*Disclaimer: I do not own Ichigo, Rukia or anything that is of Bleach canon material-it all belongs to the lovely creator, Tite Kubo.

Warning: Sexual content ahead, don't like, don't read.

Who Cares?

Her brows knit downward at the offending papers which lay along the clean surface of her desk, neatly organized. With elbows resting on the edge, Rukia inclines her head forward as her gaze shifts over every written word. It wasn't like she was actually reading though.

A stressed sigh tumbles from her parted lips as her violet hues shift over to her left hand, paying specific attention to her ring finger. The finger which should be holding her engagement ring.

She pays no heed to the fact that her paperwork is currently falling from her fingertips as she lifts her gloved arm and lightly traces an index finger from the knuckles of her left hand to the tip of her ring finger. Despite the sudden race of her heart, a light frown falls upon her visage at the memory of the night before.

Rukia bites down on her bottom lip, and her brows crease even further as she moves to stand, leaning heavily on the desk.

Ichigo, just the mere thought of his name causes her heart to skip. The night before, it wasn't a dream. It wasn't a mistake. It wasn't a joke. It was real. She did not imagine it when he had brought himself to one knee before her and caressed her hand within his own as he told her how much she means to him; how he wishes to spend the rest of eternity by her side.

Rukia feels her throat tighten at the myriad of emotions that threaten to surface. She can't deny that this is exactly what she wishes as well. That's why she accepted his proposal.

Taking in a shaky breath, she squeezes her eyes shut as she attempts to calm the persistent pounding of her heart. She just didn't deserve him.

"Oi, Rukia!" In that instant, she moves forward and snatches at a random piece of paper that had lain untouched among the neat piles of paperwork, pretending that she was so immersed within her work, that she had not realized that the great Ichigo Kurosaki was making his way into her office.

Her amethyst eyes are cast downward, avoiding the current man of her affections as she hears the ruffling of fabric, which is enough to indicate that he is moving toward her shuffling form.

After a few moments of silence, her name falls from his lips again. It is louder and more forceful as he intends to catch her full attention this time. And he does.

Rukia snaps her head upward, and her lips twitch downward into a deep frown before she purses them out of clear annoyance.

"I can hear you, idiot!" It seems that her sudden irritated snap catches Ichigo off guard when his eyes widen and he lifts a hand to rub at the nape of his neck, seemingly unsure of his next words as Rukia continues to pick at random sheets of paper in an attempt to look busy.

She feels her back bristle and burn with the intensity of his gaze, and she wants nothing more than to rid him from her office.

"Rukia," he tries again, and this time, she does not give him any indication that she is listening. He carries on anyway. "Why are you working? Didn't Ukitake give you the week off?" At this, she halts. Turning her head from him, she allows her frown to deepen as she gives a low sigh. Her arms are now limp at her sides, and the papers she had been mindlessly gathering before, fall to the ground without a conscious thought as the previous ache in her chest returns.

She does not move, even as Ichigo maneuvers his way around the desk to get to her side, careful as to not step on the scattered sheets in his path.

She is resistant at first when he cups her chin between his thumb and index finger and tilts her head upwards to stare into her eyes. However, Rukia averts her gaze elsewhere. She hears him give a loud sigh of frustration the moment he removes his hand from her face.

They are both silent. Rukia nervously gnaws at her bottom lip as she reaches across her own body to grip at her left arm, suddenly feeling self-conscious under his suspicious stare. At the corner of her eye, she could see that his brows are knitted together as his face contorts into a scowl. Though Rukia is far from intimidated, she realizes that no matter what she says, Ichigo is not leaving any time soon.

"You've been avoiding me." She nearly flinches at his statement, because it's true. Her fingers tighten around her arm and she turns her head further, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

No matter how much she tries to hide her thoughts and emotions, Ichigo never fails to look right through her. Somehow, this unsettles her.

With a small parting of her lips, Rukia sucks in a breath as she gives quick thought to her next words.

"Not really," she mutters. It's not a complete lie; perhaps a little white lie. She couldn't possible tell him that he is correct in his assumption. But if she had even the slightest thought that he would up and leave after such an answer, she was dead wrong. She, of all people, knows how stubborn he can be.

"Why?" He pushes, it is painfully obvious that he wants a straight answer. Unfortunately, it is an answer that she is hesitant to give.

Rukia shifts on her feet, suddenly uncomfortable with the predicament she is in. How can she tell him that she removed the ring—a symbol of their impending marriage and love—from her finger this morning? How can she tell him that perhaps this isn't the right time, or that it is highly possible that her older brother would not approve? How can she tell him that she despite all he had said the night before, that she didn't deserve him?

Inclining her head upward, her violet hues meet his molten brown gaze as she parts her lips to speak. She can hardly breathe under the tension that has risen in the deep silence. But for a moment, resolve takes hold of her being as she bursts out.

"Did you confront Nii-Sama?" Ichigo looks confused for a moment before realization takes place and his scowl only deepens at her sudden inquiry.

"Ah...whoops." Rukia presses her lips into a tight line at his answer, finding herself growing annoyed with how relaxed he seems.

"You didn't ask him for permission before you proposed to me?!" Her voice rises with each syllable as she moves toward him, completely forgetting about her earlier predicament. Ichigo immediately goes on the defensive.

"I just forgot, Rukia! I'll ask him later, it's not that big of a deal!"

"Not that big of a deal? Nii-Sama is extremely traditional, if he finds out that you went ahead without his consent, I doubt he'll approve!" She throws her hands up with frustration before placing them upon her hips as she glares at him.

"I doubt he'll approve," Ichigo counters with a low growl as he reaches forward to catch her left hand in his own, "no matter what I do. Who cares what Byakuya thinks, Rukia? Who cares what the nobles think? Who the hell even cares what the world thinks? It's our life, not theirs. Who's to say that I can't have you, when it's only you who can prevent me from doing so?" This catches her off guard, and her eyes grow wide, and her mouth is slightly ajar. Her body is numb, and she hardly notices the fact that her left hand is at the mercy of his tight grasp.

It is only when he moves to lift her hand to his face that she realizes the vulnerability of her ring-less finger to his eyes. But before she can pull away, Ichigo tightens his grip as a stern frown pulls at his features.

"Rukia," he breathes, and she realizes that it is useless to hide it any longer. "Where is the ring?"

She promptly averts her gaze, moving it downcast and away from his questioning eyes. Countless excuses run through her mind, but she knows that none of them will satisfy him.

"I..." She attempts to explain, but trails off when she lifts her head and notices his intense stare. Rukia is quick to look away again when she tries to piece together the right words, "...I took it off."

"Why?" Ichigo's whisper is low, and when she moves to glance up at him, she feels her throat tighten as a familiar ache in her heart returns, but this time, it's aching for him.

The substitute shinigami's head is bowed his bright orange bangs cover his eyes from view. It is now that she realizes that there is nothing she can say to calm him. So instead of searching for an explanation, Rukia finally voices her thoughts.

"I don't deserve you."

She does not expect his grip to tighten along her wrist.

She does not expect his sudden pull, moving her body so that she is flush against his own.

Nor does she expect a sharp gasp to unwillingly spill from her lips when he nips at her throat.

"Bullshit," he hisses. His warm breath sends ice hot shivers down her spine when he speaks. "You deserve everything, Rukia." A deep scowl is present along the lines of his face, and she feels a sudden spark of his reiatsu engulf her. Her voice is caught in her throat, and she is rendered speechless when she regards the sudden change in his demeanor.

Rukia is frozen as his lips graze along the side of her neck. He intertwines the fingers of her left hand within his own, and for a moment, everything is a blur to her. She hardly remembers when he had managed to pin her to the desk, and only revels in the feel of his tongue running along her earlobe before delivering a small nip.

Rukia tightens her grip on his hand and wraps her legs around his hips when a barely audible whimper tumbles past her lips. In response, he pulls away from her throat and trails his hand downwards until he feels the folds of her white sash within his grip. Pausing, Ichigo cranes his neck downwards and stares into her wide eyes with a heated gaze.

"Where is it?" She barely comprehends his murmur, and it takes her a few moments to become aware of what exactly it is that he is talking about. The ring.

"I-In the drawer," she breathes out her response, feeling as though all oxygen has left her body at this point. Ichigo's lips curl upward into a light smirk before he leans downward and finally catches her lips within his own as he begins to pull at the sash of her hakama.

Allowing the lids of her eyes to drift closed, Rukia props her self up on her elbows and gives a slight tilt of her head when his tongue flicks out and runs along her bottom lip. She immediately opens her mouth without protest and feels his wet appendage clash and curl along the sides of her orifice before she meets him with her tongue in a quick battle for dominance.

Lifting a hand, she curls her fingers into the bright locks of his hair and pulls him down, having the need to be closer to him. Much closer than they already were. Ichigo lets out an excited groan before moving to break away from their wet, heated battle. Rukia breathes heavily, watching him through a half-lidded gaze. Her fingers continue to run through his hair when he speaks, his amber eyes swirl with passion and lust. Her heart is racing at a pace that is beyond her control.

"You deserve me, Rukia. You deserve more than me, but I'm selfish enough that I can't allow you to just walk out of my life." His voice is low and husky, and she finds herself once again, speechless as he leans his head downward to rest on her shoulder. She could feel his soft breath fan out along the skin of her throat, causing her to swallow thickly as her throat tightens and warm tears begin to prick at her eyes.

"You stopped the rain." She drags her head downward to stare at the back of his bowed head, and ever-so-slightly, she fists his bright, spiky hair between her fingers as he continues.

"You are my light in the darkness."

She feels her cheeks begin to burn out of embarrassment, and she purses her lips. After a few, prolonged moments of silence, Rukia feels his hand yank at the sash along her waist; effectively pulling it loose before it is tossed to the side. Ichigo then begins to part her robes and snakes a hand underneath the folds, cupping at her small, rounded breast.

"I-Ichigo." And despite any amount of protests she gives him, he simply ignores her and begins to massage the soft flesh. She feels her breath hitch in her throat and removes her hand from his hair in order to hold herself up as her head tilts backward, quickly giving in to his ministrations.

Ichigo then leans over her and places butterfly kisses along the front of her throat, causing a low moan to unwillingly fall from her parted lips.

"Rukia," he murmurs against her skin, and she gives a small lift of her head as her dark hues search for his. It is no surprise to her that his cheeks are flushing a light pink as he gives her a pointed stare and presses his body to her. "Let me show you how much we deserve each other."

Rukia is given no time to respond when he promptly slides her shihakusho off her shoulders and engulfs a small mound within his mouth, flicking his tongue along a pert nipple. She lets out a surprised gasp and wraps her arms around his head, nearly cradling him to her chest as he continues to nibble and suck at her exposed breast.

Finding that she is no longer able to hold herself upward, Rukia allows her back to collapse onto the desk; she pays no mind to the amount of paperwork below her half-naked backside. She gives low, excited breaths and clenches her eyes shut, reveling in the wet feel of his tongue against her heated flesh. She merely calls out for him, and he responds by shifting closer, locking his hips between her legs without pausing in his ministrations.

He slowly trails his lips from one breast to the other and gives it the same treatment. All the while, Rukia feels his unoccupied hand trace down the length of her body and dance along the beginnings of her hakama.

Growing impatient, she grips at the hair on his head and pulls him away from her exposed chest, meeting his lips with her own, sporting a passion she has never shown before. Nipping and licking at his bottom lip, she places both her hands flat against his chest and parts the top of his shihakusho and spreads her fingers along his naked chest.

Parting from his mouth, she places small, chaste kisses along the length of his jawline. A small smirk plays at her lips when Ichigo breathes a low, barely audible groan at her actions. Curling her mouth upward, she grazes the side of his throat with her teeth before snaking out her tongue to flick at his earlobe. A particular spot that she knows will always have Ichigo writhing. And just as expected, a low hiss falls from his mouth when she moves to suck on the loose skin of his ear.

In that instant, she gives a sharp gasp when his hips collide with her own in a swift movement, causing her to break away from her hold on his sweet spot. A dark blush adorns her cheeks, and she bites at her bottom lip when she feels his arousal prod at her through their clothing.

Rukia tightens her legs around his waist, giving herself some leverage as her body bows upward in a pleasure-filled arc when he begins to ground against her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she feels as though her lungs are constricted when all she can manage is short, heavy breaths.

"I-Ichigo," she moans, attempting to pull herself upward, but Ichigo doesn't allow her to move far as he grasps one of her arms and gently pushes her back down onto the surface of the desk. Rukia gives short pants when she feels his lips graze along the side of her throat, nipping lightly at her pulse before undulating his lower body against her own.

A tight, heated coil begins to settle at the pit of her stomach, and she releases a low moan as she curls her toes and tightens her legs around his waist. The petite woman drives her hips upward to meet his, effectively grounding their hips together and eliciting a loud grunt from the man above her.

He chokes out her name and halts his gyrating movements as he buries a hand underneath the fabric of her hakama and rubs a finger along the length of her clothed womanhood. Rukia's legs loosen and unlatch themselves around his hips as she tilts her head back.

The top robe of her uniform unknowingly drops into a heap on the desk, and she pays no heed to the fact that the entire upper half of her body is now completely exposed to his lust-filled, molten brown gaze.

She swallows thickly when he presses two fingers against the hot wetness of her undergarment and starts a slow, circular motion that has her nearly gasping for air. Ichigo is leaning over her slightly arched form, and she can feel his hot breath fan along her damp skin as she stares up at him through half-lidded eyes. His stern, passionate gaze does little to calm her being as she feels her heart begin to palpitate in response.

This proves to serve as a distraction when she hardly notices that her bottom is somehow left bare. Her violet hues merely snap in the direction she had heard the thud of her hakama. Biting her lower lip, Rukia knits her brows as she lifts her bare legs in order for her feet to rest on the fabric of his hakama, and in return, she manages to yank it downward along with his undergarments.

Ichigo is over her once again, and his fingers are quick to tease at her heated core. Rukia gives an instant arch of her back, accompanied by a soft moan as her breasts unintentionally collide and rub against his chest.

She lifts her arms to wrap around his body, the fabric of her gloves stick to his sweaty-skin, but neither of them seem to care as they are completely, and utterly focused on each other.

A shaky gasp falls from her lips, followed by a low and content sigh when she jerks against his hand, feeling him slip a finger past her wet folds. She breathes his name against his ear and intertwines her fingers within his orange locks, choking out a gasp as he thrusts his finger with more force and reaches out with a thumb to tease at her small nub.

Her arms tighten around him as she begins to undulate her lower body against his ministrations. Her hot pants fan out over his ear as she occasionally calls for him. Her body promptly freezes when he inserts a second finger, feeling her inner walls begin to clench under an unfathomable amount of pleasure.

To her displeasure, he pulls his hand away and leans over her to place a chaste kiss upon her open mouth and nuzzles the underside of her jaw.

"Rukia," he utters her name against her skin as they both take a moment to catch their breath. She doesn't respond, and her eyes are still closed. Ichigo shifts against her, calling out for her once more, and she allows her violet hues to peek out from underneath her eyelids.

Rukia sucks in a breath, feeling the tip of his length begin to prod at her, asking for entrance. Leaning up on her elbows, she slowly parts her legs, allowing him more room as he moves forward. She bites at her lower lip and grips the edge of the desk when it feels as though her body is resistant at first. Ichigo grips at her hip, and she braces herself as he moves with a swift thrust. Rukia lifts her hips off the desk, allowing him to slide the rest of the way with ease.

With low pants, she gives a low groan. Ichigo is breathing heavily, frozen as he gives her time to recuperate. His hands squeeze at her hips from time to time, and she knows that he was holding himself back from moving too soon.

Moving a hand upward, she fists his hair between her fingers as a small mewl escapes her panting mouth. "I-I'm alright, Ichigo." His head snaps up to stare at her, studying her features. No more words are needed.

Rukia lifts her legs to wrap around his hips before he moves away, only for his hips to meet hers once again in a light thrust. With a tiny gasp, she arches her back and meets his second thrust with a jerk of her hips.

As his reiatsu embraces her, she allows her own to intertwine with his as their movements grow in sync with one another. Ichigo shifts against her, gyrating his hips in a motion that has her gasping for air when he leans over her further, causing her to lay flat on her back as she stares up at him and elicits a loud, open-mouthed moan.

Feeling an indescribable heat settle within her stomach, she hears the man above her let out a low growl-like moan before he moves at a quicker pace. He places his hands above her shoulders as he stares down at her without halting his undulating movements.

"I-Ichi..." In response to his name, he takes her left hand in his own and trails the other along the length of her body before grasping at her right thigh and lifting it higher up on his waist. Rukia watches his flushed, pleasure-filled face as her body begins to tense up with the heat.

She chokes out a moan at a particularly hard thrust, and she is aware that the end is near. Propping herself up on her elbows, still holding his hand in her own, she gives a slight arch of her back as her lips crash against his with heated passion. His pants grow quick, and her hot breath fans against his lips as she licks and bites at him.

Ichigo suddenly pulls away and clenches his eyes shut as he rests his forehead against her shoulder. Her hand moves to caress the nape of his neck, and her head tilts backwards when her toes curl with pleasure and her body bows upward when his pace becomes completely erratic at his loss of control.

Feeling her lower body become unbelievably tight and sporadic, Ichigo moves against her one last time and lets out a choked groan as they both come undone with complete, indescribable pleasure.

They lay there, frozen as they come down from their high, attempting to recover from what had just transpired. Rukia's fingers move, running through his damp hair as her body goes limp. Ichigo falls along with her, his pants are hot against the damp skin of her throat, and she sighs with content when he places butterfly kisses along the side of her neck.

Reveling in the afterglow, she completely forgets as to how they had gotten in this position in the first place.

Ichigo is the first to move. He lifts his head and takes her left, gloved hand within his own as he moves his weight off her small body. "Yo." He smiles down at her.

Before she knows it, Rukia finds herself returning the smile with a small upturn of her lips.

"I'm going to ask you again," his voice is low and raw, and her face contorts with confusion. But as he opens the drawer beside her and pulls out the ring in which she had taken off that morning, she realizes where this is going.

"Rukia." His amber gaze meets her own, and she watches as he lifts her left hand and slowly slides the ring onto her finger, "Will you marry me?"

That familiar ache in her chest returns as her heart races, and her lips curl upward into a real smile as she finally lets go of her previous denial.

"Yes."

And this time, she believes it.

A/N:

Review please! ^^

This was actually my first, true attempt at writing smut so reviews, comments, and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated!

Looks like they'll marry no matter what Byakuya says, neh? Haha. My true intent here was to show the love between them more than anything, and I hope that was reflected throughout the entire story, even during the smut.

Also, I am always open to one-shot requests! The more the merrier!