AN: Heya guys, back again…like wow…I'm actually writing this after I posted chapter 17…o.O That's really weird, cause usually I have finished the next chapter by the time I post the chapter… Lol, anyway…Nothing much to say, cept thanks for reviewing…the number of reviews have increased and it better stay that way…hehehe thank you for all your support and stuff…become a regular reviewer!

Oh, just another quick note…I'm really touched by that person that wrote that it felt really good to come home after work with a freshly updated story…WOW! And the rest of my reviewers – YOU GUYS ROCK! I want to write personal responses to each and everyone of you, however, I think it would be more appropriate to thank you with this chapter. And I think you guys think that as well, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

A Summer Job: Business Trip (Part V)

Ichigo woke up, and looked into the sleeping face of Rukia. Except, this time he remembered where he was, and he wasn't too shocked. He pulled back a little, but their faces were still a few inches apart.

He studied her while she was sleeping. Her facial expression was soft as she breathed in and out. Her faint pink lips were slightly open, and tendrils of raven coloured hair cascaded down her face. She looked…peaceful, he decided, discarding the other word he was going to use.

Rukia opened her eyes, and met dark brown orbs that bored into her eyes. If she hadn't been lying down she would have jumped back. Something…something strong was in his eyes. They lay there, looking at each other, heads sideway on the futon.

A few seconds of silence passed. "Ichigo," Rukia said, but her voice was almost soundless.

He didn't answer her, but kept his gaze.

"About…last night…No," she corrected herself, "About Kaien-dono…"

His gaze turned slightly questioning. "I said you didn't have to…" He was cut off by Rukia, who placed a finger on his lips. The contact stopped his words. So he turned silent, but his eyes still searched her face.

"I want to…" She turned her gaze from him, focusing on the clean white sheets instead.

"Kaien-dono…he was…someone really special to me…" she paused, looking in his eyes. A hint of jealousy lay behind his dark brown orbs. "Not…like that…" she reassured him. "He was the only one who really accepted me, outside of Renji."

Ichigo stayed silent.

"But Renji…he accepted me because he knew me from when I was young." She paused. "Kaien-dono…he accepted me before he even knew me…That's what I liked about him. And, Kaien-dono was Kukaku's brother."

Ichigo's eyes opened slightly wider. She sighed.

"For some reason…I don't know…but you really look like him." She paused, fingering his collar without looking him in the eye. "That should probably explain why we were all gaping at you. Those were his clothes, after all."

"Mmm…" His brown eyes reflected thoughtfulness.

"His wife…" she stopped here, and she clenched his clothes a bit harder. She could feel him staring at her, but she didn't look up at him. Afraid to look up at him.

"Yes, his wife…She was the woman that I wanted to be like. She was nice. She acted properly. Her team members respected her, and she deserved it, you know." She stopped to recollect her memories. "She was…a lady."

Ichigo continued to look at her.

She sighed before continuing. "We were happy…I was happy, seeing Kaien-dono everyday, learning from him, learning from his wife…He was so nice to me…"

Still clenching his collar, she put her head forward, so that it rested on his chest.

"But one day…he…died…" She choked out the last few words. The light in the room seemed to darken, like a cloud had just gone over the sun.

She closed her eyes and sobbed softly, barely aware that Ichigo had put his arms around her. She opened her eyes when she was firmly in his grasp.

"There, there. It's ok." He patted her back.

She tightened her fists. "But…It isn't ok. IT ISN'T OK!" She yelled into his chest, and felt him tighten his grip.

"It is," she heard him insist.

"It isn't…" she said, laughing harshly. "I killed…Kaien-dono…" With that, she collapsed onto his chest again, sobbing involuntarily.

Ichigo just held her there, shocked, but knowing that she needed him. When she quietened down a little, he cleared his throat and spoke into her raven black hair.

"I...I'd like to say that…I understand…but…I don't…" He paused for emphasis. He wasn't good at long-winded speeches that comforted people. "I…won't…ask anymore from you…" Another pause. "But, I'm here…for you…" he stopped. "If you want," he added as an afterthought.

She didn't say anything but tried to pull herself closer to him spilling her tears on his clothes.

It was a while before he felt her petite body breathing normally. He pulled away from her slightly, and tipped her chin up with his index finger.

She looked up at him, the path of recent tears glistening with the light in the room.

"Are you…alright now?"

She nodded slowly, putting a little pressure on his finger when she moved her chin.

He shifted his body, and with his other hand dried her slightly damp face, and all the while she looked at him, unblinking. He tried to ignore her steady gaze. When he had finished he kept his hand on the side of her face marvelling how it fit perfectly on his hand. She kept her unwavering gaze.

"Rukia…I can't imagine what you've gone through…but I'm always here…okay?"

He saw her eyes start to slowly fill with tears again. He placed his hands over her eyes and gently made her close them; he did not want to see her cry again. Even so, he still felt the tears dampen his hand. Instinctively he leaned in and gently kissed her lips, not taking off his hand that covered her vision. He drew back after he felt her stop crying.

"Sorry," he mumbled sheepishly, and then turned around so that his back was facing Rukia. He missed the pleasantly surprised expression on her face.

What the hell did I do that for? Now she'll hate me for sure.

He lay there, his eyes squeezed shut.

Hopefully she'll forget about it…

He uttered a small grunt of surprise when he felt her cuddle into his back. He turned around quickly, only to find her cuddled up underneath the blanket, eyes closed, and a small smile on her face.

"Rukia?"

No answer.

"Rukia…" He shook her gently, but she did not open her eyes.

"Pfft…" he scowled. No one fell asleep that quickly. But, he let it go, and almost as an instinct, reached around her protectively. As he drew her closer to him, he felt her lean into his embrace.

He sighed, placed his chin on top of her raven black hair, and closed his eyes.

Ichigo changed back into the gi and hakama. But now, he knew why Rukia had looked at him weirdly when he had donned these clothes.

So this was…Kaien's clothes…huh?

He finished changing, and then crept back to the futon where Rukia still slept.

"Rukia." He shook her gently. "If we stay any longer, we'll have to pay for another day."

Rukia cracked open an eyelid. "Uh…I'm getting up…I'm getting up…"

Ichigo leaned back, and knelt down beside the futon, as she sat up, rubbing her eyes.

She looked at him, kneeling there, and her eyes widened slightly. "Oh, you've changed." She sat there, thinking for a few seconds. "I'll change as well."

Ichigo just stayed where he was.

"I said, I'm going to change as well."

Ichigo blinked, then gave her a blank look. "Uh…and?"

She scowled. "If you dare even peek the tiniest bit…"

Ichigo blushed furiously. "You idiot! As if I would look when you were changing."

She eyed him carefully. Then got out of the bed. "I'm warning you…" she said as she walked behind him to her folded clothes. She was back to her old self.

"OK, OK! I'm not even looking!" he threw his arms up, exasperated.

She pulled off her clothes quickly, and picked up the jeans. She pulled them on, still self-conscious of the teenager behind her.

After she had tightened the belt on her jeans, she bent down to pick up her top. She pulled it on, only to have it fall at the shoulders.

Crap. I can't tie the knots up...

She held it up with her hands, then turned around, trying not to blush as she called Ichigo. "Oi."

"For the last time, I'm not looking!"

"Its not that… I've, um, finished…"

"Finally. It took you…" he was cut off by her voice.

"Could you help me again?"

She was standing behind him, her hands holding up her top. "Don't you dare say anything," she growled as she saw him stifle a giggle.

She waited till he calmed down, and then stepped lithely in front of his kneeling position, and then sat down cross-legged. She was glad that she wasn't looking at him, because she felt her face heating up.

In the meantime, Ichigo was also glad she wasn't looking at him, because he visibly blushed at the sight of her bare milky back.

"Uh…yeah…knots…right…" he mumbled to himself as he started on the first set of strings.

As he finished tying the first knot up he remembered what he had said at the Shiba household.

"What? So you're going to go out dressed like that?"

He shook his head. He couldn't believe he had said that. When…in actual fact, he actually thought the way she looked was...cute, he decided.

"Rukia," he muttered, as he finished tying up the second knot.

"Mmm?"

"Uh…sorry about before…"

An awkward pause. "…"

"When I…uh, told you off about your clothes. Back at Kukaku's place… " Was it just him, or did she just let out a small sigh?

"…"

"I…uh, actually thought it looked…pretty cute…I mean, cool…" he finished lamely, blushing over his mistake.

He hurriedly finished tying up the knots, to hide his embarrassment, missing her mischievous grin that spread over her blushing face.

"I hope you enjoyed your stay," the attendant said brightly, with a smile that looked too sincere, Ichigo noted as he walked out of the inn.

He sweatdropped as Rukia returned the smile, fake sincerity and all.

As Rukia turned around he scowled at the attendant, annoyed with her cheery attitude. She just winked at him. Ichigo shivered, and turned around hurriedly.

A few minutes later they were walking again in silence, but it was comfortable. The way they were travelling didn't have much people on it, and Ichigo was glad for the serenity, because it gave him time to think.

And sort out his newly found feelings. He decided that, on the way back from this stupid lake, they would definitely, definitely, sleep in different rooms. It…confused his mind when she was so close.

He looked down at her, walking along happily, something that he hadn't seen in a long time. This was the way it should be, he thought to himself. She should be happy, he thought again, not realising that the frown lines on his forehead had started to disappear when he was together with Rukia. Well, only when they weren't fighting.

Like now, for instance.

"Uh, Rukia, are you sure you know where we're going?"

"Of course!"

"You've never been here before."

"So? I still know."

"Just how do you know?"

"I got a map."

"Let me see that…"

"…"

"Its upside-down!"

"Shuddup."

"Pfft… Women. They can never read maps."

SMACK!

"OW! What was that for?"

AN: Ah, finished the first half of the Business Trip bit. This chapter, if you didn't notice, was basically a finishing off chapter for the first half…sorry that it was a bit shorter, but yeah, I didn't want it to drag on. Basically the whole point was for Ichigo to know about Kaien. That was it. Oh yeah, and apologise for what he had said. AND THE KISS! Ok, so it wasn't a PROPER kiss, but still, it was more of a kiss than last time. HEHEHE! Don't worry, there will be plenty later on, I assure you. Now, from here, I'll probably write Operation T-A…some action ay :P…and then, we'll see where it goes from there…Renji and his adventures in the real world…Hitsugaya still hasn't apologised for telling that lie…the fic is going to go on for ages! Don't worry, I'll come back and finish the Business Trip… Now, Please REVIEW! I will update faster, if I get reviews! And fast! Heheh, till next time!

MultipleCyrosis