Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ The Night's Bliss ❯ The Awakening ( Chapter 1 )

The temperature that day was below freezing, and Karakura town was covered with a blanket of snow. The wind's howls could be heard throughout the city, making the trees shake violently. Everybody was inside their toasty homes, sleeping in. Ichigo Kurosaki was one of those people who were slumbering peacefully, though not for long.

A certain stuffed lion woke up, rubbing his eyes, seeing a white blur outside the window. He climbed to its edge, getting a closer view. He squinted his eyes, trying to identify the ivory mass that was everywhere. Kon rushed to the sleeping boy, climbing the hills and edges of his body. When he reached his head, he was already out of breath.

“Hah…hah…Ichi…go…” Kon panted. The teen mumbled in his sleep, turning to the side, rolling over the plushie. The lion panicked, flailing his arms and screaming at the top of his lungs.

“ICHIGO, get off of me! Rukia! Help me!” Kon pleaded.

Suddenly, the door of Ichigo's closet opened, revealing a girl with short black hair who was wearing yellow plaid pajamas with orange stripes. She opened her mouth to let out a big yawn, stretching her arms towards the ceiling. The ebony-haired girl walked over to the trapped lion, raising an eyebrow.

“Kon…what the hell are you doing?” Rukia asked, staring at him, dumbfounded.

“Don't just stand there! Pull me out already!” Kon yelled. Rukia grabbed the plushie's arms and started pulling them, but it was no use. The stuffed animal was wedged tightly between the bed and the boy's body.

“Hmmm…” Rukia said, her eyes analyzing the problem. “I know what'll get him up,” the girl said with a grin. She bent over the boy, her mouth inches away from his ear.

“Uh…Onee-chan, what are you do-”

“GET YOUR LAZY ASS OUTTA BED, YOU BUM!”

The teen awoke with shock, tumbling out of his bed and hitting his head on the wooden floor.

“The fuck…” the boy muttered, look around the room, seeing the lion plushie on the floor and the raven-haired girl above him.

“Why are you standing there like an idiot? Help me up,” Ichigo said, yawning. Rukia rolled her eyes and pulled the boy up with all of her strength. With the last pull, he was able to get up, but Rukia fell back due to the weight of the teen. An arm caught her from the back and pulled her close, leaning her against the orange-haired boy's toned chest. Her hand felt something rough and bumpy across his covered torso, trying to figure out what it was. She pushed Ichigo away, her cheeks scarlet from the touch of the boy's skin. She stared at the floor, avoiding eye contact with him. He released his hold around her waist, letting his hand drop to his side. The room was so silent that the sounds of people's footsteps crunching outside in the snow could be heard.

“What time is it?” Rukia asked.

“Umm…” Ichigo mumbled, not really sure of himself. He glanced at the black alarm clock that was on his nightstand, the numbers blinking on and off.

“Its 11:15, but why do you-”

His question was left unanswered as the girl rushed into the closet, slamming the door shut. The boy raised an eyebrow in confusion as he heard bangs and pounds against the wall.

What the hell is she doing in there?

A rough `dom' hit the door, making Ichigo jump up in apprehension. The boy walked up to the closet, knocking at the door with his knuckle.

“Oi, Rukia! You okay in there?”

The closet opened slowly, two small, pale hands pulling it open from inside. Ichigo help open the door, surprised at hat he saw. The girl that was in pajamas moments ago now wore a black and white stripped dress that ended at her knees with solid, black leggings underneath, showing off her toned calves. On top, she wore two ivory snowflake earrings, a stark contrast in comparison to her raven hair. She reached into the turtleneck of the dress, making Ichigo step back but he regained his cool as he saw the girl pull out a matching snowflake necklace, placing it around her neck. The boy was even more puzzled, by this. He glared at the girl, trying to figure what on Earth she was doing.

“Ichigo, have you seen that white scarf that Onii-sama gave me? I thought I placed it in the closet, but it's not there. Can you help me look for it?” She asked, walking all over the room. The boy glanced at the door to his room, seeing the white shawl hanging over its hook. He took it down, feeling the luxurious material of Lukai silk dance through his fingers then turned to face the girl, still frantically searching for it.

“I have a question,” Ichigo said, his face as unyielding as a stone, crossing his arms, with the corner of the shawl sticking out from under of his elbow. The raven-haired girl twirled around, seeing the scarf in his grasp and rushed towards him, her hands lunging for the ivory shawl, but was slapped away by a hand.

“What the heck was that for?!” She yelled, scowling at him.

“I said I had a question. Mind answering it?” he asked, dangling the scarf in front of her face.

“Shoot,” she grumbled.

“Why the hell are you dressed up? He asked, his amber eyes piercing those of the girl's. She was silent, her lips pressed together into a thin line. Ichigo chuckled to himself, acquiring a raised eyebrow from her.

“You have a date, don't you?” he asked. Rukia froze, her entire face turning red as cherries. That confirmed it. Ichigo felt a pang of pain in his heart but he quickly shook it off.

“So, who is the unlucky bastard that has to go out with ya?”

Rukia was still silent, turning her face away from the boy, pondering on what to do.

Should I tell him who? It would be the right thing to do, but what if he gets mad? I just better keep quiet and ignore him. That would be the best thing to do for now.

She swiped the scarf from Ichigo's hand and hung it over her shoulders. The boy groaned and walked up to her, taking the shawl.

“Just what do you thin-”

“Shut up.”

The raven-haired girl shut her mouth, intimidated by the boy's sudden serious tone. She turned her head to the side as he adjusted the scarf.

“You can't go to your boyfriend lookin' like your mom just dressed you up,” Ichigo said as he altered the shawl, tying it into a small knot, then twisting it to the side, making it seem as if she wore a choker.

“There.” He said, turning his back towards her. Rukia felt guilt tingle in her spine, her mouth opened, wanting to say something, but no words came out. She got her brown thick boots from the closet, put them on, and walked to the window, one foot on its edge, the other firmly planted on the ground of the boy's room. She stared at the snow-covered streets below her, and then glanced back at the boy for a moment, her eyes meeting his broad back. She bit the edge of her lip, feeling as if she had betrayed him.

“I'm sorry,” she said as she jumped out the window, landing on the crunchy terrain. The boy slouched his way to the bathroom. He turned on the faucet to the right and let it run, the sound echoing throughout the deserted place, clearing Ichigo's mind. He cupped his hands together and scooped up some cold water and rinsed his face, the chilly liquid waking him up from his drowsy state. He turned the faucet off and stared at his reflection in the mirror, examining each and every feature of his face; everything from his ginger, spiky hair, to his golden-brown eyes, to his strawberry-like head.

He let out a sigh and walked back to his room, getting his clothes from the closet, noticing a calendar on the wall, today's date circled in red. He got closer to it, seeing a code in the box. It read: `bdate bat bten'. Ichigo rolled his eyes at the text, seeing that Rukia was still herself, despite the previous conversation they had. Quickly, he dressed himself. After he had changed, he stared at his clothing for a moment. He wore a brown, long sleeve undershirt with a dark blue puffy vest over it with black jeans. He took his mp3 from his desk, stuffed it in his pocket and headed to the door, about to head out, until something jumped on his ankle. He turned around, Kon held his left ankle.

“Ichigo, take me with you! I don't wanna be cooped up here! Please! I will-”

His mouth was clamped shut by the boy's hand, not allowing the plushie to finish.

“As long as you shut up and stay in the bag, you can come,” the boy said, lacing up his boots. Kon motioned his mouth zipping up, and went into Ichigo's knapsack obediently, not saying a single word. When the teen was ready, he opened the green door of the Kurosaki house and slammed it shut after him, locking it. He got his music player from his pocket, repeatedly clicked several buttons, and music started playing from his lime green headphones, its beats could be heard from where Kon was.

The boy was walking down a snowy street that seemed to lead to nowhere, his steps crunching one right after the other in the semi-frozen sidewalk. Ichigo could not shake off what happened this morning. He couldn't get Rukia out of his head and the thought of her with another man irked him. He halted his movement and took a deep breath, trying to unwind from his stress. His eyes looked to the sky, there were several billboards advertising for Christmas sales at retailers near the city. He began thinking on what to get his sisters and his father, and then the thought of the raven-haired girl popped in his mind.

Hmph, I shouldn't even be thinking about her. She is with her `perfect' boyfriend so I shouldn't be giving a rat's ass about her. But it is Christmas and we have been friends for a long time, so it would be perfectly normal if I gave her a gift. Even if she doesn't have one for me, it'll be worth it to see her reaction when she gets it. But what to get her…

The boy got out his mp3 from his pocket and plugged in his lime green headphones and pushed `play'.

 

Meanwhile, Rukia arrived at her boyfriend's house and she could feel the bass of the music from inside. She chuckled to herself and walked in, opening the sliding door. She caught sight of her boyfriend and hid behind a corner, slowly peeking out to see once more.

In the living room, were two men next to each other, sweat trickling over their arms and muscular legs. There was a crimson-headed man with his hair let loose, sweat on the edges on his bangs, dripping in front of his face. Black tattoos were all over his body, strewn from his chest to his toned abdomen, to his shoulders to his wrist and even on his forehead. He wore a baggy, yellow shirt with a red pineapple on it with blue sweatpants. The man next to him had short, black spiky hair and several designs on his face. He had a silver line from the right side of his face extended a little over the bridge of his nose. Below that, was a `69' tattoo and to the left of that were three parallel scratches that extended from his scalp to the edge of his face. He wore a black choker with open squares in it with identical chokers on both biceps. This man had on a green hoodie with a plain white tee that was glued to his muscular chest due to the sweat. Under that, he wore black sweatpants that were rolled up above his ankle. The red-headed man went to the stereo and paused the music, panting. The other man was panting as well, but much heavier.

“Shuuhei, you can't dance with your hoodie on. It'll mess up your routine.” The brown-eyed, red-haired man spoke.

“I'm just fine, Renji. I can dance-”

“Show me.” The scarlet-haired man pushed the play button, rushing next to the man as the beat started. He threw his hand in the air, counting down. When the last finger was struck, the two were in sync, their body identical in movement. Across from them was a mirror that extended from one side of the room to the other, showing their reflections as they moved.

“Keep up, Shuuhei! You're slowing down!” The tattooed man yelled as he danced, swinging his waist at the last words. The raven-haired man panicked and slid on the wooden floor, his rump landing directly on the hard ground.

Renji walked over to the stereo, hitting the stop button, then went to Shuuhei, sitting on the ground. He pulled him up, his warm, smooth hand meeting that of the cold, calloused one's of the older man's.

“I told ya so,” the amber-eyed man said, grinning.

“I, for one, thought he danced rather well, Renji,” a voice spoke. The two men turned around, seeing a young female hide behind the wall of the hallway.

“Ohayou, Ruka-chan!” Shuuhei exclaimed. Renji walked up to the girl, smiling, giving her a peck on her right cheek, and then pulling her into a tight embrace.

“Renji! You're covered in sweat again! And I'm dressed up!” Rukia whined. The man pulled back, chuckling.

“Just lemme take a shower and I'll be ready in no time,” He turned to face Shuuhei. “Good job today but next time, don't bring a hoodie.”

“Haha, sure thing, Renji.” The black-haired man as he walked off, exiting the house. Renji went to the bathroom to wash up, and get ready for his date but when he looked up in the mirror, he noticed Rukia standing there by herself, her arms wrapped around herself, as her eyes stared at the floor, her face lacking the life it usually had. He crept behind the girl and pulled her close, his arms wrapped tightly around her. The feeling of being embraced reminded the girl of a similar encounter with a certain orange-haired boy. Her mind flashed back to this morning, remembering every word and every detail that occurred. After he had found that Rukia was going on a date, he shot her a look through those amber eyes of his that sent pangs through the girl's heart.

I am such a horrible friend. I should have told him who it was.

Her hand moved up to her choker-like scarf, his scent still lingering on it.

Why couldn't I have told him? Am I that weak that I can't say such a thing?

She clung to the man's shirt, hiding her face in his chest, tears pouring out of the corners of her eyes. The man was taken aback by this and knelt down, held her shoulders and looked at the upset, sobbing face of the girl. He knew something was wrong but he also knew that this moment wasn't a good time to ask questions. He hugged her, cradling the back of her head, letting the girl cry on his shoulder. They remained like that for a few moments until Rukia's hypventilating gradually slowed down. She stood up and rubbed her puffy eyes with her hand, trying to stop the flow of tears. Renji got up, not loosing his gaze on Rukia's eyes that were telling him that something deeply disturbed the girl. He lifted her up, carrying her bridal-style, and walked over to his living room that seemed like an art museum. Red, black, and beige couches were clustered together in the center of the room, with a maple coffetable in the middle. Abstract paintings hung on the walls, each telling a different story. Across from the couches was a high definition tv that was nailed to the wall, its pitch black screen reflecting back at the two. Renji placed the girl gently on one of the couches and went to the kitchen to make some tea to soothe her.

Rukia rolled to her side, her face towards the multi-colored pillow of the couch. She grabbed a bright orange one and put it between the back of her head and the arm of the couch. She tried falling asleep, but it was futile. Whenever she tried, she kept on thinking about the look Ichigo gave her. His eyes were fierce, strong enough to rattle somebody. But when he had found out about her date, they had as much life in them as a corpse. It was as if his heart had broken into a million little pieces.

No, this needs to stop. Get a hold of yourself, Rukia! You have a boyfriend for crying out loud! You shouldn't be thinking about Ichigo! It's bad enough you broke down in front of Renji.

The girl's focus was broken as the sounds of chimes rang through her ears. She slowly got up from the sofa and heard hushed voices coming from the other end of the house. She halted her breathing for a moment, trying to hear the murmurs.

“It's been a week. Time to pay up.”

The girl let out a gasp, then quickly covered it up.

“What was that?” the same voice asked.

Rukia mentally cursed at herself for being able to be heard by the men.

“It might be Rukia. I'll go check up on her to see if she's all right,” a familiar voice said.

Renji, Rukia thought.

“Oh, no ya don't.”

A fierce slam was heard, its vibrations shaking the whole house, striking fear into Rukia's heart, and causing a tear to stream out of the corner of her eye. Her entire body was so paralyzed with fear that her trembling hands could barely to manage to muffle her sobs.

What is going on? Who was that guy that was talking to Renji? What if he's someone dangerous? What if he hurts him? Dammit, what do I do?

The girl's cries gradually softened as she regained her composure. She slowly tiptoed down the long, narrow, hall, peeking into each door, trying to find the men. Then, she stopped at the edge of the door to dance studio, seeing the reflection of the crimson-haired man in the mirrors that ran along the walls. Not being able to see the other man, Rukia stepped to her side, her eyes widening at the sight of Shuuhei. He moved closer to Renji, circling him as if he were a piece of meat. He put his hands on Renji's shoulders and pulling towards him, Shuuhei's mouth right next to the ear of the tattooed man. Right as he was about to say something Renji shook the man off, pushing him away. Shuuhei smirked, refusing to give up so easily.

“What do you want, Shuuhei?” Renji asked, his eyes avoiding contact with the other man`s.

“Don't play coy with me, Abarai. You know exactly what I want; and I'm pretty sure you want that very same thing as well.”

The girl scowled at the man, and when she glanced at Renji's reflection, his face was tainted with guilt, causing Rukia to turn her head the opposite direction, no longer being able to bear the sight of it. She slumped to the floor, her back sliding down the edge of the doorway and curled into a ball, hiding her face from the world.

Those two…they were acting in front of me. They aren't the cheery men I saw earlier. But why would they put on a false persona?What are they trying to hide?

“Stop shitting. I'm not in the mood to screw around so get the fuck out of my house,” Renji growled, clenching his fists, glaring at the raven-haired man, freezing him in his tracks. A mental image of the violet-eyed girl popped into Renji's mind, instantly making him relax and unwind, soothing his temper.

“It's bad enough that Rukia was crying, I don't need anymore drama.”

An eerie silence fell between the two that was neither uplifting nor unnerving. The two men stood there for a moment, not saying a word.

Rukia slowly closed her eyes, letting the peace and silence fill her ears but her moment of relaxation was disturbed as the sounds of footsteps and its vibrations broke the tranquility of the almost silent house.

“I think I know what, or who has been buggin' the girl, but I dunno if you're gonna like it,” Shuuhei said with a smug grin.Renji grabbed the man by the shoulders and slammed him into a wall, earning him an even more devilish smile from the ebony-haired man.

“My, my, touchy, aren't we?” Shuuhei asked but was answered by a fierce slap across his face that stung the three scars that ran down the left side of his face.

“You listen to me and you listen to me good. I am not someone you can play your little mind games with. Either you're gonna tell me what made Rukia cry or I'm going to force the words out of your mouth like this.”

Renji grasped the man's throat, holding it only with one hand which was more than enough to rob Shuuhei of oxygen. Renji released his grip on the man, letting him fall to his knees. Shuuhei's gasps for air were shallow and eerie, striking a pang of fear in the girl concealing herself behind the corner.

At least I don't have to worry about Renji getting hurt, but if I don't stop him, Shuuhei could seriously wind up in the hospital! what do I do?

Suddenly, an idea popped up in the girl's head, causing her to bare a small, devious grin. She slugishly walked into the dancing studio, rubbing her eyes as she let out a huge yawn. The two men were startled by her sudden appearance, both feeling a bit awkward. She walked towards Renji, her gait wobbly and uncoordinated, which made her lose her balance and slip on the polished, wooden floor. The crimson-haired man caught her right as she was about to hit the ground. He lifted her up, wrapped his strong arm around her slim waist and pulled her towards his broad chest. Rukia's body froze in shock, the hairs on her skin pricking up at the touch.

This is the exact same thing that happened to me with Ichigo, but the feeling is different. His was warm and gentle but Renji's feel as if….as if…as if they were from a complete stranger! What is causing these inexplicable emotions? This never happened before. My brain tells me that I should be relaxed and buoyant around Renji but my hearts tells me otherwise. But, I must keep my emotions locked up and I musn't let them escape again. All I can do right now is to act calm and normal.

The man put his other arm around the girl and laid his head on her left shoulder blade and closed his eyes, letting out a big sigh.

“You scared the shit outta me, y'know that?” he murmured in the girl's ear, his warm breath gliding over the skin of her neck. She chuckled nervously and put her small, frail arms over his back, which was too wide for the hands to connect. She glanced over Renji and noticed Shuuhei checking out the man, causing Rukia's face to turn as red as a rose. She was disgusted and infuriated at the man, scowling at him. Shuuhei caught sight of the enraged, violet eyes of the girl and flinched back, his face stricken with fear. Rukia chuckled to herself and closed her eyes, content that she got a bit of revenge. The crimson-haired man pulled back from Rukia, gazing into her eyes, which made her a bit timid. She averted her eyes and stared at the ground, unnerved by the man's constant stare. Renji noticed her uneasybehavior, and then gently lifted the edge of her chin with two fingers, this time, not letting her move her head. He gazed once more and gave her a sweet, but chaste kiss on her lips. Rukia felt a bit anxious at sudden display of affection in front of someone. She pulled back, her entire face flushed, then flashed a smile, trying to mimic the enthusiam her boyfriend had.

“I'm just gonna go out for some air,” Rukia said, walking to the exit and sliding the door shut behind her. Shuuhei gave Renji a devious look, his opal eyes not leaving the sight of the tattooed man. He snuck up behind Renji, taking both of his wrists with one hand, and wrapped the other arm around his neck, rendering him helpless. Shuuhei purred next to the man's ear and then bit into the meat of Renji's collarbone, making him flinch back in response.

“That's your punishment for kissing the girl right in front of my face,” Shuuhei growled. “Or, rather, do you want me run out right now and tell Rukia about your affair…with a guy?”

“No…” Renji murmured.

“Good. But you do know she will find out eventually, right? I saw her face. She knew something was up. She could tell you were lying though your teeth.”

The man halted his words, thinking about something, then said “It's better if you ended this whole charade.” Shuuhei pulled back and looked Renji in the eyes and said “I'll give ya `til the end of tomorrow. Then you're mine,” the raven-haired man growled and flicked off the lights as he walked off.

Renji dug in his pocket for his carton of cigarettes and his lighter which had a photo booth sticker of him and Rukia at the Lunar festival last week. He let out a sigh and lit up the cigarette, a bright orangish glow illuminating the dim room, a stream of grey sizzling from its end.

 

Meanwhile, Rukia was walking along the sidewalk of the city, her hands figeting with thesnowflake necklace she was wearing.She let out a sigh, pressured by the events that just occurred.

I need to get some answers from Renji. He is not telling me everything.

She looked up, seeing a white seagull soar the skies majestically with its outrstretched wings. The bird glanced down at the ground, seeing Rukia standing in a vast, deserted place, then turned its head toward the direction it was flying. Something about the way the bird looked at Rukia gave her hope for her relationship with the tattooed man. It was indescribable; something Rukia could depict as an omen of luck. A car passed by, making Rukia's dress flutter up. She gasped in embarassment and immediately put her hands on the bottom of her dress, straightening it. A wolf whistle was heard from behind, making the girl turn her head, seeing a man walking towards her, his gait slow, but smooth. He had on a brown and white striped hat that covered the bangs of his shaggy, blonde hair, making him look even more suspicous. A huge, tan shawl was draped over his shoulders, giving them a broader appearance. He wore a loose, white jacket that was tied at the bottom, revealing the white tee he had underneath. Below that were a pair of loose brown pants which were a couple of shades darker than the shawl. He wore wooden clogs, them `click'ing and `clack'ing with every step he took. When he got to where Rukia was, he was greeted by a cold glare that lacked any heartfelt welcoming whatsoever.

“Mah, what's with the attitude, Ruka-chan? The holidays are here! You shouldn't be grouchy and uptight! Oh, I know what it is.” The man grinned, chuckling a bit.

 

“It's your boyfriend.”