Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Bleach or any of the sexy characters--nor do I profit financially from these stories

The water was warm, soothing my aching muscles as I stepped carefully in the crystalline liquid. Gratefully, I lowered my body, wincing as the gently frothing water covered my chest. The minerals in the water were therapeutic, helping to heal the nearly fatal wound inflicted by Ichimaru Gin in his attempt to kill Rukia. Resting my head on the rim of the heated pool, I closed my eyes, the harsh words I had spoken echoing in my mind. "It is time for you to return to the real world, Kurosaki Ichigo. You have no place here." I remembered speaking those words, carefully maintaining my customary expressionless tone. I can still see the lack of surprise on his face; the smirk that curled his lips, his expressive brown eyes staring unblinkingly at me.

I am well aware that most of my fellow shinigami speculate that the reason I am insistent that Ichigo depart from Soul Society is related to my adopted sister, Rukia. They are only partially correct. True, I am concerned about the depth, the intensity, of their relationship. In an effort to save his family, she willingly transferred her powers to him. During the time that she was in the human world, she and Ichigo were practically inseparable. They went to school together, fought together, and lived together in his bedroom. When Renji and I located her, she was willing to sacrifice herself to protect him. As for the human shinigami, he managed to sneak into Soul Society with an unshakeable resolve to prevent Rukia's execution. So am I wrong to be wary of their feelings?

I perceive him as a threat to our very existence. In just a few short days, he battled his way across Soul Society, defeating fukutaichos and taichos in his unwavering desire to save Rukia. He disrupted our way of life. He fought against the laws that have existed for centuries. For some unfathomable reason, several powerful shinigami aided him in his quest to save my sister. My own fukutaicho, Abarai Renji, helped him by carrying Rukia away from the execution field.

And he wasn't the only one to assist the orange-haired youth that day. Two of our senior taichos helped destroy the Soukyoku. What is it about this child that makes people want to help him? That is a question I am still struggling to answer.

I carefully consider the people who helped Kurosaki Ichigo. Urahara, an exiled shinigami taicho; Yoruichi, a self-exiled shinigami who travels back and forth between Soul Society and the real world; Ukitake Jyuushiro and Kyouraku Shunsui--both well-respected taichos; Renji, my fukutaicho; and a Quincy, Ishida Uryuu, who vows that he hates the shinigami. Yet he undertakes this dangerous journey with his enemy. Why?

The list grows much longer if I include the shinigami that respect him. There are very few shinigami that don't. Even Zaraki Kenpachi admires him. Of course, Ichigo defeated Zaraki--perhaps that explains why he supports and believes in him.

But back to my feelings regarding their relationship. It has no future. She is a shinigami and he is, despite his incredible spirit power and energy, merely a human. He is 15 years old and she has already lived more than ten times that. She cannot reside permanently in his world without losing her powers; he cannot stay in her world because he is a human.

Thankfully, tomorrow he and his friends will be returning to the human world. Tonight, the 13 squads are throwing a party for them. Rukia, who is still weak after her encounter with Aizen and Ichimaru, insists on going. I refuse to take her, feeling that it would be better for her to rest. But, against my wishes, she contacts Renji who agrees to carry her to the party at Ukitake's house.

Before she met Ichigo, Rukia was much more obedient and willing to listen to me, follow my advice, and accept my wishes as subtle commands. But now...now she rejects me and my opinions, desires, and wishes. And truthfully, I cannot blame her. After all, I was willing to execute her in order to maintain the promise I made to my deceased parents.

Not Ichigo. He, a naive 15 year-old high school student, battled Renji and myself in his world. Instead of dying as I expected, he survived and managed to awaken his own spirit power. Truthfully, he possesses more spirit power than 98 of the shinigami. There are very few of us who have any possibility of standing toe to toe with him. And if he allows his hollow to take control, no one, except for Yamamoto, has any hope of defeating him.

The boy is dangerous. His control over the hollow is too tenuous, too uncertain. I shudder to think what would happen if the hollow surfaced when he was spending time with Rukia. The other personality has a deep hatred for the shinigami and wouldn't hesitate to permanently injure or kill her.

I pause in my musings, disliking the fact that a human has the ability to occupy my mind. Why do I let Ichigo control my thoughts and my actions? As much as I hate to admit it, I fear him and what his mere presence can do to my world. He threatens my security. He is the only one who can force me to throw away the mask I hide behind, the only one who forces me to feel, to be truly alive. That frightens me. I have insulated myself for so long, hidden behind the Kuchiki name, determined to fulfill the promise I made to my parents. I have forgotten how to feel.

Unlike Ichigo. He is so vibrant, so alive. He has more courage than anyone else I can name. I've never met anyone who was so strong, so selfless, so willing to protect, regardless of the cost to himself. I truly envy him and his ability, his freedom, to express himself without fear of reprisal or criticism. Does he realize how fortunate he is?

Growing more and more uncomfortable with my thoughts, I submerge myself in the pool, struggling to exile the boy from my mind. The harder I try, the more abysmally I fail. Breaking the surface, I inhaled deeply, the fresh clean air failing to clear my troubled mind. Try as I might, I cannot stop thinking about him and Rukia. I don't understand the depth of feelings between them, but I fear that they will progress from friends to lovers. If that should happen, I will have no choice except to distance myself even further from my sister. Maintaining a relationship with them would be impossible...for many reasons.

Memories of him flooded my mind. I remember him boldly facing Renji, refusing to surrender, even after my fukutaicho had unleashed Zabimaru on him. I can see him standing, his spirit power increasing, overwhelming Renji. I can still see the surprised look on his face as he realized I had stopped him from killing Rukia's oldest friend.

I admit, grudgingly, that I do respect him. How could I not? He stopped the execution; blocking the Soukyoku as it attacked Rukia. He shattered the cross, freeing her from the invisible bonds. Daringly, he tossed her to my fukutaicho who hurriedly carried her away. He prevented several other fukutaichos from following, and faced me fearlessly, determined to stop me from pursuing my sister and carrying out my own execution. He came to Soul Society with one goal in mind--save Rukia. He didn't waver in his determination; he risked his life time and time again, but refused to quit. For him, failure wasn't an option.

Drawing a deep breath, I exhaled slowly, forcing my mind to accept what my heart desires. The main reason I cannot permit this relationship to progress is because of my feelings for the amazing youth. I, who have set myself apart, never allowing myself to feel emotions, have discovered that somehow, without my conscience knowledge, Kurosaki Ichigo has taken control of my emotions...my heart...my soul.

I, Kuchiki Byakuya, have fallen deeply, irrevocably, in love.

I laughed softly at myself, idly wondering what would happen if I were free to express myself, to act on impulse, to give in to my deepest desires and wants. But that is impossible. I am the Kuchiki heir, the leader of my clan. It is my duty to comport myself with honor, grace, and dignity. No matter what the cost of my personal sacrifice. No cost is too dear to ensure the honor of the Kuchiki name.

"You're slipping, Byakuya." That voice jarred me from my musings. My eyes snapped open, my mind wondering how he had managed to sneak up on me. How is it possible that I didn't sense him?

"What are you doing here? I understand that Ukitake is hosting a party for you. Don't you think you should be there?" I was grateful that my voice was normal; no one would suspect the turmoil in my mind, my heart.

The bold teen sat down, dropping his feet and legs into the water next to me. "I was there. But it was too crowded, too noisy. I left searching for a little peace and quiet and somehow I wound up here." He glanced over at me, his brown eyes searching mine. "Why didn't you come?"

My sensitive hearing detected a slight wistfulness in his tone. Did he want me to go to the party? Is that why he left? Is that why he came here? What did he really want with me?

I couldn't, I wouldn't, tell him the true reasons why I chose not to attend the celebration. The possibility of being rejected weighed heavily on my mind. The risk was simply too great. Impassively, I studied his face. "I don't attend parties. I have more pressing matters to attend to."

"Like sitting alone in your heated pool? Or are you waiting for someone?"

You, I responded silently, wishing I had the courage, the freedom to say that. If for no other reason than to see the expression on his face. I decided to counter his query with one of my own. "Who do you think I would be waiting for?"

He averted his eyes, staring up at the brilliant star-studded sky. "I couldn't say. And it's really none of my business. If you are expecting someone, I guess I should leave. Sorry to have disturbed you." With that said, he stood and turned to go.

Without conscious thought, I immediately stepped out of the pool, my skin reacting to the cool nighttime breeze. I knew I was taking a gamble, but I couldn't help myself. This was my only chance, my final chance, to confess my feelings. "Wait," I commanded, reaching out with one shaking hand to grab his arm.

He stopped, whirling quickly around to face me. His eyes flickered over my nude body, returning swiftly to my face. Pink tinted his cheeks, his eyes widening in shock and surprise. "What do you want, Byakuya?"

"You."

Please read and review...let me know if I should continue this story or leave it as a one-shot--Arigato!!