"You're quite the sight, Ichigo Kurosaki." Echoed a voice from afar, and Ichigo froze in his steps, his breath halted and his heart raced. The last time he had heard that serene, cool voice, it was yelling at him to get out, with a pain laced tone. Ichigo couldn't bring himself to look up, couldn't bring himself to meet those deep sapphire eyes without seeing that day replay in his mind, his hollow's echoing voice.
"You should have seen the look on his face, kingy, when I did those things to him!"
Ichigo shudders and closes his eyes, regulates his breathing and then his heart returns to normal. He turns towards the various plateaus and bluffs that litter the training ground beneath the Urahara Shoten. There, close to the gate he knows will lead him to Hueco Mundo, sits Uryuu Ishida with his Quincy outfit, fingers resting against the mid-section of his spectacles.
"Uryuu" Ichigo says, though he doubts the Quincy will actually hear it. His heart is drumming hard against his ears and for some strange reason the thought of running towards him and grabbing him, explaining, demanding for answers isn't his first instinct; instead he thinks of running towards the Quincy, using his shunpo to reach the bespectacled teen and embracing him, telling him it's ok and not his fault but his, Ichigo's, his own.
"It's been so long and the best you can think of is standing there and staring?" Uryuu says casually and smirks even, leaping off the grand chunk of rock. He lands gracefully as always on the dirt ground and takes the few steps to close the gap between himself and the Shinigami. He has long forgotten the ordeal, or seems to have forgotten it.
Ichigo, however, cannot dismiss it.
"Listen, Ishida, I…" Ichigo began and halted in his explanation at the dull ache within his chest, within his mind.
"Ah, so you think he'll forgive us?" His hollow smirks and licks his lips. "Ah, yes… it's those thoughts again, oh how they make me," a chortle, and then he continues," hunger for that taste once more" Ichigo feels disgusted, repulsed, and it might have shown on his features for the Quincy next words are carefully spoken.
"I'm sorry… for everything, really." Uryuu says slowly, uncertainly, and Ichigo wants to laugh at this. Uryuu is apologizing-but for what?
"you're a piece of work, ya' know that?" Ichigo chuckles and looks up at the slightly blushing Uryuu. "You're apologizing to me…isn't supposed to be the other way around?"
"Well…" Uryuu start but finds himself at a loss of words.
"Listen, Ishida, I…" Ichigo releases a billow of breath, "I know…about what he did." Ichigo whispers and feels the atmosphere thicken around the two.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Uryuu says coldly and turns away. Ichigo's heart skips a beat and without thinking he's running after the Quincy.
"Dammit Ishida!" Ichigo growls and then he's pushing Uryuu against one of the bluffs. Uryuu groans as his back hit's a rock that's protruding from the cliff. Uryuu glares at Ichigo and raises his arm, blue particles dripping down from his wrist. Ichigo lets go of the Quincy but stays at a close proximity in case he tries to run off. "Just listen to me for once!"
Damn.
Now there's no where to run.
No more doors to close.
No place to hide.
Uryuu puffs his cheeks and turns his head; though there is no more signs of the Quincy trying to flee or fight back, Ichigo remains on guard.
"This whole time, my stupid Inner Hollow has been wreaking havoc on my body, to my mind, and little by little…he started driving me insane." Ichigo admits with a sigh. He looks towards a couple of broken boulders instead at Uryuu. "It was getting harder and harder to control him and every now and then I would wake up in some weird place, or end up somewhere or doing something I have no recollection of.
"I woke up in an alley not far from your house. My head was throbbing like crazy and I was…" Here Ichigo makes an exasperated gesture with his hands, as if trying to convey his message signally. "I was…'aroused' I suppose you can say." Ichigo turns a nice shade of red and closes his eyes with a low sigh. "I didn't know what had happened, but when I was laying there in the alley in the dead of night, hard and aching and tired, I kept getting these sort of Images of…you…
"I didn't know what had happened. All I knew was that I needed you so damn badly, but there was something in my head… and it wasn't letting me do anything-I couldn't think right, I couldn't breath right, and it took me a few minutes to realize what it was.
"It was loathing, guilt…" Ichigo paused and sighed. "All I knew was that I-my hollow…it didn't matter then who it was in control. I did something stupid, reckless, and…I was afraid that I had hurt you." Ichigo confessed. "I ran all the way home and stayed locked in for the whole day and He kept taunting me, claiming that he knew something and I wanted to know but he'd only laugh and stay silent.
"And then came that day when I passed by your place and you…started screaming and crying at me…I knew I had really done something. I ran to Shinji and his band of weirdoes and in my training they made go within myself to fight my hollow and he was winning. And then he told me what he did" Here Ichigo pauses and looks at Uryuu dead in the eye, a far off look in his bronze irises. Uryuu couldn't bring himself to break their locked gazes, the look intense.
"I got so mad…I trashed him and when he laid on the ground bleeding, he started laughing and explicitly started telling me every little thing he did. If it weren't for old man Zangetsu, I would've driven my sword through the bastards chest." Ichigo chuckles lightly.
"Why are you telling me this?" Uryuu whispers and Ichigo takes the few steps that separate him from the Quincy.
"I want to know if you would forgive me…" Ichigo whispers and he presses Uryuu against the cliff, head bowed. "Because It didn't matter if it was me, or my Hollow…or even Kon in my body. The body retains it's desires, and my hollow knows those wishes that I even hide from myself…" Ichigo turned his head and Uryuu noted the darkening blush on the Shinigami's cheeks.
In his mind he can't help but think that maybe, just maybe…
…this counts as a confession.
Uryuu sighs and feels his resolve slowly break away. The anger he had taught himself to harbor and gain strength from is depleted, replaced now by something lighter, more airy.
"How can I not forgive you, you idiot." Uryuu whispers and Ichigo smiles and looks up at him. "I only ask for one thing in return." Uryuu continues, after a few moments of silence.
"Get stronger to protect those that you love. Anger is only a temporary source of strength. I will get stronger, with you beside me. I know now that there is no forgiving and forgetting, only moving on and learning. I will get stronger-for both our sakes. No longer will I cower away; and no more will you have to fight alone for I will always be beside you.
Live to fight another day, and I shall be beside you.
Just promise me, promise…
You will never give up."
And as they charged into the porthole, Uryuu turned and locked eyes with Ichigo. A smile tugged at the duo's lips and they ran in, comrades, brothers in arms, friends…
…two young fools in love, only trying to gain enough strength to protect the other.
"Yes.
You make me feel weak, yet give me more power. I just want this solitary promise. Say it.
Yes.
This way, Kurosaki Ichigo, I will forgive you."
AN: People demanded it, I gave it to y'all, Chapter three. Honestly, I felt too guilty leaving it at only the second part ^^; Hope you enjoyed!