DISCLAIMER: Tite Kubo owns Bleach. Since I don't, I'll have to just keep writing my pathetic fanfics. -sobs in corner-

A/N: Hey peoples! Kuchiki here. The plot actually starts in this chapter, so I'm pretty excited. Although the clichéd-ness also starts here. Oh well.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rukia lay on her futon, remembering the events that had happened earlier. Ichigo had suddenly just told her…his words rang in her ears.

I love you…

I love you…

I love you, Rukia.

She smiled and turned onto her side. Somehow she felt breathless whenever she thought about it.

Then she drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wow. He'd actually done it. He had to admit, it hadn't been very easy…especially with her cutting him off every two seconds. But at least it was over.

She'd seemed a little shocked at first, but not as surprised as he had been expecting.

"Ichigo?"

He turned his head to see the closet door open just a crack, with Rukia's big violet eyes just barely visible.

"Rukia? You're awake?"

"Well, I was…but the detector woke me up…there's another Hollow…"

Ichigo sighed and got up. "You wanna come?"

"Idiot. When haven't I?" she replied, coming out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well? Where's the Hollow?" Ichigo said, slightly annoyed.

"That's strange…the detector's been working fine…I didn – "

"Rukia! Watch out!" Ichigo yelled and pushed her to the side just as the Hollow appeared before them.

"Another shinigami, eh?" came the cold voice. "I think I'll have my feast here…"

"Come and get it!" Ichigo leapt up, preparing to slice through its head, but it suddenly disappeared just as he was about to strike.

"Where – ?"

"Ichigo!!" Rukia's voice caught his attention. The Hollow had reappeared behind her, grabbing her with its large, rough hands.

Dammit…she's not a shinigami right now. She just came to be with me…to make sure I'd be okay…

Ichigo landed on the ground and ran toward it, but it easily knocked him backward with a flick of its hand. "How rude. Interrupting my meal…"

"Ichi-go…h-help…" Rukia whispered as it wrapped its hands around her neck. She was trying to pry them off, but to no avail. Right now she only had the power of an average human girl.

"Rukia!" he yelled, getting up again. He used shunpo to land behind it. The Hollow was still too preoccupied with Rukia to notice him…this was his chance…

"ICHIGO!!!!!" came Rukia's voice. The Hollow had now wrapped its tail around her, squeezing her slowly. Ichigo saw her face grow pale.

Ichigo slashed the Hollow apart without thinking. As it screamed in pain and disappeared, he ran over to Rukia. "Rukia! Are you okay…"

She was unconscious, but still alive. Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief and picked her up in his arms. "Come on. Let's get you home."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ichigo's alarm went off. He groaned and rolled over to turn it off. Sighing, he opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. It was another day…another school day…another day of fighting Hollows…

He glanced towards the closet, where he'd put Rukia back last night. She must be pretty tired from last night.

But school was school, and being tired was no excuse to miss it. Well, unless you were REALLY tired, of course, which she probably wasn't. So he got up and stretched, then walked over to the closet door.

"Oy! Rukia. Come on. It's time to get up," he said, sliding open the door and prodding her gently. "School's in fifteen minutes…"

"Mmm…no…not now, Renji…I'm still tired…" she said without waking up.

Ichigo froze. Had she just said 'Renji'? If he remembered correctly, she was his now, not that idiot's…

"Rukia, it's Ichigo. Geez, wake up already," he said, poking her a little more forcefully. "You're still dreaming."

"RENJI!! I'M SLEEPING, DAMMIT!!" she yelled and kicked him in the face.

He grabbed her by the waist and carried her out of the closet, tossing her on his bed. "Look, I'm gonna go eat now. You should too…"

Slowly, Rukia's eyes opened. She screamed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Nee-chan? What is it?" Yuzu called worriedly, running up the stairs. Isshin was close behind her. "Rukia-chan? Are you alright?"

They pushed open the door, only to see a terrified-looking Rukia lying on the bed with Ichigo hovering over her.

"Onii-san!! What are you doing to nee-chan?" Yuzu asked.

"Oh! So sorry to interrupt!" Isshin yelled, and dashed out of the room, pulling Yuzu with him. "You kids just keep doing whatever you were doing!"

Ichigo swore under his breath. "Damn idiots…"

"You're not Renji…" Rukia whispered. "Where am I? And what are you going to do to me?"

"Rukia, stop spacing out on me. The Hollow got you pretty bad last night…so I brought you back here, but you were unconscious."

Rukia's brow furrowed. "Who…are you?"

"Uh…Ichigo."

Rukia suddenly lost her defenseless personality and glared at him. "Well, Ichigo…you'd better let me go right now or I'll beat the crap out of you. Got that?"

"Rukia! Cut it out, dammit! You're freaking me out!" Ichigo yelled, grabbing her arms.

"Who's freaking who out?" she yelled, swinging her knee up. As Ichigo curled up on the floor in pain, she jumped off the bed and out the door.

"D-dammit…what's gotten into her?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, I've finally updated. Fourth chapter to be coming soon! Please review and tell me what you think so far! – Kuchiki-chan