A/N: This is not technically a new chapter. I just re-uploaded a revised version of chapter 16. Nothing that ultimately affects the story has been changed, so you don't have to read it, but this is a version I am much happier with and I think you should all enjoy more as well. For more info you can check the AN at the end of the chap ;)

Time stopped.

Ichigo's thoughts, which had been storming around his head just an instant before, seemed to fall quiet all at once. His muscles tensed in a belated reaction to being pulled against his will, but then almost as quickly they relaxed, as his body caught up to what was happening before his consciousness could.

Her lips pressed against his were a combination of softness and firmness, and her small hands fisted in his shirt kept him from being able to move back even if he'd wanted to. Which, if he had been able to rationalize at that point, he doubted he would have anyway.

Heat poured into him from where their lips met, and he could just begin to feel a current shoot through him when, without warning, she broke the contact.

As Rukia eased down onto the flats of her feet again, Ichigo felt himself almost unconsciously sway forward after her, almost like a dazed, starved man reaching for food that was pulled away from him. He caught himself just as his eyes opened -when had he closed them?- and he found himself staring into a pair of startled violet eyes that revealed as much shock and confusion as he felt. She loosened her hold on his shirt and opened her mouth as if to say something, but not a sound came out.

Then instinct took over Ichigo. All his previous train of thought had been lost in the brief kiss; all that was left was the burning sensation that started on his lips and extended all through his body, and the unquenchable desire to close the distance between himself and the woman in front of him.

His hands suddenly taking a firm hold of her hips, he all but yanked the petite woman forward, using the same momentum to twist their bodies and reverse their positions, so that she now stood between him and the exit of his room. Ichigo leaned forward just as he pushed the slender body in his hold until her back hit the wall behind her. Her lips parted in surprise, but before the startled gasp could leave her lips, he had bent down and caught her mouth with all the force and determination that he had held back until then.

Rukia's mind did not have time to catch up to his actions. But strangely enough, it didn't have to. Because just as she felt his warm lips crush hers, not carrying an ounce of hesitation, she found herself responding just as eagerly. Their lips molded together like two pieces of a puzzle, and the scolding fire that the contact ignited within her would have left her on her knees, if she hadn't reached up and taken hold of his arms to keep herself upright.

Feeling her slender palms grip Ichigo's firm upper arms, and reassured by the way his hold on her hips tightened in response, Rukia found herself beginning to kiss him back.

Their lips moved together in a harmonious rhythm that was both exciting and somehow familiar. Ichigo's taste engulfed her, and it was a sweet and fiery combination, not unlike cinnamon.

One of his hands moved from her hip to the small of her back, pulling her forward until the small distance between their bodies disappeared completely. She felt herself pressed into his lean warmth, and her hands tightened until they were fisted on the fabric of the shirt over his biceps. She used her hold to somehow pull herself even closer, all but burying herself against his chest, as they continued to move together without breaking apart for a second.

The feeling was almost dizzying. All that existed was the two of them: her hands on his arms, his hold on her hips and around her back, the feeling of his body crushed against hers; and most of all, their lips locked together as they tasted each other.

There was no way to tell how long it was before they finally pulled apart, gasping for breath, their hearts beating erratically within their ribcages. They didn't loosen their hold on each other, and when Rukia opened her eyes -slowly, as if afraid she would shatter a dream when she did-, she found herself immediately gripped by what she could only describe as twin pools of dark liquid gold.

Their breaths mingled together as they both struggled to bring their breathing back to a normal rate. Rukia looked up at him through a frame of long dark lashes, her sultry violet eyes all but knocking the wind out of him yet again.

"Hey…" Ichigo spoke at last, in a raspy, breathless voice.

Rukia had to stifle a laugh at the absurdity of his greeting, but the smile still pulled unyieldingly at her lips as she was overtaken by the warmth in his eyes in that moment. "Idiot… That's all you have to say?" Her voice was nothing but a raspy whisper.

Ichigo's lips pulled into a slight smirk, and she could hear a small chuckle escape him before he leaned forward and gently rested his forehead against hers, never taking his gaze away.

He didn't say anything, but his eyes told her everything. The hand that had still been resting on her hip came up and slowly, carefully, touched her warm cheek with the back of his fingers. His gaze was piercing and soft all at the same time; his amber orbs were both fire and honey.

But then he closed his eyes, and his eyebrows knitted closer together. Rukia felt her smile fall. "Ichigo…" She reached up to the hand that still lingered on the side of her face, but before her fingers could brush against his skin, he had taken his hand back and pulled away. She felt like she was slapped by the sudden, chilled air.

Racing to catch up to him, Rukia managed to reach Ichigo just as he stepped into the living room. Her hand shot out before she could so much as think about it, and was quickly taking hold of his arm and spinning him around to force him to face her.

"Why are you running?"

The words left her lips with a sincerity that left her feeling exposed and vulnerable, but she steeled herself and held Ichigo's conflicted eyes with an unwavering gaze.

He looked taken aback by her question, but after a moment his surprised face hardened. "Because I care about you!"

The moment his words reached her ears, Rukia truly understood what it was like to have her heart skip a beat.

She had been expecting anything but that… She wasn't ready to hear him say something like that. Her hand fell away from his arm and she had to resist the urge to take a step back, feeling suddenly overwhelmed. When she met his eyes, filled with so many emotions it was hard to pick them apart, she nearly turned away. Confusion, desperation…honesty. All of them were written on his darkened eyes.

"I shouldn't have asked you here…" Ichigo spoke, and the words felt like a blow to her stomach. "I'm such an idiot."

"At least we agree on something."

Ichigo's eyes widened, his mouth falling open.

Rukia, seeing him so torn, felt her own resolve and strength returning. "You are an idiot."

"Rukia…?" he looked at her in confusion. For that fleeting instant, he looked like a lost little boy.

-x-

Rukia folded her arms over her chest and watched him with steely eyes.

"What do you want, Ichigo?" she spoke the question without hesitance.

He was taken aback, unsure of what she could mean.

"I thought you were the kind of man that was always sure of what he wanted, and then went after it. Why are you doubting yourself now?" She looked at him expectantly, almost disappointedly.

Ichigo opened his mouth to speak, but he was at a loss for words…

He knew what he wanted. Just moments before he had acted on that desire, and the feeling had been indescribable. But there was more… He wanted Rukia to be safe. He didn't know when it happened, but it had. He had gotten closer to her over the past couple of months, that much was obvious, but at some point, it had become more than just enjoying having her around.

He didn't know how to describe it, but every time he was at work and heard a someone opening the door to his office, his heart seemed to trip over itself. Whenever he stepped out and saw her sitting in her cubicle, he felt like a weight was lifted off his chest. If someone mentioned her name, his ears perked up immediately and he was suddenly filled with interest in the conversation. Any time they traded insults, he had to actively restrain himself from letting a smile appear in his face.

Whenever he saw her violet eyes light up at something he said, he felt like he understood what it was like to be know happiness again.

I… I don't want to lose that…

Ichigo felt his eyebrows furrowing deeply. He allowed his gaze to focus on the woman who stood before him; petite body in a firm stance, mouth set in a strict line, but her eyes…They were demanding and strong, yet held a softness that invited him to share all his worries and told him it would all be okay, because he wouldn't be alone.

"If I do this," Ichigo had to swallow against the rapidly forming lump in his throat. "I'll be putting you at risk. I can't do that."

Rukia closed her eyes then, just for a moment, then opened them. Ichigo was shocked to see anger filling the violet orbs.

"Don't speak as if this is only your choice." She said, and her voice was as strong as her gaze. "Don't be so arrogant, Ichigo! I'm not your burden to bear. You don't have to protect me."

"That's not-"

"Let me finish!" she cut him off harshly, her eyes blazing. "You're scared." She said, and it was a statement. Not a question, not even an accusation. She was merely making an observation. "I understand that…But you shouldn't be. You can't push everyone away in order to take care of them." She took a step closer to him, making the distance between dangerously small. "You're only protecting yourself when you do that."

Ichigo felt his eyes widen again, but he knew better than to interrupt her then.

"You're selfishly keeping people away, when we don't want to stay back." Rukia looked up at him, then let her arms fall to her sides. "I don't want to stay back."

That took him off guard. He wasn't expecting her to be so straightforward.

"And I don't care what you say." she went on, putting her hands on her hips and adopting a haughty tone as she turned her nose up in the air. "You can't get rid of me, whether you want to or not."

Just then, Ichigo was reminded of why he cared so much about her. All his dread and his reluctance, his guilt… It was like she made them dissolve. With her strong words and stubborn attitude, she took all his fears and doubts and crushed them.

"…It doesn't matter what I say then, huh?" he lowered his head so that he was looking at her through the fringe of his bangs.

"It's about time you learn that." she nodded firmly.

Ichigo turned away to hide his resurfacing smile. "I guess that changes things."

A few beats passed in silence, before Rukia spoke up. "I understand if you don't want to take things any farther, though." Her voice was quieter than before, but he could tell she was trying to keep her tone neutral.

"Rukia," he started, seeing that she wouldn't meet his eyes.

The raven-haired woman cleared her throat and began to turn on her feet. "I should get going now, it's late..."

"Don't."

She froze, only half turned away.

Ichigo felt his heart rate increase again, pounding against his chest as he summoned up the words that he wanted to say. "I never said I didn't want to…" He started, but shook his head. "I didn't mean-" He cut himself off again. "Look, you didn't let me say…"

Rukia raised an eyebrow as he started to pace from side to side, searching for the words that refused to leave him.

"Rukia, I-" He stopped as she turned back and fixed him with her deep violet pools. All the words drained out of him.

He took a large step forward, and before he could begin to question himself, reached up a hand and cupped his fingers beneath her chin. He tilted her head up and without warning, leaned down and claimed her lips for the second time that night, banishing all other thoughts from his mind.

Ichigo felt her lips relax against his as her hands automatically went up against his chest, but didn't make any effort to push him away.

He pulled away after only a moment, but kept his hold on her chin and his eyes fixed on her as she allowed her eyelids to open again. "That." He said in a breathy voice, his face only inches away from hers.

"Oh."

"That's all you have to say?" he quoted her from before, his voice mocking.

"Shut up." she snapped. Before he could even retort though, she had reached her arms around his neck and had pulled herself up and against him, crushing her mouth against his and cutting off any potential reply.

-x-

Ichigo had the distinct impression that he was waking up from a particularly pleasant dream when he cracked his eyes open that morning.

It was only when he started to stretch out and felt the cold, hard surface that he was lying on that he realized something was off: he wasn't in bed. Sitting up quickly, he looked around and immediately recognized the surroundings.

He was in his living room, on the floor -to be precise-, without so much as a blanket or cushion for comfort. He turned to look sideways and saw next to him, the most likely reason for why he had woken up on the bare floor of his living room.

Stretched out on her stomach, Rukia was currently occupying the leather couch beside him. Her even breathing indicated that she was still deep in sleep, and all Ichigo had to do was take a peek at her face, which she had rested on her arm, and confirm that she was indeed out like a light. Ichigo noticed that her other arm was hanging lazily over the edge of the couch, extended towards the floor. He took a quick look down and saw his hand on the floor, positioned just beneath her limp fingers.

With the sluggish movements characteristic of someone just waking up, he lifted his hand towards hers, and after tentatively brushing the back of her fingers, he wrapped his hand around hers. Her pale, dainty hand fit within his larger, calloused one like a piece of a puzzle sliding into place. Her cool skin felt soothing against his and he was, for a moment, too distracted in the feeling to notice the pair of large violet eyes fixing him with a curious stare.

"Your hand is warm."

Ichigo's eyes snapped to hers in surprise, but he didn't let go of her hand. "Rukia…" he spoke her name huskily, watching her face as he felt a familiar flutter within his chest at the sight of her unusually soft eyes.

Her gaze left him for a moment as her eyes scanned her surroundings, then returned to his intent eyes. "I spent the night here?" She asked, as if still dazed with grogginess, her voice strained with sleep.

"Guess we fell asleep." Ichigo said with the hint of a smile on his lips, while mechanically reaching a hand up to scratch unnecessarily behind his ear. His eyes met Rukia's with the same warmth that he saw reflected in the violet depths.

Rukia started to smile softly at him, but her face suddenly scrunched up and she yawned widely, causing Ichigo to smirk. "Still sleepy?" He questioned teasingly.

She gave him a weak glare but then quickly let her whole frame relax, as if she was easing herself into unconsciousness once more. Ichigo felt her hand go limp again in his. "I still have to drive back." She mumbled, her eyes already closed. He heard her groan slightly at her own words but make no further moves to get up any time soon.

Ichigo stared at her for a few, long seconds, before making a decision. Gingerly letting go of her hand, he went to his feet and -after stretching his arms over his head and rotating his head to get rid of the stiffness in his neck- looked down at the woman lying on his couch, already fast asleep. He sighed quietly as he bent over and carefully grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her so that she was lying on her back. Her eyebrows knit subtly at the action, but she didn't stir anymore.

Ichigo then proceeded to cautiously slide his arms beneath her body; one around her back, the other under her knees. One moment more, and he was effortlessly lifting her feather-light body in his arms.

Rukia didn't so much as flutter her eyelids until Ichigo had reached his bedroom; it was when he was gently setting her down on the bed that she finally squinted her eyes open. "Ichigo?" she asked, looking around in apparent disorientation. "Did I get home already?"

Ichigo was caught halfway between amusement and surprise. He hadn't expected her to be so far gone, but he felt himself smiling nonetheless as he replied softly. "Yeah…"

Her eyes drooped closed again and, as Ichigo pulled the dark blue sheets over her lithe form, she curled up under the warmth.

"You're home." Ichigo finished his reply, letting his gaze hover over her smooth face for a few seconds longer before he exited the room with the tiniest of smiles still etching his lips.

-x-

When Rukia awoke, she stepped shyly out of the bedroom, watching her surroundings carefully as if she were afraid one of them was going to jump at her and attack. She shuffled down the short hallway and emerged at the living room, almost immediately being greeted by the sight of unruly bright orange hair.

"Decided to emerge from your coma, I see?" He spoke without so much as turning his gaze away from the television where he sat on the couch.

Rukia felt like a deer caught in the headlights for an insult, having thought she'd been too quiet to have her presence detected. "What are you talking about?" She slipped into her casual-slash-annoyed manner almost mechanically.

Ichigo looked at her then, a hint of amusement glinting in his amber eyes. "You have no idea what time it is, do you?" She looked at him with a clueless expression, and he decided that was a confirmation. "It's one in the afternoon."

Rukia's eyes went wide and she shook her head. She did usually sleep in late on weekends, but she couldn't remember the last time she had even slept past noon.

"You look surprised." Ichigo observed with a quirked eyebrow, but dismissed it quickly. "Anyway, now that you're awake, you hungry?"

The raven-haired female blinked, like the thought hadn't even occurred to her until then. "Actually-" her words were drowned out by the rather loud rumbling coming directly from her stomach.

"I think I'll take that as a 'yes'." Ichigo snickered. "You can go freshen up or whatever in the bathroom here," he pointed own the hall, to where the bathroom was located just before his bedroom, then turned back to watch TV. "We can eat afterwards."

Rukia directed a halfhearted glare at him for the teasing tone of his remark, but otherwise said nothing as she started past him and towards the hall, but then paused in her steps. She looked over her shoulder back at Ichigo, and he, seemingly sensing that she still hadn't left, spoke up without looking at her. "What is it?"

Rukia hesitated before answering. "You wouldn't happen to have an extra toothbrush, would you?"

Ichigo was taken by surprise. He hadn't thought things through that far, admittedly. Careful to keep his body half turned away from the woman that was waiting for an answer, he scratched at a nonexistent itch on his itch and looked up at the ceiling when he answered. "No. But…you could use mine."

His voice was practically a croak as he made the suggestion, and he could feel his ears growing hotter by the second. Though he could feel her penetrating gaze on him, he was resolute on looking anywhere but her.

"Huh?" came Rukia's blank response.

Ichigo felt his eyebrows pull close together and resisted the urge to growl. "You heard me, stupid. I said you can borrow my toothbrush. It's a one-time deal, so don't get used to it."

Ichigo hated so much as drinking from the same glass as someone else… Sharing a toothbrush would have been simply unthinkable -at least before then. He tried not to ponder it too much and was careful to keep his annoyed mask on. "Or would you rather go on all day with stinky breath?" he jeered, feeling a trace of his cockiness return.

Rukia flushed visibly. "Shut up!" she exclaimed, clearly embarrassed. Ichigo didn't have time to reply before she disappeared into the bathroom and slammed the door behind herself, leaving him laughing quietly to himself.

Indeed, it didn't happen often, but he so enjoyed having the upper hand.

-x-

"Pancakes?"

That was the first word out of Rukia's mouth after she exited the bathroom and went into the kitchen in search of the owner of the house.

She found him setting out plates with the golden-brown circles on the square dining table near the far corner of the area. Sunlight filtered in through the windows on the left wall, and along with the smell of pancakes it gave the scene a homey feeling. For a split second, Rukia envisioned almost vividly a pair of small children laughing as they ran onto the table and eagerly ate, while their father playfully reprimanded them for their rashness, then turned to look lovingly at the mother and said…

"Oi, idiot," Ichigo scowled. "You gonna stand there all day, or what?"

Shaking herself out of the unexpected daydream, she managed to narrow her eyes threateningly -or what she believed to be 'threatening'-. "I'm going at my own pace, don't rush me."

Ichigo, who had just taken his seat, raised a single eyebrow as he stared at her. "You slept the half the day away already, I'd figure you'd want to eat sometime before next week."

Rukia huffed haughtily and stuck her nose up in the air as she appeared reluctant when pulling back a chair and taking her seat at the table. She could feel Ichigo's eyes on her, but pretended to ignore him as she took the silverware he'd already set out and started on her breakfast/lunch.

The pancakes, she noted, were surprisingly good. A fluffy and buttery combination that she hadn't experienced in too long that all but made her moan with satisfaction. It was so good, in fact, that it wasn't until she reached the second bite that she noted the pancakes were actually rather cool… Like it had been left waiting too long.

Her eyes flew open at the realization and she immediately looked towards Ichigo. He was currently wearing a generic scowl as he dug into his own food, looking just a little too concentrated on his food.

He wouldn't have…waited for her to wake up before eating, would he?

"I'm shocked." Rukia spoke up, mimicking Ichigo in keeping her eyes glued to the plate now. "This food is actually edible. Where'd you buy it?"

She could almost hear his grip on the fork tightening in annoyance. "I cooked it myself, stupid. I've told you, I can cook." Behind his gruff voice, she could just make out the pleased tone underneath.

"I thought you said you were out of food?" she questioned, remembering the previous day's instant ramen remedy.

"I went out to the market this morning. While you were too busy snoring."

"I do not snore!" Rukia jumped immediately to the defense of her grace, pointing her fork warningly at the orange-haired man to her right.

"Ha!" Ichigo made a show of barking a laugh. "It sounded like a bear in there. For a while I was afraid one had snuck in and eaten you."

"Ah, but you were worried about me then?" Rukia tossed back at him slyly, quickly gaining the upper hand.

"T-that's not what I said!" Ichigo predictably stammered. "Don't twist my words!"

Before either of them knew it, they had slipped back into a comfortable routine of meaningless bickering. Petty as it was, Rukia couldn't deny the amount of enjoyment that she got out of their bouts. It seemed that, no matter how things changed, whether around them or between them, their small bouts would never disappear.

But things weren't the same.

Not since the previous night. It seemed they both were very aware of the fact by the time they had finished their breakfast, but instead of actually addressing the issue, the two slipped into a silence that was halfway between comfortable and awkward -however they managed that.

Rukia wasn't sure how much time had passed before they both spoke up at exactly the same time.

"Well, I-"

"I should-"

They both stopped abruptly and looked at each other in surprise. Rukia could just make out the slightest shade of pink settling over Ichigo's tan cheeks.

"I-" they spoke in unison yet again.

This time, Rukia held her tongue until she saw Ichigo make a gesture for her to continue. "I think I should be heading back. There's some work I should catch up on…"

"Yeah," Ichigo agreed quickly, and started to get to his feet. "Yeah, me same here."

Rukia did the same and started to gather her used plate and utensils. She reached for her emptied glass of orange juice, too focused on the glass itself to notice Ichigo doing the same until their hands accidentally bumped together; the feel of his calloused skin brushing against hers casually sent a small current up her hand and made her eyes snap up to his at the same time he looked down at her.

"I'm not sorry about last night." she blurted out all of a sudden, momentarily lost in his smoldering amber orbs and startling both herself and Ichigo in the process. But even as she said it, she realized the truth in her own words.

"I…" Ichigo seemed at a loss for words, though his gaze never wavered from hers.

Then he unexpectedly took a step forward around the table, making the distance between them close to nonexistent in that single stride. Rukia felt the tiniest of gasps escape her lips as she had to angle her head to be able to look up into his eyes. Before she could mutter anything else, she felt his rough yet gentle fingers cupping her chin and tilting her head ever so slightly.
"Neither am I." Ichigo declared, confidence lacing his voice. His amber gaze slid from her eyes unto her lips, and Rukia felt herself swallowing as her eyes followed a similar path.

"What about our friends?" she asked, her voice oddly strangled. She was vaguely aware of the fact that at some point she had dropped the plate back unto the table and her hands had now placed themselves over the front of Ichigo's shirt, seemingly of their own accord.

"I honestly doubt they'll mind." Ichigo replied, inching closer as his eyelids lowered slowly over his darkening gaze and his free hand slid into place on her waist.

Rukia's eyes were almost entirely shut as she felt her heart rate increasing while the distance between her and Ichigo decreased. "Relationships aren't allowed at work." She found herself reminding him. The irony that it was her reminding him was not completely lost on them.

"What they don't know won't hurt them." was his simple reply, and it was all they needed.

At last, his lips found hers and Rukia lost herself in the rush of feelings elicited by the contact. Just as she began to deepen the kiss, however, Ichigo pulled back, to her great disappointment.

"One more thing," Ichigo said, opening his eyes to look at her seriously.

"What?" she demanded, allowing her discontent to show clearly in her voice.

"My father absolutely cannot find out about this."

A/N: First of all, let me apologize for all those of you who saw the story alert notification and thought I had posted a new chapter...I didn't want to do this, but in the end, I had to. I wasn't satisfied with the last chapter, and my friend and excellent reviewer TruantPony also pointed out that it wasn't really some of my best work, so my decision to redo it was made. I wasn't originally planning to post it, but well...I'm proud of it, and also, I figured you all might want to know the reason for my tardiness in writing chapter 17.

Again, I'm sorry for the notification spam! Still, I hope you enjoyed this revised version. For those of you who preferred or just enjoyed the original version, you can PM me about it and I could send you a document with it here on ff.

And to those who reviewed the original chapter 16 haha: 1999, UPDATE (as always, love your direct pen name xD) , Black Sun Upon An Icy Sky, Dividing Line, love-mikan, thehgirl13, Poisonfish, TruantPony, Rukia Martinez, shnizlefritz, Mokimoki-chan, chineschopsticks, MN, Painted Flower, Mae Snapdragon, Alyssa, lizzyytx33, IchirukiLullaby, broken emerald, Kuroi-cho-tsuki-shiro, IchiRuki2.0, pamianime, allylalina, Fire331, OnepieceX3, Prizz, KitElizaKing and sweetieebunny(you're the 400th reviewer yay! 400 reviews!*tear*)

Thank you, as always! 400 reviews is a personal record...And just in time for my birthday! Happy birthday to me! Hmm, I'm one year away from being 20...That's a slightly depressing thought. My teen years will officially be gone ._.

Okay, I've spammed you guys enough for one night/day XD Thank you for the support and encouragement, and just for reading my story! On that note, until next time! (Which I promise will be the real Chapter 17 XD)