Fevered Nightmares
Ichigo was drawn out of his sleep to the soft pitter-patter of rain hitting his window. Something wasn’t right. He could feel it. He couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly what it was, but it was annoying in the extreme, especially considering it had woken him up at no less than 2.30 in the morning. He was just about to lie back down when…
CRASH!
A flash of white lightning alerted him to the fact that he wasn’t alone. Someone was outside his window. Chocolate orbs snapped to his window ledge, only to widen in shock when he realised who it was.
‘Toshiro!’ The drenched form of his lover stood frozen outside in the thunder storm, staring out into space. Diving for the latch, Ichigo hauled the glass pane to one side. He let out a startled cry as the snowy captain’s body went limp, and the fiery substitute threw his upper body out the window to catch his falling lover. Carefully lifting the drenched captain into his room, Ichigo closed the window, trying to keep his room as warm and dry as possible - not for his sake, but for the sake of his frosty dragon.
The orange crowned man knew there was something immediately wrong with his lover. He was shivering and his usually pale cheeks were tinged with crimson. Ichigo softly pressed his hand to his lover’s forehead, nearly hissing at the temperature.
‘Jesus Christ, what has he been doing to himself?’ The fiery teen thought.
The small captain moaned, and chocolate orbs snapped to his lover’s face. Teal eyes slowly cracked open, revealing hazy orbs.
‘Ichigo…?’ his voice sounded confused and slightly distressed.
‘Yeah, I’m here. Are you alright?’
To Ichigo’s utter horror, tears welled up in the teal eyes he so loved, and the usually calm, collected and commanding captain started to sob.
‘Toshiro!’ the teen yelped, startled by his crying. He quickly scooped up the crying boy, cradling him in his arms, rubbing soothing circles in his back, trying to comfort him.
‘Toush… What’s wrong?
‘I-I thought y-y-you were d-dead… ‘ the tiny boy sobbed harder as he mumbled the nearly incomprehensible words. Ichigo just held him tighter.
Now the teen understood. Too many times had he woken up to find his lover trapped in one of his night terrors. Sometimes, they had been so graphic that his poor lover had confused them for reality, leading him to be so hysterical that it had taken Ichigo hours to calm him down, and even longer to convince him that they were just dreams. This must have been one on them. Ichigo couldn’t imagine what it must have felt like for his frosty dragon; to have his lover taken away from him so cruelly, even if it had been a dream, must have been more than the strong yet fragile captain to handle.
‘Shush… It’s alright. It was only a dream. I’m here, aren’t I? I promise you I won’t leave you.’ Ichigo soothed the distressed boy, planting a kiss on the snowy mop.
‘B-But it s-seemed s-so real.’
‘I know, I know…’ Ichigo hugged the snowy captain tighter, comforting the terror-stricken boy. The orange crowned teen nuzzled the snowy mop, smelling the wintery scent and something else…
‘Toush… Have you been sick?’
The lithe body tensed in his arms, but other than that there was no response - not that Ichigo needed any. He understood completely. Even though he may not show it, the small captain really did love the fiery teen, and when he had thought that he had lost him for good, that sent the frosty boy over the edge.
Suddenly, coughs wracked the small captain’s body, and Ichigo patted his back, trying to ease his ailing lover. Once the coughing had stopped, the substitute took the glass of water from his night stand and pressed it into his lover’s hand. The pale hand shakily lifted the cool glass to his lips, drinking deeply before handing the now empty glass back to his lover.
‘C’mon, Toush… Let’s get you out of those clothes. There soaked.’ Usually the captain would have argued, however, as of a few hours ago, the frosty boy believed that he had lost his reason to live - and that made him more willing than he would like to admit to do whatever Ichigo said.
Ichigo untangled himself from his lover, and Hitsugaya let out a startled gasp, frantically grasping for the orange crowned substitute. Tanned hands caught his clenching ones. Teal eyes widened as Ichigo pressed his lips to his, locking the captain in a soft, reassuring kiss.
‘I’m just going to the wardrobe to get you some clothes. I’m not going anywhere. I promised, remember?’ And just like that, Ichigo was once again able to soothe the small captain’s rippling mind. Callused hands let go of his, as the orange haired man stepped over to the wardrobe. Pulling out a t-shirt and an old pair of sweat pants, the substitute knelt down in front of his lover. He gently undid the white obi and slipped the captain out of his uniform. He helped his tiny lover get into his dry clothes before settling him under the comforter.
‘Better?’ Ichigo asked
‘Hmm…’ was the only response he got from his lover. Ichigo chuckled as he settled down next to the tiny captain, curling his body round the smaller one. The tiny captain’s hand crawled up to clench in the front of Ichigo’s shirt, and soon the two were taken by sleep, wrapped in each other’s scent…
CRASH!
A flash of white lightning alerted him to the fact that he wasn’t alone. Someone was outside his window. Chocolate orbs snapped to his window ledge, only to widen in shock when he realised who it was.
‘Toshiro!’ The drenched form of his lover stood frozen outside in the thunder storm, staring out into space. Diving for the latch, Ichigo hauled the glass pane to one side. He let out a startled cry as the snowy captain’s body went limp, and the fiery substitute threw his upper body out the window to catch his falling lover. Carefully lifting the drenched captain into his room, Ichigo closed the window, trying to keep his room as warm and dry as possible - not for his sake, but for the sake of his frosty dragon.
The orange crowned man knew there was something immediately wrong with his lover. He was shivering and his usually pale cheeks were tinged with crimson. Ichigo softly pressed his hand to his lover’s forehead, nearly hissing at the temperature.
‘Jesus Christ, what has he been doing to himself?’ The fiery teen thought.
The small captain moaned, and chocolate orbs snapped to his lover’s face. Teal eyes slowly cracked open, revealing hazy orbs.
‘Ichigo…?’ his voice sounded confused and slightly distressed.
‘Yeah, I’m here. Are you alright?’
To Ichigo’s utter horror, tears welled up in the teal eyes he so loved, and the usually calm, collected and commanding captain started to sob.
‘Toshiro!’ the teen yelped, startled by his crying. He quickly scooped up the crying boy, cradling him in his arms, rubbing soothing circles in his back, trying to comfort him.
‘Toush… What’s wrong?
‘I-I thought y-y-you were d-dead… ‘ the tiny boy sobbed harder as he mumbled the nearly incomprehensible words. Ichigo just held him tighter.
Now the teen understood. Too many times had he woken up to find his lover trapped in one of his night terrors. Sometimes, they had been so graphic that his poor lover had confused them for reality, leading him to be so hysterical that it had taken Ichigo hours to calm him down, and even longer to convince him that they were just dreams. This must have been one on them. Ichigo couldn’t imagine what it must have felt like for his frosty dragon; to have his lover taken away from him so cruelly, even if it had been a dream, must have been more than the strong yet fragile captain to handle.
‘Shush… It’s alright. It was only a dream. I’m here, aren’t I? I promise you I won’t leave you.’ Ichigo soothed the distressed boy, planting a kiss on the snowy mop.
‘B-But it s-seemed s-so real.’
‘I know, I know…’ Ichigo hugged the snowy captain tighter, comforting the terror-stricken boy. The orange crowned teen nuzzled the snowy mop, smelling the wintery scent and something else…
‘Toush… Have you been sick?’
The lithe body tensed in his arms, but other than that there was no response - not that Ichigo needed any. He understood completely. Even though he may not show it, the small captain really did love the fiery teen, and when he had thought that he had lost him for good, that sent the frosty boy over the edge.
Suddenly, coughs wracked the small captain’s body, and Ichigo patted his back, trying to ease his ailing lover. Once the coughing had stopped, the substitute took the glass of water from his night stand and pressed it into his lover’s hand. The pale hand shakily lifted the cool glass to his lips, drinking deeply before handing the now empty glass back to his lover.
‘C’mon, Toush… Let’s get you out of those clothes. There soaked.’ Usually the captain would have argued, however, as of a few hours ago, the frosty boy believed that he had lost his reason to live - and that made him more willing than he would like to admit to do whatever Ichigo said.
Ichigo untangled himself from his lover, and Hitsugaya let out a startled gasp, frantically grasping for the orange crowned substitute. Tanned hands caught his clenching ones. Teal eyes widened as Ichigo pressed his lips to his, locking the captain in a soft, reassuring kiss.
‘I’m just going to the wardrobe to get you some clothes. I’m not going anywhere. I promised, remember?’ And just like that, Ichigo was once again able to soothe the small captain’s rippling mind. Callused hands let go of his, as the orange haired man stepped over to the wardrobe. Pulling out a t-shirt and an old pair of sweat pants, the substitute knelt down in front of his lover. He gently undid the white obi and slipped the captain out of his uniform. He helped his tiny lover get into his dry clothes before settling him under the comforter.
‘Better?’ Ichigo asked
‘Hmm…’ was the only response he got from his lover. Ichigo chuckled as he settled down next to the tiny captain, curling his body round the smaller one. The tiny captain’s hand crawled up to clench in the front of Ichigo’s shirt, and soon the two were taken by sleep, wrapped in each other’s scent…