A/N: Some quick fix. Warning: may suck majorly, and contains some soft if not medium-rare petting :D No sharp projectile objects, please! After this will be a one-month hiatus, exam is really REALLY soon and I think 'up there' is still practically empty :( hope you guys are well, I'm working on the replies to the PMs and reviews as of now and thank you for your endless support. In the famous words of The Terminator, "I'll be back!" :D Read, love and do your thang )

Disclaimer: Kubo Tite is da man.

XXXXX

She stared at the red spot at the crevice of her neck on her reflection in the mirror.

And she herself was the one to blame.

She had wanted it too. She could feel it within herself. She couldn't lie; the moment his lips touched hers, it sent some sort of frazzled electrical shock up her spine.

She had experienced it once before, when she had idiotically tried to switch off the bathroom light using her wet finger. The current that had gone through her shook up her entire body, leaving her dazzled and almost slightly feeling burnt.

But last night. Last night, she wasn't burnt. She was burning, but she wasn't burnt.

She groaned, knocking her forehead against the wall trying to clear her thoughts. No, no, clearing your thoughts does NOT involve thinking about his lips on yours! Or your neck… Or your breast…

Kuchiki, snap out of it!

She pulled the collar of her PJs tighter around her neck, trying to conceal the mark on her neck. Damn him. He had to go and catch her with her guard down, tell some lies about loving her and almost, almost, make love to her.

"Cause… I love you, Rukia."

"I fucking love you…"

"I am so deeply in love with you…"

She shook her head violently, her hands having a tight hold on her hair. She knew she was so screwed. Falling for some overly sugar-coated words carelessly thrown around by that football jock is so classified as being royally screwed.

Four years of college education and she was so easily deceived.

She felt utterly stupid, not to mention ridiculously dense and hopelessly… hopelessly falling in love…

No!

She opened her eyes and stared hard at her disheveled reflection in the mirror.

You're sad, Kuchiki. You're even talking to yourself now, she thought bitterly.

She sobbed. And moaned. She didn't know which of both she did. She felt his lips still pressing against her soft ones, unintentionally teasing hers, as he was biting her lower lip at one time and the next he left it to suck her upper one. She felt her knees gave away below her and she felt her weight being welcomed into his warm embrace.

"Baby, shh… Don't cry," he soothed softly as he left her lips to trail kisses up to her closed eyelid, kissing away the tears. One hand was caressing her back and the other was cradling her face protectively against his.

She swallowed another sob as she felt his lips shifted to another eyelid. He drifted to lay feathery kisses on her eyebrow and temple, and she almost shivered at the feeling. Another tear slid down her cheek that didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Rukia, darling, I'm sorry for making you cry…" he whispered again, this time he wiped the tears with his thumb. Her eyes still closed, she subconsciously leaned against his touch. Her cheek was on fire as he replaced the thumb with another stroke of his kisses.

"I love you so much, Rukia, it hurts not to be able to hold you like this," he continued between kisses. "Not to be able to freely kiss you, cherish you in my arms. To smell you. To wake up every morning beside you…"

"This is a mistake, Ichigo…" she finally let out a mumble, shuddering at the feeling of his lips on her jugular. Instead of pushing him away, she tilted her head to grant him more excess. "You don't love me. This whole marriage is a joke. WE, are a joke."

"WE, are NOT a joke," he replied firmly, sucking at a tender spot near her earlobe. She stifled a moan, her own hands were moving freely against her will. One hand tantalizingly slid down his naked chest, her fingers leaving a fleet of sensation on his ripped abdomen.

"Yes, we are…" she argued softly, going limp in his arms as he pushed aside the collar of her PJ to reveal a soft mound modestly covered by a black chemise. "We…God…" she groaned, grabbing a handful of orange hair as the man smothered the top of her right breast with hot wet kisses.

"I thought you fled and took residence in Marriot."

She snapped out of her reverie and whirled around on her heels.

"I thought you'd be mad about last night."

She blushed. And dropped her gaze to the marbles of the bathroom floor. She should be feeling mad. But why wasn't she feeling anything near repulsion or hatred?

"Rukia…?"

She felt an arm enveloping her waist from behind.

"I'm sorry to invade your space last night, but I sure as hell didn't regret kissing you, so I am not going to apologize for that," Ichigo spoke, leaning down to bury his face in her hair. The smell of lavender and vanilla on her filled his senses and he tightened his grip around her.

"Ichigo, please," she pleaded, trying to step out of his embrace. "Don't make it harder than it already was."

His grasp on her didn't loosen one bit. "Don't you think it's hard for me too?" he demanded, turning her around in his arms. Blazing ambers met bottomless indigos. "Do you know how hard it is to wake up everyday looking at the wedding ring knowing that you're married to me but you're not wholly, completely mine?"

"You don't know what you're talking about…"

"I damn right know what I'm talking about," he hissed, bringing her closer to his chest. "It's you who don't know what you want."

She scowled at the accusation. She tried to take a step back, but she found her husband's arms were nowhere leaving her waist anytime soon. "You're the one throwing words around like you mean it and you dare accuse me of not knowing what I want??" she snapped.

"I wasn't throwing my words around! If you would actually listen to me you'd know I meant every single thing I said!"

"Oh, please. Love me? Cherish me? To wake up next to me? Which jdorama did you pick up that line from?" she spat.

He stared at her fuming, and let out a chuckle. "If you're bent on proving me wrong, Rukia, one piece of advice, don't be so transparent."

She narrowed her eyes, squiggling her way out of his embrace to no avail. "What do you mean?"

"For not believing my words, you sure had me quoted down," he whispered into her ear. He watched as the color drained from her cheeks.

"I… I have an excellent memory," she stuttered defiantly. A rush of warmth flooded her cheeks as the sense of horror was replaced with mortification.

He let out a soft laugh. "Excellent memory, huh?" he taunted. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Then, I don't have any doubt that you'd have this imprint in your memory," he murmured.

With that said he leaned down and captured her lips in a searing kiss.

XXXXX

"… I feel no need to issue any statement just because she had a recurring fantasy of having a liaison with my husband. It's a free country; she can disclose any statement she wants."

"Even if it involves your husband and your marriage?"

"Well, I'm sure everybody is entitled to their own opinion. Besides, the important thing is my trust for my husband."

"But Senna has heavily implied that your husband is involved in an affair with her behind your back. Surely you must have some reaction to that?"

"That's the case; she heavily implied does not mean she was actually telling the truth."

"How sure are you that Senna is not just fibbing this time?"

"Like I told you, everybody is up to being their own judge. My husband and I have heaps of trust in each other. Surely you understand that."

"Senna had also been linked with Ichigo before. What do you think about the possible infidelity?"

"Yeah, everybody who's anybody knows that Ichigo was involved with Senna a few years back. But that was in the past. If I were to live dwelling on the past, I might as well have no future whatsoever with him."

"It is said that this spring break with your husband is just a cover up to stall the gossip regarding him with the actress. Is that true?"

"No. The main objective is to get fat while lazying under the sun watching sexy footie players strut around in their shorts. Besides, Ichigo makes mean lamb chop."

"But to have a rumor only after 3 months into the marriage is not a good sign, you have to agree?"

"I have had rumors about myself being kidnapped, run by a lorry, attempting suicide. Ichigo's supposed infidelity does not surprise me."

"Are you planning on taking any action to Senna's testimonial?"

"No. I don't think it's wrong for her to be dreaming and fantasizing a little. Everybody does, every once in awhile."

"So you are not going to pull a Posh and fly off to some secluded resort in Europe?"

"And missed getting fat and fed by my husband?"

"It's refreshing to see at least there are celebrities who do not stumble after a couple of nonsense gossips."

"I admit, having your husband's name and the word 'affair' in one sentence on the front page of every available tabloid in the nation is not pleasant. I could only imagine what Victoria went through. I could honestly relate to her. Ichigo and I had to cover a lot of grounds to get where we are. We did not get married without covering the basic rules of trust and loyalty. In being a wife to Kurosaki Ichigo, I have to understand that he does not only belong to me, but he also belongs to his fans. Getting freaked over some non-factual gossips is not an option for me."

"So it's safe to say that everything is peaches and creams in the Kurosaki household?"

"Peaches and creams, indeed."

XXXXX

"What was that??"

Ichigo cringed. He pulled his Sony Ericsson a good meter away from his ear. "Isane?"

"Yeah! Who do you think would be calling your phone? Senna whore Miller??"

He sighed. "Alright, alright. I get your point. But before you chew my ass, let me justify myself first."

"You're lucky she handled herself well in The Sun," she muttered, he could almost hear a whispered 'son of a bitch' following her reply.

He pursed his lips, falling onto the couch in the empty house. The girls together with their Rukia-nee were out for the day for a dip at the Brighton Beach in East Sussex, and he had to stay behind for a morning work out with the team earlier.

"Ichigo?"

"I told her I love her."

He could almost see Isane scratching her head. "Sorry?"

"I told her I love her."

There was a short pause. "You do? I mean, you did?" Isane's surprise was evident in her voice.

He nodded to himself, and pulled a loose thread poking from one of the throw pillows. "Yeah. But she doesn't though," he replied absent-mindedly. "I mean, she didn't."

Isane groaned. "Screw the grammar. What do you mean? She didn't say she loved you back or she simply doesn't love you?"

"What difference does it make?"

"Of course it's different. Her not replying to your sudden not to mention suspicious declaration of love does not mean she doesn't love you."

"It doesn't?"

"I swear, Kurosaki. Stop with the freaking grammar!"

He chuckled. "Don't shit a brick, Isane."

"Yeah. You do the same, Ichigo," she retorted. "So I reckon she's putting you through hell, isn't she?"

"You could say that again."

"Then why did you say it?"

"Say what?"

"Are we a bunch of pre-scholars. Say the four-letter word, I mean."

"I didn't know you have such a yellow brain, Isane."

"Not that four-letter word. God! No wonder Rukia's losing her mind around you."

"It's because I meant it. Why else would I say it?"

Another pregnant pause. "You're in love with her?"

He sighed. "Why is it so hard for you people to believe? I married her, for God's sake. I even went out of my way trying to court her before by some freak incident getting hitched with her before she had the chance to reciprocate to my feelings. Is it too wrong to pursue your own wife's love?"

"You have to admit the nature of your matrimony does not exactly call for a normal romance," Isane reminded. "Besides, she is skeptical due to a lot of things. One being your gossip with Senna. You have to hand it to her for being suspicious."

He groaned. "I know."

"Did you say it out of spur of the moment? To convince her or something?"

He ran a hand through his unruly hair. "She was crying and hurting in front of me, Isane. And it hurt to bottle up my feelings for her without being able to do anything about it. I know it was the suckiest time but I couldn't help it, you know? She was bawling her eyes out, and yeah… maybe. Out of trying to convince her too," he muttered. "Bottomline is, I love her, dammit. And to keep it in is more painful than ramming my head against the goalpost dodging a free kick."

Isane let out a small laugh. "Your love metaphor leaves a lot to be desired, Ichigo."

"Who cares? I could be sprouting some shit from Harlequin and she wouldn't even acknowledge me," he replied bitterly.

"I would highly suggest against that cause Rukia could only stomach so much," Isane joked. She paused, her tone softened. "Just be patient, Ichigo. Like I said, not verbalizing it out does not mean she doesn't feel it."

"You think so?"

"I know so. If not why would she be, quote, bawling her eyes out, unquote?"

A soft smile lit up his face. Why, talking to Isane is slowly turning like an epiphany to him. "You'd better wish you're right, Kotetsu," he murmured, his thoughts were instantly filled with his wife's tear-streaked face from two nights ago.

"Hang in there, Kurosaki. The lady might be a tough cookie, but she'll soften once you dunk her in milk."

Ichigo finally laughed. "And you said my metaphor is creepy."

"Yeah, whatever, lover boy," Isane chuckled. "What are you waiting for? I believe you have a jdorama script to write."

"What's with you girls and jdorama? I swear she gave me the same shit too that night," he frowned; remember all too clearly how his love confession was ridiculed.

Isane laughed. "Of course! Jdorama is the newest Sandra Bullock's. You might want to give it a try."

After a few more chuckles and insults traded, he hung up. He then noticed a voicemail in his inbox. He picked himself off the couch to hit the shower.

"Hey. The girls love it here and we haven't finished the sight-seeing so we're gonna spend a night here. Don't worry, everything's fine. Chad says hi. And urm, take care. Don't forget to eat dinner."

He paused in his stride. He bent down and collected his BMW keys from the dresser.

He would shower in Brighton.

XXXXX

She watched as his shadow loomed closer, beckoning the golden sunlight directly into her eyes. The sun was setting, the birds were singing the going-home song and the sea was tiding low. She saw him, still in the clothes she set out for him before he went out to practice that morning.

"I knew you would be here," he breathed, as he came to a stop in front of her on the pier.

Rukia tried to smother the erratic rhythm of her heart. "How come?"

"Cause this is my favorite place in all of Sussex and I'm sure you'd understand why."

Both were silent as Ichigo stepped forward to lean against the railing. "Where are the girls?"

"Still down by the beach. There were some hunks from Korea I believe, or so they said," she replied, chuckling a little.

Ichigo let out a small laugh. "Oh, I'm not intrigued about their nationality. It's their sexuality I'm mostly doubtful," he joked. "They do know that Brighton's famous for its gay community, right?"

Rukia grinned. "I think they kinda left that out from the brochure?"

He laughed and both of them turned to each other to exchange smiles. She noticed his haggard expression, the way his frown was etched deeper and the corners of his eyes were drooping lower. She swallowed her pride and opened her mouth tentatively. "Did you drive straight from London?"

He ran a hand through his hair and nodded. "Yeah. Right after practice."

She bit her lip. "Have you even taken your shower?"

He shook his head sheepishly. "Nope. Was hoping Men's Speed Stick to do his job," he replied, grinning.

She laughed. "Come on, I'll run the water for your bath."

After pouring some bathing oil into the tub, she left her husband to his own devices. Ichigo sunk low into the large tub and rested his head against the brim. He closed his eyes, letting the pressure of the warm water engulf him.

"Ichigo?"

His eyes shot open. "Come in."

"You decent in there?"

He chuckled. "As decent as anybody could be under a mountain of bubbles."

The bathroom door creaked open and Rukia stepped in with his PDA in her hand. "Henry on the line," she spoke as the phone exchanged hands.

As she was about to leave, his hand reached out to grasp hers. She froze in her track.

"Wassup, ma? You cravin' fo' some lovin' or sumthin'?" he spoke into the phone, as his grip around Rukia's wrist tightened. He laced their fingers together, tugging on them as to bring her closer to the tub.

Rukia stumbled on her feet, and ended up perched on the brim of the tub.

"Just some down time with my family in Brighton," he drawled, closing his eyes again, his hand continued to gently squeeze hers outside the tub. "Yeah, she's fine. Being my sisters' chaperone… Bugger off, Henry. That pretty arse is still mine, you duff," he replied, chuckling.

She watched as his lashes swept across his cheeks, accentuating his prominent cheek bones. Her gaze trailed down to his throat and watched as his Adam's apple bopped up and down as he laughed at Henry's jokes.

From his neck, her eyes traveled down his well-toned shoulders. So broad. So defined.

She blushed. Was she actually checking her husband out? What if she was? What was so wrong about that?

And she loved it when he was in his Brit mode. The accent… So engaging.

She rolled her eyes. She might just as well join one of the thousands of his fanclubs with the rate she was fangirling her own husband.

And the warmth around her hand.

She won't mind interlocking her fingers with his forever like this.

"I'm wiped out."

Her eyes strayed back to her husband's face. He had hung up with Henry and placed the phone on the rack. He gave her hand another gentle squeeze. "Stay here with me?"

She bit her lip, and reluctantly nodded. She tried pulling her hand away from his, only to have him tighten his hold on her. She smiled despite herself. "I'm just going to give you a massage," she explained.

"Oh," he mouthed and slowly letting go of her hand.

Her fingers began to knead at the base of his neck, working the muscles as she rubbed her thumb into circles. She felt him leaning back to her touch, and he groaned softly. "The girls are going to the pub later. The original idea was for me to play chaperon. But I could order dinner if you don't feel like going out."

He flicked an eye open. "No, the pub is fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I haven't seen the girls for ages and now that they're paying a visit I am mostly at the field. Pub is cool."

After much argument, they agreed to a night out at the local pub on Rukia's condition to return back to their hotel at the latest of 1am. The Kurosakis protested, but the raven-haired woman prevailed before the four of them headed out for the little family outing.

The pub was buzzing with activities due to its peak dinner hours. Fortunately very few recognized Ichigo's orange mane and they were left fairly alone along the dinner course. After picking on their steak and shepherd's pie, Yuzu and Karin excused themselves, leaving the couple to check out the foosball table nearby.

But mostly, the Rukia's deduction, to give her some alone time with their brother.

"Most WAGs wouldn't be caught dead eating pub grub, my dear," he joked as he polished the last of his T-bone off the plate.

She smirked. "I am not most WAGs," she retorted, relishing the taste of her shepherd's pie. "Besides, the grub is good. I bet my kidney they don't have shepherd's pie in Hilton."

"Oh, I forgot. My WAG actually loves carbs over her carrot sticks," he mocked, and grinned. "And she eats cheese cakes. The horrors!"

She laughed. "You can take your carrot sticks and shove it up your ass, mister."

He grinned. "I believe it's 'arse', milady."

"Why sir you sure have a profound knowledge on synonyms," she replied, leaning back on her chair as she dabbed her lips with her napkin. "I'm stuffed. That was some good pie."

"You want to walk off some of that pie? I think I could see your jeans button popping off," he quipped, earning a smack on his arm. "C'mon, your hair is doing something funny in this heat too." And another smack.

Finally relenting to his wheedling, the two of them stepped out into the warm May air. They walked side by side along the pier, each relishing at another's company.

"I saw the interview. When was that?"

She kicked a pebble on her way. "When I was out to get some flour for pancakes."

He smiled. "You looked fab for just a trip to get some flour."

"What can I say. It's congenital," she replied briskly, flashing a small grin.

"Did they hurt you?"

"Nah. Stick and stones may hurt my bones. But words will never hurt me."

His smile wavered. "Really."

"Really."

"So, you do trust me?"

She swallowed. "I do."

"Then you would trust what I've told you two nights back to be true."

She shoved her hands deeper into her jeans pockets. "You're Kurosaki Ichigo. A girl could only feel so inadequate around you," she said softly.

"And you think with you being the Kuchiki Rukia, one of the world's best selling artists is helping my confidence any? I've never had my palm sweaty around a girl since high school."

"I'm like any other girl, Ichigo."

"And I am like any other guy, Rukia," he persisted, turning on his heels to face her.

She sighed. "You don't love me, Ichigo. You're just in love with the idea of loving me. You think it'd be less complicated that way," she justified, running a hand through her soft tresses. The wind blew some of the locks into her eyes and instinctively Ichigo reached over to tuck the strands behind her ears.

She blushed at the contact.

"You have no idea what I think, Rukia," he whispered softly. "I think you feel the same way too, but you're just being a selfish coward."

Her eyes were blazing. "I am obviously not!"

"You're in denial," he spoke simply.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you clearly are."

"No, I'm -." Her speech was cut short as he captured her lips with his own. Her eyelids involuntarily fluttered close. She felt his lips moving against her in uncanny speed; the kiss was fierce for one moment and was tender the next. He was driving her insane.

She knew she should push him away. But God, the taste of his lips on her was like being on dope-high. She felt him nibbling her lower lip, stroking it with his tongue, somehow asking for entrance, which she foolishly complied.

His hands were doing exploration on his own too. One hand ran down her lower back, and he traced it with drawing small circles. Another one slid up under the front of her blouse, massaging her flat stomach with his large calloused hand. She repressed a sigh. She couldn't decide which one was more wonderful, the feeling of his velvet tongue lashing her own of the fleeting touches of his hand on her bare tummy.

The hand on her back ventured lower as he dipped it into the back of her jeans, squeezing the soft flesh of her backside. He groaned, feeling a little constricted himself as the heat rose. She groaned because, damn, it felt oh so right.

The fervor of the kiss deepened as he tilted her head for greater access. They were kissing like it would be their last. She felt his hand on her stomach climber higher… And higher… And finally, he cupped a breast, giving it a gentle squeeze.

She moaned, both in pleasure and in frustration.

He pulled away abruptly, both hands were retrieved from under her blouse and inside her jeans. They stared at each other wide-eyed, panting from their breathtaking kiss.

Ichigo's lips curled into a mocking smirk at the sight of a thoroughly-kissed Rukia. He leaned down close to her ears. "Have fun denying that," he said, before turning away.