Update - Melting Chapter 6
Okay – where I have a huge gaping hole in my Bleach knowledge I have used a creative licence to write just as I please! So if you like this – don't read! Today I have indulged in some fluff!
Italics mean the character is thinking.
Bold means Ichigo's Hollow
Melting.
Previously –
Ichigo stopped at the crossing and checked his phone as a message bleeped. He pulled up the blank message and frowned. He shrugged, checked the crossing and went to push the phone back in his pocket as he heard a sudden rumble of the lorry. He looked up at the grill of the lorry only inches away. "SHIT!"
Eerie silence flurried around the street for a moment, a moment that seemed to last for ever. Footsteps that had only just said good bye ran towards the road. The lorry pushed on away from the crossing and …
… in the middle of the road lay a flat crumpled mobile.
Now –
Winded, Ichigo clutched his chest and peeled himself out of the crumpled wall. Byakuya let go of his waist. Both stood panting.
"Kurosaki Ichigo." The man shook his head. "This body is shit at shunpo."
"Hah!" Ichigo smirked. "You just lost your cool." That was a good distraction from his frantically beating heart. Was it the lorry or this man that caused it?
"Didn't you see that lorry coming?"
"It wasn't there." He looked to Byakuya to see if he believed him. Oh damn it was definitely the man that caused it.
Byakuya looked at him and shrugged. There was little point in dwelling on this. The energy was better directed back at the basement. "We've got somewhere to go."
"So you been following me around all day?"
"No." Just one more cup of tea with Kisuke and he wouldn't have been here. "Your friends were with you."
X
"Gentlemen, so good to see you again!" Kisuke smiled from under his hat as he leaned against a rock in the basement.
"Enough talk." Ichigo startled as Byakuya pressed the shingigami badge against his chest.
"Wow some warning would be good!" He grabbed his body under the arms to lay it down carefully.
After several hours of drawn swords only they paused for a drink and sat leaning against the rocks. It did feel good to be so free again Ichigo mused and a good chance to get rid of his anger at being targeted again.
Fighting with Byakuya was always a huge learning curve and this friendly action was a good way to watch the man intently. They were both now sweating and reduced to the wearing no upper garments. It was as if Kisuke had turned the heating up deliberately!
Ichigo was enjoying the view in front of him. He had expected Byakuya's torso to be perfect, but in reality was scarred just like him. Scars of battle, scars of surviving. Scars that drew the eye over the defined muscles and rippling arms.
Ichigo smiled to himself. Yep this was a good view, thank god for these loose pants.
"What?" the cool voice asked. Ichigo didn't realise he was being watched.
"Your not trying to kill me for a change."
"You want me to try?" The emotionless face asked.
"Not really." Ichigo laughed. "Ironic that you have become my sensei now."
"I do not know how much I can teach you." Ichigo looked at him surprised. "You knew that already."
"No, come on…"
"You simply lack discipline."
"Teach me then." Ichigo knelt on all four before the man.
"Your style is different to mine. Such refined fighting is not becoming for you."
"So what is this all about? What is the point of this training then?"
"You wished to do it."
"I know but…you did this for me?" The silence was his answer. "You know I really don't understand you."
"You were the one who said we were no different. I assume you had made your mind up about what kind of person I am."
"You seem scared to show emotion. Hah, but I know its there. I've listened to Rukia talking about you…I've watched you these past weeks…you do care."
"My position…"
"Doesn't allow you to even breathe."
"Coming to the real world for this long has…been good." The lips didn't quite curl up but the possibility defiantly seemed about to happen. The eyes at least were certainly bright and cheerful.
"Yeah?" Ichigo smiled. "That good that your smiling all over your face hey?" He laughed at the impassive man. The steel gaze met his own and they both froze a moment.
"A smile is an outward gesture. I do not smile if I know that I am happy. Who else should I be showing that I am?"
"Oh man lighten up!" Ichigo swiped at the man's knee before standing and daring him to get up with a cocky grin.
"This is youth I take it." Byakuya spoke as he stood.
"No swords." He said burying the tip of his sword into the dust. "Simple tag."
"I out pass you in shunpo."
"Scared I'm going to whip your sorry butt?" Ichigo laughed.
"My butt?" Byakuya was not familiar with the phrase.
Under his hat sitting in a secluded spot Kisuke smiled as he fanned himself. "Now this could be fun." Turning up the heating had been a genius idea of course he praised him self. He watched as the two flashed around the basement, Ichigo repeatedly slapping the elder man on the backside and watching as Byakuya was slowly losing his cool. With his own retusi reduced to avoid detection, not that he thought they were even aware of anything other than each other, he moved in to sabotage the game.
"Hey old man, can't you catch me!" Ichigo teased Byakuya as he appeared behind him and let his palm leave another resounding crack on the mans rear.
"You insolent, disrespectful…!" Byakuya growled his eyes narrowing with anger and frustration. One step around, Ichigo was closing in again and they were focused on each others glares. One with a vast smile the other scowling.
Kisuke with a simple swipe of his cane, tripped Byakuya who stumbled into a roll and knocked Ichigo off balance. Both tumbled to the ground landing in a winded heap in the dust.
Kisuke sat back on his rock and smiled at the sight before him as Byakuya realised he was straddled over Ichigo's waist. Ichigo looked at the face only an inch away and smiled panting.
"Hey, did you just cheat?"
"Be quiet." The graceful man pouted his anger still present.
Was it moments or minutes that they laid there? The panting eased and Ichigo smiled again.
"You getting off already?" He asked as the elder didn't seem interested in moving.
"Ichigo. You are infuriating." Came the reply.
"Good." Ichigo smiled and raised his head slightly so his lips touched the mans with the slightest of kisses. Byakuya felt lightheaded and let our a quiet moan. He stared back at the expectant youth beneath him. Ichigo looked up waiting for a response. Was it going to be the one he wanted or the one he had been scared of?
Byakuya smiled lightly and lowered his head and kissed Ichigo back. Their lips parted and hands entwined. Ichigo's stomach exploded in a wave of indescribable activity and he groaned.
"I…" Byakuya was at a loss for words for a change and shrugged. "It doesn't matter." He whispered and kissed him again.
X
"I thought you said you were going to train me?" Ichigo frowned as Byakuya sat cross legged on the grass under a tree. He had willingly trailed behind the jean and t-shirt clad man who'd been waiting for him outside his classroom. Ichigo had followed behind noting the tight perfect shape of his rump. A rum his hand could still feel the shape of so perfectly from their game of tag only yesterday. The broad shoulders and the way his long hair shimmered in the sunlight as they crossed the playground.
"Sit down Ichigo." Byakuya indicated the grass in front of him.
"How is this training again?" Ichigo sighed sitting. "Just how is sitting on the grass in my school grounds at lunch time training me?"
"Not all training needs a sword remember." Was the reply from the calm man sitting with his eyes closed.
"Hah yeah, best shunpo training I've ever had." The teen joked back.
"Will you sit and calm yourself, you are throwing out retsui like a tornado." Byakuya almost sounded irritated.
"Maybe that's what you do to me!" Ichigo grinned.
Byakuya opened one eye just enough to register with a frown and Ichigo sighed and nodded his compliance.
"What's Ichigo doing with that hippy?" Kaigo asked looking through the railings on top of the school.
Ishida and Sado looked. "Meditation." Ishida replied.
"So tell me what colour do you see your power to be?"
"At times its white, then at bankai it goes a black-red. "Yours must be all pink. Gay pink." He added with a smirk.
"What does that makes yours mixed together? A dusky rose?" Byakuya smiled back. "When Kenpatchi is yellow, Ishida blue and Sado white, what does that make you?"
"Gay, right I get the idea." Ichigo gave in with a laugh. "I bet when you meet with Senbonzakura its in a cherry orchard in full bloom."
"Of course." Byakuya nodded with his serious face again as if anything else was inconceivable. "She is a beautiful woman who wears a fine dress of petals, pink crystal jewels and carries herself with the utmost of grace."
"Figures."
"And Zangetsu? I assume you wear his dress during your Bankai?" The face was the usual ice cold, but Ichigo saw the smile dancing in the eyes. "Where do you meet? In a butch gay bar?"
Ishida raised a eyebrow at Sado as they both heard the laugher erupt from below. It wasn't a possibility that either of those two men could be laughing, could they?
"So you have an inner world which is a city slumped on its side? The weather depicts your mood and there is no shelter for your sword?"
"Nor my Hollow."
"Ahh that fellow. And today's forecast?" He asked and watched as Ichigo seemed to space out momentarily.
"Apparently its quite pleasant. My Hollow appears to be sunbathing, not that he's ever going to get a tan!"
"No? What does he look like?"
"The vizard's saw him mutate into a lizard before I took control. He looks like me otherwise, but white hair, white skin and his eyes…"
"Black and yellow."
"Yeah, I guess you've seen them." He said scratching the back of his head.
"Can I talk to him?"
"He's listening."
"No, I mean talk with him." Ichigo stared at Byakuya a moment pondering if that was a good idea. He always took any opportunity to ruin things for him.
"He'll try and screw everything up."
"Then I will bare that in mind." Ichigo seemed to space out a moment and Byakuya watched with interest as Ichigo seemed to be having an internal dialogue, his expressions still registering on his face. A warning was obviously issued and accepted. The eyes slowly turned to black and yellow and a grin spread across his face.
"Hey greetings boyfriend! I have a new name for the two of you!" The voice came out like curdled goo. "Bitchi!" The Hollow found it amusing and sat for a couple of moments laughing. "So, your royalness, you summoned me!"
"Can Ichigo hear us?"
"Nah, I've blocked him. Couldn't have him interrupting now could I!"
"Ichigo tells me that you have merged with his sword."
"I am dominant. Guess I'm the one who'd be on top!"
"Such a shame."
"Eh?" What was the point in baiting this guy if it doesn't work?
"It must be lonely by yourself. At least with Zangetsu, you had someone else to irritate. Someone else to stand in the rain with."
"Mind games don't work on me."
"No?" Byakuya. "I'm sure they would, if you were not part of Ichigo."
"Part of? I am not part of. I am at this moment instead of!"
"You don't like him much do you?"
"No. He is a weak fool."
"Yet you call him King."
"Listen Bitchi, want him back do you? Want to kiss him again do you? I sat there all last night telling him to just shag you. I know he wants to, he just won't admit it! I don't get many days in the sunshine, what if I don't release him back to you?"
"If you cared nothing for him, you would never have saved his life all the times you have. You would never have allowed him to defeat you, to use you. Yet you do. You try to appear tough and taunt him, yet, you are really encouraging him and training him on he use of his sword."
"So what if I am!" That sounded more like a spoilt child having his toys taken away.
"I want to know where your loyalties lay."
"I don't have to answer that!"
"I doubt you would let Aizen kill him just the same as you would not let me kill him. Ichigo brought you to life, Ichigo feeds your soul and treats you with a degree of trust and gratitude; all of which you thrive on." The hollow strangely enough didn't counter challenge him and Byakuya felt satisfied he had gained enough understanding of this force of power. "You might be more powerful than Zangetsu, but power does not equate to understanding. You are holding the boy back release the sword."
"And if I do?"
"He will begin to see you with the same degree of respect you hold him in. I feel that would please you."
"Hah all you want to do is taste the berry. You'd say anything to me to get what you want and see that I don't get in the way… Please me, no one cares about pleasing me! Get out, get off, get lost…" The hollow mumbled before withdrawing himself with Ichigo battling to regain control.
Well that seemed rather too easy. They were not too unlike after all. Byakuya watched as Ichigo stepped quickly into place frowning and looking at the steal coloured eyes staring intently at him. Ichigo waited for a reaction, his hollow must have tried something at least, but that information was not forthcoming.
"Training." Byakuya said. "I want you to control yourself more." He went into how to meditate and try to visualise all his powers in a sealed bubble. "…see it swirling inside the bubble, all that white and red feathering together. Draw the bubble inside you reducing the size until its only a small orange sized globe…don't rush it." Ichigo could visualise the misty looking mass swirling easy enough, he could see the bubble and picture it surrounding his whole body. As the bubble gradually reduced the mass inside became denser and the mist thickened until it resembled a solid ball. Byakuya was glad he'd done his homework and found out about the canon into Seireitei thereby giving Ichigo something he could already visualize. "…okay?" Byakuya asked as a flicker of a smile passed Ichigo's lips.
"Its got pinker as its got smaller!" Ichigo laughed and Byakuya tutted as he felt the rush of retsui flow back out in powerful waves washing over him. His emotions as expected got the better of him.
"Control. It's all about control!" He inwardly screamed in frustration. "Don't waste your energy on pointless jokes."
"Lighten up!"
"This is your weakness, the one thing that all your enemies focus on. They can find you too easily, they know what your feeling, they know when you are almost beaten, they know when you are using your Hollow…your like a beacon 'Here I am, come get me!'" He looked at Ichigo as the message was beginning to sink in. "What ever has been sent to find you, is better at this than I am. Soul Society can't even pick it up on their surveillance equipment."
"Okay I get the point."
"Good." Byakuya leaned back against the tree behind him. "Try again."
"How is this going to help me when I fight?"
"During a fight, you need only release as much as you need and allow yourself to conserve the rest. There is little point in fighting like Kenpachi throwing needless retsui into the air. In the winter battle, you are going to have to fight harder and longer than you have before. At the moment your spiritual energy masks the signatures of others, I have learnt to drown yours out, so that I can sense others like Sado and Ishida in your school. You cannot feel them unless there is a distance between you I understand."
"So when my spirit is contained in the bubble I will feel the others better."
"That is one aim." He nodded. "This is something you can practice where ever you are. Just keep it focused on the bubble especially when your moods change. At those times your energy will fluctuate and become harder to control."
The bell rang for the afternoon lessons and Ichigo stood grabbing his bag and throwing it over his shoulder.
"Well, see you later then."
Byakuya nodded. They looked at each other and Byakuya raised an eyebrow.
"You will be late."
"I don't know…I just thought…"
"You'll be late Ichigo." Byakuya was not about to get intimate in the middle of a school.
"Stuffed up prick." Ichigo muttered as he wandered away towards the building. What am I doing with a stuffed up prick?