Chapter 11: Beautiful Freaks

(A request by SesshomaruFreak and Cousinitsister. Enjoy! Love, Spunky)

Tetsuya stood quietly on the balcony outside his second level suite, dressed in a warm robe and breathing in the cool night air, his troubled eyes trying to find peace in the lovely reflection of the bright moon on the surface of the lake below him. He felt a twinge of residual pain and gently rubbed one lightly bandaged wrist, then the other. A faint smile touched his lips as he spotted the pretty silhouette of his black Arabian stallion grazing near the lake's shore. The night sounds should have been comforting, but he shivered inside, remembering his earlier humiliation at the hands of the wicked Sousuke Aizen. And there was guilt, of course.

I was supposed to protect Miss Rukia. Byakuya trusted me to do that. She is still in the hands of that monster. I only hope that Grimmjow and Ren are right…that he will avoid harming her because she is of value. I was only about to be hurt and probably killed because I am without value.

Well, from his perspective, I am, anyway.

He heard a light tapping on his bedroom door.

"Come in."

He expected his attendant's step, but found his heart lifting as he picked up the familiar steps of two men. He remained facing away from them as they crossed his room and walked out to join him on the balcony. Both, he found as they reached the edges of his peripheral vision, were also dressed in nightclothes and Grimmjow had stopped to pour the three small glasses of liquor. He handed one to Ren, then offered one to Tetsuya.

"You know, I don't usually drink," he said, smirking slightly.

"Trust me," Grimmjow said in a touchingly gentle tone, "It'll help wind you down after…what happened earlier."

Tetsuya nodded and accepted the glass, taking a breath and holding it as he took a swallow, then exhaled sharply to avoid the burn that followed.

"Man, you really don't like that stuff, do you?" Ren chuckled, "But Grimm's right. You still seem awfully tense."

"I was almost raped by two of the most evil men I have ever met," Tetsuya sighed, braving another swallow of the harsh brown liquid and relaxing slightly as the alcohol went quickly to his head, sending an odd feeling through his limbs and dulling his senses, "I would have been, if not for the two of you. You have no idea how grateful I am."

"We weren't going to let him hurt you," Ren assured him, pressing up against the blue-eyed man's side and nuzzling his cheek.

Grimmjow spotted a little place where a bit of blood had seeped through the bandage on one of Tetsuya's slim wrists and scowled.

"Bastard's stepped over a line," the blue-haired man growled, taking a large swallow of his drink, "if he thinks he can hurt an angel like you and get away with it."

"He didn't just abduct me," Tetsuya said worriedly, "He still has my cousin, and while I am glad that you came for me, I am terrified about what they might be doing to Miss Rukia."

"She's not alone," Grimmjow said reassuringly, "We've got a friend on the inside, who's watching and passing on information to us."

"The one you mentioned before?" Tetsuya asked, "Ichigo?"

"Yeah. Aizen hasn't hurt her. He's got her locked up with our buddy, Frosty, who we found out is a detective."

"Toshiro is a detective?" Tetsuya asked, "I know he came to Kuchiki Manor to warn Rukia about Aizen. She said he admitted he is a detective. So, that is true?"

"Yeah," Ren affirmed.

"Does Byakuya know this?" Tetsuya asked, starting to turn back into the bedroom.

Grimmjow curled an arm around him, stopping him and pulling him close.

"It's okay. He knows. And he's in for the night."

"In for the night?" Tetsuya repeated, blinking.

"Renji is comforting him tonight," Ren explained, reaching up to scratch his collarbone.

Tetsuya paused and looked from one man to the other.

"Comforting him," he whispered, "Does this mean that you two are here to comfort me?"

Grimmjow gave him a contemplative look.

"We're not here to take advantage of you being traumatized and a little drunk," he said sternly, "Ren and I are street kids. We know how it feels to have someone try to hurt you like that. We've both been there, and we do know what you need, Tetsuya."

"Do you?" Tetsuya asked through clenched teeth, "You know, I think that them knowing my secret, looking down on me that way and making fun…"

"They wanted to humiliate you," Ren continued, "We get it. We really do. We may not be the same kinda freak you are, but we're all one kind of freak or another. That's what makes us the best kinda friends for you tonight."

"C'mon back inside," Grimmjow urged him, keeping a warm arm around him and turning him slowly, "I promise you that we're only going to help you get some good sleep."

"Sleep isn't going to stop me hearing what they said…feeling their hands on me," Tetsuya said, tears filling his eyes.

"No, but it gives your mind time to process, time to start to realize you're safe now. It makes the bad stuff seem farther away," Ren reasoned.

Tetsuya flinched as a thought occurred to him.

"Aizen has hurt and humiliated you before," he said numbly, "He's done worse than what he tried to do to me."

"Don't think about that," Grimmjow whispered, "C'mon, let's get in bed and keep each other warm tonight. Y'know, Ren and me were real scared for you. We didn't know if we'd get to you in time and it killed us, thinking what Aizen could be doing to you."

"I was terrified," Tetsuya admitted, letting himself be guided to the bed, then watching quietly as his two friends bared themselves, then Grimmjow gently removed Tetsuya's robe. Ren climbed onto the bed and Tetsuya slid into the middle with Grimmjow on the other end. Tetsuya curled up, onto Ren's tattooed chest, with Grimmjow pressed warmly against his back.

"Feel safe now?" Grimm purred soothingly in his ear.

"We won't let anyone hurt you," Ren promised.

"I feel much safer," Tetsuya admitted, tracing the dancing pattern along the front of Ren's neck, as the tattooed man met him for a slow, open-mouthed kiss and Grimmjow nibbled tenderly at the back of his shoulder, "Thank you, both of you. Not just for coming to help me, but for staying tonight. I don't know what I would do if I had to be alone right now."

"We know that feeling," Ren sympathized, "We're not gonna leave you alone."

The two continued to gently kiss and caress him, until Tetsuya drifted to the edges of sleep. But one little worry nagged at him until the thought escaped him in a bare whisper.

"It really doesn't matter to you at all?"

"Are you kidding me?" Grimmjow snickered, "You're a beautiful freak, just like Ren and me."

"You fit right in with us," Ren agreed, "That's why we wanted to get to know you better. Us freaks have to stick together."

Tetsuya smiled and nuzzled more deeply into Ren's shoulder, lacing his fingers together with Grimmjow's.

"We do."

XXXXXXXXXX

"You look a little distracted," Gin said, smirking, "I can see that cute, innocent little she-male got to you. You really didn't want him to get away, did you? Do you want me to go and retrieve him for you?"

He poured two drinks and offered one to the brown-eyed man who gazed quietly out the window, into the darkness.

"No. Obviously, Byakuya will carefully protect him," Aizen reasoned, "There will be plenty of time to capture him later…and yes, I have every intention of doing so. Tetsuya may not have so much value to the Kuchiki family, beyond Byakuya himself, but…he would have exceptional value to me."

"I agree," Gin said, nodding, "He is quite an exotic beauty. It's almost a shame to think of him losing that sweet, wide-eyed innocence, ne?"

"Oh," Aizen said blithely, "well, someone will eventually steal that from him. But, we have more pressing matters. Did you extract any useful information from Toshiro yet?"

"Unfortunately, no," Gin reported, "He's been surprisingly tight-lipped. I had to get a little rough with him. Rukia threw a fit when I tossed him back in the room with her after."

"Did she?" Aizen asked, "Hmm."

Gin arched a curious eyebrow.

"You have an idea?" he inquired.

"Mmm, perhaps. It seems that those two have formed a little connection. And while we will need to avoid doing permanent damage to Rukia, while she remains useful to us, certainly, we can use Toshiro's interest in her to manipulate him."

"And what exactly does that mean?" Gin mused, "Are you suggesting we…?"

"Toshiro is intelligent, of course, but he also has a hot temper," Aizen explained, "He would react strongly to the suggestion we might use Byakuya's sister as…well, a special employee."

Gin grinned widely.

"Ah, what a devil you are, Sousuke!" he purred, slipping an arm around him and nipping at the back of his neck.

"Sometimes," Aizen agreed, smiling slyly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rukia moved to the chamber door at the sound of a gentle rapping. The door opened a little, and Yammy's thick hand shoved an ice pack through.

"Here you go, Miss Rukia," the big man said kindly, "Just be sure not to cause any trouble. You were loud before and the boss doesn't like people who cause him trouble."

"I don't want to cause trouble," Rukia said carefully, accepting the ice pack, "I was just surprised and kind of scared to see Toshiro so beat up."

"He must've made the boss really mad," Yammy concluded, "Or maybe it was that the guy who was with you got away. He wasn't happy about that either."

"Well, I don't want to cause trouble. I'm just trying to take care of Toshiro. Thank you for the ice pack."

"You're welcome, Miss Rukia. Sorry I had to growl at you."

"It's okay," Rukia said, laughing nervously, "You're just…doing your job, right?"

She turned away and started towards he semi-conscious friend who laid on the bed.

"I just hope it doesn't become your job to kill us or something," she muttered, shaking her head.

She let out a worried sigh as she sat down on the bed and touched the ice pack to Toshiro's cut and bruised face.

"You got beat up pretty badly," she said, frowning.

Toshiro's blue eyes opened at the sound of her voice and he struggled to bring her fuzzy form into focus.

"R-rukia…" he mumbled dazedly.

"Yeah, it's me."

"They…they didn't hurt you too, did they?" he asked shakily.

"No, they have just kept me locked up in here," she answered, moving the ice pack to a bump on the young man's temple.

Toshiro winced and grunted.

"Sorry," Rukia said, smiling sympathetically, "I'm sorry I got you into trouble. Y'know, you probably shouldn't have tried to come and rescue me, considering. I mean, you weren't a prisoner here before. You're only having the tar beat out of you because you got caught coming after me. It makes me feel kind of responsible."

"Well, you're not," Toshiro said, shuddering, "It was pretty clear that Aizen already knew I am a detective."

"But he probably learned that because you came to warn me about him," Rukia objected.

Toshiro started to deny it, but Rukia crossed her arms and glared at him meaningfully.

"Maybe," he sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, then opening them and looking at her again, "But, what was I gonna do? Let him hurt you?"

"You do like me!" Rukia chuckled, swatting him on the arm.

"Ow!" Toshiro yelped.

"Oh, sorry!" Rukia apologized, "Boy, is there anywhere they didn't beat on you?"

"I think they might have missed a spot or two," Toshiro groaned, surprising himself by smiling back at Rukia, "But, I'm sure they'll be back to finish up."

He paused and looked at her with a regretful expression.

"You know they are probably going to kill me," he said with surprising calm, "That's the way it works."

"Toshiro!" Rukia exclaimed, paling.

"Aizen is serious business."

"I'm not going to let him…!" Rukia began.

"You can't do anything to make him mad!" the white-haired man insisted, taking hold of her arm, "Rukia, you will only get yourself killed too."

"You can't just expect me to let him hurt you," Rukia snapped angrily, "Let him kill you? Toshiro, I won't…"

Rukia made a sound of surprise as Toshiro leaned forward suddenly, pressing his lips to hers. Her eyes rounded and blinked, then she loosed a softer sound of contentment and kissed him back. As their lips separated, Toshiro took her face in his hands and looked solemnly into her pretty violet eyes.

"I didn't say I would let him kill me. I will use everything I know to get myself free. I just want you to cooperate with them, for now. Don't do anything to bring attention to yourself."

The two stiffened and hastily straightened as a click sounded at the door, and it opened to reveal Sousuke Aizen and Gin Ichimaru. Rukia's teeth clenched, but she kept silent as the two approached them. Toshiro held the ice pack to his head and glared at the two petulantly, but also kept silent.

"Well," Aizen said, stopping in front of the two, "Rukia, Toshiro, you know, neither one of you is making things easy."

"Rukia hasn't done anything," Toshiro said in a low, angry voice, "She's cooperated with you. I'm the one who hasn't given you what you want."

Aizen's eyes darkened warningly.

"You have not," he agreed, his lips frowning, "although Gin assures me that he gave his best effort. Tell me, Toshiro, what made you think that you could come here and lie to me, deceive me and walk out of here alive?"

"I was just doing my job," Toshiro said sullenly, "trying to make the world a little safer for the rest of us. I probably wouldn't have been sent here if you hadn't murdered that boy, Kira."

Aizen gave him a blank look.

"To whom are you referring?" he asked quietly, "I don't know anyone by that name."

"Of course you don't," Toshiro said coldly, "because their names are the first thing you take away. Then, you take away their free will. Little by little, you draw them in and once they're in, you never let them go."

"You know me so well," Aizen answered coolly, "I'm flattered. And since you know so much about my methods, I don't think that I can let you go. I am impressed with your abilities. You did fool me and my most trusted for awhile. I would enjoy having you work for me."

Toshiro scowled and leaned forward aggressively.

"Eat shit, you bastard!" he hissed, earning a sharp cuff that made him collapse on the bed.

"Not quite the answer I was looking for," Aizen said in a softer, malevolent tone.

He removed a handgun from his breast pocket and pointed it at Rukia's face. The young woman gasped and backed up into Gin's arms.

"Maybe you would like to answer me differently?" Aizen asked.

Toshiro took several panting breaths, then stiffened for a moment, before going limp.

Aizen moved forward and slapped him soundly, his frown deepening as the detective remained motionless.

"You knocked him out," Rukia said in a shaky voice.

Aizen turned and glared into her eyes, sending hard chills down the young woman's spine.

"I see that," he said in that same icy voice, "So…while he recovers, I think we will move you somewhere else and maybe while we do, we can come up with a way to make Toshiro give me what I want from him."