Ichigo/Rukia log; The Play Part Two
Log is private; No characters were there to see, etc. etc.
Who: Ichigo and Rukia
What: The Hitachiin twins set them up on a date. And everyone but The Moronic Two knows except, ironically enough, them. This log consists of watching a play and hand-holding and dinner and dancing and KISSES and escar-goats and SHARING ICE CREAM and cuddles at the end of the night. ♥_______♥
Where: Somewhere near Tokyo? NO CLUE AHAHAHA :|
When: ........something like two weeks ago. >.>
Why: Because Floss likes to cause trouble and Riah and I like to cause fluff. :|
Notes:
+ Part Two. This part contains the KISSES and CUDDLES and ICE CREAM FEEDING. X33
+ Riah and I do NOT end every log the same way. Shut your freaking GOBS.
+ They have the maturity of two five year olds. Except that 5 years old is the maturity combined. Aha. :|
+ I do not participate in snog logs, STFU!!!! >||
+ You'd think that, by this point, they'd realize they have feelings for one another. But. AHAHAHAH. They wouldn't be them if they did. :|
Rukia considered stepping on his foot in retaliation. On the one hand, it would probably pain him, considering how high her heels were. But. On the other hand. He would probably take that as her not knowing how to dance and stepping on his feet by accident. Stupid Ichigo. How irritating.
"You're stupid."
"How creative," Ichigo scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I don't think you've ever told me that one before."
"You know what? I think I like you better when you're asleep. At least that way you don't talk," Rukia said, annoyed.
"Watching me sleep again, Kuchiki Rukia?" Ichigo asked, lifting an eyebrow.
"Hard not to when your snoring keeps me awake," Rukia scoffed. Not that he did snore, but whatever. He was being mean tonight.
"I do not snore," Ichigo said defensively. "Which you should
know, since you seem to like watching me sleep so much."
"I do not," Rukia flushed, her hand slipping from his shoulder as she lost her concentration. Damnit. "And how would you know? You're the one sleeping."
Ichigo removed his hand from her waist only long enough to put hers back on his shoulder again. "Because my sisters would have said something," he told her with a smirk. Yuzu had continued to sneak into his bed late at night until just a few years ago.
"You, on the other hand, drool when you sleep." Okay, not really true, but there was no way she could know that for sure.
"What? I do not." He was clearly lying. She removed her hand to poke him in the forehead.
Ichigo frowned and let her hand drift up her side to tickle her in retaliation. "Prove it."
"What? I don't need to prove--oy. HEY. STOP THAT!" she squirmed away from his finger.
Ichigo grinned and returned his hand to her waist again. "Sore loser."
"That was hardly fair," she retorted, face red. "You're not wearing a dress." Stupid bulky suits and protecting people who were susceptible to tickles. Her dress was a lot thinner and softer.
"I know." Ichigo silently thanked the thickness of his clothing; he knew she'd have retaliated otherwise.
Rukia said nothing, simply glaring at him while the song changed into something slower. Noticing the change, she looked around at the other couples, swallowing as she realized how close they had all suddenly become.
"...Er." Ichigo felt his face heat again at the sudden intimacy the couples around them were engaging in. He and Rukia were sticking out now, holding each other far apart like that, and he instinctively brought her in closer. To Fit In, of course.
Rukia inched in as well, suddenly aware of how much closer Ichigo was and how she could smell him again. It reminded her vaguely of the Other Time that they were so close. The thought made her flush.
"They need faster songs," she muttered, not looking at him.
"They don't get much faster in places like this," Ichigo mumbled back. He was glad she wasn't looking at him; it made it much easier not to look at her.
"They should change that." Of course that would be unhelpful, seeing as how Ichigo was in a suit and she was in a rather long dress with rather high heels. But that wasn't the point. The Point was that they needed faster songs. Otherwise she would dancing this close to Ichigo. Which was Clearly Torture. Clearly. Maybe. .....sort...of. Not really. Making sure he wasn't looking at her, she let her eyes trail back to his face.
Ichigo turned redder when he realized her eyes were on him, and he returned her stare with his own, not quite scowling, but definitely not smiling either. "What."
"What. Nothing," she said, scowling at him. Couldn't he have just kept his stupid head turned? What a moron.
Ichigo scowled back. "Well fine, then." He stared at her just to see how she liked it. And. Maybe because he kind of liked it too.
"What?" she glared back defiantly. God he was a moron. And aggravating. "Is there something on my face?"
"Your eyes are purple." It was the only thing he could really think of to say.
"Well yes. Thank you for that remarkable discovery. Because they haven't always been like that." She had half a mind to reach up and ruffle his hair just to irritate him.
Ichigo scowled. "Purple's not a normal color."
"Neither is orange," Rukia returned.
"It's closer to normal than purple," Ichigo countered.
"It's a lot brighter, stupid," Rukia retorted, this time actually reaching up to ruffle his hair.
Ichigo scowled again, tilting his head to the side in an attempt to duck her hand. "Is not."
Rukia grinned triumphantly, taking that tilt to tickle him in the little bit of neck she could find.
Ichigo jerked and curled up instinctively, the action causing him to unintentionally tug Rukia in closer until they were standing flush. He blushed, but didn't push her away again. "Stupid. Look what you did."
"I-I didn't do anything, stupid. That was your fault," Rukia replied, blushing as well. She swayed with the music and could feel his body move as well. The thought made her heart skip a few beats.
"Was not," Ichigo replied gruffly. Her dress was thin and he could feel the
heat of her body through it, and it was rather Distracting.
"Not my fault you can't dance," Rukia muttered. It wasn't true, of course. Ichigo had proven himself to be quite an elegant dancer. He moved gracefully for someone who spent most of his time knocking out Hollows. Not thinking, she let go of his hand to lock both of her own together behind his neck. To. Stabilize herself of course. That was All.
Ichigo let his suddenly free hand drift down to join its mate down at her waist for only a few seconds before deciding it felt Uncomfortable and wrapped it around her back instead. She was so damn small. He blushed at the realization that he was actually holding her. He tried to think of an excuse for doing it an couldn't, so he scowled instead. "Shut up," he warned her.
Rukia coughed to hide her embarrassment, although that stemmed less from being embarrassed at dancing with him than it was because she was, maybe, enjoying it. And she could smell that damn strawberry scent on him again. She hoped they didn't have strawberry desserts here.
"Make me," she retorted, looking at him defiantly.
Ichigo couldn't help it; it was so reminiscent of the other night, and she'd said the same thing, and she looked so damn cute when she set her face like that...hesitating only slightly, his eyes drifted down to her lips a split-second before his own did. She tasted the same as last time. It made him close his eyes and shiver.
Rukia's eyes widened, not expecting Ichigo to move in closer to her and certainly not expecting that. Not that she minded. Technically. She tilted her head up to kiss him more fully, ignoring the fact that her brain seemed to be reeling in confusion and embarrassment along with a strange sort of elation that was spreading throughout her chest. Human emotions were bizarre. Best to ignore them and Things.
Again Rukia was reciprocating and again Ichigo found it made it impossible for him to pull away. His arms tightened around her on their own, and before he knew what he was doing he was tentatively trying to deepen it. All he really knew was that Rukia looked beautiful tonight and she tasted wonderful and they were all dressed up in a fancy restaurant and it had been hell trying not to think of this for the last few days, and he wanted more.
Rukia's heart skipped a few more beats before beginning a race that was almost painful to feel. That didn't change the fact that there was a different feeling in her chest that was overpowering that--a feeling that allowed Ichigo to deepen the kiss and urged her to do so in return. She tightened her arms around his neck, the tips of her fingers brushing against the bristles of his hair. Finally.
Ichigo thought his heart might come out of his chest, it was beating so hard. Rukia was all he was aware of now, the way she felt fitted into his arms and her fingers in his hair and the way she was actually kissing him back. He was vaguely aware they weren't moving anymore, but he didn't really care.
Rukia could still faintly hear the music in the background and was aware of the couples dancing around them, but her mind was, once more, too fuzzy to really notice or care. All she knew was that Ichigo was warm and strong and the smell and taste of strawberries along with his close hold on her left her dizzy and flushed.
It took Ichigo a while to remember he needed air, but when he pulled back it wasn't far; only a few centimeters so that he could catch his breath, Rukia's scent and taste still strong in his senses. His eyes drifted open enough to look at her, once again surprised at how good she looked, though he knew he really shouldn't be.
Rukia missed the warmth of his lips as soon as he broke the kiss, but she too recognized the need for air. Breathing slightly heavily, she looked into Ichigo's amber eyes, trying to gauge his thoughts on this. On...whatever it was that they kept on doing. A blush crept over her features as she noticed him watching her in return.
Ichigo knew he probably shouldn't, since it was Embarrassing and all, but one thing he'd never told Rukia was how much he liked her eyes, and seeing them so close not urged him to kiss her again, just a light, brief brush of his lips over hers before he realized what he was doing and flushed, then averted his eyes with a scowl.
Rukia's breath caught as Ichigo's lips brushed hers, a shiver running down her spine. They were far too close. In, perhaps, more ways than one.
Reluctantly, she let go of his neck, although she let her fingers linger in his hair for a few more moments, drawing her arms back to herself awkwardly.
"Er." Her eloquence sometimes astounded her.
Ichigo was loathe to let his arms loosen around her, but he forced them to, his eyes anywhere but on her face. "Uh," he added cleverly. "Food soon, probably. Table."
"Right. Food. We should. Go back." Avoiding his gaze, Rukia managed to extricate herself from his arms before unthinkingly grabbing Ichigo's hand to lead the two of them back to the table.
Ichigo followed willingly, and didn't realize he was using this opportunity when she couldn't see him to watch her until he'd already noticed how slim she looked in that dress. Scowling again, he let go of her hand at the table and returned to his own seat, loosening his tie a little selfconsciously. "So," he said roughly, and had to clear his throat before he could continue; he just hated the awkward that had settled over them when they were normally so comfortable. "Did I win?"
Rukia sat down, straightening her dress and Avoiding His Eyes.
"Of course not. That was a tie at best," she replied. Well. He had won at something. Not that. She was going to bring it up.
The waiter arrived with their food before Ichigo had time to reply, and he silently thanked their timing. Now maybe they could focus on something else for a little while, because he was having trouble Not Thinking Of Her.
Rukia began eating as soon as the two of them were served. She was oddly hungry. However, after the first few bites, she frowned. Something was off. The taste of the vegetables...they tasted different. Somehow sweeter.
It took her a few moments, but when she realized what they tasted like, she almost choked.
The food was good, Ichigo knew, better than any restaurant food he'd ever had before, but no matter how much he ate, he still found it difficult to get the taste of Rukia out of his mouth. Which was Good and Bad, because while he liked it, it made it Very Difficult to Think About Other Things.
Rukia reached for the glass of water, gulping it down try and get rid of the taste of strawberries. It wasn't that she didn't like them. Or that. The her, heh, memories with the taste had been unwelcome, but. Well. Now was not the time to be thinking about them.
"How is your ch-chicken thing?" she wheezed.
"It's good," Ichigo said slowly, watching her curiously. "Is that thing spicy or something?"
Rukia coughed and looked away. "Er. No. Not. Spicy."
"Then what's wrong with it?" Honestly, she should just ask for something else if she didn't like it.
"Nothing. It's fine." Rukia took a few more bites to prove it.
Ichigo frowned at her and continued eating his own dinner. This was actually really nice. Minus the uh. Earlier bit. Which had been nice too, but not in the same way. He hoped Rukia would go see another play with him again later.
Glad he had stopped asking question, Rukia continued to eat her dinner, eventually coming to enjoy the sweetness that her...er, previous...taste...had left.
"Er. Ichigo," she said suddenly, looking up and blushing.
"Hmm?" Ichigo paused and glanced up at her in the act of cutting his chicken.
"I--Er." She looked down at her food, but. No. She was going to say it. She had to. "Er. Th-thank you. I had a lot of fun." She smiled genuinely.
Ichigo grinned at her; it felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest. Good. "Told you you would. See, I don't just do boring things all the time."
"Once out of your whole life doesn't count," Rukia said, sticking out her tongue. "You should do things like this more often." We should do things like this more often.
"I'm going to," Ichigo said with a smirk. "Do you have any idea how many plays Shakespeare wrote? I'm going to get you hooked on them, and you'll never call him boring again."
"Ha! As if you could. This one was all right. And maybe MacBeth, not that I know what it's about. But that's all," Rukia returned. He wouldn't win. Not unless she got HIM hooked on manga.
"I bet you'd like Romeo and Juliet too," Ichigo replied with a smug grin. "And maybe Hamlet. And he's got a dozen others."
"No thanks," Rukia said, chewing on a piece of eggplant. "I'll stick to my manga, thank you. You can read about your old dead guy."
"You mean you don't want to go out to dinner again?" Ichigo teased. He knew he was walking a fine line here, with that...dancing...incident, but she seemed to be enjoying herself overall, and he planned to use that against her.
"I-- What-- No. I didn't say that," Rukia said, surprised by the question. She glared at him. "B-but we don't have to. Go to a play. To go to dinner and things." Grumble.
"...Well. What else would you like to do, then." Without the premise of a play, at least, things were sounding more and more like dates and less and less like...fun excursions. Or whatever. Not that he would. Say no. He'd kind of enjoyed the restaurant as much as he had the performance.
"I-- Er. We could. Go to. Different restaurants and be, er, ADVENTUROUS. Right. And taste different foods and things," Rukia said, nodding, as though this was completely obvious. She too realized that just going to restaurants to eat dinner with him could be taken as....something more. Which. This Clearly Wasn't. Of course.
"Yeah, I guess so," Ichigo mumbled, using his food as an excuse not to have to answer her right away. Jeez, like his classmates didn't think the two of them were dating already. The fact that he didn't mind taking her out occasionally had Nothing to do with Anything, of course. So he supposed he could, if she wanted to.
"We don't have to. It was just an idea. Because you asked," Rukia mumbled in return, avoiding his eyes. She pushed the vegetables around on her plate. She was done, really. "We don't have to go anywhere. I mean. Obviously. There's enough to do with. Training and Hollows and school and things."
"Yeah, but that's not fun," Ichigo reminded her, using her own words from before. "We could do this again, I don't care. Up to you."
"I said I don't care either," Rukia responded, glaring at him. God. Stupid boy. Could he just make up his mind?
"Well fine then," Ichigo returned irritably, glaring back. "I'll look up some places online and see what's around. And we can go be adventurous."
"Well fine. That's what we'll do then." Rukia looked half-triumphant and half-exasperated, as was usually the case when she was talking to Ichigo. She pushed her plate aside, announcing "I'm done."
"Me too." Ichigo sat back in his chairand watched her with a frown on his face. She was acting so weird. He had half a mind to call her on it, but the other half was well aware it probably had something to do with...earlier...and he didn't dare risk it.
"Should we go then?" Rukia asked, not sure of whether or not they were having dessert. Probably not. Ichigo had probably spent enough money tonight as it was. Although. Hmm. Her face brightened as she realized that she had brought money with her in the small purse she was carrying. Maybe they could go get ice cream or something. :D
"If you want to," Ichigo replied with only a hint of irritation in his voice, intentionally put there so that she wouldn't be able to tell he actually wasn't annoyed by anything at the time. "Are you full? Did you want dessert or something?" He was fairly certain he could afford it.
Rukia smiled and nodded. "Let's go get ice cream!"
Ichigo blinked in surprise; he'd been expecting something off the menu, not something from somewhere else. "Er. Right now?" Jeez, she was so weird sometimes. He found himself hiding an amused smile behind his napkin.
"No, tomorrow," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Yes right now,
you moron."
Ichigo's smile was quickly replaced with a smirk. "Fine, we'll go now. At midnight. Weirdo..." He signaled for the check and managed to pay it without thinking too hard about the actual number printed there. Thank God he'd worked at Urahara's shop over the summer.
"Midnight is a perfectly decent time to eat ice cream," Rukia said defiantly. Sort of. Maybe. Okay not really, but that wasn't the point. Trust Ichigo to make snide remarks about a perfectly FRIENDLY and PLATONIC idea during their outing....thing. Hmph. "I bet there are other people who do it. People coming from the PLAY, even. So Ha."
"Uh huh." Ichigo stood from his seat and self-consciously straightened his jacket while he glanced again at Rukia. "Are you coming or not? What ice cream places are even open this late?"
"I don't know. But I'm sure there's one somewhere." Rukia followed his lead, adjusting the straps on her dress and clutching her purse preciously. She was going to surprise him.
"Well, let's go find it, then." Ichigo offered her is arm before leaving the table. It just. Felt like something he should do. After the evening they'd had and everything.
"Fine." Rukia took his arm. It was the lady-like thing to do, of course. And she couldn't have Ichigo believing that she wasn't a lady. Because she was. That's all it was about.
Ichigo somehow managed to lead her outside without actually looking at her, and immediately began scouring the buildings for some kind of ice cream parlor. She was crazy to want ice cream this late. Nothing would be open.
Rukia took Ichigo's hand and dragged him down the street. Surely there was an ice cream place somewhere around here. It took a few minutes of walking hand-in-hand, but then she finally spotted it! A tiny Gelato shop with the light on. "There!" she said, pointing excitedly.
Ichigo stared in unbridled shock, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk and staring up at the bright building in confusion. He couldn't imagine many people ate ice cream out this late. But. Well. Whatever. Shrugging, he let Rukia tug him inside.
"Ha. Told you," she smirked as she led him to the Gelato counter to look through the class down onto the different flavors.
"That doesn't make it any less weird," Ichigo mumbled. Still, this place looked all right. And it would be a hell of a lot cheaper than the restaurant would have been. He immediately ordered himself a chocolate before asking Rukia what she wanted.
Rukia looked down at the choices and her eyes caught on the one flavor that she really wanted. Of course...that would also be the flavor most, er, awkward to get. Still. It was just ice cream. Nothing. Else. Right.
"One strawberry please," she coughed, not looking at Ichigo.
Ichigo's face didn't seem to care if that was an intentional pun on Rukia's part or not, it heated just the same, and he scowled as he reached over to pay for them, carefully Not Looking At Her.
"Hey! Wait. No." Rukia glared at him and batted his arm away. "I'm going to pay." She opened her purse to fish her money out.
"Since when do you have money?" Ichigo asked, and made to pay again. He was treating her tonight.
"I work at the bakery!" Rukia said scowling. She grasped his arm and shoved it back. "Don't be stupid. I said I was going to pay. >|"
Right. The bakery. Scowling, Ichigo put his money back. He wanted to argue that the guy was supposed to pay on dates, but that would mean telling her this was a date, which it Clearly Wasn't, so that point was moot. "Fine," he said instead, irritably. "Go ahead and pay."
Rukia grinned triumphantly and paid the Gelato guy who was staring at them rather strangely. Ignoring him, Rukia turned back to Ichigo, eating her gelato happily. It tasted wonderful.
"Do you like yours? You can try some of mine. It's really good." She would share with Anyone, of course. It was just. Really Good Gelato. That was all.
Normally Ichigo avoided most things strawberry because people liked to use it as an excuse to pun about his name again, but he knew somehow Rukia probably wouldn't do that. Still, strawberry was far from his favorite flavor of anything. "Mine's okay. You go ahead and eat yours; I'll just stick with chocolate."
"Just okay?" Rukia frowned. She had wanted him to really like it. "Well. You'll like the strawberry. Try it."
She took a small spoonful of it and offered it up to Ichigo. She would feed him if necessary.
Ichigo blinked at it, surprised by the gesture, then scowled. "You're so weird. Fine." If it would shut her up. "But then you have to try the chocolate. It's probably loads better. He leaned forward and took it with his mouth, his hands tied up with his own gelato, and then paused and blinked again in surprise. It really was pretty good.
Rukia grinned in triumph as as he tried the gelato. She could tell by his reaction that he didn't hate it and, for some reason, that made her rather happy.
"Ha! Told you. And fine. I'll try your stupid chocolate."
"Shut up, it just tastes better than normal ice cream, that's all." Ichigo
scooped up some of his own and held it out for her with a smirk. "Still, mine's better."
Rukia took his lame excuse as her own victory before leaning forward to try his. She swallowed thoughtfully.
"That's good too, but. I like strawberry best," she looked at him, grinning. No double-meaning there. Nope.
Ichigo felt himself flush again. He hated that word so much sometimes. One day he was going to find a way to get her back for using it like that.
"Chocolate's definitely better," he argued with a smirk, and leaned forward as he ate more with exaggerated relish, just to tease her.
Rukia glared at him, taking a spoonful of her own strawberry ice cream and licking it tantalizingly slowly, just to annoy him.
Ichigo's breath hitched slightly as he watched her tongue, but he was determined not to be outdone. Leaning close again, he did the same to his own with a smirk.
Rukia colored as she watched Ichigo's own actions, trying not to choke on her own ice cream in the process.
"S-stupid. Mine's clearly better," she scowled as she pushed open the shop door and led them out onto the streets. "You're so immature."
"You started it!" Ichigo reminded her irritably as he followed. "You can't call me immature for doing something you were doing, stupid. That makes you immature too."
"I wasn't doing anything. Kuchikis aren't immature. They're noble," Rukia said haughtily, taking another bite of her gelato.
"Yeah, you're the noble queen of immature," Ichigo scoffed, flipping the spoon over on his tongue to lick the last of the chocolate from it. He stopped at the bus stop and reached out to grab the back of her dress and keep her from wandering aimlessly off like she was prone to. "Too far. We're here."
Rukia blinked as she was stopped short, clearly not paying attention to where she had been going. She wriggled out of Ichigo's grasp and stuck a tongue out at him as she continued eating her gelato.
"And you're the King of Immature. I hope that doesn't mean we're married," she snorted, not thinking of what she was saying, really.
Ichigo very nearly choked on his ice cream, but managed only to sort of half-cough around it at the last second. "Of course we're not married," he said with a scowl, stabbing at the last of the gelato. "They wouldn't let you be queen of anything."
"As if anyone would marry an orange-haired moron like you," Rukia said through a mouthful of ice cream, smirking at him. She swallowed and glared at him. "I would be an excellent queen."
"Maybe of Stupid Kingdom," Ichigo snorted around his spoon. "And my hair has nothing to do with my marriageability. You should be more concerned with who will marry you."
"That's one kingdom you would an Excellent king of," Rukia said, rolling her eyes. "Sure it does. It makes you look weird. And who wouldn't want to marry me? I'm a Kuchiki."
Again, Ichigo snorted. "Your brother would kill anyone who tried. And I do not look weird. Not that weird. Shut the hell up."
"Nii-sama would not. He just likes to look out for me. Shut up. And you do too. You're so bright, geez." Of course she liked how different he was, but that was not the point being argued here.
"He'd use his flower attack on anyone he thought was interested. And I am not. You just have weird eyes."
"Nii-sama is very rational and respectable and things. You just don't know him very well. He would probably only put the person through a rigorous test with multiple portions and an interrogation. But that's not so bad," Rukia said cheerfully, finishing the last of her ice cream. "My eyes are fine. I bet you secretly like them."
"Yeah, a rigorous test involving his bankai," Ichigo muttered. He was almost finished as well, and started looking around for a nearby trashcan. "I bet I don't. I bet they stick out."
Rukia ignored his remark, finding the trashcan and throwing her empty cup into it. "You wouldn't comment on them so much if you didn't," she smirked.
"Yeah right," Ichigo scoffed, scooping the last of the gelato into his mouth.
"Then why do you comment on my hair so much, eh?" he said around it, smirking. "Ha!"
"Because it's bright and stupid," Rukia said, rolling her eyes. This was Clearly the most Obvious thing ever. Duh.
"You just said commenting a lot means you like it," Ichigo said as his smirk widened. "You can't have it both ways, dummy." He reached around her to throw his own cup away when he spotted the bus approaching.
"Shut up. You're annoying." And he was. Mostly. She grabbed his arm as he reached around and wrapped it around her front. She tilted her head back to look at him and scowled. "It's cold. Be quiet."
"Take my jacket if you're cold then, stupid," Ichigo grumbled, but he was finding it oddly hard to pull his arm back, so he just gave up and left it. "It'll be warmer on the bus." Crap, he'd forgotten what they'd been arguing about.
"I can't wear your suit jacket. That would look stupid with my dress." Honestly. Sometimes Ichigo had no fashion sense at all. Besides, this was warm and comfortable enough. "Yes, but it's still down the street."
"It would be warmer. And besides, it's midnight; no one's going to see you." Or them, for that matter. Ichigo felt a little better at this thought and tightened his arm around her. To make her warmer. Duh.
"I would see me. And stop being stubborn. This is just fine," Rukia grumbled, watching for the bus. It was almost to them now. She leaned back into Ichigo as they continued waiting. Because. He needed warmth too. Of course.
They only had a few more seconds, so Ichigo went ahead and wrapped his other arm around her too. For now. "We can't sit on the bus like this, you know."
"Like what?" Rukia asked, tilting her head back again to look at him.
Ichigo looked down at her. "Like this," he repeated, and squeezed her briefly for emphasis.
"O-oh. Well. Duh." Rukia blushed a little, slightly disappointed for some reason. "Unless it's cold. And then you have no choice. This dress isn't exactly thick."
"I told you you could have my jacket," Ichigo grumbled. Honestly, she was so impractical sometimes. Even if this was perfectly fine too. Whatever. The bus was there. He only let one arm fall from around her as they boarded it, and even then it was only to dig out some more change.
"And I told you that it would look stupid," Rukia replied. Honestly. He just didn't listen, did he? She waited for him to pay the bus driver before tugging him towards the middle of the bus. It was nearly empty except for them and an old couple near the front.
"Like anyone really cares how you look." Idiot. Ichigo followed her to the middle and then took the seat by the window so she wouldn't have feel the draft.
"Well I don't wear pretty dresses that often. I don't want to ruin it the one time I am wearing one," Rukia pouted as she slide into the seat next to him. Shivering a little, she scooted closer to him to share his warmth.
Ichigo lifted his arm so she could get close and then let it fall again around her shoulders. "Next time bring one of those dress blanket things, then." He couldn't remember what they were called.
"Dress blanket things?" Rukia asked, an eyebrow raised, as she scooted closer. This was much better. And warmer. And things. "That's helpful."
"kfhsdkh a shawl thing," Ichigo grumbled. He tightened his arm around her accordingly. "You knew what I meant."
"I'm sure I didn't," Rukia grinned innocently. As Ichigo's warmth and scent settled in around her, she yawned sleepily. It had been a long and eventful day.
"Oi." Ichigo nudged her as he noticed her yawn. "Don't fall asleep on me, I'm not carrying you all the way home."
"I'm not, stupid," she replied sleepily, even as her eyes began to feel heavy. "I'm perfectly, 100% awake."
"Liar." Ichigo nudged her again. "Oi, I mean it. I can't carry you when you're wearing that."
Rukia blinked rapidly, trying to wake herself up. She was failing rather epicly. She was just so tired and Ichigo was so warm and really this was all his fault. "So w-wake me up when the b-bus stops," she said, yawns interrupting her. She leaned her head on his chest. He made a nice pillow.
"Rukia..." Sighing in annoyance, Ichigo gave up. Stubborn as a mule, honestly. Instead he turned to look out the window. This was going to be a short ride, and she was going to be grumpy when he woke her up again. Great.
For now, however, Rukia was warm and happy, with Ichigo wrapped around her and the day's events lulling her into light sleep. She clung a little to him as her eyes closed peacefully, the rolling of the bus just a tranquil noise in the background.
Ichigo didn't really mind her warm weight resting against him, but it really was a short busride and all too soon he found himself gently shaking her shoulder again.
"Rukia. The next stop is ours. Wake up."
Rukia groaned as she felt someone shaking her awake. She didn't want to be awake. It was too warm and comfortable where she was. Ignoring the voice and the hand, she buried her face deeper into Ichigo's chest. Maybe they'd go away.
Ichigo sighed. "Rukia. Come on, you're gonna make us miss our stop." The bus was slowing down. Dammit. She'd better not make him carry her.
"Go away," she grumbled, refusing to move.
Grumbling, Ichigo signaled to the bus driver that he was coming and carefully slipped an arm beneath Rukia's knees so he could hoist her up as he stood, making sure he caught some of her dress so it wouldn't fall open. Then he made his way off the bus with a soft, irritable, "You're lucky you're so damn light."
Rukia could vaguely feel that she was moving, but was asleep enough to not particularly care.
Giving a soft sigh, she turned away from the cold into Ichigo's warmth, clinging to his suit with both of her hands.
She was also lucky she was so damn cute, but Ichigo didn't tell her that part. The bus stop wasn't that far away from his house, and Ichigo had no problem carrying her there, though he did have to fumbled a little with the front door, trying not to jar her. Jeez, she was as light as his sisters. It was kind of weird.
Rukia stirred as soon as they stepped inside, the low lights from the living room bothering her eyes.
"Wh-where are we?" she mumbled, her eyes fluttering open. She had to blink several times to try and ward the sleep off.
"Where do you think?" Ichigo grumbled, kicking off his shoes and stepping carefully up the stairs. "We're back home. Told you you wouldn't wake up."
"O-oh," she said, yawning. Her head was too foggy to properly snap back at him. "I-I'm p-perfectly awake."
Ichigo snorted. "Sure you are. Don't tell me I have to change you, too." He stopped inside the threshold of his room and elbowed the light on, blinking at the sudden intensity of it.
"Sh-shut up," Rukia grumbled, stretching slightly and then blinking. The ground was a few feet below her. Was she floating? She turned to Ichigo and shook her head. No. No, he must be carrying her. "H-hey. Put me down, stupid."
"Can you stand?" Ichigo argued, but he bent to set her on her feet again, keeping an arm around her shoulders in case she really couldn't.
"O-of course I can. Don't be a moron." Rukia pushed Ichigo's hands away as he set her down, wobbling a bit in her sleepy state, but eventually regaining her balance. She looked around for a moment, confused as to what she was supposed to be doing, but then remembered. Right. Clothes. Grumbling, she went to open the closet door to retrieve her pajamas.
Ichigo began loosening his tie as soon as she looked like she could support herself again, and sighed as he went over to drape it across the back of his desk chair, closely followed by his suit jacket. He changed into pajama pants while Rukia was safely hidden behind the closet door and then collapsed in his bed wearing his undershirt. He was exhausted.
It took Rukia quite a bit longer than it normally would have. The dress was long and flowy and she was sleepy and the closet was small. She bumped into the door a few times and her heart stopped once when she thought she heard a tearing sound, but eventually she managed to change out of her dress into her pajama pants and a light t-shirt. She opened the door and stumbled out while rubbing her eyes.
Ichigo had fallen half asleep while he waited for her, and he barely stirred now when he finally saw her emerge. "Get the light," he murmured, cracking an eye open.
Rukia toddled over to turn the light off before returning and climbing into bed. It was nice and cool even as the blanket warmed her from the cold outside.
Ichigo automatically scooted closer, his eyes closer again, until he could feel Rukia's warmth heating the cool sheets. Sighing, he didn't bother trying to keep himself awake any longer.
Rukia slid closer to him, pushing her curls out of her face as she took her usual spot under his chin. Somehow, he smelled sweeter tonight.