A/N: I just love that some of my readers complain about how stupid Rukia is xD

I find it ironic because she's supposed to be the smart businesswoman, and here she is, completely ignorant to Ichigo's feelings. Hey, Rukia is an amateur at love okay!? *Holds Rukia in my arms protectively, hissing at you like an angry baboon. (Do baboons hiss?)

Oh and I'd like to thank my readers. Ya'll know who you are, but really, it means a lot that you guys are supporting me! Writing has its dark sides too, and you guys are like my light. That's how special you are to me *o*


"The Gotei 13"

Ichigo stirred awake. The first thought that came into his mind was bright lights. Spinning around him, he could see little flashes of yellow. He rubbed his eyes and eventually, his distorted vision became clear- "Breasts!?" Ichigo jolted, clearly traumatized from the incident earlier. He looked ahead, seeing the familiar wall of his apartment home. Yes, there was no mistaking it. The cracks and unknown black substances on the wall definitely belonged to his home.

Ichigo grabbed his head, groaning from the headache that was slowly eating away at him. He looked to the left- "Gah!" Ichigo pushed himself up against the wall, panting at the sight of cleavage. The breasts even came back to haunt him! Ichigo just wanted to see Rukia's flat chest, oh how he missed them.

"Kurosaki-kun, it's me, Orihime-chan!" Orihime stood straight, letting her breasts fall back into her shirt. Ichigo wondered if this was a dream. "Kuchiki-san went to grab some pain killers for you at the store. It seems you might have gotten a fever from her, she said."

Ichigo wiped away the sweat on his forehead. "What are you doing here, Inoue? I really don't need a babysitter," Ichigo extended out his arms, stretching. Did Rukia really not think he was capable of staying home alone? Well... it'd be hypocritical of him to think that. He did, afterall, stay at her side 24/7 when she was sick too.

Orihime waved her arms in front of her, "Kuchiki-san asked me to watch over you while she went away. Ah! I'm not trying to say I don't want to be here - I like helping others!"

"Thank you," Ichigo said, trying to put her at ease. He did more than that. Orihime was dumbfounded. "Really... I used to never get sick like this. I think it's the atmosphere of this place that's causing this," Ichigo glared at his surroundings. The whole place was just so unsanitary that were was no way living there could be healthy. Living under the bridge might've even been a better choice.

"Really? I think this place is unique," Orihime grinned. Ha. Only someone like her could see something positive in such a creepy place. "It's like Halloween here everyday," she admired, getting goosebumps and the chills.

"Thanks, I guess?" Ichigo said, but more like asked. "By the way... You started working at Dashing Diners two weeks ago. How come I never saw you?"

"That's because we got different shifts," Orihime said, a little disappointed. The reason she applied to Dashing Diners was because she wanted to get closer to Ichigo. The other reason was because Kenji insisted (quite desperately) for her to work there. In the end, Orihime's actions were futile as Ichigo was already seeing Rukia. "I'm thinking about quitting soon, so we probably won't ever get to see each other there again."

"Already?" Ichigo asked, a little surprised. Orihime was usually enthusiastic about... well, everything. If Orihime had a job at the zoo to clean elephant dung all day, Ichigo was sure that she would still be excited about something like that. He couldn't think of a reason as to why she'd decide to quit. "Is it because Kenji's harassing you?"

Orihime shook her head furiously. "I just..." How could she bring herself to say the truth? "It's not for me."

"If there's something bothering you, you have to say it. If it's Kenji, I'll stick his head in the fryer if that'll help you stay," Ichigo assured. Back at Dashing Diners, Kenji sneezed, wondering if someone was speaking behind his back.

Orihime laughed with a solemn expression. If Ichigo kept being so nice to her, it'd really be hard to detach herself from him, she felt. "It's nothing, really." She held her smiling pokerface. Ichigo would never be able to tell that she was slowly being torn apart inside.


"That idiot... serves him right to get sick. He insisted to get close to me that last night despite the fact that I was still sick. Ichigo, your illness is a consequence you received for being a wolf!" Rukia kicked a can on the sidewalk. It clunked, rolling on the floor until it came to a stop at a nearby trashcan. She was never the type to talk to herself like this, but when she was angry, she cursed to the heavens like it was nobody's business.

Why was Rukia so upset? No, upset wasn't the right word. It was jealousy. Still, Rukia wouldn't dare admit that she was succumbing to one of the seven deadly sins.

"Stupid Ichigo. If you were going to sell yourself, you could've at least sold yourself to someone who wasn't so... Rude!" Rukia's head sizzled with anger just recalling that Ayame chick. Just recalling the words that woman said made Rukia want to scream. She kicked the can again, further this time as she put more effort into her soccer skills. "Who did she think she was to speak to me like she... like she owned you?"

Ah... Rukia wasn't angry at Ichigo. She was just directing her anger towards him because she was a bully like that. "Is this 'Strawberry' a pet of yours?" Rukia halted in her tracks, stopping herself from kicking the can again. Her eyes became bigger, if that was even possible. Did she dare look over her shoulder? "It's been so long Rukia-san."

"Ukitake-san..." Rukia spun around, bowing her head slightly to the man. As always, Ukitake was never seen without a smile. He was always the kind of man who was approachable. Only realizing that she'd been caught screaming at the air, Rukia wanted to dig her grave right there. "H-How are you?" she asked lamely.

"I'm doing fine-" Ukitake broke out coughing. Yeah, just fine.

"Sit down over here," Rukia guided him to a nearby bench. Ukitake laughed, embarrassed at how frail he was. "I never expected to see you hanging around here."

"I could say the same. Your brother's been trying to get in contact with you. You haven't returned his calls."

Rukia avoided eye contact. She felt guilty. Of course, she never meant to give Byakuya the cold shoulder, it wasn't like that. She'd like to say she was just trying to discover herself, yeah. "Nii-sama..." she said softly. She hadn't said that word in a long time. She honestly did care for her step-brother. It wasn't like there was a grudge towards him that made her ignore his calls. "How is the Gotei 13?"

The Gotei 13 was a business company ran by the CEO Yamamoto. Byakuya worked under him along with eleven other people. One of those eleven people happened to be Ukitake. The Gotei 13 was a company to be feared among others. The leaders of the Gotei 13 were known for their ruthlessness in the business area. If the Gotei 13 wanted something, they had it. "It's just fine, though I think everyone misses you," Ukitake said, trying to brighten up her mood. "You know... my secretary just quit. I have an open spot for you if you'd like-"

"No," Rukia said, surprising Ukitake. It wasn't just a simple no; she practically shouted. Thin lines formed across the pale man's forehead as he worried for her. There were many reasons why Rukia didn't want to be involved with the Gotei 13. One of them included her brother. Byakuya was fearsome. If he found out that she was unemployed and living with a man who had a no good reputation... hell would break loose. "I appreciate your offer, Ukitake-san, but it's not necessary."

"That's fine," Ukitake nodded. "If you ever find yourself in trouble, don't hesitate to confide in me or your brother. He is your family, afterall."

Rukia wished Ukitake wasn't so good at perceiving people. "I'm not hiding anything," Rukia said, hoping he wouldn't go off and tell Byakuya stories. Well, she really didn't have to worry about that at all, honestly. Ukitake was a respectable man for a reason. He was gentle and honest - he wasn't the type to go spread rumors. It was against his morals and principles.

"I know you aren't," Ukitake grinned. He stood up, preparing to depart. "I won't tell you how to run your life, but if you can, do talk with Byakuya-san sometimes. He may not seem to be the type, but he worries about you."

Rukia laughed mentally to herself. Byakuya worrying over her? It was something she'd like to see, though she knew she would never witness it. The only thing the stoic man cared about was the company and his pride. "I will," Rukia lied, crossing her fingers behind her back. She felt disgusted at herself for lying to Ukitake with a smile on her face. The poor man didn't deserve her nasty lies.

"I'm glad," Ukitake said, buying it.


Ichigo lay in bed, bundled up with thick blankets. Rukia couldn't help but think he resembled a caterpillar that was ready to become a butterfly... No, he looked more like sushi. "What's bothering... you?" Ichigo gave a loud sniffle. "That's the third juicebox you went through," he looked at the ground to see three empty juiceboxes.

"Hm?" Rukia lifted her eyes up off the ground. "Did you say something?"

Ichigo gave a dull stare. There was definitely something bothering her. He struggled, rolling over to her side. "Is it because of that chick earlier?" he asked. "She was just a client, nothing more. If it makes you feel better, I'll call her up and end things officially-"

"You don't have to do that," Rukia smiled, a little happy that he was thinking of her. Ichigo worried even more. He preferred to see the Rukia that was constantly mean to him; it was more reassuring.

"I wish you'd tell me what's on your mind."

"There's nothing on my mind-"

"You're lying," Ichigo accused, frustrated at her stubborness. He hated how Rukia would just keep things bottled inside. Didn't she trust him? Or was he not worthy of bearing her burdens for her? How insulting that was to his ego. "Though, I shouldn't really be saying this because I'd be a hypocrite since I haven't been truly honest with you either. I've always been thinking that something was wrong with you; ever since things ended badly with Renji, you've been different ever since."

"How am I different?" Rukia asked, a little annoyed.

"You just are!" Ichigo growled, throwing himself out of the blankets in anger. "You threw away your job and you settled for this shithole," Ichigo flung his arms, pointing out the disgusting mold on the walls of their apartment. "It's like you don't even care about anything anymore. Rather, it seems like you're running away from something."

Rukia and Ichigo glared at each other; their faces were inches away from each other. It almost seemed like they were rabid dogs ready to bite each other to death. "So you're saying you liked me better when I had money, is that it?"

Ichigo laughed, unsure if he could hold onto his sanity any longer. Rukia just made things so complicated - Ichigo wanted to yell to the world. "You're twisting my words," he spoke through gritted teeth. "I'm telling you to pull yourself together. We've been together for about two months now and it just feels like..." Rukia glared at him, seeming like she was going to kill him if he said another word. "It feels like you're barely here."

Rukia's narrowed eyes relaxed; her muscles relaxed as she slumped back into her seat. Ichigo apologized, suddenly worried that he might have hurt her feelings.

"You're wrong if you think avoiding your problems will solve anything. If this has anything to do with..." Did Ichigo dare say his name again? "If this has anything to do with Renji, tell me now so I can leave." Rukia lifted her head; she looked horrified. "I'd rather not be here if it's him you want." Ichigo's was serious. He didn't want to screw around - he wanted something serious. If he was wasting his time, then what was the point of staying?

"Ichigo," Rukia choked. "Don't be stupid-"

"Maybe we should just stop this facade."

Silence. . .

Rukia's lips pursed into a thin line; she could only see the top of Ichigo's orange head as he held his head low apologetically. Her hand formed into fists as she trembled. Was this really the extent of their relationship? Because Rukia couldn't be honest to her feelings, the person she cared about threatened her like this... There was a pang of fear in her chest that ached so terribly.


A/N: I know, you're all sharpening your pitchforks, BUT don't be quick to kill me just yet!

Stay tuned for the next chapter and please review :)