Good day everyone! Quick disclaimer here: English is not my first language so there must be some spelling errors. Please don't mind them too much! I hope you enjoy the story!
It was by pure chance that Rukia had found it as she was exploring the wonders hidden in the Kurosaki's attic. This place was truly a treasure trove and among her greatest finds were a whole bunch of out-dated items of clothing, dusty furniture and hilarious picture books. However, what that was standing before her very eyes was even more extraordinary and intriguing than anything she had ever seen before. The object had a very peculiar shape : a large sort of golden horn was fixed on top of a wooden box while a small, delicate, crank handle was anchored on the side. She felt the fabulous instrument with her fingertip, appreciating the roughness of the woodwork and the delicacy of the bronzed details.
What could be the purpose of this thing? If there was even one, of course, as her sojourns on Earth had taught her how much Humans liked to surrender themselves with objects that were utterly useless!
A smile of wonder came on her lips as she lifted the object of her dreams with her hands, eager to know more about it. Unfortunately, Rukia quickly felt disenchanted as she realized that it weighed a ton. Bringing it to the redhead's room was going to be a real pain, but she could do it on her own - she was a Kuchiki, after all!
His eyebrows frowned as he heard the heavy footsteps of the brunette coming in his direction. What the hell was she going to show him, now? Vintage pictures that were from a time than none of his close relatives had lived in? Other eccentric outfits that had belonged to his father long, long ago? Well - at least that was what he hoped because even he had no real interest or whatsoever in fashion, the memory of that awful purple sequined jacket still gave him chills.
Ichigo did not have the time to think of it any longer - the door of his room opened with a bang, revealing Rukia's exhausting face. Not expecting it, he watched her struggling to drag a large cardboard box into his room. It was only after receiving a murderous glare from the shinigami that Ichigo finally decided to give her a hand - hey, it was way more heavy that what he'd thought. What the hell was inside that box?
When the brunette's treasure was finally brought to his bed, Ichigo allowed himself a sigh of relief while Rukia, losing no time, immediately began to unwrap... A phonograph.
The young man squinted his eyes slightly, he had no recollection of ever seeing that thing. It probably belonged to the previous owners.
"Ichigo, what is this marvelous thing?"
His chocolate eyes slowly lowered onto his friend's face - she was literally begging him to answer. He had learned over time to appreciate this side of the goddess of death, far different from her usual professional and distant mask. It was in those precious moments, when she left aside her role of shinigami to appreciate every little thing she was given to discover on Earth, that she seemed the most human to him. Her curiosity was always genuine.
"It's a phonograph, Rukia", he smiled and closed his book for good. "It's like the ancestor of a record player, you know? It's kind of a radio, it makes music."
He wasn't going to give her in a nonsensical explanation of how the machine worked - a demonstration would make much more sense. With a cautious gesture, he lifted the sapphire from the record-deck and, plunging his hand into the box, tried to grab whatever record was supposed to be in there.
...
Nothing.
He frowned - if the phonograph was stored there, everything should be in there too.
"Ichigo?", inquired the brunette after a few moments of silence.
"Something is missing", he sighed. "Sorry Rukia but it won't work."
A veil of disappointment passed over her, quickly swept away by her usual mask of neutrality.
"Ichi-nii, are you there?"
Ichigo's eyes opened and he slowly lifted his head, lost. What had happened? He just remembered looking at a particularly tough math problem and then... Nothing. He had fallen asleep on his desk.
"Ichi-nii?", his little sister's sweet voice brought him back to reality:
"Come in Yuzu", said the elder Kurosaki, muffling a new yawn.
The schoolgirl opened the door carefully, smiling, and closed it behind her.
"I wanted to have a look around the garage sale downtown, but Daddy has patients to take care of and..-", he cut her off gently.
"Just give me a few minutes to finish up and then we'll go."
A big smile brighten up the face of the youngest Kurosaki - he knew how much she loved dusting off, sewing, and bringing back to life whatever ancient dolls she could find - Kon being a living proof of it.
With his hands in his pockets, the schoolboy walked through the streets and stalls of the city, keeping a close eye on his precious little sister. Yuzu was on her seventh purchase when they passed along an old vinyl stall - if Ichigo didn't bother to pay it the slightest attention, the young girl grabbed his arm and forced him to approach.
"Weren't you looking for one of those things Ichi-nii?"
His gaze fell mechanically on the discs, but it was only when he met the radiant smile of his sister that he made the connection. The sweet giggle that escaped Yuzu's lips set his cheeks on fire as he used his last savings for an 'ungrateful idiot who wouldn't even understand'.
Several days had passed since the yard sale but the shinigami hadn't bother to even show her face. If at first, the brunette's lack of interest had upset Ichigo - 'She brings and unwraps it, lose all interest two seconds later and leaves it in the middle of my fucking room' - he stored his latest acquisition in a empty corner of his desk and eventually forgot about it too.
The red-head was writing the thirty-seventh line of his essay when he heard a few knocks at his window. Any form resentment instantly forgotten, it took him only a tenth of a second to unlock it for her. It wasn't like he was really looking forwards her return.
...
No.
Ichigo simply had good reflexes.
And maybe bad faith, too.
The high school student didn't comment on how tired she looked - the contrite smile she gave him when she entered his room definitely erase any rancor he still felt. She looked as if she hadn't have a proper night of sleep for ages - there was no way he could have kick her out in her state.
"Yo", he cleared his throat, the silence made him feel quite uneasy.
"Good evening Ichigo."
The conversation stopped there but the atmosphere had mellowed down considerably. Rukia, removing Sode-No-Shirayuki from her waist, gently put it in the closet as he went back to his geography.
"Oh, it's still there!", Rukia's calm voice forced him to look up.
Obviously, she was talking about the phonograph which hadn't been moved for almost two weeks, forcing the poor student to hop over it each time he wanted to go to his bed.
"Yeah, it's your mess by the way so you better..-"
A murderous glance stopped him in his track - well, as he had already paid for it, the least he could do was to surrender for once.
"Here, try this one," said Ichigo, handing the shinigami the disc he had brought.
Her big eyes sparkled. At last! She was about to find out how this fabulous machine worked. With a carefully gesture, she accepted the present and placed it on the player-deck. There was a sizzling sound and then, finally, the music began.
Of course, it had to be jazz music - a waltz, more precisely. The room soon felt into a relaxing, peaceful - not to say intimate - atmosphere. And as time went by slowly, Ichigo who wasn't particular fond of the genre, began humming along the song.
They were far from the sound of clashing swords and cries of the hollow. Far from the violence of the wars they had to take part in. Far from the suffering they had to endure.
He closed the geography book, this time for good, and turned his attention to the brunette who hadn't say a word in what felt like hours.
What the ?
Ichigo almost burst out laughing when he saw her dancing - she looked simply ridiculous : wiggling her tiny body to the music, her eyes were closed, her eyebrows furrowed and she was wrinkling her nose in what seemed to be great effort.
"Rukia?"
She didn't even bother to lift her eyelids and continued her strange choreography. More serene than ever. She didn't seem to care one bit that dancing wasn't her strong suit.
"Gosh, you really can't dance..."
As if by magic, the enchantment instantly broke.
The shinigami opened her eyes, her mouth now twisted in an angry frown - she was about to strike the student with a kidÅ spell when she realized that he was smiling at her.
Genuinely smiling.
Her cheeks turned an almost adorable pink hue as he nonchalantly rose to stand beside her.
"You suck at this too."
He didn't retort.
"No, you're even worse than me Ichigo."
"Stop complaining", he glared at her. "And watch your step!"
They both went silent.
Their cheeks were bright red and their gestures clumsy - but none of it mattered at that moment.
"Ichigo?"
He opened one eye to look at her, but said nothing.
"Ichigo!", she insisted.
"What now Rukia?"
For god sake, she couldn't hold her tongue for five minutes! She definitely had a knack for ruining moments.
"Thank you."
She smiled at him, her eyes gleaming, as if all the fatigue accumulated over the last few days had vanished.
"Don't mention it, silly."
None of them heard the light footsteps coming up the stairs nor the weak knocks at the door. Yuzu waited a few moments and hesitated before opened it carefully. What she discovered there remained forever engraved in her memory:
Ichigo, with his eyes closed, was in a trance. With his hands placed around what she guessed was supposed to be the waist of a woman, he was moving back and forth, whirling around himself.
The poor girl slowly closed the door and ran away, promising herself never to set foot in his room again.
small explanation: Because Rukia wasn't wearing her gigai, Yuzu unfortunately couldn't fully enjoy the show.
Feel free to make me know you impression!