ABUSED FRUIT ONESHOT
Summary: He had killed his mom, hadn't he? Well, it didn't matter what he said, only that his dad abused him for the broken heart and broken marriage. But how long will he last as his father's punching bag? Long enough for Grimmjow to save him? He can't be too sure. Yaoi mentions, no lemon (I'm not old enough you pervs!) and oocness. [so sorry, but the characters are complex and not quite right for the story] AU.
As he prepared lunch, he couldn't help but to think of how much he deserved this cruel, twisted ending to his story. Not the literal end, of course, though, when that would come depended on how good of a mood his father happened to be in. It was the figurative end to one of the many books in the series that was the life of Kurosaki Ichigo. The type of bloody, brutal ending that left you hanging, wishing for the next volume as tears trailed down your cheeks. He paused in his machine-like stirring long enough to hear the car pull into the driveway. Quickly pouring the sweet sauce onto the rice, meat and vegetable mix, he grabbed at the plates and hoped he wouldn't be too late. The garage door squeaked shut and he barreled towards the dining room, shaky feet carrying him the whole way there. Setting the plates onto the table right as his father came in, he prayed his dad was in high spirits and wouldn't punish him for cutting it so close. After bowing to the older man, he moved forward to remove the coat that hung off the man's larger frame. His father grabbed his hand, dull gray eyes flashing angrily, and dragged him to the stove, which Ichigo hadn't turned off in his rush to get dinner onto the table.
"I told you, that when I get home, I wanted my meal to be ready for me on the table. Why the hell do you think you can make me wait?" The larger men shouted, bringing the struggling teen's hand down on the hot burner.
Through the white-hot pain, Ichigo remembered feeling sticky tears run down his face. He couldn't be sure if he was screaming or not because of the sound of his blood rushing in his ears. The hand holding his let go and he crumpled to the floor, sobs racking his form as he curled into himself, sheltering his injured palm.
"Get me a beer before you get your sisters. People who kill their mothers and don't follow household rules don't get to eat dinner, so that means you can't eat until tomorrow. Stop sobbing. You don't have the right too." Isshin Kurosaki ordered, lodging his boot into Ichigo's spine with a harsh kick.
Gripping the granite counter with his uninjured hand, Ichigo slowly pulled himself up, trying to ignore the flashes of pain that curled around the base of his vertebral column. Limping over to the fridge, he pulled the door open and reached in, grabbing a beer from the case of six. The smell of the open electronic was awful, but he didn't have time to clean in out today. When he finally reached the school to pick up his sisters, it would be late and dinner for them would have to be re-heated. He set the bottle next to his dad's plate, recoiling sharply when his father reached for it.
"You don't deserve anything but the pain you receive. It's nowhere near the pain your mother felt when you killed her." His father snarled, grabbing Ichigo's arm and pulling, satisfied with the sickening pop and whimper of pain that followed. "Go get my daughters. Don't you dare even think of touching them."
His arm hung limply at his side as he trudged to the school hurriedly, albeit painfully. When he arrived at the wrought-iron gates, he looked around the surrounding area, searching for his beloved sisters, the beautiful twins his late mother gave birth too. He frowned, seeing them standing with a man he didn't recognize. Any other time, he would have found himself ogling the hot blue-haired jock who stood there, grinning. But he had his sisters to think about and his over-protective nature kicked in.
"Karin! Yuzu!" He shouted, smiling and waving as he made his way over to them. The look that flashed in Karin's eyes told him she had noticed that he had waved with his right hand, instead of his dominant and injured left. "Hey, umm, Karin, do me a favor and set my arm back in place?" he muttered sheepishly, leaning down so her twelve year old stature could reach his shoulder.
"You're an idiot, you know. Alright, get ready." She muttered, snapping his arm back into its joint.
"Thanks Karin," he said with a grunt before remembering the piercing blue eyed teen who seemed to be staring intently at his face, as if he were searching for something.
"I'm Grimmjow. It's nice to meet you." The man said, his voice making Ichigo's cock twitch. The man reached out his hand to shake, but if he noticed the flinch Ichigo gave him, he didn't comment.
"Hello. Do you know my sisters?" Ichigo smiled, ignoring the man's hand like he avoided saying his name.
"Yes. Karin here just about kicked my ass when I accidentally tripped Yuzu in the hall." The man smirked, showing off sharpened canines and pretended not to care about the blatant wall Ichigo had put up.
"That's a story that I'd love to hear the details about, but I think we had better get going. I made dinner a little bit ago and if we don't hurry it will get rather cold." Ichigo smiled, motioning for his sisters to start making the trek home, "it was nice to meet you, Grimmjow. If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask one of us."
Grimmjow watched the retreating figure with a sad look, remorseful for the Orangette and what he had been through. Turning, he pulled out his phone and dialed his brother.
By the time Ichigo had reached the house with his twin sisters, their dad was already passed-out, drunk, and dead to the world. He ushered the girls into the kitchen, putting two plates of stir-fry into the microwave to warm.
"Why aren't you eating anything, Ichigo?" Yuzu innocently asked, big doe eyes turned on him as he wrapped his burned hand.
"I'm not very hungry, Yuzu. It's okay because I ate something earlier." He smiled, enveloping the youngest girl in his arms.
"Okay." She sniffled, smiling as her brother ruffled her hair. The microwave beeped, signaling to them that the food was done. Ichigo stood up first, smiling as he brushed past his sisters, and undid the microwave door, watching as steam rolled out of the top of the box. Carefully, he took out the plates and set them on kitchen counter for the girls.
"I'll be right back; I'm going to check on dad." He warned, tip-toeing over to the unconscious form on the couch. Taking the blanket that was thrown over a nearby sofa, he laid it across his father, who mumbled his wife's name is his sleep and turned over.
Turning to avoid crying on his father, he made his way into the hallway, trying not to alert his sisters that something was wrong. Unfortunately, in his act to preserve his sisters from worrying, he also woke his slumbering father, who was just dreaming about his wife's death.
Gasping as he was slammed head first into a wall; he tried to recover enough to tell his sisters to go upstairs. Stumbling sideways, he avoided another blow from his father's foot. Falling into the kitchen area, he led his sisters to a safe hallway that led up to their bedroom.
"Go. Now." He ordered, bordering on pleading.
They ran to the stairs, Karin dragging Yuzu along, even as she screamed at their father when he gripped Ichigo's hair is his fist and flung him into the wooden kitchen cabinets.
Groaning, Ichigo tried to move, but he couldn't feel anything in his arms except a burning pain that made him numb all over. Gingerly lifting his head off of the dented granite cabinet, he tried again to lift himself off of the pile of debris he had created on impact. Swimming vision and heavy limbs tried to keep him down as he lifted himself to the mocking gaze of his father.
"You killed her. Your own mother and you killed her. It's your fault that she's no longer here." His father growled, punching him in the gut and knocking him back to his knees. Kicking him backwards into the precarious pile of wooden splints of cabinet, his father laughed as a sudden pain grabbed at his side before all feeling washed away. Fists were hitting him, pushing him down farther and harder into the pile of jagged debris. He knew it should have hurt, that it was bad to feel numb so soon, but he couldn't think anymore because his father was smacking his face hard enough to break his jaw, which was being slammed back onto the floor with every harsh slap. No longer able to hold back tears, he watched with blurry eyes as something spread out around him, making him feel sticky and wet. His father stood up and stumbled away from the liquid, keeping it off of his shoes. In bright contrast to the white tile of the floor, he was mesmerized as the dark liquid distracted him from the new pinching feeling in his side.
Bright colored lights flashed outside, and he could hear shouts that seemed to distant to be real. They'll never make it in time. A voice whispered from the farthest recesses of his mind. The liquid had reached his father's shoes, soaking into the souls, and wetting the older man's feet as he was distracted by whoever was making all that noise. Footsteps dashed into the house, sending painful vibrations to the wounds covering his body. He could feel himself slipping away, to death or unconsciousness, he couldn't be sure, but he was sure he wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer. Blue flashed across his failing vision, splashing the dark blood everywhere as knees slid to a stop in front of him and hands grasped at his body, picking him up with a gentle touch he hadn't felt since his mom had died in front of him. He could feel it, even as the blue-haired stranger frantically shook him and shouted, the consciousness he once possessed slipping away.
Bright lights flashed across the inside of his eyelids in a rhythmic pattern, there, gone, there, gone, there, gone. Footsteps registered in his ears, but he was far too away to be able to do anything about them. Whispered words, spoken with a puff of warm breath against his ear that sent shivers down his spine. "You have to stay for them. Don't leave them alone." His sisters. He was sure that was who the words were about; his beautiful, intelligent, wonderful, terrified, younger sisters that he sent upstairs when his dad had started throwing punches. Oh, what would he do with those twins? Just who was this mysterious stranger that reminded him what he would have been leaving behind? It didn't matter who it was, but he was sure he recognized the voice that had softly reminded him in such a comforting, baritone way. Whoever it was, he was sure he wouldn't be dying now. How could he forget something as important as protecting his sisters from their drunken father who abused anything he could get his hands on. Just as his side throbbed in reminder, he swore he wouldn't leave his sisters alone with his devil of a father. Why is the big brother born first, Ichigo? So he can protect the little brothers and sisters that come after him. Darkness ate at him, annoyed that he slipped into the light.
The next time he welcomed the light, it was just an eerie glow from the bedside table next to him. Karin was laying on the couch, curled up with Yuzu clinging to her in their sleep.
"They've had a rough couple of days. Didn't expect you to wake up quite yet." A tired voice explained from beside him. Jerking away from the unknown sound, he let out a groan when his vision swam and an irritated throb started in his side.
"Careful there, wouldn't want to reopen your stitches." The voice said, lifting Ichigo's shirt to examine the damage.
Struggling against the unfamiliar hands, he could feel something foreign enter his bloodstream, making his veins burn while the hands pinned him down.
"Restrain the patient. Can I get a nurse in here?!" the voice called, making Ichigo squirm against the affects of the new drug in his system.
"S-stop. Please! No more! Don't touch me anymore!" He cried using his depleting strength as an older woman approached him, pushing his chest down. "Can't. No. don't – don't t-touch m-." he trailed off, arms falling to his sides as his vision wavered, falling into the clutches of the shadows around him.
Turning over, he tried to pry his dry eyelids open, only to fail with the feeling that they were sewn shut. Opening parched lips, he tried to call for help, reaching out for anybody, yet doubting anyone could hear his plea. A hand grasping his outstretched one caught him completely off guard, and his eyes opened quickly as a painfully noise of surprise ripped itself from his dry throat. Blinking furiously and cowering from the too-bright light that assaulted his eyes, he tried to jerk his hand out of the stranger's grasp.
"Whoa, it's alright, Ichigo. I just saw you reach your hand out and went to grasp it. I'm sorry. Calm down, alright. Yuzu and Karin are here to see you. Nobody is going to hurt you." A familiar voice called, pulling at his memories that were too jumbled to make sense of.
Blearily glancing up, he made out a silhouette of a bulky teenager, hovering near two smaller forms that he quickly recognized as his younger sisters.
"H-hey g-gu-." He was cut off as his dry throat protested in the form of a major coughing fit. Clutching at his sides, he had no time to realize that there were stitches on one side before the man returned with a cup of water that he pressed to Ichigo's lips and nursed down the smaller teen's throat. The cup was removed when the water was no longer being swallowed, but instead dribbled down Ichigo's chin onto the hospital gown that he suddenly seemed to notice. His vision cleared and he straightened up, taking in the dark circles around his sisters' eyes and Grimmjow, not only Ichigo's savior, but the person who still held his hand and the last person he had expected to see.
What the HELL are you doing here?! And- And back at the house?! But- and- he- you- Why are you here?!" Ichigo stuttered, confused at the twin smirks he received from Karin and Grimmjow.
"I suppose I could explain it to you, Ichigo." Grimmjow's smirk grew, eating up his face.
FLASHBACK~
Grimmjow watched the retreating figure with a sad look, remorseful for the Orangette and what he had been through. Turning, he pulled out his phone and dialed his brother.
"Child Protective Services, this is Starkk Coyote, how may I help you?" His brother, droned, answering the phone according to protocol.
"Hey Starkk, it's me, Grimmjow. I found a kid that I need your help with. He's seventeen and gets kicked around by his dad. Has two younger sisters, but the dad doesn't touch them. I need your help getting him out. Could you go visit the house, check if you can get the kids out of there?"
"Anything for my brother. Sure, I'll go check it out, but if it's as bad as you're saying, than I think I'll check the hospital files first. Can you give me a name?" Starkk inquired; his voice attentive to the matter at hand.
"Ichigo Kurosaki. You'd better hurry. From what I've seen, that kid can't take much more of this." Grimmjow briefed, giving a warning.
"Alrig- Oh Shit. Holy wow. What the hell is that guy doing to his son?" Starkk rambled, incredulous tone freaking Grimmjow out.
"Why? What have you found Starkk?" Grimmjow asked hurriedly, concerned.
"Multiple bone fractures, abrasions around the face and chest, bruising on the abdomen, common nose bleeds, trouble hearing from right ear, relectuance to sit down, scarred back and arms, burns on hands and arms, and faint chaffing of wrists." Starkk said, his voice monotone as he read from Ichigo's medical file.
"Seriously?! What the fuck is wrong with the father?"Grimmjow choked, wide-eyed.
"I don't know, but not only will I get the kid away from the father, I'm gonna put the father in jail. No way in hell is he gonna be allowed to go free after what he's done to this kid." Starkk growled.
"Alright. I'll go with you for the house check." Grimmjow stated.
"Okay. Meet me at 1515 Zangetsu Lane in fifteen minutes. NO! Wait a second, I'm getting a call from their neighbors, don't hang up!" exclaimed Starkk.
"Alright Grimmjow, I'm calling an ambulance. Get the hell over to that house. Reports of screams were just heard. Drive like it's a life or death situation, because it probably is." Starkk instructed, hanging up without saying goodbye.
Grimmjow took only a second to comprehend what he had just been told before he was racing off toward his light blue Chevrolet Impala and racing off toward the address he was given.
The police were just arriving when he got there, and he flashed his CPS badge on his way through the front door. He could hear coughing from deeper inside the house and he raced toward the sound, arriving in the kitchen to see a man standing in the middle of the open space, blood pooled at his feet and draining from his son, who lay in the middle of a pile wooden debris, one sticking straight out of his side. Body beaten and broken, he coughed limply once before Grimmjow was sliding across the floor and enveloping the boy in his arms, staring into dim eyes that stared up at him without really noticing anything.
"I NEED A MEDIC NOW!" He shouted, emotions running rampant and his body on autopilot, going through the rush of adrenaline that coursed through his veins as shock settled heavily in his mind.
They set the limp body on a gurney, immediately pulling out the large splint of wood and ripping out a scream of pain from the boy as he arched off of the surface of the bed, before falling back limply. The paramedics ripped the boy's shirt open, revealing scars and bruises among a gaping hole that they immediately pressed a towel against, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Grimm!" Yuzu called, rushing out of the arms of the police officers, who had searched the rest of the house, and into his own burly arms. Karin followed less jovially.
"You did what you promised! You saved him! Thank you so much!" Yuzu cried as she buried her head into his side. He enveloped her and Karin into his arms, surrounding them with a much-needed hug.
"Of course I did. I wouldn't lie to good kids like you two." Grimmjow smiled softly, thinking of how much his younger sister, Nel, was like Karin and Yuzu. "We're going to put him in the hospital so that he gets better and I think the doctors will want to check up on you two. Would you like a ride there?"
"Yes please, although, Ichigo always made sure that we never were hurt by daddy." Yuzu explained; voice strained as she held back more tears.
"Well that was very noble of him. You must be so proud, but he won't have to do that anymore because you're all safe now. I won't let anyone harm you." Grimmjow smiled, hugging once more before leading them to his car.
END FLASHBACK~
"We were all really worried about you. Yuzu and Karin wouldn't leave the room at all, and eventually I had to go on food runs and watch to make sure they ate at all. Karin made fun of me for not getting good food, because, apparently, you're quite the cook. Her revelation then led to more tears, and they fell asleep crying, that's how you found them the first time you, ah, woke up." Grimmjow expressed, smiling at Ichigo as he finished.
"I see. Thank you so much Grimmjow. But was it just a happy coincidence that you met Karin?" Ichigo asked, confused.
"No, but that's a story for another time." Grimmjow smiled, "you need to get some more rest."
"Alright." Ichigo sighed, slumping back into the hospital pillows. "Thanks again."
"It was no problem. I'm just glad you're no longer an abused fruit. I like my strawberries fresh, not too ripe." Grimmjow smirked, pecking Ichigo on the lips before walking out of the room, leaving a spluttering Ichigo and a smirking set of twins.
"What the Hell?!"
