Lone shopper (C)

Hands in his pockets, Ichigo walked through the shopping district, looking into the windows of the shops lining the street. His mission was simple: buy new clothes. He had grown quite a bit over the last few months, and his clothes were getting too small. He already ordered a new uniform, but also needed clothes to wear outside of school. Which brought him here. Ichigo could honestly say that he'd rather be anywhere else but here. He hated shopping. Rukia would usually come along with him, but she was in soul society, so this mission was to be completed solo.

Stepping into a store, he looked around, not seeing anything of particular interest. Letting out a sigh, he turned and walked out, looking at the ground. He could be doing so much more right now other then shopping for clothes. Like fighting hollows. Ichigo would be happy with just living in soul society, but he had a life here. Plus he had to finish high school. Not watching where he was going, he bumped right into the back of a girl.

Aoide Sato, Captain of Squad Four, currently disguised in a gigai as a normal high school girl skipped down the street. She had just finished her first day of school, she had even joined the Music Club! She had fun pretending to be a new student introducing herself to the class.

"Hi, I'm Sato Aoide, A-oe-de. Um, lets see, I'm 16, I like music, and like to sing, I like sweets and Kendo Club. Someday I wanna be a idol!" she said flashing a v for victory sign to the class. She had then sat down in a spare seat, and then stared at a kid with orange hair for a few minutes before getting to work on a math problem...which she did incorrectly again and again.

Now school was over with, Aoide still clad in her button up shirt, skirt, and several bangles, bracelets, and even a keychain attached to her uniform filled with UFO machine prizes. In her hand was a bag filled with cakes, candies, and more UFO prizes. She was gleefully munching on a donut when she slammed into someone. Aoide was more sturdy then she looked and didn't even blink. Instead she looked up at who bumped into her, she smirked.

"Ichigo-chan, right?" she asked lifting an eyebrow, "Remember me? I was the new student in class?"

Ichigo was stopped in his tracks when he bumped into her, having not been paying attention, he stumbled back a step, looking down at the girl. Blinking a couple of times, he studied her, vaguely remembering her from class today. He barely payed attention in school and slept through most of his classes, so it was a miricle that he even remembered her. Nodding, he put his hands in his pockets. "Yah, Im Ichigo. And you're..." he pondered her name for a few moments, coming up with nothing.. Fuck, his memory was bad. "Ummmm...."

"Eh?" the smile on Aoide's lips slowly faded, she then scratched the back of her head. She then pouted a little, "So much for being an idol," she sighed resting her hands behind the back of her head. "You really don't remember do you? Shesh, I'm not as memorable as I thought. Maybe if I unbutton another button on this school uniform," Aoide continued playing with the buttons on her shirt before growing bored and looking back at Ichigo. "No clue then?" she asked again a sweatdrop appearing.

"Sato, Aoide Sato. You're Ichigo Kurosaki, the lone redhead in our grade, you're not hard to miss," she then said before wrapping her own arm around his. "As a member of our class it's only right that you show a new girl around town. Proper manners and such."

He honestly felt bad for forgetting her name. He just didn't pay attention to things that weren't important... and new students in his class, sadly enough, fell under that category. He was pretty sure that he was just staring out the window blankly as she was introduced to the class. Either that or he was asleep. Ichigo was always doing either one or the other in class. "Im sorry, I really don't remember..." he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"You really don't remember do you? Shesh, I'm not as memorable as I thought. Maybe if I unbutton another button on this school uniform," His eyes instinctively shot to her hand, a blush rising to his cheeks with her comment. Not a moment later he shot his glance away, looking up and away from her. "No! No... Don't do that.." He said, his face completely red. Damn, he had always had a hard time dealing with situations like this, but he also didn't want to be disrespectful. But she was very beautiful..

As soon as she said her name, it clicked in his head. Yes, he had heard it before. He hadn't completely forgot about her! Smiling at her comment about his hair, he shrugged. "Yah, i guess im kinna hard to miss." Looking down at her as she wrapped her arm around his, he shrugged again. "Sure, i'll show you around."

Beginning to walk, he lead her down the street. It felt kind of good to have such a pretty girl walking down the streets with him. The jealous looks other guys shot him made the Vizard smirk inwardly. "So, Sato-san, what brings you here?"

Aoide grinned up at Ichigo, humans were funny, well all males in particular, a pretty face and they were so eager to please. She liked this boy, he was so young though, and he had no idea who she was, that was pleasent, she could play like she was a young human girl. She tugged on a pigtail in thought, then twirling the end around her fingers.

"Aoide, call me Aoide," she made a face, "I don't feel like being very formal today, we're always so formal at school Ichi-chan. I hate when we have to carry it outside of class. Let's just agree to be friends and skip that whole mess," Aoide held up a finger to make a point before skipping away to a fountain. She hopped up onto the edge of it and began to walk around, balancing herself on the thin stones.

"What brought me where, here to Kurakura?" Aoide asked looking down at Ichigo for once, she smiled sweetly, "Or to this part of town?" she teased lightly taking his question to the next step. "Let's see," she grabbed Ichigo's hand and pulled him up onto the fountain with her. "My parents settled here for business, real boring stuff. And I'm here," she motioned to all the shops around them, "Because I didn't feel like doing homework, so I snuck out and have been exploring the town."

"What are you here for then?" Aoide then asked hopping down from the fountain edge and spinning around a little to face Ichigo.

He nodded. "Aoide it is then." He let it slide that she had called him Ichi-chan. he didn't really like stupid nick names like that, but wasn't going to complain about it. He let others call him by weird names, like Neliel. Smiling at her second comment, he nodded. "Alright, that works for me." He watched as she walked around the fountain, stepping up as she pulled on his hand. So her parents were here on buisness? And she was doing the same thing as him, skipping out on homework.

"I actually came out to get some new clothes.. my old ones are all getting too small.." He had grown quite a bit over the last year. Sitting down on the edge of the fountain, he looked up at her. "So anywhere in particular you wanted to see?"

"EEHhh?" Aoide said blinking her large doe-brown eyes and stared at Ichigo for a moment. "You mean you're still growing?" she exclaimed, then she started pouting, even adding a little stomp to her foot. "No fair, you're going to be, like, seven feet tall. And I'm stuck at 5'3 for the last hu, year, yes year," she said throwing up her hands in dispair. "No fair at all, boys get to be all serious, tall, and big. It's very hard for me to be taken seriously," Aoide said sitting down next to Ichigo. "If I had my way I'd be six foot, and have a serious, thin, cold face. Not my round friendly one, then people would be, 'There goes Aoide Sato, she's so cold, serious, and so cool!'

Aoide let out a sigh, kicking her legs in and out rather childishly. "You're still lucky," she added making a face at Ichigo. "Umm, I don't know, I like food, and I like arcades. But did you want to pick out clothes first? I'm pretty good at finding styles and deals," Aoide entwined her arm with Ichigo's again and pulled him to his feet. "It's your town Go-chan, hrmp your name isn't very good for nicknames, show me what you know."

he laughed at her raging about it not being fair that he was so tall. He had to agree with her though, people did take you more seriously when you were taller, and not so friendly looking. Aoide was definitely friendly looking. "Aww, common, being a girl isn't that bad. You guys can bat your eyelashes and get SO much." he knew this because he had seen it been done on many occasions. Rukia would do it all the time, and his sisters always pulled it with their dad. Ichigo would get kicked halfway across the house if he tried to get something out of his dad by just looking cute.

"Yah, sure. We can pick up some clothes then go to the arcade." he said, standing up as she pulled him to his feet."People seem to always come up with the weirdest names for me..." he stated, starting towards a row of clothing stores.

"Pah, I hate when girls do that, or when they're all scared and stuff, of like spiders or bullies," Aoide said pulling on Ichigo's arm towards the shop. "I just see no point in being so afraid," Aoide let go of Ichigo's hand as they entered the store. She then looked him up and down, "Lets see, medium for shirts," she nodded agreeing with herself before taking off into the store. She'd leave the pants to Ichigo, she was sure he'd have a nosebleed or be embaressed if she guessed his pants size.

She came back a few minutes later, her arms filled with shirts. "You're fun Ichigo, you look good in most colors! Not many people are, you're very lucky," she said holding up blue shirt to his chest. "Handsome!" she grinned cheekily.

Ichigo walked along looking at the clothes as he was dragged into the store. He looked through some pants as she went off looking for shirts, settling on a few different pairs of jeans. When she came back he turned to face her, putting down the pants he was holding so she could hold the shirts up. Smiling at her compliment, he blushed a little. "You probably look good in almost anything." He said nonchalantly, looking down at the shirt she was showing him. "I like that one."

"Me?" Aoide spoke and shrugged, "I just like colors, but not so much purple, and black. I've had to wear a lot of black, that's probably why I like so many colors," she said smiling as Ichigo said he liked the shirt, she playfully tossed it onto his shoulder. She held out a few more, a green and a brown one. "These really play up your brown eyes," she told him, giving him the reason why she chose them. "But, for looking good in almost everything, yeah, you should invite me on a date. I have this real pretty blue dress, but I have nowhere to wear it to," Aoide let out a whispful sigh cupping her cheeks.

"Come on, come on," Aoide said a little impatiently after picking out some clothing, "I can feel my luck going to the arcade Ichigo! You'd look fine naked, lets go!"

Ichigo looked down at the other shirts she held up, listening to her talk. He gathered the other two shirts along with the one on his shoulder and the pants that he had picked out, walking up to the front counter with her. "Well.." he said putting the clothes on the counter. "There is a festival tonight." hesitating a little, a small blush crept up the back of his neck before his next question. "I could take you if you want."

Hurrying up and paying the casheir, he took the bag from the man, giving him a small bow in thanks. "Okay, okay. Let's go." he said, offering his arm to her, leading her out of the store.

"Tonight?" Aoide said putting a finger to her chin in thought, "That doesn't really give a girl much time to prepare you know? I'll go to the festival with you tonight. If you take me to a movie on Saturday night," Aoide said smirking at her own cunning as she took Ichigo's arm. She gave a wave to the man behind the register, not like a formal bow like Ichigo, but the respect was there.

They walked along a bit before coming to the arcade, instantly Aoide detached herself from Ichigo's arm and went skipping in. Instantly, her face was pressed against the different prize machines, her face lit up with excitement. "Ichigo, are you any good at these?" she asked coyly. She was really good azt these games, but wanted to see if Ichigo would step up and try them for her sake, or just wave it off. Human reactions were fun to watch.

Ichigo smiled at her retort, shrugging casually. "Sure, why not. I usually just do homework on the weekends, it'll be nice to get out and do something." other than killing hollows. He was beginning to feel like a shut in, only leaving the house to go to school or to do his shinigami duties. The only reason he hadn't gone crazy yet is because he always had Rukia around to talk to.

He watched her as she ran into the arcade, smilling to himself. She was like a kid. Putting his hands into his pockets, he walked up behind her a few seconds after she arrived at the prize machine, looking into the glass display with her. "Yah, my little sisters make me win them shit all the time." He said, pulling a coin from his pocket. Putting it into the machine, he reached around her, not expecting her to move from her spot infront of the machine. Moving the claw around for afew seconds, he pressed the button, the silver claw dropping. As it raised, it grasped onto the arm of an adorable monkey plushie, pulling it up and out from the pile of plush, dropping it into the prize slot.

"Good, now all we have to decide is to go to a funny movie or a scary movie. I like romantic movies, but I wouldn't put you through that, as long as you wouldn't put me through a long boring action movie," Aoide said her cheeks reddening as Ichigo reached around her to use the controls on the machine. She could feel the warmth of his chest on her back, making her think naughty thoughts. Bad, Aoide, this kid was human was well as she was probably over five hundred years older then him. But he was kind, in a gruff punk manner, and handsome. Aoide cupped her cheeks a moment, she wasn't going to rob the cradle, she just wasn't.

"Little sisters, you're lucky," Aoide said making a face, "I have a younger brother, he's such a pain sometimes," she said, granted her brother was a blacksmith who preferred men, and was the only soul brave enough to wear pink. But that was another story, something that she wouldn't go into detail. "I always thought it would be fun to have little sisters. I might borrow yours, if you don't mind," she joked but a little serious too.

Aoide bent down, forgetting that Ichigo was right behind her and retrieved the little plushie. "O, Kawaii," she said happily as she attached it to one of the belt loops on her skirt. 'That looks pretty!" she exclaimed before throwing her arms around Ichigo, "thank you, I will treasure it!"

"Now, I'll win you something!" Aoide said gleefully, prancing over to one of the harder machines. Pulling a coin from her pocket she put it into the machine. She let out a breath of air, concentrating on a large cylinder shaped black pig she went after it. The little claw carefully scooted out before lowering and knocking the pig into the slot. "Here you go, I told ye I was good at these things!" she bragged a little grinning as she placed the pig on top of Ichigo's head.

Hmm.. a funny or a scarry movie? Ichigo was never one to appreciate comedy... scary movies didn't scare him though... But it was better then comedy.. or romance. He had never actually sit through an entire romance movie before. "Let's go with Horror." he said, also blushing at the contact of their bodies. He wasn't too sure if it was appropriate to be so close to her so he backed away just a little, leaving some space between them.

"Yah, they're pretty great. I would have liked to have a little brother growing up.. although one of my sisters is a huge tomboy." Karin was more like a boy then a girl in his books. So he bacially did grow up with both a sister and brother. Just not literally. "They would really like that." Rukia would take them out sometimes, but she was really busy most of the time and didn't do it very often.

Ichigo smiled as she hugged him in thanks, putting one arm around her tiny waiste to return the hug. He looked down at the money on her belt, the small plush animal now dangling idly it her side. It was pretty cute, but he would never say it outloud. Men don't think things are cute.

He watched as she expertly won a round, black pig. Those, in his opinion, were the hardest to win, just because you had to grab it a certain way due to its spherical shape. "Yah, you are pretty good." he said, smiling, leaning down as she lifted the pig up so she could put it on his head. He stood up, the small animal balancing on his head. "Thanks. I would say that i'll treasure it but it'll probably get stolen by Rukia."

"Lets pick out something really scary then, nothing too fake," Aoide said, after all she had to fight against real monsters, criminals, and heal the most gruesome of wounds, it would take something really realistic to scare her. "Unless it's so fake it's funny then that would be okay too," she looked up at Ichigo, she dug into her pocket, pulling out her cellphone and snapping a pictures. "Kawaii, the both of you," she sighed looking at the picture of Ichigo with the stuffed animal on his head.

"Really? Growing up with my brother was confusing," Aoide said stopping at one of the candy machines and trying her luck at it. "He has really guy interests, you know building stuff, drinking sake. But he's also like a girl, we can talk for a whole night. It's a strange relationship when you can talk about boys to your own brother," she wrinkled her nose a little at the oddness of the relationship. "Not that I don't love him any less, it's just a strange relationship," Aoide danced a little as some of the candy fell out into the chute. She picked it up and held out half to Ichigo.

"Rukia-san?" Aoide questioned thinking back for a moment. She was a Shinigami too right, and was in the same class as Ichigo. "So," a gleam came to Aoide's eyes as she waggled her eyebrows at Ichigo, "So you are close for her to be hanging with your family," she then playfully looped her arm with Ichigo and nudged him. "Are you sure she won't get jealous?" she asked chuckling a little.

"We'll see whats playing... We might have to settle for something else, i don't know whats in theaters right now." He didn't watch TV or keep up with any of the current trends in TV or movies. He just didn't have the time. He smiled as she shot the picture of him and the pig, taking the small plush toy off his head, balancing it on his shoulder. A little less noticeable there.

He listened as she talked about her brother, and wondered if that's how his sisters were going to be with him. Well, he would prefer not talking to his little sisters about boys or anything. They always had each other, but he wanted to be there for them as well. Growing up without a mother was hard enough on them, he didn't want them to feel like they couldn't come to him or anything. "It's not really that strange... you're just close." What she had explained didn't sound too weird to him. But then again he didn't really think conventionally. Everyone had their own view on what was normal and what wasn't. Like himself for example. Going out every night to patrol his town from soul eating monsters was the norm for him, but for someone else, that would be totally preposterous to even think as normal.

Shaking his head at her offer to the candy, he put his hand up. "No thanks, I don't really like sweets." Once when he was younger he ate so much candy that he was sick for a few days, and hadn't cared for sweets ever since. He thought about her question about Rukia for a moment. Would she be jealous? He didn't really know. Ichigo knew that he had feelings for her at one point, and maybe still did. But she never showed any interest so he had more or less given up on pursuing it. "No, she'll be fine... I'm pretty sure..." He said the last part a bit quietly, unsure of his words. He didn't know id she'd be upset or jealous, and probably wasn't going to ask either.

"Ichigo," Aoide rubbed her eyes in exasperation, "I doubt that, my brother, er, likes men. So I'd seriously hope that you wouldn't be the same with your sisters and my brother is with me," she finally said shaking her head. "You're really....naive, no more like innocent Ichigo, it's trait you won't have long, but it's a breath of fresh air when I talk to you," she said suddenly sounding a lot older and more mature.

Then it was gone as Aoide spied a pet shop, she pressed her face against the glass. "You really don't like sweets?" she then asked as she skipped inside, "No chocolates, no cakes, no cookies. How disappointing," she said waggling a finger at a little kitten. "I guess we can't share desserts then, how unromantic, neh?"

Aoide tilted her head, looking at Ichigo, but not so much looking at him, as if she was looking right into his being. It was an odd look before she went back to the kittens. "You should find out for sure, I'd hate to have feelings for someone only to find out they're seeing someone else," Aoide said petting a puppy. She then looked up at Ichigo and smiled again, "It's a nice thing to do before there's a weird lovers triangle going on."

He looked down at her, tilting his head at her comment. It was almost as if she was a different person, not the fun giggling girl, but a serious, mature woman. It was an odd change. He laughed it off, rubbing the back of his head. "Enn, I don't know about that...I'll probably be clueless about a lot of things my whole life." Like girls. They were a mystery he will never be able to solve.

He followed her into the pet store, noticing her playful side coming out again. Not that he didn't like a serious conversation, it was just easier to talk to her when she was like this. "I'll eat cakes, not candy though." Too much sugar. He leaned over and looked at the kittens as well, staring back into their yellow eyes.

Standing up straight, he looked around at the other animals. "I don't know... Shes never said anything to me about having feelings..." Frankly, he was kind of tired of waiting around. In his mind he had, in the past, made it pretty clear that he cared about her. Maybe she would come to him eventually, but he wasn't going to wait around forever. "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

"Enn," Aoide shot back lifting an eyebrow, "Probably why men and women are paired together to tell each other about the things they don't know. Like..eh, cooking, auto repairs, care of children, and businessmen stuff," Aoide waved her hand on the air as if these were facts. "I want a kitten so bad," Aoide then sighed hanging over the glass cage and letting the kittens play with her fingers. "Where I live they won't let me have any, or I'd have a dozen or so by now. So unfair," she whined a little as the kitten batted at her slim fingers.

Aoide then stared at Ichigo again, before thumping his forehead with the palm of her hand. "Baka, good girls never let their feelings show, that's a fact you can learn from daytime television. Good girls are always waiting for the guy to come out, spell out his feelings, then sweep them up in their arms and take them away," Aoide giggled a little, blushing as she held a hand to her cheek. "But," she added chewing on her bottom lip, "I shouldn't play matchmaker, not when I have a date scheduled with you. It would be most disappointing if you suddenly decided to go off with Rukia-san."

He leaned over the side of the cage with her, putting his hand as well. Smiling as a small kitten stumbled up to him, licking his fingers. He had never had a pet before, but with Kon, Rukia, his sisters and his dad, he didn't need one. Too much shit to keep track of. "Why aren't you allowed to have pets?" he asked, looking from the adorable furball to her.

He rubbed his forehead after she hit him, even though it didn't hurt. Was what she said really true? Was Rukia just waiting for him to tell her how she felt? Rukia wasn't like most girls he knew. She spoke her mind no matter what and didn't care what anyone thought. Surely if she had feelings for him she would have said so by now..."Naw, I wouldn't do that to you."

"Living constrictions," Aoide said, but then explained in detail, "they're not allowed where I live, and it wouldn't be a very good environment for pets, lotsa crazies," she said picking up a kitten and holding it close to her chest in a motherly manner. "I'll probably never have one, I'm so busy being, um studying to be a doctor, you know? I wouldn't want to get a pet then not have time for it. Besides, I can take care of my brother, and my s...cousins so that's good enough," Aoide bit her lip, lying was a little harder with Ichigo then she would have thought. He seemed so straight forward and honest, she found it hard not to come out right away who she was and what she was.

"Even so Ichigo, we just met, so it's not like you know me that well, so I'd be pretty forgetable," Aoide said putting the kitten back in the cage. Standing up straight she looking at Ichigo and winked. "What can I say I'm a romantic and even if it's not dealing with me I love a good romance story. You wouldn't understand cause you're a guy."

"Yah, I don't have time for a pet either... I have to help my dad take care of my sisters and... schoolwork..." He couldn't really tell her what activity ocupied most of his free time, his shinigami duties. Having been so used to just talking about it freely with Rukia, he almost let it slip there. "My sisters would probably die if they got a kitten." He said, reaching in to pick up one of the kittens. A small orange tabby emerged, cuddling into his chest as he held it close, petting its ears. A small purr could be heard from the animal, closing its eyes contently as it was pet.

Following her lead, he replaced the kitten in the cage, dusting the fur off his shirt. "I don't think i'll be forgetting you anytime soon." He said with a smile, looking down at her. "Yah, i don't really have a lot of experience with the Romance department." He cursed at himself mentally. why in the hell did you just say that!?