Okay, so at first, I didn't know what time frame to use, but it's going to be after the defeat of Aizen, and around the time Ginjo appears. For those who haven't gotten that far, well, then I'm eternally sorry for the spoiler. I will, however mix up the events. So it won't exactly follow the manga. I think it would be fun to create a jumbled mess out of the whole thing. So if things are different than the manga, let me say this: Well, duh, otherwise it wouldn't be a fanfic! Ha-ha.

Disclaimer: *sees mother in doorway, holding something unidentifiable* "what are those?" "Oh these, these are your enslavement papers for not disclaiming the rightful characters…they will be here any minutes so hurry" *mother walks away as I start chanting in the fetal position* "Idon'townthemIdon'townthemIdon'townthemIdon'townthemIdon'townthem"

Chapter 7: Nii-sama?

"No, I'm not. Otou-san, Souta, are any of you?"

They shook their heads and I sighed, "I'll get it."

As I walked down the stairs, I thought about the past week. Well, since all my stuff is packed, I guess all that's really left is to move in. We told Nishimura-san that I would be moving in the next couple of weeks. We bought all the furniture that I was going to need, the kitchen supplies. Wait, no there was a fridge, phew, I completely forgot about that. Let's see, what else…we bought toiletries, towels, linens, my mattress, no I think we-ah! We didn't buy a TV! How am I going to watch my anime! Not to mention my cooking shows and dramas and my movies! I need a DVD player, too! Ugh, and I need a computer, too! Oh man, how could I forget about that? I'll just go buy them after I move in. Maybe I'll buy a laptop instead of a desk top. Yeah, that will work.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts as I reached the door, "Hello," I said as I opened it and immediately felt like slamming it shut, "Abarai-san is there a reason that you are at my front door?"

My eyes widened when I saw a hand reach out and pushed Renji away before he had the chance to speak, "Oi, don't just stand there like an idiot, say hi!" I looked at the person who pushed Renji and came face to face with a short girl with short, black hair and a lock falling into the middle of her face. "Hi, my name is Kuchiki, Rukia."

"Higurashi, Kagome. Yoroshiku."

"What the hell, Rukia! I didn't even get to say anything!"

I watched in silent awe at how much it reminded me of Kouga and Inuyasha and my eye twitched at the thought of a certain hanyou. "Gomen." I turned to Ichigo, "Your mom called my dad telling him that you were moving today. He sent me to help you; sadly, Rukia caught me just as I was getting out of the house and she decided to follow. Unfortunately, Renji was with her and he tagged along too. I hope that it's okay."

I gave him a look. "Huh," was my, oh so, intelligent reply.

He sighed, "I'm here to help you move. My dad threw the keys at my head and kicked me out the door telling me that I had to help our new neighbor move. In other words, you."

I nodded, turned my head to the pair still arguing, "Are they always like that?"

He sighed and nodded, "Sadly, yes. She's like that with me, too."

"Uh-huh, okay, well come inside. Everything is packed; we were just getting ready to start loading the car." I smiled, "Thanks for coming. We needed the help. I guess I'll thank your dad later today. If not, then when I come in for work." I moved aside to let him in, "Sorry about the mess."

He gave a tiny smile and something told me that him smiling was just as rare as Sesshoumaru smiling. "Leave them out here; by the time they figure it out, we'll probably have most of the boxes in both cars."

"Yeah, I'll just leave the door open for them" I giggled.

"Kagome, who-ah, Kurosaki-san, how good to see you. How is everything at home?" Okaa-san smiled as she came down the stairs.

"Everything is normal at my house, Higurashi-san. The old man told me to tell you that he says hi and that you should use me however you please. Basically he sent me to help you move." He bowed slightly.

"Oh how nice of him and you. Thank you for your help. Souta should be leaving-" she stopped mid sentence as the squirt appeared next to her.

"I'll be leaving now, mom." Seeing Ichigo at the door, he couldn't resist, "Wow! Nice hair, is it real?"

"Souta, apologize this instant and then off to school with you," commanded Okaa-san's stern voice.

"Fine," he turned to Ichigo and bowed before saying, "Gomen, I really do like your hair though." He took off before Okaa-san could say anything else, but I had to admit, I was curious about that too.

"Gomen, Kurosaki-san, Souta needs to learn to think before he acts. That boy," she sighed. Looking up again, she saw the others, "Ah, you brought friends, please come inside." She ushered everyone inside and Ichigo immediately started gathering boxes.

"Oi, Renji, make yourself useful and help me load the heavy stuff first."

With an indignant 'Oi,' Renji followed Ichigo.

"Hello, I'm Kuchiki, Rukia. May I help with anything?"

"Sure, Kagome has a couple of boxes left in her room. She says they aren't heavy, so you could help her with those, if you don't mind."

Waving for me to take the lead, I looped my arm around Rukia-chan's and led her upstairs.

Deciding that I finally wanted some answers, I spoke bluntly, "So, how do you know Ichigo, Shinigami-Kuchiki-san?"

"Eh?"

Her eyes nearly fell out of her head why she heard my question, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Abarai-san, told me that he was a Shinigami. I believe him simply because of what I saw the day I met him. I noticed you are extremely similar in the way your aura exudes itself; laced with death, though you aren't dying. He told me what a Shinigami does, but he wouldn't tell me how you met Ichigo. All he told me is that he met through his boss's imouto, which I'm going to guess is you." It was more a statement than a question.

"Aura, laced with death, I'm confused. How did you meet Ichigo?" She looked at me suspiciously.

"I'm not trying to do anything; in fact, I hope we can become friends. I like Ichigo, he seems really nice."

"You like Ichigo! Really?"

"Yeah, don't you? He's a really sweet guy. I think of him as a friend after what he did for my Okaa-san and me. I like Abarai-san, too. Although, he is quite brash and he reminds me of someone I would rather not think about, but he seems kind of nice. Why, what-wait-you didn't mean, like I had a crush on Ichigo, did you." She was sputtering a response and I dislodged our arms and opted to throw it over her shoulder instead, "Oh, Kuchiki-san, I barely know Ichigo!" I gently pushed her into the room ahead of me and laughed, "I like you Kuchiki-san. You're funny."

"S-s-s-sorry, Higurashi-san, I just didn't know what to expect," she blushed.

"Call me Kagome. Can I call you Rukia-chan?"

"Rukia is fine Kagome-chan." She looked around nervously before speaking, "Ano, which boxes would you like me to take?"

I glanced around the room and saw the box marked '100% FRAGILE! YOU BREAK: YOU DIE!' "You can take that box," I pointed at the one I just read. "It's nothing fragile; I just didn't want my otouto to take it. Knowing him, he would try to take something that's inside. I figured if it was marked extra fragile, then he wouldn't want to risk breaking anything and making me mad. I see it worked." I smirked. "It shouldn't be heavy; if it is just let me know."

"Okay." She walked, still looking about the room.


The moment Rukia tried to lift the box, her mouth fell open, "Ano, Kagome-chan." when she saw Kagome acknowledge her, she continued, "You said the box wasn't supposed to be that heavy. I can't even lift it."


After Rukia-chan told me she couldn't lift it, I furrowed my brows. I wonder why? I mean, it really isn't that heavy. "It's okay, Rukia-chan. I'll take that box downstairs; along with those two in the corner. That should leave the two boxes on the bed."

Putting said box under one arm quite easily, I grabbed the other two and waited for her to grab the remaining boxes. Once she was ready, I told her to follow me, because we were going straight to Okaa-san's car.

When we reached the first floor, the sight that welcomed me was that last thing I was expecting.


"Nii-sama."

"Ara, nii-sama? Rukia-chan, that man is your nii-san?"

"Yeah. Nii-sama, what are you doing here." She spoke as if reverently trying to please him.

"Rukia. It is time to return. I was sent to retrieve you and Renji. It is," he looked at me as if I wasn't supposed to be there, making my ire rise, then returned his gaze to Rukia-chan, "Renji is finishing up, you should be as well." He looked around the house with the same arrogance as Sesshoumaru.

Looking around, I couldn't find Okaa-san or Ichigo. Narrowing my eyes, I spoke directly to the man, "Where's my Okaa-san, Kuchiki-san."

He looked at me with disregard and boredom, "She went outside with Kurosaki."

Nodding my head, I turned to Rukia-chan, "Help me put the boxes in the car then you can leave. I'll tell mama that you had other things to do."

She nodded, "I'll be right back, Nii-sama. After I put these boxes away, we can go."

She rushed out leaving me behind with an arrogant Shinigami. Luckily, having been around Sesshoumaru long enough, gave me the ability to be able to withstand large amounts of arrogance.

Setting the boxes down, I spoke, "Would you like some tea, Kuchiki-san?"

He looked at me, "Hn."

"Very well then, if you'll excuse me, I will be back in a moment."


Byakuya couldn't believe the onna. She had understood completely what he had meant. That wasn't a feat many could accomplish. I wonder how she knew. He was left to ponder such things alone, while he waited for his imouto to return.


Ugh, of all the arrogant! I can't stand them. Sesshoumaru was one thing, but that guy! Why is it that the extremely good-looking ones are the most arrogant? If I had 100 yen for every time someone did that I would be the richest person on the planet! Men, what is it about them that makes them so arrogant. I silently fumed as I continued my mental tirade, only to be startled when someone shouted out my name. "Huh?"

"Kagome, you okay, you were kind of spacing out. Are there any boxes left?"

"Gomen, Ichigo. Not upstairs, just whatever is left on the first floor. Do you know Rukia-chan's brother?"

His eyes grew slightly, "Eh, Byakuya is here? I wonder why?"

"He said that they had some important matters to discuss; and that they were going home. He was taking both Abarai-san and Rukia-chan." I mumbled 'arrogant bastard' under by breath only to hear Ichigo chuckling.

"Yeah, that sounds like Byakuya. He hates having his first name used, so I do it just to piss him off." He started walking back to the house, leaving me to follow.

"Oh, so Mr. Arrogant and Sexy is named Byakuya?" He gave me a look and I felt the need to fill him in on a female secret, "Just because he is arrogant doesn't mean I can't appreciate his devastatingly good looks. We women are happy to be able to look at handsome men. It's when they open their arrogant mouths that make us lose interest." I smirked and thought of Sesshoumaru, "He reminds me of a rather gorgeous friend I used to have. That man's looks should have been for the Kami-sama themselves. I once told him that was the most handsome man I ever met. Do you know what that arrogant Inu told me, the bastard said I should feel privileged to have been able to witness his looks. Granted, we got into a rather heated argument about who should feel privileged about being in whose presence, needless to say, nobody won that fight. Although, it was rather enjoyable to partake in a friendly banter with someone who barely said more than six words a month." I smiled as I recalled the little verbal spat. I miss him.

"You can't be serious?"

"Completely, that Inu thought he was the Kami-sama's gift to us sad, pathetic mortals." I giggled to myself at the exact same thing that Sesshoumaru used to call us.

"Sad, pathetic mortals? Wow, he sounds worse than Byakuya; and that is saying something."

"I don't think anyone could ever be more arrogant than my friend." I smiled a sad nostalgic smile. Entering the house once more, I saw Byakuya standing in the same regal position with Renji and Rukia-chan on either side of him. "Well, I guess, I'll see you around, Rukia-chan, Abarai-san. Thank you for the help today." I walked up to Rukia-chan and gave her a tight hug, "Keep Abarai-san on a tight leash, Rukia-chan. Don't be a stranger." Releasing her when I heard a scoff, I walked to Renji and patted his shoulder, "Thanks Abarai-san, you were a great help. You too, don't be a stranger." after I returned to my spot by Ichigo, I watched them walk to the shrine steps and called out, "Maybe next time we can have a civil conversation, Byakuya-chan!" I watched him falter mid step with satisfaction.

I heard Ichigo whistle, "Not many have the guts to talk like that to Byakuya."

"Yeah, well not many had the guts to argue with my friend. I can guarantee that I was one of the only ones that was able to get away with it." I smirked.


A/N: Oh my gods! Did Kagome actually call Byakuya "Chan!" I think she has a death with! Ha-ha. Did Sesshoumaru really fight about such a thing with Kagome? I would have thought it was beneath his notice! What is wrong with the world! Lol. Please review. I know now I have seven chapters out, but I would really appreciate reviews. I'm kind of insecure about posting my story. So like I said, please review. Not only that, the lack of reviews is making Milkshake-sama hide and it's not fun trying to find her.

+ Nii-sama: Extremely formal way of saying "Older Brother."

+ Inu: Dog