A "Take Me or Leave Me" Christmas
By: Hitokiri Musei
Rated: T
Summary: Christmas celebrations get a little out of hand, and a drunk Ichigo and Toshiro get into a fight. Their friends get tired of the two of them being grumpy apart, and decide to get them back together.
Alright, there is drinking in this story, though not a whole lot. Um… other than that, yaoi, IchiHitsu goodness. And it's cheesy. But hey, it's fun for the holidays! WhOoT! I hope you like it, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
I don't own Bleach, nor do I own "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake or "Take Me or Leave Me" from RENT.
Kurosaki Ichigo grinned, throwing back the last of his drink. Already he could feel the pleasant buzz of the drink, his body warm and tingly. He could feel the slightly cool body of his boyfriend beside him, Toshiro's side pressed against his. Toshiro had been drinking as well, though Ichigo had a feeling that it wasn't anywhere near as much as he had.
Ichigo looked up as he heard the loud laughter of Matsumoto not far off, and then the sound of music moved through the room. There was singing a moment later, and Ichigo couldn't help but grin widely. Karaoke!
"Come on Toshiro, let's sit closer!" Ichigo said happily, tugging on his boyfriend's hand and pulling him off the seat. Toshiro groaned faintly, but followed Ichigo nonetheless up towards where the area where Matsumoto was setting up the Karaoke machine. Rukia jumped up with Matsumoto and the two of them started singing.
Ichigo didn't recognize the song, but he tapped his foot to the beat, his fingers thumping on Toshiro's knee where his hand rested lightly. The white-haired man frowned slightly; his teal eyes glimmering with annoyance when Ichigo resumed doing the action even after Toshiro brushed him away.
Matsumoto grinned as she finished the song, and then laughed as she spotted Renji trying to sneak off. She reached out, snagging his arm. "Hey Renji, don't think you can get away! Get up here and sing something!"
Renji groaned, but then allowed Matsumoto to pull him up onto the singing area. He was joined a moment later by Hisagi Shuuhei, who was dragged up on the floor by Rukia. The black haired man groaned, but he was just as drunk as Renji, and slumped against the redhead.
I'm bringing sexy back!
Yeah!
Ichigo let out a shout, a grin on his face while he watched the two men dance and sing drunkenly. Renji grinned, and then moved forward, his red-brown eyes locked on Ichigo's as he moved and swayed with the music.
I'll let you whip me if I misbehave…
It's just that no one makes me feel this way…
By this time Renji's fingers were dancing against Ichigo's shoulders, a snarky grin on his face while Shuuhei pulled the backup lyrics in the background. Toshiro's glare could kill as he stared down Renji while the redhead completely ignored him, watching while Ichigo's chocolate eyes remained focused on him.
As Renji's song ended he pulled on Ichigo, dragging him up on his feet. "Come on Ichigo, sing for us!"
Toshiro growled softly, yanking on Ichigo's arm so he didn't get up. "He doesn't need to sing right now Abarai, back off."
Ichigo blinked. "Toshiro, come on, don't be such a prude. I want to sing. Come on, you can come too!" The song came on a second later, Shuuhei moving away from the machine with a grin on his face. It was almost as though he knew something…
"Come on, you guys will like this song!" the black-haired man said good-naturedly, knowing sparkling in his dark eyes.
The first notes made Ichigo grin. "Hey, this is from Rent! I love this song!" He instantly took up the first part, his voice moving through the notes fairly well, even though it was a woman singing the original song.
"Every single day, I walk down the street, I hear people say, "Baby's so sweet!" Ever since puberty, everybody stares at me: Boys-girls, I can't help it baby. So be kind, and don't lose your mind. Just remember, that I'm your baby."
Even as Ichigo sang, Toshiro's glare was getting deeper and darker as he watched his orange-headed lover. His arms were already crossed, and he watched as Ichigo danced across the floor, weaving slightly in his drunken state. Already the haze of alcohol was clearing from Toshiro's mind, his anger sharp and sobering.
"Take me for what I am. Who I was meant to be! And if you give a damn, take me baby, or leave me. Take me baby or leave me."
Ichigo grinned, his chocolate eyes snapping to Toshiro's face, his mind not processing the glare that was on his small lover's face. He didn't seem to realize what was going on at the moment. Toshiro, however, was seething.
"A tiger in a cage can never see the sun. This diva needs her stage; Baby - let's have fun! You are the one I choose, folks would kill to fill your shoes, you love the limelight too now baby, So be mine and don't waste my time, prayin' - "Oh Honeybear – Are you still my, my, my baby?"
At those words Ichigo moved forward, his fingers snaking out to touch Toshiro's face. The small shinigami hissed in anger, moving backwards. "Don't you dare!"
"No way - Can I be what I'm not. But hey - Don't you want your girl hot?.! Don't fight - Don't lose your head; cause every night- Who's in your bed? Who?"
The grin on Ichigo's face only widened as he leaned closer to Toshiro, his face satisfied. He knew that there was no way that Toshiro could deny that question, and his drunken brain was too far in to notice that by now, even though they were still singing and attempting to have fun, this entire situation had turned serious. The look on Toshiro's face was dead set as he stared into his part, his eyes burning.
"I look before I leap, I love margins and discipline. I make lists in my sleep, baby what's my sin? Never quit – I follow through. I hate mess - but I love you."
Toshiro shook himself, continuing on after that little revelation.
"What to do with my impromptu baby. So be wise cause this girl satisfies. You've got a prize but don't compromise. You're one lucky baby!"
Now they were facing each other, Toshiro practically screaming his words while Ichigo still kidded around.
"Take me for what I am!"
Ichigo snorted. "A control freak!"
Toshiro glared, coming back. "Who I was meant to be!"
"A snob – yet over attentive!" Ichigo said in response, his chocolate eyes glinting.
"And if you give a damn—"
"A loveable, droll geek!"
Toshiro's patience was ready to snap. "Take me baby or leave me!"
Ichigo laughed. "And anal retentive!"
Snap.
"That's it!" Toshiro shouted, throwing the mike he had been clutching in his hands to the ground. "I can't take this anymore!" He turned to leave the room, his teal eyes burning as he stalked off the floor.
Ichigo blinked, reaching out to grab Toshiro's wrist to try and stop him. "Toshiro, come on, you can't be serious. It was just for fun!"
The small taichou whirled, his hand flying out and colliding with Ichigo's cheek with enough force to send the orange-head backwards a few steps. "No! I'm tired of you doing this every time you get drunk! And you're always so ignorant of me and what I want! You march right into my office and just expect me to drop whatever it is I'm doing and get right to you! I'm not like you Ichigo, in fact, we're nothing alike! I don't even know why I ever thought that we could be together!"
With those words Toshiro ripped his hand away from Ichigo, stalking out of the room and leaving everyone staring at the door in shock.
Ichigo swallowed thickly, his mind clearing faintly. "Um… What just happened?"
Two days later, Ichigo was at a loss. He didn't know what to do, and he couldn't figure out how to repair the damage that had been done to his and Toshiro's relationship. He had woken the next morning hung over and alone in his bed, confused. After getting at least decent for the day, he had found Shuuhei in the living room with a somber look on his face and a mug of coffee in his hands.
"So um… What did I do?"
The black-haired shinigami snorted faintly. "Apparently everything wrong. I don't think I've seen Hitsugaya-taichou that mad in a long time. He's never really hit anyone either, not even Rangiku-san after she gets drunk on duty."
Ichigo swallowed thickly, sitting beside his friend and running a hand over his orange hair. "So I screwed up?"
Shuuhei's eyes were hard when he looked at Ichigo. "You were flirting with Renji. Right in front of him. And then you turned around in that song and called him everything that he hates, and whether or not it was for fun, you still said it."
"Great…" Ichigo huffed out. "And I have no clue on how to fix it…"
The other man snorted. "You beg. At this point, I think it's the only thing that you can do. You'll be lucky if he even lets you in to see him, let alone if he chooses to forgive you."
"I know…" Ichigo sighed. "I know…"
And so, sitting there in his living room two days after the conversation with Shuuhei, Ichigo realized why Toshiro had been so upset about this on that particular day. He glanced at the date, and then groaned.
It was December 22nd. Which meant that Ichigo had totally insulted Toshiro and their entire relationship on December 20th.
Toshiro's birthday.
Christmas Eve came and Ichigo still had no idea what to do. Toshiro had so far refused to see him and there was no way to sneak in, because every time he came near, ice would nearly consume him.
Oh yea.
Toshiro was pissed.
Ichigo sighed, sitting alone in his flat staring at the tree that he and Toshiro had put up together. This would have been their first Christmas together, as well as their 6th month anniversary, and now it was ruined. The orange-head had tried to think of apologies, ways that he could possibly make it up to the small taichou, but everything seemed ridiculous or just plain idiotic.
Matsumoto had been helpful, trying to find ways to get Ichigo into the 10th division, but after two or three times she had been caught and now Toshiro had her under strict watch and orders not to help Ichigo at all. At a loss, Ichigo had to resort to trying roundabout ways to find Toshiro, attempting to catch him alone outside of the office, or perhaps trapping him somewhere in the Seireitei.
But, just like his attempts at the office, all of these had been thwarted by Toshiro attacking him as soon as he came near. And since Ichigo had reasons to want to keep all of his limbs, he backed off whenever this happened.
The orange-head sighed again, and then there was a loud thump from the bedroom. Confusion and worry flooding his face, Ichigo leapt to his feet and headed back through the flat, his hand automatically sneaking into his pocket to clutch at his badge.
What he found made him release it, though, as there was no threat.
Hitsugaya Toshiro, Gotei 13 taichou and renowned prodigy, was lying on his side on Ichigo's bed, hogtied with bright red ribbon. His face was flushed in anger, his teal eyes burning as he twisted and writhed trying to pull his wrists and ankles from their restraints, but to no avail. Hyourinmaru was nowhere to be seen, and Ichigo blinked in shock and surprise as he realized that the small taichou was completely naked.
There was an envelope sitting on the bed beside the small body, and Ichigo moved forward to snatch it before retreating so Toshiro couldn't whack him with a flailing motion.
To Kurosaki-kun!
We decided that taichou was being too hard on you, and so we gave him a little help on finding a way to apologize for being so mean. You know taichou, he's so stubborn, he just didn't want to say that he was sorry for being such a prude. Besides, I thought that the song you both sang fit you well! (There was a big smiley face next to this sentence.) It took us awhile to catch him, so you'd better be grateful!
Merry Christmas!
Under that was scribbled the names of nearly a half a dozen people whom Ichigo knew in Soul Society, among them Shuuhei and Matsumoto. Toshiro let out another muffled shout of anger from behind the ribbon that covered his mouth, his teal eyes burning as he watched Ichigo read the note.
The orange-head sighed, and then ran a hand through his hair. "I screwed up big time, didn't I Toshiro?"
Those words made Toshiro stop struggling; his teal eyes a little wide as he looked up at Ichigo. The taller man grinned slightly. "I shouldn't have done what I did, but you gotta admit, that song did fit us really well didn't it? And you know me, I can't hold my alcohol very well, and so it's not hard to get me to act like… well, more of an idiot than I normally am."
Ichigo's face softened. "Can you forgive me? Please?"
Toshiro rolled his eyes, a gesture that Ichigo interpreted as saying 'You moron, I already have, now untie me!'
This was confirmed when the small taichou started wriggling again in an attempt to get free.
The look on Ichigo's face morphed into a wicked grin. "Well, I certainly can't say no to such a… lovely gift, now can I? At least, not when you're wiggling around so tantalizingly in front of me…"
Toshiro's eyes widened faintly and he let out a muffled squeak, which Ichigo promptly ignored in favor of moving forward to pin the smaller to bed.
"Merry Christmas, indeed!"
I'm sorry, I couldn't resist... That song just screamed Ichigo and Toshiro, so I had to write something with it, and so I decided on a Christmas fic! Hope you liked it!