Chapter Ten

Ichigo walked aimlessly around Shiro's house, putting off his duties for thinking time instead. Time seemed to pass most quickly in those moments when Ichigo only wanted to think. The familiar decorations in the hallways invaded Ichigo's visions, but he did not see them. By the time he actually noticed the time, five hours had passed away, never to be gotten back. Slowly but surely tired feet made their way back to the infirmary, padding along the familiar route as their master sat entranced with the mazes in his mind. Surely there would be something to do there.

"Hey." Ishida muttered as Ichigo pushed his way inside the sterile room. The overhead lights were blinding, and Ichigo blinked as his pupils dilated.

"Oh, hey Ishida. What're you still doing here?" Ichigo plopped down in a chair and reclined a bit, sighing in relief as his back popped a few times.

"Eh, some of Boss's newbies got roughed up in a fight and I just finished patching them up. I was about to leave, if you don't need anything that is."

Now that Ichigo was looking, he could notice black circles starting to form under Ishida's eyes.

"Nah, go ahead."

"Thanks." Ishida removed his white jacket and hung it up. As he passed Ichigo he gave him an mischievous glare, as if he knew something that Ichigo didn't.

"And, Doc? Stay here for awhile. You might just get a visitor." Ichigo almost swore his friend was about to smile, and Ishida never smiled.

"A visitor at three in the morning?"

"You never know."

Ichigo's mouth was agape as Ishida turned the door and closed it behind him. The silence didn't bother Ichigo as he stayed frozen in the same position, watching the door. A visitor? This cannot be good. So, Ichigo let time pass as it had for the earlier times. Right now, he was a lost leaf floating on rough waters, waiting, only waiting. There was nothing left to do. He was desperately confused.

"Ichigo?"

"Ah, so you were the visitor, then."

Shiro blinked. "What?"

Ichigo let the chair he was in finally sit back up so he could look at Shiro. As the pale skin came into view Ichigo smiled. "Fancy seeing you here."

Ever since that fateful day, the day of Ichigo's talk with Shiro and J's confession, the relationship between the two had changed drastically. The beatings had stopped, along with name callings, and the servant-master relationship.

It was different, much different. In a good way, of course.

"Oh, yeah." Shiro seemed just as thoughtful as Ichigo had been all day.

"Talked to Nnoitra?" Ichigo asked. Shiro and the taller Jiruga male had broken off...whatever engagement that they had previously been in. Nnoitra left soon after that, Tesla following. The other one, J, he'd stayed. Nnoitra wasn't happy, and Shiro hadn't complained, but Ichigo had noticed the underlying hate in those golden eyes.

"Nah."

"Oh."

Ichigo nodded to an open chair. "Sit? You're makin' me nervous."

Shiro silently complied and sat in the chair, wincing inside as it creaked as he lowered himself into it. He took a moment to look at Ichigo, relaxed in the chair with an indescribable expression. Ichigo's lips seemed to be stuck in a smile, but really, Shiro didn't mind. The other man's smiles were rare sights that many-a-man would pay terrible amounts to see.

Ichigo was a dangerous man, and coming from Shiro, that meant something.

The pale man cleared his throat as awkwardness started to creep into the conversation. Out of habit his fingers began to drum out a random beat on the wood on the chair, and as Shiro glanced back up he found Ichigo still smiling, still watching.

"I think," Ichigo paused as a small laugh fell from his lips, "I think you have ADHD."

Shiro was shocked. Never before had someone called him out on his little nervous habits, and for a split second Shiro was actually angry, but it didn't last long. How he had held so much anger towards the orange-haired man, Shiro didn't know. The beating, the names, all of it made Shiro sick to think about. Now that he actually knew the kid he was...

Shiro gulped. He was what? It was useless to ask a question that he already knew the answer to.

Now that he actually knew Ichigo he was attracted to him.

Attracted to him.

Attracted to...

Attracted...

"I'll see you later, Ichigo." Shiro managed to get out of his mouth before running from the room. His head was pounding, or was that his heart?

"Eh? Shiro!"

His feet carried him farther and farther until he was standing in front of the wooden door to Ichigo's empty room. With a cry of frustration Shiro let his back hit the wall hard, and he slid down slowly with his face in his hands. By now his breath was labored and his heartbeat was nearly off the charts, but Shiro knew it wasn't from exertion. No, not at all.

"Damn it."

By the time Ichigo actually fell asleep the sun was rising on a new day. Sunlight caught the blinds and golden bars highlighted the flooring. Today wouldn't be like yesterday, that Ichigo promised himself. Broody wasn't a good look on anybody. By the time the chirp of the alarm went off at 8 o'clock in the morning, Ichigo was full of resolve. He showered, got dressed, brushed his teeth, and went out to get his daily agenda from Shiro, all on two hours of sleep.

Ichigo pushed the door to the dining room open after hearing Shiro's muffled 'come in'.

"Good morning, Master."

"Hn." Shiro stuck a piece of bacon into his mouth.

Ichigo hid his smile with his hand. Shiro was really cute when he first woke up in the mornings. He never had been a morning person, that much Ichigo knew. A few maids entered, including Rukia, and they gave light bows before scattering to clean up whatever mess the kitchen staff had made this morning.

"What would you like me to do today, Master?"

Ichigo watched as the older man sat the piece of bacon he had been eating on back onto the plate and pursed his lips. "I want to show you something today."

"Ah," Ichigo smiled as brightly as he could, "I'll get right on-wait, what?"

"Hn."

The light blush on Shiro's pale cheeks made Ichigo's curiosity spike. "Show me what, Master?"

Shiro growled. "Don't call me that."

For a moment Ichigo paused to see if Shiro was being serious or not. When Shiro didn't say anything more Ichigo grinned. "Sure thing."

"Ge' some breakfast. Meet me in the front yard in say, thirty minutes?"

"Sure!" Ichigo laughed, but he stopped himself when he realized how much he was acting like a child getting a new toy. "I mean, no problem."

The pale man stood, leaving the nearly clean plate sitting on the table for one of the maids to pick up later. He pushed the chair back in under the table gently before adjusting his jacket and heading for the exit. Shiro always had this grace about him no matter what it was that he was doing. As he padded across the floor Ichigo couldn't help but compare the other man some sort of cat, a predator.

"Oi, Shiro!"

Said man stopped without turning around. "Hm?"

"Where are we going, again?"

Pale hands settled on thin hips in mock annoyance. Shiro turned his torso to face Ichigo, and the wide grin that had settled there made Ichigo shiver and lick his lips. Goose bumps spread out along his tan skin, making the already cold room feel all that much colder.

"It's a surprise!"

Faster than a bullet, the other man was gone from Ichigo's sight.

Ichigo swore he had never eaten that fast before in his life. Renji caught him and laughed when he saw him scarfing down waffles like a malnourished animal.

"Hot date?" He joked.

Ichigo turned his head to hide his blush. "Shut up."

One could not technically count this as a date, could they? No, Ichigo shook his head. Too much wishful thinking.

With a quick 'thank you' to a laughing Renji, Ichigo walked, quickly, to their meeting place. Much to his surprise the other man was already standing there sporting a leather jacket with the collar popped and dark sunglasses. Ichigo had to will his tongue to stay in his head. Without uttering a word Shiro pushed open the door and gently walked into the overly heated world outside. Ichigo followed, keeping all his questions and concerns inside his head. Obviously Shiro was uncomfortable, the tenseness of his walk suggested it, so Ichigo would leave the explaining on Shiro's own terms.

It was hot. Sweat droplets tickled Ichigo's back and his legs, and he cussed himself for wearing jeans. Up ahead Shiro put his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Shiro? Aren't you burning up?"

Ichigo caught the movement of Shiro's shoulders as he shrugged. "My skin can't handle th' sun."

"Can't you carry an umbrella or something?"

Shiro nearly growled at the man following him. "I'm not a woman."

"I know that." Ichigo sighed.

The two only walked for a couple minutes more, but Ichigo was confused. He had never been around this area of the house, so the forest they walked in was new territory. Shiro seemed to be following a trail from his memory. After going over a fallen tree and pushing stray branches out of the way, Shiro and Ichigo entered a clearing.

"Wow." Ichigo breathed.

Ichigo hadn't been prepared for the large garden sitting in the middle of the forest. It was well kept, so someone had to take care of all these flowers. Every color imaginable filled Ichigo's vision, and he blinked in awe. Some were tall, some were close to the ground, and some crawled up the white arches that were placed around the garden's center.

Shiro continued to the garden's center, following the stone path as if following a distant memory. Ichigo tripped over his feet as his eyes remained glued to the rows of flowers, but he caught himself before the destined face-plant. At the exact center sat a bench, white with faded flowers painted along the top.

"Where are we?" Ichigo asked in a whisper, not daring to let his voice disturb the peaceful aura in the garden.

"It was my mother's flower garden. She used to being me here, when I was young..." he trailed off.

Ichigo nodded lightly, urging the other man to continue. This would probably be the last time Shiro would show him something so personal, so many feelings.

"You remind me a lot of her. I think that's why I use to hate you."

"Use to?"

"Hn." Shiro cleared his throat. "She always smiled, even when my father abused her loyalty. I saw...I saw, that while you were like my mother, I had become like my father."

"Shiro..."

Said man turned around, finally facing Ichigo for the first time since their walk had begun. His eyes were still hidden by the sunglasses, but Ichigo didn't need to see his eyes to know what emotions he had going through his body. The bench squeaked as Shiro kicked it with his sneaker; it hadn't been a hard kick, but Ichigo couldn't believe he had even done it. Wasn't that his mother's bench?

"What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry." he lowered his head and bit his lip. "Heh, yeah. I'm sorry."

It was one of those moments where the entire world seemed to stop just for you, pausing to look into your life. An overly cliché moment that many would kill for, and it makes you smile because it's actually happening to you.

"I accept your apology, and thank you, for bringing me here."

Shiro's lips twitched into a small smirk. "Sure thing."

They stayed in the garden for what seemed like only mere minutes, but the afternoon was quickly approaching and the heat was increasing steadily. Sometimes they walked side-by-side in silence, and other times they talked about themselves, about their families, and about other mundane topics. Eventually Shiro's cellphone went off signaling that the two had been missing from the main house for far too long. With twin sighs, Shiro and Ichigo began backtracking along the path they had ventured in on.

They both went home feeling lighter than they had in years.