Ichigo Vs Rukia

"I'm sorry, I just don't feel like you could win against me if I were really trying to win," Ichigo says to Rukia. He's fascinated by the way her eyes turn into an angry ocean blue color at his words.

"Care to wager on that?" Rukia asks him softly. Ichigo wonders what game she's trying to pull.

"What do you mean? It's not like we would ever have a real reason to battle." Ichigo objects as he realizes he has really infuriated her.

"I can think of a real good reason for us to battle. For the purposes of our wager." Rukia tells him, and Ichigo's eyes widen.

"What kind of wager are you talking about?" Ichigo asks warily.

"Whoever loses has to be subordinate for the day." Rukia answers instantly. "Not slave, that would be going too far, but whoever loses will have to treat the other like they're their captain for the day. Do you accept these terms?" Rukia asks with a faint smile. She knows how powerful he is, but she also knows he's never gotten a good look at her sword's first dance, thanks to Chappy.

Ichigo appears to consider it for a moment. He would hate it if he had to act like her subordinate, on the other hand, he wouldn't mind having her act as the subordinate for the day. She's always bossing him around, and if for one day he can be the faux captain of the pair, then he'll jump at that opportunity.

"Fine." Ichigo agrees and Rukia smiles.

"Get in your fighting stance, we'll start on three." Rukia tells him. Ichigo nods and he yanks his very intimidating Zangetsu off of his back and Rukia pulls her sword from the side.

"I'm ready. You can release your sword beforehand if you want." Ichigo tells her. Rukia scoffs.

"Don't give me any advantages, you forget that I'm proficient in all aspects of being a Shinigami. Whoever gives in first or passes out first or can't stand first is the loser!" Rukia sings as she stares at him.

"Got it." Ichigo replies. He waits for her to count it down.

"One...two...three!" Rukia cries out three and immediately they start flash stepping all around each other. Rukia observes his movements and then predicts where he'll be and she uses a binding spell to stop him in mid step. Ichigo gets a very surprised look on his face when he is stuck there and he watches her release her sword.

He can't take his eyes off of her, she is absolutely breathtaking to watch. As her sword starts turning completely white, he realizes he has to get out of the binding spell, and he forces it to disintegrate by sheer will as she faces him in all of her beauty and glory with her released white sword.

"Wow," Ichigo has never faced her as an opponent before and she is doing a good job of making him feel uneasy. She doesn't look nervous or intimidated and to him, that's enough to make him cautious at the very least.

"What are you staring at?" Rukia shouts, and then she disappears. She circles around Ichigo quickly and winds up in his blind spot. Ichigo takes a moment to notice where she popped up and that's when Rukia gives him a taste of her first dance.

Ichigo's eyes widen to unnatural proportions as he watches the ice form around his legs at a super fast speed. He sees Rukia's smug smile as the ice keeps moving upwards and Ichigo realizes he's good and caught. Before her ice can get to his arms though, Ichigo stops it with one word.

"Bankai!" Ichigo yells out. The exploding reiatsu around him blows the ice away completely and Ichigo gives her a little glare. "You sneaky little bitch!" Ichigo exclaims, unable to believe the power she'd displayed. He had known the instant he felt that ice that his Getsuga Tenshou would be useless as long as he was only in shikai.

"You really shouldn't underestimate me." Rukia binds him still again, and then she binds him with a much higher level of binding spell. Ichigo's face turns mad with anger when he can't get loose. Rukia smiles victoriously and walks right up to him as he's held still by her spell.

"Damn it!" Ichigo yells, unable to believe he's just lost.

"Submit to me or else," Rukia threatens once she's standing right in front of him. She holds the tip of her sword to his neck. Ichigo lets out a defeated sigh. She certainly got him alright.

"Fine...Captain." Ichigo says, blushing at calling her by that title. Rukia grins.

"You give up, right?" Rukia wants to be sure that he's not trying to pull a stunt.

"You got me. I give up." Ichigo says through gritted teeth. Rukia doesn't unbind him. Instead, she walks right up to him as he's held still and she places a very soft kiss on his cheek. Ichigo's eyes widen in shock.

"Thanks for playing, there's your consolation prize." Rukia says with a grin. Ichigo glares at her.

"That was a sucky prize. The least you could have done is kiss me on the lips." Ichigo bluffs. He just wants to see her blush in embarrassment, since he's embarrassed that he lost. He is speechless when she leans forward a second time and brushes her lips against his, with her face pink. When she pulls away she doesn't meet his gaze but she does undo the spell that binds him.

Ichigo touches his lips with his right index finger and stares at her in shock. She's not looking so he allows himself to stare at her openly as he cannot believe what she just did.

"Why did you do that?" Ichigo asks softly. Rukia looks at him with surprise.

"Didn't you say you wanted me to?" She asks him as she blushes a little harder.

"I didn't think you'd actually do it," Ichigo whispers and he feels his own face heat up too. He's dying of embarrassment at what just happened. That was his first kiss! He doesn't count the kisses Kon has had in his body. What was worse though was that he hadn't wanted her to pull away. Ichigo averts his face at that realization.

"I couldn't stop myself after you requested it," Rukia whispers back, feeling just as mortified as he appears to be feeling. Ichigo responds without even thinking.

"Then kiss me again now that I'm not bound and I can reciprocate...Captain." Ichigo tells her softly. Rukia feels her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she steps towards him again. When he said he'd reciprocate, her feet had moved instinctively. She stares up into his eyes as she sets one hand on his chest.

"Ichigo," Rukia whispers and Ichigo leans down to kiss her. She throws her arms around his neck and they both kiss each other with a hot passion that makes them both unable to stay still. Rukia sucks in a quick breath as his hands settle on the small of her back and he kisses her without holding back. Rukia's eyes open for a second when she feels his tongue run over her lips and she parts them instinctively. Ichigo takes the opportunity to deepen it into a completely passionate kiss.

When they finally pull away from each other, they just stare into each other's eyes.

"I liked that." Ichigo tells her softly, and Rukia feels like she might explode from happiness.

"Me too." Rukia whispers. She grabs his hand and they head for his house. Ichigo glances at her.

"I want you." Ichigo whispers it so softly he doesn't think it's possible that she heard him, but she did.

"I've wanted you for the longest time," Rukia admits, and she feels him squeeze her hand.

"Why aren't we together then?" Ichigo asks her with confusion in his eyes.

"We are together. We always are." Rukia objects. and Ichigo stops walking and tightens his hold on her hand.

"No I don't mean like that. I mean really together. A true commitment." Ichigo whispers feeling like he never wants another man to experience the pleasure that he just had at kissing her lips.

"What, you mean like marriage?" Rukia asks in confusion. Ichigo stares into her eyes, and he surprises her with his level of intensity.

"I want that more than anything," Ichigo admits to her, causing her eyes to go round and big in shock.

"No way," Rukia says, disbelieving. "You've never acted like you wanted that with me." Rukia tells him, not able to believe they're having this conversation.

"When didn't I act like it? When I came to save your life? When I try to protect you? When I went to lengths unheard of, all for you? How can you say I never acted like it? You're the one who never analyzed my actions!" Ichigo tells her tersely.

"Really?" Rukia whispers, feeling a level of happiness she had never known before. Ichigo rolls his eyes.

"Yes, really! That's why I want to be with you and only you for as long as I...exist." Ichigo says lamely, realizing he would want to be with her always, whether he was alive or dead. Rukia is horrified to feel her eyes well up with tears at his words, she doesn't want to start crying.

"I want that too…more than anything," Rukia says in a low sultry voice. Ichigo crushes her to his chest. Rukia enjoys the sound of his heart beating into her ear.

"Thank you, Rukia." Ichigo whispers as he closes his eyes and holds her as close as he possibly can.

"Don't thank me, just love me." Rukia whispers back. Ichigo squeezes her a little tighter. He doesn't even want to think about how unhappy his life was before she came and made life beautiful again.

"I could never stop." Ichigo tells her before pulling her in for another kiss. Rukia kisses him back with as much enthusiasm as she possibly can.

"Lets go home." Rukia says softly against his lips.

"Sure thing, Captain." Ichigo says, throwing her a sexy grin. Rukia lays her head against his shoulder. It feels like she's won more than one battle tonight, and she's never felt more wonderful than she can ever remember being in her life. She smiles in complete happiness.

Being in love and being loved is more beautiful than I even dreamed.