It was hot. That much you could tell without opening your eyes. There was also a constant dripping sound. Each drip was followed with undeniable sizzling. There was hardly any space between the sounds and the constant, unbroken chain of echoes was a maddening rhythm.

Rukia's eyes fluttered open. There was steam rising into the air above her from red, hot glowing rocks but she couldn't feel the threat of the heat. It was like if she was present but not actually there; like a rare dream where you can actually feel. The air seemed to be waving with heat near the unhealthy yellow coloured walls of the cave.

She slowly sat up before staring wide-eyed at the scene before her. There was just so much…blood. As the blood sprayed from its owner's body, it landed on the walls and started to bubble from the heat. Blood splashed from one body and went right through her, landing as a bubble on the wall behind her.

There were those monsters again; those from her first dream. They seemed to be fighting, or more like slaughtering a group of people. They were desperately trying to hold of the beasts with their weapons but they were just too strong. Some of the people summoned strange magic through their blades but it was only strong enough to kill a few weaklings from the heard of monsters. Finally, the last head hit the ground announcing the monsters as the victors.

They didn't seem satisfied with just being victorious though. They began searching the area, looking for anything strange or out of place. Their eyes darted about the area and they snorted steam through their nostrils. Rukia's back hit the wall in an attempt to stay as far away from those creatures as possible and to her surprise, she fell right through it.

"Ugh!" she groaned as her head hit the ground. She slowly sat up and rubbed the sore area. Steam rose from the ground even more here than at her previous location. Through the steam, she faintly made out a blurry lump. She squinted in an attempt to make out what exactly was the lump. Her breath stuck in her throat when she saw them.

"Don't be foolish! You can't possibly expect me to leave you here!" her mirror copy snapped. Sweat ran in between her pale violet eyes and down her nose. She was kneeling next to a green eyed male with black hair and who somewhat resembled Ichigo. Both of them were wearing long, white robes with large collars. The inside of his was a deep green while hers a deep red.

"I'm not expecting you to agree but I expect you to comply." he said coolly. He looked up at her defiant face and snapped.

"Don't be ridiculous, Rukia! We can't allow them to catch both of us." His voice was filled with so much authority that the on looking Rukia flinched. The pale-haired Rukia's decision still didn't change. He sighed and his eyes softened as he looked sadly into her eyes. "Everyone is counting on us so don't give me that look and just go."

Water was pooling at the corners of Rukia's look-alike's eyes. Her finger curled around the earthen spire sticking out of the man's leg. It was almost twice as high as her and it was impossible to get him off of it. Her palms roamed over the rock and she rested her head on it, heaving a sigh. Her other hand reached for his shredded, bloody, useless right arm that lay limply on the floor next to him. She played with his bloody fingers before pressing his palm to her lips.

"I won't be able to forgive myself if you die alone, Kaien."

-O-

"Rukia-chan…Rukia-chan!"

Her eyes cracked open and the shaking of her shoulders halted. The first thing she saw was the lush green trees being beaten by grey rain. Her eyes slowly roamed the area, taking in the scenery of grey gravestones surrounded by dark green grass. A few feet away from each grave the equally grey walk started and stretched almost endlessly on. The sky was a deep, gloomy colour and thunder sounded every now and then.

After blinking a few times, she finally noticed Isshin standing a little way to her left.

"Oh, hello Uncle." she smiled. It was a big or happy smile; actually, it was one where the corners of her mouth only rose slightly.

"Come on, Rukia-chan. You should go home. This rain wouldn't let up for a while." he said gently. She looked up at the light blue umbrella he was holding over her head and shook her head with a small smile.

"I'm sorry but I can't leave yet. I feel that this is somehow my fault." she said softly as she looked past the man and at his son.

"Actually, not somehow but is." she thought sadly.

Ichigo was sitting motionlessly in the wet grass before a large, cold gravestone. He was staring blankly at the area before him with clouded eyes. The rain made his clothes cling to his body and his hair to his face. His body was in that exact place for over four hours and he didn't seem likely to move for a next few hours.

Isshin looked over his shoulder at his son and sighed. He knew he wouldn't get the girl to budge so he didn't try a second time.

"At least take the umbrella." he said as he offered her the handle. Her hand rose slightly before dropping.

"No, you need it, don't you?" she said with that small, sad smile.

Isshin didn't budge.

"Rukia, take the umbrella." he said firmly. She didn't argue back. Her fingers gripped the cold metal of the handle and she watched Isshin rush to his car. Her eyes followed him as he closed the door of the car and waved good-bye to her. She lifted her hand to return a sluggish wave as the car purred to life and he drove away. Her hand dropped as his car left her line of sight and she looked emptily at the last place she saw in red taillights.

She sighed and looked back over at Ichigo.

"How much longer would he stay in that position?"

"Is it possible for a person to stay still for that long?"

Every time she happened to glimpse that empty expression on his face she felt as if someone was repeatedly driving a scissors through her chest. Her hands started to tremble and her eyes got moist. She quickly blinked away any sensation of crying and stood.

Ichigo couldn't think properly right now. Hell, he could hardly even think at all!

For eight years- eight WHOLE years, two of his most important people were dead. He didn't get worried, he didn't ask questions, he didn't notice, HE DIDN'T EVEN REMEMBER THEM!

Suddenly remembering like that was like being punched in the gut by a person with an iron fist. It made him feel suddenly…empty. It felt like someone had ripped out his lungs and was just watched him struggle to breath. It seemed unbelievable to him.

They were dead.

They were dead.

They were-

His thoughts were interrupted by the thin, cold arms that wrapped around him from behind. He felt the rain stop beating against his face. A nearly flat torso pressed against his back and warm breaths hit his ear. He didn't ask questions or turn to face like her. They just stayed like that for what seemed to be forever. Their breathing was synchronized and his wet shirt got hers wet but she couldn't care. She just wanted him to stop looking so damn pathetic so that her breathing wouldn't feel so painful.

She looked down at the watery mud on her knees. She wanted to brush it off but yet she didn't want to disturb their position. Although it was selfish, she had to admit that in some corner of her heart she liked it. The thing that bothered her was the situation it had to occur in.

"You know…" a cracked, soft voice that pulled her out of her thoughts said. It frightened her but after a few minutes she was able to place it. It was the boy she was holding. His voice had gotten hoarse from sitting so long in the rain.

"You know…Mom would be the same thing as you are right now." He chuckled dryly here and shook his head gently. "But not Tatsuki, she would have probably would have punched me."

"Really? Why?" she thought. Ichigo seemed to have read her mind.

"When we were younger," he started with a small, sad smile playing on his lips. "I always got picked on cause of my hair colour."

Rukia wondered what he was getting at but didn't voice the question.

"So she'd beat up the bullies then kick my ass cause I'd be crying." he explained. "She finally got me to enroll in her karate class and kicked my ass. Every time she did I'd cry and as soon as my mom came I'd cheer up instantly." He gave a weak laugh. "Man, I was such a baby!" He paused and looked down at the ground. "Then I'd quit karate and a few days later join again."

"Every time people picked on me and I was outnumbered, she'd help me kick ass. Sometimes we'd even get our asses kicked but it was kind of fun. She was kinda like…my guardian angel."

Rukia hated herself right now. She hated herself because she knew it was terrible to be feeling…envy right now. Her heart ached while he spoke with fondness about his deceased friend.

"I actually had a crush on her…"

She ignored the pain to the best of her ability and held the boy tighter. The brokenness of his voice informed her that he was crying. She didn't dare move to confirm it though. She dropped the umbrella and knelt there, rocking and cooing comfortingly to the boy. She closed her eyes and whispered anything she could've thought of.

"Don't worry. It'll be okay."

"Shh now… I'm here"

At one point she began singing in his ear. She wasn't a good singer and now that she thought about it, the idea sucked. She didn't know the words but if just came out of her mouth, like she knew it all her life.

Ichigo's shoulders stopped shaking and he sat still listening to her voice. He fingers reached up and touched the slender ones resting on his chest. Her eyes snapped open and her mouth slammed shut.

"Don't stop."

She didn't dare disobey. Her mouth opened and she let out her off-key notes of good intention. When the song was finally over, they sat there in silence.

"Your voice sucks." he finally said. Her lips instantly pulled down into a frown.

"…But I'm glad that you did sing." he finished. The corners of her mouth curved into a smile.

Ichigo sighed and looked into the sky.

"Tatsuki would've surely called me pathetic if she saw me right now." he said.

"You are pathetic." she pointed out.

He snorted weakly. "Well thank you Rukia."

"Anytime Ichigo." she shot back with half-hearted sarcasm.

There was a moment of silence but Rukia didn't let it last long.

"You wanna go home?"

"My place or dad's place?"

"Home, close place that's dry."

He snorted as he felt her stand. She nearly fell over due to the effects of sitting for so long. Ichigo didn't manage any better.

Since they were both already soaked, Rukia didn't bother use the umbrella. She just carried it under her arm. As they walked, she thought back to the events of the previous day. Ichigo apparently had amnesia that was triggered by her mentioning Tatsuki. After a few hours of shock, he persisted on seeing his mother's grave and today, to see Tatsuki's.

Ichigo stopped walking and looked back at the pondering girl. His features were still clouded but on a lighter level.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked in a low, cracked-up voice. She shook her head and he shrugged.

Strangely, although today would only be the fifth day that she knew the boy, it felt like so much more than that. Odd, wasn't it?

Their feet sluggishly came to a halt as they reached his place. They threw of their wet shoes and socks and left them on the 'welcome' mat outside.

"What am I to change into?" Rukia asked as she saw Ichigo start to strip in the middle of the hallway. He looked up at her and threw his wet shirt aside.

"I'd get you something." he said as he turned to do just so. "Grab some towels from the bathroom, won't you? There in the closet in there."

She nodded as she went to do as he said. Instead of going immediately back to Ichigo, she pealed her wet dress off of her skin and wrapped herself in a towel. She then went back to Ichigo and gave him his towel. He gave the towel she was wearing a weird look before handing over a t-shirt for her to wear.

"Go put it on." he said as he turned around.

"We can't just change idiot." she said bluntly. "We have to take a bath first."

"Then you go first."

"No, you go first."

After a miniature argument, she practically shoved him into the bathroom.

"Don't take too long!" she shouted before setting herself on the couch and towel drying her hair. She listened with half interest to the television and to the shower.

It was after half an hour that Rukia decided he was taking WAY too long. She was beginning to get uncomfortable with sitting around naked and banged on the bathroom door.

"Ichigo?" she called.

No answer. She tried again.

"Ichigo…?"

"…"

"Ichigo?"

"…"

She decided to check to see if he was alright and turned the knob. He coincidently didn't expect her to walk on him and left the door unlocked.

"Ichigo?" she called as she entered the steam filled room.

Getting no answer, she slowly walked towards the shower and drew back the curtains.

Ichigo, red faced, sweating and panting, was slouched in the corner of the tub. She blushed as she saw his naked body and tried her best to ignore his toned figure.

"Ichigo?" she called as she shook his shoulders trying to wake him up.

He was warm; fever warm.

"Ichigo!" she exclaimed, shaking him with more force. His eyes slowly cracked open.

"Rukia…" he moaned with a small feverish smile playing on his lips. Her face got hotter.

"Oh shit! You got a fever! Come on…get out of the tub…yeah, yeah…like that!"

She wrapped her arm around his waist and he leaned on her. Her eyes stayed on the ceiling as she led him to his room.

"Here, lie here." she ordered before he climbed into bed "I'm going to get you some meds." Several minutes later she came back with several bottles of medication in her hand. "Come, Ichigo. You got to take these."

He looked at her with half lidded eyes. He sat up and beckoned her to come closer. She sat next to him and began pouring the medication. Before she could finish, his lips pressed softly against hers. They were warm, soft and clumsy against her cold ones. She looked dazed when he broke it.

"Thanks for staying with me." he said in a slurry voice and with a small smile. Before she could say anything he fell down onto his pillow in a deep slumber. Rukia watched his sick face in shock for a moment before smiling.

It was after five days of hardly knowing this idiot that she admitted to herself that she had fallen for him.

_O_

It is five thirty in the morning. I've been typing this since nine last night. I need to go sleep.

This is the halfway point of the story. I really don't like this chapter though.

Leave me a review telling me what you think please?

I think I'll be going to bed now...