Haunted

Review Replies- Kera-Izaki: Yes, you HAVE to love it. =D Really.
Kunitsu: That possession thing is going to come into play, it’s not random. Shirosaki is sweet in a very…Ichigo centered way.
Shadowkittae: Well I’m posting a RenIchi story after this one is done, so hopefully that will make up for me continuously making Renji an asshole. (I love Renji, which is why I make him be the bad guy so often. I love bad guys!)
ChappytheRabbit: Thank you, I will!
Yakumo: Do you think hitting Renji on the nose with a rolled up newspaper will do any good?

Beta’d by WarriorNun- thank you very much!

Haunted: Chapter 8

It was lightly drizzling when I walked to the park, but I didn’t care. It felt good, like it was washing away a stain on my soul. Byakuya and Rukia were already there in their instead of out in the rain like any sane person would.

“Ichigo, what are you doing without an umbrella!? Get your ass over here!”

I clambered in the car and shook my wet hair out, earning a curse from Rukia and a dignified sniff from Byakuya. I glanced at him warily before turning to Rukia who had her arms cross and was frowning at me. “What’s wrong Ichigo?”

I shook my head and slumped over to lean my head on her shoulder. “Ichigo?” She asked a little warily.

“I’ll tell you when we get to your house.”

None of us said anything the short drive it took to get to their house, but Rukia constantly glanced at me, as did Byakuya via the rear view mirror. When we drove up to the Kuchiki’s large house, I forced myself to get out of the car and went inside where it was dry and warm. Rukia dragged me into the kitchen where she started making hot cocoa and fretted about the purple bruise on my neck where Renji had bitten me.

“What happened?”

“Renji, he…” I trailed off and gripped my cup tightly, drawing heat from it.

“What did that idiot do now?”

“He wanted to…have sex with me.” I scowled and glanced up at Rukia who was frowning heavily.

“I take it you weren’t ready?”

“Yeah…I told him no, but…” My eyes started to sting and I tried to ignore it, but soon I felt warm wetness running down my cheeks. “But he didn’t…”

“Oh, Ichigo…” She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and stroked my hair. “Did he…”

“No, I managed to get away.”

“That fucking asshole!” She hissed under her breath. “I’m going to fucking call him right now!”

“Wait, Rukia!” I tried to stop her but she was already gone. I loved Rukia, really I did, but sometimes she acted on her emotions before thinking things through.

I turned as I heard someone move behind me and relaxed when I discovered it was only Byakuya who was frowning at me. “Were you listening?”

He nodded and stepped closer to me. “He needs to be punished for this.”

“For what? He didn’t actually do anything, and it’s my word against his.”

“There are other ways to punish him.”

I snorted and turned to go after Rukia but Byakuya grabbed my arm and turned me to face him. “Don’t cry.” He reached up to cup my face and brushed my wet cheeks with his thumbs. “Abarai doesn’t deserve you. Someday you will find true love.” And then he leaned down and kissed me. There was nothing to it except for a soft brush of our lips, but I froze and stopped crying in my surprise. Then he pulled away and stared down at me. “I wish I could have been the one.”

“Sometimes I wish that too.” I said, more to myself. He kissed me once more lightly and then pulled away.

“You will find your love, perhaps in the oddest of places.”

I stared after him as he swept out of the room and then Rukia stormed back in with a scowl and a phone in her hand. “The asshole isn’t picking up.”

“He’s probably still drunk.”

“He was drunk?”

“Well, a little. I didn’t even notice until he kissed me…”

“But that still doesn’t excuse it! I knew Renji wasn’t the one for you, but to go this far…” She began to mumble under her breath and I gave her an odd look. She blinked and let out a sigh before wrapping her arms around my waist and resting her head on my chest. “I wish you could stay the night here, but your parents would worry about you.”

“I know, I just needed…” Comfort. I didn’t say the word out loud, but Rukia understood.

I don’t know how long I was there before Rukia was shaking me awake again. “Hey, you better get back home before your family wakes up or your parents will go ballistic.

“M’kay.” I muttered sleepily and lifted my head off the table where I had fallen asleep.

“Brother will drop you off a couple blocks from your house.”

“Kay…”

“Don’t let Renji get away with this Ichigo.”

“What, you think I should report him?”

“Just don’t forgive him.”

Despite desiring the comfort of Rukia’s company, I was glad to fall into my own bed. My parents hadn’t discovered that I was away, for which I was very grateful. My mind was anxious about how to deal with Renji, but I was tired, both mentally and physically, making it easier than I suspected to fall into a dreamless sleep.

The next day I was woken up by my mom gently shaking my shoulder. “Hey, Ichigo, Renji is on the phone.” And just like that, my blissful sleep daze plummeted to my stomach. I took the phone and said nothing as I held it to my ear. Mom smiled at me and left me alone to deal with my red haired ‘boyfriend’.

“Ichigo?” Renji said hesitantly.

“What do you want?” I asked coldly, trying not to let emotion creep into my voice.

“Um, about last night…” I said nothing and felt a smug amount of satisfaction in letting him flounder. “I didn’t mean anything I said, I had been drinking and I know Byakuya likes you-”

“Just shut up Renji.” I spat into the phone. “You know if you wanted sex, there are a lot of better ways you could have brought it up with me.”

“I know, I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”

“I know it won’t. We’re through Renji.”

“What!?” He asked incredulously and I felt a bit offended.

“You can’t just try to rape me and expect me to be okay with that!” I hissed into the phone.

“Hey, I said I was sorry!” He snapped back, getting pissed off himself.

“You think that makes it better!?”

“If you weren’t such a prude then I wouldn’t have done it!”

“Is this supposed to be convincing me to not break up with you?” I asked bitterly.

He was silent for a moment. “I’m sorry-”

“Right…” I snorted. “We’re through Renji, please don’t call here anymore.” I hung up the phone. It immediately began to ring and the caller id showed Renji’s number. I hit talk and then quickly ended it again. Then my cell phone started to ring. I turned it off.

I scratched my head and sighed in irritation before standing up and walking to the mirror. The bite mark was bruised and throbbed slightly, but it could easily be covered by a t-shirt, thankfully.

I got dressed and headed downstairs where my parents had already eaten but Karin and Yuzu were just getting up. It felt so normal to have my smiling and laughing family around me. I even managed a smile or two of my own. In the sunny kitchen it was so easy to forget about everything that happened, but the phone ringing jolted me out of my happy state.

“If it’s Renji, I’m not here.” I mumbled to mom who was just reaching for the phone. She frowned but answered it.

“Ah, hi Renji…” Her eyes flickered over to me. “I’m sorry, but he’s not here right now. He already left.” She gave me a look that told me I would have to say something to explain why I didn’t want to talk to Renji. “No, I don’t know where he went.” There was a slight pause. “Yes, I’ll tell him you called. Alright. Bye.” She hung up the phone while Karin and Yuzu gave me funny looks. “Are you and Renji fighting, Ichigo?”

“We broke up.” I mumbled and took a bite of cereal which went down my throat dryly.

“Oh no, I’m sorry dear.” She sighed and stroked my hair. “Is there anything we can do?” I shook my head. “Alright, I’m here if you want to talk.” I nodded and she left me alone. Yuzu smiled sweetly at me but Karin seemed to stare straight through me, looking into my very soul.

Later, when I managed to escape up to my room and away from the turned-awkward breakfast, I was jolted out of my reverie by a knock at my door. “Come in.” I was surprised to see Karin standing in the doorway, frowning at me. “What’s up?”

“Why did you break up with Renji?”

“Um, well…”

“Did he hurt you?”

I flinched and let out a long sigh. Karin always did know too much. “We just had a difference of opinions.”

“Enough for you to break up with him?”

“Why are you so certain that I was the one who broke up with him?”

“That idiot wanted in your pants too much to break up with you”

“Karin!” I shouted in surprise, but she just smirked at me. “You shouldn’t talk about things like that.”

“Was that what you guys fought about?” I nodded with a sigh, there was no use hiding it from her. “You could do better than that asshole anyways. You need someone who is willing to take care of you.”

“I don’t need to be taken care of!”

“Whatever you say brother.” With that she left, and I was alone once more. I half expected Shirosaki to appear but he never did. I didn’t want to admit it, but I sort of missed his presence.

LINE

Thus ends the eight chapter. There will be a LOT more of Shirosaki in the next chapter, I promise =D