Title: Quietly
Fandom: Bleach
Ratings/Warnings: Lots of alcohol abuse and mild adult themes.
Pairing: Shuuhei Hisagi/Kira Izuru
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Bleach
AN: It's un-betaed so I am really sorry for any mistakes I make for they are mine, and mine alone. I decided to write an AU fic this time because there are just so many things you could explore and control within an AU story. Hope you enjoy reading the story. Thank you! :)
prologue
The rain poured down in silver sheets from the sky. People took out their umbrellas and hid under the protection it provided as they hurried their way through the rain, contributing to the myriad of colours that decorated the scene.
A petite blonde walked down the street, feet disturbing the wet puddles that formed on the potholes, shivering from the coldness. A jacket hugged his lithe figure. He held an umbrella and was dressed in a plain shirt and long black slacks.
When he was about to turn around a corner of the street, an unknown figure that leaned against a shop window stopped him in his tracks. It appeared to be crouching, legs closed together with its arms cuddling its body to retain as much body heat as it could. The figure squeezed its arms tighter and that was when the blonde realized the stranger was a teenager, no older than a few years than himself.
Is he homeless?
The blonde pondered over his question and studied the stranger for awhile longer. The stranger had black, unkempt hair and clothes so torn and tattered he wondered how the teen could tolerate wearing them.
He reached out, fingers touching the stranger's arms.
He feels so much like me.
The man looked up. All he could see was a blur with blonde hair. He had been starving for days and was shivering frightfully from the rain.
"Hey."
His face instantly revealed confusion. Nobody had ever stopped to talk to him before. Not once. Never.
"You look cold," the blonde said as he took off his jacket and offered it to the raven-haired man. The brunette was perplexed at the gesture, but he gingerly accepted the coat.
The blonde reached into the pockets of his black slacks and out appeared a wallet. He opened it, and grabbed a wad of notes, emptying it.
The blonde only managed a smile as he shoved the money into the stranger's hand to avoid protest.
"No need to say anything"
With that, he stood up, and walked away.
The man stared at the money in his hand, eyes wide open and dumbfounded. He snapped out of his reverie and looked at the retreating figure of the kind stranger he had met.
He could never forget that weak smile on the blonde's face.
Chapter 1
It had only been a matter of five years since Shuuhei Hisagi was picked off the streets by Kensei Muguruma, a doctor and unavailable bachelor. His luck had turned him from a poor orphan running around the streets stealing and begging for food to a respectable young man in his prime.
Now twenty, he rents his own apartment, not wanting to impose on his adoptive father. He works as a part-time waiter at a Japanese restaurant near his rented apartment to earn some money to pay for his University fees.
He had never fell in love before, with the exception of having a harmless crush on his big-breasted friend Matsumoto Rangiku and his effeminate best buddy Yumichika. It was the day after his twenty-first birthday everything he thought about his life changed.
Shuuhei ran his hand across his black hair, wondering what he should do now. His apartment was a mess. Apparently, his dear friends decided to hold a party in his house while he was out. The unmistakable stench of alcohol hung in the air, empty bottles of sake and wine rolled on the floor, a dead giveaway of what happened last night.
Shuuhei went over to one of the many bodies sprawled on the the floor and kicked it.
"Oi. Wake up, Iba."
The man who sported a crew-cut and was wearing his sunglasses stirred. He mumbled some unintelligible words and went back to sleep.
"Tch."
He proceeded to a bald man who was drooling all over the floor.
"Ikkaku"
"Arghhhhh get lost, I wanna sleep."
"It's my damn house, Ikkaku. You can't sleep here."
"We wanted to surprise you last night so we brought all these bottles of sake and wine," Ikkaku said, shouting his words, before he continued quickly, "- because it was your birthday but you didn't come home"
That caught Shuuhei's attention. It is his birthday today? He thought to himself and realized it is his birthday today. He had been so caught up with work he forgot all about it.
"Don't forget the...the thing where you put the cake in it," Iba, whom Shuuhei thought was fast asleep joined in. He pointed to a unopened box tied up nicely with a red ribbon on the dining table.
"And you...you should know...what happened after we waited for you," Ikkaku said, giggling like a girl.
"Happy twenty-first birthday Shuuhei", Yumichika muttered, whose face was tinged with the colour red. He turned and ended up hugging his bald friend, thinking he was a pillow.
Shuuhei smiled to himself. His friends may be rowdy and rude, but they were the best friends he could ever have in the world.
"PAAAAAARTY!," an excited woman with strawberry-blonde hair shouted.
Matsumoto Rangiku carried bottles of sake, shoving them onto anyone, whether they wanted it or not.
There was an energetic atmosphere in the small, enclosed room; Ikkaku and Yumichika were singing any random songs they could think off, Orihime and Rukia were chatting happily away. The food got cleaned off rather quickly by a very hungry Iba.
A pleasantly surprised Shuuhei stared at the scene before him. A birthday party? Really? He could never have expected that. His adoptive father never held birthday parties, and he did not get a chance to celebrate his while he was still an orphan trying to survive on the streets.
"Soooo how's the birthday boy enjoying his party?," an orange-haired teenager asked.
"Everything's good, Ichigo. But why do you guys have to hold it at my workplace?"
"Since you work here we figured the manager would give us a discount, ne." Ichigo said.
He continued, "Oh, and don't forget the secret present," and gave a wink.
Shuuhei's eyebrows went up. "Secret present? What pre-"
"Hey! Let's blow out the candles!", Rangiku yelled to everyone.
Shuuhei did not get a chance to continue his question as a birthday cake was presented to him.
Everyone in the room cheered wildly and begin to sing 'Happy birthday'.
All of Shuuhei's worries and troubles melted away in an instant as he blew out the candles.
Happy twenty-first birthday, he told himself, and he proceeded to cut the cake.
"What are you guys doing? All of you are drunk, I swear."
"Naaaaw, it's just something we've been planning ever since you blurted out you liked Yumichika after you drunk that entire bottle of sake," Ikkaku explained.
Giggling, a drunk Yumichika said, "I am really flattered you liked me! But of course, it's only natural because I am so beautiful."
"Stop being so vain, Yumichika", Iba joined in, "Hisagi-kun, sorry about the blindfold but we can't tell you where we're going."
"He'll probably run away if he knew, Iba.", Rangiku commented.
Shuuhei wondered what they were planning.
He felt the cab they were in screeching to a got out after paying and entered an unknown building Shuuhei could not see.
"Hey, do you have any cuties available. My friend here", pointing to Shuuhei, "just turned twenty-one and we decided to give him a present."
"Of course. We have the widest selection here. How about this one?"
Shuuhei could hear a pen tapping against a solid surface.
"Kinsenka's very popular with the customers."
Wait a minute. What is going on?
"Oooooh he looks cute," Rangiku commented.
"Alright, let's get him."
"This way, please."
Shuuhei could feel himself being led down a hallway and pushed into a room.
"You can take the blindfold off now!," Rangiku said, "And don't come out till you're...done.", she laughed and the door slammed shut.
Shuuhei cautiously took off the black cloth and looked around, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dim light. He noticed someone was on the bed, almost naked.
A pair of sharp aqua eyes met his gaze.
"Hello."
Thank you for reading! I would appreciate it if you could review so that I know how I am doing so far. Thanks. :)