Chapter: Super Bowl Knockout

Shalan's Say: Hm… this is going to be a fun chapter… read on my gallant friends…

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Uryu drummed his fingers on the couch arm, running his other hand through his spiky black hair impatiently. "C'mon… where are you guys…" Uryu sighed again and looked up at the clock. His fitted Armani pinstripe button front vest was pulled over a crisp white shirt which was tucked into his matching Armani editor's pants, he pursed his lips and looked around the room, cracking his neck. His contacts shifted slightly and he grumbled again. "Why me? Why is it always me?" He looked out the window at the grey, wet day. As rain poured down in Kansas City people ran from street corner shop to street corner shop, attempting to keep their business suits dry.

"When you've got it… flaunt it…" he heard a voice from the hallway as the door opened. He stared as Kazumi backed into the room, her pencil skirt pasted to her rear. "Shout it out loud…" she crooned and giggled as she shut the door. "Oops…" she stared at him and he stared at her, then looked away. "Oh I didn't know anyone was here yet…" she blushed, then the color went away, he didn't care… gay men never did.

"Yeah…" he smiled half heartedly, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Her silk blouse was soaked, the white clinging to her coke bottle frame. He sucked on his teeth for a moment as she walked over to the closet in the corner of the room.

"You don't mind if I change… do you?" She tilted her head as she dropped her skirt and blouse with a slap on the hardwood. He swallowed, sometimes he loved it when girls thought he was gay. He crossed his legs, scratching at the back of his head with his finger then looked away as she stripped everything else down. "Sorry…" he looked up a few seconds later. There she was… in all of her should-have-been-a-supermodel glory. The white Brazilian cut lace clung to her hips like a second skin and he prayed to the god of Victoria's Secret for the sight before him. Her white lace demi bra seemed only to him, a second sight by any means… as if she needed anything to push her breasts… well never mind.

"It's not a problem…" He looked back down as she pulled on her jeans. Thank god for Brazilian waxes… was his only thought as she zipped up the hip huggers.

"Listen… I know this is uncomfortable for you… I mean… it's probably new for you huh?" She smiled softly and he nodded.

"Soft of… Rukia walks around her house without pants on… she's just not quite as…" he coughed. "Impressive as you are…" he smiled sarcastically.

"Hehehe you don't have to be like that…" she smiled and pulled on a long sleeved shirt. "Hey can you help me?" He stood up and gingerly gripped the seam of her top and pulled it down with a yank… why was it so different with her? With Rukia he could pull a silk Versace dress down from her chest and not care… with her it was different… maybe it was because he had been taking care of Rukia for years. "Too bad really…" she muttered and he looked at her as she pulled a t-shirt over it.

"What is?" He stared at the piece of cake on her chest… beneath it were the words, in big calligraphy letters, 'Let Them Eat Cake'.

"That… you… you know…" she tilted an eyebrow and he nodded quickly looking into her eyes. He had always noticed her eyes… the beautiful pristine ice blue… like the coldest ice in Antarctica with a warmth deep within… they were kind but sharp… able to pick up every little detail of a situation… unfortunately… she thought he was gay… for some strange reason he almost wanted to correct her… however…

"Kazumi I'm no…" he turned his head as the door opened and Rukia walked in, soaked to the bone. Ichigo, followed immediately after, also dripping wet.

"OH dear god!" Kazumi bustled over and immediately threw a towel over the both of them.

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"They're together?" She stared at the screen. "What?" She shrieked. "THEY CAN'T BE TOGETHER!" She threw her hands down… "Ruki what have you done?" She looked at the pictures of Rukia on her walls… they were covered with them. "We'll have no one to talk about…" she pulled a picture of Ichigo off the wall and looked at it. "Ichi… you're ruining my plan… and my life…" she picked up her cell phone… "I guess we'll have to take care of that…" she grinned, dialing a number.

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"Rukia's going to be at your football game tonight… don't forget about that…" Kazumi told Ichigo as she drove him to practice.

"Yeah…" he looked out the window.

"You two sure are cute together…"

"Did you walk to the office?" Ichigo looked over at her.

"Yep."

"Was Uryu there?"

"Yep. He was really nice about it… I was all wet and I had to change… so he let me…"

"You did what?" Ichigo turned to look at her and she looked back at him.

"I changed my clothes…"

"In front of him?"

"yeah… I mean it's not a problem…"

"He's not gay." A pregnant pause followed as Kazumi stared out the windshield. He stared at her in return, torn between laughing at her and whipping out his cell phone to call Uryu.

"Oh…" A car sped past them as she continued to stare down I29.

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Rukia chuckled as she sat in a seat near the sideline. Ichigo ran off the field and onto the side and was immediately handed a water bottle as he jogged over to where she was sitting. "How's the game?" She leaned over and he stepped onto a chair to talk to her.

"Good… how are you?"

"Wet…" she chuckled. Was it acting? She felt a giddy girlish giggle erupt when he joked… he smiled, his eyebrows leaving their usual place to rise up on her forehead.

"I can see that…" he reached up and pushed her bangs back from her face.

"Don't kiss me… you're all sweaty…" she told him. It was acting… wasn't it? Why did she say that… it wasn't like he was going to anyways.

"Just because you said that…" he kissed her, a wet, hot, open mouthed kiss that sent tingles down her spine. He attempted to pull away but her fingers gripped the side of his face. "I'm going to get in trouble… I should be watching the game… plus I'm not allowed to talk to anyone on the sidelines…" His heart had stopped then started again, going a hundred miles per hour in his chest. He swallowed as he looked into her eyes.

"Go then…" she smiled. He nodded and turned, jumping off the chair. She watched him go back over and talk to Larry Johnson. Why had she done that? It was just acting wasn't it? She was just acting out the things they were supposed to do.

"Yeah… I'm sorry about that… you just gotta get open…" Ichigo laughed then turned to look over his shoulder at her. She leaned forward and met his gaze. He swallowed and looked down, a spot in the mud that looked particularly interesting… he smiled… then frowned, he had to focus on the game.

Rukia chewed on her fingernails as they lined up and faced off. She watched Ichigo's mouth move… then watched the snap. That was when it happened…

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"So you're not gay…" Uryu sighed as she asked again. Up in the box the two sat side by side, watching Ichigo play.

"Nope…" he looked over then his eyes nearly popped out of his face as she gripped his face with her hand and kissed him, turning her body towards him. "What in the hell?" He stared at her when she turned back to watch the game.

"Sorry… Just wanted to see if you were lying…" Kazumi smiled then she jumped up. "WHAT?"

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Rukia nearly jumped over the rail as Ichigo took a hit so hard it clothes lined him, his feet went out from underneath him and his upper body kept moving. He slammed into the mud head first, his body hitting the ground just following, then the view was blocked as the entire scrimmage piled on top of the two players. Rukia covered her mouth with her hands and Kazumi turned, whipping down the stairs with Uryu followed after.

The teams cleared and Renji offered his hand to Ichigo who didn't move. That was when the medics rushed onto the field… everything was a blur after that. The late hit was called, the player suspended from the game by his coach… Rukia jumped over the rails and was immediately stopped by her brother.

"Rukia!" He grabbed her by the waist as Ichigo was lifted onto the back of the grounds truck and driven off the field. "Just wait…" he told her but she jerked out of his grasp and sprinted down the sideline to where they had taken Ichigo.

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"It doesn't look serious but we'll know better when he wakes up…" The doctors spoke to Kazumi outside the hospital room. Rukia sat inside of the icy cold air, shivering in her soaking wet clothes.

"C'mon Rukia…" Kazumi motioned to her and Uryu nodded.

"No…" she protested. "I'm not going anywhere…he may be a jerk… but he was looking at me before he got hit… I'm responsible… I shouldn't have gone to the game…" tears dripped down her face. She had ruined his career… just like she had sworn.

"Fine, whatever…" Kazumi waved her hand and walked off with Uryu.

Several hours later Rukia curled up in a ball next to his bed, still shivering from the still damp clothes she wore. "Miss Kuchiki?" She looked up at the nurse. "Here…" She wrapped a warm blanket around Rukia's shivering form. "That'll keep you warm…"

"Thank you…" Rukia smiled.

"It might be the wrong time but I was… my daughter is a big fan of your CD…" Rukia smiled, she loved it when little girls listened to her music. "I was wondering if you would sign it for her… it would be a really good late Christmas present for her…" Rukia nodded and signed the CD case.

"I wish I wouldn't have gone to the game…" Rukia whispered as the nurse left. He looked over at her, his ocher eyes glinting through his facemask. For a moment amber met cerulean and she smiled. That was when he got hit… it had been her fault… she had distracted him… now he wasn't going to be able to play.

"Don't blame yourself…" she looked up. His ocher eyes were open, watching her with an understanding look. "I just got knocked out… that happens sometimes…" he smiled and she stood up, walking over to him. "You never changed?" he looked at her clothes.

"I never went back to your house to do it…" She whispered and he smiled again.

"How bad is it?"

"The doctors say that they won't know until you wake up… how do you feel?"

"I feel fine… a little sore in the neck maybe…" he chuckled and she smiled again. "Did we win?"

"On the heels of your collapse…" her eyes softened as he placed a hand on the side of her face.

"That's good… so we're in the Super Bowl?" He smiled and she nodded.

"We're in the Super Bowl…"

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"WHAT?" She shrieked and threw her cell phone into the toilet. "NO NO NO NO NO!" She screamed and dropped onto the floor. "NO! N. O. NO!" She gripped her head. "Ruki isn't supposed to go to the hospital with him… NO! Ruki is supposed to go home… it won't work… NOOOO!" She shook her head in apparent pain.

She then sat up. "I can use this…" she flew over to her computer and began to type. "I can use this…" she grinned. "Rukia Kuchiki plans Boyfriend's Near Fatal Hit…" she grinned as her fingers sped across her lap top.

"We're still going to be best of friend Ruki… just have to get rid of Ichi first…" She smiled.

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OH MY GOD! I HAVE UPDATED ONCE A DAY FOR NEAR A WEEK OMG OMG OMG OMG! WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME!? Keep the reviews coming or I'll stop… the more reviews I get the better the story gets… and the more often I post…

Shalan