Bleach Porn Story: Mine – Chapter 26

Chapter 26

After Ukitake took his leave, Rukia sat in the tea room for quite some time. She went back over the days’ events and analyzed each one with the mind of a brilliant tactician. Regarding her plan for Ulquiorra, everything was progressing flawlessly. This operation could not have had a more perfect beginning and Rukia was confident that the party next week would go quite well.

However, when she thought about what she was forced to do to Ichigo, her lips turned down into a frown. She didn’t like the way he’d looked during his ‘punishment’…it reminded her too much of the night she betrayed him to his sisters. She knew there was no choice-she had an image to uphold in front of Ulquiorra and that had to come first. Still, that didn’t stop the guilt that was eating away at her now. “My poor boy,” she whispered quietly. Rukia knew that she’d have to go in eventually and try to make things right, but right now she was too emotionally drained to attempt it. After about an hour in the tea room, Rukia decided she needed something stronger, grabbed the sake, and went for a walk.

As she walked and drank, Rukia ran through every possible explanation she could give Ichigo for her behavior but none of them seemed right. Nothing would work but the truth and, right now, she just wanted to run up there and tell him everything. She knew the truth could make his pain go away and she would rather chance ruining the mission than have him feel like this. Just as Rukia resolved to go upstairs and tell him every single thing, a terrifying thought struck her. She couldn’t tell him and it was not because it might ruin their chances of finding his father…that she could take. If she told him the truth and he accidentally revealed his identity, he could become their next target. That thought was enough to quell her truthful tendencies. As much as it killed her, she knew she couldn’t tell him. She could live with his temporary hatred and she could live with causing him more pain, but she could not live without him.

She bowed her head in defeat. The truth was the only chance she had at making this right. Now, there was no way he would forgive her for her actions. Hell, she couldn’t forgive herself…how could she expect him to do it? He’s so fucking young, she thought, and he’s been through so much…too much of that was because of me. She couldn’t stand that she was the cause of even more suffering for him. She told him she loved him, made him believe it, and then crushed his heart. Now, she was hiding out here in the dark, trying to drink her guilt away and it wasn’t even fucking working. With an exaggerated sigh, Rukia began walking slowly back to the villa. As much as she hated to see the result of her ‘work’, it was time to get this over with.

~X~

When Rukia opened her bedroom door, the sweet smell of Ichigo’s blood assailed her senses. “What the hell…?” She didn’t think that they’d dealt him that much damage! As soon as she stepped inside and saw the broken mirror, Rukia understood all too well what had happened. Once again, she’d driven him too far.

Her eyes went to the bed and saw Ichigo lying very still underneath a blood-soaked sheet. For a moment, Rukia froze at the lack of movement beneath the sheet. Thinking the worst, she gasped in abject terror, “Ichigo!” A second later, she was able to relax as his body rose slightly with an inhaled breath. Relief swamped her already chaotic emotions and she let out a shaky breath as she sank down on the bed beside his curled up form.

All she could see of him was his normally spiky hair lying flat and dull against his handsome face. When she reached over to brush it away, Ichigo groaned and turned on his back. When he moved, the sheet fell down just enough to expose his neck…and the deep gash carved into it. It was directly over his pulse-point and Rukia knew that the amount of blood dried on his body and on the sheet beneath him would have been too much for a normal human to lose. She ran her hand over the wound and thanked every deity she could think of that he wasn’t human. Even so, just a little deeper and he would have bled completely out.

Rukia never thought the sight of Ichigo’s blood had the power to make her sick, but thinking about how close she’d come to losing him…she had to close her eyes and swallow against the wave of revulsion that threatened to choke her. He almost killed himself. My beautiful boy was close to taking his own life…because of what I did to him. Will you ever know how much I regret my actions? Rukia felt burning at the back of her eyes and struggled to keep the tears from falling. She lay down beside him and tenderly brushed the hair away from his face. “Ichigo,” she whispered quietly. When his body jerked in response, Rukia whispered soothing words and placed kisses along his jaw.

Ichigo’s eyes cracked open slowly as though even the dim moonlight hurt them. His voice was rough with sleep and when he shifted his body to look at her, he hissed in pain, “A-Aijin, you’re here.” She was back with him and finally, his jealous demon could stop screaming-He released a cleansing breath.

“Shhhh,” she said while caressing him softly, “Just lie still.” When he was once again settled, Rukia got up and lit a candle. Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut and jerked his head away from the light. “Relax, Ichigo. I need to see your injuries,” She knelt beside him and attempted to pull the sheet away from his body.

Ichigo jerked back and gripped the sheet tightly in front of him as he eyed her warily, “Don’t…please.” He was ashamed for her to see the extent of his insanity.

Rukia could see the pain his swift movement caused him but her attention was caught by the hands that gripped the sheet. “My God, Ichigo…your hands!” They were torn to shreds and swollen horribly. “What did you…” And then it hit her, “The mirror?”

Ichigo was immediately contrite and nodded miserably before gesturing to the other side of the room, “And the wall.” Rukia walked away from him to examine it and noticed chunks of marble missing. In their place was Ichigo’s flesh and blood.

Returning to his side, Rukia steeled herself for what would come next, “Is there more?” She asked quietly. His hesitant nod confirmed her worst suspicions. “I need to see what you’ve done to yourself. Show me…all of it,” she demanded softly. Ichigo shifted uncomfortably but kept his death grip on the sheet.

She refused to be deterred and spoke more forcefully, “Show me.” He reluctantly released his grip and looked away from her as she peeled the once-white linen from his broken body. Her self-loathing knew no bounds at what was revealed. The several angry gashes on his right bicep were glaring, but it was what she saw on the left one that shocked her to the core. Her name…engraved on his arm. “Why did you do this?” She asked in a shocked whisper.

His reply was simple, “For you.”

Rukia swallowed hard as a lone tear broke free to trail down her cheek. He saw it and reached up to wipe it away, “Why are you crying, aijin? It wasn’t deep enough, was it?” He looked down at his arm and his expression darkened, “Fuck! It’s not going to scar.” He looked up as though attempting to placate her, “Don’t worry, I can fix it…I’ll make sure it stays.” As he spoke, he reached behind him to produce the bloody shard of mirror responsible for mangling his perfection.

Before it could touch his arm, she dropped her hold on the sheet and grabbed his wrist, “Stop this, Ichigo!” He looked blankly at her, confused as to why she would stop him, but lowered his hand obediently. She gently took the jagged piece from him and he dropped his hands to his lap. She followed their descent and her stomach churned as her perusal revealed seven fresh, horizontal cuts to his beautiful abdomen. Blood still flowed freely from them, onto the pants he’d worn since the morning, but he didn’t seem to notice. Rukia shook her head, “Ichigo…why have you done this to yourself?”

He shrugged negligently, “It felt good.” He noticed her confusion and attempted to explain a bit more, “You wanted me to be a good slave and I was trying very hard to be that for you.” She looked guiltily away. “I couldn’t stand the thought of you with that man,” he said the last scathingly, “touching and kissing him…or whatever you were doing,” His voice broke as the past few hours of mental torture came rushing back to him, “All I wanted to do was go down there and fucking destroy him, but you didn’t want that.” He squeezed his eyes shut trying to compose his thoughts, “You wanted him there and I was trying so hard to accept it but…I couldn’t.” He looked imploringly at her, “My head was screaming so fucking hard at me, I thought my eyes would start bleeding…and it hurt. It hurt worse than any physical pain I’ve ever felt. I did whatever I could to keep from allowing my demon to take over. I wanted to be what you needed and do what you said to do. I was trying so fucking hard and pain was the only thing that seemed to work. The demon was still there, but as long as I cut myself, I could manage it.” He dropped his eyes to his belly and briefly touched his fingers to the crimson flow. He then looked back to Rukia as if dismissing its presence, “I woke up a little while ago and I guess…I just needed more.”

His next words were colored with self-disgust. “It’s not like I didn’t deserve it. I’m your slave and just because you’ve been good to me, I thought I could interfere in your life. I had no right to act like a jealous fucking boyfriend…No right at all. I’m here to please you and that’s it. I can’t blame you for wanting to be with someone that is your equal. Someone you consider to be a man.” The pain in his eyes cut deep into Rukia’s soul, Why the hell did I have to say such hurtful things to him? I over played my part and wounded him even more deeply. “I’m so sorry, aijin. Can you forgive me?”

When she didn’t answer right away, Ichigo took her silence to mean that she didn’t forgive him and he panicked. He rose quickly to his knees and took her face in his hands, “Please, aijin…please don’t be angry with me. That’s why I put your name on me…I thought it would make you happy,” He looked absolutely sick at her lack of response and begged harder, “J-Just let me carve it deeper and I promise it will scar. Then your name will be on me f-forever…you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Still, she said nothing and Ichigo was desperate for her absolution. He released her face and dropped into an even more submissive pose. His head was bowed so low that it touched her knees as his breath came in starved gasps, “Forgive me, aijin…p-please.”

Rukia was shocked into silence by the things he was saying and the sickeningly subservient way he was acting. She almost choked on self-hatred as he pleaded with her…begged her. His logic was so twisted and broken that she wanted to scream at him to snap out of it. He should be furious with her, not apologizing to her! The sickest part of it all was that she did like her name on him. Hell, she fucking loved the fact that her ownership was carved into his body for all to see…but there was no way she would let him abuse his himself anymore on her account. She gently peeled his frantic hands from her face and held them lovingly, “Ichigo, listen to me. You have nothing to apologize for and I don’t want you injuring yourself ever again. Do you understand?”

He looked like a caged animal at her insistence that he not hurt himself, “B-but, you don’t want me to take any dr-…I mean, I don’t h-have anything and I n-need some way to c-control it…s-some way to dull the real pain.” His breathing had become erratic again as he stammered through that sentence. Noticing the complete lack of focus in his eyes and the panic screaming from his every pore, Rukia was suddenly very concerned about his mental stability.

She spoke quickly in an effort to calm him, “Never mind, alright? Just stay here for a moment…I’ll be right back.” Ichigo nodded gratefully and seemed to relax as she walked away. She walked into the hall and instructed the first servant she saw to prepare a hot bath and bring dinner to the room next to hers. The woman bowed and immediately left to do her bidding. Rukia wiped another stray tear from her cheek before reentering the room.

Ichigo was sitting against the headboard, staring straight ahead with his arms wrapped protectively around his legs. He seemed to be in a world of his own and Rukia was certain he was oblivious to her return. She cleared her throat and saw his eyes finally focus on her, “Is everything alright, aijin?”

She spoke gently as if he were a skittish colt, “Everything is fine. I’m having another room prepared for us while this one is cleaned. It will only take a moment.”

Ichigo leaned further forward and ran one hand nervously through his mangled locks and glanced absently around him, “I fucked up your room…I’m sorry.”

His dejected whisper shot straight through her soul, “Stop it! Stop apologizing when all of this is my fault…mine! Do you hear me?” He never moved, merely shook his head as if to disagree with her words. Rukia continued her self-deprecating tirade, “I have completely and utterly fucked with your mind, so I don’t want to hear another apology fall from your lips this night. Is that understood?” Ichigo looked confused by her venomous tone, but nodded dutifully. “Good, now let’s go next door and get you cleaned up and fed.” She held out her hand and watched him painfully make his way to her side.

When they arrived at the next room, everything was ready; however, the monumentally stupid servants were staring hard at Ichigo’s half-naked and mutilated-but still really fucking hot-body. Rukia’s eyes turned black as she glared at them, “Do you all want to die tonight?” Almost as one unit, the women tore their eyes from Ichigo and hurried from the room. Before they could leave, Rukia spoke, “I want my room spotless and in perfect condition by the time I awake tomorrow, and if it’s not, you’ll all wish you were dead, understood?” They all gulped and nodded as they shuffled past their frightening mistress.

Ichigo was still out of it as Rukia worked to get the filthy pants off him. When she told him to do something, he complied but other than that, he was fairly unresponsive. When he stepped into the hot water and sank down, he didn’t so much as blink. Rukia was very worried about his odd behavior but pushed that aside as she began his bath. When she worked the cloth over his self-inflicted wounds, he didn’t even flinch. Little did she know, but Ichigo was sinking further and further inside himself.

Rukia tried to be clinical about bathing him, but she wasn’t doing a very good job of it. When she ran the cloth over his nipples, she felt hers harden in response. Trying to ignore the lust thrumming through her body, Rukia dipped her hand below the water to clean his waist and legs. Her careful maneuvering was for naught as the back of her hand accidentally brushed against his sex. When it started to harden, her stomach clenched and she felt herself grow wet with desire. She was absolutely sickened by her lack of self-control. He was nearly catatonic and she was ready to molest him like some bitch in heat. I am a sick, disgusting bitch.

Rukia tried to move her hand quickly away from him but Ichigo caught her wrist. The sensual look on his face surprised her and nearly knocked the breath out of her. “Don’t stop,” he growled in her favorite ‘come-fuck-me’ voice. She was on the verge of doing just that when something stopped her. His face was perfect, his voice more than tempting, but his eyes were all wrong. They were just…empty. It was then that she realized that he was forcing his body to respond to her touch. Forcing himself to please her. He was performing for her-just like he’d performed for countless other women.

Rukia recoiled from him in horror. She pulled back so hard that she nearly fell. Her near disaster seemed to pull him from the daze he was in, “Kuchiki-sama, have I done something wrong?”

Rukia couldn’t speak, Kuchiki-sama? Then it hit her…he hasn’t said my name since all of this took place. I can’t believe I’ve done this to us. My God, can all of this deception possibly be worth his pain? She swallowed and shook her head as if to dispel her depressing thoughts. “It’s nothing. I-I think you’re clean enough so now, you can get out and eat something.”

“I’m not really hungry…” He actually looked ill at the thought of eating, but Rukia knew he’d had nothing all day.

“You’re going to eat,” She said as she handed him a towel and turned away as he got out of the tub. He dried himself quickly and slipped into the yukata that was laid across the bed. When he was dressed, Rukia brought the tray of food to him and made sure he ate until she was satisfied. “Alright, I think it’s time for us to get some sleep.” Trying to be quick about it, Rukia pulled a gown over her head and climbed into bed.

Ichigo grinned and dropped his yukata before she could look away. Rukia’s mouth went dry as lustful thoughts ran rampant through her mind. The diminutive demon turned quickly away in an effort to cool her raging libido. His seductive smile and sinuous movement could not hide his fatigue and Rukia would be damned before she took advantage of the state he was in…even if he wanted her to.

When she turned away from him, he felt the rejection even through all of his numbness. His smile faded away as he climbed into bed and lay quietly beside her. She doesn’t even want to fuck me anymore…I’ve ruined everything, he thought fearfully. All his insecurities attacked him at once and Ichigo felt anxiety spread throughout his body. He stiffened as he stared blindly at the ceiling and his breathing became forced and erratic.

Rukia turned over immediately when she noticed the change n him, “Ichigo, are you alright?”

His eyes shot to hers as though just realizing she was beside him-panic clear in their depths, “I’m fine. I j-just need to…c-could I p-please…”

He couldn’t finish his request and Rukia spoke gently in an effort to calm him, “Shhh, it’s alright okiniiri. Just relax and you’ll feel better.” She ran her hands through his hair and massaged his scalp which seemed to help him somewhat but she knew that he was still very close to losing it. “Ichigo, you’re exhausted and you need to sleep…try to calm down, okay love? I want you to close your eyes.” Ichigo looked skeptically at her but closed his anxious eyes. “Now, I want you to visualize the best day of your life.” Ichigo’s face calmed and his breathing evened out for a moment. Rukia thought she’d finally gotten through to him and decided to continue with her form of therapy, “Perhaps it was a time when you were a child or some time with your sisters…whatever it was, I want you to think about it and feel the peace of that day envelop you in its embrace.”

For some reason, her final words caused the panic to come back full force. He was gasping for breath now and looking everywhere, “I c-can’t!” Ichigo shot straight up in the bed and clawed furiously at his chest as though he were trying to free his heart of its constraints. “I n-need something-drugs, a knife or…you could hurt me. Would you like that? You could beat me, claw me…a-anything you want. P-Please, nushi? I need you.”

Rukia was floored to know that this was the same confident male she’d met not too long ago in Seireitei. She had reduced this beautiful, proud creature to something that was so completely fucked up, that he needed intense pain to find peace. Once again, she was sickened by herself, “Ichigo, stop it! What the hell were you thinking of just then?”

He stopped clawing immediately and looked ashamed as he clutched his hands to his chest in a protective manner and looked away from her. He was sickened by his own weakness, but he couldn’t seem to help his body’s reaction. His words were barely a whisper but she heard him clearly, “I imagined that day with you, in the woods…when you told me you loved me.”

Rukia never hesitated as she flung her body against his and held him tightly, “I’m so sorry.”

He relaxed minutely in her embrace and released a shaky breath as he wrapped his arms around her in return, “Don’t be sorry, aijin. It was my fault for trying to keep a piece of heaven for myself…creatures like me don’t deserve heaven.”

Tears sprang into her eyes and she gripped him tighter, “Ichigo…I know you don’t believe this, but I do love you. No matter what happened today, I still love you more than anything in this world. Please believe that,” She pulled back far enough to stare into his dark eyes hoping to see some semblance of trust in their beautiful depths.

Ichigo wanted to believe her-God how he wanted to-but he couldn’t. He was too broken. He didn’t believe her and he didn’t think he ever could-It hurt too damn much. The love he felt for her was still there but right now, it was cowering behind his rapidly rising defenses. He would retreat to the same place he went after Yoruichi betrayed him. In that place, Ichigo wasn’t himself…he was something else-something darker and infinitely more soul-shattering. He was capable of anything. He could shock her with the willingness he had to throw himself into his role as a slave and especially, his role as her whore. He would have no will that wasn’t hers and if he felt an emotion, it would be shoved so far beneath the surface that it would never again see the light of day.

It was so lonely there, that place in his mind, but he would survive now as he did then. On the outside, nothing would change. He would play her games, tell her he loved her, and pretend to accept her false words and perform his role to perfection. Inside, he would suffer knowing that yet another piece of his fragile soul was being turned to ash. Ichigo thought it was poetic justice that the one who freed him from his lonely prison would also be the one to condemn him to it yet again. This time, though, he wanted the blessed numbness that only his inner prison could provide and he was clawing his way through the anguish to get there.

Even though he distrusted her sentiments, Ichigo was glad to hear them because that meant that she wasn’t sick of him and his sisters were still secure. He broke free from her arms and looked quickly away, not wanting her to see the utter despair in his eyes. Schooling his features into a loving look, Ichigo gave his mistress what she wanted, “Of course I believe you, aijin. I love you, too.” He brushed an errant strand of hair away from her tear-streaked face and placed a chaste kiss to her wet cheek, “Please don’t cry, kirei.“

Of course, his words only made her tears fall faster.

~X~

The morning dawned clear and bright and the optimism it represented made Ichigo want to stab himself in the fucking head. He woke up alone which was great because he felt he needed some time to compose his thoughts. The insanity that plagued him yesterday had been pushed far from the surface of his mind. Instead, the cold indifference that he’d survived the past five years with was in place.

Last night, after kissing her tears away, Ichigo ‘proved’ his devotion by making slow, sweet love to her. If Rukia noticed a difference in his touch, she never said a word and knowing that she was just like Yoruichi and couldn’t recognize when he was being disingenuous made Ichigo more determined than ever to kill his love for her. Whether she knew it or not, there was a difference. Yes, he’d given a fucking brilliant performance, but someone who loves you should just damn well know when you’re not there-and Ichigo wasn’t there. He was touching her and saying all the right things, but his true self was far from her last night…and she didn’t have a fucking clue. He’d finally made it. Last night, he finally arrived to that dark place inside of him-the place where she could no longer hurt him-and he welcomed the numbness that entailed.

Ichigo resolved, yet again, to keep his turbulent thoughts from showing up, so when she opened the door with a smile, he returned it full force.

“Ichigo, I didn’t think you’d be awake yet.” He could see behind her jovial smile. She was watching him to see if he was still broken. He was most assuredly broken, but he knew he did a good job of covering that fact when he saw relief color her features.

“I just woke up a short while ago, aijin. Thank you for letting me sleep…I feel much better today.” He let her think he was nervous as he continued, “I-I just wanted to apologize for…ahhh…for yesterday.” He looked at his arms and abdomen and noted that the wounds were almost healed. Absently, Ichigo thought that he should get Rukia to carve her name if she wanted it to stick. After all, she did a fuck-awesome job of scarring his ribs.

Rukia took his face in her hands and was suddenly very thankful for his ability to heal quickly. What had looked so horrible yesterday was only lightly bruised today. By tomorrow, it would be gone entirely. She stroked his cheeks with her thumbs, “You have nothing to apologize for, my love.” Rukia was the one who looked nervous all of a sudden as she straightened, “Ichigo…there’s something I need to tell you. I’ve been thinking this morning and I’ve come to a decision.” He looked curiously at her and indicated that she continue with a nod of his head.

“Well, there are some things that I can’t tell you but I think I owe you something.” She released his face and began pacing and wringing her hands, “Yesterday wasn’t…real.” When Ichigo looked at her as if she were the crazy one, she hastened to complete her thought, “I don’t mean that it didn’t happen. I just mean that what I was doing wasn’t genuine.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “Ulquiorra’s father has something that my family needs very badly and in order to get it, I have to cozy up to his son.”

She looked at Ichigo and saw that his expression hadn’t changed; he was still listening intently. “Ulquiorra is a real ass and I knew that I’d have to work extra hard to convince him that I’m interested in him. Since he’s also known to be a selfish prick, I had to work even harder to convince him that you mean nothing to me.”

Mission accomplished, baby, Ichigo thought derisively but his expression remained impassive.

“So, you see…yesterday was just an act. I can’t tell you any of the details because it could completely sabotage our plans but, I thought you deserved to know at least this much. I’m not interested in Ulquiorra and I certainly don’t love him.”

Ichigo didn’t know why, but her big ‘confession’ really pissed him off. Before he could stop them, the angry words flew out of his mouth, “But you fucked him before, didn’t you?”

Rukia’s eyes widened and she sucked in a quick breath, “I…How did you…?”

He immediately regretted showing her his anger, Down boy! “I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have said that. Forgive me, aijin.” He bowed his head in apology and mentally cursed his stupidity.

She’d regained her composure by then, “No, you have a right to know. I-I have had sex with him in the past but it wasn’t special. I’ve been with many men in my long life and he was just one more.” She didn’t notice his fists tighten involuntarily, “He wasn’t very good and I didn’t choose to repeat the experience, but since then, he’s been quite taken with me. He even petitioned my father for us to marry.” Rukia almost revealed that very soon, she would be engaged to him, but at the last minute, she decided against telling him that.

“You owe me no explanations, nushi, but I do appreciate your candor. It means a great deal to me that you’ve opened your life to me like this.” Yeah right…It means not a damn thing. It’s just one more lie to keep me playing this fucked up game.

Once again, Rukia sighed in relief and let the matter rest. “There was actually something else that I came here to tell you. One of my best friends is coming to visit today and, don’t worry, she is nothing like Ulquiorra and we don’t have to hide a damned thing. Consequently, we wouldn’t have had to hide from Ukitake-sensei either, but he was with Ulquiorra.” She shrugged and continued, “Anyhow, I was hoping you’d be up to meeting her?”

Ichigo gracefully inclined his head, “Of course, aijin. I would be happy to meet your friend.”

Rukia kissed him softly and told him that breakfast and another bath would be prepared for him. As she made her way down the stairs, it occurred to her that he still hadn’t said her name…and she was worried.

~X~

They spent the remainder of their morning taking a short ride. Of course, Rukia had to ride in front of Ichigo and she could think of nothing except the last time she rode with him. Since she didn’t know when Nel would arrive, hot and steamy sex was, unfortunately, not in the cards.

By the time they returned, Rukia was hot, sweaty, and more than a little turned on. She excused herself while Ichigo cared for his horse. She had bathed, gotten herself off, and grabbed a bite to eat while Ichigo was still nowhere in sight. She went outside to find him but, instead, found her dear friend standing nonchalantly in the courtyard, “Nel, You’re here!”

Nel grinned and ran towards her, “Ruki-chan, I’ve missed you!” The two women embraced like the old friends they were.

Rukia grinned at her, “I missed you too, Nel. Where’s Grimm? No, wait. Don’t tell me. You’re still refusing to turn him and he’s making his way here the old fashioned way?”

Nel grinned at her in return, “Damn, girl, you’re scary good at guessing games. I went pretty slowly so he’s not very far behind. Not that I’m complaining or anything, but why did you want me to come out here today?” She winked conspiratorially, “You see, I’m not as good at guessing as you are.”

“Well, you see…ummm, it’s kind of a long story…” Rukia’s words trailed off as she glanced over Nel’s shoulder and saw Ichigo walking toward them. He was talking to one of the stable boys and as she tuned into their conversation, she realized he was asking that Diablo’s feed be increased. Not that she really cared all that much about their conversation because, holy hell, his hakama was riding low on his hips putting that sexy fucking ‘v’ on display and that was the least of it. Somewhere between their ride and now, he had managed to get his shirt off and was now soaking wet. His hair was plastered to his head and water was beaded down his powerful torso. The only thing that wasn’t wet was his hakama…which means that wherever he bathed, he was naked. Ichigo still hadn’t seen them and, as he finished his conversation, he took a moment to slip his shirt on his damp body, leaving it unfastened. The light-weight fabric clung to him like a second skin and Rukia unconsciously licked her lips.

She paid absolutely zero attention to Nel until she snapped her fingers in front of her dazed face, “Hel-looo, Rukia…Anybody home?” Rukia immediately snapped her head in Nel’s direction just as Ichigo began walking toward them with his head down. “What the hell were you looking at, anyway?”

“That,” Rukia said with a nod in Ichigo’s direction, “Is the reason you’re here.”

Nel turned at about the same time that Ichigo raised his head up and noticed the pair. He stopped dead in his tracks with a stunned look on his face. Nel’s eyes widened as she saw him, “Ichi?”

“Neli?” He breathed with that same, stunned expression. Nel was here and that meant that Grimm was nearby. He finally had friends here that he trusted with his life and the thought of it shot through him like lightening.

Rukia’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head when Nel took off at a dead run for Ichigo. He seemed to brace for impact and when she did hit, Rukia heard an audible, ‘Oomph’ from him. When she wrapped her legs around him and began kissing his face, Rukia quickly went from flabbergasted to pissed off. What the Fuuuck?

“Ichigooo!” She squealed excitedly, “Gaahhh, we’ve missed you so much! What are you doing here?”

Ichigo didn’t seem phased by the fact that there was a beautiful, voluptuous woman hanging onto him. In fact, he just wrapped his arms around her waist like it was natural, “I live here. What the hell are you doing here, Neli…and where is Grimm?”

Rukia was seething at the obvious familiarity the two of them had but she was trying her damnedest to calm down. Next to Ran, this woman was her best friend! Neli? I’ve never heard anyone call her that. Isn’t that just so fucking SWEET! Obviously, her thoughts were rebelling against her good intentions.

“I’m here to see Rukia and Grimm will be here soon, he’s just running a little bit behind.” Nel answered with a huge smile, “What do you mean, you ‘live here’?”

“He means,” Rukia scathingly interrupted their joyous reunion, “That I bought his fucking contract from that fucking bitch, Yoruichi and now, he’s living here with me!“

Ichigo blanched at the reminder that his extremely jealous mistress was witnessing Nel’s very public display of affection. He let out a strained cough as he tried to peel the happy woman from his body, “Uhh, Nel, not that I’m not really excited to see you but, could you…uhhh…get off of me? Kuchiki-sama doesn’t really like it when I touch other women…” With those words, his mask was firmly back in place, although the peace of his friends’ arrival was still with him.

Nel was absolutely shocked at Rukia’s announcement and looked gapingly between the two before sliding down his body and releasing her hold on him. She turned to Rukia, still in a state of shock, “You’re jealous?“

Rukia stiffened and drew herself up to her full height-which wasn’t very impressive. “Kuchiki’s don’t get jealous, Neliel…we get possessive.” It was said with such seriousness and the accompanying nod was so supercilious that Nel suddenly couldn’t contain her amusement. Her laughter rang out sharply in the courtyard and Rukia and Ichigo watched her double over with hilarity.

When she finally stopped laughing and caught her breath, she turned to Ichigo, “So, that bitch Yoruichi actually sold you? I don’t believe it. It’s as preposterous as Kuchiki over there being jealous! However, I do see that my dear friend is ready to challenge me to a duel over your honor so I guess, in this instance, pigs have flown. I must say though, I am really pissed at Yoruichi. As hard as I fought for her to sell you when I took Grimm, she just turns around and sells you to someone else? You can bet she’s gonna hear about this!”

Yet another revelation showcasing the depth of Nel’s affection for Ichigo had Rukia fuming once more. Why in bloody hell would she try to buy his contract? Was she fucking him too? Ever the dutiful slave, Ichigo went immediately to her side and wrapped his arms around her small body. When he kissed her neck, just below her ear, Rukia felt her anger melt as she closed her eyes and sighed in contentment.

Nel smiled at their embrace, “Well, I suppose I can’t be too angry about it. Now, two of my best friends in the world are together!” She clapped her hands together like an excited teenager, “This saves Grimm and I a trip back to Seireitei…we were actually planning to come see you tomorrow, Ichi. We’ve really missed you.”

Hearing Nel say that he and Rukia were ‘together’ forced Ichigo’s happiness to slide by the wayside. They would never really be together and somehow, he had to stop caring. He looked away from Rukia and gave Nel a sad smile, “I’ve missed you both…so much. Two years is a really long time, Nel.” He cleared his throat, “It’s really good to see you.” He said it softly and Rukia felt jealousy rise up once more, though she did try to stem the flow.

Ichigo felt her stiffen in his arms and decided that Rukia needed some reassurance. He hated the fact that he had to cater to her jealousy, but smiled anyway, “Nel’s a very good friend, aijin, nothing more. She and Grimm helped me through some really tough times, so need to get upset, okay?”

Rukia smiled and relaxed in his arms. “Okay,” she whispered softly.

“Speaking of friends, what the hell happened to my friend’s face, Rukia?” Nel said it quite menacingly and all of a sudden, Rukia was actually afraid to tell her.

Ichigo noticed her discomfort and answered for her, “I’m guessing since you’re the ‘old’ friend that Kuchiki-sama mentioned, that you’re a demon. Am I correct?”

Nel nodded like a small child, “So, you’re finally in the loop? That’s great!” Nel said with an excited yelp.

“Yes, I’m in the loop. Actually, I’m part of the loop.” He said cryptically.

Nel’s eyes got big and her mouth was hanging slightly op as she turned to Rukia, “You mean…you turned him?”

“No, I didn’t turn him. He is demon-borne, Nel. Well…sort of,” Rukia hedged. “As far as we know, his father was a demon and we’re assuming that his mother was human because Ichigo has some rather interesting traits.” Rukia proceeded to explain his situation, carefully leaving out the details of exactly who he was.

After she finished, Ichigo spoke again, “My face is a little beat up because I’m still learning to control my demon form. Kuchiki-sama and I had a bit of a sparring match yesterday morning and she…ahhh…sort of beat the hell out of me,” It was said jokingly, but Rukia cringed inwardly at his words. That hit much too close to home.

“Oh, now that makes sense! The whole thing is pretty weird though. I’ve never heard of a half-demon before but hey, I guess I have now,” She said with a smile. “This is really gonna piss Grimm off, ya know? He’s been begging me to turn him and when he finds out about you, I’m never gonna hear the end of it!”

“So why haven’t you…turned him, that is? Are you waiting for something special or are you just not ever going to do it?” Ichigo asked with a frown. If there was a way for Grimm to gain immortality like him, Ichigo wanted him to do it.

“I’m going to do it; I’m just making him wait until he’s 25.” She saw his puzzled expression and explained, “Natural-born blood demons grow just like normal humans until they reach the age of 25, then something clicks inside of them and they just stop. That’s when we come into our own in terms of strength and magical ability. I want him to be fully developed, mentally and physically, before I take his humanity from him.” She looked a bit sad at the last part before covering with a smile, “Besides, the bastard’s already violent enough…can you imagine what I’m going to go through during his ‘newborn’ years? I’ve gotta gear up!”

Ichigo allowed his excitement to break through his mask. After all, Nel would know if he wasn’t being genuine…she actually fucking cared about him. He grinned wildly, showing his own propensity towards violence with that lusty expression, “Fuck yeah, I can imagine it! You know how we were as regular humans…it’s gonna be fucking awesome, now!”

Both women rolled their eyes at his crazed, ‘man-speak’ and couldn’t help but laugh at his blood-thirsty expression. “You two were really something, weren’t you?” Nel asked with an exaggerated eye roll. Ichigo just nodded emphatically like a child.

Thinking about his best friend made Ichigo anxious to see him. “Ummm,” He started uncertainly, “Do you think I might be able to go find Grimm and travel back with him?”

Rukia was overjoyed at his change in demeanor. He was acting a lot more like his old self and it was really refreshing. His face was so relaxed and that adorable, child-like exuberance she saw in it made her smile indulgently, “Of course you can. Hurry back, though…I’ve got some things planned for us later, okay?”

His smile made the sun pale in comparison, “Don’t worry, I’ll hurry his ass up and we’ll be back in no time.” Nel told him which direction Grimm was coming from and added, “Oi, Ichigo! When you bring out your demon, make sure you freak him out!” Ichigo nodded and threw her a grin. He ran to the barn, saddled Diablo, and took off to find his friend.

Nel spoke as soon as Ichigo was gone, “They won’t be too long…maybe a couple of hours. He’s not that far behind, but we should have enough time for you and I to talk about whatever it is I’m here for.” Rukia nodded and the two friends went inside to sit and talk.

~X~

Ichigo gave Diablo his head and the eager horse set out at a blistering pace. It took less than an hour to find Grimmjow and when Ichigo saw that familiar head of hair, he couldn’t help the grin that was plastered on his face. Grimmjow looked curiously toward the rapidly approaching rider until he recognized his friend. An answering grin broke out on his face, “Ichigo! Is that you, you ridiculously bright-haired sonuva bitch?”

“Sure is, you equally bright-haired bastard!” The two men dismounted and had their obligatory ‘man-half-hug-thing’.

“What the hell are you doing here, fucker?” Grimmjow was completely surprised to see his friend here and he was anxious to know how he got loose from Yoruichi for the day…unless that bitch was somewhere nearby. He sure as hell hoped she wasn’t around. Grimmjow never really had any problems with Yoruichi personally, but she managed to seriously fuck up his best friend and for that, he hated the slut.

Ichigo was never meant to be in a place like Seireitei and Grimm did his best to shield the kid and keep him sane, but it was nearly impossible. There was something about Ichigo that made people fucking insane-especially Yoruichi-so he had to deal with a lot of freaky shit. Grimm had always been a mean, violent loner and most people-unless they wanted to fuck him-kept their distance, which was why his friendship with Ichigo meant so much to him. He never figured out what compelled him to go talk to Ichigo that night, so many years ago, but he was glad he did. Besides Nel, Ichigo was the first and only real friend he ever had-more like a little brother. He would easily die for that motherfucker and he would most certainly kill for him.

When Nel wasn’t able to get that bitch to sell Ichigo to her, Grimm had initially refused to go. It was Ichigo who finally talked him into it and leaving him behind was the hardest thing he and Nel had ever been forced to do. Not that he’d ever admit to any of that shit, though…

“Oh, wow, man. Don’t I get a ‘Hi Ichigo, it’s been a long time, how have you been, I’ve missed you, I love you, will you marry me’?” Ichigo said dramatically, “Shit man, I feel so cheap!”

“Fuck that, you pussy!” Grimm scoffed, “Seriously, Ichigo…what the fuck are you doing out here?”

Ichigo sighed like he was suddenly very tired, “You want the short story?”

Grimm nodded, “Hell yeah, you know I don’t want ya yackin at me like a fuckin bitch!”

Ichigo laughed at his friend’s vulgarity-it was one of the things he missed about Grimmjow. Before Ichigo met Grimm, his vocabulary was surprisingly tame for having lived the life he had. He learned his very best vulgar phrases from Grimm and for some weird reason, he was grateful to him for that. “Well, Kuchiki Rukia somehow convinced Yoruichi to sell my contract, so now, I belong to her. Nel showed up, told me you were here, and I drug my ass out here to find you. That’s pretty much it.”

There wasn’t much in this world that could shock Grimmjow, but hearing that Yoruichi sold Ichigo certainly qualified. “Quit fuckin with me, man! There ain’t no way that bitch woulda cut you loose…no fuckin way!”

“I thought the same damn thing, but she did. I don’t know what kind of dirt Rukia had on her, but it must have been bad.”

Grimmjow processed the news for a second before a huge grin split his face, “Well, that’s fuckin fantastic, Ichigo! You’re finally free of that raging psycho-bitch…now you can fuckin live, man!”

“Yeah,” Ichigo put enthusiasm into his voice that he didn’t really feel, “It’s pretty great to be away from her and not have to fuck every bitch in sight.”

The two friends spent the rest of their journey catching up. Ichigo gave Grimm the edited version of his own life but did his very best to steer the conversation away from it. He didn’t want Grimm and Nel to know how very fucked up he had become. When Grimm asked about the girls and how all this played out with them, Ichigo had to tell him about Rukia exposing him to his sisters and did his best to downplay the effect it had on him.

The bad thing was, Grimm knew him way too well and he didn’t like that shit one little bit, “What the hell, Ichi? I met Kuchiki before and I thought she was okay…now I think she’s just as big of a raging bitch as Yoruichi!”

Ichigo hurried to do damage control with his hot-headed friend, “No, she’s really not like that. She’s actually just really jealous and some shit went down that caused her to lose it that night. Hell, man, you know how blood demons are…quick to anger. Speaking of…when did you find out about Nel?”

Grimm still wasn’t happy to find out that Ichigo’s newest mistress was kind of a fucking bitch, but he decided to put that aside for now. “She told me that right before she bought my contract. Said she wanted me to have ‘full disclosure’ or some shit like that. Like it mattered to me, though…you know she freed me, right?”

Ichigo actually looked stunned to hear that, “She did? That’s great! I mean, I hoped she would do that but she never said anything so I didn’t know if she actually would.”

“Yeah, man, right after we left there, pretty much. Took me to her place and burned those fucking papers right in front of me. She told me I was free to do whatever I wanted to and hell, she even promised to give me a fuck-load of money if I wanted to leave her.”

Freedom. How beautiful would it be to have Rukia love him enough to set him free? It would mean that she wasn’t lying…that he wasn’t a fucking fool for loving her. Ichigo tried to keep the envy out of his tone, “You stayed with her, though…why?”

Grimm took a deep breath and for the first time since Ichigo had known him, he looked shy as he practically whispered, “Because I fuckin love her, Ichigo.” He cleared his throat and looked away in embarrassment, “She saved my life and I owe her everything.”

Ichigo nodded sadly as he thought about his own situation. If Rukia offered him his freedom, he would stay with her forever. Ichigo shook himself out of his daze and punched Grimm’s arm, “Fuck this sappy shit, Grimm…let’s see if that piss-poor horse you’re riding can keep up with Diablo?”

Both men wore identical, maniacal grins as they raced towards the villa.