Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I make no profit.
Warning: ooc.
rent
ii. the day time sky is full of startling stars
appleschan
10 minutes after 9 pm at the bus stop, the guy who sits at the far corner of the audi sits in front of the desolate convenience store holding a cold sandwich and a Fanta on another hand.
He's leaning forward, elbows on his knees, one hand clutching the cold sandwich that he bites into every 1 minute. He has his hood still drawn up and his black backpack on the side.
10 minutes after 9 pm at the same bus stop, Rukia just finished her cold salad –also bought from the convenience store.
They sit awkwardly 2 benches away. And the lone light post is dim and it flickers erratically. They're both waiting for the last scheduled bus.
"Water the plants tomorrow morning," he says quietly. Oh, he reminds her. Sometimes, when it's not too much of a trouble to make himself speak, he reminds her of things, many things, many random things. She thinks he only speaks because he still cares for his voice. Because how can he snap at her without it?
"I will," she answers back, slightly more cheerful.
He's talking about the plants that died 2 weeks ago. She knows his scowl deepens and she feels slightly victorious.
And the bus hasn't arrived yet.
The Kurosaki Ichigo that girls in her different classes know is the prince/movie star/shounen hero/super freaking smart/athletic hybrid super guy. All these, but he isn't really. Not so bombastic and princely and awesome like many girls believe. People mostly stay in the admiration line.
He broods a lot, really, a lot it's unhealthy. Rukia once tried to lift the spirit by putting small potted sunflowers at every corner of his house –he ended up chucking them away the same hour. "Cheap," he said. But Rukia defended, "still, it's nice…" But he answered, "These are plastic flowers. Don't buy them." Then she learned he doesn't like small efforts made for him by other people.
Rukia looks at him and any attempt at conversation is no longer applicable as she sees him deeply scowling. Oh, the flowers must have offended him that bad.
She's not scared of him, she's not shy, she's not awkward, she's threading carefully.
Nobody really says Kurosaki Ichigo is kind.
3 weeks ago, at the same bus stop, Rukia saw him up close for the first time. She only knew him as the guy with the bombastic rumors and someone who sits at the far corner of the audi during history class. She saw him seated in the same bench, eating the same cold sandwich, drinking the same Fanta, wearing the same hood and back pack. But she could not care.
She sits on the bench, waiting for something she doesn't really know. Rukia sits stiffly. Her dress is damp and her shoes are gravely uncomfortable. It is 9 in the evening and this is harder than expected. This is being directionless. Her family driver dropped her off here, at the bus stop before surrendering the car, and wished her a throaty yet hearty good luck.
She's well aware of him sitting right there waiting for the last scheduled bus.
Yet she thanks him, she's glad for his muted company, the hunch male form, at least no goon would come up to her in the meantime.
But 'in the meantime' will end in a minute as she sees the headlights approaching.
He stands from the bench and walks up to the entry point, waiting for the bus to pull over.
The bus pulls over and she closes her eyes and thinks she's alone; she doesn't look long enough to see him walk up to the bus.
She sits alone, the cold wind blowing and uncomfortable deep to the soul and lost in the universe.
"Hey," he says.
Rukia looks up, startled.
"What's wrong with you?" He asks, he doesn't like talking in a high volume, and he doesn't care about his tone, too. He walks up to her and asks again, "what's wrong with you?"
Rukia hears him and wonders herself, what's wrong with me?
"That's the last bus." He says like he's berating her.
Strange, her classmates say he doesn't talk much.
"Oh," a sigh then, "I didn't know."
She looks up, and it is surprising to see the eyes of the guy who sits in the corner of the audi aren't that dark like what her seatmates fantasize, they are a lighter shade of caramel.
"Where do you stay?"
Ahh, she finds it hard to answer, she considers not telling the truth but there is no reason to lie either.
"I have no place to go." She answers heavily.
He suddenly walks out and goes to the bus entry point and looks at his watch repeatedly.
Rukia doesn't expect him to help, but she is sure he won't spread rumors either-
"Keep my house tidy, dust everything, pluck the overgrown grass and you can stay." He says, and she finds him suddenly in front of her.
"What?" What?
Rukia stares up at him.
Nobody really says Kurosaki Ichigo is kind, but Kurosaki Ichigo's kindness is disarming.
Then another bus arrives.
to be continued