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The first time he told her that he loved her wasn’t the first time he realized that he loved Rukia, of course. No, Ichigo had known that there was something special between them – something more than just friends, something more than a human boy and a Shinigami – even before he’d rescued her from execution at the hands of her own people.
He’d known there was something that tied them together when even in Hueco Mundo he could feel her reiatsu and know she was in trouble. When even when all the worlds forgot her name, he could feel their bond.
He knew that she felt it, too.
Sometimes the words pressed against the backs of his teeth like they couldn’t wait to be said. But Ichigo was a boy, and there was a war. So, he held his tongue and promised her silently, I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you when we kill Yhwach and defeat the Quincy.
It took a little longer than that, of course: they could barely stand, both of them, when Yhwach finally fell for good. And there was so much loss, so many Shinigami injured or killed in the effort to defeat the Quincy. So Ichigo held his tongue and when Rukia’s eyes met his, there was a promise in hers, too: I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you when we can breathe again.
Though Soul Society was still rebuilding, still so very damaged from the Quincy war, Rukia came to his high school graduation party months later. She wore a gigai for the occasion and a fluttery, flowy dress of amethyst silk that complemented her eyes. When Ichigo opened the door to see her standing before him, all he wanted to do was take her hand and tell her right then.
But he held his tongue, and instead he said, “Yo. You’re late.”
“Some of us have to work,” Rukia griped at him and pushed past – but her shoulder lingered against his chest and Ichigo followed her with a little smile on his face.
Their eyes met again and again throughout the party. “Here,” he said, pushing a cup with a dark liquid in it into her hand. “It’s just soda.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, and sipped it with a little smile on her lips as she looked up at him. “What are you doing next?”
Before he could answer, Ichigo was pulled away by Keigo and he flashed her an apologetic smile that he knew said, later, I’ll tell you soon.
“Rukia!” Orihime’s voice pierced through the general noise of the crowd. “I’m so glad you could make it!” The voluptuous redhead hugged Rukia so tightly that she nearly choked, but Rukia smiled up at her just the same.
“Orihime!” she called, just as enthusiastically. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Ne, is this the transfer student who was in your class first and second year, Hime-chan?” one of the other girls asked.
“Oh! Yes, Rukia used to attend Karakura High School.”
Donning her old role, Rukia smiled brightly and bowed slightly to the other girls. “It’s so nice to meet you! Yes, I attended Karakura but I needed to move away last year,” she explained, her voice higher-pitched than usual.
Ichigo, overhearing the conversation, just rolled his eyes fondly and when they caught hers, he silently toasted her with the cup he held.
“Ishida-kun was accepted into the top fashion design program in Tokyo,” Orihime bragged on his behalf as the man in question blushed modestly.
They didn’t get to talk until the party was over. Rukia, hair frizzing slightly from the heat and humidity that the party had created in the Kurosaki home, helped pick up discarded cups and plates of half-eaten graduation cake while Ichigo helped Yuzu clean up in the kitchen.
“C’mon, midget,” Ichigo said when the last bags of trash and recycling had been sorted. “You’re staying the night, aren’t you?”
“Hn,” Rukia agreed, and brushed a hand down her skirt.
By silent agreement, once changed for bed they climbed out of Ichigo’s window and up onto the roof. Ichigo leaned back on his elbows while Rukia sat with her arms wrapped around her legs.
“Glad you could come tonight,” he said quietly after a while.
“Captain Kyouraku was happy to give me the time off,” Rukia murmured. “We’ve all been working hard to rebuild, but it’s a slow process.”
“They name a captain for Squad Thirteen yet?”
She shook her head. “I’m acting captain until further notice. We…” Her voice choked. “We expected to have Ukitake for a while longer.”
Ichigo sat up and his hand found hers. “Yeah, I know.”
Rukia leaned against his shoulder and they watched the stars in silence. Ichigo’s head came to rest on hers. “I have to go back tomorrow afternoon,” she said at length. Her fingers twined with his more firmly. “I wish I could have gotten away for longer.”
“Rukia.” His voice was low and a little rough, and when he lifted his head from hers she looked up at him. “I promised myself I would say something this time,” Ichigo explained as his eyes met hers.
“Did you?” There was the barest hint of a smile on her face, just the slightest curve of lips as she squeezed his hand.
“I did.” His free hand came up to cup her cheek. “I love you. I’m in love with you.” Ichigo’s cheeks flushed but he didn’t take his eyes from hers.
“Idiot,” Rukia whispered, but her voice was soft and her eyes gleamed. “I knew that already. I’m in love with you, too. But you have a life here.”
He just shrugged. “Feels like I’ve been running between two worlds for a while now. I’d do it as many times as I had to, if it meant being with you.”
“But that’s not fair to you.”
“Rukia.”
“It isn’t! What about college? What about –mmph!” She stopped abruptly as Ichigo’s lips covered hers and he tugged her closer.
“I said I’d do it as many times as I had to,” he said when he pulled his lips from hers. “Captain Commander Kyouraku gave me a pass, a proper one.” He laughed softly at the expression on her face. “Said it was the least he could do after I saved the worlds again.”
“But you’ll get older and I – won’t,” Rukia stammered, cheeks flushed. “What about that?”
“I’m already a Shinigami, remember? He gave me this, too.” Ichigo duck a folded paper out of his front pocket and handed it to her.
Rukia took it with a look at him and unfolded it, scanning quickly. “This – are you sure, Ichigo?”
“Do you want this, Rukia?” Underneath his words and in his eyes was a stronger question: Do you want me, Rukia?
Her eyes softened. “Yes.”
Their lips met again, and Ichigo tucked her closer. “Good. Because I already told him yes,” he said when they’d stopped kissing and their foreheads were resting against one another.
“Before you talked to me?” Rukia’s voice was dangerously calm, but Ichigo just smiled.
“You said yourself that Soul Society needs help to rebuild. I’ll even talk to Byakuya about us.”
“Sounds like you had this all figured out before you talked to me,” she mumbled.
“Hell, Rukia, I can’t keep up with the speed of the world without you,” Ichigo swore into the air between them. “I’d do whatever it took to stay by your side.”
“Idiot,” she whispered, but tilted her head so that she could kiss him.
Ichigo just grinned against her lips and slid an arm around her waist to tug her closer. They stayed like that, kissing under the moonlight, until Karin stuck her head out the window.
“Stop making out and come back inside, Ichi-nii, Rukia-nee!”
Rukia pulled back, cheeks flushed and lips kiss-swollen. “I guess we should,” she said, head ducking down to avoid his gaze.
“Yeah. Goat-chin’s going to be insufferable now. Come on.”
They were both grinning as they climbed back through the window, until the flash of a camera went off.
“Masaki! Our son and our third daughter have finally confessed their feelings!” Isshin shouted as he ran down the stairs toward his late wife’s portrait. “We’ll have grandchildren very soon!”
Rukia and Ichigo’s cheeks flared identical shades of red as Karin laughed and Yuzu took another picture. “Ne, Rukia-nee, are you sure you want to date Ichi-nii? Goat-chin is going to be insufferable until you do give him a grandkid,” Karin drawled.
Ichigo rolled his eyes. “Not you too, Karin,” he groaned.
Karin just grinned and then dragged Yuzu out of the bedroom. “Door open, Ichi-nii!” she called as they left, leaving his bedroom door open on the way out.
“Any chance I can come with you back to Soul Society tomorrow?” he asked hopefully.
Rukia just laughed until Ichigo remembered that he had a new way to get her to stop making fun of him, and covered her mouth with his again, swallowing her laughter and then her hum of happiness, too.