I don't own Bleach or its characters in any way. Ok this is my first fic. I just found out I have been spelling Byakuya wrong. It's going to be way too much trouble to change in this story since I've already posted it.

Paradox

Chapter 1 Just Another Day

Rukia sat at her desk trying to stay focused on the math quiz sitting in front of her. She glanced over at Ichigo who was nodding to himself and writing like crazy. "At least he knows this material" she thought. "He didn't have much time to study last week with all the hollow attacks and if he failed such an important test It would be my fault." Yesterday had been a quiet day and today wasn't any different. Rukia didn't care for the strange classes they made kids in the real world take. She enjoyed reading the modern literature of this unknown world ,even though modern to her was a hundred years old. But this math final was boring her senseless. "If I fail" she thought to herself "I can just show up at graduation anyway, If I'm assigned back here then, and just fix everyone's memory like usual."

Her mind kept wandering. She thought about all of her friends and considered herself lucky to have met such wonderful, loyal people throughout her life. But there was one person she wished she were closer to.

He was such an enigma to her. He had been a lot nicer to her since he saved her. It started out very subtle with dragging out their usual morning conversation with a few more pleasantries then normal and a new concern to know if she slept well. A normal on-looker would find this morning conversation cold and empty but Rukia knew better. She had lived with him for so long that this was his way of showing concern for her. "Perhaps" she wondered. "Perhaps this is him reaching out for friendship." Since they got back from Hueco Mundo their conversations started having some depth. An occasional discussion of art or literature at dinner. Once in a while their schedules would match and he would walk her to her division. Sometimes they walked silently, sometimes they would discuss battle techniques and he would give her a pointer or two for her to try that day.

She wondered if he would ever marry since he was the last of the great noble family. She wanted to see him happy but still there was a strange pain in her stomach when she thought of him married to some great lady. The lesser houses of the family consisted of much older people who were long into retirement. Conception of children is difficult in Soul Society and only females had been born, the last of which had been married off over thirty years ago. She remembered attending the wedding and the uncomfortable attire they made her wear to the somber occasion. Rukia wondered what it would be like to be the girl standing at the alter but her hope and desire for such things left her a long time ago.

So he was the last. She could sometimes sense his burden as head of the family. "I bet he would be happier if he were normal and free to make his own choices for himself." She wondered what he would look like just being a regular person, and what he would do if he were free to. " Would he still be so cold and stoic?" But then she realized how important family honor is to him. "His position must be important to him too. I wonder really why he hasn't remarried. No one morns for that long. Most royal marriages are fixed and loveless anyway set up for duty and procreation and nothing more. Why would he wait so long if its so important? It always seemed like he was waiting for something when he sat in her shrine. Its almost like he's waiting for her to return from the grave or something. That would be strange"

Rukia thought back to the last time she was home. Bayakuya had invited her to have tea in the garden and she was quite surprised and happy he did. His face as always showed little emotion but every time he made eye contact with her waiting for her to answer a question she swore she saw a glimpse of some emotion she couldn't quite gather. It was almost as if it looked like he cared for her. The flash of pain and strange anticipation that he used to look at her with, on the rare times he actually looked at her, were gone. She wondered why he was being so extra nice to her the last few years. She knew he wasn't going to try to butter her up and then drop some life altering burden on her. He wasn't like that. He was too straight forward with issues of duty. So she just enjoyed the slightly uncomfortable time with him and it came no strings attached. She couldn't lie she liked the attention.

She sat there long in thought about his handsome face, his height, his beautiful hair, the small glimpse she caught of his finely chiseled chest when she saw him training last year. She thought about what he might look like if he ever smiled. She wanted him to smile for her, if only once. She started to think about what he might look like under his.........

"CRAP" she yelled out when the bell jerked her back into reality. She had forgotten the test and spent the last FIVE hours thinking about her brother and it slightly disturbed her. She spaced out again.

"Hey, earth to Rukia, hey! Rukia!?" Ichigo said while wildly waving his hand in front of her face.

She jerked her head up and answered "oh, Ichigo, what?"

"What up with you? You've been spacing lately more then usual?"

"Its nothing, so how was the test" she said quickly trying to change the subject.

"Rukia don't change the subject. If something is wrong you should tell me"

"Its nothing, Ichigo. There's nothing to worry about. I'm just a little tired." She lied.

"Ichigo-kun, Rukia-san how did you do on the test?" Interrupted an enthusiastic Orihime with a smiling Tatsuki beside her.

"It was easy." said Ichigo rather cockily making an exaggerated gesture of putting his arms behind his head to show his ease.

Everyone looked at Rukia. "I don't think I did so well."

"You'll get it next time.' answered Orihime.

To that Tatsuki replied "but it was a final, there wont be a next time."

"Well I'm sure Rukia-san did fine." Orihime said with an assured smile.

They left the school building and everyone began toward their destinations. The day was lovely and Ichigo asked Rukia if there was anything she wanted to do. She was about to answer when her pink phone with the Chappy charm rang. "Hello?"……. "Um hi Rukia-Chan." said a cheery over polite Urahara. "Can you please come to the shop now?..Yes yes the time is definitely right." The last part saying more to himself then anyone around him.

"We need to go to Uraharas shop." Rukia said to Ichigo. To that he replied "Just when things were calming down. Let's go"