Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any characters from Bleach.

She was such a little thing back then.

She's always been small. Almost abnormally so. Small and tiny, compact and really petite. Even now, goddamn practically back from the dead and she's just as I remember. Little, delicate looking, yet anything but. The katana she carries now is proof enough. But back then, when we were kids and before we'd even met, she was even more soft, more fragile looking. And now that I think, I wonder if that's what always drew my attention to her. Clichéd sounding and pretty lame, but that saying, like a moth to a flame, comes to mind. It's just how it was.

Thinking back now, I remember those days before we met pretty easily. I wasn't sure how old she was, but now that I think - and calculate - she was about eight and a half; seven months from being nine. Heh. More like eight going on thirty-eight, actually. She was just so matured, too matured; way beyond her years. I remember thinking that, after we'd met. And it's still like that, till this day, especially these days. Too much wisdom and age behind that amethyst stare. After I saw her again that night, Rukia with the sword, it was even worse. I'll get to that later though.

Now him, Renji; he's practically the same. Same ole' Renji, thirteen years later. Still unapologetically loud, crazy tall, completely irresponsible and totally rash, but the most fiercely loyal and compassionate person you could meet. He's a good friend. My closest, aside from Rukia. But the big red haired idiot, at the time when I'd first seen him and Rukia, he was already ten, way closer to eleven than I was. And even then I'd wondered how a damn-near eleven year old befriends an eight, going on nine year old girl. But really, that was only the tip of my curiosity, as far as they went.

Whenever I saw them, they were always so dirty. That's the first thing about them that I had noticed. My nine year old mind would marvel at their appearances, just imagining what fun they must be having and what wonderful games they must be playing to get so goddamn filthy. I wanted to be a part of it so badly. Stupid really, cause I didn't even know what it was.

And another thing I'd noticed about the clothes, Rukia in particular… as grubby as they always were, they looked new and expensive underneath that layer of dirt and grime. I used to cringe when I saw her walk past my mom and me, directly into mud, ruining her sparkly white tennis shoes seemingly without a care in the world.

I remember I'd tug on my moms hand and point in their direction.

"Ka-chan! Look at their clothes! Why don't they care that they're getting so dirty?"

Okasan just smiled at me, patted my head and said that she didn't know, but it didn't stop there.

"Ka-chan, it's them again, and they're-"

"Ka-chan! Look at what they're doing!"

"Ka-chan, can you believe-"

Everyday. Whenever I saw them, there was always something new to talk about.

Did you see her just step in that mud, again?

That big boy sure does follow her all the time…

Ka-chan! She just hit him!

So on and so forth.

And my mom; she really was no better after me bringing them up so many times, getting her attention just for them. She'd watch me as I watched them, catching my eye as I looked back over to her. She'd reach for my hand, giving me this knowing smile, nudging me in their direction with her hip.

"Come on Ichigo." she looked at me, a teasing note to her voice. "They look like sweet children. Especially the little dark haired girl. Maybe the three of you could become friends?" she asked.

"Noooo, Ka-chan!" I'd whine and blush, I remember. I'd tug at her hand as she half-dragged me along. I hadn't wanted to go over to where they were. I don't know why. I just remember feeling really timid about it all; anxious and nervous even.

Mom would let up on me after awhile, when she saw me getting agitated. She had squatted down in front of me one day, frowning lightly.

"What's the matter, Ichigo? Now I know you're not being shy, are you?" she clucked her tongue at me.

I remember frowning back and crossing my arms over my chest, saying nothing.

A smile had crept over the edges of her lips then.

"No. My big, strong Ichigo would never be shy." Her eyes had looked over my shoulder at the objects of our attention, smiling a little more widely. "He's just content with his friend Tatsuki-chan, right?" A twinkle caught her eye. "Besides, my big, strong little man can't go over there and talk to them, not until he can beat Tatsuki-chan in a match at least once. What would they think if they knew?"

And then I had exploded. "Yes I can too! And I have beat her! I did do it once!"

Okasan would laugh and brush her fingers through my hair, and I'd forgive her the next second. The teasing was always playful, though my childish, manly pride would be wounded. But it didn't matter. I loved my mother deeply, I'd forgive her for anything. But sometimes I'd think about what she said and look across the street to where Renji and Rukia usually were, a weird longing in my chest. I didn't know why I was being so weird about it, about talking to them like okasan said I should. Cause I was a man, 'least that's what I thought myself as. I was a man like my ka-chan told me I was, even if I couldn't beat a girl in a karate match.

I can laugh at it now, as I think back on it. A man? Seriously? Guess that's how kids are. Probably why okasan got such a kick out of teasing me.

But that feeling never left; that longing feeling. It was there every time I saw them. And I saw them everyday. Whenever me and my mom were walking home from the dojo, that's when I'd spot them. Rukia'd always been leading the way, a funny sight to see really. Though she was almost eight at the time she was, like I said, so small, so elfin. And Renji, he was pretty big for a ten year old. At least a whole head taller than I was, and just all around bigger. To put simply, he looked like some huge, preteen, bully kid stalking a six year old. They really were an odd duo. Funny, like I said before. I remember putting a hand to my mouth to stifle my laughter on occasion.

During those days, my attention was usually more focused on the Rukia rather than Renji, even though his fire engine red hair sure made him look fucking insane. I was just more drawn in to her. Like I said earlier, moth to a flame. Her appearance was pretty much the same as is now, even after the 'death' and 'disappearance'. Her jet black hair might have been a bit longer then, flowing freely to the upper middle of her back, still slightly curling at the ends. The odd bang hanging stiffly in the middle of her face has always been there, 'least as far as I can remember. And she could pull off that funny bang too. Instead of looking weird on her, it only added to her overall appeal and intrigue. Even more intriguing to me were her eyes, because I really didn't know what they looked like. Okasan and I were normally seeing them from across the street. I never really was able to say what color they were for the longest time. I was curious about that. And I blame the bang too. It was in the way.

Yet, what was weird was though I always saw her outside, she was still so pale, with the milkiest white skin. I wondered about that. I'd look down at my own arm, freckled and tanned from hours of playing outside. And this is going to sound stupid. Don't judge me, but I used to fancy her being a mystical princess with vampiric powers, a day walker, prowling the streets and keeping them safe, vanquishing any evil threatening the town, her loyal friend and subject at her side. I have no idea why. I'd even laugh to myself as I thought it, cause I knew it was crazy. And Renji, he'd kick my ass if he knew I used to think of him as Rukia's fucking subject. God I was the weirdest ass kid. My imagination was wild and rampant, all over the place. But really, my imaginings, they're not so laughable now.

But that's how it went for the longest time. We'd see them across the street on our way home. I'd look to them and have a million thoughts swirling around in my head. Then I'd tug on my mothers hand and bug her with a hundred and one questions about them that I knew she couldn't answer.

Why were they always walking, and where were they going?

Why were they always alone and without a mom or dad to watch them?

Were they siblings?

Cousins?

Just friends?

Best friends?

They were like an enigma to me.

I never really did know why, but maybe it was in the way Rukia and Renji interacted with each other. They didn't seem overly chatty with one another. Not very affectionate, from what I could tell. They didn't share secret glances or smiles with each other, that I could see. The type of shit you'd expect from little kids. Little kids that were good friends. But there was something… something they shared. Though she would randomly hit the shit out of Renji, you could see it. That they were close, really close. It was a special bond they seemed to share. I could tell from yards away, across the street even. At least that's what I thought.

I later came to find out that Renji and Rukia did have that sort of relationship. And it's amazing, really, that they were able to have that at such young ages. Some people never get the chance to have such friends. Ever. They never find someone that they connect with like that. On a deeper, practically unconscious, level.

I wanted that, what I could tell they had from across the street.

And I got it, later on. Rukia, Renji and I, together, we had that type of friendship.

We were friends so close that you'd call family, an extension of your own blood relatives. People you'd do anything for, 'cause you cared about them that much. Even take a hit by a car for.

It hurt me that Renji wasn't able to remember her. Because he put his life on the line for her, for that deep bond they had. And he can't even remember that he'd done something like that. Something so selfless, so courageous. And yeah, I can say I'd do the same for either one of them, no problem. Cause I would. That's how close the three of us were. That's they type of friends we were.

Around that time, when I was still nine, I used to wonder how it would be when we met each other. I say 'when' cause I knew it was going to happen. I'd talk to them eventually, cause I really wanted, regardless of the lingering shyness. Preferably without okasan there to embarrass me. I knew it would happen, and I wondered if we could all be friends together. If they would include me in that world of theirs that only the two of them seemed to share.

I got my wish. Not a month later, even. But I didn't know everything would change so drastically before then. I didn't know that it'd be then that I'd meet one of them. And under the worst, shittiest circumstances.

A/N: Would've updated ages ago but every time I tried there was an error message. And I know some of you were expecting some sort of confrontation between Rukia and Ichigo, and I'm sorry, I'm getting to that. I just felt it necessary to add a few kind of flashback chapters of their relationship beforehand. Two more chapters and I'll have that reunion up.

And thank you to those that reviewed, favorited and alerted the story so far. Means a lot to me, as always, and I'm glad you guys find it interesting so far (though this last chapter probably was a bore. Sorry, story progression, you know how that goes). Next chap is 93% done, should be up soonish.