ccc The Shiba Estate ccc
Her legs kept close on his waist. Her arms were lifeless, yet he still held them down firmly, not trusting what they'd get up to. At the same time… He was struggling. She was vulnerable, and in that vulnerability, she had him against the ropes, his mettle tested against the whimsies of women. She was utterly exposed, and though they ceased their wobbling in the minor bout of violence, they settled and sloped and sat as a feast for his hungry eyes, though he deprived them of that.
I won't look! I'm not that kind of guy! But it was harder to do than say. Like Yoruichi-san, she seemed pretty bold about her nudity; confident that her naked chest would weaken him. But what would it mean for her to weaken him? He had heard it echoing from her heart, her soul; she saw him as an enemy, and enemies…
The legs drew and squeezed against him. He shuddered, but didn't do anything else, still trying to solve this paradox, for if he released her, she'd attack with an obvious advantage, but keeping her pinned beneath him, topless, running him between her legs…
He swallowed hard.
"Well?" She spoke softer than usual, but with the inflection of indignation to imply her impatience. He could look at her face; her face was higher than her chest. There was that lasting scorn in her eyes for sure, but he couldn't see the unbound hate that was reflected when he first encountered her.
Her voice in his head… He could faintly hear it ringing, distracting from the here and now. What was she…?
"Well?!" A sharper edge to her tone, and quite a bit louder so that he wouldn't be distracted, even by her unbound bust.
"Well what?"
She scowled harshly at him, and her legs moved, gliding up and catching tighter to his waist. There was no mistaking it. Her gown was hiked up, and without looking, he could correctly assume: there wasn't anything worn underneath. The robe was simply a courtesy.
"Are we going to do it or not?" She said it so casually, though Ichigo's response was a bluster of embarrassment.
And some perfect timing…
Boo~m!
The air popped with a cloud of white smoke, and three women were in it. Three wives, actually. The Zanpakuto wife, the Espada wife, and…
Landing gracefully, Nel lifted her head, her luscious turquoise hair bouncing, and gave a joyous half-laugh when her eyes set on him. "Ichigo!"
"Nel?!" All recent response in his body told him to brace for impact, but Halibel intercepted, catching Nel by the scruff of her collar before she could lunge onto their husband and greet him and smother him with all sorts of love and appreciation for his safety.
"Perfect timing again." Mera touched down, placing a hand idly on her hip, tilting her head as she studied the situation they had come upon: Ichigo looming over the Quincy nuisance he'd rescued, her top wide open and inviting him. "Have we interrupted? Hm. You work faster than Senjumaru-san said."
Ichigo flushed. "What has she said?! Wait, never mind that!" He pointed at them, releasing one of Bambietta's hands. "How'd you guys get here?!"
All the while, Halibel kept Nel in check, holding her back like a dog who'd been caged up all day and was about to be let outside. Nel just giggled, calling out to him, flapping her arms, primed and ready to embrace him.
Dully, Mera asked, "Is this really the kind of conversation you want to have while you're mounting a Quincy?"
It took him a moment – how could it have escaped his notice for an instant? – to remember that Bambietta was beneath him, and had just given a very straightforward proposition. And it did not help the case of his innocence that his manhood had already swollen and was open to discussion with the Quincy girl.
When he receded with all haste, Bambietta sneered and yanked her robe together, affronted by how easily he could dismiss her. But if not for the interruption, she was fairly certain that he would already be diligently easing her frustration and well on his way to being a smear of blood on the wall.
She got up after him – him hastily pulling back on the clothes that he had started to peel off – and threw herself together, making no subtleties about her anger. The faces weren't entirely familiar, but for the blonde. Tier Halibel, Empress of Hueco Mundo, part of Aizen Sosuke's Espada, former prisoner of His Majesty. And to that, she was a little surprised. She would have thought that Yhwach's death would be the end of his castle and everything in it, including the chained Arrancar. This was, after all, Bambietta's first time noticing her, as the fight in the Royal Palace had her preoccupied with Giselle's death and Ichigo's interference.
Bambietta, however, addressed them as a whole. "What did you come here for? Trying to recapture me?"
Mera didn't even scoff at the idea. "A single runaway Quincy pales to the travesty of a misplaced Soul King. As far as we're concerned, you can do whatever you want." She shrugged aloofly, and then looked over at Ichigo standing behind the Quincy and pointed. "We've come to make sure our King is safe, and take him back… so he can sleep in his bed. Or so Senjumaru-san said."
"It's our responsibility to keep him safe," added Halibel, still holding Nel back from glomping onto Ichigo. "You endangered his life, and therefore, existence itself. You Quincies are a reckless bunch."
"Who are you calling reckless?" Bambietta coiled back dangerously, her arms tensing at her sides, her hands opening and her fingers tensing crookedly. "You bitch."
One hand on Nel's collar, the other hand went behind to hook its finger into one of the hoops of her sword's pommel. "You are outnumbered three to one," Halibel stated – and Ichigo had to wonder if he was left out of that equation. "That is why I say you are reckless."
The sneer switched to a twisted, malevolent grin. "It seems you forgot what happened the last time you face a Quincy!" The bomb spheres popped up around The Explode, and one in each hand for a more personal, finishing shot. "I won't be as merciful as His Majesty! You'll be ashes when I'm done! If it's three-on-one, then I just need to blow up everything!"
Halibel withdrew her sword, sacrificing her hold on Nel to grip with both hands to deliver a decisive cut. It'd drop the amount of potential Quincy wives by one, but that would have to be the cost to protect Ichigo.
But neither combatant would get their first attack out when Ichigo intercepted, his Zangetsus dispersing Bambietta's bombs and staying Halibel's Zanpakuto by its hollow. Coolly – much too cool for Bambietta's tastes – he glanced between the two women. "You're not fighting here," he told them, and already felt the slack of Halibel's arms; her ability to listen to reason was appreciated. He turned to Bambietta, who was on the side of his shorter, less lethal Zangetsu. "There's no need to fight." His look at her was poignant, like he knew something about her that she had not said. She growled at him, but it was a weak, unintimidating sound. "We're all safe here." He then lowered his swords. And then he grinned. "Besides, Kukaku-san would get mad if we wrecked the place…!"
"Ichigo!"
"Gah!" His moving speech was upended when Nel could not contain herself a second longer and flung herself into him, not knowing – or probably not caring – about the unstoppable force of her passion. She cradled his head, now that he was pinned beneath her, and nuzzled their cheeks together affectionately. Her skin was so smooth and soft, and she smelled amazing!
"I can't believe that we were apart for so long, and then this happened!" She kissed him, moaning even against his unresponsive lips. When coming apart, he seemed done, overcooked by the heat of her raw passion. Yet still, she went on, "I was so scared when you fell! But you're safe!" She clutched his head into her bosom, stifling him in her large breasts. "Thank goodness! Thank goodness you're safe!"
"He won't be safe for long. You're gonna suffocate him in there," Mera said flatly.
"Huh?" Nel held Ichigo out to see if it was true, and sure enough, his face was pale, his eyes rolled up to the back of his head, a bit of spittle at the corner of his mouth. "Ichigo!" The worried hug crushed his spine when she frantically clung to him. "I'm sorry, Ichigo!"
"Stop it!" Mera had to intervene now, hands on, prying the fretful Arrancar away from the broken body of the Soul King. "Just give him some space. Here, let me!" She and Nel fussed over their husband, trying to coax him to life until his hair was snagged in a fist.
The demented bomber loomed with that sadistic smile and some reishi at the ready. "How about I just kill him, and you won't have to worry?!"
Halibel kept her in check. Following Ichigo's orders, she had already stowed her weapon, but that didn't mean she was defenseless, least of all going hand-to-hand with someone so petite. "Enough of this," Halibel scolded her.
"Outta my way, you bitch!"
"Ichigo! Breathe! I'm so sorry!"
"Stop hugging him, and he'll be able to breathe!"
The tussle of four women over her cousin… Kukaku had to admit it was quite a sight, but what else was she supposed to assume was happening? "This room's not really the place to have an orgy," she said flatly, yet with enough authority to bring the squabble to heel, heads turning to her except for Ichigo's, which wobbled loosely as if on a defective ball joint, tilting forward one last time and plunging into Nel's cushiony cleavage; instinctively, she cradled him there.
Kukaku, as a member of the Shiba family, had greater knowledge of the inner workings of Squad Zero, so it only took a glance at the mohawked redhead for her to come to some conclusion about how these three new women showed up in her secluded base without her knowledge. More mouths to feed… She sucked on her pipe – to calm her nerves – and breathed out a nice, long stretch of smoke. It would have been better if more had arrived. From what the messages from above had said, Ichigo was blessed with more than just three wives, and if more of them had shown up, it could have turned into a big party.
Well, anyway… She shoved a thumb down the hall where she had just come from. "There's food. Mera, I'll try to make more for you."
The Zanpakuto gave a short, but respectful nod. "Thank you, Kukaku-san."
"Now all of you, get out and let Ichigo change. Apparently I can't leave him alone with any of you." The matron stepped aside in a gesture of impatience, making way.
"You can't tell me what to do," snarled Bambietta, drawing back from the others, her guard still up and her temper still hot. "I'll stay in here if I want!"
Kukaku wasn't impressed by her defiance and just breathed in some more tobacco, giving her her desired outburst the fulfillment she needed. And when it was over – anticlimactically short – Kukaku just tilted her head lazily and said, "That's true. You can stay in here, and you can starve. And then you can sneak out of the room at night to try to find food, but there won't be any. I'll make sure of that."
Bambietta could have fired back some more, proven her mettle and that she needn't rely on Shinigami or their companions for anything, but an ill-timed squelch from her stomach – echoing in the dramatic silence – was a harsh and humiliating reminder that she hadn't eaten anything since the War. If the other Bambis had been there, it'd stir up some ridicule and she'd be forced to eat their mockery until she started to hurl bombs at them. These wives, though; they didn't give a second thought to it, but maybe it was that prying Ichigo's lifeless bones from Nel's arms was proving a more pressing matter first.
"No~" she whined when they finally freed her from her embrace, but with some sensibility, she decided to comply with Halibel's instruction leading her out. But she did not depart before briskly turning and waving to her husband – still teetering dumbly. "Hurry and come join me, Ichigo! I'll be waiting!" She was giggling excitedly when she was moved into the hallway, now thinking of eating with Ichigo again, already past this parting and thinking of the future.
Her ardor was somewhat frightening to someone who always seemed disinterested in everything. Being around somewhat as showy as Oh-Etsu all the time, she thought she'd be immune to anyone's crazy antics. "Jeez, does she ever stop?"
"It's to be expected," Halibel contemplated at her side. "She was the Espada of Lamentation. Kurosaki Ichigo is antithetical to that, giving her reason not to despair and regret. He protects others, and also survives himself against unimaginable odds. He frees us from the power we dread."
Mera looked at the blond Espada, and after a moment… "Us?"
Halibel didn't respond, but there were obvious thoughts turning in her head, trying to work out something as she watched her subordinate walk with a bubbly bounce in her step. "You're behaving more erratic than usual, Nelliel."
Nel switched around, looking back at the cold-stared Espada. "Am I?"
"After getting that bracelet"—Halibel's eyes dropped down to the device on Nel's left wrist—"you regained your former powers, yet now you act more unpredictable, more passionately."
"Of course!" Nel swung around, arms thrown wide as if to give the whole world a hug. "It's because I'm in love, Halibel-sama!"
Halibel blinked, taken aback by the statement… and maybe she might've thought that she was about to get one of Nel's great big bear hugs.
"It's not the same as having love, after all. Love between friends, between partners, you will do anything for them. But in love, you can trust that they will do anything for you too!"
It was a concept not entirely foreign to Halibel. She cared deeply for her fracción, after all, and it was difficult to get them to stay at the Royal Palace instead of joining this excursion. But in love? It was likely more complex than Nel made it seem. And Kurosaki Ichigo… Was he in love with Nel? Was he in love with anyone? She asked. "Do you know Ichigo loves you?"
Nel nodded enthusiastically several time, clasping her hands, turning back down the hall and looking far off into the distance, beyond the realm of the Shiba underground. "I can feel it. Ichigo! He holds such a great capacity for love!" She then withdrew, snickering cutely to herself as if to some inside joke, and then told the three others – as Bambietta had reluctantly caught up some time ago – "He's just very shy!"
Mera wondered about that, thinking back to when Ichigo had been swarmed by provocative, busty Zanpakuto and was entirely wary of them. Halibel couldn't say anything one way or the other about it; he was a steadfast warrior, and she would rely on him in battle.
Bambietta, on the other hand, mulled Nel's words over with greater regard.
You can trust that they will do anything for you…
Like… leap out of a floating palace and save you from plummeting to your death…?
Bambietta pursed up her lips… and tried to resist the blush creeping up on her face.
ccc Moments ago ccc
As the two Arrancar and one Zanpakuto shuffled off down the hall, trusting the leading wife to instinctively follow her nose to the source of food, Kukaku stared down the bristled Quincy remaining. Just how much trouble was she worth, to house and feed, if this was going to be her attitude nonstop? Kukaku was very well considering not caring and kicking her out. She'd been so reluctant to come in, after all, that she should just stick by those convictions and head outside. The rain had stopped, after all, so Kukaku would not take the blame of shooing someone out into the cold and wet – though she'd done so plenty of time to Ganju and his unruly crew when they were being obnoxious and loud.
A final appeal: "Go get your food, or there'll be none left."
Bambietta held her stance for as long as she could, grinding her teeth, her beauty marred by her own indignation.
Kukaku rolled her eyes, and then added a sweetener: "I'll make sure he'll be there too. Just leave him to me."
"He's got nothing to do with it!" Bambietta professed, throwing her fists downward, hunching, throwing a tantrum that didn't affect Kukaku's mood at all.
But ultimately… Bambietta went into motion, stomping across the room like she wanted to put holes in the floor, and instead of turning left and going up the stairs and leaving for good, she turned right and followed Ichigo's wives down the corridor. She certainly wouldn't admit it, but it did smell good down this way…
"I thought it'd be good to see you." She turned to her fallen cousin, making a snide, annoyed expression. "You always have interesting things going on. But you've just brought headaches this time."
Ichigo couldn't respond; too much suffocating and cracking and boobage. Not even when he was put up straight, his jaw cradled in her hand, his back arched, and her knee…
Thoom!
"Gck!" Ichigo felt his spine realign, and it just about made him puke.
"Soul Kings should be more durable than that, Ichigo."
"Dammit!" Ichigo fell forward, bracing on one hand while the other rubbed at his spine. There was no pain, yet the jolt sure gave the impression that there should be. He cast a glare up at her from over his shoulder. "What's with you and Yoruichi-san doing that to me?!"
"Ha! It's an old Shiba trick of waking the dead! Where do you think Yoruichi learned it in the first place!"
Ichigo stared at her, deadpan, trying to work out if she was lying or not. She did so with such ease that she seemed pretty casual about nonsensical lies.
"But no time to worry about that!" She bit the end of her pipe and smacked down harshly on his head; meant to be a congratulatory gesture, but Ichigo was certain disobedient dogs were smacked lighter. Even so, she ruffled and tussled his hair. "You got some pretty lovely ladies waiting for you! You better hurry and get dressed! Mera's got an appetite, no doubt! And that Quincy girl is waiting for you! Hehe! Runs in the family, I guess!" She laughed heartedly, throwing her head back, catching her pipe.
Again, Ichigo couldn't tell if she was ribbing him or not…
Whatever the case, he did need to eat. Outside the Palace, with his adrenaline finally calming, he was starting to feel… a little woozy.
ccc Royal Palace ccc
"Thanks for the meal," Uryu and Chad said in unison, but it was with great reproach, looking down at the plates of food laid out on the table. Yes, a lot of the plates looked extraordinary and were abundant. However, it was hard to overlook the funkier foods that came from Kirio's kitchen. She sure sounded like she was working up a sweat over the stove, chanting and singing, prepping multiple dishes at once. But how could someone as refined as Uryu eat something that looked like an odd-grown, undulating zucchini.
"Just eat around what doesn't look good," said Tatsuki with a bowl of plain white rice… yet even for that, she was hesitant, her gaze straying and her stomach turning on a glance to what might have been a dish of strange seafood… or huge cooked crickets.
Chad contemplated stoically for a while before he finally went for one of those strange foods. Uryu looked aghast and Tatsuki cringed, half-expecting him to back out, but he didn't. Crunch… A soft, crisp crunch that appeased the ears. And Chad's visible eye widened amongst his shaggy locks. "It's… good," he said, his placid voice carrying the inflection of truth.
"Really?" Uryu slumped, seeming unconvinced.
Tatsuki was unconvinced and strengthened her bond to the safe rice. "Well, you have some strange tastes sometimes, Chad."
"It's good!" was affirmed by someone else. Though she was normally so poised and respectful, the wonders of the meal invited Rukia to abandon her tradition and grab across the table to eat more, and then chug some broth. Her manners weren't reprehensible – she would never forgive herself if rumors got back to her brother that she behaved indecently at the table – but she was understandably enthused by the meal. Even the creepiest of crawlies went down her gullet, as she knew to trust the chef's skill for flavor. With a sigh followed by a big smile, she looked up as the final dish came down. "You've outdone yourself again, Kiro-san!"
The bulk of her body trimmed down, her magnificent breasts in dangers of spilling out when stooping so low – Uryu had to avert his gaze, fixing his glasses, and Chad tried not to notice at all… Tatsuki gawked – Kiro smiled at her. "Thank you, Rukia-chan! If you like my cooking so much, there is still room at the Palace for another bride. I know you and Ichigo have quite the connection."
Rukia perked nervously, sweating, and waved a hand in front of her face. "Uh, no, no! I don't… I don't think that would suit me," she declined while Tatsuki, studying the blush on her face, tightened her lips, her finger ticking on the bowl she held.
"Enough!" Palms slammed down hard on the table, shuddering its contents, but its frame and construction were durable even if Apache were to punch it. She and Mila-Rose – as Sung-Sun would not be seen as an unruly gorilla herself (her phrasing) – were on their feet, the former clenching her teeth and the latter standing in tense regard. "How can all of you just sit here and eat, knowing that Halibel-sama went to go rescue the Soul King?!" She thrust a finger to the floor, pointing beyond it to the Soul Society far below. "She's down there, all alone, and could be in trouble!"
"Halibel-sama is strong and capable enough to take care of herself," Sung-Sun said, "but the lack of concern…" Her eyes narrowed on the Shinigami, like she suspected them of some sort of treachery.
"You should have let us go! We're Halibel-sama's personal bodyguards!" Mila-Rose declared. "We could have retrieved Kurosaki Ichigo and have been back already!"
Kirio righted herself. As the only present wife of Ichigo's as well as a long-time member of the Royal Guard – though her century-long service did make her still the newest member – she could address the concerns by herself. "Mera-chan can only travel with so many. And a one-way trip with two passengers would likely drain her. If they are not back yet, it's because she is replenishing her reiatsu with food."
It was something for the Arrancar to consider, but Apache was never one to settle on common sense and reason. "And what if they can't find food?! They might have even gone to the wrong place, and…!"
"Whoa! Who do you think you're talking to, baby?!" Oh-Etsu, in classic fashion, popped up from around Kirio, pointing at the three Arrancar fracción. "We ain't just some plebs up here in the Royal Palace. Mera-chan is completely dependable, and a perfect candidate for Wife No. 1. She's a straightforward Zanpkauto and never misses her mark. It's just like Kirio said: if they're late, it's because she's refueling. But it takes a bit of refueling when she's not being fed at a Soul King's level. She's coming back with extra cargo, after all."
Apache growled, but it didn't seem like she'd get any sort of reasonable – for her – answer. So she'd have to do the only thing she could beyond leaping off the balcony and hoping she could survive the fall through seventy-two barriers and land safely in the Soul Society to find her empress.
"Worrying on an empty stomach will only upset you," Kirio told her and the others. "So eat, settle your nerves, and you will see that it will all work out in the end!"
"Thank you, Kirio-san!" exclaimed Rukia with half a mouth full, speaking for the others at the table as the trimmed-down Grain King walked away to join the wife and family table at the other side of the room. Over there were other discussions, about the future of Kurosaki Ichigo and his role as Soul King, as well as the roles of the wives.
Kiyone could hardly pay attention to the food set in front of her as she strained to watch her big sister over there. As always, the silver-haired lieutenant was a bundle of unsettled nerves. She conducted herself well, but she was also the only one at the table writing down bullet points for what the High Priest of the Royal Guard was saying.
Kiyone pumped her fists in frustration. "Nee-san, settle down!" she muttered, wishing she could start a cheer section for Isane to do her best. It might not have been a competition, but Kiyone didn't want Isane's bold move to put herself up as the Shinigami representative to go unnoticed.
"It's not like it's a job," Ichibe said, his eyes rolling up in thought to consider his words, "but then, marriage is always work. You work at it, you may fight, and then you work to make amends. Ichigo-san has been very clear that he's not asking for anyone to do anything they are uncomfortable with. Hm. We all want this to be a very cooperative and comfortable life, for you all and for him. That said…" He paused, bringing a meaty hand around to brush at his chin. "Heirs are to be expected."
Almost collectively, the wives blushed and looked among each other, trying to discern if any were opposed or guarded or elated. Orihime looked like she was undecided whether to burst out in a fit of giggles or to pass out in embarrassment. Riruka – who sat next to her – feigned contempt by scoffing and tilting her head up and grumbling, "Well, if there's no other choice…" Trembling, trying to keep her composure and her brush moving, Isane forced herself to act like it really was expected of her to ripen her womb with Ichigo's child. Meninas, pushing at her bottom lip with her fingertip, muttered, "A King's baby would become a princess." Princesses wore beautiful gowns… Senjumaru and the recently joined Kirio did not react; they knew from the very start, after all.
The biggest outburst came from a man. "I object!" Kurosaki Isshin rose dramatically from his seat, folding his arms, his bottom lip pulling up. When he was the center of attention, he maintained the pause for dramatic effect. Unfortunately, he let the silence linger too long.
"Oh?" Ichibe's eyes flickered with intrigue at this protest. "Why might that be?"
Isshin still paused.
"The dramatic silence can only get stale now, old man," grumbled Karin, who couldn't bear her father's idiocy in public. Yet next to him, Yuzu was welling up with tears, already imagining her Onii-chan having babies that were so adorable!
"…" Isshin suddenly switched to goofy fawning, curling his leg and tucking his hands up against his chest, swaying goofily. "I'm too young to be a grandpa," he whined in falsetto.
Karin pummeled his stomach with a fist.
ccc Shiba estate ccc
Ichigo had grown up with a dad who was a marvel at sneak attacks, so he knew when to expect them. Nel had a penchant of tackling him with hugs, so when he opened the door to join the dinner, he was ambushed, but got his left foot behind him in time to catch her weight thrown against him. He laughed in a mix of marveling that he finally withstood her passion and of glad tidings to see her.
"I saved you a spot right next to me," she declared, and showed off that what she did was set two pillows next to each other to share the same tray of untouched food. Halibel and Mera flanked either side, and while Mera was already engrossed in consumption, Halibel just sat in front of her food in ceremony, but did not move.
It'd be kind of stifling to eat in such close quarters, but he couldn't deny Nel. "Thanks, Nel," he said, and then was dragged by the arm, the Arrancar giggling as she led and sat with him. Close, very close… Their bodies were pressed side-to-side, but she didn't mind, and she grabbed the chopsticks and food and brought a morsel to his mouth.
"Like we're supposed to," she said happily when he questioned the motif. "Open~"
Ichigo hesitated, as this really wasn't his thing, but eventually opened his mouth and let Nel feed him. With those same chopsticks, she fed herself, and as she chewed, she looked at Ichigo, gave him an endearing smile, and blushed. And he found himself returning the gesture.
He was allowed to feed himself after that; Nel only wanted to start the meal intimately, and only rarely fed him from her chopsticks, which he accepted without pause. But it was becoming increasingly difficult to enjoy this meal. And it wasn't because of Nel's tight proximity – she was actually very comfortable and settling for him – and it wasn't that Mera was eating veraciously and it wasn't – yet – that Halibel-san wasn't eating at all.
It was the Quincy who had set her place up right across from him. It had to be deliberate. She was off-line from Nel and was just a few feet in front of him, staring intently. And it eventually became concerning to him. Hopefully she wasn't going to have an outburst and ruin a meal. But she was staring at him, just him, and wasn't turning away. She did pick at her food from time to time, but as she chewed, her blue eyes would return to studying him.
It eventually became too much. "What is it?" he asked.
Bambietta didn't give an answer, at least for a few seconds. And then said, "Give me your tea."
"Huh?" He looked and saw her own cup there, full and untouched. And despite its prominence, he pointed it out anyway. "You have yours right there…"
"I want yours!" she snapped briskly, and then looked to be waiting impatiently for his next response.
He could already feel Nel tensing next to him. That loving and happy look on her face had turned fierce, and he'd seen what she could do if she was to get serious. He'd rather not have that confrontation. So with a small sigh, he picked up his drink and stretched over the tray to hand it to Bambietta; not that she reached for it, so he had to set it awkwardly on her tray.
"Your radishes too," she said before he could even sit back fully.
"You haven't even eaten yours!"
Again, Bambietta just glowered in wait, and again, she got what she wanted, and then wanted the next thing: "Your soup." He didn't even bother this time, and just rolled his eyes and prepared to pass it to her until he was stopped – and thankfully, so was Nel, who was going to object – when Halibel moved her entire tray over to Bambietta in offering.
"You may have my dinner," she said. "So leave Ichigo alone and let him eat."
Bambietta looked at the tray and frowned, a soft crimson glowing on her cheeks, like something had thwarted a big scheme of hers. "Mind your own business!" she snapped, and then stood up – nearly knocking over her tray – and stormed out, grumbling to herself and shoving by Kukaku at the doorway to return to the room.
Yet even after her departure, Halibel did not reclaim her tray. At first, Ichigo thought that maybe Arrancar don't eat this kind of food, but then, Nel was going hungrily at it, so it shouldn't have been a problem. "Aren't you going to eat?" he asked her.
"It's fine," she replied.
Ichigo looked her over. His interaction with her had been brief so far, only sharing a moment when they were fighting alongside one another against Bambietta at the two other Quincy women. She must have been in her sealed state; the attire was different, more conservative than before, though the undersides of her breasts were still showing, which made him feel a little uncomfortable for noticing. But with her high-collared vest zipped all the way up to her nose, it was no wonder why she wasn't eating.
A bit uncomfortably, Ichigo gestated with his chopsticks. He thought of Tatsuki and how she had a healthy appetite, but would sometimes refrain from eating when she thought she was gaining weight. He'd never noticed, which would spark debate between them, about how he didn't notice anything about girls but the size of their chest, and he would refute that claim zealously. So while he did notice Halibel-san's boobs – though he didn't mean to! – he was concerned that the topic of food and eating might trigger some debate, so he veered from that to instead address another, perhaps more pressing matter.
"Why… did you decide to do it?" he asked vaguely.
Her eyes opened – they were an intense green that he was momentarily in awe of – and turned to him. "For duty," she said, knowing exactly what he was asking.
"Duty?"
And she nodded before turning forward again. "Hueco Mundo was the first to fall under the siege of Yhwach and his armies. I failed to protect my home and my people. I was weak, even with their sacrifice. I could not avenge them, and I was taken captive." Her eyes closed momentarily, reliving harsh realities of her imprisonment. The brutalities and the cold iron cutting the flesh of her wrists or stabbing through her ankles. Then she came back from those memories. "If it were up to me, I would have absolutely failed. Not just Hueco Mundo, but the whole of existence. Instead, it was relied on you to take up the fight. And you won." She looked at him again. "And not only did you win, you sacrificed to protect everyone. You displaced yourself from your own world, sacrificed your own life, to take up the place of the Soul King. What else could I do, after you saved me, but offer my service to you in any way I could?" She looked past him to Nel. "Nelliel says that she loves you; that is her reasoning. For me, I owe you… a debt of gratitude."
Somewhere, copy-chan smirks.
"A debt of gratitude?" Ichigo gave an almost-sympathetic look.
"Yes. Nelliel can stand by her conviction and follow her heart. Me, if I cannot protect my people with my own power, then I will offer myself to someone who can protect them in my stead. If I can serve as your wife, if that will protect Hueco Mundo, I would do it gladly for you."
Ichigo let the words settle in his mind. Truthfully, though, they didn't. "I wouldn't want that."
Halibel blinked and turned to him.
"Well," he droned, scratching his head, looking for the right words. "I wouldn't want you or anyone to be with me because of a sense of duty. If it's help you need, all you have to do is ask." He chuckled, his smile warming to Halibel's chest. "You know, this all started because of a debt. A Hollow attacked my family, and rather than save herself, Rukia came to our rescue and almost died." His fingertips brushed his chest. "She gave me her powers, and because of that, I was able to protect my family and other people. I can't say I was looking forward to it, but the more I began to protect… The more satisfied I became with myself."
For a good moment of reflection, Halibel stared at him.
"I don't see it as sacrifice," he went on, "because sacrifice means giving up something. But if I did something for the sake of the ones I care about, then it's not like I'm losing anything at all. I don't know if that makes any sense, but…" He ended with a lighthearted laugh, feeling a bit goofy for talking so much to someone who hardly knew him. But then he said to her, "Your reasons, your duty. Whatever it is, I won't hold you to it. In your own time, you can tell me, when you're ready. I'll listen when that time comes."
Halibel lingered, and then stood up suddenly. Confused, Ichigo looked up at her, and she told him, "Please come with me." Curious, he did.
"Ichigo?" Nel watched him.
"I'll be right back, Nel," he told her, smiling. It was enough for her; she smiled back and held back from eating… though she cried out and had to stop the gorging Mera from pilfering from an inactive tray. "Eat from the Quincy's leftovers!"
As the Tres Espada and the Soul King passed by, Kukaku told them that the food would get cold without them, but Halibel promised that it would not take long. But Ichigo tightened his mouth, thinking that the food would get cold if it wasn't eaten at all. Even so, he trusted his Espada wife and followed her; followed her down the hall, up the stairs, and outside. Yep, the rain had stopped and there were hardly any clouds in the night sky.
Smoothly, non-threateningly, Halibel caught her Zanpakuto and drew it out in front of her. "Hunt," she said out to the grasslands in front of her, "Tiburón."
Ichigo cried out at the sudden burst of water and the eruption of intense reiatsu. Within the underground complex, Bambietta poked her head out of her room, looking in the direction of the Espada's energy. She growled nervously, comparing the density to her own powers. It was not a good matchup, if she were being honest…
Outside, Ichigo jumped up to avoid the sudden gushing water that turned the meadow into a wetland, spilling over into the Shiba estate. But when it had all settled, he looked and saw that Halibel's skimpy costume had returned. He was better guarded for its appearance this time… but he still couldn't help a little gushing at her outstanding beauty, which was all the more radiant when she turned to him and gave a quaint little smile.
"I would like to share a meal with you… Kurosaki Ichigo."
He smiled back at her. "Sounds good."
But the tender moment was ruined by Kukaku peeking up from the stairway and saying, "You can eat after you both mop up this mess," referring to the flooding running down the stairs.
Awkwardly, Ichigo agreed, and Halibel inclined in a formal, apologetic bow. "My humblest apologies."
ccc Royal Palace ccc
The meal was moot, and most of what Ichibe had to say was stipulated in the first meeting that most of the wives attended. And being that he wasn't there to make a ruckus at the time of the arrangement, Isshin made up for lost time, acting as the overly-concerned parent, lamenting the sudden growth of his son, but Karin kept him in check as much as possible with punches and kicks and verbal jabs that struck him right in the masculinity. Mostly, pointing out that he just seemed jealous of his son made Isshin crumble and confess over and over that Masaki was the only love in his life that he'd ever needed.
Still, though…
"Ichigo has certainly done well surrounding himself with beautiful women." Isshin contemplated this while nodding approvingly for his own benefit, smiling slyly and saying, "He got that from his old man. Too bad his eyes were too big for his stomach this time."
"Um, Kurosaki-san?"
Surprised to be addressed, he turned and met the high gaze of Kotetsu Isane, the healer and Shinigami representative of Ichigo's wives. Awkwardly, her shoulders hunched forward, her tall frame bowing slightly over her notepad and writing brush, she looked at him helplessly. "You're… Lieutenant Isane." A brief knowledge of her; he'd left the Gotei Thirteen before her rise to Unohana's second, before the elder Yamada went to serve elsewhere. She was something of an up-and-comer, standing out in both height and talent. And also, as a Squad nurse, many men hoped to be treated by her; she had such kind eyes and gentle features.
"Um, yes! It's very nice to meet you." She brought the writing items up, making them an obvious issue. "I-I wanted to get some advice from you."
"Advice from me?!" He puffed up his chest and posed proudly. "Why, you are very wise then! Is it my parental skills?! Or are you wondering how I remain so glamorous even in my age?!"
His boisterous attitude made Isane cower a little. "Well, no, nothing like that…"
"Huh? Then what?"
"I… I just wanted to know… what are some of the things that… Ichigo-san likes?"
Before Isshin could give his disappointed retort – thinking that he was going to be brought into the center of attention – Kiyone appeared at Isane's side, berating her sister. "Don't ask secondhand opinions about your husband! Nee-san, you just need to ask him yourself when he gets back! Don't be so timid!"
"Ah! Kiyone! Please!" The bigger sister crouched to the floor, ducking her head under her arms as the little sister beat at her with light fists and heavy facts.
They very well may fit in with the Kurosaki family, Isshin mused moments before the shorthairs of his beard were viciously yanked. "Ow-ow-ow! Don't pull! You'll ruin my face!" But the concerns of his beard quickly ended when he faced the one doing the pulling.
"So this is where you've been gone to the restroom all this time," seethed Rangiku, grinning so wickedly that Isshin could feet the heat of her withheld rage in his core. Nothing good could come from this, he knew. "Captain Shiba…"
"Shh! Shh!" He held a finger up to his lips, glancing pointedly to the Monk giving final explanations to the Quincy women. Ichibe turned for a moment, noticing the eyes cast in his direction, and Isshin tried to play it cool. "I-I'm sorry I left! It was just that…! It was a big one, and the toilet clogged up… Yeow!" He teared up, feeling some hairs ripping from his skin.
"Do you know how much backed up paperwork I had to do when you left the Squad? Captain Hitsugaya couldn't sleep for a week!"
Isshin pursed up his lips, Somethings never changed, like her ability to dump all her work on someone else and then complain about it.
"I'll-I'll make it up to you," he swore, yielding his head to the pull of her hand.
"How are you going to make it up to me?" she seethed, and then made a more sinister look. "Maybe I'll marry Ichigo took, and that'll make us even… Father-in-Law~" She punctuated the title by poking his nose, and it was clear that her threat to join Ichigo's harem really terrified him He could imagine his son, wasting his life as Soul King, trying his hardest to keep up with a workload that kept being placed on his desk while Rangiku sprawled over the couch, eating chocolate and getting fat.
"No, no! Anything but that!"
While reunited Captain and Lieutenant fussed with each other, there were other meaningful conversations going about, though some were starting to yawn and Riruka told Orihime that she could sleep in her room tonight… if she didn't snore. Orihime laughed and hugged Riruka's face to her breast. The humans – Uryu, Chad, Tatsuki, and the twins – were showing signs of fatigue, which was to be expected. The Royal Palace couldn't be accustomed to within a few hours. It drained a normal soul's body just to breathe.
"Why'd you do it, Meni?" Candice, who'd declined to be handfed in her bondage, glared up at Meninas. "You traitor. Why'd you agree to marry that shithead?"
With a tasty parfait in front of her, Meninas looked over to her electric comrade. "That's a stupid question." She took a spoonful – a delicate amount – and consumed it. And while Candice swore at her and kicked and cussed, she enjoyed a few more samplings until The Thunderbolt calmed down. "It was either agree to be married to him and live in a castle, or be thrown in a dungeon." Perhaps a bit dramatic, but… The parfait was delicious.
"Pah! That's no excuse! I'd rather go to the dungeon than marry that bastard! For what he did to me"—She hardened her gaze—"I'll never forgive him."
"I know," Meninas said simply. "That's why you are sitting on the floor tied up, and I'm eating dessert."
ccc
Sorry if this seems rushed and 'filler' at moments. It's Part 1 of 2.