Disclaimer: I do NOT own Bleach. I just use its characters… sigh… Translation of chapter 423 is Mangastream and Binktopia's.

AN: What happened to Kon? I wrote this story because I was re-reading a few of the older chapters, but we haven't seen him in a while, have we? Did I miss some chapter he traveled to Hawai and stayed there? Anyway… on with the story. Enjoy!

'They're simply poor and awkward at expressing affection.'

Kon had realized this from the very first moments he had spent with them. They were very reserved, talking about their feelings didn't come natural to them and with time he got used to it.

But Kon had also witnessed as their part time job contract turned into friendship and as their friendship turned into something more. It was clear to him (and everyone around them, judging from what he had heard) that they were different with each other than they were with anyone else, so he had honestly assumed that they would be different with each other when it came to expressing their feelings.

He was dead wrong.

As much as it pained him to admit it, his nee-san was her true self only around Ichigo, his acceptance of her true personality, not that happy go lucky girly personality she had built around their school friends, meant a lot to her, even if she'd never tell him that, and he'd be ripped to shreds before he said it out loud but Ichigo was happy whenever she was around… well, as much as he could show it, but it was obvious to those who were the closest to him.

But even though it seemed as if they were already an item to everyone else, they refused to see it themselves. Why? He had no idea, but they weren't stupid, they were quite perceptive to what was going on around them, so how couldn't they see this? The only reason Kon could think about was 'they don't want to'.

Was this a doomed romance from the start? Even if Ichigo could take his soul out of his body, it didn't change the fact that he was very much alive and Rukia was very much dead.

But that couldn't be it. They were not the kind of person to hide away from problems, they wouldn't have run from this. So the reason for them being so dense was still a mystery. They grew closer and closer over the time, whether they noticed it wasn't a normal friendship anymore or not. Until the day they had to say goodbye.

Kon had watched his fair bunch of soap operas when he was alone in the house. It was in that kind of moments that the lead male would confess he had loved the girl for a long time, she would say that she loved him back but she really had to leave. She would tell him that she'd definitely return and would ask him if he'd wait for her. He'd say he would wait forever because he couldn't love anyone else the way he loved her and they would share one loving kiss as a promise to be together again in the future. The girl would enter the bus/car/airplane and would return years later, when they could finally be happy.

Nothing happened like that when they had to say goodbye because nothing is that perfect, life isn't a soap opera and they were still poor and awkward at expressing affection.

Still, Kon knew them and he knew that there was so much more to say that was left unsaid. As he watched them from the bedroom window as they said their goodbyes, he'd fill in the gaps that none of them did.

Ichigo had stepped outside and looked around, probably still in hope that there was a chance everyone might be wrong and he might still have his powers. By the look he sent Rukia's way, he was the one who was wrong.

"This is farewell Ichigo" and Kon started reading between the lines 'I never thought we would have to say goodbye like this'

"…seems so." Ichigo was tense, his face was all wrong 'I was rash, but there is nothing to regret. We're all fine, after all'

"What? Don't look so sad. Even if you can no longer see me, I can still see you." Her smile was forced, she was trying to lift up the mood 'we'll still be here, we just won't be able to talk to each other. Isn't that good enough?'

"What? That doesn't make me happy at all!" any other day, they would have argued, not today 'No, it isn't.'

"And I wasn't making a sad face, either!" all those fights seemed so petty right then 'If there is something to regret, this is it…'

A pause. Rukia walked up to Ichigo and looked right at him. Her eyes told more than her words.

"…tell everyone I give them my best." If he didn't keep his hands in his pockets he would have hugged her for sure. 'Be safe Rukia'

"…okay" She had her arms crossed, or she would have reached for him too. 'You too, don't overdo it' she looked down for a moment, the emotion being too much, but ended looking up again.

They looked at each other in such a way that he'd never seen, and just by looking Kon felt as if it was him that was saying goodbye.

"Bye, Rukia." 'I wish you didn't have to go'

"Thank you" 'I love you'

And from the look on Rukia's face, she loved him too, but this was real life and they couldn't kiss as a promise to be together in a few years. So they didn't.