Chapter 10, finally! Thank you so much to all who reviewed! Your reviews make me happy. :)
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Chapter 10
The day faded into a light dusk, and before we knew it Rangiku was packing up the bunny basket. Not much had happened beyond us eating the basket of food and talking about the latest news in Seireitei. Ikkaku had been very quiet throughout the meal, and I'd caught him more than once looking at me thoughtfully from under hooded lids. On these occasions I would meet his eyes and give him a furtive smile when no one was looking, and he would clear his throat quietly and look away before someone noticed.
We had a pleasant time, and I found myself able to enjoy his company in a way I hadn't really done for a very long time. When Rangiku stood and pulled Shuuhei to his feet, there was almost a collective sigh from the group, more felt than heard, like the rustling of wind through the tops of the sakura trees. I got to my feet and Ikkaku followed suit, and when we were all up Rangiku announced the next level in her plans.
"Let's go get drunk!"
Ichigo snorted at that, and Shuuhei rolled his eyes. Rangiku never needed an excuse to drink. In fact, she had packed a bottle of sake along with the food in the basket, but Hitsugaya-taichou had looked at her with death in his eyes, and so she'd put it away rather hurriedly.
I'd been astonished, though, that the young taichou had actually enjoyed himself. It was one of the rare occasions where his face broke into a smile, and he was more relaxed than I had ever seen him. Even now, he was nearly smiling at Rangiku's enthusiasm.
"I'll be along shortly," Ikkaku told them. I looked up at him in surprise. If someone suggested drinking, usually Ikkaku would be the first one to jump at the chance. Catching my curious eyes, he shrugged.
"All right, see you there," Rangiku said. "We won't wait for you though!" Ikkaku waved her away, and the rest of the group followed her down the path, leaving Ikkaku and I standing there. I turned to look at him, and he gave me a grin.
"We are so ditching them, aren't we?" I observed. Ikkaku chuckled.
"Perceptive as ever, Yumi. But actually, I'm ditching them. You're welcome to join me, of course." He gave me a roguish grin that made my skin prickle. "Besides, now that I think about it, I'm not really in the mood to get drunk."
I glowered at him.
"Ikkaku, you're always in the mood to get drunk. It could be two in the afternoon, and you'd still be in the mood!"
"Yeah, well, sake always tastes better in the middle of the day. But not today. Besides, like you said earlier, its not like we couldn't drink at home."
I rolled my eyes in exasperation, not pointing out that his whole point to coming to this party was for the sake. I didn't admit to myself that the reason I didn't argue was largely part of the fact that I, frankly, didn't want to go with the group either. Which was due largely to the fact that I wanted to spend time with Ikkaku ... alone.
(I wanted to feel his lips on mine again.)
"Yumi? Stop daydreaming, come on," my friend urged me. I hurried after him along the path, inspecting my fingernails and studiously refusing to give any sign that I had been daydreaming. He threw an arm around my shoulders and we walked in silence for a moment.
"It's quiet out tonight," I said with a peaceful smile, taking a deep breath of the cool night air.
"Let's hope it stays that way," Ikkaku replied, his fingers tightening slightly on the shoulder of my robe.
"You smell really good," He observed suddenly. I was taken by surprise.
"Ikkaku-san, I always smell good," I pointed out with a smile and a toss of my head. He gave me a wicked little grin.
"Yeah, well, it's making me want to ..." His voice trailed off as someone's reiatsu drew nearer. We both looked in the direction it was coming from as they flash-stepped towards us.
I was surprised to see Nemu, the "daughter" of Mayuri-taichou, appear in front of us. The slender fukutaichou was as expressionless as ever, but we both could sense the urgency in her reiatsu.
"Ayasegawa-san, Madarame-san, Mayuri-taichou requires your presence in the Research centre." We exchanged glances with each other, both reluctant to go, yet sensing it was important. Ikkaku let out a barely audible sigh.
"We're on our way, Kurotsuchi-fukutaichou." Nemu gave a curt nod and vanished once more. I didn't miss the fact that he had spoken for me, even though Mayuri was not our Captain. I felt slightly rebellious as Ikkaku took my arm and used shunpo to follow the quickly fleeing fukutaichou. We reached the Research centre in record time.
"What do you think it's about?" I asked softly.
"Something to do with those damn demons," Ikkaku replied, his voice equally soft. "Or else Mayuri-taichou just needs more subjects for experimentation, and we were convenient." I laughed.
"I know you'd protect me, Ikkaku-san," I said airily. Ikkaku looked around briefly and then flash-stepped in front of me, his arms around my waist, pulling me tight to him in a nearly crushing embrace.
"Of course I would," he murmured in my ear. His hand caressed my neck lightly. I scowled at him, not betraying the sudden dryness in my throat.
"Ikkaku, you're crushing my ribs." He grinned at me before releasing me.
"Let's go," he said.
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Mayuri Kurotsuchi-taichou is definitely not someone you can miss in a crowd. Seated behind a high desk with a ridiculously large screen in front of him, he was madly going through files. He spun around in his chair as we entered the room, his sharp eyes fixing on us. His voice hissed out from behind his mask.
"Ah, Ayasegawa-kun, Madarame-kun. You took your sweet time getting here." I gritted my teeth and forced a smile.
"Our apologies, Kurotsuchi-taichou." He lost interest in the conversation, waving us into silence.
"Yes, yes. Now, where did I put that ...? NEMU!" I forced myself not to jump at the volume of his voice. His faithful daughter appeared quickly.
"What is your wish, Kurotsuchi-taichou?" She asked quickly.
"What did you do with that report?"
"I left it on your desk, Kurotsuchi-taichou." Mayuri boiled with anger.
"I already looked there, you stupid girl! Find it for me!" He directed a kick at her as she rushed to find it, before turning his attention back to us.
"Ah. I suppose you know the reason I called you here?"
"No idea," Ikkaku said lazily. Mayuri's eyes brightened with irritation.
"NEMU!"
Ikkaku winced visibly. Within seconds, Nemu was before us.
"You were called here for further knowledge and speculation on test subject 2087."
"Test subject ...?" Ikkaku asked. Mayuri snapped at him.
"The demon! The demon, you dimwit. The one you two captured in the forest two weeks ago!"
"You can't capture the dead," Ikkaku said drily. Mayuri gave him a scathing look.
"It's not dead, and if you knew half as much as I did about these creatures you would have easily been able to tell that!" His voice was impossibly impatient.
"Kurotsuchi-taichou," I ventured. His eyes snapped to me. "The creature was beheaded by Ikkaku's zanpakuto."
"Demons cannot be killed by a zanpakuto," Nemu explained at Mayuri's sufferance. "Demons are not directly attached to their bodies. The creature lives, but its awareness is in two places."
Mayuri seethed at my uncomprehending stare.
"It's like a gigai, you moron. If the gigai dies while the soul is away, the soul doesn't necessarily die with it."
"But if the soul dies ..."
"Exactly."
I noticed at this point that Ikkaku's hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists in front of him.
"Then how do you kill them?" He asked. His voice was soft. And very strained.
"Kidou," Mayuri said, saying the word as though it left a bad taste in his mouth. "With the ones I have tested, kidou destroys the soul as well as the gigai". Ikkaku's brows drew down.
"Does that mean ... all those demons we killed ... the one that hurt Yumichika ... they're all still alive?"
"Most are dead," Nemu explained. "Rukia destroyed what was left of the bodies with her kidou. As for the demon that injured Ayasegawa-san, its body was destroyed - by you, I may add - but there is evidence to believe that the soul escaped back through the portal. After all, Rukia couldn't find enough left of it to destroy with kidou."
There was a loud bang as Ikkaku punched the wall hard.
"It's okay," I said, sensing Ikkaku's suddenly testy mood. He swung around to face me, anger in his eyes.
"Come on, Yumichika," he snapped; "that thing's still out there!"
"They all are. There wasn't anything you could have done."
"Yes there was! I could have done -- more."
I was very aware of Mayuri's eyes on us, bright and burning like the fluorescent lights of his labratory, but I did it anyway. I drew closer to him, and put a soothing hand on his neck.
"Ikkaku," I whispered, holding his hot gaze with my own, "it's okay, really."
Ikkaku's anger died in a matter of seconds, and he nodded. His calm, however, soon disappeared into red-faced embarrassment as Mayuri cleared his throat loudly.
"If you two lovebirds are quite through," he snapped, "I wasn't finished."
"Our apologies, Kurotsuchi-taichou," I said again, slipping away from Ikkaku's side.
"I've been running some tests, and I believe with the proper amount of time and spiritual energy, I can open a portal."
The stunned silence that fell over the room was so tangible I felt like I could poke it with a stick. Ikkaku's mouth dropped open.
"You can force the gates to appear?" He gasped.
"No," Mayuri snapped. "But I can open a portal somewhere inside Hell. No, I can't tell you where, yet, but it is possible." His eyes fixed on me.
"Ayasegawa-kun," he hissed thoughtfully, "I may have need of your Fuji Kujaku within the next few days." I stiffened at the mention of my zanpakuto.
"I beg your pardon, Kurotsuchi-taichou?"
"Your zanpakuto ... it is kidou type, is it not?" He didn't wait for my response, but instead waved us away. "Dismissed," he snapped.
We left hurriedly, Ikkaku with a slight frown on his face and I with a sense of foreboding that did not disappear. My worry must have showed on my face more than I thought, because my bald-headed friend laced his fingers gently through my own.
"I'm sure it's nothing," he assured me. I glanced up at him, and sighed.
"With Mayuri-taichou, it's never nothing," I said. He smiled ruefully.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," he ceded. But I noticed he didn't let go of my hand until we were at his doorstep. He paused for a moment, clearly wondering if I was going to return to my place or stay at his, but I walked right past him and promptly made myself at home on his couch.
"Now," I said, "about that sake ..."
Ikkaku laughed. "I'm running low," he admitted. I put on a look of mock surprise until he scowled at me.
He went to retrieve his supply of sake, and I was modestly surprised to find out that he was, indeed, running low. There was definitely enough for the two of us - or, hopefully enough, at least, what with the way Ikkaku drinks, and I didn't want to drink a lot anyway - but we would probably drink the last of it tonight. When he returned to his seat, I snatched the sake bottle from his hand and made myself comfortable on his lap. His look of surprise made me giggle slightly.
"Let's play a drinking game, Ikkaku," I said. He stared at me for a long moment.
"What kind of drinking game?"
"Truth or dare."
A wicked light came into his eyes.
"Since I already know everything there is to know about you, there wouldn't be much point to playing."
I grinned.
"Then let's just play dare."
"Yumichika ..." I rolled my eyes at him expressively. If he couldn't take a hint, then ...
"I know you've been dying to kiss me," I told him nonchalantly, "it's only natural, you know, when you're attracted to someone as beautiful as me."
Ikkaku laughed and tangled his fingers in my hair, moving closer until his lips were centimetres from my own.
"You're way too full of yourself, you know that?"
I smiled.f