Surrender
Shadow of an Echo
A/N So yeah, bad Echo, been awhile. To make up for the wait, here is a chapter that is more than half KenIchi smut, well as smutty as I usually get anyway. Enjoy. Oh and next chapter is going to be nothing but pure, unadulterated, fun! As in load Yachiru down with sugar and set her loose O.O
Chapter Five
Love Is Strong
Kenpachi was having a good day. He had spent the morning beating up his men, and they hadn't been quite as bad a bunch of pathetic wimps they usually were, maybe they were starting to learn something. The afternoon had been a bit boring initially with a Captain's meeting, but then that princess Kuchiki got himself in trouble for letting his thoughts wander, which was such a rare occurrence it made up for the boredom. Usually it only happened when something involved the noble's sister. Kenpachi could get the noble to put up one hell of a fight if he brought her up, but he usually didn't; he preferred a more direct method than involving a third party in their game. Now he was coming back to his room after his shower, and judging from the spiritual pressure, Ichigo had beaten him to it.
When he slid the door open, he felt a bit lightheaded from the sudden rush of blood south. Whoever it was that got Ichigo to change his clothing had his gratitude, he had thought that for awhile now, but it was never more prominent than in this moment. Ichigo was lounging back on the futon without a care in the world, using one arm to support himself upright, and the other was stroking slowly across his stomach. That's the thing about Ichigo, he moved so easily, so comfortable in his own skin, Kenpachi could watch him for hours and it never failed to get him hard, and he didn't even have to be doing anything.
It nearly killed him to watch Ichigo fight, the rush of blood and adrenaline in his system had him acting more feral than he ever had in the Zaraki district; some part of him realized Ichigo goaded him into loosing control to that point. The Substitute only pushed him to the limit at times when it was safe for him to do so.
Ichigo never gave him anything; Kenpachi earned everything he had received from him. He wouldn't want it any other way. The challenge, that was the thing that made Kenpachi want to keep coming back for more in the beginning, and that was the first thing he fell in love with.
And it was challenge he saw burning once more in Ichigo's eyes as he looked up, still running a hand over the more prominent bump in his abdomen. "You owe me." The words were spoken calmly, a tone far more dangerous than any level of shouting.
"What I do?" He wasn't afraid of Ichigo exactly, but he knew better than to piss him off when in an enclosed room.
The hand stilled over the swell, "I had an appointment with Retsu today."
"It ain't twins is it?" Kenpachi immediately regretted his words when the glare burned through him.
"Kenpachi if you had stuck me with twins I would be chopping your balls off, not sitting here talking." Ichigo warned, a little less calm, but Kenpachi had no doubt the threat was real. Ichigo saw pictures of his mother carrying Karin and Yuzu, no thank you. "What happened was your son has horrible timing."
"Mind 'esplaining that one?" He was lost, and with the way Ichigo was now stretching out in a way meant to tease, he was enjoying it.
"I found out exactly what kind of tests I will be put through, and it's all because he decided to move when Retsu was scanning him." A grimace crossed Ichigo's face in the place of his usual scowl, he was really not looking forward to it. "He always reacts to Kido, but this time I felt it too."
A wide proud grin stretched across Kenpachi's face, "You felt him kick?"
"He could have picked a better time." Ichigo directed a glare at his stomach, but there was no heat behind it. "You really do owe me. That appointment really, really sucked, and it's only going to get worse from there."
Flailing around for something, anything to get himself out of trouble, "Want me tah come with yah?"
"NO!" Immediate and forceful, "It's embarrassing enough with just Retsu and me there. There's poking and prodding, plus some things I'd rather not talk about; or think about for that matter."
Kenpachi was stepping carefully towards him, the way a lion might approach a particularly grumpy lioness, it didn't always end so well for the lion. "Our son is healthy?" Distraction, maybe that will work to diffuse Ichigo's temper.
"He's fine, snug and happy as clam in there while his daddy gets tortured," Ichigo grumbled, starting to run his hand over their boy again.
Kenpachi settled next to Ichigo, desperate now for contact, but wondering just how far he could push his luck before Ichigo's control snapped. A fucking amazing sight to see, but not one productive to his current state of need, "I owe yah huh?"
"Big time," The casual reply held a world of possibilities.
"I can think of a way or two," Mouth on Ichigo's throat, running his hands along the powerful body heading downward.
Ichigo shivered, and when he spoke, his voice was lowered and clouded with lust, "Oh no you don't, not this time." Ichigo caught Kenpachi's hands in his own, and moved his neck away from Kenpachi's kiss.
Damn so close, the denial of the touching made him groan, especially when he could hear how much Ichigo was turned on by his touch.
"This time, I am in control." Ichigo spoke suddenly, voice changing from the calm steady tone to a firm confidant one that went straight to Kenpachi's groin. "Lay down, on your back." He commanded.
Ah, one of those games. They played them sometimes. His curiosity had him following the order, stretching out on his back as Ichigo had asked him to do. The goal in these was not always clear cut, but there were rules, and the number one rule was no matter what command you gave, there was to be no humiliation. They both had far too much pride to put up with that shit.
Ichigo settled himself over Kenpachi, straddling his waist, letting his legs rest on the futon below them for the time being. "No touching me. Only I get to touch until I give you permission." Ichigo laid down his rule.
"Yer tryin tah kill me," Kenpachi growled as Ichigo's burning hot mouth ran down his chest, but he was denied the pleasure of touching his lover. Their hands were still entwined from when Ichigo had stopped his earlier touching, but he was holding them above their heads to keep them out of the way.
Ichigo smirked and kept up the slow teasing trail, he knew the sensitive patches of skin over collarbone and in the hollow of jaw and neck where more of those primal groans could be wrenched from Kenpachi. "Why would I kill you now?" He bit down on the pulse point in Kenpachi's neck, earning a growl with the Captain bucking up into Ichigo's hold at the feel, "When there is so much more fun to be had in doing this to you?"
Ichigo had to think a moment on where to go from there, he had a destination in mind, but was mainly winging the method of achieving it. Freeing one hand from Kenpachi's, he brought it down to whisper across the visible scars on the larger body below him. Such a feather light touch had the muscle bound frame arching upwards, maddeningly searching for more pressure, which Ichigo denied.
"Ah, do something damn it!" Kenpachi finally protested, when Ichigo did little more then advance to using his fingernail to retrace the path over his scars.
A slow smirk, and a wicked gleam in his eyes reserved for Kenpachi alone to see, "Do something huh? Okay." He slid backwards a little ways, until he was no longer straddling Kenpachi's waist, but his hips; feeling exactly how excited this little game was making him.
"Killin' me would be kinder," Kenpachi groaned as Ichigo rubbed against him, something he wanted with ever fiber of his being, except for one little detail.
They were still clothed.
Ichigo noticed that problem, and was working on one side of it now, mouth and teeth back on Kenpachi as he stripped the Captain with the same smooth efficiency the older man had shown him.
The game didn't stop there though, when still sitting on top of Kenpachi, he started to disrobe himself. Shoulders first, then defined chest and arms were revealed to an increasingly more desperate Kenpachi. He didn't think it was possible to get more aroused, he was proved wrong when Ichigo finally pulled away the last of the cloth covering him, and Kenpachi was treated to the uninhibited sight of his body.
He had one thing to say to the idiots that didn't appreciate the sight of their partner's bodies starting to grow and swell with, their, child; fucking morons had no right to be fathers.
Ichigo saw the lust shining through even sharper, and deliberately ran his hand over the tight skin that Kenpachi's gaze was locked onto. "You like seeing this?"
"I fucking love seeing you, anytime, anywhere; our boy just makes it better." Kenpachi felt no shame admitting that.
Ichigo leaned forward, until that hard little bulge was pressing against Kenpachi's abdomen, and he was kissing Kenpachi. He took his time, languishing in the contact of body and mouth, before drawing away and to the side, to speak in his ear, "And what about when I'm so big I can't move around? When I have to be helped out of chairs, or out of bed, and feel all ugly and fat?"
The rule could go fuck itself as far as Kenpachi could care at this point, he draped his arms over Ichigo's back, trapping him. "Every day I see you getting bigger, I get prouder, seeing you like that will be torture for me. I'll hardly be able tah keep my hands off yah."
A disbelieving laugh, "Proud I'd believe, but wanting me? Now that I would doubt."
Kenpachi crashed their mouths together, "That is MY son in your belly. It's OUR boy that will be keeping yah from doing those things. He'll be big and strong because of yah carryin him. Why in the Hell wouldn't I want yah while yah do it?"
"Oh really? Prove it then, show me you'll still want me." Ichigo challenged, attempting to draw away from Kenpachi.
The arms trapping him in place tightened, keeping him from rolling away or getting up, Kenpachi was devouring his mouth again. Now it was just one arm keeping him in place the other reaching for the oil. Slicked fingers left a trail down Ichigo's back, fluid warmed by body heat easing their purpose once they reached their destination.
Ichigo realized Kenpachi's intentions when those strong hands went to his shoulders after finishing their task, easing him upright and back, sliding him towards the need the Captain had been nursing since entering the room and catching Ichigo looking so damn arousing.
That was okay, Ichigo was having a similar reaction to Kenpachi, the man bursting into the room full of lust and fire from a day of training, still damp from his shower, and he hadn't bothered to put the spikes back into his hair. Just the way Ichigo preferred him. The game he initiated intended to stoke the flame until Kenpachi was ready to burst with it.
All thought blanked as he sunk down on Kenpachi, massive hands helping to guide his decent more comfortably. It wasn't long before they were moving, arching, and bucking together. This was their little secret, the tiny little thing that truly sparked his ire when the idiot in the arena commented that a warrior never surrendered. Ichigo didn't receive because he was submissive, he did it because it felt damn good.
Kenpachi thrust up, and groaned at the feel of Ichigo surrounding him, finally getting what he wanted. He never had much interest in sex before, though there had been prospects, but most of those that came to him were the type that wanted to be dominated. They had a desire to be controlled, to be used with a heavy hand; basically they wanted to have someone else do everything for them. Certain dominants enjoyed this, and honorable ones did it well and in a way that actually took care of the submissive.
Kenpachi hated it when there was no fight in a person, when they let themselves be used. Be who you are, don't be ashamed, and for fuck's sake defend yourself because someone else may not be there to do it for you. That was how he survived, and that was the lesson he tried to teach his men.
Ichigo's hands gripped onto him with bruising force as they kept meeting, pulling him deeper inside, trying to get more friction. His own hands around the small of Ichigo's back, steadying him in their coupling, even as it allowed him to get the perfect view of Ichigo's muscular body beginning to fill with their son.
This was what Kenpachi wanted, someone who challenged him, who fought back at every turn, and who thought nothing of giving him a black eye or new scar. Ichigo could command him, and Kenpachi liked it.
He let one of his hands follow the curve of Ichigo's back, over the V of his hip, brushed a light touch over their boy, before settling down on Ichigo's straining arousal. The moan Ichigo let out was well earned as he stroked. They found a rhythm together, something not too difficult with how well their bodies tuned in to each other, smoothing out the coupling into one of growls, and moans, of pleasure with spiritual pressure licking their skin from desire.
When they were left panting and spent from completion, Ichigo was once again lounging stretched out on his side, but this time Kenpachi was laying next to him, "I won you know."
"Won what?" He was simply far too satisfied to get worked up, or move, not for a while anyway.
A little smirk, "You broke the rules and touched me without my permission, so I won."
"Yah told me tah prove something so I did," Kenpachi defended his actions, "That's permission."
"I know that, but you broke the rule before I said it," Ichigo reminded. "So I repeat, I win."
"Fine," Kenpachi caved, knowing he would push the same point if the situation were reversed. "What do I owe you this time?" There was always a price for losing a game, otherwise it wasn't as fun. The same rule applied to the price as the game itself, no humiliation, humor yes, but nothing that could hurt the other's pride.
That smile was downright scary, "Oh just a little trip to the living world."
Kenpachi looked at him oddly, "Why's that a price?"
"Cause we're going to visit my dad." Ichigo informed, the same smile on his face, "I think Yachiru should meet her grandpa don't you think? Also maybe you should introduce yourself before his grandson is born? Might take some of the sting out of the situation."
Kenpachi had already been threatened with evisceration, which he knew would happen should he screw up, now this? "Are you sure about this?"
Ichigo tilted his head curiously at him before chuckling, "Kenpachi, are you….afraid of my dad?"
"No!" Kenpachi responded quickly, a little too quickly. Ichigo's steady gaze wore him down, "You are strong as Hell, I don't want to piss your father off, never had to deal with angry dads before."
Not a chuckle, this was downright laughter, "I'll let you in on a little thing you should know about, in my family, Dad is not the scary one; Karin is."
"Isn't that your little sister?" Kenpachi asked curiously.
"Talk to Toushiro," Ichigo replied mysteriously, before making himself comfortable to get some sleep. "I don't mean we should head off tomorrow, maybe in a few weeks or so. It really hasn't been that long since I left, I just don't want to be gone the whole time I'm pregnant, I think dad might just storm the Seireitei if I tried that one. He's embarrassing enough at home."
"Right, give me a heart attack, then tell me it can wait, yah really are tryin tah kill me." Kenpachi was shaking his head again.
Ichigo's eyes opened again, "I have something that might take your mind off things."
"What?" Now he was curious, Ichigo looked too tired for another round already.
"Come here," He ordered, pulling Kenpachi's hand over, setting it on the curve of his stomach. "You might have to wait a minute or two."
Kenpachi waited with growing anticipation until, "There, did you feel that?" Ichigo asked, as a brush, about what you would feel from a sakura petal blown across your skin in the wind, touched the palm of his hand. "He's kicking again."
"That's him?" He couldn't believe it, the brush was so soft.
Ichigo nodded, putting his hand over Kenpachi's, "Yes, Retsu confirmed it. I've been feeling something funny for a little bit, only I wasn't sure it was him; it definitely is though. He is going to get stronger and stronger, until there can be no doubt he's the one doing it."
They stayed that way through the night, Ichigo sleeping, with Kenpachi's hand protectively resting over their son. After that Kenpachi would face down anything for them, how frightening could a few relatives be?
He managed to track down Toushiro during an off time about a week later, duties and annoyances keeping them apart in the meantime. "I need to talk to yah, feel like a spar?" He offered to the frosty Captain, knowing the kid rarely passed over the opportunity unlike most of the other Captains. This time he had also left Yachiru with Ichigo, so his current bind wouldn't make it back to the women's association.
"I have a free afternoon," Toushiro allowed, "Your training yards or mine?"
"Haven't busted up yours for awhile," It would also hopefully keep Ichigo from knowing he had actually talked to Toushiro about this like he had advised. The kid was smart, and he had met Ichigo's family, there was merit in the suggestion. Kenpachi just didn't want to owe Ichigo another point, he could get surprisingly creative in assigning the paybacks.
Toushiro lead him to the training arena, his squad members scattering to the sidelines as soon as they saw Kenpachi with him. He set himself into his fighting stance, one he had practiced relentlessly in the academy, having such a large sword with a small body had caused many problems for him. They could talk for a bit while they warmed their muscles up, Kenpachi rarely needed a warm up if it was this late in the day, but he conceded most of his opponents didn't spend the majority of their days fighting.
As the opening clashes of metal rang through the yard, Toushiro opened the conversation, "You wanted to speak with me?"
"Yeah, and how many times have I told yah tah relax? That formal crap doesn't mean nothin' in a fight." Kenpachi corrected, taking a high swipe that Toushiro ducked. Kenpachi wondered when Toushiro would notice he tended to take shots that forced the other Captain into taking advantage of his size, if you had an asset use it, even if others didn't perceive it that way. "Had a talk with Ichigo, he wants tah visit his family soon. I don't blame him, but he wants Yachiru and me tah go with him. You know 'em, what the Hell am I in for?"
"Total chaos," Toushiro replied bluntly, responding with a volley of his own attacks hitting low on the tall opponent. "Isshin Kurosaki is hard to figure out, nearly as powerful as Ichigo, but not even close to his intensity. He is dangerous only when you threaten his family or home, but those he considers family doesn't always mean blood. He is capable of being serious, but prefers not to be from what I have seen."
Conversation was halted as a series of quick back and forth movements had them pushing each other across the training yard, Kenpachi keeping his attacks high, Toushiro low.
"So Ichigo's dad is just like him, if yah managed to get him either drunk, or into Yachiru's candy stash?" Kenpachi tried to understand once talking was possible again.
The description made Toushiro pause long enough he was almost clipped by Kenpachi's ragged Zanpakuto, but he recovered just in time, twisting out of the way. "…Now that you mention it, yeah that's about right. I'd imagine Ichigo would act a lot like Isshin if he ever let himself get drunk to the point of not really caring anymore and added a massive amount of sugar on top of it."
"How massive?" Kenpachi asked with narrowed eyes.
Even Toushiro had to think about it for a moment, "I'm not sure even Yachiru's stash would be enough, but Captain Ukitake's might be." Was it Toushiro's imagination, or did Kenpachi just blanch?
Another volley of attacks passed, this time a combination of high and low to start tripping the other up, before the next question, "Who's next?"
"Ichigo has twin sisters, did you know that?" Toushiro asked, lashing out in the general area of Kenpachi's navel.
"Yeah, Karin and Yuzu, never met them though," Kenpachi admitted. "He talks about them a bit more than he does his father." There were perks to being in the good graces of the Captain who ran the information gathering squad.
"Yuzu is very kind, she takes care of the house and family, plus any stray people that wander in. I don't know how many Shinigami she's given hot meals to over the years, no questions asked. During the mess with the Arrancars she didn't even know anything yet, and it was like just another day at the office for her. I will warn you right now, touch a hair on her head, even accidently, and you will have three pissed off Kurosaki's to deal with. Oh and her family are not the only protectors Yuzu Kurosaki has, they are just the ones she knows about, she can be a bit oblivious about how much people care about her." A dangerous gleam in aqua eyes let Kenpachi know where one of Yuzu's other protectors was. He imagined there were quite a few other ones scattered around the Seireitei if the girl was as kind as Toushiro said she was.
It was amazing what a little kindness could get you with Shinigami, just look at Retsu, NO ONE told that woman no. Ever.
"I don't hurt kids, specially not little girls," Kenpachi protested. "Yah think Yachiru and her will get along?"
"I think Yuzu is going to spoil her like crazy." It wasn't too hard to see. Toushiro couldn't stop the quiet laugh when the next thought hit, "And it would also give you and Ichigo a break since Yuzu would actually be a good female influence on her, rather than if she learned certain things from Rangiku."
The next attack had a little more power behind it, and Toushiro realized his comment had struck a nerve, "You keep your Lieutenant as far away from Yachiru as possible got it?"
"Since when does she listen to me?" Toushiro pointed out, as he protected himself from the onslaught.
"You better try," Kenpachi grumbled.
A put upon sigh, "I'll do what I can."
"Good." Kenpachi relaxed into the steady back and forth that might actually teach the tiny Captain something about how to handle himself against a physically larger opponent. "Now the last one, Karin?"
A red blush coated pale cheeks, and Kenpachi discovered something interesting, so this was why Ichigo had him talk to Toushiro specifically out of all the Shinigami that knew his family. "Good luck."
"Huh?" He was more amused than anything else, but he wanted to see what he could get the other Captain to admit to.
"Take all of Ichigo's temper, add in twice the stubbornness, the potential I believe to at least equal his power, and a way of speaking that can cut a person to the quick; put it all in a teenage girl and you get Karin. She is not kind like Yuzu, or as theatric as Isshin, she says exactly what is on her mind. I will say it again, good luck." There was a little smirk turning up the corner of his lips at the last bit, he was doing everything but say if Karin didn't approve of Kenpachi she would tear him a new one.
He got the message loud and clear anyway. "You've had your eye on her for how long?"
The blush deepened, but the reply that came was no confession, "Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!"