A/N: Woah! It seems my fic has turned out quite a bit longer then the original. By the way, the original is entitled "Simply Ichigo and Rukia." There's no need to read that one too (although I'd very much like it if you did :P), it simply starts off the same way as this one. So please don't get confused if you've read the other one. I'm not submitting the same story twice. I must now confess that I lied. I said I would write this one with an alternate ending to better suit the characters and give less fanservice. While I did type away with that intention, my subconscious mind led me in a whole other direction. There is a fair amount of fanservice in this one, definitely more than its counterpart.

With that said. Thank you to everyone who has bothered to read and review this. I hope, once again, you won't mind the liberties I'm taking with these characters and the actual story. I'm still trying to get the hang of this whole writing thing. --; Lastly! (I swear this is the last thing!) I'd like to thank my goodly friend Joel for giving me the confidence to submit my work. I was terribly worried that this sucked more then anything and I should just give up writing, but he restored my faith. So thanks Joel, for putting up with me, glad you liked it. Without further ado…

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo is the rightful owner of Bleach. However, due to his lack of fanservice for this lovely couple, I have had to borrow them long enough to compensate for that.

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One Half

Sometimes this boy was so infuriating. He was always so reckless, so foolish, such an…idiot. They had just had another argument; as far as their arguments are concerned this one had been pretty bad. Rukia had been about to make her point and finish the argument when the signal for a hollow had gone off. Normally she wasn't so worried about them, Ichigo was good enough to handle them, but normally Menos Grande did not appear.

Not only had a Menos appeared but also eight other hollows accompanied it and if Rukia knew Ichigo, he was bound to get hurt. No sooner had she re-laid her information then Ichigo was out the window and down the street, his body falling with a soft thud on the mattress. Rukia would have pulled out her hair in frustration, but being who she is, she is above such human emotions as frustration, and certainly above pulling her hair because of that foolish boy.

Already Rukia has lost sight of Ichigo; sometimes she wishes he would learn to control that temper of his. Did she say sometimes? No, she means all the time. Rukia runs into the clearing where she takes in the situation. The hollows surround Ichigo, only one of them is missing, and the fool-boy already has a wound running from his shoulder across his chest. Rukia bites back a curse as she calls out to him. Unfortunately, she forgot what an idiot Ichigo is, he turns to look at her and the hollows attack.

Now Rukia really does curse. She moves to run and help but in her hurry to catch up to him she had forgotten to leave her gigai. Rukia hastily takes out her Chappy soul-candy dispenser and pops the little pill in her mouth.

Her discarded gigai runs to a safe distance as Rukia jumps into battle ready to save Ichigo's ass, again. "Ichigo! The Menos!" The Menos Grande, it seems, took no notice in them. It was making its way toward the houses on the other side of the street. Ichigo understands and is breaking away from the circle of hollows to stop the Menos. Wonderful, Rukia thinks, five left for me to deal with.

Rukia draws her Zanpaku-to and in a haze of beautiful white ribbon she gets rid of three of them. Stupidly she looks to see how Ichigo is fairing and a hollow strikes nearly taking her head off. She receives a wound from her mid-thigh to her waist for that lapse in common sense. She quickly finishes off the last two hollows just as a huge light blinds her from Ichigo's direction.

As soon as her eyesight is good enough Rukia rushes over to Ichigo watching as the Menos retreats, its foul face the last thing to disappear. Rukia finds Ichigo standing with his back to her, his sword held loosely at his side, his head upturned toward the place where the Menos disappeared. Rukia's first impulse is to run over to him and smack his head a couple of times and demand he never do that again. Something in his stance though, makes her slow down, and then stop a few steps away from him.

"Ichigo?" Rukia inquires softly. Ichigo turns; his expression unreadable, but the almost ever present frown is gone. Rukia is a bit taken aback by the look on his face and fights the urge to take a step back. Instead she continues to look at him and watches as he turns fully and takes two steps toward her. "I could have taken care of them myself. You didn't have to get so worked up about it."

Rukia takes a moment to react. "What?! You know very well that it is also my job as a shinigami to slay hollows! You are too arrogant for your own good! Those wounds there are proof that you are reckless! If someone level-headed isn't around you at all times you're bound to get yourself killed!" Rukia's hands are balled into little fists as she awaits Ichigo's reply. As she waits she takes in the sight of him. His uniform is soaked through, but from the amount of blood that has stained it Rukia can tell that the wound is fairly shallow. Rukia brings her gaze back to his face and, to her utter amazement Ichigo just smirks at her. He looks up at the full bright moon and says so softly she almost misses it, "Maybe." For a second Rukia thinks she imagined that answer and then Ichigo turns back to her and says, "It's late, we should get going." Rukia, still nonplussed, can only nod.

Rukia returns to her gigai after another argument with Ichigo. She refuses to heal him explaining that his act of stupidity earned him those wounds and now he must bear them. This, of course, doesn't go over well with Ichigo and it leads to him ignoring her on their walk home. They both carefully slip into Ichigo's room by means of his window and Ichigo silently returns to his body.

Scowling deeply, Ichigo rummages through his things finally uncovering his first-aid kit. Without so much as batting an eye in her direction, Ichigo sits on his bed and removes his shirt to begin tending to his wounds. To the casual observer Ichigo seems perfectly fine, he seems to be in no pain what so ever. Rukia, however, is not a casual observer. She can see it as clear as day, Ichigo is in pain. Though she did refuse to heal him, she still takes pity on him and moves to help.

At first Ichigo refuses her help. After another argument and a hard whack on the head, he gives in. Ichigo glares at his closet as Rukia carefully, but firmly, tends to his wounds. She makes her touch as light as possible but firm enough to actually be of use. Little by little Ichigo's frown becomes forced. As Rukia works she runs her hands softly over his flesh memorizing the texture of his skin and appreciating the effects of Ichigo's training on his body.

Absorbed as she is in her exploration Rukia is completely unaware of the effect she is having on the boy. She doesn't notice the tension in his body disappearing, nor the relaxed expression on his face. Just as Rukia passes her hand over Ichigo's chest to finish bandaging him, Ichigo gives her another surprise that night. He lifts his hand to grasp hers and now Rukia is painfully aware of his breathing, shallow and quick. "Rukia…" Ichigo's voice wavers only slightly and Rukia, only with supreme effort, stops herself from trembling.

Still holding onto her hand Ichigo turns to face her. "Thank you," he says softly, but clearly. Rukia acknowledges him with a nod of her head and he lets go of her hand. She finishes bandaging him and sits there, for the first time, unsure of what to do with Ichigo. He makes no move either and they both stay that way for a while each lost in their own thoughts.

As is his custom today, Ichigo makes the first move again. He shifts ever so slightly towards Rukia and lifts his gaze from one of his bookshelves to her face. He takes a moment to watch the moonlight play in her hair and then speaks.

"Rukia…how long do you think we'll be doing this for?" Ichigo asks looking into her eyes.

"Doing what, Ichigo?"

"This…me being a substitute shinigami, you staying here… living with me." Rukia is not expecting this question. She has thought about it from time to time, but she can never come up with a satisfactory answer, and so she simply stops thinking about it.

"I don't know," she answers honestly. Ichigo nods apparently expecting this answer. "Why are you asking, Ichigo?" He takes his time answering; he looks out the window for a moment and then back at Rukia.

"I was just…wondering. I was wondering what kind of life is waiting for me, whether or not I'll be living this double life forever." Rukia is again taken aback by Ichigo's response, and by his honesty. She can't really think of something to say. She has no way of knowing if this really is the life that waits for Ichigo, or not.

"Ichigo…"

"Forget about it, I shouldn't be worrying about stuff like that now anyway." Rukia frowns and just as it seems Ichigo is about to get up Rukia stops him with a soft hand cupping his face. Ichigo freezes instantly and slowly shifts his gaze to look at her.

"Ichigo you shouldn't worry so much about that. Soul society will take your happiness into account, you will be given a say. Perhaps you should spend your time thinking about what it is you want to do with this life." Ichigo stares at her for a brief moment and then smiles, Rukia smiles in return. He covers her small hand with his large one and says softly, "I will."

Rukia's heart feels like it will soon burst. Ichigo has too much power over her, and her whole body is screaming at her to give in, to let him hold her, to taste her and be with her. Rukia is fighting a losing battle; slowly all the arguments she has put firmly in place are slipping away like an unwanted memory. Rukia finds herself moving slowly towards Ichigo, and she notes that he isn't moving away.

In the space of two heartbeats Rukia's lips find their way to Ichigo's. How could she have ever managed to convince herself that this was not what she wanted? Ichigo's mouth was soft and warm, Rukia felt like she was burning on the inside. She carefully runs her hands over his bare chest and makes her way to his thick orange locks and tangles her hands in them. His hair is so soft and she has longed to touch it in such an intimate way.

"Ichigo…" Rukia breathes as they finally pull apart. Both are slightly out of breath and Rukia becomes suddenly aware of Ichigo's hand resting on her thigh making her feel warm all over. Ichigo says nothing, withdraws his hand, and fingers the bandages that Rukia has just applied. "How long have you wanted to do that," asks Ichigo. He sounds perfectly casual; he might as well be asking her what time it is. He doesn't look at her and his expression is unreadable. He simply continues to look down at his bandages and fiddles with them.

Rukia is a little confused. What exactly is he asking her? Is he referring to their kiss? How long has she wanted to do that for…? That is, indeed, a good question. For how long? Rukia isn't quite sure. It feels like years. When she speaks to him sometimes, and their bodies are so close, but never touching, her eyes drift to his lips and she would imagine what they felt like. Sometimes she has to rest her hand over her mouth to remind herself that she can't just lunge over to him and claim those lips as her own. How long has she wanted to kiss Ichigo? She has always wanted to. Rukia unconsciously licks her lips aware that Ichigo is now staring at her waiting for his answer. She takes a deep breath and tries to think of a way to say it, without exposing herself too much. Finally she settles for, "A while, Ichigo, a while."

Ichigo nods. Rukia watches him carefully and takes in the sight of him; his head bent, his hair obstructing her view of his eyes, and the moonlight dancing along his scarred back. Suddenly she realizes that Ichigo's shoulders are shaking slightly, as if he is chuckling. Now she can hear him. He now starts to full out laugh and Rukia is both confused and a little scared, what had gotten into him? Ichigo finally stops laughing and looks at her in all seriousness. "You're an idiot," he states in a tone that implies there is no room for argument.

"W-what?!" Exclaims Rukia as she tries to understand where Ichigo is coming from.

"You heard me, you're an idiot. You know how long I've wanted to do that for? A long time. I've given you so many signs, I seriously considered just wearing a sign saying, 'I want to be with you, Rukia,' but then I scraped that idea when I realized you'd still probably ignore it," Ichigo scoffs, "and I thought guys were supposed to be dense," he finishes as he crosses his arms over his bandaged chest. Rukia is more than a little stunned. Ichigo wants to be with her. He wouldn't just ignore this moment they had. He would acknowledge her feelings and his own and actually make something of it. He wants to be with her…the thought made Rukia shiver. However, now that she thinks about it, Ichigo has, in his way, given her signs. When he didn't outright kill her for doing something that annoyed him, for explaining various customs and ideas of the human-world. Granted he did all this with a scowl on his face, but the fact that he bothered at all was saying something. If he really didn't want to, it didn't matter how much she begged or beat him; he wouldn't budge.

"Ichigo…" but Ichigo just shook his head.

"Forget it, there's nothing left to say about that. The fact of the matter is that now we both know and now we have to decide what we're going to do. Or do you plan on still living in my house as if nothing ever happened?" Ichigo inquires raising a sceptical brow. Rukia is taken aback. Ichigo is taking charge of the relationship business? Is this some kind of dream? This is…really out of character for Ichigo.

"Of course not! I am not an idiot and I think I know more about the complications of our actions!" Rukia retorts. Ichigo opens his mouth to yell at her but Rukia beats him to it. "Forgive me for taking the future into consideration before doing anything! You know I won't be here forever! I am a shinigami and I belong to the Soul Society! You think I want to start developing a relationship with a young headstrong fool and then return to Soul Society to mope about and pine for him? Well that is not what I wish to do! I was scared! Is that a more satisfying answer, Ichigo? I was scared to let anything happen because I know what will happen to me when I have to leave you!" Rukia is breathing hard and she is so angry she almost throws herself at him to give him a few good whacks.

It is Ichigo's turn to be surprised. He sits there in stunned silence for a moment and then finally regains his wits. "So you were scared, huh? Typical. There's no point in being afraid of what the future holds. All that does is distract from the present. Living in either the future or the past does nothing. Allowing yourself to get bent out of shape from stupid worries is dumb," says Ichigo and his expression seems to say that you should trust him because he's put research into this.

"So what do you purpose we do then, Ichigo? If you have all the wisdom and insight, what do you have to say now?" Rukia asks crossing her own arms beneath her breasts.

"We live on," states Ichigo simply. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there, blah, blah, blah, all that optimistic crap. Don't argue, just let things be," adds Ichigo when he sees her open her mouth for what he has no doubt is her cynical view. "You're such a pain in the ass sometimes. Honestly," states Ichigo as he casually scratches his head. Rukia thinks that maybe she should check to see if there are enough bandages left before she beats him. To hell with bandages, she decides, Ichigo has this coming.

Without any warning Rukia lunges herself at Ichigo. She pushes him back onto his bed and he narrowly misses smashing his head against his wall. "What the hell are you doing? Are you crazy! You're gonna wake up everyone," exclaims Ichigo, and Rukia is now straddling his waist and pinning his shoulders down.

"There's no one here you fool! Your father and sisters left to visit your relatives!" Shouts Rukia, annoyance biting into every word. Oh yeah, thinks Ichigo, they're not home. Then what the hell was the point of going through the damn window? Idiot. Before Ichigo can carry on with this train of thought, Rukia slaps him back into reality.

"You forget yourself, Ichigo! What prevents me from throwing you through that wall right now is the fact that the wall will most likely suffer more damage than your thick skull! Despite the fact that you are an arrogant idiot, you are needed! So, before you decide to insult me remember that I am only here because I want to help you protect yourself and your family!" Rukia glares down at Ichigo and is not surprised to see that he is glaring back at her with equal ferocity.

With the same amount of warning Rukia gave him, Ichigo grabs her arms and flips them over with more speed and grace than Rukia could have imagined. Caught by surprise she allows herself to be pinned down as Ichigo kneels over her and yells into her face. "I know that! I sill remember what you did to save my family and I'm grateful! That still doesn't mean that you don't have your own time as an…an…"

"What Ichigo," yells Rukia furiously.

"An idiot!" Roars Ichigo as he shoves her shoulders down into his mattress for emphasis. Breathing hard Ichigo glares down at her daring her to contradict him. Rukia opens her mouth to take up that challenge when Ichigo silences her with his own mouth. Pressing his lips to hers roughly he demands entrance to her mouth, and Rukia has no choice but to give it. Their tongues meet and caress each other as Ichigo's hands loosen their grip on Rukia's shoulders. They kiss each other passionately their frustration with each other released in a kiss that steals their breath and makes their lips swollen.

Ichigo wants to claim her in more than one way. He wants to run his hands along her body and strip away the barrier that denies him access to her warm soft flesh. He fights down the urge to do all that and instead tears his mouth away from hers. He stares into Rukia's passion darkened eyes and notes the way she fights to bring air into her lungs. He has longed to see Rukia like that for so long. He has fantasized about it. He can imagine her with her hair in disarray like it is now, with her gaze containing hunger and need, her fingers caressing his bare skin and the moonlight bathing the smooth soft flesh he knows is hidden underneath the clothes she wears. Her body fits perfectly underneath his and he wonders how it would react to his hot hands along the places, he is sure, no man has yet touched.

Placing a soft hand on his bare chest, Rukia brings Ichigo back to the present. Ichigo gazes down at Rukia his anger forgotten. He relinquishes his hold on her shoulders completely and sits up. Rukia soon joins him and smoothes down her hair unconsciously. "We have school tomorrow Ichigo, perhaps it is time we went to sleep." Ichigo raises a brow and opens his mouth to say something but he closes it when he sees the look in Rukia's eyes. She doesn't mean to dismiss what has happened to them this night, she simply means to end it comfortably before they do anything more. He can see in her eyes that she will listen to him, she won't ignore this and Ichigo's shoulders relax in relief. It would have been very awkward if Rukia had tried to pretend nothing had happened, and he knows they would have more than one argument about it too.

Rukia smiles softly at Ichigo when she sees the understanding in his eyes. He realizes what she means and, for once, Ichigo isn't going to pick a fight with her about it. She carefully eases herself off his bed and walks toward his door feeling a great emptiness at the loss of his warmth. She squares her shoulders and continues on to his door. As she slides open the door she hears Ichigo call softly, "Good-night, Rukia." Rukia pauses with her hand on the doorway. She carefully places a small smile on her face and turns slightly. "Good-night, Ichigo," and before she can change her mind she's in the hallway and silently closing the door behind her.

Once inside her room, Rukia breathes a sigh of relief. So many things have happened in the course of…what has it been? Two hours? Perhaps a little more, perhaps less. Nevertheless Rukia is relieved to be in the safety of this room. Here she has boundaries and restraints. Outside of it, with Ichigo, she has none. She has no need of those things because they would only get in her way. Ichigo tears down every single wall Rukia has put up as if it were never even there, and Rukia knows one day she will invite him to take down every single barrier she has put up. Remembering the heated kisses they had shared, Rukia thinks one day she will invite Ichigo into her very heart.

For now Rukia lies on her back listening to her own soft breathing. She wonders if Ichigo's asleep by now, or simply lying on his bed, much the same as she. Rukia decides that there is time. Perhaps she will have to leave Ichigo for a while and go back to Soul Society, but somehow, she'll get through it. Like Ichigo said, she will cross that bridge when she gets there.

A/N: Well that's it! I hoped you all enjoyed reading that. Please, please tell me what you think. I'd really love to know. As for those of you who are wondering about the title, I was actually inspired by a song with that same title. It's an opening theme for the anime Rurouni Kenshin. One Half, the song, basically talks about two people who are one half of the same whole. I couldn't really think of anything else, so I settled for that. It kinda makes sense in these terms, don't you think:)