Close Shave
Here is a little ficlet, written for draiol. It probably won't make sense to most of you, as it's based on an RP alternate universe, dubbed the K4.
I do not own Bleach, and this story was inspired by a very recent post in ic_secrets
Close Shave
"KAIEN-NIIIIIII!!"
Kaien had been dozing over some long-overdue paperwork that he'd snaffled from his captain's desk, when he heard the shout from his youngest brother. Wondering what in the hell could have made Kon scream like that, he was out of his chair and down the hall to his room in a heartbeat.
"What? What is it?"
Kon looked up at Kaien, lip wobbling as he tried to (manfully) hold back his tears.
"K-K-Kai..." He wailed, holding up the poor desecrated toy. The lion plushie, long-loved and kept in pride of place among Kon's things, was looking very sorry for itself now - and there was no doubt who the culprit was.
Kaien sighed, wondering how on earth he managed to get himself into these situations. He was glad Ichigo had found something that helped after all he'd gone through, but he really wished the little thing was at least house trained.
"Hey, don't cry." Kaien grinned, taking Kai gently from Kon and looking him over. "He's okay, he just needs a couple of stitches and he'll be good as new."
"I'm not crying." Kon mumbled, reaching out to snatch Kai back and hug him possessively to his body.
"B-but, Kaien-nii... that little monster killed Kai."
"I'll talk to Ichigo about it, okay?" A soft hair ruffle accompanied his words, as he stood and left to find Ichigo.
It wasn't hard, the orange-haired teenager was sat happily stroking a contentedly snoring little hollow, amidst a trail of destruction that seemed far too vast for such a tiny creature.
"Hey strawberry, don't you remember what we said?"
Ichigo placed a hand defensively on Niigo's mask and tried to give Kaien what he clearly assumed was a winning grin.
"He was just playing."
"He got to Kai again, Kon's out for his blood."
"He can't have his blood, it's... it's just a toy, and Uryuu can fix it." Ichigo scowled, ever on the defensive.
"Look, I'll have to do something to show Kon I'm taking this seriously." Kaien sighed, running a hand through his black spikey hair ruefully.
"Shave him!" Came an angry voice from the corner, the usually pacifistic Kon holding out an electric razor with an almost vindictive pleasure. "He left Kai bald, let him see what it's like."
"No way, moron." Ichigo snapped, pulling the little hollow closer.
Sometimes Kaien wondered if his family had been sent as some kind of test, an exam in life to see if he would go crazy or not - and every so often, he was sure he would fail.
"Stop yelling, both of you, or you'll wake Shiro."
Both Ichigo and Kon fell quiet, the mention of their sick brother enough to quell most arguing, for at least a little while. But, not to be deterred for long, and still furious over the mauling of his precious Kai, Kon held out the electric razor again with a scowl.
Weighing up the pros and cons in his head, Kaien took the razor from Kon and knelt beside Ichigo and the, now squirming, hollow.
"C'mon, strawberry. It's better than anything else, and he'll never feel just a little patch of hair off him."
Now, the little hollow had been ignoring much of what was going on, he didn't understand what they were all talking about, and was happy enough to snuggle in his friend's arms and doze. But when Kaien advanced on him with a strange buzzing thing, he certainly woke up and began to struggle with a vengence - whatever it was, he did not like it.
"Stop it, he's frightened!" Ichigo snapped, keeping a firm hold on the squirming critter. "If it has to be done, then at least let me do it. He trusts me... you two are just scaring the little guy."
Kaien nodded, putting the razor on the ground by Ichigo and walking back over to Kon. "Let's go, Kon. We can go and fix Kai, okay?"
"Fine." Kon turned and stalked out of the door, angry voice drifting back. "I want to see that hair, Ichi-nii, no cheating."
For a long time after the door closed, Ichigo just sat and held his pet, making sure he was properly calm before reaching for the razor.
"At least you won't get those ticks any more, right buddy?"
As soon as the razor started buzzing again, the poor little guy started trying to get away. He didn't understand why his friend was suddenly trying to do something unwanted with this weird-sounding object. Ichigo's heart went out to him, the last thing he wanted to do was to make his new friend scared of him.
"Sorry, Niigo... it's you or me."
---
Ichigo finally emerged from his room, sunk deep into a hooded tracksuit top with a scowl on his face. Niigo was perched on one shoulder and a large clump of bright orange hairs were held in his fist; not looking at Kon, he dropped the hairs onto his lap and turned to stalk out.
"Ichigo..." Kaien called, wondering why everything had to be so difficult?! Surely he hadn't been this bad?
The hollow might not have understood exactly what was going on, but he was beginning to recognize some words, and Ichigo was one of them. Didn't his friend realize he was wanted? Giving a soft mrrrw, he tugged on the hood of Ichigo's tracksuit top to get his attention, easily pulling the soft material down.
There was silence for a long moment, before two stunned Kurosaki boys broke into disbelieving laughter, as a very red-faced Ichigo hurriedly pulled the hood over his brand new bald patch.
I do not own Bleach, and this story was inspired by a very recent post in ic_secrets
Close Shave
"KAIEN-NIIIIIII!!"
Kaien had been dozing over some long-overdue paperwork that he'd snaffled from his captain's desk, when he heard the shout from his youngest brother. Wondering what in the hell could have made Kon scream like that, he was out of his chair and down the hall to his room in a heartbeat.
"What? What is it?"
Kon looked up at Kaien, lip wobbling as he tried to (manfully) hold back his tears.
"K-K-Kai..." He wailed, holding up the poor desecrated toy. The lion plushie, long-loved and kept in pride of place among Kon's things, was looking very sorry for itself now - and there was no doubt who the culprit was.
Kaien sighed, wondering how on earth he managed to get himself into these situations. He was glad Ichigo had found something that helped after all he'd gone through, but he really wished the little thing was at least house trained.
"Hey, don't cry." Kaien grinned, taking Kai gently from Kon and looking him over. "He's okay, he just needs a couple of stitches and he'll be good as new."
"I'm not crying." Kon mumbled, reaching out to snatch Kai back and hug him possessively to his body.
"B-but, Kaien-nii... that little monster killed Kai."
"I'll talk to Ichigo about it, okay?" A soft hair ruffle accompanied his words, as he stood and left to find Ichigo.
It wasn't hard, the orange-haired teenager was sat happily stroking a contentedly snoring little hollow, amidst a trail of destruction that seemed far too vast for such a tiny creature.
"Hey strawberry, don't you remember what we said?"
Ichigo placed a hand defensively on Niigo's mask and tried to give Kaien what he clearly assumed was a winning grin.
"He was just playing."
"He got to Kai again, Kon's out for his blood."
"He can't have his blood, it's... it's just a toy, and Uryuu can fix it." Ichigo scowled, ever on the defensive.
"Look, I'll have to do something to show Kon I'm taking this seriously." Kaien sighed, running a hand through his black spikey hair ruefully.
"Shave him!" Came an angry voice from the corner, the usually pacifistic Kon holding out an electric razor with an almost vindictive pleasure. "He left Kai bald, let him see what it's like."
"No way, moron." Ichigo snapped, pulling the little hollow closer.
Sometimes Kaien wondered if his family had been sent as some kind of test, an exam in life to see if he would go crazy or not - and every so often, he was sure he would fail.
"Stop yelling, both of you, or you'll wake Shiro."
Both Ichigo and Kon fell quiet, the mention of their sick brother enough to quell most arguing, for at least a little while. But, not to be deterred for long, and still furious over the mauling of his precious Kai, Kon held out the electric razor again with a scowl.
Weighing up the pros and cons in his head, Kaien took the razor from Kon and knelt beside Ichigo and the, now squirming, hollow.
"C'mon, strawberry. It's better than anything else, and he'll never feel just a little patch of hair off him."
Now, the little hollow had been ignoring much of what was going on, he didn't understand what they were all talking about, and was happy enough to snuggle in his friend's arms and doze. But when Kaien advanced on him with a strange buzzing thing, he certainly woke up and began to struggle with a vengence - whatever it was, he did not like it.
"Stop it, he's frightened!" Ichigo snapped, keeping a firm hold on the squirming critter. "If it has to be done, then at least let me do it. He trusts me... you two are just scaring the little guy."
Kaien nodded, putting the razor on the ground by Ichigo and walking back over to Kon. "Let's go, Kon. We can go and fix Kai, okay?"
"Fine." Kon turned and stalked out of the door, angry voice drifting back. "I want to see that hair, Ichi-nii, no cheating."
For a long time after the door closed, Ichigo just sat and held his pet, making sure he was properly calm before reaching for the razor.
"At least you won't get those ticks any more, right buddy?"
As soon as the razor started buzzing again, the poor little guy started trying to get away. He didn't understand why his friend was suddenly trying to do something unwanted with this weird-sounding object. Ichigo's heart went out to him, the last thing he wanted to do was to make his new friend scared of him.
"Sorry, Niigo... it's you or me."
---
Ichigo finally emerged from his room, sunk deep into a hooded tracksuit top with a scowl on his face. Niigo was perched on one shoulder and a large clump of bright orange hairs were held in his fist; not looking at Kon, he dropped the hairs onto his lap and turned to stalk out.
"Ichigo..." Kaien called, wondering why everything had to be so difficult?! Surely he hadn't been this bad?
The hollow might not have understood exactly what was going on, but he was beginning to recognize some words, and Ichigo was one of them. Didn't his friend realize he was wanted? Giving a soft mrrrw, he tugged on the hood of Ichigo's tracksuit top to get his attention, easily pulling the soft material down.
There was silence for a long moment, before two stunned Kurosaki boys broke into disbelieving laughter, as a very red-faced Ichigo hurriedly pulled the hood over his brand new bald patch.