Chapter 6: Indecent proposal

Strong metal clasps were holding him down. He couldn't move. He tried to burn his Hollow power to break free, but it didn't work. Szayelaporro was laughing at him. He was shouting at him. Over and over. It made him angry! So angry! He wanted to grab that freak and beat the crap out of him. He wanted to-

"Aah!" Ichigo awoke with a groan and turned over to his side. It was dark around him. Where was he? His knuckles felt sore and he checked them for injuries. Then he remembered bruising them on that stupid glass wall. Was he back in his cell?

With his right hand he rubbed his eyes and that's when he realized his shackle was gone.

"Ishida? Ishida, are you in here?" He asked but no answer came. "Goddamit, I don't see a thing in this room."

As his senses woke up completely, he heard the sound of ragged breathing.

"Ishida?" He tried again. Then he remembered the other teen jumping in front of him and getting injected with something. "Where are you, Ishida? Are you alright?" Silence fell over the room for a few moments before Uryu finally answered him.

"I-I'm here, Kurosaki."

Ichigo could tell by the sound of his voice that something was wrong. "Are you ok?"

"I don't know." Uryu answered. "That stuff I got injected with is… making me feel strange."

"Strange? What do you mean?" The Substitute was crawling on all fours, searching with his hands in the dark in the direction where the other boy's voice came from.

"Just strange, alright!" Uryu snapped. "I don't know what it's supposed to do!"

"Okay, okay, no need to get so defensive about it." He huffed. "I only wanted to make sure that-"

The lights went on. Ichigo immediately closed his eyes to the brightness of it. After a few seconds, he opened them again in slants, to peer around the room. The Quincy sat in one of the corners, hugging his knees and taking stilted breaths. The gash above his eyebrow had stopped bleeding some time ago, but untreated, it could get infected. Uryu's pale face was marred with bruises, from previous beatings. The ones he took from Ichigo included. As their eyes met, the Substitute's feeling that something was wrong was immediately confirmed. He scooted over to the archer and asked:

"Ishida, tell me what's wrong? Can I do something?"

"You can't help me, Kurosaki." He said. "I thought it was that same stuff that made you aggressive, but… it seems this is something completely different."

"How do you feel then?"

Uryu looked at him for a moment and Ichigo thought he was going to say something, before he abruptly looked away. His cheeks turned a tad pink and he hugged his knees fiercely. "I-I can't tell you…"

Ichigo let out a frustrated sigh and scooted closer towards him. "Dammit, Ishida. It's not funny, you know. I'm just trying to help here!"

"There's nothing you can do!" The Quincy sneered back. "Just leave me alone!" His breathing picked up a bit after that. Shouting was obviously a bad idea.

"Why do you always have to be like this?" Ichigo glared at him. "I didn't ask for you to jump in front of me! I would've dealt with it."

"Yeah… You're welcome!" Uryu spat back. Then he groaned softly and buried his head against his knees. With one arm he clasped his belly and gasped.

"Tell me what's wrong, goddammit!"

Suddenly, the screen in their cell went on and they both glared at Szayelaporro's sickly-happy face.

"Oh man. I'm so not in the mood for this…" Ichigo growled. The Quincy groaned in frustration.

"Hello, boys." The Espada said with a wide grin. "How was your beauty sleep? It did you both well, I believe."

"Cut the crap, douchebag." Ichigo shouted. "What have you done to Ishida?"

"Me? I haven't done anything to him, silly Substitute Shinigami? Your girlfriend was stupid enough to jump in front of the injection I'd prepared especially for you." He said innocently.

"What was in that injection?" Uryu asked between breaths.

Szayelaporro laughed at that. "Well… something potent, of course. But you see, the thing is, I designed that potion for a Shinigami. I have no idea what it will do to a human, or… a Quincy, at that." He laughed again.

"You asshole!" Ichigo yelled at him. "Why are you doing this?"

"Stupid boy. My agenda is of no concern to you, but… I've come to tell you what to do about your friend's little… problem." The Espada gave a toothy smile.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked. He looked over at Uryu who was glaring at the screen.

"The potion I shot into your girlfriend is a poison, of course." Both teens gasped at that, but Szayelaporro didn't stop talking. "Oww, don't act so surprised! I've designed this poison to test the willpower of my subjects." He chuckled and languidly licked the glove of his right hand. Taking his time to get on their nerves.

"Are you gonna tell us what it does or what?" The Substitute asked in annoyance.

The Espada gave him a broad grin and spoke in a deep, sultry voice: "Slowly but steadily, it'll creep through his veins, spreading like liquid heat under his skin, making his whole body ache and shiver, until he can't take it anymore." The Quincy looked up, eyes widened in dread. "It's a really special, powerful poison that'll inflict all kinds of pain, and has the notorious side effect of making him sensitive in… certain areas."

"Huh?" Ichigo didn't get it and glanced at Uryu for help. The teen flushed crimson and looked away, grabbing his knees fervently again.

"Just look at him. It's marvelous, isn't it? The poison has only been activated for a few hours while he was unconscious, but its effects are already so strong. He's in pain already. And we've barely even started." Szayelaporro showed them wide, toothy grin again. His amber eyes held dark sparkles and he was eying the Quincy intently before continuing: "And I bet he awoke with the hardest erection of his entire life! As per expected side effect." The pink-haired man laughed at that.

"W-what?" Ichigo mumbled and glanced back at the Quincy, who just buried his face in his hands and made no effort to validate that comment. He was still clasping his abdominal region, while keeping his knees feverishly in front of him. "Shit!" Ichigo exclaimed. It added up! It all added up to the way Uryu had been reacting since he woke up. From the way he was sitting down to the blushing.

"Why would you… do something like this? Nnng…" Uryu trailed off on a groan and clamped his belly harder. Embarrassment was apparent on his face.

"Why?" The pink-haired man crooned. "Because it's so much fun of course. You see, I already told you. I designed this poison for a Shinigami, but I just knew you'd be so dumb as to protect him. It was all part of your test, boys." Szayelaporro licked his lips and smiled broadly.

"T-test?" Uryu asked with a flustered face.

"Yes, the experiment you partook in, dear Quincy."

"You want something from me, right?" Ichigo suddenly asked, determinedly. Surprising both the Espada and Quincy. "I'll do whatever you want. If you give him the antidote."

"How admirable of you, Kurosaki Ichigo. Unfortunately, you're in no position to demand anything. I'll up that even. If you don't follow my orders, I have no reason to keep you alive."

"What orders?" Ichigo looked at him defiantly. A foreboding feeling was creeping up on him.

"It's simple, really." Szayelaporro gave him a dark smile. "I'll tell you the rules of this game, and you follow them. If not, there will be severe consequences."

"If I do what you want, will you give him the antidote then?"

"How nice of you, Shinigami Substitute. Always sticking up for your friends, but… who knows if I even have an antidote." The Espada laughed again.

"Goddamit! What do you want me to do?" Ichigo snarled, frustration and anger shooting through his body.

"It's no use, Kurosaki. He's… aah…. not going to give us anything." Uryu tried to reason with his friend.

Szayelaporro smiled wickedly, with darkened, half lidded eyes and looked at his captives for a long, silent moment. Then, with a deep, sultry voice, he said: "I want you to… claim him."

"W-what?" croaked Uryu as he looked up, completely taken aback by that demand.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean, 'claim him'?" As he heard the Quincy groan, he realized he must've said something stupid, but he needed to be sure.

"You are quite stupid, Shinigami Substitute. I didn't expect that. But I'll spell it out, so you'll understand. Make him come."

"Make him c…" Ichigo repeated before he felt his jaw hit the floor. That was something he had not been expecting. Even for a whackjob like the 8th Espada, this was crossing the line. He looked at Uryu and saw the same confusion and fear in his eyes. "You're joking… right?" Ichigo asked with wide eyes.

"I assure you, Kurosaki Ichigo, that I'm dead serious. You've both heard me correctly." The pink-haired man purred. "It's a simple request, isn't it? I figured two young men like yourselves, with raging hormones and all, won't find something like that difficult."

"You really want me to…." The Substitute trailed off, still shocked, and swallowed hard.

"Claim him and make him come!" Szayelaporro said cheerfully, then firmly stated: "If you want him to survive this, that's what you'll have to do." He was playing with a strand of his pink hair, like it was completely normal what he'd just asked.

"Why do you want us to do such a thing, you perverted bastard?" Ichigo shouted, disdainfully. "Are you completely insane? I always pegged you for a weird sicko, but this- Ah!" He didn't get to finish that sentence as the Espada had activated the collars.

Ichigo fell to his knees and turned around when he heard the Quincy scream. Uryu had more difficulties than him in taking the electric shock, it seemed.

"Kurosaki!" the archer groaned. "Don't provoke him!"

The Espada laughed again. "Watching you two sure never gets dull!" He sang and clapped his hands. "You two have probably already noticed, especially you, Quincy darling, but his senses are now heightened because of the poison. That's just a little extra I've thrown in. Keep that in mind, Shinigami Substitute, as he'll suffer more than you."

"Asshole!" Ichigo yelled at him. He directed his attention back to Uryu and tried to sound reassuringly: "Hold on, Ishida. It'll stop right away. Just hold on." Uryu looked at him and gave a small nod. When the current stopped ravaging their bodies, it left the archer heaving. Ichigo wanted to ask if he was alright, but Szayelaporro demanded his attention again.

"So, Shinigami Substitute, did I make myself clear? If you don't make him come, the outcome will be much more cruel. I have camera's everywhere, watching your every move. It's bend or break. Also, I'll show mercy on you and have my guards bring you something to sustain you. But, as long as you do not proceed with my orders, you will not be getting any food or water." Szayelaporro smiled wickedly. "As you're a Shinigami Substitute, I'm sure you'll hold out, but your poisoned girlfriend won't be so lucky."

Ichigo gulped hard at that. What was he supposed to do now? "You bastard! What can you possibly gain from this?"

"You'd like to know that, wouldn't you." Szayelaporro said with a sultry voice again. "The effects of the poison will get stronger by the hour. Let's see how long the Quincy can stand it, shall we? Everybody has his limit, and so will he. He can put up his phony bravado for a while, but in a few hours, he will beg for you to make him come." He laughed darkly. "And remember, Kurosaki Ichigo, if you don't make him come, the outcome will be much crueler."

Both boys gasped and watched each other in horror.

"K-Kurosaki… I…" Was all Uryu could manage, looking shocked, before his arms wrapped around himself more tightly and he tried to bite back a moan.

"Goddamit! Fucking bastard!" Ichigo yelled at the Espada. The sight of his friend didn't exactly boost his confidence in this situation right now. What if it really came to that? He swallowed and shut that thought out for now.

"Oh yes, and one more thing. While you were both unconscious, I gave you two a full body check, as you were in the right room for that. And I inspected the collars as well. And Substitute, I thought you'd like to know that your collar has been… upgraded." Szayelaporro licked his fingers again.

"What do you mean, upgraded?" Ichigo demanded.

"Instead of waiting for you to get an injection of my special medicine, it can now be injected from the collar directly into your body. It can happen in your sleep, when you're awake, whenever I feel like giving you a dose. But mostly in your sleep, for some good old fun. That will be much more efficient. Also, as your girlfriend had figured out you'd get aggressive whenever you got a shot, he won't be able to tell anymore." The Espada laughed maniacally, before waving to his 2 prisoners.

The screen went dark again and Ichigo felt the energy in his legs drain away. He sank to the floor as his gaze bore a hole in the ground. He didn't even bother to look up as he heard the automatic door open and close again. The Espada hadn't lied about bringing them something to eat, at least. He heard soft grunts and looked up. Uryu'd stood up and was making his way over to their tray of food, still clasping his belly. The boy proceeded to sit down next to the tray and carefully eyed what they'd been given. He sighed. So the Substitute could only assume it wasn't much. He went over to the Quincy, whom quickly pulled up his knees again to hide the obnoxious side-effects he was suffering from.

"It's just a bowl of water and some cooked rice again." Uryu said, but that wasn't the least of Ichigo's problems. "As you must have depleted some of your spiritual pressure by using your Hollow powers, we'll just split it up. Alright?" The Quincy carefully grabbed the bowl of water and tentatively took a sip from it.

"Ishida, how can you talk about food right now? They won't give us anything anymore, unless we…" Ichigo trailed off. Feeling his stomach clench at the thought.

"It won't come to that." Uryu said, determined. "I'll do my very best to-"

"Haven't you heard what he said? The poison will have more effect on you every hour. Do you think I like to watch you suffer? Knowing that you took that blow for me?"

"And I tell you, I'll try to bear it. I'm a Quincy, dammit!" Even if Uryu tried to act bravely, the arm clenching his stomach told a different story. Ichigo sighed.

"I really don't know what to do this time, Ishida."

"You don't have to do anything!"

"But…. The poison?"

Uryu growled at that. "Maybe he was just exaggerating. Maybe it won't have that much of an effect on me. For the time being, we'll just… wait."

Ichigo sighed again. "If you say so. I really, really don't wanna… Uhm…" He trailed off when he saw the archer look at him with an array of emotions on his face. Frustration. Confusion. And something that resembled… hurt. Ichigo didn't press it, as he didn't know how to react either. To try to lighten the mood he blurted out: "No need to hide your tent either. I'm fully aware of your problem now."

"Kurosaki!" Uryu was fuming. His cheeks flaring bright red. "The situation is bad enough as it is! At least allow me some dignity!"

Ichigo didn't yield. "Does it hurt?"

"At the moment, it's mostly my stomach that's-"

"No, not what the poison is doing. Your dick. Does it hurt?"

"Dammit, Kurosaki! What did I just tell you?" The Quincy took a mouthful of the rice and huffed angrily, before looking away.

"All right. All right. Sorry. I just wanted to make you smile a little. To keep you going, you know."

The archer wanted to say something, when he moaned suddenly. If he got agitated, the pain got worse. Just like before. Uryu wrapped both his arms around his stomach. He clenched his eyes shut and tried to ride the wave of pain out while his body trembled. As his guard dropped, so did his legs and the Substitute couldn't help but throw a glance at his lower abdomen. He hissed when he saw the extent of the other teen's torture. His white, tailored Quincy attire, didn't leave that much to the imagination. As Uryu noticed Ichigo's poking gaze, he tried to pull his knees up again, but the ripple of pain that shot through him was obviously worse than before and he failed.

"S-stop looking at me… dammit! I'm not a spectacle." He panted and tried to shield his groin area by covering it up with his tunic.

"Oh man, this is never gonna work!" Ichigo shouted, exasperated. "At this rate, you won't stand a chance, and then I'll have to… I'll have to…. make you come." He gulped those last 2 words down in unfiltered reluctance.

Uryu glared at him. "I have no idea why he wants us to do this, but stop whining about it. It's not like I asked for this. He could do things with us far worse than… than… that." He probably said it to reassure Ichigo a little, but it wasn't working.

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

Uryu didn't have to think that over and promptly answered: "He could cut us open and remove our organs while we're fully conscious, for starters. That man's insane. I don't even want to imagine what he could come up with!"

Ichigo growled again. "Maybe, but-"

"Shut up, Kurosaki. I'll hold out for as long as I can. Start praying that Abarai tracks us down by then." The archer moved over to one of the corners of the room, leaving the tray mostly untouched. They'd have to ration the rice and water.

"How can you stay so levelheaded, Ishida?"

"Would you rather have me freak out? I'm trying to keep it together here."

Ichigo sighed again, but decided to let it rest for now. He'd never understand what was going on in the other teen's head. Was his bravado and calm poise just an act and was he genuinely worried, he couldn't really tell… As Uryu had slid down the wall and was sitting in one of the corners, he mimicked that. They sat in silence for some time, except for the soft groans escaping from the Quincy now and then. Suddenly, the Substitute felt the need to ask him something.

"Why did you jump in front of me, Ishida? Maybe I could've avoided that shot."

"I jumped in front of you because you didn't avoid it."

Ichigo groaned in frustration. "Why do you always have to be such a snarky bastard?"

"I was just stating a fact, Kurosaki." Ichigo shot him an angry glare at that, as a hero like him didn't need to be saved. Uryu sighed. "I already told you. I thought it was another dose of those aggression enhancer meds."

"Why was that such a big deal?"

Uryu just looked him over for a moment as a new wave of pain came over him. "I was there when you destroyed Ulquiorra. I saw what you can do when unhinged."

That made Ichigo's gut curl for a second, as he understood the implications of his fellow prisoner. "Are you… afraid of me?" He asked, a bit stupefied. This was the 2nd time he'd asked that question since they'd been locked up.

Uryu sighed. "Of course not, Kurosaki, but… You have already turned on me 2 times since our confinement in here. My head still hurts from yesterday… I'd rather not take that chance."

Ichigo growled at him, still feeling frustrated, ignoring the uncertainty in the other teen's eyes. "I won't turn on you, goddamit!" Ichigo howled. "If you hadn't taken that shot for me, then-"

"Then what? You'd be in my position right now!" Uryu stopped talking and couldn't hold back a moan.

As Ichigo saw how the other boy clutched his abdominal region fervently, with pain clearly visible on his face, he felt his anger slowly dissipate as he realized Uryu hadn't asked for this to happen either. He was just trying to deal with the situation at hand. Then he remembered agitation, and probably stress, made Uryu's infliction worse. This conversation was not helping him at all…

"Shit…" Ichigo sighed and scratched the back of his head, then his gaze set into a concerned look. "How are you holding up, Ishida?"

"I-I'm not sorry… for protecting you, Kurosaki. I-I just wanted to..." The Quincy trailed off, panting, while his cheeks turned a tad pink again.

"I get it. You just wanted to help me. That's what friends do, right?" Ichigo smiled a little and was astonished when Uryu gave a small nod, albeit with reddened cheeks. "I'll try not to make you agitated, as that clearly makes the pain worse. Alright?"

The Quincy didn't answer anymore, as he was trembling while another wave of pain ripped through him. Ichigo decided to just leave him alone for a bit, and offer support with whatever he could. He hoped Uryu could withstand the poison…