A/N: Taking another break from "The I in Team" because this suddenly popped into my head. It's my first Bleach fanfiction. It's a Rukia/Ichigo fluffy one-shot.

Shoe Strings:

By: LOSTrocker

Ichigo caught it first. "Hey Rukia, you better-" It was too late. Rukia tripped over her own shoe strings. "Watch out." Ichigo finished.

"You could've warned me a little quicker!" Rukia remarked. "Dammit! I did it again! I hate these stupid things!"

"Well excuse me," Ichigo said with an eye roll. "They're your shoe laces, you'd think you'd notice them."

"I try to ignore them." Rukia made known as she stood up.

"You're not going to try to tie them?" Ichigo questioned her.

"Why bother?" she asked and went about her way. "They're a pain-"

WHAM! Down Rukia went again. "In the ass." she concluded.

"That's why you need to tie them," Ichigo noted as he knelt down to her. "If not, you'll trip."

"So, I've noticed."

"Do you want me to help you?" Ichigo asked. "Or do you want to keep on falling on your ass?"

Rukia stuck her nose up. "We don't have shoes like these in The Soul Society." she reminded him. "I'm not use to them."

"It's really easy once you get the hang of it." Ichigo assured her with a smile.

Kon popped up behind Ichigo's shoulder and burst out laughing at Rukia. "You mean a Soul Reaper doesn't know how to tie shoes?" he managed in between laughs. "Even I know how-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Ichigo cursed at him and tossed him off his shoulder.

Rukia tried hard not to blush but she couldn't help it. As a Soul Reaper she should require the knowledge to know how to do everything, even something as simple as tying a shoe.

Ichigo smiled when he saw that Rukia's face was going red. He'd be lying to himself if she wasn't cute when she did that. Thinking that he found himself blushing. Rukia noticed.

"What's the matter with you?" she asked him.

"Nothing," he lied quickly.

Rukia sighed. "I get it,"

That caught Ichigo by surprise. "What do you mean?"

"This is so humiliating,"

Ichigo gave a sigh of relief. If Rukia knew what he was really thinking she'd laugh at him or kick his ass. He tossed that thought to the winds... At least for now and went back to her shoe. "Just watch," Ichigo instructed softly. "It's like this, see."

Rukia watched carefully as Ichigo managed to get one of her shoes tied. "You know," Ichigo began. "These laces remind me of us."

Rukia raised an eye brow. "How so?"

"Well, alone, it's lose and careless," Ichigo demonstrated by holding up a lose one in his hand. "But together, they're strong," he showed her with a tight pull of her laces that they weren't going anywhere. "And help you stand on your feet." Ichigo moved back a little. It was time for Rukia to try. "See,"

Rukia nodded.

"Why don't you give it a shot?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia followed Ichigo's motions from before. She couldn't help but smile when she finally got her shoe laces tied. "I did it!"

Ichigo got up. He reached down to her and pulled her up. "I can't believe you just compared us to shoe laces." Rukia stated as they headed home. "That's really want every girl wants to hear."

"I could've always gone with the whole cat and dog theory," Ichigo said. "You can be a real bitch some time," he smirked.

Rukia didn't find that funny at all. "If you want to live I suggest you run," Rukia warned.

"Like I'm scared of you." Ichigo returned.

Still, Rukia ended up chasing him all the way to his house. She would never let him know that deep down she really didn't mind the shoe lace theory of their friendship or whatever it was. She wasn't sure but just like her shoe strings they would be forever intertwined.

END.