Hello all, I'm back and I'm excited to get on with the story and into an interesting chapter (hopefully). I will not post the poem in every chapter because it's so long and takes up a lot of space lol. However many elements of the poem can and will be apparent in the story. Certain scenes are straight out of my interpretations of the poem and I will say something that will not be directly commented on is that the strange spaces in the poem, if you noticed, will be represented with Rukia's attitude toward others. In the story she puts distance between herself and others which signifies the awkward spaces in the middle of the poem. :) I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter and keep reading!
My hands were tightly wrapped around Hisana's while she lay in her hospital bed. She smiled weakly up at me while speaking in her quiet raspy voice.
"Rukia, I hope you always remember how much I love you." She smiled up at me feebly and attempted to squeeze my hand. She spoke these words because she knew what was coming; somehow she knew she wouldn't be able to communicate much longer. Tears were spilling down my face as she said her personal goodbye. I shook my head, unwilling to accept losing her when she was so capable. She was smiling at me like she would in any other situation.
"Sana, stop. You're going to be fine. They're treating you; the doctors said you should be feeling better." A sob escaped my throat and I felt her other hand push some hair out of my face. "You can't leave me Hisana! Please don't leave me." I began sobbing loudly and nearly collapsed on my knees.
"I love you, Rukia-ch-"
A loud piercing noise woke me from my slumber and interrupted the memory that was reliving itself in my sleep. After slapping the snooze button on my alarm, I sat up and wiped my face off. This was the third time this week that I had woken up crying. I turned my alarm off completely and got up, preparing myself for another day at my new school. After getting dressed and heading downstairs I found Byuakuya dressed up in his work clothes. He was slipping on a tie when he noticed me walk into the kitchen. A small forced smile found its way to his face.
"Morning Rukia, did you sleep well?"
"Hm," I folded my arms and gave him a skeptical glance. "Why are you all dressed up?"
"Oh, I got a call from work and they wanted me to take a case. Will you be alright driving yourself to school today?" I was surprised he was ok with going back to his job as a lawyer already but didn't feel like arguing with him about it. After nodding at him, he handed me the keys to Hisana's car and turned his attention back to his tie. I saw him struggle with it and sighed loudly before reaching up and pushing his hands away. He had somehow made a knot with it so I undid the tie completely before correctly tying it. I adjusted and straightened it before pulling away. He smiled down at me before thanking me.
"Yup."
After eating a quick breakfast we both headed out to our cars and left without another word to each other. The whole ride was uncomfortable as I glanced at all of my sisters belongings that were left in the vehicle. Her purse sat in the passenger seat and her work lanyard was still hanging from the rearview mirrors. Again I could smell her in the car, her scent blowing out of the air conditioning vents. After pulling into the student parking lot and parking I rested my head on the steering wheel and tried to keep my composure. My hands tightly clenched the wheel as I took a few deep breaths. Before I could sit my head up I heard a light knock on my window and jumped in my seat. I looked up to see Kon smiling down at me.
"Hey, Rukia, you ok?" I could hear his loud voice from outside. I simply nodded in response and turned off the ignition before stepping out of the car. I grabbed my school bag and locked the car doors. When I looked back up at Kon I noticed that Ichigo was with him. They both smiled down at me and we all fell into step as we headed for the school. Kon's arm brushed against me as he walked close to me, I tried to put some distance between us but failed. As we walked up to the large group of people who had easily accepted me, a few of them turned their attention to us and gave us a welcoming smile. Tatsuki grinned at Ichigo before speaking.
"What are you guys, her bodyguards?"
"Really. Have you ever heard of something called personal space, Kon?" Renji laughed under his breath and jokingly shoved Kon back by his shoulder. Kon bumped into me, knocking me into a random locker. My eyes widened slightly and my hands flew up defensively, lightly nudging the boy away. He turned his head towards me, looking concerned.
"Sorry, you ok?" I smiled slightly and nodded.
"I'm fine, thanks."
"Gees Renji, watch what you're doing," Kon laughed and attempted to shove him back but hardly budged the giant. Everyone just laughed off Kon and Hisagi turned to me.
"So, how do you like school? I hope none of us have scared you too bad, like Ichigo. I mean he is pretty frightening with that angry look on his face." I noticed Tatsuki laugh along with a couple of the others. Ichigo smiled, still managing a slight glare.
"Any sane person would be in shitty mood 24/7 if they had to deal with you people." A smile found its way on my face at his words. Hisagi didn't hide his amusement, a grin still in place as he shrugged.
"Hey, you're free to leave anytime. I'm sure we'd all be a little less stressed without you here." Before Ichigo could say anything Michiru chimed in.
"Don't say that! That's so mean, Hisagi. Don't listen to him Ichigo, we love you." She smiled up at him brightly and laid her hand on his arm. "Even if you are a little…sad." Ichigo laughed and rolled his eyes.
"You'd think the new girl would be the center of your constant teasing, not me." He took a step back, still looking amused, and raised a hand. "I'll see you guys in class." With that Renji turned back to me.
"Don't worry, Rukia, we'll tease you soon enough." I slightly rolled my eyes, my smile widening a bit.
"I can't wait."
Soon after our conversation, the two minute bell rang and we headed towards our class in two small groups. The first few classes passed quickly. I finally got into the routine of taking notes as an attempt to pay attention. I knew education was extremely important to my sister; she was always pushing me to do my best in school. Because of that I didn't want my grades to slip at all. After our third lesson, the teacher dismissed us for lunch. I shoved my notebook back in my school bag and stood, grabbing my lunch from the inside of my desk. Without thought, I followed Ichigo, who was following Renji and Mina, to the roof. Ichigo noticed and turned back towards me and gave me a small smile.
"Hey, everything ok?" I was spacing out and had a delayed reaction.
"Hm? Uh, yeah I'm fine." Ichigo fell into step with me and nodded.
"Can I ask you something?" A serious expression found its way to his face, making me a little nervous.
"Sure," I answered, not knowing what to expect.
"I don't really scare you, do I?" After a few moments to process his question, I let out a laugh.
"What? No. It takes more than a pissy teenage boy to scare me, Ichigo." He smiled down at me, trying to look offended.
"A pissy teenage boy?" He shook his head and continued. "You're one of them now." We both laughed and sat once we reached the rest of the group. Kon sat next to me with Ichigo on my other side.
"Flirting with the new girl already, Ichigo?" Tatsuki grinned at him as we sat down, immediately speaking accusingly. Ichigo blinked a slightly confused expression on his face.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know speaking to someone was the equivalent of flirting. Gees, Tatsuki, stop flirting with me."
"Ha ha." She glared at him before changing the topic.
The rest of the day went by even faster than the first half. At the end of the day, I heard Michiru talking about the weekend and making group plans. I said a quick goodbye before turning for the door. Renji grabbed my arm and stopped me.
"Hold on a sec," his hand nudged me closer to Michiru.
"What about you, Rukia? Do you wanna go over to Renji's house to hang out tonight?" While thinking it over, I realized that it was Friday, the weekend had snuck up on me.
"Um, I can't I have something I have to do." Michiru cocked her eyebrow, looking slightly disappointed. "I'm visiting someone…" I added to clarify.
"Oh, we'll probably be there all night. Can't you come after you're done?"
"Uh, I guess…I'll have to ask my brother first."
"Ok, great. You have my number so just let me know!" She answered happily. Ichigo stepped closer to everyone, standing behind me.
"Yeah, me and my dad were going to go see my mom. I'll be over around 5:30. I'll see you guys later and Kon you're going to have to find a ride there unless you wanna wait." With that I said a second goodbye and headed for the parking lot. I pulled my phone out and began texting my brother.
I'm going to be out for an hour or so, a friend wanted to know if I could hang out tonight. Do you care?
I doubted he would mind and didn't really care if he did. By the time I had the car started I had received his response. Before opening it I looked over at Hisana's purse, grabbed it and threw it in the back seat, along with her work lanyard. I hit the open button and read Byuakuya's answer.
Of course, just don't be out too late. Where will you be?
I sighed at his curiosity and began typing my response. I absently pulled my seatbelt on and stuck the key in the ignition.
My friend Renji's house.
After starting the car, I turned the AC on and checked my mirrors. After about two minutes, another response came.
Oh, alright. Just send me the address when you get there and keep your phone on. Have fun, Rukia.
Instead of answering I tossed my phone in the passenger seat and took off. It took me a while to get to the cemetery where Hisana was buried. She had her plot picked out as soon as she and Byuakuya could afford to buy parallel plots. The cemetery rested within Karkura's limits and was the closest one to our childhood home. After about twenty minutes of driving, I reached my destination and pulled into the parking lot and shut off the car. As I stepped out I noticed that the wind had picked up and it wasn't as hot out as it was earlier that morning. I felt my body tense immensely, the memories of Hisana's funeral hitting me with frightening accuracy.
I made my way to her grave, my entire body feeling numb. When I reached her tombstone, a few tears slid down my eyes. There was a picture of her smiling face above the script written on the stone. Hisana Kuchiki: Loving wife, mother, and sister. I fell to my knees and covered my face with my hands, sobbing loudly. While sitting there, missing my sister more than ever, a solid feeling of loneliness resided in me.
I continued to cry, not caring how long I stayed there. After twenty minutes of silence in the cemetery, excluding my sobbing, I heard a few low voices nearby. They gradually got louder and I eventually looked up to see what was going on. A few columns away I saw two tall men, one wearing a long white doctors coats and with dark tall hair. He was grinning down at the other person, who was wearing a school uniform from Karakura High. Then I noticed his spikey orange hair. Ichigo? I thought. Before I could turn away, our eyes met. My body froze and I turned away before wiping tears off my face. Another random but loud sob escaped as I tried to gain some composure. My head was now turned down, my eyes on my hands.
For a few minutes, I was sure Ichigo was going to ignore that he saw me. It was now completely silent; the only ones speaking were the tombstones. I began wondering about the hundreds of people buried in this cemetery. Where were these people's families? Why didn't anyone hurt the way I did? Again I unwillingly let out another loud cry as more tears escaped my eyes. Before I could gain control over my emotions, I was bawling again, my body shaking.
From a distance I heard a low voice say "Ichigo? Where are you going?" His feet were shuffling in the grass but I tried to ignore them. As I sat up to wipe at my eyes I saw Ichigo, kneeling next to me. My eyes widened as he hesitantly rested his hand on my shoulder.
"Hey, Rukia." He offered me a slightly uncomfortable, or maybe concerned, smile. I took a few quick breaths, trying to stop my crying.
"Hey…" Ichigo gestured towards Hisana's picture.
"That your sister?" I simply nodded and continued to wipe off my face. I noticed his eyes move side to side as he read it. "Oh, so you're an aunt?" His words were definitely not what I expected to hear. I gave him a strange look.
"What?" He laughed quietly at my expression before explaining.
"It says she's a mother," Ichigo offered, nodding towards her tombstone. After understanding, I shook my head.
"She was seven months pregnant when she found out about being…sick. A couple weeks later she had a miscarriage." My eyes were down cast as I spoke.
"Oh, I'm so sorry…" I shook my head and wrapped my arms around my knees.
"You don't have to sit over here with me, you obviously came here for a reason." He tensed a little, showing some of his discomfort. "Not that I don't appreciate it or anything. It was really nice of you but you don't have to stay with me, I'll be ok." I forced a small smile on my face and quickly looked up at him. His eyes shifted into a more serious gaze before he answered me.
"Are you sure you're going to be ok?" After hesitating I shook my head.
"No but that's not your problem, you don't have to worry about it." He shrugged his shoulders.
"Doesn't mean I won't," I glanced at him, slightly confused. Before I could say anything, the man in the doctors coat approached us with a concerned expression on his face.
"Sorry to interupt but we don't have all day, Ichigo." There was a small smile on the man's face but Ichigo simply rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, I know, Dad."
"Who's your friend, son?"
"This is Rukia Kuchiki, she's a new student at my school." His expression was now blank, like he was ready for his father to leave. Instead of putting distance between us, the older Kurosaki kneeled down next to Hisana's tombstone and held his hand out to me. I hesitated before shaking it.
"Hello, Rukia." He smiled down at me, looking more like Ichigo. "I'm Isshin Kurosaki, it's nice to meet you." Isshin glanced down at the stone before he continued. "Is this your mother?" Ichigo shook his head and explained.
"She's Rukia's sister." Both Kurosaki's read the tombstone and I could see Isshin's eyes sweep over the date. His expression changed slightly, his eyebrows turned down.
"Oh, I'm sorry for your loss. You must really miss her." I nodded and turned away from him. "If you don't mind me asking, how did she die?" Both Ichigo and I looked up at him, slightly surprised by his blunt statement but I decided that there was no harm in telling him. It wouldn't make me hurt anymore than I already did.
"Um...four months ago she was diagnosed with cancer. A few weeks after we found out, they told her she had developed a brain tumor." I sighed tiredly and pushed some loose hair behind my ear. "It ate away at her brain until she slipped into a coma and then..." I felt a glare form on my brow as I read Byuakuya's name on the tombstone in front of us.
"Then what?" Isshin pushed me to finish and I felt anger and lonliness build up inside me, causing tears to form in my eyes.
"Then my dumbass brother made the decision to take her off life-support." I clenched my jaw and shook my head. "I don't know why I told you all that, I'm sorry." Isshin just smiled warmly and stood, stretching his legs.
"Don't be sorry, its always good to talk about things that upset you. I'm glad you could share Hisana's story." He nudged Ichigo with his foot and held his hand out to him. "Come on Son, lets go see your mother before we have to leave." Ichigo nodded and stood. "It was nice meeting both of you."
"Bye, Rukia. I guess I'll see you tonight." I noticed Isshin give Ichigo a funny look but ignored it and nodded.
"Yeah, see ya." I gathered my shoes that I had kicked off earlier and stood. "Thank you, both of you, for listening to me." They both smiled at me, making them look extremely alike. Isshin opened his mouth to say something but stopped and glanced over my shoulder. I furrowed my brow and turned to see Byuakuya standing behind me.
"Rukia? What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be at a friend's house." He looked down at me, confusion written all over his face. His eyes shifted and I noticed him looking over the Kurosaki's. "Hello, do we know you?"
Isshin smiled and stepped in front of Ichigo before shaking my brothers hand. "Hello, I'm Isshin Kurosaki and this is my son Ichigo. Our kids go to the same school." Byakuya shook his head slightly and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Oh, no, Rukia's my little sister." Isshin nodded but I looked up at Byakuya and spoke before he could.
"What are you doing here?" My brother smiled down at me, turning his body towards me.
"I was picking some things up from my old office and on my way back I saw the car. I thought you had plans?" I simply nodded before speaking.
"I planned on coming here before going to my friends." Isshin got our attention and waved goodbye while taking a few steps back towards the earlier occupied grave.
"It was nice meeting both of you but we have to go. Goodbye." Both smiled slightly before heading back. I slightly pulled away from Byuakuya and slid my shoes on. I turned towards the entrance and headed towards the car. Byuakuya followed me, only a few steps behind.
"Are you alright Rukia?"
"Hm." I reached the small vehicle and unlocked it. Just as I pulled on the door, I felt my brother grab my arm carefully.
"Please answer me Rukia," his voice was soft and his eyebrows were turned down in concern.
"No, I'm not alright. Just leave me alone!" His grip tightened on my arm.
"...I'm sorry, Rukia. I'm sorry but..."
"But what?"
"Rukia, you didn't have to make that decision...You don't understand that it wasn't easy." He turned away from me and continued. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life."
"Then why did you choose for her to die? She still had time, she was still alive!"
"Because-" I raised my hands angrily, cutting him off.
"No, you did this. Its your fault," I opened the car door as I spoke and got in. I fought the tears that were building up in my eyes and drove away, leaving him behind. He did this to us, he made me miserable and took my sister away from me. He wouldn't listen to me so I wasn't going to listen to him.
I quickly drove to our house, making it there before Byuakuya, and stomped inside. After reaching my room, I quickly grabbed an old backpack and stuffed it with clothes for tonight. Originally I didn't plan on staying all night at Renji's but I did not want to be stuck at home with my brother. I grabbed the last of my things and zipped up my bag. While getting in my car, I heard the familiar hum of Byuakuya's pull up to our house. I didn't give him any chance to stop me and quickly backed out before heading out of our neighborhood.
Once I reached the entrance, I pulled out my phone and dialed Michiru's number before holding the device up to my ear using my shoulder. After just two rings I heard her high pitched voice answer.
"Hello?"
"Hey Michiru, I'm leaving now. Can you just give me directions to Renji's house from Main Street?" I tried my best to keep the anger out of my voice but I knew she could still detect it.
"Uh, sure." Without asking me about it, she began directing me until I pulled straight into Renji's driveway. There were three other cars parked outside of the house and I suspected that it was just some of the others already there. Before I got off the phone with Michiru she spoke up again.
"I'm not there yet but I'll be there in like twenty minutes. Feel free to let yourself in, I'm sure someone's on the look out for others." She laughed at herself and said goodbye before disconnecting.
I turned off the ignition and slid out of my car, bag in hand. After slipping my backpack onto my shoulders I slowly approached the door. Before I made it to the front porch Kon walked out, following a taller and older looking version of Renji. His hair wasn't as long and it was a brown color. He had no tatoos like Renji did but other than that, they were nearly identical. The taller man pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He saw me approaching the house and smiled at me before nudging Kon. Once Kon saw me, his face lit up and he quickly walked off the porch to meet me.
"Hey, Rukia. Did you make it here ok?" I nodded glanced back up at the house. Kon gestured towards the smoking man before he continued. "That's Shenji, he's Renji's dad." I smiled up at him and nodded.
"I sort of figured that much." We walked back to the porch together, again little distance between us, and Shenji stood.
"You must be Rukia, its nice to meet you." He grinned and tossed his half smoked cigarette on the ground, crushing it with his shoe. We shook hands quickly and turned towards the house. "Kon, just take her downstairs so she can put her stuff down and then take her to Ren, ok?"
" 'Kay." I followed him through the kitchen where Hisagi sat at the table across from Tatsuki, who both greeted me, and down the stairs to Renji's room. His room consisted of a larger living area with a couch and TV that sat right next to his sleeping area where his bed resided. Both our attention rested on the bed before we realized what was going on.
Sitting on the bed was Renji with Mina on his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck and her mouth pressed up against his. His hands slid down to her hips and pushed at her shirt before Kon started yelling.
"Hey! Will you two knock it off, you have people over Renji, for God's sake." The couple quickly sat up straight with surprised expressions but Renji brushed it off and greeted me as if nothing happened. Mina's face was tinted red and she stood from the bed before apologizing, a small smile resting on her face.
"Sorry, sorry." Her hands went up defensively and she walked over towards us. She greeted me and took my bag from me. "Yay, you get to stay over? That's great." She led us back upstairs, ignoring Renji's complaints, and took us to Renji's mom. Said woman was shorter than I expected, she was almost as short as me. She had long red hair, the same shade as her son, that reached down to her hips. A wide smile rested on her face and she wrapped her arms around me before even greeting me.
"Hello! I'm Ren Abarai, you must be Rukia." She let me go and took a step back, still grinning at me happily. I simply nodded and gave her a small smile. "Hey, Kon." She hugged him next and quickly dismissed herself. "I have to go grab some stuff at the store for dinner but I'll be back soon. If you guys are hungry there are some leftovers in the fridge. Make yourself at home, and make sure she's comfortable alright Sweety?" Her instructions were directed to Kon before she grabbed her purse and walked out to the porch. I turned to see her hug her husband before heading for her car. Once my attention was back on Kon, I noticed him open his mouth like he was about to say something. Before anything came out, he was cut off by Michiru's voice.
"Hey Rukia, Kon." She smiled at us as she walked in the door, followed by Ichigo. Kon smiled and waved at the two.
"Hey guys."
"Hi," I stated, my voice lower than before as I smiled weakly at them. They both continued through the kitchen to take their things downstairs. Before Michiru made it to the stairs, Hisagi stopped her, his arm around her waist. My mind flashed back to the run-in Kon and I had with Renji and I cringed inside slightly but was surprised when Hisagi simply kissed her on the cheek. She smiled and pat his head before following Ichigo down the stairs. Kon laughed and headed towards the kitchen, pulling out two chairs for us. I followed him slowly and slid into a chair.
"You just got rejected," Kon laughed at Hisagi who smiled back.
"Coming from the kid who's never even had a girlfriend."
"I'm not like you and Renji who think they can't go a day without one." Hisagi's eyebrows furrowed at Kon's words.
"What are you talking about? First of all, don't put me in the same category as Renji and second of all, I've been dating Michiru for nearly eight months. Eight consecutive months, there were no other girls in that time period."
"I know but I knew you before you started hanging out with us, you were exactly like Renji. As soon as a girlfriend would break up with you, you'd go hunt down another one. And don't try denying it, Tatsuki told me about that one time when that Ryo broke up with you and you asked Tatsuki out the same night." I smiled at their argument and looked up at Hisagi expectantly. Tatsuki laughed and nudged Hisagi with her elbow.
"You didn't think I'd keep that to myself did you, Sagi?" She smiled but Hisagi simply shrugged, dismissing the conversation. Before anyone could respond, Michiru came up to the table with both Ichigo and Renji following. They crowded around the open end of the table curiously.
"Keep what to yourself?" Michiru asked, a smile on her face.
"Hisagi asked Tatsuki out a few months before you two started dating," Kon answered.
"You did?" She smiled down at him before resting her elbows on the table. "She rejected you, didn't she?"
"Of course I did," she claimed, gaining a few laughs.
"Aw, its ok. There are other fish in the sea." Michiru reached up to him playfully touch his face but he gripped her hand before it made contact with his face.
"Don't make me break this hand," Hisagi responded with a small smile on his face.
"Why would you do that? If you break it, she can't use it." Renji raised his eyebrows while speaking. Hisagi's face fell along with pretty much everyone elses and rolled his eyes.
"See Kon, completely different categories."
The conversation shifted to lighter subjects like school and what we were going to do. After sitting at the table for a half an hour, Ren returned and started bringing in some grocery bags. Everyone stood and went to grab the remaining bags. I sat akwardly in the kitchen while they started putting groceries away. Once they were done, Ren told all the guys to go away and started instructing each one of us girls. Apparently we were going to make dinner, something I wasn't aware of.
Before Ren had started, Tatsuki grabbed my arm and pulled me through the door and dragged me to Renji's room. She didn't say anything at first but when we reached the foot of the steps she turned to me.
"Cooking with Ren is torture, I thought I'd save you too since you're the new girl. She makes everything from scratch and works us to death. They'll manage." She smiled and let go of my arm before leading me into Renji's little living room. All four guys were sitting on the couch watching some TV program. Tatsuki took a seat on the arm and watched the television without a word. I stood off to the side akwardly until Kon noticed me. He turned to Tatsuki and nudged her lightly.
"Hey, Tat, why don't you go sit on your boyfriend's lap and let Rukia sit down." He smiled up at her jokingly as he referred to Hisagi. She smacked him over the head and wedged herself between Kon and Ichigo.
"Nah, I'm into girls Kon." Hisagi smiled at both Tatsuki and Kon as he spoke. She reached over Ichigo to punch him in the gut.
"Shut the hell up and scoot over. I'm suffocating over here." As they spoke I sat on the arm of the couch and pulled my legs up, sitting Indian style. Renji turned his attention towards me, no longer focused on the TV program.
"What about you, Rukia? You have a boyfriend?" I blinked, surprised by his question and a little uncomfortable with the topic.
"Uh, no."
"Not even at your old school?" Hisagi asked after turning slightly on the couch.
"Nope," I stared back at them as they both nodded.
"How come?" I sat there in silence for a few moments before thinking of something to say.
"Because, I'm a lesbian." All five of them turned to look at me with gaping expressions, shock all over their faces. I couldn't stop myself from laughing and covered my mouth to muffle the sound.
"Are you serious? Prove it, kiss Tatsuki. " Renji was smiling at me now, no longer surprised. I wrinkled my nose and shook my head.
"I was joking, dear God." As I spoke Tatsuki reached over and punched Renji angrily. Hisagi was still looking at me, unconvinced.
"I dunno about you…" I rolled my eyes, a smile still in place.
"It was a joke, you can all calm down now."
Before the conversation could go any further, Michiru came down and told us dinner was done. We all stood and headed towards the the kitchen. We all squeezed ourselves around the table and ate. Dinner was full of conversations, multiple ones going on at the same time. Some involved everyone, some were between just a few of us but they all made sure to include me. It was the best meal I had experienced in such a long time. Everyone was laughing and nagging each other, it was extremely entertaining.
After dinner, Ren and Renji cleared the table and the rest of us headed downstairs. Everyone just sort of dispersed, some sat on the couch watching TV, Mina laid on Renji's bed, Hisagi and Michiru sat in the recliner talking among themselves and I didn't know where to go. Ichigo came up behind me, walked around me and sat on the coffee table, facing me.
"Having fun?" He asked, our eyes nearly level. I nodded and crossed my arms.
"Yeah, you hang out with some interesting people." Ichigo smiled and let out a laugh.
"Yes, I do." He pointed at me accusingly. "I have a feeling you are going to fit in just fine." I couldn't help grinning at his words.
"Why do you say that?" As his smile widened I noticed his eyes soften, his usual glare completely gone.
"You know how to mess with them. Like that lesbian joke, you could not have said anything more perfect to get them off your back." He leaned back on his hands and smiled up at me. I shrugged in response.
"It's a gift. I have amazing people skills." There was a hint of sarcasm in my voice and he caught it.
"Don't say it like that, I'm sure you're likeable. Well, maybe." I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Ha ha."
"But seriously, are you feeling better?" I managed to continue to smile and not show my discomfort. Ichigo had been extremely nice to me but I really didn't want to talk about it.
"I'm fine, but thanks." He nodded and gave me a friendly smile before patting my arm roughly. I smiled and rolled my eyes. Ichigo opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Renji.
"Hey, Ichigo, look what I got." He walked up behind me and held up a 24 pack of beer. I heard Ichigo laugh quietly as I looked up at Renji's amused face. Renji sat on the arm of the couch and pulled a can out of the box before tossing it to Ichigo. He gave one to both Tatsuki and Hisagi and went to hand me one but was cut off by Michiru.
"No, Renji! We are not doing this again, put it back." Her hands were on her hips as she gave him a dirty look. He smiled up at her and held a can out to me.
"Uh, no thanks."
"Don't let Michiru scare you, it's fine." He edged the can closer to me.
"No, really, I don't want it." He shrugged, grinned, and held it out to Michiru. Her glare deepened as she pulled the beer out of his hand and shoved it back in the box.
"Stop, Renji, or I'll put them back myself." She returned her hands to her hips and continued. "Last time you did this, I-" She was cut off by the sound of a can being opened. We all turned to Ichigo who had opened and taken a sip of the beer. He froze while the can was still up to his mouth. "Ichigo, stop." She pulled the drink out of his hands and turned to Hisagi. "Give it, now."
" 'Chiru, it's not a big deal." He smiled up at her, trying to convince her. Her expression didn't change and she didn't say anything in response. She simply continued to hold her hand out expectantly. Hisagi sighed and handed it over.
"Look, Michiru, if you don't like it you can leave." Renji's face had fallen, a glare plastered on his face now. Her glare deepened and she threw Hisagi's can in the box and then sat Ichigo's on the coffee table.
"Fine, Hisagi, take me home. If you want to come back and drink, go ahead." She turned and took a few steps toward her bag. Before she could cross the room Hisagi stood and grabbed her arm.
"No, Michiru, just ignore Renji. Look, I won't drink. Just let them make their own stupid decisions and ignore them." He held her gaze and tugged on her arm. "Please stay." Michiru thought about what he said and eventually sighed.
"Fine." She glared at Renji again and walked over to claim the recliner again. Renji just rolled his eyes and ignored her. I turned back to Ichigo who had picked up his beer and resumed drinking it. He smiled up at me but I simply rolled my eyes, a smile resting on my face.
As the night progressed Renji, Ichigo, and Tatsuki progressively got drunk. They were the only three to drink and had finished the box of beer within 2 or 3 hours. They started acting out of character but I think Tatsuki was the worst. She could hardly walk across the room without falling over. She was also a little…touchy. At one point she was sitting on Kon's lap, her hands in his hair and she kept asking him to kiss her. His face was beat red and he just pushed her away until she made her way to Hisagi. It was pretty entertaining but both Renji and Ichigo were just as amusing. Ichigo laughed at every single thing said and Renji stared off like he wasn't even aware of where he was.
Once it started to get late I could feel my eyelids grow heavy. I tended to get tired quickly, especially since dealing with the loss of Hisana. It was like my emotions were draining my energy and after that fight with Byuakuya I was exhausted. I was sitting on the couch with my head rested against the back of the couch. My eyes were closed and I was so close to unconciousness when I felt someone plop down next to me. The smell of alcohal hit me hard and when I opened my eyes I saw Ichigo sitting next to me. He looked like he was having just as much trouble staying awake as I was. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand and held back a yawn.
"You okay?" I lightly nudged him to get his attention. He blinked a few times and looked down at me.
"What?" A smile tugged at his lips as he stared at me disoriented.
"Are you okay? Do you understand what I'm saying to you?" He grinned and nodded.
"I'm good, I'm good. You okay?" He slipped his arms around my shoulders in one not-so-smooth motion and pulled me closer to him.
"Uh, yeah, I was fine until you came over here." I laughed quietly and pulled myself away. "Don't do that." Ichigo persisted and pulled me back, he laid his head on my shoulder and rested his weight against me.
"I'm just getting comfortable."
"While making me uncomfortable?" A smile spread over my face and I pulled completely away from him. After standing I turned back to look at him. "Goodnight, Ichigo." He gave me his best upset face and waved me off. I crawled onto the matress they had laid out for us and got comfortable on the opposite side, far from a sleeping Kon who was being used as a pillow by a passed out Tatsuki.
I pulled the blanket up to my shoulders and sunk down into a relaxed possition before closing my eyes. I found it easier to keep my mind away from my sister with all these people around. They sure made things interesting and there wasn't a single boring moment while with them. I was thankful for the distraction and was able to slip off to sleep easily for the first time in nearly three months.
Here it is, it's probably the longest chapter I've ever written and I hope its fun and enjoyable. I hope you like this story and bare with me as I move forward with this plot! I would love for you all to review, give me suggestions or just let me know what you like about it.