It seemed like one of the white nights. Everything was covered by deep, deep snow - you could bury a body in its depth, Sousuke thought bitterly - and the full moon's light made the white masses glow silver. The otherwise thick forest was receding, letting more and more of the light peek in. They were getting close.
"Where are we goin'?" Whined the boy, suddenly all too eager to wiggle himself out of the older's grip. "It's cold, let's go back! C'mon! Promise I won't tell anyo-"
The mention of the possibility of outing made Sousuke spin around in fury. What was the scrawny thing thinking?! He should consider himself lucky! From the twenty dirty unimportant boys at the orphanage, Sousuke chose him to be his first and that damn meant something. He didn't protest when the older climbed into his bed and petted him last night.
However, it seemed he went through a sudden change of heart. The boy's eyes were watery and he was shaking violently, his long nightgown doing only a little to keep him warm. He should've taken Nnoitra's winter coat when the tall boy offered it.
Sousuke did his best to put on a smile, preferably a warm one. "Come on, Grimm! It's close, you can already see it! Here, look! You see?" He pointed, the boy's gaze following the direction of his index finger. Those wide, blue eyes. If he didn't put an end to them today, they were going to be the death of him, Sousuke was sure of it. Such a shame. He doubted he'll ever see this shade of blue ever again. "Let's go."
Grimm was not so eager anymore, but he still followed the older boy through the masses of white. Just as always. "This place is beautiful," the boy whispered when they finally reached their destination.
"That's precisely why I chose it."
The glade was perfectly circular, exactly dozen steps long, and lit by the moonlight like some holy altar. "It's said that the queen of Winter comes here to bathe in the starlight," Sousuke winked at the smaller boy.
Grimm gasped - "What if she sees us?" - his lips making a perfect little O. He really was a just a child, Sousuke thought, even though a beautiful one. One day, he could grow into the most stunning lad in the mountains. Such a shame someone was about to ruin that.
"Don't worry, we're all alone." And they were, he made sure of that. Most of the townsfolk didn't dare to wander close to the Queen's Glade, not in the middle of night and most certainly not under the full moon. This place really was perfect.
He tossed a thin blanket onto the snow - he saw Unohana tanning on it in the summer heats - and urged the smaller boy to sit down.
"It's cold," hissed Grimm, "I don't think it's a good idea. We should go back."
"Believe me, we should not." The snow crunched underneath their combined weight and they found themselves sinking into the soft coldness. Sousuke crawled to the boy who suddenly went so still it seemed he didn't even breathe. "What is it? Are you scared?"
The boy shook his head, albeit a little hesitantly.
"That's good," Sousuke smiled, "I told you I love you," he cupped Grimm's face, the lovely skin as cold as the snow that was surrounding them. "This way I can show you, you know?"
So beautiful and so naïve.
He pressed a quick kiss to the boy's cheek. It startled Grimm. The boy turned his head to face him, so Sousuke planted the next one straight on his open lips, but he took that in stride and casually pushed his tongue inside that sweet heat.
In his fourteen years, Sousuke had already kisses many girls, but for some reason he found them less than satisfying. Too soft, perhaps? No, it was the wide eyed nine years old boy who picked his interest. He made him feel dark, twisted things. He made him crave violence.
The boy backed away from the sudden assault, but Sousuke sneaked a hand into his hair and held him in place. He licked into Grimm's mouth, growing more and more giddy, but also annoyed by the reluctant behavior. It took him half a year to worm into the boy's heart and another two months to persuade him to this little night trip. The little shit was not going anywhere until he said so.
He pressed their bodies together, closer than he had ever held Gin. He loved the blind boy more than anyone, but his body desired exactly this - little, thin, fragile, wide-eyed thing, someone he could control entirely, someone he could break - and Gin couldn't give that to him no matter what.
The boy was still stiff underneath his caresses. Sousuke pushed his not so pliant body until he was flat on his back and let his free hand lift the hem of the thin nightgown.
Suddenly, the boy's voice broke the religious silence. "Sou-"
"Shhhh," the older shushed him, hand trailing over every inch of newly uncovered skin.
"Sousu-"
"It's alright."
"No! Stop it!"
Stop it he did. Dead in his tracks, to be precise.
Grimm sat up abruptly, almost knocking out Sousuke's teeth in the process. Something was wrong. His perfect face was paler than ever and his lips were shaking as if he was about to cry. This was not good. "I don't like this! It's cold and too fast and.. Let's go back, Sousuke," pleaded the boy in high-pitched voice, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
"But Grimm," the older boy straightened himself, sitting between the little one's open legs, hands folded on his lap, "you know I love you, right? I thought you loved me too or did you lie to me?" The boy shook his head quickly, eyes glassy. He was going to cry for sure, Sousuke could tell, the little ones were always quick to cry.
Wild ideas raced through his mind.
This was why he brought the boy here, wasn't it? He surely wasn't going to back out just because of few tears.
No one was going to come to this glade. Almost none of the townsfolk wandered in the forest at nights. Chances of getting caught were nonexistent. If Grimm started to cry, no one would hear him. He could take what he wanted, he could do it, he could actually hurt another human being the way he wanted and gain the power he desired so much. He could. Right now, he could have it all.
The decision was made quickly.
Grimm cried out when Sousuke leaped forward, pinning the smaller body to the ground. He struggled, kicked and screamed and even sank his teeth into the older's shoulder for a second, but one good blow to his temple made him see stars. There was no time to waste. Sousuke gripped the boy's throath with his left and used the fingers of his right to quickly unlace his trousers.
When he was free of the annoying fabric, he quickly grabbed the pale calves and threw them on his shoulders. He'd seen Kenpachi and Unohana fucking like this many times, although he hoped his first time would be slower and more about enjoying each other, but fine, he could do it like this. After all, he came here to commit something far worse than this.
"What are ya- No, no, NO! Please, stop! Stop, Sousuke! Stop!"
The last words were shrieked so loud that the mountains must have trembled.
Sousuke rammed inside the tight heat and another heartbreaking wail made his ears ring. "Shut the fuck up!"
He clasped a hand over Grimm's mouth - his weight and the other hand fisted in the soft hair gave him an advantage - and started moving. Slowly, very slowly, careful not to remove the hand muffling the annoying screams, he slid almost all the way out only to thrust even deeper. Grimm's back arched in the prettiest way he could imagine as the pain surged through him.
Soon, a punishing pace was set. The hand did almost nothing to silence the boy, so Sousuke grasped one lean thigh instead and tried to spread the boy's legs even wider. Fat tears rolled down Grimm's cheeks and fell into his pale hair. Sousuke couldn't believe he could get any harder, but, well, seeing the boy break in front of him, because of him.. that was something.
"..suke, p-please no, plea-ase, no, no.."
Soon, it became easy to thrust inside as the hole became slick, but it was still tight as a vice. Sousuke felt his orgasm approaching with horrible speed, so he bit back a moan and slid out entirely.
"Sousuke, please," the boy was now crying freely.
With one smooth thrust, he pushed deep inside. Five more times and stars danced in front of his eyes as the orgasm took over. It was bliss. It didn't last much longer, though. "Please, I won't tell anyone," sobbed the boy underneath.
Yeah, Sousuke grinned bitterly, he almost forgot why did he brought the child here in the first place.
"Oh, I know you won't. I know." He wiped himself into the boy's old nightgown. This time, he had to do the dirty work himself, there was no Tousen to do it for him. "Don't worry, I'll send Nel to you soon enough," he hissed. He doubted that one kill could gain him much power, no, much higher numbers rose in his mind. Ten or twenty, perhaps? He wondered how many murders did the Urahara guy commit to gain such a power. One thing was clear - this was just a start.
The sound of cracking bones made him sick. Beating someone to death was a nasty business. Perhaps he should bring something the next time, something metal to get it over quickly.
One last kick and he was done. He couldn't bring himself to stomp onto the boy's face, but Sousuke guessed that if the kid somehow survived his gentle treating, the winter will surely finish him off.
He set out on the long walk back to the town, unaware of the pair of pale eyes in the shadows.
An ancient legend says that if you climb on the top of the Reina Mountain and shout your secret wish into the abyss stretching to Mount Verde, Queen Winter will make it come true.
It was a beautiful legend, yet also very deadly. Reina was the highest of the White Mountains, steep, dangerous and covered by snow and ice all year long. Only five mortals made it to the very top - one of them was a masked wizard which obviously didn't count - and only two - one of them was the wizard, again - made it home alive. Mother Winter did not like foolish wishes.
Covered by a blanket of snow even in the most vicious summer heats, Reina was her solace, her castle, her throne. She often found herself sitting on the edge of the mountain's flat top, watching the tiny town being built in the valley near the lake. Still, Mother Winter hardly met any humans. They were too fragile to live so high in the mountains, so she gave up all her hopes to meet the strange creatures.
The tiny town grew and grew and more and more people were coming to live there. Life was harsh, but they were harsher and soon many of them ventured into her forests and mountains. One of them, a young man with stormy grey eyes and smile so wide he could swallow the world, climbed on the top of Reina. Mother Winter had never met a human man from this close - he was tall and well built, and as charming as the sunrise. She decided to keep him, so he could teach her about the nature of his race, however, her frozen palace was no place for a warm human soul. The man wished to return to his beloved wife and child whom he loved more than anything. Mother Winter knew about the concept of human love, and even though not understanding it completely, she sat the man on the softest breeze and it carried him where his heart desired.
As the legend of her dwelling started to spread, more and more foolish humans tried their luck against Reina. Some of them died by fall and some of them froze to death. Not even once did she try to save them.
Time passed. Human homes changed from wooden to stone and from stone to bricks. Mother Winter watched over the mountains from the flat top of Reina and when she was sure the stars couldn't see her, she flew down to the town and peeked into their homes. What a strange kind were they! Always mingling and talking and touching - their affectionate nature made her realize how empty her own life was. Only if she had a kindred soul like them, a small snowflake would be enough. Soon, she made her human-watching a steady habit. She ignored every warning the stars gave her and ventured into the town almost every other night, until something terrible happened.
A child.
Bloody and almost undressed, broken in every place possible.
As she knelt in the knee-high snow, shaken by the cruelty of men, her frozen heart melted a little. Mother Winter cradled the little body in her arms and wept for the first time in her long, long life.
Tears fell onto the child's face. And just so, the strangest thing - perhaps a miracle - happened.
Her little snowflake came to life. Two moons did she tend to the broken boy, using magic unseen to the humans and herbs that grow hidden underneath the roots of her mountain. She mended the damage done to the body, but the soul was much trickier and needed much more time.
The icy palace was suddenly such a happy place when she had her precious son! Mother Winter had never been so happy. She spent every free minute with her snowflake, finally acting like the mother they called her.
Ten winters passed and her boy grew into a strong young lad. He became as beautiful as the Yule morning, as fierce as a blizzard and as bright as the rising morning star. The northern wind would change into soft breeze for him. The snow would stop falling and the frost wouldn't bite his skin even if he chose to dance in the snow barefoot. Mother Winter had never been prouder. However, she still saw him as the poor little snowflake.
The lad had a strange longing for the company of humans. Mother Winter did everything in her power to keep them as far as possible - after all, her son died because of a human man - but she couldn't keep him from wandering through the woods.
Love.
Love is such a magical word. It turns your world upside down and spins you around until you lose your head. You can't evade it. Eventually, at some point in your life, love will find you and you will feel like the happiest being in the world.
Orihime really was beautiful. She was like a princess, an expensive gem in the box of coal, a fragile work of art. Her smile was shy and cheeks constantly blushing, but her eyes shone with the brightest kind of happiness every time she even glanced at him. Everyone could see she was in love with him, it was so obvious.
The problem was Ichigo didn't feel the same. It troubled him deeply, mostly because he didn't want to hurt such a kind girl. Why did someone like Orihime Inoue want him? He was nothing like her - not so kind, not so generous, not rich, anything! He was grumpy, harsh and pessimistic, yeah, that was it. The only thing he did was catching an idiot who stole her basket on the market. And returning the said basket, after which he was invited to her brother's mansion for a tea. He was clumsy and broke one of these tiny expensive cups, but she didn't scream. She just smiled and gave him another one and so happened that a noble lady fell in love with a young blacksmith.
Her brother Sora, head of the family, couldn't deny Orihime anything and soon, they were engaged. A reception was held. Many rich and important people arrived and brought many strange and expensive gifts. Among them was one Uryuu Ishida, a young noble close to the king and Orihime's good friend. He was glaring daggers at Ichigo the whole evening.
What a fool he was! He started bickering with the arrogant prick and got so carried away that he didn't noticed when Orihime went missing. Chad, Orihime's servant, found her lying on the floor of her chamber, unconscious. No one knew what happened to the young lady. Doctors were called, but they all proclaimed she was perfectly healthy. She seemed to be just sleeping. The only problem was that no one could wake her.
Ichigo spent that night glued to her bed, thinking. He might not love Orihime as a woman and future wife, but he cared for her like a sister and he would never let anything happen to her. There must be some way, he thought. He was just falling asleep when the strangest thing happened.
A black cat - real deal black cat with ears and tail and all - jumped onto Orihime's bed and said, in deep male voice, that the girl was cursed. It claimed that she fell asleep after touching a sapphire necklace.
Ichigo didn't believe his own eyes. Talking cat? He surely had more wine than he could handle. He pushed the animal away and tried to pick up the remnants of his sanity, but the cat kept on coming back.
The little demon demanded that he, Ichigo Kurosaki, the future husband and substitute knight in shining armor, would travel far north to the White Mountains. "And there, at the place where the sky kisses the ground, you will find the one who'll be able to help the poor girl. A wizard, a legendary wizard, named Kisuke Urahara."
Magical talking cats don't lie, do they? Ichigo didn't think so. He was content to save Inoue and if he had to talk to entire barn full of animals, he'd do it. He might even get used to it so he won't freak out again. The memory of him screaming and the cat screaming at him not to scream made his cheeks go little bit warmer. It was followed by a very serious conversation after which the beast demanded milk and he started packing for what was supposed to be the journey of his lifetime.
So, that's basically how Ichigo got there.
Perhaps it was foolish of him, to go on a journey with an uncertain end, alone, armed only with his rusty sword and some crazy magic cookbook. Perhaps it was totally stupid to follow the cat's advice and try to find a legendary wizard at the place where the ground kisses the sky. Surely, his life would be much easier if he did none of these things, but Ichigo Kurosaki had never been the one to back away. Not even if it meant climbing into fucking mountains or talking to magic cats.
It took him thirty days to get here. Karakura with its warm, sunlit streets changed to fields and ponds and meadows. He could see Orihime's face every time he laid himself to sleep. She's been so kind to him. She'd be the best wife he could get. Mom would love her. She was perfect in every single way so why couldn't he love her like a lover? That evening, he was more interested in the way Ishida's mouth twisted in anger than in the way her eyes shone when they danced.
When the flat lands changed into cold, windy hills and snow began to fall, Ichigo was almost at peace with the fact that he'd prefer a male body beneath him. Father would be so disappointed - he was looking forward to having grandchildren soon - and the girls would surely be bewildered. His heart was hurting almost as much as his feet the first time he saw the mountaintops rising on the evening horizon. Still, he laughed like an idiot for the better part of the evening.
The end of his little journey was close.
The highest of these mountains was called Reina, the Queen. The place where the ground kisses the sky was on its top and that was exactly where Ichigo should find Kisuke Urahara, the legendary wizard and also the only man who could possibly help Inoue.
The memory of her still face urged him forward. Ichigo knew she was alive, he knew there was a way to wake her up and he knew this Urahara guy knew how to do it. The talking cat said so.
Most days he slept on the ground. He had some money, but he put them aside so he could find a nice place to sleep when he made it into the mountains. The talking cat told him about a small town, a gateway into the real mountains, which was hidden behind a thick forest and guarded by a lake. Ichigo wanted to stay here for a while. After all, he needed to rest. He had to be fresh to climb a mountain, otherwise he might die and what good would he be to Orihime then?
Sleeping in the snow was a pain in the ass. When he stepped into the forest that morning, Ichigo thought he'd be sleeping in a warm bed at the end of the day. The town must be close, he thought, but he walked all day and the forest just went on and on.
Suddenly, like a thunder from a clear sky, the trees opened in front of him and revealed a small, circular glade. It was big enough for him to make a fire. Better than nothing, Ichigo thought as he started settling himself for another freezing night.
The sky was painted in the darkest shade of blue, dotted by thousands and thousands of stars shining down at the endless sea of snow. Everything was serene, tucked underneath the blanket of pure white. Still, this night was one of the coldest nights ever. A freezing wind was blowing from the north, wheezing and whistling between the jagged teeth of the mountains.
Mother Winter was raging. A small blizzard would usually calm her down - complete with annoying wind and snowflakes slapping everyone in the face - but tonight was more on the deadly side.
Going for a walk was naturally a good decision. Grimmjow didn't mind the weather. Cold couldn't harm him anymore and it was far better than sitting on top of the mountain and avoiding Mother's wrath. Not that she'd aim it at him, no, she would never, but she might feel like talking about her emotions and that scared him to no end. Grimmjow would take on blizzards, packs of wolves, every single bear, but when it came to feelings he chose to retreat. Mother would talk his ears off. He didn't know the cause of her sudden rage spike, but he suspected it might have something to do with the crazy guy living next mountain. They argued quite often.
Snow was crunching under his boots and it made Grimmjow grin widely. Almost human. Almost. He didn't want to be human. Humans were weak. When hungry, they'd take their children to the mountains and leave them be, to freeze to death or be killed by wolves. They killed each other, showed each other down the cliffs because of riches and moved their elders to cabins in the forest like some kind of trash. Still, Grimmjow found himself oddly drawn to these weaklings.
What he didn't expect was he'll actually see one tonight.
He spotted the fire first. Flickers of orange and yellow caught his attention immediately as they contrasted with their pale surrounding, making Grimmjow come to halt in his quick-paced stride. He squinted his eyes and tried to make out the human's looks, but the only thing he could see was a heap of furs.
It doesn't have to be a human, a nagging voice in the back of his head warned him, it might be a witch or something worse. No, this definitely was a human. The only magic palpable in the air was coming from the place itself - a small, circular glade, lit by the fire and moonlight alike.
His curiosity got the best of him and Grimmjow slowly crept through the trees until he was standing mere ten feet from the fire.
The place felt awfully familiar, like a memory of a bad dream. Maybe this wasn't the brightest idea after all. His senses practically screamed run, but he came so close! This was no time to be scaredy cat. "Gods!" This also was no time to be indecisive.
"Oi, you!"
Shit.