A/N: Alas, this is a bridge chapter, so no lemony goodness until the next one. But next chappie you get UlquiXIchi, and I'm still deciding if that takes a whole chapter or if it will be shared with Stark's encounter. Anyway, any other requests for pairs before I get Ichi pinned down with a baby daddy? :)
Chapter Four: Heart's True Form
Renji awoke with a start as the door slammed open, but he stayed still on the sofa, listening intently. He heard a familiar sounding voice snort at the doorway.
"What the hell, I was asleep, where are we now, or is it your turn?" groused the familiar orange head and Renji flinched inwardly at the sound in his voice.
"Not yet, but later. I do have duties other than taking my own pleasures into account. Stark is asleep, again, but primera will likely not forget. You are to be allowed here with your companions until I return for you. Szayel will come by to ensure that you received no irreparable damage from Nnoitra's overenthusiasm," the impassive sounding voice of the pale espada responded.
"Overenthusiasm? Is that what you call nearly killing me? After Grimmjow's none too kind…" he stopped, swallowing.
"You were lucky the woman was here. But that is of course why she is still here. You are human more than hollow. So you will break and it is her ability to heal you that ensures she remain alive in our hands."
"Fuck you," Ichigo said, a defeated tone in his voice.
"It is that or your friends can take your place."
Renji heard the hitch in Ichigo's breath. "N-no. Fine whatever you got I can take, bastard."
"You see, your friends are your weakness now, don't you? If it were not for them, you wouldn't be in this position. You wouldn't have come to Hueco Mundo. Your hollow wouldn't have incapacitated you and released the pheromones that drew the mass of hollows to you as well as us. And now, we wouldn't be vying for the chance to leave our offspring in your less than willing body," the tone never changed, remaining even as he spoke. Renji couldn't see, so he cracked open an eye, and the angle was bad but he saw Ulquiorra's back to him, and could see he was gripping Ichigo's arm, but he couldn't see more than that. "Do you regret coming here?"
"No, not one bit, you bastards, even if I'd know, even if the fucking hollow had told me this could happen, I still would have come."
There was a long pause. "Do you have feelings for the woman? Do you lust after her?"
"No, bastard, she's my friend, and I would do the same for any of them, even Ishida's annoying ass," he answered, his tone less angry.
"Interesting. I shall return later, beta, after Szayel reports on your condition to my satisfaction. Do enjoy your free time. I suggest sustenance, as I am not sure when you will return here to refresh yourself. I do not intend to break you as Nnoitra did, however, I'm unsure."
There was a pause and the door shut, and a thrum of power encased it, sealing. Renji pulled himself up to see Ichigo standing in front of it, hands balled into tense fists at his side. He'd been given some clothes, but they were white arrancar-style. It was a mockery of his previous shihakuso. He wore a pair of white hakama with a black obi, but the sides of the hakama were cut down nearly to his knees, leaving both hips open. The top was a white kusodo at the top, but from the angle, Renji could see that it was cut across his back, leaving his midback exposed and he imagined his middrift as well. He watched as he pulled at the top, trying to get more than a modicum of modesty out of it.
"Ichigo?" he finally said, and he started almost violently and turned to him, seeing him peeking over the arm of the couch.
Renji saw the look, the utter and complete look of shame, that crossed his face as he turned around and folded his arms over his chest, attempting to look casual.
"Yo, so they dumped me off to see you guys for a while," he said, and Renji could see he was desperately hoping that Renji hadn't heard his conversation with his captor.
Renji snorted, and sat up to stretch. "Yeah, talk about a shock, waking up to see yer ugly mug in here."
He didn't miss that he visibly relaxed and Renji knew how hard it must be for him to be seen like this. He picked at the clothes. "You'd think they'd give me something decent to wear," he muttered, trying again to pull an extra inch or two out of the kosudo he had on. Renji saw now that it was cut in the front just under his ribs, and the front was open from his collarbones down into a deep v at the bottom. "I look like a fucking prostitute."
Just then a door opened and Rukia's bright violet eyes met his and she ran over to him, grabbing him in a tight hug. She the stepped back and frowned at his appearance. "What in the three worlds are you wearing, Ichigo?"
Ichigo rolled his eyes and walked into the small kitchen to rummage for food. Rukia locked eyes with Renji who shook his head slightly to convey that she really didn't want to go there. After a moment, Ishida walked out, sniffing the air as a smell of eggs and some kind of meat cooking wafted from the kitchen.
"Please tell me Inoue isn't cooking," he said, pushing his glasses up, and just then both Chad and Inoue emerged from their rooms to see who was cooking as well.
Ichigo emerged from the kitchen then and saw they were all awake. He smiled as best he could but he saw the look in their faces. All of them. And he knew that no doubt Inoue had told them about what she had seen the night before. So he swallowed and tried to look like normal. He scowled.
"Don't just stand there, come help me get the food out or are you going to eat it out of the pan?" With that he turned and reentered the kitchen.
There was a table with chairs off the kitchen and Ichigo proceeded to pull plates, all white of course, as the others came in and loaded their plates one by one. He'd found something resembling ham, though he wasn't sure he really wanted to know what it was, and some eggs, cheese, and some fresh and nice smelling herbs. So he'd put them together in omelet fashion and scooped one on each plate that came by, filling the last one with his own. He grinned at it, and was quite proud. He'd never mastered the art of omelet making before, but these were perfectly how he wanted them.
He sat down with the others and then didn't know what to do. He was suddenly uncomfortable, seeing them all trying to look like they weren't looking at him.
"If you don't eat, I'm going to think you don't like my cooking," he said finally, diving into his own food, stomach telling him he hadn't eaten in over a day now.
After a moment, they all did just that, Rukia's head popping up and staring at Ichigo when the first bite hit her tongue. It was incredible. Soon everyone around the table had a similar reaction.
"Ichigo, since when could you cook like this?" Rukia asked, amazed.
He looked thoughtful, twirling his fork absently. "Um, well, I've watched Yuzu a lot, but I usually get chased out of the kitchen for burning stuff, so I don't know what's up. Never really was interested in cooking much but now I want to."
The others exchanged looks. Well that was certainly a switch in traits in their orange haired friend. He seemed oblivious to it. After a while they started talking idly about Las Noches and the different arrancar, avoiding the subject of those that Ichigo was seemingly doomed to be involved with. Then they looked up as the door opened and Ulquiorra reached a hand inside and dropped a green haired bundle. Nel came streaking over and nearly knocked Ichigo over in his chair.
"Itsygo!" she cried, tears streaking her face. "Nel was so worried and begged and begged and begged until they let Nel see momma Itsygo!"
Ichigo smiled, and hugged the little arrancar to his chest. "I'm okay Nel."
Nel nuzzeled into his neck. "You smell like Grimm-kitty and the tall one I don't like," she said, causing Ichigo to flinch enough to nearly knock her from his lap. "But it's okay. Nel doesn't smell cubs from either of them, not now, they're gone."
Ichigo lifted her up. "What do you mean, not now?"
"Itsygo had cubs, but they're gone now. Nel is not sure how," she said and snuggled into him again, content.
There was a calm silence as everyone absorbed what had been said, but the door opened and the pink haired scientist walked in.
"Happy reunion?" he asked.
Ichigo frowned, remaining where he was sitting. Szayel grumbled. "Here, now," he commanded, a sharp edge to his voice.
The others watched as Ichigo flinched as if fighting something, and he stood and went over to where Szayel was standing. Szayel smiled and looked him over, a lecherous gaze falling over every exposed area of flesh. He pressed a hand suddenly to Ichigo's midsection and frowned. He glanced at the table.
"You healed him last night, yes?" he asked, looking at Inoue.
"Y-yes, he was hurt pretty badly, I had to or he would have died," she said timidly.
Szayel nodded and ran his fingers up and down Ichigo's bare arms. "Hrm, it seems my theory was correct. If you heal him, you not only reject the injuries, but also any cubs that might form. Which means, of course, you'll have to refrain from healing him now."
"But, if that happens again!" she said, standing, crossing her arms over her ample chest.
Szayel glared at her. "If Nnoitra doesn't control himself, he will have no shot at siring cubs with this beta. He is far too valuable to us to let Nnoitra's inability to hold back destroy him."
Ichigo growled. "Why? What the hell, aren't there enough fucking hollows around here to satisfy them since I'm obviously not equipped to survive this!"
Szayel pushed his glasses up and stared. "You see, most the espada are alphas, strongest and best of the vasto lorde and adjunca classes. Halibel and Nel were the only two female espada. Don't be so surprised, Nel used to be tercera espada, she's regressed and become a child and lost her memory since then. But they are what we call alpha females. Meaning that they are as rare as beta males. Instead of being impregnated, they do the impregnation." He paused rolling his eyes. "Sex doesn't matter to us; it is a matter of dominance of one reiatsu over another."
There was a pause. "But where does the child's soul come from?" Rukia asked quietly. "Hollows eat other hollows, they're formed by attachment to the world of the living. How can a hollow create life?"
Szayel nodded. "Your reputation, I see, isn't unwarranted, Kuchiki-san. Truly. And you're right. But when we mate, unlike humans, the reiatsu we force into the other is nothing more than one of the souls we contain. We do not 'create' life; we simply reshape the multitude of souls within us to satisfy the animal instinct to procreate. Even though it is completely unnecessary."
Ichigo looked up and glared at the pink haired arrancar. "What about you? You seem to be the only espada not trying to 'procreate'."
Szayel shrugged. "I'm a beta, so that instinct is not mine."
Ishida frowned. "If they have a beta among the espada, why are they wanting to use Kurosaki?"
"Simple, if I were to have cubs, I'd probably kill them," he said, with a wave of his hand. "Simple really, any alpha can tell by the pheromones I release. Unlike Ichi-kun here who releases the most maternal and protective pheromone scents I've come across, I release a scent that leaves no doubt that I am not the type to be mated with. It works well, as I enjoy using my fraccion to my own pleasures."
He turned and headed toward the door. "Good day for now, lovelies. I must make my report to Aizen-sama on the progress of our little experiment."
There was a shocked silence and Ichigo simply slid to his knees on the floor, his mind slipping away from reality. Babies? He seriously could carry babies? Even if they were just random souls, wasn't that what reincarnating was, anyway? Life from death. In a way it was like cleansing them with the zanpakuto, though he was sure the hollows didn't really think of it that way. The new life was released from its hold in the service of the other hollows. And it had a chance to survive anew.
"Ichigo!" a strong voice demanded and he blinked and was staring up into Renji's frowning face. He instinctively gasped and leaned his head back, offering his neck to the shinigami that his body recognized as an alpha.
Renji backed up. "What the hell, Ichigo?" he said, and Ichigo lowered his head, frowning.
"Sorry, it's just, nevermind," he said sighing, as he gathered himself and got up slowly.
He sat down on the couch and scowled at nothing, pulling his legs into a tight ball in the corner. The others glanced back and forth at each other, truly not knowing how to handle the situation. So Renji sighed. Perhaps he'd prod him into an argument, nothing got the young substitute going quite like an argument. So he flopped down beside him on the couch, a smirk on his face.
"Oi, if yer gonna be all sulky like that, I'm not gonna be able to kick yer ass in a fight again," he said grinning, hoping to get a rise out of him. Instead he fixed him with a glare for a moment but turned to stare away.
Chad and Ishida had sat down at the dining table, realizing that Renji was trying to get him to come around and act like himself again. Rukia headed to take a shower in her own room, and Inoue soon followed to do the same thing after putting away the dishes in the small kitchenette. Renji, was getting frustrated with the lack of response from his friend. He knew he was going through something severely traumatic, but he couldn't just let him recede into himself and stay there.
"Oi, dammit, come here, Ichigo, listen to me!" he said sternly, and immediately regretted it.
Ichigo's whole posture changed, shaking at first, then, like he was resisting something he turned to face Renji, keeping his eyes lowered as he did it, turning and pulling his legs under him. He crawled forward slowly over the short expanse that separated them and stayed there, on his hands and knees, breathing raggedly, head bowed. Renji frowned and reached out and pulled his head up to see his eyes filled with tears.
"Ichigo?" he asked softly, concerned now about what he'd done without knowing it.
He was starting to shake and Renji reached out and pulled him against him tightly, out of the completely abnormal and undignified posture of submission. His heart was beating a mile a minute he found as he laid his hand on his back. As soon as he did, a tremor went through his body. He looked over to Ishida and Chad, pleading for help with this.
"Renji, you're an alpha," Ishida said standing and moving over to kneel in front of them. Ichigo's eyes were shut and he was still trembling. "Right, Ichigo? That's what's happening?"
Ichigo nodded almost unperceptively and Renji gasped. "But I'm not one of them, why would I make him act like this?"
Ishida shook his head. "It doesn't matter, you're still the alpha type and when you command him, the instincts take over, and he can't deny whatever you say…"
Renji squeezed his friend closer, trying not to notice the flinch in the smaller man's body. "No, Ichigo, I'm so sorry, I didn't know, I'd never want you do feel like you have to do what I say! I was trying to get you pissed so you'd argue with me, I didn't know."
After a minute, Renji realized he'd fallen asleep against him, brow finally losing the scowl that nearly always knitted it together. Nel had climbed up in Renji's lap. "Momma Itsygo doesn't like to be this way, Nel knows. Momma Itsygo is hurting, but can't stop it. Nel wants to help but Nel can't."
Renji sighed and then put Nel beside him, and carefully gathered up his sleeping friend. He didn't even stir as he laid him on one of the beds, Nel quickly snuggling in with him. Renji nearly staggered out of the room, his face drawn. Rukia was standing there when he came out, brow arched over her violet eye.
"Ishida told me what happened. It's not your fault, Renji," she said softly.
He swallowed. "How can I convince myself after the way he reacted, Rukia? I've been trying to think that Ichigo was fine; he would come through this, maybe a little worse for the wear, but still Ichigo. It's beginning to look like that's not true. He's not the same."
Rukia hugged the taller red head. "We just have to get him out of here, and he'll be okay again, take him back to soul society to heal."
Renji turned to her. "But is that even going to work? Rukia, after what almost happened to you, if we take Ichigo back after this, especially if he is carrying…cubs…what then?"
"I don't know what else to do, Renji," she said, softly. "Maybe Nii-sama can help. We could keep him in our household, protect him."
Renji nodded. "But first we have to leave here, and I still don't know how that will happen," he said tightly.
Slowly time passed, and Ichigo found himself locked into a nightmarish world of pain and blood. He wanted to get out, crawling in the darkness for some semblance of light, but something kept him fixed in this position on the bloody ground. No one touched him, he just couldn't move. It's going to stay like this king, for the rest of your life…when an alpha speaks, you will obey, human, arrancar, or even shinigami.
The vision shifted and he found himself on his knees in submission before someone, and he looked up to find himself staring at Nnoitra and Grimmjow, both leering down at him, and he could do nothing, save offer up his neck in supplication, as they both began to devour him, body and soul.
"Ichigo! Wake up, please, Ichigo, please!" a soft voice pleaded through the haze of blood and pain. He blinked slowly, looking up into violet eyes staring down at him. He blinked and pulled away from her.
"Sorry," he whispered, his throat hoarse. Just how much had he been screaming in his sleep?
"Are you okay now?" she asked softly, reaching out to touch his hand. Without thinking, he snatched it away.
He lifted his head to hear a commotion in the front, and the door opened, Ulquiorra staring at him with those impassive green eyes. He walked over with purpose and grabbed Ichigo's upper arm in a bruising grip. Rukia backed away, already seeing purple bruises blossoming out around his fingers where he gripped him. He looked at him as he struggled, then yanked him off the bed to the floor, sending him sprawling. He collected himself, straightening out his clothes as he came at him again, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him up.
"Ow, stop, you're going to break my wrist!" he whined, feeling the bones grate. Ulquiorra stopped applying pressure.
"The application of pain does have a desirable effect," he commented as Ichigo squirmed, trying to pry his hand off his wrist.
He glanced at Rukia who had backed herself to the wall. "You do not know your place yet, trash," he commented staring at her. "Get out," he said stoicly, and Rukia's eyes widened.
"You're not…not here…" she gasped, staring at Ichigo, the brilliant purple bruise on his upper arm such a contrast to his tan skin.
He fixed her with another impassive stare. "Get out. Unless you wish to watch, that is, then by all means stay."
Rukia gasped, locking eyes with Ichigo who was suddenly terrified of the much smaller man that held his wrist in a death grip. She backed out of the room, then, nearly running over the door as she slammed it shut behind her, running into the living area with the others. Inoue grabbed her and she held onto her friend. Rukia was shaking, tears falling from her eyes. Yes, they knew what was going on, and they couldn't stop it, but now, in the very room, and still they were helpless.
"What's he…" Renji said, stirring from where he had been tossed into the wall when the green eyed espada had entered. He then heard the sound of something hitting the door in the room, shaking it in the frame. He visibly blanched. "No fucking way, he's not…where we…"
A strangled cry escaped the door, something between a plea and a scream. Inoue pulled Rukia even closer as the sound repeated, and again as there was a loud thumping sound. Chad couldn't stand still any longer and he rushed in a few long strides to pull at the door handle. But even Chad's immense strength could break the barrier the cuarta espada had placed around the room after he entered. Then the door opened and the espada stood there, his clothes splattered with blood, bright against the white. Chad could hear Ichigo's heavy breathing in the room beyond but couldn't see him.
Ulquiorra sighed and glanced out at the others. "This is the last time I will speak these words. Should any of you interfere, I will cut his throat myself and leave him to bleed to death at your feet. His reiatsu is at a minimum, and he will not be able to stop me from doing it."
The door slammed shut and there was crash against it as the whole door and frame shivered at the force. Ishida had come up to drag Chad away, and noticed a trickle of blood along the edge of the bottom of the door.
"Chad, we can't help him now," he said softly. "If we want to help at all, he has to live through this," he whispered softly. Chad reluctantly allowed himself to be led from the door but flinched as a loud yelping sound suddenly erupted.
