Title: Morning Breaks.

Rating: G

Word Count: 1216

Warning: Make sure you've read up/watched up to the Soul Society arc first.

Summary: Ichigo is sleepy and oblivious. Rukia is saying goodbye.

Morning Breaks.

He awoke to find her sitting cross-legged at the edge of his bed, watching things unfold outside of his window. Her stern face had temporarily smoothed its harsher features; had he ever seen her so relaxed? His eyes traced over the profile of her face, the wistful hint of a smile on her lips…

"Good morning, Ichigo," she said calmly, her eyes never leaving the window. He sat up in bed, immediately hating the chill of the morning air.

"Yeah," he mumbled, scratching his head sleepily. What time was it, he wondered… was it 7:00 already? Tuesday, right? Turning to his digital clock with half-opened eyes, the brightness of the numbers in the somewhat dark room filled his vision. 5…30? What the hell had possessed him to wake up this early? He turned back to Rukia, who hadn't moved an inch since he had awoken.

"It's early, I know," she said before he could complain. "I… just didn't feel like sleeping anymore, is all." She paused, then turned to look at him slowly. Ichigo didn't know why, but her calm expression made his throat a little tight. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

He started to say something biting, but couldn't. The look in her eyes…

"No," he muttered, his eyes averting to his hands. "Just didn't feel like sleeping anymore, either." It would've been a blatant lie if it weren't for the fact that Rukia's behavior was unnerving him; Ichigo wanted to laugh derisively at the irony of his reasoning. We're constantly at odds because she has a stick up her ass half the time… and when I finally see her relaxed, I get nervous. He looked up at her again, failing to catch the remorseful expression on her face.

Of all the things I've experienced by living on Earth again, I'll miss my time with you the most. Rukia turned again to the window, her hands resting on the cool windowsill, trying to keep her face as unreadable as would befit a member of the Kuchiki family. It was strange… what used to come so naturally after years of practice and experience was starting to give her a headache in the living world.

All the more reason, upon many other reasons, that she had to leave.

"Ichigo…" she started saying, her voice more hesitant than he had ever heard it since knowing her. He leaned forward with an inquisitive look on his face, his eyes not missing the sight of her eyebrows knitting slightly.

"Yeah." Rukia focused her vision on the line of brilliant orange that grew on the horizon and tried to smooth out the troubled expression on her face with a smile.

"Do you… well… do you ever regret becoming a shinigami?" Do you ever think about how much better your life would be without me to complicate things? She had managed to keep the self-loathing out of her question, but she was being so damn vulnerable today, of all days… Ichigo leaned back, crossing his arms carelessly behind him while closing his eyes to consider the question.

And Kuchiki Rukia rebelliously thought: The boy doesn't realize what danger I've put myself into for the sake of his family and friends. Why should I feel guilty for being the hero? Shouldn't he be thanking me?

But the Rukia of Rukongai couldn't help but feel remorseful over the danger and pressure that she had placed on him; not to mention the unavoidable danger that she was careening towards with every hour she stayed in her false body. If he's bitter, I think I'll understand. He has a right to be angry at me. I've put him through so much.

Ichigo tilted his head, furrowed his eyebrows, then opened his eyes and stared directly at her. The room had gotten lighter, darkness turning into a musky violet; the slowly rising sun cast a fiery orange shade onto Rukia's jet-black hair and made a beautiful profile he couldn't ignore. She looked so noble, so detached, as if she would sprout wings and fly out of the window that seemed to have all of her attention.

It was that moment, he reflected much later, that he realized his feelings regarding her were more than just obligation and friendship.

For now, however, the moment passed awkwardly over his head and his collected appearance became a little flustered. "Well—" he started, averting his eyes.

She turned to look at him, and he found he couldn't meet her gaze directly.

"Well, at times things are dangerous... whenever I fight, it seems that the people I know tend to be the ones in danger." He scratched the back of his head again, contemplating the months since Rukia had arrived. "And maybe it gives me a little less time to study… yeah, and I guess I get less sleep… and maybe less time to hang out with friends? Not that I ever made that a priority…"

Rukia's face fell before she could catch it. Somehow, she'd been hoping--Well, it doesn't matter now, does it? She brushed the strand that always managed to fall between her eyes behind her ear. Time to focus on my last day he—

"But you know," Ichigo continued to say, unaware that he had interrupted her thoughts, "it's not really a big deal. I've learned a lot about myself… I've learned a lot about this world… and…" He looked up at her again, almost shyly (although she almost doubted seeing this expression through his trademark scowl).

"I don't… well… I don't regret meeting you, Rukia." Had he seen right through her question or not? Rukia's cheeks burned as the dawn filtered its way into his room; she tried to scowl, but found that she could only smile.

"Idiot," she said softly, "that wasn't my question." But her heart was lifted.

He looked at her, saw the emotion in her eyes and the soft lines around her lips, and smiled back… a real one, a rare one. He looked so kind. And at that moment, Rukia realized what was making her leave—what made her care so much more about his safety than her own. It had never been her duty… her throat grew tight.

"Wasn't it?" he said, his smile still in place. Then he yawned, stretching out his arms. "Well, it's getting close to six and I'm not sleepy anymore. Let's have more than just toast for breakfast, okay?"

It was better this way… for him to think that she would be here for breakfast tomorrow, and the day after. She smoothed the mask of her expression and turned away from the window, jumping off his bed effortlessly.

"Anything but your burnt toast sounds good to me," she retorted, climbing into his closet to change into her school uniform. He stared at the closet door, meaning to come back with something clever to say but couldn't. Something about the way she was acting this morning just wasn't normal… he'd ask her about it after school, he decided. Leaning forward, he caught a glimpse of the neighborhood waking up outside of his window… and hoped it would be a good day for her.

And inside her makeshift room, Rukia wiped away a silly human tear while trying to smile. She'd miss his burnt toast, too.

Fin.

AN: First Ichigo x Rukia story I've written. I have changed the title numerous times because I can't think of one I like… this one will suffice for now. :x Please let me know what you think. :)