I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.

...

It took hours to figure out what would be done with the boy; to which, Ichigo insisted that the two stick around until the process was through. The young child's identity was discovered among the Missing Persons reports. Eventually it was the boy, his name Shiro, that dismissed Ichigo. He thanked the pair for their protection and at word that his mother had been contacted, felt he was in good hands. On their way home, the two did not share words. Ichigo, for the first time in awhile, was clear of any thought or doubt. For a moment, it seemed crystal clear. Rukia's mind, on the other hand, swirled about thoughts and feelings. Most regarding Ichigo. She was entranced by his aura, overwhelmed by its magnitude. His attitude and outlook shook her core. Everything she was trained to believe, trained to feel, gone in an instant. A past memory of a past life. This boy, no, this man made her question her fundamentals. What is his strength, will also be his biggest weakness. His attitude, his way of careless thinking, pushed aside tradition and rule. It frightened her slightly. His rebelliousness could ignite her own.

No. I must stick to my way as a Shinigami. He is just a normal college student. He does not and should not have any bearing on me and my duties. We are just from two different worlds. She internally voices, mind bent on memories of him. Their first encounter, his training, defeating his first Hollow on his own. How does this young man have so much power?

When they arrive to the Kurosaki residence, Rukia's body begs for the opportunity to shower. She can't help but feel this incessant need to scrub her body clean. He agrees to be her cover, excusing himself from dinner to shower first.

"Is it just me or does Ichi-nii seem to come home a lot dirtier than usual?" Yuzu sighs as she places bowls of Yakisoba in front of her sister and father as they sit patiently at the dinner table.

"It's not just you, Yuzu." Karin states, matter of factly. "He's coming home drenched in sweat, covered in cuts and bruises, looking much more tired."

Isshin remains quiet, feasting on his Yakisoba.

"Aren't you going to say something or worry?" Karin looks to Isshin who appears more preoccupied in his food than in their conversation. "You know, like a real father?"

"Ichigo is a grown man. What can a father do other than wait for his children to come to him?" He slurps up a noodle.

"Oh, now he's a grown boy." Karin rolls her eyes.

"Do you think he's seeing somebody?" Interrupts Yuzu, brows drawn close together.

Karin dryly shrugs. "Beats me."

Rukia rests her head against the tile wall of the shower as hot water cascades down her naked body. What have you gotten yourself into? She closes her eyes and tries to focus instead on each spec of water drenching her skin. She can't help but drown herself in her anxieties. As each day passes, she feels herself getting closer and closer to being discovered by the Soul Society. She's been gone for quite some time. Rukia traces the wound at her abdomen. It no longer stings but aches every so often. Of course she doesn't verbalize her discomfort nor pain, but dismisses it as weakness.

Get yourself together. You are Kuchiki Rukia of the Kuchiki Clan. You believe in law and order. You are a Shinigami.

Why couldn't you just be plain Rukia?

She ignores the voice inside of her screaming, screaming to be true to herself. She gets out the shower, wraps herself in a towel, and stares at the woman looking back at her in the mirror. She proceeds to put on her mask and heads for Ichigo's room. She changes in his closet, dressing herself in another one of Yuzu's pajama sets. Rukia, now nestled in Ichigo's closet, stayed staring blankly into the ceiling. A knock at her door tears her away from her meditation. She opens it to face Ichigo.

"I brought up dinner. Figured you were hungry." He sets the bowl of Yakisoba in front of her.

Rukia peers at her bowl then back at Ichigo. "Thank you."

Ichigo nods and turns his back to her, tearing off his shirt in exchange for another. Rukia eyes the bruising to his back and scowls, turning her attention back to her food.

"Rukia." Her eyes rise to meet his. He does not rotate to meet hers, but remains positioned away from her. "Have you always wanted to be a Shinigami?"

"What's with the personal question?" She smartly replies, a noodle clung to her lower lip.

"Fine. Then don't reply." Hisses Ichigo as he settles himself into his bed. He positions himself on his side, facing an empty wall.

Silence ensues for the passing minutes before Rukia finally clears her throat. "Yes." She peeps. And no. "There was no other alternative other than to die on the streets."

Ichigo peaks at her over his shoulder, ears perked by her words. "What do you mean?"

"Where I was from, we looked up to Shinigami and the Soul Society." Her eyes fall to the meal in her hands. "They were our best hope for a future."

Ichigo twirls his body to watch her. "Were they renowned where you're from? Because I've never heard of them here in Karakura Town until I met you."

"I wouldn't go so far to say 'renowned'." Rukia presses her lips together tightly. "But yes, they were known. The Soul Society's main base, the Seireitei, rested aside my homeland. Not many are aware of its whereabouts and people wouldn't dare expose their location. And what of you, Ichigo, did you always want to be a college student, studying literature?" This time it was her turn to watch him.

Ichigo shifted to lay on his back and rested his head against his folded arms. "No." He states simply.

"Then why do it?"

His eyes meet hers. "What other choice do I have?" They then regress to the ceiling. "I excelled in literature in high school and thought to myself it'd be easy enough.

Rukia sets her empty bowl down and lays on her stomach, still facing Ichigo. "Do you at least like it?"

"At first I did but the farther I got along, no. There's only so much truth one young person can take."

Rukia rests her head against her hand, drawn in by his statement. "Elaborate."

"Literature is about reality. Reality of beauty, love, life, and death. I used to think it all romantic until I found myself questioning everything I thought I knew."

"What's the reality of beauty and love?" She could say that she had an inkling of suspicion of what literature felt about life and death. Rukia believed it mirrored much of her own thought and interpretation of life and death. Both were part of a necessary cycle. Death could bring on new life in its stead. Death did not mean the end. Death, unbeknownst to them, could be a whole new adventure in itself. And life? Life is precious yet can be cruel and sometimes undeserving. It is a gift, given to all regardless of race, sex, orientation or appearance. But to survive did not mean to live. Rukia was no stranger to both. In fact, her life revolved around the cycle, to much more extent than most could claim. She felt the impact of both heavily.

"Beauty is relative. What I might find beauty in may differ from what you may find it in. It's a loose word that can account for so many things. And beauty can be deceitful, can be evil. Beauty is not pure. The same can be said about love. Love can be bought, can be taken away, can disappear with age."

"Sounds like you don't believe in love."

"In some aspects, I do. But I believe more in bonds than in love."

"But bonds share love, dummy." Ichigo glimpses over to catch Rukia's smirk. "That's what makes them so special."

Ichigo leers. "I guess you're right."

"And I think true love is something that cannot be taken away from you no matter what. No matter if they anger you or if they hurt you. Real love will stick it through."

Though their conversation pacifies Rukia to sleep, it leaves Ichigo in deep thought. Hearing her speak of her past got Ichigo a glance into the Rukia behind the facade. He never asked her anything personal in respect for her privacy but as each day flew by, and the pair spent more and more time together, it got Ichigo wondering. To understate it, she intrigued him. He had very few female companions to compare her to, but to the ones he did have she was quite the contrast. She had a bit of Tatsuki's tenacity and a hint of Orihime's girlishness. The rest remained a mystery other than her profound beauty. Yes, he said beauty. He found beauty in her, both inside and out. Her philosophy on life, on training, and her job were ideal to a fault. She believed in order and justice in a world of absolute chaos and lawlessness. He thought of her as a dreamer, much like himself. In many ways, he assumed Rukia reminded him of himself. She carried all this weight from expectations and a battered past which she closeted inside of herself.

"There was no other alternative other than to die on the streets."

"They were our best hope for a future"

Her words echoed in his head. They left him with more questions than answers.

Rukia woke to the sound of soft knocking at her door. She opens the closet door to see Ichigo, once more.

"Ichigo," She rubs her eyes and looks to her phone. "What are you doing up so early?"

"Well, I wanted to beat you at waking me up."

"You win." Yawns Rukia. Her eyelids begin to droop and her eyesight grows hazy.

Ichigo gently shakes her by her shoulders. "It's Friday, no classes. I know you said no training yesterday, but it didn't quite plan out like we wanted. So why don't we take a real break today?"

"A real break?"

"Yeah, today we are going to do something different, not work nor school related."

"Huh?" Rukia crinkles her nose and scratches her head, inadvertently adding on to her massive case of bedhead.

"Let's face it. Kuchiki Rukia, you are a relentless workaholic."

She throws her nose in the air. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"You shouldn't." Ichigo asserts, dryly. "Anyways, what do you say about going to that small ramen shop off block 6 and 10?"

"The what?"

"Rukia, are you even familiar with Karakura Town?"

"Other than the places that I've been with you? Nope. I wasn't the original Shinigami assigned to this area, some fro-headed guy was."

Ichigo grimaces. "What do you mean assigned to this area? Like there's a Shinigami per city or what?"

"Duh!" Rukia's hands fly, almost hitting Ichigo in the cheek. "Remember when I said that crime or anything involving Hollows is out of police and government jurisdiction? So that means, it's up to the Soul Society and its Shinigami to handle them. Because of that, the Soul Society stations various Shinigami throughout Japan, from small towns to big cities. Basically policing and patrolling them."

"What happened to the fro-headed guy then?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I highly doubt they pulled him in favor for me. Remember, I was just supposed to be here for that specific Hollow that you first killed. It's possible, of course, for their to be several Shinigami assigned for one place. Maybe he's still around."

"Obviously not doing his job if we are the ones answering these damn Hollow is all beside the point! What do you say Rukia about my offer?"

"I say sure, why not? But why do we have to be up so early to go there?"

"We didn't have to be up early for that. It was about the principle about you always waking up way earlier than me and getting me up. I thought to mix up the routine."

Rukia rolls her eyes and collapse onto her pillow to bellow. "Why must you torture me Kurosaki Ichigo for a point?" She growls when she's done yelling out obscenities.

Ichigo is thoroughly appeased when Rukia gobbles up her ramen. He wished he had recorded her reaction at her first bite. Her eyes gleamed and all kinds of odd moans and groans escaped out of her mouth. As he surveyed her image, he noted that she had another one of Yuzu's sundresses on.

"Do have any other clothing that is not my sister's?"

Rukia looks up from her bowl, cheeks full of ramen noodles. "No, not really." Her voice muffled by her mouthful.

He rests his head against his hand and sighs. "I know where to go next."

…

Rukia gasps, gaping at the large building. "The mall!?"

"Sure. I think it time we get you some clothes of your own. It seems more and more of Yuzu's apparel is missing each day and she will not stop hounding me about it... Oddly enough."

Her cheeks flush lightly. "I… I don't have much money on me to buy stuff here." She glances to the floor, her bang shading her eyes.

"Who says you have to worry about money?"

Rukia whips her head up to peer at Ichigo. He continues to look forward towards the entrance of the mall, his face devoid of any visible emotion.

"Doesn't mean go crazy and go to the most expensive store." Ichigo walks to the entrance and holds out the front door for her to enter. "I only got so much saved up."

"Who says I want your charity?" She looks aside and crosses her arms out in front of her, trying to mask her elated feelings.

Ichigo leaves the door to grab Rukia by her wrist and pull her through the door. "Who says it's charity?" He barks. Once they're through the front entrance, Ichigo pushes Rukia in front of him. "Now, hurry up and pick a place! You think I really want to be here all day?"

As the duo stroll about, debating (more like fighting) about which stores to attend, and perusing through different shops, familiar eyes prey on them.

"Is that… Ichigo?" Mizuiro squints his eyes to get a better look but he can't mistaken that vibrant orange fuzz.

"Ichigo? Where?" Hypes Keigo, tipping over his toes to get a better look over the crowds of people.

"Ichigo? At a mall?" Adds a muscular woman with ebony spikes, dressed in a jogger suit. Her dark brown eyes fixate on his lean built and eccentric locks. "Yeah, that's Ichigo alright."

"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime jumps from her seat to join the trio as they watch over him intently. "Well, Kurosaki-kun needs new clothes like the rest of us, Tatsuki-chan!" She laughs nervously.

"You're right Tatsuki, Ichigo rarely ever comes to the mall, if ever. Who's that with him?"

Keigo mouth ajars. "Is that a girl!? Who is she, she's so pretty!"

"That's…" Orihime begins, rubbing her eyes from her disbelief.

"That's the new transfer student." Interrupts Chad, slurping on a smoothie he bought from the food court.

"New transfer student?" Mizuiro, Tatsuki, and Keigo chorus in unison.

"I didn't know she went to school with Kurosaki-kun." Peeps Orihime, pressing her two index fingers against each other.

"When we offer to hang out with him, the lughead says no but I bet when this new transfer student asked him, he was mister eager." Tatsuki crosses her arms, glaring at him.

Keigo gawks at the petite girl at Ichigo's side. "I wonder her name. I've never seen her at school before."

"Her name is Kuchiki Rukia."

The group look to Orihime but she remains still, dawdling with her fingers.

Tatsuki's face softens as she glances at her best friend. She could read that expression anytime. Orihime looked hurt. "How do you know, Hime?"

"Kurosaki-kun introduced me to her." I thought they were just friends.

"I say we confront him!" Eggs Keigo, slamming his fist against the table the five had perched themselves on.

"Let them be." Chad commands dryly before grabbing his drink and turning to walk to a nearby store.

"Chad, wait up!" Cry the rest, chasing after him.

Ichigo slaps his forehead and groans loudly, dragging along five loaded bags. "I think I've done my shopping for the year!"

"Calm down, we weren't even there that long!" Sasses Rukia as she swings around a *small bag in her hands.

"5 hours is that long!" Ichigo whimpers, regretting his decision to go to the mall.

"Oh cry, cry little baby." She mocks a baby crying. He sticks out his tongue to her as retaliation. "Hey Ichigo," She drops her playfulness for solemnity. "Thank you."

He peeks at her from the corner of his eyes. Rukia stays forward, missing his glance. He returns his eyes back to looking forward as well. "Don't mention it." He replies, softly. "I'll go ahead of you and cause a diversion back home so you can sneak in." Ichigo speeds past her, leaving her with a smile.

As she walks the remainder of the path alone, her mind drifts away as it has been doing as of lately. Once again, her mind dwells mostly on Ichigo. She contemplates on his kindness and generous hospitality. At the end of all this, will I be able to repay him? Or will I forever be in his debt? The more and more she considered the latter part of her question, the more she believed she would be. He has done so much for over the course of the three weeks in which she had been in his company. He opened her eyes to things, feelings, beliefs that she had never dared to sway on. He sacrificed his life so that he could assume her duty as well as at the same time, allow her to stay on the case and thoroughly investigate. Ichigo had offered himself to her, to teach him, to guide him, to train him. She had no doubt, he had some personal gain to this sacrifice yet, simultaneously, he was sacrificing his life as a normal young man. He endangered himself and those that he cherished by his desire to protect them.

"He's a nobel one." Rukia sighs, gazing up at the sky, dipped in an array of hues of pink, purple and red with splashes of orange. She felt something for him. No matter how tough she was on herself about it, no matter how much she denied it, she knew it to be true. She cared for him.

A friend.

God, it had been so long since she called someone that.

Rukia shakes her head and her eyes follow the pavement. "Friends and feelings are all too troublesome." She repeats to herself. Though her heart wanted the better of her, her reasoning superseded. He couldn't be her friend. Technically her mission ended with that original Hollow and she was to return to the Soul Society for further instruction. There was no guarantee she'd be back in Karakura Town; hell, she wasn't even stationed there to begin with. Intel, that's it. Befriending Ichigo meant setting roots. Rukia supposed that after her return to the Soul Society, she'd be shipped off elsewhere, never to see Ichigo again.

A dull ache pained Rukia's chest suddenly.

She wasn't allowed to keep in contact with Ichigo because he isn't even supposed to know about the Society in the first place. It was against SS law. She knew she'd have to pay for her transgression eventually, but it was the last thing on her mind.

Ichigo… Rukia's eyes droop as she looks once more towards the sun. You cannot be my friend.

"Ichigo!" Calls out Rukia as she pulls back the closet door, dressed in her new pajamas that Ichigo had bought her. She shows him the message plastered on her phone:

HOLLOW ENGAGING

Rukia takes back her phone and scrutinizes the location of the Hollow. "Hey, where did you say that Inoue girl lived again?"

Ichigo snatches the phone from her grasp and hurriedly reads the address, before grabbing his jacket and running out of his room. Rukia tosses on a backpack, jumps out the room's window and runs after him, arming herself with two pistols and a blade.