LOVE LIKE A GAME

Part One – Warriors

Ichigo scowled and went over the details one last time, before clicking "Accept". The game loaded and his character and the town materialised on his screen. Instructions appeared on the right hand corner of his screen and Ichigo scratched his head.

He wasn't much of a gamer. Sure he enjoyed the occasional fighting or shooting game on his console, but this whole MMORPG-thing was all new to him. He wouldn't have even bothered, if his friends hadn't been insisting how cool this new game was and how he should come play with them. He'd have to find them and add them to his friends list, but wanted to get the feel of the game first, learn the controls and stuff. These first awkward baby steps needed no witnesses.

Ichigo leaned back in his chair and cracked his knuckles.

"Right then," he muttered, "the first quest."

He had just managed to get his character to level 3 when all of a sudden this gigantic warrior in black armour came out of nowhere and thrust his huge ass sword clean through Zangetsu's chest.

Ichigo's jaw dropped and he was left staring at the loading screen in righteous fury, the taunting words from the chat box registering somewhere at the back of his brain.

Yuki0: lol u n00b

"I mean who does that?" Ichigo ranted to his friends the next day.

"The Yuki0?" Mizuiro asked. "What did he look like?"

"I dunno, big, warrior, wearing all black, huge sword, insane stamina and like level 45… I thought you said this game came out last week!"

"It did," Keigo said. "But it's Yuki0!"

"What, is he like famous or something?"

Ichigo's friends stared at him blankly.

"Yuki0's like gaming elite! That dude's a legend!"

"That dude's a fucking asshole," Ichigo grumbled. "I bet he's some sweaty old otaku who's still living with his parents, splurging on figurines and gaming all day and night."

"Well, to be that good he pretty much has to be some no-life geek," Mizuiro shrugged. "But in-game, he's awesome."

Ichigo snorted.

Sadly, that memorable encounter with the legendary gamer had only been the beginning. Next week, the bastard had the audacity to send him a duel-invite. Ichigo had accepted, thirsting for revenge, but infuriatingly, the damned nerd used Zangetsu to mop the floors.

Yuki0: getting better n00b

Yuki0: still not good enough tho lol

Zangetsu: FUCK U FUCKING FUCKER !1

Yuki0: lmao

Ichigo didn't understand why this elite asswipe had decided to target him. He was just trying to have some good time with his friends. But that jerk would show up everywhere. He was starting to think the sadist was getting some perverse delight in whooping his ass.

Yuki0: sup

Zangetsu: Fuck off

Yuki0: aw c'mon man lol

Zangetsu: Leave me alone

Yuki0: smh have it ur way then

And the big warrior drew his sword and Ichigo was once again forced to wait for Zangetsu to respawn.

"FUCK!"

Then, one day, the harassing took an alarming turn. At first the dickhead was just there, silently following Zangetsu around. He hadn't tried to stab him yet, and Ichigo frowned, unsure if he should feel relieved or dread the psycho's next move.

Finally Ichigo couldn't take it anymore, he had to know.

Zangetsu: Why r u following me?

Yuki0: cuz im bored

Yuki0: & u r fun xD

Zangetsu: You're an ass.

Yuki0: & Ur still a n00b hun

Zangetsu: HUN?! o_0

Yuki0: i thought we were doin pet names

Zangetsu has logged off

"Do we have to go to this meet?"

"Ichigo! You know I've been looking forward to this the whole month!" Keigo wailed.

"Stop being such a grouch," Mizuiro said.

"Let's go," Sado said.

Ichigo grunted but followed his friends into the Karaoke place where the smiling staff member led them to the private room the meet's organiser had rented.

He hadn't told his friends that he felt reluctant to attend this meet because he had this irrational fear that Yuki0 would be there. The guy had been hounding his steps in the game after all. Ichigo hadn't been online since the pet name fiasco, and the last thing he wanted was to see Yuki0, face to face. Still, he knew that he was being stupid. The chances of Yuki0 living in the same district were slim to none, anyway.

Ichigo stepped into the room. There were about twelve people, ranging from middle schoolers to middle-aged salarymen. Ichigo noticed that only two of them were girls. One was Arisawa Tatsuki from his class. The other one, a petite black-haired girl sitting primly at the end of the table, looked around thirteen at first, until Ichigo recognised she wore the uniform of a very famous and prestigious all-girls high school. Out of everyone, she looked the least like a gamer. Ichigo shook his head and turned away to accept his name badge from the organiser. He took a seat and made polite conversation with Tatsuki until he felt eyes on him. He looked up and saw that the other girl was staring at the name badge pinned to his chest. She then met his eyes and Ichigo noticed hers were the deepest violet. A small smug smirk was playing on her lips. It made Ichigo's stomach flip for some reason. He scowled.

The girl chuckled and waved at him, still smirking.

Two more people arrived and then everyone was there, and the organiser called order.

"I'd like to bid you all welcome," the kindly greying salaryman spoke, "it is nice to put faces to all the names. But before we begin, I have some exciting news! We have a special guest with us tonight! I'm delighted to introduce to you all – Yuki0!"

Ichigo's heart stopped, and his panicked eyes quickly scanned the room. Who…? Where…?

His gaze landed on the girl again, still smiling at him. Her violet eyes glimmered with mirth as she slowly rose from her seat, all the while maintaining eye contact.

… What?

"What?!"

Part Two – Taming The Paladin

The day she had first met him had been a bad one. She wasn't really a sadist who always went around killing other players – it was more like her way of letting out some steam whenever the hell that was school started to feel more unbearable than usual.

Rukia was used to the taunts and the mockery, and was quite skilled at ignoring them. But that day, Mamiko-san had stopped insulting her, and started insulting her sister, and that had sent Rukia over the edge. Gold-digging whore, she had called her. The words still made her fume.

So when Rukia had logged onto her current game and come across a baby Paladin, only level 3, whose player was so obviously a complete n00b, she had cut him down without a second thought.

A few days later she happened to bump into him again. She didn't know what exactly made her send the duel invite, but he had reacted to his loss so hilariously that she had immediately taken to him. Riling this guy up really gave some amusing results. Ultimately, it was because of him that Rukia had decided to do what she had never done before – attend a meet.

And she hadn't been disappointed. Her entertaining little Paladin had been there. Moreover, it turned out that the guy behind the avatar was totally her type. The moment she saw him, she had resolved to change tactics. She had flirted with him quite outrageously, and he had spluttered, obviously and rather adorably confused.

But that had been four days ago and he hadn't been online since.

Her Paladin was avoiding her, and she really couldn't blame him.

Rukia downed the rest of her soda and put the can aside. She drew her knees to her chest and idly scrolled through her inventory, trying to decide which items she still needed and which she could sell.

Her thoughts started to wander. Even if he avoided her online, she could find him IRL. He had been wearing Karakura High's uniform; she could just go to the school gates and wait for him to come out. Then again, that might come across as too creepy. The poor boy was quite spooked already.

The sharp message alert from her earphones pulled her back to the virtual reality.

Zangetsu is online the notice window claimed. Rukia's lips curled into a grin.

He was standing in a tavern when she found him.

Yuki0: heyyy cutie, u come here often

Zangetsu: …I fucking knew you'd show up.

Yuki0: just wanna hang out w/ u, babe, doesnt have to b a date

Yuki0: unless u want it to b ;P

Zangetsu: Could you not? -_-;; It looks really weird when a big ass warrior is calling me 'babe'. ._.

Yuki0: lol does it rly matter wat a bunch of strangers on the internet think

Zangetsu: To me, yea a bit.

Yuki0: k

Rukia leaned forward in her chair and navigated back to the main menu. Once there, she clicked "Create A New Character". She was getting bored of playing a warrior anyway. She chose a female Rogue, with a platinum blonde hair. Leather trousers, boots and light breast armour with some nice cleavage action going on completed the look.

Back in-game she was glad to see Zangetsu was still online. He had left the tavern and was now slaying monsters for exp. She watched him fight the monster, noting how much better he had got since their first encounter. She smiled.

Shirayuki-hime: so how bout that date now, babe

Zangetsu: …

Zangetsu: …

Zangetsu: … Yuki0?

Shirayuki-hime: teh 1 & only

Zangetsu: So you went to the trouble of creating another character but couldn't find her any clothes?

Shirayuki-hime: aw u dont like my cleavage? i think it looks great

Zangetsu: … I honestly don't even know what to say to that…

Shirayuki-hime: well u could tell me i have nice boobs

Shirayuki-hime: or that you like my new chara

Shirayuki-hime: or that a date would sound lovely thx

Shirayuki-hime: ?

Zangetsu: Why? Why do you do this to me?

Shirayuki-hime: i told u

Shirayuki-hime: u r cute

Shirayuki-hime: tis the part u say 'u r cute 2'

Zangetsu: …

Zangetsu: You're ok I guess?

Shirayuki-hime: thx hun

Rukia leaned back on her seat and smiled. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Over the next few weeks, the Paladin was online almost daily, much to Rukia's delight. She continued to flirt with him; he continued to be very confused about her. Still, she was making progress. He was no longer rejecting her or telling her to piss off. He reacted to her quite differently now that she was playing with a female character – yet his reactions were no less amusing. He could be so adorable at times, rendered uncomfortable by Shirayuki's choice of clothing and complaining about it. They were chatting more and longer, too. Sometimes he even initiated the conversations. She gave him tips about the game and he let her follow him around. Their characters were on a more equal ground now, too, since Rukia had to start from level 1. After a while he even let her do some quests with him.

Slowly but surely, he was getting used to her, which was just what she wanted.

Zangetsu: You okay? You're really quiet today.

Shirayuki-hime: im feeling crappy school sucked today

Zangetsu: What happened?

Shirayuki-hime: teh usual. bitches in my class got on my case

Zangetsu: Why? o_O

Shirayuki-hime: cuz they r rich & petty & think im not as good as them

Zangetsu: Maybe you should go out? Do something fun, meet with friends?

Shirayuki-hime: thatd b great but i dont rly have any friends

Zangetsu: …

Zangetsu: Maybe… we could hang out some time?

Shirayuki-hime: IRL?

Zangetsu: … Sure

Shirayuki-hime: liek a date?

Zangetsu: NO!1

Zangetsu: Just… hanging…

Shirayuki-hime: id like that :)

"Though you seem to have got it wrong, my dear Zangetsu," Rukia purred, "it definitely is a date."

Part Three – Yuki0 Victorious

Rukia was ten minutes early when she reached the designated meeting spot. She was feeling a little nervous, as embarrassing as it was. Rukia hadn't been nervous around a boy since she had had a crush on her tutor in middle school. But she really liked her little Paladin.

The trouble was, she had no clue what he thought of her. He had been the one to ask her out, but had insisted it wouldn't be like a date. He didn't seem to mind her flirting with him, but never really reciprocated. She knew he was a bit awkward and shy, and he was two years younger than her… But she couldn't be sure if that was the reason or if he just really saw her as a friend and nothing more.

"Hey," a gruff voice greeted.

She turned around and there he was, scowling, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans.

"Hi," she said and flashed a small smile.

Silence fell over them for a moment, and Ichigo shifted, feeling awkward.

"So… Any ideas of what to do or where to go?" he asked, frowning at his shoes.

"I thought we could maybe go to an arcade?" Rukia suggested.

"Pass. If I wanted to have you beat my ass in a game, we both could have just stayed at home," he grumbled.

"Well, hanging out was your idea, shouldn't you be the one with a plan?"

"Yeah I guess," Ichigo replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Maybe we can just have a stroll and do some window shopping before we figure out what we want to do?"

"Sounds good," he agreed, relieved.

The two of them left the station, and started navigating the busy streets. It felt a bit weird at first, they never minced their words with one another when chatting online, but it was different when they actually were face to face.

Besides, he was cuter than she remembered; definitely her type.

Eventually, they managed some light small talk, commenting on different items on display in the shop windows they passed.

"You know, I really love strawberries," Rukia said, spotting a market stall down the road.

Ichigo stopped as if he had hit a wall.

"Wh-What?" he spluttered, his face flushing bright red.

A giggle bubbled in Rukia's throat but she quickly stifled it, feeling sorry for the poor shy boy.

"I said I love strawberries. Maybe we could buy some from that stall there?"

"Oh. OH. Yeah, sure." Ichigo muttered, decidedly avoiding her eyes.

A little while later, they had found a park bench to sit on. Ichigo had got them drinks from the vending machine, and Rukia was holding the box of plump red strawberries in her lap.

She offered him one, and he took it, his fingers brushing against hers. She smiled and picked a berry for herself, popping it into her mouth and letting out a soft, unconscious moan of delight. It was delicious!

The sound made Ichigo blush and he quickly turned away. He started a conversation to distract them both, and finally asked her about something he had been curious about for a while now.

"So why are these girls at your school giving you grief?"

"Because they're stuck-up spoiled princesses," Rukia huffed. "My school is elite, so they're all daughters of prominent families. Growing up, it was just my sister and me. We were dirt poor, my sister couldn't go to university because she had to take care of me after our mom died. She was always working so hard. Anyway, my sister got married four years ago. It was a very good match. Since I'm underage, my brother-in-law transferred me into his family register, as well. So long story short, the girls at school think I'm unworthy of the name 'Kuchiki' since I wasn't born one."

"Wait a minute. Kuchiki? As in Councillor Kuchiki?"

"The one and only."

A companionable silence fell on them. Ichigo grabbed a strawberry and tried to digest the information that Rukia's brother-in-law was a well-known politician.

Rukia sipped her drink, and then gave him a lingering side-way glance.

"You know… I don't usually go around killing other players. It's just a way to relieve stress. I know it's a lame excuse, but the day we met in-game and I cut down your Paladin was pretty crappy. This girl in my class had called my sister a gold-digging whore."

"That's harsh," Ichigo scowled. "What did she ever do to her?"

"Married above her station, obviously," Rukia rolled her eyes.

"What a load of crap. That girl sounds like a bitch."

"Oh, she is," Rukia said dryly.

"Well, after hearing that, I totally understand why you were feeling murderous that day."

Suddenly playful, Rukia turned to Ichigo. She leaned her chin on her hands and batted her eyelashes at him.

"Forgive me?" she asked, her voice dripping honey.

His scowl darkened but his cheeks tinted pink.

"I already forgave you a long time ago," he grunted.

They came to a stop when they reached the train station. The time had come to part ways.

"So…" Rukia said, shifting her weight as she turned to face him, "this is goodbye."

"For now," Ichigo pointed out. "You'll be online later, yeah?"

"Of course."

"So we'll talk tonight?"

"Definitely," Rukia smiled. "I had a great time, thank you for asking me out."

"I had fun, too," Ichigo admitted, rubbing his neck.

"So maybe we could do this some other time? You know, maybe like with an actual plan and everything?"

"I don't see why not."

"Great, it's a date," Rukia grinned.

Ichigo frowned.

"It's not – "

"Oh, shut up," Rukia told him, grabbing the lapels of his jacket firmly and giving him a determined tug.

Ichigo didn't realise what was happening until her lips pressed decisively against his. The kiss was sweet and lingering, and his face was flushed when she finally pulled away. Rukia smiled up at him and licked her lips.

Tastes like strawberries.

The End.