Hello everyone. This is the first of what I hope to be many stories to come for this site. This little plot bunny has been hopping around in my head for years. No is the time that I shall let him loose. It is not totally original as it follows a story path of a manga called "Tramps like Us" but is very different at the same time. Please read and Review!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Bleach characters!
Chapter 1
You're My Pet
Hard footsteps hit the ground as Byakuya walked to his car angrily after work. The cold air did little to make cool his temper and he felt like he would explode any moment. Why did he have to work with such neanderthals? How could he have allowed such absolute fools to rise so far into the chain of command that he ended up feeling as though the company would deteriorate within a fortnight? With a huff, he clenched a little tighter on his jacket, the icy wind biting at his cheeks. It was not unlike the CEO to park so far away from his building, giving him the ability to get in at least a little excersize to and from his car, but he was sorely regretting it now. Each step felt like stepping deeper into a freezing river, trying to sweep him away. The wind was terrible. Finally, his car came into view, and once again, he saw that no one had dared park anywhere near him, knowing exactly who's car it was. He felt both egotistical and a bit silly that his workers seemed to fear him so much, they refused to even allow the slightest possibility that they may scratch his car or bump doors. A silly thought really.
As it came to view, he felt his legs walking significantly faster, trying only not to break into a full jog. He thrust open the door and slid inside, slamming it shut and pressing the start button, which he'd always found amusing. A start button on a car. It was the soul reason he purchased it. He need only have the keys on his person and the car would unlock for him, and then start at the press of a button. No need to fiddle around with the keys or try blindly to shove them into the slot...this simple task has been made even simpler. It made him feel as though it was less a car and more machine made especially to make his life amusingly uncomplicated, which, at times like this, were nice. He blew into his hands and cleared his throat, backing out and driving to his empty home, once again, as every other day before. He did not turn on the radio, finding it a distraction for his thoughts. The ride home was lit only by the lights on the road and his own headlights. It passed uneventfully. When he arrived home, he parked this car next to his few others. He didn't really care for any of them. But it was nice to have others handy should he get into an accident or should one of them die. And since he could spare the expense, why not? He didn't have time for vacations, or holidays, so why not spend a little extra for his homelife. It wasn't as though he was spending it on much else.
He stared at the ground as he walked to his door, his feet blindly takng him up the steps. So deep in though he was that he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight before him, just before he had reached the entrence. A huge brown box stood between him and the warmth of his house. He'd almost tripped over the thing. It was fairly massive, though he was truly wary of it. No packages were to be left on his doorstep. He had people collect all packages at the post office and bring them directly inside for him, so he hadn't the slightest idea as to whom had the audacity to place this one here now. He had to move it in order to get inside. He didn't want to touch it, but the cold made him brave, and now, even more irritated. He walked to the side of the box and lightly toed it with his foot in an attempt to find it light and easy to move. No such luck. He then placed his foot squarely on it and tried shoving it. His foot almost too easily burst right through the side of the box and kicked whatever was inside, resulting in a low grunt.
This more than spooked Byakuya as he fell to the ground and quickly retrieved his foot from the box, not wanting something alive in it to bite or scratch him. From the sound of it, it was a dog, and a large one. Who on earth would dare send him a massive dog? He quickly stood and dusted himself off, nearly forgetting about the cold air. Now he had a live animal to worry about. What would be said about him if someone saw this animal, in a box, on his doorstep, freezing away in this bitter cold? They would arrest him for sure! He needed animal control. He needed help. His hand was thrust into his pocket to retrieve his phone which he quickly attempted to switch on. As soon as he pressed the button, his battery took a dive and the phone pleasantly turned off. Byakuya glared at the phone with rage so great, he felt he should toss it and demand his phone company provide him with a battery that never died in these sort of situations! It was maddening! How could a phone possibly serve him as it should if it would die when he needed it most? Obviously not one willing to obey it's master under any circumstances if sleep was more important than his life!
"Stupid things, not even worth the parts used to make them." he grumbled as he shoved it back into his pocket. He eyed the box warily again, wishing it had been placed on someone else's doorstep. Maybe this wasn't so bad. Maybe the dog would be friendly enough. He might even grow to like it. A pet might be just what he needed. Obviously he would have someone else take care of it while he was away, but he could use a bit of company at night. People were just too much of a hassle for him. They were dumb and needy. He didn't feel like taking care of any clingy woman only after his wallet or some snotty child growing up hating him for not being around enough. A dog would love him unconditionally, and a big one might scare away any females trying to get into his house. Suddenly this animal turned into a gain instead of a potential problem. He grinned at the mysterious box now, accepting that this might be good, and hoping the animal wasn't ravaged with disease or a killing machine.
He shoved a pointing finger in the direction of the box. "Don't bite me, or I'll leave you out here." He said with as much force as he could muster. He then towered over the box, placing his hands on the top. He took a deep breath. Whatever was inside wasn't moving much, but it was undoubtedly alive. It was too dark to see through the hole he'd made and he was still a little too gun shy to try and stick his head at the hole of a possible big rabid dog in a box. So he decided to open it the normal way. After ripping away the tape, he opened it to see a flash of red hair and a large muscled body, curled up at the bottom of the box. The only thing he wasn't expecting was the fact that this particular dog looked an awful lot like a human man. An extremely large human man at that. He didn't look familiar, so he was now totally confused.
"Who are you?" he demanded. The man in the box only groaned, seeming to be unconscious. This made things difficult all over again.
Now unafraid of the creature in the box, he grudgedly got on his knees and pushed the box out of the way of his door, the man's weight a true force as he pushed with all his might. It slid slightly and he was just able to open the door and squeeze through. He slammed it shut behind him, trying to simply forget about the man and wait till he awoke from what could only be a drunken stupor and stumble his way off Byakuya's property. The CEO stomped into his living room, unamused at the day's events, and sat down, pouring himself a glass of whiskey from his cabinet, crossing his legs and refusing to think about the man outside.
"Too bad...I was actually beginning to hope it was a dog. I wouldn't mind having a pet, now that I think about it." His musings were cut short as he looked towards the front door. His house, despite his money, was actually somewhat small. He didn't need much, but he didn't want to rent, so he bought a house just big enough to accommodate his needs and the needs of any possible family he would have. He didn't want to move as it was too much of a hassle, so he purchased a house with four bedrooms, a basement, two living rooms, a large kitchen, and three bathrooms, one in the master bedroom, and a dining room that he never used. He never entertained, he didn't have any live in servants, and no pets.
With a strange feeling in his chest, he decided to save the man outside from hypothermia and went back to the front door. As he placed his hand on the knob, his heart began to race. What if he was some sort of strange alcoholic who would rob him for all he was worth the second he regained consciousness? What if he was a law breaker on the run from the police and Byakuya got stuck in the middle? He couldn't afford to go to court with his business as it was. He felt like his life was spiraling into ruin and this man could be just the thing to shove him into the abyss. He looked to be in his mid twenties. Maybe he was a drug addict and Byakuya could be arrested just for having him on his property!
These thoughts continued to pester his mind even as he slowly opened the door, peeking out to see the man exactly where he left him. He took a deep breath and wandered back outside, the cold assaulting his skin again, this time, jacket less. The door shoved the box a little farther and Byakuya could see now that the man was not only large, but covered in strange tribal tattoos. He shivered. This did not bode well.
He tore the box on all sides and tried to slide his arms under the man's broad shoulders. He hoisted him up and dragged him into the house. He weighed a ton! He puffed on his breath as he dragged him into the larger living room, dumping him unceremoniously by the fireplace. He walked over to the wall and flipped a switch, crackling the fireplace to life. He smiled, once again amused at some of life's simple quirks. He then stepped over the large man and grabbed a blanket from the couch, throwing it over the red headed man, barely covering him. His long legs shot out from the bottom of the blanket and his arms were splayed to either side of him. One thing that Byakuya could say was that the man looked...rough. His features were completely masculine, unlike himself. His arms were muscled with black ink in every corner of what was visible of his body. Large boots wrapped around his big feet. His legs wore tattered jeans with no belt. His chest adorned a black T-shirt that seemed almost too small for this massive individual.
Byakuya pointed at the man as he sat on the couch and took another swig of his whiskey. "You're going to be a big problem...aren't you?" He asked. He received no response, but he thought of charging his phone and calling the police while he still had the chance.
There was just something about the man that intrigued Byakuya. The way his hair was so brightly red, it seemed purely unnatural. His face was soft in slumber, but he showed signs of being a bit beastly in his looks. Should this man wake, Byakuya would be utterly defenseless against him. The CEO wasn't a fighter. He was a business man who used his influence and silver tongue to get what he needed and that might be less than effective against a druggy alcoholic beast of a man trying to steal from him in his own home. He was once again glad for his rouse of a house since there was no way anyone could ever tell how rich he was based simply on it alone. He had other houses should he need to entertain, but this one was his alone. He lived here and no beast was going to scare him.
Deciding that once and for all, Byakuya sat quietly, looking at the man, and waiting for him to wake up.
The tattooed individual wasted little time in doing so, his head turning slightly, a groan escaping his throat. Byakuya jumped a little as he was reminded again of why he thought this man was canine. His throaty groan was so animalistic. A part of him was a little more than excited at meeting such a person, but another part was horrified. He needed to keep his calm. The man was just waking up, and should he show any sort of fear, he might be taken advantage of. He held his breath as the body lifted itself from the floor, sitting and looking at the fireplace. Byakuya was directly to his right and he didn't think the man noticed him yet. But just as he was scratching his head, wondering where he was, the stranger realized he wasn't alone and looked, groggily to Byakuya.
Even in this state, his eyes were piercing and narrow. They were dark and mysterious, though showed youth and humor.
"Who...where am I?" Came the hoarse question that Byakuya had expected. He had apparently decided that his location was more important than his host's name. Byakuya was slightly affronted by that.
"You are in my living room and if you don't mind, I'll be asking the questions. Who are you, and why were you in a box on my doorstep?" The raven haired man questioned. He held his glass firmly in his hand, taking another sip, but staring at the man's eyes. He saw confusion in them. His face seemed like it had seen better days. A few bruises adorned his arms and one on his left cheek. He also looked like he was in desperate need of a bath.
The man looked like he was about to speak when face twisted into what looked like pain. He held his hand up to his face and hissed in a breath.
"My wrist...it really hurts." He said through clenched teeth. Byakuya looked at him for a moment, not sure if he was being ignored and stood, going to the nearest bathroom for a first aid kit. When he returned, he sat down next to the man and held out his hand, expecting the suspected wounded hand to be placed there. The red head didn't even bat an eye and presented his hand to Byakuya, as if it were second nature to trust complete strangers. His wrist was, indeed more than bruised. It was probably just a sprain. He could still move it a little, but it hurt. The CEO stood up and moved over to a drawer in his cabinet, pulling out two rulers. He made a makeshift splint from the gauze in the first aid kit and the rulers. He supposed it would stop the man from wining, at least.
"Hey, thanks, you're pretty nice!" He said with a smile. Byakuya scoffed at the comment and tightened the gauze, making the stranger squirm a little, but he didn't complain.
"Tell me who you are or I'll call the police. Why were you on my doorstep?" Byakuya barked, seething now with irritation. The other man seemed to buckle under the weight of Byakuya's gaze, seemingly not used to this sort of situation.
"I umm...I don't know." He said with a nervous smile. Byakuya wasn't amused.
"You don't know? You expect me to believe that?" He said with clenched teeth. The man looked nervous again and just sat there, looking dumb. Byakuya huffed and stood up, taking his phone out of his pocket again. He eyed the black screen, knowing it was still dead, but pretended to poke at it anyway. The other man looked very nervous now.
"No, wait, please! I'm sorry I was on your doorstep, but honestly, I don't remember!" He pleaded, seeming sincere. Byakuya narrowed his eyes at him.
"Very well, then the least you could do now is thank me for my hospitality and go home. I could call you a cab instead." He said, angrily glaring at the man. Now he felt imposed upon. He was no burglar or anything dangerous. He was merely a stupid kid who probably got mixed up with people that Byakuya was in no way willing to deal with. The sooner he got out of his home, the better.
"Well...see...here's the thing...I don't actually...have one." The young man said with embarrassment. Byakuya huffed. Of coarse. He was homeless. Why had he not listed those on possibilities from the start. He was probably addicted to something and had no home. His need to get the man out of his house was only getting more and more of a necessity. Before Byakuya could say anything more on the man leaving, the stranger shivered and pulled the blanket Byakuya had thrown on him over his shoulders. His legs crossed and he tightened the blanket around his front, wincing at the pain in his wrist.
How long had he been out there? Byakuya had barely managed a few minutes going to his car, but who knows how long he had spent out in the cold.
"The thing is, my girlfriend kicked me out this morning. So, I was wandering around town, trying to find a place to crash for the night when these losers jumped me and took me for everything I had. They even took my phone so I couldn't call anyone. They beat me up since I fought back and I guess I passed out. But I have no idea how I ended up here." He said quietly. Obviously the story embarrassed him to say, but Byakuya wasn't sure he could believe it all. The CEO pinched the bridge of his nose, now unsure of his next move. If the boy's story was true, it would be cruel to throw him out into the cold night, with absolutely nothing. Plus he was injured at that. He was sure he could call the police and they would help, but he felt like that would just be a problem all on it's own.
Byakuya came up with a joke of an idea. It was amusing, but since he originally thought this man was a dog, he had to say it.
"Very well, if you have nowhere to go and no one to call, then you're pretty much at my mercy. I could just keep you as my pet."
Please review guys! I need nourishment! :D
