Summary: Rukia Kuchiki and Ichigo Kurosaki were neighbours since they were 2 and 3. Suddenly, 6-year-old Rukia and her older brother-slash-guardian move away, leaving a hole in 7-year-old Ichigo's already broken heart where love should be. Now, after several years have passed, Ichigo notices that the apartment next from his has been bought. Will his new neighbour relight the old sparks of his past? How will he cope? AU IchiRuki
Memory/Thoughts
Rukia's Handwriting
Ichigo's Handwriting
Wow, another one, right? I spent all morning and afternoon writing this out! ^^;
Hehe in this chapter, its the 'present' time :)
"Ichi!" a dark haired girl screamed, jumping out of her brother's car the moment it parked, running like a mad person to the bright haired teenage boy sitting with his back to her. He turned around at his name and saw his best friend Rukia running at him.
"Rukia! God, its really you!" Ichigo laughed, getting up and letting Rukia crash into him as he held her tightly. He was a good head taller than her now. "You're still a midget I see."
"Shut up, Strawberry." Rukia mumbled into his shirt. When she looked up she noted the dark circles under his eyes. "What's wrong Ichi?"
"Its been hard," Ichigo grumbled, loosening his grip on her. "Living without you, and Mum."
"Oh Ichi," Rukia frowned. "You can't still be beating yourself up about your mother, can you?"
"No, but my dad hits me all the time now." Ichigo replied sarcastically. As if to make this statement clear, Isshin grabbed him in a head lock and threw him over to their car.
"Go help your sisters unpack you ungrateful son of mine!" he yelled in a strangely happy voice.
"Idiot of a dad.." Ichigo muttered, rubbing his head. He pulled his tongue out at his dad behind his back, making Rukia laugh. When Isshin turned around his face was his usual scowl.
"What was making Rukia laugh just now?" he asked, a hint of a warning in his voice.
"Dunno," Ichigo shrugged, smirking. "She probably saw your face."
"WHY YOU LITTLE GOOD-FOR-NOTHING-!" Isshin shrieked and started chasing Ichigo around the campsite, disturbing other campers and causing havoc wherever they went.
"I heard you still play guitar, Rukia." Karin and Yuzu looked at Rukia with gleeful eyes.
"Sing something!" Yuzu cheered.
"Well, I have learnt a couple new songs, but I don't know," Rukia shrugged.
"Oh come on!" Karin rolled her eyes grinning. "Ichi never stops talking about you."
"Oi." Ichigo scowled, making Karin giggle. He sighed and smiled at Rukia. "I know you can sing and play much better than me. I've listened to all the songs you recorded and sent to me in your e-mails."
Byakuya rested his hand on her shoulder. "I'd be happy to hear you play."
"But I've only sung in front of Ichigo and my music teacher before!" Rukia wailed, getting all nervous.
"I hear you in your room every night."
"Fine." Rukia sighed, tuning her guitar. "This is Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson." She cleared her throat before beginning:
Grew up in a small town,
and when the rain would fall down
I'd just stare out my window
dreaming of what could be
and if I'd end up happy
I would break
trying hard to reach out
but when I tried to speak out
felt like no-one could hear me
wanted to belong here
but something felt so wrong here
so I break, I could breakaway
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky
I'll, make a wish, take a chance, make a change
and breakaway
out of the darkness and into the sun
but I won't forget all the ones that I love
take a risk, take a chance, make a change
and breakaway
want to feel a warm breeze
sleep under a palm tree
feel the rush of the ocean
get onboard a fast train
travel on a jet plane
far away, and breakaway
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky
I'll, make a wish, take a chance, make a change
and breakaway
out of the darkness and into the sun
but I won't forget all the ones that I love, I gotta
take a risk, take a chance, make a change
and breakaway
buildings with a hundred floors
swinging round revolving doors
maybe I don't know where they'll take me, but,
gotta keep moving on, moving on, fly away
breakaway
I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
though its not easy to tell you goodbye, gotta
take a risk, take a chance, make a change
and breakaway
out of the darkness and into the sun
but I won't forget of the place I come from, I gotta
take a risk, take a chance, make a change
and breakaway
breakaway
breakaway...
"Amazing!" Byakuya smiled. There was a big applause and the group turned to see that other campers had gathered to hear her sing.
"That was really good!"
"You should get paid!"
"Can I have your autograph when you're famous?"
"Really really great!"
Rukia blushed bright red. "Thank you very much!"
"Will you play another song?" a little boy wandered up and asked. "Your voice is pretty."
"Yeah Midget, play another one." Ichigo smirked.
"Actually, I was just thinking, its your turn to play something now." Rukia grinned at Ichigo's embarrassed face.
"Oh come on, Midget, I'm nowhere near as good as you." he pleaded, eyeing the audience.
"Please?" Rukia begged, blinking big puppy dog eyes.
"Fine." Ichigo got up and grabbed his guitar bag, unzipping a dark red guitar. He cleared his throat. "Rockstar by Nickelback." He noticed the surprise in Rukia's eyes and smiled.
I'm through with standing in line to clubs I'll never get in
it's like the bottom of the ninth and I'm never gonna win
this life hasn't turned out, quite the way I want it to be
(tell me what you want)
I want a brand new house on an episode of Cribs
and a bathroom I can play baseball in
and a king sized tub big enough for ten plus me
(yeah, but what you need?)
I need a, a credit card thats got no limit
and a big black jet with a bedroom in it
gonna join the mile high club at
thirty-seven thousand feet
(been there, done that)
I want a new tour bus full of old guitars
my own star on Hollywood Boulevard
somewhere between Cher and James Dean is fine for me
(so how you gonna do it?)
I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I even cut my hair and changed my name
cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
living in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
the girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
we'll all stay skinny cause we just won't eat, and we'll
hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars
every good gold digger's gonna wind up there
every Playboy Bunny with her bleach blonde hair, and we'll
hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
I wanna be great like Elvis, with the tassles
Hire eight bodyguards who love to beat up assholes
sign a couple autographs so I can eat my meals for free
(I'll have the quesadilla Ha Ha)
I'm gonna dress my ass with the latest fashion
get a front door key to the Playboy mansion
gonna date a centerfold who loves to blow my money for me
(does this make me look fat?)
(so how you gonna do it?)
I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame
I even cut my hair and changed my name
cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
living in little tight posses driving fifteen cars
the girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
we'll all stay skinny cause we just won't eat, and we'll
hang out in the coolest bars
and we'll be happy with the movie stars
every good gold digger's gonna wind up there
every Playboy Bunny with their bleach blonde hair, and we'll
hide out in the private rooms
with the latest dictionary and todays who's who
they'll get you anything with that evil smile
everybodys got a drug dealer on speed dial, well
hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
I'm gonna sing those songs that offend the censors
gonna pop my pills from a Pez dispenser
get washed-up singers writing all my songs
lip sing'em every night so I don't get nothing wrong
well we all just wanna be big rockstars
living in little tight posses driving fifteen cars
the girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
we'll all stay skinny cause we just won't eat, and we'll
hang out in the coolest bars
and we'll be happy with the movie stars
every good gold digger's gonna wind up there
every Playboy Bunny with their bleach blonde hair, and we'll
hide out in the private rooms
with the latest dictionary in todays new zoo
they'll get you anything with that evil smile
everybodys got a drug dealer on speed dial, well
hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
hey, hey, I wanna be a rockstar
Silence, then someone whooped and everyone clapped. Ichigo blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Thanks."
"All right, all right," Isshin said, waving his hands at the gathered campers. "It's getting late and I need to put the little ones to bed. Night."
While he did that Ichigo and Rukia messed around on their guitars, Rukia taking pictures of Ichigo going crazy with his guitar, though some pictures turned out quite peaceful and emotional as he played quieter tunes. Ichigo in turn took several of Rukia, including an embarressing one of her laughing her head off, bright red. He made sure to save that one.
Then the adults made them go to sleep. But Rukia and Ichigo made each other stay awake with a vicious poking battle, until the adults were also asleep, before sneaking away with their guitars and a backpack containing their cameras and flashlights.