Nobody knows who I really am,
I never felt this empty before,
And if I ever need someone to come along,
Who's gonna comfort me and keep me strong?
Guys go listen to this song. It was used in the first Bleach ending. It is on YouTube as Life is Like a Boat by Rei Fu. It is wonderful. Even though I do not understand the Japanese parts, I totally love it! Plus, it was basically put on Rukia and the world knows she is my favorite character. So yeah.

Byakuya's POV

I watched over her as she slept. It had already been seven hours. Yoruichi had told me the drug would take a while to wear off but that did not help my nerves. What could have gone wrong in the human world? Half of me was tearing to go to that sick headed brat's house and find out for myself what he had done while the other half was unwilling to leave her side.

My fingers clasped around her small white hand. It was so cold she could have as well been dead. I shook my head in a vague attempt to somehow shake the thought away as well. I could hear her breath, sense her spirit force flicker and that was what I was going to concentrate on. I shifted a bit to adjust myself better on her small futon. If she had informed me it was so small I would have had it exchanged by now. My head finally came to rest on the small pillow we shared and I stared at her beautiful raven mane.

I had no idea how she would react to me sleeping with her but I hoped it would not be enough to bring the house down. A small smile spread across my mouth. It was not like I expected any less of her. Hell knew the woman could get things done in the most reckless way possible. And I was not eager to experience the same.

There was a knock on the door. I sighed. I already knew who it was. I couldn't have opened the door even if I wanted, anyway. "Tell him she is still sleeping.", I called through the door. I did not exert myself though. It was my servants' duty to hear me no matter how low I spoke. I felt the maid's spiritual pressure scurry away to inform my lieutenant of the same. This was the fifth time he had visited. He was overly-concerned and it was getting to me.

I snuggled closer to her as my hand stroked the back of her hair. It was quite soft. I smiled contentedly. I honestly, had no reason to ask for anything else.

I felt her stir in my grasp. I loosened my hold on her waist a bit to allow appropriate movement. She started fidgeting and her lips drew back as if she was about to say something. A moment later, her eyelids lifted to reveal two milky purple orbs. They stared at me in confusion for a moment as she tried to get the sleep to wear off, then widened in realization.

Her reaction was immediate. She had managed to push me off the futon and gather the sheets up around the human clothes she was wearing before I knew. She looked at me in pure fear and nervousness which totally tore my heart apart. A shudder ran down her diminutive frame, which could be made out from under the sheets. I felt my mouth draw into a quick line instinctively and her jaw dropped open.

"S-sorry Nii-sama. P-p-please f-forgive my behavior. I-I am really sorry. Sleep seems to have addled my senses." She tried and failed in bowing with the sheets still wrapped around her body. She pressed her closed fists to her chest, which I recognized as a gesture girls made in awkward and self-conscious situations. I had never expected that of her. I moved forward swiftly and grabbing her small waist hugged her close. I didn't want to hear her piercing words. I wanted her to realize I was right here. She pressed against my chest, trying to break free. I let go, reluctantly but did not pull my arms away.

I gazed at her but she looked away from me. She bit her bottom lip and shivered. Tension could have made me break a sweat now. What was wrong with her?

"Did something happen to you, Rukia?" Despite everything, I couldn't help feeling like she had rejected me. Then, her lower lip started wobbling even violently. I had the urge to hug her but resisted it. She closed he eyes and swallowed before releasing a small whimper. She pulled her hands up to her face and buried it in them. Her shoulders started shaking as she sobbed wildly.

"Rukia!" I was hyper ventilating now.

"Please…..", she whisper/begged.

"What? Is there something you need?", I asked, encouraging her to talk.

"Please just, leave."

Her words tore me in half but I guessed she needed her space. I got up from the floor and advanced towards the door. "Half an hour." Her voice made me turn. "After half an hour, can you please send Renji in?" The light was lost in her eyes and they looked so dead it scared me. How had I not noticed it before? Her face was soaked in tears and her eyes were so emotionless that they seemed inhuman. I felt a pang hurt my chest, though I was unsure as to whether it was due to her misery or the fact that she trusted Renji more capable of easing it than me. Why was it? Because I had not shown her all along? Was it my indifference? I almost winced. Sometimes, I wondered if she had become way too much of a Kuchiki and it would be impossible to get through the idea of me loving her. My heart hurt but I nodded curtly and left.

Rukia's POV

I watched him leave. I could feel the pain he concealed once again. I wondered if it would be easier if he just let it show? Then maybe, I would remember Kuchiki Byakuya could be hurt.

I sighed as I shifted back under the futon and continued to cry. Would I ever be able to stop? Didn't look so. I knew I shouldn't have pushed him away that way. But I couldn't help it. Having a male so close after what had happened was a bit too much for me.

But I knew one could help. The one who had been there when I hit puberty. Renji.

Renji's POV

"Abarai fukutaicho?"

I spun around as the much awaited servant from Kuchiki manor stood at my door. His face was set in perfect indifference. He was different from the female who had come to tell me how I could not meet Rukia yet every single time so I guessed I could now. "Yes?"

"Kuchiki-san requests your presence? If you would please follow me…"

I had flash stepped in front of the manor before the servant could have finished his pompous speech. A summon was a summon, whether you put it as 'Kuchiki-san requests your presence' or 'Rukia is calling you'. Both got the same point across so why bother. That was what I kept musing about as another servant led me to my best friend room. Exactly how many of them did they have here?

The door opened to reveal her sitting in front of one of those expensive rice doors (is that what they call them) looking out over the garden. The servant bowed next to me and left. I stepped inside and secured the door behind me.

"Renji." Her deep voice penetrated the silence of the room. I was sure it was not my reaitsu, that was concealed impeccably. It was something different. Something way deeper.

"Yo, Rukia." I hated how my voice sounded so gruff when compared to Kuchiki Taichou's.

Her head cocked back and she patted the spot next to herself, inviting me to sit. I obliged without delay. I noticed how she was wearing human clothes. We remained silent for a few minutes, just letting the soft breeze blow through our hair. I put my hand over hers, and immediately felt her fingers tangle with mine. That lit me face.

"What happened, Rukia?"

I so wish I hadn't asked that question. She removed her hand form mine and I could barely keep myself from reaching out to grasp it. She drew back and lay her head against the door frame. "Let's not talk about that Renji. I want to be with my best friend for a while." She turned to look at me and my eyes widened at how emotionless those purple orbs that were almost flickering with energy were. "Make me forget please?"

How could I resist that look?

"Do you remember the guessing game we used to play back in Rukongai?"

She nodded. "I will take it. Guess my favorite animal."

If it were so, that in some other dimension we were just an Anime/Manga series and a stupid writer was writing an equally stupid story which had no head or tail to please her wonderful readers, I am sure they could have seen me sweat drop. "Uh, rabbit?"

"Bingo!"

"Yeah, now you guess my favorite person in the whole of Seireitei."

"Um…. Rangiku-san?"

I knew she had taken a random guess but I couldn't help teasing her. Plus, her ignorance annoyed me. "No. but I like the way you are thinking."

That got me a punch in the face.

"Who is it?", she demanded.

"You."

"Alright."

The game went on for a few hours till it was time for me to leave. She came up to the front door to escort me and I knew that was about all I could expect from the Kuchikis. Byakuya did not show me his face even once and I got this weird impression that he was mad at me about something.

We stood under the shade of the high poles that held the gate up. I noticed how the setting sun elongated their shadows and made them look five times bigger than they already were. Yes, it was getting late and I needed to do something.

I straightened and did a weird imitation of a bow, which only a hunchback could be capable of. "Yo, Kuchiki-san, I beg your leave. Kindly do inform your monstrous brother that I did not lay a finger on the precious Kuchiki treasure."

She rounded her foot and kicked me. In the jaw. Square. I staggered back in pain but at least I got her to laugh. I looked at the dark circles under her eyes, or were they sleep-bags? I had no idea. My heart churned in my chest, urging me to do something, anything. But I could only stand there and gaze at her. Suddenly, it felt like I had already lost her. This was not my Rukia. This was not the Rukia.

"Should I leave now?", I asked. I realized how wrong that had come out but she did not seem to mind. She opened her mouth as if to say something but then shut it abruptly and looked away. Her eyes teared up but I dared not ask why. I knew pushing her will only make her procrastinate in her confession. Even so, some part of me screamed that this was because of the strain in our friendship, because of me.

I turned to exit the building. "Renji.", she called. It had me turning in a flash, the tone of her voice seemed the familiar Rukia of District 78 tone, not Rukia the Kuchiki clan's member tone. I searched her face for any signs of the old Rukia, the one who would have forgiven me. But all I saw was a girl who looked blanched yet feverish at the same time. She was all skin and bones and her eyes had sunk further in their sockets. Even so, when she smiled she was the most thing I had ever laid eyes on. Because it assured me that things could go back to how they used to be, and possibly, move further.

"Thank you, Renji."

Ichigo's POV

"Inoue, we need to talk. Meet me at the café."

*TIME SKIP*

"What do you mean we need to break it up?" Tears gathered in her eyes, which tore me apart, or what was left of me. No doubt I cared about her. But not half as much as Rukia.

Rukia.

"Kurosaki-kun!" She shook my hand to bring me back into reality. The old couple sitting next to us turned and gave me a disapproving glare. Shit. I so knew I should have done this via text message.

"Look, even after we got together we still call each other by our last names. You call me Kurosaki-kun and I call you Inoue. That is so not couple like….."

"Do you want me to start calling you Ichigo? Alright, Ichigo, how are you?" She blushed and covered her mouth moments after she said that. "It doesn't mean I respect you any less….."

"To me, a relationship is not about respect, its about….."

"Care? Concern? Space? What? I am sure I….."

"My family doesn't approve of you. Three-fourth of it doesn't at least and that includes me….."

"I am sure I can win them over….."

"I don't think this is working. You…..."

"Give me a chance, Kurosaki-kun, please I will do anything….."

"Inoue!" I stood up, banging my fists on the table. By this point, I just didn't care who was looking. I had to get her off of me. "All we have been doing this past hour is cut each other off! How do you think this could work?! Please, Inoue, please! Face the truth!"

She lowered her head and whispered. "Kuchiki-san did this right?"

"Excuse me?"

She turned up to glare at me. "Can't you fucking get it through your head?!" She stood up. "She has chosen who she wanted and it is NOT you! She doesn't deserve you!"

I turned around and started running away.

She was right?

She didn't deserve me?

Hell.

I was the one who did not deserve her. She had chosen who she wanted and she had chosen well.

Woah. This got out of hand. So did not go how I planned but oh well -_- Comment guys! You have no idea how they make my day. And please tell me of the three which one of them you want Rukia to end up with? Or, do you want separate routes? Like an Otome game? Comment!