Bleach: Rukia's Requiem

Chapter 9

Rukia held her breath, counting to ten before she knocked on the door. There was a rustle from inside, but no indication that she could go in.

"Daniel, it's me, Rukia," she tried even though she was sure it wouldn't make a difference. He had been ignoring her for almost a week before she finally mustered up to courage to show up at his house unannounced.

Luckily his mother liked her a lot.

She tried the door handle, finding that it was unlocked.

"Please, let's talk about this," she said as she set one foot inside the room.

Daniel was on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Don't want to," he said.

That set Rukia over the edge. If he was going to act like a child, he could at least come up with a better excuse.

"That's it," Rukia muttered before she walked in, shut the door, and jumped onto his bed.

Daniel's eye widened in surprise as Rukia's foot made contact with his stomach. He rolled to his side, hoping it would get him his wind back.

"Why are you mad at me, huh? Is it because I didn't tell you?" she exclaimed, crossing her legs as she sat down next to him.

"What exactly did you want me to say? 'Hi, my name is Rukia, I can see dead people and can fight big black beasts'," The sarcasm was thick in her voice.

Daniel had taken the time to sit up, opening his mouth to say something, but quickly realising that she was right.

"I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry that I'm not who you thought I was. Wait, no. I'm exactly the person you've spent all this time with, I just happen to have sort of another life okay?" she continued when he didn't say or do anything.

A silence settled between them, heavy and threatening.

"I'll leave if that's what you want," Rukia whispered, surprised by how badly it stung to say the words. When Daniel once again didn't say anything, she started to get up.

"If it means anything, it was nice-" she said, but when an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her onto the bed, it stopped her mid-sentence.

"Don't go," Daniel said, making Rukia's heart flutter. Well, that and the position they were in, him being on top of her and all.

He reached down and stroked her cheek, his thumb resting on her lips.

"I'm not mad, I promise. It just a lot to take in," Daniel whispered, setting his forehead on hers.

"I'm sorry I stayed away as long as I did, I just didn't know how to approach you," he admitted. "It's not every day you find out you girlfriend is a Shinigami."

Rukia looked at him alarmingly.

"How?" she asked, knowing he'll understand her question even if she didn't fill the blanks.

"Ichigo beat you to the punch. We have classes together, so I can't exactly avoid him," Daniel said and Rukia mentally cursed Ichigo. "He also told me he was one, but he didn't tell me how exactly this came to be," Daniel said, giving her an expectant look.

Rukia sighed, getting herself comfortable for a long day.

"Well, I first met Ichigo..." she started, and for three hours after that she was still talking, occasionally answering one of Daniel's many questions.

She told him how Ichigo had become a Soul Reaper, how that had gotten her in trouble and how Ichigo had gone to save her. She left out the parts about Ichigo going bat-shit crazy at one point, knowing Ichigo would probably be mad at her.