Title: Cat Burglars

Summary: Ichigo gets some unusual visitors in the middle of the night. Two captains, to be precise. And they were searching for something. Pretty alarming, right? Ah, well, interesting may be a better word…

Pairings: None

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Warnings: None

AN: Honestly, what is with me and neko-features? It seems to be a running theme for me ._. I promise not to write another neko story after this. Ok, I can't promise that. I hope it at least makes someone smile. That's all that matters.

Ichigo was startled awake when he felt the sudden presence of someone entering his room. While he couldn't sense Spiritual Pressure, he could tell when someone was in his room when they weren't supposed to be. He was a teenager, after all.

However, instead of sitting up in bed, demanding to know who was in his room, Ichigo kept still and listened. Usually, whenever someone came into his room, they didn't sneak in. They would burst in either showing off their shunpo or simply throwing open the window and making themselves at home without invitation.

And, let's face it, no thief would be stupid enough to mess with the Kurosaki Clinic. They were rather…infamous in the neighbourhood.

So, he wasn't too worried.

But this time it was different. As Ichigo laid there, he could hear hushed whispers of not one, but two people. Peering through his eyelashes, Ichigo could see two shadowed figures huddling near his desk that was covered in nothing much other than school work. They were trying hard not to disturb him. Very unusual indeed.

"Have you found it yet?"

"Not yet. I'm unfamiliar with the layout of Kurosaki's room."

"Hmm...Where do you think he hid it?"

"It has to be here somewhere. I am not going back to the Soul Society looking like this."

"Now now, I think they suit you, Bya-kun."

"Be silent, senpei."

Unwillingly, Ichigo felt his eyes fly open when he recognised the voices. He reached out an arm and quickly turned on the lamp sitting by his bedside. Immediately following the loud click, the room was bathed in a bright light. The two figures near his desk straightened their postures and turned to him nearly identical expressions of surprise. While it was a great achievement to have caught not one, but two captains of the Gotei 13, unguarded, Ichigo could do nothing but stare with unblinking eyes at them.

Of course, having two captains in his room in the middle of the night was a cause of alarm. But…well…right now they were…

"Ah, Ichigo-kun!" Captain Juushiro Ukitake smiled brightly, tilting his head cutely to the side as his companion, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki hid behind him. "So sorry for disturbing you, you see we were-"

"Why do you have cat ears?" Ichigo interrupted the gentle captain, not at all taking his eyes off the feline features on top of Ukitake's head. There, amongst the snowy tresses was a pair of feline kitty ears. They were as white as his hair with a light pink centre. They look so realistic.

They kinda made Ichigo want to touch them. Ya know, just to see if they were real.

Ukitake's smile never faltered, not even for a second, seemingly not at all bothered by the question. "Don't forget the tails," he pointed out cheerfully.

"Eh?" Ichigo blinked rapidly as he watched Ukitake turn around, turning his back to him, and revealing a snowy white and fluffy tail. It was coming from a small tear in the captain's haori. But that wasn't what caught Ichigo's attention. It was the way that the tip of the white tail was flicking back and forth in a rather playfully manner.

"Are...are they real?" Ichigo asked as he placed his feet on the floor, sitting on the edge of his bed. He turned his attention back to Ukitake's cat ears.

And Ukitake smiled as he flicked his ears a couple of times, his white fluffy tail swishing cutely behind him. "Of course," he said.

Ichigo took a moment to simply stare at Ukitake. He didn't seem bothered at all by anything. Not having a tail. Not having cat ears. It was like it was an average day (or rather, night) for him. He was either very laid back, or had been through this before. Probably both.

But, his companion, on the other hand…

"So..." Ichigo peered around Ukitake to look at Byakuya, who was oh-so subtly trying to hide behind the older captain. "His ears and tail are real, too?"

The glare, so piercing and cold was all the answer Ichigo needed. It took all of Ichigo's will power not to smirk in reply. Seeing the usually cool and sophisticated captain looking so ruffled and utterly irritated was far, far too amusing. Adding to that was the fact that his cat ears, as black as his hair were folded back in a bristling manner and his tail was swishing irritable behind him.

The complete opposite of Ukitake.

"Yes, that's right," Ukitake said as he stepped to the side, revealing a bit more of Byakuya, only to prolong his humiliation by placing his hand on top of Byakuya's head, between his ears and ruffled his hair. "Don't they suit him?"

Ichigo choked on a laugh. The look that Byakuya gave Ukitake promised swift and brutal revenge. However, it also looked as he might be sulking. In an elegant and sophisticated way, of course.

"I'm afraid we were the victims of a prank by your father and Kisuke," Ukitake explained as he removed his hand from Byakuya's head, turning his full attention to Ichigo once more. "And we were told that the antidote would be found in your room somewhere."

Before Ukitake could explain further, no doubt ready to reveal all the embarrassing details, Byakuya suddenly snatched something off the desk and clutched it to his chest. "Found it," he hissed as his ears stood tall on top of his head.

Ukitake turned toward him. "Are you sure-?" Byakuya didn't respond, except to shunpo'd out of the room. He seemed to move quicker than ever before.

Ichigo and Ukitake stared at the empty space for a moment before Ukitake shrugged casually and looked toward Ichigo, smiling warmly. "Well, I better go catch up with him. Sorry again for disturbing you, Ichigo-kun. Good night. I hope you get some rest."

And then, in a flash, he was gone as well.

As he sat on the edge of his bed, Ichigo took a moment to collect his thoughts and allow the facts of what just happened to sink in. After a few moments, he decided not to think too much of it.

It was a one-time thing, yeah?

Roughly scratching his head, Ichigo turned his attention to his closet. "Hey!" he called out. A moment later, the crack in the door opened further and Rukia popped her head out, a slick looking camera in her hands. And a giddy look in her eyes.

"I want half of the commissions you get for those pictures," he demanded before he turned off the lamp and went back to sleep.

AN: Please review~