Hey~o! It's March, that means Easter! Happy poach-a-rabbit-in-overalls month!
Disclaimer: Bleach and all of its glory belongs to the one and only Tite Kubo. I own nothing but this story.
Warnings: None for this chapter
He and Rukia had been standing on his front porch for some time now.
She was holding a box that contained her pet rabbit. It was about medium sized, much larger then the tiny creature would need but the added space provided comfort for the little guy. It is, after all, a very big world outside of his cage. Its vastness would be incomprehensible if he were allowed to venture outside of the safety of Rukia's bedroom. The confinement kept him safe, and all Rukia wanted was to keep him safe. That was why she was entrusting him to Ichigo while she was gone.
Rukia and her brother were leaving the country for the next few weeks. Her older brother had a business meeting with some bigwigs in America, she didn't give much detail and Ichigo didn't care to ask; Rukia would usually fill him in on anything worth interest anyway. Originally the trip was only intended to be a few days, yet they decided to extend their stay in the states because they had extended family there. They wanted the extra time to catch up with everyone.
Ichigo knew next to nothing about rabbit care. He made this clear when Rukia had asked him to babysit the bunny for her. He had never even seen her rabbit, thanks to her older brother's distinct dislike of him. He never spent any time near the Kuchiki home, let alone in it. Rukia had waved his concerns away, assuring him that it wasn't half as bad as he thought it was. Yet when staring at the box that she held close to her heart, he wasn't so sure about that.
"Well," Rukia said while glancing down at the box before looking back up to him. She knew it was time for her to stop stalling. She was supposed to have been on her way by now, and she'd be lucky if they weren't late for their flight. "This is Ulqui!" she smiled chipperly, holding out the box for Ichigo. He gingerly took it. He tried to mimic her by holding it close, but the grip he had on it wasn't the best. It was awkward and a little painful, one of his arms were bent underneath it at an odd angle. He would've dropped it if it weren't for the one clasped around the side. He cursed silently while trying to adjust.
"Thanks again for watching him," Rukia said while watching him fidget with the box. "No problem, I guess..." Ichigo mumbled the last bit. She was watching him intently and it made him uneasy. He slid his hand from under the box to mirror the other wrapped around the side and gripped the box tightly. It wasn't very heavy -he could've probably carried it with one hand- but it was better to be on the safer side while Rukia was watching him. "Although if the girls get their hands on him you might not get him back." He tried to peak through the boxes closed flaps. He couldn't see much of the rabbit, Ulqui as Rukia had called him. All he could tell was that it had dark fur. Rukia smiled thinly, "You better be sure that doesn't happen then I-chi-go."
He looked up at her, confused by how she said his name. Ichigo had to suppress a shudder at the small woman in front of him. She looked like terror's incarnate. Her narrowed eyes were zeroed in on him and her mouth was pulled into the most snake-like smile Ichigo had ever seen. He laughed nervously, "Don't worry," he swallowed, "I won't." She nodded curtly, righting herself almost instantly.
Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief. He lowered his head back to the box, curious, he made sure to secure it before prying the flaps up. Once open, he was able to see the rabbit nestled comfortably in a pile of shredded newspaper. "Be careful," he glanced up as Rukia just about shouted at him, "he will try to jump out!" Rukia reached out towards the box. "A fall from that high could kill him." Her voice was slightly strained as she stared fondly into the box. Ichigo looked at the rodent and hummed. It was small, but still large enough that it would need to be held with two hands. Its ears flopped over the sides of its head and framed its face, and its fur was the darkest black he had ever seen.
The rabbit didn't look like it was bolting just yet. It blinked at the sudden brightness, but other than that, he made no movement besides the occasional twitch of its ears and nose. Ichigo reached down and gently stroked the rabbit's ears, frowning when it shrank away from his hand.
Rukia cleared her throat, returning Ichigo's attention to her. "Now, everything you need I've already set in his cage. Just make sure you clean it twice a day." She stared pointedly at him, "I don't want him rolling in filth," she narrowed her eyes, punctuating each word with a rough poke to Ichigo's arm. "He's staying in my room. I'm not going to let him get gross so you can STOP POKING ME!" Ichigo jerked away from her. "Shit!" He hissed as the movement jostled the box.
Ulqui jolted at the sudden pull, scurrying around the bottom of the box until it steadied. He made his discomfort very clear. He thumped his hind legs repeatedly against the floor and made noises that sounded like a cross between clucking and choking.
After his tiny tantrum had ended, he shuffled around. Ichigo kept painfully still as the rabbit made its way towards him. Ulqui placed his front paws on the side of the box and lifted himself into a standing position. The little guy was just barely able to peek over the edge. Rukia inhaled sharply. She held her breath, dreading how this was going to turn.
The rabbit craned its neck, stretching in order to fit its head over the box's edge. Ichigo could clearly see its face now. Although, the only thing that was really remarkable about it was the rabbit's dazzlingly green eyes. He watched the rabbit press his nose to his chest and began sniffing, lightly at first, as if testing the water. The rabbit's sniffing became less cautioned as it warmed up to Ichigo.
Ichigo smiled down at the rabbit. "What's up fuzz-ball?" he asked. He reached down and scratched the rabbit between the ears. Ulqui clicked his teeth softly, making a sort of purring sound. He lowered himself back to the floor and then settled back in his nest of shredded paper. "Looks like Ulqui-chan likes you." Rukia smiled. Ichigo shrugged a shoulder, "If you say so."
"He shouldn't give you any trouble, he's very well behaved, but if you run into anything just call me." Rukia said as she pulled out a small, yellow notepad from her pocket. She quickly scribbled something on the pad before ripping the piece of paper out of it. "If there's an emergency though, you can use this." She held the note out to him. He gripped the yellow slip, but he was unable to take it. Rukia's fingers stayed pinched around the other half. "Only for emergencies." She repeated before releasing the slip. He glanced at the note. On it was only one word, 'Ulquiorra.' He stared at the note, confused. "How is this supposed to help?"
"That," Rukia said pointing at the slip, "is his full name." The revelation didn't clear anything up for Ichigo. She sighed. "Think of it like a call word. I haven't had to use it yet, so I'm not sure how effective it is. It'll probably get him to hold still for a few seconds, if it does anything at all." Rukia explained, shrugging nonchalantly. Ichigo nodded, folding the note and stuffing it into his shirt pocket. "So, should I just call him Ulqui?" Rukia opened her mouth to respond, but was abruptly interrupted by a car horn.
They both spared the dark blue car parked in Ichigo's driveway a glance. Sitting in the driver's seat was Rukia's disgruntled older sibling. Rukia turned back to Ichigo, "That works" she said, "sorry Ichigo, I have to get going." She reached over and pet Ulquiorra's head, "You be good now." The horn sounded again and Rukia couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Thanks again, I'll see you both when I get back." She said before finally turning on her heel. "See you later." Ichigo called out to her as she made her way down the dusty driveway. Not three seconds after she got into the car did they start to pull away. Ichigo waved a final good bye as they drove off.
Ichigo turned toward the door and placed a hand on the knob. He cracked open the door before calling into the house, "Dad, if the rabbit gets hurt because of you I will feed you to the beast!" He stepped aside before flinging the door open completely, unsurprised when his dad still came sailing past him. Ichigo walked into the house, shutting the door behind him. He briefly thought about locking it, but he knew the old man would just climb back in through a window. Even though he had keys.
"Dad, you need to be careful!" He heard Yuzu yell from the top of the stairs. Her feet thudded dully on the wooden steps as she hurried down and jogged towards Ichigo. "Is that him?" She asked, looking at the box expectantly. He nodded and lowered the box so that she could see inside. Yuzu cooed at the little black ball of fur. Ulquiorra looked at her for a moment before turning to burrow under the newspaper. She still smiled in spite of being given the cold shoulder.
"I put his supplies on your desk for you, Ichi-nii." She said looking back up to Ichigo. He nodded, "I'll let you and Karin play with him after he's settled down." He ruffled her short hair before climbing up the stairs.
After making his way into his room, he set the box on the ground and shut the door behind him. Ichigo lifted Ulquiorra out of the box and placed the rabbit in the cage that was set up on top of his desk. Before he could even set him down, the rabbit leaped out of his hands.
Ulquiorra landed on the plastic floor with a dull 'thunk.' He walked towards the middle of the cage and stood on his hind legs to survey the room. Seeming content with its new environment, the rabbit gave a small grunt before settling back onto all fours. Ichigo watched the rabbit's antics while he spread strips of newspaper along the bottom of the cage. He filled a small bowl with food and then closed the cage, leaving the rabbit to its own devices.
Self beta-ed, I combed over it as best as I could. I'm looking for a beta reader, so shout out if you're interested! Any Feedback will be loved and cared for.
