Dark Nights

Chapter 11: Permission

Warm, breaths of air danced across my face, it was pleasant and comforting. I wanted to open my heavy lids. I wanted to see what was so luring back in reality.

So I forced my eyes open, in one fast and swift movement.

And I found myself staring at a familiar smooth, tan face. His skin was so close to perfection I would call it beautiful, and snow white locks of hair finished at his neck and some covered his face. And as I stared at the unrecognizable figure his eyes fluttered open, revealing the piercing, evergreen-emerald eyes that belong to him.

That's when I realized.

"Rukia..." my name came from his lips.

'Baka...' was all that crossed my mind. My eyes examined every feature on Toshiro's face, and slowly crawled down his neck and body until the sheets final blocked the way, and after a while of staring I couldn't help but realize one thing.

He was naked and the only thing that covered him was my sheets.

"AHHH!" I squeaked in a girlish scream standing up and covering my eyes but peaking through my figures to see where I was going.

"Huh? Rukia! What's wrong?" he asked sitting up straight the sheets threatening to uncover the lower half of his body.

"N-NO! Don't move dumbass!" I shouted putting my hands in front of me and squeezing my eyes shut. "Get out!" I shouted blush racing up my face.

"R-Rukia?"

"Damn it Toshiro the nerve you got!" I shouted angrily. "Don't you have the decency to cover up? What the hell were you planning to do in my bed!" I shouted ready to hit him across the face with the logs right outside of the tent.

Toshiro looked down clueless why I was freaking out, but when he finally figured out my reasons for yelling, his emerald eyes went big, and his face grew a bright apple red color. "W-wait Rukia! It's not like that-"

I started pushing Toshiro out of the sealed tent even though it was useless since it was closed. "Out! Out! OUT!" I shouted, Toshiro struggling to keep the sheets from falling off his waist and trying to keep the tent from threatening to tip over.

"Rukia wait!"

"Shut up you bustard!" I shouted back at Toshiro as he managed to undo the zipper of the tent and scrambled out of the small tent on all fours.

I stuck my head out. "I break my neck trying to find you, and you decide -out of nowhere- to stick you naked ass in my tent!" I shouted. "Damn it Toshiro, just go die! DUMBASS!" I zipped the tent back in refusing to come out.

Toshiro looked around to find Ichigo and Ulquiorra staring and apparently entertained by the show him and I put on. Ichigo though gave Toshiro a smile. "Don't worry, she's actually happy." he said. "Give or take five minutes and she'll come out."

Toshiro kept his worried expression and gave out a deeply needed sigh. "How embarrassing..."

I didn't want Ichigo to be right, but I couldn't help it. I packed all my bathing stuff trying to fix the messed up tent that Toshiro and I destroyed. I grabbed my towel and extra cloths and stopped out of my tent all the boys eyes fixed on me. "I'm taking a shower." I said giving a rather good excuse and walked away.

"Wait Rukia." Toshiro dared to say.

I didn't mean to, but my body froze on its own, and I had no choice but to turn around to face him. "What?" I spat.

"I didn't mean too, I mean... I'm-"

I realized he was trying to apologize, and I also noticed, I was happy. I was happy because he came back. "It's fine." I said cutting him off. "I'm glad. I'm glad you're finally here." I said truthfully.

Toshiro tensed. "So you're not mad?" he questioned.

I crossed my arms and gave him a wicked smile. "Oh I am most defiantly mad." I said for sure. "But I'll let you off the hook just this time, after all, it's not your fault that you can't control your emotions." I gave him a challenging glare to finish my sentence, curious of what he would do or say next.

"Oh great," Toshiro muttered scratching the back of his head. "That's all I get after being gone for a two months. Tch. Ichigo got a kiss and I get an 'I'll let you off the hook.' how crappy." he hissed under his breath.

I raged my hands closing into fist . "What was that?" I stomped myself over to him, anger rushing through my body. "I dare you to say that again you ungrateful ass!" I shouted shoving an index figure into his shoulder blade.

In return though, Toshiro gave me a soft grateful look, all the features in his face relaxed, and his eyes became completely bright as he looked down at me. "Now that's the Rukia I know." he said.

I froze. "Toshiro..." I muttered my head fixed to our feet. "Get some cloths before talking about coming home."

XXX

I sighed, burying half of my head in the hot, steaming, water making bubbles as I breathe out into the water. 'I can't believe it... I'm dreaming right... after all this time...' I closed my eyes. "What am I doing?" I asked myself. "I need to get myself together, so far I feel so... awkward today..." I said getting my towel and grabbing my stuff.

"Rukia~!" Orihime's voice rang.

I turned around to see the orange haired girl waving her hand up high in the air and calling out my name. "I'm so glad to see you!" she shouted running to me with open arms.

"Hey Orihime," I said as she released me.

"I've missed you so much! But Grim-Chan kept me company so I was fine!" She shouted obviously happy to a great extent.

I stared at my feet remembering yesterday and how I grabbed all the attention. I felt so guilty; Ulquiorra had been Orihime's all-time crush since I saw her at the dance and I practically ripped Ulquiorra from her hands, even when I promised myself I wouldn't after the dinner. I ended up having a 'so called' romantic getaway in a freakn' forest.

"Orihime..." I muttered. "I'm sorry... about Ulquiorra... I really didn't mean too." I said.

Orihime smiled. "Don't worry, I know you tried to give the floor to me, he was... just not interested." she admitted. "Plus I think I like Grimmjow now, have you seen the way he talks to me? Oh I feel so special!" she squealed happily sending an atmosphere of love all around.

I nodded. "Well I don't have to get back so soon, want me to keep you company?" I asked.

Orihime smiled. "I think it's my turn to take a bath, so don't wait up." she said feeling the hot springs water.

I smiled and waved her off.

I met back up with the boy's who were chatting among themselves. I didn't have to overhear their conversation to categorize it as "Stupid" (and what gave that way was the look on Ulquiorra's face)

"Hey Snowflake," I shouted with a grin. "I don't think I could be caught walking around with a half-naked dog-boy. So either we get you some cloths or we ditch you at home." I said.

"S-Snowflake!" I could feel Toshiro's hate towards his old nickname sprout babies. "Damn it Rukia! I told you not to call me that!" He shouted. "Do you know how pissed off I was when I was a dog and you kept on calling me 'Snowflake' and you even classified me as a '#2' !" he shouted.

Ulquiorra smirked. "I don't even think you should be classified as a dog, your more like a mutt." he slurred, daring Toshiro's anger.

I looked at Ulquiorra who had just joined the battlefield and, I was actually rather proud at his uncanny comment. "Bravo." I said. "That wasn't to shabby Ulquiorra."

Ichigo smiled. "So your siding with him Rukes?"

"You bet your ass, Strawberry!" I said.

Toshiro regained his composer, crossing his arms, acting as if he was annoyed at of childish conversation. "Rukia..." he said dragging my name with his unimpressed voice. "Why is it Ichigo and I have nickname's but not Mr. Emo over there?" Toshiro asked pointing at Ulquiorra as he started a glaring competition between the two of them.

I took into consideration what Toshiro was saying. He was right, I hadn't made a disrespectful nickname for Ulquiorra yet, mostly because it was to time waiting, but now that we found Toshiro (or, really, Toshiro found us) there seemed to be all time in the world.

"Your right... for once..." I said to Toshiro who gave glare that I ignored. "How 'bout 'Ulqui-chan'" I looked at Ulquiorra's expression.

Unaffected.

'Damn... I guess it's too Orihime-ish...' I thought. "Urgh, Mr. Kitty Kat's name was easier to come up with than Ulquiorra's..."

"Mr. Kitty Kat?" Ulquiorra asked. "Do you mean Grimmjow?" he asked a bit surprised I had already made a nickname for his friend.

I looked at him a nodded. "You know, he has pointy ears and looks like he could land on all fours." I said. "But that's beside the point," I waved off the topic "Ulquiorra, your nickname would most defiantly be... BATMAN!" I shouted pointing at him with a smile.

Ulquiorra made his sour face.

Score.

"Batman?" Toshiro said for Ulquiorra with an unbelievable smirk on his face.

"Shut it Snow White." I said not taking my eyes of Ulquiorra as I challenged his to say something.

"What a bother." He got up, in defeat but still not admitting it, "go be someone else's nuisance, short stuff." he said.

I grinned.

Ichigo sighed scratching the top of his head. "Come on Rukia, don't start other problems until you can solve your first one." he said pointing to Toshiro. "How do you expect him to go around walking with a blanket?" he asked.

Ichigo was right, once again. "Your right..." I muttered. "Do you think we could go to Central and buy him some clothes? You know, from a mall, or shop, or something." I asked." It's not like it's blow out cover or anything." I said secretly wanting to see how the stores in this realm looked like, comparing to how they looked like back at home.

Ichigo frowned. "That still doesn't solve the problem of him walking around half naked." He said.

I looked up to Toshiro, who was already standing next to me with my sheets wrapped against his waist, patting his bare back with force. "He'll be fine! He has a nice body anyways!" I said happily.

I could almost hear Toshiro cursed my name.

We ended up going into some shop in town, Ichigo deciding to wander around into the other stores, and for Ulquiorra, who knows were the heck he went after we past the small bakery. So it just happened that I ended up being stuck with Toshiro.

"Toshiro, this one, I'm sure we'll find something you ought to like." I said pointing at the building in front.

"I guess, but Rukia, it's you who is the picky one." He said. "Everything I've tried on so far you've totally declined it," He said as he walked in first, holding the door for me as I walked in along with him.

"Well that's because Ichigo chose that clothes," I said. "In all my life that I've known Ichigo, he has a thing for graphic tees, the only reason why he doesn't look like a goof at school is cause of the uniform that saved his ass." I said in a matter-of-factly kind of tone.

"But I've seen the way he dress in casual, it's not that bad." Toshiro said.

"Yes, but he's a 6ft giant, tall people can wear anything and look good in it."

Toshiro sighed.

"Don't give me that face Histugaya." I said. "Now come, let's find something that you could kick ass in." I said already searching though the racks of cloths. We ended up separating after Toshiro was fed up with my nagging, so he told me his size and I went looking around the store. In the end it took me a while to find something decent, but when I finally decide on a few outfits that would match Toshiro's obligations, I looked for him.

"S-Snowflake!" I shouted in anger and shock.

He was asleep, his back against one of the lady-workers counters, as he sat on the floor without a single pair of cloths in his hands.

"TOSHIRO!" I shouted throughout the store. "Wake up damn it!" I shouted.

A cashier lady, about the age of 49 noticed me quickly and grabbed my attention. "Umm ma'am would you kindly stop bother this poor young man, his girlfriend would constantly hit him and call him Snowflake, so if you don't pay respect to others I going to have to ask you to leave." she said.

I left even more anger boil up inside me. Not only did he make me his bogus violent girlfriend but he did it just to grab a few z's. "Look here lady," I said. "I don't know what kind of midlife crisis you're in, but never will a boy this-dare I say it- cute" I struggled the word. "Fall for you, so don't falling for mindless idiots like this one here, and heartless assholes." I said.

The lady froze in spot cursing me with her eyes. "Well I never." she said giving up and leaving.

Toshiro peeked one emerald eye open, his composer in such a relaxed manner. "Well if it isn't my violent girlfriend."

"Haha," I said fake laughing and roughly tossing him the pile of clothes I collected. "You sure know how to piss of you violent EX Girlfriend." I said glaring at him and quickly getting up to walk away.

"Uh... Rukia! Wait. I was just joking." he said.

"Like I care! Just try on the cloths!" I shouted ahead of him already about to leave the store.

"Well I can't try them on without you-" We both froze at his words. It's was like an ongoing record just his a scratch. The whole store fell silent. "Ehh... I mean... That's not really what I meant..." he said. "Who else will tell me if it looks nice or not?"

I smiled as turned around. 'Nice save Snowflake...' " I know. I'm the only person who can put you in a leash."

"Enough with the dog jokes..."

XXX

I waited outside his dressing room, my back against the door and female eyes watching my every move. I tried to pay no mind to their awful auras but I couldn't help but not feel uncomfortable.

"Rukia you can come in." Toshiro said, his voice carrying in the room.

I must say I couldn't wait to get away for those girls awful auras. "It sure took long enough." I said as I opened the door and shut it back, not bothering to lock it again.

"Well? Don't I look sexy?" Toshiro stood in front of my with a satisfied grin on his face as he started showing off the navy-blue jacket that complemented his body perfectly and the black brand name shirt he wore underneath didn't do him damage at all.

"Define sexy?" I asked with a challenge.

Toshiro's eyes lit up with the idea of competing in my challenge. "Hot, muscular, jaw dropping, you know, my kind of sexy." he said taking off the blue jacket first and slowly tossing it over to the rack of cloths. Then his pure black shirt came off, and I started to feel nauseous, but in a good way. As he approached me, his emerald eyes lit up, and trapped my own violet ones,, never flinching.

I found my feet stomper back as he came closer, it was only a matter of time until my back hit the wall, but I didn't dare change my cocky expression, instead I found myself replying to the snowy haired boy. "Defiantly not." I said. "It's more of the rotten, stinky, mutt, sexy." I plugged my nose as gestured.

He smiled hard locking his left arm against the wall, holding me in place, and with his right hand he started to unbutton the overpriced jeans. "But still you admit I'm sexy?" he asked his face closing in on my own.

His eyes seemed like the soul of an ember, they had turn a lively dark green color that I hadn't seen before. His pupils were now like slits, trying to tear me into pieces. I couldn't help but feel my face turn red as he locked me down with his greedy eyes.

It felt as if Toshiro wasn't even in the room any more.

"To a certain point." I admit to the strange figure in front of me, blush crossing my cheeks already tired of overusing the word "Sexy".

"Even if it was said in admiration, I couldn't be happier." he said, and I couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

I opened my month to reply but just as I saw him close in on my face the door swung open and I saw Ulquiorra walk in, not bothering to close the door afterwards as girls flocked and squeaked outside the room. What scared me though, was the emotionless mask he wore so often, it seemed to be angry at me. His eyes seemed to grow dark, almost as if they were losing possession of the one thing that matter most.

I couldn't figure him out.

"Calm down mutt." he said grabbing Toshiro from the pants as he drag him out of the dressing room. "No need to lose control." he said as Toshiro whined away.

I stared until they left my sight, almost forgetting to laugh.

It wasn't long before night started creeping over, and once Ulquiorra, Toshiro and I met back up with Ichigo, who was somehow holding bags of things he purchased at different places when me and Toshiro spent the whole day in one store.

"That's not fair." Toshiro whined. "Ichigo got to walk to whole area and I was stuck in a cloth store for the whole day." he muttered with a sigh.

Ichigo grinned. "Well you were with Rukia, she won't be satisfied until... well, and it meets her expectations." he shrugged. "Trust me, I learned from experience, now I hate every type of cloths line except for graphic tees."

I glared at him. "I think your mistaken."

Ichigo looked at me with amber eyes. "Oh I think not." he taunted. "Remember middle school 8th grade, you practically though away all my shirts and took a whole week giving me cloths that only Byakuya would wear. I ended up throwing it all out and buying three dollar graphic tee's." he said.

I crossed my arms. "How dare you say that so casually, I was only trying to help." I said puffing my cheeks and avoiding Ichigo's eyes.

Ulquiorra tugged on my sleeve gently, pointing with a long finger towards the campsite that laid peacefully at the top of the hill in front of us. "Threes a fire going." he said as I finally noticed ember burning in the middle of our campsite in the distance.

"Oh ya..." I muttered still not knowing why the hell Ulquiorra pointed that out.

"You still don't have a clue don't you?" Ulquiorra grimaced at my lack of common sense. "Idiot. That means someone was in our campsite. Someone, as in a stranger." he pointed out like it was the most casual thing in the world.

"You mean someone went through our stuff!" I shouted.

Ulquiorra didn't bother to answer instead he rolled his eyes as Ichigo glared at the campsite. "Let me go check it out, stay here Rukia." he said pushing me being Ulquiorra as Toshiro fallowed Ichigo without any words.

I looked up at Ulquiorra. "So... how've you been Batman?"

"It's not worth mentioning to the likes of you." He said, already sounding more like Brother than anyone else.

"Joy Kill."

"It's Kill Joy stupid."

'Hmph.' "You know Ulquiorra, I've been wondering this for a while now, but why did you decide to join us after all? I mean, if anything I didn't expect you to be a team player." I said curious of how he would answer me.

Ulquiorra looked down at me, his eyes showing a bit of his cocky side, but more gratitude than anything else. "Well, honestly, I-"

"Rukia!" Ichigo waved from the top of the hill. "There's nothing to worry about, Orihime was the one who started the fire!" He called out.

I looked at Ulquiorra for a good while and smiled back at Ichigo. "Ok! We'll be there in a second!" I looked back at Ulquiorra. "Hey, can you like fly or something?" I asked.

Ulquiorra almost laugh. "If I could, what would make you think I would carry you?" he asked and vanished from my sight in an instant.

"U-Ulquiorra...?" I looked back at the top of the hill and there stood the tall, black-haired teen, his arms crossed and with a smirk on his face. I could feel anger rush up in me. "Ulquiorra you come back here this instant! Carry me you BASTARD! You said you couldn't fly LIAR!" I shouted pointing a finger in disbelief at the newcomer.

Ulquiorra gave a very distant shrug and walked away.

And so I started my hike up the hill, plotting my revenge on Mr. Batman.

"Rukia what took you so long?" Toshiro asked, a giant bowl of strawberry's under his arm walking towards me.

I felt myself twitched. "Don't piss me off." I said.

Toshiro put his free hand up above his head. "I'm innocent!" He said.

"I'm probably not." Ulquiorra said boldly.

I searched for his voice with my eyes, finally spotting his lax body, sitting on a log his back facing me. "Ulquiorra I can't belie-"

"Rukia!~" Orihime's voice rang as she ran up to me with open arms once again. "Oh~ I finally get to see you again! So how was your shopping?" she asked releasing me.

I looked at her not really in the mood to talking or screaming, or anything else really. "Orihime how 'bout I tell you later." I admitted feeling drained from my hike up the oversized hill that should really be called a mountain.

I would think she understood what I said because she gave me a small smile and went back into her tent leaving without another word other than an "Ok".

Ichigo sat down on one of the logs and I got up deciding to sitting next to him Toshiro sitting between me and Ulquiorra but on the floor next to our feet. "So Rukia, what's tomorrow's plans?" Ichigo asked looking down at me.

"Well I guess... I was planning on going home." I admitted.

Ulquiorra smiled "And I'm staying in Rukia's room." he said proudly.

"And who told you that!" I shouted. "Even if it was true after what you just did like hell I would let you crash at my house!" I said to Ulquiorra who was playing cool with his eye's challenging my own with his words.

Before Ulquiorra could say anything though, Toshiro opened his big mouth. "And even if she would allow you to stay at her house, I wouldn't let you touch a hair on her head with your fifthly hands, Mr. Batman." he said mocking Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra eyes went from me to Toshiro in a nanosecond. "Well that's not you decision now is it?" he asked a smirk crossing his lips. "So I wouldn't be talking about filthy hands when you yourself have paws covered in their own filth." Ulquiorra said back so perfect it seemed like it had been practiced millions of times.

Toshiro grimaced and then yawned as if he had become bored. "I can't take anymore of this conversation, I going to sleep." and he leaned sideways, laying his head on my lap.

I panicked. "Hey!" I shouted. "Dumbass doesn't sleep on me!" I said but as I watched his sleeping face carelessly rest on my lap I almost didn't even want to disturb him.

"Don't bother Kuchiki, he won't wake up." Ulquiorra said. "You see, he still has some of his canine instincts inside of his body, so whenever he gets excited and is in a situation when he can't control himself, he will turn over to his canine instincts and act as they tell him to, or in other words, he would act like a dog." he said.

I looked from Ulquiorra and down to Toshiro, putting a hand on his soft, white hair and slowly brushing through it with my fingers. "So if that's true, back when we were in the dressing room, he..." I looked at Ulquiorra expression and I couldn't finish my sentence.

"It doesn't take a genius to know that Toshiro has strong affections for you, and it's obvious the human actions towards a person they like would be to flirt and go no farther, but in Toshiro's case his canine instincts were more dominate in the situation, and told him to claim you and make you his mate." Ulquiorra said. "So back there when you were making those small remarks, you might've been joking, but he wasn't."

I looked back down and Toshiro blush running across my cheeks. "M-mate?" The whole thing was still trying to being processed in my fried brain. I looked back up at Ulquiorra. "He was trying to seduce me?" I shouted is shock.

"Well you're not as stupid as I figured."

I shot him a glare. "So... how long do think this will last?" I asked hesitantly running my palm against his forehead like a mother would do to her child.

"I dunno." Ulquiorra shrugged.

"Worthless idiot."

"Yet you have no gratitude towards the worthless idiot that saved you virgin ass, for all I know you would've gone along with it." Ulquiorra said more joking than anything, but still I fumed, ready to shout.

"Watch it Batman, I'll put your ass under that fire." I said.

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about." Ichigo sweat dropped not really wanting to be informed on the situation either.

That night, Toshiro fell asleep in Ulquiorra's tent and Ichigo stayed on watch, Orihime taking the other tent, and Ulquiorra on shift for the next look out duty.

But even as the night, stars and moon made one of the most perfect settings to fall asleep in, I couldn't find myself to fall asleep. 'Ulquiorra was really looking out for me...' I thought. 'For a jerk he makes it really hard to hate him... and Toshiro... what Ulquiorra said about him having a crush on me must me wrong... He cant... because...' My eyelids had finally become heavy and I found myself suffering to fight sleep.

So I closed my eyes.

And became a victim to the night once again.

That was until I felt a hand wrap around my mouth. I felt my whole body jolt in shock and as my wide eyes tried to make out the figure who was attempting kidnap I was fighting against my thundering heart.

"Shuddup Rukia!" the male voice hushed. "It's me. Mr. Kitty Kat."

Author's Note:

Well, there you go, chapter 11, it ended up being a day late than I planned it on being though...

But still I updated! :)

I was having some difficult making every character get a part but I think it ended up working out in the end.

But still I hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to review please!