I Do not own Bleach

Chapter 4 – The battle of dominance

"That's it!" Rukia thought suddenly as Shirosaki was about to thrust the blade into her chest. Rukia knew exactly what she should do; maybe there was another way to stop him without killing him in the process.

The blade was so close to her fast beating heart now. She sucked in a deep breath...

"ICHIGO!" she screamed, at the top of her lungs.

Shirosaki was so startled by her sudden outburst that it made him jump and it stopped him in his tracks. Yet again she escaped near death. When he stopped Rukia toke the chance to move away from him.

"I-Ichigo!" she panted, as she was weak "I know you can hear me Ichigo!"

The Hollow chuckled as once again Rukia had escaped from his grasp. He threw back his head and laughed, but Rukia toke no notice of him because she knew if she tried hard enough that she would be able to get through to Ichigo. "Fight him Ichigo!" she yelled frantically, "I know you'll win!...Ichigo!"

"How foolish" Shirosaki laughed, his cold icy voice piercing her soul "You can't bring him back jus' by calling his name repetitively. There's no way he can come back now yer' just wasting yer' breath."

Rukia shock her head, ignoring his comments, "Ichigo! I know you can hear me! Don't you dare let him beat you!" she warned.

Shirosaki couldn't contain his laughter, "This is too good!" he sang, "You can't possibly think you can bring him back now, do you?" He laughed some more, long, slow and mocking laughter erupted out of him.

"Your mask hasn't covered his whole face yet, Hollow" she spat, "So Ichigo can still gain contro.l" Rukia moved painfully closer to Shirosaki, clutching her side in pain to stop the blood from flowing. "Come on Ichigo!" She croaked and shuffled closer to Shirosaki, "You're stronger than he is Ichigo! I know you can win...Ichigo!"

"You're wasting your breath" he sang.

"I don't think so"

"Ichigo fight him!"

"I'm trying"

Shirosaki laughed, "Why don't you just except that your precious King ain't returning!" He closed the gap between himself and Rukia and grabbed her by her throat. "He's never coming back, no matter how much you call him" His golden orbs narrowed.

"I wouldn't count on that"

…

Just then a piece of the mask began to crack, and crumbled on the left side of Shirosakis face. The Hollows golden orbs widened with shock. "Wa-Whats going on" he stammered, as his hand reached up to feel the area of the mask. Sure enough his fingers traced out small gaps in the mask. "That's impossible, he can't! He can't...He's not 'spose to be able to come back!" he shrieked.

Shirosaki let go of Rukia in shock, and stumbled backwards. His hands forcefully rose to the mask gripping it tightly. He howled and shrieked as more of the mask began to crack on his face.

"Stop interfering!"

"You idiot!" Shirosaki hollered, "I was doing you a favor!" The left side of his face was now pink and fleshy as there was no mask left on that side. "Why can't you just stay were you belong! I'm the strongest!" His hands began to rip the mask forcefully form his face, his spiritual pressure began spiraling out of control, as human and hollow began fighting for dominance.

Rukia felt Ichigo's spiritual pressure beginning to resurface over the hollows and she felt a smile creep up on her lips. He was coming back, she could feel the hollow grasp on his body fading away, being replaced by Ichigo's being.

"Your time is up!"

The mask began to peel from Ichigos face, the hollow howled in protest attempting to stop Ichigo gaining control but with no such luck. Ichigo's strength was increasing by the second. "No!" Shirosaki shrieked, swinging Zangetsu around wildly, "You can't do this! You bastard!"

The mask was almost torn from his face now, the hollow was unable to do anything to prevent Ichigo from taking back his soul. Shirosaki howled in protest as his hand forcefully tore the mask from his face. "Damm it! Damm you! No! No! No! I'm the stronger one!" he yelled.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

…

"I'm in control..!"

In that brief moment when the hollow mask was removed from his face, hollow and human faced each other. The Horse greeted his King with a slight bow, then looking up at him with sly eyes. The Kings narrowed his eyes in anger, his usual scowl was plastered on his face.

"King." the hollow hissed lowly, raising from his bow "We meet again."

Ichigo didn't answer only grunted in response while gripping the hilt of Zangetsu tighter in his grasp as if he was making sure that the hollow will never be able to touch it again.

"You always interrupt me at the wrong time." came the icy voice of the hollow.

Ichigo let out a low sarcastic laugh, but still didn't speak and he refused to make eye contact.

The hollows smirk crept up into a creepy grin. His golden orbs narrowed and he stared intensely at the King, "Are you angry that I went after yer' little girlfriend." he grinned, moving forward towards Ichigo, gripping the blade of the zanpakato and running his fingers along it all the time never taking his eyes off him.

His statement caught Ichigos attention, his eyes widened and his head whipped around quickly, his human brown eyes meeting the hollows golden ones.

"You bastard," he muttered bitterly, pulling the blade away from the hollow, cutting the hollows finger in the process, "why did you attack Rukia?"

The albino hollow grinned, licking the blood that trickled down his finger, "You know why, King." he muttered as his eyes narrowed, "I can't stand these emotions towards that women. I can't 'love' like you can and these emotions frustrate me so."

"If only hollows could feel such emotions." Ichigo said darkly while carefully wiping the hollows blood off his blade with his fingers.

Shirosaki raised an eyebrow, "Ah but King, you forgot" he raised his hand to the top of his haori and pulled it downwards revealing his muscular chest, "That I'm not 'all hollow' I'm part human, just like your part hollow."

There was no hole in his chest or anywhere on his body.

"I'm not part hollow," Ichigo muttered, "I'm a shinigami and that's all there is to it." he said a little louder. The King's eyes burned with anger, "Don't ever go near Rukia again." he warned.

The Horse merely bowed, "As you wish, your majesty." he said sarcastically, laughing slightly as he finished his sentence.

"I mean it!" Ichigo said angrily.

The King and his Horse stared at each other, neither one of them taking their eyes of each other. The Horse smiled an evil twisted grin while the cloth on the end of the Kings blade wrapped around the overgrown zanpakato before he fixed it onto his back.

Shirosaki laughed lowly, "You truly are pathetic, Ichigo. Look at what emotions hav' done to ya. You COULD have been stong, emotions have made you weak. Ichigo."

Ichigo didn't comment on his insult, and there was silence.

But then Ichigo felt himself beginning to fade, he looked at his hollow who was too fading slowly away too; the world around him seemed to dissolve into thin air.

"Looks like time's up." he muttered to his albino look-a-like.

The Horse narrowed his eyes, "Until next time." his hissed.

The King smile smugly "There won't be a next time"

"A King will always have a Queen," Shirosaki sang, "and whenever there is a King and a Queen, there is always someone right behind him, trying to over throw him, and take his Queen for himself" He grabbed Ichigo by his hoari and frowned deeply, "Don't forget that I will get my way, and when I do...She's gonna be dead"

All was quiet, the only sound was the gentile patter of the rain as it bounced lightly off the ground.

Ichigo's eyes flickered open, dim light seeped through his eyelids. His vision was fuzzy and was unable to make out his surroundings. He felt the rain caress his face as it fell from the dark sky. When he opened his eyes fully open he noticed a figure leaning over him, but his vision was still blurry and wasn't able to make out who the person was.

The hollows words rang in his head.

"I will get my way, and when I do...Shes gonna be dead!"

"Ichigo! Ichigo!" a women's voice yelled, shaking him over and over again. Ichigo felt slim fingers intertwine with his and squeezing his hand softly.

"That voice," he thought weakly to himself, "I know that voice." Ichigo groaned softly. His vision began to sharpen, but still the figure leaning over him remained a blur. He blinked a few times, attempting to bring his vision back into focus.

"Ichigo?" the voice called again.

"R-Rukia" he croaked, blinking his eyes once more. His vision came into focus and his brown eyes meet with two huge indigo orbs staring down at him with concern written in them. Ichigo suddenly tensed up, his free hand reaching upwards quickly towards his face. He touched his face...no mask.

He let out a long sigh of relief, and relaxed, the rain still falling gently from the sky. Ichigo closed his eyes, listening to the sound of the rain as it fell, enjoying the feeling of Rukia's hand in his as she squeezed his hand ever so softly.

"Thank you." he heard her mutter.

Her voice brought him back to his senses; he opened his eyes and looked up at the woman who was leaning beside him. He gave her a smile, "Thanks for what?" he croaked, lifting his head up slightly.

Rukia smiled, "For not letting him beat you."

Ichigo let out a low laugh, "I wouldn't say that." he muttered, resting his head back on the wet ground.

Rain continued to pour down from the sky, soaking through the clothing of the two shinigamis. The sky was black, and stars twinkled above them. The moonlight illuminated the area ever so slightly.

Ichigo tried to sit up, but regretted it when he felt shooting pains run throughout his body. Rukia frowned and lightly hit him hard into the shoulder. "Idiot!" she mutted with a slight laugh, but still with a hint of concern in her voice "Don't try moving, not till I at least finished healing your wounds"

Ichigo didn't protest and did as he was told and lay back down. Rukia placed her hands over his more serious wounds which were on his torso, and began to heal them. A warm glow surrounded her hands as she did so and Ichigo could feel his previous broken bones beginning to heal.

As she healed him, Ichigo never toke his eyes off her. He watched at how concentrated her face was as she healed him and how eyes were full of worry. He watched every movement of her body as she shifted to get to reach to different wounds on his torso to heal them. He watched her as she blew back her damp hair as it fell in front of her face.

He drank in of all her beauty.

Ichigo smiled softly to himself and removed his eyes from her. He turned his head sideways, and gazed into an empty space, thinking to himself. There was a comfortable silence between the two of them, rain continued to fall and bounce off the ground making tiny splashes on their faces.

Rukia ran her hands just above Ichigo's body, healing his wounds, the warm glow illuminating her face. "Thank you-" she thought softly, as she stole a glance at him while he had turned his head. "-for not letting him beat you" She shifted her body and reached over him in order to heal a deep gash he had on his side. "I don't know if I could take, ending the life of another person, who I kept close to my heart."

Ichigo shifted his body, moving his head to look at Rukia again. His traced her body, "He hurt you" he said sadly noticing the wounds on her body, he lifted one of his big hands towards hers and placed it on top of her small hands, moving them away from his body. "My wounds are more or less fine" he said, pushing his stiff body up in a sitting position, "You should concentrate on healing your wounds now."

"It's okay" she said softly. She stood up but didn't break eye contact with him, "They're not that serious." She held out her hand to help him up, he toke it and gripped her hand tightly and she helped pull him up.

The rain began to fall heavier, big droplets splashed on their heads and soaked into their skin. Their clothes stuck to their skin, restricting them.

"Don't forget to take it easy." Rukia said once Ichigo was on his feet, "I was able to heal your serious wound but there are still a few minor injuries around your body."

"Right…" he answered, a little distracted. Rukia then noticed that she was still holding onto his hand, "Oh! I'm sorry!" she blushed, removing her hand only to be stopped by Ichigo who held onto her hand tighter. "Don't." he muttered softly.

Rukia smiled, but then her smile fell into a small frown, "Ichigo?"

"Hmm?" he hummed.

"W-well," she said nervously "Your I-inner Hollow confessed something to me." She paused, blushing madly "He said that you lov-"

"I know." he interrupted, "I heard him."

Ichigo looked up at the sky, the rain drops splashed on his face. "Thank you," he muttered quietly, his voice barely above a whisper, "for stopping him." he turned to face her. "I didn't want him to use my body to hurt you like that." His face softened, and he cupped her face.

Rukias heart skipped a beat, "Ichigo, I-"

She was cut off when his lips crushed against hers. An electric sensation ran throughout her entire body. She felt Ichigo's arms wrap around her slim waist, pulling them closer together, crashing their drenched bodies against each other. She tilted her head to deepen the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his orange locks. She parted her lips slightly, running her tongue along Ichigo's bottom lip.

Ichigo let a low moan escape, and slid his tongue past her soft parted lips, his tongue meeting hers for the first time. His tongue danced with hers as they battled for dominance. He won, much to his delight and for his reward, she allowed him to explore her mouth, savoring her sweet, unique taste.

They parted in desperate need for air but his arms never left her waist and her arms hung loosely around his neck. They both panted and stared intensely inter the others eyes, neither one of them wanting to break eye contact.

"W-wow" Rukia stammered with a slight smile.

Ichigo returned the smile, resting his forehead on hers, "I've been waiting a long time to do that." he whispered smugly.

For both Ichigo and Rukia, the rain only brought back memories that they had tried so hard to forget, but now they had a memory that they will forever remember. The memory of the battle that had finally brought them together, and the day when they finally got that kiss they've been longing for.

"I love you." Rukia whispered, bringing her lips closer to his

"I love you too." he whispered back, closing the gap gently touching his lips with hers once more.

Inside the Inner World, the hollow became enraged; he balled his hands into fists and cursed under his breath.

"Damm it!" he yelled, running his hands through his white hair, "What am I gonna do now"

He looked around the empty world, and then the hollows eyes lit up, "To get the Queen you have to become the King" he sang and he looked up at the sky, "Next time" he muttered, "I will be King"

The End

Well thats the end of the story! I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I had writing it.

Reviews are always nice.

And I would like the thank everyone who has reviewed this story, you guys were the ones who kept me goning

So until next time, see ya xx