Chapter 10
Shiro sighs, staring at the ceiling in boredom, and then shifts in bed. It's the second week now, Ichigo has become more and more elusive, and Shiro just wants this to all be over. He's noticed he's swollen suddenly, which means Ichigo adjusted his potion to speed things up further. That only serves to worry the demon and Grimmjow more, especially since Ichigo remains hidden even through meals now. The only time the mage joins them is when they sleep. Even then, the only hint he was with them is the warmth on his side of the bed. It would seem Ichigo is going out of his way to keep others from seeing him.
"I'm so fuckin' bored!" Shiro whines. "Did ya find that lil bitch yet?"
"No," Grimmjow sighs from the other side of the room. "I've looked all over, but I've yet to locate him. I think he's using his magic to keep me from getting near him. Even Szayel is having difficulties."
Grimmjow is curled up on the floor sulking, as he's been doing all day and the day before. He's been feeling depressed, useless, because his mate doesn't think him strong enough to take care of him. It's a massive blow to the jaguar's ego and Shiro feels a bit sorry for his lover.
"It ain't yer fault, ya know," he murmurs.
"But it feels like my fault," Grimmjow mutters sullenly. "Why is he avoiding me? I just want to take care of him… make him feel wanted and needed. Isn't that what betas want? Especially pregnant ones. They need a lot of attention and I just want to give him that attention."
"… Yer such a fuckin' whiner," Shiro mutters. "I want attention, why don' ya give me all that attention ya wanna dole out? I'll be more than happy ta take it."
"… You get enough attention," the jaguar scoffs with a roll of his eyes. "Ichigo needs to know I'm going to be here for him, no matter what."
Shiro gives up, rubbing his stomach absently. There's a kick within his abdomen, the snowy haired demon gasping in surprise. This is going much faster than it should, Ichigo's taking a grave risk playing with their conception like this. Then again, the orange haired male has been increasingly difficult when it comes to getting him to take his treatment… perhaps he's just trying to get this over with too.
"What's wrong?" Grimmjow wonders.
"It's kickin'."
"… That's not possible, it's too soon!"
"Someone's been playin' wit their treatment then, 'cause I felt a kick."
Grimmjow growls in annoyance, really taking the time to gaze upon his lover. Yesterday Shiro was only just showing a good sized baby bump, but now… his stomach is so swollen he'll be waddling horribly should he attempt to get up. The jaguar immediately stands and heads out to renew his search for Ichigo. Shiro goes with his this time, his link to his summoner strong enough to help out. They may actually manage to find the mage this time.
"His presence is weak," Grimmjow mutters in thought. "Could it be he's not hiding it on purpose? Could he be seriously ill? We have to find him before something bad happens!"
"He's in the garden," Shiro remarks as though it's obvious. "How can ya not tell? It's clear as fuckin' crystal ta me."
Grimmjow grips the demon's slender waist and leads him toward Szayel's area. He's been over this place with a fine toothed comb and has yet to locate the mage, so he doubts the smaller male is there… but he'll indulge Shiro this once. They head into the flourishing room, Shiro walking straight over to the waterfall and pointing to it.
"He's there."
"In the waterfall," Grimmjow comments flatly.
"No, behind it, dumbass," the demon spits out. "Fuck, I gotta do everythin' fer ya? I'm fuckin' preggers! I don' need this shit!"
"Just perfect, now you're getting irritable."
Shiro says nothing more, sitting in the grass carefully with a hand on his distended belly. He grumbles to himself, tossing the long braid Nelliel made of his snowy locks behind him. He can't wait to get out of this damn female form and wreak some havoc! Grimmjow heads over to the side of the lake after shifting back to a human form, catching sight of a small alcove behind the waterfall. Careful not to fall in, he slides into the space. Ichigo is sleeping next to a basket of food, a thick furry blanket wrapped around him and a fluffy pillow beneath his head. His skin is so much pastier, the dark circles beneath his eyes making him look like a raccoon, and his orange locks are hanging limply from the sweat on his skin.
"Ichigo," Grimmjow sighs out in both relief and worry.
"Mm," he mumbles in his sleep.
Grimmjow moves closer to his mage, sitting beside him and drawing Ichigo onto his lap. The sickly mage curls up in his mate's arms, sighing contently as he nuzzles into Grimmjow's chest. Grimmjow runs a hand through soaked orange locks, frowning at the heat coming off his lover. Ichigo's sweat is freezing cold, but his skin is burning hot.
"Baby, you have a fever," the jaguar remarks. "You need to see Szayel for this… It was reckless of you to tamper with your potions."
"No more… p-potion," Ichigo murmurs in his sleep.
With a heavy sigh, Grimmjow carries Ichigo out of the alcove. Shiro is on his feet as quickly as possible… which isn't very quickly and involves a lot of cursing. Once he's managed to stand, the trio moves out of the garden and toward Szayel's hospital wing.
The pink haired hybrid is humming to himself, bandaging Gin's wounds from his earlier battle. The witches may not be able to use spells now, but they're not half bad with a blade. And their nails are fucking sharp! At the extra presence of Grimmjow and Shiro, both look up to face them. Ichigo is still asleep within Grimmjow's arms, his stomach so large it looks as though he might pop any second.
"Is he okay?" Szayel wonders.
"He has a terrible fever," Grimmjow informs. "Shiro thinks he may have tampered with his potions… he felt the baby kick today."
The pink haired man frowns and looks over the demon, who promptly snarls and swipes a clawed hand. It was only a warning, so it doesn't strike Szayel. The hybrid backs off and turns to Ichigo instead. He directs Grimmjow to lay the orange haired mage onto a bed, and then checks him over. The youth is definitely on the edge of losing control, if he stops fighting the effects of this strengthened potion for only a moment he'll likely die. Szayel doesn't dare use another mixture to bring down the fever lest he damage the boy further.
"… All we can do is watch over him carefully," he sighs regretfully. "If I try anything more, I may accidentally make things worse."
"This is… so frustrating!" Grimmjow snarls. "Why would he do something this stupid?"
"I honestly can't answer that. He seems like a very impulsive creature, he likely just wanted it all over with faster. It almost seemed like he thought he was dying slowly before."
Shiro rolls his eyes and backs out of the room, heading for the entrance to the den. He's tired of all this drama, he wants blood! With a grumble, he slips past Lilinette and strolls into the trees. The demon is furious and edgy. Everything is happening too fast, it's pissing him off further. Why couldn't Ichigo just let him have his down time?
Grimmjow rinses the wet rag, wiping down Ichigo's forehead once more. He's been sitting with the mage since Szayel and Nnoitra left, unwilling to leave his mate. The jaguar is worried about Shiro, yet knows the other will be careful enough. He'll know if the other gets in trouble. The mage shifts and groans, opening a single bleary amber eye.
"Mm… Grimmjow?" he whispers out.
"Hey, Tigress," the blue haired were smiles. "You had me worried. What were you thinking? Huh? You're close to death; do you really think it's worth it?"
"… Hindsight being twenty-twenty?" Ichigo smiles weakly. "Not really. I would gladly take puking up blood to this… but at least I'm extremely relaxed right now."
"You're going to be the death of me, do you realize that?" the jaguar sighs. "Why did you do this? Why risk your life? You were doing just fine with your regular treatment!"
"But I didn't want it anymore," the mage frowns. "I wanted it to be over, I didn't care what I had to do I just wanted it to stop. I'm sorry I made things worse."
Grimmjow says nothing, not wanting to upset the ill mage. Instead, he dabs the cool rag on Ichigo's overheated skin. The youth sighs, reaching up and taking the jaguar's hand in his. It feels good, so good, to have this little bit of comfort. Ichigo was never scared of what would happen, he knew he would be in for a serious fight. The deciding factor for him is that he's always been a hell of a fighter.
His decision, however, was selfish at best. Ichigo normally doesn't do anything for himself; he's far too worried about everyone else. This time, though, he acted without thought to how it would affect those around him. Once he realized his mistake, Ichigo did everything possible to hide it from those in the den. He didn't want them to see him looking so frail. Leave it to Grimmjow and Shiro to destroy any hope he had of dealing with this alone.
"Oh well," he murmurs to himself sleepily. "The comfort is nice."
Grimmjow smirks at the absent thought spoken aloud. He kisses the top of Ichigo's head, watching as the other drifts off to sleep once more. His fever has lowered a bit, yet the realization that soothes the jaguar is the fact it hasn't gotten worse. There's noise at the doorway and Grimmjow faces Szayel. The pink haired male steps on light footfalls, stopping next to the bed. Orihime is beside him, a happy smile on her face. Without a word to Grimmjow, she raises her hands and sets the glowing palms down on Ichigo's abdomen.
"Oh, I'm so happy for you two," she smiles. "Ichigo may seem very sick, but the babies are healthy and quite fussy. They're moving about just fine. You'll be having five, three boys and two girls."
"Three?" Grimmjow gasps. "Are you certain? Damn, that tea must've been potent!"
"Oh yes, very. I also checked Shiro over earlier," Orihime chirps. "He's going to have three, two boys and a girl."
"Wow… You certainly do have very effective seed, Grimmjow," Szayel snickers. "Poor guy, eight cubs in two litters. You should've learned to keep it in your pants."
"Shut the hell up!"
Grimmjow pushes the two out of the room, intent on having a little privacy with his mate. As Ichigo sleeps away, the jaguar lifts a hand and sets it on his swollen abdomen. The mage mumbles, purring in his sleep at the touch. It doesn't take long and Grimmjow feels a little kick, a small smile breaking out on his face. It happens again. Though he wants it to be one of his boys, Grimmjow has a feeling it's his little girl putting up such a fuss. If she's anything like her mom, she'll be a hell raiser.
Aizen looks down on his coven once more, a miserable sigh released from his lips. Ichigo's insistent defiance is beginning to grate on his nerves. It's about time he forced the mage's hand. There's a town nearby that's home to the white mage's master, Kisuke Urahara. Though the blonde man will be difficult, at least he's not hidden in a vast forest surrounded by dangerous were-creatures. He dispatched his men earlier to retrieve the blonde mage.
"Have you located Urahara?" he wonders.
"I have," Vega remarks. "I've given an exact location to your witches; they should be coming upon the master mage now."
"I wish to watch."
Vega nods and tosses his crystal ball into the air. It shatters and the dust clings to the air to make a screen. Images slowly form, the witches of the coven are moving through the houses in the small town. In the middle of town is a tower-like house, which would be Kisuke's residence. As they get closer, they can see the blonde man sitting outside with a black cat on his lap.
"Ah! I thought I would be having company today!" he states joyously. "Would you like some tea?"
"We're not here for your damn tea, mage!" a woman snaps. "We're here to take you to Aizen!"
"… Whatever for?" Kisuke asks innocently.
"You should've just given him Ichigo Kurosaki when he asked you for him!" another growls out. "Now the mage is lost in the forest with a pack of dangerous were-creatures!"
Kisuke doesn't look surprised, but then again he never does. It's been rumored that he's pre-cognitive, though he's never confirmed either way. He doesn't bother to stand up, just watches the witches move closer to him. When they're right beside him, Kisuke sets the black cat on his shoulders and stands with his arms held in surrender.
"Looks like you guys are far too smart for me," the blonde smiles happily. "I guess I'm just gonna have to surrender and go with you. Do you think Aizen will have my favorite tea? Maybe I should bring a canister of the leaves just in case."
Aizen frowns deeply as the blonde mage gathers his tea leaves and walks off with the witches, a joyous grin still on his face hidden behind his fan. The black cat lying on his shoulders licks his face, purring loudly as it gazes upon the surrounding bodies. Though he doesn't understand Kisuke's mind, as it's always been too eccentric to keep up with, the brunette is overjoyed he's captured his bait.
"Go case the forest again," he orders. "Find me that mage! Warn him I've captured his master."
"Yes, Aizen."
A small group of witches hurries out of the area. They'll need to lay a trap for the mage they search for. Their minds work hard to think of a way to come out successful this time, all of them realizing Aizen's patience is wearing thin. Nothing good ever happens when the coven leader gets agitated.
Shiro yawns and stretches, rubbing the beginnings of sleep from his eyes. His breasts ache, as do his feet. Though he knows he should head back and check on Ichigo, Shiro is still too frustrated to do so. He needs fresh air and the taste of blood. With a wistful sigh, Shiro heads further toward the edge of the trees. Carefully, he sheds his demon features to appear more human. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't cross his mind he looks like Ichigo's female form.
"Ah, man," he sighs as he looks to the sky. "What a disgustingly beautiful day… makes me wanna hurl. I wonder what Grimmy's doin'. I'm gonna ride 'im so fuckin' hard when this potion wears off, I won' be able ta feel nothin' past my waist fer a fuckin' year!"
He chuckles at the thought. What he wouldn't give to ride that thick cock again, his mouth practically drooling at the thought. For only a moment, he's tempted to turn around and hurry back to wrap his lips around Grimmjow's sex. Just as he's about to do so, bright light surrounds him and his body is paralyzed. In his train of thought, he accidentally wandered past Orihime's runes.
"Shit," Shiro murmurs. "This ain't good."
"If it isn't the mage we've been looking for," a woman says snidely. "I see you've gone to extreme lengths once again to avoid capture. Thankfully, we're on to your little tricks."
Shiro frowns, realizing just how much he must look like Ichigo. Aizen thinks too much of Shiro, the demon knows that, which means he won't likely think Shiro would be affected by a gender bending potion. He may look like Ichigo, but he certainly doesn't talk like the other. With a slight smirk, the demon uses this information to his advantage. The brunette will immediately send him back to the Demon Realm if he learns who he's really dealing with… or attempt to kill him. Either way, his cubs are at a serious risk. He'll play along and hope Grimmjow feels his inner turmoil.
"Let me go," he snaps in his best impersonation of Ichigo. "I've already told Aizen I refuse to be a part of his coven! He has no reason to chase me anymore!"
"Our coven leader wishes to speak with you himself. He can be very persuasive, you know."
Shiro says nothing, but plasters Ichigo's typical scowl on his face. It feels so familiar; in fact, the demon can't help but realize just how alike the two are. It's no wonder Grimmjow took them both as his mates. The witches hold the cage around Shiro, pulling it forward. His body is lifted off the ground, still motionless as it's trapped within the light. As he's pulled away from the forest, Shiro can't help but send mental pleas of help to Grimmjow. If his bluff doesn't pan out with Aizen, he's going to lose his and Grimmjow's litter! The thought of losing the lives inside him terrifies him more than anything.