This is my first Bleach fanfiction in English with this coupling (Ichigo x Hitsugaya). If you don't like it, don't read, don't waste your time flaming it because our Shiro-chan will just freeze it. Hope you enjoy. Sorry about all the fluff, I couldn't help it (grins). Oh, the relationship is already established and the situation is a little different from original story but hey, let's not be picky about details, yeah? I usually stick with storyline and characters quite strictly but sometimes exceptions cannot be helped!! And... Because this one is angsty dreading Ichigo, it might look like Ichigo is uke but he is supposed to be seme... :( Think of it as one time that he suffers hehe.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, do I really have to say the words out?
You are my rescue by Heuk Ya Ch.1
'...Dammit...'
Ichigo swore in his mind, looking up the sky of Sereitei. Every year, the day came, and along with it, the night came with its own companion. Even now Ichigo still couldn't get out of its grasp, even when he knew how much power he has. But it had never mattered. He was alone in his room every time the night came. Well, until Rukia came, but Rukia didn't 'see', only 'heard'. But what was he going to do this time?? With all these Hollow attacks, he couldn't leave Soul Society. All of the 13 divisions were stretched to limits, trying to cope with constant attacks, and to top it all, Ishida and Chad were both injured, pulled from the battle line. Inoue too busy helping the 4th division, Ichigo was now the only one who could help with the fight and it wasn't exaggeration if Ichigo was said to be doing a whole division's job on his own on battlefield.
'How can I get around this situation... It was good they got us off the duty even if it was just for 24 hours but...'
Sereitei was enjoying one of rare moments and peace and quiet today. There had been only a few Hollow attacks and even they were somewhat manageable ones. Seeing that the attack was on decrease (although you could never tell when it would peak again) and more importantly the divisions just too tired to fight, Yamamoto chotaichou gave order for 6 divisions to take 24 hours off and the rest to be off duty when the 24 hours came to end. Ichigo, although he didn't officially belong to any of the divisions, was acknowledged as part of 10th division, along with the icy boy genius, Hitsugaya taichou. However, even though it was break that he longed for, he couldn't be all too happy with the timing. The hell butterfly carrying the order had come to him while he was out with Rukia and Renji, and instead of returning to 10th division to the person he was sure was waiting for him, he had come up to this hill. He was in a big dilemma.
'This kind of chance is probably not going to come again for long time... but... oh for god's sake, why today? I would have much preferred it if I didn't have to go to sleep tonight.'
When he first saw the true extent of Hollow attacks, Ichigo knew he wouldn't be able to return to the human world in time for their annual visit to his mum. Ichigo wrote to his family making some excuse about having to be away for some kind of compulsory course from his school and grew to accept the fact that it was the best he could do no matter how guilty he felt about it. He would visit his mum when he returns to the human world later. He just didn't expect he would get chance to spend night with his important person tonight out of all the nights.
June 16. He always had nightmare on this night. Reliving that night he still blames himself for. Then the rain would change to blood, the overflowing river would change to blood, his little hands would be dripping with blood. Just as he finally gets enough energy to take his eyes off his hands, suddenly the now teenage Ichigo would find himself in black square room, blood slowly rising from the ground, soaking him wet, and slowly oh so slowly, suffocating him not with lack of oxygen but with its sticky feeling all around him. His own voice would echo through the room, calling him a murderer, a killer.
Ichigo knew very well what he was like through the night. With no rescue to come, he would sweat, cry, bite his lip and curl himself into a ball so tightly that the next day, he would have muscle ache all over his body.
'...He can't know about it... not when things are like this... but... what can I say to get away from night with him when we are both off duty for once in however long it has been...?'
"Histugaya taichou! It's your holiday!! You shouldn't be here, slaving over paperwork!!"
Hitsugaya couldn't help but to frown when Matsumoto bounced in, her big breasts somehow managing not to fall out the dangerously low V neck. As soon as her break started, she had been over to the 4th division to visit Inoue.
"And just whose paperwork would these be?"
"Ah.. Ah hahahaha..."
Seeing Matsumoto giving her usual laugh with sweat drop, Hitsugaya was about to return his attention to the paper when suddenly a hand swiped it out of his view.
"Matsumoto..."
"Nope, this wouldn't do, taichou! You haven't had single break since god knows when, plus, it's your first break that you can spend with Ichigo!! Speaking of which, where's Ichigo?"
"I don't know. Now, give me that back."
"Ah, taichou, have you not thought that maybe Ichigo needs you right now?"
"What are you on about?"
"Ah? Taichou, you don't know?"
"Matsumoto, I'm definitely not going to play games with you. Either tell me what it is, or give me that goddamn paper back."
Matsumoto frowned. Maybe her taichou really did not know. Stupid stubborn Kurosaki Ichigo did not tell him anything at all. What would have happened if she didn't see Inoue today and got warning about it?
"Taichou, have you seen Ichigo today?"
"Early in the morning."
"Did he seem ... anything ... different?"
"His rietsu was bit uptight but whose isn't. ...Matsumoto, what are you getting at?"
When Hitsugaya's eyes turned serious, Matsumoto just looked at her taichou for a while then started to stack the papers away.
"Taichou, I'll deal with the paperwork, so please, go and find Ichigo."
"...Is he injured?"
"No, he's probably somewhere around Sereitei, but he needs you right now. Well, he probably will push you away but you will have to stay with him."
Hitsugaya's face was now showing mainly concern but with some curiosity. What could it be that Matsumoto actually volunteers herself to do the paperwork? When Ichigo did not return to 10th division, Hitsugaya had simply thought that Ichigo was probably at 4th division or with Renji and Rukia since he hadn't seen them for awhile. Hitsugaya had decided to get some paperwork out of the way while waiting for the evening when Ichigo would no doubt return to him. They were possessive of each other but also knew the importance of their own lives. When he realized Matsumoto wasn't going to tell him anything, Hitsugaya took off to find the strawberry he has come to love so much.
Time passed by and Ichigo still hadn't found the right excuse he could tell his little ice prince. In fact, he hadn't even decided whether he was going to stay with Toshiro for the night or not. They hadn't shared a bed for long time now, and he knew chance like this was rarity. For a while now, all they got was few stolen kisses, few hidden gentle touches, just few glances at each other while fighting. He longed to hold his prince in his arms, nuzzle his nose in that soft, snow-like white hair, then get a good, long kiss. It was his idea of heaven. But what was he going to do at night? Hitsugaya Toshiro was not weak, hell, everyone in Soul Society knew that. However, Ichigo also knew how tired his Toshiro was, it barely showed on that pretty face of his but Ichigo had come to learn all the small signs that Toshiro unconsciously showed. He definitely did not want to burden his prince any further. Then, just as he was messing up his orange hair again, familiar voice spoke from behind him.
"Kurosaki, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Toshiro!"
Hitsugaya was scowling at him with his arms crossed. When he left the 10th division and tried to detect Ichigo's rietsu, Hitsugaya was confused. Ichigo's rietsu was fluctuating so much that Hitsugaya couldn't pinpoint his location. It kept peaking up then disappearing and trying to feel the rietsu was just making locating Ichigo even more confusing. In the end, Hitsugaya gave up on rietsu, resorting to good old ways of footwork. He had walked around probably half of Sereitei at least when he had finally found Ichigo, sitting on top of the hill. However, behind the scowl, Hitsugaya was now genuinely concerned. Ichigo was bad at feeling others' rietsu alright, but he always felt Hitsugaya's at least. This time, Ichigo didn't even realize he was there until he spoke. Something was seriously up with his strawberry.
"Toshiro, what are you doing here?"
"I could ask same thing."
Hitsugaya sat down next to Ichigo who lowered his gaze from Hitsugaya at his reply. Soft breeze blew through Hitsugaya's white hair and Ichigo's bright orange hair. Silence crept in but Hitsugaya didn't say anything. If anything, Ichigo's fluctuating rietsu was a dead giveaway that something was wrong and he knew Ichigo knew about it too.
"Toshiro, you been looking for me?"
Hitsugaya just sent daggers with his eyes to Ichigo, for asking such a stupid question. Ichigo just smiled awkwardly. What was wrong with him, Ichigo doesn't do anything 'awkwardly'. After another silence, Hitsugaya gave in. Normally between them, it was Ichigo who did the talking but at times like this, he didn't have choice but to give in.
"Ichigo."
Ichigo looked at him with bit of surprise. Even after they confirmed their love for each other, Hitsugaya was still Hitsugaya and most of the time called him Kurosaki. Only times that he would call him Ichigo was when they were making love or when he got serious (even more than usual, that is.). So his Toshiro knew something was up with him, but that was expected. But did he know exactly what?
"Did anyone tell you anything?"
"No. Matsumoto kept hinting something but wouldn't tell me anything.
"Did Rangiku-san meet Orihime by any chance today?"
"She did, actually. Now, can I find out what is going on in my own boyfriend's head rather than having to endure Matsumoto's annoying hinting?"
Ichigo smiled at Toshiro calling him 'his own boyfriend'. Toshiro rarely said anything like that, when he did, it was his ways of showing concern indirectly although most of the time, the whole phrase had more than little bite.
"I..."
Ichigo still couldn't decide. Now that he's got Toshiro sitting right next to him, the urge to spend this short break with him was stronger than ever. But tonight, his darkest night will come and pull him into its twisted world again... Seeing that Ichigo couldn't quite get his words out, Hitsugaya stood up. The sun was setting now.
"Ichigo."
Ichigo came out of his internal arguments to find Hitsugaya standing in front of him with his hand out. He was simply looking at Ichigo with his teal orbs. Hitsugaya now could clearly see Ichigo's eyes, love, longing, confusion and... fear? With small sigh, Hitsugaya spoke again, keeping his eye contact with Ichigo.
"Ichigo. When you hesitate to do something with me, I know it's because you are worried about me, not because you don't want to do it or you are worried about yourself. I don't know what it is, what you are worried about. All I can tell is something big, something I do not yet know, because nothing I know can throw you off like this. I will not ask. But I don't care about whatever that could happen that you are worrying over. This is our only chance to spend time together. Don't waste any more of the precious time. I'll still be with you, just fine, at the end of whatever it is."
Ichigo stared at Toshiro. Toshiro definitely did not know what Ichigo was worrying about or what tomorrow meant for him, yet... yet Toshiro's words were enough to give him the courage he needed. Ichigo agreed with Toshiro. Toshiro would be with him, just fine, at the end of tonight.