Memory Bleached: Chapter 2

"Hey!" Renji yelled down the stairs, tugging on a spastic Ichigo. "Isshin, you down there?" He and Rukia pushed on the heavy wooden door that separated the Kurosaki residence from their hospital.

As soon as the doorway was clear, a pair of feet came flying into the strawberry's face. "ICHIIIIGOOO!!!" His father called, grinning stupidly. But when he realized that his prey was not standing - nor fighting back - he looked down.

Ichigo's nose was bleeding heavily and tears were starting to form in his eyes. "Itai! What was that for?!" He covered his face and began to cry. Isshin stared at the teen, looked around nervously, and began to panic.

"Wh-what?" He knelt to face his son. "What's wrong?! What did I do?!!" When Ichigo started sobbing, Isshin flailed his hands and glanced over his shoulder at the two by-standers in a desperate plea for help.

Rukia was at a loss for words; to see Ichigo cry over something like a nosebleed was shocking. The boy had gotten holes blown in his chest and had barely flinched, for heavens sake. The only time she'd ever seen get really upset over anything was his fight with Grand Fisher. Renji was just standing there on the brink of either laughter or annoyance. Ichigo had regressed from a hardass to a softy overnight.

The first of the pair to act was Rukia. She leaned down awkwardly to pat him on the head. "There, there," she cooed, "it's alright. The bad man won't hurt you anymore. Alright?" She glared at Isshin for effect.

Ichigo sniffled and rubbed his eyes. "Alright..." Upon looking up at Rukia, he blushed. (a/n: No, I don't ship. This was just to make Ichigo OOC. XD)

Renji snickered. What was this kid doing? He was acting like a moron. It was just too hard to relinquish the opportunity to point-and-laugh. When he notice the tint on the strawberry's cheeks, he lost control.

"Oh god," he howled, "I wish I had a camera right now! This is price-" He was cut of by a hand thwacking him on his head. Renji turned around to see an angry Karin standing on the step behind him.

She growled. "Just because it's after 10 AM doesn't mean you have a right to yell in our house! Idiot!" As she stomped upstairs angrily, it was Ichigo's turn to giggle, but at the tattooed man clutching the lump slowly forming on his scalp.

He snorted. "Dumbass."

Rukia sighed. Now that sounded a little more like the strawberry she knew. "Okay, you two. It would be best if we went and looked for Orihime to see if she can do anything about Ichigo's head." She paused for a moment. "And nose, now that I think about it."

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Author's note: Er, second chapter. I'm just stalling until the weekend arrives. *ehemsoihavetimetowritewheni'mnottiredcough*..... Ja.