I DON'T OWN BLEACH
All Hail the Yaoi FanGirl Council! RAWR!
"Behavior is what a man does, not what he thinks, feels, or believes."
Emily Dickinson
Chapter 11; So many distractions...
"Ichigooooo!"
"Hey dad." Ichigo mumbles waiting for his father's foot to smash into his face. He didn't have the energy to dodge him, or care if his nose gets broken. The orange-haired teen waited to hear the crack of his nose. When he heard nothing he turned around from his desk. Checking to see if his dad had accidental kicked himself in the balls again.
"Where's Byakuya-kun?" His dad looks down at the bed seeing Renji drooling all over his son's pillow.
"He is gone." Ichigo turns back around tightening his jaw, hoping his father will go away.
"Oh..." Isshin rubs at his beard digesting the chilling of the air after mentioning Byakuya's name. "He coming back tonight? Yuzu is convinced he doesn't eat enough."
"I wouldn't hold my breath." Ichigo mumbles flipping through his text book with a fury. I don't want to talk about him.
"Wait! Isn't he the guy who tried to rob the clinic last year?" Isshin points at Renji's sleeping form passed out on Ichigo's bed.
"U-Um.." Oh shit I forgot about that! Ichigo furrows his eyebrows together, trying to come up with an excuse. "Um.." Ichigo suddenly regrets not leaving Renji's drunken ass back at his hiding spot.
"Eh, I must be confusing him with someone else." Isshin watches Ichigo's shoulders sag in relief before he leaves the room.
Soon as the door clicks shut Ichigo feels Rukia's reiatsu blow into his room through the window. The last person he wanted to see was a Kuchiki. She always had a sixth sense when it comes to his moods.
"Hey Ichigo!" Rukia swoops in through the window landing on Renji's stomach.
"I didn't ask for more rice I swear!" Renji yells his arms flailing in the air waking up. "Rukia!"
"What were you dreaming about?" Rukia stomps her foot down on his gut grinning like a cat.
"Oi! That hurts!" Renji looks around with a confused look of his face. "How did I get here? The last thing I remember-" Renji's eyes grow round as he recalls sitting on Byakuya's naked lap and then... licking him. I'm a dead man. I licked him! Then I said...
"I carried you here last night after you passed out."
"Oh, thanks Ichigo." Renji replies nervously before Rukia kicks him in the face. "What was that for you bitch!"
"For making a fool out of yourself last night!" Rukia jumps down landing on Ichigo's bedroom floor.
"Y-you know about l-last night?" Renji felt like he was going to hurl as he turns his gaze in Ichigo's direction. Ichigo is sitting at his desk re-reading the page on photosynthesis for the third time.
"Nii-sama said if you weren't back by lunch, that he would put you on the deserters list. What the hell did you do last night?"
"I-I"
"It doesn't matter just get your ass back there NOW!" Rukia screams pointing her finger out the window. Renji pops out of his gigai and flash steps away from Ichigo's house.
"Ichigo, Captain Ukitake asked me to relay a message to you."
"What's that?" Ichigo doesn't turn for fear of her noticing his sadness. He doesn't want to talk about Byakuya, to his own sister. He would just pretend everything is fine. He can do that, after all he did it when his mom died. The pain will go away in time, as long as he doesn't have to look at him.
"Your presence has been requested by the Captain's Ukitake and Hitsugaya, also Commander Yamamoto's name is on this." She hands him the rolled up official looking scroll watching him opening it with a shine in hers eyes.
"They want me to stay in Soul Society during Golden Week?"
"Yeah." Rukia face takes a serious expression and she puts her hand on his shoulder. "Ichigo..it's...important."
"Sorry, Rukia the last place I want to go is there." He tosses the scroll in his trash can then returns to reading his book.
"Ichigo, if you refuse..."
"What? What can they possibly do to me!"
"They found Orihime."
"Shit." Ichigo froze, all his thoughts grinding to a halt. How he was so careful! Only the ones who went into Hueco Mundo knew what really happened to her. It's what she did.
"Ichigo, you understand what this means, what's at stake."
"Yeah...I'll be there."
XXX
Ichigo couldn't recall ever being so uncomfortable in his life. The problem with Inoue will have to be addressed but, he didn't see why they are pissed off. It's not like she broke one of their sacred rules they love so much. Walking inside the division one captains hall was like walking to his execution. At any minute he would see the one person he doesn't want to. He will without a doubt be standing in line wearing that damned green scarf, standing up straight with his eyes closed to the world in disdain of everything around him. Ichigo resigns himself to fate stepping past the large creaking wooden doors. He will just listen to what they say then go back home where he belongs.
"Ah, Ichigo-kun it's nice to see you again. I wish the circumstances were better." Juushiro manages a weak smile before shifting his eyes to Orihime standing next to Soi Fon.
"Are they ever?" Ichigo replies focusing on Orihime's pale face, forcing himself not to look at Byakuya's tall form standing to his left. "Have they hurt you Inoue?"
"No Kurosaki-kun." Orihime's voice cracks, "I-I'm sorry." she replies looking up meekly to Ichigo's creased eyebrows.
"Where is Shinji?"
"He is pacing in the tower." Renji speaks up from behind Byakuya his red hair popping out startling Ichigo. "He is pissed."
"I imagine he is." Ichigo's gaze drifts up to Byakuya's closed lids sending a torrent of emotion over him. "I knew he would just stand there acting all... heartless. Byakuya you BASTARD!"
"Kurosaki Ichigo, you have been charged with hiding the whereabouts of Inoue Orihime." Yamamoto walks in from the front with his vice-captain next to him. "What is your response?"
"So?" Ichigo folds his hands in front of his chest defiantly ignoring the whispers from the vice-captains and chuckle from Kenpachi.
"Do you want to explain why you hid her from the Gotei thirteen, even after you learned she was wanted for her involvement in the Aizen uprising?" Yamamoto slams his cane on the ground making the room vibrate with his reiatsu.
"Why would I help you?" Ichigo's eyes peer into Yamamoto's with the strength of his resolve. "When the winter war was over you made yourself clear. I wasn't needed. That your 'substitute' isn't a part of your world."
"What you say is true, it is time you choose a side Kurosaki Ichigo." Yamamoto's sword awakens from it's dormancy to point at Orihime. "She has the Hogyoku inside her, all attempts we have made to remove it have failed."
"Oi! Don't you dare!" Ichigo's reiatsu increases by large amounts, the captains surround Ichigo pointing their swords to his throat.
"She has too much power for a human, she must die."
"What do you want from me! You could have killed her without me being here. You asked me here so what do you want?"
"The time has come for you to choose a world, you can no longer keep your feet on both lands without falling. Choose!" Yamamoto's eyes blaze red with seriousness as his blade presses to Orihime's throat.
"Stop!" Orihime cries out as her golden reiatsu explodes sending the captains sliding back. "Don't touch my mother!" She looks at Yamamoto, her voice distorts and reiatsu turns blue, with her gray eyes bleeding tears of blood dripping thickly down her face.
"Inoue!" Ichigo reaches for his sword only to be enveloped in Orihime's golden shield. Ichigo looks at Yamamoto's unsurprised reaction, his arm drops back to his side. "It's alright Inoue." He holds out his hand to her nodding to Yamamoto. "I understand now, I'll stay." Yamamoto's sword moves away as Ichigo takes her hand.
"I-I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun, I thought it would be safe within me."
"Give it to me Inoue. It's hurting your baby isn't it?" Ichigo pulls her against his chest and rubs her hair to comfort her.
"It didn't know."
"I promised I'd protect you. Now, listen to me and release the Hogyoku." Ichigo breaks the embrace to hold out his hand.
"Tsubaki, Shuno, Lily, Combined Sacred Tapestry." Her flowers glow to life weaving a golden path connecting to Ichigo's chest. The Hogyoku bursts from Orihime's chest into Ichigo's with a sudden force.
The reiatsu shifts in the room as Orihime falls into Shunsui's arms. Ichigo drops to his knees as the powerful orb connects to his soul. Just as Ichigo fades into blackness he catches a glimpse of Byakuya's frowning face. His cold blue eyes looking at him veiled in mystery, revealing none of the turmoil inside his mind.
One week later;
Byakuya Kuchiki has a problem, to be more accurate he has several MAJOR problems. The first and most distracting issue being Kurosaki's coma. He drifted to sleep shortly after obtaining the Hogyoku, and hasn't so much as moved since. It's annoyingly typical of Kurosaki to do such a thing. If he isn't dragging his sister off to dangerous places, he is having personal meltdowns. He releases a sigh walking over to the large window in his office. His eyes move in the direction of the relief station. How can he go check on Ichigo without looking like he is?
"Something wrong captain?" Renji asks hearing the odd sounds from captain Kuchiki.
"Nothing." He replies stepping toward the door. The next problem on his list being his vice-captain, Abarai. The red head is practically sweating in his shoes waiting for him to say something about his recent trip to the real world. However, Byakuya didn't feel the need to address it formally. He is secretly enjoying the mental torture of his silence. Just how many of the six major torture groups could he inflict on Renji? Maybe he could write a list and have Renji pick one?
"Going out? I can come too." Renji follows behind him babbling about the weather and pointless things. Then, there is the problem of Renji on his heels constantly. Following him around like a stray dog, barking at anyone who gets too close to his master.
To make matters worse Rukia is hanging around him asking him if he is alright. What does she mean? He isn't acting any different than normal, everything is like he was never human. People just won't leave him alone. So many distractions, no wonder Senbonzakura won't speak to him right now.
"Wake up, Ichigo... I have to explain. Wake-up, wake-up, wake-up!"
Byakuya is jolted from his thoughts as a shock of familiar reiatsu ripples around Soul Society.
"Ichigo's awake!" Renji exclaims taking off toward the relief station. Byakuya watches Renji vanish from sight, waiting until he turns the next corner and walks to the dead end in front of him. His shoulders droop slightly as the tension building up inside him for the last week is purged.
"Nii-sama."
"Yes Rukia?" Byakuya turns around wondering what Rukia was doing here.
"Ichigo is awake, I thought you might want to come with me to see him."
"Why would I-"
"I thought that if you went with me it would be less suspicious." Rukia's large eyes look up at him waiting for his response.
So many distractions...indeed.
XXX
Author's notes; Here is a nice long chapter for you! Sorry if there isn't much Bya/Ichi action, please don't stop reading! I had to have a significant event happen to get Ichigo in Soul Society. Don't worry, this isn't about Orihime...at all. She was just a side event ok! About her ability I didn't get it wrong I used one petal from each release she uses. I think she will do this eventually in the manga. If she calls them individually what would happen if they combined? I'm curious. The story will continue to be focused on some smexy Yaoi goodness. Please drop me a review! I could really use the encouragement today, I'm feeling kinda sad.
Thank you to all my faithful friends and reviewers, I was recently having a tough time. Someone who read this story, had a lot of criticism for it not being realistic. They decided to write their own version of my idea. I was upset at first, I just wanted credit for my idea. However, after thinking about this overnight, I have decided that I like my version very much. It's fun and light-hearted with some nice yaoi romance. It's not intended to be anything other than what it is.
Please forgive my long note! How bad can my story be if you all are reading it? Thank you to my lovely reviewers for chapter 10! You really will never know how much it means to me.
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