Chapter 11 – The End

Ichigo saved her, he really did.

And he was being the gentleman alright, always picking her up before school and escorting her back to home, she couldn't be happier.

But, there's always a 'but'.

Orihime is dumb, but when it comes to Ichigo's heart, she understands it. She knows where his heart is, and no matter what she does, it doesn't change.

It's not the fact that he doesn't mind to spend the rest of his life with her, but it's the fact that he wants to spend the eternity with Rukia.

What else could it be? What is one life against eternity?

But, Ichigo was making a huge mistake…

And she was the only one that could tell him about it.

o

Inoue was going to get her key and open the door, but stopped. She should do it.

"Ichigo… you don't have to do this…" Inoue started.

"What, Orihime?" he asked, surprised, looking at her back.

"I know you're still…" she didn't continue.

"I'm what?" Ichigo became worried, Inoue usually didn't talk in that tone, and he was almost reaching her shoulder, so he could look at her.

"Kuchiki-san…" she whispered.

Ichigo stopped, he put his hands back into his pockets.

"What about her?" his tone changed too.

Inoue could feel him, so close to her and so… far away. Maybe this will only make him even more far.

"For a while now you walk me to school everyday… almost three years? We're graduating already…"

She wanted to smile, to laugh and say sorry for saying confusing things, but couldn't. She got so used to those gestures, especially around him, but now… she wanted to keep this aura, so she could say everything.

"I…"

Her hands started to tremble, she closed her fists so it could stop.

"I… like you… Ichigo, for a really long time…" she confessed.

"And these years had been really great for me… I was really happy!" she said with a smile in her face, even if he wasn't seeing it.

"But, you know? The Kurosaki that I fell in love wasn't like this…"

Ichigo's chin was almost reaching his chest, when he heard her last statement.

"The Kurosaki I fell in love was just true to himself, worried about things that he believed and did the things he wanted to do!"

"I'm doing something I want to do, Orihime" he said, seriously.

She reunited courage and turned around to face him, surprising him.

"Are you?" she asked, with a small smile.

"Wouldn't you like to go back-"

"I can't- no… I don't want to go back" he cut her.

"Why?"

"This is something I have and I want to do… I'm sorry if I'm not what you were expecting, but-"

"No, no, like I said… These years were wonderful!" she smiled to him.

"You don't need to smile if you don't want to" he said sadly, and there it was, the Ichigo Orihime knew one day, the one she fell in love with.

She smiled sadly.

"Do you really intent to wait until you die to see her again?"

Ichigo looked surprised for a moment and was actually planning to ask how did she know, but didn't. She knew him too well.

"Well, yeah… that was the initial plan…" he said, not looking at Inoue, feeling uncomfortable talking about Rukia's issue. Love's issue.

Orihime breathed deep and started to explain.

"Even if we all know how it works: souls, reborn, deaths. Human's life is still as precious as it's unique. Don't forget that. You still only have one life and the one you met Kuchiki-san was this one."

Her heart was aching, but there's nothing she could do. She wanted him to do the right thing.

Ichigo was speechless, he took out his hands from his pockets and he pulled her to his arms, embracing her.

"I knew you would find out one day, Inoue" he whispered, treating her like he used to, and for her was the only true way that he could "But a part of me, just wished that you never would."

"Thanks, Kurosaki-kun…" Inoue hugged him back.

They hugged each other for a while.

o

"Dad!" Ichigo yelled, when he got home.

"What is it, son?" Isshin asked, in the kitchen.

"I need to go to Soul Society" Ichigo said, seriously.

"What? Why?"

"Something happened, Ichi-nii?" Karin asked, worried.

"Nothing, it's not something to worry" Ichigo took his seriousness back, didn't want his sisters to be worried.

"Hum…" Isshin put his hand under his chin "I think I can help you, wait 'til tomorrow to go there."

"Why? I can use that seal-"

"It must not be working by now…" he said quickly "let's have dinner first and tomorrow in the morning you can go…"

Ichigo knew something was wrong, but surely it wasn't something he should worry about, right? What his old geezer could do?

He went to dinner with his family.

In the morning, his dad told him to go to Urahara, he already informed that him the situation.

"Oh! It's been a while, Kurosaki-kun!" Urahara welcomed his "pupil".

"Shut up, sandal-hat! I need to go to Soul Society!"

"Oh, such an energy! What business you have there?"

"None of your business!"

"Don't forget to invite me for the party!" Urahara said, smirking.

"What party?" Ichigo asked, confused.

"You know! The wed-"

"Shut up! Say that again and I'll split you in two!" Ichigo grabbed Urahara's face and took it to the ground.

"Open the gate!"

Urahara did and Ichigo went though it saying nothing.

"Oh, you are here!" Urahara spotted Isshin behind a big rock.

"He's going to Soul Society?" he asked, smirking.

"Oh, yeah… you did say something about it yesterday… congratulations on the new family!" Urahara smiled, tapping Isshin with his fan.

"He he he, thanks!" Isshin scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.

"So, what kind of talk you had with Captain Byakuya?" Urahara asked.

"Well, I welcomed him to the Kurosaki family"

"I'm sure he didn't like the sound of it…"

"He didn't, but he had to agree with me in the end."

"True."

Flashback

After Rukia told him that she was going to spend a few days in the human world, he received a message from that ryoka's father, asking for a meeting.

Since he was already in the human world, he thought he could see what he wants, but asked to Renji to not come along.

"So, we can discuss my son's marriage!" Isshin told Byakuya as soon as he sat.

"With who?" he eyed suspiciously.

"Rukia, of course!" Isshin said obviously.

"No way" Byakuya didn't appear mad, but wanted to make sure that was out of question.

"I'm not kidding"

"Neither am I. Rukia won't get married with a ryoka, specially him."

"It's their decision."

"Then let them decide."

"And you think they will decide not to?" Isshin doubted.

Byakuya didn't answer, he knew Rukia's feelings for that orange bastard.

"She's coming back in a few days and he's staying" he said, as an excuse.

"They won't keep to the rules, and you know it. They broke a main rule when they met… they will figure it out…"

Again, Byakuya knew he was losing this discussion.

"I won't allow it, he's a human and-"

"You really should think beyond that…" Isshin said, showing a large smile and the meaning of this conversation.

"What do you mean?" Byakuya looked suspicious.

"If they have a kid…"

"They won't have a kid!" he lost his temper "Besides they can't-"

From the look of Isshin's face, Byakuya realized the reason why he mentioned a child.

"You don't think they…" he couldn't believe it.

"Yes!" Isshin said excited "the kid would be a noble! And I would be a happy grandpa!"

Byakuya took his frown back from the shock.

"It would be a great deal to your clan."

And it was true, he would hate to admit it, but it was.

Isshin took the silence as a yes.

"Then welcome to Kurosaki family!"

He hated the sound of it.

"Your son will definitely have the Kuchiki name" he snapped.

And as it was fate, he bumped into the same ryoka he was discussing about on his way to Soul Society, and not only that but the bastard also said that he loved his sister.

When Ichigo arrived in Soul Society, he didn't know for sure where was the Kuchiki's residence.

But, it didn't matter. He could almost feel where she was. Kind of.

"What is it?" Renji asked her, when she suddenly stopped the training.

"It's Ichigo" she said, looking beyond the forest.

Renji looked to the direction of her gaze. Yes, there was something.

"Why he's here?" she asked, a little… afraid.

"He couldn't actually die, we would know…" Renji told her, noticing her fear.

"Then why he's here?!" she almost screamed.

"What? What is it?" he asked her, worried "What kind of agreement you both have?"

She was trembling and was hiding her face.

"Rukia? Are you-?" Renji took a step closer.

"He broke his promise…" she whispered and run away.

"I'm here to pick up Rukia!" Ichigo exclaimed when he put a foot in the Kuchiki's property.

'Yes, it's probably here. And why everyone is staring at me?' he thought.

"I didn't think you would be here so soon, ryoka." Someone with a sharp tone came out.

Ichigo stepped back a little. It was Byakuya.

"I-"

"Ichigo!" someone exclaimed from his back.

He turned to see her.

She had tears on her eyes.

"Rukia, why you're-" he became worried.

"Why are you here?!" she asked breathless, without answering him.

"Rukia, why are you crying?" Byakuya also looked worried and went to the gate to check on her.

"Ichigo" she took her breath back and looked directly at him "why are you here?"

Nobody spoke, Ichigo was confused, and there was something about her voice that he couldn't get it right. What was it?

"Rukia, why are you cry-"

"Answer me!" she cut him.

Yep. There it was. She was desperate.

"What did you-" Byakuya started, looking at Ichigo.

"Stay out of it" he said coldly, not taking his gaze out of Rukia.

Then, Ichigo took his sword out and charged at her, she quickly blocked his blow with her sword.

And both of them were out.

"Will you not go after them?" asked an old man of the clan, with a repressive tone of their attitude.

"No, I've already made their arrangements" he answered coldly.

At that moment, Byakuya decided to take that brat's word for something, his statement in their last encounter was something. He turned and head back to the Kuchiki mansion.

"I'm sorry" he said, when their swords met again.

Rukia felt her heart drop to her stomach, and tried to control the tears from coming out. She gave up on her sword, this must be finished with her own fist.

She grabbed the front of his robe and screamed at his face.

"Then why did you make that promise?!"

Ichigo also left his sword on the ground and grabbed the back of her head.

How much he missed that feeling.

"Why-" she asked more calmly, after the kiss.

"I shouldn't have made that stupid promise in the first place… I should have done this from day one" he said, mad with himself.

"But, we live in two worlds…"

"Fuck the two worlds, Rukia! We would have our ways to meet each other!"

Rukia started to laugh.

"And why are you laughing at?"

"I thought you…" she said cleaning the bottom of her eye.

Ichigo's expression softened.

"I wouldn't…" he said, almost whispering.

"But you were with her for almost three years so…I assumed you both… and you started to apologize…" she said, ashamed of herself.

"Idiot."

She kicked his knee.

"Shut up! I kept the promise, you broke it!"

"You…" he gave her the dirty look.

She smiled at him.

"You miss it? You wanted me to say it?" he asked her seriously, when he was still on the ground.

"What?" she asked him, curiously.

"The phrase…with three words…" he said, not looking at her.

Rukia went to be in front of him and bent down to face him.

"You told to my brother" she declared "I don't need any more proof."

"Then you shouldn't be insecure anymore…" he said, almost smiling.

"Maybe. Did you know that your dad and my brother are planning our wedding?" she told him, casually.

"WHAT?!"

THE END

N/A: YES! FINISHED! Thanks everyone who R&R!! I tried to answer everyone, so hopefully I did said thanks for everyone! Thanks also for those who didn't review, but liked my work anyway! I will try to come with a new fic of our most lovely couple! hahaha! See ya...

ohh... thanks Scila, my dear friend, for the support and beta-reading!