"—chigo... Ichigo. Ichigo!"
Ichigo turned, rolling his eyes as he did so before meeting the furious gaze of one of his younger sisters. "What?"
"I was calling you for ages!" Yuzu complained, staring up at him through light brown lashes. "Where are you going?"
Smirking, Ichigo shrugged, pocketing his hands. "A walk?"
Karin appeared behind the daintier Kurosaki, her perpetually bored look morphed slightly into well hidden worry. "You aren't going out with Aunt Yoruichi again are you?"
Raising a brow at the twins, he glanced between them. "What are you guys so worked up about?"
"We know you actually went to Seireitei the last time you went with her. You know dad doesn't like you going there," Karin warned him, crossing her arms.
Ichigo exhaled low and shook his head as he smiled at them. "Idiots, I'm not going to do anything stupid."
"But you are stupid," Karin quipped. "So stupid means stupid decisions…"
"Just… please," Yuzu pressed gently, grasping his hand. "Be careful there."
Ichigo laughed, grinning. "Okay, okay!"
XXX
"Yoruichi, you aren't going to buy spices are you?" Ichigo asked dubiously as he watched his father's long time friend tug on her tight black dress, hoisting it up to press her breasts higher.
She smiled at him cheekily, winking at him. "I might end up buying a little more than that."
Ichigo covered his ears, looking out over the open see in complaint. "I don't even want to know. But can you please put some more clothes on?"
The older woman laughed, pressing herself against him, running a chocolate coloured hand over his shoulders. "Are you telling me you're not even a little interested?"
Ichigo blushed heavily, now covering his eyes, turning around to get away, only to find himself in an even more unfortunate situation – with her pressed up against his back, all of her hot and soft and annoyingly close to him.
"Yoruichi!" he squeaked out, running further away from her grasp when her hand began to gently run down his chest and further southward. "D – don't do that! And for goodness sake, cover up."
She laughed openly, waving her hand as if she tell him how little she considered the action. "It's okay Ichigo; I swear I won't do it again. But geez, you're such a prude. Who would have thought – considering you look like that."
"What's that meant to mean?" he asked her suspiciously, still keeping his distance.
"I'm just saying you're handsome and you look cocky. That combination usually equates to a playboy."
"Dear God," Ichigo moaned, turning away and heading up to the bow of ship. He didn't want to hear anymore.
"Lady Yoruichi," the captain began, approaching the purple haired beauty. "We are almost at land."
She smiled. "Thank-you captain, as always." Then she met Ichigo's eyes and she smirked at him. "Ready Ichigo?"
XXX
Ichigo walked through the bustling market square, finding himself almost smiling as he enjoyed the noises of the city. There was the calling of different voices, people laughing and gossiping, haggling and arguing. Then there were the smells… oh God…
Swallowing thickly, Ichigo raised his nose to the air. There was the smell of freshly baked bread and freshly picked fruits – the sweet smell of wines and if he wasn't mistaken, chocolate.
Now he really wanted some. He had enough on him for something. Good thing he'd thought about it this time. Last time he'd been forced to wait outside the pub while Yoruichi drank to her heart's content.
Never again.
Ichigo's mind finished wandering as he had just seen a stand selling chocolate and other confectionary and was making a hasty (yet still very manly and not at all desperate) bee-line for it when a hand snapped out, grabbing him by the side of the face and yanking him roughly into a rather soft but large body and tight, crushing embrace.
"W – wha – hey, let go of me!" Ichigo tried, struggling in the grip of whoever this person was, trying to punch them, kick them – anything to get the other away.
The man holding him didn't say anything in reply, just held Ichigo in a bear hug, one hand around his back, pressing his arms to his sides and his body against him and the other hand on the back of his head, holding him into his chest.
"Aw, ain't he pretty?" Ichigo heard someone drawled, a strange whistling sound emitting when he spoke.
"Humph," someone else just grumped sullenly before reluctantly admitting, "He's handsome enough. What do you think?"
As there was no reply, Ichigo wondered if the question was meant for the man holding him and he struggled harder, finally fighting back distaste and biting into the soft flesh of his chest.
Ichigo had wanted to bite hard enough that it hurt but not hard enough to make it bleed, unfortunately, it seemed that the man's fat acted as a cushion of sorts and the bite didn't seem to faze him – either that or he just had desensitised nerve endings on his chest, who knew?
"Well, come on then," the one with the whistle told them, "Let's get going then. We need ta' take him back quickly." His voice held a slight lisp as well and made it very distinctive.
"I can't believe he's the only one we found," the other complained, whiney. "There were just none that were really pretty. We didn't even find any girls."
"Well ya' know that he likes guys better anyway." The reply was filled with amusement and there was the sound of flesh meeting flesh as he (Ichigo assumed) elbowed the other. "Hey, hey?"
There was an, 'oof'', but no reply as they began to walk, Ichigo being dragged along, still tightly pressed against the fat man.
By this stage, Ichigo had managed to get his arms free – mainly because the man had released them to instead put Ichigo in a tight headlock as he pulled him along and Ichigo tried to pry the other away, shoving his hands blindly into the others face.
"Get off of me you freaking bastard," Ichigo cursed, fumbling when he trip over a step and almost ending up actually being dragged away.
What the hell was going on?
XXX
Ichigo huffed as the large man continued pulling him along. He was exhausted – walking sideways was hard, especially when he was bent awkwardly into the other man's form. Some time ago he had been hauled into a cart, the big man still holding him tightly and they had rumbled away.
The journey seemed strangely short but Ichigo's mind was occupied with thoughts of escape. He didn't want to know who exactly liked guys better and what they thought they were going to do with him but he wasn't about to let it happen.
Then when they had finally stopped, Ichigo had been pulled up some stairs and they were now on some sort of marble and he found himself slipping constantly, hands instinctively going to the man's arms as he fought to keep himself from falling.
Suddenly there was the sound of a large door opening and the man grasped his hair and clothes before basically chucking him to the floor.
Tumbling, Ichigo struggled to right himself before he fell, arms pin wheeling for a few seconds before he found his feet and glared back at the large man.
The ability to see now granted, Ichigo took advantage, eyes flittering around cautiously, sliding from one form to another – from the fat man with an ugly bowl cut who had manhandled him, to a pretty blond haired man with red eyes then to a white haired man with crooked, rotting teeth. They all seemed to be watching him in amusement but Ichigo could tell he was here to be presented to someone else.
Turning slowly, both irritation and uncertainty jumping nastily in his gut, Ichigo's eyes fell on him.
XXX
"—chigo… Ichigo. Ichigo!"
Ichigo's eyes fluttered open in shock and he blinked in confusion, hand going to wipe across his eyes as he tried to get a handle on where he was.
He stared at Mihane who was shifting uncomfortably in front of Byakuya's door, watching him in concern.
Wow… It had been a long time since he had thought about that. Grimmjow… he mused silently. He had been lucky that day, in more than one way…
"Ichigo?" Mihane tried again, wringing her hands.
Ichigo gave a start; eyes going back to Mihane for a few seconds before he finally located his voice. "Ah… yes." He cleared his throat, surprised at where his mind had been. It was probably because Rukia had got him talking about his sisters.
Now that he thought about it, he should try what she suggested – after all, what did he really have to lose? And maybe Byakuya really would believe him.
He chuckled at that, scratching the back of his neck before stretching. "Sorry," he told Mihane as he stood.
She smiled slightly. "No, it's fine. I was just concerned because you hadn't come for Master Byakuya's food, or your own. How did everything go with Miss Rukia?"
Ichigo smirked, thinking back to the rabbit pendant that Rukia had finally decided on for Renji and how much Ichigo had laughed. Her and those damn rabbits.
"Yeah, it was good. I like her."
Mihane let a full smile grace her face and her brows rose in genuine relief. "I'm glad. I was sure you'd like her."
"Ah, but you were saying about dinner?" Ichigo asked, frowning. Usually Byakuya would have been in his room this time of night – Ichigo had expected to see him and be asked to get his food. It seems that hadn't happened…
"He hasn't come to get it himself?"
Mihane shook her head. "Perhaps he's in the garden…" She shrugged apologetically at him, basically telling him it was up to him to find the noble.
"Great," he muttered, walking past her and out into the garden before realising just what else came with no Byakuya – no chain. He glanced at his ankle. After he had gone to do the paper work, Ichigo had thought Byakuya would hunt him down and lay some heavy punishments on him. Instead, he'd stayed away.
That didn't bode well. With a heavy heart, Ichigo began his search of the large gardens, knowing his best bet would be the cherry blossom tree.
"If I get into trouble for this…"
XXX
Byakuya sat cross legged in front of the cherry blossom tree, watching as the petals floated gently to the ponds surface in the soft, whispering breeze.
He had been silently furious after his small interaction with Ichigo and Rukia and didn't quite know who to scold first – Rukia for her outrageous behaviour, or Ichigo for the insolent way he had spoken to him.
In the end, the choice was taken away from him when Rukia approached him cleaned up and ready for a serious discussion.
She looked eerily serious despite her earlier excitement and Byakuya felt his jaw tighten anxiously. He somehow knew this was about Ichigo.
"Brother," she started hesitantly.
"Rukia," he replied, trying to calm himself.
"I – I wanted to talk to you about Ichigo."
He held back on the urge to sigh and just raised a brow curiously, as if he had no idea why she would want to do that. And he didn't really – have any idea that is. How they had managed to become friend so quickly he didn't know, but it was unnatural, of that he was sure.
Taking the movement as encouragement, Rukia took a deep breath before continuing. "I don't know what he's told you, or what you think really happened and I was going to let Ichigo say this but I get the feeling he won't-"
"Rukia," he raised his voice slightly, attempting to stop her rambling. "The point please?"
"Ichigo… Ichigo has a family," she told him, holding her breath for a moment, searching and gauging his reaction.
Byakuya was a little surprised but surely, if that had been true Ichigo would have mentioned it.
Rukia continued, "I – I don't know if he was sold or not-"
"Then why are we talking about this?" he asked tiredly.
"Because!" Rukia exclaimed, cheeks flushing at her outburst. "I… Because," she repeated a little more quietly. "Ichigo is miserable here brother. I think he tried to make me feel better about it but it's clear he hates it here. And… and he misses them – his family I mean. I just… I'm confused brother," she admitted, shrugging her shoulders before her bright, violet eyes searched his face. "I never thought you a cruel person, but Ichigo-"
"Ichigo," Byakuya cut in, having heard quite enough about him. Besides, he hardly needed to be scolded by his younger sister! "Is a servant. He was bought, by me. Even unhappy, he is in my care."
"He has a family!" Rukia cried back, hurt by the clear admission on where her brother stood in respect to servants. It was just as Ichigo had said… "Did you even bother to ask him brother – to ask him if enslavement was what had actually been intended for him? For all you know, he could have been taken from his home."
She huffed, glaring at him. "I mean… you don't like to buy your servants. You like to employ them… I just…"
After staring at him searchingly for another moment she sighed. "I understand that Ichigo… well he must rub you the wrong way – he's basically the living epitome of everything you dislike but I never thought you were petty or so… cold-hearted. I'm very disappointed brother, please excuse me for saying so, but it's true."
As Rukia met his eyes once again, Byakuya could feel it, her hurt, anger and distaste… she really was disappointed and it was something he was not used to experiencing. Though he hardly understood why he should in this instance.
"You should have at least investigated it – whether he was missed or not. I've not known you to be careless," Rukia added.
Was her list of insults going to continue?
Rukia was staring at him once again, face drawn up as she pursed her lips, clearly wondering the same thing. Finally she nodded minutely, bowing slightly, a respectful gesture that she only really reserved for him when she was upset. "Thank-you for your time brother, I am going to retire early."
Byakuya huffed out a breath, not even tea calming his nerves. He had been shaken, mostly because she was right, he hadn't investigated it. He hadn't seen a reason to. That and somehow, any other rational thought regarding Ichigo was swiped clean out of his mind. All that consumed him was the desire to crush his power and see him give up.
The overwhelming desire to control him, he was finally admitting to himself, was completely irrational but it was there all the same and Byakuya was not about to deny it. Ichigo had challenged him and Byakuya was not going to back down – he was going to win. There was nothing he couldn't capture – nothing.
He had intended to go to Ichigo and demand he tell him what exactly he had told his sister… and things became even stranger then.
Byakuya tried to steady his heartbeats. How was it that Mihane, Rikichi and now even his sister were siding with Ichigo?
Ichigo must have said something to make them act that way.
Though when he thought about his own behaviour… The whipping, the humiliation, the starving…
No, that was beside the point, all he had been trying to do then was get Ichigo to comply – to be a servant like he should be.
He stormed (gracefully) to his room, whipping the door open, ready to give Ichigo more than a piece of his mind and maybe, if Ichigo annoyed him enough, the whip before stopping short at the sight before him.
Ichigo was sitting at his small desk that sat on the floor, head on his arm as he dozed innocently. Light breaths were admitted past open lips and he even drooled a little.
One of his long legs was stretched out under the desk while the other was tucked underneath him.
The sight wasn't helped by the fact Ichigo's plain black shihakusho had been replaced by a pair of tight denim pants and a plain, long sleeve shirt, clinging unreasonably to his built form, showing every hard line of the youths body.
Byakuya had noticed how fit Ichigo was every time he punished the boy – how his body shook under the pain, sun kissed skin burning brightly as he sweated. He had thought then that Ichigo was quite beautiful – in a wild and fierce way. Especially when he would just glare at him defiantly, eyes burning with determination…
Swallowing thickly, Byakuya tried to keep his gaze from wandering up and down Ichigo's form – finding it especially hard to tear his eyes away from Ichigo's cruelly revealed hip bone and lower back as the shirt rode up.
Sexual orientation had not really been something Byakuya had considered. He was a noble and as such, would marry someone of noble blood. It was lucky for him that he was still able to choose his own bride. Still, he was aroused by different people, different genders – he had found he often preferred men but the attraction he had found himself entangled in with Ichigo…
Ichigo was like that something you could never get your head around and it both infuriated and intrigued Byakuya. Being attracted to Ichigo was something even he couldn't understand but he had found he was and it was uncontrollable, confusing and irresistible. The feelings had been quite sudden, though he supposed it wasn't all that sudden. But he assumed it had simply stemmed from his desire to control him.
So seeing the young man so vulnerable and naïve, Byakuya felt the cruel words die in his throat and instead felt an upheaval of straight up pleasure.
Then Ichigo moaned gently, eyes fluttering before he shifted.
The moan did things to him he hardly wanted to own up to. Still, Byakuya wasn't about to let the fascination for the boy make him change the way he treated to. No matter what, he was going to make the boy crack and bend to his will; he couldn't let himself go soft. He wouldn't.
Then Ichigo moaned again before letting out a little contented sigh and Byakuya departed before his sanity left him.
Byakuya heaved another sigh but froze when he heard a distinct chuckle. He was becoming scarily aware of it and he turned to see Ichigo bearing down on him, a smirk in place.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. "What's with the sighing? Party planning got you wiped? I've got to say, that's a little weak."
Byakuya didn't reply, turning immediately to face the tree once again instead. His earlier arousal had thankfully departed; still, it wouldn't be good to tempt fate. Though the presence of Ichigo brought up another distasteful memory and he turned to lay a cool glare at the young man.
"What did you tell Rukia?"
Ichigo just looked confused, brow furrowing as he shrugged a little. "What?"
"She's under the impression that I'm some sort of slave driver who stole you from your parents," Byakuya clarified bitterly, surprised himself at his tone.
Ichigo's face cleared before he finally scowled muttering, "I told her not to say anything," before saying clearly, "Well, you've got to admit you are a bit of a slave driv-"
Before he even knew what he was doing, Byakuya was standing and reaching for Ichigo's collar, pulling him towards him, furious. "What did you tell my sister?"
To Ichigo's credit, he seemed, though surprised, unperturbed but Byakuya's sudden outburst and lent forward, showcasing long lashes and full lips as he told him clearly, "I didn't. Say. Anything."
Wrenching himself from Byakuya's grasp, he straightened his shirt. "She asked if I liked being your servant and I told her I didn't. I told her I'd rather be at home with my family. Then she said you'd listen if I told you I did have a family and I said that someone who whipped his servants into submission would hardly listen to anything I have to say." Ichigo appraised him, crossing his arms. "It seems it was nothing she didn't already know."
Byakuya was silent for a few moments, considering what exactly he should do before asking, "And do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Have a family?"
"Yes," Ichigo told him firmly. "Isshin Kurosaki is my dad and I have two sisters, Yuzu and Karin. I was taken from the street while I was visiting Seireitei with Yoruichi. I'm sure if you actually looked into it, I'd be proven right."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he demanded.
"Because the last time I claimed I had a family, the loser who wanted to become my master told me he'd hunt them down. After seeing someone who tried to help you have their arm cut off, you don't want them going after your family."
Byakuya was stunned into silence, staring at Ichigo who just glared back at him. It was clear that the admission had been difficult for Ichigo however because he seemed to shift nervously, as if waiting for the moment Byakuya declared he too would hunt them down. Deeply ashamed of himself, Byakuya nodded slowly. "Very well."
"Very well?" Ichigo mocked.
"Very well," he repeated, moving away from Ichigo. "I shall look into this. If it's as you say, you can go free."
Ichigo didn't outwardly show any signs of excitement, though his fists clenched and he seemed to jump slightly, eyes lighting up as he stared at him hopefully.
"However, you are still to remain here as my servant and I expect you to do as I say. I did buy you and if this claim turns out to be false, I will still own you. Though," Byakuya added as his eyes slid down Ichigo's form. "I will let you loose from the chain."
Taking a deep breath, Ichigo nodded and a beaming smile lit up his face as he was unable to contain his joy. "It won't be false, you'll see." Ichigo laughed, resisting the urge to run around. "Thank-you!"
Byakuya was left staring after Ichigo, uncomprehending. Ichigo had thanked him. Thanked him and smiled at him. His heart did a strange jump as the image of his smiling face once again came to mind before he shooed it away, going to find Ichigo. He still had work to do – actual work and he wasn't going to get away with not doing it. No matter how breathtaking he was when he grinned like that.
XXX
:) I don't have anything much to say except there will be a little more about Ichigo and his past and a few moments with Byakuya before they have their little party – then shit'll go down. Look forward to it!
Thanks for reading and reviewing guys. Always appreciated.