Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Bleach featured in this fan fiction.

I love the relationship between Ichigo and Rukia, though I am not a fan of a romantic relationship forming between them. I can see how people would see romance between them but it's just not my cup o' tea.

I thought I'd try to put into my own words what I think Ichigo feels for Rukia. It kinda turned out more IchiRuki than I expected, but I don't really want to change it as I think it stands well as it is.

This is set before the Soul Society Arc, but makes a few references to things you find out during that arc relating to past events.

Anyway, I hope people enjoy this.

Tactile

Ichigo had never had a best friend before. Chad probably came closest to the typical expectation of the title, but neither of them said anything like that. It felt sort of … off-centre. Though he could probably keep secrets with his life, Chad wasn't really the sort of person Ichigo envisioned himself confiding in, nor did it seem Ichigo was the one Chad would trust with his deepest thoughts either. They were more comrades than anything else.

Rukia wasn't exactly what Ichigo had thought a best friend would be like, but it wasn't as if he was actively looking for one. She just sort of fell from the sky and got trapped in his life. They'd argue and he'd complain and she'd respond, but it wasn't a bad thing. Quite the opposite. It wasn't long before Ichigo found himself dreading the idea of a life without Rukia.

Then it happened.

It was just a typical Hollow, no more powerful than the last. Ichigo had managed to let the spirit it was chasing escape and was going for the fatal blow, when he was knocked back by a sudden attack he had missed. Its claws rent his chest almost down to the bone. He screamed and in the second he took to recover from the shock of the attack and brace himself to attack again with this new injury, the Hollow had already moved to stab at his weak spot.

Rukia.

She had been standing nearby, fingers half-formed in seals for her demon magic, ready to help Ichigo should he find himself hard-pressed. But the battle had been going well and she'd relaxed her stance. The Hollow moved towards her and she was slow in coming to the defence.

Ichigo could only stare as Rukia was thrown across the wide street they were fighting in and hit a building hard enough to cause a small crater. She fell to the ground and didn't move. Blood was pooling beneath her and there was something very wrong with the way she lay. Yet all Ichigo could do was stare.

It was happening again.

"Rukia!"

He tried to run to her, but the Hollow he was supposed to be fighting moved between him and Rukia.

Ichigo snapped.

Later, he'd never remember running towards the monster with ungodly speed, nor would he recall the swift devastating moves he used to cut the Hollow to pieces and he definitely wouldn't remember the horrific scream of anguish he let out as the Hollow dissipated. Ichigo could barely remember scooping Rukia up and rushing home as fast as he could.

Once Rukia was laid out on his bed, Ichigo faltered. How could he help her? Her body wasn't a real body, but did that mean it couldn't die? Was it the same as a human body? What the hell did he do first?

The sheets soaking red spurred him to a decision and Ichigo set to work staunching her bleeding and tending to the wounds he could see.
He just prayed he was able to help enough.

The faint moonlight from the crescent moon high above was the only light in the room.

Rukia looked even more pale and unreal in the dark. Ichigo swore it looked as though she were about to turn into wisps of cloud and float away on the gentle breeze. Ethereal. It was in moments like this that Ichigo really remembered that Rukia wasn't human. Technically, he wasn't completely human either, but not in the way that Rukia was. She was truly otherworldly. A dream Ichigo grasped at tightly.

He wondered if she was really going to fade away some day, leaving him to school and family and life while she drifted on the paths of death, as far from him as the moon.

Ichigo clutched at his chest when he thought of that.

He stood, moving from his desk chair where he sat in vigil watching over the sleeping angel and knelt on the floor beside his bed. Ichigo gently stroked Rukia's hair.

"I'm pretty sure I love you Kuchiki Rukia."

Ichigo startled himself by speaking aloud, but his voice was barely a whisper and Rukia didn't stir, so he relaxed and continued.

"I mean you come into my life, save me from a monster, getting yourself almost killed in the process, give me unimaginable powers and help save my family. For nothing, no reason except your duty. You'd only known me a few hours and you'd still do anything to save me. I think I fell in love with you that day.

"You're annoying sometimes though, always on my case about something, but you're not always serious. I love it when you laugh, or when you're concentrating on something simple. Like that straw."

Ichigo smiled at the thought. Rukia was just too cute sometimes, fascinated by the strangest things. Like a kid. Sometimes Ichigo wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight, like he used to do with Karin and Yuzu, but he'd always stifle the urge, like he did now with his sisters. Ichigo wasn't a tactile person, but there were times he wished he were.

Rukia looked like she needed a hug right now. She looked so frail.

"Always gotta be helping people, even if they don't want it. I still don't get that about you. You don't have to prove yourself to me, I know you're a hero, I'm never gonna think of you as anything else, okay?"

Ichigo's hand froze as he felt movement beneath it. Rukia let out a tiny moan and he leaned over her to watch her eyes flutter half-open.

"… hurts," Rukia mumbled in the softest voice Ichigo had ever heard from her.

"Yeah." Ichigo squeezed her hand. "You got hurt bad. It's okay, I patched you back up. Just sleep and get better."

"Thank you, Kaien-dono."

Ichigo blinked, then smiled. "Sure," he said with a chuckle hidden behind his voice. He continued stroking Rukia's hair until she drifted off again.

"Maybe someday you'll tell me about him," Ichigo whispered once he was sure Rukia was asleep. "Maybe then I might understand you as well as you do me. Though I'm certain I'll never understand everything about you, Kuchiki Rukia. You'll always be a bit of mystery. But that's okay, I like mysteries."

The room was starting to lighten to grey as dawn approached.

"Sleep well and heal, Rukia." Ichigo got up and moved back over to his desk, sitting down in his chair again facing Rukia. "I'll keep watching over you."