Tamix-Finally I get this up! Sorry for the wait, it was just so fucking long, and I was too lazy to type it. But I finally did. Took me two or so hours tonight. Appreciate it dammit! Beta'd by TealEyedBeing, who like me, wants a pic of the scene where Kisuke is cuddling Ichi. Lots of fluff in this!
Ch. 3
Kisuke swore under his breath.
"You heard that?"
"Yeah…why?"
Kisuke smiled ruefully. "You really weren't supposed to hear that."
"But I did. Are you allowed to tell me?" Ichigo asked, tilting his head in a way Kisuke found rather cute. The blonde shopkeeper sighed a little.
"I guess I can. A Soul Reaper is a guide. They guide souls on to the Soul Society."
"Is that some kinda afterlife?" Ichigo asked.
"Sort of. Good souls, called Wholes go there. Bad souls, called Hollows, we purify."
"We? You're a Soul Reaper too?"
"Ichigo, if you keep asking questions, I won't be able to answer your original one," Kisuke said with a soft chuckle. Ichigo flushed a little.
"Okay, okay, continue."
"Yes, I am a Soul Reaper by the way. So Soul Reapers are guides for souls."
"Okay. So that phone belongs to a Soul Reaper? They need phones?" Ichigo sounded skeptical, and Kisuke laughed again.
"Yes, it tells them where Hollows are. That's one of its functions."
"There was one here?!"
"Shh, it's okay. If there was, another Soul Reaper will get it, so we're in no danger. Don't worry your pretty little head over it."
Ichigo blushed again. "O-Okay…"
Kisuke smiled. Ichigo really was cute when he blushed.
Or in general, for that matter.
"So, you got any other questions?" Kisuke asked in a slightly teasing tone that wasn't lost on Ichigo.
"No, not at the moment."
"Good, cause now that I told you about Soul Reapers, I have to make you one."
Kisuke sounded deadly serious, and Ichigo's face turned pale.
"W-wha?"
"That, or kill you," Kisuke said simply. Ichigo turned even paler, and the blonde realized he had gone too far. He realized how harsh his words had been, and hurriedly sat by the teen, touching his shoulder gently.
"Ichigo? Are you alright? I'm sorry, that was kinda harsh."
Ichigo blinked up at Kisuke, his amber eyes bright in his pale face.
"Kinda? That was harsh."
Ichigo looked so distraught, Kisuke didn't think, he only acted on instinct. He wrapped his arms around the slender orange head, pulling him closer so Ichigo's head was tucked under the blonde's chin. Ichigo blinked at this odd, but decidedly comforting position. He unconsciously snuggled closer to Kisuke, and felt the shopkeeper's arms tighten around him, one hand coming up to stroke the teen's back. Ichigo's breathing gradually slowed and calmed, and some color returned to his face.
"You okay now? Sorry to be so blunt, but that's the choice you face," Kisuke said softly. Ichigo mumbled something into Kisuke's chest that the blonde didn't catch.
"Sorry, what was that?"
Ichigo looked up, a determined look on his face.
"I'd rather be a Soul Reaper than die. Make me one then."
Kisuke smiled. "I thought you'd choose that. C'mon, I have to do it before Soul Society people come barging in." The blonde stood, helping Ichigo up as well. "I don't want them asking why I told a human all about Shinigami and the Soul Society.
"How would they know?" Ichigo asked, stumbling a little as he tried to keep up with Kisuke's long strides. The older stopped, letting Ichigo catch up before scooping his up bridal-style. Ichigo squeaked, flushing a faint red color. Kisuke smiled.
"Sorry, didn't want you falling behind. No reason to tire you out. And they keep tabs on me. Have to watch a traitor at all times." Kisuke's voice took on a bitter, sarcastic tone at the last sentence.
"Traitor?" Ichigo asked timidly. Something in the older man's voice told Ichigo this wasn't a good conversation topic for the blonde. Kisuke nodded wearily.
"It's a long story, but yes, I'm a traitor to the Soul Society. I got thrown out and can't go back. They literally put up a force field so I can't get back in." Ichigo winced.
"Harsh punishment," He said softly. Kisuke scoffed.
"Yeah, and the kicker is, I didn't even do it." His tone was dark and bitter now, something in it scared Ichigo. It was like Kisuke was a totally different person now. The jovial, smiling shopkeeper was gone, as was the caring, grey eyed man who had hugged and comforted him. In their place was a dark-eyed stranger.
And this person scared Ichigo.
"K-Kisuke?" Ichigo said nervously. Kisuke immediately snapped out of it, and smiled lightly, his eyes back to their normal mercurial grey.
"I'm sorry Ichigo; I didn't mean to scare you. I just get mad sometimes," He soothed.
"Y-you did scare me. It was like you were a whole different person!"
"I don't doubt it," Kisuke said, the bitter tone creeping back into his voice again. "I'm sorry if I scared you."
"It's okay…" Ichigo murmured. Kisuke leaned down a bit and suddenly kissed Ichigo's forehead.
"As long as you understand," He murmured. "Just be aware that I have two sides to my personality. One is good and the other is…"
Ichigo flushed a brighter red at the kiss.
"A-and the other?" He asked, trying to ignore the sudden fluttery feeling he had in his stomach. Kisuke smiled down at him, only increasing the strange, fluttery feeling.
"The other isn't so good."
"Ah." Was the intelligent answer Ichigo gave, still blushing a little. Kisuke grinned as he knelt and lifted part of the floor up, revealing a ladder going down into a long, and black hole.
"Why're you blushing?" Kisuke asked teasingly as he stood, leaning the section of the floor tile against the wall.
"I…uh…er…" Ichigo stammered. Kisuke chuckled.
"It's okay Ichigo, I'm just teasing," He said lightly, then jumped into the hole. Ichigo yelped, and instinctively clutched tighter to Kisuke's shirt. There was a long rush of air, then a sudden bright light against Ichigo's squeezed shut eyelids. He hesitantly opened them just as Kisuke landed nimbly on the ground with a light thump. The blonde set Ichigo down, and Ichigo noticed he kept one arm loosely around him. Kisuke smiled as Ichigo looked around, clinging slightly to the blonde's arm.
"Wow. How does all this fit under your teensy little shop?" Ichigo asked, gesturing to the broad expanse of desert-like land.
"Magic," Kisuke said with a smirk that said he was obviously kidding. "Isn't it amazing? It took me a while, but I did all this. It's the perfect place to train or to just be alone. The only drawback is that you can never tell the time." The shopkeeper walked forward, and Ichigo noticed he was swinging a wooden cane at his side.
"You don't use that, do you?" He asked curiously. Kisuke shook his head.
"Nope, it's not even a real cane." He took the top of the cane where it curved and pulled up, revealing a long, thin katana. "It's a sword. A Zanpakuto."
"A…Zanpakuto?" Ichigo tilted his head. "What's that?"
"It's a Shinigami's sword. It's used to kill Hollows, perform Konso to send good spirits to the Soul Society, and also to make other Shinigami. It's literally a Soul Slayer, and each one has a name. They're not mindless tools, they have minds and personalities," Kisuke explained.
"They have names?" Ichigo asked, hesitantly reaching out to touch the blade. His finger brushed a cool, smooth surface of the metal and Kisuke smiled.
"She likes you. Yes, they all have names. And this is hers." Kisuke set his other hand over the blade. "Awaken now, Benihime."
A shiver went down the hilt and blade, making Ichigo's hand vibrate a little. There was a soft keening sound, and Benihime had changed.
Her blade had grown shorter and thicker, and the hilt was slightly crooked at the end, and was elaborately decorated.
"Pretty, isn't she?" Kisuke said, chuckling at the awed look on Ichigo's face.
"Yeah, she is," Ichigo said in a soft voice. "What're you gonna do with her?"
"To be honest? I have to stab you."
Ichigo flinched, and shied away a little. Kisuke, sensing another mild panic attack rubbed the orange head's shoulder soothingly, and leaned forward to kiss his forehead.
"Shh, it's okay. I have to transfer my powers to you. They have to awaken your Soul Reaper powers, then I'll take mine back."
Ichigo, who had blushed and gotten that fluttery feeling in his stomach again when Kisuke had kissed his forehead, nodded.
"How long does that take?" He asked.
"Not long," Kisuke said distractedly. "A couple minutes maybe."
"What's wrong?"
"Ichigo, I knew your mother, but do you know who your father was? Your real father? Do you know his name?" Kisuke asked.
"Yeah, actually. It's Isshin, why?" Ichigo asked. Kisuke shook his head.
"No reason. Now I know that you have your own Shinigami powers. I just have to awaken them."
"Huh?" Ichigo tilted his head in that cute way he had. "I'm confused."
"It's okay, you'll understand," Kisuke soothed. "I'll explain later when I'm done."
Ichigo nodded. "Okay, you promise?"
Kisuke chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, Ichigo, I promise," He said softly. He then hefted Benihime and leveled the point of her blade at Ichigo's heart.
"You ready?"
Ichigo took a deep breath, steadying himself.
"Ready as I'll ever be for someone stabbing me," He said, trying to joke. Kisuke smiled, his face softening.
"Will it hurt?" Ichigo asked worriedly. Kisuke threw his head back and laughed.
"Now he asks! Maybe, for a minute. Not long though."
"Okay, let's get it over with then," Ichigo said, softly. Kisuke rested the point of Benihime's blade against Ichigo's heart, hesitated a little, and then lunged forward, watching Benihime's blade slide easily through Ichigo's slim form.
He saw Ichigo wince, his fingers gripping the blade slightly. There was a sudden bright burst of light, and Benihime slid from Ichigo and clattered onto the ground. Ichigo blinked rapidly, trying to clear the flashes of light from his eyes. When he could see again, the first thing he noticed was his clothes had changed. Where he had been wearing slim jeans and a long sleeved shirt, there was now a loose, black shihakusho.
The second thing he noticed was Kisuke, who was sitting on the ground, grinning up at him and looking rather pale.
"K-Kisuke! Are you okay?" Ichigo asked, kneeling beside the blonde. There was a soft clank, and Ichigo looked behind him, trying to locate the noise. A long sword lay next to him, seeming to look up at him innocently. Ichigo reached out and picked it up.
"Is that…mine? My Zanpakuto?" He asked softly. Kisuke nodded tiredly.
"Yeah, it is." The blonde looked over to see where Benihime was lying, now back in her sealed state as a katana. Ichigo looked at Benihime, then over to her owner who was running his fingers through his blonde hair, hat laying beside him.
"S-so now what?" Ichigo asked, trying and failing to ignore that fluttery feeling in his stomach. The shopkeeper looked more…open without the green-striped hat on. Ichigo could actually see his eyes, and he looked a lot less shady and mysterious. Kisuke looked up and smiled a little wickedly. The fluttery feeling grew stronger, and Ichigo swallowed nervously.
"Now? Now I train you till you drop from exhaustion." Kisuke's eyes were sparkling mischievously, but Ichigo knew he wasn't kidding. The orange head smiled determinedly, gripping the hilt of his Zanpakuto.
"Bring it on."
Tamix-See? Freaking long. So yeah. Hope you enjoyed and muchos gracias to those that will and those that have reviewed, you make me happy.
