AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! Hope you're enjoying the story so far! I know I don't update as often as I probably should. Haha… Sorry~! But I want you to know that this story is my baby, and I love how it's going so far. I'm so happy with it :D
WARNING: Yaoi (BoyxBoy, gay sex), Incest, gore, and so on and so forth.
CAUTION: This story contains information about a few chemical reactions—nothing you can't just look up on Youtube, honestly—But I still want to remind you that this is a Fanfiction and I caution you not to try anything you read on here. Okeedokee, thanks~
UNBETA'D (For now)
Star Brothers
Chapter18: Peacocking
Mugetsu – 21 years old
Shirosaki – 18 years old
Getsuga – 18 years old
Kon – 15 years old
Ichigo – 15 years old
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"Ichigooo…."
"Mnghu…"
"Ichigo! Sweetie~ It's time to wake up~"
"But I don't wanna.." A small voice grumbled from beneath the large Batman-printed blanket.
"Well okayyy… I guess I'll just have to eat all of these deeeeelicious chocolate chip pancakes all by myself~ Mmmmm~ Yummm~!"
A small head instantly poked out from beneath the covers, bright orange hair stuck up at random angles and large, caramel eyes wide with disbelief.
"You made pancakes?!"
The woman bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing.
It was way too easy to please this boy—her little ball of sunshine.
"Yup! But if you don't hurry then Ginjou is going to eat them all~!" This time she couldn't suppress the chuckle when Ichigo shot out of bed, clad only in his superman undies. He shrieked happily and jumped towards the door with hands outstretched. "Woah! Hold your horses!" Jackie laughed as she was barely able to catch him before he ran right between her legs.
She lifted the happy, wriggling bundle up high and plopped him back on the bed.
"But Jackieeee! I want pancakes!" Ichigo whined with the cutest pout set on his chubby little face.
"Put on some clothes first." When he crossed his arms stubbornly, she raised a brow and smirked. "Uh-oh…" She put a hand to her ear and pointed towards the hall. "I think I hear Ginjou going down the stairs… Oh noooo—He's in the kitchen now." She gasped dramatically and shook her head. "The pancakes are almost goneee."
It was too funny watching little Ichigo panic. Bright, brown eyes stretched wide while little hands clenched and quivered.
He quickly popped up and bounced off the bed, then immediately sprinted towards the closet. His tiny feet were a blur as he raced across the floor.
Ichigo dressed himself as fast as he could, not caring what he put on. Jackie couldn't keep herself from laughing when he came running back out of the closet, clad in bright pink shorts and a he-man shirt that Ginjou won for him at a fair—the one that made Ichigo look like he had rock hard abs.
The excited little ball of energy didn't bother stopping to see if she agreed with his choice in apparel.
All Jackie saw was an orange-pink blur as he sped around her legs and sprinted down the stairs. She snorted and smiled when the pitter patter of his little feet disappeared, only to be replaced by shouting and a loud, booming laugh which could only belong to her darling husband, Ginjou.
It made her happy knowing how well those two got along.
The first few months after Ichigo was brought home, the boy kept trying to run away. He even succeeded a few times.
They managed to find him each time... But let's just say it was a pretty stressful period of time. Ginjou had been close to snapping at one point.
Now those two were inseparable.
It finally felt like they were a family and Jackie couldn't have been happier.
Of course she knew Ichigo wasn't really her child—and it was made obvious when Ichigo refused to call her 'mom', but she didn't care.
She'd do anything for that precious little baby.
"Noooooooooo~! Big meanie! Those're mineee!"
Jackie peered around the corner just in time to see her husband snatch up the whole plate of pancakes. He was standing to his full height and teasing Ichigo by bringing the plate down and then back out of reach whenever the boy jumped to grab it.
Ichigo felt his tummy growl with hunger and he scowled up at the man with his bottom lip jutted out.
"GIMME!" Ichigo snapped, but that just made Ginjou laugh.
"Aww! Don't be like that, Ichi. Here you go~" Ginjou cooed and then he brought the plate down to Ichigo's eye level, making the boy squeal with delight. However, just as his little fingers were about to grab it, Ginjou snatched it away again with a laugh.
Ichigo huffed and stomped his bare foot against the tiles. Then he leaned back and sucked in as much air as he could into his tiny lungs; Ginjou winced because already knew what was coming and groaned in despair.
"JACKIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Said woman chuckled under her breath before finally revealing herself.
"Hey, hey, hey! Behave, boys! I swear, Ginjou… Sometimes I think you should be the one that's home-schooled. Now give him his food—he begged me all week to make those."
Ginjou puffed out his cheeks at the jab, but conceded nonetheless. He knew that Ichigo never usually resorted to calling Jackie unless he'd taken his teasing too far. Plus, he never liked arguing with his wife… It usually ended with him getting a boot to the face.
"Here, brat." He said as he placed the pancakes in front of Ichigo's chair—which was a little taller than the others so the boy could actually see over the table.
Ichigo was quite short for his age (6), but both Ginjou and Jackie figured he would grow when he was ready.
"Yummmmm!" Ichigo said even before putting the plastic fork into his food. "Thank you, Jackie!"
"No problem, sweetie~"
The rest of breakfast went by relatively quiet, save for Ichigo and his 'yummy' noises.
Jackie took a small sip of her coffee and smiled as she watched the boy smoosh the last piece of pancake around in a pool of syrup. She waited until he swallowed the bite and then brought his dish to the sink before finally putting her cup down.
"Was it good?"
Ichigo looked up at her with the biggest smile on his syrupy and chocolate-smeared face.
"I loved it! We should have that every morning!"
Jackie chuckled and shook her head. "We'll see." She said and then made a motion towards the stairs before adding, "Go clean your face off and I'll be ready to start your first class."
Ichigo's little shoulders drooped and he huffed his displeasure. "Don't wanna. Don't like math… It's really hard*."
Ginjou rolled his eyes and slowly lowered the newspaper he'd retrieved until he could look down at the boy with a raised brow.
"Whattt? Don't be silly. Math is easy."
Ichigo crossed his arms and shook his head.
"No it's not! I always mix up the numbers!"
Ginjou glanced at Jackie when she sighed tiredly. He knew she loved the boy to death, but it was like pulling teeth to get him to learn—especially with math.
Ginjou hummed to himself as he thought of a way to get Ichigo excited about class and then he smirked when an idea finally came to him.
He quickly schooled his expression into a serious one when he returned his attention to Ichigo.
"Well Superman isn't going to be happy to hear that…"
"Huh?" Ichigo's eyes instantly sparked to life at that.
"Well I got a call from him yesterday…" He waited a second to see if Ichigo was buying it and smiled when the boy hopped forward eagerly.
"REALLY!? What'd he say!?"
"He told me he was looking for a sidekick and he asked if I knew a young boy who would be willing to help him fight evil."
Ichigo jumped up and down with his hands high in the air.
"ME! Me! Did you tell him I wanna do it!?"
Ginjou tapped his chin as he hummed in thought. He paused for dramatic effect and sent Jackie a wink, who was trying hard to hide her grin.
"Of course I did." He said, making Ichigo hop and spin in pure bliss. "Buttt." That made the boy stop immediately and he looked up at Ginjou with wide eyes. "Superman said he needed someone who was hardworking and got all A's…"
Ichigo looked as if every bit of happiness had been ripped from his fingers. That heartbreaking look was about to make Ginjou break down and apologize for ever saying that, but he stopped when he saw determination flash behind those cocoa-brown eyes.
"I'll do it! I'll be the perfect sidekick! You better call him back and tell him!" And he bolted towards the stairs to get ready, but not before turning to add, "Hurry, Jackie! We gotta study!"
~5 minutes later~
Ichigo, now cleaned up and dressed in his black pants and white dress shirt—which Jackie had bought for him to wear during classes, made his way to the 'classroom'. It was just a section of the living room, but Jackie worked hard to make it look like a regular classroom: It had a whiteboard and a bookshelf in a corner and, facing the board, was a small desk and chair. On top of the desk was Ichigo's notebook as well as a small case of supplies: Pens, pencils, eraser, pencil sharpener, calculator, and a box of crayons.
When he didn't see Jackie standing by the board, where she usually waited for him, he tilted his head and turned to see if she was still in the kitchen.
As he got closer and closer to the room, he paused when he heard Ginjou's voice. It didn't have its normal playful lilt. Instead it was stern and impatient.
"I already told you, Jackie. We're not putting him in a public school. It's too dangerous—we still have no idea who might be after him."
"Well, we can't just keep him cooped up at the house! He needs friends!"
Ichigo flinched at the harshness in Jackie's voice.
He'd never heard them like this before. Ever since Ginjou brought him home, Ichigo had always been showered with nothing but soft or teasing voices.
"We might have to." Ginjou shot back. "I have Tsukishima looking into Ichigo's past—but so far all he found were reports of his—"
Jackie shushed him before his voice got too loud, unaware of the fact that Ichigo was right outside the Kitchen and could already hear them perfectly.
Ginjou took the hint though, and lowered his voice to a soft whisper. "Ichigo's parents… He says they're dead, but there was something sketchy about the reports. And apparently his brothers were put in separate group-homes."
Jackie gnawed her bottom lip and sighed. "Shouldn't we take Ichi to see them, then? He hasn't mentioned them in quite a while. I'm scared he may have forgotten all about them…"
"Jackie… They've all been adopted, and the agencies are being very secretive about their whereabouts. It's really weird… Tsukishima can't find anything on them. I'm worried that whoever took them might try to get Ichigo as well. I think it's better if the boy just forgets…"
Jackie let out another sigh, but this one was longer and filled with defeat. "Alright… I don't want to lose him… He's our only shot at raising a child after all."
Ginjou reached out to gently stroke her arm, letting his thumb caress her dark skin soothingly.
"We'll figure something out… Don't worry so much, bootsy." He said with a small smirk, which got Jackie to smile, even if it was the barest of smiles.
Ichigo pouted and retreated to the living room as quietly as possible before they caught him eavesdropping.
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Black on gold eyes slowly revealed themselves behind pale lids as Shirosaki awoke, images of little Ichigo fading from his vision but sticking to his memory like glue.
Shiro didn't know what to really think about what he'd seen.
Ichigo seemed so happy around Ginjou.
Shirosaki didn't want to think too hard on it and he was tempted to brush it off as a weird-assed dream, but that seemed unlikely—What with the strange psychic connection he and Ichigo had after all.
Speaking of which… Shirosaki flipped over to face the other side of his bed, expecting to see a familiar head of bright orange hair, but was met with an empty pillow. He quickly sat up and lifted the blanket to see if maybe, just maybe, Ichigo had curled himself underneath it… but still nothing.
"Shit." He cursed under his breath.
Anger was the first thing to spike through him then jealousy reared its ugly head when he thought Ichigo had snuck out to see Grimmjow again.
Not that he could really blame Ichigo…
Shirosaki winced and let guilt swallow him whole when he thought back to how he acted last night.
After seeing that damned bracelet on Ichigo's wrist, all he saw was red.
He was fucking pissed.
But it wasn't Ichigo's fault.
And he couldn't be angry at Grimmjow either—the guy was an asshole, sure, but he wasn't breaking any rules.
But when Shiro thought of Grimmjow seducing his little brother—his Ichigo—all composure flew out the window, leaving him with nothing except seething rage.
Unfortunately Ichigo took the brunt of it last night.
Shirosaki slowly curled in on himself and gripped the sheets until he heard the faint tear of fabric.
For the first time since high school started, Shirosaki wanted nothing to do with their dumb sex-game. He didn't want to play by the rules anymore, and he didn't give a flying fuck what happened to himself.
Ichigo was too precious to just step aside and let Grimmjow have.
'Fuck Grimmjow. I'll snatch Ichi right out from under his nose.'
Shirosaki closed his eyes while taking a deep, calming breath. He concentrated every ounce of mental power he had on pinpointing Ichigo's location and was instantly relieved to find that the teen wasn't anywhere near Grimmjow's room.
Hopping off the bed with renewed vigor, he quickly fumbled with his discarded jeans to fetch his phone and clicked it on.
6:13am.
"Aha~! Grimm's out for his jog—that should gimme time ta get ready." Shirosaki let a wide smirk spread across his lips and excitement danced across golden irises. "Let the games begin~"
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Sleep clung to Mugetsu's vision and it took him a second to finally blink himself awake, but when his vision finally cleared, he found that the blanket wrapped around him wasn't his nor did it smell familiar.
It reeked of pretty flowers and bleach.
Mugetsu slowly turned onto his back and scanned his surroundings, trying to remember where he was and how he got there.
When his gaze landed on pale skin, bright orange hair, and piercing black on gold eyes, all the pieces of his memory finally clicked into place, making him smile.
"Morning, Getsuga…" Mugetsu winced at how thick and gravely his voice sounded. He must've been snoring last night—which only really happened when he was extremely worn out. "So, how…" He trailed off when Getsuga smirked and raised a finger to his own pale lips.
"Shh…" He hushed.
Mugetsu raise a brow curiously but remained silent as he watched Getsuga lift the blankets to reveal another head of bright orange and familiar tan arms that were wrapped around Getsuga's waist—as if he was a teddy-bear.
Getsuga didn't seem to mind though.
On the contrary.
The teen let a tiny smile slip onto his face before gently digging his fingers into short orange tresses that were already tousled from sleep.
'Ichigo?' Mugetsu mouthed wordlessly and Getsuga shrugged. They knew Ichigo had a slightly thicker build than Kon, but it was hard to see that without the two standing right next to each other. But, judging by the calming aura that surrounded the teen, they could safely assume it was Ichigo.
The eldest of them slowly dragged himself up, careful not to jostle the sleeping teen, and let a single leg slip from the mattress to touch the floor.
Mugetsu sent a silent thanks to Aizen for getting King-sized beds; otherwise it would've been a little claustrophobic under the covers.
He was about to continue crawling out of bed so he could start the morning, but he froze when Ichigo suddenly turned and clung to him. Mugetsu held his breath as he waited for the teen to say something, but one look at that peaceful face and they could tell he was still asleep.
Mugetsu bit his lip to keep from snickering when he noticed the almost betrayed look that crossed Getsuga's face.
Apparently he liked it when Ichigo used him as a teddy.
As gently as he could possibly manage, Mugetsu shifted until he was in a more comfortable position, letting Ichigo curl into his side and rest against his warm chest. He then let his own fingers dig through the teen's silky hair before returning his attention to Getsuga.
"What time is it?" He whispered.
The pale orangette shrugged and turned to retrieve his phone from the floor and held up the screen to Mugetsu so he could see the time.
6:24am
That left them with plenty of time before the first class started. He could probably even run home, shower, and grab some clothes before then.
But that was only if he ever had the heart to wake the precious bundle curled in his arms.
Mugetsu raised a hand and wrapped his fingers around Ichigo's bare shoulder, readying himself to gently shake the boy awake, but he.. just.. couldn't.. do it.
He sent a desperate look in Getsuga's direction, but the jerk just smirked at his 'torture'.
Getsuga silently rolled off the bed and jumped to his feet, smirk never leaving his face as he fixed his shorts and started towards the door. He wrapped his fingers around the knob and slowly turned it and pulled, but he paused when there was a tiny squeal of the metal.
"No! I'm sorry Superman!" Both males' eyes snapped to Ichigo, who was now sitting upright and looking forward with wide eyes—but his vision wavered showing that he wasn't quite back to reality yet. "I promise I won't get anymore C's! Lemme be your sidekick!"
Getsuga was the first to crack. "Pff!" He doubled over with laughter, unable to hold it in while Mugetsu strained to keep his own mirth at bay.
He failed in the end.
Ichigo snapped out of his daze but then wished he hadn't when he saw his brothers laughing.
Mugetsu smiled when the teen's face flushed dark red. Poor boy probably remembered exactly what he just said.
"You okay, Ichi?" He finally asked once the laughter died.
Said teen was still embarrassed, but he eventually pushed it aside and replaced it with indifference.
"M'fine." He grouched, scowling when he saw the amused smiles still plastered on their faces.
Mugetsu sighed happily and let the smile finally fade. This was his chance to get up and start his morning. He scooted himself over until he could hop off the bed. Normally he wasn't a morning person, but waking up to know that he really had his brothers back and it wasn't just some fucked up dream made him so unbelievably happy. He couldn't wait to see Shirosaki and Kon so they cou—Hold on a sec…
"Ichigo." Mugetsu turned to face the teen and frowned when all he saw was a large lump hiding under the covers. He heard a grunt come from the general direction of the lump and assumed the teen was listening at least. "What happened to you sleeping in Shiro's room last night?"
Mugetsu took a quick glance towards the right to see that Getsuga was still hovering in front of the open doorway—probably just as curious as Mugetsu about the very same thing. He quickly motioned for the other to close it, which Getsuga didn't hesitate to do.
Ichigo slowly peeked out from under the covers to look each brother in the eye as he contemplated whether or not to say anything.
He wasn't sure if he was ready to talk about what happened last night. Not only did he have dirty thoughts about his own brother, but he made out with his brother's foster brother… And because of that, Shirosaki started giving him the cold shoulder (which was actually so cold that it nearly gave him metaphorical frostbite). Ichigo got sad and guilty about it and couldn't handle being in the same room as him all night—so he snuck into Kon's room, but decided against it when he got kicked in the stomach.
Ichigo winced when he realized that Getsuga and Mugetsu were still waiting on him for an answer.
Shit.
"I'd rather not talk about it…" Ichigo said, his voice so soft that the others barely heard him. It wasn't that he didn't trust Mugetsu or Getsuga… he just didn't want them to feel like they had to choose sides between him and Shirosaki.
"You sure…?" Mugetsu pushed lightly, curiosity and worry dancing across his face.
Ichigo sat up and pushed the blankets off with a sigh. "Don't worry about it, guys. It's nothing serious."
'I hope…' He added mentally.
Ichigo glanced up and pursed his lips. He could tell that both Mugetsu and Getsuga didn't believe him for a second, but, thankfully, they didn't push the subject anymore.
"Well, let's go ahead and get up then. We'll need to figure out what we're doing for breakfast and clothes." Mugetsu made his way towards the door, signaling for Getsuga to open it and leave.
Ichigo's stomach growled at the thought of food, so he quickly jumped out of bed to catch up with the others.
He, Mugetsu, and Getsuga were still clad in the swimming trunks they'd borrowed yesterday, making them feel a little naked when they got downstairs to see that most of the others were already up and ready for school.
The only people missing were Shirosaki, Kon, Grimmjow, Stark, and Aizen.
"Morning, guys!" A loud, feminine voice shouted above the quiet hum of conversation sweeping through the group. Neliel was standing behind the long, marble island that rested along the kitchen, right next to the stoves. She was waving at them with a giant smile on her face which had Ichigo and the others smiling back.
"Yer too fuckin' loud in the mornin', Nel…." Nnoitra grumbled from his spot to the left. His head was buried in his long, lanky arms and he was curled over, nearly in the fetal position. He continued to groan as if he'd woken up with the worst hangover ever.
"And you're too grumpy in the morning, dickweed." Neliel shot back, her seafoam eyes narrowed into tiny slits. When she received no comeback, her smile returned and she looked back over at the trio, who were now sitting on the seats closest to the middle. "What would you guys like for breakfast? Usually we all take a vote and I cook one thing, but since you guys are new here—you can request anything your little hearts' desire."
Mugetsu chuckled at her enthusiasm but shook his head and gently replied, "Just a cup of black coffee is fine for me. You're so sweet though."
Nel beamed at the polite reply and then blushed at the charming smile sent her way. She giggled while nodding in understanding before turning her attention to Getsuga. He smirked and just shrugged while motioning in the air in a nonchalant manner.
"hmmm… Well, are you hungry?" She prodded thoughtfully while passing Mugetsu his mug of fresh, hot coffee, to which Getsuga grinned and shrugged. "Alrighty, I'll surprise you then… and what about you, cutie?" Her eyes snapped to Ichigo, making the teen blush bright red.
"Uhh… A-are you sure it's okay? Don't you want help cooking or something?"
Neliel pressed her lips together and settled her hands on her voluptuous hips, impatience clearly set on her face.
"She does this all the time, don't worry about it." Szayel piped up from the other side of Mugetsu. He sipped delicately at his own cup of cream-filled coffee as he eyed the orangette thoughtfully. "She's aspiring to be a chef—so she thinks she'll get good practice by doing this each morning."
"Oh…" Ichigo said and he wrung his hands nervously when he saw that Nel was still waiting on him to order something. "Uh… well… Would it be okay to have some… uh…" He frantically thought of what he wanted. Multiple gazes were bearing down on him now and his stomach growled irritably, so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Chocolate-chip pancakes?"
His face burned with embarrassment at the amused snorts and chuckles he got, but Nel's beaming smile calmed his nerves.
"Absolutely! I'll start up the stove right now." Her pretty blue dress swirled delicately when she spun around and hummed a little tune to herself. She quickly put on her apron before turning towards the tabletop where six circles decorated the counter. Beside them were buttons to punch in the exact temperatures. They were induction stove-tops—the kind that wouldn't burn you if you were to accidently lean on them.
As Ichigo continued to gaze around, he became so enraptured by the fancy utensils and culinary instruments that he never heard the front door open and shut, nor did he notice someone else enter the room and walk up behind him until he felt that familiar heat radiating against his back.
"Yo~ Nel. You got my smoothie ready?" Ichigo jumped when a deep voice sounded right by his ear.
He turned slowly, almost robotically to see that it was, indeed, Grimmjow who was towering over him.
The older teen looked like he just came back from a run—he had on loose shorts and a small towel wrapped around his neck. Hanging from one ear was an earphone that was attached to an ipod shuffle, which he had clipped to the waist of his shorts. He wore muddy sneakers that looked like they'd been through some wear and tear, and his strong, well-muscled chest was completely bare, save for the thin sheen of sweat that made his skin glow in the sunlight. He also emanated this spicy musk that had Ichigo's heart slamming against his chest like a trapped bird.
Apparently Ichigo had been staring for a little too long, because Grimmjow mistook it for flirting—which he wasn't!—and slowly brought up his powerful arms along either side of Ichigo until he could rest his palms against the tabletop and peer into cocoa-brown eyes.
Ichigo snapped his head back towards the front and tried his best to ignore the god-like being hovering so close that he was practically devouring the orangette with his presence alone.
"Here, Kitty. Take your smoothie and get lost—you're scaring, Ichi!" Nel interrupted with a hiss as she slammed down a large plastic cup filled with a blend of juice, fruit, and ice.
Ichigo let out a little amused snicker at the nickname which caused said 'kitty' to growl deep in his chest. It was meant to be intimidating, but, what Grimmjow didn't realize, was that the animalistic sound was actually amplifying poor Ichigo's frazzled libido.
'Don't do this to me again, you fucking hormones' Ichigo screamed mentally as he prayed for some self-control. 'If he doesn't get away from me soon then I'm—'
Thankfully Grimmjow quickly snatched up the cup and made his way towards one of the empty couches in the 'hangout room': It wasn't the living room (which was still covered in glass) and it didn't have a TV, but it was decorated with plenty of chairs, couches, and loveseats for everyone to hangout in. Hence its name. It could've also been called a library since the walls had been replaced with shelves and covered in books of every color, shape, and size.
Halibel and Yammy, who had been conversing to themselves quietly, were seated in the recliner chairs across from the couch and Ulquiorra was lounging atop the loveseat with his phone in hand—playing Sudoku.
Grimmjow collapsed onto the couch and stretched out his legs, letting his sneaker clad feet rest against the wooden coffee table with a sigh. He then hummed to himself as he took a sip of his smoothie.
"Mmmm~! Strawberry flavored~ My favorite." He said after taking another long sip of the smoothie. He then peered up over his cup to lock eyes with Ichigo with a playful smirk plastered on his face, while a few of his siblings chuckled at the joke.
Ichigo had to forcefully rip his eyes away from that hypnotic, sapphire gaze and he stubbornly kept his mouth shut. He despised that stupid joke about his name—it got old really fast… And he found that the best way to make it stop was to not even acknowledge whoever said it.
It seemed to work wonders on Grimmjow since all he really wanted was to get a rise out of the teen. The infamous smirk returned though when he could tell Ichigo was blushing—if the hint of red on the teen's ears was anything to go by. Grimmjow let his gaze drop down to roam across the flustered berry's smooth back, tracing across powerful muscles which lay beneath sun-kissed skin. And that's when he noticed Ichigo's wrist—the same wrist that should have had his bracelet, but, alas, it wasn't there.
Disappointment gripped at Grimmjow's insides, but he wouldn't let himself be deterred.
Shirosaki had already seen the mark on Ichigo last night—so the teen was his to pursue… Unless, of course, Ichigo went and fucked someone else of his own accord… But that would be hard with Grimmjow targeting him every step of the way.
"Somethin' smells fuckin' good!"
Grimmjow felt his smirk drop into a frown at that familiar voice. All eyes turned towards the stairs to see the great and powerful Shirosaki making his way down and, once they saw what he was wearing, no one could take their eyes off of him.
Shirosaki, the sexy beast, was clad in leather—gloriously smooth, black leather.
His pants were tight, but not so tight that he had trouble walking. No. On the contrary. They looked like a match made in heaven—stretching around his long legs and gripping his ass oh-so nicely. And, not that he really needed it, a studded belt looped around his hips perfectly. On his feet were black combat boots that reached about mid-calf and were laced tight at the bottom so they stayed on his feet, but then grew looser until the lip of each boot drooped over—giving it a more comfortable style. His tight v-neck shirt was crimson red, which added some splash of color to the ensemble, and was made from material so thin that you could almost see through it to the white, creamy skin beneath. So, actually, the shirt seemed more pink than red—but it looked good either way, especially since you could clearly see his abs and strong pecs as they stretched the delicate material.
Atop his head was a pair of skinny sunglasses that looked like they cost a pretty penny. His off-white hair was styled up and looked like it had been swept towards the right a little, giving it a tamed yet wild look.
And last, but not least, was the thick leather jacket to complete the set. It was shiny, black, and placed all the way down the sleeves were some decorative straps and zippers—which he left open to show off his skin beneath.
Ichigo's mouth went dry and his pulse began to quicken.
"Fuck…" Grimmjow cursed under his breath. Shirosaki was playing dirty.
"Well, well~! Aren't you lookin' hot today." Nnoitra whistled with a smirk, making Shiro and most of the others chuckle. "What's the occasion?"
Ichigo took a few quick breaths through his nose and his heart felt like it was about to soar right out of his ribcage when Shirosaki started sauntering towards him. The thud of his boots were almost deafening as Ichigo's attention became solely placed on his brother. Everything else seemed to fade away until there was nothing left except glowing, golden irises.
Shirosaki couldn't help the large smirk when he saw how enraptured Ichigo was. The teen's gaze hadn't wavered from him for a single moment.
"What? You sayin' I need a reason to look good?" He shot at Nnoitra, but his eyes never left Ichigo's.
Getsuga huffed angrily, nostrils flaring and eyes narrowed; He knew exactly what his twin was doing—not that the victorious smirk and seething glare coming from Grimmjow didn't make it painfully obvious.
These two morons were practically bullying their way into Ichigo's pants.
Mugetsu saw what was going on as well, but he chose to ignore it and sip away at his coffee. Yeah, sure—he was the big brother, but that didn't mean he was responsible to fix all their drama.
Unless Ichigo actually came to him and asked for help, then the teen was on his own.
Getsuga, however, wasn't quite as apathetic about the situation. He quickly elbowed Ichigo in the ribs, shocking the teen out of whatever trance Shirosaki's presence had put him in. Getsuga felt the cold glare he got from said twin, but ignored it as he swiveled Ichigo around in his chair. He then pointed out the chocolate-chip pancakes that Nel was sliding onto a plate for him. Thankfully, that got Ichigo to forget all about his hormones.
Ichigo' stomach growled with delight at the delicious smells coming from the kitchen, but they were quickly overwhelmed by a something much more alluring when Shirosaki stepped up behind him.
'Sweet jesus…' Ichigo thought. His eyes rolled to the back of his head in bliss as he took a deep inhale through his nose. 'Even his fucking cologne is amazing.' He felt like breaking down into tears of frustration when he felt Shiro's breath ghost along his neck and shoulder.
He couldn't take it anymore!
But then it was gone.
Ichigo let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding when Shiro's presence seemed to melt away. He took a quick look around to see that his brother had snuck his way into the kitchen to get himself a glass of water.
"Here you go, cutie."
Ichigo's attention was pried away from Shiro when a steaming pile of pancakes was placed before him.
"Oh… Thanks Nel. They look delicious."
"No problemmm~! You want Syrup on that? Or I also have whip cream, or even honey—if you prefer."
Ichigo couldn't help the small laugh that bubbled from his throat.
"Syrup's fine.."
He wasn't used to smiling and laughing so much. The past eleven years—save for the few fleeting moments with Jackie around—had been filled with so much angst that Ichigo felt like he was learning how to be happy all over again; Being around his brothers helped, even if Shirosaki's presence made his brain short-circuit every once in a while.
One step at a time though…
Breakfast went by relatively smooth after that, and Ichigo couldn't have been happier.
After a while, Kon eventually dragged himself out of bed and trudged his way down the steps to slump into the nearest seat. He seemed utterly exhausted… until he saw Nel and her round, wondrous breasts, of course. One look at them and it was like someone had stuck him with a shot of adrenaline.
"Nelllll! You look absolutely beautiful today~!" He said while spinning towards her in a whirlwind of hearts and hormones**.
As he made his way towards the kitchen, though, he actually paused when he got a good look at Shirosaki.
"Woah…" Kon said as he scanned the older teen's wardrobe. "Are you cosplaying for Mad Max or did a leather shop just throw-up on you?" He barely had time to dodge the punch sent towards his face. "HEY! Watch the nose! It's sensitive~" He griped as he gently tapped said appendage, which did look a little swollen from Ginjou's headbutt the other day.
Shiro wasn't going to let him off that easy though.
Kon screeched in terror as he was chased back up the stairs. Shirosaki wasn't as fast as Kon, of course, but the little dumbass could only go so far until he was eventually cornered.
All they heard were pained yelps and cries of fear.
"What in the world is going on?!" A loud, demanding voice boomed, echoing off the walls and practically vibrating the whole house.
All eyes snapped towards the back hall to see Aizen Sousuke's intimidating form towering in the doorway of his office.
Ulquiorra was the only one who seemed to have found his voice.
"Shirosaki is murdering his brother."
Aizen narrowed his eyes in displeasure, but then let out a sigh.
"I'm not in the mood for this… Finish getting ready for school, everyone. I want you all out before I lock the doors."
Everyone, aside from the remaining brothers, immediately got up to do as they were told. Most of them were already dressed to go, so they just walked out the door to start their cars and go. Neliel stayed to do a few finishing touches on cleaning the kitchen while Grimmjow ran upstairs to shower and get ready.
Mugetsu walked around the table and placed his cup inside the dishwasher, taking Ichigo's empty dishes as well and then leaned across the counter comfortably.
"I'm sure Kon will want to stop by his place to get some clothes, but I don't know if we'll have enough time to go to everyone's house…" Mugetsu explained as he glanced at Getsuga and Ichigo, waiting to get their opinions.
Ichigo shook his head as he tapped his fingers together nervously.
"After what happened yesterday, I don't think it would be a good idea for me to go back home…" Ichigo sighed.
"Well, you'll need your things won't you? I'm sure you have stuff there you want to keep."
That's when Ichigo remembered something.
A precious item he'd had since he was little, something that he got from his birth mother years and years ago.
"Shit!" He swore and then he started to reach for his phone before remembering that it had been smashed by the crazy scientist yesterday. "Can I use your cell?!" He pleaded. His huge, brown eyes were locked on poor Mugetsu.
The brunette felt his heart clench at the adorable display, and he hated to say it, but he actually didn't have it on him—it was still upstairs. "It's up in the room if you want to go grab it." He said with a small, apologetic smile.
Ichigo instantly twisted around and went to sprint away, but he was stopped by an arm wrapping around his middle. He turned to see Getsuga staring at him with a raised brow.
Before Ichigo could ask what was wrong, Getsuga reached into his pocket and pulled out his own cell phone with a smirk.
"Ah! Yes—You're the best!"
Ichigo didn't realize he did it, but as soon as he grabbed the phone he lunged forward to wrap his brother up in a warm hug.
Getsuga froze.
After living with Ryuken and Uryuu for so long, he was unaccustomed to hugs and other signs of affection. So it took a second, but his muscles eventually thawed.
Mugetsu stifled a laugh as he watched Ichigo hop away to make his phonecall, leaving Getsuga a gooey mess in the chair.
"Enjoy yourself?" He snorted in amusement and Getsuga let out a happy little hum.
..
.
Ichigo pursed his lips as he turned on the smartphone. Thankfully it didn't need a password, and he was able to somehow navigate his way to the dial-pad. Even though he was used to his outdated, old-school cell phone, he had Rukia to thank for letting him play with her phone from time to time.
He quickly dialed Renji's number and pressed call before placing the phone by his ear. He closed his eyes as he collapsed back into one of the white, plastic lawn chairs.
Ichigo had made his way outside by the pool to have some privacy.
Ring… Ring… Ring… Ring…
"Uhh… Hello?"
Ichigo's eyes snapped open at the familiar voice and he nearly sighed in relief. Renji didn't usually pick up numbers he didn't recognize.
"Renji. It's me."
"Ichigo!? The fuck man!? I tried calling you yesterday, but you didn't pick up! And when I tried again, it went straight to voicemail! What the hell happened?"
Ichigo let a small smile slip onto his lips at the concerned yet abrasive tone of his best friend.
"Chill out… It's a long story. I'll explain everything later, but I need to ask you something."
Renji went silent for a moment.
Ichigo knew he was debating whether or not he should press for answers now or wait.
"… Fine. Whatchu want?"
"Do you still have my comic books?"
"Uhhh…. Hold on, lemme check." A soft clatter told Ichigo that Renji had placed the phone down and then he heard rustling for a while until his friend's voice came back. "Nope. I think you took 'em back last week."
Ichigo let a frustrated hiss slip between his teeth. "That's what I was afraid of…"
"What? You lose them or somethin'?"
"Yeahhh… Something like that…" Ichigo trailed off as he thought of a way to get back the comic book his mother got him, because there was no way he was leaving it behind. It was the last thing he had of his past. Even when he couldn't remember his brothers, he still had that book to remind him that he used to have a family that loved him. He knew that his mother had given it to him because written on the back in bold, black cursive was:
For my little hero, Ichigo!
Love, Mommy~
Ichigo remembered finding it on his eighth birthday. He'd felt especially adventurous that day, so he climbed up into the attic and started going through boxes. One of which was filled with old action figures and other knick-knacks. When he reached in and picked up on of the batman figures, a wave of déjà vu crashed over him.
That had been a time where Ichigo had forgotten about his brothers and the life he used to have… He figured these things might be his birthday presents… Until he saw that Comic book.
He knew that the elegant handwriting didn't belong to Jackie.
He felt confused, but Ichigo never asked Ginjou or Jackie where they got the box and he never showed them the Comic…
So he'd be damned if it got into Ginjou's spiteful hands now.
"Hey… You alright? Do ya need me and Byakuya to come and get you?"
Renji's voice snapped him out of his stupor.
Ichigo sighed as he leaned back into the chair. "No… It's okay… Hey, that reminds me—he's not pissed about me missing Karate yesterday is he?"
He heard Renji snort in amusement. "Well yeah. Of course he is." Ichigo winced a bit at that. An angry Byakuya was a deadly one. "But I'm sure you have a good excuse. So I wouldn't worry about it."
"Tch… How can I not be worried?" He paused when he heard Renji hum in agreement. "Anyway. I'm heading out soon, so I'll catch you later."
"Okay. Me and Rukia'll wait for you by the football field then."
"Rukia and I." Ichigo corrected with a smirk—knowing how much Renji hated it when people did that.
"Huh?" The redhead said and Ichigo gave him a minute to process what he said, then chuckled when an annoyed huff crackled through the speakers. "Fuck you, ya grammar nazi."
Then the line went dead.
Just as Ichigo took the phone away from his ear, he heard the glass doors slide open. He turned to see Kon poking his head out—Apparently Shirosaki let him live to see another day.
"Ichigoooo~! We're gonna head to my place first. You can borrow some of my clothes if you want."
Said teen got to his feet and nodded. "Sounds good. Thanks, Kon."
"No prob, bro!" His twin said with the biggest grin on his face, but then it faded when Shirosaki's voice pierced the air.
"HEY! We gotta leave! Get your asses movin'!"
Ichigo rolled his eyes when Kon quickly turned and sprinted towards the front door, not wanting to displease Shiro and get his ass kicked again.
Ichigo followed at a slower pace, and made sure to lock the sliding doors as he walked inside. He then made his way towards the front door and smiled. All of his brothers were standing there waiting for him.
Apparently Getsuga found his way into Shiro's closet and stole a pair of dark blue jeans, a black t-shirt, as well as a dark red hoodie.
Ichigo then looked to see that Mugetsu had found some clothes as well. He was clad in the same black slacks he wore yesterday but, instead of the turtle neck, he wore a dark-grey button-up shirt. It had a large collar and sleeves that were a little too long on him—so the clothes couldn't have been Shiro's. Overall it was simple but it looked good.
Ichigo could guess that anything Mugetsu put on would look sexy anyway though.
"Where'd you get the clothes, Muge?" Ichigo asked as he passed the phone back to Getsuga. He raised a brow when his eldest brother suddenly blushed bright-red and then started to fiddle with the sleeves of his shirt.
"Uhm.. Well. I bumped into Starrk on the way up… And he was nice enough to let me borrow one of his shirts." He mumbled with his eyes glued to the dark dress-shoes.
Both Shiro and Getsuga shared a knowing smirk at poor Mugetsu's nervousness while Kon rolled his eyes and Ichigo raised a brow curiously, but no one teased or pressed him for answers.
"We ready to go?" Shiro said, changing the subject.
When everyone nodded, he opened the door and herded them outside. Once they were all tucked away inside Zangetsu's car—Mugetsu in the driver's seat, Getsuga in the passenger, and then Shirosaki, Kon, and Ichigo in the back—they drove off.
…
..
.
"Okay. Before we go in, I have to warn you…" Kon paused dramatically as he turned to face his brothers, who were all gathered in front of his house. "My dad… He's… wellll… He's weird."
Shirosaki raised a brow and shrugged. "So? Ain't all dads kinda weird?"
Kon shook his head and resisted the urge to sigh in frustration. "No! no. no… There's 'normal weird', then there's 'fucking bat-shit-crazy weird'." When all he received were curious looks, he continued. "Listen. Just… do me a favor. Don't shake his hand, don't sit next to him, don't go anywhere alone with him, And do not—I repeat—do NOT drink anything he offers you. I mean it! Even if you actually saw him poor the juice. Just don't." By the time he finished, his brothers' expressions had morphed into worry and maybe even slight fear.
"Yeah… I'm just gonna wait for you guys in the car." Shirosaki said quickly before snatching the car keys from Mugetsu's hand.
"Hey! C'mon!" Mugetsu shouted and then sighed when the teen completely ignored him. Shirosaki just unlocked the door and climbed his way into the backseat. "Alright whatever. Let's just go. We don't have much time left before school starts, and I need to find Kaien to see if he has my bag."
Ichigo shrugged while Getsuga folded his arms across his chest impatiently and Kon slowly nodded in understanding. He reached out for the doorknob and quickly unlocked it before taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves. He then slammed the door open and took a quick step back, as if he was expecting there to be an explosion.
When nothing happened, Kon relaxed and walked inside, gesturing for the others to follow.
The two-story house wasn't all that big—especially compared to Shiro's place, but it had a quaint and homey feel to it. The scent of pine and honey surrounded the boys which seemed to instantly calm their rattled nerves.
All except Kon.
He stuck himself to the wall and scuttled down the hall, almost as if he expected there to be trap doors under the carpeted floor. He then peered around each corner.
The Kitchen was empty.
So was the living room.
When Kon didn't see anything suspicious, he finally let himself relax.
"Okay… You guys stay here." He gestured towards the couch and recliners in the living room. He waited until they were all seated and comfortable before turning back towards the hall. "I'll be right back. Gonna see if the coast is clear."
Dear, brave Kon sucked in a deep breath and then took his first courageous step towards the back of the house, where he knew the basement was.
Ichigo raised a brow and smirked when he heard Getsuga's deep, amused chuckle.
"You think maybe he's just exaggerating?" Ichigo ventured thoughtfully as he pressed back into the recliner to get more comfortable. He was still only clad in Szayel's swim-shorts so he could easily feel the soft material of the chair as it brushed against the skin of his back.
"Well it is Kon. There's a good chance that he is." Mugetsu smiled as he leaned against the arm of the couch, long fingers brushing the hair from his eyes as he eyed the different paintings and picture frames hung in the living room.
There were many different pictures of Kon. Most of them were of him with Yoruichi or the rest of his new family. There were also one or two of Kon during his time in middle school: He was standing with a bunch of other kids, dressed in white uniforms in what looked like a soccer field. A soccer ball rested by his feet and the biggest smile adorned his chubby, childish face.
It was strange seeing his brother, his own flesh and blood, happy with another family. It was a painful reminder of just how much he missed, and not just with Kon, but all of his brothers.
Remembering that he had his own photo with them before the separation, Mugetsu quickly dug into his back pocket to retrieve it, but just as his fingers brushed the smooth paper—a loud yelp distracted him.
He looked up in time to see that Kon had returned and jumped right onto Ichigo, making the recliner topple backwards with a loud CRASH!
Kon erupted into laughter while Ichigo grumbled quietly about moronic brothers.
"C'mon! He's not here, so it's safe~! He must be taking Jinta and Ururu to school. Let's go before he gets back!" Kon didn't even give Ichigo a chance to reply as he hauled the poor teen to his feet and practically dragged him up the stairs.
Next thing he knew, Ichigo was knee deep in wrinkled clothes and cardboard boxes.
"Uhm… This is your room?"
If that's what you could call it.
The only thing to indicate that anyone lived in here was the twin sized bed over to the corner, which you could barely see beneath the mountain of discarded items thrown on top of it. There was a dresser to the other side of the room and a small TV sat atop it. Right beside the TV were various video game consoles—all of which were classics like the Super Nintendo and Playstation 1.
Ichigo mentally cringed at the farrago of wires shoved carelessly behind the dresser and plugs that were crammed into a multi-outlet power strip.
"Yeahh…. It's kinda messy. Haven't really had a chance to unpack everything. Heh heh~" Kon laughed nervously. He shrugged it off and then pushed Ichigo towards the closet, making the teen trip over a few boxes in the process. "Okay! Let's make you look awesome!"
Ichigo shook his head and dug his heels into the carpet. "Noooo. Nuh-uh. You're not making me look 'awesome'. Just let me borrow a t-shirt and some pants so we can go."
Kon pouted and crossed his arms stubbornly at the frown he received.
"But I gotta help you get back at Shiro!"
When Ichigo seemed taken aback by that response, Kon used the moment to his advantage and quickly pushed Ichigo the rest of the way into the closet, which was actually quite spacious. It even had a large mirror in the back that went from floor to ceiling.
One side of the closet had various shelves with a wide array of shoes—mostly sneakers and sandals. On the other side was a long rod filled to the brim with hangers. And on those hangers were clothes, clothes, and more clothes.
Ichigo had always imagined this to be what women's closets looked like, and maybe even Shinji's.
He watched as Kon pulled off multiple items from their hangers before spinning to look thoughtfully at each pair of shoes.
"Wait… What do you mean we have to get back at Shiro?"
For one horrible, fleeting moment Ichigo wondered if maybe he knew about what happened last night.
Kon turned to give him a deadpanned look that said 'Seriously?'
"For peacocking, of course."
Ichigo didn't think he could get any more confused.
"Peacocking…?"
Kon rolled his eyes and huffed as if everything was soooo obvious.
"Yes! Peacocking! Look—and I'm not gonna judge you if you say yes—But you think what he's wearing is sexy, right?"
Ichigo felt his face turn bright red. Scandalizing image of his brother, Shiro, wearing those tight leather pants entered his mind.
It did look really good on him.
Kon eyed his twin, seeing his burning cheeks and nervous shifting, and already knew that Ichigo did, indeed, like the outfit.
"You should know that he's wearing it to get a reaction out of you."
Deep brown eyes snapped up at that, a look of disbelief crossing Ichigo's face.
"W-what? But…" He thought back to the night before and how mad Shiro was at him. It couldn't be true—surely Shirosaki was just trying to impress someone else. Maybe even someone at school. "There's no way. You've got it all wrong, Kon. He—"
Kon waved him off and grinned knowingly. "Trust me, bro. I know what I'm talking about." He then grabbed a pair of white boots before shoving the whole pile into Ichigo's arms. "Now, put these on. I'll be right outside if you need me~!" Then he was gone and Ichigo was left alone in the closet.
…10 agonizing minutes later…
"Ichiiiii. Come out of the closet…." Kon bit his lip to keep from laughing, but that didn't stop him from making a quick joke. "I can go get Shirosaki… I'm sure he'd love to help you… out of the closet. Ha!"
"Shut up, Kon!"
Said teen couldn't help the small burst of giggles that rose from his chest.
"Pff! Hehe! C'mon! It can't be that bad!"
"I really don't want to wear this… It's uncomfortable."
Kon rolled his eyes and collapsed onto his bed with a huff.
"When was the last time you wore skinny jeans?"
It was silent for a moment before a soft, "Never" made its way through the closet door.
"Should've known…" Kon mumbled under his breath. He then bounced off the bed to walk towards the closet. "I'm comin' in." Was all the warning Ichigo received before Kon swung the door open. Ichigo jumped but was able to suppress the squeal that wanted to rip from his throat. He couldn't hide the blush that bloomed across his face and spread down his neck though.
Ichigo quickly tried to pull down the tight, sleeveless tank-top he wore which didn't quite cover his stomach; revealing more skin than he was comfortable with. Pulled over the black shirt was a light grey, almost white, vest. It was also sleeveless and lined with soft, snow-white fur. Fake, of course, but extremely soft nonetheless. Around each wrist was a black leather bracelet with thick string at the ends to tie them closed. Gripping his legs like a second skin were the skinny jeans that Kon had mentioned. They were dark grey and gripped his legs nicely, showing off the contours of his figure for everyone to see.
And last but not least were the shoes—thick, white army boots to match his vest.
Kon tapped his chin as he inspected the outfit with a trained eye, humming in thought.
Something was missing.
He took a quick glance around until he finally saw what he was looking for. "Here. Put this on." He handed his twin a belt that was the same shade of orange as their hair.
Ichigo hesitated.
He really just wanted to put on something that was comfortable. He liked his baggy, worn-out jeans and long-sleeved shirts.
But one look at Kon's unwavering eyes and Ichigo gave in. He didn't want to waste time fighting a losing battle with his stubborn twin.
"I still think you're wrong about this whole peacocking nonsense… But whatever."
Kon grinned and waited for Ichigo to finish before dragging him into the bathroom. He gave Ichigo a spare toothbrush and pointed out the toothpaste before leaving to get dressed as well.
He put on an outfit similar to Ichigo's, except it was much more colorful and, instead of a vest, he wore a short-sleeved hoodie with cat-like ears attached to the top of it. Plus, he replaced the boots with rainbow converses.
"You ready?" Kon asked with a big grin when Ichigo finally shuffled his way out of the bathroom.
"…" Ichigo rolled his eyes at Kon's outfit, but kept his opinions to himself. "Yeah, I guess."
"That's the spirit~!"
TBC
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Ahhhh I wanted to keep goinggggg, honestly
But I was already on page 24
And I think this was a decent stopping point
Not too much action this time, I know
But you got to see some more of Ichigo's past
BTW: Which brothers' past would you want to see next?
Also… If you guys want me to speed things up, then don't hesitate to say so
I don't want you guys getting bored on me
*I thought this would just be a funny little thing to add since it was mentioned in a previous chapter that Ichigo is taking advanced math now.
**Basically, he's like Sanji from One Piece xD