It was a slow rise to consciousness. It was hard to tell how long it took, but Ichigo guessed it was around an hour. It started with his body feeling freezing before something searing hot, like a hot poker, touched and slid across his back before latching on. Ichigo vaguely remembers murmuring noises before being shushed by someone. That was the second thing to bring him to awareness.
He stayed that way for a bit after that; teetering on the edge of consciousness and unconsciousness, almost floating in the warmth that smothered him. Then, someone started humming. It was a low hum, a tune that sounded dark and almost morbid, but brought a lightness to Ichigo's chest. It was quite a beautiful hum, something that was somehow familiar.
The warmth had almost started to suffocate him when he finally began to move a few minutes later. Ichigo didn't move after that, instinctively knowing that he wasn't supposed to. The humming still continued, a bit closer to his ear now, with warm breaths breezing over his ear.
By the time Ichigo was fully awake, he almost felt like falling back asleep. It's the first time in weeks since he slept this peacefully, and he felt almost boneless. It was nice.
Ichigo hummed softly and finally moved again, just so he could lean his head back into the searing warmth behind him. He doesn't bother to open his eyes, even as slowly moves his hands towards the arm wrapped tightly around his waist. The choker becomes just a bit more snug from the movement, focusing Ichigo's attention on it for a moment.
"...K'suke?" Ichigo mumbles past the sleep that still held onto his voice. Kisuke finally pauses his humming to lean even further against Ichigo's back.
He presses a soft kiss to Ichigo's jaw, sighing softly. "Good morning, Ichigo."
Ichigo hums back his greeting, too lazy to form any words, and tilts his head. He blindly kisses Kisuke's jaw, unbothered by the scratchiness of his stubble.
"Go back to sleep. It's barely even dawn," Kisuke speaks against Ichigo's ear, lightly brushing his thumb up and down Ichigo's ribcage.
Ichigo makes another noise before he turns around fully. His breath hitches when the arms tighten around his waist, suffocatingly tight, before going back to normal. Ichigo slowly opens his eyes and looks into the bright quicksilver eyes in front of him. Faint light coming from the window further back makes them practically glow silver.
"Need to finish Shinji's commission today... an' I still have a long ways to go for Byakuya's," Ichigo states, scowling in disappointment. For once in his life, he wants to stay in bed instead of creating art.
"You're on a first name basis with those two?" Kisuke asks, voice completely blank. Ichigo huffs out a laugh with an eye roll, not noticing Kisuke's expression.
"That asshole wouldn't accept anything else and I call Byakuya by his first name because it gets under his skin and it makes Rukia laugh." Ichigo focuses back on Kisuke, pausing at the dark look in his eyes.
He smiles softly and leans his head forward, pecking the corner of his boyfriend's mouth. "Don't worry, Kisuke-san. I'm nowhere near Shinji's type, and I'm sure you know about Byakuya. You were at his social party after all."
"I still don't like people being near my things when I'm not around," Kisuke growls lowly, making Ichigo snap his eyes back up. A bright red blush crawls up his ears and across his cheeks as he stares at the pale blonde with wide eyes.
"...I apologize. That was uncalled for. I–"
"I... I don't mind," Ichigo interrupts quietly, giving Kisuke his turn to stare at him. "It makes me happy that I'm yours. If I'm yours... no one will take you away from me."
No one will. I'll kill them.
Only me. You'll only look at me.
I'll kill you if you look at anyone else!
Kisuke Kisuke Kisuke Kisuke Kisuke Kisuke Kisuke Kisuke Kisuke Kisuke Kisuke–
"Oh? Such a possessive little doll I have..." Kisuke hums low in his throat, leaning his head closer with half-lidded eyes. Ichigo physically startles at the pet name, eyes widening when it all comes back.
"You–you–last night, you–" Ichigo cuts his stuttering off with a whine, making his flaming face burn as hot as the sun. He leans back with his hands covering his face, mortified and shocked.
Kisuke laughs quietly at Ichigo's realizing embarrassment before he suddenly pulls Ichigo towards him. A squeal leaves Ichigo's mouth unbidden when he is suddenly rolled on top of a warm body, his hands instinctively resting on a bare chest.
"You were so beautiful. Sleeping so peacefully. Letting me ruin you... did you like your reward, doll?" Kisuke lightly digs his thumbs into the divots of Ichigo's hips, circling them around. Ichigo keeps his head down with his eyes locked on his hands, too embarrassed to speak even when his cock twitches at the reminder.
Barely awake and being ruined... A moan gets stuck in Ichigo's throat at the realization that he barely even remembers most of what happened, and his fingers twitch when he quickly realizes next that he wouldn't mind if Kisuke did that to him when he was fully unconscious and unaware.
One of Kisuke's hands leaves his hips before reaching up. His fingers grasp Ichigo's chin before forcing it up, his thumb pressed against Ichigo's lip. Ichigo's face burns hotter than he thought possible as his eyes are forced to focus on Kisuke's.
"My lovely Ichigo... I asked you a question..." The thumb lightly drags Ichigo's lip down, revealing white teeth. "Did you like your reward?"
Ichigo whines softly in primal instinct before he swallows back the sound. He takes stuttering breath and slowly nods his head, his fingers slowly curling up against Kisuke's chest. His mouth partially opens for his tongue to peek out, lightly pressing against the thumb still on his lip.
"...yes... I did..." Ichigo finally speaks up, voice soft and shy. Kisuke hums at the answer, his ring finger stretching to snag against the bottom of Ichigo's choker. Ichigo chokes down a mewl when Kisuke uses that leverage to force him closer, his hands sliding up to keep himself balanced.
"So shy~! Have you been with anyone like this before me?" Kisuke asks with a teasing smile and dark eyes. Ichigo fidgets in Kisuke's lap before he shakes his head.
"N-not really... they–they just wanted to mess with me... they wanted to know why our high school sweetheart wanted to make me suffer that–" Ichigo forces his head out of Kisuke's grip, turning it to avoid quicksilver eyes as he cuts himself off. He bites the inside of his cheek before he tries to slide off of Kisuke's body. He doesn't want to think about her and what she did. Calloused hands quickly grab his hips before tightening to a bruising degree, forcing the young man still.
Kisuke sits up and pulls Ichigo fully onto his lap. "Ichigo, what happened?"
Ichigo stubbornly keeps his head turned, hands twitching to itch at his arms. He wants to peel off his skin. It was getting too itchy. He didn't want to think about her.
"Ichigo," Kisuke speaks again, his tone slightly dark. Ichigo shakes his head as he grabs his own arms and claws into his skin.
"No... Don't–don't wanna talk about it. No. No. Don' wanna talk about her. Don't make me. I don't wanna." Ichigo feels his breaths get shorter and shorter, making his chest hurt. He doesn't want to think about her! Stop it. Stop it! Stopitstopitstopitstopitstopit!
"Oh, darling..." Ichigo flinches when a hand gently brushes against his cheek, making him snap his head to the other side in terror. A small whine escapes his throat while he clenches his eyes shut to prepare for the hit. He doesn't realize that he lifted his arms up to protect his face until he feels a hand grab one of his wrists. His eyes snap open and focuses on the hand wrapped around his wrist.
Ichigo starts to hyperventilate. He messed up. He messed up. He messed up! He knows he's not allowed to say no. She gets angry when he says no. She doesn't listen when he says no. She cries when he flinches from touch. She blames him for making his father hit him and getting him angry.
"Sorry–I-I'm sorry... Sorry, sorry, sorry! I didn't–I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to say no! Orihime, I'm sorry–I'm-'m sorry!" Ichigo starts to spiral in his paralysing terror. "Don't–don't blame me. 'm sorry. I shouldn't–shouldn't have flinched. I shouldn't 've tried to run. 'm sorry. 'm really s'rry! Please. Please forgive me, 'm sorry!"
"Shh, you did nothing wrong, my Lovely Ichigo... shh... it's alright," Kisuke speaks softly, using his free arm to pull Ichigo closer. He hugs Ichigo to his chest and gently presses a kiss against his forehead. The younger man flinches at the touch, even when he practically sinks into the hold.
A soft sob leaves his throat before Ichigo buries his face into the crook of Kisuke's neck. Kisuke gently shushes him and holds him tighter.
"I won't let anything happen to you... This Orihime will never touch you again." Kisuke tightens his arm around Ichigo's waist. "I'll make sure she won't... I swear..."
Ichigo doesn't pay attention to what's being said, nor the promise that sets everything in stone. He just clutches at Kisuke's back as he attempts to calm his panic down.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out what was going on with Rukia's... irritating friend. Unfortunately, her best friend, much to Byakuya's vexation.
Despite his... begrudging tolerance of the disdainful Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki Byakuya can't deny the fact that he worries over the boy. He couldn't help it, especially with what Rukia had imparted to him about Ichigo's less than acceptable home life and childhood. He can deny the fact that Ichigo managed to force himself into Byakuya's heart without permission or notice.
As the years passed, especially after those three days Rukia still refuses to speak the truth about, Byakuya gained enough insight of the orange haired brat to know when things were... upsetting or odd in his personal life. Currently, it was more terrifying and Ichigo had no idea.
His signature mark for any possible new toy was jewelry. Especially, ruby jewelry. And Ichigo has a choker wrapped around his neck like a noose with a ruby in the shade of fresh blood.
If Byakuya didn't know any better, he would appreciate the sight. Even if he... disliked the brat, he can admit that Ichigo was quite pretty. The boy brings in people like moths to a flame, and yet had the blindness of a bat when it came to people pursuing him romantically or even people who just wanted to treat him well.
Protectiveness always surged through his veins when he saw another less than savory character attempt to whisk Ichigo away. Ichigo only deserved the best, and most people who lived in Seireitei City definitely were not even close to the best for him.
But Byakuya did know better, and that choker was a downright claim of Ichigo's entire being to one of the most dangerous people in the entire world. Urahara Kisuke.
"Kurosaki Ichigo," Byakuya speaks up, voice betraying none of the fear and worry he has for the boy. Ichigo turns his head, startling a bit at being called on by the wealthy noble.
Byakuya's expression doesn't betray the rising anger when he sees a pristine white bandage covering Ichigo's entire cheek and red-rimmed eyes. Ichigo's mouth twitches into a smile, genuine but forced.
"Byakuya... I'm just about to get to work on your commission... Did you need something?" Ichigo asks quietly, his voice slightly hoarse.
"...are you... alright?" Byakuya reluctantly asks. His face pinches slightly at his need to ask the boy, already mentally shivering.
Ichigo snorts loudly, his smile growing into a genuine smirk at least. "Is the sky upside down? The great Byakuya is asking me if I'm okay?"
Ichigo blinks when Byakuya stays silent at the jab. His expression falters in his shock before he averts his gaze. Ichigo absentmindedly presses a hand to his choker with reddening ears.
"...my mind... went places earlier today but I'm okay now. Someone helped me," Ichigo answers quietly, glancing back up at Byakuya before turning his head. "I've finished the sketch. I'll be sketching out the second canvas today and then get started on painting the first."
Byakuya stays quiet for a few moments, making sure Ichigo was telling the truth. It went unspoken between those who know him that Kisuke can sometimes get... violent when he's in his episodes, however few and far between they are.
"I may not... like you, but you are Rukia's best friend. If you need anything from me, don't be afraid to ask," Byakuya finally speaks up before he turns around. Ichigo watches him walk away, incredibly confused by the confrontation.
He couldn't tell if Ichigo was telling the truth or not. Which means, Byakuya has to go talk with that damned woman. He doesn't want to, but he needs to make sure Ichigo is safe.
He helped Rukia heal and helped her become who she was today. Rukia would never forgive him if the worst happened and Byakuya knew all along. And Renji... he would never trust him again.
Ichigo doesn't even know how he even got here. One moment, he was walking out of Byakuya's manor, finished with his work for the day, and the next Renji drags him into a car with his friends to go out drinking. He doesn't even know how Renji convinced him to even stay. They were drinking with Yumichika, Ikkaku, and Rangiku after all.
All Ichigo wanted to do was go home and cuddle with Kisuke. Even if he's calmed down from his... spiralling that morning, he just wants to sleep it all away in Kisuke's hug. But... well, he really hasn't hung out with anyone besides Renji and Rukia in quite a bit.
"That choker looks absolutely beautiful, even with your eyebags washing it out." Ayasegawa Yumichika states, bringing Ichigo back into reality.
Ichigo looks up with a scowl while he traces the rim off his glass. "And that jacket looks wonderful on you, even if it makes you look like an overgrown peacock with that purple headdress of yours."
"It's wisteria, you trash!" Yumichika snarks back, slamming his hands onto the table. The feathers from the headdress he wore bounced from the momentum, a few of them falling in front of lavender eyes.
"You should wear red more often! I didn't realize you looked so hot in that color~!" Matsumoto Rangiku states brightly, leaning forward and making her large boobs almost completely fall out of her shirt.
"You said that about black too, Rangiku," Ichigo points out tiredly before drinking the rest of his drink Renji ordered for him.
"I didn't think it was so serious. He really got you that?" Renji pulls the conversation back before Rangiku could borderline harass the orange haired man any longer.
"Wait–he? Ichi-chan, are you dating someone?!" Rangiku asks, completely gobsmacked.
Madarame Ikkaku snorts loudly before downing his third glass of alcohol. "Kurosaki, dating someone?! He's too fucking oblivious for that!"
"Yes." Ichigo ignores the sudden silence, and Ikkaku falling out of his chair in shock, to focus on Renji. "He got it for me yesterday. We–we moved in together."
"Wait–you're dating someone! How long have you been dating?! You're already living together?" Rangiku barrels through her questions before Renji is even given a chance to speak.
"I–"
"You can't be at that stage already! They must be wanting something from you. Someone beautiful like you, even if you don't know how to take care of yourself and you wear such awful clothes, need to be careful when dating," Yumichika scolds the younger man with a worried frown.
Ichigo sweatdrops at the backhanded compliment and opens his mouth to try and speak, again. "It's because–"
"And let's not forget that you're still a virgin!" Rangiku bursts out loudly in the middle of the bar. Ichigo groans loudly with his face buried in his hands, ears burning bright red. Renji laughs loudly next to him, making the artist steal his drink in retaliation.
"Hey! You fucking asshole–" Ichigo slaps his hand against Renji's face, stopping him from taking back his drink, as he chugs the alcohol.
Ichigo blanches at the awful taste of whiskey before roughly handing Renji back his glass. He glares at his other friends and waves for the bartender.
"We've been dating for a little bit over a month." Ichigo gives the bartender a tired smile when another drink is placed in front of him. "And no. He doesn't want anything from me."
"Ichigo... a month? That's–that's fast," Rangiku says quietly, struggling to find the right words.
Ichigo sighs heavily and downs his second drink without a care. Fuck his life.
"It is, but there wasn't really much of a choice. I... my bitch of a landlord–she evicted me a few days ago. I didn't have enough money for anywhere else and I'm not–I'm not going back to Karakura... it works out, so it's okay," Ichigo explains vaguely. He reaches up and touches his choker, frowning as he thought about this shit show of a week.
"She evicted you?! Ichigo, why didn't you tell me? Or Rukia? We could have helped!" Renji exclaims, shocked at the revelation.
Ichigo shrugs with a quiet hum. His eyes stare into his empty glass, not wanting to face his best friend's worry. He didn't want to be a burden.
"You're not gonna be anyone's burden, fucking dumbass. It's okay if you ask for help from us. We're your friends," Ikkaku sneers with his own version of worry, knowing what was on Ichigo's mind. Ichigo scowls stubbornly, but sighs at the statement.
"Have you guys fucked yet? You never answer me when I ask you why you're still a virgin, Ichigo~!" Rangiku asks loudly with a whine. Ichigo groans again and looks up at the bartender when he passes by.
"Can you leave two bottles here? I can't deal with this woman while sober," Ichigo practically pleads for the alcohol. No one in the group stops him, even though they all know he–and Renji–is underage.
"Of course. It'll just be a moment," The brown haired man states smoothly with a close-eyed smile. Ichigo blinks before feeling a slightly funny feeling in his chest.
He's really pretty...
Almost as pretty as Kisuke...
Kisuke... I wish Kisuke was here...
"What's going on that caused you three to kidnap me on my way home?" Ichigo forces the thoughts out of his mind to focus on his friends.
"Please. Someone as beautiful as me doing something so distasteful? I'd be breaking my nails left and right!" Yumichika scoffs with his head turned in his disgust. His neatly manicured and azure painted nails gleam in the soft lights of the bar.
"All you're doing is work, work, work. Last time you worked this much, you almost walked into oncoming traffic with how exhausted you were," Rangiku states, waving away the accusation that they kidnapped the young man.
Renji leans back with his new glass and takes a sip. "And Yuzu called me. Says you need to relax before your busy season."
"Of course Yuzu would betray me like this," Ichigo says in mock betrayal, a small smile twitching onto his face. Two bottles are suddenly placed in front of him, unopened and clearly expensive.
"Do enjoy," The bartender says before walking away as fast as he suddenly appeared. Ichigo focuses at the bottles before sighing again.
"Fine, but I expect Renji to take me home and that neither of you follow. I ain't letting my boyfriend meet you unless absolutely necessary," Ichigo relents with a shrug and a pointed glare to the expressively innocent Rangiku and Yumichika.
These two psychos love a chance to try and embarrass him. He isn't giving them an advantage.
Hey! Hope you all like the new chapter! Somewhat of an angsty one at the beginning and then Ichigo worrying everyone around him. As usual.
Next chapter... Maybe drunk Ichigo... or maybe our queen Benihime... or... maybe both! Who knows? Certainly not me!
I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! Bye.
WhovianWhoudini