Update - Melting Chapter 4
Sorry, it seems that this site won't let me post weblinks! So sorry for the bum address on the past posing.
Italics mean the character is thinking.
.
Melting.
Previously –
"Kurosaki Ichigo I've been looking for you."
"Okay, the kiss…right…I'm glad I could help but…I don't know about anything else…you know a boyfriend right now…"
"Have I got it wrong?" The arms tightened around him. "I will repeat it and try again." Ichigo felt the lips against his again and he felt flattered that this guy was so pleased but…he'd dreamt of kissing Chad once…kissing Ishida hell of a lot…shit this was good. He could almost imagine the dark haired unemotional man in his arms. The soft lips against his pressed for him to open his mouth.
Itsuki only needed him to open his mouth.
Now -
Hitsugaya chuckling stopped about the same time as Ichigo began kissing the teen back. That roughly was the same time as Byakuya leapt from his side and landed beside Ichigo. Well fancy interrupting them when they were having so much fun. This did put Ichigo in a new light.
"Kurosaki Ichigo." Byakuya stated simply bringing Ichigo's mind back to where he was. He released his kiss on the manic teen who still gripped him hard. "Enough." Byakuya grabbed one of the constricting arms that held Ichigo so tightly, pulling him free. The teen turned on his heels his voice screamed like a manic banshee.
"NO!" He wailed and met Byakuya's calm steel gaze. Itsuki recognised the difference in their power and drew back as if he had been stung. "You…You…I nearly had him!"
Byakuya reached towards his sword, this thumb flicked the first inch up.
"Are you mad!" Ichigo yelled at him as the horrified possessed teen looked from the sword to the man ready to draw it. He turned and ran. "I said are you mad!" Ichigo repeated.
"He could see me." Byakuya spoke. "Do you not think that odd."
Ichigo scratched his head and shook it watching the silhouette disappear. "Man you know how to cramp a guys style." He tutted. Byakuya looked to the frustrated Ichigo.
"You should go home now."
"Yeah, nothing else worth hanging round here for!" He said annoyed and walked away. Damn that kiss was good…I could almost believe it. He touched his lips and let his tongue trace the memory. "First time I finally got to kiss a guy." He whispered to himself.
X
"Just keep away from me right!" Ichigo yelled at Byakuya that night in his room, he didn't care that the man had come to offer some degree of an explanation again. "I don't want to see your damn face anywhere near me! What damn right did you have to interfere? What were you jealous or something?!" Ichigo didn't intend it as a direct attack. He had no idea what affect his tirade was having on the calm man. "Screw Soul Society, you lot don't own me! I don't owe any of you anything…Leave me alone!"
"I am sorry Ichigo. It was not my intention to interfere." He spoke softly and turned to leave him be, this was serving no purpose other than to add more fire to the kids frustration. He stopped at the door, looking over his shoulder and saw the teen slump to his bed. "He said he nearly had you."
"I said leave." Came the acid response.
"Think Ichigo. You are no fool. Think about it."
"What ever! Where's Kon, I need to beat the shit out of something?" He began searching through his drawers.
X
Two weeks later.
Ichigo sat on the bank of the river and threw the odd stone in to watch the ripples. Life as a normal kid again was carefree and totally boring. He sat for hours with his feet dangling over the edge, looking at his reflection and listening to the birds go over. The cold was just beginning to bite as his mind finished is meaningless rambles.
Byakuya was surprised by how simple it had been to evade Ichigo's detection lately – either that or the boy was ignoring him, probably the latter. Byakuya realised Sitting watching the stupid boy at the river was a refreshing change, from the school and house. Funny how he never imaged Ichigo to be anything like the person he sat watching now. Quiet, reflective and enjoying something so simple as the river. He didn't know why he'd previously imagined him to be chasing females and getting into all sorts of trouble. Chasing girls? No, well that had been confirmed. Other than his school friends, Rukia included, he hardly gave them a second glance…boys however…I think it could be phrased as observant.
Ichigo knew how bored he was when he looked forward to spending time chatting to Kon!
He'd caught up with his school work, hadn't missed a single class at school and enjoyed a full nights sleep every single night. Even his Hollow was behaving.
"Oh you stupid idiot!" He suddenly thought and got to his knees to run off. "Why didn't I think of that before?" His brain suddenly thought of Kisuke and the basement. This was a perfect time to spend improving his skills. He'd even be able to get out of his body.
One foot up, he prepared to stand as he looked back at his other foot surprised.
"Huh?" A watery tendril spiralled it's way up his leg and with one swift yank Ichigo yelped as he was dragged into the water.
He held his breath as long as he could as he kicked away at what ever was holding him. He couldn't make out a single thing in this murky water, but he could feel the hands tugging at him and holding him down. They weren't having it easy with the strong youth thrashing around though.
Bubbles spewed out of Ichigo's mouth as he couldn't hold it much longer, his hands clawed towards the surface as the ice cold water began to flood his lungs. The hands dragged him further down and Ichigo couldn't see the surface anymore, which way was up? He fought on, kicking as hard as he could at the gripping hands and tried in vain not to drag more of the icy daggers of water into his chest. His lungs screamed for air and he could feel himself beginning to weaken, his mind going blank. His limbs began to slow and stop struggling.
"Was this drowning? Is this what its like? I guess they'll be waiting for me in Soul Society…Serves the bastards right…hah."
Another hand grabbed him firmly by the collar but it barely registered in his mind.
"Ichigo!" A male voice was trying to get his attention the voice was frantic and worried. He could feel them turning him on his side.
Ichigo stirred and tried to breath. His lungs stung and he coughed and coughed as the foul water spewed out. His stomach lurched and he retched up more. He felt cold, shivering cold, every part of his body screamed in agony from the struggle and his insides were bitching about the amount he was coughing and throwing up.
"Ichigo." The voice called him again calmer this time. "Breathe!" He would have if he wasn't so cold. He couldn't stop shivering. Slowly his eyes opened and he looked up at the steel grey eyes looked down at him. Damn Byakuya now he had to be grateful to him!
He drew himself onto his knees and then all fours as the last water from his stomach heaved its way out of him.
Byakuya knew that humans shouldn't get too cold. He threw off his captains cloak and scarf and wrapped them around the boy. Which was closer home or Kisuke? Isshin was a doctor so that would probably be best either way. "Up." He stood himself and drew Ichigo up onto his knees and them supported him around the waste. This was going to take too long and the kids lips were blue, his fingers blue and his whole body wracked with sever shivering.
"Isshin!" Byakuya called loudly as he carried the now unconscious Ichigo into the house. Where was the damn man? The shunpo meant they were home within two minutes. "Should I be concerned that the shivering had stopped? Think. Think. What do I do?
He needs to get warm, I have to get him out of these clothes."
He placed him down on the bed and tugged off the wet shoes and socks before struggling with yellow school jumper.
I knew you were damn trouble the moment I set eyes on you kid. He cursed in his head at the heavy uncoordinated body. Inside his head was always a contrast to the exterior. Inside he was always rowing with himself and wishing he could be more impulsive. Outside he had to remain the dignitary, the upholder of the laws. His standing in the community demanded it as much as it had stifled and smothered him over the years, stripping away himself leaving a shell of an unemotional humanised robot.
"Buttons and zippers, who the hell invented these things!" Only in his imagination had he ever wondered what was underneath these clothes. The fights between them had shown him tempting glimpses of the defined torso through ripped Kimono's.
He did stop short at the boxers. His hands hesitated at the waist band. "No, I can't he's too young. Too beautiful as well, but too young." Too young for all those scars. Too young to face being the person they were all hoping he was. Too young to deal with everything thrown at him. Byakuya knew that from watching the kid recently. He might look only 10 years older, but at only 15 those hundreds of years ago. Could he have coped like Ichigo does? He already knew the answer to that one.
He slid him under the covers and found more in the closet and threw them over him. Ichigo still looked far too blue. "Damn damn damn." Byakuya began to worry. He had to warm him up. Suddenly he shivered himself as the dampness from Ichigo against his clothes as he carried him back sunk through to his skin.
He sighed there was nothing else for it. Throwing his own clothes into another corner, he slid into the bed next to the boy jolting slightly as the sting of his cold skin before letting his body rest against Ichigo. His arms pulled him close. "This is not what I imaged I'd be doing to save your life." He breathed into the mass of damp ginger hair. The smell of the river clung to the beautiful porcelain skin.
As he woke, Ichigo's mind began to piece together the last moments he could remember. It was a slow waking, his mind didn't seem to want to stir from the comfort it felt. The river and bitterness, the feeling that death was waiting for his last moment…the feeling that he was being pulled down…he still could feel something pressing him down, something that didn't want him to move…what was it? He opened his eyes and adjusted to the pale moon rays filtering into the room. Home.
He relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. Home… So what was holding him? A arm around his waist, a leg over his…a head breathing steadily into his ear…carefully he turned his head hoping for some reason that it was Kon. If it was then he could kick his sorry arse…SHIT! He startled awake fully, his body jolting up from its slumber. Byakuya woke with a start to see Ichigo looking at him in panic.
"Byakuya! Get the fuck off me!" He said pushing himself away from the surprised figure who fell backwards onto the floor. "Clothes!" He looked down at himself and yanked up the covers in a stupid attempt to hide his body.
The bedroom door flew open and the light blinded the two stunned men.
"Byakuya!" Isshin was across the room quicker than any shunpo and he hauled the aristocrat up off the floor by his neck and slammed him into the wall. "You've one minute to explain yourself!"