Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Tell Her	By : gokusgirl Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 6997 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
Tell Her

Chapter Two

Days of Wine & Roses

The little plush lion opened
his eyes, stretching across the soft comforter that lay in the closet.� He turned over; rubbing his nose into the
material as he tried to take in Rukia�s fading scent that was left on
them.� He sighed, rolling onto his back
as he stared up at the closet�s ceiling.

�Nee-san�� Kon whined,
rubbing his cuddly soft face.� He sat up,
looking briefly at the closet door as he heard a muffled cough on the other
side.� Sliding the door open quietly, he
noticed Ichigo sitting up at the head of the bed.� He was fully dressed for school, but he
hadn�t pulled his school jacket on yet.�
What puzzled Kon was how Ichigo was just sitting there, one leg propped up
on the bed and the other hanging off the edge.�
His arm was sitting on his propped leg, his fingers pinching the bridge
of his nose with his eyes closed. Ichigo had a bandage on the side of his
forehead and one on each of his knuckles.�
Ichigo�s eyes opened; his dark and angry gaze following over to Kon.

Kon opened the closet door
fully, hopping out and landing on the bedroom floor with a squeak.� He was going to start with his usual yelling
that he was so keen on doing every morning with Ichigo when he noticed
something gloomy about the boy.� Ichigo
eyes moved off of Kon, staring blankly at the poster on his wall.�

�Ichigo-san?� Kon asked meekly, not sure if should approach
him.� Ichigo never replied, and Kon
frowned, placing his soft little hands on his sides. �Are you feeling well,
Ichigo-san?� You look like shit.�

�Leave me the fuck alone,� Ichigo seethed, turning his
face to the window.�

Kon cringed.� He even sounded
like shit.� But the tone of his voice was
all the warning he needed, so Kon snorted as he hopped out the bedroom window, never
looking his direction.�

Ichigo sighed as he watched
Kon walk across the lawn grumbling to himself.� Slumping against the headboard of his bed, Ichigo
rubbed his stomach.� He was feeling so
sick this morning� it felt like his head was going to explode also.� He knew his ailment didn�t come from a virus
or bad food.� It came from a person� one
particular person, that is.�

He thought about not showing
up for school today, but decided against it.�
After all, this was the day after the night he realized the most
important thing in his entire life.� He
had to show his face at school.� He had
to see her.� One glimpse of her and
maybe, he thought, all would be well.�

He just had to get himself
together.� He had a reputation to uphold
in school.� �There was no way he was going to school acting
like some lovesick dummy, crying and carrying on like a little girl.� Crying,
Ichigo scoffed as he thought about that.��
It was eight years ago when he last shed a tear for anyone, and that
person meant the world to him.� He
figured it was only the tension breaking in him from the tumultuous night he
had.

Sliding over to the edge of
the bed, he grabbed his jacket off the arm of the desk chair.� He fumbled with the fabric briefly, still
deep in thought.� To think I almost told her I loved her, Ichigo thought to himself. �And I was too late� I�m such a fucking
jerk.� I lost.� I fucking lost.

�

Renji Abarai.� That asshole.� Ichigo had bested him twice in actual battle
and once when they sparred together in the Soul Society.� He just couldn�t comprehend that Rukia would
want someone like that.� Ichigo growled
lowly in his throat, thinking back at how undressed
Renji was when he came to the door.� Probably just finished screwing her too,
Ichigo thought glumly.� It should have been me in her bed; not that
tattooed clown.

Ichigo stood, pulling his
school jacket on.� He buttoned it up
halfway, and turned to look at the mirror.�
He pulled the bandage off his forehead, and decided to keep the ones on
his knuckles.�� They were still a little
raw from crawling on that ledge.� He
exhaled sharply, shaking his head as if he was trying to shake himself
awake.� �You can do this, Kurosaki,�
Ichigo told his reflection.� He grabbed
his book bag and walked downstairs.� �

@@@@@

It felt like Ichigo was in a
dream when he first got to school.� Keigo and Mizuiro ran up to him, talking about what he wasn�t
sure.� The entire school seemed to be on
mute; Ichigo just watched their mouths open and close with no sound coming from
them.� Feeling dazed and weary from the
pervious night, he quickly escaped from his chums as he made it to the
classroom. As he walked in, he noticed Rukia sitting at her assigned seat,
writing.

Ichigo�s palms began to
sweat.� He gripped the handle of his book
bag tightly as he coolly walked in.� As he
got closer to the little death-god, his heart and stomach began fluttering
anxiously. Trying hard to ignore this sudden reaction he was suddenly having around
her, Ichigo set his book bag down stood at his desk, staring at her.�

God, she is so beautiful, Ichigo thought to himself.� He mentally kicked himself for not noticing
it until now.� She was concentrating on
her paper so hard she never noticed his presence.� Ichigo noticed that as she wrote her tongue
was neatly tucked in the corner of her mouth.�
His mouth opened, so taken with how hot
she looked right now.� He could envision
sucking on that sweet tongue of hers, kissing her so hard it would literally
take her breath away.� He shook his head
again, bringing himself out of his reverie as he cleared his throat to get her
attention.� When her head snapped up to
his direction, he thought his heart was going to pop right out of his
chest.�

�Oi,�
Ichigo ground out slowly, and for the life of him he couldn�t stop the smirk
that curled on the end of his mouth.�
�What are you doing?�

�My paper for English,�
Rukia sighed, flicking a stray hair out of her face.� �I didn�t do my homework last night.� Hey� are you okay?�

�Yeah� are you?� Ichigo
asked, raising his eyebrows.�

Rukia narrowed her eyes,
wondering what he was getting at.� ��I�m
good.� What�s with the stupid grin on
your face?�

Ichigo frowned, not
realizing he was actually smiling.� �I
wasn�t grinning.� It�s called a smirk;
totally different from a grin.�

�Whatever,� Rukia sighed as
she turned her attention back to her schoolwork.�

Ichigo paused, his eyes
still on her as she wrote when he finally asked, �So� how was your night?�� Rolling his eyes, he regretted saying that
the moment the words fell out his mouth.�

Rukia stopped writing,
looking up at him oddly.� �My night was fine,
Ichigo.� Why do you ask?��

Setting his jaw, he hunched
his shoulders.� �No reason.� Just asking.��

�Well I�m sure you had a
reason to ask.� So what is it?� Rukia
inquired; her tone beginning to sound irritated.�

Ichigo stuffed his hands
into his pant pockets, and he slowly turned from her, walking to the classroom
door.� �It�s nothing.��

�Okay�now I�m annoyed.�
Rukia fumed, slamming her pencil down on the desk. �Can you please tell me what
is wrong?�

Ichigo stopped at the
doorway, and then suddenly closed the door, turning around with an angry look
on his face.� �What�s wrong?� You tell me on the way home last night that you�re
going to get reckless with a total stranger, and then show up here the next day
like you didn�t say it?� He walked up to her, leaning down as he grasped the
ends of her desk. �I was worried about you� did it ever occur to you that I
might have been worried about you?�

Rukia�s expression softened
when she heard his concern, and she smiled.�
Ichigo eyes followed her hands that now brushed the stray hair aside
from her face, and he just melted inside.�
She was simply adorable when she did that.�

�I�m sorry� I didn�t mean to
make you worry,� Rukia said softly, looking down at her desk.� �I did go out last night� but not for what
you think,� She leaned forward in her chair, clasping her hands together.� �When I came home an old friend was waiting
up for me.�

Ichigo swallowed thickly. He
tried to keep the anger out of his voice at as he managed to sound surprised. ��An
old friend?�

�I�ve known Renji since I
was 8,� Rukia said as she was now playing with a strand of her hair.� Ichigo�s eyes were following her every move,
and he wondered why the mention of Renji�s name made her fingers toy with her
hair.� �I know you remember him from the
Soul Society� well we stayed up all night talking� he�s suppose to meet me for
lunch today at school.� So I won�t be on
the roof, okay?�� Rukia got up from her
desk, and walked to the classroom door.�
�I gotta go to the bathroom, I�ll be right
back.�

As she walked out, Ichigo
was still in the same position at her desk.�
He gripped the ends of the desk so tightly he could have reduced it to
splinters.�

@@@@@

School was not good today.�

Ichigo spent most of time in
an anger induced fog; his mind replaying the events from the pervious
night.� He would occasionally glance over
at Rukia from time to time, heating up when she licked her lips or chewed on
her pencil.� His legs would start to bounce
nervously as he began to feel himself harden, so he would snap the rubber band
he found on the floor on his wrist to distract himself. It perplexed him how
his body was suddenly reacting around her� he felt like a maniac. Feeling unrestrained
and lovesick were emotions he stayed away from, and feeling them now was
driving him crazy.

Lunch finally came around
and Ichigo still had no appetite.� He did
manage to see Rukia meet Renji for lunch in front of the school as he stood on
the rooftop, and he clutched his chest. A deep, dull ache emitted there; and he
just didn�t know what to do about it.�

After school was over,
Ichigo walked home and laid across his bed. Between
the swirl of newfound emotions and the lack of food and sleep made him mentally and physically exhausted. He was glad that he
could sleep in the next couple of days since the weekend was here. He finally
fell into a fretful sleep only to awake a couple of hours later.� He sat up at in his bed, rubbing his eyes as
he glanced over at the alarm clock.� 7:35 PM.� He gasped, remembering that tonight he and
Rukia had Shinigami patrol for the evening.�
He slowly smiled.� Finally, he
could have some time with her, even if it meant they were killing hallows in
the process.�

By eight o�clock Ichigo was knocking on Orihime�s
door, trying not to look too happy be there.�
Orihime answered the door, pulling her jacket on.�

�Oh� Kurosaki-kun!�
Orihime exclaimed happily.� �How are
you?��

��I�m good Hime,� Ichigo told her as he stepped
inside her tiny apartment.�� Is Rukia
here?��

�She�s upstairs,� Orihime
replied as she threw her purse over her shoulder.� �I�m off to Ishida�s� see
you later!��

As Orihime walked out,
Ichigo looked up at the top of the stairs to see Rukia descending down wearing
a black kimono with big red flowers. She
looks stunning, Ichigo thought.�
Ichigo gulped nervously, the fluttering of his empty stomach already
swimming around in his stomach.�

�Hey,� Rukia said with a
smile.� She brushed past him, and he
closed his eyes as he took in her flowery scent.� �What are you up to?�

�I thought we should get
started early on our patrol tonight� Uryu told me killed three hallows last
night.� He noticed how Rukia stiffened at the mention of �patrol�, but she
continued to walk into the living room and sat down on the couch.�

�Oh� well I figured that
maybe tonight you can handle patrol by yourself,� Rukia said as she smoothed
out the wrinkles in her kimono.�

Ichigo turned around, the pleasant
smile disappearing as the scowl returned.�
�By myself?�
Why is that?�

�I have plans.� Rukia
replied.

�Plans� like what kind?�

�I�m having dinner.�

Ichigo smirked, walking over
to her as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.�
�I forgot to mention to that tonight�s patrol includes that Shokudo* you
like so much � my treat.�

�I�m having dinner with someone,� Rukia told him, standing
up and walking into the kitchen.� Ichigo
followed, stopping at the doorway as he watched her grab a glass from out of
the cupboard.�

�Oh� any someone I know?�

�With my
friend.�

�Benji?�

�Renji.� Rukia said dryly, noting his sarcasm.�

�Ah�� Ichigo responded,
raising an eyebrow.�

�I know should have told you
earlier, but he just asked me.�

�Well I guess Renji will
understand you�ll have to cancel.�

Rukia set the glass down on
the counter, glaring at Ichigo. �Ichigo� I�m not going to cancel.�� There were
a few moments of silence as Ichigo and Rukia stared at each other.� He nodded.

�I see� Well I guess that�s
that.� Ichigo said with a hunch of his shoulders.� With a rather cocky expression on his face,
he turned, heading for the front door.

�

Rukia ran up to him, turning
him a round roughly.� �Ichigo?� Can you please
tell me what is wrong?��

�Why is there anything
wrong?� Ichigo began, his tone tinged with anger. �You want to act totally
irresponsible and ruin two years of good Shinigami work-�

�Irresponsible?� Rukia interrupted him quickly, her tone even angrier.� �Is that
what you�re calling me?� Is that what you�re accusing me of, tell me! �Did you give this a lot of thought or did this
just pop into your head like everything thing else that�s stupid?�

�That�s not the same thing!�
Ichigo shouted back defensibly.

�You�re right it�s not the
same thing!� Rukia shouted, walking away from him and then turning around.� Her face was red with anger, and for once she
couldn�t remember being so mad at Ichigo as she was right now.� �Being irresponsible is something I do once
in a century, and it�s something that you�ve turned into an art form!�

Ichigo stomped up to her,
his eyes wild with resentment.� �Fine�
when was the last time I sent you out on patrol alone because I wanted to get-�

�Wanted to get what?� Rukia countered, daring him to
finish what he was saying.� He paused,
swallowing hard.�

�Nothing.�� Ichigo spoke softly.�

�I�m not sending you out
alone.� If you don�t want to go alone,
take somebody with you!� Rukia explained harshly.�

�That�s not the point.�
Ichigo argued, shaking his head.

�Take
Ishida!�� Rukia nearly screamed, infuriated where the
conversation was going.�

Ichigo stared at her angry
face, and sighed as he reluctantly conceded.�
�Okay� fine.�� He turned, storming
out of the apartment, making sure to slam the door as loud and as childishly as
he possibly could.�

@@@@@

�I still think it was rather
rude of you to interrupt me and Inoue-san�s dinner,� Ishida
snapped as he pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.� �Are you that afraid to fight a hollow by
yourself Ichigo?�

�Shut up,� Ichigo snapped
bitterly as he looked over the ledge of a skyscraper they were standing
on.� Ishida was one whiny little
bitch.� He was having a shitty evening
already, might as well let everyone be miserable too.� So what?�
He interrupted Orihime and Ishida�s dinner plans and forced him to go
patrolling with him, telling him it was a huge hollow not far away. Being the
competitive type, Ishida couldn�t resist.�
But now two hours had passed and there was still no sign of the alleged
hollow Ichigo reported. �Ishida figured
it was all a lie to ruin his plans for the evening.�

�Look,� Ishida said vehemently,
pointing his finger at Ichigo.� �If that
damn hollow doesn�t appear in the next ten seconds, I�m going home.�� He waited for Ichigo�s response, but it never
came.� Ichigo still had his back turned
to him, the wind blowing through his Shinigami robes.� Puzzled, Ishida walked around to look at him,
and he seemed to be staring off into the night, his hand clutching his
chest.� �Is there something wrong, Ichigo?�
Ishida asked cautiously.�

�I�m fine,� Ichigo spoke,
not really sounding like himself.�

�Is there something you�d
like to talk about� you know, man-to-man?� Ishida asked.�

Ichigo looked over at the Quincy, and chuckled when
Ishida said �man-to-man.�� He frowned, turning his gaze back to the
city. Minutes went by before he spoke in a melancholy voice.� ��When
did you tell Hime-san you loved her?�

Bewildered with his
question, Ishida furrowed his eyebrows.�
�What concern is that to you?��
Ichigo looked over at him again and Ishida noted how his face looked dare
he say, desperate for an answer.

�I wanna
know� how do you know when it�s the right time to tell someone you love them?�
Ichigo asked, and Ishida sworn for a moment that Ichigo�s tone was so �sad� tormented
almost.�

Clearing his throat sharply,
he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose before replying.� �I told her the minute I knew.� It�s very important to inform the person
right away, you know.�� Keeping it to yourself can be quite regrettable.�

�Tell me about it,� Ichigo
muttered as he sighed.�

�Is there someone you�re in
love with, Ichigo?� Ishida prodded, raising a curious eyebrow.� No response.�
�Well� all in good time, I suppose.��
Ishida stood next to Ichigo, looking out over the city.� He gasped and pointed down to the street when
he spotted something. �Hey� look over here.�

�A hollow?�� Ichigo asked,
finally glad to be distracted by something else.

�Isn�t that Rukia and
Renji?�

Ichigo head snapped over to
Ishida�s direction, franticly looking down on the street where Ishida
pointed.�� He then saw Rukia, still
wearing the black kimono with the big red flowers from earlier that
evening.�� Her arm was hooked around the
tall red-headed and well dressed warrior Renji Abarai.� They were walking into a restaurant- and by
gods what a coincidence- in the very same vicinity where Ichigo was
patrolling.�

�Uryu, do me a favor,�
Ichigo said with much excitement in his voice.�

�Coming out here tonight was
one favor too many, Ichigo.� I�m not-� Ishida
began but stopped mid sentence when he saw the anxious look in Ichigo�s eyes.�

�I thought you told me it�s
important to tell them right away,� Ichigo said with his voice nearly breaking.� Ishida eyes widened with surprise as he looked
down on the city street where Rukia was, and then back at Ichigo.� �Please.��

�What is it?� �Ishida asked easily, now knowing the nature of
Ichigo�s distress.�

�Finish my patrol for me
tonight. That�s all I ask.�� Ichigo tried
not to plead.

After a brief pause Ishida
sighed, rolling his eyes.� �Alright, Kurosaki.�
But you owe me one.� Two, in fact.��

Slapping him hard on his shoulder,
Ichigo grinned.� �Thanks man.�� As he began to leap off the roof, Ishida who
was now nursing his shoulder called out to him.

�Kurosaki,� Ishida said, and
Ichigo turned around.� �Make sure you
tell her.��

Ichigo only smiled, giving
him a thumbs up as he leapt off.

@@@@@

After returning his soul to
his human form that was discreetly hidden in a nearby vacant warehouse, Ichigo
dashed down the street to the restaurant he saw Rukia and Renji enter.�

He stopped at the door,
catching his breath and running his fingers through his hair before he
entered.� He walked in hurriedly, his
eyes darting all over the establishment as he looked for Rukia.� The maitre d� soon approached him, his hands
clasped neatly at his chest.�

�Sir I�m sorry but you
cannot dine here.� The maitre d� told him in a snippy tone.

�Why not?� Ichigo flustered, not needing another roadblock from
his primary mission.� �

�Gentlemen wear jackets in
this restaurant sir.� The maitre d� informed him.

Reaching down into his
pocket, Ichigo brought up about 4600 yen** (nearly all his allowance from the
last two weeks) and inconspicuously placed it in the maitre d�s
palm.� �Have you seen Mr. Yen around here
tonight, then?�

Stuffing the money into his
pocket inside his jacket, the man smiled.�
�No, I haven�t but I can give you a jacket and you can go look for
yourself sir.��

�Splendid.� Ichigo said
dryly.�

The maitre d� snapped his
fingers sharply, and another man walked up with a jacket thrown over his
arm.� Ichigo grabbed it, throwing it on
quickly.

�Does the jacket fit well
sir?� the maitre d� politely asked.

It must have been a little
boy�s jacket.� The sleeves rode up his
arms, the shoulders hunched up like it was about to give away.� Ichigo brought his arms down into each other,
stretching his back and the sound of the jacket�s material ripping apart was
quite evident.� �It fits just well now.
Thanks.��

It didn�t take him long to
spot Rukia and Renji in a small, secluded booth, both of them sitting rather
close to each other.� Renji was
whispering something in her ear and it made Rukia giggle, her cheeks
reddening.� He took in a deep breath and
approached them leisurely.� Rukia�s eyes
finally drifted over to his direction and surprisingly she sat up, moving a
little from Renji.�

�Ichigo.� Rukia spoke with much wonder in her voice.�

Ichigo nervously rubbed his
hands together, staring at both of them seated there. �Evening�
hi.�

Rukia expected him to say
something else, so lifting her eyebrows she said, �Ichigo?��

�Forgive me, I�m sorry�
sorry to interrupt your dinner,� Ichigo began, his tongue suddenly swelling in
his mouth.� �It�s just ah�there�s kinda
an emergency.�

�Emergency?� Rukia quickly asked. �What kind of emergency?�

Ichigo starched his head, squinting his eyes. �Well��

�Oh! I�m sorry,� Rukia
gasped, noting her rudeness.� �Renji this
is Ichigo Kurosaki my Shinigami partner, Ichigo this is Renji Abarai. I�m sure
you two remember each other, right?�

�Yeah, we actually saw each
other last�� Ichigo began, but Renji stuck his hand out in front of him.

�Yeah,
from the soul society� how you doing?� Renji said loudly, and Ichigo warily took his hand, wondering why he
didn�t want Rukia to know he came by her house last night.

�Nice to
meet you too.� Ichigo said
slowly.

�Listen, why don�t I excuse
myself and let you two discuss whatever�s going on.�
Renji offered.

�It�s not necessary for you
to go,� Rukia seemed to whine, making Ichigo mad at how she was acting around
him.

Standing, Renji patted her
on the shoulder.� �It�s okay. Have a seat
Ichigo; I�ll be back in a few minutes.� He gave Rukia a quick wink of the eye
before he left the table.

Once they were alone, Rukia
smiled at her friend, and patted the seat next to her. Ichigo smirked and sat
down.� There was a brief silence before either
of them spoke.

�Well.� Ichigo said
nervously.

�Well.� Rukia repeated,
clasping her hands together on the table, staring at him patiently.��

�So that�s your old friend
Renji.� Ichigo asked.

�That�s my old friend
Renji.� Rukia replied, noting his mockery.�

�I had an old friend Renji
once. Kinda looked like him too,� Ichigo said with a bit of mirth in voice. �He
had heartworm really bad so we had put him down.�

�What is the emergency
Ichigo?� Rukia asked, her tone agitated.�

�I�m getting to it,� Ichigo
assured her, nodding his head, never looking her in the eye.

�There is no emergency, is
there Ichigo?� Rukia spoke gravely.�

�Yes there is.� There is an emergency.� Ichigo repeated
again.� He couldn�t get his damn leg from
shaking from under the table�

�Alright,� Rukia drawled out
slowly, her patience wearing thin.�

Pausing briefly, Ichigo
grabbed the nearest glass of wine and gulped it down quickly.� Yeah, he was underage, but he was no stranger
to having a drink.� And he needed one
badly now.� Rukia just watched him,
bemused at how jittery he suddenly became.

�Well� I kind of realized something last night.�� Ichigo began, still not looking at her.

��What?� Rukia
asked, her curiosity now peaked.

�I made a decision.� A big
decision,� Ichigo added, finally looking over at the raven-haired beauty, his
cheeks flushed. He quickly looked away from her, ashamed of what she might have
seen in his eyes.� �God, Rukia.�

Rukia fretfully smiled at
his vulnerability, trying to search his eyes but he shielded them away. ��What
Ichigo?�

Ichigo looked at her again;
this time ready to say what needed to be said.�
�Look, what I�m trying to say is I-�

�Hi,� Renji said coolly,
making them both jump.� They both stared
at him awkwardly before Ichigo slid down in his seat a little and Rukia tucked her
hair behind her ear, smiling. �Did I come back too soon?��

�No,� Rukia and Ichigo said
in unison, diverting their eyes off of Renji nervously.�

�In fact the meeting is
over,� Ichigo said with a placid smile, getting up from his seat.� Renji never sat down, and they both seemed to
stare each other down for a moment; sizing the other one up.� Rukia notices the sudden apprehension between
the two, and she bit her lip, thinking hard of something to say.

�Would you like to stay for
a drink?�� Renji asked Ichigo, breaking
the tension between them.�

�I wouldn�t want to impose��
Ichigo told him as he stuffed his hands inside of his pockets.�

�You�re not imposing, I
insist,� Renji sat down next to Rukia, nodding to Ichigo to sit.

He hesitated for a moment,
catching a brief glance of Rukia�s pleading face to not follow through.� He hunched his shoulders, giving a slight
chuckle as he said, �Maybe for just one
drink.��

Rukia sighed, pursing her
lips together as she sat back against the leather red cushions.� �Great.��
As Ichigo sat back down opposite of Rukia, she couldn�t help but wonder
what were the chances of the two men that she was now sandwiched between both
being here tonight.� �This is good� I
wanted you two to meet again; I didn�t think it would be tonight� but this is nice.�

There were a few small chortles
between them before it died down to an awkward silence.� Getting an extra glass, Renji filled all
their glasses and they made a brief toast.�
Rukia�s eyes lit up with a topic for conversation as she took a small
sip from her glass. �You know Renji has been promoted back to
Vice-Captain.��

�Really?� Ichigo said as took a gulp of the house wine
again.�

�It�s really no big deal,
Rukia.� Renji chided.

�It is a big deal Renji,�
Rukia said placing a hand on his briefly.�
�You�re only a step away from captain now and there are two captain
positions open!��

�Maybe you can try out for
one of the captain spots Ichigo,� Renji told him as he took a drink.�

�I can�t do it; I have to
finish up school you know, it being my last year and all.�� Ichigo replied as he jiggled the wine glass
from each hand.

Renji nodded, taking another
sip.� He looked down at his drink,
nudging Rukia.� �This drink reminds me of
when we had that training up in the Tongan
Mountains south of the Rukongai.� Remember
that, Rukia?�

Rukia laughed, covering her
mouth as she thought about what he said.�
�How can I forget the Tongan
Mountains?� That was something!� They both chuckled
together, and Ichigo noticed how they seem to blush.�

�What�s so special about the
Tongan Mountains?�� Ichigo asked, inwardly irritated that he
wasn�t part of the conversation.

�It was towards the end of
the semester when our class got assigned to go to the Tongan Mountains
for hollow training,� Renji started off with much enthusiasm in his voice.� �We camped out on that mountain for five
days.� On our last night Rukia twisted
her ankle badly while fighting this hollow� and instead of holding up the
entire class I offered to carry her back down to the Soul Society.� She wasn�t heavy or anything� it was all the
camping gear we had that made the trip down so strenuous.�� Renji looked over at Rukia, a small and yet obscure
smile on his face.� �But we made it down�
didn�t we Rukia?�

Ichigo didn�t like the
cryptic tone in Renji�s voice.� And as he
watched how Rukia blushed, lowering her head shyly as Renji gazed at her it was
quite obvious that something occurred between them while they made their hike
back down that mountain.

�Yeah� two days and two
nights, but we made it.� Rukia spoke softly, seeming to look lost in nostalgia
as she lifted her head up to smile at the red-headed Shinigami.�

Ichigo�s eyes narrowed down
to mere slits, hating how they just ignored him as they swooned looking at each
other� revolting.� Taking another huge
swig of his house wine, he looked at the couple darkly as he managed to say,
�Seemed like fun.�

�What was?� Rukia asked
quickly, hearing the suspicion in his voice.�

�The hike down the mountain�
what else would I be referring to?� Unless there was something else�� Ichigo quipped, his head already spinning from
the effects of the alcohol.�

�Maybe you�ve had too much
to drink, Ichigo,� Renji warned him, amused with his sudden outburst.� �You are still a school kid-�

�But I�m still a man, just
like you,� Ichigo spat out, his light
spirited mood quickly evaporating.� �I
don�t have hundreds of tattoos on my body or my fucking hair up in a sissy
ponytail, but I�m all man. Fucking believe it.��

�Ichigo!� Rukia exclaimed, shocked he was behaving so badly.

�I wasn�t calling you a child,
Ichigo� but you�re acting like one now.��
Renji teased, jabbing Rukia in her shoulder.� �He can�t take a fucking joke!�

�Can you both stop using
that language in here?� Rukia pleaded, looking over her shoulder at the other
patrons.� �This is a fancy
restaurant.� Act civilized.�

�Spoken like a true noble,�
Ichigo spoke, his tone cruel as the effects of the alcohol gave him courage to
say things he only dared to think.� �You
think you�re some high class shit, don�t you Rukia? You curse just as bad as we
do!�

�There�s
a time and a place for everything Ichigo,� Rukia spoke through gritted teeth,
trying hard not to yell.� �Shut up.�

�Let�s get out of here,
shall we?� Renji finally said, throwing his hands up into the air.� Rukia frowned, not only was her evening
ruined, but Renji had managed to get slightly drunk as well.

Rukia sighed, throwing her
napkin down onto her empty dinner plate.�
�I suppose so��

As Ichigo stumbled out onto
the sidewalk, he grabbed a hold of the bus stop sign on the corner.� He felt good; but his head was spinning like
a damn top.� Clutching the sign tighter,
he shut his eyes tight, hoping the vertigo would leave him.� He finally opened his eyes, looking at Rukia
and Renji chatting quietly with each other, and then she looked over at him,
pity laced across her face at his drunken display.� Renji reached out and rubbed her arm, and he
heard him tell her it would be okay.� He
walked over to Ichigo, who was now letting of the sign as he attempted to stand
up straight.�

�Come on Ichigo� I�ll walk
you home buddy.�� Renji proposed.�

�I don�t need anyone to walk
me home,� Ichigo slurred waving his hands.�
�You walk Rukia home, I�ll be fine.�

�Ichigo,� Rukia said softly
as she walked up to him her with concern in her eyes. �Let Renji walk you
home.� I�ve called myself a taxi� so I�ll
be fine.�

Ichigo smiled, placing a
heavy hand on her shoulder.� �You always
look out for me, Rukia�� He looked over at Renji with heavy eyelids.� �Isn�t she the greatest?��

�Yeah, she is.� Renji replied.

�This is a good guy,
Rukia.�� Ichigo shouted out to Rukia,
slapping him hard on his back as they began to walk down the sidewalk.� Rukia only waved, watching her two friends
walk away.� Sighing, she felt grateful
that the evening was over, but she now pondered on what Ichigo was trying to tell
her earlier.

@@@@@

Pulling up the closed
window, Renji climbed inside before pulling a very drunk and very limp Ichigo
through.� He was glad his bed was right over
the window, and Ichigo plopped face first onto the mattress.�

�Hanging in there, Ichigo?�
Renji asked after noticing he wasn�t making a sound.� Frowning, he poked Ichigo in the shoulder, and
he groaned.� �Are you okay?�

�I�m gonna
hurl,� Ichigo rasped out, trying his best to pull himself up on shaky
arms.� Renji looked around the room, and
saw the wastepaper basket under the desk.�
He quickly rushed over and grabbed it just in a nick of time as he heard
Ichigo dry heave.� Setting the basket
down, Ichigo was now sitting up on the edge of bed.� He pulled it close to him, leaning forward as
the vomit spewed from his mouth.�

After vomiting for what
seemed like for several minutes, he weakly fell backwards on the bed.� Renji walked over and picked his feet up,
sliding his legs around until they lay at the foot of the bed.� Crinkling up his nose at the wastepaper
basket, he patted Ichigo on the leg.�
�Keep that basket near you in case you gotta
go again, okay?��

As Renji began to climb back
out the window, Ichigo called out to him.�
�Hey, Renji.��
His voice was gravelly and sluggish, almost like he was in between unconsciousness.� �You�re alright man.�

Renji smiled. �Try not to
fall out of bed.� Night.�

Renji was an earshot out the
window just when he heard Ichigo mutter, �Rat bastard.�� He froze; looking over his shoulder at the
man lying there, obviously passed out and snoring.� He narrowed his eyes at the Shinigami as he
closed the window, climbing down the Kurosaki Clinic building and making his
way down the dark city street.�

@@@@@

Rukia sat on the edge of her
bed, nervously playing with a string on her nightgown.� It wasn�t anything fancy or revealing- just a
simple cotton oversized tee that she lounged around in on the weekends.� In the background she had her CD player on,
the music playing lightly as she thought about what she was about to do- and
with whom.� Everything was so perfect
tonight- Renji came to her door with flowers, they laughed all the way over to
the restaurant and he even managed to give her a quick peck on the lips while
she snuggled close in the booth.�� At
that moment she knew what she was doing was right, it felt good to be around
Renji, and it was time they rekindled what they almost started so many years
ago.

Then Ichigo came and chaos
ensued.

Why did he come there, tonight of all nights? Rukia thought to herself.� Just looking at his face crashed all her
expectations of what was going to happen tonight.� Damn
you Ichigo, for ruining my evening and
my piece of mind!

Then there was something weird
about how he was acting, too.� He was
nervous- a trait she never saw in him.�
His face was getting all flushed and he was jittery when he was trying
to tell her something- but what was it?�
And then he began drinking- yet another thing she�d never seen him do.� It was like he was drowning his sorrows,
right in front of her.

But over
what?

A small knock on her door
drew her out of her thoughts, and the door opened.� Renji poked his head in, a warm smile on his
lips.�

�Are you decent?� Renji said
in a playful tone.�

�Yeah, come on in
knucklehead.� Rukia laughed.� Renji
stepped inside, quietly shutting the door behind him.� He leaned against the door, gazing at Rukia
as he titled his head to one side.�

�You know he�s quiet a
character,� Renji noted, referring to Ichigo.�

�Who? Justin Timberlake?��
Rukia asked, the music until the
end of time playing on the CD player.�

Renji laughed, pushing
himself off the door as he placed his hands on his hips.� �Yeah� him.�� Rukia smiled shyly, putting her head down to
cover her laugh when she heard him speak again.�
�Come here.��

Rukia raised her head up,
looking at Renji. All the humor had left his features; he now stared at her
with wanting intensity. �She hesitated to
move at first; but then she stood and walked slowly across the room to
him.� As she stood in front of him, her
heart beat furiously as his hand reached out and caressed her face.� She leaned into his touch, closing her
eyes.� Renji�s other hand rested on her
shoulder, which led up to the back of her neck.�
He gently pulled her towards him, and they kissed.� This was not like the kiss she got at the
restaurant.� This kiss was hungry and
passionate.� As he backed her to the bed,
he slid his hands across her ribs under her tee, making Rukia shiver with
anticipation.�� They both fell back on
the bed, and Renji pulled the tee over Rukia�s head, exposing her naked body to
him.�

@@@@@

Rukia laid there tangled in
the bed linens, her head propped up on her pillow as Renji was lying partially
on her, his head resting on her stomach.�
Renji was gentle as he made love to her, in spite of fact it was over
before she could get warmed up.� She was
so close to climax when she felt him shudder with his thrusts, so to ensure
that he wouldn�t feel bad about it later- she faked.�

He rolled off of her
exhausted, and Rukia�s body still tingled for more.� She knew the effects of the alcohol didn�t
help him or their bout; but at the present moment their lovemaking wasn�t the
primary problem.�

Even now as she lay
entangled between the sheets with another man, her thoughts still plagued
her.� She looked down at Renji, his hair lying
down around his back and shoulders as he held on to her possessively. My dry
spell is over�I should be satisfied�right? Rukia thought to herself sullenly. �Her eyes drifted over to the bedroom window,
noticing how the stars twinkled in the night sky.� With a fully awake mind, she knew rest was
not coming soon.� One thought, or one
person kept coming to mind.�

Ichigo.�

::To Be Continued::

_____

*Japanese-style cafeterias

** $40.29 US dollars
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Tell Her