LMAO! I'm such an idiot ;p I meant to say your choices were Tiger and Lust last update ^^; Since no one chose Lust, I'm just gonna put this one up. Sorry about that. Next update will be Lust, considering that's the only thing left in this pool! =) Hope you guys don't mind ;p On a brighter note! I still have a little contest for all of you! This one really needs reviews, though, so let's see if you're up for it.
Ichi: In Divine, we all know I'm preggers thanks to Grimm's insatiable libdo and Vae's sadistic tendency to punish her favorite characters. *gives evil look to Grimm and Vae*
Grimm & Vae: *look away innocently*
Ichi: Unfortunately, though she loves to mortify me in such inhumane ways... she doesn't know the gender of the baby yet.
Shiro: It's a must if she's gonna wrap up that fic an' post a new one! =D
Grimm: That's right! So the first 11 reviews, please state which gender you want the baby to be =3
Vae: The one with the most votes will win! So... girl or boy? =)
Shiro: Don' ferget ta vote neither, or she ain't gonna update the fic! Ya'll never get an endin' an' it'll be yer own fault! *shakes fist*
Vae: *stares at Shiro cautiously* Yeaaaaah... Just vote please. =)
Chapter 5
Ichigo seems much happier now, something that has Shiro worried. He's not stupid, he knows his little brother well, and normally Ichigo would be sulking for a couple weeks when he doesn't get his own way. Right now, however, he's lounging in a tree with a huge smile and a dreamy expression.
"Ichi, what ya doin'?" he calls.
"Hmm? I'm just relaxing."
"Do ya wanna go huntin' wit me? I'll take ya out ta the meadows, I know ya like it there."
Ichigo's expression goes from dreamy to eager as he jumps down, his body easily landing in a crouch before he hurries over to Shiro's side. Ichigo prefers the serene expanse of meadow when he's feeling down, the wildflowers always enough to capture his attention for a while, and Shiro takes him there as much as possible. The white tiger chuckles as he heads out, his younger sibling so close to him he's almost crawling over his back.
There isn't much to hunt in the meadow today, as they're all wary of the jaguar lurking about, so Ichigo is left to bask in the sunlight and the scent of flowers. Shiro didn't actually have to hunt; he just needed an excuse to pull Ichigo away from the den. Now that he has his little brother alone and unaware… he pounces on him.
"What the hell? Shiro, get off me!" Ichigo yells.
"Yer actin' funny," Shiro huffs. "Don' try an' tell me ya didn' go after that fuckin' jaguar, I know better! I told dad he couldn' trust ya not ta run off lookin' fer it!"
"I didn't!" Ichigo snaps. "I stayed near the lake all day yesterday!"
"… Did he?" the white tiger snarls.
"Shiro, get off me!" Ichigo snaps. "I don't want to play these games!"
Shiro hisses in answer, taking the change of subject for the answer he's not looking for. He moves off Ichigo, but only to pace angrily before him. The orange haired male sits up and watches his brother warily, knowing he won't harm him but uncertain he won't tell their father.
"I should tell ma and dad!" Shiro snaps after a moment. "Do ya have any idea how bad a thing this is? Ichi, yer old 'nough ta mate now! The tigers er gonna choose their mates any day now!"
"… I… didn't know," Ichigo murmurs. "But, that shouldn't matter."
"No more play dates wit that jaguar!" Shiro growls. "At least 'til after the tigers choose their mates! If ya promise me ya won' play wit 'im no more 'til then… I won' tell ma and dad ya were wit him yesterday, deal?"
"… Will you let me play with him after the tigers choose mates?" he asks hopefully.
"… Fine."
Ichigo smiles at his brother, glad he can always count on Shiro to keep secrets with him. The two lay down within the soft grass, Ichigo watching as Shiro falls asleep within the sunlight. He chuckles and reaches over to lightly run his finger along the tips of the fur in Shiro's ear, his ear flicking at the feeling as he grumbles in his sleep. The more submissive male chuckles quietly to himself, almost yelping when a small pebble bounces off his arm. He searches the brush around him for the culprit, locking gazes with pools of cyan. He slaps a hand over his mouth before he utters the name on his tongue, slowly dislodging himself from Shiro's side and hurrying over to the one waiting for him.
"Grimmjow, what are you doing here?" he whispers.
"I was looking for you; you weren't at the lake today."
Ichigo nudges the larger male, ushering him further away from his volatile littermate. Once they're a good way away, far enough they won't wake the snoozing tiger, Ichigo stops and sits on his haunches. He looks away from Grimmjow nervously a moment, deciding that honesty has always been the best policy before turning his gaze back to the muscular jaguar.
"My brother is with me today," Ichigo frowns. "I promised I wouldn't hang out with you until after the tigers choose their mates. He promised he'd let me afterward, so… can you wait a few days?"
"… You don't want to be with me anymore?" Grimmjow questions a bit hurt.
"It's not that," the orange haired tiger comments quickly. "I really like playing with you, but… Shiro made me promise and he had a valid point. I'll see you again after this is all over, it shouldn't be too long, I promise."
"… Okay. If that's what you want," the larger male shrugs. "The jaguars are supposed to be choosing mates anyway, so I may be busy. I'll meet up with you at the lake in three days, okay?"
"That sounds good. See you later, Grimmjow! Good luck finding a mate!"
"You, too, Ichigo. Make sure they treat you right."
He nods and hurries back to his brother, turning to watch as Grimmjow vanishes within the brush. Ichigo's shocked at that, as even some of the tigers have trouble completely disappearing like that when hunting, yet brushes it off. After all, Shiro is a far better dominant than the others and it's only logical for the jaguars to have one as well… he's likely the next alpha of their clan like Shiro is theirs.
"Ya told me ya weren' gonna see 'im no more," Shiro hisses from his spot.
"I told him that," Ichigo comments. "It would've been rude to ignore him without telling him why."
"Yer manners piss me off sometimes, ya know that?"
"You've told me on multiple occasions," Ichigo laughs. "Come on, we should get back home."
The two head back home, Ichigo a bit tired from the race they held going to the meadows and his lack of napping. Shiro says nothing about his drowsy state, just making certain to keep him in front of him for the moment. He nudges Ichigo forward with a large paw when he slows down; smirking at the whine he gets in return. When they return home, however, he leaves the other to sleep. Ichigo goes straight to the den and curls up in his usual spot.
"Ichigo?" Yorouchi calls from the entrance. "Are you in there?"
"I am," he murmurs tiredly.
"Cub, your father wants me to talk to you about tomorrow night," she sighs. "You're old enough to mate now, so you and Shiro will be heading to the meadows in order to find a mate. Shiro will have to leave you there by yourself, Ichi. He needs to search for his mate and challenge other dominant males for them, but you'll be with the submissive tigers, okay?"
"Mom…"
"No, no, you'll be fine," she chides. "Lisa promised me she'll help you out. You see, some males can be very pushy during this time and you might get hurt. You have to be aggressive with them, make sure they'll be strong enough for you… make certain they won't get too aggressive when angered. It's fine if they tear apart another alpha, but I'll be damned if they're gonna hurt the mate they're fighting for!"
"Mom, I don't think…"
"Don't be upset if no one picks you this year, sweetheart, there's always next year," she purrs. "I had to wait three years before I was chosen by Kisuke… of course; I made the chase hard for him just for the hell of it."
Ichigo smiles minutely at his mother, waiting for her to leave before it falls. He's eager for tomorrow night, as he'll have a week to attract a mate, but a part of him is depressed about it. He doesn't know why, but… he just feels so distant from his family. He curls up again, purring when Shiro joins him on their small bed.
"Do you think my mate will be a good one?" Ichigo wonders sleepily.
"If he knows what's good fer 'im he will be," Shiro growls. "Go ta sleep, Ichi. Tomorrow's a big day."
Ichigo snuggles closer to Shiro's side, sighing at the warmth that surrounds him. This tradition will draw tigers from all over the island, not just their clan, and he'll get to meet many new submissive tigers like himself… and perhaps an alpha tiger that'll make him feel more wanted.
Awe, Ichi's gonna take part in mating season! How freaking cute! XD I haven't worked on this one for the next pool yet, but I'll try to throw together a couple chapters for you! Remember, please list 'girl' or 'boy' at the end of your review so I can choose which gender Ichigo and Grimm's baby will be! yes, the spoiler is there's only one. =( I tried to do this without giving anything away... but alas, I'm not that smart. XD
Shiro: I could a done it.
Vae: You're still on thin ice with me, mister! *points in accusation*
Shiro: Ya already turned me inta a fuckin' girl! What more can ya do ta me?
Ichi: Oh god, please don't say that. D8
Grimm: Yeah, that's like saying 'what more could go wrong' on a bad day, just to have the rain start pouring when you have to walk a few miles. =3
Shiro: ... I take it back! D=
Vae: Too late. *sadistic grin*