Disclaimer: I do not own any of Bleach nor its characters. And to add, this is an AU but I hope you like the story.
"So, where do you study?" Nel asked, wanting to make sure if the orange-haired girl beside her was really Ichigo. "Well I study in Karakura College, and I'm in medicine because soon enough I'll be taking over my father's clinic." Nel was surprised as it was just like the male Ichigo.
(Nel) So, what course will you be taking?
(Ichigo) I'll be taking medicine. What about you?
(Nel) Law. I always wanted to be a lawyer since I was a child. By the way, why do you want to join medicine?
(Ichigo) Well you know, my dad owns a clinic and someone's gonna have to take over when Dad's gone. I wanted to actually join chemical engineering though medicine is okay. I could just study chemical after I'm done with medicine.
(Nel) Wow, you're a genius.
(Ichigo) No I'm not. I am just able to get by everything somehow.
(Nel) You're too modest.
(Ichigo) Better than being boastful.
"Okay. Sorry if I'm being nosy." Nel said in a wary voice, knowing that with just that she is really Ichigo. "It's alright. Many people have been nosy about me because I have amnesia." Nel didn't get the last words. "What?" Nel asked. "I have amnesia. My family told me I got into an accident while trying to save a guy from being killed. And as a result I couldn't remember much, though I am working my way into recovering my memories. Well that's all I can say to you." The redhead shook her head.
"It's alright." Ichigo focused her eyes on Nel for a second and became curious. "Say, you look very familiar to me. Like I met you before though I don't know when, where or how. Do I know you?" Nel wanted to say yes though lied instead. "No. You must have confused me for someone else in your lost memories. Oh, here we are."
They were already in front of Nel's home, the house being not so big though not so small either. "Do you live with someone else?" Ichigo asked, sensing another person inside from instinct. "Yeah. I'm living with my brother right now." Nel became very nervous and her feet started shaking, how would Grimmjow react if Ichigo was alive and a girl? How would he react to everything else?
"Oh." Ichigo looked to the trash can beside her, smelling a strong scent. "Alcohol? You drink?" Ichigo asked, raising an eyebrow. "No. It's my brother. He started drinking since..." Nel faltered, not wanting to say the next words to raise confusion. "If you don't want to say it, don't say it. Let's go in. I'm okay with alcohol, it's just that I don't drink that much."
Nel nodded and led her to the kitchen, grabbing two cans of lemon soda from the fridge and tossing a metal can to Ichigo. "Wow. PopLemonade! I love drinking this." She opened the can and exchanged 'Cheers' with Nel before gulping the soda down her throat. Nel looked at the girl's throat and gasped quietly as there was no Adam's Apple.
Ichigo widened her eyes when she heard something shatter from another room. "What was that?" Nel sighed as she placed her can on the table. "My brother must have broken a beer bottle by accident. Wait, I'll take care of it." She stood up and walked to her brother's room, and Ichigo silently followed Nel out of curiosity.
"Wow, and you broke two bottles. And you drank fifteen bottles today. And I have a guest here so try and keep it low." She couldn't tell her brother who the guest is. Ichigo listened as Grimmjow slurred a couple of words that she couldn't get before Nel left the room, holding a small dust pan full of glass shards.
"You heard us?" Nel asked, noticing Ichigo listening to them while leaning against the wall outside the room. "Sorry. I just got too curious." She apologized, scratching the back of her head just the way she did when she was a male. "It's alright. I'm pretty used to it." Nel walked away to throw the shards into the trash, and Ichigo took a peek inside the room to see what was in there. She was still the curious person she was since she was a kid.
"Wow, this place seems gloomy." She thought, moving her eyes to the half-asleep figure lying down on the bed like a log. She got taken in by the guy's appearance, his hair, his eyes, his body, everything about him. It seemed too weird that she would feel that much for the guy.
"This is odd, though he seems familiar. Huh. He and Nel, I find familiar? Now what's wrong with me? It's probably just me getting all confused for nothing." She rolled her eyes and left the room, unable to notice that the bluenette saw her. "Ichigo...?" He slurred, falling completely asleep after that.
Ichigo walked back to the kitchen, sitting down and finished her lemon drink, flattening the can with her bare hands. In a minute, Nel was back. "Sorry about taking a little longer. The garbage truck arrived." Ichigo understood. "Well, are you curious about my brother? To be honest I saw you peeking around his room."
"Sort of. It's just that, I have this feeling that I met him before, and that feeling is really big; like that brother of yours is not just someone who I might have encountered. I don't know, it Though it must be just me thinking random things." Nel fought the urge to tell everything to Ichigo, as Ichigo might not believe her. "Well, sooner or later you'll recover what you lost."
"Yeah. Thanks for saying that." Ichigo smiled and looked at her digital watch. "Oh, it's late. I gotta go. See ya, Nel." Nel waved goodbye and before Ichigo completely left the house, she left her phone number to Nel. Nel stored the number in her phone and went to Grimmjow's room to check on him. "Wow, better than being awake." Nel sighed and left the room, grabbing a broom to clean the house.
It was nighttime and Nel ate dinner with her brother. Just as Nel thought that the dinner would be silent again, her brother suddenly brought up a topic. "Hey, about that guest you brought over this afternoon. Who is she? She looks like Ichigo." Nel flinched and put down her spoon on the plate, trying to form some words in her head. "Well, just a friend. Not that important." She said with her voice shaking slightly.
"Why do you look so nervous?" Grimmjow narrowed his eyes as Nel lowered her head. Nel quickly made an excuse for her flinching. "It's just that, you rarely talk about Ichigo now so I was sort of surprised." For the remainder of the night things were silent again and Nel couldn't sleep, wondering why Ichigo was alive, and a girl too. How come they were never told about it?
Hotaru: So, there goes the second chapter. I hope you like it and please review because who doesn't love reviews? This is my first fanfic that has transgenderism in it so be gentle.