He new it was going to happpen sooner or later, he had been expecting that all-mighty wall to tumble down for some time now, and he had been telling himself that he was prepared, he wasn't, he wasn't even close to being ready, how could he be? How did you prepare for something like that? It had all started with such a simple request too, why did he have to be so stubborn? "Ichigo, hand me my sketch pad," she requested, he gave her a disaproveing look and crossed his arms over his chest defiantly, she rolled her eyes, "PLEASE hand me my sketch pad?" he didn't flinch, she looked at him strangely, he shook his head slightly, why did this have to happen? "I don't think that's such a good idea," he replied, that did it, the wall started to crumble down and now there was no stopping it, he wished more than anything that HE was the one with the cracked ribs, her eyes narrowed and she snarled at him, "Oh?! And who are YOU to decide wat is and isn't a good idea?! Are YOU the one sitting here in pain?!" 'No, but I wish I was,' he thought, the venom of her words didn't phase him at all, "I just think that you should rest, that's all, I don't want you to be in any more pain," she groaned in exhaustion and in irritation but Ichigo mistook it as a moan of pain and he immidiatly rushed to her side and began looking over her bandeged chest in an attempt to find something wrong, noticing this, she shoved him away from her, "Get AWAY from me you obsessive jerk!" She yelled, "Now you've REALLY done it! You say you don't want me to be in pain?! You give me every pain-killer in the world but you can't give me something I actually WANT to get my mind off it?! You're such a hypacrit! Can't you except the fact that I'm stronger than you think?! I'm not some breakable little glass doll that will shatter if you let it do ANYTHING except sit there on a shelf and collect dust! Wen are you going to understand that?!" This time the poision she sprayed seeped right through him, he looked up at her in shock and pain, it was all so painfully true, he new he was wrong but he couldn't help but feel that he was responsible for this, he couldn't protect her from that hollow and now she was sitting here, mad as a Spitting Cobra, with a broken rib cage and a shattered heart, and in so much pain, he wished more than ever that HE was the one layed up with the broken ribs, not her, never her, she dosen't deserve it, she NEVER deserved it, "And don't sit there loooking at me like YOU'RE the one suffering here! I don't care how sorry you feel for me you're STILL not going to feel half as bad as I do! All the 'I'm sorry' 's and 'I wish it was me' 's in the world isn't going to make ME feel sorry for YOU!" Ichigo nodded and stood up, "You're right, you're absolutely right, and you shouldn't feel sorry for me, I no you don't care, but I really DO wish I was the injured one," she didn't respond, half her wanted to say 'Yeah I do too', just to get back at him, but she didn't, she just couldn' say something THAT cruel, she would never wish something so dreadfull on him anyway, she turned over to face away from him, he leaned over her and tried to see her face, but she just rolled back over and stared at his waist, he looked down, she faced away, he leaned forward, she leaned away, finally he got sick of the cycle and held her rists in his hands, pinning her to the bed, "Let me go!" She screamed, fidgeting and trying to get away, he didn't move, he kept her pinned there on her back, "Ichigo!" she screamed, nothing, finally she just decided to do something really mean, she took in a deep breath, then, she spit right in his eye, automatically he sprang up and leaped away from her, she quickly sprang up (or as quickly as she could with a fractured rib cage) she grabbed her robe and slid it on, running towards the door, Ichigo grabbed her rists the same way he had before, "Let me go!" she screeched, he didn't flinch, she tried to spit in his eye again, but before she could, his lips locked her's, she was so surprised that she hesitated before kissing back, she relaxed her body and melted into him, she forgot why she would ever want to escape this, she didn't protest at all wen he deepened the kiss, she deepened it as well, her arms around his neck, his around her waist, his tounge brushed her lips and she allowed him entrance into her mouth, slideing her tounge into his as well, finally the kiss softened and they slowed into giveing eachotheer very small kisses to the lips, "Rukia," he was the first to regain his breath and Rukia was sorry that the kiss had to end so quickly, "I am so sorry, I really didn't mean to cause you even more pain than you were already in, I just-" he was cut off by her lips on his, the kiss deepened agained, this time Ichigo trailed kisses along her cheek and down her neck, he lost himself in the feel of her for a split second, but qickly regained his senses, and pulled away, "Idiot, stop ending it so early! Do you WANT me to hit you?!" she gave him a disaproveing look, "No, not at all," he grinned cockily, "I just don't want to hurt you, you're already dameged," she was about to screech at him but he continued, "That, and I also don't want to go too far with you, I don't want you to be uncomfortable," she smiled at him forgivingly, "You no...I'm not REALLY that mad at you, I just want you to understand that I'm in MORE pain wen I'm just sitting here thinking about it," Ichigo brushed a hair from her face, "Rukia," he wispered, "I am so, very in love with you" he smiled softly, her face darkened, "You can't love me," she wispered painfully, "Why not?" he looked devistated, "Because...you just can't," "That dosen't make any sense," "You can't love me because....because I don't,..." he prepared for the worest, the words 'I don't love you' repeated again and again in his mind, "I don't deserve you," he stared at her in disbelief, but then smiled and started laughing, "Wat? Ofcourse you do! You deserve someone even better than me!" Rukia shook her head, "No I don't! I don't deserve to be happy!" Ichigo's eyes narrowed, "Do you want me to be happy?" "Yes ofcourse I do!" "Well Rukia, I'm happy with you," he kisseed her again, "I love you so much, and even if it means doing something painfull, I will do ANYTHING to make you happy," she bit her lip, "I love you too, but-" "No, no 'but's, that's all that matters," he kissed her again, "This isn't over you no, I hate to say it but, a few sweet words isn't going to make me feel any diffrent, you're going to have to do alot more than that," Ichigo nodded, "I no, anything to make you happy," she smiled back at him, "And you the same," they layed down on the bed, Rukia cradeled beneath Ichigo's strong arms, they layed there and started to drift to sleep, the collapsed wall slowly rebuilding itsself