It's been a long while since I've written anything, so I don't know how this will turn out. I just wanted to write something, and there's a thunderstorm going on here now, so I came up with this little one-shot. Please leave a review and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters.

Thunderstorms

Kira leaned against the banister, the wood trembling beneath him with every burst of thunder.

He had always loved thunderstorms. They made him feel alive in a way that nothing else could. The crack of thunder in the sky, the sudden flash of lighting, the invigorating scent of rain… Before his parents passed away, his mother used to tell him that thunderstorms were what happened when the Royal Guard were practicing their swordsmanship in the King's Palace. He always loved his mother's stories. His mother had been a good storyteller.

Kira smiled to himself as he recalled his favorite one. It was a story about heroes, loyalty, strength and love as he'd never encountered. The main character had fallen in love with the King's daughter, and to prove his love, he had to fight the Royal Guard and win. The sparks from their swords were the lighting that filled the sky. The clanging sound of sword against sword became roaring thunder, and it was especially loud when the hero was winning. The scent of rain was what the princess sent to the hero, to encourage him in his fights. It was what kept him strong.

He wanted nothing more than to be like the hero of that story, up until his captain turned his back on Soul Society. That was the day Kira realized that stories were just that – stories.

Even so, a part of him remained hopeful, because deep down, he knew that his story was not finished yet. That was why he stayed on in the Gotei 13. He wanted a happy ending for himself.

His mother used to tell him that every storm runs out of rain. He wondered when his own storm would end.

"Izuru? What are you doing here?" A familiar voice made him snap out of his thoughts.

"Ah, Rangiku! I'm just here watching the thunderstorm. Isn't it great?" He asked.

She looked at him, puzzled. "Watching the thunderstorm? Gosh Kira, you're so gloomy sometimes. Oh, I know what will cheer you up!"

The blonde reached into her kimono sleeve and pulled out a sake bottle. Kira glanced at it and smiled.

"Alright, Rangiku, just one drink."

"You always say that Izuru, but we both know that's not true," she said and laughed, and he joined in.

As he walked on with the lieutenant, the lighting streaked across the sky, and he felt the thunder shake his bones.

"Man, the Royal Guard must be really going at it tonight," he mumbled to himself.

"What was that?" Matsumoto asked.

"Ah, nothing. Just an old story," he said, laughing it off.

Kira took a deep breath, loving the scent of the rain.

Maybe his storm wouldn't run out of rain just yet, Kira mused. But he liked storms anyway. And friends and sake made them that much more fun.