Fake It

Bleach, Humor/Romance

Rated: K+

Chapters: 1

Words: 1,097

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, "Fake It" by Seether, or even Steph.

Summary: Ichigo has a new protector, who happens to have an interest in Karakura's most eccentric shopkeeper.

Name: Steph

Nickname: Sapphire

Age: 15 (in appearance)

Race: Shinigami (Soul Reaper)

Hair: dark brown with lighter highlights just past shoulders, usually wears a metallic headband.

Eyes: cloudy blue

Status: In the world of the living to keep an eye on Kurosaki Ichigo.

Personality: Jokey flirty, funny, laid back, a bit of a prankster, extremely kind, and alway tries to be helpful.

"Hey! I'm Steph," you chirped. The orange-haired boy you stood before looked up, blinking his brown eyes in confusion.

"Uh...Kurosaki Ichigo," he replied.

"I know," you told him, flopping into the seat on his left and propping your legs up on the desk. Ichigo looked even more confused, probably wondering whether he'd met you before. Renji had told you he had a terrible memory for names and faces.

"Hi. I'm Kojima Mizuiro," said a friend of Ichigo's. He had short black hair and a polite smile. You greeted him warmly, and the other guy, something-or-other Keigo.

"Hey, Sapphire!" called a familiar voice. You looked up to see Kuchiki Rukia.

"Hey Rukia," you laughed. Ichigo looked confused again and turned to you.

"I thought you said your name was Steph," he accused.

"It is," you said nonchalantly, "but Sapphire is my nickname. Oh yeah, Renji says hi."

Ichigo was blinking again. "You know Renji?" he asked. When you nodded, he looked at Rukia questioningly.

"Steph and I are friends from the Shinigami Academy. Renji had Lieutenent Kira and Lieutenent Hinamori." She ended a little bitterly.

"Wait, so you're a Shinigami?" Ichigo asked, stunned. You nodded and he looked slightly irritated. "Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?" he asked.

AFTER SCHOOL

"Where are we going?" you asked Ichigo distractedly, looking at clouds, trees, and anything else over your head.

"To Urahara's store," Ichigo answered, pulling on your wrist. Instead of speeding up, you stopped.

"Urahara Kisuke?" you asked, "As in the former captain of Squad 12?"

"So you know him too," Ichigo said.

Minutes later Ichigo was pulling you into the store. A red-headed boy and a girl with black hair in pigtails were holding brooms, though it looked like the boy had been using his to hit the girl.

"Jinta, Ururu," Ichigo began, "Where's Urahara?"

As the girl, Ururu, went to get the mysterious blond man, you plastered a look of innocence and confusion on your face. Within seconds of mastering the look, Ururu came back leading Kisuke.

"Hello," Kisuke said. Recognition lit his eyes when he looked at you, but he kept quiet, noting the look on your face.

"Hi," Ichigo replied, "This is Steph. Is something going on I should know about?"

"Nope. Anything you know Steph?" Kisuke asked. You suppressed a smile at the sound of him saying your name.

"Nothing. Hey Ichigo, what is this place again?" you asked.

Ichigo looked back and forth between your blank smile and Kisuke's. "I hate you both," he said, then stalked away.

"Bye Kisuke," you hissed before dashing after Ichigo.

"See ya Sapphire," you heard him call after you softly.

"What are you here for?" asked Ichigo when you caught up with him.

"I'm supposed to keep an eye on you," you replied.

Ichigo stopped. "That's it? Why didn't you just tell Urahara that?" Ichigo demanded.

You grinned up at him as you readjusted the metallic band in your shoulder-length brown hair. "It was more fun to frustrate you," you admitted.

Ichigo threw up his hands and walked on. Looking around like a tourist, you followed.

"Ichigo? Who's this?" asked a feminine voice as you passed the Kurosaki family's kitchen. You peeked your head in to see two girls. One had black hair and the other was blonde.

"Hi. I'm Steph," you said with a smile.

"I'm Yuzu, and this is Karin," said the blonde, who was apparently the one who had spoken before.

"Are you a friend of Ichigo's?" asked Karin.

"Uh...yeah," you answered.

They smiled and you darted up the stairs to Ichigo's room.

"Hello. Who are you?" asked a voice that sounded as if it were trying-and failing-to sound seductive. You looked for the source and saw a small stuffed lion jump off the bed and hurry towards you.

"Leave her alone, Kon," Ichigo sighed.

you crouched down as the lion reached you and examined him closely. "Didn't I see you in a pile of garbage a couple months ago?" you asked, more to yourself than the lion.

The stuffed lion's eyes appeared to fill with tears. "Is it true Rukia?" he asked, his voice rising in horror. You looked around, but Rukia wasn't in the room.

THAT NIGHT

Ichigo and Rukia were both asleep (and so was that creepy stuffed lion), so you decided to go see Kisuke. You jumped out Ichigo's window and ran to the store. Hopefully he knew something that could help you with Ichigo.

As if he was expecting you, Kisuke was waiting outside. "Hey," he called when he saw you.

"Hi you replied with a smile. He turned and you followed him inside.

"So why are you here Steph?" he asked as he sat down at a table.

You sat on the opposite side, completely serious for once. "Captain Ukitake wanted me to keep an eye on Ichigo for the Soul Society," you explained.

"You're in Squad 13 now?" Kisuke asked. When he'd left, you'd been an unranked member of Squad 3.

"5th seat," you announced proudly.

Kisuke smiled. It melted your heart, like his old smiles used to make your heart flutter. This smile said he was pround of you.

"Hey Steph," Kisuke said, as if something had just occured to him, "do you have a place to stay?"

You blinked, suddenly realizing that...well, you didn't. "Uh...no."

Kisuke gave one of his most mysterious smiles. "You can stay here if you want," he offered.

"Okay," you agreed.

He stood to show you where to go, and you popped up too. At the door of the room he was offering, he turned to you.

"Thanks," you chirped.

"Your welcome," he replied.

Before going into the room, you paused. When Kisuke looked down at you, you jumped up and kissed him.

"Night!" you called as you bounced into the room and shut the door. You left behind a still-stunned Urahara Kisuke.