AN: This is the first of a two shot, and I don't own Bleach or anything affiliated.
Ichigo knew he had to address the situation when they were finally sitting down on the table in front of him and he needed Kon's help to bandage his shoulders. They didn't trust each other's drinks or cups so it was his job to provide them; Aizen had a red power ranger mug and Yamamoto had a McDonald's Star Wars collectible cup. Between shinigami duties and moving out of the house didn't leave much in the way of china or the need to even get it.
He thought this situation called for more than paper cups- they'd given him a look the first time he'd set them up. They didn't like chips or vending snacks either. Now all they had in front of them were those mugs, some tea they'd seem him make, and some soda crackers.
"One of you is telling stories to people." Ichigo didn't normally speak to them unless he had to be used as a mediator. He was the only one considered by both to be a neutral party even though he fought with the shinigami. Ichigo didn't understand how Aizen considered him that but Yamamoto wanted to capitalize on that. Kon was working the bandage around his right arm since it was hard for him to get it around there securely. Neither of them were too happy with the damn delegations going on in their kitchen.
"What do you mean by that?" Yamamoto was silent but looking at him, just as Aizen was. He was perched on the counter by the sink and just watching the two of them. It was the best spot to be. He got to overlook them, like they wanted, but he kept the distance from them and the table. Yamamoto had made it very clear that he was meant to be a 'mediator' not an equal to them. Aizen had yet to make implication or, well, anything yet.
"Today when I was leaving my class, one of your people tried killing me. I'm just not sure which one it was." Thus the bandage. Kon tutted and sat down next to him giving a beady eyed glare to the men.
"Explain this, Kurosaki." He hated it when he had to take center stage with this.
"Just like I said. I was leaving a building and something jumped behind me and tried stabbing through my heart and no one else saw it. It was either an arrancar or shinigami that heard about you two trying to come to the armistice. No one is supposed to know and I haven't said anything about it. One of you had to say something." They didn't say anything.
"Come on. Whoever this was doesn't want the war to end and thinks killing me will keep it going. If you're going to do this in my kitchen I think I should know who the fuck you've told." Kon nodded as a back up.
"I have spoken to my Vice-Captain to it, yes, but I shouldn't think he told anybody." Yamamoto sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes.
"Nobody. You could understand that this isn't not a point I'd wish to emphasis, especially to my soldiers." For not wining, but not losing Aizen still had that smile on his face. He continued, " I do believe that Kurosaki-san is correct in something. I suggest we end this meeting to handle what ever breeches there might have been." Ichigo's presence was dismissed as it usually was and Yamamoto left without a word.
"What're you still doing here?" Ichigo couldn't leave until they did. His house was put under an extreme kido and reiastu blocking barrier when they were both here as a part of the secrecy. Even his human electronics had to be turned off- god knows how many phone calls he'd missed during this three hours, bi-weekly session.
"It seems that there is a certain imbalance to our negotiations here. You have, in fact said very little. I can't help but wonder what your opinions are about this." Aizen made himself comfortable in the small chair , elbow on the table. He still had that amused look in his eye when staring at him.
"I think that after all the shit you've done you're getting off easy. That, and I really hate that I can't tell anyone about this." Kon left not wanting to be in the same room as Aizen; he barely tolerated Yamamoto in his house. Kon had used Ichigo's body to rent the house while he was in another battle and the space was just as much his and it was Ichigo's.
"Easy to you. I can admit that my pride has taken a severe hit by complying with this set back." Not nearly enough, Ichigo thought, if the man could still be relaxed and smiling in his enemies kitchen.
"These meeting have been ongoing three weeks. I believe that you and I need to talk soon." Aizen left too, and Ichigo felt he barriers drop down from out of his house. He sighed and cleaned up the dish and joined Kon on the other room's couch, also his bed, rubbing his shoulder. The wound wouldn't show on his human body but it was a pretty bad sight as a shinigami. Something had been on the sword to keep it from healing and he hadn't been able to see Inoue to get it fixed. She, Chad, and Ishida went to another university a district away, ironically for the sciences. Chad was going to be a vet and Ishida was following his dad by being a doctor. Inoue instead chose to be a lab tech or something; she wasn't sure yet. But after all the wound's she's 'healed' drove her away from any medical profession.
He did have a few friends around him and it kept him... content almost. His not so spiritually involved friends all went to university with him; Tatsuki in Sports Medicine and minoring in business. It had been her plan for years of restart her old teacher's dojo and nothing was going to take that from her. She had plenty of requests to become a shinigami or to even join a division as a human liaison. Mizuro was undecided and Keigo was in for psychology, of all things. He claimed that if he always worked in a school it would be easier to get high school chicks.
Ichigo saw Chizuru the most, since they often ran into each other in their history classes. As of right now she's left three messages about the essay due tomorrow that neither of them started and would probably be working on in this rinky apartment til two am with a box of take-out.
It had been a delegation day so there were no hollow alerts.
Somehow, Ichigo wondered as Kon flipped through the channels of the television he wasn't seeing, if this wasn't the reason he was the neutral party. Instead of the security and glory of being a shinigami hero he was here in a cramped apartment trying to get a five page paper done in the morning.
"One of these days, Ichigo, I'm going to find out what keeps you so busy at night." Chizuru was the only one that didn't quite know about his shinigami life yet but she was starting to see other shadows and it was only a matter of time. Last night had been a terribly one with a stray arrancar acting out of orders lead some gillians to a geriatric's complex with most of them close to death anyway that a lot of people just died.
"It's probably not what you think it is."
"Well it might be as absurd as I think. You're way to into that class." They'd just left Studies of American Conspiracy, taught by an American immigrant. He seemed too enthused, sometimes, and lost the class in theory than what actually happened. It took some people about a week to realize that the second shooter was not confirmed, if that meant anything.
"Excuse me, but you are a difficult one to find, Kurosaki-kun."The two stopped and turned to the man that addressed him. Aizen.
"What?" Panic raced through Ichigo's mind- it wasn't a designated meet-up day, so what was Aizen doing in a gigai wandering around his campus? Have things gone off to sour? Aizen looked like he wanted to say something but he eyed Chizuru and stopped. He was relieved, somehow, because if it had been something bad she might have been dead already or at least aware of a mounting spiritual pressure.
"Something never change, do they? I would hate to interrupt your lunch. There needs to be a certain discussion later. Good day." Just as swiftly as he appeared he was gone. What the hell was waiting for him at home he had no idea but Chizuru wanted his attention now.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, why didn't you tell me that you were bent? We could have hung at way sooner." There was a devilish glint in her eye that made everyone wander away from her, even if the outburst didn't do it. They parked themselves on the grass waiting for Tatsuki to get out of her class and join them.
"What do you mean?" His mind was elsewhere to understand what she was saying and his sandwich wasn't the most appealing thing he'd ever eaten. She snorted and ate hers.
"The late nights and secrecy. Why you never took Orihime's open invitations. So obvious now. You've got a sugar daddy, don't you?" Sandwich, meet his throat. He felt his face heat up and the dizzy feeling from lack of air before Chizuru stopped laughing long enough to pat his back and get him to cough it up.
"The hell are you on about?" It wasn't his manliest screech ever but circumstances being what they were- was she high? He picked up his water and drank from it, still glaring at her while she smirked.
"Well let's see it from my point of view, a very handsome man- don't give me that look, I can think guys are hot- comes up to you right after class and says that you're going to meet up. No names were exchanged so you obviously knew each other. And, well, you didn't treat him like he was an authoritative adult. Plus you're not getting any that I'm aware of so..." That grin on her face said more than she did. Ichigo put his sandwich away and carefully sipped his water. His appetite was killed swiftly.
"No. He's just someone that I have to work with, for now." He saw Tatsuki trotting over to them and hurried to close the topic, "Look, please don't mention it to anybody?" He must have looked pathetic enough for her to agree or maybe it was just the pervert in her that liked the idea and agreed.
"Tell me if he has a sister." He groaned and she winked, waving Tatsuki down into the seat next to her. She noticed right away that something went on between them.
"What are you too so fired about?" She bit into her salad and looked between the two.
"The Warren Commission, that's it. We're going out to meet up with Orihime tonight in front of the theater. She's really excited to get a break from her midterms." Ichigo laid himself out of the grass and dozed off trying to catch up on the sleep he'd lost last night.
When Ichigo got home that night he heard the furious tapping of a cloth foot on the kitchen table and saw Kon staring down Aizen, as comfortable as always. He was dressed in the same way as he was this morning, grey pants and a long jacket over an orange shirt. It was strange to see him in anything but the white uniform or event he white captain's haori, but there it was.
"Hey Kon why don't you go in the other room. I'll be okay." The little lion plushie spluttered and pointed a felt claw at Aizen.
"Why is he here today?"
"He'll be gone in a few minutes." Finally Aizen was starting to look less than perfect. Being ignored wasn't something he was familiar with. Kon huffed and hopped into the living room, pushing pillows around to block out their conversation.
"What are you doing here." The light of amusement was back and it annoyed him in ways that was hard to describe. Someone else's unhappiness shouldn't make him giddy but with Aizen it did.
"Firstly I came to assure you that none of my men have dared to kill you. We are probably looking at a shinigami who has lost a great deal in this war and wants my head to hang as a warning to everybody else. They correctly think that killing you will stop it." To his counter, like every other time even though there were three others chairs for the taking. He was going to be comfortable in his house, dammit.
"That's great."
"You are absolutely astounding, Kurosaki. Not once have you asked why you're the one that has to arrange these meetings or why Yamamoto picked the wrong person to do them. You're friend the Quincy would have been a much better choice for the shinigami." By repeating the mantra that Aizen like to Cause Trouble was the only way he stayed on that counter instead of screaming. Ichigo did not like saying he was being used or worse, wasn't good enough.
"Excuse me?" Man, if he could only spit venom now.
"You are in a position many would kill to be in. The spiritual worlds are deciding who gets what, who lives and dies, and you sit there on that counter with the ability to say no to anything and everything. Granted you have argued to leave the humans alone and for the freedoms to your modsoul pets and vizards but you've asked for nothing yourself. Yamamoto picked horribly wrong and it will work out for me." Aizen did not just get out of his seat and walk over the counter he was sitting. But he did and leaned casually against it, staring at the fridge just across the way.
"Ishida would have been a better choice then?" Aizen nodded and looked at him. He didn't take his eyes off of the fridge because it was still hammered into his head to never look at Aizen directly.
"Everything done so far has curbed Shinigami power. A good leader ensures that his soldiers would be taken care of and the arrancar are safe." Ichigo coughed and made a face at that.
"Bullshit. You don't give a fuck what happens to them- you kill them or demote them and never pay attention again." Doridoni made that very clear in his first trip to Las Noches. Aizen was a cruel, cruel man for bringing out the best in his men and then dismissing them, making them think it was there fault.
"You're right I don't. But you do." he made a big mistake. He looked at Aizen who was only inches away from him. The man continued, "You are probably the only person that cares about the fate of them. That is also why I can guarantee that none of them have attacked you- they absolutely love you, Kurosaki." They had both moved slightly and Ichigo recalled when his had came close to touching Aizen's elbow. Any distance that he had wanted to keep was voided. He hadn't seen Aizen use this kind of intimidation tactic before. Four years now of fighting this man and she still hadn't come any closer to figuring anything out.
"Love, right. I'm sure that's the first thing Grimmjow and Ulquiorra think of when they see me." Aizen laughed deeply and moved the space between them once again. His knees were pressed against Aizen's elbows and there was no where for him to move anymore. At least if he didn't want to be over the kitchen sink.
If his fidgeting didn't give it away nothing would but neither of them moved away from another. The mental image of them made Ichigo want to groan- Chizuru would never let him live it down if she would ever see this. She tended to see things the way she wanted and not the way it really was.
"The Quincy would also know what he wants," Aizen sidestepped the entire last point, "as opposed to someone like you." What was Aizen meaning?
"I want a lot of things. I want good grades, my friends and family to be safe..." He was cut off and Aizen moved off of the counter- thank god- and stood in front of him now. They were almost eye to eye.
"Superficial. You let everything slide right into your life. You've never wanted anything for yourself. It makes it difficult to figure out what would please or upset you." Sometime by the end of his speech, Aizen's voice dropped lower and it made Ichigo feel like he was on a table being inspected.
"Want something; someone. You'll see then just how much power you have." Aizen gave him one last hard stare and left without another word. The door shut and Ichigo felt like he could breathe again.
What the hell was that about?
"What were you thinking?" They were sitting outside the Squad Four barracks with several of the captain debriefing them about the most recent attack. Ichigo had run into Grimmjow again and that was putting it lightly. Rukia, however, was pissed off for a completely different reason.
"Just leave me alone, Rukia." Captains Ukitake and Kyouraku were heading over slowly and that was the only thing putting a cap on her rage.
"No! You haven't been yourself Ichigo. You've been fighting sloppily and it's as if you don't really care anymore." He didn't care anymore, that was the problem. She went on, aware of the steps closing in behind her, "and then you spent the entire time playing with Grimmjow. I've seen a more serious fight between you and Renji. I don't know what's going on with you but fix it before someone else pays for it." He was the reason they were both there right now. Grimmjow had gotten a few good hits in and they wanted it to get checked out by a medic since Inoue wasn't in too good of a condition herself.
"Hello Rukia. You should probably have that wound on your thigh checked out." She hesitated but bowed, not wanting to disrespect her Captain.
"Yes, Captian Ukitake." The look she gave him implied that they're conversation wasn't over. It was, she just didn't know it yet.
"And are you alright, Kurosaki?" Kyouraku waited until she was gone to begin talking.
"I'm fine, why?" They shared a look and stood standing which made him uncomfortable. It was one thing with Yamamoto and Aizen and another with these too. The still scabbing wounds pulled and stretched painfully as he got up to lean against the wall.
"We heard that these were caused by the Arrancar Grimmjow..." That brought a smile to his face when he remembered their fight until Grimmjow had to run away.
"Tch. You should see how I messed him up." Kyouraku sighed and Ukitake got a worried look on his face.
"That's not what we meant. What will this mean for the settlement?" All fatigue left him and he stood straight up.
"How the hell did you hear about that?" They seemed surprised at his outburst but he was too angry to care. Following that attack a few days ago there had been three others, and not one of them had been a hollow. Any other hollow would have liked to attack him out right or have triggered the alert. Plus he'd bitten the bullet and asked Neliel. Aizen was right about the fact that he cared about the arrancar way more than he should, but she said none of them did it and promised to beat the crap out of anyone that tried.
"Calm down, Yamamoto told..."
"Where is he?" Ichigo wasn't having any of this. If he found out that one more fucking person knew he might just kill them. It wasn't helping that he was suddenly a target for everyone to go at. No one was supposed to know about this or they would freak. He was cooperating with Yamamoto and Aizen; didn't they understand how bad that was to begin with?
Shinji and Urahara and the others would never speak to him again. Right now he was honestly working on taking away the only hope they'd had in over a hundred years just so other people could be alive and happy. Then there was watching the unseated shinigami just die because they couldn't work fast enough.
The two senior captains chased after him as he ran into the office of the First Squad not knocking or anything. Unohana was already there having tea with Sasakibe off to the side.
"Old man, who the hell else knows about this? It wasn't his proudest moment ever. He was dry heaving, red faced, sweaty, and reopened his cuts like an idiot but he was pissed. At least Yamamoto had the shame to put down the tea cup and sigh. The other two walked in and shut the door.
"Its been limited to everyone in the room. I didn't think of any issue with them knowing- they will have to help set this peace into action too." Liar.
"So you're telling me that one of you tried to kill me? Four Times?" Ukitake was the only one that looked shocked. "Before you asked it wasn't an arrancar- I checked already." Unohana spoke next.
"And your trusted source is Aizen?" When did this become his inquisition? She looked at him like she was wondering if he would take Aizen's word so easily.
"No, I asked one of my friends but that's not the problem here. You've been telling everybody and I've got people trying to kill me wherever I go." Ukitake murmured something about my friend to Kyouraku, but Yamamoto broke up the conversation before it even started.
"This will be handled by the end of the week; its been narrowed down to five possibly people but there is something I'd like for you to consider Kurosaki." There were a few more smiles in the room but he was getting stared down by at least two of them. He could feel their eyes pined on him. Watching his every move. This was so different from Aizen's intimidation tactics. It was so claustrophobic but there was nothing being done. No exchange.
If there was one thing Ichigo hated it was being talked to.
"We're asking you to consider Captaincy after this is over." Well if that wasn't a lead weight.
He was back in his apartment, waiting for the next meeting to start in a few hours. Kon was over visiting the house, paying a visit to Yuzu, especially, who still thought he was just a doll that got lost a lot. Ichigo hadn't said anything about the offer to anybody- he would have to be crazy not to take it.
Then why, he thought, was he still sitting on the couch that was coming to pieces working on an essay that barely had any effect on his grade? Why was he even working at having a human life at all now that his future for the next couple of hundred of years. A voice that sounded an awful lot like Aizen's reminded him that it was because he didn't want the job. It was step one in realizing that he'd done something wrong; Aizen was influencing his thoughts because it sounded like a good idea.
Ichigo's train of thought was broken when he had the feeling again. Something was coming at him and this time he saw the person. Shinigami were a lot of things but they were never good at adapting to modern stuff, since he saw the dark clothes ninja reflect in his laptop's screen before any attack could be done. He stood casually and waited for it the assassin to get a little closer.
They had a small tanto with no decoration or details- it wasn't their soul blade but it could enough damage on it's own. They were only about a foot away now and ready to stab him when Ichigo flipped around and kicked the legs out from underneath he person. The assassin landed gracefully enough and proceeded to charge towards the window when he talked her into the wall and took the sword away from her.
"Who the hell are you?" She still had some fight in her and kicked him in the stomach, then higher when her heel met his nose. He still had her sword so there wouldn't be an immediate chance but the blood poured out of his nose before he could keep a better grip on her.
"Sai." The spots faded away from his vision and he heard her scream frantically, writhing next to his blood splatters on the floor. Aizen stood in the divide between the rooms with one finger pointed out to her.
"I think you're problem's been solved, Kurosaki-kun" Ichigo ran to the kitchen and replaced his hand with some tissues to sop up the blood. It had dribbled down his chain and all over his shirt with a few spots on the rug. By the time he turned back to his attacker Aizen was already there taking he mask off.
She was pretty non-descript with short dark hair that looked like it was growing in without care, a pale face, and dark eyes. She looked like one of the people that Yoruichi trained, but she had no spiritual energy.
"Why have you been trying to kill me?" She wasn't saying anything so he crouched down and look att he inside of her uniform and say the 2nd division insignia but the cloth look old, unchanged, and it smelled like sweat. He jumped when Aizen put a hand on his shoulder.
"There would be no other person to moderate Yamamoto and myself. Killing you would put the fight on indefinitely as well as inquisition about who had done it. The Captain Commander should be delighted to know that it's over." Another unexpected movement- he was helped up by that same hand.
"This is exactly what I mean. You already trust me to keep your assassin under chains and have no opinion or comment." He wiped his hand on the rough canvas texture of his coat even though there was nothing on it.
"Yeah, well I've got plenty of comments about her and you." Ichigo realized that he was the one standing too close now and moved over to lounge on the couch- he wouldn't be putting out tea and cracker for them this time. He was too mentally exhausted to even care about what they were talking about.
"You want a comment, here's one. They want me to be a Captain." Ichigo, shut up. He should just keep his mouth shut sometimes- and why the fuck was Aizen sitting the couch too? He sprawled out and let their knees touch. It was his couch, dammit, and he wasn't about to let anyone make him feel awkward on it.
"No, "Oh you have to be decisive about that Kurosaki-kun", or "What do you want" ?" Next to him he could hear the soft chuckling.
"I never said you weren't decisive; no one could ever say that. But you still haven't found something you want."
"Not even my family is this curious about what I want. They're also a lot more respectful of my space." You're on a roll, Ichigo. Just keep talking and he'll have enough ammunition to verbally beat you down. Don't you ever learn?
"Your space? This?" So, okay, his apartment was up to most living standards. It had a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room that doubled as a bedroom. It was bigger than a dorm room and with enough posters you wouldn't see the plaster or discoloration on the walls. Aizen wasn't even bothering to hide his disapproval at the place.
"I could mention how your mind is the only space you'll ever need... but I understand. After everything you've done to protect the people around you, you've never quite forgiven the fact that the shinigami let your home get destroyed so easily. They didn't care and now this is your world." He was right. His home's destruction hadn't even been a direct part of the war. Mayuri had been performing more space switching experiments and half the city became... broken, for lack of better words. Just parts of houses slide down off of themselves; balconies in the driveway, sinks in the porch, etc. His house got caught.
"Better than Las Noches."
"Las Noches at least has walls in one piece. Or, at least they do until you decide to pay another visit." There was a knock on the door but neither or them got up. He'd been finding this conversation fun to have. He didn't have to worry about saying something wrong. You couldn't get anymore wrong than Aizen.
"Come in!" The soft tapping of the old man into the room, stalling at what was in front of him. They were on the couch and one of his shinigami was bound down, blood plastered in some places.
"What is going on here?" Yamamoto was the only one that had his sword with him. It really meant nothing.
"That bitch is the one trying to kill me."
"We'll take care of this after the meeting." Aizen interrupted but stayed on the couch with him. Yamamoto went to sit on the desk chair next to his soldier and meeting number twelve began.