Wow! I finished this chapter faster than I thought! Be sure to review and I don't own anything!

I am no bird and no net ensnares me. I am a free human being with an independent will.

I had read that same line in the book I was reading for probably the thousandth time. It was a book I had found in the school library from a faraway land called "England". It was a great book, but I couldn't get myself to focus on it. Every time I would begin to read a line, my thoughts would drift back to the boy on the other side of the door of the closet I called home. I mean, I thought about him all the time, but today was special. Thanks to his actions, I couldn't take my mind off him. I kept replaying today's events over and over again, savoring the moments more and more each time.

"Thanks a lot", I whispered aloud. Though my words were aimed at Ichigo, I was careful to speak softly enough to not be heard. "Now I'm not going to get any reading done."

"Hey, Rukia!" Ichigo's voice shocked me from my thoughts like a volt of electricity. I leaned forward and yanked open the closet door.

"What do ya want?" I asked angrily. "I was in the middle of a really good book."

Ichigo had his head turned back me as he casually leaned back in his desk chair. In front of him were a text book and papers spread across his desk. Probably the homework from school today. It was only simple algebra work, though, and it was about eight o'clock at night. I don't see how he could still be working on it in all the hours he had spent on it. "Its getting stuffy in here. Do you want to go for a walk or something?"

I tilted my head slightly in confusion. "Huh? Don't you think it's getting late?" I really didn't care about it being late. It was just that the thought of being out, alone at night with Ichigo was almost too much for me to bear.

Ichigo smiled that wonderful, soft smile. It was like falling into a cloud. "Come on. Do you really think anything bad is going to happen to us? I thought soul reapers were supposed to be fearless."

"But- umm…" I bit the inside of my mouth. I couldn't think of another good reason for us to not go out.

Ichigo reached got out of his chair and came forward. "Come on, Rukia. It'll be fine."

I was just about to make up some reason to refuse, when Ichigo caught me off guard for the third time that day; he reached over, took my hand, and gently pulled me out of the closet.

By that time I knew I was blushing again.

After sneaking out of Ichigo's room, we had made our way to the park. It was a gorgeous night. Being winter, the air outside was cool, but it went wonderful with the scenery. The stars, though not as bright and numerous as the ones in the Soul Society, were beautiful. The trees were beautiful, the grass was beautiful, even the bugs. Okay, maybe I'm a little biased. Everything along the path we walked just seemed to be a thousand times better with Ichigo at my side. It was like that perfect light he gave off was radiating onto everything around him. I couldn't help but smile.

"What's got you so happy?" I heard Ichigo asked. I looked up at him. Even though it was dark outside, his face seemed to be glowing.

"Oh nothing", I chuckled. I turned my attention away from his face and back to our surroundings. "It's just that it's such a beautiful night."

I was no longer looking at Ichigo, but I could tell he was smiling by the warmth I felt coming from him. "Yeah. I guess it is." He stopped walking and sat on a nearby bench so I took a seat next to him. I looked up at him again. He was watching the same sky I had been watching, and just like I predicted, he was smiling. "Hey, Rukia."

I quickly shifted my eyes in a different direction, so I wouldn't know I'd been staring at him. "What is it, Ichigo?"

"I'm really sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have teased you and cause you hurt yourself like that."

I didn't respond immediately. It's not like I was seriously injured or even injured at all. I knew how protective Ichigo could be, but I was surprised something so insignificant bothered him so much. "For the thousandth time, Ichigo, I am fine", I said with a hint of hostility as I crossed my arms and closed my eyes. "You act like I had gotten attacked by a hollow or something."

Ichigo didn't respond like I had expected him to so I opened my eyes to look back at him. To my absolute horror he was looking directly at me. I nearly jumped out of my seat. I probably would have, too, if he hadn't placed his hand on my arm.

"You have goose bumps", he observed as he quickly ran his hand up and down my arm in an attempt to warm it. "Are you cold?" I did have goose bumps, but probably not for the reasons he suspected.

He took my other arm and rubbing it in an attempt to warm it. I didn't move. Ichigo had such a warm touch, but it sure did have a tendency to freeze me in my tracks. "Is that better?" he asked with a kind smile.

The only response I could muster was a nod of my head. It did feel better. His touch seemed to simultaneously erase the chills from my body and send chills down my spine. I finally managed to let my eyes meet his. The smile on his face seemed to be fading. I didn't know what was wrong. Did I do something? I thought to myself. But then I realized that Ichigo's face was slowly moving towards mine. It was so slow that I didn't even notice it until I felt his hands moving from my arms, up from my shoulders.

Is he falling unconscious? Is he looking at something on my face? A million thoughts raced through my mind, each offering a different explanation for Ichigo's journey towards my face. None of this could have prepared me for what was to happen.

His lips meeting mine.

It didn't believe what was happening. I couldn't believe what was happening. Ichigo's perfect (yet slightly chapped) lips were pressed against mine.

I could feel his hands slide down my shoulders, to my back where he used them to pull me closer to him. I could feel him lean more into our kiss. Our kiss. This couldn't really be happening!

I felt his tongue sliding against my closed mouth, begging for entrance. How was I supposed to react? The part of me that wanted to pretend I wasn't in love with Ichigo wanted to push him away and ask him what the hell he was doing. But the part of me that loved him from every crevice of my soul wanted to wrap my arms and him and pull him closer to me. To part my lips and deepen our kiss. To become one with Ichigo.

The conflict of interests caused me to remain still, my hands at my side, my mouth closed, my eyes opened.

After a few seconds, Ichigo opened his eyes and they met mine. I don't know what he saw in my eyes but whatever it was, was enough to cause the expression on his face to change from one that I couldn't for the life of me read, to one of distress. He quickly pulled away from me and turned his body to face forward. He pinned his eyes to his hands that lay welded together in his lap with the most pained expression in his eyes. I had never seen him like that before.

I wanted to reach out to him and offer him some comfort. When Ichigo is upset, I am upset. His pain is my pain. However my arms, my whole body in fact, was paralyzed.

"Rukia-" He started in an exasperated tone. "I-. I-" He tried a few more times to force out whatever it was he was going to say before he jumped to his feet, and before I could even say a peep, he was gone. He didn't run away, or even swiftly walk. Instead, he walked away slowly in a defeated fashion with his hands in his pockets and his head downturned. If I wanted to, I could have very well went after him and caught up with him, but I was filled with some many emotions, most of which I couldn't begin to identify. You could have knocked me out with a feather. I couldn't believe what had happened.

Something that I had only imagined in my deepest of daydreams had just happened to me. Ichigo kissed me. Why did he do that and just get up and leave me here wanting? I was shocked, and I was hurt. I was hurt that Ichigo could go and put me through something like this. How could he lead me on with a kiss and get up and walk away like that. He must have caught on to my feelings for him and decided to pick on me for the hell of it. That had to be it. He's just teasing me again, just like this morning. He led me on and watched me fall. How could he do this to me? I loved him. I loved him more than I've loved anything else in the world. Didn't that matter to him?

I guess if you give a little boy your heart, you can't upset if he breaks it.

1000 points to anyone who guesses what book Rukia was reading. Again please review even if you already have! Feedback is my driving force!