Rukia stepped down off the windowsill, looking straight at Ichigo. A million feelings were bursting through her at this moment. First and foremost, absolute joy seeing him again after two whole months. He seemed to be taller, and more muscular...

And then hurt, and betrayal, which was stupid, because her and Ichigo were not a couple, therefore he wasn't obliged to her.

But just the fact that she had spent the entirety of her two months within the Soul Society just pleading to get out and back to him, and then when she was finally granted that request, this was the first thing she'd heard...

She tore her gaze from him and locked it with Orihime, who's cheeks were annoyingly pink. Could that mean she was embarrassed by being overheard? No. Orihime would want Rukia to think she had won. Maybe... she was faking it? Maybe Rukia had misheard, or was interpreting it wrong?

How many different interpretations of "sleeping with you" were there?!

...

She took a deep breath, and started walking towards them. She noticed how Ichigo has suddenly smiled wide, and how Orihime was cowering away from her determined steps. To be honest, she was a little confused at Ichigo's actions.

The closer she got, the smaller his smile got as he came to realise she was not sharing his enjoyment in their first meeting in months. Rather, she had a murderous look on her face, and the deeper he looked into her eyes, he could see... was that disappointment? And... heartbreak? What was going on?

"Rukia?", Ichigo asked, as she had finally stopped dead infront of the two. She completely ignored Orihime's blushing and stared straight at Ichigo, searching for answers hidden behind that innocent, gorgeous face.

She nearly broke down and hugged him, she'd been away from that face so long, and all she wanted to do was be close to him...

But she also had to find out the truth.

"Is it true?", she asked him, trying to disguise how her voice was shaking.

"What?", he asked, genuinely clueless. Maybe he hadn't realised her arrival had been early enough to hear what he and Orihime had been discussing prior.

"Did you... did you sleep with her?", Rukia asked softly, her own cheeks going pink as she felt the embarrassment flood her face. When she got no immediate answer, she snapped her head up to stare at him. What was the cause for this hesitation?!

"It's true, isn't it!!", she shouted, trying so hard to keep calm and collected, but failing miserably. Was this it? If it was, and Ichigo had chosen Orihime over her, then getting worked up about it was the worst thing to do. He could never ever know she had feelings for him. Sure, hiding them forever would tear her apart, but it was better than Ichigo realising she was in love with him.

Especially as he didn't love her back.

What could she do then? She kept revisiting one solid answer within her mind. It was simple really, if not devastating... but, she would have to return to the Soul Society. Forever. Despite just being granted permission to live here the majority of her time. She didn't even know if the Soul Society would even want her back. Such changing of the mind should be worth execution. Maybe that was the best solution.

Why was the jerk still not saying anything?!

She looked up at his face searchingly, and was greeted with the answer for his silence.

Ichigo's mouth hung open, and his eyes were wide in surprise and disbelief. And then his face flushed beetroot red.

"Did I... what?!", he stammered.

"You heard me", she muttured, now wondering why he was aching so surprised. Could that mean it hadn't happened? She allowed herself a sliver of hope.

"It's not what you think!!", he burst out. "It was late and Orihime just stayed over, that's all. Nothing happened!!"

Ah. So that was it.

"I can't believe...", she broke off, allowing her murderous glare to speak for itself.

"Hey, hey! I said nothing happened! So don't go spreading rumours, okay? And anyway... why do you care so much?!"

Because I'm in love with you.

"I... I don't know."

And she turned, and went right out the window from where she entered, ignoring his shouts of her name, for her to come back, and what was wrong.

So like that, had Orihime won?