Warm

A/N: Lately, I've been thinking about Bleach alot, so I'll just have to write about it. IxR is my favorite Bleach non-couple, simply because they're so flawed and realistic. Oh, and they're just FUN to write. This chapter is mindless fluff. Emphasis on the mindless. Drop me a review if you liked it (or even if you didn't).

Summary/Theme:

From the top of his orange head to his brown eyes and golden skin, Ichigo has always radiated warmth.

Rating: T- for innuendo.

Standard Disclaimer:

Bleach is solely the property of Kubo Tite, and I am merely borrowing his playground.

It's the middle of a record-breaking summer when their A/C unit breaks down. Typical. There's a million things he needs to do tomorrow but it's so DAMN hot, he can't even contemplate falling asleep! Enviously, he looks over at Rukia, who has draped herself over him.

It's so hot that he can't stand anything touching him at the moment, even Rukia. "Rukia," he groans quietly, "get off! It's too hot." Squirming out from under her, he pushes with his hands and feet until she rolls off like a limp sack of potatoes.

"Hnn...cold," she mumbles sleepily, not even bothering to awaken and commiserate with him in sweaty temperature induced misery. Then she rolls over and once again situates herself into his lean frame. How anyone can be cold wearing a long nightgown to sleep in this kind of heat is beyond Ichigo's comprehension.

"Rukia, I'm serious, stay on your side," he warns, scooting over. There's not much bed left.

She's been seeking him out all night like a...well like a heat-seeking missile. In the process, she has conquered most of the bed. He watches her warily from the last foot of bed left and when she doesn't move or make a sound, he finds it safe enough to close his eyes and drift into a fitful sleep.

Moments (or is it hours?) later he rolls right off the bed and hits the hardwood floor with a loud thump.

Rukia flails out of the blankets, kido spell glowing in her hand. "Wha? Hollow? Where?"

Ichigo drops his face into his open palms. Not for the first time, the thought crosses his mind- this woman is dangerous.

"Ichigo?" she calls in a hushed sleepy voice. "What are you doing on the floor?" She's sitting up and her nightgown billows out around her.

"I'm trying to sleep. And you're NOT helping!" The last part comes out rather harsher than he intended, and she blinks at him, somewhat taken aback.

"I'm no expert on human sleeping behaviors, but perhaps it might help if you got in the bed," she replies dryly.

"I refuse!" he says crossing his arms angrily. "I'm not getting into bed until you change your sleeping attire." He glares at her garment with much disgust, vowing to throw the thing out the next time it's his turn to do laundry.

"What's wrong with my pajamas? They're warm. They're my favorite," she says pointing to the bunny print.

"How can you stand to wear them when it's so HOT?" he asks, at a loss. "I get hot just looking at you." That last sentence didn't come out the way he meant it.

Rukia, the consummate actress clutches the neckline of her nightgown with one hand while the other rests on her cheek. "Oho, so aggressive tonight, Kurosaki-kun! Please be gentle with me, I am inexperienced-"

"There's something wrong with you," he says evenly. She's been wearing an awful lot of heavy clothing recently, and granted he did like to blast the air conditioning on as high as he could, but right now this is ridiculous. The room is boiling.

His suspicions are confirmed when her eyes lower and dart to the side. "What's going on, Rukia?"

"There's nothing wrong with me," she says irritably. "Something is wrong with this body. It won't stay at the normal temperature. It always feels cold," she explains.

Ichigo gets up off the floor and sits by her side on the bed. The springs creak under his added weight. He brings up his hand and touches her cheek gently and when she lays her hand over his, it is icy cold. It feels kind of good, actually.

"You're right," he concedes, rubbing her small hand between his. "You're freezing." He feels a moment of guilt for not noticing earlier. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Rukia's smile tells him that he needn't be so concerned. "It didn't happen until recently, and only when it started getting hot. Maybe the body was trying to overcompensate for the heat?"

"Could it be your reiatsu affecting it somehow?" he wonders aloud. She wields the element of ice, after all.

"It could be. That's a good thought," she commends. "Anyway," she says, tapping a fist against her chest, "I'm going to bring it to Urahara for a tune-up tomorrow. I'm due for one, so I guess we'll look under the hood and find out what's wrong."

It somehow bothers Ichigo that she talks about her fake body the same way that people talk about their car.

"Don't make that face," she says sharply, looking over at him.

"What face?" he asks, scowling at her.

"Your worried face," she replies. "There's nothing to worry about."

"I'm not worried," he responds. He knows by now that she hates it when he worries unnecessarily. Though when it comes to her, he can't help it. Ichigo is a compulsive worrier.

He watches her as she pinches the skin on her forearm between her thumb and index finger, muttering under her breath, "Stupid gigai...stupid Urahara."

Sighing, he slides off the bed, slouches towards the window and opens it. Then he cranks up the fan.

He stops before the bed, peels off his t-shirt, and drops it on the floor. The shirt is damp with sweat and Ichigo has a momentary urge to take a bath. After a moment of consideration, he kicks off his boxers too.

Rukia's eyes roam his body with a gleam of feminine appreciation. "I thought you wanted to sleep," she says.

"I do. But you're cold, and I'm hot," he says scratching the back of his head. "Just lie on top of me; I'll keep you warm. We won't need the sheets tonight."

She makes room for him on the bed and he slides in next to her. He feels utterly naked and shameless, but it's their house, so who cares? There's no one to see them (or surprise attack them), and the breeze coming through the window feels heavenly. Ichigo can feel Rukia's cool body through her nightgown as she presses up against his side. He closes his eyes and tries to enjoy it.

Her hand rubs cold soothing patterns on his chest and then slowly drifts down past his hips. He catches her slim wrist and gives her a warning squeeze.

"As I said, I'm trying to sleep, and you're not helping." He opens up a sleepy eye at her. She's smiling up at him, alluring gaze filled with flirtatious mischief.

"It never hurt your sleep before," she says slyly, tracing the outline of his obliques. His stomach muscles quiver under her cool fingers.

The idea is...tempting. But he is tired and the thought of the heat they'll generate just about kills him.

"I'm calling the A/C guy tomorrow," he says firmly, pulling her cool body closer and settling his chin on top of her head.

"Hmm, alright," she says, unfazed by his non-sequitur. Rukia always seems to understand what he's saying.

"Warm," she mumbles into his chest sleepily.

"Yeah," he replies in a soft voice, before drifting off to sleep.

Omake

Ichigo waves to the next door neighbor. "Good morning Mrs. Tanaka."

She gives him a suspicious look and scurries back inside her house, slamming the door.

"Geez, what's wrong with her?" he asks aloud.

Beside him, Rukia snickers. "You forgot to close the window this morning."

"Ah...WHAT?"