This chapter is dedicated to xwhitemoonx, buzzaround, Elizabeth Hawkeye Mustang, lovemydogs82 and miaow1988! Your reviews really helped me to write more! More IchiRuki goodness coming up!

Ichigo lay in bed that night with his eyes open, thinking over all the choices he'd made that he could've made differently, he thought about his wife, and how, in high school, she was one of his most treasured friends.

She'd always had a crush on him, true, but it never got in the way.

When she'd asked him on that first date, she'd been so nervous, and about to pass out from stress. Rukia, who'd been beside him at the time, had elbowed him and said yes on his behalf, then Orihime had kissed him, right there, and he'd been too stunned to react.

One date somehow turned into two, and he cared for her too much to let her down.

When she'd asked to marry him, it had taken him by surprise. He'd figured- why not? It couldn't hurt, and there was no-one else he wanted to marry.

It was cruel of him to agree under such conditions, but he wasn't a romantic guy anyway, and Orihime had known that from the start, so she was –he supposed- happy.

This was the point of this charade.

However... what if...

He'd let her down easily on that first date? What if he'd apologised, and gone back to his house, where Rukia was waiting, drawing bunnies, and kissed that girl senseless instead?

He had no doubt that he'd have ended up bruised and battered for his efforts, but what if she'd then liked him back?

What if he'd married her?

Ichigo put a hand to his head, brushing orange strands from his forehead and closing his eyes.

Damn.

So now he knew what was wrong... how could he fix it?

His life right now was peaceful, and he didn't dislike Orihime; he cared for her deeply. He didn't want to hurt her, but Rukia...

Would hate you for hurting Orihime because of her.

"Damn." He gasped, sitting upright and swinging his legs over. Rukia had left the house three hours ago, after she and Orihime had cried together over "Chappy- the final chronicles" and eaten Miso popcorn.

She'd probably be in Soul Society right now.

He was due there soon anyway... showing up early to spend time with a friend couldn't hurt.

"Ichigo?"

He got up and took the badge, pressing his soul from his body and getting up without a word.

"You're going already?" She checked the time. "I thought the meeting wasn't until later... I'd thought..."

"I have to clear some things up." Ichigo said in clipped tones. "Go back to sleep."

"Right. Silly me." She smiled, closing her eyes. "Have a good day... Ichi..."

"You too." Ichigo sighed, and jumped from the window.

Rukia Kuchiki was laid on her back, looking up at the ceiling of her bedchamber with furrowed eyebrows and a slight twisting of the lip.

Why do I have the feeling that something important is about to happen?

Reluctantly, she sat up and moved to the window, allowing the soft breeze to toy with untidy strands of midnight hair as lavender eyes roamed the garden. She glanced upwards at the sky of Soul Society with a sad smile, reaching out on instinct and attempting to close her hand around one of the stars.

"I wonder if the sky is the same for Soul Society and The World of the Living...?" She murmured to herself, and closed her eyes with her face turned upwards, the soft wind caressing her closed eyelids. "I hope so."

She knew it was stupid to behave like a little girl with a crush, and she really did love Orihime, but she couldn't help looking for small ways to feel closer to him.

They had been best friends for the longest time, and she'd always known that she cared for him deeply... but recently she'd been aware of what the caring meant- and had realised that she was in love with him.

It was stupid.

I'm spending too much time thinking unnecessary things...

"Rukia..." She glanced up and raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"What are you doing here, idiot?" She asked, leaning over the sill with a small smirk. "The meeting's not till later."

"Yeah, yeah... But it's easier to sneak in to see you since you moved to the fifth division Lieutenant's apartment. He smirked devilishly. "Plus, we don't get to just hang out very much."

Rukia laughed. "Did the great Ichigo Kurosaki just say that he missed me? We see each other several times a week, strawberry."

Ichigo faltered, and glanced to the ground, causing Rukia's eyes to narrow in concern. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me." She urged, leaning out so that their faces were close to each other. "You came to see me, which means that something is bothering that you don't want to tell anyone else... so tell me."

Ichigo laughed a short bark. "You know me too well, Rukia." Their eyes met, and Rukia almost gasped aloud at the raw intensity in his amber depths.

And he closed the distance between them.

Their lips touched and Rukia felt, rather than willed her eyelids to close. Ichigo's soft lips –softer than she'd have thought- coaxed her gently and for just a second, she could pretend that it was still high school, and that Ichigo had never...

"Stop!" Rukia pulled back, and turned wide, horrified eyes on her best friend. "How..." She held back the tears of shame by reaching across and slapping Ichigo round the face, hard.

From the darkened hue of his eyes, and the lack of verbal response, she knew that the slap had hurt him much worse than any of her kicks or punches. "... I'm so-."

"Don't say that you're sorry." She commanded, and moved back into her room. Ichigo stood still for a moment before blushing madly and kicking a pebble.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" He hissed, glancing up at the window with narrowed eyes. "You, of all people Rukia, should know I don't do... that sort of thing impulsively!"

Her face appeared at the window again and his breath was taken away at the glow of the moon on her pale skin. "I know that, idiot. Get inside."

Glaring at her, he obeyed and stood with her beside the window. "Rukia..." He trailed off as she closed and bolted the window with quick fervour.

"Shut up." She snapped, and stormed to the other side of the room, opening the wardrobe and throwing on an outer-layer kimono, suddenly reminding Ichigo that she was in the flimsy white under-kimono she used for sleeping, eliciting another blush as he wondered if it was at least semi-transparent...

"You married Orihime." She said sharply.

Ichigo looked away. "Yeah."

"How can you even think that I'd betray her like that?" Rukia breathed, "You chose her. You can't just change your mind because you feel like it, idiot."

Ichigo scowled. "Don't you think I know what an idiot I am? You can't expect me to come out with the best words to describe it..." He sighed. "We both know I'm not the best with words but I know that..." He sighed in exasperation. "That I was always meant to be with you."

"That really is stupid." Rukia muttered. "I'm dead, Ichigo."

Spurred on by an uncharacteristic wave of sentimentality, Ichigo gripped her wrist. "Then how are you the only one who makes me feel alive?"

"Idiot." Rukia crossed her arms. "That's such a line."

"Really." Ichigo scowled, moving so that Rukia's nose was touching the top of his chest. "Stupid midget, feel that." He pressed her against his chest, above his heart. "It's going like crazy."

Rukia pulled her hand away gently. "Don't."

Ichigo caught her shoulders, bringing her into a tight embrace. "But I love you."

Rukia's eyes widened at the words as well as the pain in his voice as he confessed. It was a well known fact that Ichigo Kurosaki never talked about love.

"I don't know what to do." He whispered, clutching the girl close and closing his eyes. "For once I have absolutely no idea."

Rukia breathed out in a sigh of regret, leaning back and brushing Ichigo's hair from his forehead, smoothing it back gently. "You really are an idiot." She frowned, meeting his eyes with her own, sadness reflected between them in the half light of the candles.

"If I'd figured it out before..." Ichigo swallowed. "Would we have been together?"

Rukia looked away. "Probably." She admitted. "But there's no point-!"

She was stopped with a searing kiss.

Okay guys, you know the drill! Let's get... another 5 reviews? and do you think the first lemon of this story should be next chapter? Or do you want to put it off for a bit?

Love Kiki