Bleach 1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: _**Hello! Welcome to my first fanfic! :D This is just an idea that's been running through my mind for a **while** and I finally decided to write it out and post it up! I hope you like it and please, review!_  
_

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Best Friends: Chapter 1

"Denial ain't just a river in Egypt." - Mark Twain

_**...**  
_

_"Ran-gi-ku! Ran-gi-ku!"_

_Matsumoto Rangiku smiled to herself as the audience cheered her name to the beat of the music. She sat on a plush couch, casually drinking from a large mug before raising her head to reveal her beautiful face. She had flawless, glowing skin, full lips, bright blue eyes that seemed to glint with mischief, and long, strawberry blond hair that fanned out in waves. Setting her mug down on a small table in front of her was a signal to stop the music and the cheering stopped as she stood, revealing her thick, curvy figure being showcased in a snug, pink dress. She grinned. "Now, please put your hands together for our next guest: Kuchiki Rukia!"_

_As soon as the words left her mouth, new music played and the audience erupted into waves of cheers, whistles, and applause while the camera moved to focus on a young woman walking out of opening double doors. She was a small woman, dressed in a simple, white, sleeveless dress that cinched at the waist and flowed out to end right mid-thigh. All of her hair was pulled back and gathered at the top of her head to form a high bun, showing off her pretty face: full, red lips, a round nose, and striking, violet eyes. She smiled a genuine smile once she reached the couch and the music stopped. "Ran-!" Her greeting was cut short when Rangiku pulled her into an almost deadly hug._

_The audience laughed as Rangiku suffocated the petite woman with her large chest, spinning her around once before setting her down. "Kuchiki Rukia!", the busty woman exclaimed excitedly as she sat down on the couch, pulling Rukia down with her. "How **are** you?" She asked, oblivious to the dazed look in her eyes._

_The tiny woman rolled her eyes and pouted a bit as she picked at the bun on her head. "**I'm** fine. Surprisingly enough, I've gotten used to your chest. But, you messed my **hair** up!"_

_At this, the audience laughed and Rangiku quickly fanned a hand at them. "Oh, please, it's fine! Promise!" She spoke rapidly with an ever growing grin. "Besides, you didn't come to talk about your hair, you came to talk about **you**!"_

_Rukia could only nod in amusement as the other spoke hurriedly and excitedly in a typical talk-show host manner._

_"So, tell us about you!" Rangiku beamed. "Life as an actress, how you escape the paparazzi, beauty secrets, and that smokin' **hot** boyfriend of yours!" Her melodic laughter danced around the room and the audience let out their own laughs at the sound._

_"**Boyfriend**?" Rukia asked with raised eyebrows and a small grin._

_"Don't act stupid!" Rangiku shook her head with a wink. "You know we're talking about Kurosaki Ichigo!" She grinned at the audience and they all stood with cheers._

**_..._**

Watching the program from the comfort of his living room was Kurosaki Ichigo himself. With a fairly tall and lean stature, he sat on the couch with a permanent scowl on his face. The seemingly permanent scowl lifted a bit as he chuckled at the program before he took a sip from his water bottle.

"I didn't know you watched Matsumoto Rangiku."

Nearly choking on the water, Ichigo spun around to face a tattoed and smirking redhead. "I don't. So, shut-up, pineapple head." He turned his attention back to the television screen.

Pineapple head, or as some would normally call him, Abari Renji, raised an eyebrow and nodded toward the television as he took a seat beside Ichigo on the large couch. "What's so different about today?"

"...Rukia made me watch it."

"Oh, _Rukia_ made you watch it!" Renji said, his smirk slowly growing.

Actually, this was how it all went down.

_Flashback  
_

_It was a bright and sunny afternoon and Ichigo lay in his bed, peacefully reading a book before Rukia burst into the room without warning. "Don't you knock?" He asked without sparing her a glance, preferring to keep his attention on the book._

_With a roll of her eyes, she walked over to sit beside him on the bed. "Guess what?"_

_"Chappy festival?" He smirked when she flicked his ear and he placed a finger in the book as a place holder, giving her his full attention. "What, Rukia?"_

_She smiled and took in a breath. "I'm going to be on 'The Matsumoto Rangiku Show'!"_

_He nodded and shrugged. "Great for you, but what does that have to do with me?"_

_"Well," She began with a high-pitched tone and Ichigo just knew it wasn't good. "Will you watch it?"_

_He knew it._

_"No." And he went back to his book._

_Rukia's smile immediately fell and he could just feel the glare she was giving him. "But, **why**?" She asked harshly._

_He turned a page. "That's a woman's show."_

_"No, some guys watch it!" She insisted as she shook her head hard, shaking the bed a bit._

_"Pft." Ichigo scoffed. "Those 'some' have questionable orientations."_

_"**Ichigo**!" She laughed out and he smiled to himself at the sound. "But, I **could** use the support of my best friend."_

_There she went, pulling the 'best friend' card. _

_Ichigo groaned and he turned to face her once more. "Rukia."_

_"Please?" She pouted, sticking her bottom lip out for affect._

_His eyes narrowed at the pout. Pouting didn't work on him. It never had and it never would. He opened his mouth to give a firm 'no' then, he looked into her eyes. Those striking, violet, heart melting orbs were the source of his demise. He couldn't ever say 'no' to them and he just** knew** that she knew this._

_Rukia gave him a small smile and her eyes widened just a bit and his resolve shattered._

_Ichigo was the star player of a renowned soccer team, the paparazzi's biggest target (and enemy), he was trained in martial arts and yet, he could never deny those eyes._

_Those eyes would be the death of him._

_"Fine."_

_End of__ Flashback_

So, technically, Rukia didn't _make _him watch the show, but that was his story and he was standing by it.

He caught Renji's grin and his eyebrow twitched before his fist shot out to punch the boy right in the face. "She's my best friend."

A laugh brought their attention back to the program.

**...**

_"Ran, he's my best friend!" Rukia laughed out, feigning being scandalized._

_Rangiku rolled her eyes with a grin as she moved in closer. "Is he watching?"_

_Rukia nodded and Rangiku and the audiene simultaneously let out a loud 'aw!'_

_"Shut-up, I made him." Rukia snapped playfully. "He wouldn't have watched it if it weren't for that."_

_Rangiku and her audience laughed at the comment. "But, Rukia!" The woman pouted at the audience. "You guys are so cute together!"_

_At this, the audience stood and cheered while Rukia laughed and covered her face. "**Rangiku**!" She laughed and uncovered her face to reveal slightly pink cheeks. "We're just friends!"_

_Nodding at this, the talk-show host raised a brow. "But, could you ever see yourself with him?"_

_Rukia made a face and bit at her bottom lip as she thought. "Oh, boy. Maybe I shouldn't have told him to watch." She laugh along with Rangiku and the audience._

_**...**  
_

Renji laughed with the television and patted Ichigo on the back. "The moment of truth."

"I'm gonna punch you in the face."

At this, Renji grinned.

**_..._**

_"Ah, don't tell him I told you this." Rukia said playfully after a sigh. "But, I wouldn't mind. I mean, he's a good man, he's nice, he's brilliant, he's funny, and he's** cute**!" She whispered the last word loudly, emitting from laughs all around._

_Rangiku scoffed. "Cute? Honey, he's a smokin' hot, grade A, angel sent from above, **haw-tee**! If you don't want him, **I'll **take him!" She laughed uproariously with the audience before settling down a few moments later. "Now, tell me. Is that why you've got those hot, bright orange shoes on?"  
_

_Behind them, a wall made up of screens suddenly changed from a large photo of Rangiku into one of Ichigo. He was clad in a tight wife-beater, showcasing his athletic build and in his hands, he held a soccer ball with a scowl on his face and an intense stare, his bright orange hair being the central focus of the picture. _

_"**Damn**!" Rangiku exclaimed as the audience cheered and whistled loudly. "Break me off a piece of that." She muttered as she gave the photo one last, longing gaze before she turned to Rukia._

_The young girl lifted her foot that was hiding behind the small coffee table to show that she was, indeed, wearing bright orange pumps that matched Ichigo's hair perfectly. "Now, how about that." She deadpanned and she shrugged and put her foot back down. "Just thought they'd look nice." She laughed when the audience immediately expressed their disbelief._

_Rangiku smiled what seemed like a genuinely curious smile for the first time. "Honestly, can you see yourselves together? Your partner should also be considered your best friend." She turned to the audience with a lecherous grin. "Plus, he's smokin' hot!"_

_Rukia laughed with the audience before she shrugged once more and smiled a secretive smile. "Whatever happens happens."_

_The talk show host nodded furiously at her answer. "Cryptic, I like **that**!" She turned to the camera. "You hear that, Kurosaki-san? 'Whatever happens happens'!" She turned to another camera as she stood with a grin. "That was Kuchiki Rukia on her 'best friend' everyone! After commercials, she'll give us the details on her smokin' hot brother, Kuchiki Byakuya!" Behind her, Rukia's eyes widened. "So, don't touch that dial! We'll be-"_

_**...**  
_

Renji shut the television off as he cradled his nose, giving Ichigo a grin. "Well?"

_'This guy...'_ Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Well, _what?_"

"'Whatever happens happens'." Renji quoted in a high-pitched voice as he slipped the hair tie from his head, freeing his hair from the high ponytail before he flipped it back, giving Ichigo was he supposed was his 'sexy' face. "Now's your chance! You just got permission from Rukia, Rangiku, and that whole studio audience to make your move!"

Ichigo simply punched Renji square in the jaw, prompting the the redhead to fall over rather dramatically. "It's not that simple."

And with that, he left the room.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: **_Wow! I was hoping for a positive reaction from people, but I didn't think I'd get it, haha! So, thanks to the reviewers and to all the people that added this onto their story lists and on their story alerts! Anyways, here's chapter 2! Prepare for a fluff-fest, though, ha! I hope you like it and please, review!

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Best Friends: Chapter 2

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and let it come in." - Morrie Schwartz

_**...**_

Kurosaki Ichigo hated Matsumoto Rangiku. People always claimed that 'hate' was 'such a strong word', but he honestly didn't care at this point. That was the only term he could use to explain how he felt and he was sure that he was using it appropriately.

Before, he hadn't minded when people tried to instigate anything between him and Rukia, but for some reason, this time hit him hard. Just when he was getting over that stupid, tiny, insignificant crush, Rukia just _had_ to go on that show, Rangiku just _had_ to ask those questions, and Rukia just _had_ to answer them the way that she did. Now, his stupid feelings were up and running and he was frustrated.

With a low growl, his eyes narrowed and he quickly ran on the grass of the turf, swiftly dodging several people before he gave the soccer ball a strong kick into the goal. The poor goal couldn't have seen it coming when the ball ripped through the thick yarn and rolled out onto the other side due to the force of the kick. He heard multiple groans and curses.

Currently, Ichigo was at a soccer field, practicing with his team, The Shinigami. Their coach, Kisuke Urahara, suggested that they get a few more practices in and Ichigo personally thought that he couldn't have chosen a better time. He needed an outlet for his frustration before he started getting snappish and violent towards people.

"Ichigo~!" A voice whined from behind him and he rolled his eyes as he turned to face the direction from where it was coming from. Rising from his seat on the bleachers, Kisuke began to walk toward Ichigo's spot on the field.

Ichigo turned from his coach's pitiful frown with a deepening scowl. The man always whined, just like his father. "Kurosaki-san." He heard from behind him and he quickly spun around to face his coach, his eyes widening by mere centimeters. "How'd you get here so fast?"

The blond man shrugged and threw an arm over Ichigo's shoulder. "Not important. What's important right now is you, though." He frowned. "What's wrong?"

Ichigo only shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts and let Kisuke lead him in the direction of the bleachers. "What do you mean?"

Kisuke's eyes darkened a few shades and he shook his head. "Don't play dumb with me, Ichigo. You just kicked that ball through my goal. The last time you did that was when-" He felt Ichigo tense and slip from under his arm.

The younger man's hands fisted in his pockets and he refused to meet the other's eyes. "Cheap goal."

Soon realizing that he wasn't going to get any answers, Kisuke sighed. "My point is, there's obviously something wrong. I understand if you don't want to talk, but you're breaking my equipment and you might injure someone."

Ichigo forced a smile down at the memory of a crying Keigo on the ground and he finally met the older man's eyes. "You're taking me out for that? I'll just hold back."

Kisuke grinned. "Last time you told me that, you broke someone's knee. And I'm taking you out because I care about you. I'm not _just_ your coach, you know. I'm Unckie Kisuke!"

Ichigo's face paled as the touching moment abruptly ended. "You're only my dad's friend, creep."

Laughing, the coach bent over to pick a ball up from the ground and handed it over. "Best friend, smart ass. Practice ball handling."

Ichigo's face immediately scrunched up. "Ugh, you know I hate that stuff!"

Kisuke soon got his own pinched look on his face and he pouted. "Kurosaki-saaaaaa-"

"Okay!" Ichigo said through clenched teeth.

The coach almost immediately straightened up and gave Ichigo as short grin. "That's my boy." He laughed when Ichigo promptly told him to 'shut-up' and he turned to walk out on to the field toward his team.

"Thanks."

Kisuke smiled at the unusually quiet tone and nodded. "Anytime." And he walked off.

With a sigh, Ichigo plopped down on the soft grass and prepared to stretch. He bent his knee and stretched the other leg straight down on the ground before he turned, groaning and shutting his eyes as he felt the muscles in his side loosen. As he let a breath out, he opened his eyes to see Rukia walking down the street, making her way to the field and he suddenly felt the same breath he let out making its way back into his throat.

She seemed to be walking in slow motion and Ichigo suddenly felt the burn of the sun his teammates complained about for the first time that day. The bun from the other day still sat on her head, albeit a bit messier, but he found that it suited her much better, and she wore thin, black rimmed glasses, opting out of contacts. She wore a simple, spaghetti strapped tank top and skinny jeans and it seemed to hit Ichigo at that same, exact moment that she still hadn't lost the 25 pounds she had to gain for a role she played. It also hit Ichigo almost twice as hard when he realized that he didn't mind at all.

He'd always thought that she was too thin, especially since her short stature only made her look even smaller, so the weight gain made her look _much_ better. Her cheeks were a bit rounder and her lips even looked a bit fuller, making her face look healthier and more cherubic, but that wasn't even the good part. Most of the weight went past her torso, resting on her hips and making them look rounder and easier to grab and to hold on to. Her thighs got thicker and looked more formidable, but don't even get him started on her backside. That's where _most _of the weight went.

And she was wearing skin-tight skinnies.

She waved over at him with a huge grin and he waved back with a small smile.

Never in his life had he been so upset to see someone.

"Strawberry." She greeted him when she finally got to the field and sat beside him. "Why aren't you practicing?"

With a shrug, he instantly forgot about stretching and doing drills and resorted to the more stressing task of keeping his eyes off of her thighs. "The old man said I'm getting violent."

Rukia's eyes widened behind her glasses and she looked at him. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Ichigo's eyes softened and he smiled to himself at the concern in her voice. "Nah." When she didn't look away, he was forced to look into her eyes. "I was thinking too much."

The corners of her mouth lifted and she nodded. "About what?"

_'Your butt.'_ He turned to look at the sky, allowing the sun to beat on his face. "Promise, I'll tell you later. But, what are you doing here?"

Her eyes narrowed at the way he changed the subject and she grabbed at the grass around her, reveling in the soft feel. "I told you I was coming to watch you practice since I was gonna head to your place anyway."

He almost smacked himself at her words. How could he have forgotten that they were pulling an all-nighter tonight? Especially, in the state of mind she put him in.

She stood and he followed suit with a slight shake of his head. "But, I might as well leave since you're on time-out."

"You could persuade Urahara to let me in." He suggested, not willing to let her leave just yet. "He likes you."

Rukia seemed to consider it and she sighed. "Can I join?"

"You're in jeans, Midget."

"I'll roll them up, _Idiot_."

He might as well, he silently concluded within himself. With her on the field, he would _have_ to play safe. He would never want her hurt. With a roll of his eyes, he nodded and she smiled before she turned and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Kisuke!"

Bouncing the ball between his two feet with ease, he dodged a young man and looked up to Rukia. "Yes?"

Rukia watched in slight envy as he teased the players effortlessly. "Ichigo promises not to be violent if I can get on the field."

Kisuke slipped between two people with a giggle and he nodded with a smile. "Okay." He knew that he was thinking the same as Ichigo. The young man would never be able to live with himself if Rukia were to get hurt, _especially_ if he were the reason. Unbeknownst to him, almost everyone else on the field had close to the same idea. "Split up into teams."

**_..._**

Sitting on the large couch in his living room, Ichigo watched as the ending credits rolled up his television screen in the dark. He'd just finished watching the first 'Twilight' movie and it should already be obvious that he didn't do this of his own accord.

Rukia had decided that since he planned the all-nighter that she should get to choose all of the movies. He was going to reject the heinous idea, but, her eyes, even behind her glasses, were able to sway any decisions he made to the opposite direction. He looked at the clock sitting on top of the television.

_'2:45'_

He yawned. "Tired yet?"

The small woman beside him quickly shook her head, her eyes wide open and shining through her glasses. "No. I drank too much coffee."

His signature scowl deepened and his eyes narrowed. "Is that why you were playing like that today?" To put it simply, her team crushed his. Honestly, he wasn't bitter about that, he wasn't a sore loser. It was the fact that she was so _fast_. He would never admit it out loud but, Rukia wasn't a bad soccer player, even when she was just playing around. He'd just never seen her move so fast before. She was crossing people over, her reflexes were sharp, and she'd even managed to trip him up a few times.

She smiled up at him and shrugged. "I thought the game would tire me out, but it just got me even more hyped up. Now, I'm on an adrenaline rush, too."

Ichigo rolled his eyes at her answer. That meant that neither of them were getting any sleep tonight. "Rukia, how much coffee did you drink?"

"Enough to stay awake." Came her quick reply.

After years of friendship, Ichigo learned that that tone meant that she was keeping something from him. "Rukia. What were you doing today?"

"Interviews." She answered just as quickly and he ran a hand through his disheveled hair.

"_Rukia_-"

Suddenly, she sucked her teeth and glared up at him. "What is this? _Twenty Questions?_" Turning to face the television, she clicked a button on the remote and a new movie began to play. "Let's just watch this movie."

Normally, he would have given her hell for snapping at him like that, but things weren't really normal anymore and he was positive that wouldn't help. She was snappier and more tense lately and although, she tried to hide it all behind smiles, he could tell that something was wrong. He gave her one last look before he turned to the movie. He would get it out of her soon enough.

**_..._**

Sometime near the middle of the film, Rukia had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Now, he preferred to just stay there in the warmth and on the comfortable couch but, of course, his grumbling stomach had to ruin the moment. So, with a sigh, he slowly stood and gently rearranged Rukia as to not disturb her and he made his way to the kitchen.

He tiptoed toward the refrigerator in high hopes of finding anything to sate his hunger. Once he opened the door, he almost fell to his knees in prayer at the sight of a whole pie of cheesecake. Deciding that he didn't even need a fork, he stuck his fingers into the pie, grabbing a fistful of cheesecake, and promptly shoved his hand into his mouth, quietly moaning at the taste.

"Ichigo?"

Just a few moments ago, Rukia's voice would have been music to his ears. With wide eyes and a hand stuck in his mouth, he slowly turned to meet her eyes.

Confused violet met bewildered amber.

Flabbergasted amber met puzzled violet.

"What are you doing?" She asked quietly and he could tell from the twitch in her upper lip that a smile was fighting to come out.

"I got hungry." A piece of cheesecake fell from his hand and onto the floor and a happy laugh immediately left her mouth.

Soon, Rukia and Ichigo found themselves sitting beside each other at the small table in the corner of his kitchen, the cheesecake sitting in the middle of the table. She idly poked her fork at it, refusing to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry I've been so snappy lately."

He nodded and took her tired form in. She'd taken her glasses off and he could see the defined bags and dark circles under her eyes. He sighed. "Rukia, what's wrong?"

"What _isn't_ wrong?" She whined with a frown and she set her fork down, placing her face in her hands. "Ichigo, I'm so tired." She began. "I haven't been able to get a proper night of sleep these past few weeks because I've been so busy and it's taking a toll on me. I haven't been able to wash my hair since last week, which is why it's still stuck in this stupid bun. And, according to Youtube, bloggers, Facebook and Twitter, I'm a fattie!" She rambled it all out in one breath and she met his eyes.

Before, he would have teased her mercilessly about all this, but she looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown. "Rukia, who said you're fat?" He shook his head to rid his mind of thoughts and images of her rounder hips, thicker thighs, and fuller backside.

Sighing, she rolled her eyes. "You know how you said to never Google yourself because you never know what you might find?" When he nodded, she continued with a huff he found both immature and adorable. "Well, I Googled my _damn_ self and you were right." She frowned and set her face back into her hands with a _smack!_ and groaned. "I mean, I know I put on a few pounds, but it was for that _stupid_ movie."

Ichigo could distinctly remember a time when she would come after anyone who said anything negative about that _same_ movie. "Rukia, you're not a fattie."

"Oh, yeah?" She challenged with a glare before she lifted the hem of her shirt -_his_ shirt- to reveal her stomach and she poked at it.

He took in a sharp, slow breath that she considered a testament of his shock, but he was really trying to steady his breathing so he wouldn't jump her right then and there. "Rukia." He said slowly as he rested his palm on her stomach. "You're not fat."

Her eyes narrowed and she scoffed. "Yeah, right. You're only saying that because you're my best friend."

"No, stupid." His voice took on a soft tone and he began to lightly caress her stomach with his thumb. It was now her turn to try to control her breathing.

She noticed how the atmosphere shifted quite dramatically and how his eyes softened. She bit at her bottom lip and ignored the tingles his thumb gave her and the urge to run her fingers through his infamously bright and disheveled hair. As he continued his ministrations, she wondered what was running through his mind. She would have never been able to guess that he wanted to kill whoever made her so insecure about something so meaningless, that he thought her slightly bulging tummy was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen (other than her eyes, of course). She definitely wouldn't have been able to guess that the only reason he hadn't already pushed the cheesecake aside and taken her on the table was the fact that she was his very best friend.

"Not skinny, but not fat." He mumbled softly to himself as he gave her stomach his utmost attention with his fingers, taking the extra time out to rub his thumb over her belly button, effectively bringing her out of her thoughts. "It's in the middle."

Chuckling softly to herself, she also rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it's-"

"Perfect."

The word 'chubby' instantly died on her lips and with wide eyes, she looked to see that he was biting on his bottom lip, continuing to caress her stomach. "Rukia, there's nothing wrong with your stomach, so eat." He said softly and gently. He paused for a moment before he continued. "I'll call your manager tomorrow to let him know you can't come in so you can get some sleep. Once you wake up, we'll wash your hair. But, for now, eat."

She smiled softly at her stomach as he gave it one last rub before he retracted his hand. She felt cold air hit her stomach and she immediately missed the feel of his hand and his strong fingers, but she settled for pulling her shirt back down and reaching for the cheesecake. Taking a slow breath in, she nodded and felt her face heat up when she looked up to see him looking at her with soft eyes. "You can have some if you want."

The soft look left his eyes in a split-second and he took the whole pie for himself. "Thanks."

Rukia almost kicked him in the head. "Baka! I said '_some_'!"

"I thought you didn't like your tummy!"

"You just said it was perfect!"

"Not when you just offered me cheesecake!"

**_..._**

The next morning, Rukia woke up feeling very warm, very comfortable, and - she took in a breath - it smelled like cinnamon and mint.

_Ichigo._

He must have brought her into his room sometime during the night. A smile stretched its way across her face and her hand unconsciously made its way onto her stomach as the memories from the other night replayed in her head.

"Yeah, she's not coming in today." She heard his voice coming from the balcony and she blushed a bit, burying her face deeper into the pillow and breathing more of his scent in.

Ichigo was no longer her best friend. Not after that little show he put on last night. She didn't know what to call him or what they were turning into, but she was definitely sure of one thing: things were changing between her and Ichigo and she would receive this change with open arms.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:** _Thanks SO much for the reviews, encouragement, and adds! This chapter's dedicated to Ichigo's birthday, even though it isn't exactly the 15th yet, I just couldn't wait. :D Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!

**_Disclaimer:_**I don't own Bleach, any social networking sites, or the Team Rocket motto.

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Best Friends: Chapter 3

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." - Buddha

_**...**_

Tatsuki's eye twitched just a bit as she sat across from Rukia at a small, round table in the corner of a cafe. The tiny, young woman suggested the spot as to not draw any attention to themselves. Since Tatsuki, the nationally acclaimed strongest woman in Japan, didn't feel like sending any paparazzi to the emergency room that day and was already on probation for doing so, she agreed.

But, she wasn't expecting this.

Rukia was currently sitting in her seat, smiling blissfully to herself as she ran her hands through her hair, gently combing her fingers through it. Tatsuki cringed when Rukia sighed and she felt the tips of her own hair. Was her hair that damn soft?

"Maybe she got a new conditioner?" Orihime suggested as if she'd been reading her mind and she too began inspecting her long, red hair.

Tatsuki shook her head. "She's been sitting there like that for the past 15 minutes. It better be a _good_ conditioner."

Orihime pouted and she flicked her hair over her shoulder, unsatisfied with its texture. Both girl's eyes widened when Rukia sighed once more in contentment. "Rukia?"

Unfortunately for the two girls, Rukia was too lost in her own thoughts to notice anything or anyone else around her. She twirled tendril of hair around her finger, basking in how soft it felt. _'All thanks to Ichigo, of course.'_ Her smile broke out into a small grin and Tatsuki's and Orihime's nervous looks went by unnoticed.

The oranged haired boy didn't lie when he said that they were going to wash her hair. In fact, once she sat down in front of the sink and let her neck rest against the edge, he took over, his gentle fingers went to work, and she experienced the best hairgasm she'd ever felt in her life. Ichigo sure was considered a prodigy on the field with his feet, but he sure as hell was a pro with his fingers _elsewhere_-

"_Rukia._"_  
_

Said woman immediately looked up, startled. "What?"

Orihime offered her a worried look. "Are you alright, Rukia?"

Rukia let out a short laugh and nodded with a smile. "Great." _'If only you knew how great.'_ "Why?"

Tatsuki's eyes narrowed and she leaned in a bit over the table. "Because for the past 20 minutes, you've been sitting over there smiling and caressing your hair and shit."

A blush began creeping its way onto Rukia's cheeks and her jaw dropped so her mouth could form a small 'o'. Was she that obvious? "I was?" When both girls nodded, she shrugged and giggled before she continued combing her fingers through her hair. Perhaps she was that obvious. "Sorry." She apologized, not really sorry at all.

Tatsuki's right eye twitched violently at the sight of such strange behavior. That was it. She had to know. "_New. Conditioner?_" She asked through clenched teeth.

Rukia shrugged. "You could say that."

When Tatsuki finally gave into temptation and smacked her forehead into the palm of her hand, Orihime let out a happy laugh. The buxom redhead turned her attention to Rukia with a grin. "C'mon, Rukia. What's up?"

The smile on Rukia's face seemed to grow even more, if it were, at all, possible. "Ichigo." Her fingers gently threaded through her locks before she continued. "He washed my hair for me."

Tatsuki's hand slowly slid down to reveal her red forehead and she looked up with a smirk at the joyous tone in Rukia's voice. "Oh, really?"

Grinning from ear to ear, Orihime's eyes shined with excitement. Some time ago, this wouldn't have been the case. Instead, she would have given Rukia a small smile just to please her, only to go home and cry in anger, sadness, and jealousy. But, not now. Her crush on the boy was long gone and she was now one of the many people who couldn't wait for the two to _finally_ become a couple and give up the 'best friend' charade. She'd even given them their own couple name: IchiRuki. "That's why you're so _giddy_!"

With a nod, Tatsuki threw an arm over Orihime's shoulder with a wink and a feral grin. _Everyone_ knew how long she'd been waiting for 'IchiRuki' to commence. She had even sold them out to hundreds of magazines and paparazzi claiming, _'Oh, please. They might be mad now, but once they're popping out millions of orange headed, violet eyed babies, they'll thank me.'_ Oh, she was ready to give Rukia _hell_ about it. "Looks like Rukia's got a crush, 'Hime."

Orihime, no longer able to contain her joy for the situation, squealed and stars glittered in her eyes. "Now, Team IchiRuki shall be born! You guys will be the new power couple in Hollywood: Actress Kuchiki Rukia and her infamous, soccer bad boy, Kurosaki Ichigo. But, no, he's probably a softie with Rukia, so he'd be the infamous, soccer _good_ boy." She corrected herself with a nod, oblivious to the wide-eyed looks she received and she slammed a fist onto the table, determination etched on her face. "You guys will take the world by storm."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes and set her chin onto her palm and nodded toward Rukia's wide-eyed look. "Get ready for this."

Orihime continued undeterred. "So, prepare for trouble and make it double. To protect the world from devastation and to unite all people within our nation! To denounce the evils of truth and love and to extend their reach to the stars above!" She took on a patriotic stance and Rukia's eyes bugged out while Tatsuki picked at her nails as if it were a common occurence. "Ichigo! Rukia! Team IchiRuki, blast off at the speed of light! Surrender now or prepare to fight! MEOW-" She gasped when a force pulled her back down to her seat.

"Meowth, that's right. Whatever." Tatsuki fanned a hand at Orihime. "You're attracting Pokemon fans."

As if nothing had ever happened, Orihime grinned at Rukia. "So, is it true, Rukia? Do you like him?"

"Yes." Rukia nodded and shrugged. There was no use in denying it. Her attraction for Ichigo was always there, she just chalked it up to his good looks and kept her emotions at bay before they grew too strong. But, now was her chance and she wasn't going to let it pass her by.

At this, Orihime jumped up to do her own version of a victory dance while Tatsuki mourned the loss of her short-lived 'hell bringing'. She sucked her teeth. "At least you don't deny it like he does."

"Oh, Rukia!" Orihime exclaimed, out of breath from her vigrorous victory dancing and she sat back down. "How're you going to tell him?"

Rukia crossed her arms and gave them a cryptic sort of smile. "I'm not telling him anything. He's making the first move."

"Ha! Yeah, _right_." Tatsuki laughed out with a shake of her head. "I know you're supposed to 'stand by your man' or some shit like that. But, we all know that he's too much of a punk to do that."

"Language, Tatsuki." Orihime chastised with knitted brows, smiling with Tatsuki rolled her eyes and told her that she didn't "give a shit". The redhead turned to Rukia with a shrug. "I don't know how you're going to get him to make a move, Rukia."

Rukia only smirked.

**_..._**

"Happy birthday, dear Ichigooooo! Happy birthday to youuuuuu!"

"Now, blow out the candles!"

"Make a wish!"

Today was July 15th. A.K.A. Ichigo's birthday.

He'd honestly forgotten that birthdays existed and that he had one for a moment. If his family hadn't thrown the small get-together, he would have just continued walking around the house in sweats and a wife-beater with no clue of the date's significance, for sure. Thanks to all of their thoughtfulness, he was still bumming it out in sweats and a wife-beater, but he did know that it was his birthday.

As he looked at the cake floating towards him, surrounded by his father, two baby sisters, and Rukia (who'd been considered a member of the family, even until death) all dressed beautifully with bright smiles on their faces, he decided that he was just fine with looking like a bum on his birthday.

"Stop staring at the cake and do what they tell you, fool."

Amber eyes looked up from the cake to throw a glare at Rukia amidst the laughter and she only winked and smiled. With a sigh, he looked back down at the cake being shoved dangerously close to his face. 'Happy 21st' it read in bright orange, cursive letters and all around the round cake were little caricatures of himself. He could already tell that Yuzu made it. _'It must've taken her ages,'_ he mused as he studied the careful designs. He looked up and gave her a smile, which she immediately reciprocated, albeit much wider.

"He's smiling! Quick, get a picture!"

_Flash!_

"Shut-up, old man! I was about to blow the candles out!"

"My son! You lifted the scowling veil from your lips and smiled at your beautiful baby sister!"

"_And?"_

"This picture is for Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Twitter! That'll get me _much_ more followers!"

"You're using me for _followers_?" Ichigo screeched incredulously before he pounced on his father.

And at that, Karin flipped the light switch and lit the room before plopping down onto the large couch. "There they go." She didn't even flinch when the two men's voices grew in volume.

Yuzu smiled warmly at the two girls and held the cake out as if her father and older brother didn't exist. "Have some cake!"

**_..._**

The small gathering really hadn't lasted very long at all, almost an hour and a half Ichigo calculated as he walked his family to the door. He leaned on the post with a small smile. "Thanks guys."

Looking up at the sky, his father shook his head before he turned around to place a hand on his son's shoulder with a solemn look. "No. Thank _you_, son."

Ichigo raised a brow at his father's serious demeanor. "For what, dad?"

A sigh left Isshin's lips and all three of his children grew worried.

"For all the followers I'm about to get on Twitter tonight."

Bastard.

Ichigo's fist immediately shot out to punch his father right in the face, prompting him to fall into Karin's waiting arms. She shrugged and smiled. "Happy birthday, Ichi-nii." And she walked off, carrying her unconscious father on her back.

Yuzu's eyebrows furrowed and she waved an accusatory finger at Ichigo. "Now, Ichigo, don't eat all that cake tonight!" She warned before she gave him a short hug and walked off.

"Jeez." He groaned out as he shut the door, making his way to the kitchen to devour the very same cake he was told not to eat. Once he reached the kitchen, he found a horrific sight - sitting on the counter was Rukia...

Eating. _His_. Cake.

"Ah. Konnichiwa."

"Said the cake thief."

Rukia grinned and stuck another piece of the cake into her mouth. "Ish reawwy gooh." She managed to say with her mouth full of cake. He found her to be cute at the moment until she let out a soft, knee-jerking moan that he was _positive_ would sound much better when it wasn't being drawn out by a cake, but by him.

He walked in front of her and a strange emotion that he couldn't pinpoint flickered in her eyes. Teasing? Or was it mischief? She looked him dead in the eyes as she stuck another piece into her mouth, evoking yet another moan from her throat and he snatched the cake from her grasp, unable to hear the sensual sounds any longer.

The strange emotion flashed through her eyes, once again, and she smirked. "If you wanted some, all you had to do was ask."

His eyes narrowed as he searched her eyes. The strange emotion left as soon as it came and he decided to leave it alone for the time being. "It's my cake anyway."

She leaned back onto the counter and tapped her nails on the hard, shiny marble, observing the fresh tattoo on his arm. "Do you like it?"

Earlier that afternoon, after Rukia's little chat with Tatsuki and Orihime, she'd taken him to a tattoo parlor. She knew that he'd been wanting one for a while and she decided that his 21st was the perfect time. The thick, black ink looked beautiful on him. It started from a short curve on his neck that stretched down onto his shoulder, only to branch out and grow into more curves that arched and twisted down and around his muscular bicep and the curves shrunk, growing shorter and smaller, as it went down his arm to end right at his wrist.

She bit at her bottom lip at how beautiful the dark ink looked on his tanned skin. The tattoo just made him look even more gorgeous than before. She looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, not even bothering to mask the hint of lust in them and she slowly released her plump lip from its hold in her teeth, finding herself satisfied with the minuscule widening and darkening of his eyes. "It looks good."

Ichigo was just thankful for the cake in his hands. If he hadn't wanted to eat it so badly, he would have instantly dropped it on the floor and had his way with Rukia on that counter. But, he remembered that she was his best friend and he settled for a smirk and a nod. "You paid for it. It _should _look good."

She smiled when he set the cake down beside her and turned around to place himself in between her legs. She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck while setting her chin in the space between his neck and shoulder, wrapping her legs around his strong torso. "Happy birthday, Ichigo."

Ichigo quickly relaxed into the embrace and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Rukia, I didn't know it was my birthday. I think I blocked it out again."

Rukia could almost feel her heart breaking at the quiet, somber tone he used and she held him closer as she buried her face deeper into his neck. Of course, she knew what he was talking about - his mother's death, which happened only two days after his 18th birthday. "I'm sorry," she murmured into his neck and she felt him shake his head.

"Don't be." He said softly. "Thank you for reminding me that it was my birthday. My mom, she wouldn't like it if I didn't celebrate my birthday, much less if I forgot it." Rukia's heartbeat sped up just a bit when he took her hand and gave it a short, firm kiss. "Thank you," he spoke against the skin of her hand, "My mother would be happy."

She lifted her face from its position in his neck and she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Happy birthday, Ichigo", she said softly.

Hiding in the shadows of the kitchen, a lone figure grinned maniacally to himself, not willing to ruin the moment by _laughing_ maniacally. He lifted his camera phone and focused in on the couple in front of him before quietly flashing a picture.

* * *

**_A/N:_** Tsk, tsk, now what is that Rukia up to? And who's hiding in the shadows? ;) I'm pretty sure you know 'cuz I made it pretty obvious, hahaha! But, please REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: _**Sorry for such a late update! I've been really busy lately and I haven't had the time to write. But, I hope you like this one and don't forget to review!

* * *

Best Friends: Chapter 4

"Wait, do you see my heart on my sleeve?

'Cuz it's been there for days on end and it's been waiting for you

to open up yours, too, baby." - 'Best For Last', Adele

_**...**_

Ichigo was thoroughly frustrated. He had recently noticed slight changes in his relationship with Rukia and he just couldn't figure out what they were. The change that seemed to bother him to most was the changes in her touches. She had just been a _bit_ more touchy than usual lately and, surprisingly, that didn't sit well with him. But, they had always been touchy friends when he thought about it. As their friendship grew, they could always be seen pecking each other on the cheeks and forehead, they always hugged, he could always throw an arm over her shoulder and hold her close during a show, movie, or a game, and they could even sleep in the same bed without feeling awkward.

But, something had changed and along with the changes in the touches came the changes in the emotion behind them. In fact, the changes were so small and minuscule that he almost felt stupid for hoping their relationship was veering into the direction that he dreamt of. But, he had to keep in mind that Rukia was his best friend and that if things didn't go right, he would lose her forever. Unfortunately, that just meant that the changes meant something else. So, he brought his problem to the one person he knew specialized in these cases: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques.

Grimmjow was a member of the Shinigami's rival team, the Espada. The two men definitely got off to a rather rough and violent start, but once the game was over, they both came to respect each other's talents and soon became close friends, despite being on opposing teams. Ichigo just didn't understand how he got all the women he did to practically bow down and do his bidding with just a wink, a grin, or just by being in his presence. The man dyed his hair light blue to match his eyes, for goodness' sake.

Still, he knew that despite all this, Grimmjow was the perfect one to help. So, once Ichigo finally finished explaining the situation, Grimmjow's answer was about as plain and simple as it got.

"She wants you."

"Told you."

"Shut up, Renji." Ichigo turned to glare at the red-head, who kept his gaze on the television with a smirk plastered onto his face. Ichigo narrowed his eyes and turned to face Grimmjow. "That can't be true. She's my best friend." A cushion suddenly bounced off of his head.

"Shut the hell up!" Grimmjow growled out, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. Honestly, how blind and stupid can someone be? "You asked for my help and here I am, fucking _giving_ it to you. Don't try to tell me I'm wrong!"

Ichigo's chin rose a bit in amusement as Grimmjow threw a slight temper tantrum. "Well, you are. She's my best friend."

Renji suddenly snorted. "She might be your best friend, but you sure aren't hers." He grinned when Grimmjow laughed aloud. "Besides, I thought you liked her, too."

Grimmjow's laughter immediately ceased and a record scratched somewhere in the background. "Heh," was his short laugh and they could tell that he was thoroughly pissed. "You mean to tell me that I'm over here, playing fucking Oprah in your living room when you both _already_ like _each other_," his eyes narrowed and he pointed a shaky finger in Ichigo's direction. "But, you're too chicken to make the first move and admit your feelings?"

"Yup."

"Shut _up_, Renji," Ichigo growled out as he shoved Renji's face into the carpeted floor as he glared at Grimmjow. "Stop trying to make it sound so simple! Didn't I tell you that I don't know if she likes me? Yeah, I like her. A lot. But, what if I'm misinterpreting things?"

"There's nothing to misinterpret," Renji's muffled voice yelled out from the ground. "She's obviously putting the moves on you!"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Ichigo asked through clenched teeth as he reached out to shove Renji's face deeper into the carpet before Grimmjow's laughter interrupted the action.

Grimmjow shook his head with a smirk. "I dunno why you're being such a pussy about this. If Rukia was macking on me, I would've already taken care of that." He folded his hands behind his head and leaned back in his seat with, his smirk widening. "Rukia's hot." His smirk grew into a full-blown grin when Ichigo stood with a growl. "I mean, she was cute before, but now that she's gained some weight and grew a nice, fat ass..."

Before Ichigo could effectively kill Grimmjow, the sound of the front door shutting stilled all three of the men and they soon heard footsteps making their way into the living room. Soon enough, Rukia stood at the doorway with a smile. "I was going to knock and ring the bell, but you left the door open." She paused and took in Grimmjow's devilish grin, Renji's sly smirk, and Ichigo glaring daggers into the television.

What had she just walked in on?

She raised a brow when Ichigo sat heavily into the sofa, his glare hardening. If looks could kill, the television would have been a pile of ashes. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Au contraire," Grimmjow spoke. When Rukia walked further into the room, he took her hand and gave it a kiss as he monitored Ichigo's expression with a smirk. "May I just say that you look ravishing, as always?" If Ichigo couldn't confess to Rukia, then Grimmjow had every right to taunt it out of him. What else were friends for?

A grin threatened to rip through Rukia's face when she saw Ichigo cross his arms. The motion was nonchalant and his face was the picture of serenity, but she knew better. His gaze on the television hardened and his jaw was set, meaning that they were most likely talking about her before she walked in. She smiled at Grimmjow and winked as she slipped her hand out of his. "Thanks."

Grimmjow's grin just grew when Rukia's smile quickly morphed into a small smirk and Renji rose the volume of the television to drown his laughter out. She walked over to the sofa Ichigo sat on to give him a hug from behind and a kiss on the cheek. A smile lit her features up when he instantly relaxed into the embrace and shut his eyes as she softly whispered her greetings into his ear.

Renji's eyes never left the television screen. "Should we leave?"

"Nah," Grimmjow interjected. "It might get hot and steamy soon."

"Shut up," was Ichigo's soft and murmured response.

_'The hell?'_ Grimmjow's eyes widened at how quickly Rukia's touch calmed Ichigo's temper and he nodded. "Oh," he began casually. "I see you no longer wish to kill us." He chuckled lightly when Rukia gave him a smirk and placed another kiss onto Ichigo's cheek. The orange haired man only sighed and let himself sink even further into the embrace.

Grimmjow silently concluded that Ichigo was indeed a blind idiot.

When Renji realized that Ichigo didn't answer, he finally tore his gaze from the television screen in hopes of finding Ichigo red faced and seething, once again. Instead, he found him completely melted into Rukia's arms as she gently massaged his ears and smiled down at him. Renji rolled his eyes. He didn't know where Ichigo got the idea that he would lose Rukia from. Her affection for him was blatantly obvious. If anything, they would just end up getting even closer, which seemed impossible. When Rukia placed a soft kiss on Ichigo's forehead, he shook his head and turned back to the television.

Ichigo was so stupid.

Renji cleared his throat. "When's the wedding?"

"We're not getting married."

"Not yet." Rukia looked up at Grimmjow with a grin and a mischievous glint in her eyes when Ichigo's face flared up. What was it, "Tease Ichigo Mercilessly Day"? She obviously approved of their behavior. She just wondered how long it would take for him to get the hint. It was painfully obvious that she liked him.

Oh, well. That just meant that she had to keep teasing him.

Poor her.

With a sigh, she leaned in over Ichigo's head to place her forehead at the bridge of his nose and their eyes were now mere centimeters apart. She tugged at his ears a bit. "Ichigo."

He opened his eyes and suddenly found himself swimming a a sea of violet. _'Great. Now I can't talk.'_ He felt his face heat up and only the feeling of her nimble fingers leaving his ears willed him to speak. "Why'd you stop?"

She rolled her eyes. "You were falling asleep."

"So?" He let a small smile grace his lips when he felt her hands gently uncross his arms before her fingers laced with his. Then, he saw the strange emotion from the night of his birthday flicker in her eyes. It had been visiting a lot lately, flitting in and out of her eyes. Except, this time it didn't leave.

Rukia smiled to herself as he searched her eyes and she could see him putting bits and pieces together. See, she had deliberately placed her eyes in front of his. She knew that he loved her eyes and that he could never deny them, meaning, that he couldn't deny the emotion in them. But, she knew that he would, just to save their close relationship from crumbling. She just wished that he could see that nothing of the sort would happen. She broke the eye contact with a sigh and hid her face in his neck, untangling their fingers to hold him close. "I've gotta go," she mumbled into his neck before she placed one final kiss onto his cheek.

He felt her let go and was so inclined to pull her back, just so he could keep searching her eyes. What was that in them? Then, he took her hand and placed a kiss on it. "See you later." And he let her go.

Renji smiled a bit at the two before he stood to walk over to Rukia. He threw an arm over her shoulder and grinned at Ichigo. "I'll be a gentleman and walk her out for you." With that being said, he walked Rukia to the front door, grinning as he opened it.

She slipped from under his arm and stood on a step, facing him with a raised brow. "Yes, Renji?"

Renji's grin widened and he leaned against the door post. The girl really was too smart for her own good. "You know he likes you, right?"

She relaxed and let a smile adorn her face while she crossed her arms. "I know."

His grin softened at the happy look on her face and he stuffed his hands into his pockets. Ichigo really was stupid. "He's trying to deny it, though. He's afraid he'll lose you." His smile fell when hers faltered just a bit.

"I know," she repeated quietly before she rolled her eyes and stomped her foot on the ground. "For someone so smart, he's pretty stupid. I thought I was making it perfectly clear that I like him, too."

"You are." Renji laughed. "Grimmjow was playing Dr. Phil before you came."

A smile lit Rukia's face up, once again. "What's the diagnosis?"

"And I quote, 'She wants you'."

Rukia laughed happily at his answer. "And Ichigo?"

"And I quote, 'That can't be. She's my best friend'." A deep frown marred Renji's face when she sighed. "He's an idiot and you can obviously do better."

She smiled and rolled her eyes. Leave it to Renji to quote chick-flicks when a girl looks sad. "Don't talk about my man like that."

"So, don't give up on him."

"I know."

Renji grinned and nodded. That was just what he needed to hear her say. He wouldn't have been able to stand it if she just gave up on Ichigo. Then, he would have to deal with two moping idiots for the rest of his life. She never gave up on anything and he knew that this case was no different.

**_..._**

Ichigo stared up at his bedroom ceiling as the events of the day played over in his head for the millionth time that night. A slight smile crept onto his face and he shook his head, silently admonishing himself. He couldn't get excited. Just because everyone and their mother thought that Rukia liked him didn't mean a thing. He wouldn't allow his selfishness cause him to lose Rukia.

_Zzt! Zzt!_

A deep sigh escaped his lips and he turned to face the clock. It read '_3:15'_ in bright, red letters that shined through the darkness and his cellphone vibrated one more time. Who could be calling him at this time? "Hello," He spoke into the phone, anger laced in his voice.

_"I thought you'd be happier to hear my voice."_

Ichigo's eyes widened and he could suddenly hear his heart beating at the sound of Rukia's voice. He was acting like a 13 year old school girl and he wanted to punch himself in the face for it. He cleared his throat. "Rukia?" He hoped that she couldn't hear his voice wavering over the line.

_"Of course. Were you actually sleeping? You're not usually this slow."_

He could feel his face reddening and he rolled his eyes. "No, midget. But, what if I was sleeping, though? You can't just call people up at this time."

A scoff_. "Please. You and I both know that you would have woken up for me."_

She didn't know how right she was. Honestly speaking, he would do anything for her.

_"Besides, you don't normally sleep early."_

He sighed into the receiver and the husky tone send shivers down her spine. "What can I do for you, Rukia?"

_"I'm bored!"_

"Well, what the hell am I supposed to do for you?" He grinned to himself at the sound her her laughter.

_"There's a party down at the beach. Come get me and we'll have fun."_

Ichigo's eyes narrowed at the ceiling. "Rukia, you live all the way in Seireitei."

_"That's only 15 minutes away from you, dummy."_

"I'm not driving at this time." He sat up on his bed when he heard the doorbell ring. "Hold up, someone just rang the bell." He stood to make his way to the front door.

_"Ooh, who have you got ringing your doorbell at this time?"_

He shrugged, even though she couldn't see it as he walked down the stairs. "I guess we're about to find out."

_"I bet it's a booty call."_

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at the comment. Once he reached the door, he opened it, only to find Rukia standing on his doorstep with a smirk on her face and a cellphone over her ear. Her smirk widened at his dumbstruck look and she took a step forward to tug at the hem of the wife-beater he wore. "I knew you wouldn't come to get me. So, I came to get you." She closed the phone and bit at her bottom lip, a feeling of satisfaction surging through her veins when his eyes focused in on her mouth. She had learned that he loved to watch her biting her lip and she planned to use this fact to her advantage.

Slowly, his eyes floated up from her plump lips to her bright, shining eyes and he inwardly groaned. At least over the phone, he could firmly reject her. But, now they were face-to-face and her eyes could make him do anything she wanted.

"How about that party?"

Damn those eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I'm so excited because I got SO many reviews and adds for the last chapter! Went from 17 reviews to 31 with that one chapter! I guess you guys really like kissy, fluffy IchiRuki. Well, sorry 'cuz this chapter's gonna be kinda angsty! HA! -shrugs- ;) But, thank you guys SO much for the encouragement to continue! I hope you like this chapter (it's my favorite) and don't forget to review!

Alright, ranting time! :D Although I'm very grateful for the adds and reviews I've gotten, I feel that I should get more. I'm not being proud, but I've gotten SO many adds on favorites and following lists, but the people who've added me don't review. I mean, once again, I'm grateful and I'm not trying to sound like a review whore (cougheventhoughiamcough), but you don't know how good it feels to read your thoughts and get feedback on this. Adds on favorites and following lists are nice, but it means a lot when someone takes the time out to tell you what they feel about what your wrote, whether good or bad.

PHEW, that felt good to let out, haha! Thanks if you actually read through that, lol. :)

**WARNING: **This chapter has mentions of drugs in it. If you're not comfortable with it, don't read. (Read it anyway...-looks around sheepishly-)

* * *

Best Friends: Chapter 5

"A real friend will clean up the messes you make out of life for you.

Even if they shouldn't have to." - Author Unknown

**_..._**

Ichigo downed his drink in a single gulp without even wincing at the sharp taste as he sat at the bar and watched the mass of writhing bodies dance on the beach sand. Although, he wasn't very sure that he could call it 'dancing'. A woman spun around to bend over in front of a man before circling her hips and grinding her backside into him with an intense pressure. Then, the man leaned over to grab her hip and turned her around, grabbing her thigh and wrapping her leg around his waist before the pair continued grinding into each other.

When the man grabbed the woman's butt to press her even closer to him, Ichigo grimaced and looked away from the lewd act. Nope, that definitely was not dancing. _'More like clothed and public sex.'_ But, where was Rukia? He sighed and leaned back into his seat. Honestly, he didn't even like parties. He only came because she persuaded him to do so. He didn't want to admit that this 'persuasion' consisted of her looking up at him with those eyes and him crumbling into the palm of her hand, but that was all right.

_-ahem-_ "Uhm...hi." The orange haired man cocked a brow at the woman sitting beside him. When he remained silent, she continued with an airy giggle. "I can't believe it's really you! Oh, wait 'till I tell _everyone_ that I met you, Kurosaki Ichigo! They'll be soooo jealous." She gushed out.

Oh, no. Ichigo's eyes widened. A _groupie_.

Now, Ichigo never minded fans, they were the ones responsible for his flourishing fame and career, after all. But, he drew the line at groupies and obsessive fans and he was man enough to admit that they scared him. The girl beside him had already told him of the shrine she had of him in her closet, her bust of him built entirely out of chewed gum she _swore_ was his, and she'd already taken the liberty of naming all eleven of their future children.

That was enough.

When he tried to slip away, her sharp nails dug into his arm and pulled him back into his seat with a manic smile.

Oookay, maybe he could rest a bit more.

As she held him in place while naming her favorite honeymoon spots, he couldn't help but notice that she had a pretty strong grip for a woman of her size. '_Kinda like Rukia.'_ His eyebrows knitted together when the girl began tracing his tattoo and he never felt so tempted to hurt a woman until that moment. Where was Rukia, anyway? He stretched his neck to survey the dancers and, as if on cue, he spotted Rukia in the midst of the moving bodies. His eyes narrowed involuntarily as he watched her dance and everyone around him disappeared, even the annoying woman attached to his arm, and it was like he had his own private show.

Violet eyes were hidden behind lids closed in ecstasy as she reveled in the music with one hand in the air. Her hips just twisted and jutted sensually to the music as if she took pleasure in the beats and her hand slowly slid down before it stopped to rest at the waistband of her shorts. As Ichigo watched her hips and thighs move, he sent a mental note of appreciation to the director of the film that ordered her to gain the weight she hated, but he loved. When she bit down on her plump bottom lip, he noted with great pleasure that she danced alone.

Then suddenly, as if she knew she had an audience, her eyes snapped open and he found himself unable to breathe when she smiled and began making her way over to him. "Ruk-"

"Ichigo!" She yelled out happily as she threw her arms around his neck and brought him in for a hug.

Ichigo's eyes widened and his eyebrows jumped up in surprise as this action. It wasn't like she never hugged him, she hugged him all the time. But, something was off about her. He took her arms from around his neck and held her hands in one of his. He instantly forgot about the woman beside him and ignored the people taking pictures. "What's wrong with you?"

Rukia yanked her hands from his grip, stumbling a bit before she steadied herself on the sand and she giggled. "Nothing! Come dance with me!" She tried to grab his hand and lead him to the dance floor, giggling when he glared at her and she began dancing where she stood.

The temptation to smack himself was much too strong, but he resisted and settled for grabbing her shoulders to hold her in place and keep her from swaying. He squinted when the camera flashes grew brighter and he stood with a sigh. "You're drunk."

She giggled when he began leading her away from the party, the leering eyes, and the cameras. "Where we goin'?"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed in anger as he walked. "We're going home. You're drunk." How could he have let her get so drunk? He felt his anger bubbling up.

His jaw clenched when she extracted herself from his grip with a low growl. "I'm not drunk, Ichigo!" She slurred out angrily as she pointed a waggling finger at him. "And I d-_don't_ need your help to walk! See?" She took two steps before she fell to the ground in a fit of giggles.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he watched her hold her stomach as she laid on the sand, giggles quickly consuming her. _'__She can barely walk,'_ he thought to himself and his anger just spiked ten-fold. At least they escaped the paparazzi at that party. "Rukia."

"Ichiiiiiiii, I think I'm druuuuuuuuunk," She sang out with glee as she looked up at the stars. "Hm, pretty... Like Ichi..."

With a sigh and a shake of his head, he bent over to pick her up and he carried her to his car.

**_..._**

A light pounding of her temple woke Rukia from her slumber and she groaned as sunlight peaked into the room through the window. Wait a second... She abruptly sat up with wide eyes as she took her surroundings in. She was home, tucked into her bed, and the clock beside her read '_6:38'_. How did she end up-

"I see you're awake."

Her head whipped around to see Ichigo leaning on her doorpost with crossed arms and he looked...angry? Why was he angry? He pushed himself off of the doorpost and he turned to walk out. "I've gotta go."

The frigid tone in his voice frightened her and her stomach and heart simultaneously dropped as he left the room. Why was he so angry? What was wrong? What was happening? "No, Ichigo," she mumbled out frantically, suddenly out of breath as she scrambled to get out of the bed to chase after him. She couldn't or wouldn't or shouldn't... She didn't know. She didn't know how she felt at the moment, but she knew that it was close to fear from the erratic beating of her heart. "Ichigo!" She found him reaching for the knob of the front door and she weakly tugged at his arm. "Ichigo, please tell me what's wrong." She winced at how pathetic she sounded.

The anger in his eyes didn't leave one bit, but he allowed her to lead him away from the door. "Rukia, you got drunk."

Relief would have washed over her if he hadn't looked so angry. She offered him a shrug and a short smile to ease his tension. "So? It's not the first time."

With a growl, he tugged his arm from her grasp and glared down at her. "No, you don't understand."

Her fear and concern just ebbed and grew into anger that just seemed to feed off of his. Why was he acting like this? She hadn't done anything wrong! "Then, make me." She demanded with her own harsh glare. "Tell me what's wrong! Aren't we supposed to be-" She cut herself off. She refused to call him her best friend. He would take her too seriously. "Just tell me what's wrong."

_'Best friends?'_ Why did she cut herself off? His eyes narrowed at her lightly flushed cheeks before he continued. "I did. You got drunk!" He yelled out, his voice growing stronger.

"I know that!" Tears of anger stung her eyes and threatened to fall. She set her jaw. "So, tell me why you're acting so childish." She spat out coldly through clenched teeth.

The tears in her eyes just seemed to make him angrier and his eyes shined with a hostile emotion. "You got pissed drunk. You couldn't even walk, Rukia."

"_And?_" Her hands fisted at her side and a tear slid down her cheek. She wasn't sad, far from it actually. He was just pissing her off so much.

"I've never seen you like that." Ichigo's arms crossed firmly. The stance he took made him look the picture of confidence and she hated him at the moment for it. "I'm just disappointed."

Rukia's breathing grew laborious at his revelation and her eyes widened dangerously. "Oh, please." She spoke through clenched teeth to keep herself from crying out in anger. How dare he? Who was he to tell her that he was disappointed in her? He was _not_ her father. "I'm not _perfect._" She took the very word he used to describe her and threw it right back in his face with spite and she loved his look of disbelief.

"You're not perfect, Rukia?" He asked incredulously as he took a step forward, the primal part of him satisfied and ready for a fight when she stood her ground. "Fucking hell, Rukia. You might not be perfect, but you're the closest thing I've got to it."

Rukia's eyes widened before they narrowed when he took a few steps back. He was retreating. She couldn't let him. "Ichigo-"

"Dammit, Rukia." Ichigo's voice rose unexpectedly and he ran his hair roughly before he looked up at the ceiling. "You and my family have been the only stable things in my life since my mother died!" He finally looked into her eyes and his voice lowered considerably, almost down to a whisper. "Don't try to tell me you're not perfect."

A strangled sob managed to escape her throat and she shook her head as the tears ran freely down her cheeks. No. He mentioned his mother. Something was wrong. She could tell by the lost, scared look in his eyes and frankly, it scared her. "Please, tell me what's wrong-"

"Do you remember that night?" He suddenly asked.

As vague as the question would have sounded to anyone else, she knew exactly what night he spoke of. She knew the date, the month, the year, the hour down to the last minute. That night was a pivotal part of their friendship and it wouldn't have been normal to forget it.

_Flashback_

_November 25, 2008__  
_

_Rukia ended her friendship with Ichigo four months ago. She had given him an ultimatum: it was her or the drugs. His decision. The fate of their friendship rested on this decision and he made it. A wise one in his eyes, she was sure. And so, he chose the drugs. Ichigo chose the drugs and, as much as it hurt, Rukia kicked him out of her life and all was merry.  
_

_That is, until he showed up at her door.  
_

_To say that she was surprised would have been a major understatement. But, there he was, standing on her front porch. It was raining hard and the loose clothes that hung off of him clung to his body because of the rain. He was skinnier, his skin was a deathly pale color, and his normally bright eyes and hair both lost their vibrancy. Rukia didn't realize how much she missed her best friend until then, but she was careful not to show it. She wasn't the fastest rising young actress of her age for no reason. So, she crossed her arms and gave him a hard, steely glare. "What?"  
_

_"Rukia." His voice was weak, shaky and he scratched at his neck before he shivered and held himself close. She would have thought that he shivered because he was cold, it was late November, after all. But, she knew better. Those weren't the cold shakes (he told her himself). It was a side effect of the drugs. Coke. "Can I come in?"  
_

_"No."  
_

_"It's cold."  
_

_"I don't give a **damn**."  
_

_They glared at each other for a few moments before he looked away with a scoff. "I deserve that." He looked at her and she couldn't help the wave of sympathy that washed over her. But, once again, she didn't let it show. "May I please come in for a drink?"  
_

_One last chance. That was it. But, she knew that this wasn't true. She would give him a million chances. Anything to save him from the drug that ruined him. Them. "Fine." She stepped aside and allowed him to walk into the house before she shut the door behind her.  
_

_Ichigo sat on the sofa, raindrops sliding off of him and dripping onto the floor and furniture around him and he sighed. "Rukia-"  
_

_"I'll get your drink." And she escaped into the kitchen, heading straight for the refrigerator. She yanked out a water bottle before she slammed it onto the counter in anger. How dare he come back into her life? And how dare she want to help him? She offered him help countless times before. Why now? She leaned back onto the fridge door and took in a deep breath before she nodded to herself and walked out to place the bottle on the coffee table in front of Ichigo.  
_

_Her heart welled up when he took the bottle and drank the water hungrily. What happened to her best friend? With a stone face, she sat on the seat across the room from him. "You said you wanted to talk."  
_

_Ichigo slowly set the bottle down on the small table in front of him and he sighed. "Rukia." She hated when he said her name like that. "I need your help."  
_

_Her glare hardened and she crossed her arms and legs. "Yeah? What, you want money? Wanna buy more coke-"  
_

_"No!" His yell caught her off-guard and her eyes widened a bit as his narrowed. "It's not like I **wanted** to become a coke addict. It wasn't exactly what I aspired to be as a child."  
_

_At least he still had a sense of humor. His sarcasm almost made her smile, but she raised her chin at him instead. "Then, what?"  
_

_"Rukia." He began as he stared at a spot on the ground. "My mother died." And her resolve almost completely shattered right then and there. She blinked her tears back, grateful that he wasn't looking at her. He continued. "Everything was going great, Rukia. I had just signed my contract for the Shinigami, I celebrated my 18th birthday." Pause. "Then, my mom died."  
_

_When his voice cracked at the end, she felt her face beginning to scrunch up, ready to cry. She clenched her teeth and drew in a shaky breath. She couldn't cry. Not when she was so strong without him. He couldn't just waltz in and make her crumble without even knowing it. "Ichi-"  
_

_"I was just so sad and angry. The coke made me happy and numb." He continued, undeterred. "I was just starting out so people were more than willing to give it to me." A lone tear slid down his cheek, he looked up at Rukia, and a choked sob burst out from her throat. "Why did my mother die, Rukia?" In a flash, she was sitting in front of him on the coffee table, cupping his face in her hands as tears ran down both of their faces. A deep sniffle and a sob escaped his mouth before he whispered, "Please, I need your help."  
_

_And that was it. She crushed him to her and held him close as he buried his face into her neck and cried. She whimpered and sobbed lightly when she felt his hot tears on her neck. Ichigo never cried. He didn't even cry at his mother's funeral. "You have to want the help." Oh, how she prayed he was serious. That he wouldn't back down.  
_

_"I'll do anything!" His shoulders shook as he cried helplessly and held her close. "I don't want to lose you and my family, too."  
_

_A sob wrenched itself from her gut and she nodded. She wouldn't let that stupid drug win. She wouldn't let it take him from her. Not again. Her hold on him grew protective and she spoke through both of their sobs, "You won't lose us." She would make sure of it.  
_

_End of Flashback  
_

That night was the first night they slept together in a bed. They spoke whispered promises and assurances to each other and held each other tight for fear of losing the other before they cried themselves to sleep. The next few months were tough, but their friendship grew stronger than they both thought it would. They both hated and loved each other during those next few months and they bonded.

Rukia dealt with an 18 year old Ichigo that screamed and cried during his withdrawal. Standing before her was a 21 year old Ichigo. He stood tall with broad shoulders and a strong, meaty torso. His eyes and hair were bright, shining, and alive. He became known as a prodigy in the realm of soccer. He exuded masculinity, confidence, and sensuality without even knowing it. This man was a stark contrast to the pale, scrawny, shy boy she once knew and she was proud to have been a witness to the transformation.

"Rukia," the man spoke gently, bringing her from her thoughts. "Tell me you remember." He pleaded.

He was so beautiful. She wiped at her tear stained cheek, only for more tears to leak out and she shrugged. "How could I forget?"

Ichigo bit at his bottom lip at the sight of her crying. He hated to see her cry. But, he understood. It wasn't like he brought that night up every time they argued. Hell, he felt like crying himself. "Listen." He walked up to her and sighed. "You don't know this but, that night, after you fell asleep, I made some promises."

She gave him a small smile when he cupped her cheeks and her heart fluttered when he began wiping her tears away. "Hm?" She didn't trust her voice.

When she closed her eyes and began nuzzling her cheek into his palm, hid gaze softened. "I promised my mother that I would never disappoint her like that again and I promised you the same thing." He paused and searched her face. "I also promised you that I would never hurt you or let anyone or anything hurt you after all that crying you did. Jeez, I'd never seen you cry like that before. You cried so much, it scared the shit outta me. " Damn, he sounded like such a woman. But, she had to know... He searched her face once again and it seemed to hit him then that he was close enough to kiss her. _'Best friend. Best friend. Best friend.'_

Rukia's eyes snapped open when he suddenly let her face go as if he'd been burned and he backed away a bit, his face tinged red. He continued with a nod. "I promised to protect you. To keep you safe. So, I'm sorry for my attitude. I wasn't mad at you, I was mad at myself because I broke that promise to you. I didn't protect you."

Rukia felt her face flame up when he backed up on the door and slid down to the floor. "Nothing happened to me, Ichigo."

He looked up at her with a snort. "You got pissed drunk, you couldn't even walk. Just accept the apology, idiot."

He was sorry? Rukia turned and took a few steps back before her back hit the door and she scoffed with a soft grin. Great, now she just wanted him even more. She slid down to the floor beside him and took his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers. She couldn't believe this. "Ichigo, you've done more than just protect me." She brought his hand up to her lips and placed a kiss on it.

He turned his head a bit to kiss her forehead. "I owe you more." And that he did. After all the hell he put her through, he owed her his life. Suddenly she let a soft laugh out and he raised a brow. "What?"

Rukia couldn't believe this. She _actually_ wanted him more! Her grin widened as she looked him over and he narrowed his eyes. She wanted to jump him so bad. She let another laugh out, oblivious to his worried look and she shook her head. "Nothing. Just shut up, you're gonna make me cry again." She stood and offered him a hand. "Come to bed, Ichigo." Without any hesitation, he took her hand and let her head him to bed.

_'Deja vu.'_ Ichigo couldn't help but notice the similarities between this moment and that fated night as they lay in bed together. Once again, they held each other as if they would lose each other and they spoke whispered assurances to one another. But, there were subtle differences. For one, they weren't crying themselves to sleep and Ichigo couldn't help but think that this moment was far more intimate than that night. He was sure that it was just him, feeling feelings that he shouldn't, but he would soon find out that the small woman sleeping in his arms felt the same, exact way.


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N:_** SO sorry for the late update, but I've been super busy with college stuff. Ugh. -.-' But, thanks for the reviews and I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! Alright, so my friend, Judy (AKA: Earlie Birdie), wants me to give her a shout-out. She even tried to mock me by stealing my identity in a review! So, here's your shout-out!

Hi.

Alright, happy reading! :)

* * *

Best Friends: Chapter 6

"I like you. You! Oh, I like you, How else can I tell you? / I like you so much, can't you see?" - 'I Like You', SJ

**_..._**

Flashes of black and purple swiftly darted back and forth on the soft, green grass of the soccer field before they came to a sudden halt. With a happy grin and golden eyes glowing with mischief, Yoruichi stopped the ball with the flat of her foot and placed her hands at her hips. "I'm beating you."

Standing across from her, Byakuya gave her a short shrug. His face was devoid of any emotion, the picture of nonchalance, but his eyes twinkled with mirth and the corners of his mouth twitched. "By one point."

Yoruichi smirked. "You're just a sore loser." And in a flash, she disappeared with Byakuya hot on her trail. A laugh threatened to escape her lips when he suddenly appeared in front of her, reaching for the ball. With a grunt, she merely kicked the ball over his head and did a quick flip over his shoulder. Once she landed gracefully, she continued her pursuit for the ball.

Not one to be beat, Byakuya quickly caught up with her and stole the ball for a few moments before she frowned and shoved him to the ground, turning around to kick the ball into the goal. When she spun back around and looked down at him with a grin, he balanced himself on his elbows and arched a brow at her. "Remind me who the sore loser is again?"

"Still you." The laugh she had been holding in escaped when he grabbed her hand and pulled her down to the ground. "Hey- mmph!" Her complaints were quickly silenced by the kiss he placed on her lips and she let a content sigh slip out.

Meet Kuchiki Byakuya and Shihouin Yoruichi: _the_ power couple of the soccer realm.

Watching from the sidelines, Ichigo grimaced in disgust at the shameless public display of affection. Sitting beside him, Rukia leaned back on her arms and gazed at the couple with a smile. "Yoruichi's been gone for almost three months in America. I think it's safe to say that he's missed her." She looked at Ichigo, her smile widening. "Aren't they cute?"

Yoruichi's happy laugh filled the air and Ichigo sneered. "They're disgusting."

Behind them, Chad crept up with a finger in the air, ready to bestow his knowledge upon everyone. "Strawberry's jealous." And at that, he gave a short nod and slipped back into the background with his snickering teammates.

Ichigo's left eye began to twitch at how true the statement was. Wasn't Chad supposed to be the quiet one? He wasn't supposed to be spouting off unneeded words of wisdom. Honestly, how did a cold prick like Byakuya end up with a woman like Yoruichi while he was stuck crushing on his best friend? What disturbed him the most was that Byakuya and Yoruichi started out as best friends, just like he and Rukia were. So, yes. Kurosaki Ichigo was jealous of Kuchiki Byakuya.

_Ew_.

Ichigo winced to himself at the disturbing fact and felt himself growing even more bitter. "I'm not jealous."

'_Yeah, right._' It took all of Rukia's willpower not to snort. Her smile quickly morphed into a small smirk and she gently grabbed his chin to bring them face-to-face before placing her forehead on his. "Aw, Ichigo. Don't worry," she purred out lowly, her eyes narrowing just a bit when his face reddened ever so slightly. "Soon enough, we'll be just like them." When his eyes widened and darkened, she felt her heart skipping beats and pride surging through her veins. She loved the fact that she was the one doing this to him. She placed a kiss on his cheek and let his chin go to look back at the field.

As the whistles and laughter erupted behind her, Rukia's smirk grew. All Ichigo had to do was make the first move. That was it. Then, all the games would end and she'd be all his. But, she had to admit, teasing him was too much fun and he made it way too easy. She looked at him and gave him a genuine smile. "So, don't you worry your pretty little head."

Ichigo's face reddened a bit more and he gave her a look of disbelief when she turned away to look toward the field. Maybe he _did_ have a chance... He cleared his throat, effectively blocking out the shouts and catcalls of his teammates. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Rukia's eyebrows furrowed at his question. Why else would she have been flirting and teasing him for the past week and a half? She turned to look at him, eyes full of honesty, and the field slowly grew quiet. "Yes. I would."

Ichigo felt his throat clenching and his heart beat speed up at the pure honesty in her eyes and in her words. That was flirting, wasn't it? That was Rukia giving him an invitation, correct? So, that meant that he could make a move without being afraid of losing her..._right_? He took in a breath and opened his mouth to speak when suddenly and unfortunately (or fortunately, he didn't know which), a car horn interrupted.

They turned around to see that it was Tatsuki waiting for Rukia, rather impatiently. Rukia rolled her eyes and stood, Ichigo following suit, and she gave him a smile. Now, he swore that everyone could hear his heart beating when she took one of his hands to brace herself as she stood on the tips of her toes to place a kiss on his cheek. She backed up and let his hand go, much to his chagrin, and she grinned at the dazed look on his face. "See you later, Ichigo." He could only nod at her and watch her leave before he let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding.

Suddenly, a hand clasped itself onto his shoulder and he rolled his eyes. "What, Renji?"

The red-head grinned and shrugged. "You know she was being serious, right? She would like to be with you very much." At this, everyone murmured their agreements.

"I dunno why she's wasting her time on you," someone screeched out. "_I_ can take a hint!"

Ichigo knew it was true. He wasn't stupid. He was just afraid that he would lose her, that she was just teasing, or that he was misinterpreting or over analyzing. But, then he saw her eyes. He saw the pure, honest to goodness, genuine _honesty_ in them when she said that she would like to be with him. Those eyes would never lie to him, he realized and he nodded. "I know. I would like it, too."

Everyone froze at his answer and he sighed, a content and satisfied look on his face as if he were free from all of his troubles. His answer definitely caught them all off-guard, but they were all relieved. It was about damn _time_ he came to terms with his feelings after all the flirting and teasing she did and all of the hints everyone dropped.

Renji nodded with a smile. He knew that Ichigo, most likely, wouldn't be making the first move any time soon and that he was scared and skeptical of Rukia's feelings, but this was definitely good enough. "Good."

"Ah! Now that the show's over," Kisuke sighed out happily. "Everyone get a partner and do drills!~" He sang out gleefully before he skipped away.

Renji grinned, blatantly ignoring his coach and he raised a brow at Ichigo. "You know, some people are starting to feel the exact same way all of a sudden."

**_..._**

Laying on the soft grass of the field, Yoruichi smirked at the bright and shining sun. "Bya-bo?"

Beside her, Byakuya raised a brow. "Yes?"

"You know Ichigo's in love with your sister, right?" She grinned when she heard him sigh,

"Yoruichi." Byakuya said when she rolled over onto her stomach to meet his eyes. "I'm sure that she's told you of her plans to seduce him into confessing to her."

The violet haired beauty laughed at his obvious state of distress. "So, what do you say?"

"Well, I'm not exactly fond of having my baby sister seducing anyone," he began, "But, if it gets that _fool_ to confess his obvious feelings for-"

"No, silly." Yoruichi interrupted with a shake of her head and a smirk. "I mean, how about we help her speed up the process?"

"Oh." Byakuya paused and he could already see the motors in her head churning. She had a plan. He let a small and rare smile grace his face. "Very well, then."

* * *

_**A/N:**_ Short chapter, but only because if I added the stuff for the next chapter it would be way too long! I would also like to say that this _entire_ chapter (minus the A/N's) was typed up on my Blackberry! Isn't that cool, haha! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and look out for the next update!


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N:** _SO sorry for such a late update! School's started and I've just gotten tired & lazy. _Then_, when I finally got time to write, I hit a huge block. I knew how I wanted it to be, but I just didn't know how to write it out so that you could see it the way I see it in my head. **BUT, I DID IT.**

Get at me, writer's block.

* * *

Best Friends: Chapter 7

"He who is slowest in making a promise is most faithful in his performance." - Jean-Jaques Rousseau

_**...**_

"Dammit!" Ichigo swore as he tripped and fell face first to the ground, a direct result of dodging Yoruichi's strong kick. With a growl, he sat up and sent the woman a harsh glare. "What's _wrong_ with you?!"

After kicking the ball into the goal, Yoruichi spun around to face him and she shrugged. "Sorry. It was an accident." And at that, she returned to the scrimmage in a flash.

"Accident my ass," Ichigo muttered to himself. Urahara had invited Byakuya to join the team's scrimmage that day. Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem since the two would join whenever their schedules were free. But, for some reason, there were a lot more accidents that usual and he got the _distinct_ feeling that they were after him-

"Watch out!", a voice cried out and with wide eyes, Ichigo dodged the incoming ball and Byakuya's swift kick just in time.

With a shout of frustration and a twitching eye, Ichigo stood and looked Byakuya dead in the eyes. Now he _knew_ they were after him! "What the _hell_?!"

"Thank goodness you have such quick reflexes," Byakuya drawled out stoicly, a smirk threatening to surface when Ichigo glared. Instead, he settled for merely looking aloof. After all, he was just following Yoruichi's orders. He didn't know what her plans were, but she did emphasize that this was for the good of Rukia.

How could he argue with that? "It was an accident." And he flashed away.

"Accident my _ass_!" Ichigo angrily grumbled to himself as he watched the odd couple flash up and down the field. They were called the god and goddess of flash in the soccer realm because of how fast they were. There were other flash-steppers in the league, even his retired father was a fast one, but no one came close to those two.

Ichigo casually watched their feet. He had never even tried to flash step before; it was pretty useless to him since he was already fast. He smirked to himself as he honed in on Byakuya's feet.

If they were going to come at him, then he would just have to beat them at their own game.

Suddenly, Ichigo flashed in front of Byakuya and stole the ball from him. He grinned at the older man's look of surprise. "Thanks." He saluted him and with that being said, he flashed away.

Hold up.

Byakuya started. How did that _brat_- His eyes grew even wider when he saw Ichigo appear in front of the goal and kick the ball in.

Aw, _hell_ no.

Byakuya let an uncharacteristic snort slip. "Time out." He didn't even wait for the coach's approval before he quickly flashed to the cheeky orange haired man. "Since _when_ could you do that?"

Ichigo raised a brow. "I just kicked the ball into the goal-"

"No." Yoruichi interrupted with a small grin, ultimately saving the boy from his untimely death. "Since when could you flash step, is what he's asking. You've never done that before. Did someone teach you?"

"I watched his feet." Ichigo's grin grew wide enough to show all of his teeth when Byakuya gave him a cold glare.

"Impossible," Byakuya shot back. "No one has ever been able to watch my feet."

Ichigo met his eyes with a smirk. "I did."

When Byakuya began steadying his breathing pattern, Yoruichi let out a happy laugh. "Ah, so you really are a prodigy!"

Byakuya snorted and Ichigo beamed.

Yoruichi didn't even notice. "I haven't heard of very many people learning to flash by just watching. You went pretty fast, too!" She pointed a thumb at Byakuya. "Well, at least fast enough to trip up Bya-"

"Enough." Byakuya glared at Ichigo's smile. He obviously was _not_ impressed. "How could a brat who can't even admit his feelings for a girl watch my feet, and then proceed to copy it?" His eyes narrowed when Ichigo's face immediately reddened. "Don't forget. We were prodigies, too."

_**...**_

Rukia rushed down a hospital corridor, occasionally pushing and shoving anyone who got in her way aside. Soon enough, she reached the one person she was looking for: Renji. "Where is he?"

Renji sheepishly scratched the back of his head as he avoided her eyes. Jeez, she was scary for such a small woman. "I really shouldn't tell you. You look angry." He took a step back when her eyes narrowed.

"Tell me where he is."

Renji arched a brow and gulped. "...Why?"

Rukia just found out that Ichigo got hurt and was in the hospital. Now, this wouldn't have been a problem if she didn't have to find out on _Twitter_. As if being celebrity best friends wasn't hard enough, the general public just had to find out before she did. He was a trending topic, for goodness' sake. Why the _hell _hadn't anybody contacted _her_? "I need to kill him." Her eyes narrowed when Renji opened his mouth to speak. If this ginger headed oaf didn't get out of her way soon, "I'll kill you too if I have to."

Now, Renji briefly and inwardly debated refusing Rukia, but then she took a step forward and he swore that the hallway grew several degrees colder. And that was when he decided that although he loved Ichigo as a brother, that it was '_Better him than me.'_ He resigned to pointing to a door. "He's in there."

_**...**_

When Ichigo fell to the ground of the soccer field in pain, he immediately knew that he had two choices. He could either, A, stay on the ground and writhe in pain or, B, go to the emergency room and make sure that everything was alright.

So, he chose choice _'A'_. Naturally.

Why? Because he knew that writhing in pain for a few days would be better than facing Rukia's wrath.

_Flashback  
_

_"Ah, **shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit**!" Ichigo grabbed his shin and held it as he fell to the ground. He clenched his teeth and glared up at Byakuya. "What was that?!"_

_Byakuya shrugged. "You had the ball and I went for it. Such is the game of soccer."_

_Ichigo would have beat the man if he could stand. He winced as another streak of pain shot through him. "You didn't even apologize!"_

_Byakuya raised a brow as if he didn't know the meaning of the word. "Sorry."_

_Standing beside Byakuya, Urahara gave Ichigo a pitiful grin and giggled. "You'll have to check into the ER, Kurosaki-san."_

_Ichigo paled. "No, that's **fine**. I heal quick anyway."_

_Yoruichi looked strangely serene and her golder orbs twinkled with mischief. "You need to make sure you're okay."_

_"I'm **fine**."_

_Byakuya's eyes narrowed. Why was that boy refusing help? "Trust me, I'd rather not help, but Rukia will destroy us if we don't help you."_

_"To hell with Rukia killing **you**." Ichigo argued with a twitching eyebrow.**  
**_

_The corners of Byakuya's mouth twitched a bit and he met Yoruichi's laughing eyes. It made sense now. If they got Ichigo hurt, Rukia would be worried about him. Whether he went to the emergency room or not, he would have to face her either way. Byakuya raised a brow at Ichigo's wide, fear filled eyes. He really should be thanking them._

_The orange haired man was prepared to continue his arguing, but then everything went black._

_End of Flashback  
_

And now, Ichigo sat on a hospital bed in a staring contest with a livid Rukia. It was as if the whole universe was conspiring against him._  
_

The life he lived.

Ichigo gulped and held his hands up to defend himself. Not that it would help him. He was going in. "N-now, Rukia-"

"Why the _hell_ did I have to find out that you were in here on Twitter?"

Oh_. __Shit_. The frigid tone in her voice set the room's temperature several degrees colder and he just knew that he was going to die. He audibly gulped and found that his throat was desperately dry, then he slowly nodded as if he were approaching a dangerous animal. "I got hurt."

Her eyes narrowed. "How?"

Ichigo was _so_ ready to snitch on Byakuya, but he had a feeling that bringing him into the situation would just make things much worse. So, he took a different route. "We were scrimmaging-"

Suddenly, she scoffed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "That's how you got hurt. _Scrimmaging_?"

Well, he had lived pretty well compared to most people. He lived a good life, made it on a renowned team as a star player, and he made it to age 21. He hadn't written his last will and testament yet, but-

"_Well_?"

Ichigo sighed and shook his head. "Why are you making such a big deal? I'm fine. You know that I heal fast, Rukia."

Rukia set her jaw and felt her face heat up. He obviously didn't understand. The man was much too stupid for his own good. Her eyes narrowed and looked directly into his. Very well. She would just make him understand. "I want to know why _I_ was the last one to find out."

Ichigo raised a brow. "I didn't want to worry you."

She gave a short snort and walked over to him, placing herself between his legs. She _needed_ this boy to understand. "Listen to me and listen well." She felt her face redden as she forced her gaze to burrow into his. "I don't care if you don't want me to worry. Every time you're out of my sight, I worry about you. Just like you worry about me every time I am out of your sight, Ichigo. You are my best friend and I love you."

This wasn't the first time she told him that she loved him. But, this was the first time she had such an intense and caring look in her eyes. He knew that this love was on another level.

He wasn't scared anymore.

And he was alright with that.

Rukia's eyes grew a bit wider and she could feel her heart hammering against her chest at a frantic speed when he took her hand in his. As he laced their fingers, he looked up at her with a soft smile. "I know. I love you, too. I'm sorry that you found out last."

With wide eyes, Rukia could only stare at him. The way he spoke so softly and gently to her caught her off-guard. _'He's not scared anymore.'_ Then, she nodded with a smile. He got it. He would still be a bit slow, but he _finally_ understood. "Good."

Suddenly, he pursed his lips in disgust. "Why are you so emotional today anyway?"

With a groan and a grin, she wrenched her hands from his to cover her blushing face. "I'm on my period."

As they both laughed, Ichigo could finally see that everything was going to be okay.

* * *

_**A/N:** _I hope you liked this chapter! Not too long, but I promise that the next one will be a reasonable length. I hope... :D Please, review and tell me what you think! Look out for the next one!


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Bleach, Humor, Romance