Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Chapter Three.

"Ichigo..." She whispered as she let go of him and turned away.

The world felt a little more complicated just after he had asked that seemingly simple question.

"Do you? Do you love me, Rukia?"

Again, a little bit more.

"Ichigo, it isn't that simple." She again whispered.

"Sure it is. You just have to say yes." He said with a smile.

"You just don't get it..."

"What is there to get? You say yes, and boom, happily ever after here we come." He exclaimed and continued to smiled.

"For one thing, I'm just about one hundred years older than you,"

"Rukia, that doesn't matter--"

"And for another," She cut in, "I'm a Shinigami, and you're a human." She had said rather sharply, to get that to stay in his head.

"So? I'm sort of a Shinigami. What's that matter anyway?"

"It's forbidden.Technically you aren't really a Shinigami, Ichigo...And I can't honestly say that a lot of people in Soul Society have a good opinion on you..."

"Who cares what they think?" He huffed, crossing his arms. "Since when do you give a shit?"

"Since I've broken the rules and disgraced my family."

"So, what you're meaning to say is...you don't love me?"

"I never said that..."

"You--"

"And I never said that I did, either."

He sighed, placing both of his hands in his pockets and looked up at the sky. There was a few long minutes of silence exchanged between the two, and Ichigo half expected Rukia to take off running while she had the chance. He honestly didn't feel like running after her. And for once in his life, he didn't feel like fighting for what he wanted, what he needed. His gut was telling him to fight, but his head was telling him to walk away.

But what then?

What if he did walk away? He had never once given up, so why start now, when it comes to fighting for someone he loved?

Then again, Rukia was being stubborn as ever. It's not like he could make her love him. He wasn't even sure if he was the one she had been writing about in her journal.

"Rukia..." He sighed again. "I can't just walk away from you. Sorry if it's not what you want, but I'm not letting you go without a fight. Giving up was never my thing."

"Who ever said it wasn't what I wanted?" She whispered under her breath.

He knew he heard wrong. He must have heard wrong. She had been avoiding his question all night, why would she suddenly admit it now?

"What?" He questioned.

"Hmm?"

He shook his head, "What did you just say?"

"You have no idea what I want, Ichigo, so don't go thinking you have a clue--"

"I didn't say I knew what you wanted. I said I knew what I wanted, and I want you."

"We can't have everything..." She mumbled.

"Rukia, could you stop being so stubborn!? I've been standing here, literally pouring out my feelings, and all you have to say is 'we can't have everything'!?" He exclaimed desperately as he turned around and fingered through his orange locks. "The least you could do is answer my question!"

She turned around and began walking away back to their house and Ichigo quickly followed after her. He firmly gripped her shoulders and stared directly into her violet shaded eyes.

"Tell me. You have no idea how bad I need to know."

She stared back up at him, and her shoulders sank at her sides. "I do."

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Well...I think that might be the end. I don't know, tell me whatcha think.

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