Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach. Oh! And the plot belongs to ichigoxrukia. So, it's not mine either.

A/N: Sorry that I posted the same chapter last time. I thought that I just should edit it after I finished this chapter so…there. Enjoy!

Lost and Found

Tatsuki was sure that something was missing when she was walking back to the camping grounds. Something…but she wasn't sure what was it. And she kept thinking about ramen with mashed hard-boiled eggs, peanut butter and jelly, bean paste and wasabi in it and topped with some cherries. Must be tiredness. She thought.

When the search party (parties?) was back to the camping site, the first thing they heard was Chizuru screeching, "My lovely flower is home!!" That hit Tatsuki. Orihime wasn't there. "Orihime?" Tatsuki said, looking left and right for her best friend. "Orihime, where are you?"

"What?! My beautiful 'Hime isn't here? What did you do to her? You abandoned her in the forest didn't you?" Chizuru attacked her with her very silly questions. Tatsuki didn't have the chance to reply when she said triumphantly, "We must go find her!!"

That was one of the very, very few things that Tatsuki agreed with Chizuru. Both stalked out of the camping grounds. Tatsuki walked like about ten metres when she turned around to head back to the camping site again.

"Where are you going?!" Chizuru yelled at her.

"Too tired." This was one of the first times that Tatsuki didn't yell back at the redheaded girl. And she walked back slowly to the camping grounds.

"What about 'Hime?" Chizuru walked back to Tatsuki. The black-haired tomboy waved her hands up and down, obviously tired from walking and searching for the two missing students. The tomboy was too tired to think about searching for anyone at all. Even if it's her best friend.

"But, but, Hime…" Chizuru pointed to the forest. They were back in the camping grounds. Chizuru following Tatsuki like a puppy, to persuade her to search for Orihime together "No." was the simple reply from Tatsuki. "If you're not going to, I will." The bespectacled girl said triumphantly.

"Where are you going?" Chizuru felt someone was grabbing her shoulder. She looked up. It was Mr Hiroshi. "Hmm?"

"Hime…out there. Must help." She said, struggling to get out of Mr Hiroshi's grasp.

The camp facilitator sighed. "Two missing students are enough."

"But there's three students out there. My beautiful one is out there!!" No one noticed that Ishida was missing too.

"Mmhm." He thought she was just trying to explore the forest on her own.

Chizuru started objecting/yelling/struggling at Mr Hiroshi who then kept an eye over her because she kept on trying to get out of the camping site.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Here," Ichigo said as he showed Rukia secret place he mentioned earlier.

There was a waterfall on the right gushing majestically at their right. A rainbow appeared there at the waterfall. Near the riverbank there were grass that wasn't too long nor to short, suitable for sitting down and enjoying the cool river water. Small ripples formed as the fishes came swimming near the water surface.

Bushes flowering multi-coloured flowers were on their left. Rukia noticed that there were some of those purple orchids that Ichigo gave to her a few days ago. Rukia saw some colourful butterflies fluttering by. Birds were up on the tall branches of trees, singing and chirping happily. To put it simple, this was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. Around the perimeter of the place were thorny bushes and big tall trees, hiding the place from usual campers. It was like their own secret place.

"It's beautiful." Rukia looked at Ichigo and smiled at him. Not her usual smirk that she usually gave him or that fake classroom smile. It was a true, real smile. He smiled back at her.

If she is happy, he is too.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Um, Inoue-san, are you sure that we're going the right way? Because I think we've been going round and round the same place." Ishida said. He shooed off a bug that had been flying around him for sometime.

"Yeah. I'm sure." She flashed him an encouraging smile.

Ishida was still a bit uneasy. "But all I can hear is the sound of a river. Or a waterfall. Or both." He adjusted his glasses.

"Don't worry Ishida. I- Aa!" Orihime tripped over a rock but luckily Ishida caught her in time. "T-thank you Ishida-kun," Orihime said. The bespectacled boy put her down leaning on a tree.

"Ow!" Orihime clutched her foot that was bandaged.

"Inoue-san! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ishida-kun."

"Really? Just let me check your foot, just in case." Orihime took off her shoes. Her bandage which was previously beige, was now crimson red. "Inoue-san, I think that your wounds have opened, when you fell just now. I'll just put on some antiseptic and re-bandage your foot." He took out his first aid kit that Miss Mayuki gave to him from his bag.

Ishida-kun is being so nice to me. Maybe he… lik... Nah, he wouldn't, would he? Orihime looked at Ishida. The long-haired girl yelped a bit when Ishida dabbed on the antiseptic.

"Are you okay?"

Orihime nodded. I should be repay his kindness back to him too. What can I do? Ishida started wrapping her foot with the bandage. Oh! I know!

"Ah!"

"Is it too tight, Inoue-san?"

"Oh no! It's just nice. I'm just wondering if umm… are you hungry, Ishida-kun?" She didn't give him a chance to reply when she rummaged in her light brown bag. She took out a small container. "I made this in the camp kitchen before we left." She offered him a sandwich. "It's peanut butter, sugar, strawberry jam and mashed eggs. Oh and my favourite topping in a sandwich, seaweed!"

"Oh…ummm…" Ishida adjusted his glasses again "No thanks Inoue-san."

"Okay then. Are you sure?" She closed the container and put it back in her bag. "I'll save it for Kuchiki-san and Kurosaki-kun later. They must be hungry."

"Are you sure you still want to search for them. All I can hear now is the sound of a river, somewhere over there." Ishida pointed to his west.

Orhime smiled and nodded. She stood up and walked slowly to the source of the river. "Maybe we can stop by at the river. And relax there for a moment, I'm getting tired now."

Ishida agreed.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Ichigo sat down near the riverbank and looked over at his special friend. He saw Rukia smelling and picking several flowers. He chuckled. Ichigo never thought that Rukia could be so…girly. She had always been a boy to him.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothin'"

"Tell."

"I said, nothing."

After a few more failed persuades, Rukia just simply 'hmmph-ed' and gave up persuading him. She sat down by the riverbank beside Ichigo. She leaned back, using both of her hands as support. Both said nothing for sometime. Ichigo dipped his feet into the cool, clear river water.

Rukia closed her eyes. She listens to the music of nature. She heard the crickets chirping and the birds singing. She heard the waterfall gushing nearby and the small splish splash of the water­ when Ichigo splashed his feet in it. Rukia felt a soft cool breeze blowing through her black shoulder-length hair.

Rukia leaned her tired but relaxed head on Ichigo's shoulder. He was a bit startled at first but then he was quite enjoying it. She smelled like strawberries and chocolate, which, really isn't that bad.

Nothing can ruin this perfect moment. He thought. The soft breeze was blowing through their hair and the cool water was making both more relaxed. This trip wasn't all that bad after all...

Eyes still closed, the violet-eyed shinigami said softly, "It's beautiful here."

Ichigo heard her. "Yeah, beautiful like you, Rukia."

Rukia opened her eyes. "What did you say?"

Did I just say that out loud? The tall teen felt a blush creep over his face.

"Ichigo! What did you say?"

Ichigo looked away. "Nothing," He mumbled.

"Oi, Ichigo. Tell me." She said persistently.

"Nothing."

Rukia will not give up this time. "Tell me what you said, or else I'm gonna push you into the river."

"I told you I said, nothing." He still wasn't looking at her. He wasn't going to give in to her taunts.

Rukia got an idea suddenly. It was like a light bulb had just been lighted in her head. She cupped his face and makes Ichigo look directly into her beautiful violet eyes. "Tell me, Ichigo. What did you say?" She said calmly. This was too calm for his comfort. Way too calm.

"Let go of me will ya?!" He tried to get out from her grasp but she had a firm hold of him.

"Tell me, Ichigo." My plan's working. Now for part two. Rukia's face was getting closer to his. She saw him blush up to the roots of his bright orange hair. Ichigo was feeling abit uncomfortable with Rukia's un-Rukia like actions.

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you! Just...just leggo of me!" She did.

"So?"

"I said…" He looked away again. "…I said that you…" His voice trailed off to a whisper.

"You said what?"

"I said that you were beautiful, Rukia. " He mumbled softly, but Rukia heard him. She smiled.

"Ichigo, you silly little boy." He always hated the 'little boy' phrase. Especially when she said it. Just like before, she cupped his face and makes Ichigo's chocolate brown eyes look directly into her violet ones. She moved closer to him and repeated, "You silly, silly little boy." Then, Ichigo closed the gap between them and kissed her.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Ishida-kun, there's the waterfall!" She pointed to the one in front of her.

"Careful, Inoue-san, there's lots of thorns here."

"Mm." She nodded. Orihime got through the thorn bushes first with some scratches on her legs.

"Inoue-san, wait up for a second." She looked over to Ishida who was tugging to his white shirt "My shirt is stuck."

"Okay." Orihime looked back to the waterfall. Then, she turned towards the other side of the river, while waiting for Ishida.

She saw Kurosaki-kun and Kuchiki-san. Kissing.

She blinked. Once. Twice. And rubbed her eyes. No, it wasn't an illusion. She cupped her hands to her face and yelled,

"KUROSAKI-KUUN! KUCHIKI-SAAN!"

Ichigo and Rukia broke apart, surprised.

Uh-oh. Both thought simultaneously.

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Finally, someone found them. XD Rukia and Ichigo bit OOC huh? But they're alone so… they're allowed to. (huh?)

Sorry for the late update. Schoolwork is to blame. XD So um finally I finished ch. 9. Well, what do you think?

Please Review.