Ichigo lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought, Rukia tucked against his side, her head on his shoulder and her arm on his chest, her hand over his heart. He traced patterns on her arm as she slept, fingertips dancing across her soft skin while his arm trapped by her head drew circles on her back. He had been woken by footsteps running up and down the hall as the Fourth Division began its morning routine but was content to let Rukia sleep. He was, after all, very comfortable. In fact, he would have gone back to sleep himself but the thoughts that he had managed to avoid yesterday had snuck into his mind. The happiness that he had felt when he realized Rukia was sleeping against him was slowly being replaced by guilt and confusion.

Rukia stirred against his side and he looked down as she slowly blinked sleep from her eyes. He smiled, a rare occurrence that caused her to smile in return, and kissed her temple before letting his eyes settle on the ceiling again. They lay together in comfortable silence for awhile, both lost in their own thoughts.

Rukia rubbed her fingers over the rough fabric of his bandages and took a deep, steadying breath. "Why did you kiss me, Ichigo?"

"What? Isn't it obvious?"

"Orihime. . . She loves you."

"She. . ." He sighed, a frown marring his features. "I'm not the man she believes I am. I never will be."

Rukia remained quiet.

Ichigo looked down at her. "I can feel you, when we're in the same world. When we're not. . . when you. . ." he swallowed, ". . . died. It was different than not being together." He put his hand on his chest over hers, replaying the moment he felt her die in his mind. "Like someone had taken away my heart. Orihime, Aizen, none of it mattered. Only getting to you. It shouldn't have, but it did." He squeezed her hand. "You have my heart, Rukia, whether you want it or not."

Rukia thought of Kaien's last words to her. So she was to carry Ichigo's heart, too? She felt his heartbeat under her hand; slow, strong, steady. Felt his palm on top of her fingers, his body pressed against hers, the wrappings beneath her fingers. She did not have a crush on him, not like Renji so long ago, and he did not have a crush on her. He did not make her blush or give her butterflies, and she wondered; would kissing him and laying next to him and simply being with him and falling ever so softly in love with him make her happy? Was she happy with her head on his shoulder, with her hand tucked between his hand and heart, with him holding her close? Was she happy in this moment with him, bruised and broken and exhausted? Ichigo was still watching her, waiting as he had last night, and she finally looked up to meet his eyes. Was she happy? Very. "I want it, Ichigo."

She slipped her hand out from under his and placed it on the mattress, propping herself up so that her body hovered over his, and kissed him tenderly. He closed his eyes as he returned her kiss; slow and soft and sweet. His hand left his chest to brush through her hair, his other hand rubbing against the fabric of the kimono on her hip. "I want yours," he whispered against her lips as he pulled her closer.

Rukia propped herself on her elbows and buried her hands in his hair; nails scraping his scalp. A sigh escaped his lips as Ichigo pulled her bottom lip between his teeth. She slipped her leg over his and lightly bit his bottom lip in return before sweeping her tongue over his again and again. She felt his muscles tense and relax, tense and relax, his heart beat furiously in his chest, his sporadic breaths, his trembling fingers. Every time he sighed into her mouth a shiver ran down her spine, every time he pulled his tongue back she pushed hers forward, every place his fingers touched her skin burned. His thumb brushed over the pulse point in her neck and Rukia was suddenly aware of her own racing heart. She broke the kiss and pulled back slightly, opening her eyes. Ichigo slowly opened his; dazed and unfocused, filled with lust and confusion. "You have it, Ichigo."

Ichigo cupped Rukia's face, brushing his thumb over her swollen lips, and pulled her into a hug.

They stayed that way for several moments. "You can keep scratching my head." Rukia rolled her eyes, but complied, and Ichigo let out a deep sigh. "Mmm. . ."