Both teens looked straight ahead, Hichigo's hands in his pocket, slumping his shoulders, feeling terribly guilty at that moment, looking over at Ichigo with his covered eyes. Sensing the stare, the brown eyed teen sighed.
"Calm down, I'll help you, it's not a big deal," he said, looking over at the white haired teen, "Besides...Karin and Yuzu stay at the dorms in their private school, I barely see them anymore, Dad's always busy, he won't even notice that I brought over a guest."
"Sounds...lonely,"
"Yeah, now it is...I used to hang out with my old friends at their houses unless everyone needed to study, we were at my place," Ichigo sighed, his eyes half-lidded, a frown set on his face. "Now things are different..." The white haired form opened his mouth to say something then stopped, thinking it be best if he just kept his trap shut. Yet, his golden eyes kept looking back at the orange haired teen with a sympathetic look gleaming in them.
"But hey," the eldest Kurosaki sibling looked over at Hichigo, "lets get over to my place so I can help you with poetry class, I don't have any homework right now, so...I have all the time in the world to help you."
"How're ya gonna keep up with your homework once ya get it and helpin' me at the same time?"
"I'll find a way," he said confidently. "We made a deal, remember?"
"Yeah," he replied, voice low, "but still..."
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine,"
Hichigo was silent until he swallowed the lump in his throat, "Thanks."
The pale teen looked over at him with a slight smile, nodding. Readjusting the pack strap on his shoulder as he blinked, wondering why he had the sudden feeling that they were being watched, and by something he felt made cold shivers crawl onto his skin like a million insects, trying to invade his space.
"There's that bastard!!" a deep voice shouted, both teens smartly turning on their heels, Hichigo's brows furrowing while Ichigo's raised. "Where's my money, ya punk?!"
The albino took a small step towards Ichigo, nudging his arm with his elbow. "Get away from here, fast." he whispered, those brown eyes staring at him now, the shocked teenager not moving an inch, or even a centimeter. "Get out of here; otherwise he'll gang his fuckin' punks up on ya."
"You...owe him money?"
"Tch, by money...he means killing me...or beatin' me t' death,"
Those uncovered eyes widened. Death... Grasping the white form's wrist, he turned, running away like the boy suggested, but with him in tow, protesting and cursing at him as he continued to run, hearing the man yell after them. I can't just...let that happen...
"Come back here, ya brat!" the man shouted, pulling out a gun, aiming it at Ichigo, pulling the trigger slightly, then narrowing his eyes, fully yanking it back.
Hearing the gunshot, Hichigo's eyes widened, pushing the orange haired teen down, crying out in pain as the shell tore through the fabric in his left arm, going through his skin, muscle, tissue, and slightly making his bone crack, flying through the rest of his body, blood spurting out of his wounds, his body going limp and falling onto the ground, where Ichigo was picking himself up from.
"H-Hichigo?!" he cried, seeing that the sunglasses fell off of the teen's face, golden eyes half-lidded, a grin on his face like nothing was wrong, propping his head up with his chin. The pale form snapping into a sitting position. "Why'd you – what the hell?! Why're you smiling! Y-you're dying!"
"Heh, you're worried? I've been...urgh," His body twitched, screaming out in pain and the need of blood, "...worse."
"But..."
"That's it boys, lets head on home," the gunman chuckled, opening the car door to a limo, settling his bottom on the seat, yet stopped mid-way once he saw the orange haired teen slowly raise to his feet. "Hmm..."
Turning, Ichigo glared at the man, darting at him, throwing his bag off with a battle cry, leaping off the ground once he was a few inches away from the dark haired man, bending his left knee and turning, releasing it and smacking the gun away from the man, landing on his feet, turning so he had his back turned to him, although his face was clearly visible, swinging his right arm at the older male's face, smacking him square in the jaw, dislocating it as he coughed out blood, stumbling back.
"You..." He could barely speak, trying to relocate his broken jaw, blood pooling from his mouth.
Facing the man, the eldest Kurosaki sibling narrowed his eyes, brows furrowed. "Call nine-one-one, now." he hissed, looking over at the driver, whom automatically picked up the phone, dialing the number as people slowly came out from their houses and stores, surrounding them, the pale boy's eyes dulled over with hatred and the desire to kill the man before him. "Tell them there was a shooting, where we are, and to hurry their asses up. Also...that it's an emergency, now!"
"Y-yes, sir."
Looking back at the bleeding form, he ran over, slightly regretting that he had once a bullet whizzed past, hitting his cheek. Yet he paid it no mind, licking the blood once it slid down to his mouth. Dropping to his knees, he slid his bag over his shoulder, sliding his arms under the lifeless form.
"Hi...Hichigo...are you gonna make it? At least...until the ambulance gets here?" he whispered, worry filling his eyes once the white form looked up at him after turning his head weakly, grinning smugly.
"What do ya take me for? A girl? Naw...I'll last,"
Raspy breathes came from the bleeding form, the angered form biting his lower lip harshly, causing it to bleed. "I...that sonofabitch..." he growled, causing the white form to blink his eyes from confusion. "I'll...kill him...I swear I will..."
Hichigo twisted himself in the comforting arms, grabbing onto the white fabric to his shirt, blood drenching the pure white cloth. "Ichi...Ichigo?"
"I promise," he mumbled, looking down on the classmate, "this won't happen to you again." Tears brimmed the edges of those brown eyes, yet gasped out once another bullet went whizzing through him, straight through his right shoulder, dropping to his knees, breathing heavily and veering over his shoulder to see the citizens scrambling around the man now, forcing him to the ground. "That bastard..."
Darkness closed in on both of them, Ichigo accidentally falling over on Hichigo, both of their eyes shut, the scene so saddening as the world drowned out, silence replacing it. Nothingness...except the feel of the other's flesh.
XXXX
"Ichigo,"
Pain scorched through him as he tried to move, biting his lower lip, slowly trying to open his eyes, the world blurry as though he was just reborn, the colors and shapes reorganizing themselves. Seeing a pure white face stare back, only one name being recalled.
"Hichigo?" he breathed out, slowly getting up yet being pushed back down gently, his eyes looking to his shoulders to see alabaster hands, those brown orbs going back to the white haired teen. "I thought...you died..."
"No, the bullet only got through my arm, that's it," he spoke calmly, removing his hands form the other teen's shoulders, wincing. "Though it still stings like a bitch..."
A relieved look flushed over the orange haired teen as he settled his head back against the pillow. Shutting his eyes with a few steady breathes, smiling softly. Reopening his eyes to see Yuzu, Karin, and his father, Isshin.
"Ichigo!" they cried with overjoyed voices, hearing this made Hichigo excuse himself, eyes saddened and yet filled with envy. Quirking a brow, the orange haired teen watched as the albino disappeared behind the door.
"We came as soon as Hichigo told us, he's such a nice boy, although he has a little nasty attitude," Isshin explained, smiling warmly, yet stopped once he saw those brown eyes stay on the door, a concerned expression befalling his son's usual scowl. "You wanted more time with him, don't you?"
Hearing this snapped the boy out of his daze, looking at his family with a slight smile. "Oh...it's not that...I'm just..."
"We'll understand, Ichigo," Yuzu spoke, both girls wearing the schools uniforms, a navy blue skirt with a dark red brimming the edges, the shirt a dark red, yet brimmed with navy blue, the sleeve color white. "He doesn't seem to have anyone...he was alone when we came to see him, and he lead us here."
Come to think of it... he thought as he slowly sat himself up, his right shoulder spamming with anger that he dared to get up while he was still in pain. He did say he needed to up his grades...and yet...if he had a family...they'd help him, right?
Turning, he stepped off his bed, walking towards the door as his family stared, looking at each other in bewilderment. The nurse told them all he wouldn't be able to move, and yet there he was, walking. Grasping the handle, his breathing hitched, blood threatening to pour out of the still healing wound. Sighing, he turned the handle, seeing Hichigo no where in sight, until he looked down on the floor, seeing him sitting down.
His forehead pressed against his curled knees, arms wrapped around his shins, hugging his legs close to his chest, snow white hair covering his face.
"You all right?" he asked softly, shutting the door and walking to the other side of the white form, sitting down as well. Hichigo lifted his head, looking over at him with gold-black eyes, nodding, hesitantly.
"Yeah, I'm..." His voice died, looking down at his bare toes, since they were almost naked, shirts off to check the damage. "...I'm fine." He sighed, placing his chin on his knees, the look of sadness returning. "To have a family to come and check up on you...what a...nice thought."
"Do you even have a family, Hichigo?" Ichigo asked, the white form looking at him with wide eyes.
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