Ichigo was a mess.

A complete mess, as a matter of fact.

For days- No. Not days. For WEEKS, all the young teenager could think about were those saphirre eyes, that laugh, that perfect little smile, and her beautiful, snow-white, curvy-

Slapping himself, he forced himself to not think of such indecent thoughts, and focused on his father's study door.

He had to tell him.

This was his 'father' for goodness sake. Ichigo could tell him everything.

At least, that's what he thought.

And here he was, pacing back and forth in front of his father's study, contemplating on whether or not to throw open that mahogany door, step right up to his desk and say-

"Ichigo, I can hear you out there. Could you come inside now?"

Or, he could just pace until his father was unable to stand his annoying footsteps any longer.

The orange haired teen slowly opened the door, peeking around its edge, and stepped inside.

"F-Father... I have something that I must talk to you about..."

"As do I, which is exactly why I called you in here. Honestly, if I hadn't, I would have just left you out there." Isshin grinned.

"Thank you, father." Ichigo replied, rolling his eyes. "What is it you want to talk about?"

"You are 17 now, correct?"

"Yes, I am."

"Which means, you are also of marriageable age, are you not?"

Ichigo didn't like where this was heading. "What are you implying, father?"

"I'll get right to the point, Ichigo. Sora Inoue and I have talked about it, and we feel that you should ask for Orihime Inoue's hand in marriage."

Now, he really didn't like this. Inoue? And him? Just the thought felt extremely awkward and inconceivable.

"Father, I have no interest in marrying Inoue. She has been like a sister to me for years."

"True, yes. However, Sora and I have seen how infatuated she is with you, so there could be a chance that you could-"

Ichigo didn't let him finish. "I do not, and will not want to fall in love with her."

"Now, now, Ichigo. Enough with the hostility. Inoue is a beautiful woman, who could bear many-"

Ichigo finally cracked. "I do not care! I do not care if she is the most beautiful, or the best mother, or the best anything! I have fallen in love with-"

'A witch. I have fallen in love with a witch.'

Ichigo swallowed the words. Isshin looked at him suspiciously.

"Fallen in love, with who?"

Ichigo grit his teeth.

"Ichigo, tell me."

'Don't say it. Oh, God, don't say it.'

"Ichigo Kurosaki, if you really loved this woman, you would tell me!"

"A witch."

Silence hit the room excruciatingly hard.

Isshin looked at him incredulously. Taking off his reading glasses, he stood up.

"Excuse me?"

At first, Ichigo didn't answer right away. Fear had began seeping in through all of his unclosed defenses.

"A witch." He said, taking in a deep breath.

Isshin clasped both of his hands on Ichigo's shoulders. "Please, for the love of God, tell me you are speaking a lie."

Ichigo flinched at the harsh words, and said, "I speak only the truth, father. I have fallen in love with a witch."

Pain washed over Isshin's features, and he opened his mouth to speak. Ichigo closed his eyes, expecting the worst.

"I see."

Ichigo opened them, looking at his father who ran a hand through his short hair.

"Father?"

Isshin sighed, and took his pipe out of his pocket.

"Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned." He said, as he lit the pipe with an oil lamp on the desk.

"Father, smoking is not-"

"I'm talking about allowing you to love a witch."

Ichigo looked at him, shock evident in his eyes.

"Father..."

"Sit, my son. I have a story to tell you."

Ichigo sat down on the leather chairs, and waited for Isshin to speak. The older man walked to the window, and sighed.

"I, too, fell in love with a witch."

"What do you-"

"The first time I met your mother, I fell in love with her."

Ichigo didn't want to believe it. His beautiful mother, a witch?

"Mother... was a witch? And, you fell in love with her?"

"Indeed. The first time I met your mother, she was watering lilies in her flower garden. She looked stunning, with her hair as bright as the sun."

"She sounds nothing like a witch." Ichigo said, comparing the sweet image of his mother to the tempting visage of Rukia.

"She was a good witch, Ichigo. The only witchcraft she performed was to help the animals in the forest." Isshin sat down at his desk.

"Your mother told no one. When we got married, she kept it a secret. She hardly went out, or people would began to suspect she was a witch because of the fact that she never aged." Isshin sighed again.

"Father... How did mother die?"

Isshin winced slightly. "She passed away during childbirth. She wanted Yuzu and Karin to live, so she let herself die."

Ichigo looked at the sadness in his father's eyes, and smiled a sad smile.

"She was a wonderful mother. She loved all of us."

"Yes, I know. She is still watching over us." Isshin smiled, and then looked at Ichigo.

"You love this woman, don't you?"

"With all of my heart."

Isshin leaned back in his chair, thinking. "She is not a good witch, is she?"

Ichigo thought about her sapphire eyes, those silky curves, that seductive sensuality about her.

"No, no she is not." Ichigo said, smiling weakly.

"Hmm... If you would like, I will continue to let you see her. However, she mustn't be spotted by others. If she is, she will no doubt be burned at the stake."

Ichigo swallowed his fear. "I won't let anyone hurt her."

Isshin smiled. "Good. Now, go. Run to her."

Ichigo grinned, feeling incredibly determined now. He jumped up, thanked his father, and ran out of the house, straight for the woods.

Ichigo finally reached Rukia's little cottage. It was hidden deep in the woods, camouflaged by all the foliage. He knocked on the door, and waited.

Suddenly, the door opened with a loud bang. Ichigo ducked the flying dart as it whizzed past his head, nicking his ear. He stood up straight, and was met with those beautiful sapphire eyes that he loved so much.

Rukia looked at him, bewildered. For some reason, her heart began thumping rapidly inside of her.

Wait a second. A heart? She had forgotten she had a heart. The definition of a heart to her was an organ in her body that pumped blood throughout her body, not something that would began to shake and quiver whenever she thought of the orange haired teenager.

"I truly hope that dart wasn't for me." Ichigo asked, laughing softly.

"No, it was for a stupid rat. It already fled into the forest." Rukia said, making sure to crush Rangiku later.

"By rat, do you mean that fairy you have?"

Rukia froze. "What fairy?"

"Short, busty, light hair, a beauty mark right beneath her lip. A bit frothy, too. The first time she had seen me, she-"

"You can see her?" Rukia asked, aghast.

"Of course. Is there something wrong with that?" Ichigo asked, thoroughly confused.

Rukia stepped away from him, her thoughts beginning to pound against her skull.

'So, you mean nobody will be able to see me except you?'

'That is exactly what I mean.'

'But, what if you fall in love with someone, Rukia-sama?'

Rukia held her head in her hands, frustration and denial ripping her to pieces.

'No... This isn't happening. I am not in love with this stupid human.'

"Rukia?" Ichigo asked, walking over to her. He reached out towards her.

"Don't touch me!" Rukia yelled, tears beginning to burn as the guilt set in.

"Rukia, what's-"

"Please, just... leave." Rukia said, covering her eyes with her hands.

"Why are you-"

Without another thought, the witch waved an intricate design in the air. Before Ichigo could blink, an invisible force threw him excruciatingly hard out of the cottage.

Ichigo felt like he had been socked in the gut. Confused, hurt, and a bit annoyed, he stood up, clutching his stomach.

The door had immediately slammed shut after he had been thrown. He went up, and pounded against the door.

"Open the door!"

"Never!"

"Why are you acting like this?"

"You actually think I'm going to tell you?"

"Yes! I love you!"

"Love, love, love! You know nothing of love, you stupid human!" Rukia yelled, tears beginning to roll down her face and drip to the floor.

"You're wrong! I love you! I'm in love with you!" Ichigo yelled back, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

"I'm unlovable, you foolish boy! Just go! Run along with your stupid girlfriend and live a normal life!"

"Maybe I don't want to live a normal life! Maybe I want to spend the rest of my life with you!"

Rukia slid to the floor, and sobbed quietly. She couldn't take it. She hated this. She hated all of this. She hated him, she hated herself, she hated love.

And the thing she hated the most was the fact that she didn't hate any of this at all.

"Rukia... Why won't you let me love you?" Ichigo asked, his voice cracking.

All she could do was cry, and cry, until her body became numb.

'But, what if you fall in love with someone, Rukia-sama?'

'Ah, but you see, I am a witch, and witches never fall in love.'

EW.
I completely BS'd the ending.
It's complete shit now.
Seriously.
And, EW.
I'm seriously starting to love this story.
I love it.
So. Fucking. Much.
I put this story on my iPod so I can write it on the road.
ON THE ROAD, YOU GUISE. SERIOUSLY.
I have a sick obsession with this story.
And I've listened to Bewitched 99999999999999999999999999999 times.
So, yeah.
~Roro-chan