CH 3

Ichigo was dumbstruck. It couldn't be possible, he didn't even know Ishida well enough! And it wasn't like they had had sex or switched blood or anything!

"But it can't be Ishida! It's not possible since we haven't been in contact that much!"

"It can. You see this disease started one year ago, when you first met him. Remember the first fight against the Menos Grande back then? When you defeated it and after that Ishida helped you with your overflowing reiatsu. Well that's when your disease started. Your reiatsu got mixed up with Quincy power and with a bit of the Menos' soul. Back then it didn't affect you at all, but later on you've fought with many Hollows and now arrancar's too, so your body has been even more affected. Normal fights with Hollows don't cause this kind of damage, but since the Quincy powers affected your body, every fight causes more and more damage." Urahara sighed.

"So you're telling me I should quit fighting against Hollows and arrancars? Damn you, it's the middle of the whole Aizen thingy?! I can't quit now!!" The name Aizen echoed in Ichigo's head. He knew that Aizen Sosuke, the ruler of Hueco Mundo and the Aizen who had raped him, were the same person. Ichigo knew he had to defeat Aizen so that the world would survive, but he had personal motives too.

"I know I can't stop you since you're the only one who has potential to kill Aizen. I'm sorry to remind you of this, but you have to defeat Aizen in four months. After that it is too late. The last month..we don't know your condition then so we'll have to act carefully. You do understand that you are Soul Society's only hope?"

Ichigo knew he had a huge responsibility, but he had to keep on walking.

"Yes I know. We will defeat Aizen." Urahara smiled.

"But...Ishida." The pale boy flinched as Ichigo called out his name.

"Yes Kurosaki-kun?" Ichigo could see the boy trembling even though the Quincy tried to keep his cool.

"Don't blame youself just too much. It's your fault yes, but don't start to emo over it." Ichigo grinned, causing Ishida to flush a bit.

"O-of course not, dumbass."

--

It was evening. The rainclouds started to fade away, revealing the brilliant blue sky. A few starts were already lighting the darkening sky. Ichigo was sitting on his futon on the Urahara Shoten's terrace, gazing at the stars. Urahara sat beside him, sipping his tea. Ichigo got lost in the stars, imagining as if the starts were Grimmjow's aquamarine eyes. He didn't want to admit how much he missed the Hollow. The two of them hadn't even met properly, just fought against each other. Ichigo always held back when he was fighting Grimmjow. He didn't want to hurt the idiot even though he got hurt himself. That was probably the thing what they called love.

"You ever get lonely?" A question slipped from Ichigo's lips. Urahara turned to look at the boy, smiling a bit.

"Some times yes. But I can't complain, my black cat belongs to someone else now." Ichigo knew who Urahara was talking about, it was Yoruichi. Yoruichi and Urahara had been a couple many years ago, when they still were in Soul Society. Their relationship had lasted maybe one hundred years, but already at the time when Soi Fon was first seen with Yoruichi, Urahara knew he had lost his woman.

"Yeah.....my...my one belongs to...I don't know. I have no idea who he is after." Ichigo flushed a bit as he remembered the embarassing situation one week ago.

"Hmm..Grimmjow, I haven't heard anything about his love life. Since he's probably single now, you should go for it." Urahara winked at Ichigo and let out a laughter.

"U-Urahara! He..a sex god like him wouldn't go after me?! He's just lusting after me since I'm the only one he knows around here..." He didn't realize his slip.

"Oh? So you've done it with him? Hmm...if that's the case, he most likely likes you. He's the type of person who goes as far without feeling any emotions."

Ichigo was tomato red.

"I..well we didn't do it, but he was after it....one night I woke up and he was lying on top of me, stripping me and licking my nipples."

Urahara laughed.

"Ohohohoo! That's a good sign, he'll be yours soon. Or actually, you'll be his soon. Since a blushing strawberry like you can't top a sex god like him or can you?"

"I don't comment on that one! I really don't care about sex..if he'd just like me. I know I sound stupid and girly but I can't deny it anymore. I do love him..got no idea why I love him and when it started...but I do." Ichigo turned around to look at Urahara, cheeks burning but face in a serious expression. Urahara smiled at him, a genuine smile since it wasn't appropriate to use a fake smile when someone was so serious and telling the truth. The shopkeeper patted the teen's head and ruffled the orange hair.

"You're a good kid. Maybe a hotheaded and foulmouthed one, but a good one."

--

The evening turned into night, and the whole Urahara Shoten was sleeping. It was silent, only Tessai's snoring was echoing in the quiet house. Pale rays of moon were lighting the Shoten, lighting the otherwise dark rooms. Ichigo was sleeping soundlessly on his futon, hands curling around his pillow. He looked really relaxed and peaceful.

No one had noticed a dark shadow outside Ichigo's window. Someone was about to break in through the window. That someone was at the moment sliding the window open. The figure landed on the floor in one graceful movement, not making one sound. Just like a cat. The figure was a man, dressed in black clothes and a dark coloured cap.

The man smirked as he went to sit by Ichigo's futon. He stared at the sleeping boy, wanting to caress that innocent face. He bent down and lowered himself over Ichigo, pinning the sleeping boy down.

"So this is where you were, my strawberry." The intruder whispered those words seductively in the boy's ear and gently bit the earlobe.

"Soon you'll be mine and only mine.", he smirked.