Orderly Madness, the Melody of Chaos [#09/?]
Chapter rating: PG
Chapter specific warning: None
Chapter specific spoiler: None
Chapter summary: Ichigo pops into the tenth division with a long due delivery and Ulquoirra's search goes on undeterred.
Author's Note:
-Important- -- The last part of Chapter 8 has been changed so please read it again. Also, you will notice that the preview I had once added is gone. There have been a few changes -Ch9 and onwards had all been re-written too many times to be counted- and that part has now been postponed to Ch10.
PS. I thank every single one of you that waited ever so patiently for update. I cannot express my gratitude enough in words. From now on, Orderly Madness is back, riding high. I hope the future chapters including this one will not disappoint you, so I'd love to hear what you think… in the other words, REVIEWS PLZ!!!
PPS. There had been a few requests for omakes like Empathy. I had thought about it from the beginning but given the genres of Orderly Madness, I decided that it would be better to drop them for this fiction. However, I have another storyline in plan and I promise that you will have your omakes back for my third multi-chapter story. Whenever that's going to happen, that is. -sigh-
:::::Orderly Madness, the Melody of Chaos by Kanon Ch.9::::: Birthday presents Part I
Still nothing. Was it truly an impossible task as Nelliel had said? With a nod, Ulquoirra sent away the two Adjuchases that had come to report about their search, his frustration hidden behind the impeccable mask. Left alone in the small, derelict room, Ulquoirra could not help but rethink about the sheer size of Hueco Mundo that was proving to be one major obstacle. Just then, a soft knock on the door prevented him from marvelling any further on the idea.
"It's me, Ulquoirra."
Nelliel slowly opened the door, watching the backs of the two Hollows walking away; silence was as good as any invitation when it came to Ulquoirra. She knew what their mission had been but as expected, it was impossible to guess what result they had yielded from the stoic face. So, just like any other times, she started the conversation.
"How was it this time?"
"Nothing."
The single word was deadpan as usual and Nelliel offered a comforting smile with a faint hint of something that could be labelled as either bitterness or sadness, or perhaps, even both. She had hoped against all odds that one day, she could see something other than the still mask that could pass as dead, but every time they met and talked, it only served to make her realise that her hope was only a sweet illusion.
"...He must have hidden well."
It was not quite what she had wanted to say but the veiled meaning had been passed on nevertheless and the green eye slowly moved from the opposite wall it had been invisibly drilling a hole through to the pale brown ones.
"Or simply far away."
"...Maybe."
She had lost her count on how many searches had taken place to find the one man supposedly still standing out of the three shinigamis that had come to Hueco Mundo, bearing a gift that she could not completely call a blessed one even now. The news of Aizen and Tousen's deaths were widespread and confirmed by many, which left Ichimaru Gin from the three ex-Arrancars' leaders. However his whereabouts were of a complete mystery and since the War, Ulquoirra had never given up looking for the silver-haired shinigami.
Nelliel had not stayed at Las Noches as long as Ulquoirra but she remembered the sly-smiling man quite clearly. One very peculiar individual he had been. No one, not even his fellow shinigamis, had been able to read what was going on behind that sneaky smile he always wore.
His almost childish behaviours and indecipherable and fatal friendliness had normally kept the Arrancars a good distance away from him but actually, Nelliel had preferred him to the other ex- captains. His mysteriousness was no secret and the plain visibility of it was better than the fake kindness Aizen graced them with or the blinding obsession with justice that Tousen forced upon them. Ichimaru never tried to sway them one way or the other. He never rose to the surface but he was always there, behind Aizen with his garnet eyes hidden behind their curves.
However, as far as she knew, Ulquoirra had never been particularly fond of his master's right hand man, just like other Espadas, because there was always that distance Ichimaru kept from them with something that could not be pinpointed. It had soon become an everyday thing to find the silver-haired shinigami wondering around Las Noches on his own, doing some random things that Arrancars could not understand. Aizen had never restricted Ichimaru to Las Noches nor to any missions, and as if in return, the ex third division captain always found a way to make things more interesting, much to Aizen's pleasure.
Most of all, Ichimaru was a powerful shinigami who had left everything behind to follow Aizen and regardless of his personal preferences, that alone was enough of a reason for Ulquoirra to find him. The potential that would come with reuniting with the silver-haired shinigami was going to be priceless.
It was no surprise when the initial reiatsu search had come back blank. It would take more than a senile fool to let shinigami reiatsu loose in Hueco Mundo that had lost its ultimate ruler. Now in this realm, Ichimaru was nothing more than a rogue shinigami that Hollows would drool for and with Las Noches destroyed and the army of Arrancars turned to nothing more than dust, the ex-captain was probably exposed to more dangers than he had ever encountered in his long life. It was not only the shinigami's situation that made the search even more difficult. Ulquoirra was intentionally keeping a very low profile and it was absolutely necessary to keep it so even if it meant horribly slow progress in looking for Ichimaru in this vast realm.
It would be a lie if Ulquoirra had never considered the possibility that Ichimaru might be in fact dead like Tousen and Aizen, his thin body now buried under the thick sands, but for some reason, he could not quite imagine the fox-faced shinigami kicking the bucket so simply and quietly. Despite his childlike images unbefitting his rank, Ichimaru was clever and sneaky, if nothing else. If anyone had found a way to escape the War alive after Aizen's demise, it would be him.
"How far out did they manage to look for this time?"
Nelliel did not try to persuade Ulquoirra to call off the search that had provided no clues as to Ichimaru's whereabouts so far. In fact, she had given up on it a long time ago. For months it had gone on until now and nothing except the discovery of the fox-faced shinigami was going to stop it.
"Most of east and south areas are covered."
"Well, maybe you can send Kazana out next time, he's getting really edgy. He's getting bored of thesurrounding areas here and he might do something irrational if it goes on."
Ulquoirra would have grimaced if he knew how to. Kazana was a ball that was impossible to tell where it would bounce to next time. Nelliel gazed at Ulquoirra with a small smile for confirmation and received a curt nod from the silent man. There was an inaudible sigh from Nelliel but Ulquoirra did not give any sign of having noticed it and the hooves clucked on the stone floor as the beautiful half-ram turned to leave.
"I just came to warn you about it. Good luck with the next search."
Ulquoirra watched impassively as Nelliel gave into a tired yawn just before closing the door behind her, presumably going off for a break from her lengthy work, and after a few seconds, also walked out of the plain room. After months, only half of Hueco Mundo was left and perhaps, Kazana did need to let out some steam. It was most likely going to take another few months to complete his search for the garnet-eyed shinigami but ashurried as he was, he also had patience that matched his needs.
Patiently, painstakingly, he would take all the cautions and preparations with all the time he had and when the time came after the never ending wait, his revenge would be sweeter than ambrosia and nectars.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-IchiHitsu-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
That day, one Matsumoto Rangiku happened to be lounging about in the empty administration office on her own. It was a nice day for the chilly season that still embraced Seireitei. The sky was clear blue and warm sunlight poured into the office through the open window, toasting the frigid air cosily. It was not often that the tenth division office was somewhat habitable in winter for those who did not wield the strongest ice-snow type zanpaktou and Matsumoto was plastered on her usual couch in a perfect position to simply close her eyes and take off to the dreamland. It was not as if she was planning to reduce the new record height the papers had achieved anyway.
After staring at the bare ceiling for a minute, Matsumoto stretched her arms, contemplating skipping the rest of the day before Hitsugaya returned. The said captain had left the division a while ago and frankly, she doubted if he would even be surprised to find her gone; irate, yes, but surprised? Most likely not.
With her mind made up, Matsumoto jumped down from the couch and bounced across the room with a cheeky grin, already mentally counting off those that she would drag out of their boring duties. However just when her hand reached out for the door, it slid open by itself without any warning and she jumped with a yelp, mostly out of guilt. And she was not the only one who was taken aback by the sudden presence of the other.
"Eek!!"
"Whoa! Rangiku-san?"
On the other side of the door, looking just as startled as herself, was none other than Kurosaki Ichigo with a big black bag in his hand. Matsumoto quickly recovered from the shock, sliding her hands down her huge bust. Ever since Ichigo had learnt to conceal his reiatsu, her captain was not the only victim of the teen's abrupt appearance.
"Ichigo! What are you doing here?"
Ichigo chuckled at the perplexed question. Today was Christmas but unsurprisingly, the vice captain was not aware of his planned visit in the afternoon. Hitsugaya was always ever so careful with such information around Matsumoto to avoid the follow-up teasing and squealing as much as possible, not to mention the potential suffocation in certain someone's huge valley of death.
"I've got his birthday presents he left behind."
"So he finally gets to see them."
Matsumoto rolled her eyes exasperatedly, her hands on her curvaceous hips. However the thought of her present for her cute little captain brought an atypical smirk on her face and Ichigo looked at the jovial woman warily, wondering exactly what was in his bag at this moment. He did not want to meet the infamous wrath of his temperamental dragon because of some prank Rangiku had planted. Then he finally realised that the office was empty of one snowball and raised an eyebrow.
"So there are times that Toshiro is actually out of the office?"
"I'm not a hermit."
There was the ever familiar, irritated voice in perfect timing from behind and Ichigo whipped around to find himself in a way of hundreds of fatal daggers that a pair of large turquoise eyes was shooting. Deftly bypassing them with a playful smile, Ichigo raised his free hand.
"Yo, Toshiro."
Hitsugaya groaned at the huge grin Ichigo flashed and pushed him into his office without a word. One hand still on sheathed Zangetsu with not-so-ignorable force, Hitsugaya had just closed the door behind him and looked up with a scowl when he suddenly found himself in the arms of one idiotic Kurosaki Ichigo and before he could even splutter, there was a flitting touch of warm lips on his cheek, much to his chagrin.
"Kurosaki!!"
Ichigo chuckled at the crimson-coloured face and shrugged nonchalantly with a mischievous wink at Rangiku.
"Just saying hi. You don't have problem with it, do you, Rangiku-san?"
"Of course not!"
However their chortles were quickly stifled when the room temperature started to drop palpably. Hitsugaya gave one last glare at the teen before he moved to his desk. Moron, he thought to himself. Kurosaki clearly did not know the full extent of what he was going to have to cope with later, now that Matsumoto had seen the affectionate greeting.
On the other hand, Ichigo remained unfazed by the obvious display of displeasure and sat down on the edge of the desk. After all, it was just Toshiro being Toshiro which was damn cute. He watched almost hungrily as his lover graciously sat down on his high-back chair in one swift movement, tucking the haori in. Nobody would think that the prodigy was from Rukongai, not with the way he held himself.
"Kurosaki, get off my desk and Matsumoto, get these to the first division."
The vice-captain blinked at the pile of papers Hitsugaya pointed at then at Hitsugaya himself who only gave her the usual scowl. Such tasks were usually for unseated officers and Hitsugaya was more than adequately acquainted with her tendency not to return to the office once she got out of it. Oh, rrriiiiigght. She smiled then picked up the stack casually as if it was her everyday duty with a wink that only made the white eyebrows knit even more.
"Sure, taichou. Ja ne, Ichigo!"
Ichigo waved at the back of the disappearing woman who somehow managed to open and close the door on her own then glanced over at his lover with a raised eyebrow.
"She's not gonna come back, you know."
"Better away than here."
Ichigo chuckled and moved around behind his lover's chair. There was something that no one but he could tell, much to his pleasure, and that was when Toshiro was simply being, well, Toshiro, and when he was genuinely stressed and tense; and today, the situation seemed to be the latter with that tiny, subtle difference in the aura around the white-haired captain and a shaper edge in the reined reiatsu.
Hitsugaya closed his eyes as the callused hands landed on his shoulders and rubbed the taut muscles. He was not sure where Kurosaki had learnt it from but the strawberry certainly had a dab hand at massaging and the soothing rubs worked just as well as the regular heartbeats echoing softly in his ear.
A comfortable silence draped itself over them like still mist in the early morning save a few quiet groans from Hitsugaya that gently puffed it away here and there until Ichigo pulled away the serene cover, his voice of rather badly hidden concern.
"You are way too tense. Feels like planks of woods."
"Usual things."
"Like?"
The snow-topped head made a little roll and Ichigo moved his hands to the slender neck. Toshiro was always a restrained individual but at present, the muscles screamed of something extreme and would not relax easily even under his comforting caresses which seldom failed to achieve their aim.
"Work."
"…And?"
Hitsugaya hesitated to answer. It was uncharacteristic of him but he had his reasons. While Kurosaki was the only one he could -if he was going to- ever confide in about his past disturbed nights, being as observant as he was, it was hard not to notice the teen's dislike for Hinamori. Kurosaki had never said a word but it did not take a genius to guess that much and to know why. The orange-haired teen was never one to forgive those who hurt his precious ones.
Out of many things that Ichigo found despicable of the girl, one thing Hitsugaya knew the teen could not forgive was how oblivious Hinamori had been of the true length that the prodigy went, would have gone for her sake; how easily she had turned his effort into trash. From Ichigo's point of view, the brainwashed girl had never been worth the captain's devoted protection and care.
Nevertheless she had been a good sister until Aizen warped her mind and she had been his only family. He had made the decision to protect her. Hitsugaya did not want to fuel his lover's detest with his own words.
"Nothing."
Hitsugaya grimaced a little at the unsatisfied tone in his lover's voice that followed almost even before the single word had completely left his lips. That fraction of hesitation had already given away the truth. He had hoped that Kurosaki had not noticed it but apparently, his lover was getting better every day at catching his unobvious signs.
"You know I hate it when you do that. Tell me the rest or I might lose my head worrying about you."
Hitsugaya scoffed with a glance over his shoulder at the playful but half-serious chiding and Ichigo smiled sheepishly at the smirking turquoise eyes. Toshiro had yet to -and probably would never - forget the prank they had pulled on him on his birthday.
"That wasn't real though, was it? You should tell me if something's really up."
There was an almost inaudible hiss when the large hands found a tough knot and moved over it ruthlessly. After a few seconds of agonising pain, the tension started to disappear and Hitsugaya relaxed his squared shoulders where the hands returned to, warming them up.
"So? What is it?"
There was another few more seconds of silence before the reply, the words turning into groans in mid-sentence as another knot was found and forced to leave.
"…I just haven't been sleeping well."
Ichigo could not help but frown at the answer, his old memories returning. Insomnia and nightmares had marred the boy's sleep rather severely for some time after the War. Many nights had the teen woken up to find his lover lost in dreadful flashbacks or staring out of the window and the mental recovery had been expectedly slow. Thankfully, things had improved a great deal in the last month before Toshiro had to return to Soul Society but there were still odd dreams that came back once in a while to haunt him. However there was nothing Ichigo could do by that point. Time -and if he might add, love- was the only medicine.
Honestly speaking, Ichigo had thought the after-effects would last much longer. Personally, the shadow had loomed over him for years and it had been only last year that he had passed the night of June 16th dreamless. Thus, it was given that the nightmares would revisit his lover even with the prodigiously -Toshiro had to be talented even in recovering- fast improvement.
He wondered how long this had been going on for, his eyes fixed on the back of the snowy tuft that gained a shade of grey because of his looming shadow. When Toshiro had first returned to Soul Society after his second sick-leave, the captain had barely had time for catnaps, never mind dreaming, due to horrendous amount of work that awaited him. It was an ironical situation where the ceaseless work that Ichigo usually wanted his lover to get away from was what helped Toshiro to drive away the hurtful memories, but apparently, the renewed serenity of Soul Society were now giving back what it had graciously taken away from the captain.
Hitsugaya looked up when the hands left his shoulders, leaving them cold, only to have his view blocked out by black fabrics as Ichigo wrapped his arms around him gently. There was a sense of identification between them in the solemn silence and Hitsugaya let himself relax in the warm embrace, ever so slightly leaning into his lover who returned it with an affectionate kiss on top of his head.
To have lost the core of his family to his own mistake and to have personally killed the only family for her own sake; no one would be able to answer if anyone had asked what was worse.
"Do you want me to stay? I'm sure Yuzu can help Pops out by herself for a day."
"No, it's okay."
Neither of them was a type to ask or accept other's help easily and Ichigo knew it but it did not mean he had to be happy with the expected answer. Really, in his eyes, Toshiro was even more stubborn than himself in some ways, perhaps because of his captaincy and his status as the famed prodigy of Gotei 13; it was a lot to live up to. Having found out the almost unrealistic expectations on the young genius captain who still had unimaginable potential in the years to come, Ichigo had taken it upon himself to give Toshiro some much needed breaks that the aloof captain would not accept from anyone else. He was well aware of his lover's gifted talent but it did not mean the weight was not of a burden on those small shoulders.
"I'm here whenever you need me."
The emerald jewels peeped up and curved into a rare, soft smile just for a second as Hitsugaya locked his gaze with the brown eyes. The obvious love in those hazelnut orbs filled his soul with heartwarming sensation and the fluttering feeling Hitsugaya had felt during his empathic times would return, rushing his blood through his veins.
Ichigo returned his lover's precious smile with a weary one and gave a light squeeze which caused the boy to wrinkle his nose slightly. Chuckling, he kissed away all the creases before settling back down on the desk and dropped his bag right in front of the captain who raised an eyebrow, silently asking if Ichigo dared to prevent him from working. Ichigo niftily ignored the questioning look and grinned. It was not difficult when he could see the soft sparkles of amusement behind the cold curtains.
Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at the unspoken order but did not spit out the usual annoyed 'go away' as he decided to amuse the strawberry for today. Having already worried the teen, he did not plan to have an argument on top of it. It would be quite pointless when his past experiences told him that he was unlikely to win this one, much like his attempts to get his vice-captain at her desk. Moreover, he still did not know what others had got him nearly a week ago which was rather impolite and whatever else he was, Hitsugaya Toshiro was certainly not ill-mannered.
On the actual birthday, he never got the chance to have a proper look at the presents thanks to the bad opening that Kurosaki had cooked up and the party -written 'party', read 'chaos'- that had ensued afterwards. Much to his surprise, the big sports bag was more or less full, partly because the boxes were obviously just dumped rather than stacked, and he took out a medium-sized box that was sitting precariously on top of another slanted box when Ichigo popped a question in amused voice.
"So where were you?"
"I had to see Ukitake."
"Didn't expect that. I don't see any candies falling out of your sleeves."
Hitsugaya glared at the teen who pretended to look innocent but the corners of the lips had already curled upwards and he shook his head, returning his attention back to his first birthday present. When a set of fine modern clothes revealed themselves inside, he heard Kurosaki giving out an interested 'hmm' and glanced up with a guarded look, wondering what was going on in that mikan head now.
"What?
"Must be Ishida. Just wondering what he has made you."
And Ichigo was right. Hitsugaya soon found a birthday card from Ishida Uryuu which was almost completely covered in straight, neat writing that reflected the Quincy's personality. He read through the long paragraphs which, he found out in the first one, were all about the clothes; what the initial designs had been, what fabrics had been used and how Inoue had offered some, uh, interesting designs -like a cape that sounded like it would make Hitsugaya look like a little Red riding hood- which he did not follow, much to the captain's relief. Hitsugaya had known about the interest Ishida held in handicraft but as he took the clothes out one by one, the quality did not cease to surprise him.
First on top was a pair of wide black wristbands with two straps on each and a neatly folded black scarf. Below them was a pure white short-sleeved T-shirt with a dragon on its front in elegant silver threads. A pair of bright red jewels used for dragon's eyes told them clearly who the original model of the simple decor had been. A pair of straight, metallic grey jeans followed the T-shirt, then a Chinese-collared black jacket with a single thick silver line across the chest and cropped sleeves. Hitsugaya almost cringed when he noticed the hazelnut eyes shining with anticipation and excitement. He already knew what Kurosaki was going to say even before he opened his mouth.
"Toshiro, try them on! Ishida might have a stick up his ass but he's pretty good at this stuff."
"No."
"Why not?"
The disappointment was clear in the toned down voice -it was like a balloon that had suddenly lost its air- and Hitsugaya scoffed as he tidily folded all the clothes and placed them back in the box, ignoring the kicked-puppy look Kurosaki was attempting to persuade him with.
"This is the administration office and I'm supposed to be working, boke."
"Damn. When can I see you wearing them then?"
The small hands that were just about to close the box stopped in midair with the lid still in them and Ichigo tilted his head at the sudden scowl that creased his lover's face. Hitsugaya remained unaware of the teen's confusion. He had just remembered that he would not be seeing Ichigo for New Year, and quite possibly, for some time after that too.
"…I don't know."
It was not a taunt and Ichigo grasped the dainty hands with a small frown at the hint of regret in the swirling teal orbs. A quiet sigh escaped the tightened lips softly. Hitsugaya had hoped to deliver the news sometime later on rather than so early into their short get-together.
"Kurosaki, I can't come over for New Year. With the investigation, there is simply too much work for me to be off-duty for another day so soon."
"Investigation?"
Ichigo quirked his eyebrow when his lover looked like he was about to slap himself at the question. Only a single word was muttered after that, the captain slipping his hands out of the larger ones to massage his temples somewhat roughly.
"…Shit."
Hitsugaya cursed, realising what predicament he had just placed himself in. He had planned to warn the teen about potential threats that were now cast over them but all he was going to offer as an explanation had been, well, almost nothing. However he had just practically told Kurosaki that something more than 'nothing' was going on at the moment. After all, investigations under the tenth division captain's responsibility were never 'nothing'.
The problem was that Hitsugaya was still uncertain about where Ichigo stood with regards to this undisclosed investigation. Outside of Seireitei, Urahara Kisuke had already been contacted for his help in this never-seen-before phenomenon with the Captain-Commander's permission, which meant Shihouin Yoruichi was probably aware of the circumstances too, considering the two ex-captains' closeness; they had all expected that much. However, whether Yamamoto would be so generous on the substitute shinigami as well, Hitsugaya was not sure. Kurosaki had never belonged to Soul Society before, unlike the previously exiled shinigamis.
"It's 'cuz of murders, isn't it? I thought the Chinese girl was already on it."
The thought on how Soi Fon would react to being referred to as a Chinese girl flitted through Hitsugaya's mind only for a split second as he frowned ever so slightly. Sometimes Kurosaki displayed a great sense of instincts, unfortunately usually at wrong times too. Still unsure what he was going to tell him, Hitsugaya decided to first secure the room with the invisible barrier.
Ichigo felt the familiar, icy reiatsu spreading gently but firmly throughout the room and frowned in confusion at the prodigy who, in contrary, remained impressively stoic. However, behind those grave emerald eyes, he could literally see the praised mind working furiously over something he was yet to find out.
Only silence filled the few awkward seconds as Ichigo waited for the captain to first speak. He certainly did not like these moments but when Hitsugaya swore with his face hidden behind his hand, he instantly knew that he had just breached the invisible duty line between him and the captain accidentally, or rather, Toshiro had stepped over it unintentionally.
Looking transparently through the quiet substitute shinigami, Hitsugaya speculated for a moment how this chat would end, given its dreadfully awful start. It was all that damned Kurosaki's fault and the idiot's unique and annoying talent to loosen and relax him. Truth be spoken, Hitsugaya had just been having a discussion about the inquest with Ukitake regarding the deployment and before his mind closed the lid on the subject firmly, he had ended up with one person that could undo his self-restrains in a second when left by themselves.
Minutes passed as the captain furiously went through turmoil of thoughts and consequences of his possible decisions then with a resigned sigh, Hitsugaya succumbed to the reality that he had brought upon himself.
"This stays in this room, between you and me. Not even to Abarai or Kuchiki Rukia." Then he added after a second. "Not even to Matsumoto."
Ichigo's face was of obvious perplexity and Hitsugaya, for once, understood the reason behind it. The sudden change of the atmosphere would confuse anyone even if you were not a dim-witted orange-haired teen.
"Not even to Rangiku-san?"
"Yes."
"…Promise. I won't say a word."
The delicate hands abandoned the lid that was now slanted over the box and Ichigo suddenly found himself with the Gotei 13 'Hitsugaya taichou' instead of his sweet lover, 'Toshiro'. The glacial eyes seemed to be scrutinising every detail of his, piercing through his soul, and he now had a fraction of understanding on how the subordinates felt in their captain's presence. When the prodigy finally started to speak after a lengthy silence, the low voice was unusually subdued and Ichigo had to bend down a little to catch the words.
"There is not much I can tell you. Sotaichou had ordered it to remain discreet, including what I had stupidly slipped. What you should know is that I had originally planned to warn you to be more watchful from now on, just in case."
"Why?"
Hitsugaya scowled deeper than usual, feeling a headache taking hold of his head; now, where to draw the line? There were certain facts that Kurosaki would sooner or later find out from others, such as the new death toll the killer had accomplished. What mattered was the reason that the new inquest had started, the reason that he wanted Kurosaki to keep his eyes wide open. His decision unmade, Hitsugaya fixed his stormy eyes on the black sports bag in front of him blankly.
"There have been more murders since your last visit."
"'Kay… I still don't see the connection."
The white eyebrows furrowed just a little more and Ichigo instantly got a feeling that he would not like what he was going to hear next. It was going to be either an angry growl -most likely- or a rare softer chiding. And much to his surprise, it was the latter albeit with an obvious hint of the frustration.
"Kurosaki, just do it. Honestly, I should not even be talking to you about it."
Ichigo only gave a shrug. The details of Toshiro's work as a captain was something he rarely delved into but he did need a little more clarification on his lover's warning, at least.
"Right, right. But I need to know what I'm supposed to watch out for. I can't be on the lookout 24 hours a day for anything and everything. Can't be those weaklings in Karakura village you are talking about."
"Actually, it could be. Has there been any increase in Hollows?"
Ichigo blinked at the unexpected question then scrunched his nose as he scraped through his memory. He did not keep any track on the numbers of Hollows but now that he thought about it, he remembered something Ishida had mentioned in passing after they were ambushed by a number of Hollows before.
"Ishida complained about it just a few days ago. Why?"
Knowing Kurosaki, Hitsugaya knew there was no point of asking any more detailed questions on the Hollows' behaviours, but hearing that the analytical Quincy had also noticed the rise, he became more certain that his forewarning would not be completely wasted in any case.
"Kurosaki."
Hitsugaya locked his eyes with the deep brown ones that did not falter under his gaze for a single second. To explain the possible danger was to reveal the latest development with regards to the murders; his strictly secret investigation and the one person that he did not want to, could not loose.
The one person who had saved his crumbling ice-covered plane.
Ichigo saw the uncertainty in the sea-green eyes changing to determination, losing himself in their hypnotic whirlpools. He had never seen such obvious change in one's eyes and the cerulean hue that adorned those jewels added a hint of captivating mysteriousness in their iciness. Abruptly, Ichigo was overwhelmed as he realised from those eyes, what it could mean to go further with their present conversation.
"Wait, wait."
The interruption, its tone almost pleading, had been unexpected and Hitsugaya frowned, questioning Ichigo in his usual non-verbal way. Kurosaki was frowning at him somewhat anxiously and the chocolate eyes had lost any hint of inquisitiveness in them, only profound concern clouding their usual warmness.
"Is this going to risk your captaincy? Get you in trouble? You said something about the old man."
Whatever Ichigo had expected from the captain, it had definitely not been a snort and he blinked in surprise at the smirk on his lover's face. On the other hand, Hitsugaya was simply concluding that the dorky brain sleeping in Kurosaki's head still had a long way to go; had Kurosaki not learnt yet that he did not do something so important impetuously, unlike him?
It had been an astonishingly swift process yet Hitsugaya knew he had made a right decision and he was not going to change it. It was a thin line he would have to walk but there was no way that he would let any dangers slip through his fingers again. He himself knew better than anyone else that if it had not been for the carrot-top, the frosty plane of his world would have turned even more barren and perhaps eventually melted away under the crushing guilt and regret after his ultimate, biggest failure in his life.
And he be damned if this little information would have been all it took to save his lover. It would be all too late once something had already happened, just like Hinamori.
"It already is, although it was purely my fault. Don't worry, I'm not planning to tell you everything and if I don't tell you anything, your inconvenient curiosity would land both of us in trouble in the end."
"Hey, I'm not…!"
"You have the most unfortunate habit of butting into almost everything even if unintended."
Ichigo was not sure how to react or what to say. He was not even sure whether this was the Hitsugaya Toshiro he knew that was in front of him right now. Even if he never paid much attention to the crazy policies in Soul Society, he knew very well of the absolutely authority Yamamoto held in Gotei 13, yet here, one of the strictest captains was about to breach his orders, and for nothing but his sake. However he could not attempt to stop his lover again. Those clear teal orbs evidently told him nothing would now change the captain's mind.
Even if he gave a nod, his reluctance to do so and concerns must have been obvious, because the prodigy abandoned the air of raillery and Ichigo had his yuki hime back for a brief moment.
"Kurosaki, if my speculations are correct, you are deeply involved. While it's not confirmed, I'm not…"
Hitsugaya broke off at the moment but Ichigo knew what the rest of the phrase would have been, if the faint blush creeping up the baby cheeks was not enough of a hint; 'I'm not risking putting you in danger.'
He blinked a few times before nodding again, a faint hint of understanding in his eyes which he lowered so that Toshiro could not see it. It seemed those in Soul Society had yet to notice the subtle change in the icy captain -Ichigo doubted if even Toshiro himself was aware of it- but those who had lost their beloved had a tendency to become more protective of others still with them and Hitsugaya was not an exception. The prodigy would not be able to forgive himself if he lost him because of what he deemed to be his mistake and incapability. Ichigo understood it even if his lover was most likely unaware of it. It was partly what drove him so desperate to save and protect his family and friends.
"If you say so."
"…The situation is that we are suspecting of undetected infiltration from outside. From our current knowledge, the odds are that it's the Hollows aiming for some sort of revenge. It's just a theory for now but it would not do any harm to be cautious when my only conjecture makes us prime targets."
Ichigo did not have to ask what the word 'revenge' referred to, especially if he and his lover were the potentially main objectives. He grimaced as the memories of the War flooded back into his mind. With the 007-like operation and the final battle, it was not something he was going to forget anytime soon. Inoue was still having some trouble with the grim images she had witnessed while desperately healing shinigamis.
"And verifying that has fallen to you."
"Taichous are aware of it but nothing more. That's why this stays between us, in here."
Ichigo still could not believe Toshiro had just told him one of the current top secrets of Soul Society, all in aid ofhis safety. It was news that was veiled even from the residents of Seireitei. The captain had never been one to talk of his duties in any more detail than the new height the papers had achieved. Gazing into the icy orbs, Ichigo gently held the interlocked hands and brought them up to his lips, murmuring between the feather light kisses he laid on them.
"I won't say anything to anyone. You don't have to worry."
"…I know."
"But promise me something."
Hitsugaya kept his stoic mask but the lips had thinned into a line, betraying his uncertainty. He had an inauspicious feeling that this was going where he did not want it to go, and as usual, he was not wrong.
"I need to know if you are in any danger. Don't let me find it out from someone else or after something has already happened."
"Kurosaki, you are pushing it."
Like I don't know that, Ichigo thought to himself, but he was not about to give it up. Stroking the flawless skin in his hands, Ichigo changed his tactic. Having spent nearly a year with this temperamental dragon, he was slowly learning to be more… divert in his ways. The problem was his almost plateau-like learning curve was fixed on one subject only, a.k.a. Hitsugaya Toshiro. Well, like that mattered to him when that was all he needed.
"I don't need to know anything else," Ichigo moved his hand to the velvety cheek, "my reasons are no different from yours, Toshiro."
How on earth the idiot came up with lines that blanked out his mind like that, Hitsugaya would never know, but the moment Kurosaki whispered those words, he knew at the back of his mind that he had already lost this one. How could he not when he understood him, the causes so well? They were two people with the same wounds who both secretly feared losing anyone anymore. However the answer could not come easily. His work ethics were already in a harsh battle with his conscience as its ally against his personal issues.
Ichigo knew he had almost had Toshiro as those emerald eyes regained their mesmerising swirls. Knowing his lover, he could guess what was going through that praised mind -a pretty rare phenomenon, that is- and he bent down to lay his lips on the still boy's forehead for a chaste kiss.
"Just give me that peace of mind. Please, pretty?"
The look Toshiro shot at him at the brave endearment would have made Espadas shrink away in terror but Ichigo only grinned, for he knew his aim had been achieved. And of course, the response did not disappoint him.
"…And that is the only thing you can hear from me with regards to this, no questions."
"Deal."
"And if any of your friends mention the murders…"
"No worries, won't say anything."
A wary look greeted his words and Ichigo pulled his anxious lover into his arms. The resulting posture was rather uncomfortable for both of them but neither made to move at all as Ichigo stroked the silky tendrils.
"I promise on your life."
Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, lifting his face off the broad chest; on his life?
"Why on mine?!"
"'Cuz I can't live without you?"
The turquoise eyes widened for a second before the reddened face hid itself back in the substitute shinigami's chest.
"You do realise that was just corny."
"And there goes the mood."
Hitsugaya pulled himself away from the teen who was rolling his eyes with a soft smile and finally closed the lid on the box before giving out an abrupt, anxious sigh, shaking his head lightly. What was done was done and he did not regret putting Kurosaki on alert but it did not mean the violation of the order was not of a weight on his mind.
"…What have I got myself into?"
"Me?"
Ichigo grinned at the incredulous gaze Toshiro bent upon him. He knew there were other meanings in the question uttered in a quiet voice but honestly, Toshiro did not have anything to worry about because if there was one thing he never failed to do, it was keeping his promises. He left his lover's favourite butterfly kiss tenderly on the porcelain cheek and was glad to see the emerald eyes gleaming with humorous exasperation.
"Don't flatter yourself, Kurosaki."
Of course, Hitsugaya had read what Kurosaki was really trying to tell him through the soft touch which had, as usual, succeeded to sooth his rippling mind. He still could not understand how one of the most impulsive souls he had met in his life could bring out such calmness out of him, like the Sun driving away the grey clouds that had stormed the rough sea, quelling the monstrous tsunamis into relaxing waves.
Neither of them spoke any further on their previous topic anymore. It was as if they had never talked about the investigation at all, actually. Hitsugaya simply put the box aside and pulled out a flat package while Ichigo silently watched him tearing away the wrapping papers to reveal a book from Sado. The book was then placed on top of Ishida's box and the dainty hand returned inside the pitch-black hole of the bag, this time pulling out an unusual, red envelope.
Ichigo raised his eyebrows when he saw the uncertain frown on his lover's face who was peering inside the present, growing curious as to what had brought out such reaction from the stoic captain. It seemed Toshiro was torn between incredulity, amusement, disbelief, and irritation, and he was about to ask what it was when the boy passed him something from the envelope. He stared at what hung in mid-air, pinched between two lean fingers; a strip of… paper?
Catching the flimsy sheet, he gave a questioning look to Toshiro but the captain only nudged his chin at the paper, gesturing to see it for himself. Tilting his head, Ichigo straightened out the paper and he broke out in bemused laughter once he read the curly writings, decorated with red hearts around it. He knew whom this sloppy handwriting belonged to and he could ask only one question; were they supposed to actually believe this?