Well, this is a bit late but I decided I couldn't wait for next New Year's to roll around :)

Dizzy

"Ichigoooo! C'mon, man!" Keigo fell to his knees and grabbed the hem of Ichigo's shirt. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I gotta have my best wingmen!"

Ichigo grunted and pushed Keigo's hands away. "I can't, ok? I told my sisters I'd watch the ball drop with them."

Keigo groaned dramatically and let his face fall into his hands, mumbling pathetic commentary to himself. Renji laughed at the scene and clapped his orange haired friend on the back.

"Seriously? I went to all the trouble of getting you an I.D. and everything, and you're going to bail now?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Sorry, man. Besides, I never told you to-" He accidentally walked into another student, knocking her armload of books to the ground.

"Oh, hey. Sorry about that," Ichigo stopped to apologize, making eye contact with the most shockingly purple eyes he had ever seen.

The small girl rolled her eyes and waved off his apology dismissively. "Just watch where you're going," she mumbled quietly, picking up the nearest book.

"Here, let me get those." He picked up the rest of the scattered books and held them out. She took them hesitantly, as if waiting for him to make some witty joke or insult.

Renji snickered behind him but he stopped once he realized the girl was watching him with narrow eyes. He nodded slightly and sounded sheepish when he spoke.

"Hey, Ru."

'Ru' made a sound that sounded like a scoff and continued on her way, refusing to make eye contact with Ichigo. He stared after her for a moment until Keigo leaned in and spoke confidentially in his ear.

"You know, word on the street is that she'll be there tonight." He raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Supposedly, she's pretty hot without all those books."

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair and stared at his friend, doubting that Keigo even knew where 'the street' was. Then, he looked back at the small retreating figure and made up his mind.

"Fine. I'll go but no weird stuff, ok?"

Keigo pumped his fist in the air in excitement and Renji looked at Ichigo doubtfully.

He shrugged again. "I just changed my mind. Don't worry about it. How do you know that girl?"

"She's in our Japanese Lit. class, idiot. Highest marks in the class but I guess you'd have to actually show up to know that." Renji grinned teasingly, touching on a sore spot for Ichigo. He often skipped classes to work extra shifts at the clinic.

"Huh… I guess she did look a little familiar." Ichigo shook his head as if to shake the thought away. "I'll meet you guys there at 10, right?"

Renji nodded and Keigo began to explain exactly how they were going to get the hottest girls at the club. Ichigo rolled his eyes and headed home, wondering if he really would see that violet eyed girl again tonight.

.

.

Ichigo watched the people talking in the group around him without interest, making no attempt to join in the conversation. The flashing lights and blaring music had been annoying at first but he soon grew used to it and tuned them out.

He excused himself and made his way to the bar. After sitting there for a few minutes, a bartender finally made her way over.

He turned to face the girl and, once again, the depth of those bright violet irises caused him to lose his voice.

"Do you plan on getting something or were you just going to stare all night?" The girl raised an eyebrow.

Ichigo felt his ears turn slightly pink and his face twisted into its customary scowl. "Just a Coke."

The girl scoffed and leaned forward on the counter to whisper in his ear. He turned away but she took the side of his face in her hand and held him still.

"I really don't give a fuck if you're legal or not. No one around here cares." Her breath tickled his ear and she let her fingers trail along his jaw as she pulled away. She paused for a minute, still too close for comfort, and studied him.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Her wide eyes looked suspicious.

"I-I don't think so…" Ichigo mentally cursed himself for stuttering.

Then, a group at the other end of the bar erupted in cat calls and drink orders and the girl seemed to lose interest in him all together. She looked over at the man tending to the other customers and waved. He nodded and she turned her gaze back to Ichigo.

"I have to go now but, if you decide you want a real drink, Urahara over there will fix you up." She didn't even look at him as she left, rolling her eyes as they whistled and walking around the bar to deal with the rowdy group.

Ichigo let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding and looked around to see if anyone else had witnessed the almost surreal conversation he had just experienced.

"Hey, man. It's not even midnight yet. You ok?" Renji took the stool next to him and gave his friend a strange look.

"Yeah…" Ichigo wondered how he could explain what had just happened without the redhead laughing in his face.

And then he remembered that Renji was actually friends with the girl; he had even spoken to her earlier today.

"What do you know about that girl?"

Renji took a long sip from the drink in his hand. "What girl?"

Ichigo knew Renji was playing dumb on purpose. "You know who I'm talking about. I just saw her; she was working right here."

The boy sighed. "Yeah, I saw her too. Her name's Rukia. She's not really your type, to be honest."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "How's that?"

Renji chuckled. "C'mon, we practically had to drag you out on New Year's Eve and she's been working here since freshman year to afford University."

The men at the other end of the bar grew loud again, ordering more drinks and making crude jokes and suggestions to Rukia. A deep frown formed on Renji's face but he didn't move.

"She's really a nice girl. Just promise you won't say anything at school, ok?" He spat the words out quickly, obviously annoyed with the men hassling Rukia.

Ichigo watched the group spill a few drinks and laugh obnoxiously. Rukia grudgingly cleaned the mess up while the guys continued joking. One guy actually grabbed at her wrist.

She pulled away forcefully, obviously cursing the men though Ichigo couldn't hear her words over the music.

He looked over at Renji but his friend had turned around to work on another drink.

The same guy reached out again, this time refusing to let go. He stood up and yanked Rukia closer, effortlessly lifting her small body onto the bar.

Before he realized he had left his seat, Ichigo had already crossed the short distance from his seat to the men.

While Ichigo generally tried to stay away from the street fights he had been involved with in high school, he was still one of the top students in his martial arts class. He easily pulled the man away and punched him squarely in the face.

His nose spurted blood and he tried to retaliate by swinging at Ichigo but his movements were sloppy and easily avoided. Ichigo placed a firm blow to the back of the man's head, knocking him out.

Surprisingly, most of the people around them just looked on with mild interest. The other men put their hands up innocently. Two picked up their friend and the others dispersed quietly.

Rukia looked at him with wide eyes from the behind the bar, her mouth gaping in surprise before she regained her composure. She returned to taking orders and making drinks as if nothing had happened.

Every now and then, she would meet Ichigo's stare while she worked but she never acknowledged his presence or what he had done.

After watching her for a while, Ichigo saw her say something to another worker and then disappear through a door to the side of the racks of drinks.

Ichigo headed back to where he had been sitting earlier, hoping slightly that he might find Rukia there.

"That was some stunt."

Renji now had a tall, curvaceous girl sitting on his other side. She smiled and waved at Ichigo and he shrugged in response as he sat down.

"Look, I'll tell Keigo we're leaving as soon as the ball drops. Just don't do anything else stupid until then or you'll get us kicked out. Go find a girl or something."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I thought I already did."

Renji narrowed his eyes and spoke quietly so that the other girl wouldn't hear. "She's not interested in guys like you, Ichigo. She doesn't do relationships."

"You certainly sound bitter," Ichigo commented, surprised at his friend's unusual seriousness.

"Yeah, well, we went out a couple times at the beginning of the year. She's got some independence issues though."

Ichigo wanted to ask Renji to explain but he was interrupted.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" A voice asked behind him.

Ichigo turned around quickly, finding that he had to look down to meet the petite girl's livid gaze.

"Uh-" was all Ichigo could get out before she turned on Renji.

"And you! What, you think you can drink for free every fucking night? Urahara's gonna have a fit when he finds your giant ass tab!"

Renji blushed and looked sheepishly at the big-breasted girl sitting next to him. The girl frowned and Renji put his hands up defensively.

"Give me a break, Ru. It's New Year's, for Christ's sake!"

Rukia sighed and pointed a stiff finger at his nose. "This. Is. The. Last. Time. Got it?"

"Yes, definitely. Don't even worry about it." Renji nodded quickly.

"And keep an eye on your friend, will you? He's bothering some of the customers." Rukia looked over to a booth in the corner where Keigo was sitting with a group of people, shouting about how many times he was going to get laid and asking where all the "hotties" were.

Ichigo noticed that Renji had to force the smile from his face. Rukia was obviously not amused.

"Right. Ichigo, tell him to shut up." Renji spoke commandingly.

Rukia took the drink out of Renji's hand. "I'm borrowing him," she gestured to Ichigo. "And I told you to deal with it. So get off your lazy ass and deal with it!" Rukia raised her voice at Renji's whining.

"You. Let's go." Rukia downed Renji's drink and handed the glass back to him before grabbing Ichigo by the arm and pulling towards the same door that she had vanished behind before.

"Where are we going?" Ichigo tried to sound authoritative but the small girl never answered. Instead, he followed her up a flight of stairs, down a hall, into a slightly cramped room, and… through a window?

"Are you coming or what?" She peeked around the corner of the windowsill to look at him.

"Are you serious?" Ichigo was beginning to wonder if the girl was crazy; maybe she was just trying to get him out there to push him to his death.

"Serious as hell. Now come on, you big baby." Her face disappeared and Ichigo surprised himself by climbing after her into the night air.

Rukia was lying down a few feet away and Ichigo cautiously inched towards.

"You scared of heights or something?" She watched him curiously.

As a matter of fact, he was, but he wasn't about to tell her that. "Most sane people don't make a habit of passing time of roof tops."

This made her chuckle. "You just might be right."

When she seemed to decide that he was close enough, she rolled onto her side to face him and rested her head in hand. "So, Renji's friend, I suppose I should say thank you."

"Ichigo is fine," he corrected.

Rukia wrinkled her nose and her eyes sparkled mischievously. "That's an odd way to express gratitude."

"That's not-"

Rukia sat up, the fingers of one hand brushing over his on the cold shingles, and the index finger of the other pressed against her lips. She studied him again; this time, he was surprised, felt even more awkward than before.

"Why did you help me?" She asked seriously. "And why didn't you say anything when I asked if I knew you? I know you recognized me."

"You looked like you needed help." Ichigo shrugged. "You didn't recognize me."

"Well, that's a childish excuse." Rukia pursed her lips in annoyance. "What do I have to do to keep you quiet?"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo furrowed his brows in confusion.

Rukia exhaled slowly before taking the side of his face in her hand and pressing her lips against his. Ichigo was startled but was soon distracted by the warm, soft lips massaging his own and the small hands on his neck and chest.

He found himself leaning back into the slanted roof, his hands reaching up to entangle themselves in dark hair and feel every inch of the body positioned over him. But when he felt her hand slide down his chest and expertly unbutton his pants, Ichigo came to his senses.

"What the hell are you doing!" He almost shouted, trying to push himself away. This girl had obviously had too much to drink.

Rukia's expression shifted from surprise to mild amusement. "You're a virgin?"

Ichigo blushed furiously. "That is none of your business!"

The grin on Rukia's face grew larger. "To be honest, I'm quite surprised. A handsome boy like you doesn't usually last long…" To emphasize her statement, she trailed a finger down his slender torso, stopping just above the waist of his pants when Ichigo pushed her hand away.

"There is nothing wrong with not wanting to have sex on a roof." Ichigo nervously struggled with re-buttoning on his pants. "In fact, it's perfectly normal to-"

Ichigo fell silent when Rukia rolled her eyes and easily fastened the button for him.

"It's not that hard," she commented quietly.

"Yeah, well…" Ichigo tried to find something to say.

"So you're really not going to tell anyone?" Those bright violet eyes were filled with suspicion, but also worry, an emotion Ichigo had yet to see Rukia express.

"Don't be ridiculous." Ichigo spoke more flippantly than he had intended. "Who would I tell anyway?" He amended, "No one would ever believe me."

A prideful smirk pulled at Rukia's lips. "Fine. But if I ever find out that you told anyone, I'll announce to the whole school you're a virgin. And then I'll kill you."

Ichigo almost laughed but the idea was too gruesome. "Fair enough."

He watched her look up at the sky for a long while, as if she were counting the stars, and then look at her watch.

She chuckled and met Ichigo's stare. "I hope you didn't make plans to kiss anyone special at midnight."

Ichigo felt a strange anticipation in his stomach; was she going to ask him to be her New Year's kiss?

"No one special," he answered casually.

Rukia grinned and leaned back against the roof. "Good. The ball dropped five minutes ago."

Ichigo was momentarily speechless. That meant… Five minutes ago they had been making out.

He looked down at Rukia and they shared a look before bursting out in laughter. Ichigo knew it was ridiculous, but he didn't care.

He wondered if this girl had any idea that she had been his first kiss.

She had taken to looking up at the dark sky once again and Ichigo decided that he wanted to have many more firsts with her. But not tonight, he decided, still feeling some remaining stiffness in his pants.

Then, his phone rang.

"Hey, where the hell are you? Keigo and I have looked everywhere." Renji's voice yelled at him.

"I'll be there in a minute." He hung up before Renji could continue ranting.

Ichigo put his phone back in his pocket and noticed Rukia watching him.

"So… We should do this again. Maybe I'll see you next year?" Rukia's voice was quiet, almost hopeful.

Ichigo grinned. "How about we have lunch after class next week?"

A small, eager smile formed on her pink lips. "Sounds good. I promise I won't try to take your clothes off until you beg." She winked.

"...right." Ichigo cautiously climbed back through the window, trying not to let himself be distracted by the idea of Rukia taking his clothes off.

Rukia slipped back into the room gracefully. They walked back to the bar together but Rukia stopped before they reached Renji and Keigo. She let herself back behind the bar and nodded slightly at Renji who watched them with a gaping mouth.

She gave a small wave to Ichigo before resuming work.

"Good night, Rukia." Ichigo waved back.

He joined his friends as they walked out of the bar and to Ichigo's car. Keigo apparently hadn't even noticed his absence and Renji couldn't seem to find the words to say, which was fine with Ichigo.

Ichigo looked up at the stars and suddenly realized, for the first time, he was actually looking forward to class.

Happy early New Year's! :) Isn't innocent Ichigo adorable? And Rukia was so fun to write!

Anyways, leave a review and make me smile!