Thawing Walls - Chapter 4
Title: Thawing Walls
Chapter: Four
Pairing: Hitsugaya Toushiro x Kurosaki Ichigo
Rating: M (T for the first half of the story)
Summary: Hitsugaya, stationed in a turbulent Karakura Town to investigate increased Menos activity, finds his defenses weakening thanks to an orange haired teen. As they both experience unexplainable phenomenon, they draw each other closer.
Thawing Walls - Chapter 4
The sky was covered in a dark blue, almost black veil with a few stars here and there, most of them covered by thick layers of clouds. The temperature had dropped considerably and everything was still damp from the unusual heavy rain. A cold breeze welcomed two teens in its vast expanse of skies as they stepped outside, reluctantly leaving the warm apartment. The smaller of the two bowed politely for the young woman that stood in the doorway before he turned around and started walking. The taller teen took a little more time to say goodbye to his friend before he also turned and jogged a bit to catch up with the white haired boy in front of him.
“Oi, Toushiro, wait up a little, will ya?” Ichigo yelled -though softly and gently- as he caught up with the small boy.
“Hmpf, it’s Hitsugaya-taichou. Remember it already, bakayaro” Hitsugaya snorted as he continued walking, not once slowing down or turning to meet the other's face.
“Hey, you don’t have to act that cold towards the person who just saved your life, you know,” Ichigo said as he feigned hurt, even though Hitsugaya still wasn’t bothered to look at him.
“It was Inoue-san who saved me. You didn’t.”
This did hurt a little.
“H-Hey, I’m the one who carried you to her. And even if you don’t look like it, your heavier than I expected, judging from your size,” Ichigo said with a smug grin. Surely, it hadn’t cost that much effort to carry him, he was as light as possible with that body.
An eyebrow twitched slightly, something it did quite often.
“I’m NOT small,” Hitsugaya scowled, increasing his pace slightly. Ichigo couldn’t help but chuckle at the boy’s typical answer as he let out a deep breath.
“Well, I’m pretty sure I didn’t use the word ‘small’ but now that you say it yourself…” He grinned as they finally made eye contact, even if it was just so the emerald orbs could send countless daggers at him.
But Hitsugaya soon groaned in defeat as he slowed down his pace slightly, now crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“Fine. What do you want in return? Don’t expect too much, though. You’ll regret it.” He tried to strengthen his point by sending a dangerous glare towards the other teen but his scowl and slightly flushed cheeks, from the cold, betrayed him. It remained quiet as Hitsugaya waited for an answer. Before anything was said, the teen handed him a piece of paper instead.
A slightly puzzled look appeared on Hitsugaya’s smooth face, though his frown came along with many of his other expressions. Nearly all of them, now that Ichigo thought about it.
“Come to my party. Remember? It’s in two weeks. We’re ordering pizza first after which we’ll probably play some games or watch a movie or something like that.”
Ichigo looked at his friend expectantly as the piece of paper was carefully observed before shoved in a chest pocket of the -immensely- oversized shirt Hitsugaya was wearing. It remained silent and judging from the boy’s scowling face, he wasn’t going to say anything. At first Ichigo was slightly disappointed, but he figured that silence was better than getting turned down immediately when dealing with the kid-captain. Sighing quietly, he decided to just remain silent for now and perhaps ask again tomorrow. At least he’d given him the address. That was some something.
No words were spoken for the rest of the walk, but the silence wasn’t as uncomfortable normally was. Their chaotic minds relished in the quietness they’d longed for after the long day. The streetlights lightened their path as they walked past many houses and countless streets. All too soon for Ichigo’s liking did they come at the intersection where he knew they’d have to part.
Ichigo scratched the back of his head as he hesitated, unsure what to say after the long silence.
“Ummm… Well then… You know…” However he was already interrupted by the cold captain’s voice, the deadpan tone hiding everything that went on in that small but brilliant mind.
“Kurosaki, you didn’t have to give me your address,” Hitsugaya said as he started walking again, taking the left turn at the crossroad. Ichigo was left standing with a puzzled expression.
“Your completely absent control over you idiotic reiatsu makes you pretty hard to miss,” Hitsugaya added before disappearing out of sight soon after. Ichigo stared at the place the other had last been standing before chuckling lightly as he shook his head.
“Arrogant little bastard.”
Grinning, he turned right. His house was already in sight. With practiced ease he reached his window and knocked gently, waiting for the irritating and rarely useful mod-soul to open it. It took a few seconds but he soon stood in his own room again, picking up his physical body with a deep breath. Before he knew it he was already back in it, brushed his teeth and he undressed before slipping between the covers of his bed.
Finally… Ah, crap, can’t forget to pick up the keys tomorrow! I should start packing as well.
With a groan Ichigo turned around, facing away from Kon, who decided it wasn’t a wise action to disturb him now. He feared he’d be placed in the room next to this one for the night and he couldn’t help but shudder at the thought before he allowed himself to fall in a corner and also take some rest.
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-Three days later-
"What!? 30!? That's impossible!" Several startled heads turned around to find the source of a very loud voice that echoed through the classroom. One student had jumped up at the first sight of his returned test. The previously occupied chair had fallen back from the sudden rise and connected with the floor with a loud sound, making the moment even more dramatic. The student’s eyes widened in surprise and a single finger was pointed accusingly at the glaring mark on his test. The teen remained standing as he refused to acknowledge and accept his utter failure, thinking if he'd point at it long enough the ‘30’ would eventually change into an ‘80’*.
"Oh, c'mon Ichigo, it's not that big of a deal. These weren’t even the mock exams yet," a boy next to Ichigo said while waving his hand in a nonchalant manner. It was apparently a classmate of his, and probably one of his friends as well.
"Che, you've got it easy, Mizuiro. At least you managed to get 60," Ichigo whimpered with obvious envy. He took a deep breath as he pulled his chair back up and collapsed on it, a dreary look scarring his features.
"Oh man, I'm so screwed. There goes my vacation... And my future for that matter," he uttered with a deep groan. He suddenly grabbed the sides of his small desk and was about to trash his head into it numerous times but a voice from behind stopped him just in time.
"Stop pitying yourself. It’s not the end of the world."
Ichigo growled at the down-to-earth manner he was spoken to and violently turned around to see Hitsugaya sitting at his desk, his arms crossed and a trademark scowl ever present on his face. Ichigo was about to yell back an angry remark but his eyes wandered to the paper on the boy's desk and he could only gasp as he saw an elegant, big ‘100’ on top. The mark only matched -with difficulty- by Ishida Uryuu. After the initial shock had passed Ichigo turned around childishly, feeling defeated.
"Well, excuse me for not being as brilliant as you are," he answered with a pout on his face as he continued staring at his own red-covered test, each fat line indicating one of many errors.
"Besides, instead of telling me to stop complaining, you might as well help me, you know,” Ichigo mumbled. He couldn’t see the other’s face, but the snort told him enough.
“Bakayaro,” Hitsugaya said with a hint of a sigh.
“Is that a yes?” Ichigo asked as he turned around to face him again, now a hopeful expression plastered on his face. The other didn’t even bother to reply as the school bell rang. Hitsugaya took his bag in one hand and his test in the other and swiftly left the classroom. Ichigo was left with a somewhat dumbstruck expression as he shook his head and his shoulders sagged in desperation.
He was tempted to leave his test behind but reluctantly shoved it in his bag, thinking he’d learn from his mistakes some time later. After saying goodbye to his friends, he rushed through the hallways, skipping quite the number of steps on the stairs. He fumbled excitedly with his keys to open his locker and take out his jacket, closing it with a wild push. With his bag and jacket in one hand, he sprinted towards the entrance, trying to catch the sight of his last hope.
“Oi, Toushiro!” Ichigo yelled excitedly as he waved his arms to catch the other’s attention. He caught the attention of everyone present in front of the school building except for the intended person, who happened to be his target and was currently ignoring him as he disappeared out of sight. However, Ichigo didn’t feel like failing for the second time that day. Breathing in deeply, he took a sprint. Again, all eyes were fixed on him but he didn’t seem to care. Perhaps he didn’t even notice it. He ran around the corner and saw a white mob of hair in the distance, walking at a remarkably fast pace.
“Hey! Toushiro,” Ichigo yelled again, the addressed boy still not stopping. Ichigo groaned deeply as he quickened his pace slightly and eventually caught up. A callused hand reached out for the small shoulder in front of him but before he could touch him, the other turned around. An eyebrow was twitching violently, a vein was dangerously throbbing and a pair of cerulean green orbs was sending him more than one death wish.
“It’s Hitsugaya-TAICHOU!!” The small boy yelled angrily. “Remember it already!” He said before turning around again and continuing his fast pace. Ichigo was slightly startled at the sudden burst of the smaller boy and he pursued him, an apologetic smile on his face.
“A-Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to make you that angry.” His only reply was a snort. Ichigo acrobatically evaded the numerous other students on the streets while Hitsugaya seemed to slip past them with ease.
“Ummm… Can I ask you something, Toushi-” He managed to stop himself right on time, sensing he would really be pushing his luck to continue addressing the strict little captain casually. It remained silent for a little while as he continued following Hitsugaya.
“What is it,” the boy finally asked, giving subtle permission for Ichigo to talk again.
“W-Well,” Ichigo said as he scratched the back of his head with a nervous smile, “I wasn’t joking earlier. I mean, the test we got back today was only regular practice, so it’s no big deal I screwed up, but the real mock exam is in 5 days.” They finally got out of the massive stream of students as they entered an ally. “If I don’t score well on the mock exam, I’m gonna have to follow extra lessons during vacation if I want to stand a chance at the really real entrance exams.*” Ichigo searched for some kind of response from the boy who still refused to look at him but found none, so he kept on talking.
“I so don’t want to lose my vacation but I also really, really want to get into Tokyo’s Medical University! The thing is though… Their entrance exam is, like, incredibly hard. And I’d rather drop dead than ask Ishida for help, so you’re basically my only chance! Please, help me prepare for the mock exam!” Ichigo pleaded, his hands tightly pressed together in front of his bowed head. Hitsugaya finally stopped walking, about six feet away from the other. He remained quiet for a while as he contemplated what to do next. After a short assessment of the anticipated pros and cons, he eventually spoke up:
“Fine. But that will make us even. I will have no obligation to come to your party if I help you with this,” Hitsugaya stated, not leaving any room for debate. But it was enough to light up Ichigo’s face, a huge smile on his face as he quickly walked up to his newly appointed tutor.
“Thank you! Thank you so much, Toushiro,” Ichigo said, trying not to grasp the boy’s shoulders in delight. But in his excitement he’d forgotten the boy’s sensitivity for his title and it immediately showed in the deep scowl on said boy’s face.
“One condition is that you have got to call me Hitsugaya-taichou. I’m telling you, forget it one more time and this whole thing’s over.” Hitsugaya tried his best to sound firm and commanding but he feared it wouldn’t get through to the other’s hyper and excited mind anymore. Shaking his head, he took out his cellphone and send a short message to Kuchiki’s phone, asking if he could cover for him for the next few hours. He didn’t feel comfortable asking anything of the other captain, but he secretly didn’t mind not having to deal with annoying lower lever Hollows.
In the meantime, Ichigo was nearly jumping as he walked in front of Hitsugaya.
“Well then, let’s go, shall we? I got the key to my apartment a few days ago, and I immediately brought over most of my stuff, I really want to show you!” He yelled in childish excitement as he punched into the air, making Hitsugaya shake his head with a deep sigh.
“Just what have I gotten myself into,” he muttered. Ichigo laughed quietly now as he tried to reign himself in. With a somewhat discontent look on his face, Hitsugaya walked next to Ichigo, who was leading the way to his new apartment. Ichigo, in turn, took a while to get accustomed to Hitsugaya’s walking pace, which was oddly fast for someone with such short legs. Of course, all his captain duties had made sure he was agile and fast-moving. And because of that, it took them only a few minutes to reach Ichigo’s apartment. Hitsugaya looked up at the rather big complex, faintly wondering how many apartments the building held. He waited for Ichigo to find the appropriate key and nodded politely as the other let him go in first. He, in turn, waited for Ichigo to walk in front of him again, ascending a number of stairs before standing still in front of one particular door. Ichigo again fumbled with the many keys he had until he found the right one and as he opened the door he signaled for Hitsugaya to go in first.
“Excuse me*,” Hitsugaya mumbled to no one in particular as he entered the living room, looking at the inside of the small and cozy apartment. Ichigo reached out his hand and Hitsugaya wondered for a second before he got the sign and gave him his jacket. While he waited for Ichigo to finish putting away their jackets he decided to casually walk around in the living room. He looked out the window and noticed Ichigo had a decent view. His apartment was on the fourth floor after all. He could even see the school building in the far distance, the groups of black mass, students wearing the traditional uniform, were scattered in the surrounding area. His gaze then switched back to the inside of the apartment. It was rather simple, in a corner a single couch in front of a low table and a television not too far behind it. There was a very small kitchen as well, and some sort of dining table with 3 chairs. There were also two doors, one probably leading to the bathroom and the other to Ichigo’s bedroom. Besides that, several boxes were placed unsystematically on the ground, most likely yet to be unpacked. He simply stood there as he waited for Ichigo to make the next move. His eyes wandered the room and he soon found the teen with his head buried in the opened fridge.
“Want something to drink?” Ichigo’s muffled voice asked.
“Yes,” he answered shortly.
“Well, I don’t have much yet, but what would you like?”
“Anything cold will be fine.” He heard Ichigo mumble something else which he didn’t quite get before the other finally pulled his head out of the fridge, closing it with a gentle nudge of his foot. He poured something in two glasses before handing one to Hitsugaya. Said teen looked at the clear blue liquid, eyeing it suspiciously.
“What is it?” Hitsugaya asked.
“Some kind of new soda. They only sell it at the convenience store down the street. Trust me, it’s really good!” He said with a reassuring smile before heading towards the door that led to the bedroom.
“Well then, let’s get this over with, shall we?” Ichigo said with a somewhat grim expression on his face, the mere thought of intense studying sending shivers down his spine. He’d rather fight off some Hollows, that’s for sure. He opened the door after he grabbed his discarded school bag he’d thrown in a corner and motioned for Hitsugaya to come in. The frosty captain took a sip of his drink before entering the other’s bedroom. It was cleaner than he’d expected. Only one shirt and a pair of socks were carelessly thrown in a corner, the bed was actually made and the desk seemed to be surprisingly spotless, though that was probably from lack of use. And he was going to have to change that, Hitsugaya thought as he sighed deeply.
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Orange eyebrows were knitted together tightly which caused a forehead to be creased with wrinkles resulting from the deep frowning. A small drop of sweat ran down the side of his head as the teen desperately tried to maintain his deep focus.
“Through what hormone does glucose become glycogen,” a calm, deep voice said. It remained silent for a while as the normally hyperactive teen was trying his best to dig into his memory, recalling the effects of the specific hormone.
“Insuline?” He eventually answered with obvious doubt in his voice. The other gave only silence as a confirmation, already continuing.
“Which is the resistant version of Diabetes?” the voice again said.
“Type 2?” The teen answered with a concerned and doubtful tone again. A slight nod, unnoticeable for the untrained eye, was given as confirmation before the next question was thrown at the mentally exhausted teen.
“What is the effect of glucocorticoids on the immune system?” Hitsugaya asked as he looked up from the biology textbook for the first time to look at Ichigo. It remained silent and when Ichigo finally did speak up he had a dumbstruck expression on his face.
“Gives it wings?” He said while laughing nervously, watching as a vein started throbbing on his new tutor’s forehead.
“Kurosaki,” he mumbled in a low voice, “take this seriously or the whole thing is over.” It wasn’t even a warning, it was an order. Ichigo allowed his shoulders to sag.
“Oh c’mon, Tou- I mean, we’ve been studying for two hours already. I’ve really reached my limit, you know!”
“Study only when you feel like it and you’ll spend the rest of your life on the streets. Put some effort into it!”
An adorable and childish pout showed up on the addressed teen.
“I’m doing my best! Really, memorizing this kind of stuff just isn’t my thing, okay? Besides, I think we’ve gotten pretty far already… Because of your help of course,” Ichigo quickly added, genuine appreciation in his voice. Hitsugaya sighed in defeat. He had to admit Ichigo had made more progress than he expected after just two hours. But still-
Hitsugaya’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud grumbling sound and he looked up to see Ichigo rubbing his own stomach with an idiotic grin on his face.
“Looks like I’ve gotten pretty hungry. Well,” he said as he took a look at his watch, “it’s already 6:30 pm, so we might as well get something to eat. You hungry as well?”
Hitsugaya shook his head in denial. His stomach wasn’t grumbling as loud as Ichigo’s but in the back of his head he had to admit he could actually use some food right now. Cursing the gigai’s humane weakness, he evaded the other’s eyes.
“Not really.” But Ichigo had already taken the hint and lifted himself from his chair, collecting the many books covering the floor and placed them on his desk.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Hitsugaya scowled but Ichigo continued, “and I’d take you to my old place, ‘cause Yuzu’s cooking is really, really good but my dad might just scar you for life, so we’ll just grab a bite outside, okay?” Ichigo asked, trying to pretend he didn’t notice the faint wince on the boy’s face when he used the word ‘scar’. Ichigo didn’t wait for an answer as he grabbed the smaller teen’s left shoulder and gently pulled him from his sitting position. Of course, this wasn’t appreciated much by the cold captain as he swatted away Ichigo’s hand. Hitsugaya rubbed his left shoulder, trying to ease the constant soreness but his face remained impassive as ever, save for the scowl.
“Fine,” he eventually gave in, stretching his tired legs from the long sit. They both exited the bedroom and made their way for the door. Hitsugaya gave a polite nod as he accepted his jacket and allowed Ichigo to walk in front of him down the stairs. He ignored the goofy grin the taller teen gave him and shoved his hands into his pockets, letting Ichigo lead the way.
“So, what do you want? There’s a mall not too far away from here and they’ve got practically everything there.” Ichigo eyed him expectantly but he only got a look that told him ‘I don’t care’. He shrugged as he started walking.
“You really are hopeless, you know,” he muttered, knowing Hitsugaya could hear him. The other didn’t give off any sign of acknowledgement as he kept walking next to Ichigo, his eyes fixed on whatever was in front of him, never once changing his deadpan expression. Ichigo sighed.
‘So much for conversation, huh? Oh well, getting some dinner, that’s good enough,’ he thought as his grin returned on his face. He couldn’t help but wonder why he grinned so much around the smaller boy or why he even felt as light-hearted as he did because his companion wasn’t exactly one to lift the mood.
“Stop grinning like that,” a deep voice interrupted his thoughts.
“It makes you look even more stupid.”
Ichigo feigned hurt as he held his arms in front of his face, as if to shield himself from anymore insults, though it might also have been to hide the grin that only grew wider as he felt a weak spot in the boy’s impenetrable façade.
“How cruel.”
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“Tonkotsu ramen, please.”
“Huh? Oh, c’mon, you can order something fancier than that, you know! It’s my treat, so you can take something more expensive, okay?”
“Ramen will be just fine.”
The enthusiastic teen sighed deeply as he shook his head, taking another look at the chart. After frowning unusually deep, he finally looked up at the patiently waiting, ever-smiling waitress who returned his gaze with an expecting look.
“Well alright… A steak for me!” He said with an exaggerated nod before handing the chart back to the young lady who accepted them gratefully, probably just happy they’d finally made their choice.
“Hmmm, I should’ve taken something more festive though…” Ichigi complained childishly. The small teen sitting in front of him scoffed slightly at his remark, now actually looking at Ichigo when he talked.
“Festive? It’s way too early for that, bakayaro. We’re not celebrating anything.” Ichigo merely laughed as he waved it off.
“Oh, don’t worry about it that much! Besides, it actually is a celebration! I’ve regained my hope and motivation to study for the upcoming mock exam,” he clenched his fists and Hitsugaya could swear he saw little flames burning in the hyperactive teen’s eyes.
“Che, getting fired up of because of something like that. Let’s see your mark before you even start thinking about celebrating.” Hitsugaya observed as the carrot topped teen’s facial expression cooled down.
“Well, with your help, I’m sure I can get a passing grade,” Ichigo said, flashing his trademark grin, dubbed as ‘stupid’ by Hitsugaya. The boy was surprisingly taken back by Ichigo’s statement and the confidence he seemed to have in his help. However, he could quickly erase all evidence of that from his face.
“Well, you’re going to have to do that exam on your own. Remember, if you want a passing grade, then you are the one who’s going to have to work for it.”
“Yeah yeah, just let me enjoy my rush, will ya?” Ichigo said as the little flames in his eyes died out, coldly blown out by his tutor’s words. Ichigo sighed deeply as he looked at the small figure sitting in front of him, that face so perfectly still and expressionless save for the usual frown, the eyes gazing at whatever was in sight with complete disinterest. An uncomfortable silence fell over the two as they didn’t speak up for another minute, Ichigo constantly switching his gaze between Hitsugaya’s face and the door where the waitress would be coming through to bring their food.
“S-So,” he started hesitantly while rubbing the back of his neck just to keep his hands busy, “how’s Byakuya?” Ichigo desperately sought for a hint of emotion on the other’s face, but he couldn’t find any, even when the other spoke up.
“Kuchiki-taichou is fine. There isn’t a reason he wouldn’t be.”
“Well… He did have this weird kind of expression in his eyes after the last battle,” Ichigo slowly murmured as he recalled the fight just a few days ago and the events afterwards.
“Weird?” Hitsugaya asked, the slightest amount of curiosity noticeable in his voice.
“Yeah, didn’t you see it… Well, I guess you didn’t, since you were unconscious after all… Oh well, it was probably nothing,” Ichigo goofily waved his hand as if to shake off his uneasiness, and he mentally smacked himself as he saw Hitsugaya’s frown deepen, the boy now lost in his complex thoughts.
‘Oh crap… I got him brooding…’
Luckily, the waitress chose that moment to bring them their drinks, forcing Hitsugaya to snap out of his thoughts so he could politely bow his head in appreciation. To prevent the prodigy captain from overthinking, Ichigo decided to keep talking.
“So, do you know anything about TMU?”
Hitsugaya gave him a questioning, albeit disinterested look.
“Tokyo Medical University!” Ichigo exclaimed with sparkles in his eyes. “I really want to study there to become a doctor… Move to Tokyo, live the big city life!” Ichigo sighed dramatically at the thought. “And then eventually come back here, to Karakura, and take over my dad’s clinic. I want to help the people here as much as I can. I’m actually thinking about specializing in pediatrics, you know, care for children.” Hitsugaya’s face remained emotionless, but he did seem to listen. However, Ichigo still suspected the other boy of brooding over his own previous remark about the other captain. Thankfully, the food was brought to their tables at that moment. Ichigo couldn’t quite get rid of his mixed feelings but as always the scent of food had him thoughtless in a mere second. He nodded in polite appreciation at the young lady who left quickly, intimidated by Hitsugaya’s gaze. Swallowing thickly, Ichigo picked up the large can of water on the middle of their small table.
“Want some water,” he asked with a somewhat forced grin. The other nodded slightly and Ichigo carefully poured the clear liquid into Hitsugaya’s glass, before filling his own. Gently placing the can back, he looked at Hitsugaya for a split second before picking up his fork and knife in his hands, playfully tapping the table. With a large, honest smile he looked at his food.
“Alright! Itadakimasu!” He yelled quite loudly, making Hitsugaya’s eyebrow twitch slightly. However, the boy took up his chopsticks and also quietly murmured the usual phrase. And for the next few minutes they ate in silence, though this time the lack of words wasn’t really a problem. They had their food as an excuse. Also, they’d spoken with each other quite a lot already that day. It was very unusual for the introverted prodigy captain.
At that moment, Hitsugaya’s phone decided to go off, the beeping sound immediately disrupting the previously comfortable silence the two had shared. Ichigo grimaced slightly as he saw Hitsugaya picking up his phone, looking at it with an obviously concerned face.
“Are you really going to-” Ichigo wanted to finish his question but to his surprise the workaholic actually put his phone away as he took up his chopsticks again.
“I asked Kuchiki-taichou to cover for me today, remember. It’s just a bunch of Hollows, so it would be an insult to show up now,” Hitsugaya spoke in a calm manner. Of course, Ichigo wasn’t about to complain. It meant they could just continue their dinner peacefully, no matter how odd the atmosphere was.
“By the way, I never really got why you are here in the first place. I mean, isn’t it strange for Soul Society to send out two captains? Isn’t that Aizen guy cooking up some sorta plan?” Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at Ichigo’s question, somewhat surprised that the substitute shinigami even thought about things like that.
“Arrancar attacks on Soul Society have been decreasing lately. While that could just be the calm for the storm, Menoses have been appearing in large quantities lately in this world. That’s why we were send, along with our vice-captains.” Ichigo’s face lit up at the mention of the vice-captains.
“Oh! So, Rangiku-san and Renji are here as well? Hmmm… I bet Renji’s freeloading off of Urahara-san again. And Rangiku-san? She staying with Inoue again?” Hitsugaya merely nodded. Ichigo seemed satisfied for a while before he finally realized something, a puzzled look on his face.
“But, if she’s staying with Inoue, then why wasn’t she there when we barged in after the battle?”
“Apparently, Urahara-shoten was attacked at the same time we fought our battle. She rushed over to fight the Menoses with Abarai.” Hitsugaya took his time to stuff some ramen in his mouth, gently chewing. When he looked up he saw Ichigo looking at him expectantly, resulting in a scoff from the boy.
“They got injured in the battle, but they’re doing okay now. I visited them earlier.” Ichigo nodded thoughtfully as he finally seemed to get it.
“Aha. So that’s why they didn’t join up with us… And, did Urahara-san fight as well?” A small grin appeared on his face as he thought of the almost senile man fighting, though a shudder ran down his spine as he remembered the time when the shopkeeper had released his zanpaktou just so Ichigo could learn Zangetsu’s name.
“No. He mumbled something about not wanting to mess up his lawn. But surely they weren’t that strong to threaten Matsumoto and Abarai’s lives, or else he’d surely have fought with them,” Hitsugaya mumbled. Ichigo laughed nervously as he doubted that last statement, not sure if the old man would ever overcome his apparent resentment of fighting, seeing how he never fought any of the Arrancar’s that came to Karakura, not even if there were lives at stake.
Ichigo eventually shook of those thoughts, the deep thinking was making his head ache slightly. So instead, he stuffed his mouth full with a big chunk of meat, enthusiastically chewing as he watched the smaller boy shake his head at his manners. Ichigo just grinned, taking a large gulp of water to clear his throat.
“Oh well, since we don’t have to worry about that, how about we have a little toast?” Hitsugaya frowned a little deeper at the randomness of the proposal, scoffing with a discontent look.
“This isn’t a celebration, remember? Who would toast for no reason?” Of course, Ichigo waved it off easily.
“Oh, c’mon! We do have a little celebration. Here, take some more water,” he said as he refilled both their glasses before holding his one high above his head. Hitsugaya shook his head, before giving in surprisingly easily, grabbing his glass but not raising it one bit. A faint red streak could be noticed on his face if you looked carefully.
“To Hitsugaya Toushiro’s work free day!” Ichigo yelled excitedly, not caring about the several heads that turned their way.
“And to Kurosaki Ichigo’s exams, on which he’ll get a perfect score! Kanpai!” He yelled again, clinging his glass with Hitsugaya’s, though he had to practically bent over the table to reach the other’s glass which wouldn’t move an inch. Hitsugaya watched as the orange topped teen gulped down his water quickly before placing his glass back on the table rather loudly, a content sigh escaping his lips.
“You’re getting overconfident, bakayaro,” he mumbled as looked Ichigo in the eye. However, he quickly averted his gaze when Ichigo had that stupid twinkle in his eyes again, making him look like a five year old who just received a new toy.
It was with difficulty that he suppressed the nearly unnoticeable tug at the corners of his mouth.
Author’s Notes:
Tests in Japanese schools are rated on a scale from 0 to 100 points, the latter being a perfect score.
Universities in Japan often have their own special entrance exams that students must take when they apply. Mock exams are held to help prepare students for the real entrance exams and thus, mock exams are often viewed as very important.
Japanese people often politely say “excuse me, pardon me” when they enter someone else’s home.
In the next chapter of Thawing Walls:
Within a second Ichigo realized what he was doing and mentally slapped himself at what he had thoughtlessly done. However, the bathroom door was already wide open by now, hot steam escaping and dispersing into the cool living room. Ichigo stammered helplessly as he recognized the smaller boy’s form, the steam not concealing much. Ichigo desperately closed his eyes and held his hand in front of them to add to the effect. But it was too late.
And…
It wasn’t before Ichigo had seen the naked, surprisingly well-defined torso, the lean and very slightly muscled arms as well as two cute small shoulders, the one on the right, being the boy’s left shoulder, still bearing a thin scar. Going lower on the mental image now burned into his mind, there were two tiny pink nipples and even lower his gaze had also caught the sight of a small and daringly cute bellybutton. His eyes had almost travelled even lower but Ichigo had managed to stop himself just in time. After all, he still had the respect and decency not to look at things he wasn’t supposed to see…
Chapter: Four
Pairing: Hitsugaya Toushiro x Kurosaki Ichigo
Rating: M (T for the first half of the story)
Summary: Hitsugaya, stationed in a turbulent Karakura Town to investigate increased Menos activity, finds his defenses weakening thanks to an orange haired teen. As they both experience unexplainable phenomenon, they draw each other closer.
Thawing Walls - Chapter 4
The sky was covered in a dark blue, almost black veil with a few stars here and there, most of them covered by thick layers of clouds. The temperature had dropped considerably and everything was still damp from the unusual heavy rain. A cold breeze welcomed two teens in its vast expanse of skies as they stepped outside, reluctantly leaving the warm apartment. The smaller of the two bowed politely for the young woman that stood in the doorway before he turned around and started walking. The taller teen took a little more time to say goodbye to his friend before he also turned and jogged a bit to catch up with the white haired boy in front of him.
“Oi, Toushiro, wait up a little, will ya?” Ichigo yelled -though softly and gently- as he caught up with the small boy.
“Hmpf, it’s Hitsugaya-taichou. Remember it already, bakayaro” Hitsugaya snorted as he continued walking, not once slowing down or turning to meet the other's face.
“Hey, you don’t have to act that cold towards the person who just saved your life, you know,” Ichigo said as he feigned hurt, even though Hitsugaya still wasn’t bothered to look at him.
“It was Inoue-san who saved me. You didn’t.”
This did hurt a little.
“H-Hey, I’m the one who carried you to her. And even if you don’t look like it, your heavier than I expected, judging from your size,” Ichigo said with a smug grin. Surely, it hadn’t cost that much effort to carry him, he was as light as possible with that body.
An eyebrow twitched slightly, something it did quite often.
“I’m NOT small,” Hitsugaya scowled, increasing his pace slightly. Ichigo couldn’t help but chuckle at the boy’s typical answer as he let out a deep breath.
“Well, I’m pretty sure I didn’t use the word ‘small’ but now that you say it yourself…” He grinned as they finally made eye contact, even if it was just so the emerald orbs could send countless daggers at him.
But Hitsugaya soon groaned in defeat as he slowed down his pace slightly, now crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“Fine. What do you want in return? Don’t expect too much, though. You’ll regret it.” He tried to strengthen his point by sending a dangerous glare towards the other teen but his scowl and slightly flushed cheeks, from the cold, betrayed him. It remained quiet as Hitsugaya waited for an answer. Before anything was said, the teen handed him a piece of paper instead.
A slightly puzzled look appeared on Hitsugaya’s smooth face, though his frown came along with many of his other expressions. Nearly all of them, now that Ichigo thought about it.
“Come to my party. Remember? It’s in two weeks. We’re ordering pizza first after which we’ll probably play some games or watch a movie or something like that.”
Ichigo looked at his friend expectantly as the piece of paper was carefully observed before shoved in a chest pocket of the -immensely- oversized shirt Hitsugaya was wearing. It remained silent and judging from the boy’s scowling face, he wasn’t going to say anything. At first Ichigo was slightly disappointed, but he figured that silence was better than getting turned down immediately when dealing with the kid-captain. Sighing quietly, he decided to just remain silent for now and perhaps ask again tomorrow. At least he’d given him the address. That was some something.
No words were spoken for the rest of the walk, but the silence wasn’t as uncomfortable normally was. Their chaotic minds relished in the quietness they’d longed for after the long day. The streetlights lightened their path as they walked past many houses and countless streets. All too soon for Ichigo’s liking did they come at the intersection where he knew they’d have to part.
Ichigo scratched the back of his head as he hesitated, unsure what to say after the long silence.
“Ummm… Well then… You know…” However he was already interrupted by the cold captain’s voice, the deadpan tone hiding everything that went on in that small but brilliant mind.
“Kurosaki, you didn’t have to give me your address,” Hitsugaya said as he started walking again, taking the left turn at the crossroad. Ichigo was left standing with a puzzled expression.
“Your completely absent control over you idiotic reiatsu makes you pretty hard to miss,” Hitsugaya added before disappearing out of sight soon after. Ichigo stared at the place the other had last been standing before chuckling lightly as he shook his head.
“Arrogant little bastard.”
Grinning, he turned right. His house was already in sight. With practiced ease he reached his window and knocked gently, waiting for the irritating and rarely useful mod-soul to open it. It took a few seconds but he soon stood in his own room again, picking up his physical body with a deep breath. Before he knew it he was already back in it, brushed his teeth and he undressed before slipping between the covers of his bed.
Finally… Ah, crap, can’t forget to pick up the keys tomorrow! I should start packing as well.
With a groan Ichigo turned around, facing away from Kon, who decided it wasn’t a wise action to disturb him now. He feared he’d be placed in the room next to this one for the night and he couldn’t help but shudder at the thought before he allowed himself to fall in a corner and also take some rest.
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-Three days later-
"What!? 30!? That's impossible!" Several startled heads turned around to find the source of a very loud voice that echoed through the classroom. One student had jumped up at the first sight of his returned test. The previously occupied chair had fallen back from the sudden rise and connected with the floor with a loud sound, making the moment even more dramatic. The student’s eyes widened in surprise and a single finger was pointed accusingly at the glaring mark on his test. The teen remained standing as he refused to acknowledge and accept his utter failure, thinking if he'd point at it long enough the ‘30’ would eventually change into an ‘80’*.
"Oh, c'mon Ichigo, it's not that big of a deal. These weren’t even the mock exams yet," a boy next to Ichigo said while waving his hand in a nonchalant manner. It was apparently a classmate of his, and probably one of his friends as well.
"Che, you've got it easy, Mizuiro. At least you managed to get 60," Ichigo whimpered with obvious envy. He took a deep breath as he pulled his chair back up and collapsed on it, a dreary look scarring his features.
"Oh man, I'm so screwed. There goes my vacation... And my future for that matter," he uttered with a deep groan. He suddenly grabbed the sides of his small desk and was about to trash his head into it numerous times but a voice from behind stopped him just in time.
"Stop pitying yourself. It’s not the end of the world."
Ichigo growled at the down-to-earth manner he was spoken to and violently turned around to see Hitsugaya sitting at his desk, his arms crossed and a trademark scowl ever present on his face. Ichigo was about to yell back an angry remark but his eyes wandered to the paper on the boy's desk and he could only gasp as he saw an elegant, big ‘100’ on top. The mark only matched -with difficulty- by Ishida Uryuu. After the initial shock had passed Ichigo turned around childishly, feeling defeated.
"Well, excuse me for not being as brilliant as you are," he answered with a pout on his face as he continued staring at his own red-covered test, each fat line indicating one of many errors.
"Besides, instead of telling me to stop complaining, you might as well help me, you know,” Ichigo mumbled. He couldn’t see the other’s face, but the snort told him enough.
“Bakayaro,” Hitsugaya said with a hint of a sigh.
“Is that a yes?” Ichigo asked as he turned around to face him again, now a hopeful expression plastered on his face. The other didn’t even bother to reply as the school bell rang. Hitsugaya took his bag in one hand and his test in the other and swiftly left the classroom. Ichigo was left with a somewhat dumbstruck expression as he shook his head and his shoulders sagged in desperation.
He was tempted to leave his test behind but reluctantly shoved it in his bag, thinking he’d learn from his mistakes some time later. After saying goodbye to his friends, he rushed through the hallways, skipping quite the number of steps on the stairs. He fumbled excitedly with his keys to open his locker and take out his jacket, closing it with a wild push. With his bag and jacket in one hand, he sprinted towards the entrance, trying to catch the sight of his last hope.
“Oi, Toushiro!” Ichigo yelled excitedly as he waved his arms to catch the other’s attention. He caught the attention of everyone present in front of the school building except for the intended person, who happened to be his target and was currently ignoring him as he disappeared out of sight. However, Ichigo didn’t feel like failing for the second time that day. Breathing in deeply, he took a sprint. Again, all eyes were fixed on him but he didn’t seem to care. Perhaps he didn’t even notice it. He ran around the corner and saw a white mob of hair in the distance, walking at a remarkably fast pace.
“Hey! Toushiro,” Ichigo yelled again, the addressed boy still not stopping. Ichigo groaned deeply as he quickened his pace slightly and eventually caught up. A callused hand reached out for the small shoulder in front of him but before he could touch him, the other turned around. An eyebrow was twitching violently, a vein was dangerously throbbing and a pair of cerulean green orbs was sending him more than one death wish.
“It’s Hitsugaya-TAICHOU!!” The small boy yelled angrily. “Remember it already!” He said before turning around again and continuing his fast pace. Ichigo was slightly startled at the sudden burst of the smaller boy and he pursued him, an apologetic smile on his face.
“A-Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to make you that angry.” His only reply was a snort. Ichigo acrobatically evaded the numerous other students on the streets while Hitsugaya seemed to slip past them with ease.
“Ummm… Can I ask you something, Toushi-” He managed to stop himself right on time, sensing he would really be pushing his luck to continue addressing the strict little captain casually. It remained silent for a little while as he continued following Hitsugaya.
“What is it,” the boy finally asked, giving subtle permission for Ichigo to talk again.
“W-Well,” Ichigo said as he scratched the back of his head with a nervous smile, “I wasn’t joking earlier. I mean, the test we got back today was only regular practice, so it’s no big deal I screwed up, but the real mock exam is in 5 days.” They finally got out of the massive stream of students as they entered an ally. “If I don’t score well on the mock exam, I’m gonna have to follow extra lessons during vacation if I want to stand a chance at the really real entrance exams.*” Ichigo searched for some kind of response from the boy who still refused to look at him but found none, so he kept on talking.
“I so don’t want to lose my vacation but I also really, really want to get into Tokyo’s Medical University! The thing is though… Their entrance exam is, like, incredibly hard. And I’d rather drop dead than ask Ishida for help, so you’re basically my only chance! Please, help me prepare for the mock exam!” Ichigo pleaded, his hands tightly pressed together in front of his bowed head. Hitsugaya finally stopped walking, about six feet away from the other. He remained quiet for a while as he contemplated what to do next. After a short assessment of the anticipated pros and cons, he eventually spoke up:
“Fine. But that will make us even. I will have no obligation to come to your party if I help you with this,” Hitsugaya stated, not leaving any room for debate. But it was enough to light up Ichigo’s face, a huge smile on his face as he quickly walked up to his newly appointed tutor.
“Thank you! Thank you so much, Toushiro,” Ichigo said, trying not to grasp the boy’s shoulders in delight. But in his excitement he’d forgotten the boy’s sensitivity for his title and it immediately showed in the deep scowl on said boy’s face.
“One condition is that you have got to call me Hitsugaya-taichou. I’m telling you, forget it one more time and this whole thing’s over.” Hitsugaya tried his best to sound firm and commanding but he feared it wouldn’t get through to the other’s hyper and excited mind anymore. Shaking his head, he took out his cellphone and send a short message to Kuchiki’s phone, asking if he could cover for him for the next few hours. He didn’t feel comfortable asking anything of the other captain, but he secretly didn’t mind not having to deal with annoying lower lever Hollows.
In the meantime, Ichigo was nearly jumping as he walked in front of Hitsugaya.
“Well then, let’s go, shall we? I got the key to my apartment a few days ago, and I immediately brought over most of my stuff, I really want to show you!” He yelled in childish excitement as he punched into the air, making Hitsugaya shake his head with a deep sigh.
“Just what have I gotten myself into,” he muttered. Ichigo laughed quietly now as he tried to reign himself in. With a somewhat discontent look on his face, Hitsugaya walked next to Ichigo, who was leading the way to his new apartment. Ichigo, in turn, took a while to get accustomed to Hitsugaya’s walking pace, which was oddly fast for someone with such short legs. Of course, all his captain duties had made sure he was agile and fast-moving. And because of that, it took them only a few minutes to reach Ichigo’s apartment. Hitsugaya looked up at the rather big complex, faintly wondering how many apartments the building held. He waited for Ichigo to find the appropriate key and nodded politely as the other let him go in first. He, in turn, waited for Ichigo to walk in front of him again, ascending a number of stairs before standing still in front of one particular door. Ichigo again fumbled with the many keys he had until he found the right one and as he opened the door he signaled for Hitsugaya to go in first.
“Excuse me*,” Hitsugaya mumbled to no one in particular as he entered the living room, looking at the inside of the small and cozy apartment. Ichigo reached out his hand and Hitsugaya wondered for a second before he got the sign and gave him his jacket. While he waited for Ichigo to finish putting away their jackets he decided to casually walk around in the living room. He looked out the window and noticed Ichigo had a decent view. His apartment was on the fourth floor after all. He could even see the school building in the far distance, the groups of black mass, students wearing the traditional uniform, were scattered in the surrounding area. His gaze then switched back to the inside of the apartment. It was rather simple, in a corner a single couch in front of a low table and a television not too far behind it. There was a very small kitchen as well, and some sort of dining table with 3 chairs. There were also two doors, one probably leading to the bathroom and the other to Ichigo’s bedroom. Besides that, several boxes were placed unsystematically on the ground, most likely yet to be unpacked. He simply stood there as he waited for Ichigo to make the next move. His eyes wandered the room and he soon found the teen with his head buried in the opened fridge.
“Want something to drink?” Ichigo’s muffled voice asked.
“Yes,” he answered shortly.
“Well, I don’t have much yet, but what would you like?”
“Anything cold will be fine.” He heard Ichigo mumble something else which he didn’t quite get before the other finally pulled his head out of the fridge, closing it with a gentle nudge of his foot. He poured something in two glasses before handing one to Hitsugaya. Said teen looked at the clear blue liquid, eyeing it suspiciously.
“What is it?” Hitsugaya asked.
“Some kind of new soda. They only sell it at the convenience store down the street. Trust me, it’s really good!” He said with a reassuring smile before heading towards the door that led to the bedroom.
“Well then, let’s get this over with, shall we?” Ichigo said with a somewhat grim expression on his face, the mere thought of intense studying sending shivers down his spine. He’d rather fight off some Hollows, that’s for sure. He opened the door after he grabbed his discarded school bag he’d thrown in a corner and motioned for Hitsugaya to come in. The frosty captain took a sip of his drink before entering the other’s bedroom. It was cleaner than he’d expected. Only one shirt and a pair of socks were carelessly thrown in a corner, the bed was actually made and the desk seemed to be surprisingly spotless, though that was probably from lack of use. And he was going to have to change that, Hitsugaya thought as he sighed deeply.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Orange eyebrows were knitted together tightly which caused a forehead to be creased with wrinkles resulting from the deep frowning. A small drop of sweat ran down the side of his head as the teen desperately tried to maintain his deep focus.
“Through what hormone does glucose become glycogen,” a calm, deep voice said. It remained silent for a while as the normally hyperactive teen was trying his best to dig into his memory, recalling the effects of the specific hormone.
“Insuline?” He eventually answered with obvious doubt in his voice. The other gave only silence as a confirmation, already continuing.
“Which is the resistant version of Diabetes?” the voice again said.
“Type 2?” The teen answered with a concerned and doubtful tone again. A slight nod, unnoticeable for the untrained eye, was given as confirmation before the next question was thrown at the mentally exhausted teen.
“What is the effect of glucocorticoids on the immune system?” Hitsugaya asked as he looked up from the biology textbook for the first time to look at Ichigo. It remained silent and when Ichigo finally did speak up he had a dumbstruck expression on his face.
“Gives it wings?” He said while laughing nervously, watching as a vein started throbbing on his new tutor’s forehead.
“Kurosaki,” he mumbled in a low voice, “take this seriously or the whole thing is over.” It wasn’t even a warning, it was an order. Ichigo allowed his shoulders to sag.
“Oh c’mon, Tou- I mean, we’ve been studying for two hours already. I’ve really reached my limit, you know!”
“Study only when you feel like it and you’ll spend the rest of your life on the streets. Put some effort into it!”
An adorable and childish pout showed up on the addressed teen.
“I’m doing my best! Really, memorizing this kind of stuff just isn’t my thing, okay? Besides, I think we’ve gotten pretty far already… Because of your help of course,” Ichigo quickly added, genuine appreciation in his voice. Hitsugaya sighed in defeat. He had to admit Ichigo had made more progress than he expected after just two hours. But still-
Hitsugaya’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud grumbling sound and he looked up to see Ichigo rubbing his own stomach with an idiotic grin on his face.
“Looks like I’ve gotten pretty hungry. Well,” he said as he took a look at his watch, “it’s already 6:30 pm, so we might as well get something to eat. You hungry as well?”
Hitsugaya shook his head in denial. His stomach wasn’t grumbling as loud as Ichigo’s but in the back of his head he had to admit he could actually use some food right now. Cursing the gigai’s humane weakness, he evaded the other’s eyes.
“Not really.” But Ichigo had already taken the hint and lifted himself from his chair, collecting the many books covering the floor and placed them on his desk.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Hitsugaya scowled but Ichigo continued, “and I’d take you to my old place, ‘cause Yuzu’s cooking is really, really good but my dad might just scar you for life, so we’ll just grab a bite outside, okay?” Ichigo asked, trying to pretend he didn’t notice the faint wince on the boy’s face when he used the word ‘scar’. Ichigo didn’t wait for an answer as he grabbed the smaller teen’s left shoulder and gently pulled him from his sitting position. Of course, this wasn’t appreciated much by the cold captain as he swatted away Ichigo’s hand. Hitsugaya rubbed his left shoulder, trying to ease the constant soreness but his face remained impassive as ever, save for the scowl.
“Fine,” he eventually gave in, stretching his tired legs from the long sit. They both exited the bedroom and made their way for the door. Hitsugaya gave a polite nod as he accepted his jacket and allowed Ichigo to walk in front of him down the stairs. He ignored the goofy grin the taller teen gave him and shoved his hands into his pockets, letting Ichigo lead the way.
“So, what do you want? There’s a mall not too far away from here and they’ve got practically everything there.” Ichigo eyed him expectantly but he only got a look that told him ‘I don’t care’. He shrugged as he started walking.
“You really are hopeless, you know,” he muttered, knowing Hitsugaya could hear him. The other didn’t give off any sign of acknowledgement as he kept walking next to Ichigo, his eyes fixed on whatever was in front of him, never once changing his deadpan expression. Ichigo sighed.
‘So much for conversation, huh? Oh well, getting some dinner, that’s good enough,’ he thought as his grin returned on his face. He couldn’t help but wonder why he grinned so much around the smaller boy or why he even felt as light-hearted as he did because his companion wasn’t exactly one to lift the mood.
“Stop grinning like that,” a deep voice interrupted his thoughts.
“It makes you look even more stupid.”
Ichigo feigned hurt as he held his arms in front of his face, as if to shield himself from anymore insults, though it might also have been to hide the grin that only grew wider as he felt a weak spot in the boy’s impenetrable façade.
“How cruel.”
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“Tonkotsu ramen, please.”
“Huh? Oh, c’mon, you can order something fancier than that, you know! It’s my treat, so you can take something more expensive, okay?”
“Ramen will be just fine.”
The enthusiastic teen sighed deeply as he shook his head, taking another look at the chart. After frowning unusually deep, he finally looked up at the patiently waiting, ever-smiling waitress who returned his gaze with an expecting look.
“Well alright… A steak for me!” He said with an exaggerated nod before handing the chart back to the young lady who accepted them gratefully, probably just happy they’d finally made their choice.
“Hmmm, I should’ve taken something more festive though…” Ichigi complained childishly. The small teen sitting in front of him scoffed slightly at his remark, now actually looking at Ichigo when he talked.
“Festive? It’s way too early for that, bakayaro. We’re not celebrating anything.” Ichigo merely laughed as he waved it off.
“Oh, don’t worry about it that much! Besides, it actually is a celebration! I’ve regained my hope and motivation to study for the upcoming mock exam,” he clenched his fists and Hitsugaya could swear he saw little flames burning in the hyperactive teen’s eyes.
“Che, getting fired up of because of something like that. Let’s see your mark before you even start thinking about celebrating.” Hitsugaya observed as the carrot topped teen’s facial expression cooled down.
“Well, with your help, I’m sure I can get a passing grade,” Ichigo said, flashing his trademark grin, dubbed as ‘stupid’ by Hitsugaya. The boy was surprisingly taken back by Ichigo’s statement and the confidence he seemed to have in his help. However, he could quickly erase all evidence of that from his face.
“Well, you’re going to have to do that exam on your own. Remember, if you want a passing grade, then you are the one who’s going to have to work for it.”
“Yeah yeah, just let me enjoy my rush, will ya?” Ichigo said as the little flames in his eyes died out, coldly blown out by his tutor’s words. Ichigo sighed deeply as he looked at the small figure sitting in front of him, that face so perfectly still and expressionless save for the usual frown, the eyes gazing at whatever was in sight with complete disinterest. An uncomfortable silence fell over the two as they didn’t speak up for another minute, Ichigo constantly switching his gaze between Hitsugaya’s face and the door where the waitress would be coming through to bring their food.
“S-So,” he started hesitantly while rubbing the back of his neck just to keep his hands busy, “how’s Byakuya?” Ichigo desperately sought for a hint of emotion on the other’s face, but he couldn’t find any, even when the other spoke up.
“Kuchiki-taichou is fine. There isn’t a reason he wouldn’t be.”
“Well… He did have this weird kind of expression in his eyes after the last battle,” Ichigo slowly murmured as he recalled the fight just a few days ago and the events afterwards.
“Weird?” Hitsugaya asked, the slightest amount of curiosity noticeable in his voice.
“Yeah, didn’t you see it… Well, I guess you didn’t, since you were unconscious after all… Oh well, it was probably nothing,” Ichigo goofily waved his hand as if to shake off his uneasiness, and he mentally smacked himself as he saw Hitsugaya’s frown deepen, the boy now lost in his complex thoughts.
‘Oh crap… I got him brooding…’
Luckily, the waitress chose that moment to bring them their drinks, forcing Hitsugaya to snap out of his thoughts so he could politely bow his head in appreciation. To prevent the prodigy captain from overthinking, Ichigo decided to keep talking.
“So, do you know anything about TMU?”
Hitsugaya gave him a questioning, albeit disinterested look.
“Tokyo Medical University!” Ichigo exclaimed with sparkles in his eyes. “I really want to study there to become a doctor… Move to Tokyo, live the big city life!” Ichigo sighed dramatically at the thought. “And then eventually come back here, to Karakura, and take over my dad’s clinic. I want to help the people here as much as I can. I’m actually thinking about specializing in pediatrics, you know, care for children.” Hitsugaya’s face remained emotionless, but he did seem to listen. However, Ichigo still suspected the other boy of brooding over his own previous remark about the other captain. Thankfully, the food was brought to their tables at that moment. Ichigo couldn’t quite get rid of his mixed feelings but as always the scent of food had him thoughtless in a mere second. He nodded in polite appreciation at the young lady who left quickly, intimidated by Hitsugaya’s gaze. Swallowing thickly, Ichigo picked up the large can of water on the middle of their small table.
“Want some water,” he asked with a somewhat forced grin. The other nodded slightly and Ichigo carefully poured the clear liquid into Hitsugaya’s glass, before filling his own. Gently placing the can back, he looked at Hitsugaya for a split second before picking up his fork and knife in his hands, playfully tapping the table. With a large, honest smile he looked at his food.
“Alright! Itadakimasu!” He yelled quite loudly, making Hitsugaya’s eyebrow twitch slightly. However, the boy took up his chopsticks and also quietly murmured the usual phrase. And for the next few minutes they ate in silence, though this time the lack of words wasn’t really a problem. They had their food as an excuse. Also, they’d spoken with each other quite a lot already that day. It was very unusual for the introverted prodigy captain.
At that moment, Hitsugaya’s phone decided to go off, the beeping sound immediately disrupting the previously comfortable silence the two had shared. Ichigo grimaced slightly as he saw Hitsugaya picking up his phone, looking at it with an obviously concerned face.
“Are you really going to-” Ichigo wanted to finish his question but to his surprise the workaholic actually put his phone away as he took up his chopsticks again.
“I asked Kuchiki-taichou to cover for me today, remember. It’s just a bunch of Hollows, so it would be an insult to show up now,” Hitsugaya spoke in a calm manner. Of course, Ichigo wasn’t about to complain. It meant they could just continue their dinner peacefully, no matter how odd the atmosphere was.
“By the way, I never really got why you are here in the first place. I mean, isn’t it strange for Soul Society to send out two captains? Isn’t that Aizen guy cooking up some sorta plan?” Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at Ichigo’s question, somewhat surprised that the substitute shinigami even thought about things like that.
“Arrancar attacks on Soul Society have been decreasing lately. While that could just be the calm for the storm, Menoses have been appearing in large quantities lately in this world. That’s why we were send, along with our vice-captains.” Ichigo’s face lit up at the mention of the vice-captains.
“Oh! So, Rangiku-san and Renji are here as well? Hmmm… I bet Renji’s freeloading off of Urahara-san again. And Rangiku-san? She staying with Inoue again?” Hitsugaya merely nodded. Ichigo seemed satisfied for a while before he finally realized something, a puzzled look on his face.
“But, if she’s staying with Inoue, then why wasn’t she there when we barged in after the battle?”
“Apparently, Urahara-shoten was attacked at the same time we fought our battle. She rushed over to fight the Menoses with Abarai.” Hitsugaya took his time to stuff some ramen in his mouth, gently chewing. When he looked up he saw Ichigo looking at him expectantly, resulting in a scoff from the boy.
“They got injured in the battle, but they’re doing okay now. I visited them earlier.” Ichigo nodded thoughtfully as he finally seemed to get it.
“Aha. So that’s why they didn’t join up with us… And, did Urahara-san fight as well?” A small grin appeared on his face as he thought of the almost senile man fighting, though a shudder ran down his spine as he remembered the time when the shopkeeper had released his zanpaktou just so Ichigo could learn Zangetsu’s name.
“No. He mumbled something about not wanting to mess up his lawn. But surely they weren’t that strong to threaten Matsumoto and Abarai’s lives, or else he’d surely have fought with them,” Hitsugaya mumbled. Ichigo laughed nervously as he doubted that last statement, not sure if the old man would ever overcome his apparent resentment of fighting, seeing how he never fought any of the Arrancar’s that came to Karakura, not even if there were lives at stake.
Ichigo eventually shook of those thoughts, the deep thinking was making his head ache slightly. So instead, he stuffed his mouth full with a big chunk of meat, enthusiastically chewing as he watched the smaller boy shake his head at his manners. Ichigo just grinned, taking a large gulp of water to clear his throat.
“Oh well, since we don’t have to worry about that, how about we have a little toast?” Hitsugaya frowned a little deeper at the randomness of the proposal, scoffing with a discontent look.
“This isn’t a celebration, remember? Who would toast for no reason?” Of course, Ichigo waved it off easily.
“Oh, c’mon! We do have a little celebration. Here, take some more water,” he said as he refilled both their glasses before holding his one high above his head. Hitsugaya shook his head, before giving in surprisingly easily, grabbing his glass but not raising it one bit. A faint red streak could be noticed on his face if you looked carefully.
“To Hitsugaya Toushiro’s work free day!” Ichigo yelled excitedly, not caring about the several heads that turned their way.
“And to Kurosaki Ichigo’s exams, on which he’ll get a perfect score! Kanpai!” He yelled again, clinging his glass with Hitsugaya’s, though he had to practically bent over the table to reach the other’s glass which wouldn’t move an inch. Hitsugaya watched as the orange topped teen gulped down his water quickly before placing his glass back on the table rather loudly, a content sigh escaping his lips.
“You’re getting overconfident, bakayaro,” he mumbled as looked Ichigo in the eye. However, he quickly averted his gaze when Ichigo had that stupid twinkle in his eyes again, making him look like a five year old who just received a new toy.
It was with difficulty that he suppressed the nearly unnoticeable tug at the corners of his mouth.
Author’s Notes:
Tests in Japanese schools are rated on a scale from 0 to 100 points, the latter being a perfect score.
Universities in Japan often have their own special entrance exams that students must take when they apply. Mock exams are held to help prepare students for the real entrance exams and thus, mock exams are often viewed as very important.
Japanese people often politely say “excuse me, pardon me” when they enter someone else’s home.
In the next chapter of Thawing Walls:
Within a second Ichigo realized what he was doing and mentally slapped himself at what he had thoughtlessly done. However, the bathroom door was already wide open by now, hot steam escaping and dispersing into the cool living room. Ichigo stammered helplessly as he recognized the smaller boy’s form, the steam not concealing much. Ichigo desperately closed his eyes and held his hand in front of them to add to the effect. But it was too late.
And…
It wasn’t before Ichigo had seen the naked, surprisingly well-defined torso, the lean and very slightly muscled arms as well as two cute small shoulders, the one on the right, being the boy’s left shoulder, still bearing a thin scar. Going lower on the mental image now burned into his mind, there were two tiny pink nipples and even lower his gaze had also caught the sight of a small and daringly cute bellybutton. His eyes had almost travelled even lower but Ichigo had managed to stop himself just in time. After all, he still had the respect and decency not to look at things he wasn’t supposed to see…