Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ The Aftermath ❯ Flashbacks ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Ichigo and Rukia had been friends for almost two years now. A whole two years of insults, fighting, smiling, and happiness. Everything they did together was one big mood swing. One second they were laughing at eachother, the next they were laughing together. It made no sense, but it didn't matter, they were friends and could do whatever they wanted. Sometimes they would look back at the past two years and cry, and sometimes they would look back and laugh, either way, it was still one big mood swing.

Ichigo quietly opened his window and climbed his way up to the roof. Sometimes he just liked to sit, watch the stars, and clear his head. As he grabbed the edge of the drainpipe and prepared to swing himself up, he heard the pipe begin to crack.

"Great, I knew I shouldn't have eaten had that extra bowl at dinner..." He sighed as he watched the pipe slowly detach. He quickly shifted his grasp to the edge of the roof, which made it a lot harder to hold on. At least if he fell he wouldn't damage the house.

"Hey, fat-ass, want some help?" A voice asked from somewhere on the roof. Whoever it was, he was glad they were there.

"Shut-up and help me!" He snorted. He wasn't in the mood for jokes, not the greatest time you know. Ichigo waited as he heard footsteps coming towards him and felt two small hands wrap around his wrists.

"Damn your heavy." The person grunted as they began to pull Ichigo up. In a quick blur of motion, Ichigo was sent flying onto the roof. A scream could be heard before it was quickly cut off by a dull thud. Ichigo looked around for the person that had helped him.

"Hello?" He asked. He saw and heard no one. Strange, he knew someone had been up here, the slight tingle on his wrists told him so.

"Get-off-me-you-idiot!" A muffled voice said from somewhere below. Ichigo looked down and saw a pair of arms and legs waving around under him. He quickly jumped away.

"Oh sorry, you okay?" He asked quickly as he saw who it was. None other than Rukia Kuchiki.

"Stupid fool, you almost squashed me!" She spat as she got up and brushed herself off. Ichigo only stared on as she continued to ramble about his idiocy and how reckless he was. He thought it was funny how she rambled on and on. After a good solid five minutes, he set himself down on the roof and looked at the stars. The problem was, Rukia was still going.

"And another thing--" Rukia began before Ichigo cut her off. Good timing.

"Hey midget, stop your whining and watch the stars with me." Ichigo ordered, not even taking the time to look at her. Rukia sighed and set herself down beside him. She made sure there was at least a foot between them.

"So...why are you up here anyway?" Rukia asked after she had settled down. Ichigo only grinned as he continued to look at the blackened sky.

"I heard tiny footsteps on the roof and was scared that a baby might have gotten stuck up here." He half-laughed. He didn't need to look at Rukia because he knew she would only get mad at him.

"Am I really that short?" Rukia asked. Ichigo was much more than suprised. He expected to be punched, kicked, or beaten altogether, but not that. Rukia wasn't exactly a self-concious type, so it was rare to hear her talk like that.

"I mean, I didn't think I was that short, but the way everyone always goes on about it..." Rukia went on. Ichigo sighed, he understood now. It was quiet, they were alone, and Rukia loved to open up to him about multiple things. Lucky him.

"Rukia, shut-up, you're not that short." Ichigo said as he glanced over at her. She was staring right back. Great, he was caught. One thing about those big violet eyes that he's noticed, you look, you're stuck.

"But I'm still short..." Rukia said without blinking. Ichigo found that kind of creepy.

"So, everyone likes you short." Ichigo half-smiled.

"You too?" Rukia asked. Ichigo was screwed. He hated tender moments, but he didn't exactly want to hurt her feelings. Look at all the choices we have!

"Uh...yeah...me too..." Ichigo half-smiled, his cheeks turned slightly pink. You would almost think he felt awkward. Things were quiet for awhile after that. Until Ichigo became restless, probably because of the closeness of the tiny shinigami next to him. Somehow, both of them had become a good four inches closer to eachother.

"Hey, Rukia, remember how we met?" Ichigo asked as he continued star-gazing. He couldn't recall the last time he and Rukia had talked about past experiences that didn't have to do with fighting. Wierd huh?

"Yeah, you kicked me in the back and I wrote on your face." Rukia said in a flat-monotone. Ichigo couldn't tell why though, it was a funny thougt to him, and yet she acted like it was an everyday meeting. Last he checked, girls popping out of walls and Hollows trying to eat your family wasn't an everyday thing. For him it was, but that wasn't the point.

"It sounds funny when you think about it." Ichigo said as he turned his head towards Rukia. He was hoping to see some reaction. He liked her better when she was happy.

"I suppose." Rukia sighed. She looked to be deep in thought. Ichigo, being the nosy son-of-a-bitch he is, wanted to know what was swimming around in her head.

"Rukia, what's got you so distracted?" Ichigo asked as he sat up and looked down at her.

"Just thinking about all of the crap you've had to go through since I showed up." Rukia answered, turning to look at him.

"Like what?" Ichigo said, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"You know, fighting Hollows, fighting Soul Society, fighting Arrancar, fighting your Inner-Hollow, dealing with Kon..." Rukia listed with a blank expression on her face. Ichigo knew this fact well, but he sure as hell did a lot of fighting.

"Okay, but what about all the good stuff that's happened to me since I met you." Ichigo said as he cut off her list, compiled mainly of fighting.

"Like...?" Rukia asked as she too sat up and looked Ichigo square in the eye.

"I met a lot of people, got to go to a bunch of victory parties, learned a lot of lessons, became stronger, I met you..." Ichigo ended his list their. He spilled a little too much their. He hoped Rukia wouldn't pick up on what meeting her had to do with the best things about his life. It was fact, but he was also in self-denial.

"Yeah, I guess that's true..." Rukia half-smiled. Ichigo nodded and took a look at the moon. It was just past the middle of the sky, meaning it was time to go inside and sleep. Ichigo got up slowly and stretched.

"I going to bed." He said as he began to walk back to his bedroom window.

"Me too, I guess." Rukia sighed as she began to walk towards the window to the room she shared with the twins.

"Good night." Ichigo called across the roof. Rukia turned around and gave him a look he hadn't seen before. It was a somewhat deviant yet please grin.

"Good night to you too, and Ichigo, meeting you was the best thing to ever happen to me too." She smiled before she swung herself down and into the twin's bedroom. Ichigo only stared, wide-eyed, mouth agape, at where she had been. She was, once again, that much closer to his heart.

"Fuc-uh-ah!" Ichigo yelled as his feet slipped and he fell off of the roof. The stars danced before his eyes as he stood up and steadied himself. All-in-all, it was the perfect end to the perfect night.