Summary: As of late, Rangiku has been more and more depressed even though it's been four years since the defeat of Aizen's army. Ichigo has been reclusive of late since their is hardly any hollows to fight since the fall in Hueco Muendo four years ago and rarely finds anything exciting. Friends of both parties have tried everything to cheer them up and yet everythinmg failed. In a last attempt, they bring the two of them together and it's an instantious click. But will forces of the unknown threaten to tear the relationship apart?

A/N: I thank all my reviewers and I hope this chapter does not disappoint you. The characters may be a little OC but I'm trying to portray them as if they had matured more (which Ichigo's dad probably hasn't ^ ^) but if you have any concerns, just send 'em to me! Critisim is accepted and helpful :3 Now for disclaimers ^ ^! I do not own Bleach! (Though I wish I did) The series and manga belong to the author/creator and the animators who brought it to its existance.

"", ''- Speaking Normally, thoughts

''- Private Thoughts

"" or ''- Hichigo, zanpaktou's, etc speaking

Chapter 1: I think I found my favorite fruit...

"Ugh... Ow... My head." Holding his head, Ichigo sat up making the covers fall down and exposing his bare torso. Yawning, he streched reflexively to loosen his muscles. "What the hell happened yester..." Pausing mid sentence, he noticed something out of the ordinary. "What the hell?" Waves of strawberry blonde hair laid on one of his pillows and fell lightly off the bed. Taking a moment to think, the realization hit him. "Oh hell." Last night's events played in his head over and over. But he still didn't know how he got back to his house or in his bed next to her.

"Mmm, what?"

'Shit! How in the hell am I going to explain this?'

Sitting up, Rangiku yawned and rubbed her eyes. That's when her senses kicked in... One: She was nearly naked save for her bra and lacy underwear, Two: She didn't know where she was at, and Three..."Ichigo!" Jumping up, she was pulled back down on the bed. Kicking and fussing, she tossed Ichigo a glare that could make her captain back down in an instant.

"SSSH! You're gonna get us caught!"

"What the hell you mean by..."

"ICHIGO!"

Looking towards the door, her eyes widened. "Hell..."

Ichigo didn't expect the tenth division lieutenant to react so loudly. Pulling her back down, he held her steady. Ignoring the death wish gaze, he kept her held down with ease. "SSSH! You're gonna get us caught!"

"What the hell do you mean by..."

"ICHIGO!"

He froze as he heard Yuzu called him.

"Hell..."

Covering her mouth, he pulled her up quickly. " Hurry, in the closet!" Sliding open the door, he was surprised when Rangiku pulled her arm back. Facing her, he stopped momentarily when he saw her nearly nude figure. Standing stunned, alot of thoughts ran threw his mind. 'Good greif she's a godess! Wait... What the hell am I saying? Get it together!' Ridding himself of the x-rated thoughts, he turned to her. "Hurry up! My sister is coming!"

"Why should I hide? What the hell happened yesterday Ichigo?" Being dragged off the bed after being stunned at their current position, Rangiku was in no mood to follow whatever anyone says. Pulling her hand back, she crossed her arms over her chest forgetting at the current moment that she was nearly nude.

Grabbing her hand, he pulled her close and turned so that the busty soul reapear was pinned between him and the closet, partially blocking her uncovered body. "Look, I have no idea but..."

"Ichigo! Answers now!" She was upset and wanted answers here and now. What she didn't want was him pulling her close again nor stuck in between him and the closet pinned like a rat.

"Ichigo! You came in late yesterday so I decided to..."

At that moment, two things happened. One, Ichigo was grateful that he had on his pants from yesterday because the second thing that happened as soon as she walked in his room...

"ICHIGO HAS A NAKED WOMAN UP IN HIS ROOM!"

"WHAT?"

"Crap!"

In a flash, Rangiku was covered by a blanket and turnwed to a wall, covered by Ichigo's body as a set of trampiling footsteps ran up the stairwell.

"MY SON IS NOT IN THERE WITH...!"

The next moment was a blur to her as Ichigo quickly held on to her as he sidestepped his father's kick. Covering her face with the blanket, when she pulled it down, she saw a huge dent in the wall. Staring at the dent, she dared to gaze up at his father. "Oh my sweet..."

"Lieutenant Matsumoto?"

"I am so screwed..." Rangiku thought in her mind.

Ichigo cursed his bad luck that Yuzu would just barge in his room. 'How many times have I told her to knock?' Staring down at Rangiku, he completely forgot that his father was in the room with them right there next to him. Holding her tighter just incase he had dodge another attack, he awaited for his father's reaction. "Dad, it's not what you think..." Trying to think of an excuse, the smile that broke out on his father's face had him worried.

Feeling Ichigo hold her closer, she moved closer to him just incase he did need to pull her out of the way. 'Better safe then sorry... I damn sure don't wanna get hit by one of those.'

"I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE!"

This shocked Ichigo as well as Yuzu and Rangiku at the sudden outburst.

"You do?" Yuzu was shocked.

"You do?" Ichigo was actually shocked hat his dad knew the situation. 'This is great! He knows that nothing...'

Rangiku stayed silent but had silent hope that his dad had enough common sense to know that nothing happened. 'Hopefully he's not that dense.'

"YOU TWO HAD SEX!"

'Forget that last thought...' They thought simultaneously.

"YOU PEVERTED BASTARD!" Letting go of the stunned blonde, he fly kicked his father in the face successfully kicking him out of the room. Landing on his feet, he glared down at his father.

"Dad!" Yuzu ran out to go treat her father.

Sitting there stunned, Rangiku felt a little bad for Isshin at the moment seeing that he was kicked out the room and landed hard on his back against the wall upside down. 'Would've been more if he hadn't made that outragous statement.'

Kicking the door closed, Ichigo locked it and slid down in the computer chair. "Damn idiot." Looking over at the sleepy strawberry blonde, he couldn't help but notice how adorible she looked with the blanket sliding down slowly on her shoulders. Blushing, he got up and walked back over to the closet. Digging in, he started looking for some suitable clothing for her to wear. In his digging he happened to find her outfit from the other night safe and sound and sighed in relief. Placing it to the side, he went back to searching for clothing.

'Thank god that's over.' Relaxing while Ichigo went digging in his closet, she started looking around the teens room. She couldn't even remember the last time she was in Ichigo's room for that matter. From a glance she noticed the new furniture and stuff he had accumulated in a short span of time. Hearing a little extra bit of shuffling from the closet, Rangiku looked over to see Ichigo nearly half way in his closet from digging for something. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she saw her dress was safe. 'I guess I took it off when I came in this morning. We were pretty tired...' Her eyes then turned to Ichigo and traced the contours of his body, taking in the more defined muscles he didn't have at fifteen. Staring a tad bit longer, she was surprised when clothing was tossed at her.

Tossing a pair of shorts and a simple white tee at Rangiku, he walked over to the door. "I'll leave so you can get dressed." Unlocking the door, he turned the knob to leave.

"Wait... You can stay..."

Freezing up, he turned to her only to notice her slowly sliding from underneath the covers. He was more then surprised from that request.

Rangiku felt like something had punched her in the stomach when he had said that. An image flashed in her mind with silver hair. 'He said the same thing before he left...' Even though she hadn't known Ichigo for as long as the other soul reapers, the night that they had shared dancing and laughing had meant a lot to her. In her head she knew it was wrong of her to ask him of the favor but in her heart she felt it was right. Standing up, she slid on the shorts and proceeded to slide on the shirt when Ichigo's voice stopped her.

"Rangiku... What's that?" Ichigo had turned his head to the side and by chance he just happened to take a peak when he had saw mysterious scars like a swirling pattern along the tenth lieutenant's lower back. 'It looks like it extends all the way to the other side...'

She froze up as she knew what Ichigo was talking about. Standing up straight, the light swirling pattern marks on her lower back that lead around to the otherside of her body were clear as day against her light complexion. Feeling a hand trace the scars, he heard a sound of distaste.

"Did he do this?" The teen's voice slowly started going into a deeper baratone.

"Who?"

"You know who... I don't have to say it."

"...Yes."

Walking quickly over to her, he traced the patterns lightly and made a sound of distaste.'That bastard!' Looking down, he saw Rangiku's ashamed expression.

"Rangiku... You don't have to explain..."

"It was right before he left..."

Ichigo waited patiently as he pulled Rangiku down next to him. 'She needed to get this out sometime...'

"Me and Gin... We've been friends since I don't know... It was one night that we were in the academy that it happened... Gin already lost his virginity..."

"And he took yours?"

"Yes. At first, there was so much pain and he was relentless... And the times after were just as brutal. But then he acted like all was well... I hated him... But only for the fact I loved him. He knew and he abused that power. In time, I learned how to love his roughness and careless attitude when we fucked."

Ichigo flinched at the harsh tone.

"But the night before he betrayed us, I had already told him enough was enough...I had a pregnancy scare and thank god I wasn't pregenant. But he didn't buy it, saying that I was lying... I was his and only his. He took me that night... And before he left, he took out his sword and carved this... thing into me. He did it lightly so that it wouldn't scab but cause scar tissue and even though it isn't deep it'll probably stay for hundreds of years cause of how slowly soul reapers age."

"Why did you not tell anyone?" Ichigo held her tightly as she began to shake.

"I considered myself in love... I wanted to beleive he loved me too... Too bad he played me like a..."

Pulling her into him, he allowed her to spill her tears onto him.

Repress the memories... Repress...' Rangiku chanted that mantra in her head over and over again but it didn't work. She didn't want to relive those nightmarish days of suffering. But it was too late to stop all the flooding images from her past that came rushing forth like water. She couldn't hold back the tears anymore and fell into Ichigo completely crying on his shoulder, and for once she cried her soul out.

Holding her tighter, he just happened to look up at the calender on his wall and saw why she was so moody. 'It's almost four years now... Still... I feel it's something else deeper.' Looking down at the soul reaper beauty in his arms, she had stopped crying by now and sat quietly enjoying his embrace. Hugging her fully, he ran his fingers threw her hair. "It'll be ok..."

Staying silent, she nodded into his shoulder and hugged him back. By now, she had calmed down to a certain degree since pouring her soul out to him and was feeling drained yet releived at the same time. She had finally gotten all of the anger and hurt off her chest and in a postive way too. Pulling back from Ichigo, she looked up into the warmest brown eyes she ever seen. 'Why is he having this effect on me? Good christ I'm about a hundred or so more years older then him... But he's been there threw it all.' Leaning in close, she closed her eyes and releived the sense of having her lips pressed against his again.

Ichigo didn't expect her to pull the same stunt as yesterday but at the same time was excited in a way that she did. Closing his eyes, he pulled her onto his lap so that only her legs were on the bed. Getting a bit bold, he licked her lips lightly and drew his tongue back as if asking for permission before continuing.

Rangiku settled comfortably in his lap, placing her palms lightly on his chest for support. Feeling something wet lick her lips, she opened her mouth and did the same to the subsitute soul reaper.

Groaning lightly, he went and attacked her mouth. Pulling her closer to him, he encircled her waist with his arms. 'She taste like strawberries.'

Moaning at the sudden shift in control, she leaned into Ichigo more. 'He taste like peaches.'

'I think I just found my favorite fruit...' They thought again simultaneously.