Chapter 02

Black Ice

Now—

Toushirou wanted this day to end already; he met a new student that was dangerous—so dangerous that he had two dogs to do his dirty work. When they arrived to school, he showed him the rest of his classes where the majority was with him, much to his disappointment. When the bell rang to signal the end of classes, Toushirou told him that he had to go get the shirt from the dryer in the locker room. He wanted to get this over with so that way he would never have to trouble himself him again, however…

'What was Riyalgo saying earlier anyway? Did he know Kurosaki's father or something?' He folded the shirt quickly so he could hurriedly give it to the new student. Only, his path was blocked. "…I-Ichimaru."
"Heard ya got a new buddy pal to protect ya." Gin smiled in a creepy manner. "Here I thought you were Aizen's good little boy, but yer already taken by the new guy, huh?" He came closer, bringing a hand up.
"I-I'm not! I spilt stuff on his shirt, so I was washing it as an apology—!" His face was caressed gently, and he cringed at this. "Please… I'm only washing it so I don't have to deal with him any longer, I swear!"

"I doubt—"

"Long time no see, Ichimaru." A voice called out, and they looked to see Ichigo standing in the doorway. "Let him go, or else your girlfriend will know about this." Instantly, Gin removed himself from the small male, starting to approach him instead. "What reason would a snake like you, want with an innocent kid like Toushirou, huh?" Gin placed his hands on his chest, smiling sweetly at him. "What is it now?"
"This boy here, belongs to Aizen-sama. He's the leader of the Arrancar Gang, and this boy is his little pet that he plays with when he's bored." Gin had no reason to hide anything from him. He was supposed to make Toushirou's life a living Hell anyway. "Hitsugaya-han is surprisingly sturdy. However, that is what ya'd expect from Aizen-sama's Pound of Flesh. Who, incidentally, is his lovely little sex toy to abuse."
"Is that so?" His brown hues turned to Toushirou who was horrified now. "Was there anything else that you would like to tell me, Ichimaru? Such as why you're little group tends to harass him to such a huge, disgusting level." Gin's little antics to be cute was not working with him. "And also, why are you willingly to go so far when you know that you could take out someone like this Aizen fellow?" He glared at him.

"Always so cold-hearted, Kurosaki-sama," Gin then left the lockers. "You sure have changed since then."

"I wish I could say the same to you." He whispered once he was gone. His attention drew towards the small male who was terrified of him, now more than ever. "My shirt, please." The other did not hear. "Toushirou." Said male jumped. "May I have my shirt now, please." Toushirou threw it at him to get a chance to run. "Don't bother, you can only run for a few seconds before your left foot gives out." This caused him to stop at the door. Ichigo placed his shirt on and pat it down lightly. "Ah… much better."

"Why do you know all of these gang members if you're not one of them! Why do they know you! I knew I shouldn't trust you—and I still don't!" With that, he turn and ran away from him. "Stay away from me!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes.

It did not take long for him to find the other up in a tree to attempt hiding to prove him wrong, but it was harder than he thought. Ichigo looked up at him, crossing his arms as if he were not amused by the tactic, and climbed up on the branch where he was. Toushirou finally had the guts to glare at the tall male that was invading his territory despite earning a glare in return. To the smaller one's surprise, Ichigo grabbed his left leg that dangled, and untied the shoelace to take off carefully.

"W-What are you—"

"Be quiet," he interrupted, carefully removing the sock now before giving it a careful massage whereas Toushirou grimaced in pain. "First you run, and then you climb? How idiotic can you get? Didn't I tell you that I would be giving you a room at a hotel for cleaning my shirt." For a few minutes, Ichigo continued to massage the bruised foot. "After hearing your situation—even if it's true or not, I know a better place for you to stay…" Eventually, he slipped the sock back on, but tied the shoe against his belt loop. "Wrap your arms around my neck so I can jump down. That, or you lose your shoe." The other glared and did as he was told. This allowed Ichigo to hop down and land on his feet with the other now on his back. "We have to take a small detour before anything." As he was about to turn a corner, he froze at voices.

"Where the Hell is that Hitsugaya? I've wanted to punch him and the new guy all day!" It was the one from first period whom Ichigo got into trouble. "He had P.E. last right?" He asked a friend. "Let's go!"

Ichigo cursed himself at the bad luck when the two were coming in their direction, so he quickly looked for a way out without giving them their punching bag. The space between the two buildings was narrow enough for him to maneuver up for a bit until his hands were on one building, and his feet against the other. Being ten feet in the air, with a person on his back, was a little more difficult that he would have liked right now though. It took three minutes for the two to pass by while Toushirou's legs wrapped tightly against the other's waist… his legs slanting between Ichigo's own pair.

"Toushirou," he whispered. "I can't get down with you feet against my crotch."
The boy blushed at his stupidity from being inappropriate. "S-Sorry."
Once his lower half could breath, "hang on," he jumped.

This made Toushirou squeeze tightly around his neck, choking him when they dropped the ten feet until he gripped the attacker's legs. The boy focused on the grip on his legs that forced his arms to loosen up enough for the rescuer to breathe better. There was a quick glare over his shoulder with fierce brown hues to dare him to try doing something like that again. Toushirou slowly removed his arms and placed his hands on his shoulders instead of being around his neck.

"Where are you taking me…" he groaned unhappily. "We've taken this route three times, in different routes, zigzagged through who knows how many alleyways. Now you're carrying me through a park?"

"I wanted to make sure the ones following us would lose track of us. Besides," he walked through the tunnel vines against a wall. "Approaching the back way is safer." A vine end cut his face. "Damn thing…"
"How did you know about these vines having a hidden path against the wall?" Toushirou stared in amazement. "It took me three years to find this out." They stopped in front of an odd door. "Huh…?"
The door looked like a school locker—every house had one. "Number fifteen. Ten, five, fifteen." He whispered quietly as it opened forward silently. "Now then… Kon should be right—" Something growled.

"Name yourself before I rip your head off and eat it!" Someone yelled through all the barking.

"Shh, it's me," Ichigo went through the doorway. "If you're here, the girls are here. Is Kon taking watch from inside then?" After he came into the backyard with Toushirou on his back, he closed the door.
"For a moment there… I thought that dog was talking." The boy sighed in relief, looking around.
"I did talk kid." Sajin growled at him. "Is he a friend or foe? You were with him earlier at the park."
"He's a friend. Go open the door." Ichigo answered. Sajin left to do as told, opening the backdoor. "He and Kon can talk through the collars around their necks. I know it's unnerving at first. You'll adjust to it."
"Adjust? The damn dog just talked, Kurosaki. There is no way in Hell that I will be able to get used to this. Now tell me where the Hell have you taken me?" When they entered the house, he then knew.
"This will be your new home, any objections will be denied. You have no say in this." Ichigo set him down the couch. "I'll be right back. I need to check on my sisters, and grab you a shirt and bandages."

"No, I couldn't possibly stay here. Your parents won't allow it, I'm positive."

Ichigo stood there for a moment, not looking at him. "They wouldn't mind." He started to walk away. "Komamura-san, keep him in place. I will be right back." The man walked up the stairs, and Toushirou was just about to get up, but Sajin growled at him. After ten minutes, Ichigo returned and tossed a shirt to the boy. "Take your clothes off. My sisters won't be coming downstairs until dinner time tonight."

"I'm not going to get undressed here, are you crazy? Your parents—"

"Are dead."

Turquoise hues widened at this; he did not expect the other to say such a thing… was it possible that he lived in this house with his sisters and two dogs all alone? There was nothing that he was able to say in order to apologize for the words that he had said to him since he had been there. Hoping to make amends for his stupidity, he removed his shirt in order to place on the bigger shirt to make him happy. Ichigo stopped him, however, by bringing a hand up calm to the boy that was sitting up, and began treating his upper wounds. All of his touches were kind and gentle compared to the sickening touches that he was used to by a man that he did not want to think about. As his stomach curled in disgust, the touches stopped at that very second, which caused him to look up at the male in confusion.

"Are you alright, Toushirou?"

"Y-Yeah…" His brows knitted at him. "Why did you stop?"
"Because you were uncomfortable of course. You're family now."
"Why? You heard what I'm used for." Toushirou hissed. "I don't need pity."

Amused at his attitude, he merely sat next to him, bringing a fist up to lean his face against it. "You're attempting to turn down shelter and free food? Granted, I won't let you go somewhere alone with my sisters outside of this house, or their bedroom." Before the other could argue about not being a pervert, Ichigo continued. "You have nowhere to go. You are independent, so I have no need to babysit you."

"Then why are you picking me up? I'm a stray." A thought occurred to him. "What, you want sex, too?"

"Although I am bisexual, I don't have any particular interest at the moment in you—other than dressing your wounds. More specifically, the laceration on your side that was from a knife that needs sutures…"
"A-And you think I'm going to let you stitch me up? Are you insane! You're barely two years older than my—if that even!" Toushirou tried to get up to leave, only to cringe pain at the wounds. "Damn."
"Well, it's that, or you can die due to infections. It's your choice, but you must be after something if you bother to put up with everything that you're going through." He offered a hand to him. "Want to die?"

This made him glare, giving him his hand. "No."

Carefully picking him up as if they were a newly wedded couple, Ichigo brought him into the bathroom where things became complicated. Sajin was told to guard the door before he closed it shut; the dog would warn the girls that he was not to be disturbed in the bathroom for whatever reason. Why? As soon as Ichigo set Toushirou down on his good leg with the other foot slightly lifted, he kept the boy focused on his eyes to undress him. Brown hues never once looked away from panicked frighten hues that had not yet yelled "Do not touch me," and soon the small male was naked. It was uncomfortable, that was understandable, which is why Ichigo grabbed a towel to wrap around the boy's petite waist…

All the while staring into those ocean hues.

"We need to flush your wound with water for about five minutes. I'll make it warm for you before—"
"Cold." Toushirou interrupted quietly. "…I like the water cold." The other obeyed, and turned the faucet.
He helped him into the tub, and grabbed the showerhead, turning the knob to light. "Say when to stop."
His head shook; not caring about the stinging feeling. "This is nothing." He lied. Baring with everything.

After the five minutes were over, Ichigo turned off the water after putting the showerhead up, and had Toushirou get up on his feet. The railing was held for support while he tried to keep the soaked towel up despite all the weight that was bearing down on it. Ichigo removed it for him and carefully dried him off briefly before wrapping a new towel around his waist to keep him covered. Once again, he picked him up and headed to a different room while telling Sajin to grab Toushirou's clothes since his hands were full. They went into a room that looked like it was a place to operate on someone—now Toushirou knew that this person was completely crazy.

However, he was naked with only a towel. He could not run away so easily.

"I know that this will sting some, but I prefer using peroxide over iodine." After saying this, he placed a plastic container to catch the liquids, and then poured some of the fluids on the wound. Toushirou only gritted and hissed in pain, nothing more. "Let that settle for a bit." He closed the bottle up to gather a syringe, much to the boy's fear. "This is only to relax you," Ichigo grabbed a small vile. "You'll be awake."

"No. I don't like those needles." Toushirou tried not to cry out in bloody murder.

"I don't want you to endure the full pain. It's either I inject you, or I have you black out for a bit."
"Knock me out, I'm used to it." He closed his eyes, awaiting to be abused by him. "Hurry up."
Eyes rolled once again. "Not quite." Placing something on a rag, he put it to his mouth.
Taken by surprise by this, he struggled for proper air; inhaling the smell, and passed out.

"…might as well give you a full test."

He slowly began to stir awake in a room that was foreign to him, but there was a familiar dog that was in the doorway before it suddenly left. It most likely went to fetch Ichigo to tell him that he was awake, so he looked at himself over—lifting up the new shirt to see the perfect stitches over his wound. Toushirou found himself in a longer shirt, his briefs, and very short shorts… along with a large amount of wraps and bandages that were all over his body. This was work of a professional doctor—did he summon one to his house to treat him, or did that man do this all by himself.

"So you are awake now?" Ichigo's voice was heard at the doorway. "Come on, you can walk a little."

Hearing the permission to walk, he got up and tried. 'I barely feel any pain.' This was amazing. "Who—"
"My father was a doctor, I plan to become one to honor him—to honor my parents." He walked in.
"O-Oh… um…" this was a bad subject to get on. "T-Thank you, Kurosaki." His attention went everywhere.
"This is your bedroom, it's across from mine. My sisters share a room down the hall. It's off limits to—"
"Kurosaki, you know by now that I'm a receiver. I'm the bitch, not the dog. They screw me and hit me."
"It's off limits to you, because Karin might attack you if you suddenly enter the room. Give her a month."
"…oh." God did he feel stupid. "T-Then never mind what I just said." His cheeks reddened at his idiocy.

" …I suppose you can look cute after all. When you blush." Ichigo mused. "Come on, dinner's ready."

Red cheeks reddened more at the statement, and attempted to follow Ichigo with a slight limping wobble to keep the pain away. The odd walking caused him to trip, tumble forward, and collapsed against the other human who did not move in the slightest. He growled lightly at the touches, but decided that it would be better if he just picked up the male and take him downstairs. When they arrived in the dining room, the two girls looked at the white-haired male in their brother's arms.

"This is Hitsugaya Toushirou, be nice." Ichigo set the boy down. "All of you—" he could hear a dog happily barking, and a woman screaming. "Kon found himself a woman to mount." Suddenly, the dog yelped, causing Ichigo to pull out a handheld gun of the china cabinet and storm out the front door. "Ey, get the Hell away from my dog—Rangiku-san?" He suddenly sighed angrily. "You know better than to—"

"Now's not the time for this! I haven't seen my friend all day, and I heard that he's been around you!" She grabbed the male carrot top by his shirt. "What did you do to him! If you hurt him in the slightest—"

Toushirou poked his head in the room. "Matsumoto?"
She looked over at him. 'Hitsugaya-kun! You're okay!"
As she attempted to go to him, Ichigo grabbed her.
"What are you doing Ichigo? Let go—that hurts!"
"He's hurting, too. Don't touch him. That's all."
When he let go, she looked at the boy quietly.

Turquoise hues looked away. "Kurosaki here has been taking good care of me since we've met."

"Of course he has! My friends are his friends! Isn't that right Ichigo!" Said male rolled his eyes at this. "I heard that he doesn't hurt others, but he's still very protective of those around him!" Her attention went to Ichigo happily. "Did Renji and the others come with you? I mean, that idiot never leaves you!"

Ichigo glared firmly. "You have five minutes to talk, then leave." With that, he went to the dining room.

"Sorry about him, I don't know anything about Kurosaki, and I've been making a mess of things ever since I've been here." Toushirou grumbled unhappily, and she was confused. It was obviously that she also knew Ichigo. "I brought up his parents when I didn't know that they had already passed away."
"Believe it or not… in my opinion, he's had a scarier childhood than you." She smiled weakly. "I've known that boy since he was ten years old, and he was ten times colder than you ever were." Her smiled then faded into a frown. "You may not want to trust in him, but if he's protecting you. Then you have his—"
"Five minutes are up," someone called from the bottom of the stairs. They looked to see a black dog standing there, baring its fangs. It too, possessed a caller. "You have no permission to speak out of term, Bitch." To the dog, that was what a female was. However, determining this to be an insult was difficult.
"T-Tensa… g-good boy… I… I was just leaving." Rangiku backed away quickly. "L-Like I said Hitsugaya-kun, you're in good hands!" She turned around and ran to the sidewalk of the street as quickly as possible. "I bet you'll get to sleep in his room tonight if you ask him!" Tensa Zangetsu approached the door to growl.

"Tensa Zangetsu, upstairs!" Ichigo called from the other room.

The dog growled lowly, passing the new household member. "Troublemaker." With that, he obeyed.
"Toushirou, eat. Kon, shut the door. Sajin, scout the premises." His voice sounded professional again.
Karin rolled her eyes while the boy came to join the meal. "Ichi-nii, you're using that tone again."
"Karin-chan, can't you see Nii-chan's angry! Don't pester him! You know the dogs get antsy!" Yuzu cried.
"A-Ah… the last thing we need is Hichigo to come down here." She looked to Ichigo. "S-Sorry Ichi-nii."
"Just eat your dinner, all of you. I already fed the dogs, so they shouldn't be too cranky." He replied.
Toushirou needed to get things straight if he was going to stay the night. "You have four dogs?"

Brown hues turned to him. "No, I have five. Kon and Komamura-san are the friendliest. Zangetsu and Tensa Zangetsu are borderline aggressive. Hichigo…" He paused to think. "Stay out of his way, always." The fear flooded into the boys eyes. "It's five dogs, these two girls, me, and now you that live here."

"I never agreed to living here." The boy whispered.
"You're free to leave then. If you can pass my dogs."
'Shit…' There was no way he could do that. "…no, thanks."
"In that case," Ichigo smiled demonically. "Welcome home."

All day, Toushirou told himself not to get involved with this guy.

…now he is living with him?

IMPORTANT: Okay, so you can't really expect me to update any time soon. I am moving in 20 days, 1300 miles (2093 kilometers) away from where I'm currently living. It'll be a while for me to get back on my game!