Affected By Death

Chapter 4: Loved Ones Lost

"I'm not very close to my brother, even though we were closer when we were kids." Rukia admits, since she has spent the last half hour explaining telling him a bit about her past and why she was looking for a home in Karakura Town rather than going back to her brother's mansion.

"That's too bad, so you only got further apart after you lost your parents?" Ichigo asks, and Rukia nods her head sadly.

Ichigo stares at her, since he finally understands what had her acting so strangely yesterday.

"It's not like we hate each other, we just don't really get along." Rukia explains, but Ichigo looks like he's ready to go back to an earlier subject.

"And you say I resemble a friend you lost when you were a kid?" He asks gently, because he could tell by her expression how much it had hurt her to admit that part.

"The resemblance is uncanny." Rukia admits sadly, and they both are silent for a moment.

"Ichigo!" Tatsuki's voice cuts through the silence and Ichigo looks at the doorway to see his childhood friend has arrived with her best friend.

"Ah, Tatsuki, hi." Ichigo looks back at Rukia. "If anything, you remind me a little bit of her, but only in your fearlessness." Ichigo says with a grin before he looks back at his friend.

"We came to visit you." Tatsuki says, and then she looks Rukia dead in the eye. "Would you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?" Tatsuki asks, and Ichigo immediately grabs Rukia's wrist.

"You don't have to." He says quickly, but Rukia puts her free hand on top of his which effectively quiets him.

"I'm going to go buy a drink. I'll be back in a few minutes." She tells him, wanting to respect the fact that his friend wants some privacy with him.

Ichigo watches Rukia until she's no longer in his sight, and he wishes she hadn't left.

"Why did you ask her to leave?" Ichigo asks Tatsuki, but she backs up a bit to peer out in the hall, to see if Rukia is still nearby. When she sees that Rukia is turning the corner out of her view, she turns back around, and nods her head at her best friend.

"Orihime had something she wanted to say to you privately. I'll stand guard at the door so nobody interrupts." Tatsuki says, and Ichigo guffaws at her answer while Inoue turns pink.

Ichigo turns to look at the other young woman in the room. He doesn't know her well, but he does know her and she looks very nervous to be alone with him. It's nothing new to him, so he sighs before speaking.

"Inoue, right?" He asks, wondering why in the hell he has to be alone in this room with anybody other than Rukia at the moment.

"Yes, Kurosaki-kun." Inoue says, with her voice shaking a bit at what she has to say next.

Ichigo eyes her as she takes a deep breath, uncertain of what all of this is about.

"You had something to say to me?" Ichigo asks pointedly, and Inoue nods her head yes at him.

"Kurosaki-kun, for many years now, I have had feelings for you. I'm here today to confess to you..." Inoue trails off, because when she looks at his eyes, he doesn't look happy or excited by her words.