Author's Note: I understand that the flashbacks can be annoying—trust me I do—but they're kinda the only way I can explain what's going on without shoving all the information down your throats… lol
So yeah. The majority of this chapter will be flashbacks, so prepare yourself
WARNING: Uhm… Welllll. This chapter has a small bit of NonCon, but it's nothing too drastic, honestly.
UNBETA'D (Need beta… HALP!)
Star Brothers
Chapter20: What's a Party Without Booze?
Mugetsu – 21 years old
Shirosaki – 18 years old
Getsuga – 18 years old
Kon – 15 years old
Ichigo – 15 years old
"Tag! You're it!"
"Nuh-uh! You touched my jacket! That doesn't count!"
"What!? I totally got you, Ren! Don't be a butthead!"
"Who're you callin' butthead, shorty!"
Dark, midnight-blue eyes narrowed and red cheeks puffed out in irritation.
"You promised you wouldn't call me that anymore!"
Renji frowned at his sister, Rukia, and then stuck out his tongue. "Shortyyyyyy~!" He taunted.
Rukia stomped her foot and screeched in frustration. "M'tellin' on you!" Then she bolted towards the other side of the playground where their big brother, Byakuya, sat reading one of those large picture-less book.
Renji tensed as he watched Rukia get closer and closer to her destination.
Dang it!
He really didn't want to get in trouble again! Byakuya would lecture him in that ice-cold voice of his and make him feel like the biggest jerk on the planet!
A-and—B-but Rukia started it!
She ALWAYS starts it!
Panicking, Renji quickly turned and bolted towards the large cluster of trees that surrounded the playground. He kept running until he finally felt that he was safe and slowed to a stop. He panted as his little heart pounded against his chest. Multiple strands of blood-red hair fell and stuck to his face, so he quickly untied then retied his hair so it was all up in its usual ponytail.
Once he was back to normal, Renji was about to explore, but he paused when he heard strange noises coming from behind the bushes.
He blinked when he tried to figure out what it was.
It sounded like… sniffling?
Ever the curious one, Renji slowly made his way towards the bush and peeked through the thick foliage to see what was behind it.
To his surprise, it wasn't a goblin or some other dangerous creature—like in those stories Byakuya used to read when they were younger… It was a boy.
He looked like he was around nine, the same age as him and Rukia, and the boy had really bright hair.
It was orange!
What a cool color!
It was practically glowing in the sunlight.
Renji blinked and frowned when he noticed the tears running down the boy's reddened cheeks. A choked sob escaped him, and Renji watched as he lifted an arm to wipe at the small stream of snot running from his sniffling nose.
Without hesitation, Renji pushed his way through the bush so he could kneel before the boy, catching him by surprise and making him scuttle backwards with a gasp.
Renji paused at the panic and fear he saw flash through those cocoa-brown eyes.
He guessed his red hair was a little weird. But he wasn't scary… Or was he?
After a few seconds of tense silence, Renji spread his lips into a giant smile.
He didn't know why… But he really didn't want this boy to be sad anymore.
"Hi! M'name's Renji!" He said and then he scooted forward, still grinning like a madman. "What's your name?"
The boy tensed and looked the redhead up and down before quickly rubbing away the tears that clung to his cheeks. When Renji just continued to smile at him, the boy looked away and blushed.
Renji tilted his head at the reaction and his smile fell when the boy remained quiet.
Was the boy mad at him?
Did he say something wrong?
Renji hummed in thought and plopped down so he was sitting right in front of the other. Then he wracked his tiny brain for what to do or what to say.
That's when he noticed the comic books off to the side. One of them was open, revealing a page with Superman beating up a giant lizard-looking-creature.
"Cool!" Renji gasped, and then he went to snatch it up, but he blinked and frowned when he was suddenly pushed away.
Renji slowly sat back up and pursed his lips.
He wasn't going to steal it!
But he guessed the boy didn't know that.
"Superman…" Renji started while pointing towards the item which was clutched to the boy's chest. "He's really cool. He's my favorite superhero. Is it okay if I look?" When the boy started backing away, Renji quickly added, "I promise m'not gonna take it!"
The little orangette blinked and seemed to look around as if he was readying himself to escape, but then he hesitated. He gnawed at his bottom lip and ever so slowly loosened his grip.
Renji's face-splitting-grin instantly returned when the book was held out towards him and, just to show the boy that he really wasn't going to take it, he scooted around until he was right next to him, their sides pressed together. Then he took the precious item and opened it so they both could gaze at the colorful, action-packed pages.
Out of habit, Renji started making noises as he read them off the page. "Pow! Whoosh! Wham! KABLAM!" Then he narrated the words in a deep (or as deep as a little boy could manage) voice.
About halfway through the book, a small giggle sounded beside him, making Renji glance up.
He was surprised to see that the boy didn't seem upset anymore.
In fact, a smile so genuine and so bright was plastered across his face, nearly blinding Renji. The redhead fumbled with the comic for a moment as he fought to keep his composure.
He'd never seen such a smile before, nor had he ever met a person who could actually radiate emotions like this.
When the boy was sad, he felt bummed out too, and now that the boy was happy, Renji felt like nothing could ever get him down.
Renji felt a blush erupt across his face when cocoa-brown eyes locked with his, but then the moment was over.
The crunch of leaves beneath heavy boots echoed around the trees, then a loud, booming voice shouted, "Hey, brat! Where'd ya run off to!?"
Renji felt the boy tense and he didn't have a chance to question it before he was grabbed by small hands and dragged behind a large tree. They squished their way beneath large, jutting roots and then kept completely still.
"What's t—" Renji started but was quickly silenced by the boy. All he could do was listen as someone came stumbling into the clearing. Renji quietly peeked his head out, but all he managed to see before he was pulled back behind the roots were boot-clad feet as they trampled over the pile of comic books that the boys left behind.
"Fuckin' brat." He heard the man grumble under his breath. "… Shit… What would you do, Jackie…?"
Then he was gone—forcing his way through the bushes and stomping his feet across the dirt while roaring obscenities.
Renji looked down at the boy standing right in front of him; His wide brown eyes and trembling lips made the redhead frown.
"Hey… Did you… know that guy?" Renji asked gently. He hoped he was wrong… He hoped that the guy was just some homeless person with a bad temper, but the pained look he received said otherwise.
"…" The boy slowly crept backwards while keeping his gaze locked on the ground. "I should go…" He whispered in a voice so soft that Renji barely heard.
"Wait!" He reached out and touched the other's shoulder, ignoring the flinch it caused. "Don't go, okay?" The boy seemed ready to bolt any second, so Renji kept talking, hoping that maybe he could get him to talk back. "I can help you hide if you want." Nothing. "Do you wanna play a game?" Still nothing. "Uhm… Why haven't I seen you in school?" He asked, and he was actually curious about that, because he definitely would've remembered seeing that bright head of orange hair.
Pink lips eventually dropped into a frown, and it really seemed like the boy wasn't going to say anything. So the redhead slowly released his shoulder and was just about to give up when he heard that soft voice speak up once more.
"I…. My name is Ichigo…"
~5 years later~
Ichigo crossed his arms and huffed irritably, catching the attention of his friends, but he was too busy stewing in his own frustration to notice the worried glances sent his way.
Renji raised a brow and tilted his head with a frown. His sharp gaze roamed across the other's face, taking in the furrowed brows, pursed lips, and narrowed eyes. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but knew he wouldn't get an answer.
Ichigo had been rather irritable lately and his temper was like a ticking bomb just waiting to explode.
It was beginning to scare Renji and even some of the others. Every time they tried to ask Ichigo what was wrong, he'd just close-in on himself and keep quiet… He'd shove his feelings away like stuffing clothes into an already full suitcase.
Ichigo hid his thoughts and emotions well, but Renji wasn't stupid.
The orangette never spoke about his family or his past.
Hell, Renji's never even seen the guy's house. It was weird, but he respected Ichigo too much to question it.
But now… The teen was acting strange—well stranger than usual anyway.
And Renji had to find out why!
"Yoooo, Ichigo! Are you seein' anyone?"
All eyes widened and snapped towards the person who dared to ask such a ridiculous—ludicrous—absurd—unbelievable—w-who would ask such a thing!?
Ichigo blinked over and over again until the question finally sunk in and a huge blush devoured his face, spreading to his shoulders like water soaking in a sponge. He looked down with wide brown eyes to see familiar pink hair and a smirking face looking back up at him.
"Bazz-B?"
Renji narrowed his eyes and felt his lips stretch back into a snarl.
This bastard had the gall to just come up and ask Ichigo if—
"Uhm… Well…. No. I'm not."
Renji, along with Rukia and the others, looked at Ichigo as if he'd grown a second head and started singing a duet with it.
Bazz-B's smirk morphed into a victorious grin, and then he stalked his way up to the top of the bleachers where Ichigo and his friends were relaxing.
Renji let out a low growl when he was forcefully shoved aside by Bazz-B, making room for him and his stupid skateboard. Bazz-B continued to smirk as he invaded Ichigo's personal space—Not that the teen seemed to mind, to everyone's growing surprise.
"So~ Ichigo… M'havin' this party to celebrate me gettin' into High School. My dad's still away for some stupid business trip or whatever… So I was hoping you'd like ta come." Bazz explained as he wrapped an arm around the other's shoulder. Ichigo gnawed on his lip nervously as he eyed his friends, silently pleading for help, but before they could come to his rescue, Bazz-B continued. "Your buddies are welcome to come along too, of course."
Renji raised a brow and snorted, but then he felt himself tense when everyone else smiled and nodded in excitement.
"Will there be other high school guys at the party?" Matsumoto asked, her lips, which were growing plump with each passing day, pulled into a devious smile.
"Are guys all you ever think about?" Rukia sighed.
"Pfff… Not my fault you're still a little virgin princess." Matsumoto shot back with a grin, making Rukia's face explode with a blush.
"S-stupid! We're only 14! It's normal not to have had sex before! Unlike you, ya slut!" Rukia hissed back and then the two females were going at it like a couple of territorial cats—until Orihime and Tatsuki finally pulled them away from each other.
"You're just jealous 'cause you still have to stuff your bra!" Matsumoto growled while puffing out her chest, which was abnormally large for a young pubescent teen.
Bazz-B barked a laugh, catching everyone's attention. "You guys are hilarious! But yeah—I invited a bunch of my buddies to come along. Some of 'em are even sophomores.
Matsumoto grinned and shook off Tatsuki's hands which were still holding her back. "I'll be there then."
Shuuhei scoffed and shrugged before tilting his head back until he could look Bazz-B in the eye. "Will there be alcohol?"
"What's a party without booze?"
That had both Shuuhei and Kensei grinning from ear to ear.
"Cool." They said.
Bazz-B's grin never wavered as he turned to inspect the silent redhead to his left.
"What about you, Pineapple? You comin'?"
Renji sneered at the nickname and was tempted to snap at the older teen, but he paused when he saw the look on Ichigo's face.
It wasn't necessarily… happy… But it wasn't angry or irritated like before either. Cocoa-brown eyes were wide and curious as they stared up at Bazz-B, who still had a heavy arm wrapped around him.
Renji's blood boiled but he quickly curbed his jealousy before he wound up saying something he'd regret later.
"Guess I have no choice…" He grumbled.
If Ichigo was going, then Renji would too...
~At the party~
Ichigo gnawed his bottom lip as he stared at the brown-ish liquid in his red solo cup.
He's never drank alcohol before, and after Ginjou… Well… Let's just say Ichigo was a little wary of stooping to that level.
He swished the liquid around some more before setting it down on the table, which was already loaded with tubs of ice and beer as well as random assortments of snacks.
Renji and the others still had yet to show up, and Ichigo was scared that they had bailed on him.
He only agreed to come because he figured his friends would be around to have his back…
Andddd because he wanted to get to know Bazz-B, of course. But the older teen was too busy greeting the new arrivals to talk to him.
Ichigo let his gaze lock on that head of magenta hair which, for once, wasn't gelled up into an outrageous Mohawk—instead, the silky strands fell to one side and caressed high cheekbones with each turn of his head.
He was definitely a good-looking guy, and Ichigo secretly admired his toned muscles and brash attitude. He knew the guy could be a bit… overbearing sometimes, but Ichigo always wished he was as confident as Bazz-B seemed to be.
Don't get him wrong, Ichigo knew he could kick just about anyone's ass—thanks to Byakuya's training, but that didn't mean Ichigo never doubted himself. He couldn't bring himself to completely open up to his friends and constantly kept them in the dark about his troubles at home: How Ginjou's abuse just continued to get worse. How he tried his hardest to keep that asshole and his friends at a distance. How Ginjou would shove him against stuff and say horrible things like how he wished Ichigo had curled up and died in that alley.
"Hey, Ichigo… You okay?"
Said teen's eyes snapped up to see crimson eyes staring back at him and Ichigo instantly found himself relaxing beneath that familiar gaze.
"It's about time you got here, Renji."
Renji grinned and lightly bumped his shoulder with the orangette's.
"You know I got your back, man."
Ichigo did know, and he'd always be grateful for it.
A few minutes later and everyone else showed up, dressed to party.
Unfortunately, Ichigo wasn't much of a partier… He found himself getting thrown around by the wreathing mass of bodies until he didn't know which way was up or down anymore. He instantly lost track of his friends and found himself back at the snack table where his red solo cup still sat*.
Ichigo pursed his lips and lightly grabbed the cup, inspecting the liquid inside. The longer he stared at it the more curious he became.
What was it about this stuff that made people keep coming back to drink it…? If it tasted as horrid as it smelled, then there had to be something good about it…
Right?
Music blasted and vibrated throughout the whole two-story house and the teens slowly merged into large groups to either mingle or cause mayhem. Picture frames and other knickknacks were strewn across the floor in broken heaps and the kitchen was an absolute disaster. Ichigo wondered if Bazz-B would get in a lot of trouble, but the older teen didn't seem to care. He was back in the living room, chugging down half a keg of beer while his 'posse' cheered him on. Bazz seemed like he was having the time of his life.
Ichigo frowned and took his cup with him as he scooted around the snogging teens pressed against the wall, but he paused when he accidentally stepped over one of the fallen picture frames. He knelt down to retrieve it, shaking off some of the broken glass so he could inspect the old-looking photo beneath.
He frowned when he found four pairs of eyes staring back at him—each unique in their appearance and expression.
The first person he noticed was a girl. She had wavy, light-brown—almost orange—hair and she was beaming towards the camera with a huge smile on her face. Ichigo felt his insides twist for some odd reason as he continued to gaze into dark, cocoa-brown eyes. There was something so familiar and comforting about those eyes… but he couldn't figure out why.
Shaking off the strange feeling, Ichigo tore his eyes away from the girl to look at the other three people.
A small boy stood beside her. He had shoulder-length silver hair and steel-grey eyes that flashed beneath thick glasses. Those eyes were hooded with boredom and he seemed like he'd rather be doing anything else at the moment, but the girl held him still with one long arm wrapped around his shoulder.
To the boy's right were two others who looked a few years older. They were obviously twins since they shared the same pale complexion and long, ebony hair, but there were slight differences to their appearance. While one was smiling towards the lens and wearing huge sunglasses that were practically falling off his face, the other… Well, he was frowning and glaring at the lens with dark, hate-filled eyes.**
"Yoooo~! Berryyyy!"
Ichigo jumped and almost dropped the items in his hand when long arms wrapped around him from behind. He tensed as he caught the familiar stench of alcohol, but forced himself to relax when he recognized the voice.
"Ah… Hey, Bazz."
Said teen chuckled at the shortened version of his name and pressed Ichigo closer to himself as he buried his nose in soft, orange strands.
Ichigo blushed when he realized that the older teen was sniffing his hair.
"H-Hey!" Embarrassed, Ichigo tried to wiggle away, but quickly gave up his half-hearted struggle and sank back into the firm embrace. If he was honest with himself, he secretly enjoyed it. And he couldn't ignore the fact that he was attracted to this guy.
"Whatchu lookin' at..?" Bazz-B slurred as he peered over the berry's shoulder. He quirked a brow when he saw exactly what it was.
Ichigo pursed his lips for a moment, wondering if he should place the frame on the table and just forget he ever saw it, but…. curiosity got the better of him.
"Is this… your family?" He asked.
The pinkette hummed and Ichigo felt him nod before reaching out to point at the dark-haired boy that was glaring in the photo.
"Tha's'm'dad."Bazz grumbled and even without being able to see his face, Ichigo could tell there was a bit of a snarl on his lips when he said 'dad'. "He's a piece o' work… Always spoutin' nonsense 'bout Quincy heritage an' shit…. N'those're his sibling's… I've never met 'em an' he doesn't talk 'bout 'em much…" Huffing in annoyance, he snatched the frame from Ichigo's grasp and let it drop to the floor carelessly.
Ichigo was about to protest, wanting to ask more questions, but Bazz-B silenced him by quickly spinning him around and pinning him to the wall. Ichigo felt a blush burn across his cheeks when lips crashed into his own and some of the beer splashed out of his cup and onto the floor.
Ichigo only put up a fight for a short minute or two because deep down he knew he wanted it.
He's already hit that point in puberty where curiosity and hormones were at its apex and he wanted to know what it felt like to be with a guy.
Of course, Ichigo found girls attractive, and he even caught himself staring at Orihime or Matsumoto from time to time—like any normal boy would. But… Recently… Ichigo's fantasies were becoming less soft and more hard. He craved the feel of large, strong hands grabbing him. He wanted someone to overpower him, to dominate him—so to speak.
It seemed to be a primal thing and Ichigo would rather bite his own tongue off than admit it.
Ichigo's breath caught when a hand—that was definitely not female—snuck up his shirt and slid across his abs, making goosebumps crawl across his skin.
"Mngh." A moan slipped from his throat and Ichigo forgot how to breathe. The lips that were pressed against his own pulled into a smirk and Ichigo felt a shiver of excitement race down his spine.
"Wanna take this upstairs?" Bazz-B asked in a sinfully deep voice.
Surprisingly, he didn't slur and when Ichigo looked up into Bazz's predatory gaze, which were no longer clouded with intoxication. Bazz's unwavering gaze flashed with unbridled excitement and it made Ichigo's heart slam against his chest.
He bit his lip anxiously.
He wasn't stupid.
He knew why Bazz-B wanted to go upstairs, and Ichigo was willing to indulge. But he didn't want them to go too far…
The orangette glanced down at the cup still in his hand. He looked at his reflection in the dark liquid for a few seconds before finally thinking, 'Fuck it. You only live once, right?'
Ichigo tipped his head back and quickly chugged it down, nearly choking when the overwhelming taste attacked his senses, but he pushed through it. He grimaced as he tossed the empty cup over his shoulder and scrubbed his tongue against the roof of his mouth to try and get rid of the foul taste.
"Blegh…"
Bazz-B smirked and chuckled as Ichigo looked back up at him with wide, curious eyes. "C'mon." He whispered while placing a quick, wet kiss atop Ichigo's lips, then he gently pulled them towards the stairs. He urged the younger teen up the steps like a siren tempting sailors towards a jagged cliff.
"Ichigo!"
Said teen paused and peered over his shoulder to see Renji shoving his way through the grinding and wriggling mass of bodies that littered the house.
Ichigo blinked and ignored the annoyed groan he heard from Bazz-B to turn and face his friend.
"What's up, Ren?"
Renji paused at the steps to look up at Ichigo, pinning him with wide, desperate eyes.
"Don't."
Ichigo blinked as he was briefly reminded of when they first met at the playground—that same desperation and yearning poured from the redhead even now, and Ichigo felt his brow furrow in confusion.
Huh?
Don't what?
It took Ichigo a second to realize that Renji was actually asking him not to go upstairs with Bazz-B.
He frowned as annoyance pulled at his insides. "Renji… Don't tell me what to do. I can take care of myself—I'm not a little kid anymore."
Said redhead recoiled at the scowl he received, but he refused to let it stop him.
"Ichi… You can't trust him! He's—"
Bazz-B quickly stepped in and smirked, "You heard the man, Pineapple. Don't tell'm what ta do."
Renji's lips pressed into a hard line as he sent Bazz-B the most murderous glare Ichigo had ever seen come from those familiar crimson eyes.
Ichigo licked his lips nervously, but he shook the feeling away. He wasn't going to let Renji boss him around. Bazz-B's been nothing but nice tonight, and Ichigo wanted to test the waters.
"Just… Let me go, Ren."
His redheaded friend looked like he was going to put up a fight, but he deflated when the other turned back around.
"Tch… C'mon, Berry." Bazz-B hissed in the teen's ear as he urged him to keep moving up the stairs.
Ichigo nodded and followed close behind.
Renji clenched a fist and slammed it against the railing. He cursed under his breath when he lost sight of Ichigo and debated whether or not it was a good idea to follow him. Maybe he should go recruit Rukia… She might be able to talk some sense into him.
Ichigo took the steps one at a time and he tried not to think too hard about what he was about to do.
He should listen to Renji…
Maybe this wasn't such a great idea…
Ichigo gasped as a sudden wave of dizziness hit him and he stumbled on the last step. The only thing that kept him from falling on his face was Bazz-B's arm around his waist. Then, all at once, Ichigo's body flushed with intense heat, making him whine.
Ichigo tried to look up at Bazz-B's face, but his eyes were acting strange. His vision kept jumping and jerking towards the right, like when you spin in place for too long and then suddenly stop but it felt like the worled was still swirling around you.
"B-Bazz?" Ichigo stuttered, and then he felt a cool hand caress his face.
"Shhh~ It's okay, my lil' Strawberry Princess. Just relax~ It'll be more enjoyable that way."
The next 10 minutes were a complete blur.
Ichigo slowly fought his way out of whatever high he found himself trapped inside.
There was no way one silly cup of beer could get you this fucked up…
Either he was a complete lightweight, or someone had spiked his drink.
Ichigo figured it was probably the later, and he couldn't believe how stupid he'd been… He shouldn't have left his drink and then chugged it down like that.
Stupid. Stupid! STUPID!
Ichigo peeled his eyes open as awareness took its sweet time getting back to him.
While his brain was busy playing catch-up, things started occurring to him one at a time.
First, he could tell he was shirtless.
Second, he was down on his knees.
Third, he could feel his body tingling with arousal.
But the thing that had him panicking was the fact that something hard was sliding in and out of his mouth. It was long and thick, and Ichigo felt his eyes widen when he saw sharp hipbones moving back and forth in front of his face. Fine, dark-purple hairs brushed against his nose and carried a strong, musky scent which had Ichigo's eyes watering.
'FUCK!'
He tried to pull away, but winced when fingers clenched painfully in his hair and he gagged when the back of his throat was assaulted over and over again. Before he could muster up enough strength to pull himself away, it was too late.
Bazz-B let out a long, drawn out moan as he came.
Ichigo grimaced at the taste and he fought to keep his stomach-contents in check as he was forced to swallow most of it. He then coughed and gasped for breath when he was suddenly yanked back. The last few spurts of cum splashed against his cheek, nearly catching him in the eye.
Rage boiled inside Ichigo and it seemed that the angrier he got, the more he could move his body and the more he seemed to sober up. Just as he was about to jump up, Bazz-B's amused eyes locked with intense cocoa-brown and then the bedroom door suddenly slammed open.
Bazz-B's silly posse came stumbling inside.
They were hooting and laughing as they pulled out their phones and cameras.
Ichigo quickly turned and tried his best to wipe away the sticky substance covering his face, but it was far too late. Hands grabbed and pulled him to his feet and then he heard the click of cameras going off in his face.
Bazz-B, the fucker, was laughing his ass off as he tucked himself back into his jeans.
He fucking planned all of this!
"So how was he, Bazz?"
"Fuckin' amazing, man!"
"You think he's still sloshed enough for us to have a go?"
"Tch. Definitely. Gremmy put a buncha shit in his drink and this dumbass gulped it all down. I'm surprised he's not in a fuckin' coma."
Fury shoved aside all rationality, and Ichigo clenched his fists. Bazz-B didn't even get a chance to blink before solid knuckles smashed into the side of his face.
He was out cold before he even hit the ground.
The others blinked in surprise and jumped to help their fallen friend, but Ichigo was still seething with bloodlust.
At least three others fell in a boneless heap before Ichigo was finally pinned to the floor. He growled and thrashed with all of his might, but four pairs of hands had him pressed to the carpet. Fists collided with his ribs and his cheek, but he refused to give up.
Thankfully, Renji and Rukia had heard the commotion and came barging in. They quickly shoved the teens off their friend and Ichigo snarled when he felt arms wrap around him, but the sight of long crimson locks and midnight-blue eyes immediately calmed him.
"Renji." Ichigo choked out. He didn't care that his voice had cracked. "You were right. Bazz-B… He—…" His voice caught in his throat as he fought to keep his emotions in check.
Rukia spun to face Bazz-B's friends at that, her eyes smoldering with murderous intent. Renji frowned but didn't say a word as he quickly pulled Ichigo out of the room. They kept moving until they were finally out of the house and alone.
"I'm sorry..." Ichigo mumbled, but Renji didn't scold him or yell 'I told you so', like Ichigo thought he would. The redhead just tugged the teen into a bone-crushing hug until he finally calmed down. "Renji…?"
Said teen loosened his hold just a bit. "Yeah…?"
"Is it okay if I stay with you and Rukia tonight? I can't go back home like this…" Ichigo said while looking down at his naked chest and rubbed at his face, which was still sticky with Bazz's essence. He was sure Ginjou would never let this go if he saw him like this.
"Of course, Ichigo… Lemme grab Rukia real quick before she kills those guys."
Ichigo felt himself smirk at that, knowing full well what Rukia's wrath was capable of. Before Renji was out of earshot though, he quickly shouted, "Hey! Make sure she grabs their phones and cameras!"
Renji raised a brow but nodded before disappearing back into the house.
Ichigo sighed as he wrapped his arms around himself.
He was lucky to have friends like Renji and Rukia…
…
..
~Back to the present~
..
…
Blue eyes snapped up to see the familiar ghostlike figure of Shirosaki as he came strutting through the doors of the locker room.
Grimmjow felt anger and irritation itch at his insides like a rash, but he ignored it—well, he tried to at least. There was nothing that got under his skin more than when his so-called brother ignored the rules.
The same rules they had mutually agreed on at the start of their High School adventure.
He always thought Shiro had more pride than that.
Their game had been going on for almost four years now and the only rule either of them broke was the 'No Double-dipping' rule. But I mean… come on! You can only sleep with so many people in the same stupid school before you wind up fucking them again… especially if they weren't good enough to remember in the first place.
Grimmjow narrowed his eyes as he soaked in Shiro's leather-bound appearance and frowned at the shit-eating grin sent in his direction. He crossed powerful arms over a chiseled chest when Shiro started walking towards him and leaned against the wall, blocking the way to their lockers.
"'Bout time ya got here." He scoffed when Shiro stopped in front of him, but golden eyes just rolled while broad shoulders shrugged.
"Since when've I been known ta be on time?" Shirosaki smirked as he leaned closer towards the taller, blue-haired teen. "And… if I 'member correctly… You were the one tha' wanted to skip Gym yesterday."
Grimmjow's lip rose in a sneer.
This fucker—
He quickly shook off the irritation, expression returning to its unusually calm façade.
By this point, most of the guys in the locker room were already out in the Gymnasium—which included Ichigo, so it was just Grimmjow and Shiro. And maybe a few other slowpokes that were hiding somewhere amidst the lockers.
"Yeah, well, I got a bone ta pick with you." Grimmjow snarled, letting his anger slip, and he frowned when Shiro just smirked at him.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. You're a fuckin' cheater, ya know that?" Grimmjow snapped. He reached out and flicked the thick leather collar of Shiro's jacket before tugging at the straps.
Shirosaki huffed and shoved Grimmjow away. "What? These?" He gestured towards his apparel before letting another smirk split his face. "The rules don't say shit about wearin' leather, Grimm."
Said bluenette bristled and he slammed a balled-up fist against the locker just above Shiro's head, but the teen didn't even flinch. Golden irises merely flickered with anger before melting back to indifference.
Both alpha males were trying so hard to suppress their rising anger. While Shirosaki was calm on the outside, he was very close to snapping, and Grimmjow's azure gaze, which swirled with stifled rage, was not helping.
"I've only ever seen ya wear that shit when you're tryin' to 'seal the deal', so don't feed me your bullshit, Shiro." Grimmjow hissed. Steam was practically leaking from his ears and flaring nostrils as he physically suppressed the urge to lash out.
"Whatsa matter…? Can't handle a lil' competition?"
Shirosaki braced himself for the incoming outburst or maybe even a solid punch to the face, but he frowned when Grimmjow's mood did a complete 180. Instead of a growl or snarl, loud laughter burst from his chest and lips pulled up into a smirk. Grimmjow shoved himself off the lockers to take a few steps back, stilling laughing.
"Fuck man… Ya know what? Fine—You wanna play dirty?" He narrowed his eyes challengingly as a dangerous grin tugged at his lips. "Let's play dirty."
Shiro frowned but didn't say a word as he watched the other turn and walk away.
Grimmjow quickly rounded the corner and went straight for the door, but he paused as an idea came to him. He looked back to make sure Shirosaki wasn't watching and opened the door. He then let it close with a quiet click, letting Shirosaki think that he'd left the room.
Moving silent as the shadows, Grimmjow swiftly slid himself behind the lockers and grinned in satisfaction when he could hear Shiro cussing up a storm.
"Fuckin' dick. Gotta get all pissy 'bout stupid shit. M'gonna make sure Ichi never fucks 'im if it's the last thing I do."
Shiro slammed his locker shut and then stormed off, still grumbling under his breath.
As soon as the door closed, Grimmjow stepped around until he came to the teen's abandoned locker. He clicked it open and then went digging through the small pockets of Shiro's leather pants.
"Aha~!" Grimmjow quietly hooted as he found what he'd been looking for.
He pressed the phone on and quickly swiped his thumb across the screen to unlock the combination. It opened up to the homepage and Grimmjow clicked his way into the settings.
First he removed the screen's lock, and then he made his way to the background options. Currently, it was set to a picture of him and Shiro doing a thumbs up at the camera. Both grinning boys were barely recognizable beneath the thick layers of yellow, orange, red, blue, and green paint. Grimmjow's lips quirked up into a small grin. He remembered that day… It was when he and Shiro snuck out of school to go to that Color Run years ago. It had been a spontaneous decision and Aizen was so pissed when they finally got home, still tie-dyed various bright colors.
That had been the day Shirosaki finally recognized him as a brother.
Grimmjow sighed as he soaked in the image, debating whether or not he should go through with this little scheme…
This would be crossing all sorts of lines…
He hesitated.
'Tch… This is what he gets for being a fuckin' cheat.' He convinced himself.
He pressed his thumb down on the delete button, changing the background to black.
Once he was finished, he shifted until he was in front of Ichigo's locker and hesitated one last time before chucking the phone inside. He quickly slammed the locker closed before he could change his mind.
There was no going back now.
…
..
.
"So… what's it like being the most wanted princess in school?" Shinji jested as he poked his friend's side.
Ichigo growled as he batted the blonde-haired-gnat away. "Horrible. I can't believe he pulled that shit yesterday… If I see that no-good, pink-headed asshole, I'm going to rip his fucking throat out."
Shinji blinked and frowned at the fury dripping from scowling lips and quickly scooted away to a safe distance. They were sitting on the bleachers, waiting for the monster—AKA Kenpachi—to finally show his face, and both Shinji and Kensei were trying to appease their orange-headed friend, but it was all in vain.
"If you're talking about Bazz-B, then I wouldn't worry—From what I hear, he's skipping school today…"
Ichigo shifted his gaze down towards his lap, where his friend, Shuuhei Hisagi, was currently lounging.
It wasn't anything new; to have his friends either laying on him or trying to get some sort of physical contact. Ichigo always assumed that it was because he himself never usually initiated it, so they took it upon themselves to hug, shove, link arms, and etcetera with him. It was a little unnerving sometimes, but Ichigo learned not to care as long as it was a close friend.
"I hope you're right…" Ichigo grumbled before sighing.
He really hoped that this whole princess thing would blow over by tomorrow…
Brown eyes snapped up when he heard the locker room open to see that Shirosaki had finally decided to grace them with his presence.
Ichigo grinned and raised his hand to wave the older teen over. When Shuuhei noticed the newcomer, he slowly sat up and made room for him while Kensei and Shinji stayed to Ichigo's left. Shiro smirked as he settled to Ichigo's right and his arm instantly went up and across Ichigo's shoulders in a half hug, making the poor teen blush.
"Heya, Ichi~ Ready for class?"
Ichigo rolled his eyes but unconsciously leaned into the embrace as he answered. "As ready as I'll ever be—knowing Kenpachi, we'll be doing a 10 mile run or something that'll make you wish you were dead."
Shirosaki grimaced and then slumped against the other tiredly.
"Ughhhh… It's too early… Don't wanna run."
"Join the club." Shinji scoffed as he eyed the albino with a raised brow.
Shiro slowly sat up and peered over Ichigo's head to look the blonde up and down. Out of habit, a smirk spread across his face while gold on black eyes hooded seductively and he spoke without thinking. "If you're in the club, then I'll totally join~"
Ichigo's head snapped up towards his brother. A sudden surge of jealousy hit him—especially when Shinji, his so-called friend, sent a saucy grin of his own towards the other.
"Oof!" Shiro huffed when a sharp elbow jabbed his ribcage. "Tha' wasn't nice…" He grumbled, but then he paused when he noticed Ichigo's irritated glare.
Shiro grinned.
Using his grip around the other, he brought his little brother closer and then buried his nose in bright orange hair before whispering, "No need ta be jealous, dandelion~"
Ichigo sniffed stubbornly and was about to tell him off, but he clenched his jaw shut when the Gymnasium doors opened. All eyes snapped to the side to see someone making their way inside.
Kenpachi's intimidating presence immediately engulfed the room, making some of the students cower, until they happened to notice the bright pink thing that was latched to the giant man.
It was Kenpachi's bubblegum-haired daughter, Yachiru. She was sitting atop his shoulder like a parrot with the biggest smile on her baby-ish face.
How she managed to talk Kenpachi into taking her was a mystery to Ichigo, but he wasn't all that surprised.
Ichigo briefly wondered where Byakuya went off to... He was so sure that he'd be with Kenpachi by now.
'Oh well…' He shrugged.
Kenpachi made his way across the shiny, wooden floor of the gymnasium until he could stand in clear view of his students. "Alright dicks n' clits!" He shouted, gaining everyone's attention just like yesterday. "This is the day I whip you pathetic lot into shape!" Excitement pulsed through Ichigo while confusion and slight fear weaved its way through the rest of the group. "But first you need to warm-up. Do 20 laps around the gym."
Ichigo's heart instantly sunk and he groaned with the rest of the class.
"Don't make that fuckin' face!" Kenpachi growled and Yachiru clapped her tiny hands while giggling. "Now get movin'!"
While Ichigo and Shirosaki made their way down the bleachers, neither of them noticed Grimmjow sneak out of the locker-room and join the grumbling mass of students until a large, blue-ish blur shoved between them.
Grimmjow jogged forward a little and then turned to give Ichigo a playful wink, to which the berry rolled his eyes.
A slight blush still managed to fight its way across his cheeks, but Ichigo was getting better at ignoring the flirtatious gestures.
Shirosaki, on the other hand, sent Grimmjow a seething glare. But it was easily shrugged off.
"C'mon slowpokes." Grimmjow teased before turning back around to jog ahead.
Not one to ignore an obvious challenge, Ichigo immediately sped up, making Shirosaki huff and lurch into a jog so he could keep up.
The whole exercise eventually turned into a back and forth race between Grimmjow and Ichigo. Shirosaki had gotten bored and a little annoyed at being ignored, so he chose to walk alongside Nnoitra and Shuuhei instead.
Ichigo and Grimm were full out sprinting at this point and by the 15th lap Grimmjow soared his way into the lead—until, that is, Shirosaki's foot 'magically' popped out to trip him.
"Fuck!" Grimmjow went face-first into the floor, his nose colliding with a solid CRACK.
Ichigo's eyes widened and he slowed to a stop before kneeling at the bluenette's side. Most of the other students continued making their way around the gym while some of the more curious ones stopped to see if he was alright. A few, including Shirosaki and Nnoitra, were too busy cackling in the background to care. Ichigo scowled at his brother before slowly helping the injured teen into a sitting position. He turned Grimmjow's face towards him so he could take a look, ignoring the curious blue eyes that were burrowing their way into his soul.
A small river of blood dripped from one nostril and slid over frowning pink lips.
"How's it look, Nurse Ichigo?" Grimmjow joked, and Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle.
This guy was bleeding all over and yet he couldn't seem to stop himself from teasing and making jokes.
Ichigo pursed his own lips as he tried to hold his amusement at bay when reached out and lightly touched the sensitive cartilage. He paused at Grimmjow pained wince—but the teen didn't make a sound. He just sucked it up as Ichigo checked to make sure his nose wasn't broken. Without thinking, Ichigo also lightly smoothed his thumb over the two bruises decorating the other's cheek.
The orangette paused when he saw Grimmjow smirk and blinked when he realized he'd probably been touching the other's face a bit too long.
He quickly snatched his hands away. "I think you'll be okay." He mumbled just as Kenpachi walked up.
"What happened?"
Grimmjow reluctantly tore his gaze from the blushing berry to look up at the man addressing him. He then quickly glanced towards Shirosaki to see the smirk on his smug little face.
Grimmjow's lips pulled up into a sneer but then he quickly jumped to his feet and brushed himself off. "Nothin', sir. Just clumsy is all."
Kenpachi eyed him for a long moment, brow raised in disbelief.
He flicked his gaze back and forth between Shirosaki and Grimmjow, but then shrugged. It wasn't his job to break up drama. "Alright then—Get back to your exercise!" He shouted while also motioning towards the students gathered around, but he made sure to keep Ichigo behind for a moment.
Yachiru hummed as she crawled around Kenpachi's shoulder before sliding down his arm so she could cling to Ichigo, wrapping her small arms and legs around his neck. The orangette raised a brow at the little pink-ish girl, but otherwise ignored her.
"Do you know those two?" Kenpachi asked and Ichigo pressed his lips together nervously.
"Uh… Well… yeah. Shirosaki, the white-guy, is my brother… And the other guy, Grimmjow, he's Shiro's foster brother." When Kenpachi furrowed his brows, Ichigo shrugged. "It's a long story."
Kenpachi waved him off. "I don't wanna know. Just do me a favor and make sure those two behave themselves for the rest of the class."
Ichigo frowned and sighed, "I'll try—but I promise nothing."
Kenpachi chuckled and gave the teen's back a good, hard whack, making him stumble forward. "I believe in ya, kid! Now get to joggin'!" Ichigo didn't need to be told twice.
"Yayyy! Go, Ichi! Goooo! Ichi! Goooo!" Yachiru squealed in delight as she held on like a little monkey. Ichigo smiled softly as he slowly jogged the rest of the laps.
Once that grueling task was over, the students slowly dragged themselves towards the bleachers, hearts pounding and chests heaving—except the lazy-asses that walked the whole way.
Before Ichigo made it to his seat, he paused when he heard the gym doors open. Curious, he peered over the bleacher's rail to see familiar long, raven hair and cold eyes.
Byakuya!
It was about time!
Ichigo quickly jumped over the rail to land right in front of the man, grinning when he caught him by surprise.
The shock only lasted a split second and was quickly replaced by his usual bored expression before he addressed the orangette.
"Ichigo…" He greeted and then he switched his gaze to the small child still latched to the teen's shoulder. "Yachiru…"
"Byakuya." The teen replied while crossing his arms.
"Heya, Byaku!" Yachiru waved with a huge smile plastered on her small face.
"Heard you wanted to speak with me." Ichigo continued once the girl was done giggling.
Byakuya nodded his head. "Yes, I do. But first, let me deliver this to Kenpachi. The moron forgot it at the Dojo last night." He said as he held up a worn-out leather wallet.
Ichigo hummed with a smirk, knowing how forgetful the giant man was.
"I'll take it to him!" Yachiru shouted, and before Byakuya could even protest, she reached out, snatched the wallet and dashed away.
Byakuya didn't even bother to chase after her, already knowing he would never be able to catch the speedy little creature.
"Well… Since that's taken care of, I have something important to discuss with you."
Ichigo blinked and slowly uncrossed his arms when he realized that Byakuya's tone was more serious than usual. "Okay… What's up?"
Byakuya looked around quickly before gesturing for the teen to follow him. "Not here… I don't want someone to overhear us."
Well that didn't make him nervous…
Ichigo followed closely behind until they found themselves inside Byakuya's car. The teen figured maybe they would be driving someplace private, but Byakuya thought that this was isolated enough and turned to address the other.
"I heard about what happened." Byakuya's voice was cold and filled with slight anger and disappointment.
It was the most emotion Ichigo had heard from Byakuya in a while and it made him recoil.
The last thing he ever wanted was to disappoint this man who was like a big brother to him—and sometimes even a father-figure.
"What exactly did you hear…?"
"Eveything. So start talking."
Ichigo panicked and words just started flying from his lips. "Look, I didn't even remember I had brothers until yesterday, okay!? A-and I didn't know that people were after us! That thing that happened at the hospital was a freak coincidence. We just wanted to find that coma-guy and—well. I…" Ichigo trailed off and gulped when Byakuya still had that stern gaze locked on him.
"And…?" Byakuya pressed.
Apparently he was waiting for Ichigo to admit something specific, but the teen wasn't sure what.
"Huh?"
Byakuya sighed and rubbed at his temples before shifting in the seat until he was completely facing the boy.
"Does the name Ginjou ring any bells?"
"Oh… That…" Ichigo winced and curled up in his seat, wishing that it would magically swallow him whole so he wouldn't have to suffer through any more of this disappointment and guilt. "That's nothing. I ca—"
"Ichigo." Byakuya snapped, voice firm and demanding. "I've kept my mouth shut because you never made a big deal about it. I was hoping you would eventually come to me on your own because I didn't want you to push us away, but now I find out that the real reason you show up to Karate already covered in bruises is because of your Father?"
"Most of it was just bullies fr—"
"Bullshit!" Byakuya growled. He was finding it hard to keep his cool. He was never fond of liars, and the fact that Ichigo was trying to wriggle away from the truth irritated him more than he seemed to realize. "Stop lying to me, Ichigo. I had to hear about what happened with you and Ginjou from Kenpachi—of all people."
Ichigo blinked and scrunched his face in confusion. "Kenpachi? But… How did he…?"
"He was originally assigned as your bodyguard today by a man named Aizen Sousuke…"
Ichigo scratched his forehead, still a little confused. "Originally?"
Byakuya sighed when he surmised that he would have to spell it out for the teen.
"When Kenpachi got the job, he wasn't told your name at first—but when he realized it was you, he immediately interrogated Mr. Sousuke for answers, and once he got them, he called me. Kenpachi then recommended me for the job instead."
"Oh…" Ichigo said as realization sunk in. "Uhm… I'm…" He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat before continuing. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner… And… thanks… for being my bodyguard I guess."
Byakuya huffed out an annoyed breath before finally relaxing back in his seat. "Well… I'll be more than that after this weekend."
Ichigo raised a brow curiously at that, but Byakuya's expression gave nothing away. The eldest Kuchiki slowly took in a deep, calming breath before releasing it.
"Ichigo… I spoke with the courthouse this morning and, as of next week, I'm going to be your legal guardian."
Ichigo felt every different kind of emotion erupt inside him all at once, like a volcano that decided it was no longer dormant, and Ichigo wasn't sure what to do with himself.
His throat felt dry and swollen. "Really?" He was barely able to choke out.
"Yes. Ginjou never legally adopted you, so you have no reason to stay with him."
Ichigo's vision grew blurry as tears welled up around his lids. "Y-you're serious?"
Byakuya pinned him with his usual cold eyes, but Ichigo could sense the satisfaction hidden beneath. "Of course I'm serious… I just wish you would have told me about this sooner…" Ichigo blinked, accidentally letting a few stray tears escape, and Byakuya immediately tensed at the reaction. "However, if you wanted someone else to be your guardian, then that's fine. I should have asked you first, but I assumed—" Byakuya's voice instantly died in his throat when he found an emotional, orange-headed teen curled on his lap, clinging to him like his life depended on it. The teen was practically beaming with joy and, strangely enough, Byakuya found that he didn't care that he was being squished or that Ichigo's elbow was stuck against the horn of the steering wheel.
…
..
.
HONKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!
Getsuga snapped up straight with a start and blinked the sleep from his drooping eyes.
What the…?
Looking around, he slowly realized that the obnoxious sound was coming from outside. He looked towards the window to find that most of the students were gathered around it to see what was going on, but after a few seconds, the noise died and they were forced to return to their seats.
The only ones who hadn't felt the need to investigate were Getsuga, who was still trying to wake up, and Ulquiorra, who was busy reading.
"Hmm.. Odd.." Their chemistry professor, Mr. Akon, hummed as he returned to his spot in front of the whiteboard. "But anyway… Back to what we were saying about the periodic table. If you look at the—"
And that's when Getsuga zoned out again.
He had been so excited to realize that the class he missed yesterday was actually Chemistry!
But, turns out, Mr. Akon was treating the subject like some stupid Math class.
Boring….
Getsuga was tempted to lay his head back down and fall back into a dreamless sleep, but he paused when he looked to his right and locked gazes with Ulquiorra. Getsuga felt stupefied by how impossibly green his eyes were.
It was like staring into a pair of fresh-cut emeralds.
Getsuga let his gaze slowly tear from those sparkling eyes to roam across smooth, porcelain skin and then up towards silky strands of dark hair.
The teen reminded Getsuga of a raven: Silent flier with a sharp gaze and an even sharper set of talons… A raven with midnight-black wings that pierced the sky but were soft to the touch.
Ulquiorra seemed to realize that they had been staring at each other for a bit too long and quickly averted his gaze, pretending to focus on Mr. Akon's lesson. Getsuga couldn't help but smirk at the reaction, especially when he noticed the small hint of pink on the other's cheeks.
Cute~
For the rest of class, Getsuga found himself wordlessly flirting with the teen, but Ulquiorra completely ignored him.
Getsuga frowned when he realized that class would be over in 15 minutes.
Shit.
He had to find a way to get the teen's attention! If not, then Getsuga would feel like a dumbass for the rest of the day…
Taking a look around, Getsuga finally noticed the stack of books by the teen's feet.
Most of them were murder-mysteries and popular novels which were known to be rather dark and angsty.
Hmm…
Then he noticed the very last book. It was labeled 'Gothic Poetry' in stylish, black font.
Ha!
He could definitely work with that.
Opening his unused notebook, Getsuga ripped out a blank sheet of paper and immediately began swiping his pen across it. He tried to keep his handwriting as neat and elegant as he could manage.
Little black raven
Your silence piques my curiosity
As it all but calms my animosity
Mysterious raven
Your emerald gaze enlightens
While around my soul it tightens
Immortal raven
I beckon you to come and weave your nest
At the edge of the hole inside my chest
Little black raven
Would you rip me asunder
If I asked for your number?***
~Getsuga~
"Okay, boys and girls! Your homework is up here, come and grab a sheet before the bell rings, and if you have any questions you should ask now."
Getsuga looked up and rolled his eyes, but then he blinked as he watched everyone, including Ulquiorra, stand and make their way to the front.
This was his chance~
He quickly reread his little poem to make sure there weren't any silly mistakes. Once he was satisfied, he folded the paper and surreptitiously stuck it inside the teen's poetry book.
Hopefully it'll work.
And with that last thought, Getsuga stood and made his way to the front so he could also receive the stupid homework for this stupid class.
TBC
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..
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So at least I got your GetsuUlqui-ness started!
Took long enough, didn't it?
Lmao
Anyway….
Sorry this chapter was so fucking long!
BUT I WARNED YOU!
… sigh…
And trust me, everything is coming together, okay?
Also, like I've said before—IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THEN PM ME
I'll try to give you an answer without spoiling anything
Unless you WANT spoilers… But that's up to you haha!
*I trust you all know this already… But I'll go ahead and say it anyway: If you're out (whether at a party or a club/bar) never EVER leave your cup somewhere and then drink from it later. Unfortunately, Ichigo had to learn the hard way—but I'm making sure you guys get this through your heads.
**Anyone want to take a guess at who the four kids are? I'll give you a hint: The only one you haven't officially met yet is Bazz's dad.
***Isn't it so disturbingly corny? Yeah, I'm not much of a poet… don't shoot me lol, but I think it came out okay~