The Outfit

Sunday

SUNDAY

Rukia walks downstairs, yawning and stretching, wearing her usual pajamas. She finds Ichigo already up, cooking in the kitchen.

"I didn't know you could cook, Ichigo," Rukia comments, bypassing the traditional morning greeting.

"You don't have to sound so surprised, Rukia."

"Why didn't you wait for me? I could've done that..."

"Everyone from Soul Society eats weird stuff. I didn't want to eat whatever bizarre concoction you would come up with!"

WHAM! Over the head with a breakfast plate.

Whirling around, Ichigo shouts, "I'm standing in front of a hot stove here! Do you want to start a fire?!"

"Don't insult my cooking!"

"Learn how to cook!"

They glare lightning bolts at each other for a moment, growling, before Ichigo returns to his eggs and Rukia to her chair.

Both were glad things seemed to be back to normal.

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After breakfast, the pair cleans up the kitchen and gets ready for the day.

Back downstairs, they both have a seat on the couch and start watching television. Ichigo is relieved that Rukia is now wearing a less "skin-ny" dress...partly.

But she still looks so beautiful...WHAT? OK, there is something seriously wrong with me, man.

Rukia, too, takes immediate notice of Ichigo's white tee and black jeans. Kami, he looks good in that. Wait, why the hell am I even Iooking?!

That's when they both realize they are staring at each other. They snap their heads back to the tv like they were just announced the winners of the lottery, staring at the screen intently.

After a few moments, Rukia has her head back on straight. "This is boring, Ichigo, find something else."

"No way. I'm watching this. It's funny."

"That is not funny! It's juvenile and idiotic! Which actually makes sense of why you like this, now that I think about it..."

"ARE YOU CALLING ME JUVENILE AND IDIOTIC?!"

"Well...as they say...if the shoe fits..."

"You hypocrite! Talk about being juvenile, you think fluffy stuffed animals are cute, like a little girl! Which is idiotic too!"

There go the glares and growls again. When they finally break apart, Rukia insists on the remote. She "simply refuses to watch such nonsense."

Ichigo grabs the remote and holds it up out of Rukia's arm-length range. Incensed, Rukia scooches closer to get a longer reach and grabs for it anyway, intending to rip it from his grip. Instead, she finds her hand wrapped around his. Their eyes lock. Neither lets go. Slowly, Ichigo's head inches towards Rukia's...just as Rukia's inches toward his.

At that moment, the front door swings wide open and a jubilant (as usual) Isshin loudly announces his presence. "Ichigo! I'm home with your sisters! How was your party, son?!"

Ichigo and Rukia jump apart as soon as they hear the door open. They stare with shocked, red faces at Isshin, the twins behind him. They both stammer a "welcome back" and quickly excuse themselves to their rooms.

Rukia quickly shuts the door to the twins' bedroom, placing her back up against it, her heart pounding hard from more than just the surprise entrance of Isshin with his daughters. What the hell?? Was Ichigo about to...was * I*about to...? No, it can't be...gotta be my imagination. Ichigo would never...and *I* would never...

The image of kissing Ichigo, however, visits her unbeckoned. Kami, what is happening to me? Am I losing my mind?

Two doors down, Ichigo is wrestling similar thoughts, sprawled across his bed. I swear...in that moment...I was really gonna...and she was...now that can't be true. There's just no way. I had to have imagined that. Crap! I gotta figure out what the hell to do. Whatever is wrong with me, I need to fix it! I feel like I'm going bonkers here!

Dinner that night goes fairly smoothly...but it does not escape Isshin's (or Karin's) attention that Rukia and Ichigo keep stealing glances at one another all throughout. Well, well, well. It's about time, you two! Isshin smiles to himself. Karin shares the same thought as her father, and hides a smile of her own. Yuzu, however, is clueless as ever—for the time being.

Sleep, again, does not come easily for Rukia or Ichigo. They had both thought everything had returned to normal after that morning's breakfast, but with what almost happened on the couch, it was clear they had not. They both wrestle with their thoughts as they had before. Ichigo once again employs mental math and music to escape into sleep, but now that the twins are home, Rukia has to opt for an mp3 player with earbuds over the radio, and cannot sing along. So instead, she goes over scenes of her latest favorite book as she listens. Eventually, they both get to sleep.

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A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short! The others are longer, I promise!

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