Chapter eight: Breaking and Entering

"Kuchiki-san, what do you think about this dress? Is it too much?" Orihime asked, holding out a brilliant colored violet Vera Wang dress against her frame. Orihime stared at herself in a 3-way mirror and looked intently at herself, debating whether she wanted it or not.

Rukia nodded, checked her watch and then began tapping her feet in rapidly in boredom, not really listening to what Orihime had said at all. Orihime sensed her distant voice and asked her again except this time louder. Rukia after hearing it for the second time glanced at the dress Orihime held against her and smiled genuinely. "It looks beautiful Orihime. Your blue eyes really compliment the color of the dress, they look dramatically stunning."

And it was true. It brightened Orihime's eyes in a way that made it seem as if there was a ray of light aimed perfectly at her eyes. Something Rukia was immensely jealous of. It was hard to hate someone when they were so unbelievably perfect and genuinely nice.

For the last few days she had left in London, (before she went on her trip to town) was left spent hanging with Orihime and her friends. Orihime being the nice girl she was, made it her mission to spend every-single minute with her. They had biked through all the parks, went to four different shopping markets, visited the zoo, took the subway to France for the weekend and had a huge slumber party in four days with nonstop rest in between.

She had to admit that hanging out with Orihime was fun, because she always had something fun to do and something interesting to say that kept her good company.

Even the slumber party was fun, of course only after the girls got over their resentment towards her for "Snogging" Knight and reluctantly let her in their good graces.

Orihime and the others girls, mainly Tatsuki showed her the better sides of shopping and fashion, until she was as much of a fashionista as they were, just not the flashy glitz and glam that everyone liked. Instead she chose for the more "boy meets girls" look. Clean stripes and prints that complimented her small curves but still let her indulge in the boyish clothes. She even came to love a designer that made clothes that looked like it was for boys but fit girls perfectly, just exactly what she wanted.

Orihime and Tatsuki were really –really supportive of her artificial relationship with Knight, but she always tried not to bring it up because when she did, Orihime would start talking about Ichigo, which was not a conversation she wanted to be talking about with Orihime. But it was a subject that Orihime loved to talk about. But she let her indulge in her memeories; even though it hurt to see those tell tale sign of hickeys along her necks when she told them about Ichigo and the sweet things he did for her. But that wasn't all.

Her adoration and admiration for Ichigo surprised Rukia immensely, but with time, she supposed that that was just the way Orihime was, she was just the sort of girl that looked at life through rose-colored glasses. Romantic, but naïve as Orihime was, it was that same trait that Rukia liked and admired about Orihime.

Orihime looked at her silent thoughtfulness. "Is this too boring, Kuchiki-san? We could go get some ice cream if you would like?" She said with a smile.

That immediately got Rukia's attention and she nodded enthusiastically when her stomach growled. She blushed in her utter chagrin, and Orihime giggled delicately behind her hand.

"Then I'll just pay for it right now." Orihime told her and pulled out her credit card and scanned it before linking arms with Rukia and exciting the store, talking enthusiastically about the ice cream they wanted.

-

"Ok I'll call you tomorrow, when I get to Winchester," Rukia said to her celly and then paused to think when the other line asked her a question before smiling fondly. "Of course I'll try your newest ice cream creation, Orihime. Who knew mint chocolate chip ice cream and fries would taste so good?"

Orihime laughed on the other line before saying a quick good bye and hung up. Rukia entered her room and dropped her flat key onto her desk and slipped out of her black skinny Seven Jeans for all Mankind and gray striped woolen Top shop sweater. Lazily, she pulled her black hair tie out of her hair and let loose her silky waves sway against her back. Rukia sighed again and slipped into her sweat shorts and cotton long-sleeved, before she rubbed her eyes sleepily and slipped into bed, moaning her content at its fluffiness.

Unconsciously, Rukia let her eyes flutter to the window and smiled maliciously. There in front of her balcony window, was a thick-doubled knotted rope tied around the knob and an iron rod stuck in between the handles, something that shouldn't have been there but was. Rukia was keeping someone out and to ensure that absolutely no one could get into her room, she had her windows nailed down with straps of wood in rows of crosses. Although this blocked her view of the white moon, she was glad that she also wasn't able to see that stupid two-timer bugger pervert of a boy Ichigo, anymore and that brought a smile to her face.

She smirked. He wouldn't even have the opportunity to come near her again and woo again –not even close.

With that in mind, she turned on her side and let her mind drift into the beginnings of a light slumber, but at that moment, she jerked up in surprise and disbelief when a crash at her window broke through all of her barriers. Startled she stood up with wide eyes and her jaw dropped.

There in the middle of all the wood and rumble, the steel bar bent in the middle, clouded in darkness stood the stupid two-timing pervert himself.

Ichigo.

Incredibly handsome, highwayman.

At first sight she thought he looked on the brink of madness but his casual stance and the position of his body said otherwise. He wore a simple gray coat and black slacks. One hand was fisted in his pocket and the other was tousled into his silky hair. A printed scarf slung around his neck. Dear lord, he looked like he just walked off a Boss Fashion Runway. Even in her distressed state of mind, she could never deny the attraction she felt for him.

Trying to hold the last ounce of hate she held for him, she thought about the twisting knife deep feeling she felt that night and brought it up to surface.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you? Do you think you can break into anyone's house just like that!" She asked outraged at the fact that her room was now messy with random pieces of wood, all along her ebony carpet.

When he did nothing but stare at her with golden brown eyes, she realized that she could care less and got off her bed. "You know what? I don't even care what your thinking –GET OUT OF MY ROOM!!"

Ichigo raised his eyebrow and his lips curved upwards. Completely ignoring her, he closed the glass door to her balcony that surprisingly didn't shatter into millions of shards, and slowly…ever so slowly began to stalk towards her.

His eyes spoke to her, telling her -no more like warning her, that anyone who was smart, would listen to what he had to say, but she wouldn't take this from him! Especially from someone who thought she was the typical docile and obedient Asian.

"If you step any closer I'-". But Rukia wasn't able to finish her sentence when determined lips crashed onto her, crushing her body into his in a mesh of warm bodies.

She moaned in the back of her throat in complaint but it disappeared when his lips descended down her neck and found a spot that had her goo in his arms. In her last chance of denial, of the pleasures she was feeling, and the sensations he was creating, she let the hands that were knuckles deep into his hair to slowly but firmly push against his shoulders. But this was near impossible. All he did was nibble her lips in displeasure and grabbed the back of her thighs and lift her completely off the floor and ground right her into him. His lips were demanding, firm and most of unmistakably punishing.

The inner Rukia was screaming at her for letting him do such unspeakable things to her virgin body, but the other was just drooling and begging for him to continue.

Confident and possessive lips licked and kissed along her jaw and all Rukia could do was sigh and try to kiss him back. Then he lowered his head and nuzzled her neck before tracing a trail of butterfly kisses up to her lips that had her toes curling in sensation.

What he said next confused her, but did not displease her, sending her heart pumping and angsty since the moment he arrived. "Don't you ever lock me out again. Never leave me." Rukia nodded and he growled in retaliation before whispering to her lips the same thing he said to her once before. "Mine."

And when he kissed her again, it was a gentle, slow loving kiss but had just as much passion and determination as it had before. When his tongue slipped into her mouth, she jumped up in surprise, but soon felt weightless when his warm tongue wrapped around hers in a dance that was so sweet and honest it brought embarrassing tears to her eyes.

How could anyone kiss with so muchso much love in it, but somehow find a way to love someone else. When he tried to brush away her crystallized tears, she turned her head and nudged for him to let her go –he did.

Turning her back to him, she felt her chest constrict and crossed her arms around her chest, feeling vulnerable and emotional all of a sudden.

"Rukia" Ichigo called to her softly. Confused as hell, as to why she was crying after that incredible snog. Did she even realize how beautiful she looked there crying under the moonlight?

Rukia let out a choked sob she wasn't aware she kept in and turned to him with a frown marred onto her face. "Ichigo, I can't do this, -this thing with you. I can't be with you when you're with my friend! Do you even know how much Orihime loves you? Orihime would be so crushed and humiliated to find out that you, who she adores so openly and unselfishly, are cheating on her with me. Her friend. How can you kiss me and kiss her too? HOW COULD YOU!"

With every sentence, Rukia grew angrier and foolish for even liking him in the first place. He was just the same as all of the other boys. In fact, he was even worse than Knight! At least when Knight was kissing her, she knew for a fact that he didn't have another girlfriend waiting for him…or thinking about.

By the end, she was yelling so loud, she was sure that her brother had heard, and sure enough, she heard the stomping noises to the front of her door.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The doorknob slowly began to open and Rukia shot skeptical eyes to Ichigo, who seemed annoyed at the interruption and stepped back and onto her balcony, disappearing into the shadows. His discarded coat still hung over her chair.

The door to her room opened with a loud bang, before a worried brother walked in. "Rukia, what's wrong? What happened to your window?" Byakuya asked surprised. He swept skeptical eyes all over the room.

Rukia smiled sheepishly and raked her mind for an explanation and spit whatever came to thought. "I wanted to see the stars so I tore it down?" Rukia said, sweat dropping realizing how ridiculous that sounded, but luckily Byakuya didn't find this at all odd, for she did a lot of odd things.

"Goodnight then. I'll see you in the morning," he said and closed the door slow enough to hear Rukia say "Goodnight ni-sama". Byakuya smiled, but only in his mind for Kuchiki men didn't smile –a lot.

When Rukia heard the click of the door, she sighed and slumped to the floor, too frustrated and tired to think any longer or be angry for the matter. She watched as Ichigo walked slowly to her before kneeling next to her. She felt his long fingers touch her hair cautiously that made her shiver in delight. She did not move or encourage the action, hating him was an awfully hard job to accomplish. When he spoke again, his voice was soft and sincere. Not the complete cave man he was just a second ago. When she looked up again, his eyes were a molten colored brown, almost gold.

"Come with me. I'll make it up to you," Ichigo said with that silly grin and she sighed in defeat. There was no way she could ever stay mad at him for long. And even though she wanted answers for all of her questions, it was the truth in the answers that got her worried. After all, who wants to know the truth when the truth could possibly hurt you? Taking his outstretched hand, Rukia felt a wave of deja-vu flow through her, a torn up image of someone holding her hand tightly, but as soon as it resurfaced, it was gone and she decided to ignore it for now. He brought their hands together and pressed his lips to their combined palms reassuringly and she relaxed instantly.

Ichigo smiled confidently and pulled her out to the window, just when she registered the full text of his words.

"How are you going to make it up to me exactly?" Rukia asked suspiciously, stopping any movements further.

"What are you scared of? Afraid I might lock you in a tower forever?" Ichigo teased lightly, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. She stared fixated before she grumbled and looked away. The thought of forever was becoming to sound awfully lovely, if only with Ichigo. "You have so many secrets. I don't know how I'm going to keep up with you and your 'mysterious and unpredictable' personality." Rukia said exasperated.

Ichigo frowned for a moment and scowled before crossing his arms around his chest. "Will you come with me, or not? It's your choice. In plus," He said narcistically, "The Girls love the mysterious thing, so don't complain."

"Not me," She said, annoyed that he was comparing her to every other girl he met, and surly fell for him.

Ichigo grinned a knowing smile at her but did not comment.

"I'm serious," Rukia growled, but it only made Ichigo smile lopsided before trailing fingers lightly against her tensed jaw. "Do you know you turn a pretty pink when you get flustered?"

Rukia, after hearing this odd compliment, flushed even brighter and swapped his hand away before stomping away. "Your not even taking me seriously. I bet you didn't even listen to a thing a said, before pulling your pervert charms on me –again! I don't want to go anymore I –" but a strong grip on her wrist stopped the flow of words from escaping her mouth.

"I do listen to what you say." He told her sincerely. "You just distract me so much with your expressive emotions that it gets me sidetracked. Please come with me." Ichigo finished honestly and after a speech like that Rukia could only give in to his demands.

"Fine. But you have to buy me something to eat". Then at that moment, her stomach growled so loud that it made Ichigo jump up in surprise.

"What the bugger do you have in there? A monster?" He teased. Rukia glared at him and he put his arms up in defeat. "Ok. Ok Put a coat on and meet me in the lobby." Ichigo said to her as he shrugged on his gray coat and began walking out of her balcony, but she stopped him.

"Wait! How are you getting down, there's no fire escape ladder in this flat!" Rukia asked questionably. The thought of him jumping a thirty feet flat and falling right on his face made her worried and a bit skittish.

Ichigo smiled mischievously. "Oh I get my way around" and then like that he disappeared out of her balcony.

Rukia blinked, and stared at the spot Ichigo was last seen before sighing and slipping back into her skinnys and striped sweater with her turquoise peacoat. After combing her hair, Rukia stared at her image in the mirror and frowned disapprovingly.

"What's gotten into you?" she said to herself. The tomboy she knew was long gone and somehow replaced with this girl who now followed the wills of a boy she hardly knew. For Kami's sake she didn't even know his last name, or where he was born, or what school he went to if he went to school at all, or his age! She knew so little of him that she still wasn't sure what really attracted her to him in the first place. But it was there. This almost desperate and soulful longing she felt for him that attracted her. This feeling was new to her and intrigued her to the point of following. But that didn't make up for it! What she did know was that he was not a colorful person. He loved to tease her and was easily temperamental and was very possessive. After all, he told her twice already that he thought she was his, but it wasn't the possessiveness that had her worried. It was the feeling she got every time he said it. Every time he said "Mine" she would interpret it as "I love you" and that already sent red flags to her mind. Love? Was it love that she felt for him, but Rukia forced herself to dismiss it. It was bad to think like that, but it was even worse to hope, or even worse wish for him to say it.

She stared at herself again, recognizing the baby-faced girl in the mirror with the alien eyes. For a few moments she did this until she grew frustrated and pinched her cheeks until they turned a rosy color. Grabbing her white beanie, she put it on and sneaked out of her room, and out of the flat. For once Rukia was glad that her brother was such a hard sleeper.