BREATH OF LIFE
Disclaimer:I don't own Bleach or Tokyo Ghoul. Or the songs mentioned from this point onwards. Kudos to people who recognize the songs, though.
Shout Out: Adel Mortescryche... How Did You Know?! I swear, I thought I had camouflaged the pairing well enough, no mention of the duo anywhere, no siree, and then bam, you come and casually mention the two of them like it's most natural thing in the whole wide world. Upon receiving your review, I sat frozen in front of my screen, my eyes like those of a freaked out kitten and if I had a tail, it would surely be puffed out to exhibit the signs of extreme surprise, too. Congratulations, this chapter is for you!
Warnings:AU-verse, SLASH; .and thanks to the wonderful Adel, I can now proudly, even if a bit sulkily, add Kurosaki Ichigo/Arima Kishou (younger version, of course)
003 – Absolute Beginners
'They can go to hell.'
This was the only thought when Ichigo told him that his sister was kidnapped.
He knew he had duties to CCG. It was practically unheard of the good boy Arima Kishou to do anything but follow the orders.
But since he had met Ichigo –
- everything has changed.
The stubborn orange-haired, hazel-eyed teen who was more snappy than not, and getting into more scuffles than Arima ever thought possible for someone who was not a delinquent, thank you very much. Surprisingly, Ichigo's grades placed him among the thirty of best of the students of his school, which, considering the size of it, was no small feat. For some reason, nobody took him seriously.
Maybe it was the hair.
Bright, vivid, sunrise orange. It made his fingers itch to touch it, to verify for himself that it was just as warm as the real thing was. Arima had to force himself to concentrate on listening to teacher - or at least paying his attention to teacher - instead of that vivid orange spiky mass that masqueraded as Kurosaki Ichigo's hair.
The mission he had been given should've been relatively simple.
Lantern was, despite its gruesome modus operandi, relatively simple ghoul.
Until then, his life was dull - or as dull as one's life could be, when they are one of the undercover Special Investigators in CCG.
But everything became complicated once Ichigo entered the picture.
Stubborn, loud and not budging an inch when his teammates were threatened. Even if it almost cost him his life.
It was by a pure dumb luck Arima was fast enough to save him (the teammates had managed to run away).
And then, Ichigo insisted on helping him with the case.
Arima was doubtful, but one look into those eyes, and he found himself agreeing without a thought.
The night after they had confronted the Lantern, Arima made his decision.
It was a simple one.
He became Ichigo's friend.
His mission may have been finished, but he continued with his schooling - his superiors were understandably confused, but allowed him this little measure of freedom - and in doing so, he made even stronger bonds with one Kurosaki Ichigo. The orange-haired teen could be likened to a human hedgehog - all prickles and sharp needles outside, but once someone made it past those spiky walls, they could be assured that they found themselves a friend for life and beyond.
Ichigo may have snarled and barked and was generally seen as a grumpy kind of person, but Arima could see that tender core many of others had overlooked glimpse of when they were dealing with the cranky youth.
The way he took care of the abandoned kittens in the rain.
The way he took time to visit the orphanage and play with kids here.
How he helped the elderly couple in his apartment complex.
How he had Arima's back, even when he was chewing him out for his carelessness (as if Arima could ever be careless.).
His smiles, rare as they were.
His devotion to his family.
And last, but not least, how he treated his friends and Arima himself.
He didn't care that Ichigo's diet was less than socially acceptable.
Ichigo was his.
To Be Continued