No matter the consequences, I will love you for all eternity…

Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo: Hey y'all!!! Chapter 12 is here! And in order to celebrate, Ryu from Moonshroud's fic, Crystalline, is doing the disclaimer!

Ryu: What am I doing here?

Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo: Well… you're doing the disclaimer.

Ryu: The dis-what?

Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo: *smacks head against wall* You mean you don't know what a disclaimer is?!

Ryu: No, I do previews. They're WAY better. Oh, and to all you fans out there, Sakura has a major attitude problem.

Sakura: I do not!!!

Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo: Right, she's just…*thinks for a moment* complex.

Sakura: Right, I- *turns to Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo* What?!

Ryu: Hey, I'm just an arrancar here. Make some stupid or stuck-up SOUL REAPER do it! Like…*thinks for a very brief moment* Sakura or Renji, for instance.

Sakura: Why you little-!

Renji and Urahara: But we don't wanna!

Sakura: You're not helping, Renji!!! And what are you doing here, Urahara?

Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo: *smacks head* Oh boy. Well…we'll just skip the disclaimer.

Ryu: Fine. I'll say it to appease you soul reapers then.

Sakura: Little stuck up-*mouth covered by Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo*

Ryu: Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo doesn't own Bleach. Thank Tite-sama. Can I go? I have an important meeting with the Espada.

Hollow Ichigo-Ichigo: Yep! Thanks a ton! Well, here's a warning ahead of time. This chapter will have hentai, but I'm not experienced with that stuff. So if it sucks, please forgive me!!! Well, here goes nothing!!!!

Chapter 12: I belong with you…

Ichigo walked to the open of Urahara's store, but was quickly stopped b the owner. "Hold up, Ichigo. You really shouldn't be moving around." The ex-captain said. Ichigo tried to move past him, but Urahara was completely blocking the way. "Kisuke, please let me past." He asked. The shop owner shook his head. "No can do. I know where you're headed." He said with a smile. Ichigo rolled his eyes. "So what? Please let me through." He asked again. Urahara moved a little, but remained in front of the door. "You still need to rest. You haven't recovered the rest of your strength yet." He explained. Ichigo tapped his foot on the ground. Urahara was right; Ichigo could barely keep standing up. But that doesn't matter! He thought, getting frustrated. "If you know where I'm going, then you'll also know why I'm going there!" he said impatiently. Urahara stepped out of the way. "You're right, I do." Ichigo practically lunged at the door knob, but Urahara put his hand on it before he could reach it. "But let me warn you; you're only causing her more harm." He said. Ichigo stared at him for along time before replying. "No more than it is now." He said, sounding tired. Urahara slowly nodded and took his hand off the knob. As Ichigo opened the door, he turned to Urahara. "Thank you for the help. Besides, I'm not going there right away. There's somewhere else I need to go first." With that, he ran as fast as he could to the cemetery.

Ichigo was running out of breath. He was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, and it was below twenty degrees outside. He ignored the cold as best as he could, but it was getting harder to run. His legs felt like lead and he was still tired. Almost there! He thought. When he finally got up the hill, he stopped to catch his breath. As he looked up, he saw the grave of his mother. "I know it's abnormal for me to be here, mom." He said as he walked up to her grave. "But…there's something I need to see, something I need to confirm." He walked down a few aisles as he remembered following the girl in his memories. As if he was being pulled by an invisible string, he walked slowly down the seventh row from his mothers' grave. He counted slowly to himself as he passed the grave stones. "One…Two…Three…Four…Five…" Finally, he stopped in front of one. He knelt down and cleared the frost away from the words. The moment he read the names, he gasped. Written on the tombstone were two names, both ending in Kurai.

Sakura stared out the window, slightly dazed. Her wounds were all but gone, a few pale scars where she had nearly been torn open. "Did we really get attacked like that?" she wondered. She walked over to her bed and kept staring out the frost covered window. "He will soon come." The voice in her head spoke quietly. Sakura nodded, but wanted more than anything to deny it. "I know. But I wish he wouldn't." she replied with a sigh. The Animal laughed, which surprised Sakura. "What the hell is so funny?!" she snapped. "You are. I know what you want, more than anything." He replied. Sakura crossed her arms. "Your point is?" she asked hotly. "You don't just want him…" he said quietly, and Sakura could imagine the smile on its face. "You need him. Now more than ever." Sakura wanted to argue, but she couldn't think of what to say. "He knows now, so there is no reason to hide the truth. There is no longer a reason to run." The Animal's voice began to fade away before it left these last words. "You can not outrun fate." Sakura was once again alone, but she wasn't lonely, only sad. "Yeah, I know." She whispered quietly. She lay down on her bed, face buried in a pillow. As she thought about what to tell him, she couldn't help but cry. Ichigo…I'm sorry… she thought with a pang in her heart.

Ichigo walked slowly down the street, trying to process everything that had happened. Why now? He wondered. After all this time, why did she come back now? He knew there were more questions, but he didn't care. All that mattered was getting the answer. There was something else though that was more confusing. Even though he'd only known her for about a month, there was this odd feeling inside him, one he couldn't explain, but knew what it was. There was only one problem; he didn't know if she would return his feelings. That must be what Urahara meant. He thought with a sigh. If he told her how he felt, she might not feel the same, and things between them would get weird. He saw her house and began walking faster. There's only one way I can tell her how I feel. He thought with a smile. I just hope she doesn't hate me for it.

Sakura heard a rapid knock on the door. "Gee, I wonder who that is?" she asked sarcastically. She walked downstairs and opened the door, only to gasp. Ichigo stood in front of her, completely out of breath and slightly red. "Ichigo! What the hell do you think you're doing outside dressed like that?!" she yelled. Sakura grabbed his arm and yanked him inside, slamming the door behind them. "I…I…" he tried to talk, but he was just too out of breath. "Don't speak. Sit down as I get you something warm to drink." She told him. Ichigo sat down obediently on the couch as Sakura ran to fix a cup of hot cocoa. As the water heated up, she grabbed a blanket and threw it over Ichigo. "Maybe this will warm ya up some." She said, and then pounded her fists on the couch. "You moron! Are you trying to freeze yourself to death?!" she scolded. "I need to tell you something." He said his voice slightly raspy from being out in the cold. Sakura sighed. "It had better be pretty damn important for you to come in a fucking t-shirt!" she yelled. As Ichigo began to say something, Sakura got up to check on the hot water. She took the coffee pot out and poured the steaming water in a glass. As she reached for a hot cocoa pack, she heard Ichigo say something. "You're actually helping me this time…" he let his sentence trail in order to get her attention. As she stopped messing with the pack and began to dump the powder into the small mug, he finished his sentence. "…flower that blooms in the spring." Sakura spilled some of the powder on the counter. So it's true…she thought and sighed.

Sakura turned to face him. "You finally got it, huh?" she asked. Ichigo stared at her from the couch, not saying a word. She finished fixing the cup and walked into the living room, handing him the mug. "How long have you known?" he asked her quietly as he sipped the hot cocoa.

Sakura was a little unsure on how to answer. "Ever since we performed konso on those two souls." Ichigo slammed the mug down. "You never bothered to tell me?!" he yelled. Sakura stared at him calmly. "I had my reasons. I knew you would remember in your own time." She replied. Ichigo glanced into her dark blue eyes. The normal fire and spirit was gone, replaced by a sudden sadness. "Sakura…" he started to say, but she got up and began to walk into the kitchen. "It doesn't matter now. I need to be alone for a moment." She said. "Why, so you can run away?" Sakura was surprised to see Ichigo right behind her. He walked towards her slowly, backing her up against a wall. "Why did you leave?" he asked her. Sakura sighed. "My sister was ill. I had spent too long here and I worried about her." She said. Ichigo shook his head. "That isn't the only reason. You said we'd meet again, yet you never said when." "That's because I didn't know if we would ever see each other again, you moron!" she snapped. She tried to push him away, but despite the fact he was tired, he didn't budge. Ichigo shrugged. "Whatever. That doesn't matter anymore." Sakura gave him a puzzled look. "I want you to know…" he started to say, but Sakura rapidly shook her head. "No, Ichigo. It's too dangerous." She said, and then added quietly. "I'm too dangerous." Ichigo laughed. "Like I haven't dealt with anything dangerous before!" Sakura gave him a weird look. Suddenly, his chocolate eyes grew really soft. "I want you to know how I feel." He said. He cupped her head in his hands softly. "The only problem is that I'm not good at words." Before she could respond, Ichigo bent down and kissed her gently on her lips. To her surprise, she didn't resist, but fell into it. Ichigo pulled away, face slightly red. "I don't care if you don't share my feelings or if you ever want to see me again." He backed away slowly and began to walk towards the door. "I just wanted to let you know how I felt." Sakura grabbed his arm. Ichigo stared at her hand for a moment before looking into her eyes. They were full of emotions, like a swirling pool of water. "Don't…leave me alone." She begged quietly. She pulled him closer. "Don't leave me alone again." She reached up and returned the kiss.

WARNING!!! HENTAI STARTS HERE!!!! If you don't wanna read it, go look for the bold words at the end!

Sakura walked backwards up the stairs, followed closely by Ichigo. She felt for the knob on her door and turned it as Ichigo caught up and kissed her again, this time more deeply and longer. As he kissed her, Sakura un-did his belt and slowly pulled his jeans off and began working on his t-shirt. He slipped his arms gently under her nightgown and pulled it over her head. As he walked forward, he knocked Sakura down onto her bed, smiling. "Ichigo…" she whispered quietly. He climbed onto the bed next to her and they began to kiss again. As they did, they slowly sat up and Ichigo slowly slipped out of his underwear. She followed suit and soon they were rubbing against each other, as if some in rhythm with some primal beat that only they could hear. Slowly, Ichigo pushed Sakura back down gently on the bed. "I hope you're ready." He whispered softly in her ear. She could feel him leaning closer to her, his hot breath breathing down her neck. "Ichigo…I…" she started to say, but was shortly interrupted by a sudden feeling from down below. "Ahh!" she cried out, completely taken by surprise. "Shhh." He hushed her. She felt him run her through about five times before he found what he was looking for. As he pushed one final time, Sakura felt something pass through them both. But she was too busy with other emotions too worry about it. Slowly, she brought herself up to Ichigo's neck and kissed it gently, trailing her tongue slowly down his neck. Ichigo repeated slowly, nipping here and there at her neck. As she licked his ear delicately, she whispered quietly. "I love you, Ichigo." Ichigo buried his face in her hair, which smelled like cherry blossoms before replying. "I love you too, Sakura." Slowly and steadily, they slid under the covers and fell asleep next to each other, relishing in each others warmth and comfort.

Hentai is over now!!! Thank god it's off my chest!!!!

Sakura woke up to the soft breathing going down her neck. She turned around slowly to see Ichigo next to her. He had a peaceful look on his face, and she smiled gently. His words echoed through her head. I love you too, Sakura… She turned red at the thought. She closed her eyes and sighed. It was then that she noticed something. Without meaning to, she focused on his spiritual pressure. It was then she felt that something was wrong, very wrong. His breathing was nice, sure, but it was also in time with her own. No… she thought with horror. What have I done? She slowly crawled out of the bed so that she wouldn't wake him up. She stumbled on the ground as she reached for her nightgown. She slipped back on and climbed into the chair next to her bed. She stared silently at Ichigo, who was still asleep, oblivious to what had happened. I hope he wakes up soon. She thought as she pulled her knees up to her face. Ichigo…what have I done to you?

Ichigo got up slowly, slightly tired still. He glanced around, unsure of where he was for a moment. It was then he remembered where he was. Me and Sakura… we had sex…he realized slowly. It was then he noticed that she wasn't there. "Sakura? Where are you?" he asked. He heard small noises to his left and turned to see Sakura. She was back in her nightgown, in the fetal position and her eyes were red. Something's wrong… "What's wrong, Sakura?" he asked, concerned. She didn't say anything, or even look at him. Her eyes seemed distant and scared. Ichigo grabbed his boxers and put them on. He grabbed Sakura's shoulders and shook her. "Sakura, pay attention!" he said. Her dark blue eyes seemed to refocus and she shivered slightly. "I-Ichigo?" she whispered his name quietly. She sounded afraid and cold. Ichigo grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around the both of them and he held her closely. "What's wrong?" She stared into his eyes. "What's wrong? You mean you can't tell?" she asked him. Ichigo was taken aback slightly. "W-was it too soon to….you know." He asked. Sakura laughed, but there was no humor in her voice. "No, you moron! Oh, please say I'm wrong." She said, half to herself. Ichigo gave her a puzzled look before he heard her speak again. "If you can hear me, please say yes." She asked. Ichigo stared at her for a moment. When she had spoken, her lips never moved. "Yes…" he said slowly. Sakura's eyes grew haunted. "I knew it. It was nice to hope, but…" Ichigo was getting slightly agitated. "But what?!" he snapped, not meaning to sound so angry. Sakura shivered a little before speaking. "Ichigo…our souls have been connected."

Sakura noticed that he didn't get it. Go figure…she thought and sighed. "Ever heard of the concept of 'soul mates'?" she asked him. Ichigo put on a thoughtful look. "That refers to people that believe that were meant to be together." He said. Sakura nodded. "There is one person out there meant to be with each other. But the odds of you meeting that person is rare. It's even rarer when they return the same feelings back." She said. It took Ichigo a moment to process what she was saying. "So… you're saying we're soul mates." He concluded. Sakura nodded and smiled sadly. "Yes. If the soul mates have sex, sometimes, a special link is formed. This is called Soul Synchronization." Ichigo cocked his head to the right. "I've never heard of that before." He admitted. "Not many have, and that's because it happens so rarely. But when it does happen, there are some good points and some bad." Sakura explained.

"What's a good point?" Ichigo asked. "Well, we can hear each other's thoughts." She told him. "Like what you and your sister can do." Ichigo pointed out. Sakura nodded. "Yes, but this connection is stronger. Our souls are connected, intertwined." Ichigo nodded, but Sakura couldn't tell if he understood or not. "What's a bad point?" he asked. Sakura stared at him. "You really want to know?" she asked him slowly. Ichigo nodded. "Let me up." She said. Ichigo climbed out of the chair and she walked down to the kitchen. She came back up with a knife. "What are you doing?" he asked, uncertain of her intention. "Showing you a bad point." She took the knife and quickly made a small cut on her arm. She flinched in pain, and waited for Ichigo's response. Almost instantly, Ichigo felt as if she had cut his arm as well. "What the hell?" "Pain sharing. We feel each other's physical pain." She told him. She dropped the knife and sat down on her bed. "Ichigo…I'm sorry." She whispered. Ichigo wrapped his arms around her. "Don't be sorry for anything. If it was going to be like this, I'll deal with it." He whispered in her ear. She shoved his arms off of her. "That's not what I'm apologizing for." She said. Ichigo gave her a puzzled look. Before she could explain, she heard a familiar voice call from outside. "Sakura! Ichigo! I know you guys are there!" Sakura bolted to the window to see a black haired soul reaper. "Kyomi!" she gasped. She quickly grabbed her zanpakuto and leaped out the window as a soul reaper, Ichigo following closely behind. She embraced her sister. "I'm so glad to see you!" she almost cried. As she looked into her sister's green eyes, however, her heart fell. Her sister was angry. "Why, Sakura? Why didn't you tell me anything?!"

Oh my god!!! Soooooo glad this is done! Well, my peeps, tell me what ya think! If you read the hentai, tell me how that went, ok? Thanks a ton!!!XD