Chapter 9:
"Feeling better this morning, Ikkaku?"
"I don't know. He still has that goofy look on his face."
"Yeah, look at that fool daydreaming the day away."
Yumichika didn't want to take part in the teasing. He was worried about his friend. Ikkaku showed no signs of improvement from last night. In fact, he seemed worse. Ikkaku was not only sluggish, but he seemed weaker than he was yesterday. Thankfully, he ate a lot at breakfast so that was an encouraging sign.
However, Ikkaku's demeanor was very off. He spent a good part of his morning staring off into space and he needed someone to repeat themselves twice before he understood what they wanted from him. He was even more distracted than he was yesterday.
"Ikkaku. Ikkaku!"
"Huh?" He looked up.
"Can I lead the group in training today since you're so out of it?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, sure. Whatever. You do that."
The Soul Reaper rolled his eyes and started training.
Yumichika peered over at Ikkaku who was staring into space again. Something was wrong with him.
"You're up, Ikkaku."
He just sat there.
"Ikkaku! You're up!"
"Huh?" Ikkaku looked around and saw what was happening around him. "Oh, right. Sorry. I'm on it." He stood up and grabbed a wooden sword.
"Begin!"
Ikkaku and his opponent started to spar with each other. Ikkaku managed to do quite well up until the Soul Reaper slammed the sword into Ikkaku's arm.
"Get it together, man!"
"Sorry. I'm a little tired today."
"Excuses, excuses."
"Maybe there's something going around," said another Soul Reaper. "I heard that Captain Kuchiki has been sleeping in lately and showing up late."
"That's only news since he never does it. Wait, how do you know that?"
"I heard Renji talking about it. Said he thought it was weird."
"Why the hell were you talking with him?"
"Because he was wandering around and we happened to run into each other. What's the big deal? He was wandering around because Captain Kuchiku wanted him out of the office so he could get some sleep. That's why it was brought up in the conversation."
"So he sleeps in then comes to work and takes a freaking nap?" Ikkaku's opponent scoffed. "Please. How lazy can you get? The guy's a noble, but is that really an excuse to be lazy and sleep all day? It's almost disgraceful."
With a sudden burst of energy, Ikkaku slammed his opponent against the wall, knocking the sword from his hand. Though the man was unarmed, Ikkaku still attacked him, punching the man in the face.
"Don't insult Captain Kuchiki! Not in front of me! You got that?!" Ikkaku snapped.
The man against the wall nodded up and down, his eyes wide as saucers.
Everyone else in the dojo had gone quiet as well, rendered speechless by the sudden outburst.
"Where the hell did that come from?" Yumichika whispered to himself. "Since when has he been so protective of Byakuya? He's not even our Captain..."
Defending Kenpachi he could see happening but coming to the defense of another Captain was downright strange. Something was definitely wrong with Ikkaku.
"So how was training last night?" Akon asked Hitsugaya the moment he walked into the laboratory.
"It was surprisingly fun. I had a great time. I learned a lot. Plus, I even got pretty good at it. It was only one night, but I practiced and managed to cut my time in half. Then I even got it down to twenty minutes. I flushed out this mouse and chased it around for a while."
"But you didn't kill the thing?"
"No, of course not. The whole point was for me to learn how to track scent and move swiftly through rough terrain in a wolf's body. Why in the world would I hunt it down and kill it?"
"Because that's what wolves do." Akon seemed surprised at him. "Wolves hunt and kill other animals."
"But I don't need to do that. Not when there's food readily available right here. I see no point."
Akon turned around. "When you have to track down the vampire, it might be necessary."
"We're not hunting it down to kill it. The vampire is a Soul Reaper. One of us," Hitsugaya reasoned. "Killing him is out of the question. Sure, he's attacking people, but he can't help that. A vampire has to drink blood so he has no choice. We can't condemn him for that. Besides, we can cure him."
"Perhaps... But in addition to curing you and this other thing, it's a very slow process." Akon tapped a screen with his knuckle. "So far, we've got very little in ways of a cure. But I did manage to get some additional information about vampires. I think it might help you."
"That's great. What is it?"
Akon turned away from the screen and sat down at the table. "It's about the whole charming thing. It seems there are a couple of reasons why a person might not mind becoming a vampire's meal. One source I came across suggested that a vampire is somehow able to inject a type of chemical that numbs the pain. Also the act itself can induce a feeling akin to euphoria."
Hitsugaya frowned. "Just what are you saying? That people are into some weird things and like being bitten?"
"No, no. It has nothing to do with the act of being bitten. It's the effect that comes from it. Like when someone cuts themselves. It's a type of release. To someone being bitten, first comes this great pain, but then it subsides and you get a good pain. Like pulling out a thorn from your skin. This sense of relief. Maybe I'm just not explaining it right. It's not dirty, I can tell you that."
"You're making it sound that way..."
"That's just one possibility. Another source suggests that being fed upon causes a change in the person. Basically, it turns them into the vampire's minions. They become emotionally connected to him. The book didn't give a lot of details. But it did suggest that after being fed upon, the victim becomes very attached to the vampire. A sort of bonding thing takes place. They have this sense of duty to the vampire. Like their sole purpose is to serve the vampire and take care of their every need. They become slaves, essentially."
"So anyone who gets bitten serves the vampire." Hitsugaya nodded his head. "That would explain the whole charming thing. It seems those two go hand-in-hand. They admire the vampire so much they won't do anything that would put them in jeopardy. Being a slave to the vampire would also explain this. The desire to serve comes from both feelings of admiration and servitude."
"Yup. I also theorized that they might confuse the good feeling with the effects of having their blood taken. What I mean is that having so much blood drawn for the body at once could have an effect on them mentally and physically. The lightheaded feeling could lead to a lapse of judgment. Loss of blood could lead to numbness which would explain the pain subsiding. So some things might not be the vampire's doing but just something natural that occurs with the person's body after being bitten and getting their blood sucked out."
"Yeah... But so far, all we have is hearsay. We don't have anything concrete that can support this. Plus, we still don't have a way to snap them out of this. It seems once a person is charmed, it won't wear off."
"The vampire might also be charming them without having to bite them. Vampires are known to be very appealing."
Hitsugaya grimaced. That sort of appeal was exactly why Momo wouldn't listen to reason when she was informed that he was involved in Aizen's supposed death. In a way, Momo had been charmed by Aizen. She cared so deeply that she became irrational at times and would do anything Aizen asked of her. Even when she saw that he was a traitor and an enemy, she still referred to him as 'Captain Aizen', whereas everyone else dropped that title from his name.
Seeing Momo in such a state angered him. Knowing that it might happen again made him even more upset. The thought of seeing Momo throw herself at the vampire and beg to be ordered around by him made Hitsugaya sick. She did not deserve to be treated like a slave and there was no way he was going to let her become someone's meal.
Soul Reaper or not, this vampire had to be found and stopped.
"Captain."
"What?"
"Your tail is out."
Hitsugaya looked at the tail swishing from side to side. "Oh."
"You've got to keep calm, Captain Hitsugaya."
"I know that." It wasn't easy when thinking about what Momo had gone through and what she might go through again.
"May I try something?"
Hitsugaya looked up. "What exactly?"
"I read it in a book. It's a trick to keep you calm. If I may?"
"Uh... Well, what are you going to do..?"
Akon started to scratch him behind the ears.
Histugaya moaned and let his eyes roll back. It felt really good.
"Huh. So it works with dogs and wolves. How about that?"
Hitsugaya enjoyed the pleasant scratching then shoved Akon's hand away. "Stop that."
"It was working."
"I don't care." Hitsugaya folded his arms. "Let's just get back to the matter at hand. You work on a cure and I'll find the vampire."
"Fine by me."
Renji walked into the office and found Byakuya at his desk. He looked at the clock on the wall. He was right on time. "Oh, Captain. I was surprised to see you."
Byakuya glanced up. "Why would you be? This is my office."
"No, it's just... Uh... I was surprised to see you on time."
Byakuya lifted his head and stared at him.
"It- It's just... You've been... Just that lately... It's nothing. I'm glad to see you feeling better. That's all."
Renji was thankful that Byakuya was showing up for work on time again. He assumed Byakuya had been arriving late because he wasn't feeling well. Seeing him here on time, and beating him to the office as he usually did, brought Renji comfort. It seemed things had returned to normal.
In actuality, this was not the case. Byakuya never went home last night. Instead, he spent his time flying around the Division and traveling to other places before settling down and looking at the moon. After making sure Ikkaku was alright, he had plenty of time on his hands. He wanted to return home, but he knew he would never make it to the office on time and frankly he was tired of coming to work in a cloak on a sunny day. It was a real pain. So he simply stayed in the office after the sun began to rise.
He managed to stay awake for this long thanks to yesterday's nap, but now he was finding it difficult. His sleep pattern was all off. He slept during the day and was up all night. Sleeping during the day was nearly impossible. He had so much work to do and so many people coming in and out of the office. He tried to sleep at night as he normally did but he simply couldn't. He was so full of energy at night, sleep was impossible. When the sun rose, his energy would drop and he would feel so tired.
Renji didn't notice just how tired his Captain was until Byakuya's head slammed forward into the desk. He looked up and saw Byakuya rubbing his forehead. "Are you..?"
"I'm fine." Byakuya went back to work. Then his eyes started to droop and his head fell forward again. His head fell onto the desk a second time and he lifted himself back up.
"Are you sure?" Renji asked him.
"Yes. Quite." Byakuya sounded cross.
Renji went back to filling out his own paperwork.
Byakuya was fighting to stay awake but it was a losing battle. The mornings were so tiresome for him. Vampires simply had no energy in the morning. He needed to sleep.
Time ticked by.
Renji looked over at Byakuya's desk and saw him slumped in his chair. "Captain..?" Byakuya was clearly asleep.
Byakuya tried to roll into a more comfortable position and ended up falling onto the floor, the chair not far behind. "Oof!"
"Captain?" Renji stood up and looked down at the Captain on the floor. "Are you ok?"
Byakuya picked himself up and fixed the chair. "Fine." He looked over at the couch. It looked so inviting. Much more comfortable that this desk chair.
Renji saw Byakuya walk slowly over to the couch and asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm tired. I'm going to sleep." Byakuya flopped down on the couch. "Don't bother me."
"O... ok." Renji didn't know what to do. Maybe Byakuya wasn't over his illness or whatever was making him come to work late.
Byakuya slept several hours without moving. During that time, Renji managed to get a lot of paperwork done. Needing to stretch for a bit, he left the office and went to Squad 11's dojo to go a few rounds with whoever wanted to challenge him. Then he came back to his Division and had lunch. He returned to the office to find Byakuya exactly where he left him and went back to his desk to do more paperwork.
Finally, Byakuya woke up and it was Renji's turn for a nap. Byakuya stood up and Renji took his place. Byakuya didn't complain. He knew he had slept enough for a little while.
"Just don't snore, Renji."
"Yeah, fine." Renji made himself comfortable on the couch. "But if I do, I can't help it."
Byakuya sat down at his desk and started to go through the paperwork.
A few minutes later, he started to get hungry.
Byakuya tried to ignore it but it started to get stronger the more he pretended not to notice. He looked at the closed door. He could go to find Hisagi or Ikkaku. They both seemed willing to let him feed off of them. Then he realized it would take too long to find them. Not only that, but the sunlight would bother him and he didn't have a cloak this time. Plus, he knew he shouldn't take so much blood from those two. He had been feeding off of them for the past few days and needed time to recuperate. If he took more blood from Ikkaku, having only fed off of him a few hours ago, he would suck him dry.
His best bet was finding someone else he hadn't fed off of yet.
His eyes fell on the person sleeping on the couch.
This would be rather easy. He wouldn't need to leave his office, they were alone, Renji was asleep. Plus, he hadn't fed off of Renji yet. This seemed like a good idea.
Byakuya stood up and crept over to the couch. He frowned. Renji was sleeping with his arm over his head, blocking his neck. He couldn't feed off the other side of his neck because his head was turned in that direction and the couch was in the way. How annoying.
Byakuya wasn't going to give up until he got his snack. He looked around for another way to get at Renji's blood. The only option remaining was the exposed skin on his arm. Byakuya hadn't bitten someone's arm before to get his meal, but there was a first for everything.
Byakuya bent down. Renji's arm was right there, waiting for him. It would be so easy. The only issue was if Renji woke up from the pain. The last thing he wanted was for Renji to start screaming his head off and alert everyone. That would be hard to explain away.
There was another option. He could do what he did before and make Renji forget what was happening. He wasn't sure how he did it, but he knew he could. He had done it before so there was no reason why he couldn't do it again.
Byakuya took Renji's hand in his and rolled up his sleeve to get a better bite.
"Mmm..." Renji felt someone touching him and started to wake up.
Byakuya wasn't gentle enough. Moving Renji's arm was enough to wake him.
Renji opened his eyes. "Captain..?" he asked sleepily.
This was his best chance. As long as Renji was half-asleep, it should have been easy for him to do this. Renji would put up little resistance.
Byakuya leaned closer and locked eyes with Renji.
"Captain, what are you..?"
"It's alright," Byakuya whispered to him. "You're just dreaming. Go back to sleep."
Renji didn't say anything. He only stared at him.
"You're just dreaming," Byakuya repeated. "You're dreaming."
"I'm... dreaming..?" Renji asked distantly.
"Yes. That's right. You're dreaming. You're just dreaming."
Renji yawned and turned his head away. "Dreaming..." Renji closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
That was surprisingly easy. Byakuya made some improvement after all.
He lifted up Renji's arm and bit him.
"Un!" Renji flinched, his face contorted in pain. Then his face started to relax. "I'm just... dreaming..."
Byakuya kept his eyes on him as he drank. Renji did not wake up again and didn't seem to notice his blood being drawn from his body. Byakuya took only a little of Renji's blood at a time. It seemed that biting the arm made the blood flow a little slower than on the neck. At least it was easy for Byakuya to get his mouth around the flesh, but he liked the way the blood flowed into his mouth when biting someone's neck. He was getting a decent amount of blood, but it seemed different to him. Like sucking liquid from a narrow straw rather than a thicker one.
He got enough blood to sustain him for now and returned to his desk. He didn't want to take too much and end up sending Renji to the sickbay as he had done so many others. Well, only two, but he still had to be careful.
Byakuya licked his lips, tasting the lingering flavor of Renji's blood. He had a salty flavor. He must have just eaten something salty. Of course. He could pick up on what a person ate through their blood. He should have Renji eat something spicy next time, no matter how much he didn't like it.
He sat down at his desk and went back to work. "Blood from the neck flows a lot better. I prefer it that way." Byakuya started to scribble something down on a piece of paper. "Next time I'll roll him over to get at his neck."
Almost an hour later, Renji woke up. He rubbed his arm and stretched. He sat up and stretched again.
"Sleep well?" Byakuya asked him without looking up.
"Hm? Oh, Captain. I forgot you were here. Yeah, I slept pretty well. Longer than I wanted to, actually."
"Mm-hm." Byakuya continued to write things down without looking up at him.
Because of this, he didn't notice the strange look Renji was giving him.
For some reason, Byakuya seemed different to him. Renji didn't know how to put it into words. He felt like he would follow Byakuya anywhere. Just being near him made him feel safe, but it also made him feel intimidated. He felt like a child desperate not to be left behind. Longing to be accepted.
Then the feeling passed and he felt like himself again. Only for a moment. Then the feeling returned only it had changed slightly. He felt... strange.
Byakuya sensed he was being stared at and looked up. Renji was giving him the same look Soi Fon gave to Yoruichi. Nothing but respect and admiration. It was a little unnerving. Not because he had never been given the look before but because Renji never looked at him in this way. This was a first.
"Renji."
He blinked. "Huh?"
"Why are you giving me that look?"
"Look?" Renji seemed caught off guard by the question. "Uh... I wasn't aware I was..."
"Well, it's distracting," Byakuya told him. "Stop it."
"Yes, master."
Byakuya looked up as soon as he heard this. "What's that?"
"Hm?"
"What did you just say?"
Renji cocked his head. "Say?"
"Yes. Just a moment ago. What did you call me?" Byakuya had to make sure he heard him correctly.
Renji played their conversation back in his mind, trying to remember. "What I said... What I said..." He wasn't certain. He answered automatically, without thinking.
Byakuya didn't have the patience to wait around for Renji to answer. "I thought I heard you call me 'master'. Did you?"
"Master? I said that?" Renji looked baffled. "I didn't know... I guess it sort of slipped. I didn't notice..."
Byakuya's mind was working to fit all the pieces together. He recalled seeing similar behavior in Hisagi after being bitten once. Although, the behavior wasn't as strong as what he was seeing now with Renji. The hesitance was similar but Hisagi never referred to him as 'master', unlike Renji. Both seemed to be very devoted to him and sought to please him.
So far, it seemed to only effect those he had bitten. Renji didn't act this way before. Neither did Hisagi. Now both of them seemed to be quite compliant.
This made Byakuya want to test it, curious to see just how devoted they were to him and what he could make them do.
He was also curious to see if this strange effect would get stronger the more he bit them. Maybe biting Renji a second time would make him even more dedicated. It was worth a try, but not at the moment. He had only just bitten him not too long ago and should really wait before attempting it again.
First things first.
"Renji."
"Yes?" Renji turned his attention away from the ceiling and back at his Captain.
"I need you to do something for me."
"Yes, sir?"
Byakuya handed him some forms. "I need you to deliver these to the appropriate locations. And be quick about it. Come straight back here."
Renji took the papers without a fuss. "Yes, sir. Right away." Renji left the office immediately.
This wasn't too out of the ordinary. Renji would often run errands for him, but he would occasionally complain or do it at his own pace. This time, Renji was a lot more responsive and devoted to the task. Byakuya decided to time him and see how long it took. If Renji completed the task faster than usual, then there may be some merit to this whole obedience thing.
Renji returned quickly without the forms.
"Hm. Very prompt." Byakuya looked at the clock.
Renji was out of breath. "How... How's that, Captain?"
"Very good."
Renji smiled at the praise.
It was time for a new test.
"Now... Renji."
"Yes, Captain?"
"I want you to get something to eat. Treat yourself to a late lunch."
Renji looked at the clock. "A very late lunch. But thank you, sir."
"Not so fast."
Renji froze.
"I want you to eat something spicy."
Renji frowned. "Spicy? But, sir, you know I don't care for spicy foods. If it's really hot, my eyes water, my nose runs, and I can't feel my tongue afterward. I won't be able to taste the rest of my meal or the meal after that. Not to mention all the water I have to drink..."
"Renji."
Byakuya's firm tone gained him Renji's full attention.
"I want you to eat something spicy for me."
Renji paused. Then he smiled. "Sure. I'll do it if you want me to." He saluted him. "If you are asking, then of course it will be my pleasure. I will eat something spicy. For you."
Byakuya grinned. It was working. Renji would never agree to do so even if Byakuya ordered him to.
"Good. Go do this now and come back."
"Yes, sir!" Renji ran out the door. Halfway down the hall he stopped, frowning at himself. "Did I just tell Byakuya that I would eat something spicy for him? Jeez, what is wrong with me? Why would I agree to that?"
He hated spicy foods. Byakuya just ordered him to eat something spicy. Therefore, he had no choice. He had to do it. Although, he could just say he ate something spicy. How would Byakuya know?
A new feeling came and pushed those thoughts from his mind.
He had to do it. He had to do as Byakuya asked. He wanted to please him. To not do it and say that he did would be dishonest and Byakuya would not be pleased with him.
"I'll do it!" Renji started to run again. What spurred him on was the thought of Byakuya praising him for a job well done. Doing something Byakuya ordered him to do gave him such purpose and pride. He was proud to serve someone like Byakuya. He would not let him down.
No matter the order, he would carry it out.
Hitsugaya tried to think of a way he could flush out the vampire without drawing too much attention or tip the vampire off to what he was doing. Subtlety was key. He had been giving it a lot of thought but nothing he came up with seemed any good. There were flaws in every plan and he wanted to avoid danger as much as possible.
Akon advised him to embrace his wolf self and try hunting down the vampire but he was certain there was a way to do this as a Soul Reaper. He refused to think that if he hadn't been a werewolf, finding the vampire would be impossible. He knew there was a way.
His legs carried him away from his office and down the street towards another Division. There was a lot of chattering going on but he chose to ignore it. As he passed an opening to a garden, he felt a pair of hands on his arm and was pulled off the street.
"Little Shiro, look. What do you think?"
"Momo, I've asked you repeatedly not to…"
"Look!" She pointed to a banner. He recognized her drawings right away in colorful paint. The banner read 'congrats' in red letters but there was no other hint as to what this was or who it was for.
"And?" he inquired, raising his brow.
Momo cheerfully ignored his attitude and gestured more theatrically to the garden. "It's for Captain Ukitake. He's doing much better and we decided to put this together for him."
"That's why it says 'congrats' on the banner?"
"Hm? Oh, no. That's to congratulate Rukia on making Lieutenant. Ukitake made the announcement upon his return and we wanted to celebrate."
"You said it was for Ukitake."
"We set it up for him for Rukia. He's feeling better, so we want to celebrate that but it's mostly for Rukia. We're just happy he's feeling well enough to attend."
Hitsugaya frowned. "Then you should have led with that. It's confusing if you don't specify."
"It's not official yet," she explained. "There's still the ceremony and all the preparations. We're just celebrating the announcement. The Women's Association is going to throw a party for her after she gets the title."
"Then this is a pre-party type of thing?"
"It was Rangiku's idea."
"Of course, it was…"
"Come on, Little Shiro. It's something to celebrate. We want to make sure Rukia knows she's appreciated. We're happy for her."
Hitsugaya had to admit that it was a sweet gesture.
"We have everything set up over here. Lots of food and sweets and I helped with the centerpiece. It's rabbit-themed."
Hitsugaya's eyes went to the tables they set up in the grass which were overflowing with desserts and snacks. He hardly noticed the décor with all the tantalizing aromas and delectable-looking foods stacked neatly on large plates. His mouth was starting to water.
Momo continued to talk to him but he didn't hear a word she was saying, eyeing the food. He wasn't hungry before but now that food was in front of him, with its decadent smells, his stomach was starting to growl.
"I said, what do you think?" Momo asked him a second time.
He only half understood what she said as he unconsciously moved closer to the table nearest to him. "Delicious…"
"Yeah. Kensei helped us prepare some of it. We wanted to ask Hisagi for help with the food but we heard he was under the weather. Everyone here pitched in to make something. Or bring it."
Hitsugaya licked his lips. The skin on that roast chicken looked so crisp. The noodles sitting in oak-colored sauce had him drooling, imagining the flavor it would release in his mouth upon the first bite. And those dumplings, so soft and pillow-like. He wondered what filling hid inside.
He started to reach for one of the dumplings. Momo slapped his hand away.
"Not now," she told him. "We have to wait for Rukia. Someone's bringing her this way."
Hitsugaya recoiled but hadn't given up on the food. He decided to sneak one when Momo looked away.
Trying to look as innocent as possible, he positioned himself in front of a plate of dumplings and turned his back to them. Watching the women bustle about to put on the final touches, he reached behind his back and swiped a dumpling off the plate. He stepped to the side and away from the table, turning around to shove the dumpling in his mouth as discreetly as possible.
"Captain!"
He flinched and dropped the dumpling on the ground.
Rangiku was standing nearby looking disappointed. "We all have to wait until she gets here."
He glared at her in annoyance. It wasn't just for startling him into dropping his snack. It was for speaking to him in such a tone, for shirking her work to help plan a party for someone in another Division. A kind and thoughtful thing to do but that was beside the point.
He picked the dumpling off the ground and attempted to eat it.
"Captain!" she snapped again.
He dropped it a second time. He didn't like the look of disgust on her face. He was upset. Upset at not being allowed this tasty food, upset that she was treating him this way. That attitude, that look. It was enough to make him…
"Grr..!" His lips quivered as the rumbling growl escaped his clenched teeth.
Noticing the puzzled look on Rangiku's face, Hitsugaya tried to calm himself. He had growled at her before but never like that and thankfully it was more baffling than intimidating. Still, knowing he had done that only added to his stress. He was upset and in addition to the sweat beading on his skin, he also felt the brush of a tail behind his back.
Grabbing the hem of his Captain's jacket, he pulled it down and held it close to his body to hide the tail, walking backwards.
"Everything ok, Captain?"
"Yes, yes. Everything's fine. Just… got a lot of paperwork to do."
"Aw, don't you want to stay and have something to eat with us? Rukia will be here any minute."
"No, no. That's fine. I… I gotta go." Holding the jacket down, he continued to walk backwards until he was out of the garden and back on the street. He spun around and started jogging, still holding his jacket over his tail.
He brushed by Rukia and another Soul Reaper but didn't bother to look and see who they were or what looks they were giving him as he rushed off.
"Keep calm, keep calm," he told himself repeatedly. "You're not a wolf. Just keep it together."
He slowed to a stop and tried to take deep breaths. Soon, the tail disappeared and he let out a sigh of relief.
Worried that he might have exposed his werewolf side to the group if he hadn't left when he did made him rethink allowing himself time to unleash that side of himself in private. It might have been making it easier for his wolf half to reveal itself.
He had to fight this. Hitsugaya decided to bottle it up inside and see if that improved his condition. After all, it wasn't like he could prevent himself from ever getting angry or excited.
"I vent at night when I'm alone. That should be enough. I don't need to do it during the day. I shouldn't. I can't." He clenched his fists in determination.
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