let's fall down together, a bleach fanfic

title. let's fall down together
disclaimer. applied
summary. Ichigo replied to a confession with a tragic line, "even if it means I have to catch her drool in the palm of my hands."
prompt/s. friendship
warning. a semi-conversation-fic, not a companion fic
note. thanks for clicking, reading and if you had time, reviewing :)) this is for the people who clicked and read ignore the gravitational pull and of course, to those who gave me bonuses: reviews! :))

…

"So," she cleared her throat. "You're getting married."

"Yeah. Isn't it weird?" He grinned a little, remembering his fiancée. "I made her cry when I asked her."

"Asked?"

He made a face, "fine." He grunted. "When I ordered her."

Two seconds of silence passed.

"And you panicked." She said softly.

He scratched the top of his orange head. "Yeah." He lowered his hand and shoved it inside his pockets. "I thought she didn't want to. It took almost an hour to pacify her, but," he grinned. This time, it took up his entire face. "She said yes." And then, he chuckled quietly, amused. "Then, she cried again for hours. Women are so weird."

She arched a brow.

He continued, shrugging. "Well, I'm getting married to the weirdest one."

Three heartbeats passed.

"Ichigo."

He continued looking up to the sky. They were in a rooftop. It was autumn, and the sunlight was coppery. Sunset was approaching. "Yeah?"

The woman kept silent.

He looked at her. She was frowning down at her feet. "Rukia."

The petite shinigami slowly looked up. Dark purple eyes met curious brown eyes.

"I…" She swallowed. "I… Ichigo, I—"

Ichigo's expression softened slightly in understanding.

"I know."

…

Rukia jerked, "y-you knew?"

He shrugged, gazing back to the sky. It was dark orange now, an indication of coming sunset.

Gathering her courage, Rukia determinedly looked up to his tall, tall profile, her smalls fists slightly shaking. Her voice was stiff as she asked.

"…and?"

And in a heartbeat, Ichigo answered, looking down at her with a small, resolute smile.

"I love her."

…

Rukia's eyes widened, filling with hurt. But Ichigo didn't look away from those wide eyes.

"I do. Not the I can't live without her type of love and all those crap they say in TVs. Hell, I haven't even told her that I do, but I do. Desperately."

She swallowed thickly and opened her mouth to say something, anything but nothing came.

Ichigo continued.

"She's the person that I'd willingly turn into a monster for. She's the person that I'd be anything I have to be if it means saving her. She…" Ichigo ran a hand through his messy, thick orange hair. "I don't know how much I feel for her. But one thing is damn sure. This crappy life, I want to spend it with her." He paused pensively. "You know, even if it means I have to be in constant danger from food poisoning. Even if it means I have to catch her drool in the palm of my hands. Even if it means catching her sneeze in my mouth. " He smirked wryly. "Well, I did catch her vomit in my mouth a month ago."

Rukia continued looking up to him.

His frown deepened. "Rukia."

Her thin eyebrows slanted, biting her lip.

"You are the one who changed my world."

She did, but…

"But you changed and destroyed worlds for her." The petite young woman murmured.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, remembering Hueco Mundo. "Yeah." He studied her face quietly for a while. "Rukia, you are an important nakama. You gave me the power to protect my friends, my family, her."

"And she gave you something, too." Ichigo blinked at her. Rukia bit her lip. "That power."

Comprehension dawned. "Yeah. She did. I became something else." Breeze came between them, ruffling their hairs. Orange hair stood up and swayed with the breeze. "Urahara-san taught me to fight. You taught me how to fight. You always know what to say to me. You guide me when I'm at loss. One whack to the head, you can get me back into fighting. And you,"

There was a second of silence.

"You stopped the rain."

…

Rukia looked surprised.

Ichigo smiled a little.

"You really changed my life. You gave me the sword to fight, to protect. Through you, I met great friends. Renji. Ikkaku. Toshiro. Rangiku-san."

He looked up to the sky.

"So much had changed. And I don't regret every damn thing that happened." He frowned slightly, "Well, I did regret some." Rukia knew what he meant. "But it's not important."

He looked back to her.

"You will always be an integral part of my life."

"…Ichigo."

"And like Orihime, I'd do anything to help you and save you if needed. But this life—" His eyes burned with passion, piercing brown and amber colors combined. "I want to spend it with her."

…

A period of silence passed.

"If I…" Rukia began, breaking the silence. "If I told you earlier, would you choose me instead?"

"No."

Rukia jerked at the straight-forward answer.

Ichigo's frown deepened as he shook his head. "Rukia… I'm not good with words, aren't I? Sorry."

"It's… okay." She murmured.

"If circumstances were different, I'd still have to tell you that I can't. My feelings would stay platonic."

It was still painful, but, somehow, along the way…

"Even if I didn't get her pregnant, I'd still force her to marry me."

…

"You know what, when I first told her that, you know," Ichigo shrugged, "that I like her, she flat out rejected me."

Rukia blinked, surprised at this information. She always knew that Orihime loved Ichigo.

"She said I deserve someone else." He looked down at her, straight into her dark purple eyes. "She said you and I deserve each other. She wanted us to be together because that's the way it should be."

Ichigo shrugged again.

"I got mad. I told her not to tell me who I should be with. I didn't talk to her for months." He chuckled, "The rejection hit pretty hard, I guess. I was expecting instant happy ever after. I expected her just to cry, swoon and smile at me. She would just swallow down my confession without questions and explanations. But no. She flat out rejected me. But I force myself to her." The corner of his mouth turned up smugly. "And finally, she relented. But before she accepted me, she pointed out that I could be happier with you."

The noble shinigami blinked, her thin eyebrows in a confused frown. "But why would she say that?"

"She always believed that we are meant to be." He was grinning a little. "Maybe she knew about your feelings and since you are very important to her— and maybe she loves you more than she loves me," he grunted at this, "— she didn't want to hurt you. She still pushed me towards you."

Orihime…

"But I can't. I need her. I want her. Yes, I need you. But…" Ichigo was frowning deeply, "I can't explain it." He scratched the top of his head again.

"I understand, Ichigo."

"You do? Good. You know how I suck in explaining."

"Yeah. You suck."

"Shut up."

They both watched the sunset descend.

"You know, maybe, I got her pregnant on purpose. That way, she would not be able to run away again."

Rukia smirked a little at this.

"I'm not dense. Maybe I am, about other things. But I know there is someone who waited for you all those freaking years and he's not getting tired of it." Ichigo quieted, contemplating. Then, after a minute, he said, "I don't love her."

Rukia turned to him with a frown.

She saw him smile a little.

…

"I am in love with her."

…

Rukia stared.

He turned a violent shade of red at Rukia's blank stare. Then, the noble young woman grinned smugly.

Ichigo quickly defended. "Don't you fucking give a lame ass comment, Rukia! You are the only person who—"

"Heh."

Ichigo slammed a palm over his forehead, groaning. "Ah shit."

"I bet you never told her."

He grunted. "So what?" he shot back.

"You didn't tell her you're marrying her because you are obsessing over her or something lame like being foolishly in love—"

"I'm not foolish." He snarled.

"Right. Densely in love—"

"Shut up, you."

"And you are—"

"Kurosaki-kun~ I found the—" Ichigo and Rukia turned to the door of the rooftop. A woman with flowing long red-orange hair in yellow dress stood at the doorway, blinking her large gray eyes. "Oh! I'm so sorry for interrupting!" She bowed several times. "I'd better go!" Orihime turned to go.

"Oi! Don't run!" Ichigo called after her.

She beamed at him. "Hai!" Then, the healer gave Rukia a pretty smile. "I'll see you later, Kuchiki-san!" The smile widened, "I miss you!"

Rukia smiled gently. "Hai, I'll talk to you later, Orihime."

The redhead waved her hands at her and left. They kept looking at the door.

"Oi."

Rukia looked at Ichigo who had his face turned away.

"Thank you."

…

Rukia slowly smiled.

"Yeah."

Ichigo smirked.

…

"You'd be a good dad."

"I'll try." He said honestly. "But I won't attack my child every freaking morning." He added sourly.

She quieted.

"Rukia."

"…yeah?"

"Are you going to be alright?"

…

The dark-haired young woman smiled thoughtfully. "I will be."

Ichigo nodded comprehendingly.

"I'm happy for you, Ichigo."

He smirked.

"And Orihime…" Rukia gave a smile. "She's going to be a very beautiful bride." She said honestly, "And she's very important to me too. So, you better take care of her."

"Tch." He glared at the petite woman. "You don't have to tell me."

"I know."

A comfortable, familiar silence.

…

"Congratulations, Ichigo."

…

"Yeah. Thanks, Rukia."

…

.end