see the west wind move like a lover's soul
feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth...
i never make promises lightly
and there have been some that i've broken
but i swear in the days still left
we will walk in fields of gold

Chapter Eight

Fighting These Feelings

Rukia's cheeks shone a bright red, and her mouth stayed togther, pressed in a tight line through her lips. She walked with her arms crossed around her chest.

"What is wrong with Kuchiki-san?" Orihime asked Ichigo. The two walked at the back of the group a few feet behind Rukia, who walked behind the larger cluster of Eurpoean models, their other classmates, and Keigo, who constantly held a tissue up to his face to clot his chronic nosebleed.

Ichigo eyed the smaller girl in front of him. "She's mad at me."

"What did you do this time?"

"Princess over there is mad at me because she says that I didn't let her eat any of my eclairs last night, EVEN THOUGH I LET HER HAVE AN ENTIRE ONE OF MY TWO. And she's mad that I didn't pick up her bunny's poop, ALTHOUGH I PICKED UP AS MANY AS I SAW ON THE FLOOR," he replied, sure that Rukia could hear their conversation. "IT'S NOT MY FAULT THAT HE COULD CRAWL UNDER THE FURNITURE AND POOP THERE TOO."

"Ichigo, it would have taken another thirty seconds for me to run upstairs and put Bunny back in his cage," Rukia yelled back. She didn't bother to turn around to yell at him. "After you left last night, I picked up more poop than you did!"

"You two hung out last night?" Orihime asked quietly. Ichigo shrugged in response. "No wonder why you guys didn't show up at dinner. I was wondering where you were, Kurosaki-kun. I didn't realize you had planned a date, I wouldn't have called you as much as I did."

"It wasn't a date," Ichigo huffed.

"And if it was, it was the WORST date in this HISTORY of HORRIBLE DATES!" added Rukia.

Ichigo felt a twitch in his left eye. "That's not what you were moaning when you were eating it last night! I couldn't even hear the television over you, and now you're saying the cake I bought you was HORRIBLE?! You're the one who picked it!"

"It gave me a STOMACHACHE!"

"Maybe if you weren't such a cow and eaten so much, you wouldn't have had such a bad stomachache!" Ichigo bellowed. He didn't care about the looks he got from the surrounding people, he just wanted to make his point and be right about it. "Or maybe if your stomach wasn't so small, it could take in everything your black-hole of a mouth was taking in!"

Rukia whipped around so her forehead touched Ichigo's, even though it took all of her efforts to grab Ichigo's shirt front and get up on her tippy toes to do it. She gritted her teeth together. "Call me some form of short one more time," she muttered.

Ichigo leaned over, closer to the shorter girl, forcing her back down into the flats of her feet. With a smirk of his own, Ichigo reached up to grab a firm hold on Rukia's small wrist. She could feel the electricity flowing between their bodies as they touched. Rukia couldn't tell if she wanted to pull away and back down, or push her luck even further.

"Rukia-chan," Ichigo cooed in a low, husky voice. Her breath hitched in her throat, not being used to hearing the affectionate familiar used with her name. "I'm thinking it might have been a bad idea to invite you to the Autumn Festival because I'm not quite sure you will make the ride...height...requirements."

Rukia took in a long and deep breath, making her lungs swell with air. She suddenly felt so flustered by the orange-haired wonder that she just quietly exhaled the oxygen she took in, planning her own act of retaliation. Since she couldn't think of a good retort fast enough, Rukia took in a long breath and wrinkled her face in her ugliest cry face. She filled her head with enough sad thoughts that the tears slid freely down her cheeks. Rukia thrust herself upon Keigo with her best helpless damsel act. "Oh Asano-kun, please rescue me. Kurosaki-san is such a brute when it comes to a woman's feelings," she swooned, placing the back of her hand onto her forehead for extra flare.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, but Keigo instantly dropped his tissues to console his Rukia-chan. He threw an arm around Rukia, who shook it off immediately, and glared at his classmate for offending such a beautiful woman. "Ichigo! I should berate you for making an angel cry, but I shall also thank you for bringing her to my must humble of care. Don't worry Kuchiki-san, I will take care of you tonight," he said with much gusto.

The group made their way through the festival entrance, first waiting in a short line to pay the fee. Orihime and Tatsuki led the way, followed by Ishida and Sado. Ichigo didn't know how he managed it on a fifteen year-old's allowance, but Mizuiro paid for all eleven of the European models who strutted around in their traditional Japanese yukata, and of course, for his own beautiful girlfriend who towered a good six inches above him. Ichigo followed behind Keigo and Rukia, who turned around to give him a wink and a thumbs-up when her current escort paid for her entrance fee. He would have rolled his eyes if he hadn't been busy taking in Rukia's silhouette in the sunlight. She wore a lavender sun dress that perfectly matched the hue of her eyes, and Ichigo wouldn't have thought much else about it, except that the skirt poofed out a bit from the layering underneath it, as if it dared him to try to peek under to get a good look at the tantalizing milky white and, ironically, short legs it covered.

"Oi Ichigo!"

A voice called out to him, and he focused on Mizuiro who waved at him with his free arm that wasn't linked with his girlfriend. Ichigo finally nodded in recognition. "Yo."

"Where do you think we should go first?"

Ichigo looked around the carnival area, which was the first expanse they travelled through. Next, at the center of the festival, was a grand stage that hosted several different performances through the day, and beyond this came the local river where visitors placed candlelit blossoms as offerings to those in the afterlife, as well as rows of food stands that looked like it extended for another half mile ahead. It seemed the best plan of action was to stay in the area with rides and laughing people.

Ichigo nodded to the closest ride: a two story haunted house with cheap, slow moving vehicles. "What about that dinky thing?" he suggested.

Mizuiro shrugged and pulled his giggling girlfriend towards the entrance. The group paired off, since each cart only held two passengers, but Sado took the initiative to sit by himself to prevent going over the weight limit. While they waited in line, Rukia leaned in close to Orihime. "Do you think I can sit with you? I don't think I can handle Keigo any more," she asked with a lazy smile.

Orihime nodded, and the two girls slipped into a cart together before anyone could protest, namely Keigo. He mock-fainted into the next cart, next to Ishida who crossed his arms in silent resentment that he had to sit with someone who indulged himself shamelessly in dramatics. Ichigo prepared to step into the next cart when a petite hand clutched his bicep. He turned to look into the emerald green eyes of one of the European models. She smiled, her brilliant white teeth matching the shine in her golden blonde locks. She looked absolutely gorgeous, as a model should, and something devious twinkled in her eyes.

"Be a gentleman and help me in?" she asked. Her voice came across smoothly, like a cat's purr.

Ichigo nodded, and helped the girl into the arriving cart. He made sure to deflect his eyes off to the side when she lowered herself to sit, since anyone standing above her could get an aerial view of her ample chest. "Aren't you coming in with me?" she asked, eyeing Ichigo, who still stood on the loading platform. "My name is Glinda, and I promise I don't bite."

She gave him a little pout, and Ichigo knew this girl knew how to work any hormone-driven boy. Fortunately, he liked his girls feisty. "Sorry Glinda, but Ichi-baka here is my escort!" exclaimed Tatsuki, who flung an arm around her childhood friend. "Have fun on your ride alone, and don't get scared now. Bye-bye!"

The cart began to move away from the dock while Ichigo turned to curiously arch an eyebrow at the spunky girl. "What?" Tatsuki shrugged innocently. Ichigo shook his head before stepping into the next vehicle. As he lowered himself into the cart, Tatsuki gave him a good smack on the back of his head.

"What was that for?!" Ichigo hissed, holding the throbbing area on his skull.

Tatsuki jumped onto the seat next to him. "For that stupid look you were giving Glinda-hime," she sneered. "I don't get what girls see in you Kurosaki. I think I should just spill the beans and tell them you're just a big cry baby."

"I am not!"

"Do you want me to hit you again and we can argue this some more?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes, which had to adjust to the low light in the dark carnival ride. A vampire jumped out from his mechanical coffin, and he noticed the sound effects were almost drowned out by the sound of the creaking gears that powered the cheap ride. Turning back to look at his fellow passenger on the "Ride to Hell", Ichigo was met with Tatsuki's nose directly in front of him.

"Boo!" she said flatly. A smirk crossed her face. "Are you crying yet, Kurosaki?"

"Yes, I have a horribly evil girl sitting next to me," Ichigo retorted. He sighed, noting that there were bats flying about the fires of Hades above him, and slouched deeper in the tiny metal cart.

Tatsuki took the opportunity to elbow him in his ribcage. "So what's up with you and Kuchiki? Are you getting anywhere with her?"

Ichigo groaned in immediate response. Ever since Rukia stayed with him in the living world and began going to school with him, all of his classmates made it their personal agenda to find out the romantic situation between him and the Shrimp, as if there was a prize being awarded to the first person who cracked the case. Nowadays, however, Ichigo was sure there it had been an invisible case they needed to crack, one very hard for even him to see. He frowned. "These days, Tatsuki, dating has been the last thing on my mind."

"I was referring to whether she's gotten a good amount of her memories back," Tatsuki replied slowly. The orange-haired one knew better, and he gave her a doubtful look. He knew her too well. "And I laced my question with a bit of double meaning, but who are you kidding Ichigo? You can't deny that something isn't there, and we all ask because we see it. All of us, except for you and Rukia."

"I don't think this is the right time to be talking about this," Ichigo mumbled.

"So when will it be a good time, when you're sixty and finally mature enough to talk about those icky things called feelings and emotions?" she replied. A sickened expression plagued Tatsuki's face when they entered a room full of clowns. She hated clowns. "All I'm saying is that I am your friend, and I have only your best interests in mind. You need to use your handsome face now so you can bag some chick who's gaga over you, so I won't be stuck with your grumpy, prude, pruny ass when nobody wants you."

Ichigo thought his eyes would roll out of his skull, but he couldn't help the smile that played at the corner of his mouth. "Girls aren't gaga over me," he said flatly.

"Well whether that's true or not, as your oldest friend, I promise I will be there for you until you look like that," replied Tatsuki as she pointed at the skeleton that dropped from the ceiling to scare them. Neither passenger flinched.

Rukia feigned absolute terror to mimic the reactions Orihime had to the mechanical displays from hell. She decided that she would try to appreciate the art the ride designers worked hard to create, since that option seemed the best between that, consoling Orihime who gripped her arm to tightly that Rukia became numb, or looking forward and seeing Mizuiro playing tonsil hockey with his girlfriend in the next cart. Rukia looked away from a gruesome scene with a pig in a kitchen apron cutting apart a full-grown man.

"Orihime, I've been meaning to ask you something," Rukia said, turning to the girl next to her.

"Go ahead," croaked Orihime, who looked a little sick from the ride.

"I wanted to know what Ichigo is to me."

Suddenly, it looked like Orihime forgot her discomfort on the ride. Her eyebrows furrowed, almost like she regretting having to be the one who had to talk to Rukia about it. She looked at her hands, and upon letting go of Rukia, moved to grip the lap bar. "Don't you think you should be asking Kurosaki-kun about that?" Orihime replied slowly.

Rukia shrugged. "But you know Ichigo better than me, and I know that he's not into talking about feelings, and I've only been hanging out with him for a few days. I figured I could save myself a lot of time by asking someone else, and you are the first friend I made after my accident, so I really want to hear your opinion."

"Oh, it's not like it was a stretch for me," she said. Orihime took in a deep breath, nervously biting her lip while she contemplated her thoughts. "Well I know I told you that we're all really good friends, but concerning Ichigo and you...none of us really know what exactly you two have."

"What do you mean?"

"Kurosaki-kun is a very private person. Before you came to Karakura, he usually kept to himself, he doesn't really socialize with anyone, and I never see him outside of school. But when you came around, he was out more, and you two were always together. I can't really say why, but you guys were inseperable."

Rukia nodded, her thoughts bringing her elsewhere. She regressed to an elementary schooler's psyche by picking a fight with Ichigo once they joined up with their friends today; after spending all day together with him yesterday, Rukia couldn't deny that she felt something more than friendship with Ichigo. And just as startling, it seemed more than natural for them. But there was no way she wanted to focus on something, an emotion, so trivial compared to the mess her life had become, and somehow she knew, there was no way frown-faced Kurosaki would ever willingly admit to her that he liked her...no matter how much Rukia dreamed that he did.

"He's a pretty mysterious guy, isn't he?" Rukia murmured.

Orihime smiled. "He is very amazing. Kurosaki-kun always manages to surprise me, and although he doesn't socialize much, a lot of people in our class like him. He doesn't like to show it, but he's quite caring and thoughtful."

There was no mistaking the twinkling in Orihime's brown eyes. Rukia could tell that her friend wasn't bothered by the ride anymore, now that their cart trudged through a graveyard scene with the living dead climbing out of their graves, and then a new feeling settled in the pit of Rukia's stomach. With every loving word and observation Orihime rattled off about the carrot top, Rukia suddenly knew that she wasn't the one with the fuzzies, and that her feelings were dwarfed by the other girl's sheer admiration.

"You really know your Ichigo, Orihime," she replied quietly. Rukia gave her a soft smile. "You should tell him, if you like him so much."

The brown saucers grew wide with apparent shock. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly do such a thing." She jumped when a zombie outstretched its mechanical arm - very slowly - towards them. "Besides, Rukia-chan, I think you'd do better if you consider Kurosaki-kun as more than a friend. He likes you."

"I don't think that would be appropriate on my part. I'm going through a bit of a rough patch, if you don't know."

"But Rukia-"

"I'm sorry I made it weird, Orihime," she interrupted. The cart went full circle and returned to the loading dock where Mizuiro and his model friends waited for the rest of the group to meet up. "I think I'm just confused right now. I'm sorry if I asked you so many questions...I'm just not sure about anything anymore. I've been having these weird moments with Ichigo, but I think I'm just reading too much into it. I just...I'm not in love with him right?"

That sad look returned to Orihime's face. It was all Rukia needed to be sure of herself and the decision to avoid more complications in her life. "That look," commented Rukia. "That's all I needed to know. I shouldn't be thinking of a friend like that then...and I won't concern myself with it anymore. Good. I'm glad that's settled."

"Kuchiki-san," Orihime whispered, but the other girl hopped out of the cart faster than she could explain herself. As much as it pained her to see her crush come so close to finding love for himself, Orihime couldn't bring herself to help it along. She hated the selfishness that now surfaced, even now after she had sworn to help out Ichigo wherever he needed it, but Orihime didn't anticipate exactly how hard playing the matchmaking cards would be. While she lamented, someone brushed against her, and she turned to see Ichigo rushing past her. "Kurosaki-kun?"

He looked when he heard her voice. "Oi Inoue, where did Rukia go? I want to find her and make sure she's not really mad at me."

"Plus he needs her to fend off the evil witch Glinda," added Tatsuki. She pointed across the field to another attraction, the House of Mirrors. "I think she's going in there with the Barbie Troop. Let's go, it looks like fun!"

With a cheer, she looped her arms with both Orihime and Ichigo and pulled them to the shiny attraction.

Rukia followed the group into the House of Mirrors. She immediately separated herself from the group, although not on purpose, when she stepped into the maze of shining glass. Suddenly Rukia felt as lost in the attraction as she was in her head. With the strange images that surfaced whenever her brain decided to confuse her, her present emotions when she was around Ichigo, and the guilt she felt from surviving the accident, Rukia just wanted to feel like a normal teenager. She wanted to enjoy frivolous emotions and play mind games fueled by her hormones, and for once, not have to worry about offending someone else or have to see Orihime's heart breaking in her big eyes. Although she had been slow to realize and admit it, Ichigo became a big reason for her to look forward to tomorrow, and now Rukia couldn't bring herself to look at him again without feeling downright guilty.

Now, she felt like she was trapped in a big, inescapable glass coffin with dozens of Ichigos staring at her.

"Yo Short Stack, you're lower to the ground, so you should be able to look to see if there are mirrors keeping you in by checking the floor," he called out to her. Even his voice surrounded her among the panels of glass.

"What are you talking about Stupid?"

"You're the stupid one," he retorted. Ichigo stuck his tongue out at her, and his visual clones did the same to taunt her from all sides. "You're just standing there like you're a lost little bunny."

Rukia frowned. "I am not lost, I was just thinking!"

"Well stop thinking and get out of there. We're holding up the line for people who want to walk through here," Ichigo retorted.

Sighing, Rukia took a timid step forward, weary of running into a dead end. Ichigo sounded like he had the hang of maneuvering though the maze, but Rukia just wanted to stay away from him and his taunts for a bit. She held up a hand to brace herself for any potential bumps. "Berry, has it ever crossed your mind that I'm trying to separate myself from you?"

"Now why would you want to do that?"

"Because you are so..." A right turn, good.

"...incredibly..." Straight ahead, all clear.

"...absolutely..." Another right, open.

"Infuriating!"

Rukia smacked her forehead right into an undetectable glass panel. She winced and rubbed her throbbing forehead. There was a big smudge on the panel she had run into, and before she could find another route, a firm hand wrapped around the wrist that nursed her surfacing bump. Ichigo looked down, analyzing Rukia's forehead. She felt breathless and incredibly embarrassed while his gaze running over her body with a surprisingly soft expression.

"You'll survive that one, Stump," Ichigo said quietly before leading her by the hand out of the maze, followed by a quiet Orihime and a grinning Tatsuki.

The foursome exited through the other side of the House of Mirrors to rejoin the others, with Orihime taking a special interest in the fluffy cone of Sado's cotton candy. Rukia watched her secretly, all the time wondering what there wasn't to like about the girl. Her body was truly blessed, she had the personality of an angel, and when Rukia compared the other girl to herself, Rukia figured they were in different leagues. Which one Ichigo preferred, it could only be up to him.

"Are you done now?" Ichigo asked after sneaking up next to her when he saw that Rukia stood alone.

Rukia eyed him suspiciously. "Done with you? Yes."

"Oh come on Shrimp, how can you still be mad at me? I rescued you from the maze."

"Not good enough, I still hurt my head."

Ichigo put his hands on his hips, definitely resentful of her last comment. "How about I give you a lesson on being grateful, Short Stack?" Rukia didn't bother to look at him, seemingly more interested in the line of sweets stands aligning the riverbank. He stepped in front of her, purposefully blocking her vision, and bent down so all she could look at was his frowning face. "I'll personally take you home and pick up all of Bunny's poop. AND I will buy you whatever you want to eat from the stands behind me."

Rukia mimicked his stance, trying not to sound impressed by his offer. "Are you that desperate enough to resort to bribery, Berry?"

He shrugged. "You ignoring me isn't the greatest feeling in the world," he mumbled, staring down at the ground. "You're my sidekick, remember?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Rukia stepped to the side so she could move around him. "So after all of those stupid nicknames I have to endure, all I'm reduced to is your little sidekick?" she snapped.

Ichigo didn't know what was going on today. He began to think that a gathering with too many women really made them sync-up and go crazy, since Rukia had been acting too damn weird around him all of a sudden. He turned just as fast to cut her off once more. "Rukia, calm down, I'm just joking here. Not to mention, you were the one who referred to yourself as little." Rukia made a disapproving noise, something crossed between a grunt and a scoff, but Ichigo jumped in front of her again. "Okay, I give up! I'm trying to have a good time with you today, and I have no idea what I did wrong, but you are really mad at me. I hope you know that you mean a lot to me, not just as a sidekick, and I've done everything to be there for you since you came to after the accident."

Rukia couldn't deny the earnestness in his eyes. That electrifying look alone thrilled her deep in her core, and Ichigo continued to pour out the words she wanted to hear. "Please Rukia, don't make me say this again," he continued, lowering his face so he could say it as honestly as he could without anyone else hearing him basically lay down his usual persona for something softer. "I care about you. A lot."

He received a reaction he wasn't expecting when a sad smile crossed Rukia's face. As much as she enjoyed seeing this different and private side of Ichigo, she couldn't help the images of Orihime's own sad face burning in her mind. Rukia knew that in her new life, she couldn't be selfish. "I'm not sure I'm the person you should be saying that to," she said quietly but meeting his gaze. She was addicted to his eyes. "I'm sorry Ichigo. Let's enjoy today, okay?"

She smiled wider, but apprehension still plagued Ichigo. It annoyed him to no end that Rukia accustomed herself to human girl ways, back when she first came from Soul Society and even now, with her changing moods. Ichigo remembered why he never bothered with girls to begin with.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, for a lack of a better thing to do, Ichigo walked over to the nearest food stand and ordered some pork odango for himself...and some sweets to lure a certain ex-Shinigami back onto his good side. He ate the portable food while he stood watching his friends try their luck at a throwing game. Keigo, Muzuiro, Sado, and Tatsuki standing around a booth with several pyramids of wooden bottles standing on individual platforms. For a small fee, the player threw two ratty-looking baseballs at the pile to try to knock all of the bottles off their stand. If you succeeded, you won a plush toy, although it was clear to Ichigo that their group's participants were going for bragging rights.

Keigo was the first to slap his money down and played around with his first baseball in his hand for a bit. Then closing one eye and sticking out his tongue for form, he hurled the ball with all of his might. He successfully knocked off the top bottle, leaving five more underneath in the stack. Keigo let out a small squee that sounded like he hurt himself by overextending his shoulder, but he reached for his second ball without hesitation. He threw and completely missed the target completely. His head hung low in defeat.

Mizuiro stood next in line. He hadn't touched a ball yet, but his fan group cheered him on. His first throw knocked off the top three bottles, and the girls erupted in cheers. Mizuiro threw again, and even though he failed to clear the bottles from the stand, his girlfriend ran up to kiss him senselessly. The booth attendant gave her a small teddy bear in consolation for his efforts, but probably more for thanks to Mizuiro for bringing the models to his lonely booth.

Tatsuki tried her luck next, pushing up her right sleeve to give her arm full range of motion. She threw the ball at the base of the stack, clearing all but a single wooden bottle from the stand. Keigo let out a defeated sigh, pumping the girl up more, and she threw her second baseball to knock the bottle down. The attendant gave her a bear twice the size of Mizuiro's.

Tatsuki's pride was short lived when Sado silently stood at the front of the booth. He paid for his attempts, and gripping the tiny ball in his big hand, Sado reached back before throwing. He cleared the pyramid in a single try. The attendant gave him a giant bear the size of Tatsuki, who glared at the winner.

Ichigo chuckled to himself before looking at the booth next door. He heard Orihime's high-pitched voice cheer on Ishida, who carefully aimed a dart at a wall of balloons. There were several around the entire display, some closer to the thrower and larger in size, while some here farther back and smaller, to increase the game's difficulty. Littered throughout were moving objects meant to block the possible dart assault. Ichigo heard a loud pop, followed immediately by Orihime's laughter, and when he looked over, she was now clutching a large purple platypus-looking creature with a big smile on her face. He smirked when his latest idea popped into his head. Ichigo walked over to Keigo and motioned him over to a new game.

"Hey Asano-baka, let's give you a chance to redeem yourself."

Keigo sobbed and nodded quietly. The group walked together over towards a twenty-foot scale that measured the strength of the person who hit the base to send off a large metal block up towards a bell at the top. Ichigo grabbed Keigo by the shoulder, gripping his friend a little more than roughly when Keigo tried to walk away and avoid more humiliation, but Ichigo managed to successfully bring him to the game. His other hand held onto a big cone of cotton candy, which he meant to give to Rukia, but hadn't been able to spot in a while.

The raven-haired girl had been lured away from the group with the promise of multi-flavored slushees and funnell cakes. Rukia topped her funnell cake with a snowy pile of powdered sugar and cinnamon apples, and then somehow managed to balance her large place in one hand while she filled a wide, two foot tall wishbone glass with a blue raspberry slushee. She tried to eye where her group wandered off to now when something soft bumped into her.

"My funnel cake!" Rukia gasped when she felt it started to slide off her hand, but someone flew by her side to help her. She looked up to see Ishida's square glasses shining on his face.

"Kuchiki-san!" he said, holding the side of her plate. Some of the powdered sugar flew onto his hand, but his eyes grew wide at the amount of sweets the tiny girl held unabashedly. "Is this all for you?"

"Yup. Do you want some?" Ishida shook his head as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his hands clean. Orihime peeked from around her giant stuffed animal to give the other girl a timid smile. Rukia's eyebrows stretched high to show her approval. "That's an awesome...thing, Orihime. Do you have enough room at home for it?"

She nodded. "I think I can manage." Orihime's eyes dropped. "Listen Rukia, I'm really sorry about before-"

"Don't worry about it. I didn't mean to make it awkward when we're supposed to be enjoying ourselves." Rukia gave her a genuine smile, offering her plate to Orihime, but she shook her head no. "I'd ask Ishida to win me one of those, but I don't have the hands for it at the moment."

Orihime moved closer to Rukia, making her jump a little. "Then you better eat quick because I think someone is trying to win you one as well."

The two girls, with Ishida in tow, walked to the latest competition.

"Guys, guys, I really think I hurt my arm at the throwing game," Keigo protested, feeling the weight of the European models' stares on his back. He didn't want to embarrass himself and get beaten by a girl again. He could deal getting beat by his guy friends, but being humiliated by Tatsuki didn't sit so well with him. "I don't think my doctor will appreciate this!"

"Don't be a baby Asano!" Tatsuki yelled at him before shoving him to the stand holding various-sized hammers.

He let out an audible groan, chose the smallest hammer, and poised it over his shoulder. "Good luck, Keigo!" came a high pitched voice. Keigo looked over to see one of the models waving at him, a rosy blush on her face. Two of her friends then clung onto her, the trio erupting in light-hearted giggles. Suddenly, Keigo felt very brave and energized, and with all of his strength and his masculinity on the line, he swung the hammer at the spring. The scale registered the hit at "Manly Girl", rising exactly to the half-way mark. Keigo hung his head low again, but the model who had cheered him on quickly ran to his side. She had bright cerulean eyes and platinum blonde hair, and from Keigo's point of view, a great rack to cry onto. The model cooed something in Swedish, and although he couldn't understand what she was saying, it still sounded like music descending down from the Heavens.

Tatsuki shook her head when she watched Keigo basically melt into the bountiful crevices in the foreigner's chest. She chose the medium-sized hammer for her go at the strength test, and after a few practice swings, Tatsuki sent the metal block up to the panel directly above Keigo's, ranking her as a "Knock-Out". She wanted to flash him a smirk, but then remembered that Sado was following up after her. The silent classmate took the largest hammer in his hands, swung it once, and sent the metal knocker up to the top of the machine, just shy of hitting the bell at the top. The attendant gave him an inflatable hammer that squeaked every time you hit it against something as a consolation prize.

"I'm going to beat that," Ichigo said, gently elbowing Rukia in her side. The two had been standing off to the side of the game, and Rukia ate her funnel cake in sugary bliss while watching the friendly competition. She managed to pack away the dessert faster than she anticipated, especially knowing that Ichigo was sneaking sideways looks at her while she ate.

Rukia shot him an disbelieving look, and Ichigo handed her the stick of cotton candy he had been holding since the baseball booth. "Hold it," he commanded. "Eat it."

She stuck out her tongue, but once Ichigo stepped towards his choice of hammers, her fingers immediately picked at the sugary confection. Her eyes, however, did manage to wander beyond the cotton candy to watch Ichigo's attempt at the game.

Ichigo weighed the largest hammer and decided upon it as his weapon. It felt slightly lighter than Zangetsu and clearly shorter than what he was used to wielding. Although he was still in his human body, and Ichigo never really had the greatest control over his reiatsu, but he pretended like he was about to set off a big Getsuga Tenshou. With a single, devastating swing, Ichigo threw the hammer over his shoulder, sending the metal knocker straight up into the bell, making the entire machine erupt in lights and energetic music. The models all cheered, and as he walked back over to Rukia, Glinda took the opportunity to congratulate him personally.

"Great job, Ichi," she purred, running her hand down Ichigo's defined bicep.

Not wanting another freak out from Rukia, he just nodded back at Glinda before smirking at his cotton candy holder. He wanted her to know that he wanted to show off just for her.

"I can't believe you've been holding onto this clump of pink cotton candy all this time," Rukia said, not even bothering to acknowledge his accomplishment. "I like the blue better."

Ichigo shrugged and led her closer to the attendant by the wall of prizes. He had his choice of any of the prizes, including an array of giant stuffed animals. "Pick one."

"Would you stop bossing me around?"

"Would you stop acting like you're still mad at me?" he replied flatly. "I've decided that I'm going to have fun with you, whether you comply or not. Now pick something."

Rukia pouted a bit as her eyes glided over the numerous choices. She looked back at the winner. "Which one should I pick?"

"I thought it'd be obvious," replied Ichigo. He couldn't believe he was about to say it, and he needed a deep breath to steady himself, but he couldn't imagine Rukia cuddling anything else besides a giant Chappy the same size as her. He pointed at the stuffed animal. "Get that one."

Rukia shoved the last of the cotton candy into her mouth and gave the paper stick back to Ichigo so she could wrap her arms around the giant rabbit. It was lighter than it looked, and she was sure it would just end up in a corner in her apartment, but she would make it a point to snuggle up against it once in a while, just so she could remind herself that Ichigo had won it just for her. Rukia smiled at the thought. However Orihime felt about Ichigo and how much it discouraged her before, Rukia was sure where his affections lay, and surprisingly, she was more embarrassed that she was left toting the giant mass around for the rest of the festival while Ichigo stole her slushee cup, finishing the liquid goodness.

She struggled holding the bear as night fell over the Autumn Festival. "Ichigo, would you hold this monstrosity of a toy?" Rukia groaned, her arms burning from being stretched out for so long.

"I won it for you, so you should appreciate it," he replied coolly.

"My arms are so tired from appreciating it that Chappy is about to take a ride down the river," she muttered.

Chuckling softly, Ichigo took the teddy bear as they walked along the river's edge. The noise of the festival rang on, but the two took a stroll down the river banks to watch the paper lotuses float along, lighting the way for departed spirits with the tea lights inside them. The rest of the group had stopped to eat and watch the traditional drum show, but Rukia didn't feel like staying around everyone, especially when one of the models kept giving her some kind of death stare. She slipped away under the guise that she was getting more food, and Ichigo followed her when he watched her slip beyond the food booths.

"The lights are so pretty," Rukia sighed offhandedly.

"Have you heard anything about your sister's funeral?" asked Ichigo. He eyed Rukia's expression, which seemed down all day despite the entertainment and diversions it offered. He suspected that something was bothering her, and watching the lotus blossoms float didn't seem to be helping, no matter how much Rukia complemented them.

"I don't know, Berry. Everything in my life is so confusing now, and I can't help..." Rukia's voice trailed off, and she looked at him with wide eyes, somewhat fearful of what she was about to say. But she wanted to know the truth. "Ichigo...I don't know if I should be near you anymore."

Ichigo's frustrations crossed his face in a frown. He dropped the chappy doll on its bottom. "What are you getting at now? I'm really tired of your issues, Short Stack."

Rukia covered her face with her hands, and in the darkness, the visions came back to her as vivid as when she first saw them. She hadn't slept very well the night before because she kept having nightmares; Rukia didn't know how many more sleepless nights she could endure. Even as she sorted her thoughts to convey to Ichigo, her forehead began to perspire and her heart sped up. The images she saw were too real, too familiar to not have happened before. There was no way anyone could think of these things on their own.

"I see these things...images of something," Rukia said shakily. She dropped to her knees, tired of supporting herself, and Ichigo knelt next to her. She felt his arms wrap firmly around her from the side, and Rukis could head the loud and furious thump of Ichigo's heart against his chest. For some reason, he was just as nervous hearing what Rukia had to say. "There was one of you in a rainy street, covered in blood. You flying with a giant wing. Swords, blood, fire...sometimes all I see is fire. It's always when I'm with you, and they're always of you."

In the darkness of her hands, Rukia slowly felt the tears surfacing and running down her cheeks. There had to be a reason Ichigo was the one holding her, the one person she could visibly remember from some other life, and the one by her side now, even though out of all of her friends, he seemed the least likely to be the most supportive. She pressed closer to his firm chest, clutching at the front of his shirt, ashamed of the mess she easily crumbled to. Her voice barely came out when she felt the soreness in her ragged throat, and the fingers of her free hand gently traced the skin there now moist from fresh tears. "The earthquake yesterday...there was a man. I thought I was dreaming, or a side effect from when I got hit with whatever, but I know I saw him." If Rukia looked up, she could see a deep frown settling on Ichigo's face. Still, he sat silently. "101...Berry, tell me that I'm not going crazy."

Ichigo let out a long sigh. He needed to talk to Urahara now. He couldn't be sure of the scenes Rukia was describing, but his imagination took the liberty to determine they were memories from when he rescued her from Soul Society, and Ichigo felt guilty for lying to her about the attack at the cemetary. He had one arm wrapped securely around her shoulders, but Ichigo let his other hand roam freely in her soft hair, instantaneously remembering the sensational tickling at his fingertips. "Rukia, I really wish that you could remember your past. There is nothing that I want more than for you to remember everything, and I'm afraid that you wouldn't believe me even if I told you what little I know about your life."

"So you can't tell me anything? Am I just stressed?"

"Stumps, I think it'd be best if you didn't read into things so much. You'll be better off doing that."

"Then those visions are real? They actually happened?"

Ichigo shook his head. Forget about lying to her, he needed to put her safety first. "For you, they can't be real. Don't worry about that stuff anymore, okay?"

"But then...what about these feelings?" A blush heated Rukia's face. She purposefully omitted the image of her and Ichigo kissing under the stars, on a night much like the one they currently sat under. She knew if she told Ichigo what she saw, it would send him running for the mountains. "I asked Orihime if there was something going on between you two, because it seems to me that she really likes you."

"Inoue?!" Ichigo gawked. He took back his arms and crossed them over his chest, his displeasure clearly visible in his chiseled features. "Why would you ask her something like that? She's my friend!"

Rukia cast her eyes down. "I just wanted to know, so I asked." She covered her face again, ready to test the waters. "I didn't want to feel guilty about...how I've been feeling about you."

It seemed like hours while she sat and waited for Ichigo's response, but there was only silence. Finally, Rukia peeked through her fingers to see Ichigo laying out, leaning back on his elbows, a smirk clearly visible in the moonlight. Her first instinct was to hit him on the stomach. "What's so funny?!" Rukia hissed. People could probably sense her mortification all the way back at the festival.

"So you still like me, huh?"

"What?"

Ichigo leaned on his side casually, his cocky smile irritating Rukia to no end. "You went away, before your accident and right before you lost your memory. But when you left, you kissed me. I swore that I would tease you to no end the next time I saw you after, but you came back like this, toting all of this emotional baggage." His voice lowered to a softer tone. "I didn't think to tell you right away that maybe we possibly had something going, because to be honest, we didn't really have much to go on up until that kiss...I mean, I thought we were just friends." Ichigo's cheeks burned with heat. "But I guess I'm glad you came to that conclusion on your own."

Rukia ran her hands through her hair, tracing Ichigo's touch on her body. She pressed her palms on her cheeks, but he pulled one of her hands away and brushed her fingertips against his lips. Rukia drew in a sharp breath, feeling a softness she never imagined against his body. She froze under Ichigo's steelly gaze, waiting for the impact of his nearing handsome face. He was going to kiss her, and Rukia was excited for it. Instead of aiming for her mouth, Ichigo moved to the side, leaving soft kisses on the underside of her jaw, moving painfully slow towards her ear. Rukia had to bite her bottom lip to avoid emitting little moans that escaped in long sighs. She never imagined Ichigo as sensual as he was now, but one look into his piercing eyes reminded her that Ichigo was full of surprises.

"We're nakama, Rukia," he whispered huskily, the hot breath tickling Rukia to her core. "I promised to always protect you."

Rukia turned her head and murmured his name, but he silenced her with his lips upon hers. It wasn't rough and Ichigo didn't smother her with his embrace, but kissed her with a plesantly light pressure that made Rukia lean into him more to deepen it. She reached up to cup his cheek with her small hand, explore his skin, and reassure herself that this wasn't a dream. Rukia didn't know where she came from, what she had been through, or who she even was, but she hoped with all of her heart that she could let all of that go and focus on the man she kissed now, without any of her troubles coming around to doubt her.

"Hey lovebirds! The firewords are about to start!"

Ichigo stiffened and tore himself away from Rukia, choosing to glare at Tatsuki, who waved at the two innocently from the top of the hill. She shot Ichigo a knowing look before turning around to find a spot on higher ground. Thororoughly embarassed, Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, letting out a long sigh. "There went my attempt to be some kind of smooth."

"You aren't so bad, Kurosaki," Rukia smiled back at him. She jumped up and began to run up the hill. "And thanks for carrying Chappy for me!"

Ichigo gawked at her for a moment, but she ran too far away from him to protest. He grabbed the giant stuffed animal before following her up the hill.

Rejoining the group just in time for the start of the fireworks show, Ichigo tilted his head up to watch the colorful explosions against the black night sky disturbed by several shining stars and a full moon. He remembered the night Rukia passed through his room the first time they met. It was a full moon then as well. Never did he imagine the Shinigami would have impacted his life by twisting their fates together when she gave him her powers, and Ichigo felt like he needed to do the same for her now. The next day, he had to talk to Urahara and decide the best way to get her memory back. As much as he enoyed Rukia's attentions and her company once again, Ichigo felt guilty that he wooed the shell of the person she used to be. It was easier sorting out his feelings to this newer, more vulnerable Rukia, since the old one probably would have punched him for trying to kiss her, but that was exactly the girl he had fallen for, with the attitude, temper, stubbornness, and all. Somehow, Ichigo had to get her back, and this decision was reinforced when he felt a small hand secretly brush against his. He looked down to smile at Rukia, but she was busy looking up at the fireworks display. He closed his larger hand upon hers, ready to once again take up the fight for the girl next to him.

ugh. i'm sorry to say that this isn't my favorite chapter...i should be able to pick up the pace and the story after i got this out of the way. i'm sorry for the long wait, but i really would like to hear what you'd like to see happen before the end of the story, which i have mapped out already. any and all criticisms are welcome; i'm really trying not to disappoint the bunches of people who have been excited for what i've already presented, but this chappy was kind of a bummer for me. thanks for the support though!!