Title: Afterlife
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, its characters, or their awesomeness. Tite Kubo does, lucky bastard! Also, all characters are of the age of legal consent.
A/N: This is my first story ever so please no flames. I love constructive comments though, I need them to get better.
A Long Winter's Night
Ichigo rolled over on his bed letting out a sigh as he came to face the window. It was shut closed against the harsh winter winds that seemed to blow perpetually against the glass. He let out a shiver as he attempted to wrap himself tighter in his blankets. He thought back to those carefree days when he would leave his window open as an invitation the shinigami patrolling Karakura. That was before the war. Before blackness cloaked his life.
Why was the night such a scary time? Ichigo had become a shinigami to protect those whom he loved against the monsters that hid in the dark. However, on cold nights like these he could find no asylum from the terror that ran through him when he closed his eyes against the night. Images of his comrades and friends falling at the hands of Aizen's army burned themselves on the back of Ichigo's eyelids. Every time he was tempted to give into the overwhelming weariness that plagued him, he would try to stay awake in hopes of preventing the war from replaying its gruesome scenes. It was in vain though. His body would inevitably slip into unconsciousness and the horror would begin. The worst was when he saw Rukia. Her blood soaked chest heaving as it tried to suck in another painful breath. He would scream in his mind as he tried to save her this time. If only he could reach her before Nnoitra's blade tore into her again, severing her from all that she knew. He never made it. He never did. Night after night he would try to rescue his fellow shinigami and night after night he would fail.
A soft knock at the window woke him from his nightmares. Ichigo shot up like a bolt in bed, sweat dripping from his orange hair and onto his bare shoulders. Hesitantly, he opened the window to let his midnight visitor in.
Renji paused for a moment on the sill before landing next to Ichigo's bed. He had been patrolling Karakura when he sensed a dangerous spike in a familiar reiatsu. It didn't take him long to figure out that it was Ichigo who was in trouble and he shunpoed quickly to the source of the disturbance.
"Oi. Did I wake ya?" Renji surveyed the boy's room for anything abnormal before settling his gaze on the smaller man.
"Nah. . .just had a bad dream" spat Ichigo darkly. He saw Renji narrow his eyes at this and quickly sought some damage control.
"I dreamt that Don Kanoji was taking over for me as substitute shinigami." Ichigo weakly chuckled.
"Nah, he's way too talented for such a junior position" stated Renji just before getting hit by Ichigo's flying pillow.
"Easy, easy! I was just joking" Renji laughed as he returned the pillow. He could tell the kid didn't wait to talk about whatever was bothering him and decided he would pursue it later.
The tension died down a bit and Ichigo took this time to size up his old war comrade. He hadn't changed much physically though Ichigo supposed that the 10 years since Aizen's war wouldn't have shown on a shinigami. "So what are you doing here Renji?"
"Eh, 'snot that busy tonight. Only a few minor hollows, nothing Zabimaru and I couldn't handle." Ichigo noted that Renji's smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Are you heading back to Soul Society now?" nervously muttered Ichigo as he looked down as his own folded hands.
Renji looked on curiously at Ichigo's display of anxiety, "I thought I might crash here tonight. Ya know how quiet it's been since the war."
Ichigo's eyes flashed up and met Renji's at his mention of the war. He wasn't sure what emotion was playing in those brown depths but it intrigued him to find out and cease the boy's suffering.
Ichigo pointed across the room. "There's an extra futon in the closet that Ru- . . . that isn't been used."
Renji gav a small sigh. "Okay, thanks." He slowly padded to the sliding door where his best friend and first love used to reside. His back to Ichigo, Renji took a moment to close his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose, imagining that he could smell that unique combination of sakura and snow that was inexplicable Rukia. He quietly exhaled through his mouth and turned back around to face the room. He looked up at Ichigo and saw that he was also in his own world reminiscing about the girl that made both their worlds come alive with wonder.
The tanned man set out his futon in the middle of the room and laid down upon it. He drew his arm over his eyes but not before catching a quick glimpse of Ichigo turing over to face the wall. He thought he could hear a muffled sob escape the boy's lips before the silence enveloped them. Renji silently thanked Kuchiki-taicho for sending him on this mission to aid the substitute shinigami's transition to Soul Society. Ichigo didn't know it yet but he was about to become a full-fledged member of the Gotei thirteen.
Renji communicator beeped as a bright white light filled Ichigo's room. The Arrancar had come and Ichigo was about to die.