Hello everybody! Sorry about such a long hiatus I really need to get things together don't I? I was reading some fanfics and I decided to get up and go again. I will work really hard on this one, nothing but the best for the readers, yes? Alright here ya go!
It had been a few months since Keigo's shocking revelation and everything was going well for the students at Karakura High School. Graduation was close; anyone would be able to tell by the atmosphere at the school.
"I can just see it now!" yelled an enthusiastic Keigo, "my nephew and I taking a stroll around the park in his new wheelchair!"
"Uh, don't you mean stroller? He's not paraplegic, unless you did something to him?" Shock came over Mizuiro's face, "You didn't!"
"Huh? I don't know what you're talkin' about Mizu. But yeah we're gonna be strollin' in style..."
Mizuiro left Keigo to his daydreams and decided to distract himself by talking to sensible people.
"Hey Kurosaki! You ready for school to be over?"
"You betcha."
"So whatcha gonna do after school ends? Are you gonna go to college or are you gonna get a job?"
"Hm, I haven't thought that far yet actually..." Ichigo sat staring at the window, "How 'bout you, Mizuiro? Man, it's weird thinking about how we're all gonna separate and go our own ways."
"Yeah I know what you mean. I'm thinking about studying at a university. Nowhere too special though, maybe Tokyo."
"Tokyo University? You mean the actual university what do ya mean thats nothin'?" Keigo had once again rudely interrupted a nice slice of life.
"Well I've got pretty big shoes to fill ya know?"
"No, I don't know why don't you tell me?" asked Keigo.
"Uhm, yeah my dad...," was all Mizuiro could manage at Keigo's density, since he had told him what had seemed over a million times.
Ichigo sat at his desk, looking out the window, ignoring the ruckus, thinking about what he was gonna do with his life. He went home later that day to find Karin and Yuzu already home from school and playing with Kaien.
"I'm home!" yelled Ichigo.
"Welcome home, brother!" called out Yuzu from their playplace.
"Welcome back, Ichigo," said Rukia from the doorway.
"Hey," Ichigo said with a weak smile on his face as he made his way over to Rukia and gave her a kiss.
"What's wrong?" Rukia asked.
"Oh, it's nothing really," sighed Ichigo.
"Come on. What is it?"
"Well I've been thinking, actually Mizuiro reminded me today, about what I should do after graduation. I mean, after all we have little Kaien and we shouldn't live with my dad forever..."
"I know what you mean Ichigo. I know how bad you want to provide for your family, but you should go to college so that you can get a degree and get a better paying job."
"I know, but who knows how long that will take? I just want to be out of my dad's hair as soon as possible..."
Just then, there was a loud noise coming from around the corner.
"Nonsense! You, Rukia, and Kaien are fine where you are! You can work for me for living expenses and I'll pay for whatever Kaien needs!" said Isshin, almost surprising Ichigo.
"No, Dad. I-we don't need to live here it's bothersome..."
"Are you calling your father 'bothersome' boy?!"
"No, no, no! You're misunderstanding. I just wanna be independent. I don't wanna have to rely on you watching Kaien forever, Dad."
"Oh, I have no problem with it."
"Are you crazy Ichigo? He's trying to help us and you just want to be independent? I sure don't understand all this pride coming from you all the time," said Rukia.
"I'm not crazy Rukia. I want me and you to have our own place in a nice neighborhood, away from the freak," he muttered under his breath.
"Hey! I heard that mister!" yelled Isshin.
"Ichigo, we don't have the money for that-"
"I'll get a part-time job and go to school at the same time. They're hiring down the street from the community college so I can work there. And in the meantime, I know where we can live temporarily until we have enough to move into a nice place."
At the Urahara Shoten-
"You want to what?"
"I was wondering if you could let me, Rukia, and the baby stay here with you guys so I can go to school and work. Of course I can move in after I graduate."
Kisuke was beyond words and wasn't flattered. Yoruichi stared in disbelief. Ginta didn't know what was going on, whilst in the middle of one of his usual bickerings with Ururu. Ururu became elated at the idea that she possibly would no longer be the only girl in the Urahara household, since Yoruichi tended to be sleeping or somewhere else. Tessai was somewhat excited to babysit.
"Um, lemme get back to you on that," Kisuke turned around and looked at everyone as if he was consulting his peers.
"Okay everyone this is important. I want to hear all of your opinions then I will state mine, since I have the say. Ready? Start!"
"I think it would be lovely!" started Ururu.
"Shut yer face! I don't wanna hear no baby cryin' all night!" yelled Ginta as he simultaneously whacked Ururu on the head.
"It would be nice to have more of a womanly touch on this place," said Yoruichi.
"Womanly touch? Womanly touch? You hardly even live here ya scrounge! I think my shop is fine the way it is!" yelled Kisuke.
"Scrounge?! Who're you callin' a scrounge you freak! I do live here!"
"Why do I let the homeless control me as such...sigh."
"Homeless? Oh, Kisuke Urahara, you're gonna get it!"
Yoruichi chased Kisuke around the small room and soon had him in a neckhold.
"We all agreed that it would be fine, Ichigo. In addition, you can train in your spare time," said Yoruichi with a smile.
"Actu-ugh!" The hold on Kisuke's neck had grown tighter.
Tessai stopped staring and looked down as he wasn't able to express his opinion on the subject, even though the outcome was what he had wanted. A tear escaped from his eye and he wiped it away...Poor Tessai.
Ichigo went back to the Kurosaki household.
"Well, I did it!"
"Did what?" asked an ever-so-scowling Karin.
"We gotta place to go after we graduate isn't that exciting, Rukia?" Ichigo had just ignored Karin's attitude.
"What? What do you mean? Where?" She had become slightly excited herself.
"After some thought and research, I figured we could stay at the Urahara Shop, so I-"
"The Urahara Shop you say?" Rukia was confused.
"Yeah, so I asked them-"
"You really want to live in that old dump? Do you really want your child to go through that kind of torture?"
"Um, torture, no, but somewhere to play with plenty of people watching him, yes!"
"Are you serious Ichigo?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? He's the closest to the junior college that I could find, I mean he's like right there-"
"Do you really think that's safe with Ginta running around the way he does and Yoruichi being as violent as she is?"
"What's wrong with it?"
"You really don't understand, do you?"
"Understand what? Oh, Rukia, it's gonna be great to be out of this house once and for all!" Ichigo picked Rukia up by the waist and held her in the air, ecstatic to finally be leaving this house after 18 years. Rukia was slightly worried and was sure that it wasn't a good idea.
The next day, Ichigo showed up at school with a beaming face.
"Who put sunshine into his cereal?" Keigo asked, confusing Mizuiro.
"You can't put sunshine into cereal, besides, the milk would go bad."
"You don't get it!"
"Not everyone gets whats in your mind, Keigo, sigh."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Hey Kurosaki! What's with the stupid grin on your face?" Asked Tatsuki.
"I'm finally getting outta that crazy old man's house after I graduate!" Ichigo leaned back in his chair and folded his hands over his head, "yep, no more chaos."
"Where are you moving? Surely you'll miss your dad right?"
"Sure won't. I'm moving over by the community college so I can get a part-time job and go to classes to get myself together."
"Wow, good luck Kurosaki."
"Hey Tatsuki. What were you planning on doin after graduation?"
"I think I'm gonna go join a dojo up in the mountains to train really hard and one day take over or make my own dojo."
"That sounds pretty cool." Ichigo had started to think that he would never be as successful as his friends. (Excluding Keigo) He sighed and tried to think of more optimistic things, like how he was going to move out of his father's house.
Graduation week was coming up soon and the school was preparing for the seniors' last activities. There was gonna be a school festival themed as Don Konoji's popular show. Ichigo and other soul reapers in diguise, held in their disgust for the theme, whereas no one who knew, was excited.
"I don't see what all the chaos is about," said Ichigo.
"Yeah," said Chad.
"What are you guys talking about?! It's the best theme everrrr!!" Keigo was excited like a child on crack.
"Woah, calm down Keigo." Ichigo thought that maybe, just maybe, he had seen Keigo slightly foaming at the mouth. Then, as if it couldn't get worse, Keigo made the stance and laughed Don Kanoji's claim to fame.
"Dear Kami-sama, help us now," said Ichigo, rolling his eyes.
"Have you started packing yet? For the move?" asked Tatsuki.
"Yeah we have, hehe, it's kinda strange though. When I look at everything, I remember when I had portrayed them as a kid. And well, now they're, they're....they make me nostalgic."
"Aw, it's not like the tough Ichigo to get all teary eyed on meh now." Tatsuki punched his arm, for old-time's sake, "We've all grown up Ichigo, we're all gonna have a tough time, I know how you feel."
Ichigo stared outside and took a deep breath, "I'm really gonna miss all this and everyone. I'm sure I'll hear Keigo's voice every now and then in Karakura, but it won't be often..."
"I think becoming a father has made you softer, though I do know what you mean. It's gonna be tough."
Everyone was spending time on their class displays and soon everyone became to busy to see how time had flown by. The festival had started and each class dressed up depending on what they had picked. Keigo dressed up like Don Konoji in their classroom, doing his trademark laugh. Everyone was enjoying themselves and everything was going fine. Rukia came to visit the festival with Kaien in arm. Everyone was pleased to see the baby and Keigo's sister had even brought hers, introducing the two infants. Everyone was in great spirits and the festival ended without a hitch. Ichigo went back home to spend his final day as a high school senior.
"I'm home!"
"Welcome back," Rukia was holding Kaien.
They had been alone as Isshin had taken the girls to a soccer game and was watching intensely.
"Where is everybody?"
"Your dad took the girls to a soccer game and he seemed really into it so they might not be back for a little while."
"Oh," Ichigo walked up to Rukia, kissed her on the forehead, not long before giving Kaien a kiss as well, "You're growin' up too fast, ya hear me? I still love you though," Ichigo said with tenderness.
Ichigo went to bed early that night, as he knew there was a lot of things besides graduation going on for the next few days.
Hey guys that was a really long time and I'm really sorry. Please forgive me and my writer's block again. I just all of a sudden got an idea so I had to write again. Sorry if it's a little short. . So yeah, I almost made myself cry that time lolz and for the record, Rukia is doing homestudy since she can't be at school, she studies at home. Sorry if there was any confusion.