Author's note: This probably isn't my best work, I worked on this chapter several times and I'm still not satisfied with it. I apologize in advance for glaring errors- I hardly have time to write let alone time for proper editing, but I seriously need to finish of these fics so bare with me.

I reckon I'll finish this in the next 2 to 4 chapters. The title is from Kyla La Grange's awesome song by the same name.

Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed!

IIII

Cut Your Teeth

It was now or never. Ichigo thought and glanced at Rukia spread on his bed, paging through another trashy manga no doubt. He didn't even understand why he suddenly felt so nervous. It was just Rukia after all. Only when she chewed on her lower lip, her brows furrowing slightly in whatever deep and compelling thought ridiculous plot lines induced- she was everything but.

In that moment he could even imagine she really was clueless about her effect on him.

Turning in his chair, he dropped his pen and cleared his throat. Rukia didn't even glance in his direction. He frowned slightly, fingers drumming against his thigh as he willed her to look up. When she didn't he coughed into his hand- loudly. Seriously how more obvious could he get?

"You should get that cough checked out," Rukia said, eyes on her manga. "before you start spreading it around."

Honestly, it was like she got off frustrating him. "Karin, is playing later today," he said, choosing to ignore her comment and focus instead on what was important.

She made some sound of acknowledgement from the back of her throat.

"So I was thinking we could go and support her... you know because she's family and she's actually good at soccer and-"

"Ichigo," Rukia interrupted, her eyes wide as she stared at him. "Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked bluntly.

"What?!"

"A romantic outing where two people-"

"Hold it right there!" he blurted before she ruined his supposedly well disguise attempt at asking her out. How did she manage to see through him? "There is nothing romantic about a middle school soccer game, so you better get rid of any sappy ideas you may be entertaining."

He realised moments after he finished speaking that he'd blown it. He couldn't do anything right. He thought ruefully.

"Okay."

"Huh?"

Rukia glanced at him, one hand splayed over the page she was currently reading. "Okay, I'll go with you," she elaborated.

"You will?" he asked, cringing at the hopeful note in his voice.

"I said I would," Rukia said before turning back to her manga.

He visible relaxed, exhaling slowly as he turned back to his work. He'd expected Rukia to make things difficult, her easy acquiescence left him a bit shaken. But more than anything he found himself actually excited over a middle school soccer game.

Rukia didn't even realise the hold she had over him.

/

With his hands hanging limply behind him, Ichigo set back, eyes slightly droopy from exerting himself during his nightly job. He glanced back at the field, watching as the players returned from half time, his sister glancing briefly were he sat before heading for her position. It had been a while since he'd gotten time to just relax and enjoy a Saturday whereby he could watch Karin play soccer.

His eyes darted over the returning spectators, but nowhere could he spot Rukia's white sunhat. He frowned slightly, wondering how long it took to buy drinks. He'd offered to go, but she'd insisted- so with his cash in her hand she'd darted towards the food stands. He knew her eagerness had nothing to do with getting something cool in the bleating sun, but rather a way to avoid Isshin's antics. It was only natural that his father and Yuzu would also be present for the match, but what wasn't natural at least to normal people's standards, was Isshin's very obvious and very embarrassing enthusiasm.

Each time Ichigo's eyes landed on where they sat, a few bleachers from them Isshin would be clutching a tissue to his face, wailing dramatically. It was his own fault for insisting he and Rukia sit somewhere else. But this was supposed to be a step towards something between them and he would be lying if he said it meant nothing.

He'd feared Rukia would make a big deal out of it, but his fears were for nothing aside from ribbing him a bit she'd taken it into stride. He didn't think it was necessary for her to be so serious about it though, but Rukia was nothing if not tenacious about doing everything in the real world right. Of course in her attempts she always failed to notice how, behind his exasperated expression and voiced irritation, he found it all mildly endearing.

Ok, enough introspection, Kurosaki. He gentle chided himself. If he continued having such thoughts his insides would definitely turn into mush and he'd have no shield against Rukia's attacks. Honestly, that girl needed to learn new ways of showing affection. But considering the way she'd been brought up, on the streets and then later under an aloof and distant brother, punching and kicking him was probably the best he could hope for.

"Don't think so hard, you might hurt yourself."

He started, glancing over his shoulder as Rukia stood over him. "What took you so long?" he demanded, hiding the fact that she'd actually crept up on him unawares. "And where is my drink?" he added, noticing that she only had one in her hand.

Rukia looked sheepish as she absently rolled a strand of hair with a free hand. "Well you see the thing is I sort of gave yours away," she admitted, before quickly adding. "But we could share mine, I doubt I'll finish it all!"

"What do you mean you gave it away?"

"Nii-san, who is this?"

It sounded almost like Kon when he was trying to be cute, but the voice was slightly higher with a childish pitch too it. His eyes drifted from Rukia to the boy at her side, clutching the hem of her dress with one hand while the other held a soda. And the glare being shot in his direction would have wilted him, if he was made of less sterner stuff. "Rukia, who the hells is that?!" he demanded.

Some people glared in his direction and he realised the game had began. "Where did that kid come from?" he added in a harsh whisper.

Rukia flopped down in her seat, the kid scrambling into the chair next to her, still glaring at Ichigo. She looked like she was about to spin him a lie, her eyes got slightly bigger and they darted between him and her hands, but before she could speak she decided against it. Finally though she gave a casual shrug. "I found him," she replied.

"Found him?" he echoed dumbly, eyes blinking rapidly. Slowly he leaned over her face. "You don't just find children!" he all but hissed. Great, now Rukia was going to get arrested for kidnapping, only she was dead and had no identification.

She sniffed, her expression taunt with displeasure. "I'm dead not dumb, obviously I know he has parents... somewhere," she finished rather lamely.

Ichigo turned to the kid. "Oi, where are your parents?" he asked boldly.

The kid glanced at Rukia before turning to him and giving him a shrug.

"You can't just shrug, what's their names?" he pressed further.

"Otosan and Okasan."

Ichigo blinked at him, but realised as a child of no older than five it made sense that he believed those were his parents' names.

"And yours?"

The boy actually perked up, before declaring rather proudly, "Mama's special angel."

Rukia all but melted, her eyes practically misting over. "Isn't he just cute?" she asked him.

Defeated, Ichigo fell back into his seat, staring aimless ahead.

Rukia poked him, so he turned his eyes towards her. She was beaming as she looked back at him. He knew that look, she got it every time just before she asked him for something ridiculous.

He scowled at her. "Forget it," he stated.

"You don't even know what I want to ask!" she exclaimed.

"Rukia, his clean obviously he belongs to someone," he pointed out.

She didn't seem deterred. "He could stay in your closet."

"People go to jail for things like that!"

Rukia sighed, turning away from him and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nii-san, who is this?"

"El Diablo," was the deadpan reply.

It took the better part of the rest of their afternoon to find the frantic mother, whose child had wondered off. And unsurprisingly the boy's name was not 'Mama's special angel', but rather Zushi. The young woman thanked them repeatedly between sobs of relief. Zushi made Rukia promise they would hang out again before he left with his mother.

It wasn't at all how Ichigo had planned their afternoon to pan out. He'd hoped that they would spend the day together without their friends, his family and Kon. It seemed some great divinity was set on making things difficult for him. He thought dryly as they walked quietly with the sun starting to set.

"Ichigo?"

"Hmmm?"

Rukia stopped walking, so he stopped too, his eyes falling on her slightly downcast eyes.

"Thank you," she said. It was barely a whisper, but he heard it.

He rolled his eyes, hands shoved deeply in his pockets as he resumed his walk.

"Hey, you're supposed to look grateful!" Rukia called after him.

"That you ruined my plans?" he asked over his shoulder.

"You said it wasn't a date!"

"I lied!"

Rukia gave a loud huff, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared somewhere over his shoulder. He found he was just as annoyed with her in that moment. They stood still, each simmering in their own little space.

Ichigo had never been good at giving the silent treatment and it seemed now was no different. He sighed warily as he scratched the back of his head. "Look you didn't really ruin my plans... I mean it's not meant to be perfect the first time. That's why people keep doing it until they get it right," he said rather awkwardly.

It didn't help that his speech had all sorts of innuendo, making him uncomfortable when he realised how his harmless statement could be misinterpreted. But before he could retract his statement and make himself look even more stupid Rukia kicked his shin.

"Fuck, Rukia!" he yelped as he smarted from the pain. "There are better ways of showing people affection. You don't have to literally kill them with kindness!"

Rukia suddenly grabbed his head until his face was level with him. Despite the awkward stance, he suddenly feared further abuse on his person. "Oi, Rukia... look I was just-" but whatever else he was about to say died in his mouth as her lips suddenly crashed against his.

Forget his insides turning to mush- he was going to melt on the spot. They'd probably have to remould him after scraping him from the ground. His whole body seemed to burn, even as a chill went up his spin. Rukia's lips were unbearably soft as they glided tenderly over his own. Even the hands holding his head in place, seemed to soften their touch. He was just beginning to respond in earnest when Rukia pulled away.

"We should get going, it's getting late," She said before turning and walking ahead.

He must have stood there, hunched over with a dumb look on his face for what felt like an eternity before snapping back into reality. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't whip the stupid smile off his face as he ran to catch up.

/

Rukia is now of the firm belief that stupidity is infectious and she has been infected. Why else would she be allowing things between her and Ichigo to progress like they were? If she'd still had her senses, she'd be putting a stop to it regardless of her own traitorous feelings. She shouldn't be allowing his smile to have such an effect on her. But nothing in her teachings had ever taught her how to deflect such! Because Ichigo didn't just smile with his eyes, he smiled with his whole soul and it made her heart race and her temperature spike.

It was not lost on her that he was attempting to woo her as it were. All weekend he'd been overly considerate even for him. It was the little things and the not so little things. She kept expecting to feel overwhelmed by the subtle attention, but she wasn't. Unbeknownst to him, Ichigo had long since taken residence over a big portion of her heart. In all the ways she changed his life, he too had changed hers. Their bond, cemented through blood, tears and loyalty, was perhaps the most special relationship in her life.

So even as he set out to win her, he didn't realise she was already by his side.

Her phone vibrating in her pocket disturbed her silent musing. With a sigh, she removed the small mobile, eyes narrowing as she read the short and cryptic message. Her hopes of hiding in class for the remainder of the break suddenly dashed. Picking up her bag, Rukia pocketed her phone and made her exit.

Ichigo was leaning by his locker, one hand in his pocket the other holding his book bag slung over his shoulder. Much to her chagrin her heart seemed to leap at the sight of him and that smouldering look in his eyes wasn't really doing her nerves any favours.

"What's going on?" she asked when she reached him, the picture of sophisticated calm.

He held her gaze for a moment, making her squirm inwardly in spite of her resolve to be unaffected by him. He surprised her when instead of speaking he reached over, twirling the lock between her wide as saucers eyes no doubt.

"Ichigo?" his name came out in a slightly higher squeak. Somewhere Rukia's dignity was hanging its head in shame.

He gave her a soft smile as he slowly leaned in. Just as Rukia felt herself being pulled into his gaze she heard approaching footsteps. Ichigo never even saw it coming, one moment he was smiling like an idiot the next he was crashing into a wall down the corridor.

Orihime and Tatsuki paused in their advance, glancing first at Rukia before their eyes went to Ichigo's twitching form.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime gasped, her hands coming to her mouth.

Tatsuki looked less concerned. "Is he... twitching?" she asked flatly.

"Oh it's nothing, Kurosaki-kun simple slipped!" Rukia gushed, the fake smile on her face making her cheeks hurt. "Even so I think I need to take him to the school nurse. See you in class!" with that last exclamation she backpedalled to where Ichigo was slowly gathering himself, before pulling him along with her.

She couldn't hear what Orihime and Tatsuki were saying, but hoped they hadn't seen her and Ichigo. In her self absorbed haze, Rukia had forgotten how just a mere weeks ago she'd all but encouraged Orihime to pursue Ichigo. She didn't need the other girl walking in on them making out. How would that make Orihime feel?! So not only did feelings make her stupid, but they also made her selfish.

Once they'd disappeared from the duo, Ichigo dug his heels effectively stopping their mad dash. He was glaring at her, a bump on his forehead. "What the hell, Rukia?!" he demanded. "What was that? If you didn't want me to kiss you, all you had to do was say so not nearly break my jaw!"

Rukia sobered up in her guilt. "Sorry, but Orihime and Tatsuki were coming!" she defended.

Ichigo stared at her. "SO?"

"So?" Rukia uttered. "What happened to all that talk about your reputation?"

"I was fifteen!" Ichigo exclaimed. "And also, I didn't want to kiss Tatsuki or Inoue. I wanted to kiss you."

In spite of herself, his words warmed her up. "Still, it would have opened all sorts of questions," she tried.

"Rukia, people already think we're dating- we shouldn't be denying them the opportunity to be proven right!"

"You haven't even asked me to be your girlfriend or anything," she reminded him.

Ichigo blushed, eyes avoiding her gaze. "I didn't think I had to, like... it's obvious and ... this is so frustrating!" he eventually exclaimed after spluttering his way.

Tell me about it. Rukia thought even as she unfolded her arms, to place a hand on his arm. "Ichigo?" she prompted.

He looked at her.

"I think we should just keep things between us for now," she ventured.

He didn't look pleased, but he reluctantly nodded. "Fine, but I don't get why we can't just tell our friends," he said. "Especially that Ishida, because I think his got ideas!"

Rukia rolled her eyes in mild exasperation. "Ishida is my friend, you're just letting your overactive imagination soil its purity," she said with her chin jutted out.

He gave her an incredulous look. "You seriously have no idea how guys operate..." he deadpanned.