Title: Near And Yet So Far

Pairing: Ichigo/Rukia

Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Rating: T

There was something about a man's hands that endeared a woman to him, made her sigh with bliss. It certainly wasn't because he was manicured, Rukia had told herself with a sniff, glancing with slight disregard to Yumichika, who was doing just that, waxing his nails.

She had never necessarily liked the way the coarse calluses of Kaien's skin brushed against the delicate soft of her cheek. There were times when he ruffled her hair conceitedly and she nearly forgot to abstain from snapping his fingers. Yet, at the end of the day, limbs aching from the physical stress of her routine, she welcomed the demonstrative pat on the head. Kaien Shiba's warmth was contagious. The justification for the state of his hands was because he's spent his years as a Soul Reaper and consummate Shinigami, impervious to revile from Hollows.

She'd close her eyes for a moment, in profundity, but then her mind would wander to the rustle of the breeze passing throughout the leaves in the trees, and images would bloom before shut eyelids as she contemplated her stances during training with lieutenant Shiba. In the present, she was sitting on the terrace adjoined to the captain's office, her legs dangling over the edge, just inches from the grass. Though barely aware of him, Kaien stood before her, fingers laced through the silky strands on top of her head, his eyes fixed to the sky as he enjoyed the ephemeral zephyr that played through his spiky hair.

Rukia hummed as her attention was drawn to the tantalizing sensation behind her ear, where she was being caressed. For a split millisecond, Rukia was almost positive that it was Kaien who instigated this feeling, when she untimely recalled that this wasn't how things went. In her memory, an exultant and very drunk Kiyone and Sentaro sprang up behind Kaien, screaming and hollering and triggering him to spill his tea all over the front of his hakama and send him face planting into the ground while they howled at his misfortune. Of course, Kaien had the last laugh when he sentenced them to rigorous labor the following morning while they-

"RUKIA!"

The dumbly elated smile on Rukia's face vanished as she was grabbed by her shoulders so emphatically she fell off her chair. She no longer resided fifty years in the past with her mentor, but in a high school in Karakura fifty years later. It was just a good thing no one had been around to see her tumble to the ground.

Class had already disbanded for lunch, leaving Rukia alone to daydream, like she'd been doing most of the day. Well, she wasn't completely alone.

Ichigo had noticed that Rukia had been out of it, but when Mrs. Ochi had dismissed them and his companion had remained, he had become apprehensive.

She had resumed staring into space when he spoke to her, and didn't so much as budge even when he nudged her on the shoulder or made a crude remark on her height.

Not even playing around with the ticklish spot behind her ear seemed to faze her-the ticklish spot: discovered during a tug-of-war for the remote to the T.V., which ensued in a tickle war. Her nose was a little red and her cheeks were flushed, but it wasn't just from her rising fury or embarrassment. Ichigo knew she had been ill since that morning, but she utterly refused to stay home and denied being sick with the flu...which she was. And if she was this out of it and it had taken screaming her name and shaking her to snap her from her reverie, then, yes, she was not well. For all her rights, Rukia would have chewed into Ichigo right then and there without question for man-handling her, but her throat was sore and constricted with the effort it took just to swallow, let alone speak. She was afraid that if she even opened her mouth, she would end up hacking and coughing...in front of him, no less. The last thing she needed was to look vulnerable, and to be in an equally exposed situation where he would end up fretting over her needlessly.

Fortunately, the day was saved by her cell, which began beeping in alarm. "Hollow," she croaked.

"Oh no you don't," he said, placing a hand out to halt her as she stood. Rukia wobbled a little. "I'll go."

"Like hell you will! I'm coming, too!" she argued, her voice hoarse. Ichigo straightened up, and with what authority he had in this matter, he told her to stay.

"I'm not a damn dog, Ichigo! You can't tell me what to do!" she spat. "If I say I'm going, I'm going." Rukia emphasized the word by kicking him the shin and turning on her heel.

She ran down the hall as quickly as was possible in her condition, her ailing airways tightening with each breath she took. What made it worse: she nearly chocked on the gikongan pill she had to swallow in order to get out of her gigai. Chappy looked like she was going to throw up when Rukia finally got out of the faux body.

What made the day even more worse: After struggling out of her gigai, locating the Hollow, detecting it after some difficulty, running till her lungs were stinging and she felt as if she was going to keel over at any later minute, performing konso on a random soul, then finally pinpointing the Hollow, someone else had already gotten there before she had.

The evil soul dissipated as Ichigo turned, Zangetsu in hand.

"You're really slow today, aren't ya?"

"Shut up," she growled, expectorating and losing the rest of the words she's meant to say. She heaved, coughing so hard she began to gag. Ichigo ran over to her side, placing his hand on Rukia's back as she wheezed. The kimono was thick, but she could still feel the benevolence behind the touch. The touch itself was warm and firm.

Her vision blurred, reality shifting in and out of view. Ichigo saw her tilt and he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up bridal style. Rukia curled her fingers into the front of his shihakusho, but when she tried to speak-at the very least, tell him to put her down now before she crippled his ability to forever have children-he did it for her.

"Just let me take you home, alright?"

"Y-you-"

"Yes?"

"Hate you..." she gasped. Ichigo rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't be the first. Coming from a midget like you, that's a compliment."

For that, he got a slap in the face. Despite her decrepit state, the strength of her palm hadn't diminished...nor did the sting it left behind. Ichigo dropped her purposely.

"Oops...my hand slipped," he stated theatrically. Rukia shrieked as she hit the pavement, and promptly blew up in rage. "YOU OBNOXIOUS ASSHOLE! DON'T YOU HAVE ANY RESPECT-" She broke off, coughing again. Adhering to what bit of dignity she had left, she kicked him the groin, stood up, kicked him in the kidneys for good measure, then turned and stormed off. A woman's hands, he reflected, were like fire. It was either a lukewarm glow of love... or the scalding bowels of Hades. Ichigo found himself wishing for the lukewarm glow.

A/N: Please, please review! Just press that sexy review button down there! You know you want to. :)