53A/N: Aannnd we are down to the last chapter…
Disclaimer: All Kubo Tite's
Final Final Act
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At the hospital, Ichigo was irritated. He had been about to leave the hospital hours ago to see his beautiful girlfriend whom he had not seen for years, or so he felt, but he had been asked to supervise a critical surgery, so he stayed. He sighed with relief, at least that is finish now, he can finally leave.
When he was gathering his things, he heard a knock on his door so he looked up. It was Senna, his ex-girlfriend.
"Hi Ichigo, long time no see." She greeted.
"Hey" Ichigo greeted back.
"So you're off-duty now? Do you have anywhere to go?" Senna said with a smile while getting closer to him. She reached for his tie and played with it.
"Listen Senna, I have a girlfriend and I'm dying to see her, so If you'll excuse me." Ichigo said while stepping back from her.
Senna did not let go of his tie so he was stopped from stepping back further. "Come on Ichigo, we both know all your relationship didn't last long. I'm the only girl who put up with being your last priority that's why we lasted a little longer. This girlfriend of yours will soon realized you don't care enough to exert an effort in your relationship." She then reached for his face and kissed him. Ichigo was caught off-guard he could not react immediately until he heard a crash. He pushed Senna on her shoulder and he looked outside. The second his eyes connect with wide purple eyes he knew his heart died.
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Rukia stands there with the content of a bento and a cup of coffee scattered in her feet. She then clutched her chest with both of her hands as if to catch her heart and comfort it. She turned and tried to walk away but it is a very difficult feat as her legs are wobbling so badly. She extended one hand on the wall to support her and tried to walk again, "This is the worst…this is so much worst.. " she whispered repeatedly, she managed to make two steps.
"Rukia" Ichigo was beside her but was so afraid to touch her. His gut is twisting with fear, and pain and sorrow.
"Why?... Why?... Why…?" she asked to no one.. She's not seeing anything anymore and that is not because her eyes are obstructed with tears but because her mind had shut down. She tried to walk again but her legs gave out and she was falling face front. She closed her eyes and she embraced the darkness that enveloped her.
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In the darkness, Rukia felt that she is still falling and falling and falling… there is no end to this.. or maybe she's static she just didn't know because she couldn't see anything. It was all black. But she would gladly stay here, because here she couldn't feel anything. She feels nothing. Her heart is safe and she's far from getting hurt again.
So Rukia felt content with just like that, floating in the darkness. But then she felt like someone is calling her, tugging at her hand. She can hear a small voice in her mind that tries to tell her something. She ignores all of these and went back to embracing the darkness.
That voice did not stop though, it became a little louder and the hold on her hand became tighter, tugging her incessantly.
…get..
midget…
Midget? Who's that? Rukia wonders. Then the darkness was ripped apart and light filtered in until she can see a figure, and even against her will she was pulled back to the reality.
She felt her right hand was clutch in between hands. She tried to open her eyes but she was blinded with the light, so she closed them again. Then she heard someone speaks.
"Come back to me, Rukia. You have to know I would never dare cheat on you, not today, not tomorrow, not even in a million years. She kissed me all of a sudden and I was caught off guard. You really have the worst timing, do you know that? If you don't believe me I will drag Senna here and make her tell you the truth.
How could you have ever think I would cheat on you, you stupid midget. My heart is overflowing enough with my feelings for you that even if I was given ten more hearts it would still not be enough to contain them all. My mind would automatically think of you when it is free and my soul yearns for only you. You are smart enough to understand there's no space for anyone but you. Do you understand? You own me Rukia, all of me."
Rukia feels his hands are shaking. She could feel the warmth of his breath. She tried to open her eyes again and this time she endured the brightness. Ichigo's head is bowed with her hand on his mouth. She was about to call him when he spoke again.
"'tang'na Rukia, mahal na mahal kita.* I am so in love with you that even if I die and live again I would still love you. You are stuck with me even in our afterlife if that exist.
Geez! I can't believe you're making me say embarrassing things.
Anyway, you are the unfair one. How many times have I told you I love you already, huh? I think I have said it a million times… but you… you never said it back even once. But that's okay because even if you don't love me back I would still cling to you, I would gladly accept what little you can give. I would take anything you are willing to give. As long as you allow me to love you…"
"Ichigo." Rukia whispered. Ichigo raised his head and saw she was awake. He sat on her bed and gathered her in his arms.
"Rukia! Oh God midget, please don't scare me like that again. About what you saw earlier, it wasn't what it look like… Senna, she's my ex but I swear to God there's nothing going on between us. That was the first time I saw her after we broke up last year and…." Fear started to creep on him again when he felt Rukia extracting herself from his embrace.
She was about to speak when the door opens and in came Kaien.
"Get your hands off of her Kurosaki. You don't deserve her." Kaien ordered him.
Ichigo stands up and faced Kaien. "I agree, I don't deserve her because she deserves so much better that me or you but if you think I would give her up to you then think again."
"In case you've forgotten, the only reason she even looked at you was because of your resemblance to me. Do you think now that she knew you were cheating on her she would still choose you?" Kaien bluntly said.
This pained Ichigo. He knew somehow he is right, but as he said earlier, he won't mind as long as she chooses him.
Kaien turned to Rukia, he reached for her hand and said "Baby, I'm sorry. Please give me another chance. I was a fool for hurting you, but I won't anymore. I promise to love only you. Let's go back to how we were before." He pleaded.
Ichigo stands there, head bowed. Not looking to either of them. His heart is in turmoil. He wanted to beg Rukia to choose him but he had done that enough. If she doesn't choose him, then he should start to accept that he'll be living alone for the rest of his life because he knew there would be no other woman can ever replace Rukia in his heart.
"I love you…" Ichigo heard Rukia say and he felt like dying all over again. He started to walk towards the door. His heart is weeping inconsolably. But his steps faltered when he heard her next word.
"Ichigo."
He turned and looked at Rukia. She was getting out of bed, away from Kaien and was looking straight at him.
"I love you, Ichigo Kurosaki. I love you, you idiot." Rukia declared smiling. Tears cascading down her face.
"I love how you kissed my hand the first time, I love how you pierce me with your intense gaze, I love how you stubbornly wove yourself into my life, I love how dedicated you are to your work, I love how you get me to act childish sometimes, I love your overprotectiveness, I love your family, even your father… and if that is not proof enough then I don't what is." Rukia poured her heart as well.
Rukia's smile widen " and I believe you." Ichigo couldn't contain his heart. He couldn't remember a time he was with Rukia that his heart beats normally. It was either frantic or not beating at all. He walked closer to her and reach out to cup her face.
"You must. Please don't jump into conclusion again, okay. I don't ever want to see you cry ever again." He said while caressing her cheek. Rukia nodded. Then knocked him on his head.
"Hey!" Ichigo said.
"That's for thinking I don't love you.. because I love you. I love you enough to be willing to be stuck with you even in our afterlife, even if we became shinigamis, if that exist too." She smirked.
"Crap, you heard all that huh!?" Ichigo hands went to his neck. Face turning red. "I'm glad, midget. Though actually, you have no choice." He told her seriously.
"Oh really now?" she asked, brow raised. Ichigo nodded.
"Well, I guess you'll do." She smiled, she wrapped her hands on his neck and kissed him. Ichigo gladly accepted.
Outside the door, Kaien was leaning on the wall, tears running down his face. He realized, what he is feeling right now might be what Rukia felt before, when he had told her he loved someone else. Only he felt this is hundred times worst because he was there and he heard all her confession. He also realized how strong Rukia was for bearing this kind of pain when he himself almost keel over. He knew, he has no one to blame but himself. He shouldn't have gotten his hope so high and he wished he didn't meet that woman last night. He could have saved himself from this torture.
Last night, Kaien was at a bar, having a drink by himself when a woman sat beside him and started chatting him.
"You know, you look like someone I know." She started.
Kaien chuckled bitterly. Because of that someone who looks like him that he is suffering now, that he couldn't have the woman he wants now.
He humored her and said "tell me about him."
"Well, he is a doctor, and of course he's good looking since you're good-looking.." she smiled playfully.
"A doctor huh! Let me guess, his name is Ichigo Kurosaki." He said, his feature unreadable.
"You know him?" The girl asked.
"Yeah, he's dating the woman I love." Kaien bluntly said. He doesn't care anymore, he just wanted to take some out of his chest.
The woman laughed. This annoyed the hell out of him. "I'm glad you find my predicament, amusing."
"I'm sorry, it's just that, I'm sure they won't last long anyway, so you'll have your chance soon enough. I'm Senna, by the way."
Kaien turned to her fully, now interested. "What do you mean?"
"Well, Ichigo is not the type of person who prioritize relationship over his work or family. All his past relationship didn't last long because he simply doesn't care enough. I was the only one who lasted the longest because I put up with his erratic schedule." Senna said.
"Not this time." Not with the kind of woman he have now. He's not a fool, unlike me...
"I'll prove it to you. Give me your number, I'll call you."
Kaien had been so happy earlier when Senna called him, telling him that Ichigo had accepted her again and that Rukia saw them kissing. He had thought he could get Rukia back now.
Inside the room, when Ichigo and Rukia separated. Rukia asked "When can we visit your family again? I missed Yuzu's cooking."
"Well, Yuzu's only home during weekend, so we can go this Saturday. Are you sure you only missed Yuzu's cooking? because I hell sure missed something else." Ichigo's eyebrow wiggle then he winked at her.
She huffed "What else should I miss? Your small, dingy room and your creaky bed? You know I think your closet is even more comfortable."
"We could try the closet too." He wiggled his eyebrows again. Rukia laughed and swat his arms. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"
Kaien heard her laugh. He sighed deeply and chuckled bitterly, those two didn't even realized they have agreed to be engaged. Ichigo's words earlier sounds like a marriage proposal and Rukia had accepted. He might as well throw in the white towel already. He started to walk away.
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-owari-
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A/N: And that's it folks. We close the curtain to a dejected Kaien. Karma really is a bitch, isn't?
* 'tang'na Rukia, mahal na mahal kita translation: Fuck Rukia, I love you so much. I just thought in my language, it has more impact.
Thank you for putting up with me. Until next time (that is, If I can cook up something that interest you again..lol…)
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You take care guys.
Ja'ne!