hi guys *gets glared at then guns appear out of nowhere* hey wait you shoot me, no more story! *guns lower* wow i really have no excuse for the late update, after exams i got lazy, but hank you to my best feind and to lalulweeb914 for the push to get it done. so without anymore hoopla.
Toshiro sat at Ichigo's kitchen table enjoying a bowl of cereal and a glass of chocolate milk. Ichigo had gotten them for him before going to check on his sister.
The boy thought about what had just happened, how he had told the other teen everything. He had to admit that it felt good to have someone else know. To have someone else he could trust other than himself. Somehow he felt he could trust Ichigo fully, even though he hadn't known him for very long.
As he was thinking these things said teen came down the stairs and sat across the table from the smaller male. Ichigo grabbed an apple from the table and bit into it noisily.
"How's your sister?" Toshiro asked.
"She's fine, she's just sitting in her bed watching her favorite movie on her portable DVD player." Ichigo responded.
"Which movie?"
"Pride and Prejudice, some girly chick flick I don't even know what it's about." Ichigo responded.
"Social classes, how pride and prejudice can occur in all people, rich or poor, love, and overcoming challenges based on classes and emotion, you know, stuff like that." Toshiro said through sips of his chocolate milk. Ichigo just stared at him, dumfounded.
"You watch chick flicks?" he snickered. Toshiro's cheeks turned a shade of pink.
"No I read the book, it's actually not that bad." The boy attempted to redeem himself.
"Toshiro reads girly books! Toshiro reads girly books!" Ichigo chanted in a sing-song voice.
"At least I can read." The youth retorted smugly.
"I can to read!"
"I meant books without pictures." Ichigo's eyes twitched and he just stared down at the younger boy who drank the rest of his milk with a triumphant smirk on his face. Ichigo grabbed the empty glass from Toshiro's hands and picked up his cereal bowl as well, storming off into the kitchen. Toshiro's smile vanished and he stared confused at Ichigo's retreating back.
Hesitantly, he got down from the table and followed the older boy into the kitchen, peeking around the corner to see Ichigo shove the dishes in the dishwasher. "I didn't mean it." Toshiro said startling the teen. "I was joking, really I was."
Ichigo smiled and put a hand on the boy's shoulder, "I know you were, it was all in good fun." Toshiro looked up at him with an awkward lopsided smile.
"Now what do you want to do?"
"Go home, Ichigo, please take me home now."
Ichigo sighed. "I can't, my dad needs to give you the okay, plus I can't leave Karin home alone when she's sick, and also I think it would be immoral of me to throw you back into that hell-hole."
"But into that hell-hole I must go, and better sooner than later." Toshiro replied.
"You understand why I can't though, right? At least not until my dad gives the okay." Toshiro nodded. "Can't we call them or something?"
"No way! Just showing up randomly would be better than calling and having to have Ikari waste his "precious" time to come and get me and waste money on gas and… no, Ichigo, don't call."
"Alright, well then what do you want to do?" Ichigo asked again. Toshiro shrugged.
"Why do you bleach your hair?" Ichigo suddenly asked, catching the other completely off guard.
"What?"
"Oh, sorry, a little random, but well, I was just looking at you and the thought came to my head. I mean I know most kids do that kind of stuff to their hair because they think it's cool, or some want attention,"
"Ichigo."
"but you don't seem to be the type to care about either of those things,"
"Ichigo!"
"Although attention would be the best explanation, seeing as you don't get it at home."
"ICHIGO!"
"Ouch!" the older boy glared at the younger. "What? You don't have to shout."
Toshiro sighed and rubbed his temples, "How in the world do you go from semi-normal to spastic in less than two minutes?"
"So, why do you." Ichigo asked him in a more serious voice. (But not too much more)
"If I were to ask you that question, you'd answer the same thing. It's completely natural."
"Wow! That's pretty cool! That's rarer that my hair color!"
Toshiro stared at him, "You're the only person in the world that would think this hair color is "cool" on a teenager."
"No I'm not."
"Whatever."
Any response Ichigo might have said at that moment was cut off by a loud shout. Suddenly Isshin Kurosaki entered the house flying, and in one swift motion, brought his foot in contact with his son's face.
Ichigo flew across the room and landed on the couch. He quickly got up and lunged at his dad, his fist meeting Isshin's face. They continued to fight until Ichigo had managed to knock his father down to the floor. The teen turned to face Toshiro just in time to see the mortified look on the teen's face.
"I-Ichigo?" the younger one stuttered. "What the-"
"My dad and I do that sometimes, he says it's because he wants me to be a better fighter, but," here he turned to the man on the ground. "I think it's just because he's a lunatic."
Isshin ran dramatically to a large picture of a woman on the wall. "Oh Masaki, what a cruel son I have!" here he started to sob.
"DAD!" Ichigo yelled trying to get the other's attention. "you have a patient here that needs checked out!"
Isshin continued to cry and Toshiro leaned over to Ichigo and asked, "Why is your father crying on a poster of a beautiful woman?"
"Oh, that's my mom." The teen responded. The younger one's face went wide in horrification.
"Your dad married a…"
"No, no" Ichigo corrected himself. "It's a picture of my mom."
"Oh," relief swept over the boy. "I should have known he wouldn't have married a poster. But then again, you see a lot of crazy things now a days…ummm…is he going to be doing that for much longer?"
instead of answering the boy's question Ichigo grabbed his father by the neck of his shirt and dragged him over to them. "Check if he's okay. Now" Ichigo said while going to stand behind Toshiro. The later backed away slightly when Isshin came near him, but stealing his nerves, he let the man get close enough to him to make sure he was alright. Isshin conducted a few simple tests to make sure he would be fine, and said it was okay for him to go home.
"Do you want you parents to come get you or…?" Isshin asked.
"No it's okay, I can w-"
"I'll take him." Ichigo cut him off, knowing that his father would not have been the least bit happy with what Toshiro was about to say, and he didn't blame him.
"Al right, I'm going to check on your sister." And with that he went upstairs.
"Thanks, Ichigo, but I-"
"Will get in the car." Ichigo told him.
"I appreciate it, really, but I can-"
"Get in the car." Ichigo said again.
"Stop doing that!" Toshiro ordered. "I'm perfectly capable of making it home alone."
"I understand that." Ichigo said. "but I'm taking you, and I'm going in with you."
"NO! Ichigo you can't do that!"
"YES! Now get in the car." Without waiting anymore, Ichigo grabbed his car keys and took Toshiro out to the car.
When they got in the car, Toshiro continued to ask the older boy not to go in with him, but Ichigo wouldn't here of it so the boy finally gave up, for a while anyway. after a few minutes of silence, the younger decided to try his hand at starting up a conversation.
"So what happened to your mom?" Toshiro asked.
"What makes you think something happened?" Ichigo asked.
"Well, the way your dad was acting around her picture, it was kind of obvious."
"You're right" Ichigo responded. "She died when I was little, a few years after the twins were born."
"How?"
"She got shot, protecting me. You see, I was down by the river, and this person appeared out of nowhere. He pulled out his gun and pointed it at me; I was rooted to the spot, struck with terror. I remember the only word I could form was 'why' I wanted to know why he wanted to shoot me. He said something like he had to kill someone to prove he was tough enough to be a part of some gang. I didn't understand, I couldn't figure out why someone would want to kill someone else just to be accepted by people.
"He was hesitating, and I thought maybe he wouldn't shoot, but I saw my mom, who was not far from me, running toward me, shouting my name. The man cocked the gun and pulled the trigger, my mom got their just in time to block the bullet, but in went right through her heart and killed her instantly. She fell on top of me and I watched helplessly as the man ran away. All I could do was scream for her to wake up and try to make her wake up until people came to get her body off me and call the ambulance. And by the time they arrived, she was long gone.
"I haven't seen the bastard who shot my mom since, but if he hasn't been killed or caught already, I hope to find him someday and get my revenge."
Toshiro could just stare at his friend, who knew he had been through so much? "I'm so sorry, Ichigo."
"Hey," Ichigo smiled. "There's nothing to be sorry for me about, she will always live in here." He pointed to his chest. Then his smile faded. "But I do miss her… a lot."
"I can only imagine." Toshiro whispered. All of a sudden the car stopped.
"This is where I dropped you off last time, I need you to direct me the rest of the way."
Toshiro did so and soon they were driving down what appeared to be a driveway. It had one slightly beat up car parked at the end. As the car parked at the end of the drive, Ichigo could just make out the outline of the house through a small line of trees. The orange-haired teen unbuckled his seat belt and prepared to get out of the car.
"You ready Toshiro?" he asked, but got no answer. "Toshiro?" he looked over to see the boy clutching his hair, knees up to his chest, and head resting on his knees.
"I-I'm coming." Toshiro finally responded.
"Why?"
Toshiro's head shot up. "what?"
"Why come back? Why don't you just run away and not come back here?"
"I can't, Ichigo."
"Why not?"
"I just can't, okay."
"Won't you even try?"
"Don't you think I have!" he suddenly snapped back. "I've tried countless times, but he would always find me, always, Ichigo. He, for some unknown reason, can't let me leave. He'll hunt me down and find me. And to make sure I don't try to leave he's gone so far as to threaten the life of anyone I stay with. And I won't let him hurt her!"
"Her? whose her?"
"No one." Toshiro closed himself off. "Or let him hurt you, but he'll go to her first."
"Being coy really doesn't work for you, you know that, right?"
"Like I care." He unbuckled himself and stepped out of the car. " Thanks for the ride."
"Wait!" Ichigo yelled. "I'm coming with you."
"No, Ichigo." Toshiro said sternly.
"Yes, Toshiro, I am." Ichigo said stubbornly. He thought if he could do something, anything, to curb Ikari's wrath, he would.
The younger studied his friend for a moment, Ichigo, I know you have good intentions, but I… you can't. If Ikari sees you, he might…"
"I understand, but-"
"No, Ichigo, you don't understand. Please."
Ichigo held up his hands in defeat. "Alright, Toshiro, you win."
The boy nodded, turned and walked toward his house. He didn't look back at Ichigo but instead, kept his eyes front. Soon he had reached the front porch. Strengthening his resolve, he pushed open the door.
* * *
Ichigo watched the boy disappear through the tree line. Then, at an impulse he followed behind, making sure to stay out of sight. He watched as Toshiro opened the door and walked inside. Once the door was shut, the teen crept up to the house and positioned himself under a window that, when he peaked in, granted him almost full view of the inside.
Ichigo watched Toshiro silently walk into his house, eyes darting back and forth, looking very much like a hunted animal. He was about to round a corner to one of the few places of the house Ichigo couldn't see, but seemed to see something and backed away quickly. Then, out of a door of what appeared to be a bedroom, came a man who, Ichigo knew, could only be Ikari Hitsugaya.
His hair was disheveled, his face unshaven, bags under his eyes told how sleep had eluded him. He held an ill-favored look about him, and he was, in a word, drunk.
His eyes met the boys and they went wide with shock before narrowing in anger.
"Where the hell have you been?" he asked angrily.
"I- I was-" the boy stammered.
"Spit it out already!" his voice slurred slightly.
"There was a fight, after school, and I-"
"I know what happened!" the man snapped. "Kane already told me. What I want to know is where you have been."
"I- I was at-" Ichigo watched helplessly as Ikari brought the back of his hand up and slapped it across Toshiro's face, causing the boy to stumble and fall.
"It's about time you learned this. I. Am. In. Charge!" he kicked Toshiro's gut for emphasis on every word. "What I say goes, and you." He gave the boy a chance to breathe. "You are to come home right after school everyday, unless I say otherwise."
Ikari rounded the corner Toshiro had backed away from earlier, leaving the child where he lay. Ichigo tried to look around the corner, but it was all in vain. He then heard the footsteps of a woman and the sound of a door opening. Not long after Ikari came back around the corner, holding a clothing iron. Ichigo concluded Toshiro's mother had been ironing clothes, then had gone into another room. Suddenly, Ichigo froze as realization of what was about to happen donned on him. He could only watch as Ikari brought his foot down on Toshiro's back, immobilizing him.
"It's time for you to learn that lesson." He said as he brought the iron down on Toshiro's back.
Ichigo pulled his face away for m the window, not wanting to see his friend get hurt like that. but he could do nothing to block out the sound of Toshiro's cry. Frustrated with his inability to do anything about the situation, and mortified at what had just transpired, Ichigo pushed himself off the ground and made his way towards his car.
I promise, Toshiro, He thought. I promise I will save you from that hell.
sorry for doing that to him (i'm so mean) but please tell me what you thought.