The next day, Ichigo was still in a bit of a stupor since the ordeal with the failed rescue attempt and Aizen's strange behavior so he completely forgot about the warning of not wandering around without someone to guard him.
Deciding against telling Orihime all that had happened (assuming she didn't already know) and worrying her, he began walking down a hallway, lost in thought. For about an hour, he ambled around, trying to figure out why Aizen was acting so oddly and then berated himself for even thinking about the bastard so much. It was only after he passed by a familiar pair of doors that he realized he was going in circles and was now completely and utterly lost.
'How? How do I get myself into things like this?'
"That would be 'cause yer an idiot king."
'Your comment was highly unappreciated. If you're going to say something, at least be helpful.'
"… Holler an' see if someone comes runnin' to yer rescue?"
'Can I shoot you?"
Ignoring the insane cackle in his head, Ichigo opted to try another random hallway with the hope that he would run into Aizen, Gin or maybe even the other guy, Tousen. 'Maybe when I find them I'll just spend the rest of the day relaxing. I have had way too much excitement in such a short amount of time.' That plan went to scratch however when he heard a terrified shriek. Disregarding what he had just thought, he whipped around and took off in the direction he heard the scream from. Turning sharply into a different hallway, he froze and widened his eyes at what he saw.
There, holding a tiny little girl with green hair who was bawling, was a ridiculously tall skinny person wearing a bizarre outfit that resembled a spoon and who he remembered was sitting among the other espada at the meeting when he was first brought to Hueco Mundo. Ignoring the fact he didn't know what number the guy was, Ichigo snapped, "Oi! Let her go!" The espada glanced over with an irritated expression which was replaced by a sinister smirk that raised the hairs on the back of his neck.
"Well what've we got here? Here I was thinkin' I would be left with nothin' to do since Aizen-sama didn't let me kill those shinigamis and what do I find? An irritating eyesore and Aizen-sama's little pet." Ichigo bristled at being called a pet but bit back a nasty response when he noticed the little girl was still in danger. Fixing the espada with a glare, he boldly demanded, "Let her go."
The creepy smirk burst into a condescending snicker as the espada cackled, "A weak defenseless lamb like you orderin' me to do somethin'? That was so funny I nearly forgot to laugh!" The laugh turned into a menacing sneer. "Get outta my sight or I'll make you sorry. Me an' this brat have a score to settle." Ichigo felt fury course through him as he saw the creep shake the poor frightened girl harshly.
"I don't give a shit if you have something against a little girl, pick on someone else. Or are you only capable of acting tough when you're bullying someone shorter than your leg?" The lanky man stopped moving before suddenly carelessly tossing the little girl to the side and into a wall. Ichigo instantly rushed towards her in worry but before he reached her, he was slammed against the wall. A thin bony hand pinned him there by the neck in a powerful grip as the espada hissed dangerously, "You've got a nasty mouth on ya dontcha?"
The pressure on his windpipe increased, causing Ichigo to gasp as he attempted to weakly tug at the arm holding him while its owner kept talking. "Don't see why Aizen-sama keeps a pathetic weakling like you around." Loosening his grip a bit so Ichigo could breathe a little easier, a crude smirk appeared on his face as he drawled, "But I think the pet needs to be punished."
Ichigo was about to demand what he meant when the espada's other hand fisted the collar of his shirt before yanking with enough force to rip the fabric. Ichigo's eyes widened and he could feel dread and panic clouding his mind. He may be oblivious but even he could see what the espada was intending to do. He tried to push the espada away but it was a futile attempt, he might as well have been trying to stop a tank from moving with a pistol.
The hand holding his neck moved to grab both his hands and held them against the wall while the other trailed down his sweating chest, sending chills throughout his body. "I gotta say, Aizen-sama has good tastes. I wonder how many times he's fucked yer little ass." Managing to push some of the fear hindering his thought process away, Ichigo kept struggling as he snapped, "I don't know what drug you're on but you're seriously misunderstanding something here. Aizen only sees me as a tool that will help him win against the shinigamis so get your mind out of the gutter you overgrown spoon."
A hand harshly back-handed his face as the other one holding both of his squeezed painfully. Letting out a hiss of pain, he barely registered what the espada was saying. "Watch that shitty little tongue of yers or I'll cut it off. And you seriously think I'd believe somethin' like that? We've all seen the way Aizen-sama looks at you, a cute little pet for a good fuck. There's no fuckin' way he wouldn't have pounded into ya by now."
Another insane cackle escaped him as he shouted, "He wouldn't have shown such generous restraint for a pet he wants as a fuck toy!" Smirking at the body trembling in his grasp, he crowed, "Well, I'm sure Aizen-sama won't mind if I take a little taste myself!"
"Is that so? And since when have you been the one to decide what I thought Nnoitra?"
The frosty voice had a murderous edge to it as the espada jerked and then cringed in fear. Ichigo felt what could only be described as a wave of relief crash through him when he looked to the side and saw Aizen standing there, a false neutral look of control on his face. Abruptly, both Ichigo and the one now identified as Nnoitra gasped in pain when heavy amounts of reiatsu slammed down on them. Nnoitra collapsed on the ground and Ichigo would have fallen with him if it weren't for an arm that wrapped around his waist and held him gently but firmly against a broad chest. Another arm looped under his legs and lifted him up bridal style, holding him close in an almost protective manner.
He could hear Aizen saying something to the espada but it was a faint murmuring at best since his consciousness was fading out from the sudden exposure to such strong reiatsu. With great effort, he curled a hand around the fabric of the front of Aizen's hakama and managed to say, "T-the little girl… make sure she's… ok…ay…" before darkness pulled him into a realm of black nothingness.
The first thing Ichigo noticed when he began waking up was the feeling of something snuggled against his chest. The second thing he noticed was that it was breathing. Jolting into a sitting position, he immediately regretted it when his vision swam and black spots decorated everything. Bringing a hand to his hand, he flinched in surprise when someone spoke near him, "That wasn't very nice Berry-tan. You sent poor li'l Nel flyin' even after she spent this whole time with ya. Oh, and ya might not want to move so suddenly next time. My professional deduction is that you've got a killer headache."
Finding strange comfort in the familiar, jolly voice that belonged to Gin, Ichigo shifted, slowly this time, so he could see the silver-haired man. Gin was sitting on a chair next to his bed with his usual smile although there was a certain annoyed edge to his expression like he was mad about something. What really grabbed Ichigo's attention though, was the little girl he had saved nestled in the man's arms.
When she noticed he was looking at her, she gave him a big toothy grin and exclaimed in a sweet childish voice, "Thank you vewy much mistah! Nel's big bwudders got lost so Nel was looking for them but then that mean person attacked Nel!" She held out a little chubby hand and said, "Nel's name ith Nel! Gin-sama said mistah's name was Itsugo!" When Ichigo glared at Gin, the smiling man just held his hands up in surrender and said, "Not my fault! Nel-chan has an odd way of speaking so she often mispronounces things. Her spelling is even worse though."
Ichigo blinked and looked at the beaming little girl, realizing why her words seemed to ring a bell. 'Was she the one that wrote that note? And does that mean she was also the one who opened my door before?' Deciding not to worry about it, he just smiled a bit and said, "Nice to meet you Nel. I'm glad you're okay." Nel grinned before leaping out of Gin's arms and onto the bed, curling up and snuggling against Ichigo again. His eyes widened a bit in surprise before they slipped into an affectionate look.
As he gently pat Nel on the head, he absentmindedly asked, "What happened?" A voice from the other side of the room replied and he jerked his head in the direction of Aizen, not having noticed he was there until now. "You encountered a bit of trouble with the quinta espada, Nnoitra Jiruga." Aizen was standing with his back facing Ichigo as he spoke, his tone sounding just the slightest bit tight. "I have dealt a punishment suitable for his behavior and he should not bother either you again."
Was it just Ichigo's imagination or did the man seem emotionally strung? Like he was off-balance and was struggling to keep himself under control? It was almost as if… he was trying to force himself to sound like he didn't care, like he was trying to make himself indifferent to the fact Ichigo had almost been assaulted even though he actually... did mind? 'Can't Aizen be more consistent? I can't tell what he's thinking if he keeps acting weird like this.'
Stilling his hand petting Nel, Ichigo started saying, "I-" when Aizen interrupted. "I have assigned the primera to watch over you. He is not in any way a prison guard; he is merely acting as your bodyguard." Aizen finally turned and faced him but his guarded expression was in place. It seemed to soften just a bit however, when he saw the little body snuggled affectionately on Ichigo's lap. "I will also permit Neliel to stay with you since you both seem quite attached already."
Ichigo blinked before blurting out, "Aren't you angry at me?" When Aizen didn't bat an eye, he added in a hurried stream of rambling, "I forgot the warning you told me about not wandering around on my own, then I intentionally pissed off an espada even though I knew I didn't stand a chance against him and then you," '… you had to save me.'
Gin glanced back and forth between the two before wisely slipping out of the room unnoticed. Aizen didn't say anything but when Gin was gone, he approached Ichigo and raised his hand. 'Fuck, he was pissed. He's going to hit me isn't he?' Shutting his eyes, Ichigo cringed a bit when a hand touched his injured cheek in a surprisingly gentle tap.
"The only thing I am angry about with you is that you insist on finding ways to get yourself in danger for the sake of others. If I had not been notified by Ulquiorra that you were walking around in a place dangerously close to where Nnoitra was, I would never have known that you were in trouble and Nnoitra would have been able to hurt you in a barbaric way."
Opening his eyes, Ichigo looked up and his mouth opened a bit in surprise when he saw the barest hints of concern undeniably there in Aizen's eyes. The way he spoke completely contradicted what the espada had said about him and he wanted to ask about that but instead, what came out was a different question, one that had been tugging at his mind restlessly since the time they had made their deal and Aizen had backed off when he saw how scared Ichigo was.
"Why do you care?"
Surprise and even uncertainty flickered in Aizen's eyes before he pulled his hand away and headed towards the door, pausing to say a few things. "All your injuries will be gone by tomorrow so rest for the rest of the day. Gin is already preparing new clothes for you and your bodyguard is just down the hall if you need anything. I must leave now."
Before Ichigo could protest, he was already gone, leaving the teen extremely confused and just a bit annoyed. 'Stupid sly bastard didn't even answer my question!' Huffing, Ichigo paused and wondered what Aizen had meant when he had said "all" his injuries. Carefully thinking back to the incident, he realized that he should have bruises around his neck and wrists from when Nnoitra had held them.
But when he cautiously touched his neck, there wasn't a single feeling of pain and when he checked his wrists, they were perfectly fine as well. Neither of the spots hurt but there was a small tingling feeling there like his skin had just been in contact with a healing spell, similar to how his wounds felt after Orihime or Hanatarou had healed him. Perplexed, he stared at them as if they would answer his unspoken question.
Finally, he gave up and settled with looking down at Nel who had somehow fallen asleep during the conversation. Nostalgia and a small feeling of homesickness swept through him when her image was replaced by his two younger sisters during their younger childhood days. Tucking Nel under the covers, he lay down next to her and wrapped her in a protective hug, slipping into a peaceful dream of gentle hands surrounded by warmth.
He was unaware of Aizen watching his saddened expression and remained oblivious to the conflicting emotions dancing in his captor's troubled mind. He also never figured out that the hands in his dreams were his body's unconscious recollection of Aizen healing his injuries.
A/N: The drama builds up~ Lot's more will be happening so look forward to it! (Sex scenes are still quite a bit ways away so no getting your hopes up for smut. There will be a warning for the chapter that actually happens in). Hope everybody enjoyed this chappie~ I will try to make the rest of the chapters as long (or maybe even longer) as this one as thanks for all the reviews this story has gotten! Over 50, whoo-hoo! Next goal is 100!
Anyway, as per usual: Deleted Scenes!
Straight Faces
Ignoring the fact he didn't know what number the guy was, Ichigo snapped, "Oi! Let her go!" The espada glanced over with an irritated expression which was replaced by a sinister smirk that raised the hairs on the back of his neck.
They stared at each other before bursting into laughter.
"Do ya… have to use… such a… frightened puppy expression?" Nnoitra asked between bouts of snickers. Ichigo was holding his sides as he gasped out, "Sh-shut up! You're not… much better… You look like… one of those creepy suspicious people… lurking near… playgrounds…"
As they attempted to regain composure, Gin cheerfully said, "Ain't it hard ta keep a straight face durin' serious scenes?"
Sleep Talking
The way he spoke completely contradicted what the espada had said about him and he wanted to ask about that but instead, what came out was a different question, one that had been tugging at his mind restlessly since the time they had made their deal and Aizen had backed off when he saw how scared Ichigo was.
"Why do you care?"
"Mushroom Jelly Sandwich Attack!"
Both Aizen and Ichigo blinked before looking at the sleeping Nel oddly. "Er, what did she say?" Ichigo asked. Aizen sighed and said, "She's doing it again." When he received a curious look, he explained, "Nel has a terrible habit of saying strange things in her sleep. I've tried numerous things to break her of that habit but as you can see, it hasn't been very successful."
"So… how do we do this scene?"
"… Well, she speaks in fifteen minute intervals so if we can get everything said and end the scene in that time span then it should be fine."
"…"
"You have got to be kidding."
