imaginary dust gathered from where he landed when Grimmjow threw him out.
"Oh no, you crazy bastard!" growled Grimmjow. "This time it's me being reasonable for a change! Go home and plan your date!
Do you have any idea what time it is? I swear the next time you wanna talk about your love life at 3 o'clock in the morning, I'm bolting the doors and blocking your number too!"
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Ichigo pressed his phone to his ear with his shoulder, his hands busying themselves with making himself coffee at the staff room. He resisted the urge to yawn, as he looked out from the window.
It was almost 6. Rukia's café shut at 5.30pm on most days. This time of the day Rukia must be busy clearing away the plates and dishes; getting ready to lock up for the day and leave the café.
Rukia picked up her phone on the third ring. Her 'hello' was a little soft and tentative. Ichigo's lips twitched into a smile unbidden at the sound of her voice. It was no one's secret but his own how much he liked to hear her voice.
"Hey yourself. How was your day?"
"Not too bad," Rukia replied, "and yours?"
"I just finished a surgery. I have another op in about—" Ichigo glanced at the time on his wristwatch, his lips frowning— "give or take an hour?"
Rukia hummed in response. She might have mumbled something more but her reply was muffled by the sounds in her background. There were sounds of trays being emptied and the sound of the tap being turned on, water gurgling into the sink. Ichigo could just about imagine the way Rukia would be busying about in the kitchen, scrubbing at some stain before flitting away to turn off the tap before the sink overflowed.
Ichigo winced when he heard a particularly loud clang. The deafening sound made him move the phone away from his ear.
"Is everything ok?" Rukia asked. "You don't normally call me this time of the day. Is something wrong?"
Ichigo bit at his lower lip. He took a tentative sip of the coffee. It was piping hot and he swore he almost burnt his tongue after the first sip. He just got out of a major surgery but he swore even that didn't make him feel as nervous as he was feeling right now with Rukia on the phone.
"Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to ask you something before I go in for my next op. I won't be out until much later tonight. Didn't want to wake you up in the middle of the night."
"Ok. Ask me then. You're making me nervous behaving like this. Go on!"
Ichigo pursed his lips. He thought long and hard about it after the conversation he had with Grimmjow and decided that he was going to ask Rukia out for a picnic in the park.
"Hey Rukia—"
"Yes?"
He took a deep breath. "It's my day off tomorrow and I was wondering if you'd want to go to the park nearby—" His thumb brushed against the rim of the mug, his heart beating like a drum and jumping to the base of his throat when Rukia went awfully quiet on her end.
He back-tracked almost immediately, lying through his teeth and congratulating himself for thinking ahead and covering all his bases before he made the phone call. "It's next to the hospital and I think my colleagues- some of my colleagues like to relax there when they get off their shift."
Rukia's silence on the other end was making his palms sweat. He bit the inside of his cheek.
"You-You can bring Kon as well. The weather's great and I'm sure he'd like to visit the park. How is he anyway? I missed the guy."
.
Not as much as I miss his owner though.
.
With their relationship more or less established for his social circle, they didn't really have a reason to schedule so many 'dates' in front of his colleagues any more. It was his third day since the day Rukia took him home from the airport. He knew that he was no longer in a position to fool himself about his feelings for Rukia.
He wanted so badly to see her again without making an absolute fool out of himself.
Ichigo cleared his throat. "Are you still there? If you don't want to go, you can just tell me."
"Y-Yeah, I'm here. And no, it's not like that. I'd love to go to the park with you. And Kon," she added hurriedly. "It's just that Saturdays are usually busy days for the café. And I didn't know if I should leave Momo on her own."
"I'll be fine, Rukia! Just go already! You deserve to go on a date with your boyfriend!"
"But Momo—"
"No buts, boss! You always work so hard! You deserve to take a break every now and then."
There was some commotion and shuffling in the background and Ichigo was sure that Momo had snatched the phone away from Rukia at some point as his fake girlfriend gave an indignant squawk.
It was Momo's voice that he heard after that as she cheekily said, "Make sure you show her a good time tomorrow and tell her not to worry about work! I'll be fine! She worries too much!"
Momo's voice was loud enough that Ichigo could hear every word she was saying. He didn't have the best memory when it came to names and faces. He wasn't even sure if he got her name right but he was immensely grateful to the woman.
"Yes, ma'am."
Momo gave a snort before passing the phone back to its original owner.
"H-Hello? I'm guessing you heard all of that then." Rukia sounded a bit peeved. Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle in response to that.
"Yup, guess that's settled then," Ichigo said, trying hard not to sound overeager on the phone. "You're free tomorrow morning?"
"A-Ah," Rukia whispered softly, "it seems so."
Ichigo's face broke into a large grin. "O-Ok, I'll bring the food. Pick you up at 9?"
"O-Ok. See you tomorrow at 9. I um... gotta go. These trays aren't going to wash themselves. The countertops still need a good scrub. Good luck on your op! I'll um... hang up now!"
Even after Rukia hung up, Ichigo was still looking down at his phone with a dopey grin. He was so lost in his daydreams that he hadn't even noticed that there was another person standing next to him.
"Dr. Kurosaki?"
Ichigo gave an unmanly yelp, almost dropping his phone. He released a breath that he didn't know he held when he saw the woman behind him.
"Oh, it's you Inoue! You scared me just now."
"A-Ah—" The smile she gave Ichigo was weak. She couldn't even trust herself to speak. Orihime kept her fists clenched, determined not to let Ichigo see how her hands were shaking. She heard everything.
She gulped. "Was that her? Your girlfriend, Rukia I mean?"
Ichigo blushed, scratching at the spot behind his neck. "You heard that?"
Orihime nodded. Ichigo seemed unaware how much pain his response brought to Orihime. The woman forced herself to smile, willing her voice not to crack.
"Y-You must really like her."
Ichigo cleared his throat and pointedly looked away. He neither confirmed nor denied Orihime's comment, but he didn't need to. His face said it all. Orihime could feel her eyes twitching at the sight. She had never seen Dr. Kurosaki smile like that at anyone. He almost looked like a different person, wearing a dopey grin staring at his phone.
The hairline splinters and cracks grew and climbed until Orihime's heart crumpled into nothing. In its place was now a charred mass of emptiness. She was consumed with the need to destroy.
Orihime heaved a sigh, making up her mind. She didn't want to have to do this, but she could not stand by and watch this happen; to see her Dr. Kurosaki slip further and further away from her grasp.
She won't!
Dr. Kurosaki- no, she corrected herself; Ichigo was hers!
There was no helping it then. The end justified the means and that thought had her tucking her hand into the pockets at the side of her uniform. Her hand clenched at the clear film bag, her thumb tracing at the round edges of the olive-green pills.
Her smile widened. "Why don't I make you another cup of coffee? I think yours has grown cold."
"No, Inoue! I'm good. It's fine! You don't need to—"
"I insist, Dr. Kurosaki!"
Ichigo made a move to grab his still full coffee mug but the mug was closer to Orihime's side of the table than it was to his. He was a second too late. He could only stare at Orihime's back as she turned and retreated over to the sink, pouring away the black coffee before rinsing the mug out.
With her back facing Ichigo, Orihime kept her voice mild as she asked cheerfully, "do you take it with sugar?"
"No, thanks."
Orihime nodded. "I thought so. Dr. Kurosaki seemed like the sort of person who would prefer to have their coffee black."
Her fingers barely shook as she emptied the pill packet into the now empty cup. Two spoonful of coffee powder were heaped over them and she calmly switched on the electric kettle.
She didn't bat an eye, keeping the one-sided small talk going despite Ichigo's quiet mumbling and monosyllabic replies as she waited for the water to boil. As the shrill whistle echoed through the room, Orihime poured the water into the cup, her smile deepening and finally reaching her eyes as the clear water turned into black coffee.
The pills dissolved and left no traces behind.
Orihime stirred at the coffee with a teaspoon, tapping it against the rim of the cup when she was done and satisfied that there was nothing clumped at the bottom of the cup.
She kept the smile on her face, crossing the distance between them in three small steps. She held out the piping hot cup of coffee to Ichigo with both hands.
"There you go! Enjoy your coffee! You'll finish this, won't you?"
Ichigo took a step back. His refusal sat at the tip of his tongue, but Orihime's eyes were boring deep and pleading into his. Her doe-eyed gaze reminded him too much of Yuzu. Ichigo didn't know any easy way of saying no to a face like that.
Ichigo gulped, the corners of his mouth twitching as he accepted the cup from Orihime's hands. Under Orihime's expectant gaze, Ichigo had no choice but to finish his drink.
"T-Thanks for the coffee, Inoue," Ichigo said weakly, his hand holding onto a now empty cup. "It's great!"
Orihime merely smiled. "You should call me Orihime."
After all, it didn't make sense not to be on a first name basis with one's significant other and soul mate. After tonight, she thought, Ichigo would soon realize that what he was looking for was really right there all along.
They belong together and no one was ever going to come between them ever again.
.
.
.
Author's note:
Ichigo!
What did we say about accepting food and drink from questionable people, hmm?
Day 15: what are you hiding from me?