Chapter Ten
Breathing Lessons
The next morning, Ichigo woke once again nestled between Byakuya and Renji. He was happy and warm. He smiled to himself. He was being a good boy. He would continue to be a good boy and do whatever Byakuya and Renji wanted him to do, no matter what it was. He'd go to the therapy appointments in the World of the Living, train with the sixth, whatever it took.
"Morning," Renji said with a smirk from beside him.
"Hi," Ichigo said, still getting used to being so close to Renji and Byakuya.
"You feel okay after last night? You aren't sore or anything are you?" Renji asked, reaching up to run his hand over Ichigo's head.
Ichigo felt his face heat up and he nodded. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure that there isn't anything you want to talk about?" Renji asked as he touched his face.
"I just…I feel better after I became involved with you two. I think it clears my head and gives me something to hold on to," Ichigo told him, reaching out and touching Renji's face.
"That's good," Renji said with a wide smile.
"I needed a tether," Ichigo went on. "Something to moor me in place."
"I'm glad that we're helping. We were worried that it wouldn't help but would hurt you instead." Renji threaded his fingers through Ichigo's hair.
"Of course, you're helping. I needed to do this kind of stuff. You heard that therapist. She said that it wasn't unusual to engage in risky behaviors. I'd certainly call what I did to Ikkaku risky…"
"True. But what do you need from us now?" Renji asked as he leaned closer to kiss his lip gently. "I think you like things like kissing and cuddling, don't ya?"
"Its different. Sex was something inevitable, and something out of my control, and now it is within my control and I don't know what to do about it. I feel like I'm going to do something wrong," Ichigo murmured, leaning into Renji again. He kissed his lips again and then felt Byakuya move behind him.
"Morning, 'Kuya," Renji said and sat up.
"Good morning, did you two sleep well last night?" he asked, getting up to begin getting ready.
"I did," Renji stated as he continued to play with Ichigo's hair.
"Um, so did I…" Ichigo told him in an unsure tone.
"Good, see you at breakfast," he said and left them.
Ichigo looked at Renji. "What do his servants think of you and me being in his room?"
"Nothing to it, they know to keep their mouths closed," Renji responded, sitting up and stretching his arms over his head. Ichigo was fascinated by his tattoos and reached out to touch them on his side since he hadn't redressed after last night.
Renji just smiled and covered Ichigo's hand with his. "Come on, another day of work for us. You training with the division again or no?"
"I'll go." Ichigo got up and left to get his shihakuso.
As he was dressing, he started to wonder what the day would hold for him. Would that man make good on his threat? Would it matter what rumors were started about him? Byakuya seemed to be a little concerned so there had to be something to the idea that there could be damaging things he said. He went into the dining room to find Byakuya already seated. He supposed that he would start his day.
-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-
Karin sighed with exasperation. Now that she knew he wasn't her brother, she noticed all the differences between them.
"Karin," Kon said from the tea room. "Would you like tea?"
She went into the tea room and saw that Yuzu was seated and Kon was working on setting out tea.
"I still can't believe you were in that stuffed lion the whole time," Yuzu said with amazement as she watched Kon set out tea cups.
"Well, not all the time," he said as he poured the tea for Yuzu. "I was in this body for part of the time."
"It explains why Ichigo did weird things sometimes, because it wasn't him, it was you," Karin said as she sat down.
"Yeah, no matter how hard I try, I'm not him," Kon expressed as he passed the tea to Karin. "But I've always cared for you two, even as a plushy."
"I can't imagine how weird being that stuffed lion is when you otherwise are in Ichigo's body…" Yuzu said as she sipped the tea.
"How have things gone, Kon?" Urahara asked as he came in to the tea room.
"I haven't really left the shoten yet…" he admitted.
"You should get out and go shopping, then," Urahara said and handed him a list. Kon sighed and nodded, getting up to go to the market.
He walked there slowly, not seeing anyone on the way really. When he got there, he felt eyes on him. He wondered why the cashier was staring at him so hard. He swallowed and got a basket to gather the things on the list. He was almost done when he heard someone call his name. He turned and saw it was Keigo and his sister.
"Ichigo! I heard you were back in town!" Keigo said with a grin. "I wasn't sure where you were staying."
"Oh, I'm with a friend who has been taking care of the girls," he answered, feeling Keigo's sister's eyes on him. He didn't know her name.
"You want to do something this weekend?" Keigo asked.
"Sure, just give me a call," he said and patted the cell phone in his pocket. "We can get food or something."
Kon said good bye and finished getting the stuff on the list. He checked out and found the cashier was still staring at him oddly. He was getting uncomfortable with this, but he just had to put up with it until he paid and got out of the store. He felt other eyes on him when a couple came in and passed him. He nervously handed over the payment and quickly exited the store. He was about done with being in public today.
"Ichigo," he heard and turned to see a police officer looking at him. Great, he had no idea who this was. She walked up to him and smiled.
"Hey, how have you been?" she asked.
"Oh, fine, you know," Kon said with a strained smile.
"How are your sisters?" she asked him.
"Just fine, you know, just fine," he answered and hoped she would just go away soon.
She tilted her head to the side. "You have no idea who I am."
"Of course I do! You're that police officer, from the police station…" he stammered.
"You're that other soul, aren't you? The one that takes Ichigo's place I heard about," she said in a low voice.
Kon looked around and nodded, wondering why and how this woman knew about the change in person.
"You have to be him because he's in that Soul Society place still, huh?" she wondered as she kept her voice down so only Kon could hear her.
"Um, yeah, look I really need to get back to the shoten. Nice, uh, seeing you," he said and turned on his heel and took off.
All in all, he made it through his first day in public. He didn't like it one bit…
-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-
When they got to the sixth division, Ichigo knew something was off. He was being stared at and people were talking after he went by. Ichigo stayed with Renji and Byakuya as they went to the office. They didn't seem to notice anything amiss but Ichigo could feel the eyes on him every time he walked past someone. He wondered if the threat had been followed through on when he didn't show up at the ramen place. What could he have said? He had said something, Ichigo just knew it.
"I'll go out to the training field," Ichigo told Byakuya as they passed his office.
"Come in if you get exhausted," Byakuya stated simply a he entered.
"Yeah, maybe I can get another kiss," Renji said and landed a quick kiss on Ichigo's lips.
Ichigo looked around and there was no one that saw it, but he still was wondering why Renji was so bold. He shook it away as he made his way to the training field. This was the same group from yesterday, so he hoped to show he'd learned something. He quickly felt the odd looks thrown his way. Still, he sparred with someone and got told his swordplay was improving by the seated officer overseeing the training. By lunch, he felt good about himself and couldn't wait to tell Renji and Byakuya about how well he'd done compared to yesterday.
Ichigo went to pass a small group who were in the hallway outside the captain's office when one of them grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.
"Can I help you?" he asked, surprised.
"I just wanted to know if it was true," one of them, with long shaggy brown hair, said from beside the one that had grabbed him.
"What's true?" Ichigo felt his stomach clench because now he'd find out what happened to make everyone stare at him.
"We heard you spent last night with a sixth person you just met yesterday, and that you are open to anyone who wants to take a shot at you," the one who held Ichigo's arm still said. Ichigo looked between the two of them and the other two that were standing there.
He shook his head. "No, that's not true. I didn't spend the night with him. He threatened to spread rumors if I didn't, but I was…"
"You're lying. Why would anyone make this up? To find out the all powerful Ichigo Kurosaki that defeated Aizen is just a slut is a shock, sure, but something fun. We could have a little party to celebrate your freedom to see whoever you want, just the five of us," one of the other two, a shorter pale Shinigami with dark eyes told him.
"Look, he made it up! I wasn't there with him last night!" Ichigo was starting to get agitated about this situation and he didn't know how to deal with it. Byakuya and Renji were going to be mad at him for this, he feared.
"If you weren't with him, then where were you?" the fourth member of their little group asked. "I think you didn't like him and told him you wouldn't see him again and that's why he told everyone."
"I was at Kuchiki Manor! That's where I'm staying, and I went back there after I left with Bya-Kuchiki-taichou and Abarai-fukutaichou." Ichigo wasn't lying, just leaving off the part where Renji was the one he slept with last night, not this other guy.
"Oh, so you're saying you were with them? Why would they cover for you? If I asked one of them, what do you think they'd say?"
"The truth. Kurosaki was at my Manor yesterday evening, so that ends this rumor business," Ichigo heard from beside him. He looked over with thankful eyes at Byakuya who stood just outside his door.
The four Shinigami bowed to him. "Taichou," one of them said. "Yes, sir."
"Go on to your duties and stop harassing Kurosaki about ridiculous things," he said and waved them off with his hand. "Kurosaki, come."
Ichigo nodded and followed Byakuya into the office, where he started to hyperventilate the moment the door closed. "What happened?" Renji asked and Ichigo felt dizzy as he slid down the back side of the door to sit on the floor.
"Seems the Shinigami that threatened Ichigo to start rumors made good on his threat and is spreading a complete fabrication of a story," Byakuya explained.
Ichigo couldn't take this kind of thing; everyone knowing how messed up he was. He was sure that he couldn't go anywhere in the sixth now without these things following him. He gasped and looked at Renji.
"I shouldn't stay in here, what if they say something about you both?" Ichigo managed as he ran hi hand through his hair.
"Nonsense. None of them would dare start rumors about their Captain," Byakuya stated and sat down behind his desk. Ichigo saw that there were a stack of three bento boxes again.
"Here, get up and eat, you'll feel better about this nonsense," Renji said as he pulled Ichigo to his feet.
Ichigo nodded and allowed himself to be led to the sofa. Renji went and got two of the boxes again like he had yesterday and handed one to Ichigo. He took it without saying anything, but soon began to pick at his food worse than the day before. Renji sighed, snatching the box and feeding him once again. Ichigo tried to protest, but Renji was having none of it. When he finished the box, Ichigo let out a deep sigh and put his head in his hands.
"I didn't need this…" he muttered.
Renji put his arm around Ichigo's back. "Don't worry, we'll find this guy and punish him for starting such a rumor. What exactly did he start one about?"
"He's saying I spent the night last night with him and that I…I'm open to others," he felt dirty just repeating the lie.
"Well, that's easy enough to combat. You were with us, so that squelches the lie right there," Renji said and squeezed Ichigo tightly. "This will die down and pass by tomorrow."
Except it didn't. The next day, he still felt eyes on him and like people were talking about him. Still he had no idea what to do about it. He was being watched particularly closely by one of the younger Shinigami in the afternoon training, to the point he was uncomfortable. He tried to escape as soon as training was over. He lost sight of the young Shinigami that had been staring at him as he went into the building.
He was shocked when someone grabbed him by the arm and slammed him back into the back corner of the hallway. He sucked in a breath and glared at the one who had been staring all afternoon. He was a big guy, easily six inches taller than Ichigo, and broad. He smiled at him, holding his arm too tightly.
"What do you want with me, let me go," Ichigo tried to extract his arm but this guy had a steel grip.
"See, the rumor is that you like rough treatment. So does this get you hard?" he asked, his dark brown eyes searching Ichigo's face. Ichigo grimaced and tried to get his arm out of this guy's grip.
"No! The rumors aren't true! I didn't spend the night with some guy I just met and I don't like being treated rough!" Ichigo exclaimed, starting to get annoyed with this guy.
"He said you'd say that. He said it was a game and that if you got alone you wanted someone that would fight you for it. I could hold my own with you." He reached up with his other hand and brushed his dark brown hair behind his ear.
"Hey, you," came a female voice from nearby.
The hulking brute let go and turned around. There were a pair of female Shinigami standing just by them, both wearing an expression of annoyance. "What?" he growled as Ichigo rubbed his arm. He could feel a bruise already.
"I don't think he likes you, so move on," the other one said. She was short, but not as short as Rukia. She had her blonde hair pulled back into a tail and had an intense glare.
The guy in front of him turned and left the opposite direction leaving Ichigo to exhale deeply as the two women came up to him. The first one was tall and lanky with glasses over dark blue eyes and dark hair tie up on top of her head in a bun.
"You okay?" the shorter one asked.
"Yeah, fine," he said and rubbed his arm. "What is it with people that don't like the word no?"
"You're Ichigo Kurosaki, aren't you?" the taller of the two asked.
Ichigo nodded, giving her a smile. "I'm Kurumi Hamano," the shorter of the two said. "And this is Ririko Sawaya. Where were you going when Matsunaga started bothering you?"
"Headed back to Kuchiki Manor where I'm staying," he said with a sigh. "But it seems like these rumors aren't going to die despite what I'd like."
"I heard they were started by Arinori Higa. Higa has recently broken up with a girl in the fifth, and he has a reputation for going after powerful people in his circle. You turned him down, didn't you?" Kurumi asked him with a gentle smile.
"Yeah, had no idea he'd really spread rumors around. I didn't even know his name."
"Yo, Ichigo!" he heard and looked down to see Renji standing toward the end of the hall. He didn't see Byakuya.
"I gotta go," he told the two women and turned to go after Renji. One of them put a hand on his shoulder.
"Be careful, Higa is a persistent man," Ririko told him.
"That's okay, I know his name now to tell Byakuya!" he waved to them and ran to where Renji was waiting for him.
The two women watched him go. "I sure hope he puts a stop to the rumors about him; have you heard them?" Ririko said with a sigh.
"Yeah, he was pretty vicious about what he told people. Said something that he had a rape fantasy and all that." Kurumi brushed a hand over her head. "Someone might take that too far."
"Yeah, no wonder Matsunaga was hassling him. Didn't his boyfriend dump him recently?" Ririko asked as they started to walk away.
Ichigo figured he'd wait until they got back to the Manor to tell Renji about how he'd found out who it was that started the rumors. As they walked, he noted that he was being stared at still. Great, even outside the sixth, there was more spreading of the rumors. He was going to have to do something to get a handle on it.
As they got back to the Manor, Renji grabbed Ichigo to steer him and he let out a pained sound.
"What?" Renji said as he pulled up his sleeve. "What did that?"
"It was nothing, just a guy who was listening to the rumors. I guess he's added that I like being treated rough…" Ichigo sighed. "But I found out his name from a couple girls who I was talking to. Arinori Higa."
"I don't know the name off the top of my head, but there's a lot of Shinigami in the sixth. I'll tell Kuchiki-taichou. For now, come here," Renji said and grabbed his other arm to pull him along to Byakuya's room.
Ichigo had spent last night with them, but they hadn't done anything. He wondered if Renji wanted to do something now… He really wasn't in the mood for that sort of stuff, but he wouldn't tell Renji that. He would always be ready for them to do whatever they wanted.
"Byakuya is going to be late at a meeting, so I thought we could take a walk around by the koi pond," Renji explained as they came to the door for the deck.
Renji took his hand and led him out to the pond. It was a pretty day and the pond was full of koi as they approached it. Ichigo smiled as he knelt down and put his hand in the pond; he felt the fish nibbling on his hand.
"They're not scared of people," Ichigo noted.
"Nah, these fish are used ta bein' spoiled by everyone. I wanted to get out of the house a bit today. No one comes back here, so can I spoil you a little bit?" Renji sat down beside him.
Ichigo flushed and sat down too, looking at Renji to see what he meant by "spoiling" him. Renji took his chin and leaned in, gently licking at Ichigo's lips until he opened his mouth. Ichigo couldn't get enough of these sensations as Renji laid him back without letting the kiss go. Ichigo felt the grass tickling his neck and wondered what Renji was thinking, doing this in the open. But he guessed there was no one around to bother them. Renji slipped a hand under his kusodo and began to fiddle with one of his nipples as he continued to kiss his mouth and throat. Ichigo didn't really like it when he did that but he seemed to enjoy it, so he wouldn't say anything. He had to still be a good boy.
"I stay late and you two are rolling about outside," they heard and Renji looked at Byakuya. He only briefly stopped kissing Ichigo's throat.
"I'm gonna spoil him, since he likes to kiss so much," Renji said and returned to his mouth.
Byakuya sighed. "I'm glad to no longer be the only target of you sex drive."
"I know, I know," Renji commented as he stopped kissing and propped himself up on one arm. "We know the name of our rumor starter, now, by the way."
"Good, I'll have a talk with him tomorrow," Byakuya said as he turned and went back into his room.
"'Kuya gets frustrated with me because I wanna do things all the time even when he's tired, so I guess he's happy that you and I can keep each other entertained…" Renji explained with a smirk.
Ichigo smiled in return. So that was it. Renji had a higher libido than Byakuya. That's why he was useful to them. It gave Renji someone else to get involved with. Now, he understood why he was here a little better. So, he was worth something to them. He was there to take care of Renji's higher needs.
Renji proceeded to slide his hand further down until he was slipping fingers against him. "Outside?" Ichigo gasped.
"Outside," Renji purred in response, sliding two fingers into him. "Like I said, no one comes back here. Besides, we don't have to undress completely, just enough…"
Ichigo wasn't sure about this but he wasn't about to tell Renji no. He couldn't do that. That wouldn't be being a good boy for them. His only use to them was this, so he would serve that purpose.
Renji moved his fingers and sat up, pulling Ichigo with him as he continued to kiss his neck. "Like this," Renji breathed and pulled Ichigo onto his lap. "You'll have to take a leg out of the hakama, but that's all."
Ichigo nodded, leaning up as Renji untied his obi. He then slipped the hakama down and Ichigo pulled one leg out of the, leaving the other side on. He could feel Renji hard between them and he had to admit to being aroused now himself. He supposed it wasn't so bad having an energetic partner. He moved to straddle him again, seeing he'd pulled himself free of his hakama. Ichigo saw he had the jar of fragrant oil again. The smell was cloying and strong, and he found that it stuck to him even after he bathed.
Renji stroked himself with the oil and put the jar to the side. Ichigo found that doing this from the top was different as he struggled a bit to get into position. Finally, using his hand to hold onto Renji, he managed to slip down on him. He gasped as he got down to sitting flat on Renji's lap. He looped his arms around his neck and felt his legs go a little weak. He began rocking back and forth and found that the position seemed to put constant pressure on that spot inside him that set the world on fire.
They sat there for a while, just entwined with each other and Ichigo gently rocking back and forth, keeping Renji deep inside. It felt nice to move slowly, but Renji soon had enough of the slow pace and grabbed Ichigo's hips hard and began to move under him. He then seemed to grow frustrated with the position and suddenly flipped them, throwing Ichigo onto his back and almost into the pond. He reached between them and stroked Ichigo as he slammed into him harder than Ichigo expected.
Ichigo couldn't hold on much longer and felt the orgasm slam into him. He gasped and arched up under Renji who was struggling to hold on to himself. He didn't last but a couple thrust through the tightening of Ichigo's body as he fell down the other side. He flopped on top of Ichigo, panting.
"Move, you're heavy!" Ichigo complained as Renji was draped over him. "Besides, you're getting your uniform dirty!"
"S'okay," Renji said and rolled onto his back.
Ichigo slipped his leg back into his hakama and found his obi, tying it quickly. People might not come back to the koi pond usually but he didn't want to get caught by someone like Rukia. After all what would she think if she found out that he was doing this with her brother and Renji?