A very simple one-shot, I found it on my docs before and decided to finish and upload it. It's a little fluffy, and not brilliantly-written, but I had fun with the idea, so I hope you enjoy it a little :) Thanks for giving it a go!
*Sniff*
"Gah"
*Sniff, gulp*
"Stupid . . . bloody, humans"
*Sniff sniff*
Ichigo had about enough, quirking an eyebrow he turned on his desk chair to face the closet at the side of his room, and slid the door open with his foot.
"What on ea-Are you crying?!"
Ichigo stared in shock for a moment, for the image in front of him, held a Rukia sat with her knees near her face, a bright blue book rested on them, His source of shock however, was that her face, although somewhat scrunched in a scowl, held pink cheeks, red, watery eyes, and eyebrows that contrasted from pain to frustration.
He had never seen Rukia cry. (Well, apart from the time she was nearly executed, but he kind of let that one go)
Her shiny violet eyes flicked to him, and her eyebrows marred again.
"S-shut up" She retorted, without bitterness, flitting her eyes back to the pages.
Ichigo was flabberghasted.
"W-what's got into you?!"
He couldn't get over how . . . different she was being.
"Hmm?" He queried, eyebrows knitting together in slight worry. She flicked her still-watery eyes up to him, and her face scrunched.
"T-this, bloody book! Blame your bloody sister!" She said, nodding to her lap.
"What book?"
She flashed the cover to him, seeing the cover he groaned.
"No, you are not reading that book!"
"It's good!"
"No, the author is pretentious and Augustus Waters is a self-aggrandising, conceited, insufferable dick, who's head is so shoved up his own arse that it's practically coming out of his mouth! Not to mention, he truly thinks he's some kind of hero!"
"I know, but it's just so sad!"
"I thought you were smarter than that, Rukia"
"You know, 'self-aggrandising, conceited, insufferable dick's, whose heads are so shoved up their own arses that they're practically coming out of their mouths', are remarkably easy to come by, Mr 'I MUST PROTECT' Talking about knobheads who think they are heros."
Ichigo just frowned at her
"The guy attends his own funeral!"
"Metaphorically!"
"Oh, don't you even start with that 'It's a metaphor!' crap! Yuzu wouldn't shut up for weeks!"
"Okay, Ichigo Kurosaki, you're telling me you wouldn't be the tiniest bit curious about what people would say at your funeral? How they would feel?"
"Nope" He quipped his head.
"I ain't talking about your human death!" She bit, leaning out of the cupboard a little.
"I know, but it's still a no"
"That's a load of bollocks, if I've ever heard it" She drawled, rolling her eyes as she sat back into the wall, still looking at him.
"You don't think it's self-righteous or conceited?" He queried, resting his own book in his lap and turning to her fully, resting his legs on the shelf she was sat on.
"Of course it is, but by God's, Ichigo, it's human! Or, human-like-nature, in my case! Just because it's a little conceited doesn't mean it isn't allowed!"
"So you'd want to see people breaking down in remembrance of you, because of your death?"
"As it's pointed out in this book, funerals aren't for the dead"
"Exactly, so why would you want to see how people try to cope?"
"You're making it sound like they're not going to be able to survive! But maybe reciting funny memories, I'd be happy to hear them"
"You do know, amidst these 'funny memories' people recite, they'll be breaking down as they speak them!"
"Not likely! They'll be happy I led a full life and passed away, content"
"Have you ever been to a funeral?!"
"Yes, but-"
"And was it a happy affair?"
"No, but-"
"Exactly, what makes you think yours would be any different?!"
"Because it wouldn't be cut short! My life isn't that bloody important, Ichigo! I haven't got some grandeur reason to be 'alive', unlike others who have passed!"
"Oh haa-haa"
"What?"
"That stupid 'My life's not that important' comment"
"It's not!"
"Very funny, Rukia"
"Ichigo, I am one of thousands of shinigami, one of millions of the dead and one of billions of human-entities. I have no children, no unfinished business, no wi-husband! There is nothing special about me."
Ichigo snorted, closing his eyes as he placed his fingers over his eyes.
"No, no, you're not important at all, no, it'd just be me, Renji, Byakuya, Inoue, Chad, my sisters, my father, Ishida, Captain Ukitake-"
"Oh shut up"
His hand moved from his face, gesturing to her.
"No no, you're right, I'm being ridiculous, why would anyone think you're important?!"
"Ichigo, in the grand scheme of things, I am not important to this world!"
"You're bloody-well important to me!" He fumed, slamming his open palm on the desk to his side.
Rukia's eyes flashed, and his head flipped up, red seeping onto his face. Noticing her expression, he scowled, avoiding her eyes.
"Well it's true. I think you're pretty important"
Rukia's eyes softened.
"Ichigo, you don't understand, I'm not necessary for any of you to be happy"
Ichigo inwardly snorted, but let her have it, he wouldn't admit anything to her whilst she was being this stupid.
"Okay, so you say all of this, but what would you do if you had to attend my funeral, or Inoue's, or Renji's? Would you want us to be watching that?"
"That's the beauty of my life, I will die before you or Inoue and even so, you both still have to go through soul society. I imagine me and Renji will die at the same time, and then, there will be nothing. I almost look forward to it" She smiled, peacefully and looked back to her book.
Ichigo was not expecting that. he shot forwards, his legs finding the floor again, as he faced her.
"W-what?"
"Hm?" Her eyes flicked to him again, and then widened in shock, his expression one of complete vulnerability.
"You think you'll die before me?"
She took a moment, still in shock at his expression, but nodded gently.
"I'm certain of it. Ichigo, I have already died once, you have yet to even begin your death"
"B-but, that's . . . that's just ridiculous"
She quirked an eyebrow, confused.
"How might that be?"
"I-I don't even think I'm human anymore, I get into so many fights, I've died about three times, I think . . . Rukia, there's no way I'll live that long"
Rukia's Augustus had orange hair, a scowl and instead of a cigarette, he held a sword.
"Don't. You. Dare."
"Eh?"
"Ichigo Kurosaki, if there's anything I'm certain of, it's that you will live for hundreds of years, you're too important to this world"
"Dont b-
"I'm counting on it"
"What? You-"
"I've had enough of this conversation, let me finish this" She picked up her book again and looked down, unable to bear the change in topic.
"Wha-
"Ichigo"
"Fine." He bit, turning back to his desk and opening the book he'd abandoned.
Rukia focused her eyes on the pages, her eyes already beginning to sting again. Rukia was not a crier, she never had been, but this book. Ichigo may not be outspoken and over-confident like Augustus, but all she could see was him. She was so ready to see the end of a book, see Augustus move on, live happily, and Hazel to have a peaceful death.
She had not seen that coming.
Ichigo couldn't die before Hazel, she knew he would eventually, but after years and years of life, not months. Ichigo was too important, he was too bright, too good, too . . . everything.
'Augustus Waters died eight days after his prefuneral . . .'
She blinked thoroughly, no, that couldn't be right.
'Augustus Waters died eight days after his prefuneral . . .'
'Augustus Waters died . . .'
'Ichigo Kurosaki died . . . '
Rukia gently laid the book down to her right. Ichigo must've heard something because he turned to her again, his face scrunched for a moment until it flashed into shock. He was by her within the second.
"Oi, Rukia, you okay?"
'Okay . . .'
Rukia found his eyes
"Pl-please don't die"
Ichigo must've realised something, because his mouth went thin and his eyes went hard. She thrust her arms around him, holding him tight. Shocked, he froze, but slowly encased his arms around her too, leaning his head into her shoulder. They fit so perfectly in each others arms. How could she not see this?
"P-please don't die"
Ichigo looked to the wall, thinking of her expression before.
Ichigo could see it written in her face.
'Please dont die - before me'
Sighing gently, his eyes grew hard as he nodded into her shoulder.
Ichigo Kurosaki would be the one to write Rukia Kuchiki's eulogy.