-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-
Uryū wasn't sure what to think of his own situation. He sat on his friend, Renji's bed and stared at the wall long enough that he got poked in the side by the redhead.
"Why the face?" Renji asked, sitting up against the head of his bed. Uryū had spent the last couple nights with him.
"Just doing some thinking is all," he answered, running a hand through his hair.
"All ya've been doin' is thinking lately. You'd think you'd have figured something out already," Renji pointed out.
"Yeah, you'd think," Uryū said with a sigh and looked over at Renji. "I just don't know how to feel about the whole situation, is all."
"I still can't believe you kept the fact your father had kidnapped someone a secret for two fuckin' years, though. I'm glad he's caught and all that, but why didn't ya trust an of us enough to talk to us about it?" he asked.
Uryū sighed again. "Honestly, I felt like if I ignored it, I could go on and have a normal life. I thought I could just put it behind me as the way it was."
Renji was quiet a minute. "You never said what the last straw was. You just said something happened that made it so you couldn't take it anymore."
He hadn't really said much to his school friends. When he'd gone to live in the cabin with everyone and stopped going to class, he'd just given Renji the basics, and even then, it had been sketchy at best. Since he'd come to stay with Renji at his apartment this time, he'd been rather quiet about it.
Uryū swallowed and felt tears already welling before he could stop them. He looked at Renji and saw the look of concern cross his face. "He raped him."
Renji stared at him for a minute, looking like he didn't know what to say. "You're not serious," he said finally.
"I wish I was lying or anything. I didn't know, before I found out for sure. I suspected something was happening while I was gone to school and here. I knew Ichigo had been more reserved and quieter when I visited. Then I came home unexpectedly one day, and I heard him. I was in the house and I didn't do anything. How could I not do something? How could I let it happen?" Uryū felt the tears falling again. He just couldn't be bothered to stop them.
"I don't know what to say, Uryū," Renji said quietly.
"It's all my fault. All of it because I should have done something to stop it sooner. I should have told somebody before he had to go through that." Uryū sucked in a deep breath. "I kept it a secret for so long, it just became a part of my existence, and it was just the way it was. I was afraid of him. I was afraid he'd do to me what he did to him, you know. It was selfish on my part for so long."
"You shouldn't blame yourself. It was your old man that did it. He hurt you too? He didn't…you know…" Renji asked.
"No, he never touched me like that." He snorted then. "But he told Ichigo, he told him not to tell me because I'd be jealous. Can you believe that? Jealous."
"He sounds like a bastard," Renji said softly.
"Good came of it, though," Uryū said. "And confusion on my part."
"What good?" Renji asked.
Uryū wiped his eyes and took a shaky breath. "Ichigo met Nnoitra."
"Nnoitra? Isn't that that really tall dude?" Renji asked, frowning.
"That's him." Uryū smiled a little. "Ichigo loves him so much. And I think Nnoitra feels the same. He takes care of him the way my father never did. How he needs to be taken care of him. He's even helping him catch up so he can take his GED since he missed all those years of school."
"Wow, I never would've thought Nnoitra was like, gay, and stuff," Renji said, arching a brow.
"There's nothing wrong with it," Uryū snapped suddenly.
"Whoa, didn't say there was," Renji said, holding up a hand. "I get that you're feeling bad, but don't take it out on me, okay, man." Renji frowned again and watched him. "Or is there something you're not telling me?"
Uryū looked at him for a minute. "I…I might have met someone, too."
After a few seconds, Renji nodded. "Well, you can't say that then not tell me about it."
"I never thought about it, you know. I just assumed I'd always find a nice girl and have a family with her and do just what everyone else does. But then all this. And I met this guy named Chad, and he helped me a lot over the last couple months. He even stayed at the cabin with me, just so I had someone there for me, not for Ichigo like everyone else." He let out a slow sigh. "And we got closer the longer we stayed together, and I find myself thinking about him all the time. I don't know what to do, because I don't even know if he's interested in something like that."
Renji didn't say anything for a minute. "Well, there's only one way to find out. You gotta ask him."
"I can't do that! What would I even say? Besides, I'm messed up right now. Who would want to be involved with me like this? Who would take me as serious like this?" Uryū asked, cheeks going slightly red at the mere thought.
"Meh, you gotta have some balls, man. If he's been hanging around that much, he probably likes you. Normally guys don't practically live with someone for a few weeks unless they're best buds or interested in them. I certainly wouldn't do it for just anyone I came across," he told him.
Uryū's phone went off right then. He picked it up and saw that it was Chad asking if he needed a ride to the hospital again. He swallowed and looked at Renji. "It's him. I don't know what to do!"
"Gimme that," Renji said, snatching the phone out of his hand. "Let's see here." He spent a couple minutes tapping out a message and then handed Uryū back the phone. Uryū didn't want to look at what he'd said. "It's nothing bad, idiot."
Uryū swallowed and looked down.
Yeah. First, you want to stop for something to eat together?
It took a moment, but the phone pinged again and Uryū stared at his answer, face reddening a little bit. "Well, what'd he say?" Renji asked.
"H-he said yeah, that sounded like fun to him, and he's on his way," Uryū said.
"See, now was that so hard?" Renji asked, smirking at him.
"But what do I say when he gets here?" Uryū looked almost panicked at the thought. "I mean, what do I tell him? How will he know that I'm interested in that way?"
Renji let out an exasperated sigh. "I swear, you're helpless. Just bring it up casual-like. Just say you've been enjoying your time together and hope it continues after all the crap with your cousin is over with."
Uryū's phone pinged again. He took a breath. "He's here."
"Well, get going, stupid. Balls, remember! Have some balls!" Renji told him as he ushered him out of the apartment, glancing over to see Chad leaning against the outside of the car. "Hey, I think I've seen him around the campus. Now, go on," he said, shoving Uryū toward him.
Uryū stumbled a bit but got his feet under him as he headed to Chad's car, phone clutched tightly in his hand. He swallowed nervously and wondered if he could actually say something. Chad was quiet, so he doubted he'd actually say anything to him.
"Hey, Chad," Uryū said as he came up to the passenger door.
"Hi, Uryū," Chad said and got into the car. "Where did you want to go?"
"Oh, that doesn't matter, wherever you want to go," Uryū said, smiling at him.
He had to admit, Chad's presence was calming to him. He was starting to feel less nervous as he pulled out of the apartment parking lot. He was hesitant to make any changes to their relationship because he had come to rely on his being there for him. He couldn't imagine going a day without seeing him already, and they weren't even in that kind of relationship. He looked up to see they'd pulled up to a restaurant he'd never been to before. It was one of the higher end ones in town.
"Oh, I don't know if I've got enough with me for here…" Uryū said, string at the place.
"I've got it," Chad said with a half-smile. "My treat."
"Um, if you're sure… I mean, fast food would have been fine…" Uryū said as he got out of the car. It was still early afternoon, so they weren't too busy yet.
Chad just closed the door on his car and beckoned for him to come along. Uryū followed him closely, staring at the ground in front of him as he waked. Then Chad reached out and held his hand out. Uryū's eyes widened and he put his hand in Chad's. Chad smiled softly at him and squeezed his hand. Uryū's face flushed immediately and he realized that this was Chad's way of showing his own interest. He hadn't needed to say a word.
-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-
Ichigo was ecstatic because they said he could go home. He had no idea where exactly he was going, but he was going with his Papi. That was all that mattered. Wherever Nnoitra went was where he was going to be going, and that was all there was to it. He looked up to see his father and sisters had come today. Karin had stayed overnight with him, which was a little odd because she kept giving him strange looks. He figured she didn't know what to make of him right then, but it didn't matter.
Nnoitra sat in the chair for now, looking over the discharge paperwork. "Now, Ms. Harribel said we can stay in the cabin for a few days if we want to," Isshin said. "I've got my eye on a house that will work for me, and there are some nice apartments that I found right near the school. We'll go look at them tomorrow and see what you think."
"I'm sure they'll be perfect! As long as I'm with Papi I don't care where we live," he said, looking over at Nnoitra with a big grin on his face.
Nnoitra smiled and stood up. "For tonight, I have to pick up my breathing machine from mis padres. Then we can go sleep at the cabin for a few days until everything is figured out. Is that good enough for you, Chiquito?"
"Yes, Papi." Ichigo smiled at him and Nnoitra patted his shoulder.
"Now, you still have to take it easy," Isshin reminded Ichigo. "You're going to need to watch yourself for a little while and make sure there's no lasting effect from the blows you took to the head or the water."
Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, at least I don't have a headache anymore."
Everyone looked up as someone knocked on the doorway. "Gin," Nnoitra said as he smiled at him. "Glad you could stop by."
Gin came in and nodded. "Ichigo, this is my wife, Rangiku," he said, gesturing to the woman with him.
"Hi!" Ichigo said, smiling. He'd already dressed in some of his clothes from the cabin and was sitting on the bed waiting for the doctor to come by and tell him he could leave. He was a little annoyed that it wasn't one of Nnoitra's shirts, but he didn't say anything. He was working on being good for him.
Rangiku smiled at him. "Nice to meet you, Ichigo," she said.
"You're very pretty," he said, looking at her. She was wearing a cleavage revealing shirt and a pink scarf over her shoulders. Her skirt was ankle length and she had her hair loose about her face.
She smiled at him. "Why thank you," she said, glancing over at Gin.
"Ichigo, I'm going back to San Diego today. I just wanted to come and tell ya that I'll see ya again. If you need me, you have my number, so text me," he said as he patted Ichigo on the shoulder.
"Thank you, again, so much," Nnoitra said from the other side of the bed. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there."
"Try not to think about it," Gin said with a grin. "I woulda done it, no matter what."
"I will miss you," Ichigo said and looked like he was about to cry. He didn't want to see him leave so soon.
"Oh, Ichigo, don't be upset!" Gin exclaimed, frowning. "Please. I promise I'll come visit."
"I'm sorry," he said and rubbed his eyes. "I won't. As long as you come visit," he said with a sad smile.
Gin leaned over and kissed his head. He then reached in his pocket. "Oh! I have something for you! I managed to find this at the house Kūgo was holding you in," he said and pulled out the delicate blue collar.
Ichigo's eyes went wide. "Oh, thank you!"
He took the collar and immediately buckled it on, getting a strange glance from Karin who was standing by the door. He patted it happily. He might have been sad, but the collar made him feel a little better at least. It felt right to feel it against his neck again. He'd been annoyed when Kūgo pulled it off him, saying that he didn't need it anymore because they were going to the ship. Despite the flash of happiness at having his collar, he quickly remembered that Gin was leaving now, too.
Isshin talked to Gin a little bit, but Ichigo wasn't really listening. He stared at his hands and wondered why things had to change. He'd just thought things were getting where things were getting kind of normal. But now, Gin was leaving, and the others had already left the cabin anyway. So, they would go back, and everyone wasn't going to be there like they were.
"Ichigo, please remember that everyone will come back," Nnoitra said, squeezing his shoulder.
"I know, you told me. But still. It's sad that everyone won't be there, and I really want to see everyone all the time." He looked over at Gin. "But I understand." His voice took a more adult tone for a few moments as he spoke and Nnoitra wondered if he was coming out of little space, at least a little bit.
"I'm glad you do, Ichigo. Send me messages, and I promise to answer them," Gin told him as he and Rangiku headed out.
"Bye!" Ichigo waved and rubbed his eyes again. It was hard to say good-bye to someone that had saved his life like Gin had.
"You okay?' Nnoitra asked him.
"Yeah, just a little sad," he said with a sigh.
Isshin had already picked up all of Ichigo's things and put them in a bag he'd brought just for him. It was a cloth bag that had one of the big superhero logos on it. It was just the right size for coloring books and had plenty room for a few toys and the crayons or markers. Ichigo got up and picked it up, looking inside to make sure everything was there. He looked up as Dr. Unohana came into the room.
"Ichigo, are you ready to get out of here?" she asked with a gentle smile.
He smiled broadly, turning toward her as he slung the bag on his shoulder. Other than the superhero bag, he looked like any adult would. His clothes were simple, shorts and a t-shirt, and he had a pair of the hospital slippers on. When Kūgo had taken him, he'd been barefoot. Luckily, he hadn't injured his feet during the encounter other than a few scratches here and there.
"I'm very ready. I don't care where I go, but I'm tired of being here," he said with a soft grin.
"Well, I can't blame you there," she said and handed him some paperwork. "This is the rest of your discharge papers. I want you to take care of yourself after you get out of here, alright?"
Ichigo nodded and looked at the papers seriously. He didn't want to do anything to upset Dr. Unohana. She was rather scary, he'd decided. She'd never done anything scary, but he just got that sense off her.
"I'll take you guys home, and then Karin is coming with me to take a look at the house I'm viewing. I'm sure you could use the time to get some alone," Isshin said with a smile at him.
"That sounds good," Ichigo said to him. "I'm ready!"
Unohana smiled and nodded to them. "Be good, Ichigo," she said and gave a wink to Nnoitra.
"Thank you, Dr. Unohana!" he said as she left the room.
"Alright, Ichigo, Nnoitra, let's get going," Isshin said as everyone headed out.
They went out to the car and Ichigo piled in the back with Karin so Nnoitra could sit in the front seat with Isshin. Karin looked over as they got going to the cabin first.
"So, Ichigo, did you get much school work done while you were in there?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah, I got a lot of work done on the reading. It was mostly boring, though. I'd rather be reading about stuff I like, though," Ichigo said with a glance over at her. "I'd rather be coloring though," he frowned.
Karin smiled at him. "You do like to color."
"Yeah, I never got to color before," Ichigo said, looking down into the back with the books. "I remember coloring before I was with Uncle."
Karin nodded as they pulled into the parking lot of the cabin. Nnoitra got out and Karin got in the front seat. Nnoitra took Ichigo by the hand as he got out. Ichigo smiled and waved at his father and Karin. Nnoitra took him into the cabin and they both fell into the sofa with a sigh. Ichigo dropped his bag at his feet and then reached over and threw his arms around Nnoitra.
"I've missed my Papi!" he exclaimed.
Nnoitra returned the hug tightly. "Silly Chiquito, I got to see you every day while you were in the hospital!"
"I know, but we weren't alone," Ichigo murmured as he buried his face in Nnoitra's chest as he began climbing up on top of his lap.
Nnoitra immediately felt Ichigo grinding down onto him with obvious interest. He gave him a half smile and cupped his face with both hands before he pulled him forward in a kiss that quickly deepened and became heated. Ichigo pulled back, panting a little already.
"You sure you feel good enough, Chiquito?" Nnoitra asked as he ran his hands over Ichigo's shoulders and back.
"I feel fine," Ichigo grumbled. He leaned forward and captured Nnoitra's lips again.
"If you're sure, Chiquito." Nnoitra muttered against his lips. He couldn't deny the fact that he had missed him over the last week. "Should we move to the bedroom?"
"We're fine. They won't be back for a while, don't you think, Papi?" he said, pouting a little as he ran his hands over Nnoitra's chest slowly.
"Hmm, why doesn't my little one tell me what he wants, then?" Nnoitra asked, sliding his hands into the back of his shorts and gripping his ass.
"Papi! You know what I want!" he said, frowning and pursing his lips rather cutely.
"How do I know if you don't tell me?" he responded with a grin. "I don't want to do anything my Chiquito doesn't want, especially so soon after getting out of the hospital."
Ichigo flushed red immediately and muttered something under his breath that Nnoitra couldn't hear. Nnoitra reached out and tilted his chin up to look him in the eyes.
"What was that? I didn't understand you," he teased.
"I said, I want Papi's cock inside me," he finally said, still blushing hotly.
"Do you, now?" Nnoitra said and in one move slipped the shorts off his hips and down around his legs. He immediately squirmed until the shorts and undershorts were kicked off and he straddled Nnoitra's lap, rubbing against him.
"Can I take it out?" he said, reaching for Nnoitra's waist.
"Sure, Chiquito," he told him and adjusted to make it easier for him to pull him free of the sweatpants he was wearing.
"Papi, I was going to suck on you, but I can't wait. I want you to be inside me right now," Ichigo said, still red in the face.
Nnoitra arched his visible brow. "We didn't get any lube or anything, Chiquito," he reminded him. "Are you sure about that?"
Ichigo nodded, stroking him firmly. Nnoitra grunted and scooted out more so Ichigo could reach him better. "Hmm. I think Papi is nice to touch," he said. "But it feels best inside."
"Oh, does it?" Nnoitra asked, lips turning into a smirk. "Then let's make it feel the best, hmm?"
Ichigo nodded, scooting up on Nnoitra. "Papi, can you hold it for me?"
"Of course," he said, steadying his cock for him to fall down on when he was ready.
He seemed to take a moment to think about it and then pressed downward, feeling Nnoitra slide inside rather smoothly even without the lube. He hissed a little as it stretched him, but it didn't stop him from sliding all the way down to his lap. When he got there, he threw his arms around Nnoitra's neck and buried his face in his chest, breathing heavily.
"Okay, Chiquito?" Nnoitra asked, stroking his back with both hands.
"Uh huh," he muttered, then planted his feet on either side of Nnoitra's legs and pushed himself up and back down. It was the first time he'd really been in complete control and he wanted to do it right.
"Does it feel good?" Nnoitra muttered as Ichigo moved on him slowly at first. "It feels good inside you. It's hot and tight, and you're squeezing me so much that it makes me want to fill you full of cum. Would you like that?"
"Yes, please, Papi!" he said as he began to move a little faster on him. "Fill me up with all of you!"
"Aw, how can I resist that?" Nnoitra said as he braced his feet and thrust upward into him harder, making him release a heavy moaning sound. "You sound nice, too, Chiquito."
"Oh, it feels nice, Papi. I missed you so much when I wasn't able to touch you. I felt like I wasn't ever going to be yours again!" Ichigo said, moving against him until he hit is own prostate and let out a squeaking sound.
Nnoitra grinned, putting his hands on Ichigo's hips and tightening his grip on him. "Ah, there's your spot, huh?" he said, continuing to move with him as much as he could in the position they were in.
"Ugh," Ichigo muttered and kept angling for the same spot as he came down on his lap. "It feels so good, so good."
"Yes, it does, doesn't it?" Nnoitra said as he continued working on him.
"I don't want to stop, but Papi, I'm gonna come soon!" he whined, a definite sad look crossing his face. He wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer. It had been a long week of seeing and being around Nnoitra and not being able to do more than give him a kiss or two.
Nnoitra stroked a hand over his head. "It's okay, Chiquito. I'm not going to last much longer the way you're bouncing on my cock. I didn't know you could be so excited like this."
Ichigo couldn't say anything else for a moment, he was too busy focusing on his own motions. His legs were starting to feel the strain of keeping up the movement, but he didn't care. Everything was just right to make him feel every motion down to his core.
"Please, Papi! I need to come, please!" he begged, trying desperately not to go off before he said it was okay to.
Nnoitra slid one hand over and gripped him tightly and began pumping him, causing him to tighten up significantly on him. "It's okay, you can come when you need to. Papi won't be long, either…"
"Oh!" he said suddenly as he felt it come crashing into him hard.
Nnoitra gritted his teeth together and held onto him as he came between them. It was hard to do, though as much as he was squeezing him. He groaned as he thrust upward hard into the quivering flesh and felt himself release. He heard Ichigo's exhale as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around him tightly again. Nnoitra squeezed him close, his heart beat slowing down as he sat there with him on his lap.
"Oh, Papi," Ichigo whispered in his ear. "I love you."
"Te amo, Chiquito, te amo," Nnoitra responded, rubbing his hands down his back and settling on his ass gently.
"I need a bath," he said softly, nuzzling into Nnoitra's neck.
"Does my Chiquito need help bathing? Or is he going to be a big boy and do it on his own?" Nnoitra asked.
Ichigo sat back and gave him a soft smile. "Can Papi help?"
Nnoitra had no idea how long he was going to be in little space, but he was going to do whatever it took to get him through it. If that's what he needed, he'd be there for him. He scooted up a little and then stood up from the couch holding him. Ichigo gripped onto him tightly, grasping around him with his legs tightly as he slid his hands under his ass to hold him up as they went into the bathroom. He sat him down on the toilet lid and helped him out of his shirt.
Turning on the bath, Nnoitra noticed that Ichigo was watching him closely. He smiled. "Come on, get in, silly chico. You need a good bath after being stuck in the hospital like that."
"Yes, Papi," Ichigo said as he got up and stepped into the tub, sighing at the feeling of the warm water. "I like baths.
"I know you do, Chiquito," Nnoitra told him as he sat down on the toilet beside the bathtub. "Do you want any toys to play with?" he asked, smiling.
Immediately, Ichigo's face tinted reddish and he nodded slowly. "I want my new cars."
"Okay, I'll get them. You start washing up, alright?" he said as he handed the washcloth to him.
He headed out and picked up the bag from the hospital and grabbed Ichigo's discarded shorts. He didn't know when his father would return, so better to not leave things lying around. He took the bag to the bedroom and pulled out the five little cars. Pausing at the door, he could hear some splashing and Ichigo's muttered words. He smiled and went into the bathroom and returned to sit down on the toilet lid. Ichigo's face lit up as soon as he put the cars down.
"Thank you, Papi!" he told him as he started playing with the cars.
It had taken a bit for him to be comfortable playing with things in front of Nnoitra, but that seemed to not be as much of an issue now as it had been.
"Ichigo?" he said seriously as he looked at him.
Ichigo's head snapped up, eyes a little wide at hearing his name. He looked a little scared, Nnoitra thought.
"Don't look so frightened, little one," he assured and smiled at him as gently as he could. "I just want to know if you plan on staying in little space for much longer. I know you feel safer right now, but it has been a week already, and I'm beginning to worry about you."
Ichigo let out a sigh and put his head down to stare at his hands in the water. "I don't know," he muttered, his voice taking the more adult tone as he spoke. "I was so scared. You can't imagine how scary it was to be with Kūgo the way he was. I-I didn't know what to do to make him happy, and it was so hard to understand what was going on. I couldn't understand him, just like I couldn't understand Uncle, and that was so scary, Papi."
Nnoitra nodded slowly. "I know it must have been terrible for you. But you're safe now, and I'm going to do everything possible to keep you that way as long as you'll have me."
Ichigo turned to him sharply. "I'll always want you!"
He smiled at him again. "I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I can promise that I will be with you as long as you want me there."
"Well, that's good, because I always want you there," he said with a pout on his face. "You make me happy. You understand me, and you don't look at me weird when I do kid stuff, and you let me do things that I need to do. No one else is like that and I couldn't live without you in my life."
"I know I've never been more scared than when I woke up to find you gone," Nnoitra told him, watching him as he played with one of the cars on the side of the bath.
"I'll figure it out," he said suddenly, looking up at Nnoitra. "I promise I will. I just, I'm working through some things in my head still," he paused, holding up the little car and looking at it. "I have you, and I have my father and my sisters, and Uryū and my new friends. I have so many people now when just months ago I had no one except Uryū that I cared about. I didn't even know what it meant to be cared about and to care for someone in return. I thought I was always going to be trapped, and I would never get to live a normal life like Uryū did." He paused and sighed again. "But I wasn't jealous because I thought I deserved it."
"No one deserves what happened to you, Ichigo," Nnoitra said gently.
Ichigo nodded. "I know that now. Looking back, I could have run away so many times, you know? He would leave me home by myself all the time. I could have just walked out of that house, but he had me so afraid and convinced that no one would help me, and it was all my fault that they were killed." He swallowed hard and looked over, tears in his eyes now. "And it was, really. I was the reason they were there."
"Ichigo, don't do that to yourself."
"I know, I know. But it's the truth. I can't forget that. I know that it was his fault for doing what he did, but in that moment, I was the reason we were there. And no matter what, I can't forget that." He paused again, licking his lips thoughtfully. "But I can't stop living because of that. I have to go on and have a life like I never thought I could have before. I never imagined I'd have someone I loved so much that it hurt to think of being apart. I never imagined that my father would be back in my life. I never thought I'd find happiness."
Nnoitra didn't say anything and Ichigo went on. "I know that I'm not normal, but I'm beginning to be okay with that. I won't ever be completely like everyone else. Uncle was right about that. I'm not like Uryū, and I'm not like my sisters. I won't ever be. I can't be." He looked up at Nnoitra again. "But I have you. And you don't care that I'm like this. You care about every part of me, even the little part, and not everyone would be like that."
"Chiquito, you can't imagine what I feel for you right now," Nnoitra said softly.
"I know, and that's okay. I love you, and you love me, so that's what matters. I love my family and friends, and they accept me for the most part, even if they don't understand me completely. Kūgo tried to take me away from everyone and everything, but he didn't succeed. But I don't blame him. He needs to be helped, and I hope he gets it and gets better," he said with a nod of his head.
"He will. The doctors will take care of him. Nothing bad will happen to him, I'm sure of it," Nnoitra said and reached over to ruffle the damp hair on Ichigo's head. "Now, you need to finish bathing, and lay down to get some rest for a while. You've had a busy day."
Ichigo smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds nice, Papi."