After initial success with his first books, Ichigo Kurosaki gets stuck with writer's block, and returns home for his high school reunion. Finding himself back in Karakura, he gets reacquainted with old friends and one face in particular. IchiRuki, AU

A/N: So I've been going through this too since the break and with everyone coming back home from college, so naturally I had to write it up. Of course, I really have to give props to reviewer Phillip William-Wammy, who requested an AU fic from me.

Disclaimer: The characters and fun Bleach terminology all belong to Kubo Tite and are used here for entertainment purposes only.

Rating: T for language

Dedication

The last time Ichigo Kurosaki had been in this specific grocery store in this specific town had been six years ago. But as he shuffled his feet along the aisles, shopping basket in hand, he wasn't whimsically reminiscing about the past but wishing that he hadn't forgotten to buy those eggs for Yuzu.

What had started out as a quick-trip to the grocer's to get the forgotten item turned into a full on shopping trip as constant calls from the Kurosaki household flooded his mobile.

"Ichigo?" Yuzu asked for what felt like the umpteenth time in the last thirty minutes.

"Yes Yuzu?" He sighed, gripping the basket tightly, maneuvering around a woman and her children in the cereal aisle.

"Dad forgot to tell you that he also needs some lettuce," she replied.

Ichigo looked at his phone angrily. "What the hell for?" An elderly woman glared at him as she passed by with her cart. Ichigo ignored her.

There was a pause, and he heard Yuzu repeat the question to someone on her end of the line. "No idea," she replied.

"I've been all over the store already!" he looked at the contents of his basket. "Why does the old man need ice cream, apple sauce, peanuts, and now lettuce? What can you do with all of that?"

"I don't know Ichigo." She sounded calm, but Ichigo could tell that she was cooking while talking to him. "Listen. Can you just get it? I'm afraid I'll drop the phone into the pot."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He hung up, feeling justifiably annoyed, but grabbed the damn produce anyway. He was making his way back to the cash registers when he realized that he forgot what brought him there in the first place: eggs.

Quickly making his way to the back of the store, he waited as a couple occupied the entire egg shelf, opening each carton and inspecting the contents with annoyingly careful precession.

He looked at his watch then at his mobile. Had he really been standing here for ten minutes? Were choosing eggs always this time consuming? Had he been doing it wrong all these years? He looked around the store, seeing if time stopped for everyone too.

He was turning to look the other way when he heard a familiar, high-pitched, excited voice shout, "Ichigo! Ichigo is that really you?"

He really did regret not remembering to buy those eggs this morning. Because when he turned around to see the source of that voice, he was greeted with a rib-breaking squeeze and boobs pressed into his chest the size of melons.

"Oh I knew it was you!" Orihime Inoue squealed as she took a step back, a wide smile gracing her features. To Ichigo, she looked the same since high school. Long light brown hair, big chest, and genuine smile on her features. "Then of course who wouldn't! I've been keeping up with your books!"

"Um," Ichigo found himself replying, embarrassed.

"I didn't know you were back in town?" she asked.

"Yeah…"

He wasn't not happy to see Orihime. In all honesty, she was probably one of the only people he'd gladly run into at the grocery store. It was just at the same time, he didn't want to run into her because he knew that the next words that would leave her mouth would be—

"So are you going to the reunion tonight?"

Ichigo forced a smile. "Oh. No. I don't think—"

"I made sure everyone got an invite," she interrupted, and Ichigo knew that she was having one of those moments where she was thinking aloud. "That was my job. I had to look up everyone's addresses, and Keigo trusted me to get this right." She looked up to meet his eyes. "You did get one right?"

Ichigo guiltily thought about the glittering invitation, decorated in Karakura High School colors, which sat at the bottom of his trashcan back at the Kurosaki household. He debated whether he could just lie, but one look at Orihime's expectant face told him that that wasn't an option. He nodded.

She sighed in relief. "Oh good. I was worried for a second and thought about all the people who might not have received one like Chad or—"

"Uryuu?" Ichigo supplied.

Orihime laughed. "Ichigo you're funny. I'd make sure that my own husband would come!"

Ichigo's eyes widened with shock.

"Oh I forgot that you weren't here," Orihime admitted. "Well, we got married last year!"

"Congratulations." Ichigo tried to sound more cheery and less shocked.

Orihime's face brightened. "I'm sorry. You were moving somewhere and it was all very sudden when we decided to do it so we just had very close friends—not that you aren't a close friend or anything—come to think of it," she stopped for breath. "Rukia didn't come either."

The name triggered something in Ichigo, and he became suddenly more aware of what she was saying. "Rukia?" Did he really just say her name?

"She was abroad or something at the time," Orihime explained airily. "She's been somewhere in England for the past two months. Oh I hope she got her invitation!"

Ichigo nodded, configuring the best way to get more information about her without being overtly obvious. "Has she—" he began, but was stopped short by the buzzing of his mobile in his back pocket. Throwing an apologetic look to Orihime, he flipped it open. "What now?"

"Ichigo? Where are you? Did you get the eggs?" Yuzu's voice grounded him again.

"Y-yeah Yuzu. Sorry it's just taking me a while," he looked at Orihime who smiled back cheerfully. "I ran into someone."

"Dad said that might be what's taking you," Yuzu answered.

"Uh-huh," Ichigo interrupted. "Did Dad, by the way, find an invitation in my room?"

"Yeah! He found it just when you left actually."

"I thought so." Ichigo nodded, understanding that he's been ambushed. "I'll be home soon Yuzu." And hung up.

"Is everything okay, Ichigo?"

"Yeah," he said looking at his mobile before pushing it into his back pocket. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh. Well I was just at your father's clinic. I had to drop some files off from Uryuu, and when I told your father that I was headed here, he told me that you were here too! They were all okay when I left," she said a little worriedly.

"Right." Ichigo's hypothesis came full circle. "Of course."

Orihime watched him, confused. "Does that mean you'll be coming tonight?"

Tonight? He didn't have anything to do, and there was the possibility, albeit slim, that a certain person might be there tonight. The odds were minimal, but they were more than he's had over the past few years. It's not like he spoke to her since…had it really been that long?

Looking up, he felt himself smile, genuinely. He could take those odds. "What time are we meeting up again?"

xxxxx

He was starting to regret this whole him coming back home thing, mostly because it wasn't his idea in the first place.

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't Isshin who guilted him into coming back, which he usually did. When he did, Ichigo never really gave in and made excuses instead, choosing to spend time at home, which was presently located in New York. No. This time it was all Yoruichi's fault.

It had been about five months since he sent her the last proposal to the book he was planning, when his editor called, "What the hell do you do all day anyway?"

Ichigo groaned, dragging his hand over his face. "Yoruichi I'm sor—"

"Yeah, yeah," she interrupted. "I've heard enough apologies to actually fill an entire paperback by you! Now tell me what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know. You tell me! Because last I checked, I was on the receiving end of this phone call."

"Oh ha-ha Mr. Big Shot," she replied tersely. "A couple more of those and you just might be able to write yourself a persuasive letter to a new editor who'll take this shit!"

"Come on Yoruichi. I'm just having writer's block," he admitted, pacing his apartment. "It's been difficult since the last one came out, and I'm just—It's just that—" he stopped, angry at himself for not even being able to find the right words to finish the sentence let alone a new book.

He heard her shake her head over the line. "Ichigo, it's been a year since your last book, and the publishers loved your last proposal. I'm just surprised that you never followed up with it."

"I don't see why they're complaining. Last I checked, I brought them an ass load of sales with my last two books," Ichigo replied defensively.

"That's your problem: You're getting cocky."

"Whatever," he said dejectedly. "I'll do a follow-up by the end of the week to get the publishers off your back for a while." He sat down at his desk, leaning it all the way back, and tapping the keyboard loudly as proof.

"Look," he heard her sigh. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but I've booked you a trip."

He stopped hitting the random keys. "Wait." He sat up. "What?" He almost dropped his phone in shock.

"Your dad called me." Ichigo made a strangled noise as Yoruichi continued, "and he actually made the plans—" That was the problem when your father was friends with your editor.

"No way! No way am I going!"

"—and I agree with him." She finished.

Ichigo sat back, looking up towards the ceiling as he held the phone close to his ear.

"You're a great writer Ichigo. You've just lost that," she paused as if trying to find the proper word. "spark," she finished, "that I found when I first read your manuscript."

The only sound on the other end of the line was the creak of his chair as he rocked the back of the seat forward.

"And I know and you know that those last two books weren't your best," Yoruichi continued simply, but Ichigo wasn't offended. He was used to hearing harsh realities from her.

There was a small pause as this sunk in. "Luckily," Yoruichi went on cheerily. "Your father came to me with the answer."

"And that is?" He was starting to feel resigned to this fate.

xxxxx

"Ichigo my son!" Isshin said, charging into his room as Ichigo finished tying his tie. "Wasn't this a good idea! Coming back to your roots?"

Ichigo dodged the extended leg Isshin was aiming at his head, and his father fell flat on his face.

It felt weird being back here. Back "home" as so many people chose to say when they met him on the street ("Isn't it great to be back home, Ichigo?"), and he would have to lie and say that it was. When in reality he was think that it was feeling rather awkward to be back here. Especially to be getting ready in his old room, in his childhood home, near the clinic.

Thinking about everything in a relative aspect didn't do much for him. Sure this was his room, this was his house, and that was the family clinic, but it felt too surreal being back in Karakura after six years.

He felt a little guilty about losing touch with a lot of them with the occasional holiday card and e-mail update being the exception. He didn't feel ready or prepared to see any of those faces from his past. Except one that is.

"And what luck that your class reunion is tonight!" Isshin yelled, running from one end of his room to the other.

"If you mean lucky that you successfully tricked me then I'll admit that you did a very good job at doing that," he mumbled, looking down at his chest as he looped the blue material over itself, looking into a mirror that hung near his closet.

Taking advantage of the opening, Isshin elbowed his son in the back. "I heard that," he chuckled, leaving the room. "And have fun tonight," he said over his shoulder.

xxxxx

Whoever invented the high school reunion needed an outlet to show off, Ichigo thought bitterly as he escaped yet another story of how one of his classmates got their promotion.

He found an empty table that bordered the dance floor and took a seat, debating whether an hour at this stupid shindig was adequate enough for him to leave. Looking around the dimly lit ballroom of the Karakura Hotel, he couldn't place a name of half of the people there and was starting to feel that coming here was a stupid idea. It wasn't as if she was coming anyways. Orihime did say that she never replied. He looked at his watch again.

"Ichigo!" he heard Orihime approach, and he automatically plastered a smile on his face as he stood up to greet her. Probably two hours and he could leave.

Orihime waved as she walked towards him. "Ichigo!" He stood up, straightening his jacket and tie. She reached over and hugged him excitedly. "Doesn't it look great?" She asked, looking at the blue, red, and gold balloons, crepe paper, and pennants that plastered the walls of the posh looking ballroom.

Ichigo followed her gaze. The design was either to inspire sentimental school spirit or bring him back to school dances in the gym. "Yeah. Keigo did a really good job," he lied.

"Why thank you Ichigo!" Ichigo turned around and came face to face with the man himself. "I've been known to throw a good party back in my day," he said suavely.

"Yes," Mizuiro agreed, taking the seat next to Ichigo. "Exactly one."

Ichigo chuckled as everyone took seats. He nodded toward Uryu and Chad, who followed behind Orihime and took the seats next to him.

"Why do you guys have to bring me down!" Keigo cried, still standing. "Here Ichigo is giving me a compliment and you have to ruin it!"

"That's the truth you're feeling Asano," Tatsuki said, taking the seat at the round table across from Ichigo. "It has nothing to do with us."

Keigo looked around, noticing that all seats were occupied, and ended up standing behind Orihime's seat. "Hmpf. I'm not talking to any of you except Ichigo and Orihime."

"Go ahead," Uryuu said. He wrapped his arm around Orihime protectively. "You're not withholding anything important."

The entire table rumbled with laughter and Keigo began to make another rebuttal when someone called him away for more party-planning duties. Mizuiro got up too, spotting a few older women enter the ballroom, who waved him down as if they knew him.

Ichigo smiled, awkwardly, feeling left out of the ease his old friends had gathered around him.

"So," he tested with the table at large, "you guys are still picking on him?"

"Well, there is more to do in Karakura, but he does seem to always be the butt of our jokes," Uryuu replied snidely.

"Oh I didn't mean that—"

"Come on Mr. International Bestseller," Tatsuki chimed in, leaning her chair back on its hind legs. "We haven't seen you since we graduated high school. We all haven't had the luxury of globe trotting."

"So what have you been up to then?" Ichigo asked, ignoring her praise.

She shook her head and cupped her ear, the din from the DJ booth on the stage making it too difficult for proper conversation.

"So what have you been up to then!" Ichigo yelled.

She smiled proudly. "I teach at the local dojo now! Self-defense for women and some beginner classes!"

"That sounds amazing," Ichigo said, genuinely impressed, recalling the times when Tatsuki would kick his ass in gym and at said dojo, then thinking about how safer Karakura would be in the future with Tatsuki passing on her training. "So what's it like?"

"Uh no!" She said, shaking her head. "We're all curious about you, so you spill first," Tatsuki ordered, she leaned forward.

Ichigo was thankful for the dark room and the flashing lights, which hid his blush well. "What's there to spill?" He asked, feigning nonchalance pretty poorly.

"Well, your father said that you're living in New York now?" Orihime asked politely yet loudly.

"Yes," Ichigo waved down a waiter who provided drinks for the rest of the table. "What about you guys?" He looked around, passing the glasses. "Is everyone still in Karakura?"

"I've been between here and Mexico," Chad replied, passing the next glass to Uryuu, who passed it to his wife, then Tatsuki, until everyone had a glass. "But mostly here."

"Sounds good," Ichigo nodded, taking a sip from the flute of Champagne.

"He's not telling you everything," Orihime inputted, passing her glass to Tatsuki. "Chad's a guidance counselor at the school during the year, but he goes back to Mexico during the summer for his philanthropy."

Ichigo turned toward his old best friend with new found respect. "Really? I didn't know that." The guilt pit in his stomach grew.

Orihime threw Chad a proud look, and the giant looked down, not saying anything, which was his usual response. Everyone let it go.

"Uryuu's taking over his dad's hospital," Orihime gushed, hugging her husband like a proud hen. "He's saved millions of dollars with the new changes."

"Orihime," Uryuu muttered, his blush noticeable on his pale skin despite the darkness and the colored lights.

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

"Orihime," Tatsuki laughed, sliding the flute back to her. "I already got one."

Orihime looked at the glass and slid it back. "No thanks Tatsuki. I can't drink."

"What do you mean you can't drink?" Tatsuki asked as she took the offending glass and knocking it back. "You're not pregnant are you?" She joked.

The entire table turned to face her curiously. She smiled widely, waving her hands in front of her, blushing madly. "No-no-no I'm not pregnant!" she assured everyone, and they relaxed considerably, barely hearing her next sentence. "I just think I might be."

Ichigo wasn't sure who panicked more: Uryuu or Tatsuki. "ORIHIME!" They said in unison. Both of them stared at her with the same expression of disbelief and concern.

She blushed. "I didn't want to make a big deal yet or anything."

"Since when?" Uryuu asked in disbelief, his eyes wandering down to his wife's stomach as if he was missing something.

Orihime looked up toward the ceiling, finger pointed at her chin in what everyone there knew to be as her Thinking Face. "Well since that time we had sex at—"

Everyone at the table's sweat dropped. Uryuu blushed and quickly made excuses before dragging his wife away to continue the talk in private.

"Well," Tatsuki said, turning around to face the two remaining people seated at the table. "That was—"

"Surprising?" Ichigo finished, and Chad nodded, throwing his Champagne back before getting up, mumbling something about getting ready for his set before disappearing behind stage.

Ichigo turned to Tatsuki for elaboration. "Chad's band is playing tonight."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really? I thought they broke up."

She shook her head, barely hearing him over the loud, stereophonic sounds of some dance song pumping from nearby speakers. "They've been practicing for the past year or so," she shouted.

Ichigo nodded, looking around, eyeing the entrance then the bar.

Tatsuki followed his gaze, leaning her elbow on the back of her chair as she turned around. Turning back around, she sent him a knowing smile as he looked at her. "What?"

She smirked and sipped her drink. "I haven't seen her either."

Ichigo looked over her head, pretending to do a general scope of the room and the dancers behind her. "Hmm? Her who?" he asked a little too quickly.

She got up and pulled the seat up next to him, the one Mizuiro had occupied earlier. "Don't give me that shit. We both know that you're looking for one specific person."

He sat back into his chair. "Fine. You win. So, how is she?"

She shrugged, facing the dace floor. "Fine I guess. I haven't seen her for a couple of months. She's been in England."

"And have you heard from her recently?"

Tatsuki grabbed a new glass from a passing waiter. Taking a sip she shook her head, "Not really, but more often from her than you." She raised her eyebrows as a challenge.

He attempted to look pitiful. "Sorry. I'll try to e-mail more."

She shook her head. "Nu-uh e-mails don't cut it with childhood friends Ichigo. You should know that."

He picked up his glass again. "Fine. I'll call more often."

"I'll hold you to it." She toasted her glass against his own, and as another waiter passed by, Tatsuki stood to grab the bowl of shrimp cocktails without the waiter noticing. Sitting back down, she placed the tray of onto the table. "From these questions I'm guessing you haven't heard from her in a while either?"

He shook his head. "I tried calling her once," he admitted a little reluctantly, "a few years ago."

"That long?" He glared at her, and she dipped a prawn into the sauce and took a polite bite. "I mean," she changed her tone to sound more concerned, "and how'd that go?"

Ichigo laughed. "'We're sorry, but the number you just dialed is currently out of service,'" he repeated. "I never thought that an automated rejection would be as harsh as a real one."

Tatsuki laughed lightly. "So you never told her?"

He smiled dully as he shook his head. "No."

"Good."

"Why?"

She got up, picking up one last prawn before pushing in her chair. She gestured toward the entrance way with the shellfish as she looked at him then at the door. "Because now's your chance. She's here."

xxxxx

A/N: I'm really sorry to end it here, but I'm all written out for right now and only see this as an okay stopping point. This is my first attempt at a multiple chapter like story, so I'm a little bit excited!

This is meant to be a story with flashbacks, and I do want to recall a few things from high school for them, so we'll just see how that goes.

And as always, thanks for reading!

-Coffee Filters