A/N: Happy Valentine's day everyone! This is just a little Valentine's day one-shot. It's not necessarily "romantic," but it's based more on the IchiRuki bond where they learn from each other. Honestly, I didn't really like how it came out, 'cause it's not really romantic, and it's not necessarily all friendship either. It's just a something.

I got this idea from the balloons that we [as in French club] sell before and on Valentine's day. This one-shot was supposed to be fluffy, but it's more serious than it is fluffy, but whatever, at least I tried.

I'm glad people like this, but please, I already know Ichigo's OOC [if he wasn't, this wouldn't have worked out as well]! So, you don't need to tell me every single time. Other than that, I appreciate all the comments. Thank you for reading!

A Lesson on The Heart

"Today, we're going to be doing something totally different and completely out of the ordinary. We are going to learn about the human heart," said the Literature teacher.

All the students cheered gladly as they wouldn't have to do a regular day's amount of work. The heart, after all, was already taught to them in living environment.

Oh, wait, this wasn't science class.

"We will start with a short five to eight-hundred word essay on what you guys think of the human heart. Write whatever you feel, all opinions are accepted. I would advise that you reference a person you know, maybe a family member or a celebrity. It's your choice. Also, remember, elaborate your thoughts, include emotions that can be felt, and show not tell. And don't be grandiloquent with me," said the teacher.

Rukia groaned silently, an essay? On the human heart? She was the probably the worst person to ask –other than that creepy kid across the room that Orihime liked to talk to, Ulquiorra Schiffer/Cifer.

What could she write? She never really saw the heart as anything other than an organ in the body that pumped blood. Well, she knew that the "metaphorical" heart that her teacher was implying to could be broken and had an unlimited amount of space. Other than that though, she didn't know what to write. Rukia wasn't filled with love and goodness like Orihime was, so she definitely couldn't find an answer looking at herself.

She didn't have any family members she could love, and she didn't have anyone who loved her back, so this whole "heart" thing was a difficult case.

"Ugh… what can I write about?" mumbled Rukia silently, unconsciously running a hand through her hair.

"Well, do you have any family members who have had their heart broken?" asked the person who sat to her left.

Rukia turned and noticed that, the Kurosaki Ichigo was sitting right there, actually talking to her. He was insanely popular with the girls, and he was practically friends with everyone –excluding her since she had never talked to him before. She had to admit though, he was probably the only guy she had respect for, other than Renji, but he didn't count. "No… I, uh, don't have a family."

Ichigo widened his eyes at her and just stared, but quickly collected himself before looking at her with a hint of sympathy, "Oh, I guess that's not an option then, right? Uh, sorry for bringing it up then."

"Nah, it's okay, you didn't know. Thanks for trying though," she whispered to him, smiling politely. She turned away from him and started to scribble something onto her paper, unaware that the orange haired teen beside her still hadn't turned his gaze away from her.

Still wanting to converse with her and possibly learn more, Ichigo brought up something else. "Do have someone that you love or admire? Like a boyfriend or a peer?" He wasn't being stalker. He just wanted to actually talk to her since she didn't talk often. He wanted to know why she was always the way she was.

"Nope, no boyfriends, or anyone I really admire either. I'm not that open," said Rukia. Okay, maybe she was lying. She actually did admire someone, or some people. She admired Chappy the Rabbit, a third year named Miyako, Orihime, and unbeknownst to him, Kurosaki Ichigo. She didn't have a crush on him or anything like that. She just –thought he was kind of hot- looked up to him for being able to speak his mind and make friends. Who was she kidding though? Practically everyone admired him! He had the looks –besides his slight scowl-, the grades and a good personality.

"Ah, that makes this essay a little harder to write for you, doesn't it? Here, I'll tell you what I'm gonna write about. I'm writing about my mom. She died in a car accident a long time ago and I'm going to talk about the grief in my family's hearts after that happened. See, you have to focus on the emotions, Rukia, if I can call you that," said Ichigo, playing with his pen before looking back at Rukia.

"Uh… that's sad, about your mom," said Rukia, glancing at her hands. She didn't even have to say "I'm sorry" for him to get the picture. It was all written in her eyes. "Um, thanks for the advice anyways. So, I have to think about emotions of the heart?"

He nodded, "Yeah, think about the emotions we can feel and put it into an essay. The easiest thing to do is to focus each paragraph on one emotion. Whether it be love, hate, regret, stuff like that. You get what I mean?"

She nodded back at him, understanding, "Yeah, thanks for the help." She smiled sincerely at him.

"No problem… and you should smile more often. Your smile's beautiful," said Ichigo, smiling back at her before turning back to his paper. He never talked to her before now, but he always knew she was lonely. His chat with her just now proved his thoughts to be correct. She didn't have anyone to love her, but she had plenty of people to love, she just didn't realize it. Somehow, that drew him towards her more. She had this weird atmosphere around her that seemed to draw him to her. Maybe if she didn't know how to love, he could teach her.

"Uh, thanks…," said Rukia, blushing slightly. She turned away quickly and looked down at her paper. Did he really just say I had a beautiful smile? Speak of cheesy, but that's some corny shit right there, she thought, but it was kind of nice, I guess. No one ever compliments me, let alone a guy.

"Look, they're selling heart balloons!" Orihime enthusiastically pointed at a couple of third year students holding loads of balloons.

There was a whole line of students crowding around them, waiting to buy their balloon for their boyfriend/girlfriend.

Ah, typical Valentine's Day.

"I wish someone would give me a balloon," said Orihime dreamily, following after Rukia. "It's so cute and romantic!"

Rukia shrugged, and sat down at her spot under her favorite tree, "I think it's just plain cheesy, honestly." She unwrapped and opened her bento, grabbing her chopsticks.

"Aww, come on! Where's your Valentine's spirit, Rukia? Even Tatsuki is feeling it," Orihime pouted and nibbled on her sandwich.

"I dunno, I guess I'm just not feeling it," Rukia stuck some rice in her mouth and started chewing before she said, "I'm not much of a 'lovey-dovey' person anyways."

Orihime, with her cheeks filled with sandwich, struggled to swallow her food, "Um… nom…nom, okay! Swallowed! Anyways, you don't have to be 'lovey-dovey.'"

Rukia opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted when a third year came over to her and asked her if she was "Kuchiki Rukia," by which she nodded yes. The third year smiled and handed her a balloon before trotting away.

She just stared at the balloon, surprised she even had one in her hand directed to her.

"You got a balloon! Who's it from?" squealed Orihime, clasping her hands together and enthusiastically bouncing up and down on the ground.

The said raven haired teen looked at the small tag tied onto the balloon's stick with a ribbon. She shrugged, "It says, 'from anonymous.'"

"What? Anonymous? Let me see," Orihime stopped her bouncing and crawled over to bend the tag backwards so she could read its contents. "You're right. Hmm… that's weird. It seems we have a mystery on our hands," she put on a "Sherlock Holmes" face and a hand to her chin, and looked around. "Let's find out who your secret sender is with my keen eagle eyes!"

Rukia rolled her eyes, and chuckled. She wiggled the balloon around until she noticed there was a note on the back of the tag that Orihime's "keen eagle eyes" didn't seem to catch.

It said,

Sorry again about asking about your… er, non-existent family? I wish I knew about it before I had said anything, but that's actually the thing, Rukia. You just need to learn to trust people and let them in and confide in them. That's the first lesson of the heart, to learn to trust and confide. First is to start with your friends, like the one you're sitting with right now.

P.S. You told me that you didn't have anyone to love you and that you didn't have anyone to love. Considering that, I think you should start to learn how to love other people starting right now. And I would gladly be your first ;D.

Happy Valentine's Day

~ K. I. or A.K.A. Your secret cheesy sender

Rukia blinked at the note, and surprisingly, even for herself, giggled. She looked around, looking for her "secret sender," and as if almost immediately, she found him on the roof of the school with his friends, looking right back at her. They locked gazes for a moment, and Rukia smiled genuinely at him, as he did the same.

She mouthed a "thank you" to him, and gave him a quick toothy grin.

Ah… cheesy ol' Valentine's Day.

Thanks for reading! Please review and check out my other stories! Reviews equal happiness!