Rukia knocked on his door for the hundredth time. If she wasn't so worried she would have been threatening his life right about now.
"Ichigo it's me, Rukia! Not your dad! Now open the door before I kick it down!"
Her patience could only go so far.
She stood waiting outside his room, listening to his bed creak as he got up from it and walked slowly to the door. She wrapped her arms tighter around the cardboard box she held and shifted her weight to the other foot. The white door opened to reveal the tall boy, his orange hair even more a mess than usual from lying down. Quickly Rukia peered around him to see his shades closed in front of his window and the beds sheets only slightly wrinkled, unlike the blue shirt he was wearing. He hadn't even bothered to get under the covers.
Looking back up at her friend, she watched as he raised an eyebrow at the box in her hand.
"I heard what happened."
"You and probably the rest of the world," he said in a voice void of emotion while he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorframe.
"I'm sor-"
"Don't. Just don't, ok? I don't want your pity and I don't want to hear you say you're sorry when I know you're not. You didn't even like her."
An awkward silence passed between the two as Rukia looked down at the contents in the box, some of her black hair covering his view of her eyes. Strengthening her resolve, she looked back up at him with narrowed eyes.
"You deserve better and you know it. Don't tell me not to feel sorry for you. Of course I'm going feel bad when my best friend is upset. Stop thinking that you have to deal with every thing on your own!"
It was his turn to look down at the floor. Rukia waited again for him to finish thinking while she tried to calm down and remember that she was there to help not lecture.
"What's in the box?" he asked in a considerably lighter voice. He looked up, his amber eyes meeting with her violet ones. The corners of his mouth rose up just enough that if Rukia had been anyone else she wouldn't have even caught it.
She smiled at him, showing she accepted his apology. For them things didn't always have to be said to be understood.
"Well, I don't know what guys do when they try to deal with a break up, but I brought a whole bunch of movies," she said shoving the box into his arms, "and lots of junk food. That's all downstairs in the kitchen. You just have to go down and get it."
A smirk appeared on his face as he looked down at the covers of the movies that could be seen. "All action and comedy?"
"Well I didn't know what you would want to watch! You make the oddest movie selections when you're in one of your moods."
"I don't have moods!"
"Sure you don't," she said in a fake sweet voice that she knew annoyed him while she patted his cheek. "Now go put the box down and go get the food. I brought all your favorites and plenty of chocolate for me."
He placed the box on the floor next to the door and turned to her with a scowl. "That's not what guys do Rukia."
"Well then tell me. What do guys do?"
"We turn off the lights, lay in bed all day, while listening to sad music," he said in the same exasperated voice he always used while explaining things to her.
Digging into her coat pockets, she pulled out her ipod covered in Chappy stickers. She held it up for him to see and gave him a sad smile, reminding herself of the reason why she came over prepared with treats and entertainment.
"I can do that."
-IR-
"So this is really what guys do?"
They were lying on the bed, the blue covers covered with all the food Rukia had brought and made Ichigo retrieve when she got hungry. She licked the chocolate off her fingers while he brushed off the crumbs that had landed on his shirt.
"Well, maybe not all guys. I'm sure Keigo would just cry- would you stop that?!"
Rukia knew that her foot would hit his leg every time she would move it to the music but she didn't let something like that stop her. She turned her head to face his which was right next to hers on the pillow. "It's not my fault you're so tall that my feet only reach the middle of your shin."
"Maybe it's not that I'm tall at all. Maybe your midget self is just too small. Ever think of that?"
"Don't make me draw on your face again Kurosaki."
"Wouldn't want that, seeing as your drawing skills suck."
Balling her hand into a fist, Rukia slammed it down onto the unsuspecting boy's stomach. He groaned in pain and wrapped his arms around the assaulted abdomen. Glaring, he reached down and got another handful of popcorn. Rukia rolled her eyes as she watched him stuff all of it in his mouth. A comfortable silence fell over the two as the song they had been listening to slowly faded out and another began.
"Ew, new song. I hate this one," Ichigo told her between mouthfuls.
"So… um… can I ask about it?" Rukia asked in a quiet voice as she ran her thumb over the click wheel, staring solely on the screen showing all the songs she had. Her heart was beating hard in her chest, hoping that she didn't cross some sort of line she didn't know about.
"Might as well."
Rukia gave a mental sigh of relief and let the moment of silence extend for a little while longer, giving them both time to prepare. She took a deep breath and set the Chappy ipod on her stomach, folding her hands over top.
"Who broke up with whom?"
"You didn't hear?"
"No, I did. I'd just rather it from you."
With a sigh, he rubbed his forehead. They avoided looking at each other, instead opting to stare at the blank ceiling. The song was the only thing heard for a while as Ichigo gathered up whatever it was he wanted to say.
"I broke up with her, but I'm sure that's not what she's going to tell everyone."
"Yeah, pretty much."
"How did you even find out? I hadn't told anyone yet."
"Inoue ran up to me on the street all frantic asking me how you were. Apparently she overheard one of her friend's talking about it."
"Oh. What did you tell her?"
He reached over and grabbed the ipod that was resting on her stomach, letting his fingers brush against her hand as she moved them from where they were resting. He held it up in front of his face, a frown surfacing as he searched for a new song. Scooting over closer, Rukia turned on her side and placed her head on his chest, allowing him time to adjust his position and wrap his arm around her shoulders. She pointed at the screen for a song and waited as he scrolled down to play it.
"I told her the truth. That I had no idea what was going on but I would be sure to tell her how you were when I found out."
"Sorry bout that."
"Eh, don't be. You needed time. So… what happened?"
Ichigo didn't say anything. Instead he started playing with a lock of her hair that fell down in between her eyes. He held it gently in between his fingers as if he held too tight it'd crumble into dust and out of his hand. He looked at it with concentration, like he was thinking of something else entirely. Rukia closed her eyes and reached her arm across his stomach to give him as good of a hug as she could lying down.
"Sorry. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"We were arguing about you."
Rukia started to sit up, leaning on her elbows, staring at him in shock. The left headphone she was using slipped out while the one he was using stayed in place in his ear. His arm lay abandoned still on the bed. This was not what she was expecting.
"Me? Why were you-"
"I would have explained if you hadn't jumped up like a crazy person."
Pouting, she let him guide her back to how she was laying before, her head on his shoulder and his fingers twisting her raven hair around his calloused fingers. "Explain."
"She kept getting on me about how much we hang out. Like how it's not normal or some crap like that. I would tell her that we were just friends and that's all it was but yesterday she just went off. There was yelling and… finger pointing. It was crazy."
"But why?"
"I don't know. She just came over and started yelling. Then she started saying stuff about you."
"What?! What was she-"
"Will you calm down midget? I already flipped out on her yesterday. She yelled, then I yelled, then it got a point where we weren't even pretending to listen and were just shouting at each other. We finally stopped long enough for her to say that it was either you or her."
Rukia stared at the ipod he still held with wide violet eyes. Her brows furrowed as she tried to grasp what he had just told her. "Wait, what?"
"Man you're slow tonight. She made me choose between either being her boyfriend or being your friend."
This time he allowed the violet eyed girl to sit up. She turned her back and looked down at him with wonder. Rolling his eyes, he followed her example and sat up too. Both headphones lay forgotten on the bed between them, but neither noticed. Her eyes searched his serious expression for anything to hold on with.
"And you chose me."
It wasn't a question. They both knew. But still he answered her, holding her violet gaze with his amber one.
"I chose you."
Slowly a bright smile crossed her face as she stared at her best friend. Upon seeing this, his expression mirrored hers, allowing her something rarely seen. Leaning closer, Rukia placed her hand on his cheek, her thumb lightly tracing the upturned corner of his mouth.
"I love when you smile. You don't do it nearly enough," she said with a sad a smile.
"Well maybe if you didn't hit me all the time- ow! Rukia!"
"You just had to ruin it! We were having a wonderful moment and you go and you open your mouth!" Rukia said angrily and with a glare as lowered her arm from where she had hit him on the back of the head.
He laughed while rubbing where she hit, using his other hand to take her hand and kiss her knuckles.
"Yet you forgive me every time," he said with his familiar smirk gracing his lips.
"And every time I ask myself 'Why do a stupid thing like that?'."
He laughed and flicked her forehead. "What time is it?"
Rukia looked out the window above his bed and sighed. "Probably late enough for me to have to start heading home."
"Want me to walk you home?"
"I'm a big girl, Ichigo. I can handle walking home by myself," she said as she climbed off the bed and started putting on her coat. "Were you guys arguing pretty loud?"
"Probably. Why?"
"Well, what did your dad have to say about it?"
"Oh," Ichigo said with a sigh as he wrapped the white headphones around the Chappy infested ipod. "Actually he's left me alone about it. Didn't say anything or jump in the room or anything like that. He didn't even try to wake me up today."
"Wow," she said with genuine surprise. "That's… new."
"Tell me about it. No one is more surprised than me."
"Give him some credit," she told him as she finished tying her scarf. "He loves you enough to know when you need your space."
"Hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. He is, after all, still my old man. Are you sure you don't want me to carry that home for you? I don't mind."
Rukia rolled her eyes as she lifted the cardboard box. She walked over and nudged for Ichigo to place the ipod on top. "I carried it all the way here. I'll be fine. Stop worrying."
He got up and furrowed his brow as he looked at her. She knew he was debating taking the box from her and carrying it despite her arguments. Eventually, he walked past her and opened the door. With him following behind, they made their way to the front door.
Thankfully, the rest of the family was busy with something or other in the living room so the two got to the door relatively fast. Once there, Ichigo turned to Rukia and ruffled her hair.
"I would hug ya, but the box would make it awkward," he said with a sheepish grin. He opened the door and turned back to her. "Thanks Rukia. You know, for coming and all," he said scratching the back of his head.
"I'm your best friend fool. Of course I would come." She started walking away before a thought occurred to her. She turned around to the door where Ichigo was still standing with his hands in his pockets. Rukia watched as small puffs of air clouded around his face as he breathed, proving the cold outside.
"I know you don't want to hear it, but I really am sorry Ichigo. I know you really liked her."
He shrugged and looked away, not willing to keep eye contact when she spoke in that voice.
"For what it's worth though, I'd choose you too."
Slowly a smirk formed on his lips and he looked back at her. An understanding fell over both of them, no words needing to be said to comprehend.
"Night, Rukia."
"Goodnight Ichigo."
With that Rukia turned back around and started walking along the sidewalk, making sure the box was secure in her arms. She smiled as she hummed the song they had last listened to while looking up at the streetlights.
Those three words If I lay here
Are said too much
They're not enough
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
-IR-
Sooooo I decided at one in the morning to post some of my old stuff. This was all supposed to be part of a collection of one-shots, but I never finished the other stories besides one.
Maybe I should continue? Let me know! Comments and criticism are always appreciated! Thanks for reading!