Hi. I am garganta. Wuzup? I really was glad of how you think about my story so far. Not one single negative review so far. I could kiss you all right now, even though some of you could be guys. I wouldn't care. Later I'd regret it but first I wouldn't care! :D

Enjoy chapter 7 and don't forget to review. And those thousands who forgot up until now, you can make it up to me by reviewing. I'd forgive you :)

"This is so booooring!" Ichigo suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs. It was now 3pm and he barely had half of his work done. It felt like he would have to sit another eternity to finally be done with work for the day. He wouldn't mind it that much, if signing papers wouldn't be boring as hell. But it was.

"Ichigo-chan, be quiet and get back to work! The more you avoid work with yelling around the longer it will take to finish!" Aiko scolded him.

Hinamori just nodded in agreement. "She's right, Kurosaki-taicho. Yelling around doesn't help anything."

Ichigo just mumbled something darkly under his breath and returned to his work.

After about 5 minutes of 'work' Ichigo held his head in his hand and tapped one end of his pencil repeatedly on the table.

"Could you please stop that, Kurosaki-taicho?" Hinamori asked with a smile, but the annoyance was clear in her voice.

"Sorry…" He mumbled. He let out a sigh and returned to his documents.

Suddenly someone knocked on the door to their office.

"Come in."Ichigo said close to being enthusiastic about the very much welcomed distraction from the still huge pile of documents on his desk.

Rukia opened the door and took her steps inside gracefully. "Hi Aiko-chan, Momo-san, strawberry." She greeted them, smiling gently.

Ichigo frowned at her referring to him again as strawberry. "I see you are finished early, midget?"

Rukia of course remembered how Aiko reacted the night before to Ichigo calling her a midget and took the chance. She turned her face away from them, took out a napkin from what looked like thin air and patted the corner of her eyes as she let heart breaking sobs wreck her body. Aiko of course immediately got teary-eyed as she saw Rukias 'reaction'. "Rukia-san, please don't cry. Don't listen to Ichigo-chan, he is a meany…"She tried to console Rukia and hugged her as she shot Ichigo a death glare. Hinamori also stood up and walked hurriedly over to Rukia and hugged her, making soothing sounds as she rubbed her back. "That was really rude, Kurosaki-taicho. I never thought you would be capable of hurting Rukias feelings like that, with you being so close after all." She said as she looked at him with very serious eyes.

Rukia looked over Hinamoris shoulder to Ichigo and smirked triumphantly at him. She looked down again and got immediately back into her acting-mode. "It's al-alright you two…I'm sure I-Ichigo d-didn't mean to…to call me what he just called me. I forgive him."

"Ohhh, you are so kind-hearted Rukia-san." Hinamori said, smiling widely. She looked at Ichigo with her serious look again. "You should be grateful Kurosaki-taicho for having a friend like her."

Ichigo felt his blood boiling and his face turning beet-red. How blind were they? It wasn't like she was a good actress. But then again, back when she lived in his closet she tricked many of his friends and teachers and also his stupid father (which wasn't that big of a surprise) with this acting.

"But Ichigo-chan should at least say sorry to you!" Aiko offered. "Come on Ichigo-chan, you have to say that you are really sorry and that you really like her. Oh, you better hug her too, to show how sorry you are!"

At the last sentence Ichigo's eyes grew wide as saucers. "I don't think that would be necessary Aiko, now you and Rukia go and I'll be able to finish my work because there is still so much of it and I want to be home before midnight and now go, ok?" Ichigo began to babble while a blush crept across his face.

"Awwww, but at least say sorry to her!" Aiko pleaded, looking up at him with puppy eyes.

Ichigo could just roll his eyes, but nonetheless looked at Rukia who tried her best to hide a grin. "I'm really sorry, Rukia. I never meant to hurt your feelings." He mumbled with boredom evidence in his voice. Rukia eyes blinked with evident amusement. She really seemed to enjoy that.

She will pay.

"Now go. Rukia also has not all time in the world, even though she has no more work to be done." Ichigo said with a little smile on his face.

As Aiko and Rukia turned to leave Ichigo had a sudden thought.

"Aiko, can I need to speak to you a moment."

"Huh? Oh…ok."

Ichigo went down on one knee to be on eyelevel with her. He took hold of her shoulders and pulled her close to her. She looked nervous so he put on a little smile, trying to ease her nervousness. He spoke to her in a low voice, so just she could hear what she was told.

"Aiko, you remember what you were about to say to Rukia yesterday night when we headed home?" She nodded her head a little shakily. "If she asks you again what I told you about her…don't tell her. I know she'll ask you again but I don't want her to know, alright?"

"But why?" She asked, her face full of confusion.

Ichigo had to chuckle.

"Just…don't tell her anything. Please."

"Fine, I don't tell her anything…" She finally said with disappointment evident in her voice.

Ichigo watched as she and Rukia left, not missing as Rukia glanced at him over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her.

Ichigo sat back down on his chair and let out a big sigh.

"You know, Kurosaki-taicho…you and Rukia-san, I always wondered what your relationship really is…all I can say is, that it is…unique." Hinamori suddenly spoke up hesitantly. It was the first time ever that she referred to something personal and private when she spoke to him. Even if it was not about her life, it was still a big step.

He still didn't like it though. He never liked being asked about his and Rukias relationship. He never knew how to answer.

"If…if you don't want to answer, I understand, really." Hinamori added hastily.

"It's ok Hinamori…I understand your curiosity about that. You are not the first one to ask. It's just…I don't know how to answer. I never knew."

With that he returned to his work and didn't even feel that bored about it anymore. It felt like the sun decided to rise a few hours later than usual. The day began just now.

Aiko and Rukia walked side by side through Seireitei as Rukia pointed out this and that and a few other things.

"Rukia-san…" Aiko glanced from the corner of her eyes at Rukia and looked quite a bit uncomfortable about something.

"Is something the matter, Aiko-chan?"

"Um, actually…I wondered…back at old man-sans, he said that you were going to be executed…"

Rukias expression hardened at the memories. She would never forget how broken she was at that time. How she had given up on everything. How she felt alone and abandoned from everyone…everyone except for…

"Yes, that's right. Why do you ask?"

"I…I just wanted to know…why? I mean to be executed means to be killed, doesn't it? But by good people, like police and stuff. But why? What did you do?" Aiko knew it was rude to ask her something like that, but curiosity was killing her.

Rukia sighed. She motioned for Aiko to sit down on a bench nearby them and bought them snacks from a little store across the bench. Rukia gave one of the snacks to Aiko and sat next to her.

"Did Ichigo tell you about Shinigamis, Hollows and everything?"

"Yes, Ichigo-chan and Hinamori-san told me everything. It's a bit much, but I think I got everything."

Rukia nodded and looked up at the sky. "Do you want me to tell you the whole story?"

"If you don't mind?" Aiko asked, unsure if she should really pry like that.

"I guess I don't mind…" She took a deep breath to steady her thoughts and began. "You know Aiko-chan…everything that happened back then…it was significant…for my and Ichigos relationship. Ichigos family got attacked by a hollow…and that fool tried to attack the hollow and sacrifice himself to save his family. It wouldn't have done any good, but he is just like that…rash, not thinking about consequences…he didn't have any powers. He was just a normal human teenager." She had to shake her head at the memories. A small sad smile formed on her lips as she went on. "The hollow went to kill him but I threw myself between them and got injured, bad enough not to be able to fight anymore. So I did the only thing I could think of to save that idiot and his family." She looked at Aiko who hung on every single word that came out of her mouth.

"I gave my powers to him."

Aiko's eyes widened slightly. She didn't know that something like that would be even possible and that Rukia would give her powers to someone she didn't even know…

"I just wanted to give the half of it, but he didn't have any control of himself so he nearly drained me completely out of any powers I had. And that was it. I gave my shinigami powers to a human. And to Soul Society that is a very, very bad crime. There was of course more to it, but that you don't need to know right now. You still are too young to know all the circumstances."

Aiko didn't press there any further, Rukias dark voice told her more than clearly, that there was something more serious about the whole execution thing, but she left it to that. She wanted to know other things more badly anyways.

"What happened then? After you gave Ichigo-chan your powers. "

Rukia smirked. "I trained him. I trained him how to perform kidos, how to fight hollows. I always accompanied him. And watched him while he fought…" Her voice trailed off for a moment. It all seemed so long ago, like so many lifetimes had passed since then. She remembered fondly how she taught him, how she cheered him up and how she healed him when he was wounded…from the very beginning, barely knowing each other, they understood the smallest of facial expressions, the smallest of gestures the other made or showed- they understood everything immediately. Where one would lack the other would fill in. She remembered how she was feared to death that Ichigo would die after his fight with grand fisher; how he collapsed on her.

"You know, Aiko-chan…Ichigo and I…we just were together like that for two months…but it felt to me like a whole eternity. I had to live in the human world, because without powers I couldn't go back to soul society. I lived secretly in Ichigo's closet, I went to Ichigo's school as a transfer student…I was with Ichigo what seemed like day in and day out. And I never got sick of him." She said the last sentence with a little blush she felt rising in her cheeks and was quite shocked about that statement herself but didn't show it of course.

But I always think he is annoying…don't I? How could I not get sick of him…of him and his scowl and his rude attitude and his ridiculously orange hair? …It is annoying…but…in a nice way.

"But you are always calling each other names!" Aiko said confused.

Rukia chuckled at that. That was to be expected. Not even a whole 24 hours passed and Aiko already noticed their mocking each other.

"It is the way our relationship works, Aiko-chan. It may seem odd to other people but…I wouldn't have it any other way."

Aiko looked just more confused than before but didn't ponder further why they were acting the way they did.

"But…like I said, I lived like a human for 2 month waiting for my powers to return but I grew attached to…to…" Rukia fiddled with her fingers and cast her eyes down to her lap…she bit her bottom lip. She took a deep breath and continued, clearing her thoughts. "I grew attached to the human world. And that was a bad thing for me being a shinigami. My nii-sama and his fukutaicho…an old friend of mine…they came one day to look for me and to take me back to Soul Society so I could receive my punishment. I knew they would come so I ran away, leaving a letter in hope Ichigo wouldn't come for me. He didn't know where I would go and that I ran away. But he found me. And nii-sama. And Renji." She struggled going on, as the memories of Ichigos fatal injuries flooded her mind. She remembered how she hoped she could somehow switch with him, so he could live and she would be the one injured so badly. That she would die in his place.

"Ichigo got hurt. Really bad. I thought he would die. I was so sure he would die…" She tried to keep her composure and had a really hard time with that. It took all her willpower to not break down right now and cry for all it was worth as she relived the memories. But it was good…it was good to talk about everything with someone…even if it was 'just' Aiko. She wasn't sure if it was alright to talk about how Ichigo nearly got killed with that innocent little girl, but she just kept talking. She had to. "Nii-sama had every intention to…kill Ichigo…but he survived. I didn't know of course, so I just felt guilty…and alone. Do you see that large building with those many white towers?" Rukia asked as she pointed to the Shrine of Penitence. Aiko nodded and continued to listen, completely engrossed in every word that escaped Rukias lips. "I was kept there until the day of my execution. I had no idea but later I heard that several outsiders, 'ryoka', had invaded Seireitei. It was Ichigo and several other friends…Orihime…Sado…Ishida…Ganju…and Yoruichi-san. They all helped to rescue me. But the only one that really mattered all the time, the only one that just helped to keep the tiniest bit of hope alive…"

"It was Ichigo-chan, wasn't it?" Aiko guessed with a bright smile on her face.

Rukia couldn't help but reply with a brilliant smile herself. "Yes. Only Ichigo. He was so reckless…he is always reckless and hot-headed and rash and stupid and loud and rude and annoying and has a dirty mouth…but he saved my life. He put his own life in danger…he fought high ranked officers and fukutaichos and taichos- and beat them all. Just to save me." Rukias smile fell slightly. "I was so worried every day since I knew that he invaded Seireitei. I was afraid he would get hurt or even…die. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if anything happened to him. But he saved me. And I wonder every day why."

Aiko took it all in and frowned lightly in thought. It would be the perfect timing to tell Rukia everything Ichigo told her about her. But she promised to not say anything. It just wasn't fair.

Rukia on the other hand had a small, barely visible smile on her face. She couldn't remember a time when she smiled that often in such a short period of time. She couldn't remember smiling or feeling in any way content with anything for the past 2 years.

Ever since this fool was by my side again…everything seems so much…brighter.

"Aiko-chan, may I ask you something?" She waited all day to ask Aiko what she was about to ask and felt anticipation take over every fiber of her body. Either it would make her disappoint her or it would make her day.

I don't even know what I am expecting to hear…or why I want to know it that badly. What am I expecting?

"Yes, of course!" Aiko replied with a bright grin.

If it was that easy to ask the night before it was now really hard since it felt like the words just got stuck in her throat and refused to come out.

"I…I…" It didn't work. The words wouldn't come out. "I…"

"What is it, Rukia-san?" Aiko asked her curiously.

Rukia bit her bottom lip nervously clutched the material of her kimono in her lap.

What am I expecting to hear? I…don't know what I am expecting to hear? I don't know if I could even handle what I might hear. But…wouldn't it be just what he always says? I am a friend. I am a midget. I have a fondness for Chappy the rabbit. I can't draw. He probably just said the things he says to me…every day. Nothing special. So…what was I expecting to hear? …I just don't know.

"I…never mind, Aiko-chan!" She made up her mind. She didn't want to know. She didn't know why she suddenly changed her mind like that…but she just did. It was for the better.

Aiko was just confused. "Is everything alright, Rukia-san? What did you want to ask me?"

"It's nothing, really. Let's go back to Ichigo, he's probably still working but I don't think he has very much left." Rukia responded with a forced smile. She held her hand out for Aiko to take, which she did, and headed back to the taichos office of Division 5.

Ichigo looked at the wall clock of the office and recognized how late it already got. 8 pm! He was glad that the mountain of documents from the morning shrunk to a mere 10 to 20 documents left for signing. The young taicho was tired as hell and longed for his bed.

Ichigo had already sent his fukutaicho home, as she was done with her work and helped him for a couple of hours with his. They had a way better relationship then before and a few of other division members also began to loosen up to him. It began to make fun to be a taicho if it just wasn't for this damned paper work that needed to be done day in and day out. It really sucked. As he was halfway through the little pile of papers that was left on his desk he was startled by a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." He responded and his face lit up as he saw Aiko running towards him and giving him a shy hug. Yet he felt a smile building on his face as he saw the petite shinigami smiling at him.

I really like her smile.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"What have you two been up to?"

"Nothing special. Just showing her around."

"Ah."

That was it, their conversation. And yet, it was complete. It didn't lack anything. At least to them. They went on staring each other in the eyes, smiling. Both felt comfortable warmth spread through their bodies, not daring to break eye contact.

"Ichigo-chan!"

"Huh?" Ichigo was startled as he heard Aiko calling him.

"I was asking you something!"

"Sorry, I was in thought."

Aiko wouldn't buy that of course. "You were staring at Rukia-san, Ichigo-chan."

Ichigo felt his face turning red. "I wasn't!"

"You were!" She wouldn't understand what would be so bad with staring at Rukia-chan. She looked nice after all.

"I wasn't!"

"Uh, I guess I get going…" Rukia said, trying to say her good byes and see you tomorrows, but had a hard time grasping their attention. She turned to leave and was about to close the door as she felt Ichigos presence next to her.

He is…so…close…

"Rukia."

"Yes?"

"I wanted to thank you for taking care of Aiko for the day."

"My pleasure."

They stood there, again staring right in each other's eyes. Ichigo felt his eyes travelling down slowly and sopping as they caught sight of her lips. He wondered what they would feel like. They looked soft.

"I…" He began, but didn't exactly know why tried to say anything to begin with. His brain was void of any logical thought after all. It registered just the pictures of Rukias lips sent by his eyes to his brain, the only thing that was of any importance right now. He stared but dared to make any move.

Rukia was first to gain her composure back and saw how Ichigo blinked several times, trying to clear his mind of any thought he had just now.

"Uh…yeah."

"Yeah…"

Rukia shuffled her feet on the floor not sure what to say and Ichigo rubbed the back of his head.

That was weird…I felt like…like…what? Ichigo couldn't tell. He just felt so drawn those cute and sweet looking lips of hers.

Ichigo cleared his throat. "Uhm, I guess I should get back inside to finish my work…uh, thanks again midget- ooff!"

He doubled over gasping for air as he earned himself the hardest of punches from the tiniest of fists.

"You always keep calling me a midget but every time I punch you, you look like a midget yourself you fool!" Rukia grinned at him menacingly. "Good night, you strawberry." She said but stood there for a couple of seconds, looking like she wasn't sure of something and turned then she turned to leave.

Rukia was on her way to the Kuchiki Manor as countless thoughts invaded her mind.

What is it I feel around him? I never did feel anything like this around anyone. I always have the urge to touch him…in a different way. Like he touched me as he became a taicho…

She jumped from rooftop to rooftop as she thought about that moment, the moment as Kurosaki Ichigo touched her chin to lift her head to look at him as if she was the most fragile thing in the world. It was so soft. She could still feel it and it was weeks ago.

And what the hell was it with me staring at him like that…two times! In not even 10 minutes! I thought I was going to actually…no. I wasn't and I won't. It's just Ichigo after all. Just…Ichi…go.

Rukia stopped suddenly as she realized that she reached her destination. She didn't even bother to look if someone was up as she walked straight to her room. Not recognizing that the light in her room was on she just slid the door open and walked in just to see her brother sitting their patiently, waiting for her to arrive.

Her eyes wide in shock she could just stutter. "N-n-nii-sama? W-w-what are you d-doing here?"

She really didn't want to discuss things with him now, as she had enough other confusing thoughts in her mind driving her insane but avoiding her brother now was impossible.

"That is the first thing you ever said to me in the past weeks, Rukia."

"I-…" She looked to the floor, ashamed of herself. She at least should have tried to discuss and clear things with her brother, that much he deserved, but all she did was, well, nothing.

"I want to apologize to you Rukia."

Her eyes widened as the words registered in her mind. "Huh?"

Byakuya, in his usual composure, yet a little softer since he was with Rukia and no one else, just kept on explaining.

"Rukia, I promised your sister to protect you from any danger that might come upon you…and that is why I did not want you become a fukutaicho, let alone a taicho. We usually get the most dangerous missions and I was afraid that one day you would be wounded badly in one such mission. I thought I could put you out from the greatest danger if I would veto your promotion. I am sorry, Rukia."

The look he had remembered her of the look he had when he told her the truth about her sister back on Sokyoku Hill. She now felt even worse. It was such a trivial reason, no bad intentions at all. He was just protective over her. Maybe more than necessary, but he promised her sister to protect her in every way possible after all. He wanted to keep his promise. A promise he gave the only woman he ever fell in love with.

"I-I…I understand, nii-sama. I am not angry with you and I am sorry, I should have handled it better and…" She trailed off.

Byakuya just nodded. He was glad that he decided to talk to her because she seemed too afraid to approach him about that topic, so he decided that he had to. And he was right.

He was about to sit up and leave when Rukia suddenly asked him something unexpected.

"Nii-sama…what…what did you feel, when you were around Hisana-oneesama?" She looked down shyly, avoiding his eyes with everything she had and trying to hide the bright crimson blush that spread across her face.

What the hell am I thinking? Asking nii-sama a question like that?

Byakuya was startled at first, though he of course never showed, but decided to answer the question honestly. "I felt many things around her, Rukia…but the strongest feeling was completeness." With that said he left her room, still taking his time for a short "good night, Rukia".

Rukia made herself ready for bed and after laying down still pondered over what her brother answered her.

Completeness. I wonder what nii-sama meant with that. Is that what I feel towards you? I wonder…

She turned to her side, her eyes heavy. As sleep slowly reached for her she wouldn't miss the feeling that she lacked of something right now. She could not put her finger on it and she was too close to sleeping to really think about it, so she just fell to sleep with that feeling.

Okaaaaaaaay. to be honest, I don't like this chapter so much. It's like…I dunno. :/ It's the longest so far but also the one I like least. What do you think? I could've made it a whole lot better, I'm sure. Argh, it sucks.

Let me know what you think with reviews. Many MANY reviews. More than I ever had for a single chapter. Come on. Please. I try to update the next chapter as soon as possible. ;)

Thanks.

garganta.