Disclaimer: Mature content. I do not own Bleach nor the cover pic.

Chapter 2: Flashback

"Y-you guys are crazy!" The scared Shinigami screamed. "Why would you go all this way for Kuchiki Rukia? Isn't she just a friend? Is it really necessary to go this far for just a friend?"

"Of course she is!" Ishida exclaimed as he grits his teeth. "Because she-"

"But she's not just a friend…" Inoue interrupted as she glanced at the explosion from the distance which she was sure was caused by Ichigo. "No, not to Kurosaki. Rukia is the most important person to him. Because…"

"Inoue?" Ishida face became concern when he noticed the pain expression across the girl's face.

"Rukia is the person who changed his world."

…

Ichigo stepped closer to the love of his life as she was still crying quietly before him. He raised a warm hand to cradle the side of her chilled cheeks from the cold, using his thumb to gently wipe the tears that were falling before they hit her lips.

"You are an idiot," Ichigo softly said as he still tried to make eye contact with her as she kept avoiding him. "Don't you know? You saved me too."

…

Ichigo sighed as started to walk towards his classroom. He was so fucking brave to confess his feelings to her yet he didn't hear anything back from her. It has been months since he had last seen her, since he had rescued her. Rubbing the back of his neck he thought of her more as he allowed his mind to drift off to her heart. Normally he only feels the feint heart when he was about to go to sleep but he need to sense her, to help him continue on with his life without her. After his defeat, he felt at a loss. He didn't know what to do and everyone seems to not know what to say. Fuck, his friends got hurt because he was too weak to protect them.

Badump…Badump…Badump…

His brows furrowed together, he noticed the heartbeat was stronger as if-

"What the hell?" Ichigo scowled as he walked in the classroom and noticed her standing at the open window, waiting for him. The sight of her overwhelmed his heart which he knew she would feel as he didn't even try to hide it.

Before he could say anything to her, she swiftly jumped down from the window and lunged for his collar, dragging him out of the classroom as the other students gasp in shock.

"R-Rukia?" Ichigo choked out as she pulled at his collar a bit tighter and dragged him outside of the school building with the other Shinigamis waiting for them. Ichigo grabbed onto her hand that was pulling at his shirt, "What the fuck has gotten into you!"

With a specialty gloved Urahara had given her, she slapped Ichigo on the face causing him to stumble and not noticing he was in his Shinigami form as he laid on the ground. Dumfounded, he glanced up at the furious small girl.

"Why does your face have such a wimpy look on it?" Rukia glared down at him.

He was taken aback by the comment but could not think more of it when Rukia grabbed his collar of his robe once more to drag him away.

"Come with me!" Rukia shouted as she pulled and pulled at his collar.

Ichigo was choking again, "W-What has gotten into you? Where the hell are you taking me?"

"Shut up," Rukia hissed as she climbed onto his back. "You are much faster than I am in my gigai, so start running!"

Ichigo tightened his hold around her thighs, feeling the smoothness of her skin. Just from that direct contact made his heart beat a bit faster. He closed his eyes and vision the milky skin, the taste, how she will react if he ran his tongue across her thigh.

"What are you doing?" Rukia broke his thoughts with an uncomfortable clearing of her throat from his firm grip on her bare skin. "Start running!"

Ichigo couldn't help but smirk a little knowing the small girl was blushing slightly. He started to run as fast as he can, following her directions. He hasn't been in this form for a few weeks but it felt so natural for him more than his human form. Free even as he picked up the pace. Ichigo was a bit relieved as his movements were still stealth and subtle, even after his near death.

"Over there! Do you see it?" Rukia called from over his shoulder while pointing in the distance.

Ichigo looked directly to where she was pointing at, "A hollow?"

"Yes, go get it now!" Rukia yelled as she kicked off his back causing him to move forward towards the hollow.

The hollow noticed him and swung down one of his arms at him, Ichigo jumped out of its way nearly getting hit.

"What are you doing!" Rukia called from the side. "You are not going to lose like that to a hollow are you?"

"Shut the hell up!" Ichigo retorted back as he dodged another near hit.

"You don't think I don't know?" Rukia bellowed as she crossed her arms. "You don't think I don't know that you have not taken the form of Shinigami ever since you lost to those arrancars?"

Ichigo clenched his teeth as he dodged another blow, listening to her words.

"What are you afraid of?" Rukia questioned him. "Inoue got hurt! Chad got hurt! So what? Have you always been the man that always loses his way after on defeat? Over something so little? Is it that scary to lose? To not be able to protect your friends? Or are you afraid, afraid of that hollow living inside of you?"

Ichigo turned back towards her as she continued to stare with concern at his ambers.

"If you are afraid of losing Ichigo, just get stronger."

"If you're afraid of not being able to protect your friends, swear to get stronger until you can protect them."

"If you are afraid of the hollow inside of you, just get stronger until you can crush him."

"If you don't want to listen to others, then hold your chin up and yell those words to yourself!"

"That is the kind of man you have been in my heart Kurosaki Ichigo. That is the kind of man that I come to love!"

Ichigo felt her love spread through his body and warmed every inch of him. He closed his eyes and once he opened them again, he gave her a look of determination as well as his signature smirk.

"You know brat; you are really noisy sometimes."

…

He lowered his lips to kiss her tears away on the side of her cheek, tasting the salt on the tip of his tongue.

"Please don't cry Rukia," Ichigo urged her gently as it tore his heart into two when she looked so broken.

Rukia reached up and grabbed ahold of his hand that cradled her face with both of her hands and lowered her forehead to his lips as she allowed the tears to now hit the glass roof tiles.

"I… I just don't want you to go Ichigo," She sobbed as she tightened her hold on his hand. "Please don't go…"

"As one of the Gotei Captains, it is my duty Rukia you know that. Besides, you are the one who told me to protect those I love. I am here to protect you. I will do anything to ensure you are safe from any harm."

"We already went through so much Ichigo… why do we always have to say goodbye?" Rukia quietly cried.

"We said goodbye to each other many times," Ichigo chuckled as he pressed another kiss to her forehead. "It is what we do."

"But not like this Ichigo, this is not like the other times. This time you aren't coming back to me!"

…

Ichigo sat up in his bed and noticed he was being surrounded by his friends. He rubbed his eyes with his hands as he tried to stretch out his arms from being so stiff from his sleep.

"Why am I in my house?" Ichigo asked as he looked around confused at his friend's concerned faces.

Rukia stepped forward out of the shadows, "It's because you have actually been sleeping for about a month now…"

"A month…" Ichigo repeated.

"Ichigo, Urahara has told me… He told me you have lost all your Shinigami power," Her eyes shifted down as sadness stated to overwhelm her.

"I see..." Ichigo started before running a hand through his hair as he sat up in his bed. "I guess that means I will have to give up being a substitute soul reaper as well."

"You are already at the second stage Ichigo," Rukia explained while trying her best to stabilize her voice but she knew her emotions were giving herself away to him. "Your remaining spiritual power will fade away."

Ichigo didn't say a word as he realized what she has meant. He could feel his heart forming a crack, "Can we step outside for a bit Rukia?" He stood up out of the bed and stretched out his arms once more before he reached his hands out towards her.

Rukia's eyes glistened as she touched his hand and interlocked their fingers, allowing him to take her outside of the clinic, away from their group of friends.

They were quiet for a moment as they stood outside the clinic's front door while standing in front of each other, fingers still interlocked.

"I-I am really going to lose my powers," Ichigo quietly said as he felt Rukia's presence slowly fading away. Why does this have to start so soon?

"Yes," Rukia whispered as she stepped closer to him and leaned her forehead against his chest. "You already know… you won't be able to see me anymore Ichigo once you completely lose your spiritual powers."

Ichigo lowered his face to her soft hair, inhaling her strawberry scent from her shampoo, "But I can still feel you within me." He felt her heart radiate through him as she allowed it.

Rukia nodded quickly as she cleared her throat, trying not to let out a sob, "Yes, we will keep our bond even though you have lost your powers. The bond is unbreakable but only through death shall it break… even though you can never see me again… at least you know I will always still be with you."

Ichigo brought a hand to raise her chin up so he could see her face. Her eyes were full of tears as she looked up at him. Ever so slowly, he lowered his lips and captured her mouth that he had yet had to taste. They have been so busy saving the world that they had never shared a decent kiss between one another.

Rukia instantly melted and let out a small moaned against his lips. She was surprised when he slipped his tongue in between her lips, to have that one first and last taste of her. She brought up her small hands to grip his shirt tightly as Ichigo wrapped one arm around her waist and the other hand entangled in the back of her hair.

He tasted the salt mixed with sweet, as she was crying freely but still they never broke apart as the desperately pulled each other closer and closer. Frantically trying to savor and memorize the taste of their love for one another.

After a few heated moments, they pulled apart, breathing heavily as he rested his head onto her forehead, both eyes closed as they let themselves be engulfed in their bond. Their love.

"Rukia…" Ichigo could feel her fading away.

She tightened her hold on his shirt, "Yes?"

Fuck, he wasn't ready to let her go. He wasn't prepared for this. How could he be asleep for a fucking month with her there and only get a few minutes when he was finally awake to be with her. They were so busy defeating Aizen that he never got to do the things. Why? Why must she be from a different world than him? His Shinigami form is more comfortable than his human form anyway. He rather be a substitute soul reaper for the rest of his life than to be a doctor like his father and live a normal life. With her, everything was far from normal and that was what he wanted. He fucking loved her. To be this selfish…

"Marry me."

He kept his eyes closed knowing her answer would not come.

Afraid to open his eyes as he was already aware.

Aware that she wasn't there anymore.

To be continued...

Aye, yeah I know I said it will completed this chapter but I thought this was a good stopping place. There are so many scenes throughout bleach so I am trying to incorporate as much as I can. I hope you like this so far, let me know your thoughts lovelies! Now i feel one more chapter and most likely an epilogue. Sorry for the angst but really not sorry.

Thank you for the reviews and love. I am glad to see so many authors are writing more and more for IchiRuki. This community is all we have, so we must do our best to keep IchiRuki alive. If you have an idea for a story just get it out there. Don' have to be a wonderful writer because I am shit at it but least it will give us the feels we need! Still pissed at Kubo but he is a brilliant man.

xoxo-jae