Title: Hunt
Series: Sequel to Void
Author: Spirixx
Genre: Drama/Romance/Action
Rating: M for men, madness and mind blowing massacre. Oh and mmmhmm good ;)
Pairing: Ichigo/Renji
Spoilers: Well it takes place after the war, after Void.
Summary: Renji is assigned a new mission that threatens his new relationship with Ichigo.
Word Count: Too lazy… about 1000 to 2000 chapter
Warnings: Lots of violence, some graphic sex, but more violence... I think there might be swearing somewhere but my idea of swearing is twisted.
Disclaimer: As much as I wish, I do not own Bleach.
Distribution: Too lazy to post this anywhere else.
Dedication: To the fact this story kept me up all night… I was tempted to just skip sleeping and type but that wouldn't work for my tender needs.
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CHAPTER VII
Mix
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The white-haired man saw the older man fall. He sprung up and dove over the bush. Surprised at his own reflexes he picked the fallen one up and walked over to the nearest building. It was such a beautiful place. Odd black butterflies swarmed around him. He smiled and asked one where to bring his casualty. They headed in the direction he was already going.
"Thank you."
He couldn't help but smile. The air was so fresh and full of such wonderful sights. The long-haired man shifted and he remembered where he was off to. The pristine clean building loomed ahead. Quickening his pace he made it to the ain doors to be greeted by a slightly shorter boy than him. He had black hair and a look of pure shock on his face.
"Ichigo-san?"
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Masaru sat up in what looked like a day bed, still holding Orihime's hand without notice. He was alive. He couldn't believe it. The experiment messed up and he was the one who got to live. Still thinking he was dream he reached with his free hand and touched the cool wooden chair arm that was closest to him.
"…Ichigo…?"
"…I'm not him. I am… me."
Masaru was still in disbelief… me? The hand he held retreated. Orihime got out of the chair and sat on the bed. Instinctively he backed away. Masaru didn't know what to think, would she attack him? He felt weak, his body tired and feeble after such a strain. For the first time in his mock life, Masaru was afraid. Zangetsu was gone and so was Ichigo with their shared power. He had nothing to defend himself with. How did he end up so weak? The women inched closer. Masaru backed up until he ran out of room. He didn't like this.
"It's ok. I'm not going to hurt you or anything. You are Masaru right?"
He couldn't help but bear his teeth. He may be weak for now but with some rest he would be fine. He was still a natural at hand-to-hand combat. How dare she perceive him as something she could hurt? Was she going to kill the unwanted soul?
"Are you hungry?"
He quit his glaring in surprise. Food… he could eat now! Ichigo never let him eat because he didn't need it being a soul. Now the body was his and that meant food. He noticed the girl smile at him before skipping out of the room. So she wasn't out to get him, but the others would be. Ichigo had protected him from everyone after a fashion but now he was on his own. It didn't matter though, reality came with food.
Getting up he stretched out his spine and arms. It felt really good. He smiled hearing the small cracks of various stiff joints. How long had he been asleep? Masaru could feel his strength slowly trickle into his hands. It was his and his alone. Alone… Ichigo had left him completely. The smile he wasn't aware of faded from his face. He had been thrown away like a bad puppy.
Then he felt it, the presence from his dream. The small hands wrapped around his stomach as if not tall enough to reach any higher. He looked down to see nothing but the warmth remained. Masaru placed his hand over where he felt one of the arms. It was indeed an invisible arm in an invisible hug. He wasn't really alone, but who was this? Who ever it was calmed the crash waves within him. This was an almost divine experience. Orihime came back into the room with a tray. The presence faded but not before giving him a tight squeeze, catching his breath.
"I brought you some soup. I didn't know what kind you would like so I just thought chicken would do. Everything tastes like chicken anyways. Uryuu wouldn't let me make you my specialty though…"
She pouted as she set up the tray on the bed. She busied herself with spoons and napkins while waiting for him to respond. Masaru couldn't help it. He was curious by nature.
"What is your specialty?"
"Smarties and salmon!! Do you want some?!"
Feeling he should start off slow he declined. Chicken would be fine, he hoped. Picking up the bowled he eyed the girl warily. Was this going to be some form of freak experiment? Masaru felt his stomach rumble. It startled him for a moment before he felt the small smile return. He was hungry. The thought almost made him giddy. It was all so new. He sipped a small amount of broth from the spoon, never taking his eyes off Orihime. It was good and before long he had the entire bowl gone and was looking for more. Eating was fun.
"I made a whole pot. Don't worry about the other two. I can make them something else. They went to go get Urahara."
They moved the soup-fest to the kitchen where Orihime made Masaru sit on a stool while she ladled more into a bowl. He could tell she enjoyed taking care of him. It was kind of funny. Even though it technically wasn't his memory, he was reminded of the time Ichigo had a fever and no matter what he had done Orihime was there taking care of him. Ichigo had hated it with a passion. Masaru didn't see it as being bad, certainly he could get himself more soup, but Orihime was so happy to do it, he felt wrong in denying her.
"So what are you anyways? Like Ichigo's brother or would you be more like half of him?"
"I guess I am like his brother, like a twin or something."
"That is so wonderful. I always wanted a twin. Tatsuki-chan said there was already too much of one of me. If there were two, traffic jams and accidents would increase. I never got why…"
Soup nearly flew out of his nose. The thought of two of her and the traffic was hilarious. Masaru swallowed his soup a laughed his heart out. It wasn't an evil laugh, just one full of heart and pleasure. He stopped abruptly when he saw the look on Orihime's face. She looked odd.
"What is it?"
"I have never heard you laugh like that before…"
Masaru was confused but then he remembered. He was Ichigo to all of them now. To bad the guy was such a tight ass. He really needed to laugh more. Dark thoughts of being tossed aside crept up but he muffled them with more soup and the traffic jam thoughts again.
"Well you don't really know me anymore, when you think about it. I'm not Ichigo, and I am beginning to like that. Laughing feels good, so does eating. Do you want some Orihime?"
That got a smile back on her face. He guessed she liked her soup, or maybe it was him saying her name... he didn't really care. The front door opened and Uryuu came in huffing. He didn't looked pleased with who he brought with him. Urahara sauntered into the apartment followed by Ulquiorra and a black cat. Things were either about to get dangerous or at least interesting. Masaru turned on his stool to face the "Where is Ichigo?" entourage. Well at least he got food out of this whole event.
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Hanatarou was confused. His captain had taken the very white looking Ichigo into a private room while he healed the captain of the thirteenth division. There wasn't much to do now but wait, the man merely needing rest. The door he had been waiting to open expectantly finally did so.
"Hanatarou Yamada, would you come in here?"
He shot up like on fire and raced into the room. They were talking in the room and he only caught the tail end of what his friend was saying.
"-mada? That's an odd name, too confusing to remember if you ask me."
"Please sit down Yamada-san."
Hanatarou was too distracted by his sudden déjà vu that he didn't even hear his captain address him. He was staring at who he thought was Ichigo, but couldn't be. His hair was white for one and his eyes were bluish grey. Who was this mixed up look alike?
"Hanatarou, right? She asked you to sit."
The fake Ichigo smiled at him and pushed a chair over at him before returning his gaze to Captain Unohana. Hanatarou couldn't help but notice his uniform was completely white too. It was as if he were all bleached out. Zangetsu was missing too.
"So I am guessing he is one of the people you were talking about?"
"Yes, you know quite a few people here. It is amazing you have forgotten so much yet you don't seem troubled by it. And your appearance has changed. I guess the strain on your body coming here has sapped you of pigment. This is truly fascinating, even though unfortunate. There are many who will be hurt when you do not know who they are."
"Hey Kido, are you hurt by this?"
Hanatarou still stood in silence. Ichigo had lost his memories? What fresh hell was this? Hanatarou knew it commonly happened when people died but he never thought that would be a problem for Ichigo. How were they to become friends again? Ichigo may not want to know him a second time. The thought hurt him too much and forced him to flee. He tried to block out what he heard next but he couldn't run fast enough.
"I guess it does hurt…"
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"What?"
"Ya he arrived just outside of the fourth."
"And he really remembers nothing?"
"Not a thing apparently. Poor Hanatarou told me, he was running to his quarters. Ichigo doesn't remember him at all."
Renji just gawked at Shuuhei. Shuuhei had gone to the fourth to get Captain Ukitake before his subordinates had found out and freaked when he ran into the distressed Hanatarou. Unable to even make him pause, Shuuhei only got half a story out of him on a dead, memory abandoned Ichigo. Renji could hardly believe it. No sooner had his friend told him he was out the door, flashing the entire way.
He unceremoniously stormed through the halls of the hospital wing of the fourth headquarters. He looked in door after door but there was no sigh of who he was looking for.
"Captain Abarai, you just on time. I was expecting you 30seconds ago."
The gentle captain's voice filtered through Renji's half-panicked, half-tired mind. Her pretty face looked troubled. Her next words were lost on him thought because a familiar face appeared over her shoulder. It was his Ichigo but different. His hair was too white and his eyes were like gazing into a storm. What the hell was this?
"Unohana-chan, there was no need to call security. I am quite harmless."
Renji turned to see what this strange man was talking about. The hair was really bothering him. There was no one in the hall but the three of them. Understanding sprung onto his face.
"You think I'm security? Me?"
"You came armed. What else would you be?"
Renji felt his heart sink to a new level, below sea level. Ichigo didn't even show the slightest bit of recognition of him. He just batted his smoky eyes with a small smile that changed to a frown. He rubbed the back of his head in the way he always had but it wasn't the same. There was now scowl or anger, just sadness. The third wheel had slipped back into a room and they were alone in the hallway. Renji felt like he wanted to cry but didn't, he turned away. He would save it for later.
"Listen, don't feel too bad. I don't even know who I am, but I can tell I am important to you."
He paused in his attempts to leave, feeling a hand on his shoulder.
"I can't be who I was unless I know who that was. Why don't you show me?"
"Show you?"
Renji turned his head to look at his best friend and was relieved to see that man still in there, behind grey eyes. Ichigo smiled sadly at him. Renji's heart stopped, they were so close. Ichigo's warm breath brushed his face.
"So how do we know each other…?"
The hand never left his shoulder even as he turned the rest of his body to face Ichigo. He smelled like evergreen trees and fresh air and it was driving Renji mad. He brought a shaky hand up the trim jaw. He felt slightly guilty about this and withdrew. He couldn't take advantage of a stranger like this, even if the stranger was Ichigo. Renji went to leave, not ready for this.
"No wait, don't go."
Renji stop walking away again, the earnest tone in Ichigo's voice disturbing him.
"Please, tell me who we are… this is obviously deep-"
Renji never got to hear the rest. Like an animal he pounced on the other man, devouring Ichigo's lips within his own. Pressing the smaller man hard against the wall all his pent up confusion and frustration poured away leaving only the beast within him that wanted to hurl itself into the flames of lust. Running short on oxygen Renji pulled away. It was all too much with his emotions surging. Renji half-collapsed against the pinned Ichigo and hugged him close.
"Don't you ever leave me again. I need you, Ichi."
He didn't care if the man didn't remember him. Renji felt he had enough memories for both of them and more. He held on to the stolen moment and awaited the push away or shove, but it never came.
"I think I need you too."
They were locked in a desperate hug. Remarkably no one disturbed them in the hallway.
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END VII
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Kido- English slang for kid, not to be confused with some other word
Please review. If any one can guess who the presense is I'll post the next chapter before friday.
