Like a Hole in the Head
Chapter 1
Please don't kill me, the idea came out of the blue and demanded to be written! I had no choice in the matter! At all!
I hope you like it!
-Welcome Home?-
"Don't worry Ichigo, everything will be absolutely-"
"Do not, for fear of your own life because I will reach down through the phone and strangle you to death, say fine!" Ichigo hissed. He heard Renji in the background, "God some ones grouchy!"
"Shut up Renji." Both Ichigo and Rukia said, though one voice irritated and the other exasperated. Ichigo massaged his left temple with his free hand and tried to control his right so it wouldn't crush his phone.
"I don't see what you're so worried about, it's only your family Ichigo." Rukia said in a soothing voice, which did little to help Ichigo's bad tamper.
"Yeah, a family I haven't seen in 13 years, it's going to be too awkward Rukia, I'll explode I swear!" Ichigo leaned back in his seat and stared out the train window, he caught sight of himself in the glass, a boy of 18 with deep russet eyes and wild orange hair and an almost permanent scowl fixed, skewing up his features making him look older and more angry.
"I'm not saying it will be easy Ichi, just take this as an opportunity to meet your family and get to know them and then if it doesn't work out, well you know brother wouldn't mind you moving in for a while."
"Rukia, your brother hates me." Ichigo deadpanned. He heard Renji laugh in the background, "And tell pineapple head I'm gonna shave his hair off next time a I see him." He heard the laughing stop abruptly and he smirked, his scowl lessening slightly. He looked around to see the lights dimming for the night hours and he could see people eyeing him as if to ask when he was going to get off the phone, he sighed. "Right well I have to go now, I need to sleep sometime."
"Oh ok, phone me when you get there," there was a pause, then, "I'm gonna miss you Ichigo." Rukia said.
Ichigo frowned at the depressed tone in her voice, "Yeah I think I'll miss you too and the idiot as well I guess." He chuckled when he heard the amused "humph" in the background then Renji spoke up, "Don't go getting soft on me Ichigo, we'll come by and see you, god knows I'll need a good fight sometime." Ichigo chuckled at his friend and translated his message to 'I'll miss you and you wont have to wait long to see me again.'
"Right bye guys, don't get too lonely without me."
Rukia managed an almost firm sounding "Goodbye." Whilst Renji grunted a "Bye", not trusting his voice not to quaver. Ichigo snapped his phone shut and closed his eyes. Placing the phone in his bag he took out his mp3 and placed the ear buds in his ears. He turned it on and started listening to one of his news songs called 'Velonica' by Aqua Timez.
If Ichigo was going to be honest with himself, and he was trying very hard to be, he felt nervous, very nervous. He was travelling to Kurukara (sp?), a town he hadn't been back since he was five. His mum had packed up one night and left the place taking Ichigo with her. She had told him she needed to escape and would never explain more than that to him. She had left behind her husband and Ichigo's little twin sisters and his own twin, he couldn't remember them very well. He had vague memories of times with his dad, laughing, crying and hugging. He cringed. Now he had to go back and live with the family he had never known, he had to live with a dad, brother and sisters he wasn't sure he could connect with. He felt sad when he remembered his mums last wish that he would go back to them and try to be more of a family the way she couldn't be. He could remember holding her cold clammy hands and promising he'd go back. It ment he had to leave his friends behind, he felt slightly crushed. Ichigo had found it hard to make friends and now he was going to have to do it all over again. He sighed and closed his eyes.
He opened his eyes to see a just risen sun flashing though his window, he groaned and turned away. 'Too early!' was his first thought, then 'Too loud!' was his second. He switched his mp3 off, wondering how on earth he had fallen asleep with it on. He checked his watch, 6:25 am. He had twenty minutes till his stop the tanoy announced. He put away his mp3 and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. As he straightened up his back cracked and he felt a twinge in his neck. Oh how he hated to sleep sitting up. He stared grumpily out the window at the offending sun then watched as a town came into view from round a bend. There was his new home, for however long he could stand it.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
A white haired boy sat on a high wall and watched the sun rise; he didn't know what to make of this day. He stared apathetically at an equally emotionless boy as he sat down next to him.
"He's coming today right?" the new boy asked.
"Yeah, feels weird, like I'm going to go meet myself in some retarded way." Said the white haired boy. The other boy just stared across the buildings, "I guess that's what you're going to be doing."
The white haired boy rolled his strange eyes, "I'm kinda excited." He grinned slowly. "Well I better get back to the old man, he wants us all there to greet 'im."
The other boy turned green eyes on his white haired friend, "You should go then."
"Fine."
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
"Kurukara station, Kurukara station."
Ichigo picked up his bag and slung the strap over his shoulder and grabbed his bigger bag full of him items and stepped off the train onto the platform. The train had been five minutes earlier than expected so he would have to sit around for his 'family' to get here. He kicked his bag under a bench and slumped tiredly, he watched as the train departed. He pulled out his phone to check for messages. He had 4 from Rukia, 2 from Renji and a joint one from the rest of the gang. He smiled as he read the happy/sad-toned messages from Rukia wishing him luck and saying she was missing his damned awful company. Renji sent his usual friendly threat that if he didn't get back in touch he's hunt down the strawberry himself. He chuckled and replied to the messages then put away his phone.
Ichigo turned slightly as he heard two voices arguing, a third sounding indifferent and a fourth sounded irritated yet soothing. He watched as four people came into view. The eldest was a man with dark hair and an unshaven face, and then came a boy about Ichigo's age that could only be described as pale. Then two young girls the same age, one with black hair like the mans and the other, Ichigo's heart twisted in pain as he recognised the same shade of hair his mother had had, a brown/blonde, almost orange but not as bad as his.
The girl noticed his stare; she stared back then hurried over smiling brightly. The three left behind had varying looks of shock on their faces.
"You must be Ichigo," she smiled, "I'm Yuzu, its great to finally meet you!"
Ichigo nodded, "Nice to meet you too, Yuzu." His lips twitched into a small smile, she reminded him of his mum.
"This is Karin," she pointed to the black haired girl who nodded at him, staring at him thoughtfully.
"This is Shiro," she said then pointing to the pale boy who was staring at Ichigo with a slight frown. Yuzu then pointed to the elder man, "And this is, eh Dad."
The man offered his hand, "Isshin," they shook hands, "You've changed a lot Ichigo."
"Yeah." Was all Ichigo could say, his took his hand back and picked up his bags. The pale boy reached over and took the larger bag, "I'll take it, and you look half dead."
Ichigo smiled slightly again and nodded, "I must look better then, I feel dead."
Shiro grinned at him and hoisted the bag up onto his shoulder.
Isshin put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder and squeezed it affectionately, "Well lets get you home and fed, then you can rest." Ichigo nodded again. He followed as his dad led the way to the stairs, Yuzu took Ichigo's hand in hers and smiled up at him, Karin walked on Yuzu's other side with an air of indifference around her. Shiro walked on Ichigo's other side. He stared at his twin, he thought he might have felt a bit irritated that this boy was coming into his home after leaving for so long with a mother he never truly knew, it should have annoyed him, but his earlier excitement was stronger. He had a whole load of questions to ask Ichigo but he felt they should wait for another time. He watched the way his twins' eyes drooped tiredly from the back seat in the mirror as he sat in the front passenger seat next to his dad.
After they had arrived at his new 'home' and eaten the breakfast Yuzu had prepared Shiro had shown Ichigo the way to his new room.
Shiro watched as Ichigo sat on the bed, he looked like he was gonna drop at any second.
"I'll leave yer bag here, you can unpack later, the bathroom is the door next to the stairs on your left as your coming out your room."
"Thanks" Ichigo mumbled.
"You should sleep, you're starting to look about three quarters dead now." Shiro chuckled.
Ichigo smiled and nodded, "I think I'll take your advice there."
"Night, or er mornin'" Shiro stepped out the room, shutting the door behind him.
Ichigo lay back on his bed and fell asleep almost instantly. He would have sworn if he had been more conscious that he had felt a warm, familiar hand brush his hair from his face and whisper in a loving yet sad tone, "Welcome home Ichigo." Ichigo could have sworn that that had been his mothers voice; well he would have if he had been awake.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Well there it is, I know it's shorter than what I usually write but I wanted to leave it there.
I'm still deciding if there's going to be any pairings or not.
Ah well, RxR as usual please this is my first Bleach fanfic so if any seems OOC right now don't worry I'll get them beck in character soon enough! *Cracks whip*
Till next time!
Syolie