Disclaimer: All Bleach characters belong to Kubo Tite.

Author's note: Timeline of this story is set after the Soul Society Arc. Since I'm waiting for the anime to catch up with the manga (when this was written), I've taken some liberties in assuming that Rukia returns to Karakura.

PA system Blues: The first Monday morning

Kurosaki Ichigo set the box of wires onto the tabletop, upsetting a tipsy pile of yellowing files to the floor. He sneezed explosively –once, twice, and the final one left him cross-eyed.

Rukia waved her hands before her and said primly, "Eeew! This room is filled with your germs!"

"Correction –this room is filled with Dust Bunnies," Ichigo said grumpily.

"Bunnies! Where?" Rukia demanded excitedly.

"Nevermind! Just help me out here, will you?"

Kami-sama, why do you do this to me? Out of all the people in class, it had to be Rukia! She doesn't even know how to poke a straw into a packet drink –directions labeled!

Fate had a funny sense of humor sometimes. Ichigo knew very well that Rukia had limited knowledge on operating and managing certain things in his world. He had found this out the hard way when she had failed to work the radio in his room. In a magnificent show of frustration, she had blown the poor appliance into so many tiny components with her Demon Arts.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me?" Ichigo yelled. He had just caught Rukia bending down to the electrical socket, ready to plug the wires in and send some 'Good morning, Ichigo!' jolts to his end.

Rukia glared at him. "It won't work if I don't plug it in!"

Oh, so.. she had finally figured that out. Too bad his radio was beyond salvation before she learnt that little basic lesson in electronics.

Ichigo adamantly refused to listen to any of Rukia's "helpful" suggestions while they tried to figure out the faded labels and connections. When Ichigo had finally set the PA system up, they were both red in the face from bickering and sneezing.

Wearily, they turned around, only to discover that the list of announcements was lost somewhere in the sea of dusty documents, Ichigo let out a small scream of frustration.

"Stubborn, hot-headed fool," Rukia whispered under her breath.

It was one of those tiny comments meant to provoke and not to hurt. But, Ichigo seemed to take it to heart.

"Stubborn and hot-headed, huh?" he repeated softly.

"Ah, you're reckless too," Rukia added. "Do you deny this about yourself?"

Ouch, that really stung!

Ichigo turned away from her. "Yeah, I am all those things you said."

"And you dislike yourself for this?"

Ichigo did not reply. He could not.

"Stubborn, hot-headed, reckless," Rukia said. Taking one step closer to him, she continued, "Strong, kind and brave. I like all these things about you. I like you, Ichigo."

I like all these things about you.

Ichigo's eyes widened. He turned around to meet Rukia's steady gaze.

I like you, Ichigo.

One hand reached out to her, fingertips grazing lightly down her cheeks. When she did not object, Ichigo pulled her tightly against him in a fierce hug.

"Thank you, Rukia."

Thank you for accepting me as I am.

oooOooo

For the first time in Karakura High's history, the students were not in a bleary-eyed stupor as the individual PA systems crackled in every classroom. On the contrary, every face was turned towards the little speaker-box set up high on the wall.

It was uncanny –the way every single ounce of concentration in the classroom was focused on it.

In Form 3, Class 1, Arisawa Tatsuki broke the stunned silence.

"I think.. Kurosaki didn't know the PA microphone was switched on, did he?"

Author's Note: Can you say, "Whoopsie.."? ;)

Next chapter: The second Monday morning.