Well, here's another IchiRuki story, or at least the beginnings of one. I've got a bit of a fetish for these two right now, and the idea for this came to me when I was just randomly singing a song from a Broadway play that reminded me of Ichigo and Rukia. I was going to use that play for this story, but I decided on this one instead, mostly because I'm more familiar with Aida than Moulin Rouge.

Telling you right now: This story is NOT a oneshot!

That's right, this is a full-blown chapter fic.

This chapter took me probably four or five hours to write. It only took me that long because there were distractions like you wouldn't believe. Parents, hunger, and mostly script and lyric searches. I couldn't find a script, so I'll have to write certain things from memory, but I won't be putting in many scene details anyway. This story's main focus isn't the play, so I don't really have to worry too much about that, however, if anyone knows where I can find an online script, PLEASE send me a message telling me where I can find it. And I don't mean a site where I can buy a script, I mean a site where I can read it online. I would greatly appreciate it.

And now, exit stage left, and enjoy the show.

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"Drama Queen" Is An Understatement

Why had he let his idiot friends talk him into auditioning for this stupid thing, anyway?

When it was announced that the school was going to perform the Broadway smash-hit "Aida," his first thought had been "Hell if I even watch this stupid thing," and now here he was, waiting to audition. In all reality, he hoped he wouldn't get any part at all. He had only come to get his friends off his back, he didn't actually want to do this. He was thinking of screwing it up on purpose; he had agreed to audition, he hadn't said anything about actually trying to get any part in this play. Drama really wasn't his thing.

But all the same, he was sitting right here in the auditorium, waiting for the auditions to start.

When the drama teacher started to speak, he only become more adamant that he wasn't going to try. This woman was nuts.

"Thank you all for coming to audition for 'Aida.' It is a beautiful story of a Nubian princess and an Egyptian general, who, despite their countries' raging war, fall in love, even though such a love is forbidden. The general Radames is engaged to marry the Egyptian princess Amneris, to whom he gives the captured Nubian princess Aida as a slave. Radames' father, the Pharaoh's Chief Minister Zoser, has been slowly killing the Pharaoh with adders' poison, so that when his son marries Amneris, Radames will rule Egypt, and through him, Zoser believes he can gain power over all of Egypt and its people. It is a tear-jerking story of love and deceit, and I hope that we can bring this tragic tale to glorious life. Now, if everyone is here and there are no objections, we may begin."

Oh, yeah. She's crazy, he thought. There is absolutely no way in Hell I'm going to actually put any effort into this.

He really didn't pay any attention to the auditions for Mereb, Zoser, Nehebka, or the Pharaoh, although Keigo's attempt at Zoser was hard to ignore. Ichigo hated to admit it, but it had to be said: His friend was god-awful. He had always known that Keigo couldn't sing, but never in his life had he thought that anyone could be that bad! He was thankful when Keigo was forced off the stage by a thoroughly disgusted Uryuu. After that, he tuned out pretty much everything else.

The thing that held Ichigo's attention throughout most of the auditions was the conversation that the girls in his class were holding on the other side of the auditorium.

"Come on, Kuchiki-san, you should audition!" Trust Orihime to try and get Rukia involved.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm really not a very good actor," Rukia responded in her oh-so-fake "ditzy schoolgirl" voice, as Ichigo had aptly dubbed her charade. He nearly snorted. If there was one thing Rukia could do, it was act. Of course, there were a few people who knew that this persona was completely fake. Uryuu, Chad, and Orihime, to name a few.

"I'm sure that's not true, Kuchiki-san, I bet you could do it if you tried," Tatsuki interjected, her statement of confidence immediately backed up by the other girls in the small group.

"It would be fun! Please, Kuchiki-san? We're trying out, too, and doing this together would be great, come on!"

Rukia obviously didn't need much persuading.

"Well...Okay, why not?" Her response was met with enthusiastic cheers from the girls sitting with her, forcing a rare genuine smile out of her.

Damn, he loved that smile. It added beauty to her already striking features, and it always made him smile, in spite of himself. In fact, lately he had been going out of his way to make her happy, just to see that smile on her face. Every time he saw it, it made him feel like everything he had gone through since he met her was worth it, like he would do anything to protect that smile.

He came back to reality when he heard Rukia agree, after a bit of prodding from Orihime, to audition for the lead.

Wait, Rukia is going to try out for Aida?

He knew she was a good actor, but the person playing Aida had to do a lot of singing, and he honestly didn't know if she could do it. He had never heard her sing before, so he couldn't say for sure that she was going to suck.

He also couldn't say for sure that she'd be any good.

He watched as she took her place on the stage in front of everyone, and held his breath while the drama teacher handed Rukia a script and put on the music for the duet song "How I Know You," and Uryuu was chosen to sing Mereb's part, much to Keigo's disappointment.

And from Rukia's first line of that song, Ichigo was completely spellbound.

There were no words to describe that voice; she was a better singer than anyone he had ever heard, and even that didn't do her justice. But with that voice, and the passion she put into the song, it was almost as though she was Aida.

Even after she finished singing, Ichigo continued to stare at her, unable to tear his eyes away.

"I don't think there is any need for consideration; My dear, you are Aida!" The drama teacher was ecstatic, and Ichigo fully agreed that there was no point in holding any further auditions for that role. Nobody could measure up to Rukia.

As cheers erupted from all of the girls who had been working to convince Rukia to attempt to snag that role, it took all Ichigo had not to join them. But, the girls quickly silenced as the teacher announced that there was one role still not taken.

Hell if I let anyone else star opposite Rukia. With that thought firmly in place, Ichigo left his seat and took his place center stage, shooting a sharp glare at Keigo, who had started snickering the second the orange-haired boy had stood up. At the teacher's request, Rukia went straight back up on the stage as the music for "Written In The Stars" was put on.

Ichigo groaned inwardly. It figured he would have to sing one of the love songs for his audition. But, it really didn't matter what song he was given, because now, he was going to get this part if it killed him.

He could hear Keigo's quiet laughter, but the other boy shut his mouth as soon as Ichigo's first verse came up. When he realized Ichigo actually could sing, Ichigo saw him turn to Chad and hiss, "Since when can Kurosaki sing like that?" Chad just shrugged, and Keigo sulked, knowing that there was no chance that anybody else would get that part, now.

Ichigo left the stage as soon as the music stopped, shoving his hands in his pockets and heading back to his seat while the drama teacher (He really had to learn her name) gushed about how she had such talented actors here. Everything went quiet for a moment, and Ichigo realized that a few of his friends were staring at him.

"What?" He said, irritably, giving them a dirty look.

"Didn't you hear her, Kurosaki-kun? You got the role, you're Radames!" Orihime squealed, grinning widely at him.

"Huh. Whatever," he groused, but inside, he was thrilled. He wouldn't have been pleased at all if any of the other boys had gotten that part instead of him.

"Lucky...He gets to kiss Kuchiki-san," he heard Keigo mutter, which made him freeze in place.

Kiss...RUKIA? Oh, damn.

"Rehearsals start tomorrow at one PM and carry on until five, so don't be late. And don't forget to pick up a copy of the script on the way out," the drama teacher chirped happily as the students started to leave the auditorium. Snatching up a copy, Ichigo made a mental note to never audition for another play again unless he knew what it would involve.

I have to kiss Rukia? It was the only thought he had as he walked out the school doors and down the sidewalk towards home.

He knew Rukia wouldn't be happy about that either, but she couldn't very well back out, now. And neither could he.

He was a dead man.

I knew I should have read the damn script first.

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Author's Note: I get the feeling I'm really going to enjoy writing this. Long as it took to finish the first chapter, it was a lot of fun, and I'm positive that my readers (Especially one in particular) are going to love this.

This entire story is dedicated to Kai, since she loves this pairing a lot and was the one who got me into it (And Bleach on its own) in the first place. And before you start bugging me about it, Kai, yes, I'm going to write a couple of IchiRuki drabbles for my Aitou no Shinigami collection. And yes, I'll get around to the IchiRuki Seven Deadly Sins collection, too, I promise. But until then, you'll have to be satisfied with this, which I'm sure you will be.