Usual Ichigo

"Ichigo, watch out!" Rukia yelled in anger, and possibly fright.

SLASH.

The large hollow collapsed on the ground, its arm lying beside it. The hollow's shoulder began bleeding and it dripped onto the grass. Rukia squinted her eyes, and saw a tall, thin silhouette in the dusty cloud. She sighed in relief and drew her zanpakuto. She leapt onto the hollow's back, and eased her zanpakuto into the hollow's mask, cracking it. She pushed it in further, until the hollow shriecked.

"Haaargh!" She cried as a blue light released from the hollow's shattered mask. She jumped off, in time to turn and see it wail and disintegrate into the air. She panted for a few seconds, and then turned towards Ichigo.

His head was bleeding, but he'll live. Ichigo took his normal stance and scowled at Rukia.

"You alright?" Ichigo took his lifeless body, laying under a tree and shifted inside it.

"I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me, Ichigo. I can look after myself." Rukia sheathed her sword, strolled towards her giddy body, jumping about on the climbing frame and eased in. She brushed her dress and straightened her curvy, charcoal hair. "We better get to school. We were late as is." Rukia mumbled, and grabbed her rucksack. She glared at Ichigo, still scowling.

"Thanks to you."

Ichigo stopped scowling and began to frail about, "What the hell! How is it MY fault?" He yelled in annoyance. He then realised Rukia had started sprinting to school, leaving a trail of smoke behind. Ichigo growled and shot after her. He arrived five minutes after her. She sure was fast, especially for her height... Ichigo snapped out of his random thoughts when Misato Ochi threw a scrunched piece of paper at him.

"Kurosaki, if you're going to daydream, at least do it in your seat." He was still standing in the doorway.

He trailed to his seat, flung his bag under the desk and scowled fiercely at Rukia, who was, of course, ignoring him.

Two years had passed since the war ended. She was used to his daily scowls and tantrums. Ichigo stopped scowling at her when he saw her hand curl into a fist, ready to punch that face of his. That didn't stop him scowling, in general. Just from scowling at her.

"Wasn't it strange that Kurosaki and Kuchiki were late?"

"Probably a coincidence. Kuchiki isn't Kurosaki's type…"

A conversation started between the pupils about his and Rukia's tardiness.

"Kuchiki has more brains than Kurosaki has! I don't know how they can even stand each other."

"They seem rather close, to me. Maybe they like, like each other!"

Ichigo's patience was wearing thin. Luckily the bell rang, and snapped him out of his devilish thoughts of how to rearrange their faces.

"Hey, Ichigo, why were you late?" Uryu stepped beside Ichigo's seat and pushed up his glasses, with his usual serious face. Chad, Keigo and Mizuiro joined the shinigami and Quincy.

"Yeah, me and Rukia encountered a Hollow." He turned to scowl at Rukia, who was with Tatsuki, Orihime and the rest of the girls. Rukia was doing her 'sweet, innocent school girl' act. It made him sick.

How could she pull it off? She is no way like that towards Ichigo, he is relieved of that. If she was like that, he didn't know how long he could take it…

"Uh, Ichigo?" Ichigo turned to see a worried looking Quincy. "Are you alright? You've been day dreaming a lot today."

Ichigo glared at Uryu and turned to a scowl.

"Since when have you been worried about me, Ishida?" Ichigo mumbled and saw Uryu walked away. How did Uryu ever become his friend? They had nothing in common, except they both hated each other…

Ichigo stood up from his seat and grabbed his bag.

"Where you going, Ichigo?" Mizuiro asked.

"…" Ichigo hauled his bag over his shoulder, then waved to the three boys standing near his desk and went out the class. Chad looked at Keigo and shrugged. He wasn't one who talked much.

Rukia was watching Chizuru trying to induce Orihime. She wasn't succeeding… Rukia gave out a girly giggle and looked around to find Ichigo had gone.

"Do you know where Ichigo went, Tatsuki?" Rukia asked in her normal voice.

Tatsuki scanned the room and placed her hand over her mouth.

"I'm not sure… He maybe went to the rooftop… Is he alright?" Tatsuki looked worried towards Keigo and Mizuiro. They shook their heads and Chad stood there like a wall.

"I'm going to look for him..." She leaned close to Rukia and whispered, "You said that you encountered a Hollow on our way here. He may be worried about that…" Rukia shook her head in denial.

"I don't think a hollow would bother Ichigo. He's dealt with so many recently, that it must feel like a daily thing to him…" Rukia looked back to the empty seat beside the window, worried.

What's wrong Ichigo?