AN: I know it took me a while to finally update this fic. I've been updating my new fic Bloodlust and BC instead, mainly because I really didn't know where else to go with this story. I couldn't really come up with anything new to happen that didn't diverge too far off from the premise.

Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter, it's going to be fluff and slice of life with humor, until I decide to end it or come up with something else.

Ichigo sighed, looking tiredly outside his classroom window.

"I just needed to know." Rukia said breathlessly, a small smile forming on her face.

Ichigo looked down at her pulling her as closely as he could. "Know what?"

"That you are you mine." She smiled coyly and pulled his shirt closer possessively.

"Don't forget." Her raven head cocked to the side questioningly, a few strands falling about. Ichigo's orange bangs grazed her head as he leaned down and pulled her up. His amber eyes felt like they were swallowing her whole. "That you are mine also."

Rukia bit her lip staring into his eyes with an unfathomable amount of emotion that he reciprocated in his own look, as she nodded her head.

Now he knew, that that's what they were.

That amazing day was 2 months ago.

Today, on this glorious bright sunny day,the citrus haired boy was sitting in his class, in his regular spot, ignoring the teacher like usual and staring outside the same window as always. His thoughts forever thinking about his raven haired best friend.

No, not the douche Ishida.

Rukia had gone back to Soul Society that same day. More specifically right after class. Her pink chappy encased phone had went off afterschool telling her Ukitake had gotten ill again and that she needed to take over the squad for a while.

"Do you know how long you'll be gone?" Ichigo asked with sad eyes. Rukia snapped her phone shut, placed it back in her pocket, and looked back up to him while letting out a deep sigh.

Her eyes had mirrored his before she stoned them, it was much easier on their separation that way. "No, it could just be for a couple weeks…" The no emotion Kuchiki tactic always seemed to work, too bad Rukia never realized he could see right through her. He scoffed and she flinched slightly at the sound of it, his bitterness lying with the unpredictability of life and not necessarily with her or Ukitake, though she didn't know that.

Ichigo knew from the tone of her voice that it could just as easily be for months and that she was only trying hard to be optimistic. How was he supposed to believe her when she didn't even believe her own words?

They had been sitting outside at the park near his house, the sun was still in the sky shining brightly and warming the somewhat awkward air around them. They were in the park that she had taught him the basic ways of being a shinigami all those years ago. Sitting there now and thinking back on that time made it feel even longer ago than that. The nostalgia of the memories making Rukia smile from where she stood in front of the orange haired substitute shinigami, when she looked up from the ground that she was staring a hole in, she noticed that he had the same deep look as herself. Seeing her, but not really seeing her, as he thought back on their memories of being together during a time they couldn't stand each other. How ironic that they could barely keep their hands off each other now.

Before her phone had buzzed with the news, they had been joking around as she merrily swung on her swing while he lazily pushed into a rocking motion on his own, their faces bright with happy contentedness as they stared at each other every now and then during casual banter. Of course his teasing had started up to ruin the moment as per usual with the Strawberry, but Rukia didn't mind, she actually loved the quips they bit back at each other, it made her feel like his equal, something she wasn't especially used to with other guys.

Ichigo sighed and let his eyes move from her face. He reached out and pulled on her small hand. She yelped and tripped a little, not understanding what he wanted until she fell onto his lap sounding out a small huff.

"Ichigo?" After a minute of sitting silently, her face flushed a little but she didn't move or protest. She was turned to the side of his front facing body, her legs dangling above the ground, only the tips of her toes being able to touch it while his were stretched and extended along the ground. His arms wrapped around her tiny waist in a possessive hold that she was still learning to get used to. No one had ever made such a public claim on her before like he did. At least, she never let them when they tried to.

Ichigo stared at her face that was mere inches from her own, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration, lined as if he were searching for something. Even though she wasn't used to the scrutiny, the only embarrassment shown on her face was the baby pink, light powder of natural blush dusted on her cheeks. Otherwise, her eyes stared blankly into his own as he used his to map her face. His large rough hand came up to smooth out the soft skin of her cheek making her lips part from the warmth of his palm. Before she knew it, she felt warm lips on her other cheek, kissing up and down the side of her face, the skin on her eyes, the button of her nose and then slowly pecking her slightly opened lips with a mind fogging intimacy.

Her ribs started to hurt with how hard her damned heart was pounding against it. Only Ichigo could make her feel this way over some stupid kisses.

Ichigo exhaled heavily when he finished kissing her face, seemingly trying to remember everything about it. His forehead rested against hers with his eyes closed. The orange-blonde lashes on his eyes fluttering while a small smile played on his face. He looked happy.

Rukia was stunned, her eyes wide as she stayed stock still in his arms. She was still unused to his new found affection, better yet affection at all.

"I'll miss you, you know."

Pinching herself out of her reverie, Rukia put herself together enough to smile coquettishly, "Oh really?" her infamous laugh started up lowly in her throat. 'Seems the snicker's making a comeback.'

Ichigo lifted his head then narrowed his eyes at her, their faces again only a few inches away, making her feel the warmth of his breath on her face. He looked as if he was going to reply with a snide remark but instead leaned down a little ways to capture her smirking lips. Rukia moaned upon contact, not expecting him to continue to kiss her but enjoying it nonetheless.

She ended up pouting when he pulled away too soon and Ichigo couldn't help but pull a smirk of his own and butt foreheads with her. "Ow!" The action made her reflexively place both of her small hands over the bruise. "You idiot! Y-You did that on purpose!" The small girl declared.

Ichigo chuckled and expertly dodged a clawed swipe aimed at his face, making him laugh louder.

Oh how easily they switched out of romantic mode.

Her face darkened from embarrassment, but before she could make another attempt at maiming his face and turning it into a work similar to Picasso's, Ichigo held her arms to his chest and spoke up. "Really." He said softly but sincerely, his eyes burning into her irises even though his look was affectionate.

Rukia felt her insides turn to mush, if she was 50 years younger she would find this feeling gross-acting like a lovesick teenager over silly affections. "Jeez Ichigo, you're going soft on me. I'm not going to be gone that long." She said with a bright smile, wrapping her arms that she pulled from his hands around his neck to pull him closer. Ichigo smiled at how easily he could change her mood from killing intent to lovey dovey. At least, as lovey dovey as the Kuchki ice princess could get.

He pecked her lips again, "I'll still miss you," a smirk formed on his face, "and there's nothing you can do or say to change that munchkin."

Rukia glared at him and moved to release her hands around his neck, but before she could Ichigo had pulled her closer on his lap and forced upon her a deep and passionate kiss made to silence. His feelings seemed to pour out of it and Rukia couldn't help but be a little overwhelmed as she whimpered a bit at its intensity, his teeth biting her lips and his tongue asking her soft lips for entrance. She instantly obliged, never wanting to give up a chance at having a deep kiss with him. His hand started rubbing up and down her back whilst the other held the back of her head in place, his thumb massaged circles on her jaw to keep it relaxed and opened perfectly for him.

'When did he learn to kiss so well?' Rukia thought as she held tightly onto his shirt as he sucked on her smaller tongue, earning a pleased moan from the petite girl that had him groaning when she replicated the action.

Ichigo moved his kisses down her porcelain neck as Rukia panted for air, "Ichigo… we can't do this outside baka…" she moaned when he started sucking on a particularly tender area of her neck temporarily making her eyes black out after she yelped out loud, probably loud enough for any passersby to hear. Rukia prayed that there were no kids nearby playing.

"Don't worry, I just want to show you how much I'll miss you. We won't do anything you're not ready for."

"And you are ready for it!?" Rukia asked incredulously while letting out pleased puffs of air from her bruised red lips. Ichigo shut her up by smashing his lips against hers again, smirking into in when he felt her relax and then mewl erotically when he started to rub small circles on her back.

When he felt that she was totally immersed in the kiss, he started rubbing his hand up and down her silky thigh, loving the way she would shiver and moan with pleasure. She moaned his name and fisted her hands in his hair when he moved his head to nibble on her ear. Her panting was getting him even more aroused than before and he couldn't help it when his hand moved even higher than he had intentioned, feeling her hot heat and moist thighs.

"I-Ichigo!"

"Wow I really have an effect on you don't I?"

"Sh-shut up!" The ravennette tried to say icily but Ichigo couldn't take her seriously when her face was looking so erotic and damn right sexy, it just made him want her more, she was literally too cute.

Rukia placed both of her hands against his wandering one that was now teasing the edges of her underwear, away, she was immediately embarrassed at how her skirt had hiked up promiscuously.

She got up quickly before he could grab her again, almost faster than flash step especially when he tried to paw at her again, then straightened herself up quickly to look presentable. "Sadly I have to go, or we would continue this back at your house." She grinned ruefully, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Ichigo groaned pathetically at seeing her cover her thighs more by pulling her skirt down, and fix her bow on her shirt. He didn't even realize he gotten a couple buttons down. Maybe it was a good thing that she stopped him because it looked like his body didn't care where they became intimate. His mind said otherwise, not wanting anyone else to see what was his.

Ichigo not paying attention to what she was saying; Rukia continued, "I don't want to keep Ukitake-taicho waiting if I don't have to-"

'Maybe if I took her over behind the trees it wouldn't be as big of a problem…'

"-he could be really ill and Kiyone and Sentaro are usually too busy fighting over him to take care of the squad-"

'I'd definitely show her how much I'd miss her and with the sounds she'd make she wouldn't be able to deny how much she'd miss me…' Ichigo smiled deviously at his thoughts still not listening to the raven haired shinigami as she ranted, her hands on her hips, sometimes moving animatedly; she still not realizing that he wasn't paying attention.

"—you know I always try and get them to do work. I'm pretty much the only person who's able to get them to shut up in the squad. Ukitake-taicho is too nice to say anything really, even if they really stress him out—"

Ichigo felt himself drool a bit just thinking about it, 'the way she'd scream my name and look deeply at me with those sinfully seductive eyes, moan in my ear and claw her hands down my body. The way she'd shake and tremble, her eyes watering as I give her a penetrating orgasm, while her hot heat clutches onto me as she breathlessly breathes out my name…'

"—actually as a lieutenant, I've been doing a lot of captain duties, Taicho says I may be able to take over for him in the future. Though I told him I wouldn't ever be able to take his spot in Squad 13, it feels really nice knowing he believes so much in me… Ichigo?"

Ichigo shook himself out of his thoughts. 'Oh, kami. I really am a pervert. Is this what being with Rukia has done to me? Turned me into Keigo, or even worse, MY FATHER!?' The revelation seemed to be too much for the poor orange head to handle.

"Ichigo! Are you listening to me?" Rukia yelled trying to gain his attention.

'I can't believe I'm just as bad as the old man.' The orange head thought sullenly, his head shaking dejectedly. He was so depressed he could cry. "OW!? WHAT THE HELL RUKIA!?"

"Baka! Were you listening to me? I was talking to you, you moron!" Rukia huffed, her body ridged and fuming after hitting him upside the head. Ichigo fell to the ground from the impact, cradling his bruised skull in the fetal position as he looked up at her with a confused glare, the renewal of her presence overshadowing his disturbing revelation.

They stood there glaring at each other until Rukia's pager went off again. "Crap." Rukia leaned down, pulling his face in for a chaste kiss and then stood back up to swallow a gikon pill. "I have to go Ichigo, love you!" She said after Chappy got into her body, flash stepping away and opening up a gate before he could blink twice.

"Shit, you could've at least waited for me to get up midget!" Ichigo dusted himself off and picked up his and her bag, then turned gruffly to head in the direction of his house, muttering remarks and curses about the petite woman throughout the whole process, thus making the action take longer than necessary.

Seeing the sun start to go down forced him to realize that he had college admission essays to write. "Damnit! What the hell is up with me not remembering to do crap anymore?" Ichigo groaned as he stood still in his small circle of gloom along the sidewalk. The new school year was going to start soon and he was 100% sure he didn't want to live with the old fart after high school, even if he wasn't sure about what he wanted to be.

Not realizing that Chappy wasn't following him when he picked up to walk again, Ichigo looked behind himself to see the artificial soul looking at where Rukia left with wide eyes and her—er Rukia's mouth slightly agape. 'Still can't get used to thinking off them in the same body.'

"Oi! What's gotten into you?" He asked irritably, the mod soul always got on his nerves by glomping onto him and trying to wrestle him to the ground. She was using Rukia's body so it wasn't completely horrible. Since the first time he had the misfortune to meet 'The number 1 most sold artificial soul carrier!' Ichigo has kept at least a 10 foot distance from the peppy lunatic.

"Um, um…" 'Did Rukia really say that, pyon?' Chappy thought, looking between the clear sky where her mistress exited out of and back to the scowling idiot Rukia-sama entertained herself with.

Sadly Chappy didn't realize how much entertainment they really got from each other.

"Whatever, just come on so we can get you to Urahara's." He said with a sigh, being who he was, he wouldn't admit that he was a little concerned. Chappy was probably being her usual odd self so he didn't linger on the feeling and moved to walk.

Back to the present, Ichigo continued to sigh listlessly, using brain power to form one of the willowy baby trees into Rukia. Somehow someway it reminded him of her, but then again almost everything did. He couldn't believe how intensely infatuated he had quickly become when it came to the little devil woman. Before it was bad, but never at all this bad. Two years ago he wouldn't be able to fathom being in this predicament because of someone, yet here he was and he had to admit it was a blow to his pride and look.

He wasn't that 15 year boy anymore who cared about his image, but he would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate the looks of fear he got from his classmates, and the admiring from afar that he got from any self-absorbed happy-go-lucky girls. Ever since Rukia had entered his life, people had slowly started to warm up to him. If the small fragile Kuchiki girl could stand up to him, put him in his place, and become his friend, than he couldn't be that cold and mean right?

'Wrong. I'm a mean, green, angsting machine.' The boy amused with a roll of his amber eyes. 'And I wouldn't use fragile to describe Kuchiki Rukia neither.'

Thanks to that, he had a reality check that girls-and surprisingly some guys-found him attractive enough to ask him out. It was flattering to an extent since he never really experienced direct appraisal like that before, but it was still wholly weird and off-putting especially when the girls thought it was best to be aggressive so that he saw that they didn't fear him, somehow making him find them attractive in turn if their looks couldn't do it.

The things that high school girls come up with these days.

He remembered seeing Rukia get asked out back when she first moved into his closet and how it pissed him off even if he didn't understand why, thankfully the naïve Kuchiki was still new to what 'going out' meant and stated dumbly that they were already outside. Insert the picture that Mizuiro took of him facepalming behind the bushes as he watched the ass hit on his girl—so she wasn't at that time but she definitely is now.

Speaking of, Ichigo still didn't know how to label their relationship, but after talking with Rukia about it as they sat on the floor of the closet she pulled him in for the rest of lunch—if you call making out heatedly the whole time, lunch-, he decided she was his girl and he was her guy. Rukia yelled at him for labeling her as a possession but he still silently decided that that label would do for now… behind her back anyway.

"Ichigooooooooo!"

The orange head groaned as he heard the final bell ring for school to end, his friend's bellow competing with it for dominance in amplitude. The teacher's voice a continuous bumble and buzz of things he didn't remember but, somehow he'd understand what he had to do when he got home as always.

"I'm leaving Keigo." The brunette ran straight into Ichigo's fist and fell to the ground holding his nose with tears in his eyes from the sting. People continued to walk past and barely glance at the action, after 3 years, everyone, even the teachers were pretty used to the spectacle.

"Aw but Ichigo! I wanted you to come with me and Mizuiro to a strip club tonight." Keigo whined, "Its called Candy Land, just imagine all the different flavors of women!" his brown eyes sparkled perversely as he tapped his fingers together like a deviant, sexual deviant that is. "It's this really nice one too, I hear all of the ladies there are at least 6's" he was referring to the 1-10 rating meter he brought up a while ago to rate a girls attractiveness, Ichigo could only sigh and shake his head when he heard it the first time, though he wasn't so calm when he heard Keigo trying to rate Rukia.

2 years ago

"Asano-kun, how do you 'rate' a girl?" Rukia asked in her high-pitched voice when she overheard the brain-dead boy go on a tangent about all of the girls in class to the uninterested orange head. Ichigo visibly stiffened when he heard her question and promised a world of pain to Keigo depending on the idiocy of his answer.

"Oh, well Kuchiki-chan~, I'm glad you asked," he scooted closer to the girl, ignoring Ichigo's glare that eyed their hips touching. "The rating scale depends on how attractive a girl is, her allure and beautiful pheromones in the air." His eyes started twinkling, "Of course there are many ways for a girl to be attractive, the most obvious one being looks, face, bust, waist, ass, shoe size… etc." He said ticking the qualities off with his fingers and his eyes up in thought.

Rukia's eyebtows started to furrow a little bit and Ichigo knew she was starting to get irritated with his answer, he chuckled silently at the reaction she would have once Keigo was done with his explanation. No self-respecting girl would be okay with it, and Rukia had the most pride of any other girl he knew, so…

"The other is intelligence, I typically like an airhead, they're pretty 'easy'," he winked at Ichigo who looked away quickly while Rukia looked puzzled at the exchange, "but some guys like the smart ones like yourself, though you've also made an exception for me too my little butterfly!"

"How nice of you Asano-kun." Rukia said with very little conviction, an icy glare hiding in her violet orbs that the brunette was oblivious to. The radiance of her smile seemingly enough to distract him.

"Those are the main qualities for the rating since it's based for when you first meet a girl or see her from afar, not exactly for when you get to know her, not that that's what your trying to do." Ichigo groaned, Rukia caught on to that one too and never had she thought Keigo was a pig more than now…maybe… Even so, she continued to try and look unperturbed while he finished his explanation.

"The ratings usually change after that." Mizuiro finally chimed in from his seat next to them on the roof, trying to save his friend from getting his face bashed in. Rukia had decided to sit with the boys that day, so it was only her and them.

"Do you want to hear the rating I have for you Kuchiki-san?" Keigo gleamed lecherously.

"Uh...—"

"No." Ichigo cut in boomingly, not looking at the girl but instead glaring hard at the now cowering Keigo.

Rukia glared at him for trying to make decisions for her, "Actually I would like to know Asano-kun. If you would be so sweet to tell me what you'd rate me." Ichigo growled and threw his glare at her instead, she could feel the heat of it but ignored it directly by smiling brightly at the re-confident boy.

"Well Kuchiki-san, you're way off the charts in my book." Rukia was surprised to hear it, she thought she would be on the scale at a modest number because of her small bust and short height and hair, three things guys typically weren't fond of on a girl. "You're the only girl I find so attractive even though you don't fit my usual preferences." Keigo grinned; upon seeing her blush he grinned even wider.

Mizuiro nodded his head, "Yeah, I'd give you a hard 9; 10 if you were older. You also don't fit the norm of what I typically like but I can't deny your beauty and intriguing presence." Rukia turned pink from hearing his praise as he said it so nonchalantly, only a small smile on his face as if he were talking about the weather. "What about you Chad?"

Chad shrugged, "Kuchiki-san's pretty." Hearing him say that caused Ichigo to choke on his milk that he was solemnly drinking while listening to all of his friends coo over his best friend. He wasn't surprised to hear how they felt about her because he felt it, but ten times worse. Even if they were only friends, he still found her undeniably attractive. Hearing Chad give his two cents was a surprise though, and he couldn't help but choke up from hearing his opinion of the petite raven haired girl. He had more competition than he thought…wait what?

"What Ichigo, do you have something to say?" Rukia growled threateningly, her cheeks still pink from all of the complements she was getting.

"Uh-uh…" He started, looking around dumbly.

"Yeah Ichigo, what do you think of Kuchiki-san? Especially if it's true you guys aren't sleeping with each other." Mizuiro stated, looking at them pensively over his phone.

Both parties stiffened and blushed profusely, their reactions definitely not helping with the rumor.

Ichigo looked over to Rukia who was still glaring at him and waiting for an answer. "I guess she's alright-FUCK!" Ichigo couldn't even finish his statement before he was bludgeoned to death by her tiny fists.

At the time, Keigo and Mizuiro were surprised to see her reaction, but a small crying session acted out by the girl was enough to get it out of their heads.

"Who said I was going with you Asano-kun?" Mizuiro chimed in walking up behind Keigo, making him jump out of his skin and 'eek' like a little girl. Ichigo snorted at hearing it, his little sister Yuzu didn't even scream that high.

"Stop calling me that!" Keigo exclaimed. His friends knew he hated not being on a first name basis with them so they could seem close. Mizuiro teased him with it nonetheless.

"How the hell would you even get in the club? We're only 18, you have to be 21 and show ID dumb ass." Ichigo exhaled a breath of air as he threw his bag over his shoulder and started walking out of the class with a slightly irritated scowl, leave it to Keigo to ruin his thoughts of Rukia. Students around him buzzed with conversation about their upcoming weekends as he did.

Keigo grinned and quickly caught up to him, "My cousin got us illegally made ones man." He showed Ichigo his excitedly.

Ichigo grunted and snatched the card out of the eager boy's hand, deciding to entertain the notion so he would get out of his way quicker. He knew that if just continued to ignore Keigo, the bastard would probably just continue to follow him home. It was best to do it this way if he wanted some peace and quiet.

"The hell is this?!" In the picture of the fake ID was an older man by the name of ICHGO KUROMAKI "How the hell did you get my name spelled wrong?" DOB: 07/15/69 "Oi! Do I look 45, you imbecile?" GENDER: M'?' He heard Keigo and Mizuiro snickering as they looked at the card with him, "What's with the question mark?" Ichigo growled.

"Sorry Ichigo, the man at my cousin's place wouldn't believe me when I said you were a girl. He said anybody with the name 'Ichigo' has to be a female."

"First of all! My name means 'One who protects' as you should know by this point and it's even fuckin' spelled that way in kanji," he yelled incredulously, shoving the card in Keigo's face more with each point, "second of all, if you told him what my name was, why the hell did he spell it wrong?" Ichigo fumed, his fists curled as he glared indignantly at the damned card. The man in the picture didn't even look slightly like him, he had obviously bleached hair that was more of a sickly blonde than orange, with grey and black streaks from the bad dye, he face was scruffy and crazed, a two month old salt and pepper beard adorned his face, along with a gleaming smile as if he was promised that his stash would get paid if he took the picture. "Where the hell did you even find this guy?"

"On the cor—"

"Nope never mind, I'm done here." And with that, Ichigo Kurosaki threw the card over his shoulder incidentally smacking into Keigo's face, whilst walking off.

Mizuiro laughed, flipped closed his phone, "You should've known he wouldn't go for it."

Keigo turned his head dramatically slow towards his friend, "Who says I didn't?"

Mizuiro just shook his head and sighed.

AN: Good eh? Tell me how you feel in a review =)

I can't promise that I will update this fic as regularly as I used to, since this is loosing steam, but I promise I won't forget for very long until the bitter end.

Thank you guys for being patient.