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"Dude, quit hoggin' the game."
Golden eyes glared playfully at the redhead who just spoke.
"In yer dreams. I'm about ta beat the high score ya jackass."
The redhead growled and tried to snatch the controller away, but that only caused him to get a foot to the face.
"Shiroooo! Come on!" He whined to his albino roommate.
"Back off, red." Shirosaki snapped, his eyes never leaving the screen and his fingers flying away on the controller like a pro—which he was. He had a part-time job in testing out new video games.
He figured that getting paid to play games all day was the best job in the world, but it didn't pay quite enough, so he also worked at this stupid corporation, with his high-and-mighty boss, Sousuke Aizen. Renji, on the other hand, was a tattoo artist, and a pretty famous one too. Even people who didn't even like tattoos could recognize his name. Shirosaki never really thought of getting one, until he saw some of the redhead's work. So, feeling daring at the time, he got Renji to draw a really detailed tattoo of a dragon all over his back. It took a couple of days to complete it, and in that time, they became pretty quick friends. It all started with Renji saying something stupid like, "Your skin's so white… I feel like I'm drawin' on paper." He received a punch in the face for that, but that's pretty much what started up their friendship.
The angry redhead was about ready to pounce on his annoying roommate, but he froze when he heard his cell phone go off. He recognized that specific ring tone instantly.
Jumping over the back of the couch, he practically flew into his room. Snatching up his cell phone, he answered as he started walking back into the living room.
"Yo! Ichigo! What's u—"
The redhead stiffened in worry.
"Ichi, what's wrong?"
Shirosaki paused his game and peered over the couch to look at his roommate.
"'course you can stay. Where ar—" Shiro raised a white brow as he watched the redhead start pacing. "No. Do ya need me to come pick you up?"
There was silence for a while and then a sigh. "Okay. Just be careful. See ya soon."
…
"What's up, Renji?" Shiro asked, and you could tell he was truly curious because he didn't use any stupid nicknames.
Renji clicked his phone off and sighed again.
"Ichigo's gonna be staying here for a little while." He explained before making his way into his room.
"Ichigo? An' where the hell is she gonna sleep?!" Shirosaki shouted as Renji disappeared back in his room.
"Ichigo's a guy! He's my brother, and he'll sleep in my room, of course!" Renji shouted back. "I'll just crash on the couch!"
'What kinda guy is named after a damn fruit?' Shirosaki snickered mentally but then he thought about what Renji said.
"How long is he gonna stay?"
Renji poked his head out and gave Shiro this blank stare. "As long as he needs. Duh."
Shiro stared right back and then he rolled his eyes.
"Just let'm stay in my room. This is my couch. I'm usually on 'ere playin' video games all night anyway."
Renji shook his head and walked forward until he could lean on the back of said couch.
"I can't make ya do that…"
Shirosaki shrugged.
"Unless ya want to be here while I'm tryin' to play, and ya know how loud I can get." Renji gave him that 'oh shit, you're right' look. "Then shut the fuck up and start setting up my bed for your so-called brother."
Renji sighed, knowing that what he said was true. Whenever Shiro started losing, which rarely happened, he would go on cursing rants that would put the toughest sailor to shame. And when he would win, you could hear a lot of 'Take that bitches!' and 'Suck my dick!'s.
"Fine, whatever."
Shiro smirked in victory and started towards the kitchen. He clapped Renji's shoulder as he passed him.
"Good choice, red."
The white-haired male paused in his quest for a quick snack when a thought hit him.
"Why don't ya talk 'bout your brother all that much? I think this might be the first time I eva heard 'is name, and we've been roommates fer abou'… what… 6 months now?"
Renji shrugged and leaned against the counter in the kitchen, right beside the fridge.
"Well… Ichigo hasn't really been talkin' to me lately… or any of our family for that matter. I think it's because of some new boyfriend he's got…"
Shirosaki listened silently as he took mental notes.
-His name is Ichigo
-He sounds like he's got some issues
-He's gay…or maybe bi, and has some secret boyfriend
Shiro tried not to smirk as he cracked open a soda.
"I've only seen him a few times in the last couple of months… And every time I see him, he's got some bruises either on his face, his wrists… and god knows where else."
Renji was starting to get angry, but Shirosaki didn't make him stop, he wanted his friend to talk it all out, and he wanted to know more about this mysterious brother.
-Okay so the secret boyfriend is abusive
"I confronted him a few times, but he wouldn't talk about it." Renji clenched his fist and slammed it down on the counter as he remembered Ichigo just shrugging it off like it was nothing. "Fuck that! If I find out who's been doin' that ta him I'm gonna—"
His tirade was cut short when the doorbell rang.
'Well that was fast…' Shiro thought as he watched Renji bolt towards the door, his anger completely replaced by excitement and worry.
'Interestin'…'
-Renji has some kind of weird obsession with his brother
The redhead threw the door open and glomped the cute, orange-haired stranger standing outside the door, who Shiro assumed was Ichigo. The orange-head hissed in pain, making Renji quickly release him.
"Are you okay?" Renji interrogated as he began searching Ichigo's body for injuries, but it was hard to see any when the guy was clad in a long-sleeved turtle neck.
Well that's not suspicious.
The only thing really visible was the slight bruise on his cheek.
"Renji, calm down. I'll explain everything once we get inside." Ichigo whispered.
His brother nodded in understanding and snatched up the smaller male's backpack.
Shirosaki silently snickered as Ichigo tried to stop Renji from getting his other bags, but the stubborn Redhead just took it anyway, leaving Ichigo with nothing to carry. Renji brought all the bags to Shiro's room while Ichigo walked inside, closing the door behind him.
That's when their eyes finally met.
Ichigo froze and stared at Shirosaki in surprise.
"S-sorry. I didn't know Ren had company." The berry-head whispered, shifting uncomfortably beneath Shirosaki's amused gaze.
Pale lips spread into a smirk and he sipped at his soda before replying, "Ah, but I'm not a guest."
Ichigo's auburn eyes snapped back to him in confusion.
"I've been Red's roommate fer quite a few months."
Ichigo looked suddenly guilty.
"Oh… I… I didn't know he got a roommate." Berry-head winced as another wave of guilt hit him.
"So… Dandelion." Shirosaki said, grinning at the nickname he picked out, but Ichigo didn't seem to appreciate it. "Why are ya wearin' a turtleneck on a bright sunny day like today."
Shirosaki smirked when Ichigo's eyes turned murderous. Chocolate-brown pools grew intense and turned a bright auburn color. Thin lips pulled down into a snarl and skinny eyebrows drew together, forming the perfect scowl.
It was a beautiful expression.
"I'd like ta know that too." Renji said as he walked back into the living room.
Shirosaki frowned when Ichigo's expression morphed into a look of depression. Shiro didn't like that expression on the dandelion at all.
Ichigo shifted nervously and looked towards the pale stranger once more before gazing at Renji, who was standing straight with his arms crossed and this expectant look set on his face.
"Okay… I'll show you… But" Ichigo gnawed on his bottom lip for a second. "But you have to promise that you won't freak out and get upset… okay?"
He waited until Renji nodded before walking closer to him. He hesitated for a second, but then slowly took off his shirt, revealing the dark bruises around his neck and waist, the cuts around his wrists, and bitemarks on his throat and shoulders. Ichigo watched anxiously as Renji's eyes widened and then narrowed angrily. Even the albino guy in the kitchen looked like he wanted to punch somebody.
"Who…?" Renji whispered harshly, making Ichigo shift away from him. He quickly put the shirt back on and crossed his arms over his abdomen protectively.
Ichigo shook his head, refusing to answer the question.
"Dammit Ichigo, just tell me who it was!" Renji snapped, feeling angrier than he's felt in a long time. The only time he could remember being this angry was when they were in high school and some asshole kept messing with Ichigo. A few good punches solved that though.
Ichigo backed away from him some more, but Renji was too angry to realize that he was actually scaring the man.
Shirosaki sighed, his own anger finally subsiding, and he quickly got in front of Renji.
"Relax man. I'm sure he'll tell you when he's ready." He said, trying to calm the redhead down. Renji wouldn't listen. He tried pushing passed the albino, but Shirosaki grasped Renji by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall in order to keep him still.
"Let me go, Shiro! I'll fuckin' kill the bastard who did tha' ta Ichigo!"
"Calm the fuck down, you stupid buffoon!" Shirosaki shouted over the redhead, "Look at your brother! Look at him!"
Renji did, and his anger was quickly drained away when he saw just how frightened his little brother looked.
"The reason why he came here is 'cause he thought you would be able to help him out, but you'll only chase him away if ya keep actin' like this." Shirosaki whispered to Renji, low enough so Ichigo could barely hear him.
"Fuck…" Renji sighed. "You're right." He smacked himself in the forehead a couple of times to let out the rest of his frustration before finally turning towards Ichigo. Shirosaki released him so he could move forward.
Now that the anger was gone, Ichigo didn't look all that frightened anymore. When he was close enough, Renji gathered Ichigo into his arms and embraced him firmly. Ichigo was silent for a while, but then something must've collapsed inside him. Tears just started pouring out. There were no sobs or sniffling, just the tears. Renji wouldn't have even known that Ichigo was crying if it weren't for his shirt getting soaked.
Ichigo buried his face into Renji's chest to try and hide himself away from the world.
Shirosaki paused his game once again to look at the two pathetic creatures sitting beside him: A blundering buffoon and a delicate dandelion.
They were both fast asleep.
Ichigo had somehow passed out while he was having his breakdown, so Renji picked him up and carried him to the couch. When he sat down, he'd tried to set Ichigo next to him, but the berry unconsciously clung to him.
Like some kind of baby monkey.
Shirosaki had watched in amusement as Renji tried to gently pry his brother away, but it was no use. So he just gave up and, instead, held Ichigo closer to him. He had even started running his fingers through Ichigo's bright hair.
Renji fell asleep not too long afterwards.
Going through all that emotional shit probably took its toll on them.
Hell, even Shirosaki was feeling a little worn out, and he was barely even involved.
Shiro leaned back on his couch and roamed his eyes across Ichigo's body appreciatively. The guy was pretty cute, minus the bruises and shit. And that angry expression before, Shirosaki wouldn't mind seeing it again. And if he liked that expression, than he could only imagine what the others would be like.
Okay, probably not a good idea to think about having sex with your roommate's brother, especially when he's just coming out of an abusive relationship.
That's another thing that made Shirosaki curious.
He wanted to know what would possess someone to actually hurt Ichigo that way.
He's only known the guy for a few hours, and already he wants to just shrink the little guy and keep him in his pocket forever. He'd rather beat the shit out of the people around him. Not actually hit him.
It was all fucked up.
Shirosaki jumped slightly when he finally noticed that Ichigo was awake and looking straight back at him.
They stared at each other for a while.
Wow. Awkward.
"So…" Ichigo was the first to speak. "I never caught your name…" He whispered so as not to wake the redhead.
"Shirosaki Hichigo Ogihci. My friends call me Shiro. You, on the other hand, can call me whatever you want." He chuckled softly and winked at the dandelion, making him blush brightly.
Ooo~ Teasing him will be fun~
Ichigo cleared his throat and tried to change the subject. "How did you and Renji meet?"
Shirosaki smirked and told the dandelion how they met and that he'd been looking for a better place to stay, so Renji offered his place. They've been best friends ever since, and all that wonderful shit. Ichigo had tried not to laugh and after that he and Shiro talked for quite a while.
The albino never looked towards the television that whole time. Not even once.
Ichigo paused when a huge yawn escaped his lips.
"What time is it?" He mumbled. Shirosaki looked at the cable box.
"It's around 12:00pm. Renji's usually makin' lunch right 'bout now, but since he's knocked out, I'll jus' whip up somethin' 'fore I go ta work." He grumbled as he started to get up. Before he left he looked back down at the dandelion. "Would ya like anythin'?"
Ichigo hummed sleepily and nodded. "Could you get me a glass of milk?"
Shirosaki rolled his eyes but agreed.
God… Being nice was hard work dammit.
Ichigo watched as the man disappeared from his sight, and he let himself sigh quietly. He tried to stay awake, but it was hard. Just before his reality faded into darkness, Shirosaki was sitting beside him once again, a glass of milk in one hand, and a bowl of reheated spaghetti in the other.
"Here." Shiro grumbled as he passed the glass, still kind of sore about doing something nice, but as Ichigo took the offered glass with a small 'thank you' and a big smile, it made Shirosaki think that maybe doing things like this wasn't so terrible.
Once Ichigo finished drinking with a satisfied sigh, he froze when he felt Renji shift, but relaxed again as he felt the arms around him tighten gently and he smiled when Renji's face nuzzled against his shoulder.
The big redhead was kinda cute when he slept.
"Ya know…" Shirosaki whispered, getting Ichigo's attention again. "With the way he acts around ya, I wouldn't think you guys were brothers."
Ichigo chuckled softly and a small blush heated his cheeks as he looked back towards Renji.
"Well… We're not really brothers. More like step-brothers." He explained while his fingers picked at a few strands of crimson locks that fell into Renji's sleeping face. He smoothed them back with the other messy tendrils with a smile. "Our fathers got together while we were about ten years old. I have two younger twin sisters, Yuzu and Karin, while Renji also has two younger siblings, Ururu and Jinta. Yeah, we were all a handful, but our dads loved us with all their hearts." Ichigo sighed as a sense of nostalgia hit him. He hadn't really thought of his whole family in a while. He chuckled as he recalled how he and Renji met. "Renji hated me at first. He would always avoid me, and whenever we got near each other, he would give me the dirtiest looks."
Shirosaki raised an eyebrow in disbelief at that, but remained silent so Ichigo could continue.
"I thought that maybe we would eventually start to get along, that all the glares would stop, but Renji just got worse. It got to the point where he would pull my hair, push me around, and lay little traps for me in the house. It wasn't until High School that things changed. Because of him, I was so used to being abused in that way, so I didn't think much of it when Renji's friends also started to pick on me. This jerk named Kenpachi was especially mean though: ripping up my school clothes while I was in gym, locking me into rooms so I'd miss classes, writing horrible things on my face whenever I fell asleep during a lecture. It got worse. He started to get… physical; that's when Renji finally stepped in. It was like he became a totally different person all of a sudden. I'm not sure why or how, but I guess it doesn't matter. He's been looking out for me ever since."
Shirosaki smirked as he watched Ichigo cuddle up against his brother, looking rather content.
"Hey, dandelion. Next time warn me that your story's gonna be so fuckin' long. I thought it was gonna drag on foreva." He joked, making Ichigo laugh.
"Don't be a jerk." He said while smacking Shirosaki on the shoulder playfully.
"Nah, but I'm glad to hear that things worked out between you guys. Renji really seems ta love ya." Shiro said just before getting up with his empty bowl.
Ichigo nodded and let sleep finally claim him.
TBC