Obviously, this fic was picked first! Sorry for waiting so long to update, reviews are coming in slower and I spent yesterday picking blackberries so I could make pies today! Two of them... with extra blackberries to eat later! Anyway, I've been killed by plot bunnies T^T Yet another fic has blown up inside my head, but I've really had to work so it isn't too similar to the other one I started working on ^^; Once more, I won't post it until I finish a couple of the fics already on here. Sorry T^T
Shiro: No she ain't!
Vae: I am, too! It's Shiro's fault I can't post right now anyway! He's been distracting me! *points in accusation*
Shiro: ... 00 It wasn' me! I swear it wasn'! D8
Ichi: It was, too! I'm vouching for Vae! =D
Grimm: Me, too! Me, too! =)
Shiro: Ichi! How could ya bribe Grimm-kitty wit sex just ta get me in trouble wit the readers? ToT
Ichi: I have no clue what you're talking about. *cue halo and innocent puppy eyes*
Grimm: =3
Chapter 10
Ichigo is pacing outside the next day, Gin watching him vigilantly as Shiro is chased around by one of Grimmjow's siblings. Kaida is the second oldest female, but far calmer than Demon. She's just a typical jaguar, colored as she should be. The trio had learned that Grimmjow comes from a litter of three cubs, but there was a litter before him of four. Demon and Kaida are from his litter, but there are three boys and another girl in the older one. Kaida, however, loves attention and has found an interest in Shiro. She's been playing tag with him for about an hour, the other too energetic to fall asleep any time soon.
"Ichi, why don' ya come sit over here," Gin sighs. "Yer startin' ta make me nervous wit all yer pacin'."
"When's Grimm coming back?" Ichigo questions in irritation. "How much longer does he expect me to sit still? This is driving me crazy! I need to move! I need to do something other than sit and wait for him!"
"Ichi, just chill," Shiro calls. "Whoa!"
Kaida purrs happily as she pounces on the snowy haired twin, the two rolling around on the ground before she stops atop him. He groans at the weight of her, the feline moving off and prancing around in a victory circle.
"No fair! Ya totally cheated!" Shiro pouts. "I was distracted by Ichi!"
Ichigo rolls his eyes, heading into the trees and stopping at Gin's hand on his shoulder. The silver haired male moves fast, something Ichigo wasn't expecting, and he knows there won't be any getting away with Gin on watch. With a heavy sigh, he follows the other back to the porch and flops down on a chair there.
"I'm sorry, Ichi, but Grimm said ya ain't allowed ta leave," Gin frowns. "It ain't safe fer ya two out there, ya need ta stay put fer now."
"There's something more to Aizen's plan here," Ichigo frowns. "Something isn't right; I need to find out what he's planning…"
"Ya ain't gonna do nothin', Ichigo," Gin glowers. "Yer Grimm's now, he ain't gonna let ya put yer life in danger fer somethin' so stupid."
He opens his mouth to argue, yet the look he's given by those icy blue eyes shuts him up quickly. With a growl of frustration, Ichigo goes inside and slams the door shut. No one follows him, so he does what he does best… he finds a new exit. Ichigo heads to the bathroom, sliding open the window and climbing out quietly. He's just turning around to sneak into the trees… when he's faced with cyan pools of anger.
"What the hell are you doing?" Grimmjow wonders quietly.
"Uh… Making sure the window works in case there's a fire?" Ichigo attempts with a sheepish smile. "It works just fine; we don't have to worry about getting burned to death."
"Nice try, Kitten," Grimmjow scoffs with a roll of his eyes. "Let's go."
He grips the back of Ichigo's neck, the orange haired male deflating in his defeat, and leads him around the house to face Gin. The silver haired man immediately glares at the smaller, sending a shiver down Ichigo's spine and guilt within his mind. Ichigo scoots closer to Grimmjow, yet the other pushes him forward so he's forced to face his second alpha.
"Do I even need ta ask what the fuck ya were thinkin'?" Gin snaps.
"… No."
Ichigo's voice is small and his eyes are downcast, the feeling his brother's lover instills in him being more effective than most scoldings he's went through. Grimmjow normally just argues with him, which can be fun on most occasions. He'll even completely ignore the blue haired male and do what he wants anyway, as Grimmjow never does anything to make him feel punished. Gin, on the other hand, has been with his older twin long enough to know how to effectively deal with them.
"Must I seriously keep ya on a fuckin' leash?"
"No."
"Don' try an' sneak off again, Ichi," Gin growls. "This is yer first an' final warnin'!"
The orange haired male can only nod in understanding, hanging his head as Grimmjow pushes him toward the house. Ichigo allows it only because Gin is still glaring his way, Shiro hurrying over to join them after waving to Kaida. The jaguar stalks off, knowing her younger brother can take care of his pack on his own.
"I don't see what the big deal is," Ichigo grumbles. "Aizen doesn't even know I'm here, why can't I do a little digging?"
"I won't chance him finding out you're not Shiro," Grimmjow explains. "I don't want any more of this attitude, Ichigo. You're leading yourself straight down a path none of us will like."
"Listen ta 'im, Ichi," Shiro prompts. "I been targeted by Aizen since he got here, an' he's pissed 'bout Grimm bein' here when he wasn' s'posed ta. If he finds out yer not only connected ta me, but also Grimm… well… he'll get 'xactly what he wants."
"I can take care of myself!"
"What if ya can'? What if ya find yerself in a position like when we were young?" Shiro points out. "Aizen isn' 'bove doin' shit like that. Hell, he'll fuck ya 'imself!"
"But… I don't want people getting hurt for me," Ichigo whispers in a sad tone.
Shiro pats him on the back, silently consoling him while telling him it's not his choice anymore. It was Ichigo's choice to murder all those gangsters, get revenge for Shiro and himself, and get thrown into this place to find his twin. As soon as he met up with Grimmjow, however, his decisions were no longer just his to make. He agreed to be Grimmjow's lover, which means they're now in a partnership and they need to discuss things like this before coming to a conclusion together.
"I'm sorry," he sighs. "I'm not very good at this relationship thing; I keep forgetting my choices are our choices now."
"Just don't forget, Ichigo, there's more to think about than just you," Grimmjow states. "What would happen if you were hurt or killed..?"
"Oh god, don' say that," Shiro gasps as he shivers in fear. "I can' handle that! I could only handle bein' here witout 'im 'cause I knew he was 'kay. Don' say shit like that!"
At that comment, Ichigo realizes just how badly their separation has affected his brother… and how difficult things would be for Shiro should anything happen to him. He wasn't planning on anything befalling him, yet he of all people knows that things don't always go according to plan. He surrenders to those around him, the orange haired male sitting on the couch in a sign of downfall. His brother joins him, wrapping him in his arms tightly with no intention of letting him go for a long while.
"What did ya find out on yer rounds, Grimm-kitty?" Gin wonders as he heads into the kitchen. "An' did ya happen ta get any groceries?"
"Aizen has been hunting in my territory," Grimmjow sighs. "I meant to get groceries, but his goons were all over and I had to kick them out. Sorry."
"Don' worry, I'll go get some!" Gin smiles. "I sat wit the boys fer the majority a the day, so it's yer turn."
Grimmjow nods, waving him off as he hurries out the door. He can only imagine the stress Gin's gone through while he was away, but at least he showed up in time to catch his mischievous lover before he escaped.
Ichigo is lying in bed that night, completely sulking… there's just no other word for it, he's definitely sulking. Grimmjow sighs as he walks in, Shiro on his heels and ready to crash. The snowy haired twin ambles over to the bed and flops down on his twin, the younger groaning in pain at the sudden weight. Grimmjow is slightly worried, as Gin has yet to return. He managed to feed the doppelgangers by running down a deer and cooking that, however the thought of Aizen's men finally catching the other chills his blood.
"Right yourself, Shiro," Grimmjow comments. "You can't lay the width of the bed; other people need to sleep there, too."
"Gin isn't back yet?" Ichigo questions.
"No, not yet."
"Shouldn't we go out and look for him? I mean… what if something bad happened to him?" the orangette wonders. "Shiro and I will be fine here, why don't you go see if you can track him down?"
"Gin can take care of himself," the blue haired male frowns. "He wouldn't forgive me if I left you two and something happened. Just go to sleep, okay?"
Ichigo bristles, yet curls up against Shiro to sleep. Grimmjow lies on his other side, resting an arm around his waist. He attempts to stay awake until the twins are asleep, yet finds it difficult. Shiro is out in seconds, Kaida completely wearing out his store of energy. Ichigo, however, takes a bit longer. His breathing slowly evens out into sleep and Grimmjow is satisfied enough to close his own cyan orbs. Once he's deep enough in slumber, Ichigo opens his amber orbs and carefully maneuvers Shiro past him to take his place beneath Grimmjow's arm.
"You might not care what happens to Gin, but I'm not gonna let him get hurt," he murmurs.
He heads out of the room, digging in the closet for the bag he asked Gin to grab for him before they left. He grins widely upon locating it, slipping into the closet and changing into some completely black clothes. He hides his knives in various places, hurrying on silent feet out of the house and into the trees. He catches the glowing eyes watching him move, yet knows the feline won't do anything to tip off Grimmjow until it's too late… it's just Demon.
Gin grunts as he's thrown to the cement, a foot slamming into his gut afterward. He mentally berates himself for not noticing the three guys following him, he was just so eager to get back to his mate. The three belong to Aizen and now hold bragging rights for catching the infamous Gin Ichimaru. They've been after Gin for so long they thought it almost impossible to bring him back, yet here he is… completely overtaken and too sore to move thanks to their beating. He was so close to getting back within the forest, too.
"Now what?" the larger male wonders.
"Well… Aizen did say he needed to be punished. Maybe we could skip taking him to the boss and deal with it here."
Gin cringes when a blade is drawn, yet realizes quickly it doesn't belong to these three. The others look around the dark alleyway, searching for the source of the sound. A small body darts from the shadows, seeming to appear out of nowhere, and the moonlight shimmers off the small blade as it's thrust forward. Someone's cry of pain is cut off, crimson spilling between their fingers as they attempt to grasp their throat. They fall to the ground, Gin moving just enough to avoid the red getting on him.
"What the fuck?" the larger male shouts. "Who's there? Come out and face us like a man!"
He grips his gun and points it at the small figure, who's finally come to a halt. They pull the trigger… but there's nothing except the click of an empty chamber. The shape smirks haughtily, lifting their free hand and waving the clip they stole straight from the guy's weapon.
"You won't be shooting anything without this."
Gin gawks at the familiar voice, glaring the next second and promising a serious punishment for the other's inability to listen. Ichigo, however, doesn't bother with answering the expression. He crouches down and moves forward once more, zigzagging before sliding between the second man's legs. Ichigo's on his back, so one jerk of his leg has the man falling in pain. He flips back onto his feet, dodging a fist before finding himself cornered. Gin struggles to move, yet finds he can't and can only watch as another fist heads toward Ichigo. The thief smirks once more, the expression more unhinged than usual, and his hand brings the heavy strike to a sudden halt.
"Now, now," Ichigo chuckles. "That ain't very nice."
He lifts his head enough for the silver haired male to see gold eyes instead of amber, his jaw dropping as he's witness to Ichigo's other personality for the first time on this level. There are more footfalls in the street, Gin knowing it's back up. The three thugs had called in their feat almost immediately, so Aizen will likely send others to make certain he's returned.
"Over here!" the larger man calls. "We got company… and they're fuckin' good! I think it's Shiro."
Ichigo kicks him back, back flipping to the end of the alley where all the shadows are. Five more men fill the entrance, two rushing over to pull Gin into their custody. One gets a single step away and the smaller figure rushes them. The blade is thrown, nailing the second guy in the eye, but it also leaves the orangette weaponless. The first is confident in his abilities, grinning widely… and then he catches Ichigo's manic grin, which soon turns into a cackle of bloodlust. Ichigo's hand is slammed into the other's throat, his arm wrapping around that same thick neck before breaking it.
"Next?" he cackles. "Or are ya too much of a pussy ta come play wit me?"
"Don't kill him, Aizen wants his allegiance."
Ichigo knows this man is Aaronierro, one of Aizen's big hitters. He's tall, with raven hair and blue eyes, yet he's no match for Ichigo. The other knows he's one of the smarter ones, so he'll have to go or he'll end up telling Aizen Ichigo really isn't Shiro. Aaronierro is behind the remaining four men, glowering at the figure in black.
"Subdue him… with extreme prejudice."
The four men hurry in to engage the smaller male in a fight, Ichigo standing there loosely and without a care. Once they're nearly on him, he runs to the wall and takes a few steps up it before pushing off. He's sailing over their heads, drawing another knife from his sleeve and throwing it toward the boxes set up before them. There's a soft twang, the boxes blowing forward as the makeshift bow made from a clothesline he picked up is let loose. The arrows he carefully set up are shot forward, embedding themselves in the four enemies after him. With screams of agony, they fall defeated. Ichigo steps over their cooling corpses, golden eyes and insane grin facing the last one standing. Aaronierro has taken the opportunity to lift Gin into his arms, the other's injuries having taken their toll has he hangs limp and unconscious.
"I'm afraid we have a stalemate, Shiro," Aaronierro smirks. "If you attack me, you risk harming your precious lover. How about you just give up yourself and the one you're working with…"
"Workin' wit? What ya think, I ain't smart 'nough ta think up a trick like this?" Ichigo grins.
"Of course not, you're more direct," the other comments. "Now, just give yourself up and let's go speak with Aizen."
"Hmm… let me think," Ichigo comments as he feigns thinking. "How 'bout…"
Before he finishes, he throws another knife. It catches the tall man off guard, as he never expected the smaller male to attack while Gin was in danger. It grazes his cheek, turning his attention only a moment… but that's long enough. When he looks back, Ichigo is gone. His heartbeat picks up when he realizes this isn't Shiro at all… but something far worse.
"What are you?" he murmurs.
"It don' matter," Ichigo comments just behind him. "'Cause ya ain't gonna live long 'nough ta use the information."
The blade is slammed into his ribs from behind, heading straight to his heart. Aaronierro doesn't even utter a sound as he falls to his knees, the body within his arms quickly drawn from them. Dulling eyes look up to Ichigo, his insane grin just now showing a tad bit of difference from Shiro's… it's a bit more crazy and malicious. He had heard that Shiro was far worse when he had first arrived, that Gin had helped him settle just a bit. Ichigo turns away from the dying man without a hint of remorse for the lives he had taken, his eyes still shimmering gold as he heads back into the trees.
"I hope you're satisfied with yourself," Grimmjow growls angrily from the tree line.
"I don' need ya lookin' after Ichi," Ichigo snarls out. "I can take care a 'im just fine!"
"Ichigo, or Ichigo's psychotic split persona, I don't fucking care!" the blue haired man snaps. "He's still mine, which makes you mine, too! Stop fucking around and get your ass back home!"
He's met with a furious glare from Ichigo's more unhinged personality, yet he doesn't flinch away in the least. This earns him points with the other, yet it still isn't enough to get him to lay down for the more dominant man. He holds Gin closer to his chest, careful not to injure him any worse, and leads Grimmjow back into the trees. The other glances back in time to see the second wave of enemies hurrying to help out, Grimmjow making a mental note to call the others for some pest removal.
For those of you wondering... I wrote a very special update chapter just for my readers! Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'd like to say I got through my writers block concerning my novel *throws confetti* Yeah me! ^,^ It was difficult, but I managed! I'm not on page 180+ on chapter 34 of 63! I'm sure you're all wanting to waste time reading that ;p ON TO THE POOL! You can now choose between these updates: Tiger x2, Dream x2, Hunter x1, Jail x1, Lust x2, Divine x1, and Uncharted x1! Happy reviewing! =D
Shiro: *rolls eyes*
Ichi: *pleads with irresistable puppy eyes* Don't pick Jail again! Please! ToT
Grimm: Pick Jail! Pick Jail! =3
Shiro: I'm so outta here. Call me when the authoress has somethin' worth while ta say.
Vae: *lightening crashes down as fire ignites in eyes* WHAT WAS THAT! D8
Shiro: *runs away to hide behind Gin*
Gin: Thanks, koi, I love ya, too. =(