Chapter 3
His sister wanted to start dating.
His sweet, innocent, little sister.
Ichigo slammed his fist down onto his bed, narrowing his eyes at the window, imagining Shiro was right there. He may be gay, but he wasn't going anywhere near her!
Ichigo sighed dramatically.
Now only if he had the courage to tell this to Yuzu. He had been avoiding her all day because of this. He just couldn't find the courage to tell her. She had always worked so hard to make sure they stayed happy that she had forgotten about her own happiness. Ichigo knew he wanted nothing more than to make her happy, but there was that one sore thumb that stuck out.
Shiro was gay.
Gay.
He liked boys.
Yuzu was a girl.
Ichigo pulled his hair with a growl, silencing himself before looking to his door.
Yuzu knew right? He was pretty sure she knew, but then why would she still like him? He was pretty cute, Ichigo would admit, but her gender threw her off his chart. She didn't have the chance to even be at the bottom of his list.
He had thought she could may have a chance after the small talk he had with Shiro, but he didn't know him all that well.
He had practically learned nothing about Shiro. He barely even talked to him, mostly because he didn't want too.
When he had first saw him, there was no doubt he had thought for a second he was beautiful. Saying love at first sight was a probably correct, but then he remembered he was a close friend of Yuzu's.
Yuzu was not going anywhere with that man!
He could just imagine it now! Shiro holding Yuzu in bed, their faces close as he whispered into her ear.
"I love you."
Never!
He clapped his hands together, standing up from his bed and dusting himself off. He sneaked down the stairs, looking around to see if Yuzu was home. He still lacked courage to tell her, but he knew he should just come out with it and hope for the best. He thought of seeing her cry and almost ran back upstairs. He wasn't strong enough to witness that.
He was a man though, he would tell her.
He cleared his throat and walked into the kitchen, looking around. Yuzu was standing next to the sink, cleaning some kelp leaves for the dinner she was about to prepare. She turned around though when she heard him, giving him a small smile.
"Hey Ichigo," she greeted, Ichigo giving her a small smile in return.
"How was your day?" he asked, Yuzu shrugging.
"It was pretty good to say the least. I went to a study group with a couple of friends and had something to eat there." Ichigo nodded, leaning against the counter.
"So, have you heard from Shiro lately?" He almost flinched when she stopped what she was doing, her eyes turning to him. She slowly went back to work, taking the kelp from the sink and putting it into a pot.
"Not really... He has a day job so we don't really get to meet up till around the evening time," she informed, Ichigo nodding in understanding.
What did they do at night?!
Ichigo scolded himself, forcing himself to push away his thoughts and concentrate on his sister.
"Well he called me last night. Told me that you wanted him to talk to me." Ichigo was almost sweating when Yuzu looked to him with a small distracted smile. She put the pot of kelp on the stove and turned the fire on medium, wiping her hands on her towel.
"Ah yes, I was going to ask you in person, but I guess Shiro beat me too it." She laughed but it seemed forced, Ichigo clearing his throat.
"You like him, don't you?" Her laugh gave way to a small nervous smile.
"As a friend only really, he feels the same way…" her eyes glazed over, Ichigo biting back a remark.
She did like him more than just a friend!
He looked down to the tile counter, a frown on his lips.
"You had me talk to him so I could convince him otherwise, didn't you?" Yuzu became quiet, her smile tightening.
"Ich-"
"Don't you realise he plays for the same team?"
Ichigo flinched when he saw Yuzu's smile fall, her eyes that were swirling with emotions settling down with sadness. The silence seemed to stretch forever, Yuzu's eyes downcast. Ichigo had only seen her like this once, when their mother died. To see it now made him feel like a pestering fool. He went to apologize but Yuzu spoke first.
"I know." His eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. He let out a deep breath and smiled, glad that she at least realised that.
"But that doesn't mean that I will just give up."
Ichigo's entire world shattered.
This was not working well in his mind right now. She knew he was gay, but she still wanted to give it go? Her tries were as useless as dead engine to a car. Being gay wasn't frequently spoken of in Japan, and when it was, it was a very big deal. If he made up his mind to the point that he wasn't afraid to say it aloud, then she had no chance.
"He had been through everything with me. He had been there for me when no one else could be. I love him for that."
Ichigo felt like pulling out his hair.
"Yuzu, that isn't love. Sure he had always been there, but you are mistaking his comfort for love. He plainly has already decided to hit for a different team," Ichigo was explaining it but it didn't seem like she was getting it, her eyes lifting to look into his.
"How could you understand?"
Ichigo sighed. He could understand because he was doing the same thing right now. Except for he was the one being used for comfort.
"I've lived longer than you, Yuzu. I have experienced more than you ha-"
"Then call him."
Ichigo was surprised with her sudden outburst, but surprise soon gave way to confusion.
"Call who?" he asked, Yuzu rolling her eyes.
"Call Shiro and talk to him. You want to understand, get to know him like I know him. If you can't even do that, then you have no right to sit there and tell me that."
Ichigo was about to reply but his phone went off, his sudden irritation giving rise to anger. He took out his phone and answered it as Yuzu went back to cooking, the kelp sadly burnt.
"We are going out to eat," she informed, Ichigo putting his phone away.
"But I have to the school real quick. One of my club member's hurt himself while getting a prop for the school play ready," he explained, Yuzu rolling her eyes.
He had really pissed her off.
"Then meet us there, it'll take some time to actually find a place dad and Karin would agree on," she grumbled, Ichigo reaching over and kissing her forehead.
"I'm sorry," he told her before he headed out the house, Yuzu's frown easing away into a smile. She could never stay mad at him for long anyway.
XXX
Ichigo sighed as he exited the school building, shaking his head. The poor guy had fell of a ladder and sprained his pinky. It amazed Ichigo how he could fall so far only to get hurt on his pinky. The dude was superman's son for sure.
He took out his phone and looked to the emails he had received. He had two from Karin about where they would go and how to get there.
The place they had picked was called Super Buffet, an all you can eat restaurant that was family oriented, but at the same time only ran by like five people. Thank god they didn't take had amazing food so he guessed it was alright.
He went to Eighth St. and looked back to the directions.
'Go all the way down till you get to Bourdani Avenue.'
"What a weird name," he murmured aloud, walking down the long pathway. It was usually a busy street but today it was rather vacant. He suspected it was like that because of the fact that it was almost night time. The sun was going down, and most people were at home with their families or on their way home.
He put his phone away and shoved his hands into his pockets, quickening his strides just a tad. He whistled a tune as he looked to the many signs, looking for one that would say Bourdani.
He could have easily just asked for a ride but didn't want to be a bother. Uryuu would have gave him one, and Orihime, but he didn't want to disturb them from the work they were doing just to take him to a restaurant.
He could have taken the car but had decided against it, since the other's would have needed a way to the restaurant. The place wasn't that far from his school anyway. Probably a good twenty minute walk, or a ten minute run. He wasn't worried about getting there on time.
He was a tad worried about the setting sun though. He had no problem with the dark, but the shadows that were creeping up behind him were giving him shivers.
In the dark there were no shadows. In fact you could hardly see.
He had done Bloody Mary a thousand times in the mirror but had never seen anything. As far as he was concerned, the darkness held no secrets. But he knew for a fact shadows did.
He broke into a light jog, his hair flying back, a few rebellious strands slapping his cheeks. He stopped after a second and looked around, seeing where he was at.
There was a Blossom St. and a Hitachi St., but there was no Bourdani Ave.
'I probably have to go farther down,' he thought, looking behind him to the shadows. He had gotten away from them at least. He suddenly felt childish after thinking that and sighed, rubbing his temples before moving on with a fast walk.
He was going insane.
XXX
The walk was tiresome and the walkway seemed endless, Ichigo almost crying out in relief when he reached Bourdani Ave. He took out his phone for further directions and frowned. His phone seemed to have died while he was walking, Ichigo gritting his teeth.
He thought he had charged it at home!
His temples were throbbing now, his eyes narrowed down at his phone.
So much for being reliable.
He sighed and put it back inside his pocket, looking around for someone to ask for directions. The sun had gone down by now and so had his paranoia, Ichigo sighing when he spotted nobody. He thought back to the email and tried to remember what to do next.
Bourdani Ave. split into a forked path. He could either continue going straight, go left, or go right. He put a finger to his chin.
If he remembered correctly, the email said Super Buffet was next to a Mcdonalds, and a dollar store. So all he had to do was look for a sign for Mcdonalds! He looked around, his eyes squinted as he looked for a red source of light.
"There!"
"What's there?"
Ichigo jumped three feet in the air but gladly restrained his scream of terror, his eyes wide as he looked to the guy who had magically appeared next to him. He was taller man with tan skin and shaggy brown hair, his grey eyes looking from the source of light back to Ichigo.
Ichigo's short temper immediately took control of him.
"Don't you know that it is not good to sneak up on people!" he hollered, the guy raising an eyebrow.
"I did not 'sneak up' on you. I am merely looking for a friend who had came out here a few minutes earlier," the guy told him, sounding bored and exhausted.
Ichigo's eyebrow twitched.
He didn't like this guy already.
"What's your name?" he asked, Ichigo straightening up.
"Ichigo, and yours?"
"My name is Starrk." Ichigo nodded, putting the name into memory.
"Where are you headed?" the guy asked, his eyes looking deeply into Ichigo's. Ichigo felt his cheeks heat up but he forced the blush away.
"A restaurant called Super Buffet, my family is waiting for me there," Ichigo informed, Starrk nodding, pointing towards the right.
"You would go down that way. Want me to show you?"
Ichigo wanted to get away from the man but he also didn't want to get lost. He nodded hesitantly and Starrk took his hand gently, leading him down the dark pathway.
Ichigo was trying to focus on where they were going so he could remember for the next time he came down this way but he could barely keep his eyes open, his energy feeling like it was slowly being drained away.
He stumbled and the guy caught him, Ichigo trying hard to clear his head.
"I'm sorry," Ichigo murmured, standing up only for his legs to feel like Jello.
"Are you alright?" Starrk asked, his eyes expressionless besides the worry in his voice. Ichigo shook his head, his hand slipping from Starrk's.
His energy slowly slid back, Ichigo sighing as he rubbed his temples.
"I'm sorry again, I just got a tad light headed," he claimed, Starrk giving him a small smile. It never did reach his eyes though.
He touched his arm and Ichigo felt the draining feeling again, his eyelids lowering as he was pushed against a wall.
"Starrk?..."
"We are almost there," he told him, Ichigo gasping when he lifted his leg and pressed his thigh against his groin. Ichigo's brain was sending mixed signals everywhere. One part was screaming that he had to wake up, that Starrk was a bad man and that he should run, and the other side was whispering that he should go to sleep.
He gasped softly when Starrk kissed him, his eyes fighting to open. He was losing the war though and falling into the pit of slumber, only one hand hanging onto the edge.
Starrk pulled away and kissed his cheek, his nose nudging his head to the side and exposing his neck. Ichigo took in a sharp breath when something sharp pressed against the his neck, but just as quick as it came it was gone.
He fell to his knees, Starrk no longer there to support him. He panted as his energy slowly bled back, sitting back onto his haunches. He wiped everywhere he had licked, his mind slowly booting back up. He looked around and frowned when he noticed he was in an alley, now very much confused.
He remembered that they had been walking on a pathway to Super Buffet, so how he got here he had no idea.
"Ichigo?" he looked up at the sound of Shiro's voice, shaking his head before standing up.
"Why are you in here?" he asked, walking up to him with a frown. Ichigo looked around, unsure of that himself.
"I saw you walk in here, what could possibly be in this alley?" Shiro asked, Ichigo looking around.
Starrk… Where did he go?
"I-I don't know," Ichigo stuttered out, hugging himself when he finally came to realise it was freezing outside.
Shiro frowned, looking around.
"Come on, the other's sent me out here to look for you," Shiro claimed, Ichigo nodding in a sluggish daze.
"Shiro?" he called as he turned to leave the alley, Shiro looking over his shoulder to him. Ichigo didn't want to tell him straight up what happened so settled for a small question instead.
"Did you see a man walk in here with me?" he asked, Shiro looking blankly at him for a second, his lips set into a frown. He appeared to be contemplating something, but after a few seconds he finally replied.
"No. You came in here all by yourself."
Ichigo wanted to argue and prove that he hadn't been here all by himself but without Starrk he didn't have much proof. He sighed and followed after Shiro, noticing they went left instead of right.
Had Starrk led him down that way on purpose?
He shook away the thought, following silently. They made it to the Super Buffet in five minutes, Shiro informing the other's that he had just gotten lost in a day dream and went the wrong way. Karin and Yuzu agreed, his father scolding him about getting lost at a time like this. They all cooled down though and sat down to eat, Ichigo taking out his phone. It was still dead so he knew that hadn't just been a dream.
After large amounts of teasing and laughter on the other's part, they all went home.
Ichigo was glad and rushed upstairs without saying goodbye or thank you to Shiro, slamming his door shut. He ignored his father's angered yell and fell down onto his bed, putting his hands behind his head.
He touched a finger to his lips, unbelieving that a complete stranger had stole his first kiss. He got up and went to the bathroom, wanting to see if his lips looked any different.
But when he looked in the mirror it wasn't his lips that he noticed.
It was the small puncture wounds on his neck.
Author's note: Sorry it took me so long to update, I wanted to start writing another story cause I lost my muse for this one, but it eventually came back. I can not guarantee I will update frequently, but I will try, depending on my muse and its want to cooperate.