Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

Brown Paper Presents

IchiRuki

Walking had never seemed so hard before. The actions were simple, the thought process was minimal, but with nothing to move forward too, it seemed strained, difficult. And Ichigo wasn't really walking with a purpose anymore. He was just walking.

She'd left.

Rukia had left, along with any traces of her. . . just like before. She wasn't the only one either. Renji was gone, he hadn't seen Hitsugaya, Matsumoto had disappeared, even the afro-haired idiot of a soul reaper who was in charge of Karakura was gone. His friend's memories were gone, too. He felt so cold, alone. It truly felt like a piece of him had been ripped out and hidden away.

Locked in a big white tower, he mused bitterly. just like before.

It was cold outside, with a cloudy overcast. It probably wasn't going to rain, but snow had a chance and even if the ground stayed dry it seemed that the gray sky could read Ichigo's thoughts and was content to stay gloom.

With a scowling face Ichigo made his way back home, ignoring the mild chatter and ducking down out of the way of street-walking classmates. He entered the house quietly, avoiding Isshin's onslaught, and made his way up stairs where he fell in a heap onto his bed and didn't bother moving. Without Rukia it was quiet. Without hollows it was boring. Without soul reapers it just wasn't the same. Ichigo let out a small sound of displeasure.

"Do you always get like this when Soul Society isolates you?"

Ichigo jumped. He knew that voice. He knew it very well. In a sort of slow moment, in which Ichigo processed the chances of her actually being here, and not his mind playing some weird and warped trick on him, which he didn't doubt it could, Ichigo raised his head and turned it toward his desk where his eye immediately lay on those of a certain short statured soul reaper.

"Rukia?" He muttered.

Rukia debated on whether she wanted to kick him for looking so stupid, or take pity because it was his birthday, and she'd be leaving again soon. . . which might possibly kill him.

In the end she settled for a few choice words.

"Who else, fool?" She smirked a bit, hopping off the desk and walked up to him. "I can't stay long, I'm not really suppose to be here-" She removed a hand from behind her back and placed a small paper wrapped box beside him on the bed. "-but , I wanted to wish you happy birthday."

Ichigo's eyes widened as if he had suddenly remembered that today was in fact the 15th of July.

"Don't open it until after I leave." She warned. Ichigo stood.

"Or you could just stay."

Rukia looked away.

"I'll come back again soon." It was a lie.

"Like hell you will." Ichigo muttered, but Rukia ignored it. "Stay for dinner. Yuzu and Karin would want it, and the Old man, too."

"They don't remember me."

Ichigo scowled. "Then I'll tell them you a new friend! Dammit Rukia, just stay for awhile."

In a brief moment of silence Rukia considered her punishment for leaving the Soul Society to visit a friend who wasn't suppose to know who she was, and then decide that she wanted this more then she cared about punishment.

She nodded, and for the first time that day Ichigo smirked.

.:.::.:.

Ichigo looked down at the box in his lap, the only proof that Rukia had come back, even for the brief time that she did. He couldn't follow her back. Not when it was her choice, but dammit, this hurt almost as much as walking.

He pulled at the brown paper wrapping and watched as it fell across his lap, and then opened the box.

What he got was a picture and a small note.

Ichigo,

Orihime gave me this picture awhile back. You better like it because I didn't want to give it up!

Happy Birthday.

Rukia

It was accompanied by a series of poor drawings - which Ichigo snorted at - including a rabbit with very large eyes attacking another with an orange patch between it's ears.

.:.::.:.

That night, atop Ichigo's normally very plain desk sat a photograph with six comically altered faces, including one stoic quincy, a large passive giant, one bubbly auburn haired girl, a pineapple head, himself, and a very short midget. Next to it lay the folded note.

Only my second attempt with IchiRuki. I'm not entirely comfortable writing for Bleach, but I hope it isn't too bad.

Notify on mistakes :)