As class ended, Rukia quickly excused herself, saying she had errands to run. Ichigo didn't question it—he knew exactly what was coming next. Instead, he simply packed up his things and made his way home.
The moment he stepped inside, he let out a deep sigh, rolling his shoulders as he made his way to the bathroom. A hot shower was exactly what he needed.
Stepping under the steaming water, he let it run down his body, washing away the day's exhaustion. As he glanced downward, a smirk tugged at his lips.
'This will surely send fear to all the women in the Soul Society,' he thought, chuckling to himself as he continued bathing.
Once he was done, he wrapped a towel around his waist and headed back to his room. He already knew who was waiting for him.
Pushing open his wardrobe, he wasn't the least bit surprised when Rukia, perched inside with a book in hand, looked up in surprise.
Her reaction was delayed, her gaze locking onto his bare chest. His toned muscles glistened slightly from the lingering heat of the shower, and the fresh scent of soap filled the air. Her cheeks flushed a light shade of pink as her eyes trailed lower—down to the towel wrapped around his waist.
And that's when she saw it.
The distinct outline beneath the fabric.
'Is that… a penis?' she thought, staring shamelessly. 'I've never seen one before… We had lessons on anatomy back then, but none of them actually showed us what it looked like…'
A ridiculous idea crossed her mind. Would he show me if I asked?
Ichigo, completely unfazed, grabbed his clothes and closed the wardrobe without a word. He got dressed, tossing the towel aside, then flopped onto his bed, grabbing the remote to turn on the TV.
The sound of the television caught Rukia's attention. Slowly, she climbed out of the wardrobe and stretched, then walked over to the edge of his bed, eyeing the screen.
"You don't seem that shocked," she said, tilting her head at him.
Ichigo smirked. "Well, I figured you're from Soul Society. You probably don't even know how to rent a hotel here."
Her expression brightened in realization. "Oh yeah, that makes sense." She turned her attention back to the TV. "So this is one of those… wait! This must be the Television I've heard about!"
"It is," he replied, watching her in amusement.
Excited, she moved closer to the screen, bending over slightly as she examined it.
Ichigo's eyes immediately dropped to her backside.
His smirk deepened.
'Might not be the biggest, but it sure is thick,' he thought, before shaking his head and staring up at the ceiling with a smirk, hands behind his head.
She glanced at the bed, then back at him. "Mind if I sit with you?"
Ichigo shrugged. "Go ahead."
Without hesitation, Rukia climbed onto the bed, making herself comfortable beside him. Ichigo, on the other hand, suddenly felt the weight of the situation settle in.
'This is very awkward,' he thought, shifting slightly.
Breaking the silence, she looked at him and said, "You have a nice family, by the way."
"Oh yeah, thanks," he replied, glancing at her.
"Your sister Karin—she has an unusual amount of spiritual energy. Not dangerously high, thankfully, but still more than the average person."
Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, I've noticed that too."
Curious, he turned to her. "What about you? Do you have family back in Soul Society?"
Rukia hesitated for a moment before responding. "I guess I kinda do. We're not blood-related, though. "
"Oh, are you guy's close …?"
She lowered her gaze slightly. "Not sure."
Ichigo blinked, feeling a bit awkward. He didn't expect that answer. After a brief pause, he hesitantly reached out and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "There, there," he said, patting her lightly.
Rukia stiffened immediately, clearly uncomfortable.
"What… are you doing?" she asked, glancing at him.
"Cheering you up, of course. I'm not very good at this, by the way," he admitted.
"Yeah, I noticed. Could you stop?"
"…Yeah, sure."
The moment he let go, silence filled the room again. The awkwardness was thick enough to cut with a knife. Ichigo grabbed the remote, deciding to just turn on the TV.
The screen lit up with a colorful cartoon, and within moments, the tension in the air shifted. They both found themselves watching, getting pulled into the ridiculous antics of the characters.
A small smirk tugged at Ichigo's lips.
'It'll take some time for us to get really close. But I don't mind… I kinda have all the time in the world.'
As the cartoon played, the tension gradually faded, replaced by a comfortable silence. Rukia sat cross-legged on the bed, watching the screen with genuine curiosity, while Ichigo leaned back against the headboard, arms crossed.
"So this is what humans do to relax?" Rukia asked after a moment, tilting her head.
Ichigo glanced at her. "Yeah, sometimes. You don't have stuff like this in Soul Society?"
"No, nothing like this," she replied, eyes still glued to the screen. "It's fascinating. The animation, the voices—it's so different from just reading a book."
He smirked. "You sound like an old lady seeing a smartphone for the first time."
She shot him a glare. "I am not that old."
"Uh-huh, sure," he teased, chuckling.
Rukia huffed but didn't argue further. Instead, she grabbed the remote from his hand and started flipping through channels.
"Hey, I was watching that," Ichigo protested.
"Well, I want to see what else this thing has to offer," she said, completely ignoring his complaint.
She stopped on a channel that was playing an intense action scene, explosions lighting up the screen. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "This one is interesting!"
Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Didn't take you for an action fan."
She smirked. "There's something thrilling about it. Makes me feel like I'm watching a real battle unfold."
He shook his head, amused. "You literally fight real battles."
"Yes, but watching it without actually being in danger? That's new."
Ichigo sighed, leaning back again. He didn't mind letting her have her fun, especially since she seemed genuinely entertained.
After a few minutes, Rukia yawned and stretched her arms. "Alright, I should get some rest. I'll take the closet again."
Ichigo stared at her. "You do realize there's an extra futon in the house, right?"
She blinked. "And?"
"And you don't have to sleep in the damn closet."
Rukia frowned. "I like it in there. It's cozy."
He sighed, shaking his head. "Suit yourself."
She hopped off the bed, stretching once more before making her way to the wardrobe. Just as she opened it, she glanced back at him. "Good night, Ichigo."
He smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Night."
As she closed the door behind her, Ichigo let out a breath and stared at the ceiling.
'This is gonna be a weird new normal, isn't it?' he thought before finally turning off the TV and lying down.
TO BE CONTINUED
[A/N: DROP SOME POWERSTONES OR SUMMM]