Name: Loves Me Not
Rating: PG
Genres: Romance/Drama
Summary: He loves me not. "Is there another one of those?" Ichigo asked gently, his grip on her hand tightening. "Because that's not how it's supposed to end."

Author's Notes: This story is what the collection was named after.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or the characters.Thanks to CrystalRaindrop007 for Beta'ing!

Loves Me Not

Rukia let the wind gently flow through her hair as she twirled the flower around in her slim, pale fingers. It was another day coming to an end. The sun was beginning to go down and the beautiful colors painting the sky made her smile as she sat down on the edge of the cliff and kicked her feet back and forth. She reached up two fingers and gently tore one of the small petals off of the daisy; there seemed to be hundreds.

"He loves me," she quietly whispered, letting the wind catch the petal. She watched as it floated off into the distance.

"Hand me that blade, Shinigami."

"He loves me not." Another petal came off and another tear was held back.

"My name is Kuchiki Rukia. I'll be sitting next to you."

"He loves me."

"It wasn't a Hollow that killed my mom. It was ... me."

"He loves me not."

"So ... you wanted one shaped like a rabbit, huh?"

"He loves me." She was trying not to cry. She really was.

"If ... if you take even one step to follow me! I ... I will never forgive you!"

"He loves me not."

"Is there a way to save Rukia? Tell me!!"

"He loves me." Rukia, despite trying not to cry, let a few tears slip from her violet eyes as she closed them, taking in a shaking breath.

"I don't just want to save Rukia ... I'm have to save her!"

"He loves me not." Her hands were shaking as she tore the petal from the flower; she couldn't hold them still.

"I came to save you, Rukia."

"He loves me."

"The power in my hand ... was gained for HER sake!"

"He loves me not."

"I ... I've decided to stay here, in Soul Society, Ichigo."

"He loves me."

"Because of you, Rukia, the rain has finally stopped falling."

"He loves me not." The flower was running out of petals.

"The man that you have been in my heart, Ichigo, would do exactly that!"

"He loves me." She didn't count the remaining amount of petals left; she didn't want to know.

"You ... you have your Shinigami powers back?"

"He loves me not." Her fingers were shaking. The stupid flower ... it didn't mean anything. But since he wouldn't say it ... maybe she needed to say it for him.

"As long as he's safe ... it's fine.""

"He loves me."

It was the last petal. The wind caught it like it had all the others and it flew away into the wind, never to be seen again.

"I thought you knew that."

Rukia's eyes went wide as she turned around. Her hands dropped the stem of the flower and she held onto the grass from the ground tightly. Her gaze softened when she realized who it was.

"I-Ichigo ... "

He smirked as he walked over and took her hand, helping her to her feet.

"Come on, dope; don't sit that close. Something ... something might happen to you."

Rukia smiled a little. "Ah."

"Why were you crying?"

"No ... no reason." Rukia wiped her final tears away and smiled; she had been crying because of what he wouldn't say, because maybe he didn't want to say it ... because he didn't want to hurt her when, no, if he left.

"What were you doing?" he asked.

Rukia didn't answer. She just turned around, her smile growing when she felt his arms wrap protectively around her waist to keep her from accidentally falling over the edge. Water gently lapped at the cliff below, and the last rays of light from the sun were dancing in the night sky. Stars were starting to appear, and as she strained her eyes, she could make out a single flower petal on the ground.

Pulling herself from Ichigo's embrace, she reached down and picked it up, fingering it gently. Ichigo looked at her curiously, reaching out to take her hand again, like she could fall any second, like he wanted to protect her from any awaiting danger.

"He loves me not," she said, letting the petal, which had fallen from her flower, fly off in the wind. If it had stayed on ... it would have ended that way, anyway.

"Is there another one of those?" Ichigo asked gently, his grip on her hand tightening. "Because that's not how it's supposed to end."

"Really?" she asked quietly. "Even if one of us has to leave someday?"

"Even then."

"There aren't any flower petals left," she said quietly. Ichigo reached down and plucked another flower from the ground, reaching over her shoulder to hand it to her.

"Then we'll just have to try until we get one that ends right."

Rukia nodded, a soft smile gracing her lips as she began to take the petals off one by one.

"He loves me not ..."

"I love you."

Well ... whatcha think? I had a lot of fun writing it; personally, I'm proud of how it turned out. : D

Please Review!