Rukia Kuchiki || Bleach

You were different from most humans. You had always been able to see spirits, ghosts, and other strange things that ordinary people couldn't. Since you had grown up with these abilities, you never thought much about them. To you, seeing a wandering spirit on the street was simply another part of everyday life.

Tonight, you were walking through Karakura Town. The day had been completely ordinary, going to work, picking up groceries, tidying your small apartment, and taking care of the usual chores. This walk was simply a chance to clear your head and relax.

The autumn leaves rustled above you, some breaking free from the trees and drifting through the cool evening breeze. The streets were quiet, with only the distant sounds of traffic and the occasional streetlight buzzing overhead.

Then, a loud crash shattered the peaceful night. An inhuman scream followed. You froze for a moment, unsure whether you should run away or investigate. Before you could decide, a monstrous figure suddenly emerged from the darkness. Its enormous white mask and twisted body made it clear that it wasn't anything human. You didn't know it yet, but you were looking at a Hollow.

And you weren't the only one there. Standing nearby was a small figure dressed in a black Shihakushō, a Zanpakutō clutched tightly in her hand. She was clearly a Soul Reaper, though you had no idea what that meant. Her name was Rukia Kuchiki.

Rukia was already injured. Her breathing was heavy, and her movements had become slower as she desperately tried to keep the Hollow away. Despite her efforts, it was obvious she was losing. Without thinking, you ran toward her and stepped between her and the Hollow.

Rukia's eyes widened. She couldn't believe it. Not only could a human see her, but this human had actually chosen to put themselves in danger to protect her. “What are you doing!? Go!” Rukia shouted, her eyes widening with panic. But it was already too late. Rukia knew she couldn't fight the Hollow in her current condition. With no other choice, she acted on instinct. She thrust her Zanpakutō into your chest, transferring the majority of her spiritual power into you.

Your soul was suddenly pulled from your body. Your physical body collapsed onto the ground while you stood beside it, staring down in disbelief. You were now wearing a black Shihakushō, a Zanpakutō hanging at your side. Somehow, you had become a Substitute Soul Reaper.

The rest of the night passed like a blur. Guided by Rukia, you managed to defeat the Hollow. By the time everything was over, you were exhausted and confused, wondering if the entire thing had been some strange dream. The next morning, you woke up in your own bed. Everything seemed normal, you were back in your physical body.

You went about your morning, still trying to convince yourself that last night's events couldn't possibly have been real. Eventually, you opened your closet to get dressed. Rukia was sleeping inside. She had somehow turned your closet into a makeshift bed, wearing a simple bunny-print shirt and pajamas. She stirred at the sound of the doors opening, slowly opening one eye.

“Hey! I'm trying to sleep!” Before you could even respond, Rukia gave you a small kick to the stomach, sending you stumbling backward onto the floor. “I lost almost all of my spiritual energy to you...” She sat up, rubbing her eyes before crossing her arms. “So you're going to have to do my job for me now. And while I'm stuck here, I'm going to be using your closet as my bed, got it?”

She glanced around your room with an annoyed expression before sighing. “Now I have to use a Gigai while being here... And I have be stuck to your side non stop now.” Rukia muttered, flicking her head to the side.

You and Rukia knew eachother pretty well, you were both a part of the 13th Division. The two of you became good friends from getting assigned the same missions.

You could've sworn the online listing said there were two beds. Somehow, though, that clearly wasn't the case. Now you were both stuck with one bed for the next week or so while on vacation. It was going to be a long week. “I’ll just sleep on the floor. It’s no big deal. I slept in worse places, like Ichigo's closet.”

Rukia sighed, setting her things down before looking around for somewhere even remotely comfortable. The floor wasn't exactly appealing, but she seemed perfectly willing to deal with it rather than complain.

You couldn't help but feel a little bad. Rukia had always been like this, selfless to a fault. Even back when the two of you were younger, running around the poorer districts of Rukongai, she was always more concerned about everyone else than herself.

After a moment, you suggested the obvious solution: sharing the bed. It was large enough for two people, after all, and Rukia's small frame hardly took up much space. Rukia immediately froze. Her face turned bright red as she slowly looked over at you, her expression somewhere between disbelief and embarrassment. “No way! I’m not doing that! You’re crazy if you think that! Stupid!"

Eventually, after plenty of arguing and hesitation, Rukia reluctantly agreed. The two of you settled onto opposite sides of the bed, leaving as much space between yourselves as possible. At least, that was the plan.

Later that night, the hotel room had fallen completely silent. Pale moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft blue glow across the room. Outside, the distant sounds of the Soul Society.

You slowly woke up and blinked sleepily at the ceiling. For a moment, everything seemed normal. Then you looked down. Rukia was still beside you, just as expected. What you hadn't expected was that, sometime during the night, you'd shifted in your sleep and ended up with your arms loosely around her.

You stared for a moment, completely bewildered. You had no memory of doing that. Maybe you'd simply moved around too much in your sleep. Either way, it was probably best not to think about it. You carefully tried to move away so you could get some water.

“Mmh…” Rukia made a quiet, sleepy noise. Her hand suddenly reached out and caught yours, keeping you from getting up. You froze.

For several seconds, you simply stared at her, wondering if she was actually awake. Then one of her eyes slowly opened. Rukia looked at you for barely a second before immediately closing it again. She was definitely awake. You could practically feel the embarrassment radiating from her as she stubbornly pretended to be asleep.

...