Astraphobia- part 1

Author's note: So, I'm trying something new and creating a bunch of short stories for all my favorite pairings. Don't expect this to be updated regularly- because it won't be, however you can make requests for things you'd like to see me do, or certain plots or themes you'd like me to try, seeing as this will help me come up with ideas. This is open for everyone- though don't expect every chapter to be little kitty friendly, because I cannot promise that. Each story should only be 1-3 chapters long, and they'll be… darker. Thus the clever title I managed to come up with *points to title*. As long as I can twist suggestions to fit in this more dubious category I will do my absolute best to take as much requests as I can.

There are some things to keep in mind while reading this one. First, Ichigo is 23 years old, and his little sisters don't exist in this universe. His mother is still dead (car accident), and his father is a single parent.

The beginning of this is rather slow, but you need to read it in order to get the plot, sorry *looks down in shame* but this ain't pure smut… probably.

….

It was odd, the way his body reacted when rain slid down the window.

It was like some forgotten memory. He knew he liked watching the drops of crystal as they raced down the glass in tiny rivulets, caressing a part of his mind that laid just out of reach. They were fingers, suddenly, in a moment of recognition before the teasing thought disappeared. He really found himself enjoying these moments, sitting down in a storm and just watching the outside world get covered in cleansing water. He could lose himself for hours just swimming in barely there thoughts of something he couldn't quite remember.

Ichigo shifted within the duvet chair, his muscles starting to ache. He'd been sitting for a while, he noted, and got up to wander into the kitchen. The sounds of the heavy downpour followed him through the house, a comforting symphony. The storm had started just shortly after he returned home from work, and he had felt the first few warm droplets as he walked up his front steps. From what the weatherman had predicted it seemed the rain wouldn't be ceasing anytime soon. That suited him just fine though.

Ichigo's love for this kind of weather had developed sometime during his adolescence, seemingly overnight. It had floored his father, Isshin, for reasons Ichigo didn't understand. He just knew that it happened one night after a big storm had hit Karakura, the damage had been severe to the little town. People's houses had flooded, trees had been ripped up from the ground, and the power had been out for days following. He couldn't remember much of the event except the spindly feelings of… excitement. It curled in his belly, a dull ache for something more. It was a feeling that appeared whenever those first drops fell from a darkened sky. His father's face always morphed into something disbelieving whenever Ichigo would insist upon sitting by the windows and watching the rain.

"But… Ichigo, I thought you were afraid of-"

Ichigo shook his head, a brief furrowed look of confusion before the memory evaporated from his mind. He set his focus on the cupboards above the stove, unexpectedly in the mood for tea. It wasn't something that he craved often so to his displeasure he found one half-empty container of green tea, a part of a housewarming gift from one of his friends if he recalled correctly. Ichigo began to prep the kettle on his stove, making sure to set a beeping timer in case he failed to hear the scream of the kettle.

With that he went back into his living room, sitting heavily on the sofa and reaching for the remote. It was a tuesday, so he wasn't planning on there being anything good to watch, he just needed something to keep his mind off the rain. He couldn't let his eyes wander over to the windows, or he wouldn't even hear the beeping timer on the stove.

It had happened before.

After flipping through an array of channels he settled on one of those dramatic therapy shows, the ones with the sixteen year old girl who was already pregnant and her bitchy mother who just complained what a brat her kid was. All the while a usually older gentleman sat in a chair and just nodded while occasionally inserting a one-line comment that fueled the drama unfolding to a booing audience. It was something that he personally thought was trash but it just might be enough of a trainwreck to keep his mind somewhat focused. That's all he needed after all, an easy distraction.

He thought back to an awkward time in his life where his relationship with his father had become seriously strained. He couldn't remember what silly thing had started it, but Isshin had insisted that his son go and see a therapist. Ichigo, at the time, fought tooth and nail against his father, claiming he was fine- that only crazy people went to see a therapist.

"I don't need a fucking therapist, dad!"

"Bullshit! This- this thing you're doing… it's not normal!"

"What thing?!"

"This! This complete 180, Ichigo! It's not fucking normal!"

"Fuck you, old man! What the hell do you know about normal?"

In the end he had reluctantly given in, after the fights grew in volume and frequency, to the point where the cops had been called once or twice for 'domestic disturbance'. It was easier to just give in to his father's demands, tired of the arguing and how tense the atmosphere had become around the house. So he let his father make an appointment with one of the local therapists.

He was no Dr. Phil, a man in his late thirties that was renowned for his excellence at handling patients of any age. His name was Sousuke Aizen, and Ichigo remembered how shockingly handsome and kind the man had been on the three visits he had attended, before the man stated that Ichigo wasn't really in need of a therapist.

"There is nothing particularly wrong with your son, Kurosaki-san. He's an average boy, with average boy problems"

"B-but, Aizen-san, what about his fear of-"

"As far as I can tell, your son has no major fears or phobias of any sort. I can continue seeing him if you wish it, I have many patients that come here simply because it's a relaxing experience for them, but I'm telling you your son isn't in need of a specialist's care"

It was nice, he had decided, sitting in a room and talking about his day to day life with the man. Aizen had very good insight and suggestions for him, and Ichigo had learned a lot about himself, despite not going for very long. It also helped him discover his sexuality. Aizen had been his first ever crush, and he realized with some reluctance that he wished there had been something wrong with him, just so he didn't have to stop seeing the man.

He faintly heard the kettle scream from the kitchen, and he got up, leaving a mother and daughter arguing on his T.V screen. He gently took the hot kettle from the burner and poured himself a generous cup of the earthy smelling tea. It was warm when it touched his lips, and he felt it spread down to his belly as he sighed. After turning off the stove, he went back to his living room, turning off the T.V and once again taking a seat on the small duvet over by the window. The rain had picked up ferocity and was almost unbearably loud as it drenched the streets. Ichigo closed his eyes and took another warm sip.

His vision flashed with the sudden flare of lightning that ripped open the sky, loud thunder drumming to life shortly after.

"Mommy, I'm scared!"

His eye twitched.

He didn't think about his mother much, as disrespectful as that sounded. It wasn't because the memories were painful just… scattered. He did miss her, but it was like trying to keep ahold of a handful of sand, in the end enjoying it more as it slipped through your fingers. If he tried to concentrate too long, his head began to pound, so it was just better to enjoy the tiny bits he could hold onto for a brief second- like her smile, or how soft her hand was when she ran her fingers through his shaggy hair. She was the kindest woman he had ever known, and he had been devastated with her death.

It had been a tragic car accident. His mother had swerved to avoid hitting a doe and her fawn as they crossed the road late at night. The car had hit an icy patch, sliding violently into a tree. They said she fought for a long time, trying to hold out as long as she could.

She'd passed away just as his father had arrived at the hospital emergency room, a tired Ichigo practically asleep in the car seat after being abruptly awoken and haphazardly dressed.

It had taken Ichigo a few days to fully comprehend that his mother was never coming home, and had taken him years to stop crying every time he looked to the picture of the three of them sitting on his desk. His father had never been the same either. He tried his best at being a single parent, but it certainly stretched him far beyond his limits as a human being. Ichigo had moved out the first chance he got, at the age of 18. He'd gotten a job at a local factory for about two years, working any overtime he could get his hands on, and once he saved up enough for an actual house instead of a dingy apartment, he quit the factory to find better work.

Now he was living happily as an assistant for a candy shop owner. He was basically the man's secretary- and was assigned anything the man didn't want to do, which now that he thought about it, was a lot. It paid well enough though so he put up with the menial work the man often threw at him.

He sat in the music of the rain, finishing the last of his tea, when movement out of the corner of his eye had him glancing out his side window. There was nothing there, just a tiny glimpse of a growing bush that came with the house. A few tiny leaves swaying at the bottom corner of the glass. Ichigo's eyes narrowed in suspicion, his brows drawing together in contemplation. Perhaps he had just imagined it? But he could have sworn he'd seen something…

A telephone ring burst through his thoughts. Startled, Ichigo quickly leaned over to the side table beside the duvet and scanned over the very familiar number that popped up on the screen.

His father was calling.

Reluctantly, he picked up the phone and answered with a gruff 'hello'.

"Ichigo? This is your father, I…"

"Yeah dad, how are you?"

Isshin sounded a bit winded and that had alarm bells ringing at the back of his mind. Stale anger quickly muted them though.

"What? Oh- I've been fine. Listen, Ichigo I'm calling because I need to know how you're doing."

He scowled, "I've been just peachy, dad."

"No, no! I mean, I know there's a storm over by your end of town. It's not that bad yet, over here, but I thought that you might be…"

"Dad, for god's sake, you call me every time a storm rolls in. You know they don't bother me."

There was a strangled whine on the other end. It was a mixture of frustration and urgency.

"No, Ichigo, you don't- just listen okay, I need you to pack some things and come and stay with me for a few days."

"Now why in the hell would I do that? Are you in danger?"

"No! Just please come home? Or if you want I can come and stay with you? If that would be better for you-"

"Dad, what's gotten into you?"

"Nothing, I just want to spend some time with my son, that's all." Isshin laughed, a nervous and shaky sound. He was trying to play this off.

"There's something wrong with you. Maybe you need to go lay down for a few minutes."

"Ichigo just listen to me! Please! Something's not right-"

Ichigo glared at his phone and growled. The call had dropped. He wished he could just blame it on the weather but this happened quite a lot. He needed to contact his phone company and get one of them to fix it, or he would be forced to cancel them.

Not that it was urgent, his father had done similar things before. It wasn't completely out of the ordinary, though Ichigo had never heard him sound so… uneasy before. Raking his hands through his hair, he got up from his spot with a grunt, grabbing his empty mug to put in the sink. He felt a nap was in order.

He never noticed the pair of molten eyes watching him through the pouring rain.

….

This will be a two parter. So expect that sometime soon. Please don't forget to leave a review! I'd like to know what you guys think!

IiR