Malum Morsus
I don't own Bleach. I only own my OCs: Linnette, Victor and Cedric. That's it. Everything and everyone else belongs to Tite Kubo. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1:
"Alright, everyone! We'll be there in about ten minutes. When we get there, I want everyone to stay together. We're going to check in at the hotel first. No one goes anywhere without a room key. Keep it on you at all times. Do not lose it."
Ichigo's class was on a fieldtrip to New York city. Every class in high school had to make a trip to America before graduation. This year, his class was picked. It was better to get it over with early before they became too busy with studying and tests in later years when graduation was just around the corner. They got up very early that morning and got on a bus which left at 5:00am sharp. From there, the class went to the airport. It was a pain and took forever, but it was worth it to see Uryu have to strip down then and there because his Quincy gear, watch, glasses, belt and coins kept setting off the metal detectors. Afterwards, they got on the plane. Still very early, most of the students slept or put on headphones. Ichigo was one of them. He slept through most of the trip, seated next to Chad and right behind Orihime and Tatsuki. He woke up about an hour or so before they landed. By that time, most of the class was up and talking excitedly about the trip. Once they retrieved their bags, they got on yet another bus into the city.
On the bus, their teacher handed out small translation books. "Now I know I told you all to study your English, but based on some of the test scores I've seen, I think everyone should have one of these just in case to help you out."
Ichigo took one and put in in his pocket. He wasn't planning on talking to too many people here, but sometimes it was unavoidable. He stared out the window, looking out over the water as they went over the bridge. There were boats everywhere, of all sizes.
The bus slowed to a crawl. The students heard the loud bustling and honking of city life. It was loud here. Ichigo didn't like the city. He enjoyed a quiet life a lot better. But even he was a little excited to be here. All the lights and movement and colors was getting him pumped.
Finally the bus stopped in front of a large hotel and the doors opened. Their teacher stepped off first, doing a head count as the students got off one by one. They took their bags and went inside the grand hotel. They stood in the lobby for a half hour while their teacher got everything set and sent them up to find their rooms, handing everyone a card key.
The elevators were packed and there was a large crowd waiting so a few of them decided to take the stairs instead. Keigo tried to race everyone to his floor, tripping on the fifth stair. They made it to their floor and opened the door to the carpeted hallway. They saw some of their classmates already there, looking for their rooms. Ichigo, Uryu and Chad had to share a room. Girls had to remain together and there was an odd number of male students. Meaning of course that two of them had to share a bed.
They opened the door to their room and pushed their way inside. There were two queen sized beds, two dressers, a desk, two armchairs and a bathroom. Ichigo picked the bed closest to the window, opening the curtain. They were so high off the ground, looking down at the street from the 12th floor. But so many of the buildings were still towering over them. He turned back to the bed conflict.
All three of them stood in front of the only two beds in the room. Chad didn't mind sharing with either of them. The problem was that he was so much bigger than either of them and took up a whole bed, leaving no room for a second person. He set his bag in front of the bed on the right, sitting down and testing it out. There was no room for a second. That left Ichigo and Uryu sharing a bed, something neither one of them was pleased about. Glaring at each other, they set their things down on opposite sides of the bed.
Once settled in, they were told to meet back down in the lobby for a reminder of the rules and to organize their activity. Their teacher lead them around the city, pointing out landmarks and doing a quick run-through of American history. The class followed her around the crowed busy streets, no one bothering to get out of their way. Even though this was America, there were many people speaking different languages. All the streets were numbered so it was easy for them not to get too lost. But being the city, the class found it difficult to hear what their teacher was saying as they walked.
They finally came to a stop in front of a library for a short rest. There, their teacher gave them some interesting news. "Remember these streets and the books I handed out to you, because tomorrow I'm turning you loose to explore on your own. Make sure you can find your way back to the hotel and stay out of trouble."
Everyone got very excited about this. Orihime and the other girls were already planning a shopping trip. Ichigo glanced around at the buildings surrounding them. He didn't see anything that caught his interest. There wasn't really any place he wanted to go. Even with the book and his English classes, he still could barely speak the language. He took a seat beside a stone lion outside the library for a rest.
"What do you think, Ichigo?" Keigo came up to him, very excited. "Going shopping and picking up souvenirs for your family?"
"I don't know…"
"I sure am! But you have to speak English at the shops so they'll understand you. I can do it no problem. I've been practicing! Watch…" Keigo spoke something in English Ichigo couldn't understand. "See? What'd I tell you? I'm the master!"
Pushing up his glasses, Uryu poked his head beside Keigo's to correct him. "Actually, that was horrible. Your grammar was completely off."
"It was?"
"Just what were you trying to say?"
"I think I said 'this city is so big and awesome I can't wait to buy stuff for my family'. Wasn't that right?"
Uryu shook his head. "It came out as 'big city awesome family things to buy for what I need to go'."
"I was that off?" Keigo hung his head in shame. "I'm such a total loser! Here I thought I had it down!"
Ichigo rolled his eyes, though he knew he couldn't do much better himself.
Later that evening, they stopped at a courtyard just outside the hotel to get dinner. After everyone was full, they returned to their rooms for the night. When Ichigo had finished his shower, he stepped out of the bathroom to find Chad and Uryu talking and making plans for tomorrow.
"The teacher said to be up by 6:00 am so we'll have plenty of time."
"Yes, but she was turning us free just before noon, she said. She wanted to show us around a little more before she let us wander off on our own."
"So how long do you think we'll have?"
"Who knows?"
The time on the digital clock on the end table read 10:30 in red numbers. Time for bed. Chad got into his own bed, taking up nearly the whole thing. Ichigo and Uryu looked at each other. They were less than happy about this arrangement but there was nothing they could do. Every other room was full and they couldn't bring a cot in. Even if they were allowed one, their teacher refused, claiming that there was no reason why two thin boys couldn't share a large bed for a couple of nights.
Uryu moved first, going around the right side of the bed. He peeled back the covers. "This is my side," he said. Ichigo moved around to the other side of the bed, closest to the window. He pulled up the covers, but Uryu slapped them back down. "To make sure our bodies don't touch, I sleep under the covers and you sleep on top of them.
"What?"
"I get cold at night."
"So do I!"
"Relax, you have the comforter. You'll just be sleeping without the sheets."
Ichigo muttered the word 'bastard' under his breath before climbing in to bed. He did as he was told, not wanting to make contact with Uryu either. Keeping as far away from each other as possible, the two laid down in bed right on the ends, their bodies almost hanging off the edge. They kept their back to each other. He heard Uryu put his glasses on the table between the two beds.
"Ichigo."
"Hm?"
"Move over a little more. I have no room."
The entire center of the bed was empty, a good three feet of space between them.
"You move. I'm falling off the bed."
"That's your problem."
"You're the one taking over all the room, Uryu."
"Are you kidding? I'll put tape down the center of this bed if you want me to."
"We could just put a pillow between us… or you could sleep on the floor."
"And hurt my back? You take the floor."
"I would but I was here first."
"The hell you were."
Chad sighed from his bed in the dark. "This is going to be a long night…"
The next morning was very peaceful, despite being it the city. The arguments from that night over the bed had all faded away and was resolved in their sleep. Though they had went to bed on opposite sides of the bed, once they had fallen asleep, Ichigo and Uryu had rolled to the center of the bed, bodies attracted to each other's warmth. Now facing each other, Uryu was sleeping with his face in Ichigo's chest using his arm as a pillow, Ichigo's other arm draped over his hip, their legs tangled in each other's. They were very comfortable like this, sleeping away, completely unaware of their current position.
Chad's watch beeped loudly, waking the boys. Chad quickly shut it off, rolling over. Uryu curled into a ball, bring one arm up to his cheek. Ichigo rubbed his face against the pillow, moaning softly. No one wanted to get up yet.
Chad was the first one out of bed, walking over to open the curtains. Light from outside lit up their room. Ichigo turned his head away, hiding in the pillow. Uryu opened his eyes, Ichigo's body eclipsing the sun. Shutting his eyes again, he turned away, back facing Ichigo. Slowly the two woke more fully, stretching and yawning.
"Face the other way when you do that," Uryu said groggily. "You just yawned in my face."
Ichigo rubbed his eyes, still very drowsy. He wanted to go back to sleep. "Sorry… What time is it?"
"6:15," Chad told them.
"Ah… Thanks…"
Uryu went into the bathroom first. "I'm taking a shower."
"But we have to get in there, too! How long are you going to be?"
"Not long. You can wait."
"Selfish little…" Ichigo muttered to himself.
"I heard that."
By the time everyone was up, ready and had their breakfast, it was already 7:05. Their teacher wanted to start sooner, but she didn't mind too much. She led them outside and started to point out other landmarks that would help them find their way. She also pointed out random maps located everywhere on the street, even the subway.
"Taxis are expensive but you're free to take one if you like. There are also buses you can take and of course the subway. Walking is what everyone else does around here. It may not be the fastest way, but it is cheaper. Just watch out for cars, they don't always stop in this place."
From there, their teacher pointed out shopping centers and malls. There were plenty of small shops lining the streets and stands on the sidewalks. There was a hotdog stand on every corner they passed. There were people selling books and photos and DVDs and clothes on street corners as well. Their teacher took them down another street, grocery stores located between Asian and Mexican restaurants. The class got split up multiple times by people coming in and out, never looking where they were going.
So many people lived here. So many cultures in America. And so many dirty-looking people as well. Didn't these people wash? Other people just looked unkempt. No one seemed to care how they looked. One woman they saw was wearing a shirt that didn't cover all of her chest or stomach. People were shouting in the streets, waving their hands or cell phone. People getting in and out of cars. People with children, people with pets, people pushing carts filled with junk. There were people sitting against buildings, people performing, people taking pictures… This wasn't a place Ichigo wanted to live. Sure, a few people did look good, but this place was anything but quiet or peaceful.
"Ichigo, keep up or we'll leave you behind."
He looked up. His class was getting away. He moved closer to the group. Their teacher stopped to point out something to the class. That's when he heard his name being shouted from the busy sidewalk, away from his class. He didn't know anyone here. Who could have been calling him? It must have been a mistake. He misheard them or it was another Ichigo. There were plenty of Asians in this city. Then again, he never did meet someone who shared his name before.
"Ichigo!"
"Ack!"
Something came flying at him, tackling him in a massive hug. His class turned around, staring. He tried to pry the small person from his body, but they had a solid hold on him.
"Linnette, let go of him. Come away from there."
"Linnette?" Ichigo looked down.
Sure enough, it was the songstress, Linnette. She had grown a little bit since the last time he saw her, though not by too much. She looked less childish, though she sure didn't act it. The thirteen year old girl smiled up at him, her face bright and happy.
"Ichigo, it's been so long! How are you?"
He was at a loss for words. Looking up, he could see his entire class staring at them, openmouthed.
"Ichigo, you know this girl?"
"Uh… sort of…"
"Linnette, please get off of him, sweetie."
She let go, taking a step back. "Sorry. I was just really happy to see you."
Ichigo looked up at the man would called to her. As always, he wasn't far away when Linnette was around. Wearing his trademark white suit and neatly combed blond hair was Victor. He was carrying a couple of grocery bags in his arms, his laidback, well-groomed appearance making him stand out in sea of city people. Even the smoke from dozens of cigarettes didn't take away from his natural beauty. If anything, it made him look more angelic, like grey-white clouds parting to reveal this strong yet gentle man. A guardian angel.
"Victor, look! It's Ichigo! He came!" Linnette was very excited to see him. "Are you here to visit?"
"Uh…" He was still having trouble finding words. "Well, what are you doing here?"
"Shopping for dinner."
"Not quite what I meant…"
"We do live here, you know," Victor said. "Remember?"
He had forgotten. Linnette lived in New York city with her two servants Victor and Cedric. Looking around, Ichigo could tell that Cedric wasn't here. He must have been back at their home.
"Ichigo."
He turned around. His class was still staring at them.
"Do you know these people?"
"Uh… sort of, I guess."
"Who are they?"
Linnette answered for him. "I'm Ichigo's friend!"
Some of the class started to crowed around her.
"She speaks Japanese!"
"Very well, too."
"She's so cute!"
"How old are you?"
"What's your name?"
"How do you know Ichigo?"
"You live around here?"
"Let me try to say it… Hello."
"You idiot…"
Linnette was getting a lot of attention. This gave Ichigo and Victor time to talk, though they didn't have much to say.
"So what's the problem this time?"
"Hm?" Victor gave him a look. "What do you mean by that?"
"It seems that whenever I run into you guys, trouble starts. The last couple of times I meet you, people started turning into Hollows. Is that going to happen again?"
Victor frowned, giving Ichigo a sad look. "You know I gave all that up when I caused Linnette so much pain. I refuse to let it happen again. That's all in the past now. Never again."
"I know you said you were sorry and I believe you. But still…"
"We live a peaceful life here, Ichigo. We have for some time. If you like, you're free to come up and visit. See for yourself?"
"I don't have to. This isn't my town, I'm not worried about anything."
"Then why did you say-?"
"I don't know why I did. It just seems like something happens every time I run into you three. Where is the other guy anyway?"
"Cedric? He's back home."
Linnette said good-bye to the class and went back over to Ichigo and Victor. "Your class is very nice. They all think I'm cute."
"That's very nice, sweetie," Victor smiled.
Tatsuki pushed her way to the front of the group. "So how do you know Ichigo anyway, Linnette?"
"Because of the Hollows and Soul-"
Victor and Ichigo both threw a hand over her mouth. She didn't know that the class had no clue about any of that, save for a choice few.
"Honey, we should let Ichigo get back to his class. We have to get home and prepare dinner anyway. Let's get going."
"Ok." Linnette bounced over to his side, waving her final good-bye to the class. "See you! And Ichigo, please come visit me, ok?"
"Sure…" He just answered. He didn't know for sure or made any promises.
After they left, their teacher went back to leading them around the city.
So they meet again. I think we know that can only spell trouble, right?
Please review! ^^