7- Don't lie, it hurts

"Ichigo," Rukia spoke as they sat in a circle with Mizuiro and Chad as Keigo was telling a joke about when he went to the supermarket and met this awesome chick who looked like Lindsay Lohan or something. "Are you okay? You didn't seem well this morning."

"Yeah," he replied. His brown eyes gazing off to the side with a deep frown, drowning out the world as he leaned back against the fence and shutting his brilliant eyes, which held so many things that were completely random. "Wake me later." he sighed.

Rukia blinked as she watched him fall asleep, looking over at the others and joining in their conversation. What had started as a small group became more as Oriheme, Tatsuki , and the other girls joined in, actually laughing at the brunette's jokes.

"Shirosaki,"

The white clothed Hollow blinked and looked over at his light half, watching as he slowly walked over. "You all right, partner?"

"I…want to ask you a question, and I want the truth…"

The pale figure stood and turned, facing Ichigo with a quirked brow as the young Kurosaki lifted his head, his dark half seeing his dull brown eyes, lost in thought. But the fact that Ichigo looked so tired and exhausted confused the poor demon.

"Do you…want to leave?" he asked simply, sounding depressed, which made Shirosaki know he had made the fifteen year old Soul Reaper taste the want of release. "The bittersweet taste…won't stop. So…do you really want to leave?"

Shirosaki frowned, looking away with a scowl, crossing his arms and blowing air out the left side of his mouth. "'Bittersweet'?" he huffed. "I have no idea what you're talking about; I told you I wasn't going to leave."

"You fucker! Don't lie to me!" the Soul Reaper cried, clenching his hands into fists. "Don't lie to me! I'm not stupid, Shiro-"

Feeling something warm on his face made him look up, seeing Shirosaki hold onto him tightly, frowning as he shut his golden eyes.

"I'm not lying…" he persisted. "…Ichigo."

"You are lying to me! Even now! I can feel it, Shirosaki! I…" He clamped his eyes shut and grasped the fabric to Shirosaki's attire tightly, frowning as he looked down on the ground with his half-lidded dull eyes. "…want it to go away."

The Hollow was consumed into silence, his voice was lost once Ichigo admitted that he wanted it to leave his system, he actually wanted him to decide whether he can go or stay with him, the light half.

"So…answer me…" he muttered. Those golden eyes opened as he pressed Ichigo against him even more, both hearts aching. But it was mainly Shirosaki's. He could have a living body and let Ichigo be free, or…stay. "Shirosaki."

"I…want-"

"ICHIGO-- GET UP!" Keigo chirped, leaping onto him and thrusting his feet forward, about to kick the poor sleeping form, who already looked like he was in pain. Yet those brown eyes snapped open and he latched onto the feet, swiftly standing and turning while he whipped him over his shoulders, slamming him to the ground. "Ow…okay…I'm going to complain to your father about this."

"Then you shouldn't have attacked me."

"But you wouldn't get up for anyone else!"

That made Ichigo blink. Huh? I…couldn't wake up?

"You mean…NO ONE could wake me?" he questioned, seeing everyone nod as he turned, placing a curled up hand under his chin. "That's odd, usually I wake up for anyone…this is really weird."

But what pisses me off is that I didn't get to listen to the whole reply dammit! he thought bitterly as he secretly cursed Keigo for waking him. Why couldn't they have given me a few extra minutes!

"Let's go back to class, guys." he sighed, turning and helping Keigo up and walking to class with the others staring with disbelief, but, Uryu was the first to follow, then Rukia, then Chad, and then the rest. "Once I get home, I'm taking a nice long bath." he mumbled.

888

School was let out and Ichigo slowly walked into the bathroom, taking off his shirt while he was at it, sighing as he flung it onto the toilet seat. Turning and facing the tub, he grasped the handle to the cold and warm water, turning them at the exact same time, plugging the drain to the tub, shutting his brown eyes as he slowly stripped out of the rest of his clothes.

"You bored or something, partner?"

Ichigo looked over at the mirror then stopped when he almost pushed down his boxers. "Listen here, you pervert," he hissed, "I want you to stop watching while I undress! Is that too much to ask!"

"I'm bored," his Hollow replied simply. "And besides, it ain't everyday I see you take a bath, it's usually a shower."

He's becoming quite the bastard. And usually Hollows don't act like this…

Ichigo frowned, swiftly yanking his boxers off and hopping in, literally hopping in the tub, so Shirosaki wouldn't make a wise-crack about something he would find hilarious. Although they looked the same, Shirosaki was sort of way out there. Turning off the knobs while he was at it, stopping the flow of water.

Leaning his head back, he looked over at the mirror. "Hey, Shirosaki,"

"Hai?"

"Could you repeat to me what you said at my lunch break nap?"

"Why? It wasn't anything special."

"Just repeat it!"

Shirosaki shook his head, his pure snow white bangs bouncing from side to side. Crossing his arms. "You seem pretty pissed, partner."

The young Kurosaki huffed, looking away, sitting up and blinking once he felt a cold chill go down his spine, his head jerking up once he heard the bathroom door open, seeing Yuzu stare with wide eyes, a blush on her face. "Yuzu, it's my turn to take a bath," he stated, sighing as she quickly shut the door. "But…what was that chill? Oy, Shiro-"

His brown eyes veered over to the glass, seeing no dark half in sight, causing him to quirk an orange brow.

"Shirosaki?"

Leaning back again and shutting his eyes, the youth had a relaxed look on his face, drifting off and feeling his body warm up because of the water.

The pale figure laid there in silence, thinking over about his answer to Ichigo's question, a look of depression on his face, yet he paused in thought, looking up while tilting his head to see the Soul Reaper stand there with a frown on his handsome face.

"You didn't answer my question, you bastard," he frowned, yet his dark half smirked, chuckling deeply.

"All I can think-"

"Not that! The other thing!"

"Lunch hour?"

"Naw, when you decided to be inside me." Ichigo groaned, dropping his head, then lifting it up again with narrowed eyes. "Of course lunch hour!"

"Well…I said that I…" he paused looking up at the sideways sky, lost in thought once again as the clouds rolled on up. "…don't know, but it would be nice having a body." He wasn't thinking, he was actually voicing his mind. "Then again…you wouldn't be…normal, trying to forget that I was ever here."

"Tch, yeah right." the young high school student huffed, looking away with half-lidded brown orbs. "I'd be able to…live on."

"Then,"

Shirosaki stood and faced Ichigo.

"I want a body."

Hearing those words made the beating heart in the young orange haired teenager stop, time frozen as the words replayed themselves millions of times over. He wanted a body, a real body. One that…he could call his own. One that……Ichigo could…touch.

Then again, the Soul Reapers would come and kill him anyway.

"Ah…" Ichigo's voice finally came to him, his heart pumping overtime to revive his mind. That was gone and lost, tossed into darkness. "…then…will you…stay until…I can get you into one?"

"Yeah, I'll stay."

Ichigo sat down, placing his hands against the ground behind himself, propping up, balancing himself. To tell the truth, right now, he wished he'd told him he wanted to keep him here, watch him, learn from him, and maybe even…

"Eventually, I'll die, right?" he muttered, but Shirosaki's ears perked up, listening closely. "So…why bother thinking about it…hoping this could…last."

"Ichigo, you aren't making much sense."

"Tch. Stop listening to me, those were supposed to be private words for me."

"Fine," he smirked, walking over and bending down to Ichigo's height. "I won't listen to ya, anymore." Looking up with a puzzled look, Ichigo's face took a huge blush as Shirosaki leaned closer, connecting his white lips to the lightly tanned ones.

Pushing away, Ichigo backed up, staring at the smirking Hollow, whom seemed pleased by the youth's reaction.

"W-what the hell Shirosaki!" he stuttered, wiping his mouth with the backside of his left hand. "That disgusting!"

"But you like it, right?" the demon smirked smugly.

Brown eyes snapping open, Ichigo snapped into a sitting position, blushing as he removed the backside of his left hand from his mouth, swearing he had felt real lips against his own, making him scan the room quickly to see if anyone had snuck in to take a 'peek'.

That's confusing…I could've sworn…

The youth blinked, looking at the mirror with a quirked brow, seeing Shirosaki look up at the ceiling with interest. Something he hadn't done before, so the teen stood, wrapping a towel around his waist.

"Shirosaki," The white haired Hollow looked at him, golden eyes looking at him, his body. "Uh…did you…see anyone sneak in?"

"No, but what I did see was you squirming in the tub, somewhat. What went on in your mind, Ichigo?" he chuckled, licking his lips, making Ichigo's blood boil, standing in front of the mirror and slamming his palms onto the sink counter, leaning close to the mirror with a glare.

"You sick bastard! You horny sick bastard!" he shouted, his cheeks a little red. "ARGH! Just die already!"

"…Ichigo, aren't you going to unplug the drain?"

This guy's so dead…

"I want you to go to bed."

He's rushing me why!

"What's with that look? It's beginning to bug me." Shirosaki literally sounded like he had no idea in heaven or hell why he was saying what he was. And Ichigo frowned, his blush slightly growing. "Are ya gonna answer me, or not?" And Ichigo knew his answer, which was gonna be 'no' of course.

"Ah…it's best we linger off that subject, Shirosaki." he spoke, his heart pounding as he gathered his clothes. "I'll…see you later…whenever."