Chapter 1:

Ichigo had just gotten home from a long day at work. He was tired and ready to just collapse on his bed. He headed to the porch and he jumped at the sight of the blood on the porch. His eyes followed to blood to the door. There was an unconscious young man in the corner, covered in blood and naked. "Shit!"

He moved closer to the unconscious male and checked his pulse. He was barely still alive He quickly fished out his phone and called for help. "Hello, I have an emergency. This guy is hurt in my eleva-" He stopped mid-sentence when a hand shot up and grabbed his wrist. He looked at the seemingly unconscious man, his eyes were still closed. "No…hospital." He heard the young man groan. "Sir? Sir?" Ichigo ended the call and looked at the young man.

"You're hurt. You'll die if you don't get help."

"Ichi." The young man managed to moan out and the orangette's eyes widened in shock. HE moved the hair out of the man's face. He immediately recognized the male as his missing friend from almost ten years ago. "Xaine?" He groaned, but didn't open his eyes. "Ichi. No…hospital" Ichigo redialed for help. "I need help now he's dying and I don't know how long he'll live." He gave the woman the address "Alright they're on their way." He hung up the phone and held the injured young man's face "Xaine? Xaine, hold on you're getting help." Xaine could barely keep his eyes open.

"Do-don't leave me, Ichi."

"I won't, I promise." Xaine fell limp in the orangette's arms.

xXx

Ichigo was fast asleep in Xaine's room in a chair, waiting for him to awake. "Ichigo?" The light voice didn't wake him up. Someone tapped on his shoulder and he jumped slightly. There stood a busty woman with burnt orange hair and grey eyes. She wore a nurse uniform and she was holding a clipboard. "Orihime?"

"What are you doing here?" She asked. Ichigo rubbed his eyes and explained everything from finding Xaine in the elevator and now. "I already took off. I told him that I wouldn't leave his side." Orihime nodded. "What are you doing here, Orihime?"

"I'm an intern here for now. Uryu helped me get the internship." Ichigo smiled lightly. "That's great."

"So will you be taking care of him?" Ichigo nodded. "It seem so. What can you tell me?"

"He received an injury to the head, a stab wound in the side, and…." She trailed off while looking down at the clipboard in sadness. "Orihime. What else happened?" She bit her lip and looked at him nervously. "Please, he's my friend. I want to know everything."

"He's uh… He's suffered from well…. he was also bleeding from his bottom suggesting that…." Ichigo held his hand up to stop her. "I get it. You don't have to explain." She nodded very relieved that she didn't have to explain. "He has a few cuts and bruises, but he doesn't have any next of kin and no emergency contacts." Ichigo frowns. "He did go missing when we were kids, but I thought he'd still have someone." Orihime shook her head. "He can be released as soon as he awakes." Ichigo nodded.

"Thanks, Orihime." She smiled and skipped out of the room humming. "I…Ichi_kun." He turned his head to look at his childhood friend. Xaine had long silky black hair that stopped at his waist. His skin was pale but not as pale as others, in fact when the moonlight hits him just right, it's almost as if he glows. The fringes framed his effeminate face stopping at his chin, and his bangs slightly covered his eyes. His eyes were hazel with blue around the pupil. In his left ear was industrial piercing, and the piercing being used was black and arrow shaped. There was a tragus piercing in his right ear and an anti-tragus piercing in his left ear. He also had two loop earrings in his ear lobes. HE was wrapped in bandages from his head to his arms and torso.

He squinted his eyes in Ichigo's direction. "Are you there?" Ichigo hurried to Xaine's side and held his hand. "Xaine, what happened? Where have you been?"

"I don't remember." Ichigo frowned remembering that Orihime mentioned him being hit in the head. "You might have amnesia. I'm gonna take you home with me."

"Won't I get in trouble with your dad?" Xaine asked. 'He must think we're still kids.' Ichigo shook his head no. "We're much older now. I don't live with my dad." Xaine pouted and rubbed his eyes. "I can't see."

"I'll take care of you. Let's go."

xXx

Xaine ran into a wall trying to get to the living room. He fell on his butt and rubbed it. "Ow." He looks up to see orange heading his way. "Ich-" He was interrupted by Ichigo putting a hand over his mouth.

xXx

Earlier that morning

Ichigo watched Xaine sleep in his new room debating on whether to leave him by himself. Xaine had been here for a week, and Ichigo had been out of work for a week. He had just gotten a call from his boss, stating that he couldn't miss any more work. He had to come in, but he didn't want to leave Xaine here by himself. He snapped out of his train of thought when there was a knock at the door. He walked to the door and looked through the peephole. His eyes widened in shock and confusion. He turned around and put his back to the door. "Berry, open up. We know you're in there." Ichigo closed his eyes to slow down his heart rate. 'Please go away.'

"Berry." The voice was deep with a gruff silky tone. "It's time to go back. How long did you think you could hide?" Ichigo could feel his heart rate beat faster. "I can pick a lock, bust down the door, or you can let me in." He could tell the voice was getting irritated. He jumped when he heard a crash. He saw Xaine rubbing his butt on the hardwood floor, so he rushed over to the oblivious raven. "Ich-" Ichigo covered his mouth then put a finger to his mouth to signal quietness. Xaine nodded.

There was a loud bang at the door making both men jump. "We have to hide." Ichigo whispered. Xaine followed his friend to one of the rooms. He watched Ichigo hurriedly open an empty closet. He felt the walls for something. His hands stopped at an invisible panel and pushed it inward. The wall opened to reveal a bigger space to hide in. As soon as it opened they heard a loud crash and someone yelling. "Ichigo!"Ichigo pulled Xaine inside the closet and closed the door. He then pulled Xaine into a new hiding spot. Ichigo sat on the floor and pulled Xaine into his lap. He was sitting in Ichigo's lap looking into chocolate brown eyes. Then the wall closed surrounding the two in darkness. Xaine looked around in panic and began to hyperventilate. "Shhh." Xaine buried his face in the crook of Ichigo's neck squeezing his shoulders. Ichigo hugged him tightly to comfort the scared raven.

"Ichigo, where the hell are you?" The voice was upset. "I saw you come in here. If you don't come out you will regret it." The voice threatened. After a long pause, there was a lot of crashing noises. "Xaine. I want you to help me find a hidden panel so we can get out of here." Ichigo whispered in his ear and Xaine nodded. He felt the walls for a hidden panel. "Xaine, hurry." Ichigo started to panic when he saw smoke finding its way under the door.

Xaine finally found it and pushed it in. They both were pushed through an opening and through a tunnel. Xaine started crawling forward with Ichigo right behind him. "Ichi, who was that?"

"My ex. It's kind of complicated." Ichigo said as they made it to the end of the tunnel. They crawled from under the porch and walked towards the sidewalk. They turned around to see the house ablaze. "We can't stay. We have to go." As soon as Ichigo turned around he received a punch to the face. He fell to the ground. "Ichi!" Someone grabbed Xaine from behind by his neck and waist.

"I knew you were still in there." Ichigo was kicked in the stomach and the air was knocked right out of him. "Stop it!" Xaine tried to help his childhood friend, but whoever held him wouldn't let go. Xaine froze at the sound of a sickening crack and pained scream. He watched The same guy that was hurting Ichigo walked over to Xaine. A hand grabbed his cheek and turned it toward the face. Dark brown eyes, spiky red hair, and a wide smirk. His eyes widened in realization. 'The monster from the other day.'

"I remember you. You're that brat I was supposed to find. I found you and I got the chance to have a little fun with you."

"Th-that was you? You did that to him, bastard." Xaine closed his eyes in fear as a hand touched is stomach. "How cute. We should have more fun." Xaine finally had enough and kicked him in between his legs. The red head doubled over and groaned in pain. Xaine did the same to guy behind him. He pushed the guy away and ran over to Ichigo. He helped Ichigo to his feet only for him to groan out in pain. Ichigo stumbled forward, but Xaine made sure he didn't fall. "My ankle."

"You little bitch." Xaine looked at the man in fear as he struged to get up. "You're going to pay." Xaine quickly secured Ichigo on his back and bean to run off. "Get back here!"

"Woah, you're a fast runner." Ichigo complimented. "Why did you date him? He's a big jerk." Xaine said. "We'll talk later, keep running."

"Run where?"

"Get back here, you little punk!" They could hear their attackers ranting behind them. Ichigo looked behind them. "They're gaining!" Xaine turned a corner and ran across the busy street dodging cars. "You idiot! We could both get hurt." Xaine began crossing another street, one that wasn't as busy as the first. Xaine could feel the tears running down his cheek. He stopped in the middle of street. "Wha the hell are you doing?" Xaine literally grabbed Ichigo by his collar and threw him across the street. As soon as he did, he heard the unmistakable screech of a car trying to stop. Just as he was about to move out the way, a gunshot rang out.

xXx

Ichigo landed on his ass. "Xaine, what the hell?!" He turns around in time to hear a gunshot. His eyes widened as a small hole appear in the middle of Xaine's forehead. "No." Then a car hit Xaine sending him tumbling over the car and landing on his back. "Xaine!" Ichigo stands up to run to his friend's aid. His foot collapsed under him, causing a great deal of pain. He stood up again and hopped on his good foot over to his unmoving friend. Ichigo dropped to his knees and look at him with wide eyes.

There laid Xaine with ripped clothing, a bruised body, and what looked like a bullet hole in the middle of his head. He stared back at Ichigo with tear filled lifeless eyes. "Xaine." His childhood friend face was becoming wet with his tears.

"Can't leave a job unfinished, now can I?" Something slammed into his bad leg forcing a pain scream. A hand grabbed a fistful of his hair and dragged him away from Xaine's body. He could hear the cock of a gun. "Now to tie up loose ends." He could feel the barrel of a gun touch his temple and the pressure of the man's knee in his back.. "Nothing personal, just business." He watched his once lost childhood friend die before his eyes and now it was his turn to die. He closed his eyes and waited for his end. He heard a faint gunshot, but the problem was that he was still alive.

The weight on his back was gone and the hair tugging stopped. Without hurting himself more, he crawled over to Xaine and rested his head on the dead body's chest, but still able to see what was going on. A man in black held a gun to the killer's head. "Who said you could kill in my territory?"

"Fuck you Ja-"He pulled the trigger and the killer's body fell to the floor. After that, his eyes were blinded by tears, so it was difficult to see. "Oi, you okay, kid?"