Okay, so I'm kind of stuck on my other fic…so I'm going to go ahead and start chapter two of this, lol Sorry for all of you waiting on an update for 10 Days. It'll happen eventually. I've got a lot on my plate this week, so next weekend I should get way more done, I promise! Anyway, here we go.
Oh, yeah, and I'm going to have some more OC's in here that I have never been able to add into my stories before and I'm super excited about that! :D In this story there's going to be a character named Benjamin, who, in my Bleach world is Renji's son…and Rukia's. Ha ha. Long story, but he is Renji's brother in this. And Saki, who is usually Rukia and Ichigo's first daughter is going to be Rukia's sister. And yeah, that's all I'm going to say right now:3
-:-
Ichigo
The morning after Renji's death I returned to the apartment early, skipping work to see if Mina needed any help with the funeral arrangements. I figured Shenji and Ren would help her a lot with that, but I also wanted to help her neighbor with the kids. I wasn't sure how they were going to react to her, so I figured I'd see if she needed any help herself.
When I got there I figured no one would be awake yet, so I unlocked the door with my own key and walked into the living room to find Mina folding laundry.
"Mina, what are you doing? You should be resting," I said, approaching her and taking the shirt from her hands. That's when I realized she was folding Renji's clothes.
"I have to get this done. Besides, I couldn't sleep," she said, taking the shirt back and folding it carefully.
"Mina, stop," I said, taking the piece of clothing again and sitting it on the couch. "There's no point in this."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, although she had stopped and looked down at her hands. "Just because Renji died, that doesn't mean I don't have things to do around here."
"You don't have to do this," I said, taking the basket and sitting is aside. "Come on, let's have some coffee," I suggested, taking her hand and carefully leading her into the kitchen. She took a seat at the table, allowing me to get everything prepared. "How'd you sleep last night?"
"I didn't," she answered, resting an elbow on the table.
"At all?" I asked, trying to keep the concern out of my voice.
"Mm hm," she answered, her eyes darting around the room. She didn't seem like she hadn't slept the night before.
"Well, why don't you try to lie down on the couch for a while?" I asked, still getting the coffee ready because I knew how she would answer.
"I'm fine," she said, pushing some hair out of her face.
Pushing the power button on the coffee maker, I nodded and said, "Alright," not pressing her. I took a seat next to her at the table and looked down at her. "Have you talked to the kids at all?"
She shook her head. "I called Rukia, but she said they never woke up last night. They must have been exhausted."
I frowned slightly. "Yeah, I guess so. Were you okay being here alone last night?"
"Shenji and Ren stayed over, I wasn't alone."
"Oh. Where did they sleep?" I asked, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. They made it look like she hadn't slept in a week, not a day. They made her look like Renji.
"They stayed in our bed. I told them I'd just sleep on the couch, but Ren wouldn't have it. So I told them I'd be there in a while; they must have fallen asleep before they noticed that I wasn't coming." She shrugged slightly at this and glanced at the kitchen doorway when the coffee pot beeped.
"I'll get it," I said quickly, standing and returning to the kitchen. After pouring our cups of coffee, I returned to the table and sat down, handing her a mug.
"Thanks," she said and took a drink.
I nodded and did the same before placing the coffee cup on the table. "You wanna go see the kids with me?" I asked, causing her to smile, which confused me. "What?"
"Are you going to see the kids?" she asked, trying to hide her growing smile behind her cup before taking a drink.
"That's what I said, isn't it?" I returned, unable to help the smile on my own face.
She just shrugged and continued to hold her mug in front of her mouth, although her eyes gave away that she was grinning by now.
"Seriously, I don't know what you're getting at," I said, causing her laugh quietly.
"Well, who are my kids staying with again?" she questioned, finally sitting her cup on the table and allowing me to see her smile.
"Mina-," I began, but she cut in.
"Well?" she persisted, rubbing her eyes tiredly before taking another drink of coffee.
I sighed before answering her. "Your neighbor, that Rukia woman."
She snorted before continuing. "Anyway, to answer your question, yeah, I'll come." By now her grin was gone, although she appeared to still be in a decent mood. I was surprised, but pleased.
"Good, we'll go after you finish your coffee," I said, taking my empty cup to the sink and rinsing it off.
"How do you know she'll be awake?" Mina asked, although she quickly finished her own coffee.
"The kids are surely up already if they fell asleep at seven-thirty last night. And if they're awake, she'll be awake."
Mina shrugged and left her cup on the table before going down the hall to find her shoes.
-:-
Rukia
There was a loud knock and muffled voices before I finally opened my eyes. After blinking a few times my eyes focused and I realized I was looking down at the floor. A strange pair of large shoes were in view, startling me.
Sitting up I felt his tight grip keeping me down and sighed, pushing his arms away before I was able to sit up and see who was standing in my bedroom doorway. Ichigo was looking down at us, smirking while waiting for me to say something.
Instead of addressing him and making a bigger fool of myself, I turned to Kon, who had reattached to me in his sleep. "Kon, wake up!" I demanded, pulling away from him.
His eyes snapped open before he sat up and looked at me curiously. "What?"
"Get off of me," I said, looking back up at Ichigo. "Can I help you?"
Suddenly Mina came up behind him with Kenji in her arms and cocked an eyebrow at me and Kon. "Um, sorry, are we…interrupting something?"
"No!" I said, jumping out of the bed suddenly, disgusted with what she had assumed.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, glancing at Ichigo with a concerned expression.
I sighed, shaking my head. "Look, this is my friend, Kon, and I asked him to stay with me last night, that's all. I wouldn't…do that while I was watching your kids. And definitely not with Kon." I could feel my face heating up as Ichigo laughed and looked away from them, hoping they would just drop it.
"Oh, alright," Mina said and smiled slightly before taking a step closer to Ichigo. "I'm sorry we woke you, we should have called or something."
"No, don't worry about it," I answered taking a step closer to the door, gesturing for Ichigo to get out of my way. "I'll make us some coffee," I said, following them down the hall and into the living room.
After entering the kitchen and starting the coffee I noticed they were all just standing around, including Kon. "You can sit down," I said, smiling slightly when Mina nodded and took a seat on the couch, placing Kenji in her lap. Ichigo sat next to her, absently placing an arm on the couch behind her. Kon didn't sit until I did, keeping some distance from the strangers.
"Where's Rina?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"She asked if she could go upstairs and see Shenji for a while," Mina answered while playing with Kenji's disheveled hair.
I nodded. "Well, is there something you needed?"
Mina smiled again, which I was glad to see, while glancing at Ichigo. "We just came to see the kids."
"Oh, alright," I answered, returning the gesture.
There was a sudden knock on the door, causing me to stand. "Coming," I said absently, stepping over Ichigo and Mina's long legs before approaching the door and opening it. "Um…," I said. "Can I help you?" Standing before me was obviously another Abarai. He looked exactly like Renji, more so than Shenji, although he also lacked the tattoos. His hair was long and red like Renji's, although it rested lazily over his shoulders. He was holding Rina, who looked fairly happy compared to the night before.
"Uh, yeah, my dad said Mina was here…," he said, easily looking over me at his sister-in-law.
"Ben?" Mina asked, her voice giving away her excitement.
I stepped aside so he could come in and watched as Mina hugged him tightly. When she pulled away from him Kenji held his arms out to his uncle, who gladly took him while handing Rina to her mother.
"Hey, Ichigo," Ben said, glancing at Kon curiously.
"Hey, Ben, it's good to see you."
"You too," he answered, although his face held a somber expression.
"How are you?" Mina asked, taking a seat on the arm of the couch absently.
"I'm…I've been better," he answered, earning a nod.
"Me too," she answered, frowning slightly. "Rukia, this is my brother-in-law, Ben. Ben, this is my neighbor, Rukia. She's been watching the kids for me."
He held a large hand out to me while answering. "It's nice to meet you, Rukia," he said.
I placed my hand in his, surprised by his gentile grip. "You too," I answered, pulling my hand back and stepping around him to shut the door.
"Oh, and this is Rukia's friend, uh…Kon," Mina said, gesturing toward him. He didn't seem to appreciate the attention, but still waved slightly as a greeting.
Ben just nodded in response and turned his attention back to Mina, his expression growing serious. "When's the funeral?" he asked, his brows pulling together as he seemed more concentrated; his expression made him look like Renji more than before.
She shrugged and looked toward the patio, her frown deepening. "I don't know, I haven't talked to anyone about it yet…"
Ichigo wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "Your parents will probably do most of that," he said to Ben, earning a nod.
"What…exactly happened?" he asked, looking from Ichigo, to Mina, to me before returning his gaze to his sister-in-law.
"D-didn't Shenji tell you?" Mina asked, cocking an eyebrow slightly.
"I didn't talk to Dad, my cell phone was dead. Apparently he called the main office on campus and they got in contact with me. That's why I got here so late."
"Oh," she answered, looking away again. She was obviously leaving the explaining to someone else.
"Well?" Ben pressed, looking at Ichigo sternly.
Ichigo frowned slightly before looking at the kids. "Let's go for a walk," he said, standing suddenly, obviously confusing Ben.
"Wh-," he began, looking down at Rina before cutting himself off. "Alright," he said, handing Rina to me.
When Ichigo stepped over Mina's legs he turned back and asked, "You wanna come, Kon?"
Surprised, Kon blinked before responding. "Um…I don't want to interfere-"
"You won't be, come on," Ichigo insisted, waiting for him to stand and follow.
After hesitating, Kon glanced at me and stood, following Ichigo and Ben out of my apartment. I was glad he had asked; Kon didn't have many male friends. He didn't have many friends at all other than me and his girlfriend.
"That was nice of him," I said absently, watching Mina carefully.
"Yeah, that's Ichigo for you," she said, still looking at the shades covering my patio door.
I stared at her for another moment, absently playing with Rina's hair. "Are you…alright?"
After a brief pause she turned her gaze back to me. "No. But…I will be."
-:-
The guys were gone for a while and Mina began worrying about them. I tried to distract her, asking her to watch the kids while I made breakfast for everyone. She seemed to forget about her worries for them, more focused on how her children were doing. They were quiet, which seemed to bother her the most.
While in the kitchen, attempting to fry pancakes, I heard another knock on my door. Figuring it was Kisa, I quickly turned the eye of the stove off and exited the kitchen.
"Do you want me to get that?" Mina asked, although I was already nearing the door.
"No thanks," I answered, smiling pleasantly while opening the door. Completely surprised by who stood in front of me, my smile fell. "What…are you doing here?"
She laughed and pushed her way inside my apartment. "You sound happy to see me," she said sarcastically. Her gaze drifted to the three sitting on my couch and her own smile fell. "Oh, you have company; I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine. It's really good to see you, Saki," I responded, hugging her tightly, seeming to confuse her.
"Ruk…is everything okay?" she asked, hugging me back quickly.
"She must be your sister," Mina said from the couch, smiling slightly up at the somehow taller version of myself.
"Yes, this is my little sister, Saki," I answered, turning to introduce them. "Saki, these are my neighbors, Mina, Kenji and Rina."
"Hello, it's nice meeting you all. Are you new to the building?" Saki asked, absently kicking her shoes off and placing her bag on the floor.
"No, not at all," Mina answered, laughing dryly.
"Oh, I just thought because I haven't met you before," she said, shrugging off the rest of her sentence.
Mina opened her mouth to respond, but the door suddenly opened behind me and Saki, gaining her attention. Ichigo, Kon and Ben walked in, causing us to step away to give them all some room as they just stood in the entrance.
"Hey, Ben," she said, giving him her full attention. "Are you alright?" She was frowning now.
He looked pretty neutral and merely nodded. She patted the cushion next to Kenji, offering him a seat. He quickly approached them, picking up his nephew before taking a seat and placing him in his lap. Mina scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder, grabbing his arm comfortingly.
"Oh my God," Saki exclaimed, earning their attention. "Your kids look exactly like you, that's crazy!"
He looked at her curiously, cocking an eyebrow. "What? No, they're not my kids," he answered quickly.
"Okay," she responded sarcastically, smiling over at me.
Mina smiled slightly before answering. "He's telling the truth; he's their uncle."
"You sure?" Saki joked, looking between Kenji and Ben.
"I'm positive," Mina continued, her smile fading quickly. "Their father died yesterday."
Just as quickly as Mina's had, Saki's grin disappeared. "Oh, God, I'm…so sorry."
"It's fine," she said, looking back at Ben, absently messing with his hair.
"No, really," Saki persisted, about to continue before Ichigo cut her off.
"So, who are you?" he asked, smiling down at her, obviously trying to change the subject.
She looked around me, up at him and smiled. "I'm Saki Kuchiki, who are you?"
"You're Rukia's sister?"
"Yes," she responded, glancing at me before turning her attention back to him. "Again, you are?"
His smile widened slightly. Great, I thought, regarding their interaction angrily. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki; I'm a friend of Mina's."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Ichigo," she said, her tone giving away the fact that she was openly flirting with him.
"You too," he answered, glancing over at me.
"Anyway," I said, turning back to my sister. "Now that you know everyone, when are you going to stop being rude and talk to Kon? You haven't seen in, what? A year?"
She rolled her eyes while maintaining her smile. "Hey, Kon, how are you?"
He stepped closer to her and they started conversing quietly. I was relieved that she had stopped being rude to the mourning family more than anything. Glancing at everyone, I noticed Ben eyeing my sister and couldn't help but smile at the opportunity. If my sister and I had anything in common, it was our taste in men. I couldn't help but remember the day the Abarai's had moved in. Renji was the first one I had seen and for some reason I decided I needed to just go for it. I had started a conversation with him quickly and as soon as I began to ask him out, a very pregnant Mina walked in. He seemed to know what I was getting at, but only smiled and politely pretended like he didn't.
"So, Ben," I began, smiling down at him. "What year of college are you in?"
"I'm a junior," he answered.
"Oh, so is Saki," I said, smiling slightly. "What are you majoring in?"
"Music education," he stated.
"Really? What do you play?"
"I play the cello," he answered, absently leaning back against the couch.
"How long have you been playing?" I asked, taking a seat on the arm of the couch and turning toward him. I noticed that Saki had begun listening to our conversation and I was glad.
"For about eleven years."
"Wow, you must be amazing," I said, leaning my arms against my knees and resting my head in my hands.
"He is," Mina joined in, smiling over at me. "You'll have to hear him play sometime, it's really great."
I nodded. "I'd love that."
Ben glanced up at Saki before asking, "What are you majoring in?"
"Culinary Arts," she answered happily, smiling back down at him.
"I didn't know cooking was an art," Ichigo said, laughing quietly.
"Well, it is," she responded, grinning back at him.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes slightly at their interaction. I usually didn't get so pushy with this sort of thing, but something about my sister and Ichigo flirting really grossed me out. He had to at least be my age, it was just weird. Besides, they were doing it right in front of the mourning family. I knew it was good to distract them, but not like that.
"Well, I was just about to make breakfast, would you guys want any?" I asked, getting Saki's immediate attention.
"You? Really?" she asked, smiling back at me.
I looked at her sternly. "Well, if you want to be a bitch about it, you're welcome to do it for me."
She laughed, although I was genuinely angry and everyone else seemed to realize it. "I will, if you want."
Annoyed that she hadn't noticed my honest attitude, I sighed. "Yeah, sure."
"Okay," she said, still smiling when she walked into the kitchen.
I rolled my eyes, earning a low chuckle from Ichigo. "I'm sorry about her, you guys," I said to the Abarais. "She can be a little insensitive."
Mina smiled slightly, rubbing her eyes absently. "She's fine, Rukia."
I nodded, thankful that they had understood. Grabbing Saki's bag, I headed toward the guest room, noticing the space problem for the first time. "Oh, yeah. Hey, Saki, you're going to have to sleep on the pull out couch while you stay here."
"What? Why?" she whined from the kitchen.
"Because, Kenji and Rina are going to be staying over for a few nights and they're not sleeping out here."
"Rukia, that's alright. I appreciate it, but they can just stay home," Mina said while playing with Rina's long curls.
"No, I told you I'd keep them and I will. Besides, I don't want them to leave yet," I said genuinely, causing Mina to smile.
After a moment of hesitation, she asked, "Are you sure?"
"Positive. Saki will live, and if she can't handle the couch, there's always room in my bed for her," I answered, looking down at the kids. "Do you guys want to stay with me for a few more nights?"
They glanced at each other before shrugging, causing me to laugh quietly. "Well, just let me know before your mom goes home, okay?"
"Alright," Rina answered.
Everyone was silent and Kon and Ichigo took this as their opportunity to take a seat on the cramped couch. Standing in place, I glanced around at everyone, noticing all three of the guys looking at me. Confused, I just glanced at the kitchen and said, "Well, I'm going to go talk to my sister for a while," before heading after her.
I walked into the kitchen to find her standing at the stove, frying eggs or something. "Hey, Saki," I said, leaning against the counter next to her and crossing my arms over my chest.
She smiled over at me before turning back to the food in front of her. "Hey, Ruk. How have you been?"
"I've been okay," I answered, glancing over at her absently.
"Only okay?" she asked, her smile widening.
Cocking an eyebrow, I continued with, "Yeah, what is that supposed to mean?"
She shrugged but responded. "I just thought you'd be a little better than okay. I mean, it's been a while since you've had so much male company."
"Shut up, they're over here because their relative died," I snapped, glaring over at her. "I'm definitely not happy because of that."
"Calm down, Rukia, I was just teasing you," she said defensively. "Sorry."
I sighed, still frustrated but said, "It's fine."
"But really, is that the only reason Ichigo's over?" she asked, surprising and confusing me. "Honestly, is he only over because of that?"
"What the hell are you implying?" I questioned angrily.
She laughed. "I'm not implying anything. I just thought maybe there was something going on between you two."
"First of all, you have no reason to even think that," I began, feeling my face heat up immediately. "And second of all, if you honestly thought that, why was your reaction to flirt with him? That's a pretty bitchy thing to do."
"See, you are interested in him!" she exclaimed, way too loudly.
I placed a hand over her mouth quickly. "No I'm not, be quiet!" I exclaimed through my teeth. "I'm honestly just curious as to why you would flirt with someone you thought I was interested in."
After pulling my hand away from her, she answered. "I wasn't flirting," she said quietly, her smile growing as she turned her attention back to cooking.
"Okay," I said sarcastically. "Just try to be a little sensitive, will you? He just lost his close friend."
"Alright, I'm sorry. I'll try to be more sensitive to them all." Her answer was serious for once and I knew she meant it. I figured she had just been excited to visit and hadn't expected something so drastic; I knew she didn't mean to act like she had.
"It's okay," I answered, finally calming down and allowing myself to smile slightly.
"Are you okay? I mean, he was your neighbor, right? Were you close?"
"Not really…I mean, now that I'm getting to know his family better, I wish I had been closer to him. But…seeing it was the hardest thing…"
She stopped what she was doing before turning to me. "Wait, you…saw it?"
I nodded, my stomach churning at the thought.
"How…what happened?" she asked, dropping her spatula and grabbing my hand.
I lowered my voice carefully before answering. "He shot himself…on his balcony and…his body fell into my patio."
"And you saw this?" she questioned, tightening her grip on my hand. I just nodded before she hugged me tightly. "I'm so sorry, Ruk. That must have been awful."
"Yeah," I muttered before laying my head on her shoulder and glancing at the entrance to the kitchen. To my surprise Ichigo was standing there, smiling back at us. Pulling away from my sister, I directed him. "Sorry, do you need something?"
He shook his head before answering. "No, I just thought I'd ask if you two needed any help." Gesturing toward the stove, he gained Saki's attention.
"You want to help us cook?" she asked, smiling slightly when he nodded.
"I haven't studied the 'Arts' or anything, but I think I can handle breakfast," he joked, causing us both to laugh.
She shrugged and nodded. "Sure, you can fix the pancake batter," she said absently turning back to the eggs in front of her. "Ruk, you're not doing anything, why don't you go talk to the others."
Surprised by the fact that she was kicking me out of my own kitchen, and a little suspicious, I glanced at her before shrugging and leaving them alone.
When I reentered the living room I noticed Ben and Mina talking while Kon sat aside quietly. Feeling bad that he was so uncomfortable, I knew I needed to talk to him. After approaching Kon, I smiled and took a seat on the arm of the couch next to him. "Hey, Kon, how are you?"
He smiled and shrugged. "I'm fine," he answered quietly.
"Are you okay since everyone got here?" I questioned, frowning slightly. I knew he could be pretty shy and I hated that he felt that way here.
He nodded. "I'm alright."
I smiled and laid a hand on his arm. "Well, let me know if you need anything, alright?"
"Okay," he said, staring off again.
I sighed but let it go. I forced myself to realize that he would be okay and that he was not the one I needed be worrying about.
-:-
Ichigo
After adding the water to the dry mix, I sat the plastic bowl on the counter and began stirring, not paying much attention to what I was doing.
"So," Saki began, glancing over at me momentarily. "Mina and Rukia seem to be pretty close. Are they?"
"Uh, I don't think so. They probably will be, soon enough. Mina really appreciates what your sister's doing for her," I answered, adding a little more water to the batter.
"What all is she doing?"
"She's keeping the kids for her and she's been letting us all stay over at her apartment so we can see the kids."
She nodded, but didn't seem to think much of it. "Did you meet Rukia through Mina?"
I shrugged. "Yeah, sort of."
She was silent for a few minutes, placing the finished scrambled eggs on separate plates. I wasn't sure what else to say, so I turned back to the batter and began mixing it again.
"What do you think of Rukia?"
I laughed pretty loudly at her bluntness. She gave me a stern look before I answered. "I think she's nice, but then again, I don't really know anything about her."
"There's really not that much to know about her," Saki said, shrugging slightly.
I couldn't help but laugh again. "What does that even mean?"
"Rukia's…a very simple kind of person."
"I still don't understand," I continued.
"I mean, there's just not that much a person needs to know about her. She's very simple," Saki attempted to explain again.
I shrugged. "Even so, what does that have to do with me? I'm just her neighbor's friend."
Saki smiled. "Are you?"
I laughed again. "Yes, I am. Are you implying something?"
She shook her head. "I don't understand why everyone thinks I'm implying anything." She seemed to be talking more to herself than to me. "I was just asking."
"Why, though?" I asked, stopping and turning toward her. "Did she say something?"
"Who, Ruk?" Saki asked, her smile widening as I nodded. "She didn't say anything."
I tried to shrug off just how obvious that was and turned back to the bowl of pancake batter.
"But I want to know; are you interested in her?"
I sighed before turning back to her. "No, I'm not. I don't know her." I usually didn't lie about this sort of thing, but I really didn't think it would be a great idea to tell her sister this. Besides, I was sort of being honest; I didn't know her. And I had a lot of other things on my plate at the moment, so getting to know a strange woman wasn't my top priority.
Her grin widened as she nodded. "Oh, okay." She obviously didn't believe me, but I let it go. She suddenly took the bowl from me and turned a second eye on, pouring the batter onto a clean skillet. "Get me another spatula, will you?"
"Where are they?" I asked, looking around.
"Last drawer on the left, by the sink," she answered while I quickly grabbed one and handed it to her. "Thanks. You can leave now." She grinned but didn't look up at me.
"Alright," I said, confused but doing what she said. I stepped back into the living room and stood next to Mina, who was still sitting on the couch.
There was another knock on the door before Rukia approached it and opened it. "Oh, hey," she said, smiling up at Shenji. "Come on in."
He walked in, followed by Ren, and addressed Ben immediately. "What the hell, Son? You didn't even come see me this morning before you came to see Mina."
"You were asleep. I was upstairs first," he answered quietly, causing Shenji to smile.
Taking a seat on the arm of the couch, he wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders, pulling him closer. "I know, I'm just fucking with you." Ben tried to pull away but couldn't. "You okay?" Shenji asked, a serious expression on his face again.
Ben nodded before answering. "Yeah, I guess." He stopped trying to pull away from his dad and rested his head on his shoulder. I couldn't help but frown at Ben; it must have been such a hard day for him. He and Renji were really close, more so than a lot of siblings.
Ren, who was standing off by herself, began to cry again quietly. Rukia quickly approached her and wrapped an arm around her, trying to soothe the small woman. After a minute she politely pulled away from Rukia and approached her husband, hugging onto him before he pulled his free arm around her.
Suddenly Saki came out of the kitchen and said, "Breakfast's done!" She noticed Shenji and Ren and her smile fell. "Oh, hello."
"Damn," Shenji said and laughed. "You're Rukia's older sister?"
She laughed as well. "Younger, actually, but thanks."
"Younger, huh?" he asked, and glanced down at Ben.
"You two are his parents," she stated, pointing at Ben like she had forgotten his name.
"Yup, how did you know?" he joked, causing her to laugh as she approached them.
"My name's Saki Kuchiki, it's nice to meet you." Holding her hand out, her expression shifted to a slightly sympathetic one. "And I'm sorry about your son."
Shenji nodded, but took her hand. "Thanks. I'm Shenji Abarai, and this is my wife Ren."
Saki shook Ren's hand and smiled down at her.
"Okay," Rukia spoke up, getting everyone's attention. "Time for breakfast." When no one moved, she sternly looked at the Abarais and pointed toward the kitchen. "Come on, haul ass."
Shenji laughed and stood, pulling his son with him before they all headed toward the small table in the dining area. When he passed her, Shenji patted Rukia's shoulder, earning a smile. Mina sat on the couch even as her children reluctantly followed their grandparents.
I nudged her and asked, "You okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, just not hungry."
"Mina, get your ass in here and eat," Shenji said, turning back to her.
She tried to hide her evident smile. "Really, Shenji, I'm not hungry."
"I'm sure; you haven't eaten since lunch yesterday. Get in here."
She sighed, although she couldn't hide her smile any more. "Fine," she said, standing and approaching her father-in-law.
-:-
Rukia
Everyone ate quickly, sitting silently. At first I was worried it was going to be this uncomfortable the whole time they were over, but luckily Shenji had many questions for his younger son. Apparently it had been almost an entire year since they had seen him, so Ren was obviously a little clingy.
After everyone finished breakfast I began clearing the cramped table, surprised when Kon stood to help me. I thanked him absently and led him to the sink, where we placed the dishes. Turning to him, I realized he had been extremely quiet since the others had arrived.
"Hey, Kon, you alright?" I asked him for the fifth time that day.
He smiled before nodding. "Yeah, I'm still fine," he joked, elbowing me carefully.
I laughed quietly, nodding as well. "I know, sorry for asking so much. You're not usually silent, though."
He shrugged before responding. "I just…don't know them."
"I know, but…they're nice. Don't you like them?"
"It's not that," he answered, not giving anymore explanation.
"Okay, well, just let me-"
"-know if you need anything, I know. I will."
Laughing again, I let it go and led him back into the living room. All the Abarais were sitting on the couch while Ichigo stood next to it and Saki sat on the floor. Shenji pulled his arm away from his wife and sat up, turning toward Mina.
"So, we made an appointment with the people at the funeral home today. It's in an hour…did you want to go?" he asked, looking at Mina as the reality of the situation seemed to dawn on her again.
After looking down at her daughter, who was resting in her lap, she returned her gaze to Shenji and nodded.
"What about you, Son?" he asked, turning toward Ben, who nodded immediately. "Okay, well, we should go so Mina can get ready." That's when I noticed that Mina was still in sweats and a T-shirt, surprised that I hadn't noticed before.
Handing Rina to Ichigo, Mina stood and the others followed suit. "Thanks so much for breakfast," she said to me, smiling slightly.
"You're welcome," I said, unable to return the gesture.
Shenji approached me and tried to hand Kenji to me, but he wouldn't let go of his grandfather. "Kenj, what are you doing?"
"I don't want you to go," he murmured, his face buried in Shenji's shoulder.
"Well, I don't think it would be a good idea if you came with us. We'll only be gone a few hours, maybe not even that. Just stay here with Rukia and be good."
"No," he retorted, not loosening his grip at all.
"You'll be fine," Mina began, approaching us as well. "Ichigo will stay here with you, alright?"
After a moment of silence, he nodded and allowed Shenji to hand him to me. With much effort, I held him up to my shoulder, hating to see the kids like this. I wanted them to be comfortable at my place, they seemed okay before. I just assumed it was the fact that both Kon and Saki were with us.
Mina stepped closer and kissed Kenji on the head, approaching Ichigo before doing the same to Rina. Taking her place next to Shenji, he laid a hand on her shoulder and led her toward the door. "Thanks again, Ruk, for everything. We'll be back soon."
"Alright, see you later," I answered, waving slightly before they all headed out the door and shut it.
"So," Saki spoke up, smiling at all of us. "I guess it's just us for a while."
I sighed, honestly thinking how I could already take a break from my sister. I had told her all the horrible details from the night before, and she still didn't seem to take it very seriously.
Looking down at Kenji, I asked, "Do you need anything? Something to drink?"
He shook his head and squirmed until I sat him down. I frowned slightly as he sat down on the couch, looking out at the patio. Ichigo quickly took a seat next to him and pulled an arm around his shoulders while placing Rina in his lap.
Looking up at Kon, Ichigo asked, "Can you close the blinds, please?"
Kon nodded. "Sure," he said before stepping closer to the window and pulling the shades closed.
"Now it's too dark in here," Saki whined, earning a glare from me. She laughed quietly and said, "Sorry," as she turned another lamp on.
"Thanks," Ichigo replied, glancing down at Kenji.
"No problem," Kon responded, absently taking a seat on the opposite side of the couch.
"So, what do you guys want to do?" Saki asked, only earning another glare from me.
"Why don't you ask the kids?" I asked her, causing her smile to falter before she nodded.
"What would you two like to do?" she asked, peering over the coffee table at them.
They both just looked at her blankly before Rina finally spoke up. "Nothing."
She frowned slightly at the little girl's words. "Are you..alright?"
"Not really," she responded, seeming to try to keep a glare off her face.
Instead of pushing it, Saki nodded, her frown deepening.
"So," Ichigo began, pushing the awkward conversation out of the way. "What do you do, Kon?"
Surprised that he was being addressed, Kon shifted nervously in his seat. "Um, I'm a mechanic."
Ichigo laughed loudly as he finished his statement, only causing Kon to grow more nervous. "Seriously?"
Kon nodded in response.
"Why are you laughing?" I asked sternly, glaring at him.
"I just didn't expect that," he answered, looking guilty. "Sorry."
Kon shook his head. "It's fine, I kind of get that a lot." He paused before continuing. "What about you?"
"I'm a teacher at Karakura University," he answered, surprising me.
"What do you teach?" Saki asked as I took a seat next to her on the floor.
"Literature," he answered, earning a nod from Saki as she smiled. "What about you, Rukia?" he asked, turning toward me.
"I'm a nurse at a pediatrician's office," I said absently.
He nodded. "Nice. And you're just a college student, huh?" He was speaking to Saki again.
"'Just'?" she asked, grinning back at him as she shrugged.
"So," Kon spoke up, surprising me. "You guys were talking about, uh…Renji losing his job, right?" Ichigo nodded. "What did he do?"
"Yeah, I don't even know," I said, looking back at Ichigo, hoping this conversation didn't upset the kids.
"He used to teach German at the high school. That's actually where I met him, when I worked there. The school lost a ton of funding last year and had to drop the class all together. It was nearly impossible to find another job because German is such a rare language around here," he explained, absently messing with Rina's hair.
"He spoke German?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Ichigo nodded. "Shenji's completely German; he moved here when he was fifteen with his family."
"Oh," I answered, having no idea.
"These two know German too," he said, gesturing toward the kids.
"Really?" I asked, smiling down at them. Although she was trying to hide it, Rina's smile was evident when she nodded shyly. "That's so cool, does your mommy know it?"
Rina laughed quietly before shaking her head. "No, not at all."
"Mina wasn't able to grasp it very well," Ichigo added, smiling down at Rina.
"Even a German teacher, who deals with high schoolers, couldn't teach her?" I asked, my smile growing.
"Nope," he answered, laughing slightly.
"Will you say something in German?" Saki asked, smiling at Rina who quickly shook her head. "Why not?" She only shook her head again, causing Ichigo to nudge her.
"Say something," he said before she hid her face in his side, causing him to laugh.
"It's alright," Saki continued, grinning at the small girl. "She's so cute."
Ichigo nodded and leaned back against the couch, both kids leaning back with him. Rina rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, somehow seeming tired even though she had slept for almost twelve hours the night before.
"Do you think you'll ever want kids, Ichigo?" Saki asked, obviously surprising the rest of us.
"Um, I…don't know. Why do you ask?" he responded, able to keep a smile on his face.
She laughed quietly before answering. "I don't know, you seem really good with kids." As she explained she gestured toward Rina and Kenji.
"Well, I've known them their whole lives," he answered, shrugging slightly.
Saki nodded and there was an awkward moment of silence. After the moment Ichigo started asking Kon more questions, seeming to want to get to know him. I was glad for. We sat and talked for the next hour while waiting for the Abarais to return.
-:-
Okay, sorry if that's a weird place to stop, but I just need to end this so I can get back to my other fic:3 Anyway, thanks for the reviews and I hope you all enjoy this chapter, although I know much doesn't really happen. I promise the next chapter will be much more eventful!