Lies Open Prison Doors
Chapter 2: Psycho Cellmate
When he awoke and could see through the blur in his vision, Ichigo found himself in a small empty room. He had been placed on top of a thin cot that may as well have been a blanket. The room had no windows, unless you count the open peephole in the door. Ichigo shrugged and attempted to stand up. His nerves were still fried from the tazing and it took him a few tries, but once he was on his feet he felt much better. He then made his way to the door and tried it, because why the fuck not? But it was locked, as expected.
The sound of the door rattling must have alerted the guard outside because Ichigo heard footsteps heading towards him. Ichigo backed up and raised his hands innocently when bored grey eyes peered through the peephole.
Then they were gone.
A soft beeping sound echoed outside the hall before the guard spoke.
"Kisuke to captain Zaraki. Prisoner #156 is awake."
There was a moment of silence and Ichigo tried to look through the hole to see the guard, but he couldn't get a clear look at his face. He was dressed in the typical guard gear and he was a little taller than Ichigo with shoulder length blonde hair that flared out at the bottom.
'On my way…' Came a reply through the radio that was clipped to Kisuke's chest strap. The voice that came through the static was deep and foreboding and Ichigo could've sworn it sounded familiar.
Ichigo slowly stepped away from the door and sat himself in the corner of the room that was no bigger than his closet back home.
He really fucked up.
But it had been worth it.
Ichigo hadn't been expecting that… monster to be here. That stupid, blue-haired, crazy bastard that ruined his life. He should have—
His thoughts broke off when he heard light footsteps and whistling. Ichigo slowly got back to his feet and went to look out into the hall.
He saw two shadows and realized there were also two different footsteps but they were walking in sync with each other.
The guard, Kisuke, gave the newcomers a friendly wave, so Ichigo assumed they must have been guards too. He had to wait until they were in front of his door before he recognized Ikkaku. Standing next to him was not a guard but a prisoner with sleek black hair and a smooth, feminine face. Violet eyes snapped up to lock with Ichigo's and a tense silence fell between the group, but then the man smiled and waved.
"Good! You're awake! Oh, Kuku~" He sang the embarrassing pet name at Ikkaku and then lightly grabbed his arm to stop him from walking further. Ichigo expected the guard to snap, but baldy just raised a brow and then looked to where the smaller male was pointing, only to find Ichigo staring back at them through the peephole.
"Oh boy…" Ikkaku frowned. "You already call the captain?" The question was aimed at Kisuke who only nodded with a smile.
"May I?" The prisoner asked with a sweet smile aimed up at Ikkaku. Ichigo suppressed a snicker but the amusement was still clear on his face when he saw Ikkaku's face turn bright red.
"Shuddup you." Ikkaku growled at him, but the blush canceled out any seriousness he tried to achieve. "And no. He's violent."
"Oh pish!" The feminine guy flipped his hair and then inspected his polished nails. "That blue bastard deserved what he got. He's been begging for a smack in the mouth for a long time now—Just surprised it wasn't White who knocked him out first."
"I don't…" Ikkaku trailed off with a sigh when the other ignored him completely and walked up until he could get a better look at Ichigo.
"My name's Yumichika." He raised a delicate hand in greeting. "But I suppose you should refer to me by my nickname, Peacock."
Ichigo returned the friendly gesture, "If you'd prefer your real name then I'd rather call you Yumichika. And my name is Ichigo."
Yumichika giggled lightly behind his fingers and then turned to Ikkaku. "Oh he's precious." He returned his attention to Ichigo by reaching in to comb his fingers through the man's hair. Ichigo froze at the contact and wasn't sure how to react, but the fingers were gone in the next instant. "My, my…. That dye in your hair looks terrible… you need a haircut."
Ichigo shook his head with a smirk and then sifted through his own hair, sighing at how long it was.
"It has been a while…"
"It's settled then." Yumichika grinned and then spun on his heels to march up to Ikkaku, who—to Ichigo's growing amusement—took a few cautious steps back. "Ikkaku."
"Yess?"
"Make sure he comes by my cell as soon as he's let out of solitary." Yumichika commanded with an air of confidence that Ichigo had to admire.
He imagined this little firecracker was probably the only person on the planet who could get away with talking to Ikkaku like that.
"Yes sir…" Ikkaku rolled his eyes but relented. "Now come on… before the captain—" his voice stopped dead and Ichigo wondered why until he heard the light jingle.
It sounded like a handful of small bells. Like on a sleigh?
Ikkaku managed to herd Yumichika to one of the empty solitary rooms and then closed the door behind them, but not before glaring at Kisuke. Said blonde guard just smiled and pretended to 'zip his lips'.
As soon as Ikkaku and Yumichika were out of sight, a door down the hall opened and heavy footsteps echoed against the empty walls.
The jingling was also getting louder.
Ichigo pressed closer to the door because he figured the newcomer would just talk to him through the peephole like the others did, but he nearly fell on his ass when the door was unlocked and quickly shoved open.
He blinked and looked up at the massive bulk of flesh blocking the open doorway and gulped.
And yet another ghost from his past stood before him.
Kenpachi.
Ichigo had worked alongside this man on a handful of missions in his life, but he wasn't usually in direct contact with the guy for more than a day at a time. He'd also known that 'Kenpachi' was just a fake name. Everyone used a fake name back then…
So now he was Captain Zaraki, huh? A correctional officer. How fucking ironic.
"It really is you, 'ain't it? Ha! How the FUCK did they catch ya?" Kenpachi guffawed obnoxiously and before Ichigo could defend himself, he continued, "Didn't you say ya never leave evidence behind? Get a little overconfident, didja? HA!"
Ichigo crossed his arms and looked up at the monstrosity of a man with a bored expression. He had that same stupid eyepatch over his right eye and the scar over his left was still as intimidating as ever—but not quite as scary as the sharp-toothed grin aimed down at him. The guard uniform was gonna take some getting used to, and the string of bells attached to his hip was new…
"I'll give you three guesses on who snitched…"
Kenpachi sighed and Ichigo thought he saw a small flash of sympathy cross his face.
"Yeahhhh… S'why I told warden ta go easy on ya. Since it's your first day too n'all."
Ichigo grinned up at the man. "For real?"
Kenpachi snorted and whapped the smaller male across the head. "Don't go gettin' excited. You still had 4 points added to ya—one more and you get a whole year added to your sentence. And don't go thinkin' I'll be gettin' your butt outta the fire all the time. This is your only free favor, Reaper." He ruffled the other's hair as he laughed some more. Ichigo felt a shiver go down his spine at the use of his old contact name—Whether it was a shiver of excitement or disgust, that would remain a mystery to him.
"Sure thing, Kenpachi." Ichigo huffed while pushing the massive hand from his head, a hand that he'd seen literally crush someone's face. So yeah, he'd feel much more comfortable not being touched. "But it's good to know I have at least one person in here that's got my back." Ichigo sighed while rubbing his temples.
Kenpachi shrugged and then stepped aside to let Ichigo walk out of the room. He then wrapped a heavy arm around the man's shoulder to keep him close as well as steer him in the right direction. Ichigo looked back to see Kisuke waving goodbye to them and managed to return the wave before the doors shut, closing them off from the solitary district of the prison.
"Oh yeah, Kenp—"
The giant hand was back and it stopped Ichigo from making another sound by completely covering his face. Ichigo started to panic when he couldn't breathe but he was released after a second.
"Refer to me as Captain Zaraki in public."
Ichigo gulped and nodded in understanding when he started to see guards walking towards them. He waited until they walked by before continuing what he wanted to say.
"But yeah… Captain Zaraki," Ichigo had to resist punching the man when he saw the victorious little smirk on his face, "what's with the bells?"
The smirk immediately fell and Ichigo raised a brow at the look of revulsion that formed instead.
"Do you 'ave any idea how many times I've turned a corner here and found some a' these ingrates balls deep in each other?"
Ichigo immediately looked down and tried to keep the man from seeing his face go red.
"O-oh…"
"So I put these bells on to give the lil' fuckers a heads up, but if they keep at it then I teach 'em what—"
"So where are you taking me?" Ichigo interrupted while still keeping his head down. Zaraki looked down with his one golden eye and a grin slowly curled across his lips. He could see how red Ichigo's ears were and he could practically feel the heat radiating off of him.
"Ah… well. Thought ya might be hungry. Since you've been out a whole day and, as I recall, ya didn't eat your lunch before ya started wailin' on King."
"King?"
"S'what he calls 'imself 'round 'ere."
Ichigo snorted a laugh and his face returned to its normal temperature.
"What a beefhead…"
Zaraki chuckled and then silence fell over them. Ichigo still felt a little uncomfortable with the heavy arm wrapped over his shoulder, but he relented. Even if he could take Zaraki on, he'd only get himself in more trouble.
They passed through quite a few doors that required Zaraki to swipe the ID hanging off his neck and enter a four digit code before they could pass. The arm finally left his shoulder when he was forced to shuffle through a metal detector and get the okay from security before entering the next door. Zaraki was right on his heel and Ichigo paused when he realized they were now inside the cafeteria. It felt a little like coming back to the scene of the crime, but his muscles relaxed when he didn't see anyone inside.
"C'mon… M'sure twiggy's back there snackin' on somethin'." Zaraki ran a hand through his long ebony hair as he led the way into the large kitchen. Large pots littered the tiled floor and giant stoves were covered in what looked like leftover sloppy joe from the other day.
Didn't Kaien say he liked the food they gave out in Hueco Mundo?
What a mess.
From the disgusted snort he heard, Zaraki must have felt the same.
"Nnoitra you lazy fuck! Where are ya!?"
Ichigo heard crashing and turned to see a pan roll across the floor. He watched until it was out of sight and raised a brow as that really tall guy with greasy hair came skidding around the corner with his hands behind his back.
The nickname 'twiggy' made sense now.
"Ahhhh… S'just you. What up Captain Jingles?" Nnoitra smirked as he sauntered towards them with his hands back up to reveal a bag of chips he'd been hiding.
Kenpachi huffed at the nickname but it seemed like he'd reached the point of not caring a long time ago when he just ignored it.
"Ya got somethin' good ta give my friend 'ere?"
"Ha~! 'Friend'? Thought ya weren't s'posed ta play favorites, Captain." Nnoitra hummed as he took one last long step forward to stand in front of them. Ichigo suddenly felt so tiny standing next to these giant men. Especially when both single eyes turned to look down at him.
"Whatever, man. Ya got somethin' to eat that's not the crap ya give out at lunch?"
Ooooo, if looks could kill.
Nnoitra really looked like he wanted to say something, but quickly shut his mouth when Zaraki calmly placed a palm over the tazer at his hip.
"Tch…" Nnoitra looked down at Ichigo with a frown. "Ya got any kinda allergy, shorty?" He asked.
Ichigo bristled at the jab but resisted snapping. "No."
"..." Nnoitra shrugged and then disappeared through a thick metal door that led into a decent sized storage room. It had a lot of bulk meals that you just throw into pots and heat up—which made sense for a large facility. But hidden between the bags were a lot of strange items.
Ichigo assumed this is where most of the contraband came from.
So at least one thing from the shows was right.
Zaraki seemed unperturbed by the illegal items, even when Ichigo raised a silent brow at him and gestured towards a bag of what looked like heroine.
Zaraki just shrugged and whispered, "Whatever keeps these psychos happy and calm… besides, it's all gonna get confiscated by the goody-two-shoes inside anyway—plus It's good practice for my newbies who join the team."
Ichigo frowned in agreement with a nod. The man had a point. Hopefully none of this stuff is used to hurt anyone though…
His train of thought derailed when a couple different bags were thrown at him. Luckily he had quick reflexes and none of them fell to the floor.
Ranch Doritos, twizzlers, Spicy Cheetos, and a bag of mixed nuts.
"Do I look like a pothead to you?" Ichigo accused jokingly but then immediately broke open the bag of spicy cheetos.
"Yes actually." Nnoitra snipped but then he let a lecherous grin devour his face. Ichigo felt his cheeks go red when Nnoitra brought a hand down to grab his own junk, "and if you're still hungry I can give ya somethin' else ta—"
His words cut short when Zaraki gave him a solid punch to the stomach. Ichigo could figure out what he was about to say though, and secretly hoped Zaraki would punch him again.
No such luck.
But that one punch seemed to really knock the wind out of mr. twiggy. He clutched the injury for a moment before taking a deep breath and righting himself.
Good enough.
"You're gonna regret tha', Jingles…" Nnoitra hissed under his breath but Zaraki didn't seem the least bit scared. Nnoitra gave them the middle finger before taking his leave.
"Now wha..?" Ichigo said around a mouthful of mixed nuts.
Zaraki rolled his eyes before shoving the smaller male forward. They left the kitchen, walked across the canteen, and then exited a set of doors-different from the ones they came in through. But Ichigo felt like he was starting to get the hang of where he was once he spotted the commissary stand, before it disappeared around a corner.
Ichigo ignored the curious and excited looks he received. Probably all the hype from his fight in the cafeteria. If Grimmjow named himself 'King' then getting knocked off his metaphorical high horse was probably a big deal.
They passed through some more double doors, these ones with guards posted on either side. They respectfully saluted their Captain, but Zaraki only grunted in acknowledgment before leading Ichigo back towards his cell.
"Uhmmm… Captain Zaraki?" Ichigo slowed to a stop, forcing the taller to pause as well.
"What?"
"Can I get one more small favor..?" He asked hesitantly.
"Thought I said no more free favors…"
"Well… A guy named Yumichika said he would cut my hair…" Ichigo grumbled while tugging at his own bland locks.
Zaraki snorted and snatched the bag of twizzlers from Ichigo's arms before motioning for him to follow.
That seemed like a fair trade… Until he realized that Yumichika's cell was only a few doors down.
"Really? You couldn't have just pointed?" Ichigo snapped under his breath, but the other man just shrugged while nibbling on the sweet cherry-flavored candy he'd stolen. "You suck…"
"Only for you, buttercup."
Ichigo jumped when his ass was slapped and then he watched in frustration as Zaraki calmly sauntered away. The damned jingling bells following him out.
"Well now. That was something."
Ichigo jumped and returned his attention to the room he was standing in front of then relaxed when he realized it was just Yumichika.
He thought he'd have to wait for the man to return from whatever he'd been doing with Ikkaku. Looks like they had finished while he was getting his snacks.
"Huh..?" Ichigo huffed before eating the last of the mixed nuts.
"The captain isn't usually friendly towards prisoners, especially newbies. What's your secret?" Yumichika smirked as he gestured for Ichigo to take a seat in the chair by the sink.
"Uhh… long story…" Ichigo shrugged as he popped open the doritos.
Yumichika's lip rose in disgust and he lightly snatched the bag away with only his thumb and index finger. He placed it to the side before speaking to the stunned man, "You have any idea how bad those are for you?"
Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah..."
Yumichika ignored the attitude and then motioned for Ichigo to look up. Once he did, Yumichika tilted the chair back—nearly giving him a heart attack in the process—and started rinsing his hair under the faucet.
The lukewarm water soaked into his thick hair as smooth fingers dug gently at his scalp. If Ichigo closed his eyes and ignored the smell, he could pretend he was outside in a real salon.
Once his hair was thoroughly rinsed Yumichika tilted the chair back and turned the water off.
"Soo!" He began as he brought out a small bag and zipped it open to reveal different hair styling utensils. "Besides you becoming the biggest badass on your first day, how's your stay been so far?"
Ichigo scoffed at that first part and then shrugged. He guessed he should have been more nervous with a convict getting close to his head with sharp scissors, but he trusted Yumichika—oddly enough. He usually had a good judge of character, so he wasn't too worried.
"To be honest, I'm not really supposed to be here… the judge said I was to serve 8 months in Karakura… but now it's 5 years here? I don't get it…" Ichigo noticed as Yumichika's movements slowed for a moment, but then he was back to work. Combing and cutting, combing and cutting. "But I spoke with that counselor— Mr. Aizen about it…" His voice trailed off when Yumichika's movements completely stopped this time. "What's wrong?"
Yumichika sighed deeply before grabbing Ichigo's chin and forcing him to face forward and continued cutting as he spoke, "The Counselor… He doesn't do anything around here unless there's some sort of benefit to himself…"
"What do you mean?"
"Meaning…" Yumichika sighed once more, "Don't trust that nice smile of his. If you really want answers then you better make it worth his while. And he's not an easy man to please."
Ichigo's brows furrowed in confusion but he didn't move an inch as Yumichika continued cutting.
"But he already said he'd look into it."
Yumichika shrugged and waved the comb in the air nonchalantly. "Then he must be in a good mood today. Who knows with these assholes in charge." He leaned in close as he snipped carefully at his bangs.
Ichigo felt his face heat up at how close the other male was, especially when he caught a whiff of the flowery body spray that rose from a long slender neck. He could admit that the feminine man was rather pretty. His eyes locked onto a small freckle and then traveled down the smooth expanse of skin to the collarbone peeking out from beneath Yumichika's shirt.
"Gettin' a little friendly, 'ain'tchya?" Both males snapped apart at the new voice, but Yumichika instantly relaxed when he saw a bald, shiny head.
"Heheh. Well, I'd offer to cut your hair, Kuku-darling, but it seems that frown of yours has scared it all away."
Ichigo couldn't help the snicker, earning him a glare from their source of amusement.
"Whatever… it's 10 minutes 'till lockdown, so be ready to line up for counting." And with that Ikkaku left in a huff.
Yumichika shook his head at the man's attitude but shrugged it off.
"So are you and Ikkaku... an item..?" He just had to know for sure; Curiosity was his worst enemy. Yumichika smirked before sliding a finger under his jaw until he had Ichigo looking straight up at him.
"We're not exclusive if that's what you're wondering~"
Ichigo felt his face go completely red and his brain had a little mental shutdown for about five whole seconds when the pretty man ducked down close. His soft breath ghosted over Ichigo's lips.
"Or maybe you'd like it if we both had our way with you~?"
"N-no… I was just curious. Honest." Ichigo gulped.
Yumichika almost seemed to pout at that. "Ah well… worth a shot." He then straightened back to his full height and ruffled Ichigo's hair to make sure he'd gotten it to a decent length before layering the different strands. It took him about five minutes to finish. He then handed Ichigo a small bottle of clear liquid.
"I had to go a little shorter than I wanted to cut off most of the dye. This conditioner will get rid of the rest though."
Ichigo nodded and then turned to look into the small mirror that Yumichika held up. It's been a while since he'd had his natural hair color and he could understand why he'd gotten so much unwanted attention in the past.
It really was a bright-ass orange.
"Thank you very much, Yumichika." Ichigo went to stand up but then he paused. "Wait… are you wanting something in return for this?" He pointed to his newly chopped hair and Yumichika smiled at him.
"You learn quick! But no, no, no. Consider this a thank you for giving King that beautiful shiner." He giggled and motioned for Ichigo to leave when a loud whistle screeched down the hall.
"Get in line, inmates!"
Ichigo gave his new... friend—he supposed, a nod of appreciation before briskly walking towards his own cell. He tossed the rest of his snacks and the bottle of conditioner on the bottom right bunk before jumping to stand beside Renji in the hall.
The redhead gave him a curious look and he didn't seem to recognize the newbie until Ichigo glared up at him.
"Eyyy! It's spitfire! Surprised you're outta solitary so soon. And how the hell'd ya get Peacock to cut your hair?" Before he could continue—to Ichigo's relief—the whistle blew louder this time. Everyone stood at attention and waited silently as two men in guard uniforms holding clipboards started walking. They paused long enough at each cell to count heads and check off their list.
They paused a little longer when they reached Ichigo and had to confirm it was him since he was new.
"Prisoner #156?"
Ichigo nodded.
They flipped through different mugshots clipped to their board until they came to his. They scrutinized the picture and then him until they were satisfied and moved along.
No one moved an inch until the guards had completely finished and the whistle was blown once more.
"Back in your cells, inmates! It's lights out!"
They all shuffled back into their rooms without complaint and a buzzer went off before their doors automatically slammed shut. Then the lights were off… save for the small line of fluorescent lighting that traveled along the ceiling. It wasn't too bright, just enough to aim in case you needed to piss.
Ichigo felt cornered as soon as the sound of the lock turned. He was now trapped inside a small room with three other prisoners—one of which has been to the psych ward.
But White didn't seem all that interested in him. The albino man completely ignored him and curled up on the top bunk to settle under the covers for sleep.
"So how'd you get out?" Keigo was the first to break the silence. Ichigo looked over to him and then shrugged when Keigo patted a spot on the floor. The orangette pressed his back to the wall and slid down until he was seated beside him. Renji saw the half-eaten bag of doritos that Ichigo had tossed and snatched it up before jumping onto the top bunk. Ichigo didn't have the energy to fight for his snack.
"Uhm… well K—...Captain Zaraki unlocked the door, pulled it open, and then that was that." Ichigo explained with a shrug. The fact that he knew Zaraki was none of their business.
"Huh…" Renji kicked his dangling feet and chucked the empty chip bag on the floor. "Musta been a good blowjob ya gave 'im." A smirk accompanied that accusation and Ichigo almost rose to the challenge, but then he shook his head. Kenpachi warned him that if he got another point then it would mean years added to his sentence. "You gonna be Z's bitch?"
"I have a fiance back home." Ichigo replied quietly while leaning his head back against the wall, jaw muscles twitching as he fought to keep his temper.
"HAD a fiance, ya meant." Renji cackled and then jumped down from the bunk to hover right over Ichigo. The orangette frowned but tried not to let the close proximity bother him. Apparently no one in this fucked up prison has ever heard of personal fucking space. "Did she 'ave huge knockers?" Renji indicated to his own chest and pretended he had breasts to play with. "Wait, wait—don't tell me, just nod when I get to the right size." He grinned as he brought his hands further and further out. Ichigo sneered at the implication but then he relaxed when thoughts of Inoue flooded his mind. She did have rather large breasts, but that's not what drew Ichigo to her. It was her sweet personality.
He'd just wanted a normal life with a wife and a kid. Granted their girl, Nelliel, was adopted, but she was treated like their own. And Inoue had never complained once during their relationship.
"Fiance is a unisex term, ya know." Keigo pitched in unhelpfully and that made Renji grin.
"Oh yeahhh. So how big is your fiance's dick then?" Renji didn't even give Ichigo a chance to respond, "Bet it 'ain't bigger than mine!" He then began to unzip his suit right in front of Ichigo, much to the latter's disbelief.
Renji only stopped when something small and hard hit him in the back of the head. He quickly rezipped and then whipped around to find White glaring at him.
"They said lights out, shithead. That means 'go the fuck to sleep'."
Some shouts and grunts of agreement came from the other cells down the hall, but Renji didn't seem to care. He just pouted and then went to rub the spot where he was hit, only to find something sticky there.
"Ughhh! Fuck! Did you throw one of your damn jolly ranchers at me?" Renji groaned loudly as he slowly peeled the candy that was stuck to the small sensitives hairs at the back of his neck.
"Shut the fuck up, Red! One more peep outta you and Imma find ya during recess!" Came an angry voice a few rooms to the left.
"Ha!" Renji snarked and then pressed his face between the bars so the other person could hear him as clearly as possible. "Recess!? You sound like a fuckin' toddler! Call it the yard, ya pussy!"
A chorus of shouts erupted through the whole corridor until it eventually just turned into a shouting match to see who could say the most curse words in a single sentence.
Couldn't the guards hear this racket?
Shouldn't they stop this?
Then again… maybe this was a good way for the inmates to let off steam and wear themselves out? It was only six o'clock, so it was still pretty early for most people. Or maybe this just happened so often that the guards have given up on silencing them.
"Just you wait, Red! Imma carve those tattoos right off your fuckin' skin!"
"Come and try it ya giant bag a' shit!"
Bars rattled as the two prisoners yanked and tugged at the doors and then all the other inmates joined in.
It was a symphony of screeching metal and angry snarls.
"WHAT THE FUCK!?"
Ichigo thought he'd gone deaf for a split second because it went quiet all at once. But then he heard the echo of footsteps and looked through the cell next to Keigo and Renji to see Kenpachi in the main doorway.
"I hear one more fuckin' sound outta here and I'm gonna make every single one o' you imbeciles get outta bed at five AM to run laps in the yard!" He threatened.
Not a single sound was made after that threat, and Ichigo wondered if Kenpachi has actually made them do that before… he'd have to ask the man next chance he got.
Kenpachi waited another second before retreating, leaving the inmates to themselves once more.
With the blissful silence settled on them, Ichigo stood and stretched before unzipping his prison jumpsuit. Underneath he wore white boxers and a tank top. He folded the uniform and placed it at the end of the bed, along with the conditioner Yumichika gave him.
Renji hopped up onto the bunk above Ichigo's while Keigo gathered up his blankets from the floor to settle into his own bed beneath White.
Ichigo curled under the covers and squirmed until he was in a comfortable position, making Renji grunt in annoyance, but he was ignored.
ZzzZzzZzz…
It couldn't have been more than a few hours when Ichigo felt himself being pulled from dreamland. It had taken him so long to finally fall asleep, and now this?
Wait…
something wasn't right.
Ichigo felt his body spring to life and his mouth opened to shout, but a hand over his lips stopped any sound from escaping. The hand pushed his face until he was laying flat on the bed once more.
Gold on black eyes glittered with amusement.
White waited until Ichigo's panicked breathing evened before finally removing his hand.
"Shhhhhhh~ Ya don't want Captain Jingles comin' back, right?" Ichigo slowly shook his head. "Good… now then~" the panic was back when the same large hand returned but this time it had something skinny and sharp pressed to his throat. Ichigo reached up to try and pry the hand away but White quickly snatched both wrists with the other hand then used his whole body to pin Ichigo down. When the newbie started to struggle, White pressed the small homemade knife against tanned skin, nicking it, and the body beneath him finally relented.
"What do you want?" Ichigo growled under his breath.
"Ya know… Just 'cuz ya got a few good punches in on one o' the big shots here, don't go thinkin' you actually run this place. That sac o' shit may have taken the name 'King' but this is my prison." He pressed the knife deeper, letting blood seep from the cut, but then he backed off when Ichigo started laughing—not caring that the blade was pressing deeper into his flesh. "The fuck's so funny?"
"That's not why I punched him," Ichigo explained quietly, "and I don't give a shit who runs this place."
White stared at him for a long moment, golden eyes scrutinizing Ichigo's face. He seemed satisfied after a moment and started pulling the knife from the man's bleeding throat.
Ichigo waited until the weapon was completely off before quickly twisting his hands free. He snatched White's retreating wrist and clamped down on the appendage until the knife, which he now realized was a hunk of metal that had been scraped and sharpened to a jagged point, dropped to the sheet. Before the psycho could retaliate, Ichigo flipped them with a forceful thrust of his hips and brushed the deadly item to the floor with a quick sweep of his arm.
He was surprised Renji didn't wake up as the two wrestled for dominance. Ichigo had his work cut out for him, and he hated to admit that he was a little out of practice since he'd settled down with Inoue.
Ichigo's thighs were on either side of White's torso and his knees had the man's elbows trapped down on the bed.
White struggled until he eventually wore himself out and then glared up at Ichigo's smirking face. He then rolled his eyes and and let his body go limp.
"So why did ya punch 'im?"
"That's none of your fucking business." Ichigo snarled but then he tensed when the bed above them squeaked. Renji mumbled something incoherent as he rolled onto his stomach, but then he was right back to sleep. When he looked back down at White he frowned when he saw the huge, devilish grin on that porcelain face.
"Soooo… that means you know each other, huh?"
Ichigo remained silent but White could decipher the answer in the little frown and the downcast eyes.
"Were you friends 'r somethin'?"
Ichigo chose to stay silent and gradually moved off of the other man. He was beginning to get uncomfortable with where this was heading.
"Aahhhh~ I get it now. You guys were fuckinn'." It wasn't even a question this time. White could barely make out the blush in the dark, but it was definitely there.
"Shut up." Ichigo huffed and he went to push White off the bed, but the albino was fast. He snatched both wrists and then pulled and twisted until he was back on top. The irritated sigh from Ichigo morphed into a surprised squeak when White ducked down and let his blue-dyed tongue drag along the blood that was splattered and drying on his neck. Ichigo yanked on his wrists and attempted to kick him away but White had wriggled his way between his legs. Ichigo felt his face go ten different shades of red when the unmistakable bulge of a hardened dick pressed against his inner thigh. He closed his eyes and tried to shrink into the mattress when the hot tongue against his neck traveled up to flick his earlobe.
Ichigo yanked on his wrists and snarled in warning, but that only seemed to excite the pale inmate more.
"Just remember who really runs this place and we won't have annnny problems… Capeesh?" Cold lips pressed against Ichigo's temple where a vein throbbed and bulged with suppressed anger.
The man refused to move away until Ichigo finally nodded in understanding.
And then he was gone.
Ichigo watched in stunned silence as White ducked down to retrieve his knife, sauntered back to his own bunk, and jumped up onto the mattress. He then made himself nice and cozy under the covers and seemingly fell right to sleep.
Just like that.
What the fuck was wrong with this guy?
Ichigo wiped at the drying saliva on his neck in disgust and checked to make sure he wasn't still bleeding.
There was no way he could fall back asleep now...
…
..
..
…
Ichigo let out a sigh of relief when a soft buzz sounded through the PA and the doors opened. Then guards were marching through at the end of the hall to keep watch as some of the prisoners woke to start their morning while others grumbled and tried to sleep in.
Ichigo was up and out before his cellmates even had a chance to open their eyes.
He followed a small crowd as they shuffled passed the guards and made their way towards the canteen. He supposed breakfast must be available, and he could definitely eat after only consuming a bag of cheetos and nuts in the last 48 hours.
He didn't see Twiggy this time as he was passed a bowl of oatmeal, with a packet of sugar to add, and a cup of orange juice.
Ichigo sat at an empty table somewhere in the middle of the room and began eating his bland meal. The orange juice tasted a little funny too, but oh well. Before he could take another bite, he froze when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He was being watched.
Ichigo slowly put the spoon down and took a subtle look around until he spotted someone in the far right corner. The guy wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was staring; He even waved as their eyes locked.
Ichigo felt his eyebrow rise curiously when the man's grin revealed the most perfectly symmetrical teeth he'd ever seen. They were white and straight and just… perfect. Ichigo wondered if they were dentures or something—because they couldn't be real.
The guy's bowl-cut blonde hair was also just as perfect.
Ichigo sighed and then gestured to the empty space beside him when the creepy-smiling guy waved once again. The guy hopped up at the invitation and made himself comfortable next to Ichigo before offering his hand in greeting.
"Name's Straight." When Ichigo frowned, the guy continued, "On account a' my hair and teeth bein'—ya know—but that's about the only straight thing about me."
Ichigo rolled his eyes at the wink he received, but Straight didn't make any further advances.
"Okay… Straight…" he took the guy's hand and shook it, "Just call me Ichigo. I don't want any stupid nicknames."
Straight shrugged his shoulders, "To each their own. But it ain't like I picked out the name. My real name's Shinji if you'd rather do that, but your name'll change whether ya like it or not, Pumpkin."
Ichigo gave him a warning glare and the guy immediately lifted his hands in mock surrender.
"Easy there…" Shinji paused for effect… "Carrot." Ichigo stood to his feet and was about to storm away but the blonde quickly snatched his elbow and pulled him back down. "Oh c'mon. Lighten up." He let go when he received another glare and then he ducked his head when the guards by the door turned to watch them more closely.
Ichigo also noticed the guards and sighed. "What do you want?" He nearly growled under his breath.
Shinji glanced back up at him and grinned, blinding Ichigo with his sparkly teeth.
"Not so much what I want, but what I can offer you."
Ichigo felt his curiosity peek and he sat in the chair more comfortably before turning towards the man. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Meaninggg…" Shinji began, his voice lowering to a whisper because the guards were still looking in their direction. "You made a fuck load of enemies with that stunt ya pulled the other day."
"You mean the—"
"Yeah, the fight with King. He's been… dethroned and now people are gonna come after you to take that title. Technically—prison rules say you're the new King n'all, but I'm sure you've already realized that nobody is gonna do what ya say. You haven't earned that kind of respect yet. And looks like someone already got to ya." He assumed while gesturing towards Ichigo's neck, where a cut was scabbing.
Ichigo rolled his eyes and clenched his fingers into tight fists while turning back towards the table. "Look, I really don't care who's in charge. Gr—… I mean King… can keep his damn position. Wasn't exactly a fair fight anyway. I caught him by surprise…"
"Don't matter. The rules for taking the title say you can't use weapons—which you didn't, and there also needs to be at least a dozen witnesses, AND the person needs to be knocked unconscious. The guards had to drag him away, so you met all the criteria."
"Whatever." Ichigo huffed through his nose. "So what's your point? Why do you care what happens to me?"
Straight tapped his finger against the wood of the table and the grin never faded from his face. "I'm just here to help. If you need anything, you can let me and my friends know."
"Your friends…" Ichigo could read between the lines. "Look man. I'm not interested in joining your little gang or whatever you're trying to do." Ichigo started piling his trash together, "I appreciate the heads up, but I can take care of myself." And then he was up and headed towards the trash can.
Shinji was right on his heels though.
"I hear ya, tough guy." Then he leaned in to whisper softly, "It would be a good idea to choose a side by the end of today, so I'll let ya think on it. But my offer expires after lights out." He looked to make sure Ichigo heard him before turning to walk back to where he'd been sitting earlier. "If ya change your mind, I'm in cell 68!" He called over his shoulder, but Ichigo didn't bother replying.
He stuffed his trash down into the can with an exasperated huff and then made his way to the doors where the two guards were chit chatting.
He didn't bother listening to what they were saying and gestured if it was okay to go through. One guard raised a brow at him while the other gave him a once over. But then they shrugged and one pointed his thumb towards the doors in question.
"Stay outta trouble, Tiger!"
Ichigo did a little mock salute and then continued out of the cafeteria, ignoring the nickname for now—because at least it wasn't Tangerine… or Pumpkin… or Carrot… or any other kind of food.
Ichigo walked around for the rest of the morning; trying to familiarize himself with the place and find spots that White skipped over during their "tour" yesterday. He could figure out what most of the rooms were for, but some other places were either too crowded or blocked off by guards. Maybe he could ask Renji about it, if the guy wasn't too busy whipping out his cock...
He refused to ask White. After last night's interaction with the psycho, there was no way he was gonna—
Shit. Speak of the devil.
Ichigo paused when he saw the familiar pale figure, but relaxed when he realized the man's back was to him. He was speaking to a guard with shaggy brown hair and steel grey eyes that were barely open. Judging from the bags under his eyes, he hasn't had a good night sleep in a while.
The guard wasn't even contributing to the conversation, from what Ichigo could tell. He couldn't hear what White was saying, nor did he really want to.
Ichigo looked to his right and saw an open doorway that led to a restroom. Shrugging, he went in.
"Gotta pee anyway." He grumbled under his breath. Warm, moist air hit him instantly and he realized someone must be in the showers. He didn't hear any water running though.
Shrugging once more, Ichigo walked passed the large row of toilet stalls, noticing that a couple of the doors were closed and sandaled feet poked out beneath. He kept going until he was at the line of urinals and checked over his shoulder before even thinking of unzipping his prison jumpsuit. Once he felt comfortable he whipped his dick out and started pissing. He hadn't realized how much he'd been holding in until it started and then he couldn't stop. Even when he heard one of the stalls open and footsteps coming closer.
Maybe if he ignored whoever it was they'd just wash their hands and get the fuck out.
But no.
Ichigo's life was never that simple.
"You're a newbie, huh?" Came a deep voice that was a little too close for comfort.
Ichigo glanced back, while still pissing, and found himself looking up at a giant man. He was about as tall as Kenpachi and much bulkier, with tanned skin and a clean shaven head—save for the long rat's tail and bushy sideburns. A large, shitting-eating grin was curved over pronounced cheekbones making Ichigo narrow his eyes threateningly.
This guy wasn't going to scare him away so easily.
"Guess so. Just got here the day before yesterday…"
The guy chuckled and then had the nerve to ruffle his hair like he was a toddler, making him feel much smaller than he already did.
"Then I'll let ya off with a warning this time."
"What…?"
Thankfully Ichigo stopped peeing by that point, but he didn't even get a chance to zip back up before he was yanked off his feet by the collar of his uniform and dangled midair.
Was it sad that he was growing accustomed to all the manhandling?
"Only Vasto Lordes are allowed in here, ya got that?"
Ichigo nearly rolled his eyes and wanted to be a smartass, but chose to play dumb instead.
"Here? You mean the prison? Sorry, don't have much control over that."
The guy took the bait and looked at him like he was mentally handicapped.
"No, stupid. This bathroom." The man stared at him for a moment after that, scrutinizing his features. "Ey… wait a sec…" He brought Ichigo closer so he could really look at his face, making the smaller male cringe and kick out to give himself some distance. But it was like kicking a brick wall. "'Ain'tchu the one who beat King?"
Ichigo wasn't sure if he should answer that. He didn't know what kind of reaction he'd get for telling the truth, and lying just seemed like a bad idea in general. Especially when so many people witnessed the beating.
Apparently he took too long to say anything and the man came to his own conclusion. However, before he could do anything, another stall door opened to reveal a… girl?
No.
Just a very petite boy who couldn't have been more than 18. He had cropped, shiny, raven hair and large violet eyes.
"Wait a minute, Yammy."
The large man raised a brushy brow towards the tiny fella but then slowly set Ichigo to his feet. The orangette quickly zipped himself up when he noticed both pairs of eyes glance down at his manhood. He tensed at the smirk he got but he didn't back away.
"Yeah… that's definitely the guy who hurt King." Violet eyes narrowed at him and then the smirk stretched wide. "We should show him what happens when he messes with a Vasto Lorde."
Yammy scratched his chin and then shrugged with a smirk of his own.
"Alright, Luppi. Whatchu got in mind?"
Ichigo brought up his fists slowly as he glanced between both males. Before anything else could happen though, someone came marching around the corner where he assumed the showers were. It just so happened to be Twiggy. He wore only a towel around his waist and his skin was raw and red from the hot water. He must have been the one that fogged up the room.
"Eyyy Noi." The little man called Loop—or Loopy?—waggled his fingers girlishly at Twiggy or… Noi? Ichigo couldn't keep up with all the stupid nicknames here.
"Wuh?" Nnoitra grumbled as he made his way towards a sink to brush his teeth. He didn't seem to care that Ichigo was on his 'turf'.
"You want in on the fun?" Loop offered while pointing his thumb towards Ichigo. "Little red riding hood here got himself lost."
Nnoitra gave Ichigo a bored look with his one visible eye and then scoffed. "First off—you shouldn't be callin' anyone 'little'. The only person here shorter than you is Officer Ice Prince." Ichigo had no idea who that was but still grinned at the sour look that crossed Loop's face. "And don't go actin' tough. You're only in 'ere cuz King is still in medical and can't chase you off 'imself." Nnoitra turned to the mirror above one of the sinks and started inspecting his hair—which still looked greasy even after a shower. He could see Luppi's angry face glaring at him through the reflection, but he ignored it. "Plus… Captain Jingles and Carrot there are all buddy buddy." He saw Luppi's expression flip at that and the small guy turned to inspect Ichigo again, as if he was reassessing something. "So unless you've got a way around Zaraki, I'd just let him walk…" The taller man turned to lock eyes with Ichigo and smirked deviously, "this time at least."
Ichigo took this as his que to leave and quickly spun on his heel. He felt their eyes boring holes into his back as he quickly shuffled back out into the hall. Once free he took a deep breath through his nose to calm himself. Adrenaline was pumping through his system and his nerves were still on high alert from being on the verge of another fight.
At this rate he was going to end up getting into enough fights to lock him in this shithole for life!
Maybe he should reconsider Shinji's offer if it'll keep him out of trouble...
"I see ya made it outta the wolves' den alive~"
Ichigo nearly jumped out of his skin and quickly spun to see White leaning right by the entrance. He looked like he'd been standing there for a minute, and there was no sign of that sleepy guard he'd been talking to before.
"What the fuck?" Ichigo snarled under his breath. "So you knew I was in there and didn't bother to give me a heads up?" He stood in front of the pale prisoner but made sure to keep some distance in case the guy randomly decided to stab him.
"Ey woah. I was riiiight 'ere in case things got a lil' too hot for ya, but I ain't your fuckin' prison mother. Make mistakes and learn from 'em yourself." He gave a tiny shrug as he folded his arms, "'Sides, seems like ya got some pull 'round here with Zaraki on your side." White smirked as he slowly rolled up off the wall, his movements fluid and smooth. He then wrapped an arm around Ichigo's shoulders so he could steer the frazzled male back down the hall. "So! Let's start part 3 of the tour—since we've still got some walkin' around time."
Ichigo tried to shrug off the man so he could walk with him at a reasonable distance, but White held firm. Fuck it. He didn't want trouble…
"Part 3? Didn't even know there was a part 2." Ichigo grumbled.
Shiro clicked his tongue and then pinched the orangette's cheek. "Well since you went adventurin' on your own, I gotta kinda skip part 2. Part 3 is pretty much just explaining territory."
Ichigo rolled his shoulders and was glad that White actually backed off this time and gave him space to breathe. "Thought you weren't gonna be my prison mother."
White narrowed his eyes until only a glint of gold was visible beneath his thick lashes. "Look, do ya want the information 'r not?"
Ichigo shrugged his left shoulder and motioned with his other hand in an 'I don't care but go on' way making White snort in amusement.
"Whatever… look, alright. Ya see how there's a letter up in the corner of the hall?" Ichigo looked up to where White was pointing to see a large 'A'. "This is A wing. Vasto Lordes own this hall. You can walk through it to get where ya need cuz the guards are usually around but everythin' else is off limits." White waved his hand in the air as he added, "Unless you somehow become a Vasto Lorde, but that's kinda out of the question at this point."
Ichigo scratched his chin in thought as they continued walking. White steered them out of this wing and back to the canteen where more people had started gathering.
"So what other…" Ichigo shrugged while gesturing in the air "Gangs… should I Look out for?"
"Welllll." White began as he popped a jolly rancher in his mouth. It clanked against his teeth loudly as he moved it around with his tongue. "Ya've got the Shinigami. Most of 'em are actually in our cellblock but cells are neutral territory. They own B Wing, which is through there." He pointed towards another set of double doors that Ichigo didn't notice before. It had a small letter 'B' by the handles.
Ichigo sat next to White as the man settled down at a table with a couple other prisoners he'd never seen before.
"The Shinigami and Vasto Lordes are rivals, so I imagine the Shinigami are gonna be real nice to ya after ya knocked out King." White smirked when Ichigo rolled his eyes.
"Aha! I knew you looked familiar! Bro! That was hilarious! The black eye was perfect and then the look on yer face when they got you!" The heavy-set man sitting across from them laughed obnoxiously as he reenacted Ichigo's reaction to being tazed. "Zzt! ZZZT!"
Ichigo's lip rose in a snarl but before he could say anything, a pale fist slammed against the table "Shut da fuck up." White commanded and the guy instantly sobered.
Guards were looking in their direction but once they saw who was causing the commotion, they shrugged and went back to whatever they'd been doing.
Ichigo picked at his nails as he shifted uncomfortably.
"What were you saying about the Shinigamis and the Vasto… Lordes?" Ichigo tried not to butcher the pronunciation.
White didn't even spare him a glance as he shrugged and then snatched a sugar packet from one of the trays next to him. The guy he stole from didn't say a word against it.
"Have the Shinigami asked ya ta join their gang yet?"
"Not sure…" Ichigo glanced around quickly but relaxed when he didn't see a familiar head of cropped golden hair. "A guy named Shinji came up to me earlier and said I had until lights out to accept his offer."
White's narrowed eyes instantly locked with Ichigo's wide, curious, chestnut orbs. "Shinji? Ya mean Straight?" He sniffed when Ichigo nodded in reply. "Hm… He's a Vizard…"
Ichigo raised a brow.
"And that's supposed to mean something to me?" He got a disapproving look from one of White's underlings around the table but White himself just seemed amused.
"Vizards're a small group tha' split off from the Shinigami. They're not necessarily a gang but they do have some pull 'round here. They 'ain't bad but they 'ain't 'xactly good neither." That information wasn't very helpful, but it would have to do. "Oh yeah and there's also the Quincy. They own C Wing." White threw out with a wave of his hand. "But they usually keep to themselves and it's best ya just stay clear of 'em."
When the man didn't add anything else, Ichigo gave up. "Whatever…" He grumbled with a sigh.
The relatively useless conversation died off and there was heavy silence as the men around him finished eating. Breakfast was served until about 9:00 and then the buzzer sounded. Unless you worked in the building as a laundry maid or a janitor, all inmates were told to go back to their cells.
Guards were around each section of hallway as they herded the prisoners to their respective rooms, checking off their list as they went.
Renji was still fast asleep on the top bunk. Drool pooled from his gaping mouth and loud snoring echoed around the cell. Keigo was tucked in the corner with a blanket around him as he twiddled his thumbs and stared at the ceiling, looking a little skittish. White bumped Ichigo's shoulder as he passed and didn't even spare a glance as he hopped up onto his respective bunk. He then pulled out a small radio and some wireless earphones. Ichigo wondered if he got it from commerce or if it was smuggled in, but then Ichigo realized that he didn't really care either way.
The silence, save for the low buzz of whatever White was listening to and the snoring from Renji, was calming and Ichigo felt like he finally had a chance to sit and let the events of the last month really sink in.
...
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TBC