Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Pairings: Ichigo/Rukia…the others…not telling…P

Raitings: T for language

Genre: Romance/General

Summary: a letter, a misunderstanding, an argument, a little fluff and Chaos ensues.

Chapter 3

Reckless insolence

A thought that tugged her chest, uncertainty creeping within her. There were vague things that floated in the vast awareness of her mind and a thousand more beating with her heart. For now, she would force them all to lay still, she had an obligation to fulfill and distractions would only kill her in the face of an enemy.

They ran in break neck speed, wearing their black shinigami uniforms that served as their identity. "we'll take a left turn on the next street, the hollow's there." Rukia stated as she continued to dash in impressive agility.

"ah…" Ichigo only replied, his pace was quick as well. The scowl on his face did not fade. A few more minutes and they arrived in their destination.

"yoroshiku death gods! are you here to become by supper?" A huge hollow greeted them with a deafening screech. It was as hideous as all the others, with a bone white mask, glowing yellow eyes, claws, and two tongues that darted out like snakes.

"ugly…" Rukia's eyebrow twitched in disgust while her hands still covered her ears. Somehow their duty made them forget the conflict they were having in the past days.

"With a century of slaying these things, aren't you already used to their sickening faces?" Ichigo drew out his Zangetsu, pointing it to the hollow. They had no time for weaklings.

"I'll never get used to it." Rukia answered and unsheathed her sword as well.

"let's finish this quickly." The carrot-top death god said, readying for a swift attack, after this he was planning to still be angry with her.

"ah…" Rukia nodded in agreement and took an offensive stance.

"I'll go for the right and you go for the left." Ichigo's grip on Zangetsu tightened as his glance sharpened.

"fine.." Rukia could careless that Ichigo was commanding her, she did not opt to argue with him now, she only wanted to finish this as much as he did.

"ready…" the boy started, "go!" with his yell they both leaped to assault, swords held firmly in their hands.

The hollow gave another shattering screech that they could barely withstand, the structures surrounding them crumbled as the sound waves collided.

Even if their eardrums exploded this very second Ichigo and Rukia would still drive their swords in that hollow.

In fluid synchronization, they sliced its arms off as if effortlessly. They landed gracefully on the ground.

"a weak one…tsk." Ichigo smirked and turned to Rukia beside him.

"we're not done yet, it's still standing." She replied coldly. In the battle field she was always stoic and only Ichigo could often see both sides of her.

"you're right, just stay there and I'll finish it." he stepped forward, now standing in front of the raven-haired shinigami with his sword hanging on his shoulder.

"do what you wish, but I don't want you to get the idea that I'm incompetent." She said and slid her sword back to its sheath with a soft hiss of Shirayuki's blade.

"if you say so…" he sneered and somehow his reply had a different meaning. Rukia could only glare at him. Ichigo eyed the hollow and swiftly dove to slice it horizontally in half.

It gave a pained shriek before falling to the ground. "that was easy." He turned his back at his enemy and looked at Rukia with a confident grin. Rukia would admit, he had strength to boast for and skills brag about but she would never admit that out loud, simply because stuffing more air in his head would probably take up even the space of his brain.

Rukia was about to suggest going home already when her eyes widened, reflecting an ominous specter. "you shouldn't underestimate your opponent nor turn your back!" came a coarse voice, the hollow's tongue darted to pierce Ichigo's back and since he wasn't facing it, he would have no way to defend himself or even dodge. Within a split of a second, Rukia made up her mind.

His recklessness would kill them both, "Ichigo…move!" she pushed him out of the way an instead was slashed by the sharp tongue. She was sent reeling to the ground while holding to the tongue still penetrating her left shoulder. Despite of the absence of its two arms and lower half, it was still adamant.

"Rukia!" Ichigo sliced the tongue off her and the hollow withdrew what was left of it wriggling the other that was still in one piece.

He knelt down to her, deep red trickling from her shoulder, to her arm and landing on the floor. "baka! You shouldn't have caught that blow!" the boy shouted at her furiously. He had sworn to protect her and now here she was getting injured for his sake! All his anger on her for the past days was overlooked and was only replaced by frantic worry.

She winced while holding the deep gash, a pool of blood already forming below her. "that…that could've caused you a s-severe wound, you're ba...ck was turned…it was a fatal position." She tried to explain but he did not heed her, he was too engrossed on worrying and being angry at the same time.

"Ichigo…you're hurting me…" She clutched his arm that held her firmly, reminding him of the fragile condition she was in. she feared herself to break.

"Bastard, I thought it was dead." He glared at the monstrosity, "you're still an idiot." He told the injured girl, loosening his hold after noticing her discomfort.

"just shut up…" she hissed at him. "This is the thanks I get for saving an ingrate fool." She whispered to herself but knew he could hear her clearly.

"I'll induce him to a pile of junk." He broke away from Rukia and stood once more but before he could lift his sword to strike, the hollow was pummeled to a pulp. It disintegrated right in front of them and the two could not help but wonder if it self-destructed or what.

"Nani…?" Ichigo spat out. This reiatsu was familiar.

"You should know well enough to never let your guard down, Ichigo." He was soon answered, "tsk, how many times do I have to tell you to protect her?" a familiar cocky voice said.

"Renji…" Rukia tried to stand but failed, Ichigo assisted her with one arm around her shoulders and she leaned on him for support.

The crimson haired shinigami motioned to them with a toothy grin, "do you want me to obliterate you as well, eh Ichigo?" he asked. "you could've finished that small fry in one swing."

"what do you want?" Ichigo chided, his hold on Rukia tightened and the other on Zangetsu as well, if Renji was here to take Rukia back then he wont lay around and do nothing.

"I'm here by the orders of my captain, he wanted to know if Rukia's doing fine." Renji informed then smirked, somehow the two were relieved, but with his next words, it was too early to be at ease. "with what I'm seeing now, it looks like we made the wrong choice to leave Rukia in your care."

"Renji, I'm fine, it's just a scratch." Rukia assured and struggled not to wince.

His eyebrows furrowed, his eyes searching her intently, "a scratch? If it hit you even just an inch deeper you'd be dead." His voice was stern and frigid but it was only so because he cared.

"well it didn't." she knew the severity that could've been inflicted to her but she was a fighter and wounds were the least things to fret.

Renji wasn't convinced of her the slightest bit but could only sigh, she was Rukia after all. The stubbornness in her when they were kids never vanished; only, it grew worse than he could imagine.

"let's have that fixed." Ichigo abruptly scooped her up in his arms and she struggled to get down. They were finally getting in good terms, somehow.

"I can still walk, you know." She detested and fidgeted uneasy of their position.

"yeah right, you cant even stand, you lost some blood so stay still or I'll drop you." He bit back at her and she stopped squirming, to his relief.

She only grunted at him then pouted.

"oi, aren't you coming?" Ichigo glanced back at Renji.

"ah.."

It looks like they won't be able to go back to school today.

……………………

"there is an unknown spiritual pressure building up between the line that connects the human world and soul society. This force is continuously impeding the balance of worlds. It can create multiple numbers of portals in just one heart beat and judging by its potency it can open the gates of hell permanently, releasing all the souls of the damned and sucking in the souls of the living in exchange." The captain of the 13th division reported while facing a screen that had perplexing data projected on it. He coughed a few times before regaining composure.

"I see…" General Yamamoto stroke his lengthy beard. "It seems to me that our hiatus is short-lived. Bring word to every captain of gotei13, a meeting on the first full moon of fall." He ordered decisively. "but see to it that the substitute and his friends will know none of it, even Kuchiki Rukia. It's too early to flag a distress call."

"Understood."

Rukia was now silently sleeping in Ichigo's bed; he had finished cleaning and wrapping the wound. He sighed wearily while sitting before his desk. "It would still hurt when she wakes up but not as badly as before..."

Renji stood in front of him, "why didn't you just kill that hollow in one strike?" he asked, seriousness evident in his tone. A heavy atmosphere filled the room. "you could have finished the job easily with out endangering her."

Ichigo gazed keenly at the sleeping girl. "I don't want her to feel she's useless." He replied in a calm voice judging by the scene on his window, it was almost sunset. "I couldn't just fight all the battles myself, she is my nakama."

Renji could understand how he felt, Rukia had a lot of pride in her and crushing it would mean crushing her confidence as well. "but if you continue to do this she'll only get hurt." He reasoned, "we are both aware of the fact that if her wound was deeper she'd be…" he didn't finish his sentence.

"I know…" Ichigo admitted, hands curling to fists. "I was too reckless...it wont happen again."

"make sure of that or we will take her away." Renji stressed, he respected Rukia's decision to stay in the human world, he also respected Ichigo's skills but if it were regarding her safety, he would bring her back even if he had to drag her all the way to Soul Society, and he also knew he wouldn't live through it if Byakuya finds out. He would probably dice him and Ichigo if anything happens to Rukia.

"Ah…slice me in half if I fail to protect her." he said, he wasn't joking at all. He and Rukia had their little clash but he was willing to put it behind them now. After what she just did, maybe he could just forget about his anger.

"don't worry, I will. So don't ever disregard her coz if I don't succeed on killing you, taichou will haunt you down." Renji smirked. "Zenbon Sakura would be rejoicing if that happens." He added mockingly. The heavy air in the room lightened.

"yeah and he'll probably slaughter you with me." He almost laughed at the thought of it. "who would've knew that midget would be the death of two powerful shinigamis." Though they were rivals in strength, they had both built respect for each other's abilities. After all, they both strive to protect the same person.

"take care of Rukia or we'll end up in a ditch." He sat on the edge of the bed, he wished he could hold her right now but he couldn't. He cared for her greatly and it pained him to not be the one protecting her, but he understood nevertheless.

Ichigo nodded and they were enveloped in a few moments of silence before he broke it, "hey, did you give Rukia a letter?" He randomly asked in a whisper, almost hesitantly.

"what?" Renji croaked, he didn't get quite well where this was leading.

"a letter...did you give her a letter?" he repeated, he wasn't sure what his initial reaction would be if Renji said yes. Rage? Shock? Horror?

"ano..." he started and Ichigo was getting anxious in some way. "I don't remember giving her one, so…

No?" he scratched his head while thinking, "why?"

The orange-haired boy exhaled heavily in utter relief, "forget about it." he said dismissively.

He could careless on what the carrot top was thinking, "Yare-yare, I have to go." Renji stood and motioned to the window, before he jumped he grinned at Ichigo, "I'll drop by again sometime. Ja ne!" He said and he was gone.

Ichigo shifted his gaze back to Rukia, "you're troublesome, you know that?" he sighed yet again.

…………………………..

Notes: so there, Chapter 3…kinda short though, but oh well. I hope you liked it. I put Japanese terms so it gets the "bleach atmosphere". Hehe… in this chap. Ichigo and Rukia disregarded their personal turmoil because of duty and besides, if they keep on fighting in the battlefield, I think they'll end up getting killed, don't you think? So, they are already speaking to each other. Yippee! But who gave the letter? It wasn't Ichigo or Renji? What's inside it? hmm. Read on my dears and find out.)

Japanese terms

Ano- something like 'umm...'

Nakama- something like 'comrade'

Yoroshiku- it's some kind of greeting. Did I spell it correct?

Ah- 'yeah'

Ja ne- 'see yah'

Yare-yare- it's some kind of expression like 'oh well' or something. I cant explain it clearly but I think it's something like that.

Feel free to correct me if I got anything wrong…Thank you for dropping by! Reviews are very much welcomed!

Love,

Amerie