So um… it's been a while… ehehe… Sorry. With the ending of Bleach I fell into a pit of despair but I am slowly digging myself out of it and returning to what I love.
This chapter, is going to go a bit different, storytelling wise. I wanted to give it a shot… none the less I'm sure you lovers of IchiHitsu will enjoy it, or at least I hope so. .'
Chapter 9: The Covet
-|||||| December 20th, 11:34 p.m.
A kiss.
Tender yet careful.
Hesitant yet bold in fashion.
Hands touched upon him with the utmost care.
Ignorance was what was presented to the fireworks that went off in celebration.
Toshiro Hitsugaya stood rigid, his eyes wide open and his mouth slowly being coaxed into doing the same. He was not expecting to receive a smooch from none other than Ichigo Kurosaki, especially on the night of his birthday. This moment was a surprise for the young, yet now slightly older guardian.
-|||||| December 20th, 07:09 a.m.
Toshiro Hitsugaya had a habit of being awake before anyone else, his body having an internal alarm set. He spared a brief glance to the clock across the room, sighing as he then turned his eyes on the calendar hanging not too far off. A groan escaped him as he draped his arm over his face. This was a day he never looked forward to, so he, in the utmost childish action, curled back up underneath his futon and acted as if it were not even happening.
Fate was cruel however as he was jolted from the attempt to go back into a deep slumber. Rangiku made herself known as she slid his door open an hour later. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY~!" She sang as she walked in, wearing a robe that was a bit too loose on her curvaceous frame.
Toshiro barely pushed his covers down to glare at her. "... Why are you up so early?" He grunted and moved to hide again, still protesting this supposed holiday of life.
"To help granny with your birthday breakfast of course!" She reached down and tore the blanket off the boy, causing him to twitch and curl up, shooting daggers in her direction.
"It's a special birthday this year." She winked. "You already have a guest."
"What?" He sat up, eyebrows pushing together in confusion. "A guest? Who the hell would even…"
"Oh just get up and go out there to find out!" She folded up his futon and placed it in the corner. "Better hurry or the food'll be cold by the time you really do wake up." She left the room with those words spoken, leaving Toshiro puzzled far too early this morning.
He eventually followed her out, padding down the hallway in his pale blue slippers and his own robe which was tied up tight, showing how skinny he really was. As he entered the kitchen did he stop in the entranceway and stare at a sight he never thought he would see.
Ichigo Kurosaki was currently standing beside Granny, both working with their hands to prepare the birthday breakfast. Ichigo laughed as Granny guided him through on how to execute it all perfectly. In return to Ichigo's laughter was she smiling at him. When Ichigo's laughter finally died down did he glance behind him and smiled again at the sight of Toshiro. "Morning birthday boy." He greeted with a wave.
Toshiro glared to that and grumbled a few inaudible things before walking over to the table that was set and taking his seat. Ichigo walked over to him a few moments later and sat several plates down, consisting of a multitude of breakfast foods. "Hope you're hungry." Ichigo looked to him yet again with a bright expression to which Toshiro clicked his tongue in distaste and looked away.
"What are you doing here?" The guardian grumbled, refusing to look the doctor in the eye.
"Granny and Rangiku invited me over to help with the festivities today." He chuckled. "They have quite a bit planned for your birthday, I'm a bit jealous."
"They always make a big deal… I dunno why." The smaller male huffed and glanced to the food, biting his lip as he debated partaking in the feast provided, it was either that or being stubborn and not eating.
"Because they love you." Ichigo took his seat, Granny following along with Rangiku. Granny was quick to coax Toshiro into eating, the boy taking quite a big helping of everything and going about eating in a polite manner.
Ichigo complimented on everything, looking to Granny and praising her wondrous cooking to which the elderly woman waved him off and thanked him several times for his assistance. It was a quaint birthday breakfast in the end, and sure enough Toshiro found himself put at ease by those around him, enjoying seeing Granny smile and laugh, appearing to be in better health than she was. Perhaps the medication Ichigo had prescribed her was working its wonders.
Breakfast eventually came to an end and when Toshiro insisted on assisting with the cleaning of dishes however as a result he was told to enjoy himself and do no such work on his birthday. Instead Ichigo washed the dishes whilst Granny excused herself along with Rangiku, both women disappearing with gracious smiles on their faces. Toshiro went to sit back down, drumming his fingers against his tea cup whilst staring at Ichigo's back.
"Yikes, it's like having a bunch of knives in my back." The doctor laughed as he glanced over his shoulder at Toshiro's whose expression now conveyed almost innocence at such words to his stare.
"I apologize I didn't mean for my staring to come off that way…" The younger quickly murmured his apology before moving to take a sip of his tea.
"It's okay!" Ichigo laughed it off. "It's your birthday ya know? Do whatever you want." The orange haired male had a faint tint of blush on his cheeks as he then turned back to the dishes.
The girls returned to the room not long after Ichigo had completed the dishes and now seated himself back at the table with Toshiro. Granny came shuffling in beside Rangiku, the elder woman holding a small beautifully wrapped box whilst Rangiku carried one of a far greater size with wrapping to match. Toshiro blushed, knowing full well this was his gift which he always wished he could refuse as each year resulted in the same thing: the gift would always be something extravagant and something he felt he didn't ever deserve. But every year there it was, placed in front of him like breakfast had been not too long before. He stared at the two boxes before looking to everyone else in the room. Rangiku was beaming at him whilst Granny had a gentle smile on her lips, hands clasped together gently as she waited. Ichigo sat with his chin in his hand, a relaxed smile on his lips however his chocolate hues were sparked with excitement to know what exactly the girls had gotten the other for his special occasion.
Toshiro released a heavy sigh and gently moved to start pulling at the ribbons on the boxes, he opened them carefully as if afraid they may shatter into nothing. He tore the paper right at their edges and then sat it aside. At the first box did he they hesitate to open the lid, the box was small and incredibly light, he bit his bottom lip in anticipation before closing his eyes and plucking the lid off. He peeked one eye open only for it's brethren to pop open as well, teal hues bright at what he found.
A hairpin was what sat neatly in the box, the pin was not overly big with a simple slide in clip so the boy could wear it in his short hair, the main piece was a almost bronze colored like four-point star with deeply carved lines into it. Beneath the attached star dangled three strands of blue crystals which shimmered in the light of the sun that shined in. The boy quickly looked to Granny across the way who nodded her head to him.
"It's the crest…" The boy murmured only for Granny to wave her hand to the other box, encouraging the boy to continue. He obliged slowly, gently placing the pin back in the box for now before then pulling the larger box in front of him, Ichigo scooted a bit closer now, seeming overly intrigued. Toshiro went about the opening of the gift as slowly as ever, when he lifted the lid he was met with tissue paper which he then paused at before gently pulling the paper back. Once more he paused, teal eyes clashing against light blue fabric with dark blue, lavender purple and light green embellishments. His hands practically trebled as he pulled the attire from the box, moving to stand up with it. It was a kimono no doubt, it was a more simple style however the fashion of it was absolutely amazing, a blue dragon curled itself around the entire piece, it's head at the top, the jaws open and blowing out what appeared to be snow flakes, it's tail curling at the very bottom hem of the outfit, the obi was tail like a well, the cut a bit jagged at the ends to add character.
"Hyourinmaru…" The boy sat back in his chair, his voice having breathed out in awe.
"Hyourinmaru?" Ichigo tilted his head before looking to Granny.
"The Dragon of Ice, it's what guards not only this shrine but this city as well, along with the guardian of course. Hyourinmaru's crest has been depicted as a four pointed star of the northern heavens, however it's also been shown as an eight pointed star, almost like some blossoming lotus flower." Granny explained softly, eyes crinkling as she smiled more at Toshiro's expression as he smoothed his hands over the kimono.
"Thank you… It's beautiful…" The boy uttered before standing back up and looking to her. "May I?" With a nod from the elder did the boy dash off with his new gifts.
Time passed however and suddenly the group left in the kitchen grew worried. Ichigo frowned and looked to the door way. "Should he really be that long? He's been gone for over an hour now…"
"Maybe I should go check on him-" Rangiku moved to stand only to be halted by Granny's hand. "Granny?"
"No… Let Ichigo see to him." The elder woman looked to Ichigo who blinked back at her before slowly standing, grabbing a box from under the table he had kept hidden.
Ichigo wandered down the hall to Toshiro's room, gently knocking and then calling out. "Toshiro? It's Ichigo, the girls wanted me to check and make sure you were doing okay." He waited a few moments but received no answer, this suddenly gave him a feeling of panic as he didn't hesitate in sliding the door open.
Toshiro looked up and turned quickly when the door opened, the gems from the hair piece gently clinking together like an incredibly soft bell. He was fully dressed in the kimono he had been given, eyes wide at the sudden interruption to his thoughts.
Ichigo stopped dead and stared at the boy, his own eyes unblinking as chestnut hues locked with teal pools of near innocence. The two men stayed that way for a moment before Toshiro then spoke softly. "I'm fine…"
Ichigo's gaze then softened at the tone, stepping further into the room before then sliding the door closed behind him. "You look like you've got something on your mind." He slowly crossed the distance between them, stopping a foot or two away before extending the wrapped box in his hand. "It's not much… But I wanted to get you something." Ichigo offered a smile.
Toshiro looked at the box then back up at the other. "You didn't have to…" He uttered only for Ichigo to push it gently into his arms. The guardian sighed before slowly moving to unwrap it, just as carefully as he had done the gifts from before.
Ichigo took these few moments to take in the other and how beautiful he looked. He was elated to not have a veil blocking him, instead the pin complimented the boy's shock of white hair which defied gravity without complaint. The smaller male's skin looked incredibly soft now that Ichigo studied it a bit closer. Toshiro's cheeks were slightly plump and rounded off nicely, the only sharp lines were where his brows drew together in concentration at the task at hand. The kimono he wore showed how thin a frame he had but even at such a thin build did he stand in elegance, he held a proper stature, back straight and feet positioned close together. Ichigo felt almost as if he was truly in the presence of a heavenly being, like some little god was before him in their everyday beauty. The doctor was grateful to have this moment.
"Tea?" Toshiro spoke as he opened the gift to find a wooden case which lifted to reveal several different tea packets, nearly fifty to try in all. Ichigo nodded to his word with a small smile.
"I noticed how much you seem to like your teas so I got a case of a whole bunch of different kinds from all around the world…" He reached a hand forward and selected one particular packet. It was a dark green packet with gold insignias and flowers, a foreign language printed on the front. "This one might be ideal to drink right now…"
"What kind is it?" Toshiro inquired, eyeing the package.
"Chamomile, this one is from Germany." He turned the packet around to show the back which translated everything into the boy's native tongue. "See?"
"So they're teas from all over the world then?" Toshiro took the packet gently from the other whilst balancing the box in his other hand.
"Yeah, I figured maybe you'd like it." Ichigo shrugged and then rubbed the back of his neck.
A small smile came to the guardian's lips as his eyes trailed across the back of the tea packet. "Thank you… I think I might have a cup right now."
-|||||| December 20th, 01:12 p.m.
The morning went smoothly after that, Toshiro having tried the tea Ichigo had recommended and then relaxing, allowing for himself to smile as Granny and Rangiku set up a game of karuta which became utterly hysterical as Ichigo dove across the room in attempt to reach the card in question.
Toshiro won with grace however, leaving Ichigo to brude until lunch rolled around. The doctor was enjoying his time here, happy in finding that Toshiro had seemed to let himself go and enjoy his time as well. However, Ichigo found it hard to look away from the boy almost the entire day. He kept taking in the beauty of the other.
"We're setting fireworks off tonight!" Rangiku blurted out suddenly as she sat her rice bowl down. Toshiro paused in his eating to eye her.
"Isn't it a bit cold for something like that?" He then took a small bite of his food.
"Nonsense!" Rangiku clapped her hands together. "It would be even better if it snowed tonight when we set them off!"
"Then it'd be freezing…" Toshiro muttered, closing his eyes as he reached for his tea.
"Aw Toshiro come on… don't be like that on your birthday!" Rangiku pouted at the male, Ichigo glancing between them before looking to Granny who simply chuckled lightly to herself.
Then the guardian's mood soured slightly as he swallowed his tea rather roughly. "It's not a big deal… It's not like this is my actual birthday anyway." He sat his tea down and cracked his eyes open to stare at the table.
"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked without even thinking only to regret it as Toshiro rose from his seat at the table. "... Toshiro-" Ichigo reached for him only for Toshiro to quickly jerk away.
"I don't remember it…" Toshiro's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Toshiro-" Granny spoke up.
"No, you know as much as anyone Granny. None of us here even have a clue, not me nor Rangiku or a good lot of the other's living here!" He looked to the elderly woman who frowned deeply at him. At her face did he then take on a look of guilt, quietly excusing himself before then leaving the room and once more retreating to his own room for safety and seclusion.
Ichigo was left to survey the damage, looking at Rangiku who now had her head bowed and glossed lips frowning before then looking to Granny who had lifted her head to now stare at Ichigo.
"...Granny?" It was all he needed to say to gauge her for some sort of answer.
"I think it's best to tell you in full about him…" The elder woman sighed. "These children have all come from broken pasts, they've lost friends… lovers, family… They all know what it means to be broken hearted, even me." She touched at her chest, right over her heart. "As a means to soothe not only me, but them, I try to take as many in as I can to help them. Much like Rangiku… and Toshiro… Regrettably though some come with only fragments of their past in mind. Such as with Toshiro and his own birth, he doesn't remember his childhood nor any birthday occasions."
"Granny…" Ichigo reached across the table and took her hand. "I think we should leave it at that… I want Toshiro to tell me in his own time about things… I want him to know he can trust me and rely on me…" He glanced to Rangiku. "The same goes for both of you, I know I'm an outsider but I want you to both know I only want the best for you." He offered up a smile.
Rangiku giggled lightly and wiped at her eyes. "Oh Ichigo… You're not an outsider at all." She smiled back at him, Granny moving to pat his hand in agreeance to Rangiku's words.
"We want the best for you as well Ichigo." The elder woman assured him.
Ichigo's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled more, however their moment was interrupted as Ichigo's phone went off, the doctor excusing himself a moment as he moved to answer. The day seemed to be going down hill as he received an emergency call from the office he worked at, a patient he had seen recently currently having a major issue. Ichigo looked to the women, uttering an apology to them only for both girls to wave him off and wish him and his patient luck. Ichigo raced out of the shrine, looking back to find the dragon starring at him. His heart clenched a moment before he bowed deeply to the statue. "I'll be back for him!" He vowed, as if the beast could truly hear him before he then dashed out into the street to his car, rushing off to his work to hopefully resolve this crisis quickly so he may return to resolve another.
-|||||| December 20th, 11:02 p.m.
The crisis went on longer than the doctor would have prefered however after a few long hours and admittance to the hospital, Ichigo's patient was out of the woods, having had an unknown allergic reaction to a medicine that the doctor before Ichigo had prescribed.
Now the doctor was in a rush, praying to all the Gods he knew that he'd make it back to the shrine in time to set off fireworks with everyone and to hopefully see Toshiro in better spirits. He tapped hard against his steering wheel, chewing his bottom lip as he just kept praying. "Please… Hyourinmaru help me out."
-|||||| December 20th, 11:17 p.m.
Ichigo parked and quickly dashed out of his car onto shrine grounds, looking around to find Rangiku and Granny standing beside the dragon statue, Rangiku cradling fireworks in her arms whilst Granny lifted her frail hand to wave at the boy, the girls both surrounded by lighted lanterns that hung from the roof's edge of the shrine.
Rangiku rushed forward to Ichigo, a frown graced on her lips. "He hasn't come out since you left… Granny and I have both tried but…"
"Don't worry." Ichigo placed his hands on the woman's shoulders. "I'll go talk to him, you set things up okay?" He then rushed past her, nodding his head to Granny on his way in.
He came to a sliding stop in the size too small slippers he was now clad in. He didn't knock, instead sliding the door open and walking into the dimly lit room. Toshiro sat at the small desk in the corner. His hands placed gently on top of a book her appeared to be reading, a cup of tea loyally at his side.
"... Did everything go alright?" Toshiro asked the other but kept his head down and eyes on his book.
"Yeah, the patient is okay…. But are you?" Ichigo slowly began to walk over only to then stop at the edge of the desk, gently placing his hand against it and leaning over Toshiro slightly.
"I'm okay." He started, sighing to himself as he slowly moved to mark his page. "I just needed some time." The guardian slid the book off to his right side.
"I get that…" Ichigo's tone remained quiet as he simply continued to watch the boy move, his hand now extending towards the cup of tea.
"I think this one is my favorite thus far…" The guardian uttered as he moved to take a sip.
"Which one is it?" Ichigo inquired with a tilt of his head.
"Strawberry green tea… I've never had anything quite like it before." Toshiro finally looked up at Ichigo, the waters of the teal eyes now calm. "I'm sorry about earlier."
"You have your reasons, some subjects are more delicate than others." Ichigo tilted his head at the smaller male. "I just want to tell you the same thing I told the girls earlier… I want the best for you. I know I'm still on the outside of a lot of things here but I at least want you to know that I care."
Toshiro went silent at that, eyes having widened slightly at such words before he then chuckled to himself, causing Ichigo to raise a brow.
"What?"
"You're such an odd person…"
"Hey…" Ichigo pouted only to take a step back as Toshiro now stood up.
"No, it's a good thing." Toshiro then smirked up at him. "I'm sure Granny said this earlier but we want the best for you as well."
Ichigo blinked to that before his own smirk appeared. "Thanks…"
There was a sudden whistling noise from outside before a loud pop then followed, causing both males to jolt in place.
"Shit!" Ichigo cursed. "She started already!" He quickly looked back to Toshiro and then grabbed his wrist, minding not to ruin the kimono the boy still wore. He tugged Toshiro along, the gaurdian blinking at the other as he tried to keep up.
Ichigo pulled the boy down the front stairs of the shrine and out onto the courtyard, halting beside the dragon statue just as several more fireworks now went off, lighting the sky in a rainbow of colors. He slowly relaxed his grip on Toshiro's wrist only to then feel the boy grab and hold tightly to his hand. Ichigo turned his gaze onto the guardian as another round was set off.
The lights sparkled across the younger male's eyes, his lips slightly unhinged in silent awe. He was captivated by the display, his heart feeling warmed by such a sight. And to such a sight that was Toshiro did Ichigo feel warmed as well, briefly looking down to their interlocked hands he decided to open his mouth. "Toshiro…" He met the other's gaze as Toshiro snapped out of it and looked to him.
"Yes?" The guardian asked, brows raised as he waited for an answer. Actions spoke louder than words in that moment…
Ichigo released the other's hand gently, raising his own two hands to gently cup at Toshiro's face, brushing his thumb along the other's cheek bone. He felt the guardian stiffen in his hold, secretly finding the reaction rather adorable. He leaned in, brushing his lips lightly against Toshiro's before placing them fully on the other's own. He felt as Toshiro melted slowly into it, his body relaxing, lips moving to fit nicely against Ichigo's own.
The fireworks became mere background noise, the two women who now stopped and stared merely unnoticed spectators to the smooching boys.
Ichigo held the boy like a treasure, continuing to stroke the other's cheeks as he kissed him gently.
Happy Birthday… Toshiro.
I'm not sure how often I will be able to update this story but I would like to get back into it as much as I can. I apologize for such a delay in chapters. Reviews are welcome! Please be kind!
