Chapter 3
"Hey! I know you're there! You can't ignore me forever!" He heard something from behind him.
"I was under the impression ya dun want me ta talk anyway, My King." Ichigo sighed. They were back in his Inner world, after Ichigo fell asleep. Dealing with Hichigo was getting easier, but it still gave him one hell of a migraine. The Vizard (sp?) didn't know if it was the Hollow's voice gave him the headache, or just the way he put that voice to use.
"No need to get angry with me. She still wants to meet you. Orihime's all about optimism, don't you know that?" He heard Hichigo snicker from behind him. Obviously trying to keep it in. He growled.
"What the hell are you snickering about?" He finally turned to face him, and saw him hunched over in attempts to control his laughter. "Are you going to answer?!"
"Y-ya." He took a deep breathe, and stood up straight. "I jus' wanted ta see if ya would…" He started snickering again.
"JUST SPIT IT OUT!"
"If ya would go an' comfort me." At this, he burst out laughing. "Ya were all worried about poor lil' me! Aw King, I love ya, too!" He was barely standing now.
"Riiigghht…" Ichigo turned and stalked off.
"King! Where ya goin'? Dun ya wanna ask me somethin'?" He stopped walking.
"Actually, I don't feel like pitying you right now. I'll be back in the morning, if I feel like it."
"Wha-? Wait! King, I dun mean it like tha'! Come back! I'm sorry!"
Ichigo turned and smirked at him. "Oh really now? You sure about that? You were laughing pretty hard." Hichigo pouted.
"I'm sure, My King. This loyal servant dun wanna go ruining our…relationship…more then you want me ta shut up. Which, as I've learned, my dear King, is a lot." Ichigo's smirk grew.
"Alright, I'll forgive you." Hichigo smiled widely. "Alright, what I wanted to ask you is if you're really serious about being able to materialize, then will you be able to figure out how on your own, or would you need me to help?" The Hollow seemed to be deep in thought.
"Uh…I'm pretty sure I can figger it out on me own, but I'd probably need ya ta actually get me out. Which sucks, by the way." Ichigo smiled.
"Good, I wouldn't want you popping up all the time on your own." Hichigo again started to sulk as Ichigo sat down, legs spread and bent at the knee as he leaned against one of the many buildings of his Inner world, closing his eyes.
"So…when do you think you could have it figured out by?" Silence. "You still there?" More silence. Ichigo, too lazy to open his eyes at the moment, just dismissed it. What he didn't know, was that Hichigo was walking over to his King. A plan already forming in his head.
Silly King, sittin' there all vulnerable-like. I'll show him about relaxing around me. I'm tired of him treating me harshly. I'll show him. Hehehe.
He stood above his King, that wicked grin forming on his lips. He looked down at his King, breathing deeply, just starting to fall into a deep sleep.
Silly, silly King. Hehehe. Silly King of mine. I love ya, my dear, silly King.
He lowered, grin widening with his plan coming together.
Precious, oblivious King of mine. So pretty. So pretty sitting there, almost sleeping. Silly, silly little King. Hehehe.
There was a scream. And then nothing.
The next morning…at school.
Orihime comes bounding in, her usual grin on her face.
"Hey, has anyone seen Kurosaki-kun? I went by his house, Kurosaki-san (Father) said he wasn't in his room. I thought he left early…" Tatsuki and Rukia looked up.
"He hasn't been by here actually…Maybe Renji's seen him." Rukia looked thoughtful, then the realization hit her.
Did he have to fight with that Hollow again?! Did he loose?! The thing could've taken over his body and left! Why would it leave, though? Without killing anyone?
"OH! Speak of the devil! There he is! Hey, Ichigo!" Tatsuki stood and smacked him over the head. "You had Orihime so worried! Where the hell have you been?!"
"Where?" He asked, rubbing his head. "I just took the long way to school. I had stuff I needed to think about. Why?" Orihime came over.
"Good morning, Kurosaki-kun. I'm glad you're alright."
"Why is everyone so worried? I take the long way here a lot and today was no different." Orihime just smiled, and then Ichigo sighed and went over to his desk, sitting down. Right after, Rukia came up.
"Ichigo." He looked up at her, immediately wishing that he hadn't. Her face displayed so much suspicion and suppressed anger that he almost slunk down and disappeared into the ground in fear. Almost. Not quite.
"Yeah?" He asked, surprising himself that his voice was clear.
"Why were you really late? If you did tell the truth, then what would it be that you had to think about?"
"Uh…"
Flashback…
There was a scream. And then nothing.
Until…
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" Ichigo glared with as much fury as he could muster in his state at the Hollow, now SITTING IN HIS LAP!! BETWEEN HIS LEGS!! RESTING HIS GOD DAMED HEAD ON HIS SHOULDER!!
"Mmm? Oh…Comfy… ya looked inviting…dun wanna move…" Hichigo snuggled back into a tensed Ichigo.
"Wh-what? Wait! I still don't get why you're on me in the first place!"
"I told ya…ya looked inviting…comfy…can I sleep now?" He didn't wait for his King's permission, and fell right asleep.
"W-wait!" He stopped when he noticed that the Hollow was sleeping. He groaned, and tried desperately to get out of the weird, albeit comfortable, position. But, apparently Hichigo has a lot of awareness when he sleeps, because as soon as Ichigo started moving, he grabbed his King's legs and snuggled closer, making it impossible to get out without shoving the Hollow off. Which Ichigo was too kind to do.
He groaned, yet again. There was no way he'd be able to move, so he tried relaxing as much as he could. Surprising enough, the second he thought about relaxing, his body took the initiative and completely shut down. Completely relaxed, he carefully wrapped his arms protectively around his Hollow's waist and rested his head on his shoulder, giving in to the comfortable position. Eventually following his Hollow's example and falling asleep. What he didn't know, is that Hichigo was smirking.
When he opened his eyes in the morning, he was faced with a smirking, bragging Hollow insisting that no matter how hard Ichigo tired to deny it, that he liked it. Ichigo decided to get out of the house early and take the long way to school, to "argue his Hollow dry." Hichigo finally decided to shut up when Ichigo threatened the fact that he might not let him out to meet Orihime.
That was right before he walked into school. Talk about not giving up. Jeez.
End Flashback…
"Uh…you really don't want to know…trust me." And, cue the bell! Ring.
He mentally grinned. That thing always saves him. Rukia huffed and went to sit back down. He sighed in relief when the sensei came through the door.
"Alright everyone, sit down." She stated, routinely. By now, everyone knows to take their seats before she gets here, or 30 minutes extra in detention. Detention is handed out so easily around here, the only ones who really never get it are: Orihime, Rukia, Chad, Ishida, some other background kid, and to everyone's great surprise, Kurosaki Ichigo. (Sensei says it's just a matter of time, and weirdly enough, Ichigo agrees with her every time.)
School went on…blah, blah, blah. Almost everyone was asleep. (The number one reason for detentions.) Surprising enough, Hichigo kept his mouth shut.
Back somewhere in Ichigo's head…
(AN: Yes Hichigo is talking to himself, but I'm going to put the different…uh…dialogues in different paragraphs, like if two people were speaking. Partially because one of his dialogues doesn't have his accent, and doesn't deserve to be in the paragraph with his usual awesomeness. And also because he's even speaking like there's two people. I thought it was easier to explain the deep, life changing effect on his very soul…through comedy.)
"AHH! This is gonna drive me nuts!!" Hichigo was currently pacing back and forth, surprisingly not making a ditch yet.
"Calm down! If you stay calm and think about this, I'm sure you can figure it out. Just think. Start little, go bigger."
"Right. Think…Wait what?! NO! Dun wanna think! I wanna act! That's what I'm gonna do! ACT!" He yelled dramatically and punched his fist in the air. But after a couple seconds of silence, went back to pacing.
"But what if he doesn't like this…act… of yours? Will he throw you away? Lock you up? Don't forget, there are two things that we're thinking about."
"SHUT UP! Yer making me re-think myself. It's always been act firs', ask questions second, 'n act some more. YER NOT MAKIN' IT ANY EASIER!! Damn conscience an' its damn logic. DAMN IT ALL!"
"Now, now, cussing your heart out won't help this situation one bit. You have to sit and think. All this walking you're doing is making me nauseous." None the less, the Hollow kept pacing.
"I can' stop movin' at a time like this! Are ya crazy!? ...Dun answer tha'."
"Alright, first things first. What's the first thing you think you're going to act on?" He stopped pacing for a second, before resuming.
"I wanna name. Not tha' Shirosaki Hichigo shit tha' some a King's friends call me. I wanna get my own name. An' I wan' King ta give it ta me. Ya know he never even says the name, so he can' accept it."
"Are you going to ask him for this?"
"Fuck no! No way! I jus' got me some freedom, an' I'm not chancin' it on somethin' as stupid as tha'. I can live without a name, can' live without some freedom."
"But you can't die without a name."
"I can always ask later then. When King gets ta trustin' me."
"Now is as good as ever. I thought you were a man of action?"
"STOP USIN' MEH WORDS AGINST ME!!" He laughed.
"So, if you're not going to ask him, then what do you suggest he calls you? Is he just going to keep saying that you're 'that Hollow'. You hate that, and you know it. You're going to ask him."
"FINE! If I tell 'im, will ya get off meh back about it?!"
"For now."
"Then I will."
"Good, next up?"
"These fuckin' feelin's I keep getting'. They're crushin' me! Every time I'm 'round King, somethin' starts suffocatin' meh heart. Every time he's away, somethin' starts crushin' it! The poor thin' ain't gonna last long!"
"Do you know what these feelings are called?"
"If I knew tha' then I would a acted on it!"
"You do know."
"Ya don' know what I know 'r not!"
"You know because I know, you dolt! Get it together! You know what they are; you just can't admit it, can you!? The great and terrible Hollow is scared of human feelings!"
"Ya said ya would let up about the name!! AN' WHO THE HELL EVER SAID I WAS SCARED!?"
"You did."
"No YA did!" Smack. "Right…"
"Are you going to admit it, or do I have to?"
"ALRIGHT! It's love. I love our dear lil' King. Happy now!?"
"Very."
"Glad one a us is." Smack. "Right…"
(AN: If you didn't get it yet, his conscience smacks him ever time he tries pitting them as two people using sarsasm. I'm probably just getting in the way huh?)
"Now that we admitted what they are, what are you going to do about them?"
"Isn' tha' what yer here fer?"
"I'm just here to tell you what to think, when to think it, and when the action can take place. You're the one that comes up with it all."
"Wha? So yer sayin' yer my parent in disguise?"
"One: You don't have parents of any kind, anywhere. Two: I'm worse then any parent anyway, get use to it. Three: this isn't going to get me of the topic. What are you going to do about your love?"
"Uh…hope it dies away?" Smack. "I HAVE TO STOP SMACKING MYSELF!"
"I just felt like doing that. Anyway. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?!"
"Tell him," the Hollow whispered.
"Couldn't hear you."
"I'm goin' ta fuckin' tell 'im!"
"So, you're going to ask him for a name, and tell him that you love him?"
"I guess…WAIT! We jus' went in a fuckin' circle. Ya jus' told me ta act on both a the fuckin' things!"
"Hehehe."
"I'M GONNA KILL YA!!"
"Good luck."
"AUGH!"