Goodness, I've been gone forever! I'm still alive...I've just been plagued with the worst case of writer's block in my life, and a crazy-busy RL isn't helping. I'm so sorry to keep you all waiting for that last chapter of Lights. I'm not abandoning it, I promise!
This story isn't something I had planned. You can thank Hishiko-dono for putting this in my head. Please don't get me wrong...I love Shuuhei to bits, but he drew the short straw in this AU...
Shuuhei's eyes darted from left to right, taking in the unfamiliar faces of the inmates in the cells along the hallway. His skin tingled under their hungry gaze and wolfish grins, and his stomach gave a sickening lurch.
Out there, he had been the predator, feasting on the innocence of young, overly-trusting boys. Here, he had the distinct impression that he was the prey.
After that fateful incident with Kurosaki and Abarai, he'd spent a few years at another facility, but due to budget changes, he'd been transferred over to this one. He didn't much care - a cage was a cage. It wasn't like he was anybody in his previous dwelling or had anything there that was worth missing. He'd kept to himself, maintaining a low profile to stay out of trouble. It had worked, but for some reason, he had a feeling things were going to be different here.
A few more hallways later, they finally came to a stop in front of a cell.
"Enjoy your stay," the warden said with an unsympathetic smirk, slamming the door shut in Shuuhei's face.
Shuuhei shot him a glare, but remained silent as he watched the man walk away, pudgy hips swaggering obnoxiously.
"Fucking asshole thinks he owns the place," a voice drawled behind Shuuhei.
Only then, did Shuuhei realize that he wasn't alone. He had been so engrossed in his hatred and apprehension that he'd completely missed the other figure in the cell. His heart rate spiked as his cellmate slowly unfurled his body from his position on the bottom bunk. The man was reed thin and impossibly tall, with stringy black hair that came down to his collar bone, hiding half of a slim, pointy face. The single visible eye, slanted and narrow like a snake's, peered curiously at Shuuhei.
"You have a name?"
Shuuhei straightened up with a start. "Hisagi Shuuhei," he replied, pulling himself to his full height. He schooled his features into a mask of calm, even though inwardly he was anything but. He wasn't weak, or a coward, and he'd be damned if he let this man take him for a pushover.
His cellmate came closer, long legs carrying him across the floor in a few slow, lazy strides. Pulling up in front of Shuuhei, the man leaned down, thin lips pulled back in an eerily wide grin.
"Shuuhei, eh?" he repeated, cocking his head to the side, exposing a white eyepatch that kept his other eye hidden. "Now that's a pretty name."
"Uhh, if you say so," Shuuhei muttered, a feeling of dread welling in his chest. He didn't like this.
No, he didn't like this at all.
Dinner time came and went surprisingly peacefully. Shuuhei made sure he was nowhere near his lanky companion and sat quietly by himself. He observed the other prisoners with a watchful eye. Nobody approached him, but most did give him a once-over, perhaps out of curiosity about a newcomer. Only one or two leered at him a little more openly than he'd have liked.
One of them was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a head of wild, eye-catching blue hair. The man sat with Nnoitra, Shuuhei's cellmate, and after what looked like a hushed conversation between the two of them, the blue-haired man had turned to give Shuuhei a piercing look. A chill went down Shuuhei's spine as soon as their eyes met; even from a distance, he was floored by the sheer blue-ness of the man's irises. He'd even call them beautiful, had the man not flashed him a lecherous grin. The icy coldness that was already crawling up and down Shuuhei's limbs intensified.
At eleven o'clock on the dot, the lights went out. Shuuhei laid on the top bunk, too restless to sleep. He could hear Nnoitra humming below him; the sound bothered him, but he gritted his teeth and tried to ignore it. They hadn't exchanged a single word since he gave Nnoitra his name, but he'd felt the man's eyes on him the entire evening. Much as he didn't want to admit it, it creeped him out. He couldn't help but think that Nnoitra was up to no good.
What could the man possibly do, though? The prison wardens here seemed diligent; they were constantly strolling up and down the hallway. Nnoitra would be caught before he could harm a hair on Shuuhei's head.
At least, that was what he thought, until much later that night.
Shuuhei was sleeping when a soft, metallic clang roused him. He blinked, mind instantly alert but unable to place the sound. It had come from below. If he didn't know better, he'd say it sounded like a door being unlocked. He snorted under his breath. Surely that was absurd, such a thing would never be tolerated.
Then, the next thing he knew, a large, calloused hand gripped his wrist and he was yanked bodily down from his bunk. He only managed to let out half a yelp before his mouth was clamped shut. Another pair of hands intercepted his fall, and he landed awkwardly on something warm and too soft to be the floor.
"Goddamnit," Nnoitra's voice cursed in a whisper. "You're fucking heavy for someone so skinny."
Shuuhei's eyes widened, and he finally got a good look of his predicament. His cellmate had him in his arms, bony fingers digging into his body, and when his mouth was freed, he was greeted by the same shade of blue that he'd seen at the canteen. For a moment, he was stunned into silence. Then his heart started to race.
He was surrounded by two men, both much larger than he was. Nothing good could come out of this.
The blue-haired inmate gave him the same chilling grin as before as he leaned closer. He sniffed at Shuuhei, a gesture that instantly reminded Shuuhei of a predatory animal.
"So, you're Shuuhei," the man said, not even bothering to lower his voice.
Shuuhei glanced at the entrance of his cell in a panic; it was indeed unlocked, and there were no wardens in sight. How the-
"Don't worry," Nnoitra's friend chuckled. "I assure you, we will not be disturbed."
Before Shuuhei could utter a protest, a fist struck him in the stomach. Pain exploded from his core, and Shuuhei doubled over, his eyes immediately watering on their own accord. He wheezed, desperately trying to breathe, but another punch caught him at the same spot. And then another. And another. His knees buckled.
What the hell was going on? Who were these people?
Blue-hair knelt down in front of him, and Shuuhei felt Nnoitra move to stand behind him. A vicious tug on his hair kept his chin up, causing him to hiss in pain. He stared at his mysterious assailant, too shocked and in too much agony to voice his questions.
"A few years ago, I made a friend," Blue-hair began. He lifted his hand and rubbed the pad of his thumb across Shuuhei's cheek almost tenderly. "Good kid. I wondered how he ended up here. He'd never answer when I asked him."
Shuuhei's vision swam in and out of focus.
The man continued. "He used to always stare at a picture. He thought nobody knew, but I did." He paused. "Then, after he left, I finally found out who sent him here."
The gentle touch became a vice-like grip on Shuuhei's jaw that made him grunt.
"His name is Abarai Renji, and he's my friend."
That was the last thing Shuuhei heard before he was flung face-down onto Nnoitra's bunk. His knees struck the cement floor with a resounding crack, but he was cut off mid-cry when his face was shoved into the mattress. A heavy weight settled across his shoulders, and his flailing arms were seized by his wrists and pinned down. He struggled desperately, but strong, thin thighs trapped his head in place. He could only gasp weakly, Nnoitra's bodyweight making it difficult to breathe.
Just as Shuuhei thought he was going to pass out, a different pair of hands grabbed the waistband of his pants and pulled. A split moment of realization dawned, and Shuuhei let out a strangled scream. He struggled anew, a sudden surge of adrenaline lending him strength, and he bucked, trying to throw his cellmate off of him. Nnoitra only cackled in glee and held on.
It was going to be a long, long night.
The End.