Fire Forged Friendship, Substituting Fire For Rukia (1/?)
Title: Fire Forged Friendship, Substituting Fire For Rukia
Author: Ragna (afteriwake)
Pairing: Ichigo & Byakuya friendship, mentions of Ichigo/Orihime and Renji/Rukia
Rating: PG
Spoilers (if applicable): Set about six months after the current arc.
Warnings (if applicable): None
Summary: At first, they were only doing it because Rukia demanded it, but once they really got to know each other, it wasn't all that hard to get along.
Authors Notes: Another fic for azardarkstar, who wanted Byakuya & Ichigo friendship fic.
---
If it hadn't been for Rukia, it never would have happened. Ichigo had regained his powers and his place in Soul Society as a substitute shinigmai, and she had invited him over for dinner at the Kuchiki manor. He'd been leery about it, because he and Byakuya were not even remotely close to being friendly, but Rukia had assured him her nii-sama would be on his best behavior.
It had been a chilly time had by all, almost as if Hitsugaya had been sitting in the room fiddling around with Hyorinmaru. In fact, Ichigo would have preferred it. It lasted approximately until Ichigo was ready to leave. All night long Ichigo had been watching Rukia closely and Byakuya through glances, and he could see the vein throbbing in her forehead getting bigger and bigger all night. It wasn't his fault that Byakuya was an elitist jerk who wanted to poke and prod at him every time they were close enough to shout at each other.
Rukia stood up, glared at both of them, crossed her arms, and said in that deadly tone of voice she had to say something that made him stop and think. “Nii-sama. You are my brother. I care about you very much. And Ichigo, you're a very good friend, and I've missed you. But if you two can't get along with each other I'll stop talking to both of you!”
Ichigo looked at Byakuya, and he at Ichigo, and they both had the same expression on their face. It was one that showed that they didn't want to lose Rukia, and that quite frankly she scared them. “He could come to visit the world of the living, I guess,” he said, running a hand through his unruly orange hair and looking at Rukia.
She turned to look at Byakuya, who nodded slowly. “I could agree to that.”
“Good. Ichigo, you stay here tonight while I send a message to Urahara and then you two go to the world of the living until you get along. Renji can take care of your division.” A brief look of terror crossed his eyes before she added, “I'll help.”
“All right,” Byakuya said. And then, without looking at Ichigo, he got up and left the table, leaving Rukia and Ichigo alone.
Rukia sighed and sat back down. “I care about both of you, and you're both important to me in different ways. I just really want you to get along. I don't expect you to become best friends, but stop snapping and baiting each other.”
“Are we really that bad?” Ichigo asked.
“Yes,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You can't resist saying something, and then he responds, and it pisses you off, and then he baits you and you respond and it just makes for an ugly time.” She sighed. “Please. Get along for my sake, okay, Ichigo?”
He looked at her and then nodded. “Okay. But it's only because I don't want you to stop talking to me. I spent over two years without speaking to you. That was hard enough.”
“It was hard on me, too,” she said quietly.
“But apparently Renji helped?” he asked with a wide grin, one that only grew wider as a slow blush crept up her cheeks and she looked down.
“Yes,” she said, just a tad quieter then before.
“I really should go pay him a visit,” he replied.
Her head snapped up. “Don't embarrass me!” she said, glaring at him.
He laughed, and then slung an arm around her shoulders. “Wouldn't think of it. But I haven't gotten to talk to him since I came here. And I should at least congratulate him.” He pulled away and looked at her. “He got very lucky.”
The blush deepened slightly, and then she shook her head. “How is Orihime?”
This time it was his turn to blush. “We had our tenth date the night before I left for here.”
“Have you kissed her yet?” Rukia asked, a gleam in her eye.
“What? That's none of your business,” he spluttered.
“So I think the answer is no.”
“No! I kissed her, all right? I'm just...not a good kisser,” he muttered.
“I'm sure she'll be happy to teach you,” Rukia said innocently. “Get in as many kisses as you can, as long as you remember that you have to get along with my brother and he frowns on public displays of affection.”
“I'm not about to kiss Inoue in front of him!” he said, glaring at him. “What I do with her has nothing to do with getting along with your brother. In fact, I'm just going to keep them apart. It'll make it easier on me.”
“I don't think Orihime is going to agree with that,” Rukia said with a chuckle. “But here's some advice. Let her help you two. She's got a big heart, and she'll try her best to keep you two from killing each other.”
“She may not succeed,” he grumbled. She hit him in the back of the head. “What's that for?”
“For forgetting that if you and nii-sama don't get along by the time he comes back I'll stop talking to both of you,” she said. “I'm serious about this. Aside from Renji, you two are the two most important people in my life.” She stood up. “Go visit Renji, and then tomorrow you leave and start getting along with my brother.” She grinned at him. “See you tomorrow, Ichigo.” And with that she left, leaving Ichigo to his own thoughts, trying to figure out how to defrost the ice lord.
Author: Ragna (afteriwake)
Pairing: Ichigo & Byakuya friendship, mentions of Ichigo/Orihime and Renji/Rukia
Rating: PG
Spoilers (if applicable): Set about six months after the current arc.
Warnings (if applicable): None
Summary: At first, they were only doing it because Rukia demanded it, but once they really got to know each other, it wasn't all that hard to get along.
Authors Notes: Another fic for azardarkstar, who wanted Byakuya & Ichigo friendship fic.
---
If it hadn't been for Rukia, it never would have happened. Ichigo had regained his powers and his place in Soul Society as a substitute shinigmai, and she had invited him over for dinner at the Kuchiki manor. He'd been leery about it, because he and Byakuya were not even remotely close to being friendly, but Rukia had assured him her nii-sama would be on his best behavior.
It had been a chilly time had by all, almost as if Hitsugaya had been sitting in the room fiddling around with Hyorinmaru. In fact, Ichigo would have preferred it. It lasted approximately until Ichigo was ready to leave. All night long Ichigo had been watching Rukia closely and Byakuya through glances, and he could see the vein throbbing in her forehead getting bigger and bigger all night. It wasn't his fault that Byakuya was an elitist jerk who wanted to poke and prod at him every time they were close enough to shout at each other.
Rukia stood up, glared at both of them, crossed her arms, and said in that deadly tone of voice she had to say something that made him stop and think. “Nii-sama. You are my brother. I care about you very much. And Ichigo, you're a very good friend, and I've missed you. But if you two can't get along with each other I'll stop talking to both of you!”
Ichigo looked at Byakuya, and he at Ichigo, and they both had the same expression on their face. It was one that showed that they didn't want to lose Rukia, and that quite frankly she scared them. “He could come to visit the world of the living, I guess,” he said, running a hand through his unruly orange hair and looking at Rukia.
She turned to look at Byakuya, who nodded slowly. “I could agree to that.”
“Good. Ichigo, you stay here tonight while I send a message to Urahara and then you two go to the world of the living until you get along. Renji can take care of your division.” A brief look of terror crossed his eyes before she added, “I'll help.”
“All right,” Byakuya said. And then, without looking at Ichigo, he got up and left the table, leaving Rukia and Ichigo alone.
Rukia sighed and sat back down. “I care about both of you, and you're both important to me in different ways. I just really want you to get along. I don't expect you to become best friends, but stop snapping and baiting each other.”
“Are we really that bad?” Ichigo asked.
“Yes,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You can't resist saying something, and then he responds, and it pisses you off, and then he baits you and you respond and it just makes for an ugly time.” She sighed. “Please. Get along for my sake, okay, Ichigo?”
He looked at her and then nodded. “Okay. But it's only because I don't want you to stop talking to me. I spent over two years without speaking to you. That was hard enough.”
“It was hard on me, too,” she said quietly.
“But apparently Renji helped?” he asked with a wide grin, one that only grew wider as a slow blush crept up her cheeks and she looked down.
“Yes,” she said, just a tad quieter then before.
“I really should go pay him a visit,” he replied.
Her head snapped up. “Don't embarrass me!” she said, glaring at him.
He laughed, and then slung an arm around her shoulders. “Wouldn't think of it. But I haven't gotten to talk to him since I came here. And I should at least congratulate him.” He pulled away and looked at her. “He got very lucky.”
The blush deepened slightly, and then she shook her head. “How is Orihime?”
This time it was his turn to blush. “We had our tenth date the night before I left for here.”
“Have you kissed her yet?” Rukia asked, a gleam in her eye.
“What? That's none of your business,” he spluttered.
“So I think the answer is no.”
“No! I kissed her, all right? I'm just...not a good kisser,” he muttered.
“I'm sure she'll be happy to teach you,” Rukia said innocently. “Get in as many kisses as you can, as long as you remember that you have to get along with my brother and he frowns on public displays of affection.”
“I'm not about to kiss Inoue in front of him!” he said, glaring at him. “What I do with her has nothing to do with getting along with your brother. In fact, I'm just going to keep them apart. It'll make it easier on me.”
“I don't think Orihime is going to agree with that,” Rukia said with a chuckle. “But here's some advice. Let her help you two. She's got a big heart, and she'll try her best to keep you two from killing each other.”
“She may not succeed,” he grumbled. She hit him in the back of the head. “What's that for?”
“For forgetting that if you and nii-sama don't get along by the time he comes back I'll stop talking to both of you,” she said. “I'm serious about this. Aside from Renji, you two are the two most important people in my life.” She stood up. “Go visit Renji, and then tomorrow you leave and start getting along with my brother.” She grinned at him. “See you tomorrow, Ichigo.” And with that she left, leaving Ichigo to his own thoughts, trying to figure out how to defrost the ice lord.