I don't own Bleach.

A/N – just making this clear – this happens after the whole Menos Grande fiasco during Ishida's first episodes, but still before Byakuya and Renji came for Rukia in episode 16. Character Behaviors are leaning more towards before the Memories in the Rain saga, but that's just me messing with the timeline a bit here.

Forgive me:D

Wrongly Reasoned Feelings

The next time Rukia even agreed to look at Ichigo was on their way home from school. He had kept his distance after the day's events, and it only made it harder for her to find an opportunity to start a conversation.

Eventually, when they were 5 minutes away from his home, Rukia came to a stop, her gaze fixed on her feet and her bag gripped tightly by both hands.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked once he too came to a stop, several steps farther from her.

"I've… been feeling much better since you gave me that medication. Thank you."

His cheeks reddened a bit and he managed to blink about a dozen times before looking away, scratching his cheek,

"Maaah, we live in a clinic so it's not like we don't have those things just lying around… and he may be an insane idiot but that damned Oyaji of mine only brings the best there is… we've got girls coming in with such complaints all the time, it'd be idiotic to let someone I know suffer over it."

She smiled softly, but only for a second before biting her lip.

"Ne, can I—can I ask you something?"

"This isn't like you." He said as he turned to her. She stared at him. "Just ask it already."

She took a deep breath before obliging.

"Why… did you agree?"

He blinked again.

"Agree? What to?"

She half glared at him.

"Ogawa. Why did you agree to go with her?"

He sighed.

"Why's every single person… look, her mother's sick…" Her eyes widened in realization, but she let him continue his explanation. "… she's working herself off to help with the medical expenses, but when it comes down to it a classmate with whom I spent a relatively bearable evening asked me to spend another one with her. What's so wrong about accepting?"

"Is that where you were that evening last week? With her?" She hardly tried to hide the offensive tone in her voice. He, on his side, didn't hold back as he glared at her, not seeing why he was being attacked.

"And what if that's true? Suddenly getting on her case like that, almost sounds like you wanted me to ask your or something."

She gave out a harsh laugh. His glare deepened with a wounded shade to it.

"Don't be ridiculous, I was just afraid it had something to do with your job as my replacement. Besides, who'd in their right minds would want to go out with you?"

"Ogawa, I guess." Came his bitter and stingy reply, making Rukia's eyes widen in shock and regret. He crossed his arms behind his head as he showed her his back.

"But then again I don't know her that well. As far as I know she really is a nutcase, but since it's just for tonight I guess no real harm will come out of it. It does make me think, thought… what does it say about someone living in my closet?"

He never looked back as he left her to her silence, not watching as she hugged her stomach with tightly shut eyes, blaming her fake body's condition for the emotions that were eating at her soul.

She should have Urahara look at that…

–

"You and I… need to talk." Tatsuki declared as she met up with Michiru just as the other girl walked out of the school's gates, alone.

"Don't you have club today, Tatsuki?" Michiru asked gently, the guilt about her behavior earlier that day making her dread the argument she knew was coming.

"Don't you have your part time job today?"

She received a shake of the head.

"I have today off."

"Then they'll excuse me for being late once."

"What… do you want to talk to me about?" She asked hesitatingly as Tatsuki began walking towards the spot of lawn where they had lunch.

"Do you really need to ask? Obviously, it's about…" She turned to look at her coldly over her shoulder. "…your precious Kurosaki-kun."

A/N: short chapter, but the next one's my favorite part of this fic