Note I; Wow guys, I am doing pretty good. How many chapters is this? Three in a row so far? You should be proud.
Soul Society didn't have Christmas, or Chanukah, or Kwanza or any other major holiday. Considering there was no religion in Soul Society, there were thus no religious holidays. However, the Academy gave its students a two-week holiday period for them to do with what they would. Most went back to their families or stayed with shinigami friends. Kurosaki Ichigo was looking forward to the blissful two weeks that he would have alone, to himself in his dormitory room. He originally thought about going to see Yuzu and Karin but that would entail lots of nasty paperwork that should have been filed two months ago. The young shinigami was considering sneaking out anyway. He could have gone to stay with Rukia but that would mean sleeping in the same house as Kuchiki Byakuya. Said man would most likely castrate him in his sleep. Shuddering out of fear for his...parts, Ichigo moved to the next possibility. He didn't want to risk staying with Renji for fear that he wouldn't sleep at all. If Renji was thrown into the mix, also would Ikkaku, Yumichika, Hisagi and Matsumoto (at the very least). With that particular group came wild, sleepless nights, unintentional sex, and lots and lots of sake. Ichigo had other things on his mind than a raging social life. And besides, a drunk Ichigo meant a drunk hollow and who knows where that would go? So as it was, the Shinigami Academy had two weeks off in the middle of January for students to spend at their leisure.
Walking back from his last class, finally released from his academic duties for two glorious weeks, Ichigo slid open his dormitory room door and walked inside. Like every other bedroom in the school, there was a twin bed, a desk, a window, a few shelves on the wall for books and a closet. Everything was neat and clean simply because Ichigo only found time to sleep here. All of his work was done outside either under a shady tree or in the library. He was occasionally accompanied by an acquaintance or two but he generally kept to himself. Only Sensei could be called his friend.
Slumping onto the low bed, the shinigami rolled onto his back and stared out the window up at the bright moon. Memories whirled around in his mind and battered the backs of his eyes. It's only been two years. With an uncharacteristic sigh escaping his lips, amber eyes turned to the bleached walls of the cell. He laughed to himself as he remembered Rukia stepping through his bedroom wall two years prior, changing his life in more ways than previously thought possible. His traitorous heart wished for it to happen again. Once again, amber gazed upwards to the sky and the boy slipped into his mind.
Only the slight prickle on the back of his neck informed Ichigo of the new presence. So not to show any awareness, he laid still and pretended to be lost in his reverie. There was a thump on his desk. Quickly, he glanced over and saw, much to his surprise, the familiar shape of Rukia gliding out of his wall. She pulled out completely and stood to her full, proud height of four feet, eleven inches.
"Should I say, "It is near." or can you just believe that I am here without kicking me in the backside?" A slow smile pulled her full lips upwards, revealing a sliver of pearly teeth. She was in her shihakusho and Sode no Shirayuki was belted to her slender waist but she looked completely at ease. Hopping down from Ichigo's desk, she walked over and sat on his knees.
Ichigo, who at this point had been watching her with quiet observation, finally allowed a smirk to cross his face.
"Nah half-pint, I think my knees feel it just fine. No need for us to get violent."
"Who are you and what have you done with Ichigo?" Rukia deadpanned but her eyes still held fire.
"What? I thought I was supposed to learn restraint at this fuckin' place."
"You were. They weren't supposed to brainwash you though."
Rukia made herself comfortable on his tired joints and grinned down at him. It was a smile full of mischief and secrets, as was usually the case with Rukia's smiles. Ichigo raised an eyebrow.
"You know, you could get me in a lot of trouble with a lot of people if they catch you here, especially in my dorm room."
"Me? Get Kurosaki-kun in trouble? Never would I do such a thing." She emulated a schoolgirl form the World of the Living and Ichigo wanted to duct tape her mouth shut. She laughed at his scowl.
"So how have you been, Ichigo? I haven't seen you in what, two months? The last time was that "Students Day" that the Gotei 13 held. That was fun." She laughed again at the memory.
Sometime in the middle of November, the Academy students spend one day gallivanting throughout Sereiti. The idea is for them to get to know potential superiors and their ways around but it always ends up in a party followed by a hung-over, tear-stained rest of the week. This year was a little different, though.
Flashback
"Kurosaki-san! Wait!"
Ichigo turned around slowly and saw two other shinigamis-to-be approaching. One was a lanky, blue-eyed youth while the other, though not as tall, had a little more muscle and a little more age. The tall one reminded him of Keigo; the short one, of a bizarre combination of an older Tatsuki and Ishida. Ichigo had several classes with both of them and an almost friendship formed from that.
"Matte…Kurosa-…" The tall one, Riku, stopped several feet in front of Ichigo and dramatically hunched over, gripping his knees, in an attempt to catch his breath. As fast as he was, Riku's endurance was minimal. Kenta, the shorter stockier one, huffed and puffed his way over to the pair. By the time he reached his destination, Ichigo boredom had gone from strong to stronger and Riku was trying to pretend he didn't almost have an asthma attack.
"Kurosaki-san, where are you headed today?" Kenta's voice rumbled out of his barrel chest. He wheezed slightly but had composed himself much more gracefully than Riku. It was odd to see the pair together; they were complete opposites yet closer than twins.
"Yeah, Kurosaki-san! Where? Are you meeting anyone special…?" Riku was just as excitable as Keigo and just a girl-obsessed. Ichigo rolled his eyes. He didn't mind spending time with the two but found it was often tiring. Seeing them at school was enough for him to get his fill. When they spent hours following him around when he was trying to study made him contemplate homicide.
Ichigo was explicitly told (and threatened) to keep Sensei's classes out of the public eye. If other students saw him getting private lessons, questions would arise, curiosities would be peaked and the headmaster would have a situation on his hands. So, in order to avoid being reprimanded (again), Ichigo often had to circle around and double back on his own flash steps just to lose track of his followers. He would then have to shunpo across campus to get to his training session. It often resulted in him being late and getting reprimanded anyway.
Ichigo eyed the two carefully. I can't tell them where I am going because they will follow and I can't not tell them because they will assume the worst.
"Yeah…I have a…a uh meeting to go to. See ya!" In a flash of orange, Ichigo shunpo-ed off.
"He's hiding something."
"Definitely"
"Follow him?"
"Hell yeah."
Riku and Kenta took off after the boy but considering their flash steps were not nearly as fast as their target's, they soon lost interest and went to go flirt with some girls leaning against a Ramen stand.
"Ichigo, how did your audience with the Soutaicho go?"
Matsumoto, who was only interested in the gossip, leaned in closer to the boy as she, Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Hisagi and Hinamori walked down a rather busy street in Sereiti.
"As good as it could have gone. He basically just read over my report card and told me what I needed to work on. It was like grade school all over again." Ichigo shrugged nonchalantly.
"That can't be all…" Matsumoto prompted.
"It is. Sorry to disappoint."
Sulking briefly before her eyes flashed to a group of first-year students, she grinned and sashayed over to them. Swinging her hips, Matsumoto's lips crooned out a hello and she beckoned the group over. With a mischievous wink to her friends, the blonde woman turned her attention back to the students.
"Hi there. How are you…?" Her eyelashes batted gently and she ran a slow hand through her hair. Oh was she enjoying this way too much. The poor, enraptured students drank up her charms.
"Hello there pretty lady. How's-…Kurosaki-san?" The voice which started out slow and almost deep turned shrill as his train of thought changed. Riku looked past the beautiful woman at the orange-haired man standing several feet behind her. Now Riku spluttered.
"K-kuro-kurosaki! Aha! So you were meeting someone spec-" Riku's words were murdered by Ichigo's glare. Advancing, Ichigo was about to knock Riku into the next century when Kenta showed up.
"Kurosaki-san! So you did have plans." The surly man eyed Matsumoto's chest region for longer than necessary. Having had her fun, the thoroughly ogled woman kicked them both in the stomach and walked back to her friends. Renji, Hisagi and Ikkaku doubled over in laughter. Yumichika muttered about ugly pain noises And Hinamori looked ready to curl in a ball and die.
"Kurosaki," Riku grunted out, "what are you doing here with all those lieutenants? Do you know them?" His eyes lit up at the prospect of being friends with the man who got more mysterious by the minute. First sneaking off after classes and then being seen around Sereiti with high class shinigami; Riku didn't think Kurosaki Ichigo, or his day, could get better.
"Who are these two, Ichigo?"
Riku turned to the small, black-haired nymph who had posed the question. Ichigo looked from Rukia to Riku and wasn't sure if he wanted to kill him or smuggle Rukia away from Riku's perverted, Keigo-like eyes.
"And who are you…?" The boys eyes travelled slowly up and down her petite frame.
Yep. Definitely kill Riku.
Ichigo stalked forward but was tugged back at the last minute by a small but strong hand. Warning purple eyes locked with his and he questioned them for a minute but backed down nonetheless. Rukia slipped soundlessly forward.
"Hello. My name is Kuchiki Rukia." She lathered her voice in that schoolgirl honey, "May I please ask you ask you a question?"
Riku all but drooled. Rukia spoke again, normally this time.
"If I am addressing you and my eyes are on my face, why are you looking at my chest?"
Catching his bluff, Riku tried to recover himself but was unable to before a large hand slammed into the side of his head. Ichigo was suddenly behind Rukia, amber eyes shining with fury. The two shinigami watched the student fall to the ground and then walked away. The lieutenants followed, laughing.
Kenta, who had been watching (but mostly staring at Matsumoto) stared at the backs of the retreating figures. Out of the shadows, a young boy with white hair and a white robe joined them. A zanpakuto was strapped to his back.
How strange, Kenta thought, how did Kurosaki meet so many high-ranking shinigami? Who is he?
Before completely passing out, Riku came to two several realizations. First, Ichigo was friends with powerful people, meaning Ichigo must be powerful himself. Second, Ichigo was the one to strike when Riku had tried to make a move on Rukia. And thirdly, Rukia, a Kuchiki, called Ichigo by his given name. Everyone, even the students, knew that Kuchikis were the epitome of nobility and by one of them calling a lowly first-year by his given name meant that the selected first-year was something special indeed.
End Flashback
Rukia sat cross-legged on top of Ichigo's knees. She laughed at the memory of Student's Day, filling the barren room with her deep, melodic voice. Ichigo smiled too, recalling Riku's face once he woke up.
Shifting to a more comfortable position with her back to the wall and her legs draped over his, Rukia began,
"So, what did happen with the Soutaicho? You were pissy all day after your meeting. Well, more pissy than usual."
The boy grumbled.
"Not much. Like I said, he just looked at my report card and told me what I needed to fix." He wasn't lying, at least, not completely.
"Ichigo…"
He didn't meet her eyes, just looked sideways at the bookshelves and tried to count the grains in the wood. In the dark.
She fell into his side and grabbed his chin so that he was forced to look at her. Sighing, he recanted his ordeal.
"I told you the truth, he really did go over my report card. But we also talked about my hollow." Rukia's eyes darkened.
"I have those special trainings with Sensei and every time my hollow works itself up, the…incident is recorded and the headmaster is shown the record at the end of each week. My hollow has been acting up and well, it got recorded. That's all."
Ichigo raised one hand in a half I-give-up gesture; the other was trapped beneath Rukia. She was quiet. Silence filled the room before they spoke again.
"Ichigo, you don't always have to play this off as something that doesn't matter. No one is going to think you are weak if you want to talk or something. Well, maybe Kenpachi but he doesn't count. It might do you some good to do something other than punch things."
She sighed into his shoulder and moved her hand over his chest. All of their movements were unconscious, meant to let the other know that everything was alright. Silence once again filled the room. For a time, their steady breaths would lead an outsider to believe that the pair slept but that was not the case. Each lay there, comfortably wrapped together yet completely separate in their respective minds. Rukia's drifted here and there and she was considering giving into the weight that tugged at her eyelids. Just then, Ichigo spoke.
"I-…I hate it." His voice was thick and low. "I hate him. He makes me feel weak and I just- I don't know what to do. How do I protect everyone from myself?"
There. He said it; his greatest fear laid out bare for the world, or more importantly Rukia, to see. Releasing a breath, he turned his head slightly from his friend and closed his eyes. Rukia remained silent. How can I respond to this? What does he want me to say? Or better, what does he need me to say?
The inky room absorbed all. The moon, invisible behind clouds, let down no light and the darkness was heavy. Rukia risked a glance at Ichigo but, as expected, she saw nothing. Yet, a nagging voice inside her chest that drove her to speak. Finally, she did.
"You don't. You let me protect them."
A/N: Well? This one was pretty long. Yes, I am talking to you…you know who you are. I think this one is ok but not very eventful. Don't worry, I promise it will get better. He just has to get out of school first…anyway, if you have anything you want to let me know about (ideas, comments, concerns, etc.) just let me know through the little button below. Oh, just so you all know, Ichigo and Rukia are not a couple. At this point of the story, they are just best friends comforting each other. I know quite a few of my friends (girl/girl, guy/girl, and guy/guy) who sleep next to each other when one is upset. I am not sure if I will evolve Ichigo and Rukia's relationship into something really serious (like marriage) but I might want to develop it a little more. Please let me know what you think.
