Disclaimer: This is mine, but Bleach isn't.

Note: One-shot. Ichigo x Rukia. I'm totally for I x R by the way.

Overture

A slight rustle of the bed as it moved with the shift in weight.

Her eyes cracked open and then fluttered for a while, trying to get accustomed to the bright light that was coming from the window. The strange familiarity and yet unfamiliarity of it all took a while to settle in.

Her hand reached over to the area beside her. The bed was warm.

She turned to her side and watched as he did his morning stretches. He glanced over, a silent acknowledgement that he realized she had awoken. It was a different way of waking up for her this time. Leisurely watching him in this room bathed in the golden rays of the morning sun, snuggled in the covers that held his warmth and lying on a bed that was not too short for her. Everything felt so right.

But was it?

She pondered over this question so many times, countless nights she had lain in her bed thinking of the many what ifs. And now, one of her what ifs had become reality, but still she did not know if it was right. The issue, "Do I belong here?" still remained embedded deeply in her mind. The very legitimacy of her existence in this world was the question. How does one find the answer to such a question?

After he left the room, she slipped out from the covers and pulled the robe over herself. The robe was the only thing she brought with her when she left. Everything else was left behind because that was the way it should be. That was her choice. This was a world that contained none of the paraphernalia of her life. Maybe she was wrong to have chosen to come back. The only evidence of her existence was her standing there in that robe. Nothing else belonged to her.

This room did not belong to her. Neither the shirt slung over the back of the chair, nor the books all neatly arranged on the shelves, nor the bag left lying beside the desk. All of them were bits and pieces of his life, all proof that this was his world. She invaded his world, wanting to claim a place here, only to realize that there is nothing for her to claim. This world was not hers. She had forsaken it a long time ago, so long ago that she did not even have memories of when this world was still hers. And now, it no longer was.

She padded softly down the corridor and towards the bathroom where Ichigo was washing up at the sink. She stood at the open door, observing the place. There were two shower gels in plastic transparent bottles, one flavored passion fruit, one flavored green tea and another one, in an opaque bottle, that was a lightly scented shower cream. There were also three different kinds of shampoos and conditioners all cluttered at a shelf affixed to the wall near the shower. At the sink counter, there were two tubes of facial wash, one container of hair wax, three mugs… All of these were evidence of the bathroom being used by more than one person and evidence of their existence. None of which, belonged to her.

He finished cleaning up and looked up. Through the reflection in the mirror, she could see that he was observing her and at the same time, she too, was observing him. The deep weariness in his eyes she had seen so many times was gone, replaced by a more subtle mature sense of resolution. He was changing. Changing in this world of his, while she was stuck in between, unable to change because she did not know how and unable to cross over to his world because it was not hers.

He turned to face her and handed her his toothbrush.

"We ran out of new ones." He said simply and waited for her to take the toothbrush but she did not. She just stared at his toothbrush silently.

He scowled a little. "I cleaned it, you know."

Her eyes widened slightly while her hands quickly reached out and took the toothbrush from him. She held it in both her hands and placed it close to her chest and shook her head, saying that it was not the reason.

A tiny smile of gratitude tugged at the corners of her lips.

She now understood. No legitimacy or proof of her existence was needed to show that she belonged. Wherever he was, he would keep a place for her. She belonged wherever he belonged. That was all there was to it.

She was home.

- The End of their Beginning -

This is the beginning, not the end.

And with each ending, comes a new beginning.

So they ended a journey to start a new one.

And hence, this is the overture.

It had to be a toothbrush. It was an old idea (about 3 months old) thatjust got stuck in my head. It was done when I was really sleepy so probably not as good as I wanted it to be in my head... but I had to write it down before I got un-bored (yeah, I know it's not a word). I hope it was an enjoyable read though. Thank you for reading!