Poker causes pregnancy
19
It was about halfway though the fourth month of Ichigo's pregnancy when some major changes were noticed in his actions. Pesche had stopped by to visit Nel. Ichigo was reading a story to Nel and Nnoitra in the rec room when Pesche came in and sat down next to them. Ichigo trailed off in his reading, leaned into the Arrancar and began sniffing at him, commenting on how delicious he smelled. When Ichigo began to lick Pesche's neck, it caused Pesche to scream and run from the room. Ichigo would have run after him except for the fact that Nel and Nnoitra were on his lap and kept him trapped in his place. Ichigo began growling, at which point Hallibel turned up in the rec room and asked what had happened to cause Pesche to run screaming down the halls about not wanting to be a meal.
"Itsygo was reading to Nel and Nnoi when Pesche came in to see Nel. Itsygo stopped reading and starting sniffing Peche. Pesche screamed and left when Itsygo licked him." "Oh dear. Nel, why don't you and Nnoitra go and play with Starrk and Lilinette. On your way, find Grimmjow and send him in here, please." Hallibel placed her hands on top of Ichigo's shoulders to prevent him from rising once the child-like Arrancars had left his lap. "Let me up, Hallibel! I'm so hungry suddenly. I'm so empty I feel like I'm going to starve to death if I don't get something to eat immediately." "I understand Ichigo. I know what the problem is, that's why I sent for your mate. He'll be able to help as soon as he's been informed the problem. Just stay here for now and rest. It will be alright soon." Hallibel began rubbing her hands in a soothing fashion from where they were resting on Ichigo's shoulders, gradually kneeling behind him so she could rub her hands across his back in small circles. Ichigo was starting to relax under her ministrations when Grimmjow burst into the room. "What's wrong wit' Ichi? Nel said Ichi was acting funny and you told her ta leave and get me." "It turns out that when Shiro said Ichigo would be a complete Beta, he meant it. If Pesche didn't have such a sense of self-preservation, Ichigo would have started to eat him. Just like any true Beta, Ichigo is starting to crave less powerful Hollows. I don't know how often he will need to feed on them, but he definitively needs one now. I have him calmed down for the moment so why don't you go and hunt down a small Hollow for him. We'll meet you in the dining room. "Well hell." Grimmjow ran his fingers though his hair and turned to leave. He decided to head out to the desert and find as small a Hollow as he could manage in such a short time. Grimmjow knew that if Ichigo was trying to eat an Arrancar he was friends with, the craving was bad and he needed to hurry for the health of the one cub that was an Arrancar. Once Grimmjow had left, Hallibel quietly convinced Ichigo to stand and follow her out of the room. She carefully led Ichigo though the hallways until they reached the doors to the dining room. Hallibel brought him into the room and set him down in one of the chairs. "Grimmjow went to retrieve you a Hollow, Ichigo. Once you eat it, the emptiness you complained about will go away. Alright? Just sit here and your Alpha will take care of you." Hallibel left Ichigo in his chair, but she didn't leave the room because she didn't want Ichigo leaving or someone else wandering in. Ichigo was dangerous to the Arrancars right now. Everyone other than his mate had a lower reiatsu than him, so they could all be looked at as food by the pregnant Beta. Hallibel resolved to treat Ichigo as an Arrancar Beta from now on. She decided it would be safest and would lead to less surprises. As Hallibel was quietly musing to herself about Ichigo, the doors were flung open by Grimmjow. "Here I am! I got one for him!" And with that announcement, Grimmjow flung a knocked-out, cat-sized Hollow on the table in front of Ichigo. Hallibel took in Ichigo's glowing eyes and excused herself from the room, stating, "I will guard the door so neither of you will be disturbed. I'm not sure how he will manage to eat and I have no desire to know." Hallibel left the room and closed the doors tightly after herself. Wrapping her arms around her torso, she leaned back against the doorframe and waited until Grimmjow led Ichigo out of the room. "Gah! I can't believe I did that! It was nasty. Urahara had mentioned my pregnancy would be faster, but I didn't think it would be because I would develop the same eating habits as an Arrancar. Now I know why Kisuke didn't push the vitamins he developed on me like he did Renji at the last game I attended before being unable to travel out of Heucho Mundo. Love you, love the cubs, but still...Gah!" Ichigo was scowling and his mouth kept puckering as he rubbed one hand over his rather prominant baby bulge. Hallibel shrugged and smiled to herself as she turned and walked away. She couldn't wait until she and her mate would come into heat again. Maybe one day she and Starrk could enjoy the same experience Grimmjow and Ichigo were sharing now. Pregnancy cravings really suck...