Very fluffy and cute…in the beginning - cuz I can't say what my crazy mind will think up later… X3

The picture for this fic is FredTheLifeguard's on deviantART.

Racing Against the Promised Time

Kurosaki Ichigo woke to another day, sighing as he left the warm comfort of his bed to shuffle to the bathroom. He looked into the mirror over the sink and saw a 17-year old with orange hair that brushed against his hips. Honey-hazel eyes stared defiantly back at him. He'd graduate in nearly three weeks. Only three weeks. Ichigo rolled his eyes and bent over to start the shower when a silver ring attached to a silver chain swung forward. With a fond smile, Ichigo stepped under the hot spray and recalled the memory of when the ring was given him

***X***

Ichigo frowned as he looked across the water. It sparkled, the sinking sun reflecting brightly and setting his short orange locks aflame. His companion, with moonlight hair, smooth pale skin, and deep golden eyes turned to him.

"It won't be forever." He smiled. "We'll always be together."

"B-but now – "The paler of the two put a finger to the orange-haired boy's lips gently. "Shiro…"

Said boy reached up and ran his fingers through soft orange spikes. "I'll always love your hair, Ichigo. It doesn't matter what others think."

Golden eyes stared into sad molten brown ones. He extended a hand, slipping a white gold opal ring onto the ring finger of Ichigo's left hand. Hazel eyes widened, gazing bewilderedly at the expensive looking (and girly) ring on his finger. "When this ring actually fits on your finger, I'll be back. I promise I'll be back."

Shiro hugged his friend tightly, aware of the tears flowing from those dark amber pools. He then kissed those pink lips briefly. Ichigo knew he was crying, but did nothing to stop his tears. When Shiro kissed him for what he thought would be the first and last time, he stared sadly at his friend. Determined golden eyes looked deeply at him.

"This isn't goodbye. I'll be back, so wait for me." The orangette nodded, his little heart breaking as a tall man approached - Zangetsu-san. "Time to go, Hichigo. Goodbye Ichigo, Isshin."

The boys were separated by their fathers, yet the paler turned once more. "I promised Ichigo! So keep yours too!"

"I-I will." It was whispered, by Shiro understood.

***X***

Ichigo turned off the water, carefully drying his long orange locks. Sure it was girly, but he didn't care what others had to say. He sighed, dressing quickly. That memory had been…almost seven years ago. He still hadn't heard from Shirosaki, but he still, every year, put the ring on. On the sunset of the day before school ended, he would only then slip on the ring. Last he had put it on, it fit, but only just – this year though…he had yet to try.

Ichigo finally walked down the stairs and sat to eat breakfast. Yuzu stood behind him and brushed his hair with a soft smile on her face. Afterwards, she tied his hair in place in a low ponytail. "Thanks Yuzu."

The younger girl beamed and also sat. Then Isshin came in, face set in an unusually serious mask. "Ichigo, there's something that I have to tell you afterschool today." The boy nodded – contemplating how bad the news had to be for their father to have to speak alone and afterschool with him. "I'm leaving."

The orangette left, and after a short walk, arrived at Karakura High. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that one of his friends had spoken to him during lunch.

"Ichigo…Ichigo!" The long haired male shook his head and stared at Rukia. The violet-eyed woman glared and repeated her question. "Are you going to prom?"

"When is it?"

"Second to last day of school." He mulled over this. "Maybe."

The petite woman squealed and animatedly spoke to the other people in their group. Ichigo looked around. Decorations and flyers for prom were everywhere. (They had decided to actually eat in the lunch room today.)

This was his last year in high school.

The past seven years were coming to a close within three weeks.

Shiro…

"Did you hear B&W's first album yet?" Keigo wondered excitedly as the group thought over it a moment. "I think I did! It was on the radio every time I turned it on!"

Orihime exclaimed and Rukia squealed. "You guys don't know yet?!"

Everyone besides Keigo and Mizuiro shook their heads. "BLACK and WHITE also known as B&W! It's the new idol singer that reached the top of the charts with his first album, Clozed (closed)!"

"What's the singer's name?" Renji, the red headed and tattooed guy that Ichigo liked to call an ape, asked one of them.

"His stage name is Kubomi*, but only his close friends and manager know his real name." Mizuiro answered him as he munched on his sandwich.

"Oh, and his best song in the album is 'Promise'! It makes you feel kinda…lonely, but it also makes you feel like you're waiting for something. It's so heartfelt and full of soul~"

Ichigo, Chad, and Ishida exchanged looks as Rukia and Keigo continued to praise this new artist. It was usual for Keigo to be excited by, well, everything, but Rukia on the other hand was hard to impress – unless it had to do with bunnies of course. The lunch was filled by heated discussions of which of 'Kubomi's' songs were the best and what his real name might be.

Ichigo walked through the grocery store, bag slung across his back. He was here, waiting for Orihime to finish her…dinner shopping. She had been restlessly moving her shoulders today, and Ichigo asked her what the problem was. She simply answered that her dinner shopping – as she put it – was quite hard and heavy to carry. So Ichigo had offered to help carry her groceries. Orihime finally finished, she payed for her stuff and held a couple bags. Ichigo carried a couple more.

"I bought chicken, chili paste, bananas, asparagus, cheese…" The taller of the two shuddered and turned his face to look through a shop window. His strides slowed down and he spoke to Orihime. "I'll be right back, Inoue."

The bubbly girl waited patiently, wondering what had caught Ichigo's attention. When he stepped out of the shop, a plastic bag was being slipped into his blue school bag. Orihime decided not to question the boy and continued to talk about her dinner.

"I'm home."

The orangette slipped off his shoes and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. After listening to Orihime's menu for the night, he had started to feel a bit queasy and thought water would help settle his stomach somewhat.

"Ichigo." Said boy looked up to see his father in the doorway. "Sit down. I need to talk to you."

Ichigo frowned at his father's serious yet defeated face and settled into one of the wooden chairs in the kitchen. His father sat across from him. "Do you know the name 'Aizen'?"

They were a superrich and powerful group in the world; the current head a very successful yet young man. Ichigo nodded, and his father sighed. "Aizen Sousuke, their current leader, has been looking for a wife or partner…and well…he chose you."

The orangette stared at the dark-haired man, mouth open, and eyes opened comically wide. "M-me? But I-"

Ichigo stood, a hand over the ring hidden beneath his clothes. "But…why me?"

Isshin was about to respond when the doorbell rang. The man looked at his son for a moment before standing to answer the door. Ichigo sat back down before he heard footsteps and turned his head slightly. A tall, slim man with silvery hair smiled widely with his eyes closed shut stood there next to his father. "Aizen-sama was right."

Ichigo snapped his eyes to the man's grinning face. "Yer cute, no, yer a sight fer sore eyes. In other words, yer a beauty."

The boy stood and turned abruptly, his chocolate orbs aflame while his long orange locks flared out behind him.

"Oops, looks like I upset ya." If looks could kill, the man would be a smoking pile of ashes.

"Who are you?" The thin man's grin grew even wider, and his eyes opened slightly, revealing icy blue orbs. "Ichimaru Gin at your service. I come here for Aizen-sama."

The orangette growled. "No way in hell I'll ever agree to being Aizen's…partner!"

"Oh? Aizen-sama is very powerful. He could take yer father's business if ya refuse this marriage."

Ichigo didn't say anything, his glare intensifying. Isshin stood to the side, quiet and head turned to the side. Though if one were to look closer, they would be able to see the angry glint in his eyes.

"Why me?"

"Yer beautiful and…special. The rest is fer Aizen-sama to say. Ooh, made ya mad again."

'Beautiful? Who would call another man beautiful in this case?' Ichigo grit his teeth, unable to say anything in fear of jeopardizing his father's work. Isshin, on the other hand, didn't want to see his only son off in a relationship like this. Even if Aizen did shut off his work and he had the entire Aizen corporation against him, Isshin refused to let the young leader take Ichigo away.

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I can't accept this. You don't have to do this Ichigo. "

He pierced the silver haired man with a hard glare and started to usher him out. Ichigo rubbed at his temples and closed his honey eyes as his head throbbed. When his father reentered the room, the boy gave him a grateful smile and a soft thank you before slowly trudging up to his room. After a quick wash up and changing into drawstring pants and a t-shirt, the orangette toppled over onto his bed. The boy curled up on one side and let a heavy sigh escape his lips.

'Aizen Sousuke.' Ichigo thought absently. 'I am male…and wouldn't be able to give heirs…why would he choose someone like me?'

As always, when agitated, Ichigo pressed a hand over the ring. He then pulled it from his shirt and watched as it reflected the afternoon's pinkish light. Would Shiro return?

"Shiro…our promise – I've kept it for this long, but now –" Ichigo knew even though his father had said that he wouldn't have to marry Aizen, the young CEO would be persistent and use anything against Ichigo to get what he wanted.

Another heavy sigh left the boy's soft lips and he sat up. A frown creased his eyebrows as he reached into his bag and pulled out the plastic bag. The bag crinkled as he withdrew the flat object within. A CD.

The cover was that of a completely black sky and white crescent moon. At the bottom of the black 'sky' the word BLACK was written in bold white letters. Outlined in white, but filled with black, the word WHITE was also written across the bottom. In the center of the cover, 'Clozed' was written in jagged white letters. The boy set the disk into the stereo on his desk and let the first song, 'Promise' play. The singer's husky and seductive voice sensually curled around the boy, and Ichigo closed his eyes.

I promised.

I'll be back to save you,

So don't you dare,

Don't you dare let others take you.

While listening, the orangette had fallen back on his bed, curled once more. The last memory of Shiro burned behind his eyelids. Golden eyes burned with determination and hidden sadness.

The day after school, while talking with his friends, he stepped outside. A sleek black car waited for him. He quickly separated himself from his friends with quick goodbyes. Ichimaru Gin came out from the passenger side of the car to stop Ichigo before he walked away.

"Please come with me." The boy scowled and moved to turn the other way. "We could always stalk you, or there is also kidnapping if you prefer that."

The boy still walked on until Gin suddenly appeared in front of him. "Please."

Sighing, Ichigo relented as the man gripped his arm tightly in case he decided to run. Once inside the car, the boy noted the fine black leather seats and nice…smell. The houses passed quickly until they stopped at a mansion…no 'mansion' was too small a word to describe this place. 'Estate' would better suit the extravagant land Ichigo currently stood on. Gin led him to the doors of the luxurious place as servants opened them. They passed many expensive and rather stylish pieces of furniture until they reached another set of white double doors where another pair of servants opened them.

As the massive looming doors opened, there, sitting at a wide white desk, sat a handsome man with wavy brown hair swept back. One loose curl, however, sat in between two cold yet intelligent eyes. A half smile rested on his pale lips and he wore a white suit with a crimson shirt inside.

"Welcome, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Kubomi* - it means hollow. I thought it was good for our dear Shiro's stage name, yes?

Sorry I didn't update my other stories. I had to get this out of my mind, so tell me if you like it!