Melting Chapter 1
Rating – M (with some language, violence and yaoi sexual content)
Pairing – Ichigo and Byakuya.
This story is based around the return of Hueco Mundo and is my first Bleach fanfic and my first on this site – so your comments would help me considerably!
Spelling of characters and place names varies in quite a few stories and I guess this is due to the various translations available. This also applies to characters frequent phrases. Please allow for my interpretation of the characters.
It goes without saying that I do own Bleach and it's characters – this applies to all chapters posted as I can't see the point in wasting time repeating this every time.
Italics mean the character is thinking.
Melting.
"You were forbid from entering Hueco Mundo yet you did so, this cannot go unpunished!" Ichigo listened to the angry Yamamoto. "You are suspended from all shingigami duties and will hand your badge over immediately. Once you return to your body, you will not be permitted to use your powers again until you are called for in the Winter battle."
Ichigo was surprised to see a graceful almost white hand extend under his dropped head, expectantly waiting for the badge to be placed into the palm. He didn't need to look up at the ice-cold face that was bound to be looking at him disdainfully. Who better to send than the rule book himself?
Byakuya watched the boy's head rise with a slow and reluctant sigh. He looked at him through his steel eyes and saw the pride and pain reflected back in the chocolate orbs.
"I don't have it on me. Kon has it."
"You have an hour." The slow measured voice spoke to him. "I will find you."
Ichigo seemed rooted to the spot unable to draw himself away from the man and his stare.
"You and I are no different you know."
Byakuya responded with one raised eyebrow and looked away. If he could have done so, he would have walked away, aloof and uncaring, but this was not Soul Society and he knew he was not returning there for some time. "I need to have words with Sōtaichō Yamamoto. You are no longer required."
Rukia wished her brother was not so direct all the time but and order was an order and she yanked at Ichigo's sleeve dragging him away from the large screen in Inoue's apartment.
X
Aizen looked at the Arrancar that stood nervously in front of him. The fear was simply dripping off him in waves.
"What would you want with this pathetic creature?" Gin eyed the trembling mass of nerves as he circled it. "What is your name?" It resembled a walking tree coloured a sickly coloured sage green and wore a hollow mask of a leaf. It did not appear to look very threatening nor powerful. Gin's curiosity was aroused.
"Names are not important. It's his ability I am interested in." Aizen's spoke with that usual smug smile.
Gin looked up to his Captain with amusement, this was obviously the latest little game in his masters repertoire. No doubt this would prove amusing.
"You can shift shapes and merge with objects and humans can you not?"
"Ye..eysss my Lord." The branches of arms seemed to tremble as he answered.
"Good. I have a task that will earn you huge favour not only with me, but with our cause and your fellows. Interested?"
"Y yes."
"Then it is a simple task for you. I want you to kill a human for me… Kurosaki Ichigo"
The room seemed to silence at the mention of the name. He has caused enough trouble the past few days. Kill him? That pathetic creature couldn't do that, now when some of the proudest residents of Hueco Mundo couldn't do it.
"It seems that most of your higher ranking Arrancar could not do that, is it wise to send this weakling to do the job?" Gin smirked at the growls coming in his direction.
Aizen ignored his lover and spoke only to the creature in front of him.
"You will follow him and only attack when he is in his human form. That way he will not have his full powers. I also do not wish for anyone to be aware of your presence. Find a way to kill him without dying yourself and I will look favourably upon you."
X
Isshin looked at the man standing at his door and sighed, it was a long time since he has seen this face. A long time too soon too.
"Byakuya what do we owe this pleasure."
"I am here to see your son."
Well the tone of voice and ice cold stare were the same. The same unemotional, self-obsessed, jack ass hadn't changed one bit. "I would think it was not for personal reasons then?" This was met with the blank expression he expected.
Isshin turned at the sound of footsteps running down the stairs and he smiled at Rukia.
She looked from one to the other a confused look passing over her face.
"Is he ready?" Her brother asked her. Rukia nodded.
"Just be aware of what you are doing Byakuya." Isshin said coldly to the man.
"I am protecting your son Isshin. Something you have not be doing yourself." That was uncharacteristically low blow even for her brother, but Rukia was so confused by the two men she stood speechlessly watching. What would she have said? She'd never challenged him before.
"You allowed Rukia to accompany him. Do not waste your contempt on me."
"Yet you did not rush to his aid."
"He is not my only child, I have other responsibilities. Ichigo understands that."
"Should I be doubting your loyalty?" Byakuya spoke. Isshin looked at him with a glare as he continued. "I did not see the need to abandon my post for the sake of love. Where have emotions got you Isshin?"
"Where has the lack of them got you? You are standing in the same spot you were when your wife died." Isshin turned and left pausing at Rukia. "Sorry Rukia, I truly liked your sister. She just had a bad taste in men." Rukia's eyes opened widely and she looked at Ichigo's father surprised.
"You knew my sister?"
"I did. Its been a pleasure to have you here. You'll always be welcome." He smiled placing a hand on her shoulder and walked into the lounge area.
"But Ichigo…."
"There is no purpose to him knowing about me yet." Isshin replied to her question. "I wanted his home to be his refuge."
X
"You're just going to hand that to him!" Rukia shouted at the prone Ichigo as he placed the medallion in Byakuya's out stretched hand.
"Yeah." He said quietly ignoring the flash of surprise from the steel man and the outrage from his best friend.
"Why?" she demanded.
"I need to rest." His voice said quietly.
"You were ordered to take it, were you ordered not to give it back?" Rukia demanded of her brother.
Did she just challenge him? He'd expect that from Renji but not Rukia.
"I was ordered to look after it." He stated simply looking at his sister. He knew how much she cared for the boy her emotions were all over the place. "You will return to Soul Society Rukia while I am gone."
"What!" Rukia nearly exploded in his face. She had never dared to go against her brother so much as she was today. It was unthinkable that she could question him like this, but she couldn't just let them pass what was effectively a death sentence over her friend.
"I do not need to explain this to you." His voice rose to meet her anger but yet not enough to shout himself. Rukia caught herself before she could humiliate herself anymore in front of him. He watched her pull her self together and nod briefly. "You'll leave immediately."
"Ichigo." She turned to the boy.
He turned his head and looked at her.
"Shut up moaning. It's a holiday." He said in an attempt to make light of the situation. "Get used to being bored for a while." He added and gave her a quick smile. "I'll see you around okay? Now, can I at least get some sleep?"
"Yeah…See you soon." She smiled back. She wasn't a fool. She's spent enough time with him to know his fake face, but she's have to let the cold arsed brother of hers look after him for a while.
The two shingigami walked towards the portal door that appeared across the width of the room. If they'd looked back they would have seen Ichigo, bite its lip and hold back the well of frustration that was threatening to pour out. The hands that moved to cover his face and pressing into the skin to hold himself together. The shoulders that began to shake as the knees moved up towards his belly as he rolled away into a foetal position.
Byakuya watched the doors closed. He turned briefly towards the boy and thought twice about disturbing him. He couldn't let himself give in to impulse. Where would it take him? No where he wanted to be.
Isshin stood gazing at nothing out the window in the lounge and felt a stab of nostalgia grab hold of him. But the regret and sadness also held him rigid. The feeling of Ichigo's depressed retusui loomed ominously though the house at him, tearing at his own sole. Damn that bunch of stuffed pricks.
"Could you please tell me where I might find a place to stay?" Byakuya asked bringing Isshin back. He hadn't heard him reappear.
"I guess I could put you up, but this is a hospital not a mansion right."
"Thank you." He inwardly grinned at the surprised look on Isshin's face as he bowed.