In the Beginning:
There Was Shinsō
Kira raced through the deserted streets that led from Fourth Division to the nearby compound belonging to Fifth. At this time of day, most of the shinigami from both divisions would already be attending to what ever duties they had been assigned for the day. The small part of Kira's mind that was still capable of rational thought was profoundly thankful for the small blessing. The slender healer was in such a state of increasing desperate need, he was afraid he might fling himself at the first attractive man available and beg the stranger for some relief.
"HALT! Identify yourself!" Kira was ripped from his sexual plotting by a booming voice commanding his attention; the blond skidded to a stop. Kira tried to collect himself enough to appear somewhat respectable, a fine trembling sabotaged his efforts. A tall burly man approached the young healer, the guard's hand rested on the black wrapped hilt of his zanpakutō. When the guard got close enough to identify the blond, he relaxed considerably when he recognized the youth.
"You again," the guard shook his head at the disheveled appearance of the blond trembling in front of him. "Don't you ever actually work? I should report you to your taichou." The burly guard moved to put a hand on Kira's arm to detain him.
Kira jerked back from the man. "Don't touch me!" The blond stumbled backwards to avoid being trapped by this man. He couldn't risk being thrown into detainment; Kira sobbed at the thought of spending the next several hours alone in a cell, while Ichimaru was only a few blocks away.
The guard scowled at the healer's actions. He put his hand back on the hilt of his sword as he ran an assessing glare over the slight healer. Something wasn't right here. The guard's scowl melted from irritation to concern. "You ok kid?" The guard took a step forward as a lone tear spilled down the blond's cheek as the youth shook his head.
"Ichimaru?" Kira almost sobbed the name to the guard. The petit man wrapped his arms around himself trying to hold himself together. "I need…where is he?"
"The fukutaichou?" The guard couldn't help wondering what this little distraught waif could possibly want with that vicious bastard. "If I remember right, he is doing some personal training at his studio. I can take you to Aizen tai-" The guard stopped as he watched the blond start running in the direction of Ichimaru's practice building.
"STOP! You're going to get yourself killed!" The burly guard called to the blond's retreating back. The man huffed as the youth disappeared around a corner. "Crazy fool…fukutaichou stabbed the last man that interrupted one of his practice sessions." The guard shrugged to himself before continuing his patrol.
Ichimaru hummed to himself as he hanged the last of the leather and sand 'hollows' from the rafters. Several of the leather bags were decorated with faces fashioned from white and red paint courtesy of Kusajishi fukutaichou, the small pink haired child had been thrilled to help Ichimaru create 'hollows' to be slaughtered. The silver haired man grinned as he thought of the little girl, she reminded him of himself when he was that age.
The tall fukutaichou looked around the room with satisfaction. Ichimaru grinned as he drew Shinsō with practiced ease. Let the killing begin! With a flick of the wrist, two 'hollows' were bifurcated, the bottom half of the bags seem suspended in air before leather and sand fell to the floor. The vulpine man spun low before jumping up, slicing a fiercely painted 'hollow' into two flapping halves, its granulated contents spilling to the floor in an untidy heap.
"Ikorose, Shinsō!" Ichimaru's zanpakutō glowed as it extended, impaling a line of 'hollows', a snap of the wrist had the bags gaping in ragged disarray. The argent haired man grinned in growing delight, as he thrust his sword into a small target over and over again with such speed the motion became a blur, appearing to be hundreds of swords extending all at once. The small 'hollow' exploded into a shower of leather, paint, and sand.
Ichimaru spun to kill his next 'foe' only to discover they had all vanished; where wooden walls and hanging leather 'hollows' had once surrounded him, the slender trucks of persimmon trees decked in festive leaves of crimson and orange now obstructed his view. Star shot blue eyes widened in delight as Ichimaru turned in a slow circle, "If I had known ya wanted ta visit, I woulda come ta see ya, Shinsō." The man's comment was answered by a chuffing bark of amusement from behind a fog cloaked trunk.
The silver haired man wandered through the maze of trees, enjoying the way the chill silvery fog ghosted through the grove, disguising and revealing the environment at random. Every time that he had every come to this inner world, the trees had been decorated in summer splendor with flowers just on the cusp of forming fruit; for once it seemed that he had arrived in late autumn, a hint of winter's kiss brushed his cheek. Ichimaru lifted eager eyes to the slender branches in search of a hoped for treat. Even though the moist air carried the heady scent of ripened fruit, the branches and the ground were empty of any bounty.
"I wanna ask ya…ya eat all da persimmons or ya jus' makes sure I can'ts have any?" Ichimaru pouted at the bare branches."Ya couldn' save me nots even one of 'em?" His lips flitted into a quick smile when he sensed a small shape dart past his ankle hidden by curling wisps of fog; Shinsō was as ever fiendishly fast. Ichimaru held still as a silvery kitsune scurried up his legs to fling itself into the man's waiting arms.
Small red eyes laughed up at pale crystalline blue. Several bushy tails flicked back and forth in happy amusement as Shinsō regarded his shinigami. "You're still too sloooow." The fox spirit chuffed at Ichimaru.
"I caughts ya din't I?" Ichimaru cuddled the little kitsune close, stroking the thick fur with his long fingers.
"Did you?" Red eyes twinkled up at the tall man, "Or did I let you?" The silvery fox made a sound of appreciation as talented finger rubbed the crest between two ears.
"Ya gonna tell me why ya ambushed me ta-day?" Ichimaru settled himself at the base of a large tree cuddling his zanpakutō close. "Nots dat I am complainin'," the silver haired man grinned as he looked around the eerie landscape, "I always did likes it here."
The kitsune rubbed his chin against his shinigami, "Did you notice it isn't summer anymore?"
Ichimaru looked around at the trees swaying above him, enjoying the vibrant leaves whispering over his head. "Now dat ya mention it, it is kinda nippy ain't it?" The slender man tilted his head to peek at Shinsō from the corner of his eye, "What'cha do ta change it? Ya get bored with da way it was?"
Shinsō chuffed in amusement, "You always think you're so clever." The kitsune stared up at the foolish shinigami, ruby eyes glinting. "It's mating season." The fox flicked his multiple tails eagerly as he sniffed at Ichimaru's kodose. "I can smell him on you…He smells tasty."
A surprised laugh escaped Ichimaru, "Ya mean Kira-kun? How did ya know 'bout 'em?" The argent haired man made a dismissive gesture with his hand, "He is jus' a new toy I wanna play with."
Shinsō bit his shinigami's finger; the kitsune ignored Ichimaru's small exclamation of surprise. The zanpakutō shook his head at how slow the man could be, "Amusements wouldn't change this place." A sly grin spread across the kitsune's face, "Someone's at the door!"
Ichimaru found himself once again standing in his studio, his body still in motion from when he had originally started his spin. A pounding at the door echoed through the room, the silver haired man let the spin turn him to face the door.
"Ikorose, Shinsō!" The command split the air almost as quickly as the blade skewered the wood panel of the door. A terrified shriek sounded from the other side of the door. Ichimaru could hear the chuffing laughter of his zanpakutō ringing in his head. The sword pulled free from the door effortlessly as it retracted to its usual wakizashi legnth. The tall fukutaichou sauntered to the door, then flug it open to reveal a familiar blond sprawled across the doorway staring at the hole in the door with huge dark blue eyes.
"Why Kira-kun!" Ichimaru beamed down at the little healer. "I weren't expectin' ya yet!" The vulpine man leaned against the door frame as he surveyed the startled boy. "Ya early or is Shinsō messin' with me again?"
Kira looked from the hole in the door, that was so very close to where his head had used to be, to the man standing over him. "You!"
Ichimaru grinned in delight, he extended a hand down to Kira, "Me?"
Kira put his hand in Ichimaru's without thinking about it, his mind still snagged on the image of a steel blade passing mere inches from his nose, then he felt long strong fingers wrap around his wrist. Ichimaru easilypulled the blond to his feet but he did not relinquish his hold on Kira's wrist. Kira looked at the long fingers holding him just a bit too tight as memory after memory flooded him of being held firmly the same way as the older man kissed him senseless. The blond's breathe caught in his chest as fright was over powered by rampant need. Kira trembled as he slowly raised his head to look at Ichimaru, who was giving him a quizzical smile.
"Ya alrights, Kira-kun?" Ichimaru tilted his head as took in the healer's disarray. Kira knew the other man was talking to him but somehow what Ichimaru was saying wasn't nearly as fasinating as watching the way his lips moved. The silver haired man leaned forward, his grinning lips moving so much closer. "Oi, Kira-kun! Ya in there?"
Kira lips parted on a gasp as Ichimaru's breath washed across his cheeks. Kira pressed himself upwards, unable to resist temptation any longer, catching the other man in a kiss.
