"Big brother?" Yuzu is standing beside my bed.
"Are you sick, big brother?"
It's been two months since the funeral. The detectives had kept coming for several days after the first visit. I finally spoke to them in the most recent one. They kept pushing, but I told them that I really didn't know much.
"Big brother?"
"Yuzu," I snap, "I just want to sleep."
She looks shocked. I immediately feel bad and hug her.
"I'm sorry," I say. "It's been rough."
She surprises me by smiling. I thought for sure that she'd be more upset.
"You've been making only sad faces," she mused. "Now it's different."
I blink. She's only four, but often seemed to know more than even me.
When she leaves the room, I make a resolution. A resolution to move on. A resolution I plan to keep.
There's no rain, but I can hear it pounding on the roof, drip after drip.
But this time I tune it out.
Hey everyone! Goldenthyme here!
Just so you know, this is far from the end of the fic. If anything, this is more like a prologue or backstory to what will take place.
I originally started writing this as something for Ichigo and Orihime, but I changed my mind recently. It will progress like originally planned, but with some definite differences. Rukia will be making an appearance, but not as a shinigami. Orihime and Tatsuki will have roles as well. Orihime will serve as a love interest, but there will be a lot with Rukia as well.
The basic design of this will not change. It's not a pairing fic, and it's not going to go much of anywhere near canon.
I hope you have fun reading! The next chapter will take place six years later in his first year of high school.