Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ The Aftermath ❯ Cool ( Chapter 9 )

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

Ichigo remembered having a conversation with his father once. Just after the first fight with Grandfisher, he was standing in front of his mother's grave, when his father walks up and lights a cigarette. He had thought his father had stopped smoking, but it turned out that whenever his father visited his mother's grave, he would smoke one. He said it was because his mother had once called it cool. Ichigo never fully knew what his father meant, but he knew that one day he might, and if so, it might be the best day of his life.

"Ichigo, to the left, to the left!" Rukia screamed as Ichigo dodged to the right of a Hollow's fist and ended up being slugged by its tail. He grunted in pain as he fell back to the ground. Now, normally he didn't have any problem with fighting Hollows, but it was getting so easy lately that him an Rukia would bet money and set some sort of handicap. Today he was going in while wearing a blindfold. Sounds fun right? Wrong, just ask Ichigo's bruised shoulder and cut thigh.

"Ichigo, defend yourself!" Rukia yelled, waving her arms around like mad. It was a good thing she was in Shinigami from too, or else someone would think she was crazy. Rukia, crazy? Impossible...

"Atack him now!" Rukia roared. Ichigo did as she said, and suprisingly, he cleaved the hollow straight in two. He slowly removed the blindfold and looked around. Rukia was running up to him while wearing a very large grin.

"Yeah, I know, pay up." Ichigo sighed as he grabbed the wallet off his body that was lying not to far away. He handed over what he owed and watched as Rukia flipped through the pay and put it with her gigai which was right next to Ichigo's body.

"How many bets have I won now?" Rukia asked, triumphant smirk in place.

"All of them, you little..." Ichigo said as he gritted his teeth and began to mumble a few harsh words.

"And do you know why I always win?"

"No..."

"It's because I always bet on you."

"So?"

"So, I have faith that you will never fail me, or my wallet." Rukia smiled childishly.

"How nice..." Ichigo groaned.

"So, what next?" Rukia asked as she walked over to her gigai and began to slip into it. Ichigo walked over to his body and did the same.

"I guess we can go see a movie or something like that." Ichigo said once he was in one piece again.

"Oh, Ichigo, are you asking me on a date?" Rukia said in her fake voice and smile. She knew, very well, that they pissed Ichigo off.

"Shut up." Ichigo ordered as he began to walk away.

Later on, the two were at the local movie theatre and were sitting down with a bag of popcorn. Of course, Rukia was amazed by the giant movie screen. It wasn't her first time at the movies, but she always fell into awe when she saw it.

"So, what movie did you choose?" Rukia asked as the lights began to dim.

"Well, we fight all of the time, so I didn't choose anything violent; we see scary things everyday, so I didn't choose a thriller; and we are friends with a bunch of idiots and psychos, so I didn't choose a comedy." Ichigo explained throughout the previews.

"So, what did you pick?" Rukia asked again.

"A romance." Ichigo said as the movie started.

"Yuck." Rukia grimaced as while sticking her tongue out at the idea.

"You're such a child." Ichigo smiled as he turned his attention to the movie screen. The movie was mildly interesting. It was about a two people in modern day Japan who were from two different worlds but ended up together anyway. Actually, it had the same plot as any other romance. Two people, a problem, and ending up together. Around the end of the movie, Rukia looked over at Ichigo and saw him grab a handfull of popcorn. He slowly raised it to his mouth, and in a quick motion, he tossed the popcorn in the air and caught ever piece in his mouth without even moving his head. At the end of the movie, everyone walked outside and into the fading light of the evening.

"Hey, Ichigo." Rukia said as they walked back home.

"Yeah." Ichigo grunted.

"Where did you learn to eat popcorn like that?" Rukia asked.

"That? It's about the only thing I ever really learned from my dad." Ichigo said as he looked down at her.

"Really, because it made you look, uh what's that word you humans use...um...cool! yeah, it made you look cool." Rukia smiled. Ichigo cocked an eyebrow at her and stopped walking. Rukia stopped also and looked back at him.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" Rukia asked.

"Oh, what? Nothing, just remembered a talk I had with my dad once." Ichigo said as he began to walk forward again.

So Ichigo did know what it felt like now. It wasn't the compliment, but who it was from. and it was from Rukia. That's what made it important. He wanted to feel this feeling again, and the only way to do that, was to take Rukia to the movies more often. Oh well, it sounded like a good idea to him.