Curse my Luck

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. That much is obvious. Is Bleach yaoi? No. Then I don't own it.

Summary: After meeting Shinigami Rukia and getting a crash course in Soul Society, Ichigo gets curious about life after death. Rukia tells him of her childhood, including her hot, redheaded friend. Looking at the picture, Ichigo cursed his luck. IchigoxRenji

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Ichigo found there was not much to say that evening. And what could he say. He had just been told that the monsters he had been killing were the remains of the human spirits that stayed tied to this world. He shivered at the thought. 'As a spirit, you either you get eaten or you stay long enough to turn into something that eats spirits.'

Then he faced off Orihime's brother. That had been almost heart-wrenching. The whole brother-sister confrontation was a little dramatic and life a serial but it worked out well in the end. Even if Orihime would not remember it. That was probably a good thing, all things considered.

The whole evening was a bust. And now he was stuck in an awkward silence with the short shinigami would was bunking in his room. 'If I weren't gay, that would be highly inappropriate for her to stay here,' Ichigo mused as he stared at the ceiling above his bed. It was till white, dull and boring.

Sighing for the umpteenth time, Ichigo turned his head to see what his resident shinigami as up to, maybe she could relieve this boredom. Rukia was engrossed I one of those drama-thriller manga his sisters read.

"Oi, Rukia!"{ Ichigo called out, breaking the black-haired shinigami's concentration. Looking up, Rukia found herself caught red-handed with book in hand. Her face blushed prettily as she quickly hid the book away. Regardless of the fact that Ichigo had probably seen the cover and knew the book. Rukia bit back a snort. Knowing her flaming friend, she thought, 'He's probably read it!'

"What?" she asked rather grumpily as she met his brown gaze. He gave her a bland look at her glare. He was used to glares and the rude comments; what with his sexuality and his hair.

Ichigo was silent for a while and Rukia was just about to turn back to her book when he finally spoke. "What's Soul Society like? You know, after you die?" Ichigo asked quietly. His eyes drifted away from Rukia's and focussed once again on the ceiling. It was something that had been on his mind since he stumbled on the existence of the shinigami. Who wouldn't want to know what happens after they die?

Rukia sighed as she stared out the window. Her own memories catching up with her. Silence descended on the room. "It's not all that pleasant for those who are not shinigami," Rukia confessed, her voice low and soft. Ichigo could hear the traces of something else hidden beneath the words that spoke of experience and loss. Of hardships.

"The majority of the areas are poor, most people form new families as they can't find their own. It's hard to live, worse for kids on their own. Poverty is harsh. But some souls don't stay that long before getting reborn and those that can manipulate reitsu are accepted into the Shinigami Academy. That leads to a better life in Central."

"Hold the phone," Ichigo exclaimed as he sat up, eyes wide as he stared in shock at Rukia, "There's a school? To teach you on how to be a shinigami?"

Rukia rolled her eyes at his reaction. "Of course, baka! (Idiot) How else are we to learn and train to become a shinigami squad member?" Rukia asked sarcastically.

"So that's your story," Ichigo continued as if she hadn't said anything, "You're a slum kid that turned shinigami?"

Rukia sighed as she shook her head. "It's a little more complicated than that," she confessed. That caught Ichigo's attention as he rolled over onto his side to face her as she sat in her makeshift bed in his closest. He raised an eyebrow in question.

"I grew up in the slums. Out of the group of children, only Renji and I could become shinigami's," Rukia explained. A fond smile touched her lips as she recalled the volatile redhead. "We attended the Academy together."

"ooh!" Ichigo teased as he watched her expression, "Do I see a hint of love there?"

Rukia looked at him startled as she visible jerked backwards, shocked. Her faced coloured as she spluttered, "What? No! He's gay! Only to groan as s Ichigo's eyebrow rose in interest. With a sigh, Rukia slipped off her locket and threw it at Ichigo.

The orange head caught the flying object on reflex and stared at his hand. He looked up only to be met with an expectant look that screamed, 'Open it!'

With a shrug, Ichigo eased the small heart-shaped silver locket open to be met with two pictures. The first one was of a prince, black haired man that was just too pretty to be straight. The second was a grinning redhead with long hair and tattoos.

'Choices, choices,' Ichigo thought with a grin, 'Gorgeous commander or the rebel.'

He almost didn't hear Rukia continue, "The redhead is Renji. The other one if Kuchiki Byakuya, my oni-sama. Don't even bother. He's straight and married."

That caught Ichigo's attention as he tore his attention away from the picture. "Oni-sama?"

Rukia nodded as she was lost in her own memories. "I was adopted into his family while at the Academy. He is the heir to one of the Noble families of Soul Society."

'I knew he was royalty. He's damn pretty,' Ichigo thought with a grin. But he replied, "You did say your story was different. He adopted you? He must be a nice guy then." But Ichigo's eyes were analysing the redhead. He really couldn't help himself. The man was just eye catching and Ichigo did have a weakness for long hair."

Rukia was silent at the admission before she tentatively answered, "He's very formal, oni-sama. He seems cold due to that."

Ichigo shrugged as he eyed the picture. Rukia rolled her eyes at the way the orange head was practically drooling.

"OI! That picture isn't waterproof!" she yelled, half-joking.

Ichigo ignored her as he asked, "So, the tattoos? How far do they really go?"

Rukia spluttered and turned red. She knew for a fact he had the tribal design all over his body but she also knew what Ichigo was implying with that smirk and glint in his eye.

"I wouldn't know," she bravely answered, "Female, remember?"

Ichigo sighed as he closed the locket and threw it back to the female shinigami. "So you're still pretty close even after all those years."

Rukia went silent at the question. Ichigo winced. "Sorry, I just thought…"

Rukia shook her head and smiled a little, "We still care about each other but me being adopted changed things."

Ichigo frowned, he really didn't' get it but he knew he should stay silent. To him, a friend was a friend, regardless of the circumstance. And after everything they had been through…

"Wait!" Ichigo yelled as he bolted up in his bed. "The hot redhead is also a shinigami?"

"Yes," Rukia said exasperated as she pulled out her book, not caring at this point about what Ichigo thought, "That much was obvious from the beginning."

"But…but…" Ichigo spluttered.

"But what?" Rukia asked annoyed as he started reading where she left off.

"He could have been the one that patrolled Karakura Town?"

Rukia paused and looked up with a thoughtful look. She shrugged, "I suppose so."

It was then Ichigo let out a loud yell of "NOOOOOOOO!" It reverberated through the whole house. Rukia dropped her book in shock as she turned to the near sobbing teen on the bed. Ichigo looked like his world just ended. "Why? Why could it not have been the hold redhead that saved me and was sleeping in my room?"

Rukia sighed as she forced her heart rate back to normal and picked up her book. There was a knock on the door as Karin yelled, "Ichi-nii? Are you okay?"

But to avail as Ichigo continued his cried of "Why not the hot redhead? Why? I do good deeds!"

Karin sighed from behind the door as she heard the wails of her brother. She had to admit he was an awesome big brother; tough as nails and protective. But the times when he was flaming she could really see the similarities between him and their father. They both could be so dramatic.

"Does my son need consoling!" Isshin cried as he raced up the stairs towards the dying cries of despair, "Wait, my dear son! I am coming!"

Karin sighed as she tripped her father, watching him face plant. "He doesn't need nor want you," she said as she turned around to walk back down the stairs, Sometime she wondered if she was the only normal one in the family.

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The end.

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