um... hello, this is my first fic-let-ish-/drabble-ish-thing... ;;;(geez, already off to a bad start...)

but anyways, Ichi x Ruki is my favorite OTP, and I thought they deserved a tribute.

so here it is, and please review! I want to get better at writing...

and please forgive any mistakes/general choppiness/crappiness, and:

disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. If I did, then Ichigo would kidnap Rukia and marry her and have tons of babies and Ishida and Orihime would make their clothes.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------And

Execution day comes, bright with a shining sun. And to her, it feels as if it's mocking her, saying that her death will be a celebration.

It doesn't matter; she is ready to die. She wants to die.

She walks out, bound and cuffed, being led to the soukyokyu.

She sees her nii-sama's face, coldly calm as always.

She sees the fearsome soukyokyu, which will bring her her death.

She sees her end.

The soukyokyu lifts her up, lifting her higher and higher, until she is face to face with the great blade of the soukyokyu.

She should feel honored, to die by this; it is only a honor reserved for captains and such.

Rukia is ready to die.

Memories flash before her eyes, of the people she met, of nii-sama, of Kaien-dono, and of one particular orange-haired loud brat.

As she closes her eyes, awaiting the final blow, she hears his voice…

That voice belonging to the single most arrogant, disrespectful, loud-mouthed, idiotic, and relentless soul she had ever known...

And he appeared before her, all torn up from fighting, just to save her.

She knew she didn't deserve such a thing, and pleaded to Ichigo to leave her, to live, to survive…

But of course, Ichigo never listened.

He has that angry scowl on his face, eyebrows in a permanent knit, and a look in his eyes that seemed to say, "Shut up Rukia, and just let me save you."

And she lets him, because she believes in him, his strength, his will, his resolve…

And it is no longer execution day, but a day for celebration.

it's because he's here.