Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

AN: Well- since I left you hanging- saying this chapter would be out soon… And I've actually dragged ass on it- it's quite long… So my apologies, but I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the reviews and follows. BTW I normally like to reply to all my reviews in the following chapter bcuz I love the interaction and if I slip any FYI in I want everyone to be able to have an "I gotcha" moment. Please forgive me for not doing so this chapter or the following. Hope that the two chapters are good enough to make up for it! I'll be back to my old tricks in the future! I adore you all- you make me laugh and keep me on my toes- thank you!

Much love!

Hearts A-Stray

Chapter 12 :

Princess Vs. Tutor:

Classroom Round

The classroom seemed more like a library.

Ichigo, even as he yawned couldn't help but be grudgingly impressed by the collection.

He had spent his night tossing and turning in bed and/or pacing his apartment debating on whether to skip town to forgo an embarrassing encounter with the princess. But he had reasoned that it was really his other half that was interested in her in an unprofessional way. He certainly could control himself knowing what a bratty, controlling little snot she was! It would be harder to keep himself from hurling insults at the prissy girl than sniffing her!

Sniffing?

Damn dog- keep your thoughts to yourself! Ichigo dropped his leather satchel down on the desk with force.

The room was large; accommodating floor to ceiling bookshelves on two sides about twelve feet tall and fourteen feet long. There was a window between the book cases allowing the muted yellow sunlight to pour in across the wood floor. Only two desks occupied the sprawling space, his, a large solid oak desk of a golden hue, and the student's, smaller dark wood, but by no means cheap. There was a fireplace that looked as though it had never seen use, set into the same wall as the only entrance/exit. The whole room smelled of lemony cleaning agents, floor wax, and books.

Admittedly, Ichigo enjoyed the scent, and the comforting surroundings of books, some of which looked like first editions of classics. All in all it wasn't bad for a classroom, though the sheer size and Spartan-ness of it ensured if he so much as dropped a book it would sound like a small explosion resounding against the walls and high ceiling.

He sighed. He'd been so preoccupied with his inner arguments the night before, he hadn't even developed a curriculum. Of course he'd been provided with a syllabus deemed appropriate by the prince and previously delved into by the princess' former tutor. But the idea of following an outline that was not his own did not sit well with Ichigo and with a smirk he crumpled up the ten page packet and tossed it in the recycle beside his desk.

The crumpling of course was unnecessary but it helped ease the anxious tension in his hands. He couldn't- no wouldn't- say why he felt so fidgety, but he had cracked his knuckles six times in the last hour.

He rolled his shoulders and tossed his head side to side, satisfied with the crackling he heard and felt.

Feeling slightly more energized he wandered toward the nearest bookshelf… Where to start…

Something light would be best, he decided, his fingertips brushing against the spines of the books on the dustless shelf of his height. A smile twitched on his face as he paused. He pulled a black book from the shelf.

His smile grew as he fingered through the pristine pages. Despite the age of the book it was in immaculate condition. He didn't even realize he was suddenly grinning as he read over the familiar dialogue of 'As You Like It'.

The princess watched him a step from the doorframe, cast in shadow. She was very still as she noted the smile on his face and the bright glow of his conspicuous hair as the sun gilded it with almost loving adoration.

She shook her head of the thought pasting a frown on her face.

Ridiculous. What kind of nerd looks so happy reading these old books? She scoffed. Still she hesitated when she watched his mouth twitch and heard him chuckle. It loosed a slight chill up her spine as the masculine sound touched her ears.

Rukia refused to think. There was a thought buzzing around like an insistent fly- but she would rather swallow it than let it land! Her frown turned into a grimace. Flies were disgusting; she would never eat a fly! That was something a dog would do! Thinking of dogs she hadn't seen that big galoot on patrol the night before… She did not really want to let her thoughts filter to the oversized mutt, but it was preferable to thinking about her handsome new tutor. Handsome? Her whole body grew rigid.

But instead of blushing and smacking herself both physically and mentally for the thought she simply rolled her eyes. Idiot. Who cares what the hell he looks like? There are plenty of good-looking guys around me every day. Hitsugaya-Sensei, Hisagi-San, Ukitake-Sensei, Nii-sama… Even Zaraki-Sensei in a very rough and tie-me-up, tie-me-down kind of way… This thought did make her blush and she turned her gaze aside. She started over.

It doesn't matter. His personality makes him ugly and unbearable and… stupid! Her little hands were balling into fists at her sides. She gritted her teeth recalling the short and to-the-point conversation she'd had with her brother.

Flashback

"Your new tutor seems to have an unfavorable impression of you, Rukia." Cool grey eyes assessed her over a cup of tea.

She had fidgeted in her seat, "I- I'm not sure why-,"

Her brother gave her a reprieve from his gaze, but his tone still brooked no argument, "I suggest you rectify the matter. He is your tutor and you will accord him the same amount of respect due to all of your instructors."

Respect? That man has a decided lack of it! The way he dared speak to me- even after he knew who I was!

"Of course, Nii-sama!" Was her instant reply, despite her inner monologue.

He had nodded in approval and dismissal and she had sighed.

End Flashback

"That's a doorway you know… It's only for two things. Coming or going… Pick one." His snarky comment broke her from her thoughts.

Her eyes narrowed an equally smart reply on her tongue, "It is also considered a somewhat safe place to be in the event of a disaster."

He snorted and pretended to be preoccupied with his materials as she finally strode in.

Surreptitiously he watched her as she moved across the room toward her desk.

There was no blue cloak about her shoulders today, nor was there a sword at her hip (which he was secretly relieved to see). Over her cream colored shirt was a grey vest with silver buttons, that subtly flattered her petite torso while accentuating her- ehem- chest as it was cut to curve around her- cough- assets, cupping them to some extent.

For someone who was supposed to be off limits the clothing she had was in no way promoting the unspoken rule, at least not in Ichigo's opinion.

A pair of suede grey knee boots that matched the vest completed her look.

For all intents and purposes she still cut the image of one of the guards, but with a somewhat softer- fashionable edge- if one ignored the current glower on her face.

As she folded her arms over her chest and stopped in front of her desk to face him she said, "If I had not already met you I might've been shocked by such an impudent tone. But as it is Nii-sama insisted that despite your urbane mannerisms I am to ignore such plebeian antics and focus on my studies."

He snorted. Obviously she was still upset about their first official encounter- not that his introductory observation of a few moments earlier had been helpful.

"Alright Princess-,"

"I'd prefer if you didn't refer to me by title." She said as she gracefully slid into the seat behind her desk. He watched as she sat with perfect posture, her eyes on her desk, not out of humility, but rather a refusal to look at him.

He rolled his eyes, "Alright then- Ms. Kuchiki-"

"Rukia is fine," She sniffed haughtily.

He scowled and his eyes narrowed. Her name rolled off his tongue in a growl, "Rukia…then."

The girl unintentionally shivered, the tingling in her spine at the way he said her name, enough to make her close her eyes at the odd sensation. She couldn't help but think of some wild animal and for a moment she was both frozen and overly warm.

"Oi! You're already spacing out? I haven't even started!" He frowned moving to stand in front of her desk.

Her eyes flew open, "I wasn't spacing out! The sound of your voice just gives me a headache!"

He glared at her and snapped, "That is not something you say to your teacher, damnit!"

She opened her mouth, but realized she had indeed crossed a line and wandered into the "red zone."

The Elite had a color coded system of documenting conduct. And under the category of red was disrespecting, insulting, or belittling ones superiors. She bit her lower lip hard. She had a feeling she'd often be tempted to jump head first into the "red zone" with him.

Oddly enough the red zone did mention a bit about inappropriate superior/subordinate relationships… The guidelines warned that touching, groping, and suggestive language towards ones captain (or a captain towards their subordinate) was punishable by dismissal, but Rukia wasn't sure why she was recalling that part of the code.

Quickly she composed herself, folding her hands as she looked down in a somewhat penitent gesture, "You're right. Please forgive my rudeness, Kurosaki-Sensei." Despite the humble pose her knuckles were stark white in protest of the submissive act.

Ichigo blinked; this suddenly demure young woman had thrown him off guard to say the least. He had expected further argument and instead she was pouting those pink lips slightly, her posture that of a docile schoolgirl. She kept her chin down, but her eyes slowly lifted to him when he did not reply right away, their unusual blue-amethyst depths a mystery in emotion.

"Kurosaki-sensei?" She questioned when the silence had lengthened.

The man's eyes widened suddenly, that simple murmur of his name alongside honorific throwing him into memory. A very specific memory of one of his first days at the university in which a female student had slid up on his desk in a very provocative skirt and said something along the lines of: "School me, Kurosaki-sensei!" all while ripping away the buttons of her shirt…

For some reason this girl of memory seemed to wear the Princess' face.

A sunburnt shade of red, Ichigo spat, "Don't- don't call me that!"

Rukia jumped at the alarm in the man's voice and drew back in her seat, staring, "Ugh- I- What- what should I call you then?"

Feeling a right spaz almost instantly, Ichigo tugged at his collar once more and looked away, "I- ugh- just prefer to leave off the honorifics. Ichigo will suffice." He visibly straightened and quickly turned to stride back to his desk, putting sufficient distance between them.

Shit. This is why I avoided classrooms at all costs! Why is everybody under the age of twenty a damn pervert? Shit… What does that make me for that little daydream... I can't be screwed already, damnit!

By the time he had returned to a spot behind his desk to face her he had managed to school his countenance once more easing it back into the most comfortable expression for him which was of course a scowl.

She was watching him the whole time with a cross between curiosity and suspicion. Just what exactly was he hoping to accomplish by allowing her to address him informally? Doing so suggested a better knowledge of one another- a level of intimacy or trust. If that was what he wished to cultivate…

He cleared his throat and gathered a few papers into his hands. "I read over Ukitake-san's notes," He lied. He had skimmed over them, really. "And I'm a bit at a loss as to what you were studying…" Ichigo admitted rubbing at the back of his head with one hand as he stared almost sheepishly down at the papers in his hand.

When she did not reply he looked up with a quirked brow to find her cheeks slightly pink.

Rukia honestly couldn't recall the last time they (her former teacher and herself) had discussed anything related to…

What subject did Ukitake-sensei teach again?

She flushed fully and turned her head away giving him her profile, "I- thought- my- brother- provided you with a syllabus."

"You mean that ten page list of what's deemed inappropriate reading material for Princess Rukia?" The orange-haired man smirked, not even bothering to mask the sarcasm in his voice.

Bristling slightly she turned her gaze back to him again, "You're the teacher. Don't you have your own curriculum?" There was a challenge in her eyes.

With a huff Ichigo dropped the papers in his hands to the desk, "Yeah- but I don't want to review material you've already gone through- that would be a waste of time!"

"Well pick something and I'll tell you if we've gone through it." She insisted with an airy gesture.

"Fine!" He snatched up the book he had been reminiscing over upon her entrance, "Shakespeare… How much of 'As You Like It' do you know?"

Rukia tried not to squirm under his expectant scowl, but found herself avoiding his eyes once more, "Mmm… I don't recall covering much of it…" Any of it…

He gave a decisive nod, "That gives us something. If you don't mind we'll just start from the beginning."

She nodded her ascent.

"Good," He gave a quick smile that had her blinking as though someone had snapped a photo and she found herself dazed by the flash.

With a few strides of his long legs he had moved around his desk to stand in front of hers to hold out the book in his hand to her.

She frowned as she took it into her hands- it was cloth-bound with no picture or printing on the front.

His voice startled her from her assessment as he turned back to his desk, "Look through it. I'd like you to start off by going through the first act and writing down any dialogue that jumps out at you."

Rukia couldn't help but eye him, watching as he reached for his leather satchel. Perhaps he was a serious educator… He certainly seemed to be getting down to business rather quickly.

Again she nodded. She opened a drawer in the desk and found a mechanical pencil and a fresh Chappy the Rabbit notebook. Without hesitation she gripped the pencil and opened the notebook to a blank page.

Ichigo studied her for a moment, a satisfied smirk threatening as she set the book down next to the open notebook and began slowly pouring over the pages. He of course had his own copy of the book amongst his things and pulled it out after several minutes passed.

The silence that had fallen as she diligently followed his directive was soothing. Strange. He frowned. He hadn't expected an easy peace between them- a strained atmosphere seemed more likely after their first impressions of one another.

It was almost a little agitating.

Before he knew it he had risen to his feet. Only ten minutes must have passed in which the quiet had blanketed everything, but he found he couldn't sit still. So book in hand he began to pace the room. At first he did delve into the first act, reading over it line for line. But soon enough as his strides found him circling closer to his student, he found himself losing interest in the lines of the play.

Curiosity about this young woman seemed natural. She was a princess, but preferred to forgo her title to be known simply by her name and rank as one of the Elite. As for personality only one word seemed to fit: abrasive. He was beginning to wonder what his other half had seen in her in the first place.

He wandered by her surreptitiously, sneaking a glance at her paper- a bad habit he had cultivated when helping his sisters with their homework.

His feet were suddenly rooted to the floor- right behind her. When her fragrance had drifted into his nose, effectively teasing his brain, he was not sure. That fog of scent like night jasmine and frost laden wildflowers was thoroughly confusing his senses. He barely realized it as he leaned slightly over her shoulder- not looking at her paper, but staring at her black tresses as though he were falling face first into black ocean waters. Canine senses a-tingle he was quickly losing his grip.

Rukia stiffened. His warmth and the scent of his light bodywash was permeating the air around her.

What the hell did he think he was doing? Just when she thought he might not be some skeezy, ill-mannered, predator- here he was standing much too close!

With little thought she twisted to the side and jabbed her elbow up at an angle and into his stomach.

A satisfying (to her) gasp of pain followed and he wheezed out incredulously, "What the- you can't do that kind of shit to a teacher!"

Being elbowed back into reality was a bitch.

Turning in her chair to curl her fingers around the top of the back she shot back, "Then quit peeking over my shoulder like I'm a toddler!"

A hand to the very tender spot she had stabbed with her bony elbow, he gave a cough before sneering, "Well if I were to go by height-,"

He didn't get any farther before blue-purple eyes flashed and she was standing to face him her foot landing with force atop his own.

He yowled, but instead of jumping away he grabbed a handful of hair and yanked her toward him, "Didn't I just say that you can't haul off and do that kind of thing to your superior?" He had spoken through his teeth his eyes closed as though staring at her might cause him to do something even more rash than holding the princess by her hair.

He had completely ignored her shriek of protest and was now clearly oblivious to the mingling emotions of shock and incredulous rage on her face.

But suddenly her own hand was fisted into the collar of his shirt in a threatening hold and she was giving him a dangerous look of her own, "And don't you know that you can't possibly get away with treating a princess so callously?"

His eyes open now, he met her gaze. The heat between them was (sadly) all barely controlled fury. Their faces were inches apart, Ichigo stooped slightly and Rukia on the balls of her feet. Sexual tension this was not (yet). This showdown was a battle for dominance and as it was neither seemed to be winning.

Ichigo scoffed suddenly, easing his grip on her hair, admittedly impressed by her refusal to back down, "Something you should know is that I don't give a damn who you are- if you hit me I'm not just gonna run away with my tail between my legs." His brow twitched slightly at his too-close-to-home phrasing.

The princess' eyes narrowed further, but only to mask the hint of admiration that gleamed in their depths for a moment.

After three years of officially being a part of the palace's royal guard, she still found herself somewhat outcaste. Her comrades were nice enough to her, but the kid gloves had not wholly come off; they still treated her somewhat warily despite her insistent to ignore her title. But no one wanted to step out of line and have word get back to her older brother. Even Renji- as impulsive as he was- had a way of reminding her that she still had the authority to make demands. As it was- the one time he had crossed that line the consequences had been a prime example to what might happen should one become too familiar with the Kuchiki Princess.

But this man seemed to have no qualms.

She couldn't help but grudgingly respect his, albeit audacious, reasoning. It only proved his sense of pride and self-respect, qualities even her brother would find commendable.

"You've a point." The princess finally mumbled, though her eyes lost none of their fire.

Surprise widened her teacher's eyes and he became aware of their awkward stance. He quickly untangled his hands from her hair and stepped back. She released his shirt as her glare slowly eased into a perfectly respectable and emotionless mien.

Ichigo frowned deeply. He had definitely crossed the line and yet all he could think about was the fact that he much preferred her irritation to that cold mask that seemed to slide into place effortlessly. It was so obviously unnatural. Regardless of all that he knew he should apologize to her.

But instead he simply straightened his collar, speaking brusquely, "Right. Let's see what you've got there."

Forgoing any further thought of the girl's character seemed his best bet at the moment. His other half had been watching the exchanged with unbridled enthusiasm. The more the beast seemed to see of her- the more he seemed to prowl at the back of Ichigo's mind, awaiting a chance to dominate.

The young tutor pushed every thought aside. He couldn't allow himself to panic over the idea that he might be losing control. And he definitely could not allow himself to contemplate all the chaotic thoughts that bombarded him as his fingers slid through her silky tresses…

AN: Seriously that took me FOR-E-VER. I could not figure out how to end it for the life of me. Hope that wasn't terribly retched. Well in any case HAPPY NEW YEAR!