[Shiro had beaten Ichigo to the clinic by a lot, and had dreamed himself up some dinner. But jeezus, there were so many girls in the house now. It was hard to get any sort of privacy. And that didn't include the thoughts buzzing through his head. Had Ichigo gone through with it? And what about Aizen? What was happening while they weren't there...
He senses Ichigo's presence up on the roof and he decides to head up there himself. Not to talk, right away, but just to sit. The view up there is nice, anyway.
Leaping out the window and on to the roof, Shiro uses clawed toes to hold on to the roof and make his way over to Ichigo. He also has a bowl in hand, and a pair of hanshi. With a huff he sits next to Ichigo and offers him the bowl; shrimp and veggie curry.]
Wasn't sure what ya wanted fer dinner, so I just brought curry.
[ Well, nothing for it, just have to get a little bit of curry, before speaking again. ]
Heh. I didn't think it would be so crowded, but it's better this way. And I dunno. Tatsuki, or Inoue might end up finding their own space.
[ And, well...Ichigo would be lying if he said he didn't like having several of his friends safe, and sound in a place he knew for dead certain he could protect them in. ]
Though, goddamn, how much do I have to get bossed around in my own house?
Xion can stay. [he chews thoughtfully, then sticks his finger in his mouth to lick off the curry sauce] I'm sure Inoue-san and Tatsuki have their own places'a solace. They can live there. Plus, the neighbor's houses -- [he jerks a thumb] -- are all empty.
[a huff] Tch! Between the midget and Arisawa, if we're not both covered in bruises at the end of every day, I'll be real surprised! They both use violence ta solve their problems, I noticed.
I bruise for about 5 seconds! It's not quite the same....
[he frowns, looking off into the sunset. They were pretty things, sunsets. He had never seen one for himself before being dragged out in this place. The pink and orange light reflects off his white skin, giving it colors it doesn't normally have.
He frowns, then looks at his feet, curling his claws under his foot and back]
[ Just...yeah. Going back to pushing food around the bowl. Well, more like idly holding the bowl, and looking out at the city. ]
I took the towel off the mirror a little bit ago. I saw...well, I don't really know what I saw. It looked like the whole town was empty, and there was this crazy-huge explosion. Old Yamamoto was hurt...so many people were hurt...
[ Damnitt, Ichigo knows that the way time flows between dreams, and reality is skewed, but he's starting to wonder how much that is. What's worse? With Byakuya showing up so suddenly, Ichigo found himself remembering what the captain of the sixth said to him;
'Karakura-cho is your responsibility, now. It is your duty to go back, and defend it.'
...So why did Ichigo have a knot of nervous tension in his guts at the thought of it? His mask had felt so heavy last time, and Tatsuki saying things about Aizen... ]
[Shiro huffs and looks out over the city] Didn't they say that they made a whole fake Karakura-cho? Tatsuki wouldn't be there. [he looks down, now. That meant the Fake Karakura was a barrier of sorts; a last stronghold between Aizen and his real goal. Surely the rest of the Gotei, even the Captain-Commander, could defeat Aizen before... well...] ... Does that mean Aizen broke through that defense? [Does that mean we all failed?]
Yeah. It was some weird decoy, and Tatsuki said everyone was asleep.
[ All but slamming the bowl down on the roof ( a couple pieces of curried veggies flip out too ) and standing with tensed fists. ]
If he did - if he did I was on my way back to Karakura when I got sucked here in the first place! I'll just have to stop him.
[ Having said it, he actually takes a little bit of determination from it. But, also having said it, it brings something else to mind that makes Ichigo turn around to look at Shiro intently. ]
Why did my mask feel so heavy? Why, just before Byakuya, and Kenpachi showed up does it feel so different?
[ Then, hesitating, not really sure he's ready for the whole answer; ]
[Shiro looks down and away. Stop him? How?] Aibou, if he took out all of the remaining Shinigami Captains working together... do you really think...[he trails off. He doesn't want to put him out too much.
.... except then he asks THAT question, and the Hollow visibly tenses, looking away. He stands up and walks over to the edge of the roof. He's silent for a long moment before he actually does say something] ... You... do you really want to know.
[Shiro coughs when his voice goes, curing silently with Teneka. As much as Ichigo hates the masks, Shiro hates the voiceless nights. They fucking suck, in short. He turns to face Ichigo, eyes... sad? Perhaps a bit. There's definitely something there. Maybe even guilt.]
You died on the dome, Aibou. And I had to save ya the only way I could. [a frown, and he looks back at the horizon, purple twilight creeping in] But even that. I dunno if we could beat Aizen with that. He's a monster.
[ Ichigo's head snaps up, and he is just too shocked to even think for a solid few seconds. He'd come close to death before, but...hearing it from his own hollow was ironically hitting closer to home. ]
...Yeah we can. We have to.
[ Recovering a little, he swallows, sighs, and comes over to stand next to Shiro, with one hand tightly gripping the t-shirt covering the hollow's shoulder. He didn't know what else to "say" or even what to think privately. He was afraid, but not of losing. Shiro was taking that fear for himself. And somehow, seeing the sadness there in eyes that should be blazing disconcerted Ichigo even more than the possibility of death.
Without thinking, or questioning, just wanting to wipe the sad look out of Shiro's eyes, he all but jerked the hollow close enough to duck, and kiss him hard on the mouth. Lower jaw trembling a little, but his other hand sliding back into white hair, Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut, and tried to do the only thing he knew of by way of comfort. ]
He put a hole in yer chest. What did you expect. The placement was lucky, I was able to take advantage of it.
[he looks away again] You can say shit like that all you want but that won't make it any easier. [Then, there was always that. But hopefully it wouldn't come to That. Please let it not come to That.
The hand on his shoulder makes him shudder, just because he wasn't expecting to be touched. And the kiss takes him even more off guard. If he could make noise, he would have protested aloud. But he can't, so instead his eyes show his surprise.
The kiss is awkward, and forced, and Ichigo still hadn't learned any finesse. But Shiro leaned into it anyway, wrapping his arms around Ichigo's body, digging his nails in needfully.
He didn't want to think about what they would have to do to defeat that monster that wore a man's body. He didn't want to think about what they would both have to sacrifice to protect the town, protect reality as they knew it. It was way too heavy.]
[ There's no part of this that Ichigo wants to think about, wants to focus on, other than how it feels to be with Shiro when they're alone, pawing at his clothes to drag them both closer together. Chest, and hips slotting together with their identical match. Licking, and nipping at a bluish-white lower lip until Shiro opened his mouth enough for Ichigo to press inside.
He let loose a needy groan into those lips without meaning to. Shiro's nails may have been digging into his back, but Ichigo's hands pulled at the hem of the hollow's t-shirt until he could slide palms over the curiously warm, firm chest underneath. Curling his fingers in claws, he dragged them up over the hollow's stomach, then skated over white hips to meet again at the small of his back. ]
You take the doubt. I know you're doing it, because I can't feel it. I'm not afraid of losing - because I can't lose.
[ Gasping, Ichigo finally broke the kiss in favor of leaning his forehead against Shiro's. Breathless, and pink-cheeked, he didn't risk opening his eyes yet. ]
( ... )
He senses Ichigo's presence up on the roof and he decides to head up there himself. Not to talk, right away, but just to sit. The view up there is nice, anyway.
Leaping out the window and on to the roof, Shiro uses clawed toes to hold on to the roof and make his way over to Ichigo. He also has a bowl in hand, and a pair of hanshi. With a huff he sits next to Ichigo and offers him the bowl; shrimp and veggie curry.]
Wasn't sure what ya wanted fer dinner, so I just brought curry.
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[ Accepting the bowl, but...he's not terribly interested in food. Instead, he just sort of pushes a shrimp around, still thinking. ]
...Guess you're escaping the girls, then?
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Or SHiro will.
He snitches a shrimp with his claws, then lets out a very put upon groan at the question]
Ugh, yes. You know, they're all fine? I like 'em? But fuck, what is it about girls that they become friggin' impossible in groups larger than TWO?!
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Heh. I didn't think it would be so crowded, but it's better this way. And I dunno. Tatsuki, or Inoue might end up finding their own space.
[ And, well...Ichigo would be lying if he said he didn't like having several of his friends safe, and sound in a place he knew for dead certain he could protect them in. ]
Though, goddamn, how much do I have to get bossed around in my own house?
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[a huff] Tch! Between the midget and Arisawa, if we're not both covered in bruises at the end of every day, I'll be real surprised! They both use violence ta solve their problems, I noticed.
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What do you care, you can't bruise.
[ ...Yeah. After the brief smile, he's turning more taciturn, and staring into the distance, again. ]
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[he frowns, looking off into the sunset. They were pretty things, sunsets. He had never seen one for himself before being dragged out in this place. The pink and orange light reflects off his white skin, giving it colors it doesn't normally have.
He frowns, then looks at his feet, curling his claws under his foot and back]
... I hate not knowin' stuff.
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[ Just...yeah. Going back to pushing food around the bowl. Well, more like idly holding the bowl, and looking out at the city. ]
I took the towel off the mirror a little bit ago. I saw...well, I don't really know what I saw. It looked like the whole town was empty, and there was this crazy-huge explosion. Old Yamamoto was hurt...so many people were hurt...
[ Damnitt, Ichigo knows that the way time flows between dreams, and reality is skewed, but he's starting to wonder how much that is.
What's worse? With Byakuya showing up so suddenly, Ichigo found himself remembering what the captain of the sixth said to him;
'Karakura-cho is your responsibility, now. It is your duty to go back, and defend it.'
...So why did Ichigo have a knot of nervous tension in his guts at the thought of it? His mask had felt so heavy last time, and Tatsuki saying things about Aizen... ]
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[ All but slamming the bowl down on the roof ( a couple pieces of curried veggies flip out too ) and standing with tensed fists. ]
If he did - if he did I was on my way back to Karakura when I got sucked here in the first place! I'll just have to stop him.
[ Having said it, he actually takes a little bit of determination from it. But, also having said it, it brings something else to mind that makes Ichigo turn around to look at Shiro intently. ]
Why did my mask feel so heavy? Why, just before Byakuya, and Kenpachi showed up does it feel so different?
[ Then, hesitating, not really sure he's ready for the whole answer; ]
...What happened to me on that goddamn dome?
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.... except then he asks THAT question, and the Hollow visibly tenses, looking away. He stands up and walks over to the edge of the roof. He's silent for a long moment before he actually does say something] ... You... do you really want to know.
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He says nothing. ]
...What is happening to us--
[ And in that moment, the sun dips below the horizon, and silence reigns. Ichigo's thoughts kick in with the TENEKA before he really realizes it. ]
--to me. What will I have to become to stop Aizen? Because I have to. I have to stop him...
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You died on the dome, Aibou. And I had to save ya the only way I could. [a frown, and he looks back at the horizon, purple twilight creeping in] But even that. I dunno if we could beat Aizen with that. He's a monster.
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...Yeah we can. We have to.
[ Recovering a little, he swallows, sighs, and comes over to stand next to Shiro, with one hand tightly gripping the t-shirt covering the hollow's shoulder. He didn't know what else to "say" or even what to think privately. He was afraid, but not of losing. Shiro was taking that fear for himself.
And somehow, seeing the sadness there in eyes that should be blazing disconcerted Ichigo even more than the possibility of death.
Without thinking, or questioning, just wanting to wipe the sad look out of Shiro's eyes, he all but jerked the hollow close enough to duck, and kiss him hard on the mouth.
Lower jaw trembling a little, but his other hand sliding back into white hair, Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut, and tried to do the only thing he knew of by way of comfort. ]
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[he looks away again] You can say shit like that all you want but that won't make it any easier. [Then, there was always that. But hopefully it wouldn't come to That. Please let it not come to That.
The hand on his shoulder makes him shudder, just because he wasn't expecting to be touched. And the kiss takes him even more off guard. If he could make noise, he would have protested aloud. But he can't, so instead his eyes show his surprise.
The kiss is awkward, and forced, and Ichigo still hadn't learned any finesse. But Shiro leaned into it anyway, wrapping his arms around Ichigo's body, digging his nails in needfully.
He didn't want to think about what they would have to do to defeat that monster that wore a man's body. He didn't want to think about what they would both have to sacrifice to protect the town, protect reality as they knew it. It was way too heavy.]
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He let loose a needy groan into those lips without meaning to.
Shiro's nails may have been digging into his back, but Ichigo's hands pulled at the hem of the hollow's t-shirt until he could slide palms over the curiously warm, firm chest underneath. Curling his fingers in claws, he dragged them up over the hollow's stomach, then skated over white hips to meet again at the small of his back. ]
You take the doubt. I know you're doing it, because I can't feel it. I'm not afraid of losing - because I can't lose.
[ Gasping, Ichigo finally broke the kiss in favor of leaning his forehead against Shiro's. Breathless, and pink-cheeked, he didn't risk opening his eyes yet. ] ( ... )
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