Hey everyone! This is my first fandom on Bleach focused on the IchiRuki pairing which is one of my favorite's. So I hope you enjoy and i'll meet you at the bottom with a message.

Disclaimer: Bleach is the sole property of Tite Kubo.

Introduction

Three years had passed after Ichigo had regained his powers during the battle against Xcution. Since then not much had occurred around Karakura Town and Soul Society. Yeah the threat of Hollows were still around but they had appear at a very slim chance most of the time and either way Ichigo would always kill it just like that causing Soul Society not to really send over much reinforcements.

However, Rukia would come and stop by even though Byukaya had wanted her to stay in Soul Society in case of an emergency, but from the looks of things everything was pretty peaceful, so why shouldn't she?

Whenever Rukia would come over to the World Of The Living, she would always go and stay with Ichigo for a while and go back to Soul Society. And the more she came over, the more the two got more and more closer.

Ichigo had felt like they now deserved to be together and he had eventually started to miss every aspect of her as soon as she left. He had also started to think about her non-stop even when doing studying or working at his part-time job.

Rukia felt the same way when she left, thinking about Ichigo and how she longed to see him hopefully the next day, although sometimes she couldn't due to either Byukaya or Ukitake's health. And eventually the more she thought about him the more that emotion turned into love and care rather than just a simple friendship.

But Ichigo knew it couldn't be true, it couldn't be that Ichigo liked Rukia...right?

Karakura Town

10:00AM, Saturday

July 10th

Ichigo yawned as he woke up from his slumber, he looked around his room to see it silhouetted with sunlight. He scratched his back and got out from bed, he was tired and it was a Saturday but knew that he would have to get up sometime.

As Ichigo got up he walked out his room and washed up in the shower. After a quick five minute shower he dressed himself up and left towards the Kitchen to smell Yuzu's cooking.

When Ichigo came down he was instantly jumped on by somebody.

"MORNING ICHIGOOOOO!" Isshin jumped and punched his son which failed when he was flipped onto the ground by Ichigo.

"Morning Dad." Ichigo faced his dad on the hard wood floor, he then turned to see Yuzu and Karin eating at the table.

"Morning Yuzu, Karin." He sat down at the table instantly staring at his breakfast.

"Good Morning!" Yuzu greeted happily.

"Mornin." Karin greeted with food in her mouth.

Isshin slowly got up from the floor and went over to the table. "Well! since it seems all of you are all here I've got an announcement to make!" He yelled happily.

"What could it be!?" Yuzu excitedly asked.

"What?" Karin continued to speak with food in her mouth.

Ichigo just shifted his eyes at his dad with no emotion.

"It seems that today I'll be on an important business trip for the weekend, due to me having an important client to deal with. "So you kids will have the whole house for a while!" Isshin spoke happily with a hint in it.

"And that's supposed to mean?" Karin questioned with her mouth empty.

"Hmm? It's not supposed to mean anything, just thought you'd like to know." Isshin turned away and looked back at Ichigo raising a brow.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ichigo stared at him in confusion.

"Just make sure nothing bad happens while I'm out, Ichigo I'm placing you in charge while I'm gone, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I heard." Ichigo replied stuffing down the rest of his breakfast.

"Good, well I'll be on my way." Isshin slowly walked towards the door and looked back at Ichigo who just frowned at him. Isshin then left and was gone to leave Yuzu,Karin and Ichigo alone in the dining room.

As they finished the rest of their breakfast quietly, Yuzu washed the dishes and Karin was watching TV. Ichigo headed towards the doorway.

"Yuzu, Karin I'm heading out to Unagiya's Shop, I won't be back until this evening." Ichigo turned back to them.

"But, You don't have work today." Yuzu curiously asked, before sighting Ichigo picking up his jacket instantly out the door. "Alright, see you soon!" Yuzu called out in her casual happy go-lucky voice.

"Yeah, later." Karin called from the living room."

Ichigo opened the door and walked out, the walk to Unagiya's shop wasn't too far yet boring to Ichigo at the least.

As he walked, Ichigo just stared around Karakura Town. It was a great city to live in and it did make him happy to see it was still in one piece after everything's that happened, ranging from the everyday hollows that now seemed to rarely come out anymore to Aizen's failed plan. Throughout those two he got something else in his head, a certain black haired, violet eyed,pale and small girl who was always with him.

It made him go a bit red when he thought about her. Rukia had been with him during the toughest and greatest of times always being there to motivate him whenever he'd lose confidence in himself. She'd come by every now and then however Ichigo knew it wasn't enough. He wanted to see her small, cute and petite self everyday instead of a week or possibly next month if she couldn't leave Soul Society.

Rukia wasn't trapped in the Soul Society it was actually her choice if she wanted to stay in the World Of The Living or not. But due to Byukaya and Ukitake being in the way she didn't know whether to stay or be with Ichigo. The two had gotten a lot closer in the passing years, making them a lot more than friends yet they continued to be this way for what reason?

Ichigo had that question hit him in the head the whole walk towards Unagiya's Shop. By the time he made it to the shop Ichigo had looked red as a cherry due to him thinking of how would it be if him and Rukia were more than friends.

He opened the door about to greet his manager before spotting her standing on a ladder. "Um Ikumi-san what are you doing..."

She dropped as soon as she heard Ichigo's voice.

"ICHIGO! Just what do you think you're doing coming in here like that I would've had a heart attack!" She exclaimed.

"You would've made it." Ichigo gave an obnoxious look while scratching the back of his head until he was slapped right in the face.

"Ow! The hell was that for!?"

"For being such a moron!" Ikumi shouted furiously. "Besides, You have the day off today, remember?"

"Yeah I know, just thought you might have had some more work to do." Ichigo sat onto the small couch.

"You've already done all the work." Ikumi put a finger on her chin thinking for a few moments, and then it had hit her. "Instead why don't you take this time and try to find somebody."

"W-What!?"

"Ichigo you're 20 years old, and so far you haven't found anybody for you. I mean right now you got no body by your side, excluding me." Ikumi spoke in a generous tone.

"Why all the sudden go there?" He responded.

"You know you're going to have to find somebody for you whether you like it or not. Face it Ichigo you can't just be alone forever."

Ichigo thought for a while, he at first wondered why Ikumi had told him to find a woman and quickly, all his choices had approached him but the first one to pop into his mind was none other than Rukia Kuchiki. The moment when she had changed his destiny into being someone who could actually protect the people he loved and how she had stabbed him with the blade that gave him all his powers again.

But that wasn't it, Rukia had been with him everyday whether it had been for motivation or discipline and the personality she had was genuine, something he hadn't seen much of until now. The way she cared for him and now the way how he has been caring for her made it all to easy to know that the Squad 13 Lieutenant was his perfect match.

Ichigo's face at that point was turning into who he was, a strawberry. "Rukia..."

"Ichigo?" Ikumi noticed quietly glancing at him.

"Huh!" Ichigo jumped up. "What is it?"

"You were all red just a moment ago, could this mean...?"

Ichigo blushed even more. "It's nothing! I promise you!"

Ikumi just smiled at him. "Yeah, yeah I believe you." But either way Ichigo, you have the day off so why don't you actually use it instead of wasting your time with me plus we aren't supposed to get any customers today." That changed when the door knocked behind her.

"Huh?" Ikumi walked towards the door and opened it to see an orange haired girl standing out of the doorway.

"Um...is Kurosaki-kun here?" The girl asked.

Ikumi looked back at Ichigo sitting on the couch. "Ichigo a girl here is asking for you." That being told, Ichigo hopped off the couch and headed towards the scene of a smiling Orihime.

"Inoue, what are you doing here?" Ichigo wondered.

"I came to ask if you wanted to come shopping with me."

"Why ask me? Why not go with Ishida or Chad?"

"Ishida is busy studying for his finals and Chad told me he had to work this week, so I stopped by your house and asked Yuzu if you had any time to spare, sure enough she told me you did."

Ikumi put a hand on his shoulder when he sighed. "Come on Ichigo do something then actually work, and I know you wouldn't want to disappoint this young lady." She gave a smile to Orihime.

With nowhere else to turn, Ichigo breathed out heavily. "Fine..."

"Good, now I hope you two have a fun time together!" Ikumi called out after kicking Ichigo out of the shop and shutting the front door.

Ichigo let out another sigh and walked along with Orihime the walk to the shopping distract was long and quiet none of them wanting to say much until Orihime finally spoke up.

"Kurosaki-kun you're silent, anything bothering you?"

"Nah i-it's nothing." Ichigo silently replied. Truth be told the whole time they were walking Ichigo had his thought's on of course Rukia. It was starting to frustrate him that she kept coming into his mind but at least it had a reason. She'd been gone for quite some time now and it was about time she returned but Ichigo knew it was most likely Byukaya due to her complaining time after time she'd visit the massive stacks of paperwork she'd get from him.

At that point Ichigo instead had wanted to go to Soul Society and just see her. Being away from her had triggered a lot of emotion in Ichigo too the point it was like some bug he just couldn't shoo off.

"Maybe I should visit Rukia, yeah she'd get mad at me but..." When he thought about that he then thought about all the times Rukia had gotten mad at him and he had to admit, all of those times Rukia was mad at him for something pointless or serious it was so adorable of her.

Ichigo hadn't known it but he was standing there the whole time while Orihime had walked right passed him.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime looked back at him gaining his attention.

"Oh yeah right." He ran over towards Orihime with a final conclusion.

"I do love...Rukia."

Meanwhile, at Soul Society.

Rukia stood outside of Byukaya's office waiting for him to come out and speak to her about something. Although she already knew it was always work related due to this time of Soul Society. Yeah she sometimes wanted to go up to him and just tell him that their was no real meaning to do all of this worthless paperwork, but in the end as soon as she would open her mouth to tell him he'd immediately stop her by telling her the same thing every time.

"Rukia, the fighting is over but not the real work that should be done."

It made her a slight bit angrier and angrier at him, though he was her older brother and he was a Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, so disobeying him would be great disappointment to the Kuchiki clan and the Gotei 13.

So she continued to obey her brothers orders even though she was under Ukitake's orders plus his lieutenant yet nothing had emerged or anything that he had wanted her to do.

As she stood outside of his office, Renji came out from the door.

"Renji." She quietly exclaimed as he left the office.

Renji turned to her with a plain look. "Taishou told me that he's too busy right now, so he told me to tell you that you're done with work for now."

Rukia let out a breath in exhaustion for the non-stop paperwork she was being bombarded with.

"Great to hear." She responded back to Renji, then was about to leave before Renji called her.

"Uh...Rukia." She turned back to see the red headed Lieutenant scratch the back of his head.

"Hmm?"

"I...was uh...wondering since the two of us have the spare time that we could..." He was interrupted by a girl's voice.

"Rukia." The voice said the two turned to see Kiyone behind them.

"Hey Kiyone, how's Ukitake taishou?"

"Oh about him." She walked up closer. "He want's to see you."

Rukia nodded back to the girl and looked to Renji. "Sorry Renji but I have to take this, but what was it that you wanted to say?"

"Oh...it's nothing, besides your taichou needs you so don't waste your time with me."

She nodded to him and followed Kiyone to Ukitake's living quarters. Renji just watched her leave, he wasn't mad or anything just wanted to actually spend a little more time with Rukia due to them not always seeing each other every single day.

Still, she had duties to attend to and so did he, with that he left back to his work.

Kiyone and Rukia made it to Ukitake's living quarters, Kiyone knocked onto the door to be instantly answered by Sentaro at the doorway.

"Wait? What!" He exclaimed at Kiyone.

"What's your problem?" She yelled at him.

"How dare you go ahead and get Rukia? You told me that I could do it!"

"Well maybe if you hadn't screwed up the tea I made for the taichou, I would've let you." Kiyone stuck out her tongue.

"You little!" Sentaro was about to grab her until a voice came from behind them.

"Sentaro, Kiyone please stop." The two turned to their captain.

"Yes sir, we're very sorry." Sentaro kneed and bowed his head.

"Our apologies, Ukitake taichou."Kiyone apologized.

"Alright, I need you two to leave i need to speak to Rukia in private." Ukitake stared at the two Shinigami.

"Yes sir." The two bowed their heads again and left to only start fight again. Rukia stood at the middle of the doorway.

"Rukia, please come in." Ukitake invited.

Rukia walked into the house and sat down on a small cushion next to a small table.

"Do you want any tea?" Ukitake asked, before letting out a small cough.

"Ukitake taichou, are you alright?" Rukia panicked quietly.

"Oh it's nothing, besides I've been getting better lately. Well, at least when Sentaro and Kiyone aren't fighting over who will give me my medicine,but still doing better." He smiled to her.

Rukia nodded. "That's great to hear, also you told me you had to speak to me in private."

"Ah yes." He straightened himself up on his seat, and looked at Rukia with a slightly sharp stare. "Rukia I've been meaning to ask you but..."

Rukia felt as if something bad were to happen, due to her Captain giving out that type of stare however she didn't fear him at all. Ukitake was a nice and gentle man, he would never do anything to out of his reach, unless ordered to do so.

The stare Ukitake gave to Rukia was going on for about 20 seconds before Ukitake let out a smile. "How've you been?"

Rukia calmed down from any assumptions she had gotten. "Doing well sir, why ask?" She felt a little weird questioning a superior, still it was Ukitake a warm kind hearted captain.

"Why ask? Mainly because you look very tired, I do have some concern." The captain picked up a small cup of tea from the table.

"Oh sir there's no need to worry, really." Rukia defended.

"No Rukia, I mean you have been overworking yourself with all this non-stop paperwork." He gave a serious look. "I know you don't want to disappoint Byukaya but you're going to need to take a break some time. And you really should too, everything is at a peace."

"For now." Ukitake concluded.

Rukia just nodded, she was tired. Byukaya had given her stacks of paperwork to fill out, they were all for no important reason, though they were so dearly to him. That in mind she was faced with Ukitake encouraging her to take a break, he hadn't assigned work at all. With as he said, everything being at peace, why should there be the time for work?

She thought for a while about what she should say, though Ukitake had a look of much care. "Rukia, are you sure that you can continue with all this? Like I said before I do have some concern."

"Well sir, I would like to request...if I'm able too..." She paused before completing her sentence, since saying the rest her request might be rejected.

"Hmm? Request?" Ukitake rose a brow.

Rukia glanced down wondering, if she would be able to head back to the World Of The Living so she could be reunited with Ichigo again, due to her last visit being cut short due to of course paperwork from her brother.

Yet this time out of all the times she had wanted to visit Ichigo, she had now really want to see him and perhaps be more than friends with him. That thought had circled her mind the whole time while filling out the infinite amount papers for countless hours, and now if Ukitake accepted her request to head out, Rukia would be free from all of the boring work and be with Ichigo and all of their other friends.

Rukia continued to look down causing, Ukitake to feel alot more worried for his stressed lieutenant.

"Rukia, you don't have to hurt yourself with this..."

"May I go to the World Of The Living!" She had blurted out. After doing so Rukia covered her mouth, sensing rudeness. "I-I'm really sorry sir just...

"I see no reason why not." He smiled.

The lieutenant stared up to him, her body feeling excitement instead of the constant fear of rejection.

"Like i said, we're all at peace now, and it's best we try and make the most of it instead of being so serious and alert all the time. Rukia you're free to go." Ukitake continued to smile towards the raven haired lieutenant.

Rukia stared with great acknowledgement knowing she was now able to finally see Ichigo once more.

"Thank you so much, Ukitake taichou."

"No need to thank, just go and enjoy yourself." The white haired captain endlessly smiled in great content.

She bowed her head and walked towards the door to be stopped by Ukitake's voice.

"Also Rukia, I have a favor I need to ask you."

"Hmm?" Rukia turned back to her captain.

"Please come back and visit, ok?"

Rukia smiled in response and nodded. "Yes sir."

Ichigo managed to finally to be done with Orihime's shopping spree, after about half the whole day of shopping with her, it was now sunset.

He sighed to himself, the whole time while shopping with her all he did was hold her bags. Most of them however were ingredients for the unknown food she would create. Still, it gave him a small pinch of happiness knowing he at least went with her instead of doing nothing all day.

So with that he walked home to see Yuzu open the door.

"Oh yeah, dad's on that week long business trip."

"Ichi-nii! you just made it home just in time for dinner." Yuzu said with worry in her voice. She was 16, though she hadn't lost that caring personality.

"Where were you?" She asked with a small frown.

Ichigo just scratched the back of his orange hair. "I was helping someone out."

"Still you could of told them you had to come home some time sooner." Yuzu scolded, neither less she still allowed him into the house.

When Ichigo came in he went to the table and ate his dinner. Due to Isshin not being there to usually talk up the whole table, Yuzu tried to start up a conversation but Ichigo and Karin didn't really listen.

Once dinner was over Ichigo headed to his room to go to bed before the bathroom door opened, Ichigo's eyes widened a little.

"Wait neither Yuzu or Karin went to the bathroom, they all just headed to bed...well Karin." He looked down the stairs to see her about to turn off the light downstairs.

"Goodnight Ichi-nii!" She kissed him on the cheek before going to bed.

"Yeah...goodnight." He answered as she left, suddenly he had felt someones reiatsu, he turned around wide eyed heading towards the door before all the sudden he tripped on something.

"Ugh." He groaned, opening his eyes and looked on what he tripped, better yet who he tripped.

On sight of who he say, his jaw dropped seeing a raven haired girl blushing at him with her huge purple pupil's meeting his chocolate eyes.

"R-Rukia..." Ichigo stammered and turned red.

"I-Ichigo..." Rukia stammered along with him, blushing even darker.

They stared at each other for a small moment not knowing at all what to say as they were caught from surprise, Ichigo had suddenly leaned forward to Rukia as her eyes started to sparkle a little. Before he could lean even closer, the stair's started to rumble with somebody's footsteps.

"Onii-Chan! Are you all right...?" Ichigo's eyes darted straightly to the stairs as he spotted Yuzu gawking at the two.

Rukia and Ichigo now had turned their heads to see Yuzu with a completely red face.

Ichigo's shook his head. "Y-Yuzu this..."

"KARIN!" Yuzu screamed out.

Karin came from her room instantly as all of them heard the door shut.

"Yuzu! What could you want at this time it's..." Karin stopped and her eye's widened an inch.

With the two sister's staring down their older brother as he tried to explain this misunderstanding, Ichigo could only think one thing.

"What the hell is going on here!?"

Thank you for reading the first chapter to my first Bleach and IchiRuki fandom! Hope you enjoyed it as well as that I will be posting more chapter's for a more intresting and longer story so I hope you stick with this story so you can get caught up on the latest!

Anyway that's it for my message, i'll see you all later! :D