A/N: New chapter is here! Thank you all for reading this, reviewing and everything!

I took some time to correct material I already have and I'll be doing that again, so the next chapter will be up probably next week. Probably... Sometimes I go crazy and finish everything sooner, so don't be surprised if I update tomorrow. But I really need to restrain myself and take some time to reread the story and work on it more. So, here is the new chapter! I hope you like it! And once again, thank you for your support!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach!

Together Alone

Old Bonds, New Bonds

Something was not right. She was not right. Sode no Shirayuki came for a reason, she gave her a reason, but why! I tried everything. I stood up for myself, and I did everything I wanted. And every morning I went to practice, to be stronger. Why does she keep coming back? What am I doing wrong? She woke up in the middle of the night, sweaty, in her bed. Her breathing was heavy and she had that feeling again. The dream was lost, the only thing she could remember was the face of Sode no Shirayuki and that's it. Again, the woman was sad and she could feel it right now. It all felt like a nightmare, the pain felt like an affect of her dream, but she knew deep down that it was real. The pain, the struggle… everything she felt was real, the only problem was the fact that she never gave it enough space to develop, and she never wanted to think about that, so it made the feeling even worse. She tried to lie down and sleep, she even tried to read something, to eat, to write the paperwork, but nothing helped. Nothing! And the feeling became worse…she was trapped in it, the air in her room became stale, she couldn't breathe. Paranoia literally consumed her, she needed to get out, leave the room, and breathe again. She grabbed her sword and ran out of the room, it felt too small for her, and it was as the walls could speak…they all blamed her, blamed her for the pain, storm and cowardice.

When she stopped she was confused. She was near that pond, apparently flash stepped there, but… that feeling only grew stronger. She could not breathe. Why? The night was cold, the air was too. But no, breath stood in her throat, and anger took her over. The burden of that pain was too strong for any normal person, it took her down, and she wanted out…she needed to get out!

"WHY?" Was all she said, or rather yelled, her voice traveling to the surroundings, and the night became aware of her state. She was angry and lost, the feeling needed to come out. Rukia then fell to her knees, breathing heavily. It all made her feel even worse, anger was rage now and she began to hit the ground in clear despair. She could feel it, the relief, all that anger was coming out, and it felt great. She stopped after few minutes, tired of the same action. Tired of all crap she bottled up from years and years before, tired from people telling her what to do, tired from her constant in this world…tired. She just remained like that, her eyes closed, head bowed down. She was broken, nothing made sense. The night was eating her in despair. So it was easier to stay like that, at least she allowed herself to feel.

"Kuchiki…" The voice was soft, understanding, and she knew whom it belong. She never looked up, never moved. Rukia remained broken, on the ground; she never felt the need to stop herself from accepting this how it was…defeat.

"Yes Captain?" Was all she said, almost whispering, and Toshiro could hear the despair in her soft, small voice. He felt her reiatsu from the moment she became like this, so he decided to be there for her like she was for him. It was the right thing to do. But he never thought she was this…sad? No, it's more… So he just walked to her and sat down near, his shoulder almost touching hers. He remained silent, looking at the stars. But Rukia never looked up. That felt weird for him. He tried to be quiet, to put himself in her position, to understand that it was important, but the pressure was too strong.

"Are you okay?" He really almost slapped himself for this. Stupid question. But what else could he ask. If he asked her what is it or will she talk to him about it…no.

"The feeling… it's too much!" He turned to look at her, almost surprised of her answer.

"What…feeling?" Never once did she look up, but Toshiro remained his gaze on her.

"I-I don't know, but…it's suffocating me. It's making her sad!"

"Her?"

"Sode no Shirayuki." It was barely a whisper; it sounded as she lost the will to speak. Toshiro was now really surprised at her answer. He knew that Sode no Shirayuki was her sword, but what it had to do with that feeling…the feeling she did not know what it was and…This is complicated. But she was sad and lost and it felt weird to him…he was almost used at seeing her strong, seeing her guide him not other way around. But there she was. It was hard to see her like that and not know how to help her, but he had to…

"Whatever it is Kuchiki…you can beat it. I know you can!" She immediately looked up to meet his eyes and was surprised to see him understand. It wasn't the look of pity or indifference…it was understanding. And he just kept looking at her. Those violet orbs were full of sorrow, lost, hurt. He knew that they were the only way to see her. Those eyes always told him all. "Don't misunderstand yourself for a weakling. You are not such thing." He believed in every word he said. "At least I never mistook you for someone that runs away. If you can't understand it, then just feel it. Until you accept to feel it, it will stay…you told me that. And I believe you were right." She smiled. It was a weak smile, but Toshiro's heart skipped a beat at this. He could do it. The same thing she did to him, calm him down and make him feel better…he had the same affect to her. That connection was obvious the moment they spoke.

"Thank you Captain…for believing in me." Toshiro just looked at her. Why did he care this much? This girl was a stranger to him. But she was also someone that withstood my anger and even… Why am I like this? "But this…" He could see the despair creeping in her eyes. She was weakened, tired, lost? No, it's something else. I know that… that's…

"Stop right there Kuchiki! Don't think you are even allowed to fight it alone."

"W-what?" This confused her. His eyes were determined, but she didn't understand why, or what she is supposed to fight.

"Solitude." There it is. He could see it, as clear as the day they sat under that large tree. He was right, she felt alone, and Toshiro knew that feeling very well. "I won't let you…" And he never thought he would even consider doing this, but… his hand met hers and he just let it be.

Rukia was surprised at his action, better yet shocked. Captain Hitsugaya was actually holding her hand. And it calmed her down, the feeling slowly faded...just went away. The only thing she felt right now was the ice. His hand was sending chills through her whole body. She didn't even blush from embarrassment, she didn't even twitch…nothing, just kept looking at the teal beside her.

"C-Captain Hitsugaya…how did you-"

"Know?" He smirked. The history and its cycles were a funny little thing. You could see a small smile on Rukia too for realizing what just happened, but it faded away quickly. "I know that feeling Kuchiki, very well…" Why am I telling her this? This girl… But the being of this girl was more important than his ice shield right now, he knew that. He took a deep breath and continued. "You thought me something very important the other day and now…I'm going to return the favor." The grip on her hand tightened. "Even if you didn't realize…you gained a friend." Rukia was amazed, shocked… NO! Scratch everything; the words could not express how she felt. This man…this man right in front of her gave her a light. She had friends before and even now, but this… She was friends with Hitsugaya Toshiro.

"What?" That couldn't be right, my hearing is messed up. Toshiro smirked at this. She almost always reacted with pure honesty, he already knew that.

"What what?" He said it almost mockingly, but she didn't notice. Rukia was still contemplating the last thing that happened.

"Friends…why? I don't…"

"Kuchiki, I do not take something like that lightly." When he saw the look of confusion was still on her face he continued. "What you did for me…that other day and every day after that… and we barely knew each other. It told me a lot about you, and I will not take it for granted."

"Thank you sir." She smiled again, but it didn't go away. She was really grateful; this meant a lot for her, especially in this moment. Rukia just now realized he was actually right. That feeling, the one that's been suffocating her all along, has been loneliness. She ignored it, ever since the end of that war, kept it in her, bottled, but…Sode no Shirayuki knew, she felt it. It was suffocating her, so it was just the matter of time this would happen. And that hand, that cold hand, never left her. They remained like that, for a few moments, just looking at each other, and then turned their gaze to the night sky. Toshiro couldn't let go, the hand gave him the comfort and peace.

"Hisagi, you need to relax! You know what…I'll take you to few clubs in human world when we get there. Oh, you have to see all kinds of drinks they have! You can pick any color! Green, red, blue, purp-"

"MATSUMOTO!" When they all turned to the voice, the only thing they could see was a pissed of Captain coming towards Senkaimon. Hisagi was really embarrassed, but Matsumoto kept her naughty grin on. "This is a mission." His voice cold now.

"Oh Captain, you don't know how to have fun!" Even though she was smiling, she meant it. Matsumoto was always worried for her Captain, for the burden he carried, for every bad thing he had to endure and because of it he was always like this…serious, cold, detached. Toshiro just looked at her with a frown and shook his head.

"We don't have much time, let's go!" They all just nodded, ignoring the incident, and went through.

They appeared in Urahara shop, owner already in front of them waiting, smiling. Rukia was excited, there was no point in hiding it. She will see Ichigo and others again, and it was a long time since their departure. She really missed them.

"Oh hello my friends." Urahara Kisuke said, slightly bowing, with his green fan open. The tone of his words was almost mocking, but they were all used to it.

"Urahara…" Toshiro said, in acknowledgment of his previous greeting. And after few words of welcome from both sides, and getting in their Gigai, he continued. "We need to go. The final member of cleaning squad is awaiting us and we need to start working." With that they all just followed him. Rukia was confused. Why did that white-haired Captain waited so long to reveal the last member was beyond her. She couldn't understand why that was so important that it kept bugging him. She was following the rest of them to the exit of the shop, absent in her thoughts, but the voice that she heard then brought her back into reality.

"Oi midget!" Carrot top said waiting for them in front of Urahara shop with wide grin on his face. He was really happy to see her, it's been too long. "I see you haven't gowned at all. That's too bad, because-" BAM! That was the only sound they could hear. Nobody called Rukia a midget and got away without at least few bruises. "OW, WHAT THE HELL MIDGET?" And the action repeated. It was the second time he called her a midget and it was the second time he got kicked in his face…with her foot.

"That's the last time Strawberry…One more and it will hurt even more." Rukia said, placing her foot on his chest grinning, one finger pointed at him in warning. "Nice to see you haven't changed at all." Ichigo was on the ground looking at her, slightly angry because of the way she greeted him, but he knew the moment he spoke it would be like this. It always was. He was glad; he missed her. She was away for too long, not once came back to greet him, not once tried to connect with him. But he understood. She was no longer a shinigami responsible for their town, there was no need for her to come back unless she was ordered. That was the way Soul Society worked. He had no right to protest or to get angry.

"Kuchiki…" When she turned around she met a cold face of Captain Hitsugaya, but you could see he was not pleased to see this. She quickly let go of Ichigo and bowed to white-haired Captain. Ichigo stood up and shot a confused glair at Toshiro. It took him few seconds to recognize the Captain that was standing near him. There was no sign of a boy he once knew.

"Sorry Captain." Was all she said. And to be honest, Toshiro was amused when she kicked that substitute in face…twice, but the mere interaction between the two bothered him.

"It's fine. We need to get going. Matsumoto?" Toshiro turned around to see if she was still there. Nothing was certain with his lieutenant. She could've escaped from boredom to find her own entertainment. And he knew what kind of an entertainment would that be, and that would mean she would became useless for at least two days, lying drunk somewhere. He was revealed to find her standing behind him.

"Yes Captain, I've contacted Orihime and she will be waiting for us in her apartment." Matsumoto said with a heavy breath that she let out at the end. This was too much of a bother to her.

"Good. Now…" Toshiro again turned around to face Ichigo with frown visible on his features. Ichigo returned the expression. "This mission is very serious and dangerous at that matter, I expect you will take it as that."

"Of course I will." Ichigo was confused at this. Was this man questioning his power? Toshiro nodded.

"Good. And now, we need to go!" Ikkaku, Hisagi and Yumichika remained quiet at all of this, not really sure what just happened, and started following the rest after a few exchanged looks. Rukia pulled Ichigo to snap him out of whatever he was in, and they started walking with the rest, waving of Urahara that remained in front of his shop, with naughty grin that he hid behind his fan.
The walk to Orihime's apartment was not a quiet one, as Toshiro expected. He was now sorry for even being in this stupid Gigai, he couldn't even flash step away from them. Ikkaku, Yumichika and Matsumoto kept babbling about clothes, drinks, women and everything else human world offered; Hisagi was quiet, and as Toshiro observed he was looking at the two beside him talking. And the two of them just wouldn't shut the fuck up! Rukia was asking all kind of question about the rest of the friends she had here and Ichigo was more than happy to respond. After few sentences that were quite normal, they would get in to an argument and Rukia would shove him or kicked his hand, and the orange top would laugh and the circle would continue. She was indeed different around him. The smile would show itself more, and she was relaxed, Toshiro could tell that. He talked to her for few days now, but the smile, the sincere one, only showed itself two times. He remembered the night he asked her that question and frowned even more. This all bugged him. This was a mission and he was acting irresponsible. He needs to calm down and start thinking about everything that they would need to face tonight and every night after this one. He thanked the gods for seeing Orihime's apartment before him and hurried forward, he could not stand a second more of this. At least now, when they get in, all of them would shut up and he could do his job.

"Kuchiki-san, you're back!" Orihime ran towards them smiling, she was happy to see petite raven-head girl. "I thought you forgot about us."

"That's silly Inoue, how could I!" Rukia looked at the girl, soft smile on her face. She was really beautiful, her hair was longer and she had a sincere smile on her face, so different from the last time she saw her. The way that girl just shook everything of her back and returned to normal was pretty amazing to Rukia.

"You cut your hair? You look very pretty like that Kuchiki-san." When she said that Ichigo turned to look at Rukia, realizing that she indeed did. He could see something was different, but he missed the hair part.

"Thank you Inoue, I had to…it was getting hard to work with the longer one." She said messing up her short hair with her hand and smiled gently. She loved that Orihime always noticed every little detail. And she was her only true female friend, so she always liked getting compliments from her.

Toshiro looked at them with the corner of his eye. Rukia really knew this people very well, and they all respected her, he could see why. But this was not the time for happy reunion, so after letting a few more moments pass, he finally spoke.

"Inoue, we appreciate your hospitality, but we should really get to work now." Orihime looked at him and started laughing like crazy; she did that often when she would get nervous. And this white-haired man, she barely recognized at first, was making her really nervous. She wanted to ask him about his haircut too and about the obvious growth, but she decided not to, he would probably smack her or something like that. She never really understood how Matsumoto could be that relaxed around him, because she personally would always be aware of his power and position and that frightened her…a lot.

"Oh don't mention it. Please, come in." And they all did. Orihime's apartment was slightly changed, as Rukia could see. The curtains, carpet and a color of the walls were new, but it didn't differ much from the original. They all walked in and sat on the sofa and few chairs Orihime brought and placed near the small living room table in the middle. Matsumoto then dumped the papers she brought from Soul Society on it and that earned her a glare from her Captain that was standing in front of her, ignoring the empty seat obviously reserved for him. Hisagi and Rukia were sitting on the sofa, while Ichigo was leaning on the wall across them, his hands in his pockets. The other two, Yumichika and Ikkaku, were sitting on the chairs obviously bored at this.

"Are you hungry? I just made some food? And tea? Would you like some tea?" Orihime was still nervous, she really liked having people over, or well, shinigami. Whatever they were, they were company. But when everyone heard her offer a food the expressions on their faces changed to disgust.

"Tea is fine. Thank you." That saved them. Hitsugaya Toshiro never left a space for her to repeat her offer, and they were all grateful. And with that Orihime went to the kitchen. But even Matsumoto noticed the air around her Captain was colder than usual, he was more…stiff.

"Now…" Toshiro said taking few of the papers from the table. "Let us go through group and motion plan. I need to split us in functioning groups, so we can-"

"Oi! Would anyone care to tell me what the hell are we supposed to do? What the hell am I supposed to do?" Everyone, except Toshiro whose gaze never left those papers, looked at the substitute shinigami. Some, like Ikkaku and Matsumoto, were amused at the fact he just interrupted tenth division Captain, but the others, like Rukia, were furious at this action. He could clearly see her hands clutching in fists, a smirk grew on Ichigo face. He missed that anger, fire and rage in her eyes. But Toshiro remained cold, never even looking at him.

"Your job." Was all he said, and that made Ichigo pissed. He would have shoved him in the wall if Rukia hadn't shot him a death glare. "And do not interrupt me again, is that clear?" Yes, the bad mood was obvious now. Even Rukia looked confused. The man was never a cheerful person, and they were all used to his authority, but the air was heavy around Toshiro today.

"Whatever."

"As I was saying…" He now ignored Ichigo completely. "…we need to split in groups. Although the groups are obvious already, I will read 'em." Rukia could swear he looked at her at that moment, but it was so quick she might've imagined it. Then he started reading through the list. "Ikkaku and Yumichika, you will be going on this route." He said giving bald man a paper. You could see a change in the bold mans behavior. The grin took over his face after he was reminded that they would get to fight. Toshiro switched his gaze to Rukia and took out another piece of paper. "Hisagi and Kuchiki, this one is yours." Rukia froze for a moment. Obvious? What the hell is obvious here? She thought she will be going with Ichigo, not lieutenant Hisagi, and the way Hitsugaya said the groups were obvious that confirmed her hopes, but this… "Is there something wrong lieutenant Kuchiki?" She then realized she was staring at Captain Hitsugaya with her mouth slightly open.

"No, no! Thank you sir!" And took the paper from his hand. It didn't matter, she was here to do her job, and she could talk to others as soon as she finishes her duties. But Toshiro saw the confusion written on her face.

"Matsumoto will be going with me, and Kurosaki…" Now he was looking at the boy who was still leaning on the wall, obviously mad, but acting as this hasn't affected him the slightest. "You will go with your team here." Ichigo took the paper, anger clearly evaporated from his features. He was confused. Luckily, Orihime walked in the room and sat a tray on the small table, and when everyone turned to look at her, it gave Ichigo enough time to at least put himself together.

"My team?"

"Yes. Your team. You didn't think we only called you to do this?"

"You mean, Chad, Inoue and Ishida?"

Toshiro pinched the bridge of his nose, obviously irritated at this question. "Yes Kurosaki, that team." With that he sat on the empty seat, placed the rest of the papers on the table, and took his cup of tea. "You are free to go. The mission starts tonight, so call the rest of them and meet us here at 8 sharp."

"Alright." Ichigo folded the paper and looked at Orihime who was just staring at him, not really sure what just happened. "Inoue, we should go to school, and tell the others." She quickly nodded and turned her gaze to Rukia.

"Kuchiki-san, are you coming with us? The others would be very happy to see you. Keigo even wrote you a poem!" Ichigo too turned to look at the raven-haired girl sitting on the sofa. But Rukia was speechless. Was she supposed to go with them? She wasn't alone on her mission anymore.

"No. We will all stay here." That answered it. Matsumoto turned to look at him confused.

"O-okay Hitsugaya-san. Make yourself comfortable." She nodded and left the apartment. Ichigo left quickly after her, but first he made sure too shot a glare at Rukia, feeling betrayed, but Rukia returned it, not really in the mood for his immature behavior.

"But Captain, I wanted to go shopping. Why do we have to stay here all the time, its still morning?" Matsumoto on the other hand had her reasons to protest. Ikkaku, Yumichika and Hisagi all looked at her, almost nodding in agreement, but they knew better than that. Rukia was looking at Toshiro, who seemed tired and he kept looking at his cup for few seconds before returning her gaze. She could almost see pleading in his eyes, but before she could read it better he broke the gaze and looked at Matsumoto.

"Do as you please, just stay in group and be here on time." Yes, even his voice was tired. This was a lot of work, they were a lot of work, and Rukia felt sorry. She herself questioned his orders, not loudly but still…

"GREAT! LET'S GO!" Shouting, Matsumoto stood up and so did the rest of the guys. The yelling could be heard from hallways, they were excided. Rukia remained sitting there, her hands on her legs, looking at the cup in front of her.

"You can go too if you want." The voice was now much softer. He was looking at her, and their eyes locked as soon as she lifted her head.

"And you?" She almost whispered.

"What about me Kuchiki?" Toshiro said broking the gaze and took a sip of his tea. "I'm not going to go shopping with Matsumoto, I'm not suicidal." Rukia laughed quietly, now looking at her hands. When he heard that he smiled in his cup.

"I'll stay here…if you don't mind?"

"If that's what you want…" The long breath that he unknowingly held in his trout was let out. The air was easier around them now and Rukia saw his features relax. His hands were crossed and he was leaning on his chair, head up, looking at the ceiling. His chest rose slowly because of the breathing and the black shirt on his Gigai was hugging them well. Relaxed.

"Captain?" Rukia was now playing with the edges of tea cup with her finger.

"Hm?" Never even moved.

"I apologize for my behavior this morning. Ichigo tends to bring it out of me." Now he moved. That name made him, so he straighten himself up, his hands still crossed, and his eyes rested on the girl. She was wearing yellow dress and Toshiro's eyes flickered to her legs, but he quickly shook his head trying to remain serious.

"You forget who my lieutenant is." Rukia looked up and saw a smirk on his face. "No need to apologize." Rukia smiled at this. Matsumoto really brought Hitsugaya's rage often.

"But there is Captain." He looked confused at this response.

"And why is that Kuchiki?"

"This mission Captain…and us... Every single person in this group is different and we can be…." She paused for a moment, as if trying to find right words. "…difficult. I understand how hard it is for you to maintain order, and I was not helping at all." Then she smiled softly. "And I'm supposed to be helping you. That's what friends do." Toshiro almost jumped at the word friends. She was indeed his friend, and he was hers, he told her that. And it felt nice to hear it once again.

"I believe you're right Kuchiki." Smirk was now in full control of his face. "I'll then accept your apology." The girl nodded once agreeing to his words and was completely drawn in teal eyes. She liked those eyes, made her at peace…most of the time at least. But the next thing woke her. "Let's go!" And with that he stood up and went to the door.

"W-where?" Toshiro turned around to look at her, one hand on half-open door.

"To eat. Unless you want to try that weird stuff that Inoue made?" He raised one eyebrow as challenging her.

"No, no, no…I'm coming with you!" And quickly she was beside him, leaving the apartment. It was still morning and air was fresh, but it all looked as it was going to be a hot day. The wind that was blowing was getting warmer and Rukia saw a frown forming on Toshiro's face. They were walking on sidewalk, his hands were in pockets and when Rukia looked up to see his face she realized something.

"Captain, can I ask you something?" He turned his head to look at her.

"Is it something personal like last time Kuchiki? You know the rules. If you-"

"No, no, no!" Rukia was feeling uncomfortable now. She took a second to think, putting her finger on her chin. "At least I don't think it is."

"I'll determine that." He said smirking. He was amused at her behavior. "Ask."

"Well…I was wondering…I mean-"

"Just ask Kuchiki!" He almost shouted, but not really angry. Either way, she twitched a little and asked almost immediately.

"When…when did you grow?"

"What?"

"Well, you are taller than me now…" She said quietly, almost afraid of his response.

"Wasn't I always?" He said with a smirk on his face, almost teasing her.

"No!" She sounded as a child when she said that, angry and offended. But the anger disappeared, because Toshiro stopped right in front of her. She almost jumped at this. When she lifted her head, she met his teal eyes looking at her. They were close…too close. If he would lower his head just a little bit their noses would touch. She was just looking at him, eyes widened, not really sure what made him stop out of the sudden.

"Well…" He said in a husky voice that made Rukia shiver, and that didn't go unnoticed by white haired man. "I am now." And with that he slowly turned around and started walking again. It took Rukia few seconds and a few deep breaths to put herself back together before she followed him, not really sure what just happened. But Toshiro just walked away, smirking. He wanted to make her angry, but apparently that didn't work and he could see why. When she caught up on him and started walking beside him, there was a visible blush on her face. But Toshiro didn't notice, he was too busy thinking. After few minutes Rukia finally spoke.

"There!" He looked at her and saw that she was pointing a finger at something, so he followed it across the street and saw a small restaurant. It was in glass, few white curtains visible on the inside and in front of it were brown chairs and tables surrounded by pots of white flowers. Beside every table was a white large umbrella that casted a deep shade, and the whole structure was retracted a bit from sidewalk, so the dust from streets couldn't get to it. "Orihime and I went there once. The food was really good." Toshiro just nodded and they crossed the street.

They were soon sitting, looking at the menu waiter brought for them. Table was made of glass almost completely, except for legs that were brown and it had small white tablecloth that had brown patterns on it, that matched the legs and chairs. Toshiro liked the shade those umbrellas casted. It was at least few degrees cooler. Rukia was looking at the breakfast specials and saw pancakes. The moment she saw it, she placed the menu back on the table smiling. Toshiro looked at her, obviously confused at all the meals that were on there.

"What? You already decided?" He said, raising one eyebrow.

"Yes. I'll have pancakes." She said happily. "I had those last time and they were delicious."

"Really?" He was amused how excided she became.

"Yeah! You can pick what you want to put on them. Last time I ate ones with honey, but I think I'm going to try with chocolate this time." She was happy as a child with a new toy. Toshiro could see how relaxed she became around him and he was glad. Not too many people did get like that when he was around. They were all few steps away, almost afraid. Except Matsumoto, but she was a whole different story. And this girl really grew on him. He could almost be himself around her…almost. He knew many people longer that this, but they were reserved, not like this…like her.

"Then I'll have the same as you." He said placing his menu on the glass table. She smiled and nodded. She waved to their waiter and opened the menu again. When he came she ordered two portions of pancakes pointing a finger on the menu, and she was talking a bit differently, almost acting out the pleasantness in her voice. She thanked the waiter and turned around to face him again. Toshiro took that time to observe her. He had seen her act this way few times before the war. He never liked that polite tone that took over her voice…it was fake. It wasn't out of respect, like the way she would address her Captain, it was just fake. He assumed she had a lot of practice with Kuchiki clan. Toshiro never liked them; they were too stiff, even for his taste. But she broke his thoughts quickly.

"Oh Captain, I forgot to tell you…" Her voice trailing off. "I read the book."

"The book?" Toshiro was leaning on his chair with his arms crossed. Rukia assumed that that was his usual way of sitting.

"Yes, King Lear."

"Oh…" He almost forgot about that and didn't even think she would read it. "And, what do you think?"

"It was really interesting reading. I liked the way Shakespeare portrayed the characters and the whole plot was really intelligently written. And the character of King Lear was really thoughtfully written. The way his blindness of everything but passion…and not even real passion, just dramatic behavior, sealed his fate… And the way the two daughters, Regan and…"

"Goneril." Toshiro said listening to her every word.

"Yes, Regan and Goneril. The way they spoke passionate words that they did not mean, only for their purposes, the way that hunger for power ruled them… really well written. Even though it was a tragedy, I liked it."

"I'm glad." He really was. He never even thought she would read it, and on top of that she understood it and liked it. In that moment waiter came and placed two plates of pancakes in front of them. They thanked them and started eating.

An hour later they were back in Orihime's apartment. It was some past eleven and Rukia already felt tired. She was up most of the last night, but everything that happened with Hitsugaya made her sleep come easily after that. So all in all, she slept 2 hours tops, because she had to wake up really, really early. This mission was very important to her. Toshiro went to take a shower and she lied on the sofa just to close her eyes for a little bit. When he came back he found her asleep on it. Her yellow dress was pulled on her thighs and Toshiro once again found himself staring. The memories of his dream came along quickly. He was really acting like a pervert, staring at innocent girl that fell asleep, but he couldn't help it. Her skin was beautiful. It looked soft and sleek. He loved the way her shorter hair reveled her neck and her face more. Her long eyelashes rested on the cheeks and it made her look very peaceful. And when he lowered his gaze to her lips he felt something flicker in his stomach. Those pink lips were now partly open and whenever he looked at them, they were calling for a touch. It was too much for him. When he finally gained control of himself, he shook his head and went to get a blanked for her. He stopped in Orihime's bedroom and leaned his head on her closet, breathing heavily. Toshiro was not a stupid, or oblivious man, he knew he was attracted to this girl. He wanted it to stop, but there were so many reasons why should it continue. Everything about her was calling him. And he saw the way she reacted every time he came close. That day in his office, right after his dream, he was standing right in front of her and she didn't take a step back. And today on the street…today it took all of his will power to turn around. But… he didn't even know the girl. And the burdens they carried… Everything about their lives was complicated. That made him thought about Momo and his body automatically filled itself with rage. He, almost unconsciously, hit the wall with his hand, the rage just kept coming back. But it was not directed to Momo, the rage he felt was because of his actions. He was glad now that Momo didn't show up the last few days, he would've regretted it.

"Captain Hitsugaya?" He could hear her voice from living room.

Fuck! I fucking knew she was asleep! What's wrong with me? The punch woke her up.

"Yes Kuchiki?" He tried to sound as calm as he could. The footsteps.

"Are you okay?" Her hair was messy from sleep and one strap of her dress slid of her shoulder.

"Yeah…Didn't mean to wake you. I was just coming to get you a blanket." He said softly looking at the floor. He thought that he was really getting toilsome with these rage attacks.

"Don't worry about it Captain. I didn't really mean to fall asleep anyway." The way she leaned on the bedroom door, smiling, with that messy hair and tired look on her face almost made him smile. She was too gentle towards him. But he replaced the almost smile with frown.

"Tsk! You should go back to sleep, we have a long night before us." His hands crossed. It was his usual Hitsugaya Toshiro stance.

"I think I'm just going to make some coffee." She turned around and tried to adjust her hair with her fingers. "Would you like some Captain?" She asked over the shoulder. Before he could even utter a word they heard a door slam.

"Oi Rukia! Where the hell are you?"

"Kuchiki-san, we brought company!" They could hear the two almost yelling from hallway. Fuck was the word that crossed Toshiro's mind. Why? No reason…no reason at all. Rukia left the bedroom quickly and went to the hallway. There were four people standing there. Ichigo was scratching his head from annoyance, while Orihime had her hands up in the air from excitement. Next to them were Ishida and Chad. Ishida had a small, barely visible, smile on his face, while you could clearly see Chad smiling.

"Kuchiki-san, glad to see you're doing well!" Ishida said, pulling his glasses up the nose.

"Ishida, Chad… I'm glad to see you too!" Chad just nodded. In that moment Toshiro decided to enter the room behind Rukia. Ichigo and Ishida were a little surprised. Ichigo then looked at Rukia and noticed her hair and one strap of her dress and frowned. Toshiro saw it, but decided to ignore him, even though he was glad he annoyed that substitute.

"I see you gathered your team Kurosaki." He spoke more to annoy him, because there was no other purpose in stating the obvious. Toshiro never said something without any need. Rukia turned around and moved a little so white-haired man can pass.

"His team?" Ishida said calmly. "I'm not part of his team. I only came here to greet Kuchiki-san." Chad was acting indifferent to this. If he was indeed a part of Ichigo's team it didn't bothered him at all. Orihime just looked confused.

"Wait…aren't you all supposed to be in school?" Rukia said after looking at the clock in Orihime's apartment. "It's not even 1 o'clock." Ichigo finally let go of his frown and looked at her again.

"Oh, that…Well, we-"

"We skipped class!" Chad spoke for the first time.

"Actually, I didn't skip class. I asked the teacher to let me go early, so-" Ishida said proudly, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah, yeah…whatever." Ichigo said while walking to the sofa and sitting down. And Ishida only seemed more annoyed. The others sat on the chairs that were still there, around the coffee table, while Toshiro stood on the same spot with his arms crossed, Rukia right beside him. "Where are the others?" Orange-top asked.

"I think they went shopping with Matsumoto or something like that. Anyway, I was going to make some coffee, would anyone want some?" Rukia asked looking at every person individually. Only Inoue refused, and with that she left the room. Toshiro moved to the table and took few papers that Matsumoto so gently placed there, and sat on the chair looking busy. He was really not in the mood for this group right now. His own was far than enough. He only prayed the gods that they come back in time, or else he would have to kill them, and he already had a lot of work to do. The others seemed to ignore him pretty quickly, especially when Rukia came back in the room with coffee. That was the only time he lifted his head, to take his cup and to mutter a low thank you to her. And the rest of the group was really happy to see Rukia back. Chad really respected her, and Ishida liked that she would smack Ichigo from time to time.

"So Kuchiki-san, what is this mission actually about?" The Quincy asked taking the cup from Orihime's small table.

"We were all called to participate in the Cleaning squad." She said rubbing her eyes. Captain Hitsugaya was right; I really do need to get some sleep.

"Cleaning squad?" Orihime asked looking at her and then at the white-haired Captain who seemed uninterested in the flow of their conversation.

"Yes. After the war there was a higher hollow activity in Karakura town, so Captain-Commander formed the Cleaning squad. Every time different shinigami were called, but the Captain whose duty is to lead them is Captain Hitsugaya himself." Toshiro still hasn't lifted his head, not even after the mention of his name. He was listening to her, but decided it was better to not include himself in this. And everyone else just kept looking at Rukia, even Ichigo, who apparently wasn't really sure why they called him. "And this is the first time I was called. Probably because of my rank…" She said distracted by her own thoughts.

"Rank?" Ichigo asked surprised. "What rank Rukia, you're unseated!" Toshiro smirked at this, still "working". Prepare yourself Kurosaki! The words from Ichigo's mouth broke her strain of thought and she looked up to him grinning.

"I never told you, did I?" Everyone was confused to a point they blankly stared at her. "I'm a lieutenant now!" She really loved to repeat it. Chad and Ishida just smiled and muttered a congratulation. Orihime screamed.

"Oh Kuchiki-san, I'm so happy to hear this! Congratulation! You really deserved it!" Her hands were flying everywhere. And Ichigo? It took him few seconds to put himself back together. It's not that he didn't believe Rukia could become a lieutenant, he was just surprised.

"Didn't think they allowed midgets to become lieutenants!" Ichigo said smirking. It was his way of acknowledging it, but all Rukia heard was midget. The look on her face was priceless. Her brows went in to a frown, and her mouth crooked, hands clenched in fists. It was the time Toshiro looked at her, not really moving, just looking up, under his eyebrows, cup of coffee in one hand and in other the paper he was "reading". His expression said he was interested on how she will react. When Rukia felt that he was looking at her, she remembered her talk with the Captain and in that moment their eyes met for a second. He didn't look away, nor did he move. He just kept his gaze steady. She then took a deep breath and relaxed. She ignored Ichigo completely and started talking again.

"Anyway… The Cleaning squad is here again, with two lieutenants and of course lieutenant Rangiku, but she always comes. The rank of a current team is higher than usual." She really did ignore him. Toshiro smirked returning to his papers and Ichigo just looked at her confused and then at the man beside her. Rukia never, not once, ignored a remark on her height. Something was different about her, he could see.

"Why is it higher than usual?" Quincy asked placing his cup back on the table.

"Menos." Toshiro spoke, finally. He never looked at them, but Rukia automatically looked at him, it seemed as if his participation in this was a reward for her previous behavior.

"Menos? Here? That's unusual." Quincy said looking worried. Ichigo remained silent.

"Hence the squad." Toshiro said.

"The mission is going to begin tonight." Rukia said after a few seconds of silence in the room. "We are supposed to meet here at 8!"

"Alright, then we better get back home and prepare." Ishida said getting up. "Kurosaki, are you coming?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah…whatever." And he got up too, and started walking to the exit, but before he left he shot a confused glare at Rukia. She felt guilty. It was as he expected of her to react the way she always did, and she failed him. But this was a mission and she wasn't going to jeopardize it. Captain Hitsugaya was her friend too, and she wasn't going to make his job harder because of a stupid bickering she and Ichigo did all the time. What was the point in it anyway? Even though she hasn't realized it, that was the first step.