Chapter 5: Ichigo.
Ichigo stepped out of the steamy shower and dried his body off with a towel. He grinned when he saw the fading love bites on his inner thigh; God, he missed his little snowflake, and it had only been a day and a half since he had seen him. Toshiro was due to come over soon though, all the soul reapers were actually, as they were going to have a mission meeting and discuss strategy in the case that Aizen did actually send a larger attack soon.
Obviously it was not a romantic rendezvous between him and his lover, but he was going to use this opportunity to tell the other soul reapers about their relationship. He was feeling confident, having told his human (for the most part) friends yesterday after school; Orihime had squealed in delight, Tatsuki had punched him in the arm before giving him a sly, approving look, Chad had simply patted him on the back in congratulations while the Quincy had only muttered, "Thank God, maybe the captain will teach you some common sense."
Pulling on a fresh pair of pants, and drying off his hair before placing the towel around his neck, he made his way to his bedroom to get a new shirt.
He was surprised to see Rukia and Renji waiting for him there; Rukia looking hopeful while Renji looked downright annoyed.
"Hey," Ichigo waved dumbly, "What are you guys doing here so early? The meeting isn't for another half hour."
Renji looked like he was about to say something but Rukia smacked him over the back of his head before he could get the words out.
"Well, Ichigo," Rukia began, glaring at Renji before turning to smile at him sweetly, "We thought we might come over earlier so that we could catch up, you know, as friends instead of soul reapers."
"Oh…okay then," Ichigo said, moving to the closest and pulling on a fresh shirt. He thought it was a bit weird, even for them two. Maybe they had something to tell him?
Something struck him and he accidently blurted out, "Are you two dating? Is that what you've come to tell me?"
Ichigo knew they liked each other, and also that they had been too nervous to confront each other about it. He felt giddy at the thought that maybe they had gotten together; they could totally go on double dates now!
Renji reacted instantly, standing up and striding over to Ichigo in two large steps. Face to face, Ichigo could tell he'd definitely said the wrong thing; Renji was livid, and behind him Rukia blushed scarlet.
"No, you stupid strawberry! You're the one who is dating someone, and we want to know who!" Renji exclaimed, seething, his eyes like boring into Ichigo. It briefly reminded Ichigo of a kid trying to burn ants with a magnifying glass on a sunny day…he was the ant in this analogy.
"W-What, err, what are you talking about?" Ichigo gulped. He was panicking, unsure why since he was planning to tell them that evening anyway.
"Sorry, Ichigo, I told him not to get so worked up about it," Rukia chimed in, coming over to pull Renji back to the bed, "but I heard you talking about it with your family yesterday before school."
Ichigo made an unintelligible sound of recognition.
"Please, Ichigo, we are really happy that you've found someone," Rukia continued, having managed to calm down the fiery redhead beside her, "We were hoping you might share it with us, we are your friends, after all."
Ichigo sighed and took a seat on his desk chair. He waited a minute, figuring out the best way to go about this subject without pissing them off more.
"Very well," He began, "Firstly, you should know that I didn't keep you guys in the dark on purpose. We only started telling people recently. My family on the night you came back, Rukia, and Orihime and the others last night. I was planning on telling you guys at the end of the meeting because this is the first time all of the soul reapers have been together for a while."
Rukia and Renji exchanged looks, before staring back at him expectantly, urging him to continue.
"I really want you guys to be supportive of my relationship," Ichigo continued on, meeting their eyes, "You honestly have no idea how happy he makes me."
"I do," Rukia piped up, "I've been watching you, Ichigo. Yesterday at school, I saw you smile for the first time since I've known you."
Ichigo blushed profusely, had he been so obvious?
"Alright, enough beating around the bush, Ichigo, just tell us who has you so whipped!" Renji smirked, finally in a better mood.
"W-Whipped?" Ichigo spluttered, "I'm not whipped, you moron!"
Ichigo found himself with his forehead pressed against Renji's. Why would he expect anything different? They've never had a serious talk without turning it into one of their head-butting games.
"You are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
Ichigo was about to retort when Rukia suddenly grabbed them both by their collars and yanked them back harshly, before returning to her spot on the bed, sitting cross-legged and looking at her nails as though nothing had happened. Rukia had always played mediator between the two brash men.
The two redheads glared at each other, and then at Rukia before chuckling softly to themselves. Ichigo had missed this; the three of them hanging out socially, not fighting any hollows or bounts or former captains…it was a nice change.
"Just tell us, Ichigo," Renji grinned.
Ichigo took a deep breath, here goes nothing.
"It's Toshiro…he's the guy I have been seeing," Ichigo answered, a small smile and a light blush forming on his cheeks; okay, maybe he was a little whipped.
Silence was the only response that greeted him. A beat passed and so did another, but nothing was said as his two friends struggled to process the information.
"Tosh-Toshiro? As in Toshiro Hitsugaya? As in Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya?!" Renji eventually choked out in wild disbelief.
"Uhh yeah?" Ichigo responded lamely, he suddenly had a bad feeling about this.
"YOU ARE DATING CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA?!" Renji shouted jumping to his feet, forcing a surprised Ichigo to back up in his desk chair, "CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA IS YOUR BOYFRIEND?!"
"It doesn't matter which way you say it, Renji, it's still true."
"BUT YOU CAN'T!" screamed Renji once more.
"And why not?" Ichigo questioned, a little offended, "and keep your voice down, my family is home!"
Rukia placed a hand on Renji's shoulder and pushed herself in front of him.
"I think Renji is just concerned that maybe a relationship with a soul reaper isn't very practical since you are still human, and he doesn't want you to get hurt, right Renji?"
"That's just the tip of the ice berg," Renji muttered.
"I know that I'm human and he isn't so that's why we waited so long to tell you, we wanted to make sure this relationship can actually work, and guess what?" Ichigo stood up as he fought to keep his voice down, "It can work, and we are in this for the long haul, so you better get used to it."
"It's not just that, Ichigo," Renji snapped, standing back next to Rukia, "There are so many reasons why this is a terrible idea."
Ichigo was about to open his mouth when an all too familiar sing-song voice sounded from outside.
"Yoo-hoo!" Rangiku sung as she bounded in happily through the window.
She pouted like a puppy when she was met with nothing but awkward silence.
"Uh oh, did I interrupt something?" She asked, not sounding the least bit sorry.
"Actually yeah, Rangiku, listen to this: Ichigo here has apparently become smitten with your captain! Please set him straight, Ran, he won't listen to me," Renji responded in exasperation.
"Oh I found months ago," She grinned happily – either unaware of Renji's aversion or completely ignorant to it – before turning to Ichigo, "You two are so cute!"
"MONTHS?!" Renji exclaimed loudly before being shushed by Rukia.
"Is that a problem?" asked Rangiku, her smile disappearing as she was no longer oblivious to Renji's distaste, "What's wrong with that, Renji?"
"Yeah, what is wrong with that, Renji?" Ichigo challenged, "Give me one good reason why this is a 'terrible idea' as you call it?"
"Alright then," Renji retorted, rising up to the test, "Number one; you are human and he is a soul reaper."
Ichigo rolled his eyes; they had just been over that.
"Number two; you are only sixteen and he's got to be at least a hundred years old."
'Yeah but he looks 14, so…' Ichigo thought. He noticed that Rukia was getting noticeably uncomfortable the more Renji continued on; she was beginning to look very nervous as her eyes darted between the other three occupants of the room.
"And then there is the whole personality thing…"
"Renji…" Rukia warned, looking utterly terrified now.
"Ichigo, you are a kind, warm hearted guy who just wants to protect everyone. Captain Hitsugaya isn't like that," Renji ignored his previous warning.
"Renji, don't do it!" Rukia pleaded.
"He is a cold-blooded, heartless ice dragon who has never cared about anyone," Renji continued, "Ichigo, trust me; he is never going to return your love and affection. He is made purely from ice and he always has been. Great captain, yes, but boyfriend? No, definitely not."
Ichigo was fuming. How dare Renji say that about his boyfriend?! Toshiro was nothing like that. Ichigo glared at his supposed 'friend' and could not stop the violent urge that was coming over him. He could hear his inner hollow egging him on; all he wanted to do all punch Renji straight in the jaw for saying those horrible things about his handsome ice prince.
"…The guy is a freak, Ichi-"
SLAP!
Before Ichigo had even taken a step forward, someone had beaten him to the punch – literally. The harsh sound of skin colliding with skin echoed around the room.
Renji's face was snapped sideways from the force of the slap, his eyes widened in shock.
Rukia was frozen in utter astonishment.
Rangiku was looking at her hand as though she hadn't even realised what she'd done.
Renji slowly turned to look at her, his hand covering his reddening cheek, still trying to process that he'd just been back-handed by his fellow lieutenant and long-time friend.
A shockwave of silence spread throughout the room. No one dared be the first to speak.
Ichigo had no idea what to do; Renji had clearly not approved of his relationship and then insulted the very person he fell in love with, Rukia had apparently been the only one to notice that anger building in Rangiku's spiritual pressure but her warnings had been foolishly ignored, and his boyfriend's lieutenant had just physical assaulted one of his best friends. Shit.
And then the worst possible thing that could have happened did, in fact, happen.
"Would someone care to explain just what is happening here?"
Every single body in the room tensed. They all knew that cool voice; no emotion, angry or otherwise. The deadpan question meant he was beyond furious, and all four of them shivered in fear.
Four sets of eyes turned to meet the icy blue ones at Ichigo's bedroom window. The shocked, nervous, angry and guilty came face to face with Toshiro Hitsugaya, Captain of the Tenth Division.
Well, fuck.
… … …
Well now.
So before I get any angry reviewers insisting that Renji would not say those things, well I'm sorry but he is my Renji, and he really did just say those things. I love Renji, I really do, but let's face it; he is a bit of an idiot (similar to Ichigo really). He has a good heart, and he is just trying to protect Ichigo. He's opinions are born out of ignorance since he doesn't know Toshiro very well. In this fic, his opinions are similar to most others in the Soul Society. K, we cool?
THANKS FOR READING AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW (pretty please?)
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