Disclaimer: Kubo-sensei does not make errors. But I do so it's clear I do not own BLEACH!
A/N UKE!Berry fans unite! Right so that's not an authors note really but it needed to be said.
For BonneNuit…doing the BLEACH YAOI FANDOM PROUD OVER AND OVER AND NOT STOPPING!
Warnings: AU, OOC-ness, AiIchi, OthersIchi, spelling, grammar, punctuation, unstable types, jealous types, daydreaming, scattered mess that authoress is trying to pass off as a plot, switching view, alternate endings, etc etc etc…
Shades Of Orange
Part 13
SEASONED
SIDE A
(Aizen)
Despite their differences the one thing Aizen loved about his mother was the way the woman continued to live and look just as glamorous in her late 40's as she had in her early 20's.
The only sign of her age were the small wrinkles around her lilac eyes.
"Sou-kun you're here!"
Even though the woman was fully capable of coming to him, as her only son Aizen had always felt that it was his duty to walk to her, let the woman pull him into a hug and smooth his hair down with her manicured hands.
What he did not expect however was-
"Arelia why didn't you tell me we were having company over I would've-oh my who do we have here?"
Aizen pulled away from his mother and turned to the owner of a voice he most definitely did not recognize.
She was a woman with a chin length black bob, ghostly white skin and eyes like the cold winter frost-
She was shorter than his mother by an inch or to but there was something domineering in her stance-
Aizen could understand why his mother had moved on-was actually proud of the woman for a small part of him didn't think she would ever get over the loss of her lover-it had been 3 years since his father had passed away in his sleep-but this woman?
Surely his mother couldn't be serious about-
()()()
(Ichigo)
The group didn't tell him much about the ski lodge, just that it was one of the best and that they were getting a discount because Kensei was a member of one of their clubs.
When Ichigo asked "Which club?"
"You've heard of the polar bear club haven't you berry head?"
"Isn't that one of those clubs where a group of weirdoes get together and jump into ice water in the middle of winter?"
Hiyori grinned around a mouthful of peanut butter. It was rather disgusting.
He turned his attention to Kensei and asked the silver blond
"Isn't that sort of dangerous? I mean you're kind of gambling with your health and well being aren't you?"
'How thoughtful of ya to care King and now if somethin' should happen to the ole' silver blond ya can nurse him back to health-surely any man would be cured in an instant if they saw your sexy ass in a-
'I'm asking you nicely Shirosaki don't start.'
()()()
Hiyori had invited herself to camp out in Ichigo's private cabin for the night. The blond had brought her sleeping bag, a bag of popcorn and even that stupid horn.
Ichigo was a little annoyed-he had been looking forward to a quiet night-a way to gather his thoughts and unwind-he also planned to send a message to Kenpachi even though Shinji had confiscated his cell phone-Risa had been kind enough to let him borrow hers for a short while.
At the very least he owed the man an explanation as to why their dinner plans had been canceled.
Not that it was entirely Ichigo's fault but-
"Knock! Knock! Room for one more?"
What the fuck?
Enter Hirako wearing curlers in his hair, a cucumber and sour cream mask on his face and a fuzzy white bathrobe with dandelion prints on it.
"2 blonds and a berry? Pretty cozy huh Ichigo?"
Cozy is not what the orange haired youth would call it.
Hiyori weighed about as much as his sisters or Rukia-but Shinji? The man might look slim but he damn sure was not light-his head alone must weigh a ton
Ichigo did not like how the older blond had suddenly decided to use his body as a head rest-did not like the way Shinji was-
"Hey watch the hands!"
The blond giggled. "What's the matter Ichi-tan? Are you ticklish?"
The loud smack of Hiyori's flip-flop meeting Shinji's cheek was almost music to Ichigo's ears.
While the man whined and complained about abusive younger sisters hurting their loving older brothers Ichigo quickly pulled the covers over his head and sent a text to Kenpachi-telling the man that he was sorry and that he would make it up to him just as soon as his trip at the ski lodge came to an end.
Ichigo damn sure hadn't expected the reply to be coming from
SUCH A NAUGHTY BOY YOU ARE ICHIGO. SHALL I INFORM AIZEN-SAN OF YOUR MISBEHAVIOR?
What the hell was Rukia doing answering Kenpachi's phone?
Just what was going on?
What had he missed?
Maybe he should forget about relaxing and-
"Ah ha! I found you!"
Just when Ichigo thought Shinji couldn't get any stranger the man started talking to him like a parent would talk to a child-what next peek a boo I see you-?
"Ichi-tan you can't hide out from you big brother for long. Come out come out or I'll come in there after you."
As though he was hiding in a tent rather than under a large blanket-
The sound of whispering reached Ichigo's ears.
Followed by Hiyori's loud blaring horn
Then with out further warning the two blonds tugged the blanket away from him and the trio went crashing to the floor.
()()()
(Aizen)
It was still a bit difficult to wrap his brain around it-mother had never shown any interest in women before. Had Aizen known he would have taken it upon him self introduce a woman or several women better suited for her social rank.
"I will make arrangements for your immediate transfer."
Most women would have graciously accepted his offer with a smile but not this woman apparently-
"Oh no I could never leave the countryside for that long for you see Sousuke, the sheep they are like my children."
If Aizen were a lesser man he would have made some snide comment just then-something along the line's about how this woman should spend some time taking care of herself-brush her hair, wash her face, purchase a decent pillow so she could erase the dark circles under her eyes-rather than worrying about animals who slept out in the barn-instead he reached for his tea cup and took a few sips.
It was passable.
Aizen turned to his mother and asked
"What can I do to get you to consider rehiring a servant or two?"
He still couldn't believe that she had released the men and women from their services to begin with-deep brown eyes flicked to sheep woman-concluding that it was surely her doing.
"Oh Sou-kun really you needn't worry so much. I am fully capable of doing a few household chores every now and then. I actually like it-the Arelia of the old was very much like a spoiled princess who could feel the pea underneath a thousand mattresses-but the Arelia of the now-I've been born a new and," lilac eyes gazed at her lover fondly "I have Fergus here to thank for it."
Fergus?
Arelia and Fergus.
That proved it.
A lesser man would shudder in both disgust and horror whereas as Aizen bit his cheek and swallowed a few more sips of the bitter tea.
He watched as his mother placed a hand on top of her lovers own. "I have found my true self."
Indeed if Aizen were the kind of man to believe in such things as extraterrestrial beings-he would have thought that they had swooped down in the middle of the night and swapped his mothers brain for another.
"But enough about me Sou-kun. You look so happy these days. I would swear that the sun itself is outshined by the light in your eyes tell me what has happened?"
Ah yes the reason for his visit.
It was not that Aizen had forgotten-it was simply-
"Well mother I'm happy you asked because your approval means a great deal to me."
The woman smiled at him. "Of course Sou-kun what kind of mother would I be if I didn't accept you?"
Aizen knew the woman would say these words and still to hear them loud and clear brought a smile to his face. "I've finally found it."
The woman blinked "Found what Sou-kun?"
"The path to true love."
()()()
(Nnoitra)
Wine
A man's best friend-well maybe not so much man's best friend as it was Nnoitra's
Sitting in a pitch dark house, drinking a bottle of red wine and feeling-not sorry for himself-this had nothing to do with a pity party rather it was-
Those damn orange lashes were still haunting him-
Nnoitra had no one to blame but himself.
If he had thought before acting the whole entire encounter could have played out differently.
He should have just told Halibel and Neliel to shove their plan where the fuckin' sun doesn't shine and then he should have approached the carrot top-the too sexy for his own damn good and Nnoitra's sanity-Ichi-pet and-
The sound of knocking on the door pulled Nnoitra out of his thoughts.
He picked up his wine bottle and stumbled to the door.
()()()
(Gin)
The kiddies were being naughty again-a most unwise thing to do while Aizen-sama was away.
So it was up to Gin and his side kick (although Tousen would probably slaughter him if the silver fox ever dared to suggest such a degrading position out loud) to keep the kiddies in line.
"Read the address off one more time Tousen-san."
"Honestly Gin if you can not remember where to go then you should have let me drive."
Let another man drive his prized vehicle? The very idea was laughable and besides-
"This is my gift from Ran-chan since she refused to stay with us at the mansion. This is her way of showing me that she still loves me."
"I was under the impression that you had moved on to the blond servant boy."
"Oh Izuru-chan doesn't mind sharing, he comes from a family of 12 brothers after all."
()()()
(Tousen)
Tousen sighed. The silver-haired male was completely missing the point.
"What did Toshiro say?"
"Hitsu-chan? Why would he care what I do with my-oh you mean his connection to Ran-chan. Hmm," a pause "I really can't say-he's rather difficult to read. Bein' in that whore house messed with his mind so much I'm not even sure he remembers who we really are half of the time."
"He must to a certain extent, he feels safe enough to continue to work and live in the mansion."
Tousen felt the need to point this out.
Gin smirked. "That's because Aizen-sama treats Hitsu-chan as though the boy were his own."
If Tousen Kaname were the kind of man to roll his eyes he would have done so just then-
"Now you are exaggerating a bit Gin, while it is true that Aizen-sama-
"Ah ha there it is!"
Tousen felt the small vein above his left brow twitch in irritation. "It is incredibly rude to cut me off while I am speaking, Gin."
"Pardon me Tousen-san I certainly didn't mean ta speak over you but you know how I can get around the holiday season-especially at the sight of Christmas trees."
"I still don't understand what the point in chopping down a tree is when we could easily purchase-
()()()
(Gin)
Gin shook his head. It was almost a tragedy that his dark skinned companion couldn't find the holiday spirit-course it wasn't really Tousen's fault but-
"There's no beauty or fun in just buying a tree. I feel sorry for you Tousen-san, going all though out your childhood and teen years and not once did ya ever get to experience the feeling of a saw between yer fingers-the smell of the great outdoors-the shine of the metal before it connects with the tree bark-the triumph of being a-
"You are still missing the point Gin. Aizen-sama expects us to keep the children in line while he is away not trapeze around town looking for an outdoor adventure."
Gin grinned. "But life is an adventure and besides I already tried ta contact Hali-chan and all she said was 'the mission will be completed and then she hung up on me."
"And what of Grimmjow?"
The clear dislike that Tousen held for the blue haired youth was just as amusing as ever in Gin's opinion
"The kitten? Ah I wouldn't worry 'bout him, he's off campin' with the wolf for a week. By the time they return Ichi-chan will be right where we want him to be."
"You are not going to harm Ichigo. Aizen-sama would never forgive you."
"Of course not. I'm just going to welcome him like any proud uncle would," a wide grin "He's family now."
"Then why the mission?"
"Because it is a favorite past time of mine."
"Which part?"
Gin could hear it in Tousen's tone-the man didn't even want to ask such a question-
"Watching Aizen-sama scold the kiddies of course."
"So they are going to take the blame and punishment for something you orchestrated?"
"Don't sound so surprised Tousen-san I told you this months ago."
"Fine. But what about the girl? Why her?"
()()()
(Ichigo)
Skiing-the rush of harsh wind beating against his face wasn't all that pleasant but the view?
The view as the sun was starting to set-shades of pink, purple and orange streaked across the sky.
Sometimes Ichigo just liked to take a few minutes to enjoy nature but unfortunately for the orange haired youth Shinji had other plans.
"Come on Ichigo race you to the bottom?"
While the weren't up on the highest mountain they were still pretty damn high up-Ichigo wasn't to thrilled about racing down a hill but he was a Kurosaki and all his life he had learned to never back down from a challenge.
Besides if something happened and he fell and hurt himself it was not like he was out in the middle of nowhere-someone would rescue him.
And while the idea of walking around in a cast for a number of weeks didn't sound very appealing the image that had suddenly sprung to mind
Sousuke-it still felt a little strange to call the man by his first name but Ichigo figured if he could call all of his other potential lovers by their first names then why not Sousuke? Any way the image of having an aristocratic bastard (it was more of a backwards term of affection in his head now) the idea of having Sousuke wait on him hand and foot, turning the tables and having the man address him as Ichigo-sama
He could order the man to dress in a little butler outfit and everything-it was amusing and Ichigo had half a mind to get hurt on purpose just so he could make it happen but-
Another image sprung to mind-the weeks when his leg was fully healed up Sousuke would turn around and punish him-possibly maybe force Ichigo to dress up as a maid, order the orange haired youth to rub his feet (which really wasn't that big of a punishment since the man's feet were equally as pretty as his hands-
"Come on Ichigo hurry up! I want to ask you something when we reach the bottom."
Shinji's voice pulled Ichigo from his thoughts only to bring a new image to the surface
Unlike Sousuke-Kenpachi would probably force Ichigo to stay in bed the entire time-only letting the orange haired youth out on occasion and during those times insisting on caring Ichigo everywhere which truthfully didn't sound all that appealing unless there were a blizzard or something-
Kenpachi was warm-so warm that Ichigo wondered if he might have some bear in him somewhere-the idea was beyond ridiculous but amusing-
In all honesty he wasn't that far off-the wild haired man's hands for example-could rival a bear paw-
If Ichigo stayed with Kenpachi he'd never have to wear a winter coat again-hmm
"Ichigo if you don't hurry your ass up and race me right now I'll pull your pants down!"
Ichigo scowled. He did not want the stupid grinning blond to come anywhere near his pants.
()()()
"So Hiyori tells me you've gotten yourself into quite the-how would you phrase it? It's not really a love triangle or square since all of them are attracted to you so-
"Well I mean there's only really two I can picture myself with as a long term thing-not that I'm not attracted to number 3 it's just-" Ichigo trailed off, set down his skiis and joined Shinji on the tiny rock. The blond had not only removed his skiis but half of his clothes as well.
Ichigo eyed the blond strangely-surely the man would be cold right?
"Thermal underwear."
"Huh? What? Oh! Uh right but anyway so yeah it's complicated especially with well-Hey Shinji have you ever been attracted to violent or rougher erm affection?"
Ichigo didn't even know why he was asking such a question but there was no point in taking it back now.
He waited patiently for the blond to form an answer.
"Well Ichigo let me ask you a question first-how do you know what you really want? Hiyori tells us that you've only known these men for a few weeks."
No matter how much the orange haired youth wracked his brain he could not figure out how the blonde snaggle tooth knew so much about him-nor did he really appreciate her sharing his life story with-
"It shouldn't take you that long to answer the question, Ichigo."
"Sorry I just I feel really confused lately. How the hell can Hiyori and you for that matter-how do you guys know all this personal stuff about me?"
Shinji was grinning again "Well it's not exactly rocket science Ichi-tan, you're kinda like an open book and plus you kind of remind me of myself when I was your age."
A raised brow "In what way?"
"Oh many ways, mainly your indecisive nature about things."
"Well it's not like I do it on purpose." Ichigo took a defensive stance crossing his arms and glaring at the blond.
"Didn't say that you did Ichigo," Shinji paused so he could remove his socks and plant his feet in the snow. "The question you really want to ask yourself here Ichigo is not whether or not you can see yourself living with that special person but if you can see death with that person."
"Um what?"
"Hear me out-as a man nearing forty I know what I'm talking about. Looks don't last for ever and sadly, neither does sex."
"Er right."
"Can you picture yourself turning old and gray with that special person? Can you see yourself sitting at the edge of their death bed?"
"Woah, woah back up a bit Hirako, it's not like Aizen and Kenpachi are old geezers or something-
"That's not the point Ichigo."
"What is the point then?"
And so the older blond began his tale
"I was 16 when I found the love of my life."
"I'm 19."
"Stop being rude Ichigo. Just listen to my story."
"Fine."
Shinji tossed his head back and laughed. "My oh my what a pout, wish I had a camera because-
"Get back to the story, Hirako." Ichigo's voice was a near hiss.
It only amused the blond further much to the orange haired youth's annoyance.
"I'm glad Hiyori brought you to us."
"Hirako if you don't shut up and get on with it I swear to call I'll throw your old wrinkly ass off this cliff."
Ichigo wouldn't really do such a thing but he had to say something so that the blond would start taking him seriously.
"It's Shinji, not Hirako, Shinji," another blinding grin, "Consider me to be like your mentor or a seasoned and dashingly handsome older brother."
Ichigo rolled his eyed. "Fine oh great wise brother o' mine tell me the story."
TBC