INTRODUCTION - Hey guys! I know, I know, this isn't the newest chapter of An Unconditional Family. I promise to not keep you waiting too long; I just wanted to push out some shorties to keep my creative juices flowing. I've been finding prompts all over the place, so I decided I'd give them a try. If anything, these frequent updates will tide you over in between AUF chapters, so please follow along and keep up if you ever need a small dose of IchiRuki fluff!
Some of the chapters can be considered canon (and will be marked as such) to my AUF series, but not necessarily crucial to the main plot- just a lil' treat to the readers that find those chapters. :3
In any case, please enjoy!

1. Shelter from a storm

Ichigo hated the rain. Abso-fucking-lutely hated it. He hated when his hair got soggy or when mud splattered on his pants, and the smell of rain drove him nuts. Rukia, on the other hand, loved the rain and everything that came along with it. Sleeping while it thundered and lightning flashed outside was her favorite. The feel of the drops on her face made all her stress and troubles simply melt away- if only for a moment.

One particular spring afternoon, it began to storm as school let out. Many of Karakura High School's students were eager to rush to their houses or nearest shop. Ichigo hung back warily. He hadn't anticipated rain, so his umbrella remained in the hall closet at home. Fingers crossed, he hoped the storm would blow over in a timely manner, but more and more dark clouds floated by overhead. Ichigo let out an exaggerated sigh and retreated back into the school building.

"You're going the wrong way!" A voice called out, causing Ichigo to turn a 180˚ and find Rukia twirling a Chappy-adorned umbrella by the door.

Ichigo snorted in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm not going outside in that weather."

"Whatta wuss! A man such as yourself is scared of a little rain? Puh-lease, spare me!" A teasing smile played on her lips, and Ichigo wished he could reach over and wipe that smug look right off her face.

"A little rain? The sky is practically falling out there. I'll wait if I have to."

Deciding that wasn't the correct response, Rukia grabbed him by the arm and dragged him outside. She tried her best to hold her umbrella over the both of them, but their height difference was too great and Ichigo was left miserably wet. Before they even reached the school gates, Ichigo snatched the cutesy umbrella. "Oh, just give me the damn thing!" He grumbled, holding it so it covered them equally. Ichigo ignored the blushes and whispers from the gossiping female students around them. Let them talk, he decided. And boy, would they talk!

"Did you see that? Kurosaki-senpai and Kuchiki-senpai were sharing an umbrella! They're always together!"

And that would lead someone to bring up an old, yet unconfirmed, rumor from when Rukia first began attending the high school: "Always together? I hear they live together!"

"What? Seriously? Like, all alone?"

"Same bed and everything!"

Of course, these rumors were just that: rumors. Well, most of them.

About halfway home, the heavens really did open up and let loose. Raindrops pelted like bullets, and the strong wind made them slant at an angle, making it extremely difficult to keep dry, even with an umbrella. Ichigo spotted a bus stop and steered them towards it. Luckily, the back of the Plexiglas enclosure faced the beating of the rain, offering the two a much needed break from the onslaught.

"Shit," Rukia muttered, slowly peeling her blouse off of her chest. It was plastered to her like a second skin, and Ichigo blushed at the sight of her purple bra through the sheer material of her white uniform blouse.

"Are you defective or something?" He asked, slapping his palm against his forehead. "You brought an umbrella, but you didn't think to- oh, I don't know- wear your blazer?"

Rukia clucked her tongue and turned away from him. "The umbrella was just in case, I didn't think I'd actually need it! Anyway," she tacked on, bottom lip out in an indignant pout, "if I hadn't brought my umbrella, you'd be soaked to the bone- probably with a cold too!"

Ichigo chuckled and ruffled Rukia's hair, much to her chagrin. "Okay, okay, thanks. Happy?" Then, for good measure, he removed his own blazer and tossed it over her shoulders. "Now I don't owe you."

Rukia nodded slowly, slipping her arms through the sleeves. After a couple minutes of comfortable silence, they agreed to continue home. As they walked, Ichigo angled himself, doing his best to shelter Rukia from the storm. Ichigo decided, no matter how reluctantly, that he probably owed her a lot more than his blazer, but decided it was time to get a head start on paying her back.