Author's Note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU.
Make Me a Match
Ichigo unlocked his apartment with a sigh. He went to throw his bag on the couch and stopped short. There was a girl in his apartment. And luggage. She was short, dark haired, and in his apartment. And he didn't know who she was. Ichigo blinked just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. No, she was still there, and now she was looking at him. The girl offered him a smile.
"Hi, roomie."
He had just had three hours of biology, had a six page paper due in two days, and this girl was calling him roomie. Something was clearly wrong here.
"What the hell?"
She frowned. "Didn't you get the letter? My apartment needs some work on its plumbing, so they're making me your roommate for the next two months. The university gave all the details in the letter. There was even a door key in it. So where's my room?"
Ichigo hadn't gotten any such letter. He had just checked his mail too. It all sounded kind of fishy to him.
"Can I see the letter?"
"You don't believe me?"
No, he didn't have the tendency to trust strange girls who broke into his apartment and claimed they were going to live there. He didn't really have a tendency to trust anyone for that matter. Ichigo was not pleased at all. He didn't need this sort of headache. He had enough of them without adding on more.
"Well, I never got a letter, and as far as I'm concerned, that means I'm under no obligation to put up with you. So, the door's that way. Have a nice life."
She pouted at him. "You're just going to throw me out? But I don't have any place to go, and you're supposed to let me stay. It's not my fault you didn't get the letter."
Ichigo sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but she did have a point. Still, he wasn't thrilled about the idea of having a total stranger living with him for two months. Not to mention the ideas his father would get if he found out about it. That would really be a nightmare.
"Fine. You can stay. It's only a one bedroom apartment though, so you get the couch. And I expect that you'll clean up after yourself and take care of your part of the groceries and the housekeeping."
She beamed and held out a hand. "I'm Rukia Kuchiki."
"Ichigo Kurosaki."
He left her to get settled in and stomped off to his bedroom to brood some. This was going to take some getting used to. He hadn't shared space with another person since he moved out of his dad's house, and truthfully, Ichigo had been enjoying the solitude. It was nice to be away from the insanity of his dad. He missed his sisters some, but there was also some freedom in not being there all the time. If Karin and Yuzu needed him, he would be there, but it was nice not being constantly on duty. Since his mother's death, Ichigo had been his sisters' protector whether it be from bad dreams or bullies at school. But the girls were getting to the point where they didn't need him on a regular basis. They were all adjusting to that.
With a sigh, Ichigo flopped down on his bed. Why him? He really didn't need this sort of complication. He had just started school, and while university was beginning to make sense, it was still kind of overwhelming and definitely exhausting. The last thing he needed was having to be sociable with another person on a regular basis. A number of his friends from school went here, but they at least knew when to leave him alone. This was definitely going to take some getting used to.
Ichigo heard a crash and muttered curses coming from the other room. He let out another sigh. It was going to be a long two months.
