[Dicontinued] Fire and Ice

Title: Fire and Ice

Author: Kokuchou Kayou Studios

Pairings: Kurosaki Ichigo/Kuchiki Byakuya, Others…As We See Fit!

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, 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 be half as much fun.

Note: Anyone going to Akon is more than welcome to contact BG-sama or Brightside-chan in order to complete our plans for a dinner. We already have a few attending, not to mention the fact that BG-sama is a Ranger and will be there as an emissary as well.

Can’t find BG? She’ll be the only Matsumoto-fukutaicho there. *laugh*

Chapter 31: The Revelation and Reason


Grimmjow had pulled away with a snarl, beating Byakuya across the face with the back of his hand. "Fuck! Tha' fuckin' hurt, ya liddle bitch!" He snapped, shedding himself of his jacket in the warmth of the room. Arroniro had not yet shed his jacket, mask remaining on, much to Aizen's amusement.

"Don't be so slow, Arroniro. Ulquoirra was called in here first for just for preparing him so you wouldn't have to bother." The mask turned to acknowledge the former captain sitting by them, and then bowed as he pulled his fingers from Byakuya once again.

"Arroniro, lemme have his ass. 'm sure 'is mouth coul' be jus' as good." Ulquoirra frowned, clambering back onto the bed against and handling Byakuya's body the gentleness. "His mouth could be just as beneficial to you, Grimmjow."

Arroniro had shed his jacket, and then the shirt that lay beneath it, shedding his clothes until he was completely naked, but hiding his arm and face from view. He didn't want the beautiful nobleman to know what he had become, after all. "Come, Arroniro. There's no light in here, it's perfectly safe to shed your mask, now."

The arrancar looked despaired for a moment, and then turned to Grimmjow, torn between not showing his face and letting the other arrancar tear the Kuchiki to pieces. Swalowing, he removed his mask, keeping his head down as he untied Byakuya's legs and wrapped them around his waist, coating his erection in lubricant before plunging deeply into the tight, heated entrance, tensing at the sudden presence of warmth after so long.

Ulquoirra, however, was taking his time with the exploration as Grimmjow, too, began to shed his clothing, his intentions obviously vicious. "Turn 'im aroun', I wanna fuck his mouth and keep him quiet."

The bonds loosened, Arroniro had no trouble in doing so, Ulquoirra following so he was positioned below the Kuchiki, his exploration tender, however cold. Byakuya's mouth, however, was going to suffer much different treatment.

The moment Byakuya was flipped over, his eyes closed, the scene too horrible for him to comprehend. “If you put that anywhere near my mouth,” he growled at Grimmjow, “I’ll bite it off.” He wasn’t going to submit to that bastard, and his simple refusal showed as a great triumph in his eyes as he looked down to Ulquoirra, his steel eyes meeting cold emerald.

The tender hands on his hips made him drop his head and arch back, face still stubbornly held away from Grimmjow’s body, determined not the drop himself to the level of the bastard that reminded him of Kenpachi so much. To occupy his mouth, his head dropped, and his lips pressed against Ulquoirra’s shoulder, body arching back into the nameless creature who’d stretched him earlier.

Byakuya felt like a whore, but it didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered. In the depths of his miserable heart, all he felt was Ichigo, and all he could see were those chocolate eyes, gazing into his soul, asking him why he was in the arms of another.

Grimmjow snarled as Byakuya's head dropped, threading his hands through the silky hair and yanking upward, forcing the nobleman to look up at him. "Listen, you- ugnh!" Ulquoirra had turned over onto his stomach, Grimmjow's erection buried deep inside his mouth, soft suckling noises molding with the soft squish of lubricant as Arroniro adjusted himself, one arm wrapping around the nobleman's waist as he had often done back in Seireitei as a greeting, teasing the Kuchiki to no extent.

He leaned forward, his hips moving in a slow manner, trying to get Byakuya used to his girth, but he had one of those horrific feelings that the nobleman was already much too used to it. Ulquoirra had grasped the half-empty tube of lubricant and smearing it over some of his fingers, pushing them inside himself as his mouth worked over Gimmjow's arousal, making sure that the other Espada was satisfied enough to release Byakuya.

After all, this was meant to be for their pleasure, too, and he hardly wanted the nobleman above him to be in pain throughout this ordeal. He wasn't sadistic like everyone else in this damned place.

There was something familiar about that arm around his waist. It calmed Byakuya, and he could feel Ulquoirra’s cool back pressed against his own hot chest, and he purred softly, avoiding cutting himself on the sharp edges of the mask beneath his chin. Instead, the Arrancar’s fingers brushed his erection as they began stretching, and Byakuya immediately quieted, taking as he was given, soft moans escaping his lips as he arched back into the thrusts.

It didn’t hurt like he’d expected, and he was happy that it didn’t. Instead, he reached beneath him, and pushing the Arrancar’s fingers from himself, he wrapped those long digits around his own length and helped Ulquoirra slick him before he plunged into the cool depths, a shiver nearly hitting his spine devastatingly as he gasped into the Arrancar’s shoulder.

While his skin had been cool, his insides…were soft, wet, and incredibly hot. Byakuya moaned throatily and glared up at Grimmjow. At least the bastard wasn’t in his mouth.

Ulquoirra had let out a sharp gasp as Byakuya pushed inside, his eyes wide even as Grimmjow had grasped his head, the horn on his mask proving to be a good hold, and the blue-haired Arrancar’s hips began to move, taking out his anger for Byakuya on the Arrancar that rested beneath the noble.

Arroniro, however, interrupted his state of bliss as he proved out into whispering moans, praising Byakuya's wonderful insides, not caring for the use of his name or the exposure of his voice, his hips moving faster and mouth right next to the nobleman's ear, nibbling at it softly and running his hands over Byakuya's chest, pinching each nipple and rolling them between his fingers. He'd longed to do this... longed to for so, very long.

Byakuya turned his head. Blue eyes, the color of a warm, stormy sky gazed back at him, and he couldn’t help but stare. Ichigo came immediately to mind, the man driving himself so tenderly into his body nearly a copy of the boy, but no, this one was darker, maybe a little bit shorter…

Byakuya’s eyes widened impossibly, and a soft noise of surprise left his mouth, the pleasure around him dulling down to nothing compared to the shocked happiness of his heart. His academy mate…Rukia’s best friend… His former lover long before Hisana ever came into his heart…

“K-Kaien-kun…”

The name was whispered softly, not loud enough for Gin and Aizen to hear, who were undoubtedly watching the unfolding situation like hawks. He gasped out softly as the muscles around his arousal shivered, and he looked up, just to see Grimmjow grab viciously to the small Arrancar beneath him, and Byakuya snarled at the bigger man, pushing him away from Ulquoirra, a rumble tainting his voice. “Mongrel.” He growled. “Get off.”

Kaien's breathing shuddered slightly as Byakuya spoke his name, so very overjoyed that he was remembered by the one he had treasured in his heart all these years. He pressed his lips to his former lover's shoulder, much to Aizen's amusement. This wasn't intended to be a punishment from the start. It was more of a voyeuristic act, just to see how nicely Byakuya would moan if positioned like this. Or scream, depending on who took what spot.

"Byakuya..." Kaien's voice was soft, softer than before, and whispered directly into the nobleman's ear. "I missed you so much." His hips moved faster, barreling toward completion much faster than he had anticipated, whereas Ulquoirra had already come his his orgasm, tensing and shivering beneath Byakuya as the two powerful men fought over him.

It made him feel almost special, and a little feeling coiled in his stomach as he released himself, feeling cool release spatter over his face and then his stomach how nice it was to have this tiny feeling nestled low in his belly after such a satisfying release. He had to do more investigation into this... perhaps it was something that could be obtained only with this odd human above him?

Grimmjow had collapsed backwards, looking angry at the fact he had reached climax before any other of the four of them. Hell, even Gin was still going, and Aizen seemed nothing but amused.

Byakuya wanted to be disgusted with himself, but in place of disgust, there was shock and amazement that not only was his academy mate alive and well, but that his old lover was buried deeply inside of him, moving, pleasuring, whispering soft words into his ear that made him emit one of his throaty, smoky moans. The creature beneath him tightened around his cock, and the nobleman let loose a cry, tinted with anguish and happiness in one.

He was so filled with pleasure that he lost himself in it, drowning out the pain and misery of Ichigo’s death for a split second as he spilled himself inside of the pretty Arrancar beneath him. Byakuya panted hotly into Ulquoirra’s neck, his soft voice whispering something akin to a thanks and a praise for his beautiful body, high words from Byakuya’s mouth. He glanced up at Aizen, and suddenly, his stomach turned, his eyes flaming blue.

“Bastard.” He hissed. “I will kill you.”

Kaien's arm tightened around Byakuya's chest almost protectively, scolding him lightly even as he came with a soft moan that was muffled into his former lover's shoulder, eyes screwed shut. He pulled out almost immediately, pulling Byakuya against his chest.

"Stop. You'll just get yourself into deeper shit than you are already." He murmured, panting roughly in the aftermath of his orgasm. "I will try to help you, but you have to trust me, even if I'm not who you remembered me as." Warm air was gushing against Byakuya's back through Kaien's chest, showing that he truly wasn't what he once was.

"Just be quiet, and don't threaten him." Ulquoirra was listening in, but Grimmjow was already huffing and getting dressed, disappointed with what Aizen had promised to be a docile Shinigami. Hardly damned docile. "Ulquoirra, Grimmjow. You may leave." Ulquoirra followed suit after Grimmjow, not paying any heed to the release flowing down his thighs as he got dressed and left right after the blue-haired arrancar.

"Arroniro, Byakuya will be returning to your quarters for the night."

~*~*~*~*~

Byakuya looked around the Arrancar’s quarters blithely. There was nothing that reminded him of his Academy mate. They were bland, saddening, and they were completely devoid of character. No, this was not the Shiba Kaien that Byakuya remembered from his childhood. “Rukia would be pleased to see you.” Byakuya murmured quietly.

His body still ached from his earlier sexual escapade with the two other Arrancar, and he thought, that for a moment, when he’d been given to this copy of Kaien that he would be mildly happy, but seeing him now, Byakuya was more lost than before.

“You’ve been here since your death?” He inquired quietly. ‘Death’ was not exactly the right word because it was more like a transformation…from good into evil. Byakuya turned and faced Kaien, the sheet wrapped around him drawn closer to his body. “You are not Shiba-fukutaicho.” He stated coldly.

"No, Kuchiki." Kaien stepped forward and cupped his hand under Byakuya's chin. "It's been over fifty years since I saw you last in person." His expression was sullen, his coat draped over his shoulders and mask placed on a bland table to the right of the door behind them. "And even more than that since I was the one beneath you." Even after all these years, he'd felt replaced by the beautiful woman from Rukongai who had become Byakuya's wife, joining him in his bed until her disease took her life.

He did, however, still feel guilty he'd celebrated in secret after she passed away. "You didn't even attend my 'funeral'. Don't you think I would have changed, even the slightest, after I'd been treated so coldly by you?" Kaien's expression hardened for just a second, eyes flickering in reversed color just as Ichigo's would do, and then turned his head, shedding his coat and turning his back to Byakuya.

"Sleep for now." He had far too much on his mind to sleep just yet, and he hardly wanted to take it all out on Byakuya, no matter how angry he was. "I'll get you some clothes for your stay here." And with that, Kaien left the room, taking his mask with him as he closed the door and locked it behind him.

This room was cold. Different from Aizen’s warmth, and he found himself curling up under the heavy blankets on the bed, just trying to catch some of the body heat he was losing so very quickly. Soon, his dreams took him, and the boyish face that made itself known in his sleep took over his consonance, and his dreams went to lighter places, the beautiful chocolate eyes of his fallen lover making him both laugh and cry in his sleep, the only time that his walls were fallen.

The sheets still smelled of Shiba, the cinnamon and sunshine scent still part of him in a tragic, dreamlike way. In his sleep, Byakuya arched and moaned softly, the thoughts of Ichigo turning erotic and teasing. The covers slipped from his body as he moaned out his precious lover’s name, soft cries and whimpers falling from his lips. Where Ichigo was concerned, the sounds were no longer stifled…no longer fake and stiff. No, when Byakuya slept, he slept without pain.

When Kaien returned to find Byakuya flushed and aroused, moaning a name foreign to him, he placed the clothes on the table with his mask, locking the door once again, but quieter this time. Those whimpers and moans were unlike the ones he had let loose when it was him buried inside the nobleman, and it made him feel jealous of this boy who his former lover now belonged to.

Shedding his clothes, he slipped into the bed next to Byakuya, pulling the sheets over them and wrapping his arms around the heated and aroused body, his own hand wrapping around the nobleman's erection, gently stroking as his warm lips let marks on the nobleman's neck.

A warmth like placing your hand in sunshine, his inner Hollow taking pity on the Shiba who craved the nobleman in his arms more than the Espada himself could handle, cold tears streaking his face as Byakuya's cries didn't once change to his name.

Always…

"Ichigo.”

“Ichigo.”

“Ichigo.”

~*~*~*~

Jyuushiro and Shunsui had been taking on of the night time walks that they loved when they heard Jiku's screech of terror, the white-haired Shinigami terrified by the sudden noise, enough so to spur several coughs, much to Shunsui's concern. However, they both made their way into the household, much faster than Byakuya surely would have tolerated, and they came across a pale Jiku in the hallway, pressed up against a wall with his bright blue eyes filled with tears.

And as soon as they saw the scene before them, they both had to look away, Jyuushiro smothering his face into his lover's chest. Panic, of course, had arisen, and they soon found themselves in company of Unohana and Isane, who knelt by the slaughtered bodies before them, Unohana with a frown on her face.

"There's something off about this." Just like with Aizen's body, there was something off about the body. Of course. Byakuya was gone, and these bodies... "Kyouraku-taicho... were Kurosaki-fukutaicho and Abarai-fukutaicho not meant to be out drinking with Hisagi-taicho tonight?"

Shunsui and Jyuushiro exchanged glances. Actually, they had been out with them, only to see Shuuhei’s tongue halfway down Kira’s throat, making Ichigo and Renji nearly groan from frustration. Of course, Jyuushiro and Shunsui were too occupied with besting each other in Go to even pay attention to the two lovebirds. Jyuushiro’s chocolate eyes suddenly filled with understanding.

“Of course! These bodies must be hours old! We saw Abarai-kun and Kurosaki-kun less than an hour ago.” Shunsui remained thoughtful, his fingers on Jyuushiro’s shoulders tender.

“Byakuya isn’t in Seireitei. If I try, I can feel him sleeping, and he isn’t here.” Ukitake suddenly cried out in dismay, and he turned to face his lover, lithe fingertips curling into the pink kimono that hung from the man’s shoulders.

“Shunsui! Aizen….He’s…” Shunsui shushed the terrible words from his lover’s mouth and kissed him tenderly. “Be quiet, Jyuu-kun. I’m sure he’s fine. We’ll find him.”

Ichigo was first to appear at the doorway of the four Shinigami who's party had seemingly been wrecked by the sudden disappearance of Byakuya's Riatsu, his face panicked as he rushed through the house, only to find the three captains and fukutaicho already at the scene. He was half expecting to see Byakuya's body there, but instead, he saw his and Renji's, cut in a grotesque manner.

"Holy shit." He stepped into the room, and looked down at his own corpse, his eyes lifeless and horrified and almost... sad? Was this how he would die. "Oh, fuck..."

Shuuhei seemed equally stressed, simply not ready to see more death after Tousen had died, looking stressed beyond anything at seeing these two bodies on the floor, even if the two Shinigami portrayed were standing right beside and in front of him. Isane was busy with her hands over the corpses, stitching the flesh back together so that it wasn't as grotesque as it had been before, and Unohana with her tender smile assisted, well used to situations of dismay and stressed herself, but had learned not to show it.

Ichigo was rummaging around the room, and eventually found what he was looking for, Senbonzakura placed in her sheath on the night stand. He pulled her out of her sheath a bit, and she reflected his eyes in her blade, and for a moment, he could have sworn his eyes were yellow and black. His fingers touched her, and he felt comforted as her reiatsu curled around him, and he sighed.

He hoped she wasn’t blood stained.

He drew her out, and with a surprised noise, the petals dispersed as soon as he touched the blade, and with a swirl of the beautiful petals, he was warped into a black world, where the spirit of the Zanpaktou in his hands stood before him in all her beautiful glory, back turned to him and shoulders shaking as if she were weeping.

“You’ve come.” Her robes fluttered about her in the quiet rustle of the sakura trees around them, and she turned dark, depthless eyes on Ichigo, her lips twisting into a worried expression as she approached Ichigo. Senbonzakura’s long chestnut hair curled around her hips and swayed with her movements, tender and gentle as she was.

She moved like a subtle breeze, the scent of the precious cherry trees following her as she reached out delicate arms to Ichigo, her embrace wrapping around him and holding him intimately close to her lithe, pink robed body.

“He took him…. Shinsou spoke to me. Whispered of treachery. I couldn’t stop them.” Her voice wavered, and then, she brought her eyes up to Ichigo’s face, and she brushed her fingertips across his cheek. “Where is he?” She demanded. “I want to know!”

Ichigo blinked, suddenly feeling very odd in this situation. Senbonzakura’s touches were so much like Byakuya’s that he felt himself relax in her embrace, and he pulled her against him soothingly, long arms wrapping around her waist. “It’s ok. I’ll find him.”

“You can’t.” Her voice was echoing and eerie… Just as it has always been in Byakuya’s turmoil filled heart. “He has to find Byakuya before time is out. And time is running by us very quickly.”

“He…” Ichigo whispered. “I don’t understand.”

“Just as Hueco Mundo is the opposite of Soul Society, so is he the opposite of you.” She offered quietly. Senbonzakura kissed Ichigo tenderly before smiling softly. “He can comfort Byakuya too. And you can control him.”

“And what if I can’t?” Ichigo demanded. “What then? Am I just gonna die inside of my own head?”

Senbonzakura never answered. She kissed Ichigo’s lips lightly and released him from her world, throwing him back onto the floor, the Zanpaktou whole in his hand. He stared down at it as Shunsui and Jyuushiro scrambled to help him up.

“We were sure she had killed you!” Shunsui exclaimed.

Ichigo remained thoughtful as he sheathed the blade and strapped her to his waist, Zangetsu pulsing on his back, pleased to be so close to the lady of his wielder’s lover. He stepped past the bodies, unseeing, uncaring. Everyone watched as Ichigo walked away, confused and baffled at his strange behavior.

The Hollow knew what he had to do, but Ichigo was simply resisting against him. "You bastard! Lemme the fuck out!" He was too angry to even think about attacking the walls that bound him within Ichigo's head, merely screeching at the Shinigami he was bound to.

"Out, let me out!" Fucking hell, he was the worst headache to have. But... he needed to open that gate and get to Hueco Mundo. Get there as fast as he could. Uryuu could help him - after all, he knew Ryuken would merely report back to his father who would lecture him about how stupid he was being, trying to go to Hueco Mundo all by himself. He found the younger Quincy resting after a long day's training, his lips slightly parted and his eyes narrowed in a scowl.

"Ishida. You need to help me." He sounded almost pleading as he sat down next to the dark-haired boy, eyes flickered dangerously between Hollow and Shinigami. "I need to get to Hueco Mundo."

Ishida’s blue eyes stared at Ichigo as if though the orange haired boy had gone insane. His entire body was hurting, not to mention the back that his neck and shoulders were littered with bite marks, and the beginnings of tattoos were beginning to show at the nape of his neck where Renji had shoved him into the pillows a few times.

He looked over to Ichigo with bored eyes, and then, he nodded silently. It was an acceptance that Ichigo could do it on his own if he really wanted to, but it was apparent that Ishida wasn’t very happy about it. The boy sighed. “Are you crazy? What in God’s name do you need to go there for?”

"Byakuya." Ichigo's voice was sullen, eyes downcast. "Aizen took him back there." He almost knew that it was a lure for him, but he was beyond caring. Who knows what horrors the former captain was bestowing upon him? "You can open the gate, right? Even if it's only for a short time, you can do it?"

He was going to get in so much shit for this when he got back. If he got back. "As soon as I'm gone, Shinigami will assemble to leave. If anyone gives you any shit for this, I forced you to do it for me. I don't care what you say I did, just so long as Renji don't come after me."

He held Ishida's shoulders for a second, showing his trust for the Quincy, even as his eyes stopped flickering and stayed as the Hollow's, his skin paling and mask forming, slowly showing the true form of the Hollow.

~*~*~*~*~

Byakuya was tired. They’d locked him away in a room that dampened his Riatsu, and he had been without Senbonzakura for a full day now, and his power was beginning to ebb away He was quiet even as he shifted underneath the heavy covers in Kaien’s room, looking around in dejection as he looked for something else to cover himself up with than a sheet.

He sat up, delicate, beautiful hands rubbing sleepily at his eyes, the blue depths gazing around him in the rare show of unguarded curiosity. There was no warmth n the room, no show that Kaien was even alive in this place, but against his own thoughts and logic, hope planted itself in the nobleman’s heart. Maybe…Ichigo would come for him. Maybe it wouldn’t be too late.

Gin flaunted into the room without knocking, his trademark broad grin broader than it would have been had he just come to tease the Kuchiki for letting himself fall into such a position. Of course, that seemed to be one of his intentions.

"Wha' a shame. Arroniro ain' 'ere, eh?" He sat down on one of the cabinets, giggling nonchalantly at something he was thinking about. He didn't, however, voice whatever it was. "I kin bet tha'cher lonely, righ'? No 'mongrel' brat ta inhabit tha' bed wit'cher and fuck ya till ya scream."

Gin's eyes opened, and he slunk forward, brandishing the clothes Kaien had bought in before leaving, and placing them on the bed. "You won't be lonely for long. We'll let you two have one last fuck before we make him an Espada."

Byakuya ignored the jibes. His mind processed the information given to him, and as he was famously able to do, he shut down his emotions, his severe eyes watching Ichimaru. He moved fluidly as he stood from the bed, his body never wincing away in its nudity. For all he cared, Ichimaru could be Jiku.

He reached for the hakama, and he was pleased to find that the cloth was heavy and soft, to keep his slender body warm. He began to dress, his cold, chill voice touching the air with little care as to who he was pissing off with his insults. “I see you continue to be undignified and unintelligent, Ichimaru.”

His blue eyes flickered with amusement as he looked up at the pale haired man, and he slowly pulled on his yakuta and then haori, showing off his body purposely before tying them shut. “I see this place does little to change the true character of low born, ill bred mongrel.”

"I may be bor' i' Rukongai, Byakuya-chan," Gin ran a hand through his hair, his smile still broad and eyes slit open. "An' I may be ill-bre'," His eyes opened wider, and he giggled softly. "But at least I still have a lover." Two, really. He was always faithful to his little Izuru, no matter what he did or said. He locked eyes with Byakuya, and then played coy, putting his hand to his lips.

"Oh, my. Di' I touch a nerve? 'm terribly sorry." He was cruel and bitter, however much he hid it, that Aizen had locked himself away in his chamber and wouldn't let him in, not for anything. "Don' worry. Kaien-kun'll keep ya company, eh? You always did 'ave a crush on 'im. An' you fucked, too. Who'da thought you'd ever bottom for 'im, huh?"

Byakuya found himself snapping at Gin before he could control his mouth, something uncharacteristic for himself entirely. “I didn’t bottom for Kaien!” Then, just as quickly as he’d opened his mouth, he shut it, and his cold blue eyes looked away from Gin. “I know why you have me here.” Byakuya growled stoically. “Kurosaki Ichigo may be young, but he is no fool.”

Triumphant grey eyes met Gin’s smiling, masked face, and Byakuya gave a snort of disgust. “You’re going to die, Ichimaru Gin. You and your Master and your dogs that eat the crumbs from your filthy table will die at the hands of Kurosaki, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Byakuya, feeling more annoyed and confident now that he was back to being the emotionally cold and powerful protector of Seireitei, stepped forward, and with a sudden, lightening quick move, he backhanded Gin regally, the movement graceful and arced. “You will bow before you die.” Byakuya growled. “And the only pity you will hear is my laughter.”

Gin giggled again, the blood that seeped past his lips eagerly licked away, and when he spoke next, his teeth were dyed slightly red from his own blood. "Big shame I ain' gonna be dyin' a' t'e 'ands o' yore dead lover, huh?" Gin's smile faced, and one eyebrow quirked. "Ya di'n' really fink 'e was livn', righ'? Tha' weren' no illusion tha'cha sore."

Giving Byakuya that mindset would eventually make him lose all hope. However, if Ichigo was smart enough to let his inner Hollow take over, then perhaps there was little chance to be had. At least he could just stay out of the way and find something to hide behind until the massacre was done. "Sorry 'bou' that, but'cha on'y got a few days ta wait 'till Soul Society gets 'ere."

Byakuya tilted his head, and his eyes narrowed. “After giving some thought to the situation, I’ve decided that it was a poorly made plan on Aizen’s part.” His chin rose and he glared at Gin with the look that had made thousands tuck tail and run. “Spending time in this desolate, cold room with nothing to bide me but my thoughts, I came to a decision.”

Byakuya back handed Gin again, his eyes filling with fury. “Kurosaki and Abarai-kun are alive and well. Even Aizen could not kill them so easily.” His hand snaked out, and grabbing a hold of a handful of silky white hair, he yanked Gin forward, demanding to see his eyes in a quiet growled command that many knew of. This was Kuchiki Byakuya. The captain of the sixth division.

“And you have the skills of a child. The idea of you killing them is preposterous.” He abruptly shoved Gin back, the hold on his hair vicious before Byakuya released it. “Get out.”

Gin giggled gently, the pain that still rang through his body from his head amazingly pleasant. "Wit' pleasure, Kuchiki-chan." He bowed in mockery, his eyes slitting closed once more. "Jus' ta tell ya... yore precious Kurosaki'll be 'ere sooner than t'ree days. Prolly one or two. Bu' don' ge' yore hopes up - unless 'e's real smart, 'e'll be comin' as 'imself rather t'an 'is 'Ollow self."

He smirked, and then his left eye moved in what was more than certainly a wink. "Le's jus' 'ope 'e ain' real stupid, eh? Love makes ya do dumb thin's, af'er all." He knew that, definately. Love made him leave his darling Izuru. And, with that thought lingering, he grinned at Byakuya and left, backing out of the door and locking it behind him, his skipping footsteps echoing through the hallways.

Up Next: Chapter 32: The Claiming

Byakuya’s hands rose to the pale hair, and he tugged on it, enjoying the way the silken locks sifted through his fingers, and a soft exhale of air carried a low pitched groan of pleasure as his hips aligned with the hollow’s. He spoke his name just as easily as he spoke Ichigo’s.

“Ogichi…” It was a desperate, stoic whisper that carried his desire on it…

To all reviewers: You have been fooled by our l33t skillz of concealing, and we laugh at your predicament. In short, you got punk'd, lol. We love your reviews, all, and sorry for the non-individual reviews - Brightside got super lazy. Keep 'em coming, and keep enjoying! 'Till next time, zotto~!

BG Translation: Brightside was too lazy to write the damn responses, and I took too damn much energy editing and BETA’ing. In short, HA! We fooled you. Like we’d EVER kill our sweet Ichigo!

Ja ne!