In the Rain

"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby."

-Langston Hughes

"...I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days."

-Kevin Costner

Rukia lay in Ichigo's closet, a small radio playing a variety of songs. She turned it up when one in particular sparked her interest.

Just then, Ichigo slammed the door open.

" Would you shut that off?" he said, annoyance laced in his every syllable. " I'm trying to do homework!"

" Well try harder then," she said coldly. And then, talking to herself more than to him she said, " Isn't this song cool?... 'I love a rainy night...'" she sang a little with the music, horribly and off key of course.

Ichigo stopped glaring to pay more attention to the song.

" This song must be from the 70's...ugh...and who the hell loves a rainy night?" he exclaimed dubiously and superiorly.

Rukia looked offended. " Well, I happen to like this song, and I agree with the singer's opinion!" she declared, eyes flashing.

I love a rainy night

I love to hear the thunder

Watch the lightning

When it lights up the sky

You know it makes me feel good

Ichigo payed close attention the lyrics. He smiled deviously, looking at Rukia.

" Che, since when have you liked thunder? You always get scared and hide somewhere!" He crossed his arms over his chest, smugly standing there.

Rukia looked a little embarrassed, but even more defiant.

" So what? Just because I'm scared doesn't mean I hate it. And besides, I love rain, unlike your negative ass. You always curse when it starts raining, like a big baby."

" I don't like the rain, big deal! Who could anyway —?"

" I do! You idiot, without rain nothing would ever grow!"

" But it soaks you to the bone! You get all wet if you're not inside!" Ichigo stood a little taller, determined to win the argument. He left his homework completely disregarded.

Well, I love a rainy night

It's such a beautiful sight

I love to feel the rain

On my face

Taste the rain on my lips

In the moonlight shadows

The song continued, but neither one were paying attention anymore.

" Are you telling me you like it gloomy and grey?"

" It's how the weather works, you dense freak! It can't be sunny all the time!"

Showers washed

All my cares away

Rukia was shouting, Ichigo was shouting. It was a real show.

" That's what an umbrella's for, dumbass!"

" Yeah? Well what if you don't have an umbrella?"

" A couple of drops won't kill you!"

" What if it was pouring? If I had a penny for every time I got sick because of the rain I'd-"

" Oh shut up, Ichigo!"

" You shut up, idiot!"

" You're the idiot!"

" Only idiots like rain, idiot."

Rukia smirked while her brow twitched. " Only freaks can't appreciate it, freak."

" I'm not a freak! You're the freak!"

'Cos I love a rainy night

Yeah, I love a rainy night

Oh, I love a rainy night

Yeah, I love a rainy night

The girl huffed loudly, glaring at the orange-topped dunce before her. If common sense wouldn't help, maybe she should turn the heat up a little.

" What about the beauty of it all?" she demanded. He dropped his rigid stance and looked at her incredulously.

" Oh, you're not going to spout on about how 'water and rain represent life and the flow of things, and because it helps things grow it's magical' and all that utter nonsense?" he finished, mimicking all the discovery channel clowns he'd seen in his lifetime.

Rukia smiled triumphantly. " Then, you can at least understand that your 'utter nonsense' is what makes the rain pleasant."

" Hey, that isn't my philosophy, it's only the cliche of all freaky people like you! I don't see any way in which the rain can be pleasant." He turned up his nose, still confident about where he stood.

" But without it, we'd all be screwed. Nothing would grow, no flowers, trees, grass, food, and not to mention-"

" Yeah, okay, okay! I get it, I'll admit that rain is necessary, but there's no way in hell that it can ever or ever will be pleasant."

Rukia huffed yet again. " Fine. Picture this: a great big clearing, full of hidden creatures and insects, green colorful plants of all kind, and the rain filtering through the canopy. Imagine the sound, soothing, and the cool chill, or even comfortably warm atmosphere, and the smell of the rain." She looked at him intensely, looking for any reaction or dawning of understanding that her fantastical imagery should be producing.

And it wasn't producing anything but negativity. She got nothing but a scoff.

Well, she thought. I suppose he doesn't live in a pretty clearing deep in a forest somewhere.

" Well then, what about the pleasing fact that the rain washes away the dirt and the filth of the city? What about the calming pitter-patter against the pavement?" She didn't know how to quite explain the joy of the rain, how it could really just make your spirits soar, how it could make you forget all your troubles.

He looked at her, boredom written plainly across his face.

" Ah! You just don't get it!" she cried out, frustration evident in every muscle, every twitch of her body.

" No, I don't. Rain is stupid."

Stupid. Rukia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Was that the best he could come up with?

She pushed past him, walking into his room, planning on stomping away in a huff, but stopped at what she saw outside the window.

It was raining. Excitement welled within her, and hope was kindled. Now, she could win this argument, now she could prove her point!

" Ichigo! Come with me, now!"

" Why?" he asked, clearly not willing.

" It's important, hurry, we haven't much time," she said seriously.

He sobered, and with a curt nod followed her, no doubt expecting a hollow or enemy to fight.

With purpose, she walked straight outside, watching with disdain at the immediate scowl that appeared on Ichigo's face as the rain pelted him lightly.

The street, the empty street, was the image of paradise. Everything was gray, the sky, the pavement, and the lush green that the trees bleed into the surroundings was nothing short of breathtaking.

Traffic signs also contributed to the livelihood of the picture, to the color. And the rain, the rain came down lightly, making the leaves drip and the grass slippery. It made little puddles on the street, and illusions of indents as it fell on the pavement.

It was pretty.

The smell that was simply rain assaulted her senses, and Rukia smirked as she kicked off her shoes.

Running to the middle of the street, she heard Ichigo's annoyed voice.

" And what was so important now?" he asked, suspicion clearly evident in his tone.

Ignoring his question, she spoke.

" I know why you can't appreciate the rain, and I know how to make you love it."

He chuckled without amusement. " Your head must not be screwed on tight enough, because there is nothing that could ever — what the hell are you doing?"

She laughed at him, mockingly, as she twirled with her hands in the air, her bare feet splashing shallowly and unevenly.

" I'm dancing," she said, grinning. " Is it not obvious?"

He scoffed, something he seemed to be doing a lot today, as he shook his head.

" If that's suppose to be dancing, then the world's gone crazy." He stood with his arms crossed, his clothes and hair rain splattered.

She laughed again, un-lady-like in every way, but natural and so very Rukia.

" The rain doesn't judge your dancing, and the world doesn't care. You dance to your own beat, this is the best thing about the rain." Her slowly soaking sun-dress twirled around her body with her movements, her feet kicking up little sprays of rain as she embodied the picture of a joyful child.

" This is stupid," he proclaimed, sighing. " I'm gonna go and dry off."

As he was turning to leave, she rushed over to him and grabbed his arm.

" No, you're not going anywhere. Besides, it's barely raining enough for you to dry off yet."

" Rukia, I don't want to stay out in the rain, there's no point to it!"

" There is a point, obviously, you're going to dance with me." She said, as though it were the most normal conclusion, while tugging on his arm.

" What?!" he sputtered, looking at her like she was insane. " I don't dance! And why in the hell would I want to do something so idiotic when it's raining?"

" Your opinion doesn't matter," she declared deviously, mimicking his words when he'd come to save her from her execution. " And, you are going to dance. Come."

He swore at her, as he allowed himself to be dragged into the middle of the street, where not even the most overgrown of trees provided shelter.

" I am not doing this," he said, pouting and planting his feet firmly on the pavement. " And even if by some deluded twist of fate I did, how can anyone dance without music? Argh, this is so stupid!"

Rukia was smirking. " You have to listen harder, for the music. And then, you let your worries wash away. Then, you dance." She grabbed both of his hands, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

" See, this is dancing, now do the exact same thing."

" No," he said flatly, though making little effort to rid his hands from her hands.

" Fine," she said sharply, throwing his hands in the air, still connected to hers. She stepped back, pulling them apart so that their arms were stretched out fully. And before he could protest, she hung back her weight and started to spin in a circle quickly, forcing him to do the same, lest he wanted his arms to be dislocated.

It was the kind of thing you saw in those overly cheesy romance movies, where a couple would spontaneously grip each other's hands and spin till they should (but never did) get dizzy, all the while laughing like children with fake, exuberant smiles.

Ichigo wasn't taking kindly to this stupidity, nor the oddness of Rukia and him doing the 'happy-go-lucky-(usually associated with romance)-dance.' No, he wasn't liking it to much.

" Stop it! What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, trying to rid himself of her vice grip, his feet moving in pace with hers as she twirled them around faster; the sensation that at any minute he could fall consuming him. If she let go, he would fall flat on his ass.

" Dancing."

" Ah! Enough!" He planted his feet as solidly as he could, and pulled her forward harshly, making her let out a little sound of surprise, as she ended up crashing face first into his chest.

Their hands still linked, she groaned as she lifted her head. She was glaring at him, before the sparks of intelligence struck her with high intensity.

She quickly held one arm out, taking his with it. She placed her own hand on her waist, opposite to the arm she was holding away from her body, thereby placing his hand on her waist.

Bemused, Ichigo raised his eyebrows, tired and annoyed with the situation.

" What now? What are you doing?" Despite his irritation, as Rukia removed her hand from atop his, he didn't release her waist. And when she linked her fingers with his so that their arms hung comfortably bent, he didn't resist.

" This is what rain is for."

He noticed, she was so bright right now, despite the rain. And she was so small in his hold.

" What?" he asked, listlessly, because he knew the answer.

" For dancing."

And then she started moving her feet, Ichigo moving with her. She guided them, the form of a perfect dance couple.

Her wet dress clung to her, and his wet clothes clung to his body as well.

" I'm going to get sick," he said, glancing up at the drops that hit his face. " And this is the stupidest thing...there's no music."

" Mhm," she hummed, unbelieving of his words.

And he scowled, because even though he hated it, he could hear a sort of music. There wasn't really a steady beat, but the rain falling around them became prominent in his ears, relaxing him some, providing something like...

Music.

Together, they moved across the street, Rukia's bare feet gently tapping in the thin layer of water. This too, became loud in Ichigo's hears, hell, their breathing became unquiet. And it was lulling him to a state of comatose.

They were not graceful, but their movements were steady and lithe to an extent. Ichigo looked around, his expression a cross between boredom and slight awkwardness. And, unbeknownst to him, his expression was slowly molding to lazy comfort, even if such an expression was hardly visible.

Around them, the rain was starting to come down harder, and Ichigo brought Rukia closer, if unmindfully, for her warmth.

" Is this a habit of yours? Splashing around in the rain?" Ichigo asked.

" Yes." She grinned.

He shook his head. " What a silly habit."

" Not with someone to enjoy the silliness with you."

He let out a bark of short and harsh laughter. " Who said I was enjoying this?"

Thunder sounded in the sky, as if mocking the hollowness of those words.

" So let me ask you," he said, his hair now dripping. " How is this pleasant? I just saw some lightening, and that thunder; this isn't just a summer shower anymore."

Their feet moved together now, neither thinking on it anymore.

" Rain storms are beautiful in their terror, and even more fun to run around in," she said, matter-of-factly.

He sighed loudly. " I'll never understand you, and I'll never like the rain." He still had some indignance in his voice.

They fell silent, weaving through the sheets of water that drenched them. Now, the rain was heavy, and they were both soaked and dripping, their visibility of each other even reducing.

Rukia lifted her face closer to Ichigo's, water running down in streaks.

" I can hardly see you!" she laughed.

" And how is that funny?" he asked. " It's too much damn rain!"

They both talked over the sudden loudness of the turmoil. The rain was amplified, it's hits against the pavement almost like stones.

She pressed her forehead to his. No one realizing when they had stopped moving. Their hands remained linked and squished between their bodies. They were close now, and Rukia balanced on her tippy toes to reach Ichigo's height.

Ichigo raised one eyebrow as he leaned into the warm forehead.

" You can see me now, though."

" Yeah," she said with a lopsided smile. " I can."

" You baboon, your nose is wet," Ichigo commented, noticing it now more than ever. Hell, it was dripping from the tip!

" Baboon? Well, nimrod, your girly eyelashes are wet."

Somehow or another, Ichigo's arm had wrapped around her waist, supporting her as she pressed herself close to him.

" Nimrod? Where do you learn your insults? And I don't have girly eyelashes, " he sneered, insulted.

She jeered at him, her breath fanning over his face. " Where do you learn yours? That last one you just eloquently shot? Baboon?"

Their foreheads were still connected, and their breath mingled. They were misty in the rain, which formed a sort of barrier around them, all around, from everything.

" You sorta look like one, y'know."

" Hey!" She raised her hand, that had somehow come to be wrapped around his shoulder long ago, to tug on his ear. " I do not look like a baboon!" she stated angrily, ignoring his protest from pulling on his ear; none too kindly either.

They looked at each other, the conversation drifting in the air. A very quick time passed, that went by very slowly, in which both pairs of eyes seemed to go on for a great distance, and in which they both tried to reach the end of their depths — but couldn't.

" Ichigo," she uttered softly. " Your lips are wet."

" Idiot," he said just as softly, a kindness in his voice. " So are yours."

Strands of their deeply contrasting hair stuck together on their foreheads.

" Hey," she said suddenly. " I'll definitely make you appreciate the rain — if nothing else."

His smile was genuine and tolerant, accepting the fact that she would keep trying, and he would never budge.

" Whatever you say, idiot."

" Whatever I say?" she let the sentence hang in the air. "Your lips are still wet."

He was about to reply with something snarky, as she was stating the obvious for the second time, but he wasn't given the chance to.

She touched her lips lightly to his, only having to move her head slightly. She felt him stiffen in surprise, for half of a second, and then he leaned in.

Their already linked bodies rearranged to be brought even closer. Damp eyelids closed. Rukia's hands came up to caress his wet cheeks, and his hands gripped the wet fabric on her back.

Their slippery lips connected again, and again. They held their breath as long as they could in the heavenly tingle.

Water would drip over the curves of their lips, the rain drowning each one's face. They both tasted of rain, and purely of each other.

The intensity and simplicity of their kisses clashed and meshed, making the simple action sweet and heady.

Urgently, their bodies went as close as possible, but the urgency was not demanding or expecting — it was simply a need to be skin to skin.

After a very long moment, their pink, abused lips reluctantly drew away. They gazed at each other, each face adorned with silent contentment.

" Because, dancing and kissing in the rain will surely draw appreciation," she stated, almost breathlessly.

Ichigo laughed, he laughed and held her close. " What a stupid analogy! And, to let you know, it didn't work on me."

" What? You're lying! It did work! You just won't admit it!" she looked positively flabbergasted and outraged.

" No, it really didn't work," he said, smirking in amusement. He was warm despite his heavy, wet clothing.

And the magic spell was broken. They turned to go inside, arguing over whether Ichigo appreciated the rain yet.

And of course, Ichigo kept telling her that he didn't appreciate the rain, because it was true.

The rain was something sad for him, something he would never like.

What he really appreciated was Rukia. With her with him, it made the rain a lot more tolerable (even if he was currently sopping wet and cold).

--

well I love a rainy night

and I love you too

Uh...Yeah. Well. I thought it was cute. Obscenely OOC and over-used, albeit. But. Well. It's IchiRuki! I can hear the cheers now (woo! Kyla has actually written something heterosexual and non-Sasuke/Naruto or homosexually related for the first time...in how long?! OMG. Drinks all around!!)

Well. Anyhow, don't kill me, it was SUPPOSE to be fluffy, okay?

...yeah. Review? Even though I still adore this couple to smithereens, I'm wondering if I can still write them properly. This idea wouldn't leave me alone, nor would the general unlikelihood of this ever happening( past the general boundries of most fanfiction never ever happening too)...really, I had fantastically romantic images in my head, and maybe that's why this is so damn loopy.

Oooh, by the way, the song used here was Eddie Rabbitt's I Love a Rainy Night.