Hello peoples! XD I hope you're all having a wonderful day =D I wrote some of my fics yesterday! I know, I was so excited =) Silent Partner and the request (which I'm thinking of calling 'Zodiac') are both on chapter 2. I really have to think about working on my outline for Asylum... maybe later ^^; For those of you that actually like my recommendations, I started another book that's pretty cool. It's called '44'. It's about a past drowning victim that actually died before coming back to life. She now has visions that connect her with a serial killer in her town. I'm about 30% through and there's already been 2 murders =)
Shiro: ... I'm the killer! =D
Ichi: No you're not, dumbass. It's a book, not a fic. *rolls eyes*
Shiro: ... I would like ta be the killer. *pout*
Grimm: Who knows, maybe someone will be nice enough to write a fic about it =)
Ichi: Hopefully not, Shiro's got a big enough ego. If he gets stuck in a fic where the cops can't find the first clue about him, he'll be insufferable. =(
Shiro: XD
Chapter 8
Ichigo is sore and tired… not to mention hungry. He doesn't know how long he's been interrogated and beaten, but he's seriously getting irritated with it all. He shivers, wondering why it feels so cold within the train. He can't take much more of this and he's uncertain why no one has come to find him. The person tormenting Ichigo sets the barrel of a gun to his head, the orange head gasping in fear.
"Let's try this again," the electronically altered voice growls out. "What are you to Grimmjow?"
"I… I don't know," Ichigo stammers. "He's my brother's friend, okay? We were just… sharing a room. I d-don't like the rain! He was… he was comforting me."
"Why does he treat you so highly? How long do you expect to last with him?"
Ichigo is in a panic. He's normally not afraid of threats, but he's never liked guns. Before he can stop himself, the answers just started spilling from his mouth. Though he wants to seal up that dam once again, he just can't seem to do so. Everything just comes out like word vomit.
"I don't expect anything from him and he's always treated me like that! We fought when we were younger, but my brother didn't like it and beat the shit out of Grimmjow for hurting me. We've avoided each other since!"
"… I don't believe you."
"You can 'not believe' me all you fucking want, it's the truth!" he shouts.
The barrel is pushed more firmly into Ichigo's forehead, the writer cringing as he trembles beneath it. Everything seems to move so slowly, his mind completely blanking out at the threat of death. Finally, he realizes the barrel is gone and he's alone in the room. He shakes the pillowcase off his head and stands on shaky legs, noting there's an abandoned curling iron on the floor. This room belongs to a woman, but Ichigo's is positive his attacker is too smart to draw him into their own room. Carefully, Ichigo moves to the door and turns his back to it. He works the handle open and stumbles into the hall.
Grimmjow is getting worried, he's checked everywhere on the train Ichigo's allowed to go and hasn't found him. He so worried he's literally making himself sick. Shiro and Gin are sitting with the others, all of them ready to tear the train apart to locate the one missing from their party. They hear scratching on the salon car door, Szayel cautiously opening it. Ichigo falls backward at the loss of the door behind him.
"Ouch! Damn it!" he snaps.
"Ichi!" Shiro shouts in relief.
He dives for his twin, slamming into the younger male and hurting him more. He doesn't realize Ichigo's already injured, squeezing tightly in an attempt to be as close to him as possible. Ichigo groans in pain, trying hard not to pull on his wrists' bindings. His wrists are already rubbed raw; he wouldn't be surprised if they're bleeding.
"Shiro, let up a bit," Nnoitra frowns.
"Oh my, Ichigo, are you alright?" Ulquiorra wonders as he kneels beside them. "How did you get so injured?"
Grimmjow's blood runs cold, the larger male carefully lifting Ichigo off the floor and setting him on a chair. There's a small bruise on Ichigo's cheekbone, a cut on his lower lip, and scattered injuries on his lithe frame. Szayel kneels in front of the orange head, working to heal what he can while Ichigo recalls what happened. By the end of his story, the whole group looks ready to kill. Stark, who's usually snoozing off to the side, is standing and ready to track down the assailant. In a way, it warms Ichigo's heart. In another… it scares him worse than the so-called gun.
"They just wanted ta know shit 'bout Grimmy?" Shiro wonders. "That doesn' seem right. Why kidnap ya on a train they can' run from just ta learn shit 'bout Grimmy they can ask 'im later?"
"There' something more to this attack than we're seeing," Hallibel states. "I suggest you don't go anywhere without one of us accompanying you."
"Right… Um… Why is it so cold here?" Ichigo questions. "I mean… did you guys find out why we stopped?"
They all sort of stare at him in surprise, realizing just how long he's been missing from the group. Grimmjow quickly brings Ichigo up to date on what happened. The engine is thoroughly buried beneath mud, the rain still pelting the area though not as badly, and without the engine the heat is gone as well. Ichigo whines at the thought of cold showers from now on. The first one wasn't exactly enjoyable, but now they aren't sure how long they'll be trapped here!
"I also heard from the engineer that the tracks behind us are covered as well," Nelliel frowns. "No other trains can get through! They're thinking we might have to walk the rest of the way to the resort."
"Perfect," Ichigo sighs. "The next time you guys decide to kidnap me for a vacation, keep this one in mind. I'll so fuck you up it isn't funny!"
Shiro chuckles nervously, scooting to put Gin between them. The other just smiles at Ichigo, he's unperturbed by the blatant threat. Ichigo shivers at the loss of heat, the rain and wind outside making it seem colder, and Grimmjow pulls him into his arms to share body heat. Everyone gawks for a moment, however they say nothing. Ichigo looks irritated enough; they don't think anything further than Grimmjow's trying to be nice.
"I'm going to freeze to death," Ichigo scowls.
"The rain will stop soon," Grimmjow assures. "And then we'll start moving toward the resort. We're almost there; you just need to be patient."
"I was just kidnapped and beaten!" the other shouts. "Patience has nothing to do with this! I… I don't feel safe here."
No one can say anything to that. Their heads are hung, their eyes shadowed by their bangs. Though they have their own coach car and they keep everything locked, it seems no one can stop this deranged stalker. Ichigo has already kissed his deadline goodbye, he knew the second he woke up in Shiro's car he wasn't meeting it. Though he's gathered a lot of inspiration and managed to take his novel down a few interesting paths, things are getting too scary to concentrate now.
Dinnertime has Ichigo wrapped in a blanket with Grimmjow, both waiting for their food. Neither has left that blanket nearly all day, so the heat has built up nicely. The whole group has paired off to seek warmth, each with their significant other or friend. The rain still falls, but it's a light shower now. Ichigo stares out the window. They're surrounded by trees on the right, a tall cliff on their left that juts high over the train and likely leads to a tunnel further down. The orangette is distracted by a soft yellow glow bobbing about in the trees.
"What's the matter?" Grimmjow wonders.
"There's a light out there," Ichigo murmurs.
"It's probably the engineer scouting the area."
Ichigo nods absently, keeping his gaze on the light. When their food is set before them, Sebastian trying hard to fit both plates on the same side of the table, Grimmjow has to nudge the orange head. Ichigo is snapped out of his trance, turning his attention to their food. It's a task, figuring out how to eat without making a mess of each other or losing their blanket, but they manage.
Ichigo is just finishing up when he notes the light has vanished. He stares out the window, searching for any sign of it, yet it's nowhere to be found. Grimmjow tries to persuade him to finish his dinner, which he manages after a few minutes.
"I'm tired," Ichigo sighs.
"I'm surprised you didn't want to go to sleep earlier," Grimmjow comments. "The day hasn't been kind to you, sex bunny."
"I didn't want to be alone," he admits with a sigh. "And you guys shouldn't have to ruin your time together because of me."
Grimmjow wants to deny that, yet arguing with Ichigo isn't going to get them anywhere. Besides, he's already half asleep on the blue haired man's lap. With a sigh, he shifts beneath the other. He carefully gets Ichigo to turn so he's straddling his lap and facing him, and then he stands with his hands beneath Ichigo's ass. He carries the other to their room, ignoring all the stares they get. One set of eyes in particular send a shiver of familiarity down Grimmjow's spine, yet he brushes it off as nothing. That happens more than he would like.
By the time Grimmjow closes the bedroom door, Ichigo is snoozing against his shoulder. He carefully sets the other onto the lower bunk, digging around for some pajamas before changing Ichigo into them. He doesn't invade the other's privacy by rummaging through his bag, so Grimmjow just lets him borrow one of his button-up pajama shirts. The blue haired man puts on the matching sleep pants.
"Mm… I'm cold," Ichigo murmurs as he opens amber eyes. "Get your ass over here and warm me up, damn it."
"So bossy," Grimmjow chuckles.
He crawls in beside Ichigo, the other immediately latching onto his side. They lie beneath the blankets a long moment, just listening to the rain outside and staring at the top bunk. Finally, Ichigo can't take the silence and rolls over to straddle Grimmjow's stomach.
"Isn't there a way to fix the heat?" he wonders.
"None that I know of," Grimmjow shrugs. "Without the engine, heat doesn't circulate through the rest of the train. We'll just have to wait until the rain stops, and then we can build a fire and set up camp."
"Everything will still be damp from the storm," Ichigo points out. "Building a fire is practically impossible with damp wood."
"You're such a buzz-kill," the larger man snorts in humor. "Don't worry, sex bunny, Grimmy will take good care of you."
Ichigo rolls his eyes as the other coos to him. It's odd to hear Grimmjow speaking to him like a pet or a baby, but… he does call him 'sex bunny'. Ichigo decides to let it go… this time. From his perch atop Grimmjow's hard abs, Ichigo gazes upon the other. The questions from his abductor floor his mind, leaving trails of uncertainty and curiosity in their wake.
"Grimmjow… can I ask you something and get the truth?" he wonders. "And by truth, I mean 'not what you think I want to hear'. I want to know what you feel, whether I'll like it or not… okay?"
"Well, I've always been a blunt sort of guy," Grimmjow smirks. "Go ahead, I'll tell you whatever pops into my mind first!"
Ichigo hesitates a moment, wondering what Grimmjow means when he says that. He can hear the raindrops splattering on the glass in the silence, fat drops coming down softly, and a fan is going in the room next door… Shiro and Gin have always been more comfortable in the cold. Finally, Ichigo breathes deep to begin.
"What am I to you?" Ichigo wonders.
"… Mm… Best night of my life!" Grimmjow grins lecherously.
Ichigo stares at him like he's grown an extra head. The larger male chuckles in humor at the look, kissing the tip of Ichigo's nose lightly. When he gets nothing more from the orange head, he glances into amber orbs curiously.
"What the hell kind of answer is that?" Ichigo fumes.
"The first thing that popped into my mind!" Grimmjow grins impishly. "You said that's what you wanted to hear!"
"I want to know the answer, Grimmjow! Not just your random lecherous thoughts!" the orange head shouts. "Please… answer the questions."
Grimmjow can see stress within amber eyes, a frown marring his lips. He settles back into his pillow, tucking his arms behind his head to get comfy, and then waits with a more serious expression on his face. He didn't know Ichigo was being serious, he thought he was playing around.
"What are you to me," he murmurs thoughtfully. "You're my best friend's baby twin, you're the best lay I've ever had, but mostly… you're the only person that I will ever feel comfortable letting so close to me."
Ichigo blushes at that, yet doesn't delve too deeply into the answer. Grimmjow has never lied to Ichigo before; the orange head has always been able to tell when he's fibbing. The last and only time he lied to Ichigo started the fight that sent Shiro over the edge. Grimmjow had told a few high school seniors that he nailed Ichigo in the janitor's closet, but told Ichigo he did no such thing. The youth was already furious he was pegged as the freshman slut, so when he realized Grimmjow was the one that started it… well… they both ended up in the infirmary with some serious injuries. Afterward, however… Grimmjow ending up there again in worse shape thanks to an infuriated Shiro. That was the beginning of their 'avoid one another for the sake of their health' relationship.
"Why do you treat me so highly?" Ichigo murmurs curiously.
"Why? Do you have any idea how badly Shiro would fuck me up if I didn't treat you well?" Grimmjow asks with an ashen face at the thought. "Besides, I like you. I mean, it's not just that random puppy love shit like those others… this is real! I like you more than them, you're better than them and you deserve to be treated well."
"… How long do you expect this to last?"
"As long as possible!" Grimmjow smiles feral. "As long as you'll warm my bed, as long as you'll put up with me, and as long as I can possibly con you into staying! Besides, even if it stops tomorrow… I'll eventually get you back."
Ichigo rolls his eyes at the confidence behind that statement. Technically, they aren't together and Grimmjow doesn't have him now. There's no way he can get something back he didn't have to begin with. Thinking more on it, however, Ichigo realizes Grimmjow's always had him. Shiro knew it, still does, and this whole vacation was the older twin's way of opening Ichigo's eyes to that. He can grudgingly admit it would be nice to stay this way with the sexy star. Unfortunately for them both, Grimmjow tends to attract the crazies and Ichigo simply can't deal with being kidnapped on a daily basis right now.
"You know, Grimm?" Ichigo sighs out. "We have serious issues."
The other laughs at that, already well aware. He's been after Ichigo since high school, Ichigo's lust grew to love during that time, and now here they are… together. Yet somehow, they'll never be together. Not with that stalker after his precious bunny. He shifts beneath Ichigo, trying to make them both more comfortable so they can sleep soundly.
There we go! Yet another chapter =) I'm not sure, but I might post the request next. I'm still a little iffy on the title and I don't want to post it without one. So tell me what you think of the title 'Zodiac', okay? Right now, I'm going to keep writing my fics. Afterward, I'm going to watch the second disk to Supernatural: the animated series =) I watched the first one last night, it was awesome XD
Ichi: It's almost like my life... too many ghosts and far too many creatures. *sighs*
Grimm: You know you like it.
Ichi: ... I don't hate it, but sometimes a vacation would be nice.
Grimm: The only vacation you need, is one where you lie down all week. =3
Ichi: ... don't even elaborate on that. *glowers*
Shiro: So he can fuck ya! XD
Ichi: *punches Shiro in the face*