Never Fade Away

Chapter 15

Ichigo visited his dad and his sisters that Sunday for breakfast. Kenpachi was off making a report to the Shinigami so he walked back to the house by himself. It was a nice day and Ichigo enjoyed strolling with the sun hitting his face as he mused about his life right now. He had a great boyfriend who worshipped his body every night and he was living in a house independent of his dad. He fought hollows every day, but that was a small worry in sight of the big picture. In fact, he enjoyed the fights half the time.

He was abruptly brought out of his happy thoughts when a blue haired man’s fist nearly caught him the face. Ichigo quickly ducked and pulled out his sword he had hidden underneath his coat. Fuck! He was always shit at sensing reiatsu. Was this an Arrancar? He must be with that bone jaw on the right side of his face.

“Hey, Shinigami!” The Arrancar yelled.

“Who the hell are you!?” Ichigo yelled and dodged another blow, bringing up his sword to slash at him.

“Grimmjow Jaggerjaques. Arrancar.” Grimmjow said with an evil grin. “And you are Kurosaki Ichigo. I have very specific orders concerning you.”

“Orders?” Ichigo said suspiciously with his sword held in front of him defensively.

“Yeah.” Grimmjow grinned again and there was a blur of motion. Ichigo’s eyes widened as he realized the Arrancar was behind him and then there was a sharp pain from the back of his head and he only knew darkness.

Kenpachi was aggravated. He had to get up early in the morning and drag himself away from the cuddling, warm Ichigo and go report to some annoying bastards. That idiot Aizen had kept him a little longer asking about Ichigo and their ‘relationship’ that everybody apparently knew about.

He was looking forward to seeing his little Strawberry when he got home. Hopefully he would be there, Ichigo did mention the night before about breakfast with his family. When he finally got back an exuberant Yachiru was there to great him, but no Ichigo.

“Strawberry not back yet?” He said in his gruff voice.

“Nope!” Said Yachiru and Kenpachi frowned. Why wasn’t Ichigo back yet? Then he felt a spike of reiatsu. Ichigo’s reiatsu- and a hollow’s, maybe. There wasn’t anything unusual in that, just Ichigo fighting off a hollow. But it made him feel sick to his stomach for some reason. His frown deepened into a scowl as the reiatsu diminished and he couldn’t track it anymore.

Kenpachi instantly shot outside and started up his motorcycle and fear clenched his heart. He drove as fast as he could to the last place he felt the reiatsu, darting in and out of traffic with suicidal speed. The spot was halfway between Ichigo’s old house and their new place. All Kenpachi found there was a discarded jacket. Kenpachi picked it up in his hands and clenched it fiercely with murder in his eyes. Where the fuck was his Strawberry!

He glanced in either direction but didn’t see anything that would give indication to which way he and his maybe kidnapper would have gone. Think Kenpachi! There was another reiatsu, was it an Arrancar? If it was, why would they take Ichigo with them? Kenpachi was so pissed off, and worried. That was a new emotion for him- worry. He never felt worry before. But then again, never had he been so wrapped up in another person before.

Kenpachi took out his cell phone and dialed a number. Two rings and it picked up. “What do you want, you bastard?” Shirosaki snarled from the other line.

“Somebody took Ichigo. I need your help getting him back.” Kenpachi growled back.

“Tell me.” Came the immediate response. Shirosaki may be a perverted prick, but he did care about Ichigo.

“Meet me at 7th and Brautigan.” Kenpachi said and flipped the phone shut. Shirosaki was there within 10 minutes.

“What the bloody fuck happened?” Shirosaki said as he got out of the car and an excited pink blob followed.

“I dunno, I felt his reiatsu spike as well as some strange ones and then it…disappeared, almost. It went down so much I couldn’t track it.” Shirosaki stared at the jacket balled up in Kenpachi’s hand.

“That’s all that’s left?” Kenpachi nodded. “Let’s take this to Urahara. That freak always seems to know when something is up.”

Kenpachi wasted no time in hoping on his bike and speeding off towards Seireitei with Shirosaki following just as fast. Urahara was luckily there when Kenpachi came bursting through the doors.

“Hello!” Urahara said with surprised eyes. “What are you doing here?” His eyes strayed to Shirosaki and Yachiru who came in behind him.”

“Somebody nabbed Ichigo. I want him back.”

Urahara’s eyes widened at the proclamation. “Kurosaki was kidnapped? I wonder who would have done that.”

“We came here to ask you that.” Kenpachi growled.

Urahara was silent for a moment and looked at them as though he was deciding whether to tell them or not. “It was the Arrancar who took him?” Kenpachi grunted affirmation. “What do you know about Ichigo’s manifestation of reiatsu?” He asked.

“Huh? What’s that got to do with anything?” Kenpachi said impatiently.

“It had to do with everything. You know that he heals himself, which is a very rare ability. And sought after one. If one were to,” He paused trying to be delicate with how he explained, “experiment on Ichigo, he would live through it. Making him prime research material.”

Kenpachi’s entire jaw clenched. Experiment? Somebody wanted to experiment on his Ichigo? His dear, sweet Ichigo? No. He wouldn’t allow that. “Who?” The low growl promised pain and death to all involved.

“I only have suspicions.” Urahara said with narrowed eyes.

“Who?” Kenpachi spat out again.

“Aizen. Aizen Sosuke.” Urahara said.

“I’m going to kill him.” Kenpachi said, and no one in the room doubted that he would.

“You might not want to do that!” Urahara said before he could leave.

Kenpachi paused. “Why?”

“He might have planned to kidnap Ichigo, but he might not have Ichigo with him. If you kill him, you may never find Kurosaki.”

“Alright, I’ll torture him and then kill him.” Kenpachi said. “Now where is he?”

“On the south side of town, I’ll take you there.”

“Let’s go already!” Kenpachi snapped out.

Ichigo woke as the throbbing pain in the back of his head healed itself. He opened his eyes but was assaulted by a blinding light that forced him to squint his eyes shut. He tried to bring his hand to cover his eyes but they were inhibited by something. It was the same for his feet. He groaned and forced his eyes open, blinking to get them accustomed to the brightness.

He heard snickering and a cold hand brushed the side of his face, making him flinch. “You up, Shinigami?” Came a voice that Ichigo vaguely recognized as Grimmjow’s. Ichigo turned his head away from the touch and Grimmjow chuckled. “You look tasty.”

“Do you want to eat him or fuck him Grimmjow?” Came a low, emotionless voice. Ichigo’s eyes now took the room he was in. Everything was white. Beside him was a silver tray that held an array of scalpels, saws and other such items that made Ichigo’s skin crawl with fear.

“Is there a difference?” Came Grimmjow’s amused response and he dragged his cold hand down Ichigo’s face to his neck where he pressed over the rapid pulse. Ichigo took a sharp breath in fear. Grimmjow was standing over him with a crazy grin on his face and the only other Arrancar in the room was the Arrancar Shirosaki was fighting before.

The hand on Ichigo’s neck tightened and Ichigo choked, struggling with the metal clasps that held him down. “So yummy…”

“Grimmjow, you are not allowed to harm him. Not yet.”

“Fuck off, Ulquiorra! It’s not like it won’t heal…” Grimmjow bent his head down with his teeth bared and lightly grazed Ichigo’s neck. Before he could sink them in to that delicious flesh, Ulquiorra grabbed his shoulder and pushed him away.

“Orders are orders.” Ulquiorra said and Grimmjow cursed noisily as he stared longingly at the orange haired Shinigami. A loud thump was heard upstairs and three pairs of eyes riveted to the ceiling.

“Watch the boy.” Ulquiorra ordered and went out the door.

Grimmjow turned back to Ichigo and leered at him with an evil smirk. “Guess it’s just you and me now.”

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Author’s note: So do you think Grimmjow wants to fuck him or eat him? Feedback is always appreciated, good or bad!