Special thanks to JellyGirl who's been catching my mistakes. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Bleach doesn't belong to me (sob).

Chapter One: Next Time

Through the times when Ichigo and Inoue fought side by side, the taller of the two would pick up little things about her. Slowly, and bit by bit, he would learn more about this cheerful girl. She looks like an angel to him. There are times when he thought the frail looking girl would cry, but she stood back up again and again. The shinigami would like to lend the girl a hand every time without succeeding to. Now that things finally settled down for a while, Ichigo decided to face his inner feeling towards her.

Every day in class, the teen would steal occasional looks at this cute girl. She's always smiling and talking that if one hasn't learned about her past, you would have never guessed that she lost her only relative a few years ago. Ichigo suddenly felt an urge to protect her, to prevent her from being hurt again. Just how can he express these thoughts to Inoue?

"Ichigo?" Rukia walked by the lost in thought guy, "Ichigo? ICHIGO!" This time she bellowed at him loudly.

Rukia doesn't like to be ignored.

"Oi Rukia, you don't have to be so loud... " said a finally came to Ichigo. He shoved her aside and scowled

"What were you doing anyways?" she asked while taking a big bite off her sandwich. Actually she needn't ask. She knew what Ichigo was doing. He was looking at Inoue, but she wanted to hear a different answer from his very mouth.

"Nothing much…" he grumbled while ruffling the hair on the back of his head. "So what are you calling me for?" Rukia was relieved to hear him say that one more time.

"What does it mean when you break-up with someone?" she said while pointing at the manga she's reading.

"Baka… it means to end a relationship." He commented annoyingly.

With that, Rukia went back to her seat. She had noticed that Ichigo's been paying an awful lot of attention to Inoue lately. He would stare at the girl all the time and mention her name more often. Each time he stares at her, Rukia would ask him what he was doing. And the answer would be nothing much every time. That was an answer good enough for her. She was afraid of any other answer. In fact, she knew the time when Ichigo finally changes his answer would mean the same thing as admitting that he likes Inoue. Shoving the terrible thought back, the tiny shinigami dwelled in her manga once more until class starts again.

It was later that night and Ichigo had just brought in the girl's dinner. Climbing out of her closet, she danced around the tall teenager. "Just eat your freaking dinner, stupid." He commented while giving her the meal. Rukia sat cross-legged on the bed cover and began eating.

"Rukia, you are a girl right?" he said while looking at her. She casted him a dangerous glare. "Well, I was just saying… don't give me that look you idiot!" After a few tense moments, Rukia went back to her dinner.

"Hey," he asked, "can you help me with something?"

Rukia looked up. Please don't say it, thought her. Even though she has an idea what his favor was, she asked him what it is.

"I... think... " he paused and gulped, "I fell... Fell... in... in love with... Inoue."

Those words pierce through the girl's heart. She tried hard to keep a calm face. Her heart was aroused and was dripping with tears.

"Can you... maybe... help me with it... since you are a girl?"

And Ichigo had said it. Rukia would never reject a favor from Ichigo. She had wanted so bad to push him away and yell at him harshly. But instead, she laughed crisply and loudly to cover her sorrows. Drops of tears rolled down her pretty face while she laughs, but Ichigo had seen it as a result of laughing too hard at him.

Ichigo isslightly OoC, but please bare with me. Also, the next chapter is about Ichigo preparing a present on Valentine's Day for Inoue. And guess what? He asks Rukia for help... poor Rukia... Please review my people! Thanks!