Well, Heya! As you probably already know, my name is Jyk. I'm a huge fan of Ichiruki, and write a ton of these. I have a few others up about this couple, but I just can't help my numerous one-shots. They both drive me insane, and if you're reading this, I guess you have the same frustrations about this idiotic coupling. Now I'll let you get to my story, and I hoped you don't hate it.

Nestled under a pile of blankets laid the shivering, black haired Rukia. Apparently, she was suffering through her first cold, and didn't know quite how to take it. She'd been moaning all morning about her head feeling like a balloon was being blown up inside her skull.

Ichigo leaned his head against the door. He knew he needed to go to school, but for some reason going without Rukia didn't even seem like an option. Ichigo couldn't even find it in his heart to make fun of the red nosed girl.

"Just go to school," Rukia sniffed, "I face hollows every day. A little cold will not be the end of me." Despite saying this with a shrug, her face was read, and she seemed to be flustered. Ichigo shrugged off his bag, and let it drop.

"This may be a hospital," he said going to his desk, "But this house is full of absolute maniacs. I should know, I live here." He pulled the chair out, and slumped in it, "Besides with break coming up we don't do anything. The teachers just talk and pretend to teach us something, and we just sit in the back, and talk about our plans for the vacation."

"Go to school." Rukia pulled a pillow around her head, "You're too loud, and my head hurts like a son of a hollow."

"I just won't talk," Ichigo said, pulling out his laptop, "Remember, I'm staying because I don't want to go to school, and not because I'm worried about you." Ichigo heard her grumble many words under breath, but it was muffled by the covers.

Ichigo chuckled softly. Ichigo had found a new love on the internet. It was an online role playing game. Renji had teased him about playing a game where you fought evil monsters when he did that on a daily bases already, but Ichigo liked the fact that if he died during the game he could be remade or just start over. That wasn't a feature in real life.

Ichigo's avatar was named Fire Hollow. He was a sorcerer and a knight. He had shoulder length, red hair, and dark orange eyes. His armor was midnight black.

The second his avatar landed in The Nightmare Woods, he was contacted by his partner of the gamenamed Black Butterfly. She was an elf with raven black hair, and wicked archery skills.

Ichigo smirked. I thought you'd be in school today. They both weren't big on handing over personal information over the internet, but they'd managed to find out that she was in the same year as him.

I'm sick today! Her avatar frowned. Besides a few special effects on the face, the game really didn't have a lot of face movement.

Ichigo looked over his shoulder. He couldn't see Rukia, but he could see a bump that he knew was her.

That seems to be quite common, Ichigo said back.

Why are you sick too? I noticed you are not at school either. He and Black Butterfly started walking out of The Nightmare Woods towards a beast's cave. The beast wasn't anything like a hollow, but it had killed both him and Black Butterfly during their last game.

Now they were determined to defeat the monster even though they didn't need the extra points.

Nah, I just didn't want to go to school today. I have….a pet like creature who I'm worried about.

Ahhhhh, Black Butterfly put her hand on her chest, How sweet. Ichigo loved his battering with Black Butterfly. She was clever and quick witted.

So, how sick are you? You aren't going to start throwing up in the middle of the fight will you? We can't beat him together, so there's no way I'm going to defeat him alone! Fire Hollow waved his arms around, and pranced around in place.

Don't worry about me, Black Butterfly said, I can handle myself. Despite what some annoying people think.

Ohhh, Fire Hollow said stopping at the entrance of the cave, I sense some anger behind these typed words. Care to explain?

Sigh! So, I kind of like this…younger guy. He's a pain in every sense of the word, and drives me up the wall with his reckless behavior. But, you know, despite that I do think he's kind of cute. DON"T TELL HIM!

Ichigo smiled. He did like Black Butterfly, but mostly for her company. If they actually knew each other than he might of allowed himself to actually like her in a romantic way. At the moment he had his eyes on someone else.

Don't worry, considering I don't even know who we are talking about or who you are, telling him would be something hard! You know I kind of like this girl, and I do reckless things because I like making her worry! It keeps her near me, and makes her yell at me. What can I say? I'm a masochist. Maybe he's doing the same thing?

Black Butterfly rolled her eyes, I doubt it. He has a lot of things on his mind right now that are way bigger than me, and it would be selfish for me to give him more to think about. You're the only one I've ever let known that I like…love…him because it wouldn't be fair to him.

Sometimes love really helps a troubled mind, Fire Hollow shrugged, Ready to slay the beast? Black Butterfly shot an arrow into the cave, and made the cave shake with the beast's roar. Fire Hollow and Black Butterfly charged into the cave. The battle was vicious.

Black Butterfly was caught in close combat, and she was nearly 'killed' by the beast, but Fire Hollow had enough health to donate almost all of it to save her. She tried to give it back, but he had already began another attack on the beast.

Idiot! Black Butterfly screamed from her farther away position, Now you're almost dead!

Ichigo couldn't type back for his fingers where busy destroying the beast trying to pick up Fire Hollow in his teeth, and crush him to a million pieces. His health only dropped a few more points before Black Butterfly landed a volley of arrows into the beast.

It fell over after a really dramatic roaring of pain, and disappeared. Their health was completely restored, and their levels were boosted up one.

Yeah!

"Yeah!" Rukia shouted from the blankets making Ichigo jump from where he was seated, "Take that you scaly bastard!" Ichigo slowly turned around.

"Rukia?" he shook his head, "What are you doing?" Rukia leapt from the covers, and shoved the phone she's always had on her into his hand without showing any previous signs of being sick. To his horror he looked down to see Black Butterfly jumping up and down.

He slumped in his chair, "Who else would call themselves Black Butterfly?" he asked while trying hard to keep from laughing at the whole situation.

"What do you…" she looked over, and caught sight of his screen. Her mouth dropped slightly agape, "Ha, being sick really messes with your head. I'm going back to sleep."

Ichigo swallowed, "Umm, this guy you love…"

"Don't go there," Rukia warned throwing the covers over herself, and she seemed to curl into a ball, "Do not go there!" Ichigo turned back to his screen in a daze. He scanned over their last conversation.

Ichigo was caught between being embarrassed at the fact he just admitted to Rukia that he kind of loved her, and was a little hopeful that maybe this younger guy was him. It was hard because, well, Rukia was a lot older than most guys. There were a few reckless guys out there beside him, and there were plenty of guys who had lots of things going on too.

Ichigo paused the game, and sat down next to the hump that must have been an embarrassed Rukia.

"So…" Ichigo started.

"Just shut up!" Rukia growled defensively, "I wasn't talking to you moments ago, but to Fire Hollow. So, you know nothing."

"There's flaw in that," Ichigo said, running a hand throw his hair, "But I'm still a little unsure who you are talking about."

Rukia threw the covers off, "Are you stupid? How can I have not made myself perfectly clear? I said reckless, and he annoys the heck out of me! How do you not know that it is you?" She turned red, redder than she was with her fever.

Ichigo gave a soft smile, "I mean I didn't want to suddenly assume that I was the one you were talking about, but I can't say I'm not…"

Rukia lunged forward, and slammed her palm to his mouth, "Don't finish that sentence." Ichigo looked curious, "No matter how you finish that sentence it'll affect our friendship." Ichigo grabbed her wrist, and kissed her palm.

She winced in surprise.

"I honestly," Ichigo said, looking up to look in her eyes, "Don't think we've ever been just friends. Unless friends usually think their other friends are the most gorgeous girl in the world." Ichigo leaned forward in attempt to kiss her lips, but she jerked away.

"No." she stated simply.

Ichigo couldn't help the look of hurt that crossed his face, "Ummmm, I thought you liked me?"

"I'm sick," Rukia said, refusing to look at him in the eyes, "I've read that colds are passed through contact. I think kissing falls into the category."

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh, "Yeah, but I think I'd rather kiss you and get sick then not kiss you." Rukia looked over bashfully at him, and nodded.

Ichigo grinned, "So, do I really drive up the wall?"

Rukia's eyes flashed angrily, "If you don't kiss me in the next two seconds then you can consider me driven up a wall."

Ichigo decided to tease her. He didn't kiss her in the next two seconds. He waited until the third second.