Chapters until the end of Black Doves: 1 (not including this one)
Ah, the wonderful feeling of ending a rather good fic =) It's refreshing. Tomorrow I'll be writing the last chapter, and then I'll be focusing on 'Dark Prince'. That should only have two or three chapters left. For those of you wondering, I reached chapter 13 in my novel! Go me! *cheers* I actually worked on it yesterday instead of getting sidetracked!
Grimm: So what am I doing with Shiro? =D
Shiro: Nothin'! Yer not touchin' me ya psycho cat!
Grimm: Oh, I seriously doubt that. =3
Shiro: Ichi! D8 Save me! *hides behind Ichigo*
Ichi: Grimm, don't you even think of hurting him!
Shiro: *sends Grimmjwo a raspberry*
Ichi: *flat expression* Shiro don't blow raspberries at Grimm after asking me to help you.
Shiro: How does he do that *whines*
Chapter 14
The clock is ticking, though there's still a while to go yet. Grimmjow lies with the other betas, their presence taking the edge off Ichigo's loss. They give him a sense of purpose that forces his mind to stay clear and sharp, as Hallibel has gone with Stark to Seireitei for the time being. These unfortunate happenings need reported just in case the Shinigami have insight into all this, so until they return Grimmjow is in charge of Hall's pride. They're counting on him to take care of them and he won't let them down like he did Ichigo, though he's positive his mate is safe within the presence of his inner demon.
"Grimmy, are you going to go get Ichigo soon?" Nelliel wonders. "I miss him."
"It hasn't been twenty-four hours yet, Nell," he murmurs.
"Yeah but… why give him any time at all? You could just go in there and drag Ichigo back here!"
"I could, but Shiro would no doubt attack me for it," he sighs. "That means I'd have to take it as a challenge and fight him off… which could seriously hurt Ichigo."
She quiets at the point made; frowning as she goes back to the movie they've been watching. Rukia and Rangiku pulled all the blankets and pillows they could find out and threw them onto the floor, making a large nest for them all to curl up on. Grimmjow is in the midst of the nest with all the females closest to him using him as a pillow.
"I don't get it," Yumichika mutters. "Why would Shiro harm Ichigo like this if he's so in love with him?"
"Hollow love is different from human love," Nelliel points out. "Stark and Hall would hurt me if it would protect me from something they perceive a threat. A broken bone or a few cuts is nothing compared to be seriously injured by another alpha. Maybe Shiro thinks Grimmjow will hurt Ichigo… or maybe he's just being selfish and not thinking from all points of view. It's been known to happen."
"I just hope he wakes up before things go seriously bad."
Szayel turns his attention from his book, frowning at Rangiku's comment a moment before returning his golden gaze to the pages. He's curious about Shiro's reasoning as well, but knows he's probably acting on selfish desires and not taking into account what Ichigo may want. After all, without Ichigo he has no purpose. Essentially, Grimmjow is taking the only reason for living he knew away without even knowing it.
Ichigo has been watching Shiro pace for an endless amount of time, nervous and uncertain within his inner demon's presence. There was a time he would've trusted Shiro with his very life, but the other has ruined it for them. There's no more trust after this betrayal, not after said trust has been taxed so much recently. Ichigo is slowly losing his faith in anything, falling into himself and wishing he were with his alpha… Grimmjow can protect him from these ill feelings. It's been a long while since Ichigo attempted to talk sense into his other half, but he decides he might as well try again.
"You need to let me go, Shiro," he says a bit more firmly than his other attempts. "What are you hoping to gain from all this?"
"They stole ya from me! Ya were mine 'fore they made ya be wit him! Ya didn' even wanna be wit him!" Shiro snaps. "I was the one ya laid next ta, I was the one that held ya when ya cried, I took care a ya, and I took the hits fer ya when ya couldn' fight no more! What did he do! Nothin', that's what! He didn' do nothin' but beat ya down! Ya belong wit me, Ichi, not him!"
Ichigo just stares at the other, a bit shocked at his outburst and uncertain how to handle it. Shiro has always been near him; always hovering to make certain he's okay. He never thought it could be anything but a friend or sibling bond. Granted it got worse when they were reunited, but the orangette seriously never saw this coming. Shiro steps closer with the intent to grasp the other and Ichigo immediately backs away from him, staying as close to Zangetsu as possible without climbing atop the man. The Zanpakto spirit hasn't left Ichigo's side since all this transpired.
"Ichi, ya don' have ta be scared a me," Shiro comments in a hurt tone. "I'm just tryin' ta take care a ya. They were wrong ta do that ta ya, ta play on yer sense a duty like that, an' I won' let 'em continue ta do it. Please, understand."
"I don't know what to think right now," Ichigo whispers. "I didn't know… I never thought… I'm so sorry, Shiro. You should've told me you thought of me like that."
"No one tried ta take ya 'way 'fore," he snaps. "I didn' have ta worry 'bout that oversized pussy cat sneakin' in an' helpin' the Seireitei screw up yer brain!"
He flinches away from the other, quieting if only to keep from irritating his abductor. He can't deny he's had a few fantasies about his other half after they were reunited, but it always seemed wrong and he forced himself to ignore the growing feelings inside him. He realizes all this change must be difficult for Shiro to handle; he must be feeling very left out. Ichigo didn't mean to cast him aside in favor of Grimmjow, but apparently that's what he's been doing. Then again, Shiro didn't make including him easy when he took every opportunity to drive the two apart.
"Please leave, Shiro," Ichigo says quietly after a moment. "I just… I can't be near you right now, I need to think."
Shiro's features take on a mixture of pain and sadness, yet he nods anyway and gets up to leave. Zangetsu wraps an arm around the smaller male, trying to comfort him as best he can. It's not something he does often, however he knows Ichigo's mindset is slowly changing to accommodate his new submissive role. Shiro is aware of it as well, that's what he's trying to prevent.
"I will watch him," Zangetsu assures.
Shiro nods and walks off into the park, head down and depression playing through his aura. He didn't think Ichigo would be happy with him, but he had never thought the other would be afraid of him. it hurts to think that, just tears him apart inside after all they've been through together… and it's all Grimmjow's fault. Though Seireitei made the first move, Grimmjow has been pushing Ichigo a little at a time to be comfortable with all this… and then he had to go and fall for his Aibou, buying those damn wedding rings and just being happy within Ichigo's presence! It would've been so much easier if he had just stuck with his former reason of going along with all that shit for the love of fighting. If he starts acting all lovey-dovey and actually meaning it, Shiro will lose Ichigo forever… what else does he have to live for if not his Aibou?
Stark and Hallibel stand before the So-Taicho, their news cast into the group as they attempt to think up some sort of plan. After what seems a long while, Gin speaks up. He may not be a part of the Seireitei anymore, but Grimmjow is his new family and this is sort of his fault to begin with.
"Why don' they just pull Shiro inta their pack?" he comments. "Obviously, he has a thing fer Ichigo… an' we're all 'ware a his fixation on Grimm-kitty. What was that thing in Hueco Mundo? Fightin' is flirtin' after a certain 'mount a attempts?"
"I don't think it's that cut and dry," Shinji frowns. "Shiro isn't like other Hollows; he's a part of Ichigo… or was at one time. Ichigo would likely see that as incest and would shy away from it. As for Shiro, he's lived without Ichigo once before. It didn't go well and it's only natural for him to see Ichigo's irritation as something to grasp in a strangle hold. When Ichigo was forced into this marriage, he didn't take it well and Shiro took it upon himself to get him out of it."
"There's no way to do that," Kisuke comments. "That Kido is binding depending on the compatibility of two souls."
"Yes, that's true," Shuunsui nods. "But Shiro is able to go inside Ichigo; he's able to affect Ichigo's soul with his own. If he's not compatible enough for that Kido to bind him to Grimmjow, he'll easily weaken it by pushing his own soul in place of Ichigo's. It's very difficult to do, but these two have always been fast learners. I've no doubt he's been focusing on that since the Kido was placed and Ichigo had a breakdown… he's probably very close to triumph."
"… Which would be why he took him now and not earlier," Kisuke sighs out. "Has Grimmjow located them?"
"Yes," Hallibel nods. "Grimmjow tracked them easily enough; he gave Shiro twenty-four hours to bring Ichigo back before he hunts them down again. If Shiro is as smart as I think he is, he won't bother moving Ichigo… it'd be pointless and I'm positive he knows that."
"I can contain Shiro," Kisuke informs. "I've been working on a way since he returned… just in case. I should be able to incapacitate him easily without harming Ichigo in the process."
"Then do so," Yamamoto commands. "Go with the Arrancar and Gin. Once the twenty-four hours are up, accompany Grimmjow to where Ichigo is being held and contain his inner demon. We'll deal with this afterward."
"Understood."
The four turn and head out of the meeting hall, determined to save Ichigo from Shiro's demented affection. As they head for the portal, they're stopped by Mayuri. He hurries up to them, pulling Nemu along like a ragdoll. Once they're before the others, he shoves her toward the group.
"Take Nemu," he states. "I've been working on her since the war. She'll be able to weaken Shiro without hurting Ichigo. It took me forever to figure out, but she'll be capable of disrupting his reiatsu with just a touch. The disruption will cut his connection to Ichigo's mind for the time they're in contact, transferring the pressure to her. Since she's the one inflicting the pressure, it'll be absorbed to keep her own reiatsu at the maximum level while his continues to weaken."
"This might actually help out a lot, Mayuri," Kisuke smirks. "Why the effort?"
"I can't lose my favorite study subject to his psychotic half!"
"Dully noted! We'll return Nemu in one piece, I promise!"
He waves the raven haired woman on, Nemu leading them to the Senkaimon without a word. She likes Ichigo, which is why she asked Mayuri to help on this matter. When she commented on the fact Ichigo would be impossible to study should his Hollow take over protecting him, the other went off about how the orangette is the only subject worth studying alive and rushed out of the meeting hall with her. Now that she's gotten her way, she's determined to bring the snowy haired male down.
Twenty-four hours are up now and Shiro is ready to fight, standing outside the entrance to the tunnels Ichigo's body still slumbers in. Grimmjow stalks forward, soundless as he faces off with the snowy haired male. Shiro, for his part, keeps his head held high in defiance in the face of Grimmjow's overpowering aura.
"Have you decided to give up my mate?"
"Never! Ichi's mine," Shiro snaps. "An' I ain't lettin' ya hurt 'im!"
"Too bad," the Sexta sighs. "I was hoping you were smarter than this. You heard him, Nemu, he's all yours."
"… What?"
He yelps when the raven haired woman leaps through the brush straight toward him, pulling back her fist and getting ready to injure through any means necessary. Shiro dodges the first powerful strike, but he's not so lucky with the second. As Nemu's knee plants itself in his stomach, he can feel the ripple produced cutting off his connection with Ichigo before the pain tears through him.
"Fuck!" he shouts.
His body slams against a tree, slumping down before he forces himself to stand once more. He checks his connection with Ichigo, sighing in relief when he finds it's still working. He's furious Grimmjow isn't fighting him for Ichigo, as without a win between the two of them Ichigo will remain the Sexta's. In a last ditch effort to provoke the feline into fighting him, Shiro moves to tackle him. Nemu, however, is fast and she's right there to land another kick that throws him to the ground. He notices she's not growing weaker, aware of the fact his own reiatsu is with each landed attack, and slowly backs away.
"It don' matter," Shiro frowns. "Ya won' find Ichi's body in there, it's a maze an' spread his scent down every tunnel! Ya fight me yerself, pussy cat, or ya ain't gettin' him back!"
"I won't hurt him like you want me to," Grimmjow states calmly. "And I won't be badgered into a fight with someone that simply won't win without that handicap."
"Yer wrong! I will win!"
"You won't get the chance to find out," the Sexta waves off. "I refuse to fight you, but you will be stopped. Be careful now, you're not paying attention to Nemu."
The light and almost conversational comment catches Shiro off guard, but not as badly as the fist to his right cheek. The connection is broken once more and he feels that panicked sensation of loss he went through when they were separated, his heartbeat picking up in his state of terror. He lashes out, realizing too late that when he touches Nemu it has the same effect as her touching him. Before he can go into the panic attack that's slowly creeping up on him, Shiro jumps away to put distance between them… and lands right in the middle of a Kido circle. Bars of light spike up from the circle to contain him, breaking off his connection with Ichigo completely.
"No!" he screams as he tugs at white locks. "Ichi!"
"Can you locate him?" Kisuke wonders as he steps from the brush near Shiro.
"Yeah. A scent trail is easy enough to pick apart," Grimmjow breathes out. "I'll get started now, watch him closely."
Kisuke nods and Grimmjow walks past the cage, Shiro slumped in the bottom as he tries to keep his sanity from uncoiling. Leaving them behind and stepping into the darkness of the tunnels, Grimmjow breathes in Ichigo's scent and heads deeper into the labyrinth. He takes the turns easily, keeping his nose pinned on Ichigo's scent and growing eager as he realizes he's coming up to the other. He picks up speed, bursting into a deeper chamber and sighing in relief when he finds his mate sleeping comfortably.
"Ichigo," he whispers. "Come on, Kitten, time to wake up."
He gently shakes Ichigo's shoulder, grinning when the smaller male groans tiredly and peeks an amber eye open. Without the connection to Shiro, there's nothing locking him away in his mindscape. When he wakes, the first thing his gaze focuses on is cyan orbs and he instantly knows who's there.
"Grimm!" he shouts as he wraps his arms around him frantically. "I was so scared! What took you so long to come get me?"
"I'm sorry, Kitten," he sighs. "I didn't want to hurt you and it took a while to figure out how to stop Shiro without doing so. He's contained at the moment."
"… I can't feel him."
"You won't be able to. The containment Kido used on him by Kisuke cuts off his connection to you as long as he's in it."
"Grimmjow… there's something I want to ask you," Ichigo murmurs almost shyly.
When he looks up at his mate, it's through his bangs… and this time it's on purpose. Grimmjow just knows he's not gonna like this discussion, yet he gets ready for it. After steeling himself for whatever request his unpredictable mate is about to bring up, he nods and sets curious cyan orbs on Ichigo.
Kisuke and Nemu are standing guard by the barrier, the snowy haired male inside it now just a shell of his former self. It would seem without Ichigo, Shiro truly is hollow. When the orangette strolls out with a miffed looking Grimmjow, he's on his feet in an instant.
"Ichi! Are ya 'kay? Ya ain't hurt? I can' feel our connection no more!"
"Shiro, calm down," Ichigo smirks almost playfully. "You're acting like a helpless chick."
"Okay, here's how this is gonna work," Grimmjow growls. "We're gonna drop the barrier so Ichigo can talk to you in your mindscape, but if he doesn't wake up in the next fifteen minutes… Kisuke is going to severe your connection to Ichigo indefinitely."
The other pales, if at all possible, and immediately takes a more submissive stance against Grimmjow's ire. At the sight, Kisuke drops the barrier and Shiro vanishes. Ichigo sits down to meditate, pulling Grimmjow with him for the added security. Once his eyes close, he's almost immediately yanked into his mindscape and Shiro tackles him.
"Aibou! I can' stand bein' 'way from ya like that," he almost cries. "I don' like that feelin'! That stupid pussy cat ain't gonna press dominance wit me either! Don' ya worry, Ichi, this is just a setback. I won' let no one hurt ya."
"… You're hurting me, Shiro," the more vibrant one says quietly.
The shock and confusion is so strong within the other's face that Ichigo can't look at him, averting his gaze to explain further. The mere thought is enough to hit Shiro like a smack to the face, yet the orangette knows he needs to be firm and honest with his other half. He had enough time to think while he waited to decide on how he was going to handle this, so he's fairly confident in what he's about to say.
"I'm all alone, Shiro," he sighs out. "I don't like being alone, but that's exactly how I feel. No one is here to be on my side, they're all on the side of this stupid treaty. Can't you see that you were the only support I had? Now all you're doing is pressing me to be miserable. Why would you do that? I need you, Shiro, but you're trying so hard to tear me away from Grimmjow… You never even asked what I wanted."
Shiro is quiet for a long moment, taking in the sadness in amber orbs as he feels it through their link. Guilt gnaws at him, a feeling he doesn't like in the least. It's at that point he realizes Ichigo is right, he never asked what the other wanted he simply assumed.
"… What is it ya want, Aibou?" he asks quietly.
"I want to be with Grimmjow, Shiro," he admits. "I've always liked him in that way, I just didn't want to admit it."
"But…"
"I also talked to him before we came out of the tunnels," the orangette smiles. "He agreed that it would benefit us both if you were to agree to be his second mate… like Stark with Hallibel and Nelliel."
"… Seriously? Even after what I did?" Shiro asks in shock.
Ichigo nods, that soft smile still on his lips. Granted it did take a lot of effort on his part, but he eventually managed to talk Grimmjow into the relationship change. It surprised him at first, he didn't think it would be so easy, yet it would seem Grimmjow truly does love everything about him… even his more psychotic personality. Shiro brightens greatly at the proposition, eyes teary as he grabs Ichigo up into his arms. It may not be the position he had wanted in the beginning, but at least he's not going to be left out like he was before. He still has a reason to go on with Ichigo at his side… and now he even has a mate he's not completely bound to. That means he won't feel guilty beating the shit out of Grimmjow!
Tada! Surprise! You'll love the chapter, Ichi gets revenge on Grimmjow for his tramp stamp ;p
Grimm: I thought he forgot about that. ^^;
Ichi: Not a chance *evil grin*
Grimm: Come on, Kitten, the tattoo's sexy! I did you a favor! *nervous laugh*
Ichi: You're so screwed! *Shiro-like laguhter*
Shiro: ... Wow, Aibou! Yer as good at that as I am! =D