[Dicontinued] Fire and Ice

Note to All Readers: BrucesGirl wants to let everyone know that she’s not the only author of this story. This story is a 50/50 effort with R. Brightside who is an amazing author and extremely good at what she does. BrucesGirl just wants to let everyone know that while this story is posted under her name, Brightside is her inspiration and she wouldn’t be able to write this story without her. BrucesGirl is honored to write with Brightside. Please give her a lot of credit when you review. WE write this story TOGETHER, ne? =^..^= Meow.
Title: Fire and Ice

Author: BrucesGirl and R. Brightside

Pairings: Kurosaki Ichigo/Kuchiki Byakuya (Hints of Other Pairings)

Summary: Ichigo is called to replace Renji as Vice Captain temporarily. Sparks fly between Byakuya and Kurosaki, and they aren’t necessarily the nice sparks.

Warnings: Yaoi, Anal, UST, Angst

Disclaimer: We don’t own Bleach or Ichigo or Byakuya because we are not Kubo Tite. If we were guys, this wouldn’t half as much fun.

Note: I figured I’d answer Akume’s corrections on the previous chapter. I appreciate you pointing out the issue between “doesn’t top” and “doesn’t bottom” in the previous chapter. ^^ I fixed it. I also did an extensive search in the document for the word “their” in the chapter. Both instances were the possessive forms and were grammatically correct. I minored in English composition, so I’m pretty good with stuff like that. I appreciate the help, however. Thanks for the review!

Chapter 15: The Way to Down Your Troubles


Ichigo shivered as he placed his free hand on Byakuya's, watching him sleep before gently falling into unconsciousness, his eyelids falling closed gently. Although, his dreams were much more fitful than his lover's seemingly peaceful ones.

The Hollow within him was taunting him, teasing him about how weak he was.
Ichigo had broken into a sweat, his back arching uncomfortably as imaginary bloody lines opened in his bare chest from a dreamed Hollow Zangetsu.

Ichigo murmured the words, and found himself breathing harder as Byakuya’s rape flashed before him, his beautiful body being abused and broken for the amusement of some Hollow. “By-Byakuya…” He gasped out, squirming. “Ogi…chi…” He grit his teeth, face constricted to one of agony. “No... Byakuya..."

Byakuya woke to Ichigo’s soft murmurs and squirming, and he gazed down at him gently before pulling him firmly against his body and pressing his lips against the boy’s forehead. Such troubled dreams. It vaguely occurred to Byakuya that a boy this young should have been more concerned with friends and his love life than saving souls and the world, but he didn’t let that part of his regret dictate his ideas for what needed to be taught to the young Shinigami.

Hitsugaya had chosen to be a Shinigami, at least, but Ichigo had not chosen the permanent life, and so, he was torn between duty and bitterness. He had to remedy the bitterness before it caused serious problems. “Ichigo.” He said his name gently to soothe away his dreams. “Be quiet.” He whispered.

Ichigo's arms wrapped around Byakuya as soon as he was pressed to his chest, his eyelids fluttering and then his expression settling into a scowl, his grip and expression possessive. "Don't hurt him..." The young Shinigami murmured softly, before falling into a deep slumber, barely twitching.

His heavy frown eventually lessened, leaving him peaceful against Byakuya's chest. The Hollow no longer troubled him, but left the memories heady in his mind to haunt him when he woke.

He was so very determined to break free of this cage, and he would, eventually. And then, Soul Society would barely know what hit them, when Ogihci came by and just so happened to swing a blade at the white-washed buildings. "Ogihci..."

~*~*~*~*

Shuuhei scratched the back of his head before flopping back on the roof of the 9th Division offices and sighed. Well, ok, he wasn’t in love with Ichigo…in fact, jealousy really wasn’t an issue. Rather, he just felt the usual pang of loneliness that had always been associated with Tousen’s departure from Soul Society.

He liked Komamura-taicho for his companionship, and had the fox been human, he might have had feelings for him. He watched the clouds pass overhead, enjoying his last free days before his promotion. Life generally didn’t get much better than this right here.

He pulled a small sake bottle from his pouch and uncorked it, bringing to his lips. He left his pipe on the wall and had found it the next day, happily, and it lay next to him, stuffed to the brim with opium and waiting a nice light. He sighed and closed his eyes against the burning of the sake. Yeah, it didn’t get much fucking better than this.

Kira Izuru had just retired from the heady work he was provided with for both Vice Captain and Captain. He'd even offered to do some of Hinamori's work today... the poor girl still sobbed into his shoulder over Aizen's departure, and only once had he cried over Gin. That night... it seemed so far away.

When his lover had returned, and hovered above his bed, his red eyes in a rare moment of openness... and filled with something that Kira fooled himself into thinking was love. But, as Byakuya had arrived, his offer to take his Vice Captain back with him had been dismissed with a whispered 'Just kiddin'.'

The 3rd Division Shinigami grit his teeth against the burn, and waited in the open for it to subside. Only then did he sense the familiar, relaxed Riatsu of Hisagi Shuuhei, one of the three to be abandoned by their captains. He bounded to the rooftop, and sighed in an annoyed fashion at the purple-haired Shinigami.

“Shuuhei… that’s no way to drown your loneliness.” He scolded softly, moving to sit next to him. His sea-blue eyes were tired, and yet, he seemed far from it. “I’m in my right mind to leave you to sober up before I speak to you.” He put a hand on his close friend’s forearm in a comforting fashion, a smile on his lips.

“I know how you feel, but we can’t just drink and smoke to forget about them.”

Of course, Kira had already tried this method, and it hadn’t worked, only reminding him of passion-driven, lust-filled nights he’d spent with Gin, often initiated by alcohol or some human drug that his sly captain had smuggled in. “We all loved them. But if they left us, but if they left us… they didn’t love us back. And that’s something we have to accept.”

Shuuhei listened to the rant absently, raising his hand and pointing out a cloud. “There. Doesn’t that look like Yachiru’s kitten that Rangiku gave her for her promotion?” Indeed, it looked like a white fuzzy kitten, and Shuuhei grinned to himself before looking over at Kira.

“Gods, you talk too much, Izuru.” He sat up and grabbed the pipe. He lit it with a match and inhaled deeply, the bitter sweet scent curling around him and sending a pleasant euphoria straight to his senses. “Yeah, that’s better. Here. Shut up and smoke this.”

He shoved it at Kira and flopped back again, his dark eyes misty with thought. “Ya know, I’m not one to be all whiny and stuff, right, Kira? So let me tell you how I feel. I’m lonely…yeah, but Kaname-taicho wasn’t the pentacle of life for me. When I wear that white robe, that will be my pentacle. The high point. That’s what I’ve trained so long for. I was a prodigy too. Just like Hitsugaya. You know that. Kaname-taicho picked me because of that. No matter who was on top,” he commented bluntly, “I was always the one who bowed to him during the day.” He looked over at Kira. “Smoke it, Kira.”

The blond frowned at Shuuhei in disapproval, but his expression softened and he lifted the pipe to his lips, taking a slow, deep inhale before taking the instrument from his lips and speaking the smoke instead of breathing it out.

“I’m glad that you aren’t as attached. Kaname-taicho was one who came back… and yet, you could turn him away.” Kira breathed out the rest of the smoke, pausing in his words to marvel at the unique pattern it made. “…Gin just came back to haunt me. He barely even spoke to me before he left to fight with Kuchiki-taicho.”

He scowled once more, taking another heavy inhale of the smoke. “His devotion lay with Aizen. Hinamori doesn’t know about it… but everyone else does. I wouldn’t be surprised if Yachiru knew about it. It just so happened that I was there to serve sadistic needs.” Kira chuckled despite his words, leaning against Shuuhei. “I really do talk too much.”

Shuuhei gazed at Kira with gentle, worried eyes before he turned back to the sky after taking a puff off the pipe. “Tousen…was gentle. A constant reminder that he was blind and still fucking deadly as if though he had full sight. You know what he told me when I said that I don’t bottom?” Shuuhei actually chuckled, his eyes dancing over to Kira’s face with mirth.

“He said, ‘that’s alright. ‘Cause I’ve never done either.’” He leaned his head back on his hands and looked up at the Clouds. “Kira, did you ever top Gin? Tousen made the prettiest noises. Like he would break if I fucked him too rough.” He sighed. “Yes, this is my loneliness talking. I’m a mess, ne?” He sat up, took another puff of the pipe and sat it down, properly buzzed.

“Here, drink this.” He thrust the sake next at Kira. “Let’s get fucked up.” He raised a pretty eyebrow at his friend. Earth had been fun with all the sake and girls…but now when it was just the two of them, Shuuhei couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

A heady blush covered Kira's cheeks, and he fidgeted. "I didn't dream of it. He never offered, and I never asked. That's the way it was." He murmured, taking the sake gratefully and sipping at the bottle. He remembered Shuuhei’s recollection of the last time he got too drunk, and tsked softly, scowling almost playfully. “The last time I got drunk, I started foaming at the mouth, from what you told me.” Kira held the bottle to his lips again, the sound of his giggling muffled by the mouth of the bottle.

“So I think I’ll stay at least half sober, thank you.” Kira looked up at the sky, and pointed to one with the sake bottle. "Ne... doesn't that one look like Komamura-Taicho?" Something that vaguely resembled a fox's head hung in the sky, jaw half open. Coincidentally, it was right beside the kitten-shaped cloud Shuuhei had pointed out earlier.

“It does.” Shuuhei gazed at the clouds and then barked out an amused laugh. “Think he eats kittens?” He knew full well that the fox was a vegetarian, and he also knew that he was gentle beyond words. He recalled Kira laying in the floor with Rangiku sprawled over the table, and he snickered.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you foam at the mouth this time, Kira-kun.” He said his pet name from Rangiku with a slight snicker, laughing at himself before taking another puff from the pipe and sighing as his body went slightly numb. “Oi, Kira-kun. Come over tonight. Let’s play Sho-ji…It’s been a while since we played without that big breasted harpy over our shoulders. Hell, we could invite Hitsugaya-taicho if he’d get the stick out of his ass…”

"You know he's too swamped with paperwork, Shuuhei." Kira couldn't help but lean over and taking another inhalation of the smoke, feeling relaxed for the first time in what seemed like eternity. "It's lonely at my home... I suppose I can take a break from the creaky old thing."

He took a hefty swig of the sake, tears coming to his eyes at the strength of it. He'd never been good with alcohol, and probably never would. It had been worse when they were in their gigai... he was sure Urahara had given him a sake-intolerant body to rub it in. He sighed contentedly, grinning at the memories of thier past. The past with no worries. "Mou, I'd love to. It's been too long since I visited you."

“That would be fucking great.” Shuuhei grinned. He playfully jostled Kira with a shove, and he raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never beaten me. You might make a new record tonight…Record of losing streaks, I mean.”

He laughed, nodded and stood right as Yamichika flash stepped up to him and wrapped his arms around him in a decidedly provocative manner, his soft, feminine voice bringing a shocked gaze then a blush to Shuuhei’s face.

“Awww….Shuu-kun…” He purred. “…How have you been? I want to play tonight. Do you have time?” Shuuhei coughed and peeled the 11th Division seat away from him and tilted his head towards Kira.

“I’m playing Sho-ji with Kira tonight.” Yumichika glanced at Kira, and then, a slow, seductive grin covered his face.

“Can I come too?” Shuuhei pinched the bridge of his nose and Yumichika watched Kira as if though he were the next thing on the lunch menu.

Kira squirmed uncomfortably under Yumichika's gaze. The strange, vain Shinigami was easily stronger than the both of them, and it made him uncomfortable to think that Wabisuke couldn't beat him. "A-anou... Ayasegawa-san, I hope you wouldn't mind if it was just myself and Hisagi-taicho."

He smiled softly, hopefully, but that just seemed to increase the intensity of Yumichika's gaze. He wondered about what to do for a moment - and then he realized that the vain Shinigami was very fond of the number three.

"A-anou... well, three is a uneven number, so we'd have to invite someone else to make it even, ne? There's every chance that you could get left out..." Kira was simply digging a much larger hole for himself, and so he just gave up on speech, slightly annoyed that his time with Shuuhei had been spoiled by the 11th Division 5th seat.

Shuuhei watched the situation unfold carefully, making sure that Yumichika didn’t turn into his usual vampire self and suck the life out of Kira out of spite. Instead, he grinned brightly at Kira and flicked his hand. “I’ll get him later. I’ll go find myself another toy for now.” He grinned at Kira wolfishly, his beautiful eyes and face reflecting some unknown fact that seemed to make him gleeful.

“Careful, Kira-kun!” He goaded. “Shuuhei doesn’t bottom!” Before Shuuhei could slap the shit out him, the Shinigami was gone, flash stepping across the roofs of the buildings, searching for Ikkaku. Shuuhei scratched the back of his head. “See you at my house after sunset, Kira-kun? Sorry about that…he’s in fucking love with my energy or something.”

Kira had flushed furiously at Yumichika's words, the alcohol and smoke taking effect on him. "A-aa.." He murmured softly, shakily getting to his knees, and then to his feet, swaying unsteadily. "Shuuhei, you're going to pay for this when I'm sober." Kira couldn't help but pout at the to-be captain.

"It's not fair... you know I can't handle my sake." The blond teetered on his feet for a moment before finally standing straight. "I can't see straight." He burst into a furious giggle fit, amused by his own vision. He had to cling to Shuuhei to stop falling to his knees again, although with the word spinning as such, it was difficult to resist.

Shuuhei sighed and pulled Kira against his solid body, enjoying the scent of jasmine and lavender against his nose from his soft blonde hair. “Ne, Kira…you really can’t hold your sake.” At that point, Kira nearly went to his knees, causing Shuuhei to lose his balance and fall backwards, Kira landing precariously on top of his hard body.

“What are you doing, baka?” He asked Kira tenderly. He tried to push him off of him, but only succeeded in his hips grinding up which sent a shockingly pleasant sensation through his body. “Ne, Kira…if you don’t want me to…take you here…get off…”

"My legs feel like jelly, Shuu..." Kira squirmed slightly, managing to get onto Shuuhei's thighs, but feeling much too drunk to do much else. "I-it's... not that far to your house, ne?" The blond had gotten uncomfortable upon noticing the arousal in his friend's Riatsu, his own problem growing. He knew this scenario almost by heart. This was a game that Gin had loved to play.

"Please, Shuuhei... take me to your bed." He whispered softly, his voice almost lost. Gin had loved to seat him there, never giving him gratification, merely rocking his hips upwards. 'How lon' will ya las' tonigh', Izuru?'

Oh. Fuck.

The only thing that tempted Shuuhei more than loud mouthed, virginal boys were the sweet, begging boys that were just dying to have him inside of them, and Kira was no exception. The tone of that voice was the only thing that stopped him, though, and he sat up slightly, his eyes trained on Kira’s cerulean blue orbs carefully. “Only when you’re ready, Kira-kun.”

He whispered gently. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Kira’s, something Gin probably would have never have done, and he ran a hand through his blonde, golden hair. “Ne, my house isn’t too far away. I’ll help you out there, ok?” He could feel the answering vibration in Kira’s gentle Riatsu, and it made him nearly feel sorry for the young man.

Gin had done a number on him. It would take years to weed the fear out of him. He stood and pulled Kira against his body, and within a series of shunpo, they were inside the gardens at his lavish, but small home, and he lay Kira on a patch of thick grass beneath a cherry tree in bloom. “Are you thirsty? Do you want something?” He asked tenderly.

"I-I'm fine." Kira murmured, Shuuhei's tenderness almost craved for. That kiss... he could feel it lingering. Gin had only ever kissed him once, just to weave him into the web of lies and deception he had created. He reached out for the purple-haired Shinigami, eyes slightly downcast.

"Can you... hold me, Shuu?" The blond whispered hopefully, his muscles tense. Embraces were rare, too - Gin reserved all his affection for Aizen, and it had made him ache. As much as he'd loved the red-eyed Shinigami, he hadn't ever been able to steal him away from the bespectacled Captain.

"Just... just for a while." Kira murmured, only now turning up his bright blue gaze, filled with the sweetness and hurt that they had ever since Gin had left.

“Hai.” Shuuhei slid down onto the grass and pulled Kira to his chest, threading his hands in the spun gold on top of the Shinigami’s head. “Ne, Kira…Why did you ever love him?” He asked. There was no doubt why he’d loved Tousen.

Tousen had loved him in return, and the man had been gentle, worthy of respect, and not to mention, he always beat Shuuhei at Sho-ji in his fierce intelligence. Shuuhei flopped back on the grass with Kira sprawled out over his chest and he sighed, watching the clouds dance through the sakura blossoms. “Kurosaki is going to be my Vice Captain.” He murmured out load. “Gods, what am I going to do with him?”

Kira didn't answer - or rather, he couldn't. He didn't know why he had loved Gin. Perhaps he had once treated him with kindness, and he had long forgotten, but always hoped that he would, some day, treat him kinder once more. He pressed close to Shuuhei, their closeness appreciated.

"Mou... he's not that bad, surely? Besides, he seems like one who gets bored easily." Truth be told, Kira had actually been in the 5th division office earlier that day, tending to Hinamori, and had listened to Ichigo and Byakuya's conversation, only to gain a raging blush when he could feel the Riatsu and the arousal leaking through the panels in the walls.

"And Kuchiki-taicho seems to know what to do with him. You'll just learn from what Ichigo says." Kira basked in the rare closeness, and he remembered the last time he had spent time with someone like this - with Renji, back way back when they were Academy students, the red-head would have held him like this, and they would have talked for hours.

He remembered that they had never kissed... just shared passionate embraces and words. Perhaps, they had been too young.

“Hmn. He’ll be a handful.” Shuuhei grunted. A sakura blossom floated down from the tree above and landed on his chest, and he lifted it before smiling and placing it gently in Kira’s hair. “You’d made a pretty girl, Kira-kun.” He joked softly.

He hoped he hadn’t hit any nerves with that statement, but it was true…Kira was delicate and graceful, and Shuuhei understood why Gin would want to bury himself in that beautiful body. He grinned rakishly at Kira. “Still drunk? You look like you are.” He pinched Kira’s arm lightly and then ran his fingertips down the length of it to Kira’s hand, and then he grasped it warmly.

“Oi, Kira…Is it going to bother you when a Captain is appointed to your squad? Rumors are flying that it could be Abarai-kun or Matsumoto-chan. What do you want?”

Kira smiled at the comments, merely leaning into Shuuhei more, one hand on the Shinigami's chest. "I... don't think it will. It will just be strange... I'm used to doing all the paperwork now, and then there'll be someone to split it with me. Although, Gin never really spent time on it." He frowned slightly, a gust of wind blowing a flurry of sakura petals over their heads.

"Someone quiet who doesn't trouble me." Kira paused, his eyes closing. "Someone like you." He hadn't thought about it previously, but for Shuuhei to be his captain would be something relaxing for him. They were good friends, after all, and the purple-haired Shinigami was one of the only people he could trust, now.

His frown deepened, the thought of being close to Renji once again both appealing and not so much so. They had been just a bit more than good friends, at one point, and it would be awkward and comforting to be close again. And Matsumoto... she was out of the question

“I would drive you insane, Kira-kun.” Shuuhei mumbled affectionately. His eyes shut as sakura blossoms rained down on them, and he tightened his hold against the blonde. Absently, his hands brushed down Kira’s side and then back up to his hair with the fingers sifted through the golden, silky strands soothingly.

He tilted Kira’s head back, and then, with a soft breath, he covered the blonde’s lips with his own and proceeded to give him a thorough kiss, his tongue slipping into the honeyed, sake flavored depths, coaxing him to desire. He suddenly pulled Kira on top of his body and wrapped his arms around him, holding him to his chest as he kissed him deeply.

When he broke the kiss, Shuuhei looked up into the blue depths of the young man’s eyes and smiled gently. “Remember when you were taking your last exam on earth? And the Hollows got out of hand? I saved you. Do you remember that?” Shuuhei’s hand brushed down Kira’s back. “I’m glad I did.”

Up Next: Halloween Omake: Part One

“I will kill you.” Byakuya groaned. He tilted his head back obediently and winced as the collar was wrapped around his delicate neck, and then, when all was said and done, he looked into the mirror at himself. He wasn’t half bad looking with the black clothes, and even the collar…didn’t look too bad. But those goddamn ears! “Kurosaki, I want these…EARS off now.”

Big thanks to the following reviewers from BG and Brightside! Wakisashi Girl (Ah, Byakuya in love is sexy.). Hanyou-elf (When I get my hands on you, I plan on fully working out your sexual frustration, my love.), Akume (Thanks for the help, hon!), Ashke (Just you wait for the full Omake!), Setsuna (Aw, we’re sorry you didn’t like it! We thought seme Bya-chan was extremely hot.), Dracoqueen22 (Then I’ll shut up so you don’t find out about the rest of the game, ne? I hate Meru. I kept hoping she’d die. Hahaha)