Uncanny Meeting

[Ichigo Kurosaki]



Slowly, Ichigo was leaning the big cleaver he normally had on his back against a wall in this room, before sitting down on the bed inside of it. So this was a Captains room... well, not the office, but at least the room. He still had to get there and most likely start on work... and that didn't sound good at all. He and working didn't really mix all too well. But really... this was the least of his concerns. The main thing he still didn't really get was BEING A CAPTAIN in the first place. How the hell did that happen?
Sighing, Ichigo very literally facepalmed. Sure, he wanted to join the Gotei since he felt like a Shinigami, no matter the mask on his face. But he actually planned on simply joining Kenpachis 11th Squad, which he did at first, keeping a low profile before his old friends here before trying to surprise him. Well, after Zeus got pretty much... defective, even more so than before, Tsubine simply declared Ichigo could take the position of a Captain - apparently, he was a leader, and strong enough to lead one of the Squads. Though, that wasn't really the reason why he accepted. It was simply because it was the 13th Squad. Every other Squad, and Ichigo would've denied it, most likely. He just wasn't the guy who wanted a gigantic group of people following him - leading a group of friends into Las Noches had been easier than this would be.
Ruffling his hands through his slightly longer hair, he sighed again. In fact, it didn't look like Ichigo aged at all - maybe half a year, or a whole one, at maximum. Over 400 years in total. Others would be envious, but Ichigo wasn't too hot about the fact that his body had been dead even BEFORE he went into Hueco Mundo. But that also of course wasn't the reason he accepted to lead the 13th Squad - the reason had a simple name. Kuchiki Rukia, who was the Vice-Captain of her Squad now. Without her, he never would've gotten Shinigami-powers in the first place, and she literally threw away her life to save him once - and he saved her in return. Yep, they clearly DID go back quite some time. But how often did they meet AFTER Aizen was dead and dealt with? Once, maybe twice, and now, for several hundred years... no contact. How did things change?

While Rukia was thinking about Orihime and him, Ichigos mind wandered to Renji and her. Did they... nah, not possible. Or was it? Well, Renji just didn't seem like the type. The orange-haired Shinigami hoped so, though he would never openly admit that or even get it as a clear thought into his head. Typical Kurosaki - always thick-headed. Still, as he stood up, going through his hair once more with his right hand, it knocked on his door - and he heard a very familliar voice. With one quick step, Ichigo was at said door and opened it.
Seeing Rukia, who didn't seem to have changed at all, Ichigo couldn't help but smile a little. It seemed as if no time had passed. "How long has it been, Rukia?" In fact... time really didn't change much in the end. That slightly strange but true smile of Ichigo - and that smile of Rukia that looked kind of fake, and most likely was. After knowing someone as good as her, it was easy to see through that - no matter the time. It was as if someone just kicked said time out of the window and closed it up.
"And please... call me Ichigo. It's bad enough with everyone running around calling me Kurosaki-taicho..." Quite the strange first thing to say after such a time - but that was Ichigo for you. "You don't look to happy."

There was so much going on Rukia's mind at the moment going all the way back to the beginning of their meeting. There was so much, she put Ichigo through and she felt terrible about it all. Rukia disobey orders and laws of the soul society to be with Ichigo think it was 'Him'. She was truly the fool to think it was him, he was gone. Ichigo was completely different from him, in so many ways but in someways... She could not help but remember those memories with him. Truly it really sadden her almost even night that even she had the guts to contact Ichigo after the battle with Aizen. It was just too much a heart break. There was one thing that any spirit didn't want was to be denied by the person they like. Ichigo was that close enough person to see through her acts. He has seem almost of all of her stupid tricks, what was there let to do? Rukia could not simply go up to him and scream “Be Mine?” That was just too much even for her plus she denied her feeling for him for the longest time after. Going up to someone like Ichigo was pointless but how did Orihime do it? How did she manage to get married to Ichigo, he is just so dimwitted indeed at times towards those feelings.

The female jumped a little when Ichigo opened the sliding door, not even her other captain could heard her?! Rukia just stared at the at bright smile of Ichigo's but her violet eyes went down to his right hand. The first thing she looked for was the ring... The ring would tell so many stories and Rukia mostly would find herself in an awkward position every time she saw him. When he moved it slightly, those violet orbs widen...'There must be something wrong here?! I am sure I heard those were married!' Through her hand once more... Ichigo would be thick headed to even think Orihime... Orihime is too mushy of feelings that not even she was able to speak out her love... Not that she hated her but Rukia envied her just a tiny bit. Ichigo's word hit her out of her daze and Rukia stared at him like he was a dumbass... He was a captain, he is to be honored like a captain.

Rukia crossed her arms and spoke rather 'respect' “You are being called Kurosaki-taicho, because you are our captain of the 13th division no less. Learn to live with it because it is going to be stay a very long time. Kurosaki-taicho. “ Rukia looked away with a fake smile a bit, she could not look him in the eye if she could. IT has been so long since she has seen him... It was not really her fault, it was her duty to come back and do her duty. The feeling around him felt a bit akward in a way. “You don't look to happy." Her natural reaction is to be the grand actor she was, and put on scene. ”I am quiet happy!! I was prompt to be vice-captain and everything! I just have work to be doing right about now.” Her face glittered a bit while giving him a salute. After that Rukia just quickly trying not make this any more weirder, she began to walk away huming a song that she learned over the years. "I will be in my office if you need anything Kurosaki-Taicho!" She didn't really wanna show it, out loud about how happy she was. It was just to know about Ichigo not married... This was just a bit out of her way but it was also a bit more. Rukia had to hurry back before Ichigo decided something was up with her... She knew he would do it so she prepared.

[Ichigo Kurosaki]

This was nothing how the newly appointed Captain imagined their first meeting after multiple centuries. He clearly remembered first seeing Rukia again after he caused all that gigantic ruckus back in Soul Society to save her - that short moment that only enhanced the bond of trust and friendship between them, exchanged in a simple view. This right now was very different from back then, when they still had Aizen to worry about... it almost seemed as if Rukia was trying to get away from Ichigo as quickly as possible.
"...Huh?" Was the first, rather non-intelligent thing leaving the mouth of the Vizard.
Telling a lie was one thing, but trying to lie to someone who knew you quite well wasn't easy. While Rukia didn't like one bit of what Ichigo once had to go through, he himself was thankful for all of it till to this day - the powers he had, the powers to protect others, his Shinigami self - all of that would've never surfaced if not for the small Shinigami who now turned her back on him and tried to get away nearly ASAP. Had it been, for example, Renji with such a mood, the orange-haired wouldn't have bothered - because his 'rival' always came to terms with his head and then faced Ichigo again, be it in battle or training. That wasn't the case for Rukia, however. The last time Ichigo didn't act as soon as possible was when she was captured by the Soul Society.
"Wait a second, Rukia!" The fact that she actually called Ichigo 'Kurosaki-taicho' just made everything even weirder. And wasn't work of a Vice-Captain not normally also linked to the work of a Captain? There was definiatly something wrong here. Without much thinking, Ichigo did two quick steps, catching up to Rukia. Sometimes it was quite nice to be so much taller than her. The newly appointed Captain laid down his right hand on her right shoulder to get her to stop - humming that melody, Rukia only seemed even more down than before. Yes, it wasn't easy to fool Kurosaki Ichigo.
"You don't need to fake anything. Can't you just tell me what's wrong? We're friends." That he thought of her as a rather... 'special' friend really wasn't something he would suddenly burst out with. In his eyes, one could see his worrying nature that he normally didn't show to any stranger - but Rukia wasn't a stranger. She was important to him.