Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.
Author's Note: Hey, everyone! Sorry that I didn't update yesterday. I was tired and I wanted to take a day off and honestly it's also probably going to happen next Sunday. This means that you'll get a double update today! Just the next one-shot will be posted later today most likely.
Anyway, first things first, thank you all for your support last chapter. It seems that it's not only one of my favorite stories in this collection, it was also yours! I'm so glad you guys liked it!
As for today's one-shot, we have a very lighthearted story as the prompt is video games and it is set very early on in the timeline, right after the first one-shot.
Hope you guys enjoy it!
See ya!
my idea of fun (playing video games)
Prompt: video games
Summary: Enjoyment comes in the little things. Like watching Ichigo play video games.
I tell you all the time
Heaven is a place on Earth with you
Tell me all the things you wanna do
Ichigo, Rukia knows, has a competitive nature.
She has seen it before.
When he goes to spar with the guys and they bet on who will win.
Or when he bickers with her about who is right or wrong.
She remembers seeing this back when they had first met, when Ishida had dared him to defeat more Hollows than he, in a sort of Quincy vs Shinigami challenge.
Ichigo likes to compete and he likes to win.
That is a well-known fact.
But Rukia hadn't realized that his competitive streak went beyond fighting.
He can be competitive with even the littlest things.
Such as video games.
Rukia hadn't paid much attention to such games before.
Of course, while living with the Kurosakis oh so long ago, she had observed here and there Karin playing, and she had seen Ichigo's consoles in his room.
But they hadn't had the time to play in those days.
So she hadn't really known what all of that was about.
It is only now, as she's staying with Ichigo once again, but this time without the threat of incoming Arrancar, that she sees him playing.
Consoles, Rukia discovers, are electronic devices that can be plugged into TVs and with them you can play an array of different games using controllers.
She can see them neatly on screen, the figures moving, jumping, ducking and the like according to the buttons Ichigo presses on his black controller.
It is astonishing how far humans have gone in terms of technology.
Something like this does not exist in the Soul Society.
(And probably would never exist)
So Rukia finds herself easily immersing in the experience of watching Ichigo play.
Sometimes he plays against Karin, and this is where she can see that competitive streak emerging in him.
His sister is even more competitive, so it is fun to watch them play together, as neither is willing to let the other win.
He tells her at one point that in high school he used to invite Chad, Keigo and Mizuiro over to play.
They would hang out, order pizza, and play all afternoon during the summer holidays or whenever they had the time.
Ichigo also tells her that they haven't played together in a long while, mostly due to college and their jobs.
(Rukia privately wonders if they don't visit anymore because of her)
Most of the time, though, he plays by himself.
Each time he gets better at a game, he increases the level of difficulty until he plays in the hardest mode.
He doesn't rest until he's beat all of the bosses and has completed a game.
Ichigo tells her that it can take him a lot of time to reach the most difficult levels as he doesn't have as much time to play anymore.
But Rukia, even in her inexperience, can tell he's good.
It's a little surprising as Ichigo excels in physical activities rather than just sitting still.
Yet it is obvious that even in video games, he's a fast learner.
And his dedication to get better is what mostly makes him a great player.
Rukia finds that she enjoys watching him play.
She not only finds the graphics and music entertaining, but also de way Ichigo moves his character around when he plays.
Up and down.
Running, jumping, picking up objects from the floor.
Getting from one location to another.
Fighting.
Winning.
Starting over.
It is very engaging.
It's even fun when a level is particularly complicated and he curses under his breath, and then he's actively cursing and yelling.
Who knew sitting on the couch watching someone else play could be this exciting?
But then Rukia worries if Ichigo feels lonely.
If he misses playing with his friends.
(If somehow her presence is more of a nuisance than it is accepted)
So, she decides to do something about it.
"Can you teach me how to play one of your video games?" She asks him one day.
Ichigo looks surprised at first, but then he smiles.
"Sure."
He chooses an easy one to play.
A classic game, he tells her.
Rukia doesn't know whatever that means, but she thinks the little man in red with a moustache too big for his face seems fun, so she accepts.
Now Ichigo is a good teacher.
It's just, Rukia is not a very fast learner when it comes to technology.
To be honest, she doesn't know what she's doing while she presses the buttons.
She sees the man jump and go forward then backwards, then falling down because she didn't jump on time.
Ichigo gives her instructions yet it's hard to do what he tells her to do when she's not sure what she's doing in the first place.
Eventually, he just sighs.
"Okay, com here." He tells her at one point, motioning for her to scoot over.
She does as instructed, but then she's a little dumbfounded when Ichigo encircles her from behind and presses his hands over hers and over the control.
"Alright, so here's what you have to do."
He begins explaining but Rukia isn't listening anymore.
All she can see is Ichigo.
She feels his warmth enveloping her body as his fingers move over hers.
He's playing, she knows, but she doesn't care about the game.
All she can think about is Ichigo.
And how happy she is to be here right now, next to him, doing something as mundane as playing video games.
It is exhilarating.
After that day, they play often, especially when there is nothing else to do.
Rukia is still not very good at video games.
Not that she cares about that.
It is really not about winning or losing.
She also does not care if they are days they don't go out and stay in.
Because enjoyment comes in the little things.
Like watching Ichigo play video games.
Or just by being next to him.
That's her idea of fun.
A/N: The title and the lyrics come from Lana del Rey's song "Video Games" which I found fitting for this fic lol. It's also on Rukia's POV so now the ratio of stories featuring Ichigo's POV and Rukia's is 50-50 with two one-shots being on both their POVs.
As for the story, I took inspiration in the fact I like watching my friends and partner play video games more than I like playing them because I suck, but they always look so happy while playing it makes me happy too.
Also, since it is very early on, Rukia has some doubts about her presence in Ichigo's life that she will tackle on as time goes by, but you've seen in other one-shots that take place later on that Rukia now knows that Ichigo wants her next to him, so she's no longer insecure. I just wanted you to see it was a process and in here we have an insecure Rukia, just like we've seen an insecure Ichigo before.
It was also mostly friendly, but that Ichigo is so sneaky, using teaching Rukia how to use the controller as an excuse to hug her provides some of that romantic content you're craving.
I really hope you guys enjoyed it.
See ya!