Title: It's Okay to Cry

Rated: Pg

Couple: Light IchigoXRukia

Summary: After the death of Kaien Rukia is devastated, can the clinic worker who was there during his death help her before she explodes from all the bottled up emotions? Light IchiRuki, and implied KaienXRukai

Ichigo sighed. He was unpacking all of his belongings in a bedroom that was slightly larger than his own, but not his own. He and his family had gotten up and moved after the recent death of his mother, Misaki. His house was above a clinic, which was good considering his dad is a doctor and him and both of his sisters work part time. At least there was no commute. Tomorrow was his first day of school. He had been in town for about a week and already things, besides moving in, have been hectic, especially at the clinic. After all of that work Ichigo just wanted to lie down and go to sleep. So he did.

Ichigo was rudely awakened by his father who decided jumping your children, or only son, was the ideal way to wake him up each and every morning. Ichigo was told that he was going to school today so he rushed into something he could wear to school, rand past the kitchen to get a piece of toast, and ran out the door so he wouldn't be late.

It didn't matter, he was late anyway. By the time he got to his new class the day had already started. He knocked on the door and quietly let himself in. Everyone stared at him as he walked across the room to give the teacher a note saying Hello; I am new and have been assigned to your classroom.

The teacher told him to introduce himself and all he muttered out was that his name was Ichigo, yes his hair was naturally this color, no his name does not mean strawberry, and that he lives and works at the local clinic with his family. His teacher told him to sit in the only empty seat available, one in the middle surrounded by odd looking people. Before sitting down he did notice one person. A girl. Sitting in the back corner, wearing all black and looking like she wasn't paying attention.

Behind him was a guy who if he stood Ichigo was sure he would be huge and had brown hair covering his eyes, in front was a short young kid with white hair, his hair was naturally orange, he wasn't complaining about white, to the right was a guy with red spiky hair and tattoos, and to the left was a bald guy, or maybe he shaved his head, who knew.

The day went by quickly, with only a few notes to be taken; apparently his old school was a bit ahead so everything that they were learning now he already knew. Ichigo was all ready to have lunch on his own when a busty girl with reddish hair came up to him, introducing herself has Inoue Orihime, asked him if he would like to have lunch with her and her friends, he agreed.

"Before we go, can you tell me about the girl who was sitting in that back corner" he said pointing, "She is wearing all black."

"Oh you mean Rukia." She said sadly, "Well come on, lets go eat!" she said happily this time, nicely avoiding the question,

When he reached the circle of her friends they all called their hellos and introduced themselves. There was a Sado, an Ishida, a Matsumoto, a Hinamori, a Hitsugaya, an Ikkaku, and a Renji.

"What about you." He asked the girl he already knew as Rukia, she had never personally introduced herself.

She finally spares a moment to glance at him, her eyes widen. "My name is Kuchiki Rukia, and I hate your clinic." She said as she quickly got up and ran off.

Matsumoto jumps up after her, excusing her friend's rudeness and runs after her. Ichigo is left sitting there wondering if he did something wrong, Everyone around him looks sad and upset but he didn't know why.

Matsumoto managed to chase Rukia down, for a petit girl with short legs like she has she sure does run fast. She found Rukia huddled in a corner with the legs pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around then, and her face hiding. Matsumoto was sure the girl was crying.

She sat down next to her and pulled her close trying to comfort her, but to no avail. Rukia is saying things like "It's him" and "He knows" and "He was there" but not of that made sense to anyone but Rukia herself.

Eventually the bell rang signaling the end of their Lunch break and the two girls were forced back to their classrooms, where the rest of the day passed without incident, until sports that is.

The gym teacher, Kenpachi, happens to be a family friend of Ichigo's, needless to say the older man was happy to see the teen. Since it was still somewhat warm outside Kenpachi was just going to make them run around the track a few times. During Ichigo's third lap, while running at a pace where most people couldn't stay at, he heard his name being yelled. He looked over and saw the teacher standing over Rukia who was on the ground clutching her ankle.

The doctor mode in Ichigo kicked in as he ran towards the accident. Ignoring the teacher he asked Rukia if she was in pain, she just glared at him and he took that as a yes. He lightly touched her foot and she pulled back yelling not to touch her.

Ichigo rolls his eyes and picks her up with ease saying he is going to take her to the nurse. After asking where in the school the nurses office was, he was off, Rukia still in his arms and not very happy. Ichigo gets to the nurses office where he treats her ankle and she just ignores him completely, like he isn't even there and it is just some ghost treating her.

After sports the day is over. The students return to their classes to gather their stuff and head home. Rukia, with a slight limp starts on her journey home. After getting about two hundred feet away from school grounds she asks why he is following her to which he only replies his house is in this direction. They ignore each other the rest of the way.

Walking back to school the next day he opens the door to see Rukia walking by. He mentally slaps himself, of all the times to open the door, he chooses now. In a random blabber of his own thoughts he asks, "Why do you only wear black?"

She turns to glare at him and kicks him in the shin, with her good foot, and runs ahead of him, limping slightly, and, unknown to Ichigo, with tears in her eyes. Ichigo lets her run ahead of him and he doesn't even think of trying to chase her. At least he gets a peaceful walk to school.

When Ichigo gets to his classroom he walks in and sees Rukia already there talking to Renji in the back of the room. When he walks in, Renji glares but Ichigo only shrugs it off, he's used to it by now. He goes and sits down at his desk in the middle and goes into his bag to get the book he was reading, Mac Beth. He reads until the teacher walks in and tells them to take their seats.

Nothing worth mentioning happened to him today, not even at lunch. He left the school a bit late after having trouble getting rid of Kenpachi who wanted to test out how his sword handling skills have improved over the years, Ichigo barely made it with his life.

He walked out of the school, book in hand reading as he waked. Even though he has only been there a few days he knows his way around, well, at least from his house to school and vice versa. Walking while reading was never a good idea, for you can never see what is in front of you, like, say, a petit girl who seems to not like sitting in the middle of the side walk. Not noticing her, he trips and catches his fall.

"Damn it, my book is ruined." He said more to himself then the person on the ground that he hasn't looked at yet.

"Oh so your book is more important than me? Here I am, hurt! And you trip on me! Good going genius." She scolds him and for the first time Ichigo realizes it's Rukia that he tripped over.

"What happened to you?" he asks a bit rudely.

"For your information my ankle gave out and I fell down hurting it more!" she almost yelled at him.

Ichigo sighed, the doctor in him was kicking in again. He picked her up bridal style and threw her bag over his shoulder.

"What the hell do you think you are doing!" she yelled again, kicking trying to get free.

"Oh shut up, I am taking you to the clinic to treat your ankle, be grateful." He scolded her.

After he said the word "clinic" her eyes widened and she started thrashing more, making it very hard for him to walk, but he managed anyway. Eventually, when she realized that he wasn't going to let her go, she stopped trashing and him carry her.

"Why do you hate this place so much?" he asked quietly when they walked in the door.

She remained quiet for a moment before she answered, "Because he died her, my boyfriend, Kaien, and I killed him." He told her that she couldn't have killed him, "No but I did. He was in a car accident, I was driving the car that hit him and cost him his life. He was taken here to be treated because it was an emergency and they didn't have enough time to take him to the hospital. You should know. You were working here."

"That was… you…? I remember that night."

"It's all my fault, its all my fault that he's dead, I couldn't help him and I killed him and… and.." she trailed off willing herself not to cry anymore.

"It's okay to cry you know."

So she did.

A/N- Ok so that wraps up this story. A bit sad, not a lot of IchiRuki goodness…. But I think it was half way decent.