A/N: I was gone for a month from lurking in the bleach forums, and on the week I came back, it was to see something akin to a 50-car pileup on the freeway. A forum, which shall not be named, had apparently drastically re-engineered a well-known IchiRuki thread due to the hoopla generated by the vol54 poem on Rukia (trans by pikeish at deathberry). Being the perennial lurker that I am, I did not comment. I will, however, gleefully write a story about it.

Disclaimer: Let's face it, if I were making money out of this, I would probably be calling myself Tite Kubo and writing a whole lot better.

Tap tap tap tappity tap tap

Ichigo glared at Rukia, as she sat on his desk and seemed to treat his laptop the same way she would an arrancar. "Oi, can you be any more violent with your typing? I don't think Steve Jobs would be satisfied yet on how you're testing MacBook damage resistance."

Tap tap tap tappity tap tap

Rukia barely even glanced at him, let alone make a retort about his obscure human-world references. "Oi! Midget!"

Tap tap tap tappity tap tap

Not a single kick. Not even a frown. He was past irritation now and getting to the edge of worry.

Ichigo had been sprawled on the bed reading a book, and had not even gone past the first page when Rukia came barging in and asked to borrow his laptop. He had been incredulous at first that she even knew how to operate one, but then had grudgingly agreed. Zangetsu bemusedly pointed out that it was just so he could watch over her in his bedroom. He mentally flipped off the old man right away.

He glanced at her again, his eyebrows threatening to form into a single, creased unit. He didn't really care about the laptop, he had to admit. He was bothered more by the fact that she was bothered by something.

Since getting his Shinigami powers back, and being able to see spirits again, he had caught himself staring at Rukia time and time again, drinking in her form. Ishida had even sniggered about it, commenting that he 'must have contracted a rare eye disease, since they were threatening to pop out'. He verbally flipped off four-eyes right away.

Of course, now that he's an adult (seventeen counts as one, in his opinion), he was more reflective. He knew that having Rukia (and Soul Society, don't forget them) back in his world was significant. But he also knew that his reaction was going beyond mere anticipation at the next turn of events. That flutter in his stomach? He had to own up that it wasn't because he was excited about fighting the next batch of bad guys.

Two years had changed him. The Ichigo of that time would not have given a second thought at the possibility of a fight. The Ichigo of that time would not have screamed in despair at the possibility of loss. And yes, the Ichigo of that time would not have looked at a girl with such tenderness, that his own father had to start screaming 'eyesmex'. He violently flipped off goat-beard right away.

It was all because he had met Rukia.

He heaved himself up and sat by the edge of the bed, and with uncharacteristic restraint, asked, "is there something wrong?"

There must have been something in his voice, because Rukia finally turned her head to look at him. "It's this forum," she huffed.

He quirked an eyebrow at that. What the hell? "Er, okay? And?"

"I had posted a comment, and then the moderator deleted it. And now, every time I try to post anything about it, those posts kept getting deleted. It is completely ridiculous and a total sign of bias."

His eyebrows were threatening to climb to his hairline. Rukia? Forums? Comments? What? (she doesn't do technology) It seemed other things had changed with Rukia besides her hairdo and badge. "I'm not even gonna ask how you found out about posting in forums. That's probably you hanging out with the Shinigami Women's Association and their nutsiness. What I am going to say is that you should just stay away from that forum, then." He nodded to himself, problem solved.

Rukia, of course, seemed to think otherwise. "It was a completely innocent remark. If I retreated now, it would be similar to admitting that my comment was inappropriate. I could not, as a Kuchiki, countenance that."

"Okay, those gloves are making you channel Byakuya. That's a little creepy."

"Ichigo!"

"Okay! Okay! Why don't you just chill for a moment then, maybe those mods might, too. Yuzu and Karin are downstairs, and I think there's a strawberry cake down there with them too."

She flashed him a grin, the irritation from before forgotten and forgiven. "That is probably an excellent idea. I have not spent much time with them since I returned, and this is probably the best time to do so." She gracefully stood up and walked towards the door.

Ichigo felt his lips twitch in a smile. As much as he thought Rukia had changed, some things were still the same. He ignored that other part of him that suddenly regretted losing her company.

"Aren't you coming too?" she asked artlessly, head turned to one side as she eyed him.

Ichigo had to keep himself from letting out a chiming laugh (he doesn't do chiming laughs). Another thing that hasn't changed was how Rukia seemed to know his very thoughts. "I will in a sec."

She nodded and left the bedroom, somehow taking the light in it with her.

Ichigo snorted to himself as he stood up. He walked over to the laptop to close it, when he saw the thread.

[ fangirl2012: Eeeeek! I can't believe it. Tite Kubo just came out with the latest cover for vol 54, and it's got HER in it 33333 ]

[ shiromyl0ve: Who's gonna bet it's gonna start fanwank? Anything highlighting her in a positive way always seem to get the most fan abuse ]

[ innerbea$t: ~shiromyl0ve, don't start hating now, the other pairing fc is entitled to their opinion as much as your fc is ]

[ fanboyxtreme: Will you fangirls just calm down already? It's one character on a cover, ain't nothing remarkable about it ]

[ poetryclubmember: Oh, I can't wait to read and analyze her poem. It might reveal the inner turmoil she went through during the timeskip. Anyone have the transcans yet? ]

[ rukiakuchiki: Hi, this is my first time posting. This is an interesting forum board that a friend at work had recommended. If anyone is interested, I have the translation of the poem. I will be posting it next. ]

[ rukiakuchiki: **post deleted** ]

[ rukiakuchiki: Umm, I do apologize. I believe there is something wrong with this laptop that I borrowed. Let me resend the post again. ]

[ rukiakuchiki: **post deleted** ]

[ rukiakuchiki: These new-fangled devices seem to be non-operational. If all of you can be patient, I will ask for help from the laptop owner. ]

[ rukiakuchiki: **post deleted** ]

[ tummychan: Er, rukiakuchiki, not to burst your bubble, honey, but looks like the mods just deleted your post; probably coz of inappropriate content; please check the forum rules before posting ]

[ rukiakuchiki: This is completely untrue! I had read the rules and abide by them strictly. Granted, I do not always follow all rules, but in this, I assure you, I was completely 'appropriate'. There was nothing inflammatory in the poem. ]

[ lovesucksnsodou: LMAO, listen, noob, that poem right there is probably all cuddly doodly, and gunning for a shipping war; just drop it ]

[ rukiakuchiki: **post deleted** ]

[ rukiakuchiki: **post deleted** ]

[ rukiakuchiki: **post deleted** ]

Ichigo had to keep himself from rolling his eyes. Rukia shouldn't even go into forums. It's just a completely different language for her. He was betting those last deleted posts all contained a verbal kick in someone's shin in her own archaic way. He was curious at the poem that she was trying to post. He did not see Rukia as being petty enough to get involved in a ship war.

He clicked open a file and read through it.

If it can be said that it is the heart that is unchanging, then that is strength.

Images of Rukia suddenly filled his thoughts: when she first said her name, when she told him she would wait until he could talk, when she looked back at him before she was stolen away by her brother and friend, when she looked up and saw him atop Sokyoku Hill, when she was lying down bloodied and being healed, when she asked him if he didn't think she was his nakama, when she said goodbye, and when she said hello.

She had completely changed his world, but that bond that they shared remained, despite all those changes around them.

He laughed softly. That's what he was trying to tell her when she first showed up with that pseudo-sword, but then she of course knew what he was gonna say, and had cut him off self-consciously. His past didn't really change, because he still had his memories of her.

And that, he allowed himself to realize now, was what gave him strength to move in this world.

He nodded to himself, and finally decided on something. If he was gonna do this, might as well do it as unambiguously as possible. He started typing in his name in the forum thread, and wrote three simple words. He knew she would eventually read it, and probably blush before kicking him in the shin. Some things, after all, don't change.

In a similar room, in a different town…

"Riruka, will you stop harassing that laptop already?" Jackie loomed over the pink-haired girl, ready to drag her away.

Riruka ignored her, intent only on the screen in front of her.

Jackie sighed in frustration. "Yukio is missing you in the other room, you know."

She heard the boy's cries of protest behind the wall, and had to grin to herself. If he wasn't so interested, then why listen in on other people's conversations? Especially with that stupid headset on his ears all the time.

"Riruka."

Something in her voice finally penetrated through the young girl's mind. "I'm busy, go away, Jackie."

"What the hell are you so busy about? You don't do anything but eat donuts!"

"Eating donuts is considered cute according to this one poll. You should try it sometime." She turned back again and started pressing down on the mouse button viciously.

Jackie had to admit to herself that she was curious as hell on what could be attracting the close attention of the normally ADD-afflicted girl. She surreptitiously sneaked a peek over the other's shoulder, and saw a forum thread.

Riruka was muttering to herself, and Jackie leaned over some more to listen.

[ fairytalescometrue: orange-haired prince is only for orange-haired princess, that's all ] "hmm, okay, approve."

[ bustyblondesrbest: check out our site if you want to see more goodies about our fave hottie pairing, and pooh pooh on that other pairing that's not sharing! ] "oooh, those are nice, approve."

[ boysonly21: anyone wanna talk about how kick-ass- the new villains are? they practically impaled that butlergami, splattered his guts all over the floor ] "eh, another fanboy on a blood rage, oh well, approve."

[ uraharakisuke: I have candy if anyone's interested, if you know what I mean~~~ ] "a little bit disturbing, but some people are probably into it, approve"

[ ichigokurosaki: I like Rukia. ]

At this last post, Jackie saw Riruka explode. "These people never seem to get it! No inappropriate posts!" She then violently pressed on a mouse button.

** POST DELETED **