The next morning Ichigo tells his sisters that he'll move out, while breakfast.
Karin just shrugs and acts indifferently, reading the newspaper while telling her brother that it's his life and he doesn't need to worry about them.
Yuzu instead is shocked and asks him why he chose to do so, all of a sudden.
"Ichi-nii, has dad done something again? If he mocks you , just tell me. I'll make him regret it."
She says with a seriousness, Ichigo doesn't see often on her.
"No Yuzu, it isn't because of dad. Though it'll be nice to be away from his constant antics. It's just normal, since Shiro and I are a pair, that some day we live together at one place."
Ichigo explained and Yuzu's eyes began to sparkle, no doubt that she was thinking of some cheeky boys-love romance storyat that moment.

From behind the wall of paper, Karin comments drily.
"You've slept with him."
Instantly Ichigo turns a deep shade of red and protests.
From there, the typical chaos breaks loose in the Kurosaki household.
The eldest Kurosaki, goofing around about Ichigo having become a man and running to cry at the poster of his late wife, when he receives a kick in the face from his son for it.
Yuzu romanticizing that her brother became just like those men in the mangas and Karin, ignoring the whole scene and keeping her nose in the papers.

Some minutes later Ichigo let's out a frustrated cry and heads up into his room.
He sends Shiro a message that he shall come pick him up in an hour, he'll move to him immediately.
Then Ichigo starts packing his things, clothes, books his slayer things etc.
Once he was finished, Shiro already waited outside, honking three times as signal for Ichigo to hurry up.
The orangette hurried downstairs, finding his family wait for him in the living room.

Karin had her arms crossed and tried to act cold, but Ichigo saw her lower lip quiver and Yuzu was sobbing lightly now.
Ichigo sat his bags down and crouched in front of his little sisters.
"Hey. I'm not gone forever ok? It's not like I'm leaving the country, or even the town. Come on cheer up you two. I promise I come and see you as often as I can."
He hugged them and both told him that they loved him and he really mustn't worry about them.
After they broke their hug, Ichigo stood back up again, facing his dad.
They looked at each other, no one saying a word, until Ichigo gave him a hug as well.
"Bye dad. Thanks for all and...try to act like a normal person, for once."
Ichigo let go of his father and grabs his bags.
He's at the front door and about to leave through it, when a sudden weight settles on his legs, nearly bringing him to tumble to the ground.

"No, my dear son! You can't leave your family!"
Ichigo looks back, eyes widened in disbelieve.
"Dad! What the hell? You said you're ok with it yesterday."
Isshin sobs, clinging to his sons ankles.
"Yeah, but what kind of father would I be, if I still wouldn't make a scene?"
Shiro, who was waiting at his car, smirked to himself, while watching Ichigo getting red in pure embarrassment.
"Don't you have any shame?"
The orangette barks at his father, who cries steadily.
Isshin stops crying and looks at Ichigo seriously for a moment.
"I don't."
He answers drily.
That's the last straw, Ichigo freaks out, he kicks his dad off of his legs and gives him an extra kick in the face.
"Enough! I'm out of here!"

He then hurries over to Shiro and throws his stuff in the back seats of the car, afterward he stills for a moment, the handle of the passenger door in his hand.
Ichigo turns back around to his family and walks to them again.
He gives his sisters one more hug, then looks at his father sternly, who holds his nose in pain.
His eyes soften and he says.
"Bye dad."
Isshin smiles shortly, but then hides it behind a scowl.
"Just go already."
Ichigo chuckles shortly and finally heads off.

He jumps into the car and Shiro follows suit after he waved the Kurosakis goodbye.
On the drive to the mansion Shiro asks Ichigo.
"So where do you want to stay? You could have your own rooms, or you can live in mine together with me."
"Of course I'll live in your rooms. I'm your boyfriend after all."
Shiro chuckles then mumbles.
"I'd prefer eternal mate."
"What did you say?"
"Oh, nothing. It doesn't matter at the moment."
They arrive at the mansion and the two, each carry one bag inside.

On their way to Shiros room they cross ways with the blue haired inhabitant.
"Hey, hey, hey. Look what we've got here. The berry-headed siren is back. What's with those bags? Your family found out about you and you had to run?"
Grimmjow taunts, grinning widely.
Shiro sighs, as much as he hates it, he has to let Ichigo deal with it himself, or else he'll never be respected by the older Vampire, so he simply walks on.

Ichigo growled at the mockery Grimmjow threw at him and glares at him.
"Shut it Kitty."
"Huh? Or what?"
Grimmjow asked cockily and squared up to Ichigo.
The orange top grinned back at him replying.
"I make you."
"You? That ain't happening."
"Wanna bet?"
Ichigo came closer to Grimmjow until they were only inches apart, fire burning in his amber eyes like never before, in the face of a fight.
The other Vampires grin grows wider until he looks almost like a Cheshire cat.
"Tell you something. You wouldn't stand a chance in a real fight with me. I haven't even used half of my strength yesterday."
"Ha. Tell me something I don't know. It doesn't matter if you use all your strength or not. I say it again Grimmjow. I'm gonna kick your ass."
Suddenly Ichigo crouches on the floor, kicking out with one leg he pulls Grimmjow off his feet.
The blunette lands on his back, scrunching his eyes closed as his head hits the floor and staring right at a balled fist held into his face when he opens them again.
Ichigo loosens his stance and walks over the floored blunette.
"Don't underestimate me Kitty."
As Ichigo walks through the hallway he hears Grimmjows laughter echo through the corridors and he smiles to himself.
Things will be fun here, he was sure of it.

He arrives at Shiros rooms and unpacks his stuff.
Placing his clothes in the shelves of the wardrobe and his books on the racks Shiro had cleared out for him.
An hour later he was finished and satisfied with the arrangements.
Standing in the living room he massaged his shoulders, flinching a bit when his left hurt at the touch.
Shiro came into the room, carrying two glasses with juice and saw Ichigo rest his hand on his shoulder.

"Does it still hurt?"
Ichigo is startled when he suddenly spoke and spins around.
"What?"
He asked, with wide eyes.
Shiro sets the glasses on a table and then walks on toward Ichigo.
"You shoulder. Does it still hurt?"
"No. Well, not as bad as yesterday. But now that you mentioned it."
He slaps Shiro on the head, so hard that he holds it in pain.
"Ow. What was that for?"
The albino asks, with tears in the corner of his eyes.
"I thought I made it clear that I wasn't your food source. Idiot!"
"I haven't fed of you. Besides you bit me first."
Shiro defends himself, startling Ichigo once more.
"What?"

The older Vampire removes him hands from his head and pulls his collar aside, revealing a bite mark that was scaring over.
"Ichigo. Did you notice something about the bite mark on your shoulder?"
The orange head thought about it, then answered.
"Well, somehow I feel as if you are with me even when you aren't, since the past hours."
The albino nods.
"It's a basic instinct. I also feel more relaxed when we are apart, since then. Because I know, no Vampire who even remotely is in his right mind will touch you now."
Ichigo sits down now, looking a bit confused at his albino lover.
"What do you mean with that? What's so special about a bite mark?"
"It means that this isn't just a simple bite mark. It's a marking, a sign for everyone else that you belong to me and are off limits. I'm still uncertain how exactly it works, but the few drops of blood that you took in the process gather in your bite mark and leave a small presence of me behind."

Somewhere along the explanation, Ichigos mind shut off because it just couldn't bear it any longer.
"A...marking."
He said, deadpanned and Shiro nodded.
"Normally I wouldn't have done that to you, though. It's not worthy for an eternal mate."
"Pardon?"
Shiro sat down on the sofa and took his glass of juice, after taking a short sip he tells.
"A mark like that is reserved for pets."
"Then what kind of mark is for me? And what's that eternal mate thing? You said that before."
"An eternal mate is the love of our life, so to say and the person we chose to stay with for the rest of our life."
Ichigo smiles a bit shyly as he asks.
"So I am that person for you? Your...eternal mate."
"Of course. I already told you, didn't I?"
"Then I get this mark, from you?"
"You will. It just needs some preparation."
Shiro assures him, as he thinks about the right time to give Ichigo the mark already.
"I wait then. It doesn't matter how long it takes, I already know that I will forever be by your side."
The orangette tells with a happy smile, but Shiro counters it, with some words of concern.
"You don't know that. You could die in the oncoming fight."

A pair of soft lips interrupts his thoughts and he melts into it instantly.
After some moments Ichigo breaks the kiss again and rests his forehead on Shiros, looking into his golden eyes, swimming in a pool of black.
"I said forever. It's a promise"
He pecks Shiro on the lips again, then reaches over to the forgotten drink and takes a sip, enjoying the taste of lemon and lychee.
Shiro pulls the glass out of his hand, when he thinks the orangette is enjoying his drink far too long, and pushes him back to lay down on the sofa, capturing his lips in another passionate kiss.
When they break apart again and straightened their clothes, Ichigo asks.
"What shall we do for the rest of the day?"
"Mhh. I don't need to show you around, since you know the place already. We could continue your training, or investigate in Ginjous case, or try to convince the slayers to work together with us."

"I'm for the second option."
Shiro nodded and produced some papers and pencils from a drawer in the table.
"Ok, so what do we know until now?"
"His wife and daughter, among some other Vampires have been killed in the old flats in third street. I found the darts he told us about and it had been Ishidas. When I confronted him and the others they sworn that they didn't even get close to that place, though I don't have any proof I think that they told the truth, especially Ishida. He has no reason to lie, since I would find it out sooner or later anyway. He gave me the hint that someone probably picked those darts up from a former fighting place."
"So, culprit and reason for murder unknown. Ginjous motive probably is revenge, but why did he look for me?"
Ichigo as well as Shiro knit their eyebrows.
"Maybe...No. Probably, he wants you to help him. It could have been multiple persons who did that and really...I don't think he'll be strong enough for that."
"Then how shall we find them? It there had been a track it's long gone."
Shiro says frustrated and Ichigo shakes his head.
"There hasn't been any except for the one leading to the slayers. Ginjou has to remember all that happened, otherwise we're at a dead end."
The albino sighs and throws the notes he had taken on the table, leaning back into the sofa
"So much for that."
"Haven't you looked into his mind for once?"
"Yeah, I have, but even I couldn't find much more then he told me. His mind is a complete mess, it's as if someone has taken a stack of cards and scrambled them. All I know is that he was born in 1900, got turned when he was abut thirty years old and shortly after met his wife, who also was a turned. His memory of the one who slashed him is so blurry, all I can tell for sure is that it seems to be a male, rather tall and that he had a sword."

"Maybe, if I found out about my ability, I'll be able to find out some more."
Ichigo says deep in thought.
"Ok, let's train later. Now I got to take a look at the others and give them something to do, or else they get stupid ideas. Well, Grimmjow and Shinji at least."
They stand up together, both heading over to the shared living hall.
When they find the others gathered there, doing their things, like reading and fooling around, Ichigo heads on toward the garden.
"I'll be waiting for you outside."
"Ok, think of anything that might give us a lead for the training."
Shiro gave him as an advice and Ichigo waved him off, not stopping his walk.

The albino turned to his gathered group and pulled their attention.
"I want you to do something, while I'm busy with Ichigo."
Each one looked up from his occupation, waiting for the albino to tell his plan.

Chapter 28
End


god I'm so beating around the bush xD
Yeah, just please bear with it, I try to make it get better.
Though, I already know how the finale battle shall go on and what happens after that.
I just need to find a good way to get there.
Well, I manage it somehow. I always have ^^

Until next time

See ya
Shiro Yue