The Crumbling World

I’m so happy with the response to this story! I am kind of making it a running joke of people calling Ichigo a girl, he doesn’t really look like a girl (except he is little feminine) but I really enjoy writing his reaction. Please enjoy the second chapter =)

The Crumbling World: Chapter 2

The orange-haired teen made quick work of the tack, glaring at Zangetsu and kneeing him in the side when the horse tried to puff up. Sneaky little bastard. With one last check to make sure no one was near, Ichigo slipped the bridle over Zangetsu’s head and mounted. Ichigo gently kicked Zangetsu to a small trot, sighing as they made it into the trees surrounding the castle. Still nobody watching. He hated it when they insisted he bring guards with him. So ridiculous. Who would want to kidnap him anyways?

The duke’s son eased Zangetsu into a walk and sighed as he got to enjoy the world around him. Zangetsu jerked him out of his musing by stretching his head down and snuffling the grass. Ichigo pulled his head back up and let him trot for awhile, then canter as the trail widened. People would be looking for him soon, but Ichigo didn’t care. They worried too much, how was Ichigo supposed to learn about the world if they kept him in a tightly secured box?

Ichigo stopped Zangetsu as they came to a stream and dismounted. Zangetsu slurped noisily from the water as his rider took of his saddle and propped it against a nearby tree. He sighed and laid down on the ground, Zangetsu’s lead trailing from his hand as the horse munched on the ground near by. I smile crossed his face as he enjoyed his alone time. Well, alone except for Zangetsu. Who didn't give a rat’s ass about what Ichigo was doing.

As though he knew that Ichigo was thinking about him, Zangetsu nibbled on a tuft of Ichigo’s hair and tugged on it. “Hey!” Ichigo growled. “That’s not food.” Zangetsu nickered in response and lipped at his hair again. “Oi!”

“I didn’t think the son of a duke would lower himself to sitting on the ground.” A low, amused voice startled Ichigo, making him leap up and search for the origin.

Leaning against a tree with his arms crossed over his chest was a tall, broad, blue haired man leering at him with a grin full of sharp teeth.

“Who the fuck are you!?” Ichigo snarled and turned to grab his sword from the tack pile, but it wasn’t there.

“Looking for this?” A freakishly tall and skinny man had Ichigo’s sword in his hand. “This looks like too big of a sword for such a little girl.”

“I’m not a girl!” Ichigo yelled and punched the man in the jaw, flipping his body through the air and catching him in the stomach.

“Why you little brat!” The man snarled as he recovered, glaring at Ichigo and raised a fist.

“Enough, Nnoitra.” The blue haired man caught Nnoitra’s arm and gave it a strong squeeze until Nnoitra grimaced. “He is not yours to hurt.”

“Then control your pet, Grimmjow.” Nnoitra jerked his arm out of Grimmjow’s grasp.

Wait…pet? They weren’t talking about him, were they? Ichigo eyed both of them and edged closer to Zangetsu. Maybe he could get away if he was quick.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Grimmjow shoved Ichigo into the tree and pinned him there.

“Get the fuck off of me!” Ichigo yelled, bringing his knee up to catch Grimmjow in the groin, but Grimmjow evaded the action and flipped Ichigo around and pinned his arms around his back.

“Heh, you got a really feisty one.” Nnoitra laughed.

“I know.” Grimmjow purred into Ichigo’s ear and gave it a lick, making Ichigo grimace. “Isn’t he beautiful?”

“Go to fucking hell!” Ichigo screamed and continued to try to escape.

“That’s not nice.” The blue-haired bandit growled and shoved the teen hard against the tree, pressing his body against Ichigo’s back. Ichigo was about to retort when Grimmjow cursed and shouted. “Get off me stupid horse!” Grimmjow let go of Ichigo, allowing him to break free and see what was going on. Zangetsu had sunk his teeth into Grimmjow’s shoulder and wasn’t letting go.

Ichigo scrambled away and behind Zangetsu who let go of Grimmjow and reared up, striking out with his hooves. Grimmjow dodged and unsheathed his sword, moving forward with it and forcing Zangetsu to back up.

“Don’t kill him!” Ichigo pleaded, stepping in front of Zangetsu with his hands spread in front of him.

Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo and jerked the teen so their bodies were flush together; grinning like a maniac as he gently laid his sword on Ichigo’s neck. “Grab the beast, Nnoitra.”

Nnoitra grabbed a hold of Zangetsu and effectively held him still as he tried to rear up yet again. “We should just kill it.”

“No!” Ichigo protested, brown eyes ready to fill with tears at the thought of Zangetsu being killed.

“Not yet.” Grimmjow ordered and ran his other hand up to grab at Ichigo’s hair roughly. “I don’t think that would make Ichigo very compliant.” With that Grimmjow yanking Ichigo’s head up and plundered his mouth. Ichigo thrashed under the kiss, trying desperately to pry the bandit off of him, but was unable to due to the sword still resting against his neck. The lithe teen tasted blood as the man sank his sharp canines into his lip, sending jagged signals of pain through his nerves.

“You bandits disgust me. Molesting a poor girl like that.” Grimmjow pulled away immediately and turned to look at the new comers. The one who had spoken was a bald man with a spear resting on his shoulders; beside him was a slender man the same height with dark hair cut into a bob. Behind them was a massive man, whose shirt was cut open to reveal his chiseled torso. He had an eye patch over his right eye and a small pink hair girl perched on his shoulder.

“Why does everybody think I’m a fucking girl!?” Ichigo snarled, struggling to get away from the bandit’s grip.

The bald man blinked, and then laughed. “Could have fooled me.” He said smugly in amusement. “You sure do look like one.”

“I have short hair and no breasts!” The duke’s son yelled as he squirmed, Grimmjow yanking Ichigo so he was against his chest.

The bald man laughed again while the guy with the bobbed hair cut leaned forward to examine him. “Definitely a he, but he is very be-

“I’m a man damn it!”

“You know I think you should be paying attention to us right now rather than them.” Nnoitra purred, still struggling to hang onto Zangetsu.

“Whatever.” The large man finally spoke, he voice rumbling deeply as he eyes the three. “Let go of the kid so I can fight you.”

Ichigo scowled at the man, he hated to be called kid almost as much as he hated to be called a girl. Stupid bastards, all of them.

“Go get your own.” Grimmjow said with a vicious smirk

“Oi!” Ichigo yelled, getting even angrier as the conversation went on. With a single movement, Ichigo rammed his head back sharply and caught Grimmjow in the nose. Grimmjow yelled and released Ichigo, hands going up to clutch at his nose. “Fuck you!” Ichigo dropped to the ground under Grimmjow’s grabbing hands and did a roll, crouching so the stream was to his back, Nnoitra and Grimmjow to his right with Zangetsu, and the four strangers on his left.

Grimmjow glared at him and came forward again, but was instantly blocked by the large man with the eye patch. Grinning with an evil glint in his eyes as the pink girl on his shoulder dropped to the ground beside Ichigo. “Yur pretty!” She declared and launched herself at his legs, wrapping tightly around him.

“Urgh!” Ichigo lost his balance and fell on his ass, the girl instantly leaping into his arms and butting her head under his chin.

Ichigo struggled to sit again, cautiously bracing a hand on the little girl’s back as she cuddled against him and looked up at him with puppy eyes. He looked over her head to see the bald guy fighting Nnoitra, his friend watching with freed Zangetsu standing next to him. It was almost comical the way both the bald guy’s friend and the horse’s heads would turn at the same time to watch the progression of the fight. The large man and Grimmjow were fighting too, their swords clashing loudly as the forest around them was destroyed.

Grimmjow ducked another powerful swing from the man, panting in exhaustion and knowing he was fighting a losing battle. Bring his fingers to his mouth he gave a sharp whistle to Nnoitra. Both of them did a sharp back flip, landing on the high limbs of the tree and disappearing into the forest.

The large man growled out his disappointment and sheathed his sword. “Stupid fucking pansies.” He complained. He turned around, looking for the pink blur that usually jumped on him as soon as he finished a fight. Ah, there she was. Sitting on the orange haired teen, cooing and cuddling over him. He quirked an eyebrow up and looked over at Yumichika and Ikkaku who appeared just as amused.

Ikkaku swaggered over to the kid and Yachiru bending over to stare at him with a smirk. “So what’s your name, girly?”

“I’m a man damn it!” Ichigo yelled, the words quickly becoming his mantra. He stood up abruptly, still cradling Yachiru carefully in his arms as he kicked Ikkaku in the chin and made him stagger back a few paces. Kenpachi couldn’t help but smirk at the strong display the young male was showing. “And shouldn’t you introduce yourselves first?” Ichigo glared, but it was ruined by the content way Yachiru was snuggling against him and playing with his orange hair.

“This is Yumichika, I’m Ikkaku, and the big guy over there is Kenpachi,” Ikkaku gestured over to Kenpachi, rubbing his chin with the other hand. “Pinky there is Yachiru.”

“Well, thanks for saving me.” Ichigo said grudgingly. “My name is Ichigo Kurosaki.”

Kenpachi blinked, then spoke to Ichigo directly for the first time. “The duke’s son?”

“Er…yeah.” Ichigo eyed the man warily as a full grown smirk crossed his face.

“Well you might have to stay with us for a little while.” Kenpachi said without a hint of remorse, smirking at the potential ransom provider. Realization dawned in Ikkaku and Yumichika’s eyes as they caught on and sniggered.

“Yay!” Yachiru exclaimed happily.

“Oh hell no!” Fuck, to be saved from his kidnappers, only to be thrown into a group who also wanted to kidnap him. His life officially sucked.

LINE

OMG, so my sister just called me and told me about her Halloween party- she went as a mad scientist and her husband went as a cheerleader. I couldn’t stop laughing when she told me how he stole her bra and how much he looked like a girl. Those two are so adorable! Just thought I should share.