Chapter Ten:

It had taken absolutely every ounce of willpower Ichigo possessed not to lunge at Urahara and kill him with his bare hands, the only distraction from his own anger was Byakuya's. The Kuchiki heir became a roiling, trembling time bomb. It had started in his hands, risen slowly into his shoulders and before long his entire body had been quivering with the effort to withhold his rage. At one point it had seemed like the nobleman would explode, the tremulous scorch of his reiatsu singing the air.

The blond had been mortified by the news that they suspected Rukia was carrying the Hōgyoku within her body, but the strawberry wasn't entirely convinced if the man's concern was for the woman... Or for the woman's close proximity to Aizen's grasp.

Regardless, the news had only one good effect upon them: Ichigo finally had a reason to stand at Byakuya's side and help him overcome Aizen. If the damage inflicted upon his own life hadn't been enough, the realisation that one of his childhood friends was in imminent danger was all he needed to solidify his resolve and accept that they had no choice but to return to Soul Society.

The idea terrified him far more than he was comfortable, to the extent he had almost popped one of the pills Urahara had given him, but he'd resisted. He had to wait at least a little bit longer.

Now, sitting on his futon with the covers loosely around his waist, Ichigo allowed his back to rest against the wall, staring out of the large window to his right, it was night time in Karakura town, which was where he had discovered Urahara's store to reside. The moon was full and blossoming with light which trickled down over the rooftops outside and flittered into his room.

There was a certain serenity to it as he simply allowed his mind to wander away with him, there was a part of him that wanted to know more about his family, the people who had been stolen from him so long ago. It felt cruel, to have spent so many years not remembering they even existed, only to remember and yet know nothing.

There were flashes, little glimpses of more, like knowing that Yuzu enjoyed cooking and sew craft, or that Karin was athletic. But besides those small details he couldn't recall anything of substance. He had no memory of their voices, or their touch. It left him feeling rather cold.

"May I join you?"

Ichigo looked up at the voice and his lips parted in surprise as he saw Byakuya stood in the open doorway, the man was wincing and holding his shoulder but seemed better than he had earlier in the day, aside from the healthy dose of anxiety which seemed to nestle on the crest of his brow in the form of a frown.

"Of course." The strawberry replied, moving over on the futon to make room for the other man.

"My thanks." The noble shuffled closer, sliding down the wall carefully until he was able to sit comfortably, his eyes drawn to the moonlight just as Ichigo's had been.

They were quiet for what felt like an eternity, but neither seemed to mind, simply comfortable being sat together, and knowing that at long last, they were on the same side.

Ichigo was content now, knowing he didn't have to maintain any kind of indifference in front of the noble because frankly the man had seen him at his very worst, there was no further embarrassment to experience after almost turning into a Hollow in front of him. It was liberating.

Byakuya, for his part, was simply pleased that Ichigo was finally on a better path, the fact that he no longer had to keep his guard up in case he said anything which would be useful to Aizen was... Relaxing. He felt as if a huge strain had finally been lifted from his shoulders, things could only improve for Ichigo, surely, as long as he maintained appearances for Aizen.

"What caused that look?" Ichigo asked, seeing the suddenly increase of a concerned scowl from the nobleman.

"What you were saying earlier about Aizen knowing you're different, you said you are worried because he will still expect things of you. Information about my investigation, and about me?" Byakuya replied.

"Yeah, I expect he will." He nodded.

"That wasn't what you were really worried about... Was it?"

Ichigo faltered, giving him an uncertain look before he dropped his gaze to his own feet, which had suddenly become far more interesting, "I'm... Not sure what you mean." He whispered.

Byakuya tilted his head, sighing softly as Ichigo appeared to shut down, he reached out cautiously and rested a hand on the other's arm, "You told me once that you and Aizen were sleeping together... You're worried about how to get out of that arrangement now you know the truth, right?"

"Fuck, why do you have to read me so well?" It wasn't a question, not really.

"I assume I am correct then."

"Of course you are." Ichigo huffed, looking at the hand that was on his arm for a long moment, "Aizen's got two rules you know? For his 'lovers' if that's what you want to call it. Firstly, you can never sleep in his bed. And secondly, you can't sleep with anyone else as long as he is interested in you, unless he gives his permission. I only broke the first rule once, after we spoke that night in the bathhouse, I went to see him, apparently I was pretty infuriated..."

"He allowed you to stay that night?"

"Yeah... Wore myself out so much trying to release that frustration that I passed out, I woke up the next morning after a nightmare, not even remembering getting to his room." He snorted in spite of himself, "I've let him use me for so long... In so many ways, but honestly, I think the sex might just be the worst way. It makes my skin crawl to know what he did to me... And that I let him fuck me. It's sick... He's sick..."

Disturbed by the look of self hatred etched on Ichigo's face, the noble slowly put his arm around his shoulders, he wasn't used to offering comfort but he couldn't just ignore the way the young man was feeling, especially when his emotions were all so raw and new, "You didn't know, Ichigo. You had no way of knowing any of it... He is a master of manipulation. He has the entire Goeti Thirteen wrapped around his little finger."

Ichigo resisted the contact at first, flinching at just how tender it was, he wasn't used to being handled with such care, but after a long moment, he leaned into the touch and allowed his body to relax, "I don't know how I'm going to avoid sleeping with him... It was such a... Ritual part of what we did... Even refusing that might make him suspicious."

"You can't force yourself to do it for the sake of keeping up appearances." The older man muttered, "That would be cruel."

"And if it's that or die?" He asked, raising his eyebrows, "I'm not sure if you entirely get how dangerous he is, Kuchiki Taichou... He could make me disappear with a snap of his fingers if he wanted to... I have to survive in order to see this through. If that means... Degrading myself... I'll do it."

Byakuya blinked in bewilderment at the other's admonishment, "Why?"

The strawberry pulled away from his touch, not in such a way to suggest it was unwelcome, but so he could stand up and pace the floor in front of the futon, his arms were folded defensively, but his expression was open, "I've been living a lie. And what's worse is that I've been lying about the lie. I have spent my entire Shinigami life having to pretend to feel, pretend to care, pretend to make bonds with the people around me so that I can blend in..."

The noble remained quiet, allowing Ichigo to say what was on his mind. He wanted to understand, he wanted to get to know Ichigo better, the real Ichigo, the one who was only just beginning to rise from the ashes of his old self.

"Renji, Rukia, Kira, Hinamori..." He breathed, "We've been friends since Shino, even longer with Renji and Rukia, we met in Inuzuri... But when I say friends I mean that for years I forced the connection, I never truly cared about any of them, I tolerated them to make myself appear... More humane. I used them. They know what I'm like, they know I'm disconnected, disinterested... But they never knew the extent of it, I hid it so well. In their eyes I was just highly antisocial, pretending to be nicer than I was. They accepted me for that..."

The strawberry drew a breath, standing near the window and gazing out at the moon as his hands rested on the cold glass, his tongue flitted over his lips nervously as he focused his thoughts.

"I have behaved... Abominably towards them, and they don't even know it. And yet, now, I can feel these... Emotions and when I think about them I feel... Warm? Happy even... Remembering the times we spent together causing mischief in the Academy, or spending time together in Rukongai, celebrating our graduation," Ichigo's voice dipped as a small smile toyed around the edges of his lips, "I finally... Understand what it means to care about someone."

Byakuya couldn't help but be a little enamoured by the change he saw, the smile he saw sent a shiver through him and he knew without a doubt he would do anything he could to protect Ichigo from further harm at Aizen's hands.

"You wanted to know why I'd put myself through it? Making myself sleep with Aizen if it becomes necessity?" Ichigo looked over at him slowly, "I'll do it because I have to survive long enough to protect what I care about... We need to find a way to save Rukia, and I can't do that if I'm dead."

Byakuya didn't like the idea of Ichigo putting himself in such a position, but his reasoning was so pure and honest, it made his chest tighten, "I'm going to do whatever it takes to protect what I care about too. And maybe, somewhere in the middle, we'll fight together."

"Definitely." The strawberry breathed, "I'm going to put right what I've done... And I'm going to protect my friends at the same time!"


When morning came, Ichigo realised that they must have fallen asleep while talking because he was sprawled out on the wood floors beside his futon where Byakuya Kuchiki was curled up asleep. Groaning softly, he pushed himself into an upright position and observed the noble who was currently in his sleeping space.

Byakuya's kenseikan were no where to be seen, allowing his long locks of raven hair to flutter freely around his face. Ichigo was sure it was the first time he had ever seen the man without the adornments in place, except for that fleeting memory of the bathhouse, but at that time he hadn't been paying much attention to what the noble looked like.

But now, he couldn't ignore it.

Long locks of raven hair that looked as soft as silk trickled out along the pillows like a blackened river, shiny and luscious in the morning sunlight; it was a light which illuminated the noble's face, pale skin seeming to glow under the clement hues of orange flittering into the room. His eyelashes were unbelievably long, easily tickling his cheeks as he slept.

Ichigo realised with a startled breath that Byakuya Kuchiki was beautiful. More beautiful than anyone he'd ever laid his eyes on, if ever there was a perfect balance of elegance and savagery then it resided inside this man.

Confused by his own thoughts, the strawberry got to his feet, aching from the uncomfortable resting place he'd ended up in, he looked around and blinked as he saw both his own uniform, and his Taichou's uniform hanging by the door. Apparently, at some point in the night Urahara or Yoruichi had dropped in to deliver them.

Unable to resist his own curiosity, he padded over and inspected Byakuya's shihakusho with interest, the basics were the same, the material felt softer and more up market, but he suspected that was because of the man's status in the noble world rather than his place as a Taichou, after all, Aizen's robes had never been that soft.

On the chair beneath the hanging clothes was the windflower scarf the man always wore, Ichigo was more than aware from his conversations with Renji, that the scarf was worth ten mansions in Seireitei, and was apparently a family heirloom. Along side it were his fingerless tekkō, it was strange, at the time he hadn't even realised Byakuya wasn't wearing them, they were such an automatic part of his attire.

And there were the kenseikan, the ornate hairpieces were carefully tucked under the scarf. Ichigo nervously picked one up and was surprised by how light it felt, he'd expected something far heavier. Smooth under the fingertips and in a state of perfection, with no scratches or scrapes to be seen. If ever there was a visual representation of the Kuchiki pride, it was these hair ornaments.

"Please do be careful not to drop that, it is rather valuable." Byakuya's voice nearly made him jump.

"A-Ah, I'm sorry, I was curious." He gave the noble an awkward look.

"It's fine. I'm always content to educate people about my family." The noble offered a twitch of his lips, "The kenseikan are a unique part of the Kuchiki Clan's history. The tradition of the Head of the Clan wearing them has dated back to the founder of the family. As long as it is more than one, the number of ornaments worn and the location is personal choice. I prefer to wear five, but it is not necessity."

"Why must it be more than one?" Ichigo asked curiously, watching the man get to his feet.

"One kenseikan can be worn by high ranking officials of the Clan, or by someone who has gained the favour of the Head, or it can be gifted to a betrothed as a symbol of their meaning to the Head of the Clan." Byakuya stretched cautiously as he spoke, sure that his grandfather would be proud that all those history lessons had made their mark.

"Did you present your wife with one when you were courting?" He tilted his head, not certain that Rukia had ever mentioned such a thing.

"Ah," the raven haired man paused at the mention of Hisana and he smiled wistfully, "No, I did not. My marriage to her caused a great deal of tension within the family, it never felt entirely... Proper to present her with something which would draw so much attention to her against her will."

"I think I understand." Ichigo carefully put the hair piece back down, "Rukia always speaks highly of her sister, despite not knowing her."

"My greatest regret is that they never reconciled while Hisana was still of this world. They look so alike, and yet their personalities could not be more different. Hisana was the quiet, observant type. Rukia..."

"Rushes in despite the danger, yells at everyone and causes a complete mess." The strawberry smirked, "She's a fireball, nothing will ever change that."

"I hope not." Byakuya hummed.

Ichigo grabbed his own uniform and moved out of the way as Byakuya approached to retrieve his own. Sliding out of the white yukata he had put on the previous day, Ichigo turned his back on the noble, despite having been seen naked by him before, he found himself more bashful now. Previously he hadn't experienced emotions like shyness, but now he did and it was blooming in full glory.

He made quick work of getting dressed, feeling desperately more comfortable within the confines of his shihakusho. Running his fingers through his untameable hair he turned on the spot, instantly freezing as his eyes locked onto the turned back of the other man in the room.

While still mostly concealed by bandages, there was no hiding the defined curves of Byakuya Kuchiki's spine and hips, dipping down towards his-

Ichigo turned away, his face scarlet as heat flooded his body and sent shivers up and down his own spine, he listened carefully to the gentle rustle of clothes, only daring to look again when he was sure the noble was dressed.

As relieved as he was to see Byakuya now fully clothed, the noble seemed frustrated, struggling to put the kenseikan in his own hair due to his still present injury. Apparently, his arm was still causing some minor problems with mobility.

"Would you... Like some help?" Ichigo asked before he could stop himself.

The noble paused, seemingly calculating the chances of successfully putting them in himself before he huffed in defeated, "Yes."

"You'll have to tell me what to do, I've got no clue." The strawberry plodded over, forcing the man to sit down in the chair and standing in front of him as he handled the ornaments once again.

"Don't worry, they aren't overly complex, it is simply difficult to do one handed." The noble offered a small smile and relayed instructions to him slowly.

It took a while for him to get to grips with what he was doing, but Byakuya was oddly patient with him, eyes closed and seemingly perfectly at peace with having the other man handle his hair. Eventually, Ichigo stepped away, happy with what he'd been able to do, and also pleased that Byakuya looked more like himself with them in place.

"You have my thanks." The raven haired man stood again, double checking Ichigo's handiwork before nodding, "Perfect."

"I... Was happy to help." He mumbled a little awkwardly.

They shared a long look, neither mentioning their conversation from the previous night, or the fact they had fallen asleep together, there seemed to be an unspoken understanding between them that it was... Alright.

Startled by a sudden knock on the door, Ichigo smiled weakly as he watched Urahara carrying Zangetsu into the room, now free from the blue barrier that had separated them for what felt like forever.

"You will be needing this back, I believe, Kurosaki-san." The blond offered the blade out to him.

Ichigo was hesitant to accept at first, remembering the last time he'd wielded the Zanpakutō, but after a reassuring nod from his Taichou, he took the hilt and gave it a few gentle swings, everything felt normal, "Thank you."

"Do you have the modified Gikon I gave you?"

"I do." Ichigo nodded once.

"Take one now, before you leave. Better safe than sorry." Urahara instructed.

The Third Seat took the tube from his robes, removing one small blue pill and looking at it carefully for a long minute, "This is going to be so weird." He muttered before swallowing it whole.

All eyes were on him, and for a moment he didn't think it had worked, but then he felt like he'd been drenched by a bucket of ice water. All the newly awakened feelings he'd been experienced remained, the warmth; the worry; the anger; the caution. They stayed swirling in the pit of his belly, but he felt his face shift into a more recognisable scowl as those emotions dulled to a bare minimum.

"How do you feel, Kurosaki-san?"

"Kind of normal... I can still feel but they're muted, dull... Controllable." He muttered, he wasn't sure which he preferred, having full feelings or having dulled ones; he was sure there was a glimmer of sadness on Byakuya's face as well for a split second.

They ate a light breakfast with Urahara and Yoruichi before departing, the offer had been there to use Urahara's Senkaimon, but Byakuya had refused, purely out of concern that Aizen might recognise the location where it would drop them.

So, as they stood outside the store in the early morning sunlight, Ichigo brushed his shihakusho down, making sure he looked entirely as he should have done. It didn't take long for Byakuya to open the portal to Soul Society, and it took even less time for them to begin their passage through it, with a final wave to the pair in the World of the Living, Ichigo watched the doors slide shut behind them.

"Let's go, Ichigo." The noble said, setting off at a brisk walk.

"Yes, sir." He replied, keeping up easily.

"You remember the cover story, yes?"

"We were called away for an urgent mission in the World of the Living, where we were attacked by a Hollow; you were injured but escaped serious harm and we were able to kill it together, before seeking refuge for the night to tend to your wounds." Ichigo recited by memory, after all, it wasn't entirely a lie.

"Perfect." The noble nodded, "Once I am certain things are safe I intend to tell Renji what has transpired, he should know about Rukia, given his... Feelings for her."

Ichigo blinked and stared at the raven haired male, "You know he's in love with her?"

"Of course, he isn't as subtle as he likes to think." The man smirked faintly, "I have been waiting for him to approach me for months."

"Cruel."

"Possibly." Byakuya chuckled, "But seeing him behave like the perfect gentleman whenever she enters a room is far too entertaining for me to simply let him off the hook."

"He's going to flip his shit when he finds out, you know?" Ichigo snorted.

Byakuya fixed him with a dark yet playful look, "Oh I am well aware."

"So cruel... I simply have to be there when it happens."

Ichigo fell silent as the end of the tunnel drew near, brilliant light almost blinding him before they jumped out, wind bustling around their bodies for only a few seconds before they landed nimbly on the grass. It took less than a minute for him to recognise that they were in the mid-section of walkway between Division Five and Six..

Breathing in the clear air of Soul Society, Ichigo turned towards Division Six, eager to get inside and evade Aizen for as long as he could while they came up with a plan to save Rukia, however, as he bumped into something hard and reluctant to move, he bounced off and hit the floor with a grunt.

Insides turning to ice as he recognised the reiatsu in front of him, he slowly lifted his gaze to meet the bespectacled one in front of him, "A-Aizen Taichou."

"Ah, Kurosaki-kun." The man smiled widely, "I thought I sensed your reiatsu returning, it's fortunate really, I have found some more of your things in your old room, I was hoping you'd come and remove them."

"Really? I thought I got everything last time..." He replied, glancing at his current Taichou.

"I'm afraid not, would you be free to come and collect the items now?"

He didn't really have a choice, "Sure." He muttered.

"Don't take long, Kurosaki, we have to debrief about the mission when you return." Byakuya was a master at concealing his emotions without the use of a medicinal aid, it appeared, as the man was perfectly calm in Aizen's presence, despite everything they had discussed together in the World of the Living.

"I'll make sure he's back before nightfall." Aizen stated coolly.

Ichigo was sure his stomach would have sunk at the idea of spending all day in Aizen's presence, but thankfully whatever was in that pill was working furiously and he was able to remain completely unresponsive.

As he was led away by a firm yet not out of place hand at his elbow, Ichigo could feel Byakuya's eyes burning into the back of his skull, he was going to have to be very careful and he knew it. Neither of them had expected Aizen to meet them as soon as they returned, they'd hoped for at least a few hours before Ichigo was summoned to reveal why they had disappeared.

There was one thing he knew for certain, he was going to have to put on the performance of a lifetime.