Disclaimer: I don’t own Bleach. I don’t even own the pretenses for which I write this time around! ;)

IchiRuki FC over at Bleach Asylum is having a contest and I thought it deserved more participation, so I stayed up really late after work and wrote a one-shot. The theme given was:

Isshin gave Rukia a not so appropriate costume to Rukia for Halloween. Ichigo finds out too late.

Let me know what you think and certainly head over to IchiRuki FC at BA and let them know what you think too! It doesn’t necessarily have to be about this or fanfiction for that matter. There are usually some good conversations to participate in, so check it out. :grins:

Onward!

&3&

“Hm?” Isshin leaned in closer, an almost lecherous look etched into his features.

As the patriarch of the Kurosaki family, he took his responsibility to meddle in the lives and affairs of his children very seriously… and that, unfortunately, included their somewhat permanent houseguest.

“Is it supposed to fit like this?” Kuchiki Rukia twisted around to catch of glimpse of her backside, patting a large white puff of cotton with a perplexed expression.

Shaking his head at her reaction, he straightened and clapped his hands together. “It’s perfect! Believe me, this is exactly how it was intended to be.”

“If you say so…” She shrugged and picked up a pair of wrist length gloves off the kitchen counter. They were white with a feathery light trim around the edge, a great complement to the outfit she had donned upstairs just mere moments prior.

It had been her oblivious mistake when she had come to him for advice. With Halloween lurking only a few days away and a party being held at a classmate’s house, she didn’t feel comfortable asking Ichigo. After all, he would just snicker and tell her not to worry about it. It made her feel foolish to be so out of touch on the customs of the real world and, for once, she wanted to prove to him that she was fully capable of acting as any normal teenager would.

That was why she had resorted to asking his father.

She was living under his roof anyway. He was one of the few humans she interacted with on a daily basis that wouldn’t question her cluelessness. Of course, she had come up with a long, drawn out, and all together dramatic explanation of how she had lived a sheltered life and didn’t fully comprehend the supposed holiday. Naturally, this only further provoked his eagerness to help.

He had assured her that he would take care of it. True to his word, there were several bags and boxes on her bed when she came home from school on Friday afternoon. Luckily, Ichigo had needed to go out and purchase his own costume during that particular time, leaving her a few hours of free time. Dense as he was, he didn’t really mind that she declined his offer to go with him and find a costume for the party. When she had said that she already had other plans, he had shrugged and waved as they parted ways on the street without any protest.

Typical man.

“I think you should hide, if he’s supposed to be home any minute now. That way, your outfit will be a surprise after he gets ready.” Isshin rubbed his chin, scruffy as it was, and stared at her in scrutiny. “I’ll have the camera ready for his reaction.”

She blinked. “…Is that necessary?”

&3&

“Rukia!” Ichigo bellowed at the foot of the stairs, taking a quick glance at the clock on the wall. “Are you going?!”

‘Is she still getting ready? For cryin’ out loud! I got home and changed in ten minutes!’

“ICHIGO, MY SON!” A booming voice quickly snapped him out of his stupor, allowing him to duck at just the right moment. A fraction of a second later, his father slammed full force onto the stairs.

Groaning, the man slid down a few steps before landing at Ichigo’s feet in a crumpled heap. “Nice… costume.” He wheezed, rubbing his chest.

“Yeah, thanks.” Straightening, he took a step back and sighed. Why did everything have to be so complicated? “Have you seen Rukia around this afternoon? She’s supposed to--“

“Of course I have!” The man suddenly leapt to his feet, bursting with vitality. “How could I miss her?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively before bounding up the stairs excitedly. Cupping a hand to his mouth, he banged on the door to the twins’ room a few times. “RUKIA, MY THIRD DAUGHTER, IT’S TIME TO GO!” With that, he flew down the stairs and darted around Ichigo, somehow producing a camera seemingly out of nowhere.

“What are you…?” Ichigo blinked at the display, growing more and more irritated by the moment. Had he not heard the screech of a door opening in the hallway, followed by timid footsteps, he would have turned and kicked the old man in the face.

“Here I am!”

She was using that fake sickeningly sweet voice again.

Cringing, he allowed his gaze to drift upward to the top of the stairs. ‘That’s…’ His breath caught in his throat suddenly.

Just above his line of vision was a pair of soft pink pumps. They could have easily added at least three inches to her usual diminutive height and made her seem… like a woman.

His eyes widened.

Thin white leggings gave way to bright white garter belts that disappeared into a mess of pink crinoline beneath her short skirt. From his vantage point, he could almost make out a glimpse of innocent pure white pan--

“…Well?”

Her voice brought him reeling back into the present with a jump.

The skirt of her dress was short and somewhat provocative, flaring out slightly from the material beneath. It was white, keeping with the theme of the rest of the outfit, and held a somewhat pearlescent sheen to the material.

He swallowed… hard.

The top was fashioned like a corset, using the same white fabric and adding delicate pink piping and silken ribbons. Fluffy white feathering covered the bust line, concealing her modest cleavage in the most tantalizing way.

A blush rose to his cheeks.

White gloves with similar trim, a silky pink bowtie, and a pair of rabbit ears completed the ‘bunny’ ensemble. As she carefully made her way down the stairs, he tried not to flinch as bright flashes of light followed her movements.

“R-Rukia…” He blinked, reaching up to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. “You look--“

“Ichigo, you’re bleeding!”

“Huh?!” He took a step back, tilting his head in confusion.

That’s when he felt a stream of warmth trail down his face. Reaching up, he brushed his fingers across his upper lip and found a line of crimson.

“I…” He pinched his nose, ignoring the blood smearing across his fingers as darted for the bathroom. ‘You’re kidding me… this really happens?!’

&3&

Knitting her brows, she did her best to walk in the terrible heeled shoes that Isshin had bought for her. “Is he going to be alright…?”

“Of course!” The older man chuckled. “ICHIGO! YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE!” He grinned gleefully, crossing the room to open the door for Rukia. “Have a wonderful time!”

“We… will.” She edged around him, finding his behavior the slightest bit odd. The crisp night air sent a chill down her spine, instantly reminding her of her current lack of attire.

A door opened somewhere, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. The next thing she knew, Isshin was sent sailing out the open doorway with a loud grunt.

He rolled in the grass a few feet away, snickering about something or the other.

“For crying out loud…” Ichigo shook his head, tossing his jacket over one arm and shutting the door. “Let’s just go.”

Nodding, she took the lead down the stoned pathway and opened the wooden gate that lead out into the street. Asano Keigo, the host of the evening’s activities, lived in a different part of the town on the other side of the tracks.

Her heels clipped noisily on the concrete as they made rounded the corner.

“What are you supposed to be dressed as anyway?” She eyed him strangely, looking up every few steps.

It was his turn to blink. “…Scarface?”

Pausing, she reached up to gently brush her fingers across his jaw line, tilting his head from side to side. “Hmm...”

He was wearing a charcoal gray leisure suit and his old, scuffed up, formal black shoes. The front of the jacket was open, where a partially unbuttoned white shirt revealed his muscular chest. A stiff white collar gave a little formality to the otherwise haphazard ensemble. Clearly, this was a thrift store ensemble that came together at the last minute.

…And damn did it look good on him.

Sighing, he shook off her incessant search, feeling a blush creep across his features at her touch. “C’mon… Tony Montana?”

“Is that like… Hannah Montana?”

Time stopped in Karakura, if only for a moment.

“W-Wha…” He trailed off, his jaw dropping in disbelief. ‘She didn’t… she couldn’t have… Rukia!’

Somewhere, a flock of birds abruptly took off, ascending into the skies with loud caws; water dripped sluggishly from a leaky faucet and a clock ticked seconds of life away.

She continued to stare up at him blankly.

The last comment would have to be ignored for the sake of what little sanity that he held onto. Sighing deeply, he waved off her question to the negative. “You’ve never seen an Al Pacino movie, have you?”

She shook her head, puzzlement evident in her wide eyes.

“We’re watching a movie when we get back then. Come on.” Shoving his hands in his pockets, he started down the sidewalk again, somewhat careful to avoid eye contact.

‘A… movie?’

&3&

“Ichigo! Rukia!”

A thin man with chestnut brown hair pushed through the sea of people dressed in both extravagant and tasteless costumes, relentlessly making his way toward the duo. In the last few months, he rarely saw one without the other and he was, admittedly, more than a little jealous of their bond…

“Hm?” Ichigo looked up over the rim of a red plastic cup, not particularly interested in being there. “What’s up Keigo?”

“It’s great to see you two h--" The other man stopped before them, his eyes bugging out at the mere sight of their raven haired classmate. “Rukia, you look… I mean, you are… well, I…”

Oblivious to this behavior, she stood up and planted her hands on her hips. “What is it?” She looked absolutely adorabe as she tilted her head to the side, her bunny ears flopping down. “Are you feeling ill?”

Though her blessings were significantly smaller than some other the other girls in their class, that outfit made her seem like a dream! If only he could…

Quickly crossing the distance between them, he went for the pounce and…

SLAM!

The next thing he knew, something had crashed into his neck, sending him flying backward. As his back roughly made contact with the floor, he looked up in bewilderment only to see Ichigo standing in front of her with his arm extended.

Clotheslined… again.

&3&

“Ichigo…” Rukia breathed, staring up at him in shock. It wasn’t a new thing to see him stop Keigo dead in his tracks, but any other time he would brush it off just as quickly. So, why now, even as he reclaimed his seat, was there a scowl deeply set into his features?

‘What’s his problem? I haven’t done anything wrong. I even read up on this! Although, one thing still confuses me. I’m not quite sure why these humans are so fascinated with the souls of the departed now. They don’t seem to care much any other time…’ Sighing, she sat down beside him and crossed her legs uncomfortably. ‘Oh well. I guess this is supposed to be a fun time for people this age. I may as well just make the best of it.’

“Rukia, lookin’ good!” Someone called out in passing, giving a low whistle.

It was a wonder how Keigo managed to get so many people from their school to come to a party at his place. Then again, his sister was somewhat popular and parties always tended to escalate the longer they went on.

Smiling, she gave a small wave in his general direction. “Thank you.”

“Here, bunny, bunny, bunny!” Another voice called, followed by a few cheers and laughter.

Clearing his throat, Ichigo rose to his feet. “We should get going. It’s… too crowded in here.”

“Get… going?” She blinked, taken aback. “We just got here fifteen minutes ago! Why did we even bother coming?!”

Turning back with a glare, he made his way to the front door. “Forget it.”

‘What the hell?!’ Feeling her own anger rise to meet his temperament, she hastily forced her way through the crowd to follow. “Idiot…”

&3&

“You could have stayed.”

Ichigo sat on the front steps, his arms resting atop his knees by the time she found him there. The moonlight was playing with the angular curvature of his face, casting some of his features in shadow while bathing others in a surreal glow.

“It’s not like you to sulk.” She crossed her arms, dropping the pleasant façade as she plopped down beside him. “What’s the problem?”

“No problem.” He shrugged, looking down the street with sudden interest. “I just didn’t feel like being in there anymore.”

“So, you made me walk all this way in these terrible shoes to stand around and drink punch… in a house full of loud disruptive humans… for fifteen minutes?” She blinked slowly, taking in all of information like a ticking bomb.

“Sorry that I made you walk,” he grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s not like I wanted to come in the first place. I just showed up because Chad and the others wanted to go, but I didn’t even see them in there.”

“You would have, if you had stayed to actually look!” She snapped, rubbing her arms. “You’re acting like a child.” The wind swept past them with a ruthless chill.

His eyes seemed to glow for a moment as he turned to look at her fully. “I’m not.” However brief, his words had taken on a sinister tone as he went on the defensive. “Why don’t you go back inside if you’re so cold?”

“Why don’t you stop being a jackass?”

Ah, there was the Rukia he knew and lo—

His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, hastily pulling back on the sleeves of his suit jacket. He slipped it off without another word, throwing it –at- her rather than –to- her.

It was a thoughtful gesture, nonetheless.

The folded material landed across her chest like a blanket and, desperate for warmth, she didn’t hesitate putting it on. His jacket seemed to engulf her petite frame as she wrapped it securely around herself, the sleeves draping down over her hands. “Thanks…”

He grunted in return, leaning forward to rest his arms on his bent knees once more. The wind whipped around their forms, rustling the loose material of his open shirt.

‘Those scars…’ She could barely make out the feint lines in the moonlight, doing her best not to stare at his chest. ‘There are so many more than there were a few months ago…’ Sighing, she shook her head at nothing in particular. There’s no denying the fact that it’s because of me.’

The slightest feeling of guilt crept upon her at that moment, a feeling she still wasn’t completely accustomed to.

“Ichigo…”

“Doesn’t it bother you?” He didn’t meet her gaze as he spoke somewhat darkly, his posture emphasizing his spiraling mood. Slumping forward, he cast a quick glance her direction.

“Bother me? Doesn’t what bother me?” She blinked, snapping out of her stupor.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “The way everyone looks at you… talks to you… the attention. It’s freakin’ annoying.”

“The attention?” Glancing down, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Her dress was concealed beneath his jacket, leaving nothing but her legs tinted porcelain white. “Wait! Did you just call me annoying?!”

“I didn’t call you anything, Midget! I’m talking about that damn outfit!”

“My outfit?”

“STOP REPEATING EVEYTHING I SAY BACK TO ME!” He finally snapped, overly frustrated with the progression of the conversation. “Yes, your outfit! It’s not exactly something a girl like you goes around wearin’, alright?”

Her face contorted slightly. “You don’t like it?”

“What?” He blinked, caught off guard. “No, it’s just that you give people the wrong idea and…” Trailing off, things finally began to click in his mind. ‘She really doesn’t get it, does she? Since when does she really know what’s going on in this world without me explaining it? Maybe I –am- a jackass…’

“The wrong idea? Ichigo, I think they know that I’m not a real rabbit…”

The corners of his lips twitched ever so slightly. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He shook his head, turning to look at her perplexed expression. “And I do like it.”

It was too dark to see the blush that stained her cheeks from his words.

“Well… I mean, it’s a good costume and all, you know…” he added quickly, feeling his face grow a little warm.

“Thank you.” She smiled, her eyes softening a little. “But you should really thank your father. He’s the one that got it for me.”

He almost smiled in reaction, mindlessly replying. “Oh, he got it for… WHAT?!” Leaning back in shock, his eye began twitching. ‘Dad…’

“Ichigo?”

Standing up in an almost trancelike state, he held out a hand to help her up. “Come on, let’s get back home. I want to… thank him.” His eye was still twitching.

It took some effort, but she finally found the end of the sleeve. Reaching up, she allowed him to take her smaller hand in his own and proceeded to lift her effortlessly to her feet. “Oh, okay. Sounds good.” She smiled a little, well aware of the fact that he was lying. ‘If I can get out of these stupid shoes, I think I can ignore their usual father-son brawl for a few hours. I wonder if they still have some of that warm chocolate drink…’

“Oh, and Rukia…”

She looked up uncertainly, her hand still within his grasp. “Hm?” As her gaze drifted upward, she caught sight of some foliage tied to the post for decoration. “Oh, Ichigo!” Her eyes lit up suddenly, as if recalling something she had learned. “Look, mistletoe!” She pointed behind him with her free hand, smirking proudly. “That means you have to kiss me, does it not?”

‘Ha! I bet he didn’t know that I read about that one, did he? How does he like to be teased about his funny customs?’ Her smirk grew as his eyes widened. ‘He’s probably never even kissed a gi—‘

He froze. “That’s Chr…” Turning around, he saw a few leaves tied up behind him for the party. ‘I’m not even going into that again. She’ll just get pissed and she’s already so freakin’ proud of it…’ His heart began the pound in his chest, whether it was from the blatant lie or in anticipation of his actions, he didn’t know. “…That’s right.”

Mustering what courage he could, he pulled her in by the wrist and bent until their faces were mere centimeters apart. He closed his eyes with a deep breath, pressing his lips to hers impulsively before his mind had time to register his actions.

All of the frustration from the evening seemed to dissipate and grow at the same time.

The intensity rose and leapt up in passionate flames as she instinctively responded, running her hand back through orange tufts of his hair. It felt like something had ignited from within, altering the circumstances into something surreal and magical. Everything seemed to fade into nothingness, leaving them completely and totally alone.

For a moment…

There were no humans to protect.

No shinigami to interfere.

No laws to abide to.

No worlds to be torn between.

…And no inhibitions to stop them.

They were merely a man and a woman, expressing themselves in the truest way possible.

A soft moan escaped her lips, stirring her thoughts once more. She could already feel her face turning a deep insuperable crimson.

His eyes snapped open as if suddenly ripped from a dream. Pulling back somewhat reluctantly, he couldn’t mask the confusion and embarrassment on his face. “I…”

“So, uh, how many times a year do you celebrate this again?” She plastered on a stern business-like expression, coughing lightly.

“Just… the one.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, pivoting on his heel to walk toward the sidewalk. “But there are a lot of different holidays coming up.” Shrugging, he glanced over his shoulder. “You’ll like them.”

“I see…” She followed after him, careful to keep her balance in the difficult shoes. “Good, but you better not make me attend one of these parties again for only a few moments. It’s not worth the long walk in these.”

Watching her with amusement evident in his eyes, he smirked as they fell into a familiar pattern. “Well, most girls don’t complain so much.”

She stopped for a moment, narrowing her eyes before stomping after him. “Well, most girls don’t have to put up with idiots like YOU!”

“Consider yourself lucky then!” He chuckled, pausing only after the full comment registered. “Hey, wait! Don’t call me an idiot!”

“Are you a little slow tonight, Ichigo? Should I draw you a picture?” She picked up her pace, walking beside him as they headed home beneath the glow of streetlights. Her falsely sweet voice was coming into play again, simply for the fact that she knew he found it irritating.

“Oh no… I don’t think I can take another one of your terrible drawings,” he groaned, smacking himself in the forehead while watching her out of the corner of his eye.

“WHAT?! Just you wait, Ichigo…” Huffing, she crossed her arms and took the lead.

“…I’m waiting.”

“SHUT UP!”

…You could say they deserved each other.

&3&

((A/N: So, Ichigo’s costume was a bit thrown together and not the usual white with maroon suit that most people associate with ‘Scarface’. I just picked that movie because Ichigo likes Al Pacino. :shrugs:

I know that Rukia isn’t quite –that- clueless when it comes to modesty, but it had to fit within the whole theme of the contest. So, we’ll just think about the advice she gave Renji on some of his outfits and assume that the real world is a little confusing when it comes to such matters. :grins:

Let’s see… what else? I hope you’re all having a great start to the fall season! If you’re half as busy as I’ve been lately, you can likely understand my lack of updates with the other stories. Don’t worry. I’m still working on them when I can!

I’ve never had someone beta for me before, so this is new to me. A BIG shoutout/thanks to Anna for beta-ing this chapter! A shoutout/thanks to Dave too… for not pestering (-cough- assaulting) her while she helped me. XD :grins:

As always, questions, comments, suggestions, reviews, etc. are all welcome! Have a wonderful weekend! :hugs:))