I'm a little disappointed in this chapter. It didn't flow as naturally as I'd hoped it would. Nonetheless I hope everyone will enjoy it. The italics are events that happened a few hours before the final scene. I keep switching between the distant-past and the present. Just wanted to clear that up.
Thank you to EVERYONE who reviewed the last chapter! Love you guys too much for words!!
Thanks so much to Toukai Ikkitousen for the in-depth analysis of the chapter he sent me.
Here is When Winter Casts A Spell Chapter 10!!!
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10
December 24th
Rrrrrring......rrrrrring.....rrrrrrrrring.....
"Hello?"
"Ichigo..."
Silence
"Ichigo...are you there?"
"I-Inoue?"
"Ichigo..."
"I'm here. Are you alright? Inoue?"
A sob. "Ichigo I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."
"Inoue? Inoue! Are you crying?? What's wrong Inoue?!"
Crying. "I'm s-s-sorry Ichigo. It's just, I c-can't take it anymore..."
"Shhh. Inoue, please stop crying...What's wrong?"
"He's g-gone Ichigo..."
"He's gone?? Who's gone, Inoue?"
"I woke up and he wasn't there. A-again. He promised he wouldn't. I'm loosing it Ichigo..."
"Inoue. You have to tell me. Who's gone?"
A shaky breath. "Matt."
"..."
A swallow. "He's gone. The door's locked. The balcony's open."
"Inoue..."
"He did it again, Ichigo..."
"Inoue I'm sorry."
"...he left me alone..."
000
Kinogaya was not the best place to go out for a round of drinks at 3 am. To tell the absolute truth, it was never the best place to go out for a round of drinks period. It was a section of the town the people of Karakura were not especially proud of. Badly littered, poorly planned, and with an alarmingly high crime rate, many a mayor of Karakura had campaigned with promises of change and inevitably failed. Kinogaya was Karakura's cesspool and no wonder; the residents of Kinogaya liked it that way.
The hooded figure wandered the streets of this crooked neighbourhood, his head hung low, his hands deep within the confines of his pockets. He looked no where, looked at no one.
At one point he bypassed an abandoned building where three skantily clad ladies with lighted cigarettes stood.
"Hey honey?" One of them, cooed. "Lookin' for for a good fuck?"
"You look stressed and I'm a dirty dirty girl." Another added with a giggle. "Nothing Valium can do that some good pussy fuckin' can't match."
"Oh baby..." The last one, a blonde, rushed over and whispered in his ear. "I can do...things...to you." She noticed he was good looking and assumed he had a girlfriend. "Things she'll never try."
The man stopped and there was a moment of silence as the three whores regarded the mysterious stranger.
Their potential client looked up. Then he said, "Do you have a lighter?" His voice was dark for some reason.
The prostitutes were suddenly not as confident.
"Um...sure." The blonde answered. She was more daring than her colleagues. Even so, she trembled slightly as she held up a naked flame to the cigarette jutting from the stranger's lips. The cigarette lighted, and three successive puffs of smoke swelled up from the stranger's mouth, swirling and dancing up her face.
"Thank you." The man said gruffly and then continued on his way.
When he was out of earshot, the blond woman commented. "I like his hair."
"Nah, he's too uptight." One of them joked with a smirk. "His girlfriend must be a real bitch."
But none of them could bring themselves to laugh.
The stranger continued down the street. The women he'd left behind...they had been tempting...so tempting....but not exactly what he was after. So he walked and he walked.
At another point, he came across an old lady with a shopping cart. Her hair was a summary of chaos, streaked with more grey than black. Her cart was overflowing with junk, and her grin was yellow-green and decaying.
"Aren't you a nice lad?" she cawed, drool running down her cheek. "Yes, you're a nice lad if I ever did see one. A nice lad. Yes, a nice lad."
The man smiled. "Good morning, Atsuko-san."
"Hello handsome." she said, her smile widening, her eyes squinty.
The man drew nearer and peered into her basket. "What have we got in there today?"
"Canned fish." the old lady pronounced specifically. "Cann-ed f-ish. Do-nuts!" She grinned proudly. "Do you want some?"
"Why not?" the man said grinning.
"I pick on-ly the best for you, handsome. On-ly the best for you." she screeched happily. "On-ly the best, handsome. Only." She handed him a half opened can.
The fish in it was obviously spoiling.
The man took a large chunk and popped it into his mouth anyway. "Thank you very much Atsuko-san." He said, chewing and handing back the can. He licked his fingers. "Mm-mm. That's good fish Atsuko-san."
"Only the best for you handsome. Only the best for you."
"Can I have all your fish, Atsuko-san?" He took out a wallet and pulled out a few notes. "In exchange you can have this."
"Should I give this to Coffee-seller-san again for chocolate drinks and sandwiches?" she asked doubtfully as she received the money.
"Don't you like the sandwiches?"
"Yes." the homeless woman grumbled. "But I like fish too."
The man smiled sadly. "But don't you like sandwiches better?"
The woman beamed. "Yes. Especially the chicken ones. Especially the chicken ones."
The man picked out all the spoiling fish from her cart. "Thank you very much Atsuko-san."
"Only the best for you, handsome." she said, showing off her teeth. "Only the best for you."
"Bye, Atsuko-san."
"You're a nice lad if I ever saw one. A nice lad."
The man smiled, and they parted ways.
The man moved further down the street, and then disposed of the cans of rotting fish into a dustbin. He had been glad to see her. He had been very glad to see her. But she was not what he was after.
So he walked.
000
Ichigo was wide awake by now. He sat in his improvised bed, his hair spikier than usual, his features tired. The phone stayed inches from his ears and he listened silently, patiently, waiting for his ex to get a grip on herself. He didn't have to wait too long. The sobbing was dying.
Only when the last tear had been spilt, no doubt, did Ichigo finally hear his name called softly: "Ichigo?"
"Mm-hmm?" Ichigo murmered.
A sniff. "Are you still there?"
"Of course." Ichigo whispered.
"I'm sorry for being such a burden."
Ichigo hesitated. "...don't be silly."
"I can't believe I broke down the way I did." she croaked softly.
"Mm."
"I mean its just about midnight. You should be sleeping."
His voice was gruff. "Not sleepy anymore."
"I didn't know who else to call."
"I understand."
Inoue added. "I think Tatsuki's with Uryuu, I didn't want to disturb them."
"I understand." Ichigo repeated.
"And well, Rukia's pregnant."
"I...I understand."
A small laugh from Inoue. "Please stop saying that."
"I...okay."
There was silence at both ends of the line. Then Ichigo broke the silence: "Inoue?"
"Hmm?"
"How often does this happen?"
"This?" Inoue 's confused tone was not so convincing.
"Matt leaving bed this way?" Ichigo asked, trying with utmost difficulty to sound nonchallant, merely curious at best. In reality however...Ichigo wanted to snap Matt's fingers.
Inoue sighed on the other end. "With some regularity."
"And you've never asked him why?"
"He tells me he needs a time out every now and then. To think."
Ichigo was silent for a moment. "To think?" he repeated a bit skeptically.
"I know it's not a very good excuse." Inoue defended. "Sometimes...I even used to wonder if he's cheating on me. But there was never any evidence. No perfume on his clothes, and he's just as loving as always. And anyway we're in Japan now and his outings are just as consistent. It doesn't make much sense to still assume he's cheating on me. With whom?"
"So you've accepted his thinking excuse?"
She sighed. "I guess so.
Ichigo paused. "Why do you think any differently now?"
Inoue did like wise. Then her voice was suddenly quieter as she stuttered. "...I...you'll...you'll think it sounds crazy..."
Pause. "Try me."
"I'm scared because..."
"I'm listening."
Inoue swallowed. Why was she so nervous? "...You know that F-feeling?"
Ichigo's nodded, knowing full well he could not be seen.
"...that sickness in us, the suffocation..."
He listened.
"Well...I can feel it."
"..."
"Ichigo, I think it was in this room..."
000
There are two buildings in Kinogaya that look remarkably alike. Both have two floors. Both have been designed to look like they were built with bricks. Even both, before they were given up to gamblers and hoodlums, used to be small retail banks. Between these two buildings, two men sat on weathered boxes in the darkness, a stock of pot between them disappearing fast.
The larger of the two was named Nagasaki Haru. He raped women. He'd been convicted once before, a long time ago, but a few pulled strings had had him breathing clean air again in a little under half a decade. Needless to say, he had not exactly come out of prison reformed and ready to volunteer at old folks' homes. If anything he'd come out a bit of a bitch about the whole ordeal. Prison had not been a pleasant experience. So now, instead of first screwing his women and then beating the shit of out of them, he just shot the ungrateful bitches in the head. That would teach them to rat on him to the fuzz!
The other man was Oshiro Ryuu. He had a thing for dead bodies. He had made it a hobby of digging up the not-so-distinguished bodies of deceased nobilities. Then he would torch the corpses just for the heck of it. He also did some body disposal on the side. If you'd wasted somebody and needed the corpse to disappear with a hundred percent guarantee that it wouldn't mysteriously resurface in the future to complicate things, Oshiro was your man! He was swift, efficient, reliable. He had never spent a second in a jail cell and he did not intend to. Ever. His operations stretched from Tokyo to Kyoto to Nigata. However business hadn't exactly been booming for the past year or so. Nobody seemed to want efficient disposal of a corpse anymore! What was the world coming to? His only business came from Nagasaki nowadays, and anyway, he usually did it for free.
Griping and complaining about the good old days was what had made them friends.
That night, those two men were smoking up a storm, getting as high as their drugs would let them, when a shadow fell upon them, bypassing in a moment.
The two men looked up to see a hooded figure. It was seemingly wandering the streets.
"Well, well, what d'you know?" Nagasaki muttered with a dirty grin as his dark eyes followed the walking man. "Some one's lookin' to be fucked up this evenin'."
Oshiro laughed a dry evil laugh. "That motherfucker's gotta have at least four balls wanderin' our parts at this hour. Hey," He nudged Nagasaki with an elbow. "Wanna have some fun?"
"I was getting bored anyway." Nagasaki said laughing too. He hopped off his box.
"A thousand yen says he screams for his momee when we cut his fuckin' eyes out." Oshiro giggled devilishly, pulling out a Swiss Army knife.
Nagasaki grinned. "You're one sick fucker, you know that?"
And they began following the man. They followed him down the street, and then they followed him through two alley ways. They followed him and followed him until it was evident they were going in circles.
They got tired of following.
"Let's just kill'im here." Nagasaki whispered to Oshiro. "Look at this place. It's dark and skanky. It's almost like he's leadin' us to his fuckin' grave." He snickered.
"Our bet's still on." Oshiro whispered. Then to Nagasaki's dismay, he shouted "Sir!"
"What're you doin' you fuckin' idiot!" Nagasaki hissed.
"Shut the fuck up, no one can hear us anyway." Oshiro hissed back. Then he plastered the weirdest, widest amiable smile Nagasaki had ever seen, and waved. "Kind sir! Could you stop for a moment? We're foreigners and we're lost."
The man infront of them did not stop.
Oshiro persisted, still smiling, waving. "We will only take a minute of your time sir." Behind his back, his other hand rubbed at the Swiss Army excitedly.
The man stopped.
Nagasaki grinned in surprise and snickered. "You're a fuckin' genius."
"I know." Oshiro said with a smug smile. He released one of the pocket blades. "Let's open up this motherfucker."
The man a few feet ahead of them did not turn around. Instead, his hands moved gently up to his hood, and took it off. Greyish water vapour rose from his mouth as he licked his lips and smiled, his blue hair gleaming in the moonlight.
He had walked down street after street after street. And it had taken so long but now it was finally worth it.
These two were the kind he was looking for.
And thank goodness too.
He was starving.
000
"Ichigo..."
Ichigo was a little startled by the voice on the other end of the phone. He had calmed her fears about the feeling ('He's just taking a walk. He's safe, trust me. He'll be back') They had been silent for a while now, and Ichigo had almost presumed her to be asleep. Nevertheless, he waited a moment before answering, "Mm-hmm?"
"Tell me a story."
The words he heard were so gentle, so simple. They reminded him of something...of someone. Ah, that's right. They reminded him of the old Inoue.
Ichigo smiled. "What kind of story do you want to hear?"
"Something happy." she replied. "Something with fairies, and candy houses and unicorns and stars that dance and laugh and sing..."
Ichigo chuckled softly into the phone and he knew she was smiling at her end. "Should it have a happy ending?"
A pause. "Please." she whispered.
Ichigo nodded. "Okay. Here we go: Once there was a young woman called Orihime. She was uh...a princess."
"Mmm."
"And uh..." Ichigo lulled. "She had no friends because all the other princesses were stuck up and mean whiles she was sweet and kind. One night whiles she was trying to sleep...uh, she heard someone calling her. She followed the voice up to the roof of the castle and it turned out it was the moon. And Orihime was very surprised when...um, the moon asked her to marry him. 'How can I marry you?' she asked..."
Inoue interrupted, "Ichigo..."
"I'll send you the stars to ride..." Ichigo continued, ignoring her. Somehow he could feel it within his heart, a throbbing longing tainted with guilt. He knew what she was going to say...he knew what she had really called him to say...but to his surprise he didn't want her to say it.
"And how will the stars get here?' she asked. He told her 'I'll ask the wind to carry them there'..."
"Ichigo..."
He didn't want her to say it. Because even...
"...what would you say..."
if she did...
"...if I said..."
...what could they do about it?
"...I still loved you?"
Ichigo stopped the story, his hand trembling just slightly from excitement. He'd wanted her so badly to say it. She had.
What now?
000
Blood streaked the alley walls. Screams were muffled. A skull fractured as it was smashed into the grey wall. Blood splashed like paint across the canvass of an abstract artist. A body slumped to the cemented floor. Lifeless.
The larger man whimpered as the hand grabbed at his neck, as he was slammed into the alley wall, as he was choked. (crack) Tears streamed down his face. How had this happened? How had it happened so fast? (crack) His friend...dead. The blood...so much blood. (crack)
"I don't wanna die." he cried softly as the fingers encircling his neck tightened considerably.
(crack)
The man with blue hair stared into his eyes watching the life drain...drain...drain from him. "Nobody does." the man whispered with demonic frigidity.
(CRACK!!)
The corpse slumped in his clasp.
Then his lips found the corpse's.
And he drank his fill.
000
Ichigo's lips fell silent and it was a moment before he had fully registered what he'd just heard. Immediately, his heart took the liberty of picking up a faster beat. "Inoue...you're just in a wrong state of mind right now. You don't mean it." He wanted her to mean it.
"I've tried hard to act like I don't have these feelings." Inoue forged on. Her speech quickened. "Two days ago you told me I was your air..."
"Oh God." Ichigo muttered, thinking of Tatsuki.
"...and I knew I wasn't in love with Matt. I love him, but I'm not in love with him. You've always been The One, Ichigo and I-can't-believe-I'm-telling-you-this-months-before-my-wedding!"
Silence.
Ichigo sighed.
"Yesterday..." Inoue whispered, "...I tried to love Matt the way I knew he deserved, but I was lying to myself. Now...I need you to tell me that as an engaged woman telling you I love you is not wrong."
Ichigo stared at his ceiling, numb. He had wanted so badly for Inoue to tell him these words. He'd wanted her to still be in love with him. Now he couldn't remember why. It changed nothing. What was she going to do? Break off the engagement?
"It makes me wonder..." Inoue said softly. "If Matt knows this, and if that's why he keeps running away every night. What if he runs to cry?"
Ichigo didn't know what to say. So he said nothing.
There was silence between them and it dragged on.
About half an hour later, Ichigo had still heard nothing from Inoue.
"Inoue?" he called gently.
There was no response.
Quietly, he hung up. She was asleep.
But Ichigo did not go back sleep.
Because just as the line disconnected, the Feeling flooded the rose from his blankets and walked to the window, trembling slightly fro the weight of the evil reiatsu. He looked out at the brilliantly lit city. He could feel it emanating from amongst those lights, deeper within. His eyes searched, as he tried to trace the dark energy. Suddenly, the energy lifted. But it was too late, Ichigo had pinpointed it. From where he stood he could see a tiny patch of darkness afar. He knew that place. Kinogaya.
Ichigo picked through some clothes he had packed in a small suitcase. As he did, his eyes fell upon an old piece of his past. It was a small bronze coloured badge with an engraved skull. His shinigami badge. Ichigo's hand reached for it, rubbing a thumb across it face. It had been so long. So so long. Was he ready for this?
The Feeling was gone anyway. Did he really need this?
He stared at the demon tool for a moment longer.
Then he let it drop.
000
The hooded man forced the mangled foot into the dustbin and shut it gently. Out came a handkerchief from his pocket and (swipe...)calmly, (swipe...) firmly, bloody stains were removed as best as they could (...swipe). He licked his lips, his face tainted with mild disgust. The larger man's mouth had tasted like an ashtray.
He dabbed at the corners of his mouth, and stuffed the stained cloth back into his pocket.
Then he turned around to leave the alley.
Ichigo was there.
The red-haired doctor stood in the light, right at the entrance of the narrow lane, his elongated shadow draping the ground. He wore a heavy jacket and his hands were buried deep in them. Unknown to the hooded man, those hands were already balled up into lethal fists.
"Hello Matt." Ichigo's voice was deep and threatening.
Matt delivered a weak smile. His lips twitched. "Hello Ichigo. Say...kind of late for you to be out here, isn't it." Matt's voice dropped a notch in pitch as well. "This neighbourhood's kinda dangerous."
Ichigo began to approach. His steps were slow, ominous. Every step echoed, and with every second his frame drew nearer. "What've you got there Matt?"
Matt's smile, by now, was non-existant. "Just taking out some trash."
"At 4 am?" Ichigo asked coldly. Suddenly he stopped, a sick feeling seeping into him. He could smell it. What the... It was thick, nauseating....familiar.
Blood. Then he felt his pupils dilate with his widening eyes as they fell on the flanking walls. They were dripping with crimson life. He looked down, feeling sicker and sicker. His own horrified red tinged reflection looked up at him and as a drop of water fell from above, Ichigo was further sickened as the pool of death accepted the water, and rippled gently.
Ichigo wanted to vomit.
Instead, he attacked Matt in a blind rage.
The punch sent Matt crashing into the blood soaked walls. Before Matt could even catch his breath, Ichigo's hands were upon him again, grabbing at his jacket collar. Matt was slammed into the wall. Again and again. Ichigo's cry was pure fury as he dug one outraged fist after another into the American's midsection. Ichigo punched and punched, with all his might, till he was panting desperately for breath and his punches were weakening from fatigue. For a split second, Ichigo worried that he might have killed the man but one look at the blue-haired man's face and he knew though he was in terrible pain, all the fury had been stomached quite well.
Ichigo grabbed at Matt's collar again, holding him against the wall so that he had difficulty breathing.
"Why?" Ichigo whispered into his captive's face, his breath engulfing it in whisps of cold white. Ichigo stared into the cold face that was just beginning to bleed from the corners of its mouth. "Why are you here Matt Peterson? Who are you?"
Matt looked him right in the eye, tiredness overwhelming his features. "This is not what it looks like..."
Matt was rewarded with a head butt. Now Ichigo was bleeding too, but from his nose.
"I'm going to ask you one...last...time." Ichigo muttered darkly, his pupils shifting from pure hatred. "Wrong answer and I swear I will kill you. Who...are...you?"
Matt stared nonchallantly back. And then suddenly, Matt's eyes widened and look up. He whispered, "We're being watched."
Ichigo's eyes flashed. "Bye Matt Peterson." And he drew back a fist.
Now, what happened next would play in Ichigo's mind for many years to come. It was not the event itself that would taunt him, but the irony of it. Because, in the next millisecond after he had muttered those words, he really had (to his utmost bafflement), found himself sailing backwards away from Matt...in midair...his own legs in his field of vision.
Matt had shoved him away.
And in the second millisecond, Ichigo saw why.
Just as Ichigo's backside touched down on the cement, a large green unearthly pincer came smashing down where he had stood seconds ago. Wind errupted, swirling and rising as the owner of the pincer followed, spraying debris into the winter air.
Hollow.
Ichigo loooked up at the monstrous demon, as it let out a hellish screech to the heavens.
Wait a minute...where was Matt?
Ichigo's heart beat faster as the smell of fresh blood filled the air. And as the wind cleared, Ichigo could see more clearly. Matt was against the wall, the hollow's second pincer pinning him to it though his shoulder. Shit.
So this was what caused the carnage here. Ichigo thought, as his mind raced through countless attack strategies a minute. This thing must ambush people in this alley. How could I be so stupid?! He got to his feet, filled with a new vim. I should have been more careful! Now Matt's going to die because of me! Well, not on my watch.
Shit. He should've brought his substitute shinigami badge afterall!
Nevertheless, Ichigo had to do something! He'd killed Arrancar! He'd killed Ulquiorra for fuck's sake! Hollow's should be a piece of cake! He couldn't have gotten that rusty after a decade.
"Hey dipshit!" Ichigo called at the towering monstrosity. "Are you always this ugly or are you making a special effort today?"
It wasn't much of an insult, but the hollow lapped up the degradation like a kitten would do to cream.
Screeching, it whipped Matt off its pincer with a swift move of its arm, sending the American's body flying into the street. Then it turned around. And Ichigo swore in his head.
It wasn't because the hollow looked threatening. It was shrimp like (though not shrimp sized), and its queer green colouration only stole the little presence it possessed.
Ichigo swore because, the image of the hollow was odd. It was near ethereal, with its figure shifting weirdly like a bad tape cassette. Granted, rarely did Ichigo ever take the time to look out for the grumpy soul thirsty demons anymore. But even when he did, he would hardly give them a second thought. Soul Society had vastly improved in their duties and the occasional hollow was dealt with shortly after appearance. Ichigo had hardly paid any attention to hollows for the past ten years. And now...
"Shit." Ichigo muttered, suddenly a little worried. "Has my reiatsu shrunk? I can hardly see this thing!"
He dived as a pincer shot in his direction, breaking through the tired walls. Rolling, he got back unto hs feet and with a war cry, attacked.
He rammed his fist into the side of the demon, and to his relief, watched it skid a few feet away from the impact.
'I've still got it.' Ichigo thought with a relieved smile. 'Well....to some degree, anyway."
Another screech, and the hollow charged for him. The creature's pincer darted forward. Ichigo dodged, but not quite in time and the sharp points tore through a bit of his shoulder.
Ichigo winced as warm blood soaked his clothes. Damn. He delivered another well aimed punch right into the hollow's ventral side. This time the punch did little damage and Ichigo was regretting he'd used up so much of his strength on Matt.
Another pincer knocked him to the ground, and Ichigo was seeing stars. Dammit!! What he'd do for a blade right now! He would've dismembered this stupid thing ages ago. If he died by the hands of a hollow, people'd be giggling at his funeral!
The hollow lunged at him but met only icy concrete. Ichigo had rolled off, getting back on his feet again. This fight was going badly. He needed to relax or he would get his ass kicked!
Ichigo slowed his breathing and calmed his nerves. He clenched his fists, and felt for it....felt for it deep inside him...his reaitsu... The unique mixture of light and dark energy began to course his veins, flooding his senses. There were no bursts of light or fancy energy pillars because Ichigo was trapped in his body but perhaps it was all the better. Because the hollow had no idea when it made its final mistake of lifting its deadly appendage...and bringing it down.
It was blocked with a hand.
"Nice try." Ichigo said smugly, grinning up at the creature that was now as clear as day to his eyes. "But thanks for the training session." And with that he yanked the monster forwards.
Clayey pieces of hollow mask filled the air as Ichigo's fist drove in, connecting powerfully, sending shockwaves rippling through its spine.
The hollow screamed.
"Big baby." Ichigo muttered at the disintergrating demon as it made a fuss, writhing and thrashing. The screaming lasted long after the hollow was gone, but finally even that died out too and the night was left silent again.
Ichigo sighed and felt his strength leave him. He wanted to let himself crumple to the ground in a pitiful pile of fatigue. But...
"Matt." Ichigo muttered to himself. He needed to apologize to him.
He found the bleeding man on the street, his body torn, his face twisted in agony.
Ichigo fell to his knees beside him. "Oh crap." Ichigo mumbled, surveying the damage. He looked up to see a few windows lighting up. The commotion had woken people. Police could be there any minute.
"Sorry man." was all Ichigo could say. "I...I can't believe you saved me back there." Honestly, he felt like such a jackass. Matt Peterson? Killing innocent people? It all seemed so stupid to Ichigo now that his head was cleared. Maybe some part of him had just wanted it to be true. Because of Inoue.
Matt looked up at him through tearing eyes of pain. "No problem. God I feel like shit."
"You look like it too." Ichigo joked, not smiling in the least. "What were you doing here at this time anyway?! You have a fiancee!"
"Stephanie called you?"
"Inoue called me." Ichigo said forcibly, then smiled. "I'm going to press on your wound, I need you to bear the pain. Can you do that?"
Matt managed a nod.
Ichigo's jacket began to come off. "I can't believe you saved me that way. I'm...I'm really sorry I treated you that way back there." He draped the injured man for warmth. "If you hadn't pushed me away in time, I could've been dead by now."
Matt said nothing.
Ichigo was just about to begin his work when something suddenly occured to him. And it sent shivers running down his spine. "Wait a minute..." Ichigo whispered, looking down at the man in disbelief. "...you...you can see hollows??"
Matt stared up at him.
And then he sighed. "Oh crap. Ichigo..."
Ichigo's eyes widened as a new reiatsu hit him.
"...I was hoping it wouldn't come to this."
A vaguely familiar reiatsu.
Suddenly Ichigo knew what Matt was.
Matt's hands shot out to grasp his face. Ichigo couldn't pull out!
"Sleep tight."
Matt pulled him down and kissed him.
Ichigo groaned...as the colour drained from his skin...and his eyes...
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Well there you have it folks! End of chapter. PLEASE review to tell me what you think. I really needed some pushes if I'm going to get the next two chapters done because the events are going to make it very difficult and I'm tired just thinking about all the work that's going to go into it.
Thank you SO much for reading and for following my story this far. I was hoping my first two digit chapter would be more impressive than this but...ah well.
One last thing: I know some people might want to point out the irony in having a bullet bounce off Matt but having him wounded by an ordinary hollow. Can I just say its more of a physical thing? Anything with reiatsu can potentially injure him (hence Ichigo's punches making him bleed, and the hollow). Anything without a shred of spiritual energy is useless against him (hence, the bullet thing).
Guess I'm done talking. I'll begin work on the next chapter soon.
Remember to review on your way out! {-D
Thanks. Peace. I'm out!