Their Moment

It was just a normal, lazy day at Karakura High... or as it can be normal when you have a substitute shinigami and a real shinigami without powers. It was unusually hot that day, a cloudless sky and not even a breeze of wind in the air.  Following the lessons was even harder than usual and the only wish in the students and teachers minds was to finish the day and go home to sleep. But only one person in the school got their wish granted.
Kon was quietly sleeping in Rukia's bag, dreaming of his Nee-san's hugs and kisses when a vibration came from somewhere behind his back. Immediately Rukia's hand reached for the source of the sound and Kon was woken up from his sleep. He groaned, knowing what that sound meant. It was time for him to be Ichigo.

--

"You could invent better excuses when you have to got us out of class you know, instead of pretending you are always sick?!" Ichigo was jumping from roof to roof in his shinigami uniform, carrying Rukia on his back.
When she got the message of a Hollow nearby, she immediately pretended to be sick and amazingly the professor believed her (he was never going to understand how people could fall so easily at her acting). Of course Ichigo had immediately understood what her sudden sickness meant and offered to accompany her to the infirmary. That had caused everybody in the class to snicker...

"Shut up, the Hollow is near. Ichigo prepare yourself!"
He focused his attention back on the monster who, at that moment following the frightened soul of a woman, and reached his hand to the huge sword on his back.


--

Ichigo was getting good she had to admit. His strikes were much more precise when he slashed with his Zanpakuto and his attacks were more calculated, though he relied still too much on his rough strength. His reiatsu was extremely strong, Rukia could sense it, and the Hollows he had been fighting lately were mediocre, he had found no particular trouble defeating them.
She bit her lip. Sometimes she couldn't help but feel guilty on the burden she had dropped on his back. By giving him those powers she had dragged him in a world that wasn't his, a dangerous world. Had she done the right thing?

But… but still… somehow Rukia knew she could trust him, it was a weird sensation coming from someone like her, someone that had difficulty socializing with others. But there was something about this boy that was familiar, she had never felt so close with another person. Maybe it was because her powers were within him, or maybe because she felt like she understood him a bit. Maybe because she had seen him fight against Grand Fisher. Somehow, deep inside, she herself doesn't know how to explain this feeling inside her.

She cleared her throat, "Good job, let´s get back to school."

--
Sighing loudly, Ichigo threw the papers on the desk and asked himself for the twentieth time why it had to be him. Why, why in the world he?
Why was it him who had to play the role of an idiot fallingi in love?
A soft light came from the closet, Rukia was still up.

"Oi!" he called. No answer.
"Oi, Rukia!" he said a bit more loudly.

The door slid open and he met her annoyed frown. She was holding the same papers he had in her right hand.
He raised an eyebrow, "Are you really studying that?!"
"Of course! You should be doing the same…" She was about to close the door but then added, "We should practice together sometime. We really have many parts together in this play" and then sheclosed the door.
"Yeah… we should." He lied on his bed and closed his eyes asking himself again why was he, among all others, was the one who received the role of Romeo?

--
Rukia was given the role of Juliet of course, that´s what Ochi-sensei had said when the two of them had returned to class that afternoon. Ichigo had later learned that Ochi-sensei was one of the most creative person in his school and was famous for always being in charge for festivals and cultural activities. Of course, until that day, he had never noticed anything of that. They had returned to class on that moment and Rukia looked at him with a questioning expression.
Tatsuki noticed that and said, "We have discussed what to do for the school's festival and we have decided for a play. Ishida-san suggested Romeo and Juliet," he took a quick glance at the Quincy who was adjusting his glasses on his nose, visibly embarrassed at the sudden attention he was getting from the class.
Tatsuki continued, "Everyone has got a part on the play or in the backstage. The role of the main heroine had been given to you, Kuchiki-san."
Ochi-sensei smiled warmly at Rukia, "We think you are simply perfect for this role. Kuchiki-san, we are counting on you."
"Oh.. o-of course, thank you very much, I will do my best!" she answered bowing.
"As for the role of the main hero, Romeo, we decided on you Kurosaki-kun."
Ichigo didn´t realize they had chosen him until Tatsuki came with a pile of papers containing his part and everyone complimented him.
Only then he noticed, "WHAAAAAT???!!!"

Mizuiro had told him later on his way home that Ochi-sensei had noticed Rukia´s talent in acting and natural elegance and immediately proposed her for Juliet´s role. But why did they choose him for Romeo? Mizuiro just smiled and waved goodbye.

--

The following days just proved that Ichigo had no talent for acting. Ochi-sensei was patient and made him repeat the sentences countless times, but repeated constantly, "there was no passion in his voice". He had difficulty memorizing his parts and kept acting mechanically and sometimes would just stand there with a frown when he was supposed to express his love. Or shout at someone when he was supposed to be desperate. Things only got worse when he had to leave Kon in his body to run for a Hollow. The modified soul would show his 'talent' until he was kicked out by Tatsuki. It became clear that the only reason they choose him was because he and Rukia hung out a lot together and everyone thought they were dating. Of course, no one was going to pair the supposed girlfriend of a delinquent with another boy, not even on a play.

Rukia on the other hand, was doing really well. He hadn't seen her acting her part yet, as he practiced with Ochi-sensei and few others while she was off with Inoue and the rest of the girls. Curiously, whenever they had to try their parts together, a Hollow appeared and both of them disappeared from the scene. But everyone kept praising her over and over again. She was really doing her best, had already memorized her entire script. She would carry her papers everywhere she went and never took her eyes off of them. Even at night, Ichigo could hear her whispers coming from the closet. He felt somewhat bugged by how much she devoted herself to this play. But on the other hand, he had never seen her so pleased with what she was doing. Whenever she re-read those papers, her eyes would shine bright and her lips turned upward in a soft smile. An expression he had rarely seen before on her face. She looked content. It made him happy in an odd way to see her like this.

--

As the days passed, the preparations for the festival increased. Not only the actors had to prepare themselves every afternoon, but also the backgrounds needed to be made. Everyone moved frenetically and excited.
Ichigo, on the other side, seemed to be immune to this. He had other duties. Such as running night and day looking for Hollows to kill and lost souls for whom he had to perform konso. Not that he minded, of course, but it was tiring to have to come every afternoon and at least pretend to be trying to act.

The day of the festival was closing in. The preparations were going well. And it meant their classroom was in complete chaos. There were students who tried their parts in the middle of the hallway, paint everywhere (who had the amazing idea to make Keigo in charge of the background?), cardboards, papier-mâché, and pieces of wood, fabric, ribbons and adhesive tape on the floor. The most visited attraction was Ishida´s. He was in charge of the costumes and the all of the girls couldn´t stop exclaiming, "Oooh…~! Aaah…~" at his creations. Trying to get away from the crowd, Ichigo ended up on a corner where he thought he had seen Chad before, but there was no sign of him. Only a green bush made of carton decorated with paper´s leaves and a tree made the same way. He sat on a chair trying to relax when he saw the bush moving and the face of a girl came out from inside it all painted in green, like a military officer's face.

"AARGHH" he screamed.
"Uh… I am sorry! Did I scare you Kurosaki-kun?"
"Inoue? Is that you?"
Orihime nodded.
"But what… what are you?"
She smiled widely, "I am the bush! I have been practicing here the past three hours with Sado-kun."
Ichigo raised his eyes to the tree near her and Chad´s eyes looked back at him. His lower body was covered with dark brown carton and the upper body was a large carton with fake leaves attached to it. He held other branches with his hands.
"So you two… you play the bush and the tree?"
She nodded with a serious expression. "Yes! It´s a very difficult task, you have to stay calm and quiet for a long time. But Sado-kun and I are giving our best."
"Don't you get bored?"
"Not really. We watch the others practice, especially Kuchiki-san. I watched her many times. She is the best of us, she has real talent, don´t you agree Kurosaki-kun?"
"I'm not sure, I haven't seen her yet."
Chad spoke for the first time, "But how? You are supposed to be the main characters?"
"Yes, I know but…"
"ICHIGO!!!" Rukia suddenly interrupted him before he could finish and pushed him outside the class.
"Hurry, there is a Hollow nearby!"

--

He changed into a shinigami and hurried without waiting for her to the place where the Hollow was screaming.  His inhuman pain was looking for a soul, looking for that thing that would help him fill his never ending greed, always hungry. This was until the sharp zanpakuto of Ichigo pierced his mask and cut him down.

Rukia arrived on the moment when the Hollow disappeared, "Why did you run off so suddenly you moron? I didn´t even had the time to tell you where it was!"
"It wasn´t needed, I could sense his reiatsu well enough."
"IT DOES NOT MATTER! You had to bring me with you! You never received a shinigami training, who knows what Hollow you might encounter! Maybe it is classified with a special ability and you might have as well jumped in his trap. Next time wait for me!"

She was right of course, he acted without thinking, but instead anger and tiredness built in him, and he found out he couldn´t control it anymore. He screamed, "Yeah, then maybe instead of losing time on your stupid play you could have trained me!"
He immediately regretted saying these words. She had already taught him anything she could. She couldn´t risk to teach him spells or any other things while she was powerless and her reiatsu was limited. She was already in a bad situation, although she never said anything about that. He knew this very well, but still he had screamed at her.
She seemed hurt for a moment but then regained back her composure and repeated, "Next time wait for me." Turning around she headed back to school and he could simply follow behind her, head low, anger inside of him. Anger at her, but mostly at him. For the way he had acted, for the way he had treated her. But he didn´t apologize.

--


"HEY! Could you pay more attention to where you put these?!" Ichigo said at Michiru Ogawa who was taking measures with pins for his final costume.
"It's your fault for being so tense and moving so much," came the voice of Ishida from a chair not so far away from where he was standing. He was sewing another pastel colored costume.
Ichigo grunted, "By the way, Ishida, weren't you the one who could recite the entire play by memory?"
The black haired boy looked warily at him, "Yes, and...?"
"Then why didn´t they choose you for the role of Romeo, I am useless anyway."
"Idiot. Who would have designed the costumes then?"
He grunted again. Tatsuki came calling him to get ready and try his part. She screamed for him to hurry, he shouted back. He was not ready, and he was nervous so it only could end badly.

--


He couldn't concentrate and often forgot his lines. Everyone was looking at him and that only made him more nervous. Rukia was nowhere to be seen. Ochi-sensei was chatting with Tatsuki and the other organizers. He couldn´t hear what they said, but from the worried looks they sent him he could imagine. He wasn't doing good, and the play was in four days. He tried at least to sound decent, he didn´t want to ruin everyone's hard work after all but his sentences came out weak. Where was she? Wasn't she supposed to be at his general presentation too...?

Rukia...


When they were finished, he took another exit to avoid encountering his friends. He was a failure, and his acting was going to destroy all their hard work. But most of all, he couldn´t see Rukia anywhere. Where was she? Was she mad at him...? He felt sorry, not only because of what he had said earlier, but also because she, who most than everyone, had worked hard on this play (heck, she had even helped preparing the background scenery!), was having her hard work ruined by him. He heard Tatsuki calling him but he ignored her and ran away.

Passing near the gym building, he arrived to a little meadow with high trees surrounding it. He sit under one of them, trying to hide himself from everything and everyone. That is when he noticed a movement coming from behind one of the trees. The shadow had reflected the sun. Surprised, he peeped from behind the tree. No one was supposed to be there at that time. There was a small fountain there and the trees were forming a circle around the fountain. And there was someone behind it. After one moment she came out to the light.

Rukia…

Apparently she hadn´t noticed him. She looked straight in front of her as she walked to the center of the place and then stopped. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and then…
…She began to talk.

No, she wasn´t talking, she was reciting. She moved across the place, her hands moving elegantly as she spoke, her expression changing from sadness, to happiness, to determinate, to desperate. She was Rukia, she was Juliet, she was prideful, she was kind, she was in love, she was beautiful.

He had never particularly thought of what her life was like in the afterworld. Something like strict military, he supposed. She probably had never even had the chance to act freely like this. But now, she looked so relaxed, so free. Like it was the most normal thing to do. He found he couldn't take his eyes off of her and couldn't help but feel himself driven into her story. She was breathing life into him, she was driving him into her act, making him feel the same emotions Juliet was feeling. He watched her, enchanted.
When she finished he didn't realize he had held his breath so long.  She stood there looking down for a minute, her hair covering her expression. Not knowing exactly what took him he came out from where he was hiding. She rose her eyes but seemed not too surprised to see him. She looked straight at him with an unchanging expression, waiting.

He realized he had to say something, but he couldn´t find the words, so he went straight to the point, "I'm sorry…
…I'm sorry I screamed at you like that, I shouldn´t have. I realize how important this is to you…You're… really good at this and I can see how much you enjoy acting… I acted like a real idiot with you. Yeah… that's all…" he ended.
There was a minute of silence between them. Neither did talk. He had sounded pathetic, he thought but she looked at him and he watched back. And they both felt it again, that silent understanding they felt the first time on that night when she gave him her powers.
She smiled slightly and whispered, "Thank you Ichigo."
"Yeah… too bad your performance will be ruined by the worst Romeo in the history of drama."
"ICHIGO," he looked at her a bit surprised when she had raised her voice, "A boy that has become a shinigami, who is fighting Hollows to protect the others… you think there is anything this boy can´t do?"
"Idiot, this isn´t the same…"
"But we are together, right? We have entrusted each other's lives once… If I ask you again, will you trust me?" And she reached her hand toward him, with a determined smile.
Without even thinking, his hand moved to grasp hers.

It's you I could never thank enough… for everything.


--

The following days flew away fast with the preparations. Everyone was busy with their part. Ishida had finished the costumes and both Ichigo and Rukia could choose between three different costumes for their part. But the best thing was, now that Ichigo and Rukia had began practicing together, he suddenly started improving. Miracle or not, everyone noticed this sudden change, and it was clear enough that she had inspired him. He was far from good, but it was enough, enough for everyone to stop whatever here they doing and stare at these two acting. They never took the eyes off from each other, and to some, they looked like what real lovers should look like, moving, talking, in perfect synchronization. And indeed, they were beautiful.

--

With the closing of the Festival´s day, everyone became nervous. Everyone, except the main actors. "Looks like you have found your inspiration Kurosaki-kun," Ochi-sensei had told him. And he had indeed. It was Rukia again who had inspired him. After that afternoon, he had given his best. He had never particularly cared for the play but now was going to help for its realization for her, so she could at least once have the chance to act in front of a public, so she could show everyone her Juliet, after all the weeks of hard work.

--

The night of the play finally came and everyone was ready. Mizuiro, working at the lights gave the signal. In 15 minutes they could start. They were all waiting backstage. Rukia and Ichigo had wore their costumes and were looking like they were a real prince and princess.
Tatsuki began, "Okay, everyone, we worked hard on this. In fifteen minutes we start, let's give our best!"
"Let's give our best!" everyone said. Rukia laughed and clapped her hands with everyone but suddenly froze and turned around after hearing a familiar sound.

"Ichigo, come here."
"What is it?" But the look on her face showed what the matter was.
"Hollows. We… have to go."
"Where is Kon?"
"I left him home with Yuzu."
He looked at her, "This isn't a matter of 15 minutes right?" Her silence confirmed his thought. He thought for a moment and then put his hands on her shoulders, looking straight at her face, "Listen, you have to trust me this time. You stay here, and play the best you can. Not for the people who are watching you, not for our class, not for me but for you, and you only."
"But…"
"Kurosaki where are you going?"
"Yo, Ishida this is the right time to prove if you really know Shakespeare so well."
"Kuchiki-san, where is he going?!"
Rukia was in disbelief, "He… he received a call from home and he had to go, he… he had to."

--

These Hollows were strong. Unlike the ones he had fought recently these had more experience with shinigami and knew where and when to attack. He had the sensation of being played by them, especially by the little one behind them. He was fast, too fast and was attacked on surprise.
He had already a wound on his left shoulder and it was bleeding fast.
It was getting bad and he had no idea how to fight back...

A noise behind him and he turned around just in time to stop another attack but on the same moment the claws of another Hollow reached him and he fell onto the road under him.
He tried to get up but the foot of one of the Hollows held him down on the ground. He was laughing as he prepared himself for the final attack.
Suddenly, a blue light shone and the next moment the Hollow above him fell on the ground with a big hole on the upper part of his body. The other Hollows were caught with surprise. Without losing a second, Ichigo got up and finished two of them with one strike and proceeded to kill the little one. When another light came, a red fire this time and helped him detect the little Hollow, who had nowhere to hide this time, and was soon destroyed by his zanpakuto.
When the last one went finally down she came to him. Her Juliet dress was torn on the edges from the run. She was exhausted after using the spells but still proceeded to heal his wound.
"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to-"
She shook her head, "What are you saying? Are we not a team? Have I not told you we are together in this?"
And she smiled then at him, but there were tears forming on the corner of her eyes.
"Ichigo, don't you dare do something like this ever again. For a Shinigami, Plus and Hollows come in the first place, always, doesn't matter if I don't have my powers, I am still a shinigami."

--

When they returned to school, they play was drawing to its end.
"Uh... by the way, who played your part Rukia?"
They entered just in time to see everyone bowing in front of an enthusiastic public, and in the middle, on the role of Romeo and Juliet were…

"Ishida and Inoue?"

--

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BOTH KUCHIKI AND ICHIGO RAN AWAY?!"
"Something happened at Kurosaki's house, I think… Hey stop screaming at my ear!"
Tatsuki threw a punch at the wall, Orihime near her was worried for the sudden disappearance of both Kurosaki and Kuchiki.
"What are we gonna do now?" asked someone.
"The play will take place," and everyone was a bit shocked to hear Chad speaking but he was indeed and continued, "We just need to replace the main characters."
"But," Tatsuki began, "How are you going to replace…" How are you going to replace what happened between them and what everyone felt when they played? How are you going to replace that? "…them?"
"We need to improvise," Mizuiro had taken the word.
"Ishida-san, you know the entire play by memory, you can take Kurosaki-kun's role. As for Kuchiki´s…" he turned towards Orihime, "Inoue is the one who had spent the most time with Kuchiki-san when she practiced, you probably remember most of her part."
"Yes, but…"
"No but Orihime," Tatsuki turned toward her, "I know you can do this."
She looked at her friend, then at everyone else and finally at Ishida, who was way too embarrassed and was nervously adjusting his glasses.
"I will do it."

--

What turned out was something no one had ever seen. The overly dramatic Ishida and the sometime too clumsy Orihime somehow managed to make the public enjoy the play.
Ishida really knew all the parts while Orihime didn't but when she didn't know what she was supposed to say, she threw here and there something by herself sometimes making the public laugh, but she managed to create her own Juliet, a kind, albeit clumsy one.
However, this only helped emphasizing the last tragic scene, where together, the two of them moved the public in a heart warming performance. In the end, they deserved all the applause from the public.
Red in the face, breathing coming out heavily, the two of them held hands and bowed to the public, with big smiles on their face.

--

Rukia and Ichigo were looking at the scene from the crowd, when everyone was gone they went back stage to apologize and to compliment Ishida and Orihime.
Ichigo received a kick from Tatsuki but all in all they managed to make their excuse sound genuine and the play was still a big success.

--

It was late in the night when everyone finally went home and Ichigo and Rukia were left alone in the schoolyard. They were still wearing their Romeo and Juliet costumes and none of them said a word.

The moon shining up in the sky but Rukia was looking down to the ground. She couldn't hide it. She had wanted to act in the play this night. She had worked hard, but she had loved it. Preparing the play with everyone, practicing with Inoue and the others, trying the costumes, but most of all…

…She loved playing with Ichigo. She had enjoyed those times at the fullest and this was going to be the final night, the special night, where she could have played on the stage, under the lights…
But if it wasn't meant to be that way, then okay… she would just accept it and go on.

"Let's go home Ichigo… it's late." Rukia started to move but then he said something which made her turn around surprised. Wait, what has he said?!
He was smiling at her as he repeated that sentence again.

Is he… acting?

He was. And he was inviting her to do the same. And then, she just smiled back and reached for him.

And so, they played Romeo and Juliet, just the two of them, under the moon's light. They recreated the play only for the two of them, because in the end, it was the only thing that mattered. That they were together, that they would be each other's strength and trust. On that night, an ancient story of pure love was reborn, and although they might have looked like fools, they didn´t care, for it was only the two of them, never taking their eyes off from the other.

It was their moment, and it belonged only to them alone.