Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. If I did, Bleach will be all about Queen Rukia.

Chapter 1: Transfer Student

Stranger in my House

-by Olivia N.

Summary: AU. Rukia a cold and silent enigma, transferred at Karakura high school. Nothing is known about her, except for the fact that she belongs to one of the 4 Great Noble clans in Sereitei. Why is she at Karakura? Will she be able to cope up with having Ichigo's group around? Or will she succumb to the loneliness of her home with a stranger?

A/N: Mystery paring.

*Ichigo*

Ichigo Kurosaki. An orange haired high school student is leisurely walking at the sidewalk leading to his home after a long day at school. He looked up at the sky, and wondered if by any chance his life would remain as boring as it always had. Suddenly, he tripped from a small rock randomly placed on the path.

Wha?!

Who the hell put this rock on the path?! This is dangerous!

Ichigo mentally complained to himself as he was lying on his stomach. He hurriedly looked around, searching for anyone that might have seen his epic fail.

"Ahem"

Ichigo's spine straighten up as soon as he heard a small laugh from behind him.

Crap! What should I do now?! My image?! MY Image is forever ruined!

Ichigo mentally panicked at the most embarrassing moment of his life. He was by now scrambling to get up from the road. In the process of getting up and trying to see who the witness was, he fell on his behind as he tripped on another rock. Ichigo blushed at having embarrassed himself twice in a row.

"Idiot" the undoubtedly female voice mumbled.

Ichigo instinctively scowled at the witness, who had just mocked him.

No one called me an idiot before! Will, except for goat-face, but I object to be judged by a stranger. Though maybe I had been a fool in the first place for being tripped by a small rock.

"Need some help, carrot top?" the woman said in a teasing manner.

Ichigo examined the woman – girl that was looking down upon his sprawled giant figure on the road. "Tsk! I bit you can't even reach my shoulder. So spare your helping hand, midget. I don't need help from someone half my size" he counter insulted at the short haired-brunette girl.

'PLAK!' The girl snapped her finger at Ichigo's forehead. "Who says I can't reach your shoulder? I reached your head pretty easily" she said smugly.

Ichigo could only raise his hands on his forehead to feel the spot where the burning sensation is- resulting from the girl's unexpected violence.

"Well. Suit yourself. And by the way I am not midget. It's Rukia" she suddenly said before walking away towards the opposite direction.

Ichigo raised a curious eyebrow at her words. "Ichigo" he said as he scratched the back of his head.

Will this is awkward. She gave me her name, so I thought it's proper to give my name as well.

After that encounter with the mysterious lady, Ichigo went home and tried to shake off the strange feeling he had this afternoon. He vaguely, remembered this Rukia-person beamed at him while teasing him about his name taken from a fruit. After that, they decided to collect the random rocks on the road and dispose it to where it would not harm anyone. As much as he deny, he felt excited to see the lady again.

Ichigo mentally shook his head. He wondered how fast his impression on someone changed over the course of a few moments. Suddenly, he remembered the cold man that had exited from a luxurious car. The man had a shoulder length raven hair and some weird hairpieces decorated his hair. If he wasn't intimidated by his presence at that moment, he would have laugh his head off at the man's weird 'fashion'.

He had a lot of guts to walk around in public wearing that out-fit. And what's with the kimono? His so freaking traditional.

Ichigo vividly, remembered how the girl's attitude changed from being brash and untamed to being awfully ladylike. He had almost thought that the girl had a dual personality. The man stepped beside Rukia as though he is her guard or something. He then looked at Ichigo in a way that say 'step back, boy'.

Ichigo massaged the bridge of his nose upon remembering the 'death glare' he received from that man. And to add to his annoyance, a red-haired monstrosity appeared from the driver's seat and walked up to him. The red-head was quite taller than him and had weird tribal tattoos.

Is he a gang member? No wonder Rukia act so tough. What type of people are surrounding her anyway?

Crap! It's ridiculous. Rukia isn't from here, so I would never probably see her again.

Ichigo thought as he tried to interpret the loneliness that greatly overshadowed her eyes upon the arrival of those 2 weird guys.

This is foolish. I should not care about strangers. They are not my business.

*Orihime*

The first period and second period morning classes, were suddenly cancelled. Orihime and her friends were seating in a cottage reserved for junior level students. She had offered her delectable snacks to her friends but no one seemed to want a piece of it. And Tatski, her best-friend had politely declined her offer saying that she's full and that Orihime should eat it herself. She pouted at the rejection but nonetheless, she dined the food on her own happily.

"Ichigo" Tatski suddenly exclaimed.

The food suddenly got caught on Orihime's throat because of how abrupt she turned her head to find the owner of the name her best-friend called. *cough*

"Orihime, are you ok?" Tatski asked her friend worriedly as she assisted to calm her coughing fits.

Orihime beamed at her friend and nodded her head while her cough continued. Luckily, the lump of food that got stock on her throat disappeared. By that time, her face were burning from both embarrassment and the terrible coughing fits.

"K-Kurosaki-kunnn? Where is he?" Orihime asked her friend as though her life depended on it.

Tatski looked at her friend knowingly. "He had just passed a while ago. I think his going back to the classroom" she said.

"Kurosaki-kun is scary" Mahana suddenly uttered. Everyone at the cottage looked at her. "Why? Do you not think so?" she asked at her friends askance expression.

"Scary? Kurosaki-kun's face is funny" Orihime childishly commented. Everyone laughed at her remark and they continued to humor the bubbly-girl.

As soon as the recess time ceased, the junior student returned to their room. Upon arriving at the classroom, Orihime instinctively sought Ichigo's handsome face. She blushed at the thought that her dreams might come true as soon as she had the guts to confess her 'admiration' to him. She would then finally cease to be a stranger in his life.

Orihime settled on her chair and with renewed energy, she prayed that one day her courage will come. After sometime, the class heard a commotion from the outside. Suddenly, their teacher entered the room.

"Class, a transfer student will be in this class soon. So please behave accordingly and assist her" Ukitake-sensei said.

The class erupted into pile of bees whispering and chattering excitedly everywhere.

Orihime, excitedly awaited for the transfer student to be introduced just like everyone else.

It would be nice to have a new friend. I wonder if she would like to taste my cooking. No matter! I am sure 'She's gonna love it!

"Please enter, Kuchiki-san" Ukitake-sensei addressed the transfer student.

A short haired-brunette girl wearing Karakura uniform stepped inside the room. The boys in the class held their breath in anticipation. Orihime stared at the girl.

Wow! Her skin is so white? Her hair is as black as night and lips as red as blood. Wait. Is she? No way?! Is she a…..Vampire?!

"I am Kuchiki Rukia" the transfer student introduced herself in an emotionless tone.

"Kuchiki? One of the 4 great Noble clan in Sereitei, the ancient bloodlines of Japan?" Kuneida Ryo asked curiously. At the mention of Noble / Ancient, Orihime's interest zone exclusively to the brunette girl.

Just as I thought! A Vampire-princess!

Rukia just nodded at the girl in the classroom's question. At the affirmation, the class stared at the transfer student, the way someone would look at a celebrity. She then respectfully bowed and moved to where she is assigned to sit.

Orihime got preoccupied at her Vampire-theory that she didn't notice that, the transfer student was currently seating beside her crush's chair. Since the table is made only for two student-occupant, they are as close as possible.

*cough* Tatski coughed lightly trying to get her best-friends attention.

"Orihime, I think you should step-up your game. Or else, Ichigo might be taken by 'others'" Tatski whispered to Orihime mysteriously.

Orihime immediately looked at Ichigo and saw that, indeed her ultimate crush is talking with the stranger as though they know each other for a long time.

A saddening emotion befall on her heart as though a blanket of icy cloth was wrapped on it. And it seems like, at this rate the itchy feeling, gnawing at her consciousness is gonna get worse.

"I have never seen, Ichigo, treat a stranger like that. Much more a female- stranger" Tatski concluded.

Orihime smiled in a way that did nothing to conceal the gloominess in her being.

Kurosaki-kun…

*Ichigo*

It had been a few weeks after Rukia transferred in Karakura High school, but he still didn't know much about her. She had been a warm person at the beginning of her attendance in the school, but soon she had turned into 'Hibernation mode'. In simple terms; she became so distant and cold. She's seems to be caught in her own world. Even her untamed and brash behavior lessened to the point, that she's back to her 'second identity' again –the enigmatic lady. She barely associate with anyone, except him.

What's wrong with her?

Ichigo stared at Rukia's retreating back as she settled inside the car. He then looked at the red-haired monstrosity.

Oh. The moronic driver. How can she entrust her safety at the hands of a freaking baboon. Ahggg. Why do I care? And why am I so bothered about her. I don't even know her enough to involve myself in her affairs.

Ichigo remembered how hard, he had tried to stop his friends from pestering Rukia. How he had tried so much to train himself not to call her first name every time she's near, because they were not 'that' close. How he looked like a fool for trying to stay away from her and then finding himself in her company.

"Rukia" Ichigo uttered.

"You know, you should stop calling her name like that or other people might hear you. They will assume that you're dead-stricken in love with her" Uryuu Ishida commented.

Ichigo just shrugged his friend's comment. He doesn't really care about what others think about him. At least that's what he believe about himself.

"Do you know anything about the Kuchiki's?" Ichigo suddenly asked his bi-spectacled best-friend.

The bi-spectacled man raised his eyeglasses in a way that the rays of the setting sun reflected on it. It made him appear like a villain trying to device an evil plan.

"Well. I do but it's none of our business. Their life that is" Uryuu said.

It's improper for anyone to look at the skeletons hidden from other people's closet.

Uryuu thought as he stared at his friend meaningfully. "Don't involve yourself with strangers you didn't know very well. You might just make things worse for everyone" he said mysteriously.

Ichigo was caught off guard from the way his friend speak. He understood his intender though, but there is something in him that wants to let the cat out of Rukia's bag and help her leave normally. He suspected that, Rukia isn't happy with her life.

Why do I care about her this much?

Uryuu saw how Ichigo's brows scowled in concentration. He exhaled the sigh he was holding.

There's no stopping him. He will get involve.

Uryuu thought in conclusion.

He might not look like it, but Ichigo is a person who could not just seat still looking at someone who clearly needs help. I think his seeing himself in her.

TO BE CONTINUED.