8. He Who Loves His Enemy
Ichimaru sat slumped upon the bed, eyes half-lidded from exhaustion and deep, constant pain. His lips were parted, quivering, and his hand was clenched over his chest. The world didn't exist in this moment, and other moments like it, just a blurry space that surrounded him, and at the core of this space was the pain within him. Words didn't reach him, sounds reverberated...Slowly closing his eyes, he softly exhaled in place of a scream.
Quietly observing, Kisuke stood just out of arm's reach of the erstwhile traitor, half of his attention on him and the other on the monitors near the bed. These occurrences in which Ichimaru showed just how sick and weak he was were becoming more frequent. It was time—had been time—for entirely new counter-measures for whatever it was going on within his body to be developed instead of updating the ones currently used.
...Psychic evaluation would also help...hopefully. Maybe. The poor man was evidently losing a grip on his mind; his responses as to why he did what he did to Ichigo in the past made that clear. Varying explanation from just "feeling like it" to the very confused "I don't know"s had been the most recent responses.
The most coherent response to come from out of Ichimaru was stern understanding that he only continued to approach and see Ichigo because 1) the entity within him "wanted" it and that 2) if the teen no longer wanted him around, he was "more than willing" to be "strapped down" to keep Ichigo safe.
Perhaps the most confusing thing was that said teen in question never actually expressed such a desire...yet? Even after about three, four attempts on his life. From what Kon explained, Ichigo recently seemed as unknowingly drawn to Ichimaru as the man was knowingly drawn to him.
...Curious...
Off to the side of the room, nearer to the door, the Mod-Soul himself stood with folded arms, a deep, sympathetic frown upon his face despite himself. He had traveled back to Akazuki Town after escorting Chad and Uryū, but inevitably returned to Lancashire to get more and give more information on the situation. Things were not as he thought...
He watched as Ichimaru was aided in lying down, his pale, thin form shaking from pain. Briefly glancing away, he thought back on what Ichigo had said, that Ichimaru wasn't...well. Somehow, the carrot-top got that much right; an understatement, really...
Moving towards the door, he was joined by Kisuke, who put a finger to his lips before flicking the light off. They both left the room, moving into an open room down the hall and around the corner. Only then did Kisuke let out a sigh.
"...And one thing we've come to expect is that, despite all of this, he's going to be 'fine' in a few hours," he said. "Smiling, cordial as always, as if nothing happened. That or, depending on the time of the day, he'll just go to Japan on his own, unexpectedly."
Kon scoffed, though his expression was clouded, brows furrowed. He looked away in thought. "...To see Ichigo," he murmured.
At this, Kisuke shook his head, looking almost apologetic. "...Not...necessarily, Kon." Another sigh escaped him while he moved to sit upon a couch, beckoning Kon to do the same. "I admit, I haven't felt inclined to keep as close an eye on Gin as I...likely should."
Sitting opposite to him in a loveseat, Kon's expression steadily worsened. "...Kisuke, are you serious—"
"He has earned my trust," the scientist clarified, his words definite and causing Kon to trail off. "...I know he has...questionable intentions at this point, with his gradually deteriorating mentality—"
"That doesn't change the fact or possibility that he's killed people for no reason, does it?" Kon interrupted, incredulous that Kisuke would be alright with such a dangerous man running unsupervised.
Calm, Kisuke nodded in understanding. He and Tessai, and to his knowledge, even Ichimaru had an abundance of time to come to this solemn understanding. It hadn't been easy to digest, and it didn't mean he approved of what Ichimaru would do, either.
"...Kon, Gin is already dying. Suffering in an unspeakably inhumane, unnatural and thoroughly traumatizing way," he softly explained. This whole time, he stared off past Kon's confused gaze. "What more of a punishment can we give him for his sins?"
Pursing his lips, Kon's frown deepened. "...You pity him, don't you?" he softly asked, looking away again. He didn't need an answer, not really, and knew Kisuke was aware of this.
Regardless, the former captain murmured, "Yes. I pity him."
Ichigo sat on the ledge of an upper floor of the ruins, feeling disjointed and confused. Maybe the best way he could put it was that he wasn't feeling "well". It was about time for him to get sick, yeah. Maybe, but it wasn't any familiar sort of "unwell" feeling. No. Just...disjointed.
And impossibly confused.
He gazed down at his arms, recalling how they were black and metallic the night before. Claw-like. Sword-like. Blades...He grimaced, looking back up at the sky. It was getting colder...
"Ichigo...?"
"Chad?" Looking back, Ichigo was greeted with the sight of his best friend standing in-between a hole in the wall and the area he was in. In his hands, he held a napkin with several freshly-made onigiri upon it. He blinked at this, and then gradually smiled, giving his friend unsaid permission to approach. "...Thanks, Chad," he said softly, watching the teen approach and sit beside him.
Chad offered the platter, upon which one of the onigiri was graciously taken. He then took one as well, turning his attention towards the scenery below and the sky above.
In companionable silence, the two teens ate breakfast. Chad did want to talk to his friend, but after the night before, knew it was better for Ichigo to talk on his own terms. All the while, he would remain a silent, steady rock at his friend's side.
-:Edth:C:-
The last rice ball shortly disappeared into Ichigo's mouth. Chad shook off the napkin out over the ledge, and then folded it away.
"...Thanks again, Chad," Ichigo softly sighed. He then fell silent, glancing to his hands as he formulated his thoughts.
It was obvious to Chad that he was trying to say something. Briefly, he observed the carrot-topped teen, taking in his weary demeanor, his distant, darkened eyes, and, of course, his fluctuating reiatsu.
...Well, the reiatsu part had everyone at bit concerned, so that was something different, but...
Finally, Ichigo looked down past his hands to the ruins below. "...I don't feel well, Chad," he admitted. "On top of that, for the past two days, I've had very disturbing dreams. Last night, the dream was...vivid, but I don't understand it."
Watching Ichigo grimace caused Chad to frown.
"Last night, I believe a...deeper part of my Hollow...heritage...awoke. I woke it up. I was following Ichimaru-sensei's instructions, but...I wanted it. I think that. I...believe that. I wanted that power...But now..." the hybrid clenched his hands together, eyes closing, "I can feel it bubbling within, wanting out. It's so powerful..."
Chad placed a comforting hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "Are you afraid of it?"
"...Somewhat. I mean...back when I had my powers, it took me forever to acknowledge Shirōgetsu," Ichigo confessed, lowering his hand. "I was afraid of him, of his power. Of what it all meant. I guess I really don't understand or...accept all of what I am..."
Nodding, Chad removed his hand to briefly glance at it. He then lowered it and looked back to the sky. "...I do not...understand what I am, either," he softly admitted. "...Not anymore. Back when we had the threat of Aizen, I was less interested in what I was and more interested in...utilizing my new powers."
Ocher eyes opened, focusing on his stalwart companion.
"...I imagine all of us—you, me and Inoue—felt that way. We never had the chance to truly come to grips with what our newly manifested powers were, only how to use them."
Thinking back on how Shirōgetsu only felt used, Ichigo slightly nodded.
Continuing, Chad softly sighed. "I'm here because I'm afraid of my developing powers," he explained. "I can feel something...dark...inside of me, too."
Blinking in surprise, Ichigo's lips parted in surprise. He had no idea. "Chad..."
But his friend gave a small and understanding smile, one of reassurance. "We both wanted these powers, Ichigo. And I think if I was in your place, I would probably want them back, too, despite it all," he said, nodding a bit. "I think we now owe it to ourselves to take the time we need to understand exactly what our powers are."
-:Edth:C:-
It was a weekday, so after breakfast, Ichigo went to work. Kon was still in England while Uryū had...said something cryptic about finding a place of residence nearby the night before. This left Chad alone for the day, giving his new acquaintances, the Vizard, time to evaluate his situation. There hadn't been an opportunity to do so the night before.
He stood in the center of the main room with his arms stretched outwards, hands in fists. His hierro-like, armored arms were on full display, observed by the Vizard.
"...Well," Hiyori huffed. "...You're human, that's for sure."
"Yet," Lisa added, holding Chad's left hand and feeling it, "...there are some strong Hollow abilities within you. Somehow."
"Entirely different from us, though," hummed Mashirō, poking at the shield on his right arm.
Hums of agreement were made. "'Cause it's not like you have an inner Hollow anything, right?" Kensei asked, arms crossed as he observed the teen's reiatsu.
Chad shook his head. "I do not sense another presence within me, as Ichigo did. I only feel my power changing. Stirring inside," he explained.
"Your reiatsu is peculiar," Hachi said, also observing. "Instead of feeling, to put it, 'like a Hollow', your human reiatsu is..." He trailed off, trying to find the right words, head tilted as he looked to his companions for assistance.
Shrugging, Love offered, "...Encased?"
"...Something..."
"Ooh!" Mashirō waved her hand. "Merged!"
"...Eh...not quite..."
Rose smiled. "Interwoven?"
"Yes, closely interwoven with that of a Hollow's," Hachi finished, nodding at Rose in thanks.
Shinji sighed loudly at some realization, and based upon the following reactions from his companions, they seemed to come to the same thought. "It's likely that you're a Fullbringer," he said, standing from a ledge to slid to the ground floor. He then approached. "...Which is pretty rare, to be honest. Like...one in several hundred-thousandth of a chance."
Lisa stood back, adjusting her glasses. "Very impressive."
Lowering his arms, Chad asked, "...Fullbringer?"
"Well, that's exactly why they're so rare," the Vizard leader continued as he waved a hand. "Fullbringers are the extremely fortunate result of when a woman is exposed to strong Hollow power before giving birth to a child. That child ends up having residual Hollow reiatsu within them, becoming what's called a Fullbringer."
"So your mother was one lucky woman," Kensei commented, nodding in appreciation.
"Except," Lisa added, "Fullbringers usually don't have such an abundance of power within them, as you do."
No doubt it had something to do with Ichigo, and the same thought passed through the mind of all those present.
By this time, Shinji was standing nearer to the teen. He took a moment to examine the teen's arms as the Hollow-like shell peeled from them, and then looked to meet the brown eyes. "...I don't know what goes on in Seireitei anymore, nor do I care. So I don't know if they already figured out what you are. But all this means is it was an even better idea for you to have left Karakura, since the last thing you needed was to end up on Mayuri's tables."
Soft murmurs of agreement arose from the others while Chad nodded in understanding.
Shinji then rested a hand on his side, returning the atmosphere to a more informal note as he languidly inquired, "So tell us about this 'dark' energy you keep feeling within you."
The workday wasn't an easy one for Ichigo. As of late, the days in general weren't the most pleasant, dragging on with a painful slowness and no matter what he did or how he went about thinking positively, he was haunted by the sensations of that wonderful power he tasted the night before...
He nearly swooned on his feet, but rightened himself, blinking rapidly, before he hit the postbox. He frowned and calmly put the package inside it.
Yeah. This was ridiculous.
It was Ichimaru's fault—or so he thought at first. Because the more he thought about it, the more Ichigo came to realize Ichimaru was only fulfilling his request to be taught. He was the one who really got himself into this mess. If it was a mess at all.
...So was it?
He emitted a deep sigh as he approached the van, which didn't go unnoticed by Junko. He was working with her again—had been working with her a lot, lately.
"Working yourself too hard again, Kurosaki-san?" she asked with an understanding smile from the driver's seat.
He snapped out of his thoughts, managing a small smile of his own. His own mask. "Not really. I'm not really getting a lot of good sleep, to be honest," he admitted.
She started the van after he climbed inside, asking, "Do you drink any tea?" Her eyes were on the road as they took off. She was one of the better drivers he worked with.
He looked out the window, idly fingering the rim of his cap. "...Not really much of a tea-drinker."
She cast him a glance. "Try kukicha or green tea, especially before bed. Or just kukicha if you're sensitive to caffeine," she suggested, "though green tea is always best."
"...I'll try that. Thanks," he said earnestly, though he wished to return to his thoughts.
Though he didn't say it, it came across anyway. She only slightly shook her head before ending the conversation.
He was the strangest of her co-workers, and one of the youngest. To her, he was also mysterious...It honestly intrigued her.
-:Edth:C:-
He could feel it, a little more than he ever wished he could. Those eyes were upon him again, sending a shiver down his spine.
His teeth clenched and he took a glance out a window, trying to be inconspicuous, as he was still inside the Unagiya Shop. He swore softly under his breath, lowering his hands from where he placed his cap. What the hell was that damned wayward teacher of his doing now?
Just as he began to near the exit, he noticed Junko out of the corner of his eye.
"Oh, Kurosaki-san!" she called to him.
He paused, turning to her. "Yes?"
Junko was a petite woman, with dark brown hair usually kept in a low ponytail and grey eyes, but she had an outgoing personality. He liked working with her out of most of his co-workers, and honestly didn't notice the others as much as he noticed her. Whether that had any merit as to why he had been working with her so often...He didn't think about that, even now.
She shyly glanced away for a moment, but then neared him. "I know we don't talk too much..."
The sudden sensation of danger caused Ichigo to stiffen and his eyes to widen. Oh, this wasn't Ichimaru in a sane mental state, he just knew it. Took only a second to consider staying there and listening to her—and he didn't hear anything she was saying anyway, though had more than an inkling as to what it was about—but ultimately decided to make haste and leave.
"Sorry, Kunieda-san," he apologized, inching out the door, "but I'm...I can't. I have a...previous engagement and I'm in a hurry." It wasn't exactly a lie, it was his teacher, after all, questionable as that was.
He didn't bother saying to watch the dejection blossom upon her face, already turning to leave the second the words left his mouth. He quickly made his way down the street, to his credit not panicking as he walked.
No, there was no reason to panic. He could handle himself, now, he was sure of it. Granted, Ichimaru had been able to gain the upper hand the day before. But if he controlled himself...
Brows furrowed, he changed direction and weaved through barren alleys to get to the only other place other than the field near the ruins that was barren of people and structures. There was a place that existed near the bridge leading towards the city that was always barren, just low, flat land and grass. The town was so languid, so simple, that the area was always empty.
It was perfect. Sort of. He honestly just didn't want the Vizard involved, again.
"It's a surprise, my ass," he muttered, repeating his teacher's words from just the night before. "It's the next freaking day..."
He considered what this could mean. If Ichimaru wasn't in his right mind...then it wouldn't matter even what he said, himself.
He finally stopped and glanced back, only to see the former captain standing further ahead on the grass, the smile upon his face sinister and intimidating.
Instead of panicking, he held his ground by completely turning to face the man, his own expression darkening. He would hold his own, this time. "Ichimaru," he addressed, silver already running unseen through his eyes.
"Ichigo-kun," the man purred, breaking into an even larger smile. "...M'gonna be honest...I ain't sure if I wanna hurt ya 'r not. S'just...'ere's this ol' desire that's been creepin' up since after them Shinigami tried ta kill ya. Not so sure why..."
The hybrid's heart was already hammering in his chest as he listened. Ichimaru was not invincible, he reminded himself.
The older man raised a hand to massage his chest. "...Thing is...it wants ya..." he said, speaking softer than before. "...Maybe that's what all this is...It wants ya...an' that makes me wanna kill ya."
A spark of suspicion shone in Ichigo's eyes, but he wasn't entirely sure, himself. He took a step forward, but Ichimaru only took a step back.
"Wouldn't do that, 'f I were ya..." A slight frown overtook the pale features.
Stopping, Ichigo took a deep breath. It would be better to just get it out of the way.
"...Have you wondered what my instinct is?" he asked aloud, standing upright and giving a small smile. This was a crazy idea. He had no idea what could happen.
All smiles again, Ichimaru tilted his head to the side.
Instead of waiting for an answer, Ichigo closed his eyes, head lowering, and once again pulled at that darker sensation within him, bubbling eagerly in his blood and below his consciousness.
The familiar dark reiatsu abruptly spiked, causing Ichimaru to open an eye and his smile to drop. He immediately drew Shinsō just in time to block the teen's headlong attack that caused him to skid back on the ground. The black blade was once again made from the teen's own arm, transforming from his elbow and extending further than his own arm ever could. He stared into maniacal white eyes with black sclera, greeting the Hollow within Ichigo's blood.
Grounding himself, he shoved the teen away, causing him to jump further back before bursting forward with sonído. "Ikorose—" Ichimaru skid back, holding his blade under his left arm, "—Shinsō!"
Undaunted, Ichigo took the blow straight on, the blade running through him and effectively stopping him in place. When the blade retracted, Ichimaru watched as the yin-yang eyes rolled, the teen's head tilting to the side. He seemed to assess his wound, though he didn't look at it. It was already healed.
A suddenly large, uncanny smirk formed on his face. "You're gonna have to do better than that, Ichimaru," he sneered, voice warbling and uncanny in the higher pitch.
The next second after these words left his mouth, he appeared directly in front of Ichimaru, still grinning an inhumanly wide grin with equally wide eyes. Ichimaru began to use shunpō to back away, but he jolted to a stop and hissed in pain when Ichigo grabbed his prosthetic arm with a black, clawed left hand. He knew what was coming the second he was caught, looking up into the dual-colored eyes with wide orbs of his own.
Ichigo swung down his bladed arm, slicing diagonally across the albino's chest while simultaneously pulling out his arm. Not a sound spilled from Ichimaru's mouth, but his eyes stared forward in lifeless shock as his body again experienced an all too hauntingly familiar pain.
His body was kicked away, sending him flying towards the slope of land. He skidded along it, and then dust, dirt and rocks kicked up upon his contact with the foundation. Appearing in the sky, Ichigo looked down at him, continuing to grin.
Ichimaru lay limp, sunken into the rock, with blood trickling down his face and chin from his mouth and forehead. Both his stubbed arm and chest were bleeding as well, leaving him in an eerily similar state to when he was found by Kisuke two years prior.
Throwing his head back, Ichigo belted out with warbled, high-pitched laughter that rang out through the town. He abruptly stopped and used sonído to land on the ground, just a few feet from where Ichimaru lay.
Still grinning, he looked upon the man, taking in his handiwork. However, slowly, as he took in more of the blood that pooled under Ichimaru's body, his maniacal grin died. Staring upon the blood, sense crept back into his eyes, turning them ocher again. His hands were no longer black or blades and he slowly lifted them to watch them tremble. He then looked past them, at the blood.
Blood.
So much blood...
It took a few moments for the shock to pass through him. As it did, he went over what just happened, surprised by how fast it escalated. He...didn't mean for it to come to that. He didn't even know he was capable of...Not since...Shirōgetsu...
His hands clenched at the reminder, both that Shirōgetsu and Zangetsu were gone and that he was the Hollow, now. Wilting, he sighed softly in defeat, continuing to stare at the bleeding man before him. He slowly approached him, watching the uninjured part of his chest and exhaling in relief upon seeing the rise and fall of breathing. Ichimaru was still alive.
"...Ichigo?"
He tensed, but didn't turn around. His shoulders slowly lowered, as did his head. "...I'm okay," he said.
"You sure?"
He pursed his lips. Chad and Kon were behind him, tense themselves and unsure of what to do next. He could sense all of this. Closing his eyes, he exhaled deeply, forcing his darker emotions to return to their respective dark place within him. "...Yeah. Not even shaken, really..." he lied.
He was horrified.
Regardless of what Ichimaru did in the past, what he could have done just moments ago, and how much it bothered him, he shouldn't have begun attacking him like that. Ichimaru was more disadvantaged than he thought and wasn't even in his right mind.
Was he in his right mind...?
A hand was gently placed on his shoulder, and he smiled up at Chad. "...I'm okay," he repeated, and then looked at Ichimaru's body. "...We should probably get him some help..."
Kon came beside him, also looking upon Ichimaru's body. The Gikongan deeply exhaled, crossing his arms. He glanced from Ichigo to the fallen man. "...I've got an idea. The Vizard aren't gonna like it, but tough luck."
Ichigo stepped forward, went into a crouch to place his hands under Ichimaru's legs and head, and startled at how weightless the man was as he stood. And only while holding him did Ichigo realize he was trembling, rasping softly for breath. A pang of guilt hit the teen at the reminder he was the cause of this fortunately weak attack, despite the intense blows.
...It was uncanny how fragile Ichimaru was, sometimes...
Silently, the three friends made their way back into town. Unbeknownst to them, atop the bridge, a group of eight figures silently watched them with worry and displeasure upon their features.
Swirls and flashes of light broke through the darkness. He didn't know where he was or what was going on, but he wasn't frightened. Warbles broke through intermittently, and still, he remained calm. All he could do was wait until consciousness claimed him.
The first sign of change came from the distant sound of a bird calling. Then the darkness brightened, followed by a pull indicative of consciousness returning. Only then did he finally find the strength to open his eyes.
The sight that greeted him was at first hazy, but he gave his eye time to adjust. Slowly, the sight of what seemed to be a ceiling became clear. It was old, but firm, and then he glanced down to see none other than a young man with stark orange hair looking back at him from his place near a broken wall.
"...Ichigo-kun...?"
The teen made a small, brief smile. "...Hey," he said casually, looking back out to the land beyond the wall.
"...Wh...where am...?" Slowly sitting upright with his left arm, Ichimaru frowned at the unfamiliar location.
"You're in one of the rooms in the ruins," Ichigo replied, glancing at him, "where the Vizard and I call home." As Ichimaru just stared vaguely at him, he elaborated. "Your attack was a weak one, fortunately, and...I didn't feel like explaining things to the others to bring you back to Urahara-san's...Still don't..."
The haze in his mind steadily clearing, Ichimaru's lips parted in a small, startled gape. "...But...I ain't supposed ta be here..." he murmured, slightly furrowing his brows.
Ichigo scoffed, rubbing the back of his neck. "...I won't tell if you don't..."
Normally such a response would bring out Ichimaru's playful, more mischievous side, but...he suddenly felt so weary. "...What if...I have an attack...an' my reiatsu spikes?" he asked, dazed. "What if I assault ya again...?"
"Then I'll deal with it, like I always have." Turning to him, Ichigo stood and walked over, slipping his hands in his pockets. "Don't worry about it now. How're you feeling?"
Hidden eyes continued to stare. "...Ya hit yer head 'r somethin'...?"
"...I should be asking you that. You sound stoned," Ichigo retorted, brows furrowing as he came to the man's side.
His frown intensifying, Ichimaru scanned the teen's form, as if looking for an injury. "...I don't...understand..." he said softly. "Why're ya bein' nice ta me...?"
Sitting beside the cot Ichimaru sat upon, the teen responded, "Well...it's not like you really want to attack me. It's your...sickness..." He made a grimace. "I'm really sorry about that. I let darker instincts take control...and—"
Ichimaru was shaking his head before the teen finished his sentence. "This's nothin'...I deserved it, anyways..." he interrupted with a weary sigh. "I'm the one who's sorry..."
Searching for the right words amongst the million floating in his mind, Ichigo kept his eyes focused on the crescents looking away from him. He stayed still for only a second before nodding to himself. "...You're right. For one, you're completely fucked up," he said suddenly.
Ichimaru almost felt like laughing, but he was wearier than anything. That wasn't a positive response if he'd ever heard one, so instead, he pursed his lips and stayed quiet.
"...But I really shouldn't have—"
"Ichigo." Kon suddenly jumped down from a hole in the ceiling between the area they were in and another room. Upon seeing that Ichimaru was awake, his expression slightly dropped. "...Oh," he muttered.
Ichimaru only gave a small, weary smile in response, whereas Ichigo clenched his teeth together, his thoughts distracting enough as it was.
Shaking his head, Kon then focused on his friend. "Well, the guys want to talk to him," he said, beckoning to the sickly man upon the bed. At Ichigo's inquisitive expression, he sighed. "They know. Rather, they've always known something, Ichigo. They just gave you your space out of respect. But since he's here, this time, they want to talk. That's not a problem, is it?" he asked the man in question.
"Not at all," Ichimaru responded, his smile slightly mischievous.
Kon narrowed his eyes. This guy...
"I have to speak with him for a bit, Kon," said the teen, his gaze distant as he looked away.
"...No problems. Take your time." The Gikongan turned to leave. "...Just be careful."
The teen only nodded, still avoiding eye contact.
During this time, Ichimaru was looking over his wounds...or lack thereof. The stub of his right arm was bandaged, but he wasn't in any pain, and there was nothing but another, cleaner scar running parallel with the nastier scar that was from two years ago on his chest. It didn't go unnoticed that he was wearing a clean haori, either...
After Kon left, Ichigo focused his attention back onto the older man. He watched him observe himself. "...It was incredible," he said softly. "Your wounds were pretty bad when I carried you from outside, but by the time we got here...they were healed."
That explanation was everything. Ichimaru softly hummed, lowering his head in thought, and resisted the urge to rub at his chest. No doubt the entity inside of him was greatly placated at the close proximity to its master...
But Ichigo didn't need to know that.
"Ichimaru."
He didn't bother to put on a façade as he looked back up at the teen. The bit of silver running through the ocher eyes didn't even surprise him, but the teen looked troubled.
"...I know you know what's going on with me. You wouldn't be doing what you're doing if you didn't," the teen said, his voice just above a whisper. "You've got to tell me. I've been...going crazy. I've had...dreams about you. And they're disturbing."
Ichimaru's expression went blank, but not from surprise or any other discernable emotion. It was because he, indeed, knew.
To his credit, Ichigo didn't even break contact, though the lighter color intensified in his eyes. "...But I like them. Sometimes, I know what they mean, but I...The human part of me doesn't want to believe it. I need to hear it from you," Ichigo continued, his body tense. He was beginning to speak between his teeth, as if he was restraining himself.
So, facing him entirely, Ichimaru's eyes slowly opened entirely.
When he did, time seemed to abruptly halt, as if what happened was something the cosmos normally didn't allow.
Dark, menacing ebony and white orbs met a shocking duo of mismatched eyes, the left a distantly familiar crystalline blue, the right a violent sanguine. Seeing the blue eye up close, Ichigo's subconscious affirmed that, yes, when he struck the man down, he saw red pupils in place of black in that split second.
...He really was a man with albinism...albeit...in an unusual form...
While the darker orbs widened, becoming lost in his eyes, Ichimaru said, "Yer Hollow...nah...you have taken an interest in me." He slightly tilted his head to the side, a curious smile spreading on his lips at the teen's reaction to his eyes. He then broke contact, looking away in thought. "...But don' worry...it ain't love 'r anythin'. Not yet, maybe."
Blinking as the mystifying eyes disengaged their contact, Ichigo frowned. He could sense a difference in the man now in comparison to the times they spoke in the past. The usual Ichimaru was confident, mischievous, sly, and distrustful. But now...he was like a completely different person. Such deep sorrow reflected in both of his eyes, so weary and pained accumulated from many long years of restraint and corruption. Was this the reason why he kept his eyes closed...? To block all from the windows to his naked soul...?
He then recalled what was said and leaned back, only then realizing he had been leaning forward. "I assure you, it's not love I feel towards you," he almost growled, but considering everything, it may have been one.
Ichimaru tightly slanted his eyes again, looking back at the teen. The once ocher eyes were entirely black and white, dominant and other. "'Course. It's all lust an' desire ta have more than anythin'," he explained. "I've seen this several times, with Hollows...but yer a special case, as ya know. Who knows..." He gave a small shrug.
Ichigo seemed to consider this, a frown forming that Ichimaru read as confusion or annoyance.
"...If ya don't want me around no more, I can ask Kisuke ta—"
"No." The instinct-fueled teen at first did seem annoyed, but then his expression changed. A deep sound akin to one of aggravation escaped him as he stood up, only to pace a bit, warring internally between rationality and instinct. After a few turns, he finally broke into a smirk, facing the man. "You started this, so you'll finish it," he said. Interestingly, his voice wasn't warbling.
"Oh?" Ichimaru challenged, "An' if I say no?"
The white of Ichigo's irises grew to a stark color, the purest white Ichimaru had ever seen in the teen's eyes. Ichigo then stalked closer before leaning down to whisper into a pale ear, "I wouldn't, if I were you."
An involuntary shiver ran down Ichimaru's spine at the warble in the teen's voice.
When Ichigo moved back, he paused when his gaze once more met dual-colored eyes of crystal blue and blood red. Their faces were close, close enough that Ichimaru could feel the coolness of the teen's breath.
Scanning the yet again mesmerized expression gazing at his eyes, he merely smiled back. "...Ya really are...a frightenin' kid, Ichigo."
A/N: FINALLY, this chapter is done. Oh my goodness, guys, I am SO SORRY. Thank you ever so much for not reviewing the original, incomplete upload, because I was able to re-upload this chapter!
How's about this twist in the way things are going, now? It's not quite "love", but, oh, boy—it is something. What exactly is going on here? Bah, this is all for another Interlude. But finally...FINALLY...things are moving instead of this stalemate Ichigo and his wayward, batshit-crazy sensei have been having for months, now! The Vizard are having an INTERVENTION, PEOPLE. Things have just gotten to that point.
I hope you all enjoy! And, again, thank you so much for waiting! I hope this chapter is worth it! (Especially the end, it's my personal favorite...~) Next chapter: Inherit Tense. Heh, see what I did there? Yep. Where is that Quincy and that Quincy cross during all of this...?
