Chapter 16: Warm nest – Part 1
"This is what you deserve, filthy fag!"
Uryu's eyes flew open on a startled shout, heart racing and panting from the nightmare he'd just had. Where was he? What had happened again? He felt warm for once, and as his sleepy mind started to clear, he found himself in a bed, but had absolutely no clue why. He was in a room with a familiar, soothing scent. The curtains were closed, but a beam of dwindling daylight pierced the darkness. Still too dazed to think much of all of this right now, Uryu just gave himself a moment to wake up.
Suddenly, someone appeared hovering over him in the dim light. "Oh, good! You're finally awake. I've been worried about you, you know." Then, the person jolted to the door of the room and yelled: "He's awake!"
Uryu groaned when he tried to move, using his hands to search for his glasses. He'd recognize that voice anywhere, but that was impossible. Then, the person above him apologized and flipped on the bedside table light, making the Quincy squint to the sudden brightness.
"How are you feeling, Ishida? Are you alright?"
In the soft light, Uryu's eyes stared in awe at the orange-haired boy above him. But this couldn't be. It had to be a dream again, and he was going to wake up any second now.
"Oh, right, your glasses," the smiling boy added and gently slid the frame of Uryu's specs over the bridge of his nose. "There. That's better, huh."
Wasn't this a dream? But, it had to be. Uryu didn't even dare to hope anymore. His heart started throbbing in his chest as he stared up in those rich, brown eyes, and he could only manage to croak: "K-Kurosaki?"
The boy chuckled; a sound the Quincy had missed for so long. "Yep, you're at the Kurosaki mansion alright. So, how are you feeling, Ishida? You were in a pretty bad shape when-"
Uryu felt all kinds of emotions surge through him, but for the sake of not being called a drama-queen again, he tried his best to keep them under control. Ichigo had hurt him profoundly, and he was probably being naive again, but the need for a friend overruled all that pain right now. Could this really be happening?
The Quincy couldn't prevent his voice from breaking when he cut the other boy off: "B-but, does this mean… you're not angry anymore?"
"Angry?" the other answered sheepishly. "What's there to be angry about?"
Before Uryu could control himself, he jolted upright and winded his arms around the Substitute, clinging to him in a hug he so desperately needed. Tears filled his eyes, but he bravely swallowed them down, trying to convince himself this was not a dream after all as he held Ichigo tight, inhaled his scent and felt his familiar warmth. He was probably being too emotional for the other boy's liking, but he couldn't help it.
Uryu's lips trembled when he stuttered: "K-Kurosaki, I've m-missed you so much. C-can we finally be f-friends again?"
The other boy made a surprised sound, but didn't fight the embrace. "Of course, we're friends, Ishida. Did I miss something again? That stupid Substitute never tells me anything, ya know."
Uryu gasped when realization hit him. He broke the embrace to stare at the other boy's face, pupils dilating in shock.
"K-Kon?"
"In the flesh!" the other laughed. "You didn't take me for that nitwit Ichigo, did you?"
"K-Kon… N-not Ichigo..." Uryu's throat closed off from the emotions, making his voice sound raspy and strained. The hope that had started to fill the hole in his broken heart was blown to shreds again and he couldn't possibly hold back his tears this time.
"Whoa! Why are you crying, Ishida? Was it something I said?"
Uryu was having a hard time dealing with the enthusiastic mod-soul that controlled Ichigo's body right now and felt his emotions boil over completely. Lost in sorrow and despair, he lowered his head into his trembling hands, as his hurting body shook from the sobs that rolled from his lips.
He should have known better. He never learned did he? Of course it was Kon. Of course... Ichigo hated him, after all. How could he have been that stupid to believe the Substitute was finally over the things that had happened. How could he have been so naive...
Suddenly, the Quincy felt how Kon draped an arm around his shoulders, making him flinch. "Hey, hey. What's going on, Ishida?"
What a sight he must make for the mod-soul… "S-sorry, Kon, I just…" What was he going to tell him? Everything was so complicated, but he knew one thing; he had to get out of that house. If Ichigo found him here, he was going to murder the both of them...
All at once, Kon wrapped his arms around him again and drew him against his chest, startling Uryu. "It's okay, Ishida. The state I found you in yesterday was… shocking." That threw Uryu of guard for a second and he sucked in a sharp breath, but the mod-soul did not let go of him. "If you feel like crying, just let it all out."
Uryu couldn't fight this embrace. He so desperately needed somebody to care. Even if only for a moment. Even if Kon couldn't possibly imagine the load of crap he found himself in. His throat had closed off again from the overwhelming emotions, and he couldn't utter a word. He buried his face against the other boy's shoulder, and just cried. Reminiscing everything that had happened these last few weeks, his bruised body rocking softly while he sobbed.
"It's okay… Just let it all out. You'll feel better."
"T-thank you, Kon." was all the Quincy could manage after a loaded moment, only now realizing that it was the mod-soul who had found him. Tears were still spilling from his eyes, and gently enveloped in Ichigo's soothing scent and warmth, he tried to get some of the heavy grief off of his chest, while Kon whispered soft encouragements. It was so bitter-sweet. He was happy the mod-soul had helped him and still considered him his friend, but at the same time his longing for Ichigo hurt so much.
"Can I ask… what has happened?" Kon asked with a concerned voice. "I mean… for someone like you to be in such a state…"
Uryu's mind was racing from his emotional overload, and he didn't know what to tell the mod-soul. "I… I was… in a fight." He mentally cursed himself for spilling that information, but either way, Kon wasn't stupid and the wounds on his body must have given that away.
"Yeah, that much was clear, but-"
The mod-soul couldn't finish his sentence as suddenly the door opened and Ichigo's father, Isshin, dashed inside, looking energetic as ever.
"How's my favorite patient?" The moment Isshin's gaze fell on them, a glimmer of tears danced in his eyes, and a heartfelt smile stretched across his face. He yelled, "Group hug!" and promptly wrapped his arms around both boys on the bed.
"Hey, take it easy, Isshin!" Kon interjected between muffled groans. "You're killing us!"
"Oww, come on, a little hug won't kill you!" Isshin laughed, deepening his hug and drawing annoyed sounds from the mod-soul.
"This is exactly why Ichigo thinks you're crazy, old man! You don't know when to quit!"
"But hugging is so much fun and it's healthy, Kon!" Isshin chimed in with his trademark enthusiasm.
Uryu couldn't help but huff a soft laugh at their dynamics, even though Ichigo's father did act a little over the top. These two made him feel somewhat normal again, instead of the unwanted pariah everybody else made him feel like. When he stopped chuckling, he found both men gazing at him, breaking the circle of their arms.
"So, how are you feeling, Ishida-kun?" Isshin asked, concern straitening his everlasting-smile, while he quickly checked Uryu's vitals. "You were in a pretty bad shape last night, so I gave you something to sleep, as you obviously needed that."
Uryu struggled with how to respond. They were bound to ask questions and, feeling weak as he did right now, he wasn't up to that. "I-I'm alright, I guess," he lied. "I was just... exhausted."
Isshin just gazed at him with a compassionate smile and settled onto the edge of the bed besides Kon. "How's your foot? If it's causing you pain, I can give you something to help with that."
"My foot?" Uryu tried to put the pieces back together again. Ah yes. It all began with a simple action like putting on his shoes that had led to so much trouble. His heart sank at the recollection, unsure as to how his school life would proceed from now on, and he let out a weary sigh.
"You had pieces of glass in your foot, son. I had to stitch some of those wounds."
"Yeah, it wasn't a pretty sight, Ishida," Kon blurted. "So… Can you tell us what happened?"
Uryu's gaze shifted away, his fists involuntarily clenching in the sheets still covering his lower body. What could he possibly tell them? Isshin was a frenemy of his ex-father. The less he knew, the better. Just in case. He couldn't let them in on the details of his crappy life… He couldn't risk his father finding out and snipe him down with even more scrutiny. And he didn't want to get bawled out by Ichigo for staying over at his house either. It was so hard to admit that he had become homeless trash. And it was completely pointless, too, as he needed to get going before Ichigo barged in here and…
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. As he gazed back up, there was nothing but concern and empathy in Isshin's gaze, and it was a complete contrast to how his cold-hearted ex-father would have chastised him.
"Ishida-kun, we know there's more going on than you're willing to share. I know that I'm a little goofy sometimes, but I'm also a doctor."
Uryu took a quivering breath at the earnest concern they were both showing him, and a ripple of sadness surged up from his broken heart. Here he was, sitting on a bed with Ichigo's father and Ichigo's body, showing him support the Substitute could never give him. And neither had his friends. It touched him, but it also stung. He so much wanted to reach out to them, to tell them about his mess of a life, to ask Isshin if he could stay here, but… Ichigo would never allow it...
Unable to face them, the Quincy looked away, aware his vulnerability was written across his features.
There was one thing he absolutely needed to know and his hands clenched the soft bedding still partially covering him as he hesitantly asked, "D-does my… father… know about this?"
The Quincy was still averting his gaze, but heard Kon make a surprised sound. Isshin seemed to mull over that question before he replied, "No, not yet. I've tried to reach him, but-"
"Please, don't tell him about any of this!" Uryu interjected, feeling his heartbeat pick up from both relief and stress. "Please, Kurosaki-san. Ryuuken has no need to know. It would only make matters worse." Feeling the emotions take over his rationality again, the only thing he could do was hold his tongue and bow his head towards the former Shinigami-captain in a silent plea.
Isshin made a startled noise, and so did the mod-soul inside Ichigo's body. Uryu was looking down still, when he felt a hand ruffle through his hair. He gasped, as that gesture was linked to him to his dear departed grandfather, Souken.
"Look, Ishida-kun. We know you've had a rough time, to say the least, but we can't force you to tell us anything." That made the Quincy look up on a soft gasp. "Besides, you really have to get some more rest. Why don't you just take a nap until dinner, it will do you good. After that, you can take a bath if you'd like, and then you can join Kon and me for a nice cup of tea. How about that?"
The man threw him a broad smile, and Uryu stared at him openmouthedly. "Y-you're letting me stay here? Y-you'd do that for me?" His voice broke, as he couldn't remember when someone had last been so kind towards him, but then he remembered a small annoying detail. "B-but where's Ichigo? He woudn't want me here, a-and…" He closed his eyes again, to prevent either of the men sitting beside him from seeing the hurt reflected in them.
"Nonsense," Isshin answered softly. "You're Ichigo's friend and there's no reason for him to object."
Yeah, that was where the Quincy thought differently…
"Besides, he's in Soul Society for the weekend. We don't expect him back before Tuesday or so," Kon cheerfully added.
"B-but… "
Isshin stood up and hovered over him, pushing his shoulders down, which caused Uryu to go silent from anxiety for a second. "I won't take no for an answer, Ishida-kun. You need to rest and I happen to have a perfectly fine bed right here." There wasn't a shred of hostility in the man's voice, and the Quincy looked up at him in surprise. "Just try to sleep, son. It'll do you good. I'll have Kon wake you up before dinner."
"Count on me," the mod-soul smiled.
Uryu felt a lump form in his throat as he was stunned silent. The prospect of a decent night's sleep, a hot meal and a bath was almost too good to be true. "T-thank you…" was the only thing he could manage.
"And don't worry about Ichigo," the Shinigami concluded. "We can handle him."
With that they put out the lights again, and left Uryu laying down in the Substitute's bed, feeling conflicted.
He so much wanted to be able to stay here, but he didn't dare hope anymore. When Ichigo got back from whatever he was doing in Soul Society, things would get messy again and he really didn't feel up to another argument with him. Ichigo hated him and there was nothing he could do to change that…
Sighing, the Quincy put his specs aside and draped his arm over his tired eyes. He was in Ichigo's bed, and it made him remember a different moment they had shared together. He knew he really should stop thinking about all of that, but this time, the memory was induced by Ichigo's subtle scent.
Uryu gave in to his body's obvious needs and slowly surrendered to the sleep that claimed him.
Uryu cried out, terrified, his heart pounding and breaths coming in ragged gasps. It was dark around him and he couldn't see anything. Where was he? He swiftly sat up, trying to figure it out. What was going on? Was he still in Szayelaporro's lab?
His body trembled and he could feel tears well up in his eyes. He was never going to escape this awful place, he was going to die here…
A broken sob rolled from his lips as he tried to use his arms to search the darkness surrounding him.
All at once he was grabbed from behind, arms winding around him, and Uryu shrieked in horror.
"No!" he shouted, panic surging through his body as he struggled to break free, flinging his fists at the monster grabbing him. "Leave me alone! Nooo!" The beast was making sounds to get his attention, but he couldn't understand, nor did he want to know what the creature was telling him.
Suddenly, a soft light went on and Uryu howled, shutting his eyes to the sudden brightness, certain it was that Espada watching them again. "Get away from me, you monster!"
There was nothing he could do! The creature was going to unleash it's cruelty on him again and there was nothing he could do!
Taking erratic breaths from sheer stress, while trying to push the thing away from him, he could only hope for the creature's mercy, eyes still closed out of fear. But when nothing happened after a few seconds, Uryu slowly opened his eyes to see what was going on, his vision unblurring little by little.
The sight broke his heart…
Ichigo was reaching for him. Ichigo, the boy he loved, whom he'd just bawled out for monster, was reaching for him inside this chaos. A small, regret filled smile blemishing Ichigo's handsome face while profound and unshielded hurt spilled from his brown eyes and made ghastly streaks on his cheeks.
Uryu's gut wrenched as he took in the other boy's pain, gasping as it came back to him. They were home. They'd made it back to the world of the living, and they were in his apartment. Ichigo had offered to stay over to help him get back onto his feet.
The Substitute locked eyes with him, and Uryu felt hot tears fill his own eyes as he realized his mistake and how it deeply affected the other boy.
"I-Ichigo… I-I'm sorry, I-" Uryu's voice broke and he clenched his hands into the other teen's pajamas shirt, letting his head hang. "Y-you're not… a monster…" Sorrow, grief and guilt formed a tight knot inside his chest. It was all so complicated for him as the person he loved had also been his executioner.
Ichigo, brave as ever, tried to wipe away his own tears and suddenly pressed the Quincy against his chest. "It's okay, Uryu… I… I had it coming." His voice barely a whisper, tainted with deep regret. "H-how can I blame you… after what I did?"
Distraught as he was, Uryu couldn't fight this embrace and it seemed, neither could Ichigo.
"I… I didn't mean that… Ichigo. But these n-nightmares, I…" He felt how the other boy buried his face against his shoulder and held him tight, wetting the soft fabric of his pajamas with the tears he tried to hide from him. It hurt Uryu so much to see his beloved Substitute in such a devastating state and he could no longer hold back the tears he'd been trying to swallow. He wrapped his arms around Ichigo in a hopeless attempt to bring him some relief. "Please, Ichigo. I-I'm sorry. I just… f-freaked out. You're n-not a monster!"
The Substitute didn't answer, but broke down, weeping and lamenting.
And so did Uryu.
They clung to each other in desperation, sinking back down onto the bed in a flurry of tears and sobs. Their arms wound tightly around each other like the drenched wings of a pair of dying doves. Hushed words of regret and salvation were whispered between them, either of them asking the other for forgiveness for their cruel fate, hoping to find some relief amidst the downpour of emotions.
After who knows how long, they fell asleep in each other's arms, unable to bear to let go…
And when the first rays of sunlight lit up the room from a gap between the curtains and Uryu slowly opened his weary eyes to find Ichigo still clinging tightly to him in deep slumber, he gently placed a kiss on the wounded warrior's forehead and prayed to whatever gods were listening that they would be able to overcome this.
They never spoke of that night again….
Neither of them could bear to bring up that grief, that hurt, they had shared or left unspoken that stormy night. Uryu didn't want to upset Ichigo any further, and the other boy tried to keep up a façade of cheerfulness around him ever since.
Until that day when Ichigo had abruptly severed their bond with the promise it had all been a lie…
Until that day when Ichigo had decided to fight this battle without him, leaving Uryu with no other choice but to do the same…
Until this day, Uryu didn't fully recollect everything that had been whispered between them, but he had witnessed how hard Ichigo was suffering during that night.
He knew the Substitute had never wanted to do any of those horrible things and that he'd just been used by Szayelaporro. Uryu encouraged him to open up about his feelings of guilt and shame and genuinely wanted to help him work through all of that, but it wasn't meant to be.
No matter the forgiveness Uryu offered, Ichigo couldn't forgive himself, and Uryu's extended forgiveness was powerless against Ichigo's self-imposed guilt.
And the Substitute's self-condemnation had now gotten to a point where he claimed to hate him.
Twisting the consequences of those horrible events in the worst possible way…
With a heavy heart, Uryu's sleepy brain started to uncloud as his shoulders were softly shaken. He gasped as he stared up straight into Ichigo's warm, brown eyes and tried to gently graze his cheek with his fingertips.
"Hey, sleepyhead. It's time for dinner," the boy gave him a broad smile.
Then, Uryu remembered it was Kon and immediately drew his hand back. "R-right," he stammered. As he slowly sat up, a sudden wave of dizziness came over him and he tried to steady himself with his hands on a moan.
"Are you okay, Ishida?" Kon handed him his glasses.
"Yes, I'm just a little dizzy from laying down for a long time." The Quincy gave himself a moment of reprieve to fight the vertigo, understanding it wasn't just his blood pressure acting up, but also the fact that he couldn't even tell how long it had been since he'd eaten something. Even though getting some decent sleep had done him well, his body was weak from the hardships he'd endured these last few months. But he was going to keep quiet about that.
"Here, Isshin said you could use these," Kon announced, holding out a long, soft, blue bathrobe and a pair of slippers.
"O-oh, right. Thanks." Uryu hadn't paid any attention as to what he was wearing right now, but it seemed he was dressed in pajamas. Most likely a pair of Ichigo's. That realization struck him with a hint of vulnerability. It meant either Kon or Isshin, or perhaps even both, had undressed him and caught sight of the bruises and wounds littering his body – a painful reminder left by Keigo, Shingo and their minions. He sighed deeply. Isshin had told him they couldn't force him to talk, but… Their concern would push them to pry, and the Quincy didn't know what to tell them.
Uryu let it go for now. He didn't have another option anyway.
He managed to swing his legs over the side of the bed and put on the bathrobe, while Kon put the slippers in front of him. Slowly, Uryu tried to stand up under the mod-soul's watchful gaze, sliding his feet into the offered footwear in the process. A sharp sting shot upwards from his injured foot and he couldn't suppress a groan. Before he could do anything else, Kon was beside him and gave him a shoulder to lean on to keep him from sinking back down. The Quincy glanced down to find his foot neatly wrapped in bandages. Right. The stitches… Quickly he shifted his weight as to not lean on his injuries.
"Does it hurt that much? Do you want me to carry you again?"
A warm blush spread over Uryu's pale features. Kon had been very nice to bring him here, but carrying him when he was fully conscious would be embarrassing. And it wouldn't help to get over Ichigo either…
"I-it's fine, Kon. I'll manage. Besides, Ichigo's father offered to give me something for the pain."
Kon studied his face for a second, before nodding in understanding. "Alright. But I'm still helping you down those stairs."
That was a compromise the Quincy was willing to make as his foot was hurting pretty bad and he didn't want to tumble down the stairs. "Thanks, Kon."
"No problem, buddy," came the cheerful reply as they walked towards the staircase. Suddenly, the mod-soul whispered, "Oh yeah, and Ichigo's sisters think I'm their brother, alright."
"Of course," Uryu said. He'd met the twins before, but they had never exchanged more than polite greetings.
"Yuzu-chan has made chicken karaage, which I'm sure you're going to love." Kon's voice was filled with glee.
"Undoubtably." Uryu tried to smile a little, but he was still feeling a bit dizzy. However, the idea that he would get a hot meal almost made him delirious with anticipation. The last time he'd eaten something that could come close was when the school nurse had treated him to a katsu-sando in the school cafeteria.
"Ah, there they are!" Karin, one of Ichigo's sisters, exclaimed while looking around the corner. "Yuzu-chan! They're here!"
"Alright!" Ichigo's other sister answered, probably from the kitchen.
"Ishida-kun!" The ever cheerful voice of Isshin reached him as they stepped into the living-dining room, but then the man took one glance at them and his expression shifted to a more concerned look as Kon was still supporting him. "Your foot's still that bad huh?"
"O-oh… Well… K-kind of," Uryu admitted, shyly. Then he turned towards Kon and said, "I can manage from here, Kurosaki. Thank you."
"Gotcha," the mod-soul replied with a wink, and let the Quincy stand on his own.
Isshin gave him a surprised look. "Have you two reverted to using last name's again?"
Crap. After they'd been rescued from Szayelaporro's lab, they had indeed used their given names in front of Ichigo's father and the others, but… "Y-yeah," Uryu brushed it off with a hint of sheepishness, "Ichigo thought it was better that way." Well, it wasn't a lie this time.
"Alright then, it's just another one of my weird son's quirks," the man chuckled, "Well, whatever makes you kids happy, I guess."
"Yeah, that's our business, old man," Kon added and rubbed the back of his head to avert Karin's suspicious stare.
"Well, you can sit down here, Ishida-kun. I'll be back in a jiffy with some painkillers." Isshin cheerfully skipped out of the room, making Karin and Kon sigh.
After chuckling at how well Kon was impersonating Ichigo, Uryu limped towards the designated chair at the set table. The scent of food wafting in from the adjacent kitchen hit him hard and he had to bite his lip to stifle a groan. His stomach responded with a resentful growl, demanding sustenance. The Quincy quickly settled into the chair when he felt his dizziness get worse at the hunger that presented itself.
Karin took her own seat and looked at him. "So, why hasn't Ichi-nii invited you over for dinner before? You've been friends for a while, right?"
Uryu gave her an awkward smile as he sat down at the other end of the table. "Uumm… that's because…"
"That's because Ishida is too shy for something like this!" Kon interjected, drawing Karin's attention towards him instantly. "But this time, he didn't dare to decline, waking up in my bed and all." The mod-soul grinned.
The girl seemed to mull that over for a second, before blurting out, "why did he sleep in your bed then, Ichi-nii? Is he your boyfriend now? Did you two have se-"
"Karin!" Kon retorted. "Stop it!"
"But, it's not that big of a deal, Ichi-nii. I don't mind if you're gay, you know! Or if you two are doing it!"
"Karin, please! You're embarrassing me!"
Uryu couldn't say anything to that, but felt the heat radiate from his face as he tried to camouflage it with his fringe by looking down.
If only they knew…
"Dinner!" Yuzu suddenly announced and came in with a tray of deliciously looking chicken karaage, immediately dissolving the tension between Kon and Karin.
"Thank god for your timing, Yuzu," the mod-soul sighed in relief.
"Daaaaad! Dinneeeer!" Yuzu smiled brightly at Uryu and put the food in the middle of their family table. "Ichi-nii, could you go get the vegetables, please."
"Sure, Yuzu." Ichigo's body disappeared into the kitchen and came back with said assorted legumes while the girl started filling everybody's bowl with rice from the cooker. Serving the Quincy first, as he was their guest.
"I hope this is to your liking, Ishida-kun. It's not that fancy, but… it's made with love," the girl said with a bright smile.
"A-are you kidding?" Uryu replied, hardly believing his eyes at the feast that was presented before him. Everyone had a lidded bowl of miso soup, some pickles, a bowl of rice, and more than enough chicken karaage and veggies. "T-this is w-wonderful, Yuzu-chan," he stammered, voice braking from sentiments. He was so hungry he almost drooled, fighting back the tears that welled up in his eyes from the mere notion that he would be eating something different from dry crackers for once.
"Are you alright, Ishida?" Kon asked, a little worried, placing a hand on the Quincy's shoulder.
"Y-yes," Uryu croaked, throat closing off and averting his gaze down, "it's just so k-kind of you t-to have me join you for d-dinner."
Feeling all eyes on him, the Quincy mentally cursed himself for getting emotional over something like this, but he couldn't help it. He wasn't treated like trash for once, these people were all nice to him. And he would get to eat food! Rice and meat. Something decent for a change. This was like a ray of sunshine in his messed up life…
"Nah, that's alright ,you know," Karin answered, her voice softer than before. "Yuzu-chan always makes too much anyway."
"Eat as much as you want, Ishida-kun," the other girl added, her voice filled with empathy. "We love having you over. You're Ichigo's friend, so you're our friend, too."
Touched by their kindness, Uryu had a hard time working around the lump in his throat, but managed a whispered: "thank you…"
"Ta-dah!" Isshin hopped at the table, smiling broadly. "Awww, why is everybody teary eyed in here? Did y'all miss me that much, huh?" The Shinigami threw his arms around Uryu and Kon for a tight cuddle, expertly changing the tense atmosphere.
"Daaad!" Kon yelled, trying to break free. "You're killing us! Besides, I want to eat, you old goat!"
The girls chuckled and while Yuzu quickly wiped the corners of her eyes, Karin's sentimental expression shifted back to normal.
"Alright, alright, Ichigo! It's always tough love with you. Don't you love me anymore?"
Kon sighed in exasperation. "Don't always be like that, man. Can't you act normal for a change?"
Uryu huffed a soft laugh at that, his hand rising to swiftly wipe his eyes. It felt so good to be surrounded by these people. How he wished he had a loving family like that. He knew Ichigo's father went a bit overboard sometimes, but he clearly loved his son with all his heart. As did his sisters. These family ties, this sense of belonging, was something Uryu hadn't experienced since the loss of his dear mother and grandfather. Ryuuken, had always wielded his disapproval like a blade, leaving him feeling inadequate and unwelcome.
"Dad, our dinner is getting cold," Yuzu huffed. "Could we please start?"
"Ooh, right!" Isshin smiled and quickly gave Uryu 2 pills. "Here, Ishida-kun, you can take these right now, and I'll take another look at your foot after you took a bath. Now, let's eat."
"Finally!" Karin wailed.
"My thoughts exactly," Kon interjected.
Uryu quickly swallowed the medicine down with some water, while the others started grabbing food with their chopsticks. "T-thank you, sir." He addressed Ichigo's father, shyly.
"Owww, come on, Ishida-kun, there are no sirs here. You can call me Isshin, you know. Your father and I are longtime friends, after all."
That was probably not the way Ryuuken would phrase it, but hey…
"Alright then, Isshin-san," Uryu's lips curved a little while he continued, "then there's no Ishida here either. Few people call me by my given name, but for you guys, I'll make an-"
"Oh! You'll make an exception? For us? For me?" The Shinigami's face lit up with a broad smile, eyes twinkling, which almost made Kon choke on his chicken. "So we can call you Uryu-kun? That's way better than my moronic son who still call's you Ishida, but I'd be happy to oblige."
Uryu chuckled again.
"Dad!" Karin "Can you finally stop and let Uryu-kun enjoy his dinner!" Despite her stern voice, the girl blinked at the Quincy, emphasizing she had just used his given name as well.
"Amen fo ffhat," Kon added around a mouthful of chicken.
While the happy family started to chit-chat about various things during their dinner, Uryu forced himself to eat very slowly. He hadn't eaten a lot of food in a while, and the last he wanted was throw up for being too hasty. At his first mouthful of chicken karaage, he got very quiet as he tried to fight the bile that filled his mouth, as expected. He managed to keep it in, and sipped his water before continuing. It felt simply divine to eat something hot, and he was famished. His stomach roared heavily, making everybody at the table fall quiet and look at him again. With his cheeks flushed crimson, Uryu covered his face with his fringe and mumbled an apology.
Isshin laughed and patted him on the back. "That's okay, Uryu-kun. I bet a growing young man like yourself is in dire need of sustenance all the time."
"You have no idea, Isshin-san." Uryu whispered, embarrassed, even if he spoke the truth.
"So… umm… What happened to your glasses?" Karin suddenly asked.
A little taken aback, Uryu quickly swallowed his food. "O-oh… I… I dropped them a-and…" He saw Kon and Isshin eye each other and fell silent, knowing they'd seen right through his lie.
"But why don't you get another pair then?" the girl continued. "It can't be easy walking around like that. Maybe you should-"
"Oh, right!" Yuzu suddenly interjected, drawing all the attention towards her. "I have washed and ironed all your clothes. Your school uniform had some nasty stains, but I got most of them out. And I mended some tears, too!"
That hit Uryu hard, and he felt the emotions silence him again. His clothes had been properly washed and ironed. And even if they would get dirty and wrinkled again, it touched him that Ichigo's little sister went through all that trouble. Yes, those nasty bloodstains had been a thorn in his side for long, but he hadn't been able to get them out without his usual remedies.
"T-that means a lot to me, Yuzu-chan. Thank you." Uryu bowed to her in gratitude.
The girl beamed, "You're welcome, Uryu-kun."
"Awww, you guys!" Isshin wiped a tear from his eyes. "Keep it up like this and maybe the two of you could get married one day! You'll make a great couple!"
"Daaad!" Yuzu and Karin yelled in unison.
Uryu's cheeks turned crimson once more, and he could only hope that Ichigo's father wouldn't change his opinion of him when he discovered that he was actually attracted to boys, specifically his son.
The rest of the meal went by in a blur, as the Quincy was too occupied with stuffing himself for the first time in months, while trying not to choke or vomit in the process.
Yuzu then insisted that Uryu was the first in line to take a bath that evening, as he was their guest. The others agreed. And so, Uryu found himself standing in the Kurosaki residence bathroom with Kon. The girls would probably have found it weird if their 'brother' hadn't show him around, and so…
"Yuzu told me to give you these, so..." Kon handed him a set of fluffy towels.
Uryu's hands trembled a little when his fingers glided over the pliable fabric. They were so soft and smelled of fresh flowers, the complete opposite of his own towels that needed to dry next to his campfire and had become rough and hard, smelling heavily of smoke. "Thanks…" he muttered.
The notion to be taking a bath - not a dip in a cold river with water of dubious quality, not washing himself in the cold evening air on a stool by using a cup – a real bath, filled him both with joy and longing. Would he start to feel like a human being again after?
However, there was also doubt paining his tired mind…
"Yuzu also said you can just put Ichigo's pajamas in the washing bin, and I'll go get you a fresh pair, alright?"
"Thank you…. Kon," he muttered again, unsure how to respond. He averted his gaze and clutched the towels between his fingers.
Then, he felt Kon place a hand on his shoulder and found the other's eyes filled with concern. "You sure you're alright, Ishida? You look troubled."
Uryu sighed. He had so much on his mind, but one particular thought stood out right now. "Are you… are you sure you want me to use your family's bath?" Uryu hesitated at the questioning look the mod-soul threw him. "I-I mean… you wouldn't find it repulsive to share the water with… someone like me?"
"Repulsive?" Kon gave him a questioning look, obviously startled. "We don't find you repulsive or anything, Ishida. No worries there. Besides, you'll be sparkly clean before you dip into the tub, right?"
"I… I suppose…" Uryu was still hesitant. "But…"
After everything he'd lived through these last few months, his confidence and self-esteem were completely fractured. The way his friends treated him had only eroded his self-worth even further. Add the bullying to that and it became even worse. The idea that he was completely isolated and unwanted by all was crushing him a little more each passing day and made him feel worthless, struggling to try and hold onto his last shred of Quincy pride…
The mod-soul sighed, before giving him an empathic look. "Ishida, we know you're in some kind of trouble," that made Uryu gasp and instantly lock eyes with him, "but that doesn't mean we think you're dirty or something."
Uryu had to look away as he felt the emotions make him feel vulnerable, and knew it had to be visible on his face. He had no answer to that. He knew Kon and Isshin were definitely on to something, but… The thought that someone as stained as him would be granted the privilege to user their hot bathtub first, while he'd been doused in Keigo and his followers urine head to toe, silenced him and held him back. While in reality, the need to wash himself properly and then submerge himself in hot water, had been a mundane thing he'd longed for for weeks.
"Look, Ishida," Kon said, determination clearly present in his voice, "they all agreed for you to use their bath, so they're okay with it. It's not like you're extremely filthy or anything. Just wait a sec and I'll get you a new pajamas, alright."
"A-alright," Uryu stammered. He did feel filthy and desperately wanted to feel clean again. "If… if you're all okay with it."
Kon's unwavering attitude had won him over.
A moment later, the mod-soul inside Ichigo's body came back with a change of clothes and a wound cover to protect his injured foot.
"Here, Isshin said you had to keep your stitches from getting soaking wet with this."
"Right." Uryu gratefully accepted the items.
"Now, I'm outta here and you make haste to get your tush into that hot water, you hear. It'll help you relax."
The unrelenting attitude of the mod-soul brought a small smile to Uryu's lip's, one that the other boy mirrored broadly. "Thanks, Kon."
With that, the Quincy was left in privacy. He winced as he undressed, various parts of his body still hurt. When he tried to put the protective sleeve over his foot, his eyes fell on the mirror in front of the sink. Seeing his reflection, wearing only a pair of boxers, made him cringe. His pale skin was marred with black and blue bruises in various stages of healing, including his face. Uncountable abrasions, and a few shallow wounds only added to the way he felt. Miserable. Those assholes had gotten him good. Not that he hadn't been aware of that, but seeing the evidence was something else.
He sighed as it was painfully visible how thin he'd become, the lack of nutrition evident in his appearance. Now, he'd always been lanky, but not like this.
Afraid to get lost in dark thoughts again, Uryu quickly put on the wound cover and removed his borrowed boxers before sitting down on the little stool to wash himself. He didn't know if the others had smelled the stench of his bullies urine or him or not, he could only pray that they hadn't and that yesterday's cold rain had rinsed some of it away. He proceeded to wash himself, very thoroughly, needing to feel completely clean before he dared to dip into the bathtub. His hair got a decent treatment too, no need to be super scroungy with toiletries either, as had become his habit since he started living under the bridge.
When Uryu carefully let himself sink down in the hot water, he couldn't hold back a content moan. It felt so good on his skin and his stiff, aching body Sleeping outside on a cardboard plate on cold concrete hadn't done his body any good. How could a normal, routine thing like taking a bath make him feel like a person again? The joy of feeling good for a moment brought tears to his eyes as he stretched out in the tub, giving himself some highly needed time to relax.
The atmosphere of the Kurosaki household worked wonders on his psyche, and for the first time in a long while, he felt safe. Safe. He had almost forgotten what that felt like... In recent weeks, he had felt more like an unwanted stray dog, rejected by society and despised by everyone. Constant hunger and fatigue kept him on edge around the clock, compounding his stress and deepening his exhaustion.
On a deep, satisfied sigh, Uryu let go of everything that had been tormenting him, if only for a moment, and felt his body relax completely. It didn't take long before he began to doze off. The pleasure of feeling good for once, along with the assurance that he was safe here, filled him with the prospect of not having to deal with anything for a while. With a full tummy, a relaxing bath, and a good night's rest on the horizon, his body welcomed the respite.
Suddenly, he heard someone talking to him and blinked his heavy eyes a few times before realizing it was Isshin.
"Come on, son," the man's voice held nothing but kindness, "let's get you dried off and into bed."
Uryu was too tired to protest and just tried to work with Ichigo's father. Ryuuken would never have bothered to help him, and under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have allowed anything like this, but right now, his mind was too hazy to care. He managed to stand up with Isshin's help and felt the soft embrace of a soft towel against his wet skin before he stepped out of the bath.
The Shinigami offered him support as his legs trembled, sensing that he was about to pass out. The shock of feeling at ease had drained every shred of energy from his body, and he was on the verge of collapsing when someone lifted him into their arms.
"It's alright, Uryu-kun. It's alright," Isshin spoke softly. Uryu couldn't make out much of what else the man was saying, nor did he care that Ichigo's dad was carrying him. He felt slumber pulling him under and welcomed the peaceful feeling that washed over him.