Author's note: Thank you for all the support, especially the wonderful feedback! Mistakes are all mine.

Lovers quarrel, friends don't

"Murderous, psychotic, temperamental midget," Ichigo muttered darkly as he yanked out his homework from his book bag. He was still stewing over his argument with Rukia earlier and dinner hadn't made it better.

He was certain his father had said something in the lines of; "Lovers' quarrel," before he'd punched the pervert. Did he not understand that there would be Lover-nothing if he continued to meddle? Not that he wanted 'lover anything' with Rukia, but if hypothetically he did. His father was ruining his chances.

Glancing at the various books, he decided to tackle Maths first, then work his way to Science and by the time he got to English he'd have worked out his frustrations on algorithms. Grabbing a textbook and his workbook, he was just about to start when something slipped out between his books. Bending to pick it up, he turned the flier over and frowned.

There was a Social ball in two weeks time. He wasn't really interested, seeing as he never went anyways. The thought of asking a girl freaked him out, though he'd never admit this aloud. Which left going there with the guys and he didn't fancy hanging out with Keigo the entire evening. He was just about to ball it up when an idea flashed in his mind.

Rukia was all about these human things, right? He could take her, it would be a completely educational experience. He'd even suggest it in such a manner that she'd be the one asking him, so she wouldn't think he actually wanted to go. Which he clearly didn't.

"The things I do for friendship," he muttered, just as a knock on his door sounded, followed by Rukia's three second rule.

The Three Second Rule, was apparently designed for proprieties sake, after a rather embarrassing incident when they first shared a room. Rukia would knock, wait for three seconds before barging in. The three seconds were to warn him in advance so she wouldn't catch him in a vulnerable state. Yet she always managed to catch him off guard.

"Ichigo?"

He leapt from his chair, shoving the flier in his top desk drawer. In his haste, he forgot his hand was still in the drawer and proceeded to bang it against the wood. Cursing he retrieved the now throbbing hand, quickly tucking it under his arm pit, an old trick his mother had taught him.

"Hey, Rukia, what's up?" he asked, hopping on one foot as he fought against the pain. Slash him through the chest and he could handle it. But jam his hand between drawers? Not so much.

In his current state he'd also forgotten that technically he was still mad at Rukia, and if not for her stupid three seconds rule he wouldn't be in this predicament.

Rukia looked at him oddly, "Do you need me to use Kido on your hand?" she offered.

He shook his head, "Nope, it's fine," he said through gritted teeth.

"Then why are you jumping around in pain?" she asked baffled.

Because it freaking hurts! He thought but refrained from saying.

"Exercise, what with these random Hollow attacks. One needs to be prepared right?" he was lying through his teeth of course and the grin plastered on his face was as fake as it got.

"Right," Rukia drawled before she crossed her arms over her chest, discovering a new interest on his floor.

He knew when Rukia got like this, it was because she had something to say. It was best to just wait for her to speak. She tended to get defensive if you pressed her, and honestly he was tired of fighting for tonight. He wanted them to be teasing each other again, him doing their homework, Rukia reading her manga... looking all adorable. Not!

Because 'adorable' and Rukia were polar opposites. In fact, he doubted they even existed in the same solar system let alone galaxy.

"Ichigo," she began, her eyes intense as she stared up at him.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I'm sorry for being rude earlier, I don't know what came over me," she said sincerely.

"The crazy demon," he intoned under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said quickly before regarding her. She looked so innocent and fragile as she stood before him. Nothing like the imp that continuously gave him hell. "It's all water under the bridge," he said.

Rukia scrunched up her face in confusion, "What does water have to do with this?" she asked him.

She looked serious too, so he decided not to tease her about it.

"Nothing," he said lightly.

"So now that we're speaking again," Rukia began with a grin as she inched forward.

He should have known there was a hidden agenda somewhere there.

Ichigo watched her with suspicion, Rukia only smiled like that if she intended to A) Hurt him physically. B) Expect him to aid her somehow with the risk of reverting to A if he didn't comply. Or C) all of the above. So his suspicion was not necessarily unwarranted

"Can you help me with my homework?" she asked and before he could say anything, she reached inside her dress and pulled out an A5 workbook.

Ichigo's mouth dropped as his eyes stared at her in disbelieve, "Did you just pull that out of your... your..." he couldn't even say it!

"From my under my dress?" Rukia supplied as she walked to his desk, "Of course."

He was blabbering like a fish out of water, "Why would you put it there?!" He all but screeched, pulling at his hair.

"How else was I going to cross my arms, holding a book?" Rukia asked dryly.

"Wait, you even planned how you were going to cajole me into helping you?!" He demanded.

Rukia nodded, "Good you're starting with Maths. I don't understand why all these alphabets are here." She said completely ignoring his question. "Here, help me," she thrust the book at him.

Ichigo's mind was short circuiting. That book had touched Rukia's chest. Rukia's chest had touched that book. There was touching involved and now Rukia was shoving that very same book at him. Basically she was asking him to partake in this touching, like it was completely normal!

Makes you wonder what lies beneath that cotton.

"Ichigo, are you sure you're okay?" Rukia asked leaning towards him, "You're face is turning an unhealthy shade of red." She commented.

"I-I-I-"

It would seem he'd lost the ability for coherent speech.

"Let me look at that hand," Rukia muttered, tucking the book under her arm and grabbing his hand. "It's a little swollen, but nothing too serious," she murmured as she turned his hand to inspect the palm.

Liquid fire was coursing through his veins, his hand going numb from sensations. What's serious, Rukia is your attack on my person! He mentally yelled, but he didn't yank his hand away. What was Rukia even doing? There was no green light? Obviously Kido wasn't being performed. And as far as he knew she couldn't read palms so why the hell was she just holding his hand?!

More importantly why wasn't he asking her to stop?

"Rukia?" good his voice was back, not good was the throaty sound that had rumbled straight from his chest.

Rukia glanced up at him startled, "What, Ichigo?" she asked.

Oh God no. She was standing too close. Didn't she know about the 1 meter rule? That in terms of that rule, friends didn't go around invading other friends' personal spaces? Granted he'd just invented it right now, but he would have to inform Rukia of it immediately.

"Rukia I-"

"Ich-nii!" Karin blurted as she barged into the room. She paused, eyebrow arched as she glanced between them.

Karin I know how this look. Ichigo thought as he glanced at Rukia, who was still x-raying his hand, then up to his hands that were resting on her shoulders. What were they doing there again? He wondered madly.

You'd intended to push her away. His consciously supplied. Right.

But from the dubious look Karin was giving them he doubted she was able to deduce all this.

"Karin-"

"Save it, I honestly don't want to know what's going on here," she said, raising a hand to cut him off. Which was good, because he honestly didn't know what he would have said. Probably something stupid and incriminating.

"Ichigo, hurt his hand!" Of all the things Rukia could have said in that moment, she chose the worst.

Karin arched an eyebrow, "And what were you going to do?" she asked haughtily, "Kiss it better?"

For the second time that night, Ichigo felt his jaw drop. Not literally but you get the idea. Rukia's grip on his hand was almost painful now, as she tightened her hold.

"What?" Rukia exclaimed.

Karin heaved an exasperated sigh. "I'm off to bed," she said over her shoulder as she left the room.

After the door closed behind his sister, Rukia dropped his hand and went to sit on his bed. Ichigo was aware of the somewhat friction that existed between Karin and Rukia. It wasn't hostility or dislike. More a certain wariness as if something needed to be said before everything could be settled.

"Sorry about that," Ichigo said as he slumped into his chair. He didn't even know why he was apologizing.

"It's okay," Rukia said as she opened her workbook.

"It doesn't bother you?" he asked.

Rukia shook her head, "I understand where she's coming from," she said softly, "I was like that with Renjii when he was first appointed into a seeded officer in the 6th Division. I felt as if I had to compete with him for Nii-sama's attention...which wasn't much to begin with."

Ichigo frowned, "You think Karin feels like she has to compete with you for my attention?" He asked baffled.

"Ridiculous, I know," Rukia said, "She'll realise this, once she realises all that time I spend with you isn't voluntary."

Then Rukia just had to ruin the good air that had formed between them.

"I don't like spending all that time with you either," Ichigo retorted.

"Don't lie, you love spending time with me," Rukia said, smirking up at him.

Ichigo scowled at her, "What sort of crazy person would enjoy spending time with a temperamental and abusive person like you?" he demanded.

Rukia gave up pretending she was understanding her homework and pushed the book towards him, " You," she replied with a grin.

Ichigo muttered colourful phrases under his breath as he took the book. It was only as he turned into his desk that he remembered where that book had been. He all but shrieked as he dropped the book.

"Is it your hand again?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo bent over to pick up the book, "It's not my hand," he muttered darkly.

/

"Hey Ichigo?"

"Hmmm?"

Rukia sat, legs folded beneath her as she watched Ichigo do their homework. He'd finish the work and she'd copy it down into her own workbook. It was a surprise their teacher hadn't caught them out yet.

"I really am sorry about my behaviour earlier," she said.

She'd been mulling over everything that had happened that day. And now that she'd spent her anger and worked through her sullenness. she was able to put it behind them. Just because Orihime wanted to confess her undying love to Ichigo didn't mean Ichigo wanted to reciprocate that love.

She'd been around Ichigo for a while now, if anyone could tell if he liked a girl it would be her.

So far he hadn't shown an interest in any girl since she'd been with him. And the thought was somewhat comforting. After all it would be difficult for him to balance his duties and a relationship.

"It's okay Rukia...honestly it's all-"

"Water under the bride," she finished for him with a smile.

Ichigo glanced back at her, "yeah," he agreed with one of his rare smiles.

The thing about people like Ichigo, who rarely smiled, was that when they did the effect was often breath taking. There was so much warmth, directed in that one action, you couldn't help but believe in its sincerity.

His eyes would melt, and the crease between his eyebrows would fade making him look so much younger. Say all you wanted about Kurosaki Ichigo, but he had a nice smile.

And Rukia was treading on dangerous grounds. She thought snapping herself from Ichigo's smile. She turned back to her copying, but couldn't resist glancing back at him from the corner of her eye.

He was hunched over his desk, eyes narrowed in concentration as he absently bit at the rubber of his pencil. It was a horrible habit, especially for Rukia who 'borrowed' his stationary. She found it hard to explain why all her pencils had the eraser bitten off.

Something like sadness crept into her heart then. It was no secret that she'd eventually have to return to Soul Society. Neither she nor Ichigo talked about it, but it was inevitable. Ichigo would lose his powers soon and her reasons for remaining with him would be gone.

She was going to miss him. The thought was a painful one. You always knew it would happen, eventually. Her mind tried to reason with her.

Rukia of course had known, she just hadn't realised it would probably hurt as much as it promised it would.

"What's with that stupid look on your face?" Ichigo's question dragged her out of her troubled thoughts.

It took her a second to realise he was looking at her, another to realise he'd insulted her. "I'm not stupid so it's impossible for me to have a stupid anything!" she retorted.

"That's stupid," Ichigo deadpanned.

Rukia threw her book at him. It landed with a thud on his forehead. It never ceased to amaze her, how Ichigo had such amazing reflexes on the battle field and absolutely none outside of it.

"That really hurt, Rukia!" he yelled, as he rubbed at the small bump. "You could have poked my eye out."

"Ah, is the poor baby hurt?" she crooned in the high pitched voice she knew irked Ichigo to no end, "Does he want me to kiss it better?"

"Would you stop with that voice?" he snapped, "And keep your kisses to yourself!"

"Aw Ichigo why do you have to be that way?" she was really laying it thick now as she sat up on her knees leaning dangerously close to his face.

"I mean it, Rukia," Ichigo warned.

Rukia leant even closer, she noted that even though Ichigo was protesting he'd began to close his eyes. And was that a slight pucker on his lips? She wondered amused. Sometimes she forgot how innocent Ichigo was. Says the century old virgin. She thought dryly.

"Calm down, I wouldn't kiss you anyways," she said, sitting back on her hunches.

Ichigo's eyes popped open as he threw a glare at her. "You say that like I wanted to kiss you!" he snapped.

"Aw Istygo."

"Shut up, Rukia."