"Ichi-nii! ICHI-NII!"
Fifteen-year-old Ichigo Kurosaki sprung out of bed, his heart pounding at the frantic tone in his eleven-year-old sister's voice. Not even to completely unwrap himself from his sheets, the teenager vaulted over the edge of his bed to his bedroom door.
"Crap!" Ichigo yelled, tripping over the clinging cloth. He kicked free of his sheet and stuck his head out the door, ready for anything.
Everything, that is, except for Yuzu holding a Math book with a sad look in her eyes.
"Yuzu? You okay?" Ichigo couldn't sense any Hollows nearby nor see any marks on his sister. That wasn't a sign of anything, though – as Uryû was fond of pointing out, Ichigo was poor at sensing riatsu.
Ichigo knelt down so he was at his sister's eye-level, his senses on the alert. "Yuzu?"
Yuzu blinked at the stern concern in her brother's bearing and voice. "Yeah… except for this Math test on Monday. Karin's too busy playing soccer with her friends to help me." The little girl put on her best pleading look. "Ichi-nii, can you help me? I just don't quite understand everything yet. And Dad's no help at all."
Ichigo had to laugh at that. "Of course not. It IS Dad we're talking about." He sighed. "Alright, Yuzu; one hour TOPS. I have my own stuff to take care of this weekend."
Yuzu jumped forward to give her big brother a hug before he stood up.
"Ichi-Nii, you're the best brother ever!"
Two hours later, Ichigo and Yuzu called it quits. Yuzu went off to putter around the kitchen and continue studying, while Ichigo decided that it would be good to shower and change out of his pajamas.
Preferably before his dad realized that Ichigo was still in his pajamas at eleven a.m., even if it was a Saturday morning.
Small crises. The thought was automatic, but when it hit him what he had just thought, the high-schooler stopped his preparations for the day in surprise.
"Oh, wow," he whispered, "my life has changed a LOT these past few months."
He had known this, of course, but his brain hadn't really realized it, ruminated on the fact.
A few months ago, Yuzu interrupting his Saturday morning would have been a huge inconvenience and THE crisis of his weekend. He would have been mad her interruption rather than relieved that she wasn't calling him because she or Karin had gotten hurt by a hollow or something equally dangerous.
"A few months. Has it really been that short a time?" Ichigo sat on the edge of his bed, playing with his towel. "So much has happened in this time."
He wasn't just a normal high-schooler any more, but a Shinigami, with all the responsibilities and power that came with it. Okay, so he was actually a SUBSTITUTE Shinigami, but darn it, he got the job done!
His ability to see ghosts had been given a purpose and he had come to know – REALLY know – the people he now considered his best friends. It had been a painful process, but, all in all, he was better for it.
Ichigo smiled. He was HAPPIER for it.
And happiness and self-satisfaction were two things he had been low on ever since his mom had died. Ever since he had blamed himself for her death.
Now he couldn't even imagine living life without being a Shinigami. Couldn't believe that he had ever believed himself to be complete without knowing Rukia and Renji. Without getting to know Uryû, Orihime, and Chad better. He had been such a loner and now he couldn't comprehend being so alone again, not having someone to back him up if he really needed it.
"So much has changed…" Ichigo whispered.
"Are you STILL in your pajamas, Ichigo?! Looks like you need Dad to kick your butt into action!" A bellow from outside Ichigo's door, woke the boy from his musings.
"I'm GOING, Dad! Don't you DARE come in here!"
"Here comes Dad's Uncannily Swift Swivel-Scissor-Kick!"
"DAD, GET OUT OF HERE!! And you broke my door AGAIN!!"
On the other hand, some things never changed.
