Disclaimer: I do NOT own bleach. This is all solely for entertainment purposes, mainly mine.
"Normal speech"
'Thoughts'
Flashback
WARNINGS:
Yaoi, Boy-and-Boy pairing as in GrimmIchi, and yes, it's in that order so if you don't like uke!Ichi, then too bad. There is hurt/comfort with an equally passionate romance beneath - I hope. And most important of all, this is all AU, so as long as you do not find this disturbing, I hope you enjoy this story that just so happened to contain one of my favorite bleach pairings. Rated M just in case 'cause I'll most likely put in lemon!
#3#
"All right, next pose…! A little bit more to the right, Getsu! There, that's fine. Now show us that stupid smile the men and ladies die for!"
"Hey! I take offense at that."
The photographer just waved off the reproach as he looked rather uncaring while placing his sun glasses on top of his head. He knew that if he wasn't quick enough the black haired man would get frustrated and most likely move. That would ruin the shot and he definitely did not want to redo it, again.
As the green jumpsuit-wearing man concentrated on the lens, he let his slaves - assistants - adjust the lights while he moved the zoom to an appropriate level. After all, he wanted to get a good shot of the model, or the redo would have been brought to naught. Even if being a photographer wasn't on the list of his wannabe professions, he still liked it and he wanted to do it perfectly.
Snap! Snap! Snap!
He took a few shots, convinced that he had done them accurately, then moved his position to take another set, hoping that his model didn't move. As it seemed, luck was on his side and he was able to take a few others. He could proudly say were worth the while. The photographer smiled broadly as he scanned his takes, and soon enough, turned back to look at his now scowling model before giving a thumbs up in an all-good sign.
"Alright! That's all good. I took plenty to make sure there are no errors this time."
The model just sighed in relief as he relaxed once more and strode off the site, pushing his long black locks over his shoulder since he wasn't particularly fond of having hair in his face. The man turned curiously to look to his side when he heard the clear sound of giggling. He groaned internally, but on the outside he gave a kind, flirtatious smile that made the assistants swoon and turn to goo that very moment. The weirdest part of it, however, was that women were not the only staff members giggling their heads off.
"Thank you for your hard work, Mugetsu-sama!"
Of course, that was a routine he had become used to by now - always having to give it his all in what he did and bearing with his overenthusiastic fans and people that thought he was just plain hot. Those were the everyday occurrences of an artist after all.
"Thanks you guys. I'll see you next time."
Only after one last goodbye did the black-haired man leave the studio, the door closing right behind him. The photographer was already outside, waiting along with another man that somehow looked exactly like the opposite of the brunette - who was currently looking through the shots he'd taken that day..
This other man had gray hair and a lone piercing on his eyebrow, his scowl and bored expression looking as if it were permanently etched on to his face as he stood against the wall, waiting for his partner to finish up..
"Oh, so you're done already?"
"Yeah sorry about that, Kensei, it's just that Love couldn't decide on what position he wanted to take the shots in."
"Hey, it wasn't my fault! The pictures have to come out perfect, and I sure as hell am not doing it again."
The black-haired man, known as Mugetsu, just shook his head as he glanced toward the brunette with an amused smile. This being an expression that almost made them cringe since it wasn't one they were quite used too
"Well I sure hope the files aren't lost again or I'll have to murder Shin and Kisuke rather painfully."
This did nothing to appease the two older men as they stared at the raven head, refusing to believe that the two mentioned before would even dare to lose the files again in fear of getting on the young artist's bad side. It was not something anyone was fond of.
"So, can we go now? I really want to get some shut-eye before having to get back to work."
"Oh, sure, just let me get my stuff and we can go. Kensei, take care of Gestu."
The taller man nodded, giving the brunette a glance that clearly showed he understood the underlying message of Love's words. The whole team was still worried enough to keep an extra eye on him.
"You know, Kensei, I don't need a bodyguard. I can take care of myself."
"We know you can. Hell, I bet if something took you down, it's plenty clear it'll beat me as well, but you know how we have to be prepared for anything. Besides, the fans can be a real hassle and you know that."
At the mention of fans the raven head couldn't help but wince. He sure as hell knew how they were at times, he should know, they're his fan girls… and men, which happened to be the worst part. Men put up a longer fight - but he sure as hell did not need a babysitter.
"I know what you all mean by assigning me a bodyguard. But I feel all restrained with you guys hovering over my shoulder. Like Ichigo when he would get sick and had to be cooped up in his room."
Upon the mention of the oh-so-familiar name of the orange head, the silver-haired man glanced warily at the still-smiling face of the other, trying to read Mugetsu's expression.
"Is Ichigo going to be busy tonight?"
The raven head in response gave a sadistic smirk, not helping in easing the other's nerves, but giving more of an answer than words could ever be.
"Maybe."
Hearing the reply, Kensei only spared the other one last glance before going back to glaring at the wall. It would be easier to just stay quiet as they waited for Love to come out.
Once the brunette made his exit, he was rather confused by the tense silence and the innocent smile on Mugetsu's face. It made a rather cold chill run down his spine, and he decided to stay quiet (as Kensei was) and instead just make his way towards their car, quickly followed by the rest.
When they arrived at their destination, the two older men shared a weary glance, their eyes intently following the raven head. Mugetsu was walking in silence towards the entrance of the three-story house –that was more of a mansion- as if he was locked within his own little world. It wasn't rare, but it was worrisome all the same.
Kensei and Love decided not to say a thing as they followed behind, entering the house after Mugetsu. The door closed behind them with a soft click that enabled many locks and defenses one may have thought to be a little too much. As everything finally closed correctly and the small red light turned green, the two men finally felt it was safe to call out to the other, knowing that now nothing they said would be overheard by anyone. They were safe in their small haven.
"Ichigo."
The raven head slowly turned to look at the two, his innocent smile from before completely gone and seemingly nonexistent in the first place since he now wore rather cold eyes and a scowl in its place.
"Yeah?"
"Dang, it's scary how you do that."
"What? Change personality? You know that Mugetsu is just an act."
"It just looks too real with all honesty."
The raven head tilted his head curiously, such an expression having been rehearsed as well but this time quite authentic. He was curious as to what the two meant. It was like if they took Ichigo and Mugetsu as the same person when he sure as hell didn't. It was all just an act after all, another role he had been given and was playing properly, so it shouldn't come as a surprise.
"Well I guess that's a good thing 'cause, you know, that's the point."
The two older men gave a nod in response, knowing that he was right even if it didn't make it any less creepy. It was just weird to see such a difference when the orange head still had his hair dyed black.
"So Ichigo, you going to work tonight or not? Because you didn't really answer me back in the studio. Only gave a scary smile, might I add."
Ichigo just gave a low chuckle - quite a rare gesture coming from the orange head when he wasn't acting or trying to make a certain impression. This, even if reluctantly, made Kensei and Love smile as well, any and all of the team members being unable to keep a straight face whenever Ichigo at least smiled. It was too much of a rare occurrence to let it pass without acknowledgement.
"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. But to answer your question, no, I don't have work today. Just a peaceful night. I have to be ready for tomorrow's concert after all."
"Okay then kid. We won't stall with you any longer."
The raven head just scowled at the name before scoffing and turning tail to make his way towards his room, a ghost of a smile on his lips as he strode through the hallways and towards his room. He wasn't exactly fond of the nickname, but there was a sense of warmth to it that he did not dislike. He couldn't believe the gang still called him a kid when he was already 27.
#3#
"Hey, Grimm! Get your ass over here! We're gonna be late!"
"Shut your trap, Nel, I'm coming."
The loud stomping of feet coming down the staircase was the only warning Nel got before her blue-haired brother came into sight. His typical cocky expression was nowhere in sight, for instead he had on a rather harsh frown in its place. There was a tinge of apprehension noticeable in his posture: a clear indication that something was bothering him.
Once Nel would notice such small details, but she could only give an equally bothered frown in return, wanting more than anything to extort information from the blunet even if she knew what was most likely bothering him.
'He must be thinking about yesterday.'
"C'mon, you said we were going to be late and now you're the one daydreaming. We have to meet up with the others."
The green haired girl blinked, slightly taken aback by the sudden seriousness her half-brother was taking on and finding it quite terrifying, to say the least. But instead of questioning the change of behavior, she nodded, falling into step beside Grimmjow as they made their way towards the promised location.
While Nel was thinking about the blunet's behavior, said person was too lost in thought to even notice, his mind only drifting farther and farther away towards yesterday's events.
"Did Ichigo ever tell any of you he had a twin? Or that he had poor health in any case?"
"For the millionth time, NO! Gosh, when will you understand, Grimm, you're being too persistent."
The blunet furrowed his brows, not liking one bit the fact that they knew nothing of the orange head. He had thought he could get some information from the four that actually knew him but surprise, surprise, apparently it wouldn't go as planned.
"Weren't you two supposed to be his childhood friend?"
The two toward which the question was directed shook their heads. They clearly wanted to know just as much as anyone else, but had no answer to their new inquisitions.
"Yes. But we never heard anything about that. Yet, I doubt that person on the photo could be anyone but Ichigo. He's too similar to not be, and Mugetsu does look like Ichigo. There is something odd about this picture, though."
The six friends stopped what they were doing to catch a second glance of the photograph taken by the paparazzi, trying to find any difference between the raven head and orange head. They weren't able to find much.
"They look the same… though Getsu looks older - but not by much."
Upon saying this everyone turned to look at Orihime, wondering how they hadn't noticed and finding the detail rather enlightening. It didn't really answer much though.
"Maybe he's his long lost older brother and since they were so similar the two decided they would be twins to not confuse people?"
"I doubt that's the case, Renji."
"Then what else could it be, Rukia? He didn't tell us he had a twin. Maybe he just didn't know."
As Renji said this, everyone stopped to think, searching for any other logical explanation, but unable to find any. They were starting to think that the possibility of Ichigo not knowing he had a brother until recently was the most passable reasoning when Orihime spoke up once more.
"But what about the part about Ichigo not having good health?"
"Hime, that could be a cover so that they don't tail Kurosaki all day like they most likely do with Mugetsu."
"You're right, Uryuu! Why didn't I think of that?"
And that had been the best they had come up with. Not much of a hypothesis, but better than nothing. Now they were headed for some answers… and go hear one of the most famous artists on stage, but that was just a bonus. The group of friends had decided to meet up in the park in of the concert hall, wanting to go in together so that they wouldn't get separated once they entered the packed concert hall.
The tickets had sold out really quickly after all.
But they had front row tickets and backstage passes, so that didn't really matter. Now it was just up to finding the rest of the gang so that they could go in.
"Grimm, do you see the rest anywhere?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"You're taller. Use that height to your advantage, moron."
"Che, bossy bitches."
"What'd you say?!"
"Nothing, nothing."
"HEY, GRIMM! NEL! OVER HERE!"
Upon hearing their names, the two stopped quarreling and turned to look in the direction from which the familiar voice resounded, different colored eyes landing on the group of friends that were walking toward them.
"What took you two so long?"
"Oh, sorry Uryuu-kun, but Grimmy decided it would be a good idea to act like a chick and took way too long getting ready."
"Typical."
"You do realize I'm right here right?"
"Yup. But I don't care and you don't either so no biggie."
At this, the only thing Grimmjow could do was scowl, knowing that what Nel was saying was true and that he wasn't exactly in the position to deny it.
Hey, he wanted to look good today. Was that such a crime?
And of course, Grimmjow's sudden girly tendencies to try out so many outfits had not been initiated by the drop dead gorgeous orange head. He had just wanted to, and period.
"Alright, let's forget about Grimmjow's crush on Ichigo and get going. If we take any longer it'll be harder to get in."
"What does that angel have to do with me taking so long?"
And at that all they could do was stare with an incredulous expression. Seriously, the blunet had basically answered himself once he had said the word angel, almost as if he had blurted out I wanted to look good for the guy and they didn't even know if Ichigo was into guys in the first place.
#3#
"Five more minutes, Mugetsu-chan!"
"Yeah, I heard you the first time, Yoruichi!"
Said person frowned before crossing her arms under her breast, raising an eyebrow as she watched her star pupil almost twitch in his place on the couch. She wanted some answers for his strange behavior. He had been nervous all day, and that hadn't happened since the first time they had forced him to sing.
"What's wrong, Ichi?"
Ichigo in response sighed, passing a hand through his long, black, dyed hair, trying and failing to get it out of his face as he just huffed in exasperation and gave a weary look towards the purple-haired beauty.
"Not much; it's just… my friends from high school are coming and I told them that I would talk to them."
Upon hearing the raven head sound so lost and worried, she couldn't help but make her way toward his sitting form. Falling at his side while giving him an understanding hug that said all she could never hope to convey in words. Her mere presence was more than enough from previous experience. She knew Ichigo would return the hug and most likely relax.
"Hey, everything will be all right, you hear? I'll be here for you if you need it, and I know that all of us will. Just… remember to be careful about what you say. We don't want problems and we most certainly don't want to involve any civilian."
Ichigo just nodded rather dazedly before shifting on his spot to get out of the rather comforting hug, knowing that his time was up and that he needed to rein back his fears. He couldn't go out with his head in the clouds. He needed every last drop of concentration on satisfying the millions of people watching and hearing his performance.
'It's gonna be a long night.'
With that last thought in mind did Ichigo stand up from his place, silently making his way toward the backstage space and giving a greeting or two as he went by.
Ichigo strode through the props and made his way towards a platform on the high end of the backstage. Awaiting his cue to get in position, he grabbed onto the pole to steady himself. He knew the platform would move any second now and wanted to be ready since it would be his grand entrance - cheesy indeed.
All of a sudden, the music started to play and the ground underneath him began to move, ascending in all its glory and initiating the performance. Ichigo shifted into ready position, standing with his feet separated and an arm raised upwards as if reaching to the sky. He held the microphone in the same hand, his other arm discreetly grabbing onto a pole for balance, obscured from the crowd to which his back was facing.
The moment he came into view, the crowd began yelling and cheering as if all hell had broken loose, drawing a nearly cocky smirk on his face. He felt at home on the gigantic stage.
As he heard the beat of the drums go silent and the guitar go predominant, Ichigo dared to turn while the platform was still in movement, his hand letting go of the pole and the other coming down to bring the microphone to his lips. He yelled the name of the entry song before following behind with the actual lyrics, an action that got the crowd even livelier as the concert started with its best.
"Zan…!"
"Mada mada ka Mou kateru hazu sa!
Sorosoro sa mou ikeru hazu da!
Wakarun da Mou yareru hazu da!
Saa Ikeru Subete wo tomo ni"
With that last line, Ichigo, aka Mugetsu, jumped off the platform when it was still about three meters away from the stage. This startled some, as he wore his ever-present cocky smile Mugetsu always had on, and elicited even more cheers from the audience.
"Miete kita Mou toraerareru!
Kawaseru sa Mou tsugi uteru
Kirerun da Mou owaraseruze!
Saa Ikuze Koko kara tomo ni"
The crowd sang along with each of the lines, fans obviously having memorized the entire song and responding when Ichigo purposely didn't sing certain lines.
"Tatakau dake nara ima ga nai
Ikinokoru dake ja imi ga nee
Subete no chikara wo azukerya
Katenai shoubu wa ore ni nai
Tokihanatareta Kono yaiba
Shinjitenai nara Kamawanee
Karada de kanjite Shireba ii
Omae wo taoshite yaru dake"
Ichigo was beginning to feel a sudden rush of relief as his previous nerves died down. The cheering and yelling gave his façade a sense of authenticity, and he now felt realer than ever. More so, at least, than when he put on his act meeting people off-stage. This was his territory.
"Machigai naku Sou yugami no naku
Uteru no nara
Kikoeteru Sou tsutaerareru
Onore no ishi de
Wakattaze Sou dekiru no wa
Na wo sakebu no da
Saa Ikou Futari de tomo ni
Kirifusete yare!"
He kept going, singing his lungs out and conveying his very feelings into the words.
"Tatakau dake nara imi ga nai
Ikinokoru dake ja imi ga nee
Yaranakya dame nara Yaru dake
Dekinai baai wa ore ni nai
Tokihanatsuze Kono yaiba
Shinjitaku nakerya Kamawanee
Subete de kanjite Shireba ii
Omae wo taoshite yaru kara"
With the last words, the crowd went into an uproar of screaming and applauding, the various tones and voices lingering in his ears. Ichigo couldn't even hope to distinguish which one of them were his friends' amongst the large amount of shrieking people. But even then, even with the lights almost blinding his vision completely, he was able to see the group of six cheering from the front row. He felt happy, satisfied to see them even if they weren't necessarily cheering for him, they were still there and that's what mattered.
"Good night, everyone!"
The crowd went crazy once more, giving him barely enough time to even speak over the yells of incoherent words he didn't care to understand. He kept his smile in place though, his signature cocky-yet-composed attitude as smug and comfy as ever in front of the giant horde of people.
"Thank you for coming out tonight! I hope you guys enjoy the show and I want you all to sing along with me this next song…! This was my very first song and I know you all know it!"
He paused to dramatize his speech and spare a brief glance toward Yoruichi's still form standing at the side lines. He quickly turned back to his fans, raising his left hand as he clicked his fingers and yelled out the name of the song, already prepared for the uproar he knew would come the second the song began.
This was his life.
"Asterik!"
"Miageta yozora no hoshitachi no hikari
Mukashi no omoi negai ga jidai wo koe iro aseru koto naku todoku
Kirari hitomi ni utsuru dare ka no sakebi kaze ni omoi wo
Tsuki ni negai wo chikara aru kagiri ikiteku n da kyou mo
Bokura no omoi mo itsu ka dare ka no mune ni
Hikari tsuzukeyou ano hoshi no yoru ni..."
#3#
"Oh, my god, I can't believe we were able to see Getsu with front row seats!"
"And remember, Nel, we have Kurosaki-kun to thank for that."
The excited woman nodded, happily munching on a chocolate bar she had made Grimmjow buy her. Glancing at her best friend, she took on an honestly curious expression.
"Hey, Hime? How are we gonna find Ichigo anyway?"
The inquisition made the bubbly woman pause as she faltered on her steps. Nel stopped right next to her, raising a finger to her chin and looking upwards in a pensive gesture.
"I don't know… we should ask Uryuu-kun! Maybe he would know!"
"You're a genius, Hime, let's go look for him and the rest of the gang!"
As Nel yelled this she grabbed the orange-haired girl and sprinted towards where she knew everyone else would be, only to be rather shocked when her name and Orihime's name was called. She stopped before glancing to her left, her eyes landing on the group they were just about to search for.
"Hey, guys! We were just looking for you!"
"Well, you two were the ones that ran off once Nel stole my money."
At the rather irritated comment her brother made, Nel could only smile as innocently as possible, trying not to get on Grimmjow's bad side. He'd been acting a little grumpy the whole night (with the exception of when the concert had been going). It had actually aided in relaxing the lot of them.
"Yeah, well, I wanted a chocolate bar and they only sold them in the store downstairs, so that's why. But now that we're done we can go look for Ichigo!"
The whole group seemed to brighten up at the prospect of seeing the man. They were all genuinely curious about his true story, and more than anything, they'd wanted to see him since his abrupt departure the last time they'd met.
"Well, let's go make that bastard talk. The sooner we do, the sooner we can get our answers."
"Maybe we should let the carrot-top talk before we force him, Rukes."
As Renji pointed out said fact, Rukia could only pout and cross her arms over her chest. Reluctance clearly written all over her face, she still wanted to try and go along with her plan - more so because she wanted to beat Ichigo for leaving as he did the day before - but agreed for the sake of "peaceful information extraction."
"Fine. We'll do it your way. But let's go because I don't think my curiosity can wait much longer."
Everyone agreed with and followed Rukia as she started to make her way towards the backstage entrance, knowing that if they wanted to see Ichigo they would have to go through that door and show the passes he had given them the day before. As she did so they all did the same, hoping she knew what she was doing.
Once they arrived at the backstage entrance with little to no problems, they were faced with a variable they hadn't considered before. Namely, a tall, muscular man with sharp features, short, light-gray hair and brown eyes. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest in an imposing manner, his dark blue wifebeater making the man look even less friendlier than thought possible with his large scowl in place.
The group halted a couple of feet from the gray haired man as he stood still, not a hint of recognition present in his features as he stared right at the group in front of him. Rukia was about to call out and mention the backstage passes they had been given and ask about Ichigo, but Grimmjow beat her to the punch, stepping up and glaring right at the man with an equally hard stare.
Why not just call to the man?
Nope, Grimmjow had to do things the hard way and continue to stare at the man, the other doing the same as he found it a challenge. Neither was backing down as they were now inches apart, their noses almost brushing as they both held narrowed eyes that clearly read, don't fuck with me. The group thought this would draw on forever until a green and white blur tackled the stranger to the ground, causing a grunt to escape the rather intimidating man and the others to blink in confusion.
"What the hell just happened?"
Upon further examination of the scene before them, they noticed that the blur of colour had been none other than a girl, which happened to be sitting on top of the previously intimidating guy. The group had to stifle a laugh as they took in the eagle-spread man. He looked irritated, but did nothing to throw the girl off. She, on the other hand, was glaring at the gray-haired man.
"Baka Kensei! What are you doing glaring at people that just come up to you! You're supposed to ask what they want first, baka Kensei!"
All the gray haired man could do in response was twitch his brow as his patience withered thin, the green-haired newcomer's reprimands blabbing on and on. Even worse still, she made no effort to move from her position on top of the man. At last, fed up with her rambling, Kensei threw her off, stood to his full height, and pointed an accusing finger at Grimmjow.
"This guy started glaring at me too! It's not my fault, you idiot!"
"What do I care, Kensei! You went along with it while I wanna go home and you just keep on doing stupid things!"
The man the group now identified as Kensei was about to jump the girl in frustration, clearly forgetting about the group until Rukia had enough and decided to speak up. Her annoyance practically dripped from her tone as she glared at the tall man.
"We have some business to take care of, yet we're still here. So why not let us in, and then start fighting?"
The two stopped in their tracks as the raven-haired midget's words sunk in, and both opted to a more professional expression, all playful banter gone from the green head, and Kensei's scowl back in place.
"What do you mean business? Nobody comes in here and if they do, they don't come out through the same door. They're escorted by the police. So what makes you six punks think you'll be able to waltz in here just like that?"
The group was slightly taken aback by how thick the air about them had turned. However, before Renji or Grimmjow could think of a comeback, Uryuu spoke up, his arm around Orihime's shoulder for reassurance as he did.
"We have passes to go in. Kurosaki Ichigo gave them to us yesterday and we would like to speak with him."
Upon finishing his sentence the two keepers' eyes widened in shock as they glanced at one another. Kensei asked a silent question her way and she only shook her head.
The green-haired girl glanced back toward the odd group of six. She now found them rather intriguing, and took to staring with big curious eyes while the gray-haired man pulled out a radio and began speaking into it in a low voice.
"How do you guys know Berry-tan?"
The question caught them off guard, but Renji replied without a second thought.
"He was our friend when he lived back in Karakura Town, but we saw him yesterday and he invited us to the concert."
This new piece of information drew a rare expression on the green-haired girl. Seriousness had never really been seen within her big gray eyes before, and even less with a tinge of worry, but she somehow managed to cover it up with an eager, childish look.
"Kensei, you done? Berry-tan's friends are getting impatient."
"Shut up, Mashiro, I just finished. I called Hachi, but he said this information was unknown to him, so I called Shinji. Apparently, Yoruichi was with him so she could tell me that what they said was true. Damn, Ichigo always forgets to tell of important shit like this."
At this all they could do - including the newly named Mashiro - was blink in confusion. The group of six did so because they hadn't recognized a single name spoken by the gray-haired man until he had cursed with Ichigo's name.
Mashiro, on the other hand, was staring at Kensei as if he had sprouted a second head.
"Ne, Kensei, what do you mean by 'unknown?' Tell me, Kensei."
Kensei -along with the group- were slightly taken aback by the stupid question coming from the green haired female. For a second there, they actually believed she was joking. But once she started to keep on ranting all they could do was believe the lithe women seriously didn't know the meaning of said word. And as she started to whine and ask for answers the small patience Kensei had cracked.
"Quiet! Unknown means unknown! Quit your babbling!"
Mashiro pouted before crossing her arms over her chest, turning to the side like a child raising a tantrum.
"You guys were permitted to come in, so put on your passes and follow me. Mashiro, you take guard."
Said person continued to pout before nodding reluctantly, disliking the idea of staying at the post any longer, for she'd wanted to leave from the beginning.
The group, however, just glanced at each other before shrugging and doing as told, placing the passes around their necks as they followed the gray-haired man through the door.
As they stepped into the backstage area, all they could do was look around dumbfounded. Various staff members looked at them curiously, for it was very rare to see civilians inside. This did not go unnoticed by the six friends, but they continued walking in silence until a black-haired person crossed their path, the identity of said individual shocking the newcomers. They could not believe they were mere feet away from the famous artist.
"Oy, Getsu!"
When his nickname was called, Mugetsu turned to look in their direction. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second as he took in the sight of the people behind Kensei, but his surprise was well-hidden by his usual smile.
"Oh, hey, Kensei. Who you got there?"
"These punks want to see Ichigo. Think you can handle it?"
At the mention of Ichigo all the raven head could do was act surprised, playing his act as it was part of the idea that Ichigo wasn't supposed to be seen by the public eye, let alone be spoken to.
"Ichi? That's kinda rare. How did they get permission?"
Kensei also played along as he scoffed and rolled his eyes. He wasn't exactly a pro at this acting business, but he tried his best so as to raise no suspicions.
"Who knows? But Yoruichi said that Ichigo was expecting visitors, so I let them in."
"Okay. That's fine. I'll take them to him so you can go back to guard duty. I bet Mashiro-chan is already impatient."
At this, all the gray-haired man could do was nod before leaving. He didn't really care that he was leaving the super-famous artist with six outsiders - just silently amused by the various expressions said people were wearing.
Ichigo disguised as Mugetsu, however, was rather openly entertained. He wanted to burst out laughing thanks to Rukia's, Orihime's and Nel's expressions of utter joy and excitement, and Renji's and Ishida's jealous stares.
Grimmjow, however, just had a small scowl to hide his slight confusion. For some reason he couldn't help but feel something was amiss with the raven head in front of him. Almost as if he was hiding something, and that didn't ease his worries. It was as if this man could know anything and everything about him by just looking into his eyes, and there was only one person the blunet had known that could give him that feeling... and that person was a real threat.
Was the orange head treading in dangerous territory? And if he was, how bad was it? Grimmjow himself should know about dangerous. He had been caught up in some pretty risky work until just eight years ago, when he'd been bailed out by the undercover Japanese force. But that didn't mean he knew how to treat these kind of people.
"So. You guys want to see Ichigo, right?"
This, of course, shocked everyone out of their own stupor, finally able to look past the man's fame and oddities to concentrate on their problem. They needed to get to Ichigo as quickly as possible because the more they stalled, the more questions arose amongst them.
"Hai, Mugetsu-san, if you would be as kind as to show the way."
The raven head gave a small smile to Uryuu who had spoken up, the response coming in a rush to avoid letting anyone else say something stupid or overly infatuated. Uryuu knew the girls wanted an autograph, but that could wait until later when they had finally reached their goal.
Ichigo, on the other hand, just nodded before gesturing for the group to follow him into the more secluded area of the backstage, passing hallways and entering an area where various doors were seen but not entered. He only walked by, listening to the quiet murmurs that he occasionally heard behind his back.
No doubt it was the girls.
As the raven head walked, the group behind couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive. The super-famous artist before them was personally leading them to their friend, staying silent as if it were a normal everyday thing for Ichigo to receive visitors. He never even asked who they were, or why they were there in the first place, almost as if he already knew. This, of course, made the excitement Rukia, Orihime, and Nel felt before die down a little bit, now only concentrating on what was before them.
Grimmjow, on the other hand, was getting tired of their silent guide, his previous weariness growing as he now had more to back up his sentiments. Something was bound to happen; he could practically feel it.
"Hey!"
Upon being called out to by his new fascination, Ichigo turned his head slightly to look at the blunet from the corner of his eye, phony curiosity reflected in his brown eyes as he stared straight into blue ones.
"Do you need anything?"
The blunet narrowed his eyes as he stuffed his hands deeper into his pockets, still trailing behind the man, but trying to look as intimidating as possible.
"Yeah. You can answer some of my questions. Why the hell was it so hard to get in before, when now it's so lax?"
The raven head just gave a small smile, amusement clearly written all over his face as he voiced his next words.
"I wonder why."
Grimmjow grit his teeth - an action that was mirrored by Renji, while Uryuu just pushed his glasses up in a small, calculative way.
"Why are you not asking how we know Ichigo?"
"Well, Red, I don't think it's my place to butt into Ichi's business."
They weren't getting anything from this man; that was clear enough. Yet they couldn't help but begin to feel annoyed by how the raven head would push their questions away in a blatantly careless way. This, of course, made more and more questions come to mind, and as they did, Rukia couldn't resist voicing their biggest one yet.
"Are you really Kurosaki Ichigo's twin?"
This however made Mugetsu turn completely and face them even as he walked, a rather scary yet cold expression in place as he showed not even a single emotion.
"I would be careful as to speak that name out in the open. You might lose something in the process."
That, of course, caused chills down everyone's spines and completely overpowered the rage they felt upon being threatened. Renji, however, was going to have nothing of this bullshit, and was about to teach the artist a piece of his mind for speaking to Rukia in such a manner.
But of course, no one had a chance to even ask what he had meant, much less jump the guy for his response. The raven head had stopped in front of a door with a security lock, taking out a pitch black card and sliding it on the panel while typing in some numbers that the group didn't even think to memorize. When the device gave a little beep, Mugetsu turned the knob and pushed the door open, walking into the room with the group reluctantly following behind.
The room, despite what the others may have suspected, was a normal dressing room with couches and two occupants already sitting on them. One of them was a purple-haired woman with dark chocolate skin and golden eyes, while the other was a blond man with brown eyes and a rather odd-looking cheshire grin.
"Oh, Getsu-chan, you brought company; that's nice."
This was said by the blonde sprawled all over the couch, a person that looked a little too relaxed and at home considering he was in someone else's room. It was as if he didn't have a care in the world.
"Yup. As you've guessed, they're Ichigo's guests."
As the raven head said this, the purple-haired women moved to close the door behind the group, a rather serious expression in place of her usual playful demeanor.
"So… when do you plan to tell them? Eh, Ichigo?"
This question was still directed towards the raven head, and it left the group of six indescribably perplexed.
"Wait a second. This is Mugetsu. We're looking for Kuro- I mean, Ichigo. Just Ichigo."
"Wow, you've already threatened the poor girl. That's a new record, Ichi."
Such a name, however, elicited a response from the raven head, his previous calm demeanor nowhere in sight, for he now sported a rather familiar scowl.
"Shut up, Yoruichi. That's not the case; Rukia just said my name out in the hallways and-"
"And you said something rather blunt and cutting, didn't you?"
"…maybe."
"OKAY, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"
With the outburst, everyone turned to look at the redhead, his expression furious, but just as confused as his friends were. He couldn't even hope to comprehend what was going on, and neither could anyone else.
"Well, Renji, as I was going to say before Yoruichi beat me to the punch, I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."
….
"Wait a second. You can't be Ichigo. You're Mugetsu, and besides, there's a photo of you and someone else called Shiba Ichigo that looks exactly like our Ichigo, yet is said to be your twin. So how the hell can you explain that?"
Ichigo just shifted in his place as he nervously scratched his cheek. It was a habit that kicked in whenever he was overwhelmed, and being the longtime friends they were, Rukia and the others knew plenty well what he was doing. They wanted an answer, and they were going to get it.
"Well… I asked my cousin Kaien to help me create that fake shot… and I really don't know how to prove I am your Ichigo as you put it, but…"
Just as he was about to continue explaining, an amused Shinji crept up behind the unsuspecting Ichigo, a bucket full of water in his hand as he all of a sudden poured it all over the raven.
Of course, such a turn of events gave most everyone a great shock, for they certainly had not been expecting the water, much less for it to be black as it flowed down the soaked man's body.
"SHINJI, YOU BASTARD! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING! NOW I'M ALL WET AND I WAS DOING SOMETHING IMPORTANT, YOU DICKHEAD!"
They also had not been expecting such an outburst from the normally calm raven, not to mention the good beating he was now proceeding to give a certain hysterical blonde. It was strange indeed, seeing the famous artist battle a cheshire machine of laughter… definitely not how they'd thought the day would turn out.
"Maybe you should take a seat. This might take a while."
They all turned to look at the more composed purple-haired women, obeying as they silently waited for the beating to come to an end. They did not have to stand by very long, however, for Mugetsu soon returned to the group with a towel in hand.
"Sorry about that. He just doesn't know how to behave."
As he said this, he brought the towel to his long hair to get rid of the dampness, but only managed to rub off the rest of the black dye. The natural orange everyone was familiar with came into view, shocking them further still.
"Oops… I think the dye came off."
"No shit, Sherlock. Go get changed and then talk to your friends. I'll start explaining so they don't get impatient."
The now revealed Ichigo nodded before entering a room that was presumably the bathroom, locking the door behind him and not bothering himself with a second glance to his friends or the still half-dead Shinji.
Yoruichi, on the other hand, just sighed as she sat down in front of the silent group of people. Her golden eyes scanned them all as if wondering whether they should be risking such classified information. She shook her head, though, reprimanding herself for her foolishness. They were Ichigo's guests. Trustworthy or not, they had to be told.
"Well, I guess I should start with the basics, but there is something that must be cleared up for better comprehension and communication. Mugetsu is Kurosaki Ichigo undercover, yet Kurosaki Ichigo is also covered by the surname Shiba. This is necessary because Kurosaki Ichigo is presumed M.I.A by the government and its enemies, and it should stay that way. This is top secret information, and from this point on, anything and everything you are told must stay in this room."
To be continued…
NOTE, PREVIEW AT THE END.
AN: First of all, thanks for Reading, review-ing, following, favorit-ing or however you say that.
Secondly a big hug to my wonderful beta and her help –Thank you for not abandoning me! T_T (Also a special thanks to my other beta which helped me in my time of need *She will help with my other stories from now on but Oneiric will always be mine on this story*)
And lastly some FACTS to clear up any misunderstandings. These songs are found and are really sang by Kurosaki Ichigo so if you want to hear them go ahead and search it out or PM me and I will pass you the link. And the other thing some of you might be curious about are the dyes Ichigo-chan uses. He uses those dyes you can get that wash off with water and has Lisa to apply it and care for all his needs in that department –like his makeup crew except it's just Lisa and she basically focuses on his hair and giving it vitamins and what not so that it remains healthy.
Any other questions go ahead and ask and once again a millions thanks!
Please leave a review T_T
Preview:
"Why are you telling us this Kurosaki? Why here? Why now?"
"Here because as you can imagine it's one of the only safe places where we can speak freely without being heard. Now, well, because if I don't do it as soon as possible something bad might happen. And as to the why… let's just say that the moment you guys gained the knowledge that Kuroskai Ichigo was alive was the moment you six were involved in a rather sticky situation… yeah, sorry for that."