Disclaimer: All Bleach characters belong to Kubo Tite.

Rukia: My Life As A Rabbit

Chapter Six –Dandelion Fluff

Rukia: So, how does it feel to be outsmarted by a 'rabbit', Ichigo? Now you'll have to take back all those things you said about Chappy, the rabbit being stupid. Silly rabbit cartoon indeed!



Kurosaki Ichigo watched glumly as his classmates, chatting happily, filed out after the last bell signaled the end of school. He tried to look like he just had to figure out that one, last math question, and not in fact, as if he was waiting for the last classmate to leave the room -because his teacher had said, See me after class.

See me after class. Those fateful words that every student on the face of the planet dreaded to hear. And he knew this wasn't going to be about his bright hair, or his school results.

This was going to be about his Flagrant Disregard For School Rules. For a change, it wasn't because he had knocked a trouble-seeking jerk into bloody unconsciousness. One could even wonder if this was the same boy who had brought his pet to school today. His pet rabbit!

The girls in class had been pretty impressed by that though. "You have a pet rabbit, classmate Kurosaki? We think that's so sweet!"

Oh, yeah. Sweet. He couldn't wait for this to get around the neighborhood. Once those ruffians had stopped rolling on the streets laughing, they'd give him a hell of a time about the bunny-custody.

Well, he'd face those hoodlums later. Right now, he had a teacher to see.

Ichigo shifted his feet nervously. Ochi-sensei tried to suppress the laughter threatening to bubble up from her throat. Strict, stern face, Strict, stern face, she told herself over and over. Oh, this was too much! She could hardly keep her face straight.

The sight of Kurosaki guiltily cradling a rabbit in his arms was just so… wrong! The image was completely at odds with his usual tough-guy exterior.

Ochi-sensei composed herself. "I'm sure you're aware of the school rules, Kurosaki-kun. No pets are allowed."

"I'm sorry, sensei. I didn't intend to bring the rabbit from home. It just.. uh, followed me to school. In my bag. It was an accident," Ichigo said, speaking rapidly.

In his bag! Ochi-sensei felt the corners of her lips twitching to restrain her mirth. Actually, she thought it would have been more entertaining if Kurosaki had reached for a book, and discovered his faithful pet instead. He would have screamed the ceiling down.

"Don't let it happen again."

"No, sensei."

"What? Are you telling me you won't obey the rules?"

"No! I mean.. Yes! Uh, that is.. No, I'm not disobeying the rules. And Yes, it won't happen again, sensei," Ichigo replied carefully.

Ochi-sensei waited serenely until she heard Ichigo leave and shut the classroom door. Then, she burst out laughing in loud guffaws.

Outside, in the hallway, Ichigo winced when he heard his teacher accompanying her laughter with a few good thumps on the desktop.

He looked down at the rabbit resting in the crook of his arms and briefly considered stuffing it in his school bag. Then, he contemplated the risks of putting the deranged rabbit within chewing distance of his assignment papers and notes.

Potential damage just waiting to happen.

Kurosaki Ichigo sighed heavily. It was going to be a long walk home.

oooOooo

In the late afternoon, as Yuzu prepared dinner in the kitchen, she heard her brother's rapid footsteps down the stairs.

He stopped shortly in the hall and called out, "I'm going out for a walk!"

"Okay. Remember to come home before seven for dinner, Onii-chan. You…" Yuzu's voice trailed off. She stared in surprise at her brother's back as he strode out to the main door. "Ehh?"

She blinked a few times, the ladle in her hand dropped with an audible plop into tonight's miso soup.

Did I just see… the rabbit riding in the back of Onii-chan's hooded shirt?

oooOooo

Ichigo could feel the warm weight of his furry passenger against the nape of his neck. He tightened the drawstrings to the hood of his sweater to make it slightly safer for the unusual commuter on his back.

As strange as it sounds, Ichigo felt that he shared one mutual affinity with the little ponies at the Karakura Zoo.

The miniature horses trotted around with delighted children on their backs. Ichigo trudged the streets with his little sisters on his back -most often, both the little sisters at the same time.

And Rukia.

He hadn't really felt like anyone's horsie-ride until he had the privilege of carrying Rukia on his back during Shinigami patrols.

The poor boy had discovered that Kuchiki's were very adept at giving orders. And Rukia was definitely an expert.

She would point the way with one imperious finger, and if he didn't respond quickly enough to the "General" on his back, she would bark the command right into his ear (loudly), while whapping her palm impatiently on his shoulder.

Throwing her off like an ill-behaved steed was not an option because the act would, no doubt, result in unpleasant repercussions. So, Ichigo obeyed the petite girl on his back and tried his best not to think of the 350¥ pony rides at Karakura Zoo.

oooOooo

A pair of black, bunny ears flopped against Ichigo's neck, tickling him slightly as the rabbit peeked out from the improvised pouch. Rukia noted that she was pretty far off the ground. Well, Ichigo was a tall boy after all.

If she slipped from this height, she thought she would still be capable of landing on her feet unscathed.

The problem would be if Ichigo trips on me and falls. I'll be flattened faster than anyone could yell, Timber!

The image-conscious boy never gave piggy-back rides for fun. Maybe to his sisters, but absolutely not when it came to her. What would the neighborhood think?

Rukia had never actually been given the opportunity to put her head down against his back this way before–eventhough this wasn't the first time he was carrying her around. It would have been too awkward for him and for her.

Secure and warm.

You've got nice shoulders, Ichigo. And I'm only saying this because you can't hear me…

oooOooo

The boy walked along the grassy riverbank until he came to a spot familiar to him. He settled down on the turf, thanking the earlier sunny weather for being cooperative. Getting his jeans damp was one thing, but Yuzu said the grass stains gave her a headache.

Ichigo was glad that his riverside haven still remained unpolluted by beer cans and candy bar wrappers. In May, there were even fireflies in the summer evenings. The place was only tainted by that one memory…

There were patches of dandelion thriving on the grassy plane. Rukia rampaged through them –admiring the way the white, fluffy seedlings took flight in her wake.

She looked around. Ichigo was lying back on the grass, eyes closed. Rukia hopped up to his head of spiky hair.

The biggest dandelion around, she crowed silently.

Ichigo felt the rabbit ruffling his hair. The boy reached over and picked her up, placing her on his chest where he could see her.

Bits of white, feathery seedlings floated off her fur. Ichigo stared incredulously. Was she moulting?

"Cripes! You're covered with dandelion fluff!"

Rukia smirked to herself. Oh, so are you! I got some in your hair.

She tried to squirm out of his grasp, but Ichigo held her down. "Not so fast! You're not carrying that stuff back home. My room is no Fairy Garden," he grumbled.

Ichigo began combing the seedlings from her fur. "It's already girly enough with you in it."

Even when he thought he had gotten nearly everything out, Ichigo absently continued stroking the soft fur.

The repetitive motion was strangely… calming for the both of them.

Rukia was feeling the soporific effect of it, especially since it was combined with the even rise and fall of Ichigo's breathing.

Vaguely, in her half-dazed state, Rukia thought she should make an effort to move away. This was wrong.

I shouldn't be lying on his chest like this. Or allow him to run his fingers down my back like that.

I'm not anyone's pet.

Rukia could feel and hear the steady thudding of his heartbeat below her, and it lulled all her misgivings away.

oooOooo

A strong wind rustled through the willow fronds, stirring Ichigo from his restful state. Sensing a sudden change in his surroundings, brown eyes snapped open, and sharpened with unease.

A dark, shadowy portal materialized in the fabric of his world, confirming his agitated sixth sense. A Hollow pulled itself through the threshold, dispelling the earlier peace and serenity.

Ichigo drew his Shinigami representative license out of his pocket and took on his spectral form. The orange haired Death God answered the shrill calls to duty, zanpakutou in hand.


Author's Note: It's getting too girly… The Hollow has come to restore some dignity to the shounen genre. ;)