Shiraken.
IchigoxMomo (main pairing)
imlpied IchiRuki IchiApacci ToshTatsu HinamorixAizen
AU
Second year high school students.
Winter. It is Winter, December 27th to be precise. He is out with her again. They were sitting in a park, in the snow, he was basically asleep because he was awake all night taking care of something he wouldn't tell her. She had her arms wrapped around one of his. She didn't know…but in the pocket of his jacket he had something for her.
"Hinamori."
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
Momo Hinamori couldn't explain why she was so attracted to him, she only met him about two years ago. She still doesn't know anything about him. Where he works, where he lives…all she knows is that he goes to the same school with her. His name is Ichigo Kurosaki.
"For what, Ichigo…and when will you call me by my first name?" She pouted out of confusion and let go of him, and just watched as he struggled to stay awake.
"For…No, it's nothing." He would say, he turned to her and smiled. The tired look in his eyes was reflected by her unsure smile as she looked back at him. "Here…" He pulled a small paper bag out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Think of it as a late Christmas present. I'll see you soon. I'll call you." He kissed her cheek and left. Leaving her with the paper bag and a furiously growing blush. That was the first time he kissed her first. She always would hug him, kiss him, speak first. She was flustered just looking at the bag.
"Ah…so what's in the bag…" She spoke to herself as she opened the bag. "Eh?" it was a smaller bag. She opened it and what she saw made her speechless. It was a small gold ring with a black diamond set next to a ruby. She couldn't even think, she slipped it on to her right ring finger and was incredibly surprised when it fit perfectly.
…
"Oh, you're finally back young master!"
"Shut up."
Ichigo couldn't tell Momo about his life or family because he was the son of a Yakuza head. It took him four years to get his father to agree on letting him out alone and deal with his own affairs. He hated his family. But his adopted sister at least treated him normally. He found his room and went in, looking up he saw his sister.
"Yo, Ichigo, out seeing that girl again? She's cute, don't screw up." Rukia Kuchiki, or Rukia Kurosaki. She was adopted by Isshin Kurosaki, the current head of this syndicate, about sixteen years ago when her family was killed by a car accident in front of their home. She's a short girl with short black hair, and an explosive temper, but a long fuse. Ichigo however…short fuse and the temper of a volcano. On the sun.
"Oh…yeah, I gave her that ring you told me to. Now…would you mind…GETTING OFF MY BED!?" He was about to throw a book at her and she just sighed and did what he said. She knows his temper, but she thinks it's funny.
"Most girl's can't stand a temper like yours…I'm not like most girls though…and I'm sure that y-" She was silenced by him putting his hand over her mouth and pushing her out the door. And then locking it.
"Sleep. I want to…sleep."
…
'It's such a pretty ring…OH I can't wait to show Ran-chan!' Momo was walking home from the park admiring the ring. She was too busy looking at her ring to notice that she took a wrong turn. 'Oh…I…no, this is where that Yakuza syndicate is…' She thought to herself as she turned around and started heading back the way she came but she was stopped when she saw someone standing there with a bat. It wasn't that late, why would someone try to rob someone try to rob her, she thought.
"That's a mighty pretty ring ya got there…can I have it?" the man asked, pointing his bat at her.
"N-No! Go away!"
"Oh…shame…I guess I'll pull it out of your broken fingers!" the man charged at her, as he got closer she could see him clearly. Shoulder length black hair, glasses and blue eyes. Time seemed to slow as she thought of a way out of this.
'How…He's…I can't stop him! What if…'
"My boyfriend is the next head to the syndicate!" Her lie made him stop in his tracks.
'It worked!'
"The next head of the Shiba Syndicate!? FUCK, I'M OUT!" The man dropped his bat and ran, leaving Momo confused and alone.
"Well that's enough lying for tonight…" But she didn't know how true her lie was.
…
"Really!? That's amazing! He kissed you first? And he gave you a diamond ring!? AH SEND ME A PICTURE!" Momo was on the phone with Rangiku Matsumoto, her best friend since the third grade. Momo laughed at her response to what she said.
"I know, he's so great…I just wish he would tell me more about his life…if he works anywhere…where he lives…He even denies being related to Rukia Kurosaki, they are always at school together. I don't know Ran-chan…what should I do…I can't just say…If you don't tell me everything I'm leaving…" Momo lay back on her bed and the black cat she had jumped up on the bed with her. "Do you know what to do, huh, Yoruichi?"
"Girl are you still talking to that cat? And just stick with him, eventually he will trust you enough to tell you everything." Rangiku knew everything, she knew who Ichigo was, what he was, who his family is. But Ichigo made her swear to never tell anyone.
"Momo! Come down, dinner's ready!" Momo's sister, Isane called from the first floor.
"Ah, Ran-chan sorry, dinner's ready! I'll call you back after! Bye bye!"
"Eh…fine bye!"
"Come on Momo!" It was her mother this time.
"AH, yes! Coming!" she bounded down the stairs and when she got down the stairs she ran to the dinner table.
"Nice of you to…ooh, what a nice ring, where did you get it?" Her mother was putting the food out, they were having some noodles with chicken, and she saw Momo running her finger over the ring.
"Ichigo gave it to me tonight, isn't it pretty?" She held it up and her sister grabbed her hand to see it better.
"Oh wow! I saw this one in a magazine…it's pretty expensive…you better thank him properly." Isane let Momo's hand go and started to eat.
"And how expenshive wash it." She took a bite of her food and started talking.
"Momo don't speak with food in your mouth."
"About two hundred thousand yen." When Isane said the price, Momo choked on her food and fell out of her.
"Oh…Momo…" Her mother sighed.
…
"Thanks for inviting me out, I need to get away from my family sometimes…" It was two days later and Momo had a date with Ichigo at around eight. In the meantime Momo wanted to show Rangiku her ring.
"No problem, I wanted to show you my ring because the camera on my phone isn't really working right now."
"It isn't? I'll buy you a new phone." The two girls were startled by the sudden comment from Ichigo, neither of them knew he was there. Or when he got there.
"I-Ichigo? When did you get here? Do…you want to join us?"
"I guess I can. I will have to leave, I'm looking for someone right now." He pulled his hands out of his pockets and a small black pocket knife with pearl inlay on it fell. The two girls just stared at it. "Damn." He bent over and picked it up, putting it back in his pocket. He came over and sat at their table.
"What…the knife for? Who are you looking for?" Rangiku asked, worried a bit.
"Ah, it belongs to Rukia, someone told me they saw her over here." Both girls gave a sigh of relief at his reason.
"Oh, what you said about the phone…you don't have to…" Momo spoke with a smile. Ichigo just smiled and shook his head.
"No, any girl who I go out with is going to be treated like a princess. And yes, this does mean that I will call you by your first name…although we've only been together for a few days. So, Momo, what type of phone would you like?" He asks with a smile, she blushed massively and immediately hid her face by pulling up her hood and putting her head down. She slid her phone over to him.
"One of these."
"Okay. If it's what you want I'll get it."
"Ichigo…why don't you tell Momo where you live? Maybe she would like to visit you?"
"My neighborhood is too dangerous. She nearly got attacked a few days ago within ten seconds of getting into it."
"That was…how did you know!?"
"I saw you. I'm the next head of the Shiba Syndicate?" He's trying to not let her find out yet. He wants to be sure that she genuinely likes him and won't run away when she learns.
"Oh…well I know that's where that Yakuza is based…and that guy was going to attack me." She didn't raise her head, she was still madly blushing by hearing him say her name.
"Trust me, he would have to go through hell and back to hurt you. As long as I can. I will protect you, Momo."
'He's so nice…he's perfect…but if he would just give more…info.' She thought to herself as she looked up, smiling. But it suddenly disappeared. There was someone behind Ichigo putting a gun to the back of his head.
"Don't fucking move." He announced to the restaurant, Ichigo just lazily sighed before putting his hand on the side of his head. There was a loud bang and the man fell over.
"Come on. Let's go." He walked away from the body and took Momo's hand.
…
"What…what, what was that!?" Momo was crying in his arms, he was rubbing her back trying to calm her down.
"I'll tell you, everything if you promise you won't run, or cry anymore…I don't want to see you cry." She stopped her crying at his words. She looked up to him with teary eyes. He wiped away one of her tears.
"O…o-okay."
"I live there, just up the street from where you were attacked, that guy keeps attacking people, but usually runs pretty fast. Don't worry about him. I did kill that man, but that was only out of protection, I keep a pistol in my sleeve at all times. And I am the son of Isshin Shiba, I am the next head of that Yakuza syndicate."
"I…I don't care…I like Ichigo Kurosaki for who he is, a few titles won't change my opinion…and…is that why you insist on wearing long sleeves all the time?" When she asked this he lifted his arm and rolled up the sleeve to reveal a small three chamber revolver on a spring mechanism so it doesn't fall out.
"Oh, right, I also wanted to give this to you yesterday, but I forgot it was in my other pocket." He pulled a small box from his pocket and tossed it to her. when she finally stopped spazzing around to catch it she opened it. Her eyes went wide. It was a pair of contact lenses that she said she wanted over a year ago. They were neon blue.
"How…how did…"
"I never forget the dreams of a girl. I happened to be out one day looking for something for Rukia's birthday when I overheard you talking to Rangiku about bright blue contact lenses. So once we started to go out, I looked for them, I found them four days ago." He took his phone out and started sending a message to someone while she put them in. He is sending the message to his father, telling him that he's bringing Momo over. He put his phone on silent because his father didn't know that one text was enough. When he looked up he saw Momo. Her eyes in the neon blue.
"How do…they look?"
'I don't care if he's a future Yakuza head…right now, he's still himself.'
"Your eyes are very pretty like that, if you lose them, don't hesitate to call me. Oh yeah, let me give you my number." He pulls out a marker from his back pocket and rolls up her jacket sleeve. He writes his number and rolls it back down. "Now, pull yourself together, your face is bright red."
…
'He's taking me into the Yakuza syndicate…'
"You don't have to look so tense, all of them are idiots. Don't be so formal, and my dad is…insane. So if he mentions anything sexual occurring between me and my sister, know it is just his misunderstanding of a bad situation."
'That…ah…WHAT?'
"Uh, when you mean sexual…your sister…" Momo couldn't really ask him something like that. She wasn't as outspoken as he was, rather she kept to herself other than a few close friends.
"She likes to sit in my room, one day she decided to take a shower in my personal bathroom, and somehow fell asleep in my bed naked, that's when I went into my room to get something, but I was being followed by my father and he saw it and jumped to conclusions, besides she isn't actually my sister. Oh we're here. Just ignore what is about to happen."
"What do you me-"
"WELCOME BACK YOUNG MASTER! WE HEARD YOU HA-"
"Shut up!" Ichigo silenced the crowd and he pulled Momo in through the courtyard into the main room of the house where Rukia and his father were sitting. He pulled the pocket knife out of his pocket and threw it at Rukia.
"Oh, this is her, she looks a bit different from the pictures you shown me." His dad gets up and greets her. "Isshin Kurosaki! Nice to meet ya! You can call me dad from now on if you want and I expect no less than three grandch-" He was stopped by Ichigo's foot meeting his jaw. Momo was stunned by this display, she knew that guys and their fathers could have a rough relationship…but this was violent.
"You'll have to excuse his volcanic temper, he hasn't killed anyone in front of you yet, has he?" Rukia said as she flipped the knife open and closed.
"Eh? W-what kind of question is that? He kills people!?"
"He is trained in thirty ways to kill a man."
"Eh!?" Momo made a face of confusion and terror. She looked at Ichigo and back at his father who both were laughing.
"Calm down, he said that we should play with you a bit. And that one from today was only the third. He may act calm, but once he lets his emotions out, I usually have to replace a few walls."
"Dad…that's enough. I just wanted to show her where I live, I promised for there to be no more secrets."
"Even that?" Rukia asked, pointing to her left eye.
"Not yet, but in time she will know." Ichigo shook his head and took Momo's hand and led her around, showing her the entire house. He however did not show her his room. He knew someone was in there that he didn't want her to meet. His cousin. A very distant cousin who has an odd attraction for him.
"Um…I-Ichigo…what did your sister mean by that…she pointed to her eye." Momo asked as she was escorted out, the two of them were going to go to her house, but she didn't know it yet.
"Don't worry, I'll tell you soon enough. If I need to I'll even have to show you."
"I don't get it…but I'm happy right now!" She put her arms through his and smiled.
"Is that so?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked down at her new bright blue eyes and smiled. He liked that color much better than the other.
"Yeah! I…I realize that you just killed someone not an hour ago…but it was out of self-defense. Anyway, what I'm happy about is that…you are finally including me in your life…not just a fraction of it."
"Yeah, I was eventually going to tell you about it…but I wanted to be sure that you liked me. For me. And wouldn't run scared when you learned. Honestly…killing is easier than dating you." He sighed and stopped, looked around and his eyes rested on a certain person. He quickly turned and went the opposite direction, ending up in the park from a few days ago.
"Sheesh, what was that for?" Momo complained about the sudden detour. Ichigo let go of her and sat on the grass under a tree.
"I wanted to avoid having to get in a drawn out fight if you're around me, you don't deserve to watch such violence." Ichigo scratched his head and looked at a few clouds.
'For being in the Yakuza…he really is a gentleman…and he does treat me like a princess.' She thought to herself as she sat next to him and leaned on his shoulder.
"Thank you…you said drawn out fight…one guy can fight against you for that long? Weren't you the national Karate Champion three years ago? And a fourth degree black belt?"
"Oh, you've done some research on me." He chuckled. "Yeah, but I recognized someone as a person who really wants me dead. He knows that if he shoots me it will get the attention of the police immediately, so he hangs around with like twelve guys and every time he sees me, they attack, the fight lasts too long, but they usually run away after six of them are unconscious." Kenpachi Zaraki is who he is talking about, a large man with spiky black hair and an eye patch, he thinks that Ichigo killed his daughter Yachiru, when in fact, Ichigo actually saved her from being killed on multiple occasions. She liked playing in the street. Even as lazy as Ichigo can be sometimes, he refuses to see small children suffer. He refuses to even fight if there is a child near.
"Oh wow…that's horrible…you didn't kill her, did you?" Momo asked as she looked at the saddened look in his eyes.
"I don't know how you can ask me that. No I never even hurt her, I saved her from getting run over a few times, she got a bruise or two from me pushing her out of the way of a car…but she died in a freak accident. The problem is that the case was so unique that the police didn't even release that it was what happened. She was playing in the grass in some park near my house, she saw me walking with Rukia somewhere and ran over to tell me something. Probably to say thank you. Well a car came speeding around the corner and…well at least he didn't directly hit her…it swerved and hit a light pole…which fell and smashed in her skull. Right in front of me and Rukia. Rukia couldn't handle that level of blood and…she ran away. I called the police and…before they arrived Kenpachi shown up and was screaming in the street, holding the body of his daughter, he saw me standing there with some of her blood on my arms and face…he immediately blamed me and said I would pay for killing his daughter. He came over to me and I tried explaining what happened, but of course he didn't believe me, who would? A light pole fell and killed a little girl outside of a Yakuza syndicate and the future head happens to be standing there covered in her blood. He didn't even bother to think that it actually happened even if the light pole was lying next to her. when he heard the sirens he ran, and this happened maybe two years ago? Right before we started high school." The only one who knows this story is Ichigo, Rukia, the police who covered it up with a hit and run, and now Momo.
"I…really can't say anything about that."
"You don't have to…just know that I won't hide anything from you, but I can't exactly tell you about my eye right now. Just wait, in the future, you'll know just about everything."
"I thought you would be here. Wanna fight?" The voice belonged to a man who approached from the left, he had red hair up in a ponytail and black tattoos on his forehead.
"No Renji, I won't fight in the presence of my girlfriend."
'Ah this is the first time he called me his girlfriend!' Momo blushed furiously and pulled her hood up, hiding her face from the two, luckily she was a foot and a half shorter than Ichigo so she could easily hide.
"Come on, it's friendly, I just want to have a quick fight. How 'bout this…standard regulation match? First to pin or KO wins? We can go to Tatsuki's Dojo if you want." Ichigo soon realized that Renji wont leave him alone unless they fought. He looked to Momo as if asking for a way out. But then he realized that she was busy being a shy turtle and would be no help in this situation.
"Go on, I want to watch you fight…a real fight…not thirteen on one like you said you were avoiding. I've always wanted to see one of your official fights…I've even looked them up online, but their all bad quality videos from the back of a crowd.
"Really? Great…" Ichigo's sarcasm wasn't picked up by Momo who just giggled and cheered.
…
"Oh? Come back for another ass kicking? Eh, Ichigo?" Tatsuki, the daughter of the Dojo owner, she was a third degree black belt, only because she didn't make it to the advancement test. However she's trained well past sixth.
"Tatsuki, you know that I go easy on you right?" his comment seemed to tick her off. "And besides, I don't want Momo to watch me kick the crap out of a girl. Or vice versa. And I'm fighting him...regulation, first to pin, or KO wins." He pointed to the door to show Renji coming in, he was being questioned by police for something, but it seems they didn't need him if he's there now.
"Oh, Renji, what's up man, haven't seen you in a while." Tatsuki went over and greeted her old friend.
"Can we just get on with the match, you can catch up when he wakes up." Ichigo lazily said as he removed his shoes and socks, jacket, even the sleeve pistol and walked to the center of the mat.
"Fast as ever I see." Tatsuki added.
"You of all people should know that." Ichigo chuckled and Tatsuki blushed a bit.
'What does that mean…?' Momo wonderd.
…
"BEGIN!" Tatsuki shouted but neither fighter moved, Ichigo's fighting style was…different. Even though his moves followed a traditional karate, his stance didn't. He kept his left arm limp at his side well the right one was firmly at his side next to his ribs in a fist. His right leg was out in front on his toes, and the left was in back on the feel. Renji knew that Ichigo doesn't move when he fights unless he has to.
"Oh just hurry up…" Tatsuki groaned.
"Fine! HA!" Renji was the first to attack, he threw a punch with his left only for it to be dodged and countered with a kick to the thigh from Ichigo's left leg and a arm thrust from the left arm just puching him back making him fall over.
"Is that all it took to down you, man you must really be stupid wanting to fight me." Ichigo taunted as he returned to his original stance. Ducking under a high roundhouse and grabbing the leg with his right arm, punching Renji's inner thigh with his left and sweeping his other foot out with his left leg. Ichigo had amazing balance even when being forced on by an opponent. Renji fell to the floor once again.
"He's amazing…!" Momo was watching with wide eyes. Tatsuki looked to her and walked over.
"Hey, I'm Tatsuki Arisawa. You're Momo I guess." She smiled and sat next to her.
"Yeah, Momo Hinamori, this is a nice Dojo. Is it yours? Or your parents?" Momo asked, turning to her and smiling back.
"Yeah, it belongs to my dad, but he's in America for a few weeks for a tournament. So in the meantime I'm in charge here. And you have really pretty eyes, I know this is a dumb question…but is that your real eye color?"
"Of course not, Ichigo bought me these neon blue contacts…and this ring…isn't it pretty?"
'I wish he would look at me like her…' Tatsuki thought to herself, she liked Ichigo for a few years, but never managed to tell him, sure she was the tough outgoing Tatsuki who liked to fight people, but even she turned into a bubbly schoolgirl when she tried talking about her feelings.
"Yeah they are! The blue really makes you look cute…and the ring, I love it!" She wouldn't try to tear them apart, he actually looked happy when he walked in with her, well, happy for having a perpetual scowl on his face. She's only seen him smile a few times. None of them to her.
"Come on Renji, it's not done, you know I don't pin. This will only end when you get knocked out, so you still wanna keep going?" Ichigo asked as he kicked Renji back with a foot to the chest.
"I never back down!" Renji went in to deliver a punch but it stopped a little short and he ducked the counter from the left that he knew was coming and he then got Ichigo in the face with a right punch. Ichigo dropped his stance and stumbled a bit before kneeling down on one knee.
"Well damn, I guess it's time to stop playing." Ichigo said as he looked up, not bothering to stand.
"What? You're still on the g-" Renji was silenced when Ichigo's foot connected with his jaw. Sending him up and back he was done, out cold.
"And that is what happens when you make me drop my stance." Ichigo said as he got up off the ground from a weird reverse position that Momo couldn't even make out what it resembled.
"And that is the end of the match! Winner! Ichigo Kurosaki! By KO!" Tatsuki announced, even though the Dojo was empty today.
"Come on, Momo, I want to go somewhere before it's too late. It's already six. Tatsuki, I'll come by with it tomorrow. I'll leave Renji with you, you two can catch up, if he has any memory left."
…
"So…where are we going?" Momo asked as she walked beside him.
"Your house."
'WHAT!? What should I do…? My family has never seen him before…sure my sister goes to the same school, but she's a year behind us so I don't think she knows who he is…should I call? Should I just show up with him unannounced? What should I do? What do I do?' Momo's mind was on fire with thought. Ichigo was just watching her fidget with her fingers as she blushed.
"You look like you're about to explode, something wrong?" Ichigo asked as he bent over, looking at her face.
"Ah, haha, no…I'm just worried what my family will think…you know…the Yakuza thing?"
"Oh, I get it, don't worry, I'm not just randomly going, I have a plan."
'Oh what could it be…?'
…
"Hello Mrs. Hinamori, my name is Ichigo Kurosaki. Nice to meet you." Ichigo said, bowing in Momo's living room in front of her mother and sister. They were shocked, Isane had seen him around school and thought he was the scariest guy there. Well, he was, only second year and was the king of the school. Nobody there knew he was Yakuza except Rangiku.
"Oh my, Momo told us so much about you, you're pretty handsome, no wonder someone as cute as her fell…for…you, Momo, what did you do to your eyes? They're like really bright blue…"
"Oh yeah! Ichigo got them for me, I said I wanted contacts like this a while back and he remembered and found them." Momo looked happy and then her sister got up and went over to her, putting he hand on Momo's forehead and then getting in close. Her sister was a bit weird.
"They're high quality, you cant tell that they are contacts, if they were a different color you could say that it was natural. And plus, those are the kind that you don't remove. Unless you want to. He seems to be treating you pretty well." Isane went back to her seat and her mother spoke up.
"These gifts you're giving my daughter, they are quite expensive. You don't have an alterior motive with them, do you?" Momo wa shocked that her mother would ask such a thing.
"MOM! Don't ask people that!" Momo shouted.
"Yes, I do."
'WHAT.' Momo is mentally imploding while her mother is just surprised by his honesty.
"Well, what would that be then?" She asked. Ichigo just looked in her eyes with a serious expression.
"To make her happy. All I want I for Momo to be happy. If you don't mind me saying, assuming that I'm only giving gifts to your daughter to earn myself sex, is a bit to assuming, don't you think? I will admit, she is a very pretty girl, but I would never do anything to her that would be close to what you are suggesting." Momo and her family were surprised that someone of his appearance was such a gentleman. Momo was looking at her lap blushing.
"Oh, such a gentleman, Momo you have a good man here. Make sure to return his affection." Her mother was smiling at Ichigo, for whatever reason made him uncomfortable.
"I will take care of your daughter, don't worry Mrs. Hinamori."
"Oh please…you don't look the formal type. Call me Retsu." She kept her smile and looked at him and then tilted her head to the left slightly.
'Scary…'
"I…I, okay, I will take care of your daughter, R-Retsu-san." Ichigo found it very odd how he feared this woman, like her smile was the front for a sadistic murderer.
"Would you join us for dinner? Ichigo-kun?" Retsu suggested, it wasn't much of a request, Ichigo heard it as a command.
"Mom, please stop." Momo pleaded, she was already embarrassed enough. Ichigo just put his hand on her cheek.
"It's okay, don't worry about it." he smiled and gave her a wink with the eye that the other two couldn't see. "I would love to, could I just use the restroom first?" He stood up and scratched his head. He kept his left eye closed. "I think there is something in my eye."
"Oh yes! Of course. Up the stairs, down the hall, second door on the right."
"Thank you." He kept his eye shut until he got to the stairs, he opened it, but it wasn't amber like the other one, it was bright yellow.
'Stay inside my head when she's around!'
'Ah, your no fun…I wanna meet her family too.'
He found the bathroom while arguing with the voice in his head. He had split personalities, one was Ichigo Kurosaki, the normal one, who is dominant over the other. Ichigo Shirosaki. Psychopathic, devious, perverted and just plain rude. Ichigo can tell when he's about to come out, from a chemical change in his brain that makes his left eye turn a bright yellow color, to a throbbing pain behind it. he doesn't want to tell Momo right now, she's happy, he figured he would tell her when school started again.
'Can I come out and play…?'
Ichigo didn't even bother responding to him, he started to splash water on his face and watched his eye turn from brown to yellow, yellow to brown. This went on for about two minutes until it finally stopped, Ichigo had control now. He left the bathroom and went down the stairs to see the Hinamori family already at the table. He didn't see a father so he thought that he shouldn't bring it up over dinner.
…
"In recent news, a boy was held at gunpoint earlier today, but the assailant was seemingly shot. The police say there was no bullet to be found, and there wasn't an exit wound. Here is a video of the scene shot from the phone of one who happened to be there." It's four in the morning and the news was on and playing an amateur cellphone video of the incident at the restaurant. Retsu was watching it because she was up with Isane.
'Is that…MOMO AND ICHIGO!? Why was he held at gunpoint…it what…how did that man fall over. I heard a second gunshot…but I don't see one…' She thought to herself as Isane was sleeping on her lap, she had frequent nightmares and her mother would sit in the living room with her until she fell asleep, she doesn't normally have the TV on but tonight Retsu was especially bored. She immediately turned the TV off.
She sat there until morning, replaying the video in her head over and over again. Wondering what would have happened If Ichigo, Momo or Rangiku would have moved at all…
"Mom…what are, oh, Isane had another nightmare." Momo came down the stairs in her little dress that she wore at night.
"Yesterday. I want you to tell me what happened at that restaurant." Retsu spoke quietly but sternly.
'HOW DID SHE KNOW ABOUT THAT!?' Momo was completely worried about this. Would she have to tell her mother about what Ichigo is?
"I…I'm not too sure myself, but the man put a gun to Ichigo's head and Ichigo just sat there and the man fell over…I heard a gunshot, but…I didn't see anyone with a gun and when the man fell over we left in a hurry."
"Oh…as long as you are safe, what about Rangiku-chan? Is she okay?"
"Yeah, I talked to her last night after Ichigo left, she said it was scary and it shook her a bit, but other than that, she's fine."
'I must be amazing at lying or she just doesn't expect it from me.' Momo thought to herself as she sighed out of relief.
"School starts tomorrow, Monday, so I want you to be ready. So today, we're going to get your hair done." Retsu turned and smiled.
"Oh, Mom. I like my hair like this, I like it long and I can just put it in a ponytail…"
"Fine fine, but for your first day back we're going to get your hair done anyway, we won't cut it. Okay?"
"If we must…" Momo slumped her shoulders in defeat and went upstairs.
…
"Oh, that's right! Tomorrow is school…How would you like it, ms…"
"Momo…my name is Momo…just make it pretty without cutting it." Momo was annoyed that she had to go out so early. It was only nine in the morning. Isane was getting to sleep in. Her mother was out…somewhere. And Momo was stuck in the chair.
"Hmm…I think… th-"
"Momo?" The voice belonged to Ichigo who was with his sister.
"Wh-what are you doing here?" Momo shouted, making the hairdresser silently move aside.
"Rukia wanted me to come with her while she got her hair done."
'They are close…even if she really isn't his sister…wait…could, no, he isn't like that…No.' Momo was thinking to herself as she watched Rukia take a seat on the other side.
"So, your getting your hair done too?"
"Yes, it's a bit embarrassing when you stare like that." Momo smiled and blushed a bit and Ichigo nodded.
"If you say so." He walked away after winking at her. "Hey Rukia. cut your hair. I don't like your hair long, it gets annoying." That wasn't meant for Momo to hear but she did anyway.
"Hey…um, sorry for ignoring you, but…can you cut my hair into a…Hime cut?" She asked the hairdresser who just smiled and nodded.
"Of course Momo-san. And who is that handsome young man, is he a friend? Or more…?"
"H-He…he's my boyfriend…we have been together for only a short time though." Momo blushed and looked down biting her lip out of embarrassment.
"Hey, hey, look up, I can't do the cut you want at such a poor angle."
…
"I…understand…bye." Momo was on the phone with her mother, she was called into work because one of her co-workers fell ill and she had to fill in. So Momo was stuck at the salon. But at least Ichigo was there, well his sister Rukia was there too.
"What was that about?" Ichigo asked, as he walked up to her.
"Eh, my mom had to go to work and…"
"I like your hair. It's pretty."
"Ah, that…eh…ha…thank you." She still wasn't used to him complimenting her so much. "Oh right! My mom had to go to work and I don't have a ride…can you maybe give me one?" She batted her eyelashes at him and smiled.
"That batting your eyelashes trick doesn't work on me, of course you can have a ride, we're dating, what kind of man would I be if I left the girl I like alone without a way to get home?"
'AH MY GOD. He's so sweet! I'm glad he liked me back…or I would have looked like a total fool! A letter? Seriously…who does that anymore!? Apparently me. What's wrong with his eye…'
"Ichigo! Eye!" Rukia shouted, he immediately shut it and ran out of the building and down the street.
"What…" Momo was just confused.
"Hey! Momo…I'll tell you in a sec, just wait for me at the café across the street."
…
"Wha…he has a…what?"
"You heard me, he has a second personality, it is the literal opposite of him, a huge perv, inconsiderate…rude…psychopathic…he calls himself Ichigo Shirosaki when he's in that state. He was planning to tell you at school I think. But…if he doesn't, just act like you don't know anything, just if you see his eye yellow, just mention the word 'Eye.' alone. He will understand."
'She knows everything about him…NO Why am I getting jealous of his sister?'
"You two must be pretty close since you know everything about him."
"Of course, I love him."
"Love him? Like a brother right?"
"A brother? Hell no! he plows me every night!"
"Wh…" Momo immediately felt like crying. Her eyes burned under her contacts.
"Don't look so disturbed and sad! It was a joke! Sorry!"
"Wh-why would…why would you…why would you joke about that!? You rotten bitch!" Momo screamed in the middle of the café, earning her looks from everyone in there, she then started crying. "I…I'm sorry, I…don't know why…I don't know why I acted like that…it's just…he's the only boy who actually cares about me and doesn't just want me for sex…" Momo put her head on the table and continued to silently cry. She felt a hand on her back rubbing it. She noticed it was much bigger than Rukia's should be. She lift her head up and turn her head. It was Ichigo. Just smiling at her.
"It's okay Momo. Rukia is a bitch half the time. Come on, she's staying out tonight…I'll take you home…" He helped her up and left with her, holding her hand gently.
"Ichigo…what…what kind of relationship do you have with your sister!?" Momo shouted making him stop in his tracks and look at the ground.
"What do you mean?"
"What are your feelings about her?"
"I love her, she's my sister."
"Is that all you love her for?"
"What are you implying about me huh? That I screw my sister!? I don't care what kind of joke she told you or not, what you're asking I over the line. Anyone who does anything like that to their family members deserves to hang by barbed wire. I love her because she's my sister, sure, she isn't actually related to me, yeah I know she's pretty, I know that she actually has a crush on me! I don't give a fuck about her feelings right now! I only want to know about your feelings. And my own. So please, in the future, don't ask me such stupid questions." Ichigo was fighting off Shirosaki at this point. Momo could see his eye was yellow. And she could see his tears.
"Eye."
Ichigo was surprised that she knew about it, he hated himself for just yelling at her like that. He would just act as Shirosaki was in control. He shut his eyes and calmed himself down. Momo reached up and wiped the tears away from his cheek. She stood there and waited for him to return to normal. After a minute he opened his eyes and the left was back to normal.
"It's normal now." Momo said with a straight face.
"Momo…I…I'm so sorry…I couldn't keep him from you…" He got down on his knees and bowed.
'He's bowing to me? Why is he bowing…is Shirosaki really that bad? Was he crying because of me, or because Shirosaki took control?'
"its okay, Ichigo. Now get up before someone see's you."
…
"Here we are…" Ichigo said quietly as he pulled up to Momo's house.
"You're still sad about the Shirosaki thing, aren't you? Why don't you come in? My mom won't be home until morning, I hope you don't mind. And knowing my sister, she's out somewhere with her friends."
'She's inviting me in, and nobody is home? I hope she knows I cant actually get back to myself when he takes over. All I can do is hope he doesn't.' Ichigo thought to himself as he looked at the pretty smiling girl in front of him.
"Sure, Rukia isn't getting a ride from me tonight, not if she made you cry." Ichigo parked around the side and got out, Momo was out and went to the door.
"Okay, welcome back to my home!" She laughed as he went in.
"It's really nice. Did I mention that?"
"Yes, you did, twelve times, go sit, I'll make some tea. Get comfortable, it's only two. We have all day." Ichigo did as she said and went into the living room and sat at the end of the couch. A few minutes go by and Momo returns with a cup of tea for him and gives it to him before laying down, her head on his lap.
"I'm sorry for asking you a question that made him come out…I still don't undertand why your eye turns yellow?"
"The doctor said that it was because of a chemical imbalance when he appears that it causes my left eye to turn a bright yellow." Ichigo explained and the put the tea on a little table next to him. He then started to run his hand through Momo's new shorter hair, she closed her eyes and smiled.
"I'm glad that I gave you that letter."
"I am too."
"You kno…you know, I'm jealous of Rukia." Momo kept her eyes shut and her smile stayed, Ichigo's smile dropped slightly.
"Why?" Ichigo asked, not stopping his hand running through her hair.
"Because she knows everything about you and has been with you since you were children, we only met two years ago."
"That doesn't matter, I'll make sure that you're happy, you don't need to be jealous of her, it's only natural for a family to know everything about each other."
"I guess." Momo looked happy, she turned her head to the side and fell asleep. Ichigo noticed this but didn't stop running his hand through her hair, he did however fall asleep there after an hour. And so began the weirdest dream he would ever have.
…
Ichigo woke with a jolt and looked around and realized he was still in Momo's living room. He saw the clock and it read four thirty.
'What the fuck kind of dream was that!? Did…why were they!? What the fuck!? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME!?' He looked down and noticed Momo was gone. 'Restroom, need restroom.'
Ichigo stumbled off the couch and ran up the stairs and found the door. He swung it open and his eyes widened at the sight. Momo was standing there naked reaching for a towel.
"Eh…EH? GET OUT!" Momo screamed as she covered herself with the towel. Ichigo slammed the door shut and ran down to the kitchen to splash some water on his face.
He left the sink and sat at the table. Silently staring at his hands. Ten minutes past and Momo came down blushing wearing a blue shirt and red shorts. She sat on the other side of the table, looking at her hands too.
"Sorry I saw…you…naked." He looked up at her with a red face. He is still flustered from that dream.
"I…what…why did you open the door without knocking!?"
"I really needed to rinse my eye out, I woke up and there was a stinging sensation in my eyes." Please believe me please believe me please believe me please believe me.
"Oh…well that makes sense…and…I didn't particularly mind that you saw…" she said the last part so quietly that Ichigo didn't hear anything.
"Do you forgive me? I respect you enough to know what I did was wrong. So please, do you forgive me?"
"Yes, only because you're such a gentleman. For a Yakuza." Momo smirked a little but she was still blushing. Ichigo chuckled and stood up.
"I guess I should go home now. Get ready for tomorrow."
'And take a cold shower. Whoever invented jeans is a genius.' He added in his mind.
"Ah, ye-yes…I guess that is fine…bye bye." She smiled as he walked over, he bent over and kissed her on the forehead.
…
"Ichigo my son! What adventures have you found yourself in this week?" Ichigo's father asked as he got home.
"Well…killed a man and…WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS!?" he just sat down next to Rukia who looked pissed off at him. She swiftly landed a punch on his cheek knocking him over to the ground. He just got back up and looked at her, getting closer not breaking eye contact, when he was about three inches away he blew air at her face. This pissed her off more than anything else he does. He knew she liked him, he thought her reactions were fun.
"Did you hear?"
"Hear what, dad?"
"HEY DON'T IGNORE ME!" Rukia shouted.
"Ah, well as it turns out…your cousin…is staying with us permanently."
'That must be why Rukia is pissed.' Ichigo remembered how they never got along. Rukia and Apacci never got along. Maybe it was her name? Her weird hair color? Probably the fact that on multiple occasions has tried to have sex with Ichigo. And succeeded a few times, but nobody knew. They were distant cousins.
"Oh…okay, fine with me. I'll go tell her that she can't be hanging on to me all the time. I have a girlfriend now." Ichigo stood up and went to go talk to her, he knew that she would be in his room in one of two ways. Naked on his bed or sitting in his chair with clothes. When he got into his room he saw that she wasn't in his bed but in the chair, and for that he was glad.
"Oh Ichi-kun I was wondering when you would be back today…" she got up and started walking toward him. But she was pushed back onto his chair when she got close.
"No more, Apacci, I have a girlfriend now. I know you're like my ninth cousin or whatever but that doesn't make it okay for you to act this way around me. It wasn't even proper in the first place. It was just sex." That last sentence rang in her head over and over again.
"O-Oh…I see. Well, maybe I'll stop fawning over you in public…OH and I'm starting at your school tomorrow. So you're safe there…but home, oh boy will it be a test of your will power not to sleep with me." She wasn't the type to give up easily. He wasn't the type to cheat on Momo. This will be a battle of iron wills.
…
'Heh…I wonder what he's doing right now…oh my phone…' Momo was sitting alone in her room with her cat. Isane still isn't home, although it's only six. Her phone was ringing.
"Hello?" She answered and her cat jumped off her lap.
"Hello Momo-chan I'm sorry to bother you at such a late time." Momo recognized the voice as the school principal, Shunsui Kyoraku.
"No, it's fine, are you calling about tomorrow?"
"Actually yes, I regret to inform you this, but your homeroom teacher has…disappeared so I'm calling each student individually, you would happen to have…Ichigo Kurosaki's number would you? I can't seem to find his number."
'Eh…'
"I have it. I'll tell him. Oh, Kyoraku-sensei…" he was also for a reason only know to him, the math teacher for third year class one. "What will we do for homeroom then? Just sit there?"
"Ah…I thought ahead and called the class rep, she will be acting as homeroom teacher. That's all, I hope you all have a wonderful end to your second year." And he hung up. She immediately dialed Ichigo's number. When he eventually picked up it wasn't him.
"Helloooo, this is Apacci, Ichi-kun can't come to th-HEY!"
"Sorry about that, my cousin won't go away." Ichigo glared at Apacci to make sure she was staying over in her corner.
"Ah, that's okay…I just got a call from Kyoraku-sensei, we don't have a homeroom teacher anymore…so Ise-san will be acting as our homeroom teacher."
"Ah, is that so…NO. you can't talk to her, and why the hell are you still here!?"
"Your cousin sound foreign, where is she from?"
"I have absolutely no idea, a dumpster in a bad neighborhood, right Apac-AGH! I…I'll…tomorrow…bye…" He hung up. Apacci punched him in the groin, Momo heard the impact.
"Agh…I guess he's just that close with all his relatives…but that time…he said he knows Rukia likes him…does this girl like him too? But she's actually his cousin. He sounded like he is in pain…I hope he's okay."
"I'm home!" Isane shouted from down the stairs, Momo ran out and greeted her sister, sitting at the table, wanting to talk with her.
"So, are you ready to go back to school?" Momo asked, hoping to strike up conversation.
"Not entirely, but there are a few people I want to see. What about you?"
"I'm excited, yeah, I get to see Ichigo everyday…and Ran-chan…and a few other of my friends."
"Speaking of Ichigo, did you see that blue haired girl that was following him around earlier?"
"Blue haired girl?" Momo asked, not knowing what Apacci looked like. She started to get worried, but then she thought something.
'Well, I'm sure that if there are any females in that syndicate they wouldn't look normal…'
"Yeah, I saw him walking down the street headed to that…oh what store was it…they sell a lot of jackets and overpriced things…I don't know, but she looked so weird, he didn't seem to like her much, don't worry."
"Ah but you telling me this is making me…huh?" Momo turned to see her mom come in the door, tired.
"I thought I would be there till morning but a power outage let me leave…thank you, whichever divine being is watching me today." She sighed and sat at the table. "So girls, how was your last day of freedom?"
"I wwas just telling Momo about some girl with blue hair that was following Ichigo around today."
"Oh, Isane, are you spying on your sister's boyfriend?"
…
The day of school. The first day back after the winter break they had, the school was busy once again. Students hanging around in the halls, in the courtyard in the front, some on the track out back. Ichigo and his group of friends, including Momo were on the roof.
"Ah, I missed everyone so much!" Orihime shouted as she ran over to the rail and looked over.
"Calm down, it's only been two weeks." Tatsuki said as she walked over with Renji.
"Are you ever going to stop being such a downer?" Toshiro Hitsugaya mentioned to her. He was Ichigo's friend and once dated Tatsuki, they broke up because the differences turned out night and day.
"And you look depressed. What's wrong Shiro-chan?" Momo asks, this pisses him off to a huge extent so he just leaves.
"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime shouts as Ichigo walks over to the group with Rangiku, Rukia and Apacci.
'Is that the blue haired girl? Who is she? Huh…her eyes are different colors. One blue, one brown.'
"Hey Inoue. Oh guys, this is my cousin Apacci, whatever her other name is…I don't really know it."
"It's Apacci Emilou, you asshat."
"Yo Ichigo, I like her already, so how long is she staying?" Renji asked, earning himself a smack from Tatsuki.
"Permanently. And I hate it."
"Oh Ichi-kun, don't be like that." She ran her fingers along his chin and turned away. "That makes me sad, I'll see you later." She leaves.
"THAT. That right there, is why I hate her staying with me. She's obsessed with me."
"So…you…" Momo started to speak and blush a little, Ichigo just came over to her and put an arm around her.
"Don't worry Momo, you're still the only one in my heart."
"Okay…quit it you two, you're making me sick." Rangiku spoke up, she was annoyed that her boyfriend broke up with her last night.
"Hinamori." Some guy called out from the other side of the roof. He had rough brown hair and brown eyes. Next to him was another with white hair and blue eyes. They walked over to the group and just stood there.
"What is it Sosuke-kun?" She replied as Ichigo stared him down.
"Why don't you leave this fool and come back to me?" Sosuke Aizen, Momo's boyfriend before Ichigo. Next to him is Gin Ichimaru, the one who just broke up with Rangiku, he was looking at her smiling like a fox.
"No…you only wanted my body." Momo turned and walked to Ichigo.
"Oh, I don't know what gave you such Ideas, must have b-" He was interrupted by Ichigo.
"Get the fuck out of here."
"And if I don't?"
"You don't want the answer to that…" Ichigo's eye turned a bit yellow. He wasn't going to fight Shirosaki this time.
"Oh…what's with your eye? Its yellow, are you sure that your sane? Hinamori, come with me."
"No, she won't be going anywhere…The girl is mine…not yours…oh…and I am not sane…it's been a while since I got to come out and play…"
"Okay, we should go!" Rangiku took everyone except Ichigo and Momo and left. She knew how Shirosaki talked. And she did not want to see what was about to happen.
"I think he actually has los-ACK!" Gin was interrupted by Ichigo's fist colliding with his throat, and then he brought up his knee into his chest.
"Ichi…go…?" Momo was shocked at how quickly he dropped Gin. She knew he was a third degree black belt.
"Your boy isn't here at the moment please leave a message." He spoke as he gave her a wicked glance, this scared her enough to send her to her knees.
"Oh…it's no fair how this idiot gets you on your knees when I couldn't." Sosuke dodged a punch from Ichigo and backed up a bit, but he misjudged the distance and hit the rail. Ichigo sprinted at him and put his hand around his neck. Gin was getting up off the ground at this point. Momo saw that he pulled a knife out of his pocket. He ran at Ichigo but was stopped by someone stabbing him in the stomach. Rukia had come back and she stabbed him with her knife. She always carried it, Ichigo has his sleeve pistol, but Shirosaki doesn't like using it, he prefers a slow brutal painful death. He stopped moving and fell to the ground clutching his stomach. Ichigo saw this and he pulled Sosuke away from the rail and threw him down on top of Gin. His eye returned to normal. Shirosaki was tired and he saw how Momo was shaking. Even if he was the opposite of the real Ichigo he was still him and had a heart.
"Momo. I'm sorry you had to see that, I don't like how he was talking to you."
"I know…your secret." Sosuke spoke up as he stood up and helped Gin away.
'Fuck.'
"I…Ichigo…please…don't leave me…" Momo started crying, ignoring the onlookers who were also on the roof watching the horribly one-sided fight. Ichigo was surprised that she would say that. He slowly walked over to her and held his hand to her.
"Take my hand, don't cry. I'll always stay with you, if you chose to leave me, I won't stop you if it's what you want. But you can be sure I would never leave you." Ichigo's words reached her heart, she looked up and took his hand, immediately she was pulled into a hug. She kept crying on his chest. He looked around at the crowd and scowled, they quickly dispersed. Rukia felt something in her heart tighten, she felt her eyes starting to burn so she turned away.
"Ichigo…don't be late." She walked away looking down, and when she got to the door with the stairs and got inside, her tears fell.
'Killing is definitely easier than dating her.'