Well, this one is random. But it was what I wrote . . . so . . .Enjoy and please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or the characters.

Her Hand In Mine

"Behind you, Ichigo!"

In the next split second, all her eyes saw was him as he turned around, his large, long sword flying out to meet the Hollow's claws. He had managed to avoid the main attack, but he failed to see the Hollow using its other hand to come up and attack him from below. As its claws dug into Ichigo's stomach, she screamed.

"Ichigo!"

He fell to the ground, his knees giving out beneath him.

And he didn't see anything after that.

The next thing he saw was Rukia's worried face staring down into his chocolate brown eyes. She smiled a little, backing up and sitting down in the chair that had been placed by his bed.

He was in his own room.

"W-what . . . happened?" he asked, trying to sit up. Rukia jumped from her spot on the bed, gently pushing him back down. He went willingly, not wanting to repeat the shot of pain that flew through his nerves as he moved.

"You got injured; I wasn't able to fully heal you, so stay still."

He just nodded, realizing that even a small move like that caused him pain. Rukia noticed and reached her hand out, placing it over his stomach, trying to heal him just a little more. He couldn't even speak clearly enough to thank her, but he knew that she understood.

She always did.

"Why did you do it, Ichigo?" she asked quietly, sitting down at the foot of his bed and pulling her knees up to her chest as she wrapped her arms around them.

"Do what?" he managed, feeling a lot better now, but still in pain.

"Why did you fight like that? I wanted to help . . . I could have helped, why didn't you let me?" she looked up into his face, her violet eyes filled with anguish.

"Because . . ."

He couldn't answer; he didn't know.

"You didn't have to throw yourself into the fight like that! You should have waited for me; I could have helped," she said, pressing herself deeper into the corner. Ichigo didn't answer; he knew that he should have waited . . . but he couldn't. That damn Hollow was begging for a fight, and he had wanted so badly to give it to him.

"I don't know, Rukia. I don't know."

She was silent for a minute, then said,

"You're stupid. You need to think before you fight. Why did you jump into a fight like that anyway?"

"Because . . ." Ichigo stopped talking again, and he could tell that his lack of answers was beginning to grate on Rukia's tired, worn out nerves.

"Because why?!"

"Because he . . . Because . . . dammit! Because he was trying to hurt you!"

She fell silent at his outburst. He looked at her, though not meeting her eyes.

"He was trying to hurt you. He didn't care about me; he wanted you. I did it to protect you."

Neither spoke. Rukia just sat there, her eyes wide and her mouth unmoving. Ichigo continued to not meet her eyes, staring intently at his blanket.

It was true; the Hollow had been going to Rukia. He had wanted a woman; much like the Grand Fisher. He had tried to push past Ichigo to get to Rukia. Ichigo hadn't let him, and had attacked; that had been when Rukia had shown up, right before he was stabbed through the stomach.

"You . . . You fought him . . . for me?" she asked quietly, not sure her small, soft voice had even reached his ears. But it had.

"Yeah, Rukia. I fought him for you, and I would do it again."

Rukia didn't speak as she scooted closer to him on the bed and searched for his hand with her own. He smiled as he grasped her hand in his tightly, squeezing it as she laid her head down on his chest and leaned up against him, her small body pressing into his side.

Her hand was always so small; small, pale and soft. His was large, rough and scarred.

What I long for each and every day . . . is her hand in mine.

That was yet another short one. What did you think? That idea has been swimming around in my head so I decided to write it down.

Please Review!